Category: Universities

MIL-OSI Global: When friendship is treated as essential, what happens to young adults who don’t have any?

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Laura Eramian, Associate Professor, Department of Sociology and Social Anthropology, Dalhousie University

All participant names in this story are pseudonyms.

What does it mean to have few or no friends in a time when social connection is seen as key to a healthy and fulfilling life? This is the question at the centre of our recent research study on modern friendship in an Atlantic Canadian city.

Friendship is having a cultural moment. From journalists to physicians, a wide range of experts have pointed to friendship and social connection as being vital for people to live good and healthy lives and as a way to combat a growing “loneliness epidemic.”

But not everyone experiences friendship in the same way. Andrew, a student in his mid-20s who took part in our study, identified as having no friends. He told us:

“I do feel sad and lonely a lot. But I also feel kind of at peace, because I’m pretty introverted. I do want my alone time. So I kind of struggle going back and forth between liking not having friends and then also hating it. It’s just those two are always in conflict.”

Andrew’s experience reflects the broader tensions many people feel about modern friendship. While friendship is widely valued, western culture also prizes self-sufficiency and sees virtues in introversion.

These ideals can affirm a desire for solitude, but they don’t stop people from worrying about the negative effects of living friendless lives. These conflicting messages can leave people unsure of how to feel about living without friends.

Ready to make a change? The Quarter Life Glow-up is a new, six-week newsletter course from The Conversation’s UK and Canada editions. Every week, we’ll bring you research-backed advice and tools to help improve your relationships, your career, your free time and your mental health – no supplements or skincare required. Sign up here to start your glow-up at any time.

Exploring friendlessness in adulthood

In our study, we interviewed 21 men and women to understand experiences of friendlessness. Over half were in the “quarter life” phase, meaning they were in their 20s or 30s. They ranged from young professionals, to students, to minimum wage workers.

Some participants had rich family lives, professional lives or spousal relationships. Others were almost entirely socially isolated. Still, all participants saw lacking friends as something they struggled with, thought about or needed to justify to others.

Some participants had strong family ties, but still struggled with friendships. Young parents spend time with their daughter on Family Day in Vancouver in 2018.
(Shutterstock)

Research has shown that being alone doesn’t always mean people are lonely and that people may give different meanings to their solitude.

Since we recruited “friendless” rather than “lonely” people for our study, we didn’t assume that people without friends were lonely. Instead, we aimed to understand how they experienced life without friends.

Why people struggle to make friends

Participants in our study reported a range of challenges to making friends, as well as insights into what it’s like not to have them.

Challenges included lacking regular encounters with others due to the structures of school or work or having quit social media and lost touch with friends. Some were disappointed by friendships in the past, or reported other priorities over making friends.

For example, Tim, a lawyer in his 30s, explained there are many “metrics” of a good life, and that he had no friends because he had chosen to put his time into his career and family.

Melissa, an administrative assistant in her 20s, felt she always ended up in “lopsided” friendships where she gave more than she received.

Andrew explained that he no longer had friends at university after moving out of residence, a problem compounded by the public health restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, the pandemic didn’t necessarily cause new friendship challenges. Most of our participants said they already had no friends, so lockdown orders didn’t change anything.

Friendless but not always lonely

Our study revealed two key narratives people told about the relation of friendlessness to loneliness. On the one hand, they reported intense loneliness and said they suffered without friends. On the other hand, people said having no friends afforded opportunities for self-sufficiency and independence.

Crucially, there was no clear distinction between participants who claimed to be lonely or not lonely. Rather, participants often told conflicting stories of feeling lonely without friends or feeling good about being alone or self-reliant.

Participants reported a range of challenges to making friends, as well as insights into what it’s like not to have them.
(Shutterstock)

Melissa, for example, talked about her profound loneliness, yet also spoke with pride about how she has learned to get herself out of any situation because she had no one to rely on.

Read more:
Lonely extroverts, happy hermits: why being alone isn’t the same as being lonely – and why it matters

Regardless of the degree of loneliness they reported, our quarter-life participants often felt shame or stigma for being friendless. Some of our participants imagined others thought there was something wrong with them.

If you have experienced these feelings, you aren’t alone. While people may blame themselves or feel shame, as social scientists, we believe the causes of friendlessness or loneliness are bigger than individuals and their choices.

Making friends isn’t just a personal challenge

To formulate solutions to social disconnection, it’s not enough to simply ask, “why don’t people just go and make friends?” While friendship often appears to be a matter of personal choice and mutual liking, like all social relationships, it can be enabled or constrained by the broader ways our societies are organized.

If there is a loneliness epidemic, it can’t be understood solely as a matter of individual choice or the pitfalls of social media or other technology. It also needs to be seen as a structural condition born of infrastructural and policy failures that require collective solutions to address.

A better question might be: is friendship accessible to people? Are there enough free, inclusive public spaces where people can gather to meet or make friends? How do the rigid, often unpredictable work schedules faced by many young adults make it difficult to cultivate friendships?

You may recognize these barriers in your own life and feel disconnected not because you aren’t trying, but because the conditions for connection are so often missing.

If our society values friendship as much as it claims in the quest to combat loneliness, then collectively we could be doing much more to create social spaces and policies that enable social connection.

Laura Eramian receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

Peter Mallory receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

– ref. When friendship is treated as essential, what happens to young adults who don’t have any? – https://theconversation.com/when-friendship-is-treated-as-essential-what-happens-to-young-adults-who-dont-have-any-253814

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Tomato trade dispute between the US and Mexico is boiling over again – with 21% tariffs due in July

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Andrew Muhammad, Professor of Agriculture and Resource Economics, University of Tennessee

The country of origin – Mexico – is noted on the label of a package of Campari tomatoes for sale in the produce section of a Safeway grocery store on March 4, 2025, in Denver. AP Photo/David Zalubowski

Although technically they’re a fruit, tomatoes are one of the most-consumed vegetables, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Among the fresh produce the nation buys from foreign countries, tomatoes often rank first or second, behind avocados.

This trade is now jeopardized because the Trump administration has revived a three-decade-old effort to limit imports.

As economists who study global trade issues affecting agricultural commodities and processed food products, we have assessed the benefits of imported tomatoes and other products on consumers and businesses. Fresh tomato imports ensure year-round availability for consumers, contribute significantly to the U.S. economy by generating billions in sales and supporting thousands of jobs, and promote competitive pricing that benefits both consumers and businesses.

New import restrictions could put all that at risk because domestic production cannot satisfy national demand. For tomatoes, like steel and other products, efforts to reverse trade imbalances can decrease consumer satisfaction and potentially destroy more jobs and economic activity than they create.

Initiating a dumping investigation

This tussle over tomatoes began in the 1990s.

At that time, unprecedented growth in tomato imports from Mexico prompted U.S. producers to ask the Clinton administration to investigate whether they were being sold at unfairly low prices. If that were the case, it would violate both World Trade Organization rules and U.S. trade policy.

The U.S. responded with an antidumping investigation, conducted by the Department of Commerce and U.S. International Trade Commission. The agencies were tasked with seeing if imports are being sold in the U.S. at less than fair market value – the definition of dumping.

Dumping can harm domestic producers by depressing local prices to compete with imports, causing financial distress. An antidumping duty is essentially a tariff.

The Commerce Department ruled against Mexican producers, finding that they had engaged in dumping, but reached an agreement with them. Mexican tomato exporters agreed to set minimum prices, leading the U.S. to call off its investigation. The U.S. and Mexico have subsequently entered into a string of suspension agreements over the years.

The first was implemented in 1996, and the most recent took effect in 2019 during President Donald Trump’s prior term after his administration had threatened to impose a 17.5% tomato tariff.

Squashing the tomato suspension agreement

But in April 2025, the Commerce Department announced that it would withdraw from the latest tomato suspension agreement. The Trump administration plans to begin to impose, starting in July, antidumping duties of 21% on fresh tomatoes imported from Mexico.

It is not obvious at this stage if American importers and consumers will bear the full burden of this tariff, or if Mexican tomato exporters will absorb this cost.

This move is supposed to benefit fresh tomato producers in the U.S. – most of which are in Florida, with a significantly smaller number located in California. The tariffs could, however, hurt produce distributors, wholesalers and retailers, as well as American consumers.

People in the U.S. have become accustomed to buying fresh tomatoes to toss into their salads and stuff into their sandwiches year-round, even though in most of the country you can only harvest field-grown tomatoes in the warmest months of the year.

Focusing only on fresh tomatoes

This dispute doesn’t involve all the tomatoes and tomato products Americans eat.

U.S. tomato production is split into two main categories. Fresh tomatoes are usually purchased in a supermarket’s fresh produce section, to be consumed whole, chopped or sliced. This dispute is about those tomatoes.

The other kind is processing tomatoes, which companies use for making tomato paste, canned or stewed tomatoes and tomato sauce. California leads the nation in processing tomato production. Unlike fresh tomatoes, where the U.S. imports far more than it produces or exports, the U.S. is actually running a trade surplus in processed tomato products.

When the North American Free Trade Agreement was implemented in January 1994, U.S. fresh tomato production was more than four times the quantity of imported fresh tomatoes: 3.7 billion pounds (1.7 million metric tons) produced versus only 870 million pounds (400,000 metric tons) imported.

Domestic production has steadily declined since then, while imports have increased. Imported fresh tomatoes are now twice as plentiful: 2.2 billion pounds (1 million metric tons) were grown in the U.S. in 2023, compared with 4.4 billion pounds (2 million metric tons)“ imported .

This happened as Americans were eating more fresh tomatoes than ever: almost 20 pounds (9 kilograms) per capita in 2023.

Mexico supplies most of the fresh tomatoes Americans buy in supermarkets.
Justin Sullivan/Getty Images

Influx didn’t clearly affect prices

In 2024, fresh tomato imports totaled US$3.6 billion, with $3.1 billion coming from Mexico. This was a 367% increase since NAFTA took effect, adjusted for inflation.

Given that costs of production are lower in Mexico for many products, especially in the fresh produce sector where labor costs are less than half U.S. levels, you might figure that this arrangement has kept prices for fresh tomatoes in the U.S. low. But there’s little evidence to support that. Instead, the opposite seems true.

In 1995, the price that U.S. importers paid of Mexican tomatoes was 31 cents per pound. Since then, import prices have steadily increased to 74 cents per pound in 2024. They have often exceeded prices paid to American farmers and kept pace with the overall rise in food prices the past three decades.

While restricting imported Mexican tomatoes might benefit U.S. tomato producers by making it easier for them to raise their prices, there are other factors to consider. Imports play a crucial role in boosting economic activity and creating jobs. According to a recent study, these imports generated a total economic impact of more than $8 billion.

The extra $5 billion comes from all the value-added activities associated with getting that produce from the border to consumers. That total economic impact supports approximately 47,000 U.S. jobs tied to tomato storage, distribution, wholesaling and retailing.

We would expect antidumping duties on imported fresh tomatoes to increase prices, and reduce the amount of fresh tomatoes Americans can buy. That would also shrink some of the economic impact and eliminate some of the jobs spurred by the imported tomato boom.

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

– ref. Tomato trade dispute between the US and Mexico is boiling over again – with 21% tariffs due in July – https://theconversation.com/tomato-trade-dispute-between-the-us-and-mexico-is-boiling-over-again-with-21-tariffs-due-in-july-255813

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Leaders can promote gender equity without deepening polarization − here’s how

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Colleen Tolan, Postdoctoral Researcher for the Center for Women in Business, Rutgers University

Dialogue can make a difference. Pixelfit/E+/Getty Images

Americans largely agree that women have made significant gains in the workplace over the past two decades. But what about men? While many Americans believe women are thriving, over half believe men’s progress has stalled or even reversed.

To make matters more complex, recent research has revealed a massive divide along gender and partisan lines. The majority of Republican men think full gender equity in America has been achieved, while the majority of Democratic women think there’s still work to be done.

As researchers at the Rutgers Center for Women in Business, we think this divide matters a lot. And for business leaders, this gap isn’t just a social or political issue. It’s a leadership challenge with direct implications for team cohesion and morale. If gender equity efforts are seen by some employees as a loss rather than a collective gain, leaders risk inadvertently entrenching division.

When equity feels like a loss

Efforts to advance gender equity often come with the reassurance that equality isn’t a zero-sum game – that women’s advancement need not come at men’s expense. Data backs this up, showing, for example, that having gender-diverse executive teams can boost company profits by as much as 21%.

Yet workers’ perceptions of gender equity efforts tell another story.

For example, 61% of Americans believe changing gender norms have made it easier for women to be successful at work, but only 36% say the same for men. What’s more, 61% of men think women have equal job opportunities, but only 33% of women believe the same thing.

These differences reveal an important truth: Perception, not policy alone, shapes how equity efforts are received.

Involving men in the equity conversation

Research suggests men and women associate power with different psychological outcomes. Men are more likely to associate power with control, while for women, power is more often linked to a feeling of freedom. As a result, efforts to share power may feel more liberating to women but destabilizing to men – particularly to those already in power.

But this doesn’t mean one’s gain needs to come at another’s expense – just that people make sense of change through the lens of their own identities and experiences.

When men perceive progress for women as a threat to their status or opportunity, resistance grows, even in the face of data suggesting otherwise. This cycle becomes especially difficult to break because it requires challenging one’s own beliefs, which isn’t always easy.

This is why learning about others’ experiences is so useful. For example, a man and a woman might be equally ambitious and capable, but perhaps only one of them experiences being routinely interrupted in meetings. These differences in personal history and lived experience shape how work environments are interpreted and therefore navigated.

Understanding this diversity of perspectives and discussing lived experiences can help gender equity efforts become more effective. Building a truly equitable future requires acknowledging that feelings about efforts required to reach that future may differ widely.

With that in mind, here are some best practices for leaders to consider as they navigate the changing landscape.

Preparing for differences in perspective

Avoid zero-sum thinking. If men think gender equity efforts will erode their opportunities or diminish their own power, they’ll disengage. Leaders should instead frame equity as essential to team and business success – and ground conversations in metrics that show how inclusion drives outcomes.

Know that the stakes may vary. Women may see gender equity as a matter of justice or even survival, and when stakes are existential, compromise can be difficult. At the same time, they may experience organizational progress toward gender equity as a personal win. Publicizing these changes and their mutually beneficial gains can help to create a more cohesive team where everyone can thrive.

Be aware that different clocks are ticking. Some men may view change as happening too quickly, destabilizing established norms. Women, on the other hand, may feel progress is too slow, given centuries of systemic inequity. Holding both views as worthy of respect requires teamwork. Encourage dialogue where the goal is mutual understanding rather than unity.

Building coalitions around shared experiences

Promote policies that benefit everyone. By promoting policies such as hybrid work and parental leave that benefit everyone, workplaces will attract and retain a more diverse workforce, which leads to greater innovation. Encourage men to take advantage of these policies and ensure your company culture makes it acceptable to do so. This enables men to actually experience the benefit of these initiatives. Align efforts around shared values – such as the desire for healthier families, better education or stronger economies.

Use both/and thinking. Supporting men who express fears about status loss can open space for dialogue. Provide that space. At the same time, acknowledge the ongoing struggles women continue to face and their fears about workplaces returning to “the way they used to be.” One viewpoint does not need to negate the other.

Prioritize lived experience. Rather than insisting that everyone see gender equity the same way, find ways for men to experience mutually beneficial initiatives. Then, encourage dialogue about experiences rather than ideas.

Bridge divides with dialogue

Mixed mentorship matters. Pairing employees with mentors of different backgrounds – across gender, race, age, department or seniority level – can help them cultivate curiosity and learn from one another.

Activate resource groups. Groups focused on cross-cultural engagement provide employees with a platform to discuss challenges, share experiences and collaborate on inclusion initiatives. Additionally, encouraging allies to participate in employee resource groups and business resource groups fosters increased openness and understanding. Leaders can support groups by providing resources, visibility and executive sponsorship.

Embrace discomfort. In general, people work to avoid feeling uncomfortable. However, discomfort is often necessary for growth. Starting with this premise and encouraging thoughtful, open and honest discussions about sensitive topics and potential fears can help foster transparency and build trust. Leaders can facilitate these conversations through town halls, roundtable discussions or dedicated dialogue sessions.

Progress depends not just on metrics and policies but on trust, communication and humility. When people feel seen and heard – whether they’re feeling empowered or uncertain – they’re more likely to engage.

In other words, the real opportunity isn’t to win an argument about whether gender equity is “done,” but to build organizations where everyone can see a future for themselves in the workplace – and feel as if they have a role in shaping it.

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

– ref. Leaders can promote gender equity without deepening polarization − here’s how – https://theconversation.com/leaders-can-promote-gender-equity-without-deepening-polarization-heres-how-254921

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Cutting HIV aid means undercutting US foreign and economic interests − Nigeria shows the human costs

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Kathryn Rhine, Associate Professor of General Internal Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus

A large number of children are born with HIV in Nigeria. Kristian Buus/Corbis News via Getty Images

A little over two decades ago, addressing Nigeria’s HIV crisis topped U.S. President George W. Bush’s priorities. Africa’s most populous nation had 3.5 million HIV cases, and the disease threatened to destabilize the region and ultimately compromise U.S. interests. These interests included securing access to Nigeria’s substantial oil reserves, maintaining regional military stability and protecting trade partnerships worth billions.

Following years of agitation from AIDS activists, Bush launched the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, or PEPFAR, in 2003. This U.S.-led HIV treatment program has since saved tens of millions of lives around the globe.

While living in Nigeria for my work as a medical anthropologist, I witnessed PEPFAR’s rollout and saw firsthand how the powerful therapies it provided transformed Nigerian lives. The women I worked with told me they could finally put aside the fears of death or abandonment that had consumed their days. Instead, they could focus on a newly expanded horizon of possibilities: building careers, finding love, having healthy children.

Now, however, a serious threat to preventing and treating HIV worldwide looms. The Trump administration’s decision to substantially restrict access to a vital HIV prevention tool – PEPFAR-funded preexposure prophylaxis, or PrEP – would cut off ongoing treatment for millions of people and block future access for countless others who need this protection.

The Trump administration aims to cut HIV prevention funding.

The timing is devastating: Scientists recently made a major advance in HIV prevention. Named the 2024 Breakthrough of the Year by the journal Science, the drug lenacapavir offers six months of HIV protection with one injection. Unlike previous PrEP options that required daily pills, which created significant barriers to consistent access and adherence, this twice-yearly injection dramatically simplifies prevention.

By undermining access to a treatment that has been essential to reducing HIV rates, the Trump administration’s new restrictions threaten to derail two decades of bipartisan investment in eliminating HIV globally. The consequences extend well beyond individual lives.

Afterlife of aid

“Some people that have it, they choose to be wicked and just spread it all around,” confided Elizabeth, a woman I interviewed during my time in Nigeria. I am using a pseudonym to protect her privacy. “They say, ‘Somebody gave it to me, so I am going to spread it too.’ But if they know that they can live positively with the virus, it would reduce their evil thoughts.”

Elizabeth’s words reveal a concerning dynamic: When hope for treatment disappears, a dangerous desperation can take its place. Patients who feel abandoned by health care systems might lose motivation to protect others from HIV. They may also stop seeking medical care, abandon prevention measures and turn away from future aid.

Cultural anthropologists use the phrase “the afterlife of aid” to describe what happens after global aid programs are withdrawn or drastically reduced. Communities are left not just without resources but with a lasting sense of betrayal that undermines their willingness to seek help, creating cycles of skepticism that can persist for generations.

Treatment as hope

In my fieldwork, I’ve witnessed how managing life with the virus involves far more than taking medications. It requires carefully navigating personal relationships, family obligations, cultural expectations and hopes for the future.

Many of the women I worked with had contracted HIV from their husbands or boyfriends. Some even suspected their partners’ positive status but were unable to protect themselves. Before these medications, women – both HIV positive and HIV negative – had to choose between risking rejection or risking transmission.

The welfare of entire families depends on access to HIV medication. Here, a woman who is the sole provider of several children takes antiretroviral treatment.
Saurabh Das/AP Photo

Elizabeth and David’s story illustrates these challenges. They had been together for more than a year when David proposed. “When I sensed he was serious about marriage, I knew I had to tell him my status,” Elizabeth told me during one of our many conversations. Though initially shocked, he remained committed to their relationship.

Elizabeth had maintained a decade of careful adherence to her HIV treatment, but the couple still struggled with consistent condom use. David described using condoms as akin to “eating candy with the wrapper still on it.” He also was eager to have a baby. While PrEP had greatly reduced transmission risk, it placed the full burden of protecting her husband on Elizabeth.

The path Elizabeth navigated highlights how Nigerian cultural expectations complicated their situation. When proving one’s fertility is often considered essential to establishing gender identity, the pressure to have sex without protection created additional tension. Moreover, Elizabeth’s need to balance her own health needs with her husband’s desires reflected the delicate negotiation many Nigerian women face between personal well-being and marriage.

As Elizabeth prepared for the birth of their child, she expressed both joy and anxiety: “I have to stay healthy for both of them now.”

Politicizing global health

Previous interruptions in aid foreshadow what’s at stake when shifts in U.S. political priorities compromise global health funding.

Consider the global spike in maternal and child mortality when President Ronald Reagan instituted the Mexico City Policy, often referred to as the “global gag rule.” It blocked U.S. funding to all international nongovernmental organizations that provided or even referred abortion services.

This policy has been repeatedly implemented by Republican administrations – including those of George H.W. Bush, George W. Bush and Donald Trump during his first term – and subsequently rescinded by Democratic presidents, creating a disruptive cycle of funding uncertainty. Among these affected organizations are recipients of PEPFAR funds.

The human cost of this policy pendulum is measurable and significant. Researchers have found that when this law is enacted, nations across the globe suffer increased death rates for newborns and mothers as well as jumps in HIV cases. In countries heavily dependent on U.S. aid, the Mexico City Policy has resulted in approximately 80 additional child deaths and nine additional maternal deaths per 100,000 live births annually and about one additional HIV infection per 10,000 uninfected people.

The Trump administration reinstated the global gag rule in 2017.
Erik McGregor/LightRocket via Getty Images

My research in Nigeria also reveals the fragile progress that now hangs in the balance. Before treatments arrived, HIV ravaged Nigerian communities. In 2001, nearly 6% of the population had HIV, totaling around 3.5 million people. The Hausa language reflected this trauma: Terms for AIDS also meant “lifeless body” and “nearby grave.”

Following the rollout of HIV treatments, Nigeria’s cases dropped dramatically – by 2010, prevalence had fallen to 4.1%. Declines continued steadily as treatment access expanded from 360,000 people in 2010 to over 1 million by 2018. This progress was heavily dependent on international support, with PEPFAR and other global donors providing over 80% of the US$6.2 billion spent fighting HIV in Nigeria between 2005 to 2018.

In 2019, around 1.3% of the population had HIV, or 1.9 million people.

From personal choice to global security

What’s at stake isn’t just increasing HIV rates. The Trump administration’s reductions in foreign aid threaten to unravel over two decades of U.S. investment in global security and economic growth.

Public health crises rarely stay contained within national boundaries. When health systems fail in West Africa, diseases can quickly spread overseas and require costly emergency responses. The 2014 Ebola outbreak demonstrated this reality, when cases reached America and prompted a $5.4 billion emergency response. Similarly, the 2009 H1N1 influenza pandemic, which infected around 60 million Americans, showed how quickly infectious diseases circle the globe when surveillance and containment systems are inadequate.

Inconsistent aid, in turn, undermines American global leadership and creates openings for competing powers to establish their influence. China has actively exploited these gaps, establishing bilateral trade with Africa reaching $295 billion in 2024. While the U.S. reduced its global health engagement during previous administrations, China expanded its global health diplomacy, partnering on issues ranging from infectious disease prevention and control to health emergency response and health technology innovation.

Meanwhile, restrictions in PrEP access risk recreating the same impossible choices women faced at the advent of the epidemic: choosing between disclosing their status and risking abandonment; accepting unprotected sex and risking transmission, or refusing unprotected sex and risking violence or loss of economic support.

I believe the result is a far less safe world where preventable suffering continues, hard-won progress unravels and the promise of an AIDS-free generation remains unfulfilled.

Kathryn Rhine has received funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities, the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, the Wenner Gren Foundation, the American Philosophical Society, the West African Research Association, the American Council of Learned Societies, Fulbright programs, the National Science Foundation, and the National Security Education Program. These views are her own and not those of her institution.

– ref. Cutting HIV aid means undercutting US foreign and economic interests − Nigeria shows the human costs – https://theconversation.com/cutting-hiv-aid-means-undercutting-us-foreign-and-economic-interests-nigeria-shows-the-human-costs-253705

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Space tourism’s growth blurs the line between scientific and symbolic achievement – a tourism scholar explains how

Source: The Conversation – USA – By Betsy Pudliner, Associate Professor of Hospitality and Technology Innovation, University of Wisconsin-Stout

Blue Origin’s NS-31 flight lifted off on April 14, 2025. Justin Hamel/Getty Images

On April 14, 2025, Blue Origin launched six women – Aisha Bowe, Amanda Nguyễn, Gayle King, Katy Perry, Kerianne Flynn and Lauren Sánchez – on a suborbital journey to the edge of space.

The headlines called it a historic moment for women in space. But as a tourism educator, I paused – not because I questioned their experience, but because I questioned the language. Were they astronauts or space tourists? The distinction matters – not just for accuracy, but for understanding how experience, symbolism and motivation shape travel today.

In tourism studies, my colleagues and I often ask what motivates travel and makes it a meaningful experience. These women crossed a boundary by leaving Earth’s surface. But they also stepped into a controversy about a symbolic one: the blurred line between astronaut and tourist, between scientific achievement and curated experience.

This flight wasn’t just about the altitude they flew to – it was about what it meant. As commercial space travel becomes more accessible to civilians, more people are joining spaceflights not as scientists or mission specialists, but as invited guests or paying participants. The line between astronaut and space tourist is becoming increasingly blurred.

Blue Origin’s NS-31 flight brought six women to the edge of space.

In my own work, I explore how travelers find meaning in the way their journeys are framed. A tourism studies perspective can help unpack how experiences like the Blue Origin flight are designed, marketed and ultimately understood by travelers and the tourism industry.

So, were these passengers astronauts? Not in the traditional sense. They weren’t selected through NASA’s rigorous training protocols, nor were they conducting research or exploration in orbit.

Instead, they belong to a new category: space tourists. These are participants in a crafted, symbolic journey that reflects how commercial spaceflight is redefining what it means to go to space.

Space tourism as a niche market

Space tourism has its origins in 1986 with the launch of the Mir space station, which later became the first orbital platform to host nonprofessional astronauts. In the 1990s and early 2000s, Mir and its successor, the International Space Station, welcomed a handful of privately funded civilian guests – most notably U.S. businessman Dennis Tito in 2001, often cited as the first space tourist.

Space tourism has since evolved into a niche market selling brief encounters to the edge of Earth’s atmosphere. While passengers on the NS-31 flight did not purchase their seats, the experience mirrors those sold by commercial space tourism providers such as Virgin Galactic.

Like other forms of niche tourism – wellness retreats, heritage trails or extreme adventures – space travel appeals to those drawn to novelty, exclusivity and status, regardless of whether they purchased the ticket.

These suborbital flights may last just minutes, but they offer something far more lasting: prestige, personal storytelling and the feeling of participating in something rare. Space tourism sells the experience of being somewhere few have visited, not the destination itself. For many, even a 10-minute flight can fulfill a deeply personal milestone.

Tourist motivation and space tourism’s evolution

The push-and-pull theory in tourism studies helps explain why people might want to pursue space travel. Push factors – internal desires such as curiosity, an urge to escape or an eagerness to gain fame – spark interest. Pull factors – external elements such as wishing to see the view of Earth from above or experience the sensation of weightlessness – enhance the appeal.

Space tourism taps into both. It’s fueled by the internal drive to do something extraordinary and the external attraction of a highly choreographed, emotional experience.

Participants in space tourism wear branded jumpsuits with the company’s logo, pose for photos and talk to the media about their experience.
AP Photo/Tony Gutierrez

These flights are often branded – not necessarily with flashy logos, but through storytelling and design choices that make the experience feel iconic. For example, while the New Shepard rocket the women traveled in doesn’t carry a separate emblem, it features the company’s name, Blue Origin, in bold letters along the side. Passengers wear personalized flight suits, pose for preflight photos and receive mission patches or certificates, all designed to echo the rituals of professional space missions.

What’s being sold is an “astronaut-for-a-day” experience: emotionally powerful, visually compelling and rich with symbolism. But under tourism classifications, these travelers are space tourists – participants in a curated, short-duration excursion.

Representation and marketing experience

The image from the Blue Origin flight of six women boarding a rocket was framed as a symbolic victory – a girl-power moment designed for visibility and celebration – but it was also carefully curated.

This wasn’t the first time women entered space. Since its inception, NASA has selected 61 women as astronaut candidates, many of them making groundbreaking contributions to space science and exploration. Sally Ride, Mae Jemison, Christina Koch and Jessica Meir not only entered space – they trained as astronauts and contributed significantly to science, engineering and long-duration missions. Their journeys marked historic achievements in space exploration rather than curated moments in tourism.

Recognizing their legacy is important as commercial spaceflight creates new kinds of unique, tailored experiences, ones shaped more by media performance than by scientific milestones.

The Blue Origin flight was not a scientific mission but rather was framed as a symbolic event. In tourism, companies, marketers and media outlets often create these performances to maximize their visibility. SpaceX has taken a similar approach with its Inspiration4 mission, turning a private orbital flight into a global media event complete with a Netflix documentary and emotional storytelling.

The Blue Origin flight sold a feeling of progress while blending the roles between astronaut and guest. For Blue Origin, the symbolic value was significant. By launching the first all-female crew into suborbital space, the company was able to claim a historic milestone – one that aligned them with inclusion – without the cost, complexity or risk associated with a scientific mission. In doing so, they generated enormous media attention.

Tourism education and media literacy

In today’s world, space travel is all about the story that gets told about the flight. From curated visuals to social media posts and press coverage, much of the experience’s meaning is shaped by marketing and media.

Understanding that process matters – not just for scholars or industry insiders, but for members of the public, who follow these trips through the narratives produced by the companies’ marketing teams and media outlets.

Another theory in tourism studies describes how destinations evolve over time – from exploration, to development, to mass adoption. Many forms of tourism begin in an exploration phase, accessible only to the wealthy or well connected. For example, the Grand Tour of Europe was once a rite of passage for aristocrats. Its legacy helped shape and develop modern travel.

As more people travel to a destination over time, it moves through the tourism area life cycle. During the early exploration phase, the destination has only a few tourists.
Coba56/Wikimedia Commons

Right now, space tourism is in the exploration stage. It’s expensive, exclusive and available only to a few. There’s limited infrastructure to support it, and companies are still experimenting with what the experience should look like. This isn’t mass tourism yet, it’s more like a high-profile playground for early adopters, drawing media attention and curiosity with every launch.

Advances in technology, economic shifts and changing cultural norms can increase access to unique destinations that start as out of bounds to a majority of tourists. Space tourism could be the next to evolve this way in the tourism industry. How it’s framed now – who gets to go, how the participants are labeled and how their stories are told – will set the tone moving forward. Understanding these trips helps people see how society packages and sells an inspirational experience long before most people can afford to join the journey.

Betsy Pudliner is affiliated with International Council of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Educators.

– ref. Space tourism’s growth blurs the line between scientific and symbolic achievement – a tourism scholar explains how – https://theconversation.com/space-tourisms-growth-blurs-the-line-between-scientific-and-symbolic-achievement-a-tourism-scholar-explains-how-255284

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Seven countries in Latin America where human rights are taking the biggest hit

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Nicolas Forsans, Professor of Management and Co-director of the Centre for Latin American & Caribbean Studies, University of Essex

Latin America is undergoing one of its most profound human rights crises in decades. The region’s civic space is shrinking rapidly, from mass surveillance and arbitrary arrests to political repression, enforced disappearances and impunity for state violence.

The 2025 State of the World’s Human Rights report, released by Amnesty International, lays bare the magnitude of the challenge. Seven countries – Haiti, Nicaragua, Venezuela, Mexico, Colombia, Cuba and El Salvador – are at the epicentre of this authoritarian surge.

Donald Trump’s return to the White House in January has only deepened the problem. In a separate report published in the same week, Amnesty argues that Trump’s nationalist rhetoric and policy reversals have emboldened strongman leaders. These have undercut international accountability and accelerated rights violations across the hemisphere.

Here are the countries where the assault on human rights is being felt most acutely.

Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences. Join The Conversation for free today.

1. Haiti

Nowhere has the collapse in human rights been more visible than in Haiti. By the end of 2024, more than 700,000 people – half of them children – had been internally displaced due to spiralling gang violence and state failure.

Criminal organisations routinely engaged in killings, sexual violence and attacks on hospitals and schools. A December 2024 massacre in Cité Soleil, a densely populated part of the Haitian capital Port-au-Prince, saw at least 207 people executed by the Wharf Jérémie gang.

The justice system has all but ceased to function. Meanwhile, deportations of Haitians from the US and neighbouring Dominican Republic has surged.

According to Amnesty, nearly 200,000 people were returned without due process in 2024 alone. Trump’s crackdown on migration, framed as necessary for border security, has accelerated these mass removals.

2. Nicaragua

Nicaragua’s president, Daniel Ortega, has refined authoritarianism into an efficient machine of repression. More than 5,000 civil society groups, private universities and media outlets have been closed since 2018. This included 1,500 from January to September 2024 alone.

Over 400 critics have been stripped of nationality since 2023 and dozens of journalists have been forcibly disappeared or jailed. The legal status of hundreds of evangelical groups has also been revoked.

In 2024, the government criminalised dissent to the point where entire sectors of civil society have vanished. Indigenous communities, meanwhile, faced displacement and armed attacks from pro-government militias, with little international response.

3. Venezuela

Venezuela remains mired in repression. A presidential election in July 2024, which was stolen by Nicolás Maduro, was followed by the arbitrary detention and torture of protesters – including children. Independent journalists were arrested and NGOs threatened with closure.

Many Venezuelans subsequently fled the country. Persecutions and despair at the election results saw 20,000 people migrate northwards through the jungle of the Darién Gap in September 2024 alone, a 70% increase on the previous month.

Read more:
Venezuela: Maduro’s declaration of victory isn’t fooling anyone

In reality, the numbers are probably much higher. A poll following the election indicated that 43% of those remaining in the country were considering emigrating, but official data has not been made available. More than 7.8 million citizens have left Venezuela over the past ten years, with around 28 million people still residing there.

In June 2023, the International Criminal Court resumed its investigation into the Maduro regime for alleged crimes against humanity. But Venezuela’s government continues to obstruct justice. With Trump’s administration disinterested in multilateral mechanisms, efforts to restore democracy face steeper odds.

4. Mexico

Mexico’s public security has become dangerously militarised. A constitutional amendment in September 2024, a few days before the end of the Andrés Manuel López Obrador administration, placed the National Guard under military control. This has enabled widespread abuses including extrajudicial killings. Nine human rights defenders and four journalists were killed in 2024 alone.

López Obrador’s administration undermined press freedom at home. It also failed to protect those seeking asylum. And with Trump back in office, deportations from the US to Mexico have increased. Returnees are often placed at risk of cartel violence and exploitation.

5. Colombia

Colombia suffered Latin America’s longest running insurgency, lasting over 50 years. Despite the country’s robust institutional frameworks, peace remains elusive. In 2024, over 195,000 people were forcibly confined by armed groups, and landmines continue to endanger more than 600,000 civilians.

Child recruitment, sexual violence and targeted killings of former combatants from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) rebel group have surged. Meanwhile, progress on implementing the 2016 peace accord remains slow.

Investigations into military-perpetrated extrajudicial killings are ongoing, but face budgetary constraints and political pushback. Trump’s withdrawal of US support for transitional justice mechanisms has further weakened international backing for Colombia’s fragile reconciliation efforts.

Read more:
Colombia’s fragile peace process in danger as guerrilla violence rises

6. Cuba

The Cuban authorities are continuing to suppress dissent through arbitrary arrests, enforced disappearances and censorship. Over 100 people were arrested for protesting in 2024, with many forced into self-incriminating video confessions. Independent media and activists were subject to constant surveillance and harassment.

Amid economic collapse, more than 18% of the population has fled the island in two years. These mass migrations often result in perilous journeys and widespread family separations. The economic crisis has been exacerbated by US sanctions reimposed and intensified under Trump.

7. El Salvador

President Nayib Bukele’s model of mass incarceration continues to attract global attention. Nearly 84,000 people have been arrested since 2022 under a state of emergency that suspends basic rights and legal guarantees.

Surveillance, arbitrary detentions and public humiliation of detainees have become routine. Trump’s vocal admiration of Bukele’s “tough on crime” stance has lent international legitimacy to this dangerous approach.

Read more:
Nayib Bukele: El Salvador’s strongman leader doing Donald Trump’s legwork abroad

Trump’s return to the White House has intensified human rights setbacks across Latin America. His withdrawal from human rights and climate agreements has emboldened authoritarian regimes to suppress dissent and accelerate policies to exploit resources without fear of US pressure or accountability.

Latin American migrants in the US have also faced a resurgence of mass deportations. Rhetoric portraying migrants as criminals has fuelled xenophobia and enabled sweeping immigration raids and policy rollbacks. Sanctuary cities like Chicago have been targeted and legal protections for undocumented residents eroded.

Latin America’s current trajectory suggests a drift not just toward repression, but a normalisation of state violence. While local resistance remains strong, particularly among grassroots activists and civil society, international solidarity has been weakened by geopolitical shifts.

The region risks cementing a new era of authoritarian resilience – one in which the defence of human rights is not just dangerous but futile.

Nicolas Forsans 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. Seven countries in Latin America where human rights are taking the biggest hit – https://theconversation.com/seven-countries-in-latin-america-where-human-rights-are-taking-the-biggest-hit-255782

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Tories get ghosted: new study shows dating app users are more likely to swipe right on Reform voters

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stuart J. Turnbull-Dugarte, Associate Professor in Quantitative Political Science, University of Southampton

The Conservative party is in existential crisis over the electoral threat posed by Reform UK. But a recent experiment shows that not only is the new rightwing party usurping the old guard in the polls – it’s also eclipsing the Tories on the dating market.

In recent local elections, Reform took control of ten councils in England, adding 677 councillors. The Conservatives, meanwhile, lost 674 councillors and control of 16 councils.

Over on the love market, a recent study I co-authored shows people were more likely to swipe right (“like” or indicate interest) for a Reform voter than a Tory. While Reform voters had a 39% chance of a match, Conservatives had 35%.

The parties of the left and centre had the highest match rates overall, with Labour supporters having a 52% chance of a match, Greens on 51% and Liberal Democrats on 49%.

Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

These results come from a behavioural experiment involving 2,000 people in Britain. We asked participants to evaluate online dating profiles to see how politics shapes a person’s chances of getting a match.

Participants were shown AI-generated dating profiles — over 20,000 in total — and asked to swipe left (“dislike”) or right (“like”). The profiles varied randomly across characteristics like looks, ethnicity, job, hobbies and, most importantly, political affiliation.

Some profiles expressed support for mainstream parties — Labour, Conservatives, Greens, Lib Dems as well as rightwing newcomer, Reform UK.

What really stood out in the experiment was how much dating preferences followed political lines. People weren’t necessarily put off by more extreme views – but they were more likely to reject someone from the opposite side of the political spectrum.

The politics of dating polarises. Conservative voters would rather date someone further to their right (Reform) and Labour voters would rather date someone further to their left (the Greens) than cross the Labour-Conservative divide in the centre.

While people tend to prefer partners who vote for the same party as them, they also prefer partners who belong to the same left and right “camp”.

You up? You Lib Dem?
Shutterstock/r.classen

Dating preferences were heavily split along the left-right divide, with leftwing voters 37% more likely to reject someone on the right than vice-versa. This explains, in part, why rightwing people are less popular on dating apps overall, compared with leftwing people.

Given that the population of dating app users tends to be younger (and therefore less rightwing), the politics penalty is skewed against rightwing folks. In effect, the “number of fish in the sea” willing to date them is smaller than the number they themselves are willing to date.

Men and women reacted largely in a similar way. There’s often talk of a gender divide in rightwing support – particularly among younger people. But we found no evidence that women were any more or less likely than men to swipe left on Reform UK supporters.

So, the Conservatives are not only at risk of electoral annihilation thanks to the Reform threat. They’re also denying their supporters dates. In a dating world shaped more by political alignment than ideological distance, the chances of success depend less on what someone believes — and more on which side they’re on.

Stuart J. Turnbull-Dugarte receives funding from the British Academy.

– ref. Tories get ghosted: new study shows dating app users are more likely to swipe right on Reform voters – https://theconversation.com/tories-get-ghosted-new-study-shows-dating-app-users-are-more-likely-to-swipe-right-on-reform-voters-256824

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: How aid cuts could make vulnerable communities even less resilient to climate change

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Kalle Hirvonen, Senior Research Fellow, International Food Policy Research Insitute; Research Fellow, UNU-WIDER, United Nations University

An irrigation project in Mozambique. Marcos Villalta / Save the Children, CC BY-NC-ND

As global temperatures rise and climate-related disasters become more frequent, the need to adapt is rapidly increasing. That need for adaptation – from adjusting farming practices to diversifying livelihoods and strengthening infrastructure – is most acute in vulnerable low- and middle-income countries such as Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Haiti and Vietnam.

Despite contributing a negligible share of historical global greenhouse gas emissions, these countries are facing the brunt of climate change. Yet as the demand for long-term resilience grows, international aid priorities are shifting in the opposite direction.

Over the past three years, several major rich countries have substantially cut their development aid budgets. Remaining funds have been redirected towards emergency relief.

This shift could undermine the climate finance commitments made by wealthy countries to mobilise US$300 billion (£228 billion) a year for climate action in the most vulnerable low- and middle-income countries by 2035.

Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

Emergency aid, while vital for saving lives during crises such as droughts and floods, is reactive by nature. It arrives only after disaster has struck, often with a substantial delay.

By contrast, climate adaptation is proactive. It focuses on anticipating future risks and helping communities prepare for changing environments.

A key part of this is supporting transitions away from sectors like crop agriculture that are particularly vulnerable to climate-related shocks. In some cases, adapting to a changing climate may also require helping families move safely — turning relocation into a choice rather than a last resort.

In Ethiopia, one of the world’s most drought-prone countries, a US government-funded food security programme aimed to strengthen resilience by offering livelihood training, organising savings groups and providing a US$200 lump sum to poor rural households. Research shows that this programme improved food security and protected assets during periods of drought.

Livestock farming in the Somali region of Ethiopia which was severely affected by droughts in 2011.
Malini Morzaria/EUECHO, CC BY-NC-ND

In Nicaragua, families who received cash transfers alongside vocational training or investment grants were better protected against drought shocks than those relying on cash alone. These households could supplement farming with other income sources. This made them less vulnerable to drought-related losses and helped stabilise their earnings throughout the year.

These schemes are known as “cash-plus programmes”. They help create the conditions for households to adapt and thrive. But when climate and environmental shocks overwhelm the resilience of local communities, relocation may still become the only viable option.

That’s why proactive adaptation efforts need to be scaled up and broadened — not only to meet immediate needs but to support longer-term transitions. This includes investing in sustainable livelihoods through diversified income sources, skills training and, when necessary, enabling safe and voluntary relocation.

Some pilot interventions that supported seasonal rural-to-urban migration have shown what’s possible. In Bangladesh, a small migration subsidy of just US$8.50 helped the participating poor farm households affected by seasonal famine cover travel costs.

Migration for temporary work increased by 22%, and families back home experienced improvements in food security. With even modest support, people were able to access job opportunities in cities and strengthen their resilience.

Programmes that make it easier for people to choose to move from rural areas to cities could help families move with dignity rather than in desperation. However, scaling up such initiatives successfully remains a challenge, requiring strong political commitment and effective governance.

Climate relocation

Without proactive planning and support, migration often happens out of necessity rather than choice. This kind of displacement typically occurs within national borders rather than across continents — contrary to popular narratives.

In fact, 59% of the world’s forcibly displaced population live within their own country. By the end of 2023, a record 75.9 million people across 116 countries were internally displaced — a 51% increase over the previous five years, driven in part by climate change.

A family leave their home in Oklahoma, US, as a result of the 1930s dust bowl disaster.
Dorothea Lange/Library of Congress, Farm Security Administration/Office of War Information.

History provides sobering lessons about relocation triggered by environmental collapse. In the 1930s, a severe drought and dust storms struck the Great Plains in the US, creating the “dust bowl”. This devastated farmland and forced millions of people to leave their homes, as economic hardship became widespread and the land so degraded that crops wouldn’t grow.

Today, similar patterns loom as droughts, floods and rising seas threaten livelihoods around the world. Small island states such as Tuvalu face existential threats from rising sea levels, with entire communities at risk of being displaced.

These mounting threats underscore a hard truth: the window for effective climate adaptation is rapidly closing. As climate disruptions intensify, the case for long-term investment in resilience has never been clearer. Without proactive adaptation, the cycle of crisis and response will only deepen.

Societies can adapt, but doing so takes foresight, investment and courage. In the face of escalating climate risks, bold, forward-looking policies are not a luxury — they are a necessity. By supporting longer-term strategies, rich-country governments and aid charities can enable vulnerable communities to withstand, adapt and, when necessary, move with dignity.

Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

Kalle Hirvonen’s recent and ongoing research has been funded by the CGIAR Trust Fund (https://www.cgiar.org/funders/), the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs of Finland.

Olli-Pekka Kuusela 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. How aid cuts could make vulnerable communities even less resilient to climate change – https://theconversation.com/how-aid-cuts-could-make-vulnerable-communities-even-less-resilient-to-climate-change-255358

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Moomin merchandise and fashion: 80 years of ultra-savvy marketing that taps into childhood nostalgia

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Kiera Vaclavik, Professor of Children’s Literature & Childhood Culture, Queen Mary University of London

On a visit to the British Library in London to research this piece, I was preceded by a woman with a lilac-coloured tote featuring a mischievous-looking girl with a severe top knot and black dress. I instantly recognised the distinctive outline of Tove Jansson’s Little My, one of the many brilliant characters of the Moominverse.

A committed researcher, I summoned up the courage to ask about the bag and the woman carrying it. Anna – visiting the library to work on her fairy tale novel – immediately told all about her hold-all. About how she felt a connection with “fiery and independent” Little My specifically and Moomins generally. About how they took her back to her Swedish childhood, when she would hand-knit the distinctive rotund creatures. I had clearly hit the jackpot with Anna – Moomin owner, wearer and maker, all in one.

Anna had bought the bag in Sweden, but you don’t have to go to the Scandinavian birthplace of the Moomins to buy into their world. Anna could have gone to the Moomin emporium 30 minutes’ walk away in Covent Garden, or just shopped online.

This is part of a series of articles celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Moomins. Want to celebrate their birthday with us? Join The Conversation and a group of experts on May 23 in Bradford for a screening of Moomins on the Riviera and a discussion of the refugee experience in Tove Jansson’s work. Click here for more information and tickets.

Today’s Moomin empire is vast and varied. The Moomins is a brand worth multi-millions, with 800 licencees worldwide. This 80th anniversary year will see capsule collections galore from the likes of Comme des Garçons, Acne Studios and Polarn O. Pyret.

The products span interior décor, clothing and accessories, ceramics and much, much more. Driven in part by the extension into media that includes video games and TV, Moomins can be found on everything from planes to pencils. It’s very possible to eat, sleep, wear, play Moomin – to immerse yourself entirely in the Moomin world.

It’s all very typical of the 21st-century media and entertainment asset landscape. And yet, as Moomin aficionados know full well, none of it is new. There has been Moomin merch for as long as there have been Moomins.

Their creator Tove Jansson took an active role in the development of the Moomin industry. Part of her training had been in illustrations for advertising and when the books and comic strips took off, she herself provided images for a drinks manufacturer selling themed whortleberry juice and other libations. Jansson also designed a board game and supported and oversaw the development of several products and lines, taking immense care over their quality and details.

The scale of the operation soon became overwhelming and Jansson became increasingly frustrated and resentful of the demands on her creative time. One of her characters, Snufkin, is bemused by why people “liked to have things” (Finn Family Moomintroll, 1948) and the books have a certain anti-consumerist bent. From this perspective, the vast Moomin industry today goes against the spirit of the works.

And yet. The same book in which Snufkin spoke this way is also a book (whose Finnish original title is The Hobgoblin’s Hat) full to the brim with … things. And those things are invested with immense fascination and power. As the Snork character points out “a top hat is always somewhat extraordinary, of course”.

Jansson herself had a strong impulse to work with others to extend and flesh out her creations, releasing them from the confines of the books. She was actively involved in early stage adaptations, crafting sets and costumes, and later became absorbed in the long-term creation of a Moominhouse diorama (and series of associated tableaux) with partner Tuulikki Pietilä and physician friend Pentti Eistola.

Making her creations tangible and tactile was clearly a huge draw for this sculptor’s daughter. One of the most striking features of the Moomins on paper is their smooth rotundity – they’re almost begging to be made into three dimensions.

So much for the creator. But what of Moomin consumers? People around the world have clearly long wanted to feel closer to the Moomin world, and to buy into it. But why? The reasons are both aesthetic and affective. As for the Swedish-born writer I encountered at the British Library, the Moomins are often keyed into the nostalgia and innocence of childhood. And, as with Anna’s sense of kinship with Little My, people often feel an instinctive affiliation with one or more of the Moomin’s vast and varied cast.

The books also encapsulate and convey a whole host of associations (or “values” in brand speak) which people identify with, want to share and display. Some of these are relatively banal (though fundamental) and apparent elsewhere – things like friendship, warmth, family and acceptance.

But there are also features quite specific to Moomins and to Jansson herself: a relish of life and sensuous experience, gender fluidity, space for both light and dark, for wanderlust and the joy of cocooning at home. All of this is conveyed in words and images of exceptional quality and distinction.

The whimsy is delivered with distinctive Scandinavian style and flair: a clean, pared-back aesthetic and sharp lines accompanied by a rich and bold colour palette. Who wouldn’t want to wear a hand-painted silk AALTO dress by Finnish designer Tuomas Merikoski that transposes the lush greens of one of the later Moomin books, The Dangerous Journey?

Eight decades after their first publication, Moomins continue to be highly covetable and to catalyse creativity. As with Anna’s Little My tote, they are set to accompany and assist many more generations of writers and creatives in their imaginative endeavours.

Kiera Vaclavik 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. Moomin merchandise and fashion: 80 years of ultra-savvy marketing that taps into childhood nostalgia – https://theconversation.com/moomin-merchandise-and-fashion-80-years-of-ultra-savvy-marketing-that-taps-into-childhood-nostalgia-256168

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Meeting after 45 years: 1980 graduates gathered for a gala evening at the State University of Management

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

On May 16, a meeting of 1980 graduates was held at the State University of Management, organized by a graduate of the State University of Management, Senator of the Russian Federation Vasily Golubev.

The vice-rector of the State University of Management, Artem Terpugov, gave a welcoming speech.

“I congratulate you on your 45th graduation anniversary. It is gratifying to see you again within the walls of the State University of Management after so many years. It is nice that so many people came. Thank you Vasily Yuryevich, who initiated this meeting. Your graduation came at a good time, you faced interesting challenges, and then – a difficult transition period. You are the ones who accepted the first challenge of the transition period in the economy and were able to turn it in the right direction, so that today our country is among the leaders of economic development,” noted Artem Evgenievich.

The initiator of the meeting, Vasily Golubev, also addressed his classmates.

“I often visit the university and see the changes that are taking place: the infrastructure is changing, classrooms are being modernized, new programs are appearing. And today, GUU occupies a worthy place among the country’s universities. The economy needs it, especially in an era of change, when specialists with new thinking and new approaches are needed. We ourselves were like that, and we remain like that,” Vasily Yuryevich shared.

The grand opening of the meeting was concluded by the adviser to the rector of the State University of Management, Sergei Chuev.

“We are meeting in the auditorium named after Olga Vasilyevna Kozlova, a legendary leader who was the rector of our university for 35 years, and it was she who built the new buildings. We perceive our graduates as part of the university. After all, a university is not only a building, departments, programs, but also people: teachers, employees, graduates, students. It is great that there is a friendly company, that you are gathering again at GUU in such a large group,” concluded Sergey Vladimirovich.

After that, the graduates went on a tour of the campus. Olga Kharlamova, Director of the Scientific Library of the State University of Management, spoke about the history of the State University of Management, which began in 1980, the founding and development of the library, as well as modern changes and the introduction of new technologies.

In addition, Vasily Golubev left his wishes for the university in a special book of reviews and suggestions from honorary graduates.

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 20, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Former Canberra diplomat Ali Kuzak dies on the way to Palestine

Ali Kazak: born Haifa, 1947; died May 17 2025, Thailand

By Helen Musa in Canberra

Former Palestinian diplomat and long-time Canberra identity Ali Kazak died on Saturday en route to Palestine.

Sources at the Canberra Islamic Centre report that he was recovering from heart surgery and died during a stopover in Thailand.

Kazak was born in Haifa in 1947 and grew up in Syria as a Palestinian refugee. He and his mother were separated from his father when Israel was created in 1948 and Kazak was only reunited with his father in 1993.

In 1968, while at Damascus University, Kazak had been invited to join the Palestine National Liberation Movement (Fateh) and joined its political wing.

He migrated to Australia in 1970 where he became the founder, publisher and co-editor of the Australian newspaper, Free Palestine, also authoring among many books, The Jerusalem Question and Australia and the Arabs.

Kazak was the driving force behind the establishment in 1981 of the Palestine Human Rights Campaign and was appointed by the PLO executive committee as the PLO’s representative to Australia, NZ and the Pacific region.

In 1982, he established the Palestine Information Office, which was recognised by the Australian government in 1989 as the office of the Palestine Liberation Organisation, and then further recognised in 1994 as the General Palestinian Delegation.

As Palestinian Ambassador, Kazak initiated the establishment of the NSW State and Australian Federal Parliamentary Friends of Palestine, as well as the Victorian, South Australian and NZ Parliamentary Friends of Palestine.

Always a passionate advocate, in 1986 he became the first person to call for adjudication by the Australian Press Council of stereotyped reporting of Palestinians.

After retiring from diplomacy, he became the managing director of the consultancy company Southern Link International, but continued to comment on Palestinian affairs and Gaza.

His most recent article was published in the Pearls and Irritations: John Menadue’s Public Policy journal on May 16, titled The third Nakba in Israel’s war of genocide: Why does the Albanese government shirk its responsibility?

Arrangements are being made to return his body from Thailand to Australia for internment.

Helen Musa is the Canberra City News arts editor. This article was first published by City News.

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

May 20, 2025
MIL-OSI: Duck Creek Technologies Announces Tyler Jones as Chief Marketing Officer

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

BOSTON, May 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Duck Creek Technologies, the global intelligent solutions provider defining the future of property and casualty (P&C) and general insurance, announces the appointment of Tyler Jones as Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). As CMO, Jones will be responsible for overseeing Duck Creek’s strategic marketing and branding efforts, driving the company’s global expansion and leadership as a provider of P&C insurance software and services.

“Tyler is a seasoned marketer and leader who understands how to deliver value to our customers and partner ecosystem,” said Mike Jackowski, Chief Executive Officer of Duck Creek Technologies. “He has a wealth of experience building and scaling world-class marketing organizations for cloud-based software companies. I am thrilled to welcome him to the Duck Creek team and look forward to working with him to accelerate our growth and expand our market leadership.”

With over two decades of experience at the intersection of technology, insurance, and customer experience, Tyler joins Duck Creek from CLARA Analytics, where he led growth initiatives and commercial partnership programs that drive the adoption of AI-powered solutions.

“I am honored and excited to join Duck Creek at this pivotal time in the insurance industry,” said Tyler Jones. “Duck Creek is a visionary company that is transforming the way insurers operate and serve their customers. I am impressed by the company’s culture, products, and customer-centric approach. I look forward to collaborating with the talented Duck Creek team and partners to amplify our brand, engage our audiences, and drive business outcomes.”

Tyler held pivotal roles at Kaiser Permanente and AIG, where he spearheaded large-scale digital transformations. At Kaiser Permanente, he led a $250 million multiyear overhaul of the revenue cycle and consumer medical billing systems. As Global Head of Data Strategy at AIG, he focused on leveraging data to inform strategic decisions and enhance customer experiences.

At CLARA Analytics, Tyler continued to drive customer-centric strategies, ensuring that clients achieved optimal value from the company’s AI platform. His leadership was instrumental in CLARA’s mission to deliver compelling ROI to customers within months of implementation.

Jones holds an undergraduate degree in marketing from the University of Utah and a Master of Business Administration from the UCLA Anderson School of Management.

About Duck Creek Technologies 
Duck Creek Technologies is the global intelligent solutions provider defining the future of the property and casualty (P&C) and general insurance industry. We are the platform upon which modern insurance systems are built, enabling the industry to capitalize on the power of the cloud to run agile, intelligent, and evergreen operations. Authenticity, purpose, and transparency are core to Duck Creek, and we believe insurance should be there for individuals and businesses when, where, and how they need it most. Our market-leading solutions are available on a standalone basis or as a full suite, and all are available via Duck Creek OnDemand. Visit www.duckcreek.com to learn more. Follow Duck Creek on our social channels for the latest information – LinkedIn and X.

Media Contacts: 
Marianne Dempsey/Tara Stred
duckcreek@threeringsinc.com 

The MIL Network –

May 20, 2025
MIL-OSI: Patriot Bank Expands Its Board and Senior Leadership Team
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)
- Richard Smith, Jeff Seabold and Thedora Nickel elected Directors.
- Paul Simmons appointed EVP, Chief Credit Officer
- Nicole L. Wells appointed SVP, Head of Operations
- Rebecca Mais appointed SVP, High Net Worth and Specialty Deposits
- Raquel Gillett appointed SVP, Digital Transformation and Risk Analytics
STAMFORD, Conn., May 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Patriot Bank, N.A. (“Patriot Bank”), the wholly owned subsidiary of Patriot National Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: PNBK), is pleased to announce the election of Richard Smith, Jeffrey Seabold and Thedora Nickel to serve on the Patriot Bank’s Board of Directors and the appointment of the following leaders to the management team:
- Paul Simmons as Executive Vice President, Chief Credit Officer
- Nicole L. Wells as Senior Vice President, Head of Operations
- Rebecca Mais as Senior Vice President, High Net Worth and Specialty Deposits
- Raquel Gillett as Senior Vice President, Digital Automation and Risk Analytics
These appointments strengthen Patriot Bank’s leadership team as the organization focuses on delivering exceptional banking services to high-net-worth clients and the fiduciaries who serve them.

“We are delighted to welcome Richard, Jeff, Teddy, Paul, Nicole, Rebecca, and Raquel to their new roles,” said Steven Sugarman, Chief Executive Officer of Patriot Bank. “Their collective expertise and vision will advance Patriot’s mission to empower our clients while delivering exceptional value to our shareholders.”

Richard Smith, Director

Richard Smith brings 40 years of banking expertise, specializing in private banking for high-net-worth individuals. Beginning his career as a banking analyst with Manufacturers Hanover in New York, he later held senior roles at Imperial Bank and Comerica Bank in Southern California. In 2005, Smith founded The Private Bank of California and served as its President. After its sale to Banc of California in 2012, he was named President of Banc of California’s Private Banking Division. Smith serves on the Board of CalPrivate Bank, the Zimmer Children’s Museum, and the Westside Food Bank in Los Angeles.

“It is a privilege to join Patriot Bank’s Board of Directors,” said Smith. “Patriot Bank’s commitment to serving high net worth clients and their advisors aligns with my passion for fostering strong client relationships.”

Jeffrey Seabold, Director

Jeff Seabold is an accomplished entrepreneur, investor, and executive leader with almost 30 years of experience in corporate strategy, business development, and executive management. He has a proven history in real estate finance and commercial banking.

Mr. Seabold is the Co-Founder and a Director of The Change Company CDFI LLC and Change Lending LLC, a certified Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI) focused on home lending. Previously, Mr. Seabold was the Co-Founder and Executive Vice Chairman of Banc of California, Inc., a publicly traded bank holding company and federally chartered national bank headquartered in Irvine, California. Seabold was also the Founder of CS Financial, Inc., a national mortgage finance company, Co-Founder for Camden Capital Partners, LLC, a bridge & mezzanine real estate lender and servicer, and the Founder of Camden Escrow, Inc., a real estate settlement services provider.

“I’m proud to join the Board of Directors at Patriot Bank and support its mission of delivering personalized, high-quality banking solutions,” said Seabold. “Throughout my career, I have seen the value of building lasting relationships based on trust, service, and understanding. I look forward to contributing my experience to help Patriot Bank deepen its connection with clients and to build a trusted financial partner for our clients.”

Thedora Nickel, Director

Thedora Nickel has over 30 years of banking leadership experience, with deep expertise in domestic and international operations, client service, and organizational transformation. She currently serves as Executive Director of The Change Company and Change Lending. Prior to this role, Nickel was Chief Administrative Officer at Banc of California where she led the strategic direction of key enterprise and operational functions. She previously held several senior leadership positions at Bank of America over a 25-year career, most recently as SVP, Group Operations Executive, overseeing national research, resolution, and reconcilement functions in support of the bank’s bank centers, capture sites, and cash vaults. Earlier, she led the Transaction Services West Region with responsibility for over two thousand employees and five processing units. A certified Six Sigma Executive, Nickel also dedicates her time mentoring MBA students at the University of California, Irvine and serves on the board of The Whole Child, a non-profit organization serving vulnerable families in Los Angeles County.

“I’m honored to join Patriot Bank’s Board of Directors,” said Nickel. “With my experience driving operational excellence and delivering client-focused solutions, I look forward to helping the organization build a strong foundation for sustainable growth.”

Paul Simmons, Executive Vice President, Chief Credit Officer

Paul Simmons is a seasoned banking executive with over 35 years of experience in commercial lending, credit, and financial services. Prior to joining Patriot Bank, Mr. Simmons served as Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer of Sunwest Bank, Silvergate Bank and Banc of California. He has overseen all aspects of credit administration, asset quality, and lending operations. He also held senior leadership positions at Citigroup, GE Capital, Apollo Real Estate Advisors, and Zions Bancorporation. A graduate of Brigham Young University, Simmons is recognized for his strategic acumen and breadth of experience.

“I’m honored to join Patriot Bank as its Chief Credit Officer,” said Simmons. “Over my career, I have been fortunate to lead credit organizations at banks of all sizes — always with a focus on building strong credit cultures, managing risk with discipline, and partnering with lending teams to drive smart, sustainable growth. I am excited to be a part of this high-performing executive team to bring that same approach to Patriot Bank and to contribute to Patriot Bank’s turnaround focused on serving our clients with excellence.”

Nicole L. Wells, Senior Vice President, Head of Operations

With over 30 years of experience in banking and financial services, Nicole L. Wells joins Patriot Bank as its Senior Vice President and Head of Operations. She served as Head of Strategic Retail Operations at Santander Bank, N.A. in Greater Boston, a role she started in September 2020. Previously, Ms. Wells served as SVP, Private Banking Operations at Banc of California. Wells also held roles at Bank of America, Countrywide Bank, Western Federal Credit Union, and Citibank. Wells holds an M.P.A. in Public Administration with a focus on Organizational Leadership from California State University-Dominguez Hills and completed the Executive Education Program at Columbia Business School.

“I am delighted to join Patriot Bank and lead its bank operations,” said Wells. “My experience in driving strategic business enablement, simplification, and process excellence will support the Bank’s commitment to delivering seamless, client-focused services.”

Rebecca Mais, Senior Vice President, High Net Worth and Specialty Deposits

Rebecca Mais joins Patriot Bank as its Senior Vice President, High Net Worth and Specialty Deposits. Ms. Mais, bringing over 17 years of experience, leading Private Banking and Non-Profit divisions. Previously, she held leadership roles at Banc of California, Bank of Hope and Commerce Bank, where she specialized in market expansion and developing customized deposit solutions for high-net-worth individuals, centers-of-influence, and specialized sectors, including real estate, entertainment, Institutional Banking, Non-Profits, RIA and Business Management Services. Mais is passionately committed to the families and communities we serve and is the Board Secretary of the Westside Food Bank Non-Profit. She is a highly engaged, results-driven, and client-centric leader who is recognized for her ability to drive deposit growth and foster long-term client relationships. Mais holds an Executive M.B.A. from Pepperdine University’s Graziadio School of Business and a B.S. in Business Administration/Fashion Merchandising from Philadelphia University.

“It’s a privilege to work with such an incredible team to deliver tailored financial solutions that meet the unique needs of our remarkable clients,” said Mais. “I look forward to building Patriot into a client-focused bank able to empower the communities we serve.”

Raquel Gillett, Senior Vice President, Digital Transformation and Risk Analytics

Raquel Gillett joins Patriot Bank as its Senior Vice President of Digital Transformation and Risk Analytics, bringing over 20 years of experience in banking and financial services. Previously, she served in senior roles at The Change Company, COR Clearing, Banc of California, California National Bank, and Southern Pacific. She has led technology-driven process improvements as well as overseen financial controls. Ms. Gillett is highly experienced implementing innovative digital risk and reporting solutions, integrating systems, and optimizing reporting frameworks.

“I am thrilled to join Patriot Bank to lead its digital transformation, leveraging technology to empower our bankers to serve our clients safely and with operational excellence. Strengthening our risk analytics will allow Patriot to pursue our mission and vision safely and soundly,” Gillett said.

For more information about Patriot Bank, please visit www.bankpatriot.com.

Media Contact:

Kirsten Hoekman
Patriot Bank, N.A.
Phone: (203) 252-5905
Email: khoekman@bankpatriot.com

The MIL Network –
May 20, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Wolverhampton Green Innovation Corridor opportunities on show at UKREiiF

Source: City of Wolverhampton

Delegates will be told about options to be part of the corridor – as a partner, developer, owner occupier or to secure future tenants.

City of Wolverhampton Council and the University of Wolverhampton are particularly keen to hear from parties interested in joining them in a partnership to redevelop all or part of the corridor, to attract major investment and curate a distinctive innovation district.

GIC connects key assets at the University of Wolverhampton’s Springfield Campus, Science Park, and the i54 advanced manufacturing business park – the country’s most successful Enterprise Zone.

It is poised to revolutionise sustainable manufacturing through cutting edge technologies in additive materials, green construction and green computing. It will leverage Wolverhampton and the West Midlands’ internationally recognised advanced manufacturing strengths – particularly in automotive, aerospace and related sectors.

GIC will provide transformational learning and upskilling opportunities for the people of Wolverhampton, creating pathways to high value jobs and strengthening the talent pool. It will also foster a dynamic, diverse ecosystem of innovation led businesses and entrepreneurs, creating a magnet for investors and the brightest talent.

The scheme has already secured £27 million funding from UK Government and has attained West Midlands Investment Zone status, helping unlock transformational capital funding, business support and skills programmes.

GIC will deliver access to internationally recognised research and expertise across green construction, green engineering and green computing and cybersecurity; space and facilities for every stage of business growth, co-location and community; and a drive on green skills.

Councillor Chris Burden, the council’s Cabinet Member for City Development, Jobs and Skills, said: “Considerable work has been undertaken to develop the GIC proposition and case for investment.

“The scheme already has a clear sense of direction and ambition and joining us at this stage provides ample opportunity to further shape the scheme and its offer to future occupiers.

“The council and university have an extensive track record of working together with developers and investors to deliver transformative regeneration projects and we are already in active discussions with businesses seeking to locate at GIC and be part of a community of innovators.”

Professor Prashant Pillai MBE, University of Wolverhampton, Pro Vice-Chancellor for Research and Knowledge Exchange, said: “Through the Green Innovation Corridor we’re aiming to establish a world leading, research driven innovation district – not just for Wolverhampton, but regionally, nationally, and globally.

“This will be a district where the public and private sectors, alongside academia, collaborate to create a dynamic ecosystem of innovation.

“The university has been looking at research around green engineering, green construction for the best part of 20 years and we can use that expertise to help businesses grow through innovation.”

More information about the Green Innovation Corridor opportunities is available at Invest.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

May 20, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Introducing The Conversation and the BBC’s Secrets of the Sea – my journey to meet six marine scientists pioneering ocean solutions

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Anna Turns, Senior Environment Editor

Senior environment editor Anna Turns with BBC radio producer Jo Loosemore CC BY-NC-ND

After a long drive to Godrevy lighthouse near St Ives in Cornwall, the wind is blowing and the waves are crashing. I’m here with BBC radio producer Jo Loosemore, on a roadtrip to meet some of the marine scientists researching how ocean health is vital to our future.

As we squeeze between crevices in the cliffs to shelter from the elements at Godrevy beach, I interview Ed Gasson, a glaciologist at the University of Exeter. His story is full of surprises.

Jo Loosemore with Anna Turns on Godrevy beach.
Ed Gasson, CC BY-NC-ND

This corner of north Cornwall is one I have visited many times, usually on bright, sunny days during weekend getaways or family holidays. I’ve gazed at the lighthouse, enjoyed spotting seals on the rocks beneath, and sat with both icecream and binoculars in hand on the benches by the coast path.

But I had never looked closely at these cliffs below, until now. And I could never have guessed that this coastline had any connections to the ice age, the Antarctic or sea-level rise.

In a collaboration between The Conversation and BBC South West, Secrets of the Sea is a new series that showcases local stories with global significance. World experts based across Devon and Cornwall are at the forefront of marine research into seaweeds and seagrass, seabed restoration and offshore shellfish farming.

Prepping to record inside the National Maritime Museum of Cornwall.
Jo Loosemore, CC BY-NC-ND

From the rocky foreshore in Torquay to the mussel-covered pontoons of Plymouth harbour, I’ve been speaking to scientists about their work, their passions and the potential for our oceans to hold the key to climate resilience. Healthier seas mean our planet will be much better able to weather the stormy seas of the climate crisis.

Each of the six radio programmes and accompanying articles delves into a different aspect of our oceans. Through 19th-century archives, in tiny test tubes on a lab bench, or inside a walk-in fridge full of marine fungi, this series explores creative ways to study ocean health. So, join me on BBC Sounds and here at The Conversation to go beneath the waves with a sense of wonder – and optimism.

Listen to a mini-series of four short episodes on BBC Radio Devon from May 20-23 here. The full six-part series will air weekly from May 23 at 8.30pm on BBC Radio Devon and BBC Radio Cornwall.

Local science, global stories.

In collaboration with the BBC, Anna Turns travels around the West Country coastline to meet ocean experts making exciting discoveries beneath the waves.

This article is part of a series, Secrets of the Sea, exploring how marine scientists are developing climate solutions.

– ref. Introducing The Conversation and the BBC’s Secrets of the Sea – my journey to meet six marine scientists pioneering ocean solutions – https://theconversation.com/introducing-the-conversation-and-the-bbcs-secrets-of-the-sea-my-journey-to-meet-six-marine-scientists-pioneering-ocean-solutions-249981

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

May 19, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert comments on prostate cancer – symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

May 19, 2025

Scientists comment on the symptoms, diagnosis and treatment of prostate cancer, following Joe Biden’s diagnosis.

Ben Lamb, Consultant Urological and Robotic Surgeon, Barts Health and UCLH NHS Trusts, and Clinical Senior Lecturer, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), said:

“Most prostate cancer (around 4/5) in the UK is diagnosed before it is metastatic, with 1/5 diagnosed with metastatic disease. There is regional variation with the highest rates of diagnosis of metastatic disease in parts of Scotland, and the lowest in London and southeast of England. Late stage cancer can also include stage 3, where the cancer has broken out of the prostate, but not yet spread to other organs. Late diagnosis is linked to deprivation, ethnicity and older men.

“Diagnosis for most men is triggered by urinary symptoms causing them to seek help from their GP. In later stage disease, some men may have symptoms from metastatic disease, such as fatigue, bone pain or weight loss. Lymph node spread can cause blockage of the kidneys with renal failure and leg swelling. If the prostate tumour is large, it can cause bladder symptoms, though in most men in general, these are from benign enlargement of the prostate as men age.

“To diagnose, GPs will usually undertake a PSA test and refer to hospital care if it is elevated. Many men then get an MRI scan and if suspicious, they are recommended to have a prostate biopsy. Some men, particularly those with suspicion of metastatic disease may need other scans such as a bone scan, CT scan or PET scan to stage the disease (understand if there is spread from the prostate).

“An aggressive cancer means it is more likely to develop and spread, more likely to need treatment, and less likely to be cured by treatment.

“The Gleason score is a grading score given by pathologists to prostate biopsy samples under the microscope. It is strongly liked to the ‘aggressiveness’ of the cancer and the chance of dying of prostate cancer. The lowest score is 6 and the highest 10. We have recently shifted to using the ISUP grade group scoring, which goes from 1-5, and is easier to understand. Gleason 9 translates to ISUP grade group 5.

“Metastatic prostate cancer is primarily treated with hormone therapy. Prostate cancer depends on testosterone to grow, and by blocking testosterone production and action, the cancer can be effectively treated but not cured. Additional modern hormone drugs (known as ARTA’s) are given in addition, and these are known to prolong survival. Chemotherapy can also be given.”

Declared interests

None received.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

May 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: NSU Humanitarian Institute teacher Natalia Kirillovna Timofeeva has passed away

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

Relatives, friends, colleagues and students mourn the death of one of the oldest teachers Humanitarian Institute Candidate of Historical Sciences, Associate Professor Natalia Kirillovna Timofeeva (09.20.1944 – 05.17.2025).

A student of the famous Etruscan scholar A.I. Nemirovsky, she graduated from the history department of the humanities faculty of NSU in 1968, from 1974 she worked in the department of general history, and from 2008 – in the department of ancient literatures and literary source studies.

Colleagues and students remember Natalia Kirillovna as an extremely erudite specialist, a very modest and kind person, and a wonderful lecturer who knew how to ignite and inspire her listeners. She was at the origins of the specialization in Italian language and culture, which was carried out at NSU for many years.

Natalia Kirillovna did a lot to popularize scientific knowledge in the form of special courses and open lectures, taught classes at the Orthodox Gymnasium in the name of St. Sergius of Radonezh. Historians, philologists and journalists attended her courses in Italian and Latin, history and literature, culture and art of Ancient Greece, Ancient Rome and Byzantium, the European Renaissance.

The memory of all who knew Natalya Kirillovna will forever remain the charm of her deep mind and the human warmth that she radiated.

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: We are expecting a hot semi-final of the KVN League of the State University of Management

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

On May 23, 2025, the semi-final of the GUU KVN League will be held in the Assembly Hall of the State University of Management.

Attention! Enough sadness and worries! The KVN GUU League cancels fatigue and extends the May holidays with a hot semi-final game.

We will find out the finalists of the season very soon! The teams will show three competitions at once for the first time, so we guarantee it will be interesting and funny.

The following teams will take part in the semi-final: “TechnoBOBR”, MPEI; “What you need”, GUU; “Minimum”, State University of Medicine, Moscow Aviation Institute; “Fildepers”, State University of Ukraine; “Office”, State University of Management; “I don’t remember”, GUU; “Arcade”, MISiS, Moscow State Pedagogical University; “Grandmothers”, RSU named after. A.N. Kosygina; “Syrbor”, State University of Medicine.

The game will take place on May 23 at 18:30 in the Assembly Hall of the State University of Management (Ryazansky Prospekt, 99, bldg. 5).

Guests of the State University of Management must register using a short form.

We’re waiting for everyone on Friday evening!

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 19, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Cutting edge sustainable tech: the Servita supplier story

Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Case study

Cutting edge sustainable tech: the Servita supplier story

Servita specialises in helping organisations transform so they can thrive at the forefront of science and technology.

When Servita set up in the UK in 2016, it had a team of around 30. Now it’s 180 and counting.

Servita specialises in helping organisations transform through technology so they can overcome entrenched ways of working and operations.

UK managing director Rich Story said: “Keeping ourselves and our customers at the forefront of science and technology, whilst remembering it is people that remain at the centre of transformation, is our modus operandi.”

Servita’s key capabilities including user-centred design, where the company has strong links to the Government Digital Service, and expertise in advanced, highly secure, high performance and sustainable cloud-hosted solutions. Sustainable cloud and carbon net zero are part of Servita’s core technical architecture principles.

Artificial intelligence, machine learning and natural language processing are also strong competencies and people in the team have published research papers with Harvard University on natural language and semantic programming.

Servita has been active in the Vivace community since 2020.

Explaining what attracted the company to the Accelerated Capability Environment (ACE), Story said: “A community of suppliers that gets access to novel problems at the heart of government, facilitated by an organisation that seeks to create an environment to innovate whilst keeping a firm eye on time, cost and outcomes – it really chimed with us.”

One early major project was working as part of the ACE core team on the UK government’s Covid response, helping drive an innovation agenda as part of strategic objectives. Story said: “Despite the backdrop it was one of the best things I’ve been part of during my career.”

For a health commission, Servita delivered a digital tool capable of measuring and reporting digital deficit, so an organisation could understand where it stands digitally in relation to industry standards, and how much it would cost to get to where it needs to be.

Servita also remains an integral part of ACE’s wider NHS work, where it built and currently maintains a national data information exchange that links all of the secondary care landscape in England to the NHS App.

Story said: “We love the efficiency in tendering and speed to impact for delivery. ACE looks to deliver outcomes in 12-15 weeks which is good for government and the taxpayer.

“Most of all we love the types of projects ACE give us access to. As a business it’s led to us having some of our best case references and it’s critical for us to be able to give our staff access to projects that really make a difference as it gives us an identity and sense of pride.”

He added: “Our mission statement is to keep ourselves and our partners at the cutting edge of science and technology with a focus on sustainable solutions for good and delivery excellence.

“I can honestly say that ACE and Vivace have enabled us to stay true to this by virtue of the novel and important problem spaces that they give us access to. ACE has introduced us to new customers and also to other like-minded suppliers that we have forged valuable relationships with.

“These things have all been significant in shaping our business.”

Updates to this page

Published 19 May 2025

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

May 19, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Are artificial sweeteners okay for our health?

Source: Anglia Ruskin University

By Havovi Chichger and Caray A Walker, Anglia Ruskin University

Artificial sweeteners are being added to a growing number of foods to reduce their sugar content while maintaining their appealing taste. But a growing body of research suggests these non-nutritive sweeteners may not always be a healthier and safer option. So what is our best option if we want to enjoy sweet-tasting foods without the harms of eating sugar?

Artificial sweeteners were originally developed as chemicals to stimulate our sweet-taste sensing pathway. Like sugar molecules, these sweeteners act directly on our taste sensors in the mouth. They do this by sending a nerve signal to the body that a high-carbohydrate food source has been consumed – telling the body to break it down to use for energy.

In the case of sugar consumption, this also stimulates our dopaminergic system. This is the part of the brain responsible for motivation and reward, linked to sugar cravings. From an evolutionary perspective, this means we’re hardwired to seek out high-sugar food for a source of energy and to ensure our survival. However, excessive consumption of sugar is well known to lead to health problems, such as metabolic disruption which can cause obesity and diabetes.

Similarly, when artificial sweeteners, rather than sugar, cause this stimulation, there’s increasing evidence of similar metabolic imbalances. This happens despite the fact that artificial sweeteners do not seem to stimulate the dopamine system.

Indeed, a study published earlier this year showed that within two hours of consuming sucralose (an amount equivalent to the sugar in two cans of soft drink), participants exhibited increased physiological hunger responses. The research measured blood flow to the hypothalamus, the region of our brain responsible for appetite control. They found that sucralose increased blood flow to this area of the brain.

Studies have also shown that sweeteners can stimulate the same neurons as the appetite hormone, leptin. Over time, this could cause our hunger threshold to increase – meaning we need to eat more food to feel full. This suggests that consuming artificial sweeteners makes us more hungry, which could ultimately make us consume more calories.

And it doesn’t stop with feeling hungrier. A large study, which was conducted over 20 years, found a link between sweetener consumption and greater accumulation of body fat. Interestingly, the study found that people who regularly consumed large amounts of sweeteners (equivalent to three or four cans of diet soda per day) had a nearly 70% greater incidence of obesity compared to those who consumed minimal amounts of artificial sweeteners (equivalent to half a can of diet soda per day).

The study also considered this response to be independent of the amount of calories the participants consumed each day. To verify this, they reviewed food questionnaires to assess self-reported dietary intake. While self-reported consumption can have discrepancies, the study also used a coding nutrition data system to verify dietary intake. The results indicate that artificial sweeteners may be making us more likely to form fat in our body – regardless of what we’re consuming alongside the artificial sweeteners.

A study published earlier this month also found that daily consumption of artificially sweetened drinks positively correlated with the incidence of type 2 diabetes. But given these drinks contain a range of additives – including acidifiers, dyes, emulsifiers and sweeteners – it’s uncertain if this link can be entirely attributed to artificial sweeteners.

What you need to know

So is it time to give up sweeteners completely? Maybe not. There are many studies showing that short-term substitution of sugar with artificial sweeteners reduces body weight and body fat.

Numerous studies have also shown that artificial sweetener consumption has no association with the development of diabetes or even with indicators of diabetes, such as fasting glucose or insulin levels. However, many of these studies were performed over relatively short time periods (up to 12 months) and only compared people consuming artificial sweeteners versus sugar. This makes it hugely confusing for all of us to know what we should do.

To address this, earlier this month, the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN), which advises the UK government on nutrition, released a position statement on the use of non-sugar sweeteners. This was in response to the World Health Organization, which suggested that sweeteners shouldn’t be used as a means of weight control due to their low-level association with risk of developing obesity and type 2 diabetes.

The SACN similarly concluded that non-sugar sweetener intake be minimised, especially for children. But they also stated that intake of sugars in general needs to be reduced. This is really at the heart of the issue. Artificial sweeteners may have significant negative health impacts, but are they as bad for us as sugar? The overwhelming literature on the negatives of excess sugar consumption currently suggests no – but our understanding of artificial sweeteners is still not as extensive as that for sugar.

We need more research on artificial sweeteners to better understand their effects. Work is currently ongoing to collate a database of all clinical trials investigating sweetener use. This will allow us to better understand the sweetener research landscape and highlight areas where more work is needed.

Until then, what should we do if we have a sweet-tooth? Unfortunately, like everything with nutrition, it’s best to only consume artificial sweeteners in moderation.

There are no clear guidelines on the amounts of sweeteners we should or shouldn’t be consuming yet. But one of the guidelines from the recent SACN review is that the industry clearly label the amount of artificial sweeteners in food and drink. So hopefully it will be easier for us to make these choices in the future.

Havovi Chichger, Professor, Biomedical Science, Anglia Ruskin University and Caray A Walker, Senior Lecturer in Microbiology, Anglia Ruskin University

This article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The opinions expressed in VIEWPOINT articles are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the views of ARU.

If you wish to republish this article, please follow these guidelines: https://theconversation.com/uk/republishing-guidelines

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

May 19, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Mayor Welcomes The Worshipful Company of Educators to City for Engagement on Regional Growth and Edu

Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

Mayor Welcomes The Worshipful Company of Educators to City for Engagement on Regional Growth and Edu

19 May 2025

The Mayor of Derry City and Strabane District Council welcomed The Worshipful Company of Educators into the Guildhall for a special meeting as part of their weekend-long trip to the city.

The delegation of 36 from The Worshipful Company of Educators visited the city region, stopping off at The Guildhall for a meeting with Mayor Lilian Seenoi-Barr on Friday evening, hearing all about the city and district and enjoying a tour of the Guildhall’s various exhibitions.

Mayor Barr said she was delighted to welcome the group and hoped they enjoyed their overall trip to the city and wider North-West Region.

“It was fantastic to meet with The Worshipful Company of Educators and hear all about the work they do, and advocate for. It gave us an amazing opportunity to create connections with the group and raise awareness of all the amazing projects and programmes that are going on in this part of the world. It was also great to highlight the transformative work that is ongoing within the city and increase our own profile on a wider scale.”

Catherine McGuiness CBE, Master, Worshipful Company of Educators stated, “I’m delighted to be back in Derry, and to bring a delegation from the Educators to see some of the exciting educational and cultural initiatives in the city, hear plans for the future, and visit some of the amazing local sights. As ever, we’ve received a very warm welcome and feel honoured to have been greeted by the mayor”

During their time in the city, the delegation visited Foyle College, Ulster University and The Playhouse Theatre. The aim of the visit was to learn more about the City Region Growth Deal projects, the North West Tertiary Education Cluster (NWTEC) and the work the Playhouse is doing to deliver creative, innovative, and accessible arts, education and peacebuilding programmes that enrich the lives of many people within the city and district.

The Worshipful Company of Educators is the 109^th livery company of the City of London. Established to raise awareness of and promote the education profession, the Company upholds standards of excellence and integrity within the field. Its membership comprises professionals from all sectors of education, including teachers, trainers, and administrators, providing a forum for members to discuss and exchange views on matters of topical interest.

MIL OSI United Kingdom –

May 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Delegation of Norilsk Nickel’s Polar Transport Branch visited Polytech

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

A delegation from Norilsk Nickel’s Polar Transport Branch visited Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University to discuss cooperation with the Advanced Engineering School of SPbPU “Digital Engineering” and to get acquainted with the competencies of the Higher School of Industrial Management of the Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade of SPbPU.

The Norilsk Nickel Polar Transport Branch (the successor to the Dudinka Sea Port) is the main regional transport hub, providing for the vital functions of the entire Taimyr Dolgano-Nenets and Norilsk industrial regions. The branch processes 95% of all incoming cargo for the Norilsk Nickel Group of Companies and consumers on the Taimyr Peninsula, and ships its finished products to ships bound for ports in Russia and around the world. The port’s cargo turnover is about four million tons.

Vice-Rector for Digital Transformation of SPbPU, Head of the Advanced Engineering School of SPbPU “Digital Engineering” Alexey Borovkov told the guests aboutestablished interaction with the Norilsk Nickel group of companies. Deputy Director for Improvement and Development of Production Activities of the Polar Transport Branch of Norilsk Nickel Sergey Lyashenko gave a presentation of the branch, presenting the main areas of its work and infrastructure.

Sergey Lyashenko outlined potential areas of cooperation with the Advanced Engineering School of SPbPU “Digital Engineering” based on the tasks and challenges facing the Polar Transport Branch of Norilsk Nickel in the context of the development of the Northern Sea Route by the Norilsk Nickel group of companies and the corresponding increase in port cargo turnover. Among the key tasks, he noted the use of technologies to increase labor productivity and optimize the transfer of operational data to ensure the smooth operation of equipment along the entire port line, taking into account temperature restrictions and terrain. The guest also spoke about the existing barriers to the digitalization of the branch’s activities and the experience of overcoming them.

Sergey Vladimirovich emphasized the interest in the competencies of the SPbPU PISh in the field of mathematical and computer modeling to solve the problems of automating all processes of the activities of the Polar Transport Branch of Norilsk Nickel, taking into account different scenarios and the state of technological equipment.

We are interested in establishing cooperation with an authoritative scientific center represented by the Advanced Engineering School of the Polytechnic University, which has experience and knowledge in the field of advanced digital and production technologies, including big data management, mathematical and computer modeling, and can ensure the formation of correct data that we can use to justify certain management decisions, analyze the effectiveness of selected approaches and measures, as well as medium-term and long-term planning, said Sergey Kolesnik, Deputy Director for Commercial Activities of Norilsk Nickel’s Polar Transport Branch.

Then the meeting participants discussed the vision of the final result of the interaction in the context of building visual analytics for production automation and data management on the state of the branch’s technological infrastructure, and also considered the predicted economic effect of the cooperation. Speaking about lost profits and ways to reduce the economic risks of enterprises, SPbPU Vice-Rector for Digital Transformation Alexey Borovkov gave an example of the work of SPbPU PISh specialists for the Gazprom Pererabotka Blagoveshchensk company following the accident at the Amur Gas Processing Plant on January 5, 2022.

Every day of the plant’s downtime after the accident brought multimillion-dollar losses to Gazprom. Employees of the SPbPU PISh were involved in the accident investigation, and they prepared a scientific and technical report on its causes. This work not only made a significant contribution to the development of the fuel and energy complex of Russia in terms of preventing similar emergencies at high-tech facilities in the industry, but also proved that the use of advanced digital and production technologies has a positive economic effect, reducing the risk of accidents and preventing lost profits and costs of enterprises, – noted Alexey Ivanovich.

Deputy Director of the Engineering Center (CompMechLab®) of SPbPU Nikolay Efimov-Soini briefly spoke about the technology of digital twins — the main technology of system digital engineering developed by the PISh SPbPU. Nikolay Konstantinovich described the technology and outlined its key advantages, demonstrated within the framework of joint R&D with representatives of ten industries.

The participants of the working meeting defined further steps for interaction taking into account competencies and current tasks. They also considered the possibilities of corporate training in production organization technologies and the basics of the Lean Manufacturing concept using the computer simulator of the same name and other products. rulers, developed by specialists of the SPbPU PISh on the CML-Bench®.EDU Digital Platform, which is gradually developing as a separate area of the Digital Platform for the Development and Application of Digital Twins CML-Bench®.

At the end of the working visit, the guests assessed the capabilities and infrastructure of the Polytechnic Supercomputer Center, which ensures the implementation ofDigital platform for the development and application of digital twins CML-Bench® science-intensive projects of the SPbPU Technological Development Ecosystem with leading high-tech companies and corporations of our country.

After visiting the Advanced Engineering School of SPbPU “Digital Engineering”, the delegation of the Polar Transport Branch of Norilsk Nickel got acquainted with the competencies and achievements of specialists of the Higher School of Industrial Management of the Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade of SPbPU and discussed possible areas of cooperation in educational and scientific activities in the field of logistics.

Vice-Rector for Continuing and Pre-University Education at SPbPU Dmitry Tikhonov spoke about the possibility of effective cooperation in creating and implementing advanced training programs for employees of Norilsk Nickel’s Polar Transport Branch, including in a distance learning format, as well as preparing specialized classes of schoolchildren for the company.

Director of the Higher School of Management of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Transport Olga Kalinina presented the experience of implementing educational projects related to logistics at the Higher School. In addition to training in the bachelor’s degree programs “International Logistics” and master’s degree program “International Logistics Systems”, Olga Vladimirovna noted the additional professional education program “Fundamentals of the Organization and Economics of Production in Metallurgy for Purchasing Management at Mechanical Engineering Enterprises”, successfully implemented jointly with the Higher School of Physics and Materials Technology of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Transport of St. Petersburg Polytechnic University for the Purchasing Directorate of JSC “Power Machines”, as well as the creation of educational cases for the disciplines “Transport Logistics” and “Inventory Management” based on the results of internships of teachers in the Beaton group of companies.

Deputy Director of the Higher School of Management of the Institute of Mechanics and Technology of Economics and Technology for educational and methodological work Zoya Simakova presented the results of the work carried out in 2023 and 2024 within the framework of project “Harmonization of production needs with the provision of components and materials” by order of JSC Power Machines – the Electrosila plant, andproject “Transformation of purchasing activities of an industrial enterprise”, implemented to reduce the slow-turnover inventory of JSC Power Machines – Leningrad Metal Plant.

Head of the research laboratory “Management of production systems and business processes” of the Higher School of Management of IPMEiT Dmitry Metkin demonstrated the team’s experience in terms of performing contractual work for industrial customers on technical and economic justification, forming investment activity programs when planning new projects, as well as developing strategies for introducing industrial products to new markets.

After the working meeting, Sergey Lyashenko, Deputy Director for Improvement and Development of Production Activities of the Polar Transport Branch of Norilsk Nickel, held an interactive master class for students of the Higher School of Industrial Management of the Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade of SPbPU on the subject “Fundamentals of Logistics of Oil and Gas Enterprises”.

In conclusion, representatives of the Higher School of Management of the Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade invited the delegation of the Polar Transport Branch of Norilsk Nickel to a tour. The guests inspected the classrooms and laboratories of the Institute of Industrial Management, Economics and Trade, and assessed the capabilities of the computer classes equipped with programs for studying specialized disciplines in logistics.

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Lagos slum evictions don’t work: 6 ways city planners can actually help the poor
Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Oluwaseyi Omowunmi Popogbe, Lecturer I, Crawford University

Millions of people in Lagos live in slums. Slums typically have poor housing infrastructure and sanitation, and limited access to education, health facilities and clean drinking water.

These challenges make the people who live in slums vulnerable to health crises, high illiteracy rates and poor standards of living.

A central element of the city authorities’ efforts to address the issue has been to evict people. Over the past decade, more than 50,000 people have been evicted from their homes in Lagos slums.

As a development economist who has carried out studies on urban poverty in Lagos State and social exclusion of slum dwellers from full communal participation, I have observed some notable patterns.

Despite their efforts to contribute to national productivity, these low-income communities are often marginalised and denied access to basic public amenities and a dignified living environment. Instead of addressing their needs, policy and development priorities tend to focus on displacing them. Thereafter, provisions are made for affluent groups, replacing informal settlements with high-rise buildings.

Sadly, survivors of forced eviction usually move to other slum communities as they cannot afford the high cost of living in the city. This shows that forced eviction is not a solution to slum proliferation.

I argue that if Lagos wants to solve the problems faced by the city’s vast population of slum dwellers, it should focus on six things. These are:
- community-led regeneration processes
- communal engagement
- upgrading communities without displacement
- obeying court orders
- inclusivity in regeneration
- adequate compensation to the displaced.
This would help restore trust that the city has all its people’s interests at heart, not just those of the super rich.

Forced evictions are seen as benefiting the rich

In March 2025, a demolition exercise was carried out in the Otumara slum, displacing over 10,000 residents at short notice.

Despite a 2017 Lagos State High Court ruling which condemned forced evictions carried out without due consultation, they have continued.

Known cases are the Otodo-Gbame waterfront eviction (shortly before the court ruling), where over 30,000 residents were displaced, Ilubirin waterfront community, Orisunmibare in Apapa, Otto communities, Ayetoro, and Oko Baba communities.

Mid-April 2025, the Lagos State government revealed plans to regenerate the Otumara slum. Lagos State Urban Renewal Agency (Lasura) then met with community leaders and other stakeholders to discuss how it would be done. That step should have been taken before the demolition.

The idea behind the meeting was to ensure inclusiveness and reduce any challenge to the project. Lasura assured the community representatives of a fair hearing throughout the implementation process. They were told the benefits of the regeneration would extend to the entire community.

As a development economist who has carried out a number of studies on urban vulnerability and inclusion, I’ve found that slum dwellers don’t always trust the government. This lack of trust stems from experiences other slum dwellers have had.

Urban regeneration does not always favour slum dwellers. So government interventions are not seen as a genuine effort to improve their living conditions, but as a mechanism to displace them to make way for the elite.

For instance, Maroko slum residents were forcefully evicted under the guise of improving infrastructural amenities and because the area was below sea level. Now the Oniru Estate, Lekki Phase 1 and other notable residential and commercial buildings are located there.

Luxury apartments on the Lagos lagoon have replaced the former Ilubirin waterfront slum. Lekki foreshore development continues at the former Otodo-Gbame waterfront community.

Survivors of forced eviction usually move to other slum communities as they can’t afford to live in the city.

The attainment of Lagos as a “fair shared city” has been proposed by the Fabulous Urban Foundation in partnership with Heinrich Böll Foundation. These organisations advocate urban inclusiveness and community-driven initiatives. They envision Lagos as an inclusive place where everyone (irrespective of social class or status) has equitable access to amenities and decision-making processes.

The pattern of forced displacement under the guise of urban regeneration, without adequate compensation or resettlement, contradicts the principle of fairness.

Development plans in Lagos follow western ideas and keep widening the gap between the rich and the poor, as amenities are often developed to be accessible by the middle and upper classes.

Specifically, the Lagos State Development Plan (LSDP 2052) contains many lofty ideas and opportunities to make Lagos “Africa’s Model Mega City”. But it’s not clear how the city’s multidimensionally poor population fits into the plan.

Solutions

To include residents of slums marked for regeneration, a more proactive approach would be:
1. Continuous communal engagement, to reaffirm that government and other stakeholders are committed to including all residents.
2. Community-led redesign and regeneration processes. Slum conditions are deplorable and dehumanising, but evicting residents to make way for the high class is unacceptable. The redesign should aim to favour the community.
3. Abiding by court rulings which warn against forced eviction. Lagos courts have often ruled against forced evictions, especially when carried out without due process or resettlement arrangements. The Lagos State government ought to uphold human rights by ceasing all forced eviction procedures, as they are unlawful.
4. Upgrading instead of displacement. Regeneration within existing settlements should be encouraged where feasible, so that livelihoods and social cohesion are not disrupted.
5. Regeneration should include all income groups. It should not only focus on physical infrastructure, but also social and economic issues. It would make affordable housing and basic amenities available for all income groups.
6. Adequate compensation. Where relocation cannot be avoided, a resettlement plan must be in place that will ensure fair treatment and avoid disruption to livelihood.
– Lagos slum evictions don’t work: 6 ways city planners can actually help the poor
– https://theconversation.com/lagos-slum-evictions-dont-work-6-ways-city-planners-can-actually-help-the-poor-255341

MIL OSI Africa –
May 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Terrorists use food as a weapon: how Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab exploit hunger

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Simone Papale, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Parma

Over the last decade, there has been growing international focus on the role of food in conflict, particularly in Africa. The continent has seen an increase in jihadist terrorism in several regions.

Violence, like that exercised by terrorist organisations, is linked with food security conditions, causing a vicious circle of hunger and conflict.

Terrorism generates food disruptions. It undermines production systems and supply routes.

At the same time, growing food shortages intensify tensions and competition over essential resources at the margins of vulnerable societies. This increases the risk of mobilisation into violence.

We are researchers in international security and contemporary warfare. In a recent article, we explored the role of food in Africa’s terrorist insurgencies. We focused on Boko Haram in Nigeria and Al-Shabaab in Somalia.

We show how food is not only a driver or victim of violence. It is also central to how terrorist groups fight, govern and survive.

Terrorists use food as a tool to challenge national authorities and increase their followers. In parallel, they exploit food insecurity to control communities and confront counter-terrorism forces, pushing the state out of contested areas.

Read more: How crime is closely linked to Al-Shabaab’s survival strategy

This has major implications. The use of food as a weapon worsens humanitarian conditions. It causes the displacement of people in vulnerable settings. As a result, it sets in motion dangerous mechanisms of instability that can even undermine militants themselves, reducing their resources and operational capabilities.

State responses need to address these challenges and promote more comprehensive approaches to counter terrorism.

Weaponising supplies

Since the late 2000s, Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab have engaged African security forces in a strenuous fight. Both groups have sought to overthrow local governments and establish their power.

They have expanded their networks in regions where food security is low. These are Nigeria’s Borno State and southern Somalia.

These areas have witnessed historical frictions between the population and government authorities. Local communities have lamented socioeconomic marginalisation, shortages of essential resources and high levels of unemployment.

Both Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab have sought to capitalise on inequalities to gain appeal among aggrieved populations, seeking to replace the state in the delivery of essential resources.

Read more: Nigeria’s growing security crisis: 6 essential reads

Boko Haram militants have reportedly provided supplies, such as biscuits, rice and spaghetti, to marginalised villages. As a Borno State resident put it, the militants have shown “love and concern” while addressing local needs.

Al-Shabaab has resorted to similar practices to win the hearts and minds of southern Somalis and enlarge its pool of recruits. The group has supplied struggling communities with meals and goods, and promoted local agricultural activities.

In parallel to these activities, both terrorist groups have adopted more aggressive measures to counter the advance of anti-terrorism forces. They have used food denial to punish civilian insubordination and cooperation with the state, relying on starvation tactics.

Boko Haram has systematically targeted food infrastructures. The group has burned crops, banned farming and fishing activities, and even poisoned water sources. This has happened particularly in places where militants suspected collusion between communities and national authorities.

Likewise, Al-Shabaab has interrupted trade routes. It has destroyed food imports to isolate southern Somali villages controlled by security forces and deprive them of popular support. During Somalia’s 2011–2012 famine, Al-Shabaab militants blocked humanitarian agencies. This was aimed at preventing the distribution of food aid to curb western influence in territories under their control.

The repercussions

The use of food as a weapon has had major repercussions in Borno State and southern Somalia. It is a primary cause of the deterioration of food security in these regions over the last 15 years.

Attacks on food resources and infrastructure have disrupted supply routes. They have pushed people to abandon their crops and pastures. This has decreased the production and availability of essential goods.

As a result, humanitarian conditions have worsened, local economies have weakened and displacement flows have intensified.

This has had detrimental effects for Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab, depriving militants of key assets to sustain their activities and attract new recruits.

The two terrorist groups have become victims of the emergencies they have helped generate. They have increasingly struggled to supply nourishment for their troops and supporters. Consequently, they have witnessed a growing number of defections motivated by unsustainable conditions.

Reports highlight increasing cases of jihadists surrendering to security forces while requesting food.

To address these challenges, Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab have intensified raids on villages, looting goods and livestock.

Read more: What drives Al-Shabaab in Somalia: foreign forces out, Sharia law in and overthrow the government

However, growing frictions with the population have undermined the groups’ operational capabilities, even opening up new fronts of resistance.

Boko Haram has been forced to transfer part of its resources and operations to the Lake Chad area. The group has intensified incursions to capture food in Nigeria’s neighbouring countries.

In Somalia, tensions with farming and pastoralist communities have led to the creation of militias mobilising against Al-Shabaab.

What next

The relocation of Boko Haram’s operations and the mobilisation of communities against Al-Shabaab have not eradicated the terrorist threat. However, these events further highlight food as a crucial factor shaping insurgencies.

African and international authorities need to tackle the dynamics of food weaponisation. They need to refine their approach to enhance local resilience, addressing the inequalities that insurgents exploit.

– Terrorists use food as a weapon: how Boko Haram and Al-Shabaab exploit hunger
– https://theconversation.com/terrorists-use-food-as-a-weapon-how-boko-haram-and-al-shabaab-exploit-hunger-256162

MIL OSI Africa –

May 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: AI-driven motion capture is transforming sports and exercise science

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Habib Noorbhai, Professor (Health & Sports Science), University of Johannesburg

In sport, the margin between success and failure is often measured in milliseconds. It could be a cricketer adjusting their foot positioning, a runner refining their sprint start or a footballer perfecting their passing.

This is where motion capture comes in – among the many approaches being used for athletic performance and movement analysis.

Conventional motion capture tracks a person’s movements by using sensors or reflective markers linked to cameras. This provides data that helps sport scientists analyse how to improve an athlete’s performance, personalise their training programme and prevent possible injury.

But for decades, motion capture in sport has been done using cumbersome suits and complex camera systems. These technologies offer high precision, but have remained out of reach for many because of their cost, technical demands and rigid laboratory constraints.

As sport evolves, so too must the technology that analyses it. The way we measure human movement is experiencing a major transformation. Markerless motion capture (enabled by artificial intelligence, computer vision, depth sensors and multiple-camera systems) is set to revolutionise sports performance analysis.

As a health and sports scientist with a focus on data, innovation and technology, I co-authored a study on markerless motion capture in sports and exercise. We reviewed and compared various motion capture options so that users can choose what system is best for their needs and budgets.

This matters because markerless motion capture provides a practical alternative that’s accessible, scalable and adaptable to real-world settings. It’s a shift that promises to transform how athletes train, how they move, how injuries are assessed and how coaches refine performance.

The problem with traditional motion capture

Marker-based motion capture has long been considered the gold standard for analysing movement. Various systems use optoelectronic (devices that emit or detect light) tracking. They’ve provided researchers and coaches with precise three-dimensional (3D) data on joint angles, movement efficiency and biomechanical load. But these systems come with challenges.

Traditional motion capture in a research laboratory, with screen analysis. Courtesy Habib Noorbhai

Firstly, the need for reflective markers placed on the body introduces variability. Even slight misplacements can compromise data accuracy.

Secondly, these systems are largely confined to laboratory environments. While they work well for controlled studies, they can’t always capture the dynamics of real-world sports performance.

Thirdly, the cost of such setups, often reaching tens of thousands of dollars, limits their use to elite teams and well-funded research labs. This financial barrier places the technology out of reach for grassroots sport, where talent development is crucial.

The rise of markerless motion capture

Markerless motion capture, driven by deep learning and computer vision, allows movement to be tracked directly from video footage, without requiring physical markers. Models such as OpenPose, TensorFlow Pose Estimate and MeTRAbs can now identify and analyse human joint positions in 3D, all from a single video feed.

A cricket bowler in action using pose estimation (markerless motion capture) in Plotly. Courtesy Habib Noorbhai

This approach has profound implications. It means that coaches can capture real-time movement data from training sessions without interrupting the natural flow of play. Athletes can analyse their technique with nothing more than a smartphone camera. It opens the door for motion capture to move beyond the lab and onto the field, the court or the gym floor.

Where markerless motion capture works best

The ability to track movement in real-world environments makes markerless motion capture particularly valuable in high-speed and dynamic sports.

In football, tracking player movement during passing drills can inform tactical decisions. In sprinting, coaches can analyse stride length and ground contact time without disrupting training sessions. In baseball and cricket, batting mechanics can be assessed without requiring players to wear cumbersome tracking suits or markers.

Beyond performance analysis, the implications for injury management and rehabilitation are just as compelling.

By integrating markerless motion capture into injury rehabilitation programmes, physiotherapists can monitor movement deficiencies in real time. A player recovering from an anterior cruciate ligament injury, for example, can have their gait and knee valgus angles monitored remotely. This reduces the need for repeated clinic visits.

Barriers

Despite its potential, markerless motion capture is not without its challenges. While deep learning models are improving, they still struggle with occlusion: where body parts become temporarily hidden from view. Variations in lighting, camera angles and player body types can affect tracking accuracy too.

To improve robustness across diverse sports settings, these issues need ongoing refinement in pose estimation algorithms. (These are computer vision techniques used to locate and track key points of the body on a person in a video.)

Read more: Supershoes have transformed competitive distance running, but they remain controversial

Another key limitation is validation. Traditional motion capture systems have been extensively tested for accuracy, but markerless models are still undergoing further validation in sport-specific contexts.

Ensuring consistency and reliability will be crucial in convincing elite teams to transition away from marker-based setups.

A future without markers?

The question remains: will markerless motion capture completely disrupt and replace traditional systems? The reality is likely to be more nuanced.

While marker-based motion capture will retain its place in highly controlled research settings, markerless alternatives will dominate practical, field-based applications. The accessibility, ease of use and real-time capabilities of markerless systems make them a game-changer.

Read more: VAR and peace? Why tech-assisted refereeing won’t do away with disputed decisions at the World Cup

As AI models become more sophisticated and sensor technology advances, the precision of markerless systems will continue to improve. The future of motion capture lies not in replacing one method with another, but in integrating multiple approaches to create a seamless, scalable and accurate framework for movement analysis.

It’s no longer a question of whether markerless motion capture will take over, but when. And as the technology matures, the benefits for coaches, athletes and scientists alike will only continue to grow. It’s set to play an integral role in shaping the next generation of athletic performance and movement analysis.

– AI-driven motion capture is transforming sports and exercise science
– https://theconversation.com/ai-driven-motion-capture-is-transforming-sports-and-exercise-science-254646

MIL OSI Africa –

May 19, 2025
MIL-OSI: Amplify Energy Appoints Clint Coghill to Board of Directors

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

HOUSTON, May 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Amplify Energy Corp. (NYSE: AMPY) (“Amplify” or the “Company”) today announced that it has appointed Clint Coghill to its Board of Directors (the “Board”) as Lead Independent Director, effective May 16, 2025. In connection with Mr. Coghill’s appointment, the Company entered into a cooperation agreement with Mr. Coghill and his affiliates Stoney Lonesome HF, LP and The Drake Helix Holdings, LLC (collectively, “Stoney Lonesome”), the beneficial owners of approximately 7% of the Company’s outstanding shares.

Mr. Coghill will serve as a member of the Board’s Compensation Committee and be included in the Board’s slate of nominees up for election at the Company’s upcoming 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders.

“We appreciate the constructive dialogue we have had with Clint and are pleased to welcome him to the Board,” said Chris Hamm, Chairman of Amplify. “We believe Clint’s business and financial expertise and strong shareholder perspective will be invaluable assets to the Company and we look forward to working with him.”

Clint Coghill, the Chief Investment Officer of Stoney Lonesome, said, “I’m pleased to join the Board of Amplify and look forward to working with Amplify’s Board and management team to help the Company achieve its potential and drive shareholder value.”

In connection with the cooperation agreement, Stoney Lonesome has agreed to a customary standstill, voting and other provisions. The cooperation agreement will be included as an exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K, which the Company will file with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.

Kirkland & Ellis LLP served as legal counsel to Amplify.

About Clint Coghill

Clint Coghill brings more than 30 years of experience as a successful money manager, software entrepreneur, and philanthropist. Mr. Coghill is the Founder of Backstop Solutions Group, LLC, an industry-leading service company redefining the way firms operate in private markets and reshaping the institutional investment industry. From 2003 to 2021, Mr. Coghill served as Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of Backstop Solutions Group, LLC from 2013 until its sale to ION Analytics in 2021, where he then was the Head of the Investor Segment until early 2025. Prior to that, he served as President and Chief Investment Officer of Coghill Capital Management, LLC. Mr. Coghill currently serves as the chairman of the board of the Coghill Family Foundation and serves on the board of directors of New Moly, LLC. Mr. Coghill holds a B.A. in Business Administration from the University of Arizona and an M.B.A. from the London Business School.

About Amplify Energy

Amplify Energy Corp. is an independent oil and natural gas company engaged in the acquisition, development, exploitation and production of oil and natural gas properties. Amplify’s operations are focused in Oklahoma, the Rockies (Bairoil), federal waters offshore Southern California (Beta), East Texas / North Louisiana, and the Eagle Ford (Non-op). For more information, visit www.amplifyenergy.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes “forward-looking statements.” All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included in this press release that address activities, events or developments that the Company expects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future are forward-looking statements. Terminology such as “could,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “expect,” “may,” “continue,” “predict,” “potential,” “project” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the Company’s upcoming 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders, expectations of plans, goals, strategies (including measures to implement strategies), objectives and anticipated results with respect thereto. These statements address activities, events or developments that we expect or anticipate will or may occur in the future, including things such as projections of results of operations, plans for growth, goals, future capital expenditures, competitive strengths, references to future intentions and other such references. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and other factors that could cause the Company’s actual results or financial condition to differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. Without limiting the generality of the foregoing, forward-looking statements contained in this press release specifically include the expectations of plans, strategies, objectives and growth and anticipated financial and operational performance of the Company and its affiliates. Please read the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), including “Risk Factors” in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, and if applicable, the Company’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, which are available on the Company’s Investor Relations website at https://www.amplifyenergy.com/investor-relations/default.aspx or on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov, for a discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those in such forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release. All forward-looking statements in this press release are qualified in their entirety by these cautionary statements. Except as required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation and does not intend to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future results or otherwise.

Contacts

Amplify Energy

Jim Frew — Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
(832) 219-9044
jim.frew@amplifyenergy.com

Michael Jordan — Director, Finance and Treasurer
(832) 219-9051
michael.jordan@amplifyenergy.com

FTI Consulting

Tanner Kaufman / Brandon Elliott / Rose Zu
amplifyenergy@fticonsulting.com

The MIL Network –

May 19, 2025
MIL-OSI: Qorvo® Announces Intent to Nominate Peter Feld of Starboard Value for Election to the Board at the 2025 Annual Meeting

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

GREENSBORO, N.C., May 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Qorvo® (NASDAQ: QRVO), a leading global provider of connectivity and power solutions, today announced that its Board of Directors (the “Board”) has resolved to increase the size of the Board from nine to ten directors and to include Peter Feld as one of the Company’s director nominees in its proxy statement for the Company’s 2025 Annual Meeting of Stockholders (the “2025 Annual Meeting”).

The Board has also resolved to recommend that stockholders vote in favor of all Company director nominees, including Mr. Feld, at the 2025 Annual Meeting.

Given the Company’s intention to nominate Mr. Feld, Starboard has agreed to rescind its nomination notice.

Bob Bruggeworth, President and CEO of Qorvo, said, “Peter shares our goal of driving value for Qorvo shareholders and will bring additional technology industry knowledge and complementary perspectives, adding to our very qualified and experienced Board.”

“We invested in Qorvo because of the tremendous potential we see in the Company’s strong product portfolio and leading industry position, which provide the foundation for Qorvo to drive continued improvement in growth, profitability, and value creation,” said Peter Feld, Managing Member of Starboard Value LP. “I am pleased to be nominated to the Board and look forward to working collaboratively with my fellow directors and the management team to help Qorvo capitalize on opportunities to drive long-term shareholder value.”

About Peter A. Feld

Peter A. Feld is a Managing Member, Portfolio Manager and Head of Research of Starboard Value LP since April 2011 and has significant expertise serving as a shareholder representative on numerous technology company boards that have created substantial value for shareholders. Mr. Feld has substantial experience in corporate finance, best-in-class corporate governance, and a deep understanding of capital markets. Prior to founding Starboard in 2011, Mr. Feld was a Managing Director and Head of Research at Ramius LLC for funds that comprised the Value and Opportunity investment platform. Prior to joining Ramius in February 2005, Mr. Feld was an analyst in the Technology Investment Banking group at Banc of America Securities LLC. Previously, he served as a member of the boards of directors of Gen Digital Inc., a global leader dedicated to powering Digital Freedom through its family of consumer brands, from September 2018 to May 2025; Green Dot Corporation, a financial technology company, from March 2022 to October 2023; GCP Applied Technologies, Inc., a technology company, from June 2020 until it was acquired by Compagnie de Saint-Gobain S.A. in September 2022; Magellan Health, Inc., a healthcare company, from March 2019 until it was acquired by Centene Corporation in January 2022; AECOM, a multinational infrastructure firm, from November 2019 to June 2020; Marvell Technology Group Ltd., a storage, networking and connectivity semiconductor solutions company, from May 2016 to June 2018; The Brink’s Company, a global leader in security-related services, from January 2016 to November 2017; Insperity, Inc., an industry-leading HR services provider, from March 2015 to June 2017; Darden Restaurants, Inc., a full-service restaurant company, from October 2014 to September 2015; Tessera Technologies, Inc. (n/k/a Xperi Corporation), a leading product and technology licensing company, from June 2013 to April 2014; and Integrated Device Technology, Inc., a company that designed, developed, manufactured and marketed a range of semiconductor solutions for the advanced communications, computing and consumer industries, from June 2012 to February 2014. Mr. Feld received a B.A. degree in Economics from Tufts University.

About Qorvo

Qorvo (Nasdaq:QRVO) supplies innovative semiconductor solutions that make a better world possible. We combine product and technology leadership, systems-level expertise and global manufacturing scale to quickly solve our customers’ most complex technical challenges. Qorvo serves diverse high-growth segments of large global markets, including automotive, consumer, defense & aerospace, industrial & enterprise, infrastructure and mobile. Visit www.qorvo.com to learn how our diverse and innovative team is helping connect, protect and power our planet.

Qorvo is a registered trademark of Qorvo, Inc. in the U.S. and in other countries. All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

About Starboard Value LP

Starboard Value LP is an investment adviser with a focused and fundamental approach to investing in publicly traded companies. Starboard seeks to invest in deeply undervalued companies and actively engage with management teams and boards of directors to identify and execute on opportunities to unlock value for the benefit of all shareholders.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about our plans, objectives, representations and contentions, and are not historical facts and typically are identified by terms such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue” and similar words, although some forward-looking statements are expressed differently. You should be aware that the forward-looking statements included herein represent management’s current judgment and expectations as of the date the statement is first made, but our actual results, events and performance could differ materially from those expressed or implied by forward-looking statements. We caution you not to place undue reliance upon any such forward-looking statements. We do not intend to update any of these forward-looking statements or publicly announce the results of any revisions to these forward-looking statements, other than as is required under U.S. federal securities laws. Our business is subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, including those relating to fluctuations in our operating results on a quarterly and annual basis; our substantial dependence on developing new products and achieving design wins; our dependence on several large customers for a substantial portion of our revenue; a loss of revenue if defense and aerospace contracts are canceled or delayed; our dependence on third parties; risks related to sales through distributors; risks associated with the operation of our manufacturing facilities; business disruptions; poor manufacturing yields; increased inventory risks and costs, due to timing of customers’ forecasts; our inability to effectively manage or maintain relationships with chipset suppliers; our ability to continue to innovate in a very competitive industry; underutilization of manufacturing facilities; unfavorable changes in interest rates, pricing of certain precious metals, utility rates and foreign currency exchange rates; our acquisitions, divestitures and other strategic investments failing to achieve financial or strategic objectives; our ability to attract, retain and motivate key employees; warranty claims, product recalls and product liability; changes in our effective tax rate; enactment of international or domestic tax legislation, or changes in regulatory guidance; changes in the favorable tax status of certain of our subsidiaries; risks associated with social, environmental, health and safety regulations, and climate change; risks from international sales and operations; economic regulation in China; changes in government trade policies, including imposition of tariffs and export restrictions; we may not be able to generate sufficient cash to service all of our debt; restrictions imposed by the agreements governing our debt; our reliance on our intellectual property portfolio; claims of infringement of third-party intellectual property rights; security breaches, failed system upgrades or regular maintenance and other similar disruptions to our IT systems; theft, loss or misuse of personal data by or about our employees, customers or third parties; provisions in our governing documents and Delaware law may discourage takeovers and business combinations that our stockholders might consider to be in their best interests; and volatility in the price of our common stock. These and other risks and uncertainties, which are described in more detail under “Risk Factors” in Part I, Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended March 30, 2024, and Qorvo’s subsequent reports and statements that we file with the SEC, could cause actual results and developments to be materially different from those expressed or implied by any of these forward-looking statements.

At Qorvo^®
Doug DeLieto
VP, Investor Relations
1.336.678.7968

The MIL Network –

May 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: “REcathon: Rough Code”: Polytechnic students modified robots

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

The Polytechnic Tower hosted the engineering and robotics hackathon “REcathon: Draft Code”, organized by the Higher School of Automation and Robotics of the Institute of Mechanical Engineering, Materials and Transport together with the student engineering association “PoliRoboTech” and PROF.IMMiT. The general partner of the event was the company “Ingriatech”.

Opening the hackathon, Denis Kozlikin, Deputy Director for Research at IMMiT, wished the participants good luck and thanked the organizers for holding this important and necessary event, the fourth in a row.

This year, 10 student teams competed. The jury included associate professors of the Higher School of Architecture and Rural Affairs Svetlana Kerpeleva, Mikhail Ananyevsky, Dmitry Polyakhov, Dmitry Tretyakov and Dmitry Shabanov, as well as an invited expert from the Almaz-Antey Air Defense Concern Alexey Saibel.

This time, the hackathon became a platform for testing a new idea that was planned to be implemented. Participants had to work not with fully finished robots, but with unfinished designs. They had to not only program, but also analyze, correct errors in mechanics and electronics, and modify the product for an unknown task. This solution brought the hackathon conditions closer to real engineering practice, where specialists often have to deal with someone else’s code and unstable technical solutions.

Another innovation was the new platforms with two drive wheels instead of four — this increased the maneuverability of the robots, but complicated the control and required more fine-tuning of the algorithms for movement and balancing. The final task was kept secret, which forced the teams to work in conditions of uncertainty and adapt to rapidly changing requirements. Two weeks were allocated for all preparation and debugging.

The task for the hackathon was developed by the student engineering association “PoliRoboTech”. Its leader Andrey Klinovitsky noted that it is precisely such formats that teach students flexibility, engineering thinking and the ability to combine programming with mechanics, which is especially in demand in modern technological projects.

According to the results of the tests, the winner was the Error404: Bots Not Found team consisting of: Egor Meshkov, Sofia Sokolova, Vladimir Yulik, Amir Sharif’yanov and Elizaveta Skornyakova. The second place was taken by the Termistor team: Artem Tabunshchik, Vadim Berko, Alexander Timofeev, Alexander Travin and Mikhail Orlov. The third place went to the Skrepyshi team, which included Alina Arifullina, Aidar Ibragimov, Violetta Khomenko, Ilnaz Abitov and Kirill Sultanov. All the winners are third-year students of the Higher School of Architecture and R&D.

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Forewarned is forearmed: lecture on combating telephone fraud held at the State University of Management

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

On May 16, 2025, the State University of Management held a relevant, important and useful lecture on combating telephone fraud.

The lecture was given by security experts: acting Kuzminsky interdistrict prosecutor Ruslan Utegenov and head of the department for protection against illegal encroachments of the Moscow SBER Security Department Dmitry Chernov.

The lecture discussed: – The most common fraud schemes; – How not to become a victim of fraudsters; – What to do if someone has already tried to deceive you.

The knowledge gained during the lecture will help students of the State University of Management to protect themselves and their loved ones from criminal activity.

We thank the speakers for their valuable knowledge, and our partner, SBER, for organizing a useful event!

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 19, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: HSE MBA: Chinese experience for Russian managers

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

The visiting module of the MBA program of the Higher School of Business of the National Research University Higher School of Economics was successfully held in Shanghai. It was attended by 94 students: top managers of large Russian companies, entrepreneurs, heads of departments of state-owned companies.

The module was organized jointly with Fudan University, one of the leading centers of business education in Asia. The university is among the best universities in China and Asia, widely recognized for its high level of teaching, quality of scientific research and international programs in the field of economics and management.

The theoretical part of the module covered key aspects of the economy and business of modern China. The classes were taught by Fudan University lecturers – recognized experts in their fields, experienced specialists who are engaged in research projects in the areas of global and digital economy, fintech, corporate governance, blockchain technologies, big data and cybersecurity. Many of them are graduates of leading universities around the world, publish in authoritative scientific journals and actively consult businesses and government agencies. During the week, they immersed listeners in the specifics of the financial system of the PRC, discussed challenges to the country’s competitiveness in the international arena, compared approaches to the digital transformation of industry in China and in other countries.

The practical part of the program was no less interesting and important for the audience. The organizers of the module offered a rich plan of visits to leading Chinese companies from key industries. Among them were COSCO Shipping, one of the world’s largest operators in the field of maritime logistics; NIO Inc, a developer and manufacturer of intelligent electric vehicles and autonomous driving technologies; SAIC Motor, a Chinese automobile manufacturing corporation actively working in the direction of new energy sources and autonomous transport.

According to the manager MBA programs Vladimir Koptsev, Higher School of Business at the National Research University Higher School of Economics, international modules allow students not only to expand their professional horizons, but also to see key global economies in dynamics.

Koptsev Vladimir Sergeevich

Head of the MBA program at the Higher School of Business, National Research University Higher School of Economics

Today, China is not just an important player, but one of the world’s leading economies, influencing global processes in business, finance and technology. It is fundamentally important for us that students are not limited to theory, but personally come into contact with this reality: through visits to companies, dialogue with experts and direct immersion in the country’s economic environment.

The reaction of the participants of the visiting module themselves is indicative; they saw from the inside how the economy of one of the largest and rapidly developing countries in the world functions, and what management models are used by business leaders of the PRC.

“Shanghai exceeded all expectations – it is a truly technologically advanced metropolis. I especially remember the lectures with Chinese professors about how the country became a global technological leader in 40 years. I was amazed by the number of electric cars – about 80% of cars on the roads, thanks to which the city of its size remains surprisingly quiet. A visit to a robotics company left a great impression. And, of course, it was nice to meet MBA students from parallel groups. I would like to separately thank the HSE Graduate School of Business for organizing the module at such a prestigious university as Fudan, and for the excellent organization of visits to leading Chinese enterprises. This trip will be remembered for a long time – a lot of new knowledge and vivid emotions!” – assessed the results Sergey Bespalov, Manager of Consulting in the field of production and operational management, Accenture AG, Zurich, Switzerland.

The Chinese partners highly appreciated the cooperation with the HSE Graduate School of Business: “We are sincerely glad that the students not only visited Fudan University, but also benefited from this intercultural exchange. I hope that our program opened up new perspectives for the students, contributed to the development of their communication skills and broadened their horizons. We tried to tell as much as possible about the economic and cultural characteristics of China and demonstrate them during visits to various companies. We hope to continue fruitful cooperation with the HSE Graduate School of Business in the future, so that we can host MBA students within the walls of our university more than once,” Shuang Zhang, Manager of International Programs at Fudan University.

Upon completion of the module, all students MBA programs received an official certificate from Fudan University confirming their participation and academic achievements.

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

MIL OSI Russia News –

May 19, 2025