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Category: Universities

  • MIL-Evening Report: Menthol cigarettes will be banned from April 1. Here’s why – and what else is changing

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Becky Freeman, Professor in Public Health, University of Sydney

    patpitchaya/Shutterstock

    New laws come into effect in Australia today that change the look, ingredients, and packaging of tobacco products.

    The Australian government passed the package of tobacco laws in late 2023, which include:

    • standardised tobacco pack and cigarette stick sizes, no more novelty pack sizes or cigarette lengths

    • updated and improved graphic health warnings and quitting advice inserts within all tobacco packs

    • warnings printed directly on cigarettes

    • banning ingredients that make tobacco taste better and easier to smoke, including menthol.

    Retailers have a three-month grace period to sell any old stock already in their stores by July 1.

    Here’s what’s behind these changes – and what needs to happen next.

    Packs warn about the harms of smoking.
    Department of Health and Ageing

    New graphic health warnings

    Cigarette packaging requirements have been stagnant since 2012, when Australia introduced plain packaging laws that banned the use of all on-pack logos and branding. This was a world-first.

    While large graphic health warnings are effective in both preventing smoking uptake and aiding quitting smoking, the effects wear out if warnings are not refreshed and varied.

    New warnings replace those from 2012.
    Department of Health and Ageing

    Cigarette packages must carry one of ten new health warnings. Fresh warnings that smoking doubles the risk of cervical cancer and leads to diabetes will be new information for many smokers.

    There are also warnings for roll-your-own, cigar, bidi and shisha tobacco packaging.

    Warnings on cigarettes

    Cigarettes themselves must now include one of eight health warnings printed directly on the filter paper.

    Canada was the first country in the world to adopt similar requirements in 2023.

    The size, shape, and colour of cigarettes has also been standardised to prevent tobacco companies from using unique cigarette designs to attract new users. Long, thin cigarettes, for example, have been marketed to women as a fashion accessory and diet tool for nearly a century.

    Warnings will now be on the sticks themselves.
    Department of Health and Ageing

    The ingredients permitted in cigarettes are also changing, with ingredients that enhance the flavour of tobacco being now banned. The long list of prohibited ingredients includes everything from cloves, to sugar, to probiotics and vitamins.

    Until now, the tobacco industry has had free reign to add ingredients that increase the palatability and attractiveness of cigarettes. This banned list also captures menthol and any ingredients that mimic the cooling properties of menthol.

    Why ban menthol?

    Menthol masks the harshness of smoke. Just like cold lollies that contain menthol to soothe sore throats and tame coughs, menthol in cigarettes prevents inexperienced smokers from reacting to the rough effects of tobacco smoke in the throat. This helps to make smoking a more pleasant experience that young users will return to.

    The introduction of crushable menthol capsules in cigarette filters has proven very popular with Australian teenagers. Teens who use these products are more likely to have recently smoked and have higher smoking intentions in the future. The new laws also explicitly prohibit these “crush balls” or “flavour beads.”

    Other counties that have banned menthol have seen drops in tobacco sales and use and increases in quitting behaviours.

    No similar reforms for the United States

    Menthol cigarettes have been heavily marketed to African American people since at least the 1950s and make up one-third of the total US cigarette market share. Tobacco control groups in the US have been advocating for a menthol ban for well over a decade.

    The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) proposed a rule banning menthol in 2022, and a 2024 US Surgeon General report highlighted that menthol products increase addiction and are:

    disproportionately used by Black people, Native Hawaiian and Pacific Islander people, women and people who identify as lesbian, gay, or bisexual.

    Under the Biden Administration, the FDA delayed issuing the final rule which meant the ban was not properly enacted before Trump was elected.

    In January 2025, the Trump administration completely withdrew the ban.

    A menthol ban in the US was predicted to reduce total smoking by 15% and the number of smoking attributable deaths among African Americans by up to 238,000.

    Reforms needed to stamp out our illicit market

    Organised criminals are operating in Australia’s tobacco supply chain to illegally import and sell tobacco products. Government action to step in and gain control of that supply system is long overdue.

    Until this year, Australia’s two most populous states didn’t even require tobacco sellers to be licensed, and Queensland only introduced licensing last year.

    Australia will need to change how tobacco is sold. It should not be so easy and commonplace to sell such an addictive and deadly product.

    Both state and national governments need timely and transparent reporting on the size and scope of the illicit market, and strict licensing of the entire tobacco supply chain.

    Businesses that sell illicit tobacco must face real consequences – not only large fines and loss of licences to operate, but also criminal charges.

    All aspects of the tobacco supply chain – from wholesalers to retailers – must be tightly controlled.

    Becky Freeman is an expert advisor to the Cancer Council tobacco issues committee and a member of the Cancer Institute vaping communications advisory panel. She has received relevant competitive grants from the NHMRC, MRFF, NSW Health, the Ian Potter Foundation, VicHealth, and Healthway WA.

    – ref. Menthol cigarettes will be banned from April 1. Here’s why – and what else is changing – https://theconversation.com/menthol-cigarettes-will-be-banned-from-april-1-heres-why-and-what-else-is-changing-251920

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Keep an eye on the Senate – the people elected to it this year will have immense power for years to come

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zareh Ghazarian, Senior Lecturer, School of Social Sciences, Monash University

    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has finally ended weeks of speculation and named the election date for the national parliament.

    After months of unofficial campaigning, Australians will now be treated to a festival of democracy as promises are made, policies are announced, and the leaders travel the country to rally support.

    Much of the campaigning by the parties will be focused on the House of Representatives. This is to be expected as the lower house is where government is formed by the party that wins the majority of seats in this chamber, and the leader of this party becomes prime minister.

    While the election for the lower house dominates the campaign, the contest for the Senate is rarely mentioned.

    This is a bit unfair as the Senate is an immensely powerful chamber.

    The power of the Senate

    Barring its inability to initiate or amend supply bills, the Senate has almost the same powers as the House of Representatives. Senators can introduce their own bills, as long as they’re not supply bills.

    For any proposed bill to become law, it must be passed by the Senate as well as the House of Representatives.

    All states have equal representation in the chamber. Currently, every state is represented by 12 senators, each with six-year terms.

    This means half the Senate is up for election at every general election.

    The territories are represented by two senators each and they face re-election at every general election. The current number of senators is 76.

    Winning a majority in the Senate has no bearing on who forms government (it’s the result of the lower house – the House of Representatives – which determines this). It does, however, make it easier for the government to pass bills to become law if it enjoys a majority in this chamber.

    Who wins seats in the Senate?

    The voting system in the Senate is very different to the House of Representatives. To win a seat in the House of Representatives, a candidate must win 50% +1 of the votes cast in the district.

    In the Senate, however, a candidate must win a proportion (approximately 14.3%) of the state-wide vote.

    This makes it a bit easier for minor parties to win representation as they can rely on broad support from across the state to reach the required threshold.

    Changes introduced in 2016 mean Australians have choice on how to complete their Senate ballot paper. They can either number six or more candidates of their choice above the black line, or vote below the line by numbering 12 or more candidates.

    While parties will organise their own preference deals to benefit them, voters are ultimately in control of where their preferences go.

    Thanks to the voting system used in the Senate, it is rare for a government to hold a majority of seats in the upper house. The last time this occurred was in 2004 when the John Howard-led Coalition enjoyed a majority in the chamber.

    The current Senate

    Following the 2022 election, both major parties lost ground in the Senate. To have a majority in the chamber, a party must have 39 seats. Currently, Labor has 25 representatives, while the Coalition has 30.

    The remaining seats are held by the Greens with the third highest number of representatives (11), One Nation (2), Jacqui Lambie Network (1), United Australia Party (1), and six Independents.

    Several high-profile senators are up for election in 2025. In Queensland, for example, Malcolm Roberts from Pauline Hanson’s One Nation will be up for re-election, Jacqui Lambie will be recontesting in Tasmania, while Independent Senator David Pocock from the ACT will be seeking another term.

    There will also be some other prominent senators hoping to be re-elected from established parties.

    These include Senator Jacinta Nampijinpa Price (Country Liberal Party) and Senator Malarndirri McCarthy (ALP) from the Northern Territory, Liberal James Paterson from Victoria, Sarah Hanson-Young from the Greens in South Australia, and Jordan Steele-John from the Greens in Western Australia.

    The 2025 contest

    Fewer people have been voting for the major parties in recent years. In 2022, the vote for non-major party candidates reached a high of 35.7% (which, as Antony Green reminds us, was higher than the primary vote for both the Coalition and Labor).

    Since the 1980s, Australians appear to have become open to supporting non-major party candidates contesting the Senate. If this continues as expected in 2025, whoever becomes prime minister will have to deal with the diverse interests and policy demands from those in the upper house.

    While the campaign for the Senate may go under the radar over the next few weeks, who is elected to the Senate will have a massive impact on Australian politics for years to come.

    Zareh Ghazarian 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. Keep an eye on the Senate – the people elected to it this year will have immense power for years to come – https://theconversation.com/keep-an-eye-on-the-senate-the-people-elected-to-it-this-year-will-have-immense-power-for-years-to-come-252899

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Flawed medical studies can end up in doctors’ advice. We developed a tool to stop it

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aya Mousa, Senior Research Fellow in Women’s Cardiometabolic Health, Monash University

    Maksym Dykha/Shutterstock

    Good health care depends on evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. They translate the best available research into recommendations that shape diagnosis, treatment, and prevention strategies.

    But what happens when the studies underpinning these guidelines are flawed?

    Evidence suggests scientific misconduct – from fabricated or manipulated data to methodological errors and ethical concerns – is a growing problem. In some disciplines, estimates suggest as many as 40% of studies included in systematic reviews may have issues with their integrity.

    This is not just an academic issue. When flawed studies are used to guide real-world health care, the consequences for health-care providers and ultimately patients can be serious. They include unnecessary or even harmful treatments, delay or denial of other effective treatments, wasted resources and a loss of public trust in science and health care itself.

    Yet until recently, there has been no formal method to identify and manage flawed studies, before they make their way into clinical recommendations. We recently helped develop a framework that addresses this crucial gap. Published in The Lancet’s eClinicalMedicine, this framework provides a step-by-step process for evaluating the integrity of studies used in clinical guidelines and systematic reviews.

    In an era of increasing concern about research misconduct, it’s a timely and much-needed advance.

    Clinical care relies on research integrity

    Randomised controlled trials are considered the gold standard in medical research.

    Their results often underpin clinical guidelines that shape day-to-day decisions in health care. But what if a randomised controlled trial contains fabricated data? Or is conducted without ethics approval? Or is retracted after being used in a previous guideline?

    A 2020 study found 44% of randomised controlled trials submitted to a major medical journal between 2017 and 2020 contained problematic or false data.

    Compounding the problem is the fact that journal editors and publishers can be very slow to respond to concerns about research integrity.

    For example, between November 2017 and April 2024, a group of researchers wrote to editors and publishers of 891 potentially untrustworthy papers published in 206 different journals. At the time their study was published earlier this year, only 30% of the papers they flagged had received an outcome – 58% of which were retracted.

    Notably, it took a median time of 38 months for editors and publishers to make a decision. In only 13% of the flagged cases was a decision made within 12 months.

    The ripple effects of this can be enormous. A review by the independent Cochrane Collaboration of nutrition interventions in pregnancy found that removing studies with integrity concerns changed the conclusions of 72% of reviews. One third (33%) needed to be updated because their guidance was no longer reliable.

    Integrity concerns vary across fields. But some, such as complementary therapies or supplements, can be particularly prone to these concerns.

    Despite this, most guideline development tools — including those from the World Health Organization — assess methodological quality, not the trustworthiness or integrity of the studies that are included.

    When flawed studies are used to guide real-world medical advice, the consequences for doctors and ultimately patients can be serious.
    Yuri A/Shutterstock

    A practical framework for safeguarding integrity

    Our framework features a six-step process for safeguarding research integrity:

    • Review: conduct a standard systematic review to identify eligible studies
    • Exclude: remove studies that have been formally retracted or are flagged with serious concerns
    • Assess: use available tools and checklists to assess the integrity of the remaining studies
    • Discuss: convene an independent integrity committee to review ratings and vote on each study
    • Establish contact: reach out to authors of high-risk studies to clarify issues or provide missing information
    • Reassess: based on responses (or lack thereof), determine whether a study should be included, excluded, or held in limbo.

    The integrity committee is central to this approach. It is a multidisciplinary group responsible for assessing studies objectively, without preconceived judgements or biases around which studies to exclude.

    Applying the framework to the real world

    Our framework was developed alongside the international evidence-based guideline for polycystic ovary syndrome.

    Polycystic ovary syndrome is a common hormonal, reproductive and metabolic condition affecting 8–13% of women of reproductive age, depending on the diagnostic criteria used. It can cause irregular menstrual cycles, elevated androgen levels, and an increased number of small follicles in the ovaries, visible on ultrasound. It is a leading cause of infertility.

    The guideline was developed with input from diverse professional and consumer groups. It was endorsed by 39 organisations across six continents.

    In making recommendations on infertility treatment in polycystic ovary syndrome, 101 studies were initially identified. After applying our framework, 45 studies were not included due to concerns about integrity. Only three authors responded to clarification requests. This illustrates the problem with transparency after publication.

    Without our framework, these problematic studies may have directly shaped recommendations and health care for women with polycystic ovary syndrome around the world.

    Our framework was incorporated into the National Health and Medical Research Council review process that approved the guidelines. It has since been applied to other guidelines in women’s health. Further scale up is planned.

    A 2020 study found 44% of randomised controlled trials submitted to a major medical journal between 2017 and 2020 contained false data.
    T.Schneider/Shutterstock

    Some drawbacks

    While our framework offers a much-needed solution, it’s not without drawbacks.

    First, the tools it relies on — such as a checklist for measuring trustworthiness in randomised controlled trials and the research integrity assessment tool — are still being refined. They also need to be validated across different research contexts.

    Second, older studies (conducted before trial registries were common) or those from countries with different ethics standards, may be unfairly penalised.

    There is also a risk that valid research could be excluded simply because authors do not respond to integrity enquiries.

    Implementing the framework can also take time. In resource-limited settings, this may be a barrier.

    But failing to assess integrity will likely cost more in the long run. It could lead to flawed recommendations, misplaced public confidence and patient harm.

    Aya Mousa receives funding from NHMRC.

    Ben W. Mol receives funding from NHMRC, MRFF as well as international competitive grants.

    Helena Teede receives funding from NHMRC and MRFF as well as international competitive grants. She is President of International Endocrine Society.

    – ref. Flawed medical studies can end up in doctors’ advice. We developed a tool to stop it – https://theconversation.com/flawed-medical-studies-can-end-up-in-doctors-advice-we-developed-a-tool-to-stop-it-253213

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Thanks to social media platforms, election interference is more insidious and pervasive than ever

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Andrew Buzzell, Postdoctoral Fellow, Rotman Institute of Philosophy, Western University

    Seemingly innocuous conversations, informed by online campaigns, could interfere with elections. (Matt Quinn/Unsplash), CC BY

    Election interference is a much broader phenomenon than is often assumed. Once limited to intimidation, voter fraud or hacking, election interference includes more mundane, pervasive and ubiquitous interactions. A seemingly innocuous and casual chat with a neighbour or barista could now be considered part of a hostile influence campaign.

    From this perspective, interference is less about how ballots are cast and more about shaping the motivations, intentions and contexts in which voters think about politics. Yet those same processes, debates, persuasions and messy arguments are integral to democracy.

    If “election interference” encompasses all efforts to influence opinion, do we risk diluting its meaning, creating a new hollow accusation like “fake news?” More importantly, if this broad view is right, it raises difficult new challenges beyond the narrow measures of election law.

    Blurred lines

    Germany recently accused Elon Musk of meddling in their February election, claiming that his prominent endorsement of the Alternative for Germany party on X was an illegal foreign donation. During the 2022 Brazilian election, misinformation on WhatsApp and Telegram swayed voter intentions, and the Superior Electoral Court frequently requested that content be taken down.

    Much of this content was homegrown, produced, endorsed and circulated by Brazilians themselves. If such content was traditional journalism, existing laws and standards could be applied. But when it resembles ordinary political speech, many see takedowns as censorship. Blurred lines between citizen speech and journalism complicate the laws and policies designed to address clearly defined electioneering.

    During the 2020 Taiwan elections, officials worried that pro-unification memes came not only from Chinese-controlled bots and paid posters (itself a form of election interference), but were trending because the TikTok algorithm systematically prioritized it.

    And in the United States, the legislative push to ban TikTok gained momentum alongside political concern that an apparent uptick in anti-Israel sentiment was caused by covert manipulation of TikTok’s algorithm.

    Broader concerns

    Concerns about election interference should extend the focus beyond the ballot to include information vulnerabilities. Politicians of all stripes have called for action on deceptive speech, but there is little agreement on the nature of the problem, especially across partisan divides

    Complaints about fake news are as likely to be strategic as sincere. News isn’t just about facts, it’s about what matters and why, and as such, media regulation should not solely be determined by the legal system. There is the risk that any effort to control content used to interfere with elections (propaganda, disinformation, fakes) will be inescapably partisan, thus unacceptable in democracies.

    The European Union’s Digital Services Act (DSA) notes some of these concerns. The act indicates that monitoring and reporting about societal risks and public transparency databases will be required. It establishes “trusted flaggers” (experts and civil society groups) to help moderate content. It doesn’t mention elections, but voices concerns that platforms may be “used to disseminate or amplify misleading or deceptive content, including disinformation,” which can undermine fundamental rights.

    The DSA is new but already facing friction. The U.S. has indicated that enforcement may undermine free speech. Other issues include the absence of funding, the lack of standards for transparency databases and growing mistrust in the very idea of flagging. Flagging posts has been criticized for conflating editorship with censorship

    Free speech

    There are two schools of thought in competition with each other pertaining to free speech. The first defines it as freedom from interference with the media environment, and the view that the response to bad speech should be more and better speech, not censure.

    Currently, too much speech is circulating, along with the power given to algorithms and human moderators to make sense of it. This suggests a different ideal — the freedom to be informed and in control of our information environments, to feel authentically represented and to have fair dealings with speech platforms. Translating these to policies and slogans is much harder than a hands-off approach to media regulation.

    Overwhelmed with information, consumers favour brands, curators, editors, tastemakers, vibes and tribes that align with their personal values. If there is a shift in values, consumers cancel, unfollow and disconnect — and then replace the source.

    Trust-breaking disrupts the systems we use to filter, verify and contextualize information. This is exemplified in “firehose of falsehood” tactics and hack-and-leak operations that simultaneously sow distrust and weaponize predictable reactions.

    Scales of influence

    For every internationally important election or referendum, there are hundreds of local contests, municipal elections, internal party nominations and the like that shape political realities just as meaningfully. Influencers operating at small scales can have outsized effects that ripple through broader constituencies. A post on a local forum might spark a thousand invisible offline conversations.

    These broad concerns about vulnerabilities in our media systems matter all the time, not just during elections. Political representation requires trust in the media that inform us about what other people and communities think and care about. These reflections are distorted by online social media platforms and messaging apps.

    We will have to eventually consider something like a “made in Canada” Digital Services Act that can give voters a voice in the kind of information environment they want. There’s much to be learned from the EU’s early lessons, especially as they respond to American tech companies that control so much of the online information space.

    Andrew Buzzell received funding from SSHRC.

    – ref. Thanks to social media platforms, election interference is more insidious and pervasive than ever – https://theconversation.com/thanks-to-social-media-platforms-election-interference-is-more-insidious-and-pervasive-than-ever-251764

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Stone tool discovery in China shows people in East Asia were innovating during the Middle Paleolithic, like in Europe and Middle East

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Ben Marwick, Professor of Archaeology, University of Washington

    The artifacts found at Longtan, southwest China, were as old as 60,000 years. Qijun Ruan

    New technologies today often involve electronic devices that are smaller and smarter than before. During the Middle Paleolithic, when Neanderthals were modern humans’ neighbors, new technologies meant something quite different: new kinds of stone tools that were smaller but could be used for many tasks and lasted for a long time.

    Archaeologists like me are interested in the Middle Paleolithic – a period spanning 250,000 to 30,000 years ago – because it includes the first appearance of our species, our arrival into many parts of the world for the first time, and our invention of many new kinds of stone tools.

    Illustration of a typical Quina scraper and related tools. The toolmaker would flake pieces of stone off the core to carefully shape the Quina scraper.
    Pei-Yuan Xiao

    In our study just published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a team of international collaborators and I describe our discovery in China of the first complete example of a Middle Paleolithic technology previously seen only in Europe and the Middle East.

    Archaeologists have thought that ancient people in East Asia completely skipped the Middle Paleolithic. Our discovery challenges the long-standing notion that while ancient people in Europe and Africa were inventing new tools during this period, people of East Asia stuck to only the most basic tools that remained unchanged for thousands of years.

    The Quina tool kit from Longtan. (A–D) Quina scrapers. (E–G) Quina cores. (H-J) Resharpening flakes showing Quina retouch at the near end of the top face. (K) Small tool made on resharpening flake.
    Hao Li

    Quina scrapers helped hunters process kills

    The tool we’ve identified is called a Quina scraper. This type of stone tool is well known from archaeological sites in Europe and the Middle East.

    Quina scrapers are typically quite thick and asymmetrical, with a broad and sharp working edge that shows clear signs of being used and resharpened multiple times. This shape results in durable cutting edges, ideal for long cycles of use followed by resharpening.

    People used Quina scrapers to scrape and cut soft materials, such as meat and animal skins, and medium-hard materials, such as wood. We know this from tiny scratches and chips on the scrapers that match traces caused by working these materials in experiments using contemporary stone tools.

    European archaeologists believe that Quina scrapers were invented to meet the needs of highly mobile hunters living in cool and dry climates. These hunters were focused on seasonal migratory prey such as reindeer, giant deer, horse and bison. Quina scrapers would have helped them process their kills into food and other resources – for example, to extract marrow.

    A. Map showing the location of the discovery of the Quina tool kit in China, at the southern margin of the Hengduan Mountains of the Tibetan Plateau. B. View of the landscape showing the Longtan archaeological site.
    Hao Li, CC BY-ND

    First find of a Quina tool in East Asia

    Our team, led by Hao Li of the Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research and Qijun Ruan of the Yunnan Provincial Institute of Cultural Relics and Archaeology, excavated Quina scrapers and related stone tools from the Longtan archaeological site in southwest China.

    Bo Li collects samples from Longtan for luminescence dating at his laboratory at the University of Wollongong.
    Qijun Ruan

    Our colleague Bo Li at the University of Wollongong used optical luminescence dating methods on the layers of earth that contained the artifacts. This technique can identify how much time has passed since each individual sand grain was last exposed to the Sun. Dating many individual grains in a sample is important because tree roots, insects or other animals can mix younger sediments down into older ones.

    After we identified and removed intrusive younger grains, we found the layers containing the artifacts were 50,000 to 60,000 years old. This is roughly the same time Quina scrapers were being used in Europe at Neanderthal sites.

    Keliang Zhao from China’s Institute of Vertebrate Paleontology and Paleoanthropology looked at pollen grains from the Longtan excavations. He found that the Middle Paleolithic people of Longtan lived in a relatively open forest-grassland environment and a dry and cool climate. This environment is similar to that of Quina sites in Europe.

    Davide Delpiano, Marco Peresani and Marie-Hélène Moncel, experts on European Middle Paleolithic tools, joined our team to help with the comparison of the Chinese and European specimens and confirm their similarities.

    Hélène Monod, from Universidad Rovira i Virgili in Spain, looked at our Quina scrapers under the microscope and found traces on them from scraping and scratching bones, antlers and wood. She also found polish from using the tools on meat, hides and soft plants.

    Who lived in East Asia during this period?

    Our new discovery of Quina scrapers joins another recent find of a different kind of Middle Paleolithic technology in East Asia: Levallois tools from Guanyindong Cave in Guizhou Province in south-central China. Levallois tools result from a distinctive multistep sequence that efficiently produces lots of useful cutting tools, with minimal wasted stone. Taken together, these two finds make a strong case that Middle Paleolithic technologies were present in East Asia.

    But why are we only just finding this Quina tool kit now, when it has been known in Europe for such a long time?

    One reason is that archaeologists have been looking in Europe for longer than almost anywhere else in the world. Another reason Middle Paleolithic evidence appears rare in East Asia is because what now seem to be less typical variations of the Quina tool kit previously found in China had been overlooked, likely due to archaeologists’ narrow definitions based on European examples.

    The Quina tools at Longtan are among the earliest artifacts from that site, which makes it hard for researchers to determine the origins of this new technology. Was it introduced by visitors from Europe? Or did local people in East Asia independently invent it?

    The research team shows off the Longtan artifacts.
    Hao Li

    To answer these questions, we hope to find more Quina scrapers at sites with deeper – meaning older – layers than Longtan. If older layers hold what look like the remnants of experiments in stone toolmaking that would eventually result in Quina tools, it suggests Quina tools were invented locally. If deeper layers have dissimilar tools, that suggests Quina technology was introduced from a neighboring group.

    We also hope future work will reveal who made these tools. Our excavations at Longtan did not find any human bone or DNA that could help us identify the toolmakers.

    During the Middle Paleolithic, there were multiple human species that could make tools like this. It could have been modern humans like us. But it could also have been Neanderthals. Considering that the Quina technology in Europe is directly associated with Neanderthals, this seems likely. But it could also have been Denisovans, an extinct species similar to modern humans found during this time in Siberia, the Tibetan Plateau and Laos, or even a new human species that hasn’t been seen before.

    Whoever was making and using these Quina scrapers, they were able to be inventive and flexible with their technology, adapting to their changing environment.

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

    – ref. Stone tool discovery in China shows people in East Asia were innovating during the Middle Paleolithic, like in Europe and Middle East – https://theconversation.com/stone-tool-discovery-in-china-shows-people-in-east-asia-were-innovating-during-the-middle-paleolithic-like-in-europe-and-middle-east-252868

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Marine Le Pen’s victim narrative is already being constructed – but there are ways to stop her criminal conviction benefitting her

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Aurelien Mondon, Senior Lecturer in Politics, University of Bath

    Marine Le Pen, figurehead of France’s Rassemblement National (RN), one of the most established far-right parties in Europe, has been found guilty of embezzling funds from the European parliament.

    During her time as an MEP between 2004 and 2017, Le Pen and her team paid party staff with funds that should have gone to European parliamentary aides. The ruling estimates that a total of €2.9 million (£2.4 million) in European parliament funds were involved in the crimes and that Le Pen personally embezzled €474,000 of that total.

    She has been sentenced to four years in prison, two of which would be electronic monitoring. She is also unlikely to see the inside of a cell for the other two years as she is appealing her conviction.

    More importantly, perhaps, is the fact that she has been banned from holding public office for five years. Crucially, the ban is to start immediately, meaning that even with an appeal, Le Pen is highly unlikely to be able to stand as a candidate in the next presidential election in 2027.

    For many in the RN, the court’s decision will be a major blow. The party appears to have lost the candidate they believed was on course for victory in 2027. However, others will no doubt see this as a chance to distance the party further from the Le Pen name, following the death of Marine Le Pen’s father Jean-Marie Le Pen earlier this year.

    This process has been in motion for some time. Jordan Bardella took over from Le Pen as president of the party in 2022 and has clearly been waiting and preparing for this eventuality. Allegations were first levelled at Le Pen many years ago and her crimes relate to her time as an MEP between 2004 and 2017. He has been the plan B option throughout her trial.

    Bardella led the RN to victory in the 2024 European election in France. He also managed to send a record number of parliamentarians to the National Assembly after French president Emmanuel Macron called a snap election just weeks later.

    This was, nevertheless, a somewhat disappointing outcome as many on the far right had started to imagine Bardella as prime minister. Since failing to meet this expectation, his leadership has come under more scrutiny. His reaction to Le Pen’s sidelining will be watched carefully.

    Playing the victim

    Overall, it is good news to see corruption being taken seriously and justice being served. However, Le Pen’s conviction comes after years of embezzlement which has allowed the far right to build its strength. All this has come on the back of a system it has vowed to destroy. As such, it feels like too little too late.

    Furthermore, this decision, and the fact that it is tied to the European Union, is likely to feed into typical far-right propaganda on the domestic stage. Le Pen and the party will play the victim, blaming Le Pen’s fate on a wide conspiracy organised by something akin to the deep state operating via Brussels.

    The deep levels of distrust in public institutions and mainstream politics are likely to play a role here. Le Pen will aim to paint the decision of an independent court as the political assassination of the “champion of the people”.

    She could become a martyr, turning her cause into a revolt against “the system”. Bardella has already said that Le Pen’s conviction amounted to the “execution” of democracy.

    Crucially, though, this outcome isn’t inevitable. Whether such a narrative takes hold is a choice that is very much in the hands of mainstream elite actors. Those who have a privileged access to shaping public discourse, such as journalists, politicians and experts will therefore play a key role.

    Instead of giving pride of place to Le Pen and the far right in a tempting sensationalising coverage, the mainstream media must turn to serious analysis. This would involve removing the focus from individuals and putting it on the wider issues at hand. That would lessen the potential for a narrative of victimisation to take hold.

    Beyond providing an accurate picture of the case itself, good coverage should predominantly focus on politics rather than on the spectacle the RN will inevitably try to construct as a diversion tactic. This would mean engaging seriously with what the RN actually proposes as a model of society: one that is not against the “elite” and for the people, but merely in favour of a different elite taking control at the head of a top-down authoritarian state.

    This would then allow voters to understand that the far right is not on their side, but on the side of power, wealth and hierarchies. Those who oppose such a takeover could go some way to fix the damage that has been done with carelessly associating these parties with “populism”.

    Finally, good coverage would also mean shifting the agenda away from the far right and its pet issues. Had politicians – left, right and centre – not continuously used the far right as a diversion from their own failures to tackle the many crises their countries face, the far right would not be as powerful as it seems.

    As opinion polls show, when people are asked what are their biggest concerns personally, issues core to the far right such as immigration are low. Instead, it is issues that would require radical measures to tackle economic and social insecurity which are prioritised.

    The far right offers nothing to address these – only division to make citizens powerless to fight back. Now that Le Pen is out of the picture, it is a good time to shift the agenda back to democracy and hope.

    Aurelien Mondon 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. Marine Le Pen’s victim narrative is already being constructed – but there are ways to stop her criminal conviction benefitting her – https://theconversation.com/marine-le-pens-victim-narrative-is-already-being-constructed-but-there-are-ways-to-stop-her-criminal-conviction-benefitting-her-253469

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Idarucizumab, levetiracetam, ustekinumab: how do drugs get their names and why are they so hard to pronounce?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Craig Russell, Lecturer, Pharmacy, Aston University

    Asier Romero/Shutterstock

    If you’ve ever tried discussing medicines with friends or family and found yourself stumbling over the pronunciation — or even resorting to snapping a photo of the medicine’s packaging to show your pharmacist, instead of remembering the name — you’ve probably wondered: where do drug names come from, and why can’t they be easier to remember?

    Occasionally, drug names are short and snappy. But more often, they seem more like something from Greek or Norse mythology. While these names may seem overwhelming at first, they’re chosen with purpose, not as a way for big pharma to show off.

    Naming a new drug can resemble watching a yacht race or an American football game for the first time — chaotic and confusing, with rules and a structure that only those involved truly understand. To the untrained eye, it might seem random, but there’s a method to the madness. So, how are these names chosen?

    Most drugs typically have three names: a chemical name, a generic name, and a brand name. Each serves a different purpose.

    An example of this is the branded drug Viagra. Its generic name is sildenafil and its chemical name is 5-[2-ethoxy-5-(4-methylpiperazin-1-ylsulfonyl)phenyl]-1-methyl-3-propyl-1,6-dihydro-7H-pyrazolo[4,3-d]pyrimidin-7-one.

    In this example, it is clear why the chemical name is not practical for everyday use. But why have a brand name and a generic name?

    The brand name is assigned by the pharmaceutical company that develops, patents and markets the medicine. These names are chosen to be catchy and easy to remember, helping in marketing and recognition. They are usually easy to pronounce.

    Once a patent expires, other manufacturers can market the same drug under a generic name, as long as it meets the same standards of quality, safety and effectiveness.

    To avoid confusion

    Generic names were introduced in the 1950s and are the official, non-proprietary names for the active drug. Each drug has only one generic name, which ensures clear communication and standardisation worldwide.

    Pharmaceutical companies must follow strict guidelines when naming drugs, which are set by the World Health Organization’s (WHO) International Non-proprietary Names system.

    In the US, the United States Adopted Names Council assigns generic drug names in collaboration with the WHO. This ensures that drugs with similar functions have similar-sounding names.

    Generic drug names often incorporate stems or suffixes that denote the drug’s mechanism of action, chemical structure or target receptor, and a prefix that differentiates it from drugs in the same family.

    This is why lots of drug names share the same ending. Examples include cholesterol medicines ending in -statin, Ace inhibitors for reducing blood pressure ending in -pril, monoclonal antibody drugs ending in -mab, and tyrosine kinase inhibitors (mainly used in cancer treatment) ending in -tinib.

    Despite all of this, there are still lots of drugs that are easy to mix up. Medicines that look or sound alike (known in the field as “Lasa medicines”) are a leading contributor to medication errors. So, recognising where there is risk is important.

    It is particularly important to consider the sound of the name and not just how it appears when written. Examples of Lasa medicines are Losec (omeprazole) and Lasix (furosemide), and Maprocin (ciprofloxacin) and Macrocin (erythromycin). To avoid confusion, prescriptions and labels include both the brand and generic names to help differentiate between similar-sounding medications.

    Patients should be educated about their medicines and how to use them, including the importance of checking the name and appearance of the medication before taking it.

    Craig Russell receives funding from BBSRC.

    – ref. Idarucizumab, levetiracetam, ustekinumab: how do drugs get their names and why are they so hard to pronounce? – https://theconversation.com/idarucizumab-levetiracetam-ustekinumab-how-do-drugs-get-their-names-and-why-are-they-so-hard-to-pronounce-252049

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Protein is being added to yoghurt, bread and even coffee – but is it really good for our health?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Aisling Pigott, Lecturer, Dietetics, Cardiff Metropolitan University

    Not all of these protein-enhanced food products are healthy. MAYA Lab/ Shutterstock

    Protein intake dominates fitness advice. Whether you want to build muscle, improve your fitness or watch your weight, the common advice handed out by everyone from fitness influencers to doctors is that we need more protein.

    But while protein does play an essential role in maintaining our muscle mass and overall health, all this increased attention on the importance of protein in the media and fitness circles has sparked a surge in products marketed specifically for their protein content. Some chocolate bars, ice cream, pizza, coffee and even alcoholic beverages now market themselves as protein foods.

    But our enthusiasm for protein might have gone too far. While protein is certainly important for our health, most of us don’t need these protein-enhanced foods as a regular feature in our diet. Not to mention that this marketing may lead to a “halo effect,” where consumers mistakenly equate high protein content with overall nutritional value. This effect can lead to the perception of protein-rich foods being inherently nutritious – even though many may not be.

    Protein is essential for maintaining muscle mass and immune function.

    Nutrition guidelines recommend people aim to eat around 0.75g of protein per kilogram of body weight. But some evidence suggests this recommendation may be an underestimate – and that the recommendation should be around 1.2g-1.6g per kg of body weight per day

    There’s also a strong body of evidence that suggests the amount of protein we need changes depending on our health. For instance, people need to eat more protein when they’re recovering from an illness. Research also shows that older adults should be aiming for at least 1.2g per kg of body weight in order to combat age-related muscle loss.

    Athletes also need to eat a greater amount of protein to support their training and recovery. Moreover, with the rising popularity of weight-loss drugs, strategies increasingly emphasise protein intake to minimise muscle loss while losing weight.

    But just because protein is good for maintaining muscle mass, that doesn’t mean more is better. In fact, it seems that even when we consume large amounts of protein, only a some of this is actually used by the body.

    Most of us probably need a little more protein than current guidelines suggest, but less than is often promoted by wellness influencers on social media (with some even suggesting we need up to 3g of protein per kg of body weight).

    Ironically, the necessary amount of protein suggested by emerging evidence (1.2g-1.6g per kg of body weight per day) is close to what the average protein consumption already is in most western countries.

    It’s better to try and eat a bit of protein from a whole food source at each meal.
    Margouillat Photo/ Shutterstock

    Most people can probably benefit from being more protein aware – not about how much protein they’re consuming, but about the quality and frequency of their protein choices. Ideally, we should aim to consume small amounts of protein-rich foods more often during the day.

    Current evidence suggests around 20g-30g of protein (around a handful of a protein source) at each meal supports muscle maintenance alongside physical activity.

    In an ideal world, this protein would come from whole foods (such as nuts, seeds, milk, eggs and legumes). But fortified protein products may have their space as a quick and easy snack – especially for those who may struggle to eat this much protein at each meal. It’s important to eat these foods in moderation, however.

    Ultra-processed products

    Supermarkets are full of “protein-enhanced” products. But while these products may contain additional protein, they may also contain additional sugars or carbohydrates.

    For example, protein milk often contains double the protein of regular milk. It does this by removing water or adding dried milk.

    Protein bars are another example. But depending on the brand you choose, alongside their additional protein content they may also be high in sugar.

    Many protein-fortified products share another common trait: they fall into the category of ultra-processed foods. Ultra-processed foods are commercially made products that include ingredients you wouldn’t typically find in your own kitchen.

    Research shows regularly consuming ultra-processed foods is consistently linked with poorer health outcomes – such as cardiovascular diseases and diabetes. Current discussions around ultra-processed foods suggests uncertainty regarding whether it’s the processing itself, the poor nutritional quality of these foods or the combination of both of these factors that contribute to these negative health outcomes.

    Another issue with protein-enhanced products is that while they do indeed contain extra protein, some products may lack fibre, vitamins and essential minerals. A lack of fibre in modern diets is currently one of the biggest contributors to population-wide ill-health.

    All foods have their place within a balanced diet. But protein is only one component of overall nutritional health. The rise in protein-fortified foods as health foods is concerning.

    Protein-enhanced products are occasional foods that might support meeting protein intake, but they should not be mistaken for universally healthy foods. For people looking to reach their protein goals, choose a variety of protein sources, consider the role of convenience foods within the context of whole diet and think about other nutrients like fibre to really maximise health.

    Aisling Pigott receives funding from RCBC Wales (as part of Health Care Research Wales)

    – ref. Protein is being added to yoghurt, bread and even coffee – but is it really good for our health? – https://theconversation.com/protein-is-being-added-to-yoghurt-bread-and-even-coffee-but-is-it-really-good-for-our-health-252236

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Colombia’s fragile peace process in danger as guerrilla violence rises

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Dale Pankhurst, PhD Candidate and Tutor in the School of History, Anthropology, Philosophy and Politics, Queen’s University Belfast

    Colombia has experienced an upsurge in political and criminal violence over the past few months. In late February, the National Liberation Army (ELN) leftist guerrilla insurgent group carried out four bombings in Cúcuta, a city on the border with Venezuela. Several people were left injured by the attacks, and 1,200 soldiers were subsequently deployed across the city.

    Then, in early March, dissidents from the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (Farc) Marxist-Leninist rebel group captured 29 members of the security forces in the Cauca region, including a police lieutenant colonel and an army major. The renegade faction expressed anger at government efforts to eradicate 8,000 hectares of coca in the area.

    Colombia’s fragile peace process, in which the government has sought to bring the country’s multiple armed groups to the negotiating table, looks to be in danger. Some leftist insurgent groups remain active, while drug cartels and offshoots of Colombia’s former right-wing paramilitaries, such as the Clan del Golfo, continue to expand their influence.

    Colombia suffered Latin America’s longest-running insurgency. In the 1960s, Farc emerged with the goal of overthrowing the Colombian state and establishing a communist government.

    It wasn’t until the late 1990s, when the drug trade emerged as a funding source, that the Farc insurgency became a serious threat to Colombia’s government. Farc took over large parts of rural Colombia, forcing state control to retreat to the urban centres of regional towns and cities. By 2001, Farc was operating in the periphery of Colombia’s capital, Bogotá.

    At the same time, the Colombian security forces also battled other left-wing insurgent forces. These included the 19th of April Movement (M-19), the Popular Liberation Army (EPL) and the ELN, which is now Colombia’s largest active guerrilla insurgent group.

    In response to the revolutionary Marxist threat, anti-insurgent paramilitaries coalesced under the banner of the United Self-Defense Forces. These paramilitary groups both collaborated and conflicted with the state, before the vast majority disbanded through a government demobilisation programme between 2002 and 2006.

    It is estimated that the decades-long armed conflict in Colombia resulted in the deaths of over a quarter of a million people, with many more injured and displaced from their homes. Tens of thousands are still missing.

    The insurgency was officially brought to an end in 2016, when the Colombian government signed a peace agreement with Farc. The group was to be demobilised, victims of the conflict would receive justice, and the government promised significant investment in rural areas previously under Farc control.

    It also guaranteed seats for former Farc rebels in the Colombian Senate and House of Representatives for two terms, starting in 2018. In its new incarnation as a political party, Farc would then have to secure seats through engaging in elections.

    Despite the peace agreement and demobilisation programmes, there are a variety of armed groups across Colombia still intent on collapsing the peace process. The ELN, for example, has rejected every peace deal since its inception in 1964.

    It continues to carry out attacks and seeks to control territory throughout Colombia, particularly in regions where the drug trade proliferates. In 2019, the ELN carried out a suicide car bombing at the General Santander National Police Academy in Bogotá, killing 21 people as police cadets readied for their graduation ceremony.

    Several Farc fronts also rejected the 2016 peace agreement and formed their own dissident factions, including the so-called Central General Staff and the Segunda Marquetalia. Farc dissidents and the ELN have clashed over the years, but have both used neighbouring Venezuela as a launch pad to conduct attacks into Colombia.

    Demobilised Farc combatants face assassinations and threats from dissident rebel factions who view former militants that are now pro-peace as traitors. These threats may encourage some demobilised groups to rearm in the future.

    Alongside the growing insurgent threat, Colombia’s security forces are also dealing with neo-paramilitary factions which are, like the remaining dissident guerrillas, heavily involved in drug trafficking.

    Groups such as the Clan del Golfo seek to generate wealth and power through criminality while also attacking rebel groups such as the ELN and Farc dissidents. These neo-paramilitary groups have an estimated membership of 6,000 volunteers spread throughout Colombia.

    Establishing ‘total peace’

    Following the 2022 election of Colombia’s president, Gustavo Petro, a new peace strategy was announced that was designed to disarm and demobilise the remaining leftist insurgents, neo-paramilitary factions and organised crime cartels. Petro, himself a former M-19 guerrilla and the country’s first leftist president, sought to use his plan for “total peace” to end Colombia’s remaining violent campaigns.

    It was hoped that peace talks between Petro’s government and rebel factions may have produced better outcomes than previous attempts due to Petro’s left-wing politics and his history as a rebel combatant in the 1980s. However, attempts at establishing peace have repeatedly collapsed.

    The decision by the US president, Donald Trump, to cut foreign aid to Colombia has also heightened fears that groups such as the ELN will benefit as a result. The funding that has been slashed primarily focused on helping communities living in poverty and isolation as well as supporting anti-gang and pro-peace programmes.

    Government initiatives to secure peace continue to stall. But community organisations at a regional and local level have achieved success in transitioning demobilised combatants back into civilian life.

    Groups such as the Medellín-based Peace Classrooms Foundation have used the experiences of former paramilitary members and rebels to warn of the dangers of violence. These groups may hold the key to addressing some of the social injustices that encourage dissent and violence in Colombia.

    The continued violence in Colombia should remind anyone with an interest in wanting peace to succeed that the internal armed conflict is far from settled.

    Dale Pankhurst 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. Colombia’s fragile peace process in danger as guerrilla violence rises – https://theconversation.com/colombias-fragile-peace-process-in-danger-as-guerrilla-violence-rises-252582

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Looking for a job? Understanding how you make career decisions can help

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Julia Yates, Professor of Organisational Psychology, City St George’s, University of London

    Mix and Match Studio/Shutterstock

    If you’re getting ready to leave school or university and are trying to figure out your future career, you may well have been given the advice to start with some self-exploration. This means thinking about what you are like as a person and what you want from a job.

    After this, you can identify a short list of possible options, research them in depth, and make a rational choice to pursue the one that best meets your needs. Once you have made a decision, then you can start applying for jobs.

    But in my personal and professional experience as a career coach and researcher, this traditional approach to career choice is rarely how it works in practice. This is a normative model, meaning it shows us how decisions ought to be made and assumes that we are all completely logical, rational decision-makers.

    No one’s 20s and 30s look the same. You might be saving for a mortgage or just struggling to pay rent. You could be swiping dating apps, or trying to understand childcare. No matter your current challenges, our Quarter Life series has articles to share in the group chat, or just to remind you that you’re not alone.

    Read more from Quarter Life:

    In practice, we know that people rarely make decisions logically and rationally, particularly when it comes to complex and significant decisions such as choosing a career path.

    And while normative models can, in theory, help us to make better decisions, we know that normative models are only useful in practice if they are somewhat aligned with people’s natural instincts.

    Figuring it out

    I interviewed 40 recent graduates who are currently working. I asked them to think back to a time when they had no clue what they wanted to do. They talked me through how they went from having no idea at all about their future path to their current employment.

    The graduates had studied different subjects and were now working in a wide range of positions and industries, but their career decision-making stories followed a surprisingly similar trajectory. Rather than considering what range of jobs might suit them, they started with a single appealing career idea.

    Considering one occupation at a time reduces the amount of brain power required: it’s much easier to decide yes or no to a single option than to compare the pros and cons of a handful.

    This approach also helps to allay career anxiety, as it allows people to do some fairly in-depth research before they commit. It downplays the significance of the first job they take, so they feel that it doesn’t really matter if they get it wrong and don’t enjoy the job after working there a while.

    If this analysis suggested that the job seemed suitable enough, they would next do some in-depth research, often by actually applying for jobs. If not, they would go back and find another occupation to consider.

    The application process can provide more information about a career.
    Zivica Kerkez/Shutterstock

    Through the application process they would learn more about the culture and the people within the sector and they would get some external feedback on whether their skills were a good match for the job (in the form of job offer or a rejection, for example).

    Summaya, one of the graduates I spoke to, is now a recruitment consultant. “I studied psychology at university … I knew from the beginning that I didn’t want to go into psychology as a career, but I quite liked the idea of understanding people,” she said.

    She explained that she decided to look into careers in HR, “because it’s quite well paid and obviously it’s not really psychology, but there are sort of hints of psychology within it”. Summaya found that she could get a job in recruitment with no need for additional qualifications beyond her degree. She said:

    The moment I decided was probably when I applied to my current company, and I had my first interview with them and they explained the job to me. Before that point, I had no idea really … I think, at that moment where I kind of understood, and I was like, oh, I think I’d actually really like doing this job.

    Bound by experience

    This process – considering one career option at a time and using the application process as a way to find out more – capitalises on a gut instinct to identify one occupation from thousands, but relies on rational logic to make a final choice. The process of introspection takes place within the much easier, bounded context of one particular occupation. This helps make the whole process of choosing a career less demanding.

    This approach has a couple of key limitations. First, if you’re young, your available options are constrained by your experiences. While some students might have been introduced to a wide range of career ideas, others, because their life experiences have been more limited, have a much narrower pool of options to choose from.

    And while the apply-and-decide approach makes some logical sense, in practice it can lead to graduates devolving the responsibility of their career choice to recruiters.

    Understanding this process can help young people make better career choices. It might prompt you to get more experience in the workplace, to broaden your horizons and to develop a realistic idea of different roles. It might help you to take a bit more ownership of the decision. Applying for a job may be a good way to find out more, but leaving the choice in the hands of the recruiters is risky.

    We can downplay the significance of a first job. This generation of young people are going to be working for a long time. There’s no harm in trying a few things out before you make a longer-term commitment.

    Julia Yates 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. Looking for a job? Understanding how you make career decisions can help – https://theconversation.com/looking-for-a-job-understanding-how-you-make-career-decisions-can-help-247408

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Beijing plans to bounce back against Trump’s tariffs

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Chee Meng Tan, Assistant Professor of Business Economics, University of Nottingham

    China’s president Xi Jinping recently held a meeting with 40 leaders of multinational companies, including BMW and AstraZeneca.

    In contrast to Donald Trump’s rhetoric, Xi told the top level executives that globalisation was not going away. Xi is attempting to boost foreign investment in China, which has dropped in the last few years, and build new relationships that will offset Trump’s tariffs on many Chinese goods.

    In the March 28 meeting, Xi “vowed to improve market access” and assured corporate leaders that “lines of communication” between them and the Chinese government are open.

    Xi is hoping to build on an anti-Trump bounce and inspire businesses to back Beijing as some signs emerged that China’s economy was doing a little better than expected in early 2025. Industrial production went up by 5.9% in January and February. Credit growth, which measures the amount of loans banks give out, also appears to be picking up, suggesting that businesses might be growing in China.

    Retail sales, which are a major economic marker indicating consumer spending, has risen by up to 4% in January and February this year, compared to last year.

    Beijing is also willing to create further stimulus packages to sustain China’s economic growth, which might lift consumer confidence further.

    But this is hampered by a real estate crisis that began in 2021. What followed was an already high local government debt that was exacerbated by the property crisis, and high youth unemployment that existed since 2023.

    The big question then is what are the factors that could lead to a more buoyant outlook in China’s economic fortunes?

    Beijing’s policy resolve

    According to a Bloomberg report, China has traditionally relied on cheap loans and subsidies to boost economic sectors in infrastructure, manufacturing, and the property market. However, those times are over.

    The problem is China has produced more goods to sell than people are willing to buy. In the past, Beijing relied on the west to purchase its products, but with rising protectionism and looming tariffs stemming from a Donald Trump-led US, US consumption of Chinese goods is likely to fall.

    And if another key market in the form of the EU were to take a cue from Trump’s economic playbook and impose more tariffs on China, then Chinese hope for sales in the west for economic growth may not materialise.

    Beijing’s surest way of boosting sales is through domestic consumption. This isn’t easy as China’s domestic spending remains relatively low at 40% of the country’s GDP, which is about 20% lower than the global average. And if Beijing wants cautious consumers to spend amid a relatively weak economic outlook, it needs to do more to raise consumer confidence.

    Although China did introduce a stimulus package in September 2024, it has resolved to do more. In an early March 2025 speech in the Chinese parliament, Chinese premier Li Qiang promised a “special action plan” to vigorously raise domestic consumption for 2025. Several weeks later Li reiterated in the China Development Forum that Beijing would roll out more stimulus packages when the need arose.

    These assurances are likely to have helped improve market sentiment, and the fact that China’s GDP growth target was also set at an ambitious level of around 5%, might signal Beijing’s confidence and resolve that the economy will improve.

    China’s AI revolution

    In the past, China was considered a copycat nation known for manufacturing shanzai, or fake and pirated products. This difficulty in innovating and reliance on the designs of others largely lay with an education system steeped in rote learning, and a top-down culture with a conformist approach.

    This is why experts thought China would struggle when the US decided to introduce restrictions on Chinese access semiconductor and AI technologies. However, despite these restrictions, China has managed to develop a highly capable AI model of its own in the form of DeepSeek, which was unveiled early this year, and immediately boosted China’s image as an innovator.

    Unlike other AI models, DeepSeek was apparently made at a fraction of the cost of other traditional AI models such as ChatGPT, and may have a more efficient coding scheme that allows for quicker problem solving. This has prompted Donald Trump to coin DeepSeek’s development as a wake-up call for the US tech industry.

    Many AI startups in China are now revamping their business models to compete with DeepSeek, following widespread adoption of the latter’s technology. As the AI revolution in China could potentially reduce costs and thereby boost efficiency in the financial sector.

    Following Trump’s return to the Oval Office, investors across the globe have been trying to reduce their reliance on the US by looking for investment opportunities elsewhere. This isn’t entirely surprising given Trump’s knack for the unpredictable, and how new US tariffs have been applied to a host of US allies such as Mexico, Canada, and the European Union.

    While Trump is striking an increasingly protectionist tone, China is taking the opposite approach. Trump’s penchant for tariffs and disregard for the economic interest of US allies may mean Beijing might not need to do too much to attract more nations and businesses to consider turning towards Chinese markets.

    Chee Meng Tan 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 Beijing plans to bounce back against Trump’s tariffs – https://theconversation.com/how-beijing-plans-to-bounce-back-against-trumps-tariffs-253086

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Inner London residents told me their food waste problems – composting definitely isn’t the answer

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sayed Elhoushy, Senior Lecturer in Marketing, Queen Mary University of London

    “It’s always frustrated me that we can’t compost here – even though I get why. Tower blocks just aren’t built for it,” said Alexandra, a 42-year-old Tower Hamlets resident, living on the ninth floor. She gestures toward the tall buildings in her neighbourhood. Her frustration is shared by many, where food waste collection from blocks of flats remains a challenge.

    Tower Hamlets in east London is England’s most densely populated borough, with more than 15,000 people per square kilometre. More than 81% of its residents live in high-rise flats, and 30% of its rubbish is food waste.

    For residents like Alexandra, the lack of options is disappointing. “When I first moved here, I looked into food waste disposal, but there weren’t many options for people in flats,” she says. Unfortunately, her experience reflects a wider problem.

    According to the UK waste charity Wrap, nearly a quarter of the UK’s food production is wasted each year – that’s over 6.4 million tonnes of edible food worth £21 billion, enough to feed the country for nearly three months. Households contribute approximately 60% of this waste, which not only costs money but also fuels climate change.

    London authorities have introduced reduction and recycling plans (RRPs) to tackle food waste and increase recycling. These efforts align with the mayor’s London-wide strategy to halve food waste by 2030. While these targets are ambitious, their implementation in high-rise boroughs such as Tower Hamlets remains a challenge.

    The communal bins overflowing with rubbish and recycling waste in London Borough of Tower Hamlets, April 2024.
    I Wei Huang/Shutterstock

    For many residents, food waste is both an environmental issue and a logistical nightmare. “We tried compost bins in our building, but rats and foxes loved them more than we did,” laughed Aisha, a resident I interviewed at a community centre in March 2023.

    Limited space makes traditional composting methods such as wormeries (small-scale systems where worms break down organic waste into compost) unfeasible. The people I interviewed explained that community-led schemes often struggle due to limited participation in the first place, contamination from improper waste disposal and pest control issues including attracting rats and foxes.

    In my work as a sustainability marketing researcher, I’m investigating alternatives and researching how best to maintain sustainable consumer behaviour.

    Co-creation – in this case, designing solutions with the residents trying to tackle food waste – is so important, but often overlooked. By talking directly to the people involved, a plan will end up being much more effective because people trust it more and engage with it more willingly.

    In 2023, I led a six-month behaviour change research project with East London Garden Society, a community-driven initiative focused on promoting gardening and environmental sustainability in east London. I interviewed 15 Tower Hamlets residents, listened to numerous community meetings and analysed community discussions to uncover the real barriers to food waste reduction.

    My findings were clear: residents don’t just want tips – they want a voice.

    As 64-year-old Maryam put it: “I really appreciate that you’re taking a resident-first approach, gathering feedback and understanding experiences. That’s how you’ll find what truly works.”

    By placing residents at the centre, we can ensure that solutions are built to last. But co-creation alone is not enough – residents need systematic changes, such as better infrastructure.

    The role of technology

    A 2024 study shows how technology is reshaping the food system from production to consumption. Apps such as Olio help consumers share surplus food and reduce waste.

    Some composting machines or food waste processors are compact enough for household kitchens, requiring no garden. Residents can use the resulting compost to grow small plants on their balconies or add it to their green waste bin – this process is made easier by the reduction in volume.

    Larger compost machines can turn organic food waste into nutrient-rich soil in just 24 hours, reducing its volume by up to 80% – while these can handle organic waste from multiple high-rise buildings, they need to be installed in a bigger shared community space.

    In Tower Hamlets, where space is limited, compact technology offers a convenient solution. But, as we found in our research, it’s not without its challenges.

    As Frank, a man who lives on a top-floor flat, explained: “This machine is much quicker than traditional composting, but what about the cost and the electricity it uses?” While smart technologies offer convenience, some Tower Hamlets residents raised concerns about energy consumption and costs – so there is a trade-off between ease and energy efficiency.



    Read more:
    Most food waste happens at home – new research reveals the best ways to reduce it

    Surprisingly, composting technology, often seen as the eco-friendly solution, may be worsening the food waste crisis. As a marketing expert, I spoke directly with many consumers at Tower Hamlets.

    One told me that composting makes them feel “less guilty” about throwing out food. When composting serves as a licence to waste, it can increase the amount of food that is discarded.

    Making composting easy diverts waste from landfills, but that doesn’t address root causes including simply buying too much food in the first place. To reduce food waste, technology must promote behavioural change such as better meal planning and waste monitoring. Knowing how much food waste they produce, compared to their neighbours, can encourage people to change their behaviour.

    So many cities face the same problems, with densely populated communities living in flats without gardens. Without co-creating practical solutions with residents, achieving waste reduction goals will be tough.

    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 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Sayed Elhoushy received funding from the East London Garden Society (£3000) for the Food Waste Pilot Project (#10239808) (Nov 1, 2022 – Feb 28, 2023) and from the SBM Small Grant Fund (£2,500) (Apr 3 – Jul 14, 2023).

    – ref. Inner London residents told me their food waste problems – composting definitely isn’t the answer – https://theconversation.com/inner-london-residents-told-me-their-food-waste-problems-composting-definitely-isnt-the-answer-250160

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How a new wave of fighter jets could transform aerial combat

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By David Bacci, Senior Research Fellow, Oxford Thermofluids Laboratory, University of Oxford

    The most advanced fighter jets in the world are known as “fifth generation”. They contain technologies developed in the first part of the 21st century. Examples of fifth generation fighter jets include America’s F-35 Lightning II and F-22 Raptor, China’s Chengdu J-20 and Russia’s Sukhoi SU-57.

    Now, however, nations are moving ahead with the sixth generation of combat jets. In the past few months, China has flown its J36 and J50 prototype jets. Meanwhile, the US has selected Boeing to build a new fighter aircraft called the F-47.

    As with previous generations, the sixth will incorporate major advances in aircraft design, onboard electronics (avionics) and weapon systems.

    But how will the new generation of jets stand out from the previous one? Future combat jets will not see dramatic increases in maximum speed, nor in flight performance. Instead, the true innovations will be in how these systems operate and achieve dominance in aerial combat.

    Like the fifth generation, the sixth will be dominated by stealth technology. This helps fighters jets to reduce their chances of being detected by infrared and radar sensors, to the point that when their signatures are eventually picked up, the opponent has no time to act.

    Stealth is achieved through particular shapes of airframe (such as diamond shapes) and coatings on the aircraft – called radar absorbing materials. The airframe is the fundamental structural framework of an aircraft, encompassing the fuselage, wings, tail assembly and landing gear.

    The diamond-like shapes that already characterise fifth generation jets are likely to remain in the upcoming generation of fighter, but they will evolve.

    A common feature we’re likely to see is the reduction or complete removal of vertical tails at the back of the aircraft and their control surfaces. In current aircraft, these tails provide directional stability and control in flight, allowing the aircraft to maintain its course and manoeuvre.

    However, sixth generation jets could achieve this control with the help of thrust vectoring – the ability to manipulate the direction of engines and therefore the direction of thrust (the force that moves the jet through the air).

    The role of vertical tails could also be partially replaced by devices called fluidic actuators. These apply forces to the the wing by blowing high speed and high pressure air on different parts of it.

    F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft. Vertical tails can be seen at the rear of this fifth generation jet.
    US Air Force / Paul Holcomb

    The removal of the vertical tails would contribute to the fighter’s stealth. The new generation of fighters is also likely to see the use of novel radar absorbing materials with advanced capabilities.

    We’ll see the introduction of what are known as adaptive cycle engines on sixth generation fighters. These engines will feature what’s known as a three stream design, which refers to the airstreams blowing through the engine. Current jets have two airstreams: one that passes through the core of the engine, and another that bypasses the core.

    The development of a third stream provides an extra source of air flow to increase the engine’s fuel efficiency and performance. This will allow both the capability to cruise efficiently at supersonic speed and deliver a high thrust during combat.

    It is likely that China and the US will build two separate fighters with different airframes. One will have a bigger airframe, designed for use in an area like the Pacific Ocean region. Here, the ability to fly further and carry a heavier payload will be key, because of the distances involved. Airframes designed for this region will therefore be larger.

    Another fighter jet carrying a smaller airframe will be designed for use in areas such as Europe where agility and manoeuvrability will be more important.

    The next wave of jets will have a system in the cockpit that gathers lots of information from other aircraft, ground surveillance stations and satellites. It would then integrate this data to give an enhanced situational awareness to the pilot. This system would also able to actively jam enemy sensors.

    Another key feature will be the deployment of unmanned combat aerial vehicles (Ucavs), a form of drone aircraft. The piloted fighter jet would be able to control a variety of Ucavs, ranging from loyal wingmen to cheaper, unpiloted fighter jets that will assist the mission, including protecting the piloted fighter.

    This will all be the responsibility of something called the advanced digital cockpit, a software-driven system that will use virtual reality and allow the pilot to effectively become a battle manager. Artificial intelligence (AI) will be a key feature of the support systems for the drones. This will allow them to be controlled with complete autonomy. The pilot will assign the main task – such as, “attack that enemy jet in that sector” – and the system will carry out the mission without any further input.

    Another advancement will be the weapon systems, with the adoption of missiles that not only will be capable of travelling at hypersonic speeds, but will also incorporate stealth features. This will further reduce the reaction times of enemy forces. Directed energy weapons systems, such as laser weapons, could potentially appear in later stages, as this technology is under study.

    Under America’s sixth generation fighter programme, the US Navy is working on a separate jet called the F/A-XX, complementing the F-47.

    The UK, Italy and Japan are also working on a jet project known as the global combat air programme (GCAP). This will replace the Eurofighter Typhoon in service with the UK and Italy and the Mitsubishi F-2 in service with Japan.

    Germany, Spain and France are working on a fighter programme called the future combat air system (FCAS). This could supersede Germany and Spain’s Typhoons and France’s Rafale.

    The path for sixth generation fighter jets seems to have already been traced, but uncertainties remain. The feasibility of some of the characteristics described and development times and costs are not yet well defined. This interval of time was more than ten years for fifth generation fighter jets – and the sixth is going to be far more complex in terms of requirements and capability.

    A new generation of fighter jet is expected to remain on active duty for something like 30 years. But warfare across the world evolves rapidly. It is unclear whether the design requirements we are fixing today remain relevant over the coming years.

    David Bacci is affiliated with Cranfeild Defence & Security (CRanfield University) – Visiting Research Fellow

    – ref. How a new wave of fighter jets could transform aerial combat – https://theconversation.com/how-a-new-wave-of-fighter-jets-could-transform-aerial-combat-252949

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The lore of ‘lore’ – how fandoms created an online phenomenon from an Old English word

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Kate McNicholas Smith, Lecturer in Television Theory, University of Westminster

    steved_np3/Shutterstock

    The term “lore” has, well, a whole lot of lore. Now essential online slang, the word can be traced back to Old English, where it referred primarily to learning, as in the act of teaching or being taught.

    Over time, lore came to be associated with more informal knowledge, passed on through word of mouth. The term “folklore,” the “lore of the people”, was coined by the British writer William J. Thoms in 1846. As a result, lore largely slipped out of common usage. By 2024, however, it had made the shortlist for the Oxford word of the year (the title was taken by “brainrot”).

    So, how did “lore” come to hold such contemporary relevance? And what does it mean today? The answer can be found, at least in part, in fandom, where “lore” is used to refer to the body of knowledge that exists around a person, fictional universe or character.

    Fandom has long facilitated deep dives into media in which fans analyse, discuss and track their favourite storylines and character arcs. This has been particularly true of the science fiction and fantasy genres, due to their complex and expansive narrative universes.

    No one’s 20s and 30s look the same. You might be saving for a mortgage or just struggling to pay rent. You could be swiping dating apps, or trying to understand childcare. No matter your current challenges, our Quarter Life series has articles to share in the group chat, or just to remind you that you’re not alone.

    Read more from Quarter Life:

    In 1969, science fiction fan and writer Bjo Trimble self-published the first edition of Star Trek Concordance. It was an unofficial reference book for the television series featuring timelines, plot summaries, character biographies and more – information that might now be described as Star Trek lore.

    Since then, fans of Star Trek and countless other television shows have continued to create zines, write fan fiction, organise conventions and develop vast and ongoing archives of fan-works. Through such practices, fans develop what media expert Henry Jenkins has described as collective intelligence, as each fan contributes small parts of knowledge to a whole – or, to the lore.

    Fandom has, of course, come a long way since the early days of Star Trek. Fan activities have now moved online, where their reach and visibility has significantly increased. Television has changed too, shifting towards the narrative complexity and innovation made possible, in part, by the active engagements of fandoms.

    Where fandom was once a niche (and often derided) activity, in recent years fan culture has gone mainstream. From direct communication between fans and producers to the creative possibilities of transmedia storytelling (where productions circulate official content across platforms in ways that echo fan-ish expansions of narrative worlds) media is increasingly inviting audiences to participate in the investigating, cataloguing and circulating of lore.

    Pop lore – from K-pop to Gaylor Swift

    A powerful example of lore inspiring transmedia storytelling can be found in K-pop.
    Well known South Korean bands engage with their fans not only through their music, but also with “concepts” (themes that span styling, music and other media) and ever-expanding storytelling universes.

    Take, for example, mega-boyband BTS’s meta narrative of the Bangtan Universe. It’s a fictional alternate universe which spans music videos, webtoons (digital comics), short films, mobile games, books and more. This kind of cross-platform storytelling encourages BTS fans to piece together the “lore” of the respective universe.

    Storytelling is also central to the popularity of singer-songwriter Taylor Swift, described by Teen Vogue as “the queen of easter eggs”. These hidden messages and inter-textual references can be found in the star’s lyrics, videos, fashion, interviews and even manicures, and produce an expansive archive of Swift lore.

    A subsection of Swift lore is known as Gaylor – where fans collate “evidence” that they believe shows that Swift is queer. It is, in part, an example of the expansive possibilities of fandom for queer audiences. But it also speaks to the ethical tensions of fandom and parasocial relationships, as fan-created lore can develop into [invasive expectations](https://www.them.us/story/taylor-swift-end-of-gaylorism](https://www.them.us/story/taylor-swift-end-of-gaylorism) of celebrities.

    Dropping lore on TikTok

    As digital media has grown to become part of our daily lives, “lore” has grown too. Today it goes beyond fictional universes and celebrities to also include everyday people and their online stories.

    YouTube first invited users to “broadcast yourself” in 2005, and opportunities to do so have only expanded since then, notably with the rise of TikTok.



    Read more:
    YouTube was born from a failed dating site – 20 years on, the world’s biggest video platform faces new challenges

    On TikTok, some users tell stories about their lives and experiences, or their “lore”. In these short videos, lore is “dropped” (revealed) about notable events, defining experiences, relationships (such as ex-lore) and family stories (such as dad lore).

    These playful retellings remake real life through narrative conventions of heroism, romance and comic misadventure, while other videos offer ironic commentary on lore-dropping itself.

    There is at once authenticity, performance and play here. Stories are, in part, ephemeral, as lore comes and goes in the fast-paced flow of digital content. Circulating via hashtags, however, stories are connected, responded to and remade, facilitating digital intimacies.

    The circulation of lore is, at once, user generated and algorithmically curated. In the context of what researchers have described as the datalogical turn (where big data and adaptive algorithms become increasingly central to shaping and understanding society) and the rise of affective capitalism (in which feelings, desires and experiences are capitalised on for economic gain), personal lore also becomes valuable data to be commodified.

    Lore then, is an old word with a distinctly contemporary iteration. It’s representative of the ever-expanding convergences of digital media, identity and intimacy.

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

    – ref. The lore of ‘lore’ – how fandoms created an online phenomenon from an Old English word – https://theconversation.com/the-lore-of-lore-how-fandoms-created-an-online-phenomenon-from-an-old-english-word-252577

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Margot Robbie’s Wuthering Heights dress is inaccurate, but not because it’s white – an expert explains

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Danielle Mariann Dove, Surrey Future Fellow and Lecturer in English Literature, University of Surrey

    The tiered ‘polonaise’ style dress would have been popular with women like Cathy Earnshaw during the period the book was set. Wikimedia, CC BY

    The upcoming Wuthering Heights adaptation by Saltburn director Emerald Fennell has courted controversy since it was first announced, with Fennell’s choice of leading lady and man drawing internet critics.

    Playing tragic heroine Catherine Earnshaw is the 34-year-old blonde Margot Robbie, and as tortured Heathcliff will be fellow Aussie, the 27-year-old Jacob Elordi. If you’re familiar with Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel then you know the ages, vibes and looks are just off.

    Now online fans of the book are aghast in response to a series of leaked photographs of Margot Robbie wearing an elaborate white wedding gown.

    Some were quick to point out the historical inaccuracy of the wedding gown, while others argued that “the tradition of a white wedding dress wouldn’t have come around until after the story took place”.

    But is that really true? And what would Catherine Earnshaw have actually worn on her wedding day in the late-18th century?

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

    Most 18th-century brides would have probably worn their Sunday best on their wedding day. This was their finest day dress in the current fashion.

    While it may have been an expensive dress, it wouldn’t necessarily have been a purpose-made wedding gown – unless the bride was very wealthy. Significantly, and unlike most wedding dresses today, the gown would also have been worn again on other social occasions.

    Brontë tells us nothing about Cathy’s wedding clothes and very little about Cathy and Edgar Linton’s wedding day, which takes place in 1783. However, as the bride of a wealthy landowner she would likely have chosen to have a wedding gown specially made for the occasion in rich silk or satin.

    The dress would have been a testament to her new family’s social standing. It would likely have featured a tightly fitted bodice with a low, round neckline characteristic of the period, a sash, and close-fitting, three-quarter length sleeves with a frill.

    The wide skirts would have been open to reveal a longer petticoat underneath, or they might have been looped up with ribbons to form three layers in the popular “polonaise” style of the day.

    By contrast, the wedding dress that Margot Robbie has been pictured wearing is much more reminiscent of the silhouette in vogue in 1840.

    In fact, it appears to take direct inspiration from Queen Victoria’s wedding gown which she wore to marry Albert in February of that year – almost six decades after Cathy’s fictional wedding takes place. Like Queen Victoria’s wedding gown, Robbie’s features a similar off-the-shoulder neckline, short, puffed sleeves and a deep V-shaped bodice.

    A white dress?

    Queen Victoria is often credited with having started the trend for wearing a white wedding dress. But while she certainly helped to popularise the white gown in the 1840s, she was by no means the sole originator of the tradition. Women were married wearing white long before she chose to do so and they continued to marry wearing dresses of other colours long after.

    In 1875, for example, the magazine Beeton’s Young Englishwoman advised one of its readers who wrote in asking for bridal fashion advice, that a grey wedding dress of “Japanese silk would be pretty”, and suggested a silk gown of “pale blue or pale mauve” which “would be useful afterwards”.

    Contrary to popular belief that white wedding dresses were not in vogue until the Victorian period, white and silver were in fact the preferred colours for wedding gowns in the 18th century.

    The preference for a white or silver wedding dress over a coloured gown can be seen in Oliver Goldsmith’s 1768 comedy play, The Good Natur’d Man, when Garnet, a lady’s maid, tells the soon-to-be married Olivia: “I wish you could take the white and silver [gown] to be married in. It’s the worst luck in the world, in anything but white.”

    The historical inaccuracy of Robbie’s Wuthering Heights wedding dress stems not from its colour, then, but primarily from its problematic silhouette.

    Of course, historical accuracy is not necessarily the end goal for film directors. Rather, Robbie’s anachronistic wedding gown appears to exemplify a broader trend in historical drama (think Bridgerton) towards a kind of strategic inaccuracy, in which producers and costume designers prioritise experimentation over strict fidelity to period detail.

    For all we know, Fennell might have decided to set the adaptation around the time of the novel’s publication rather than its original late-18th and early-19th century setting. Even more intriguingly, she might be using the wedding dress to signal the adaptation’s more modern inflections.

    Robbie’s wedding dress and cathedral-length veil wouldn’t look out of place at a contemporary wedding. Basque, or drop waist, wedding dresses dominated New York bridal fashion week in October 2024 and are poised to become a major trend in 2025 having been adopted by celebrities such as actor Millie Bobby Brown and podcaster Alex Cooper. Perhaps Fennell’s Cathy is just extremely fashion forward.

    Danielle Mariann Dove 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. Margot Robbie’s Wuthering Heights dress is inaccurate, but not because it’s white – an expert explains – https://theconversation.com/margot-robbies-wuthering-heights-dress-is-inaccurate-but-not-because-its-white-an-expert-explains-253461

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Dundee University: 700 staff cuts will pile further crisis upon institution

    Source: Scottish Greens

    31 Mar 2025 Education

    Dundee’s staff and students deserve much better.

    More in Education

    The announcement that Dundee University will be axing 700 jobs – over a fifth of its workforce – will pile further crisis on the institution while betraying staff and students, says Scottish Green MSP Maggie Chapman.

    This follows reports that, in a letter to a Holyrood committee, interim principal Professor Shane O’Neill confirmed that around 700 roles will be affected.

    This month Ms Chapman was elected as the new Rector of the University, supported by students who back her calls for greater transparency and accountability at the institution. She will take up this voluntary role from 1 August 2025.

    Ms Chapman said:

    “This is even worse than many of us expected. It is a shocking act of vandalism that will pile further crisis on the institution. 

    “The sense of betrayal will be felt by staff and students all across the campus and beyond. And of course, this number doesn’t reflect the over 200 vacancies that currently exist and won’t be filled.

    “The university has been brought to the brink by years of mismanagement, incompetence and poor decisions from a senior management team that has failed to listen or to engage with those around them.

    “The crisis has exposed a total lack of transparency and accountability. If these cuts are allowed to go ahead they will deal a crushing blow to the campus and to the university’s reputation.

    “I stand with the workers, trade unions and students who make Dundee University the great institution it is. They deserve dignity, security, and real long term solutions, not even more pain and instability.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The results of the founding conference of the International Movement for Financial Security have been summed up

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    On March 27, a conference was held in a hybrid format at the Higher School of Economics to finalize the work on establishing the International Movement for Financial Security. During the meeting, the regulations and roadmap were adopted and the presidium was elected.

    The conference was hosted by Vice-Rector of the National Research University Higher School of Economics Vyacheslav Bashev and Vladimir Ovchinnikov, Director of the International Network Institute in the Sphere of AML/CFT. They moderated the meeting from Moscow, and Nikita Anisimov, Rector of the Higher School of Economics, delivered a welcoming speech from the capital of the People’s Republic of China.

    Yuri Chikhanchin, Director of Rosfinmonitoring and Deputy Chairman of the Presidium of the movement, opened the conference from Kazakhstan, noting the importance of joint work to protect young people from modern threats, including involvement in illegal activities as dropouts, and also emphasizing the need to create a “forge of personnel” for national anti-money laundering systems.

    Participants were connected from three countries: the Russian Federation, the Republic of Kazakhstan and the People’s Republic of China, which confirms the international status of the movement, as noted by Vyacheslav Bashev. Today, the organization already covers 36 participating countries.

    Natalia Parshkova, the curator of the International Movement for Financial Security from the Government of the Russian Federation, presented candidates for the presidium for election. Deputy Director General of the International Training and Methodological Center for Financial Monitoring (ITMCFM) Irina Shilina presented a draft regulation, which the conference participants reviewed and unanimously adopted as the main regulatory document.

    Ivan Uvarov, Director General of the MUMCFM, presented a draft roadmap, according to which it is planned to implement subsequent steps to develop the movement. Ambassadors from among students and postgraduates also spoke: Ekaterina Bazarova from Russia, Ngetobai Masangar Rongar from the Republic of Chad, and from Kazakhstan – Sagyn Ismetilla and Temirlan Tuleyev. The students actively support the organization, make their proposals and ideas for its further expansion and development.

    Acting Director of the Center for Digital Educational Platforms of PJSC Promsvyazbank Maxim Lobanov presented information on the operation of the main technological resource — the digital platform “Sodruzhestvo”. The report presented the scale of the platform, its capabilities and content, as well as plans for its development.

    In conclusion, Yuri Chikhanchin said a few words: “Let the Financial Security Movement not stop at the numbers achieved and grow with new countries and participants. Now we have the “Commonwealth” – a platform that allows us to be close to each other even from different corners of the world. The proposals that were voiced today only indicate that all participants are interested in actively promoting new ideas and development projects.”

    Summing up, Vladimir Ovchinnikov offered everyone who wanted to register on the platform and join the organization.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ciscomani Ranked Most Effective Lawmaker from Arizona in the 118th Congress

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Juan Ciscomani (Arizona)

    “I was sent to Congress by my constituents to deliver common sense, lasting results for the people of Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, and that is exactly what I’m doing.”

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Congressman Juan Ciscomani was one of the most effective members of the House of Representatives during his first term in the 118th Congress, according to new report by the nonpartisan Center for Effective Lawmaking (CEL). 

    The two-term congressman from Tucson was the most effective member of Arizona’s Congressional delegation, the 15th most effective lawmaker in the House, and ranked third amongst Freshman Representatives “Exceeding Expectations”. 

    “It’s about getting the job done,” said Ciscomani, who serves on the House Appropriations and House Veterans’ Affairs committees. “I was sent to Congress by my constituents to deliver common sense, lasting results for the people of Arizona’s 6th Congressional District, and that is exactly what I’m doing. Being recognized as one of the most effective lawmakers in the House during my freshman term is an honor and a reflection of that mission.” 

    The Center for Effective Lawmaking is a joint partnership between the Frank Batten School of Leadership and Public Policy in the University of Virginia and Vanderbilt University. In announcing the report on March 27, Vanderbilt noted that the most effective lawmakers “were able to find ways to get their initiatives passed into law despite deep political disruptions in 2023 and 2024, and despite widespread public perception of gridlock in the nation’s Capitol.” 

    Ciscomani credited a “don’t take no for an answer” approach as the key to his ability to advance policy proposals that work for the residents of southeastern Arizona. 

    Whether it’s pushing legislation to secure the border, support our veterans, safeguard Arizona’s water, or protecting our seniors, I don’t take no for an answer,” he continued. “I am proud of what my office and I were able to accomplish for our constituents in my first term, and I am keeping my foot on the pedal to do even more for our district in my second term.” 

    CEL ranks every member of Congress based on 15 metrics, including how far their bill made it in the legislative process and how substantive the bill is. 

    According to CEL, Ciscomani introduced 24 pieces of substantive legislation. Moreover, six of Ciscomani’s bills passed the House of Representative and two bills were signed into law. He was most effective on issues related to defense, the budget, energy, public safety, and border security. 

    Background: 

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Governments must ensure caregivers have support to keep doing their vital work

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Heather Aldersey, Professor and Canada Research Chair (Disability Inclusive Development), Queen’s University, Ontario

    People with disabilities and their families often have an even greater need for support over time, especially if a disability is progressive or family members experience their own health challenges. (Shutterstock)

    April 1 marks National Caregivers Day in Canada. The day is meant to recognize the carers who provide vital care and support to those in need.

    We all need care and support to navigate challenges in life. Help can come from formal support (paid professionals and government programs), and from natural support networks (family, friends and neighbours).

    People with disabilities and their families often have an even greater need for support over time, especially if a disability is progressive or family members experience their own health challenges due to aging.

    The Canadian Centre for Caregiving Excellence (CCCE) released its National Caregiving Strategy on Feb. 18, stating that caregiving is the next frontier in Canadian public policy. As the CCCE’s executive director, Liv Mendelsohn, said: “Millions of Canadians are navigating caregiving with minimal support, and it’s simply unacceptable.”

    This article’s co-author, Donna Thomson, is a caregiver, author and educator. She is the mother of two grown children, one who has severe cerebral palsy and medical complexity. Thomson also helped care for her mother who lived with dementia until she passed away in the summer of 2018 at the age of 96.

    Family caregivers often need support themselves in order to keep working both inside and outside of the home. Parents of adult children with developmental disabilities in Canada are hardly ever asked: “What do you do for your son or daughter that paid helpers cannot?” Even less often, that question might be followed by: “Wow, that’s a lot. Would you like some support to continue doing those things?”

    With a federal election on the horizon, Canadians can call on their governments to improve support for caregivers.
    (Shutterstock)

    Importance of natural caregivers

    Our research recognizes that both formal and informal supports are essential in enabling people with disabilities and their families to live their best lives. We want to understand how individuals, families, organizations and communities can best come together to get people with disabilities and their families the types of supports they need and want, when they need and want them.

    Over the course of our research, we conducted a document and literature review, alongside interviews and focus groups with people with disabilities, family members and formal disability support providers. We identified that family or friend caregivers often support a person they care for with a sense of love and commitment to a depth that is rare in formal support relationships.

    Unbound by professional obligations, safety standards or employer/funder priorities, these natural supporters can often be vocal advocates for the best interests of those they are supporting.

    However, sometimes finding and sustaining natural support in the community doesn’t come easily for people with disabilities and their families. In those instances, organizations and facilitators (formal supports), can help broker the creation and maintenance of natural support networks.

    Community organizations offering formal supports and supporting the creation and maintenance of natural supports can sometimes be beholden to funder obligations. This can limit the flexibility and adaptability required to best meet the needs of those they support.

    Additionally, organizations are often constrained by safety considerations, aversion to risk or the challenges posed by overly bureaucratic systems. Sometimes, this can mean the support provided to a person or family does not directly respond to what the individual or family needs. Even more frustrating is that waiting times can be so long to access formal supports that identified needs or priorities change in the meantime.

    Sometimes, finding and sustaining natural support in the community doesn’t come easily for people with disabilities and their families.
    (Shutterstock)

    CCCE’s caregiving strategy

    The CCCE strategy is a recognition that care work makes all other work possible. It echoes our research findings that both paid and unpaid caregivers need financial support as well as targeted programs and services.

    The strategy calls upon the Canadian government to make caregiving a priority while ensuring a sustainable care provider workforce.

    Supports are also a provincial issue. For example, in Ontario, the Ministry for Children, Community and Social Services has published a framework that offers a long-term vision for transforming developmental services so people with developmental disabilities fully participate in their communities and are supported to live their lives.

    Care and support can also be a gender issue, given that in Canada and around the world the majority of both formal and informal support is being provided by women and girls.

    Missing perspectives

    Our research also highlighted a notable gap in the research landscape. Research on natural support in Canada is often not explicit about or does not incorporate understandings of natural support from the perspectives of Indigenous, Black, rural, LGBTQ+ and other marginalized groups.

    People belonging to these groups may have their own needs and experiences that relate to navigating natural and formal support systems in Canada. Future-focused research agendas into natural supports, such as those proposed in the CCCE strategy’s recommendations, must intentionally seek to understand support and care experiences from these perspectives.

    At the Global Disability Summit taking place this week in Berlin from April 2-3, we will join voices from around the world to call on national leaders and decision-makers to ensure disability policies translate into tangible actions and inclusive practices.

    Our research shows the deep, important impact of federal and provincial policy and funding both for formal and natural supports to flourish. With a federal election on the horizon, Canadians can call on their governments to improve support for caregivers, ensure support systems are in place and flexible enough to respond to individual and family needs, and enable natural support networks to flourish.

    This is important, because the care we give to each other, regardless of age or ability, is what will sustain us as families.

    This article was co-authored by Donna Thomson, a caregiver, author and educator.

    Heather Aldersey receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, Universities Canada, and the Mastercard Foundation.

    – ref. Governments must ensure caregivers have support to keep doing their vital work – https://theconversation.com/governments-must-ensure-caregivers-have-support-to-keep-doing-their-vital-work-249829

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Violent attempt to set fire to Muslim woman in Ajax exposes persistent Islamophobia in Canada

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Nadiya N. Ali, Assistant Professor, Sociology, Trent University

    The National Council of Canadian Muslims’ senior advocacy officer Fatema Abdalla read the survivor’s statement about what happened at a news conference last week. ‘I don’t feel safe for my daughters,’ the statement reads, ‘all of whom wear hijab.’ NCCM/Instagram

    A 25-year-old woman recently attempted to set a Muslim woman on fire in Ajax, Ont.

    Afterwards, the survivor provided a statement, which was read for her at a news conference. In it, she described her visit to her “favourite quiet corner of the library” as ordinary and routine. This ordinary moment, however, turned nightmarish and extraordinary in an instant.

    According to the survivor, the attacker attempted to yank her hijab off. She hurled objects at her head, including scissors and a metal object. The attacker then poured an unknown liquid on her hijab and flicked her lighter several times, allegedly attempting to light the fabric ablaze. Library staff and security intervened before any more harm could take place.

    Afterwards, the survivor, a mother of two girls, explained that she’s unable to quell her terror. She said: “I can’t stop thinking: what if the lighter had worked? What if my hijab had caught fire?” But most of all, she’s terrified for her hijab-wearing daughters’ safety in public spaces.

    No one should feel unsafe in public spaces. However, for racialized people, public space in North America is fraught with heightened risks. It’s shaped by a deep undercurrent of white anxieties propping up the racial order of society.

    This incident is not an isolated act of violence. It is situated within a broader social climate that normalizes the policing of how racialized people “should” enter and occupy public spaces.

    We are two scholars and community organizers who have long been working on issues related to Islamophobia and racism. The traumatic event in Ajax highlights the persistent and deeply ingrained nature of gendered Islamophobia in Canada and beyond.

    Whether through horrific displays of public violence like this one, or legislative action like Bill 21 in Québec, the bodies of Muslim women have long been battlegrounds for white supremacist anxieties and ideologies.

    White panic

    While we don’t yet know the attacker’s affiliations or what inspired her to commit this act of terror, this incident echoes racist aspirations for “purity.”

    Racial anxiety about the inflow of multiple generations of Muslims is integral to the way Islamophobia channels white supremacist panic over the growing population of Muslims in Canada — and the attack in Ajax is no exception.

    White supremacist anxieties about demographic changes are articulated most clearly and directly in the “Great Replacement Theory” (and variations of it) that vilifies racialized people, asserting a drive to preserve “white innocence,” tied to eugenic fantasies of purifying North America and Europe.

    Muslims, in this racist ideology, figure as foreign invaders, a demographic threat and as “provocateurs” who are trying to overtake the white population through immigration and reproduction — or as some white supremacists call it, “baby Jihad.”

    The changing demographics of Ajax

    Over the past decade, Ajax — in Durham region east of Toronto — has seen significant demographic changes, with an overall growth rate of about 15 per cent. The town is home to more than 125,000 people and about 14 per cent of them are Muslim.

    The growth of Muslim communities is situated within a broader shift. A substantial portion of the population increase has been driven by a diverse group of racialized communities so that now, 65 per cent of the total population of Ajax would be considered racialized.

    The new population has infused new life to Ajax, and the Durham region more broadly. It seems, however, that not everyone is happy about this growth.

    Gendered Islamophobia

    The bodies of Muslim women have long been objectified, serving as a site where white racial anxieties are projected and enacted. Taken up as a sort of Trojan horse, their perceived ability to give birth and reproduce culture is weaponized against them. After all, they hold the power to propagate this “dangerous other,” and dislodge the order of whiteness.

    Jasmin Zine, a critical Muslim studies scholar, has used and developed the term “gendered Islamophobia” to explain the way the bodies and practices of Muslim women are produced as racial problems. Muslim women in public spaces are constructed as hazardous cultural contaminants, polluting the public square and threatening the purity of the (white) nation with their very existence.

    The responses to this perception of contamination take multiple forms. In Québec, for instance, Muslim women are being aggressively foreclosed from participation in public spaces and institutions with laws like Bill 21 and Bill 94.

    ‘Unprovoked attack:’ Racism in public life

    The Durham Police are calling this an “unprovoked attack.” But the provocation is precisely what needs to be named. Of course, the victim did not actively provoke the attacker. But it’s important to ask how our social arrangements prime and sustain the currents that produce Muslim women as provocations on sight.

    This phenomenon of “unprovoked” attacks on visibly Muslim women in public spaces is far too common in Canada. These have ranged from a devastating physical assault in a mall parking lot in Edmonton to a knife attack on the TTC in Toronto, the fatal act of terror in London, Ont. against a family simply taking a walk together to this recent attack in Ajax. Muslim women around the country are rightly asking if public spaces are safe for them.

    Racialized individuals must navigate what Black studies scholar George Lipsitz describes as “privileged moral geographies.”

    For instance, the frame of “disorderly conduct” often serves as a common tool to mark the “wrong ways” in which racialized individuals assert their presence in public settings. This includes the regulation of what foods are deemed appropriate for public consumption, the enforcement of norms around personal space, noise and loitering.

    The catch, however, is that when you are already racialized as a “cultural pollutant,” “conduct” merely fuels the racist climate that already marks you as an improper subject by sheer existence.

    Have another samosa?

    Standard sociological contact theory says greater exposure to diversity breeds opportunity for intergroup contact, which is presumed to foster tolerance.

    Canadians like to believe in our multicultural country — that another samosa party or heritage night is all we need to confront intolerance and prejudice.

    However, what contact theory frames get wrong is the assumption of the public as a neutral site of engagement where people all have equal access to participation.

    Public space is already and always infused with racial logic that neutralizes and naturalizes certain bodies while amplifying and bloating other bodies with objectifying scripts. This perpetually and always produces them as out of place — and as problems that disrupt the order of the public square.

    Until we confront the entrenched racialized ideas that govern public space, creating a landscape where some are seen as natural occupants while others are made alien, true inclusivity and safety will remain out of reach.

    Kaley-Ann Freier, age 25, of Ajax has been charged with assault with a weapon for the attack.

    Nadiya N. Ali has received funding from The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)

    Nadia Hasan receives research funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council.

    – ref. Violent attempt to set fire to Muslim woman in Ajax exposes persistent Islamophobia in Canada – https://theconversation.com/violent-attempt-to-set-fire-to-muslim-woman-in-ajax-exposes-persistent-islamophobia-in-canada-253002

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: Suzy Appoints Brian Erickson as Chief Financial Officer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, March 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Suzy, the leading end-to-end consumer insights platform, today announced the appointment of Brian Erickson as the company’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO). This newly created executive role reflects Suzy’s continued momentum and commitment to long-term, strategic growth.

    Brian brings over 25 years of financial and operational leadership experience, most recently serving as CFO of Transfix, a technology-enabled transportation marketplace, where he helped lead the company through a successful sale transaction. Prior to that, he held senior finance roles at DigitalOcean, guiding the company through profitable growth and its successful IPO. His earlier career includes key finance roles at Microsoft and Amazon, where he helped scale their cloud computing businesses.

    At Suzy, Brian will lead the company’s financial strategy with a focus on driving scalable, profitable growth while supporting the innovation and agility that have defined Suzy’s trajectory.

    “Brian’s track record of scaling disruptive tech companies is unmatched,” said Matt Britton, Founder and CEO of Suzy. “This marks a critical new chapter for Suzy as we continue to expand and mature as a business. Brian’s strategic leadership and financial discipline will play a key role in guiding our next phase of growth.”

    “I’m incredibly excited to join Suzy at such a pivotal moment,” said Brian Erickson. “The company’s clear mission, bold innovation, and incredible team are what drew me here. I look forward to building the financial foundation that will fuel Suzy’s continued success.”

    Brian holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from the University of Notre Dame and an MBA from the University of Washington.

    About Suzy
    Founded in 2018, Suzy is changing the way research gets done by integrating quantitative analysis, qualitative analysis, conversational research and high quality audiences into a single connected platform. Suzy enables teams to conduct iterative, efficient research with agency-quality rigor at a fraction of the cost of traditional market research. Suzy has been recognized on Forbes’ list of America’s Best Startup Employers in 2022, Inc. Magazine’s list of Best Workplaces of 2022 & 2023, Inc. Magazine’s Top 5000 list in 2024, GRIT’s Top 50 Most Innovative Supplier in Market Research and a Top 25 Innovator in 2024 by the Insights Association. Suzy has raised over $100 million in venture capital funding from investors that include Bertelsmann Digital Media Investments, Foundry Group, H.I.G. Capital, Rho Ventures, North Atlantic Capital, Tribeca Venture Partners, Triangle Peak Partners, and Kevin Durant’s 35 Ventures. Learn more at www.suzy.com.

    Contact Info:
    Melissa Dunn
    EVP, Marketing & Communications
    Suzy, Inc.
    917-969-8200
    melissa.dunn@suzy.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9554a722-c2cc-4ddc-b490-d5489d6535b4

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Building Skilled Leaders for the Future: Insights from CMI Communities Live – Birmingham

    Source: Arden University

    Last week, Arden University proudly partnered with the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) to host CMI Communities Live – Birmingham, an event focused on the evolving skills landscape and how businesses can futureproof their workforce.

    This inspiring event welcomed HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh, patron of the CMI, alongside influential industry leaders who shared their expertise on leadership, professional development, and workforce investment. The discussions were led by Ann Francke OBE, CEO of the Chartered Management Institute, and featured key insights from a distinguished panel, including:

    • Professor Carl Lygo, Vice Chancellor & Chief Executive at Arden University
    • Professor Dilshad Sheikh CBME CMgr CCMI, Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor & Provost at Arden University
    • Dr Heather Melville OBE CMgr CCMI, Partner at Stork & May

    The Key Takeaways: Leadership, Development, and the Future of Work

    The panel discussion, backed by findings from CMI’s latest study Walking the Walk, explored several key areas vital for today’s leaders and aspiring managers:

    • The Evolving Leadership Skillset – The workplace is changing rapidly, and modern managers need a diverse skill set to drive success. The discussion highlighted how confidence, empathy, and expertise are essential traits for effective leadership.
    • Career Development Strategies – As industries evolve, upskilling and reskilling have become more critical than ever. The panel explored practical ways professionals can enhance their career prospects and remain competitive in the job market.
    • The Employer’s Perspective – Business leaders shared insights on how investing in workforce development leads to a strong pipeline of future-ready talent. Supporting employees’ professional growth isn’t just good for individuals—it strengthens entire organisations.
    • The Value of Chartered Manager Status – Earning professional accreditation, such as Chartered Manager status, was highlighted as a way to boost credibility and stand out in a competitive job market.

    Strong Leadership Builds Stronger Businesses

    Ann Francke OBE, CEO, Chartered Management Institute, emphasised the importance of skilled leadership:

    “Strong, skilled leadership is the backbone of a thriving economy and inclusive workplaces. As the world of work evolves, businesses must invest in developing managers who are equipped to lead with confidence, empathy, and expertise. At CMI, we are committed to ensuring that managers at every level have the tools and training they need to succeed, because when leadership thrives, businesses and communities do too.”

    At Arden University, we

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How to talk to children about the Canada-U.S. tensions

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Jean-François Bureau, Professor, School of Psychology, L’Université d’Ottawa/University of Ottawa

    Mainstream public discourse in the first months of 2025 have been dominated by tensions between Canada and United States. These include references to Canada becoming annexed as the 51st American state and the trade war, with threats and the application of tariffs by the U.S. and counter-tariffs by Canada.

    While this political climate brings uncertainty at an international level, it comes with fear of job loss for many Canadians at a time when the cost of living is already straining many families’ finances.



    Read more:
    Canadians are feeling increasingly powerless amid economic struggles and rising inequality

    These topics may appear to be concerns for adults, but children may also feel the effects. As psychology researchers studying parent-child relationships and child mental health, we believe it is important to consider children’s potential fears and anxiety in the current political climate.

    Here, we explain why it’s important to address this topic with children, and how parents can do so in a reassuring and informative manner.

    Children’s concerns and emotions

    While the economy and politics could seem like topics that children would not really care about, recent research suggests that many children and youth actually worry about these topics.

    Back in 2020, American parents of children aged six to 17 years old were asked to rate their child’s anxiety about political news, in terms of voting issues covered in media since the 2016 election. According to the study by psychology researcher Nicole E. Caporino and colleagues, 36 per cent of children worried about the U.S. getting into war, and 37 per cent worried about their family’s finances.

    Studies suggest children worry about issues affecting their families.
    (Shutterstock)

    Similarly, studies elsewhere suggest children and youth worry about issues affecting their families. Based on these numbers, we can assume that many Canadian children also worry about the current Canada-U.S. political climate.

    Of course, it’s worth remembering not all families experience political and economic events in the same way. For example, children whose families face economic precarity are likely already living with stressors affecting their households like unemployment or food insecurity. Current tensions may also exacerbate children’s existing concerns.

    Given that children may be concerned and worried, some parents may intuitively seek to avoid the topic with children to avoid provoking more distress. However, discussing a stressful event can actually decrease the distress felt towards it.

    When children are able to talk about what concerns them with their parents, they learn important emotional regulation and coping skills. For example, they learn how to identify and understand their emotions, and how to regulate those emotions. Discussions between parents and children also help foster a climate of trust, in which children feel like they can rely on their parents in moments of need.

    Noticing, tackling children’s anxiety and fears

    Children may not always have the words to articulate their concerns in the same way that adults do. Parents should watch for anxiety symptoms in their children, which may manifest in various ways, including having mood changes, being more irritable or sad, having difficulty sleeping, being more clingy than usual, or withdrawing from activities. There are also signs that may be harder to spot.

    We present five ways to address the situation with your children:

    1. Use direct questions to understand how children feel. Direct questions can help understand how children feel. For example, you may ask: “What have you heard about what’s happening?” or “How do you feel about it?” These questions can help understand what specifically is scary to them.

    Children could be worried about no longer seeing family in the U.S., or some may even fear a military clash.
    (Shutterstock)

    This is especially important given that children tend to worry about different things than adults. For example, younger children with family in the U.S. may worry they will no longer be able to see their family members anymore. Older children may be worried about a parent losing a job, the country’s economic instability or environmental impacts. Some children may even fear a military clash.

    2. Be sensitive to how the conflict is presented. In the media, it is common to refer to the diplomatic and economic tensions as a “trade war.” While adults understand that trade wars do not involve military attacks, this concept is much more abstract for children.

    Hearing the word “war” may trigger difficult images for them, including armed soldiers, weapons and devastation. This is especially true for children with lived experience of war, political conflict or displacement.



    Read more:
    Coronavirus isn’t the end of ‘childhood innocence,’ but an opportunity to rethink children’s rights

    It’s important to reframe the conflict in ways that children can understand. For example, parents can compare the conflict between two children. Parents might say: “You know when there are two children upset with each other at school, and they have a big disagreement. Sometimes it can take a lot of time to find a solution that works for everyone. The conflict between Canada and the U.S. is a bit like that. It could take a lot of time and trouble to find a solution.”

    3. Avoid misinformation. When discussing these topics, parents should seek to clarify any misinformation and provide reassurance. They should also help ensure children receive information from credible sources rather than social media or peers, who may sensationalize or misinterpret events. Providing factual but age-appropriate explanations is a key ingredient in mitigating fear and uncertainty.

    4. Focus on co-operation and opportunities instead of boycotting.

    Many Canadian families are choosing to boycott American products. In order to ease the emotional burden on children, it can be helpful to reframe the boycott as an opportunity for co-operation. For instance, parents can highlight how they are trying to support local businesses.

    Similarly, for families with resources to travel, changes in travel plans can be framed as a way to discover new places. A parent might frame it as: “This year, instead of going to the beach, we’re going to be exploring some incredible places closer to home. We’re going to have so much fun trying new things!” This approach creates curiosity and control, not anxiety. It can also be beneficial for children’s development to learn to be more flexible with change.



    Read more:
    When Canadian snowbirds don’t flock south, the costs are more than financial

    5. Create a sense of normalcy and routine. As important as it is to validate children’s fears, it is equally important to help them maintain a sense of normalcy. Families should strive to balance discussions about the trade war and its potential ramifications with more light, mundane topics. Similarly, limiting the time that children watch the news or when it is audible can help limit further concerns from developing.

    Routines are also beneficial for children’s development and well-being. Maintaining a predictable schedule, such as a bedtime routine, can help children feel safe and less anxious. Focus on adding fun and soothing activities to the daily routine. This lets children know life goes on.

    Navigating turbulent times

    As the trade war with the U.S. plays out, parents should consider how it may impact their children’s emotions and sense of safety. Even serious conflicts such as this one don’t last forever, and solutions will come.

    In the meantime, parents can help children cope with these challenging times by offering age-appropriate explanations and encouraging resilience.

    Jean-François Bureau receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the Consortium National de Formation en Santé.

    Audrey-Ann Deneault receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada, the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, and the Centre de recherche universitaire sur les jeunes et les familles.

    – ref. How to talk to children about the Canada-U.S. tensions – https://theconversation.com/how-to-talk-to-children-about-the-canada-u-s-tensions-252435

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: HSE awarded finalists of NTO in computer game development

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    © Higher School of Economics

    On March 28, the HSE Cultural Center hosted a ceremony to award prize winners and winners of the Computer Game Development profile among schoolchildren in grades 8–11 National Technology Olympiad (NTO). More than 60 people took part in the final. The profile is organized by the National Research University Higher School of Economics in partnership with the Ninsar.Games studio, the National Cyber-Physical Platform “Berloga”, VK Play and VK Education.

    In the finals, which took place at the HSE from March 24 to 29, schoolchildren, united in teams, solved real engineering problems. They developed a game prototype according to the specified technical requirements and guidelines – a game simulator in the setting of the National Cyber-Physical Platform “Berloga”.

    At the award ceremony, the finalists were greeted by Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation Olga Petrova. “The Olympiad is not just a competition, but an entire ecosystem that selects the best of the best. I am proud of each of you. You have passed a colossal selection and received knowledge that has made you stronger, wiser and more experienced. Trying yourself, going beyond the usual school curriculum – these are the competencies that will often be required of you in life. Learn, dare, dream and do not stop there! Remember that our country is a country of colossal opportunities, and everything is in your hands!” said Olga Petrova.

    The winners in the special nomination from the Berloga platform were announced by its leader, President of the Association of Participants of Technological Circles Alexey Fedoseyev. He presented prizes to representatives of three teams, as well as acceleration certificates.

    “We will be glad to work with you, to bring the games not just to publication, but to implementation in educational environments, to receive feedback not only from those who download and play them on the Internet, but also from teachers, from people who can influence their further promotion. I hope that you will get unique products,” Alexey Fedoseyev emphasized.

    The diplomas to the winners of the Olympiad were presented by Alexander Egorov, head of the VK Play Indie division, and Egor Sechinsky, founder of Ninsar.Games, responsible developer of the “Computer Game Development” profile.

    According to Alexander Egorov, the games created by the Olympiad participants help solve certain problems, which is better than just “walking in the dark and trying to find some kind of light.” “I sincerely believe that you will soon be able to enter the market, gather your first fan base and open a franchise, and sometime in the future, raise enough capital to make the games of your dreams,” he said.

    Egor Sechinsky recalled that the NTO in the field of “Development of Computer Games” is being held for the sixth time and that the projects that were this year surprised him again. He recommended the finalists not to abandon their developments and bring them to such a level of readiness that they could “put them on the shelf in their portfolio”. “We in the industry are ready to help you, promote you and make sure that new young talented teams appear,” he concluded.

    The winners in the individual competition were congratulated by Dmitry Kaisin, Deputy Rector for Development at University 2035, and Yaroslav Paunov, Director of the Human Resources Development Division of the Young Professionals division of the ASI.

    Dmitry Kaisin said that he himself had once participated in the final of a similar competition, saw how quite young people came out on stage to congratulate the winners, and wanted to become like them. He recommended that schoolchildren do what they love — make a hobby their job, and also make friends with equally passionate colleagues.

    Yaroslav Paunov noted that the peculiarity of NTO is “tasks from the market and for the market, their practical applicability.” “You don’t just solve and invent something, contributing to your development and, perhaps, to future admission to such a top university as HSE, but you prepare for the market while still in school,” he believes.

    The difference between NTO and many other Olympiads is that, in addition to the individual standings, there is a team standings. In the profile “Development of Computer Games”, the winner in the team standings was the team “Paradigma”, consisting of four people: Yaroslav Reznikov (Simferopol), Olesya Polischuk (Sevastopol), Gleb Shakhanov (Moscow Region) and Artem Reus (Sevastopol). Yaroslav also won in the individual standings, Olesya, Gleb and Artem became prize winners. In addition, the team was among the winners of a special nomination from the platform “Berloga”.

    The awards were presented to the team members by Olga Petrova and the Vice-Rector of the National Research University Higher School of Economics, the responsible secretary of the NTO organizing committee Dmitry Zemtsov.

    “When we conceived this profile, we hoped that it would include its own geniuses and stars who would create games that would change the world. I have no doubt that such people are among the finalists of the anniversary, tenth season of the National Technology Olympiad. For example, I remember the very young Egor Sechinsky, who today already acts as the founder of the Ninsar.Games gaming studio and the organizer of the Computer Game Development profile of the NTO, selecting the best Olympiad participants for his team, with whom he creates popular games,” said Dmitry Zemtsov.

    In an interview with the Vyshka.Glavnoye news service, members of the Paradigma team said that they had developed a game called Arktos (the ancient Greek name for the Ursa Major constellation). The idea of the game is that bears crash in space, end up on an uninhabited planet, and solve OGE problems there, with each problem bringing them closer to returning home to their den. Thus, exam preparation is built into the exciting game.

    The team had clearly defined roles: Yaroslav was the captain and main programmer, Olesya was a tester, Gleb was a graphic artist, and Artem was a game designer. Olesya also acted as a manager — she negotiated playtests, and in particular, she managed to organize playtests at Sevastopol Gymnasium No. 1. “We collected a huge amount of feedback, and it really helped us,” she said.

    Work on the project lasted for six months, and the team’s mentor, ITMO first-year student Vladimir Mikhnev, played an important role in it. “At the finals at the HSE, I came to them every evening and told them what they had succeeded in doing and what needed to be corrected,” he says. “The guys discussed my proposals together, agreed with some, rejected others. Of course, winning the Olympiad is, first and foremost, their merit, their hard work.”

    All team members are considering the possibility of entering various universities in Moscow and St. Petersburg, including HSE, MIREA, MAI, ITMO. They plan to develop professionally in the IT field, including in the field of computer game development.

    The 2024/25 academic year is the tenth anniversary season of the National Technology Olympiad. It is held under the coordination of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education together with the federal project “Russia – Country of Opportunities” of the national project “Youth and Children” with the support of the “Movement of the First”, the Agency for Strategic Initiatives and the ANO “NTI Platform”. The Olympiad project office is located at the HSE with the methodological support of the Association of Participants of Technology Circles (NTI Circle Movement).

    This academic year, NTO set a new record: almost 220,000 students applied to participate in the tracks of the largest engineering competitions. More than 2,000 schoolchildren and students from 72 regions of Russia and three other countries: Belarus, Kazakhstan and Turkmenistan reached the finals.

    Winning in the Computer Game Development profile, as in most other NTO areas, will give schoolchildren the opportunity to receive 100 USE points in one of the subjects or enter a university without entrance examinations. NTO results are accepted by more than 100 Russian universities.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Saskatchewan Contributes $100,000 to the Queen Elizabeth Scholars Program

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on March 31, 2025

    The Government of Saskatchewan is investing in the next generation of global leaders by contributing $100,000 to the Queen Elizabeth Scholars program. This funding will support educational exchange opportunities and real-world experiences for students.

    “Our government is proud to invest in initiatives that support a strong and collaborative global community and enhance opportunities for our students,” Advanced Education Minister Ken Cheveldayoff said. “This program provides valuable research-based global education and leadership experiences that will benefit Saskatchewan students, post-secondary institutions and communities.”

    The Queen Elizabeth Scholars program is led by the Rideau Hall Foundation in collaboration with Universities Canada. It provides funding for students to participate in educational exchange programs, offering them the opportunity to gain invaluable experiences that will help shape their futures as global leaders.

    Approximately 227 students from the University of Regina and University of Saskatchewan have benefited from the program since its inception in 2012. 

    “We are honoured to have the Province of Saskatchewan invest in the Queen Elizabeth Scholars program,” Rideau Hall Foundation President and CEO Teresa Marques said. “This investment means more students from the province’s colleges and universities will benefit from global learning experiences, while attracting talent from abroad into Saskatchewan as well – all of which positions the province for success in the global economy.”

    For more information on the Queen Elizabeth Scholarship, including how to apply, visit: https://queenelizabethscholars.ca/.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Patient support scheme extended

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The “Pilot Scheme for Supporting Patients of the Hospital Authority in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area” will be extended for one year till March 31, 2026, the Health Bureau announced today.

    Currently, the scheme is applicable to the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital (HKU-SZH).

    The bureau explained that the extension aims to enable eligible patients of the Hospital Authority (HA) to choose to receive subsidised consultation services at designated collaborating healthcare institutions in the Greater Bay Area.

    It added that an enhancement measure will be implemented in order to provide more targeted healthcare support to patients.

    From tomorrow, for participating patients to utilise the subsidy under the pilot scheme, they are required to attend consultations at the service departments of the HKU-SZH that correspond with the HA’s outpatient service categories for which they have follow-up appointments.

    Secretary for Health Prof Lo Chung-mau said: “The Government has long been taking forward collaborations on medical and health aspects in the bay area in accordance with the principles of complementarity and mutual benefits. The HA will continue to explore more in-depth healthcare collaborations with suitable organisations and enhance the efficiency of public healthcare services with a view to shortening patients’ waiting time.”

    The scope of subsidised consultation services under the scheme will continue to cover outpatient services provided by the HA. Meanwhile, episodic illnesses, inpatient or day inpatient as well as accident and emergency services are not included.

    Eligible patients who wish to continue participating in the pilot scheme may make appointments through the existing channels whereby the HKU-SZH will make appointments at the departments that correspond with the HA’s outpatient service categories for which they have follow-up appointments. They should also complete a declaration to confirm continued participation at the HKU-SZH.

    Patients who wish to cease participation and return to Hong Kong for follow-up consultations at the HA’s outpatient clinics may approach the HKU-SZH which will make referral for them to arrange follow-up appointments at the HA’s corresponding outpatient clinics according to their clinical needs.

    For eligible patients who have not participated in the pilot scheme before, or those who have joined the scheme but need to have their personal data updated, they may submit an application to the HKU-SZH from tomorrow onwards.

    For enquiries, call the HA at 2300 7070 or the HKU-SZH at (86) 0755 86913101.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to study on association between postpartum hormonal contraceptive use and risk of depression

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A study published in JAMA Network Open looks at postpartum hormonal contraceptive use and depression risk. 

    Dr John Reynolds-Wright, NES/CSO Clinical Lecturer in Sexual & Reproductive Health, University of Edinburgh, said:

    “This retrospective registry study indicates an association between use of hormonal contraception in the first year post-partum with either being prescribed an anti-depressant or being labelled with a discharge diagnosis of depression in the Danish national healthcare electronic records.

    “It does not demonstrate causation of depression by hormonal contraception.

    “When examining the absolute risk of being prescribed an anti-depressant (or receiving the discharge diagnosis of depression), these risks are small and comparable for users (1.54%) and non-users (1.36%) of hormonal contraception in the twelve months following a first live birth in this cohort.

    “The study excluded women who had given birth previously and did not consider previous history of depression (or anti-depressant prescription) longer than 2 years ago. Considering both of these aspects may have altered the findings of the study.

     “The authors conclude that “the incidence of depression post partum may be inflated by routine HC initiation, which is important information to convey at postpartum contraceptive counseling” however this study has not convincingly shown that incidence of depression is higher – anti-depressants may be prescribed for a range of indications, not only depression – and so changing advice about postpartum contraception is not supported.

     “Further, any small increased risk (0.18% higher of being prescribed an anti-depressant or being diagnosed with depression), needs to be balanced against the benefits brought by post-partum contraception to allow women to space births, which improves their and their baby’s health in multiple ways, and gives them reproductive freedom in their lives.

     “We must cautiously interpret the recommendations and findings of this study, particularly given the current global political climate, where reproductive rights are continually under threat.”

    ‘Postpartum Hormonal Contraceptive Use and Risk of Depression’ by Søren Vinther Larsen et al. was published in JAMA Network Open at 16:00 UK time Monday 31 March 2025.

    DOI: 10.1001/jamanetworkopen.2025.2474

    Declared interests

    Dr John Reynolds-Wright:

    –              Associate Editor, BMJ Sexual and Reproductive Health

    –              Evidence Advisor, British Society of Abortion Care Providers

    –              I have received research funding from HRA Pharma (Perrigo) and Exelgyn (Nordic Pharma)

    –              I have received support to attend international conferences from Gedeon Richter (travel, hotel, conference registration)

    For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Health authority review launches to ensure support for front-line services

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Details about the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA) appointees are as follows:

    Tim Manning has completed his term as board chair, as have board members Donisa Bernardo, Dianne Doyle, Sandra A. Martin Harris (Wii Esdes), Piotr Majkowski and Richard Short. Additional departing directors are, Dr. Morgan Price, Gary Caroline, Bill Chan, Julia Dillabough, Joanna Gislason and Gloria Morgan.

    The interim board of directors are:

    Maureen Maloney, OBC, KC, chair –

    Maureen Maloney is a professor at Simon Fraser University’s school of public policy and former dean of law and Lam chair in law and public policy at the University of Victoria. Maloney served as British Columbia’s deputy minister to the Attorney General from 1993 to 2000, and deputy attorney general from 1997 to 2000. She has been a member of the numerous boards, including the Canadian Human Rights Foundation, the International Commission of Jurists (Canadian Section), the International Centre for Criminal Law Reform and Criminal Justice Policy, and also served as a member of the Canadian Human Rights Tribunal. She chaired the Province’s Expert Panel on Money Laundering in Real Estate from 2018 to 2019.

    Heather McKay –

    Heather McKay is a professor at the University of British Columbia (UBC) where she is the Active Aging Research Team’s lead scientist. She has collaborated with the B.C. Ministry of Health for more than 15 years and leads a partnership between researchers, governments, health authorities and NGOs to enact Health Aging B.C. From 2006-16, McKay was the inaugural director of the Centre for Hip Health and Mobility, a multidisciplinary CFI centre funded by the Canadian Foundation for Innovation. More recently, she co-led UBC’s Health Aging Research Excellence cluster. McKay leads an Implementation Science Team at UBC. Her work focuses on healthy aging research. She also holds a position on the editorial board of the scientific journal Implementation Research and Practice. She has received a CIHR Knowledge Translation Award, a YWCA Woman of Distinction Award and has been inducted into the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (2018) in recognition of her academic scholarship and community engagement. 

    Tiffany Ma, CPA –

    Tiffany Ma is the associate deputy minister of the B.C. Ministry of Health. Since joining the BC Public Service in 2006, Ma has served in progressively senior capacities across several ministries, including as chief financial officer for the Ministry of Education. Prior to joining the Ministry of Health, Ma was the assistant deputy minister and deputy secretary to Treasury Board at the Ministry of Finance. Ma also served as a trustee on the Public Service Pension Board.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie, “Fiction Litterature Is Messy”

    Source: Universities – Science Po in English

    « Fiction literature is messy, we have to write about the world as it is, not as we wish it were. I really feel that the self that writes fiction is not the self that writes non-fiction. When I’m writing non-fiction, essays, lectures, or a Ted Talk, I am hoping to persuade people. I want you to come on board and care. »

    Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

    Author and feminist icon

    In March 2025, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie joined us to present her latest novel, L’inventaire des rêves (Dream Count), published by Gallimard. The renowned Nigerian author delivered an inspiring keynote on the power of writing. She generously shared her unfiltered reflections on women in history, literature, and shaping one’s destiny.

    Organised by our Institute for the Arts & Creation, Africa Programme, and Gender Studies Programme (PRESAGE), the event was moderated by Hélène Périvier, economist at the French Economic Observatory (OFCE) and director of PRESAGE, alongside students from our Paris School of International Affairs (PSIA).

    The conversation is now available for replay:

    Cover image caption: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie with Hélène Périvier at her right, translator Marguerite Capelle at her left and PSIA students on both outer sides. (credits: Louis Roquebert / Sciences Po)

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI: Sourcetable gets $4.3m and launches world’s first “self-driving spreadsheet” powered by AI

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    San Francisco, March 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — While 750 million people use spreadsheets every day, only 20% know how to use basic functions like VLOOKUP or create a pivot table – leaving powerful insights inaccessible to the vast majority of us. Today, Sourcetable announces the launch of the world’s first autonomous “self-driving” spreadsheet that uses AI to democratize data analysis for everyone. Alongside this breakthrough, the company has closed a $4.3 million funding round to accelerate its mission of making spreadsheet analysis accessible to all.

    This seed funding round was led by Bee Partners with participation from Julien Chaumond (Hugging Face co-founder), Preston-Werner Ventures (GitHub co-founder), Roger Bamford (Distinguished Architect at MongoDB), and James Beshara (Magic Mind co-founder). 

    Sourcetable founders: Eoin McMillan and Andrew Grosser. CREDIT: Sophia Morel.

    Sourcetable’s approach eliminates the technical barrier that has plagued spreadsheets since their inception. Users simply tell the spreadsheet what they want done through natural language commands, and Sourcetable’s AI does the work for them. Instructions can be made via keyboard or through a hands-free voice control mode, creating an experience the team calls “vibing” – similar to the emerging practice of vibe coding. This marks the first time a spreadsheet has offered full “self-driving” autopilot capabilities, where the AI has complete write access and edit control to complete multi-step operations.

    “AI is the biggest platform shift since the browser, with a bigger opportunity for disruption. Sourcetable is building the AI spreadsheet for the next billion users, be they human or AI,” says Eoin McMillan, CEO & Co-founder of Sourcetable. “As AI makes analysis easier, everybody will become an analyst. Sourcetable’s AI automation ushers in a new era of productivity and human cognition.”

    Sourcetable’s autopilot mode can complete a wide range of complex tasks that typically require advanced spreadsheet knowledge, including creating and editing financial models, generating spreadsheet templates, building pivot tables (something Google Sheets’ AI struggles with), cleaning data, creating charts and graphs, editing formatting, enriching data, and analyzing entire workbooks. The AI can understand data context without requiring users to pre-select ranges, interpret multiple ranges across different tabs, work with messy data, and seek human clarification when instructions are unclear.

    Sourcetable in action: AI spreadsheet Autopilot. CREDIT: Sourcetable.com

    Founded by Eoin McMillan and Andrew Grosser, both based in San Francisco, Sourcetable is built on the founders’ deep expertise in machine learning and AI from previous startups. This technical background has allowed the team to leapfrog Excel and Sheets’ AI offerings and be first to market with full automation capabilities – a significant milestone considering Excel was last disrupted in 2006 when Google Sheets launched with browser-based collaboration.

    Yet, Sourcetable’s journey didn’t start here. Originally, the platform was built for technical users – data scientists, Python programmers, and SQL analysts. But the real breakthrough came when the team flipped this approach, focusing instead on making spreadsheets more powerful for everyday users. By integrating AI to streamline common but complex workflows, friction went down, engagement went up, and they realized the potential of AI to democratize data analysis for everyone.

    At the core of this breakthrough is a fast, accurate, code-driven evaluation loop developed by the Sourcetable team. This system verifies AI responses in real-time, ensuring the accuracy needed for complex, multi-step automation. Without this foundation, self-driving spreadsheet automation would be too slow and unreliable to be trusted.

    Sourcetable’s AI features. CREDIT: Sourcetable.com

    Early user Simar Singh, co-founder at Butternut AI added: “In the future, it’s obvious that humans won’t be doing spreadsheet grunt work, and will defer to AI instead. We use Sourcetable to speed up our internal analytics workflows, and love the copy enrichment feature too. Big fans!”. Andrey Karmanov, Research Assistant at Waterloo University said: “Sourcetable is great for importing data for clear and easy visualizations, especially when using the AI assistant to transform data for forecasting or further analysis.”

    What sets the company apart is also its best-in-class, flexible approach to models. While Microsoft and Google are locked into their proprietary AI models, Sourcetable’s AI selects the optimal model for each task – often combining multiple models for the best results. This agility allows Sourcetable to integrate the latest breakthroughs from OpenAI, Anthropic, Groq, Meta (Llama), NVIDIA, Prior Labs, DeepSeek, and Hugging Face on the day of release, ensuring users always have access to cutting-edge AI capabilities.

    Michael Berolzheimer, Managing Partner, Bee Ventures added: “For decades, we’ve been stuck in a world with those who know Excel, and those who don’t.  Not anymore.  Today’s AI supercycle demands that all of our interfaces transform to become useful for both humans and machines, and they all demand a new data architecture.  Eoin, Andrew and the Sourcetable team have done it.  Now anyone, human or agent, can benefit from accurate, reliable data analysis, underpinned by the all important spreadsheet.”

    Julien Chaumond, Co-Founder & CTO at Hugging Face said: “Spreadsheet apps are an Internet-native product I use every day in both my work and personal life, and I’ve for a long time wished that one could multiply their productivity with AI. So when I got the opportunity to invest in such a product in Sourcetable I was excited to do it.”

    Tom-Preston Werner, GitHub Co-founder and partner at Preston-Werner Ventures commented: “AI is the biggest collaboration opportunity since Git. Once we understood Sourcetable’s ambition and vision, we were eager to invest”.

    Ultimately, Sourcetable is part of a new wave of AI-powered productivity platforms reshaping the industry. Companies like Cursor, Windsurf, Shortwave, and Granola are proving that incumbents can be challenged – and Sourcetable is positioned to be the next major player in this transformation. And for the team, this is just the beginning.

    Looking ahead, Sourcetable is evolving into a full-scale platform for AI agents and applications, enabling seamless agent-to-agent interactions and serving as an operating system for the web. With read/write capabilities to third-party systems planned, it’s not just reinventing spreadsheets – it’s redefining how businesses interact with data.

    Ends

    Media images can be found here. 

    About Sourcetable
    Sourcetable is an AI spreadsheet and data analyst that makes it easy to analyze Excel and CSV files, create charts and graphs, clean data, answer questions, and 10x your spreadsheet productivity. Sourcetable is a leader in AI-enabled spreadsheet automation.

    Sourcetable is based in San Francisco and was founded by Eoin McMillan (CEO) and Andrew Grosser (CTO). Sourcetable has raised money from top Silicon Valley firms and angel investors including Long Journey Ventures, Bee Partners, NextView Ventures, Preston-Werner Ventures, Julien Chaumond, and Lenny Rachitsky. For more information please visit https://sourcetable.com/ or follow via LinkedIn, TikTok, Youtube or X.  

    About Bee Partners
    We are at the outset of a decades-long supercycle of AI-enabled machines that will drive evermore acceleration. This supercycle is persistent and rapidly evolving, and favors adaptive, technical and bold founders.

    Bee Partners invests at the pre-seed, providing deep tech exposure for our LPs. We invest pre-product and pre-revenue in 8-10 companies per year, offering Founders both $500k-$1.5M in funding as well as deep partnership with our network in exchange for meaningful ownership. In doing so, we underwrite every position to return the fund. Bee’s partnership model is built on integrity and trust with our Founders, delivering value from day one in the form of strategic introductions to customers, future partners and employees and capital sources.

    Bee Partners model has led its pre-seed portfolio to a 60% matriculation rate to Series A with more than $2B in follow-on capital from the world’s top VCs.

    The MIL Network –