NewzIntel.com

Category: Canada

  • MIL-OSI: Condor Production in Uzbekistan Surpasses 12,000 boepd

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, Feb. 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Condor Energies Inc. (“Condor” or the “Company”) (TSX: CDR), a Canadian based energy transition company is pleased to announce daily gas and condensate production has averaged 12,004 boepd during the past six days on the production enhancement project it operates in Uzbekistan. This represents a 5% increase from the previous five day average of 11,455 boepd that was disclosed on February 19, 2025.

    Workover operations continue that are focused on Carbonate formation intervals where material production gains have been realized. At least five additional well candidates have been identified with similar geologic characteristics using a combination of legacy data and reprocessed 3-D seismic data. Over the coming weeks, these wells will be evaluated to identify potential pay intervals and perforated accordingly. The Company is currently operating two workover rigs and a wireline unit. A third workover rig and second wireline unit with advanced evaluation tools from a North American based services provider is mobilizing to Uzbekistan.

    ABOUT CONDOR ENERGIES INC

    Condor Energies Inc is a TSX-listed energy transition company that is uniquely positioned on the doorstep of European and Asian markets with three distinct first-mover energy security initiatives: increasing natural gas and condensate production from its existing fields in Uzbekistan; an ongoing project to construct and operate Central Asia’s first LNG ‘lower carbon fuel’ diesel substitution facility in Kazakhstan; and a separate initiative to develop and produce critical minerals from brines in Kazakhstan. Condor has already built a strong foundation for reserves, production and cashflow growth while also striving to minimize its environmental footprint.

    FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

    Certain statements in this news release constitute forward-looking statements under applicable securities legislation. Such statements are generally identifiable by the terminology used, such as “anticipate”, “appear”, “believe”, “intend”, “expect”, “plan”, “estimate”, “budget”, “outlook”, “scheduled”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “could”, “would”, “in the process of” or other similar wording. Forward-looking information in this news release includes, but is not limited to, information concerning: the timing and ability to identify candidates with similar geologic characteristics; the timing and ability to identify potential pay intervals; the timing and ability to perforate the identified wells; the timing and ability to complete workovers on the next five well candidates and have them produce at commercial gas rates; the timing and ability to mobilize a third workover rig and second wireline unit; and the timing and ability to access and evaluate future Cretaceous channel sands.

    ABBREVIATIONS

    The following is a summary of abbreviations used in this news release:

    boepd                barrels of oil equivalent per day*

    * Barrels of oil equivalent (“boe”) are derived by converting gas to oil in the ratio of six thousand standard cubic feet (“Mscf”) of gas to one barrel of oil based on an energy conversion method primarily applicable at the burner tip and does not represent a value equivalency at the wellhead. Given the value ratio based on the current price of crude oil as compared to natural gas is significantly different from the energy equivalency of 6 Mscf to 1 barrel, utilizing a conversion ratio at 6 Mscf to 1 barrel may be misleading as an indication of value, particularly if used in isolation.

    The TSX does not accept responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

    For further information, please contact Don Streu, President and CEO or Sandy Quilty, Vice President of Finance and CFO at 403-201-9694.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Updating regulation, licensing of addiction treatment

    [. The model is based on the fact that recovery is possible, and Albertans deserve the best care to support them on their path of recovery.

    The Mental Health Services Protection Act provides a foundation to ensure safe, quality mental health and addiction care, and the authority to establish licensing programs for mental health and addiction services. Services for bed-based addiction treatment, narcotic transition, drug consumption and psychedelic drug treatment are currently licensed under the act.

    Alberta’s government is proposing amendments to be more flexible and responsive to the evolving needs of Albertans. The proposed amendments position the act as a framework legislation to provide better oversight for mental health and addiction services and help ensure Albertans receive quality, standardized treatment and services.

    If passed, the amendments would come into effect in fall 2025.

    “We are committed to developing a recovery-oriented system of care that grows and evolves to meet the needs of every Albertan. These proposed amendments reflect our dedication to maintaining a system that is both effective and adaptable.”

    Dan Williams, Minister of Mental Health and Addiction

    Enhancing bed-based addiction treatment services

    Currently, all bed-based addiction treatment services are subject to the same licensing requirements, regardless of the type or intensity of services provided. The proposed amendments would create three types of bed-based addiction treatment services subject to separate licensing requirements:

    • Withdrawal management services: medically supervised services to manage or support an individual through the process of withdrawal from one or more substances;
    • Intensive treatment services: intensive and structured residential care services for individuals with addiction; and
    • Non-intensive recovery services: services in a recovery-oriented environment that provide less-intensive treatment compared to intensive treatment services.

    In addition, proposed amendments would add a provision for title protection. This would mean only licensed bed-based addiction treatment services providers would be able to use these service descriptions.

    The goal of these changes is to better support Albertans to find services, get the right support and know what to expect when accessing each type of service. Matching individuals with the appropriate level of care promotes better health outcomes and maximizes the effectiveness of resources. Service providers would also benefit from increased licensing clarity.

    Introducing exemptions

    Another proposed amendment includes authorizing the Minister of Mental Health and Addiction to exempt specific people or service providers on a unique case-by-case basis from the act’s framework.

    Exemptions would only be allowed in very specific instances, such as for medical reasons, scientific research, or when there’s a clear public benefit. Clear guidelines would be developed to ensure exemptions would only be granted in appropriate circumstances.

    The ability for the minister to grant exemptions would allow for flexibility and adaptability in rare circumstances or complex situations.

    Refining regulatory requirements

    The proposed legislation also includes administrative amendments to address regulatory inconsistencies, clarify requirements, and better align the act with the Alberta Recovery Model. As an example, references to residential addiction treatment services would be updated to bed-based treatment services.

    Alberta’s government is making record investments and removing barriers to recovery-oriented supports for all Albertans, regardless of where they live or their financial situation. Actions include adding more than 10,000 new publicly funded addiction treatment spaces; eliminating daily user fees for bed-based treatment services; and expanding access to the Virtual Opioid Dependency Program, which provides same-day access to life-saving treatment medication.

    Quick facts

    • Albertans can call 211 Alberta to find supports and services in their area.
    • Albertans struggling with opioid addiction can contact the Virtual Opioid Dependency Program (VODP) by calling 1-844-383-7688, seven days a week, from 6 a.m. to midnight. The VODP provides same-day access to addiction medicine specialists. There is no wait list.

    Related information

    • Modernizing addiction treatment licensing
    • Mental Health Services Protection Act
    • Residential addiction treatment service providers
    • Residential addiction treatment service provider licensing

    Multimedia

    • Watch the news conference
    • Listen to the news conference

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Kisbey — Arrested: Carlyle RCMP investigating break and enter near Kisbey

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    February 25, 2025
    Kisbey, Saskatchewan

    News release

    On February 24, 2025 at approximately 11:00 a.m., a Saskatchewan RCMP officer with Combined Traffic Services Saskatchewan located and arrested Trent Raynard in Stoughton, SK. Trent Raynard was wanted by Carlyle RCMP in relation to a break and enter that occurred in November 2023.

    Trent Raynard appeared in Weyburn Provincial Court on February 25, 2025.

    –30–

    Backgrounder

    Carlyle RCMP investigating break and enter near Kisbey

    2023-12-19

    On November 27, 2023 Carlyle RCMP responded to a break and enter that occurred at a gas plant near Kisbey sometime between November 24 and November 26. Various items had been stolen from the business.

    Carlyle RCMP investigated with the assistance of Yorkton RCMP Forensic Identification Services. A search warrant was executed near Arcola, Saskatchewan. Officers located and recovered multiple items believed to have been stolen, including a camper trailer, tools, and electronics.

    As a result of continued investigation, 25-year-old Brianna Paul of Stoughton, Saskatchewan and 32-year-old Trent Raynard of Stoughton, Saskatchewan were each charged with:

    • one count, possession of property obtained by crime over $5,000, Section 354(1)(a), Criminal Code;
    • one count, theft under $5,000, Section 334(1)(b), Criminal Code; and
    • one count, mischief under $5,000, Section 430(4), Criminal Code.

    On December 14, Brianna Paul was arrested. She appeared in Estevan Provincial Court on December 18.

    A warrant has been issued for Trent Raynard’s arrest, and Carlyle RCMP are working to locate him.

    Trent Raynard is described as 5’6″ and approximately 132 lbs. He has blue eyes and brown hair.

    If you see Trent Raynard, do not approach him. Report sightings or information on his whereabouts to your local police service. You can reach your local RCMP detachment by dialling 310-RCMP. Information can also be submitted anonymously by contacting Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477) or www.saskcrimestoppers.com.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Delivering care close to home in La Crete

    Alberta’s government is committed to ensuring all Albertans have access to high-quality care when and where they need it, including in remote Alberta communities. The new La Crete Maternity and Community Health Centre will provide enhanced access to maternal health and advanced ambulatory care, underscoring the Alberta government’s dedication to meeting the health care needs of communities across the province.

    “Every Albertan deserves high-quality health care close to home. This expanded access will ensure Albertans living in La Crete and the surrounding areas will receive timely, exceptional care when they need it most.”

    Adriana LaGrange, Minister of Health

    Alberta’s government first announced the project in 2021, with planning for the new facility beginning at that time and the design phase being completed in early February of this year. The construction phase of the project will see Alberta’s government invest $80 million over the next three years as part of a total investment of about $86 million for the project.

    Designed to meet local needs, the facility will include a birthing centre, midwifery program, advanced ambulatory care and a two-vehicle ambulance bay to improve emergency services. These new services will offer Albertans in the northern community and its surrounding areas more timely and accessible care by improving maternal health, emergency response and overall health care options in the area.

    “With shovels going in the ground, northern Albertans in La Crete are looking forward to having their very own maternity and community health centre. I am pleased that we are now entering the construction phase for this new facility within the community, keeping Peace Country a beautiful place to raise a family.”

    Dan Williams, MLA for Peace River

    In addition to the existing public health services, residents will have access to expanded services including pre- and post-natal care on site. This health facility, expected to open in 2027, is the result of a close collaboration with the La Crete community to address its unique health care needs. It will be operated by Covenant Health. As Alberta’s government continues to refocus the health care system, working closely with local leadership will ensure these services are aligned with community priorities.

    “This much-needed facility will make a real difference for families in the community, providing essential care closer to home. Its opening can’t come soon enough.” 

    John Knelsen, reeve, Mackenzie County

    The centre will also include a laboratory for timely blood testing and storage, as well as diagnostic imaging services, including ultrasound. Dedicated space will also be available for counselling and psychiatrist referrals to support individuals, families and groups.

    “This is an exciting milestone for the community of La Crete, surrounding areas and Covenant Health. Guided by our values of compassion, respect and stewardship, we look forward to welcoming and integrating our new employees while providing seamless, high-quality health care for the community.”

    Patrick Dumelie, CEO, Covenant Health

    Alberta’s government will continue investing in future projects that provide Albertans in rural and remote communities with access to high-quality care, both now and in the future.

    Quick facts

    • The new facility will provide integrated health services for about 9,200 people living in La Crete and the surrounding areas.
    • Covenant Health will assume operations of the existing health facility and continuing care centre by fall 2025.
      • Plans for Covenant Health to operate the new health facility were announced in April 2022.
      • To foster transparency and dialogue, Covenant Health and Alberta Health Services hosted a town hall for affected staff and La Crete community members on Jan. 30, 2025.

    Related information

    • Covenant Health

    Related news

    • Covenant Health to operate new La Crete health centre (April 3, 2022)
    • New maternity, community health centre for La Crete (Aug. 11, 2021)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why Trump’s Gaza reconstruction proposal is unlikely to work

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Ali Asgary, Professor, Disaster & Emergency Management, Faculty of Liberal Arts & Professional Studies & Director, CIFAL York, York University, Canada

    There have been many conversations around U.S. President Donald Trump’s Gaza proposal to permanently displace Palestinians from Gaza to neighbouring countries and turn the strip into a luxury resort development. Criticisms of Trump’s comments often focus on the proposal’s illegality, immorality and impracticality.

    However, little has been discussed from the perspective of post-disaster and post-war reconstruction. Post-conflict reconstruction, as part of post-disaster reconstruction studies, has a very long history, scholarly literature, lessons learned and is one of the well-studied phases of disaster and emergency management.

    Where to rebuild

    When it comes to where to rebuild or reconstruct after disasters, including human-made disasters such as war and conflict, there are three main options:

    1) reconstruction in the original location;

    2) reconstruction in a new location; and

    3) reconstruction and integration in existing settlements.

    Each of these approaches has its advantages, disadvantages and challenges. One of the key principles of post-disaster recovery and reconstruction is minimizing post-disaster relocation.

    While a significant majority of post-disaster reconstruction happens in the original locations, there has been reconstruction and resettlement to new locations and beside or inside existing settlements.

    For example, after the 1974 conflict in Cyprus, the city of Famagusta was abandoned and residents were relocated to new areas. Relocation after the 1995 volcano eruption that buried Plymouth in Montserrat is another example. After the 1990 Manjil earthquake in Iran, many villages were relocated and rebuilt in new locations.

    Rebuilding in the original location

    Studies show that reconstruction in the original location is generally the most preferred and effective option. People impacted and displaced by war and disasters usually prefer to live in their original community.

    In some cases, reconstruction in the original location may still require some forms of temporary resettlement. This temporary relocation is a preferred option when the affected areas do not have enough space or ability to support the population during the reconstruction period, particularly during debris removal and infrastructure restoration.

    Past reconstruction efforts in developed and developing countries, show that recovery and reconstruction are more effective, democratic and faster when the impacted population is in charge of the reconstruction process, and remain close to their damaged homes.

    The closer a temporary settlement is to the reconstruction site, the better. Proximity allows the impacted population to participate effectively, monitor and benefit from the reconstruction process without distance and accessibility barriers.

    Rebuilding in new locations

    Reconstruction in a new location is usually considered as one of the last options when rebuilding in the original place is not possible due to various hazards like landslides, earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, flooding or volcanos.

    This usually occurs when mitigation measures are neither possible nor feasible. This option requires relocating the impacted population and rebuilding everything from scratch. Its success very much depends on the availability of land, resources and the willingness of the impacted population to relocate.

    Even when relocation is the only viable option, impacted people must be fully involved and given discretion regarding their place of relocation. Involuntary resettlement programs are impracticable. Even when the population is displaced, studies show that people return to their original homes if they can.

    Rebuilding near existing settlements is an extension of this option except that instead of rebuilding in a new location, reconstruction happens beside existing settlements to minimize infrastructure costs.

    This option can still be challenging. Implementation can be very complex even when new settlements are in the same country or area. Reintegrating people into a new place, even when they are willing to be relocated, requires many livelihood support initiatives, land availability, legal frameworks for land distribution and dispute resolution.

    Rebuilding options for Gaza

    Trump’s proposal is close to that last option, with three major differences. The first difference is that there is no consultation with Palestinians in Gaza.

    The second difference is that the impacted population will be forcefully and involuntarily relocated to settlements in other countries (Egypt and Jordan).

    The third difference is that the United States would “own” Gaza, and rebuild it for other purposes and uses, not for the benefit of Palestinians.

    As mentioned above, one key justification for rebuilding in a new location is that the original place is not permanently safe. Trump’s proposal assumes that Gaza is not safe for Palestinians but somehow safe for others.

    Post-disaster and conflict reconstruction is not just a physical reconstruction project. Rather, it is a complex, multidimensional process, with potentially very high negative impact if not properly planned and implemented.

    Top-down approaches in post-disaster recovery and reconstruction often fail because these approaches ignore the complexity of the built environment, the local conditions, and the needs of the affected population.

    Displacing entire populations, their economic activities and their social networks and relations can have significant impacts — direct and indirect — on the population and on governments. Community relocation fails because it disrupts social networks, and increases negative sentiments and dissatisfaction with living conditions in new location.

    Post-war reconstruction programmes must be multi-dimensional and based on a clear understanding of local conditions and careful consultation with the affected people. The alternative to large-scale resettlement is to reduce the risks people face in their current location.

    In the past, international solidarity has played an important role in reconstruction. Such solidarity increasingly exists for the Palestinians of Gaza, and with that, rebuilding in the same location can still be a viable and preferred option.

    Ali Asgary 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 Trump’s Gaza reconstruction proposal is unlikely to work – https://theconversation.com/why-trumps-gaza-reconstruction-proposal-is-unlikely-to-work-249680

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: More than just a game: How sports are reflecting Canada-U.S. tensions

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Noah Eliot Vanderhoeven, PhD Candidate, Political Science, Western University

    Canada emerged victorious in the 4 Nations Face-off hockey tournament on Feb. 20, but the event was overshadowed by growing political tensions between Canada and the United States.

    In the lead-up to the final game, American fans booed the Canadian national anthem, likely in response to Canadian fans booing the American national anthem ahead of a game between the two teams on Feb. 15.

    This was not the first recent airing of grievances from Canadian fans at a sporting event. Following U.S. President Donald Trump’s announcement of tariffs against Canada and repeated calls for Canada to become the 51st state, fans at a Toronto Raptors game and Ottawa Senators game booed the American national anthem.



    Read more:
    How Donald Trump’s attacks on Canada are stoking a new Canadian nationalism

    Despite the proposed tariffs being postponed for 30 days, Trump’s antagonistic vision for Canada-U.S. relations has stoked anti-American sentiments among Canadians, including calls to boycott American goods and a deteriorating belief in close Canada-U.S. relations.

    Those anti-American sentiments boiled over again when Canada faced the U.S. in Montréal, showcasing how sport can be used as an expression of nationalism — especially at a time of increased tensions between the two countries.

    Why sports matter politically

    It’s not surprising that sport has become an arena for nationalist political rhetoric. Sport possesses powerful symbolism that can be exploited to great affect in forming a coherent national identity.

    In this way, sporting events are a way fandoms can reinforce national identity as an objective symbol that connects to primitive forms of national ideology.

    Sport is also a powerful psychological setting for national rhetoric. A person’s social identity, or how they see themselves in relation to others, can be reinforced through sport. This can happen, for instance, when someone views themselves as a member of a team and celebrates their success, or views a rival team or country in a negative light after a loss.

    Additionally, the outcome of a game can boost in-group favouritism, which can influence whether consumers buy goods from a specific vendor.

    Nationalism versus patriotism

    Generally, research suggests sports reinforce a national in-group identity that is more patriotic than nationalistic. However, the vitriol Canadians have expressed during the American national anthem leans towards expressing nationalist views rather than patriotic ones.

    Patriotism typically focuses on why a country is great without necessarily disparaging outsiders or other countries. Nationalism, on the other hand, tends to play up why one’s country is great while vilifying another country or group.

    Trump’s focus on using tariffs to bully Canada into increasing security at the border has undoubtedly soured relations between the two countries. If Trump decides to flex the United States’ capacity to be a bully in U.S.-Canadian relations, Canada is stuck with limited options.

    But are Canadians playing right into Donald Trump’s hand by leaning into an adversarial relationship?

    How Trump uses sports for political gain

    Trump has a history of using major sporting events to his political benefit. During his last presidential campaign, he attended the Army-Navy football game and became the first sitting president to attend the recent Super Bowl in New Orleans.

    Trump also considered attending the 4 Nations final between the U.S. and Canada in Boston, but couldn’t attend due to a scheduled speech with U.S. governors. Still, he made his presence felt by calling the American team the morning before the game to wish them luck.

    Looking ahead, Trump may continue to use international sporting events to assert his vision for U.S. relations with Canada and Mexico.

    In January, Trump invited Gianni Infantino, the head of FIFA, to his inauguration, just as preparations have begun for the 2026 World Cup, which is to be hosted by Canada, Mexico and the U.S.

    With Infantino and Trump becoming increasingly friendly, it seems likely Trump will use the upcoming World Cup to influence North American relations. At the very least, he will likely try to insert himself into its coverage.

    Trump using sport to reinforce his image

    Beyond politics, Trump uses sports to play into his crafted image as a hyper-masculine man. This image has played a large part in Trump’s popularity among young men and helped him win a second term as president.

    Yet Trump does not necessarily fit the masculine norms his supporters lionize. Trump is fairly tall, which has been shown to be preferred among American voters. However, unlike past presidents such as Dwight D. Eisenhower and Richard Nixon, who played college football, Trump’s athletic background is limited to high school football.

    Nor did Trump serve in the military like previous presidents John F. Kennedy and Ronald Reagan, both of whom served in the Second World War. Trump, by contrast, avoided service during the Vietnam war for medical and educational reasons.

    Despite a lack of traditional masculine bonafides, Trump has shown an ability to use sporting events for his political gain. He has used sporting events as potent media environments to insert his talking points and burnish his masculine image.

    In the end, the boos from Canadian fans may be music to Donald Trump’s ears. He wants to be hated by outsiders so he can turn around to his supporters and say that the U.S. is under attack at its borders. He wants the sporting accomplishments of the American men’s teams to reflect on his strength.

    It can still go against him, as we saw Thursday night with Canada beating the U.S. in overtime. Justin Trudeau wasted no time using that moment to respond with strong rhetoric in a tweet.

    What happened on the ice was out of Trump’s control. But he used the event to serve his own goals, sowing greater divisiveness across borders. The shadow of his combative rhetoric loomed large over the entire event.

    Noah Eliot Vanderhoeven 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. More than just a game: How sports are reflecting Canada-U.S. tensions – https://theconversation.com/more-than-just-a-game-how-sports-are-reflecting-canada-u-s-tensions-250385

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why Donald Trump is a relentless bullshitter

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Tim Kenyon, Professor, Faculty of Humanities, Brock University

    There have been many questions raised about the intentions behind Donald Trump’s spate of radical public statements about Canada, in which he claims trade deficits amount to subsidies, massive amounts of fentanyl are flowing across the border and the country should become the 51st American state, among other things.

    The U.S. president’s comments have fuelled speculation about what he means when he makes these kinds of false claims — or whether he means anything at all.

    After all, rounded to the nearest percentage point, zero per cent of illicit fentanyl entering the U.S. comes from Canada, trade deficits are not subsidies and annexing Canada is an absurd proposal.

    So why say things that are so untrue?

    Is Trump serious about any of this?

    Ignore Trump? Or fear him?

    The aggregate opinion seems to be both an unhelpful no and a yes, so the answer remains unclear.

    If we take every provocation seriously, we’re falling for the “flood the zone” strategy as Trump spews out outlandish claims as a form of distraction.

    If we shrug off his claims, we’re ignoring the potential danger.

    But there are patterns and incentives behind Trump’s flouting of basic communicative norms. One illustrative example dates back to 2018 talks with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, when Trump complained about the U.S. trade deficit with Canada. Later, he told prospective donors in Missouri that he’d made this claim up on the spot.

    Why make up a claim like that? And, having done so, why admit and even brag about it, and then renew this knowingly false claim six years later?

    My colleague Jennifer Saul and I are scholars in the political philosophy of language. We’re among those who cite this example of Trump bullshit in our work on bullshit in authoritarian political speech and how bullshit can succeed even though everyone recognizes that it is, in fact, bullshit.



    Read more:
    Bullshit is everywhere. Here’s how to deal with it at work

    Why Trump bullshits

    Our notion of bullshit is a refinement of the term that was the subject of American philosopher Harry Frankfurt’s seminal 2005 book On Bullshit.

    Most liars care enough about the truth to try to conceal it. But simply not caring either way is a different vice, which Frankfurt called bullshitting.

    An example would be claiming a trade deficit without having any idea whether that’s true or false. Other examples include uttering falsehoods that are so obvious they couldn’t possibly be intended to deceive anyone.

    Really obvious bullshit can succeed politically, we proposed, because there are many audiences in mass communication. Bullshit targeted at Audience A can be a big hit with Audience B, if B thinks A deserves it.

    Then it becomes a display of power over A, with B enjoying the spectacle. This overt bullshitting lends itself to authoritarian politics for someone cultivating a strongman image. It marks an opponent for disrespectful treatment, and advertises that the bullshitter cannot be held to account.

    So Trump’s admission that he bullshitted Trudeau in 2018 was a successful strategy because he revealed it to a sympathetic audience, who got to see themselves as part of the performance and not as its target. Asking: “Does Trump really mean this?” is often less revealing than: “How does this promote Trump’s image as an authority figure, and to which audience?”

    Similarly, Trump falsely remarked in 2019 that Hurricane Dorian’s projected path included Alabama. He responded to fact-checking by showing an official storm track map that he literally altered by hand, with a marker.

    Such a ridiculous invention couldn’t be meant to deceive. But it showed Trump’s base, many of whom distrust mainstream information sources, that he couldn’t be made to back down for reporters, no matter the facts.

    Some claims appear deceptive lies to one audience and bullshit to another, like Trump’s recent claim that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy is a dictator who started the war in Ukraine.

    Some audiences might believe it. Others will see it as false and designed to be deceptive, yet recognize it as a threat to treat Ukraine as an aggressor with American demands for Ukraine’s rare earth minerals at stake.



    Read more:
    Ukraine’s natural resources are at centre stage in the ongoing war, and will likely remain there

    Credibility matters in unexpected ways

    Even conservative pundits initially worried that Trump’s propensity to bullshit would diminish the finite resource that is credibility.

    They didn’t recognize that credibility is a dubious virtue in strongman politics. Its absence can even be an asset. Acting without credibility is a chance to flex — to show that you can compel others to take you seriously whether they believe you or not.

    These incentives link frivolous outbursts of bullshit with very serious doubling-downs. Trump first spoke about Canada becoming the 51st state in a meeting with Trudeau in late November so offhandedly that it was not immediately mentioned in news reports.

    Once Fox News seized upon it, Trudeau was forced to publicly dismiss the comment as a joke.

    Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Donald Trump at Trump’s Mar-a-Lago estate in Florida in November 2024. Trudeau apparently thought Trump was just bullshitting when he made mention of Canada becoming a 51st state during the dinner.
    (X/@JustinTrudeau)

    A great deal more commentary revealed liberal-leaning Canadians and Americans were angry and even frightened by this sort of talk — conditions that made it attractive for Trump to double down rather than back down.



    Read more:
    Canada as a 51st state? Republicans would never win another general election

    Combing through Trump’s speech and actions towards Canada to discover what he really means may just be an attempt to “sane-wash” them; meaning trying to figure out if they reflect a stable and sincere attitude, or even a stable and insincere negotiating strategy.

    What makes Trump’s bullshit so dangerous is that it rarely reflects fixed, coherent meanings or convictions. It lurches from triviality to deadly seriousness, depending on how his various audiences provide the approval and the outrage Trump seeks for his performances of strength.

    Tim Kenyon 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 Donald Trump is a relentless bullshitter – https://theconversation.com/why-donald-trump-is-a-relentless-bullshitter-249896

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How hockey’s politics played out at the 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Braeden McKenzie, Postdoctoral Fellow & Equity Data and Research Analyst, University of Victoria

    The National Hockey League’s 4 Nations Face-Off tournament captured attention across North America as hockey’s first best-on-best competition since the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics.

    The tournament, which featured competitive round-robin games between Canada, the United States, Finland and Sweden, was a massive success for the league. The final game between Canada and the U.S. averaged 9.25 million viewers with Canada defeating the United States 3-2 in overtime.

    The recent rise in political tensions between Canada and the U.S., amid continued threats of a trade war, have made their way onto the ice. Canadian fans in Montréal loudly booed the Star-Spangled Banner before both of Team USA’s round robin games.

    In response, Bill Guerin, Team USA’s general manager, encouraged U.S. President Donald Trump to attend the championship game in Boston. For his part, Trump used the tournament to reiterate his threat to annex Canada in a Truth Social post.

    An apolitical image

    Historically, hockey has been marketed as an apolitical space. The culture celebrates players that demonstrate a willingness to do their talking on the ice, praising their quiet reverence for the game’s traditions above all else.

    Superstar players like Gordie Howe, Bobby Orr, Wayne Gretzky and Sidney Crosby have been admired for being modest, respectful and even bland in their conduct, approach to the game and leadership style.

    Perhaps unsurprisingly, when players and coaches for the American and Canadian teams were asked about the political context the tournament had been thrust into, most reiterated that hockey should not be political and instead should operate as a space for people to escape.

    However, such notions belie a culture of masculinity that is decidedly white, and which ingrains expectations about tradition, professionalism and respect and works to uphold hockey’s political status quo.

    Fans boo American national anthem ahead of a showdown between Canada and the United States at the 4 Nations Face-Off. (The Canadian Press)

    Hockey’s preferred political acts

    In reality, hockey has always been a political space. Acts like playing national anthems, saluting flags or honouring military service are all inherently political. So, too, are displays of gigantic national flags in stadiums or arenas, military jet flyovers and public subsidies for professional sports facilities.

    It is noteworthy that those political acts are seen as acceptable in sports, while others — like booing or kneeling during an anthem — have faced widespread criticism from players, coaches and management.

    Performances of nationalism and militarism are somehow seen as apolitical, while expressions of protest are unpatriotic and too political. Such distinctions are less about preserving hockey as an apolitical space and more about maintaining unity and consensus in support of the brand of politics that is celebrated throughout the culture.

    Because the game’s history is largely based in white masculinities and traditions, political positions which reflect those ideologies (such as Don Cherry’s brand of nostalgic working-class populism and the MAGA movement’s views on nationalism, family structure or race) have been whole-heartedly accepted within hockey culture.

    A false neutrality

    Framing hockey as somehow neutral or apolitical simply reinforces the politics of the status quo, which benefits those in power and is, in itself, a clear expression of politics.

    Wayne Gretzky, perhaps Canada’s best ever player, has become an example of this very political reality. Gretzky recently faced criticism for attending the U.S. election night celebrations at Mar-A-Lago and Trump’s inauguration. Trump himself has suggested that Gretzky could be Canada’s governor if it becomes the 51st state.

    P.K. Subban, a gold medal-winning Canadian defenseman, was also criticized after he tweeted a screenshot of Trump’s Truth Social post, suggesting Trump may make the difference in the final game’s result.

    While many Canadians might disapprove of Gretzky attending the inauguration and Subban’s post, the acts are not likely to receive any major push-back within hockey itself (with the exception of former Canadian NHL player Akim Aliu calling out Subban).

    Having historically developed as a symbol of white masculinity, hockey will continue to represent a haven for ideologies rooted in inequity, division and extreme nationalism. While silence from players and coaches throughout the tournament is not wholly ill-intentioned, it without question represents complicity in the face of growing hatred, extremism and political turmoil.

    In contrast, acts of resistance or dissent are likely to continue to be cast off as too political by management, coaches and players. These individuals seem fine with politics in sport — just not politics that challenge their own.

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

    – ref. How hockey’s politics played out at the 4 Nations Face-Off Tournament – https://theconversation.com/how-hockeys-politics-played-out-at-the-4-nations-face-off-tournament-250602

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Premier Houston Thanks Premier Furey for Service

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    NOTE: The following is a statement from Premier Tim Houston. Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Andrew Furey announced today, February 25, that he will leave office later this year.

    Premier Furey led the people of Newfoundland and Labrador through challenging times, and our region is thankful for his service.

    Together, we created the Atlantic Physician Registry, opposed the federal carbon tax and worked together on a Team Canada approach to the threat of U.S. tariffs.

    I want to thank Andrew for his friendship and collaborative approach and wish him, Allison and his family all the best in their future.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Science in Orbit: Results Published on Space Station Research in 2024

    Source: NASA

    NASA and its international partners have hosted research experiments and fostered collaboration aboard the International Space Station for over 25 years. More than 4,000 investigations have been conducted, resulting in over 4,400 research publications with 361 in 2024 alone. Space station research continues to advance technology on Earth and prepare for future space exploration missions.
    Below is a selection of scientific results that were published over the past year. For more space station research achievements and additional information about the findings mentioned here, check out the 2024 Annual Highlights of Results.

    NASA’s Microgravity Investigation of Cement Solidification (MICS) observes the hydration reaction and hardening process of cement paste on the space station. As part of this experiment, researchers used artificial intelligence to create 3D models from 2D microscope images of cement samples formed in microgravity. Characteristics such as pore distribution and crystal growth can impact the integrity of any concrete-like material, and these artificial intelligence models allow for predicting internal structures that can only be adequately captured in 3D. Results from the MICS investigation improve researchers’ understanding of cement hardening and could support innovations for civil engineering, construction, and manufacturing of industrial materials on exploration missions.

    The JAXA (Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency) Colloidal Clusters investigation uses the attractive forces between oppositely charged particles to form pyramid-shaped clusters. These clusters are a key building block for the diamond lattice, an ideal structure in materials with advanced light-manipulation capabilities. Researchers immobilized clusters on the space station using a holding gel with increased durability. The clusters returned to Earth can scatter light in the visible to near-infrared range used in optical and laser communications systems. By characterizing these clusters, scientists can gain insights into particle aggregation in nature and learn how to effectively control light reflection for technologies that bend light, such as specialized sensors, high-speed computing components, and even novel cloaking devices.

    NASA’s Optical Imaging of Bubble Dynamics on Nanostructured Surfaces studies how different types of surfaces affect bubbles generated by boiling water on the space station. Researchers found that boiling in microgravity generates larger bubbles and that bubbles grow about 30 times faster than on Earth. Results also show that surfaces with finer microstructures generate slower bubble formation due to changes in the rate of heat transfer. Fundamental insights into bubble growth could improve thermal cooling systems and sensors that use bubbles.

    The ESA (European Space Agency) investigation Cytoskeleton attempts to uncover how microgravity impacts important regulatory processes that control cell multiplication, programmed cell death, and gene expression. Researchers cultured a model of human bone cells and identified 24 pathways that are affected by microgravity. Cultures from the space station showed a reduction of cellular expansion and increased activity in pathways associated with inflammation, cell stress, and iron-dependent cell death. These results help to shed light on cellular processes related to aging and the microgravity response, which could feed into the development of future countermeasures to help maintain astronaut health and performance.

    The CSA (Canadian Space Agency) investigation Wayfinding investigates the impact of long-duration exposure to microgravity on the orientation skills in astronauts. Researchers identified reduced activity in spatial processing regions of the brain after spaceflight, particularly those involved in visual perception and orientation of spatial attention. In microgravity, astronauts cannot process balance cues normally provided by gravity, affecting their ability to perform complex spatial tasks. A better understanding of spatial processes in space allows researchers to find new strategies to improve the work environment and reduce the impact of microgravity on the spatial cognition of astronauts.

    The Roscomos-ESA-Italian Space Agency investigation Mini-EUSO (Multiwavelength Imaging New Instrument for the Extreme Universe Space Observatory) is a multipurpose telescope designed to examine light emissions entering Earth’s atmosphere. Researchers report that Mini-EUSO data has helped to develop a new machine learning algorithm to detect space debris and meteors that move across the field of view of the telescope. The algorithm showed increased precision for meteor detection and identified characteristics such as rotation rate. The algorithm could be implemented on ground-based telescopes or satellites to identify space debris, meteors, or asteroids and increase the safety of space activities.

    For more space station research achievements and additional information about the findings mentioned here, check out the 2024 Annual Highlights of Results.
    Destiny Doran
    International Space Station Research Communications Team
    Johnson Space Center

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister of Infrastructure resignation: Premier Smith

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Outstanding craftsmanship and international voices: the 5 films up for best documentary at the 2025 Oscars

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Phoebe Hart, Associate Professor, Film Screen & Animation, Queensland University of Technology

    Oscar-nominated best documentary film Sugarcane. Disney+

    The Academy Awards represent the screen industry’s biggest annual global recognition for the very best of moviemaking. And in these troubled times, many recognise the power of documentaries to transform the world for the better.

    Like last year, the 2025 nominations for Best Documentary are international in their scope, continuing an Academy trend of placing more emphasis on voices outside of the United States.

    This year’s nominations feature a few milestones: it’s the first time a Japanese filmmaker has been put forward, and the first time an Indigenous North American filmmaker has been nominated in Oscars history.

    All exhibit outstanding craftsmanship while exploring intense themes. The following roundup will hopefully encourage you to check them out at the cinema or online, and see why the experts also think they deserve the top gong.

    Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat

    Johan Grimonprez’s experimental essay examines the Cold War politics of the 1950s and 60s. At this time, many African nations were gaining independence from their colonial masters.

    In Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat, the uranium and mineral rich Democratic Republic of the Congo becomes a poignant case study.

    As the first prime minister Patrice Lumumba breaks the country away from Belgian rule, a murderous plot by global superpowers to destroy the country’s newfound sovereignty unfolds.

    And underneath it all: the frenetic beat of jazz as a revolutionary reaction against racism on both sides of the Atlantic.

    A wealth of archival material featuring former world leaders, the Congolese situation, and the musical stylings of Nina Simone, Duke Ellington, Louis Armstrong and others make this documentary effortlessly cool. The edit and sound design has a wonderful syncopated rhythm, revealing fascinating facets of modern history and the scramble for power.

    Sugarcane

    St. Joseph’s Mission was a residential school for Indigenous children in Canada, which closed in 1981.

    When ground penetrating radar begins looking for unmarked graves at the school, Julian Brave NoiseCat – whose father was born on the site – and co-director Emily Kassie embark on a quest of accountability for a myriad of institutional abuses.

    Editors Nathan Punwar and Maya Daisy Hawke interweave archival reels alongside Emily Kassie and Christopher LaMarca’s stark verité cinematography. The film captures members of the Williams Lake First Nation community reckoning with generations of trauma at the hands of Catholic clergy.

    Together, they present some disturbing facts in the film, which won a directing award at the Sundance Film Festival.

    National Geographic has routinely received a documentary Oscar nomination. This film is a challenging topic for Australian and New Zealand audiences. We also have a troubling history with the placement of Aboriginal children in homes, where many faced hardships and mistreatment.

    Sugarcane gives a platform for truth-telling and healing.

    Porcelain War

    Ceramists Slava Leontyev and Anya Stasenko are inspired by the nature of Ukraine and each other. Their friend, and fellow creator, Andrey Stefanov documents their lives on tape after his wife and children flee at the start of the Russian invasion.

    All become involved in active defiance.

    The film combines nonprofessional video, body cams and drone footage alongside wildlife photography and charming animations of Anya’s delicate paintings on clay.

    There are gripping scenes of armed conflict from the viewpoint of Slava’s squad of reservists. These are everyday folks who have become involved in fighting on the ground.

    Porcelain War benefits from a soundtrack composed and performed by folk music quartet DakhaBrakha. This adds an eerie texture to this portrait of hope.

    The film thoughtfully balances light and shade with grace, demonstrating that art remains a potent way to oppose erasure.

    Black Box Diaries

    When her high-profile #MeToo sexual assault case is dropped on the grounds of insufficient evidence, Japanese journalist, director and producer Shiori Itō commences chronicling her journey to justice.

    Deploying abstract imagery over recorded conversations with investigators and witnesses, Itō builds her argument over several years. The passage of time is interspersed with her unfiltered video diary entries.

    There has been controversy about the director including hotel footage of her drugged and being dragged out of a taxi by her attacker, senior reporter Noriyuki Yamaguchi, without permission. Itō had been given the footage for the legal case, but had agreed it would not be used outside of the courtroom.

    The debate has prevented the film from showing on Japanese screens. However, Itō has argued the public good of using this material outweighs commercial interests – especially considering the pressure of Yamaguchi’s influential connections to quell the case, which include then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe.

    Itō doesn’t shy away from exposing the raw emotional depths of her remarkably brave undertaking against fierce odds, and she serves as an inspiring change-maker we should all heed.

    No Other Land

    No Other Land takes stock of the West Bank situation from the perspective of Basel Adra, who documents evictions of Palestinians in his home village of Masafer Yatta.

    Basel works with journalist Yuval Abraham to bear witness to the army’s gradual destruction of his village to make way for a military training ground.

    No Other Land features some great observational camerawork with many poetic images of resilience. Things kick up a notch when a villager, Harun, is shot by Israeli soldiers while trying to confiscate his building tools. Basel is targeted for filming the ensuing protests – but Adra and Abraham continue undeterred.

    A friendship develops amid the chaos between the Palestinian activist and Israeli reporter, who co-direct and edit with Hamdan Ballal and Rachel Szor. It’s the touching humanity of their relationship that goes to the core of the film; compassion is key to deescalating tensions in the region.

    In Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, Soundtrack to a Coup d’Etat, Porcelain War, Black Box Diaries and No Other Land are streaming on DocPlay; Sugarcane is streaming on Disney+.

    Phoebe Hart 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. Outstanding craftsmanship and international voices: the 5 films up for best documentary at the 2025 Oscars – https://theconversation.com/outstanding-craftsmanship-and-international-voices-the-5-films-up-for-best-documentary-at-the-2025-oscars-249151

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Lower Sackville — RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment Charges Youth Following Stabbing in Lower Sackville

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment has charged a youth following a stabbing that occurred in Lower Sackville.

    On February 24 at approximately 12:45 p.m. RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment responded to a report of an altercation at a bus terminal on Cobequid Rd. involving about 15 people. One of the people was believed to have been stabbed.

    All those involved had dispersed and left the scene in vehicles before officers arrived. Responding officers located one of the vehicles nearby and conducted a traffic stop. The youth passenger was observed to be suffering from a stab wound. Officers immediately administered first aid and the youth was transported to hospital with non-life-threatening injuries by EHS.

    Those involved in the incident are known to one other, and it is not believed to be a random act.

    At approximately 8 p.m., a 16-year-old youth was safely arrested at a home in Beaverbank. They are facing charges of Aggravated Assault, Assault with a Weapon, Possession of a Weapon for a Dangerous Purpose and Failure to Comply with Order. The youth was held in custody and is scheduled to appear in Halifax Youth Justice Court today.

    The investigation is ongoing.

    Anyone with information is asked to contact RCMP Halifax Regional Detachment at 902-490-5020. Should you wish to remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers toll free at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips App.

    File # 25-26527

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: Canadian Banc Corp. Financial Results to November 30, 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Feb. 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Canadian Banc Corp. (“the Company”) announces that its annual financial statements and management report of fund performance for the year ended November 30, 2024 are now available on the Company’s website at www.canadianbanc.com and at www.sedarplus.com.

    For further information, please contact Investor Relations at 416-304-4443, toll free at 1-877-4-Quadra (1-877-478-2372), or visit www.canadianbanc.com.

    Investor Relations: 1-877-478-2372
    Local: 416-304-4443
    www.canadianbanc.com
    info@quadravest.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: CANADIAN LIFE COMPANIES SPLIT CORP. Financial Results to November 30, 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Feb. 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Canadian Life Companies Split Corp. (“the Company”) announces that its annual financial statements and management report of fund performance for the year ended November 30, 2024 are now available on the Company’s website at www.lifesplit.com and at www.sedarplus.com.

    For further information, please contact Investor Relations at 416-304-4443, toll free at 1-877-4-Quadra (1-877-478-2372), or visit www.lifesplit.com.

           
    Investor Relations: 1-877-478-2372 Local: 416-304-4443 www.lifesplit.com info@quadravest.com
           

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Sprott Inc. Declares Fourth Quarter 2024 Dividend

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Feb. 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sprott Inc. (“Sprott” or the “Company”) (NYSE/TSX: SII) announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a fourth quarter 2024 dividend of US$0.30 per common share, payable on March 25, 2025 to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 10, 2025.

    Registered shareholders who are residents of Canada as reflected in the Company’s shareholders register, as well as beneficial holders (i.e., shareholders who hold their common shares through a broker or other intermediary) whose intermediary is a participant in CDS Clearing and Depositary Services Inc. or its nominee, CDS & Co. (“CDS”), will receive their dividend in Canadian dollars, calculated based on the spot price exchange rate on March 25, 2025. Registered shareholders resident outside of Canada as reflected in Sprott’s shareholders register, including the United States, as well as beneficial holders whose intermediary is a participant in The Depository Trust Company or its nominee, Cede & Co., will receive their dividend in U.S. dollars. However, beneficial holders whose intermediary is a participant in CDS, may elect to change the currency of their dividend payments to U.S. dollars and can contact their broker for more details. Registered shareholders, other than CDS, who are residents of Canada and wish to receive their dividend in U.S. dollars should make arrangements to deposit their common shares with CDS, and make a currency election, prior to March 10, 2025.

    The dividend is designated as an eligible dividend for Canadian income tax purposes.

    About Sprott

    Sprott is a global asset manager focused on precious metals and critical materials investments. We are specialists. We believe our in-depth knowledge, experience and relationships separate us from the generalists. Our investment strategies include Exchange Listed Products, Managed Equities and Private Strategies. Sprott has offices in Toronto, New York, Connecticut and California and the company’s common shares are listed on the New York Stock Exchange and the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol (SII). For more information, please visit www.sprott.com.

    Investor contact information:

    Glen Williams
    Managing Partner
    Investor and Institutional Client Relations
    (416) 943-4394
    gwilliams@sprott.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Saskatchewan Announces Measures to Protect Communities Against Fentanyl and Methamphetamine

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on February 25, 2025

    Today, the Government of Saskatchewan announced further measures to protect communities from illicit fentanyl and methamphetamine production, transportation, trafficking and street use in the province.

    The measures enacted will provide additional tools to remove fentanyl and methamphetamine from our communities, significantly deter anyone from trafficking fentanyl and methamphetamine, and prevent street-level use to help protect the health and safety of all citizens and ensure our medical system is not undermined by these harmful substances.  

    “These drugs have caused immense harm in our communities, leading to addiction, crime and loss of life,” Justice Minister and Attorney General Tim McLeod said. “We are taking a firm stance to disrupt the flow of fentanyl and methamphetamine while also providing options for offenders to access the resources necessary for recovery.”

    These measures will include: 

    • Creating provincial penalties, including fines up to $1 million in some cases, to stop the unauthorized, production, transportation, distribution and use of these substances outside approved medical use. 
    • Examining updates to the Fine Option program that will allow offenders to receive credit against court-imposed fines if the offender attends eligible addictions programming.
    • Focusing efforts under The Seizure of Criminal Property Act, 2009 that allow the government to seize property that was either gained through illegal activities or used to commit crimes. 
    • Prioritizing drug-related offenders, ensuring they are appropriately apprehended and held accountable, as part of the Warrant Intelligence Team’s efforts to enhance public safety and disrupt illegal drug activity. The Warrant Intelligence Team will also work with government ministries to suspend government benefits to these offenders.
    • Updating the Trespass to Property Regulations to classify drug use and other disruptive activities as trespassing, to defend against these activities in semi-public spaces.
    • Including dangerous, drug-related items as street weapons in The Safe Public Spaces (Street Weapons) Act, allowing police to seize these items and in some cases lay charges under the Act.
    • Implementing policies to cancel provincial licenses for people convicted of drug-related crimes including driver’s licences, provincial firearms licences, hunting and fishing licences, and in some cases business and other municipal licenses and provincial benefits.

    “We all know that these illicit drugs are hurting our people,” Métis Nation-Saskatchewan President Glen McCallum said. “It is more important than ever to work together with all governments – federal, provincial, Métis and Frist Nations in coordination to deter illegal activity but also work with those wanting to start the recovery path. We want to support these people with programming and transitioning into recovery-based living. The Government of Saskatchewan has committed to meaningful engagement with Métis Nation-Saskatchewan on the details of and before the implementation of these changes.”

    Fentanyl and methamphetamine are increasingly the cause of overdose deaths, violent crime and community instability. By addressing both the supply and demand sides of the issue, these measures work toward reducing drug-related harm, improving public safety and fostering healthier, more stable neighborhoods and communities.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI: MRF 2025 Resource Limited Partnership Second Closing March 26, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, Feb. 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Middlefield, on behalf of MRF 2025 Resource Limited Partnership (“MRF 2025” or the “Partnership”), is pleased to announce that it has completed the first closing of the initial public offering of MRF 2025 Class A and Class F units for total gross proceeds of $10.4 million. The maximum offering size is $50 million. The offering is being made in each of the provinces of Canada. The Partnership intends to have a second closing on March 26, 2025.

    The objectives of the Partnership are to provide investors with capital appreciation and significant tax benefits to enhance after-tax returns to limited partners, including the deductibility of 100% of their original investment. The Partnership intends to achieve these objectives by investing in an actively managed, diversified portfolio comprised primarily of equity securities of Canadian companies involved in the resource sector.

    Middlefield is a leading provider of flow-through share funds in Canada and has a strong track record of delivering positive after-tax returns. Since 1983, Middlefield has sponsored 70 public and private flow-through funds and has acted as agent or manager for over $2.5 billion of resource investments.

    The syndicate of agents for the offering is being co-led by CIBC Capital Markets and RBC Capital Markets and includes BMO Nesbitt Burns Inc., National Bank Financial Inc., Scotia Capital Inc., TD Securities Inc., Richardson Wealth Limited, Manulife Securities Incorporated, iA Private Wealth Inc., Canaccord Genuity Corp., Raymond James Ltd. and Wellington-Altus Private Wealth Inc.

    For further information, please visit our website at www.middlefield.com or contact Nancy Tham in our Sales and Marketing Department at 1.888.890.1868.

    This offering is only made by prospectus. The prospectus contains important detailed information about the securities being offered. Copies of the prospectus may be obtained from your CIRO registered financial advisor using the contact information for such advisor. Investors should read the prospectus before making an investment decision.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Stronger consumer protections coming for people in B.C.

    Proposed amendments to consumer protection laws in B.C. will crack down on predatory sales practices and ensure people are better protected when making new purchases. 

    “For too long, people in B.C. have faced unfair contract terms and predatory sales practices on everyday items,” said Niki Sharma, Attorney General. “These new amendments will better protect people from unfair business practices in an increasingly complex marketplace.”

    The proposed legislative changes modernize the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act (BPCPA) to reflect contemporary business practices. The amendments are designed to promote contract fairness and transparency and to strengthen consumer rights.

    Key proposed changes in the legislation will:

    • require businesses to provide important contract terms up front, including improved remedies for consumers related to renewal, cancellation, return and refund policies, particularly for online orders, bringing more transparency to pre-purchase contracts;
    • introduce notification requirements for automatic subscription renewals and restrict significant contract changes without the customer’s consent;
    • prohibit contract terms that restrict participation in class-action lawsuits, restrict consumer reviews or require private arbitration for disputes;
    • ban direct sales of high-cost household products, such as air conditioners and furnaces, and prohibit offering credit as part of a direct sale, reducing the risk of predatory sales tactics;
    • provide clearer pathways for consumers to cancel contracts under specified conditions; and
    • give consumers the ability to use the Civil Resolution Tribunal to adjudicate disputes under the BPCPA.

    “Our office hears from seniors who have fallen victim to scams and purchased an item or service they didn’t need due to high-pressure sales tactics,” said Dan Levitt, B.C. seniors advocate. “Many older British Columbians live on fixed incomes and take great care with their finances. Therefore, giving seniors and others space to review contracts in advance and prohibiting home sales will reduce the opportunities for older people to buy products and services they don’t need and can’t afford.”

    The amendments were developed based on public and stakeholder engagement to ensure that B.C.’s most vulnerable consumers, including seniors, newcomers and people with lower incomes or disabilities, are aware of their rights and are protected.

    The Province will continue to work with Consumer Protection BC and stakeholders to support a smooth transition to the changes and provide businesses with reasonable time to adjust their practices to meet the new requirements.

    Learn More:

    For more information about consumer protections for people in British Columbia, visit: https://www.consumerprotectionbc.ca/

    To read the Business Practices and Consumer Protection Act, visit: https://www.bclaws.gov.bc.ca/civix/document/id/complete/statreg/04002_00

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Minas — Southwest Nova District RCMP charge 21 people after executing search warrants at illegal cannabis storefronts

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Southwest Nova District RCMP has charged 21 people with more than 50 offences after executing search warrants at illegal cannabis storefronts throughout the District.

    “Our teams, together with many partners, did an exceptional job of investigating and then coordinating enforcement across communities safely and with minimal disruption to residents,” said Supt. Jason Popik, District Policing Officer, Southwest Nova RCMP District, at a media availability today in New Minas. “Organized crime groups are among the suppliers of illicit cannabis and, as such, profit directly from the illegal sale of the product; they’re exploiting opportunities within our communities for their own benefit.”

    The operation, dubbed Project Highfield, began in October 2024 and involved search warrants at 13 illegal storefronts in Kings, Lunenburg, Annapolis and Queens counties between February 4 and 13. Project Highfield was assisted by Kentville, Bridgewater, and Annapolis police services and involved multiple RCMP units. It resulted in the seizure of:

    • 141.4 kgs of dried cannabis
    • 189.29 kgs of cannabis edibles
    • 46 kgs of liquid cannabis
    • 23.4 kgs of hashish
    • 9.5 kgs of psilocybin (magic mushrooms)
    • 958 cartons of unstamped tobacco
    • 18 firearms (17 long guns and a handgun)
    • $16, 143.14 in cash
    • 3 ATMs
    • 7 shed-like structures

    Twenty-one people are facing 52 charges under the Cannabis Act, Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, the Excise Act and the Criminal Code, including:

    • Possession of Cannabis for the Purpose of Selling
    • Unauthorized Sale of Cannabis
    • Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking (psilocybin)
    • Possession of Unstamped Tobacco
    • Possession of Unstamped Cannabis
    • Careless Use of a Firearm
    • Possession of Prohibited or Restricted Firearm with Ammunition

    Project Highfield has been assisted by the Service Nova Scotia Alcohol, Gaming, Fuel and Tobacco Division, and the Public Prosecution Service of Canada.

    The individuals charged will begin their court appearances in June. The investigation is ongoing and further arrests and charges are expected.

    Nova Scotians are encouraged to contact their nearest RCMP detachment or local police to report crime, including the illegal sale of drugs, in their communities. Anonymous tips can be made by calling Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submitting a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or using the P3 Tips app.

    File #: 2024-1683286

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rockland, Kings County — Missing person: Anthony Schofield has been missing for more than a year. Can you help?

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    Kings District RCMP is appealing to the public for assistance in locating 47-year-old Anthony Schofield, from Rockland. He was last seen in Halifax on February 20, 2024.

    Schofield is described as approximately 5-foot-7, 170 lbs. He has brown hair and blue eyes. Schofield doesn’t have access to a vehicle and was riding a bicycle when he was last seen.

    When someone goes missing, it has deep and far-reaching impacts for the person and those who know them. We ask that people spread the word through social media respectfully.

    Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Anthony Schofield is asked to contact the Kings District RCMP at 902-765-3317. If you wish to remain anonymous, call Nova Scotia Crime Stoppers, toll-free, at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), submit a secure web tip at www.crimestoppers.ns.ca, or use the P3 Tips App.

    File #: 2024-288428

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Irrigation district penalized for diver fatality

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Eco Atlantic Chief Executive Officer (CEO) to Speak at Invest in African Energy (IAE) 2025 Amid Orange Basin Expansion

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    PARIS, France, February 25, 2025/APO Group/ —

    Gil Holzman, President & CEO, Eco Atlantic Oil & Gas, will speak at the Invest in African Energy (IAE) Forum 2025 in Paris this May as the company expands its presence in the Orange Basin, offshore South Africa.

    The Canada-headquartered Eco Atlantic has recently expanded its presence in Africa through strategic transactions and exploration initiatives. In June 2024, Eco Atlantic farmed into Block 1 in the Orange Basin, further strengthening its exploration portfolio in the region. The block has extensive 2D and 3D seismic data already completed, with no additional seismic acquisition or well drilling planned during the three-year carried period. During this time, Eco will focus on interpreting and analyzing the existing data to inform its planned Work Program, leveraging its in-house exploration team. The company also holds interests in Blocks 2B and 3B/4B in South Africa, along with four licenses in Namibia.

    IAE 2025 (http://apo-opa.co/3ETVwbj) is an exclusive forum designed to facilitate investment between African energy markets and global investors. Taking place May 13-14, 2025 in Paris, the event offers delegates two days of intensive engagement with industry experts, project developers, investors and policymakers. For more information, please visit www.Invest-Africa-Energy.com. To sponsor or participate as a delegate, please contact sales@energycapitalpower.com.

    Eco Atlantic’s approach centers on exploring low-carbon intensity oil and gas in stable emerging markets close to infrastructure, aiming to deliver material value for its stakeholders while contributing to the energy transition. The company prioritizes efficient exploration strategies that minimize environmental impact while maximizing resource potential.

    By focusing on proven basins with existing infrastructure, Eco Atlantic seeks to accelerate development timelines and enhance economic viability in its operating regions. The upcoming forum will highlight how oil and gas independents like Eco Atlantic are navigating Africa’s evolving energy landscape, driving investment and sustainable resource development.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Legislation to Remove Barriers to Trade

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Legislation introduced today, February 25, will help remove barriers to trade and investment between Nova Scotia and other Canadian provinces and territories that reciprocate.

    The Free Trade and Mobility within Canada Act is the first of its kind in the country and will help foster an environment of mutual recognition of goods, services and labour mobility across all sectors.

    “We want other provinces and territories to know that Nova Scotia is open for business; we’re ready to partner with other Canadian jurisdictions who are ready to do business with us,” said Premier Tim Houston, also the Minister of Trade. “This legislation just makes sense. It will allow goods and services to be sold in Nova Scotia without further testing or red tape and puts trust in other provinces and territories that have appropriate requirements to keep people safe.”

    The act specifically addresses:

    • goods manufactured and produced in a reciprocating province or territory will be treated the same as those produced locally in Nova Scotia
      • this will eliminate any additional fees or testing requirements for goods from these provinces and territories
    • service providers and licensees that are properly certified or licensed in a reciprocating province will be recognized as if they are licensed in Nova Scotia
      • this ensures that businesses providing services can operate across provincial borders without the burden of additional licensing or certification.

    Quotes:

    “Premier Houston is leaving no stone unturned in supporting and protecting our economy and our people. He is leading the charge for Nova Scotia. And this internal trade bill is an example of his leadership on the national stage. While the tariff threat is a very serious situation with severe consequences, like many challenges, it has also opened up a new dialogue between government and business that will lead to meaningful change.”
    — Darren Czech, CEO, Cherubini Group of Companies

    Quick Facts:

    • interprovincial exports contribute about 17 per cent of Nova Scotia’s gross domestic product
    • interprovincial exports make up about half of Nova Scotia’s total exports (about 48 per cent of all goods and services)
    • in 2023, the value of Nova Scotia’s interprovincial exports was nearly $29 billion
    • one-third of Canadian businesses participated in internal trade by buying or selling goods across provincial or territorial borders
    • more than $530 billion worth of goods and services moves across provincial and territorial borders every year – equal to 20 per cent of Canada’s gross domestic product

    Additional Resources:

    Bills tabled in the legislature are available at: https://nslegislature.ca/legislative-business/bills-statutes/bills/assembly-65-session-1

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Tax credit fuels bioprocessing industry investment

    The province’s inviting and tax-friendly business environment, free and fast-flowing economy and abundant agricultural resources make it one of the best places to do business in North America. In addition, the Agri-Processing Investment Tax Credit (APITC), launched in spring 2023, helps to attract investment that will further diversify Alberta’s agriculture industry.

    The most recent example of a company choosing to grow its business in Alberta is Canary Biofuels, which has qualified for the APITC by constructing a cold press oilseed crushing plant in Lethbridge. Canary Biofuels is investing $18 million in the project that is expected to create 40 permanent and 25 temporary jobs, process 200,000 tonnes of seed per year and produce value-added products such as canola oil and meal. Through the Agri-Processing Investment Tax Credit, Alberta’s government has granted Canary Biofuels conditional approval for a tax credit estimated at $1.7 million.

    “Alberta is an agriculture powerhouse with a thriving food and bioprocessing sector. The Agri-Processing Investment Tax Credit has made the province a preferred destination for large-scale agri-processing investments and encourages companies like Canary Biofuels to invest in our province, create jobs and diversify the economy.”

    RJ Sigurdson, Minister of Agriculture and Irrigation

    “The Agri-Processing Investment Tax Credit is a prime example of how our government is strengthening our agriculture industry by supporting businesses, like Canary Biofuels, to grow, create jobs, and continue to help drive our economy forward.”

    Nathan Neudorf, MLA for Lethbridge-East

    The APITC provides a 12 per cent non-refundable, non-transferable tax credit when businesses invest $10 million or more in a project to build or expand a value-added agri-processing facility in Alberta. The program is open to any food manufacturers and bioprocessors that add value to commodities like grains or meat or turn agricultural by-products into new consumer or industrial goods.

    Canary Biofuels is an agricultural processor that produces feedstock for the renewable fuels industry as well as high-value products for the livestock feed industry. It is headquartered in Calgary with a process facility in Lethbridge.

    “Canary would like to thank the Government of Alberta for its support. Programs like the Agri-Processing Investment Tax Credit are essential for smaller companies like Canary to access capital. This project will support jobs and indirectly support thousands of Albertan and Canadian oilseed farmers by providing more localized offtake for their crops, including off-spec materials.”  

    George Wadsworth, CEO Canary Biofuels Inc.

    Alberta’s agri-processing sector is the second-largest manufacturing industry in the province and the biofuel industry plays an important role in the sector, generating millions in annual economic impact and creating thousands of jobs. Alberta continues to be an attractive place for agricultural investment due to its agricultural resources, one of the lowest tax rates in North America, a business-friendly environment, and a robust transportation network to connect with international markets.

    Quick facts

    • On Feb. 7, 2023, government announced the introduction of the Agri-Processing Investment Tax Credit through Budget 2023.
    • On Apr. 24, 2023, Alberta’s Agri-Processing Investment Tax Credit began accepting applications from agri-processing corporations for conditional approval.
    • As of Feb. 11, 2025, 16 corporations had applied to the program for projects worth about $1.63 billion in new investment in Alberta’s agri-processing sector.
    • So far, 10 corporations have received conditional approval under the program. Each one must submit progress reports on their project, then apply for a tax credit certificate when the project is complete.
    • Canary Biofuel’s crush process incorporates a proprietary cold press design that allows the processing of all varieties and qualities of seed while producing a super degummed quality oil suitable for animal feed, renewable diesel and renewable aviation biofuels. In addition, the non-solvent process produces a high-value animal feed ingredient.
    • The current crush plant in Lethbridge has been operating at 50,000 MT/year and has just completed the first phase of expansion at 80,000 MT/Y with following expansion phases of 120,000 and finally 200,000 MT/Y to be completed sometime in 2026.
    • Canary Biofuel currently employs about 25 people in Canada and at full expansion it is expected they will employ more than 40.

    Related information

    • Agri-Processing Investment Tax Credit

    Related news

    • Tax credit beefs up burger patty production (July 11, 2024)
    • Tax credit mooooves Alberta’s dairy industry forward (June 19, 2024)
    • Tax credit fuels investments in bioprocessing industry (April 22, 2024)
    • Tax credit sprouts more little potato products (Feb. 22, 2024)
    • New tax credit opens the door to big investments (April 24, 2023)
    • Capitalizing on value-added agriculture (Feb. 7, 2023)

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Investor Alert: BRC Union, BRC Management Services Ltd., and BRC Group Are Not Registered

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on February 25, 2025

    The Financial and Consumer Affairs Authority of Saskatchewan (FCAA) warns investors of the online entity known as BRC Union, also known as BRC Management Services Ltd. and BRC Group.

    “Saskatchewan residents should check the registration status of any investment entity at aretheyregistered.ca as the first step before considering investing,” FCAA Securities Division Executive Director Dean Murrison said. “We want Saskatchewan investors to know who they are investing with so they can make informed financial decisions. Checking registration is the quickest and easiest way to ensure who you work with is reputable.”

    BRC Union, BRC Management Services Ltd., and BRC Group claim to offer Saskatchewan residents trading opportunities, including stocks, commodities, cryptocurrencies and currency pairs.

    There may be other businesses with the same or similar names to BRC Union, BRC Management Services Ltd., and BRC Group. This alert does not apply to any such businesses. This alert applies to the online entity using the website “brc-ca com” (this URL has been manually altered so as not to be interactive).

    BRC Union, BRC Management Services Ltd., and BRC Group are not registered with the FCAA to trade or sell securities or derivatives in Saskatchewan. The FCAA cautions investors and consumers not to send money to companies that are not registered in Saskatchewan, as they may not be legitimate businesses. 

    If you have invested with BRC Union, BRC Management Services Ltd., and BRC Group or anyone claiming to be acting on their behalf, contact the FCAA’s Securities Division at 306-787-5936.

    In Saskatchewan, individuals or companies need to be registered with the FCAA to trade or sell securities or derivatives. The registration provisions of The Securities Act, 1988, and accompanying regulations are intended to ensure that only honest and knowledgeable people are registered to sell securities and derivatives and that their businesses are financially stable. 

    Tips to protect yourself:

    • Always verify that the person or company is registered in Saskatchewan to sell or advise about securities or derivatives. To check registration, visit The Canadian Securities Administrators’ National Registration Search at aretheyregistered.ca.
    • Know exactly what you are investing in. Make sure you understand how the investment, product, or service works.
    • Get a second opinion and seek professional advice about the investment.
    • Do not allow unknown or unverified individuals to remotely access your computer.

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Five tips to find what really brings you joy outside of work

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Alison Bishop, Lecturer in Positive Psychology Coaching, University of East London

    Not long ago I attended a concert. It was a band that I had been waiting a while to see and so I was excited to be there in the crowd. Part way through, they played my favourite song and I noticed that I felt something different.

    It felt like a pinnacle moment where the emotion of joy felt expansive and unstoppable. In that moment, I felt more alive with all my senses of my surroundings heightened and yet so much more connected to the core of who I know myself to be.

    I first set out to write about finding joy, as if joy was out there in the world waiting for us to find it. However, the story of the concert shows us that this is not the case.

    Not everyone likes the band that I saw and not everyone in the concert had the same experience as me. This tells us that joy is more personal, an inside job, rather than something to find outside ourselves.

    Ready to make a change? The Quarter Life Glow-up is a new, six-week newsletter course from The Conversation’s UK and Canada editions.

    Every week, we’ll bring you research-backed advice and tools to help improve your relationships, your career, your free time and your mental health – no supplements or skincare required. Sign up here to start your glow-up at any time.

    The psychologist Chris Meadows suggests that joy is a feeling that comes from viewing an event in our lives as being meaningful to us or good for us.

    Joy is not just a singular experience, there are different types of joy, according to Meadows. In his study of joy he writes about the muted experience of “serene joy”, which aims at restoring or maintaining equilibrium in the body. Then there is “excited joy”, which is linked to pursuing goals.

    “Individuated joy” is felt while alone while “affiliative joy” is shared with others. Meadow’s study into the phenomenon of joy suggests that social experiences of joy occur more often than solo ones and result in what we know as bonding experiences.

    “Anticipatory joy” occurs when the fulfilment of a goal is imminent and then “consummatory joy” happens when the goal has been achieved. There is also an element of feeling blessed or that what has been achieved has exceeded expectations.

    In addition to the thought processes that lead to joy, there are many other elements that need to be in place. Safe, familiar surroundings are key in enabling us to be present in the moment to support relaxed equilibrium. When we feel safe and relaxed, we are more able to laugh and play and explore new ideas.

    Playfulness that’s aimless but results in fairly predictable outcomes, allows us to switch off our inner critic and focus on the good feelings of being in the moment with joy. This brings a sense of ease in that whatever happens, requires very little effort on our part.

    Here are five tips on how to find what brings you joy in its many forms:

    1. Be present

    “Be in the moment” is easy to say but harder to do.

    Joy exists in the present, therefore, we need to be there to experience it. This might mean that sometimes we need to ditch the phone and not video something to post or watch later as doing that prevents us becoming immersed in the here and now. This is about making our own experience more important than the “likes” of others.

    2. Listen to your inner voice

    Next, turn up the volume on your inner voice.

    As joy is unique to each of us, we need to hear our own voice to find out what will bring us joy. To do this, it helps to create specificity around the goals that we aspire to in the future so that we are clear about what we want to achieve.

    I love the theme tune for The Pirates of the Caribbean and want to be able to play it on the piano. To make this goal specific, I need to decide what my success criteria is. It might be, I want to play to the end without stopping, or I want to get to the end without stopping and to play all of the notes on the sheet music without mistakes. Only I can know whether I would feel more joyful by achieving the second goal over the first.

    Being specific means we will clearly know when that goal fulfilment is either imminent or achieved. So, the more specific we are the better. The same goes for looking at the experiences that have brought us joy in the past. By reflecting on these experiences, we can learn things about ourselves that lead to us being able to create more joy.

    3. Don’t listen to your inner critic

    It helps to switch off your inner critic, or at least turn the volume on this down.

    It is not possible to be playful and feel safe and free, while we constantly are censoring ourselves. So, tell the inner critic that it is OK for you to be you.

    4. Find your tribe

    These are people who enjoy the same things as you. Being with other people who are like us enables us to feel freer to express ourselves in ways that are congruent with who we are.

    5. Tune into the little things

    Finally, pay attention to the little things, as they actually are the big things. Joy comes from the most unexpected places. By noticing when we feel joy we can create more of those experiences in our lives so that we can truly experience that joie de vivre (the joy of living).

    Alison Bishop 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. Five tips to find what really brings you joy outside of work – https://theconversation.com/five-tips-to-find-what-really-brings-you-joy-outside-of-work-238722

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI: The World’s Most Attractive Investment Migration Programs in 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, Feb. 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Malta retains 1st place in the 2025 Global Citizenship Program Index for the 10th consecutive year, while Greece reaches the top of the 2025 Global Residence Program Index for the first time, highlighting the dominance of European residence and citizenship by investment programs on Henley & Partners’ annual rankings of the most important investment migration programs in the world. 

    The firm onboarded clients from 94 different nationalities in 2024 and received enquiries from over 180 countries. US nationals accounted for 23% of all applications processed by Henley & Partners last year, totaling nearly as many as the next four client nationality groups — Indians, Turkish, Filipinos, and Brits — combined. Comparing 2024 US-American client numbers to five years ago (2019), there has been a staggering increase of over 1,000%. Last year was also record-breaking for the UK, with a 57% increase in the number of applications submitted by British citizens in 2024 versus 2023.

    The two indexes — featured in the 2025 edition of the annual Investment Migration Programs report — offer a systematic analysis and comprehensive benchmarking of the world’s most attractive residence and citizenship by investment offerings, providing the gold standard in the sector. Interactive digital comparisons of the programs are also available, enabling global investors and wealthy families to select what matters most to them when weighing up their options.

    Dr. Christian H. Kaelin, Chairman of Henley & Partners, says, “the publication is important for governments and policy makers looking to attract and retain wealth to achieve greater fiscal autonomy and economic growth. In this era of heightened global volatility, nation states are using residence and citizenship by investment programs as an innovative financing tool to fund development initiatives that mitigate sustainability and climate-related risks, and that directly benefit their citizens. For investors, alternative residence and citizenship is a unique investment that enables them to be as globally diversified as their wealth portfolios.”

    Citizenship programs: Malta remains the gold standard

    The Global Citizenship Program Index ranks 14 programs, with the strategically located European nation of Malta scoring 76 out of 100 and taking top honors for the 10th consecutive year. Retaining 2nd place with a score of 75 is Austria’s premium citizenship by investment offering, which requires applicants to make a substantial contribution to the country’s economy. The next two ranks are occupied by Caribbean island nations: Grenada 3rd with a score of 69, and Antigua and Barbuda 4th with 67.

    Three other Small Island Developing States (SIDS) share the 5th spot, each scoring 66: newcomer to the index, Nauru, along with St. Kitts and Nevis and St. Lucia. Nauru’s citizenship program offers significant advantages in global mobility, granting an alternative and safe passport to travel on, with visa-free access to some of the world’s key wealth hubs. Successful applicants will also be contributing to climate crisis solutions in the South Pacific, where SIDS face rising sea levels and biodiversity loss, with the funds channeled into development projects, including climate resilience initiatives, infrastructure improvements, renewable energy projects, and sustainable economic diversification.

    Residence programs: Greece takes the crown

    In the 2025 Global Residence Program Index, which ranks 26 programs, Greece’s popular golden visa program secures top spot with a score of 73 out of 100, toppling Portugal, which has held or shared first place for the past nine years. Portugal now ranks joint 3rd with Italy and the UK, all scoring 70, while Switzerland, which has an option developed by Henley & Partners that combines private residence with Swiss forfait tax provisions, ranks 2nd with a score of 72.

    Australia, which recently launched its National Innovation Visa (NIV) Program to attract high-level tech skills, Canada, which introduced changes to its Start-Up Visa Program to enhance its appeal and flexibility for entrepreneurs, and Spain (due to close in early 2025) are all joint 4th, each scoring 69, and the UAE, which strategically expanded its golden visa program last year to attract top talent and drive growth and innovation, rounds up the Top 5 with a score of 68.

    One of two new entrants to the index in 2025 is Hungary which ranks 6th with a score of 67. Small but powerful wealth hubs — Luxembourg and Singapore — occupy the 7th and 8th spots, scoring 66 and 65, respectively, while two others share the 9th spot: Jersey and Panama, both scoring 64. Costa Rica, the second newcomer to the index, rounds up the Top 10 with a score of 63 out of 100 and offers investors and their families a business-friendly landscape, a favorable tax regime, and a safe environment in Central America.

    Read Full Press Release

    Media Contact: Sarah Nicklin

    sarah.nicklin@henleyglobal.com

    Mobile +27 72 464 8965

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Stephenville — RCMP MCU West continues investigation into injured snowmobiler in Port au Port, seeks public’s assistance

    Source: Royal Canadian Mounted Police

    RCMP NL’s Major Crime Unit (MCU) West is continuing to investigate an incident that occurred on Friday afternoon in Port au Port that left a snowmobiler with serious injuries. Police are seeking assistance from the public to identify anyone who may have been traveling through the area when the incident occurred.

    At approximately 4:30 p.m. on Friday, Bay St. George RCMP responded to the report of an injured snowmobiler on Gravel’s Pond in Port au Port. The operator of the snowmobile fell from the machine after it came to a stop and sustained serious injuries that do not appear to be consistent with the fall from the snowmobile. The cause of the injury sustained remains under investigation by RCMP MCU West.

    Today, police are asking for the public’s assistance, looking to speak with anyone who travelled along the isthmus, an area commonly known as the gravels, in Port au Port between the hours of 3:57 p.m. to 4:05 p.m. on Friday February 21, 2025. Motorists are asked to check for possible dash cam surveillance during that time and to provide the surveillance footage to police.

    The investigation is continuing. Anyone having information about the incident is asked to contact MCU West by calling Bay St. George RCMP at 709-643-2118.

    Background:

    https://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/en/news/2025/rcmp-major-crime-unit-investigates-serious-incident-port-au-port-seeks-publics-assistance

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: ITS Logistics February Supply Chain Report: Warehouse Lease Costs Stay High, Truckload Contract & Spot Rates See Dip After January Boost

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RENO, Nev., Feb. 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ITS Logistics released the February ITS Supply Chain Report. This month, the report confirms truckload rates fell while warehouse lease prices remained high. In addition, 2025 has started strong for the stock and bond markets, with above-average growth making a promising case for strong economic performance throughout the year.

    “Contract and spot rates across reefer and dry vans held strong in January before dipping slightly in February,” said Josh Allen, Chief Commercial Officer for ITS Logistics. “Available capacity in the spot market continues to ease following mid-February’s rate decrease, though moving averages remained above those of 2024. Macro volumes decreased by roughly 5% but are anticipated to increase for reefers as we kick off produce season.”

    According to Truckstop and FTR, dry van spot rates were at their lowest level since late September 2024. Refrigerated spot rates fell to their lowest level since April 2024, and flatbed spot rates continued their general firming in 2025. Furthermore, flatbed spot rates were at their highest level since late October 2024.

    Van rates saw marginal decreases in both spot and contract rates heading into February. Reefer rates also saw dips in contract rates, with spot rates decreasing slightly more than those for dry vans. Available capacity continues to ease following last week’s $0.03/mile decrease to a national seven-day rolling average of $1.66/mile, $0.02/mile higher than last year. Volumes were down 5% last week, and DAT’s Top 50 lanes confirmed carriers received an average of $1.94/mile when ranked by the volume of loads moved.

    “The freight industry isn’t the only sector of logistics experiencing fluctuating prices,” said Ryan Martin, President of Distribution and Fulfillment for ITS Logistics. “Despite a cooling demand over the past two years, warehouse lease prices have remained high due to reduced new construction. This has led to a 4.5% rise in national average asking rents in the fourth quarter of 2024. Warehousing costs are estimated to account for 13% of the total supply chain expenses, while last-mile delivery holds the largest share at 41% of the total supply chain costs.”

    A recent GlobeSt.com report confirmed that mega big box deals have dominated the market, resulting in the number of leases for one million square feet being representative of nearly half of the top 100 leases in 2024. This growth was driven by record-breaking online sales. The report concluded that the demand for mega distribution centers should stabilize in 2025, as occupiers take stock of their inventory needs.

    Overall, by January 2025, the U.S. economy continued to expand, with projections indicating growth just above 2% for the year. However, inflation remains a concern, prompting the Federal Reserve to reconsider potential interest rate cuts. Globally, growth is projected at 3.3% for both 2025 and 2026, slightly below the historical average.

    “The big wildcard moment for 2025 will be the recovery of business confidence,” said Stan Kolev, Chief Financial Officer of ITS Logistics. “Uncertainty about how the newly elected U.S. administration will proceed on tax, regulation, and trade policy may keep companies sidelined in 2025. In addition, renewed inflationary pressures could interrupt the monetary policy pivot, with high debt levels having the ability to create vulnerabilities that may manifest themselves suddenly. Furthermore, the ongoing geopolitical issues, including trade disputes and regional conflicts, pose risks to global stability.”

    The Brookings Institution confirmed that expected tariffs would cause employment to decline by 0.11% from the 25% tariffs on imports and rise to a 0.25% loss of jobs with retaliation. This will equate to over 177,000 job losses from the 25% tariff, rising to over 400,000 job losses in the event Canada and Mexico retaliate.

    ITS Logistics offers a full suite of network transportation solutions across North America and distribution and fulfillment services to 95% of the U.S. population within two days. These services include drayage and intermodal in 22 coastal ports and 30 rail ramps, a full suite of asset and asset-lite transportation solutions, omnichannel distribution and fulfillment, LTL, and outbound small parcel.

    The monthly ITS Supply Chain Report serves to inform ITS employees, partners, and customers of marketplace changes and updates. The information in the report combines data provided through DAT and various industry sources with insights from the ITS team. Visit here for a comprehensive copy of the report with expected industry insights and market updates.

    About ITS Logistics
    ITS Logistics is one of North America’s fastest-growing, asset-based modern 3PLs, providing solutions for the industry’s most complicated supply chain challenges. With a people-first culture committed to excellence, the company relentlessly strives to deliver unmatched value through best-in-class service, expertise, and innovation. The ITS Logistics portfolio features North America’s #19 asset-lite freight brokerage, the #12 drayage and intermodal solution, a top 50 dedicated fleet, an innovative cloud-based technology ecosystem, and a nationwide distribution and fulfillment network.

    Media Contact
    Amber Good
    LeadCoverage
    amber@leadcoverage.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1e87d831-e0e4-499f-bbb8-735fa81c1386

    The MIL Network –