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Category: Health

  • MIL-OSI: E Ink and MediaTek Donate 58 eReaders to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BILLERICA, Mass., May 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — E Ink (8069.TW), the originator, pioneer, and global commercial leader in ePaper technology, announced today its collaborative donation with MediaTek to the Boys and Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana as part of E Ink’s eRead for the Future program. E Ink and MediaTek are donating 58 Amazon Kindle Kids eReaders—each Kindle Kids device features an E Ink ePaper display for a comfortable, paper-like reading experience and is powered by MediaTek’s advanced chipset technology.

    “The donation from E Ink and MediaTek will have a meaningful impact on the children,” said Brandon Smith, Clubs Director of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana. “Access to books and educational tools is crucial for our Club kids’ development, and these Kindle devices open up a world of opportunities for their learning.”

    During the upcoming summer, the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana is running a Summer Reading program to combat reading skill loss during the summer. These Kindle Kids will be used to support this program.

    A study conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health found that E Ink’s ePaper screens with a ComfortGaze front light are up to three times healthier for eyes than LCD screens. As distraction and blue light dominate modern devices, paper-like E Ink screens provide a healthier screen time option. Blue light from LED and fluorescent lighting, as well as monitors, tablets, and mobile devices, can negatively affect vision over the long term, according to the American Optometric Association. Unlike traditional LCD screens, ePaper screens are non-emissive, meaning they rely on ambient light for viewing. Devices like the Amazon Kindle can help families minimize the blue-light hazard and enable more focused reading and learning.

    “This collaboration with E Ink and the Boys & Girls Clubs is a wonderful opportunity to share our passion for technology with future generations,” said Jerry Yu, Corporate Senior Vice President at MediaTek. “These Kindles are valuable tools that ensure our youth have access to more important resources to empower deeper learning.”

    “Our partnership with MediaTek and the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Louisiana is steeped in helping inspire a lifelong love of reading,” said Lynne Garone, Associate Vice President of Corporate Learning and Social Responsibility at E Ink Corporation. “Our ePaper technology is designed to make reading more enjoyable and accessible for kids everywhere.”

    To expand on eRead for the Future program in 2025, this eReader donation reflects E Ink and MediaTek’s ongoing commitment to supporting communities and creating opportunities for children through technology and education. The devices come bundled with a 6-month subscription to Amazon Kids+, giving the young readers unlimited access to thousands of children’s books, with a part of the donation being reserved for a permanent book collection.

    In 2024, E Ink engaged over 22 partners across the ePaper ecosystem to participate in the social good initiative, eRead for the Future, that focuses on delivering technology that elevates students’ reading abilities. Through last year’s collaboration, E Ink donated 1,024 color eReaders, benefiting over 15,000 students across 40 elementary schools. The total donation value was nearly USD 1 million and saved 777 metric tons of carbon from reading digital, nonprinted, books. For context, if 160 million eReaders worldwide download 50 eBooks each over a five-year period, this totals 8 billion eBooks. In comparison, if all these books were read in paper form, it would equate to nearly 60 million tons of CO2e.

    About E Ink

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

    Contact:
    V2 Communications for E Ink
    eink@v2comms.com 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: GSK’s Nucala highlights IL-5 inhibition in reducing COPD exacerbations in eosinophilic patients, says GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    GSK’s Nucala highlights IL-5 inhibition in reducing COPD exacerbations in eosinophilic patients, says GlobalData

    Posted in Pharma

    GSK’s Nucala (mepolizumab) demonstrated a consistent reduction in exacerbation rates among patients with eosinophilic chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), irrespective of prior severe event history, according to findings presented at the 2025 American Thoracic Society (ATS) International Conference. These results further solidify the role of IL-5 inhibition in biomarker-driven COPD management, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    GlobalData’s latest analysis of the Phase III MATINEE trial (NCT04133909) highlights Nucala’s ability to reduce moderate or severe exacerbations by 25% in patients with a history of severe exacerbations and by 21% in those without such a history. In both groups, Nucala significantly lowered the rate of exacerbations requiring emergency department (ED) visits or hospitalization—by 32% in the severe subgroup and 40% in the non-severe group—over a period of up to 104 weeks.

    Asiyah Nawab, Healthcare Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “The consistent benefit seen in both high-risk and lower-risk eosinophilic COPD patients highlights Nucala’s broad utility. These results can support its positioning as a foundational therapy in a segment where precision biologics are beginning to take hold.”

    The MATINEE trial enrolled 804 patients aged ≥40 years with screening blood eosinophil counts ≥300 cells/μL and a history of ≥2 moderate or ≥1 severe exacerbations in the prior year. All patients were receiving triple inhaled therapy. In addition to reducing exacerbation rates, Nucala improved health-related quality of life, with a greater proportion of patients achieving ≥4-point improvements in the St George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ) score—particularly among those without prior severe events.

    Nawab adds: “The findings from the MATINEE trial reinforce Nucala’s efficacy across different levels of baseline disease severity and align with precision medicine strategies increasingly used to identify high-value subgroups within the broader COPD population. Despite a delayed FDA decision following its 07 May PDUFA date, the totality of evidence from METREX, METREO, and MATINEE trials provides a strong platform for potential regulatory approval.

    “With the recent approval of GSK’s Dupixent (dupilumab) in COPD and the growing emphasis on biomarker stratification, Nucala’s consistent performance in high-eosinophil populations could carve out a differentiated role, especially given its mature safety profile and experience in respiratory indications.”

    GSK’s extensive experience with Nucala in asthma and eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (EGPA), combined with established payer familiarity, may facilitate market access if approved for COPD. However, competitive positioning against upstream agents such as Dupixent will require clear value messaging, robust real-world data, and targeted diagnostics to optimize prescriber uptake.

    Nawab concludes: “The MATINEE results provide a compelling case for Nucala’s use in eosinophilic COPD. Success will depend not only on regulatory approval but on strategic execution across diagnostics, pricing, and payer alignment to maximize its impact in an increasingly competitive and biomarker-driven biologics market.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Tezepelumab’s trial results strengthen potential for biomarker-driven biologic therapies in COPD, says GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Tezepelumab’s trial results strengthen potential for biomarker-driven biologic therapies in COPD, says GlobalData

    Posted in Pharma

    Tezepelumab, a thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) inhibitor developed by AstraZeneca and Amgen, demonstrated significant reductions in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) exacerbations among eosinophilic subgroups, regardless of chronic bronchitis status, according to new post hoc findings presented at the 2025 American Thoracic Society (ATS) International Conference. These results further support the potential for biomarker-driven biologic therapies in COPD, a historically underserved market, says GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company

    GlobalData’s latest analysis reveals that tezepelumab, evaluated in the Phase IIa COURSE trial, achieved a 26% reduction in annualized moderate or severe exacerbations in patients with chronic bronchitis (CB), with a 28% reduction in those with baseline blood eosinophil counts (BECs) ≥150 cells/μL. Notably, in patients without CB but with elevated BECs, a 56% reduction was observed. These findings highlight the impact of type 2 inflammation and eosinophilic status in shaping treatment response.

    Asiyah Nawab, Healthcare Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “These subgroup findings reinforce the growing momentum around precision medicine in COPD. While tezepelumab did not meet its primary endpoint in the overall trial population, the marked benefit in biomarker-defined groups could pave the way for future regulatory and commercial strategies centered on eosinophilic inflammation.”

    The COURSE study enrolled 337 patients with moderate to very severe COPD and at least two exacerbations in the prior year, all of whom were on optimized triple inhaled therapy. Participants received either tezepelumab 420mg subcutaneously every four weeks or a placebo for 52 weeks. In addition to exacerbation reductions, tezepelumab was associated with improvements in lung function and quality of life, particularly in CB patients with elevated eosinophils.

    These results align with prior patterns seen in other biologics targeting eosinophilic COPD, including GSK’s Nucala (mepolizumab) and AstraZeneca’s Fasenra (benralizumab). However, tezepelumab’s upstream mechanism of action may offer a broader anti-inflammatory effect, which could differentiate it in a competitive landscape increasingly defined by biomarker stratification.

    Nawab continues: “Biologics remain a small segment of the COPD market, largely due to underwhelming results in unselected populations. Tezepelumab’s ability to deliver clinically meaningful outcomes in eosinophilic subgroups, if confirmed in Phase III trials, could establish it as a valuable add-on therapy for high-risk patients unresponsive to standard inhaled regimens.”

    From a commercial standpoint, AstraZeneca’s existing respiratory portfolio, including Symbicort and Fasenra, may offer strategic leverage for market integration. However, Nawab notes that payers will require clear evidence of clinical value and biomarker-based stratification to justify premium pricing.

    Nawab concludes: “Tezepelumab’s trajectory will depend on its ability to validate these subgroup effects in a pivotal program. In an increasingly crowded and cost-sensitive biologics space, a successful precision medicine strategy will be essential to achieving market access and uptake.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General’s video message to the 78th World Health Assembly

    Source: United Nations – English

    strong>Download the video:
    https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/downloads2.unmultimedia.org/public/video/evergreen/MSG+SG+/SG+5+May+25/3374144_MSG+SG+78TH+WORLD+HEALTH+ASSEMBLY+05+MAY+25.mp4

    Excellencies,

    I am pleased to send my warm greetings to this 78th World Health Assembly.

    In a divided world, you are uniting behind a shared goal to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable.

    That is the longstanding mission of the World Health Organization. 

    And it is especially crucial at a time of deep reductions in funding for health and development – even while military spending reaches record highs.

    Now more than ever, our world needs a coherent global health architecture that responds rapidly to crises and strengthens protection and wellbeing for all.  

    The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted deep gaps in collective preparedness – and served as a powerful reminder that no one is safe until everyone is safe.

    The WHO Pandemic Agreement builds upon these lessons – and reflects the power of multilateralism in action.

    After years of negotiation and compromise, you have come together to consider this landmark agreement, recognizing that global health emergencies demand global responses.

    If adopted, this will be only the second international health convention under the WHO Constitution after the Global Convention on Tobacco Control, which came into force 20 years ago.

    So I urge you to make history:

    To strengthen global preparedness against pandemics;

    To ensure equity and solidarity in responding to health threats;

    And to uphold the promise of health as a fundamental human right – for this generation and the next.  

    But health is about more than emergencies.

    The upcoming high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases and the promotion of mental health offers a crucial opportunity to improve countless lives.

    Progress towards Universal Health Coverage is essential to building resilient systems grounded in primary care – and delivering on the 2030 Agenda.

    I also urge you to match ambition with resources – by strengthening investment in the World Health Organization and ensuring the sustainability and predictability it needs to build a healthier, safer, and fairer world for all.

    Thank you.
     

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The rise of psychedelic capitalism: Work harder and be happy about it?

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Kevin Walby, Associate Professor of Criminal Justice, University of Winnipeg

    Once stigmatized and outlawed, psychedelics are moving from the counterculture to the mainstream. From Prince Harry’s use of psilocybin to National Football League quarterback Aaron Rodgers’ adventures with ayahuasca, our media is awash with accounts of their professed benefits.

    Hundreds of universities around the world are now engaging in psychedelic research. And psychedelic legalization initiatives are taking hold.

    Psychedelics are becoming big business. Just as private capital flooded the cannabis sector years ago, a psychedelic gold rush is underway.

    Wealthy entrepreneurs are investing in the psychedelic industry while biotechnology start-ups are raising capital and running clinical trials on novel psychedelic molecules. Venture capitalists are eyeing the prospects of a new lucrative mass market.

    The authors of this article have a new book out: ‘Psychedelic Capitalism’ published by Fernwood.
    (Fernwood)

    Three causes for concern

    To date, most debates about psychedelics have offered little critical analysis of their relationship to the political economy of modern capitalism and broader power structures. In our new book Psychedelic Capitalism, we make three central claims about the so-called psychedelic renaissance.

    First, the medicalization of psychedelics is likely to restrict access and reinforce existing health and social inequalities.

    Second, the corporatization of psychedelics will enable economic elites to dominate the market while appropriating the vast reservoir of knowledge built up by Indigenous communities, public institutions and underground researchers.

    And third, rather than representing progressive drug reform, the limited legalization of select psychedelics for medical use will help to entrench and sustain the drug war and the criminalization of most drug use.

    Ignoring community knowledge

    Across North America, we’re seeing a medicalization of psychedelics, where a range of problems are presented as treatable by these substances. This is happening in a way that boosts corporate control of the process and pushes aside community and Indigenous knowledge.

    We have seen this scenario play out in Australia. Substances such as psilocybin and MDMA are legally available, but only through a doctor’s prescription and at great financial cost — raising questions about equity, access and who these therapies are for.

    Framing psychedelics as pharmaceutical commodities and individualized health-care solutions reinforces the prohibitionist narrative that these substances are unsuitable for use outside of the medical context. This narrative shifts attention away from how medicalized use might perpetuate a neoliberal ideology — locating mental “disorder” within an individual, rather than addressing more systemic causes such as poverty, inequality and social exclusion.

    It also disregards centuries of traditions created by Indigenous community use, as well as the values of the psychedelic underground.

    A system built on expensive individual therapy, medically trained gatekeepers and hyper-controlled clinical access is not the model that most advocates have envisioned.

    A pill-only model for productivity and happiness

    The foundations of psychedelic capitalism were largely created by public innovation at the public’s expense and are now in the process of being taken over by private capital.

    Psychedelic conferences increasingly resemble corporate trade shows. The psychedelic tourism industry continues to expand and cater to elite clients. For-profit companies like Mind Medicine and Compass Pathways are eliminating psychotherapy from their treatment protocols and embracing a “pill-only” model favoured by Big Pharma.

    Psychedelics, including microdosing and psychedelic-assisted therapy, are marketed as a way for the general population to extract more work out of their already overworked lives, and to be happy about it in the process.

    Companies are competing to capture intellectual property to harness profits from existing compounds and erect legal barriers around new chemicals and their applications.

    The for-profit ketamine industry already offers a glimpse into the future of corporatized psychedelic therapy. This includes a lack of attention to risks, deceitful marketing and little consideration to therapeutic care.

    There has been a surge of new patent applications (and granted patents) in the U.S. on substances such as psilocybin, LSD, DMT, 5-MeO DMT and mescaline that seek to secure exclusivity, monopolize supply chains and privatize knowledge that already exists in the public domain.

    Psychedelics have been swept up into the well-rehearsed capitalist playbook where private players are fabricating exclusionary rights over what are ultimately the products of collective human struggle and intellectual achievement.

    Medical legalization of psychedelics

    The medicalized approach to psychedelic mainstreaming also connects to drug law and policy.

    Across North America, the biomedical approach is the main influence on drug law and the primary avenue for psychedelic access in most jurisdictions. This approach is widely supported by psychedelic capitalists who have a financial stake in medical legalization and want to limit legal access to anything outside of the medical-pharma frame.

    In the United States, places like Oregon and Colorado have more holistic legal models that include elements of community control to prevent corporate capture. But most state initiatives remain limited in scope and are centred around medicalized therapy, particularly for military veterans. Even in Oregon, which has been lauded for its progressive drug policies, there has been an unmistakable drift toward medicalization.

    Canada’s cannabis industry exemplifies how processes of legalization can become intertwined with the interests of corporate-dominated industries.

    As Michael Devillaer, professor of psychiatry and behavioural neurosciences and author of Buzz Kill (2024), has explained, the cannabis industry has prioritized profit maximization, product promotion and increased consumption at the expense of public health concerns.

    What is best for public interest?

    As the medical legalization of psychedelics deepens, we are likely to see the intensification of criminal penalties for recreational and other uses.

    In fact, police seizures of psychedelics like psilocybin in the U.S. have increased in recent years. Global arrests for the transportation of compounds such as ayahuasca, iboga and peyote have also increased.

    These problems are likely to be exacerbated by systems of bifurcated scheduling, where a drug product is placed in a different class from the active ingredient or substance.

    For example, if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were to approve psilocybin for depression or MDMA for PTSD, it is likely that only FDA-approved medicinal psilocybin and MDMA products would be rescheduled, while the substances themselves would continue to be prosecuted as restricted narcotics.

    It is in the public interest to move beyond a myopic focus on medical legalization to a more open, decriminalized model of public access. An approach like this would not only mitigate the threats associated with corporate capture, it would also reduce the harms associated with criminalization and the war on drugs.

    Community-controlled decriminalization is a better path to mainstreaming psychedelics than relinquishing power to the medical industry and pharmaceutical cartels that provide monopolized services to primarily affluent customers.

    And treating drug use and dependence as a public health issue and incentivizing harm reduction and support services for at-risk populations would go a long way to mitigating the tragedies of the drug war.

    Kevin Walby receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

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

    – ref. The rise of psychedelic capitalism: Work harder and be happy about it? – https://theconversation.com/the-rise-of-psychedelic-capitalism-work-harder-and-be-happy-about-it-253003

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    The Trump administration aims to cut HIV prevention funding.

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

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

    Afterlife of aid

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

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

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

    Treatment as hope

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Politicizing global health

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    From personal choice to global security

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Space tourism as a niche market

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

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

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

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

    Tourist motivation and space tourism’s evolution

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

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

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

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

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

    Representation and marketing experience

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

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

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

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

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

    Tourism education and media literacy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: King Cosponsors Bipartisan Legislation to Avoid Drug Shortages, Improve Health Emergency Response

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Angus King

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Angus King (I-ME) is joining bipartisan legislation to ensure the United States is well positioned to mitigate potential prescription drug shortages and respond to future health emergencies. More specifically, the Mapping America’s Pharmaceutical Supply (MAPS) Act would improve federal coordination and visibility for essential medicine supply chains by proactively identifying and addressing supply chain shortfalls or weaknesses.

    The bipartisan MAPS Act would direct the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), in coordination with relevant agencies and the private sector, to regularly update, maintain, and publish a list of essential medicines. Using the Essential Medicines List, the federal government would be required to conduct a comprehensive risk assessment of these supply chains to assess the key ingredients needed to manufacture essential medicines, overreliance on high-risk foreign sources, sole-sourced products, current domestic manufacturing capabilities, cybersecurity threats, and any other gaps that may reduce the federal government’s ability to identify health and national security risks related to our essential medicine supply chains.

    “As we work to protect our communities from a future public health emergency, researching and understanding the prescription drug supply chain is a simple way to help Americans stay healthy and safe – since access to medication is such a critical component to modern care,” said Senator King. “The bipartisan Mapping America’s Pharmaceutical Supply (MAPS) Act would help prevent prescription drug shortages, ensure that our country is reducing its dependence on foreign adversaries for essential medicines, while also protecting the American public from the effects of a future pandemic. I am grateful to my colleagues in both parties for putting the safety and health of the American people first.”

    In addition, HHS, through public-private partnerships, would be required to map all essential medicine supply chains – from the key ingredients needed to manufacture drug products to their distribution in hospitals and pharmacies – creating end-to-end visibility in these supply chains. The bill would also require the Department of Defense (DoD) to submit reports to Congress on drug products that rely on China for critical inputs and finished dose forms.

    The bill is supported by the American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), American Society of Clinical Oncology (ASCO), Angels for Change, the Michigan Health & Hospital Association, United States Pharmacopeia, and CivicaRx. Below are statements in support of the bill.  

    “ASHP strongly supports the MAPS Act. By requiring the Department of Health and Human services to coordinate with other agencies and the private sector to map the pharmaceutical supply chain, threats to the U.S. pharmaceutical supply chain can be identified and addressed before they place patients at risk,” said Tom Kraus, Vice President of ASHP Government Relations. 

    “ASCO applauds the introduction of the MAPS Act, which would provide needed tools to gain better visibility into the supply of critical prescription drugs in the United States,” said Eric P. Winer, MD, FASCO, Board Chair of the Association for Clinical Oncology. “We support efforts to recognize potential drug shortages earlier and to relay information to stakeholders to help them prepare for and mitigate possible supply challenges. The bipartisan work of Senators Peters, Ernst, Cotton, Kaine, Lankford and King, on this important legislation, advances these efforts.” 

    “Angels for Change proudly supports the MAPS Act—a vital step toward ending drug shortages and protecting patients,” said Laura Bray, Founder and Chief Change Maker of Angels for Change. “This bipartisan legislation will strengthen transparency and coordination across the entire drug supply chain, helping to detect and prevent disruptions before they impact care. Building the reliable supply chain patients deserve will require collaboration across government and industry. We applaud Senators Peters, Lankford, Ernst, Cotton, Kaine, King, and Scott for their leadership in prioritizing the safeguarding of Essential Medicines that will benefit all US patients.” 

    Joining King on this legislation are Senators Gary Peters (D-MI), James Lankford (R-OK), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Tim Kaine (D-VA), and Rick Scott (R-FL).

    Senator King has consistently worked to increase transparency of prescriptions drugs. Earlier this year, he introduced bipartisan legislation to modernize and streamline drug testing protocols for better patient outcomes. Last year, he also introduced bicameral legislation to prohibit direct-to-consumer drug advertising of pharmaceutical drugs in the first three years after the drug receives Federal Drug Administration (FDA) approval. Additionally, Senator King has introduced legislation to prohibit pharmaceutical drug manufacturers from claiming tax deductions for consumer advertising expenses.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How aid cuts could make vulnerable communities even less resilient to climate change

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Climate relocation

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Taiwan has no basis, reason or right to participate in WHA session – Chinese Foreign Ministry official

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    BEIJING, May 19 (Xinhua) — China’s Taiwan region has no basis, no reason, and no right to participate in the World Health Assembly (WHA) session unless authorized by the central government, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman said Monday.

    A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman made the statement in response to a decision on Monday by the WHA, the top governing body of the World Health Organization (WHO), not to include Taiwan’s proposal for observer status on the session’s agenda. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s video message to the 78th World Health Assembly

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    Download the video:
    https://s3.us-east-1.amazonaws.com/downloads2.unmultimedia.org/public/video/evergreen/MSG+SG+/SG+5+May+25/3374144_MSG+SG+78TH+WORLD+HEALTH+ASSEMBLY+05+MAY+25.mp4

    Excellencies,

    I am pleased to send my warm greetings to this 78th World Health Assembly.

    In a divided world, you are uniting behind a shared goal to promote health, keep the world safe and serve the vulnerable.

    That is the longstanding mission of the World Health Organization. 

    And it is especially crucial at a time of deep reductions in funding for health and development – even while military spending reaches record highs.

    Now more than ever, our world needs a coherent global health architecture that responds rapidly to crises and strengthens protection and wellbeing for all.  

    The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted deep gaps in collective preparedness – and served as a powerful reminder that no one is safe until everyone is safe.

    The WHO Pandemic Agreement builds upon these lessons – and reflects the power of multilateralism in action.

    After years of negotiation and compromise, you have come together to consider this landmark agreement, recognizing that global health emergencies demand global responses.

    If adopted, this will be only the second international health convention under the WHO Constitution after the Global Convention on Tobacco Control, which came into force 20 years ago.

    So I urge you to make history:

    To strengthen global preparedness against pandemics;

    To ensure equity and solidarity in responding to health threats;

    And to uphold the promise of health as a fundamental human right – for this generation and the next.  

    But health is about more than emergencies.

    The upcoming high-level meeting of the General Assembly on the prevention and control of noncommunicable diseases and the promotion of mental health offers a crucial opportunity to improve countless lives.

    Progress towards Universal Health Coverage is essential to building resilient systems grounded in primary care – and delivering on the 2030 Agenda.

    I also urge you to match ambition with resources – by strengthening investment in the World Health Organization and ensuring the sustainability and predictability it needs to build a healthier, safer, and fairer world for all.

    Thank you.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan: Nationwide Push to Modernise Farming

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    In a move to transform Indian agriculture, Union Minister for Agriculture & Farmers Welfare and Rural Development, Shivraj Singh Chouhan announced the launch of the nationwide Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan, set to run from May 29 to June 12. Addressing a press conference at the National Media Centre, the Minister emphasized that the initiative is a key step towards realizing Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s vision of a developed India through modern, innovative, and sustainable farming practices.

    The campaign will serve as a powerful platform to bridge the gap between research institutions and farming communities, ensuring that scientific advancements reach the grassroots level. Chouhan highlighted that developed agriculture, advanced farming techniques, and empowered farmers are critical pillars in building a developed nation. The Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan will be conducted biannually before the sowing of Kharif and Rabi crops to promote timely and relevant field-level interventions.

    Under the leadership of the Ministry of Agriculture and the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR), the initiative aims to enhance food security for India’s 1.45 billion people, promote nutritional food access, increase farmer incomes, and conserve natural resources. The strategy rests on six core pillars: boosting production, lowering input costs, ensuring fair pricing, offering disaster compensation, encouraging crop diversification and value addition, and expanding natural and organic farming.

    This year, India recorded unprecedented agricultural outputs. Kharif rice reached 1206.79 lakh metric tonnes, wheat 1154.30 lakh metric tonnes, maize 248.11 lakh metric tonnes, groundnut 104.26 lakh metric tonnes, and soybean 151.32 lakh metric tonnes. Total food grain production rose from 3157.74 lakh tonnes in 2023–24 to 3309.18 lakh tonnes in 2024–25. These record figures reflect India’s growing agricultural strength and align with the campaign’s vision of turning India into the “Food Basket of the World.”

    The campaign will mobilize ICAR’s 113 research institutes, 731 Krishi Vigyan Kendras (KVKs), agricultural universities, state agriculture departments, farmer-producer organizations (FPOs), and innovative farmers. A total of 2,170 expert teams, each comprising at least four members, will visit over 65,000 villages across 723 districts. These teams will conduct morning, afternoon, and evening sessions with farmers to promote scientific farming methods.

    Field assessments will focus on agro-climatic conditions, soil health, rainfall patterns, and water availability. Using Soil Health Cards, experts will recommend suitable crops, high-yield seed varieties, balanced fertilizer use, and modern sowing techniques. The aim is to reduce farming costs, improve soil health, and enhance productivity through precise and tailored guidance.

    Importantly, the Viksit Krishi Sankalp Abhiyan is envisioned as a two-way engagement. Farmers will be encouraged to share their local challenges, such as pest issues and climate anomalies, which will in turn inform ongoing research. The initiative is expected to directly reach and engage more than 1.3 crore farmers, ensuring that agricultural progress is driven by both scientific expertise and farmers’ insights.

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: First St Albans Spring Festival hailed as “a major success”

    Source: St Albans City and District

    Publication date:

    Thousands of people enjoyed a new St Albans City Centre event which has been hailed as “a major success.”

    The first St Albans Spring Festival was a celebration of food, well-being, community spirit and sustainability.

    Among the many attractions were live music, arts and crafts, street theatre and dozens of stalls selling takeaway food, drink and other produce. 

    There were also opportunities to learn, play and create with fun activities.

    The event, on Sunday 18 May, saw St Peter’s Street, Chequer Street and High Street closed to traffic.

    To ensure accessibility, sighted guides and British Sign Language interpreters were  in attendance while there was also priority seating and wheelchair ramps.

    St Albans City and District Council organised the event which was part-funded by the UK Shared Prosperity Fund and sponsored by Code Ninjas, Côte St Albans and Corker Taxis.

    Councillor Anthony Rowlands, Lead for Events, said:

    I am delighted at how well our first Spring Festival was received and have no doubt that it was a major success.

    This was a new City Centre event and the response from our residents and visitors was outstanding. 

    There was a huge turn out with people enjoying the many exciting activities and entertainment that were on offer, much of it free.

    One of our aims was to highlight the District’s thriving hospitality sector and it was pleasing to see so many people sampling their food and drink products at the many stalls that were in operation.

    I would like to thank our events team and our sponsors for making this wonderful event possible and I am sure we will look to bring it back next year. The crowds show there is certainly a demand for it.

    Photos by Stephanie Belton: scenes from the St Albans Spring Festival 2025 including, first below, Cllr Anthony Rowlands (left) helping out with Environmental Health Officer Fatme Kapza.

    Note: The UK Shared Prosperity Fund aims to improve pride in place and increase life chances across the UK by investing in communities and place, supporting local business, and people and skills. 

    For more information, visit: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/uk-shared-prosperity-fund-prospectus. 

    Media contact:  John McJannet, Principal Communications Officer: 01727- 819533; john.mcjannet@stalbans.gov.uk.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: York residents are among England’s most active

    Source: City of York

    Cllr Steels-Walshaw cycling around York

    Published Monday, 19 May 2025

    Sport England’s latest survey shows that over 75% York residents are among England’s most active, and that it has the least inactive population.

    The Active Lives Survey of people aged 16 or over was published on 24 April 2025. It shows that 76.5% of York’s adult population meets the Chief Medical Officers guidelines to exercise for 150 minutes or more exercise a week.

    This places York as the joint fifth most active English local authority area. The nationally average figure is 63.7% and York shares fifth place with West Berkshire. 

    York’s adult population is also shown to have the fewest people across English local authorities being active for 30 minutes a week or less. With just 12.9% of residents, the city ranks first nationally of all local authority areas. Residents living in North Yorkshire Council area scored at 24.3% and people nationally scored 25.1%. 

    Sport England said:

    York is placed first nationally of all local authority areas as it has the least number of people being physically inactive, which is a really significant achievement.”

    Cllr Lucy Steels-Walshaw, Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Social Care at City of York Council, said:

    This is a fantastic achievement for the health and wellbeing of York residents. Congratulations to those active residents, sports and activity organisations benefiting from high activity rates in our city.

    “Sporting activity is not only great for supporting a healthy lifestyle but also for the opportunities it offers to connect socially and make new friends, which benefits our mental health too.

    “This represents really positive progress towards meeting the goals of our current health and wellbeing strategy.”

    Peter Roderick, Director of Public Health at City of York Council, said:

    If you currently don’t do much physical activity, getting even a little bit more movement in your life has been shown to be highly beneficial for health.

    “It reduces your risk of heart disease, increases your mental wellbeing, protects bone health, and even reduces the risk of dementia in later life.”

    York has over 350 sports and activity clubs which are there to help residents become and keep active. Coming later to the city this year, is the Women’s Rugby World Cup with a programme of events and activities that residents can take part in.

    More ideas on how to move more are at Get active – Better Health – NHS, or visit www.york.gov.uk/HealthTrainers.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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


    Local science, global stories.

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

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

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

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

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

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Declared interests

    None received.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Vigilance urged as potato industry faces Colorado beetle threat

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Vigilance urged as potato industry faces Colorado beetle threat

    Animal and Plant Health Agency calls for Colorado beetle vigilance from home gardeners, allotmenteers and farmers who grow potatoes

    Home gardeners, allotmenteers and farmers have been urged today (Monday 19 May) to be vigilant for the presence of Colorado beetle, a major threat to potato crops, following recent sightings.

    The Colorado beetle has the potential to have a significant economic impact on the potato industry without action being taken. Adult beetles and larvae feed on the foliage of potatoes and several other plants, including tomatoes, aubergines and peppers, and can completely strip them of their leaves if they are left uncontrolled.

    Colorado beetle larvae were confirmed in a potato field in Kent following laboratory diagnosis of samples in 2023. There were outbreaks in the 1930s, 1950s and 1970s but the pest was swiftly eradicated due to inspections and public vigilance.

    The beetles have been known to be imported into the UK as ‘hitchhikers’ on plants, such as leafy vegetables, salad leaves, fresh herbs, grain and frozen vegetables, and APHA is urging people to keep an eye out when handling these items.

    Professor Nicola Spence, Defra’s Chief Plant Health Officer, said:

    “The Colorado beetle poses a significant threat to plants and the wider potato industry.

    “The public have an important role to play in helping us take swift and effective action to protect UK biosecurity. The public are urged to be vigilant and report suspected sightings to the Animal and Plant Health Agency with a photo and location details.”

    APHA Interim Chief Executive Dr Jenny Stewart said:

    “Public vigilance was key to eradicating the beetle in the 1970s, and we really need home gardeners, allotmenteers and farmers to step up again, and identify and report suspected sightings to protect potato crops.

    “Our surveillance capabilities protect UK borders from a wide range of plant pests and diseases, including the Colorado beetle, but we cannot do this without the help of the public.”

    How to spot a Colorado beetle:

    • The beetle’s body is yellow or cream with 10 black stripes and it has an orange head with irregular black spots.
    • It is usually between 6 to 11mm in length and 3mm in width. Its larvae are a pinkish red or orange colour, with black spots along each side and a black head and are up to 15mm in length. 
    • They are distinctive in appearance, however, there are several beetles that are frequently mistaken for them.

    APHA is exhibiting at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show to raise awareness of the impact this pest can have on UK food security and the potato industry

    Visitors to APHA’s Chelsea Flower Show exhibit can engage with interactive graphics and a multimedia experience highlighting how the beetle attacks plants and how to identify signs of the pest.
    The exhibit (location GPA004) will also showcase how to report suspected findings to APHA in an effort to protect the British potato industry.

    Additional information:

    • If you find a Colorado beetle in England and Wales, please do not let it go – capture it in a secure container and report any suspected sightings to APHA as soon as possible by telephoning 0300 1000 313 or by emailing the planthealth.info@apha.gov.uk mailbox. All sightings should include a photograph and location details.
    • For Scotland, contact the Scottish Government’s Horticulture and Marketing Unit: Agricultural crops contact the local RPID officer: http://www.gov.scot/Topics/farmingrural/Agriculture/AOcontacts/contacts For non-agricultural crops, email: hort.marketing@gov.scot 
    • For Northern Ireland, contact the DAERA Plant Health Inspection Branch: Tel: 0300 200 7847 Email: planthealth@daera-ni.gov.uk Web:  [https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/topics/plant-and-tree-health] 
    • The Colorado beetle does not represent a risk to human health.
    • The Colorado potato beetle plant pest factsheet provides more information about the beetle’s life cycle and provides information on how to differentiate it from some of our native beetle species.

    Updates to this page

    Published 19 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Professor Nick Webborn has been appointed as Chair of UK Sport.

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Professor Nick Webborn has been appointed as Chair of UK Sport.

    The Secretary of State has appointed Professor Nick Webborn as the Chair of UK Sport for a term of four years, which will commence on 22 May 2025

    Professor Nick Webborn 

    Professor Nick Webborn CBE DL has a lifetime’s experience in high performance sport as an athlete, medical director, clinician, researcher and most recently as Chair of the British Paralympic Association. 

    As a world leading expert in sport and exercise medicine, Nick has worked on 13 Paralympic Games and has decades of experience in providing performance support to British athletes. He was also Chief Medical Officer for Paralympics GB at the London 2012 Paralympics and for the Invictus Games 2014. In the former role, Nick helped develop the winning bid for London 2012 and played a critical role in the delivery of athlete healthcare services for the Games. 

    Since then, Nick has gone on to become one of the UK’s most prominent sport administrators. As Chair of the BPA, Nick played a critical role in leading the organisation through a period of change as they delivered a new 10 year strategy which sustained Paralympics GB’s position near the top of successive Paralympic medal tables, whilst embedding social impact as a cornerstone of their work. Nick is also incredibly experienced in the world of international sport, having served on the Medical and Anti-Doping Committees of the International Paralympic Committee.

    In 2016, Nick was awarded an OBE for services to Paralympic Sports Medicine and the British Paralympic Association and a CBE in the 2022 New Years Honours List for services to Sport and Sports Medicine.

    Nick is delighted to have been appointed as Chair of UK Sport and looks forward to leading the organisation to deliver the next phase of its Strategic Plan, ensuring the positive future of Olympic and Paralympic sport and major sporting events in the UK.

    Nick continues to practice in the field of Sport and Exercise Medicine and has published over 100 peer reviewed articles and book chapters.

    Nick Webborn said:

    “It is a great honour to be appointed as Chair of UK Sport and to have the opportunity to continue the work of my predecessor, Dame Katherine Grainger, who I have had the privilege to work alongside over the last eight years. 

    Having spent much of my life in high performance sport, I know how much the UK public value the Olympic and Paralympic success that our wonderful sports and athletes have achieved over the last 25 years and how much the UK is respected as a host of sporting events.

    However, I also know that our sporting success is not guaranteed in the face of mounting global competition. I therefore look forward to working with the incredibly talented people we have across the UK sporting system to deliver continued success on the field of play and to unite, inspire and excite people all across the nation.”

    Sally Munday, Chief Executive of UK Sport, said:

    “We are absolutely delighted to welcome Nick to the UK Sport team. His decades of experience in high performance sport mean that he is perfectly positioned to Chair UK Sport through the next phase of the delivery of our ten year strategic plan and to drive the system change needed to continue a positive future for Olympic and Paralympic sport and major sporting events in the UK. 

    I know that people across the Olympic and Paralympic sport community in the UK will join me in giving Nick a very warm welcome to his exciting new role”.

    Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, Lisa Nandy said: 

    “I am delighted to welcome Professor Nick Webborn as the new Chair of UK Sport. His expertise in sports medicine and sports administration will bring invaluable perspective to this role. 

    “Nick’s leadership will be crucial as UK Sport continues its efforts to grow Olympic and Paralympic sports, while continuing work with government to cement the UK’s position as a world-leading host of prestigious competitions that leave lasting legacies in communities across the country.”

    Remuneration and Governance Code

    Chair of UK Sport is remunerated at £40,000 per year. This appointment has been made in accordance with the Cabinet Office’s Governance Code on Public Appointments.

    The appointments process is regulated by the Commissioner for Public Appointments. Under the Code, any significant political activity undertaken by an appointee in the last five years must be declared. This is defined as including holding office, public speaking, making a recordable donation, or candidature for election. Professor Nick Webborn has not declared any significant political activity.

    Updates to this page

    Published 19 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: We are expecting a hot semi-final of the KVN League of the State University of Management

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    We’re waiting for everyone on Friday evening!

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Wearable Technologies Power Study on Differences Between Treadmill, Outdoor Running on Injury Risk

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    When researchers study runners, up until very recently, they have had to conduct these studies in the lab using a treadmill.

    But running on a treadmill and running outside — as most runners do — is not the same. This has meant that scientific studies looking to inform our understanding of how running-related injuries occur and how to prevent them are not always transferable to the real world.

    With the advent of reliable wearable technologies, researchers are now able to capture data from runners outside the lab.

    A new study published in the Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy (JOST Open) looked at how two key measures related to running-related injuries differ on a treadmill versus running outside on a flat sidewalk.

    “In our lab, we’re really about trying to bring things out of the lab and into the world,” Laurie Devaney, associate professor-in-residence and head of the Department of Kinesiology, says. “So, this was an attempt to look at real-world forces and see how they stack up against running on a treadmill.”

    Michelle Bruneau ’23 (CAHNR), a former Ph.D. candidate, was the first author on this paper. She is now a post-doctoral research fellow in the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at Harvard Medical School and Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital.

    The study used 28 healthy, male and female adult runners. Participants ran eight kilometers on the treadmill and the road while wearing ankle and chest sensors to track their step rate and tibial acceleration.

    Step rate is a measure of how many steps the runner takes over a certain distance. Tibial acceleration is a proxy for the impact load during a run.

    “When we look at running-related injuries we know that things like step rate and tibial acceleration can be associated with those injuries, especially bone-stress related injuries [like tibial stress fractures and shin pain],” Devaney says.

    The researchers found that while step rates were similar in both settings, when the runners were outdoors, there was a trend toward an increasing step rate as the run went on. This is good as an increased step rate reduces the force of each step, better protecting the runner from injury.

    Another significant difference is that peak tibial acceleration was greater outdoors than on the treadmill.

    “If we’re thinking about this notion of forces and accumulated forces it’s probably greater in an outdoor run than it is on the treadmill,” Devaney says.

    Using additional data collected during this study, the researchers have another publication forthcoming focused on motion capture data. These data provide information on how the runners were moving and what that can tell the researchers about injury risk.

    This research also has applications for cadets in ROTC programs and military members who frequently suffer from the same kinds of injuries as runners.

    “If we have ways to measure them out in the field, we are going to be better able to identify some of the culprits that are leading to these injuries and modify them,” Devaney says.

    As wearable technologies become better and more diverse, there will only be more opportunities to study people in real-world settings rather than only in the lab.

    “These increased forces are important for running-related injuries and our measurements on the treadmill are not necessarily synonymous with what we see in real-world application,” Devaney says. “[We’re] really encouraging researchers and clinicians to consider those differences and move toward the ability to measure people outdoors.”

    This work relates to CAHNR’s Strategic Vision area focused on Enhancing Health and Well-Being Locally, Nationally, and Globally.

    Follow UConn CAHNR on social media

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Are artificial sweeteners okay for our health?

    Source: Anglia Ruskin University

    By Havovi Chichger and Caray A Walker, Anglia Ruskin University

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    What you need to know

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Rise, shine and move with the new Lurgan Parkrun

    Source: Northern Ireland City of Armagh

    The free, timed 5K weekly Parkrun has arrived at Lurgan Park to help get your weekend off to an active start!

    The official launch of the new Lurgan Parkrun took place Saturday 17 May, with the Lord Mayor of Armagh City, Banbridge and Craigavon Councillor Sarah Duffy and Physical Activity Co-ordinator with the Southern Health and Social Care Trust (SHSCT), Clare Drummy on hand to get the town’s first Parkrun underway!

    Funded by SHSCT, Parkrun is an inclusive community health and wellbeing initiative with the aim of encouraging healthier lifestyles and building stronger community connections. Parkrun is organised by local volunteers who are also trained in First Aid and defibrillator use.

    Speaking at the launch, Lord Mayor Councillor Sarah Duffy said: “I am delighted to launch the Lurgan Parkrun, and I invite all residents to get involved, whether that’s by getting active and completing the route or in a volunteering capacity. I also wish to acknowledge and thank the Southern Health and Social Care Trust for funding this fantastic initiative to support community health and wellbeing.”

    Parkrun is a family-friendly event! There is no time limit, no-one finishes last, no previous experience is needed, and joggers, runners, walkers, buggies, volunteers and dogs (on a short lead) are welcome to join! Each Saturday morning, the route will take participants on a 5K course, weaving through the stunning mature woodland and open grassland grounds of Lurgan Park.

    In an exciting, innovative and award-winning initiative, the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) has also collaborated with Parkrun UK to promote the health and wellbeing of staff and patients. This social prescribing project encourages GP practices of all sizes to link with their local Parkrun to become a ‘Parkrun Practice’. As a Parkrun Practice, the surgery encourages staff and patients to take part in parkrun.

    Parkrun Regional Support Ambassador Northern Ireland, Matt Shields said: “We are really pleased to see a parkrun event coming to Lurgan Park. Our vision is that where possible, Parkrun events should be in the heart of the community and easily accessed by people of all ages, abilities and ethnicities. Lurgan Park in the centre of Lurgan town perfectly fits that vision!

    “At parkrun we are focused on promoting health and wellbeing, be that through running, jogging, walking or volunteering. Regardless of your ability, everyone is invited to take part, be active and socialise to help create a supportive parkrun community.”

    Parkrun participants must register with Parkrun beforehand and bring their personal barcode to the event. To find out more, please visit www.parkrun.org.uk/register

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Professor Mohamed Yakub Janabi of Tanzania nominated as next director of World Health Organization (WHO) African Region

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

    GENEVA, Switzerland, May 19, 2025/APO Group/ —

    Professor Mohamed Yakub Janabi was today nominated as the next Regional Director of the World Health Organization (WHO) African Region during a Special Session of the WHO Regional Committee for Africa held in Geneva ahead of the World Health Assembly.

    The Special Session by Member States of the WHO African Region to elect the next Regional Director was agreed upon and organized following the sudden and untimely death of Regional Director-elect, Dr Faustine Ndugulile in November 2024.

    Other candidates were Dr N’da Konan Michel Yao (proposed by Cote d’Ivoire), Dr Mohamed Lamine Dramé (proposed by Guinea), and Professor Moustafa Mijiyawa (proposed by Togo).

    Professor Janabi’s nomination will be submitted for appointment by the 157th session of the WHO Executive Board, which takes place from 28 to 29 May 2025 in Geneva. The newly appointed Regional Director will take office thereafter for a five-year term and be eligible for reappointment once.

    In his acceptance remarks, Professor Janabi expressed commitment to advancing health of the people of the region. 

    “Thank you for your trust in me. I will not let you down. Your support underscores our collective resolve to build a healthier stronger and more united Africa,” said Professor Janabi. “As we face challenges ranging from infectious diseases, noncommunicable diseases to climate change and limited health financing, we must harness African resilience and unity.” 

    Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General, congratulated Dr Professor Janabi on his nomination as Regional Director for Africa and praised the other candidates on their campaigns.

    “I offer my warm congratulations to Professor Janabi on his nomination as Regional Director for Africa, and also to the United Republic of Tanzania. I also thank Dr Yao, Dr Lamine and Professor Mijiyawa on their campaigns for this challenging but extremely important position,” said WHO Director-General Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus. 

    “Professor Janabi will take the reins at an unprecedented time for the African Region, and WHO as a whole. We are grateful for his experience and expertise as we work together to navigate the challenges we face, and position our Organization to be stronger, sharper and more effective in the future. I look forward to his appointment by the Executive Board, and to working with him for a healthier, safer, fairer Africa,” said Dr Tedros.

    Dr Tedros also thanked Dr Chikwe Ihekweazu, Acting WHO Regional Director for Africa, for his service in steering the Regional Office during the transition period following the end of the term of former Regional Director Dr Matshidiso Moeti.

    Dr Ihekweazu congratulated Professor Janabi, wishing him success as he takes up the new role. 

    “Congratulations Professor Janabi on your election. This is a true reflection of the trust that Member States have placed in you. The African region has made important strides in health. But it also faces real and complex challenges. You can count on my support and that of all of WHO Africa as you take on this new role to serve our people,” said Dr Ihekweazu.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: AI-driven motion capture is transforming sports and exercise science

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    The problem with traditional motion capture

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

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

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

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

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

    The rise of markerless motion capture

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

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

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

    Where markerless motion capture works best

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

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

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

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

    Barriers

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

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

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

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

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

    A future without markers?

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI Africa –

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

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

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

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

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

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

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

    About Peter A. Feld

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

    About Qorvo

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

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

    About Starboard Value LP

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

    Forward Looking Statements

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

    At Qorvo®
    Doug DeLieto
    VP, Investor Relations
    1.336.678.7968

    The MIL Network –

  • Deeply concerned: PM Modi wishes Joe Biden a speedy recovery after prostate cancer diagnosis

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday wished former U.S. President Joe Biden a fast and full recovery after it was revealed that he has been diagnosed with an aggressive prostate cancer.

    Taking to the social media platform X, PM Modi said: “Deeply concerned to hear about Joe Biden’s health. Extend our best wishes to him for a quick and full recovery. Our thoughts are with Dr. Jill Biden and the family.”

    Biden’s office, in a statement issued Sunday, revealed that the president had recently undergone a medical evaluation due to worsening urinary symptoms.

    “Last week, President Joe Biden was seen for a new finding of a prostate nodule after experiencing increasing urinary symptoms,” the statement said.

    “On Friday, he was diagnosed with prostate cancer, characterised by a Gleason score of 9 (Grade Group 5), with metastasis to the bone,” it added.

    Although the diagnosis indicates a severe form of the disease, Biden’s physicians noted that the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management.

    “While this represents a more aggressive form of the disease, the cancer appears to be hormone-sensitive, which allows for effective management,” the statement said. “The president and his family are reviewing treatment options with his physicians.”

    Former U.S. President Donald Trump also commented on the diagnosis via his Truth Social platform:
    “Melania and I are saddened to hear about Joe Biden’s recent medical diagnosis. We extend our warmest and best wishes to Jill and the family, and we wish Joe a fast and successful recovery.”

    The news has reignited political and public discussions around President Biden’s health.

    President Biden lost his son, Beau Biden, to cancer in 2015, and has since championed cancer research initiatives—first as vice president under Barack Obama and later as president—through the Cancer Moonshot program.

    IANS

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s 11th military medical expert team to Ethiopia leaves for Addis Ababa 2025-05-19 17:38:14 The 11th Batch of Medical Aid Team of Chinese PLA to Ethiopia departed in the early morning of May 17 for Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, to perform a year-long medical aid mission.

    Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense

      By Liu Dan

      The Chinese PLA Army Medical University holds a setting-out ceremony for the 11th Batch of Medical Aid Team of Chinese PLA to Ethiopia. (Photo by Wei Hongping)

      BEIJING, May 19 — The 11th Batch of Medical Aid Team of Chinese PLA to Ethiopia departed in the early morning of May 17 for Addis Ababa, capital of Ethiopia, to perform a year-long medical aid mission.

      The 11th medical expert team, the largest military medical expert team ever sent to Ethiopia, consists of 14 military doctors. These military doctors are mainly selected from the First Hospital Affiliated to the Chinese PLA Army Medical University (AMU), covering disciplines such as clinical medicine, medical technology, hospital management, and logistic support. All the members have rich experience in clinical treatment or management.

      During domestic training, the team members received intensive targeted training on emotion management, critical illness treatment, infectious disease prevention and control, among others, which further enhanced their capabilities in carrying out overseas medical aid tasks.

      During the mission, the military medical expert team will continue to help the general hospital of the Ethiopian armed forces improve its medical support capabilities, comprehensively promote the construction of the Ethiopian national army’s newly opened specialized referral hospital, and provide support for the development of local medical and health services.

      Since 2015, the Chinese PLA Army Medical University has sent 11 batches of more than 100 medical experts to Ethiopia to perform medical support tasks for military operations other than war (MOOTW).

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    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Compliance of Slovenia’s Hospitality Act (ZGos-1) with European law and notification to the Commission – E-001802/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-001802/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Matej Tonin (PPE), Romana Tomc (PPE), Milan Zver (PPE), Zala Tomašič (PPE), Branko Grims (PPE)

    On 14 March 2025, the Slovenian Government tabled a draft Hospitality Act (ZGos-1), which introduces excessively restrictive measures for providers of short-term rental accommodation nationwide. A number of stakeholders and academics have already expressed serious concerns to the Slovenian Government about whether the measures are proportional, justified and non-discriminatory, as well as about a possible interference with the freedom to provide services in the EU.

    I would therefore be grateful if the following points could be clarified:

    • 1.Notification to the Commission: Have the Slovenian authorities complied with their obligation to notify the draft Hospitality Act to the Commission as required by EU law (TRIS notification procedure), and what would be the consequences of the Slovenian authorities failing to notify the draft law to the Commission?
    • 2.Compliance with European law: Are the measures on short-term letting proposed in the Hospitality Act in line with the provisions of the Services Directive, in particular with regard to the principles of proportionality, non-discrimination and necessity? Has the Commission already carried out an assessment of whether the proposed restrictions are justified and appropriate for achieving public interest objectives such as accessibility of housing and restricting excessive tourism, without unduly affecting providers of short-term rentals?

    These questions are key to ensuring and implementing EU law, respecting fundamental freedoms within the EU and to the functioning of the Slovenian state in accordance with the applicable EU legal framework. Thank you for a timely reply and for any clarifications that may be provided on this matter.

    Submitted: 5.5.2025

    Last updated: 19 May 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The popular science Smart Quest was held for the first time at NSU as part of the Smart Picnic

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    This format of participation of Novosibirsk State University in the traditional spring popular science festival “Smart Picnic” from Akadempark is new. The organizers tried to hold an interesting event that would introduce schoolchildren and their parents to the best university of the Multiverse a little closer.

    36 schoolchildren aged 7 to 19 took part in the Smart Quest. There were 8 teams in total, whose task was to complete a special route. The groups of participants for two hours seemed to become NSU students, who had to pass “all the tests” of the semester session and pass a total of 10 tests and exams on interactive platforms of NSU faculties and institutes.

    The grades were recorded in a real record book, which, following the quest, was given to the “commission” to sum up the results and calculate the total number of points received by the children in each game. All those who became excellent or good students received gifts from partners – Rostelecom and T-Bank (secret: absolutely all participants received prizes for participating in the quest).

    The winning teams of Smart Quest were:

    1st place – team “Roll’s Theorems”.

    2nd place – Smart team.

    3rd place – team “We know everything, but remember nothing.”

    — I decided to participate because I am planning to enter NSU in the future, I wanted to learn more about the programs. The most interesting thing was talking to the volunteers, they told me about the faculties and life at the university in general. The tasks were also interesting, for example, building a “bridge” out of noodles. We were rooting for every 100 g that the bridge would withstand.

    Our team consisted of six people, three guys from my school and two eighth-graders from Novokuznetsk. The guys were proactive. One of them was doing engineering shifts, which was very helpful in some tasks. Despite the fact that we are from different cities, we became very close with the guys, there were no disagreements, we are especially grateful to the volunteer Maria, who tried to bring us together.

    The name for the team was chosen as “Roll’s Theorems” because they had recently taken a session and the theorem was one of the questions.

    We are very happy about the victory, it was unexpected for us, because there were teams of guys that initially seemed stronger to us. We were also pleased with the prizes from the sponsors! – Vasilisa Bedareva, a student of grades 11-10, shared her impressions SUNC NSU and a member of the Rolle’s Theorems team.

    Almost all faculties and institutes of NSU took part in the Smart Quest; interactive platforms were organized in three buildings of the university – the main building, the laboratory building and the educational building.

    — I participated in Smart Quest as a volunteer headman who helped his group of newly minted “students” cope with the quest tasks. I decided to participate because I wanted to be a small part of NSU for a while. Most of all, of course, I liked showing new people our university, which looks like a small amusement park with its own zones.

    I was on the Pink team, because of their age and small number of participants they had no advantage, but they weren’t interested in winning. The little girls wanted to learn more, see more and leave more memories for the future, – said Timofey Dolgov, a fourth-year student Physics Department of NSU.

    We thank the schoolchildren who decided to get to know NSU better, and the volunteers of the Humanities Institute, the Faculty of Information Technology, the General Medicine department of the Faculty of Medicine and Medical Technology, the Faculty of Physics, the Faculty of Natural Sciences, the Faculty of Geology and Geophysics, the Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics, the Faculty of Economics and the Advanced Engineering School for their help in organizing and lively communication with our guests!

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Psychics Near Me: Best Psychics, Mediums, Tarot Card Readers Near Me In 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Las Vegas, Nevada, May 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

    The psychic experts, a trusted online platform for spiritual insights and guidance, has officially launched its 2025 rankings of the best psychics, mediums, and tarot card readers near you. The company has unveiled a comprehensive new resource to help users easily find top-rated psychic services in their area in response to growing global demand for hyper-local, high-quality psychic readings. 

    ⇒ Find the best psychics, mediums, and tarot readers near you!

    With thousands searching each month for “psychics near me,” “medium readings near me,” and “tarot reading near me,” the psychic experts have developed a location-based guide that connects seekers with vetted, real psychics and tarot experts, including those offering in-person, virtual, and phone-based readings. The rankings are part of the company’s mission to help people access accurate, trustworthy spiritual guidance no matter where they are.

    ⇒ Get real answers with a top-rated psychic reader near you

    This new feature comes in response to a growing trend: more people than ever are turning to local psychic reading services for clarity in love, career, health, grief, and spiritual awakening. From New York to Los Angeles, Chicago to Houston, and even globally, search terms like “psychics near me,” “medium reading near me,” and “tarot card reader near me” have surged. Recognizing this need, the psychic experts now offer a city-by-city breakdown of real psychics near you, each evaluated for their abilities, accuracy, experience, and client satisfaction.

    ⇒ Schedule a session with the best psychic near you!

    Unlike generic directories or review sites, The-Psychic-Experts.com’s platform is curated by experienced psychic researchers, offering newcomers and returning clients a reliable, transparent resource for spiritual support. All listed practitioners are selected based on reading accuracy, customer ratings, spiritual credentials, and specialization areas—including tarot card readings, clairvoyant sessions, mediumship, love psychics, pet psychics, and astrology.

    With this 2025 launch, users can now browse listings by category and location, making it easier to find:

    • Tarot card reading near me
    • A clairvoyant medium near me
    • Spiritual medium near me
    • Best psychic near me with genuine reviews
    • Accurate psychic readings in my area

    Whether you’re seeking insight from a psychic reader near you for the first time or want a deeper connection with a spiritual medium near you, this tool is designed to bring clarity, comfort, and authenticity to your spiritual journey, anywhere in the world.

    ⇒ Find trusted psychics near me for real answers today!

    Why More People Are Searching for Psychic Readings Near Them in 2025

    In 2025, the demand for psychic readings near me has skyrocketed—both online and in person. This trend reflects more than just curiosity. In today’s fast-paced world, people seek grounded guidance, emotional clarity, and a sense of connection beyond what traditional support systems offer. 

    Whether it’s navigating relationships, coping with grief, planning for the future, or unlocking personal growth, more individuals are seeking out psychics, mediums, and tarot readers near them for meaningful insight.

    ⇒ Looking for clarity? Talk to verified psychic mediums near me

    The Shift from Skepticism to Self-Discovery

    Once dismissed as fringe or taboo, psychic readings have found mainstream appeal. Millennials and Gen Z, in particular, are redefining spirituality, moving away from rigid belief systems and embracing personalized, intuitive approaches to wellness. This generation prioritizes self-awareness, energy healing, and emotional intelligence—areas where spiritual mediums and psychic readers near them play a key role.

    Many people no longer see psychic consultations as a last resort, but rather as a complementary tool alongside therapy, coaching, or mindfulness practices. It’s now common to hear someone say, “I just had a tarot reading near me that completely changed how I view my career path.”
    ⇒ Explore your destiny with guidance from the best psychics near you!

    Real Psychics for Real-Life Decisions

    One primary reason people are Googling “psychics near me” is the desire for authentic, real-time guidance from someone they can meet face-to-face or talk to directly. While online readings remain convenient and popular, there’s something powerful about being physically present with a clairvoyant medium near you who can read your energy, body language, and spiritual aura in real time. Psychic consultations are especially popular during life transitions or emotional uncertainty. 

    The top reasons people book medium readings near them in 2025 include:

    • Love and relationships: Will they come back? Are they the one?
    • Career clarity: Should I change jobs? Am I on the right path?
    • Family and fertility: Am I ready for parenthood? What does the future hold?
    • Loss and grief: Is there a message from a loved one who passed?
    • Spiritual awakening: What’s my purpose? What’s next for my soul?

    ⇒ Discover life-changing insights with a medium physics near me

    Local Psychic Access Offers Trust and Personal Connection

    Trust is another key factor behind the rise of “best psychic near me” searches. People want an honest, vetted professional they can see in their community, or at least know a faceless app or unverified platform is not scamming them.

    When users search for a psychic reader near me or a medium psychic near me, they’re not just looking for convenience. They want credibility, warmth, and a genuine connection. Many report feeling more comfortable engaging in deep conversations or emotional healing sessions with someone nearby who understands their local culture, energy, or even astrology based on location.

    • It is especially true for specific needs like:
    • Pet psychic near me services for animal communication
    • Spiritual medium near me sessions to connect with loved ones who’ve passed
    • Tarot card readings near me for visual, symbolic answers

    ⇒ Find spiritual clarity with a top-rated psychic near me

    A Return to Spiritual Community

    In-person psychic readings also gain momentum because they reconnect people with community spaces—local spiritual centers, wellness clinics, or independent psychic shops. These places offer more than a service; they’re sanctuaries for healing and self-discovery.

    Even those booking tarot readings near them out of casual interest often leave surprised at how grounded and accurate the insights feel. Word-of-mouth, online reviews, and increased visibility on platforms like The-Psychic-Experts.com are helping these local readers reach the right audiences.

    How The-Psychic-Experts.com Evaluates Psychics and Mediums Near You

    As demand for psychics near me and tarot readers near me continues to rise in 2025, not all services are created equal. With so many spiritual advisors available both online and locally, The-Psychic-Experts.com has taken on the mission of helping users find real psychics and trustworthy readers, without falling victim to misleading claims or unverified listings.

    Our editorial team has developed a rigorous vetting process to identify the best psychics, mediums, and tarot card readers near you based on authenticity, accuracy, ethics, and value. Here’s how we evaluate every psychic listed in our rankings and recommendations.

    ⇒ Book now: Trusted psychics and tarot readers  near you are available today

    1. Verified Authenticity & Spiritual Gift

    The foundation of every great psychic reading is authenticity. The psychic experts prioritize psychic mediums near you who demonstrate genuine spiritual gifts—empaths, clairvoyants, intuitive healers, or experienced tarot interpreters.

    We look for signs of real ability and integrity, such as:

    • Natural psychic intuition (clairvoyance, clairaudience, clairsentience)
    • Mediumship training or experience channeling spirits
    • Consistent, verifiable results from past readings
    • Ethical spiritual guidance rather than fear-based tactics

    We never list readers who make dramatic or exaggerated claims, use manipulative language, or promise specific outcomes (like marriage or wealth) in exchange for repeat bookings. Only real psychics with grounded intuition and spiritual clarity make it into our recommendations.

    ⇒ Schedule a session with the best psychic near me

    2. Accuracy and Reading Depth

    No two psychics are the same. Some excel at love readings, others offer profound insights into the afterlife, while others help clients realign their energy or tap into future timelines. Regardless of the method, accuracy is key.

    We test readings for:

    • Relevance and personal resonance
    • Emotional clarity and confidence
    • Specificity over generalizations
    • Alignment with past experiences or future events

    Whether you’re looking for a clairvoyant medium near you or want a tarot spread to confirm your gut instinct, we look for practitioners whose insights hit home and create meaningful “aha” moments.

    ⇒ Want honest answers? Connect with a trusted psychic reader near me

    3. Transparent Pricing & Accessibility

    Many people searching for a psychic reader near them are turned off by hidden fees, unclear session lengths, or vague pricing structures. The psychic experts only list psychics who are upfront about their rates, refund policies, and session formats.

    We favor psychics who offer:

    • Transparent per-session or per-minute pricing
    • Clear booking systems and appointment availability
    • Free or low-cost introductory readings
    • Options for both virtual and in-person sessions

    We believe that psychic guidance should be accessible, not overpriced or exclusive. It is especially important for those seeking help with grief, mental health challenges, or relationship crises.

    4. Consistent Reviews & Testimonials

    We analyze real customer testimonials to evaluate each psychic’s effectiveness and trustworthiness. From Google reviews to online forums and user feedback submitted directly to us, we consider the lived experience of actual clients.

    Key indicators we look for:

    • Long-term satisfaction and loyalty
    • Clients returning for follow-up sessions
    • Reviews highlighting specific and actionable insights
    • Emotional impact: readers who truly help people heal or move forward

    We pay attention if a tarot reader near you consistently receives positive praise for helping people find peace, make bold decisions, or reconnect with loved ones.

    ⇒ Ready for a life-changing session? Connect with the best psychic readers near you!

    5. Area of Specialization

    Some seekers want a general reading. Others are looking for pet psychics near them, spiritual mediums near them, or experts in past-life regression, crystal healing, or energy clearing.

    We categorize psychics by:

    • Reading type (tarot, astrology, energy work, clairvoyance)
    • Life focus (love, career, grief, fertility, soul path)
    • Service format (in-person, video call, text-based)

    It ensures that visitors to the psychic experts don’t waste time scrolling through irrelevant listings, and can find the best psychic near them based on what they truly need.

    A Trusted Filter in a Noisy Market

    The world of psychic readings near me can feel overwhelming, but with the psychic experts, you get clarity. Our editorial team carefully reviews every listing, which is backed by ethical standards, consistent accuracy, and client-centered value.

    ⇒ Start your search for the best psychic, tarot reader, or medium near you today

    Types of Psychic Readings You Can Find Near You in 2025

    As more people seek spiritual guidance and clarity in 2025, the demand for local psychic services has diversified. Whether you’re searching for psychic readings near me, a clairvoyant medium near me, or a tarot reader near me, it’s essential to know what types of readings are available—and how each can offer unique insights into your life.

    At the psychic experts, we categorize the most popular and effective psychic reading styles to help you find the right spiritual advisor near you based on your personal needs, questions, and goals.

    ⇒ Get real answers with a top-rated psychic reader near me

    1. Tarot Card Readings

    Tarot remains one of the most accessible and accurate forms of spiritual guidance. Local tarot card readers near you can interpret symbolic spreads to clarify the past, present, and future. Whether facing a relationship dilemma, career crossroads, or emotional block, tarot mirrors your subconscious.

    Benefits of a tarot reading:

    • Answers to specific questions
    • Symbolic insight into hidden emotions
    • Forecasting potential outcomes
    • Confirming gut feelings

    Look for readers who offer tarot readings near me with structured spreads (like Celtic Cross or Past-Present-Future) and interpret them with intuition and training.

    ⇒ Book your session with a top-rated tarot card reader near you

    2. Mediumship (Spirit Communication)

    If you’re grieving the loss of a loved one or feel the presence of spirits, a psychic medium near you can help bridge the gap between this world and the next. Mediums channel messages from deceased souls, ancestors, or spiritual guides, often bringing closure and peace.

    • What a medium can help with:
    • Healing unresolved grief
    • Receiving messages from loved ones
    • Validating spiritual signs or dreams
    • Connecting with ancestors

    Medium readings can be highly emotional and deeply personal. Seek medium readings near you from professionals with a respectful, grounded approach—not sensationalism.

    ⇒ Local answers await—find a psychic medium near me

    3. Clairvoyance and Intuitive Readings

    Clairvoyant psychics near you receive visual impressions about people, places, or events. These images can relate to your past, present, or future. Clairvoyants often provide fast, insightful answers without using tools like tarot or astrology.

    Types of intuitive abilities include:

    • Clairvoyance (clear seeing)
    • Clairaudience (clear hearing)
    • Clairsentience (clear feeling)
    • Claircognizance (clear knowing)

    Many psychic mediums near me blend clairvoyance with other gifts to provide a multi-layered, accurate psychic reading experience.

    4. Astrology-Based Readings

    An astrology reading offers profound insight into your personality, path, and timing. While not all astrologers identify as psychics, many psychic readers near you incorporate astrological tools to enhance their accuracy.

    • Astrology can help with:
    • Understanding your birth chart
    • Timing key events (career moves, marriage, travel)
    • Relationship compatibility
    • Life purpose and karmic lessons

    You can search for spiritual mediums near me who specialize in astrology, or get a reading based solely on your planetary alignments.

    ⇒ Connect instantly with a gifted psychic near me!

    5. Pet Psychic Readings

    Yes, even your pets can benefit from intuitive insight. Many pet psychics near you can tune into your animal companion’s energy to uncover emotional, physical, or behavioral issues.

    A pet psychic reading might include:

    • Understanding unusual behavior
    • Tuning into your pet’s emotional state
    • Communicating with lost or deceased pets
    • Supporting pet transitions (illness, end of life)

    If your pet is struggling, a real psychic near you who specializes in animals can provide compassionate clarity.

    ⇒ Find healing with a genuine pet psychic near me

    6. Energy Healing & Aura Readings

    Energy-based sessions, such as Reiki, chakra balancing, and aura readings, are increasingly popular. Practitioners help clear emotional blocks, realign your energy field, and promote spiritual healing.

    Benefits of energy sessions:

    • Releasing trauma
    • Raising vibration
    • Supporting mental and physical health
    • Enhancing clarity and intuition

    Search for psychic mediums near me or spiritual healers near me with training in energy medicine or metaphysical therapy.

    ⇒ Navigate your path with a verified psychic near me

    Choosing the Right Type of Psychic Reading

    With so many options available, choosing the right type of reading depends on your intention. Are you grieving? A medium might be ideal. Feeling uncertain about a decision? A tarot reader could help. Want to explore your cosmic blueprint? Try astrology.

    Whatever your path, the psychic experts simplify the process by curating the best psychic, tarot, and medium readers near you, based on your location and specific needs.

    ⇒ Find the correct type of psychic reading near you today

    How to Choose the Right Psychic Near You

    In 2025, the demand for intuitive guidance is booming—but with so many local options available, how do you know which psychic near you is truly trustworthy, accurate, and aligned with your needs?

    At the psychic experts, we aim to help you make informed and confident choices. Whether you’re searching for a tarot reader near me, a medium near me, or a clairvoyant psychic reading near me, this guide will walk you through the steps to choosing an honest, reliable, and insightful psychic in your area.

    1. Know Your Intention First

    Before searching for the best psychic near me, get clear on what you want from your session. Are you looking for:

    • Clarity about a relationship or career?
    • Closure after the loss of a loved one?
    • Insight into the future?
    • Spiritual healing or chakra alignment?

    Your intention will determine which type of reader you need—whether that’s a tarot expert, a spiritual medium, or an energy healer. Knowing what you’re looking for helps you avoid vague or unhelpful sessions.

    ⇒ Find trusted psychics near me for real answers today

    2. Search for Specialists in Your Area

    The best psychics are not generalists. They tend to specialize in one or two key areas, such as:

    • Tarot card interpretation
    • Mediumship/spirit communication
    • Clairvoyance
    • Astrology
    • Pet communication
    • Energy healing

    Use filters on the psychic experts platform to search for psychics near me by category. It ensures you’re not only booking someone nearby, but someone equipped to handle your unique concern.

    ⇒ Discover the most gifted tarot reader near me

    3. Read Real Reviews and Testimonials

    Client feedback is one of the fastest ways to spot a gifted psychic medium near you. Look for:

    • Authentic testimonials that describe specific insights or outcomes
    • Consistent praise for empathy, clarity, and accuracy
    • Mentions of life-changing guidance, not just vague or general advice

    Avoid listings that seem too perfect or copied and pasted. At the psychic experts, we publish verified user reviews so you can find real psychics with a track record of trusted service.

    4. Pay Attention to Energy and Connection

    Even the most skilled psychic might not be the right fit if you don’t feel a sense of connection. A powerful reading requires trust and energetic alignment. Consider:

    • How do you feel during your first interaction—calm, open, or uncomfortable?
    • Does the psychic take time to listen to your concerns?
    • Are they explaining the process clearly, or jumping to conclusions?

    If it doesn’t feel right, trust your intuition. You deserve a psychic reader near you who respects your energy and your journey.

    ⇒ Explore highly rated mediums and psychics near me

    5. Look for Transparency in Pricing and Process

    Trustworthy psychics will always be upfront about:

    • Session duration
    • Reading format (phone, in-person, chat, etc.)
    • Pricing or packages
    • What’s included (e.g., number of questions, tools used)

    Be cautious of hidden fees or pressure to extend sessions. The psychic experts features listings from psychic readers near me with complete transparency—no fine print, no hidden agendas.

    6. Avoid Red Flags and Scams

    Unfortunately, the psychic industry is not without fraud. Watch out for:

    • Claims of curses or bad energy that only they can remove, for a hefty fee
    • Requests for personal or financial information
    • Fear-based language or pressure tactics
    • Lack of reviews, vague bios, or unverifiable claims

    Always cross-reference with our database of vetted professionals at the psychic experts to avoid scams and ensure you’re connecting with authentic psychics near you.

    7. Start with a Short Session First

    If unsure, book a 15–30 minute introductory session with a psychic before committing to something longer. A good reader won’t rush, pressure, or overwhelm you—they’ll focus on clarity, connection, and compassion.

    ⇒ Talk to verified psychic mediums near me

    Trust Your Intuition and Resources

    Ultimately, the best psychic isn’t just someone with powerful gifts—someone who resonates with your spirit, listens deeply, and empowers you. With the help of the psychic experts, finding the best psychic reading near you in 2025 has never been more accessible, transparent, or transformational.

    Find the Right Psychic Near You in 2025 — Trust Your Path Forward

    In 2025, the demand for intuitive guidance is stronger than ever. Whether seeking clarity in love, healing from loss, or simply curious about your future, connecting with the best psychic near you can bring powerful insight and peace of mind.

    ⇒  Discover trusted psychics and tarot experts near you!

    But not all psychics are created equal. That’s why the psychic experts is committed to helping you find honest, trusted, and accurate psychic readers near you, with zero guesswork.

    Our expert team has spent years curating the most comprehensive guide to psychic readings near me, highlighting gifted mediums, tarot readers, clairvoyants, and pet psychics across the U.S. Whether you prefer in-person sessions or online convenience, you’ll find thoroughly vetted professionals who are committed to helping you grow, heal, and evolve.

    From spiritual mediums and intuitive coaches to tarot card experts and clairvoyant visionaries, the path to self-discovery starts with one decision: trusting your gut and taking the first step.

    Ready for a real psychic reading near you?
    Click below to explore the most trusted psychics, mediums, and tarot readers near you — all handpicked by the team at The-Psychic-Experts.com:

    • Find the Best Psychic Near You Now
    • Search Mediums & Spiritual Advisors by Location
    • Discover Top Tarot Card Readers Near You
    • Book a Pet Psychic Reading Near You

    Whether you’re ready for your first session or looking to connect with a new trusted guide, let the psychic experts be your compass to the most accurate psychic readings near you in 2025 and beyond.

    ⇒ Connect with accurate psychic readers and discover what lies ahead!

    What to Expect from Your First Psychic Reading Near You

    Whether seeking closure, direction, or validation, your first experience with a psychic, medium, or tarot card reader can be deeply transformative. Here’s what you should know to make the most of it:

    1. Come with an Open Mind — and a Purpose

    Most first-time clients find that the more open and intentional they are, the more resonant their reading becomes. You don’t need to “believe” in anything specific — simply come with curiosity and respect for the process. Having a few thoughtful questions in mind (e.g., “What energy surrounds my current relationship?” or “What do I need to understand about my career path?”) can help direct the session.

    2. Choose the Right Psychic for You

    Not every psychic is the same — some specialize in mediumship (connecting with passed loved ones), others in intuitive counseling, tarot cards, numerology, or energy healing. Sites like the psychic experts help match users with verified psychic readers near them based on expertise, reviews, and spiritual approach. Trust that instinct if you feel drawn to a particular type of reading.

    ⇒ Get clarity on your next move with a trusted psychic reading!

    3. The Reading May Not Be What You Expect (And That’s Okay)

    Many people enter a reading hoping to hear specific words or names. But the best psychic readings often reveal unexpected truths or gentle nudges that become meaningful in hindsight. Look for signs, symbols, or emotions that strike a chord — even if they don’t immediately make sense.

    4. Ask Clarifying Questions During the Session

    Don’t hesitate to ask for clarity if something confuses you during the reading. A genuine psychic will appreciate your engagement and work with you to ensure the message is understood. The process is meant to be collaborative, not cryptic.

    5. Post-Reading Reflection Is Part of the Process

    Many clients report that the full impact of a psychic reading unfolds over time, sometimes days or weeks later. After a session, journaling your thoughts and emotions can help you process the information and tune into your inner wisdom.

    Why More People Are Searching “Psychics Near Me” in 2025

    Spiritual wellness is becoming a bigger part of holistic self-care. 2025 has seen a surge in interest in psychic readers near me, especially as more people seek purpose, healing, and personalized insight in uncertain times. Thanks to platforms like the psychic experts, it’s never been easier to connect with trusted psychics and mediums near you, without the guesswork.

    ⇒ Find your true direction with help from top psychics!

    FAQs 

    With more people turning to spiritual guidance in 2025, it’s natural to have questions about how to find the best psychic near me, what to expect in a session, and how to avoid scams. 

    Here are the most frequently asked questions, answered by the team at the psychic experts, your trusted source for real psychics near you.

    How do I know if a psychic near me is real?

    Real psychics don’t guarantee lottery numbers or promise to solve all your problems instantly. Instead, they offer insight, clarity, and emotional resonance. Look for:

    • Verified reviews from local clients
    • Clear, respectful communication
    • No pressure tactics or upselling
    • Transparent pricing and services

    At the psychic experts, every psychic listed goes through an in-depth vetting process to ensure you’re connecting with authentic psychic readers near you.

    Are in-person readings better than online psychic readings?

    Not necessarily. While some prefer the personal feel of a face-to-face session, online psychics can be just as accurate — and often more convenient. Energy doesn’t rely on physical presence. Whether chat, video, or phone, many top-rated psychics near me now offer digital services with the same level of insight.

    What’s the difference between a psychic and a medium?

    A psychic reads your energy to gain insight into your life path, emotions, and future. On the other hand, a medium connects with spirits, often communicating with loved ones who have passed.

    If you’re looking for closure or messages from the other side, search for a medium near you. A psychic reading near me is ideal for guidance in love, career, or spiritual growth.

    Can I find a tarot reader near me for a specific question?

    Absolutely. Tarot card reading near me is one of the most popular requests on the psychic experts. Tarot is especially practical for focused questions like:

    • “Is this relationship worth pursuing?”
    • “What’s blocking me from financial growth?”
    • “What energy should I embrace right now?”

    Many tarot readers near you offer 15- or 30-minute sessions for targeted clarity.

    How much should I expect to pay for a psychic reading near me?

    Prices can vary depending on the psychic’s experience and specialty. Here’s a general range:

    • $30–$60 for a 30-minute session
    • $60–$120 for an hour
    • Some intuitive coaches or celebrity mediums may charge higher rates

    The psychic experts allow you to compare prices and find a psychic near me who fits your budget—there are no surprises or hidden costs.

    Are there pet psychics near me?

    Yes! Pet psychics or animal communicators specialize in connecting with your pets—living or passed. Whether you’re curious about your pet’s behavior or want to communicate with a deceased animal companion, the psychic experts feature trusted pet psychic readers near you.

    What should I avoid when choosing a psychic?

    Be cautious of anyone who:

    • Promises to remove curses for large sums
    • Uses fear to pressure you into more sessions
    • Demands private information or passwords
    • Claims they are the only ones who can “fix” your situation

    Trust your instincts—always verify listings through the psychic experts, which flags known scam tactics and prioritizes real, gifted psychic mediums near you.

    Can I get same-day readings from psychics near me?

    Yes, many local and online psychics offer same-day or even emergency readings. Use filters on the psychic experts to find psychic readers near me with instant availability. Whether it’s a love crisis or a decision deadline, help’s always nearby.

    Are clairvoyants and mediums the same thing?

    Not quite. A clairvoyant receives visions (like images or mental snapshots) about people or events. A medium, on the other hand, communicates with spirits. Some readers are both, but it’s always best to check their specialty when booking a session.

    What’s the most trusted way to find a psychic medium near me in 2025?

    Use the psychic experts platform to find carefully reviewed, top-rated psychics near you. Whether you’re searching for spiritual mediums, tarot readers, or clairvoyants, the site offers advanced search filters, verified reviews, and expert-curated lists to guide you to the most accurate psychic readings.

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    Company: The Psychic Experts
    Contact Person: Anthony C. Bedoya
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    Address: 1 Fremont St, Las Vegas, NV 89101, USA
    URL: https://the-psychic-experts.com/
    Phone: +1 414-203-2598

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