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Category: Universities

  • MIL-OSI Global: Police struggle to identify the riskiest domestic abuse perpetrators – here’s how they can do better

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Barry Godfrey, Professor of Social Justice, University of Liverpool

    Shutterstock

    The government cannot achieve its target to halve violence against women and girls if it doesn’t address the most serious perpetrators – and it isn’t anywhere near knowing how to identify them. Our new research shows where they are going wrong, and how they can do better.

    The most recent statistics show that violence against women and girls affects one in 12 women in England and Wales. A quarter of domestic abuse incidents reported to police involve known, repeat perpetrators. But despite being told by government to identify and control the most serious perpetrators, police do not currently have systems good enough to do that.

    Currently, police forces use an algorithm to determine which offenders pose the greatest risk to women and girls. This is known as the RFGV algorithm – perpetrators are propelled up or down a list based on the recency, frequency, gravity (seriousness) of reported incidents, and the vulnerability of the victim.

    The gap in this approach is that it largely treats incidents as isolated, when they should be looked at as a whole. Research has also found it is used inconsistently between forces.

    Most police perpetrator lists contain hundreds or even thousands of people, making them difficult tools to use. They also do not seem to be able to distinguish who the most serious offenders are, with men with very similar profiles near the top, middle and bottom of the lists.

    We propose an alternative method, which would assess the whole of a perpetrator’s record of incidents. This would allow police to identify not only the most dangerous perpetrators, but also opportunities to better address their offending earlier on. This might be with diversion to programmes designed to support better choices and rehabilitation, or arrest and incarceration to prevent them harming other people.

    By joining together incidents recorded by police for individual perpetrators, we constructed detailed case studies using police officer’s notes. Here is a summary of two people who appear in one force’s perpetrator list.

    1. Male born mid 1980s, involved in 340 incidents over 20 years

    His offending begins with an indecent assault on a young teenage girl when he is 19. He is increasingly involved in drug-related offending in his 20s. He is later sentenced to six years in jail for arson endangering life. Released on conditional licence, he is re-convicted of the harassment of his ex-partner and recalled to prison.

    Release is followed by further offences until the mid-2010s when he is imprisoned again. When released, his offending is erratic (low-level public order, violence, threats, drug-related offending).

    Throughout his 30s, he frequently victimises partners and ex-partners. He has no settled address and is homeless at various points of his life. He is still subject to frequent mental health episodes.

    2. Male born early 1980s, involved in 396 incidents over 25 years

    In his teens he was involved in low-level thefts, criminal damage and breaches of an antisocial behaviour order. He was also suspected of selling drugs to schoolchildren, and imprisoned, aged 18, for drug-related violence.

    In his 20s he “associates with” children and is found with a missing vulnerable schoolgirl hiding in his house. He continues to commit offences of criminal damage, drug dealing, and stealing vehicles. Another missing teenage girl is found to be living with him.

    In his early 20s he very violently assaults and harasses much younger partners. He continues to commit public order offences and to threaten, harass, and assault current and ex-partners, kicking his pregnant partner in the stomach.

    In the early 2020s, police attend his ex-partner’s house following abandoned 999 calls – they find him with his hand over her mouth to stop her calling out to the police. He continues to be violent to ex-partners and his involvement in drug-related offending deepens. He is currently in prison for a violent offence.

    Who is the danger?

    Both men pose a real and severe threat of violence to women and girls as well as the public. But the RFGV algorithm places the first man more than a thousand places higher than the second. Clearly treating the offences they commit in isolation is not sufficient to distinguish which man poses the greatest risk.

    A life-course approach, which takes into account the type and pattern of offending as it develops over time, is less susceptible to fluctuations which move an offender rapidly up or down the priority lists. Therefore, it more reliably reflects who poses the greatest risk.

    The current system looks at incidents in isolation.
    Vadim Kulikov/Shutterstock

    A better ranking system is clearly required. The RFGV algorithm provides a “score”, but a more sophisticated system would also evaluate the direction of offending of individuals – is it escalating, more frequent, more serious?

    A life-course approach could be used separately or together with RFGV to allow police analysts to identify the most serious perpetrators. It may also be possible to use artificial intelligence to identify trends in offending and escalation of risk through analysis of thousands of police incident reports in real time.

    The system could then identify opportunities for early intervention which have been shown to be effective in reducing re-offending against current and future victims. It could also automatically trigger warnings to neighbourhood officers, specialist domestic abuse-trained officers, mental health services and so on.

    We won’t really know the full capability until new systems are tried, and evaluated. This also means including the voices of survivors and focusing on the lives of persistent perpetrators – often substance use, homelessness, estrangement, imprisonment and mental health problems are at play. The possibilities of learning from artificial intelligence or other technology should not be privileged over the very sources of the data such intelligence relies upon: victims’ experiences.

    David Gadd currenty receives research grant funding, via the University of Manchester from the ESRC, NIHR, and Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

    Barry Godfrey 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. Police struggle to identify the riskiest domestic abuse perpetrators – here’s how they can do better – https://theconversation.com/police-struggle-to-identify-the-riskiest-domestic-abuse-perpetrators-heres-how-they-can-do-better-247734

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: New report calls for return of human remains – but UK museums lack the resources to act

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By William Carruthers, Lecturer, School of Philosophical, Historical, and Interdisciplinary Studies, University of Essex

    Shutterstock/David Herraez Calzada

    The display of human remains in museums has long been a contentious issue. Last week, the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Afrikan Reparations (APPG-AR) published a report on the African human remains collected by British museums during, and due to, colonialism and the slave trade.

    Introduced by the MP Bell Ribeiro-Addy (the APPG-AR’s chair), and produced by Afford (The African Foundation for Development), the publication of the report, Laying Ancestors to Rest, is another high-profile and meaningful intervention in an area where developments now seem inevitable.

    The report makes a number of recommendations. First, that the sale of human remains should be made illegal in the UK. It also suggests that the Human Tissue Act of 2004 should be amended to make stipulations about remains older than 100 years.

    This would include banning their public display without consent from the Human Tissue Authority and ensuring that museums obtain a licence from the authority for their storage. It’s further recommended that the UK parliament’s culture, media and sport committee should launch an inquiry into restitution.

    Laying Ancestors to Rest should be welcomed. It seems likely to be successful in achieving at least one of its recommendations. Calling for a ban on the trade in human remains in Britain, as the report does, is not particularly controversial.

    However, the report’s blanket approach towards banning the display of human remains without consent is, in the present environment, unlikely to succeed.

    This article is part of our State of the Arts series. These articles tackle the challenges of the arts and heritage industry – and celebrate the wins, too.

    The report itself hints at the reasons for this. The success of its recommendations rests on the financial health of the UK’s museum landscape. Resources matter, not least in terms of the relationships which those resources allow museums to build.

    Instead of a blanket response, developments in this area are likely to be piecemeal – both due to the significant effort required to carry out the task effectively and the limited resources many museums have to do so. In that sense, it is unclear whether calling for a blanket ban now is all that useful, other than as a wake-up call.

    This point is not to absolve museums for their historical part in this situation. It is though, to argue that work in understanding the collections of human remains held by British museums – where they come from, who they might belong to – has, at times (and certainly not in all circumstances), been happening. It is also to clarify what the often slow-paced norms of effective understanding and restitution are.

    In 2020, for example, the University of Oxford’s Pitt-Rivers Museum removed its well-known collection of tsantsa (shrunken heads) from display. The removal happened with a view to working with Shuar and Achuar delegates to decide on the best way forward with regard to the care and display of the human remains. That work continues.

    In 2020 the Pitt-Rivers Museum removed its well-known collection of shrunken heads from display.
    Shutterstock/John Wreford

    A few years earlier, Laura Peers, then curator of the Americas collections at the museum, wrote about the slow, quiet and bureaucratic process of returning a single femur “collected by a missionary as a medical curiosity, from an Indigenous nation with whom I have longstanding professional and personal relationships”.

    Such work is, when it happens, painstaking and careful. Even with the best of intentions, it is not a fast process

    Funding restitution

    The often-halting nature of that work is likely to continue. Museum professionals – particularly newer museum professionals – know that this work has to happen and are, I would argue, in large part invested in doing it.

    In a contemporary funding environment marked by almost continuous cuts, even the most dedicated staff will find their actions curtailed. They may, in some cases, be able to remove remains from display, as the report recommends (and as the Pitt Rivers Museum has done).

    However, securing consent for the limited display of mummified Egyptian bodies, for instance, will be challenging. Without funding, it is difficult to build the relationships necessary for conversations about consent, ownership and restitution.

    In his afterword to the report, Dan Hicks of the University of Oxford writes that “this is a time of immense hope and optimism for British museums”. The problem is that that hope in part rests on the funding that he also admits has been subject to “austerity and swingeing cuts”.

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    The contradiction is not difficult to see – particularly when the report’s recommendations are similar to the 2018 one written for French collections by cultural researchers Felwine Sarr and Bénédicte Savoy.

    The Restitution of African Cultural Heritage: Toward a New Relational Ethics, which was commissioned by the French president, Emmanuel Macron, has been widely read. It has catalysed thinking beyond current international legal norms when it comes to restitution.

    Yet progress on the goal of restitution even in France has been slow, at least in part due to the time involved in building the new relationships that the report calls for. There is also the question of whether attitudes regarding restitution within African countries are consistent. By February 2024, France had returned only 26 objects to Benin and one (a sword) to Senegal.

    Worse still, the legislative picture across British collections remains complex. Collections such as the Pitt Rivers Museum have been able to move on restitution because they are university collections. As such, they are subject to different legislation than “national” collections such as the British Museum or the V&A, which were established by acts of parliament and are funded by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.

    As the V&A’s director, Tristram Hunt, recently wrote, the UK’s national museums remain in “debilitating stasis” on restitution. Hunt argues that this is the case because these collections are hampered by the proscriptions of the 1983 National Heritage Act. That act – by rule or by choice, dependent on your view – effectively forbids such collections from disposing of objects, including human remains.

    As Laying Ancestors to Rest recommends, this situation needs to change. The likelihood is, however, that any change will come more slowly and with more deliberation even than the report itself acknowledges is necessary.

    Progress on this issue is by no means impossible. But without real political will and without the money to back it up, a blanket approach to the display and restitution of human remains in British museums remains difficult to enforce.

    William Carruthers works for the University of Essex as Lecturer in Heritage.

    – ref. New report calls for return of human remains – but UK museums lack the resources to act – https://theconversation.com/new-report-calls-for-return-of-human-remains-but-uk-museums-lack-the-resources-to-act-252547

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why I’m training Colombian Amazonians to become archaeology tourist guides

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By José Iriarte, Professor of Archaeology, University of Exeter

    Professor Jamie Hampson discusses the interpretation of rock art with diploma students in front of the Tapirs rock art panel. Jose Iriarte, CC BY-NC-ND

    Diana Vera, a passionate local guide from Serranía de la Lindosa, Colombia, leads a group of sweaty and panting European tourists through the hot, lush Amazonian rainforest. Together, they climb the flattop hill (known as tepui) of Nuevo Tolima. Their destination? A vast, ancient painted wall perched at the very top of the tepui that whispers stories from a time long past.

    As the tourists reach the site, Vera brings history to life. She recounts how archaeology tells us that the first humans arrived here some 13,000 years ago.

    She explains how they left their mark on these landscapes by painting their stories, beliefs and visions of the world on the walls of these hills. Because archaeologists have closely analysed the paintings and their chemical signatures, she can explain how paintings were crafted with local ochre using their fingers and brushes.

    She gestures towards the intricate depictions of animals, plants and people, pausing at an especially intriguing image – a now-extinct ice age “palaeolama” or prehistoric llama.

    Then, she shows them a fascinating hybrid figure – a fusion of bird, deer and human. Much of this artwork is probably shamanic in nature – possibly representing spiritual transformations, most likely induced by hallucinogenic rituals or prolonged fasting.

    After Colombia’s peace process was signed in 2016 between participants in a violent civil war, the rock art of Serranía de la Lindosa became a major draw for research and tourism.

    As well as attracting visitors, this cultural and natural heritage has sparked positive social change in the region. Families of more than 100 tourist guides benefit because tourism provides an economic alternative for these communities.

    It’s a path away from illicit activities such as coca cultivation, destructive deforestation for cattle ranching or joining dissident factions of the FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) guerrilla movement.

    Until now, these local guides have largely relied on self-taught knowledge. There are no universities in the region to provide formal education. Little archaeological research has been conducted in this area, so much of its history and heritage remains unexplored.

    To address this gap, my colleagues and I have co-created a diploma degree in cultural heritage management for local tourism guides.

    Our team at the University of Exeter worked closely with Colombian partners including the University of Antioquia, the Secretariat of Culture and Tourism of Guaviare Department and the Geographical Society of Colombia to make sure that the diploma met the needs of local people. This diploma is based on knowledge from our systematic study of archaeology and rock art of the region, as part of a European Research Council-funded project called the LastJourney project.

    A new cultural heritage diploma degree trains archaeology tourist guides in the Colombian Amazon.

    Local community archaeology tourism benefits the heritage, the people and the rainforest. As Colombian archaeologist Javier Aceituno states in The Painted Forest, the 2022 book we co-wrote: “The paintings need the people, and the people need the paintings.”

    The Colombian Institute of Anthropology and History, the national heritage authority, has officially designated la Lindosa as an archaeological protected area. However, like many national parks in the Amazon, there are very limited resources for enforcement and preservation of these large rural areas. Local communities can help protect these rock paintings by controlling access and providing guided visits to the sites.

    Forty people took part in the first iteration of this three-month-long diploma in 2023-2024. Each of three 30-hour modules are delivered in rural communities of Cerro Azul, Nuevo Tolima and Raudal del Guayabero in Guaviare department, Colombia.

    Alongside my colleagues from the University of Exeter and the University of Antioquia, I taught modules in communal village buildings, where we conducted experimental archaeology. This included manufacturing stone tools and recreating paint recipes from scratch, providing a practical, hands-on learning experience bringing archaeology to life.*

    This diploma has empowered communities to take a stronger role in managing their archaeological and bio-cultural heritage. By deepening their understanding of this unique history, communities can better protect and manage their heritage, ultimately enriching the tourist experience.

    Three graduates from the course also visited UK archaeological sites, including Stonehenge in Wiltshire, to explore how such sites are preserved and presented to tourists abroad. At the Ancient Technology Centre in Dorset they learnt how visitors can experience archaeology in creative ways through hands-on experiences and demonstrations of ancient crafts and sustainable building techniques.

    Archaeologists and rock art specialists aren’t just sharing their expertise. My colleagues and I are also learning from Indigenous participants. Victor Caycedo, of the Indigenous Amazonian Desana ethnicity, and Ismael Sierra, from the Tukano people of southern Colombia, bring invaluable ancestral knowledge to the diploma.

    They have shared insights into the shamanic and animistic worldviews that have shaped these landscapes for centuries. Their perspectives add a deeper, living dimension to the study of rock art, bridging past and present in a way that only those rooted in these traditions can reveal, as recently published in the journal Arts.

    For Diana Vera, this diploma represents “learning about heritage and the ancient lifeways of the people of La Lindosa”. She told me that she now better understands “the union of three villages with a single purpose of conservation and preservation” and has a greater sense of belonging to these ancestral places and nature. Most of all, this diploma marks the opportunity for “a new beginning” in this region by introducing more sustainable and responsible tourism, she said.

    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.

    José Iriarte receives funding from the European Research Council, Arts and Humanities Research Council (UK), British Academy, National Geographic, Wenner Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research, FAPESP (Brazil), and CAPES (Brazil).

    – ref. Why I’m training Colombian Amazonians to become archaeology tourist guides – https://theconversation.com/why-im-training-colombian-amazonians-to-become-archaeology-tourist-guides-251651

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Can a daily nap do more harm than good? A sleep researcher explains

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Talar Moukhtarian, Assistant Professor in Mental Health, Warwick Medical School, University of Warwick

    Olga Rolenko/Shutterstock

    You’re in the middle of the afternoon, eyelids heavy, focus slipping. You close your eyes for half an hour and wake up feeling recharged. But later that night, you’re tossing and turning in bed, wondering why you can’t drift off. That midday snooze which felt so refreshing at the time might be the reason.

    Naps have long been praised as a tool for boosting alertness, enhancing mood, strengthening memory, and improving productivity. Yet for some, they can sabotage nighttime sleep.

    Napping is a double-edged sword. Done right, it’s a powerful way to recharge the brain, improve concentration, and support mental and physical health. Done wrong, it can leave you groggy, disoriented, and struggling to fall asleep later. The key lies in understanding how the body regulates sleep and wakefulness.

    Most people experience a natural dip in alertness in the early afternoon, typically between 1pm and 4pm. This isn’t just due to a heavy lunch – our internal body clock, or circadian rhythm, creates cycles of wakefulness and tiredness throughout the day. The early afternoon lull is part of this rhythm, which is why so many people feel drowsy at that time.

    Studies suggest that a short nap during this period – ideally followed by bright light exposure – can help counteract fatigue, boost alertness, and improve cognitive function without interfering with nighttime sleep. These “power naps” allow the brain to rest without slipping into deep sleep, making it easier to wake up feeling refreshed.

    But there’s a catch: napping too long may result in waking up feeling worse than before. This is due to “sleep inertia” – the grogginess and disorientation that comes from waking up during deeper sleep stages.

    Once a nap extends beyond 30 minutes, the brain transitions into slow-wave sleep, making it much harder to wake up. Studies show that waking from deep sleep can leave people feeling sluggish for up to an hour. This can have serious implications if they then try to perform safety-critical tasks, make important decisions or operate machinery, for example. And if a nap is taken too late in the day, it can eat away from the “sleep pressure build-up” – the body’s natural drive for sleep – making it harder to fall asleep at night.

    When napping is essential

    For some, napping is essential. Shift workers often struggle with fragmented sleep due to irregular schedules, and a well-timed nap before a night shift can boost alertness and reduce the risk of errors and accidents. Similarly, people who regularly struggle to get enough sleep at night – whether due to work, parenting or other demands – may benefit from naps to bank extra hours of sleep that compensate for their sleep loss.

    Nonetheless, relying on naps instead of improving nighttime sleep is a short-term fix rather than a sustainable solution. People with chronic insomnia are often advised to avoid naps entirely, as daytime sleep can weaken their drive to sleep at night.

    Certain groups use strategic napping as a performance-enhancing tool. Athletes incorporate napping into their training schedules to speed up muscle recovery and improve sports-related parameters such as reaction times and endurance. Research also suggests that people in high-focus jobs, such as healthcare workers and flight crews, benefit from brief planned naps to maintain concentration and reduce fatigue-related mistakes. Nasa has found that a 26-minute nap can improve performance of long-haul flight operational staff by 34%, and alertness by 54%.

    How to nap well

    To nap effectively, timing and environment matter. Keeping naps between ten and 20 minutes prevents grogginess. The ideal time is before 2pm – napping too late can push back the body’s natural sleep schedule.

    The best naps happen in a cool, dark and quiet environment, similar to nighttime sleep conditions. Eye masks and noise-cancelling headphones can help, particularly for those who nap in bright or noisy settings.

    Despite the benefits, napping isn’t for everyone. Age, lifestyle and underlying sleep patterns all influence whether naps help or hinder. A good nap is all about strategy – knowing when, how, and if one should nap at all.

    For some it’s a life hack, improving focus and energy. For others, it’s a slippery slope into sleep disruption. The key is to experiment and observe how naps affect your overall sleep quality.

    Done wisely, naps can be a valuable tool. Done poorly, they might be the reason you’re staring at the ceiling at midnight.

    Talar Moukhtarian previously received funding from UKRI Medical Research Council (MRC).

    – ref. Can a daily nap do more harm than good? A sleep researcher explains – https://theconversation.com/can-a-daily-nap-do-more-harm-than-good-a-sleep-researcher-explains-251630

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Women’s sexual pleasure is still taboo – but the Kamasutra tells a different story

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Sharha Sharha, PhD Candidate in Kamasutra Feminism, Cardiff Metropolitan University

    A carved erotic scene on the outer wall of temple in Khajuraho complex, India. Cortyn/Shutterstock

    For some people, the Kamasutra is little more than a name associated with condom brands, scented oils and chocolates shaped into erotic positions. In India, where sex remains a taboo subject, this ancient sex manual has often been reduced to merely a “dirty book”.

    But beneath this narrow view lies a deeper message: the Kamasutra is a treatise on sexual autonomy, one that could be revolutionary for women.

    In Indian society, women’s sexual pleasure is often invisible, buried beneath layers of cultural silence. Women are often taught to suppress their desires, their voices stifled by traditions that prioritise male needs. Yet, it was in this very country that the Kamasutra was written.

    Composed in the ancient Sanskrit language in the 3rd century by the Indian philosopher Vatsyayana, the Kamasutra is more than a book about sexual positions. The word “kama” means love, sex, desire and pleasure, while “sutra” translates to a treatise. The text explores relationships, ethics and social norms. It offers a framework for mutual respect and understanding between partners.

    In her 2016 book Redeeming the Kamasutra, scholar of Indian culture and society Wendy Doniger argues that Vatsyayana was an advocate of women’s pleasure as well as stressing their right to education and the freedom to express desire. Far from reinforcing male dominance, the Kamasutra originally emphasised the importance of mutual enjoyment and consent. It presents sex as a shared experience rather than a male conquest.

    Sir Richard Francis Burton (1821 – 1890).
    Rischgitz/Stringer/Wikimedia

    The perception of the Kamasutra as a male-centred sex manual can be traced back to its first English translation by Sir Richard Burton in 1883.

    Burton, a British soldier and explorer, omitted or altered passages that highlighted women’s autonomy. It shifted their role from active participants to passive recipients of male pleasure.

    In contrast, scholars such as Ganesh Saili have argued that the Kamasutra originally depicted women as equal partners in intimacy. According to the text, women communicated their needs through gestures, emotions and words, ensuring that their pleasure was just as valued as men’s. Importantly, conversation played a central role in intimacy, reinforcing the necessity of a woman’s consent before having sex.

    Despite this rich history, Indian society continues to largely suppress discussions around female sexuality. Indian sex educator and journalist Leeza Mangaldas argues that women’s sexual pleasure remains a taboo topic, policed by cultural expectations that dictate women must remain silent, subservient and sexually inactive before marriage.

    Social scientist, Deepa Narayan, argues that this suppression begins at home. Girls are often taught to deny their own bodies and prioritise male desires.

    The title page of the 1883 edition of Sir Richard Burton’s translation.
    Ms Sarah Welch/Wikimedia, CC BY

    This control extends to patriarchal social norms that uphold virginity as a virtue for women while imposing no such expectation on men. Sex is framed as something women “give” rather than something they experience. Pleasure is seen as a right for males but merely an afterthought for females. Sex is for men but for women, it is only for producing babies.

    Yet the Kamasutra itself tells a different story. In its original form, it described women as active participants in their pleasure and compared their sensuality to the delicacy of flowers – requiring care, attention and respect.

    My own research explores “Kamasutra feminism”. This is the idea that this ancient text is not just about sex but about sexual autonomy. It challenges patriarchal norms by promoting women’s freedom to articulate their desires and take control of their pleasure. The Kamasutra rejects the notion that women’s sexuality should be regulated or repressed. Instead, it advocates for mutual satisfaction and consent.

    Doniger describes the Kamasutra as a feminist text, citing its emphasis on women choosing their partners, expressing their desires freely and engaging in pleasurable sexual relationships. It recognises economic independence as a crucial factor in women’s sexual autonomy. Financial freedom is linked to the ability to make personal choices.

    An original Kamasutra manuscript page preserved in the vaults of the Raghunath Temple in Jammu & Kashmir.
    Ms Sarah Welch/Wikimedia, CC BY

    Patriarchy versus sexual liberty

    Ultimately, the Kamasutra represents a clash between patriarchy – where women’s sexuality is controlled – and a vision of sexual liberty. It offers an alternative narrative, one where seduction is about mutual enjoyment rather than male domination. Its teachings encourage open discussions about intimacy, allowing women to reclaim their voices in relationships.

    For more than a century, the Kamasutra has been misinterpreted, its radical message buried beneath layers of censorship and cultural shame. But if we look beyond its erotic reputation, we find a text that speaks to the importance of consent, equality and female agency.

    Reclaiming the Kamasutra as a guide for sexual empowerment could help dismantle deeply ingrained taboos and reshape the conversation around women’s pleasure. In a world where female desire is still widely policed, this ancient manuscript reminds us that women’s pleasure is not a luxury, but a right.

    Sharha Sharha 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. Women’s sexual pleasure is still taboo – but the Kamasutra tells a different story – https://theconversation.com/womens-sexual-pleasure-is-still-taboo-but-the-kamasutra-tells-a-different-story-251987

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Argentina: despite the scandals, Milei’s politics are here to stay

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Juan Pablo Ferrero, Senior Lecturer in Latin American Politics, University of Bath

    The Argentinian president, Javier Milei, is going through the toughest moment of his short but remarkable political career. He is facing impeachment calls – as well as legal action – over his promotion of a cryptocurrency on social media.

    The cryptocoin $Libra, which Milei mentioned in a social media post on February 14, quickly rose in value before nosediving, causing severe losses for people who had invested in it. Milei has insisted that his post did not constitute an endorsement.

    “I’m a techno-optimist … and this was proposed to me as an instrument to help fund Argentine projects,” he said in a television interview. “It’s true that in trying to help out those Argentines, I took a slap in the face.”

    I doubt this is it for Milei. But even if it is the beginning of the end, Milei’s politics are here to stay. His leadership style, discourse and actions represent an emerging constituency with both a present and a future.

    This is because Milei is not, in my opinion, the effect of a crisis of representation. He is instead a faithful representative of a new reactive society emerging worldwide, which is largely sceptical of institutional mediation and values problem solvers and strong executives.

    People at the inauguration of Javier Milei in December 2023.
    Facundo Florit / Shutterstock

    To explore this phenomenon, imagine if you will, “Ricardo”, a fictitious yet representative member of a vulnerable segment of Argentina’s workforce. People like Ricardo returned to the labour market after the pandemic with precarious jobs and lower wages.

    He is a delivery worker who uses multiple digital platforms to earn a living. His life, characterised by the gig economy and labour informality, reflects a broader trend affecting around 50% of workers in Argentina.

    Ricardo had previously voted for Argentina’s left-wing leader, Cristina Fernández de Kirchner. But he voted for Milei in the last election, as did many others, and says he would vote for Milei again today. His sympathy for Milei has grown over the year he has been in office.

    According to a recent poll put together by political consultancy firm Tendencias, 89.6% of those who voted for Milei in the 2023 general election were happy with their choice. A growing share of Argentina’s population seemingly approves of the Milei administration.

    During the pandemic, Ricardo’s ability to support his family was diminished by government-imposed restrictions on travel and movement. These restrictions, which were often violently enforced by security forces, pushed him into poverty. The rate of poverty in Argentina increased to over 40% during the pandemic.

    This experience led Ricardo to feel a sense of satisfaction when Milei began mass layoffs of public employees to cut public spending. He thought this was payback time for those in the public sector, with job security, who did not have to endure what he had to during the pandemic.

    For Ricardo, they were all ñoquis (gnocchi), a slang term widely used in Argentina to refer to public employees who receive a salary but allegedly do little work. These workers are called ñoquis because many Argentinians traditionally eat gnocchi on the 29th day of every month, around the time people receive their monthly paychecks.

    Ricardo consumes all of the short clips circulating online from television interviews and talks at international forums of Milei “destroying” career politicians, whom he calls la casta (the caste). Milei sees the main aim of the caste as the reproduction of themselves, so he advocates for a small state or no state at all. Milei believes that nearly everything should be privatised.

    While Ricardo thinks politicians should be compensated for their job, many from across Argentina’s political spectrum have become extremely wealthy, so he’s with Milei on this one too. He even wears a chainsaw as a key ring – a nod to Milei’s promise to slash the size of the state.

    Ricardo acknowledges that life has become very expensive in Argentina since Milei took office. This is because, while inflation has gone down, the Argentinian peso has gained value, making Argentina one of the most expensive countries in the world. However, he believes this remains a price worth paying for a stable and prosperous Argentina.

    The aforementioned poll suggests that many Argentinians feel that their economic situation is better than a year ago, and will improve over the course of the next six months. Inflation, which was the leading concern in most polls ahead of the election, has fallen to sixth place.

    Ricardo is persuaded by Milei’s mantra: “If printing money would end poverty, printing diplomas would end stupidity”. And in recent times, Ricardo has spent his scarce leisure moments watching videos on his phone where internet influencers teach him how to multiply his dwindling income by investing in cryptocurrencies that promise high returns in a short time.

    In Argentina, like many other areas of the world, the appetite for gambling or investing in highly risky ventures such as cryptocurrency has multiplied as a means to win money fast. This is especially true among young people, often with devastating consequences.

    Representation of a new society

    There is a new political subject emerging worldwide marked by the precariousness of new forms of work, whose socialisation occurs in the digital world dominated by influencers. These people see the state not only as unnecessary, but as an enemy to be destroyed and distrust all institutional political intermediaries. Milei represents this new society.

    The process by which an issue becomes a subject of political debate and action has also changed. Solutions to single issues have replaced political programmes with complex visions about the future as the main source of popular validation. Big personalities can carry this forward more successfully than bureaucratic political parties.

    Presidents have become more like city majors judged by their ability to provide solutions to a single issue. In the case of Milei, it’s inflation. For Nayib Bukele in El Salvador, it’s security. And for Donald Trump in the US, it’s China.

    The figureheads of new political formations might change, but the politics of these formations will not.

    Juan Pablo Ferrero 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. Argentina: despite the scandals, Milei’s politics are here to stay – https://theconversation.com/argentina-despite-the-scandals-mileis-politics-are-here-to-stay-250183

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Chernyshenko discussed the national project “Youth and Children” with State Duma deputies

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    March 18, 2025

    Dmitry Chernyshenko discussed the national project “Youth and Children” with State Duma deputies.

    Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko presented the passport of the national project “Youth and Children” and the results of the implementation of youth policy for 2024 during a meeting of the State Duma Committee on Youth Policy.

    Dmitry Chernyshenko congratulated those present on the Day of Reunification of Crimea and Sevastopol with Russia, thanked the State Duma deputies who work in the regions, locally, and also emphasized the importance of cooperation.

    “The national project “Youth and Children” covers a huge audience. This is over 50 million people, or a third of the population of our country, and taking into account those involved and involved – parents, teachers and mentors – half of all citizens. The goals and objectives that are spelled out in the national project are based on the successful implementation of the national projects “Education” and “Science and Universities”. As promised to President Vladimir Putin, we took the best and supplemented it with tools for modernizing the most important areas of life in our country. The success of Russia and its future depend on the level of education, and science is the basis of technological development – this is what the head of state says,” the Deputy Prime Minister noted.

    Thanks to the national project “Science and Universities”, 940 youth laboratories and 15 world-class scientific and educational centers have been created, in which about 330 billion rubles of extra-budgetary funds have been invested. The instrument base of scientific organizations has been updated by more than 60%. The indicators of the national project “Education” have been met. In total, during its implementation throughout the country in more than 1.5 thousand schools, this helped to create about a million new places for children.

    Since this year, many instruments that have proven their effectiveness are being implemented within the framework of the state programs “Education Development” and “Scientific and Technological Development”, as well as the new national project “Youth and Children”. It includes 9 federal projects and 165 events. They will ensure the achievement of the national goal – the realization of the potential of each person, the development of their talents, the education of a patriotic and socially responsible person.

    Among the tasks for 2030, the Deputy Prime Minister indicated that 45% of young people should be involved in volunteer and social activities and 85% should support traditional spiritual and moral values. In addition, 75% of young people will be involved in events aimed at professional self-realization, 12 leading schools for gifted children will be opened and more than 8 thousand schools will be overhauled, at least 2 million specialists in blue-collar jobs for key sectors of the economy will be trained, another 800 youth laboratories and 50 advanced engineering schools will be created, 25 university campuses will be built and 800 dormitories will be renovated.

    According to Dmitry Chernyshenko, among the important tasks of the national project “Youth and Children” is the formation and development of a patriotically minded generation of Russian citizens capable of ensuring the sovereignty, competitiveness and future of Russia based on traditional spiritual and moral values defined by the decree of the President.

    In conclusion, Dmitry Chernyshenko answered questions, including about the development of the mentoring institute, a comprehensive system of measures to support volunteering, and the implementation of additional professional education programs. He also gave a number of instructions, including analyzing existing measures to support mentors in the regions, developing proposals for creating regional and municipal programs for such support, and taking into account comments when developing the draft Concept for the Development of Mentoring in the Russian Federation until 2030.

    The event was attended by the head of the Federal Agency for Youth Affairs Grigory Gurov, Deputy Minister of Education Irina Shvartsman, Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Andrei Omelchuk, as well as State Duma deputies.

    “The national project “Youth and Children” is aimed at achieving the national goal of Russia’s development – the realization of the potential of each young person, their talents, the education of a patriotic and socially responsible person. It consists of nine federal projects, three of which are under the jurisdiction of Rosmolodezh, others – under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia. The total budget of the national project is over 3.7 trillion rubles. The opportunities that are opened up to the audience of the national project cover all stages of growing up and becoming a young person,” said Grigory Gurov.

    He also said that the main measures of the national project include the presidential program “Region for the Young”, projects of the platform “Russia – the Country of Opportunities”, year-round youth educational centers, development of the volunteer ecosystem, implementation of international programs, support for children’s and youth initiatives within the framework of thematic projects and competitions, construction of modern schools and campuses, development of infrastructure for training specialists in blue-collar jobs, support for student families, increasing the prestige of Russian education in the world, and others.

    Deputy Minister of Education and Science Andrey Omelchuk noted that federal projects implemented by the ministry are aimed at significantly updating the educational infrastructure and involving students in professional and scientific activities.

    “Special attention is paid to such programs as Priority 2030, as well as the creation of a network of campuses and advanced engineering schools, youth laboratories. They contribute to the development of universities and the training of engineering personnel for the implementation of technological projects. In addition, international initiatives are planned to attract foreign students, which will strengthen Russia’s position in the global educational space,” he added.

    Chairman of the State Duma Committee on Youth Policy Artem Metelev noted that, at the initiative of the committee, five results were included in the national project “Youth and Children”. One of them should be the adoption of a law aimed at systematizing and expanding support measures for youth and children’s non-profit organizations.

    “The goal is to improve the mechanism of state support for sectoral NPOs, create a digital registry and a clear list of support measures at all levels. All this is being done so that the “third sector” is also integrated into achieving the goals and objectives of the national project “Youth and Children”, and the support provided to it is linked to specific results and social effects,” said Artem Metelev.

    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: Gov. Kemp Appoints State DOL Commissioner

    Source: US State of Georgia

    ATLANTA – Governor Brian P. Kemp today announced his appointment of Bárbara Rivera Holmes as Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Labor. Joined by her family and supporters, she will be sworn into office on April 4th and serve the remainder of the term won by Bruce Thompson in 2022, who sadly passed away last November.

    “Marty and I are proud to make this historic announcement and to congratulate Bárbara Rivera Holmes on her new leadership role that will benefit our entire state,” said Governor Brian Kemp. “As someone who has a proven track record of success in economic development and education, I know she will bring the same level of dedication to this position that she has to the people of Dougherty County and the surrounding area. I wish her continued success, both for her career and office, but especially on behalf of the hardworking people of Georgia.”

    “Marty, the girls, and I also want to thank Louis DeBroux and the leadership team at the Department of Labor who have kept the Department moving forward after the painful loss of Bruce Thompson last year,” Governor Kemp continued. “Their hard work and uninterrupted commitment to the people of our state will not be forgotten.”

    “Throughout my career, I’ve been committed to creating opportunities and building stronger communities by fostering partnerships and statewide alliances that drive job growth, tap into our state’s talent and enhance Georgia’s competitiveness,” said Bárbara Rivera Holmes. “I’m grateful to Governor Kemp for the opportunity to build on this work, pledging to always put Georgians first as commissioner of the Georgia Department of Labor. I look forward to working alongside my fellow constitutional officers and Team Georgia as champions of our great state.”

    “Bárbara is an excellent choice for Commissioner of Labor,” said former Governor Nathan Deal. “She brings years of experience in economic development, workforce, and higher education to the job. Bárbara will join a talented team helping ensure our state continues to be the best place for business, raise a family, and call home.”

    “I want to extend my congratulations to Bárbara Rivera Holmes on her appointment to serve as Georgia’s Labor Commissioner,” said Lt. Governor Burt Jones. “As we continue to mourn the loss of our dear friend and former Commissioner Bruce Thompson, we warmly welcome Ms. Rivera Holmes. Her role as the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce President and CEO, along with her extensive background in business and workforce development, make her a great fit to take on this important role. I look forward to working with her on key issues impacting Georgia’s businesses, workforce, and overall economic success.”

    “The Georgia House is incredibly excited to welcome Bárbara Rivera Holmes into her new role as Commissioner of Labor,” said Speaker of the House Jon Burns. “Her wealth of experience in economic development and small business advocacy will undoubtedly be invaluable as we continue our efforts to strengthen Georgia’s workforce in every corner of the state.”

    “Bárbara Rivera Holmes has been for many years a fierce advocate for Georgia’s workforce and economic development, and she’s been a strong partner in our fight to combat fraud and cybercrimes in Southwest Georgia and beyond,” said Attorney General Chris Carr. “We’re proud to join in congratulating her on this historic appointment, and we look forward to continuing to work together to ensure that Georgia remains the best place to live, work, and build a business.”

    “I am thrilled to congratulate my friend and a Great Georgian, Bárbara Rivera Holmes, on her historic appointment to serve as Georgia Labor Commissioner,” said Georgia Agriculture Commissioner Tyler Harper. “As a longtime resident of Albany, I know Bárbara has a deep understanding of Georgia’s No. 1 industry, and she knows that for Georgia’s farm families, agriculture is more than just a job or a hobby – it is our way of life. I’m excited to welcome Barbara to our fantastic team of Constitutional Officers, and I look forward to working together to deliver for Georgia farmers and consumers alike.”

    “With a long history of hard work and strong leadership, there is no doubt that Bárbara Rivera Holmes will create lasting, positive changes in our state,” said Insurance Commissioner John King. “She brings an incredible depth of experience and understanding of the challenges Georgians face, and I look forward to working with her to move Georgia towards a brighter future.”

    “I’ve known Bárbara Rivera Holmes for quite a while now and I congratulate her on her appointment,” Public Service Commission Chairman Jason Shaw said on behalf of his fellow Commissioners. “She is one of the true champions of South Georgia and the entire state. Her dedication to community service, economic development, and higher education will certainly provide her a solid base as she begins work as our newest Labor Commissioner.”

    “I commend Governor Kemp for appointing Bárbara Rivera Holmes as Georgia’s Labor Commissioner,” said Secretary of State Brad Raffensperger. “Her expertise in economic development has positively impacted many lives in Southwest Georgia, and I’m optimistic about her extending that success statewide. I also want to express my gratitude to Louis DeBroux for his leadership in continuing the work of our friend Bruce Thompson and working tirelessly to improve the lives of all Georgians.”

    “I wish to congratulate Bárbara Rivera Holmes on her historic appointment as Georgia’s Commissioner of Labor, and I look forward to the valuable perspective she’ll bring to the role as someone rooted in rural Georgia,” said State School Superintendent Richard Woods. “Education and workforce concerns are so closely intertwined, and I look forward to working with Commissioner Rivera Holmes to ensure a prosperous future for our students and our state as a whole.”

    “As a former regent for the University System of Georgia, Bárbara Rivera Holmes understands the university system provides talent flow for industry,” said University System of Georgia Chancellor Sonny Perdue. “Combined with her longtime experience leading the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce, she knows how to build community, solve business challenges, and partner with decision-makers, employers, and innovators. We look forward to working with her closely as she develops a workforce for Georgia’s future.”

    Bárbara Rivera Holmes is president and CEO of the Albany Area Chamber of Commerce. She is also CEO of the Albany Area Chamber Foundation. Under her leadership, the organizations build economic opportunity, community, and a path forward for Albany’s future by solving businesses’ greatest challenges, working with decisionmakers to inform smart policy, and partnering with employers and educators to build a modern and adaptive workforce.

    Previously, she served as Vice President of the Albany-Dougherty Economic Development Commission (ADEDC), overseeing the development of its brand, marketing campaigns, and its successful business retention and expansion program which facilitates existing industry job creation and capital investment in Albany-Dougherty County.

    Prior to her work at the ADEDC, Holmes was the senior business writer with The Albany Herald, where she earned four Georgia Associated Press awards for excellence in journalism. In 2018, she was appointed by former Governor Nathan Deal to the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia and also served as co-chair of the Georgia Innovates Task Force to help design the state’s innovation blueprint. Earlier this year, Governor Brian Kemp appointed Holmes to the House Rural Development Council.

    A native of San Juan, Puerto Rico, Holmes is fluent in Spanish. She graduated as a double major from Florida Southern College, where she studied Journalism and Spanish. Holmes lives in Albany with her husband, David, and their daughter.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: HSE Ranks Second Among Universities Participating in the Priority 2030 Program

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    The HSE team successfully defended the university development program before the Council for Support of Development Programs for Higher Education Organizations and took second place among the participants.Priority-2030” In total, 119 universities will receive support, including 100 in the main track.

    The Council for Support of Development Programs for Universities Participating in Priority 2030, chaired by the Minister of Education and Science Valery Falkov, approved the list of participants in the main track of the program.

    Deputy Prime Minister Dmitry Chernyshenko said that the updated architecture of the Priority 2030 program evaluates the target model of the university and its focus on achieving technological leadership by our country. “An important result is the strengthening of the connection between universities and the real sector of the economy,” he says.

    A distinctive feature of the current council is the new view of universities on their development programs. The focus of universities was on specific projects for interaction with industry, noted the head of the Ministry of Education and Science Valery Falkov.

    From 2025, the focus of the Priority 2030 program is on achieving technological leadership for Russia, including through the implementation of strategic technological projects of universities – projects whose goal is to accelerate the transition of research results in various fields of science and technology into technological innovations with high commercial potential and significant impact on society.

    HSE, along with ten other universities, entered the first group of the ranking of universities participating in the Priority 2030 program, taking second place.

    In the updated HSE Development Program identified three strategic technology projects planned for implementation by 2030 and for the future up to 2036: “National Center for Socio-Economic and Scientific-Technological Forecasting”, “Complex of Technologies for Trusted 6G Communication Systems” and “Multi-Agent Platform for AI Solutions for Industry Tasks”.

    HSE Vice-Rector Elena Odoevskaya noted that the university is implementing its unique strategy and “our results are noticeable not only in Russia, but also beyond its borders.”

    “The quality of our programs, research and development is confirmed by the demand among students, businesses and the state. Our result at the defense is a victory for the entire university, which would not have been possible without the involvement of the entire team in developing the development program and achieving our target indicators for the university’s development,” she emphasized.

    Nikita Anisimov, Rector of the National Research University Higher School of Economics

    “For the Higher School of Economics, the course on creating new technologies is a strategy that has been consistently implemented by our research teams since 2021. Successful defense within the framework of the Priority program is in many ways a recognition of the correctness of this approach. Today, we set ourselves the ambitious task of increasing the capitalization of our intellectual potential by an order of magnitude in the next five years, primarily through the creation and patenting of new technological developments. For HSE, this is a real challenge, because we are not a technological university created to solve such problems, but a multidisciplinary university with some of the best competencies in the country in the socio-economic and humanities.”

    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-Evening Report: ‘Politically weakened’ or ‘muddling through’ – Luxon and Hipkins ranked on their mid-term prospects

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grant Duncan, Teaching Fellow in Politics and International Relations, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

    Getty Images

    We’re roughly half way through this parliamentary term, and it looks as though the 2026 election could deliver “Christopher vs Chris: the sequel”.

    Neither leader is currently riding high, though. National’s Christopher Luxon and Labour’s Chris Hipkins are both scoring in the low 20s in the most recent preferred prime minister polls.

    Most voters, it seems, are ambivalent or unimpressed with them. And Luxon has been the subject of media speculation about a possible leadership change.

    But it pays to be cautious, especially this far from an election. Leadership is a complex mix of individual ability, career stage and political context.

    We can think of political leaders having a “stock” of leadership “capital” that fluctuates over time. They build up credit or authority, but they have to spend it. Former supporters can become bored, disappointed or disillusioned.

    Any assessment of a leader will involve some subjective judgements. But the Leadership Capital Index (LCI) was developed by three British and European political scientists as a framework for scoring leadership on a range of sliding measures.

    As this example using former British prime minister Tony Blair shows, the LCI accounts for a leader’s skills, support and reputation based on their performance, polling and prospects over time.

    I applied the LCI to Hipkins and Luxon. Ideally, this would be conducted by a panel, and more than once over a career. But readers are welcome to examine and comment below on my assessments – a virtual panel, if you like. You can see more detail about my reasoning here.

    The LCI’s ten factors are a mixture of the objective and subjective, adding up to an overall ranking of a leader’s political capital on a five-point scale:

    • depleted – “lame duck”

    • low – “politically weakened”

    • medium – “muddling through”

    • high – “momentum”

    • exceptional – “political weather maker”.

    Neither Luxon nor Hipkins performed very well: Luxon came out on the low-capital range looking “politically weakened”, while Hipkins was “muddling through” on medium capital.

    Leadership capital changes over time, and the LCI takes account of that. This assessment relates to mid-March 2025.

    The Leadership Capital Index

    1. Political/policy vision: (1. Completely absent. 2. Unclear/inconsistent. 3. Moderately clear/consistent. 4. Clear/consistent. 5. Very clear/consistent.)

    I’ve given both leaders 4 out of 5 here. Both have presented clear and consistent political and policy visions. Readers who disagree will see I take some relevant issues into account in the items below.

    2. Communication performance: (1. Very poor. 2. Poor. 3. Average. 4. Good. 5. Very good.)

    Luxon has been struggling here. His failure to give broadcaster Mike Hosking a straight answer about a cabinet sacking didn’t help, and he has been criticised for his corporate speaking style. Hipkins has performed better as a communicator (regardless of your views on his values). I’ve given Luxon 2/5 and Hipkins 4/5.

    3. Personal poll rating relative to the most recent election: (1. Very low (–15% or less), 2. Low (–5 to –15%), 3. Moderate (–5% to 5%), 4. High (5-15%), 5. Very High (15% or more).)

    This is an objective numerical measure based on preferred prime minister polls just before the 2023 election compared with the most recent ones. Both Luxon and Hipkins score 3/5.

    4. Longevity (time in office as prime minister): (1. less than 1 year. 2. 1-2 years. 3. 2-3 years. 4. 3-4 years. 5. More than 4.)

    At March 2025, Luxon gets 2/5 and Hipkins gets 1/5. If we included time in office as party leaders, the numbers would be higher.

    5. Selection margin for party leadership: (1. Very small (less than 1%). 2. Small (1-5%). 3. Moderate (5-10%). 4. Large (10-15%). 5. Very large (more than 15%).)

    Both leaders were elected as party leader by their respective caucuses. These votes are private, but it’s known Hipkins’ selection was unanimous. I believe Luxon also won by a large margin (greater than 15%). So they both get 5/5.

    6. Party polling relative to most recent election result: (1. –10% or lower. 2. –10% to –2.5%. 3. –2.5% to +2.5%. 4. +2.5% to 10%. 5. More than 10%.)

    In early March, Labour was polling in the low 30s, up from an election result of 26.9%. So Hipkins gets 4/5. National was also polling in the low 30s, down from 38.1%. So Luxon gets 2/5.

    7. Levels of public trust: (1. 0-20%. 2. 20-40%. 3. 40-60%. 4. 60-80%. 5. 80-100%.)

    Going back to a “trust” poll in early 2023 and a similar one in May that year, Luxon scored a lower trust level (37%) than Hipkins (53%). So Luxon gets 2/5 and Hipkins gets 3/5.

    8. Likelihood of credible leadership challenge within next 6 months: (1. Very high. 2. High. 3. Moderate. 4. Low. 5. Very low.)

    This relies on predictions, but Luxon is in greater danger than Hipkins. National’s polling is down, with some predicting a leadership change (although others acknowledge this could carry more costs than benefits). Hipkins lost the 2023 election but seems secure as Labour leader. Luxon gets 3/5 (moderate risk) and Hipkins gets 4/5 (low risk).

    9. Perceived ability to shape party’s policy platform: (1. Very low. 2. Low. 3. Moderate. 4. High. 5. Very high.)

    This is subjective but not about liking or disliking the policies. Both leaders perform moderately well here on 3/5. Luxon has put his own managerial style on policymaking, notably with quarterly targets. When Jacinda Ardern resigned as prime minister, Hipkins lit a “policy bonfire” to begin afresh. But he is taking time to announce new ones. We’d expect to see improvements for both leaders closer to the election.

    10. Perceived parliamentary effectiveness: (1. Very low. 2. Low. 3. Moderate. 4. High. 5. Very high.)

    Hipkins has an advantage, given his greater parliamentary experience. Luxon hasn’t dealt decisively with two attention-grabbing coalition partners, especially over ACT’s Treaty Principles Bill. Hipkins gets 4/5, Luxon 2/5.

    Final scores – now have your say

    The results add up to a ranking on the leadership capital index. Out of a possible 50, Luxon scores 28 and Hipkins 35. Neither is a great score; both careers look stalled.

    On the index, this defines Luxon as “politically weakened”. This could improve through better communication, sounder leadership of an ambitious team, and greater control over coalition dynamics.

    But Luxon’s leadership capital has never been particularly high. He didn’t enjoy a post-election “honeymoon” and may have peaked early – and low. More low polls may see National remove him, but there is also still time for his policies to pay off.

    The index has Hipkins “muddling through”. He needs to connect with voters, boost his reputation as a future leader (rather than election loser) and sharpen Labour’s policy platform.

    Hipkins’ leadership capital might have peaked in early 2023 when he became prime minister. Labour party polls are up a bit since the election, but his own preferred prime minister polling has stayed relatively low.

    Finally, neither leader has performed well compared with their predecessors John Key and Jacinda Ardern at their heights. But political fortunes can be unpredictable, and crises can even boost them, so the future remains unwritten.

    Is this assessment fair or unfair? Readers are welcome to critique my analysis and offer alternative ratings in the (moderated) comments section below.

    Grant Duncan 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. ‘Politically weakened’ or ‘muddling through’ – Luxon and Hipkins ranked on their mid-term prospects – https://theconversation.com/politically-weakened-or-muddling-through-luxon-and-hipkins-ranked-on-their-mid-term-prospects-252483

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Polis Meets With Regional Leaders to Discuss Colorado’s Leadership and Efforts to Address Workforce Needs

    Source: US State of Colorado

    ARVADA – Today, Governor Polis met with industry and education leaders from around the Denver region to discuss much needed career pathway solutions and begin developing workforce plans to ensure that Colorado workers develop the skills employers need. Hosted by the Talent Innovation Division within the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) and the Arvada Chamber of Commerce, the summit is one of seven Opportunity Now Regional Talent Summits being held across the state.

    “Colorado is the best place to live and start a business. As a state, we continue investing in talent development initiatives so  all Coloradans can access good-paying jobs and employers can find the skilled workers needed to grow and thrive,” said Gov. Polis.

    Today’s summit focused on advanced manufacturing, aerospace and defense, and renewables and clean energy in Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Clear Creek, Denver, Douglas, Gilpin and Jefferson counties. The roundtable discussions and industry breakout sessions will inform the creation of tactical plans to develop industry-specific career pathways that connect Coloradans to good-paying jobs and meet the needs of the region’s employers.

    “Ensuring Colorado’s employers have access to workers equipped with the skills needed for today’s and tomorrow’s jobs is central to our commitment to building a strong, inclusive economy that benefits everyone. These summits will ensure that workforce development solutions prioritize the needs of industry that are unique for each region,” said Eve Lieberman, OEDIT Executive Director.

    The Regional Talent Summits, established by HB24-1365, build on the impact of the Opportunity Now grant program which has, to date, distributed nearly $90 million to 89 grant recipients to launch and expand innovative talent development programs across the state. Within the nine-county region represented at today’s Regional Talent Summit, notable grant recipients include:

    • BuildStrong Academy – An industry-driven, on-the-job training program enabling participants to learn construction skills while earning a wage. This program places hundreds of Coloradans into jobs every year while supporting the construction of much-needed homes and apartments as well as maintenance of existing structures.
    • Innosphere Ventures – In collaboration with the aerospace industry, structured internship and apprenticeship programs are training a new generation of systems engineers equipped to meet the demands of Colorado’s rapidly growing aerospace sector.
    • CoorsTek – The CoorsTek Training Academy partners with educational institutions to offer youth and mid-career advanced manufacturing apprenticeship programs that teach technical and soft skills.
    • AdvanceEDU – A combination of on-the-job training and college courses support Coloradans to enter the health care industry. Nearly all students are the first in their family to attend college and the program has a 90% success rate for student completion and job placement. This success is attributed in part to services like free childcare, technology, career coaching and financial aid.

    Grant recipients from ActivateWork, AdvanceEdu, African-American Trade Association, BuildStrong Academy, Colorado Community College System/Red Rocks Community College, CoorsTek, CrossPurpose, Denver Economic Development Office (DEDO), Innosphere Ventures, and the St. Vrain Valley School District also participated in today’s summit.

    “These summits empower local business, education and economic development partners to create real, sustainable solutions for workforce development. Understanding these needs and identifying solutions on a regional level is crucial to our success as a state, and I look forward to the action plans that result from this important work,” said House Speaker Julie McCluskie.

    “As a state, we know that workforce development is key to strengthening our economy and helping Coloradans continue to thrive. These summits build on momentum created by the Opportunity Now grant program and will result in real action that connects Denver area workers to good-paying jobs,” said Sen. Jeff Bridges.

    Today’s event follows the Northeast Regional Talent Summit held last month at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, which focused on advanced manufacturing, construction and healthcare. Five more summits will take place across the state between now and June 2025, and each region’s tactical workforce plans will be published in the 2025 Colorado Talent Pipeline report, with annual progress reports being published through 2030. The next summit will take place April 2 in Pueblo, focused on advanced manufacturing, construction and technology.

    About the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade

    The Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade (OEDIT) works to empower all to thrive in Colorado’s economy. Under the leadership of the Governor and in collaboration with economic development partners across the state, we foster a thriving business environment through funding and financial programs, training, consulting and informational resources across industries and regions. We promote economic growth and long-term job creation by recruiting, retaining, and expanding Colorado businesses and providing programs that support entrepreneurs and businesses of all sizes at every stage of growth. Our goal is to protect what makes our state a great place to live, work, start a business, raise a family, visit and retire—and make it accessible to everyone. Learn more about OEDIT.

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Microsoft Ability Summit 2025: Accessibility in the AI era

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Microsoft Ability Summit 2025: Accessibility in the AI era

    Today, we hosted the 15th annual Microsoft Ability Summit, with over 20,000 attendees from 164 countries coming together virtually to discuss the future of AI and accessibility. Microsoft has a long-standing commitment to investing in accessibility, grounded in our business model and going back over three decades from the earliest accessibility features in Windows 95 and continuing today with new hardware and software functionalities powered by AI. We are innovating faster than ever before and people with disabilities continue to lead the way.

    Accessibility is a fundamental right for people with disabilities and makes technology easier for everyone. We see this reflected in how customers are using Microsoft technologies around the world. Copilot for Microsoft 365 is unlocking workplace productivity like never before, more than 10 million people use Edge each month to have the web Read Aloud, over 1 million people use Immersive Reader to make webpages easier to read and partners like Tobii Dynavox and Special Olympics are bringing AI to people with disabilities globally. And these are just some of the highlights of what we shared today!

    Here’s a quick summary of the new accessibility products, features and programs announced at the 2025 Ability Summit.

    What’s new in 2025?

    We announced that the Xbox Adaptive Joystick is now available for purchase exclusively at Microsoft Store. With more than 429 million players with disabilities worldwide, we know each player has unique needs and preferences for how they choose to play. The Xbox Adaptive Joystick is a singular, wired controller primarily designed to meet the needs of players with limited mobility. Its versatility helps players seamlessly incorporate it into their existing gaming setups. Built with the Gaming and Disability community who inform the development of Xbox products from the beginning. The joystick joins our family of adaptive accessories including the mouse, pen, adaptive kit and Xbox Adaptive Controller. For more details visit Xbox Support.

    And all our Microsoft hardware comes in packaging designed to be accessible and sustainable. No more plastic clamshells! To help others with accessible packaging, today at the Summit, the Packaging and Content Team at Microsoft published its Accessible Packaging Design Guide, which offers practical guidelines, best practices and strategies to create accessible packaging and foster a trusted customer experience.

    At the Summit, Microsoft teams and partners also shared ways they are working to further advance accessibility through technology:

    • Tobii Dynavox is integrating Microsoft Neural Voice, a capability of Azure AI Speech, into their assistive communication solutions. This AI-powered feature gives more personal options for individuals who use assistive communication devices using eye gaze. Neural Voices are available in over 50 languages within their apps TD Talk and TD Phone.
    • Microsoft Teams will improve for those using Sign Language View. Later this year, Teams will be able to identify when someone is using sign language and feature them prominently as a speaker in the meeting. These video customizations are part of our ongoing product development to help deliver clear and accessible communication for everyone.
    • Copilot is powering neurodiverse talent. Recently, an EY study found that Copilot helped 76% of neurodiverse employees perform better at work by enhancing communication, memory recall and focus. At the Summit, we shared how new simple features like Team Reflow and PowerPoint Designer are helping people do their work. See four early adopters of Copilot in New York share their stories.

    YouTube Video

    • AI comes to Narrator. Rich image descriptions powered by AI will be coming to Narrator in Windows Insider Preview this spring and Azure AI Foundry announced new UI improvements to reduce cognitive load.
    • Over 5 million learners around the world have participated in our Accessibility Skilling program and we’re grateful to our partners including Teach Access, Computacenter UK and the City of New York. The free, virtual training includes the latest on AI and is available for organizations to use in their learning management systems.
    • Speech recognition improved up to 60%. The Speech Accessibility Project, led by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, unlocked a breakthrough improving accuracy gains for non-standard speech, and the Azure platform team demonstrated how developers can leverage GitHub Copilot to write accessible code.
    • Special Olympics shared how Copilot has been a game-changing training companion for their coaches and athletes with intellectual and development disabilities for the Special Olympics World Winter Games in Turin, Italy.

    All this progress is possible because of the people who design technology with accessibility in mind. In this way, technology benefits everyone, creating a more productive and efficient workplace. It is beautiful to see that reflected in this profile of Dave Dame, Senior Director of Accessibility and Human Factors at Microsoft, where he shared how accessible technology helps him thrive as a leader.

    Onward

    For over 30 years, Microsoft has focused on accessibility in our products. Accessibility makes our tools and technologies easier for everyone and accelerates innovation for the world. From the introduction of Sticky Keys and speech recognition in Windows 95 to Seeing AI in 2016 and beyond, accessibility innovations have benefited people in ways we designed for and ways we could have never expected. Just think about how closed captions are now invaluable for everyone watching videos and calls.

    AI has the potential to create significant advancements across every sector of our economy and society. We will continue to be grounded and responsible in our approach as we work to get the latest technology to the people who can benefit from it the most.

    Whether this is your first or fifteenth Ability Summit, thank you for joining and we hope you picked up a new feature, skill or nugget that helps you, your community or your organization get the most out of technology. All content will be available to watch after the event.

    Let’s move forward together.

    Tags: accessibility, AI, AI for Accessibility, Azure, Azure AI Foundry, Microsoft Ability Summit, Microsoft Teams, XBOX

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Security: DOJ Files Statement of Interest Supporting Equal Access to Educational Opportunities and Facilities for Jewish UCLA Students

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – The Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism announced today that the Justice Department has filed a statement of interest in Los Angeles federal court to advance the appropriate interpretation of federal laws that prohibit colleges and universities from discriminating against students because of their religion or national origin.

    The statement of interest – filed on Monday – is part of the Task Force’s nationwide effort to combat antisemitism in all its forms.         

    According to the allegations in Frankel et al. v. Regents of the University of California et al., in the spring of 2024 administrators of the University of California system allowed members of a protest encampment to physically prevent University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) students and faculty from accessing portions of the UCLA campus if they were wearing articles reflective of their Jewish faith or if they refused to denounce Israel.

    The plaintiffs are Jewish students and a Jewish professor at UCLA who allege that the university knowingly acted in concert with or allowed members of the protest encampment to prevent them from accessing a central campus space and adjacent classrooms and library on the basis of their Jewish faith or national origin in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, and California state law. The United States’ statement of interest addresses the sufficiency of plaintiffs’ claims that defendant administrators violated Title VI and the Equal Protection Clause.

    The Justice Department recently announced the formation of a multi-agency task force coordinated by the Civil Rights Division to combat antisemitism, which is visiting 10 university campuses that have experienced antisemitic events.

    The Department also recently announced its investigation into the University of California to assess whether the university system engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race, religion and national origin against its professors, staff and other employees by allowing an antisemitic hostile work environment to exist on its campuses, including UCLA.

    The Task Force also recently announced that the Department, together with other federal agencies, would cancel $400 million in federal contracts and grants to Columbia University due to the school’s inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.

    “Discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated in our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally. “Our office will enforce anti-discrimination laws to address the issue of antisemitism affecting our residents.”

    “The President, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and the Task Force know that every student must be free to attend school without being discriminated against on the basis of their race, religion or national origin,” said Leading Task Force member and Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Leo Terrell. “The Department of Justice is working to combat antisemitism using all of the tools at our disposal.”

    Assistant United States Attorney Katherine M. Hikida of the Civil Division’s Civil Rights Section and Senior Trial Attorneys Peter W. Beauchamp and Laura C. Tayloe of the Justice Department’s Civil Rights Division’s Educational Opportunities Section are representing the United States in this matter.

    To learn more about the Civil Rights Division visit www.justice.gov/crt, and to report possible violations of federal civil rights laws go to www.civilrights.justice.gov or call toll-free at (800) 253-3931.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The 30,000 year old vulture that reveals a completely new type of fossilisation

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Valentina Rossi, Postdoctoral researcher, Palaeontology, University College Cork

    Fossilised feathers of the wing of a Pleistocene Vulture from central Italy. Edoardo Terranova, CC BY-SA

    A surprising discovery in the feathers of a fossil vulture from central Italy has revealed that volcanic deposits can preserve delicate tissue structures in unprecedented detail, offering new insights into the fossilisation process.

    In 1889 in the foothills of Mount Tuscolo, 25km south-east of Rome, farm workers discovered something extraordinary. While digging the ground for a new vineyard, they encountered a layer of bedrock with a strange void. This contained the skeleton of a large bird, including apparent imprints of its plumage on the surrounding rocks.

    The bizarre find prompted the landowner to call in the renowned Italian geologist Romolo Meli. By the time of Meli’s arrival on site, however, the workers had consigned most of the fossil blocks to the waste pile, and many were broken.

    After salvaging most of the rocks, Meli identified the specimen as a fossilised griffon vulture. He also noted that the preservation of the plumage was unusual considering the host rock was volcanic.



    Read more:
    Pompeii: ancient remains are helping scientists learn what happens to a body caught in a volcanic eruption

    Meli produced a report about the discovery later that year, and then the fossil vulture faded into obscurity and most of the rock samples were lost. All that remains today are blocks containing the plumage of one wing and the imprint of the bird’s head and neck.

    A few years ago, advances in analytical approaches to studying fossils prompted researchers to become more interested in the specimen, which probably dates from around 30,000 years ago. In 2014 one of us (Dawid Iurino) led a new study using CT scanning (computed tomography) of the imprint of the head and neck.

    This revealed three-dimensional details of the bird’s eyelids, tongue and the texture of its skin and neck (see the video below). Such fine preservation of biological features exceeds even that of the victims of Pompeii.

    In our new study, we then examined the feathers and it became clear that we were looking at something out of the ordinary. Our preliminary microscope analyses surprisingly revealed that the feathers, which have an orange colour that contrasts with the host rock, were preserved in three dimensions.

    Three-dimensional fossil feathers are more commonly found in amber, whereas those in rocks are normally two-dimensional thin layers of dark-coloured organic matter.

    Yet there were still important unanswered questions around how the feathers were preserved in a volcanic deposit, so we carried out some further investigations.

    A new way to fossilise

    The fossil feather.
    Edoardo Terranova, CC BY-SA

    A more detailed microscopic analysis revealed that this three-dimensional preservation extended to the delicate branches of the feathers. We could even see feather structures that were less than one micron (0.001mm) wide, specifically tiny cell organelles (part of a cell) called melanosomes whose pigments contribute to the colouration of feathers.

    Even stranger was the fact that the fossil feather was made of a mineral called zeolite. This mineral is not associated with any other fossil tissues, revealing a means of fossilisation that has never been recorded before. It came about because zeolite forms via the dissolution of volcanic ash and glass.

    The fossil’s level of tissue detail, plus the chemical composition of the feathers, indicates some important differences between the pyroclastic flows that entombed the vulture and the flow that buried Pompeii.

    The ancient residents of Pompeii were buried alive by hot fast-moving, turbulent flows of gas and ashes known as pyroclastic flows, at temperatures exceeding 500°C. At these temperatures, their soft tissues were vaporised, leaving only skeletons and charcoal.

    On the other hand, we do not know exactly how the vulture died. It may have been asphyxiated by toxic clouds of volcanic gas, or may have been killed directly by the pyroclastic flow. What we do know is that the flow was relatively cool because it was diluted with water or far from the volcanic source.

    The processes by which the volcanic sediment hardened into rock and formed zeolite happened relatively quickly (within days), which may explain why delicate structures such as feathers can preserve well in three dimensions. This opens up the possibility that many other ash-rich volcanic rocks may contain remarkable fossils, and are therefore exciting new targets for palaeontological research.

    Valentina Rossi received funding from The Palaeontological Association (UK) and The Paleontological Society (USA). She is currently receiving funding from the European Research Council (H2020-ERC-CoG-1010003293-PALAEOCHEM awarded to Prof. Maria Mcnamara).

    Maria McNamara receives funding from the European Research Council and Research Ireland.

    Dawid Iurino 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 30,000 year old vulture that reveals a completely new type of fossilisation – https://theconversation.com/the-30-000-year-old-vulture-that-reveals-a-completely-new-type-of-fossilisation-252400

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: What Trump could learn from the British and Irish trade war of the 1930s

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Richard Carr, Lecturer in History and Politics, Anglia Ruskin University

    The Blue Water Bridge border crossing connects Michigan in the US with Ontario in Canada. ehrlif/Shutterstock

    During his election campaign, US president Donald Trump claimed the word tariff is “more beautiful than ‘love’”. Now in office, Trump has targeted his closest neighbours and trading partners with those self same policies. He initially concentrated his levies on Canada, China and Mexico – two of which share land borders with the US – before implementing blanket tariffs on all steel and aluminium imports.

    History shows us the impacts these policies can have. In 1932, during Neville Chamberlain’s time as British chancellor, the country slapped what became 40% levies on key exports (including cattle, butter and other agricultural products) from the then Irish Free State. These were promptly met by Irish retaliation on British goods including coal and steel.

    A trade war ensued – and lasted in some form for almost six years.

    As with Trump today, raising tariffs is often partly about some other policy goal. As far as the British-Irish trade war goes, I show in my new book Britain and Ireland From the Treaty to the Troubles that the initial beef (pun intended) was over a decades-long debt obligation. These annuities, as they were known, were predominantly owed by Irish farmers to Anglo-Irish landowners, and were widely disliked.

    In early 1932 Éamon de Valera secured electoral victory in Ireland for his Fianna Fáil party, partly on the basis of refusing to hand over this money. At £5 million, it was a significant sum for a government that took in around £25 million annually.

    Instead, de Valera planned to use the annuities for domestic purposes. He wanted to reward his agricultural and working-class electoral bases principally in Ireland’s west, as well as win over new voters with the nationalist and anti-English nature of his message.

    The legality of the annuities dispute was ambiguous. But de Valera withheld the money, and to recoup the missing millions the British imposed tariffs and punitive quotas. This was swiftly followed by retaliatory measures from Dublin – just as Trump’s moves have seen reaction from abroad.

    The stakes were high. A massive 92% of Irish exports went to the UK, and civil servants in Dublin fretted about the knock-on effects. In the short term, they were right to. Exports of cattle, bacon and other goods collapsed, and emergency domestic subsidy was needed to plug the gap.

    Irish attempts to land a major trade deal with the US by way of compensation went nowhere, and Britain remained its key customer for decades.

    Yet, unlike Trump, de Valera had a clear end goal into which the tariff war fitted rather well. He wanted to retool Irish farming away from livestock towards crops, and invest in Ireland’s nascent industry elsewhere. This included expanding the country’s energy independence and kick-starting its manufacturing sector.

    The retained annuities and the increased political capital his government gained from the trade war both helped with these objectives.

    It took until about 1937, after two more election wins and a referendum victory for de Valera, for British leaders to accept that the Irish public broadly backed their leader. They realised that a bilateral agreement was necessary.

    The dispute was finally ended in April 1938. As the ink dried on a deal that saw tariffs dropped in exchange for a one-off payment from Dublin and the return of three ports to Ireland, the British media hailed the achievement of Chamberlain – now prime minister.

    But this reaction also tells us something. Initially, Chamberlain was portrayed as a genius who had clearly won. But then critics pointed to it being a rather better deal for de Valera (the £10 million one-off sum was nowhere near the £100 million the British had a nominal claim for).

    In this new stance, it had been a great deal precisely because Chamberlain had been so magnanimous. A terrible deal was actually a great deal. Some of that mentality could be seen in reactions to the Munich Agreement with Adolf Hitler a few months later.

    All told, the consequences had been significant. Perhaps 3% of the Irish economy was lost.

    In the meantime, Irish immigration to Britain consequently ticked up as people looked for work. Smuggling at the Northern Irish border ballooned, leading to additional costs to police a frontier where cattle were hurried across unmanned fields and rivers to avoid the tariff.

    Guinness even moved production to London in order to avoid future tariffs.
    gabriel12/Shutterstock

    Major Irish-based industry, including Guinness and Ford, moved operations to the London periphery (Park Royal and Dagenham respectively) to avoid any future duties. Although Ford kept some tractor production in Cork in the south of Ireland, for large parts of its European and imperial business the only way was now Essex.

    All this meant economic dislocation and diplomatic animosity at a point where the geopolitical outlook was troubled – not an unfamiliar story. Although Ireland remained neutral during the second world war – the ultimate show for de Valera of its independence – intelligence cooperation and the service of Irish men and women in the Allied war effort illustrated that the two countries just about muddled through.

    But today, tariffs provoking wider turmoil remains a big worry. As former Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau noted, Trump’s actions are “a very dumb thing to do” and could lead to “exactly what our opponents around the world want to see … a dispute between two friends and neighbours”.

    Trump may also be wise to note that de Valera’s position was bolstered when he could claim that he was being bullied by a more powerful neighbour. In the past few weeks, the Canadian Liberal Party has surged back in the polls, partly on the back of the same dynamics. The little guy sometimes swings back.

    Richard Carr 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. What Trump could learn from the British and Irish trade war of the 1930s – https://theconversation.com/what-trump-could-learn-from-the-british-and-irish-trade-war-of-the-1930s-252128

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SCHUMER, GILLIBRAND, MORELLE ANNOUNCE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS FEDERAL CANCER CENTER DESIGNATION FOR WILMOT CANCER INSTITUTE

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Charles E Schumer
    Designation Will Boost Clinical Opportunities, Reputation, And Research $$ For U Of R’s Wilmot Cancer Institute, Upstate NY’s Largest Cancer Provider, Which Has Made Significant Cancer Discoveries And Treats Thousands Each Year
    Schumer, Gillibrand, Morelle All Urged NCI Director To Give This Designation, And Schumer Personally Called Former NIH Director To Advocate For It
    Schumer, Gillibrand, Morelle: Cancer Center Designation Will Boost Fed Support For Wilmot’s Cancer Research And Treatment
    U.S. Senator Chuck Schumer, U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand, and U.S. Congressman Joe Morelle today announced the University of Rochester’s Wilmot Cancer Institute has received the prestigious federal Cancer Center designation from the National Cancer Institute. The Wilmot Cancer Institute is Upstate New York’s largest and busiest cancer provider, and conducts medical research and treats cancer patients.
    “I am proud to announce that following my advocacy, Rochester’s Wilmot Cancer Institute has received the prestigious federal Cancer Center designation. This designation is the ultimate recognition for the world-class staff here in Rochester that they are leading America in cancer research and through their work will make new breakthroughs in cancer treatment and save lives,” said Senator Schumer. “The Wilmot Cancer Institute is Upstate New York’s largest cancer provider, and this designation is a national spotlight to uplift them as one of the top cancer research centers in the country. It means additional funding, better support for our doctors & nurses, increasing clinical opportunities, and enhancing the center’s ability to recruit cancer investigators. I personally called the former NIH director to advocate for this designation last fall and will always fight to ensure New York’s medical researchers have the resources they need to provide the medical care New Yorkers deserve.”
    “The designation of the Wilmot Cancer Center as a federal Cancer Center is a testament to the groundbreaking clinical research, lifesaving treatments, and exceptional patient care that it provides for patients across Upstate New York,” said Senator Gillibrand. “This designation will unlock up to $10 million in additional funding, which will enhance the Wilmot Cancer Center’s ability to advance scientific discovery and improve access to high-quality care for cancer patients. I am honored to have worked alongside Senator Schumer and Representative Morelle to secure this designation, reinforcing the Wilmot Cancer Center’s leadership in the fight against cancer and its commitment to medical excellence, and I extend my congratulations to the University of Rochester for this prestigious designation.”
    “The Wilmot Cancer Institute’s designation as a National Cancer Institute is an historic achievement—one that cements its place among the nation’s premier cancer research and treatment centers. This recognition is not just about a title; it is a testament to the relentless dedication of the doctors, researchers, and caregivers who bring hope to families in their most challenging moments,” said Congressman Joe Morelle. “It is deeply moving to see the team that cared for my daughter, Lauren—and so many other families like ours—receive this nationally-recognized symbol of excellence. I’m grateful to the many partners whose advocacy helped make this a reality, and most importantly, to the dedicated team at Wilmot fighting tirelessly for a cancer-free future.”
    “Today is a monumental day for the University of Rochester and the Wilmot Cancer Institute—one that is more than 10 years in the making,” said University of Rochester President Sarah Mangelsdorf. “This National Cancer Institute designation allows us to forge a new path to removing the burden of cancer in our community and throughout upstate New York. From here, our goals are to continue making the discoveries right here in Rochester that advance our understanding of cancer, improve the effectiveness of current therapies, and through research and clinical trials provide new life-saving and life-extending treatments to all of our patients in need. This couldn’t have happened without the strong bipartisan support and efforts from our Congressional delegation. I want to profoundly thank Sen. Chuck Schumer for his unwavering support to the University and the Rochester community that has helped us reach this milestone. I also want to thank Rep. Joe Morelle for his leadership and Senator Gillibrand, Rep. Langworthy and Rep. Tenney for their strong support.”
    The Wilmot Cancer Institute is Upstate New York’s largest cancer provider, supporting 27 counties with a population of more than 3.2 million people. This region, which lacks an NCI-designated cancer center, is one of the largest underserved areas in the nation in terms of access to cutting-edge cancer research and treatment.  There is strong bipartisan support for boosting funding for the Wilmot Cancer Institute, which has made significant cancer research discoveries and treats thousands of cancer patients each year.
    Wilmot Cancer Institute, celebrating its 50th anniversary, is New York’s busiest cancer center outside of NYC, serving a 27-county region with over 3.2 million people, a geographic area larger than Vermont and New Hampshire combined. It operates across 13 locations in a unique catchment area that lacks any other NCI-designated cancer center and faces significantly higher cancer incidence and mortality rates than the rest of the state and nation. If this region were its own state, it would rank second in the country for cancer incidence behind Kentucky. The region includes rural communities and areas of high poverty, including Rochester, ranked third in poverty among the 75 largest U.S. metropolitan areas. Additionally, 12 counties in this region are designated as part of Appalachia, further limiting healthcare access, and it has the largest per-capita Deaf population in the country, requiring specialized approaches to cancer care. Cancer disparities by geography, race, and ethnicity are stark, with access challenges and higher rates of smoking, obesity, and inactivity.
    Over the past eight years, Wilmot Cancer Institute has embarked on a bold strategic plan with the goal of becoming an NCI-designated cancer center. Wilmot has significant institutional commitment from the University of Rochester and broad community support and has been successful in recruiting over 30 world-class scientists, doubling accruals to clinical trials, doubling external funding for cancer research, and establishing impactful Community Outreach and Engagement, and Cancer Research Training and Education programs resulting in an elite cancer center worthy of NCI designation.
    The Cancer Center designation provides additional research funding, increases clinical opportunities and patient volume, and enhances ability to recruit cancer investigators, among other benefits. In addition to federal funding, the University of Rochester has committed over $100 million in institutional investment to strengthen Wilmot’s infrastructure, research capabilities, and workforce recruitment.  Based on a based on an estimate from the Center for Governmental Research, the designation is also expected to generate nearly 1,900 new jobs, create $194 million in labor income, and contribute $15 million annually in income and sales tax revenue—making it a major economic driver for the region.
    The members of the New York Congressional delegation – Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, Congressman Morelle, Congressman Higgins, Congresswoman Stefanik, Congresswoman Tenney, Congressman Langworthy, and Congressman Molinaro – in fall 2023 wrote a bipartisan letter to former Acting Director of the National Cancer Institute Douglas R. Lowy advocating for this designation, and Schumer also personally called former NIH Director Dr. Monica Bertagnolli about the University of Rochester’s application. During his direct advocacy, Schumer emphasized that Wilmot’s service area has one of the highest cancer burdens in the country and is one of the largest areas nationwide without access to an NCI-designated cancer center. He underscored how the NCI designation would help boost clinical trials, improve research capacity, and help ensure Upstate New York’s underserved populations receive the best possible cancer care. The lawmakers explained that the Wilmot Cancer Institute has met rigorous standards for research, education, and cancer prevention and patient care and presents a significant opportunity for continued growth and expansion of federally supported cancer research.
    The New York Congressional Delegation’s letter to former Acting Director of the National Cancer Institute Douglas R. Lowy can be found HERE or below:
    Dear Dr. Lowy:
    We write in strong support of the University of Rochester’s Wilmot Cancer Institute’s A1 revised application for a National Cancer Institute (NCI) Cancer Center Support Grant. Wilmot has established itself as the leader in cancer care and research in our region and is poised to join other NCI designated centers.
    Last year, we were disappointed to learn that, despite presenting a strong application, the significant needs in our districts, and receiving an excellent score that was better than several of the most recent new Cancer Center Support Grants approved in other states, Wilmot did not receive a Cancer Center Support Grant (CCSG). However, the University of Rochester remains steadfastly committed to the goal of NCI designation, and over the past two years, Wilmot has worked to address the feedback received from the NCI review committee and strengthen their application. The University has articulated this commitment in its strategic plan, including a financial pledge of over $100 million to Wilmot, and plans to expand the cancer research footprint with additional physical space over the next five years. With NCI designation and the University’s significant commitment, Wilmot will continue to push the frontiers of cancer science, enhance community engagement, and expand collaborations, including with Roswell Park Comprehensive Cancer Center, the nearest NCI center and a frequent research partner.
    The Wilmot Cancer Institute is New York’s largest cancer provider outside of New York City, providing care for a catchment area that includes 27 counties with a population of more than 3.2 million people. As Upstate New York’s largest cancer center, Wilmot’s 159 oncology physicians and 336 nurses treated over 5,500 cancer cases across 14 regional locations in 2021. Over its nearly 50-year history, Wilmot’s research has led to significant advances in oncology standards of care and has helped lead the way in two of the top five cancer discoveries of the past half century as identified by the American Society of Clinical Oncology: utilizing virus-like particles to create the first approved HPV vaccine and carrying out clinical trials to demonstrate the effectiveness of anti-emetic therapy in patients undergoing chemotherapy. With over $30 million in annual sponsored research funding – including over $14 million in annual direct funding from NCI – Wilmot is leveraging its longstanding strengths within a framework of collaboration through three multidisciplinary programs that study cancer biology, the tumor environment, and cancer prevention and toxicity management.
    Data shows that cancer incidence and mortality is significantly higher in the region that Wilmot Cancer Institute serves, as compared to the rest of New York State and the nation. This catchment area is the equivalent to the size of the States of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island combined and, if considered as a state, would have the second highest cancer incidence in the nation behind only the State of Kentucky. Approximately one-third of people in this catchment area live in rural communities that are underserved, understudied, and negatively impacted by social factors. Of the 27 counties in this area, 26 have a higher poverty level than the U.S. average, including the City of Rochester, which ranks third in overall poverty among the nation’s 75 largest metropolitan areas, and 12 of the 14 counties that are part of Appalachian portion of New York State. Furthermore, there are drastic and unacceptable cancer disparities by geography, race, and ethnicity among this population. Among other indices of disparity, individuals in Wilmot’s catchment area experience longer delays between diagnosis and the onset of treatment, and higher rates of smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity.
    While New York has seven other NCI-designated centers, we want to stress that the catchment area Wilmot will support is not covered by another existing center representing a large geographic portion of New York State, and has the support of Roswell Park, the closest and only other NCI center in upstate New York. As such, Wilmot has strong bipartisan support from not only the Congressional delegation, but Governor Hochul and the NYS Legislature. Given the size of this region and scope and severity of disease, investment in Wilmot’s research infrastructure by the NCI through a Cancer Center Support Grant would allow Wilmot to expand its efforts to reduce the significant burden of cancer on our constituents by guiding efforts and attention where the need is greatest, collaborating with underserved communities to better understand and resolve cancer disparities, providing greater access to clinical trials and innovative treatments, and in turn, offering valuable data to NIH on a unique and currently uncaptured population that would have broader benefits to cancer care and research. Furthermore, an NCI Center would not only have an enhanced public health benefit, but based on an estimate from the Center for Governmental Research, it would also have a significant economic impact to the region adding nearly 1,900 new jobs, creating $194 million in labor income, and generating $15 million in income and sales tax annually.
    Many of us have met individually with the Wilmot team from the University of Rochester to discuss Wilmot’s application, and understand securing this designation remains not only a top University priority, but also continues to garner significant community commitment. It is clear from our discussions that following years of preparation and investment, and consideration of the feedback received from NCI last year, Wilmot is even more equipped with the resources to meet and maintain the rigorous standards for research, education, and cancer prevention and patient care required for NCI designation, and is prepared to capitalize on future opportunities for continued growth. As members of Congress representing upstate New York we are eager for our constituents to realize the benefits of representation by an NCI Center through access to improved research efforts, enhanced prevention programs, and the highest quality subspecialty multidisciplinary cancer care for patients and their families.
    Again, we wish to convey our strongest support for an NCI A1 Cancer Center Support Grant for the University of Rochester’s Wilmot Cancer Institute. Thank you for your full consideration of their application. Please feel free to contact any of us with any questions or concerns you may have.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why Canada must treat its food system as a matter of national defence

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Karen Foster, Associate Professor, Sociology and Social Anthropology and Canada Research Chair in Sustainable Rural Futures for Atlantic Canada, Dalhousie University

    Rising tensions between Canada and the United States have made increased military investment and a renewed focus on national defence all but inevitable.

    A recent Angus Reid poll found three in four Canadians want to see the country’s military strengthened in response to U.S. President Donald Trump’s threats to annex Canada as the 51st state. In early March, former prime minister Justin Trudeau committed publicly to increasing military spending.

    While it makes sense for a country feeling vulnerable to invasion to look at recruiting new soldiers and increasing its arsenal, there is an additional facet of national defence that is too often overlooked: food preparedness.

    Trump’s on-again, off-again tariffs are already “stoking a new nationalism” in Canadians and sparking interest in buying local, but food should be part of the national defence conversation, too.

    The double edge of globalization

    The globalization of food systems, in Canada and the rest of the world, has intensified since the Second World War. This has brought some benefits, such as year-round access to fresh produce, but it has also made Canada’s food systems vulnerable to the whims of its trading partners.

    Academics focused on food security and sovereignty have long raised concerns about import-dependence on key nutritious foods like fruits and vegetables.

    Even in 2021, when the COVID-19 pandemic shone a harsh light on food supply chains in Canada, research showed that the production of fresh produce was declining while imports were increasing.

    Now, faced with both a trade war and annexation threats, Canada must confront whether its domestic food systems can feed its population in a crisis — economic, political, environmental or otherwise.

    Food systems and national defence

    Trade-dependent countries worldwide are recognizing food security as a matter of national defence. Some, like Sweden, are making plans to take stock of the capacity and resilience of their food systems, and actively working toward a system that can sustain the lives of their citizens in a crisis.

    Sweden’s total goods trade accounted for 67 per cent of its GDP in 2023, compared to Canada’s 53 per cent. Despite its high level of trade dependence, Sweden has put food at the heart of the country’s total defence approach to national security.

    Total defence is a defence policy that emphasizes both traditional military activities and civilian activities, including their food systems.

    The Swedish government, in its defence resolution, states: “A well-functioning and robust food supply and personal preparedness of the civil population are ultimately a matter of survival and maintaining the will to defend.”

    This approach is not focused only on individual or household levels of preparedness — that is, whether people have enough in their pantries — but also includes the overall preparedness of the systems that produce, process and distribute food.

    Canada, with its heavy reliance on global trade and the U.S. as a primary trading partner, would do well to take note.

    Food sovereignty in Canada

    There are hundreds of scholars and thousands of community entities working to make Canada’s food systems more sustainable and resilient in the face of financialization, farmland consolidation and the globalization of supply chains.

    In Québec, for example, there is a growing movement to mobilize and empower producers, community entities, the agrifood sector, policymakers and additional stakeholders to build more resilient, territorial food systems across the province.



    Read more:
    Making our food fairer: Don’t Call Me Resilient EP 12

    Canadian experts play a key role in global discussions on food systems resilience, with scholars contributing to the United Nations Committee on World Food Security’s Building Resilient Food Systems draft report. This report is designed to help countries make their food systems more resilient, equitable and sustainable.

    Yet Canada’s efforts are not co-ordinated, empowered or moving fast enough in the push for greater food sovereignty. The point is not to abandon trade, but to manage it more strategically.

    Both international and domestic markets are crucial for Canadian farmers, and many local companies are devoted to importing everyday goods like coffee, tea and bananas under fair trade and agroecological conditions.

    Trade relations, however, are about more than economics; they involve building political partnerships with Mexico, the European Union, Asian countries and beyond — something Canada needs now more than ever.

    Sweden has already recognized this. Its food preparedness strategy involves deepening co-operation with like-minded Nordic countries and collaborating around the supply, transport, stockpiling and testing of food.

    Crisis-proofing Canada’s food systems

    To ensure Canada can feed itself in a crisis, the government must invest in domestic production, processing and distribution infrastructure. This would create more efficient, connected local markets that removes some of the burden of buying local from individuals.



    Read more:
    Boycotting U.S. products allows Canadians to take a rare political stand in their daily lives

    The Canadian government must also promote diversification in production and export. Canada needs to move away from monoculture farming and toward more regional networks and agroecological approaches. These approaches are more resilient to both crops themselves and the diverse markets they open up, reducing Canada’s dependence on single trading partners like the U.S.

    Key agricultural policies such as the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership need to go beyond the long-standing focus on prioritizing export markets. They must also invest in infrastructure and partnerships in Canada to strengthen their support of Canadian producers, ranchers, fisheries and food system players at home, to help them work together at a regional scale.

    Correcting power imbalances in our food systems is also critical. Greater local and regional autonomy over how food is produced, processed and distributed would help with this. These strategies would make Canada less vulnerable to supply chain disruption.

    Countries like Sweden recognize these efforts as part of national defence — an approach Canada should consider.

    But while we fight annexation from the kitchen table, we must recognize it doesn’t start there; it starts at a higher level. Only better policy, infrastructure and systemic change can prepare Canada to be more proactive and resilient in the face of world crises — economic or otherwise.

    Karen Foster receives research funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC) as well as Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada (AAFC). She is the director of the SSHRC/AAFC-funded Common Ground Canada Network.

    Alicia Martin is a Postdoctoral Fellow with the SSHRC/AAFC-funded Common Ground Canada Network.

    Gavin Fridell receives funding from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) of Canada. He is a member of the Trade and Investment Research Project at the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives.

    Kathleen Kevany receives funding from The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, for the Food Impact Network research and knowledge mobilization for the handbook of sustainable diets; Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council (NSERC) for food waste prevention work, and Mitacs for internships on food procurement and food environment analysis.

    I am advised to Farm to Cafeteria Canada (F2CC) an NGO.

    – ref. Why Canada must treat its food system as a matter of national defence – https://theconversation.com/why-canada-must-treat-its-food-system-as-a-matter-of-national-defence-251118

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Deputy Lord Mayor Designate announced

    Source: City of Plymouth

    Lord Mayor Designate Councillor Kathy Watkin has announced that Councillor Chip Tofan will be her Deputy for the year.

    Chip was born in Iasi, Romania, graduating from Iasi Gheorghe Ashachi University, with a bachelor’s degree in engineering and now runs his own business providing consultancy services.

    Chip was first elected to Plymouth City Council in May 2022, representing Eggbuckland Ward.

    During his time as a councillor, Chip has been a member of different committees including Scrutiny, Licensing, Natural Infrastructure and the Growth Scrutiny Panel.

    Councillor Tofan said: “I am really pleased that Kathy has asked me to be her Deputy for the next year, I look forward to joining her at civic events and meeting residents of Plymouth, it truly is an honour.

    “I am happy to extend my passion for helping the community from the Eggbuckland ward to the wider community.”

    Lord Mayor Designate, Councillor Kathy Watkin, said: “I am thrilled that Chip has agreed to be my Deputy for the next year, I look forward to us working together.

    “I have known Chip for many years as a friendly, community minded gentleman.

    “Of Romanian heritage, he gained his UK citizenship in Plymouth. As such, he is uniquely placed to understand the challenges facing people of diverse languages and cultures we welcome to Plymouth and can demonstrate that with hard work and commitment anyone can achieve their goals in this great city.

    “Although a relative newcomer to Plymouth City Council he is very enthusiastic about the challenge offered by being Deputy Lord Mayor of Plymouth and will be a huge support to me in my mayoral year.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Bryukhanov took part in the congress of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

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

    On March 18, 2025, a plenary session of the annual congress of the Russian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs was held, in which the Vice-Rector of the State University of Management Dmitry Bryukhanov took part.

    The congress was attended by about 1,300 people, including major entrepreneurs, representatives of small and medium-sized businesses from all over the country, heads of ministries and departments, and political figures.

    The congress discussed key areas of interaction between business and the state, as well as initiatives of the business community aimed at achieving national development goals and implementing national projects.

    The President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin took part in the plenary session, and in his speech he raised the issues of the return of Western companies to Russia, free trade, privatization, inflation, adaptation to sanctions, and others.

    “It is important that during this time, domestic entrepreneurs have learned to work under sanctions, adapted to them, thought through and launched alternative mechanisms for cooperation with foreign partners, with those who want to work with us. In addition, sanctions have become a kind of even additional catalyst for positive structural changes in our economy, including in the financial and technological spheres, and in many other key areas,” said Vladimir Vladimirovich.

    The President also noted that “sanctions are not temporary or targeted measures, they are a mechanism of systemic, strategic pressure on our country,” and warned that one should no longer count on complete freedom of payments and capital flows in the world.

    In addition, Vladimir Putin instructed the government to prepare rules for the return of Western companies to Russia with guarantees of conscientious fulfillment of obligations by Western businessmen.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 03/18/2025

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Can a virtual reality residential school, developed with Survivors, improve empathy toward Indigenous people?

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Iloradanon H. Efimoff, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychology, Toronto Metropolitan University

    Virtual reality is a rapidly developing technology. As the technology expands, becoming more portable and affordable, the potential uses have expanded as well.

    One virtual reality creator calls virtual reality the “ultimate empathy machine.” Promising research shows that virtual reality can improve empathy toward groups such as people experiencing schizophrenia,
    children who are refugees and people who are unhoused.

    Working with an interdisciplinary research team, we put this statement to the test within the context of residential schools in Canada.

    Effective teaching about residential schools

    Residential schools were state-funded, church-run institutions that amounted to genocide. Teachers and other adults at these schools abused the children physically, emotionally and sexually.

    Knowledge of residential schools in Canada is relatively high. Recent national polls show that in 2022, 65 per cent of non-Indigenous respondents had read or heard about residential schools. This number increased to 90 per cent in 2023. This type of awareness, however, does not necessarily reflect a deep knowledge of residential schools.

    Given the apparent rise in residential school denialism and decreasing support for reconciliation initiatives, it is vital to find effective ways to teach about residential schools.

    Work with Survivors on virtual project

    Members of our interdisciplinary research team created a virtual rendering of Fort Alexander Residential School,
    working closely with a group of Survivors from that school. The school operated from 1905-1970 in Manitoba, near Winnipeg, and was run by the Roman Catholic Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate.

    The virtual rendering took years to develop, with critical relationships forming along the way. Members of this same team, and some new members, then tested the effects of the school.

    Overall, researchers with a range of approaches participated, including those who work in the areas of psychology, sociology, and computer science, or who are concerned with representation of war and genocide.

    One concern of those involved in the project was how participants would engage in the virtual school. In particular, we didn’t want the virtual school to be “gamified” (used like a video game). To this end, the virtual reality school is “on-the-tracks,” meaning viewers move through the school on a set path.

    This set path included visiting a classroom, a dormitory and a cellar, among other spaces that the Survivors described. The school was designed such that the viewers would feel physically small in the space — as if they were the size of a child. While moving through the various rooms in the school, viewers listened to recordings of Survivors’ stories of their experiences at the school.

    Would VR experience improve empathy?

    To test if a virtual reality residential school could improve empathy toward Indigenous people, we ran an experiment, as researchers do when they want to compare the impact of different experiences.

    All experiments include a group of people who receive some sort of intervention, such as our virtual reality school. In the simplest approach, researchers can compare the effects of the intervention group to an “empty control group,” which includes people who receive no intervention and often just respond to questions assessing key outcomes. Through comparisons like this, researchers can understand the effect of the intervention compared to doing nothing.

    We used a slightly more rigorous design by adding a third group who simply read the transcripts of the narration that accompanied the virtual school. This allowed us to test if the virtual reality school outperformed the transcripts, which were a different method of learning about residential schools.

    Powerful Survivor stories

    We tested how the virtual school, transcript and control groups affected four outcomes: empathy, warmth and political solidarity toward Indigenous people as well as perceptions that past events still cause suffering today — what we and often legal scholars call “privity.” We looked at the effects right after the experiment and then again weeks later.

    As we thought, compared to the control group, people who received either the transcript or virtual reality intervention responded more favourably toward Indigenous people; they reported more empathy, warmth, political solidarity and privity.

    But a surprising thing happened too: People in the transcript and virtual reality groups responded in the same way. Though we cannot be sure why, we suspect these two groups did not differ because the Survivors’ stories are powerful.

    Finally, over time, the differences among groups disappeared. The changes caused by reading a transcript or experiencing the virtual world went away.

    Need for ongoing education

    Our findings imply that a meaningful story does not require sophisticated technology like virtual reality to have impact. In cases where the story is captivating, the technology might not be necessary to engage people.

    Though trendy, virtual reality equipment is also more expensive and not as portable as written work. Of course, virtual reality might be just the right fit for audiences that would rather not or can’t read. It might also be a novel hook to get someone to engage with a topic they may otherwise avoid.

    Perhaps more clearly, our disappointing finding that the interventions did not last over time highlights the need for ongoing education about residential schools. A single learning opportunity is unlikely to cause long-lasting change in feelings and attitudes toward Indigenous people. There is more work to do.

    Katherine B. Starzyk holds funding from the Social Science and Humanities Council of Canada as well as Canadian Heritage / Patrimoine canadien. She is a Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Manitoba.

    Iloradanon H. Efimoff 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. Can a virtual reality residential school, developed with Survivors, improve empathy toward Indigenous people? – https://theconversation.com/can-a-virtual-reality-residential-school-developed-with-survivors-improve-empathy-toward-indigenous-people-249996

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Combatting the measles threat means examining the reasons for declining vaccination rates

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Catherine Carstairs, Professor, Department of History, University of Guelph

    To address anti-vaccine sentiment, we need to listen to parents’ concerns and make it easy for them to get their children vaccinated. (Shutterstock)

    Measles was supposedly eradicated in Canada more than a quarter century ago. But today, measles is surging.

    Public Health Ontario recently announced that there have been 195 cases in the province in the past two weeks and 372 cases since autumn 2024. Many cases have required hospitalization. Last year, a child died.

    The cause of this resurgence is declining vaccination rates.

    Measles is extremely infectious. One person with the measles is likely to infect nine out of 10 of their unvaccinated close contacts. To prevent its spread, we need 95 per cent of the population to be vaccinated.

    Anti-vaccine sentiments

    Our research examines why parents have hesitated or refused to vaccinate their children. Anti-vaccine sentiment is often linked to a now thoroughly discredited 1998 study that suggested a link between the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine and autism.

    But our research on the anti-vaccine movement in Canada from the 1970s to the early 2000s suggests that parents’ concerns about vaccines started much earlier than that study, and that parents worry about far more than autism.

    To address anti-vaccine sentiment, we need to listen to parents’ concerns and make it easy for them to get their children vaccinated. We also need to persuade them of the benefits of vaccination, not just for their own children, but for their family members, friends and fellow citizens.

    The anti-vaccine literature is not anti-science. It is filled with statistics and references to scientific studies, although the facts are often wrong. Parents who read this literature need more than the simple reassurance of experts that vaccines are safe and effective. They need to be shown evidence and have confidence that their concerns are being taken seriously.

    One argument that appeared frequently in the anti-vaccine literature is that rates of infectious disease had fallen before the introduction of vaccines.

    While mortality from infectious diseases declined well before vaccination, vaccines played a vital role in further diminishing the toll of infectious disease. Diphtheria is largely unknown today, but before the introduction of widespread vaccination in the years between the First and Second World Wars, it killed hundreds of Canadian children every year.

    Another common argument was that vaccines are ineffective. This argument was often used with respect to the measles vaccine. Because some people are inadequately vaccinated (receiving only one shot for example, instead of two), and because the vaccine is not perfect, there will be some cases of measles even in vaccinated people. Fortunately, these people tend to have milder cases.

    Anti-vaccine texts frequently contain long lists of scary-sounding ingredients in vaccines, similar to what we see for highly processed foods. Thimerosal (ethyl mercury used as a preservative) attracted the most attention. Thimerosal is no longer used in childhood vaccines in Canada.

    The anti-vaccine literature is deeply skeptical about the profit-making motivations of pharmaceutical companies and often mentions past disasters such as the thalidomide scandal that saw thousands of children born with shortened limbs.

    While this is not the only example of inadequate safety testing of new drugs, it is clear that the MMR (measles, mumps and rubella) vaccine, used since the early 1970s, has a long safety record and has played a vital role in reducing deaths and illness from the measles in Canada and abroad.

    Anti-vaccine literature also stressed that there were natural ways of building immunity that could take the place of vaccination. We see this today with claims by United States Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

    Kennedy claims that poor eating habits are behind the spread of measles in the U.S. This is extremely dangerous. Even the healthiest, best-fed child can get extremely sick with the measles. Not all parents can afford nutritious food. And some children can’t be vaccinated because of medical conditions, leaving them extremely vulnerable.

    Tragedies of the past

    Anti-vaccine parents see vaccines as one of the dangers of our modern, polluted world, and worry that vaccines might have risks that have not yet been recognized. While there are risks with any medical technology, the benefits of vaccines far outweigh the possible dangers.

    A century ago, parents mourned the gruesome deaths of children with diphtheria, which caused a membrane to form across the child’s throat, slowly strangling them to death.

    Mortality from the measles declined in the first half of the 20th century, but in 1945, there was still one measles death for every 100,000 people in Ontario.

    Parents today have little memory of these tragedies, but sadly, they could return. Indeed, a powerful article recently published in the Atlantic Monthly profiled a father who had just lost his six-year-old child to the measles.

    Along with scholars like sociologist Jennifer Reich, who has studied contemporary anti-vaccine parents, we see anti-vaccination sentiment as part of a larger societal trend towards individualism. Parents think about what’s best for their own child, rather than thinking about what’s best for their community.

    At a time when Canadians are bonding together to fight the tariff threat from the U.S., it would be wonderful if we could also come together to fight the scourge of infectious diseases, including measles. The best way to do this is vaccination.

    Catherine Carstairs received funding from AMS Healthcare for this project.

    Kathryn Hughes receives funding from AMS Healthcare for this project.

    – ref. Combatting the measles threat means examining the reasons for declining vaccination rates – https://theconversation.com/combatting-the-measles-threat-means-examining-the-reasons-for-declining-vaccination-rates-252168

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Files Statement of Interest Supporting Equal Access to Educational Opportunities and Facilities for Jewish UCLA Students

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    The Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism announced that the Justice Department filed a statement of interest in the Central District of California to advance the appropriate interpretation of federal laws that prohibit colleges and universities from discriminating against students because of their religion or national origin. The statement of interest is part of the Task Force’s nationwide effort to combat antisemitism in all of its forms.

    According to the allegations in Frankel et al. v. Regents of the University of California et al., in the spring of 2024 administrators of the University of California system allowed members of a protest encampment to physically prevent University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) students and faculty from accessing portions of the UCLA campus if they were wearing articles reflective of their Jewish faith or if they refused to denounce Israel.

    The plaintiffs are Jewish students and a Jewish professor at UCLA who allege that the university knowingly acted in concert with or allowed members of the protest encampment to prevent them from accessing a central campus space and adjacent classrooms and library on the basis of their Jewish faith or national origin in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, and California state law. The United States’ statement of interest addresses the sufficiency of plaintiffs’ claims that defendant administrators violated Title VI and the Equal Protection Clause.

    The Justice Department recently announced the formation of a multi-agency task force coordinated by the Civil Rights Division to combat antisemitism, which is visiting 10 university campuses that have experienced antisemitic events. The Department also recently announced its investigation into the University of California to assess whether the university system engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race, religion and national origin against its professors, staff and other employees by allowing an antisemitic hostile work environment to exist on its campuses, including UCLA. The Task Force also recently announced that the Department, together with other federal agencies, would cancel $400 million in federal contracts and grants to Columbia University due to the school’s inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.

    “The President, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and the Task Force know that every student must be free to attend school without being discriminated against on the basis of their race, religion or national origin,” said Leading Task Force member and Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Leo Terrell. “The Department of Justice is working to combat antisemitism using all of the tools at our disposal.”

    “Discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated in our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally for the Central District of California. “Our office will enforce anti-discrimination laws to address the issue of antisemitism affecting our residents.”

    To learn more about the Civil Rights Division visit www.justice.gov/crt, and to report possible violations of federal civil rights laws go to www.civilrights.justice.gov or call toll-free at 800-253-3931.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Files Statement of Interest Supporting Equal Access to Educational Opportunities and Facilities for Jewish UCLA Students

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    The Federal Task Force to Combat Antisemitism announced that the Justice Department filed a statement of interest in the Central District of California to advance the appropriate interpretation of federal laws that prohibit colleges and universities from discriminating against students because of their religion or national origin. The statement of interest is part of the Task Force’s nationwide effort to combat antisemitism in all of its forms.

    According to the allegations in Frankel et al. v. Regents of the University of California et al., in the spring of 2024 administrators of the University of California system allowed members of a protest encampment to physically prevent University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) students and faculty from accessing portions of the UCLA campus if they were wearing articles reflective of their Jewish faith or if they refused to denounce Israel.

    The plaintiffs are Jewish students and a Jewish professor at UCLA who allege that the university knowingly acted in concert with or allowed members of the protest encampment to prevent them from accessing a central campus space and adjacent classrooms and library on the basis of their Jewish faith or national origin in violation of Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VI), the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause, and California state law. The United States’ statement of interest addresses the sufficiency of plaintiffs’ claims that defendant administrators violated Title VI and the Equal Protection Clause.

    The Justice Department recently announced the formation of a multi-agency task force coordinated by the Civil Rights Division to combat antisemitism, which is visiting 10 university campuses that have experienced antisemitic events. The Department also recently announced its investigation into the University of California to assess whether the university system engaged in a pattern or practice of discrimination based on race, religion and national origin against its professors, staff and other employees by allowing an antisemitic hostile work environment to exist on its campuses, including UCLA. The Task Force also recently announced that the Department, together with other federal agencies, would cancel $400 million in federal contracts and grants to Columbia University due to the school’s inaction in the face of persistent harassment of Jewish students.

    “The President, Attorney General Pam Bondi, and the Task Force know that every student must be free to attend school without being discriminated against on the basis of their race, religion or national origin,” said Leading Task Force member and Senior Counsel to the Assistant Attorney General for Civil Rights Leo Terrell. “The Department of Justice is working to combat antisemitism using all of the tools at our disposal.”

    “Discrimination of any kind will not be tolerated in our community,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Joseph McNally for the Central District of California. “Our office will enforce anti-discrimination laws to address the issue of antisemitism affecting our residents.”

    To learn more about the Civil Rights Division visit www.justice.gov/crt, and to report possible violations of federal civil rights laws go to www.civilrights.justice.gov or call toll-free at 800-253-3931.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Extensiv Appoints Carey Ballard as New Chief Marketing Officer

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EL SEGUNDO, Calif., March 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Extensiv, a leading provider of omnichannel software solutions for warehouse, inventory, and order management, today announced the appointment of Carey Ballard as its new Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). Ballard brings two decades of marketing experience with a focus on messaging and brand strategy to the role.

    Throughout her career, Ballard has held leadership positions at prominent organizations, including Lumin Digital and Arizona State University. She successfully developed and executed comprehensive marketing strategies at these institutions that enhanced brand recognition and drove revenue growth. Her experience and expertise span various industries, including technology and software development, where she has consistently demonstrated a keen ability to align marketing and brand initiatives with business objectives.

    In her new role at Extensiv, Ballard will be responsible for leading the company’s overall marketing strategy, including brand building, demand generation, product marketing, and communications. She will work closely with the sales, product, and customer success teams to strengthen Extensiv’s market position and drive continued growth.

    “I am thrilled to join Extensiv at this exciting time in the company’s growth,” said Carey Ballard. “Extensiv is a leader in the omnichannel fulfillment space, and I see tremendous potential to further elevate the brand and communicate the value of its solutions to a wider audience. I look forward to working with the team to develop and execute innovative marketing strategies to drive business growth and solidify Extensiv’s position as the partner of choice for businesses looking to optimize their warehouse, inventory, and order management.”

    “We are thrilled to welcome Carey to our team,” said Aaron Stead, CEO of Extensiv. “Her experience as a business owner and marketer, coupled with her proven track record of success in technology and software, makes her the right person to lead us forward. Carey’s strategic vision and understanding of Extensiv’s leadership position in the market will be invaluable as we continue to expand our reach and deliver best-in-class solutions to our customers. We are confident she will play a key role in driving Extensiv’s continued profitable growth.”

    About Extensiv 

    Extensiv, formerly 3PL Central, is a visionary technology leader focused on creating the future of omnichannel fulfillment. We partner with warehouse professionals and entrepreneurial brands to transform their fulfillment operations in the radically changing world of commerce and consumer expectations. Through our unrivaled network of more than 1,500 connected 3PLs and a suite of integrated, cloud-native warehouse management (WMS), order management (OMS), inventory management (IMS), and integration management software, we enable modern merchants and brands to fulfill demand anywhere with superior flexibility and scale without painful platform migrations as they grow. More than 25,000 logistics professionals and thousands of brands trust Extensiv every day to drive commerce at the pace modern consumers expect. Learn more at www.extensiv.com. 

    Media Contact
    Jill Hillen
    jhillen@extensiv.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Canadians are more patriotic than ever amid Trump’s trade war — but it’s important not to take national pride too far

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Susan Dieleman, Jarislowsky Chair in Trust and Political Leadership and Associate Professor of Philosophy, University of Lethbridge

    Amid a trade war between Canada and the United States, there’s been a surge in Canadian patriotism over the past few weeks.

    A recent poll shows that, across the country, the number of Canadians who consider themselves “proud” or “very proud” has increased — including in Québec, where these numbers have increased from 45 to 58 per cent.



    Read more:
    Is Trump’s assault on Canada bringing Québec and the rest of the country closer together?

    Canadians have been showing their national pride in a variety of ways. Sports fans have been singing “O Canada” at the top of their lungs and booing the U.S. national anthem. Consumers have adjusted their purchasing priorities, buying more Canadian products and avoiding American ones where possible. Vacationers have even changed their travel plans, opting to stay in Canada rather than travel south of the border.

    Political leaders, too, have practically draped themselves in the Canadian flag to show their national pride. For example, Ontario Premier Doug Ford has been dubbed “Captain Canada” by the media for his response to the tariffs. Federal and provincial leaders have also adopted a so-called “Team Canada” approach — committing to presenting a united front in their response to tariff threats from the U.S.

    Former political leaders have penned opinion pieces proclaiming Canada to be the best country in the world — or, at least, a once-serious and proud country.

    But what does it mean to be patriotic — and are there good and bad ways of being patriotic? As an expert in the political thought of American philosopher Richard Rorty, I have found his reflections provide useful guidance for understanding the line between being a good patriot — and either taking things too far or not far enough.

    The virtuous response

    Rorty’s prophetic claims in his 1998 book Achieving Our Country: Leftist Thought in Twentieth-Century America about the likelihood that a “strongman” would be elected went viral after Donald Trump’s 2016 election. His insights can help us understand patriotism and why it might be important in the present moment.

    Rorty opens that book by providing an analogy:

    “National pride is to countries what self-respect is to individuals: a necessary condition for self-improvement. Too much national pride can produce bellicosity and imperialism, just as excessive self-respect can produce arrogance. But just as too little self-respect makes it difficult for a person to display moral courage, so insufficient national pride makes energetic and effective debate about national policy unlikely. Emotional involvement with one’s country […] is necessary if political deliberation is to be imaginative and productive. Such deliberation will probably not occur unless pride outweighs shame.”

    In this passage, Rorty invokes Aristotle’s notion of a “golden mean” — moderation between the excessive and deficient expression of a particular disposition. Very roughly put, to be virtuous is to feel and respond appropriately to any given situation. To exceed or fall short of the appropriate feeling and response is to be vicious.

    For example, to be courageous is to fear appropriately and to respond to that fear appropriately. The courageous person is not a person without fear. Rather, they fear what’s worthy of fear and don’t fear that which isn’t.

    The courageous person also responds appropriately to fear. What this response looks like will vary according to situation. Sometimes, courage calls one to stand and fight — while at other times, it calls one to turn and run. An inappropriate response is when one is reckless because they’re overly unafraid — or when one is cowardly because they’re overly afraid. As the wise fool character of Falstaff notes in Shakespeare’s Henry IV, the better part of valour is discretion.

    Virtuous patriotism

    Applying the same approach, we can understand patriotism as feeling and responding appropriately in a situation that calls for national shame. The person who takes pride in their country is not a person who never feels shame. Rather, they’re ashamed when something their country has done is worthy of shame — and not ashamed when there’s no reason to be.

    As a result, patriotism sometimes calls one to criticize their country. At other times, patriotism calls us to celebrate our country. The person who exhibits patriotism virtuously will know when criticism and celebration are appropriate. To respond inappropriately, according to Rorty, is to be either quarrelsome and imperialistic when one is overly unashamed, or to be apathetic and uninvolved when one is overly ashamed.

    Pride in one’s country is only a virtue when it’s well-deserved. But when it is well-deserved, pride is the virtuous response.

    In Achieving Our Country, Rorty was primarily concerned with the fracturing and consequent direction of the political left, worrying that it was veering off the virtuous track in the direction of vicious apathy. The political left, he said, emphasized the ways their country fell short — and of which they were rightly ashamed. But they didn’t look at the way the country had lived up to its promise, which should have made them proud.

    However, as I’ve written about previously, the political left wasn’t wrong to identify those aspects of a country’s history that are indeed shameful. And for Rorty, the left has played a vital role throughout history in helping countries become kinder, less shameful places than they otherwise might have been.

    In the current political climate, Rorty’s lesson for us is to make sure we don’t veer too far in the opposite direction, becoming quarrelsome or imperialistic. What true patriot love calls for is a more moderate stance — where we’re shameful of that which is worthy of shame, but also proud of that which is worthy of pride. Without a balance of shame and pride, efforts to continue improving what we stand on guard for is likely to falter and fall.

    As we Canadians wave our flags and support our Canadian producers, we would be well-served to remember the value of imaginative and productive deliberation — and to steer well clear of both bellicosity and apathy.

    Susan Dieleman receives funding as the Jarislowsky Chair in Trust and Political Leadership at the University of Lethbridge.

    – ref. Canadians are more patriotic than ever amid Trump’s trade war — but it’s important not to take national pride too far – https://theconversation.com/canadians-are-more-patriotic-than-ever-amid-trumps-trade-war-but-its-important-not-to-take-national-pride-too-far-250210

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why has the Gaza ceasefire collapsed? Why has the US launched aistrikes in Yemen? Middle East expert Q&A

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Scott Lucas, Professor of International Politics, Clinton Institute, University College Dublin

    For the past few weeks, the world’s attention has been focused on the prospect of a ceasefire in Ukraine and the diplomatic manoeuvrings that has entailed. But while Donald Trump has been focusing on negotiations with Vladimir Putin and Volodymyr Zelensky, the ceasefire deal in Gaza he had a hand in getting over the line appears to have fallen apart.

    After negotiations with Hamas broke down, Israel cut off all humanitarian aid to Gaza at the beginning of March, then cut off power, and overnight on March 17 launched massive airstrikes across the Strip, killing more than 400 people.

    Meanwhile, the US has responded to attacks on shipping in the Red Sea with massive airstrikes against the Iran-back Houthi rebels. This has been widely interpreted as a message to Iran’s leaders from Trump, who is putting pressure on the Iranian government to negotiate a new nuclear deal to replace the one struck in 2013 which was rejected by the US president in 2018.

    Scott Lucas, a Middle East expert at University College Dublin, addresses some of the key issues involved.

    Do the Israeli airstrikes on Gaza mean the ceasefire deal is officially dead?

    Yes. This is the end of the two-month ceasefire that paused Israel’s open-ended war on Gaza. The six-week phase one of the ceasefire officially ended on March 1, after some hostages held by Hamas were exchanged for some Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons.

    There never was a possibility of a phase two. Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, facing pressure from hard-right groups inside and close to his government and still vowing to destroy Hamas, was never going to accept a full Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and Hamas remaining in the Strip. Hamas was never going to accept eviction – and there was no prospect of agreement on a successor Palestinian government for Gaza.

    So Netanyahu, also being pressed by families of the remaining 59 hostages, sought an extension of phase one with the return of all those dead or alive. Hamas, whose last leverage is retaining those hostages, demanded a phase two.

    Israel cut off humanitarian assistance earlier this month. Returning to the aerial assault was the next step. The renewal of ground attacks will be next.



    Read more:
    Gaza ceasefire deal looks doomed as Israel blockades Strip and bars entry of humanitarian aid

    What is Israel’s long-term plan for Gaza?

    There is no long-term plan at the moment. Netanyahu needs a short-term return of the hostages to escape his political bind, not to mention his ongoing bribery trial.

    Israel’s hard right – and Donald Trump – may envisage a depopulated Gaza under Israeli military rule. But all such ambitions will be suspended as the death and destruction continues.

    What has been overshadowed is the possibility of a long-term plan in the West Bank, where Israel has been stepping up military operations and violence is escalating. As the world watches Gaza, the Israelis may seek to expand and consolidate their de facto rule through settlements in a programme which will be tantamount to annexation.

    Donald Trump saw the Gaza ceasefire as his deal. How will he react to Netanyahu breaking it?

    Trump was happy to grab the immediate, self-proclaimed glory of “peacemaker” for phase one.

    Since there was no possibility of being a peacemaker for a phase two, Trump set this aside for the fantasy of Trump Gaza and his golden statue on the “Riviera of the Middle East”.

    Now he will be content to blame and bash Hamas.

    Meanwhile the US has been attacking the Houthis in Yemen. What is Trump’s strategy here?

    The airstrikes are, in part at least, Trump speaking to the American public. He poses as a “peacemaker” at times, but he enjoys playing the tough guy. And, at a time when economic issues and Musk-inflicted chaos may dent his approval rating, he could rally support with the bombing.

    At the same time, Trump has carried out his standard ploy with Iran’s leaders: give me a photo opportunity for the “art of the deal” or I’ll “rain hell on you”.

    A direct strike on Tehran would unleash repercussions throughout the Middle East. Even though Iran has been weakened in the past year, it still has the capability to strike Americans in the region.

    Sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter from The Conversation UK. Every Thursday we’ll bring you expert analysis of the big stories in international relations.

    So the low-cost option is to fire on Iran’s ally in Yemen. Some officials in the Trump administration will favour this as a way of putting pressure on the Iranians ahead of any potential talks on Tehran’s nuclear programme. Others will see this as part of backing for Israel amid the open-ended war in Gaza, and still others could endorse the step as a bolstering of Saudi Arabia and the UAE. And there is always the argument that the strikes could deter Houthi attacks on shipping in the Red Sea.

    The Iranian response has been fairly muted. Why is that?

    Iran’s leadership is embroiled in a combination of economic, social and regional problems, perhaps the most serious situation since the mass protests after the disputed 2009 presidential election.

    Tehran’s projection of power has been shaken by the fall of its ally Bashar al-Assad in Syria, the decimation of Hezbollah in Lebanon last year, and an eroding position in Iraq, where Iran’s influence over the government of prime minister Mohammed Shia al-Sudani is looking increasingly tenuous.

    The economy is in a parlous state. In early 2018, the exchange rate was 45,000 Iranian rial to the dollar. Now it is approaching 1 million to the dollar.

    Inflation is officially at 36%, but is far higher in reality, particularly for food and other essentials. Unemployment is rising and infrastructure is crumbling. There are shortages of electricity in a country that is the world’s seventh-largest oil producer.

    Having faced the “Woman, life, freedom” protests since September 2022, the regime is caught between making accommodations to public discontent and cracking down on rights. Some political prisoners have been released, but authorities are pursuing a draconian campaign against women who dare not to wear the hijab.

    Hardliners are trying to curb the centrist government, forcing out the economy minister, Abdolnaser Hemmati, and the foreign minister, Mohammad Javad Zarif, who was central in the 2015 agreement that restricted Iran from developing nuclear weapons. Pursuing both that domestic campaign and confrontation abroad is a tall order.

    What does this mean for a new nuclear deal with Iran?

    Some Trump advisers may believe they can use the sledgehammer in Yemen to bludgeon Iran to the negotiating table and Trump’s photo opportunity with the supreme leader, Ali Khamenei, or Iran’s president, Masoud Pezeshkian.

    Good luck with that. Iran may be weakened, but Khamenei is not going to negotiate at the point of an American weapon. Responding to news of a Trump letter to Tehran that threatened, “There are two ways Iran can be handled: militarily, or you make a deal,” last week Khamenei dismissed the idea of talking with the Trump administration.

    He said: “When we know they won’t honour it, what’s the point of negotiating? Therefore, the invitation to negotiate … is a deception of public opinion.”

    Recent history is instructive. In 2013, Khamenei finally relented to nuclear deal talks when told by the then president, Hassan Rouhani, of an imminent economic collapse if Iran held out. More than five years later, however, the Iranian leadership was prepared to withstand Trump’s “maximum pressure” and withdrawal from the nuclear agreement.

    Iran’s idea for talks was based on a cautious process beginning with confidence-building measures on both sides. But a US approach predicated on bombing and bluster has effectively sidelined that.

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

    – ref. Why has the Gaza ceasefire collapsed? Why has the US launched aistrikes in Yemen? Middle East expert Q&A – https://theconversation.com/why-has-the-gaza-ceasefire-collapsed-why-has-the-us-launched-aistrikes-in-yemen-middle-east-expert-qanda-252532

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: British Rail wasn’t all bad. Sixty years after the brand launched we should remember its marketing successes

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Lewis Smith, Lecturer in Marketing, Brunel Business School, Brunel University of London

    Jon_Ritchie/Shutterstock

    In 2025 Britain is marking the 200th anniversary of the modern railway. Many will be quick to celebrate the legacy of steam engines and the old red lion railway logo, but there’s one bit of Britain’s railway that perhaps doesn’t get enough praise – British Rail. Abbreviated to BR, the brand is 60 this year.

    BR officially began trading in 1965 and ended with the privatisation of the railways in 1997. But despite the brand coming to the end of the line, many of its iconic elements remain on the railways today. These include the “double arrow” logo, the font known as Rail Alphabet and a whole palette of colours and styles.

    State-owned Great British Railways, which is replacing Network Rail as the operator of most of Britain’s rail infrastructure as well as taking over the privatised franchise system, will unveil a logo in May. This may well incorporate the double arrow. The messaging is about the hope of “restoring pride” in Britain’s rail network.

    BR as an organisation, on the other hand, has an often controversial legacy. Those who remember it are quick to complain of late-running trains, high fares and a poor standard of service – including the soggy British Rail sandwich. This legacy is often politicised. One could equally argue that it was a cutting-edge business that served the people in times of dire economic crises, with recessions in the 1970s and 80s as well as the decline in manufacturing that led to widespread unemployment.

    The railways were nationalised under the 1947 Transport Act and managed by “British Railways”. Back in the 1950s, the railway had a poor reputation. As one survey respondent described, the railway was a “big, monolithic institution, not at all concerned with the welfare of the individual”.

    Trains were often late and dirty, the result of a lack of investment combined with the dying days of the steam era. Coupled to this, British Railways was hesitant about outside intervention, whether from managers, government officials or even passengers. Efforts to improve the railway began with the 1955 modernisation plan, which made a number of strategic recommendations. But by 1960 it had failed to deliver any financial benefits.

    For all nationalised industries in Britain, the 1960s were different. With the release of a government white paper in 1961, all the state-owned industries including gas, electricity and airways were set financial targets.

    One of the outcomes of this for the railways was Dr Richard Beeching’s Reshaping of British Railways plan published in 1963. It included a number of changes, including slashing the number of unprofitable routes.

    My recent research has examined BR marketing in the 1960s and 1970s, and found that this period represented one of great change in the history of marketing the railways.

    This included the introduction of the “British Rail” brand, with the publication of a corporate identity manual in July 1965. This represented management slowly opening up to recruit marketing and PR experts from the private sector, including from consumer giants like L’Oréal.

    Compared to other operators in Europe, BR received one of the lowest government subsidies. Over its operational life, BR fought hard to innovate in the market with the support and resources it had.

    It used new methods to locate and identify consumers, targeted advertising and services, and teamed up with private-sector giants like Kellogg’s and Persil with offers for discounted tickets. It also created new pricing structures, including Awaydays, Weekend Returns and Railcards.

    A fierce competitor

    As a nationalised railway, it might be easy to assume that BR had a monopoly and therefore did not have to compete. But this couldn’t be further from the reality. The car business was booming, with cheaper, more reliable models on offer. And, thanks to government infrastructure policy, more roads, car parks and fuel stations were being built.

    Other domestic transport like coaches (the National Bus Company was formed in 1968) applied constant pressure. And British Airways launched its domestic “shuttle” services between London and other UK cities in 1975, promising passengers they could just “turn up and go” without the need to book.

    This also marked a point at which marketing experts shifted their focus from places to people, identifying not only who wanted to travel but why. This included focusing on specific market segments by gender.

    In the 1970s, BR’s InterCity launched a TV campaign with the slogan “Travel Inter-City Like the Men Do”, which focused efforts on middle-aged women looking to travel to get away from their domestic duties.

    Rail travel could be a feminist issue too.

    Similarly, messaging for business travellers tightened. Before the 1960s, business travel was about luxury. Now it was about economic efficiency, where businessmen could work, eat and sleep on the train in advance of their meetings (none of which you could do if you were driving to a meeting).

    In the 1980s, before his horrifying crimes came to light, BR brought in TV star Jimmy Savile as the face of rail travel. Although hard to believe today, given what the public now knows about Savile, it was a coup at the time because of his media and business profile.

    But today, the railways are at a turning point. The government’s plans to nationalise railway franchises has prompted excitement from organisations like passenger group Bring Back British Rail.

    Let’s be clear: nationalisation on its own is not a silver bullet, though the BR case shows that it should be possible to have a nationalised industry that can serve the public interest and compete within the wider economy. Crucially, BR was an innovative marketer. What follows next should endeavour to be the same.

    Lewis 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. British Rail wasn’t all bad. Sixty years after the brand launched we should remember its marketing successes – https://theconversation.com/british-rail-wasnt-all-bad-sixty-years-after-the-brand-launched-we-should-remember-its-marketing-successes-251759

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The UK has closed its flagship sustainable farming scheme, choosing short-term cuts over long-term security

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Emma Burnett, Honorary Research Associate, TABLE, University of Oxford

    EMJAY SMITH / shutterstock

    The UK government’s decision to abruptly close all applications for its flagship nature-friendly farming scheme has shocked many of the country’s farmers and environmentalists.

    The sustainable farming incentive (SFI) is one of a series of schemes which pays farmers in England to nurture the soil and wildlife and improve water quality. It is far from perfect.

    People have criticised its complexity and lack of clarity, its financial viability or its impact on how farms operate and how this would change the balance between producing food and reaching environmental goals.

    It’s too early to tell if these critics were correct, but the SFI certainly provided some stability for British farmers after EU farm subsidies ended post-Brexit. It seemed poised to make some positive impact.

    The government says a revised version will be announced in the coming months, but it will be hard to regain the trust of farmers. The decision to close the scheme for now throws a stark light on a broader issue: the tendency to prioritise immediate financial needs over the long-term health of both the farming sector and the environment.

    This is a classic example of what economists call “future discounting”, and it’s a dangerous game to play when it comes to vital services.

    Essentially, future discounting means we value things more in the present than we do in the future. If you are promised £100 today, or £110 in two months, which would you take? Sometimes there’s no right or wrong answer – do what you think is right for you with that £100. But sometimes… well, sometimes there is a right answer.

    The value of now, the value of the future

    The SFI scheme offers vital support for sustainable practices that, while crucial, often require upfront investment. This includes cover cropping, for example, where a crop is grown simply to cover a field rather than to be harvested.

    Cover cropping can help rejuvenate soils and is good for insects, but there are costs attached to purchasing the seeds, sowing them, and missing out on income by not growing a commodity crop.

    Other investment examples might involve creating grassland or ponds and ditches to hold back rainwater and prevent floods. These things have an immediate impact on farm output and activities, but with an eye to longer-term benefit.

    Investment in soil health might lower yields in the short run, but should pay off in the long run.
    William Edge / shutterstock

    The sudden closure of the scheme creates an immediate financial vacuum for those who missed the (unannounced) window. Thankfully, farmers with existing agreements will continue within the scheme, and applications that had been submitted prior to the sudden closure will still be assessed.

    However, even for those who are currently enrolled, this about-face instils fear that support will be withdrawn in the years to come – long before something like an expanded woodland has come to fruition.

    The government says that it has run out of money for the current budget cycle. Rather than celebrating the fact that so many farmers want to be involved, want to do adopt better farming practices and act as custodians of nature, it instead panicked and shut people out.

    Too much demand for a nature-friendly future, not enough cold hard cash. And now we can see how the discounting works – the perceived urgency of cashflow today overshadows the long-term benefits of healthy soil, thriving biodiversity, and a resilient ecosystem.

    There are specific actions that SFIs are meant to support, including soil health, water quality, biodiversity and pest management. Each of these requires investment to manage, and to rectify when things go wrong (see the huge fines for water companies).

    For example, it is easier to address issues of water quality by supporting better land use – reduced agri-chemicals, more grassland, tree cover, and so on – than to treat poor water quality downstream.

    But farmers operate both within tight financial margins and on long time-scales. They need security of income to plan land use, including whether they can afford to implement alternative strategies. But they do want to. That’s why there’s been so much demand for SFIs.

    A false economy

    Sympathy could be rustled up for the government, trying to manage complex budgets in a complicated time. But it has made one misstep after another in relation to both food and farming (farmer protests over inheritance tax, for instance) and the environment (such as the planned Heathrow airport expansion)).

    So while immediate fiscal prudence is important, ignoring the long-term consequences of environmental degradation is a false economy. We have a responsibility to value the future as much as the present. Failing to do so will have serious consequences for our environment, our food security, and the well-being of future generations.

    Rather than discounting futures, we should be doing the opposite – negative futures discounting. It sounds upside-down, but it boils down to this: we should value the future more, not less.

    In particular, we should be focused on nurturing good farming and environmental protection. These should take centre stage as mission critical things that we need, and not just for now, but always.

    The sustainable farming incentive shutdown is another chance to reflect on the fact that farming and environmental sustainability are not luxuries, but necessities. We cannot afford to continually discount the future, sacrificing the future of farming and the environment for the sake of short-term finance. It’s time to re-evaluate our priorities.

    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.

    Emma Burnett has previously received funding from sankalpa. She also works as a sustainability researcher for a whisky company.

    – ref. The UK has closed its flagship sustainable farming scheme, choosing short-term cuts over long-term security – https://theconversation.com/the-uk-has-closed-its-flagship-sustainable-farming-scheme-choosing-short-term-cuts-over-long-term-security-252326

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The Winter’s Tale at The Tobacco Factory, Bristol – a marvellous production with much to say about the modern world

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jo Lindsay Walton, Principal Research Fellow in Arts, Climate and Technology, University of Sussex

    The first half rips your heart out. The second attempts, tenderly, to put it back again. This is The Winter’s Tale, currently being performed at The Tobacco Factory, Bristol.

    In Shakespeare’s tragicomedy, King Leontes of Sicilia, in a fit of jealous paranoia, falsely accuses his wife Queen Hermione of adultery with their friend, King Polixenes of Bohemia. Quickfire catastrophe unfolds.

    Before you know it, the couple’s newborn daughter, Perdita, has been abandoned on a Bohemian hillside, left to the mercy of wolves and ravens. Sixteen years later, raised by the mercy of Bohemian shepherds instead, Perdita falls in love with Polixenes’ son. There are disguises. There are japes. And, astonishingly, there is reconciliation.

    It’s a marvellous production, directed by Heidi Vaughan, and it marks a welcome return of Shakespeare to The Tobacco Factory after a hiatus. With a cast drawn from Bristol’s deep talent pool, the connections on stage feel secure, energetic, and richly nuanced.

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    Hermione and Paulina are two of Shakespeare’s most intriguing roles for women, and Alice Barclay and Rose Wardlow do them justice. Barclay is stunning as the stunned Hermione, while Wardlow brings layers of vulnerability and sarkiness to Paulina’s righteous fury. Many of the smaller and medium roles shine. Amy Loughton (Perdita’s shepherdess mum) and Bill Ward (Polixenes) find organic situational comedy in moments that could easily have been merely functional.

    King Leontes’ tyranny, which dominates the first half, is played by Felix Hayes as a kind of psychotic episode. I’m torn. Hayes has a strong stage presence, with a whiplash switch from gentle loveliness to shuffling, brooding, whimpering monstrosity.

    It’s a spellbinding breakdown. But I was left wondering – might a less unhinged portrayal have better exposed the complicity of the court?

    The costume and set design also feel a little elusive. This ambiguity means the nature of Leontes’ authority is hard to pin down, as is the misogyny that shapes his tyranny. With androgynous-suited courtiers and soft furnishings, it’s hard to pin down the time or place, unless it’s the soft play area at Wacky Warehouse.

    The choice seems deliberate, leaning into that timeless fairytale quality. But The Winter’s Tale is specifically about time, including a particular time – now.

    What The Winter’s Tale can tell us in 2025

    The play celebrates the healing power of time, nature and the turn of the seasons. But the seasons themselves are not immune to tyranny. In other words, The Winter’s Tale is about responses to tyranny, as well as tyranny itself.

    Paulina (Wardlow) attempts to bloody well sort it out. She directly confronts both Leontes (“this most cruel usage of your queen, / not able to produce more accusation / than your own weak-hing’d fancy, something savours / of tyranny”) and the cowardly court (“such as you, /
    that creep like shadows by him, and do sigh / at each his needless heavings”).

    But how about the others? Camillo (Dorian Simpson) pragmatically scurries for the hills to bide his time. Cleomenes (Amy Loughton) musters some flustered bravery. Antigonus (Stu McLoughlin), let’s be frank, deserves to be eaten by a bear. It’s lucky there’s one handy.

    The Winter’s Tale can be tricky to stage in the round. It’s a story filled with centripetal forces – characters beg, vow, comfort, cling, smother – yet the space encourages just the opposite: centrifugal forces, outward motion, striding away, lobbing repartee over a shoulder, performers unfolding like a clockwork mechanism. The round staging comes into its own, however, in beautiful scenes of revelry, song, and dance, which are also scenes of healing.

    Someone once told me that boredom is an important part of healing. The lengthy pastoral scenes of the First Folio Winter’s Tale seem to bear that out. But for this production, Robin Belfield has given the script a tight edit, shortening many of these scenes.

    Ultimately, I’m grateful for the judicious cuts – people do, after all, need to leave the theatre eventually, and the two halves feel equally balanced.

    The Winter’s Tale proposes that real healing comes from remorse, time, and distance. It also comes from the company of those less wrapped up in the trauma. Your wounds will define you until you learn to relinquish the lead role in your own tragedy, and accept a supporting role in somebody else’s comedy.

    By the end of the play, Leontes feels remorse – but is it enough to provide healing for those he has hurt? Or is something more missing – some more explicit reckoning or reparative justice? I don’t know. The Winter’s Tale won’t resolve the question of whether healing is ever truly complete. It only asks whether we are willing to live with the weight of what cannot be undone.

    Jo Lindsay Walton 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 Winter’s Tale at The Tobacco Factory, Bristol – a marvellous production with much to say about the modern world – https://theconversation.com/the-winters-tale-at-the-tobacco-factory-bristol-a-marvellous-production-with-much-to-say-about-the-modern-world-251944

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Exploring the link between school exclusion and crime – new research

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Iain Brennan, Professor of Criminology, University of Hull

    The rate of children permanently excluded from school in England rose against last year and is higher than before the pandemic.

    A recent BBC documentary by actor Idris Elba pointed out that being excluded from school can be a tipping point that pushes a child towards serious violence. This observation is backed up by convincing evidence.

    Data in a joint report by the Ministry of Justice and Department for Education shows that the risk of being cautioned or charged for a serious violence offence by age 18 is 15 times higher in children who had been excluded from school.

    Crucially, though, exclusion and violence have many risk factors in common. Children who have special educational needs, have grown up in deprivation or have been in care, for instance, are more at risk both of being excluded from school and of committing a violent offence.

    This makes the job of teasing out the impact of exclusion on violence challenging. Research needs to account for the contribution of these other factors.

    We carried out research to isolate the effect of school exclusion on serious violence, trying to do so in a way that just focused on the impact of exclusion.

    The best way to know whether or not something has caused a change is to split a group of people at random and give one group something and not the other, be that a medicine, a programme or anything else. This is known as a randomised controlled trial.

    Finding a cause

    By randomly splitting the group, any other risk factors – ones that we know about and ones that we don’t – are shared equally across the two groups, so if we see a difference between the groups, the only explanation is the difference introduced by the researchers.

    However, there are lots of situations where randomisation would be unethical. We could never randomise people to start smoking to test if it causes a disease, nor could we randomise skydivers to not wear parachutes. School exclusion is a situation like this. Excluding some children but not excluding others in the name of science would be a dangerous experiment.

    Instead of this unethical coin toss, we used a new technique from medical research, known as a target trial emulation. This approach seeks to mimic the circumstances of a randomised controlled trial.

    It does so by ensuring that the study only includes people who meet the “eligibility” criteria for the study, that the two groups are as similar as possible and that they are followed up for identical periods.

    It is important to define who is “eligible” for exclusion. While in theory, any children can be excluded, they are only truly eligible if they have done something “exclusion-worthy”.

    There are many common risk factors for exclusion and violence.
    polya_olya/Shutterstock

    Finding groups of people who meet these criteria and where some have been excluded and others have not is challenging. Fortunately, in 2020, the Department for Education linked the records of over 15 million people to criminal records held by the Ministry of Justice and anonymised them. This data set is just the type of “big data” we need for this question.

    We identified every record of a child who had been excluded between 2006 and 2016 – over 20,000 children. We then matched these records against those of other children from the same data set who had the same background, educational experience and history of suspensions and (non-violent) offending, but who, crucially, were never excluded.

    Following those cases from the time of the exclusion and comparing them, we found that, within a year, the excluded children were more than twice as likely to commit serious violent crime than their not excluded peers.

    A doubling of risk of the most serious violence in an already high-risk group points to exclusion being an important factor in youth violence.

    But because we cannot rule out other factors and because we can’t know if the comparison group were truly “eligible” for exclusion, this may be as close as we can get to understanding the causal influence of exclusion.

    Cut back on exclusions?

    The evidence on a link between exclusion and future violence might suggest that it would be a good idea to limit exclusions from schools. But this is an extremely contentious issue.

    Limiting or preventing exclusions risks schools having to spend a great deal of precious resources keeping a small number of children in school. The Department for Education and many teachers state that exclusions are necessary when a child’s behaviour becomes a risk to their classmates and teachers or harms the potential to learn.

    On the other hand, continuing with increasing rates of exclusions risks letting down the most vulnerable and traumatised children – as well as potentially creating victims of crime and heaping pressure on prisons later on.

    Critics of exclusions argue that, as well as increasing risk of offending, exclusions unfairly target children from ethnic minorities and children with special educational needs, and should be avoided as much as possible.

    We may never truly know the causal effect of exclusion on violent offending. But perhaps we do not need to. Addressing the common causes of exclusion and violence should be the greater priority.

    The warning signs for a child’s exclusion and violence will have been clear in many cases but too often schools and teachers lack the time and resources to help and include a child showing these signs, falling back on disciplinary policies that may be doing more harm than good.

    It would be better to introduce an inclusive system that views schools as being part of a system that does not just respond to violence but can prevent it. However, although exclusion from school may be a trigger and a predictor of serious violence, preventing such violence cannot be the responsibility of schools alone.

    Iain Brennan receives funding from Economic and Social Research Council, Home Office, College of Policing, Youth Endowment Fund and the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Humberside.

    Rosie Cornish receives funding from the UK Medical Research Council, the Economic and Social Research Council, the Youth Endowment Fund, the Home Office and the Avon and Somerset Violence Reduction Partnership.

    – ref. Exploring the link between school exclusion and crime – new research – https://theconversation.com/exploring-the-link-between-school-exclusion-and-crime-new-research-252122

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –