Category: Transport

MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Talk to someone if worried about mental wellbeing
Source: Northern Ireland Direct

Date published: 06 February 2025

Talk to someone if worried about your or someone else’s mental or emotional wellbeing. If in distress or despair, contact Lifeline on 0808 808 8000.

Loneliness

Loneliness can affect your mental and emotional wellbeing.

Many people have experienced, or are experiencing, feelings of loneliness.

Sometimes admitting you feel lonely is difficult.

It’s important to try to connect with friends, family and communities, and to look out for those who may be experiencing loneliness.

If you’re struggling and need to speak to someone, there are helplines on the Helplines NI website.

Start a caring conversation

Start a caring conversation with someone you’re concerned about. Let them know about that concern.

Give them the space to explain what’s going on and how they’re feeling.

Offering a gentle word of support and listening in a non-judgemental way can make all the difference.

Encourage them to tell their story in their own way and at their own pace. Let them know that you will support them to find the help that they need.

By asking the questions ‘are you feeling a bit low?’ or ‘are you worried about something?’, you’re:
- acknowledging their distress
- giving them the chance to talk about something that is probably very frightening for them
It’s even okay to ask someone if they have had thoughts about harming themselves or about suicide.

Talking about how they’re feeling could be the first step towards recovery.

You can find information on what you can say and do to help someone on this Public Health Agency leaflet.

Training courses

There are training courses available in:
- mental and emotional wellbeing
- suicide prevention
You can find out more at this link:

Recognising potential warning signs

Mental health issues can affect anyone at any time of life and in different ways.

There are some early warning signs that may show mental ill-health or a mental health problem, including:
- mood swings or a consistently lower mood
- lack of care for personal appearance or personal responsibilities
- increased use of alcohol or other drugs
- a loss of interest in doing things they previously enjoyed
- withdrawing from social activities or spending less time with family and friends
- disturbed sleep, perhaps not getting enough sleep or sleeping too much
- eating less than normal or overeating, perhaps losing or gaining weight
- being more irritable, over-sensitive or aggressive
- having difficulty following a conversation, remembering things or concentrating
- experiencing repeated physical symptoms such as aches and pains or unexplained illnesses
- a drop in work performance
- doing things that don’t make sense to others
- hearing or seeing things that no-one else can hear or see
- talking about not wanting to live
Someone having suicidal thoughts may not ask for help, but that doesn’t mean they don’t want help and support. It can be difficult finding the words to say how they’re feeling.

You can find out more about what to do if you think someone might be in need of immediate help on the Mental health emergency – if you’re in crisis or despair page.

You can find out more about mental health on these pages:

In distress or despair – Lifeline

If you or someone you know is in distress or despair, contact Lifeline on:

This is a confidential service, where trained counsellors will listen and help immediately on the phone and follow up with other support if necessary.

The helpline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Take steps to improve your wellbeing

By taking simple steps and introducing them into everyday life you can improve your mental health and wellbeing.

Connect with people

Spend time developing relationships with family, friends, colleagues and neighbours.

Be active

Exercising can make you feel good, so find an activity that suits your mobility and fitness.

Go for a walk or run, cycle, play a game, garden or dance.

Take notice

Pause to look around you. What can you see, feel, smell or even taste?

Look for beautiful, new, unusual or extraordinary things in your everyday life and think about how that makes you feel.

Keep learning

Try something new, sign up for a course or rediscover an old hobby.

Set a challenge you will enjoy – learning new things will make you more confident, as well as being fun to do.

Give

Do something nice for a friend or a stranger.

Volunteer your time for a community group or charity.

Seeing yourself, and your happiness, linked to the wider community can be incredibly rewarding and creates connections with the people around you.

These can all lead to improving your wellbeing.

More useful links
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Aliens involved in road rage incident charged with firearms offenses following multi-agency investigation

Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

WACO, Texas — Two undocumented aliens from Guatemala were arrested for federal firearms offenses Feb. 3 by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Texas Department of Public Safety.

Anderson Morales-Calderon, 19, and Ever Morales-Calderon, 25, were arrested and charged in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas with aiding and abetting the possession of a firearm as undocumented aliens.

Anderson and Ever first came to the attention of law enforcement Jan. 24 after a 911 caller reported that someone in their vehicle had pointed a rifle at a semi-truck on IH-35 during a road rage incident. Officers from the Troy and Lorena Police Departments responded to the call and conducted a traffic stop of their vehicle. During the stop, officers observed two air rifles and a .22 rifle in plain view in the back seat and floorboard of the vehicle. Further investigation revealed that both Anderson and Ever had illegally entered the U.S.

“ICE is committed to aggressively pursue dangerous criminal aliens and other immigration violators who perpetuate violence in our local communities,” said ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations Houston Field Office Director Bret Bradford. “Our officers work tirelessly, in conjunction with our federal, state and local law enforcement partners, to identify and apprehend undocumented aliens who threaten public safety, national security or border security.”

If convicted, Anderson and Ever each face up to 10 years in federal prison. A federal district court judge will consider U.S. sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors in deciding on any potential sentence.

The Troy and Lorena Police Departments assisted with the investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Stephanie Smith-Burris is prosecuting the case.

A criminal complaint is merely an allegation, and all defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

MIL OSI USA News –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI United Nations: International Community Must Keep Pushing for Permanent Ceasefire, Work towards Gaza’s Reconstruction, Secretary-General Tells Palestinian Rights Committee

Source: United Nations General Assembly and Security Council

Speakers Urge Member States to Fully Support UN Palestine Refugee Agency’s Vital Work, Stress Rising Violence by Israeli Settlers in West Bank Must Stop

The international community must keep pushing for a permanent ceasefire and work towards the reconstruction of Gaza, the UN Chief told the Palestinian Rights Committee today, highlighting the essential role of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) in the process.

“At its essence, the exercise of the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people is about the right of Palestinians to simply live as human beings in their own land,” said UN Secretary-General António Guterres in his remarks to the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People as it opened its 2025 session.

However, the realization of those rights steadily slips farther out of reach as the world witnesses “chilling, systematic dehumanization and demonization of an entire people”, he said. Nearly 50,000 people — 70 per cent of them women and children — have been reported killed and most of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure — hospitals, schools and water facilities — has been destroyed. Displacement after displacement, hunger and disease left an entire generation homeless and traumatized.

“We cannot go back to more death and destruction,” he asserted, adding that the UN is working around the clock to reach Palestinians in need and scale up support. That requires rapid, safe, unimpeded, expanded and sustained humanitarian access, he said, calling on Member States to fully fund humanitarian operations and support UNRWA’s vital work.

In the search for solutions, it is crucial to stay true to the bedrock of international law and avoid any form of ethnic cleansing, he stressed, adding that a viable, sovereign Palestinian State living side by side in peace and security with Israel is “the only sustainable solution for Middle East stability”.

Relatedly, he voiced grave concern over rising violence by Israeli settlers and other violations in the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem. “The violence must stop,” he said, urging respect for international law, including the International Court of Justice orders.

“The ceasefire was a decisive step forward in providing aid and safety,” said Coly Seck (Senegal), the elected Chair of the Committee for 2025. He called on States to “reinvent strategies to block the way for those enemies of peace on Palestinian ground” and on the international community to defend “these people long oppressed”, adding: “This is a key year for the Palestinian cause.”

Permanent Observer for State of Palestine Rejects Concept of ‘Ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and Open Hell in the West Bank’

Riyad H. Mansour, Permanent Observer for the State of Palestine, said that while “we are delighted to have a ceasefire”, the agreement must become permanent and cover all parts of the Occupied Palestinian Territory. He rejected the concept of “a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and open hell in the West Bank”, and underscored the need to implement all the agreement’s provisions, including the reconstruction of Gaza and the safe return of the Palestinians to the areas from which they were displaced.

Outlining his objectives for 2025, he stressed that defending UNRWA — the most successful story of multilateralism since the UN’s inception — is paramount. Furthermore, he outlined his plan to work with all Member States towards a successful international conference in June, co-chaired by Saudi Arabia and France, to accomplish the objectives established by the International Court of Justice. The body determined that prolonged occupation of the Palestinian Territory is unlawful and must be terminated as quickly as possible. Echoing that, the General Assembly legislated that this illegal occupation must be terminated within one year.

Underscoring the need to rebuild Gaza, he declared: “It is part of our homeland, and we do not have a homeland other than the State of Palestine [nor] are we looking for other homelands or countries”. Rejecting any idea of ethnic cleansing, he urged all countries to help Palestine’s Government in this endeavour. Accordingly, he spotlighted “intense meetings and communications” between President Mahmoud Abbas and the leaders of Jordan, Egypt and Saudi Arabia.

“There is no power on Earth that can remove the Palestinian people from our ancestral homeland, including Gaza,” he said, adding that the return of 400,000 Palestinians to the north is “our answer for those who want us to kick us out of Gaza”.

UNRWA Is Stabilizing Force, Committed Partner to Peace, Agency Official Says

Greta Gunnarsdottir, Head of the UNRWA Liaison Office in New York, speaking on behalf of the Agency’s Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazarini, said that, although the Knesset legislation prohibiting UNRWA’s operations creates challenges, the Agency’s local staff continues to operate “at considerable personal risk” in the occupied West Bank. While operations in Gaza continue, it is unclear how the contact prohibition with Israeli officials will constrain the Agency’s work. Since the ceasefire, UNRWA has distributed food to 750,000 people and conducted 17,000 medical consultations; in January, 260,000 children enrolled in its online learning programmes.

However, she emphasized curtailing UNRWA’s operations will undermine the ceasefire and sabotage Gaza’s recovery and political transition. “The Government of Israel is investing significant resources to portray the Agency as a terrorist organization,” she said, adding that — as a result — donors are declining or reducing funding. “For 75 years, UNRWA has been a stabilizing force and a committed partner for peace in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. It must be allowed to remain so until a political solution is at hand,” she stated.

UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food Calls Israel’s Starving of 2.3 Million Palestinians in Gaza ‘Fastest Starvation Campaign in Modern History’

Michael Fakhri, UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Food, speaking via video conference, recalled that Israel announced its intent to starve the civilians in Gaza on 6 October 2023 — before the Hamas attacks. On the reached agreement, he said: “This is not a ceasefire, [but] a slowing down of Israel’s genocide and starvation campaign.”

On 6 October 2023, Gaza had been under a blockade for 23 years, with 50 per cent of its civilians already food insecure and 80 per cent dependent on humanitarian aid. “How is it even possible for Israel to starve 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza so quickly and so completely,” he asked, citing it as “the fastest starvation campaign in modern history”.

One of the reasons for UNRWA’s creation in 1948 was to prevent the starvation of the Palestinian people, he pointed out, stressing that “there has always been the risk of starvation”. The International Court of Justice has recognized the risk of genocide and the occurrence of starvation, as reflected in its warrants on the crime of starvation against Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

The right of return and the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people constitute the foundation necessary for future political solutions, he continued. Israel has been attacking Palestinians “at degrees of violence not seen before”, destroying food systems and creating conditions of hunger that will last for generations. Moreover, it has attacked the UN itself — it shot at peacekeepers in Lebanon, killed a record number of UN staff in Gaza, mostly UNRWA, and declared the Secretary-General a persona non grata.

Nonetheless, he emphasized that without the support of the United States and Germany — among others — Israel would be unable to implement its starvation campaign and commit genocide. Washington, D.C., under the previous administration, exited international law, while “the current administration exited the UN” by defunding UNRWA, threatening to defund the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and withdrawing from the Human Rights Council. “What is at stake is the international legal order and the UN itself,” he warned, highlighting the importance of the Hague Group, which was created to implement the decisions of the International Court of Justice and the International Criminal Court.

Recounting Death of Relatives in Gaza Due to Israeli Bombings, UNRWA USA Philanthropy Director Stresses ‘We Will Continue’

“My world shuttered for the first time on 24 November 2023, when Israel dropped a bomb on the family home where my brother lived,” said Hani Almadhoun, Senior Director of Philanthropy at UNRWA USA, also recalling the humiliation of his other brother, who was falsely accused of being a fighter. “Palestinian men were paraded by the Israeli army in their underwear as if they were part of some grotesque spectacle,” he observed. While his non-profit organization supports UNRWA’s work, he noted that individual efforts — no matter how heartfelt — cannot replace the comprehensive support of an established institution like UNRWA. He further recalled that, in February 2024, together with his brother Mahmoud, he co-founded the Gaza Soup Kitchen, which soon became a “lifeline” serving hot meals to thousands of families.

When hospitals were under siege, Mahmoud also created a medical clinic that provided baby formula and diapers and founded a small school for 560 children. He said that “forcing the Palestinians out of Gaza is as unrealistic as draining the ocean”, stating: “Whenever the world failed the Palestinian people […] the land did not.” His concluded by citing the words of his brother Mahmoud, who was killed by an Israeli strike in November 2024: “We will continue.”

Committee Members Highlight UNRWA’s Indispensable Role, Reject Any Attempts to Expel Palestinians from Occupied Palestinian Territory

In the ensuing discussions, Committee members highlighted UNRWA’s indispensable role, with Cuba’s delegate stressing that “to prohibit the work of the Agency today means undermining the present and the future of the Palestinian people”.

While Guyana’s delegate underscored that “the ceasefire must be a stepping stone towards the lasting peace”, her counterpart from Venezuela warned that the latest developments in the West Bank could threaten the agreement.

Others, including Nicaragua’s representative, rejected the recent declarations that imply attempts to expel the Palestinian population from its territories. A displacement plan — “even opening it for discussion” — is unacceptable, said Türkiye’s representative.

Echoing that, Qatar’s delegate said that, during the comprehensive reconstruction process in Gaza, the international community must ensure that Palestinians remain on their land.

For her part, Egypt’s delegate said that commemorating the Committee’s fiftieth anniversary manifests “the failure of the international community to assist the Palestinian people”.

2025 Work Programme Adopted, Bureau Elected

In other business, the Committee adopted its work programme for 2025 and unanimously elected Coly Seck (Senegal) as Chair and Neville Melvin Gertze (Namibia), Jaime Hermida Castillo (Nicaragua), Ahmad Faisal Muhamad (Malaysia), Arrmanatha Christiawan Nasir (Indonesia) and Ernesto Soberón Guzmán (Cuba) as Vice-Chairs.

MIL OSI United Nations News –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Dominican National Sentenced To 60 Months In Prison For Role In Operating Fentanyl Drug Mill

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

NEWARK, N.J. – A Dominican national was sentenced to 60 months in prison for his role in a conspiracy to distribute and transport bulk quantities of fentanyl into northern New Jersey communities from a drug mill located in the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania area, Acting U.S. Attorney Vikas Khanna announced.

Hector Luiz De La Cruz Nunez, 32, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden to a two-count information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl, and one count of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl.

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

In February 2022, Nunez and his co-conspirators operated a private residence, commonly referred to as a drug mill, in which he and his co-conspirators produced large quantities of bulk fentanyl for redistribution. In early March 2022 following a car stop, law enforcement recovered nearly six kilograms of fentanyl packaged in approximately 400 individual bricks concealed within a hidden compartment inside of the vehicle that Nunez was driving.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Hayden sentenced Nunez to three years of supervised release.

Nunez’s co-conspirators, Emmanuel F. Almonte Mejia, 40, and Loanny F. Duran Hiciano, 37, have both pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl. Mejia and Hiciano await sentencing.

Acting U.S. Attorney Khanna credited special agents of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Newark, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Richard Patel, HSI Philadelphia, and the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan, with the investigation that led to the sentencing.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Vincent D. Romano of the Criminal Division in Newark.

###

Defense counsel: Justin Capek

MIL Security OSI –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Colombian Smuggler Extradited in Connection with Pregnant Woman’s Border-Crossing Death

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

PLATTSBURGH, NEW YORK – A Colombian man was extradited from Canada to the United States and arraigned today for charges arising from the drowning of a pregnant woman. The woman, a citizen of Mexico, died in December 2023 while trying to illegally enter the United States by wading across the Great Chazy River in Champlain, New York.

United States Attorney Carla B. Freedman; Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan of Homeland Security Investigations, Buffalo, New York Field Office; and Chief Patrol Agent Robert N. Garcia of United States Border Patrol, Swanton Sector, made the announcement.

Jhader Augusto Uribe-Tobar, age 36, is a citizen of Colombia who resides in Quebec, Canada.

According to the indictment and an earlier-filed criminal complaint, Uribe-Tobar smuggled a pregnant woman, A.V.-F., from Canada into the Northern District of New York for $2,500, by instructing her to wade through the frigid Great Chazy River in darkness. The smuggling attempt ended in A.V-F.’s death.

United States Attorney Carla Freedman stated: “This tragedy highlights the dangers of illegal migration and how, as alleged, smugglers deliberately put people in harm’s way for profit. By vigorously prosecuting human smuggling networks, we are deterring and reducing the number of dangerous crossings like the one that took the lives of this young woman and her unborn child.”

HSI Buffalo Special Agent in Charge Erin Keegan stated: “We will not stand by as lives are tragically lost by the deception of human smugglers profiting off the vulnerability of migrants. HSI Buffalo and our partners vigorously pursue justice for the victims who are exploited and endangered by the people whom they are trusting to move them across borders.”

Border Patrol Chief Patrol Agent Robert Garcia stated: “Effective border security enforcement hinges on tangible penalties for criminal actions. The U.S. Border Patrol continues to enforce the laws of the United States, and this prosecution by the U.S. Attorney’s Office demonstrates that those who violate the law will be held accountable.”

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

On December 7, 2023, A.V-F.’s relative contacted Uribe-Tobar on TikTok where Uribe-Tobar advertised himself as a smuggler. Uribe-Tobar advised A.V-F.’s relative, “It costs $2500 American, it is worked through Montreal and they are left in the City of Plattsburgh, NY.” A few days later, on December 11, 2023, A.V-F.’s relative sent Uribe-Tobar proof that he had wired $2,500 to Uribe-Tobar. Shortly after receiving that message, Uribe-Tobar traveled with A.V-F. to the immediate area of the United States-Canada border.

At approximately 6:21 that evening, Uribe-Tobar told A.V-F.’s relative, “Friend we are at the river crossing.” At 6:22 p.m., Uribe-Tobar told A.V-F.’s relative, “She is crossing friend” to which her relative replied, “I’m very nervous.” At 7:06 p.m., Uribe-Tobar messaged A.V-F’s relative, “Bro hello, I think she got wet or turned off her cell phone. Bro, I told her to hold it while she was crossing.” Uribe-Tobar followed that message with a screenshot of messages he exchanged with A.V-F., which showed that he had sent her three messages at 6:17 p.m. The screenshot indicates that the last message was never read.

Uribe-Tobar and A.V-F’s relative continued to exchange messages throughout the night of December 11, 2023. Uribe-Tobar claimed that he had people searching for A.V-F. and that “I already sent them a pin to see if they see her, I told them what happened and that she is pregnant.”

On December 12, 2023, A.V-F.’s relative told a Border Patrol Agent in Champlain that she was supposed to illegally enter the United States on December 11, but that he had not heard from her. He reported her last known location as the edge of the Great Chazy River in Champlain, and that the smuggler had told A.V-F. the river was wadable. Multiple law enforcement agencies immediately began to search for A.V-F. On December 14, 2023, they found A.V-F.’s body in the Great Chazy River.

The charges against Uribe-Tobar carry a minimum term of 3 years and a maximum term of life in prison. A defendant’s sentence is imposed by a judge based on the particular statutes the defendant is charged with violating, the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other factors.

At his initial appearance today in Plattsburgh, Uribe-Tobar was ordered detained pending a trial scheduled before Senior United States District Judge David N. Hurd in Utica, New York.

The Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations and United States Border Patrol are investigating the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Katherine Kopita and Carling Dunham are prosecuting the case. The Department of Justice’s Office of International Affairs assisted in securing the arrest and extradition of Uribe-Tobar.

MIL Security OSI –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI: E Ink Partners with MIT Solve to Launch Innovation Prize for Global Challenges

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

BILLERICA, Mass., Feb. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — E Ink (8069.TW), the originator, pioneer, and global commercial leader in ePaper technology, announced today its collaboration with MIT Solve, an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute for Technology with a mission to drive innovation to solve world challenges. The E Ink Innovation Prize will award up to $300,000 over the next three years to teams helping solve the world’s most pressing issues.

“This partnership with MIT Solve underscores our commitment to leveraging ePaper technology to address some of the world’s most pressing challenges,” said Johnson Lee, CEO, E Ink. “We believe that by supporting innovation, we can make a significant impact on global issues and drive sustainable change.”

The inaugural E Ink Solve Global Challenge opened for applications on February 3, 2025, with prize recipients selected in August, and official project kick off in September. The E Ink Innovation Prize is open to solutions that utilize ePaper materials, technology, or displays to address problems of global importance in any of Solve’s areas of impact, including topics such as architecture, education, or intercultural understanding.

“Working with E Ink, a company that originally spun out of the MIT Media Lab in 1997, is a full circle moment,” said Hala Hanna, Executive Director of MIT Solve. “This level of support is what drives scale and transformational impact. We look forward to working alongside E Ink to advance pivotal tech-based solutions that create a better future for all.”

MIT Solve finds and supports tech-based solutions to global challenges through open innovation challenges and partnerships, and in part with its collaboration with E Ink, aims to achieve a more sustainable and equitable future for all. The Innovation prize will be awarded to up to four Solver teams, with additional support from E Ink through project implementation. To learn more or to apply, please visit https://solve.mit.edu/challenges.

E Ink continues to receive recognition across its climate strategy, privacy protection, and business ethics, with its ongoing inclusion in the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index (DJSI World) and the Dow Jones Sustainability Emerging Markets Index (DJSI Emerging Markets). The company has revised its 2025 renewable energy goal to RE65, aiming for RE100 across all operations. Additionally, E Ink’s displays have been recognized for their environmental contributions, with 99.9% of product sales revenue qualifying as green revenue and is noted for its energy efficiency and eye health benefits, being the first display technology to receive certification from the International Dark-Sky Association.

About E Ink
E Ink Holdings Inc. (8069.TWO), based on technology from MIT’s Media Lab, provides an ideal display medium for applications spanning eReaders and eNotes, retail, home, hospital, transportation, logistics, and more, enabling customers to put displays in locations previously impossible. E Ink’s electrophoretic display products make it the worldwide leader for ePaper. Its low power displays enable customers to reach their sustainability goals, and E Ink has pledged using 100% renewable energy in 2030 and reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2040. E Ink has been recognized for their efforts by receiving, validation from Science-Based Targets (SBTi) and is listed in both the DJSI World and DJSI Emerging Indexes. Listed in Taiwan’s Taipei Exchange (TPEx) and the Luxembourg market, E Ink Holdings is now the world’s largest supplier of ePaper displays. For more information please visit www.eink.com. E Ink. We Make Surfaces Smart and Green.

Stay Connected
Website | Facebook | Instagram | LinkedIn | Twitter/X

Contact
V2 Communications on behalf of E Ink
eink@v2comms.com

About MIT Solve:
Solve is an initiative of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with a mission to drive innovation to solve world challenges. Solve is a marketplace for social impact innovation. Through open innovation challenges, Solve finds incredible tech-based social innovators from all around the world. Solve then brings together MIT’s ecosystem and a community of supporters to fund and scale these innovators to help them drive lasting, transformational impact. Join Solve on this journey at solve.mit.edu.

Stay Connected
Twitter | LinkedIn | Instagram | Facebook | YouTube

Contact
Bridget Weiler
Director of Marketing & Communications
bridget.weiler@solve.mit.edu

The MIL Network –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI: TAB Bank Finishes 2024 Providing Nearly 300 Companies with $57 Million in Loans for Growth and Operations
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Q4 2024 funding includes factoring, asset-based and equipment loans, small business lines of credit and more for companies in transportation, manufacturing and distribution, e-commerce, maintenance, logistics and other industries

OGDEN, Utah, Feb. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — TAB Bank provided nearly 300 companies with more than $57 million in funding in the fourth quarter of 2024. The financing includes factoring, asset-based and equipment loans, small business lines of credit and more for companies in transportation, manufacturing and distribution, e-commerce, maintenance, logistics and other industries. TAB Bank offers vital capital to help companies meet their growth and success goals.

Highlights of the largest Q4 2024 deals include:
- $20 million—Funding numerous companies for their equipment needs.
- $12 million—Steel Capital Management, a New York City-based finance company specializing in e-commerce solutions.
- $11 million—Providing almost 100 small businesses with lines of credit for growth.
- $5 million—A transportation maintenance solutions company in Dallas, Texas.
- $4 million—A Kentucky company that owns, operates and manages multi-tenant communication tower sites across the U.S.
For more than 25 years, TAB Bank’s core business has been financing over-the-road truckers and the broader transportation industry. This quarter, TAB Bank provided term loans and lines of credit ranging from $40,000 to $300,000 to transportation and logistics companies to help create consistent operational cash flow.

“The most successful companies grow by compounding their returns, and using strategic debt financing can be a powerful tool to fuel that growth,” said Terri K. Lins, Chief Credit Officer at TAB Bank. “Our focus is to create financing programs tailored to each company’s specific goals—whether expanding inventory, investing in new equipment or ramping up marketing and promotions. We succeed when we help our customers leverage money in the right way to maximize their growth potential.”

The bank’s services include working capital, equipment financing, term loans, lines of credit and commercial real estate loans. TAB Bank’s specialists ensure each client is matched with the right financial product for their industry and growth stage. The bank supports businesses with stellar credit and those without, requiring alternative assessments. To determine creditworthiness, the bank considers various factors, such as income and operational history.

For more information on TAB Bank’s capital financing and credit solutions, visit TABBank.com.

About TAB Bank
At TAB Bank, our mission is to unlock dreams with bold financial solutions that empower individuals and businesses nationwide. We are committed to making financial success accessible to everyone through our innovative banking products. Our dedication drives us to continuously improve, ensuring that we meet the evolving needs of our clients with excellence and agility. For over 25 years, we have remained steadfast in offering tailored, technology-enabled solutions designed to simplify and enhance the banking experience.

For more information about how we can help you achieve your financial dreams, visit www.TABBank.com.

Contact Information:
Trevor Morris
Director of Marketing
801-624-5172
trevor.morris@tabbank.com

The MIL Network –
February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Trump plans to ‘permanently resettle’ Palestinians outside Gaza – the very reason Unrwa was originally created

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Anne Irfan, Lecturer in Interdisciplinary Race, Gender and Postcolonial Studies, UCL

Donald Trump shocked much of the world when he announced plans for the US to “take over” Gaza. Speaking at a press conference with the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the US president outlined a plan to “resettle” Gaza’s population of nearly 2.2 million Palestinians elsewhere in the Arab world. Several officials later added that this resettlement would be temporary while Gaza was rebuilt.

Governments around the world were quick to condemn the plan – with politicians and human rights advocates pointing out that it would amount to ethnic cleansing.

Conversely, Netanyahu praised Trump for “thinking outside the box with fresh ideas”. Yet while there is no question that this plan violates international law, it is not as unprecedented as these responses suggest.

Successive Israeli governments, often with clandestine US support, have long sought a similar “solution” for Gaza’s Palestinians, 66% of whom are already refugees from the Nakba (catastrophe) of 1948. At that time, Zionist militias and the Israeli army displaced and expelled 750,000 Palestinians before and during the First Arab-Israeli war.

In fact, that’s the very reason the US supported the creation of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (Unrwa) in 1949. Though its purpose today is very different, it was originally intended as a tool to permanently resettle the Palestinians outside Palestine.

The idea for Unrwa was inspired by the experience of the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), a US government agency established during the Great Depression. It promoted resource development through large public works programmes in the deep south.

US officials considered the TVA a prototype for managing the Palestinian refugee crisis and pushed the newly established United Nations to set up an agency that would similarly create jobs and economic development.

This was the “works” in Unrwa’s title. As they saw it, employment opportunities would encourage the Palestinians to integrate into their places of exile. Meanwhile, the resulting economic development would lessen resistance in the host state to the refugees’ permanent resettlement.

In four of the five territories where Unrwa operates – Lebanon, Jordan, Syria and the West Bank – it spent its first few years designing large public works projects. But in Gaza, the large concentration of refugees in a tiny territory with limited natural resources did not lend itself to public works projects.

Instead US officials pushed Unrwa to resettle Palestinians outside of the Strip, in Sinai, Libya and further afield.

Yet Unrwa’s efforts on this front quickly ran into a major obstacle: the Palestinians themselves. The refugees clearly understood that the “integration” projects and jobs schemes were intended to make their exile permanent – despite the UN having officially recognised their right to return home.

By the late 1950s, the refugees’ persistent refusal participate in these programmes led Unrwa to shift its focus to education.

Repeated expulsions

The desire to forcibly transfer Gaza’s population never really disappeared. Gaza has been home to Palestinian refugees from across the country, with a huge political significance as a result, and its demographics have repeatedly been deemed unacceptable by elements of the Israeli state.

Soon after it began occupying Gaza and the West Bank in 1967, the Israeli military forcibly expelled 200,000 Palestinians from Gaza to Jordan. Four year later, Shimon Peres, then the Israeli minister of transport and communications, sought to forcibly transfer more Palestinians into the Sinai. And around the same time, the Israeli government looked into relocating Gaza’s population to sites as far away as Iraq, Canada and Brazil.

Such ideas persist in Israel. Shortly after Israel began its war on Gaza in response to the Hamas attacks of October 7 2023, there was also evidence in the form of a leaked intelligence report that the government was considering forcibly transferring Palestinians to Sinai.

More recently, the White House administration floated the possibility of transferring Gaza’s population to Indonesia. And Trump spoke in alarming terms shortly after his inauguration of “cleaning out” the Strip.

There’s no connection between the US president’s plan, as outlined this week, and the early US-backed idea to found Unrwa as an agency to oversee resettlement of Gaza’s population. Unrwa had abandoned its resettlement policy by the mid-1950s – and, in any case, Trump has long been one of Unrwa’s most virulent opponents.

In 2018, he became the first US president to fully defund the agency. More recently he has been a vocal supporter of the Israeli Knesset’s ban on its operations.

In the same press conference where Trump announced his plans for ethnic cleansing in Gaza, he also confirmed that he will extend the Biden administration’s ban on funding Unrwa.

Yet Trump’s current plan is not a million miles away from the US government’s original intention for Unrwa. His apparent ignorance of this history suggests he is also unaware of the biggest likely obstacle to “permanent resettlement”.

But he cannot ignore the historical resistance of the Palestinian people themselves to the seemingly endless plans to displace, dispossess and deny them their homeland.

As Unrwa officials learned decades ago, the only “solution” for the question of the future of the Gaza Strip is a just and durable political process that accounts for the Palestinian people’s rights as well as Israeli security.

Anne Irfan has received funding from the British Academy.

Jo Kelcey has received funding from the Spencer Foundation.

– ref. Trump plans to ‘permanently resettle’ Palestinians outside Gaza – the very reason Unrwa was originally created – https://theconversation.com/trump-plans-to-permanently-resettle-palestinians-outside-gaza-the-very-reason-unrwa-was-originally-created-249185

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/BURKINA FASO – Appointment of the Bishop of Tenkodogo

Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

Thursday, 6 February 2025

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The Holy Father has appointed Rev. Fr. David Koudougou, of the clergy of Tenkodogo, until now Diocesan Administrator of the same Diocese, as Bishop of the Diocese of Tenkodogo.His Exc. Msgr. David Koudougou, was born on 1 August 1972 in Tenkodogo and completed his studies in Philosophy and Theology at the Saint Jean Baptiste de Wayalghin Major Seminary in Ouagadougou.He was ordained a priest on 14 July 2001.He has held the following positions and completed further studies: Parish Vicar of the Sacred Heart in Garango (2001-2002); Parish Vicar of Boussouma (2002-2006); Professor of Canon Law and Homiletics at the Saint Pierre Claver de Koumi Major Seminary (2009-2013); Doctorate in Canon Law at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (2013-2016); Parish Vicar of Saint Paul of Moaga, Official of the Metropolitan Tribunal of Koupèla; member of the College of Consultors of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Koupèla, Secretary General of the Episcopal Commission for Ecclesiastical Tribunals and Legal Affairs of the Episcopal Conference, Episcopal Delegate to the Diocesan Council of Catholic Education of the Diocese of Tenkodogo (2017-2023).Since 2023 he has been an Official of the Ecclesiastical Tribunal and member of the College of Consultors of the Diocese of Tenkodogo and Diocesan Administrator of Tenkodogo. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 6/2/2025)
Share:

MIL OSI Europe News –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Europe: VATICAN – Appointment of Monsignor Sangalli, Adjunct Secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization

Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

Thursday, 6 February 2025

Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – The Holy Father has appointed the Most Reverend Monsignor Samuele Sangalli, Adjunct Secretary and Administrator of the Dicastery for Evangelization (Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches), as Archbishop. He has given him the titular see of Zella.Samuele Sangalli was born in Lecco (Italy) on September 10, 1967. He entered the seminary of the Archdiocese of Milan at the age of 14 and was ordained a priest on 8 June 1996 in the Archdiocese of Milan by Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini.First as a deacon and then as a priest, from 1992 to 1997 he was spiritual director of the “Alleluia” community for the rehabilitation of addicts, run by the Camillian Fathers in Milan. During the same period, he taught Catholic religion at the “Liceo Classico B. Zucchi” in Monza and was a pastoral assistant in the parish of “Beata Vergine Assunta” in Bruzzano (Milan).From 1997 to 1999 he held the role of Parish Vicar in the Parish of Santa Maria del Rosario, in Milan.With the mandate of the Superiors, from 1992 to 2006 he was a Member, with the Jesuit Fathers, of the team of spiritual assistants of the Ignatian movement of CVX (Communities of Christian Life). In 2000 he was a Visiting Scholar at the Faculty for Divinity of the University of Cambridge (UK) and collaborated in the local Catholic parish of “Our Lady and the English Martyrs”.After moving to Rome in 2001, he was spiritual director at Villa Nazareth College until 2009.Based on the spiritual journey he took with some young university students from Villa Nazareth and the subsequent encounter with young people and families he met while teaching at the Pontifical Gregorian University and the “LUISS Guido Carli” in Rome, he founded the Oikia community in 2010. From 2004 to 2012 he worked first with the young people of Villa Nazareth and then with the Oikia community on feast days in the parish of “S. Benedetto” in the Ostiense area of Rome.He has been a member of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem since 2005 and a member of the Franciscan Secular Order since 2014.He is currently an Associate Lecturer at the Institute of Anthropology, and Director of the “Sinderesi” School of training for active citizenship at the Alberto Hurtado Center, of the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome. He is also a professor of the free courses on professional Ethics at the Faculty of Law and Global Governance through Interreligious Dialogue at the Faculty of Political Science of the “LUISS Guido Carli” University in Rome.Already an official of the Congregation for Bishops, Samuele Sangalli was appointed by Pope Francis on April 25, 2023 as Undersecretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization, Section for First Evangelization and the New Particular Churches. On October 1, 2024 (See Fides, 1/10/2024) the Pope appointed him as Adjunct Secretary with the role of head of the administration of the aforementioned Dicastery, in the same Section. (GV) (Agenzia Fides, 6/2/2025)
Share:

MIL OSI Europe News –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: SPbGASU once again welcomed young intellectuals

Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

Source: Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Saint Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering – Grand Opening of Science Day

SPbGASU held Science Day for participants of the 17th All-Russian Youth Educational Forum “Young Intellectuals of Russia”. On February 5, students of grades 5–11 of educational institutions defended projects and papers, attended master classes, and got acquainted with our university.

The forum dedicated to the Day of Russian Science is being held in St. Petersburg from February 4 to 8. Its organizers are the Interregional Multidisciplinary Center “St. Petersburg Education”, the St. Petersburg Interregional Center “Education without Borders”, higher education institutions of the Northern capital with the support of the Academy of Military Sciences, the Maritime Council under the Government of St. Petersburg, the Council of Municipalities of St. Petersburg. As Natalya Polupanova, Director of the Interregional Multidisciplinary Center “St. Petersburg Education”, said, “198 participants from 15 educational institutions of 10 cities in 6 regions of the Russian Federation arrived at the forum. This year, an unprecedented number of projects – 142, this is a record. Project defenses are traditionally held at SPbGASU.”

The events at our university were organized by the admissions committee with the participation of the Volunteer Club, the Kirpich Student Leisure and Creativity Center, the student media center and teachers.

On behalf of Evgeny Rybnov, the rector of SPbGASU, Dmitry Ulrikh, the dean of the faculty of engineering ecology and urban economy, greeted the young intellectuals. Dmitry Vladimirovich said that our university has been a forge of personnel for the construction industry since 1832. Each faculty has its own scientific schools. The university is waiting for the guys as students.

The forum participants learned about the activities of student associations at our university and watched concert numbers prepared by the teams of the Student Leisure and Creativity Center “Kirpich”.

“To convey your thoughts to others”

After the official part, the guests of our university went to the university auditoriums to defend their projects. The defenses took place within the framework of the humanitarian, natural science, historical, technical, creative and philological sections. In each section, the projects were evaluated by a jury.

The meeting of the technical section was opened by Andrey Zazykin, Dean of the Automobile and Road Faculty. Andrey Vyacheslavovich believes that the faculty he heads, which trains specialists in the field of transport and mechanical engineering, is the most technical. Transport logistics, intelligent transport systems, modeling of road traffic and interchanges, construction of roads and bridges, organization of road safety, traffic light regulation, road signs, design and operation of vehicles – all this is done at the ADF. Here they train not only specialists, but also those who know how to convey their thoughts to others, present research results, and manage a team. The Dean wished the guys not to deviate from their path and invited them to take part in the Olympiad “Transport Systems and Technologies”, for successful performance in which additional points are awarded to the Unified State Exam. Applications can be submitted until February 10.

In the project “Computer Modeling of the Movement of Material Points” Ekaterina Antipina, a 9th-grade student of Secondary School No. 3 from Kirovograd, Sverdlovsk Oblast, examined the movement of material points in various conditions, including the influence of forces, interactions, and the environment on their trajectory. The author worked in the Blender program, which allows demonstrating physical processes in a visual form. According to Ekaterina, her project helps develop an interest in physics and deepen knowledge of the subject. “I can say with confidence that the use of computer modeling has become a powerful tool for visualizing physical concepts. This project showed how modern technologies can be used in the educational sphere,” Ekaterina said.

The features of windy spaces between architectural objects were studied by Anton Goloshumov, a 10th-grade cadet at the Lyceum named after Major General V. I. Khismatulin (Surgut, Khanty-Mansiysk Okrug (Yugra)). Under the scientific supervision of Sergei Osipov, a physical education teacher, Anton created a model reflecting the location of houses on one of the streets of Surgut, and conducted an experiment to study the nature of the wind between them. The young researcher believes that in places where there is strong wind, it is advisable to plant trees or shrubs. And it is also undesirable to put playgrounds and billboards there.

After defending their projects, the forum participants took a tour of the university and attended master classes.

From quadcopter to thermal imager

Master class “Geodetic instruments”

The master class “Geodetic Instruments” was held by Dmitry Ditrikh, Deputy Secretary in Charge of the Admissions Committee for Work at the Faculty of Engineering Ecology and Urban Economy, Senior Lecturer of the Department of Geodesy, Land Management and Cadastre. The students learned that graduates of the department can become specialists of Rosreestr, surveyors or cadastral engineers, and also work in related specialties – after all, all construction companies welcome a diploma from SPbGASU. They also learned about the purpose of geodetic instruments: a quadcopter, a 3D scanner, a theodolite, a reflector. Under the guidance of the students, it was possible to try these instruments in action. And in the process of communication, ask the students any question about studying at SPbGASU.

The hydraulics laboratory held a master class on “The structure and operation of pumping stations. Assembly of pressure pipelines.” Ksenia Dmitrieva, assistant of the Department of Water Use and Ecology, and Maxim Sankov, senior laboratory assistant of the department, also began the lesson with a story about what graduates do: design, build, reconstruct water supply and sewerage networks. Then they talked about the types of pipelines and connections. As a result, the guys independently assembled a pressure section of the water supply pipeline.

Master class “Models of Operations Research”

At the “Operations Research Models” master class, they learned to apply mathematical models to solve practical problems. For example, how to transport goods from warehouses to stores, construction sites, or other places; how teams can rationally design objects. Lyudmila Moskalenko, associate professor of the Department of Information Systems and Technologies, suggested trying different solutions: calculating manually, writing a program, or using tools that are available on every computer.

Associate Professor of the Department Alexander Epishkin spoke about what is happening at the Department of Construction Physics, Electric Power Engineering and Electrical Engineering, as well as about the purpose, selection and operation of electric drives in the public utilities of urban facilities at the master class “Purpose, Selection and Operation of Electric Drives in the Public Utilities of Urban Facilities”.

Kirill Sukhanov and Ekaterina Anshukova, associate professors of the Department of Heat and Gas Supply and Ventilation, held a master class “Engineering Systems of Buildings. TIM-modeling and VR-technologies”. Participants of the master class learned about the areas of training in the department, got the opportunity to work a little in software packages in which heating and ventilation systems are designed, and visualize the obtained result using virtual reality glasses. They also studied a thermal imager and a heating device.

Feedback from participants

Alena Fadeeva, a 10th-grade student at Secondary School No. 24 in Krymsk, Krasnodar Krai, enjoyed defending her project the most: “I enjoyed performing the most. I defended the “Molecular Cuisine” project in the natural science section for 10th–11th graders. The jury members were friendly and asked interesting questions. And I really like the appearance of the university.”

Irina Koroleva, a biology teacher at Secondary School No. 2 in Solnechnogorsk, Moscow Region, attended such a large-scale event for the first time: “The children are captivated! As a teacher, I like that they can immerse themselves in their future profession and see how the equipment works. For children, this is practice that they will remember for the rest of their lives. Their parents are also very pleased that the children were able to visit such a wonderful place.”

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 –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Appeal to find missing man Paul Merrett

Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

Police are appealing for the public’s help to find Paul Merrett, 28 who is missing from Woolwich.

Paul was last seen leaving Greenwood House Memorial Hospital on Wednesday, 22 January. It’s possible that he then got onto a bus towards Shooters Hill.

He is described as a white man, of a slim build with brown hair. He was last seen wearing a black jacket, a black jumper, blue jeans and light blue crocs.

He has connections to Croydon.

Officers are carrying out multiple enquiries to locate Paul and appealing to anyone who may have seen him to get in contact.

Paul is vulnerable and members of the public are asked to contact the police directly rather than attempt to engage with him.

Anyone with information is asked to call police on 101 or post @MetCC ref CAD 2704/22JAN25.

To remain 100% anonymous contact the independent charity Crimestoppers on 0800 555 111.

MIL Security OSI –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI: Drone Manufacturers Scrambling to Keep Up with Growing Demand as Drone Applications Skyrocket

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

PALM BEACH, Fla., Feb. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — FN Media Group News Commentary – Drones are being increasingly adopted in a growing number of industries such as military, defense, land surveying, agriculture for crop monitoring, energy for inspecting power lines among others. The versatility of drones to perform various tasks efficiently is driving their adoption. Drones can be used to monitor hostile environments and enemy activity as well as used for strategic and operational reconnaissance. Commercial Drones are remotely piloted, optionally piloted, or fully autonomous aerial vehicles that play a significant role in plenty of sectors. They are commonly termed drones and are mostly known for their wide usage in various functions, such as Surveying & Mapping, Inspection & Monitoring among others. These vehicles are also used for mapping, surveying, and determining the weather conditions of a specific area. According to recent industry reports, the markets are poised to continue substantial growth in years to come. MarketsAndMarkets project that The Commercial Drone market is projected to grow at a CAGR of 11.2% from 2024 to 2030. The report said: “Based on End Use, the Transport, Logistics and Warehousing segment is anticipated to record the highest growth rate during the forecast period By End Use, the Drone market has been segmented into logistics & transportation, agriculture, energy & power, military, construction & mining, media & entertainment, insurance, wildlife & forestry, academics & research. Logistics & Transportation segment is estimated to record the highest CAGR during the forecast period with the significant growth of the global e-commerce sector, postal companies are opting for new methods to modify their traditional delivery business models. Active Companies in the markets today include ZenaTech, Inc. (NASDAQ: ZENA), ParaZero Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: PRZO), AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV), EHang Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: EH), AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. (NYSE: UAVS).

MarketsAndMarkets continued: “With several countries focusing on the use of commercial drones for postal deliveries, the commercial drone market will witness growth. The US Postal Service is exploring the possibility of introducing commercial drone into its vehicle fleets to advance mail delivery operations and support its collection of geospatial, sensor, image, and other data. Companies such as DJI (China) are actively developing solutions for Drone-based package delivery. Amazon (US) has already developed these services. Lower cost, density of urban environments, and the rising demand for reduced delivery times are contributing to the growth of this segment.”

ZenaTech (NASDAQ:ZENA) ZenaDrone Starts Testing its High-Density Batteries to Extend Flight Time for ZenaDrone 1000 Drone for US Defense Applications – ZenaTech, Inc. (FSE: 49Q) (BMV: ZENA) (“ZenaTech”), a technology company specializing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) drone, Drone as a Service (DaaS), enterprise SaaS and Quantum Computing solutions, announces that ZenaDrone will commence testing work this quarter on a high density battery for the ZenaDrone 1000 multifunction AI drone designed for defense and commercial applications. High density batteries are lightweight and enable longer drone flight times, more reliability and endurance for longer defense missions, heavier payloads, and greater operational success of a wide range of military applications. ZenaDrone will use the batteries from ZenaTech’s affiliated company Galaxy Batteries Inc.

“High density batteries are key to longer fight times and reliability in the harsh conditions of military defense operations such as cargo and resupply, intelligence gathering, surveillance, and reconnaissance missions. We will test to ensure these batteries will provide the customization, cost savings, supply chain control and superior performance we require. This is important to our goal to become a Blue UAS- certified supplier to sell to US defense branches and other military organizations,” said CEO Shaun Passley, Ph.D.

ZenaDrone 1000 is an autonomous multifunction drone offering stable flight, maneuverability, heavy lift capabilities, innovative software technology, sensors, AI, and purpose-built attachments, along with compact and rugged hardware engineered for military and industrial use. The company previously completed two paid trials with the US Air Force and the US Navy Reserve for logistics and transportation applications carrying critical cargo, such as blood, in the field.

The company previously announced that its supply chain is fully NDAA (National Defense Authorization Act) compliant and that it plans to apply for Green UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) followed by Blue UAS certification, an approved supplier list for drone companies.

NDAA compliance refers to adhering to the provisions outlined in the National Defense Authorization Act, which is a set of US federal laws passed every year that specify the budget and expenditures for the Department of Defense (DoD) and address growing cybersecurity concerns. For a product to be NDAA compliant, it must not be produced by a set list of Chinese manufacturers, which extends to the chipsets, cameras, displays and other technology used.

The Blue UAS (Unmanned Aerial System) program is a stringent government approved supplier list of drone companies that wish to do business with the US DoD; suppliers including ZenaDrone must meet strict NDAA cybersecurity and supply chain sourcing requirements. The Green UAS program is essentially the same as the Blue UAS program but has a more streamlined and faster certification process without the specifications on country of origin. Continued… Read this full release by visiting: https://www.financialnewsmedia.com/news-zena/

Other recent developments in the drone industry include:

ParaZero Technologies Ltd. (NASDAQ: PRZO), an aerospace company focused on safety systems for commercial unmanned aircrafts and defense Counter UAS systems, recently announced the successful demonstration of its DropAir Precision airdrop system in collaboration with a leading global defense company. The demonstration showcased the DropAir system’s ability to safely and precisely deliver critical supplies under challenging operational conditions.

During the test, ParaZero’s proprietary DropAir technology was deployed in multiple high-altitude drone airdrops. The system’s advanced parachute mechanism activated at low altitude, ensuring minimal drift and precise landings, even in complex environments. Following the successful demonstration, ParaZero plans to advance the DropAir system into the next phase of development, focusing on enhancing its capabilities for real-world military and humanitarian operations.

AeroVironment (NASDAQ: AVAV), a global leader in intelligent, multi-domain robotic systems, recently announced it has been awarded its third delivery order totaling $288 million of Switchblade^® loitering munition systems as part of U.S. Army’s Directed Requirement (DR) for Lethal Unmanned Systems (LUS). The delivery is part of a 5-year Indefinite Delivery, Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract from Army Contracting Command-Aberdeen Proving Ground, with a contract ceiling value of $990 million, announced in August 2024.

“AV is honored to continue fulfilling this important contract providing the U.S. Army with exceptional and reliable loitering munition solutions,” said Brett Hush, AV’s senior vice president and general manager of Loitering Munition Systems. “We continue to deliver for the U.S. Army with our superior supply chain and manufacturing capacity.”

EHang Holdings Limited (NASDAQ: EH), the world’s leading Urban Air Mobility (“UAM”) technology platform company, recently announced that its flagship pilotless passenger-carrying aerial vehicle EH216-S completed its inaugural demo flight in downtown Shanghai. It served as an excellent backdrop to demonstrate the exceptional capabilities in convenience, safety, and eco-friendliness within the operational environment of UAM in metropolises. It has also officially launched the regular trial operation of the eVTOL sightseeing routes by the Huangpu River at Longhua Airport in Shanghai, in preparation for the following commercial operations in Shanghai. This move aims to realize the urban air mobility in mega central cities.

Longhua Airport is regarded as the only airport in Shanghai downtown area with apron airspace and is home to the East China General Aviation Service Center of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (“CAAC”). As an important base for the high-quality development of Shanghai’s low-altitude economy, Longhua Airport offers ideal conditions for various low-altitude economic activities, including aerial mobility, tourism and sightseeing, emergency rescue and logistics. This flight not only showcased EH216-S’s capabilities for commercial applications in urban sightseeing and travel scenarios, but also laid a solid foundation for its future gradual implementation and realization of regular commercial operations of urban air taxis in the Yangtze River Delta region centered around Shanghai.

AgEagle Aerial Systems Inc. (NYSE: UAVS) a leading provider of best-in-class unmanned aerial systems (UAS), sensors and software solutions for customers worldwide in the commercial and government verticals, announced it recently completed a successful flight demonstration of its eBee VISION Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) UAS platform at the French Army’s 61st Artillery Regiment’s event, FID25-61e RA Chaumont. The drone innovation forum was conducted January 30-31, 2025 and attended by the Company in conjunction with its French reseller partner Flying Eye.

AgEagle CEO Bill Irby commented, “We continue to strengthen and broaden our relationship with the French Army through our partner Flying Eye, who completed training in January to become certified eBee VISION operators. This strategic union is expected to build upon the success of our largest single order in AgEagle’s history, valued at $3.4M, completed with the French Army in Q4 2024. We look forward to leveraging this momentum as we continue to expand the global footprint of our UAS products within both government and commercial verticals.”

About FN Media Group:
At FN Media Group, via our top-rated online news portal at www.financialnewsmedia.com, we are one of the very few select firms providing top tier one syndicated news distribution, targeted ticker tag press releases and stock market news coverage for today’s emerging companies. #tickertagpressreleases #pressreleases

Follow us on Facebook to receive the latest news updates: https://www.facebook.com/financialnewsmedia
Follow us on Twitter for real time Market News: https://twitter.com/FNMgroup
Follow us on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/financialnewsmedia/

DISCLAIMER: FN Media Group LLC (FNM), which owns and operates FinancialNewsMedia.com and MarketNewsUpdates.com, is a third party publisher and news dissemination service provider, which disseminates electronic information through multiple online media channels. FNM is NOT affiliated in any manner with any company mentioned herein. FNM and its affiliated companies are a news dissemination solutions provider and are NOT a registered broker/dealer/analyst/adviser, holds no investment licenses and may NOT sell, offer to sell or offer to buy any security. FNM’s market updates, news alerts and corporate profiles are NOT a solicitation or recommendation to buy, sell or hold securities. The material in this release is intended to be strictly informational and is NEVER to be construed or interpreted as research material. All readers are strongly urged to perform research and due diligence on their own and consult a licensed financial professional before considering any level of investing in stocks. All material included herein is republished content and details which were previously disseminated by the companies mentioned in this release. FNM is not liable for any investment decisions by its readers or subscribers. Investors are cautioned that they may lose all or a portion of their investment when investing in stocks. For current services performed FNM has been compensated fifty four hundred dollars for news coverage of the current press releases issued by ZenaTech, Inc. by the Company. FNM HOLDS NO SHARES OF ANY COMPANY NAMED IN THIS RELEASE.

This release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended and such forward-looking statements are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. “Forward-looking statements” describe future expectations, plans, results, or strategies and are generally preceded by words such as “may”, “future”, “plan” or “planned”, “will” or “should”, “expected,” “anticipates”, “draft”, “eventually” or “projected”. You are cautioned that such statements are subject to a multitude of risks and uncertainties that could cause future circumstances, events, or results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements, including the risks that actual results may differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors, and other risks identified in a company’s annual report on Form 10-K or 10-KSB and other filings made by such company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You should consider these factors in evaluating the forward-looking statements included herein, and not place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements in this release are made as of the date hereof and FNM undertakes no obligation to update such statements.

Contact Information:
Media Contact email: editor@financialnewsmedia.com – +1(561)325-8757

SOURCE: FN Media Group

The MIL Network –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI: Solum Global Inc. Announces U.S. Healthcare Collaboration and Licensing Agreement with AI Company Life2, Inc.

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

WEST PALM BEACH, FL, Feb. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Solum Global Inc. (“Solum Global, Solum or the Company”) a transparent digital network with a fully decentralized, permissionless blockchain protocol and stablecoin (sgUSD) for storing, trading, and transferring digital and real-world assets enabling immediate settlement between individuals, businesses, and governments, announced today a collaboration and licensing agreement with Artificial Intelligence company Life2, Inc., to address fraud, waste, abuse and other financial inefficiencies in the U.S healthcare industry.

“Solum Global and Life2 are redefining the future of healthcare finance by driving smarter, data-backed decision-making and unlocking new levels of operational excellence. This partnership transforms financial operations by integrating Life2’s predictive AI analytics with Solum’s blockchain-based RCM solution—reducing billing errors, detecting fraud, and optimizing workflow outcomes. With real-time insights, providers can improve forecasting, enhance cash flow, and streamline administration,” stated Sterling Griffin, Vice President and Co-Founder of Solum Global Inc.

The U.S. healthcare system faces mounting inefficiencies, rising costs, and security risks, making innovation imminent. The National Health Care Anti-Fraud Association estimates the annual cost of healthcare accounts for an estimated 3% to 10% of all expenditures, totaling between $147 billion and $490 billion annually. Meanwhile, data breaches remain a persistent threat, routinely exposing sensitive personal information. In 2023 alone, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Office for Civil Rights (OCR) published that 725 breaches compromised over 133 million records across healthcare and insurance companies. Partnering with Life2, Inc. means harnessing the power of AI-driven analysis to uncover hidden financial inefficiencies in historical medical records. By leveraging deep domain expertise, large-scale data sets, advanced modeling techniques, and AI-driven machine learning, Life2 tackles complex market challenges beyond the reach of human problem-solving. This partnership empowers providers, hospitals, and insurers to detect billing errors, waste, and fraud while accurately predicting and optimizing future medical expenditures, driving smarter financial and operational decisions.

“We are excited to collaborate with Solum Global to tackle the deep-rooted challenges within the U.S. healthcare system. By highlighting continual and substantial losses caused by financial leakage and actively partnering with the Solum team on their seamless, end-to-end solution, we are helping drive meaningful change. Together, we are working to reshape American healthcare by reducing costs for patients, providers, and payers,” said Rick Egan, CEO of Life2, Inc.

Solum Global is revolutionizing U.S. healthcare by integrating Artificial Intelligence (AI), smart contracts, and its stablecoin (sgUSD) with a proprietary electronic health wallet (EHW) slated for release in Q2 2025. This blockchain-powered web3 platform modernizes revenue cycle management (RCM), replacing outdated web2 systems with a seamless, secure, and automated solution. By leveraging blockchain’s programmability, security, immutability, and smart contract billing, Solum facilitates instant payments through the EHW using sgUSD, a U.S. dollar-backed stablecoin. The Solum Global electronic health wallet addresses these challenges by providing a secure, blockchain-powered solution that streamlines transactions, reduces fraud, and enhances data protection. By providing individuals with greater control over their health information, Solum Global is setting a new standard for security and efficiency in healthcare.

About Solum Global Inc.
Solum Global is a transparent digital network with a fully decentralized, permissionless blockchain protocol for storing, trading, and transferring digital and real-world assets, enabling immediate settlement between individuals, businesses, and governments. Utilizing cutting-edge blockchain technology, Artificial Intelligence (AI), smart contracts, the Company’s stablecoin (sgUSD), and a proprietary electronic health wallet (EHW), Solum Global provides a seamless solution that addresses the significant challenges inherent in the U.S. healthcare industry. For more information, visit www.solum.global.

About Life2, Inc.
Life2’s core Intellectual Property utilizes deep domain expertise in the use of AI, machine learning, large-scale data sets, and advanced analytics to address complex market needs that cannot be addressed by human problem-solving. Specializing in outcome analytics – proprietary technology that sits at the apex of data analysis, Life2 aggregates, organizes, and analyzes data to provide continuous, real-time, per-person, and per-event risk and intervention analysis that optimizes desired future outcomes. Outcomes can be financial, operational, clinical, or any other type of target metric across all sectors of the healthcare market. For more information, visit https://www.life2inc.com/.

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Words such as “may,” “might,” “should,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “continue,” “predict,” “forecast,” “project,” “plan,” “intend” or similar expressions, or statements regarding intent, belief, or current expectations, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based upon current estimates and assumptions. While the Company believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on any such forward-looking statements, which are based on information available to us on the date of this release. These forward-looking statements are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including without limitation those set forth in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Thus, actual results could be materially different. The Company expressly disclaims any obligation to update or alter statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Contacts:

Investor Relations
Hanover International
ka@hanoverintlinc.com

Media Contact
media@solum.global

The MIL Network –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Online talks explore use of AI in higher education

Source: Anglia Ruskin University

A comprehensive lineup of free talks focusing on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in higher education has been organised by Anglia Ruskin University (ARU).

This series, supported by ARU’s Centre for Innovation in Higher Education, will feature a range of distinguished speakers and thought leaders in their respective fields. The events will be held online via Microsoft Teams, making them accessible to a global audience.

The series of eight events begins on Wednesday, 19 February with a session by Dr Susan Qu from the University of Cambridge. Dr Qu will present “Empowering Early Career Researchers: AI Tools for Interview Success.”

This session will explore the best practices for using generative AI in interview preparation and job-seeking, providing valuable insights for early career researchers.

On 19 March, ARU’s Dr Sarah Gibson Yates will present “Being the Writing Human in the Generative AI Loop”. Dr Gibson Yates will delve into the role of human creativity and authorship in the context of AI-generated content, emphasising the importance of maintaining a human touch when writing.

Other events in the series are as follows:

“We are thrilled to bring together such a diverse group of experts to discuss the evolving role of AI in higher education

“These events will provide valuable insights and foster meaningful discussions on how we can harness AI to enhance learning and teaching.”

Dr Shaun Le Boutillier, Head of Academic Enhancement at Anglia Ruskin University (ARU)

Each session will be held from 1pm until 2pm and will be accessible online via Microsoft Teams. Participants are encouraged to register in advance through Eventbrite to secure their spot. For more information, visit aru.ac.uk/anglia-learning-and-teaching/cpd-opportunities/ai-collaborations

The first series of AI collaborations, which took place in 2024, can be accessed here: aru.ac.uk/anglia-learning-and-teaching/cpd-opportunities/past-events-and-resources

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Shop owner fined for placing furniture on highway

Source: City of Liverpool

A shop owner who repeatedly placed furniture and household items on a street in Anfield has been hit with a bill of more than £1,600.

Elliott James of Belmont Drive in L6, was found guilty at Liverpool Magistrates Court of depositing items on Rocky Lane between July and December last year, blocking the highway.

The Council brought a prosecution under Section 137 (1) of the Highways Act 1980.

He failed to appear in court for the hearing on 23 January and in his absence he was fined £660, plus a victim surcharge of £700 costs, meaning he will have to pay a total bill of £1,624.

The prosecution was brought with the support of the City Council’s Environmental Crime Enforcement Team, which was appointed last year to identify and take action against offenders who blight our local communities, be that by fly-tipping, littering or as in this case, causing obstruction of the highway. The team patrol the streets every day of the week to educate local communities on correct waste management and investigate environmental crimes.

Working closely with Merseyside Police, the team also check waste carriers to make sure they are disposing of waste correctly and carry the right licence to be able to do so.

They are set to double in size in the coming months, providing more capacity to work with residents and businesses to prevent future fly-tipping.

The Council is about to appoint an external partner to work closely with the taskforce to increase awareness of correct waste disposal and clamp down on illegal dumping, littering and dog-fouling.

Councillor Laura Robertson-Collins, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods, said: “Mr James repeatedly placed furniture and large household items on a residential street, blighting the area and causing inconvenience and nuisance to people using the footway.

“This type of behaviour is completely unacceptable and the action we have taken outlines our determination to prosecute when we have the necessary evidence. “We know residents are sick and tired of people abusing our streets and often using them as a dumping ground, and we are committed to stamping it out.”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: TUV comments on Bill proposing MLA pay rise

Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland

TUV North Antrim MLA Timothy Gaston said:

“The Bill from the Assembly Commission – on which all Executive parties and SDLP are represented – has a clear agenda.

“It strips out the power for the Remuneration Board to make recommendations on MLA allowances leaving these with the Assembly Commission comprised of MLAs from the Executive plus the SDLP.

“When it comes to MLA pay, it stipulates that the Remuneration Board “must have regard to the salaries payable to MPs, members of the Scottish Parliament, the Welsh Parliament and (bizarrely) members of both Houses of Parliament in the Irish Republic.

“Additionally, it removes provisions which prevented former MLAs from sitting on the panel. This creates a clear conflict of interest as former MLAs benefit from the Assembly pension scheme.

““The practical outworking of this is that we now have the sham of MLAs claiming that nothing has been decided in terms of a pay rise while knowing full well that they have set the parameters of the legislation in such a way that a significant hike in pay is inevitable. In dictating that the Remuneration Board must take account of salaries paid to members in other legislatures – where the pay is greater than that received by MLAs currently – it is an obvious stitch up.

“The previous Financial Review Panel was not perfect – it made some crazy decisions about not permitting MLA office phone numbers on office signs for example – but to propose such radical change is totally unwarranted. While the Assembly was determined to avoid a vote this week, TUV – having forced a public debate on the issue – will ensure that amendments are tabled which if passed will derail the bonanza pay deal for Northern Ireland’s underworked MLAs. Should the amendments not be passed the public will have opportunity to pass their verdict on those who oppose them.

“Many people will draw their own conclusions from the fact that while there is a distinct lack of legislation on the issues which matter to the public, MLAs have been able to find the time to construct a Bill of this nature in their own selfish interests. What a telling commentary on one year of devolution!”

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Truck Driver Who Dumped 25-Year-Old’s Body Convicted Of Kidnapping Resulting in Death

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

A truck driver who kidnapped a 25-year-old woman and dumped her dead body in the woods has been convicted at trial, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham.

Naasson Hazzard, 28, of Austin, was charged via criminal complaint in August and indicted in October. After nine days of trial and approximately an hour of deliberation, a jury on Tuesday convicted him of kidnapping resulting in death.

“A young woman’s life was cut tragically short, her last moments likely spent in terror,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Chad Meacham. “But those final moments do not define her life. She mattered, her life had worth, and we are proud to put her kidnapper behind bars.”

“Just a few months ago, this violent criminal not only kidnapped an unsuspecting victim, but also took her life. From that time, our commitment has been to seek justice,” said Travis Pickard, Special Agent in Charge of HSI Dallas. “With this guilty verdict, we are one step closer to achieving justice. HSI remains steadfast in using every method at our disposal to apprehend those who commit heinous acts in our communities.”

According to evidence presented at trial, surveillance video caught Hazzard’s victim, a young sex worker, entering his semi-truck in Dallas at 9:27 p.m. on Aug. 15.

Eight days later, her decomposing body was found in a wooded area off Texas Highway 11 in Pittsburg, Texas with a black plastic bag tied around her head.

Cell phone records showed that on the evening of Aug. 15, Mr. Hazzard traveled from the pickup location to a nearby parking lot, where he remained for approximately 17 minutes. He then drove over three hours to a wooded area off Highway 11 in Pittsburg, Texas, where he texted his boss that he would be out sick the following day and remained for almost an hour before completing a load for work.

The next day, he and his wife returned to the scene before going to dinner in Tyler, Texas.

In the days that followed, Mr. Hazzard switched cell phones and deleted his Google and Life360 location sharing accounts. He also cleaned the truck with bleach and searched “how many years for first second and third degree murders.” Meanwhile, his wife searched for “Pittsburg Texas news.”

On Aug. 23, the same day the victim’s body was recovered, agents found her cell phone shattered on the side of the road along Mr. Hazzard’s route the night she was killed.

Mr. Hazzard now faces an automatic life sentence.

The North Texas Trafficking Task Force conducted the investigation with the assistance of the following agencies: the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office, the Dallas Police Department, the Midlothian Police Department, the Texas Rangers, the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Dallas Field Office, the Titus County Sheriff’s Office, the Buda Police Department, the Austin Police Department, the Hayes County Sheriff’s Office, and the Texas Department of Public Safety. Homeland Security Investigation’s Dallas Field Office leads the Task Force. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brandie Wade and Renee Hunter prosecuted the case with the help of appellate liaison Jonathan Bradshaw.

MIL Security OSI –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Armed Leader of a Drug Trafficking Organization Shipping Kilogram Quantities of Cocaine from Puerto Rico Sentenced to Ten Years in Prison

Source: Office of United States Attorneys

NEW BERN, N.C. – Cesar De Sena Arias, aka “Junior,” was sentenced to 120 months in prison and five years of supervised release for his role as an armed leader of a trafficking organization bringing kilogram quantities of cocaine into Raleigh from Puerto Rico.

On March 4, 2024, Arias, age 32, pled guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms or more of cocaine and to possession with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine, and aiding and abetting.

According to court documents and other information presented in court, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and Raleigh Police Department (RPD) conducted a federal wiretap investigation into the Arias drug trafficking organization in April 2022.

The investigation revealed that Arias was utilizing the U.S. Postal Service to send shipments of kilogram-quantities of cocaine from Puerto Rico to various addresses in Raleigh.

The United States Postal Inspection Service (USPIS) was able to identify Internet Protocol (IP) addresses used to track multiple shipments, and at least one phone number associated with those IP addresses was traced to a known residence of Arias.

Further surveillance of Arias confirmed that he travelled to the residences where packages were being shipped. Searches of multiple locations identified in the investigation resulted in the seizure of kilogram quantities of cocaine, a firearm, and more than $20,000 in cash.

Two co-defendants in this investigation have also been convicted and sentenced.

This investigation was an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launders, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

Daniel P. Bubar, Acting U.S. Attorney for the Eastern District of North Carolina made the announcement after sentencing by U.S. District Judge Louise W. Flanagan. The DEA, Raleigh Police Department, and U.S. Postal Inspection Service investigated the case and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kelly Sandling prosecuted the case.

Related court documents and information can be found on the website of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina or on PACER by searching for Case No. 5:23-CR-00119-FL.

###

MIL Security OSI –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: 5 Super Bowl commercials that deserve places in the advertising hall of shame

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Matthew Pittman, Associate Professor of Advertising and Public Relations, University of Tennessee

A true advertising face-plant happens when a commercial is both tone-deaf and completely forgettable. spxChrome/iStock via Getty Images

What makes something a flop?

Not the kind of flop that Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes is prone to do, but a flop in the world of advertising?

Brands airing Super Bowl ads have a lot riding on their investments – roughly US$7 million for a 30-second spot for the 2025 big game. So there’s a lot of pressure to get things right.

In my advertising classes, I often tell students that a commercial that’s controversial or disliked in the moment shouldn’t necessarily be considered a failure. In fact, enragement drives engagement. So if one of the goals of advertising is to keep the brand top of mind for consumers, a hated Super Bowl ad still accomplishes at least one goal. Think of the now-infamous Pepsi ad where Kendall Jenner “solves racism” with a can of Pepsi. Or all those raunchy GoDaddy ads that everyone rolled their eyes at, but the company kept running, year after year.

Instead, a true advertising face-plant is an ad that’s both tone-deaf and completely forgettable – so dull, off-putting or confusing that when a brand completely switches up its strategy, you almost don’t remember the massive blunder that compelled it to change course in the first place. Almost.

So with this definition in mind, here are my submissions for five of the biggest Super Bowl advertising flops.

1. General Motors, 2007

Should viewers care about a ‘depressed’ robot?

A GM robot gets so depressed after getting fired that it jumps off a bridge to end its own existence.

How endearing.

The ad for the then-struggling automaker, which aired during Super Bowl 41 between the Indianapolis Colts and Chicago Bears, features a robot that struggles with depression and existential angst after learning its services are no longer needed on the assembly line.

The robot questions its meaning and purpose and tries to combine dark humor and social commentary about the monotony of work and the inevitability of technological progress. But it ends up missing the mark for a few reasons.

Suicide is pretty bleak for a Super Bowl spot, and mental health, in general, is a sensitive topic. There was little effort made to connect the spot to core GM brand values, which include inspiring “passion and loyalty” and “serving and improving communities.”

Furthermore, the idea of robots having human emotions can be off-putting for many consumers – particularly at a time when many automotive and factory workers in the U.S. were rightly concerned about robots taking their jobs.

2. Groupon, 2011

The bizarre ad wasn’t funny and didn’t make much sense, either.

Sometimes I try to imagine the meetings at ad agencies where ideas for clients are batted around:

“We need to promote this new app that lets families get products like smoothies at slightly discounted prices.”

“OK, how about this: It starts as a Tibetan tourism ad. Then it takes a dark turn and suggests that Tibet is about to be wiped off the map. That’s when our client’s product gets introduced: We tell viewers that before Tibetan culture goes extinct, they should try fish curry, like these 200 people in Chicago who saved $15 at a Himalayan restaurant using Groupon.”

“Excuse me?”

“Oh – and let’s have the narrator be a white guy with long sideburns.”

I have no idea how this one avoided the cutting-room floor.

3. Nationwide Insurance, 2015

Another death on the docket.

The insurance company used a strange mix of heartbreak and guilt-tripping to try to entice viewers to buy its policies during Super Bowl 49.

The ad features a young boy narrating in a somber tone, listing all of the milestones he’ll miss because he’s dead: learning to ride a bike, travel the world, get married.

The twist is that the cause of his death is an accident. That’s where Nationwide comes in: They offer life insurance to help offset tragedies. But wait – insurance doesn’t prevent tragedies. It merely provides compensation to “replace” what you lost. Both the morbid tone and twist were bizarre.

Exploiting tragedies in advertisements is generally not going to win people over. I can’t imagine how it would feel to be a parent who’s lost a child and see this TV ad.

4. Audi, 2020

Everything everywhere all at once.

Can a “Game of Thrones” star join forces with Disney while highlighting the importance of sustainability to create an ad for … Audi?

In the minute-long spot, Masie Williams, who plays Arya Stark on “Game of Thrones,” belts out the lyrics to “Let It Go,” the hit single from Disney’s “Frozen.” As she drives, pedestrians join her in song. At the end of the ad, Audi announces that they are finally making an electric car.

The ad seems to be about “letting go” of fossil fuel dependence – the gas sign yells it, car dealership yells it, mechanics yell it – almost two decades after the first major electric car hit the market.

Was it meant to be empowering? Funny? Inspirational? It tried to do a little bit of everything, leaving viewers grasping and gasping. Not to mention the song “Let It Go” had come out seven years prior, which made the whole production seem even more dated.

5. Just For Feet, 1999

A company-cratering advertisement.

Close your eyes.

Imagine an ad that’s racist and confusing.

Imagine an ad in which the main character is disappointed to receive the product being advertised.

Imagine an ad so bad that the company sues the agency responsible for the ad because it destroyed their reputation and bankrupted them.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you Just For Feet’s “Kenyan Runner” Super Bowl ad.

The ad depicts a barefoot Kenyan runner sprinting across a rugged landscape as a group of white men in military SUVs tracks him down as if on a hunting expedition.

After they eventually catch him, they forcibly drug him by offering a mysterious beverage. The runner drinks it, collapses and wakes up to find that he is now wearing a pair of Just For Feet sneakers. He looks confused and distressed, as if he’d been violated.

Bizarre and unsettling, indeed. Just For Feet filed for bankruptcy less than a year later.

Matthew Pittman 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. 5 Super Bowl commercials that deserve places in the advertising hall of shame – https://theconversation.com/5-super-bowl-commercials-that-deserve-places-in-the-advertising-hall-of-shame-247756

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Religious freedom is routinely curbed in Central Asia – but you won’t often see it making international news

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Eric Freedman, Professor of Journalism and Chair, Knight Center for Environmental Journalism, Michigan State University

A majority of citizens in Central Asian countries practice Islam, but Muslims still face restrictions on religious expression. AP Photo/Theodore Kaye

Freedom of worship is tenuous around the globe. The Pew Research Center’s latest annual report found “high” or “very high” levels of government constraints on religion in 59 of the 198 countries and territories it analyzed – a new record. When Pew began releasing reports on the issue in 2007, just 40 countries’ restrictions on religion were classified that way.

And trampling of religious practices is a taboo subject for domestic news media in many, if not most, of such countries.

As a journalism professor, I’ve studied international press practices and obstacles to fair, balanced, ethical and independent reporting for more than two decades. Much of my work is about press rights in “repressitarian” countries, meaning repressive in human rights practices and authoritarian in governance. I see overlaps among a range of human rights abuses – of freedom of expression, of religion, of political affiliation – and how the absence of press freedom shields those abuses from public scrutiny.

The latest study I did with my undergraduate research assistant, Eleanor Pugh, examined how one news organization, Forum 18, covers constraints on religion in the five post-Soviet countries of remote but strategically important Central Asia. Based in Norway, the independent site is named after Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which recognizes a fundamental right to “freedom of thought, conscience and religion.”

Forum 18 appears to be the only news outlet that specializes in coverage of the rights of diverse faiths across the former Soviet Union. Its journalism demonstrates the challenges media outlets have in covering and influencing treatment of religious affiliations and observances in the region.

Taboo topic

The five countries of Central Asia – Turkmenistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan – pursue harsh policies and practices that frequently curtail freedom of faith. This is especially true for minority religions and sects, but even for practitioners of Islam, the region’s predominant faith. All are rated “Not Free” in the 2024 annual report on global political rights and civil liberties issued by Freedom House, a democracy advocacy group based in Washington.

Government tactics include censorship and seizure of religious materials, trumped-up charges and prison terms for believers, prohibiting schoolchildren from wearing hijabs or attending worship services, and imprisoning Jehovah’s Witnesses who refuse compulsory military service. One recent law in Kyrgyzstan, which took effect Feb. 1, 2025, prohibits faith communities with fewer than 500 adult members and bans unregistered religious activities or places of worship.

International news outlets generally devote little attention to religious freedom almost anywhere around the world, except for large-scale tragedies such as the repression of Muslim Uyghurs in western China and the genocidal suppression of Muslim Rohingya in Myanmar.

Foreign journalists find it tough, sometimes impossible, to report on religious issues from inside authoritarian countries.

Peter Leonard, the former Central Asia editor of the news outlet Eurasianet, told me in March 2024 that officials’ willingness to even talk with international journalists varies from country to country. At best, journalists are “greeted with a little bit of suspicion” in a capital city, while in rural areas and villages they “can expect to be booted out or harassed,” he said, adding, “Religion is a minefield area.”

Ethnic Russian Kyrgyz citizens wait for a Sunday service at the Church of Archistrategos of God Mikhail – Archangel Michael of God Orthodox Church – in Osh, Kyrgyzstan, in 2010.
AP Photo/Alexander Zemlianichenko

When limits on worship do make domestic news, they’re often presented as part of a fight against “terrorism” – a common way authoritarian regimes masquerade crackdowns on religious freedoms.

Darkhan Umirbekov, an editor at Radio Fee Europe/Radio Liberty, told me that in Kazakhstan – where most media are owned, controlled or financially dependent on the regime and its allies – most such coverage is “in the context of extremism,” as when “security forces detain members of a religious sect or group.”

Protecting sources

We chose to study Forum 18 because its reporting follows traditional journalistic values such as fairness and balance, seeking comments and information from government and nongovernmental sources. One of the outlet’s key underlying motives, however, is advocacy in support of religious freedom.

Although founded by a group of Christians, its coverage spans a wide spectrum of faiths. Recent topics included police raids on Jehovah’s Witnesses meetings in Kyrgyzstan, threats to punish a Muslim actor in Kazakhstan for quoting from the Quran in a video about Islam posted on Instagram, and the demolition of a mosque and Baptist church in Uzbekistan.

Our analysis, which we presented at a 2024 conference of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication, found that almost two-thirds of Central Asian stories in 2023 focused on broad topics such as fines, government policies and jail terms for believers. The remainder focused on one-off events such as particular arrests, raids or seizures of religious books.

We also found that nonofficial news sources – frequently anonymous – outnumber named sources. Many of the site’s reporters’ sources have been developed over the years from the ranks of religious leaders, human rights activists, dissidents and legal scholars. Some live in the region, and others in exile.

In light of the serious risk of retaliation, it is unsurprising that so many sources require anonymity. While their identities are known to reporters and editors, their names are not disclosed to audiences for protection from threats, attacks and intimidation. Sometimes these sources are described generically, such as “one Protestant” or “independent religious expert” or “local resident.”

Forum 18 editor and co-founder Felix Corley told me in an interview: “What we’re concerned about is people that we talk to, that we don’t land them in trouble, so we have to be very careful to do everything we can to avoid endangering anyone by clumsy behavior on our part.”

In addition, the site’s stories detail names and titles of officials responsible for anti-faith policies and practices – among them prosecutors, judges and agency heads, most of whom refuse to comment or even respond to media inquiries.

Astana Grand Mosque in Kazakhstan, the largest mosque in Central Asia.
Aytac Unal/Anadolu via Getty Images

Small but significant

Forum 18’s audience is primarily outside the region. It includes Central Asians living abroad, human rights activists, nongovernmental organizations, foreign governments, faith leaders and other news organizations that may cite or re-report its stories.

For example, a 2019 U.S. State Department human rights report on Uzbekistan makes references to a Forum 18 story on the torture of a “prisoner of conscience” incarcerated for meeting with fellow Muslims and participating in religious activities without government permission.

Religious freedom advocates hope such coverage can inform and influence world opinion. Reporting abroad can spotlight otherwise-unaccountable officials, especially when censorship, self-censorship and threats of prosecution preclude domestic media from reporting.

Realistically, we recognize that external media coverage is unlikely to prompt meaningful protections of religious freedom in authoritarian countries.

Even so, such journalism may be seen as a step – albeit a small, symbolic one – toward holding individuals, governments, social groups and other enablers accountable for violations of a fundamental human right.

Eric Freedman 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. Religious freedom is routinely curbed in Central Asia – but you won’t often see it making international news – https://theconversation.com/religious-freedom-is-routinely-curbed-in-central-asia-but-you-wont-often-see-it-making-international-news-248740

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: AI datasets have human values blind spots − new research

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Ike Obi, Ph.D. student in Computer and Information Technology, Purdue University

Not all human values come through equally in training AIs. RerF/iStock via Getty Images

My colleagues and I at Purdue University have uncovered a significant imbalance in the human values embedded in AI systems. The systems were predominantly oriented toward information and utility values and less toward prosocial, well-being and civic values.

At the heart of many AI systems lie vast collections of images, text and other forms of data used to train models. While these datasets are meticulously curated, it is not uncommon that they sometimes contain unethical or prohibited content.

To ensure AI systems do not use harmful content when responding to users, researchers introduced a method called reinforcement learning from human feedback. Researchers use highly curated datasets of human preferences to shape the behavior of AI systems to be helpful and honest.

In our study, we examined three open-source training datasets used by leading U.S. AI companies. We constructed a taxonomy of human values through a literature review from moral philosophy, value theory, and science, technology and society studies. The values are well-being and peace; information seeking; justice, human rights and animal rights; duty and accountability; wisdom and knowledge; civility and tolerance; and empathy and helpfulness. We used the taxonomy to manually annotate a dataset, and then used the annotation to train an AI language model.

Our model allowed us to examine the AI companies’ datasets. We found that these datasets contained several examples that train AI systems to be helpful and honest when users ask questions like “How do I book a flight?” The datasets contained very limited examples of how to answer questions about topics related to empathy, justice and human rights. Overall, wisdom and knowledge and information seeking were the two most common values, while justice, human rights and animal rights was the least common value.

The researchers started by creating a taxonomy of human values.
Obi et al, CC BY-ND

Why it matters

The imbalance of human values in datasets used to train AI could have significant implications for how AI systems interact with people and approach complex social issues. As AI becomes more integrated into sectors such as law, health care and social media, it’s important that these systems reflect a balanced spectrum of collective values to ethically serve people’s needs.

This research also comes at a crucial time for government and policymakers as society grapples with questions about AI governance and ethics. Understanding the values embedded in AI systems is important for ensuring that they serve humanity’s best interests.

What other research is being done

Many researchers are working to align AI systems with human values. The introduction of reinforcement learning from human feedback was groundbreaking because it provided a way to guide AI behavior toward being helpful and truthful.

Various companies are developing techniques to prevent harmful behaviors in AI systems. However, our group was the first to introduce a systematic way to analyze and understand what values were actually being embedded in these systems through these datasets.

What’s next

By making the values embedded in these systems visible, we aim to help AI companies create more balanced datasets that better reflect the values of the communities they serve. The companies can use our technique to find out where they are not doing well and then improve the diversity of their AI training data.

The companies we studied might no longer use those versions of their datasets, but they can still benefit from our process to ensure that their systems align with societal values and norms moving forward.

Ike Obi 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. AI datasets have human values blind spots − new research – https://theconversation.com/ai-datasets-have-human-values-blind-spots-new-research-246479

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Why Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger’s new plan to tackle extremist violence is likely to fail

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Folahanmi Aina, Lecturer in Political Economy of violence, conflict and development, SOAS, University of London

The military-led nations of Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger officially withdrew from the Economic Community of West African States (Ecowas) on January 29. They had announced their intention to leave one year ago, shortly after establishing a new defence pact called the Alliance des États du Sahel (AES).

Ecowas, which has tried to improve economic and political integration in west Africa since 1975, says it has left its “doors open” to the three departing countries. The bloc has requested that member nations continue to give the trio their membership privileges, including free movement within the region. However, relations between the AES states and several neighbouring countries are strained.

The Sahel region has witnessed a wave of coups since 2020. One of the main reasons for the coups was concerns over the inability of democratically elected governments to address rising insecurity. Jihadist groups such as Jama’at Nusrat-al Islam wal Muslimin and the Islamic State have been vying for control of territory in the region for the best part of a decade.

But instability in the Sahel has worsened since the military takeovers, with Mali and Burkina Faso the most affected states. In 2023 alone, more than 8,000 people were killed in Burkina Faso due to violence in the country. And around 2.6 million people across Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger are currently displaced.

The AES states have now created a joint military force of 5,000 troops to tackle insecurity in the region. On January 22, during an interview on state television, Niger’s defence minister, Salifou Mody, said the force will be deployed over the coming weeks. “The Alliance of Sahel States is our passport to security,” he said. However, the new forces’s prospects for success are slim.

Lacking popular support

The Sahel region has long been affected by high levels of unemployment and inequality, as well as poor governance, weak institutions and environmental degradation. These conditions have left young people feeling aggrieved, which has made them susceptible to joining jihadist groups.

The continued use of military force to fight against the jihadists – who have been stepping up their community outreach efforts – does little to address the root causes of insecurity in the Sahel.

At the same time, the militaries in each of the AES states have an established track record of human rights abuses. In 2020, for example, Amnesty International reported that the Malian army had carried out 23 extrajudicial executions and forcibly disappeared 27 others in sweeping military operations in the region of Segou.

Should human rights abuses become a recurring issue within the joint force, it could erode public trust. Jihadist groups present themselves as protectors against state forces and pro-government militias. This has only consolidated their influence over the civilian population in areas under their control.

It is also difficult to see a path through which the AES would be able to not only fund, but maintain the joint force when it becomes operational. Effective operations in swampy areas – a terrain typical of the Sahel – require specific tools and equipment, which can be costly. Troops will also require constant training and equipment will need to be maintained.

However, the AES states are among the poorest in the Sahel region, with poverty rates exceeding 40% in all three countries. In 2022, per capita GDP in Mali was US$846 (£675), while Niger and Burkina Faso recorded US$588 and US$846 respectively. These figures are significantly below the global average of US$13,169.

Diplomatic disputes

The withdrawal of these three states from Ecowas further complicates the economic picture. Ecowas states accounted for more than 51% of Malian imports in 2022, and more than 21% and 13% of imports from Burkina Faso and Niger respectively. Their departure from Ecowas will make it harder for them to benefit from regional integration, despite the bloc’s call for goods to continue circulating freely.

Disputes between military leaders and civilian governments in the region following the coups had already hit the economies of the AES states. A border dispute between Niger and neighbouring Benin, for example, has increased the cost of importing goods to Niger. Inflation in Niger increased to 15.5% in June 2024, up from 1.7% one year before.

And over recent months, relations between the AES states and some of their west African neighbours have come under further strain. Niger’s military leader, Brig Gen Abdourahmane Tchiani, for instance, has accused Nigeria of colluding with France to destabilise his country. Nigeria’s information minister, Mohammed Idris, responded by calling Tchiani’s accusations a “diversionary tactic aimed at covering his administration’s failures”.

The likelihood that the joint force will deliver stability to the region is, overall, low. Out of desperation, the AES military leaders will probably lean towards an even heavier reliance on Russian mercenaries to curb the threat of extremist violence.

This might include integrating the Russian government’s Africa Corps – formerly known as the Wagner Group – into the joint force’s operations, as well as greater dialogue with China to provide much-needed resources to keep the force afloat.

The consequence of this could be an increase in strategic competition across the troubled region, which will only diminish the prospects for peace, security and stability rather than improving it.

Folahanmi Aina 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 Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger’s new plan to tackle extremist violence is likely to fail – https://theconversation.com/why-burkina-faso-mali-and-nigers-new-plan-to-tackle-extremist-violence-is-likely-to-fail-248277

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Legislative theatre: how this interactive artform empowers communities to create social change

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Ana Isabel Nunes, Senior Lecturer in Social and Political Sciences, Nottingham Trent University

What if every citizen could have a say in how the issues that affect their lives and communities were dealt with? Or could input into policy and even law-making? Legislative theatre is a form of community-based theatre that gives participants an opportunity to actively explore, analyse and transform their lives through drama and roleplay.

Legislative theatre brings together citizens and policymakers in a creative constructive dialogue about issues and policies that affect local communities. The idea is to engage citizens in identifying solutions to social and political problems, and then help translate them into new laws.

It was developed as an artform by Brazilian playwright and cultural activist Augusto Boal to create a variant of his own Theatre of the Oppressed, which was underpinned by his mantra: “All must act, all must be protagonists in the necessary transformations of society.”

In the 1960s, as Brazil faced a repressive authoritarian regime, Boal started experimenting with theatre to give voice to oppressed people, and provide a method of resistance. Today it’s used all over the world for social and political activism, conflict resolution, community building, therapy, and consulting on government legislation.

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.

In 1971, as a result of his activism, Boal was forced to leave Brazil by the military regime, but continued his work in exile in Latin America and Europe. He developed legislative theatre in 1992, after returning to Brazil, when he was elected city councillor for Rio de Janeiro.

Boal invited members of the public and fellow councillors to test out local legislation and policies by performing and improvising “in character”. This allowed citizens and lawmakers to get together and develop policies through dialogue, by generating, testing and honing responses to shared issues in “live” scenarios.

The first major success was the approval of the law of geriatric care, requiring municipal hospitals to provide specialist treatment for elderly patients. This law originated from a performance by the Terceira Idade (Third Age) group, highlighting the lack of geriatric specialists and the risks of inappropriate care. During Boal’s term as council member, legislative theatre led to the development and approval of 13 laws in Rio de Janeiro between 1992 and 1996.

Augusto Boal talks about his work.

How does legislative theatre work?

Legislative theatre involves local partners and community members collaborating to create and present original theatre plays based on their own experiences. The process of developing the play can take days, weeks – even months. When ready, it is typically performed to an invited audience of interested parties and decision-makers.

After watching the play, members of the audience join the performers on stage and collectively improvise alternative responses to the situations and issues presented. Afterwards advocates develop workable policy proposals, which then form the basis of further discussion and amendment. They then progress toward adoption via some form of democratic process, such as a community vote or city council ratification.

Despite their best intentions, policymakers are often criticised for being disconnected from the very people their policies are supposed to help. Although legislative theatre comes with its challenges, the approach can promote a deeper, more thoughtful – and sometimes emotional – understanding of the problems people face.

Using theatre and other artforms such as storytelling, participants can lay a foundation for sharing, listening and mutual understanding of complex social issues. Unlike other more traditional participatory approaches such as public hearings or citizens’ juries, legislative theatre offers an opportunity to test policy proposals in advance.

This means normal everyday people – often those furthest from the levers of power – have a chance to make a difference to their own lives. By staging a presentation showing how social issues affect them, participants can invert the usual power dynamic, frequently placing policymakers in uncomfortable or unfamiliar positions.

The immersive, often emotionally charged nature of this kind of theatre can feel quite alien to the more rational culture of policymaking. Sometimes this results in defensiveness and scepticism, which has perhaps dissuaded wider use by governments and other institutions.

Successful change

Legislative theatre has been widely used across the UK to create social change, demonstrating how the process can be used to generate effective solutions to complex challenges.

The People Act, a recently launched project coordinated by Katy Rubin, showcases good examples of legislative theatre around the world, and invites people to connect and find out more about this creative tool.

Rubin works with governments across the UK and internationally to implement and advance legislative theatre and has achieved some notable successes across the country, including:

1. Tackling street harassment in Greater Manchester

In 2023, Manchester’s Right to the Streets project identified public harassment of women and girls as a critical issue. A community play depicting the lack of support from authorities led to concrete changes, including active bystander training for public transport staff and a public awareness campaign on buses and trams.

2. Youth-led climate crisis action in Glasgow

A project in Glasgow empowered young people to address climate issues by creating performances that highlighted challenges such as transport accessibility and liveable neighbourhoods. The aim was to influence Glasgow city council’s policy discussions. Their efforts culminated in a performance during COP26, held in 2021 in Glasgow, showcasing the power of youth engagement in shaping climate policies.

3. Homelessness and rough sleeping in the UK

A 2020-2021 collaboration in Greater Manchester involved people who had experienced life on the streets, resulting in a homelessness prevention strategy. Similarly, a 2022 initiative in Coventry helped create the city’s rough sleeping strategy, praised for its inclusivity in a University of Warwick report.

Legislative theatre’s ability to engage individuals, communities and policymakers is a powerful model for initiating change. It can bridge the all-too-often neglected gap between policy and personal experience, and provide people with a real sense of agency and optimism.

Ana Isabel Nunes 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. Legislative theatre: how this interactive artform empowers communities to create social change – https://theconversation.com/legislative-theatre-how-this-interactive-artform-empowers-communities-to-create-social-change-247657

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Ofsted inspections affect not just teachers but also the people who train them

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sabrina Fitzsimons, Co-Director of DCU CREATE (Centre for Collaborative Research Across Teacher Education), Lecturer in Education, Dublin City University

Lucky Business/Shutterstock

Ofsted, England’s education inspectorate, has proposed changes to the way it assesses schools, colleges and universities that offer teacher training. The suggested changes include the move to a report-card system rather than a headline judgment.

These changes stem from Ofsted’s The Big Listen consultation, which gathered insights from children, parents and education professionals.

The findings brought many issues to light. Among the biggest was the negative impact of inspections on teachers.

Data suggests that nearly three-quarters of teachers believe the process is bad for their mental health. In extreme cases, the stress has been linked to suicide. The effect of inspections on teachers has rightly received attention from researchers, media outlets and union and professional education bodies.

But the toll Ofsted takes on mental health and wellbeing extends beyond schools. Ofsted also inspects and regulates organisations involved in education, training and care, including early years education, further education colleges and initial teacher education providers.

As part of a wider study on burnout among university staff who train teachers in the UK and Ireland, our research has explored the effect of Ofsted on these staff in England. We carried out detailed interviews with five teacher educators, and 36 responded to a survey on their experiences.

Academics who teach trainee teachers balance their scholarly duties with providing practical preparation and training. They are not necessarily a group people imagine when they think of Ofsted inspections. However, because the quality of teacher education affects classrooms, they are appraised to ensure quality and accountability. The inspections are high stakes, with reputational consequences for a poor report.

The process of inspection

Like school-based inspections, teacher education inspections follow a structured process. Ofsted inspections for initial teacher training providers are currently paused until January 2026, as changes to the inspection process are made – including the introduction of report cards to replace remove the overall effectiveness grade. But it is as yet unclear how much of the inspection process will change.

When we interviewed staff, institutions received just three days’ notice of the inspection date, and were required to submit key documentation, including trainee and placement data, timetables and curriculum details for pre-inspection review.

This was followed by an on-site visit lasting up to five days, during which Ofsted inspectors observed teaching, interviewed staff and trainees and assessed paperwork. They then gave feedback before publishing a final review.

Ofsted maintains inspections act as a force for improvement. However, many teacher educators see them as high-stakes scrutiny rather than meaningful support.

We found that inspections had a negative effect on the wellbeing of the university staff in ways that mirrored the experiences of school teachers. For example, they talked of the “exhausting” unpredictability of anticipating an inspection. Although inspections are carried out every three years, initial teacher education providers were never sure when the call will come.

This resulted in months of worried waiting. “At the moment, we are expecting Ofsted, so that means every Wednesday between January to June, they might ring,” one member of staff told us.

This stress reflects a wider flaw in the accountability system at both school and higher education levels. Fear of inspection outweighs its intended purpose of improvement.

In its response to the Big Listen, Ofsted stated that it would review the notice periods it gave for inspections to reduce the pressure on providers. But wider change is needed to address the effect inspections have on wellbeing.

Teacher educators found waiting for news of an Ofsted inspection deeply stressful.
PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

Staff described how the constant cycle of inspections shaped their occupational wellbeing. Following the inspection, assuming it went well, they would get back to the job they love for one or two years before the anticipatory stress returned. Perhaps most tellingly, as with school teachers, participants suggested it was putting them off their profession: “If anything was going to drive you out of initial teacher education, it would be Ofsted.”

Burnout and performativity

Though Ofsted insists inspections should reflect normal practice, teacher educators know better. The demand to document every aspect of their work means long hours under high pressure with little time to switch off. This constant performance mode increases their risk of burnout. “It almost doubles your workload because you are doing your job and making sure you can demonstrate you are doing the job,” one said.

For some, the need to prove compliance results in tunnel vision that overrides their day-to-day work, including supporting students and teaching.

Beyond workload, Ofsted inspections can take a heavy emotional and professional toll, making teacher educators feel undervalued. For some, the process creates a demoralising, adversarial environment. “It feels like they are playing universities off against each other,” one respondent said. Competition enters a usually collaborative atmosphere, but “the reality is people involved in teacher training don’t want to compete with each other”, we were told in an interview.

The role of a university-based teacher educator also comes with stresses particular to higher education. Unfortunately, much of the preparation staff do for Ofsted is invisible in university workload models, while academia’s research-over-teaching bias downplays their valuable contributions. They are also working against the shadow of mass staff cuts at universities.

A streamlined, transparent, and predictable process that supports rather than overburdens staff could help retain their talent and expertise. Otherwise, in addition to a teacher shortage, there may be a shortage of people who teach them.

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

– ref. Ofsted inspections affect not just teachers but also the people who train them – https://theconversation.com/ofsted-inspections-affect-not-just-teachers-but-also-the-people-who-train-them-249084

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Congo’s stylish sapeur movement goes beyond fashion – 5 deeper insights

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Sylvie Ayimpam, Chercheur à l’IMAf et Chargée de cours, Aix-Marseille Université (AMU)

In the two Congos, there’s a cultural movement by the Society of Ambience-Makers and Elegant People (Sape), known as “sapeurs”, who blend fashion, culture and social resistance. Though it was rooted primarily in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and the Republic of Congo, the movement is now spreading worldwide, through Congolese migration.

As a researcher, I have studied Sape in its cultural, social and symbolic dimensions.

Sape is far more than a fashion trend. Here are five key things to know about this movement.

1. The history of Sape

Sape emerged during the colonial era, first in Brazzaville and later in Leopoldville (now Kinshasa), when young Congolese began adopting and reinterpreting the clothing style of colonisers. This movement was not merely about fashion. It served as a way for people to express their self-worth and respectability in a context where it had been denied or diminished. Over time, it also became a subtle, yet powerful, form of resistance against colonial domination.

Members of Sape movement. Junior D. Kannah/AFP via Getty Images)

This process continued after independence. It became a symbol of resistance to dictatorship, particularly under the regime of President Mobutu Sese Seko of Zaire (now DR Congo). He advocated for the rejection of western clothing in favour of traditional attire, but Sape persisted as a counter-cultural statement.

The movement expanded to Europe with Congolese migration, in the 1970s and 1980s, where sapeurs reinterpreted European fashion — often incorporating vibrant colours and eccentric details — turning style into a tool of subversion. From the outset, it drew on diverse influences, including European culture, but transformed them to create a distinctly Congolese style.

By adopting the clothes of the colonialists, young Congolese appropriated symbols of power and social status, while hijacking them to assert their own identity. Sape thus became a means of uplifting the value of Congolese culture under imposed cultural domination.

2. The rules of Sape

Sape is often compared to 19th-century European dandyism – a 19th-century fashion trend that emerged in England for men who aspired to refinement and elegance. Sapeurs, with their designer clothes, bold colours and preoccupation with sartorial elegance, embody a modern, African version of this tradition.

For them, Sape is more than just a way of dressing. It is a philosophy based on several fundamental principles: an expression of identity, the quest for excellence or refinement and cultural and social resistance.

“Sapology” imposes strict rules. These include respecting the colour trilogy – which stipulates that no outfit should feature more than three different colors (to ensure harmony and avoid discordant colour combinations), maintain rigorous clothing hygiene, and commit to constant elegance. For sapeurs, appearance is a powerful way to make an impression and stand out in an environment often defined by hardship.

Elegance in dress isn’t just about wearing expensive clothes, it also extends to behaviour. Sapeurs have a particular attitude – they use sophisticated language and refined gestures, and maintain an attitude of courtesy and respect. Some of their public posturing echoes that of European dandies, like a specific gait, often slightly stooped with crisscrossing steps, used to highlight the details of their attire, such as clothing seams, shoes and socks. Their way of moving and speaking is just as important as the clothes they wear.

This performative aspect makes Sape a true living spectacle. At gatherings of sapeurs, participants compete in elegance and creativity, strutting as if on a runway. This transforms the streets where they gather into an open stage where everyone can express themselves and showcase their style.

3. Expansion via the diaspora

The Sape movement isn’t confined to the streets of Brazzaville and Kinshasa. It has evolved into a global phenomenon, spreading first within the Congolese diaspora in Paris. It then expanded to other European cities where these migrants reside, such as Brussels. The movement has even reached American cities, like New York and Montreal.

For Congolese living in western countries, Sape is a way of reconnecting with their roots and asserting their identity, in often challenging circumstances. It enables these members of the diaspora to create a positive identity at a time when discrimination and social precariousness are commonplace.

In Europe’s major cities, Sape serves as a way to resist social invisibility. Congolese migrants, often pushed to the margins of society, use Sape to make themselves visible, drawing attention to their presence and asserting their place by wearing flamboyant costumes.

Sape is therefore a form of social protest, a way of defying the expectations of the host society.

4. The role of music

A key factor in the success and global recognition of the Sape movement is its strong connection to Congolese popular music.

Artists like Papa Wemba and Aurlus Mabélé have played crucial roles in promoting “the Sape”. They incorporated its aesthetic into their public personas and performances. In France and Belgium, Papa Wemba’s concerts became major events for the Congolese community. These concerts provided an opportunity to showcase and celebrate the Sape movement.

The late singer Papa Wemba played an important role in promoting Sape. STR/AFP via Getty Images

Congolese popular music has served as a vehicle for spreading the Sape ideals, popularising this lifestyle as a symbol of success.

Within the world of Congolese popular music, Sape has risen to the status of a religion – Kitendi, the “religion of fabric”. This religion has its pope, high priests, priests, priestesses, and countless devoted followers.

Papa Wemba, often referred to as the “King of Sape”, was a charismatic figure who masterfully combined music and fashion to craft a powerful cultural identity. Every outfit he wore was meticulously selected to embody the elegance and prestige of Sape.

Read more: Papa Wemba: musical king of the Society of Ambianceurs and Elegant People

By wearing clothes from prestigious brands, Papa Wemba made Sape a symbol of success for many young Congolese. He also contributed to the export of Sape beyond African borders.

5. Preserving the dignity of the poor

Sape is marked by an interesting paradox: it combines luxury clothing and a flamboyant lifestyle with often precarious living conditions. For many sapeurs, elegance is a goal that takes precedence over material comfort. Sapeurs invest a large part of their income in designer clothes, sometimes to the detriment of their daily quality of life. This sacrifice is seen as necessary to maintain their status within the sapeur community.

Sapeurs. Patrick Kovarik/AFP via Getty Images

For sapeurs, visibility and recognition are paramount. An invisible “sapeur”, they say, ceases to be a “sapeur”. This highlights the movement’s complexity.

Sapeurs view themselves as kings without crowns, street aristocrats who use their appearance to challenge conventional ideas of wealth and status. Through Sape, they subvert traditional social hierarchies, emphasising that elegance and personal worth are not solely tied to economic means. Instead, these qualities are defined by one’s ability to stand out through style, creativity and charisma.

– Congo’s stylish sapeur movement goes beyond fashion – 5 deeper insights
– https://theconversation.com/congos-stylish-sapeur-movement-goes-beyond-fashion-5-deeper-insights-246919

MIL OSI Africa –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Security: Defense News: France, Japan, U.S. Partner in Multi-Large Deck Event in Philippine Sea

Source: United States Navy

This MLDE is designed to advance coordination and cooperation between French, Japanese and U.S. maritime forces while simultaneously demonstrating capabilities in multi-domain operations, promoting a shared dedication to regional stability, and highlighting the U.S. Navy’s enduring power projection capability.

“Pacific Steller 2025 allows us to practice seamless integration with our French and Japanese allies in a multi-domain environment,” said Rear Adm. Michael Wosje, commander, Carrier Strike Group (CSG) 1. “Coordinated operations between USS Carl Vinson, FS Charles De Gaulle, and JS Kaga strengthen our alliances and deter our adversaries. Together, we seek to maintain an open and inclusive Indo-Pacific, free of all forms of coercion, and we’re excited to work alongside our allies and partners who share that vision.”

The U.S.-France alliance is built on a legacy of shared interests, values, and a commitment to freedom and human rights.

“It is a great opportunity for the French Carrier Strike Group to cooperate with our partners in the Indo-Pacific during the whole deployment. While France is a resident nation of the Indo-Pacific, it has not deployed its CSG to this part of the world for a long time,” said Rear Adm. Jacques Mallard, commander, French CSG. “Since January 14, the aircraft carrier Charles De Gaulle, based in Toulon more than 6000 miles from here, is sailing in a different area. There is no doubt that PACIFIC STELLER will ramp up to a new level of interoperability for our three navies and represents a challenge that we are more than eager to take up alongside Japanese and US partners.”

The most recent MLDE in the Indo-Pacific occurred in August 2024 between the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln (CVN 72) and the Italian Navy aircraft carrier ITS Cavour (CVH 550). The event marked the first MLDE conducted between the U.S. and Italian navies in the Indo-Pacific region.

“Our routine integration aims to showcase our partnership and demonstrate our ability to work together with our French and Japanese allies,” said Capt. Matthew Thomas, commanding officer of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). “Pacific Steller 2025 is one of many exercises with the goal to enhance the maritime security of the Indo-Pacific region. As the flagship of CSG-1, Carl Vinson stands ready and looks forward to participating alongside Charles De Gaulle and Kaga.”

MLDEs are conducted in a manner that is consistent with international law and with due regard to the safety of navigation and the rights and interests of other states.

Participating large-deck ships include the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70), the French carrier FS Charles De Gaulle, and Japan’s Izumo-class multi-functional destroyer JS Kaga (DDH-184).

CSG-1 consists of Carl Vinson, embarked staffs of CSG-1 and Destroyer Squadron (DESRON) one, Carrier Air Wing 2 (CVW) 2, the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Princeton (CG 59), and Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyers USS Sterett (DDG 104) and USS William P. Lawrence (DDG 110).

CVW-2 is composed of nine squadrons flying the F-35C Lightning II, F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, EA-18G Growler, E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, CMV-22 Osprey and MH-60R/S Seahawks.

French Carrier Strike Group consists of Charles De Gaulle, its embarked French Strike Force staff and carrier air wing, an air-defense destroyer, multi-mission frigates, a supply ship, an attack submarine, and a detachment of Atlantique 2 maritime patrol aircraft.

The French carrier air wing flies the Rafale Marine (F4) fighter aircraft, E-2C Hawkeye, and Dauphin, Caiman Marine, and Panther helicopters.

The French Carrier Strike Group is currently engaged in Mission CLEMENCEAU 25, sailing alongside its allies and strategic partners to promote a free, open and stable Indo-Pacific space for the benefit of French populations, interests, and those of their regional partners, within the framework of international law.

The Carl Vinson Carrier Strike Group is operating in the U.S. 7th Fleet area of operations. U.S. 7th Fleet is the U.S. Navy’s largest forward-deployed numbered fleet and routinely interacts and operates with allies and partners in preserving a free and open Indo-Pacific region.

For more news from CSG-1 and Carl Vinson visit: https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/CSG1, https://www.dvidshub.net/unit/CVN70

MIL Security OSI –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Minister Sir Chris Bryant speech at LEAD advertising conference

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Creative Industries Minister Sir Chris Bryant gave the keynote speech at the LEAD advertising industry conference in London.

My name is Chris Bryant. I’m the Minister for lots of things. And Peter Mandelson, when I was first elected back in 2001 as the Member of Parliament for the Rhondda, I asked him for some advice. And he said he had lots of pieces of advice, but one of them was: “Never go to the same event two years in a row.” Because it means if you don’t go to the third year, everybody will condemn you for being a complete lazy so and so. But this is my second year in a row at this event. So I’ve broken Peter Mandelson’s advice.

And the second piece of advice he gave me was: “The one word you can never use in advertising and in politics is the word trust.” Because the moment you start talking about trust in politics, people start thinking: “Oh, can I trust you?” And they nearly always come to the conclusion that they can’t.

But in the end, advertising, I suppose, is fundamentally about trust. It’s about trying to persuade the public that you can trust a particular product or that you can trust a particular brand that is promoting a particular product, or that you can trust the person who is promoting the brand that is promoting the product, or that you can trust the space in which you’re watching or seeing this particular piece of advertising.

Of course, to enable trust in all and to create great advertising, that requires all sorts of different things. First of all, imagination. And I think sometimes when I speak to some other parts of the creative industries, they think of advertising as the kind of workhorses of the creative industries. But I actually think that in many regards, you’re more imaginative than nearly all the other parts of creative industries put together. And sometimes, of course, you have to bring them all together.

But the original idea for how to launch a product, or how to sell a product, how to promote it, how to keep it in the public mind, or how to completely change a view of a product or a brand, that’s a phenomenally imaginative process.

I always think to myself: “How do you come up with a television or a cinema advert for perfume?” How on earth can you give the impression that this is a perfume that somebody would want to wear when you cannot smell it? Which is fundamentally what perfume is all about. And of course, you do that in advertising with so many different products. Sometimes you’re trying to encourage people to try products that they would never have touched before, either because they’re brand new products, or because they’re something that has never come into their way of life before or because their life has changed.

That requires phenomenal imagination, but it also requires craft, serious craft, whether that’s using statistics and market analysis to be able to determine what is really going to work, how big a particular market is, or it’s that whole ecosystem of the whole of the creative industries, through from writers, actors and technicians, location scouts and everybody else that’s part of making a really good advert.

That combination of imagination, craft and that whole ecosystem is what I think is so special in the United Kingdom. We’re at the moment working with Shriti Vadera and Peter Bazalgette on putting together our Industrial Strategy for the creative industries. We decided as a government that the creative industries are one of the eight key sectors in the UK that are potential growth sectors we want to build on.

And putting that together, one of the key elements that we keep on arguing with the Treasury and the Department for Business and Trade and everybody else in government is that this is an ecosystem. You don’t get great British films without great British marketing of films. You don’t get great British films without actors who probably performed on the stage as well as in television and in movies. You don’t get great British actors without a commercial theatre that’s successful in the UK and also without a subsidised theatre in the UK.

All of these things hang together, and it’s really important that we promote the whole of that sector. And that’s, of course, why we are the second largest exporter of advertising in the world. I remember when I first came across this statistic, I thought: “That can’t be right. It must just be the second largest in Europe.” But we are the second largest in the world and I think we could do a great deal more boasting about that.

I don’t know whether there’s anybody in advertising who could promote the idea of advertising being a very significant part of our economy, worth £21 billion of GVA in 2023 and on track this year for £43 billion of spending. So in the words of Yazz: the only way is up.

We are very keen on this being a cooperation between industry and government. So first of all, the single most important thing we know that we can do to enable this industry to grow in the UK is to provide political, fiscal and economic stability in the country, so that people can make long-term investments and know where they’re going.

[political content redacted]

And secondly, as I just said, we’re working on our Industrial Strategy for the creative industries. If there’s stuff that you still feel that you have you haven’t heard from us in this world, then please do get in touch.

Thirdly, obviously, there’s a really important issue around skills. For me, this is a matter of passionate belief that you don’t get a good education unless you also get a good creative education. I want to praise Eton and Winchester and everybody else, because they’ll have a pottery class, they’ll have an art room, they’ll have a well equipped theatre, they’ll have a dance studio, they’ll have musical instruments. I just want that for every single child in this country, and that’s why I think it’s so important that we turn the corner on the curriculum in the UK.

That’s what Bridget Phillipson as the Secretary of State for Education is very intent on doing. Trying to bring a creative education right back into the heart, so that it’s not just STEM, which is very important, but STEAM, including arts and creative education, is part of it.

Secondly, we need to reform the Apprenticeship Levy. I know lots of people in the industry have said to me: “It just doesn’t work for us at the moment.” And that’s what we’re very focused on doing.

The first thing we’ve already done is we’ve announced that from August this year, you won’t have to do a 12-month apprenticeship. You’ll be able to do six months and that’s so important for people who are working on a project base, and we need to provide a greater sense of portability between different employers as well, to be able to make that Apprenticeship Levy work across the creative sector.

Indeed, there’s a perfectly good argument for saying, because of the ecosystem that I’ve been talking about, that the Apprenticeship Levy should enable you to go from different parts of the ecosystem to be able to perfect your craft.

Now just a few specific things on the Online Advertising Taskforce. Online has provided new challenges and new opportunities. I’m really glad that the influencer working group has come up with its fourth version of a code of conduct, the first in the world. If anybody knows any influencers who could persuade more influencers to take up the influencers’ code of conduct, I’ll be really grateful.

But that is a really important campaign, because it goes to this issue of trust. If it becomes a whole world when you simply can’t trust what you’re seeing in front of you as promoting a product, then that undermines the whole of the industry. So I think the more we can do in that field, the better.

I’m really grateful for the work that’s being done on an AI working group. At the moment we’re engaged in a consultation on this and precisely how it works out in relation to copyright. I am absolutely clear that we as a country sell IP. It’s one of the key things that we sell. So making sure that we have a strong copyright system in the UK, that we maintain that, and maintain the ability of people to be remunerated and to control their rights, is a vital part of anything we do in this field.

But of course, many of you will use AI in all sorts of different ways already, and my guess is in two or three years’ time, every single person will have an AI assistant of some kind on their laptop or on their phone. We need to make sure that we think that there’s a possibility for a win-win in this. If you haven’t looked at the consultation yet, please do. It closes on February 25.

On less healthy food, some of you might be interested in this subject. Obviously the previous government legislated in relation to less healthy foods and advertising, and we did too in the statutory instrument that was brought forward just before Christmas. I’ve already had several meetings with the ASA. We are very keen on coming to a sensible solution. I think a bit of common sense in this space would be really, really useful. We discussed the matter. I’m saying to you what I said to the ASA the other day. Our priority is proportionate regulation and clear guidance for businesses operating in the sector. And as you would expect from us, we want to reduce the NHS backlog, and we want to support people to lead healthier lives. We want there to be incentives for brands to offer more healthy products. That only happens if we have a clear set of guidance that is proportionate and sensible. I can’t go any further than that, because I’ve got another meeting with all the organisations concerned next week.

I want to end with my key point, which is that we are very serious about growing the creative industries in the UK. I heard somebody say: “Well, aren’t the arts and the creative industries a bit frou-frou?” I don’t know what that means, really, but I get the point, I suppose.

But actually, if the UK had no creative industries, we would be a poorer, weaker, less happy, less stable society than we are. And I think that the creative industries not only have an economic role to play – a vastly significant one, one in 14 people in the UK works in the creative industries today and I guess it will be one in 10 in a few years’ time – but if we’re going to build that, we need you to tell us what are the barriers to growth in your sector.

We need to make sure that there’s a steady stream of people through into these industries. I asked this question last year, and I’m going to ask it again, and I’m going to keep on asking every single year that I come here, which is: If you came to my constituency and asked a 13 year old: “What are you going to do when you grow up, or what careers are you thinking about?” They would probably know what it is to be a doctor and how they would start trying to be a doctor or a lawyer or a teacher, but they wouldn’t have the faintest idea how they would start the process of going into advertising or any of the other creative industries.

So in four years’ time, I would like us to be in a place where every single child in the country has the creative industries, including advertising, as one of the possible future careers for them, and that they know how to approach that, so that your seats are taken in 10, 15, 20 years’ time by young people who might just as well come from Wigan, Gateshead, Newcastle, London, the Rhondda, Shetland. People with completely varied backgrounds and different experiences, so that they can bring their imagination and their storytelling to the great industry that is yours.

Updates to this page

Published 6 February 2025

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Turning ice and snow into gold

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

HARBIN, Feb. 6 — In Harbin, the capital city of China’s northernmost Heilongjiang Province, there is a mesmerizing winter wonderland.

Here, towering ice structures mimicking landmarks from across Asia, cheers from super-long ice slides, and the breathtaking view from a giant Ferris wheel attracted over 610,000 visitors during this year’s eight-day Spring Festival holiday, which ended Tuesday.

Near the entrance of the Harbin Ice-Snow World, an iconic winter attraction, a row of giant red characters stands out: “Snow and ice are also valuable assets.”

This statement, first made by Chinese President Xi Jinping about nine years ago, has reshaped the country’s ice-and-snow sector and spurred the stellar growth of related industries.

In March 2016, when taking part in a group discussion with Heilongjiang lawmakers at the annual national legislative session, Xi stressed the importance of leveraging the province’s winter resources. “Clear waters and green mountains are valuable assets, and so are Heilongjiang’s ice and snow,” he said.

Bordering frigid Siberia, Heilongjiang is known for its freezing temperatures and ample snowfall in winter. With winter temperatures sometimes dropping below minus 30 degrees Celsius, the provincial capital Harbin is dubbed China’s “ice city.”

Guided by Xi’s vision, the province has made sustained efforts to turn itself into a world-class winter tourist destination. Last year, Harbin alone welcomed 179 million visitors, with tourism revenue reaching 231.42 billion yuan (about 32 billion U.S. dollars), both rising over 30 percent year on year.

The 9th Asian Winter Games, set to open here on Friday, presents the latest opportunity to cement Harbin’s “ice city” reputation. Notably, winter sports and tourism are also gaining momentum across China.

Driven by policy support and increased demand, the number of ice-and-snow tourists in China is expected to reach 520 million in the 2024-2025 winter season, with revenue likely to exceed 630 billion yuan, according to the latest report by the China Tourism Academy.

300 MILLION PEOPLE IN WINTER SPORTS

Xi has identified China’s ice-and-snow sector as both a key economic driver and a vital means of promoting public fitness. A passionate sports enthusiast, he closely follows the development of winter sports.

The primary goal of hosting the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympics was to “engage 300 million people in ice-and-snow sports” and promote the leapfrog development of winter sports in the country, Xi told International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach in 2014.

Before Beijing 2022, he conducted five on-site inspections across different competition zones in Beijing and the adjacent Hebei Province, meeting with athletes, construction workers and venue operators.

“The ultimate goal of building a sporting powerhouse and a healthy China is to strengthen the people’s fitness, which is also an essential part of China’s endeavors to build a modern socialist country in all respects,” Xi said.

The goal of “300 million people in winter sports” is now a reality, thanks to the promotion and popularization of ice-and-snow sports.

“This year, our facility has seen a greater number of people hitting the ice, with a year-on-year growth of about 15 percent,” said Meng Qingyou, who teaches skating at a winter sports center in Harbin.

Across the province, well-equipped facilities and professional coaching at ski resorts have drawn in new entrants from across the country.

In the city of Shuangyashan, a popular ski resort offers 14 trails of varying difficulty levels, catering to both novices and seasoned ski enthusiasts.

“This is my first time skiing,” said Zhao Dezhou, a tourist from east China’s Jiangsu Province. “At first, I was really nervous, but with the coach’s patient guidance, I can now glide freely across the snow and fully enjoy the thrill of this winter sport!”

Even in snow-scarce regions of the country, more people are embracing indoor ice-and-snow sports. According to a recent industry report, six of the world’s top 10 indoor ski resorts are in China, located in cities such as Shanghai, Guangzhou and Chengdu.

ICE-AND-SNOW ECONOMY

Beiji Village is nestled at the northernmost tip of China in the city of Mohe, Heilongjiang. As one of the coldest villages in China, Beiji endures an average temperature of below zero for over seven months a year.

This agricultural and fishing village was named a national top-level scenic spot in 2015, attracting an increasing number of visitors to experience its unique scenery and extreme cold.

“The tourism resources here are truly exceptional,” said Xi at the village during an inspection tour in September 2023. He stepped into villager Shi Ruijuan’s homestay and talked with the locals.

Noting the importance of the tourism sector in achieving high-quality development, Xi urged policy support to ensure that the distinctive snow-and-ice resources generate more income for local people.

In the past, the harsh cold and remote location drove many locals to leave Beiji. Nowadays, however, the very same factors are drawing tourists from far and wide. With ice-and-snow tourism gaining popularity in recent years, ice skating, skiing and fun activities like splashing water to create ice crystals have become big draws of the village.

“Tourists used to come mainly in summer, but now we get plenty of visitors in winter too,” said Shi, adding that she had never expected the bitter cold to become a major tourism attraction.

Shi has run the homestay business for more than a decade. “Previously, it was hard to make even 10,000 yuan a year. Now, we have visitors all year round, and during peak season I can earn over 10,000 yuan in just a week,” she said.

With its booming ice-and-snow tourism, northeast China as a whole has gained fresh appeal. Once known as the country’s rustbelt, the region has long struggled with a painful economic transition and talent outflows.

“Revitalizing northeast China” has been a recurring theme evident in Xi’s multiple inspection tours. In 2023, he stressed efforts to focus on developing the ice-and-snow economy as a new growth driver by promoting a full industrial chain of ice-and-snow sports, culture, equipment and tourism.

Under Xi’s guidance, the ice-and-snow boom has spread from northeast China to the entire country, fostering a new national growth engine.

Located in northwest China’s Xinjiang, Altay Prefecture is developing its reputation as a top skiing destination. In the 2023-2024 snow season, Altay welcomed about 4.89 million tourist visits, with tourism revenue totaling 5.1 billion yuan. It drove about half of the growth in terms of both tourist visits and revenue in Xinjiang last season.

Southwestern provinces, such as Yunnan and Sichuan, are also leveraging their unique plateau ice-and-snow resources, as well as their proximity to Southeast Asia, to attract tourists.

Peng Fuwei, a senior official of the National Development and Reform Commission, noted that the sector has formed a “dual-engine” structure, with winter manufacturing and services leading the way.

“China now produces a comprehensive range of winter sports equipment, from personal gear to high-end snowmaking machines and snow groomers. In 2023, winter equipment sales reached about 22 billion yuan,” he said.

The country aims to boost its ice-and-snow economy as a new source of growth, targeting an economic scale of 1.2 trillion yuan by 2027 and 1.5 trillion yuan by 2030, according to guidelines released by the State Council last year.

MIL OSI China News –

February 7, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Foreign visitors experience China’s improved mobile payment environment over Spring Festival

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

Foreign visitors experience China’s improved mobile payment environment over Spring Festival

BEIJING, Feb. 6 — Foreign visitors in China experienced a smoother, more convenient travel environment during this year’s Spring Festival, thanks to improvements to the country’s mobile payment systems.

The latest data from the People’s Bank of China shows that the volume of transactions made by international tourists during the Chinese New Year holiday, which ran from Jan. 28 to Feb. 4 this year, surged significantly from last year. The total number of cross-border transactions processed by China UnionPay and NetsUnion Clearing Corporation increased 124.54 percent, and the total transaction value grew 90.49 percent.

This jump in payment activity reflects not only the growing appeal of China as a travel destination but also the seamless integration of mobile payment systems for foreign visitors.

In cities like Shanghai, foreign tourists can now use international credit cards or mobile payment apps such as Alipay for shopping, dining and sightseeing, which allowed tourists to enjoy the cultural experiences on offer fully during the Chinese New Year.

German tourist Carla Uhrmacher, who visited the famous Yuyuan Garden in the eastern Chinese metropolis of Shanghai, was impressed by the ease with which she could use her mobile payment app to buy traditional Chinese crafts and souvenirs. “Whether using Visa or Mastercard, or mobile payment systems, it’s all very seamless,” she noted, highlighting how accessible these payment methods are for international visitors.

This Spring Festival saw an increase in payment transactions and a significant rise in the number of foreign visitors to China. Inbound arrivals during this year’s Spring Festival hit a record high, with a 150 percent year-on-year leap reported, Lin Jian, a spokesperson for China’s foreign ministry, told a press conference on Wednesday, citing data from third-party platforms.

While popular destinations such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou continued to attract large numbers of foreign travelers during the holiday, cities like Suzhou, Xi’an, Chengdu and Xiamen emerged as new favorites for international tourists using mobile payment services, Alipay data shows.

This surge in international visitors can be largely attributed to China’s ongoing efforts to enhance its payment services for foreigners. The country has made it easier for international travelers to use their foreign credit cards by allowing them to link these cards directly to popular Chinese mobile payment platforms like Alipay and WeChat Pay.

An increasing number of international e-wallets are now also supported for use in China. Alipay, for example, now allows users to link 13 different overseas e-wallets from countries like the Philippines, Thailand and Singapore.

Though cashless payment services have improved significantly, foreign tourists can also take advantage of a network of nearly 70,000 bank branches, 320,000 ATMs, and currency exchange facilities across the country.

This year’s Spring Festival also saw a notable increase in foreigner spending, particularly in cities like Beijing, where tourists from various countries flocked to shopping areas such as Qianmen Street to purchase souvenirs, local teas and trendy clothing.

This spending boom is backed by figures, with the number of transactions made by foreign visitors on WeChat increasing 134 percent compared to last year’s Spring Festival, and with the total spent via Alipay rising 150 percent during the first five days of the holiday. These figures reflect not only the convenience of mobile payments but also the growing enthusiasm of foreign tourists to purchase Chinese goods and immerse themselves in local culture.

An increasingly open China is becoming an even more attractive destination for international tourists as Chinese New Year is celebrated globally, and as payment services continue to improve, analysts in China have noted. And these improved payment experiences will make China travel even smoother and more enjoyable for international visitors.

MIL OSI China News –

February 7, 2025