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  • MIL-OSI USA: Federal Debt and the Statutory Limit, March 2025

    Source: US Congressional Budget Office

    The debt limit—commonly called the debt ceiling—is the maximum amount of debt that the Department of the Treasury can issue to the public or to other federal agencies. The amount is set by law and has been increased or suspended over the years to allow for the additional borrowing needed to finance the government’s operations.

    On June 3, 2023, lawmakers suspended the debt limit through January 1, 2025. On January 2, 2025, that limit was reinstated at $36.1 trillion—the amount of debt outstanding on the previous day. At that time, a scheduled redemption of securities held by a Medicare trust fund lowered outstanding debt by $54 billion, giving the Treasury room for additional borrowing. That redemption forestalled the beginning of a “debt issuance suspension period” until January 21, 2025. During such a period, the Treasury can pause investments in the Civil Service Retirement and Disability Fund (CSRDF) and the Postal Service Retiree Health Benefits Fund (PSRHBF) to free up room to borrow additional funds without breaching the debt ceiling. In addition, other well-established “extraordinary measures” are available to the Treasury to supplement cash balances and finance ongoing government operations.

    The Congressional Budget Office estimates that if the debt limit remains unchanged, the government’s ability to borrow using extraordinary measures will probably be exhausted in August or September 2025. The projected exhaustion date is uncertain because the timing and amount of revenue collections and outlays over the intervening months could differ from CBO’s projections. If the government’s borrowing needs are significantly greater than CBO projects, the Treasury’s resources could be exhausted in late May or sometime in June, before tax payments due in mid-June are received or before additional extraordinary measures become available on June 30. Conversely, if borrowing needs fall short of the amounts in CBO’s projections, the extraordinary measures will permit the Treasury to continue financing government activities longer than expected.

    If the debt limit is not raised or suspended before the extraordinary measures are exhausted, the government will be unable to pay all of its obligations. As a result, it would have to delay making payments for some activities, default on its debt obligations, or both.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: President Pro Tempore John F. Kennedy Announces Creation of Nonprofit Organization to Honor Former Senator Sheila McNeill

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA (March 26, 2025) — Last week, Senate President Pro Tempore John F. Kennedy (R–Macon) honored former State Senator Sheila McNeill, who served the 3rd Senate District from 2021 to 2023, by forming a nonprofit organization in her name. The Sheila McNeill Legacy Scholarship Fund will provide financial support to a Naval midshipman attending the United States Naval Academy (USNA) in Annapolis, Maryland, recognizing McNeill’s lifelong dedication to the U.S. Navy and the Navy Submarine Base at Kings Bay, Georgia.

    “I was proud to see the Senate establish the Sheila McNeill Legacy Scholarship Fund and commemorate the life and legacy of a dear friend,” said Sen. Kennedy. “There is no better way to pay tribute to an extraordinary leader like Sheila McNeill than aiding the next generation of military service members. By providing a stipend for one semester, our fund ensures that a dedicated midshipman has financial support for additional expenses not covered by the Academy, such as personal and academic necessities. This assistance allows recipients to focus fully on their rigorous education and leadership training without undue financial stress. Sheila was a steadfast advocate for our nation’s defense, and I know she would be proud to see her lifelong mission continue through this non-profit.”

    Sen. Mike Hodges (R–Brunswick), who now serves the 3rd Senate District, added, “Sheila was a great friend, an exceptional legislator and a trailblazer in every sense of the word. Having known her and her family from the time we grew up together in church, I knew that Sheila’s dedication to serving her family and community and her sense of purpose was unmatched. I am proud to participate in the Sheila McNeill Legacy Scholarship Fund and honored to dedicate a portion of State Route 40 as the Sen. Sheila McNeill Memorial Highway.”

    During her tenure in the Georgia Senate, Sheila McNeill was a fierce advocate for veterans and military service members. Additionally, she made history as the first and only woman to serve as National President of the Navy League of the United States (2003-2005). Former Sen. McNeill passed away in August 2024, leaving behind a legacy of leadership and service.  

    For those who wish to support this cause, donations can be made to the Shelia McNeill Legacy Scholarship Fund:

    ·       Checks may be dropped off at the Office of the Senate President Pro Tempore, Room 321 in the State Capitol.

    ·       Checks may also be mailed to PO Box 1738, Roswell, GA 30077.

    # # # #

    Sen. John F. Kennedy serves as the President Pro Tempore of the Georgia State Senate. He represents the 18th Senate District, which includes Crawford, Monroe, Peach and Upson counties, as well as portions of Bibb and Houston counties. He may be reached at (404) 656-6578 or by email at John.Kennedy@senate.ga.gov.

    Sen. Mike Hodges serves as Chairman of the Senate Committee on Reapportionment and Redistricting. He represents the 3rd Senate District, which includes Brantley, Camden, Charlton, Glynn, McIntosh, and a portion of Ware County. He may be reached by phone at (404) 463-1309 or by email at Mike.Hodges@senate.ga.gov.

    For all media inquiries, please reach out to SenatePressInquiries@senate.ga.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NCDHHS Partners with Hazel Health to Provide Virtual Mental Health Services for K-12 Students in North Carolina

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: NCDHHS Partners with Hazel Health to Provide Virtual Mental Health Services for K-12 Students in North Carolina

    NCDHHS Partners with Hazel Health to Provide Virtual Mental Health Services for K-12 Students in North Carolina
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    The North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services today announced students across North Carolina will soon have access to high-quality, virtual mental health care through Hazel Health. This initiative, supported through an investment by UnitedHealthcare, is part of a broader effort announced last year to provide virtual school-centered mental health care for up to one million students across select states nationwide.

    Through this initiative, nearly 400,000 students – amounting to almost 30% of North Carolina’s K-12 student population – will have access to Hazel Health’s mental health services. Once Hazel is implemented, any student who is enrolled within participating districts will be able to access one of Hazel’s on-staff, licensed therapists before, during and after the school day. Hazel Health services will go live in late March 2025, beginning with Harnett County Schools and Durham Public Schools, with more districts to be added in the coming weeks.

    “Services like school-based telehealth are critical to improving access to mental health care because they meet children and families where they are with the care they need,” said NC Health and Human Services Secretary Dev Sangvai. “We look forward to partnering with our public schools and Hazel Health to further the department’s ongoing work to transform North Carolina’s mental health system and create better outcomes for children and families.”

    More than 1 in 3 high school students in North Carolina have reported feeling sad or hopeless, along with almost 1 in 3 middle school students.  While there are early signs signaling improvement, the numbers still paint a grim picture of the health and wellbeing of our nation’s youngest generation.

    “Many children in schools lack access to essential mental health services, with barriers ranging from provider shortages to cost,” said Kelly Crosbie, MSW, LCSW, Director of the NCDHHS Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Use Services.  “Schools are an essential part of a child’s life, so expanding access to direct mental health care in school addresses the gap in care and can improve a child’s wellbeing, academic performance, social relationships and long-term development.” 

    “Mental health challenges—such as anxiety, depression, and trauma—can severely impact a child’s ability to learn, socialize, and thrive,” said Yvonne Copeland, Director of the NCDHHS Division of Child and Family Well-being. “Many students face barriers to accessing professional mental health support, including transportation issues, long wait times, stigma, and financial constraints. By bringing tele-behavioral health care services to schools, we can remove those barriers and address concerns earlier, setting children up for long-term success.”

    “School-based healthcare is essential to removing obstacles to care, such as transportation and time limitations, to allow for early identification and treatment of behavioral conditions for children of all ages,” said Anita Bachmann, CEO, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of North Carolina. “We are honored to collaborate with NCDHHS and Hazel Health to ensure that students in select districts – including Harnett and Durham Public Schools – have access to critical mental health services to help them be successful in and out of the classroom.”

    “The cross-functional, public-private partnership in North Carolina shows a deep commitment to ensuring that all students have access to the mental health support they need,” said Andrew Post, President, Hazel Health. “When we prioritize student wellbeing and health now, we’re doing more than boosting their academic achievements – we’re building the groundwork for them to thrive throughout their entire lives.”

    Hazel Health, the nation’s largest provider of school-centered telehealth, serves over 5 million students in 18 states. A third-party study conducted by Clemson University found that 75% of students who participated in Hazel’s online therapy program experienced clinically significant reductions in depression and anxiety after an average of six sessions. Additionally, early research also indicates that Hazel’s therapy program can combat chronic absenteeism. One emerging data point: 68% of students who engaged with Hazel’s therapy program improved their attendance–and over 30% had zero absences!–since their referral to Hazel.
    To learn more, please visit hazel.co.

    About Hazel Health
    Hazel Health is the nation’s largest and most trusted provider of school-based telehealth. By partnering with districts and health plans across the country, Hazel transforms schools into the most accessible front door to pediatric healthcare. Today, Hazel’s licensed providers deliver teletherapy and virtual care (in school or at home) to over four million K-12 students, regardless of their ability to pay. Hazel aims to remove all barriers to the mental and physical health care that children need to thrive in school, at home, and in life. Learn more at hazel.co.

    About the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services
    NCDHHS manages the delivery of health and human services for all North Carolinians, especially our most vulnerable populations – children, people with disabilities, older adults, and low-income families. Our vision is to advance innovative solutions that foster independence, improve health and safety, and promote well-being in every community across the state. The department works closely with health care professionals, community leaders and advocacy groups; local, state and federal entities; and many other stakeholders to make this happen. Visit ncdhhs.gov.

    El Departamento de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte anunció hoy que los estudiantes de Carolina del Norte pronto tendrán acceso a atención de salud mental virtual de alta calidad a través de Hazel Health. Esta iniciativa, respaldada a través de una inversión de UnitedHealthcare, es parte de un esfuerzo más amplio anunciado el año pasado para proporcionar atención de salud mental virtual centrada en la escuela para hasta un millón de estudiantes en determinados estados del país.

    A través de esta iniciativa, casi 400,000 estudiantes, que representan casi el 30% de la población estudiantil de grados K a 12 de Carolina del Norte, tendrán acceso a los servicios de salud mental de Hazel Health. Una vez que Hazel se haya implementado, cualquier estudiante que esté inscrito dentro de los distritos participantes podrá acceder a uno de los terapeutas con licencia en el personal de Hazel antes, durante y después del día escolar. Los servicios de Hazel Health comenzarán a funcionar a fines de marzo de 2025, comenzando con las Escuelas Públicas de los condados de Harnett y las escuelas públicas del condado de Durham, y se agregarán más distritos en las próximas semanas.

    “Los servicios como la telesalud escolar son fundamentales para mejorar el acceso a la atención de salud mental, ya que reúnen a los niños y las familias donde se encuentran con la atención que necesitan”, dijo Dev Sangvai, secretario de Salud y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte. “Esperamos colaborar con nuestras escuelas públicas y Hazel Health para promover el trabajo continuo del departamento para transformar el sistema de salud mental de Carolina del Norte y crear mejores resultados para los niños y las familias”.

    Más de 1 de cada 3 estudiantes de secundaria en Carolina del Norte han informado sentirse tristes o desesperanzados, junto con casi 1 de cada 3 estudiantes de secundaria. Si bien hay señales tempranas que indican una mejora, los números aún pintan un panorama sombrío de la salud y el bienestar de la generación más joven de nuestra nación.

    “Muchos niños en las escuelas carecen el acceso a servicios esenciales de salud mental, con barreras que van desde la escasez de proveedores hasta el costo”, dijo Kelly Crosbie, MSW, LCSW, directora de la División de Salud Mental, Discapacidades del Desarrollo y Servicios de Uso de Sustancias de NCDHHS.  “Las escuelas son una parte esencial de la vida de un niño, por lo que ampliar el acceso a la atención directa de salud mental en la escuela aborda las carencias en la atención asistencial y puede mejorar el bienestar, el rendimiento académico, las relaciones sociales y el desarrollo a largo plazo de un niño”.

    “Los problemas de salud mental, como la ansiedad, la depresión y el trauma, pueden afectar gravemente la capacidad de un niño para aprender, socializar y prosperar”, dijo Yvonne Copeland, directora de la División de Bienestar Infantil y Familiar de NCDHHS. “Muchos estudiantes enfrentan barreras para acceder al apoyo profesional de salud mental, los problemas de transporte, largos tiempos de espera, estigma y limitaciones financieras. Al llevar los servicios de atención médica teleconductual a las escuelas, podemos eliminar esas barreras y abordar las preocupaciones antes, preparando a los niños para el éxito a largo plazo”.

    “La atención médica escolar es esencial para eliminar los obstáculos a la atención, como el transporte y las limitaciones de tiempo, para permitir la identificación temprana y el tratamiento de las condiciones de comportamiento de los niños de todas las edades”, dijo Anita Bachmann, CEO de UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of North Carolina. “Nos sentimos honrados de colaborar con NCDHHS y Hazel Health para garantizar que los alumnos de las escuelas en distritos seleccionados incluso las escuelas públicas de Harnett y Durham, tengan acceso a servicios críticos de salud mental para ayudarlos a tener éxito dentro y fuera del aula”.

    “La asociación multifuncional público-privada en Carolina del Norte muestra un profundo compromiso para garantizar que todos los estudiantes tengan acceso al apoyo de salud mental que necesitan”, dijo Andrew Post, presidente de Hazel Health. “Cuando priorizamos el bienestar y la salud de los estudiantes ahora, estamos haciendo más que aumentar sus logros académicos: estamos sentando las bases para que prosperen durante toda su vida”.

    Hazel Health, el mayor proveedor nacional de telesalud centrada en la escuela, atiende a más de 5 millones de estudiantes en 18 estados. Un estudio de terceros realizado por la Universidad de Clemson encontró que el 75% de los estudiantes que participaron en el programa de terapia en línea de Hazel experimentaron reducciones clínicamente significativas en la depresión y la ansiedad después de un promedio de seis sesiones. Además, las primeras investigaciones también indican que el programa de terapia de Hazel puede combatir el ausentismo crónico. Un dato emergente: el 68% de los alumnos que participaron en el programa de terapia de Hazel mejoraron su asistencia, ¡y más del 30% tuvieron cero ausencias!, desde su remisión a Hazel.
    Para obtener más información, visite hazel.co.

    Acerca de Hazel Health
    Hazel Health es el proveedor de telesalud escolar más grande y de mayor confianza del país. Al asociarse con distritos y planes de salud en todo el país, Hazel transforma las escuelas en la puerta de entrada más accesible a la atención médica pediátrica. Hoy en día, los proveedores con licencia de Hazel brindan teleterapia y atención virtual (en la escuela o en el hogar) a más de cuatro millones de estudiantes de grados K a 12, independientemente de su capacidad de pago. Hazel tiene como objetivo eliminar todas las barreras a la atención de salud mental y física que los niños necesitan para prosperar en la escuela, en el hogar y en la vida. Más información en hazel.co.

    Acerca del Departamento de Salud Y Servicios Humanos de Carolina del Norte
    NCDHHS gestiona la prestación de servicios de salud y humanos para todos los habitantes de Carolina del Norte, especialmente nuestras poblaciones más vulnerables: niños, personas con discapacidades, adultos mayores y familias de bajos ingresos. Nuestra visión es avanzar en soluciones innovadoras que fomenten la independencia, mejoren la salud y la seguridad, y promuevan el bienestar en todas las comunidades del estado. El departamento trabaja en estrecha colaboración con profesionales de la salud, líderes comunitarios y grupos de abogacía; entidades locales, estatales y federales; y muchas otras partes interesadas para que esto suceda. Visite ncdhhs.gov.

    Mar 26, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: FBI Recovers Money Swindled from Kansas Bank’s Investors

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

    Indeed, it’s rare for fraud victims to recover their lost money, especially when scammers use cash or cryptocurrency, which can be hard to trace since the money can change hands quickly.

    In 2023, the Bureau’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) received more than 69,000 complaints from the public regarding financial fraud involving the use of cryptocurrency. Estimated losses with a nexus to cryptocurrency totaled more than $5.6 billion. Investigators in the Kansas case were heartened when a federal judge last November informed the failed bank’s owners that all was not lost.

    “To be able to give them back their money is extremely powerful,” said Emilee Thompson, a forfeiture specialist for FBI Kansas City.

    The courtroom erupted when the judge told victims at a November 4 restitution hearing in Wichita that the FBI recovered most of their money.

    “There was cheering and clapping and crying because these people went from thinking they had lost $8.2 million to being made aware they were going to be made very near whole,” Special Agent Hemmert said.

    He said it was particularly impactful to help folks in rural Southwest Kansas, whose opinions of the FBI vary widely.

    “To live up to the reputation of the FBI and to show that we will do whatever we can—move heaven and earth if necessary—to do what we can to get their money back, that was cool,” he said. “To show these people and Elkhart that the FBI cares a great deal about victims and to do whatever we can to make them whole after they’ve been the victim of a crime.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Members of Violent NE Philadelphia Drug Trafficking Organization Convicted of All Charges at Trial

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Defendants Were Part of the Conspiracy That Led to the Killing of PPD Sgt. James O’Connor

    PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Kelvin Jimenez, aka “Nip,” 34, and Dominique Parker, aka “Dom,” 33, both of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, were convicted late yesterday afternoon at trial of crimes arising from their membership in a violent drug trafficking organization known by several names, including “SG1700” and “L-Block,” which operated in the Frankford section of Northeast Philadelphia.

    As proven at trial, defendants Jimenez and Parker, as part of SG1700, sold large quantities of narcotics over a multi-year period, using violence and threats of violence to protect their reputation and drug territory. Both were convicted of all charges against them, including racketeering conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, maintaining a drug-involved premises, assaults in aid of racketeering, firearms offenses, and related crimes. Jimenez was also convicted of the murder of Kaseem Rogers, and Parker of the murder of Dontae Walker.

    Jimenez and Parker, along with Hassan Elliott, aka “Haz,” 26, and Khalif Sears, aka “Leaf” and “Lil Leaf,” 23, both also of Philadelphia, were charged in March 2023 by superseding indictment with conspiracy to engage in a racketeer influenced corrupt organization (RICO), violent crimes in aid of racketeering, to include murder, stemming from the killings of victims Rogers, Walker, Tyrone Tyree, and Philadelphia Police Sergeant James O’Connor, and numerous related offenses.

    On March 13, 2020, Elliott, Sears, and others previously indicted were inside a stash house on the 1600 block of Bridge Street, when Sergeant O’Connor and other members of the Philadelphia Police Department SWAT team arrived with an arrest warrant for Elliott for the March 2019 murder of Tyrone Tyree. As Sergeant O’Connor and his fellow officers ascended the staircase to the second floor of the residence and repeatedly announced their presence, Elliott fired a semiautomatic assault rifle 16 times, striking and killing Sergeant O’Connor.

    Elliott and Sears pleaded guilty this January to RICO conspiracy, drug trafficking conspiracy, causing the death of Sergeant O’Connor by firearm, and multiple drug, gun, and violent offenses. Elliott is scheduled to be sentenced on April 29 and Sears on April 30; both face maximum possible sentences of life in prison.

    Jimenez is scheduled to be sentenced on July 7 and Parker on July 9; both also face maximum possible sentences of life in prison.

    “Jimenez and Parker led the gang that killed Sergeant James O’Connor. These defendants also committed murder themselves,” U.S. Attorney Metcalf said. “Today, however, the Department of Justice put an end to SG1700 and their campaign of violence and destruction. We cannot bring back the lives that have been lost. But we have sent an unambiguous message that everyone involved in a criminal organization that attacks our brave law enforcement officers will be held accountable through federal prosecution.”

    “By direction of these gang-leaders, Philadelphia’s Frankford neighborhood was subjected to deadly shootouts targeting rivals,” said Eric DeGree, Special Agent in Charge of the ATF’s Philadelphia Field Division. “This conviction brings some justice for the murder of Philadelphia Police Sergeant James O’Connor, for his family and colleagues, and for the three others murdered and more than a dozen wounded by this brutal criminal enterprise. Through our ATF agents’ hard work in cooperation with the Philadelphia Police Department, the U.S. Attorney’s Office successfully prosecuted this series of cases to take down this lethal enterprise and make Philadelphia’s streets safer.”

    The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Philadelphia Police Department and is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Ashley Martin, Christopher Diviny, and Lauren Stram. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: York County Man Sentenced to 217 Months in Prison for Armed Robbery and Discharging a Firearm in Furtherance of a Crime of Violence

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    HARRISBURG – The United States Attorney’s Office for the Middle District of Pennsylvania announced that Jose Diaz-Garcia, age 24, of York, Pennsylvania, was sentenced yesterday to 217 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Keli M. Neary for three counts of conspiracy to interfere with commerce by robbery and one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

    According to Acting United States Attorney John C. Gurganus, Diaz-Garcia previously pleaded guilty to these offenses, which involved Diaz-Garcia’s armed robberies of the Smoke and Chill convenience store, the Family Dollar store, and Rod’s Corner Store in December 2021, during a 5-day crime spree in York County.  During each of these robberies, Diaz-Garcia pointed a loaded handgun at employees and took money by means of actual and threatened force, violence, and fear of injury. During the robbery at the Family Dollar on December 8, 2021, Diaz-Garcia discharged the firearm in the presence of store patrons and employees, and held the gun against an employee prior to robbing the store and fleeing to a nearby hotel.

    Judge Neary also ordered Diaz-Garcia to pay $4,601.58 in restitution to the businesses, and to serve 5 years of supervised release after he completes his prison sentence.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    The matter was investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the York City Police Department.  Assistant United States Attorney Christian Haugsby prosecuted the case.          

    # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Medicare Advantage Provider Seoul Medical Group and Related Parties to Pay Over $62M to Settle False Claims Act Suit

    Source: United States Attorneys General 1

    Seoul Medical Group Inc. and its subsidiary Advanced Medical Management Inc., headquartered in California, have agreed to pay $58,740,000 and their former president and majority owner, Dr. Min Young Cha, has agreed to pay $1,760,000 for allegedly violating the False Claims Act by causing the submission of false diagnosis codes for two spinal conditions to increase payments from the Medicare Advantage program. Renaissance Imaging Medical Associates Inc., a California-based radiology group that worked with Seoul Medical, has also agreed to pay $2,350,000, for allegedly conspiring with Seoul Medical Group in connection with the false diagnoses for the two spinal conditions.

    Under Medicare Advantage, also known as the Medicare Part C program, Medicare beneficiaries have the option of enrolling in managed care insurance plans called Medicare Advantage Plans (MA Plans) and the MA Plans contract with healthcare providers, such as Seoul Medical Group, to provide the Medicare-covered benefits. MA Plans are paid a per-person amount to provide the care to their enrollees and, in turn, the MA Plans pay the providers. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which oversees the Medicare program, adjusts the payments to MA Plans based on demographic information and the health diagnoses of each plan beneficiary. The adjustments are commonly referred to as “risk scores.” In general, a beneficiary with diagnoses that are more expensive to treat will have a higher risk score, and CMS will make a larger risk-adjusted payment to the MA Plan for that beneficiary.

    Seoul Medical Group is a healthcare provider that started in 1993 in Los Angeles and has since expanded into at least six states and has employed at times 150 primary care providers and 1,000 specialists. Dr. Min Young Cha started Seoul Medical Group and until 2023 was president and majority owner.

    Allegedly, from 2015 to 2021, Seoul Medical Group and Dr. Cha submitted diagnoses for two severe spinal conditions, spinal enthesopathy and sacroiliitis, for patients who did not suffer from either of these conditions. When Seoul Medical Group was questioned by an MA Plan about its use of spinal enthesopathy, Seoul Medical Group enlisted the assistance of Renaissance Imaging Medical Associates to create radiology reports that appeared to support the spinal enthesopathy diagnosis. Both diagnoses resulted in an increase in payment from CMS to the MA Plan, and the MA Plan then passed along a portion of the increased payment to Seoul Medical Group.

    “Medicare Advantage is a vital program for our seniors and the government expects healthcare providers who participate in the program to provide truthful and accurate information,” said Acting Assistant Attorney General Yaakov M. Roth of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “Today’s result sends a clear message to the Medicare Advantage community that the United States will zealously pursue appropriate action against those who knowingly submit false claims for taxpayer funds.”

    “My office is committed to ensuring that healthcare providers are held accountable for unlawful misrepresentations to Medicare and other healthcare programs,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph T. McNally for the Central District of California. “As this settlement makes clear, we will diligently pursue those who defraud government programs.”

    “Providers who game the Medicare program to increase profit undermine the foundation of care and diminish patient trust in the nation’s public health care system,” said Deputy Inspector General for Investigations Christian J. Schrank of the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General (HHS-OIG). “HHS-OIG will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners and rigorously probe false claims to the fullest extent possible.”

    The civil settlement resolves claims brought under the qui tam or whistleblower provisions of the False Claims Act by Paul Pew, the former Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Advanced Medical Management. Under those provisions, a private party can file an action on behalf of the United States and receive a portion of any recovery.  The qui tam case is captioned U.S. ex rel. Pew v. Seoul Medical Group, Inc., et al., No. 2:20-cv-05156 (C.D. Cal.). The relator’s share of the settlement has not yet been determined.

    The resolution obtained in this matter was the result of a coordinated effort between the Justice Department’s Civil Division, Commercial Litigation Branch, Fraud Section, and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, with assistance from the Department of HHS-OIG.

    The investigation and resolution of this matter illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating healthcare fraud. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Tips and complaints from all sources about potential fraud, waste, abuse, and mismanagement, can be reported to the Department of Health and Human Services at 800-HHS-TIPS (800-447-8477).

    The matter was investigated by Fraud Section Attorneys J. Jennifer Koh and Robbin O. Lee and Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen Paik for the Central District of California.

    The claims resolved by the settlement are allegations only and there has been no determination of liability.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: No. 10/2025 – Course of the annual general meeting

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Nasdaq Copenhagen                                                                                   
    Nikolaj Plads 6
    DK-1067 Copenhagen K   

    Copenhagen, 26 March 2025
    ANNOUNCEMENT no.10/2025

    CEMAT A/S
    Company reg. (CVR) no. 24 93 28 18
    Annual general meeting 2025

    On 26 March 2025 at 1:00 pm the annual general meeting was held in Cemat A/S (the “Company”) at DLA Piper Denmark, Oslo Plads 2, 2100 Copenhagen Ø.

    Pursuant to the Company’s articles of association, the Board of Directors had appointed attorney-at-law Martin Lavesen as chairman of the meeting.

    1. The management’s report on the Company’s activities during the past financial year

    The management’s report for the financial year 2024 was presented by management.

    The annual general meeting took note of the management’s report for the financial year 2024.

    1. Presentation of the audited annual report for adoption

    The annual general report was presented.

    The general meeting approved the annual report for 2024.

    1. The Board of Directors’ proposal for appropriation of profit or covering of loss according to the adopted annual report

    The Board of Director’s proposal for appropriation of profit as stated in the annual report was approved by the general meeting, with the result being carried forward to the next year, and it was decided not to distribute dividends.

    1. Presentation of and indicative vote on remuneration report

    The remuneration report was presented.

    The general meeting approved the remuneration by an indicative vote.

    1. Approval of the remuneration of the Board of Directors’ fees for the current financial year

    The Board of Directors’ proposal regarding directors’ fees for the current financial year 2025 was adopted by the general meeting. The members of the Board of Directors will receive the basic fee of DKK 220,000 for the financial year 2025.

    In accordance with the remuneration report the chairman of the Board of Directors will receive the basic fee multiplied by a factor of 2.5, and the vice-chairman will receive the basic fee multiplied by a factor of 1.75.

    1. Election of members to the Board of Directors

    The Board of Directors proposed re-election of Frede Clausen, Eivind Dam Jensen, Joanna Iwanowska-Nielsen and Brian Winther Almind to the Board of Directors.

    The candidates were re-elected by the general meeting.

    At a subsequent constituent board meeting, the Board of Directors appointed Frede Clausen as Chairman of the board and Eivind Dam Jensen as Deputy Chairman of the board.

    1. Appointment of auditor

    The Board of Directors proposed re-election of BDO Statsautoriseret Revisionsaktieselskab, CVR-nr. 20222670, as auditors of the Company.

    BDO Statsautoriseret Revisionsaktieselskab was re-elected by the general meeting.

    1. Proposals from the Board of Directors or shareholders

    No items on the agenda.

    1. Any other business

    No items discussed.

    The annual general meeting was adjourned at 2:03 pm.

    Any questions concerning this announcement may be directed to info@cemat.dk.

    Cemat A/S

    Frede Clausen
    Chairman of the Board of Directors

    This announcement has been issued in Danish and English. In case of any inconsistencies, the Danish version will prevail.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Blaming absent dads for the crisis of masculinity is too simplistic – many men want to be more involved

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Anna Tarrant, Professor of Sociology, University of Lincoln

    imtmphoto/Shutterstock

    Fatherlessness and a lack of male role models are often cited as causes of an apparent crisis of masculinity among boys. This is not new. These arguments have been made for nearly half a century, both in the UK and the US, as the root of a multitude of social issues.

    These are key ideas in the Lost Boys report from thinktank the Centre for Social Justice, cited recently by Gareth Southgate in his Richard Dimbleby lecture on the issues facing boys. In this report, concerns about fatherlessness and a lack of male role models for boys in their homes and schools loom large as part of an explanation about why boys today are “lost” and struggling.

    I am a researcher who works with boys and fathers, especially with those in low-income communities. I have long feared that these explanations fall short. In the report, boys are presented as passive victims of inequalities. Men, as fathers and educators, are considered to be to blame when they are deemed absent, or seen as a way to solve the societal ills that influence and shape the nation’s boys.

    But simply asking fathers to step up and do better isn’t enough. In my research with men as caregivers, including young fathers aged 25 and under, I’ve found they want to be involved in their children’s lives but face numerous challenges that can make this more difficult.

    Whether struggling to secure qualifications and find employment or family-suitable housing that is near to or safe for their children, they come up against serious barriers to support with their parenting.

    The UK remains woefully ill-equipped to support fathers to be involved and present in the lives of their children. Not only do we have among the worst parental leave offers in Europe, but family and public health services do not routinely engage with fathers as effectively as they should.

    Diverse family life

    Lost Boys also presents a bleak picture of family life in Britain. It highlights what is referred to, rather sensationally, as an epidemic of family breakdown.

    The report notes there are “just shy of half of young Britons growing up with only one biological parent … with close to nine out of ten of these being single mothers”. If absent fathers are the problem, then this concern over fatherlessness also presents single mothers bringing up boys as lacking.



    Read more:
    Having a single parent doesn’t determine your life chances – the data shows poverty is far more important

    Further, in the emphasis on the absence of biological fathers from households, it is assumed that the diverse ways we now live family life are also a problem. This obscures the very meaningful family connections that are forged through co-habiting, step-parenting, single-sex parenting and other forms of care – which men also engage in.

    Including fathers

    Working-class communities often bear the brunt of concerns about a gender crisis. Men in these communities, through labels like feckless and absent dads, are portrayed as failing fathers. This often happens despite limited engagement with them to understand their experiences.

    Fathers may face barriers, such as access to nearby work and housing, that prevent them from spending as much time with their children as they want.
    Alex Linch/Shutterstock

    My research with boys and fathers over the last decade has shown there are greater benefits when fathers are directly involved in addressing the systemic challenges shaping their parenting experiences. We have therefore involved fathers in creating dads’ groups and online parenting support, where they challenge negative views and advocate for progressive societal support for boys and men.

    Shifting away from the concept of “fatherless families”, this work promotes the idea of creating societies that are father-inclusive and better at supporting men as fathers. This might be by advocating for increased time to bond with their children through well-funded and affordable parental leave, or through more effective public health and community-based support for fathers through pregnancy and parenthood.

    Focusing on including fathers means we can explore ways that societies can better support men to be involved in caregiving – and role modelling.

    To do this requires collective and collaborative efforts. Building partnerships and fostering dialogues across diverse sectors including education, health, social services, local government and charities – as well as with parents and communities – we are better able to respond to the complexities of the issues boys and men navigate. My work demonstrates the value of developing systemic solutions that are rooted in lived experience and professional insight.

    The issues boys and men navigate are diverse, messy and reflective of the complex machinery of our social world. They’re linked to socioeconomic inequalities, geography and social history.

    Meaningfully addressing the problems boys and young men encounter that play out in our homes, schools and online means broadening the scope of change beyond individuals and families. It means creating the social conditions for happier, healthier journeys into and through adulthood and fatherhood.

    Anna Tarrant receives funding from UK Research & Innovation.

    – ref. Blaming absent dads for the crisis of masculinity is too simplistic – many men want to be more involved – https://theconversation.com/blaming-absent-dads-for-the-crisis-of-masculinity-is-too-simplistic-many-men-want-to-be-more-involved-252408

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why your medical condition might be named after a food

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adam Taylor, Professor of Anatomy, Lancaster University

    “Strawberry nose” can refer to a skin disorder called rhinophyma or large pores or blackheads on the nose Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock

    From watermelon stomach to chocolate cysts, you might wonder why doctors decided to name some ailments after foods – after all, it’s enough to put you off your dinner.

    When early physicians and surgeons were studying the body to understand normal function or disease, they lacked modern microscopic and molecular imaging and diagnostic techniques. Instead, they had to rely on basic observational skills and often used easily recognised descriptors to explain the appearance of organs and diseases.

    Food, then, became a convenient way to communicate the appearance of the body – in health and in sickness. This practice is known as eponymophilia and it continues today, particularly in pathology – the study of disease.

    There are lots of eponyms to describe the female reproductive system. Many healthcare workers describe healthy ovaries, for instance, as almond shape and size, while the shape of a typical uterus is often likened to an upside-down pear.

    Different shapes can be down to normal anatomical variation but can also be a sign of disease. Knowing these shapes and sizes allows for rapid identification during imaging assessments or medical examinations.

    Following childbirth and the cutting of the umbilical cord, the mother must deliver the afterbirth. According to 16th century anatomist, Matteo Realdo Colombo, the afterbirth looked like a “flat-cake”, and so he named it “placenta”, which comes from the Latin word for a type of cake.



    Read more:
    How a 16th century Italian anatomist came up with the word ‘placenta’: it reminded him of a cake

    Doctors examine the placenta carefully post-delivery to make sure none is left inside the mother – a condition known as retained placenta – which happens in 0.1-3% of births. Retained placenta can cause post-partum haemorrhage and and even the death of the mother, so checking the placenta looks like a “flat-cake” can save lives.

    While some eponyms, like the flat-cake placenta, seem straightforward, others can seem rather unkind. Take the common descriptions of Cushing’s syndrome for instance.

    People with Cushing’s often have a larger than average abdomen and lean legs, known as “lemon on matchstick” and can develop a “moon face” and a “buffalo hump”.

    Cushing’s disease is caused by long-term exposure to high levels of cortisol, a hormone the body makes to regulate its response to stress. It can develop naturally from tumours forming in the adrenal or pituitary glands, which produce cortisol.

    More commonly, however, it’s caused by some medicines, such as steroids – which contain a synthetic version of cortisol.

    Some eponyms can also function as euphemisms – making a serious, even threatening condition sound less worrying. Take “milky leg syndrome” or “milk leg”, for instance – deep vein thrombosis (DVT) in the iliac veins in the pelvis or the femoral veins at the top of your legs.

    The blockage prevents venous drainage – when veins drain deoxygenated blood and return it to the heart – from the legs, which causes painful, pale and swollen legs.

    Research suggests that 75% of cases of milk leg occur in the left leg and men are more likely to develop the condition than women. There are a number of risk factors, including previous vein blockage, obesity and pregnancy.

    If not treated promptly, the condition can progress to phlegmasia cerulea dolens – a rare but serious complication of DVT causing fluid build-up that prevents arteries from delivering blood into the tissues – which can lead to tissue death and venous gangrene. Sadly, once venous gangrene has set in, amputation and death are common outcomes.

    While this all sounds grim, spare a thought for those who suffer from “hot potato voice”, which describes the sound of someone who has an obstruction somewhere in the upper part of their airway. This blockage prevents the person from forming sounds properly and can be caused by an abscess in or around the tonsils, or a stone lodged in the throat.

    Before I go on, it’s only fair to warn you that if you’re eating or drinking or you haven’t got the stomach for more graphic descriptions, you might not want to read any further.

    Not for the faint-hearted

    Pea soup diarrhoea is an apt description of a deeply unpleasant infection: salmonella. Salmonella – or food poisoning – is an infection with salmonella bacteria that causes diarrhoea, high temperature and stomach pains. It can be transmitted from person to person through contaminated food or water or from touching infected animals, their faeces, or their environment.

    Thankfully, most healthy people recover fully by drinking plenty of fluids and resting. Younger or older people are at greater risk of more severe illness, as are immunocompromised people, and they may be prescribed antibiotics to help them recover from the infection.

    While diarrhoea can look like pea-soup, some STIs can look like cauliflower. Yes, sexually transmitted warts caused by the human papilloma virus can have a “cauliflower-like appearance”.

    They are typically seen on the external genitalia, around the anus and may be present internally too. Certain types of cancers, such as squamous cell carcinomas, also have a cauliflower-like appearance as they develop.

    The thick, white odourless discharge that can be a symptom of thrush is often likened to cottage cheese.

    The vagina usually self-cleans by producing a white or clear discharge. The white colour is most common at the beginning or end of the menstrual cycle; however, if the consistency becomes clumpy or curd-like, this is often a sign of infection.

    Most commonly, it’s a yeast infection but could also be a sexually transmitted disease, such as chlamydia. If there is a problem, this discharge is usually associated with other symptoms such as discomfort, pain, itching or an unpleasant smell.

    While some of these descriptions may seem unpleasant, they can be helpful to identify abnormalities and medical conditions. Food eponyms can help avoid confusion so doctors know what they’re looking for during examinations or surgery.

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

    – ref. Why your medical condition might be named after a food – https://theconversation.com/why-your-medical-condition-might-be-named-after-a-food-247543

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Snow White: this opportunity to empower Disney’s first princess falls short at every turn

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Laura O’Flanagan, PhD Candidate, School of English, Dublin City University

    Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs was a wonder of animation and cinema when it was first released by Disney in 1937. Based on the 1812 German fairy tale by the Brothers Grimm, it tells the story of a princess whose wicked step mother is intimidated by her youthful beauty. Desperate to be the “fairest of them all” the evil queen tries to have Snow White killed. Evading death, she is forced into hiding with seven dwarves.

    It was Disney’s first animated feature-length film and a critical and commercial success. Snow White was also the first Disney princess.

    In the decades since, Disney’s pantheon of princesses has grown. Alongside newer princess, Snow White seems pretty antiquated and uninspiring. She is a passive, innocent character who doesn’t do very much but wait around for her prince with whom she travels into the sunset at the film’s conclusion. In contrast, Moana (2016) and Elsa from Frozen (2013) are strong and independent characters who develop into thoughtful and careful leaders by the end of their stories.

    So, in an age of live-action remakes of some of Disney’s most iconic films it seemed fitting to give the character who started it all an update for modern audiences. However, the production was mired in controversy before it was even released, raising questions about whether Snow White is a story that can ever really be retold in a more empowering way.

    Looking for something good? Cut through the noise with a carefully curated selection of the latest releases, live events and exhibitions, straight to your inbox every fortnight, on Fridays. Sign up here.

    Changing the story to move with the times is in keeping with traditions of oral folk tales. But, controversy has followed the film since it was announced. As a result, Disney scaled back their usual red carpet premieres and it has been critically panned upon release.

    To many, the prospect of an updated, less romantically inclined Snow White was unthinkable. Some online commenters dubbed a Snow White story where the princess is not dreaming of true love “woke”.

    There was also backlash against the choice of Rachel Zegler as Snow White because of her Colombian background. The live-action Snow White isn’t the first remake to be the source of such racism. The ire echoes the hatred which accompanied 2023’s The Little Mermaid, when black actress Halle Bailey was cast as Ariel.

    There were also those who had concerns about the story, particularly the titular seven dwarves. Actor Peter Dinklage, who has a form of dwarfism, has condemned the production’s use of CGI, rather than casting dwarf actors to play Snow White’s mining companions. The story’s representation of people with dwarfism, has led some to say that the story shouldn’t be retold altogether.



    Read more:
    Why the changing representation of dwarfism in Disney’s live action Snow White remake is so important

    However, there are some aspects of the story that could have provided interesting opportunities to explore modern issues.

    For instance, it could have thoughtfully explored female ageing through the character of the evil queen. It could also, perhaps, have commented on the politics of beauty and the pressure for consumers in their teens and twenties, who have started buying beauty products at younger ages than ever before.

    Like Frozen’s tale of sisters saving each other, it could have subverted the trope of the damsel in distress saved by her prince charming. Snow White could have been a strong heroine who can overcome evil on her own terms.

    The story could have revised mistakes of the past and depicted different body types and people of different sizes and statures. It could also have portrayed consensual kisses by updating the kiss Snow White receives while asleep, turning it into a moment she chooses to participate in.

    Unfortunately, the new Snow White does not achieve any of these, or really anything much at all. The result is a dull, pointless story with poorly rendered visuals, cheap-looking costumes and lacklustre musical numbers.

    Falling short

    The 1937 film was a technical marvel and remains one of Disney’s visual masterpieces. Snow White of 2025 looks like she is gallivanting through a theme park ride as she moves through the forest, bathed in permanent evening light among computer-generated woodland creatures in her garish costume.

    The miners are introduced as 274-year-old magical creatures. Their appearance is neither human nor magical creature, landing somewhere uncanny in between. This is the crux of the film’s entire problem. The opportunity to update Snow White fails on every level because it does not go far enough.

    The story largely remains intact, with some expansion in terms of backstory and some additional characters. The evil queen remains a one-dimensional villain obsessed with beauty.

    The script plays with the word “fair”, with it taking on a confused double-meaning in the story. To the queen “fair” is beautiful, in keeping with the 1937 film, but to Snow White, “fair” means just. This is an interesting idea but it becomes muddled as the film progresses, and loses its way.

    Snow White is portrayed with an expanded backstory and is certainly given more motivation than in the 1937 film. For instance, she wants to reinstate “fairness” in the kingdom, which has been under the tyrannical rule of the evil queen since Snow White’s father’s death. But as more characters are introduced to aid Snow White on her journey, these serve as distraction and buffer, preventing her from showing any real development or growth.

    Prince Charming has been replaced by Jonathan, a Robin Hood-style bandit who condescendingly explains to Snow White why she has “princess problems”. He ultimately saves her by giving her true love’s kiss when she is under the queen’s spell. The issue of consent still swirls around this scene and underscores the question: is this an update at all?

    In the end, the queen is ultimately defeated by collective action, compared with a lightning bolt like in 1937. This is a significant development and perhaps the clearest update in the film. In 2025, the defeat of a vain autocrat by collective action is an appealing thought. Perhaps the filmmakers could have leaned into this idea, allowed Snow White to truly become one of the people and a clear democracy could have been established. But, like every other of the film’s updates, it falls short and she remains an unelected autocrat – albeit “the fairest one of all”.

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

    – ref. Snow White: this opportunity to empower Disney’s first princess falls short at every turn – https://theconversation.com/snow-white-this-opportunity-to-empower-disneys-first-princess-falls-short-at-every-turn-253064

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: MissionSquare Retirement Earns 2024 Cigna Healthy Workforce Designation™ for the second year in a row

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Washington, D.C., March 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cigna Healthcare has selected MissionSquare, an organization that advocates for retirement security and financial well-being, as a recipient of their 2024 Gold Healthy Workforce Designation for demonstrating a strong commitment to improving the health and vitality of its employees through a workplace well-being program.

    The award highlighted MissionSquare’s senior leadership for actively endorsing wellness initiatives. The program effectively promotes vitality on multiple fronts, employing various communication methods such as departmental and leadership meetings. To encourage participation, MissionSquare also provides incentives for engaging in wellness activities.

    “We are proud to have achieved Cigna’s Gold designation, highlighting our work to promote employee health and well-being,” said Lisa Raff, Senior Vice President, Chief Human Resources Officer at MissionSquare. “This recognition reflects our ongoing efforts to provide activities, tools, and resources to help our employees thrive, and we’re honored to be acknowledged by Cigna.”

    MissionSquare’s innovative well-being program takes a holistic approach to employee health and productivity. Going beyond standard paid time off (PTO), the comprehensive initiative emphasizes relaxation, personal days, and holidays, aiming to cultivate a healthier and more productive workforce. By prioritizing the overall health of their team, MissionSquare not only elevates their employees’ quality of life but also establishes a new industry standard. 

    Vitality is defined as the capacity to pursue life with health, strength and energy. It is both a driver and an outcome of health and work/life engagement, and Cigna Healthcare believes it is not only essential to individuals, but also a catalyst for business and community growth. Research conducted as part of the Evernorth Vitality Index confirms that those with higher vitality experience better mental and physical health along with higher levels of job satisfaction and performance. An opportunity remains for employers as less than one in five U.S. adults report having high levels of vitality. A workplace well-being program that takes a comprehensive approach to employee health can be critical in boosting vitality and building a workforce that experiences better overall health and job productivity.

    “Higher vitality is linked to a more motivated, connected, and productive workforce,” said Kari Knight Stevens, Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer, The Cigna Group. “Employers that foster vitality will fuel a healthier workplace and drive business and economic growth. That’s why we’re proud to recognize employers for their efforts to prioritize multiple dimensions of wellness, build a culture of health, and boost employee engagement.”

    The Cigna Healthy Workforce Designation evaluates organizations based on the core components of their well-being program, including leadership and culture, program foundations and execution, policies and accommodations, and additional areas. Organizations recognized with this designation set the standard of excellence for organizational health and vitality.

    About MissionSquare Retirement
    Since our founding in 1972, MissionSquare Retirement has been dedicated to simplifying the path to retirement security for public service employees. As a mission-based financial services company, we manage and administer over $72 billion in assets.* Our commitment to delivering results-oriented retirement plans, education, investments, and financial education sets us apart. Explore how we enable public service workers to build a secure financial future. Visit www.missionsq.org or follow the company on Facebook, LinkedIn, and X.

    *As of December 31, 2024. Includes 457(b), 401(k), 403(b), Retirement Health Savings plans, Employer Investment Program plans, affiliated IRAs, and investment-only assets.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: AI-powered job fair held in Harbin, China’s Heilongjiang

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    AI-powered job fair held in Harbin, China’s Heilongjiang

    Updated: March 26, 2025 21:21 Xinhua
    Students learn about employment information at a job fair held at Harbin Institute of Technology in Harbin, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, March 26, 2025. Featuring AI technologies such as career counseling, resume polishing and interview, an AI-powered job fair with the participation of 620 companies was held at Harbin Institute of Technology on Wednesday, providing over 42,000 positions to job seekers. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A student learns about AI interview at a job fair held at Harbin Institute of Technology in Harbin, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, March 26, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Students learn about employment information at a job fair held at Harbin Institute of Technology in Harbin, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, March 26, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Students learn about employment information at a job fair held at Harbin Institute of Technology in Harbin, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, March 26, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Students learn about employment information at a job fair held at Harbin Institute of Technology in Harbin, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, March 26, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A student learns about employment information at a job fair held at Harbin Institute of Technology in Harbin, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, March 26, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Students learn about employment information at a job fair held at Harbin Institute of Technology in Harbin, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, March 26, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Students learn about employment information at a job fair held at Harbin Institute of Technology in Harbin, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, March 26, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Eyeing free trade port milestone, China pushes toward higher-level opening up

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    BOAO, Hainan, March 26 — As the world economy faces mounting uncertainty and rising protectionism, China is reaffirming its commitment to openness, with the Hainan Free Trade Port (FTP) emerging as an important gateway driving the country’s opening up in the new era.

    At the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) annual conference, officials and experts underscored the significance of the Hainan FTP, as preparations accelerate for its independent customs operations, scheduled to begin by the end of 2025.

    “Following the launch of independent customs operations, the Hainan FTP is expected to further improve the free and convenient flow of trade and investment with the rest of the world, while forging even closer ties with China’s vast domestic market,” said Liu Xiaoming, governor of south China’s island province of Hainan.

    Local officials told Xinhua that preparations for the independent customs operations, a milestone in the construction of the Hainan FTP, have entered a critical sprint stage. All 31 checkpoint facility projects required for the operations have been completed, laying a solid foundation for the efficient movement of goods, people, and other key factors.

    Hainan is China’s first province to transform an entire island, spanning 34,000 square kilometers, into a free trade port that serves as a testbed for the unrestricted flow of goods, services, capital and data.

    “The mission of a free trade zone or port is to break down barriers, not to build high walls, and to create opportunities, not to monopolize the benefits,” Liu said, adding that Hainan is willing to cooperate with other global FTPs in areas such as logistics, industries and green development.

    Hainan FTP is also a frontier for the innovation of regulations and mechanisms, according to Zhou Xiaochuan, vice chairman of the BFA.

    As a key platform, the FTP can offer opportunities for countries worldwide, particularly those in Asia, to explore China’s vast market — home to over 1.4 billion people.

    “I think the FTP has great possibility to help international businesses get attracted to China and expand not only to serve China but also the rest of the world,” said Carl F. Fey, professor of strategy at BI Norwegian Business School.

    By the end of 2024, Hainan was home to 9,979 foreign-invested enterprises, 77.3 percent of which were established after June 2020, when China released its master plan for the Hainan FTP. The number of countries and regions investing in the province has grown from 43 in 2018 to 174 today.

    BFA Chairman and former UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon called China’s decision to build the Hainan FTP “a courageous move that takes vision and leadership.”

    Highlighting the significance of Hainan alongside other global FTPs from Dubai, Singapore and Hong Kong, Ban added that such models demonstrate what trade and openness can deliver for growth, well-being, and sustainability at a time when globalization faces headwinds.

    The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development recently revised its global GDP forecast downward, from 3.3 percent to 3.1 percent for 2025 and 3 percent for 2026, citing higher trade barriers in several G20 economies and increased geopolitical and policy uncertainty weighing on investment and household spending.

    Participants at the forum hailed the Hainan FTP as a prime example of China’s higher-level opening up.

    Since 1978, China’s commitment to reform and opening up has transformed it from an impoverished nation into a market-oriented economic powerhouse, driving high-quality development and creating opportunities shared with the rest of the world.

    “Regardless of changes in the external environment, we should remain steadfast in our commitment to opening up,” said the Chinese government work report released early this month. “We should steadily expand institutional opening up and take the initiative to open wider and advance unilateral opening up in a well-ordered way, to promote reform and development through greater openness.”

    In late 2024, China granted zero tariff treatment to 100 percent of tax lines from all the least developed countries that have established diplomatic relations with China.

    Since last year, the country has introduced measures to expand opening up in sectors such as value-added telecommunications and healthcare, completely removed foreign investment access restrictions in manufacturing, and reduced nationwide foreign investment access restrictions from 31 to 29 items.

    “We will ensure national treatment for foreign-funded enterprises in fields such as access to production factors, license application, standards setting, and government procurement,” the government work report said.

    Thanks to these efforts, nearly 90 percent of surveyed respondents expressed that they were “very satisfied” or “relatively satisfied” with the business environment in China in 2024, an increase of 2.1 percentage points compared to 2023, according to a report released by the China Council for the Promotion of International Trade.

    China’s opening up at a high level, undoubtedly, is of great significance and will bring new opportunities for Asia and the world at large, Ban said.

    China’s GDP grew by 5 percent year on year in 2024, ranking among the world’s fastest-growing major economies and continuing to contribute about 30 percent to global economic growth.

    Looking ahead, Zhou Xiaochuan expressed confidence that as the Chinese government accelerates the rollout of core policies for the Hainan FTP, the province will play an increasingly vital role in a changing world, strengthening Asia’s ties and supporting broader global cooperation.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China boosts global confidence for win-win cooperation

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Beijing, March 26 — Against the backdrop of global economic fragmentation and rising uncertainties, China reaffirmed its commitment to innovation-driven high-quality development and global cooperation at the just-concluded China Development Forum (CDF) 2025.

    Chinese Premier Li Qiang, who delivered a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of CDF 2025, underscored China’s commitment to its 2025 growth target of around 5 percent, signaling strong confidence in the country’s economic prospects.

    The decision reflects both China’s profound understanding of its economic conditions, and confidence in its governance capacity and future development potential, Li said, calling for the combination of more proactive and impactful macro policies with structural reforms, and voicing hope that China will continue to welcome enterprises from around the world with open arms.

    The premier added that the country will safeguard free trade, and contribute to the smooth and stable operation of global industrial and supply chains.

    Themed “Unleashing Development Momentum for Stable Growth of Global Economy,” the high-profile gathering held from March 23 to 24 in Beijing brought together Chinese policymakers, global business leaders, and leading international scholars to chart a course for sustainable growth amid uncertainties.

    “China is open for business and China is set for growth,” said Ola Kallenius, chairman of the board of management of Mercedes-Benz Group AG, on the sidelines of the event.

    STABILITY AMID UNCERTAINTIES

    As the theme of stability resonated throughout the forum discussions, Han Wenxiu, executive deputy director of the Office of the Central Committee for Financial and Economic Affairs, provided insight into China’s economic resilience and stability to counteract global uncertainties.

    “Amid rising external instability and uncertainty, China will remain firmly focused on pursuing its own development, leveraging the certainty of high-quality growth to offset external uncertainties and striving to serve as a stabilizing anchor for the global economy,” Han added.

    International observers echoed confidence in China’s economic prospects. Jeffrey Sachs, renowned economist and director of Columbia University’s Center for Sustainable Development, told Xinhua that China’s around-5-percent growth target is “perfectly achievable,” adding that the country is “booming in key sectors, especially digital, artificial intelligence, robotics, and this is going to propel a Chinese growth.”

    In the eyes of Standard Chartered Group Chief Executive Bill Winters, China’s growth story has shifted. “It is now about transformation and unleashing new productive forces to flourish to support high-quality growth,” he said.

    A PwC report released at the CDF noted that over the past two years, driven by new quality productive forces, China has demonstrated a commercial evolution path distinct from those of the traditional industrialized nations, marked by improvements in production factors, transformations in business models, and the intelligent reshaping of industrial chains.

    “This has opened up new opportunities for global business investment and development in China, highlighting the new advantages of the Chinese market during the global economic transition period,” the report read.

    INNOVATION AS NEW GROWTH ENGINE

    Finance Minister Lan Fo’an offered concrete details about China’s supportive fiscal policies, emphasizing their role in stimulating innovation and consumption. “We’re implementing targeted measures to convert potential demand into real growth drivers,” Lan explained.

    “This includes increasing fiscal support for tech innovation and providing tangible assistance to private enterprises.” He specifically highlighted plans to “accelerate the development of new quality productive forces” through strategic investments in artificial intelligence (AI) and other cutting-edge technologies.

    Data showcased China’s progress: its global innovation index ranking rose to 11th in 2024, with 19.6 percent, 27 percent, 64 percent, and 91.5 percent year-on-year growth in semiconductor wafers, industrial robots, bullet trains, and drones respectively in early 2024.

    The nation’s emphasis on innovation as a driver for high-quality growth resonated strongly throughout the forum. Siemens AG President and CEO Roland Busch pointed to China’s advances in AI and high-tech manufacturing.

    “China gave the answer for where growth would come from: Growth from high tech, growth by higher efficiency, and high-quality growth,” he remarked, adding that China surprises the world with innovations like the open foundational model R-1 developed by DeepSeek.

    Kallenius also praised China’s innovation-driven market. “China’s competitive advantage lies in its passion for innovation,” he said. “That is why Mercedes-Benz continues to deepen its presence in China.”

    Reflecting this trend, AstraZeneca CEO Pascal Soriot emphasized the country’s emergence as a global leader in life sciences. “Today, China is home to one of AstraZeneca’s Global R&D Centres, where our researchers in Shanghai are spearheading 20 global clinical trials and advancing over 200 pipeline projects,” he said.

    Prior to the forum, the British pharmaceutical giant signed a landmark 2.5-billion-U.S. dollar agreement on Friday to invest in Beijing over the next five years, the largest single investment in Beijing’s biopharmaceutical sector in recent years.

    Under the agreement, AstraZeneca will establish a global strategic R&D center in Beijing, its sixth worldwide and second in China after one in Shanghai. The new center, equipped with an advanced AI and data science laboratory, will accelerate early-stage drug research and clinical development.

    “Looking ahead, China will not only serve as a global innovation hub but also a core arena for setting standards and reshaping industrial chains,” the PwC report added.

    OPEN COLLABORATION FOR SHARED FUTURE

    From CDF 2025 in Beijing to the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) Annual Conference 2025 in south China’s Hainan Province, foreign executives reaffirmed their commitment to China as a key market for investment and collaboration: China’s complete industrial system, rich application scenarios, vast market scale, and large talent pool offer extensive collaboration opportunities for international industrial and technological innovation.

    The Japanese Chamber of Commerce and Industry in China said in its latest survey that 58 percent of its member firms plan to expand or maintain investments in China through 2025, while 53 percent of U.S. companies are expected to invest more in the country, according to the American Chamber of Commerce in China.

    BMW AG Chairman Oliver Zipse stressed that “economic prosperity comes from openness, not protectionism,” while criticizing trade barriers. “The best response to ‘de-risking’ strategies is more cooperation, not less.”

    Speaking to global business leaders attending the CDF, Lan also emphasized that China’s fiscal policy will support high-standard opening up, and that China will ensure equal treatment for all types of business entities and continue to improve the business environment.

    “For global companies, China’s commitment to high-tech innovation and open collaboration makes it an indispensable partner for long-term growth,” said Busch, highlighting China’s rapid technological advancements and collaborative spirit.

    Jean-Pascal Tricoire, chairman of Schneider Electric, said: “China is not only our second-largest worldwide market but it’s also a vital source of innovation.” For the French industrial giant, China will remain a key partner as it navigates the complexities of a rapidly changing world, he added.

    While China accelerates its push toward innovation-led growth and deepens its commitment to openness, global businesses continue to see the country as a critical partner in achieving long-term economic prosperity, and as the premier put it, there is a growing need for countries to open their markets and for enterprises to share resources, in order to address challenges and pursue common prosperity.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Politicians’ attacks on immigrants lack solid evidence: New data set the record straight

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Edward Koning, Associate professor, University of Guelph

    Immigration dominated recent election campaigns in countries that include the United Kingdom, France, Germany and the United States.

    The subject sparked particularly fierce debates over welfare. While some politicians called for more support for typically economically vulnerable immigrant populations, others argued that welfare systems are already too generous and accommodating to newcomers.

    Unfortunately, many debates on this subject lack solid evidence. A newly launched data set could change that. The data, which provides systematic information on immigrants’ access to social programs across different countries and different time periods, can help ground some of these discussions in empirical reality.

    The data set reveals key insights. One striking observation is that the countries where politicians most frequently complain that immigrants are treated too generously are among the most exclusionary from a comparative perspective.

    It also shows that although most welfare systems were moving towards greater inclusion up until the 2010s, since then social programs in many countries have become more inclusive in some respects but more exclusive in others.

    A new data set for 22 countries

    The data set, called the Immigrant Exclusion from Social Programs Index (IESPI), measures how much immigrants’ access to pensions, health care, unemployment benefits, housing benefits, social assistance and active labour market programs compares to that of native-born citizens.

    The index uses 32 indicators to measure factors like whether immigrants have to have resided in the country for a certain period of time, held a specific type of residence status, or met standards of successful integration before they can access social programs.

    The data covers the years 1990 to 2023 and includes information for 22 countries.

    Complaints about inclusion

    In the United States, President Donald Trump has voiced concerns about immigrants’ welfare access repeatedly, both during his first term and since taking office again this year.

    In last year’s British election, a staple of Rishi Sunak’s campaign was the insistence that immigrants threaten the sustainability of the welfare state.

    On the other side of the North Sea, the political party that won the Dutch elections made the argument that immigrants are “pampered” a central feature of its election platform.

    Ironically, all three of these countries are among the most exclusionary, according to the most recent IESPI data, as the graph below illustrates. (Note that the IESPI is organized such that a value of 0 is maximally inclusionary and 100 is maximally exclusionary.)

    Inclusionary trends have ended

    A second observation is that the era of social welfare systems becoming more inclusive for immigrants has ended.

    From 1990 until the 2010s, most western welfare systems were removing barriers for immigrant access to social programs. But since then, levels of immigrant welfare exclusion have not changed dramatically over time.

    Closer inspection shows that this picture of stability since the 2010s hides negative trends in different social programs.

    On the one hand, health-care programs and active labour market policies have gradually become more inclusionary. More and more countries have been making health-care services accessible for vulnerable immigrant populations, and rolling out targeted programs to improve newcomers’ chances on the labour market.

    On the other hand, social assistance policies have generally become more exclusionary over time. Many countries have intensified restrictions for recent arrivals, migrants without permanent residence status and migrants who cannot demonstrate successful integration.

    Large differences in historical trajectories

    When we look beyond aggregate trends, we also note very different trajectories in different countries.

    In some countries (Austria, Germany, Finland, Iceland, Malta, New Zealand, Portugal and Spain), social programs have become consistently more inclusionary.

    Other countries (Canada, Luxembourg and Sweden) have also undergone an inclusionary development, although at a more modest pace of change.

    In a third set of countries (Australia, Belgium, Denmark, France, Ireland, Italy, Norway and Switzerland), policies initially became more inclusionary but this trend was halted or reversed around 2010. The social programs of three other countries (the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and the United States), finally, have consistently become more exclusionary over time.

    These comparisons within the IESPI data set hopefully enable us to make sense of the frequently charged nature of discussions about immigrants’ access to social programs.

    Most obviously, they show we should be cautious when listening to some of the politicians who are most critical of immigrant welfare access, like Donald Trump, Rishi Sunak and Geert Wilders.

    If their arguments that exclusionary reforms in their countries are nothing but reasonable adjustments to overly generous approaches ever had any merit, that merit is quickly evaporating.

    Edward Koning received funding from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada to collect the data for this project.

    – ref. Politicians’ attacks on immigrants lack solid evidence: New data set the record straight – https://theconversation.com/politicians-attacks-on-immigrants-lack-solid-evidence-new-data-set-the-record-straight-251853

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Sanjay Malhotra: Address – Private Sector Collaborative Forum of the Financial Action Task Force

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    It is a pleasure to be here at the Private Sector Collaborative Forum (PSCF) 2025 of the Financial Action Task Force. I am happy to note that this is the first time that the forum is being held in India. I thank FATF for giving us this opportunity. In my previous role as the Secretary in the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance, Government of India, I had the opportunity of being closely associated with the FATF during our mutual evaluation last year.

    About FATF

    Financial Action Task Force (FATF), the standard setting body for illicit financing has come a long way since its establishment in 1989. Over the years, it has evolved from an organisation with only 16 members to a global forum with 40 members. Through the FATF-styled regional bodies1, its reach is even wider. The standards developed by FATF are used by over 200 jurisdictions to combat money laundering (ML), terrorism financing (TF) and proliferation financing. The implementation of the standards has played an important role in strengthening the global financial system and making the world a safer place.

    India’s Mutual Evaluation by FATF

    India accords immense importance to Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT). Last year, India underwent the mutual evaluation by the FATF. India was placed in the ‘regular follow-up’ category, a distinction shared by only a few other G20 countries2. This is a recognition of our effective AML and CFT framework. It demonstrates our commitment to AML and CFT. This is a result of many years of building and continuously improving and strengthening the financial system of our country.

    This was possible due to the collaborative efforts of all stakeholders, led by the Government of India including financial entities and designated non-financial businesses and professions in the private and public sector, regulators, and the state governments. The private sector plays a vital role in keeping the financial systems secure. Their role in implementing due diligence procedures, conducting robust risk assessments, monitoring transactions, and reporting suspicious activities is critical for preventing the abuse of the financial system. They identify suspicious activities and help government agencies in destroying illicit financial networks.

    Strong public-private partnerships form the bedrock for safeguarding the integrity of the financial system. In India, we recognize the importance of close cooperation between public and private sector stakeholders in achieving these goals. Reserve Bank of India, as the regulator and supervisor of a large segment of the financial system in India has diligently and consistently worked towards building and ensuring implementation of a strong AML and CFT framework in this segment of the financial system, in line with FATF recommendations. The Reserve Bank has taken several initiatives to enhance cooperation and coordination with various stakeholders. Similarly, the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU)-India has also set up FPAC3, a public-private cooperation forum for facilitating closer interaction and collaboration. It has also supported the setting up of ARIFAC4 – a cross sectoral forum for the private sector reporting entities to collaborate among themselves.

    It is a result of these collaborative efforts that we have been able to build and demonstrate a robust and resilient AML and CFT framework. I compliment all the stakeholders, especially, the regulated entities in the financial sector as well as the designated non-financial businesses and professions for the successful mutual evaluation.

    However, as all of you are aware, the threats from money laundering and terror financing to the national and global financial systems are continuously evolving and becoming more sophisticated. This is primarily due to technological advancements. In order to effectively counter these threats, we need to continue the close cooperation among various stakeholders – government agencies, financial entities in both the public and private sectors, civil society, and others.

    The mutual evaluation process was rigorous and detailed. While providing us with valuable insights into our strengths, it has highlighted some areas of improvement in our AML-CFT framework. We are determined to further strengthen our financial system to deter and combat illicit financial activities taking into consideration the recommendations made during the evaluation. We will continue to strive for continuous improvement in this regard.

    Some thoughts on the Agenda for PSCF 2025

    I am told that yesterday’s sessions were very engaging and produced lively discussions. Looking at the agenda for today and tomorrow, I am confident that the deliberations on contemporary topics such as evolving AML-CFT landscape, financial inclusion & humanitarian channels, risk-based approach to supervision, digitalization & information sharing, beneficial ownership and countering of proliferation financing, will also be exciting. Let me outline some of my thoughts for the forum on these areas.

    First, while we all continue to make our financial systems safe and secure against money laundering and terror financing, we as policy makers need to be mindful that our measures are not over-zealous and do not stifle legitimate activities and investments. You would appreciate that multiple laws and rules, each with their own level of granularity cast a high level of burden of compliance on the regulated financial service providers. This is relevant in the context of AML-CFT too. Therefore, we need to have laws and regulations which, with surgical precision, target only the illegitimate and illicit, rather than use them as blunt tools which unintentionally hurt even the honest.

    Similarly, even while implementing the legal framework and regulations, we need to keep in mind the impact on persons and businesses. Risk-based approach is recommended in this regard. But let us keep in mind that this is only a step forward in reducing compliance burden. Let us appreciate that it is not the ultimate solution, as any risk-based approach is not perfect; it would have false positives and false negatives. We need to continuously refine and improve our risk assessment models to make them robust.

    To make these improvements, we need to improve the quality of our data and harness emerging technologies. This will help improve screening of transactions and detection of suspicious activities thereby reducing false positives and false negatives. Considering the evolving landscape in the area of money laundering resulting from changing customer behaviour and evolving products and services, we need to continuously augment AML risk assessment framework and make appropriate system enhancements on a regular basis after assessing the impact of ML and other risks. The focus has to also be on understanding the latest trends and developments in the financial world that can be exploited by criminals and accordingly develop tools and enabling frameworks that will allow us to detect suspicious transactions and activities early and take pre-emptive action. With the adoption of new technological tools and models, I am sure that AML-CFT risk assessments can be further fine-tuned. I would urge you all to discuss and share best practices in identification, mitigation and supervision of AML-CFT risks. This will not only help to reduce compliance burden on the Regulated Entities but also result in optimal allocation of supervisory resources.

    While India has made remarkable progress in financial inclusion, we need to ensure that we continue to widen and deepen it. The discussions on FATF standards to promote financial inclusion need to find answers to the challenge of aligning financial inclusion and financial integrity, especially for the developing economies. It must be ensured that regulations do not create unintended barriers to financial inclusion. We need to be mindful of customer rights and convenience while fulfilling the due diligence requirements. I am happy to note that the amendments to Recommendation 1 and its interpretive note under the Mexican presidency intend to foster and promote financial inclusion without compromising on financial integrity. Similar approach is needed to extend access of financial channels for supporting humanitarian aid.

    In recent years, digitalisation has been increasingly applied to customer onboarding and customer due diligence (CDD) processes. India has made huge strides in this regard too. The digital KYC and video KYC are shining examples of this. The Central KYC Records Registry (CKYCR) with more than one billion records is another example, which has the potential of ushering in a new era of customer onboarding by making it easier and seamless not only for customers but also for regulated entities to perform customer identification and due diligence. I am told there is a separate session to deliberate on the state of play of technical solutions in customer due diligence area. The discussions could be helpful in further enhancing the capability and utility of CKYCR manifold.

    Further, during the process of CDD, reporting entities collect a large amount of data from the customers. Moreover, there are requirements of sharing of information with Financial Intelligence Units, law enforcement agencies and data registries leading to concerns regarding data protection and sharing of information without consent. India has recently enacted a law for Digital Personal Data Protection. Exchange of experiences from different jurisdictions will help us in better implementing the law in our country.

    Another important area which needs discussion is the travel rule. In today’s world, fast payment systems are revolutionizing financial access and deepening financial inclusion. Developing countries like India have made huge progress in making digital payments accessible, affordable, and convenient. While card networks have helped developed economies in improving payment systems, fast payment systems have assisted Emerging Market and Developing Economies (EMDEs) leapfrog in this area. We have also enabled cross border payments using fast payment systems with a few countries. We will continue to work towards fulfilling our commitment to the effective implementation of the next phase of G20 roadmap towards inclusive cross-border payments by 2027. In this context, the ongoing discussions on FATF Recommendation 16 (R.16), known as the travel rule, assume importance. To meet the G20 objective of making cross-border payments faster, cheaper, more transparent and more inclusive, while maintaining their safety and security, it would be desirable to make the travel rule technology-neutral.

    Lastly, discussions regarding combating proliferation financing and sanctions evasion need to answer questions related to identification of products and services which are most vulnerable to exploitation and the mitigation of the risks related to such products. This forum can discuss the best practices as well as challenges in this regard.

    Conclusion

    To conclude, I would like to stress that through our collaborative efforts, we can safeguard the trust that underpins the global financial framework. Together, let us continue to collaborate and innovate in building a financial ecosystem that is not only safe and secure but also fast, convenient, accessible and affordable. Let us build financial systems that not only thwart the attempts of money laundering, terror financing and proliferation financing, but also support financial inclusion, encourage innovation, and facilitate economic growth. In the end, I wish the forum very fruitful and productive deliberations.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI: Lotlinx Survey Reveals Growing Adoption and Benefits of Machine-Driven Technologies in Auto Dealerships

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DETROIT, March 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lotlinx, the auto industry’s leading VIN-specific data company for dealership inventory management, announced today results of its latest industry survey, highlighting the increasing adoption and significant benefits of machine-driven technologies among auto retailers. The online survey, conducted in March 2025, was presented to more than 2,500 dealers across the U.S. and reveals both the advantages for early adopters and the need for further industry-wide implementation. Click here to see the full survey results infographic. 

    The survey found that nearly 30% of dealers are currently using machine learning, while another 30% are utilizing predictive modeling, up from 21% from a survey conducted last November. For vehicle pricing decisions, approximately 40% of dealers are leveraging these technologies for both new and used vehicles, with a majority (over 60%) finding them effective in optimizing pricing strategies. However, one in ten dealers reported not using any machine-driven technologies, indicating room for growth.

    In terms of inventory management, half of dealers (50%) are currently employing machine-driven technologies for inventory decisioning. The use of these technologies for inventory carryover decisioning is particularly noteworthy, with 80% of dealers using them on a daily or weekly basis.

    Dealers using machine-driven technologies reported several key benefits, especially in the areas of decisioning and pricing results. Of the 70% of dealers who have been able to compare the outcomes of machine-assisted decisioning versus human decisioning, 70% said machines have proven to be more successful in inventory management and pricing. In fact, more than half of those dealers said the machine decisioning had improved the per vehicle profit percentage between 2% – 8%. Another 10% said the machine decisioning had improved this between 8% and more than 10%.

    “These survey results reveal a positive shift in the industry, with many dealers now reaping the benefits of machine-driven technologies,” said Len Short, Executive Chairman of Lotlinx. “While there’s still room for growth, we’re encouraged by the increased adoption and the tangible improvements dealers are experiencing in areas such as inventory management and profitability.”

    Click here to see the full infographic and for more information about the survey or Lotlinx’s solutions, please visit www.lotlinx.com.

    About Lotlinx

    Founded in 2012 and based out in Peterborough, New Hampshire, Lotlinx is the automotive industry leader in VIN-specific data solutions for inventory risk management. The Lotlinx platform provides automobile dealers and manufacturers with enhanced operational control over their retail business. Leveraging state-of-the-art real-time data and machine learning technology, Lotlinx provides a precision retailing solution that enables dealers to automatically adapt to market dynamics, mitigating inventory risk through VIN-specific strategies. To learn more about Lotlinx, please visit www.lotlinx.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Nuclear fusion: Delivering on the promise of carbon‑free power with the help of AI

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Nuclear fusion: Delivering on the promise of carbon‑free power with the help of AI

    Jean-Daniel Delaplagne is the IT Section Leader for ITER. He has been with the organization for 15 years.

    ITER has been a longtime Microsoft client, he said, with Office 365, Windows servers, and other Microsoft tools in use throughout the organization. But in the past year that use has expanded in new directions.

    “One of our targets was to connect with our knowledge base here in a better way,” Delaplagne said. “We have 20 years of knowledge — more than 1 million documents.”

    His team fine-tuned an Azure OpenAI Service chatbot designed to make mining that database easier. ITER has been working with Microsoft partner Witivio to make the link between that knowledge platform and the Microsoft 365 Copilot through agentic features.   An example of an “agentic element” is a tool specifically designed to translate the hundreds of acronyms ITER uses.

    Delaplagne said that the chatbot has been very helpful in a variety of ways.

    “In the end we have been getting quite good quality of answers on very technical knowledge of ITER,” he said.  “It’s not just good at finding documents, it’s good at finding information within documents and the meaning of different aspects of engineering and construction.”

    After an initial use phase of Microsoft 365 Copilot with 50 beta testers, ITER is expanding to more than 300 Copilot licenses with plans to add more, Delaplagne said. Copilot is also being used for administrative tasks like initial evaluations of CVs as well as for purchasing and inventory.

    Azure OpenAI Service is also being used to make a history of all the IT tickets on file searchable. He said ITER typically has 40,000 requests for IT help each year. Making the history of all those help requests and solutions searchable could speed up the resolution of common issues; he said the system has been well-received so far. He also said health and safety officers have used Copilot to draft inspection methodologies and checklists, including generating open-ended questions.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Global: With Hooters on the verge of bankruptcy, a psychologist reflects on her time spent studying the servers who work there

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Dawn Szymanski, Professor of Psychology, University of Tennessee

    Servers told researchers that they were instructed to make their male customers feel special. Brian Brainerd/The Denver Post via Getty Images

    In 1983, six businessmen got together and opened the first Hooters restaurant in Clearwater, Florida. Hooters of America LLC quickly became a restaurant chain success story.

    With its scantily clad servers and signature breaded wings, the chain sells sex appeal in addition to food – or as one of the company’s mottos puts it: “You can sell the sizzle, but you have to deliver the steak.” It inspired a niche restaurant genre called “breastaurants,” with eateries such as the Tilted Kilt Pub & Eatery and Twin Peaks replicating Hooters’ busty business model.

    A decade ago, business was booming for breastaurant chains, with these companies experiencing record sales growth.

    Today it’s a different story. Declining sales, rising costs and a large debt burden of approximately US$300 million have threatened Hooters’ long-term outlook. In summer 2024, the chain closed over 40 of its restaurants across the U.S. In February 2025, Bloomberg reported that the company was on the verge of filing for bankruptcy.

    Hooters isn’t necessarily going away for good. But it’s certainly looking like there will be fewer opportunities for women to work as “Hooters Girls” – and for customers to ogle at them.

    As a psychologist, I was originally interested in studying servers at breastaurants because I could sense an interesting dynamic at play. On the one hand, it can feel good to be complimented for your looks. On the other hand, I also wondered whether constantly being critiqued might eventually wear these servers down.

    So my research team and I decided to study what it was like to work in places like Hooters.

    In a series of studies, here’s what we found.

    Concocting a male fantasyland

    More so than most restaurants, managers at breastaurants like Hooters seek to strictly regulate how their employees look and act.

    For one of our studies, we interviewed 11 women who worked in breastaurants.

    Several of them said that they were told to be “camera ready” at all times.

    One described being given a booklet with exacting standards outlining her expected appearance, down to “nails, hair, makeup, brushing your teeth, wearing deodorant.” She had to promise to stay the same weight and height, wear makeup every shift and not change her hairstyle.

    Beyond a carefully constructed physical appearance, the servers relayed that they were also expected to be confident, cheerful, charming, outgoing and emotionally steeled. They were instructed to make male customers feel special, to be their “personal cheerleaders,” as one interviewee put it, and to never challenge them.

    Suffice it say, these demands can be unrealistic – and many of the servers we interviewed described becoming emotionally drained and eventually souring on the role.

    ‘The girls are a dime a dozen’

    It probably won’t come as a surprise that Hooters servers often encounter lewd remarks, sexual advances and other forms of sexual harassment from customers.

    But because their managers often tolerate this behavior from customers, it created the added burden of what psychologists call “double-binds” – situations where contradictory messages make it impossible to respond properly.

    For example, say a regular customer who’s a generous tipper decides to proposition a server. Now she’s in a predicament. She’s been instructed to make customers feel special. And he’s already left a big tip, in addition to being a regular. But she also feels creeped out, and his advances make her feel worthless. Should she push back?

    GOP presidential candidate Bob Dole shakes hands with Hooters employees after a campaign rally in Jacksonville, Fla., in 1996.
    J. David Ake/AFP via Getty Images

    You might assume that managers, aware that their scantily clad employees would be more likely to face harassment, would try to set boundaries and throw out customers who treated servers poorly. But we found that waitresses at breastaurants have less support from both management and their co-workers than servers at other restaurants.

    “Unfortunately, the girls are a dime a dozen, and that’s how they’re treated,” a former server and corporate trainer at a breastaurant explained.

    The lack of co-worker support might also come as a surprise. Rather than standing in solidarity, the servers tended to compete for favoritism, better shifts and raises from their bosses. Gossiping, name-calling and scapegoating were commonplace.

    The psychological toll

    My research team also wanted to learn more about the specific emotional and psychological costs of working in these types of environments.

    Psychologists Barbara Fredrickson and Tomi-Ann Robert have found that mental health problems that disproportionately affect women often coincide with sexual objectification.

    So we weren’t surprised to find that servers working in sexually objectifying restaurant environments, such as Hooters and Twin Peaks, reported more symptoms of depression, anxiety and disordered eating than those working in other restaurants. In addition, they wanted to be thinner, were more likely to monitor their weight and appearance, and were more dissatisfied with their bodies. Hooters didn’t reply to a request for comment on this story.

    Why are women drawn to the job?

    Given our findings, you might wonder why any women would choose to work in places like Hooters in the first place.

    The women we interviewed said that they sought work in breastaurants to make more money and have more flexibility.

    A number of servers in one of our studies noted that they could make more money this way than waitressing at a regular restaurant or in other “real” jobs.

    For example, one of the servers we interviewed used to work at a more run-of-the-mill restaurant.

    “It was OK, I made OK money,” she told us. “But working at Hooters … I’ve walked out with hundreds of dollars in one shift.”

    All the women we interviewed were in college or were mothers. So they enjoyed the high degree of flexibility in their work schedule that breastaurants provided.

    Finally, several of them had previously experienced objectification while growing up, or they’d participated in activities centered on physical appearance, such as beauty pageants and cheerleading. This likely contributed to their decision to work at a Hooters or one of its competitors: They’d been objectified as adolescents, and so they found themselves drawn to these kinds of setting as adults.

    Even so, our research suggests that the financial rewards and flexibility of working in breastaurants probably aren’t worth the potential psychological costs.

    Dawn Szymanski 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. With Hooters on the verge of bankruptcy, a psychologist reflects on her time spent studying the servers who work there – https://theconversation.com/with-hooters-on-the-verge-of-bankruptcy-a-psychologist-reflects-on-her-time-spent-studying-the-servers-who-work-there-251217

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Mississippi’s education miracle: A model for global literacy reform

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Harry Anthony Patrinos, Professor of Education Policy, University of Arkansas

    Mississippi’s reforms have led to significant gains in reading and math, despite the state being one of the lowest spenders per pupil in the U.S. Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images

    In a surprising turnaround, Mississippi, once ranked near the bottom of U.S. education standings, has dramatically improved its student literacy rates.

    As of 2023, the state ranks among the top 20 for fourth grade reading, a significant leap from its 49th-place ranking in 2013. This transformation was driven by evidence-based policy reforms focused on early literacy and teacher development.

    The rest of the country might want to take note.

    That’s because Mississippi’s success offers a proven solution to the reading literacy crisis facing many states – a clear road map for closing early literacy gaps and improving reading outcomes nationwide.

    As an expert on the economics of education, I believe the learning crisis is not just an educational issue. It’s also economic.

    When students struggle, their academic performance declines. And that leads to lower test scores. Research shows that these declining scores are closely linked to reduced economic growth, as a less educated workforce hampers productivity and innovation.

    The Mississippi approach

    In 2013, Mississippi implemented a multifaceted strategy for enhancing kindergarten to third grade literacy. The Literacy-Based Promotion Act focuses on early literacy and teacher development. It includes teacher training in proven reading instruction methods and teacher coaching.

    Relying on federally supported research from the Institute of Education Science, the state invested in phonics, fluency, vocabulary and reading comprehension. The law provided K-3 teachers with training and support to help students master reading by the end of third grade.

    It includes provisions for reading coaches, parent communication, individual reading plans and other supportive measures. It also includes targeted support for struggling readers. Students repeat the third grade if they fail to meet reading standards.

    The state also aligned its test to the NAEP, or National Assessment of Educational Progress, something which not all states do. Often referred to as “The Nation’s Report Card,” the NAEP is a nationwide assessment that measures student performance in various subjects.

    Mississippi’s reforms have led to significant gains in reading and math, with fourth graders improving on national assessments.

    I believe this is extremely important. That’s because early reading is a foundational skill that helps develop the ability to read at grade level by the end of third grade. It also leads to general academic success, graduating from high school prepared for college, and becoming productive adults less likely to fall into poverty.

    Research by Noah Spencer, an economics doctoral student at the University of Toronto, shows that the Mississippi law boosted scores.

    Students exposed to it from kindergarten to the third grade gained a 0.25 standard deviation improvement in reading scores. That is roughly equivalent to one year of academic progress in reading, according to educational benchmarks. This gain reflects significant strides in students’ literacy development over the course of a school year.

    Another study has found an even greater impact attributed to grade retention in the third grade – it led to a huge increase in learning in English Language Arts by the sixth grade.

    But the Mississippi law is not just about retention. Spencer found that grade retention explains only about 22% of the treatment effect. The rest is presumably due to the other components of the measure – namely, teacher training and coaching.

    Other previous research supports these results across the country.

    Adopting an early literacy policy improves elementary students’ reading achievement on important student assessments, with third grade retention and instructional support substantially enhancing English learners’ skills. The policy also increases test scores for students’ younger siblings, although it is not clear why.

    Moreover, third grade retention programs immediately boost English Language Arts and math achievements into middle school without disciplinary incidents or negatively impacting student attendance.

    These changes were achieved despite Mississippi being one of the lowest spenders per pupil in the U.S., proving that strategic investments in teacher development and early literacy can yield impressive results even with limited resources.

    The global learning crisis

    Mississippi’s success is timely. Millions of children globally struggle to read by age 10. It’s a crisis that has worsened after the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Mississippi’s early literacy interventions show lasting impact and offer a potential solution for other regions facing similar challenges.

    In 2024, only 31% of U.S. fourth grade students were proficient or above in reading, according to the NAEP, while 40% were below basic. Reading scores for fourth and eighth graders also dropped by five points compared with 2019, with averages lower than any year since 2005.

    In 2013, Mississippi ranked 49th in fourth grade reading scores.
    Klaus Vedfelt/Getty Images

    Mississippi’s literacy program provides a learning gain equal to a year of schooling. The program costs US$15 million annually – 0.2% of the state budget in 2023 – and $32 per student.

    The learning gain associated with the Mississippi program is equal to about an extra quarter of a year. Since each year of schooling raises earnings by about 9%, then a quarter-year gain means that Mississippi students benefiting from the program will increase future earnings by 2.25% a year.

    Based on typical high school graduate earnings, the average student can expect to earn an extra $1,000 per year for the rest of their life.

    That is, for every dollar Mississippi spends, the state gains about $32 in additional lifetime earnings, offering substantial long-term economic benefits compared with the initial cost.

    The Mississippi literacy project focuses on teaching at the right level, which focuses on assessing children’s actual learning levels and then tailoring instruction to meet them, rather than strictly following age- or grade-level curriculum.

    Teaching at the right level and a scripted lessons plan are among the most effective strategies to address the global learning crisis. After the World Bank reviewed over 150 education programs in 2020, nearly half showed no learning benefit.

    I believe Mississippi’s progress, despite being the second-poorest state, can serve as a wake-up call.

    Harry Anthony Patrinos 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. Mississippi’s education miracle: A model for global literacy reform – https://theconversation.com/mississippis-education-miracle-a-model-for-global-literacy-reform-251895

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: From Greenland to Fort Bragg, America is caught in a name game where place names become political tools

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Seth T. Kannarr, PhD Candidate in Geography, University of Tennessee

    President Donald Trump re-renamed Denali as Mount McKinley in 2025. Tim Rains/National Park Service, CC BY

    Place names are more than just labels on a map. They influence how people learn about the world around them and perceive their place in it.

    Names can send messages and suggest what is and isn’t valued in society. And the way that they are changed over time can signal cultural shifts.

    The United States is in the midst of a place-renaming moment. From the renaming of the Gulf of Mexico to the Gulf of America, to the return of Forts Bragg and Benning and the newly re-renamed Mount McKinley in Alaska’s Denali National Park, we are witnessing a consequential shift in the politics of place naming.

    This sudden rewriting of the nation’s map – done to “restore American greatness,” according to President Donald Trump’s executive order that made some of them official – is part of a name game that recognizes place names as powerful brands and political tools.

    In our research on place naming, we explore how this “name game” is used to assert control over shared symbols and embed subtle and not-so-subtle messages in the landscape.

    As geography teachers and researchers, we also recognize the educational and emotional impact the name game can have on the public.

    Place names can have psychological effects

    Renaming a place is always an act of power.

    People in power have long used place naming to claim control over the identity of the place, bolster their reputations, retaliate against opponents and achieve political goals.

    These moves can have strong psychological effects, particularly when the name evokes something threatening. Changing a place name can fundamentally shift how people view, relate to or feel that they belong within that place.

    In Shenandoah County, Virginia, students at two schools originally named for Confederate generals have been on an emotional roller coaster of name changes in recent years. The schools were renamed Mountain View and Honey Run in 2020 amid the national uproar over the murder of George Floyd, a Black man killed by a police officer in Minneapolis.

    Four years later, the local school board reinstated the original Confederate names after conservatives took control of the board.

    One Black eighth grader at Mountain View High School — now re-renamed Stonewall Jackson High School — testified at a board meeting about how the planned change would affect her:

    “I would have to represent a man that fought for my ancestors to be slaves. If this board decides to restore the names, I would not feel like I was valued and respected,” she said. The board still approved the change, 5-1.

    Even outside of schools, place names operate as a “hidden curriculum.” They provide narratives to the public about how the community or nation sees itself – as well as whose histories and perspectives it considers important or worthy of public attention.

    Place names affect how people perceive, experience and emotionally connect to their surroundings in both conscious and subconscious ways. Psychologists, sociologists and geographers have explored how this sense of place manifests itself into the psyche, creating either attachment or aversion to place, whether it’s a school, mountain or park.

    A tale of two forts

    Renaming places can rally a leader’s supporters through rebranding.

    Trump’s orders to restore the names Fort Bragg and Fort Benning, both originally named for Confederate generals, illustrate this effect. The names were changed to Fort Liberty and Fort Moore in 2023 after Congress passed a law banning the use of Confederate names for federal installations.

    Veterans and other guests posed in 2023 next to a newly unveiled sign for Fort Moore, named for Lt. Gen. Harold ‘Hal’ Moore, who served in Vietnam, and his wife, Julia Moore. In 2025, President Donald Trump reverted the name back to Fort Benning.
    Cheney Orr/AFP via Getty Images

    Trump made a campaign promise to his followers to “bring back the name” of Fort Bragg if reelected.

    To get around the federal ban, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth identified two unrelated decorated Army veterans with the same last names — Bragg and Benning — but without any Confederate connections, to honor instead.

    Call it a sleight of hand or a stroke of genius if you’d like, this tactic allowed the Department of Defense to revive politically charged names without violating the law.

    A soldier walks beside a sign that was unveiled when Fort Liberty was rededicated as Fort Bragg during a ceremony on base on March 7, 2025.
    AP Photo/Chris Seward

    The restoration of the names Bragg and Benning may feel like a symbolic homecoming for those who resisted the original name change or have emotional ties to the names through their memories of living and serving on the base, rather than a connection to the specific namesakes.

    However, the names are still reminders of the military bases’ original association with defenders of slavery.

    The place-renaming game

    A wave of place-name changes during the Obama and Biden administrations focused on removing offensive or derogatory place names and recognizing Indigenous names.

    For example, Clingmans Dome, the highest peak in the Great Smoky Mountains, was renamed to Kuwohi in September 2024, shifting the name from a Confederate general to a Cherokee word meaning “the mulberry place.”

    Under the Trump administration, however, place-name changes are being advanced explicitly to push back against reform efforts, part of a broader assault on what Trump calls “woke culture.”

    The view from a lookout tower on Kuwohi, formerly known as Clingmans Dome, in the Great Smoky Mountains.
    National Park Service



    Read more:
    From Confederate general to Cherokee heritage: Why returning the name Kuwohi to the Great Smoky Mountains matters

    President Barack Obama changed Alaska’s Mount McKinley to Denali in 2015 to acknowledge Indigenous heritage and a long-standing name for the mountain. Officials in Alaska had requested the name change to Denali years earlier and supported the name change in 2015.

    Trump, on his first day in office in January 2025, moved to rename Denali back to Mount McKinley, over the opposition of Republican politicians in Alaska. The state Legislature passed a resolution a few days later asking Trump to reconsider.

    Georgia Rep. Earl “Buddy” Carter made a recent legislative proposal to rename Greenland as “Red, White, and Blueland” in support of Trump’s expansionist desire to purchase the island, which is an autonomous territory of Denmark.

    Danish officials and Greenlanders saw Carter’s absurd proposal as insulting and damaging to diplomatic relations. It is not the first time that place renaming has been used as a form of symbolic insult in international relations.

    Renaming the Gulf of Mexico to Gulf of America might have initially seemed improbable, but it is already reflected in common navigation apps.

    Google Maps displays the name ‘Gulf of America’ instead of Gulf of Mexico in March 2025.
    Google INEGI



    Read more:
    Yes, Trump can rename the Gulf of Mexico – just not for everyone. Here’s how it works

    A better way to choose place names

    When leaders rename a place in an abrupt, unilateral fashion — often for ideological reasons — they risk alienating communities that deeply connect with those names as a form of memory, identity and place attachment.

    A better alternative, in our view, would be to make renaming shared landscapes participatory, with opportunities for meaningful public involvement in the renaming process.

    This approach does not avoid name changes, but it suggests the changes should respond to the social and psychological needs of communities and the evolving cultural identity of places — and not simply be used to score political points.

    Instead, encouraging public participation — such as through landscape impact assessments and critical audits that take the needs of affected communities seriously — can cultivate a sense of shared ownership in the decision that may give those names more staying power.

    The latest place renamings are already affecting the classroom experience. Students are not just memorizing new place labels, but they are also being asked to reevaluate the meaning of those places and their own relationship with the nation and the world.

    As history has shown around the world, one of the major downsides of leaders imposing name changes is that the names can be easily replaced as soon as the next regime takes power. The result can be a never-ending name game.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. From Greenland to Fort Bragg, America is caught in a name game where place names become political tools – https://theconversation.com/from-greenland-to-fort-bragg-america-is-caught-in-a-name-game-where-place-names-become-political-tools-251201

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Medetomidine is replacing xylazine in Philly street fentanyl − creating new hurdles for health care providers and drug users

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Kory London, Associate Professor of Emergency Medicine, Thomas Jefferson University

    Medetomidine is now a key ingredient in street fentanyl sold in Philly. AP Photo/Matt Rourke

    Philadelphia’s street opioid supply – or “dope” market – is constantly changing. As health care workers and researchers who care for people who use drugs in our community, we have witnessed these shifts firsthand.

    New adulterants are frequently added to the mix. They bring additional and often uncertain risks for people who use drugs, and new challenges for the health care providers and systems who treat them.

    The latest adulterant to dominate the supply is medetomidine.

    What is medetomodine?

    Medetomidine, pronounced meh-deh-TOH-muh-deen, is a drug used in veterinary medicine for sedation, muscle relaxation and pain relief, often during surgery. It is an alpha-2 adrenergic agonist, which essentially means it works by slowing the release of adrenaline in the brain and body.

    In May 2024, the Philadelphia Medical Examiner’s Office began testing for medetomidine in people who died from fatal overdoses. By the end of the year, 46 of the deceased had tested positive for the substance, in addition to fentanyl and other known chemicals.

    In fact, medetomidine is quickly becoming more common in Philadelphia’s street opioid supply than even xylazine, a non-FDA-approved sedative linked to skin ulceration, chronic wounds and amputation.

    Xylazine was first detected in Philadelphia street drugs in 2006 and became increasingly common starting in 2015. By early 2023, xylazine was detected in 98% of tested dope samples in the city.

    However, its presence is steadily dropping, according to local drug-checking program data. The Philadelphia Department of Public Health says medetomidine has emerged as a primary adulterant and is now twice as common as xylazine in drug-checked samples.

    Recent studies show even more unusual substances entering the street fentanyl supply, such as the industrial solvent BTMPS.

    At the same time, hospital and behavioral health providers are reporting more common presentations of severe withdrawal symptoms among people who use drugs in Philadelphia.

    Risks of medetomidine

    While medetomidine’s sedating effects are similar in mechanism to xylazine, it is upward of 10-20 times more potent. It suppresses brain signals in the central nervous system, leading to deep sedation.

    Since medetomidine is so powerful and does not act on opioid receptors, a person who overdoses on it often does not respond to the opioid-reversal drug naloxone, which goes by the brand name Narcan, in the manner we commonly expect from people who appear to have overdosed on opioids.

    When patients overdose on a combination of opioids and medetomidine, providing naloxone will help individuals start breathing again but does not reverse the sedation caused by the medetomidine.

    From our clinical experience, after patients start to breathe normally, providing additional doses of naloxone does not seem to help and even risks prompting opioid withdrawal symptoms.

    Additionally, medetomidine presents serious clinical challenges for health care workers treating patients in withdrawal. These patients often experience symptoms such as rapid heart rate, severe spikes in blood pressure, restlessness, disorientation and confusion, and severe vomiting. While many of these symptoms were similar, if less intense, for those withdrawing from opioids and xylazine, the number of patients we are seeing is unprecedented – as is the severity of their symptoms.

    While published data on humans’ withdrawal from medetomidine is limited, clinicians are drawing comparisons to dexmedetomidine, a related drug used in humans that has shown similar features when withdrawn too quickly.

    Researchers and clinicians in Philadelphia’s hospitals, including us at Thomas Jefferson University, are analyzing emerging clinical data. This data suggests that existing protocols that effectively controlled withdrawal symptoms in the era when xylazine was common are no longer adequate in the era of medetomidine. New protocols have been developed based on the guidance of local experts and are being tested.

    When patients overdose on a combination of opioids and medetomidine, providing naloxone can help individuals start breathing again but does not reverse the sedation caused by the medetomidine.
    AP Photo/Alex Brandon

    Approaches to drug testing

    The rise in severe withdrawal symptoms has prompted expanded testing for adulterants such as medetomidine in Jefferson’s emergency departments.

    Currently, drug testing involves two primary approaches. Qualitative analysis determines the presence or absence of substances. For example, fentanyl and xylazine test strips are commonly used by harm reduction groups and people who use drugs. Unfortunately, they can be unreliable and prone to user error, expiration, misinterpretation and false positives or negatives. This technology is also commonly used in urine drug-testing kits sold over the counter.

    Quantitative analysis, on the other hand, is a more sophisticated approach to drug testing. It uses complex technology such as liquid-phase chromatography and mass spectrometry to separate the individual components of a sample and determine their concentration. This form of testing is more expensive and requires specialized equipment and analysts to perform the tests and interpret the results.

    Hospitals in the city have begun selectively testing urine and blood samples from patients who present with suspected medetomidine exposure. The labs are looking for the presence of certain drugs and their related byproducts, and also trying to identify distinct concentrations that might be associated with overdose, intoxication and withdrawal.

    Implications for public health

    We believe Philadelphians should be aware of these recent changes in the street drug supply and how people in their communities may react to exposure to medetomidine.

    Naloxone is still recommended for a person showing signs of opioid overdose – such as excess sedation, shallow or absent breathing and small pupils. Narcan is freely available at pharmacies around the city. But if the patient starts breathing but does not immediately wake up, additional doses of naloxone should be avoided.

    As always, contact 911 for expert assistance and to get patients to an emergency department to complete their care.

    Patients who use large amounts of drugs may suffer from severe withdrawal symptoms. Typical medications given to those in opioid withdrawal, such as buprenorphine or methadone, may not be sufficient to treat this constellation of symptoms. Even medications and regimens tailored for xylazine may not be effective.

    Patients with severe withdrawal symptoms need to be seen in the emergency department, given the risk of undertreating this emerging condition.

    Read more of our stories about Philadelphia.

    Kory London receives funding from The Sheller Family Foundation.

    Karen Alexander receives funding from the National Institutes on Drug Abuse (NIDA).

    – ref. Medetomidine is replacing xylazine in Philly street fentanyl − creating new hurdles for health care providers and drug users – https://theconversation.com/medetomidine-is-replacing-xylazine-in-philly-street-fentanyl-creating-new-hurdles-for-health-care-providers-and-drug-users-251753

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: US swing toward autocracy doesn’t have to be permanent – but swinging back to democracy requires vigilance, stamina and elections

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jennifer Victor, Associate Professor of Political Science, George Mason University

    The United States is no longer a democracy.

    At least, that’s the verdict of one nonprofit, the Center for Systemic Peace, which measures regime qualities of countries worldwide based on the competitiveness and integrity of their elections, limits to executive authority and other factors.

    “The USA is no longer considered a democracy and lies at the cusp of autocracy,” the group’s 2025 report read.

    It calls Donald Trump’s second inauguration following a raft of criminal indictments and convictions, combined with the U.S. Supreme Court’s July 2024 granting of sweeping presidential immunity, a “presidential coup.”

    Generally, only scholars pay attention to this kind of technical index. This year, however, many people are calling out the erosion of U.S. democracy.

    Political scientists like myself can see that in the guise of government “efficiency,” the Trump administration is sabotaging the rule of law to such an extent that authoritarianism is taking hold in America.

    How long might this situation last?

    US no longer a democracy?

    The term “political regime” refers to either the person or people who hold power, or to a classification of government, including in a democracy.

    Since the mid-1960s, when the U.S. expanded voting rights to include its Black citizens, historians and political scientists have generally classified the U.S. as having a democratic regime. That means the government holds free and fair elections, embraces universal voting rights, protects civil liberties and obeys the law.

    All of these areas have significantly degraded in the U.S. over the last few decades due to partisan polarization and political extremism. Now, the rule of law is under attack, too.

    Trump’s unprecedented use of nearly 100 executive orders in the first two months of his presidency aims to enact a vast policy agenda by decree. For comparison, President Joe Biden issued 162 executive orders over four years.

    This is not what the founders had in mind: Congress is the constitutional route for policy-making. Skirting it threatens democracy, as do the issues Trump’s orders address. From attempting to deny citizenship through birthright to abolishing the U.S. Department of Education, Trump is attacking both the U.S. Constitution and Congress. His administration has even defied judges who order it to stop.

    All of this challenges the rule of law – that is, the idea that everyone, including those in power, must follow the same laws.

    When things get this bad, can a country recover?

    Autocrats can be beaten

    Based on my research, the short answer is yes – eventually.

    When a political party that does not honor democratic institutions or heed critical democratic norms takes power, political scientists expect the government to shift toward autocratic rule. That means restricting civil liberties, quashing dissent and undermining the rule of law.

    This is happening right now in the U.S.

    The Trump administration is challenging broadcasters for their election coverage and banning speech that does not conform to its gender ideology. It’s flagrantly violating the Constitution. And it’s eliminating federal funding for universities and research centers that oppose its actions.

    However, as long as a country has a robust opposition and elections that offer real opportunities for alternative parties to win office, the regime shift is not necessarily permanent.

    Take Brazil, for example.

    Its 2022 election ousted President Jair Bolsonaro, leader of an autocratic regime that had attacked the Brazilian media, judiciary and legislature. Bolsonaro claimed his loss to President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva was fraudulent, and in January 2023 his supporters attacked the nation’s capital. Since then, Bolsonaro has been charged with plotting a coup and barred from seeking office until 2030.

    Brazilian voters and the courts stemmed the country’s autocratic slide and returned it to a democratic regime.

    Polarization swings the pendulum

    Today the American public is deeply divided and dissatisfied with how U.S. democracy works. This polarization translates into presidential elections that are narrowly won.

    According to the American Presidency Project at the University of California Santa Barbara, which measures presidential margins of victory by subtracting the electoral vote percentage from the popular vote percentage for each election, the average margin of victory in presidential elections between 1932 and 2000 was 25 points. Since 2000, it has been 7.8 points.

    Moreover, since 1948, every time the White House changed hands after an election, it flipped parties as well, with one exception in 1988. Political scientists refer to this back-and-forth as “thermostatic shifting.” In other words, the electorate regularly sours on the status quo and aims to adjust the thermostat to another temperature – or political party.

    When a party that more strongly favors democratic principles takes power, the U.S. more firmly adheres to democratic institutions and norms. This was essentially Biden’s winning pitch to voters in 2020.

    Trump’s return to the White House despite two impeachments and a criminal conviction on 34 felony charges marked another pendulum swing – this time, back in the direction of authoritarianism.

    The U.S. political pendulum has been singing back and forth like this since at least 2016, with Trump’s first win. I expect the oscillation to continue.

    A kind of equilibrium

    The risk, of course, is that a ruling authoritarian-leaning party abuses its power to ensure that the opposition can never again win. This has happened in recent decades in Hungary, Turkey and Venezuela, to name a few.

    There are good reasons to believe that a permanent slide into autocracy is harder in the U.S. than in those countries.

    The U.S. has a robust and wealthy network of civil society organizations, which are well versed in exercising their civil liberties. Its decentralized federalist structure is harder for any one person or party to seize. U.S. elections for example, are run by state and local governments, not the federal government. This makes its election systems more resilient than more centralized election systems.

    At the moment, I see no reason to fear that the U.S. will fail to hold free and fair elections in 2026 or 2028.

    For the time being, then, the U.S. is in what I call a “pendular equilibrium.” Parties trade majority control as voters react to extremism, shifting the regime from more autocratic to more democratic depending on who is in power.

    The effect is a stable outcome of sorts – not a static stability but a dynamic stability. Despite the day-to-day chaos, there is balance over time in the predictable shift back and forth.

    When the pendulum stops swinging

    Until, that is, some other force comes along to disrupt the pattern.

    This might be a force more toward fascism that restricts elections to the point of futility, as in Venezuela and Russia. Or the equilibrium could be thrown off by a democratic resurgence, in the model of Brazil or Poland.

    Even just maintaining the pendular equilibrium to conserve some manner of democratic regime will require those who oppose authoritarianism to boldly insist on political leaders who value democratic principles: fair elections, voting rights, civil liberties and rule of law.

    Dangerously, many Americans won’t notice the end of democracy as it happens. As the political scientist Tom Pepinksy writes, life in authoritarian states is mostly boring and tolerable.

    For those who pay attention, the frequency and seriousness of lawless actions can nonetheless make it difficult to sustain an organized opposition.

    Until and unless the U.S. nurtures and elects political movements and leaders who make lasting democratic changes, I believe the country will continue to lurch back and forth in its pendulum swing.

    Jennifer Victor serves as the Vice Chair of the Board of Directors of OpenSecrets, a non-partisan, non-profit. This is an unpaid position.

    – ref. US swing toward autocracy doesn’t have to be permanent – but swinging back to democracy requires vigilance, stamina and elections – https://theconversation.com/us-swing-toward-autocracy-doesnt-have-to-be-permanent-but-swinging-back-to-democracy-requires-vigilance-stamina-and-elections-250383

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Spring statement targeting ill and disabled is “morally repugnant”

    Source: Green Party of England and Wales

    / by Green Party

    Responding to the Chancellor’s Spring Statement, the Co-Leader of The Green Party, Adrian Ramsay MP, said, “The Chancellor had a choice today. To rebalance our economy by asking the very wealthiest to contribute more, or to remove vital support from ill and disabled people. That she chose to take from the most vulnerable to balance her books is a damning reflection of how out of touch this government is. It is morally repugnant.”  

    He continued, “And it’s not just ill and disabled people who will suffer as the Chancellor doubles down on cuts to frontline services. This will weaken our communities and leave us all poorer. Labour once claimed that they were for the many, not the few – it’s clear now that this is no longer the case.” 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Perth to host Youth Tour of Scotland in April

    Source: Scotland – City of Perth

    Sunday will see the streets of Perth’s city centre welcome the final stage of the Youth Tour of Scotland, before welcoming a new elite circuit race – the Perth Grand Prix.

    The Perth Grand Prix will showcase the best circuit racing in Scotland, with elite races being held for open and female racers, with a total prize pot of £2,000 on offer. Support races for Under 12 and senior riders will also take place.

    The new-look Youth Tour of Scotland will start on Saturday, with the day’s racing seeing over 220 young riders from across the UK & Ireland compete in four youth categories.

    The racing will commence with a short 3.5km time trial against the clock in the morning, followed by a road race of between one hour and 90 minutes in length, dependent on age categories. Sunday’s circuit race, starting and finishing at Perth Concert Hall, will take place over a 1km circuit in the heart of Perth with each race lasting one hour in duration.

    Former alumni of the Youth Tour of Scotland include Olympic, World and Commonwealth Champions including Tom Pidcock, Emma Finucane, and Zoe Backstedt.

    Local graduates of the race include UCI World Junior & Under-23 Mountain Bike Champion Charlie Aldridge, Tour Down Under stage winner Oscar Onley and current Junior Track World Champion Erin Boothman.

    Nick Rennie, Chief Executive Officer – Scottish Cycling said: “Scottish Cycling is grateful to receive the support of Perth and Kinross Council. The Youth Tour of Scotland is an incredibly important event in our calendar and offers young riders from across the UK such a unique opportunity to race with the infrastructure of a professional bike race.

    As we enter a new decade of its running, we are excited to return to Perth City Centre and deliver extra racing opportunities for senior, junior and U12 riders through the Perth Grand Prix and are very much looking forward to the 12th & 13th April.”

    Provost of Perth and Kinross Xander McDade said: “We are looking forward to welcoming so many talented athletes to Perth and Kinross for this fantastic event.

    “I am sure it will be an unforgettable day for riders and spectators alike.”

    Perth and Kinross Council Leader Councillor Grant Laing said: “This will be a brilliant event that builds on the success of the UCI Gran Fondo held in Perth two years ago.

    “We will see some fantastic races and, I am sure, some future Olympic and World champions too.”

     Sponsorship packages are still available, with options starting from £100, interested parties should contact pete.matthews@scottishcycling.org.uk  

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: An exhibition dedicated to the 95th anniversary of the Department of Descriptive Geometry and Engineering Graphics opened at SPbGASU

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Exhibition exhibits

    On March 25, in honor of the 95th anniversary of the Department of Descriptive Geometry and Engineering Graphics, a book exhibition entitled “Descriptive Geometry. Engineering Graphics: Milestones in History” was ceremoniously opened in the scientific and technical library of SPbGASU.

    The exhibition displays the first textbooks on descriptive geometry, projects and drawings by teachers of the 19th–20th centuries, albums with drawings by the first students, scientific research by department staff, and modern textbooks and teaching aids.

    “Today we have gathered in our legendary library to congratulate the staff of the oldest department of the university and pay tribute to all those talented and hardworking teachers whose contribution to the training of specialists in the construction field is invaluable. We have gathered to remember the names of those who laid the foundations of the traditions of the Russian school of civil engineers and stood at the origins of teaching the discipline “Descriptive Geometry”; those who supplemented, expanded and preserved the traditions of teaching; those who today, in the rapid time of the development of digital technologies, are engaged in this science,” Elena Romanova, head of the scientific and technical library of SPbGASU, addressed the guests of the exhibition.

    Elena Gennadyevna expressed her gratitude to Elena Denisova, head of the Department of Descriptive Geometry and Engineering Graphics, for donating to the library a rare 1821 edition of L. L. Vallee’s “Treatise on the Science of Drawing,” which contains a general theory of shadows, linear perspective, a general theory of optical images, and aerial perspective used for blurred drawing.

    Senior lecturer of the Department of Descriptive Geometry and Engineering Graphics Vladimir Zaikin shared his memories of outstanding scientists – Ivan Dmitrievich Sizov, Maria Fedorovna Yakovleva, Alexandra Nikolaevna Zaikina, Valentina Fominichna Ivanova. According to Vladimir Konstantinovich, of the 95 years that the department has existed, he could talk about the last fifty – he visited the lecture halls and drawing rooms when he was still a child, then studied at our university and has been working there for many years.

    The department’s head Elena Denisova spoke about the department’s successes today. The department provides graphic and geometric training for all engineering, construction and architectural specialties. The scientific interests of the staff concern various aspects of the application of the academic disciplines “Descriptive Geometry”, “Engineering Graphics” and “Computer Graphics” to these areas of study.

    The department uses modern teaching methods – interactive lectures, online courses, CAD systems are used: Kompas-3D, nanoCAD for creating 3D models and preparing drawings, which allows students to better understand spatial relationships and visualize complex geometric objects, and gain skills in working with modern software. Tasks are developed that require manual graphics: you cannot completely abandon manual drawing, which develops motor skills, an eye and an understanding of the principles of construction, which is critical for the formation of spatial thinking.

    The main scientific areas of the department are geometric modeling, computer graphics, information modeling technologies (IMT), engineering analysis, data visualization, application of methods of descriptive geometry and engineering graphics in education, use of artificial intelligence and machine learning, etc.

    Over the past three years, the department’s teachers have published more than 160 works. Students under their scientific supervision have published about 100 works. The department has three areas of the student scientific society of the Faculty of Architecture: “3D modeling in modern design” (headed by Elena Denisova), “Architecture and geometry in a sustainable world” (headed by Olga Melnikova, senior lecturer of the department), and “Computer-aided design (CAD) systems for solving construction and architectural problems” (headed by Yuliana Guryeva, associate professor of the department).

    Career guidance work is carried out: master classes are held for schoolchildren: “Profession: Civil Engineer. Who builds, what builds and for whom builds”, “Not everyone is given the opportunity to live so generously – to give cities to friends as a keepsake!” The department’s teachers work in schools and collaborate with other educational institutions.

    Students, under the guidance of the department’s teachers, regularly participate in competitions and olympiads at the regional, all-Russian and international levels, where they win prizes, demonstrating a high level of training and a creative approach to solving engineering problems.

    The department’s teachers have written manuals and textbooks that have received high marks in competitions, and have acquired a number of patents for their inventions. Yuliana Guryeva was awarded a laureate diploma at the international exhibition and competition “Creative Spring. The Expanses of My Homeland…” for her graphic work “The Bell Tower of the Nikolsky Naval Cathedral in St. Petersburg” (from the series “St. Petersburg – the City of Naval Glory”).

    “In the modern educational realities, the Department of Descriptive Geometry must actively develop in order to remain relevant and in demand. Traditional approaches need to be adapted to new technologies, labor market requirements, and the changing educational needs of students,” Elena Denisova is confident.

    The department’s development areas include the introduction of new educational technologies, development and refinement of courses and disciplines that meet modern labor market requirements in close cooperation with graduating departments, encouraging students to participate in scientific conferences and competitions in geometry and computer graphics, participation in international educational and scientific projects, and student and teacher exchanges with foreign universities.

    Students of SPbGASU congratulated the department on its anniversary in the form of a video message, in which they warmly thanked the teachers for their responsiveness, assistance in preparing for the Olympiads and developing professional skills.

    The opening ceremony of the exhibition continued with a tour of the reading room for working with rare books, where Elena Romanova showed unique graphic works from the collection of the Scientific and Technical Library of St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, made by teachers and students of previous years.

    The exhibition in the reading room of the Scientific and Technical Library of St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering will run until April 25.

    Opening hours: Monday – Thursday from 10:00 to 18:00, Friday from 10:00 to 17:00.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: 03/26/2025, 15-31 the values of the lower limit of the repo price corridor, the carry rate and the range of interest rate risk assessment for the RU000A1030T7 security (MGor73-ob) were changed.

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –

    03/26/2025

    15:31

    In accordance with the Methodology for determining the risk parameters of the stock market and deposit market of Moscow Exchange PJSC by NCO NCC (JSC) on March 26, 2025, 15:31 (Moscow time), the values of the lower limit of the repo price corridor with settlement code Y0/Y1Dt (up to -20.56%), the carry rate and the range of interest rate risk assessment (up to -0.65 rubles, equivalent to a rate of 46.36%) of the RU000A1030T7 (MGor73-ob) security were changed.

    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.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    HTTPS: //VVV. MOEX.K.M.M.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Rosneft Improves Hydraulic Fracturing Technologies

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Rosneft – Rosneft – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Specialists of RN-Yuganskneftegaz, the Company’s key production asset, extracted more than 100 tons of oil from one well of the Pravdinskoye field in one day. At present, this is the best result achieved when launching horizontal wells at fields with similar geological conditions. The record was achieved thanks to a new method of hydraulic fracturing (HF), developed by scientists from the corporate research institute in Ufa.

    The new method of hydraulic fracturing is carried out in several stages, during which low-viscosity and high-viscosity fluids with large-fraction proppant are pumped into the formation alternately. The technology allows creating a hydraulic fracture up to 600 meters long, while increasing its conductivity and ensuring effective oil flow from the formation into the well.

    Hydraulic fracturing is a key technology for intensifying oil production. The Company’s development will significantly increase productivity and production from low-permeability reservoirs of the Bazhenov* and Achimov** formations, as well as their analogues.

    *The Bazhenov Formation formed in Western Siberia from deep-sea sedimentary rocks at the end of the Jurassic and the beginning of the Cretaceous period about 145 million years ago. As a rule, it lies at a depth of 2.5-3 km and has a thickness of about 30 meters. **The Achimov Formation is a deposit in Western Siberia, lying at depths from 2.5 to 4 km in the lower part of the Cretaceous deposits above the Bazhenov Formation.

    Department of Information and Advertising of PJSC NK Rosneft March 26, 2025

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The day the Red Army reached the USSR border in 1944

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    On March 26, 1944, on the 1009th day of the Great Patriotic War, Soviet troops reached the state border of the USSR with Romania.

    This significant event occurred as a result of the actions of the 2nd Ukrainian Front during the Uman-Botoşani offensive operation under the command of the newly-minted Marshal Ivan Konev. Let us recall that Konev received a promotion for the successful Korsun-Shevchenkovsk operation, which ended on February 17, that is, just a month before the Red Army reached the border.

    Border posts were once again installed on the 85-kilometer section of the Soviet border, and this section of the border was taken under the protection of the 24th Border Regiment, the same one that guarded this line in 1941. Regiment veteran Boris Sichan recalls:

    “You can’t imagine the excitement in the regiment when it became clear that we were going to the same section of the border that we had guarded before the war. After we crossed the Dniester at Mogilev-Podolsky, many border guards took off their hats and caps and pulled out of their kit bags the green caps that they had carefully preserved since 1941.”

    Now the Red Army faced the task of liberating a not very friendly Europe from fascism: Romania under the dictatorship of Hitler’s ally John Antonescu, Hungary with the puppet regime of Ferenc Szalasi, Bulgaria, ruled by a pro-German regency council…

    There were still many large-scale operations and fierce battles ahead. In the meantime, Soviet troops were gradually reaching the borders of the Motherland and in other sections of the front: – On July 20, units of the 1st Belorussian Front crossed the border with Poland; – On July 21, troops of the Karelian Front reached the border with Finland; – On August 17, units of the 3rd Belorussian Front entered German territory; – On November 7, the western state border of the USSR was completely restored.

    #Scientific regiment

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 03/26/2025

    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 –