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  • MIL-OSI Global: Choosing to be an orphan: for some Kenyan families it’s a strategy for survival

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Andreana Prichard, Associate Professor of Honors and African History, University of Oklahoma

    In the world of international child development and orphan care, it’s not uncommon for children with families to declare themselves orphans. In fact, this practice can be traced back to precolonial times in Kenya.

    Andreana Prichard has done research on the practice in Kenya. We asked her to share her insights into it.

    Why do some people in Kenya assume the identity of ‘orphan’?

    We often think of “orphans” as children who have lost both parents and who lack kin networks. One might ask why someone would “opt in” to orphan status when they do not fall within the classical definition of the term.

    In my paper I look at the issue of orphanhood over the last 160 years. Case studies from Kenya I examine illustrate that the practice I define as “opting in” to orphanhood has precolonial roots. I define “opting in” as choosing to take on the label of being an orphan. This can be done by parents, relatives or even, in some instances, the child. This is because the label “orphan” has come to confer unique opportunities.

    The practice became increasingly popular in the mid-1990s, when parents in eastern and southern Africa who had contracted HIV began to die in large numbers. Activists feared many children would be left without caregivers.

    In response, the number of orphanages proliferated as humanitarian actors, churches and states inundated east Africa with orphan-focused NGOs.

    In 2020, officials in Kenya estimated that there were at least 910 residential institutions for children in the country (of which 581 were registered), housing between 26,198 and 85,733 Kenyan children.

    The predicted “orphan crisis” never materialised, partly because families and communities stepped in to care for newly parentless children. But the idea of an “orphan crisis” remained, and so did the funding and infrastructure.

    This phenomenon occurred across the continent, not just in Kenya. However, its effects were felt particularly acutely in eastern and southern Africa where HIV/Aids prevalence rates were higher and where there was more western tourism.

    Today, many African families see orphan-focused NGOs as a path to access education and improve their lives. My research shows that children themselves sometimes affiliate with an institution that provides shelter, food and schooling. Children facing abuse from caregivers may also prefer the relative anonymity and safety of an institution.

    In some cases, receiving orphan services actually raises the status of the “orphan” child above that of other children. They have access to more material resources than they might have had in their villages or at home. They might have more leisure time and less work. They may have access to better bedding, shoes and clothing. They are also likely able to attend school more consistently and have a real opportunity to attend university.

    Does ‘opting in’ have a long history?

    Yes, it does.

    In the precolonial period, most parentless or vulnerable children were cared for through lasting community support systems. Orphanhood, as it exists today as a child lacking support, protection, or care from kin, was largely avoided.

    However, the late 19th to mid-20th centuries brought new actors to the east African region. The practice of “opting in” became a strategic, temporary option used by families to access services from western humanitarians.

    The earliest example of this shift I found in my research is from the 1890s. Fearing their children would be caught in the Indian Ocean slave trade, African parents sometimes chose to send their children to British missions until the region was safe. They knew the missionaries opposed the slave trade and knew they offered food and medical care.

    African parents thought they were making temporary arrangements to keep their children safe. Missionaries, however, understood parents to have abandoned their children. When parents returned to repay the debt – with agricultural produce or trade goods – and to reclaim their children, missionaries refused them.

    In another example from Kenya in the 1950s, the British colonial government opened “reform schools” for young men. The Wamumu Approved School was renowned for the relative quality of education it provided. But the state admitted only the “most vulnerable” for a free education. Feeling they had no way to access Wamumu, students claimed to be orphans.

    What have been the negative effects of Kenya’s orphan system?

    There are several problems with creating a situation in which people present themselves as vulnerable just to gain safety or improve their social and economic standing.

    First, research has shown that building orphanages in poor communities incentivises parents to abandon their children if they’re not also given the help to remain together.

    Second, research shows that children are often put at risk in these institutions. Institutionalisation exposes children to risks such as sexual abuse, gender-based violence and neglect.

    Third, orphanages have become so lucrative that African orphanage owners will go to great lengths to fit African children into the categories westerners wish to fund. The phenomenon of “paper orphans” is a prime example. “Paper orphans” are children who are recruited from their homes by proprietors (or middlemen/brokers) of orphanages and residential-care facilities. Fraudulent documentation is created for them – often including false death certificates of parents and new identity registration documents – rendering them orphans on paper, and vulnerable in practice.

    What should be done?

    Governments in Europe, Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean are trying to phase out orphanages, as are some African countries.

    Based on my research I believe that working with families to support vulnerable children in their homes of origin or with extended families is a better option. This can be done through assistance programmes for vulnerable families as well as child welfare programmes. These allow families to remain intact when experiencing hardship.

    Kenya is taking steps to do this by replacing orphanages and other forms of residential children’s homes with family-based, foster and community-based care and other forms of assistance. Family strengthening approaches include positive parenting instruction, life skills training, and income-generating activities, as well as supportive supervision.

    In addition to this, missionary and voluntourism trips to orphanages and residential care facilities should be banned or limited.

    Andreana Prichard received funding from the Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Grant.

    – ref. Choosing to be an orphan: for some Kenyan families it’s a strategy for survival – https://theconversation.com/choosing-to-be-an-orphan-for-some-kenyan-families-its-a-strategy-for-survival-247371

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The American mass exodus to Canada amid Trump 2.0 has yet to materialize

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Lori Wilkinson, Professor of Sociology, University of Manitoba

    In February 2025, the New Republic, reported there were a growing number of Americans who wanted to leave the country following the election of Donald Trump.

    Canadian reports backed up the assertion, particularly the news that three high-profile Yale professors would be joining the faculty of the University of Toronto in the fall of 2025.



    Read more:
    Yale scholars’ move to Canada can prompt us to reflect on the rule of law

    For some Canadian observers, it may feel like a case of déjà vu. After Trump’s first election in 2016, some media predicted a sharp increase in Americans seeking to escape their country’s harsh social and political climate for Canada’s “sunny ways.”

    According to Google Analytics, web searches originating in the United States involving “how to move to Canada” increased by 350 per cent on election night in 2016. A few months earlier, they’d increased by 1,500 per cent over normal search rates for the same phrase in March 2016, when Trump clinched the Republican nomination for president.

    More Canadians head south

    Despite such post-election musings nine years ago, the pending American mass exit didn’t materialize. According to migration data (a download is required) from Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada (IRCC), the number of Americans applying for permanent residency from January through March 2017 rose only slightly. There were 1,882 applications, just 66 more than from the same period in 2016.

    As for visas and authorizations issued to people from the U.S. during the same time period, they barely increased — from 2,497 in 2016 to just 2,523 in 2017.

    Americans taking up permanent residency in Canada jumped from about 8,400 in 2016 to 10,800 in 2019. However, that increase in the modest number of moves from the U.S. to Canada can hardly be construed as an exodus. Over those same two years, the number of Canadians becoming permanent residents of the U.S. continued to exceed the number of Americans who headed north.

    There has been, however, a decline in the number of Canadians moving to the U.S. In 2016, the year Trump was first elected, just over 19,300 Canadians moved to the U.S. In 2019, the year before Trump lost to Joe Biden, 14,700 Canadians took up residence in the U.S.

    That trend didn’t last as the gap in cross-border permanent residency widened once more during the Biden era. In 2023, while 10,600 Americans moved to Canada, 18,600 Canadians moved to the U.S.

    Looking at the data from 2016 to 2023 suggests politics isn’t the primary reason why Americans head to Canada. It’s more likely driven by economic considerations, better job offers or family ties.

    In terms of the apparent uptick in migrants from the U.S. heading to Canada during Trumps’s second term, it’s too early to draw definitive conclusions. But numbers for the first quarter of 2025, according to the same IRCC datasets, show no signs of any significant uptake, with a drop from 2,485 Americans headed Canada’s way between January to March 2024 to 955 over the same period in 2025.

    Moving to Canada isn’t easy

    Despite the surge in American internet searches on moving to Canada in 2016, when Trump won the Republican nomination and then the presidency, acting on impulse in a moment of political turmoil is complicated.

    Moving to Canada is not as simple as it may seem; it can be long and arduous. There’s a process and a waiting line with requirements that include an offer of employment in Canada, liquid assets and language proficiency in English, or French if Québec is the ultimate destination.

    It’s easier to immigrate to Canada if there’s a close family member already living there, but still not guaranteed. Canada’s tax rate is a migration deterrent for some, even though these higher tax rates come with more services.

    Although Canada’s health-care system is more inclusive and affordable, the wait times for procedures, along with the perception that Canadian services are not as robust as American health services, could also be a deterrent to migration.

    In short, even for Americans, it’s not easy to migrate to Canada.

    There is, however, one group of people living in the U.S. who may consider relocating to Canada: asylum-seekers.

    The second Trump administration has ended Temporary Protection Status for Afghan, Venezuelan, Nicaraguan, Cuban and Haitian residents.

    This means that people from these strife-torn countries must apply for permanent residency or “self-deport” — otherwise, they will become undocumented.

    Haiti is currently unsafe. Gangs control the country’s cities and neighbourhoods and have staged a successful coup. The country is also still rebuilding after the devastating 2010 earthquake.



    Read more:
    With Haiti in chaos, Canada buries its head in the sand

    Afghanistan remains in the throes of a decades-long war where women have have no rights. Venezuela is in a state of civil unrest; about 19 million citizens do not have enough food or sanitation. Nearly 7.7 million people have fled the country.

    The plight of asylum-seekers

    The crackdown on other undocumented residents and the recent issuing of large “civil penalties” in the form of fines for failing to self-deport may force others to leave the U.S. Where might they go?

    Many will return to their country of residence, but others may be unable to do so and could consider Canada a convenient and safe destination. In 2016, 23,919 people made asylum claims in Canada. That number slowly rose throughout the first Trump administration to 64,020 in 2019, the last full year of the president’s first term.

    Those seeking asylum in Canada declined to 23,680 in 2020 — the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic — but had increased to 171,850 by the end of 2024.

    The geographic distribution of these asylum-seekers was uneven. In 2017, 50 per cent of all asylum-seekers to Canada made their claim in Québec; in 2022, 64 per cent of asylum claims were made there.

    So rather than seeing a large influx of American citizens migrating to Canada during Trump’s second administration, there will likely be a larger number of asylum-seekers, many of whom have legitimate fears of persecution. How Canada chooses to handle these claims remains to be seen — but it’s urgently important for Canadian elected officials to figure it out immediately.

    Jack Jedwab, CEO of the Association for Canadian Studies and the Metropolis Institute, co-authored this article

    Lori Wilkinson 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 American mass exodus to Canada amid Trump 2.0 has yet to materialize – https://theconversation.com/the-american-mass-exodus-to-canada-amid-trump-2-0-has-yet-to-materialize-256853

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: A 16th-century Chinese writer spoke of workplace burnout, leaving a blueprint for radical acts of rest

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Jason Wang, Postdoctoral Fellow, Modern Literature and Culture Research Centre, Toronto Metropolitan University

    Gathering at the Orchid Pavilion by Qian Gu, 1560 (Chinese, 1508–ca. 1578), Ming dynasty (1368–1644). Handscroll, ink C. C. Wang Family, Gift of Douglas Dillon, 1980/ MET open collection, CC BY

    We are in the middle of a global workplace burnout epidemic — aptly named the “burnout society” by Korean-German philosopher Byung-Chul Han.

    Four centuries ago, late Ming Dynasty scholar-official Yuan Hongdao (1568–1610) shifted from state administrative work to xiaopin — brief, personal essays celebrating everyday pleasures like gardening, leisurely excursions and long vigils beside a rare blossom.

    The cover of ‘Burnout Society’ by Byung-Chul Han.
    (Stanford U Press)

    Today, his Ming Dynasty-era practice resonates with uncanny urgency within our burnout epidemic.

    Amid the Wanli Emperor’s neglect and escalating bureaucratic infighting in Beijing, Yuan turned away from what today we call a “toxic workplace.”

    Instead, he found refuge in Jiangnan’s landscapes and literary circles. There he exchanged hierarchical pressures, administrative tedium and cut-throat careerism for moments of unhurried attention.

    Yuan’s xiaopin, alongside those of his contemporaries, transformed fleeting sensory moments into radical acts of resilience, suggesting that beauty, not institutions, could outlast empires.

    The Ming Dynasty: A literary rebellion

    The late Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) was an era of contradictions.

    While Europe hurtled toward colonialism and scientific rationalism, China’s Jiangnan region — the fertile Yangtze Delta in today’s Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces — flourished via merchant wealth, global silver trade and a thriving print culture.

    Bookshops lined city streets like modern cafés. They peddled plays, poetry and xiaopin volumes like Meiyou Pavilion of Arts and Leisure (1630) and Sixteen Xiaopin Masters of the Imperial Ming (1633).

    The imperial examination system, a civil service written exam — once a path to prestige — had become a bottleneck. Thousands of scholars languished in bureaucratic limbo, channelling their frustrations and exhaustion into xiaopin’s intimate vignettes.

    Chinese imperial examination candidates gathering around the wall where the results are posted (painting by Qiu Ying, c. 1540)
    (National Palace Museum)

    In his preface to Meiyou Pavilion, editor Zheng Yuanxun (1603–1644) praised the genre’s “flavour beyond flavour, rhythm beyond rhythm” — a poetic nod to its rich sensory detail and subtle musicality — rejecting moralizing orthodox prose by embracing immersive aesthetics.

    Against neo-Confucianism’s rigid hierarchies, xiaopin elevated the private, the ephemeral and the esthetically oblique: a well-brewed pot of tea, the texture of moss on a garden rock and incense wafting through a study.

    Wei Shang, professor of Chinese culture at Columbia University, has noted such playful text flourished among late Ming literati disillusioned with the era’s constraints. The texts reframed idleness and sensory pleasure as subtle dissent within a status-obsessed society.

    When doing less becomes radical

    Long before French poet Charles Baudelaire’s flâneur used dandyism and idle promenades to resist the alienating pace of western modernity, Ming literati like Chen Jiru (1558–1639) and Gao Lian (1573–1620) framed idleness as defiance.

    Drawing on Daoist wu wei (non-action), Gao praised the “crystal clear retreat” that scrubbed the heart of “worldly grime” and cultivated “a tranquil heart and joyful spirit.” For him, human worth lay not in bureaucratic promotions but in savouring tea, listening to crickets or resting against a well-fluffed pillow.

    A hanging scroll, ink on paper of a plum blossom branch by Chen Jiu (1558–1639).
    (Yale University Art Gallery/S. Sidney Kahn, 1959/Christie’s, lot 677, 1983/Bones of Jade, Soul of Ice, 1985), CC BY

    Hung-tai Wang, a cultural historian at Academia Sinica in Taipei, identifies xiaopin as a “leisurely and elegant” esthetic rooted in nature’s rhythms.

    Chen Jiru, a Ming Dynasty-era painter and essayist, embodied this framework by disallowing transactional logic. In one essay, Chen lauds those who possess “poetry without words, serenity without sutras, joy without wine.” In other words, he admired those whose lives resonated through prioritizing lived gestures over abstract ideals.

    The art of living in a disconnected age

    In the late Ming’s burgeoning urban and commercial milieu, xiaopin turned everyday objects into remedies for social isolation.

    In the Jiangnan gardens, late Ming essayists saw landscapes infused with emotion. At the time, essayist Wu Congxian called it “lodging meaning among mountains and rivers:” moonlight turned into icy jade, oar splashes to cosmic echoes.

    Chen Jiru had study rituals — fingering a bronze cauldron, tapping an inkstone — curated what he termed “incense for solitude, tea for clarity, stone for refinement.”

    This cultivation of object-as-presence anticipates American academic Bill Brown’s “thing theory,” where everyday items invite embodied contemplation and challenge the subject-object binary that enables commodification.

    The Ming Dynasty-era scholar-connoisseur, Wen Zhenheng (1585–1645), turned domestic minutiae into philosophical resistance.

    His xiaopin framed everyday choices — snowmelt for tea, rooms facing narrow water, a skiff “like a study adrift” — as rejections of abstraction. Through details like cherries on porcelain or tangerines pickled before ripening, he asserted that value lies in presence, not utility.

    Wen suggests that exhaustion stems not from labour but from disconnection.

    The Garden of the Inept Administrator (Zhuozheng Yuan) by Wen Zhengming, 1551. Wen painted 31 views of the site, each accompanied by a poem and a descriptive note.
    (Gift of Douglas Dillon, 1979/MET open source collection), CC BY

    The burnout rebellions: ‘Tang ping,’ ‘quiet quitting’

    Just as xiaopin turned domestic rituals into resistance, today’s movements recast the mundane as a mode of defiance.

    In April 2021, China’s tang ping (“lying flat”) movement surfaced with a post by former factory worker Luo Huazhong: “Lying flat is justice.” The message was simple and subversive: work had become intolerable, and opting out was not laziness but resistance.

    In a backlash against China’s “996” work model extolled by tech moguls like Jack Ma, tang ping rejects the sacrifice of dignity and mental health for productivity and casts idleness as a quiet revolt against exploitative norms.

    In the West, the COVID-19 pandemic sparked similar reckonings. The “Great Resignation” saw millions leave unfulfilling jobs. And “quiet quitting” rejected unpaid overtime and emotional labour. These movements emerged as a soft refusal of hustle culture.

    As anthropologist David Graeber argues in Bullshit Jobs (2018), the “moral and spiritual damage” inflicted by meaningless work reflects a profound political failure.

    Just like the late Ming literati who poured their lives into a state that repaid them with hollow titles and bureaucratic decay, today’s workers withdraw from institutions that exploit their labour yet treat them as disposable.

    Unlike French philosopher Michel de Montaigne’s introspective self-examination in his Renaissance-era Essays, xiaopin refuses utility. In doing so, it inverts the contemporary self-help trend critiqued by Byung-Chul Han, which co-opts personal “healing” as a form of productivity through neoliberal logic.

    Xiaopin proposes resistance as an existential shift beyond (self-)optimization. Its most radical gesture is not to demand change, but to live as if the system’s demands are irrelevant.

    The revolution of pause

    Xiaopin asks: What is progress without presence? Its fragments — on lotus ponds, summer naps, a cat’s shadow — prove that resistance need not be loud.

    Like Japanese writer Haruki Murakami’s vision of contemporary literature as “space of individual recovery,” the genre shelters us from “hierarchy and efficiency.”

    Here, time is not spent but reclaimed.

    To pause in an age of weaponized ambition is in fact revolt. Tracing a petal’s vein, sipping tea until bitterness fades, lying flat as the machinery of productivity grinds on — these are not acts of shirking reality, but defiant gestures against the systems that feed on our exhaustion. They are affirmations of agency: microcosms where we rehearse what it means to belong to ourselves, and thus, to the world.

    Xiaopin’s revolution awakens in a flicker of attention: a reminder that presence, too, is a language — one that hums beneath the buzz of progress, waiting to be heard.

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

    – ref. A 16th-century Chinese writer spoke of workplace burnout, leaving a blueprint for radical acts of rest – https://theconversation.com/a-16th-century-chinese-writer-spoke-of-workplace-burnout-leaving-a-blueprint-for-radical-acts-of-rest-256651

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Waiting for Godot has been translated into Afrikaans: what took so long

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Rick de Villiers, Associate professor, University of the Free State

    At last, the most infamous latecomer in all of literature has arrived – not in the flesh, but in South Africa’s Afrikaans language. Irish playwright Samuel Beckett’s best-known drama, Waiting for Godot, now also lives as Ons Wag vir Godot.

    Published and staged in 2024, the translation was inspired by the official centenary of Afrikaans in 2025.

    As a Beckett scholar, I think it’s worth asking why Afrikaans is so late on the scene – and why it matters.

    Godot in many tongues

    First written in French, En attendant Godot was published in 1952 and debuted on stage the next year.

    Naledi Books

    The action involves two tramps, Vladimir and Estragon, who have a series of absurd conversations and encounters as they wait for a man called Godot who never arrives. Beckett would self-translate the drama into English in 1954, calling it “a tragicomedy in two acts”.

    Since then, translations of the play have exploded. By 1969 – the year of Beckett’s Nobel Prize for Literature – Waiting for Godot could already be read in dozens of languages, including Albanian, Marathi, and even Icelandic.

    Samuel Beckett and South Africa

    Beckett’s connections with South Africa are surprisingly varied. As a young man, he unsuccessfully applied for a lectureship at the University of Cape Town. His 1951 novel, Molloy, was translated from French into English with the help of a South African student, Patrick Bowles. And in 1968, Beckett made a donation to the then-banned resistance party, the African National Congress, in the form of a manuscript for auction.

    This gesture was unprecedented for the Irish writer, who was wary of political causes. Yet not only did Beckett feel strongly enough about apartheid’s injustices to make this donation, he also refused to let anyone perform his plays before South Africa’s racially segregated audiences.

    Read more: The case of the acclaimed South African novel that ‘borrows’ from Samuel Beckett

    Already in 1963 Beckett had signed the petition Playwrights Against Apartheid. He would continue to refuse performance rights in South Africa until 1980, when the Baxter Theatre was allowed to stage Waiting for Godot with a racially integrated cast.

    Nevertheless, unauthorised Godots materialised before this. Athol Fugard, the South African playwright whose own dramas were influenced by Beckett, directed one of the earliest South African productions in 1962. Featuring an all-black cast, it testified to the play’s political charge, which Fugard emphasised:

    Vladimir and Estragon … were at Sharpeville or the first in at Auschwitz.

    It’s reasonable to think that Beckett would have supported this protest performance. But he would probably have denounced the first and unofficial Afrikaans version, Afspraak met Godot, translated by Suseth Brits and performed in 1970 at the Potchefstroom University College (now North-West University) behind closed doors.

    For different reasons, Beckett would also have frowned on the substantial “borrowings” in Afrikaans novelist Willem Anker’s 2014 novel, Buys.

    Domesticating a European classic

    Fully sanctioned by Beckett’s estate and beautifully translated (from the French and English) by now-retired professor of French at the University of the Free State Naòmi Morgan, Ons Wag vir Godot arrives at a different moment altogether.

    From left: Peter Taljaard (Pozzo), Charl Henning, Chris Vorster and Gerben Kamper (Lucky). Leopold Frechow/UFS

    The translation retains the gallows humour of the original while adding local flavour. For instance, where Vladimir originally names the Eiffel Tower as a picturesque site to commit suicide, his Afrikaans counterpart nominates Van Stadensbrug, a bridge over a ravine in the Eastern Cape. The slave-like Lucky once entertained his master with European dances: “the farandole, the fling, the brawl, the jig, the fandango”. These now become a South African mix: “volkspele, die riel, die pantsula, selfs die horrelpyp” (folk games, riel dance, pantsula dance, a hiding).

    In translation-speak, Ons Wag vir Godot is therefore fully “domesticated”: the play’s universality comes through even though – and perhaps even more so because – it’s anchored in a particular place and time.

    This struck me when I attended the play’s limited-run production, expertly directed by Dion van Niekerk, at the 2024 Vrystaat Kunstefees (Free State arts festival). Its set managed to thread together subtle South African roadside details: a toppled rubbish bin, pylons on the horizon, a (broken) picnic bench.

    Chris Vorster as Vladimir and Sibabalwe Jokani as Seun/Boy. Leopold Frechow/UFS

    In the text itself, we encounter familiar place names, sayings and cultural clues. Consider how Beckett’s abstract phrase “the essential doesn’t change” is grounded in African mythology: “Jakkals verander van hare, maar nie van streke nie” (The leopard doesn’t change its spots). Then there’s the charming touch of the dog in Vladimir’s song snatching “’n stukkie wors” (a piece of sausage particular to South Africa) rather than a measly “bone”.

    Godot and the Afrikaans canon

    Ons Wag vir Godot achieves its most profound tribute to Beckett and Afrikaans through its intertextual richness. Both the French and English originals are highly allusive texts: they invoke other works of literature to increase their range of meaning and subtlety. Morgan is attuned to this subtlety and to the parallels to be found in Afrikaans literature. There are references to works by canonical Afrikaans writers like Eugène Marais, Totius and C.J. Langenhoven, each adding its own resonance.

    Read more: Koos Prinsloo: the cult Afrikaans writer has been translated to English – here’s a review

    Yet the dilemma any translator faces is not so much in bringing in the new, but in striking a balance with the old. Consider the judicious swapping of a line from Percy Bysshe Shelley for a line from C. Louis Leipoldt.

    In the English version, Estragon looks up forlornly at the moon and half-quotes the English Romantic poet: “Pale for weariness … Of climbing heaven and staring on the likes of us.” In the Afrikaans, he gives us a fragment from the wistful poem, Die Moormansgat: “ek kyk na die lig van die volle silwermaan” (I behold the light of the full silver moon). At face value, this lacks the detached, woeful quality of Shelley’s line. But read in the context of Leipoldt’s poem, it is every bit as poignant.

    The virtue of waiting

    “Vladimir would agree,” Morgan concludes in the preface to her translation, “that a century is a decent amount of time to hone a language for the translation of one of the best-known dramas in world literature”.

    Read more: Animal Farm has been translated into Shona – why a group of Zimbabwean writers undertook the task

    And indeed, the riches of the Afrikaans language are on display in this sensitive, witty and allusive rendering of Beckett’s European classic. But it’s also true that a certain amount of political baggage had to be shaken off before such a feat could be realised – not just in the right words, but in the right spirit. Of course, if Beckett’s play teaches us anything, it’s the virtue of waiting.

    – Waiting for Godot has been translated into Afrikaans: what took so long
    – https://theconversation.com/waiting-for-godot-has-been-translated-into-afrikaans-what-took-so-long-257345

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Choosing to be an orphan: for some Kenyan families it’s a strategy for survival

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Andreana Prichard, Associate Professor of Honors and African History, University of Oklahoma

    In the world of international child development and orphan care, it’s not uncommon for children with families to declare themselves orphans. In fact, this practice can be traced back to precolonial times in Kenya.

    Andreana Prichard has done research on the practice in Kenya. We asked her to share her insights into it.

    Why do some people in Kenya assume the identity of ‘orphan’?

    We often think of “orphans” as children who have lost both parents and who lack kin networks. One might ask why someone would “opt in” to orphan status when they do not fall within the classical definition of the term.

    In my paper I look at the issue of orphanhood over the last 160 years. Case studies from Kenya I examine illustrate that the practice I define as “opting in” to orphanhood has precolonial roots. I define “opting in” as choosing to take on the label of being an orphan. This can be done by parents, relatives or even, in some instances, the child. This is because the label “orphan” has come to confer unique opportunities.

    The practice became increasingly popular in the mid-1990s, when parents in eastern and southern Africa who had contracted HIV began to die in large numbers. Activists feared many children would be left without caregivers.

    In response, the number of orphanages proliferated as humanitarian actors, churches and states inundated east Africa with orphan-focused NGOs.

    In 2020, officials in Kenya estimated that there were at least 910 residential institutions for children in the country (of which 581 were registered), housing between 26,198 and 85,733 Kenyan children.

    The predicted “orphan crisis” never materialised, partly because families and communities stepped in to care for newly parentless children. But the idea of an “orphan crisis” remained, and so did the funding and infrastructure.

    This phenomenon occurred across the continent, not just in Kenya. However, its effects were felt particularly acutely in eastern and southern Africa where HIV/Aids prevalence rates were higher and where there was more western tourism.

    Today, many African families see orphan-focused NGOs as a path to access education and improve their lives. My research shows that children themselves sometimes affiliate with an institution that provides shelter, food and schooling. Children facing abuse from caregivers may also prefer the relative anonymity and safety of an institution.

    In some cases, receiving orphan services actually raises the status of the “orphan” child above that of other children. They have access to more material resources than they might have had in their villages or at home. They might have more leisure time and less work. They may have access to better bedding, shoes and clothing. They are also likely able to attend school more consistently and have a real opportunity to attend university.

    Does ‘opting in’ have a long history?

    Yes, it does.

    In the precolonial period, most parentless or vulnerable children were cared for through lasting community support systems. Orphanhood, as it exists today as a child lacking support, protection, or care from kin, was largely avoided.

    However, the late 19th to mid-20th centuries brought new actors to the east African region. The practice of “opting in” became a strategic, temporary option used by families to access services from western humanitarians.

    The earliest example of this shift I found in my research is from the 1890s. Fearing their children would be caught in the Indian Ocean slave trade, African parents sometimes chose to send their children to British missions until the region was safe. They knew the missionaries opposed the slave trade and knew they offered food and medical care.

    African parents thought they were making temporary arrangements to keep their children safe. Missionaries, however, understood parents to have abandoned their children. When parents returned to repay the debt – with agricultural produce or trade goods – and to reclaim their children, missionaries refused them.

    In another example from Kenya in the 1950s, the British colonial government opened “reform schools” for young men. The Wamumu Approved School was renowned for the relative quality of education it provided. But the state admitted only the “most vulnerable” for a free education. Feeling they had no way to access Wamumu, students claimed to be orphans.

    What have been the negative effects of Kenya’s orphan system?

    There are several problems with creating a situation in which people present themselves as vulnerable just to gain safety or improve their social and economic standing.

    First, research has shown that building orphanages in poor communities incentivises parents to abandon their children if they’re not also given the help to remain together.

    Second, research shows that children are often put at risk in these institutions. Institutionalisation exposes children to risks such as sexual abuse, gender-based violence and neglect.

    Third, orphanages have become so lucrative that African orphanage owners will go to great lengths to fit African children into the categories westerners wish to fund. The phenomenon of “paper orphans” is a prime example. “Paper orphans” are children who are recruited from their homes by proprietors (or middlemen/brokers) of orphanages and residential-care facilities. Fraudulent documentation is created for them – often including false death certificates of parents and new identity registration documents – rendering them orphans on paper, and vulnerable in practice.

    What should be done?

    Governments in Europe, Central Asia, Latin America and the Caribbean are trying to phase out orphanages, as are some African countries.

    Based on my research I believe that working with families to support vulnerable children in their homes of origin or with extended families is a better option. This can be done through assistance programmes for vulnerable families as well as child welfare programmes. These allow families to remain intact when experiencing hardship.

    Kenya is taking steps to do this by replacing orphanages and other forms of residential children’s homes with family-based, foster and community-based care and other forms of assistance. Family strengthening approaches include positive parenting instruction, life skills training, and income-generating activities, as well as supportive supervision.

    In addition to this, missionary and voluntourism trips to orphanages and residential care facilities should be banned or limited.

    – Choosing to be an orphan: for some Kenyan families it’s a strategy for survival
    – https://theconversation.com/choosing-to-be-an-orphan-for-some-kenyan-families-its-a-strategy-for-survival-247371

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Secretary Rubio meets with North Macedonia Foreign Minister Timčo Mucunski

    Source: United States of America – Department of State (video statements)

    Secretary of State Marco A. Rubio meets with North Macedonia Foreign Minister Timčo Mucunski at the Department of State, on May 29, 2025.

    ———-
    Under the leadership of the President and Secretary of State, the U.S. Department of State leads America’s foreign policy through diplomacy, advocacy, and assistance by advancing the interests of the American people, their safety and economic prosperity. On behalf of the American people we promote and demonstrate democratic values and advance a free, peaceful, and prosperous world.

    The Secretary of State, appointed by the President with the advice and consent of the Senate, is the President’s chief foreign affairs adviser. The Secretary carries out the President’s foreign policies through the State Department, which includes the Foreign Service, Civil Service and U.S. Agency for International Development.

    Get updates from the U.S. Department of State at www.state.gov and on social media!
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    Watch on-demand State Department videos: https://video.state.gov/
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    #StateDepartment #DepartmentofState #Diplomacy

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvmyWKVchSE

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI: Surgent Income Tax School Launches 2025 Comprehensive Tax Course for Aspiring Tax Professionals

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RADNOR, Pa., May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Surgent Income Tax School, a division of Surgent Accounting and Financial Education, today announced the release of its 2025 Comprehensive Tax Course, the nation’s leading beginner tax preparer training program.

    Designed for individuals looking to start a career in tax preparation and for firms seeking to train new staff, the updated Comprehensive Tax Course combines real-world application, expert instruction and flexible delivery in one online platform.

    The 2025 edition includes refreshed content aligned with the latest IRS tax law updates, along with bonus resources that support new preparers in launching their career or growing their tax business. The course provides in-depth instruction on preparing individual tax returns for most U.S. taxpayers and now features updated content aligned with 2024 tax law changes, including adjustments to filing thresholds, deductions, credits and federal forms.

    “Our Comprehensive Tax Course remains the industry standard for aspiring tax preparers,” said Elizabeth Kolar, executive vice president at Surgent. “We’ve updated the course for 2025 to ensure learners are gaining relevant, applicable skills that help them start earning income quickly, whether they want to work seasonally or build a long-term business.”

    Available entirely online, the course allows learners to progress at their own pace with instructor support, graded exams and hands-on exercises. Students earn a certificate of completion and a digital badge, validating their credentials to clients and employers. The course also provides a strong foundation for further advancement, including pursuit of the IRS Enrolled Agent credential.

    “This course isn’t just about teaching tax law; it’s about helping people build sustainable careers,” said Nick Spoltore, vice president of tax and advisory content at Surgent. “We break down complex topics into manageable, real-life scenarios so learners feel confident applying what they’ve learned.”

    Training Staff with the 2025 Comprehensive Tax Course
    For tax business owners, the 2025 Comprehensive Tax Course also serves as a scalable training solution for new hires. Employers can purchase the course for multiple staff members and receive access to instructor tools for lesson plans, tracking student progress, providing feedback and maintaining compliance. This cost-effective solution helps firms expand their workforce while maintaining quality and consistency.

    A Unified Platform for Tax Professional Development
    Surgent recently consolidated its Income Tax School offerings at Surgent.com, giving students a single destination to begin and advance their careers. Aspiring tax professionals can now train to become a preparer, pursue the Enrolled Agent credential and meet annual continuing education requirements — all from one platform.

    “Bringing everything together on Surgent.com makes it easier than ever for learners to take control of their future,” said Kolar.

    About Surgent Accounting and Financial Education
    Surgent Accounting and Financial Education, a division of KnowFully Learning Group, delivers high-impact learning solutions for accounting, finance and tax professionals. Its offerings include Surgent CPE for continuing education, Surgent Exam Review for certification prep, and Surgent Income Tax School, which provides online training for aspiring and experienced tax preparers. Through flexible, expert-designed courses and real-world application, Surgent equips professionals with the skills and credentials to succeed at every career stage. Learn more at Surgent.com.

    About KnowFully Learning Group
    The KnowFully Learning Group provides continuing professional education, exam preparation courses and education resources to the accounting, finance and healthcare sectors. KnowFully’s suite of learning solutions helps learners become credentialed, satisfy required credit hours to maintain credentials and stay informed on the latest trends and critical changes in their industries over the course of their careers. The company provides exam preparation and continuing education for accounting, finance and tax professionals headlined by the Surgent Accounting & Financial Education brand. KnowFully’s healthcare education brands include American Fitness Professionals & Associates, ChiroCredit, freeCE, Impact EMS Training, Online CE, PharmCon, Rx Consultant and Psychotherapy.net. For more information, please visit KnowFully.com.

    Contact:
    Surgent Accounting and Financial Education
    marketing@surgent.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at: https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a6f91770-8662-4a5d-b9db-878b6b7229b8

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New National Park decision

    Source: Scottish Government

    No designation for Galloway and Ayrshire.

    Ministers have decided not to pursue a proposal to designate Galloway and Ayrshire as a National Park.

    Rural Affairs Secretary Mairi Gougeon confirmed that opposition to the nomination and the Reporter’s recommendations against it meant that the region in southwest Scotland would not join the Cairngorms and Loch Lomond & the Trossachs as the country’s third national park.

    Speaking in the Scottish Parliament, Ms Gougeon said:

    “While there is substantial support for a National Park and what it could deliver for the southwest of Scotland, there is also significant opposition.  I realise that this decision will be very disappointing for those who have been campaigning for a new National Park in Galloway over many years. 

    “I also recognise the huge amount of work and time that has been invested by a great many people throughout this process.  I would like to thank everyone involved, including members of the Galloway National Park Association and the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere.

    “I would also like to thank NatureScot for its work carrying out such an important and extensive public consultation in a robust and professional way that was commended in the review of the process carried out by the Scottish Community Development Centre. The consultation raised some really important issues that local people care deeply about and we now have the opportunity to look at how we can address these.

    “The Scottish Government remains committed to our existing National Parks and the vital leadership role that they play in tackling the climate and biodiversity crises, promoting sustainable land management and supporting the economic and social development of local communities. Our National Parks are achieving for people and nature.”

    Background

    The proposal to designate a new National Park in Galloway and Ayrshire was jointly put forward by the Galloway National Park Association and the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire UNESCO Biosphere, in response to the Scottish Government’s invitation to communities and organisations across Scotland to nominate their area to be considered for designation as a new National Park.

    Five nominations were received through that process – from Galloway and Ayrshire, Lochaber, Loch Awe, Scottish Borders and Tay Forest. 

    NatureScot was appointed as the statutory Reporter, as specified in the National Parks legislation, to carry out this investigation, undertake a public consultation and report to the Scottish Government.

    Following an initial period of engagement with local communities, public bodies and stakeholders, NatureScot ran a 14-week public consultation process from 7 November 2024 until 14 February 2025.

    Over 5,000 surveys were completed and more than 1,000 people attended events that were held across Galloway and South and East Ayrshire – with the final results showing around 54% of responses opposed the National Park proposal and around 42% of responses supported it. 

    The Report found: “Our recommendation as Reporter is therefore not to proceed with the designation but instead to strengthen a range of existing arrangements, including a better resourced and more influential Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere Reserve, a renewed focus on people and nature alongside commercial forestry operations in the Galloway Forest Park and a new commitment to the implementation of management strategies for the three National Scenic Areas.”

    A report on the proposal for a National Park in Southwest Scotland – gov.scot (www.gov.scot)

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NREL and Crysalis Biosciences Collaborate To Scale Up Domestic Biomanufacturing Technologies

    Source: US National Renewable Energy Laboratory

    Public-Private Partnership Advances Research That Turns US Biomass Into National Sources of Fuel, Rubber, and Battery Materials

    Crysalis scaled up NREL’s original reactor operations to produce bio-based acetonitrile. The photo on the left shows NREL’s lab-scale reactor; the photo on the right shows the pilot-scale reactor in the Crysalis facility. Photos by Dennis Schroeder, NREL (left) and Gregory Cooper, NREL (right)

    The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE’s) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is known for its groundbreaking research in impactful bioenergy technologies and invention of performance-advantaged chemicals and materials. But some of its most exciting success stories happen when those innovations move beyond the lab and into the real world.

    A prime example of this technology transfer in action is the collaboration between NREL and Crysalis Biosciences, a leading American manufacturer of next-generation biofuels and biochemicals. Based on research initially funded by DOE’s Bioenergy Technologies Office, NREL granted Crysalis commercial licenses to three novel biological technologies to produce bio-based chemicals and fuels, including:

    • 2,3-Butanediol (2,3-BDO): This technology leverages a modified strain of Zymomonas mobilis to produce 2,3-BDO instead of ethanol, which can be used to produce polymers and butadiene, a key ingredient in bio-derived rubber for tires.
    • Carboxylic Acids to Aviation Fuel: This process converts America’s plentiful sources of waste and biomass into carboxylic acids, which can be upgraded to a jet fuel blendstock, serving as an abundant energy source for export and the domestic aviation industry.
    • Acetonitrile: This process allows for the production of ultrahigh purity acetonitrile, a high-demand solvent in pharmaceutical manufacturing, as well as other high-performance, high-volume materials like advanced batteries.

    The licensing of these three technologies showcases how the NREL/Crysalis partnership can leverage America’s plentiful biomass and waste feedstocks—more than 1 billion tons according to a recent DOE study—to drive homegrown production of critical materials and agricultural products the country needs and reduce its reliance on imports.

    From Lab Innovation to Market Impact

    With these advancements in hand, Crysalis’ R&D facility in Louisville, Colorado, recently produced the world’s first 100% bio-based acetonitrile with the highest purity available on the market. The pathway was scaled up 300 times from NREL’s lab-scale technology.

    Crysalis engineer Katherine Noon checks equipment that she helped customize and build in the Louisville facility. Photo by Gregory Cooper, NREL

    “I don’t think anyone realized that we could achieve this scale and that the NREL technologies could get out into the world so quickly,” NREL Senior Licensing Executive Eric Payne said. “This project is so amazing; we are lucky to work with such dedicated partners.”

    According to Crysalis Chief Technology Officer Eric Karp, the company purchased a shuttered manufacturing space and, in the span of only one-and-a-half years, Crysalis gutted, cleaned, and built out the new facility—often with refurbished equipment customized by their team to realize huge time and cost savings. The resulting Louisville pilot plant is unique in the industry and started producing acetonitrile in February 2025.

    “The reactor designs came straight from NREL but were scaled up 300 times,” Karp said. “We built the system with plug-and-play capabilities to use in different ways, by moving and changing equipment around for different processes.”

    Crysalis is poised to take this breakthrough development to the next stage with construction of a demonstration-scale manufacturing plant in the St. Louis area. That plant will then aid in the eventual construction of a full-scale bio-acetonitrile manufacturing facility, and the company anticipates commercial availability of the product within a year.

    Making More Fuels and Chemicals Here at Home

    All three of NREL’s technologies licensed to Crysalis will lead to more resilient supply chains of critical materials and chemicals needed by the U.S. economy.

    For example, rubber is a critical strategic material for the United States, and the bio-derived rubber produced by Crysalis via the NREL 2,3-BDO process can fill this need with stateside manufacturing. Many U.S. petroleum refineries also rely on imported crude oil for their operations. NREL’s carboxylic acids-to-fuels technology produces ketones, which can be processed in existing petroleum refineries, thus reducing dependence on imported crude oil.

    The left clear sample is the world’s first 100% bio-based acetonitrile that meets oligonucleotide-grade specifications. On the right is aviation fuel blendstock. Photo by Gregory Cooper, NREL

    Finally, acetonitrile is a critically important industrial chemical with applications such as solvents for the pharmaceutical industry and batteries. Today’s fast-charging lithium-ion batteries rely on acetonitrile, and, accordingly, the market for this solvent is expected to be strained with increased demand from automotive applications. Ultrapure acetonitrile is also highly sought after by the pharmaceutical industry due to the expansion of oligonucleotide drug synthesis, a process to create short DNA or RNA sequences that target specific genes or proteins to treat or manage diseases. The Crysalis and NREL process will meet these growing demands with domestic resources and technology.

    Revitalizing Local Economies by Creating Manufacturing Jobs

    For Crysalis, these technologies also represent an opportunity to transform shuttered chemical plants into profitable, next-generation biomanufacturing hubs. In fact, Crysalis specializes in acquiring and retrofitting shuttered industrial assets—such as the St. Louis plant—to produce bio-based chemicals and fuels and to rehire former employees eager to reclaim their jobs.

    “In this case, we bought an ethanol plant that had been shuttered since 2019, and we turned it back on within a year,” Karp said. “This is another thing we’ve learned from our projects—they are important to the community. There were a lot of jobs, and people are willing to come back to them when you reopen the plants. It’s amazing.”

    Payne agreed: “What Crysalis is doing in St. Louis—in addition to making ethanol and eventually acetonitrile—is creating jobs and rehiring people,” he said. “That translates to jobs in Colorado, too—and I’m proud that NREL technology helped enable this.”

    A Model for Future Collaborations

    The licensing of these technologies represents a success story for industry–government partnerships. Payne emphasized the speed and scale at which these innovations are moving into the market.

    “What is special is that it took less than a month from the time we sent Crysalis these three licenses to the time that we signed the paperwork,” Payne said. “It rarely goes that fast, but Crysalis was really motivated, and it’s been a great partnership.”

    “In the future, we hope to purchase more facilities and do this over and over as our global business model,” Karp said. “Even just one retrofitted plant built from existing infrastructure is having a considerable impact, but if we can start increasing the number of projects down the road, it’ll make a substantial difference to the economy.”

    As NREL continues to partner with companies like Crysalis, the laboratory’s research is not just advancing science—it is actively shaping the future of an abundant, resilient, and affordable energy industry.

    Learn more about NREL’s scale-up and piloting of bioenergy and bioeconomy technologies.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Polis: Court Rejection of Trump Tariff Tax is A Win for Americans

    Source: US State of Colorado

    DENVER – Today, a court struck down President Trump’s tariffs that raised the cost for Americans on everyday goods. Colorado helped lead a lawsuit against this tariff tax. Governor Polis has been outspoken about the negative impacts these tariffs have on the American people and applauded the court for their decision today. 

    “This is great news for our economy and every American family. I am grateful that this court decision striking down many tariffs checks the sweeping presidential power that the President has attempted to impose on the American people and businesses. The President’s tariff tax on groceries and everyday items is bad for hardworking people, our economy and business certainty. Unfortunately, President Trump has already caused a lot of damage with his tariff tax and the uncertainty they’ve caused for business and our economy, effectively freezing investment, but I am thrilled with the court’s decision and encourage the President to strengthen trade with our allies and decreases taxes and barriers for imports and exports,” said Governor Polis. 

    In addition to raising prices, reports show that tariffs lead to increases in fraud and crime. 

    In 2024, Colorado exported a record $10.5 billion of goods to the world and imported $16.8 B in goods. Colorado’s top export partners are Mexico ($1.7B), Canada ($1.6B), China ($0.8B) South Korea ($0.6B), and Malaysia ($0.6 B), accounting for half of all Colorado exports in 2024. Top export commodities include meat (17%); nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery (15%); electric machinery (13%); optic, photo, medical or surgical instruments (11%); and aircraft, spacecraft, and related parts (5%). In 2022, exports from Colorado supported an estimated 40 thousand jobs. 

    Colorado in 2024 exported $500 million in aerospace, spacecraft, and related parts, accounting for roughly 4.8% of all Colorado exports. The European Union, Brazil, France, Canada and Mexico were the top five export destinations, accounting for 63% of Colorado’s aerospace exports. In 2024, Colorado imported $1 billion of aerospace, spacecraft and related parts, accounting for roughly 6.2% of all Colorado imports. Switzerland, the EU, Germany, Canada, and France were the top five import sources, accounting for over 90% of Colorado’s aerospace imports. 

    An estimated 820,200 jobs in Colorado are supported by international trade, representing 20.8% of all jobs in the state. Colorado’s top import partners are Canada ($5.4 B), China ($1.8 B), Mexico ($1.1 B), Switzerland ($0.9 B) and Germany ($0.9 B), accounting for 60% of imports in 2024. Top import commodities include oil, mineral fuel (20%); electric machinery (14%); nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery (11%); optic, photo, medical or surgical instruments (8%); and aircraft, spacecraft and related parts (6%). 

    In addition to the commodities traded, Colorado also trades services and runs a services trade surplus. In 2022, Colorado exported $16 B in services, supporting 97,260 jobs. Top services export markets were Canada ($1.3 B), the United Kingdom ($0.9 B), Mexico ($0.9 B), and China ($0.6 B). As a bloc, the EU was the top services export market with $3.8 B in services exports supporting over 18,900 jobs. 

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Better Serving Foster Youth and Improving Health Care Access: Governor Polis Signs Bills Into Law to Support Foster Children in Colorado, Expand Access to Affordable Health Care, Lower Prescription Drug Costs

    Source: US State of Colorado

    DENVER METRO AREA – Today, Governor Polis signed new laws across the Denver Metro area.

    Governor Polis signed HB25-1097 – Placement Transitions Plan for Children, sponsored by Representatives Lindsay Gilchrist and Meg Froelich, and Senators Dafna Michaelson Jenet and Lindsey Daugherty and HB25-1271 – Federal Benefits for Youth in Foster Care, sponsored by Lindsay Gilchrist and Kyle Brown, and Senators Lindsey Daugherty and Dafna Michaelson Jenet. 

     

    “Now, Colorado will better support kids in foster care to help each child thrive. We are focused on ensuring that all kids in Colorado, no matter where they live, have access to the resources needed for a healthy and safe life, and these bills do exactly that for kids who need it most,” said Governor Polis. 

    Governor Polis also signed HB25-1328 – Implement Recommendations Direct Care Worker Stabilization Board, sponsored by Majority Leader Monica Duran and Representative Emily Sirota and Senators Jessie Danielson and Jeff Bridges. This bill will support the health care workforce and increase access to quality affordable health care to help Coloradans live strong healthy lives.

     

    “In Colorado, we are expanding access to the important health care Coloradans need, while taking action to lower barriers and costs. This new law will better support direct care workers and those they care for,” said Governor Polis. 

     

    Governor Polis also signed SB25-084 – Medicaid Access to Parenteral Nutrition, sponsored by Senators Kyle Mullica and Cleave Simpson and Representatives Mary Bradfield and Gretchen Rydin and HB25-1213 – Updates to Medicaid, sponsored by Representatives Lisa Feret and Ron Weinberg and Senators Lindsey Daugherty and Matt Ball, to further support Coloradans who rely on Medicaid for health care. 

     

    “In Washington, Republicans in Congress are leaving Coloradans behind with cruel cuts to people’s health care. With these new Colorado laws, we are expanding access to the care at-risk Coloradans need, while making changes to increase efficiency and better serve Coloradans,” said Governor Polis.

     

    At La Clinica in Lafayette, Governor Polis signed SB25-289 – Creation of a Drug Donation Program, sponsored by Senator Lisa Cutter and Representatives Kyle Brown and Emily Sirota

    And SB25-290 – Stabilization Payments for Safety Net Providers, sponsored by Senators Kyle Mullica and Barbara Kirkmeyer and Representatives Shannon Bird and Kyle Brown.

     

    “We are better supporting Colorado’s safety-net providers and these bipartisan laws will help do that. I look forward to seeing the benefits for low cost, high quality health care across Colorado,” said Governor Jared Polis. 
     

    Governor Polis also signed the following bills focused on reducing property insurance, reducing emissions and supporting Coloradans’ access to e-bikes:

    “Here in Colorado we are focused on helping Coloradans save money on property insurance and continuing to find ways to reduce emissions to improve air quality and save people money. These new laws move us in the right direction, and I look forward to building on these efforts for Coloradans,” said Governor Jared Polis. 

    Governor Polis also signed the following bills administratively:

     

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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICE Newark arrests Guatemalan unaccompanied alien child sponsor wanted overseas for attempted aggravated homicide

    Source: US Immigration and Customs Enforcement

    NEWARK, N.J. — U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested a Guatemalan fugitive wanted for two counts of attempted aggravated homicide in his home country.

    ICE Homeland Security Investigations Newark administratively arrested Adelso Garcia Martinez, 29, a Guatemalan native, May 13 for violations of the Immigration and Naturalization Act.

    “It is deplorable to imagine that a wanted fugitive would find illegal shelter in the United States with a child in tow and later go on to sponsor another alien,” said ICE HSI Newark Special Agent in Charge Ricky Patel. “Our investigation into this alien is part of our agency’s staunch effort to ensure unaccompanied alien children released from the care of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Office of Refugee Resettlement are not subjected to crimes of trafficking and exploitation.”

    Garcia unlawfully entered the United States in Rio Grande, Texas on May 19, 2021. He was released into the United States by U.S. Border Patrol the same day.

    According to the investigation, in April 2025, HSI Newark encountered Garcia pursuant to records checks. During this encounter, HSI Newark with the assistance of HSI Guatemala City identified that Garcia-Martinez has an outstanding and active arrest warrant issued Feb. 18, 2021, in his home country for attempted aggravated homicide.

    Garcia was issued a notice to appear after ICE arrested him May 13. He is currently detained at the Delaney Hall Detention Facility in New Jersey, pending removal proceedings.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why have so few atrocities ever been recognised as genocide?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By James Sweeney, Professor, Lancaster Law School, Lancaster University

    xiquinhosilva via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    An intense argument is raging over whether what has been happening in Gaza since October 2023 is an act of genocide. It is the subject of a case being heard in the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in which South Africa has accused Israel of committing acts of genocide. The case began in December 2023 but the ICJ has yet to reach a judgment.

    The reason the issue is so controversial is that the word “genocide” holds so much power. To be accused of it is to be accused of what is considered in international law to be the “crime of crimes”. International law holds that not only should states not commit genocide, they must also prevent and punish it in their own criminal law. Some commentators would even argue that the use of armed force to stop genocide is acceptable.

    Yet the legal definition of genocide is much narrower than is generally understood. That’s why so few events have ever been labelled as genocide as a matter of law. Looking at some of them might help to shed some light on the Gaza controversy.



    Read more:
    Gaza: why it’s difficult to reach a legal judgment of genocide against Israel

    Genocide is about attempting to destroy a group of people. The concept was first defined in 1944 by the Polish-Jewish lawyer Raphael Lemkin, in response to his horror at the mass killing of ethnic Armenians by the Ottoman Empire amid the first world war as well as – of course – at the atrocities of the Nazis before and during the second world war.

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

    It was such a novel concept that it was not prosecuted in the post-war trials of the surviving leading Nazis in Nuremberg. Instead, for their role in the Holocaust, the defendants were charged with “crimes against humanity”. And to this day, in the Rome statute of the International Criminal Court, there is a close relationship between the crime of genocide and crimes against humanity. The Rome statute uses the definition of genocide agreed in the 1948 genocide convention, which was negotiated after the considerable efforts of Lemkin to bring attention to his new concept.

    Despite the crime of genocide being established in 1948, the first international conviction for genocide was not until 1998. The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda found Jean-Paul Akayesu, a local politician, guilty of genocide as part of the extreme violence by ethnic Hutu against (mostly) minority ethnic Tutsis in 1994. Over the course of around 100 days around 800,000 people were killed.

    The mass killing was instigated at the highest levels of the Rwandan government after Tutsis were accused of killing the president of Rwanda, Juvénal Habyarimana, by shooting down a plane that was carrying him and the president of Burundi, Cyprien Ntaryamira. Both men were Hutus.

    The response to this was clearly a genocide, but surely there must have been other post-war genocides before this, you might think?

    Limitations of genocide

    Under the leadership of Joseph Stalin, millions of people died or were killed in famines, executions and prison camps across the Soviet Union. Yet, these deaths do not fall within the 1948 definition of genocide because they were generally not aimed at groups defined by nationality, ethnicity, race, or religion. Only those four groups are protected in the genocide convention.

    The same goes for murders committed by the Khmer Rouge – the radical communist regime of Pol Pot that ruled what is now Cambodia from 1975 to 1979. The regime was responsible for the deaths of between 1.5 and 3 million people. But the hybrid criminal tribunal set up in 1997 to judge these events has only been able to find that the killing of minority Vietnamese and Cham victims counted as genocide. The majority of those that the Khmer Rouge targeted for killing were fellow Cambodians selected for being “intellectuals” or were otherwise thought to oppose the regime.

    The choice of protected groups in the genocide convention was the result of political horse-trading between different factions, as the cold war was gaining in intensity. There was a tension between protecting enough groups, and agreeing a treaty that enough states would actually sign.



    Read more:
    How Canada committed genocide against Indigenous Peoples, explained by the lawyer central to the determination

    The atrocity of Srebrenica

    The International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and the ICJ have held that Bosnian Serbs committed genocide against Bosnian Muslims in the town of Srebrenica in what is now Republika Srpska in Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1995. The Bosnian Serb army killed around 8,000 men and boys, and secretly buried them. They detained, treated badly and then expelled the remaining women.

    The atrocity at Srebrenica in Bosnia-Herzegovina, where more than 8,000 Muslim men and boys were murdered, has been ruled as an act of genocide.
    Skrewt25 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-NC-SA

    The ICTY has held, beyond reasonable doubt, that across Bosnia and Herzegovina there was a “strategic plan” to “link Serb-populated areas […] together, to gain control over these areas and to create a separate Bosnian Serb state, from which most non-Serbs would be permanently removed”. It also found that this plan “could only be implemented by the use of force and fear”. Yet, apart from at Srebrenica, genocide has not been proved in the former Yugoslavia.

    The issue here was not identifying a protected group, but a lack of evidence that the mass killings of non-Serbs were carried out as an end in themselves and not “just” to make them flee (something which is often called “ethnic cleansing”). This is because for a killing to be genocidal, it has not only to be carried out intentionally, but also to show the “special” intent to physically or biologically destroy a protected group.

    The problem is that – in the absence of an admission or a bundle of incriminating documents – then such special intent can only be inferred from the facts if it is the only reasonable inference that could be made.

    Why Gaza is controversial

    Should the definition of genocide be expanded to cover a greater range of protected groups, either by amending the genocide convention or by creative judicial interpretation? Should it be easier to infer the existence of genocidal intent from a pattern of facts? Both are important questions.

    Yet, until they are answered in the affirmative, it will remain difficult in law to apply the label of genocide even to the most egregious of mass killings. The labels of “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity” are more easily applied, but the “crime of crimes” remains elusive.

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

    – ref. Why have so few atrocities ever been recognised as genocide? – https://theconversation.com/why-have-so-few-atrocities-ever-been-recognised-as-genocide-257753

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Key milestones for southside health projects

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Once complete, the new health centre will offer a range of vital services.

    In brief:

    • Two important southside projects have reached key milestones.
    • These are the South Tuggeranong Health Centre and Southside Hydrotherapy Pool.
    • This article details the progress on these projects.

    Canberrans living in the south are set to benefit from more local healthcare options.

    Two important southside projects have reached key milestones.

    • The new health centre in Conder has received conditional development approval.
    • Construction on Tuggeranong’s new hydrotherapy pool has passed the halfway mark.

    South Tuggeranong Health Centre

    Remaining approvals are being sought to allow work to begin on the South Tuggeranong Health Centre.

    Once complete, the new facility will offer a range of vital services.

    These will include:

    • paediatrics
    • diabetes clinics
    • falls and falls injury prevention
    • chronic disease programs
    • a virtual care room for people unable to attend appointments in person.

    The new centre will ensure southside residents can access the services they need closer to home.

    The centre’s design has been shaped by extensive engagement with both clinicians and the local community.

    The final plan includes 11 consultation rooms and a flexible layout.

    The ACT Government has partnered with construction company Shape as the Head Contractor to build the facility.

    Southside Hydrotherapy Pool

    The hydrotherapy pool at Lakeside Leisure Centre is on track to be completed later this year.

    Over the past few months, workers have poured, tested and cured the pool’s concrete shell.

    Construction has passed the halfway point. Work is now focused on:

    • tiling the pool
    • constructing the surrounding building.

    There will also be a new creche and community room for leisure centre members to use.

    These are being fitted and furnished now and will open soon.

    More health services for Canberra

    These projects are in addition to others across the ACT, designed to deliver high-quality health care closer to where people live.

    These include new health centres in:

    • North Gungahlin
    • the Inner South
    • West Belconnen.

    Find out more here.

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    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Giant crane arrives in Canberra

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    More than 100 semi-trailers were needed to deliver the crane pieces, and it took almost three weeks to build.

    In brief:

    • A giant crane is helping to build the new Molonglo River Bridge.
    • The crane will reach heights of up to 143-metres, it is one of the tallest cranes to ever come to Canberra.
    • This article provides more information on the crane.

    A giant crane has arrived in Canberra to work on the Molonglo River Bridge project.

    The crane is one of the tallest to ever come to Canberra.

    A crane enthusiasts dream

    Standing at up to143 metres tall, the crane is taller than Parliament House, which is 107 metres high.

    More than 100 semi-trailers were needed to deliver the crane pieces, and it took almost three weeks to build.

    The crane is:
    -capable of lifting steel beams up to 80 metres long – nearly the length of four basketball courts
    -has a capacity of 1,600 tonnes, or the weight of 260 elephants.

    To aid in the construction of the new bridge, Coppins Crossing Road is now closed for up to three weeks.

    This will allow the crane to lift the steel girders into place.

    To safely view the crane in action, park at the Namarag Reserve carpark off Thancoupie Crescent. Please do not go beyond barriers or stop on Coppins Crossing Road.

    The Molonglo River Bridge Project

    When completed, the 200-metre-long Molonglo River Bridge will be the longest weathering steel bridge in Australia and the tallest road bridge in Canberra.

    It will support the growing region and better connect suburbs in the Molonglo Valley to Belconnen and the rest of Canberra.

    Construction began in January 2024. Initial works included the realignment of the northern approach road to Coppins Crossing. The new temporary road opened in May 2024.

    The bridge’s foundation and substructure are now complete. The superstructure of the bridge is being constructed.

    The Australian and ACT governments jointly fund the project under the Commonwealth’s Investment Road and Rail Program.

    For more information visit the Built for CBR website.

    Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:


    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: First Stem Cell Medicine Course for Clinicians Available for Free

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    There is a major educational development for health care providers. On May 28, a first stem cell medicine continuing education course launched internationally in six languages to educate the world. The course is open access to all and free of charge.

    Clinicians, nurses, and medical students can access the free, online course on stem cell-medicine developed by the Education Committee of the International Society of Stem Cell Research (ISSCR) with international stem cell experts and accredited and produced by Harvard Medical School.

    Stem Cell Medicine: From Scientific Research to Patient Care is an essential educational resource for clinicians, scientists, healthcare providers, those in the nursing fields, medical students, and even the general public, seeking the most trusted and reliable stem cell information.

    The course is critical to educate providers on the rapidly evolving stem cell medicine but in turn also to protect patients from the potential physical and financial harms associated with the growing popularity of unproven ‘stem cell tourism’ clinics.

    UConn’s Dr. Jaime Imitola.

    “As a practicing physician, I often hear questions from my patients that reference false claims made by clinics marketing unproven stem cell ‘therapies’ here and abroad,” said course-co-leader Dr. Jaime Imitola of UConn School of Medicine and vice-chair of the ISSCR Education Committee. “Our goal is to provide physicians worldwide with trusted and reliable information on stem cells and their applications in a CE format by authoritative sources. This will help clinicians and students guide their patients more effectively and ensure patients are making informed decisions about their health.”

    Imitola adds, “This is the first time that stem cell medicine is clearly defined and that we have a course on it. This is an important paradigm shift in medical education, including for clinical practitioners. This course is an introduction to the stem cell field and its potential use in clinical care as we prepare for the future of health care which will soon fully integrate stem cells into patient care given the numerous late phase clinical trials by respected institutions around the world. Stem cell medicine is here to stay and soon stem cell therapy will be established so we need to educate all providers on this promising frontier of medicine,” says Imitola of UConn.

    “Dr. Imitola’s work as vice-chair of the ISSCR Education Committee exemplifies the power of collaborative leadership and how it has led to new and exceptional educational opportunities with lasting impact on our field,” said ISSCR President Valentina Greco, professor of Genetics and Cell Biology at Yale University. “Dr. Imitola, in partnership with Dr. Piddini, who chairs the committee, ISSCR team member Dr. Prutton and the whole Education Committee, have worked tirelessly to make the continuing education course on Stem Cell Medicine a reality. Their work is rooted in their collective deep belief of the critical role that education plays in the stem cell field, and the need to present current information in ways that bridge experts across different specialties for the benefit of patients.”

    Dangers of Stem Cell Tourism
    Imitola, professor of Neurology and vice-chair of research in the Division of Multiple Sclerosis and Translational Neuroimmunology at UConn School of Medicine trained at Harvard Medical School as a stem cell-scientist and has devoted his career to the clinical translation of stem cell research to MS care and education. He established pioneering work on migration of neural stem cells to inflammation and currently studies the impact of the inflammatory environment in neurodegeneration and repair both in the laboratory dish and clinic in MS patients using advanced 3D stem cell cultures or organoids. The scientific knowledge gained can be applied to variety of neurological diseases like brain tumors and was published in PNAS. He has also significantly researched stem cell tourism and its negative impact, since MS patient are often the target of the unproven therapy from ‘stem cell clinics’.”

    According to Imitola, around the world during the last 15 years there has been an explosion in stem cell clinics. He has also researched in-depth stem cell clinics exploiting patients in search of hope and cures – and calls it a “state of emergency.”

    “The translation of stem cells to patients is very complex and needs real, rigorous scientific research to move to the bedside,” says Imitola. “Stem cell tourism clinics are increasing under the disguise of ‘stem cell’ care – but they are not using stem cells. Plus, whatever cells or unproven therapies they are offering patients for high cost are not being rigorously studied,” stresses Imitola.

    “Stem cell clinics are taking ill patients desperately searching for hope for a ride. We need providers, residents and medical students to help their patients avoid exploitation from stem cell tourism clinics. This is an urgent matter; we need to educate providers so they can have evidence-based medical conversations with their patients and be protective of patients,” he says.

    As chief of the Division of Multiple Sclerosis and Neuroimmunology and director of the Comprehensive MS Center at UConn Health and a neurologist he is motivated to work in this area because he has seen first-hand the negative experience of patients pursuing stem cell tourism clinics. “In our MS Center we have seen the devastating consequences of MS patients receiving  unproven therapy, by patients travelling abroad with a great financial impact to them that are desperate for a cure with no benefit, and this is especially hard in our patients with limited resources and medical educational background that we serve,” says Imitola. This was one of his motivations to work in this global ISSCR initiative since 2022.

    In 2015 his team published a peer-reviewed perspective in JAMA Neurology raising awareness of the growing issue to begin to educate physicians in his field of neurology and how to help combat it, and a decade later legitimate stem cell products are under investigations and still not formally available to use in the neurology clinic yet,  but there are hundreds of stem cell clinics offering unproven cell products.  In 2019, he established the MS Program at UConn Health and in 2020, he launched a North America survey after several patients had complications of injections in the spine in stem cell tourism clinics. The survey found patients in the U.S. reported complications from their stem cell clinic “treatments” abroad and in the U.S. Also, most physicians surveyed said they didn’t understand the topic of stem cells and saw a course on stem cells as a necessary tool. The findings were published in Annals of Neurology and this educational project is part of UConn’s mission to educate, research, and provide care and solutions to real-world problems in our community, says Imitola.

    “These  survey results were a clear alarm that we needed to improve physician education and training in stem cell medicine and teaming with my colleagues at ISSCR and dozens of experts around the world that shared the same concern, we saw that as a tremendous unmet need at the bedside,” shared Imitola. “Now, we have more advanced clinical trials that will place pressure on clinicians to be trained and increase their fund of knowledge to provide information and develop communication skills to talk about stem cell medicine to patients.”

    Fast forward to 2025, the comprehensive ISSCR Continuing Education course offers seven modules on the fundamentals of stem cell biology, methodologies and considerations for cell therapy product design and clinical trials, and the rise of unproven stem cell clinics and stem cell tourism. It aims to equip medical students, nurses, and practicing clinicians with tools and strategies for effective patient communication, ensuring that information shared is accurate and impactful.

    Development of the course and its materials took Imitola and members of the education committee and collaborating international stem cell scientists from across all five continents two years to create. It will be followed by disease-specific stem cell medicine courses later in 2025.

    Also, all courses also offer AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™ and American Nurses Credentialing Center (ANCC) contact hours, allowing physicians and nurses to use the earned credits to fulfill their continuing education requirements.

    International Society for Stem Cell Research (ISSCR), with nearly 5,000 members from more than 80 countries, is the preeminent global, cross-disciplinary, science-based organization dedicated to stem cell research and its translation to the clinic. The ISSCR mission is to promote excellence in stem cell science and applications to human health. Patients and others can learn more from ISSCR at  AboutStemCells.org.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Faculty Honored by American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    Dr. Bina Katechia receives an award at the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s Annual Meeting.

    Dr. Bina Katechia, assistant professor of pediatric dentistry, recently received the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry’s (AAPD) Dr. Lewis Kay Excellence in Education Award.

    This award, given during the AAPD’s annual meeting, honors a recipient who demonstrates outstanding leadership, is committed to educating pediatric dental residents to provide children with comprehensive quality oral health care, and brings recognition to their program through their contributions to society and the profession of dentistry.

    “Your leadership in the dental profession, your commitment to education pediatric dental residents, your contributions to society, and to the profession of dentistry are examples every educator should emulate,” said Dr. Scott Smith, president of the AAPD in the award announcement.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Freshia Air Purifier Reviews: Don’t Buy Till You’ve Read This Unbiased Report!

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Helmond, Netherlands, May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Are you struggling with poor indoor air quality that leaves you feeling stuffy and uncomfortable? Looking for an affordable and effective way to purify the air in your home or office? Then you are at the right place. Freshia Air Purifier is an air purifier and ionizer that cleans your home’s air by removing air particles and pollutants. But there is more! 

    Due to yearnings of our readers for in-depth and honest Freshia Air Purifier Reviews in the United States, Australia, UK and Canada, we completely took out time to research and analyze this piece of information on Freshia Air Purifier which our team put together after hours and hours of indepth research and data findings and analysis.

    Indoor air quality has become an increasingly important topic as more people recognize the impact that pollutants, allergens, and airborne toxins have on health and well-being. With rising concerns about allergies, respiratory issues, and the effects of pollution trapped inside modern homes, many consumers are turning to air purifiers as a solution to improve their living environments. However, with so many brands and models available, choosing the right purifier can be overwhelming.

    Freshia Air Purifier is an air purifier that has gained significant attention for its advanced filtration system and affordable pricing.  However, does this product deliver on this promise? To provide a clear and unbiased evaluation, we have taken the time to review this air purifier. 

    Additionally, we carefully analyzed a wide range of consumer reviews and expert opinions. We aim to ensure a comprehensive understanding of the purifier’s capabilities, including filtration efficiency, noise levels, energy consumption, and ease of use. Kindly read on to learn if the Freshia Air Purifier is worth your money.

    What Is Freshia Air Purifier? (Freshia Air Purifier Reviews)

    Freshia Air Purifier is a powerful, all-in-one air purification solution designed to transform your indoor environment by eliminating pollutants, harmful bacteria, and viruses from the air you breathe. Freshia Air Purifier is a revolutionary portable air purifying device that instantly clears the air in your environment, thereby making it fresher and healthier to breathe.

    Freshia air purifier targets particles of various sizes, from visible dust and pet dander to microscopic allergens and mold spores, preventing them from perching and proliferating on surfaces. Many reviews confirm that Freshia Air Purifier doubles as an ionizer that is engineered for maximum efficiency. It combines high-performance filtration with ionizing technology to ensure your home or workspace remains fresh, clean, and safe every day. 

    Freshia Air Purifier features a three-stage filtration system that delivers comprehensive air purification. First, the Mechanical Filter traps larger airborne particles such as dust, pet hair, and debris. This initial layer not only improves overall air quality but also protects and extends the lifespan of the subsequent filters. 

    Next, the True HEPA Filter captures up to 99.7% of microscopic particles, including pollen, mold spores, and fine dust. This is especially effective for allergy and asthma patients. Finally, the Activated Carbon Filter neutralizes lingering odors from pets, cooking, or smoke while absorbing harmful volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and toxic fumes that may otherwise go unnoticed.

    Beyond its filtration capabilities, the built-in ionizer releases negative ions that bond with airborne particles, causing them to become too heavy to remain airborne. This process enhances air purification, targeting even those pollutants that filters alone might miss. 

    All Freshia Air Purifier Reviews affirmed that this air purifier is quite innovative and built with simplicity and portability in mind. Freshia Air Purifier does just what its brand name suggests, which is to clean the air we breathe of any harmful particles and pollutants. Freshia Air Purifier does not consume much watts of electricity, which is a good one, because it will help you keep down your energy bills.

    Unlike many premium air purifiers on the market that come with a hefty price tag, Freshia Air Purifier  offers top-tier performance at a price point that’s accessible to all households. Freshia’s sleek, modern design fits seamlessly into any room, and its quiet operation ensures it works efficiently without disrupting your daily life.

    Finally, Freshia Air Purifier is a safe, non-chemical, portable air purification solution that leverages negative ionization to actively clean air, delivering a healthier living space and relief from allergy symptoms and odors. Freshia Air Purifier is unequivocally designed for hassle-free use, requiring no regular maintenance or replacement of parts making it an ideal choice for anyone seeking a cleaner and healthier living environment without the need for costly upkeep or chemical-laden air fresheners.

    CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR FRESHIA AIR PURIFIER FROM THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE AT MASSIVE DISCOUNT TODAY

    What Are The Features of the Freshia Air Purifier? (Freshia Air Purifier Reviews)

    The Freshia Air Purifier is a thoughtfully engineered solution for improving indoor air quality with convenience and power. Packed with practical features, it’s designed to fit seamlessly into your daily routine while ensuring that every breath you take is fresh and clean. Here’s a closer look at the key features that make the Freshia Air Purifier a top-tier choice:

    • Three-Stage Filtration System: At the core of the Freshia Air Purifier is its three-stage filtration system, which ensures a thorough cleansing of indoor air. The first layer, the Mechanical Filter, captures large particles such as dust, pet hair, and lint, preventing them from clogging the inner layers. Next, the True HEPA Filter removes up to 99.7% of microscopic pollutants, including pollen, mold spores, and fine dust. Lastly, the Carbon-Rich Activated Charcoal Filter effectively eliminates odors, smoke, and volatile organic compounds (VOCs), leaving your space smelling fresh and free from harmful chemicals.
    • Adjustable Airflow Speeds: Freshia offers adjustable airflow settings, giving users complete control over the purification process. Whether you need a low-speed setting for night use or a high-speed blast to clean the air quickly after cooking or cleaning, the customizable airflow allows for flexible and efficient operation.
    • Lightweight & Portable Design: Weighing only a few pounds, Freshia is designed with portability in mind. Its compact size and sleek silhouette make it easy to move from room to room, allowing you to purify any space, from your bedroom to your office, with minimal effort. It’s perfect for on-the-go use or for those who value a clutter-free environment.
    • 360-Degree Air Intake: Unlike traditional purifiers that pull in air from one side, the Freshia Air Purifier features a 360-degree air intake system. This means it draws in air from all directions, purifying more efficiently and evenly throughout the room. It ensures no corner is left untouched, delivering consistent performance no matter where it’s placed.
    • Whisper-Quiet Operation: Noise won’t disrupt your peace with Freshia’s whisper-quiet technology. Operating at near-silent levels, it’s perfect for use while sleeping, working, or relaxing. The low noise output makes it ideal for bedrooms, nurseries, and offices, ensuring you breathe clean air without any distraction.
    • Carbon-Rich Activated Charcoal Filter: Freshia’s carbon filter goes beyond standard odor elimination. It’s made with carbon-rich activated charcoal, which has a high adsorption capacity. This allows it to trap more odors, chemicals, and gases than regular filters, ensuring a more thorough and long-lasting clean.
    • Built-in 1500mA Internal Rechargeable Battery: One of Freshia’s most convenient features is its built-in 1500mA battery, offering up to 7 hours of use on a single charge. This makes it perfect for portable use; take it to your workspace, car, or even outdoors without worrying about cords or outlets. It’s ideal for travel or situations where flexibility and mobility are key. 

    Does Freshia Air Purifier Actually Work? (Freshia Air Purifier Reviews)

    Freshia Air Purifier works with advanced True HEPA™ and Charcoal filtration technology to effectively capture and eliminate 99.7% of airborne pollutants. This includes allergens like dust mites, pollen, pet dander, mold spores, and bacteria that commonly trigger hay fever, asthma, and respiratory issues. 

    As air is drawn in through its 360-degree intake system, it passes through a multi-layered filtration process that traps particles of all sizes. The True HEPA™ filter removes microscopic impurities, while the activated charcoal filter neutralizes odors, smoke, and harmful chemicals, creating a noticeably fresher and healthier environment.

    Overall, Freshia purifiers generally receive glowing positive reviews for their effectiveness in improving air quality and their aesthetically pleasing design. Many Australian users praise the Freshia air purifier’s ability to remove dust and odors, making the air feel cleaner and fresher. The quiet operation and compact size are also appreciated, with some users even forgetting the Freshia air purifier is running.

    Why Should You Buy Freshia Air Purifiers In Australia and New Zealand? 

    If you’re looking for a practical and affordable way to improve the air quality in your home, the Freshia Air Purifier is a fantastic choice. With its advanced filtration system, including True HEPA™ and pure carbon filters, Freshia Air Purifier actively removes harmful particles from the air, helping to reduce allergy symptoms, asthma triggers, and even lingering odors. It’s a simple, effective, and affordable way to take control of your indoor environment and protect your health.

    The regular use of Freshia Air Purifier has also helped many individuals who suffer from allergies to experience a marked difference. Freshia Air Purifier is intended for continuous use but can work intermittently in places that are not in constant use. For instance, you could run the unit in your home office when you’re working and then move it to your bedroom while you are sleeping. 

    Freshia air purifier reviews on customers complaints revealed that this air purifier is the modern solution to pure, clean air at home that helps invigorate your health and keep up a fresh and inviting home. The efficacy of Freshia air purifier technology has been proven in numerous user tests which have achieved significant airborne particle reduction in a variety of Room sizes and conditions.

    Its powerful yet quiet motor continuously circulates air across the room, ensuring that clean air reaches every corner. Whether it’s a bedroom, kitchen, living room, or office, Freshia adapts to your environment and delivers consistent performance. Designed to offer real relief for individuals suffering from allergies and congestion, Freshia helps transform your home into a sanctuary of clean, breathable air. Order now and take the first step toward a new era of cleaner, healthier living.

    Lastly, Its durability, affordability, portability and ergonomically constructed makes it the ideal air purifier for anyone looking for the best approach to acquire a purer air free of odor, airborne particles, dust, filth and debris. Freshia is a revolutionary air purifier that redefines the standards of home air quality by improving both the air you breathe and your overall well-being.

    Let’s Review the Unbeatable Benefits of Freshia Air Purifiers? (Freshia Air Purifier Reviews)

    According to consumer reports, the Freshia Air Purifier has proven to be more than just an appliance. It has helped thousands of homeowners commit to cleaner air and a healthier lifestyle. Designed with cutting-edge features and user-centric design, it delivers a wide range of benefits that make it an ideal choice for homes, offices, and personal spaces. Below are the top benefits that set the Freshia Air Purifier apart:

    • Eliminates 99.7% of Air Pollutants: With its powerful True HEPA filter, the Freshia Air Purifier captures up to 99.7% of airborne particles, including dust, pollen, pet dander, mold spores, and even bacteria and viruses. This high level of filtration ensures you and your loved ones breathe the cleanest air possible, reducing exposure to allergens and pollutants that can impact your health.
    • Easy to Use – Plug and Play Simplicity: Freshia is designed for effortless operation. There are no complicated settings or confusing instructions. Simply place it anywhere, charge it, and press the power button. Its intuitive controls make it user-friendly, even for those who aren’t tech-savvy. Clean air is just one button away.
    • Hassle-Free Maintenance: Maintenance is straightforward with Freshia thanks to its filter change indicator. This smart feature alerts you when it’s time to replace the filter, removing all guesswork and ensuring optimal performance.
    • Effective Against Pet Dander, Odors, and Mold Spores: Whether you have pets, cook frequently, or live in a humid area, Freshia tackles common indoor pollutants like pet dander, lingering cooking odors, and even mold spores. Its comprehensive filtration and ionization systems effectively reduce these irritants, helping you maintain a cleaner and healthier home environment.
    • Improves Quality of Sleep: Clean air leads to better sleep quality. By reducing allergens, odors, and airborne irritants, Freshia helps you sleep more comfortably through the night. Its whisper-quiet operation means it won’t disturb your rest, making it ideal for bedrooms and nurseries.
    • Low Energy Consumption: Freshia is energy-efficient, using minimal electricity even when operating for extended periods. This means you can enjoy purified air all day and night without worrying about high energy bills. It’s an eco-friendly solution that supports both your health and your wallet.
    • Ideal for Individuals With Allergies: For those with allergies or respiratory conditions, Freshia offers significant relief. By capturing allergens and reducing airborne irritants it helps minimize symptoms such as sneezing, coughing, and congestion. It’s a must-have during allergy season or in households with pets and dust-prone environments.
    • Improves Overall Family Health: Many households have reported improved well-being and hygiene since they started using Freshia Air Purifier. It uses a three-stage filtration system for maximum effectiveness. Get full coverage in any room you put it in with powerful circulation with a simple press of a button.
    • 30-Day Money Back Guarantee: Still unsure? Freshia comes with a 30-day money back guarantee, giving you peace of mind with your purchase. Try it risk-free in your own space, and if it doesn’t meet your expectations, you can return it, no questions asked.

    CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR FRESHIA AIR PURIFIER FROM THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE AT MASSIVE DISCOUNT TODAY

    Let’s Reveal How Freshia Air Purifier Is Superior To Similar Air Purifiers (Freshia Air Purifier Reviews)

    All reviewers revealed that Freshia Air Purifier proves to be a standout product in the market by combining premium-level performance with an affordable price tag. Unlike many budget purifiers that cut corners on filtration, Freshia features True HEPA filtration, capable of capturing 99.7% of airborne particles as small as 0.3 microns. 

    From dust and pollen to mold spores and pet dander, Freshia effectively removes the most common irritants that trigger allergies and respiratory issues. Paired with its pure carbon filtration, it also eliminates household odors, smoke, and harmful chemicals, something most low-end models struggle to do well.

    Another key advantage of Freshia Air Purifier over regular solutions is its quiet operation and customizable features. While many air purifiers sacrifice noise levels for power, Freshia is engineered for whisper-quiet operation, allowing it to run continuously without disturbing your sleep, study, or relaxation. 

    Many Freshia Air Purifier Reviews in Australia mentioned it also features adjustable airflow speeds, giving users the flexibility to control purification intensity based on the room size or air quality conditions. Whether you need a gentle breeze for bedtime or a high-speed clean after cooking, Freshia adapts to your lifestyle with ease.

    Freshia is built with low energy consumption in mind, making it an eco-friendly and cost-effective choice. Many competing models draw unnecessary power, inflating electricity bills over time. Freshia, on the other hand, offers powerful performance without wasting energy, making it ideal for 24/7 use in homes and offices. 

    In all, Freshia Air Purifier prides itself on providing a sturdy, multi-functional, and low-maintenance solution at a remarkably more accessible price point than many effective conventional air purifiers. Its compact and portable design adds convenience, allowing users to benefit from cleaner air in multiple locations. 

    The combination of effective particle removal, odor elimination, mold prevention, convenience, affordability, and the absence of recurring filter costs makes Freshia Air Purifier a compelling and often superior alternative for individuals seeking to improve their indoor air quality and find a lasting solution to allergies and pollutants. With Freshia Air Purifier, you don’t have to choose between performance, comfort, and cost, you get it all in one smart, stylish device.

    How Do You Use the Freshia Air Purifier? (Freshia Air Purifier Reviews)

    Setting up your Freshia Air Purifier is quick and easy. Just follow these 3 simple steps:

    • Unbox and Fully Charge the Unit: Remove the Freshia Air Purifier from its packaging and fully charge it. This unit has a 1500mA internal battery that lasts for up to 7 hours on a single charge. You can operate it corded or cordless.
    • Position Where You Want It: Place it on a flat, stable surface in the room where you want to improve air quality. Ideally, position it in an open area with good airflow, away from walls or furniture that could block the 360-degree air intake.
    • Power On and Breathe Easy: Press the power button to turn it on. The purifier will begin filtering the air immediately. Use the control panel to adjust airflow speed if needed. That’s it, Freshia starts working right away to purify your space!

    Is the Freshia Air Purifier Any Good? (Freshia Air Purifier Reviews)

    The Freshia Air Purifier is worth it. It’s one of the most feature-packed True HEPA™ air purifiers available today, combining advanced filtration technology with convenience and user-friendly design. Whether you’re dealing with mold spores, dust, allergens, pollen, bacteria, or viruses, Freshia provides a clean and safe environment for your family and pets. 

    Its filtration system works rapidly to eliminate pet dander, lingering odors, and mold spores, leaving your home refreshed and breathable, just like a crisp morning breeze. If you or a loved one suffers from allergies, asthma, or other respiratory issues, Freshia’s 99.7% purification power offers reliable protection and daily relief.

    Beyond performance, Freshia shines in comfort and usability. The activated carbon filtration ensures you sleep soundly, free from nighttime irritants like dust and chemical fumes. It’s whisper-quiet and perfect for bedrooms, nurseries, or offices. With its intuitive plug-and-play interface, anyone can use it; no complex settings or setups required. 

    Plus, it’s built for modern living: low energy consumption means no surprise spikes in your power bill, and its lightweight, portable design lets you use it anywhere, at home or on the go. Thanks to its 15,000mAh rechargeable battery, you get up to 7 hours of wireless purification wherever you are. Freshia isn’t just good, it’s a smart, all-in-one solution for anyone serious about clean, healthy air.

    CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR FRESHIA AIR PURIFIER FROM THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE AT MASSIVE DISCOUNT TODAY

    Is Freshia Air Purifier Legit or Scam (Freshia Air Purifier Australia Reviews) 

    Based on verified USA and Australian consumer reports, Freshia Air Purifier is rated safe, top tier, legit and with an excellent 4.98 ratings making it one of the most preferred and reliable Air Purifying devices available in the USA and Australia. 

    Both customers and reviewers revealed Fresher Air Purifier is totally legit, garnering over 99.3% remarkable recommendation rate, ensuring its widespread popularity and satisfaction among users. Many honest Freshia Australian customer reviews, Freshia Air Purifier is 100% legitimate air purifier and reliable for ultimate performance.

    Freshia Air Purifier ticks all the boxes and is backed by numerous positive user reviews and testimonials. It has been thoroughly tested and verified to ensure it meets the highest quality and performance standards. The Freshia company’s commitment to customer satisfaction further solidifies its credibility

    Who Needs Freshia Air Purifiers? (Freshia Air Purifier Reviews)

    The Freshia Air Purifier is ideal for anyone who wants to breathe cleaner, healthier air, especially those who suffer from allergies, asthma, or respiratory sensitivities. People living in urban areas with high pollution levels, homes with pets, or those prone to dust and mold exposure will find significant relief with Freshia’s powerful True HEPA™ and activated carbon filtration system. It helps reduce airborne allergens like pollen, pet dander, and dust mites, while also eliminating odors and harmful chemicals, making it a great choice for families, pet owners, and individuals looking to improve their overall indoor air quality.

    Beyond these groups of people, Freshia Air Purifier benefits busy professionals, students, and anyone who spends long hours indoors, whether at home or in the office. Its quiet operation and adjustable airflow speeds create a comfortable environment for better focus and restful sleep. 

    Additionally, its portability and long-lasting battery make it perfect for travelers or those who want clean air on the go. Essentially, anyone seeking a convenient, effective, and affordable way to protect their health and well-being from invisible airborne threats can benefit from adding a Freshia Air Purifier to their daily life.

    Pros – Freshia Air Purifier Reviews

    ● Removes 99.7% of airborne pollutants effectively.
    ● Features advanced True HEPA™ filtration technology.
    ● Activated carbon filter eliminates odors and harmful chemicals.
    ● Offers adjustable airflow speeds for personalized comfort.
    ● Operates quietly, perfect for bedrooms and offices.
    ● Lightweight and portable for easy room-to-room use.
    ● 360-degree air intake purifies all room corners.
    ● Energy-efficient, saves on electricity bills.
    ● Simple one-button operation for ease of use.
    ● Built-in battery lasts up to 7 hours wirelessly.
    ● The filter change indicator makes maintenance hassle-free.
    ● Ideal for individuals with allergies and pet owners.

    CONS (Freshia Air Purifier Review)

    ● Not available in any physical store near you.
    ● Supply is highly limited this season due to high demand.
    ● The ongoing 50% special discount might end anytime soon.

    Where Can I Buy The Original Freshia Air Purifier? (Freshia Air Purifier Review)

    You can buy the original Freshia Air Purifier exclusively on the official website. This ensures you receive a genuine product backed by the manufacturer’s quality standards. Purchasing directly from the official site guarantees access to exclusive offers, including a generous 50% discount that makes it even more affordable. Additionally, every order comes with a 30-day money-back guarantee, allowing you to try Freshia risk-free and return it if it doesn’t meet your expectations.

    Buying from the official website also means you get 24/7 customer support to help with any questions or concerns. This reliable service ensures a smooth purchasing experience and ongoing assistance for maintenance or troubleshooting. Avoid counterfeit or subpar versions by sticking to the trusted source, the Freshia Air Purifier official website is the safest and smartest place to invest in cleaner, healthier air for your home.

    CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR FRESHIA AIR PURIFIER FROM THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE AT MASSIVE DISCOUNT TODAY

    Freshia Air Purifier Pricing & Limited-Time Offer (Freshia Air Purifier Review)

    ● Buy 1x Freshia Air Purifier = $159.95. Orig: $319.90.
    ● Buy 2 x Freshia Air Purifier = $149.95/per unit. Orig: $639.80.
    ● Buy 3 x Freshia Air Purifier = $124.95/per unit. Orig: $959.70.
    ● Buy 4 x Freshia Air Purifier = $114.95/per unit. Orig: $1279.60.

    Freshia Air Purifier Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) (Freshia Air Purifier Review)

    Is the Freshia Air Purifier suitable for those with allergies?

    Absolutely. Freshia Air Purifier is designed to reduce allergens in the air, providing relief for individuals with allergies. Freshia traps common impurities to combat hay fever, asthma, dust allergies, congestion, and more.

    Do I need batteries to operate the Freshia Air Purifier?

    No, this unit has a 1500mA internal battery that lasts for up to 7 hours on a single charge. You can operate it corded or cordless.

    How often should I change the filter?

    It is recommended to change the filter once every 3-4 months.

    Q: In what type of rooms can I use it?
    A: It works better in average-size rooms from 200 to 350 square feet.

    Can I buy a Freshia Air Purifier in-store?

    To make this product as affordable as possible, the company decided to distribute it only via its online store.

    Freshia Air Purifier Reviews Consumer Reports and Customer Complaints 

    “I’ve tried many purifiers over the years, but none of them were good enough for me. Freshia Air Purifier made the difference! Air is much cleaner than before, and finally, I can breathe better!” —Robert B. | Verified Buyer.

    “Once you realize how bad the air quality is in your home, you’ll run to buy a purifier. Luckily for me, I found Freshia Air Purifier! The air quality now is impeccable! I recommend it to everyone!”— Kayla C. | Verified Buyer.

    “Freshia Air Purifier is amazing! I bought 2 for my home, to cover the ground floor and the first floor. They’re doing such a fantastic job. The air around feels super-clean!”— Gloria A. | Verified Buyer. 

    Final Words on Freshia Air Purifier Reviews

    After a thorough analysis of the Freshia Air Purifier’s features, performance, and user feedback, the final verdict is clear: Freshia truly delivers on its promises. Its powerful True HEPA™ filtration combined with activated carbon filters effectively removes most airborne pollutants, allergens, and odors. It is an excellent choice for improving indoor air quality.

    Freshia stands out as a reliable, easy-to-use, and affordable air purifier that suits a wide range of needs. If you’re looking for an effective solution to breathe healthier at home or work, Freshia is worth considering. It’s a smart investment in your well-being and peace of mind.

    CLICK HERE TO BUY YOUR FRESHIA AIR PURIFIER FROM THE OFFICIAL WEBSITE AT MASSIVE DISCOUNT TODAY

    Company name: Freshia Air Purifier
    Label Products B.V.,
    Steenovenweg 5,
    5708 HN Helmond,
    The Netherlands
    https://get-freshia.com/
    Phone: +448000729935 (UK) +61370356817 (AU)
    E-mail: support@techwidget.co

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Malaysia payment card market to surpass $177 billion in 2025 as POS overtakes ATM withdrawals, forecasts GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Malaysia payment card market to surpass $177 billion in 2025 as POS overtakes ATM withdrawals, forecasts GlobalData

    Posted in Banking

    The Malaysian payment card market (including at POS and ATM cash withdrawals) is expected to grow by 4.0% to reach MYR814.1 billion ($177.9 billion) in 2025e, driven by a clear shift from cash to digital payments. Contactless cards and wider card acceptance are playing a key role, with card payments at POS now set to overtake ATM cash withdrawals for the first time, reveals GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    GlobalData’s Payment Card Analytics reveals that payment cards value in Malaysia registered a healthy compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 8.0% between 2020 and 2024 to reach MYR783 billion ($171.1 billion) in 2024. On the other hand, card usage for ATM cash withdrawals is reducing with total ATM withdrawals registering low CAGR of 1.1% during the same period.

    Shivani Gupta, Lead Banking and Payments Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “Although cash remains prevalent in Malaysia, it is gradually losing ground to electronic payments. There has been significant progress in the adoption of card-based payments, which recorded a CAGR of 20.4% between 2020 and 2024 in terms of transaction volume. This growth is primarily supported by the government’s financial inclusion initiatives, such as capping interchange fees, issuing licenses for digital-only banks, and developing payment infrastructure in the country.”

    While cash has traditionally been the preferred payment method in Malaysia, its share is steadily declining as digital payments gain traction, with payment cards and digital wallets emerging as the main beneficiaries. The share of ATM cash withdrawals now represents 49.8% in 2025, much lower compared to 63.3% in 2021.

    Card payments at POS terminals, on the other hand, are steadily increasing, with its share is estimated to reach 50.2% in 2025. This growth can be attributed to the rising consumer awareness, growing POS terminalization, and the introduction of contactless debit cards by banks. The capping of interchange fees for domestic and international debit cards at 0.10% and 0.27%, respectively, and at 0.6% for credit cards, also contributed to this as this encouraged more merchants to accept card payments.

    The growing popularity of contactless payment has also driven the overall card usage at POS, gradually displacing cash for day-to-day transactions. Backed by most banks and financial institutions in the country, contactless payments have become increasingly prevalent and are also widely accepted by most retailers.

    According to GlobalData’s 2024 Financial Services Consumer Survey*, over 63% of the respondents in Malaysia indicated having access to a contactless card and used it for payments.

    The increasing use of contactless payments for public transport payments is also contributing to the growth of card payments. For example, in March 2024, the highway operator PLUS Malaysia introduced contactless credit and debit card payment capabilities at the toll plaza on the Penang Bridge. Commuters can simply tap their cards on the MyDebit-Visa-Mastercard device to complete toll payments, with the toll fee deducted directly from their card balance. These advancements indicate a growing trend towards the normalization of cashless and contactless payment methods in Malaysia.

    Despite the increasing popularity of electronic payments, cash remains widely used in Malaysia due to consumer cultural preferences and the perceived convenience and security it offers. Consequently, Malaysia’s transition to a less-cash society is expected to be a gradual process.

    Gupta concludes: “Looking ahead, Malaysia’s payment card landscape is poised for steady growth over the next five years, driven by the increasing adoption of payment cards amid a boarder digital transformation. Government initiatives, rising consumer preference for digital payments, and developing card acceptance infrastructure are expected to further drive/support this growth. Subsequently, the payment cards value is anticipated to grow at a CAGR of 4.5% between 2025 and 2029 to reach MYR969.9 billion ($211.9 billion) in 2029.”

    *GlobalData’s 2024 Financial Services Consumer Survey was carried out in Q2 2024. Approximately 67,292 respondents aged 18+ were surveyed across 41 countries.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Global renewable power installed capacity to surge to 11.2TW by 2035, forecasts GlobalData

    Source: GlobalData

    Global renewable power installed capacity to surge to 11.2TW by 2035, forecasts GlobalData

    Posted in Power

    The power sector is experiencing a notable growth in renewable energy sources, propelled by an array of factors such as technological progress, policy incentives, and a heightened awareness of the imperative for sustainable energy solutions. Consequently, renewable resources, particularly solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind energy, are gaining a larger share in the energy portfolio. Driven primarily by declining costs and strong policy support, particularly for solar PV and wind energy, the global renewable power installed capacity is estimated to surge from 3.42TW in 2024 to 11.2TW by 2035, according to GlobalData, a leading data and analytics company.

    GlobalData’s latest report, “Renewable Energy: Strategic Intelligence”,  reveals that the global renewables market expanded from a cumulative installed capacity of 0.93TW in 2015 to 3.42TW by the end of 2024, representing a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 16%. The total cumulative installed capacity is projected to record a CAGR of 11% during the period 2024-35.

    Solar PV and wind power were significant contributors to the renewable energy sector, accounting for 56% and 33% of the total installed capacity in 2024, respectively.  The Asia Pacific (APAC) region has emerged as the largest market for solar PV and wind installed capacity, boasting 1.18TW and 0.67TW in 2024, respectively.

    Rehaan Shiledar, Power Analyst at GlobalData, comments: “As the costs of solar photovoltaic (PV) and wind technologies continue to decline, these renewable energy sources are increasingly appealing to investors. Also, energy transition strategies, coupled with a rising demand for electricity—partly fueled by the emergence of hydrogen energy and the advent of artificial intelligence—will propel the market growth for renewable energy sources.”

    Artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming the renewable energy sector by enhancing generation optimization, advancing grid management, and increasing efficiency across multiple systems. AI algorithms possess the capability to forecast renewable energy production, oversee grid operations in real-time, and refine energy storage strategies. These advancements contribute to heightened reliability and efficiency, thereby rendering renewable energy more effective and economical.

    Leading offshore wind developers such as TotalEnergies, Corio Generation, EnBW, RWE, and Statkraft are leveraging digital platforms to enhance the efficiency of wind farm project development. Similarly, solar power developers such as NextEra Energy, EDF and ENGIE are employing machine learning models to enhance the efficiency of solar PV facilities.

    Shiledar continues: “The renewable energy sector stands on the cusp of substantial growth, with the solar PV and wind power industries at the forefront. Moreover, the worldwide pledge to curtail carbon emissions has cultivated a regulatory landscape conducive to investments in these sustainable energy alternatives.”

    Solar PV systems are poised to spearhead new investments, outpacing both onshore and offshore wind sectors. In 2024, solar PV garnered $329.1 billion in investments. In contrast, onshore wind investments stood at $151.2 billion, while offshore wind investments reached $69.6 billion by the end of 2024. Looking ahead, the onshore wind sector is forecasted to grow to $186.9 billion and the offshore wind sector to $150.4 billion by 2030. These figures correspond to a CAGR of 4% for onshore wind and an impressive 14% for offshore wind, signaling robust growth trajectories for these renewable energy sources.”

    Shiledar concludes: “Solar and wind power stand at the vanguard of the renewable segment, rapidly becoming cost-competitive with traditional fossil fuels. They are anticipated to dominate electricity generation in the near future. While the global community is committing to the expansion of renewable energy sources, the US appears to be slowing the pace of renewables growth in favor of prioritizing fossil fuels.

    “Tariffs and offshore wind lease restrictions policy by the Trump administration are significantly impacting the renewable energy industry. Nonetheless, the global commitment to reduce carbon emissions, technological advancements, and demand for cleaner energy solutions will accelerate the adoption of renewable energy across the globe.”

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Don Davis Tours Lowe’s Distribution Center in Northampton County

    Source: US Congressman Don Davis (NC-01)

    GARYSBURG, NC — Congressman Don Davis (NC-01) received a tour of the Lowe’s Distribution Center in Garysburg, NC to gain insights into its operations, workforce, and role in supporting the regional economy. 

    “With a dedicated workforce of 500 employees, Lowe’s is a pillar of northeastern North Carolina, and we are thankful for their contributions to our community,” said Congressman Don Davis. “Businesses like Lowe’s Distribution Center #1420 play a vital role in creating a brighter future for eastern North Carolina.” 

    Lowe’s has been recognized as a 2025 Military Friendly Employer, emphasizing its commitment to supporting veterans and military families. Through its partnership with the Department of Defense’s SkillBridge program, Lowe’s offers a 12-week fellowship providing transitioning servicemembers with hands-on training, mentorship, and career opportunities in various roles, including store management and supply chain operations. 

    Lowe’s plays a critical role in disaster preparedness and response, especially in storm-prone regions like eastern North Carolina. Through its Emergency Command Center, the company pre-positions essential supplies, supports rapid store recovery, and partners with organizations like the American Red Cross to aid local communities.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Cherries were delivered from Uzbekistan to China’s Zhejiang Province for the first time

    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 29 (Xinhua) — Cherries from Uzbekistan have been delivered to east China’s Zhejiang Province for the first time, Hangzhou Daily reported.

    An Uzbekistan Airways plane carrying 1.6 tons of cherries flew from Tashkent to Hangzhou, the capital of the province, early in the morning of May 26. The Central Asian fruit will be delivered to Hangzhou, Shanghai and other cities in the Yangtze River Delta.

    Airport staff have opened a “green corridor” for fruits from Central Asia to ensure uninterrupted supplies to the market.

    According to statistics, 16.6 tons of fruits were imported through Hangzhou Airport checkpoint from January to April, up 20 percent year-on-year. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Buffalo Man Going to Prison for Starting Fire on Railroad Tracks in Farnham

    Source: US FBI

    BUFFALO, N.Y.-U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Michael B. Benitez, 34, of Buffalo, NY, who was convicted of attempt to wreck, derail, set fire to, or disable railroad on-track equipment, was sentenced to serve 27 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara. Benitez was also ordered to pay $1,382 in restitution to Norfolk Southern Railway.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Charles M. Kruly, who handled the case, stated that in the early morning hours of June 14, 2023, Benitez placed several tires on the railroad tracks behind his residence at the time on Railroad Avenue in Farnham, poured gasoline on the tires, and started the tires on fire. The tire fire destroyed equipment owned by Norfolk Southern that’s used to identify railroad equipment while enroute. Norfolk Southern was required to hold trains while the tire fire was extinguished, and rail equipment was repaired.

    The sentencing is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Town of Brandt Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Slawek, and Norfolk Southern Police Department.

    # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Drug Related Gun Charge

    Source: US FBI

    BUFFALO, N.Y.- U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Donta Williams, 30, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum of imprisonment of life, and a fine of $250,000.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who is handling the case, stated on November 13, 2024, investigators executed a search warrant at a Comstock Avenue residence, which Williams used for his drug trafficking activities. During the search, they seized $1,030 in cash, a receipt for a Rolex sold to “Donta Williams,” a Glock pistol and ammunition, jewelry, crack cocaine and fentanyl, and drug paraphernalia. Later that day, a second search warrant was executed on a UHAUL unit controlled by Williams. During that search, investigators seized $29,627.00 in cash, and a loaded magazine.

    The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Safe Streets Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, and the Buffalo Police Department, under the direction of Commissioner Alfonse Wright.

    Sentencing is scheduled for September 18, 2025, before Judge Arcara.

    # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Buffalo Man Pleads Guilty to Selling Methamphetamine

    Source: US FBI

    BUFFALO, N.Y. — U.S. Attorney Michael DiGiacomo announced today that Mario Pittman Jr., 31, of Buffalo, NY, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Richard J. Arcara to distribution of methamphetamine, which carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum 40 years, and a fine of $5,000,000.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey E. Intravatola, who is handling the case, stated that in March 2024, the FBI Safe Streets Task Force and Lackawanna Police began investigating Pittman’s drug trafficking activities. The investigation included five controlled purchases of methamphetamine from Pittman. On April 30, 2024, investigators attempted to stop Pittman’s vehicle, but he fled at a high rate of speed through a residential neighborhood. Law enforcement eventually made a forced stop of his vehicle. Pittman fled on foot but was apprehended by law enforcement. Investigators recovered a clear plastic baggy of suspected methamphetamine, which Pittman dropped on the ground as he attempted to flee.

    The plea is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Special Agent-in-Charge Matthew Miraglia, the Lackawanna Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Packard, and the Erie County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Sheriff John Garcia.

    Sentencing is scheduled for October 9, 2025, before Judge Arcara.

    # # # #

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bronx Feva Gang Members Charged with April 2022 Murder and Racketeering Offenses

    Source: US FBI

    Jay Clayton, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Christopher G. Raia, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”); and Jessica S. Tisch, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging NASIA CARSON, a/k/a “Nas,” ELIJAH SANTIAGO, a/k/a “Eli,” and PHILIP MOSCA, a/k/a “90,” with participating in a racketeering conspiracy involving a Bronx-based gang known as “Feva” and committing multiple violent crimes in aid of racketeering, including the murder of a 21-year-old named Jesse Bynum on April 12, 2022.  CARSON and MOSCA were previously taken into custody on related charges, and SANTIAGO was arrested earlier today.  All three defendants are expected to be presented before U.S. Magistrate Judge Valerie Figueredo.  The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Victor Marrero.

    U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said: “As alleged, these three defendants brutally murdered 21-year-old Jesse Bynum, and left three others seriously wounded.  New York families should not have to live in fear of gang-motivated violence.  The women and men of the Southern District and our law enforcement partners are committed to holding accountable those who terrorize our communities with gang-motivated violence.  We hope that commitment and the charges brought today bring some measure of comfort to the family of Jesse Bynum and others who have suffered needless losses from gang-motivated crimes.”

    FBI Assistant Director in Charge Christopher G. Raia said: “These three Feva gang members allegedly engaged in violence to retaliate against their rivals, including firing a gun into a crowded street and killing Jesse Bynum. The defendants’ alleged relentless attempts to fuel a feud with a rival cost the life of a bystander caught in the crosshairs. With our law enforcement partners, the FBI remains committed to protecting our city from unnecessary gun violence and murders.” 

    NYPD Commissioner Jessica S. Tisch said: “These three individuals allegedly carried out a cold-blooded shooting that killed a 21-year-old New Yorker and seriously injured three others. They showed no regard for human life, and their senseless act of violence has no place in our city. We are committed to identifying and dismantling the street gangs threatening the safety of our communities. I want to thank the NYPD investigators and our partners at the FBI and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for their tireless work to bring them to justice.”

    As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:[1]

    From at least in or about 2022, through at least in or about 2023, CARSON, SANTIAGO, and MOSCA were members and associates of a criminal organization known as Feva that operated principally in the vicinity of the Pelham Parkway Houses and 2250 Wallace Avenue in the Bronx, New York.  Members and associates of Feva engaged in, among other activities, drug trafficking, acts involving murder, attempted murder, and assault.

    On or about April 12, 2022, CARSON, SANTIAGO, and MOSCA shot into a small crowd of people gathered on a street in an attempt to retaliate against a rival gang.  The shooting resulted in the murder of 21-year-old Bynum, and serious physical injury to three others.

    If you believe that you have additional information about this murder, please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York at 1-866-874-8900 and reference this case.

    *               *                *

    A chart containing the names, ages, charges, and maximum penalties against the defendants is set forth below.

    The statutory maximum and minimum sentences are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge. 

    Mr. Clayton praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the NYPD.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Justice Department to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    The case is being prosecuted by the Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ni Qian, Marguerite B. Colson, and Brandon D. Harper are in charge of the prosecution.

    The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

    COUNT

    CHARGE

    DEFENDANTS

    MAX. PENALTIES
    1

    Racketeering conspiracy

    18 U.S.C. § 1962(d)

    NASIA CARSON, a/k/a “Nas,” 21;

    ELIJAH SANTIAGO, a/k/a “Eli,” 22;

    PHILIP MOSACA, a/k/a “90,” 22;

    (“All Defendants”)

    		 Life in prison
    2

    Murder in aid of racketeering

    18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(1) and 2

    		 All Defendants Death or mandatory sentence of life in prison
    3

    Conspiracy to commit murder in aid of racketeering

    18 U.S.C. § 1959(a)(5)

    		 All Defendants 10 years in prison
    4

    Attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering

    18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3), (a)(5), and 2

    		 All Defendants 20 years in prison
    5

    Using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of, a crime of violence

    18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c) and 2

    		 All Defendants

    Life in prison

    Mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison
    6

    Attempted murder and assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering

    18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3), (a)(5), and 2

    		 All Defendants 20 years in prison
    7

    Using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of, a crime of violence

    18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c) and 2

    		 All Defendants

    Life in prison

    Mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison
    8

    Assault with a dangerous weapon and assault in aid of racketeering

    18 U.S.C. §§ 1959(a)(3), (a)(5), and 2

    		 All Defendants 20 years in prison
    9

    Using or carrying a firearm during and in relation to, or possessing a firearm in furtherance of, a crime of violence

    18 U.S.C. §§ 924(c) and 2

    		 All Defendants

    Life in prison

    Mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison

    [1] As the introductory phrase signifies, the entirety of the text of the Indictment and the description of the Indictment set forth herein constitute only allegations, and every fact descried therein should be treated as an allegation. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Galloway National Park rejection a betrayal of people and planet

    Source: Scottish Greens

    29 May 2025 Climate Nature

    Scotland’s third National Park was a core pledge of the 2021 power-sharing deal with the Scottish Greens.

    More in Climate

    Scottish Greens MSP Mark Ruskell has hit out at the Scottish Government and vested interests for blocking plans for a new National Park in Galloway. 

    The news comes following a statement in the Scottish Parliament from Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Mairi Gougeon in which she announced the SNP planned to shelve the designation of the area as a protected landscape.     

    The proposals were a core pledge of the 2021 SNP/Green power-sharing deal. The new National Park in Galloway had wider political backing, although the Scottish Conservatives have rowed back on their previous support. 

    Speaking in the Chamber, Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Mairi Gougeon revealed that support was greatest amongst environment, recreation and tourism sectors – whilst landowners and land managers were amongst those with the strongest reservations. 

    Mr Ruskell said: 

    “This decision to scrap the promised National Park for Galloway is the culmination of lack of confident political leadership and the dangerous influence of powerful vested interests.

    “Scotland’s two current National Parks have shown just how valuable the status can be. Communities have benefited from better management of tourism and forestry, and new investment in transport and housing. 

    “By scrapping plans for the third National Park in Galloway, the Scottish Government has slammed the door on the economic investment and new powers this designation could bring. This is devastating news for the local community and nature. 

    “Scottish communities were competing against each other last year to secure a new National Park. But now, thanks to a campaign led by vested interests and misinformation, the Scottish Government is denying all of Scotland the opportunity to benefit from a new National Park. 

    “Many of the Park’s biggest opponents here in Holyrood once were vocal supporters of a new National Park in Scotland. The Tories backed the designation of a new National Park in both the 2016 and 2021 manifestos, even demanding the next park be in Galloway. But once again, they have sided with wealthy landowners who oppose change and lobby for their comfy status quo. 

    “Ultimately, it is the people of Galloway who will pay the price for this decision to scrap the National Park, and I’m sure this wasted opportunity will not be quickly forgotten by communities.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council launches Big Community Conversation

    Source: City of Plymouth

    Residents living in 13 parishes in the South Hams are invited to a series of events to share views about their local community and help shape Plymouth City Council’s proposals for Local Government Reorganisation (LGR).  

    Responding to the Government’s request, earlier this year Plymouth City Council submitted initial, high-level proposals to extend the city’s boundaries to include 13 neighbouring parishes, approximately 30,000 additional residents.  

    To ensure that the proposal is the best that it can be, the Council is keen to hear from local people living within the 13 areas. To understand more about the local community e.g. what is good about the area? what are the challenges and what are the opportunities?   

    To facilitate this discussion we will be holding a series of events for communities included in the City Council’s proposal. The events will be hosted by a senior Cabinet Member, along with a senior Council officer. Events will not only be an opportunity for local people to learn more about LGR and Plymouth’s evolving proposals – but also a chance for communities to share their vision and ambitions for the place in which they live or work.  

    Residents living in the 13 areas can attend any one of the events being held and as spaces are limited, pre-registration is required (see link below).  For those unable to attend, views can be shared online before midnight on 9 July 2025.   

    Further engagement sessions will be organised for residents living within the current Plymouth boundary line and will be announced shortly.  

    Councillor Tudor Evans, Leader of Plymouth City Council, said:  “We want our proposals to be the best that they can be, building on the years of joint working that we have had with South Hams. We have a unique opportunity to combine the best of both worlds – a vibrant city set within a beautiful rural environment of thriving towns and communities with the highest quality of services through the whole area. 

    “Through our engagement so far, we have heard loud and clear that local identity is really important. And, we agree. Whilst there are concerns about what the new boundaries will mean, I think it is important to remember that if you live in Holbeton or Cornwood or Wembury,  nothing will change that. LGR is about service provision – who picks up your bins, who repairs your street lights, who provides children’s social care services, who fixes the potholes and who helps protect older residents? 

    “We want to explore these issues further. We also want to hear from you – what makes the area where you live great, what are the challenges, what would you like to see in the future, where are the opportunities and importantly, how would you like to engage with your local council in the future?  

    “Whilst it is the Government that will carry out the formal consultation on their preferred proposals for LGR next year, it is essential that our submission understands what it means to live in areas such as Harford, Brixton or Newton and Noss.  

    “We view this as the start of a Big Community Conversation. So, talk to us, we are here to listen and learn. Use this as an opportunity to help shape the future of your local area.”  

    Find more information about Plymouth City Council’s plans for local government reorganisation and see the full list of events and to register

    Please note that all the events will be the same, therefore those interested in giving their views only need to attend the one event that is most convenient.  

    If you are unable to attend any of the events, please complete the short survey, available here.

    Hard copies of the survey are available by calling: 01752 305635.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: OPEC Secretary General Announced as Keynote Speaker at Global Energy Show Canada

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — dmg events is announcing that OPEC Secretary General, His Excellency Haitham Al Ghais, will make an official visit to Canada this June and appear as a Keynote Speaker at the Global Energy Show Canada (GESC) taking place June 10-12.

    Speaking as part of the Executive Conference ‘The Conversation’ hosted by Peter Mansbridge, His Excellency joins a who’s who of energy industry CEOs, policy leaders from the private sector, and ministerial and elected officials from across Canada and around the world. The convention gets set to tackle big questions and issues about what Canada’s energy mandate can look like over the next five years.

    “We are thrilled to welcome His Excellency Haitham Al Ghais to the Global Energy Show Canada this June in Calgary, for what is shaping up to be the most influential and important edition of the event in decades,” says Nick Samain, Senior Vice President of dmg events. “With pre-registration already trending close to double compared to the last edition in 2024, we expect to reach capacity attendance for this year’s conference program in the next few days.”

    This announcement comes alongside a roster of more than 150 distinguished private sector energy leaders from Canada and around the world, including: Hon. Rona Ambrose, Deputy Chairwoman, TD Securities; Stastia West, President & Country Chair and Vice President, Canada Integrated Gas, Shell Canada; Mark Maki, CEO, Trans Mountain; Mark Fitzgerald, President and CEO, PETRONAS Canada; Jon McKenzie, President and CEO, Cenovus Energy; Darlene Gates, President and CEO, MEG Energy; Nicole Bourque-Bouchier, CEO, The Bouchier Group; Clay Sell, CEO, X-energy; Luke Schauerte, CEO, Woodfibre LNG; Chris Doornbos, President and CEO, E3 Lithium; Kim Lauritsen, Senior Vice President, Enterprise Strategy and Growth, Ontario Power Generation; and Carl Marcotte, Senior Vice President Marketing and Business Development, Candu Energy, an AtkinsRéalis Company.

    Joining this roster of private sector energy leaders is strong representation from government, Indigenous, and policy leaders, including: Premier of Alberta Danielle Smith; Hon. Brian Jean, Minister of Energy and Minerals, Government of Alberta; Hon. Colleen Young, Minister of Energy and Resources, Government of Saskatchewan; Crystal Smith, Chief, Haisla First Nation; Dr. Orlando Velandia Sepúlveda, President, National Hydrocarbons Agency of Colombia (ANH); Chana Martineau, CEO, Alberta Indigenous Opportunities Corporation; Kenneth Wagner, Former Trump Administration Senior Executive at the US Environmental Protection Agency; Jason Lanclos, Director of State Energy Development and Planning, Louisiana Economic Development; Dale Hansen, Dean, McPhail School of Energy, SAIT; Justin Riemer, CEO, Emissions Reduction Alberta; Lisa Baiton, President and CEO, Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers (CAPP); Sonya Savage, Senior Counsel, Borden Ladner Gervais LLP; Marg McCuaig-Boyd, Senior Advisor, Counsel Public Affairs Inc.; Shannon Joseph, Chair, Energy for a Secure Future; Heather Exner-Pirot, Senior Fellow and Director of Natural Resources, Energy, and Environment, MacDonald-Laurier Institute; James Rajotte, Alberta’s Senior Representative to the United States, Government of Alberta; Hon. René Legacy, Deputy Premier, Minister of Finance, Minister responsible for Energy, Government of New Brunswick; Hon. Nathan Neudorf, Minister of Affordability and Utilities, Government of Alberta; Ehren Cory, CEO, Canada Infrastructure Bank; Gurpreet Lail, President and CEO, Enserva and Karen Ogen, CEO, First Nations Natural Gas Alliance.

    Delegates can expect a range of premium networking events throughout the three-day conference and exhibition including daily receptions, industry dinners, the Global Energy Show Awards, all on the backdrop of a robust exhibition featuring 500 exhibiting companies across five expansive exhibition halls.

    Exhibition hours are: Tuesday, June 10 and Wednesday, June 11 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Thursday, June 12 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Please check the website for full conference program and hours.

    Media are required to pre-register to attend the show. In order to obtain a show badge for the event, media will need to provide accreditation (a piece of photo identification and an official business card) upon arrival. The Media Room is located on Level 2, BMO Centre.

    For more information on GESC, to pre-register or to inquire about attendance, please visit https://www.globalenergyshow.com.

    For media inquiries, please contact: 
    Shauna MacDonald
    403-585-4570
    Brookline Public Relations
    smacdonald@brooklinepr.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The Salt Path taps into a long history of searching for healing on England’s south-west coast

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Lena Ferriday, Lecturer in the History of Science and the Environment, King’s College London

    Moth Winn was diagnosed with a terminal illness at the age of 53 and in the same week he and his wife, Raynor, lost their home. As the bailiffs arrived, the couple made a remarkable decision: to take a 630-mile year-long coastal walk from Somerset to Dorset, through Devon and Cornwall.

    Their journey was first told in Raynor Winn’s bestselling memoir The Salt Path, which has now been made into a film. In The Salt Path, Gillian Anderson and Jason Isaacs portray the hardship and hope the couple experienced as they walked through sunshine and storms with little more than a tent and a handful of cash.

    But their walk is part of a much older story. Without realising it, Raynor and Moth joined a centuries-old tradition of seeking healing and transformation along the south-west coast. In the 19th century, people travelled to the coast because doctors believed coastal air and seawater could treat illness. This idea became known as “change of air” treatment and was widely prescribed to urban patients suffering from “nervous disorders”, such as stomach pains and chest issues. These seaside visits were understood as a form of medicine.

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

    England’s westerly edge

    The South West Coast Path is the UK’s longest national trail. The route has over 115,000 feet of ascent and descent – the equivalent of scaling Mount Everest four times. It was officially protected in 1973 to preserve and improve access to the path and now attracts nearly 9 million visitors each year. But its origins lie in the working lives of local people, especially coastguards watching for smugglers and fishermen following pilchard shoals.

    In the 19th century, the region also became a destination for domestic tourists. It was made more accessible as passenger rail lines were extended to places including Plymouth and Penzance. Some visitors walked to explore unfamiliar landscapes, while others did so on medical advice.

    The seaside towns of Penzance and Torquay emerged as health resorts and by the first world war they were known as “havens for invalids”. Between 1800 and 1854, Torquay’s population grew from 800 to 14,000, mostly made up of medical residents on temporary stays.

    Healing in the elements

    Before the walk, Moth was diagnosed with corticobasal degeneration (CBD) after seeing a doctor about shoulder pain and tremors. CBD is a rare degenerative condition that affects the brain and gradually leads to difficulties with movement, speech, memory and swallowing.

    When he began the walk, Moth’s mobility had deteriorated and he was experiencing severe pain and numbness in his left leg. For the first half of the film, Jason Isaacs drags his foot along the ground to show this physical strain. The challenge of walking was made harder by the rugged terrain – steep hills, jagged rocks and harsh winds.

    As Moth and Raynor walked, something unexpected happened. Moth’s symptoms began to ease, his condition improved, and he eventually stopped taking pain relief. He believed the change was linked to the regular movement and the sense of purpose the walk gave them during a bleak period. He described walking as having a restorative power that offered him a new, unlicensed freedom.

    The idea that walking by the coast could have healing properties has deep roots. In the 19th century, walking was considered beneficial, but the emphasis was on gentle movement in clean air rather than endurance through rough landscapes. The air of Devon and Cornwall was praised for its soothing qualities and the climate for its warmth in the winter. Town planners even built flat promenades in seaside towns to make walking more accessible for people with chronic illnesses and low mobility.

    Spending time outside was considered particularly valuable for people suffering from tuberculosis. Before tuberculosis was known to be caused by bacteria, medical experts blamed it on bad-smelling air. Doctors suggested that city dwellers suffering with chest pains remove themselves from these dirty atmospheres and immerse themselves in the clean, salt air at the seaside.

    Nature plays a central role in The Salt Path. Its affect on the body is seen in Gillian Anderson’s sun-scorched cheeks and wind-tousled hair. The sounds of birds and the sea accompany panoramic drone shots of the cliffs. The sea is a key character.

    Arriving at Minehead, the Winns take a photo to begin their journey: of “the three of us”, the couple and the sea. Victorian travel writers also insisted that in the south-west, “The pedestrian must never wander more than a stone’s throw from the sea.”

    When Moth swims in the sea, he is empowered in his own body and able to move without constraint. The seaside has carried health connotations since the 1700s. In the 18th century, doctors claimed that sudden immersion in cold, salty and turbulent waters had therapeutic value for chronic illness. Today, open swimming remains a popular practice in the south-west and is praised for its mental and physical health benefits.

    As the film ends, we learn that 12 years after their walk Moth is still living with CBD and the couple still use long-distance walks to treat his symptoms. This experience of illness finds resonance in older practices, reminding us that healing can sometimes be found outside of clinical spaces. While the reasons for walking often change, the connection between place, body and wellbeing spans centuries. The Salt Path tells a deeply personal story but also continues a long cultural history of looking to the coastline for recovery and renewal.

    Lena Ferriday has received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

    – ref. The Salt Path taps into a long history of searching for healing on England’s south-west coast – https://theconversation.com/the-salt-path-taps-into-a-long-history-of-searching-for-healing-on-englands-south-west-coast-257793

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –