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Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: WHO give clean bill of health to cities taking action on preventable diseases

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI b

    Climate and Environment

    Three cities that share a healthy vision for their residents won UN World Health Organization awards on Thursday for their smoke-free parks, clean air initiatives and obesity-busting school lunch initiatives.

    Córdoba in Argentina, Fortaleza in Brazil and Manchester in the UK picked up accolades at a healthy cities summit, co-hosted by the UN World Health Organization (WHO), Bloomberg Philanthropies and Vital Strategies.

    The Argentinian city won recognition for its policy to eliminate sugary and artificially sweetened drinks – along with ultra-processed foods – from all schools by 2026. So far, 15,000 primary schoolchildren in 26 schools have benefited.

    “We’re seeing a lot of progress in local leadership and mayors from across the world taking on the fight and trying to lower rates of the world’s biggest killers, heart disease, diabetes, cancers and respiratory diseases,” said Jaimie Guerra, Communications Officer at WHO.

    The Summit in Paris brought togethers mayors and officials from 61 cities around the world to discuss how to build healthier local communities.

    WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus congratulated the three winners, who he said were a model for other cities to follow, at the forefront of the fight against non-communicable diseases and injuries.

    Non-communicable illnesses include heart disease, cancer, diabetes and chronic respiratory disease. They are responsible for the vast majority of fatalities, said UN Special Envoy on Climate Ambition and Solutions, Michael Bloomberg, who was also at the summit in France.

    The diseases “are responsible for more than 80 percent of all deaths globally, but the good news is, they are preventable”, said Mr. Bloomberg, founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies and the three-time former mayor of New York City.

    Breathing more easily

    Winner Fortaleza established its first legal framework for air quality surveillance in a bid to curb air pollution and help people breathe more easily.

    The Brazilian city authorities in 2023 adopted a decree ensuring local monitoring of air pollutants and the installation of low-cost sensors for better data collection.

    Greater Manchester meanwhile has continued its efforts to curb tobacco use, introducing its first smoke-free 6.5-acre park.  

    The northern English city also launched a smoke-free toolkit for hospitals and is developing a broader toolkit to support organizations to create tobacco-free spaces.

    Soundcloud

    Tackling the world’s biggest killers

    Participants in the healthy cities summit included representatives from Dhaka in Bangladesh, Helsinki in Finland, the Sri Lankan capital of Colombo, Lusaka in Zambia and Quito in Ecuador.

    The participating urban centres are part of the Partnership for Healthy Cities, a global network of 74 cities launched in 2017 to prevent non-communicable diseases and injuries through policy and programmes.  

    “These programmes are really making a difference,” said WHO’s Ms. Guerra. “And in the partnership, most of the cities are one million-plus people. In total, it covers more than 300 million people.” 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: A brief guide to vitamin and mineral supplements – when too much of a good thing can become toxic

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dipa Kamdar, Senior Lecturer in Pharmacy Practice, Kingston University

    KucherAV/Shutterstock

    Around half of UK adults currently take a food supplement – but vitamins and minerals are usually only needed in small amounts and too much of a good thing can be bad for you.

    Here’s what you need to know about the benefits and risks of some of the most common vitamins and minerals.

    Vitamin A

    Vitamin A aids the immune system in fighting off infections, helps you see better in the dark and is needed for healthy skin. Most people can get enough vitamin A from eating dairy, oily fish and liver. Yellow and red vegetables such as carrots and peppers, contain beta-carotene, which breaks down into vitamin A in the body. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 700 micrograms and 600 micrograms for men and women respectively.

    Although your body will store excess vitamin A, some research shows having more than 1.5mg a day over many years may weaken bones. In older people, this can lead to fractures as they are more likely to get osteoporosis. In severe cases, people may experience irreversible liver damage.

    If you are pregnant, you should avoid vitamin A supplements completely – excess vitamin A can cause birth defects and miscarriage.

    Vitamin B6

    Also called pyridoxine, this vitamin is needed to make healthy red blood cells and help the body store energy from food. The RDA is 1.4mg and 1.2mg a day for men and women respectively. This can be obtained by eating, for example, fortified cereal, chicken and soya beans. More than 10mg a day is not recommended as the effects are unclear.

    But taking 200mg or more a day has been linked to peripheral neuropathy – when the nerves in the body’s extremities are damaged. This can start with tingling in the arms and legs and lead to loss of feeling. In some patients the effect will stop once the vitamin B6 is stopped. In other patients, nerve damage can be permanent.

    Folic acid

    Folic acid or folate is needed to make healthy red blood cells. Good sources of folic acid include green leafy vegetables, chickpeas and fortified cereals. The RDA is 200 micrograms daily.

    In patients who are pregnant, folic acid is recommended to prevent neural tube defects like spina bifida. Doctors may prescribe higher than recommended doses (5mg) in high risk patients.

    Consuming more than 1000 micrograms (1mg) of folic acid can mask symptoms of vitamin B12 deficiency, such as tiredness, tingling hands and feet, sore tongue and muscle weakness. These can indicate a vitamin B12 anaemia. By correcting the anaemia symptoms caused by a B12 deficiency, high folate levels can prevent the detection of an underlying B12 problem, which could lead to brain damage if left untreated.

    Vitamin D and calcium

    The amount of calcium in the body is controlled by vitamin D. Both nutrients help with healthy bones and teeth. Vitamin D is also needed for the immune system, muscles and nerves. Some foods like fortified cereal contain vitamin D but it is mostly made in the body when the skin is exposed to sunlight. The RDA for vitamin D is 10 micrograms. Those with a vitamin D deficiency may be prescribed higher doses.

    People with darker skin or who do not have much exposure to sunlight may benefit from taking a daily supplement. But too much vitamin D over many years can cause kidney failure and irregular heartbeats. It may even be bad for the bones.

    A Canadian study found that high doses could be linked to weakened bones. This is because high vitamin D intake causes too much calcium to build up in the body. The body starts to break down bones to lower the calcium.

    Iron

    Iron is an important nutrient needed to make red blood cells. Sources include red meat and beans. Iron deficiency is the world’s most common cause of anaemia; however, taking too much can be toxic. The RDA for iron varies depending on your sex and age but you shouldn’t take more than 17mg a day. Higher doses can be bought from a pharmacy or prescribed if there is a diagnosed deficiency.

    Taking more than 20mg of iron everyday can cause stomach problems such as vomiting, diarrhoea and pain. Prolonged use or higher doses can cause organ damage such as liver failure. This is because it builds up in the organs and interferes with normal cell function.

    Fish oil

    These supplements contain omega-3 fatty acids. Different fats are needed to support the cells in the body and also to keep the heart, lungs, blood vessels and immune system working properly. Some are essential for brain and eye development in babies. Fish oil has been linked to a lower chance of heart disease. However, studies have mixed results about how effective these really are.

    A recent study showed that healthy people taking fish oil supplements may have an increased risk of heart issues like stroke or atrial fibrillation. The benefits are mainly seen in people who already have heart disease. However, there are still benefits from eating food rich in omega-3s such as oily fish.

    The British Dietetic Association says it’s better to improve diet before considering supplements. Some groups, like infants, pregnant women and those with a diagnosed deficiency, need supplements. Different supplements have different amounts of vitamins and minerals so always read the label to make sure you’re taking the recommended dose – and avoid taking multiple supplements that could increase your intake of a particular vitamin or mineral beyond safe levels. Ask your doctor, pharmacist or dietitian to check if you need a supplement before taking anything.

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

    – ref. A brief guide to vitamin and mineral supplements – when too much of a good thing can become toxic – https://theconversation.com/a-brief-guide-to-vitamin-and-mineral-supplements-when-too-much-of-a-good-thing-can-become-toxic-251528

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Turkey: a favourable international climate is spurring Erdoğan’s crackdown on democracy

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Massimo D’Angelo, Research Associate in the Institute for Diplomacy and International Affairs, Loughborough University

    The Turkish judiciary has finally succeeded in sidelining Istanbul’s mayor, Ekrem İmamoğlu, at the fourth attempt. On the morning of March 19, the 53-year-old posted a video on social media announcing that police had arrived at his home to arrest him on charges of corruption, aiding a terrorist organisation and organised crime.

    “Hundreds of police are at my door”, he said in a voice message. “This immoral and tyrannical approach will undoubtedly be overturned by the will and resilience of our people”.

    Turkey’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has consistently excelled at positioning himself on the international stage, adeptly seizing opportunities left by others and turning them to his advantage. He has demonstrated this once again by orchestrating the arrest of İmamoğlu, his main political rival.

    With global events bolstering his leverage over the west, Erdoğan is well placed to act with impunity, knowing that his strategic importance will likely shield him from serious repercussions.

    The judiciary’s first attempt to remove İmamoğlu through legal means came in 2019, shortly after he won the Istanbul mayoral election by a narrow margin (around 13,000 votes). Erdoğan’s ruling Justice and Development party (AKP) contested the results, citing irregularities.

    Under intense pressure from the government, the Supreme Electoral Council annulled the vote and ordered a rerun. İmamoğlu not only retained, but significantly increased his lead. He secured victory over the AKP’s candidate, Binali Yıldırım, by more than 800,000 votes.

    Then, in 2022, İmamoğlu was sentenced to two years in prison for having called two public officials “fools” three years earlier. Ultimately, he was not arrested. But the sentence severely undermined his presidential ambitions, prompting him to forgo running for the presidency the following year.

    The third attempt occurred just days ago, when the government revoked the validity of İmamoğlu’s academic degree on bureaucratic grounds. Turkey’s political future looks to be entering a new and more precarious phase.

    İmamoğlu was born in Akçaabat, a district of Trabzon province on north-east Turkey’s Black Sea coast. He graduated in economics at Istanbul University and worked as a construction entrepreneur before entering politics.

    He is married with three children and, like Erdoğan, is passionate about football. In his youth, he was both a footballer and the managing director of his hometown’s football club, Trabzonspor.

    In 2024, İmamoğlu was reelected as mayor of Istanbul. Over the past six years, he has become a highly prominent political figure and, given the city’s size and his broad popularity, he has often been regarded as a natural candidate for the Turkish presidency.

    Many expected him to run as the opposition Republican People’s Party (CHP) candidate in the 2023 presidential election. But the party chose its leader, Kemal Kılıçdaroğlu, instead.

    This decision was partly driven by internal power struggles between the party’s old guard and newer leadership. However, the insult lawsuit against İmamoğlu alarmed many within the CHP, who feared that a potential arrest during the campaign would plunge the contest into chaos.

    Kılıçdaroğlu is less popular than İmamoğlu, and is from an older generation of opposition politicians who have repeatedly failed to challenge Erdoğan effectively. He ultimately lost to Erdoğan in the second round of voting.

    Despite state-led media campaigns to discredit İmamoğlu, his popularity has continued to rise. As a leading CHP figure, he was the frontrunner in the party’s primaries scheduled for March 23, ahead of the 2028 presidential elections. The arrest of İmamoğlu is widely seen as Erdoğan’s latest attempt to obstruct his candidacy.

    A pattern of political suppression

    Along with İmamoğlu, Turkish authorities have detained 87 people as part of an investigation into alleged terrorism and organised crime in Istanbul.

    Prosecutors accuse İmamoğlu of leading a criminal organisation, engaging in bribery, extortion and bid rigging. The inquiry also links him to financial misconduct and alleged ties with the Kurdistan Workers’ party (PKK), which the Turkish state categorises as a terrorist organisation.

    This is not the first time prominent political leaders in Turkey have been arrested on such charges. İmamoğlu’s case closely mirrors that of Selahattin Demirtaş, a Kurdish politician and former co-chair of the pro-Kurdish Peoples’ Democratic party (HDP), who has been imprisoned since November 2016.

    Demirtaş, who was arrested during Erdoğan’s crackdown on political opposition after an attempted coup in 2016, was charged with “terrorist propaganda” and “undermining state unity”. In elections the previous year, his presidential campaign had gained widespread support, allowing the HDP to surpass Turkey’s 10% electoral threshold for entering parliament for the first time.

    Despite international calls for his release, including rulings from the European Court of Human Rights, Demirtaş remains incarcerated. In 2024, he was sentenced to a total of 42 years. Much like İmamoğlu today, his continued detention is widely regarded as politically motivated.

    In their influential work, How Democracies Die, Harvard professors Steven Levitsky and Daniel Ziblatt argue that the willingness to curtail civil liberties, such as controlling the media and suppressing dissent, is typical of populist leaders determined to tighten their grip on power.

    This latest crackdown is yet another episode in the continued erosion of democratic space in Turkey. However, Erdoğan currently operates in an unusually favourable global climate, with multiple strategic negotiations placing him centre stage.

    Although he has not hesitated to sideline rivals in the past, this environment has shifted further in his favour. The US president, Donald Trump, has rarely opposed such actions or condemned the suppression of political rights in other countries. On several occasions, Trump has even demonstrated his willingness to subject the US justice system and his opponents to his own will.

    The EU, distracted by internal conflicts and the Russian threat, also appears keen to keep Turkey onside. Turkey has Nato’s second-largest army and a Black Sea coastline, and is seeking to assume a key role in Europe’s security following Washington’s pivot away from the region. Across the Middle East, democracy often serves more as a bargaining chip than a genuine priority.

    Erdoğan has recently launched a “new Kurdish process”, aimed at reconciling with the PKK. This makes İmamoğlu’s arrest all the more surprising. The move may be intended to distance Kurdish voters from the CHP.

    Some citizens have attempted to protest the arrest despite a government ban on public gatherings. It remains to be seen how resilient the Turkish people will prove. Ultimately, Erdoğan’s success depends on the opposition’s ability to unite against him.

    Massimo D’Angelo 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. Turkey: a favourable international climate is spurring Erdoğan’s crackdown on democracy – https://theconversation.com/turkey-a-favourable-international-climate-is-spurring-erdogans-crackdown-on-democracy-252694

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: England’s national curriculum is up for review – lessons from abroad show how it could work better for everyone

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Mark Boylan, Professor of Education, Sheffield Hallam University

    arrowsmith2/Shutterstock

    A review of the English school curriculum is currently underway. The review’s recently released interim report makes clear that the current education system is not working well for all young people – in particular those with special educational needs and from more deprived backgrounds.

    However, the report does not recommend radical change. It proposes sticking with the curriculum approach brought in through reforms over the last decade or so under the previous Conservative government, but that these need to be built on to have a more inclusive approach.

    In 2014, there were significant changes in the national curriculum and to GCSE exams. These changes were branded a “knowledge-rich” curriculum, which meant more content to learn and a greater emphasis on memorising and final exams.

    Defenders of the changes, such as former schools minister Nick Gibb, say that the success of this curriculum is shown by improvements in England’s performance in the Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa). This is a global series of tests for 15-year-olds in maths, science and reading, taken in each country’s national language, that run usually every three years.

    In 2022, the most recent round of tests, England’s country rank was 14th for maths, 14th for science and 13th for reading out of 81 countries. This compares with 2009’s rankings of 28th for maths, 16th for science and 25th for reading.

    Understanding the stats

    The story is that Pisa tests dropped in the noughties due to a “skills-based curriculum” but have risen under a knowledge-rich curriculum. Pisa is important to this argument because the changes to national examinations in England mean GCSE exam results 20 years ago cannot be directly compared with GCSE results today. The curriculum review interim report notes that England’s results compare well internationally.

    However, this proof of the success of a knowledge-rich curriculum is not clear cut. To understand why, we need to look at the Pisa tests and how Pisa sampling works, the importance of not cherry-picking evidence, and what has really changed and not changed in the curriculum in England.

    Reading is one of the measures assessed by Pisa.
    PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

    To compare two people’s knowledge or how the knowledge of the same person changes over time, the same or equivalent tests need to be used. But the Pisa tests taken in 2022 are not the same as the ones taken previously. Each time Pisa tests are taken, some items from the last test are kept but other items are added. There are various ways that the OECD, who run Pisa, try to make sure that tests are equivalent, but changes do make a difference.

    What’s more, Pisa is not usually a test of everyone in a country. The government’s official research report on the 2022 Pisa results states that higher performing pupils were overrepresented and disadvantaged pupils underrepresented.

    Adjusting for the bias in the sample, the OECD estimated that the 2022 result might have been up to eight points lower. Still above the OECD national averages but very similar to 2009, and so hardly the resounding success claimed by some.

    All the evidence

    More generally, we need to be careful that evidence isn’t being cherry-picked – choosing the evidence that supports a case rather than all the evidence. Any success in Pisa 2022 for England appears to be due to success for those already doing well. The gap between advantaged and disadvantaged pupils in England is not closing. This backs up the headline goal of the curriculum review – to improve the curriculum so it works better for everyone.

    Regardless of pupil performance, the pupil survey done alongside the test contained some worrying findings. Pupils reported the second lowest levels of life satisfaction across OECD countries, and headteachers said that difficulties recruiting teachers are negatively affecting pupils.

    Pisa scores were not the main reason for changing the curriculum in 2014 in England. They were used to justify the changes. But the amount of change is overstated, and this also undermines the claims made for the success of the current curriculum and also the fear that any change would undermine England’s comparative success in tests like Pisa.

    It is a myth that the before the 2014 curriculum reforms, England had a skills-based national curriculum. With colleagues, I looked at skills in the curriculum in England in the past and now and found that generic life skills were hardly mentioned before the reforms. Looking at maths, the content of the curriculum hasn’t changed much at all.

    We also compared the current curriculum in England with other countries that do better than England in Pisa and are also seen as examples of knowledge-rich systems. These include Singapore, the world leader, and Estonia, who are top in Europe. What we found is that those countries’ Pisa success is based on a curriculum that works better for everyone.

    Part of that comes from including aspects of a skills-based approach. These curricula balance a focus on knowledge with inclusion of skills, particularly digital literacy. They pay attention to making sure school is a good basis for vocational education, working life and taking part in society, and not only for further academic study.

    Taking a closer look at Pisa outcomes and the differences between our curriculum and other countries’ backs up the central message of the curriculum review’s interim report. The English system works well for some but not well for everyone, and could do better as an education system. It also points to practical lessons from countries like Singapore and Estonia about how vocational education and skills can be valued without losing sight of the importance of knowledge.

    Mark Boylan currently receives funding for research from the Education Endowment Foundation and the Department for Education

    – ref. England’s national curriculum is up for review – lessons from abroad show how it could work better for everyone – https://theconversation.com/englands-national-curriculum-is-up-for-review-lessons-from-abroad-show-how-it-could-work-better-for-everyone-248509

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Britain has almost 1 million young people not in work or education – here’s what evidence shows can change that

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Peter Urwin, Director, Centre for Employment Research, University of Westminster

    amenic181/Shutterstock

    Keir Starmer says the current benefits system is unsustainable, unfair and needs changing to avoid a wasted generation of young people who are not in education, employment or training (Neet).

    The government is concerned about the rising number of young people aged 16 to 24 who are Neet, which in the quarter to December 2024 was estimated at 987,000 in the UK. This is 13.4% of all young people in this age group. The increase, from around 11% in the period prior to the start of the pandemic, is linked to long-term illness among the economically inactive.

    About 40% of young people who are Neet are unemployed (not in work but looking for work) and the other 60% are inactive (not looking for work). Over the period of the pandemic, the number of young people with a mental health issue who are inactive because of long-term sickness has risen sharply.

    This is clearly concerning, but it is not entirely new. The number of 16- to 34-year-olds with a mental health condition, who are economically inactive because of long-term sickness, increased from around 100,000 in 2013 to about 180,000 at the start of the pandemic. The figure is now over 250,000. This long-term trend is part of a wider increase in disability prevalence across the UK’s ageing population.

    When discussing young people specifically, social policy experts such as myself use the label Neet, because “inactivity” also includes those in education and just using the youth unemployment rate does not capture the scale of the challenge.

    Young people (and particularly lower-attaining young people) tend to become Neet when they make the transition from school to post-16 learning, and then from learning to work. But the lack of robust data on these transitions means we still don’t fully understand it.

    When looked at historically, the current economic inactivity rate across age groups is not actually very high. The Neet rate among young people is a longstanding challenge, but it seems most responsive to the economic cycle – falling in good times and rising in bad. For instance, Neet rates for 18- to 24-year-olds last peaked in the period after the 2008 financial crisis.

    What will help get young people into work?

    The welfare reforms announced recently are aimed at addressing some of these long-term issues, specifically: restrictions to personal independence payment (PiP) eligibility and proposals to prevent under-22s from qualifying for incapacity benefits, the health element within universal credit.

    Liz Kendall, the work and pensions secretary, says these and other changes will save over £5 billion a year by the end of the decade. But this isn’t just about saving money. As the government has repeatedly said, it is also about getting young people into work.

    But trying to save both money and a generation seems a tall order. Can we do both?

    Reducing the level of benefits and limiting eligibility does save money and it will certainly force (rather than “help”) some people into work. But it is not an approach that will tackle the mental and physical health challenges this generation is facing.

    In discussion of “what works”, we cannot ignore the need to increase employment opportunities for those who are most at risk of becoming Neet. Ideally, this will come from improved economic growth driven by investment. This boosts productivity, creates new jobs and, importantly, drives up the quality of jobs and wages.

    However, UK productivity growth since the financial crisis has been weak, and when worse economic times come, we once again face the same challenge. Many young people, even if they are qualified to degree level, face barriers to progress. For instance, it is not easy to access many of the jobs that pay better wages, as they are in parts of the country where the cost of living is particularly high.

    Liz Kendall announces welfare reforms that will affect disability benefits and introduce more work support.
    House of Commons/Flickr, CC BY-ND

    It’s positive to see that the government is also investing in mental health support as part if its reforms, and that it has highlighted a number of evidence-based interventions. On mental health, for example, there is strong evidence that relatively light touch cognitive behavioural therapy and NHS Talking Therapies can improve employment outcomes.

    The welfare reform package also contains £1 billion a year for employment support. Kendall suggests that this could be used for programmes such as Work Choice, a voluntary employment programme for people who have a disability that prevents them from working or puts them at risk of losing their job.

    There is compelling evidence that those who took part in this programme before the pandemic experienced increased employment rates by between 11 and 12 percentage points. We also know that even short entry-level training for very low-skilled unemployed young people can have significant impacts, increasing employment rates by five percentage points.

    The government’s programme for change is evidence-based and they are to be commended in recognising and beginning to tackle long-standing issues of Neet among young people. The announcements on welfare will help, but we still need to tackle the root causes of high Neet rates in the UK.

    Youth transitions need to be better managed by all agencies of government, especially for those who have mental health challenges. There also need to be better jobs available for young people who become disillusioned with the education system.

    Growing the economy, together with the package of measures announced, will go some way to help. But some support needs to start even earlier. Young people who do not perform well in school have few education or employment options – this is the real tragedy of lost generations.

    Peter Urwin has received funding from UK Research Councils, the Nuffield Foundation and government departments such as DWP and DfE to investigate the challenges that young people face in making the transition from education to employment.

    – ref. Britain has almost 1 million young people not in work or education – here’s what evidence shows can change that – https://theconversation.com/britain-has-almost-1-million-young-people-not-in-work-or-education-heres-what-evidence-shows-can-change-that-252222

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Scottish Parliament urged to curb investment in Elon Musk companies

    Source: Scottish Greens

    20 Mar 2025 Economy

    Our parliament should not be supporting Elon Musk or his businesses.

    More in Economy

    Scottish Green MSP Mark Ruskell has called for the Scottish Parliament Pension Scheme to fully divest in Tesla and any other Elon Musk-owned companies that it has investments in.

    This follows press reports revealing that, while the total has reduced over recent years, the scheme has holdings in Tesla via Baillie Gifford which controls the fund.

    Speaking at Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body questions today, Mr Ruskell said:

    “It is quite clear that Elon Musk has promoted extremism and misinformation.

    “He is part of a Trump administration that has shown utter contempt for human rights across the world. He is a toxic individual, and that’s just one of the reasons why the value of shares in Tesla is collapsing right now, which will be impacting our pensions.

    “I welcome the news that Baillie Gifford who runs our pension funds has been reducing their investment in Tesla. I would like to see total divestment from all Elon Musk’s companies as well.

    “Will members reflect on the fact that the Scottish Parliament Pension Scheme is conducting its triannual review? The Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body as an employer could and should encourage all members of the scheme to give feedback on these kinds of ethical issues.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Gaza: ‘Bring them all home now’, freed hostage tells Security Council

    Source: United Nations 2

    Peace and Security

    A senior UN political affairs official called for Israel and Hamas to restore the shattered ceasefire in Gaza on Thursday and release all remaining hostages, while one of those freed told the Security Council of his 500-day ordeal in captivity.

    Briefing ambassadors, Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General at the Department of Political Affairs (DPPA), reiterated the UN’s unequivocal condemnation of the horrific attacks by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups on Israeli communities on 7 October 2023.

    More than 1,200 Israelis were brutally killed and over 250 taken hostage. At least 59 people – alive and deceased – remain in the custody of Hamas and other armed groups inside the enclave.

    “Nothing can justify the intentional killing, torture, sexual violence, and destruction – entire families murdered, burned in their homes, taken hostage,” Mr. Khiari said.

    “The events of that horrific day will not be forgotten.”

    Escalating conflict

    Mr. Khiari also reported on the worsening situation in Gaza following the collapse of the two-month ceasefire and hostages release deal – and    resumption of full-blown conflict.

    Israeli airstrikes have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of Palestinians, including women and children, he said, adding also that six UN staff members have been killed in the past three days.

    Calling for an urgent return to the ceasefire, Mr. Khiari warned that “with every passing day, we move further away from the objective of returning the remaining hostages safely to their homes.”  

    He recalled UN relief chief Tom Fletcher’s briefing to the Council earlier this week, “a renewed ceasefire is the best way of protecting civilians – in Gaza, in the occupied Palestinian territory and in Israel – releasing hostages and detainees and allowing aid and commercial supplies in.”

    UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe

    Khaled Khiari, Assistant Secretary-General for Middle East, Asia and the Pacific, briefs the Security Council.

    A survivor’s testimony: I came back from hell

    The Security Council also heard from Eli Sharabi, an Israeli survivor who spent 491 days in Hamas captivity. Taken from his home in Kibbutz Be’eri on 7 October 2023, Mr. Sharabi was held underground, chained, starved and subjected to psychological and physical abuse.

    “I have come back from hell,” he told ambassadors.

    “For 491 days. I was kept mostly underground in Hamas terror tunnels…held captive in the darkness, isolated from the world by Hamas terrorists,” he continued.

    “For 491 days. I held on to hope, I imagined the life we would rebuild, I dreamt of seeing my family again,” he said.

    However, only when he returned home last month, he learned the truth that his wife and two daughters had been killed by Hamas on 7 October.

    ‘Telling their stories’

    Mr. Sharabi emphasised that he appeared before the Security Council today to tell the story of his brother, Yossi, who was also taken hostage and killed, and others still in Gaza.

    “My brother Yossi, murdered in Hamas captivity, his body still held hostage, still 50 metres underground. I swore to him that I would tell his story,” Mr. Sharabi said, “for every hostage still in Hamas’ hands, I am here to tell you the whole truth.”

    He described the events of 7 October when Hamas attacked Kibbutz Be’eri, how he and his wife, Lianne, tried to protect their daughters and how he was taken away.

    ‘Begging was our existence’

    Mr. Sharabi detailed the horrors of captivity, describing how hostages were deprived of food, medical care and basic hygiene.

    “We had to beg for food, beg to use the bathroom. Begging was our existence,” he said, adding, “Hamas [terrorists] ate like kings while [we] starved.”

    Mr. Sharabi was freed on 8 February, as part of the hostage release and ceasefire deal. Since his release, he has met both US President Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, narrating the plight of hostages and appealing for their release.

    “Now, I am here before you at the United Nations to say – bring them all home. No more excuses, no more delays. If you stand for humanity, prove it. Bring them all home.”

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Parliamentary secretary’s statement on Two-Spirit Celebration and Awareness Day

    Jennifer Blatherwick, parliamentary secretary for gender equity, has released the following statement in honour of Two-Spirit Celebration and Awareness Day:

    “Today is Two-Spirit Celebration and Awareness Day, a day dedicated to uplifting Two-Spirit, trans and non-binary Indigenous people, as well as their families, supporters and communities.

    “This awareness day coincides with the spring equinox, signalling a balance between the cold of winter and the warmth of summer.

    “I invite all British Columbians to join me in honouring Two-Spirit people and reaffirm our commitment to supporting Indigenous-led pathways toward inclusion, equity and safety.

    “The day also reminds us of the importance of confronting colonial narratives and rhetoric that give rise to homophobia, transphobia and discrimination, issues we have seen far too much in recent weeks.

    “The spring equinox is a time of change and new beginnings, an opportunity for equity, optimism and clarity. Two-Spirit Celebration and Awareness Day, much like the spring equinox, symbolizes renewal, warmth and love. A time of hope for meaningful change.

    “I offer my gratitude to Two-Spirit Elders, knowledge keepers and community members for their voices in raising awareness and guiding us in celebrating the culture, diverse identities and perspectives of Two-Spirit people.”

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Government of Canada Invests $2.7 million in London to Enhance Climate Resilience and Community Spaces

    Source: Government of Canada News

    London, Ontario, March 20, 2025 — Today, MP Peter Fragiskatos, Rodger J. Moran, Co-Executive Director Finance & Administration at ReForest London, and Tom Partalas, Optimist Club of London, announced $2.7 million in funding through the Green and Inclusive Community Buildings fund.

    Up to $2.1 million will be invested in Reforest London for the Perth Centre for Community Forestry in London will support the transformation of a 1940s Veterans facility into an energy-efficient, solar-powered, climate resilient centre.

    This facility will offer community forestry programs focused on combating climate change, particularly extreme heat, through tree planting and other nature-based solutions. The centre will provide a variety of free programs, events, and services to the public.

    London Optimist Sports Centre will receive an investment of $600,000 towards green improvements. This will retrofit windows and minimize energy loss, and update outdated mechanical systems and HVAC equipment to optimize performance and reduce environmental impact. The project will provide a more eco-friendly facility, benefiting the London community and its over 600,000 annual visitors by improving comfort and lowering operational costs.

    The federal government recognizes the importance of community spaces and remains committed to strengthening and revitalizing Canadian communities, ensuring we remain connected through common interest and shared spaces.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Protecting the public from abusive AI-generated content across the EU

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Protecting the public from abusive AI-generated content across the EU

    As a long-standing technology partner to European governments, businesses, and citizens, Microsoft seeks to ensure that the continent benefits from digital technologies and artificial intelligence (AI), while continuing to respect the rights of EU citizens online.

    AI is no longer a distant prospect but a present reality, reshaping the business landscape, revolutionizing healthcare, and accelerating scientific discovery across the EU. Yet, as with any transformative technology, AI brings potentially significant challenges as well as immense opportunities. As a technology company providing AI services, we bear a responsibility to make sure that the solutions we deliver are deserving of public trust.

    The start of the new EU mandate offers an opportunity to reflect on how best to leverage new technologies for the benefit of people across the continent — driving innovation and competitiveness —as well as to take proportionate steps to protect people from potential abuses of the same technology. At Microsoft, we are looking forward to working with the new decision makers in the European institutions as they embark on the 2024-2029 mandate.

    Strong political leadership is all the more necessary as we stand at the beginning of a new age of technological innovation. As President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said, “Europe is leading the way in making AI safer and more trustworthy, and oin tackling the risks stemming from its misuse.”. In this pursuit, however, the EU should not lose sight of AI’s central role in driving the continent’s digital transformation and potential for economic growth. Indeed, the EU should therefore “focus on becoming a global leader in AI innovation,” as emphasized by President von der Leyen in her political guidelines. In her commitment to protecting democracy, President von der Leyen also expressed her intention to continue strengthening the EU’s approach to AI-produced content in the current mandate.

    Advancing innovation and safety will require a balanced, whole-of-society approach that recognizes the respective roles of government, civil society, and industry. The EU is already at the forefront of creating  robust legal and regulatory frameworks, making industry players accountable for the development of safe online products, including AI. Microsoft recognizes the legislative developments undertaken during the 2019-2024 mandate of the Commission and stands ready to engage in dialogue with EU stakeholders on implementing these in an effective and proportionate way. We also see a need for modernized criminal and other laws to help address the misuse of AI. The pace of innovation calls for a continued focus on these challenges as the AI revolution unfolds.

    Our annual safety research reveals the scale of the potential challenge. Certain societal groups are disproportionately at risk from deliberate misuse of this technology. We therefore see a need for practical steps to protect people — most notably children, women, and older adults — from the harms that arise from abusive AI-generated content.

    In this white paper, we outline steps that Microsoft is taking to address this harm, as well as policy recommendations to build on the existing efforts and rules that address these issues head-on.

    Central to our recommendations is the need to establish clear and proportionate rules that protect individuals while enabling Europe to continue innovating. In our paper, we advocate for the EU to integrate provenance tools, strengthen appropriate existing legal frameworks, and enhance measures that put victim-based decision making at the forefront.

    As a company, we know we need a strong safety architecture for our services, grounded in safety by design, and incorporating durable media provenance and watermarking. Equally, we must continue to safeguard our services from abusive content and conduct (whether synthetic or not), through robust collaboration across industry and with governments and civil society, supported by ongoing education and public awareness efforts. It is crucial that we build trust in AI across society for its benefits to be fully realized.

    In the context of the EU’s mature regulatory landscape, we center our recommendations on enhancing the response to the misuse of AI, through the lens of three key risk areas:

    1. Protecting children from online exploitation.

    2. Safeguarding women from non-consensual intimate imagery.

    3. Safeguarding older adults, especially against AI-enabled fraud.

    The challenges we face are significant, but so is the opportunity. By proactively addressing these issues, we can build a future where AI enhances human creativity, protects individual privacy, and strengthens the foundations of our democracy. 

    At Microsoft, we are committed to playing our part, but we recognize that we cannot do it alone. We welcome engagement and feedback from stakeholders across the EU’s digital ecosystem. It is essential that we get this right, and that means working together. 

    Microsoft stands for technology that is a positive force in society and people’s lives, in line with our mission to empower every person and organization on the planet to achieve more. The time for action is now. 

    Read our full report here: aka.ms/SyntheticMediaEUWhitepaper 

    Tags: cybersecurity, Digital Transformation, Responsible AI, security, synthetic media

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Can books be bad for you? Only if you’re a ‘bad reader’ like Don Quixote

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Karen Attar, Research Fellow in Institute of English Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London

    An illustration from an edition of Don Quixote where the eponymous protagonist goes mad from reading. Wikimedia, CC BY

    Books as a backdrop in a portrait or an interview lend gravitas. They stand for literacy, for education, for a way to open the mind, develop the imagination and get on in life. But not all books are considered to convey such benefits.

    Opinions about which books are worthy and which are not have dogged fiction. Which are frivolous nonsense, sure to pollute the mind, and which are worthy intellectual pursuits? Also, are there books which are just too dangerous to read?

    Is Toni Morrison’s The Bluest Eye sure to influence unwanted behaviour? Are there those who can read a book like Niccolò Machiavelli’s The Prince and not see it as real advice of how any immoral act is justified if they lead to power and glory?

    In short, are there bad books, or are there just bad readers?

    The theme of bad books versus bad readers runs through my recent publication Books, Reading and Libraries in Fiction, which I wrote with Institute of English Studies Reader Andrew Nash. It starts with Don Quixote (1605), which is considered the first modern novel in Europe and an enduring classic of world literature.

    By the beginning of the 17th century, medieval chivalric romances about knights riding around the countryside seeking adventures and saving damsels in distress were distinctly old-fashioned. Don Quixote did not realise that. He spent all his time reading such romances, neglecting all other duties, to the extent that he went mad.

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    Believing the stories implicitly, he set off in search of knightly adventures. Don Quixote is the quintessential bad reader who takes fiction literally and who focuses on the activity of fighting instead of the metaphorical value of striving for good against evil. It’s the uncritical way children may read, but not the way we expect adults to.

    It is because he was a man that Don Quixote had the purchasing power to surround himself with books (there were no public libraries in those days) and travel around. So, it has more often been women who have typically been portrayed as poor readers, over-identifying with the heroines of novels, reading books that are bad for them, or reading when they should be doing something else.

    The Female Quixote, a little-known novel by Charlotte Lennox (1752), draws consciously on Don Quixote as heroine Arabella expects life to reflect the French novels she has read. At the end a doctor must explain to her the difference between fiction and reality. The reader of The Female Quixote is expected to have a lot more sense and distance than the reader within the novel. They are supposed to learn from Arabella’s silliness.

    Jane Austen, who we know loved reading novels, has most to say about relegating fiction to its place. She does it famously in a gentle, high-spirited way through her heroine in Northanger Abbey (1817), Catherine Morland. This young woman gorges on sensational gothic romances and this fiction starts to seep into her perception of reality.

    On one particularly stormy gothic night in a strange country house, she finds a roll of paper in a drawer. “What is it?” she thinks. Her candle goes out and she tosses and turns until early morning, her imagination leading her to terrifying conclusions. In the cold light of morning, she discovers that the paper is only an old laundry bill.

    The worst case of “bad reading” in our book occurred in a 1855 novella Faust by Russian novelist Ivan Turgenev. The story deals with a young woman whose mother had banned the reading of fiction. The young male narrator introduces her to the first part of Goethe’s drama Faust. Overwhelmed by the emotions it arouses, unequipped to deal with them from any former contact with imaginative literature, the heroine falls ill and dies.

    Like her fictitious predecessors, she over-identifies with fiction. In her case she suffers because, had she read fiction when she was younger, she would have been more robust now. Typically in fiction of the past, fortunate women had wise men to guide them and their reading. Vera in Turgenev’s tale is rather unfortunate in her guide’s lack of discrimination.

    Does it mean that Faust, considered by many the pinnacle of German literature, is a “bad” book? No. Neither are gothic romances. We know from her letters that Jane Austen devoured novels, and that she liked Ann Radcliffe, one of the most prominent Gothic writers. Also, medieval chivalric romances can be inspiring.

    The challenge for characters in fiction, as for us, is to read with distance and discernment. It helps to start young, unlike Turgenev’s Vera. We must read to understand and follow worthy principles, rather than blindly imitating the behaviour of characters in novels. But most of all, we must read all sorts of fiction. And then we shall be reading thoughtfully, wisely and well.

    Karen Attar 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. Can books be bad for you? Only if you’re a ‘bad reader’ like Don Quixote – https://theconversation.com/can-books-be-bad-for-you-only-if-youre-a-bad-reader-like-don-quixote-252428

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Glastonbury is as popular than ever, but complaints about the lineup reveal its generational challenge

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adrian York, Senior Lecturer in Commercial Music Performance, University of Westminster

    Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock since 1970 you will be aware of the five-day Glastonbury festival held every June (apart from “fallow” years to rest the land and the organisers), near Pilton in Somerset. Glastonbury is as much a pillar of the English summer as tennis at Wimbledon or opera at Glyndebourne.

    It’s a white, middle-class rite of passage and an easy win for people wishing peer approval and the cultural capital that comes with the price of a ticket. It’s expensive and exclusive and the booking policy reflects its audience.

    This year’s headliners include indie pop-rock darlings The 1975, angry girl supreme Olivia Rodrigo, old-school superstar Neil Young with his band the Chrome Hearts, with family favourite Rod Stewart filling the Sunday teatime “legend” slot.

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    Other acts filling the 100-plus stages include Brat popster Charli XCX, English hip-hopper Loyle Carner, original bad boys The Prodigy (without original frontman Keith Flint, RIP) plus Raye, Doechii, Noah Kahan, Gracie Abrams, and old pros Alanis Morissette, En Vogue and Gary Numan.

    With tickets costing £378.50 for Glastonbury 2025, are the 210,000 attendees getting value for money?

    A Reddit thread titled “Glastonbury 2025 lineup, thoughts?”, gives a flavour of some commonly aired opinions. Disappointed customer praf973 “tried to get tickets but was unsuccessful. I’m not bitter, but the line up isn’t really looking that great.” Another commenter, Whilst-I-was-forced, declared: “Nothing to get excited about. It’s gone too commercial and sterile.”

    Ok_Handle_3530 gave a different perspective: “This line-up looks … great, people are too hard to please.” ShankSpencer opined, “There are no good line-ups any more. No one young listens to bands any more, so there are no headline acts.”

    The exceptionally popular festival sold out in 35 minutes this year even before the artists had been announced, raising the question: has Glastonbury become a victim of its own success?

    Last year there were issues with overcrowding at some of the smaller stages creating issues for fans wanting to see acts such as the Sugababes. Some sets were even being stopped early because of crowd surges.

    But what’s really behind these complaints about the lineup and are they justified? There’s been a changing of the guard as the veteran generation of performers from the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s step back from performing because they have retired, are too ill or have died.

    There doesn’t seem to be enough credible stadium acts from the 1990s onwards to fill their shoes, leading to a lack of enthusiasm for the current offerings. The new generation of acts have an opportunity to impress, but many of them don’t have the volume of hits that legacy acts such as Elton John or Paul McCartney provide – nor the cross-generational appeal.

    There is also a growing sense that the cultural importance of the rock band is fading. Gen Z has far more in the way of distractions than previous generations with myriad forms of social media and digital entertainment. With so much competition for their attention, the tribal allegiances that bands used to command may feel dated and irrelevant to many younger people.

    On their single Guys, one of this year’s headliners, The 1975 trill: “The moment that we started a band was the best thing that ever happened.” Perhaps lead singer Matty Healy’s love affair with the mythology of rock’n’roll is no longer widely shared.

    Glastonbury has also been criticised for a lack of diversity. Clubbing magazine Mixmag made the point that in 2023, “the number of male acts playing this year’s Glastonbury Festival is nearly double that of female acts”.

    Similarly, the festival’s lineup and audience are predominantly white and fail to adequately reflect the British music industry. Though there have been a few black bands and artists headlining over the years, it wasn’t until 2019 that the first solo black British performer headlined on the Pyramid stage, with an unforgettable set from London rapper Stormzy in a black Union Jack stab vest designed by Banksy.

    For Glastonbury to move with the times, a more diverse booking policy is needed to widen the audience demographic and the festival’s appeal. Despite having enjoyed the event, mixed-heritage music journalist and academic Jenessa Williams noted: “I was still left with the feeling that certain punters saw black artists as a mockable novelty, a by-product to tolerate rather than truly a piece of the event’s heart and soul.”

    And then there’s the issue of cost. According to a 2024 report, two-thirds of UK adults feel that music festivals are becoming too expensive. Popular music artists have had to pivot towards live events for income generation because of the poor returns from streaming compared to selling albums.

    So are major tours and larger festivals such as Glastonbury sucking revenue out of the music economy? Research shows that while big high-profile event tours are making millions, at the other end of the spectrum grassroots venues – where new talent is incubated – are buckling under a lack of support and the prohibitive costs of running their operations.

    Glastonbury won’t be making an appearance in 2026, the next fallow year for rest and recovery. This will create an opportunity for organiser Emily Eavis to reflect on some of the more problematical issues the festival faces, from diversity in the audience and artists, to the sustainability of the talent pipeline.

    Maybe the last word should go to American rapper Azealia Banks commenting on this year’s festival lineup: “Glastonbury is kinda cooked.”

    Adrian York 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. Glastonbury is as popular than ever, but complaints about the lineup reveal its generational challenge – https://theconversation.com/glastonbury-is-as-popular-than-ever-but-complaints-about-the-lineup-reveal-its-generational-challenge-252588

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Bringing More Affordable Housing in Brooklyn

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the redevelopment of a state-owned site located at 1024 Fulton Street in Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill neighborhood. The approximately 12,800-square-foot lot, currently owned by the Office of Children and Family Services (OCFS), will be transformed into a vibrant, mixed-use, 100 percent affordable housing development. This project is part of Governor Hochul’s vision to address New York State’s housing crisis, which includes repurposing underutilized state-owned sites to provide much-needed affordable housing. The RFP follows an extensive community engagement process led by Empire State Development (ESD) in partnership with local elected officials to ensure the project meets neighborhood needs. Applicants can view the Request for Proposals document and submit a proposal to ESD by June 20 by 5 p.m. EST.

    “After decades of sitting vacant, we’re breathing new life into this property and delivering what New Yorkers need most: affordable housing and community amenities,” Governor Hochul said. “This project represents our commitment to addressing the housing crisis while ensuring development reflects the priorities of local residents. By transforming underutilized state-owned property into vibrant, sustainable homes, we’re making good on our promise to create more affordable homes across New York State.”

    From fall through winter 2024, ESD — in collaboration with Senator Jabari Brisport, Assembly Member Phara Souffrant Forrest, Council Member Crystal Hudson, Attorney General Letitia James, Congressman Hakeem Jeffries and Brooklyn Borough President Antonio Reynoso — hosted a series of community visioning workshops to gather feedback on the future development of the site. Over 150 members of the community participated in this public process which culminated in a Community Visioning Report, summarizing key community needs and priorities.

    The RFP outlines comprehensive development objectives that will maximize the site’s potential while creating lasting positive impact for the community. Proposals must demonstrate how they will implement the findings of the Community Visioning Report, deliver 100 percent affordable housing with rents capped at 100 percent of Area Median Income, and include a ground floor senior or intergenerational community center that responds directly to neighborhood needs identified through the public engagement process.

    1024 Fulton has been vacant since 1997, when OCFS acquired it from the City of New York with the intent to develop a community center. Before its acquisition by OCFS, the property served as a Brooklyn Union Gas showroom in 1912 and later housed various manufacturing and commercial uses. Due to structural issues, the building has remained unused for nearly three decades. The building is located in a neighborhood ideal for transit-oriented development, within walking distance of several educational institutions and multiple subway and bus lines.

    Empire State Development President, CEO, and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “This RFP represents ESD’s commitment to community-driven housing and economic development. By transforming this long-vacant property into affordable housing with a community facility, we’re creating both homes and opportunities for the Clinton Hill neighborhood. ESD is grateful to our city partners whose collaboration has been invaluable throughout this process. The extensive community engagement ensures this development will truly reflect local priorities and meet the community’s needs.”

    New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas said, “The redevelopment of 1024 Fulton Street illustrates the Governor’s commitment to using state- owned properties to create mixed use affordable housing in Brooklyn and across the state. Up to 100 households will benefit from affordable homes and a community center that will bring people of all ages together and add to the vibrancy of the Clinton Hill neighborhood. Repurposing vacant properties into stable, affordable places where people can live comfortably, raise their families, and make memories is good for residents and the entire community. We look forward to seeing 1024 Fulton Street come to life.”

    New York State Office of Children and Family Services Commissioner Dr. DaMia Harris-Madden said, “Affordable housing is not just a necessity – it’s the foundation for a stable life, where every family can thrive and build a sustainable future. OCFS is proud to support Governor Hochul’s innovative initiative to reconstruct underutilized and vacant properties, like 1024 Fulton Street, which will cultivate financial stability and promote pathways for New Yorkers to build connections within their communities.”

    New York State Office of General Services Commissioner Jeanette Moy said, “This RFP is a significant step towards creating a multipurpose space that residents of Brooklyn’s Clinton Hill neighborhood can call home and use as a meeting place. OGS remains committed to advancing Governor Hochul’s vision of repurposing underutilized state property to address community needs while increasing affordable housing supply, and we are proud to work with ESD on paving the way for this long-awaited project at 1024 Fulton Street.”

    New York Attorney General Letitia James said, “Access to affordable housing is a basic human right. This new affordable housing development benefits all Brooklynites, especially our seniors, and ensures that those who want access to safe and affordable housing will have that opportunity. I thank Governor Hochul, Empire State Development, and my fellow elected officials for their efforts to work with local community members and transform this site into a facility that benefits the entire community.”

    State Senator Jabari Brisport said, “For almost 30 years this publicly owned building has sat empty; I’m so proud of how our community has come together to change that. Through our collaboration with Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest and Empire State Development, our district was able to shape the future of this building. Together we’ve ensured it will provide the kind of affordable housing that limits gentrification and helps protect the stability of our vibrant community.”

    Assemblymember Phara Souffrant Forrest said, “1024 Fulton Street has been vacant for decades while Clinton Hill residents were displaced due to rapidly rising rents. I’m proud that my partners in government and I were able to begin the process of redeveloping this key site and ensure a 100 percent affordable development that is responsive to community needs. I look forward to continued collaboration with community members and the administration to ensure that this project can house the future residents of Clinton Hill for decades to come.”

    New York City Council Member Crystal Hudson said, “I’m excited that we are finally one step closer to seeing this vacant and neglected state-owned property converted into much-needed affordable housing and community space for older adults. By issuing this RFP and centering 100 percent affordable housing and intergenerational space, it is clear ESD took community demands seriously and is focused on combatting our dual crises of housing affordability and failure to deeply invest in our older adults even though our city’s older adult population will jump fourth percent by 2040. I look forward to continuing to partner with ESD to bring this vital project to reality.”

    Advancing Governor Hochul’s Comprehensive Housing Agenda
    The project builds on the Governor’s bold vision to expand the state’s housing supply through innovative measures such as the Pro-Housing Communities Program and Executive Order 30, which promote barrier-breaking solutions to spur much-needed development. As part of the FY25 Enacted Budget, Governor Hochul secured landmark agreements that include new tax incentives for Upstate communities, targeted relief to create additional housing in New York City, and a $500 million capital fund to develop up to 15,000 new homes on state-owned property. An additional $600 million in statewide funding and new protections for renters and homeowners underscore the Governor’s commitment to affordability and equity.

    These efforts build upon the Governor’s FY23 five-year, $25 billion Housing Plan aimed at creating or preserving 100,000 affordable homes — including 10,000 with support services for vulnerable populations—and electrifying an additional 50,000 units. To date, more than 55,000 homes have been created or preserved under this initiative. The FY25 Enacted Budget also strengthened the Pro-Housing Community Program, making Pro Housing Certification a prerequisite for municipalities to access up to $650 million in discretionary funding. Currently, 290 communities have been certified, including New York City — reflecting a growing statewide commitment to addressing New York’s critical housing needs.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Press Release – P&F Welcomes P&R Runway Policy Letter 2025 Thursday 20 March 2025

    Source: Channel Islands – States of Alderney

    Press Release
    Date: 20th March 2025

    Policy & Resources’ Runway Policy Letter Welcomed

    The Policy & Finance Committee (P&F) conveys its thanks to Guernsey’s Chief Minister Lyndon Trott OBE and welcomes the Policy & Resources Committee’s (P&R) Runway Rehabilitation policy Letter.

    The Policy Letter outlines solutions for the runway project and strongly highlights that they should fall within the £24million cost envelope that was previously agreed by the States of Deliberation in 2022. P&F is encouraged that this will be debated before the conclusion of this political term; however, there is an air of disappointment that a new aerodrome expert is to be appointed and will effectively mean that the project will revert to the design stage. P&F’s support for the development of a solution that includes modernising and futureproofing the runway remains unwavering and absolute.

    Alongside the runway proposals, the formal establishment of a Bailiwick Commission has been prioritised within the Policy Letter. P&F believes that to date, this proposal demonstrates the clearest sign of intent to modernise the constitutional relationship between the islands and move forward from the 1948 agreement, which continues to serve its purpose in delivering essential services to our island in fiscal union with Guernsey.

    Chairman of P&F, Bill Abel said “The rehabilitation of the airport is of paramount importance to Alderney and its community, and the Bailiwick Commission is a long-awaited formal proposal which seeks to benefit the Bailiwick as a whole. We look forward to engaging with the States of Guernsey on taking both of these matters forward.”

    P&F remains committed to working constructively with Guernsey to deliver the best outcomes for Alderney and will continue discussions to ensure our island’s interests are fully represented.

    Ends

    States of Alderney media enquiries: publications.alderney@gov.gg

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Secretary of State Peter Kyle speech to Nvidia GTC 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Speech

    Secretary of State Peter Kyle speech to Nvidia GTC 2025

    Secretary of State Peter Kyle addressed the Nvidia GTC 2025 Conference in San Jose on Thursday 20 March.

    For centuries, a succession of raw materials defined which governments and economies grew – and which did not.

    First, coal and steam, then, oil and electricity.

    Each of those ages brought with it a period of profound change. Radically reshaping living standards and the labour markets of the time, with new jobs in different places. More money, and more things to spend it on.

    Today, we find ourselves in the midst of another epochal shift. Its implications for our prosperity and our security will be no less seismic than those before.

    Who swims – and who sinks – all depends on compute. Because, when it comes down to it, the AI era is no less material than any other.

    The places and people who are shaping our economies have simply changed. Instead of collieries and oil wells, it’s the mines and refineries where silicon is processed.

    It’s not the vast manufacturing plants of the past who dominate the stock exchange, it’s the companies who are designing ever more powerful chips and the businesses using them to train ever more powerful models.

    I don’t want to underplay the significance of this change. To dismiss the economic consequences of the ‘rewiring’ we are witnessing in real time. But where the dynamics of the age of compute really differ, I think, is in the role of the state.

    The state’s role in the economy has never been stable or predetermined. Each era poses the same questions of each government.

    How to grow the economy? How to protect people? How to build better lives for our citizens?

    Each time, the state must respond to those questions anew. Its legitimacy and longevity simply depend on it.

    Today, though, these questions feel almost existential. The old answers just simply won’t cut it any more.

    And the certainties we have depended on for decades are being swept away.

    In the age of compute, we cannot – must not – be afraid to contemplate a sweeping change of course. That is what the UK’s AI Opportunities Action Plan sets out to do.

    In the UK and the US, there are communities that have been left behind by the pace of change. Abandoned by industry, they are left clinging to the rusting remnants of the industrial age.

    Losing faith in governments that have failed to deliver promise after promise and failed to deliver rebirth and renewal. I understand why people in these places worry that AI will not be working for them.

    That, as start-ups in Silicon Valley and London create wealth and prosperity for some, the rest of the economy will remain just as stagnant and unproductive as before. But I don’t believe there’s anything inevitable about that story.

    In empty factories and abandoned mines, in derelict sites and unused power supplies, I see the places where we can begin to build a new economic model.

    A model completely rewired around the immense power of artificial intelligence, where, faced with that power, the state is neither a blocker nor a shirker – but an agile, proactive partner.

    In Britain, we want to turn the relics of economic eras past into AI Growth Zones.

    With access to large power connections and a permissive planning system designed to cut the time it takes to start construction, these are the places where we’ll work with industry and local government to build compute infrastructure on a scale that our country has never seen before.  

    There is a real hunger for investment in Britain. People who are optimistic about the future, and hopeful for the opportunities which AI will bring them and deliver for their families and communities.

    Earlier this year, we asked local leaders across the country to come to us with proposals for Growth Zones and how it could impact their areas. Since then, we’ve had over two hundred responses.

    That is evidence of the ambition and appetite you can find in equal measure at the top of government in Britain right down to the grassroots of communities across the United Kingdom.

    Today, I can announce that the responses we’ve received include several sites that could host very powerful data centres. 

    One of those sites will get close to 2 GW. In our former industrial heartlands, hundreds of acres of flat land are sitting completely unused and ready for construction.

    Soon, though, this could be home to the largest data centre in Europe. And we have no time to waste. I want shovels in the ground this year.

    Because, if states are to secure their sovereign role in the future of this technology, they simply cannot afford to wait. And we will not.

    In the age of compute, we must offer more than just a place to invest. That’s why our AI Growth Zones will be the anchor for a more ambitious project. A project designed to unleash a new age of growth and prosperity across our nation, and build a smaller, smarter state.

    One that is ready for the century to come.

    Home to Nobel Prize winners like Sir Demis Hassabis, the U.K. has world-leading scientific capability in the development and deployment of AI. With a cradle-to-grave health service that has been running for 75 years, we also have uniquely rich data sets you cannot find anywhere else in the world.

    And we have a government with the capacity and the political will to deploy transformative technology in every part of our public sector, from courtrooms and classrooms to hospitals and job centres.

    Because we know that, if we want to deliver better services for citizens and better value for taxpayers, we have no other choice. In a country whose language and legal system are used around the world, that unique contribution – of global talent, data, and political will – can yield extraordinary results.

    Today, every single stroke centre in England is using AI to interpret acute stroke brain scans and support doctors to make decisions about treatment. Early data shows this is cutting the time it takes to get patients in and out the door from 340 to 79 minutes.

    [The incorrect figure was given in the speech as delivered. 140 minutes is the correct figure.]

    And it’s tripling the chance of independent living following a stroke. 

    It’s something of a truism that compute is only as good as the people who are using it, and the data they put in it.

    In Britain, we have both of those things in abundance. But the AI Opportunities Action Plan offers something else, too. A chance to test the models you are training in a country that is crying out for reform, and with a government ready to use AI to take on the great challenges that will define the century to come.  

    Tackling those challenges will require more than brute capacity. Building bigger or faster is not enough.

    In the age of compute, states must build smarter, too. That’s part of the reason I’m here in San Jose.

    Just around the corner at Lawrence Livermore, scientists are using El Cap – the world’s most powerful supercomputer – to advance the safety, security and reliability of your nuclear arsenal.

    At Oak Ridge, they’re using Frontier to model stellar explosions, neutrino physics experiments and global climate patterns.

    The US model of national labs shows what states can achieve by investing in world-class research infrastructure.

    The strategic advantage it provides is unparalleled.

    It won’t surprise you to know that I want to replicate that success in the UK.

    Because I believe government has not just a role to play, but a responsibility to shoulder in ensuring that AI delivers better lives for all of its citizens.

    And we cannot fulfil this responsibility without publicly accessible compute.

    In our Action Plan, we are committed to increasing our public compute capacity by twenty fold by 2030.

    And last year, Isambard, the first phase machine of our AI Research Resource, came online.

    Built using Nvidia chips, it is named after Isambard Brunel – the engineer who built the British ships and railways that changed the age of steam forever.

    Our scientists are already using it for protein mapping to deepen their understanding of heart disease – the leading cause of death globally.

    If we want to make our economies strong again, our countries healthy and our citizens safe, ambitious, rigorous research will be critical.

    States owe it to their citizens to support it. Not through diktat or directive, but through partnership.

    That’s why, last week, we opened market engagement for the private partnerships we will need to deliver our public compute ambitions.

    If you want to work together, I urge you to get in touch.

    I spoke earlier about the big questions that all states must answer in the age of compute. About how to ensure that technical progress translates into prosperity. How to protect our national security in a new global economy. The question of research, and how states should support it, can be added to that list.

    But there is another big question which we must confront. That is the question of energy.

    Because, in this respect at least, the age of compute is no different from any other. Power – and its availability – will shape it indelibly.

    I reject the doomers who claim that the energy demands of AI undermine the promise that this technology somehow possess. They were wrong before and they’re wrong now.

    The very existence of the GPU defies what were once believed to be the limits of scientific possibility.

    In the decades since, those limits have been defied again and again.

    So there is no reason why the challenge of energy efficiency should be somehow insurmountable. Together, we have already made impressive progress.

    NVIDIA’s Blackwell architecture – backed by processors designed by Arm – uses 25 times less energy than previous generations, and Isambard AI is the fourth most energy-efficient supercomputer in the world.

    The real challenge, I think, is to ensure that innovation is not left behind in the race for scale.

    To ensure that – even as we invest billions in compute infrastructure – we do not fail to challenge the tried and tested ways of delivering it. You don’t need me to tell you that.

    You are the people who are pushing against the frontiers of energy efficiency – rethinking architectures, rethinking cooling systems and energy sources.

    I mention energy, though, because I believe that states can be partners in that progress.

    And I want the UK to be a laboratory for change.

    A place where pioneers can challenge old orthodoxies.

    Where they can achieve the impossible and set a new course for the age of compute.

    Today, that project feels more urgent than ever before.

    In the last few months, we have witnessed the emergence of a new ‘scaling law’ in AI. A law that – some argue – will make compute less important than it was before. I couldn’t disagree more.

    Test-time scaling offers a complement – not a replacement – to pre- and post-training scaling methods.

    An opportunity to use the compute we do have to unlock deeper forms of intelligence.

    But it does not reduce in the slightest the critical significance of compute for states looking ahead to the century to come.  

    The age of compute isn’t going anywhere.

    Without compute, no economy can thrive. No country can protect its people. No government can retain the trust of its citizens.

    AI will bring deep disruption to almost every aspect of life as we know it. The logic of our economies and the legitimacy of the state are at stake.

    Britain stands ready not just to face that disruption, but to embrace it with you.

    Time and time again, we have worked together to shape a shared future, anchored in freedom, fairness, and the rule of law.

    Government with government, business with business, researcher with researcher. This is an alliance whose breadth and depth have no parallel.

    Today, we are the two foremost AI nations of the democratic world, and that alliance matters more than ever.

    Britain is full of talented, forward-thinking people. People who are ready to throw off the shackles of caution and conservatism and seize the once-in-a-generation opportunity that AI offers.

    With a government that is ready to get behind them. Ours is a country that is ready for investment, and ready for change. 

    I have talked a lot about collaboration already today, because, when it comes down to it, that is what I have come here to offer.

    Not just an opportunity to invest in Britain but a chance to form a new kind of partnership.

    A partnership that is tailored to the needs of our economic era.

    That partnership does not shy away from wealth creation but embraces it, because we know just how much our citizens stand to gain.

    It is rooted in a recognition of AI’s power to transform our economies – and a willingness to do what is necessary to make that transformation happen.

    And it is anchored in the values we share – because a future without them is simply unthinkable.

    This, I believe, is how the state survives in the decades to come.

    Not through retreat or withdrawal.

    Nor by rushing towards excessive rules and regulations that will stifle innovation and growth.

    But through strategic, purposeful partnership with you – the protagonists of the age of compute.

    Thank you.

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: High-speed internet available in Clinton, Ruth Lake, Deka Lake

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    People in Clinton, Ruth Lake and Deka Lake in the Cariboo region now have access to high-speed internet, enabling faster, more reliable access to digital services and opportunities.

    “People in Clinton, Ruth Lake and Deka Lake can access even more services including health care and education, alongside economic and job opportunities, from their home communities,” said George Chow, Minister of Citizens’ Services. “This completion marks another important milestone in our commitment to connect every rural, remote and Indigenous community in B.C. to high-speed internet.”

    Two connectivity projects built and operated by service provider Telus have been completed, providing access to faster, more reliable broadband internet services for 444 households in Clinton and 746 households in areas around Ruth Lake and Deka Lake, near 100 Mile House.

    “This connectivity project is a vital step toward bridging the digital divide in the Cariboo region,” said Margo Wagner, chair of the Cariboo Regional District. “By improving internet access, we are empowering our residents with better opportunities for education, health care, and economic growth.”

    The Government of B.C. invested $2 million in the Clinton project and more than $3.1 million in the Ruth Lake and Deka Lake project through the Connecting British Columbia program, administered by the Northern Development Initiative Trust. Telus contributed more than $1.4 million to the Clinton project and almost $1.7 million to the Ruth Lake and Deka Lake project.

    “Thanks to the Connecting British Columbia program and a decade of advocacy by the village, people in Clinton now have access to reliable high-speed internet,” said Roland Stanke, mayor of Clinton. “This increased connectivity will help attract new businesses, support local entrepreneurs and encourage families to consider Clinton as their home by making it easier to stay connected to services and each other.”

    Tyler Mooi, vice-president, customer network planning, Telus, said: “Telus is committed to connecting communities across the province, ensuring everyone has the tools they need to thrive in today’s digital world, no matter where they live. We are proud to work alongside the Village of Clinton and the Government of British Columbia to bring our fast and reliable connectivity, providing local residents and businesses with the speeds and coverage they need to connect to the people, information and resources that matter most.”

    Since 2017, the Province has invested $584 million to expand connectivity. As of January 2025, an estimated 74% of all rural homes and 83% of homes in First Nations communities now have access to high-speed internet service, compared to 57% and 66% respectively in 2017. When current projects in progress are completed, connectivity rates for rural homes will increase to 89% and Indigenous communities to 96%.

    In March 2022, the governments of British Columbia and Canada announced a partnership to invest as much as $830 million to expand high-speed internet services. The Province is committed to connecting all remaining under-served households, ensuring better access to services and economic opportunities in every community.

    The Connecting British Columbia and Connecting Communities BC funding programs support projects to expand high-speed internet access to rural and remote areas, levelling the playing field for British Columbians.

    Learn More:

    Connectivity in B.C.: 
    https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/connectivity-in-bc

    Connecting Communities BC:
    https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/connectivity-in-bc/20530/20601

    Connecting British Columbia:
    https://www.northerndevelopment.bc.ca/funding-programs/partner-programs/connecting-british-columbia/

    StrongerBC, B.C.’s economic plan:
    https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/economic-plan/

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Luján Joins Push to Save Task Force Combating Threats to Election Officials

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Senator for New Mexico Ben Ray Luján
    Senators to Attorney General: “In this challenging environment for election officials, it is essential to our democracy that they can continue to rely on [DOJ] to uphold the law”
    Santa Fe, N.M. — U.S. Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.) joined Senators Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration, and Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and more than two dozenDemocratic Senators in urging Attorney General Pam Bondi to continue the essential work of the Department of Justice’s (DOJ) Election Threats Task Force, which directs the Department’s efforts to protect election officials from rising threats and acts of violence.
    The Senators’ letter comes as the Trump Administration has significantly rolled back the federal government’s capacity to fight against foreign and domestic election security threats. On Attorney General Bondi’s first day in office, she disbanded the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) Foreign Influence Task Force, hindering efforts to address secret influence campaigns waged by China, Russia, and other foreign adversaries. Additionally, the Administration has fired or put on leave dozens of officials responsible for combating foreign election interference at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and has reportedly frozen all of CISA’s ongoing election security work. The Administration has also defunded CISA’s nationwide program to train local officials and monitor threats through the Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center.
    “Given the recent disturbing personnel and policy decisions at the Department and the lack of transparency about the future of the Task Force, we request an immediate update on the status and activities of the Task Force, as well as what resources will be provided to ensure its important work continues so that election officials of both parties can safely administer our elections,” wrote the Senators.
    “Recent surveys have found that one in three election officials reported facing threats, harassment, and abuse. Similarly, 48 percent of local election officials know of someone who has left their job because of fear for their safety—a troubling loss of institutional knowledge needed for the smooth running of elections. Election workers continue to fear for their safety, so it is critical that the work of the Task Force continues to deter and counter these threats. In this challenging environment for election officials, it is essential to our democracy that they can continue to rely on the Department to uphold the law,” continued the Senators.
    In addition to Senators Luján, Padilla, and Durbin, the letter was also signed by Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), and Senators Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.).
    Full text of the letter is available here and below: 
    Dear Attorney General Bondi:
    We write to strongly urge you to continue the critical law enforcement work of the Department of Justice’s Election Threats Task Force, which protects election officials from ongoing threats and acts of violence. Given the recent disturbing personnel and policy decisions at the Department and the lack of transparency about the future of the Task Force, we request an immediate update on the status and activities of the Task Force, as well as what resources will be provided to ensure its important work continues so that election officials of both parties can safely administer our elections.
    The Task Force was established in the wake of the 2020 election cycle when election officials across the political spectrum began facing unprecedented threats of violence intended to thwart the peaceful transfer of power that is the hallmark of our democracy. In close collaboration with state and local law enforcement, the Task Force has assessed thousands of complaints of suspected threats of violence and investigated and prosecuted violent offenders. Over the years, these threats have not only continued but escalated.  The Task Force has investigated fentanyl-laced letters, bomb threats, and swatting incidents—serving as a legacy of the 2020 election and impacting the ways election officials interact with voters in their communities.
    Recent surveys have found that one in three election officials reported facing threats, harassment, and abuse. Similarly, 48 percent of local election officials know of someone who has left their job because of fear for their safety—a troubling loss of institutional knowledge needed for the smooth running of elections. Election workers continue to fear for their safety, so it is critical that the work of the Task Force continues to deter and counter these threats. In this challenging environment for election officials, it is essential to our democracy that they can continue to rely on the Department to uphold the law.
    Moreover, the federal government’s ability to fight election interference has been greatly hampered in the early weeks of this Administration. Dozens of officials at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), who are responsible for combatting foreign election interference, have been fired or put on leave. CISA has also reportedly frozen all of its ongoing election security work, including defunding its nationwide program to train local officials and monitor threats through the “Elections Infrastructure Information Sharing and Analysis Center.” Additionally, on your first day in office, you signed a directive disbanding the FBI’s Foreign Influence Task Force, which was aimed at responding to secret influence campaigns waged by China, Russia, and other foreign adversaries.
    We request a response on the status and future plans of the Election Threats Task Force, the extent of resources and personnel dedicated to its work, and how it plans to incorporate related work previously led by CISA and the Foreign Influence Task Force by March 31, 2025.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Canada’s Africa strategy is a landmark moment for Canada-Africa relations, but still needs work

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By David J Hornsby, Professor of International Affairs and the Vice-Provost and Associate Vice-President (Academic), Carleton University

    For the first time in its history, Canada has unveiled a comprehensive Africa strategy, marking a significant milestone in the Canadian approach to engaging with the African continent.

    Launched on March 6 by Liberal MP Rob Oliphant, the parliamentary secretary to the foreign affairs minister, the strategy represents a crucial step towards a more coherent and intentional relationship with Africa.

    This development is worthy of praise for several reasons.

    The strategy’s strengths

    First, it demonstrates Canada’s recognition of Africa’s growing importance on the global stage. It acknowledges the need for Canada to work closely with African states and organizations in multilateral forums such as the United Nations, the G20 and the Francophonie.

    It also positions Canada not only as a partner in enhancing Africa’s voice in global affairs, but also as an ally in advancing the Canadian government’s strategic interests abroad.

    The strategy’s development process was remarkably inclusive, with more than 600 stakeholder submissions. This consultative approach not only ensured a diverse range of perspectives, but also promotes accountability in the strategy’s implementation.

    Finally, the initiative’s broad scope is commendable. By intentionally crafting the strategy to encompass a wide array of African partners — from the African Union to diaspora groups in Canada — the government has created a framework that allows various African nations and organizations to see themselves reflected in the partnership.

    Remaining questions

    However, as with any significant policy development, there are areas for improvement and questions to be addressed. These include:

    Resource allocation: While the strategy sets ambitious goals, it’s unclear how these will be achieved without new funding.

    Although the argument can be made that the government has the option to reconfigure existing funding to align with broader policy shifts, that would leave major gaps in current development programming. The government must provide more specific details about funding and, just as importantly, metrics for implementation.

    Competitive landscape: The strategy doesn’t fully acknowledge Canada’s current position in Africa. While it identifies increased competition from familiar players like China, the European Union and Russia, as well as a growing array of competitors like Brazil, Turkey and the Gulf states, it doesn’t confront the degree to which, relatively speaking, Canada has lost ground.

    This needs to be acknowledged alongside Canada’s residual reputational strength, rooted in a history of supporting democratic transitions for African nations — particularly during the anti-apartheid struggle in South Africa, but also during numerous peacekeeping engagements.



    Read more:
    Brian Mulroney’s tough stand against apartheid is one of his most important legacies

    Investments in developmental projects related to education and health in Africa have led to Canada garnering a reputation as a constructive and responsive collaborator on African issues. That said, Canada’s reputation in terms of mining and other extractive activities on the continent is an unhelpful counterpoint.

    Canada must strongly position itself as a state that can be trusted to champion African issues while forging partnerships based on mutual interest and respect in the fast-changing global competitive environment.

    Innovation and education: Despite the strategy’s mention of engaging youth and diaspora communities, it’s unclear on how to do this. A crucial way to connect with youth in particular is to enhance education connections and expand the links between universities and science and technological innovation institutions in Canada and African states.

    Dual degrees, funded collaborative research projects, student exchanges and scholarships are all tried-and-tested mechanisms to foster cross-cultural understandings that bind societies together.

    A sustainable Canada-Africa strategy must see educational and scientific partnerships, training and knowledge circulation as cornerstones for success.

    It would be a missed opportunity if the government fails to use this blueprint to leverage Canada’s extensive educational and scientific assets to generate innovative ideas that support the strategy’s implementation. This approach could also create opportunities for Canadian and African youth to build a strong foundation for a lasting and meaningful Canada-Africa relationship in the future.



    Read more:
    Why international students could be a critical factor in bolstering Canada’s economic resilience

    Ethical considerations: The strategy doesn’t adequately address issues related to the mining sector and the need for more ethical practices.

    Given Canada is touted as a mining superpower in Africa, a clear commitment to supporting human rights-centred and community development-oriented mining practices would go a long way to sustaining Canada’s interest in the extractive sector in Africa. This would also enhance its overall reputation on the continent.

    Furthermore, the ethics of Canada’s immigration regime and the often punitive approach to giving out temporary visas to African travellers is starkly missing from the strategy.

    It’s critical in terms of Canada’s future engagements and relations with African nations to recognize the current system is broken and considered overly intrusive by Africans. If Canada is serious about learning from Africa and forming equitable partnerships based on mutual respect, it cannot mete out indignities at the border.

    High-level commitment: The launch of the strategy by a parliamentary secretary, rather than the foreign affairs minister or the prime minister, raises questions about the perceived importance of this strategy at the highest levels of government.

    The launch was diplomatically underwhelming, with no invitations extended to the Canadian media or the African diplomatic community in Canada. This created the impression that the government was either already distancing itself from the strategy, or was anxious to manage expectations.

    Given that the launch of the strategy coincided with the Independence day of Ghana, one of the first African countries that Canada established official diplomatic relations with, the Canadian government should have seized on this historic moment to send a strong diplomatic message to the African continent.

    Substantial starting point

    Despite these concerns, the Africa strategy represents a significant and promising starting point.

    It provides a coherent, multidimensional and multi-purpose framework for Canada’s engagement with Africa. It synthesizes ongoing initiatives, sets intentions for future collaborations and seeks to move beyond paternalistic motivations to build an enhanced Canada-Africa relationship based on trust and respect.

    The strategy is realistic not only about Canada’s own limitations and needs, but also about the complexities of building partnerships with a large and diverse continent. It highlights humanitarian and security priorities while also emphasizing economic and political opportunities in Africa. The combination of humanitarian concerns with strategic interests signals a shift toward a more balanced and consistent approach towards the continent.



    Read more:
    Why Canada must seize the moment and launch its long-awaited Africa strategy

    As we move forward, the Canadian government must address the strategy’s shortcomings and provide more concrete plans for its implementation.

    Nonetheless, this moment deserves recognition. Canada has taken an important first step towards a more strategic, intentional and mutually beneficial relationship with Africa. It’s now up to policymakers, businesses, the academic community and civil society to build upon this foundation and turn this strategy into tangible, positive outcomes for both Canada and its African partners.

    David Black receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

    Thomas Kwasi Tieku receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

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

    – ref. Canada’s Africa strategy is a landmark moment for Canada-Africa relations, but still needs work – https://theconversation.com/canadas-africa-strategy-is-a-landmark-moment-for-canada-africa-relations-but-still-needs-work-252367

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Construction to begin on new accommodation at DM Kineton

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Construction to begin on new accommodation at DM Kineton

    A groundbreaking ceremony has been held at DM Kineton in Warwickshire to mark the start of construction of a new £13m Single Living Accommodation block.

    Representatives from DM Kineton, DIO, Algeco and VIVO at the groundbreaking event. Crown Copyright.

    The block, which will include 46 bedrooms for officers and Senior Non-Commissioned Officers based at the site, will be constructed by Algeco on behalf of VIVO, the Defence Infrastructure Organisation’s (DIO) built estate contractor.  

    Representatives from DM Kineton, DIO, Algeco and VIVO took part in the groundbreaking ceremony for the new building, which is expected to be finished next spring. Two of the bedrooms will be fully accessible and all are en-suite. The building also includes kitchenettes, communal spaces, laundry rooms, utility rooms and a cycle store. The building will have solar panels on the roof to supply some of the energy needed to run the block and new trees will be planted as part of landscaping work. The boot washing stations will use recycled water from the sinks and the building will be heated by air source heat pumps.  

    The construction process will be modular, using pre-built sections constructed in a factory, many of which have already been built. These are then transported to site and assembled in situ being externally finished and connected to services such as water and power, which are being extended to reach the new building. This method is faster than traditional construction and reduces the disruption on site.  

    Richard Walsh, DIO’s Project Delivery Manager, said:  

    It’s exciting to reach this milestone after all the hard work needed to prepare any project of this scale. The new building replaces aging accommodation which needed significant upgrade work. That would have been more expensive than constructing the new building so it was an easy choice to provide DM Kineton’s personnel with a brand-new building instead!

    Katie Feighoney, DM Kineton Infrastructure Lead, said: 

    This project, which replaces some aging accommodation, is going to have such a huge impact on the lived experience for the service personnel based at DM Kineton.  

    It’s excellent that we are able to utilise a new, innovative way of delivery to invest in the wellbeing of our service personnel and improve the resilience of our estate.  

    Achieving this was no small task and none of it could have been possible without the collaborative approach of DE&S, DIO and VIVO.

    Geoff Fawkes, Algeco UK Sales, Marketing and Work Winning Director, said:  

    We know what high standards are expected from the DIO for a contract of this nature and are delighted to be entrusted with this work. Our reputation is to provide an efficient high-quality, cost-effective build, completed in good time and on budget – I have absolute confidence this accommodation will be no different, and the manufacturing of the building at our factory is progressing extremely well.

    Jerry Moloney, VIVO Defence Services Chief Executive Officer, said: 

    We are really proud to be playing our part in improving the lived experience of military personnel at DM Kineton by upgrading the accommodation offer there with modular building technology. This enables quick, scalable construction of high quality Single Living Acccommodation.

    A great deal of work has already gone into preparing for this project and I look forward to seeing this great new, more comfortable and more energy efficient accommodation in place once constructed.

    The block utilises a standard DIO design and has an anticipated lifespan of at least 60 years. It also incorporates learning from previous similar projects, such as optimal positioning of furniture, to improve the experience of personnel. 

    Algeco will also construct a memorial garden on the site in tribute to fallen bomb disposal personnel, known as Ammunition Technical Officers (ATO). The garden will be designed in the shape of an ATO badge and it is hoped that it will be completed in time for Remembrance Sunday.

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Cellular, high-speed internet available in Fort Babine

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    People in Fort Babine now have access to high-speed internet and expanded cellular services along Fort Babine Road, enabling improved access to emergency services and more reliable access to online services and opportunities.

    “Reliable cellular coverage and high-speed internet access are vital for safety, economic opportunities and staying connected with family wherever you live in the province,” said George Chow, Minister of Citizens’ Services. “The completion of this project in Fort Babine ensures people can access emergency services when travelling and go online for health care, education and economic opportunities.”

    With the installation of new cellular infrastructure, 47 households in Fort Babine (Babine 6) now have wireless access to high-speed internet services. Built and operated by service provider Telus, the project also expands cellular services for nearly six kilometres on Fort Babine Road along Lake Babine, providing crucial access to emergency services.   

    “We are grateful to Telus and the Government of British Columbia for helping to bring our remote community into the digital age,” said Chief Wilfred Adam, Lake Babine Nation. “The completion of this project will improve safety in Fort Babine and ensure people can stay informed and connected like never before.”

    The Government of British Columbia invested more than $2 million in the project through the Connecting British Columbia program, administered by the Northern Development Initiative Trust. Telus contributed more than $230,000 to the project.

    “Telus is proud to expand reliable access to cellular and high-speed internet services in British Columbia, in partnership with Lake Babine Nation and the Government of British Columbia,” said Tyler Mooi, vice-president, customer network planning, Telus. “Through these strong partnerships, we are connecting communities and improving health, economic and social outcomes that will have generational impacts.”

    Since 2017, the Province has invested $584 million to expand connectivity in British Columbia. As of January 2025, an estimated 74% of all rural homes and more than 83% of homes in First Nations communities had access to high-speed internet service – compared to 57% and 66% respectively in 2017. For Indigenous communities, this will grow to 96% when projects in progress are completed.

    In March 2022, the governments of British Columbia and Canada announced a partnership to invest as much as $830 million to expand high-speed internet services. B.C.͛’s commitment is to connect all remaining underserved households in the province.

    The Connecting British Columbia and Connecting Communities BC funding programs support projects to expand high-speed internet access to rural and remote areas of the province. The plan to connect all households will level the playing field for people in British Columbia, ensuring better access to services and economic opportunities for every community.

    Learn More:

    Connectivity in B.C.: 
    https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/connectivity-in-bc

    Connecting Communities BC:
    https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/governments/connectivity-in-bc/20530/20601

    Connecting British Columbia:
    https://www.northerndevelopment.bc.ca/funding-programs/partner-programs/connecting-british-columbia/

    StrongerBC: BC’s Economic Plan:
    https://strongerbc.gov.bc.ca/economic-plan/

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Backgrounder: Federal government invests over $7.9 million for safer and more accessible streets in Montreal

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Backgrounder

    The federal government is investing $7,966,044 through the Active Transportation Fund to support 4 active transportation projects in Montreal.

    Project Information:

    Location

    Project Name

    Project Details

    Federal Funding

    Municipal Funding

    Montréal

    Redevelopment of Matte and Lapierre Streets of the Montreal-Nord Borough

    Sidewalk widening and addition of functional and safety elements to encourage active mobility.

    $3,284,914

    $2,246,254

    Montréal

    Shared street on boulevard Gouin Est in the borough of Ahuntsic-Cartierville

    Implement a series of measures to make them more pleasant and safer on school routes and around senior residences.

    $2,280,000

    $1,520,000

    Montréal

    Safe Active Transportation Around Ahuntsic-Cartierville Schools and Seniors Residences

    Development of a shared, inclusive, pleasant, flowered, and tree-lined space for pedestrians and cyclists.

    $1,584,000

    $1,596,000

    Montréal

    Geometric redesign of Boucher Street in the borough of Plateau-Mont-Royal

    Protect vulnerable road users to increase active transportation on Rivard Street between Boucher and Bibaud Streets.

    $817,130

    $1,486,870

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI: Monolithic Power Systems Updates First Quarter 2025 Financial Guidance

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    KIRKLAND, Wash., March 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. (“MPS”) (Nasdaq: MPWR), a fabless global company that provides high-performance, semiconductor-based power electronics solutions, today announced updates to its financial guidance for the three months ending March 31, 2025.

    The following table presents the updated financial guidance for the three months ending March 31, 2025:

      Previously Announced on
    February 6, 2025    		 Updated as of
    March 20, 2025
    Revenue $610.0 million to $630.0 million $630.0 million to $640.0 million
    GAAP operating expenses $180.2 million to $186.2 million $184.9 million to $190.9 million
    Non-GAAP (1) operating expenses $126.9 million to $130.9 million $131.6 million to $135.6 million

    As previously announced, on March 20, 2025, MPS will host an Analyst Day at 9:00 am Pacific Time. During the course of the event, management will discuss MPS’s corporate strategy, business and product updates, and financial metrics. The webcast of the event can be accessed, free of charge, at https://mpsic.zoom.us/j/98462171986 (meeting ID: 984-6217-1986). In addition, MPS will provide more information on the first quarter financial results and second quarter guidance in our earnings release and webinar at the end of April 2025 / beginning of May 2025.

    (1) Projected non-GAAP operating expenses exclude the effect of stock-based compensation and related expenses. These non-GAAP financial measures are not prepared in accordance with GAAP and should not be considered as a substitute for, or superior to, measures of financial performance prepared in accordance with GAAP. A schedule reconciling non-GAAP financial measures is included at the end of this press release. MPS utilizes both GAAP and non-GAAP financial measures to assess what it believes to be its core operating performance and to evaluate and manage its internal business and assist in making financial operating decisions. MPS believes that the inclusion of non-GAAP financial measures, together with GAAP measures, provides investors with an alternative presentation useful to investors’ understanding of MPS’s core operating results and trends. Additionally, MPS believes that the inclusion of non-GAAP measures, together with GAAP measures, provides investors with an additional dimension of comparability to similar companies. However, investors should be aware that non-GAAP financial measures utilized by other companies are not likely to be comparable in most cases to the non-GAAP financial measures used by MPS. See the GAAP to non-GAAP reconciliations in the tables set forth below.

    Safe Harbor Statement
    This press release contains, and statements that will be made during the live webcast will contain, forward-looking statements, as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including, among other things, (i) updated first quarter of 2025 financial guidance, (ii) our 2025 three-year financial goals, (iii) our outlook for the first quarter of 2025 and the near-term, medium-term and long-term prospects of MPS, including our ability to adapt to changing market conditions, performance against our business plan, our ability to grow despite the various challenges facing our business, our industry and the global economic environment, revenue growth in certain of our market segments, potential new business segments, our continued investment in research and development (“R&D”), expected revenue growth, customers’ acceptance of our new product offerings, the prospects of our new product development, our expectations regarding market and industry segment trends and prospects, and our projected expansion of capacity and the impact it may have on our business, (iv) market trends, market growth projections, anticipated market drivers and our ability to penetrate new and existing markets, (v) the seasonality of our business, (vi) our ability to reduce our expenses, and (vii) statements regarding the assumptions underlying or relating to any statement described in (i)-(vii) above. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts or guarantees of future performance or events, are based on current expectations, estimates, beliefs, assumptions, goals, and objectives, and involve significant known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause actual results to be materially different from the results expressed by these statements. Readers of this press release and listeners to the accompanying conference call are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof. Factors that could cause actual results to differ include, but are not limited to, continued uncertainties in the global economy, including due to the Russia-Ukraine and Middle East conflicts, inflation, consumer sentiment and other factors; adverse events arising from orders or regulations of governmental entities, including such orders or regulations that impact our customers or suppliers, and adoption of new or amended accounting standards; adverse changes in laws and government regulations such as tariffs on imports of foreign goods, export regulations and export classifications, and tax laws or the interpretation of same, including in foreign countries where MPS has offices or operations; the effect of export controls, trade and economic sanctions regulations and other regulatory or contractual limitations on our ability to sell or develop our products in certain foreign markets, particularly in China; our ability to obtain governmental licenses and approvals for international trading activities or technology transfers, including export licenses; acceptance of, or demand for, our products, in particular the new products launched recently, being different than expected; our ability to increase market share in our targeted markets; difficulty in predicting or budgeting for future customer demand and channel inventories, expenses and financial contingencies (including as a result of any continuing impact from the Russia-Ukraine and Middle East conflicts); our ability to efficiently and effectively develop new products and receive a return on our R&D expense investment; our ability to attract new customers and retain existing customers; our ability to meet customer demand for our products due to constraints on our third-party suppliers’ ability to manufacture sufficient quantities of our products or otherwise; our ability to expand manufacturing capacity to support future growth; adverse changes in production and testing efficiency of our products; any political, cultural, military, regulatory, economic, foreign exchange and operational changes in China, where a significant portion of our manufacturing capacity comes from; any market disruptions or interruptions in our schedule of new product development releases; our ability to manage our inventory levels; adequate supply of our products from our third-party manufacturing partners; adverse changes or developments in the semiconductor industry generally, which is cyclical in nature, and our ability to adjust our operations to address such changes or developments; the ongoing consolidation of companies in the semiconductor industry; competition generally and the increasingly competitive nature of our industry; our ability to realize the anticipated benefits of companies and products that MPS acquires, and our ability to effectively and efficiently integrate these acquired companies and products into our operations; the risks, uncertainties and costs of litigation in which MPS is involved; the outcome of any upcoming trials, hearings, motions and appeals; the adverse impact on our financial performance if its tax and litigation provisions are inadequate; our ability to effectively manage our growth and attract and retain qualified personnel; the effect of epidemics and pandemics on the global economy and on our business; the risks associated with the financial market, economy and geopolitical uncertainties, including the collapse of certain banks in the U.S. and elsewhere and the Russia-Ukraine and Middle East conflicts; and other important risk factors identified under the caption “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in our Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) filings, including, but not limited to, our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 3, 2025. MPS assumes no obligation to update the information in this press release or in the accompanying webinar.   

    About Monolithic Power Systems
    Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. (“MPS”) is a fabless global company that provides high-performance, semiconductor-based power electronics solutions. MPS’s mission is to reduce energy and material consumption to improve all aspects of quality of life. Founded in 1997 by our CEO Michael Hsing, MPS has three core strengths: deep system-level knowledge, strong semiconductor expertise, and innovative proprietary technologies in the areas of semiconductor processes, system integration, and packaging. These combined advantages enable MPS to deliver reliable, compact, and monolithic solutions that are highly energy-efficient, cost-effective, and environmentally responsible while providing a consistent return on investment to our stockholders. MPS can be contacted through its website at www.monolithicpower.com or its support offices around the world.

    Monolithic Power Systems, MPS, and the MPS logo are registered trademarks of Monolithic Power Systems, Inc. in the U.S. and trademarked in certain other countries. 

    Contact:
    Bernie Blegen
    Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
    Monolithic Power Systems, Inc.
    408-826-0777
    MPSInvestor.Relations@monolithicpower.com

    UPDATED 2025 FIRST QUARTER OUTLOOK
    RECONCILIATION OF OPERATING EXPENSES TO NON-GAAP OPERATING EXPENSES
    (Unaudited, in thousands)
     
      Three Months Ending March 31, 2025
      Previously announced on February 6, 2025   Updated as of March 20,
    2025
      Low   High   Low   High
    Operating expenses $ 180,200     $ 186,200     $ 184,900     $ 190,900  
    Adjustments to reconcile operating expenses to non-GAAP operating expenses:              
       Stock-based compensation and other expenses   (53,300 )     (55,300 )     (53,300 )     (55,300 )
    Non-GAAP operating expenses $ 126,900     $ 130,900     $ 131,600     $ 135,600  
                   

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK TRA readies itself for more new remedies

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    UK TRA readies itself for more new remedies

    The TRA has this week initiated the last review of all 43 measures carried over to the UK following the country’s departure from the European Union.

    The Trade Remedies Authority (TRA) has this week initiated the last review of all 43 measures carried over to the UK following the country’s departure from the European Union. 

    This major achievement has been completed ahead of schedule and means the review of all relevant EU trade measures are now either complete or underway. 

    The TRA’s expert and analytical focus now fully shifts to defending UK industry against new and emerging unfair international trading practices and supporting the government with the pressures of a rapidly changing and complex global trade environment.

    In reviewing the EU’s transitioned measures, the TRA has recommended to the UK government, on the basis of evidence, what trade remedy measures the UK should maintain unchanged, which measures should be revoked (because no UK industry was affected) and which measures should be amended to better protect the UK’s economic interests. 

    Since the TRA began its programme to review the transitioned measures in 2020: 

    • 3 trade measures on alloy wheels, stainless steel bars and rods and Category 2 steel products have been revoked completely;  
    • 12 trade measures covering such industries as e-bikes, biodiesel, tyres, ceramic tiles and glass fibre have been amended to suit the UK’s need better; and
    • 14 trade remedy measures have been maintained as they were when the UK was part of the EU, as the trading conditions were assessed as not significantly changed for products such as certain steel products and rainbow trout to warrant a new tariff. 

    TRA Chair Nick Baird said:

    “I’m immensely proud of the TRA for initiating all measures transitioned from the EU ahead of schedule. We’re now seeing more new cases being brought by UK industry to combat unfair trading practices. As we look to the future, we stand ready to take applications from the UK government or UK industry to respond to real global trading pressures now faced by UK businesses”  

    The TRA’s 140-strong expert team is also dedicating its specialist investigative, legal, and analytical capability to reviewing existing trade measures that are due to end or expire, including the safeguard measure on steel imports, or anti-dumping and countervailing measures on imports of biodiesel.  

    Since being established as an arms-length body of the Department of Business and Trade in 2021, the TRA has matured to: 

    • now deliver a range of trade injury investigations to bring it alongside its more established trade remedy authority counterparts – such as the US, Canada, New Zealand or Australian administrations who have been undertaking trade defence for significantly longer than the UK’s trade body,
    • and position its capacity and capabilities to offer a broader remit of trade defence options to the Government, while remaining within the legal powers that the TRA was granted as part of the Trade Act 2021.  

    The TRA ensures it is defending UK trade from unfair international trading practices and has so far defended British producers across over £21 billion or more than 3% of all UK imports.

    Any UK producer that believes that they are being harmed by unfair overseas trading practices can contact the TRA’s contact@traderemedies.gov.uk for informal guidance and support on how to complete an application and follow our processes, as well as answers for more general queries about our work. 

    Notes to Editors

    • The TRA is the UK’s independent body for investigating and recommending trade remedies. It is an Arm’s Length Body of the Department for Business & Trade
    • The anti-dumping measure on imports of ammonium nitrate from Russia is the final trade remedy measure transitioned from the EU to be reviewed, with 29 transition reviews having been completed and 14 now underway.  
    • UK industries concerned about imports have been able to submit applications for a new trade remedy measure since January 2021. These applications are considered by the TRA to see if there are grounds for an investigation.

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 2 sites’ tender period extended

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Government today said it will adjust the conditions of sale for the tender of two sites in Hung Shui Kiu and Ha Tsuen for multistorey buildings for modern industries (MSBs) and extend their tender period to July 25.

    The original tender closing date of Hung Shui Kiu Town Lot No. 10 and Yuen Long Town Lot No. 545 was tomorrow. 

    Given the substantial investment outlay the project would involve and the latest market conditions, some potential bidders recently indicated that they hoped the Government would consider making some adjustment to the tender conditions.

    Taking into account market feedback and without deviating from the original policy intent, the Government decided to adjust some of the conditions of sale for the two MSB sites. 

    Upon completion of the MSB, the successful bidding enterprise will lease part of the floor space to the Government at a nominal rent for 10 years. The Government or its appointed agent will manage and rent out the floor space to brownfield operators affected by government development projects. 

    This arrangement will replace the requirement under the original conditions of sale that the enterprise must permanently assign designated floor space to the Government at nil cost.

    In other words, the revised conditions will allow ownership of the MSB to be fully consolidated in the hands of the enterprise being awarded the site. 

    Secondly, the Government will adjust the minimum floor space required to be leased to the Government within the 10-year period to around 46,000 sq m for the Hung Shui Kiu Lot and around 29,000 sq m for the Yuen Long Lot.

    In other words, the basis for calculating the floor space to be leased to the Government is changed from the maximum gross floor area (GFA) permissible to the minimum GFA permissible on the lot.

    Thirdly, the floor loading requirement of the floor space to be leased to the Government for the Hung Shui Kiu Lot will be adjusted from 30 kilonewtons per sq m to 25 kilonewtons per sq m, same as the floor loading requirement for the Yuen Long Lot, thereby achieving greater consistency with the requirement for industrial buildings in general and reduce the construction cost.

    The revised land sale documents for the two sites will be available online in early April, while the extension will give interested bidders sufficient time to prepare for their tender submission, the Government added.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: Correction: Equinor presents 2024 Annual report

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Correction: The below stock market announcement (SMA) is a correction of the SMA published on 20 March 2025 message ID 641734. The reason for the correction is that information related to the balance sheet of Equinor ASA was inadequately presented in the attachment “Equinor Annual Report 2024.pdf”. The presentation is now complete in the attached reporting. 

     * * *

    Equinor ASA (OSE: EQNR, NYSE: EQNR) publishes annual report for 2024, including financial and sustainability reporting.

    “2024 was marked by continued unpredictability in energy markets, with growing energy demand, political uncertainty and uneven progress in the energy transition. Our focus is on producing the energy the world needs today, and at the same time developing the energy systems needed for the future,” says Anders Opedal, President and CEO of Equinor ASA.

    Safety

    “A systematic approach to safety over time is paying off with the best safety results to date in 2024. However, the year was marked by the fatal search and rescue (SAR) helicopter accident where we lost a dear colleague. We believe close collaboration with suppliers and shared learning in the industry is important for our continued safety improvement effort”, says Opedal.

    The twelve-month average Serious Incident Frequency (SIF) for 2024 was 0.3, down from 0.4 in 2023.

    Strong operational and financial performance

    Equinor delivered adjusted operating income* of USD 29.8 billion, and adjusted net income* of USD 9.18. Net operating income was reported at USD 30.9 billion and net income at USD 8.83 billion.

    “Our operational performance was strong, built on the dedicated efforts from employees across the company. Our role as a major supplier of energy to Europe is important and I am proud of the work we have done to provide energy security”, says Opedal.

    Strong operational performance across the portfolio contributed to an equity production of liquids and gas of 2,067 mboe per day in 2024, on par with the year before. Equity production of renewable power increased by 51% to 2,935 GWh.

    Strong financial result contributed to a return on average capital employed (RoACE)* at 21% for 2024. Capital discipline remained firm with organic capital expenditures* ending at USD 12.1 billion for the year. Equinor maintained a strong balance sheet with net debt to capital employed adjusted* of 11.9% at the end of 2024.

    The strong financial results of 2024 also led to strong contributions to society through taxes. In 2024, Equinor paid USD 20.6 billion in corporate income taxes of which USD 19.7 billion was paid in Norway, where Equinor has the largest share of its operations and earnings.

    Firm strategy and progressing industrial development

    “We have a consistent growth strategy, and our strategic direction remains firm. By adapting to market situation and opportunities, we are positioned for stronger free cash flow and growth, and set to create shareholder value for decades to come”, Opedal continues.

    Through progressing projects and portfolio shaping transactions Equinor spent 2024 high-grading the portfolio and positioning for stronger growth and cash flow.

    On the Norwegian continental shelf, the development of the portfolio continued with 39 new licences and approvals of the PDOs of Eirin, Irpa, Verdande and Andvare projects. The Johan Castberg FPSO arrived at the field and started preparations for startup.

    The international upstream portfolio was focused with the exits from our long-standing positions in Nigeria and Azerbaijan and deepened in core areas with the acquisitions of US Onshore gas assets close to premium markets. In the UK an agreement was signed to establish an incorporated joint venture with Shell UK Ltd., which will become the largest independent oil and gas company on the UK continental shelf.

    Through 2024 Equinor high-graded the renewables portfolio to ensure profitable growth, in a market challenged by cost inflation and regulatory delays. In the UK the world’s largest offshore wind farm, Dogger Bank, continued to progress towards commercial start-up. Production was commenced at the Mendubim solar plants in Brazil.

    The long-term view on the importance of offshore wind remains firm. Through an acquisition of a 10% stake in Ørsted, Equinor got exposure to a premium portfolio of offshore wind projects and assets in operation.

    Value chains for carbon transport and storage progressed notably. In Norway, Northern Lights, the first commercial CO2 transport and storage infrastructure was completed and is expected to receive and store CO2 in 2025. In the UK, execution started for two of UK’s first carbon capture and storage infrastructure projects where Equinor is a partner.

    Progress on the Energy transition plan

    In 2024, Equinor achieved a year-on-year reduction of 5% in operated scope 1+2 greenhouse gas emissions, bringing the total down to 11.0 million tonnes CO2 equivalents. This is a 34% reduction from 2015, which is the reference year for Equinor’s ambition to reduce group-wide operated emissions by 50% on a net basis by 2030. Throughout 2024, actions were taken for further emission reductions with the partial electrification of the Sleipner field center, the Gudrun platform, as well as the Troll B and C fields.

    The average upstream CO2 intensity of Equinor’s operated portfolio was 6.2 kg of CO2 per boe in 2024 (100% basis), an improvement from 6.7kg of CO2/boe in 2023 and well below the industry average. The scope 3 GHG emissions from use of our products were 251 million tonnes in 2024, on par with the level in 2023.

    Equinor improved in the net carbon intensity of energy produced (including scope 1, 2 and 3 emissions) in 2024, which is now 2% below the 2019 baseline. The reduction was mainly driven by increased renewable energy production and lower scope 1+2 emissions.

    Equinor ambition is to to be a leading company in the energy transition. The updated Energy Transition Plan, published on March 20 2025, outlines the approach to deliver on Equinor’s strategy of creating value in the transition, while adjusting to changing external context and market realities.

    ***

    The previously announced decision of the French Energy Regulatory Commission (CRE), includes a requirement for Equinor to publish the following summary language:

    “Les sociétés Danske Commodities A/S et Equinor ASA ont été condamnées, par une décision n° 08-40-23 de la Commission de régulation de l’énergie (CRE) du 20 janvier 2025, au titre de la méconnaissance de l’article 5 du règlement REMIT qui prohibe les manipulations de marché, au paiement de sanctions pécuniaires, dont les montants s’élèvent à huit millions d’euros (8.000.000 €) pour la société Danske Commodities A/S et quatre millions d’euros (4.000.000 €) pour la société Equinor ASA, pour des manipulations commises sur le marché de gros en 2019 et en 2020, en ce qui concerne les capacités de transport de gaz naturel entre la France et l’Espagne.

    Danske Commodities A/S and Equinor ASA were ordered by decision no. 08-40-23 of Commission de régulation de l’énergie (CRE) of 20 January 2025 to pay – for infringement of Article 5 of REMIT Regulation prohibiting market manipulations – financial penalties in the amount of eight million euros (€8,000,000) as regards Danske Commodities A/S and four million euros (€4,000,000) as regards Equinor ASA, for manipulations committed on the wholesale market in 2019 and 2020, with regard to natural gas transmission capacity between France and Spain.”

    The full decision is included in the attached appendix “Full decision text”. Equinor does not agree with the decision from CRE and will appeal the case to the Higher Administrative Court in France.

    * * *

    Our annual report and the subsidiary reports published separately can be downloaded from equinor.com/reports.

    * * *

    In accordance with Section 203.01 of the New York Stock Exchange Listed Company Manual, Equinor ASA announces that on 20 March 2025 it filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission its 2024 Annual Report on Form 20-F that includes audited financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2024.

    The Equinor 2024 Annual Report on Form 20-F may be downloaded from Equinor’s website at www.equinor.com. References to this document or other documents on Equinor’s website are included as an aid to their location and are not incorporated by reference into this document. All SEC filings made available electronically by Equinor may be obtained from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

    Shareholders may also request a hard copy of the annual report free of charge at www.equinor.com.

    * * *

    (*) These are non-GAAP figures. See Use and reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures in the annual report for more details.

    Further information:

    Investor relations
    Bård Glad Pedersen, senior vice president Investor Relations,
    +47 51 99 00 00

    Press
    Rikke Høistad Sjøberg, media spokesperson financial communication,
    +47 901 01 451(mobile)

    * * *

    Cautionary Note regarding Forward Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements reflect current views with respect to future events, are based on the management’s current expectations and assumptions, and are, by their nature, subject to significant risks and uncertainties because they relate to events and depend on circumstances that will occur in the future. There are a number of factors that could cause actual results and developments to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including those discussed under “Risk Factors” in the 2024 Annual report and elsewhere in Equinor’s publications. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which such statement is made, and, except as required by applicable law, Equinor undertakes no obligation to update any of these statements, whether to make them conform to actual results, changes in expectations or otherwise.

    * * *

    This information is subject to disclosure obligations pursuant to the EU Market Abuse Regulation, ref. section 3-1 in the Norwegian Securities Trading Act, and section 5-12 of the Norwegian Securities Trading Act.

    Attachments

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Chief Secretary announces Government finance systems overhaul

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Chief Secretary announces Government finance systems overhaul

    In a speech at the Institute for Government today, Darren Jones laid out his plans to transform and upgrade the government’s central finance system.

    • New technology will improve timeliness and accuracy of data used to inform decision-making at the centre of government.
    • Ministers to be able to access live data showing departmental delivery and finance performance data at a programme and project level.
    • Inspired by the private sector, the overhaul comes after Prime Minister last week announced radical transformation of the state, so it works for working people and delivers on the Government’s Plan for Change.

    As the Government pushes on with plans to rewire the British state to deliver for working people through its the Government’s Plan for Change, the Chief Secretary has today announced wide ranging reforms to modernise and reform the architecture of public spending across government.

    In a speech at the Institute for Government today, Darren Jones laid out his plans to transform and upgrade the government’s central finance system, to improve the timeliness and accuracy of data shared between departments and HM Treasury to boost decision-making at the heart of government.

    Currently, departments track their own spending and performance, and share data with the Treasury via manual uploads in online spreadsheets and physical letters. This means the Treasury does not have real time access to departments the finance and performance management data and cannot see in real time departmental spending and its impact. 

    To address inefficiencies, the Chief Secretary has formed plans to transform government’s approach to understanding, tracking, and evaluating spending across departments.

    Under these new plans, Ministers will have access to live and real-time performance data at both a departmental and programme level.

    This means Ministers will be able to see in real time what programmes are over or under spending, which projects are delivering and not, and how departments are performing against their budgets and objectives.

    All of this will improve the timeliness and accuracy of data insight to boost financial and strategic decision-making at the heart of government. 

    Chief Secretary to the Treasury Darren Jones said:

    The Prime Minister been clear that the government will rewire the state, so that it better delivers on the people’s priorities.

    I am convinced that through investment and reform, we can deliver a more productive and agile state that delivers better outcomes for people and reduces the cost of running public services.

    That’s why as part of my wider reforms to public spending, HM Treasury will be using technology to analyse finance and performance data in real time and free up departments to focus on delivery instead of Treasury compliance reporting.

    This drive for modernisation and reforming the state comes after the Prime Minister last week announced a radical transformation of the state, to streamline efficiencies and cut wasteful spending, so that it works for working people and delivers his Plan for Change. It also comes a week before the Chancellor delivers the Spring Statement.

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Darren Jones speech to Institute for Government

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Speech

    Darren Jones speech to Institute for Government

    In a speech at the Institute for Government today, Darren Jones laid out his plans to transform and upgrade the government’s central finance system.

    Well, good afternoon everyone. It’s great to be back at the Institute for government. And as has been alluded to, I was here not very long ago. But I’m delighted to be back because I’ve been working on a project with colleagues in the Treasury that I’m told is not particularly newsy, but for me and a select group is very, very exciting. And so we wanted to talk about it and this was a perfect venue to do so. So thank you once again for hosting us.

    When I became Chief Secretary to the Treasury and therefore responsible for public spending, I didn’t quite envisage that I would be giving a speech like this, starting with a story about the sinking of the General Belgrano during the Falklands War. Nor to be making the connection between that event and my plans to modernize how we use finance and performance management data in Whitehall. But following a conversation with Lord Sainsbury, it turns out I am. And so I’m now going to tell you the story, if you don’t mind me pinching it.

    So some of you might remember that Clive Ponting was a senior civil servant who leaked government information about the sinking of the General Belgrano, and in 1985, after a court case that resulted in the then cabinet secretary Robert Armstrong, drafting something that’s now called the Armstrong Memorandum, which, based on some earlier constitutional principles, set out essentially how ministers and civil servants are accountable for their actions.

    The memorandum, in a classically British way, has become entwined in the Constitution and become an important part of our While constitutional principles, it’s now become a doctrine. The Armstrong doctrine, I’m told by the House of Commons library. And essentially what it means is that government departments are autonomous, independent organizations that report directly to Parliament. Now, that doctrine is important and obviously will continue. But in this modern world where we are trying to use data and technology to better deliver public services, we need to move on a little. And let me explain why.

    So when I arrived at the Treasury last year, I had assumed that the Treasury acted a bit like a finance department in a kind of multinational organization or a group, organizations with different lines of business or parts of the business that reported up to the Treasury.
    But what I’ve realised over the last few months is that actually the way our finance systems are designed means the relationship is a little bit more like a bank and its customer. So the Treasury, as the bank has a load of customers, the departments in government, and it’s our job to anticipate their financing needs, to think about how we’re going to raise the money, to be able to give them the money, to request information from them about what they want to do, which we do via letterhead and Excel spreadsheets. and then use word based document advice notes to talk about what they’d like to do and how much it might cost. And in that process, we then attach conditions to the spending. So we say, fine, you can have X million billion pounds. And in return we think these things should happen. We apply ring fences to different pots of money. You can only use this bit for this particular outcome. And we put loads of compliance reporting over it, a kind of grander scale of getting a loan from a bank where it might just be for your home development or debt consolidation or a car or whatever.

    And then we check in and we see how the departments are getting on, how they’re spending that money, whether they’re spending it broadly in line with what we agreed. And we do that on the basis of a monthly submission from the departments to an IT system called Oscar, which essentially is an Excel spreadsheet that the departments fill out and then upload. And that tells us at a very high level, how much they’re spending against what we thought they were going to spend. It’s essentially cash flow. And it doesn’t really tell us a huge amount more.

    And so what that means is that the information that we get is not only high level and a bit disaggregated, but it’s also retrospective. It’s looking backwards, not looking at current performance and not really able to predict future performance.

    And so in practice, because of this Armstrong doctrine, all of the finance, accounting and performance data sits within the departments on their own IT systems, often structured in different ways. Or they. Whitehall has been doing some good work in trying to get them to report their data in a unified way, and then turned into PDF management board packs that go to the departmental boards each month, which they send us as a courtesy, and we kind of have a look at them. But it’s all essentially not very ideal.

    And the problem with that is that not only does the Treasury then, in exercising its responsibility to manage public money, attach loads of conditions and ring fences and compliance reporting and kind of meddling essentially a lot in the departments, but then the departments in turn end up applying an enormous number of performance metrics and KPIs to all of the different services that they provide.

    We then in the Treasury layer some of our own on the top, the Cabinet Office layer, some of theirs on the top, and if it’s a Prime Minister or Prime Minister or priority number ten, layer some more on the top. And essentially you’ve then got this enormous list of KPIs that people are constantly manually reporting against the long side of the ring fences and the conditions and the compliance requirements. And quite frankly, it’s a wonder that anything gets done.

    And so that has to change. And it needs to change because it’s frustrating to all of our brilliant officials, our spending teams in the Treasury, but also all of our officials in Whitehall departments who want to get on and deliver the public’s priorities. It wouldn’t be acceptable to behave in this way in a modern company, and it is not acceptable to act in this way in the modern British state.

    So the reforms that I’m going to be taking forward will help deal with this problem and as a consequence, improve productivity and performance across Whitehall. It’s in line with what you’ve heard from the Prime Minister in terms of our ambitions to rewire the state, to modernize the state and public services, to deliver better outcomes for the public in return for greater transparency between the departments and the centre of government.

    We then, in the centre of government, have to offer greater autonomy and delegation to the departments. The transparency that we want will make it easier for the Treasury to continue to manage public money robustly, but in return they will have to be fewer conditions, better levels of delegation and a reduction in the amount of reporting and compliance against too many KPIs.

    Only yesterday I met with some CEOs and chief technology officers from leading businesses who are harnessing data through their complex multinational operations to help deliver better decision making.

    There was a private equity firm with over 60 portfolio companies, for example, and despite the huge number of individual operating entities and jurisdictions around the world in which they operate, they use some what seem to be pretty normal tools that the private sector now uses to pull that data through. They have some AI that read these PDF board packs and automatically put it into their IT systems, and they focus crucially on the data that matters most. That is most important to them, and which in turn gives them the best shot of being able to predict future performance as well as track current performance. It means that they’re able to see how individual business units and their sales are performing, where costs are mounting up, where revenue is falling, where problems are so that they can grab them and deal with them, but also to be able to allocate capital more efficiently and deliver better outcomes.

    As I say, these software products are available today. They’re not complicated, but we do need to bring them into the public sector at last, because a smarter, data driven approach to understanding, tracking and evaluating spending, performance and delivery is the right ambition for any government, and it’s definitely an ambition of ours.

    We’ve made some strides already. We’ve already, as I’ve talked about when I was here last time, updated the Spending Review. We’re using technology, dashboards, AI. We’re talking about things across departments with the cabinet. This is very different to the way it used to happen with the Treasury bilaterally via Excel spreadsheets, with not everyone knowing what was happening. You get one department in, you get them out, you get another department in, you get them out. We’ve transformed that already as best we can. But this type of approach will make it much easier and allow ministers to make much more informed decisions to deliver better outcomes for the public.

    So these reforms will update our operating model, and they will transform the digital and data architecture of public spending across government. We’re building on existing work that’s taking place, which is implementing shared enterprise resource planning software, ERP software, back office functions, basically where the departments are already integrating some of those functions in the cloud through various groupings of departments. And we will develop a single digital interface that sits over the top of these IT solutions and will bring the data up into the centre of government to allow us to look at financial and performance management.

    We’ll then be able to use data analytics and AI to track trends, spot emerging challenges, and to be able to share best practice in real time. It will also allow us to spot earlier where there are points of failure that lead to excessive spending. Too often there are lots of examples. We only realise that something is going wrong and costing a lot when it’s a very large number. We need to be able to spot those and deal with it much sooner in that process, for the benefit of people who are relying on those public services, but also for the benefit of taxpayers.

    The good news is that our officials, our finance professionals, the departments, they will all welcome this. They’ve been looking for. I think politicians to prioritise this niche but exciting opportunity for quite some time. And here we are at last, with ministers who are excited by the potential of data.

    We won’t be changing the constitutional basics. Of course, departments will still be accountable to Parliament through their ministers and accounting offices, but we will be taking this new approach to a shared, transparent evidence base where data flows in the way that it should, whether the centre of government has sites where departments can collaborate when they’re part of a system together, to have a more informed view about how their decisions affect each other and how ultimately that’s affecting people across the country.

    We start from a decade where the performance of public services went backwards. The Whitehall Monitor is a great evidence base for showing that productivity is nosedived, and as a consequence, public spending had spiralled out of control. We’ve already taken steps, as you all know, to get a grip of public spending, to embed our fiscal rules, to strengthen independent oversight from the office for Budget Responsibility, and to take the tough and sometimes unpopular decisions we’ve had to take in order to make sure that we’re spending in line with our means as a country.

    But after 14 years of behaving in that way, the public rightly look at government irrespective of party and ask, why am I paying all of this tax and not seeing basic public services work? This is an important part of the answer to that challenge, and it will give us the tools, the data and the insight to really be able to drive modernisation and productivity across the public sector so that we’re operating as a modern government fit for the 21st century.

    And as part of wider sets of reforms that you’ve heard Pat McFadden and others talk about ultimately delivering a more productive and lean state that can deliver better outcomes for people at lower cost thanks to our investment and modernisation of the state and public services. Thanks very much.

    Updates to this page

    Published 20 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Radware Named as a Strong Performer in Analyst Report for Web Application Firewall Solutions

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MAHWAH, N.J., March 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Radware® (NASDAQ: RDWR), a global leader in application security and delivery solutions for multi-cloud environments, has been named a Strong Performer in The Forrester Wave: Web Application Firewall Solutions, Q1 2025. Radware was among the 10 top web application firewall (WAF) vendors included in the market overview.

    The report noted that Radware had the highest scores possible across six criteria, including detection models, roadmap, and pricing flexibility and transparency. According to the report: “Radware stands out for its investments in AI and automation – the recently released AI SOC Xpert tool summarizes incidents and recommends mitigations in a clear, bulleted narrative.”

    “We are honored to be recognized as a Strong Performer in The Forrester Wave for Web Application Firewall Solutions,” said Sharon Trachtman, chief marketing officer at Radware. “Radware is leveraging the latest advancements in GenAI to help customers protect their brands and significantly reduce the time, effort, and costs of managing increasingly sophisticated application security incidents. We are committed to pushing the boundaries in delivering state-of-the-art application protection.”

    Radware’s WAF is part of the company’s Cloud Application Protection Service, a single platform and unified portal that also includes industry-leading bot detection and management, API protection, client-side protection, and application-layer DDoS protection. Combining end-to-end automation, AI-powered algorithms, behavioral-based detection, and 24/7 managed services, the comprehensive solution defends against 150+ known attack vectors. This includes the OWASP’s Top 10 Web Application Security Risks, Top 10 API Security Vulnerabilities, and Top 21 Automated Threats to Web Applications.

    Radware has been recognized by numerous industry analysts for its application and network security solutions. This includes Aite-Novarica Group, Gartner, KuppingerCole, and QKS Group.

    Forrester
    Forrester does not endorse any company, product, brand, or service included in its research publications and does not advise any person to select the products or services of any company or brand based on the ratings included in such publications. Information is based on the best available resources. Opinions reflect judgment at the time and are subject to change. For more information, read about Forrester’s objectivity here.

    About Radware
    Radware® (NASDAQ: RDWR) is a global leader in application security and delivery solutions for multi-cloud environments. The company’s cloud application, infrastructure, and API security solutions use AI-driven algorithms for precise, hands-free, real-time protection from the most sophisticated web, application, and DDoS attacks, API abuse, and bad bots. Enterprises and carriers worldwide rely on Radware’s solutions to address evolving cybersecurity challenges and protect their brands and business operations while reducing costs. For more information, please visit the Radware website.

    Radware encourages you to join our community and follow us on: Facebook, LinkedIn, Radware Blog, X and YouTube.

    ©2025 Radware Ltd. All rights reserved. Any Radware products and solutions mentioned in this press release are protected by trademarks, patents, and pending patent applications of Radware in the U.S. and other countries. For more details, please see: https://www.radware.com/LegalNotice/. All other trademarks and names are property of their respective owners.

    Radware believes the information in this document is accurate in all material respects as of its publication date. However, the information is provided without any express, statutory, or implied warranties and is subject to change without notice.

    The contents of any website or hyperlinks mentioned in this press release are for informational purposes and the contents thereof are not part of this press release.

    Safe Harbor Statement
    This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Any statements made herein that are not statements of historical fact, including statements about Radware’s plans, outlook, beliefs, or opinions, are forward-looking statements. Generally, forward-looking statements may be identified by words such as “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “estimates,” “plans,” and similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “should,” “would,” “may,” and “could.” For example, when we say in this press release that we are committed to pushing the boundaries in delivering state-of-the-art application protection, we are using forward-looking statements. Because such statements deal with future events, they are subject to various risks and uncertainties, and actual results, expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, could differ materially from Radware’s current forecasts and estimates. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: the impact of global economic conditions, including as a result of the state of war declared in Israel in October 2023 and instability in the Middle East, the war in Ukraine, and the tensions between China and Taiwan; our dependence on independent distributors to sell our products; our ability to manage our anticipated growth effectively; a shortage of components or manufacturing capacity could cause a delay in our ability to fulfill orders or increase our manufacturing costs; our business may be affected by sanctions, export controls, and similar measures, targeting Russia and other countries and territories, as well as other responses to Russia’s military conflict in Ukraine, including indefinite suspension of operations in Russia and dealings with Russian entities by many multi-national businesses across a variety of industries; the ability of vendors to provide our hardware platforms and components for the manufacture of our products; our ability to attract, train, and retain highly qualified personnel; intense competition in the market for cyber security and application delivery solutions and in our industry in general, and changes in the competitive landscape; our ability to develop new solutions and enhance existing solutions; the impact to our reputation and business in the event of real or perceived shortcomings, defects, or vulnerabilities in our solutions, if our end-users experience security breaches, if our information technology systems and data, or those of our service providers and other contractors, are compromised by cyber-attackers or other malicious actors or by a critical system failure; outages, interruptions, or delays in hosting services; the risks associated with our global operations, such as difficulties and costs of staffing and managing foreign operations, compliance costs arising from host country laws or regulations, partial or total expropriation, export duties and quotas, local tax exposure, economic or political instability, including as a result of insurrection, war, natural disasters, and major environmental, climate, or public health concerns, such as the COVID-19 pandemic; our net losses in the past two years and possibility we may incur losses in the future; a slowdown in the growth of the cyber security and application delivery solutions market or in the development of the market for our cloud-based solutions; long sales cycles for our solutions; risks and uncertainties relating to acquisitions or other investments; risks associated with doing business in countries with a history of corruption or with foreign governments; changes in foreign currency exchange rates; risks associated with undetected defects or errors in our products; our ability to protect our proprietary technology; intellectual property infringement claims made by third parties; laws, regulations, and industry standards affecting our business; compliance with open source and third-party licenses; and other factors and risks over which we may have little or no control. This list is intended to identify only certain of the principal factors that could cause actual results to differ. For a more detailed description of the risks and uncertainties affecting Radware, refer to Radware’s Annual Report on Form 20-F, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), and the other risk factors discussed from time to time by Radware in reports filed with, or furnished to, the SEC. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made and, except as required by applicable law, Radware undertakes no commitment to revise or update any forward-looking statement in order to reflect events or circumstances after the date any such statement is made. Radware’s public filings are available from the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or may be obtained on Radware’s website at www.radware.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: MSF calls for sustained investments to fight against tuberculosis in children

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières –

    Paris – Ahead of World TB Day, Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) calls on all countries and international donors to prioritise and ensure sustained investments for diagnosing, treating, and preventing tuberculosis (TB) for all – especially children, who remain the most vulnerable. 

    Every three minutes, a child dies of TB. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 1.25 million children and young adolescents (0-14 years) fall ill with TB each year, but that only half of these children are diagnosed and treated. In 2022, WHO revised its guidance for the management of children and adolescents with TB, which if adopted and implemented, could drastically improve care and save lives. The MSF project TACTiC – Test, Avoid, Cure TB in Children, is implementing the new WHO recommendations in our programmes in over a dozen countries in Africa and Asia, and has already documented an increase in children diagnosed with TB and put on appropriate treatment.

    However, we are gravely concerned about the recent United States funding cuts. The US is the largest financial contributor for TB programmes, accounting for half of all international and bilateral donor funding, according to WHO. 

    “For years, we have witnessed the deadly gaps that children face to access diagnosis and treatment for TB in countries where we work,” says Dr Cathy Hewison, Head of MSF’s TB working group. “Children at risk of having TB are often overlooked, either going undiagnosed or facing delays in diagnosis.”

    “Now, with the recent US funding cuts, these gaps in identifying and treating children with TB will only widen further, which threatens to roll back years of progress in TB care,” says Dr Hewison. “We urgently call on all countries and international donors to step up and ensure sustained funding for TB care for all, especially young children. No one should die or suffer from this preventable and treatable disease.”

    MSF teams in Sindh province, Pakistan, are witnessing the US funding cuts leading to the disruption of community-based services. These services play a key role in a country that has a high burden of TB, especially in active screening of people in the community – which increases the diagnosis – the screening of families at high risk, and the provision of preventive treatment for children.

    “Children are already highly vulnerable to TB, and we are worried that the US funding cuts that have impacted the community-based services will have a disproportionate effect on children, leading to more children with TB and more avoidable deaths,” says Dr Ei Hnin Hnin Phyu, Medical Coordinator with MSF in Pakistan. “We cannot afford to let funding decisions cost children’s lives.”

    Children with weakened immune systems, for instance due to HIV infection or malnutrition, are the most vulnerable, hence will be disproportionately affected by disruption of TB, HIV and nutrition services.

    Children with TB are often excluded from research and development trials being carried out on new tools for TB. The recent US funding cuts have halted numerous clinical trials, setting back TB research and innovation, with many of them being critical for children with TB. This is a major step back in the fight against TB, as it delays the development of much-needed diagnostics and treatments for children. MSF calls on the pharmaceutical industry and international donors to ensure sustained investments in the development and evaluation of medical tools that can improve TB care for children. 

    MSF is the largest non-governmental provider of TB treatment worldwide and has been involved in TB care for 30 years, often working alongside national health authorities to treat people in a wide variety of settings, including conflict zones, urban slums, prisons, refugee camps and rural areas. MSF has also been involved in efforts to find shorter and safer drug-resistant TB treatment regimens through 3 clinical trials: TB-PRACTECAL, endTB and endTB-Q. The WHO recommendations for four 6 and 9-month regimens (including BPaLM and BPaL) to treat DR-TB was prompted by evidence mainly from the TB-PRACTECAL and endTB trials.

    MSF is conducting an integrated project TACTiC – Test, Avoid, Cure TB in Children – that aims to implement the new WHO recommendations to improve the management of TB in children in MSF programmes in over a dozen countries in Africa and Asia. Additionally, this project strives to demonstrate the validity and feasibility of the recommendations in different country contexts through operational research and advocate for their widespread implementation across national health systems. 

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Nigeria’s oil-rich Rivers State under emergency: sending in the army isn’t the answer

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Al Chukwuma Okoli, Reader (Associate Professor) Department of Political Science, Federal University of Lafia, Nigeria, Federal University Lafia

    President Bola Tinubu recently declared a state of emergency in Nigeria’s oil-rich Rivers State, in the country’s south-south region.

    Prior to this decision, governance in Rivers State was practically paralysed as a result of a power struggle between the Governor, Siminalayi Fubara and his predecessor, Nyesom Wike, now the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

    Rivers is at the heart of Nigeria’s once restive oil producing Niger Delta region and the emergency rule declaration was pronounced following reports of explosions rocking oil pipelines. Security scholar Al Chukwuma Okoli unpacks the implications of this development for security in the oil region previously known for militancy.

    What does declaring a state of emergency mean?

    The president has placed the governor, the deputy governor and the legislative arm of government on a six months suspension. He has appointed Vice Admiral Ibok-Étè Ibas, a retired Navy chief, as the state administrator. This means democratic institutions, except courts, have been suspended in Rivers State.

    Section 305 of Nigeria’s 1999 constitution empowers the president to declare a state of emergency when:

    • the federation is at war

    • the federation is in imminent danger of invasion or involvement in a state of war

    • there is actual breakdown of public order and public safety in any part of the country requiring extraordinary measures to avert danger

    • there is an occurrence or imminent danger of the occurrence of any disaster or natural calamity

    • there is any danger which clearly constitutes a threat to the existence of the federation

    • The Governor of a State may, with the sanction of a resolution supported by two-thirds majority of the state House of Assembly, request the President to issue a Proclamation of a state of emergency in the State

    The president can also make the decision if the governor of the affected state fails within a reasonable time to make a request.

    Is the state of emergency an effective response to the recent bombings?

    The state of emergency is a response to a dire internal security situation in which there is actual or threat of a breakdown of law and order. It applies also if security of lives and property is no longer guaranteed.

    In other words there’s been a major breach of governability in the area.

    There is an argument that the civil and security situations in Rivers State – and the civil unrest amid wanton destruction and vandalisation of oil and gas installations – calls for urgent intervention given the pivotal role of petroleum sector in sustaining the Nigerian economy.

    Oil and gas account for 40% of Nigerian government revenues and for around 92% of the value of all exports. Rivers State is a key oil producing area and hosts several major oil companies and critical oil infrastructure.

    Nevertheless, the emergency approach to the security crisis in Rivers State is, at best, problematic. Apart from amounting to unnecessary securitisation of politics and governance, it’s not capable of addressing the political undercurrents of the crisis.

    At the heart of the problem is the unresolved – or badly addressed – partisan and personality clashes between the suspended Governor Siminalayi Fubara and his estranged predecessor and political godfather, Nyesom Wike, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

    The suspension of the Governor and the State Assembly may be strategically expedient. But it will fail to address the fundamental issues at stake without a concomitant suspension of Wike as the Federal Capital Territory Minister.

    This is because at the heart of the entire crisis is a power struggle between Wike and Fubara. As the immediate past governor of Rivers State, Wike influenced the emergence of Fubara as his successor during the 2023 general elections.

    They fell apart soon after the election. Wike who had become a minister and close ally of President Tinubu is believed to have influenced his loyalists in the Rivers State House of Assembly to oppose the governor. They were in the process of impeaching the governor before the state of emergency was imposed.

    Wike and Fubara’s power tussle has also led to a gradual return of Niger Delta militancy with former militants taking sides with the two political gladiators.

    Given this background, the emergency rule in Rivers state will be associated with consolidated military operations to quell the rising militancy. This, too, is likely to escalate the crisis.

    In handling the Rivers crisis, President Tinubu should have considered some historical precedents. Negotiations have fared a lot better than the military options in the region.

    The most recent armed conflict in the region arose in the early 1990s over tensions between foreign oil corporations and Niger Delta ethnic groups who feel cheated in the way their natural resources are exploited. The militant groups became notorious for their violent attacks on oil infrastructure and kidnapping of oil workers.

    Military response to this crisis did not seem to yield results until the Nigerian government introduced a disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration programme, known locally as the amnesty program. This was introduced in 2009 and was aimed at members of armed militant groups that were present in the Niger Delta region.

    Following this intervention, there has been relative peace in the recent past. Essentially, the emergency rule in Rivers state is likely to bring about a dramatic backlash in the sustenance of the gains of post-Amnesty peace-building in the Niger-Delta.

    What are the security implications of explosions rocking oil installations?

    Destruction of petroleum installations will bring about significant setback in the efficiency and functionality of Nigeria’s oil and gas industry. It will trigger production cuts and revenue losses capable of affecting the country’s petroleum earnings.

    This will be devastating considering the place of the industry in the national economy.

    In addition, the vandalisation of oil pipelines and other installations will lead to widespread environmental degradation and disaster. In turn this will affect the livelihood and ecological security of local communities.

    As experience from government’s use of force in the region in the early 1990s have shown, the declaration of a state of emergency may result in the renewal of piracy, cultism, hostage-taking, and kidnapping. This will in turn be a setback for the gains of peace building already recorded in the area since the introduction of the Niger Delta Amnesty program in 2009.

    Lastly, one of the most likely outcomes of the emergency rule will be the return of inter-militant fighting and vendetta. Already, lines are drawn between the militants aligned with Wike and Fubara.

    Such a development may dovetail into a major inter gang war with devastating implications for peace and development of the Niger Delta region.

    What approach should the appointed administrator take?

    The aftermath of the emergency declaration in Rivers State is dicey.

    To make progress with his mandate – which is to restore order in the state – the administrator needs to adopt a completely depoliticised approach to the partisan dispute that’s led to the current crisis. He has to initiate a credible peace process that is holistic and capable of alleviating the fears and doubts of parties.

    The administrator has to adopt a strictly non-partisan, multi-stakeholder and inclusive approach to dealing with the crisis. All the aggrieved parties must be treated fairly and reasonably.

    There must be a conscious effort at buildings bridges at local levels. These should be aimed at eliciting the buy-in of critical stakeholders and interested parties such as the militant groups and supporters of Wike and Fubara.

    Lastly, the administrator has to be conscious and sensitive to the local issues and sensibilities that are at the root of the crisis.

    Local problem require local remedies. An inward looking solution that carries everyone along, addresses the underlying issues and grievances, restores trust and goodwill, and transcends partisan divides, is the only route that will bring about a lasting solution to the Rivers state.

    Al Chukwuma Okoli teaches Political Science at Federal University of Lafia, Nigeria. An Associate Professor of Security Governance, Okoli has consulted for Center for Democracy and Development, Yaradua Foundation, Partners West Africa (Nigeria), CLEEN Foundation, African Union, UN Women, United Nations Development Programme, etc..He has received funding from the Tertiary Education Fund (Nigeria). A triple Laureate of Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa (CODESRIA), Okoli s a member of Conflict Research Network West Africa and Amnesty International.

    – ref. Nigeria’s oil-rich Rivers State under emergency: sending in the army isn’t the answer – https://theconversation.com/nigerias-oil-rich-rivers-state-under-emergency-sending-in-the-army-isnt-the-answer-252672

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –