Category: Transport

MIL-OSI Global: What causes inequality in African countries? New book traces a vicious cycle

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Murray Leibbrandt, UCT Chair in Poverty and Inequality Research; Director of ARUA’s African Centre of Excellence for Inequality Resaearch with the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit., University of Cape Town

Inequality is a problem that exists in various forms in sub-Saharan Africa.

Inequality is created by, among other factors, where you are born and live. Alongside this, income, assets, and access to education and healthcare differ among and between populations. These inequalities reinforce each other. The result is persistent poverty, lack of social mobility across generations, increased exposure to climate change, and a lack of inclusive economic growth.

Our recently published book Inequalities in Sub-Saharan Africa: Multidimensional Perspectives and Future Challenges presents an overview of the current situation. It identifies the key dimensions, challenges and causes of inequalities in the region. The book also proposes some solutions for equitable and sustainable development. These include progressive taxation and policies that address inequalities at their roots.

The impact of inequality

Migration: On a global scale, the greatest determinant of individual incomes – and thus of inequalities between individuals – is place of birth. More than half of income’s variability is explained by the country of residence and by the given circumstances at birth. These include being born in a rural environment.

In sub-Saharan Africa, especially in low-income countries, internal migration remains the most prevalent migration pattern. Migration is often the chosen route for people seeking to escape poverty. The rural exodus that characterises many countries in sub-Saharan Africa illustrates this well. Young people in Africa, faced with high unemployment rates, often see migration as the only opportunity for social mobility.

The dynamics of international migration are more complex. Given the high costs involved, international migration concerns only 2.5% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa. This is mostly intra-continental.

Labour market: Access to the labour market remains the main
determinant of inequalities in sub-Saharan Africa.

Labour markets in the region are characterised by high proportions of informal employment. Formal sectors are relatively small (about 15% of total employment on the continent). Since the turn of the century, countries like Kenya have seen their share of informal employment increase significantly (from 73% in 2001 to 83% in 2017). At the same time formal wage employment has declined.

This amplifies inequality because the informal sector is characterised by a lack of protection and high vulnerability. But not all informal activities are precarious. Some serve as springboards into formal jobs.

In the formal sector, wage inequality in Africa is among the highest in the world.
In South Africa, workers in high-skilled jobs earn nearly five times more than those in low-skilled jobs.

Young people entering the labour market have much higher unemployment rates and little chance of regular employment.

Gender inequality: Many gender inequalities persist, particularly access to the labour market. Unpaid care work makes women’s work invisible. In many African countries, women and girls spend more time on unpaid care which limits their economic opportunities.

These inequalities are reinforced by inequalities in access to resources. About 38% of African women report owning land, compared to 51% of African men.

Climate change: Africa is suffering the most severe impacts – droughts, floods and food insecurity – while contributing less than 5% of global carbon emissions.

Arid conditions affect 43.5% of agricultural land in sub-Saharan Africa compared to an estimated global average of 29%. Similarly, climate change mitigation costs, such as finding alternatives to hydroelectric power, are higher for low-income countries.

In sub-Saharan Africa, the richest 10% emit seven times more tonnes of carbon dioxide than the poorest 50%. Disadvantaged groups are more vulnerable to adverse climate effects as their housing and wealth are more likely to be damaged by storms and floods.

Skewed economic growth benefits: Economic growth has led to notably lower reductions in poverty in African countries than elsewhere. Unequal distribution of growth and its capture by those at the top of the income distribution ladder are evidence of non-inclusive economic growth. The richest 1% of Africans received 27% of the total revenue from growth on the continent.

What needs to be done

It is vital to give priority to promoting social and economic inclusion in the development strategies of African countries. Importantly, multidimensional inequalities such as income and health persist because they reinforce each other. Tackling them therefore requires coordinated and coherent policies.

Murray Leibbrandt receives funding from the National Research Foundation of South Africa, the Agence Française de Développement, UK Research and Innovation, the World Institute for Development Economics Research and the International Inequalities Institute of the London School of Economics. He is affiliated with the United Nations University’s World Institute for Development Economics Research and the Jackson School of Global Affairs at Yale University.

Anda David, Rawane Yasser, and Vimal Ranchhod 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. What causes inequality in African countries? New book traces a vicious cycle – https://theconversation.com/what-causes-inequality-in-african-countries-new-book-traces-a-vicious-cycle-253376

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Marketing unhealthy food as good for kids is fuelling obesity in South Africa: how to curb it

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Aisosa Jennifer Omoruyi, Research fellow, University of the Western Cape

Childhood overweight and obesity are a growing public health challenge in South Africa. In 2016, 13% of the country’s children were reported to be obese. This is predicted to double by 2030.

This problem has been linked to the regular consumption of calorie-dense foods high in sugar, salt and fat.
South African children are growing up in a food environment that tends to cause obesity.

One of its key features is intense marketing of unhealthy food and beverages, using various channels and appealing strategies. Misleading health and nutrition claims are sometimes made.

Children are considered lucrative consumers because they can sometimes buy food themselves, influence their parents’ food purchases (they have “pester power”, for one thing), and are future consumers.

Marketers use several strategies that children find appealing, such as cartoon characters, brand mascots, bright colours, colourful packages, catchy songs and slogans.

Although there is no specific regulation of marketing to children in South Africa, the Consumer Protection Act 58 of 2008 has important provisions that guide the marketing of goods and services. The law prohibits false, deceptive marketing.

As a researcher into children’s rights and nutrition I coauthored a recent paper examining how the Consumer Protection Act could be used to address the misleading marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children.

In our view, the South African consumer protection legal framework has the necessary scope to address misleading forms of marketing of unhealthy foods to children. But there needs to be better enforcement.

Read more:
Profit versus health: 4 ways big global industries make people sick

Health claims: not always the full package

A common strategy in food marketing is the use of misleading health or nutrition claims. These are often written (“contains vitamin C”, “high fibre”, “boosts immunity”, “supports brain health”), or implied by images of fruits and vegetables on the packaging of products.

Some studies in South Africa have demonstrated the misleading use of these claims in television and magazine
advertisements and food packages, including products meant for children.

For instance, fruit juices often claim to be rich in vitamin C, but they have a high sugar content. Dairy products typically boast a high calcium content, but are also high in added sugar. Breakfast cereals frequently highlight their fibre content, despite being ultra-processed and containing a high amount of total carbohydrates and added sugar.

Packaged foods often contain nutrition labels, but the printed words are small and usually obscured by the “healthy” claims. Those are positioned more prominently to capture the attention of the consumer.

Health and nutrition claims can strongly influence purchasing decisions, especially in the South African context. Research has shown that many South African consumers do not read nutrition labels on packaged foods.

Read more:
Half of all South Africans are overweight or obese. Warning labels on unhealthy foods help change that

What the law says

Firstly, the Consumer Protection Act recognises children as vulnerable or disadvantaged consumers who deserve special protection (section 3(1)(b)(iii). This is because they have limited capacity to understand marketing strategies or defend themselves against their persuasive effects.

Secondly, the Consumer Protection Act, in sections 29 and 41, prohibits the marketing of goods in a way that is reasonably likely to imply a false or misleading representation of facts such as their ingredients, benefits and qualities.

Thirdly, the Consumer Protection Act provisions do not require a consumer to show that they were actually misled by the claim or that children’s health was negatively affected by consuming the food product. It is enough that it has been marketed in a manner that is reasonably likely to mislead children or their parents or caregivers into buying the product.

Consumers have various ways to seek redress for misleading marketing. These include the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud and the Advertising Regulatory Board, the National Consumer Commission, the National Consumer Tribunal and the courts.

However, delays and poor compliance with decisions can put consumers off.

Read more:
South Africa must ban sugary drinks sales in schools. Self regulation is failing

Food for thought: the way forward

Mandatory front-of-pack labels are needed in South Africa. They should be easy to understand and highlight nutrients of concern – salt, fat, sugar and artificial sweeteners – to reflect the overall nutritional profile of food products. They can also override the misleading “health halo” effect generated by health or nutrition claims.

The public should support the Draft Regulation R3337 Relating to the Labelling and Advertising of Foodstuffs made under the Foodstuffs, Cosmetic, and Disinfectant Act 54 of 1972. It specifically prohibits marketing unhealthy food to children.

The act needs to be used more and this requires much greater consumer activism.

Dispute mechanisms could be stronger and the processes could be streamlined to encourage consumer participation.

The government and public interest organisations need to create greater public awareness of consumer rights.

Aisosa Jennifer Omoruyi is a Research Fellow at the Dullah Omar Institute, University of the Western Cape, which receives funding from the Global Center for Legal Innovation on Food Environments at the O’Neill Institute for National and Global Health Law, Georgetown University Law Center, Washington, DC.

– ref. Marketing unhealthy food as good for kids is fuelling obesity in South Africa: how to curb it – https://theconversation.com/marketing-unhealthy-food-as-good-for-kids-is-fuelling-obesity-in-south-africa-how-to-curb-it-253994

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: President Ramaphosa champions African-led growth at Africa CEO Forum

Source: South Africa News Agency

President Cyril Ramaphosa has reaffirmed South Africa’s commitment to the success of the G20 Presidency and the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), while calling for deeper public-private collaboration across Africa to drive development and integration.

Speaking during the Presidential Panel at the 2025 Africa CEO Forum in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, President Ramaphosa addressed questions on South Africa’s role as the current chair of the G20, and whether US President Donald Trump had been convinced to attend the November 2025 G20 Summit, which South Africa will host.

“Well, there’s still a long time from now to November, and a number of discussions will be ensuing. The G20 process consists of 130 meetings the whole year, and we participate with a number of countries and the US also participates. Leading to that summit where we will, as South Africa, hand over to the United States, one would hope that it will all happen seamlessly and in an ordinary and well managed manner, so we will see how this whole process will end up,” the President said on Monday.

South Africa assumed the G20 Presidency in December 2024, the first time the leadership of the forum has rested on African shoulders.

“We are excited as South Africa and very privileged to be heading the G20 for the very first time on the African continent,” President Ramaphosa said.

He welcomed the African Union’s inclusion as a permanent member of the G20 and said the continent’s voice would be amplified in shaping global economic and social priorities.

“We are particularly pleased that our own continent as a whole, through the AU, is now a member and will be participating fully as we get the world to discuss our priorities and our theme, which is ‘Solidarity, Equality and Sustainability’.

“As we do all that, we expect that our key priorities will become top of mind in the discussions that are currently taking place leading up to the Leaders’ Summit, particularly in the conflict that’s been happening on our continent,” the President said.

The President also weighed in on regional peace and stability efforts, particularly in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). Commending African-led initiatives such as the Nairobi, Rwanda and AU peace processes, he said these efforts were “essential in building a foundation of peacemaking and also confidence-building”.

“In the end, we must also remember the principle that we have adopted as Africa — ‘African solutions for African problems’.

“Whatever discussions are happening in the end have to be endorsed, signed off and owned and appropriated by us as Africans, because this is our continent. We are in charge of the future of this continent, and we must build peace ourselves, because we live on this continent.

“Therefore, we have a deep responsibility to ensure that peace does indeed prevail… [and]… it is inherently African. We must thank and applaud those who are assisting, because they are our partners, but we are the owners of the whole process ourselves, as Africans,” he said.

Making the most of the AfCFTA

On the economic development front, President Ramaphosa placed significant emphasis on the AfCFTA as a transformative driver of intra-African trade and economic integration.

Responding to concerns that the AfCFTA is yet to meaningfully impact businesses on the ground, the President acknowledged the perception and responded with openness. He called on the private sector to fully embrace the AfCFTA, describing it as “an engine of growth” that provides access to a market of 1.4 billion people and a combined GDP of $3.4 trillion.

“We would like the private sector to follow in tandem with the public sector, and to embrace the AfCFTA and also be active participants,” he said.

He urged investors to support infrastructure development to make trade meaningful, including roads, rail, ports and airlines.

As part of this effort, President Ramaphosa said the public sector is working to “de-risk a number of these projects… and allow the private sector to participate”.

“Now what the public sector will do is to de-risk, particularly when it comes to infrastructure projects, and to de-risk a number of these projects through the sovereign financial systems that we have in each country and allow the private sector to participate.

“…We need to work together, and I’d like to see that… scepticism whittling down,” the President said.

G20

Looking ahead to the G20 Summit, the President said Africa would use the platform to advocate for fair management of the continent’s resources.

“This is precisely what we are going to be advocating for… when it comes to things like critical minerals. We want a critical minerals accord that will enable all of us to manage our critical minerals properly, and we can only do so when the public sector and the private sector move together and work together so your money is put to good use…” the President said.

When the facilitator pointed out the challenges of closed borders, expensive flights, and visa restrictions, the President replied: “…The African Continental Free Trade Area is going to be the pathfinder.

“The issue of visas is currently being addressed. The pace might be slow, but it is happening, and it is going to happen. It’s going to open the floodgate for economic activity on our continent. Watch this space. It is going to happen,” the President said.

The Africa CEO Forum is the leading platform for CEOs of the largest continental and multinational companies, investors, Heads of State and Government, Ministers and representatives of financial institutions.

This year’s forum takes place against a challenging global economic backdrop marked by rising protectionism, diminishing development aid, and mounting debt servicing costs for many African nations. – SAnews.gov.za

MIL OSI Africa –

May 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: US funding cuts have crippled our HIV work – what’s being lost

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Glenda Gray, Distinguished Professor, Infectious Disease and Oncology Research Institute, Faculty of Heath Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Executive Director Perinatal HIV Research Unit, Chief Scientific Officer, South African Medical Research Council

The loss of research capability means losing an understanding of how to prevent or treat HIV. Photo by sergey mikheev on Unsplash

The Trump administration’s cuts to funding for scientific research have left many scientists reeling and very worried. At the National Institutes of Health in the US, which has an annual budget of US$47 billion to support medical research both in the US and around the world, nearly 800 grants have been terminated. The administration is considering cutting the overall budget of the National Institutes of Health by 40%.

In South Africa, where tensions are running high with the new Trump administration over land reform and other diplomatic fault lines, scientists have had research grants from the National Institutes of Health suspended. Glenda Gray, who has been at the forefront of HIV/Aids scientific research for decades, assesses the impact of these cuts.

How have the cuts affected your research? When did you start worrying?

There was subliminal fear that started to percolate at the end of January. I said to my team, we need to start looking at our grants. We need to start looking at our exposure.

The first institute to go under the Trump administration’s cuts was USAID. The multibillion-dollar agency that fought poverty and hunger around the world was the first to face the chop.

As a result, a USAID-funded US$46 million consortium on HIV vaccine discovery and experimental medicine to evaluate first in Africa or first in human HIV vaccines was terminated.

Then in mid-April, funding for a clinical trial in Soweto near Johannesburg in South Africa was marked as “pending”. The unit was involved in trials for HIV vaccines. On top of that, four global research networks on HIV/Aids prevention and treatment strategies were told by the National Institutes of Health in the US that they could no longer spend any money in South Africa. The Soweto unit was affiliated with those networks.

So basically you can’t start new studies in South Africa?

There is a great deal of uncertainty. I’m sitting on many calls, working out how we survive in the next couple of months.

I’m going from bankrupt to absolutely bankrupt in terms of our ability to do work.

We’ve been doing scenario planning, looking at all our contingencies, but it’s very hard to know exactly what you’re doing until you have the relevant documentation in front of you.

To all intents and purposes for the next period, South Africa is eliminated from the National Institutes of Health networks and its scientific agenda.

How is the South African government responding?

The government doesn’t have the kind of money to replace the substantial amount of finances that we got through the National Institutes of Health competitive processes. However scientists have been working together with the Medical Research Council, Treasury and various government departments to plot the best way forward.

Everyone’s been writing grant proposals, speaking to the Gates Foundation, speaking to the Wellcome Trust, looking at public-private partnerships, talking to other philanthropists. But the bottom line is that funding is never going to be at the kind of level that will replace the research infrastructure that we’ve got.

To get money from the National Institutes of Health we had to compete with all scientists all over the world. This wasn’t just aid being doled out to us.

Where does this leave the future of research in South Africa for HIV vaccine trials?

South Africa has been able to contribute to global guidelines to improve care. The loss of research capability means that you lose the knowledge or the value of understanding HIV prevention, HIV vaccines or therapeutics.

We in South Africa have the infrastructure, we have the burden of disease, the sciences, the regulator and ethical environment and the ability to answer these questions. And so it’s going to take the world a lot longer to answer these questions without South Africa.

If we slow down research, we slow down HIV vaccine research, we slow down cures and we slow down other HIV prevention methodologies.

And so basically you slow down the process of knowledge generation.

What does it feel like to be a scientist right now in South Africa?

South African scientists are resilient. We’ve had to weather many storms, from the explosion of HIV to Aids denialism … watching people die, getting people onto treatment, having vaccine trials that have failed.

You have to be resilient to be a scientist in this field.

It’s going to be very hard to bring the fight against HIV/Aids back to the current level again.

It feels now like we are deer in the headlights because we don’t know how to pivot.

This is an edited transcript of an interview with Professor Gray aired in a podcast produced by The Conversation UK. You can listen to the full podcast here.

Glenda Gray receives funding from US-NIH which is currently being evaluated. .

– ref. US funding cuts have crippled our HIV work – what’s being lost – https://theconversation.com/us-funding-cuts-have-crippled-our-hiv-work-whats-being-lost-255645

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: What causes inequality in African countries? New book traces a vicious cycle

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Murray Leibbrandt, UCT Chair in Poverty and Inequality Research; Director of ARUA’s African Centre of Excellence for Inequality Resaearch with the Southern Africa Labour and Development Research Unit., University of Cape Town

Inequality is a problem that exists in various forms in sub-Saharan Africa.

Inequality is created by, among other factors, where you are born and live. Alongside this, income, assets, and access to education and healthcare differ among and between populations. These inequalities reinforce each other. The result is persistent poverty, lack of social mobility across generations, increased exposure to climate change, and a lack of inclusive economic growth.

Our recently published book Inequalities in Sub-Saharan Africa: Multidimensional Perspectives and Future Challenges presents an overview of the current situation. It identifies the key dimensions, challenges and causes of inequalities in the region. The book also proposes some solutions for equitable and sustainable development. These include progressive taxation and policies that address inequalities at their roots.

The impact of inequality

Migration: On a global scale, the greatest determinant of individual incomes – and thus of inequalities between individuals – is place of birth. More than half of income’s variability is explained by the country of residence and by the given circumstances at birth. These include being born in a rural environment.

In sub-Saharan Africa, especially in low-income countries, internal migration remains the most prevalent migration pattern. Migration is often the chosen route for people seeking to escape poverty. The rural exodus that characterises many countries in sub-Saharan Africa illustrates this well. Young people in Africa, faced with high unemployment rates, often see migration as the only opportunity for social mobility.

The dynamics of international migration are more complex. Given the high costs involved, international migration concerns only 2.5% of the population in sub-Saharan Africa. This is mostly intra-continental.

Labour market: Access to the labour market remains the main determinant of inequalities in sub-Saharan Africa.

Labour markets in the region are characterised by high proportions of informal employment. Formal sectors are relatively small (about 15% of total employment on the continent). Since the turn of the century, countries like Kenya have seen their share of informal employment increase significantly (from 73% in 2001 to 83% in 2017). At the same time formal wage employment has declined.

This amplifies inequality because the informal sector is characterised by a lack of protection and high vulnerability. But not all informal activities are precarious. Some serve as springboards into formal jobs.

In the formal sector, wage inequality in Africa is among the highest in the world. In South Africa, workers in high-skilled jobs earn nearly five times more than those in low-skilled jobs.

Young people entering the labour market have much higher unemployment rates and little chance of regular employment.

Gender inequality: Many gender inequalities persist, particularly access to the labour market. Unpaid care work makes women’s work invisible. In many African countries, women and girls spend more time on unpaid care which limits their economic opportunities.

These inequalities are reinforced by inequalities in access to resources. About 38% of African women report owning land, compared to 51% of African men.

Climate change: Africa is suffering the most severe impacts – droughts, floods and food insecurity – while contributing less than 5% of global carbon emissions.

Arid conditions affect 43.5% of agricultural land in sub-Saharan Africa compared to an estimated global average of 29%. Similarly, climate change mitigation costs, such as finding alternatives to hydroelectric power, are higher for low-income countries.

In sub-Saharan Africa, the richest 10% emit seven times more tonnes of carbon dioxide than the poorest 50%. Disadvantaged groups are more vulnerable to adverse climate effects as their housing and wealth are more likely to be damaged by storms and floods.

Skewed economic growth benefits: Economic growth has led to notably lower reductions in poverty in African countries than elsewhere. Unequal distribution of growth and its capture by those at the top of the income distribution ladder are evidence of non-inclusive economic growth. The richest 1% of Africans received 27% of the total revenue from growth on the continent.

What needs to be done

It is vital to give priority to promoting social and economic inclusion in the development strategies of African countries. Importantly, multidimensional inequalities such as income and health persist because they reinforce each other. Tackling them therefore requires coordinated and coherent policies.

– What causes inequality in African countries? New book traces a vicious cycle
– https://theconversation.com/what-causes-inequality-in-african-countries-new-book-traces-a-vicious-cycle-253376

MIL OSI Africa –

May 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Marketing unhealthy food as good for kids is fuelling obesity in South Africa: how to curb it

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Aisosa Jennifer Omoruyi, Research fellow, University of the Western Cape

Childhood overweight and obesity are a growing public health challenge in South Africa. In 2016, 13% of the country’s children were reported to be obese. This is predicted to double by 2030.

This problem has been linked to the regular consumption of calorie-dense foods high in sugar, salt and fat. South African children are growing up in a food environment that tends to cause obesity.

One of its key features is intense marketing of unhealthy food and beverages, using various channels and appealing strategies. Misleading health and nutrition claims are sometimes made.

Children are considered lucrative consumers because they can sometimes buy food themselves, influence their parents’ food purchases (they have “pester power”, for one thing), and are future consumers.

Marketers use several strategies that children find appealing, such as cartoon characters, brand mascots, bright colours, colourful packages, catchy songs and slogans.

Although there is no specific regulation of marketing to children in South Africa, the Consumer Protection Act 58 of 2008 has important provisions that guide the marketing of goods and services. The law prohibits false, deceptive marketing.

As a researcher into children’s rights and nutrition I coauthored a recent paper examining how the Consumer Protection Act could be used to address the misleading marketing of unhealthy foods and beverages to children.

In our view, the South African consumer protection legal framework has the necessary scope to address misleading forms of marketing of unhealthy foods to children. But there needs to be better enforcement.

Read more: Profit versus health: 4 ways big global industries make people sick

Health claims: not always the full package

A common strategy in food marketing is the use of misleading health or nutrition claims. These are often written (“contains vitamin C”, “high fibre”, “boosts immunity”, “supports brain health”), or implied by images of fruits and vegetables on the packaging of products.

Some studies in South Africa have demonstrated the misleading use of these claims in television and magazine advertisements and food packages, including products meant for children.

For instance, fruit juices often claim to be rich in vitamin C, but they have a high sugar content. Dairy products typically boast a high calcium content, but are also high in added sugar. Breakfast cereals frequently highlight their fibre content, despite being ultra-processed and containing a high amount of total carbohydrates and added sugar.

Packaged foods often contain nutrition labels, but the printed words are small and usually obscured by the “healthy” claims. Those are positioned more prominently to capture the attention of the consumer.

Health and nutrition claims can strongly influence purchasing decisions, especially in the South African context. Research has shown that many South African consumers do not read nutrition labels on packaged foods.

Read more: Half of all South Africans are overweight or obese. Warning labels on unhealthy foods help change that

What the law says

Firstly, the Consumer Protection Act recognises children as vulnerable or disadvantaged consumers who deserve special protection (section 3(1)(b)(iii). This is because they have limited capacity to understand marketing strategies or defend themselves against their persuasive effects.

Secondly, the Consumer Protection Act, in sections 29 and 41, prohibits the marketing of goods in a way that is reasonably likely to imply a false or misleading representation of facts such as their ingredients, benefits and qualities.

Thirdly, the Consumer Protection Act provisions do not require a consumer to show that they were actually misled by the claim or that children’s health was negatively affected by consuming the food product. It is enough that it has been marketed in a manner that is reasonably likely to mislead children or their parents or caregivers into buying the product.

Consumers have various ways to seek redress for misleading marketing. These include the Consumer Goods and Services Ombud and the Advertising Regulatory Board, the National Consumer Commission, the National Consumer Tribunal and the courts.

However, delays and poor compliance with decisions can put consumers off.

Read more: South Africa must ban sugary drinks sales in schools. Self regulation is failing

Food for thought: the way forward

Mandatory front-of-pack labels are needed in South Africa. They should be easy to understand and highlight nutrients of concern – salt, fat, sugar and artificial sweeteners – to reflect the overall nutritional profile of food products. They can also override the misleading “health halo” effect generated by health or nutrition claims.

The public should support the Draft Regulation R3337 Relating to the Labelling and Advertising of Foodstuffs made under the Foodstuffs, Cosmetic, and Disinfectant Act 54 of 1972. It specifically prohibits marketing unhealthy food to children.

The act needs to be used more and this requires much greater consumer activism.

Dispute mechanisms could be stronger and the processes could be streamlined to encourage consumer participation.

The government and public interest organisations need to create greater public awareness of consumer rights.

– Marketing unhealthy food as good for kids is fuelling obesity in South Africa: how to curb it
– https://theconversation.com/marketing-unhealthy-food-as-good-for-kids-is-fuelling-obesity-in-south-africa-how-to-curb-it-253994

MIL OSI Africa –

May 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: US funding cuts have crippled our HIV work – what’s being lost

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Glenda Gray, Distinguished Professor, Infectious Disease and Oncology Research Institute, Faculty of Heath Sciences, University of the Witwatersrand, Executive Director Perinatal HIV Research Unit, Chief Scientific Officer, South African Medical Research Council

The Trump administration’s cuts to funding for scientific research have left many scientists reeling and very worried. At the National Institutes of Health in the US, which has an annual budget of US$47 billion to support medical research both in the US and around the world, nearly 800 grants have been terminated. The administration is considering cutting the overall budget of the National Institutes of Health by 40%.

In South Africa, where tensions are running high with the new Trump administration over land reform and other diplomatic fault lines, scientists have had research grants from the National Institutes of Health suspended. Glenda Gray, who has been at the forefront of HIV/Aids scientific research for decades, assesses the impact of these cuts.

How have the cuts affected your research? When did you start worrying?

There was subliminal fear that started to percolate at the end of January. I said to my team, we need to start looking at our grants. We need to start looking at our exposure.

The first institute to go under the Trump administration’s cuts was USAID. The multibillion-dollar agency that fought poverty and hunger around the world was the first to face the chop.

As a result, a USAID-funded US$46 million consortium on HIV vaccine discovery and experimental medicine to evaluate first in Africa or first in human HIV vaccines was terminated.

Then in mid-April, funding for a clinical trial in Soweto near Johannesburg in South Africa was marked as “pending”. The unit was involved in trials for HIV vaccines. On top of that, four global research networks on HIV/Aids prevention and treatment strategies were told by the National Institutes of Health in the US that they could no longer spend any money in South Africa. The Soweto unit was affiliated with those networks.

So basically you can’t start new studies in South Africa?

There is a great deal of uncertainty. I’m sitting on many calls, working out how we survive in the next couple of months.

I’m going from bankrupt to absolutely bankrupt in terms of our ability to do work.

We’ve been doing scenario planning, looking at all our contingencies, but it’s very hard to know exactly what you’re doing until you have the relevant documentation in front of you.

To all intents and purposes for the next period, South Africa is eliminated from the National Institutes of Health networks and its scientific agenda.

How is the South African government responding?

The government doesn’t have the kind of money to replace the substantial amount of finances that we got through the National Institutes of Health competitive processes. However scientists have been working together with the Medical Research Council, Treasury and various government departments to plot the best way forward.

Everyone’s been writing grant proposals, speaking to the Gates Foundation, speaking to the Wellcome Trust, looking at public-private partnerships, talking to other philanthropists. But the bottom line is that funding is never going to be at the kind of level that will replace the research infrastructure that we’ve got.

To get money from the National Institutes of Health we had to compete with all scientists all over the world. This wasn’t just aid being doled out to us.

Where does this leave the future of research in South Africa for HIV vaccine trials?

South Africa has been able to contribute to global guidelines to improve care. The loss of research capability means that you lose the knowledge or the value of understanding HIV prevention, HIV vaccines or therapeutics.

We in South Africa have the infrastructure, we have the burden of disease, the sciences, the regulator and ethical environment and the ability to answer these questions. And so it’s going to take the world a lot longer to answer these questions without South Africa.

If we slow down research, we slow down HIV vaccine research, we slow down cures and we slow down other HIV prevention methodologies.

And so basically you slow down the process of knowledge generation.

What does it feel like to be a scientist right now in South Africa?

South African scientists are resilient. We’ve had to weather many storms, from the explosion of HIV to Aids denialism … watching people die, getting people onto treatment, having vaccine trials that have failed.

You have to be resilient to be a scientist in this field.

It’s going to be very hard to bring the fight against HIV/Aids back to the current level again.

It feels now like we are deer in the headlights because we don’t know how to pivot.

This is an edited transcript of an interview with Professor Gray aired in a podcast produced by The Conversation UK. You can listen to the full podcast here.

– US funding cuts have crippled our HIV work – what’s being lost
– https://theconversation.com/us-funding-cuts-have-crippled-our-hiv-work-whats-being-lost-255645

MIL OSI Africa –

May 13, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: King Works with Bipartisan Group to Strengthen Civilian Defense Workforce in Maine

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King
WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME), a senior member of the Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC), has joined a bipartisan group of colleagues and introduced legislation to strengthen the civilian defense workforce in Maine and address workforce shortages. Their bill, the Defense Workforce Integration Act would leverage existing programs and best practices within the Department of Defense (DoD) to retain the talent and motivation of those who desire to serve but are classified as “medically disqualified.”
“The armed services and the State of Maine have worked together for generations to protect our nation and — in Maine — maintain the best built ships in the fleet for the fight,” said Senator King. “But our continued shared success relies on the many hundreds of Maine men and women that work the docks and in support of our defense. Changing Department of Defense best practices to allow more Maine people to contribute is not only good for our state’s economy, but also critical for our national security. Through the Defense Workforce Integration Act, we will continue to support our shipbuilders and civilian defense workforce so we can maintain superiority on the world stage.”
As defense workforce shortages grow in crucial areas like manufacturing, cybersecurity and defense logistics, the Defense Workforce Integration Act would activate a pool of candidates who are ineligible for military service for reasons ranging from diseases of organs to mental health conditions:
For applicants who cannot join the military, the legislation directs DoD to enable military personnel managers to provide individuals that are medically disqualified with information about civilian employment opportunities in the following areas: the defense industrial base, cybersecurity, intelligence, research and development of defense technologies, national emergency and disaster preparedness and any other non-military role the Secretary of Defense considers in the national security interest.
For servicemembers disqualified early in their careers, the legislation expands on existing Air Force best practices by establishing Army and Navy personnel management programs to execute “warm hand-offs” to DoD civilian hiring authorities for personnel who become medically disqualified during their initial accession and training pipelines.
For personnel leaving the military after serving honorably, the legislation leverages existing Navy transition assistance programs to expand awareness of critical civilian roles at Military Sealift Command and workforce training programs for shipbuilders to enhance our civilian maritime workforce.
In addition to Senator King, the legislation is cosponsored by Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
As a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, and the Seapower Subcommittee, Senator King has championed funding for both Bath Iron Works (BIW) and Portsmouth Naval Shipyard (PNSY). Recently, Senator King and Secretary of the Navy John Phelan discussed the importance of utilizing lessons from the private sector to maintain best practices for ship designing, building, and maintenance. They also discussed the top three priorities for our nation’s shipbuilding capacity: “workforce, workforce, workforce.”

MIL OSI USA News –

May 13, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Company behind London art galleries which claimed to sell works by Banksy and Andy Warhol is shut down
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Press release

Company behind London art galleries which claimed to sell works by Banksy and Andy Warhol is shut down

The company has been wound-up following a hearing at the High Court
Artwork Holdings Ltd, formerly Yield Gallery Limited, described itself as “contemporary art specialists offering the purchase and investment of artwork to the public”

Insolvency Service investigations into the company found conflicting accounts as to whether it was trading, inaccurate accounts, and a suspected under-payment of VAT and corporation tax

The company has been shut down by the High Court, with the Official Receiver appointed as liquidator

A company with two London art galleries which marketed itself as selling works by famous artists such as Banksy, Andy Warhol and Tracey Emin has been shut down.

Artwork Holdings Ltd traded under the banner of Yield Gallery, which described itself as an internationally established “reputable and respected” contemporary and modern art gallery with two locations in London.

The business said it specialised in sourcing the rarest works by Banksy and Canadian street artist Richard Hambleton, offering collectors and investors the chance to own “original works from the artists”.

However, Insolvency Service investigations into Artwork Holdings were met with a lack of clarity over the company’s trading status, unreliable accounts, and a failure from the directors to adequately co-operate.

Artwork Holdings opposed the proceedings and asked the court to dismiss the winding-up petition presented by the Insolvency Service.

However, the company was wound-up at a hearing of the High Court in London on Monday 12 May.

Edna Okhiria, Chief Investigator at the Insolvency Service, said:

Our investigations into Artwork Holdings Ltd found several matters of concern. The company claimed to have ceased trading three years ago, but our investigators uncovered substantial evidence directly contradicting that account. Indeed, the company only changed its name to Artwork Holdings in November 2024.

Unreliable and inconsistent accounts were uncovered which did not provide a fair representation of the company’s business. The company and its director also failed to sufficiently co-operate with our investigations.

The public rightly expects companies to operate with transparency, file their tax returns, and comply with investigations by law enforcement. Artwork Holdings failed to do this and these matters of concern will now be investigated during the course of the company’s liquidation.

Yield Gallery was founded in 2019 with a gallery based on Royal Parade, Blackheath, in south-east London. A second space, which the company said was the largest Richard Hambleton gallery in the world, opened on Eastcastle Street in Fitzrovia in June 2024.

Insolvency Service investigations into Artwork Holdings began in October 2023, with the company named Yield Gallery Limited at that point. The company had earlier traded under a different name, Yield for You Ltd.

Solicitors acting on behalf of the company told investigators that it had ceased trading over a period time, rather than at a particular point as is usually the case. No dates were provided, other than vague statements that it was either in late 2021 or early 2022.

A new company, YG Group Ltd, was alleged to have taken over the company’s business and trading activities.

But information obtained by the Insolvency Service directly contradicted this, with Yield Gallery’s website referencing the company’s full name on its contact page up until April 2024.

A rental agreement for one of Yield Gallery’s former locations was also signed by one of the directors in August 2022, more than six months after it claimed to have stopped trading.

Similarly, it advertised an exhibition in Soho in the autumn of 2023, with the licence agreement for the location giving the company name as Yield Gallery and the company number of Artwork Holdings.

Several Yield Gallery clients contacted by the Insolvency Service also said they had not been informed the company had ceased trading and that the business had been transferred to YG Group.

These issues were not disputed by the company’s active director, who blamed “lax administration”, a “lack of diligence” and “carelessness on my part” for the errors.

Inaccurate and unreliable accounts were also discovered during the investigations.

Investigators found payments from 64 customers totalling just over £2 million paid into two of the company’s bank accounts between December 2020 and April 2022.

But sales for that period were more than £4.2 million, suggesting more than half the company’s revenue did not pass through its bank account.

Investigators also found that a £50,000 Covid Bounce Back Loan had been secured by the company in June 2020. From the accounts seen by the Insolvency Service, it was not entitled to this government-backed loan as its turnover in 2019 was zero, not the £200,000 it needed to be to secure the funds.

The director claimed that the company was entitled to the Bounce Back Loan and that its accounts were wrong.

However, in response to questions from investigators who found that the company appeared to owe more than £100,000 in corporation tax, he said he was “unable to comment on the accuracy of the accounts”.

No evidence was provided by Artwork Holdings that it had declared and paid the corporation tax due on its trading.

Artwork Holdings was also not registered with HM Revenue and Customs as an art market participant which it was required to do to avoid falling foul of money laundering regulations.

Concerns were also identified that the company had not paid the appropriate amount of VAT.

The Official Receiver has been appointed as liquidator of Artwork Holdings Ltd.

All enquiries concerning the affairs of the company should be made to the Official Receiver of the Public Interest Unit: 16th Floor, 1 Westfield Avenue, Stratford, London, E20 1HZ. Email: piu.or@insolvency.gov.uk.

Based on the available evidence provided to the Insolvency Service, there is no indication that any of the artists named above had any direct relationship with the company.

Further information

Artwork Holdings Ltd (company number 12067319)

The Insolvency Service can investigate complaints about corporate abuse by live companies. This may include serious misconduct, fraud, scams or dishonest practice in the way the company operates. Further information on our live investigations can be found here

Further information about the work of the Insolvency Service, and how to complain about financial misconduct, is available here.

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Published 12 May 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
May 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Maryland Man Sentenced to 96 Months for Traveling to the District of Columbia for Sex with Child

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

WASHINGTON – Nathaniel Lamar Nelson Scott, 36, of Bowie, Maryland, was sentenced today in U.S. District Court to 96-months in federal prison in connection with traveling to sexually abuse a six-year-old girl in the District of Columbia.

The sentence was announced by U.S. Attorney Edward R. Martin Jr., FBI Special Agent in Charge Sean Ryan of the Washington Field Office Criminal and Cyber Division, and Chief Pamela Smith of the Metropolitan Police Department.

Scott pleaded guilty October 16, 2024, to one count of travel with intent to engage in illicit sexual conduct. In addition to the prison term, the Honorable Dabney L. Friedrich ordered Scott to serve a lifetime term of supervised release and to register as a sex offender.

According to the government’s evidence, in May 2024 Scott began communicating via an encrypted messaging application with a man he met on a fetish website. Scott believed the man to be a pedophile who was sexually abusing his six-year-old daughter. The man actually was an undercover officer with the MPD–FBI Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. Over the next several days, Scott engaged in graphic conversations with the undercover officer about sexually abusing the purported child. On June 5, 2024, Scott arranged to meet for the purpose of engaging in sexual acts with the child. He traveled from Maryland to a pre-arranged meeting place in the District where he was arrested.

This case is being brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse, launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, please visit www.justice.gov/psc.

This case was investigated by the FBI Washington Field Office and MPD’s Child Exploitation and Human Trafficking Task Force. The task force is composed of FBI agents, along with other federal agents and detectives from northern Virginia and the District of Columbia. The task force is charged with investigating and bringing federal charges against individuals engaged in the exploitation of children and those engaged in human trafficking.

The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn Bond and Paul V. Courtney.

24cr287

MIL Security OSI –

May 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice: 205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-Led Nationwide Crackdown, Including Five in the Eastern District of Michigan

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

DETROIT – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators. The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

“Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

“We are called to protect the most vulnerable members of our community, our children,” said U.S. Attorney Jerome F. Gorgon Jr. “Our office will bring the full force of the law against those who exploit innocent children. We are firmly committed to working alongside our federal, state, and local partners to identify, investigate, and prosecute anyone who seeks to hurt our children.”

“Operation Restore Justice demonstrates the strength of our law enforcement partnerships,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “Members of the FBI Detroit Field Office’s Violent Crimes Against Children Task Force, along with the Macomb County FBI Gang and Violent Crime Task Force, greatly appreciate the coordinated efforts and support from our law enforcement partners, including ICE HSI, U.S. Border Patrol, CBP Air and Marine Operations, Macomb County Sheriff’s Office, Shelby Township Police Department, Royal Oak Police Department, Belleville Police Department, Westland Police Department, and Centerline Police Department. This operation led to multiple arrests across eastern Michigan, underscoring our commitment to protecting and strengthening community safety.”

Those charged in the Eastern District of Michigan were:

Adarius Carr, 36, of Belleville. Carr is charged in a criminal complaint with distribution, receipt, and possession of child pornography. The complaint alleges that Carr communicated with a convicted sex offender over an Internet-messaging service. The two discussed their sexual interest in children and exchanged images and videos of child pornography.

Aroul Kaliamurthy, 53, of Westland, Michigan. Kaliamurthy was charged in a criminal complaint with transportation, possession, and access with intent to view child pornography. It is alleged that Kaliamurthy traveled to North Carolina where he took hidden camera videos of a naked prepubescent child. Kaliamurthy is alleged to have possessed these electronic devices as well as images of child pornography on his cell phone and personal computers and brought them back to the Eastern District of Michigan.

Scott Rocky, 57, of Centerline. Rocky was charged in a criminal complaint with receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography. The complaint alleges that Rocky shared approximately 4141 files believed to be child pornography with other internet users over peer-to-peer software.

Amor Pedro Martinez, 26, of Ecorse. Martinez was charged in a criminal complaint with receipt, distribution, and possession of child pornography. According to the criminal complaint, Martinez is alleged to have engaged in sexually explicit conversations on a messaging application with other individuals and received child pornography on this application from another user.

Whitney Williams, 38. Williams was charged in a criminal complaint with sex trafficking of a minor. According to the criminal complaint, Williams is alleged to have advertised, rented hotel rooms and transported a minor victim to engage in commercial sex acts.

Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.

In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.

This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

Other online resources:

Violent Crimes Against Children

How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

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

###

MIL Security OSI –

May 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Announces Results of Operation Restore Justice: 205 Child Sex Abuse Offenders Arrested in FBI-Led Nationwide Crackdown, Including Seven in the Western District of Michigan

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

May 7, 2025 – Today, the Department of Justice announced the results of Operation Restore Justice, a coordinated enforcement effort to identify, track and arrest child sex predators. The operation resulted in the rescue of 115 children and the arrests of 205 child sexual abuse offenders in the nationwide crackdown. The coordinated effort was executed over the course of five days by all 55 FBI field offices, the Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section in the Department’s Criminal Division, and United States Attorney’s Offices around the country.

“The Department of Justice will never stop fighting to protect victims — especially child victims — and we will not rest until we hunt down, arrest, and prosecute every child predator who preys on the most vulnerable among us,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “I am grateful to the FBI and their state and local partners for their incredible work in Operation Restore Justice and have directed my prosecutors not to negotiate.”

“Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and exploitation, and the FBI will continue to be relentless in our pursuit of those who exploit the most vulnerable among us,” said FBI Director Kash Patel. “Operation Restore Justice proves that no predator is out of reach and no child will be forgotten. By leveraging the strength of all our field offices and our federal, state and local partners, we’re sending a clear message: there is no place to hide for those who prey on children.”

Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew Birge advised that “With this operation, we are amplifying the message that the Department is fully committed to securing justice for the most innocent of victims: children in our communities.”

“Operation Restore Justice highlights the importance of collaboration among federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies,” said Cheyvoryea Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Detroit Field Office. “The members of the FBI Grand Rapids WEBCHEX Task Force and the Lansing Resident Agency appreciate the vital support from our partners, including the Michigan State Police, Kent County Sheriff’s Office, Ottawa County Sheriff’s Office, Newaygo County Sheriff’s Office, Norton Shores Police Department, Grand Rapids Police Department, Lansing Police Department, and the Muskegon County Prosecutor’s Office. This coordinated effort led to numerous arrests across western Michigan and in Arkansas and Tennessee, with crucial assistance from the FBI Little Rock (Texarkana Resident Agency) and Nashville (Knoxville Resident Agency) Field Offices. Operation Restore Justice demonstrates our shared commitment to public safety in Michigan and throughout the United States.”

In the Western District of Michigan, seven individuals were arrested and charged with federal crimes: Christian Vanderveen, of Comstock Park; Paul Masko, of Grand Haven; Terry Hopkins, of Muskegon Heights; Martell Scott-Ware, of Grand Rapids; Shauntelle Blackmon, of Arkadelphia, Arkansas; Joesph Brandon, of Knoxville, Tennessee; and George Edward Lebaron, of Egelston Township.

* Christian Vanderveen, 24, of Comstock Park, was charged by Complaint with Sexual Exploitation of a Child. According to court documents, Vanderveen repeatedly requested sexually explicit images from a minor who was under the age of thirteen. Evidence obtained from his cell phone revealed the sexually explicit media, as well as Vanderveen’s requests. In an interview with law enforcement, Vanderveen admitted to this conduct.

If convicted, Vanderveen faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, and a maximum penalty of 30 years.

This case was investigated by the Michigan State Police and FBI.

# # #

* Paul Masko, of Grand Haven, was indicted for three counts of Sexual Exploitation of a Child. Each charge is punishable by a minimum of 15 years, and a maximum of 30 years, in prison.

Masko was a teacher at a public school in Muskegon County. The indictment alleges that Masko gave his phone to a minor victim and directed the minor to take pictures of explicit images of the minor on the minor’s cell phone.

This case was investigated by the Muskegon County Sheriff’s Department, the Grand Haven Department of Public Safety, and the FBI.

# # #

* Terry Hopkins, of Muskegon Heights, was indicted for possession of child pornography.

Hopkins was previously convicted of possession of child sexually abusive material on two occasions and criminal sexual conduct with a minor. As a result, he is subject to an enhanced sentence if convicted – a minimum of 10 years and a maximum of 20 years in prison.

This case was investigated by the Michigan State Police, Michigan Department of Corrections, and the FBI.

# # #

* Martell Scott-Ware, 29, of Grand Rapids and Shauntelle Blackmon, 23, of Arkadelphia, Arkansas, were indicted on criminal charges related to alleged sexual exploitation of a child. The grand jury also returned a separate charge accusing Blackmon alone of sex trafficking of a child.

According to court documents, Scott-Ware and Blackmon are charged with persuading a minor female under the age of 16 to engage in sexual activity, which Scott-Ware and Blackmon then recorded. Blackmon also allegedly recruited and offered the same minor for commercial sexual activity, both in the Western District of Michigan and in Arkansas.

If convicted, Scott-Ware and Blackmon each face a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison on their charge of sexual exploitation of a child. Blackmon faces a separate mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison on the sex trafficking charge.

The Michigan State Police and FBI investigated this case.

# # #

* Joseph Brandon, of Knoxville, Tennessee, was arrested by criminal complaint on charges related to the sexual exploitation of a child. According to court documents, Brandon formed an agreement with a man in Michigan to use social media accounts to produce and trade child pornography.

If convicted, Brandon faces a mandatory minimum penalty of 15 years in prison, and a maximum penalty of 30 years.

This FBI investigated this case

# # #

* George Edward Lebaron, of Egelston Township, was arrested by criminal complaint on charges related to alleged coercion and enticement of a minor, receipt of child pornography, and possession of child pornography.

According to court documents, Lebaron is charged with establishing an online relationship with a 14-year-old girl and coercing and inducing her to send him naked pictures of herself. Lebaron asked another minor girl to also send him naked pictures. Lebaron was previously convicted in 2003 of criminal sexual conduct in the second degree for a victim under 13 years old.

If convicted, Lebaron faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison if convicted of coercion and enticement. If convicted of receipt of child pornography, he faces a mandatory minimum of 15 years and a maximum of 40 years in prison. If convicted of possession of child pornography, Lebaron faces a mandatory minimum of 10 year and a maximum of 20 years in prison.

The FBI is investigating this case.

# # #

Others arrested around the country are alleged to have committed various crimes including the production, distribution, and possession of child sexual abuse material, online enticement and transportation of minors, and child sex trafficking. In Minneapolis, for example, a state trooper and Army Reservist was arrested for allegedly producing child sexual abuse material while wearing his uniforms. In Norfolk, VA, an illegal alien from Mexico is accused of transporting a minor across state lines for sex. In Washington, D.C., a former Metropolitan Police Department Police Officer was arrested for allegedly trafficking minor victims.

In many cases, parental vigilance and community outreach efforts played a critical role in bringing these offenders to justice. For example, a California man was arrested about eight hours after a young victim bravely came forward and disclosed their abuse to FBI agents after an online safety presentation at a school near Albany, N.Y.

This effort follows the Department’s observance of National Child Abuse Prevention Month in April, and underscores the Department’s unwavering commitment to protecting children and raising awareness about the dangers they face. While the Department, including the FBI, investigates and prosecutes these crimes every day, April serves as a powerful reminder of the importance of preventing these crimes, seeking justice for victims, and raising awareness through community education.

The Justice Department is committed to combating child sexual exploitation. These cases were brought as part of Project Safe Childhood, a nationwide initiative to combat the epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse launched in May 2006 by the Department of Justice. Led by U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and CEOS, Project Safe Childhood marshals federal, state, and local resources to better locate, apprehend, and prosecute individuals who exploit children via the internet, as well as to identify and rescue victims. For more information about Project Safe Childhood, visit www.justice.gov/psc.

The Department partners with and oversees funding grants for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children (NCMEC), which receives and shares tips about possible child sexual exploitation received through its 24/7 hotline at 1-800-THE-LOST and on missingkids.org.

The Department urges the public to remain vigilant and report suspected exploitation of a child through the FBI’s tipline at 1-800-CALL-FBI (225-5324), tips.fbi.gov, or by calling your local FBI field office.

Other online resources:

Electronic Press Kit

Violent Crimes Against Children

How we can help you: Parents and caregivers protecting your kids

A complaint and an indictment are merely an allegation. The defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

MIL Security OSI –

May 13, 2025
MIL-OSI: Byline Bank Expands Payments and Fintech Banking Group to Support Embedded Payment Solutions
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

CHICAGO, May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Byline Bank today announced the expansion of its Payments and Fintech Banking division, including several key new hires and leadership appointments, which underscore the bank’s significant investment in embedded finance and modern digital payment solutions.

Since bringing on industry veterans David Prochnow and Joe Wolsfeld to lead the fintech banking group in March 2024, Byline has taken significant steps in the fintech payments arena. Prior to joining Byline, Prochnow and Wolsfeld led Fifth Third Bank’s Newline embedded payments division, where they managed a portfolio of more than 100 fintech clients representing $2 billion in deposits. Together at Byline, they have built a sponsorship banking and embedded payments model centered on direct oversight, regulatory compliance and faster access to payment networks, enabling fintech clients to develop technology and custom payment solutions with confidence.

“This team represents an important evolution for Byline as we continue to invest in innovation and meet our clients where they are,” said Alberto Paracchini, President and Chief Executive Officer of Byline Bank. “We’re proud to bring together some of the most experienced fintech banking professionals in the industry, who not only understand the needs of fintech founders but also know how to build these programs the right way—with stability, oversight and collaboration at their core.”

The team’s strategy of direct, high-touch client engagement is well-timed and backed by the strength of a well-capitalized commercial bank with a history of managing complex business lines.

“Despite new competitors entering the fintech space in recent years, there has been a gap in banks that want to serve and directly engage with fintech customers,” said Prochnow. “Our team at Byline knows from experience that successful fintech-bank partnerships are rooted in relationships.”

To power this division, Byline has assembled a seasoned team with deep experience in building and managing complex embedded payment platforms. Led by Prochnow and Wolsfeld, the new team includes the following professionals, who bring a wide range of expertise and sophistication to the division:
- Paul Garcia, Senior Vice President, Payments and Fintech Banking Risk Manager, joined in January after more than two decades with First National Bank of Omaha, TSYS, MB Financial and Fifth Third Bank, where he led both large-scale risk management teams and national business lines.
- Ashley Kveton, Vice President and Fintech Banking Operations Director, joined in April following 17 years at MB Financial and Fifth Third Bank, where she held senior roles leading operations and client success groups within their national embedded payments and sponsorship banking division.
- Joe Tarkington, Vice President of Sales and Relationship Management, joined Byline in April. He previously served as Vice President of Sales and Relationship Management for Newline at MB Financial and Fifth Third Bank.
The group will provide third-party payment processing for treasury payment flows, issuing and deposit sponsorship banking for virtual card and account programs, and network sponsorship banking for independent sales organizations and payment processors. These offerings are built on a model of direct oversight, designed to streamline execution without relying on outside intermediaries.

“The message from fintech clients is loud and clear,” said Wolsfeld. “They want to work directly with banks that have experienced teams that understand their business, and that’s what we’ve built here at Byline.”

About Byline Bank
Headquartered in Chicago, Byline Bank, a subsidiary of Byline Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE:BY), is a full-service commercial bank serving small- and medium-sized businesses, financial sponsors and consumers. Byline Bank operates over 40 branch locations throughout the Chicago and Milwaukee metropolitan areas. Byline Bank offers a broad range of commercial and community banking products and services, including small-ticket equipment leasing solutions, and is one of the top U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) lenders according to the national SBA rankings by volume FY2024. Byline Bank is a member of FDIC and an Equal Housing Lender.

Visit bylinebank.com for more information, and follow Byline Bank on Facebook, LinkedIn, X or Instagram for the latest news and updates.

Media Contact:
Allison Roche
Marketing Communications & Partnerships Manager
Byline Bank
aroche@bylinebank.com

Investor Contact:
Brooks Rennie
Investor Relations Director
Byline Bank
(312) 660-5805
brennie@bylinebank.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/e6afab2d-4383-4bbb-98d8-672498acf290

The MIL Network –
May 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Trump heads to the Gulf aiming to bolster trade ties – but side talks on Tehran, Gaza could drive a wedge between US and Israel

Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Asher Kaufman, Professor of History and Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame

President Donald Trump and Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman attend the G20 Summit in Japan in 2019. Eliot Blondet/AFP via Getty Images

President Donald Trump will sit down with the Saudi crown prince and Emirati and Qatari leaders on May 14, 2025, in what is being heavily touted as a high-stakes summit. Not invited, and watching warily, will be Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Like many other members of his right-wing coalition, Netanyahu appeared delighted at the election of Trump as U.S. president in November, believing that the Republican’s Middle East policies would undoubtedly favor Israeli interests and be coordinated closely with Netanyahu himself.

But it hasn’t quite played out that way. Of course, Washington remains – certainly in official communications – Israel’s strongest global ally and chief supplier of arms. But Trump is promoting a Middle East policy that is, at times, distinctly at odds with the interests of Netanyahu and his government.

In fact, in pushing for an Iran nuclear deal – a surprise reversal from Trump’s first administration – Trump is undermining long-held Netanyahu positions. Such is the level of alarm in Israeli right-wing circles that rumors have been circulating of Trump announcing unilateral U.S. support for a Palestinian state ahead of the Riyadh visit – something that would represent a clear departure for Washington.

As a historian of Israel and the broader Middle East, I recognize that in key ways Trump’s agenda in Riyadh represents a continuation of the U.S. policies, notably in pursuing security relationships with Arab Gulf monarchies – something Israel has long accepted if not openly supported. But in the process, the trip could also put significant daylight between Trump and Netanyahu.

Trump’s official agenda

The four-day trip to the Gulf, Trump’s first policy-driven foreign visit since being elected president, is on the surface more about developing economic and security ties between the U.S. and traditional allies in the Persian Gulf.

Trump is expected to cement trade deals worth tens of billions of dollars between the U.S. and Arab Gulf States, including unprecedented arms purchases, Gulf investments in the U.S. and even the floated Qatari gift of a palatial 747 intended for use as Air Force One.

There is also the possibility of a security alliance between the U.S. and Saudi Arabia.

So far, so good for Israel’s government. Prior to the Oct. 7 attacks, Israel was already in the process of forging closer ties to the Gulf states, with deals and diplomatic relations established with the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain through the Abraham Accords that the Trump administration itself facilitated in September 2020. A potential normalization of ties with Saudi Arabia was also in the offing.

Dealing with Tehran

But central to the agenda this week in Riyadh will be issues where Trump and Netanyahu are increasingly not on the same page. And that starts with Iran.

While the country won’t be represented, Iran will feature heavily at Trump’s summit, as it coincides with the U.S. administration’s ongoing diplomatic talks with Tehran over its nuclear program. Those negotiations have now concluded four rounds. And despite clear challenges, American and Iranian delegations continue to project optimism about the possibility of reaching a deal.

The approach marks a change of course for Trump, who in 2018 abandoned a similar deal to the one he is now largely looking to forge. It also suggests the U.S. is currently opposed to the idea of direct armed confrontation with Iran, against Netanayhu’s clear preference.

Diplomacy with Tehran is also favored by Gulf states as a way of containing Iran’s nuclear ambitions. Even Saudi Arabia – Tehran’s long-term regional rival that, like Israel, opposed the Obama-era Iran nuclear diplomacy – is increasingly looking for a more cautious engagement with Iran. In April, the Saudi defense minister visited Tehran ahead of the recent U.S.-Iranian negotiations.

Netanyahu has built his political career on the looming threat from a nuclearized Iran and the necessity to nip this threat in the bud. He unsuccessfully tried to undermine President Barack Obama’s initial efforts to reach an agreement with Iran – resulting in 2015’s Iran nuclear deal. But Netanyahu had more luck with Obama’s successor, helping convince Trump to withdraw from the agreement in 2018.

So Trump’s about-turn on Iran talks has irked Netanyahu – not only because it happened, but because it happened so publicly. In April, the U.S. president called Netanyahu to the White House and openly embarrassed him by stating that Washington is pursuing diplomatic negotiations with Tehran.

Split over Yemen

A clear indication of the potential tension between the Trump administration and the Israeli government can be seen in the ongoing skirmishes involving the U.S., Israel and the Houthis in Yemen.

After the Houthis fired a missile at the Tel Aviv airport on May 4 – leading to its closure and the cancellation of multiple international flights – Israel struck back, devastating an airport and other facilities in Yemen’s capital.

But just a few hours after the Israeli attack, Trump announced that the U.S. would not strike the Houthis anymore, as they had “surrendered” to his demands and agreed not to block passage of U.S. ships in the Red Sea.

It became clear that Israel was not involved in this new understanding between the U.S. and the Houthis. Trump’s statement was also notable in its timing, and could be taken as an effort to calm the region in preparation of his trip to Saudi Arabia. The fact that it might help smooth talks with Iran too – Tehran being the Houthis’ main sponsor – was likely a factor as well.

Timing is also relevant in Israel’s latest attack on Yemeni ports. They took place on May 11 – the eve of Trump setting off for his visit to Saudi Arabia. In so doing, Netanyahu may be sending a signal not only to the Houthis but also to the U.S. and Iran. Continuing to attack the Houthis might make nuclear talks more difficult.

Bibi’s political survival-first approach

Critical observers of Netanyahu have long argued that he prioritizes continued war in Gaza over regional calm for the sake of holding together his far-right coalition, members of which desire full control of the Gaza Strip and de-facto annexation of the West Bank.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warns of the Iran nuclear threat at the United Nations in 2012.
Mario Tama/Getty Images

This, many political commentators have argued, is the main reason why Netanyahu backed off from the last stage of the ceasefire agreement with Hamas in March – something which would have required the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the Gaza Strip.

Since the collapse of the ceasefire, Israel’s army has mobilized in preparation for a renewed Gaza assault, scheduled to start after the end of Trump’s trip to the Gulf.

With members of the Netanayhu government openly supporting the permanent occupation of the strip and declaring that bringing back the remaining Israeli hostages is no longer a top priority, it seems clear to me that deescalation is not on Netanyahu’s agenda.

Trump himself has noted recently both the alarming state of the hostages and the grave humanitarian crisis in Gaza. Now, in addition to the release of Israeli-American hostage Edan Alexander, the U.S. is also engaged in negotiations with Hamas over ceasefire and aid – ignoring Netanyahu in the process.

The bottom dollar

Current U.S. policy in the region may all be serving a greater aim for Trump: to secure billions of dollars of Gulf money for the American economy and, some have said, himself. But to achieve that requires a stable Middle East, and continued war in Gaza and Iran inching closer to nuclear capabilities might disrupt that goal.

Of course, a diplomatic agreement over Tehran’s nuclear plans is still some way off. And Trump’s foreign policy is notably prone to abrupt turns. But whether guided by a dealmaker’s instincts to pursue trade and economic deals with wealthy Gulf states, or by a genuine – and related – desire to stabilize the region, his administration is increasingly pursuing policies that go against the interests of the current Israeli government.

Asher Kaufman 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. Trump heads to the Gulf aiming to bolster trade ties – but side talks on Tehran, Gaza could drive a wedge between US and Israel – https://theconversation.com/trump-heads-to-the-gulf-aiming-to-bolster-trade-ties-but-side-talks-on-tehran-gaza-could-drive-a-wedge-between-us-and-israel-256371

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong Customs holds inaugural ceremony of second term of Customs YES Honorary Presidents’ Association (with photos)

Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

Hong Kong Customs holds inaugural ceremony of second term of Customs YES Honorary Presidents’ Association
The CYHPA comprises official and non-official members from different sectors, including legal, commerce and industry, healthcare, innovation and technology, youth services, education and sports, who tender advice and offer multifaceted forms of support to ensure the sustained development and activities of Customs YES.

Speaking at the ceremony, Mr Chan expressed gratitude to the members of the CYHPA for their longstanding partnership with Customs, which has laid a solid foundation for the future development of youth. While highlighting that Customs YES has nurtured numerous National Security Youth Ambassadors to promote national security awareness among the public, Mr Chan also encouraged young people to actively engage in social affairs and jointly uphold Hong Kong’s stability and prosperity. Customs YES will continue to provide diverse exchange and learning opportunities, fostering youth to become future leaders who care about the country and have a global outlook while establishing a foothold in Hong Kong.

In his speech, Mr Chuang emphasised that Hong Kong’s youth are the future builders and successors of the “one country, two systems” and expressed hope that their participation in the nation’s major initiatives would strengthen their sense of ownership and responsibility. He also welcomed the five newly appointed honorary presidents and shared his aspiration to lead members of the new-term CYHPA in serving as a bridge, cultivating a new generation equipped with international perspectives, competence, and dynamism.

Since its launch in 2021, Customs YES has over 8 600 young members aged between 12 and 24. For further information of the scheme, please visit www2.customsyes.hk/Issued at HKT 21:47

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CategoriesMIL-OSI

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

May 13, 2025
MIL-OSI: ALR Miner Launches Next-Gen Cloud Mining Platform, Empowering Global Users with Secure and Scalable Crypto Earning Solutions

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Monmouth, Monmouthshire, May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ALR Miner celebrates its seventh anniversary and continues to lead the new wave of legal, green, and safe cloud mining. sign up and get $12, with special anniversary benefits for both new and existing users.

Against the backdrop of the growing maturity of the global blockchain and digital currency industry, ALR Miner, the world’s leading cloud mining platform, celebrates its seventh anniversary today. As a crypto technology company legally registered and compliantly operated in the UK, ALR Miner has always adhered to the core concepts of technology-driven, safety-first, green, and low-carbon since its establishment in 2018, and is committed to providing global users with cloud mining services with low thresholds, stable returns, and controllable risks.

To celebrate its seventh anniversary, ALR Miner officially launched the “5.18 Anniversary Series of Activities,” launching several limited-time benefits, including a $12 mining experience bonus for new users upon registration, doubled mining rewards for all currencies on the platform, and multiple rewards for inviting friends, etc., to give back to millions of loyal users around the world for their long-term support and trust.

Legal and compliant, with British qualifications, and global operations
As a technology-based company headquartered in the UK, ALR Miner was registered and established by ALR FINANCIAL SERVICES LIMITED and provides cryptocurrency cloud computing services by relevant British laws and regulations. The platform also actively responds to the compliance guidelines of major global regulators, including the UK Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), to ensure that the business is stable, safe and transparent.

ALR Miner has branches or cooperative nodes in many countries and regions around the world, supports multi-currency and cross-time zone operations, and deploys mining resources through green data centres around the world. The platform adopts a high-level security protection system, combined with cold and hot wallet separation and a multi-authentication mechanism to maximise the security of user assets.

Green and low-carbon, promote a new model of sustainable mining
At present, the world is highly concerned about the energy consumption and carbon emissions caused by cryptocurrency mining. As an industry pioneer, ALR Miner has completed the transition to a green and clean energy mining model. Most of the computing power resources come from environmentally friendly mines driven by hydropower, wind power, and solar power, especially in Northern Europe, Canada, and other regions. Established green computing power hubs.

In addition, ALR Miner introduces an AI-driven mining scheduling system to dynamically optimise mining resource allocation, improve energy utilisation, and reduce power consumption to implement the sustainable development vision of the blockchain industry.

Sign up and get $12 to start your mining journey

In order to encourage more users to understand the world of digital assets safely and with a low threshold, ALR Miner has launched a new user benefit of $12 for free registration. You can start your mining journey without recharging and automatically generate income every day. Users can choose to participate in mining mainstream currencies such as Bitcoin (BTC), Ethereum (ETH), and Filecoin (FIL) and easily enjoy the distribution of on-chain income.

The platform has a simple interface, convenient operation, support for multiple languages and multiple payment methods, and a mobile synchronisation experience, and it is the common choice of novices and senior miners around the world.

The 5.18 7th Anniversary Celebration is launched, and multiple rewards are given away for a limited time.

On the occasion of the 7th anniversary of the platform, ALR Miner launched the “5.18 Anniversary Celebration” special feedback event, which covers new and old users. The specific content includes:

Register to get $12 experience money, and you can start automatic mining income.

Mining income increase: the income ratio of all currencies during the event is increased to 120% of the original plan.

Invite friends to enjoy double returns: both the inviter and the invitee can get additional computing power and experience money rewards.

Exclusive anniversary red envelopes and airdrop activities: covering USDT, FIL, platform tokens, limited NFTsother diverse prizes;

Limited subsidies for active old users: the platform will count the recharge records of old users and issue anniversary subsidies.

All activities will last until June 18, 2025. Users can obtain detailed participation methods through the official website or official social platforms.

Moving towards the future: Building a globally trusted digital asset service platform
ALR Miner has achieved remarkable achievements in the past seven years – the number of platform users has exceeded 5 million, the cumulative mining income has exceeded US$200 million, and the cooperative mines are spread across Europe, America and Asia. In the future, ALR Miner will continue to deepen its global compliance layout, expand more green energy computing resources, and plan to introduce more intelligent asset management tools to support users to upgrade from “mining income” to “asset appreciation”.

The person in charge of the platform said: “ALR Miner always adheres to the principles of technology empowerment and user first. In the next five years, our goal is to build a more robust, secure, green and open global digital asset infrastructure network, and truly realize a mining economic ecology that everyone can participate in and everyone can benefit from.”

About ALR Miner

ALR Miner is a global cloud mining platform headquartered in London, UK, dedicated to providing one-stop, secure and transparent cryptocurrency mining services to global users. Since its establishment in 2018, ALR Miner has served more than 100 countries and regions around the world and has accumulated more than US$200 million in stable income for users. The platform takes “legality, environmental protection, and efficiency” as its core operation, promotes global users to participate in the digital asset industry more conveniently, and helps the popularisation and implementation of the blockchain ecosystem.

Media Contact:
Name: Olivia Miller
Email: info@alrminer.com
Address: Singleton Court Business Park, Wonastow Road,
Monmouth, Monmouthshire, United Kingdom, NP25 5JA
Web: https://alrminer.com

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The MIL Network –

May 13, 2025
MIL-OSI: MaxisIT Evolves to Maxis AI, Launches Enterprise-Ready Agentic AI Platform to Transform Clinical Trials in Pharmaceutical and Life Sciences Industry
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

EDISON, N.J., May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MaxisIT, a long-recognized provider of clinical data analytics platform for clinical trials, today announced its transformation into Maxis AI. This strategic evolution is marked by the introduction of the company’s innovative Agentic AI Platform, launched with the guiding principle: “Designed to Think. Built to Act.” This initiative signals a new direction for clinical development. As part of this change, Maxis AI’s new platform will support pharmaceutical and life sciences companies in achieving greater efficiency, deeper insights, and accelerated progress.

Bringing life-saving therapies to patients comes with complexity, rising costs, and lengthy timelines. Maxis AI addresses these challenges with Agentic AI, enabling systems to understand objectives, determine key steps, and execute tasks throughout clinical trials.

The launch marks a major milestone in the evolution of enterprise AI, an evolution from passive copilots and static chatbots to fully actionable, domain-aware agents that can reason, act, and adapt across complex workflows.

Built for Enterprise, Tuned for Industry

Maxis AI’s Agentic AI Platform is designed to meet enterprise requirements from the ground up. Features include:
- Multi-agent orchestration for automating end-to-end workflows
- Built-in governance and auditability for compliance with HIPAA, GxP, 21 CFR Part 11, and other regulations
- Pre-trained industry agents for pharma R&D, regulatory operations, clinical trials, and patient services
- Ecosystem of 100s of integrations with various third-party systems and data sources
The core idea behind the Agentic AI platform emphasizes its capacity to lead industry in transitioning from moving from AI that answers… to AI that achieves, thereby speeding up results and supporting more informed decision-making. This platform will be the engine for a collaborative approach where AI agents and human experts work together to coordinate and improve all facets of clinical research.

“Today signifies an important new direction for our company and, we believe, Scaling Agentic AI in clinical trials isn’t just a tech lift, it’s an organizational evolution,” said Moulik Shah, CEO of Maxis AI. “Our transition to Maxis AI and our platform vision, ‘Designed to Think. Built to Act.,’ highlight our commitment to innovation. We empower partners to steer through clinical trials with greater agility, deeper insights, and streamlined processes to accelerate progress.”

Proven Results in Pharma and Healthcare

Maxis AI has already piloted its platform with early adopters in the pharmaceutical and healthcare sectors. In a recent deployment with a large pharma organization, AI agents built on the platform demonstrated significant proof of value. Another implementation at a CRO organization improved site monitoring, reducing turnaround time from days to mins in detecting and addressing compliance issues.

“We’ve seen strong early validation: our AI agents are helping organizations operationalize AI—not just as a prototype, but in production environments. Whether it’s a clinical data agent or a site monitoring agent, we’re seeing measurable proof of value within weeks of deployment,” said Nicole Powell, Senior Vice President, Business Development at Maxis AI.

The Maxis AI Platform will enhance its suite of trusted solutions, including CTRenaissance^® Clinical Data Analytics, while ensuring seamless interoperability with other clinical data platforms. This supports a smooth transition for clients and a unified industry offering. Its core INSPIRE values –Innovation, Security, Precision, Transparency, Integrity, Diversity, and Excellence – will continue guiding the development of responsible technology solutions.

About Maxis AI

Maxis AI (formerly MaxisIT) is focused on transforming drug development through the power of intelligent technology. With its forward-thinking “Maxis AI – Drug Development Agency” model and its Intelligent Platform “Designed to Think. Built to Act.,” the company helps pharmaceutical, and life sciences organizations achieve smarter, faster insights and more effective processes for superior clinical outcomes. Drawing on over 20 years of industry experience and a comprehensive suite of solutions, Maxis AI is committed to accelerating the delivery of life-saving therapies. Headquartered in Edison, NJ, Maxis AI is committed to innovation, precision, and integrity in advancing clinical trials. Explore the future of clinical development at www.maxisai.com.

Contact Information:

Nicole Powell
SVP, Business Development
Nicole.P@maxisit.com

Moulik Shah
CEO
MShah@maxisit.com

Press/Media Contact:
Sneha Gupta
Associate Director, Corporate Communications and Marketing
Sneha.Gupta@maxisclinical.com

The MIL Network –
May 13, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: F.E. McWilliam Gallery & Studio to remain open as major expansion gets underway

Source: Northern Ireland City of Armagh

Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon, Councillor Sarah Duffy, joins Gallery Curator and Manager Dr Riann Coulter and Council Chief Executive Roger Wilson to mark the start of the F.E. McWilliam Gallery’s multi-million pound expansion.

Construction work on a major multi-million pound expansion and upgrade of the F.E. McWilliam Gallery & Studio in Banbridge will commence today (Monday 12th May). The award-winning accredited museum will continue to host exhibitions and remain open and accessible to the public throughout much of the 15-month contract period.

Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Borough Council has appointed McKelvey Construction Ltd to bring this large-scale capital project to fruition and transform this facility so that it can further capitalise on its A1 location and expand its role as a cultural hub attracting significantly more local, national and international visitors.

Opened in 2008 to celebrate the life and work of Banbridge-born, internationally renowned sculptor Frederick Edward McWilliam, the gallery has established a reputation as one of the best regional arts museums in the UK and Ireland. Recognised for its high-quality exhibitions, inclusive education programmes and excellent customer service, the venue has outgrown its current facilities with visitor numbers now surpassing 50,000 a year.

The development, designed by Belfast-based Hall Black Douglas Architects, has been driven by an ambition to transform the experience of visiting F.E. McWilliam Gallery and to offer a suite of modern facilities that ensure the museum along with its collection are more accessible to more people and meet the needs of the wider community.

Welcoming the start of construction work, Lord Mayor Councillor Sarah Duffy said:

“Getting this once-in-a-generation project off the ground is a major feat. I applaud everyone involved in the planning and design process for helping us reach this significant milestone.

“This redevelopment is a testament to the gallery’s emergence as a nationally significant cultural destination. We are proud to be building upon McWilliam’s legacy and leading the way with this arts and culture investment.

“Our vision is to create a stunning and dynamic museum for displaying more of McWilliam’s work as well as showcasing both established and emerging artists.

“Due to complete in autumn 2026, this project will significantly increase visitor capacity and further the gallery’s ability to serve as a thriving hub for artistic expression, learning and engagement as well as a much-enhanced space encouraging connection, providing inspiration and enhancing the wellbeing of all who walk through its doors.

“The expanded and upgraded gallery will be a major gateway for boosting tourism across the wider region. I look forward to seeing this project become a reality and yielding positive benefits for local people for generations to come.”

The programme of works will double the size of the facility and introduce a swathe of improvements.

A new climate-controlled collection gallery will allow an increased number of artworks to be taken out of storage and put on permanent display, making more of F.E. McWilliam’s work accessible to the public and ensuring the collection’s long-term preservation.

The provision of a large, well-resourced education and community space will help meet demand from schools and other education providers, increase engagement with community groups and create opportunities for the gallery to host workshops, classes and events that are currently limited due to lack of space.

The popular craft shop will double in size, providing a platform for craftspeople and artisans from the borough and beyond to showcase their work.

The car park will be reconfigured to provide a turning point and parking bay for coaches and buses, enabling the facility to cater for large school groups and visiting coach trips. EV charging points will also be installed.

Two multi-purpose meeting rooms will be created, allowing the gallery to expand its programme of events and activities. These rooms will be available for hire by arts and community groups as well as businesses.

The extended reception area will incorporate a Banbridge Visitor Information office. Additional seating capacity will be provided within the popular Quails café. More toilets and a Changing Places facility will also be provided.

The new building has been designed to be more energy efficient and sustainable, and provision will also be made to increase storage space and improve staff accommodation.

Gallery Curator and Manager Dr Riann Coulter added: “We are delighted that the gallery, including its popular Quails café, will continue to welcome visitors over the summer months and beyond as this project progresses with minimal disruption expected.

“The expansion and upgrade of this distinctive building will enable us to realise our ambitions and increase the scope and impact of our arts and education programmes, championing the importance of art, culture, and public space that is free to all.

“We are committed to elevating the visitor experience and making the museum more open, engaging, accessible and inviting to new and diverse audiences.

“The F.E. McWilliam Gallery & Studio is set to become the jewel in the crown of our region’s rich cultural offering. We are grateful to our funders for their incredible support.”

This project is one of ten key infrastructure projects across Northern Ireland to receive substantial funding from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund.

The Council has also secured funding from the Wolfson Foundation to fit out the new collection gallery and improve interpretation through multi-lingual video guides and accessible tours of the F.E. McWilliam collection in both British and Irish Sign Language.

For further information and regular updates on this project, visit www.armaghbanbridgecraigavon.gov.uk/femcwilliam

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

May 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Integration processes in international trade and logistics discussed at conference in HSE

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

© Higher School of Economics

In the context of decoupling, Russia has become a center of attraction for Eurasian integration processes and can play a unifying role in the new multipolar world. This was discussed by participants and guests of the International Scientific and Practical Conference “Dimensions of Eurasian Integration: Transport and Logistics, Energy and Food Security”, which was held Institute of State and Municipal Administration (IGMU) HSE University.

The conference was attended by leaders of the domestic corporate sector, Russian and foreign industry experts and representatives of the diplomatic corps of friendly countries of the Arab East. Among the participating organizations were Russian Railways and Russian Railways Logistics, Russian Agricultural Bank, Renaissance Insurance, RusHydro and the Resource Group of Agricultural Enterprises, Sber and the Ministry of Tourism and Cultural Heritage of the Sultanate of Oman, the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Russia and the Eurasian Economic Commission, and the International Research Institute for Management Problems.

Director of the Irkutsk State Medical University of the National Research University Higher School of Economics Andrey Zhulin noted that it is now important to listen to and hear professionals in the field of public administration and public-private partnership. “This will allow us to analyze successful practices in the field of integration processes during a period of fundamental changes in international trade and logistics,” he emphasized.

It is important that the conference is taking place at the Higher School of Economics. Over the past 30 years, it is the HSE, according to the director of the Irkutsk State Medical University, that has proven its importance for the national economy and has become a kind of assembly point for integration and management meanings.

Russia is attracting the attention of politicians and market players with increasing intensity, noted in turn the director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Studies of the Irkutsk State Medical University of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, member of the Russian-Omani Business Council under the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Russian Federation (CCI) Marat Zembatov. “Our country is called upon to play a unique unifying role – both as the center of gravity of Eurasia, and as a state-civilization with its own special economic and cultural structure, and as the center of the transport and logistics framework of the Eurasian economic space in the broad sense,” the expert said.

He recalled that earlier in Moscow, Russian President Vladimir Putin met with the Emir of Qatar Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani and Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. In the coming days, the Free Trade Agreement between the Eurasian Economic Union and Iran will come into force, and the Treaty on Comprehensive Strategic Partnership between Russia and this country has already been ratified. It is Moscow that is becoming the center of attraction for integration processes and the center for the formation of new integration meanings.

During the expert discussion, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Republic of Yemen Ahmed Salem Al-Waheishi congratulated those gathered on the upcoming anniversary – the 80th anniversary of Victory in the Great Patriotic War and noted the invariably creative role of Russia in strengthening stability and ensuring food security in the Global South and Global East.

The use of modern transport, logistics and digital technologies to ensure the growth of foreign trade, including in the direction of the Arab East, North and East Africa, according to the ambassador, have become key factors in the successful implementation of Russia’s unifying role in organizing the use of international transport corridors.

Counselor of the Embassy of the Kingdom of Bahrain in the Russian Federation Salum Hossam Eddin, who delivered a welcoming speech on behalf of Ambassador Ahmed Abdulrahman Al-Saati, stated that friendly relations between Russia and the countries of the Arab East will receive an additional boost this year: already in June, at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum, the Kingdom of Bahrain will be presented to participants as an honorary guest country.

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 –

May 13, 2025
MIL-OSI: BOS Secures Orders for Two New Robotic Packing and Palletizing Systems from Food Manufacturing Customers in Israel
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

RISHON LE ZION, Israel, May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BOS Better Online Solutions Ltd. (“BOS” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: BOSC), an integrator of supply chain technologies, is pleased to announce that it has secured new orders from two food manufacturing customers for automated end-of-line systems.

The orders, which will be installed at manufacturing sites in Israel and represent a combined value of approximately $270,000, are the result of close collaboration between BOS’s RFID and Intelligent Robotics divisions to provide a fully integrated solution.

The systems leverage BOS’s expertise in end-of-line automation for critical yet repetitive tasks such as automatic carton erection, robotic enabled printing and attaching of labels, automatic box sealing and robotic arm palletizing of boxes for bulk shipment.

Eyal Cohen, CEO of BOS, stated, “End-of-line processes are a major bottleneck in production and often involve extensive manual labor. Automating these processes is crucial as manufacturers seek to increase capacity and reliability, especially in regions where workforce availability may be limited.

“Each of these orders is from a customer with multiple sites, which we hope will lead to additional opportunities to implement these same end-of-line solutions to enhance operating efficiency and reduce costs in their other facilities.”

BOS will report its first quarter 2025 results on May 29, 2025.

About BOS Better Online Solutions Ltd.

BOS integrates cutting-edge technologies to streamline and enhance supply chain operations across three specialized divisions:
- Intelligent Robotics Division: Automates industrial and logistics inventory processes through advanced robotics technologies, improving efficiency and precision.
- RFID Division: Optimizes inventory management with state-of-the-art solutions for marking and tracking, ensuring real-time visibility and control.
- Supply Chain Division: Integrates franchised components directly into customer products, meeting their evolving needs for developing innovative solutions.
For more information on BOS Better Online Solutions Ltd., visit boscom.com

Safe Harbor Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

The forward-looking statements contained herein reflect management’s current views with respect to future events and financial performance. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause the actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of BOS. These risk factors and uncertainties include, amongst others, the dependency of sales being generated from one or few major customers, changes in trade policies and tariffs, the uncertainty of BOS being able to maintain current gross profit margins, inability to keep up with or ahead of technology and to succeed in a highly competitive industry, inability to maintain marketing and distribution arrangements and to expand our overseas markets, uncertainty with respect to the prospects of legal claims against BOS, the effect of exchange rate fluctuations, general worldwide economic conditions, the effect of the war against the Hamas and other parties in the region, the continued availability of financing for working capital purposes and to refinance outstanding indebtedness; and additional risks and uncertainties detailed in BOS’ periodic reports and registration statements filed with the US Securities and Exchange Commission. BOS undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any such forward-looking statements to reflect any change in its expectations or in events, conditions or circumstances on which any such statements may be based, or that may affect the likelihood that actual results will differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

For additional information, contact:

Matt Kreps, Managing Director
Darrow Associates
+1-214-597-8200
mkreps@darrowir.com

Eyal Cohen, CEO
+972-542525925
eyalc@boscom.com

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/d18ba59c-1adf-4773-911b-bae9456c2a5b

The MIL Network –
May 13, 2025
MIL-OSI: CBAK Energy to Report First Quarter 2025 Unaudited Financial Results on Monday, May 19, 2025

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

DALIAN, China, May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — CBAK Energy Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBAT) (“CBAK Energy”, or the “Company”), a leading lithium-ion battery manufacturer and electric energy solution provider in China, today announced that it will report its unaudited financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025 on Monday, May 19, 2025, before the U.S. market opens. The earnings results will be available on the Company’s Investor Relations website, and will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on a Form 8-K.

CBAK Energy’s management will host an earnings conference call at 8:00 AM U.S. Eastern Time on Monday, May 19, 2025 (8:00 PM Beijing/Hong Kong Time on May 19, 2025).

For participants who wish to join our call online, please visit:

https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/wfu5unoh

Participants who plan to ask questions at the call will need to register at least 15 minutes prior to the scheduled call start time using the link provided below. Upon registration, participants will receive the conference call access information, including dial-in numbers, a unique pin and an email with detailed instructions.

Participant Online Registration:

https://register-conf.media-server.com/register/BIb49b754e574a43e68068965ba0234966

Once completing the registration, please dial-in at least 10 minutes before the scheduled start time of the conference call and enter the personal pin as instructed to connect to the call.

A replay of the conference call may be accessed within seven days after the conclusion of the live call at the following website: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/wfu5unoh

About CBAK Energy

CBAK Energy Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: CBAT) is a leading high-tech enterprise in China engaged in the development, manufacturing, and sales of new energy high power lithium and sodium batteries, as well as the production of raw materials for use in manufacturing high power lithium batteries. The applications of the Company’s products and solutions include electric vehicles, light electric vehicles, energy storage and other high-power applications. In January 2006, CBAK Energy became the first lithium battery manufacturer in China listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market. CBAK Energy has multiple operating subsidiaries in Dalian, Nanjing, Shaoxing and Shangqiu, as well as a large-scale R&D and production base in Dalian.

For more information, please visit ir.cbak.com.cn.

Safe Harbor Statement

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” that involve substantial risks and uncertainties. All statements other than statements of historical facts contained in this press release, including statements regarding our future results of operations and financial position, strategy and plans, and our expectations for future operations, are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. We have attempted to identify forward-looking statements by terminology including “anticipates,” “believes,” “can,” “continue,” “could,” “estimates,” “expects,” “intends,” “may,” “plans,” “potential,” “predicts,” “should,” or “will” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Our actual results may differ materially or perhaps significantly from those discussed herein, or implied by, these forward-looking statements.

Any forward-looking statements contained in this press release are only estimates or predictions of future events based on information currently available to our management and management’s current beliefs about the potential outcome of future events. Whether these future events will occur as management anticipates, whether we will achieve our business objectives, and whether our revenues, operating results, or financial condition will improve in future periods are subject to numerous risks. There are a significant number of factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from statements made in this press release, including: significant legal and operational risks associated with having substantially all of our business operations in China, that the Chinese government may exercise significant oversight and discretion over the conduct of our business and may intervene in or influence our operations at any time, which could result in a material change in our operations and/or the value of our securities or could significantly limit or completely hinder our ability to offer or continue to offer securities to investors and could cause the value of such securities to significantly decline or be worthless, the effects of the global Covid-19 pandemic or other health epidemics, changes in domestic and foreign laws, regulations and taxes, the volatility of the securities markets; and other risks including, but not limited to, the ability of the Company to meet its contractual obligations, the uncertain markets for the Company’s products and business, macroeconomic, technological, regulatory, or other factors affecting the profitability of our products and solutions that we discussed or referred to in the Company’s disclosure documents filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov, including the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K as well as in our other reports filed or furnished from time to time with the SEC. You should read these factors and the other cautionary statements made in this press release. If one or more of these factors materialize, or if any underlying assumptions prove incorrect, our actual results, performance or achievements may vary materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made as of the date of this press release and the Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, other than as required by applicable law.

For further inquiries, please contact:

In China:

CBAK Energy Technology, Inc.
Investor Relations Department
Email: ir@cbak.com.cn

The MIL Network –

May 13, 2025
MIL-OSI: Paytronix Upgrades In-App Navigation for Guests with Interstitials, Deep Linking Messages
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

NEWTON, Mass., May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Paytronix, the leader in guest engagement for restaurants and convenience stores, today announced the launch of two new features to its branded mobile app: interstitial messages and deep linking push and pull messages. The new features will enable hospitality and convenience brands of all sizes to respond to guests’ preference for digital engagement and mobile app use with more sophisticated messages as well as a more streamlined user journey for push/pull message promotions.

“Brands are increasingly turning to mobile apps as an effective channel for both messaging and advertising. Conversely, guests prefer to share information via digital engagement. Interstitial ads allow them to light up this channel with full-screen images, text and video content that really drive campaign results,” said Alison Evers, mobile products manager, Paytronix, an Access Group Company. “Deep linking takes the benefits of interstitials even further by allowing brands to directly take customers anywhere within their app. Each second with a guest counts; these updates aim to make it easier for brands to drive customer actions.“

Campaign Based Interstitials
Interstitials add a key communication option beyond push and pull messages to reach mobile app users and drive engagement and revenue. Through in-app pop ups, interstitials ensure high visibility on key campaigns and meet guest preferences for digital engagement. Increased in-app activity will be realized through easy navigation and guest communications for menu, deals and incentives.

Deep Linking Push & Pull Messages
In the past, brands could direct guests to the dashboard of their app with push messages or link to surveys in the app with pull messages. Now, with deep linking, brands can provide access to specific spots within their apps and ensure their guests are seeing and able to easily access information. Whether it’s promoting a new seasonal menu item, directing traffic to redeem rewards or promoting in-app e-gift purchases, deep linking empowers brands to:
- Increase mobile ordering through fast and easy navigation to menu, deals and incentives;
- Drive in-app engagement by directing their guests exactly where they need to go to find information;
- Eliminate guess work on the guest side and improve their experience by maximizing impact communications.
Learn more about the Paytronix mobile app.

About Paytronix
Paytronix, an Access Group company, is a cloud-based digital guest engagement platform for the hospitality industry. Our innovative, unified platform provides loyalty programs, online ordering, gift cards, branded mobile applications, and strategic insights to more than 1,800 leading restaurant and convenience store brands. Our valued clients leverage the power of Paytronix across 50,000 sites globally to create seamless, personalized, and brand-authentic experiences that foster lasting relationships with their customers. For more than 20 years, Paytronix has been a trusted partner helping brands maximize the lifetime value of their guests and grow more profitable businesses. For more information, visit www.paytronix.com.

Media Contact:
Calen McGee
Paytronix Systems, Inc.
Calen.McGee@theaccessgroup.com

The MIL Network –
May 13, 2025
MIL-OSI: ASUS Republic of Gamers Strengthens Partnership with Team NRG
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

TORONTO, May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ASUS Republic of Gamers (ROG) and NRG today announced the expansion of their partnership. NRG, an American esports team, will benefit from a full range of ROG laptops, desktops, and handheld gaming devices — equipping them with leading hardware on their road to excellence and success.

“NRG is a massive force in esports, and we’re proud to expand our partnership to include ROG’s latest laptops, handhelds, and desktops,” said Galip Fu, Director of Marketing for Systems at ROG. “We look forward to building the future of esports together, powered by innovation and the drive to win.”

Andy Miller, co-founder and CEO of NRG, remarked, “ROG has been an exceptional partner of NRG for the last few years. We are proud to extend our relationship with ROG beyond peripherals to encompass their high-powered PCs, laptops, and handheld devices to ensure that our esports athletes have the best equipment possible to compete at the highest level.”

Equipped for victory

Continuing their shared commitment to performance excellence, ROG will equip NRG players with several new ROG models, including:
- ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025): Featuring an Intel^® Core^™ Ultra 9 275HX 2.7 GHz processor and up to a NVIDIA^® GeForce RTX^™ 5090 Laptop GPU with 24GB GDDR7 VRAM — guaranteeing top all-around performance.
- ROG G700 (2025): Featuring an Intel Core Ultra 9 285K processor and a ROG GeForce RTX 5090 graphics card with 32GB GDDR7 VRAM — pushing performance boundaries to deliver an uncompromising gaming and creative experience.
- ROG Ally X: Powered by the AMD Ryzen^™ Z1 Extreme processor, this Windows handheld allows gamers to take their entire library on the go.
Thanks to this continued collaboration, NRG team members will benefit from cutting-edge gaming hardware designed and tested to meet the demands of the highest competitive level. These devices offer unrivalled processing power, ultrahigh refresh rates, and minimal latency, guaranteeing maximum precision and responsiveness every time.

The partnership with NRG marks a further step in ROG innovation, offering professional and amateur gamers an increasingly immersive and high-performance gaming experience.

A commitment to the esports community

In addition to the players’ hardware, the collaboration also includes exclusive YouTube content featuring the players and their ROG devices, allowing fans to see firsthand the success of the NRG team.

By joining forces, ROG and NRG are sending a strong message that esports is a fast-growing, innovative sector, offering a wealth of opportunities for brands. This partnership aims to unite millions of fans around the world and offer high-impact activations, captivating content, and unique experiences.

PRICING & AVAILABILITY

The high-performance gear powering the NRG team — including the ROG Strix SCAR 18 (2025) laptop, ROG G700 desktop, and ROG Ally X gaming handheld — is available in multiple configurations on the ASUS Store and at select retailers.

Please contact your local ASUS representative for further information.

NOTES TO EDITORS

Where to buy links:

Team NRG: https://www.nrg.gg/pages/about

2025 ROG Gaming Laptops: https://rog.asus.com/content/2025-rog-gaming-laptops/

ROG Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asusrog

ROG X (Twitter): https://www.x.com/asus_rog

ASUS Pressroom: http://press.asus.com

ASUS Global Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/asus

ASUS Global Twitter: https://www.x.com/asus

About ROG

Republic of Gamers (ROG) is an ASUS sub-brand dedicated to creating the world’s best gaming hardware and software. Formed in 2006, ROG offers a complete line of innovative products known for performance and quality, including motherboards, graphics cards, system components, laptops, desktops, monitors, smartphones, audio equipment, routers, peripherals and accessories. ROG participates in and sponsors major international gaming events. ROG gear has been used to set hundreds of overclocking records and it continues to be the preferred choice of gamers and enthusiasts around the world. To become one of those who dare, learn more about ROG at http://rog.asus.com.

About Team NRG

NRG is a professional gaming and entertainment company renowned for its championship teams and innovative gaming lifestyle content. As the highest viewed gaming organization in North America, NRG continues to lead the industry with its engaging, authentic, and original gaming content.

A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/0bb2f2a3-997e-4564-8915-58f76dc90483

The MIL Network –
May 13, 2025
MIL-OSI: Nokia delivers advanced tactical private wireless solutions to Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity (MCTSSA)
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Press Release
Nokia delivers advanced tactical private wireless solutions to Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity (MCTSSA)
- Enhanced battlefield connectivity with Nokia Banshee tactical private wireless solutions
- Supporting Marine Corps modernization efforts with resilient, high-speed communications
- Providing hands-on training for seamless deployment and operational success
12 May 2025
Chantilly, Virginia – Nokia today announced that it has delivered its Banshee tactical private wireless solutions to the Marine Corps Tactical Systems Support Activity (MCTSSA), reinforcing the U.S. Marine Corps’ commitment to provide seamless, secure, and resilient communications for tactical operations. This milestone builds upon years of collaboration between Nokia and the Marine Corps in testing and refining next-generation communication capabilities to support critical operational needs.

In 2023, Nokia and the Marine Corps conducted a two-day proof-of-concept at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, validating Banshee’s ability to deliver secure, high-capacity tactical communications beyond expectations. That same year, Nokia and MCTSSA partnered at Project Convergence to showcase Banshee’s effectiveness in denied, disrupted, intermittent, and limited (DDIL) environments. These demonstrations reinforced its role in enabling resilient, high-speed connectivity across joint warfighting networks.

Following these findings, MCTSSA acquired multiple Banshee units in early 2025 for further evaluation and integration into Marine Corps exercises. To support seamless deployment, Nokia provided hands-on training to MCTSSA and other Marine Corps units, covering private wireless network operations, setup, troubleshooting, and live demonstrations of Banshee’s capabilities.

“Banshee is a game-changer for the warfighter, providing the Marine Corps with a powerful, scalable private wireless solution that meets the demand of modern warfare. We are honored to support MCTSSA and the Marine Corps as they modernize battlefield connectivity while enhancing operational efficiency and resilience,” said Scott Ferguson, Chief Revenue Officer, Nokia Federal Solutions.

“High bandwidth, low latency transport is critical for sensor-to-shooter integration, enabling real-time data flow from sensors to weapon systems. This ensures precise, timely strikes, maintaining battlefield advantage. Even slight delays can jeopardize missions, making robust connectivity a strategic necessity for lethality and adaptability in modern warfare,” said Capt. Eric Perez, MCTSSA Cyber Network Operation Officer.

The Nokia Banshee family delivers a high-speed, long-range, and secure tactical communication solution designed for rapid deployment in demanding environments. As a cost-efficient, commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) system, it leverages industry R&D investments to provide a scalable alternative to traditional Marine Corps communications. With its lightweight, easy-to-use design and advanced security, Banshee ensures resilient, mission-critical connectivity while significantly reducing costs, aligning with MCTSSA’s vision for modernizing battlefield communications.

Multimedia, technical information, and related news
Web Page: 5G tactical private wireless
Press release: Nokia launches the 5G Banshee Flex Radio: a revolutionary mobile broadband edge network for modern battlefield communications

About Nokia
At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.

As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs, which is celebrating 100 years of innovation.

With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.

Media inquiries
Nokia Press Office
Email: Press.Services@nokia.com

Nokia Federal Services
Jacqueline Lampert
Email: media@nokiafederal.com

Follow us on social media
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The MIL Network –
May 13, 2025
MIL-OSI: Fixing Political Conversations in America: Meet the App Replacing Conflict With Connection
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

CHICAGO, May 12, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — In a world where political conversations too often spiral into division, the new Sandbox app offers something rare: a safe, structured space for thoughtful dialogue where both sides are heard — without the finger-pointing. Born from the tension and eventual transformation of a father-daughter relationship nearly torn apart by politics, Lee Prosch and his daughter, Libby, created this first-of-its-kind app to redefine how Americans engage with others who see the world differently. Rather than avoiding difficult topics like tariffs, immigration, border control, abortion, climate change and so much more, Sandbox is tackling them head on.

America’s Losing Its Mind Over Politics
Politics has become the ultimate stress test on relationships — with 62% of Americans calling it a major source of anxiety, according to the APA. A study by More in Common found 77% of Americans believe that despite our differences, we can still come together, while only 23% think the divide is too wide for us to work together anymore. From family dinner blowups to friend group implosions, the emotional toll is real. But instead of unplugging completely or yelling into the void, Sandbox offers a third option: structured, one-on-one conversations between people who see the world differently — but are willing to talk it out.

Born From a Family Meltdown
The idea sparked after co-founders Libby and Lee Prosch watched their own family unravel over heated debates about COVID, climate change and other third-rail topics. After one especially tense Thanksgiving dinner turned into a full-on battleground, they stopped talking politics altogether — even keeping a “freakout jar” that collected donations anytime discussions got heated. But the silence just made it worse.

“It eventually got to a point where our family avoided certain topics altogether — and that avoidance just made us feel further apart than we really were,” said the younger Prosch. “So we built a space where people could hear each other out, without trying to change each other’s minds.”

7 Days to Productive Political Conversations
Here’s how Sandbox works:
- Sunday: Complete a short survey, responding to 5 assertions on a new political topic every week. The assertions represent the spectrum of how people think about the topic. Get matched with someone who answered differently — not wildly, but just enough to make it interesting.
- Monday – Friday: Take turns responding to quotes on daily topics, then replying to each other’s comments.
- Saturday: Open chat. Say what’s on your mind, respectfully.
- All chats are archived. Trolls are reported. Simple.
And yes, people are talking — about DEI, gender and immigration, and they’re actually listening.

“We’re seeing people take each other seriously. They might freak out when they first make contact with an idea they disagree with, especially on a topic they really care about,’” said Lee Prosch. “But at the end of the week, most of the feedback for partners is positive, even when they disagree vehemently.”

What’s Coming Next: Is President Trump really a Fascist? (Yep, We’re Going There)
Each week’s topics are curated by Sandbox’s editorial team to reflect what’s happening in the real world. The week of May 18 we’re diving straight into the debate around Trump and fascism. Not to fight — to help each other find out what we’re missing.

To join that conversation, users must sign up by Sunday, May 17, and complete the in-app survey. The app is totally free and available on iOS and Android.

Inside the Sandbox
Every Monday, users get a peek behind the curtain to find out how things went for the whole Sandbox community, like what ideas were considered reasonable differences of opinion and which ones were beyond the pale.. Because this isn’t just talk — it’s insight into what Americans actually think when they stop yelling and start listening.

Ready to Try a Different Kind of Political Conversation? Get started at www.sandbox.app.

Download press materials here.

About Sandbox
Sandbox is an app for one-on-one political conversations. It’s designed for people who may not see eye-to-eye on politics, but want to engage without exploding. With structured dialogue, curated content and a weekly rhythm, it’s helping people across the spectrum talk like humans again — one real conversation at a time.

Media Contact
Bethany Rhodes
Uproar by Moburst for Sandbox
bethany@moburst.com

The MIL Network –
May 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Smartwatches promise all kinds of quality-of-life improvements − here are 5 things users should keep in mind

Source: The Conversation – USA – By James Gilmore, Associate Professor of Media and Technology Studies, Clemson University

That smarts! Photo by Lorena Sopena/Anadolu via Getty Images

Smartwatches and other wearable devices can feel almost magical. Strap on a Fitbit, Apple Watch or Samsung Gear and you’re suddenly presented with a stream of data generated by – and about – your body: step counts, heart rate, blood oxygen level, calories burned and more.

Wearables offer tools that help people monitor and understand their bodies and, so the promise goes, improve their lives. Apple CEO Tim Cook has even said the technology company aspires to save your life.

As a professor who studies technology, I’ve spent the past decade researching smartwatches and other wearables. My new book, “Bringers of Order: Wearable Technologies and the Manufacturing of Everyday Life,” considers the gap between what these products promise and what they actually do.

Wearables rely on complicated sets of sensors and computer systems to create data for each user. As these devices become more common – and more complex – I worry that people may be tempted to think less about how they work. As a result, they might accept data at face value without considering how it was generated, whether it’s accurate, or even if it could put them at risk.

So to get the maximum value from wearable technologies, it’s worth reflecting on the differences between what these devices seem to do and what’s actually happening behind the screen. Here are a few key points to remember.

1. Steps aren’t really steps

Wearable fitness trackers gained popularity in the early 2010s for their ability to count steps and measure things such as distance, calories burned and flights of stairs climbed. While it’s tempting to think so-called step counts reflect the number of times a wearer’s feet have completed the action of taking a step, that is not the case.

In reality, a combination of sensors and algorithms work together to produce a data point called “a step.” In most instances, something called an accelerometer measures change in the wearable’s velocity. This is checked against an algorithm, which provides an automatic assessment of whether enough velocity has been reached to count as a step. These components measure how much the wearable moves, not the person. Shaking one’s wrist very quickly can sometimes create a “step,” while walking in place might not count steps.

2. Some skin tones don’t ‘work’ as well as others

Blood oxygen sensors have become incorporated into many smartwatches. They use a process called photoplethysmography, which uses tiny green LED lights on the underside of a smartwatch to track how blood flows through your wrist.

In 2022, a lawsuit alleged Apple was perpetuating racial bias, as its blood oxygen sensors didn’t work as well on darker skin. The case was dismissed, partly because these limitations of blood oxygen sensors have been known to researchers and medical practitioners for years. In other words, it is accepted that some features will not work as well for some people.

3. Your location may not be a secret

There’s an entire industry made up of people called data brokers who buy large datasets from technology companies and then sell them to advertisers, market analysts or other groups that may be interested in acquiring them.

While some companies have taken more steps to reduce or eliminate the sharing of data with third parties, and government agencies have offered strategies for users to limit location sharing, others may still share data among affiliates and service providers.

It’s important to check all settings for options to reduce or eliminate data sharing. Otherwise, your private information might not remain private for long. In 2018, for example, the exercise app Strava released a “heat map” showing the running and cycling routes of all its users through the location data it had collected – and accidentally disclosed the location of multiple secret military bases around the world.

4. Wearables for consumers aren’t medical grade

With wearables, as with other tech, it’s important to look carefully at the terms of use.

Most devices include boilerplate language about how the data they provide the wearer should be used recreationally and not replace formal diagnostics from doctors. Even though Apple has received FDA clearance for some of its health testing features and they may be quite useful for monitoring purposes, if you’re relying on data for health purposes, it’s important to consult a doctor.

5. Wearables can’t predict the future

OK, maybe this seems like it should be obvious. But it’s not.

Oura Ring, which pioneered measurements such as “restfulness” that try to measure how well you sleep, recently added a “symptom radar” to try to detect when you might be getting sick.

These technologies use sensors such as heart rate monitors and thermometers to detect changes in a wearer’s baseline. While these sickness forecasts may be helpful, they’re like weather reports for the body, detecting changes in the body’s internal atmosphere using available sensors and algorithms. Any claim to predict the future is based on looking for patterns in information from the past.

While wearable tech can offer powerful insights, understanding how devices work is crucial for making sense of the data they produce. A little skepticism goes a long way: It can challenge inflated promises and protect users. In the end, wearables are best understood as interesting but imperfect tools − not magic wands.

James Gilmore 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. Smartwatches promise all kinds of quality-of-life improvements − here are 5 things users should keep in mind – https://theconversation.com/smartwatches-promise-all-kinds-of-quality-of-life-improvements-here-are-5-things-users-should-keep-in-mind-251754

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Population explosions and declines are related to the stability of the economy and the environment

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Ken G. Drouillard, Professor, Great Lakes Institute for Environmental Research and Director of the School of the Environment, University of Windsor

A country’s population is affected by, and in turn affects, environmental and economic issues. (Shutterstock)

For 200 years, we’ve been warned of unchecked population growth and how it leads to environmental instability. On the other hand, today some countries face decreasing populations, alongside increasing proportions of elderly people, causing economic instability.

These two facets of population crises — explosions and declines — are occurring in different parts of the world, and have a global impact on the environment and on economies. Discussions about achieving economic and environmental sustainability must consider population changes, technology and the environment, given these concepts are closely interwoven.

Population explosions and declines are related to both environmental and economic instability; some countries make reactionary choices that trade off short-term domestic economic progress over the environment.

The crisis of population explosions

In 1798, English economist Thomas Malthus warned of a population explosion, inferring that population growth will outstrip agricultural production. Malthus’s ideas became re-popularized by American scientist Paul R. Ehrlich in his book published at the height of population growth in the 1960s. Both predicted that a population explosion would cause shortages in resources and escalating environmental damage.

Like Malthus, Ehrlich was criticized for a crisis “that never happened” because human ingenuity, a byproduct of population, overcomes the worst fears of environmentalists. This counter-argument relies on technological advances making more efficient use of resources while lowering the environmental impacts.

This is best exemplified by efficiency gains of agriculture that have continued to feed a growing world. Ehrlich’s predictions of cumulative environmental damage are best illustrated by the growing intensity of climate change and species loss as the global population continues to grow even though the current growth rate is slower than it was in the 1960s.

A graph reflecting how population growth, species diversity and global temperature correlate over time.
(K. Drouillard), CC BY

Unified growth theory describes how economies change over the long term. It starts with a period of slow technological progress, low income growth and high population growth. Over time, these conditions give way to a modern growth phase, where technology improves quickly, income rises steadily and population growth slows as societies go through a demographic transition towards stable population sizes.

Technological progress positively contributes to national economies over the long term. However, early adoption of green technology often relies on finance and government incentives that may imply short-term economic burdens. Yet when green technology is implemented and coupled to slowing population growth, it leads to decreasing national environmental footprints that pave a way towards joint environmental and economic sustainability.

The crisis of population declines

Declining populations cause inverted age pyramids with larger numbers of elderly people. These shifting demographics cause economic instability. They also constrain technological progress and social security.

Population declines work against the gains described by unified growth theory. Presently, 63 countries have reached their peak population and 48 more are expected to peak within 30 years. Fears of population decline are also being forecast at the global scale.

The global population is predicted to peak between the mid-2060s to 2100, stabilizing at 10.2 billion from its present 8.2 billion.

In their book, Empty Planet, political scientist Darrell Bricker and political commentator John Ibbitson warn that zero population growth will happen even faster. They argue once a country decreases its fertility to below replacement (2.1 children per woman), the social reinforcements of increasing urbanization, costs of raising children and increased empowerment over family planning make it almost impossible to increase the birth rate.

For highly affluent countries, the per capita GDP is decreasing as the proportion of elderly in the population increases. Although this pattern doesn’t hold when less affluent countries are added, the figure demonstrates tangible economic impacts for countries grappling with aging populations.

A graph showing the percentage of elderly people in a country’s population, correlated with GDP and adjusted for inflation.
(K. Drouillard), CC BY

Simultaneous explosions and declines

Affluent nations facing decline can react to economic instability in ways that counter global economic and environmental sustainability.

In the past, affluent nations were the drivers of green technology. However, economic instability from population declines can cause reluctance to invest, adopt and share green technology crucial for mitigating environmental damage at the global scale.

The issue is compounded by the fact that many countries overlook how their own decline in population growth contributes to economic instability. They instead focus on short-term solutions to their economic situation that may include unsustainable resource use.

Left unaddressed, the real issue of population decline becomes unresolved, allowing social anxieties against immigration and global trade to grow. This can exacerbate the issue halting technology sharing, slowing economic growth and increasing economic inequality and environmental damage.

The above is exemplified by policies now being implemented by the United States. Where immigration was previously used as a backstop against low fertility, growing cultural backlash to immigration pressures rooted in anxiety about economic uncertainties have generated new policies causing the deportation of millions of immigrants and closing borders. This will most likely accelerate a population decline in the U.S., as highlighted by a Congressional Budget Office report.

At the same time, the U.S. is shifting its energy policy away from increased shares of renewable, green energy sources back to a focus on fossil fuels that will worsen climate damage.

Climate damage costs are currently two per cent of global GDP, and may increase to between two to 21 per cent of some countries’ incomes by the end of the century. The growing applications of artificial intelligence (AI) and its high energy use will add to climate damage. AI may also contribute to the economic challenges related to population decline if it replaces, rather than supports, labour.

Finally, tariff wars add new barriers against green technology sharing.

Canada’s lowered immigration

Canada, which already has a low fertility rate and is reacting to the U.S. trade war, has its own challenges. This year, immigration targets were decreased by 19 per cent. The lack of support for and subsequent removal of the carbon tax and possible extension of pipeline infrastructure could generate similar delays in the transition away from fossil fuels.

Read more:
Who really killed Canada’s carbon tax? Friends and foes alike

In the most recent federal election, discussions about environmental policy were largely side-tracked by economic issues.

Our research indicates that Canada and other affluent nations need to establish longer-term solutions to economic instabilities that mitigate environmental damage while promoting sustainable national and global economies.

The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals offer pathways for economic, social and environmental sustainability. However, realizing these goals requires society to fully acknowledge the intertwined relationships between population growth, economy, environment and international technology-sharing in ways that transcend short-term national interests and reactionary policies.

The past decade has seen strong momentum from social and natural sciences as well as international organizations, business and civil society. Unfortunately, the current climate of economic uncertainty is halting this progress — unless the public can force broader discussions about sustainable approaches back into the political sphere.

Ken G. Drouillard receives funding from Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC), Canadian Water Agency, Environment and Climate Change Canada, St. Clair River Conservation Authority and North Shore of Lake Superior Remedial Action Plans.

Claudio N. Verani receives/has received funding from the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), U.S. Department of Energy (DoE), Petroleum Research Fund (ACS-PRF), and the Natural Science and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC).

Marcelo Arbex has received funding from University of Windsor UW-SSHRC Explore.

– ref. Population explosions and declines are related to the stability of the economy and the environment – https://theconversation.com/population-explosions-and-declines-are-related-to-the-stability-of-the-economy-and-the-environment-253302

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Colossal Bioscience’s attempt to de-extinct the dire wolf is a dangerously deceptive publicity stunt

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By David Coltman, Professor, Western University

Colossal Biosciences, a Texas-based biotech company, made headlines this April after falsely claiming to resurrect the extinct dire wolf. The company presents this as a breakthrough for conservation biology. However, our team of conservation geneticists at the University of Western Ontario — along with many other academics views it as a dangerous deception.

Read more:
‘Return’ of the dire wolf is an impressive feat of genetic engineering, not a reversal of extinction

Colossal’s so-called dire wolf is not a resurrected species. It’s a genetically modified grey wolf. Its creation is a publicity stunt designed to generate profit, with serious consequences.

TIME reports on claims that Colossal Biosciences has brought back the dire wolf.

Jenga approach to conservation

Conservation aims to safeguard ecosystems by preserving the networks of interaction between animals and their environment. Human activity has caused widespread habitat loss, driving extinction rates to levels estimated to be about 1,000 times higher than the natural background rate. We are living through a biodiversity crisis, and conservation remains our only real defence against further declines.

Colossal proposes de-extinction to combat this crisis, using a Jenga-block metaphor to explain their approach. The ecosystem is a Jenga tower, with each species representing a block — and losing a species weakens the structure, pushing it closer to collapse. Colossal Biosciences proposes that inserting a de-extinct species where a block was lost could help restore ecosystem stability and prevent collapse.

The premise isn’t entirely flawed; in some cases, introducing an animal into an unstable ecosystem to fill a lost ecological role can help restore balance. This is similar to reintroducing a species to an area where it once lived, which is a well-established conservation strategy.

Conservation and cloning

Likewise, cloning technology has the potential to aid in meaningful conservation projects. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service has successfully used the technology to help restore the black-footed ferret, a species once considered extinct.

Every year scientists release 150 to 200 black-footed ferrets into their native habitat, with cloned individuals and their future offspring expected to strengthen the species’ chances of survival.

The flaw in Colossal’s plan is that the animals they focus on — Ice Age megafauna like the mammoth and dire wolf — no longer belong to any modern ecosystem. Most of the species they once interacted with disappeared, along with their habitats, roughly 10,000 years ago.

These synthetic animals are the wrong shape for our unstable Jenga tower. Forcing them into the gap might make the ecosystem more likely to collapse.

‘Frankensheep’: A cautionary tale

A warning tale of misused cloning technology comes from Montana rancher Arthur Schubarth, who illegally cloned hybrid bighorn sheep — “Frankensheep” — for trophy hunting. His operation not only exploited endangered species for profit, but also triggered outbreaks of infectious disease, demonstrating the risks that unchecked cloning technology poses to wildlife and ecosystems.

One of the most damaging aspects of Colossal’s announcement is the perpetuation of a decades-old myth that technology will save us. It would be comforting to believe we can genetically engineer our way out of the current biodiversity crisis, but that is not our reality.

Introducing Ice Age animals would have unpredictable and potentially damaging consequences. And even if we focused on more suitable animals — those whose ecosystems still exist and could benefit from de-extinction — we could never keep pace with the current rate of biodiversity loss.

Colossal’s de-extinction project also doesn’t tackle the forces driving extinction like climate change, habitat loss, exploitation, pollution and invasive species.

That’s not the story Colossal wants the public to understand. They brand themselves as leaders in conservation to sell content — catchy memes, viral videos, photoshoots with Game of Thrones author George R.R. Martin and banter with Elon Musk about his future pet woolly mammoth.

Concerning implications

Valued at US$10.2 billion, Colossal is now contacting zoos about putting its pups on display.

The Toronto Zoo and the Association of Zoos and Aquariums have issued warnings against participating in the development or display of de-extinct animals. Still, some zoos may jump at the opportunity to boost ticket sales by offering the public a glimpse of this sci-fi spectacle.

As Colossal profits from marketing its greenwashed construct and hints at the creation of “Pleistocene Parks,” it is still unclear what this technology really means for the future of conservation.

Worse still, the de-extinction myth provides a guise for undermining habitat protection.

U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has already cited Colossal’s announcement as justification for weakening the Endangered Species Act.

Proposed changes to the act would give industrial activities greater freedom to destroy the habitats endangered species depend on — at a time when habitat loss remains the leading threat to species. A project marketed to rescue biodiversity could, instead, help speed up its decay.

We are deeply concerned about the implications of Colossal’s announcement, but we hope this moment drives more public interest and funding toward the difficult and less glamorous work that needs to be done to protect habitat and conserve biodiversity. The fanfare around Colossal’s genetic engineering feat should not distract from the global biodiversity crisis, which remains truly dire.

David Coltman receives funding from NSERC, Genome Canada and Ontario Genomics.

Carson Mitchell, Liam Alastair Wayde Carter, and Tommy Galfano 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. Colossal Bioscience’s attempt to de-extinct the dire wolf is a dangerously deceptive publicity stunt – https://theconversation.com/colossal-biosciences-attempt-to-de-extinct-the-dire-wolf-is-a-dangerously-deceptive-publicity-stunt-255046

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 13, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Space law doesn’t protect historical sites, mining operations and bases on the Moon – a space lawyer describes a framework that could

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Michelle L.D. Hanlon, Professor of Air and Space Law, University of Mississippi

Craters in the lunar surface are visible in this photo taken during the Apollo 11 mission. NASA via AP

April 2025 was a busy month for space.

Pop icon Katy Perry joined five other civilian women on a quick jaunt to the edge of space, making headlines. Meanwhile, another group of people at the United Nations was contemplating a critical issue for the future of space exploration: the discovery, extraction and utilization of natural resources on the Moon.

At the end of April, a dedicated Working Group of the United Nations Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space released a draft set of recommended principles for space resource activities. Essentially, these are rules to govern mining on the Moon, asteroids and elsewhere in space for elements that are rare here on Earth.

As a space lawyer and co-founder of For All Moonkind, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting human heritage in outer space, I know that the Moon could be the proving ground for humanity’s evolution into a species that lives and thrives on more than one planet. However, this new frontier raises complex legal questions.

Space, legally

Outer space – including the Moon – from a legal perspective, is a unique domain without direct terrestrial equivalent. It is not, like the high seas, the “common heritage of humankind,” nor is it an area, like Antarctica, where commercial mining is prohibited.

Instead, the 1967 Outer Space Treaty – signed by more than 115 nations, including China, Russia and the United States – establishes that the exploration and use of space are the “province of all humankind.” That means no country may claim territory in outer space, and all have the right to access all areas of the Moon and other celestial bodies freely.

The fact that, pursuant to Article II of the treaty, a country cannot claim territory in outer space, known as the nonappropriation principle, suggests to some that property ownership in space is forbidden.

Can this be true? If your grandchildren move to Mars, will they never own a home? How can a company protect its investment in a lunar mine if it must be freely accessible by all? What happens, as it inevitably will, when two rovers race to a particular area on the lunar surface known to host valuable water ice? Does the winner take all?

As it turns out, the Outer Space Treaty does offer some wiggle room. Article IX requires countries to show “due regard” for the corresponding interests of others. It is a legally vague standard, although the Permanent Court of Arbitration has suggested that due regard means simply paying attention to what’s reasonable under the circumstances.

First mover advantage – it’s a race

The treaty’s broad language encourages a race to the Moon. The first entity to any spot will have a unilateral opportunity to determine what’s legally “reasonable.” For example, creating an overly large buffer zone around equipment might be justified to mitigate potential damage from lunar dust.

On top of that, Article XII of the Outer Space Treaty assumes that there will be installations, like bases or mining operations, on the Moon. Contrary to the free access principle, the treaty suggests that access to these may be blocked unless the owner grants permission to enter.

Both of these paths within the treaty would allow the first person to make it to their desired spot on the Moon to keep others out. The U.N. principles in their current form don’t address these loopholes.

The draft U.N. principles released in April mirror, and are confined by, the language of the Outer Space Treaty. This tension between free access and the need to protect – most easily by forbidding access – remains unresolved. And the clock is ticking.

The Moon’s vulnerable legacy

The U.S. Artemis program aims to return humans to the Moon by 2028, China has plans for human return by 2030, and in the intervening years, more than 100 robotic missions are planned by countries and private industry alike. For the most part, these missions are all headed to the same sweet spot: the lunar south pole. Here, peaks of eternal light and deep craters containing water ice promise the best mining, science and research opportunities.

Regions of the lunar south pole, left, and north pole, right, contain water in the form of ice (blue), which could be useful for space agencies hoping to set up lunar bases.
NASA

In this excitement, it’s easy to forget that humans already have a deep history of lunar exploration. Scattered on the lunar surface are artifacts displaying humanity’s technological progress.

After centuries of gazing at our closest celestial neighbor with fascination, in 1959 the Soviet spacecraft, Luna 2, became the first human-made object to impact another celestial body. Ten years later, two humans, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, became the first ever to set foot upon another celestial body.

More recently, in 2019, China’s Chang’e 4 achieved the first soft landing on the Moon’s far side. And in 2023, India’s Chandrayaan-3 became the first to land successfully near the lunar south pole.

These sites memorialize humanity’s baby steps off our home planet and easily meet the United Nations definition of terrestrial heritage, as they are so “exceptional as to transcend national boundaries and to be of common importance for present and future generations of all humanity.”

The international community works to protect such sites on Earth, but those protection protocols do not extend to outer space.

Astronaut footprints are still intact on the lunar surface because the Moon doesn’t have weather. But nearby spacecraft or rovers could kick up dust and cover them.
AP Photo

The more than 115 other sites on the Moon that bear evidence of human activity are frozen in time without degradation from weather, animal or human activity. But this could change. A single errant spacecraft or rover could kick up abrasive lunar dust, erasing bootprints or damaging artifacts.

Protection and the Outer Space Treaty

In 2011, NASA recommended establishing buffer, or safety zones, of up to 1.2 miles (2 kilometers) to protect certain sites with U.S. artifacts.

Because it understood that outright exclusion violates the Outer Space Treaty, NASA issued these recommendations as voluntary guidelines. Nevertheless, the safety zone concept, essentially managing access to and activities around specific areas, could be a practical tool for protecting heritage sites. They could act as a starting point to find a balance between protection and access.

The U.N. Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Space recently proposed new principles for space resource use.
United States Mission to International Organizations in Vienna, CC BY-NC-ND

One hundred and ninety-six nations have agreed, through the 1972 World Heritage Convention, on the importance of recognizing and protecting cultural heritage of universal value found here on Earth.

Building on this agreement, the international community could require specific access protocols — such as a permitting process, activity restrictions, shared access rules, monitoring and other controls — for heritage sites on the Moon. If accepted, these protective measures for heritage sites could also work as a template for scientific and operational sites. This would create a consistent framework that avoids the perception of claiming territory.

At this time, the draft U.N. principles released in April 2025 do not directly address the opposing concepts of access and protection. Instead, they defer to Article I of the Outer Space Treaty and reaffirm that everyone has free access to all areas of the Moon and other celestial bodies.

As more countries and companies compete to reach the Moon, a clear lunar legal framework can guide them to avoid conflicts and preserve historical sites. The draft U.N. principles show that the international community is ready to explore what this framework could look like.

Michelle L.D. Hanlon is affiliated with For All Moonkind, a not-for-profit organization committed to protecting human cultural heritage in outer space starting with the Apollo lunar landing sites.

– ref. Space law doesn’t protect historical sites, mining operations and bases on the Moon – a space lawyer describes a framework that could – https://theconversation.com/space-law-doesnt-protect-historical-sites-mining-operations-and-bases-on-the-moon-a-space-lawyer-describes-a-framework-that-could-255757

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 13, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Stop Farage, vote for a better future
Source: Scottish National Party

This election in Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse is an opportunity to stop Farage in Scotland.

His Reform party is gaining support down south, but we can take the wind out of his sails with a victory here.

The SNP is stepping in where Labour have let you down and, crucially, offering hope for a better future.

The SNP is committed to ensuring that people receive the support they need by saving you money:
- Free Prescriptions:We continue to make sure that no one in Scotland has to pay for essential medications.
- Free Bus Travel:Including under-22s, those aged 60 and over, to travel for free, reducing the cost of getting out and about.
- Universal Free School Meals for primary school children:A vital step to ease the pressure on family budgets and ensure all children in primary 1 to 5, regardless of their financial circumstances, are getting the nutrition they need.
- Free Childcare: Offering 1,140 hours of free early learning and childcare to families for children aged 3- to 5-year-old, helping working parents save money.
In Katy Loudon, you have an SNP candidate that will always be on Scotland’s side, putting your community first.
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
May 13, 2025