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Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI Global: The Last Showgirl: Pamela Anderson is perfectly cast in this intimate portrait of womanhood

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Daisy McManaman, PhD Candidate, Centre for Women’s Studies, University of York

    Director Gia Coppola’s The Last Showgirl captures the bittersweet reality of a dreamer who has given everything to a career that will never love her back.

    Pamela Anderson’s Shelley has devoted the past 30 years of her life to the Las Vegas revue Le Razzle Dazzle, a show she proudly describes as embodying “breasts and rhinestones and joy”. But as the show’s run comes to an end, Shelley is forced to confront an uncertain future, aged out of the career she so desperately loves.

    Shelley is a woman out of time. From her pink Motorola Razr phone to her disbelief at the rising price of lemons, she clings to a romanticised vision of the showgirl as an ambassador of Las Vegas glamour.

    But as Le Razzle Dazzle prepares to close and her co-stars, Jodie (Kiernan Shipka) and Mary-Anne (Brenda Song), audition for raunchier, neo-burlesque-inspired productions, both Shelley and the audience question whether the traditional showgirl still has a place in today’s cultural landscape.

    The Last Showgirl explores the multifaceted nature of womanhood, offering an intimate portrait of the women of Las Vegas. It peeks into dressing rooms where, among tables scattered with false eyelashes and stray rhinestones, a performer struggles to balance single motherhood, her cultivated show community and a dream that may no longer have space for her.

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    Screenwriter Kate Gersten wrote The Last Showgirl after seeing the Las Vegas revue Jubilee! shortly before its closure in 2016.

    As the last traditional showgirl revue on the Vegas strip, Jubilee! was a tribute to glamour and femininity. Jubilee!’s costume designers were Bob Mackie and Pete Menefee, and their original designs also feature in the film. They’re adorned with brightly coloured feathers and shimmering rhinestones so extravagant that they once caused an international Swarovski shortage.

    In The Last Showgirl, these archival Jubilee! costumes become characters in their own right. Their opulent feathers and dazzling crystals create a spectacle on screen, embodying the larger-than-life fantasy of the showgirl.

    As the title card plays, we see close-ups of the craftsmanship behind the showgirl aesthetic – hands caressing plumes, rich fabrics and expanses of rhinestones.

    The Pamela renaissance

    The true star of the film, however, is the woman whose performance shines brighter than the crystals she is adorned in. Anderson’s portrayal of Shelley cuts to the heart of the character, imbuing her with vulnerability that transcends the glittering surface of the showgirl persona.

    The Last Showgirl trailer.

    The Last Showgirl marks Anderson’s first leading film role since the critically panned 1996 film Barb Wire, which earned her a Golden Razzie nomination for worst actress.

    The casting of Anderson as Shelley feels almost kismet. One of the most notable sex symbols of our time, Anderson has recently undergone a cultural renaissance. This has been driven by the Hulu series Pam and Tommy (2022), which focused on the nonconsensual release of Anderson and her then-partner musician Tommy Lee’s sex tape (the series was ironically made without her consent).

    But also Anderson’s own work in the 2023 Netflix documentary Pamela, A Love Story and her memoir, Love, Pamela, which was released the same year.



    Read more:
    Don’t watch Pam and Tommy – the series turns someone’s trauma into entertainment

    Anderson’s status as a sex symbol frequently stripped her of autonomy. In Love, Pamela, she states that she views her multiple appearances in Playboy as “an honour”, but also acknowledges that they’ve led some to treat her without respect.

    She recalls being told in a deposition regarding her sex tape that she had “no right to privacy because I’d appeared in Playboy”. Both Anderson and Shelley refuse to be shamed for embodying feminine sexuality.

    Subverting the showgirl

    While The Last Showgirl paints a bleak image of the future of traditional Las Vegas revue, real burlesque dancers like Dita Von Teese offer a modernised alternative. Their performances honour showgirl glamour while breaking restrictive industry norms.

    In 2024, Von Teese opened her own homage to Jubilee! by featuring the revue’s original Mackie and Manefee costumes (which she lent to The Last Showgirl). Von Teese’s Las Vegas revue features a diverse cast of showgirls, challenging stereotypes of gender, thinness and youth.

    Dita Von Teese discusses her evolving show.

    Performing at 52 – a similar age to Shelley – Von Teese invited 63-year-old retired showgirl Paula Nyland to perform on stage in the latest season of the Netflix show, Queer Eye. On the show, she explains: “We have to evolve and change and get rid of some of the unpleasant rules like height requirements, age requirements … I look to women older than me that can be examples of beauty and glamour.”

    Perhaps, we could imagine an alternate timeline where Shelley finds a new home in Von Teese’s modernised showgirl revue, one that honours the glamour of the past while embracing a more inclusive future.

    While The Last Showgirl paints a melancholic portrait of an ageing performer left behind by a changing industry, performers like Von Teese suggest that the showgirl can evolve rather than disappear. In a different version of Shelley’s story, she might have found a stage where rhinestones still sparkle, but the rules no longer dictate who gets to wear them.

    Daisy McManaman 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. The Last Showgirl: Pamela Anderson is perfectly cast in this intimate portrait of womanhood – https://theconversation.com/the-last-showgirl-pamela-anderson-is-perfectly-cast-in-this-intimate-portrait-of-womanhood-249626

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Video: President Trump Signs Executive Orders in the Oval Office, Feb. 11, 2025

    Source: United States of America – The White House (video statements)

    President Trump hosted Elon Musk in the Oval Office to sign an Executive Order aimed at cutting the size of the federal government – eliminating waste and bloat while empowering American families, workers, taxpayers, and the government itself.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L0f-ZAVOoPk

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Avian Influenza Housing Measures Expanded

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Housing measures for birds announced in Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Cheshire, Merseyside and Lancashire

    In response to increased findings of highly pathogenic avian influenza (’bird flu’) in wild birds and new cases in poultry and kept birds, coupled with heightened risk levels, the Avian Influenza housing measures are being extended to mitigate the risk of further outbreaks of the disease.

    This means that from midnight (00:01) on Sunday 16th February keepers in Herefordshire, Worcestershire, Cheshire, Merseyside and Lancashire must house their birds and continue to follow the strictest security as required by the Avian Influenza Prevention Zone (AIPZ)

    This in addition to those housing measures already in place across East Riding of Yorkshire, City of Kingston Upon Hull, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Shropshire, York and North Yorkshire.

    An AIPZ mandating enhanced biosecurity but without mandatory housing remains in place across all other areas of England (mandatory housing still applies in any 3km Protection Zone surrounding an infected premises). Bird gatherings across the UK are also now restricted and must not take place.

    The AIPZ measures apply to all bird keepers whether they have pet birds, commercial flocks or just a few birds in a backyard flock and are essential to protecting flocks from avian influenza.

    UK Chief Veterinary Officer, Christine Middlemiss said:

    Following the continued increasing number of bird flu cases across England, particularly in areas of concentrated poultry farming, we are now extending housing measures further.

    Bird keepers are reminded to continue remaining vigilant to any signs of disease, check which requirements apply to them while continuing to exercise robust biosecurity measures and ensure you report suspected disease immediately to the Animal and Plant Health Agency.

    The AIPZs will be in place until further notice and will be kept under regular review as part of the government’s work to monitor and manage the risks of avian influenza.

    Keepers are encouraged to take action to prevent bird flu and stop it spreading. Be vigilant for signs of disease and report it to keep your birds safe

    Check if you’re in a bird flu disease zone on the map and check details  of the restrictions and gov.uk/birdflu for further advice and information.

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Patrushev and Samara Region Governor Vyacheslav Fedorishchev discussed regional environmental issues

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    Dmitry Patrushev held a working meeting with the Governor of the Samara Region Vyacheslav Fedorishchev

    February 12, 2025

    Dmitry Patrushev held a working meeting with the Governor of the Samara Region Vyacheslav Fedorishchev

    February 12, 2025

    Previous news Next news

    Dmitry Patrushev held a working meeting with the Governor of the Samara Region Vyacheslav Fedorishchev

    Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev held a working meeting with the Governor of the Samara Region Vyacheslav Fedorishchev. The main topic was the organization of the solid municipal waste management system in the region.

    In the Samara Region, it is planned to implement seven complex facilities with a total investment volume of about 18 billion rubles. Dmitry Patrushev noted that it is important to systematically resolve the existing issues in the waste management sphere in the region.

    The issue of creating a comprehensive system was previously discussed at meetings in the format of the incident “Organization of the system for handling MSW”. The meeting also touched upon the issues of the quality of work of regional operators, provision of territories with containers and container sites, availability of special equipment and the necessary infrastructure. Dmitry Patrushev and Vyacheslav Fedorishchev discussed the participation of the Russian Ecological Operator in the creation of comprehensive waste processing facilities.

    The President of Russia has set the task of ensuring complete sorting of municipal solid waste by 2030, reducing the level of landfill disposal to 50% and involving at least a quarter of municipal solid waste in secondary circulation.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Fortinet at Mobile World Congress: Join Us to Explore Sovereign SASE Innovations

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SUNNYVALE, Calif., Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

    News Summary
    At MWC Barcelona 2025, Fortinet® (NASDAQ: FTNT), the global cybersecurity leader driving the convergence of networking and security, will showcase its groundbreaking sovereign SASE solution. This is a unique opportunity for service providers to explore how Fortinet Sovereign SASE enables them to create their own dedicated private SASE service to empower organizations with unparalleled control and flexibility over their data, meeting the critical needs of regulated industries like finance, healthcare, and government.

    Service providers that have already invested in Fortinet Secure SD-WAN are well-positioned to naturally expand into sovereign SASE by leveraging their existing investments and expertise. Powered by one operating system, FortiOS, and simple integration, the Fortinet Sovereign SASE solution allows service providers to quickly deploy to meet the growing demands of data sovereignty within the SASE market.

    “Organizations with strict regional or regulated industry compliance requirements are often faced with the dilemma of having a strong need for improved security posture while also having a significant barrier to adoption for modern SASE architectures,” said Pete Finalle, Research Manager, Security & Trust at IDC. “Fortinet’s Sovereign SASE solution takes the compliance guesswork out of adoption and enables service providers to deliver a robust SASE platform and expand from SD-WAN, which includes the latest DEM, network visibility and AI-assisted security capabilities to the customers that need it most.”

    Join Fortinet experts and discover how the industry’s most comprehensive unified SASE solution, including the journey from secure SD-WAN to its sovereign SASE turnkey private SASE solution, and how this ensures robust compliance and security by enabling local control over data routing, inspection, and storage. Learn how the unique architecture of sovereign SASE allows service providers to deliver private SASE services tailored quickly and cost-effectively to their customers and addresses the growing challenges service providers face in navigating data sovereignty regulations, including:

    • Ensuring compliance with regional data privacy laws
    • Managing cross-border data transfers and adhering to strict localization requirements
    • Handling the operational complexities of securing sensitive data across hybrid and multi-cloud environments
    • Balancing customer demands for low-latency performance with the need for localized data inspection and storage

    When: March 3–6, 2025

    Where: MWC 2025, Barcelona, Fortinet booth #6G48 in hall 6

    Who Should Attend:

    • Service providers looking to enhance their offerings with secure, flexible, and compliant SASE solutions
    • Industry leaders seeking to address complex data sovereignty challenges with advanced security

    Find Out More on the Following Topics:

    • From SD-WAN to SASE services to drive innovation and revenues
    • AI-driven security operations that empower automation, efficiency, mitigation, and compliance
    • Cybersecurity services for businesses and consumers to drive revenue and growth
    • AI-driven cybersecurity platform to secure your networks, services, and support compliance

    Book Time with Fortinet Experts at MWC 2025 or Learn More by Visiting the Fortinet Booth #6G48 in Hall 6

    Additional Resources

    About Fortinet
    Fortinet (Nasdaq: FTNT) is a driving force in the evolution of cybersecurity and the convergence of networking and security. Our mission is to secure people, devices, and data everywhere, and today we deliver cybersecurity everywhere our customers need it with the largest integrated portfolio of over 50 enterprise-grade products. Well over half a million customers trust Fortinet’s solutions, which are among the most deployed, most patented, and most validated in the industry. The Fortinet Training Institute, one of the largest and broadest training programs in the industry, is dedicated to making cybersecurity training and new career opportunities available to everyone. Collaboration with esteemed organizations from both the public and private sectors, including Computer Emergency Response Teams (“CERTS”), government entities, and academia, is a fundamental aspect of Fortinet’s commitment to enhance cyber resilience globally. FortiGuard Labs, Fortinet’s elite threat intelligence and research organization, develops and utilizes leading-edge machine learning and AI technologies to provide customers with timely and consistently top-rated protection and actionable threat intelligence. Learn more at https://www.fortinet.com, the Fortinet Blog, and FortiGuard Labs.

    Copyright © 2025 Fortinet, Inc. All rights reserved. The symbols ® and ™ denote respectively federally registered trademarks and common law trademarks of Fortinet, Inc., its subsidiaries and affiliates. Fortinet’s trademarks include, but are not limited to, the following: Fortinet, the Fortinet logo, FortiGate, FortiOS, FortiGuard, FortiCare, FortiAnalyzer, FortiManager, FortiASIC, FortiClient, FortiCloud, FortiMail, FortiSandbox, FortiADC, FortiAI, FortiAIOps, FortiAgent, FortiAntenna, FortiAP, FortiAPCam, FortiAuthenticator, FortiCache, FortiCall, FortiCam, FortiCamera, FortiCarrier, FortiCASB, FortiCentral, FortiCNP, FortiConnect, FortiController, FortiConverter, FortiCSPM, FortiCWP, FortiDAST, FortiDB, FortiDDoS, FortiDeceptor, FortiDeploy, FortiDevSec, FortiDLP, FortiEdge, FortiEDR, FortiExplorer, FortiExtender, FortiFirewall, FortiFlex FortiFone, FortiGSLB, FortiGuest, FortiHypervisor, FortiInsight, FortiIsolator, FortiLAN, FortiLink, FortiMonitor, FortiNAC, FortiNDR, FortiPAM, FortiPenTest, FortiPhish, FortiPoint, FortiPolicy, FortiPortal, FortiPresence, FortiProxy, FortiRecon, FortiRecorder, FortiSASE, FortiScanner, FortiSDNConnector, FortiSIEM, FortiSMS, FortiSOAR, FortiSRA, FortiStack, FortiSwitch, FortiTester, FortiToken, FortiTrust, FortiVoice, FortiWAN, FortiWeb, FortiWiFi, FortiWLC, FortiWLM, FortiXDR and Lacework FortiCNAPP. Other trademarks belong to their respective owners. Fortinet has not independently verified statements or certifications herein attributed to third parties and Fortinet does not independently endorse such statements. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary herein, nothing herein constitutes a warranty, guarantee, contract, binding specification or other binding commitment by Fortinet or any indication of intent related to a binding commitment, and performance and other specification information herein may be unique to certain environments.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: NextNav Names Renee Gregory as Vice President of Regulatory Affairs

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RESTON, Va., Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — NextNav Inc. (NASDAQ: NN), a leader in next-generation positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) and 3D geolocation, announced the appointment of Renee Gregory as NextNav’s Vice President of Regulatory Affairs. In this newly created role, Ms. Gregory leads the company’s FCC regulatory approval process and compliance work. Her experience and expertise will be integral to meeting NextNav’s commitment to providing next-generation location technologies and providing a robust terrestrial complement and backup to GPS to meet an urgent national security need.

    “Renee’s appointment as NextNav’s Vice President of Regulatory Affairs will help the company deliver on its long-term mission to solve a pressing national security need,” said NextNav Chief Executive Officer Mariam Sorond. “Her decades of experience in policy and spectrum will be instrumental in shaping our regulatory strategy and delivering a wide-scale terrestrial PNT solution.”

    Ms. Gregory brings over 20 years of experience in both government and the private sector. At the federal level, she has served as Senior Policy Advisor for the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy and held key advisory roles at both the National Telecommunications and Information Administration, and the Federal Communications Commission. Her distinguished career in Washington, D.C., also includes leadership positions at Google and prominent international law firms, where she advised technology and telecommunications clients. Ms. Gregory holds a J.D. from Georgetown University Law Center and a B.A. from Yale University.

    “I’m thrilled to have the opportunity to work alongside federal agencies, industry partners, engineers and technical experts, and the talented NextNav team to help solve this national security need. Working together, I’m committed to strengthening GPS resiliency, eliminating US vulnerabilities, and advancing technical, regulatory, and business solutions that benefit us all,” said Renee Gregory.

    NextNav has petitioned the FCC to reconfigure the Lower 900 MHz band to enable a 5G-based terrestrial 3D PNT service that can be readily deployed and adopted as a complement and backup to GPS while also supporting 5G broadband deployment. In her role, Ms. Gregory will work with the company and its partners to ensure that the FCC’s rulemaking process is guided by sound, fact-based, and engineering-driven decisions that serve the best interests of public safety, national security, and America’s 5G future.

    About NextNav
    NextNav Inc. (Nasdaq: NN) is a leader in next-generation positioning, navigation and timing (PNT), enabling a whole new ecosystem of applications and services that rely upon 3D geolocation and PNT technology. Powered by low-band licensed spectrum, NextNav’s positioning and timing technologies deliver accurate, reliable, and resilient 3D PNT solutions for critical infrastructure, GPS resiliency and commercial use cases.

    For more information, please visit https://nextnav.com/ or follow NextNav on https://x.com/NextNavX or LinkedIn. 

    Forward Looking Statements
    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are based on NextNav’s management’s current expectations and beliefs, as well as a number of assumptions concerning future events.

    Source: NN-FIN

    Media Contact:
    Jayesh Patel
    jpatel@nextnav.com
    (312) 208-9732

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Ghana’s urban strategies neglect the needs of street vendors: policy must catch up with reality

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Appiah Takyi, Senior Lecturer, Department of Planning, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)

    Street vending is a major economic activity in most of Ghana’s urban areas. The vendors bring everyday goods to residents and commuters at affordable prices in places convenient to them. However, the growing intensity of street vending activities in Ghanaian cities such as Accra and Kumasi is creating management problems for city authorities. Vendors are being removed as cities aim to “clean up” and modernise the urban landscape.

    City authorities haven’t created ways to support street vendors. Instead, they treat them as a nuisance and use stringent regulations aimed at displacing them. This approach overlooks the potential benefits that the thriving street economy could bring to the local economy and social fabric. In contrast, for example, South Africa’s policy supports informal economic activities by providing vending spaces for street traders.

    As academics who specialise in urban planning, we set out to investigate the rules around street vending in Ghana. Our study was conducted in Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti region and the second most important city in Ghana. We found that the regulation of street vending in Ghana is unclear, contradictory and ineffective. It fails to provide a clear policy direction and adequate planning tools for integrating street vending into urban areas.

    Our research reinforces the argument that the regulation of street vending is often ambiguous. We argue that these policy inconsistencies create loopholes for the hostile attitude of city authorities towards street vendors.

    We call for policies that recognise the socioeconomic value of street vending and make urban spaces more inclusive.

    The lay of the land

    Our analysis is based on two national policy documents. These are the National Urban Policy Framework and the Local Governance Act 2016 (Act 936). We also rely on two local policy documents specific to the Kumasi Metropolitan Area. These are the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly By-Laws on Control of Hawkers 1995 and the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly Medium-Term Development Plan (2018–2021).

    The National Urban Policy recognises and promotes street vending as part of the urban economy. It calls for local government authorities to recognise and include the informal sector.

    But the overarching law regulating street vending in Ghana is the Local Governance Act. It authorises local government bodies (city authorities) to pass by-laws that forbid street vending. This is in conflict with the national policy.

    The gaps

    Our study revealed that in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area, the authorities seem to want to help street vendors in some ways – to strengthen the capacity of informal economic actors. But they don’t make plans or take actions to do so in the medium term development plan. Local government authorities sometimes evict street vendors from the central business district.

    In Kumasi, urban policy, regulations and local development planning do not include street vending in the urban development process even though vendors are the largest group of business people in the city. Instead of building stalls and facilities to accommodate these economic operators, the authorities rather expropriate urban space from them to develop modern structures which are expensive for street vendors to occupy.

    There is conflict over the use of urban public spaces. City authorities view the activities of street vendors as illegal, while the vendors see them as legitimate sources of livelihood. Authorities control vending through eviction and relocation.

    In recent years, city authorities have adopted urban infrastructural planning and development as a strategy to remove street vendors. Take the case of the new Kejetia Market Redevelopment Project, which replaced the largest traditional market in west Africa with a modern urban market structure in Kumasi. Over 10,000 street vendors and 4,000 market traders were displaced.

    The neglect of street vending in the design means vendors will have to earn a living informally – which simply adds to the “problem” as the city sees it.

    What next?

    Policies and practices that try to exclude people are not a solution to the problems of street vending. They are often counter productive. Regulating street vending requires inclusive policy measures and a clear policy direction to manage these activities. At present, Ghana, like many other African countries, lacks effective planning strategies to manage the activities of street vending.

    Our recommendations include:

    • coherent and inclusive policies that recognise the socioeconomic value of street vending and give vendors a rightful place in cities

    • reforming urban governance to support the informal economy

    • coherent and precise policies that give street vendors more security.

    The current policy vacuum fuels repressive regulation and excludes street vendors from urban development processes.

    To develop effective policy models, it is critical to learn from the experiences of street vendors and involve them in urban development processes. This starts with a change of attitude among city authorities.

    The authors 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. Ghana’s urban strategies neglect the needs of street vendors: policy must catch up with reality – https://theconversation.com/ghanas-urban-strategies-neglect-the-needs-of-street-vendors-policy-must-catch-up-with-reality-248020

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: In spite of anti-DEI pressures, top corporations continued to diversify in 2024: new research

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Richie Zweigenhaft, Professor of Psychology, Emeritus, Guilford College

    Despite the Supreme Court’s 2023 decision banning affirmative action in college admissions, and mounting pressure on corporations to eliminate their diversity, equity and inclusion programs, the top 50 Fortune 500 companies continued to diversify their boards in 2024.

    As a social psychologist, I’ve been tracking diversity on Fortune-level boards of directors for decades. And as I reported in The Conversation last year, 2023 marked the first time that fewer than half of the directors of top 50 Fortune 500 companies were white men. At the same time, increasing numbers of white women and Black, Asian and Hispanic people of all genders held board seats.

    Looking at data from mid-December 2024, I found that the top 50 companies’ boards continued to become more diverse. However, as political and legal challenges to DEI intensify, future trends remain unclear.

    Back and forth on DEI

    After the 2020 murder of George Floyd in Minneapolis, many Fortune 1000 companies pledged to make new commitments to racial equity and implemented DEI programs to track and improve diversity. But in 2023 – presumably encouraged by the Supreme Court’s affirmative action decision – anti-DEI activists ramped up the pressure on corporations to roll back these initiatives. In response, many big companies reduced or eliminated their diversity commitments.

    But the DEI backlash didn’t show up in the 2024 data on corporate board membership.

    Diversity on boards increased dramatically from 2011 to 2023, and the trend generally continued into 2024, with the number of seats held by Hispanic and Black people and white women all rising despite a slight dip in the number of seats held by Asian people. As a result, the share of seats held by white men fell from 49.7% to 48.4%, while the share held by everyone else rose from 50.3% to 51.6%.

    Examining the data on Black, Hispanic and Asian board members by gender reveals some intriguing differences, though some variations may be due to small sample sizes. For the top 50 companies, the number of seats held by Black women rose by five, while the number of seats held by Black men fell by two. In contrast, two more seats were held by Asian men in 2024 than in 2023, but the number of seats held by Asian women dropped by three. The number of seats held by Latinos and Latinas also increased, by four and two, respectively.

    So why did board-level diversity increase despite the DEI backlash? It could be because boards of directors change slowly. Most of the top 50 boards on the Fortune 500 list make no changes in a given year, and those that do typically replace only one or two people. In some cases, boards expand by adding new members without removing old ones, which can be a quick and easy way to increase diversity. As a result, the number of seats on the top 50 boards increased from 574 in 2023 to 593 as of mid-December 2024.

    There are other indications that these boards are becoming more diverse than they were in the not-so-distant past. In 2023, four companies either had an equal number of men and women on their boards or more women than men. In 2024, that number had increased to seven.

    Increasingly diverse chief executives

    The number of CEOs of the top 50 companies who weren’t white men also rose, from 14 to 15. For most of 2024 the number was 16, but in October the board at CVS asked Karen Lynch, a white woman, to step down, and replaced her with a white man. At the end of 2024, the top 50 Fortune companies included seven white women, three Asian men, three Latinos, one Black male, and one Latina as CEOs.

    Moreover, 12 of the top 50 CEOs, or 24%, were born outside the U.S., an indication that the country’s corporate elite is becoming more globally diverse than in the past.

    Just as many of the CEOs of the top Fortune 500 companies were born and raised in other countries, so, too, were many of the Black, Hispanic, Asian and white female directors. In fact, almost all of the Asian chief executives were born outside the U.S., as well as most of the Hispanic CEOS. If corporate boards continue to grow in diversity – or even stay at the same level – they’ll probably draw heavily on men and women born and educated outside the country’s borders.

    The data shows a slight uptick in diversity for the boards of the top 50 companies on the Fortune 500 list from 2023 to 2024. But after his inauguration, Donald Trump immediately took on diversity efforts both in the federal government and the corporate world. As a print headline in The New York Times noted, “Trump’s Attack on DEI Stirs Fear at Corporations.”

    The future of board diversity under Trump

    In the weeks before Trump’s second inauguration, McDonald’s announced that it was retiring several leadership diversity goals, and Mark Zuckerberg announced that Meta was terminating its DEI programs. On his first day in office, Trump issued an executive order terminating all DEI programs across the federal government and requiring the government to look at private sector DEI initiatives. Not long afterward, Google announced that it, too, was retreating from its DEI initiatives, making it clear that it was doing so because of Trump’s executive orders.

    But a few of the top 50 companies, including Costco, Apple, Microsoft and JP Morgan, took public stands claiming that they were planning to continue their DEI policies. Costco’s stance drew special attention because, as The New York Times put it, the board’s views were “particularly forceful.” Within a week or so, 19 Republican state attorneys general called on the company to end the policies.

    There is concern that the attacks on DEI will decrease diversity in the pipeline that leads to the executive suites of American corporations, and that this in turn will lead to less diversity in boardrooms. As Fortune’s Lily Mae Lazarus put it in late January, “The precedent set by the Trump administration could undo decades of progress that have allowed women and people of color to rise to the C-suite and boardroom.”

    Whether the many attacks on DEI – first from right-wing bloggers, then from the Supreme Court, and then from the president – will affect the makeup of Fortune-level boards in 2025 and beyond remains to be seen.

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

    – ref. In spite of anti-DEI pressures, top corporations continued to diversify in 2024: new research – https://theconversation.com/in-spite-of-anti-dei-pressures-top-corporations-continued-to-diversify-in-2024-new-research-248743

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Address science misinformation not by repeating the facts, but by building conversation and community

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Anne Toomey, Associate Professor of Environmental Studies and Science, Pace University

    Using communication strategies that tap into people’s social networks can help agencies combat misinformation. arthobbit/iStock via Getty Images Plus

    Misinformation about scientific topics, including falsehoods such as vaccines cause autism and climate change being an entirely natural phenomenon, is an issue scientists have been discussing more and more. Widespread misinformation can lead to confusion about public health and environmental issues and can hinder those working to solve societal problems.

    As an environmental social scientist who researches how science can have an impact on society, I seek effective ways to address misinformation.

    There are many approaches that can work to some extent: for example, counteracting erroneous information with statements about scientific topics based on quality research that convey that the majority of experts agree, and “inoculating” people by preparing them to spot the fallacies in misinformation before they are first exposed to it.

    But one of the most important ways to counteract misinformation is less about the facts and more about how those facts move within social networks and communities. In other words, it’s not enough for science to be right – it has to be accepted within people’s social circles to have any meaningful impact.

    Can facts change minds?

    Most people tend to assume that their knowledge and ideas are based on a rational, objective analysis of information. And that’s sometimes the case – if it’s snowing outside, people don’t insist that it’s sunny and warm, no matter how much they might like it to be.

    Similarly, if a person comes across some novel fact in the news, such as the discovery of a new type of plant in the Amazon, they might just absorb that information and go about their day.

    But rationality and the ability to embrace new information goes out the window when it comes up against ideas that challenge one’s preexisting worldviews or social identities. Such information can feel like a personal attack, leading the body to release cortisol, a hormone associated with stress. So, certain facts can feel threatening or offensive.

    Sometimes, people accept new information without much thought. But when new information challenges their existing beliefs, they may double down on their point of view.

    Compounding what is happening in the brain is what’s happening in people’s communities. Humans are social animals who turn to others they trust to help them understand what’s what. People are attuned to what is considered normal or acceptable in their social environments, so if their social group holds a particular belief, they are more likely to adopt that belief too.

    One’s cultural and political identities often dictate how they interpret the same information, leading to disagreements even when presented with the same evidence.

    These cultural identities explain why, for example, research finds that science-skeptical behaviors, such as vaccine hesitancy and climate denialism, tend to cluster in social and geographical pockets. In these pockets, people’s skepticism is reinforced by others with similar beliefs in their social network. In such cases, providing more evidence on a certain topic won’t help, and it may even result in people digging in their heels deeper to deny the evidence.

    So if facts don’t necessarily change minds, what will?

    Leveraging community networks

    Recent research provides a solution for scientists and agencies hoping to correct misinformation: Rather than fighting against humans’ social nature, work with it.

    When people see trusted individuals within their social networks holding a certain belief, that belief becomes more credible and easier to adopt. Leveraging those community connections can allow new ideas to gain traction.

    One great example of using social networks to fight misinformation is how polio was eradicated in India. In 2009, India was the polio epicenter of the world, home to half of the world’s cases. These cases were largely clustered in vaccine-hesitant regions of the country. But by 2011, only two years later, India had only one case, and the country formally celebrated the eradication of polio in 2014.

    How did India go from having half of the world’s cases to just one case in under two years?

    Public health agencies asked volunteers from within vaccine-resistant communities to go on a listening campaign and become ambassadors for the vaccine. The volunteers were trained in interpersonal communication skills and tasked with spending time with parents. They built trust and rapport through regular visits.

    Because the volunteers were known within the communities, they were able to make headway where health workers from urban areas had not. As they established rapport, hesitant parents shared their concerns, which typically went beyond polio to include other health issues.

    Over time, more and more parents decided to vaccinate their children, until there was a tipping point and vaccination became a social norm. Perhaps most notably, the campaign led to full routine immunization rates in some high-risk regions of the country.

    A medical volunteer administers polio immunization drops to a child in India, years after the country’s last reported polio case.
    AP Photo/Rajesh Kumar Singh

    India’s incredible success emphasizes the importance of personal interactions for changing minds, which means moving beyond simply presenting the facts. Building trust, listening to concerns and engaging with communities in a meaningful way were integral to India’s eradication of polio.

    The power of conversations

    Another example of using the power of social networks to talk about controversial science topics comes from a method called deep canvassing. Deep canvassing is a unique communication method that involves going door to door to have conversations with members of the public.

    But unlike traditional canvassing, which often focuses on rallying existing supporters, deep canvassing deliberately seeks to engage with those who hold different viewpoints, focusing efforts in communities where the topic is controversial.

    In deep canvassing, canvassers seek to have longer and more in-depth conversations, to share perspectives and relate with the residents they’re visiting.
    AP Photo/Greg Wahl-Stephens

    Canvassers are trained to ask questions to better understand the other person’s experiences and perspectives on the issue, and then they share their own personal stories. This helps to create a human connection, where both parties feel heard and respected. This connection can help to reduce the negative emotions that may emerge when someone is challenged to rethink their beliefs.

    One notable example of deep canvassing in action is the work of Neighbours United, an environmental nonprofit in Canada. They used a deep-canvassing approach to engage people in conversations about climate change.

    They piloted the method in a rural, conservative community called Trail, home to one of the largest zinc and lead smelters in the world. Prior efforts to engage community members hadn’t had much of an effect, as taking action on climate change was largely seen as being in conflict with how many people made their living.

    But the deep-canvassing method worked. Going door to door, the canvassers listened to residents’ concerns, shared their own stories about the impact of climate change and highlighted local environmental successes.

    As a result, 1 in 3 residents shifted their views about the importance of taking action to address climate change. This broad community support led the City Council to vote to transition to 100% renewable energy by 2050.

    Sociologist Anthony Giddens described interpersonal interactions between experts, such as doctors or scientists, and the public as access points. He argued that these points are vital for maintaining trust in governmental and scientific institutions, such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention or the Environmental Protection Agency.

    These face-to-face interactions with experts can help people see them as kind, warm and professional, which can lead to trust.

    These examples show that creating support for attitudes and behaviors based on science requires more than just presenting facts. It requires creating meaningful dialogue between skeptical groups and scientific messengers. It’s also a reminder that while social networks may serve to propagate misinformation, they can also be an important tool for addressing it.

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

    – ref. Address science misinformation not by repeating the facts, but by building conversation and community – https://theconversation.com/address-science-misinformation-not-by-repeating-the-facts-but-by-building-conversation-and-community-249121

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Patrushev: Work at the facilities of the “Wastewater Treatment Facilities” incident will continue until the standard indicators are reached

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    Dmitry Patrushev held a meeting on the “Wastewater Treatment Facilities” incident

    February 12, 2025

    Dmitry Patrushev held a meeting on the “Wastewater Treatment Facilities” incident

    February 12, 2025

    At the meeting on the “Wastewater Treatment Facilities” incident, which was chaired by Dmitry Patrushev

    February 12, 2025

    Dmitry Patrushev held a meeting on the “Wastewater Treatment Facilities” incident

    February 12, 2025

    Previous news Next news

    Dmitry Patrushev held a meeting on the “Wastewater Treatment Facilities” incident

    Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Patrushev held a meeting within the framework of the “Wastewater Treatment Facilities” incident. It was attended by the heads of the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Construction, Rosprirodnadzor, representatives of the Federal Assembly and heads of regions.

    “The national project “Ecology” has been completed. However, work within the framework of its two federal projects is forced to continue. The construction of treatment facilities directly affects the quality of life of citizens. Therefore, it is important to complete the work that has been started. There are positive examples of regions where the construction and reconstruction of treatment facilities were carried out in good faith and on time. This suggests that everything is feasible with the correct choice of design solutions and competent management,” said Dmitry Patrushev.

    At the meeting, the heads of the Astrakhan, Samara, Ulyanovsk regions and the Trans-Baikal Territory reported on the work done.

    The Deputy Prime Minister instructed the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Construction to form a working group for a prompt visit to all unfinished facilities in the regions involved in the incident. Solutions to eliminate factors holding back construction must be found directly on site and deadlines must be set. If necessary, supervisory authorities will be involved in the work. Dmitry Patrushev emphasized that all facilities must be completed as quickly as possible.

    The weekly joint meetings of the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Construction will continue. Corrective decisions will be made at their venue.

    Dmitry Patrushev particularly noted that for the systematic and effective implementation of the new national project “Environmental Well-Being”, it is important to develop regulations for interdepartmental interaction and the procedure for organizing work on the construction and reconstruction of treatment facilities.

    Incident No. 55 “Wastewater Treatment Facilities” was created on June 15, 2024 to coordinate work on the construction and reconstruction of wastewater treatment facilities implemented within the framework of the national project “Ecology”, as well as to ensure the operation of these facilities with the achievement of the parameters of standard wastewater treatment. Currently, work is being considered at 145 facilities in 19 regions.

    When working in the incident format, a special project management system is used, which is deployed on the basis of the Government Coordination Center. It allows for prompt coordination of the actions of participants and monitoring of project implementation in real time.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Donald Trump’s war on global governance: lessons from the past on how to fight back

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Danny Bradlow, Professor/Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancement of Scholarship, University of Pretoria

    US president Donald Trump’s recent actions seem designed to reassert American power and demonstrate that it is still the dominant global power and is capable of bullying weaker nations into following America’s lead.

    He has shown contempt for international collaboration by withdrawing from the UN climate negotiations and the World Health Organization. His officials have also indicated that they will not participate in upcoming G20 meetings because he does not like the policies of South Africa, the G20 president for 2025.

    In addition, he’s shown a lack of concern for international solidarity by halting US aid programmes and by undermining efforts to keep businesses honest. He has demonstrated his contempt for allies by imposing tariffs on their exports.

    These actions demand a response from the rest of the international community that mitigates the risk to the well-being of people and planet and the effective management of global affairs.

    My research on global economic governance suggests that history can offer some guidance on how to shape an effective response.

    Such a response should be based on a realistic assessment of the configuration of global forces. It should seek to build tactical coalitions between state and non-state actors in both the global south and the global north who can agree on clear and limited objectives.

    The following three historical lessons help explain this point.

    Cautionary lessons

    The first lesson is about the dangers of being overoptimistic in assessing the potential for change.

    In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the US was confronting defeat in the war in Vietnam, high inflation and domestic unrest, including the assassination of leading politicians and the murder of protesting students.

    The US was also losing confidence in its ability to sustain the international monetary order it had established at the Bretton Woods conference in 1944.

    In addition, the countries of the global south were calling for a new international economic order that was more responsive to their needs. Given the concerns about the political and economic situation in the US and the relative strength of the Soviet bloc at the time, this seemed a realistic demand.

    In August 1971, President Richard Nixon, without any international consultations, launched what became known as the Nixon Shock. He broke the link between gold and the US dollar, thereby ending the international monetary system established in 1944. He also imposed a 10% surcharge on all imports into the US.

    When America’s European allies protested and sought to create a reformed version of the old monetary order, US treasury secretary John Connolly informed them that the dollar was

    our currency but your problem.

    Over the course of the 1970s, US allies in western Europe, Asia and all countries that participated in the old Bretton Woods system were forced to accept what the US preferred: a market-based international monetary system in which the US dollar became the dominant currency.

    The US, along with its allies in the global north, also defeated the calls for a new international economic order and imposed their neo-liberal economic order on the world.

    The second cautionary lesson highlights the importance of building robust tactical coalitions. In 1969, the International Monetary Fund member states agreed to authorise the IMF to create special drawing rights, the IMF’s unique reserve asset. At the time, many IMF developing country member states advocated establishing a link between development and the special drawing rights. This would enable those countries most in need of additional resources to access more than their proportionate share of special drawing rights to fund their development.

    All developing countries supported this demand. But they couldn’t agree on how to do it. The rich countries were able to exploit these differences and defeat the proposed link between the special drawing rights and development. As a result, the special drawing rights are now distributed to all IMF member states according to their quotas in the IMF. This means that most allocations go to the rich countries who do not need them and have no obligation to share them with developing countries.

    A third lesson arises from the successful Jubilee 2000 campaign to forgive the debts of low-income developing countries experiencing debt crises. This campaign, supported by a secretariat in the United Kingdom, eventually involved:

    • civil society organisations and activists in 40 countries

    • a petition signed by 21 million people

    • governments in both creditor and debtor countries.

    These efforts resulted in the cancellation of the debts of 35 developing countries. These debts, totalling about US$100 billion, were owed primarily to bilateral and multilateral official creditors.

    They were also a demonstration of the political power that can be generated by the combined actions of civil society organisations and governments in both rich and poor countries. They can force the most powerful and wealthy institutions and individuals in the world to accept actions that, while requiring them to make affordable sacrifices, benefit low-income countries and potentially poor communities within those states.

    What conclusions should be drawn?

    We shouldn’t under-estimate the power of the US or the determination of the MAGA movement to use that power. However, their power is not absolute. It is constrained by the relative decline in US power as countries such as China and India gain economic and political strength. In addition, there are now mechanisms for international cooperation, such as the G20, where states can coordinate their actions and gain tactical victories that are meaningful to people and planet.

    But gaining such victories will require the following:

    Firstly, the formation of tactical coalitions that include states from both the global south and the global north. If these states cooperate around limited and shared objectives they can counter the vested interests around the world that support Trump’s objectives.

    Secondly, a special kind of public-private partnership in which states and non-state actors set aside their differences and agree to cooperate to achieve limited shared objectives. Neither states alone nor civil society groups alone were able to defeat the vested interests that opposed debt relief in the late 1990s. Working together they were able to defeat powerful creditor interests and gain debt relief for the poorest states.

    Thirdly, this special partnership will only be possible if there’s general agreement on both the diagnosis of the problem and on the general contours of the solution. This was the case with the debt issue in the 1990s.

    There are good candidates for such collaborative actions. For example, many states and non-state actors agree that international financial institutions need to be reformed and made more responsive to the needs of those member states that actually use their services but lack voice and vote in their governance. The institutions also need to be more accountable to those affected by their policies and practices. They also agree that large corporations and financial institutions should pay their fair share of taxes and should be environmentally and socially responsible.

    The urgency of the challenges facing the global community demands that the world begin countering Trump as soon as possible. South Africa as the current chair of the G20 has a special responsibility to ensure that this year the G20, together with its engagement groups, acts creatively and responsibly in relation to people and planet.

    – Donald Trump’s war on global governance: lessons from the past on how to fight back
    – https://theconversation.com/donald-trumps-war-on-global-governance-lessons-from-the-past-on-how-to-fight-back-249666

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Ghana’s urban strategies neglect the needs of street vendors: policy must catch up with reality

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Stephen Appiah Takyi, Senior Lecturer, Department of Planning, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)

    Street vending is a major economic activity in most of Ghana’s urban areas. The vendors bring everyday goods to residents and commuters at affordable prices in places convenient to them. However, the growing intensity of street vending activities in Ghanaian cities such as Accra and Kumasi is creating management problems for city authorities. Vendors are being removed as cities aim to “clean up” and modernise the urban landscape.

    City authorities haven’t created ways to support street vendors. Instead, they treat them as a nuisance and use stringent regulations aimed at displacing them. This approach overlooks the potential benefits that the thriving street economy could bring to the local economy and social fabric. In contrast, for example, South Africa’s policy supports informal economic activities by providing vending spaces for street traders.

    As academics who specialise in urban planning, we set out to investigate the rules around street vending in Ghana. Our study was conducted in Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti region and the second most important city in Ghana. We found that the regulation of street vending in Ghana is unclear, contradictory and ineffective. It fails to provide a clear policy direction and adequate planning tools for integrating street vending into urban areas.

    Our research reinforces the argument that the regulation of street vending is often ambiguous. We argue that these policy inconsistencies create loopholes for the hostile attitude of city authorities towards street vendors.

    We call for policies that recognise the socioeconomic value of street vending and make urban spaces more inclusive.

    The lay of the land

    Our analysis is based on two national policy documents. These are the National Urban Policy Framework and the Local Governance Act 2016 (Act 936). We also rely on two local policy documents specific to the Kumasi Metropolitan Area. These are the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly By-Laws on Control of Hawkers 1995 and the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly Medium-Term Development Plan (2018–2021).

    The National Urban Policy recognises and promotes street vending as part of the urban economy. It calls for local government authorities to recognise and include the informal sector.

    But the overarching law regulating street vending in Ghana is the Local Governance Act. It authorises local government bodies (city authorities) to pass by-laws that forbid street vending. This is in conflict with the national policy.

    The gaps

    Our study revealed that in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area, the authorities seem to want to help street vendors in some ways – to strengthen the capacity of informal economic actors. But they don’t make plans or take actions to do so in the medium term development plan. Local government authorities sometimes evict street vendors from the central business district.

    In Kumasi, urban policy, regulations and local development planning do not include street vending in the urban development process even though vendors are the largest group of business people in the city. Instead of building stalls and facilities to accommodate these economic operators, the authorities rather expropriate urban space from them to develop modern structures which are expensive for street vendors to occupy.

    There is conflict over the use of urban public spaces. City authorities view the activities of street vendors as illegal, while the vendors see them as legitimate sources of livelihood. Authorities control vending through eviction and relocation.

    In recent years, city authorities have adopted urban infrastructural planning and development as a strategy to remove street vendors. Take the case of the new Kejetia Market Redevelopment Project, which replaced the largest traditional market in west Africa with a modern urban market structure in Kumasi. Over 10,000 street vendors and 4,000 market traders were displaced.

    The neglect of street vending in the design means vendors will have to earn a living informally – which simply adds to the “problem” as the city sees it.

    What next?

    Policies and practices that try to exclude people are not a solution to the problems of street vending. They are often counter productive. Regulating street vending requires inclusive policy measures and a clear policy direction to manage these activities. At present, Ghana, like many other African countries, lacks effective planning strategies to manage the activities of street vending.

    Our recommendations include:

    • coherent and inclusive policies that recognise the socioeconomic value of street vending and give vendors a rightful place in cities

    • reforming urban governance to support the informal economy

    • coherent and precise policies that give street vendors more security.

    The current policy vacuum fuels repressive regulation and excludes street vendors from urban development processes.

    To develop effective policy models, it is critical to learn from the experiences of street vendors and involve them in urban development processes. This starts with a change of attitude among city authorities.

    – Ghana’s urban strategies neglect the needs of street vendors: policy must catch up with reality
    – https://theconversation.com/ghanas-urban-strategies-neglect-the-needs-of-street-vendors-policy-must-catch-up-with-reality-248020

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Sustainable economic growth in South Africa will come from renewables, not coal: what our model shows

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Andrew Phiri, Associate Professor of Economics, Nelson Mandela University

    Coal fired power stations produce 85% of South Africa’s electricity, making the country the biggest producer of harmful greenhouse-gas emissions in Africa. To move away from coal and meet its commitment to reaching net zero emissions by 2050, South Africa needs to dramatically increase production of renewable energy. New research by economics associate professor Andrew Phiri looked at the relationship between renewable and non-renewable energy consumption and GDP growth in South Africa to find out which energy source is most compatible with economic development.

    Non-renewables, renewables and economic growth: what’s there to know?

    We set out to discover whether renewable energy in South Africa, such as wind or solar power, supports sustainable economic growth. We also wanted to find out if renewables can replace non-renewable energy as a source and enabler of economic growth.

    Together with student Tsepiso Sesoai, I did research comparing the impact of renewable and non-renewable energy on economic growth in South Africa.

    South Africa currently faces a dual challenge when it comes to energy. It is heavily dependent on non-renewable energy (coal), which also worsens global warming and speeds up climate change. But it desperately needs to grow the economy at a faster rate, given very high unemployment, poverty and inequality.

    It’s therefore important to find out whether South Africa would be able to make a smooth transition from non-renewable energy to cleaner energy, and grow the economy at the same time.

    Past studies have looked into the role of energy in South Africa’s economic growth, but their methods have provided only limited information about whether South Africa can make a smooth transition from dirty to clean energy.

    Read more: African economic expansion need not threaten global carbon targets: study points out the path to green growth

    To get a deeper understanding, we conducted a modelling exercise. We used an analytical tool called “continuous complex wavelets” to see how renewable and non-renewable energy influences growth over time.

    Our model shows that an increased supply and higher consumption of non-renewable energy causes long-term economic growth over 10-15 year cycles. Renewables, at best, have short-term growth effects over six months to one year.

    After 2000, there was a very sharp increase of almost 25% in the use of renewable energy throughout the decade. According to our model, this sharp increase was enough to have an impact on economic growth over the short term but not over the long term.

    This is because South African energy regulators have not adopted strong enough measures for renewable energy to enable long-term growth. They have not funded the mass rollout of renewable energy, or connected renewables to the national grid. We found that renewables can only sustain growth over six to 12 month cycles whereas policymakers work towards longer cycles such as the 2030 and 2050 sustainable development goals.

    Economic growth and coal consumption: what did you find?

    In 2003, the government started taking climate change seriously with the release of the White Paper on Renewable Energy. The government started intentionally trying to increase the use of renewable energy while decreasing the use of dirty energy, such as coal. Before this, South Africa’s economic growth was heavily driven by coal consumption.

    Courtesy Andrew Phiri

    Renewable energy saw its biggest surge after the 2010 launch of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme. This opened competitive bidding for renewable energy providers to supply electricity to the grid.

    The transition to renewable energy had begun. But coal-fired power, while declining, remained the main source of electricity.

    In 2019 carbon taxes were formally introduced. This resulted in a further slowdown in consumption of non-renewable energy. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 coincided with severe power cuts. These two events combined caused a general slowdown in non-renewable and renewable energy use, and in economic growth.

    At this point, the drop in coal consumption was actively dragging down the economy. This in turn reduced society’s income, as measured by the gross national product. And because incomes were constrained, fewer private households purchased renewable energy systems. People didn’t spend on solar panels.

    What do your findings mean?

    Our research suggests that relying on non-renewable energy, like coal, won’t lead to long-term growth for South Africa. This is because non-renewables are not a reliable source of energy, as shown by loadshedding.

    Our research further suggests that renewable energy policies, subsidies and programmes made some positive short-term impacts on economic growth, measured as gross domestic product.

    Overall, our findings highlight that policymakers have treated renewables as a “nice-to-have” gesture for humanity, instead of a key driver of long-term economic growth.

    This has led to weak policies, poor regulation, and under-investment in renewable energy. These have held the sector back from making a bigger contribution to economic growth.

    Read more: Africa doesn’t have a choice between economic growth and protecting the environment: how they can go hand in hand

    For example, the government has not taken renewables seriously enough to include them in the power grid. This has largely limited the use of renewable energy to private homes and businesses. Coal-fired electricity from the country’s power utility, Eskom, is still cheaper for households than leaving the grid and purchasing their own renewable energy infrastructure (solar energy systems). The government has not funded the infrastructure needed to unlock South Africa’s vast renewable energy potential.

    The planet is at a critical state with global warming. The government should urgently set up policies and actions to overcome the barriers to using renewable energy. Only then will renewable energy have a permanent, positive influence on economic growth.

    South Africa has huge potential in renewables like solar, wind and biomass, thanks to its diverse geography. Yet, when people think about moving away from coal, they worry about job losses in the coal industry. But historically, energy transitions have never been instant. African countries that embraced the change early on reaped the benefits. They became more industrialised and prosperous.

    The South African government must act now if it wants to use renewable energy to drive future economic growth and stay ahead in the global shift to clean energy. Climate change affects us deeply. But it also presents a chance for Africa to leap ahead technologically.

    – Sustainable economic growth in South Africa will come from renewables, not coal: what our model shows
    – https://theconversation.com/sustainable-economic-growth-in-south-africa-will-come-from-renewables-not-coal-what-our-model-shows-239339

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: The African Medical Centre of Excellence (AMCE) Unveils Construction Milestones as June 2025 Launch Approaches

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    ABUJA, Nigeria, February 12, 2025/APO Group/ —

    The African Medical Centre of Excellence (AMCE), a groundbreaking tertiary medical institution spearheaded by African Export-Import Bank (Afreximbank) (www.Afreximbank.com) in partnership with King’s College Hospital, London, hosted a high-level stakeholder and media tour to showcase major construction milestones and reaffirm its commitment to revolutionising healthcare in Africa by building a world-class medical city ahead of its highly anticipated June 2025 launch. 

    A distinguished delegation, led by Prof. Benedict Oramah, President of Afreximbank & AMCE Board Chairman, alongside AMCE Board Members, top Nigerian government officials—including Deputy President of the Senate of Nigeria, Senator Barau Jibrin; Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume; Mrs. Toyin Saraki, Founder-President of Wellbeing Foundation Africa and wife of the former Senate President and former First Lady of Kwara State; and Senator Asuquo Ekpenyong and  Kabiru Rabiu, Group Executive Director, BUA Group—as well as leading corporate CEOs and executives, gathered for an exclusive walkthrough of AMCE’s rapidly progressing construction site. 

    Attendees received firsthand updates on key project milestones and explored the hospital’s state-of-the-art medical infrastructure and technology. They also gained insights into the significant progress toward completion, including the final stages of interior tiling, vinyl flooring installation, lift system integration, and external infrastructure development. 

    With the hospital’s launch set for June 2025, AMCE Abuja which will deliver comprehensive services in oncology, haematology, cardiovascular care, and general healthcare continues to make remarkable progress. As of February 2025, all civil and structural works have been completed, with rigorous quality assurance and control measures ensuring the highest construction standards. External roadworks and infrastructure services are also advancing, marking a crucial phase in the project’s finalisation. 

    The visit reaffirmed a shared commitment to AMCE’s transformative mission and vision—delivering world-class medical care, reducing medical tourism, and positioning Nigeria as a leading hub for specialised healthcare in Africa. 

    Commenting on the progress, Prof Benedict Oramah, President and Chairman of the Board of Directors of both Afreximbank and AMCE, stated: “The Africa Medical Centre of Excellence (AMCE) represents a defining moment in Africa’s pursuit of self-sufficiency in healthcare. For too long, our continent has borne the heavy burden of non-communicable diseases, capital flight from medical tourism, and the exodus of skilled professionals seeking opportunities abroad. AMCE is set to change that narrative. 

    By delivering world-class, lifesaving care to over 350,000 patients within its first five years, this facility will ensure that quality healthcare is no longer a privilege reserved for those who can afford to travel overseas. It will create 3,000 jobs, stimulate Intra-African trade in medical services, and strengthen critical supply chains in pharmaceuticals and healthcare delivery. Most importantly, it will help Nigeria retain the over $1.1 billion lost annually to outbound medical tourism, redirecting those resources towards strengthening our own systems. 

    He further stated: This initiative is more than an investment in infrastructure—it is an investment in Africa’s future. Through strategic partnerships with governments, international stakeholders, and the private sector, we are demonstrating that Africa has both the ambition and the capability to provide world-class healthcare for its people. The AMCE is not just a medical facility; it is a statement of intent, a symbol of progress, and a beacon of hope for a healthier, more self-reliant continent.” 

    Speaking at the event, Brian Deaver, Chief Executive Officer of AMCE, highlighted the hospital’s impact: “The Africa Medical Centre of Excellence is not just a hospital—it is a bold step toward reshaping the future of specialised healthcare in Africa. By integrating cutting-edge medical technologies, pioneering research, and world-class training, AMCE is creating a sustainable healthcare ecosystem that will set new standards for medical excellence across the continent. 

    This facility is more than a response to Africa’s healthcare challenges—it is a proactive investment in the well-being of millions. From early diagnostics to advanced treatment and long-term disease management, AMCE will provide a seamless continuum of care that improves patient outcomes, strengthens medical expertise, and retains talent that might otherwise seek opportunities abroad. 

    As we move closer to our launch, our focus remains unwavering: building a centre of excellence that not only delivers life-saving care but also drives economic growth, supports local innovation, and reinforces Nigeria’s position as a leading destination for specialised medical treatment. Through strategic partnerships and state-of-the-art infrastructure, we are not just treating diseases—we are transforming healthcare delivery for generations to come.” 

    Senator Barau Jibrin, Deputy Senate President: “The Africa Medical Centre of Excellence represents a transformative leap for healthcare in Nigeria and across the continent. Witnessing the rapid progress of this project reaffirms our commitment to fostering world-class medical infrastructure that will provide accessible and high-quality care for all. The Government of Nigeria remains dedicated to supporting initiatives that strengthen our healthcare system and enhance the well-being of our people.” 

    Senator George Akume, Secretary to the Government of the Federation: “Healthcare is the backbone of national development, and the Africa Medical Centre of Excellence is a shining example of what strategic investment and collaboration can achieve. This project will not only position Nigeria as a hub for cutting-edge medical services but also create jobs and drive innovation in the sector. The government is proud to support such a visionary initiative that will serve generations to come.” 

    As AMCE prepares to open its doors, the vision for a world-class medical ecosystem continues to take shape. The full development of the AMCE Campus will further solidify its role as a centre of excellence in healthcare, education, and research. Future phases will include a second 350-bed hospital facility, a medical and nursing school, a medical and sciences foundation, a dedicated medical office suite and research centre, as well as medical residences and a medical lodge to support patients and healthcare professionals alike. 

    With this expansion, AMCE is not only addressing Africa’s immediate healthcare needs but also building a sustainable foundation for medical innovation, talent development, and long-term health security. By fostering world-class training, cutting-edge research, and comprehensive patient care, AMCE is shaping the future of specialised healthcare in Africa—ensuring that the continent’s brightest medical minds and most complex cases can be treated at home. 

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Teenagers turning to AI companions are redefining love as easy, unconditional and always there

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Anna Mae Duane, Professor of English, University of Connecticut

    Can a person love an AI chatbot? RLT_Images/DigitalVision Vectors via Getty Images

    Teenagers are falling in love with chatbots. Young people are reporting epidemic levels of loneliness, and some are turning to technology to fill the void. Recent tragedies provide a glimpse into the extent of this trend and the dangers it poses.

    A 14-year-old boy’s suicide following a romantic relationship with an AI companion raised national alarms about the dangers these relationships may pose to young people’s mental and emotional development. In 2021, a 19-year-old who had been in an emotional relationship with an AI companion broke into Windsor Castle with a crossbow, saying that he was going to kill the queen. The chatbot gave encouraging responses when he told it of his intention to kill the queen.

    These teens were among the tens of millions of people who use AI chatbot companions, a number that market forecasters expect to dramatically increase by the end of the decade.

    This youthful trend of choosing chatbots as romantic partners is both responding to and accelerating fundamental changes in how people define love in the 21st century. As a literary historian, I’ve studied how stories about romantic love have evolved over time, with young people often at the forefront of change.

    For centuries, weddings primarily served to consolidate political and economic alliances rather than unite soulmates. The radical notion that marriage should spring from romantic love came into vogue in the 17th and 18th centuries, aided by new technologies like the novel. Works such as “Clarissa” and “Wuthering Heights” portrayed the dire consequences of choosing status over love, while “Pride and Prejudice” taught its readers that rejection and misunderstanding were necessary steps in the process of finding true love.

    Not surprisingly, the relatively new pastime of novel-reading was considered dangerous for young people. Concerned elders like the philanthropist Hannah More warned that stories would change how women would respond to romantic advances. Novels, she warned in 1799, “feed habits of improper indulgence, and nourish a vain and visionary indolence, which lays the mind open to error and the heart to seduction.”

    In other words, reading stories of heart-pounding romance would make an impressionable young reader more likely to embrace such a passionate vision of love in their own lives.

    Marketing sycophancy

    Today, another transformation in the modern love story is unfolding, driven not by seductive authors or film directors, but in the advertisements and modifications offered by companion chat apps like Replika and Xioce.

    As Shelly Palmer, a professor of advanced media and technology consultant, has argued, the human experience is about storytelling, and AI companions are a new type of storytelling tool. They are spinning a seductive tale of companions who agree with you endlessly and on demand. An AI partner is “always on your side,” promises an advertisement for Replika companions, “Always ready to listen and talk.”

    In other words, the AI companion market has transformed what other applications might consider a bug – AI’s tendency toward sycophancy – into its most appealing feature.

    Rather than the tempestuous rebellion found in romance novels or the gentle obstacles that heighten the pleasure of rom-coms, this new vision of love promises perfect compatibility and unwavering support. As one college student wrote, AI companions are “always responsive and supportive, in an almost omnipotent way.”

    The 2013 science fiction movie ‘Her’ explored many aspects of human relationships with AIs that are playing out today.

    Users across Reddit forums proudly proclaim their love for AI partners who are perpetually available, nonjudgmental and infinitely patient. A teenager asked on Reddit, “Can we fall in love with AI?” and raved that their companion Jarvis “had become my confidante, my sounding board and my emotional support.”

    A contributor to another Reddit forum wrote, “I think I’m in Love with AI. “Imagine having a partner that is available just by opening an app, and they’re ready to talk to you about anything,” they wrote. “Imagine saying nearly anything and knowing that not only is your partner not going to judge you, but also will support you.” One 20-year-old male commenter wrote that he tells his AI girlfriend “about my struggles and trauma, and she comforts me and provides all the warmth I could ever ask for.”

    Downsides and doing better

    This new one-sided love story has considerable drawbacks, among them an addictive intolerance for conflict or rejection – two essential components in a partner who has free will. The embrace of such relationships may be accelerating the trend of technology curating and ultimately diminishing romantic connections.

    It’s worth noting that these beloved entities’ very existence hinges on the whims of corporate directives. If, as one user declares, the love they feel for their companion “keeps them alive,” then what happens when these chatbots disappear via software update, or corporate bankruptcy?

    To get young people to turn away from this disembodied, market-driven vision of love, it’s important to expose them to other, more fulfilling love stories, and for adults to lead by example. Literature, philosophy and history all provide powerful insights into the many forms love has taken throughout human experience, and they offer the vocabulary needed to imagine new possibilities.

    As I’ve written, both the subject and the methods of humanities classes cultivate the social skills required to navigate the challenges of human connection. These classes create a space for young people to discuss these ideas – whether through analyzing Romeo and Juliet’s tragic passion or debating whether Heathcliff is a romantic hero or a cautionary tale. The humanities provide the tools young people need to develop richer concepts of love.

    On reflection

    The rise of AI companions is often portrayed as a horror story about the dangers posed by mysteriously powerful technology. Perhaps. But this romantic trend is also a mirror reflecting what people collectively value and desire in relationships.

    I believe that it’s important to recognize that consumers are driving this market. People are helping to write this story, as they buy what AI companions sell. Investment management firm Ark Investment estimates the market for AI companions is likely to reach between US$70 billion and $150 billion in revenue by the end of the decade. If the explosive growth of the AI companion market is any indication, this romantic challenge isn’t confined to teenagers – many people who are older and supposedly wiser are drawn to the promise of unconditional compliance.

    The question to ask, then, is not simply how to protect children from AI’s seductive influence, but how much you are willing to invest, emotionally and culturally, in the messy, challenging and profoundly human art of love.

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

    – ref. Teenagers turning to AI companions are redefining love as easy, unconditional and always there – https://theconversation.com/teenagers-turning-to-ai-companions-are-redefining-love-as-easy-unconditional-and-always-there-242185

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How much does scientific progress cost? Without government dollars for research infrastructure, breakthroughs become improbable

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Aliasger K. Salem, Bighley Chair and Professor of Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Iowa

    America may not maintain its position as a global leader in biomedical research without federal support. Sean Gladwell/Moment via Getty Images

    Biomedical research in the U.S. is world-class in part because of a long-standing partnership between universities and the federal government.

    On Feb. 7, 2025, the U.S. National Institutes of Health issued a policy that could weaken the position of the United States as a global leader in scientific innovation by slashing funds to the infrastructure that allows universities and other institutions to conduct research in the first place.

    Universities across the nation carry out research on behalf of the federal government. Central to this partnership is federal grant funding, which is awarded through a rigorous review process. These grants are the lifeblood of biomedical research in the U.S.

    When you think of the costs of scientific research, you might picture the people who conduct the research, and the materials and lab equipment they use. But these don’t encompass all the essential components of research. Every scientific and medical breakthrough also depends on laboratory facilities; heating, air conditioning, ventilation and electricity; and personnel to ensure research is conducted securely and in accordance with federal regulations.

    These critical indirect costs of research are both substantial and unavoidable, not least because it can be very expensive to build, maintain and equip space to conduct research at the frontiers of knowledge. The NIH stated that it spent more than US$35 billion on grants in the 2023 fiscal year, which went to more than 300,000 researchers at more than 2,500 universities, medical schools and other kinds of research institutions across the nation. Approximately $9 billion of this funding was allocated to indirect costs.

    NIH grants have supported the direct costs of my own scientific research on developing treatments for conditions ranging from cancer to eye diseases. I would be unable to carry out my research without the support of the indirect costs the NIH plans to cut.

    What are indirect costs?

    Indirect costs, also known as facilities and administration costs, or overhead, are funds provided to institutions to cover expenses that are not directly tied to specific research projects but are essential for their execution. Unlike direct costs, which cover salaries, supplies and experiments, indirect costs support the overall research environment, ensuring that scientists have the necessary resources to conduct their work effectively.

    Indirect costs include maintaining optimal laboratory spaces, specialized facilities providing services like imaging and gene analysis, high-speed computing, research security, patient and personnel safety, hazardous waste disposal, utilities, equipment maintenance, administrative support, regulatory compliance, information technology services, and maintenance staff to clean and supply labs and facilities.

    Academic institutions conduct research on behalf of the federal government.

    Research institutions that receive federal grants must comply with the rules and regulations established by the U.S. Office of Management and Budget. These guidelines dictate the indirect cost rates of each institution.

    Institutions submit proposals to federal agencies that outline the costs associated with maintaining research infrastructure. The cost allocation division of the Department of Health and Human Services reviews these proposals to ensure compliance with federal policies.

    Indirect rates can range from 15% to 70%, with the specific level depending on the research and infrastructure needs of an institution.

    Typically, institutions undergo an exacting process to renegotiate their indirect rates every four years, factoring in components such as general, departmental and program administration, building and equipment depreciation, interest, operations and maintenance, and library expenses. Universities need to carefully justify these cost components to ensure the sustainability of research infrastructure and compliance with federal requirements.

    Notably, indirect costs from grants do not cover the full cost of carrying out research at universities. In 2023, colleges and universities contributed approximately $27 billion of their own funding, such as money from their endowments, to support research. This included $6.8 billion in indirect costs that the federal government did not reimburse.

    Slashing vital research funding

    In its February announcement, the National Institutes of Health declared that it would no longer determine indirect costs rates based on the needs of each institution. Instead, it would issue a standard indirect cost rate of 15% across all grants. The rationale given by the agency for the cap is to “ensure that as many funds as possible go towards direct scientific research costs rather than administrative overhead.”

    It notably comes after the Trump administration and Elon Musk have sought to slash federal spending, with Musk criticizing indirect cost rates as “a ripoff.”

    A standard 15% rate would significantly affect an institution’s ability to maintain its research infrastructure. For example, if a university had a 50% indirect cost rate in 2024, it would receive $150,000 for a $100,000 grant, with $50,000 allocated to indirect costs. With the new NIH cap, this would drop to $115,000, with only $15,000 for indirect costs.

    The scale of this cut in research support becomes apparent at the state level, with harms to both red and blue states. For example, Texas institutions would face a reduction of over $310 million, and institutions in Iowa a reduction of nearly $37 million. California would lose more than $800 million, and Washington over $178 million.

    Research has both indirect and direct costs – and both are essential.
    David Ryder/Stringer via Getty Images News

    The NIH compared the new 15% cap to the indirect cost rates that foundations typically set for institutions of higher education. It pointed to the 10% rate granted by the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and Smith Richardson Foundation, the 12% rate of the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, and the 15% rate of the Carnegie Corporation of New York, Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, John Templeton Foundation, Packard Foundation, and Rockefeller Foundation.

    However, many researchers and funders have criticized this claim as misleading. A spokesperson for the Gates Foundation has previously stated that the listed rate does not reflect how the organization allocates its funds. Universities have pointed out that they often accept foundation grants with low or zero overhead rates because these grants constitute a relatively small portion of their funding and are often spent on early-stage faculty whose careers need additional support.

    In addition, it is only because NIH grants cover a significant portion of their overhead costs that research institutions are able to accept foundation grants with such low indirect rates.

    Biomedical researchers respond

    Scientists and researchers responded to the NIH announcement with deep concern about the negative effects these funding cuts would have on biomedical research in the United States.

    The Council on Governmental Relations, which monitors federal policy for major universities and medical research centers, stated that “America’s competitors will relish this self-inflicted wound,” urging the NIH to “rescind this dangerous policy before its harms are felt by Americans.”

    The president and CEO of the Association of American Medical Colleges stated that the NIH policy would “diminish the nation’s research capacity, slowing scientific progress and depriving patients, families, and communities across the country of new treatments, diagnostics and preventative interventions.”

    Research institutions, scientific societies, advocacy groups and lawmakers from both major political parties have pushed back against the 15% cap on indirect costs, urging NIH leadership to reconsider its policy.

    Soon after the attorneys general of 22 states filed lawsuits challenging the policy, a federal judge issued a temporary pause in those states until lifted by the court.

    Scientists expect the long-term effects of these funding cuts to significantly damage U.S. biomedical research. As the debate over federal support to academic research institutions unfolds, how institutions adapt and whether the NIH reconsiders its approach will determine the future of scientific research in the United States.

    Aliasger K. Salem receives funding from the National Institutes of Health. He serves on the Executive Board of the American Association for Pharmaceutical Scientists.

    – ref. How much does scientific progress cost? Without government dollars for research infrastructure, breakthroughs become improbable – https://theconversation.com/how-much-does-scientific-progress-cost-without-government-dollars-for-research-infrastructure-breakthroughs-become-improbable-249566

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Donald Trump’s war on global governance: lessons from the past on how to fight back

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Danny Bradlow, Professor/Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Advancement of Scholarship, University of Pretoria

    US president Donald Trump’s recent actions seem designed to reassert American power and demonstrate that it is still the dominant global power and is capable of bullying weaker nations into following America’s lead.

    He has shown contempt for international collaboration by withdrawing from the UN climate negotiations and the World Health Organization. His officials have also indicated that they will not participate in upcoming G20 meetings because he does not like the policies of South Africa, the G20 president for 2025.

    In addition, he’s shown a lack of concern for international solidarity by halting US aid programmes and by undermining efforts to keep businesses honest. He has demonstrated his contempt for allies by imposing tariffs on their exports.

    These actions demand a response from the rest of the international community that mitigates the risk to the well-being of people and planet and the effective management of global affairs.

    My research on global economic governance suggests that history can offer some guidance on how to shape an effective response.

    Such a response should be based on a realistic assessment of the configuration of global forces. It should seek to build tactical coalitions between state and non-state actors in both the global south and the global north who can agree on clear and limited objectives.

    The following three historical lessons help explain this point.

    Cautionary lessons

    The first lesson is about the dangers of being overoptimistic in assessing the potential for change.

    In the late 1960s and early 1970s, the US was confronting defeat in the war in Vietnam, high inflation and domestic unrest, including the assassination of leading politicians and the murder of protesting students.

    The US was also losing confidence in its ability to sustain the international monetary order it had established at the Bretton Woods conference in 1944.

    In addition, the countries of the global south were calling for a new international economic order that was more responsive to their needs. Given the concerns about the political and economic situation in the US and the relative strength of the Soviet bloc at the time, this seemed a realistic demand.

    In August 1971, President Richard Nixon, without any international consultations, launched what became known as the Nixon Shock. He broke the link between gold and the US dollar, thereby ending the international monetary system established in 1944. He also imposed a 10% surcharge on all imports into the US.

    When America’s European allies protested and sought to create a reformed version of the old monetary order, US treasury secretary John Connolly informed them that the dollar was

    our currency but your problem.

    Over the course of the 1970s, US allies in western Europe, Asia and all countries that participated in the old Bretton Woods system were forced to accept what the US preferred: a market-based international monetary system in which the US dollar became the dominant currency.

    The US, along with its allies in the global north, also defeated the calls for a new international economic order and imposed their neo-liberal economic order on the world.

    The second cautionary lesson highlights the importance of building robust tactical coalitions. In 1969, the International Monetary Fund member states agreed to authorise the IMF to create special drawing rights, the IMF’s unique reserve asset. At the time, many IMF developing country member states advocated establishing a link between development and the special drawing rights. This would enable those countries most in need of additional resources to access more than their proportionate share of special drawing rights to fund their development.

    All developing countries supported this demand. But they couldn’t agree on how to do it. The rich countries were able to exploit these differences and defeat the proposed link between the special drawing rights and development. As a result, the special drawing rights are now distributed to all IMF member states according to their quotas in the IMF. This means that most allocations go to the rich countries who do not need them and have no obligation to share them with developing countries.

    A third lesson arises from the successful Jubilee 2000 campaign to forgive the debts of low-income developing countries experiencing debt crises. This campaign, supported by a secretariat in the United Kingdom, eventually involved:

    • civil society organisations and activists in 40 countries

    • a petition signed by 21 million people

    • governments in both creditor and debtor countries.

    These efforts resulted in the cancellation of the debts of 35 developing countries. These debts, totalling about US$100 billion, were owed primarily to bilateral and multilateral official creditors.

    They were also a demonstration of the political power that can be generated by the combined actions of civil society organisations and governments in both rich and poor countries. They can force the most powerful and wealthy institutions and individuals in the world to accept actions that, while requiring them to make affordable sacrifices, benefit low-income countries and potentially poor communities within those states.

    What conclusions should be drawn?

    We shouldn’t under-estimate the power of the US or the determination of the MAGA movement to use that power. However, their power is not absolute. It is constrained by the relative decline in US power as countries such as China and India gain economic and political strength. In addition, there are now mechanisms for international cooperation, such as the G20, where states can coordinate their actions and gain tactical victories that are meaningful to people and planet.

    But gaining such victories will require the following:

    Firstly, the formation of tactical coalitions that include states from both the global south and the global north. If these states cooperate around limited and shared objectives they can counter the vested interests around the world that support Trump’s objectives.

    Secondly, a special kind of public-private partnership in which states and non-state actors set aside their differences and agree to cooperate to achieve limited shared objectives. Neither states alone nor civil society groups alone were able to defeat the vested interests that opposed debt relief in the late 1990s. Working together they were able to defeat powerful creditor interests and gain debt relief for the poorest states.

    Thirdly, this special partnership will only be possible if there’s general agreement on both the diagnosis of the problem and on the general contours of the solution. This was the case with the debt issue in the 1990s.

    There are good candidates for such collaborative actions. For example, many states and non-state actors agree that international financial institutions need to be reformed and made more responsive to the needs of those member states that actually use their services but lack voice and vote in their governance. The institutions also need to be more accountable to those affected by their policies and practices. They also agree that large corporations and financial institutions should pay their fair share of taxes and should be environmentally and socially responsible.

    The urgency of the challenges facing the global community demands that the world begin countering Trump as soon as possible. South Africa as the current chair of the G20 has a special responsibility to ensure that this year the G20, together with its engagement groups, acts creatively and responsibly in relation to people and planet.

    Danny Bradlow, in addition to his position at the University of Pretoria, is an advisor to the South African Institute of International Affairs on G20 issues and is a co-chair of the T20 Taskforce on the Financing of Sustainable Development.

    – ref. Donald Trump’s war on global governance: lessons from the past on how to fight back – https://theconversation.com/donald-trumps-war-on-global-governance-lessons-from-the-past-on-how-to-fight-back-249666

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ghana’s urban strategies neglect the needs of street vendors: policy must catch up with reality

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Stephen Appiah Takyi, Senior Lecturer, Department of Planning, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST)

    Street vending is a major economic activity in most of Ghana’s urban areas. The vendors bring everyday goods to residents and commuters at affordable prices in places convenient to them. However, the growing intensity of street vending activities in Ghanaian cities such as Accra and Kumasi is creating management problems for city authorities. Vendors are being removed as cities aim to “clean up” and modernise the urban landscape.

    City authorities haven’t created ways to support street vendors. Instead, they treat them as a nuisance and use stringent regulations aimed at displacing them. This approach overlooks the potential benefits that the thriving street economy could bring to the local economy and social fabric. In contrast, for example, South Africa’s policy supports informal economic activities by providing vending spaces for street traders.

    As academics who specialise in urban planning, we set out to investigate the rules around street vending in Ghana. Our study was conducted in Kumasi, the capital of the Ashanti region and the second most important city in Ghana. We found that the regulation of street vending in Ghana is unclear, contradictory and ineffective. It fails to provide a clear policy direction and adequate planning tools for integrating street vending into urban areas.

    Our research reinforces the argument that the regulation of street vending is often ambiguous. We argue that these policy inconsistencies create loopholes for the hostile attitude of city authorities towards street vendors.

    We call for policies that recognise the socioeconomic value of street vending and make urban spaces more inclusive.

    The lay of the land

    Our analysis is based on two national policy documents. These are the National Urban Policy Framework and the Local Governance Act 2016 (Act 936). We also rely on two local policy documents specific to the Kumasi Metropolitan Area. These are the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly By-Laws on Control of Hawkers 1995 and the Kumasi Metropolitan Assembly Medium-Term Development Plan (2018–2021).

    The National Urban Policy recognises and promotes street vending as part of the urban economy. It calls for local government authorities to recognise and include the informal sector.

    But the overarching law regulating street vending in Ghana is the Local Governance Act. It authorises local government bodies (city authorities) to pass by-laws that forbid street vending. This is in conflict with the national policy.

    The gaps

    Our study revealed that in the Kumasi Metropolitan Area, the authorities seem to want to help street vendors in some ways – to strengthen the capacity of informal economic actors. But they don’t make plans or take actions to do so in the medium term development plan. Local government authorities sometimes evict street vendors from the central business district.

    In Kumasi, urban policy, regulations and local development planning do not include street vending in the urban development process even though vendors are the largest group of business people in the city. Instead of building stalls and facilities to accommodate these economic operators, the authorities rather expropriate urban space from them to develop modern structures which are expensive for street vendors to occupy.

    There is conflict over the use of urban public spaces. City authorities view the activities of street vendors as illegal, while the vendors see them as legitimate sources of livelihood. Authorities control vending through eviction and relocation.

    In recent years, city authorities have adopted urban infrastructural planning and development as a strategy to remove street vendors. Take the case of the new Kejetia Market Redevelopment Project, which replaced the largest traditional market in west Africa with a modern urban market structure in Kumasi. Over 10,000 street vendors and 4,000 market traders were displaced.

    The neglect of street vending in the design means vendors will have to earn a living informally – which simply adds to the “problem” as the city sees it.

    What next?

    Policies and practices that try to exclude people are not a solution to the problems of street vending. They are often counter productive. Regulating street vending requires inclusive policy measures and a clear policy direction to manage these activities. At present, Ghana, like many other African countries, lacks effective planning strategies to manage the activities of street vending.

    Our recommendations include:

    • coherent and inclusive policies that recognise the socioeconomic value of street vending and give vendors a rightful place in cities

    • reforming urban governance to support the informal economy

    • coherent and precise policies that give street vendors more security.

    The current policy vacuum fuels repressive regulation and excludes street vendors from urban development processes.

    To develop effective policy models, it is critical to learn from the experiences of street vendors and involve them in urban development processes. This starts with a change of attitude among city authorities.

    The authors 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. Ghana’s urban strategies neglect the needs of street vendors: policy must catch up with reality – https://theconversation.com/ghanas-urban-strategies-neglect-the-needs-of-street-vendors-policy-must-catch-up-with-reality-248020

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Sustainable economic growth in South Africa will come from renewables, not coal: what our model shows

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Andrew Phiri, Associate Professor of Economics, Nelson Mandela University

    Coal fired power stations produce 85% of South Africa’s electricity, making the country the biggest producer of harmful greenhouse-gas emissions in Africa. To move away from coal and meet its commitment to reaching net zero emissions by 2050, South Africa needs to dramatically increase production of renewable energy. New research by economics associate professor Andrew Phiri looked at the relationship between renewable and non-renewable energy consumption and GDP growth in South Africa to find out which energy source is most compatible with economic development.

    Non-renewables, renewables and economic growth: what’s there to know?

    We set out to discover whether renewable energy in South Africa, such as wind or solar power, supports sustainable economic growth. We also wanted to find out if renewables can replace non-renewable energy as a source and enabler of economic growth.

    Together with student Tsepiso Sesoai, I did research comparing the impact of renewable and non-renewable energy on economic growth in South Africa.

    South Africa currently faces a dual challenge when it comes to energy. It is heavily dependent on non-renewable energy (coal), which also worsens global warming and speeds up climate change. But it desperately needs to grow the economy at a faster rate, given very high unemployment, poverty and inequality.

    It’s therefore important to find out whether South Africa would be able to make a smooth transition from non-renewable energy to cleaner energy, and grow the economy at the same time.

    Past studies have looked into the role of energy in South Africa’s economic growth, but their methods have provided only limited information about whether South Africa can make a smooth transition from dirty to clean energy.



    Read more:
    African economic expansion need not threaten global carbon targets: study points out the path to green growth

    To get a deeper understanding, we conducted a modelling exercise. We used an analytical tool called “continuous complex wavelets” to see how renewable and non-renewable energy influences growth over time.

    Our model shows that an increased supply and higher consumption of non-renewable energy causes long-term economic growth over 10-15 year cycles. Renewables, at best, have short-term growth effects over six months to one year.

    After 2000, there was a very sharp increase of almost 25% in the use of renewable energy throughout the decade. According to our model, this sharp increase was enough to have an impact on economic growth over the short term but not over the long term.

    This is because South African energy regulators have not adopted strong enough measures for renewable energy to enable long-term growth. They have not funded the mass rollout of renewable energy, or connected renewables to the national grid. We found that renewables can only sustain growth over six to 12 month cycles whereas policymakers work towards longer cycles such as the 2030 and 2050 sustainable development goals.

    Economic growth and coal consumption: what did you find?

    In 2003, the government started taking climate change seriously with the release of the White Paper on Renewable Energy. The government started intentionally trying to increase the use of renewable energy while decreasing the use of dirty energy, such as coal. Before this, South Africa’s economic growth was heavily driven by coal consumption.

    Renewable energy saw its biggest surge after the 2010 launch of the Renewable Energy Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme. This opened competitive bidding for renewable energy providers to supply electricity to the grid.

    The transition to renewable energy had begun. But coal-fired power, while declining, remained the main source of electricity.

    In 2019 carbon taxes were formally introduced. This resulted in a further slowdown in consumption of non-renewable energy. The COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 and 2021 coincided with severe power cuts. These two events combined caused a general slowdown in non-renewable and renewable energy use, and in economic growth.

    At this point, the drop in coal consumption was actively dragging down the economy. This in turn reduced society’s income, as measured by the gross national product. And because incomes were constrained, fewer private households purchased renewable energy systems. People didn’t spend on solar panels.

    What do your findings mean?

    Our research suggests that relying on non-renewable energy, like coal, won’t lead to long-term growth for South Africa. This is because non-renewables are not a reliable source of energy, as shown by loadshedding.

    Our research further suggests that renewable energy policies, subsidies and programmes made some positive short-term impacts on economic growth, measured as gross domestic product.

    Overall, our findings highlight that policymakers have treated renewables as a “nice-to-have” gesture for humanity, instead of a key driver of long-term economic growth.

    This has led to weak policies, poor regulation, and under-investment in renewable energy. These have held the sector back from making a bigger contribution to economic growth.



    Read more:
    Africa doesn’t have a choice between economic growth and protecting the environment: how they can go hand in hand

    For example, the government has not taken renewables seriously enough to include them in the power grid. This has largely limited the use of renewable energy to private homes and businesses. Coal-fired electricity from the country’s power utility, Eskom, is still cheaper for households than leaving the grid and purchasing their own renewable energy infrastructure (solar energy systems). The government has not funded the infrastructure needed to unlock South Africa’s vast renewable energy potential.

    The planet is at a critical state with global warming. The government should urgently set up policies and actions to overcome the barriers to using renewable energy. Only then will renewable energy have a permanent, positive influence on economic growth.

    South Africa has huge potential in renewables like solar, wind and biomass, thanks to its diverse geography. Yet, when people think about moving away from coal, they worry about job losses in the coal industry. But historically, energy transitions have never been instant. African countries that embraced the change early on reaped the benefits. They became more industrialised and prosperous.

    The South African government must act now if it wants to use renewable energy to drive future economic growth and stay ahead in the global shift to clean energy. Climate change affects us deeply. But it also presents a chance for Africa to leap ahead technologically.

    Andrew Phiri 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. Sustainable economic growth in South Africa will come from renewables, not coal: what our model shows – https://theconversation.com/sustainable-economic-growth-in-south-africa-will-come-from-renewables-not-coal-what-our-model-shows-239339

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Sir David Amess Prevent Learning Review

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Security Minister updated on the Prevent learning review – jointly commissioned with Counter Terrorism Policing following the murder of Sir David Amess.

    With permission, Madame Deputy Speaker, I will make a statement on the publication of the Prevent learning review into the perpetrator of the attack that tragically killed Sir David Amess on 15 October 2021.

    Sir David Amess was a beloved member of this House.

    A hugely respected parliamentarian, his popularity extended right across the political divide.

    To win and keep the respect of those outside one’s own party is, as we all know, a rare accomplishment.

    Over nearly 40 years of service in this place, Sir David fought every day for his constituents.

    He advanced numerous causes with compassion, persistence and skill and members on all sides of the House knew him as warm, respectful and always fair parliamentarian.

    His legacy lives on, not least in Southend, which now has the city status he campaigned so determinedly for. He will never be forgotten.

    And the motto on Sir David’s memorial shield behind us states, ‘His Light Remains’.

    While this House lost a valued member on that terrible day, Sir David’s wife and children lost a loving husband and a devoted father. They are in our thoughts and prayers – today and always.

    Together with the Home Secretary, who spoke with Sir David’s family recently, I recognise the courage and persistence they have shown in seeking the answers they deserve.

    As the House will know, it was a heinous act of violence on 15 October 2021 that took Sir David away from those who knew and loved him.

    The killer, Ali Harbi Ali – I won’t say his name again – was convicted of murder in April 2022 and received a whole life sentence.

    The judge said that this was a ‘murder that struck at the heart of our democracy’ and had ‘no doubt whatsoever’ that the nature of this case meant that the perpetrator ‘must be kept in prison for the rest of his life’.

    The perpetrator had previously been referred to the Prevent programme and subsequently to the specialist Channel programme between 2014 and 2016, between 5 and 7 years before the attack took place.

    Immediately after the attack, a Prevent learning review was jointly commissioned by the Home Office and Counter Terrorism Policing to examine what happened in the case and see whether lessons needed rapidly to be learned. It was completed in February 2022.

    Last week, I made a statement to the House on the government’s publication of the Prevent learning review concerning the perpetrator of the abhorrent attack in Southport.

    Today, we are taking a further step to enable public scrutiny of Prevent, and in recognition of the seriousness of the attack on Sir David, by publishing the Prevent learning review conducted in this case too.

    The perpetrator of the attack on Sir David became known to Prevent in October 2014 when he was referred by his school after teachers identified a change in his behaviour.

    The case was adopted by the Channel multi-agency early intervention programme in November 2014. An intervention provider who specialised in tackling Islamist extremism was assigned to work with him.   

    The perpetrator was exited from Channel in April 2015, after his terrorism risk was assessed as “low”.

    A twelve-month post-exit police review in 2016 also found no terrorism concerns. The case was closed to Prevent at that point.

    There were no further Prevent referrals in the 5 years between the case being closed and the attack.

    The Prevent learning review examined how Prevent dealt with the perpetrator’s risk, and how far the improvements made to Prevent since he was referred 7 years prior, would have impacted his management.

    The review considered both the handling of the case at the time, and also the changes that had been made to Prevent since the referral in 2014.  It examined how far those changes addressed any problems identified, and then made a series of recommendations.

    The reviewer found that “from the material reviewed, the assessment in terms of the perpetrator’s vulnerabilities was problematic and this ultimately led to questionable decision making and sub-optimal handling of the case during the time he was engaged with Prevent and Channel’.  It identified that the vulnerability assessment framework was not followed with the perpetrator’s symptoms being prioritised over addressing the underlying causes of his vulnerabilities. The reviewer ultimately found that while Prevent policy and guidance at the time was mostly followed, the case was exited from Prevent too quickly.

    The reviewer identified 6 issues, namely that:

    • the support given did not tackle all the vulnerabilities identified
    • record keeping was problematic and the rationale for certain decisions was not explicit
    • responsibilities between police and the local authority were blurred
    • the tool used for identifying an individual’s vulnerability to radicalisation was outdated
    • the school that made the referral to Prevent should have been involved in discussions to help determine risk and appropriate support
    • the tasking of the intervention provider was problematic, with a miscommunication leading to only one session being provided instead of two

    The reviewer then examined how far changes in the Prevent programme since 2016 had addressed these issues.

    The reviewer recognised the significant changes that had been made to Prevent since the perpetrator was managed.

    In particular, the introduction of the statutory Prevent and Channel duties under the Counter Terrorism and Security Act 2015.

    The reviewer concluded that over the intervening period there have been considerable changes to policy and guidance for both the police and the wider Prevent arena including Channel.

    Whilst a number of the issues in the perpetrator’s case would most likely not be repeated today there were still a number of areas which could be considered as requiring further work in order to mitigate against future failures.  

    The reviewer made 4 recommendations for action to further strengthen Prevent. These were to:

    • improve the referral process
    • strengthen the initial intelligence assessment process
    • update the tool used to identify vulnerability to being drawn into terrorism
    • not reduce data retention periods

    Since the report, the Home Office and Counter Terrorism Policing have fully implemented all 4 recommendations.

    • First, a single national referral form was launched, to encourage a consistent approach to referrals, building this into new training packages and mandating its use via statutory guidance.

    • Second, training has been delivered to police staff to strengthen the initial intelligence check stage, ensuring their understanding of Prevent is robust.

    • Third, a new Prevent Assessment Framework was rolled out in September 2024. This replaces the tools previously used to assess all referrals and cases in the Prevent system.

    • Fourth, data retention periods were fully reviewed in 2023.  A joint decision was taken by the Home Office and Counter Terrorism Policing to maintain retention review periods at 6 years or 6 years after the 12-month review for Channel cases.

    In addition to the publication of the Prevent learning review, we recognise the significant concerns that remain over the way in which Prevent dealt with the perpetrator – as well as the need to ensure that the recommendations it suggested for improving the scheme have properly been implemented.

    Last week I set out to the House a series of new reforms instituted by this government to strengthen the Prevent programme, recognising the vital work done by officers across the country to keep people safe. That included the creation of a new independent Prevent commissioner.

    I can today inform the House that the Home Secretary has asked the Prevent Commissioner to review the Prevent programme’s interactions with the perpetrator in this case and ensure the implementation of relevant recommendations. We will ensure that the Amess family have the support they need to engage with the Prevent Commissioner in this work, so that they can have confidence that it will get to the truth about any failings in the scheme.

    Madame Deputy Speaker, 2 further important issues have been raised which are relevant to this case – local policing, and members’ security,

    On local policing, concerns have been raised by the Amess family about the way in which Essex Police handled this case.

    A complaint has been made, and referred back to the local force by the IOPC for consideration. That process must be allowed to follow its course. However, I can inform the House that the Home Secretary has written to the Chief Constable and Police and Crime Commissioner of Essex Police asking them to set out how the investigation will be conducted, and to be kept updated as the investigation progresses.

    Secondly, on Members’ security. This is something the Home Secretary and I care deeply about, and I know that it is a matter to which Mr Speaker attaches the utmost importance, as will all members right across this House.

    A review of security measures for MPs commissioned under the previous government has concluded, and all the recommendations have been implemented.

    We must ensure that the learnings from this case have been properly implemented and I want to take this opportunity to thank Mr Speaker for his continued leadership on these matters – the Speaker’s Conference is considering what reforms are necessary to further improve MPs safety and security – this is another important step.

    The Leader of the House, Home Secretary and myself look forward to working closely with the Speaker and all members to ensure the facts of Sir David’s murder are properly considered as part of the Speaker’s Conference work and that the Parliamentary Security Department implements the recommendations of the review it conducted in the aftermath of Sir David’s death.

    I am also grateful to previous Home Secretaries and security ministers for their efforts in this area.

    Our democracy is precious, and this government will defend it against any and all threats.  

    Not least, through the Defending Democracy Taskforce, where we are mounting a whole-of-government response to combat such threats including ensuring elected representatives can perform their duties safely and without fear.

    Before I finish, I will pay tribute once more to Sir David.

    He was a giant of this House and we miss him dearly.

    In all that he did, Sir David epitomised public service at its best. It is beyond a tragedy that we can no longer seek his advice or rely on his wisdom.

    We can, though, follow his example and devote ourselves every day to the task of building a better and safer Britain.

    That is our shared challenge, Mr Speaker, and under this government, nothing will matter more.

    I commend this statement to the House.

    Updates to this page

    Published 12 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tariffs on Canadian Steel and Aluminum Would Be a Gut Punch to Workers

    Source: US GOIAM Union

    Brian Bryant, International President of the 600,000-member IAM Union, and David Chartrand, IAM Canadian General Vice President, issued the following statement regarding President Trump’s announcement of a 25% tariff on all steel and aluminum imports into the United States:

    “A 25% tariff on Canadian steel and aluminum imports would be a gut punch to workers on both sides of the border. It will lead to job losses, higher consumer prices, and broken supply chains vital to industries like automotive, aerospace and defense.

    “These proposed tariffs will not protect or grow American jobs – it will destroy them. The U.S. and Canadian economies are linked at the hip. Slapping a 25% tariff on these critical materials from Canada would put our national security at risk. 

    “Many of our members in aerospace and defense depend on parts and materials flowing freely between the U.S. and Canada. These tariffs will throw a wrench into the whole system, putting thousands of IAM Union and other jobs at risk. Our union doesn’t oppose tariffs, but we are advocates for strategic tariffs that protect domestic manufacturing and enhance national security. 

    “Instead of fighting with our closest ally, we should collaborate with Canada to take on real threats like China and Mexico. Unfair trade practices by China and Mexico have decimated the American aluminum industry, not Canada. We need cooperation, not conflict, to build a strong North American manufacturing sector. 

    “We urge President Trump to pull all stakeholders – government, business, and labor – together to forge a comprehensive strategy to protect and grow critical manufacturing in the United States and Canada.”

    The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers is one of North America’s largest and most diverse industrial trade unions, representing approximately 600,000 active and retired members in the aerospace, defense, airlines, railroad, transit, healthcare, automotive, and other industries. 

    goIAM.org | @MachinistsUnion

    Share and Follow:

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Individuals Charged In Connection With Fentanyl Distribution

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEWARK, N.J. – Two individuals have been charged in connection with possessing distribution quantities of fentanyl, and one of the individuals has additionally been charged with possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number, U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.

    Pablo Suruy Hernandez, 41, of Guatemala, and Giovanni Guzman, 41, of El Salvador, were charged by complaint with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl. Hernandez is also charged with one count of possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number.  Hernandez and Guzman appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Stacey D. Adams in Newark federal court on February 10, 2025, and were detained.

    According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

    In January 2025, law enforcement officials received information that Hernandez was engaged in narcotics trafficking in New Jersey.  On January 16, 2025, Hernandez met with a confidential source to discuss the potential purchase of firearms, fentanyl, and cocaine.  On January 21, 2025, Hernandez sold a defaced firearm to the confidential source.  On February 7, 2025, Hernandez and Guzman met with the confidential source to sell 100,000 fentanyl pills.  Along with the seizure of approximately eleven kilograms of fentanyl, law enforcement also recovered approximately $65,000 during a lawfully executed search of Hernandez’s residence.

    The fentanyl conspiracy and distribution counts carry a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine.  The possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number carries a maximum penalty of 5 years in prison and a fine of not more than $250,000.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) New York Division’s Special Agent in Charge Frank Tarentino, and the work of New York Drug Enforcement Task Force Group T-42, which is comprised of Special Agents from the DEA and Task Force Officers from the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and the New York State Police (NYSP).

    The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Ingrid Eicher of the Office’s Criminal Division in Newark.

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

                                                               ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Cameroon: Greenpeace Africa calls on the covernment to cancel the decree creating Ma Mbed Mbed Park

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Yaoundé, 12-02-2025 – In 2020, the Cameroonian government issued a decree establishing Ma Mbed Mbed Park, covering an area of more than 12,000 hectares. This decree has sparked reactions from local communities, who have taken to the streets demanding its cancellation. They fear the project could lead to conflicts between humans and wildlife, particularly elephants, and result in the loss of their land. They also criticize the government for not sufficiently consulting them during the decision-making process.

    Professor Ngoussandou Bello Pierre, National Coordinator of Jag Sir, the National Toupouri Cultural Association, said:
    “The Toupouri community believes this is a scheme against their land and their livelihoods. Elephants do not distinguish between ethnic groups, religions, or professions—their presence is a threat to everyone, including the BIR camp, which is less than 12 km away. Kidnappers frequently operate in Taibong and Guidiguis before seeking refuge in a protected area in Chad. Expanding this area with the new park would only worsen insecurity. The government must acknowledge its mistake and revoke the decree to ease tensions. Given the determination of the local population, if the government persists, the extermination of elephants will become inevitable.”

    Cameroon’s Far North is already facing significant challenges, particularly concerning security, and is one of the regions most affected by climate change. Last year, it experienced multiple waves of flooding. Food insecurity remains a persistent issue.

    Dr. Lamfu Fabrice, Forest Campaigner at Greenpeace Africa, said:
    “This park was created to combat climate change and promote social and professional integration—objectives that are commendable. However, the project significantly reduces the land and resources available to local populations. This is why their essential role in the sustainable management of their land and environment must be recognized. When decisions are made without their free, prior, and informed consent, it can unfortunately lead to delicate situations like this one. We call on the government to reconsider the project. This is one threat too many for the people of the Far North.”

    This protest follows a similar demonstration that took place a few weeks ago in the southern region, where local residents of the Camvert project in Campo took to the streets, demanding that the company revise its specifications. According to the residents, the document does not sufficiently account for their rights. The current situation in the Far North presents similar challenges to those faced by the people of Campo, particularly regarding human-wildlife conflicts, land grabbing, and the lack of consultation with local communities before project development.

    Media Contacts:

    Luchelle Feukeng
    Communications and Storytelling Manager, Greenpeace Africa
    Email: [email protected]
    Telephone: +237 656 46 35 45 (WhatsApp)
    Greenpeace Africa Newsdesk: [email protected] 

    Dr. Lamfu Fabrice
    Forest Campaigner, Greenpeace Africa
    Email: [email protected]
    Telephone: +237 678 06 57 58

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI: LeddarTech Reports Fiscal First Quarter 2025 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    QUEBEC CITY, Canada, Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LeddarTech® Holdings Inc. (“LeddarTech”) (Nasdaq: LDTC), an automotive software company that provides patented disruptive AI-based low-level sensor fusion and perception software technology, LeddarVision™, today provided a corporate update and announced financial results for the fiscal first quarter ended December 31, 2024.

    “2025 is off to a very exciting start for LeddarTech, as we continue to make substantial progress on our strategic plan. In fiscal Q1, we announced our collaboration and license agreement with Texas Instruments (“TI”), a premier semiconductor partner in the automotive space. Following that, we recently announced our first OEM design win from a major commercial vehicle OEM,” said Frantz Saintellemy, President and CEO of LeddarTech. “These commercial successes demonstrate strong validation by industry leaders of our products and are accelerating interest from potential customers and partners across the ADAS and AD landscape, building on our already substantial pipeline of opportunities.”

    Recent Business and Technology Highlights

    • Announced first OEM design win for LeddarVision. One of the world’s leading commercial vehicle OEMs has selected LeddarTech as the fusion and perception software supplier for their advanced driver assistance system (ADAS) program for 2028 model year vehicles. We expect to start generating engineering services revenue this fiscal year (FY2025).
    • Received US$8 million advanced royalty payments from TI. In January, LeddarTech received the second advanced royalty payment of US$3 million as part of its collaboration and license agreement with TI. This is in addition to the US$5 million received in December 2024.
    • Raised US$11.3 million under a standby equity purchase agreement (SEPA). In January, LeddarTech raised US$1.1 million (CA$1.4 million) by selling 600,000 shares at an average price of US$1.76. This is in addition to the US$10.2 million (CA$14.4 million) raised in fiscal Q1 2025 by selling 6.6 million shares at an average price of US$1.55 per share.
    • Conducted successful CES participation. LeddarTech completed a strong showing at the 2025 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), including the successful demonstration of LeddarVision Surround (LVS-2+) software utilizing TI TDA4VH-Q1 processor.
    • Announced listing transfer to Nasdaq Capital Market. Via this transfer, LeddarTech had cured the Nasdaq deficiencies and met the applicable listing standards.
    • Received ISO/IEC 27001 certification. LeddarTech proudly announced that the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) and the International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) have awarded LeddarTech ISO/IEC 27001 certification, a key requirement for automotive customers.

    Customer Traction and Development

    LeddarTech has a robust pipeline of over 30 active opportunities with original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and Tier 1 automotive suppliers to support consumer demands for improved safety features and satisfy upcoming regulatory deadlines.

    During 2025, LeddarTech will continue to develop two new, revenue-generating products that are designed to accelerate revenue and adoption of LeddarVision. More information will be shared on these products when available.

    Fiscal First Quarter 2025 Financial Highlights1

    Revenue: Revenue from continuing operations for the fiscal first quarter of 2025, ending December 31, 2024, was $51,900, compared to $52,000 in the fiscal quarter ending December 31, 2023. Revenue excludes our discontinued modules and components business.

    Net loss: Net loss for the fiscal first quarter of 2025, ending December 31, 2024, was $27.0 million, compared to a net loss of $61.5 million in the fiscal quarter ending December 31, 2023, representing a 56% decrease, primarily due to transaction costs that were incurred in fiscal Q1, 2024 and did not reoccur in 2025.

    EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA2:  EBITDA loss for the fiscal first quarter of 2025, ending December 31, 2024, was $22.1 million, compared to a $60.3 million loss in the fiscal quarter ending December 31, 2023, representing a 63% decrease, primarily due to transaction costs that were incurred in fiscal Q1, 2024 and did not reoccur in 2025. Adjusted EBITDA loss for the fiscal first quarter of 2025, ending December 31, 2024, was $11.1 million, compared to adjusted EBITDA loss of $8.6 million in the fiscal quarter ending December 31, 2023, representing a 11% increase, primarily due to a change in the amount of capitalized development costs.

    Continuing operations Q1-2025
    		   Q1-2024
    		  
    Revenues $51,878   $52,000  
    Loss from operations (13,218,705)   (63,912,986)  
    Finance costs, net 13,746,884   (2,422,558)  
    Loss before income taxes (27,012,529)   (61,490,428)  
    Net loss and comprehensive loss (27,012,664)   (61,490,428)  
    Net loss and comprehensive loss attributable to Shareholders of the Company (27,012,664)   (61,188,116)  
    Loss per share    
    Net loss per share (basic and diluted) (in dollars) (0.86)   (17.06)  
    Weighted average common shares outstanding (basic and diluted) 31,483,617   3,587,572  
    EBITDA (loss) (22,059,095)   (60,290,981)  
    Adjusted EBITDA (loss) (11,143,209)   (8,572,571)  
             

    The following table sets forth a reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA and EBITDA to net loss reported in accordance with IFRS for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.

      Q1-2025
    		   Q1-2024
    		  
    Net loss from continued operations ($27,012,664)   ($61,490,428)  
    Deferred income taxes 135   –  
    Depreciation of property and equipment 170,977   189,639  
    Depreciation of right-of-use assets 112,822   108,365  
    Amortization of intangible assets 165,134   137,112  
    Interest expenses 4,504,501   764,330  
    EBITDA loss from continuing operations (22,059,095)   (60,290,981)  
         
    Foreign exchange loss (gain) 3,635,140   (67,715)  
    Loss (gain) on revaluation of financial instruments carried at fair value 5,602,056   (2,963,283)  
    Gain on lease modification –   (166,661)  
    Stock-based compensation 1,678,690   (5,985,250)  
    Listing expense –   59,139,572  
    Transaction costs –   1,761,747  
    Adjusted EBITDA loss from continuing operations (11,143,209)   (8,572,571)  
             

    Balance Sheet and Liquidity3

    As of December 31, 2024, LeddarTech’s consolidated cash and cash equivalents balance totaled $17.7 million, compared to $5.3 million on September 30, 2024. Subsequent to the end of the quarter, the Company raised approximately $5.9 million, using a recent exchange rate of 1.43 Canadian dollars per US dollar. This included a US$3 million advance royalty payment from Texas Instruments and US$1.1 million from the sale of stock issuance under our standby equity purchase agreement or SEPA. LeddarTech’s cash balance as of Monday, February 10, 2025, was approximately $15.9 million.

    Non-IFRS Financial Measures

    A non-IFRS financial measure is a financial measure used to depict our historical or expected future financial performance, financial position or cash flow and, with respect to its composition, either excludes an amount that is included in, or includes an amount that is excluded from, the composition of the most directly comparable financial measure disclosed in Company’s consolidated primary financial statements.

    In Q2-2024, the Company started to use two new non-IFRS financial measures because we believe these non-IFRS financial measures are reflective of our ongoing operating results and provide readers with an understanding of management’s perspective on and analysis of our performance.

    Below are descriptions of the non-IFRS financial measures that we use to explain our results and reconciliations to the most directly comparable IFRS financial measures.

    EBITDA (loss) is calculated as net earnings (loss) before interest expenses (income), deferred income taxes, depreciation of property and equipment, depreciation of right-of-use assets and amortization of intangible assets.

    EBITDA (loss) should not be considered an alternative to net loss in measuring performance or used as a measure of cash flow.

    Adjusted EBITDA (loss) is calculated as EBITDA (loss), adjusted for foreign exchange gain (loss), loss (gain) on revaluation of financial instruments carried at fair value, gain or loss on lease modification, share‐based compensation, listing expense, transaction costs, restructuring costs and impairment loss on intangible assets.

    About LeddarTech

    A global software company founded in 2007 and headquartered in Quebec City with additional R&D centers in Montreal and Tel Aviv, Israel, LeddarTech develops and provides comprehensive AI-based low-level sensor fusion and perception software solutions that enable the deployment of ADAS, autonomous driving (AD) and parking applications. LeddarTech’s automotive-grade software applies advanced AI and computer vision algorithms to generate accurate 3D models of the environment to achieve better decision making and safer navigation. This high-performance, scalable, cost-effective technology is available to OEMs and Tier 1-2 suppliers to efficiently implement automotive and off-road vehicle ADAS solutions.

    LeddarTech is responsible for several remote-sensing innovations, with over 170 patent applications (87 granted) that enhance ADAS, AD and parking capabilities. Better awareness around the vehicle is critical in making global mobility safer, more efficient, sustainable and affordable: this is what drives LeddarTech to seek to become the most widely adopted sensor fusion and perception software solution.

    Additional information about LeddarTech is accessible at www.leddartech.com and on LinkedIn, Twitter (X), Facebook and YouTube.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain statements contained in this Press Release may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (which forward-looking statements also include forward-looking statements and forward-looking information within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws), including, but not limited to, statements relating to LeddarTech’s selection by the OEM referred to above, anticipated strategy, future operations, prospects, objectives and financial projections and other financial metrics and ability to comply with Nasdaq Capital Market listing standards in the future. Forward-looking statements generally include statements that are predictive in nature and depend upon or refer to future events or conditions, and include words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “likely,” “believe,” “estimate,” “project,” “intend” and other similar expressions among others. Statements that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and assumptions that are subject to risks and uncertainties and are not guarantees of future performance. Actual results could differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statement as a result of various factors, including, without limitation, our ability to continue to maintain compliance with Nasdaq continued listing standards following our transfer to the Nasdaq Capital Market, as well as: (i) the risk that LeddarTech and the OEM referred to above are unable to agree to final terms in definitive agreements; (ii) the volume of future orders (if any) from this OEM, actual revenue derived from expected orders, and timing of revenue, if any; (iii) our ability to timely access sufficient capital and financing on favorable terms or at all; (iv) our ability to maintain compliance with our debt covenants, including our ability to enter into any forbearance agreements, waivers or amendments with, or obtain other relief from, our lenders as needed; (v) our ability to execute on our business model, achieve design wins and generate meaningful revenue; (vi) our ability to successfully commercialize our product offering at scale, whether through the collaboration agreement with Texas Instruments, a collaboration with a Tier 2 supplier or otherwise; (vii) changes in our strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated revenues and losses, projected costs and plans; (viii) changes in general economic and/or industry-specific conditions; (ix) our ability to retain, attract and hire key personnel; (x) potential adverse changes to relationships with our customers, employees, suppliers or other parties; (xi) legislative, regulatory and economic developments; (xii) the outcome of any known and unknown litigation and regulatory proceedings; (xiii) unpredictability and severity of catastrophic events, including, but not limited to, acts of terrorism, outbreak of war or hostilities and any epidemic, pandemic or disease outbreak, as well as management’s response to any of the aforementioned factors; and (xiv) other risk factors as detailed from time to time in LeddarTech’s reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including the risk factors contained in LeddarTech’s Form 20-F filed with the SEC. The foregoing list of important factors is not exhaustive. Except as required by applicable law, LeddarTech does not undertake any obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statement, or to make any other forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    Contact:
    Chris Stewart, Chief Financial Officer, LeddarTech Holdings Inc.

    Tel.: + 1-514-427-0858, chris.stewart@leddartech.com

    Leddar, LeddarTech, LeddarVision, LeddarSP, VAYADrive, VayaVision and related logos are trademarks or registered trademarks of LeddarTech Holdings Inc. and its subsidiaries. All other brands, product names and marks are or may be trademarks or registered trademarks used to identify products or services of their respective owners.

    LeddarTech Holdings Inc. is a public company listed on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol “LDTC.”

    1    All amounts in Canadian dollars except where otherwise noted.

    2    EBITDA and adjusted EBITDA are non-IFRS measures and are presented by the Company as they are used to assess operating performance. These non-IFRS measures do not have standardized meanings under IFRS and are not likely comparable to similarly designated measures reported by other corporations. The reader is cautioned that these measures are being reported in order to complement, and not replace, the analysis of financial results in accordance with IFRS. See “Non-IFRS Financial Measures” below.

    3    All amounts in Canadian dollars except where otherwise noted.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: The European Financial Industry of the Future | 6. Frankfurt Digital Finance Conference & European Fintech Day

    Source: Deutsche Bundesbank in English

    Check against delivery.
    Ladies and gentlemen,
    I’m glad to join you today at the “Gesellschaftshaus Palmengarten”. Its history goes back to the 19th century. It was the “Gründerzeit” or “founders’ period” – an era of strong economic expansion in Germany – when this building was constructed. And when Germany was developed as an industrial location. Developed by people, men and women, lead by curiosity, innovation, and a desire to achieve.
    We have to cast our minds back a few years to see times of growth, real innovation and increasing productivity in Europe.
    1 The role of the financial industry
    In the 2010s Germany had a period of solid growth that some called “the golden decade”. 
    Today, however, we see a need for growth and increasing productivity. Hence, our competitiveness is at stake. Not only in Germany, but also in other parts of Europe. And this comes at a time, when we are facing numerous major challenges:
    Consider the significant geopolitical uncertainties of our time – which make a rethink necessary in many respects. Also consider the digitalisation of large parts of our economy, incl. disruptive AI. And think about the climate-related need for an ecological transformation.
    Financing all of this requires a substantial amount of capital.
    This is where the financial industry comes in: The financial industry can act as an enabler of growth in the real economy. Growth that is so much needed right now.
    Looking forward, the financial industry could translate growth potential into real growth in many fields – digitalisation, AI, clean tech, pharma, biotech any many more.
    In sum, there are huge business opportunities for Germany and the EU. And we need the Financial industry to take advantage of the business opportunities. 
    But let us not forget that innovation happens in many places – at start-ups but also at well established companies. We need to make sure that a variety of funding sources are available to support our real economies.
    We need a specific financial ecosystem that enables young, innovative companies to flourish. Be it VC, PE, etc. We need established capital markets. Above all, we need a strong and healthy banking sector that supplies our economy with sufficient credit.
    That means: We need both traditional loans and venture capital. In any case, all the pockets of the financial industry provide the basis for a growing economy. It’s also the basis for the ecological transformation. 
    The German Council of Experts on Climate Change published [a week ago] new figures on the investment needs estimated for the transition towards net-zero economic activity. Those investment needs range between 135 and 255 billion euro – each year for Germany alone.[1] That’s a lot.
    Let’s now have a closer look at the digitalization including AI.
    2 Artificial intelligence: innovation and competitiveness
    The term artificial intelligence (AI) was coined in the middle of the 20th century. But it was the release of ChatGPT in November 2022 that marked a breakthrough. For the first time it became possible to use an AI system without detailed technical knowledge.
    Nowadays almost anyone can use AI. The importance of responsible AI practices on the increase – as highlighted in the latest Declaration by the G20.[2]
    There are important questions – to which, to be honest, there are no simple answers:
    Are the opportunities and risks of AI balanced? 
    Does AI lead to a global fragmentation, to a new barrier between those who use AI and those who don’t? 
    Does AI, as a general-purpose technology, help us better manage economic challenges?[3]
    One example of the latter point: Many societies are lacking skilled labour due to demographic change. Here, the use of AI could provide a solution by increasing efficiency or substituting human services. AI can also help drive innovation. 
    AI enables both incremental and disruptive innovation across all parts of society: 
    by facilitating faster decision-making
    optimizing existing processes, 
    or by collecting, processing and using huge amounts of data.

    It fosters creativity, supports scientific breakthroughs, and unlocks opportunities for entirely new industries and business models – a potential, albeit disruptive, growth engine.
    Nevertheless, human creativity is still a key driver of innovation. In 2023, individuals or SMEs filed almost one in four patent applications in Europe.[4]
    Today, we are at a crucial stage: With international competition on the one side and technical and intellectual skills on the other. AI models from the United States are well-known and often considered state of the art. China in particular has recently come up with new and apparently very efficient language models. However, the discussion about the background is not yet complete.
    In Europe, we have to do our utmost to keep up with the pace. An important initiative recently came from France: In Paris the “EU AI Champions Initiative”, a high-level summit, was held at the beginning of this week.
    President Macron mentioned a funding volume of roundabout € 109 billion for AI in France. This approach is very encouraging for other EU member states. By comparison: US-President Trump has mentioned USD 500 billion for his “Stargate” plan in the US. 
    Despite these substantial investments, there is no guarantee of success. On the other hand, we must not allow ourselves to be deterred by possible failures. One example is the French AI chatbot LUCIE, which has been taken offline after giving some weird answers. I am sure France will take this as a chance to try even harder.
    The narrative with all kind of innovation is: Accept failure to grow. The pioneers of the “Gründerzeit” – which I mentioned earlier – knew this only too well.
    We need this kind of courage to embrace a “culture of trial and error”. It provides an important impetus to do things better. On the other hand, we have to ensure that new technology does not cause severe damage. Especially because AI is a relatively new technology with unknown potential and consequences for the entire society.
    Risks can arise for the financial system, but much further afield as well. Imagine, risk management or investment advice would be provided mainly by AI. Would this mean that investment recommendations are becoming more and more similar? Would we have concentration of risks? And what consequences would this have for financial stability?[5]
    Even more far-reaching questions concern our society.
    The core question is: What does AI mean for our democracies, for our constitutions, for our fundamental rights? Specifically, we need to ask ourselves: Where is AI beneficial and where do we need clear rules.
    In other words: What are the basic rules for using this technology?
    It is therefore necessary to find a compromise between having the courage to innovate – and clear rules.
    3 Strengthening the financial industry
    Regardless of how we deal with AI, we have to return to the issue of financing its development. As indicated earlier, the financial industry, as an enabler, has an important role to play.
    Given the challenges of our time I mentioned earlier, it is vital to strengthen the European financial industry. 
    Let me highlight only two measures:
    First, we need to get started on improving start-up funding. In 2024, more than 2,700 innovative start-ups were founded in Germany, the second-highest count after the record year of 2021. There is no shortage of innovative concepts and entrepreneurship per se, but implementation is lacking. 
    Further completing the European capital markets union (CMU) is essential in this respect – promoting the development of the VC and private equity market as well as exit options for start-ups. The European Commission’s “Competitiveness Compass”, published recently, 29 January 2025, is a good start. 
    Second, we need to leverage digital technologies to create efficient, integrated and resilient European financial markets. The digital CMU could be a game changer in this respect. 
    Let me make it perfectly clear: Europe is a leader in this field. 
    We at the Bundesbank are engaged in several initiatives. And we have a prominent role to play in the development of a central bank digital currency (wholesale CBDC).
    4 Conclusion
    Ladies and gentlemen, let me sum up: And I can be very brief, but still to the point.
    The European Financial industry has to become an enabler of growth. Our Financial industry is key to ensure that the European economy stays competitive. 
    Thank you very much. 

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The career guidance project “Smolny School” has been launched

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University – Peter the Great St Petersburg Polytechnic University –

    On February 7, the Committee for Civil Service and Personnel Policy of the St. Petersburg Governor’s Administration launched the career guidance project “Smolny School”. Polytechnic University is one of the partner universities.

    “Smolny School” is a new project aimed at building a career path for high school students based on the “school — university — Smolny” model. The main goal is to attract schoolchildren’s interest in the state civil service, and to help graduates with career guidance. The partners are gymnasiums and schools of St. Petersburg, five key universities, and executive authorities: the Committee for Civil Service and Personnel Policy of the St. Petersburg Governor’s Administration, the Committee for Youth Policy and Interaction with Public Organizations, the Archives Committee of St. Petersburg, and the Corporate University of the City Administration. The project participants will be able not only to attend career guidance events at universities, but also to get acquainted with the executive authorities of St. Petersburg, their professions and specialties, and to immerse themselves in their activities. The defense of their final projects will take place in Smolny in May.

    At the opening of the project, the Vice-Governor of Saint Petersburg Valery Moskalenko and the Chairman of the Committee for Civil Service and Personnel Policy of the Administration of the Governor of Saint Petersburg Andrey Mikhailov delivered welcoming remarks. Representatives of educational institutions and universities that are partners of the project — SPbGEU, Herzen State Pedagogical University, Polytechnic University, HSE University, and RANEPA — also took part in the event.

    This is part of a large systemic work that we are doing to attract young, talented and motivated guys who are determined to bring benefit to our beloved city to the civil service of St. Petersburg. We have attracted our leading universities to the project so that high school students who see themselves in the civil service can learn what areas and training programs prepare specialists for work in government bodies. I am sure that the Smolny School project will make its contribution to this work, – emphasized Valery Moskalenko.

    More than 80 schoolchildren from different districts of St. Petersburg who have demonstrated high academic performance and achievements in federal and regional competitions will participate in the project.

    This career guidance project will help high school students build a career trajectory along the path “school – university – Smolny”. It is important for school graduates not only to choose the right future profession and enter a university in their specialty, but also to decide on the further direction of their professional growth and development. We are waiting for our wonderful guys in 5-6 years for joint fruitful work for the benefit of St. Petersburg and its residents, – noted the project manager Sergey Svechnikov.

    The project was developed and formed by representatives of the Higher School of Public Administration of the Institute of Mechanics and Technology, as well as those responsible for working with applicants at the institute.

    One of the key partners of the project is the Polytechnic University, which will use its platform to allow high school students motivated to work in public service to learn about the areas and programs of study that prepare specialists to work in city government bodies.

    Thus, the project participants will be introduced to SPbPU as part of career guidance events in an interactive form. The children will have excursions around the Polytechnic University, master classes from leading IPMEiT teachers in the field of lawmaking, lean manufacturing, marketing, data analysis, etc.

    I am proud that my colleagues from the Higher School of Public Administration took an active part in the formation of the Smolny School project. Many thanks to the city administration, which once again demonstrates its openness. It is ready to form not only its personnel reserve, but also a reserve for the future. For schoolchildren, this is a great opportunity to get acquainted with both government bodies and universities. I hope that the project will bring them closer to one of the most significant decisions in life. After all, making the right choice is an art, – shared the director of IPMEiT Vladimir Shchepinin.

    The Smolny School project is being implemented within the framework of interaction plan Committee on Civil Service and Personnel Policy of the Administration of the Governor of St. Petersburg and SPbPU.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Humanities Fellow Studying Literature from Black Power Era and its Reception in France

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    When Grégory Pierrot talks about growing up in northeastern France near Luxembourg and Germany, he uses the word “American” at least a half dozen times.

    “I’ve had a long personal relationship with American culture,” he says, describing how as a boy he’d listen to American music and write down as many words as he could catch to translate into French, so he could figure out what was being said.

    Now an associate professor of English at UConn Stamford who teaches African American literature, Pierrot says he’s been a student of American culture – its literature, music, and history – since he was a teenager, even as his methods have turned more intellectual.

    His latest project for Rot Bo Krik, “It was Nation Time: Fictions of African American Revolution,” which looks at African American literature during the Black Power era and how readers of French translations received the works, might be the best way to encapsulate all that has intrigued him since his youth.

    “I’m very interested in the way literature, music, and film – all those things that may seem less serious than politics or unrelated to it – actually convey most of what people think they know about a given moment or given political period,” Pierrot says. “Ideas are conveyed in those texts, in those songs, and in those films, and they have much more of an impact on us than scholarly studies or political speeches even.”

    Pierrot says the French, even though an ocean away, are fascinated by what happened in America in the mid-1960s to 1970s, those volatile years after Jackie Robinson and Rosa Parks when the Civil Rights and Voting Rights acts took effect, the Black Panthers took rise, and Martin Luther King Jr. took his last breath.

    Writers including John A. Williams, best known for “The Man Who Cried I Am”; Chester Himes, who wrote a series of “Harlem Detective” novels; and Sam Greenlee, author of “The Spook Who Sat by the Door” told fictionalized but compelling accounts of what being Black in the United States was like.

    “This is such a fraught moment in American history, with fraught ideas in American politics,” Pierrot says. “This idea of a ‘Black Revolution,’ while it wasn’t greatly popular, it was in the air. So, when novels like these came out everybody would be talking about them.”

    Through the years, for instance, Williams’ novel “Sons of Darkness, Sons of Light,” which imagined the outset of such a revolution, and his “Captain Blackman,” which traces Black soldiers’ contributions to the Army, have been forgotten – along with so many other works, even as those stories echo in the events of today.

    “It’s shocking just how much the plots in these novels often sound like they could have been written yesterday,” Pierrot says. “In quite a few of these, either the premise or one of the important events in the plot has to do with young African American boys being shot by police for no reason. Others have to do with the rise of extreme right-wing politics. To that extent, they are very much of this moment.”

    Of course, France and the U.S. have been connected since long before the American Revolution gave this country its independence from Britain, and France gifted the Statue of Liberty to celebrate a century of liberty.

    France has been the place where African Americans, particularly artists, have fled when wanting or needing to escape racism in North America, Pierrot explains, as France, perhaps infamously, prides itself as being a place where racism doesn’t exist.

    “Racism in France was different enough than what was happening in the U.S. that it felt like relief for African Americans who still get treated very differently than other members of the African diaspora in France,” Pierrot says. “Historically, to put it simply, it’s often been easier to be African American than to be Black and French in France.”

    In research for the project, funded as part of a year-long fellowship from the UConn Humanities Institute, Pierrot says that even though he’s built a career absorbed in the literature of this period, he found himself fascinated recently by Malcolm X’s connection to France, which remains largely unknown among citizens there despite pop culture references to him.

    In the 10 years before the Black activist was assassinated in 1965, despite his growth in the U.S. as a name known around the dinner table, he was mentioned only a handful of times in the French newspaper of record.

    Malcolm X traveled to Paris in November 1964 to deliver a speech and attempted to visit a second time in February 1965 but was stopped by French customs at the border and blocked from entry, Pierrot says. Three weeks later he was killed and only then did the French public start hearing about him.

    “The novels from this time, even though they’re works of fiction, are historical artifacts. They give us a view of that moment that we may have forgotten,” he explains.

    “We all have a sense of the 1960s based on the media – films, books, and music – that we consume,” he continues. “There was flower power and Woodstock, but that’s not all the 1960s were. It was a violent time. There were assassinations left and right and wars around the world. The texts I study offer elements of American history that many people do not know or do not quite remember.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Nametag Introduces VerifiedHire™ to Combat North Korean Remote IT Worker Fraud

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SEATTLE, Feb. 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Nametag, the leading provider of integrated identity verification and account protection solutions, today announced VerifiedHire™, a groundbreaking solution for secure employee onboarding and initial credentialing. VerifiedHire combats North Korean IT workers and other remote worker fraud schemes using Nametag’s revolutionary Deepfake Defense™ identity verification (IDV) engine, ensuring that only legitimate users gain access to enterprise networks and applications.

    Nation State Actors Are Exploiting Insecure Hiring Practices to Infiltrate Global Enterprises
    Investigations have uncovered numerous programs to place Democratic People’s Republic of Korea (DPRK)-affiliated operatives into remote IT jobs within U.S. and global enterprises. This enables the country to avoid international sanctions, funnel money to weapons development programs, and steal secrets. Hundreds of western enterprises have been compromised; one program involving two front companies employing more than 130 DPRK IT workers has generated over $88 million for North Korea’s government. To combat these and other remote worker fraud schemes, Nametag created VerifiedHire.

    VerifiedHire Stops Fake IT Workers and Remote Worker Fraud
    Nametag’s solution prevents imposters from infiltrating corporate networks by replacing outdated, insecure initial credentialing procedures with robust identity assurance. New hires are directed to a self-service onboarding microsite, where they navigate intuitive workflows to verify their identity with Nametag’s Deepfake Defense engine. Verified hires can then set their passwords and enroll in multi-factor authentication (MFA) with their company’s identity provider(s). Imposters are prevented from gaining access, while security and risk teams gain crucial visibility into potential insider threats.

    “Employee onboarding is a gap in IT security that nobody has been able to figure out—except Nametag,” said the senior IT director at a top-ranked, publicly-traded biotechnology company. “VerifiedHire has transformed our employee onboarding experience. The ability for new hires to set up their own accounts without IT intervention is a game-changer. VerifiedHire is the only solution for employee onboarding and credentialing that delivers the level of identity security and assurance we require.”

    Key Features and Benefits

    • Prevents Infiltration: VerifiedHire is the first solution directly aimed at combating sophisticated remote worker fraud schemes, including deepfake-wielding nation-state threat actors.
    • Stops Contractor Fraud: Enterprises can use Nametag to quickly verify their extended workforce at scale, discovering imposters and revealing potential insider threats.
    • Eliminates Temporary Passwords: VerifiedHire replaces outdated, insecure temporary password delivery systems with an initial credentialing experience that’s modern, secure, and streamlined.
    • Powered by Deepfake Defense: VerifiedHire is built on Deepfake Defense, the only identity verification engine proven effective against modern, AI-powered impersonation threats.
    • Cost Savings: By deflecting new employee verification and initial credentialing to self-service, VerifiedHire creates substantial time and cost savings for IT and Human Resources departments.

    “Nametag’s launch of VerifiedHire underscores our continued commitment to creating end-to-end workforce account protection,” said Aaron Painter, CEO at Nametag. “Since every organization employs a unique approach to employee onboarding, we developed an out-of-the-box-solution that is easily customized to each enterprise’s workflows, software environments, and business requirements.”

    VerifiedHire fits seamlessly into enterprise onboarding workflows through plug-and-play integrations with Identity and Access Management (IAM) providers such as Okta, Microsoft Entra, Cisco Duo, and OneLogin. Nametag also integrates with IT Service Management (ITSM) platforms such as ServiceNow and Zendesk. Turnkey integrations with Human Resources Information Systems (HRIS) such as Workday are under development. Nametag’s platform supports a deep level of configuration and customization, including industry-leading privacy controls.

    Nametag VerifiedHire™ is available today. Visit getnametag.com to learn more and view a demo.

    About Nametag
    Nametag provides integrated identity verification and account protection solutions that prevent modern impersonation threats and streamline user experiences. Powered by Deepfake Defense™, Nametag detects and blocks sophisticated attacks which bypass other, outdated approaches to user verification, delivering the highest possible level of identity assurance. Nametag’s out-of-the-box solutions help enterprises secure their entire user account lifecycle, from onboarding through recovery, while ensuring compliance with the latest privacy standards. Security-conscious enterprises trust Nametag to protect their businesses and reduce IT and support costs. For more information, visit getnametag.com.

    Nametag Media Contact:
    Jennifer Schenberg
    PenVine for Nametag
    917-445-4454
    jennifer@penvine.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e7a13a7c-3efe-4e03-ae07-f395f05d3af5

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: Mainland spokesperson says Taiwan’s ban on DeepSeek anti-intellectual, absurd

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    A file photo of Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A mainland spokesperson on Wednesday called the ban imposed by Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities on AI models developed by mainland-based company DeepSeek an absurd move that uses anti-intellectual measures to pursue their anti-mainland agenda.
    Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks in response to a media query regarding the DPP authorities’ recent decision to impose a blanket ban on the use of DeepSeek AI models in government agencies and public schools.
    Zhu criticized the DPP authorities for their fear and hostility toward both the mainland and mainland high-tech products, stressing that their arbitrary bans under the pretext of safeguarding security would ultimately harm the interests of businesses and the public on the island.
    She added that the mainland welcomes Taiwan residents to use AI models developed by mainland enterprises and supports cross-Strait cooperation in the AI sector.
    Zhu also responded to Lai Ching-te’s recent claims about increasing mainland espionage cases and intensified “united front” efforts against Taiwan. She said the DPP authorities repeatedly fabricated “mainland threat” and portrayed cross-Strait exchanges as a dire menace in pursuit of their separatist agenda.
    This is the fundamental logic behind Lai and the DPP authorities’ continuous deception, fearmongering and deliberate efforts to escalate cross-Strait tensions, she added.
    In response to a recent report by Taiwan’s mainland affairs council, which includes distorted information about the mainland, Zhu said Taiwan residents are warmly welcomed to visit the mainland.
    As long as Taiwan compatriots see and feel the mainland in person, the rumors fabricated by the DPP authorities will surely collapse, she said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Chernyshenko: More than 90 thousand schoolchildren and students took part in the competition “Science. Territory of Heroes”

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    Welcome speech by Dmitry Chernyshenko to the participants of the popular science competition “Science. Territory of Heroes”

    16 hours ago

    The final of the popular science competition “Science. Territory of Heroes” for schoolchildren and students from all over the country took place at the National Center “Russia”. Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko addressed the participants with a welcoming speech.

    The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized the advantages of the profession of a scientist and spoke about the opportunities it opens up for young people.

    “The profession of a scientist in Russia is becoming increasingly popular and prestigious. Our scientists are real superheroes! We are in fifth place in the world in terms of the number of people engaged in research and development. Almost every second scientist in Russia is under 40 years old. The competition “Science. Territory of Heroes” is also gaining popularity. More than 90 thousand schoolchildren and students from all over the country have already become its participants. By involving tens of thousands of young researchers in the scientific field, we are solving one of the main tasks of the Decade of Science and Technology announced by President Vladimir Putin,” said Dmitry Chernyshenko.

    Participants in the final of the popular science competition “Science. Territory of Heroes”

    He added that the country’s future will depend on talented youth. The government will continue to support young people and create conditions so that the path in science is not so difficult and leads to success.

    The head of the Ministry of Education and Science, Valery Falkov, congratulated the winners of the competition and noted that today more and more young people want to connect their lives with science.

    “All necessary conditions are being created for scientific creativity in our universities and scientific organizations, including the opening of youth laboratories, the updating of the equipment base, and serious grant support. I would like to separately note the strengthening of cooperation between universities, research institutes and the real sector of the economy,” the minister added.

    This year, 10 talented children from all over the country competed in the final duel – from Zavolzhye to Chelyabinsk Oblast. Young researchers answered scientific questions, talked to young scientists and famous popularizers of science, including Doctor of Physical and Mathematical Sciences, Professor of the Institute of Laser and Plasma Technologies of the National Research Nuclear University “MEPhI” Vladimir Reshetov, Ambassador of the project – biologist Ilya Gomyranov.

    Third place went to Andrey Khokhlov from Michurinsk, second place went to Timofey Kovalev from Pskov. First place was awarded to Alexander Valov from Klin.

    They received additional points for admission to the Bauman Moscow State Technical University, as well as awards from the competition partner companies. Rosatom State Corporation provided three winners with the opportunity to undergo career consultations, the purpose of which is to help build an individual professional path. Beeline awarded one winner with a grant of 200 thousand rubles for conducting research work and improving competencies in the chosen field. The remaining finalists received gift certificates and prizes from the competition partners, and also took part in an interactive tour of the Sber office.

    The winners of the competition will receive individual internships at the country’s leading scientific centers: the Far Eastern Federal University, the Interuniversity Student Campus of the Eurasian World-Class Scientific and Educational Center, and the Joint Institute for Nuclear Research. There, the students will gain unique experience in scientific research, study the areas in which they plan to develop in the future, and meet practicing scientists from the scientific field that interests them.

    The competition “Science. Territory of Heroes” is held annually within the framework of national projects of Russia and is part of the “Science of Winning” initiative of the Decade of Science and Technology.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –