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  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Net migration falls in 2024 – Stats NZ media and information release: International migration: December 2024

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    Net migration falls in 2024 – 17 February 2025 – New Zealand had a net migration gain of 27,100 in 2024. This was down from a net gain of 128,300 in 2023, according to provisional estimates released by Stats NZ today.

    “Ups and downs in net migration are a feature of New Zealand’s history. These have been much larger in 2023 and 2024,” international migration statistics spokesperson Sarah Drake said.

    Annually, net migration rose by just over 100,000 in 2023 and fell by a similar amount in 2024. There was still a net migration gain overall.

    “The main driver of the fall in net migration in 2024 was fewer migrant arrivals of non-New Zealand passport holders,” Drake said.

    Files:

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Visitor arrivals up in 2024 – Stats NZ media and information release: International travel: December 2024

    Source: Statistics New Zealand

    Visitor arrivals up in 2024 – 17 February 2025 – Overseas visitor arrivals to New Zealand totalled 3.3 million in the December 2024 year. This was up 357,000 (12 percent) from the December 2023 year, according to data released by Stats NZ today.

    Australia led the increase in visitor arrivals, up 127,000 (10 percent) from 2023. China followed with an increase of 97,000 (64 percent), and the United States with an increase of 32,000 (10 percent).

    “There were just over 2,200 more international flights to New Zealand in 2024 than in 2023,” international travel statistics spokesperson Sarah Drake said.

    “This included 1,700 more direct flights from Australia, China, and the United States, combined. These countries were the three main sources of visitor arrivals to New Zealand.”

    Files:

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Gamified building sites provide safer, more accessible learning opportunities for UniSA students

    Source: University of South Australia

    17 February 2025

    Construction education is being transformed with immersive virtual learning environments, allowing University of South Australia students to safely and freely navigate building sites and connect theory to practice.

    The virtual site visits create a realistic digital environment where architecture and construction students can explore the complexity of construction sites from a first-person perspective, like a video game.

    Through the UniSA-developed SiteSeer program, students experience the full fabrication process and learn to translate two-dimensional plans into three-dimensional structures, bridging the gap between plans and built reality.

    UniSA Senior Lecturer: Architecture Dr Sean Pickersgill says the development of the gamified platform was born out of the logistical challenges often faced by academics when co-ordinating physical construction site visits as part of students’ practical learning.

    “Organising physical site visits for students is challenging because there’s no way to ensure that all students receive the same experience without organising a site visit for the entire class. This is where co-ordination challenges arise because there’s no guarantee that a construction site’s schedule will align with the students’ learning progress,” he says.

    “Then there’s the organisational complexity of arranging student access to construction sites which requires significant liaison with builders and there’s also safety and liability concerns with having students on site.

    “There’s also the difficulty of students’ travelling to building sites, sometimes outside of regular teaching hours. For some students it’s impractical, especially if they rely on public transport or have long commute times, and because of that in the past we’ve observed higher absentee rates as students are reluctant to attend.

    In response to these complexities, four UniSA academics developed an original digital platform, called OnSite, in 2015. Capturing five stages of the construction process – site set out, slab, single-storey wall framing, double-storey wall framing and roof framing.

    The project evolved over the next decade, with more than 1000 first year students engaging in the gamified platform as part of a first-year introductory course on Australian construction practices.

    In 2024, OnSite advanced into a new digital model, SiteSeer, containing more than 70 distinct phases of the construction process of a small, double-storey studio. A mixture of timber frame and brick veneer, the new structure demonstrates a broad scope of construction phases a first-year student is expected to understand.

    The newest current version achieves an even greater level of simulated realism with detailed elements such as bins, vegetation and tools providing an additional aspect of authenticity to the experience.

    Dr Pickersgill says construction and architecture students observing real-world methods echoes the apprenticeship model where trade skills are learned alongside skilled craftspeople.

    “Tertiary architecture and building degrees face challenges in providing this first-hand experience due to time restraints – but this foundational knowledge is critical,” he says. “SiteSeer is allowing students to explore every detail of the environment and gain an in-depth insight to each building stage, all within one seamless platform.

    “We’re diversifying and elevating learning in the digital age.”

    For more information on SiteSeer, read the research paper: Sean Pickersgill, Andrew Lymn-Penning, Damian Madigan, and Darcy Holmes. 2024. Virtual Site Visits through Gamification for AEC Students: Perspectives on Practice. In SIGGRAPH Asia 2024 Educator’s Forum (SA ’24). Association for Computing Machinery, New York, NY, USA, Article 2, 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1145/3680533.3697062

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    Contact for interview: Dr Sean Pickersgill, Senior Lecturer: Architecture, UniSA E: Sean.Pickersgill@unisa.edu.au
    Media contact: Melissa Keogh, Communications Officer, UniSA M: +61 406 659 154 E: Melissa.Keogh@unisa.edu.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Over two million extra NHS appointments delivered early as trusts handed £40 million to go further and faster

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Over two million extra NHS appointments including for chemotherapy, radiotherapy, endoscopy, and diagnostic tests delivered as government delivers first step to fix the NHS seven months early.

    • Pledge to deliver over two million more elective care appointments hit early with over 100,000 more treatments, tests and scans for patients each week
    • Waiting lists falls by almost 160,000 since government took office, as extra appointments delivered for chemotherapy, radiotherapy, endoscopy, and diagnostic tests
    • Comes as an additional £40 million set to be handed to trusts that deliver biggest improvements in cutting waiting lists
    • Marks major step towards delivering Plan for Change milestone of hitting 18-week treatment target by the end of this Parliament

    Over two million extra NHS appointments including for chemotherapy, radiotherapy, endoscopy, and diagnostic tests delivered as government delivers first step to fix the NHS seven months early. 

    The Prime Minister has welcomed new figures published by NHS England [today] which reveal that between July and November last year, the NHS delivered almost 2.2 million more elective care appointments compared to the same period the previous year – delivering on the government’s mission to fix the NHS as part of the Plan for Change. 

    The new data confirms the government reached the target seven months earlier than promised – with 100,000 more treatments, tests, and scans for patients each week, and more than half a million extra diagnostic tests delivered.

    It follows figures published last week which showed the waiting list has been cut by almost 160,000 since the government took office, compared to a rise of almost 33,000 over the same period the previous year. 

    It means thousands of patients have received vital operations, scans, treatments, and consultations earlier than planned, helping them get back on with their lives and back to work sooner.

    The extra 2 million appointments – delivered in part by extra evening and weekend working – are underpinned by the government’s ambitious wider reform agenda, including our plan to expand opening hours at Community Diagnostic Centres across the country, 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

    The government’s mission to build an NHS fit for the future starts with tackling waiting lists, and hitting this milestone is a crucial step towards treating 92% of elective care patients within 18 weeks of referral by the end of this Parliament – delivering a core commitment in the Plan for Change.  

    While there is more to do, today’s milestone also clears the path to bring forward wider NHS reforms through the government’s Elective Reform Plan – announced by the Prime Minister last month – which will cut waiting times and improve patient experience by getting people seen more quickly, closer to home. 

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: 

     “Two million extra NHS appointments and a waiting list on its way down – we’re delivering on our promise to fix the NHS and make sure people get the care they need, when they need it. 

    “This isn’t just about numbers. It’s about the cancer patients who for too long were left wondering when they’ll finally start getting their life-saving treatment. It’s about the millions of people who’ve put their lives and livelihoods on hold – waiting in pain and uncertainty as they wait for a diagnosis.

    “We said we’d turn this around and that’s exactly what we’re doing – this milestone is a shot in the arm for our plan to get the NHS back on its feet and cut waiting times.

    “But we’re not complacent and we know the job isn’t done. We’re determined to go further and faster to deliver more appointments, faster treatment, and a National Health Service that the British public deserve as part of our Plan for Change.” 

    Since entering office, the government has hit the ground running to fix the broken health service we inherited by tackling the waiting lists, and building an NHS fit for the future. 

    This includes ending NHS strikes so staff are on the front line instead of the picket line this winter, vaccinating more people against flu than this time last year and putting immediate investment into our health system through £1.8 billion to fund extra elective care appointments as part of record £26 billion extra NHS funding secured at the October Budget.   

    Building on this, the government has announced an extra £40 million funding pot for trusts who make the biggest improvements in cutting waiting lists. The funding will be available for hospitals from next year to spend on capital projects such as new equipment or repairs to their estate which can deliver faster access to treatment and improve conditions for patients. 

    Further details on the scope and allocation of the funding package will be set out in due course, but examples of the innovations that trusts will be able to benefit from include investment into new tech such as surgical robots and AI scanners to modernise the NHS and help patients get diagnosed and treated as quickly as possible.

    The funding could also go towards completing hospital ward maintenance – expediting the transformation of ageing NHS estates and giving patients newer, safer environments in which to receive care. 

    Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:

    “We have wasted no time in getting to work to cut NHS waiting times and end the agony of millions of patients suffering uncertainty and pain.

    “Because we ended the strikes, invested in the NHS, and rolled out reformed ways of working, we are finally putting the NHS on the road to recovery.

    “We promised change, and we’ve delivered, providing the two million extra appointments we pledged in just our first five months – a promise made, and a promise kept. The result is around 160,000 fewer patients on waiting lists today than in July.

    “That was just the first step. Through our Plan for Change, we are opening new surgical hubs, Community Diagnostics Centres at evenings and weekends, and using private sector capacity to cut waiting times from 18 months to 18 weeks.”

    Amanda Pritchard NHS chief executive said: 

    “Thanks to the hard work of staff and embracing the latest innovations in care, we treated hundreds of thousands more patients last year and delivered a record number of tests and checks, with the waiting list falling for the fourth month in a row.

    “There is much more to do to slash waiting times for patients, but the Elective Care Reform Plan will allow us to build on this incredible progress as we boost capacity and drive efficiency while also improving the experience of patients.”

    The Elective Reform Plan will drive forward action to meet the 18-week target through the necessary reforms to overhaul the system, support staff, cut waste and put patients first – creating millions more appointments in the process. As part of this, the government is creating thousands more appointments through greater access to Community Diagnostic Centres and 17 new or expanded surgical hubs.  

    The Community Diagnostic Centres will be opened 12 hours a day, seven days a week wherever possible so that people can access a broader range of more appointments closer to home in their neighbourhoods. These will increase the availability of same-day tests and consultations so that patients don’t have to wait for weeks in between different stages of care.  

    The surgical hubs will be also created within existing hospitals by June and three others expanded, with more expected in coming years supported by the £1.5 billion investment confirmed at the Autumn budget.  

    These will bring together the necessary expertise, best practice, and tech under one roof to focus on delivering the most common, less complex procedures. The new hubs will be ring-fenced from winter pressures and will cut waiting times for standard surgeries, in turn freeing up beds in acute wards needed for more complex cases. 

    Other elements of the plan include freeing up around 1 million more appointments every year by removing non-essential follow-ups, publishing a new deal with the independent sector to increase capacity, revolutionising the NHS app to give patients greater choice and control over their treatment and preventing unnecessary referrals by incentivising GPs to work with hospital doctors to get specialist advice. 

    The government has also launched a nationwide consultation on the 10 Year Health Plan to build an NHS fit for the future and secured an extra £2 billion to upgrade NHS technology and £1 billion to deal with the massive NHS maintenance backlog. 

    As part of a drive towards prevention, NHS England have also launched its first-ever awareness campaign today to support more women to attend potentially lifesaving breast screening. The campaign, supported by leading charity Breast Cancer Now, launches today with a new advert across TV, on demand and radio to highlight the benefits of screening in detecting cancer at the earliest opportunity. 

    Last year alone, NHS breast screening services detected cancers in 18,942 women across England, which otherwise may not have been diagnosed or treated until a later stage, and the most comprehensive review to date found around 1,300 deaths are prevented each year by the breast screening programme.

    Updates to this page

    Published 16 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Press release: Over two million extra NHS appointments delivered early as trusts handed £40 million to go further and faster

    Source: United Kingdom – Prime Minister’s Office 10 Downing Street

    Over two million extra NHS appointments including for chemotherapy, radiotherapy, endoscopy, and diagnostic tests delivered as government delivers first step to fix the NHS seven months early.

    • Pledge to deliver over two million more elective care appointments hit early with over 100,000 more treatments, tests and scans for patients each week
    • Waiting lists falls by almost 160,000 since government took office, as extra appointments delivered for chemotherapy, radiotherapy, endoscopy, and diagnostic tests
    • Comes as an additional £40 million set to be handed to trusts that deliver biggest improvements in cutting waiting lists
    • Marks major step towards delivering Plan for Change milestone of hitting 18-week treatment target by the end of this Parliament

    Over two million extra NHS appointments including for chemotherapy, radiotherapy, endoscopy, and diagnostic tests delivered as government delivers first step to fix the NHS seven months early. 

    The Prime Minister has welcomed new figures published by NHS England [today] which reveal that between July and November last year, the NHS delivered almost 2.2 million more elective care appointments compared to the same period the previous year – delivering on the government’s mission to fix the NHS as part of the Plan for Change. 

    The new data confirms the government reached the target seven months earlier than promised – with 100,000 more treatments, tests, and scans for patients each week, and more than half a million extra diagnostic tests delivered.

    It follows figures published last week which showed the waiting list has been cut by almost 160,000 since the government took office, compared to a rise of almost 33,000 over the same period the previous year. 

    It means thousands of patients have received vital operations, scans, treatments, and consultations earlier than planned, helping them get back on with their lives and back to work sooner.

    The extra 2 million appointments – delivered in part by extra evening and weekend working – are underpinned by the government’s ambitious wider reform agenda, including our plan to expand opening hours at Community Diagnostic Centres across the country, 12 hours a day, seven days a week.

    The government’s mission to build an NHS fit for the future starts with tackling waiting lists, and hitting this milestone is a crucial step towards treating 92% of elective care patients within 18 weeks of referral by the end of this Parliament – delivering a core commitment in the Plan for Change.  

    While there is more to do, today’s milestone also clears the path to bring forward wider NHS reforms through the government’s Elective Reform Plan – announced by the Prime Minister last month – which will cut waiting times and improve patient experience by getting people seen more quickly, closer to home. 

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: 

     “Two million extra NHS appointments and a waiting list on its way down – we’re delivering on our promise to fix the NHS and make sure people get the care they need, when they need it. 

    “This isn’t just about numbers. It’s about the cancer patients who for too long were left wondering when they’ll finally start getting their life-saving treatment. It’s about the millions of people who’ve put their lives and livelihoods on hold – waiting in pain and uncertainty as they wait for a diagnosis.

    “We said we’d turn this around and that’s exactly what we’re doing – this milestone is a shot in the arm for our plan to get the NHS back on its feet and cut waiting times.

    “But we’re not complacent and we know the job isn’t done. We’re determined to go further and faster to deliver more appointments, faster treatment, and a National Health Service that the British public deserve as part of our Plan for Change.” 

    Since entering office, the government has hit the ground running to fix the broken health service we inherited by tackling the waiting lists, and building an NHS fit for the future. 

    This includes ending NHS strikes so staff are on the front line instead of the picket line this winter, vaccinating more people against flu than this time last year and putting immediate investment into our health system through £1.8 billion to fund extra elective care appointments as part of record £26 billion extra NHS funding secured at the October Budget.   

    Building on this, the government has announced an extra £40 million funding pot for trusts who make the biggest improvements in cutting waiting lists. The funding will be available for hospitals from next year to spend on capital projects such as new equipment or repairs to their estate which can deliver faster access to treatment and improve conditions for patients. 

    Further details on the scope and allocation of the funding package will be set out in due course, but examples of the innovations that trusts will be able to benefit from include investment into new tech such as surgical robots and AI scanners to modernise the NHS and help patients get diagnosed and treated as quickly as possible.

    The funding could also go towards completing hospital ward maintenance – expediting the transformation of ageing NHS estates and giving patients newer, safer environments in which to receive care. 

    Health and Social Care Secretary Wes Streeting said:

    “We have wasted no time in getting to work to cut NHS waiting times and end the agony of millions of patients suffering uncertainty and pain.

    “Because we ended the strikes, invested in the NHS, and rolled out reformed ways of working, we are finally putting the NHS on the road to recovery.

    “We promised change, and we’ve delivered, providing the two million extra appointments we pledged in just our first five months – a promise made, and a promise kept. The result is around 160,000 fewer patients on waiting lists today than in July.

    “That was just the first step. Through our Plan for Change, we are opening new surgical hubs, Community Diagnostics Centres at evenings and weekends, and using private sector capacity to cut waiting times from 18 months to 18 weeks.”

    Amanda Pritchard NHS chief executive said: 

    “Thanks to the hard work of staff and embracing the latest innovations in care, we treated hundreds of thousands more patients last year and delivered a record number of tests and checks, with the waiting list falling for the fourth month in a row.

    “There is much more to do to slash waiting times for patients, but the Elective Care Reform Plan will allow us to build on this incredible progress as we boost capacity and drive efficiency while also improving the experience of patients.”

    The Elective Reform Plan will drive forward action to meet the 18-week target through the necessary reforms to overhaul the system, support staff, cut waste and put patients first – creating millions more appointments in the process. As part of this, the government is creating thousands more appointments through greater access to Community Diagnostic Centres and 17 new or expanded surgical hubs.  

    The Community Diagnostic Centres will be opened 12 hours a day, seven days a week wherever possible so that people can access a broader range of more appointments closer to home in their neighbourhoods. These will increase the availability of same-day tests and consultations so that patients don’t have to wait for weeks in between different stages of care.  

    The surgical hubs will be also created within existing hospitals by June and three others expanded, with more expected in coming years supported by the £1.5 billion investment confirmed at the Autumn budget.  

    These will bring together the necessary expertise, best practice, and tech under one roof to focus on delivering the most common, less complex procedures. The new hubs will be ring-fenced from winter pressures and will cut waiting times for standard surgeries, in turn freeing up beds in acute wards needed for more complex cases. 

    Other elements of the plan include freeing up around 1 million more appointments every year by removing non-essential follow-ups, publishing a new deal with the independent sector to increase capacity, revolutionising the NHS app to give patients greater choice and control over their treatment and preventing unnecessary referrals by incentivising GPs to work with hospital doctors to get specialist advice. 

    The government has also launched a nationwide consultation on the 10 Year Health Plan to build an NHS fit for the future and secured an extra £2 billion to upgrade NHS technology and £1 billion to deal with the massive NHS maintenance backlog. 

    As part of a drive towards prevention, NHS England have also launched its first-ever awareness campaign today to support more women to attend potentially lifesaving breast screening. The campaign, supported by leading charity Breast Cancer Now, launches today with a new advert across TV, on demand and radio to highlight the benefits of screening in detecting cancer at the earliest opportunity. 

    Last year alone, NHS breast screening services detected cancers in 18,942 women across England, which otherwise may not have been diagnosed or treated until a later stage, and the most comprehensive review to date found around 1,300 deaths are prevented each year by the breast screening programme.

    Updates to this page

    Published 16 February 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: These are our people: celebrating the rainbow

    Source: Auckland Council

    Celebrating the diversity of Tāmaki Makaurau comes in many forms and this month Pride shines a spotlight on our Rainbow communities. Auckland Council Chief Executive Phil Wilson and Director of Community Rachel Kelleher reflect on the role the council plays to support tākatāpui and rainbow communities in our region and why it’s important to us.

    Not good enough and not acceptable

    Phil: We started writing this piece last week, but the events of the weekend have sadly forced us to look at it again and take a stronger line. Our people were attacked on Saturday. Verbally and physically. Children, young people and their families were caught up in a violent and ugly situation that was outrageous and unacceptable.

    As an organisation, we respect people’s right to free speech, protest and freedom of expression. Our libraries lead the charge on this. But when it turns violent and aggressive, when shouting drowns out other voices, and when people get hurt (children, for crying out loud!), it has gone too far.

    In saying he is proud of the actions of his people, Bishop Tamaki is condoning violence and aggression towards our staff and the community and that is deplorable.

    I’m proud of the calm and professional way Saturday’s attack on a family-friendly event was dealt with by our people at Te Atatū Peninsula Library. And I’m proud of the decent members of our community who supported them. Thankfully, most folk value places like our libraries and community centres for what they are and should continue to be – places of tolerance, acceptance, inclusion. Safe places where all are welcome. Leave your bigotry and intolerance elsewhere please.

    It starts with community

    Phil: What sort of community are we building if we’re not celebrating difference, championing tolerance and valuing social cohesion? With one in 20 adults belonging to Aotearoa New Zealand’s LGBTIQ+ population, councils play an incredibly important part in setting the tone for inclusion for our Rainbow community.

    Throughout Pride Month there will be many fantastic events for all to enjoy, but it is also a reminder of the things we do every day to encourage and enable social cohesion, provide safe spaces for people to connect and deliver activities that champion learning, tolerance and inclusion.

    Rachel: This week I heard a story about a young woman who attended a ‘literary salon’ evening at a library where attendees talked about celebrated books and shared kai. She was nervous about going on her own, was new to Auckland and has felt quite isolated here. After an evening of listening, learning and meeting others, her parting comment to our librarian was that she had ‘found her people’. This is the why: why we provide opportunities for communities to connect in different ways and why it’s important.

    Finding a place for respectful understanding

    Phil: Auckland Pride board chair Bhen Goodsir recently spoke to the NZ Herald’s The Front Page podcast about the current trend of what he termed an increasingly vocal minority pushing back against important progress for recognising a dignity and importance of Rainbow priorities. Bhen emphasised that when people are surrounded by a loving and supported community, and involved locally, they have better mental and physical health. We all benefit from this.

    There’s that word again – community. Alongside dignity, support and local. And I agree, that as well as being focussed on building a supportive community, we are striving for greater acceptance and a more respectful understanding of what it means to be LGBTIQ+ in Tāmaki Makaurau.

    Rachel: For us, and especially during Pride Month, those places for respectful understanding and celebration are our Proud Centres – our arts and community venues, our and libraries.

    This year we’re hosting 80 arts, cultural and community events where people can come together in their neighbourhoods to celebrate and champion local tākatāpui and rainbow community members.

    We know that marginalisation and misunderstanding continue to exist; by proudly demonstrating just how much we support and value our rainbow communities, we’re striving to be champions for respect and inclusivity.

    Our people, our commitment

    Phil: We became the first council in New Zealand to gain a Rainbow Tick in 2019, which helped us focus our efforts on integrating diversity into our everyday mahi. We now know that growing that diversity within an organisation, and creating a strong sense of belonging, is driven by ongoing engagement. Rainbow Tick kick-started this for us and now our membership of Pride Pledge (and proud gold members too) signals our evolution from a compliance-based mindset which required us to meet annual targets, to more innovative and meaningful mahi that is tailored to our specific challenges and will nurture a sense of belonging in our workplaces.

    This takes many forms, from training modules and toolkits, to the way we design those workplaces and work programmes but what makes me most proud are the things that surround us each day as we go about our work – a rainbow wash over our logo, a photograph that reflects the diversity of Auckland, a practical initiative like all-gender bathrooms that promote safety and inclusion and a meal shared during Pride month.

    Rachel: The unpleasant impact of being highly visible supporters of our Rainbow community and the ugly side of being inclusive champions and standing up for diversity is very real for our kaimahi, especially those working in our centres, delivering programmes, managing social media accounts and clearing inboxes.

    Within minutes of switching the council’s iconic pōhutukawa to logo to rainbow mode for Pride month, we were getting mean-spirited comments. Our complaints system has had a spike in feedback from those who want to share their views. In person confrontation, threats of protest and disruption, aggressive posts, foul language and unacceptable slurs abound. Te Atatū Peninsula Library on Saturday.

    We live in a society that values free speech, human rights and celebrates a range of opinions and as a council we respect people’s right to express their views. But we will not tolerate personal attacks; threats of violence or aggression towards our staff; or behaviour that displaces or threatens the safety and enjoyment of those who use our services or attend our events.

    The last word

    Phil: That’s enough about protestors and aggressors, let’s remind ourselves that the festival and the events we have delivered have been enormously successful.  I attended several events and the mood was overwhelmingly positive – yes, there were some challenges but the depth and breadth of community support and goodwill, including community members standing alongside our staff, has been pleasing.

    Rachel: Pride Month will continue, with our wholehearted support. Our hope is that inclusivity, respect and peace will shine through and that our communities can join together to grow tolerance and support.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Africa’s risk premium: a costly myth holding back a continent

    Source: African Development Bank Group
    To their cost, many global investors are getting Africa wrong.
    This was the stark message delivered by African leaders and business executives at the World Governments Summit in Dubai this week, where they challenged persistent misconceptions about investment risk on the continent.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Côte d’Ivoire: Canada Strengthens Partnership with the African Development Bank During High-Level Meeting

    Source: African Development Bank Group
    The African Development Bank welcomed Andrew Smith, Director General for the Pan-African Bureau at Global Affairs Canada, to Côte d’Ivoire on Friday, 7 February. This marked a significant step forward in the partnership between Canada and the African Development Bank Group.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Canberra light rail steams ahead

    Source: Australian Ministers 1

    Canberra’s light rail is one step closer to reaching Woden, with construction beginning today on the Stage 2A extension. 

    Stage 2A of the Canberra Light Rail involves extending the existing rail network from Civic to Commonwealth Park to improve transport connections as the capital grows. 

    Canberra is one of Australia’s fastest growing cities with the population predicted to approach 750,000 by mid-century.

    This $577 million joint investment by the Albanese and Barr Labor Governments will prevent future congestion and provide greater ease of movement through our capital.  

    The project includes the construction of 1.7 kilometres of new rail line from Alinga Street to Commonwealth Park, a new bridge over Parkes Way, and three new stations for City Edinburgh Avenue, City South and Commonwealth Park. 

    Once complete, the new rail connection will unlock housing and commercial opportunities and bring Canberra’s CBD closer to the lake.

    Construction is due to be complete in 2027. Light rail services will connect Gungahlin and North Canberra to City West, the ANU, New Acton, Commonwealth Park and Lake Burley Griffin. 

    The Stage 2A project is expected to create 1000 jobs and shape the way visitors and locals move around the city. 

    Quotes attributable to Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King:

    “Light rail is future-proofing Canberra with a modern public transport system, connecting residential areas with employment precincts, and recreation and lifestyle hubs.

    “This is about more than just transport, it’s about reshaping the way people move around Canberra and unlocking the growth of our nation’s capital.

    “It’s one of a number of significant projects we’re investing in to build Australia’s future, from the cities to the suburbs.”

    Quotes attributable to Federal Minister for Finance and Senator for the ACT Katy Gallagher:

    “When I was ACT Chief Minister, I saw the potential that light rail had to transform and connect our city and that’s why we started this project.

    “Stage one of light rail has proven popular and has transformed the City to Gungahlin corridor and I am excited to see the next stage of this project getting underway to extend the tracks south of the lake.

    “Only Labor delivers investments in city-changing projects like this one that build Canberra, create jobs and grow our local economy.”

    Quotes attributable to ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr:

    “Light rail is a long-term asset for Canberra.

    “It will service our city for decades to come.

    “I’m pleased to see construction on Light Rail to Commonwealth Park in the heart of our city, connecting to the future Acton Waterfront, more homes and better commercial precincts in an underused part of our CBD.

    “This is the next stage of a long-term plan to make the Canberra we love, even better.”

    Quotes attributable to ACT Minister for Transport Chris Steel:

    “Light rail has proven the benefits of mass transit in Canberra.

    “This next stage is critical to building out the network and delivering better public transport to the rest of the city.

    “Stage 2A is part of our wider vision of building a north-south light rail line to Woden, integrated with electric buses to our suburbs.

    “The extension of the light rail network will also support more housing, so that more people can choose to live in well-located areas close to public transport and access to services.”

    Quotes attributable to Federal Member for Canberra Alicia Payne MP: 

    “Canberra’s light rail is one of the most transformative infrastructure projects in our city’s history, and this next stage will make it even easier for people to get around. 

    “With construction now underway on Stage 2A, we are bringing light rail closer to the lake, unlocking new opportunities for housing and businesses, and ensuring our growing city has the modern, sustainable transport it needs.

    “This project is about making Canberra an even better place to live, work, and visit—now and for future generations.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI: Federal Reserve Role in U.S. Sovereign Wealth Fund forecasted by Global Policy Advisors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Feb. 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Global Policy Advisors LLC, recognized for devising the first governance and policy roadmap for a U.S. sovereign wealth fund, forecasts a significant role for the Federal Reserve in funding the proposed U.S. SWF. As President Trump’s Executive Order moves forward, directing the Secretaries of the Treasury and Commerce to develop a plan within 90 days, GPA’s Salar Ghahramani predicts that the Federal Reserve could be tasked with providing capital, expertise, and infrastructure for the fund, raising important questions about the central bank’s independence and the potential convergence of fiscal and monetary policy.

    GPA’s latest SWF 2050™ report, “U.S. Sovereign Wealth Fund Proposal: Governance, Funding, and Federal Reserve Implications,” explores the potential implications of using Federal Reserve assets as the funding source for the SWF. The report suggests that while this could provide immediate liquidity for the fund, it could also blur the line between fiscal and monetary policies, with long-term effects on market stability and the Fed’s ability to operate independently.

    As highlighted in recent interviews with Barron’s and Pensions & Investments, Salar Ghahramani emphasized the importance of maintaining a clear distinction between fiscal and monetary policies to avoid undermining trust in the U.S. markets. He also underscored the need for macroeconomic coordination, stating, “A nation’s economic policy should speak with one voice. Macroeconomic coordination and sound governance are essential to ensure that a sovereign wealth fund advances U.S. interests without undermining the core principles of economic stability, fiscal responsibility, and the effective functioning of monetary policy.”

    About Global Policy Advisors

    Global Policy Advisors® LLC is a boutique sovereign wealth fund advisory to corporations, boards of directors, and institutional investors—including hedge funds, private equity firms, pension funds, and SWFs. GPA’s ​expertise is delivering actionable insights, strategy sessions, and executive briefings on the governance, operations, and investment strategies of sovereign wealth funds.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Universities – Pacific Islands: Zone of peace or ocean of discontent? – Vic

    Source: Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington

    A conference focused on Pacific politics is being hosted this week at Te Herenga Waka—Victoria University of Wellington. Entitled “Zone of peace or ocean of discontent?”, the event will run from 19-21 February 2025.

    The conference is taking place at a time when international geopolitical structures may be changing forever with far-reaching consequences. At the same time, there are internal political pressures in many Pacific nations.

    The conference programme centres on both geopolitical impacts on the region and on internal political issues. The event will bring together Pacific experts to discuss where the region is heading.

    The programme is available here: https://www.wgtn.ac.nz/strategic-studies/documents/PIPSA2025-Programme-10-02.pdf

    It is the first annual conference of the Pacific Islands Political Studies Association since the COVID-19 pandemic.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Tech – Gen Q4 Threat Report: 321 Threats Blocked Per Second as Social Media Becomes a Playground for Scammers

    Source: Botica Butler Raudon for Gen

    Social media, AI and human trust led to a record-breaking year of  
    advanced scams and personal data loss

    AUCKLAND, 17 February 2024 – Gen™ (NASDAQ: GEN), a global leader in consumer Cyber Safety with a family of brands including Norton, Avast, LifeLock, Avira, AVG, ReputationDefender and CCleaner, today released its Q4/2024 Gen Threat Report. The report reveals a surge in online threats to close out a record-breaking 2024, with 2.55 billion cyberthreats blocked in October to December – equalling 321 threats every second. The risk ratio of encountering threats reached 27.7 percent in Q4, with social engineering attacks comprising 86 percent of all blocked threats, demonstrating the advanced psychological tactics used by cybercriminals today.  

    “We’re continuing to see scam-related threats becoming far more dangerous as they hide, sometimes in plain sight, throughout every aspect of our digital life,” said Siggi Stefnisson, Cyber Safety CTO at Gen. “This quarter we saw them prey on people’s emotions, such as the need to shop on budget during the holidays, the desire to find love during the end of the year, the hope for change during government elections and more. And, unfortunately, this is resulting in people continuing to lose money and control over their personal information. In 2025 we only expect these risks to increase as the rise of AI-powered systems and devices will mark the next frontier for cybercrime.”

    The Dark Side of Social Media
    Scam-related attacks continue to demonstrate global reach and adaptability. Phishing attacks rose by 14 percent in Q4 of 2024, with many exploiting platforms for creating websites like Wix and spoofing brands such as Apple iCloud with fake invoice scams. Meanwhile, malvertising remained a leading method of driving scams and malware delivery, comprising 41 percent of all blocked attacks for the quarter.  

    Social media platforms remained one of the prime grounds for scams and cybercrime at the end of 2024. Facebook stands out, accounting for a staggering 56 percent of total identified threats. YouTube trails behind at 24 percent, followed by X with 10 percent and Reddit and Instagram both accounting for 3 percent of all social media threats. When it comes to messaging platforms, despite WhatsApp’s larger user base, Telegram experiences six times more threats due to scammers utilising the platform’s additional privacy features to make their crimes harder to track by authorities.  

    The ways that scammers are using social media vary with such different people and use cases for the platforms. Gen found that the main ways people were scammed across social media were:  

    • Deceptive online ads (Malvertising) (27%): These deceptive ads spread malicious software onto the device being used or redirected people to malicious websites that can do the same. 
    • Fake e-shops (23%): People are lured by fraudulent online stores, also exposing personal and financial data. 
    • Phishing (18%): Scams aimed at stealing sensitive information like credit card numbers or passwords. 

    Social media is quickly turning into a playground for scammers to leverage platform algorithms, AI, and personalised interactions to scale their attacks faster and more effectively than ever before. Read the full analysis on social media threats in our latest blog.

    Year-End Spike in Financial Scams
    October to December marked the year’s most active quarter for financial scams, with mobile phones serving as a primary attack vector. Leading this trend were:

    • The largest deepfake crypto scam: The infamous CryptoCore group, known for hijacking YouTube accounts to promote their crypto scam campaigns, capitalised on the US Presidential Election. The group used deepfake videos featuring figures like Elon Musk to steal over $7 million from its victims. This marked the largest attack of its kind.  
    • Mobile banking trojans: New mobile bankers, phone applications designed to steal banking information, launched in Q4 of 2024. This included DroidBot which used remote access capabilities to go after banking details and crypto wallets. Another was ToxicPanda that disguised itself as Visa, dating apps and Chrome. The well-known BankBot banker saw infections rise by 236 percent compared to Q3 of 2024. 
    • Spyware and SpyLoans: Malicious apps promising quick money with high interest rates and predatory repayment schedules, also surged this quarter. Once installed, these apps request access to SMS messages, photos and other sensitive information, allowing them to spy on the victim. After a few weeks, the victim faces extortion and threats of their private data being published unless they pay to the cybercriminals. A new spyware strain disguised as a body mass index (BMI) calculator spread via the Amazon App Store, a novel distribution tactic reflecting the rising number of official Android app stores. 

    Personal Data – The New Gold
    Personal data loss continued to pose a high risk of identity theft and loss of privacy for consumers. Scam-Yourself Attacks, such as ClickFix and FakeCaptcha, grew rapidly. In Q4, Gen blocked attacks targeting 4.2 million individuals, a 130 percent increase from the previous quarter. These campaigns use psychological manipulation to deceive people into copying and executing malicious code, potentially leading to financial fraud, account takeovers or malware infections.  

    To help people stay protected from this threat and keep their data safe, Gen introduced a Clipboard Protection feature across the Norton, Avast and AVG brands that blocks clipboard-based threats before they can execute.  

    For the third consecutive quarter, ransomware continued its alarming upward trend, with a notable 50 percent increase in Q4. This highlights an escalating threat for both organisations and individuals globally.  

    To read the full Q4/2024 Gen Threat Report, visit: https://www.gendigital.com/blog/insights/reports/threat-report-q4-2024

    About Gen   
    Gen™ (NASDAQ: GEN) is a global company dedicated to powering Digital Freedom through its trusted Cyber Safety brands, Norton, Avast, LifeLock, Avira, AVG, ReputationDefender and CCleaner. The Gen family of consumer brands is rooted in providing safety for the first digital generations. Now, Gen empowers people to live their digital lives safely, privately, and confidently today and for generations to come. Gen brings award-winning products and services in cybersecurity, online privacy and identity protection to nearly 500 million users in more than 150 countries. Learn more at GenDigital.com. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Release: University cuts on the cards under National

    Source: New Zealand Labour Party

    The Government’s sudden cancellation of the tertiary education funding increase is a reckless move that risks widespread job losses and service reductions across New Zealand’s universities.

    “Now that the Government has delayed this crucial review of the sector’s long-term funding, universities are left with no clear path forward. The immediate consequence will be substantial job cuts and slashed services, directly affecting students’ learning experiences and weaking New Zealand’s future workforce,” Labour tertiary education spokesperson Deborah Russell said.

    “Not only that, but the cancellation of this funding also poses a significant threat to New Zealand’s research and development sector, as universities play a pivotal role in driving innovation and economic growth through research initiatives,” Deborah Russell said.

    In 2023, New Zealand’s universities were set to announce massive job cuts, but a $128 million funding boost passed by all parties kept the sector afloat through 2025. This funding was designed as a stop-gap measure until there could be a comprehensive review of the sector’s long-term funding system, aimed at preventing drastic cuts in the future.

    “By scrapping that funding before completing the review, National is effectively choosing to pull the plug on vital funding that universities are counting on, leaving institutions scrambling to cover costs and reassessing key services for future academic years.

    “The Government claims to be focused on economic growth, but National’s choices have already plunged New Zealand into the sharpest recession in 30 years, with 33,000 more people out of work. The last thing we need now is to cut opportunities for our future workforce,” Deborah Russell said.

    Stay in the loop by signing up to our mailing list and following us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Serious Crash, Sh 30, Roititi Forest

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Police are responding to a two-vehicle crash on State Highway 30, Rotoiti Forest, Rotorua District.

    Emergency services were alerted around 9:20am.

    It appears one person is in a serious condition.

    The road is closed, and motorists are advised to take an alternate route.

    ENDS 

    Issued by Police Media Centre 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Update on the Epitaph Rift and Slip, South Westland – delays extend Monday to Friday from next week

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    The work to remove unstable rock material from South Westland’s Epitaph Rift is going well, says NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA).

    Abseiling crews have been working on the cliff face, north of Haast, removing large rocks and exploding unstable rock features since the highway closed early November last year. Intensive rain set off numerous rockfalls and slips, closing SH6 for 13 days.

    “This week, the abseiling and rock explosive team reached an important milestone,” says Moira Whinham, Maintenance Contract Manager for NZTA on the West Coast. “The unstable layer along the crest of the rockfall has now been completely removed and benched.  This means they can now begin safely deconstructing the unstable material further down the cliff face, through to the end of March.”

    Current situation re delays for drivers/ road users

    Currently SH6 is closed in both directions between 12:30pm and 3pm Tuesday and Thursday afternoons, with Stop/Go in place between 3pm and 5pm on those two afternoons with delays for drivers.

    New timetable with crews closer to the road – Monday to Friday delays

    Now that the team is able to work down the southern margin of the rock face, there will be longer delays during the day to allow this area of the face to be scaled safely, says Miss Whinham.   

    From Monday 17 February, there will be delays of up to 30 minutes Monday to Friday between 8am and 6pm.  Full closures for blasting will continue Tuesdays and Thursdays between 12.30 pm to 3pm through to the end of March.

    “We appreciate road users’ patience while we undertake this important recovery work, affecting more people across the working week,” says Miss Whinham.

    Epitaph Slip/ below road level funding confirmed

    NZTA confirms that around $1.7 million in funding has been confirmed this week to construct a micro-pile wall along the downslope shoulder of the road (ie under the road on the 2012 slip area). 

    Work on this will begin in early March and is expected to be complete in May. “Both activities, to the upper slope and under the road, will be happening at the same time and will be coordinated across the site, but it will mean there is traffic management in place around the clock until the micro-pile work is complete,” says Miss Whinham.

    What are micro-piles?

    Micro-piles are a whole lot of little piles drilled down into the road that basically stabilise the surface.  This piece of work will deal with the stability below the road, specifically around the shoulder, and is separate from the rockfall stabilisation work. As well as the rockfall last November, there was also movement in the road surface. Cracks have since been filled, but the micro-piling is a more long-term fix.

    Longer term resilience business case, Hāwea to Knights Point, north of Epitaph slip area

    Work continues on the NZTA investment case looking at potential medium and long-term solutions for the management of the Epitaph Slip to address the vulnerability of the state highway at this location.  The business case is expected to be completed in the second half of 2025.

    This work will enable NZTA to determine a preferred long-term solution at this site in parallel with completing its SH6 Haast (Knights Point) to Hāwea Corridor Resilience Improvement Business Case.

    SH6 Epitaph Slip Investment Case

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: SH2 summer renewals progressing in Central Hawke’s Bay

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA) is advising road users travelling on State Highway 2 (SH2) between Waipawa and Takapau in Central Hawke’s Bay to expect some delays day and night as the summer renewals programme focusses on this part of the region.

    SH2 resealing between Waipukurau and Takapau – day work

    Starting this week, a stretch of SH2 between Takapau and Waipukurau will be resealed over the next 6 weeks.

    Crews will be working onsite Monday to Friday from 7am to 6pm each weekday.

    The road will be under stop/go traffic management and road users are encouraged to plan for possible delays of up to 20 minutes. Outside of the work hours, temporary speed limits will be in place.

    SH2 road rebuild in Waipawa – night works begin next week

    The road rebuild project between Victoria Street and Tamumu Road, just north of the Waipawa township is progressing.

    The first stage of the road rebuild project, the kerb and channel, was completed last week.

    The second stage, the road rebuild, is starting on Monday 17 February. Working at night between 8pm and 5am Mondays to Fridays, crews will rebuild the road section by section.

    On Monday crews will start with section 2 at the Victoria St end of the worksite, working up to Tamumu Road. See the map included.

    Stop/go traffic management will be in place during the night works with possible delays of up to 20 minutes. Road users are encouraged to plan ahead using Journey Planner.

    Journey Planner(external link)

    This work is happening at night to reduce daytime disruption and complete the job faster.

    NZTA appreciates the work will cause delays and is confident resealing this stretch of road will improve its resilience, safety and ultimately efficiency of travel for everyone who uses it.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Public invited to have their say on next tranche of gaming reforms

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 16 February 2025

    Last updated: 17 February 2025

    Released by: Minister for Gaming and Racing

    The public is invited to have its say on two new schemes that fulfill election commitments and build on the Minns Labor Government’s delivery of gaming reforms to address gambling harm and money laundering while supporting a thriving hospitality industry.

    From today the community can give feedback on consultation papers for a proposed third-party exclusion scheme and proposed mandatory facial recognition technology to support a statewide exclusion register for NSW hotels and clubs with gaming machines. 

    Facial recognition technology will support gambling harm-minimisation by removing the guesswork of staff identifying excluded patrons, often in crowded venues. There would still need to be human interaction to verify the match made by the system. Currently, the list of excluded patrons and images that venue staff need to memorise can be difficult to manage.

    The Government is building strict parameters into the reforms to protect people’s privacy to ensure hotels and clubs can only use facial recognition for the purpose of identifying excluded patrons. Venues will be prohibited from using the technology for customer tracking, surveillance and marketing purposes.

    The Government is also delivering on its election commitment to introduce a third-party exclusion scheme that would allow family, friends and venues to apply to ban someone experiencing significant gambling harm.

    Research estimates that more than a million Australians experienced harm in the past year because of another person’s gambling.

    It is proposed the minimum period for an exclusion order would be 12 months, with a maximum period of two or three years, with a temporary exclusion of 21 days while an application is considered.

    In addition to the consultation papers, the Government has also developed a draft facial recognition Code of Practice that gives pubs and clubs already operating the technology guidelines to support identification of self-excluded patrons.

    The code has been developed over several rounds of consultation with government, industry and community stakeholders, including cyber security and privacy experts.

    The Independent Panel for Gaming Reform provided advice on considerations for third party exclusion and facial recognition technology in its Roadmap Report. The issues raised in this advice were incorporated in both discussion papers.   

    These measures are the latest in a suite of reforms introduced by the Minns Labor Government to reduce gambling harm, delivering more in 22 months than the previous government did in 12 years, including:

    • reducing the cash input limit from $5,000 to $500 for all new gaming machines;
    • reducing the state-wide cap on gaming machine entitlements by approximately 3,000;
    • banning political donations from clubs with electronic gaming machines;
    • banning external gaming-related signage, and internal gaming-related signage that can be seen from outside the venue;
    • requiring that venues with more than 20 gaming machine entitlements have a Responsible Gambling Officer on duty while poker machines are in operation;
    • mandating that venues keep an updated Gaming Plan of Management and a Gaming Incident Register;
    • banning the placement of any signage or advertising relating to gaming machines either on, or visible from an ATM or EFTPOS terminal with cash withdrawal facilities;
    • announcing a ban on gaming advertising from public transport; and
    • establishing the Independent Panel for Gaming Reform and commissioning its roadmap report, which the Government is considering.

    The Third-Party Exclusion Consultation Paper is available here: https://www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/third-party-exclusion-pubs-and-clubs and Facial Recognition Technology in Pubs and Clubs Consultation Paper is available here:  https://www.haveyoursay.nsw.gov.au/facial-recognition-technology. The consultation period will close on 14 March 2025.

    Minister for Gaming and Racing David Harris said:

    “The Minns Labor Government is committed to addressing gambling harm through evidence-based policy and it’s important that we get the balance right. 

    “Third-party exclusions are designed to help those experiencing gambling harm and their loved ones when other avenues to seek help may have failed.

    “It recognises the physical, psychological, emotional and financial flow-on effects of gambling on a person’s family and friends.

    “This is complex reform which is why we are seeking feedback on a range of issues.

    “Facial recognition will also be an important harm-minimisation tool by providing another way to identify excluded patrons in crowded venue environments, which can often be challenging for venue staff.

    “I encourage everyone to have their say on these important harm-minimisation measures.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Central Barangaroo gets the tick of approval

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 17 February 2025

    Released by: Minister for Lands and Property, Minister for Planning and Public Spaces

    Barangaroo has reached its next major milestone with the Minister for Planning and Public Spaces granting approval of the modification request for Central Barangaroo.

    This decision follows more than a decade of inaction and indecision from the former Government which left this site stuck in limbo.

    The planning determination means that the central Barangaroo proposal can proceed subject to conditions.

    This development is the final piece of Barangaroo to proceed, enabling the transformation of a once neglected and inaccessible part of the city into a dynamic cultural, residential, business and retail hub.

    The development will comprise a mix of residential and retail including restaurants and bars, a hotel and community facilities.  It allows for the area to become a destination in its own right on the Sydney Harbour foreshore due to its proximity to the new Barangaroo Metro.

    The approval requires high standards of quality and sustainability, in line with the rest of Barangaroo, with a focus on water efficiency, carbon neutrality, and zero waste.

    At least 50% of public open space will be maintained, a key principle of the original proposal.

    The modification also delivers an extra 800 square metres of community floor space and two new public plazas. It also establishes view corridors along the northern and southern plazas.

    On the nearby Central Barangaroo foreshore there are also separate plans for a new 1.8-hectare waterfront public park for recreation, events and entertainment, currently known as Harbour Park.

    When assessing the proposal, the Department of Planning, Housing and Infrastructure (DPHI) carefully assessed the historic view impacts of the proposal, particularly between Observatory Hill and Sydney Harbour. Conditions on the project include incorporating the Heritage Impact Statement into the consent.

    It also included a condition being imposed requiring the height of the northern part of the block facing Nawi Cove to be reduced from 8 storeys down to 5 storeys. This provides continued connection to the water view from Observatory Hill.

    In addition, the measures outlined in the Heritage Impact Assessment together with design guidelines will support a design within the building envelope which will further minimise impacts on historic views.

    The planning approval enables the proponent to undertake detailed design work, which will include community consultation.

    For more information visit: Central Barangaroo | Barangaroo

    Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

    “The renewal of the strategically important Barangaroo site has always been about providing greater access to Sydney’s harbour foreshore. It will create jobs and homes, enhance our cultural facilities, civic spaces and parkland, and create diverse experiences and destinations – all easily accessible by public transport.

    “Detailed design work can now proceed on this prominent space under consent conditions to support design excellence to respect the surrounding area.

    “This approval considers Barangaroo’s prominent position and is respectful of the contribution of the area to Sydney’s development and future.”

    Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said:

    “Under the former Government this project was stuck in planning purgatory for over a decade, and this site had been a blight on the harbour for many years before that.

    “This is a fantastic outcome. Now that planning approval has been granted, we can get on with the job of delivering the final piece of the Barangaroo puzzle.

    “With the Barangaroo Metro station now open, the Pier Pavilion and the Cutaway nearing completion, Barangaroo Reserve, Marrinawi and Nawi Cove open, it will be fantastic to see the full vision for Barangaroo finally realised for locals and visitors to enjoy.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: NSW Government partners with NRL and PCYC to keep kids on the right track

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 17 February 2025

    Released by: The Premier, Minister for Agriculture, Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism, Minister for Regional NSW, Minister for Sport

    The Minns Labor Government is continuing work to build better regional communities and address concerning rates of regional youth crime with a new partnership with the National Rugby League  and PCYC to help keep kids on the right track. 

    Over $270,000 is being invested into the program which will see senior NRL players including Brad Fittler, PCYC staff and NSW Police representatives engaging with young people across a series of events including Schoolboy and Schoolgirl Cup games, PCYC centre events and Fit for Life sessions.

    Designed to support social cohesion, collaboration and skills building, the program will also engage young people in important conversations about mental health, physical fitness and nutrition.

    As the Government continues to pull every lever to increase community safety across regional NSW these programs will be rolled out in all corners of regional New South Wales, including Dubbo, Cessnock, Queanbeyan, the Central Coast, Wagga Wagga, Albury, Coffs Harbour and Tamworth.

    This is part of the Minns Labor Government’s ongoing work to engage young people and crackdown on crime across the state, which has included:

    • Amending the Bail Act to include an additional bail test for young people between 14 and 18 charged with committing a ‘serious break and enter offence’ or motor vehicle offence while on bail for a similar offence.
    • Creating a new ‘post and boast’ offence under the Crimes Act, criminalising the filming and disseminating of footage of certain serious offences to publicise or advertise the commission of that offence.
    • Paying recruits to attend the Goulburn Police Academy and welcoming 294 probational constables to the NSWPF ranks in December, the largest class to graduate in a decade.
    • Passing and enacting ‘Jacks Law’ which provides NSW Police with powers to scan people for knives without a warrant and raised the age from 16 to 18 for the sale of knives to young people.
    • Doubling the maximum penalty for certain knife crimes.

    Further, this follows the launch of Project Pathfinder last year, a partnership between the NSW Police Force, National Rugby League and Youth Justice NSW which provides at risk teenagers from regional areas with mentorships and opportunities to reach their full potential.

    Premier of New South Wales, Chris Minns said:

    “This is a great initiative and one the NSW Government is really proud to support.

    “We want our regional communities to be safe, which is why we are working around the clock to take every action we can from legislative reform, to supporting grassroots interventions.

    “Programs like this are vital to keeping kids engaged with their local community and on the right track.”

    Minister for Police and Counter-terrorism, Yasmin Catley said:

    “The NSW Police and Government are doing everything we can to keep our regional communities safe – we don’t want to see anyone living in fear.

    “Our police are working around the clock to not only investigate crimes but to engage with young people and show them positive alternatives to crime.

    “I thank the NRL and PCYC for their continued support for our young people and regional communities.”

    Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW, Tara Moriarty said:

    “The NSW Government is putting resources into initiatives like this that are ready to go, and use methods which regional youth will relate to and engage with and then experience activities and learnings which can create conversations that help build a brighter future.

    “This partnership means more kids in regional NSW will have the opportunity to come together, learn, stay fit and grow through a shared love for rugby league.

    “This initiative is about opening doors for regional youth by turning sport into platforms for connection, resilience and community empowerment.”

    Minister for Sport, Steve Kamper said:

    “The outcome of sport is so often greater than the scoreboard. Sporting communities in many cases are the heart of our regional communities and they can be great ways to engage our younger generations and promote positive role models.”

    Andrew Abdo, National Rugby League CEO said:

    “Rugby league changes lives and this new partnership will harness the power of government, community and sport to positively impact on young people across NSW.

    “Supporting youth in regional areas is important to us and this funding will help us reach even further into communities to provide opportunities and a support network to young people who need a helping hand.”

    Ben Hobby, Police Citizens Youth Club NSW (PCYC NSW) CEO said:

    ‘’The PCYC has a strong and enduring tradition of working with youth in regional areas across NSW, and we know how impactful the role models in the NRL can be to these communities – young people look up to these incredible athletes and sports stars.

    “We value our partnership with the Government and the NRL and know that having current and former players of the NRL and WNRL working with regional youth will be life-changing for the rising generation and the broader communities we support.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: New sports high school for South-West Sydney

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 17 February 2025

    Released by: The Premier, Deputy Premier, Minister for Education and Early Learning

    The Minns Labor Government have delivered on another election commitment with Eagle Vale High School becoming Australia’s newest sports high school, as work continues to ensure families in Western Sydney have access to world class public education opportunities.

    The school’s Talented Sports Program kicked off on day one term one this year with 60 students who successfully competed in the athletic trials last year excelling across Rugby League, Basketball and Cricket.

    The delivery of this election commitment means for the first time families in the Macarthur region have a school on their doorstep catering for students excelling in sports alongside a strong academic program.

    Previously, aspiring athletes in the region had to travel up to an hour to pursue their athletic ambitions at their nearest sports high school.

    To support Eagle Vale High School’s students the NSW Government is funding multimillion-dollar upgrades to the school with new cricket nets and upgraded change rooms already delivered.

    Further upgrade works are also underway including for a new running track, resurfacing the school’s full-sized playing field, new lighting for the sports field, new pickleball courts, a new multipurpose hall, a new Health and PE Learning Hub and a new PE Fitness Laboratory.

    The Talented Sports Program has a proven track record of nurturing some of the country’s best up-and-coming athletes, including more than 170 national senior level representatives in NRL and AFL, and professional basketballers, golfers and surfers.  

    Successful alumni of NSW sports high schools include Test cricketer Usman Khawaja, former national cricket captain Michael Clarke, soccer greats Harry Kewell and Alanna Kennedy, and former Australian rugby league captain Boyd Cordner.

    This investment is part of the Minns Labor Government’s plan to rebuild public education in NSW, ensuring families in growing Western Sydney communities have access to world-class schools, no matter their postcode. This ongoing work includes:

    • Investing a record $3.6 billion to deliver new and upgraded schools in Western Sydney
    • Delivering five new public schools across Western Sydney which welcomed students for the first time day one, term one 2025
    • Valuing the workforce by delivering the largest pay rise in a generation to NSW’s 95,000 teachers
    • Giving teachers job security by making 16,000 teachers and school support staff on temporary contacts permanent
    • Reducing teacher vacancies by 40 per cent, ensuring more students have a qualified teacher at the front of their classrooms.

    Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:

    “No matter the postcode we want to ensure that children across New South Wales are given every opportunity to achieve their dreams.

    “This means kids in South-West Sydney will have a real opportunity to pursue their sporting aspirations without their parents having to commit to hours of travel each day.

    “For both budding athletes and their parents, this is a game changer.

    “There is such a strong sporting culture in this part of Sydney and it’s great that the opportunities available to local school children finally reflects that.”

    Deputy Premier and Minister for Education Prue Car said:

    “The population in the Macarthur region is continuing to grow, and the Minns Labor Government is committed to supporting young people to reach their potential in their local area.

    “Previously, Macarthur students had to travel an hour or more each way to access a Talented Sports Program. Now, these students can follow their sporting dreams in their local area.

    “Eagle Vale High will be a school where some of South-West Sydney’s most talented athletes get their start as possible future Olympic champions.”

    Member for Leppington Nathan Hagarty said:

    “It is fantastic to see the upgrade works underway at Eagle Vale High School.

    “Delivering a selective sports stream for the Macarthur community is giving talented young athletes from our local area more opportunities.

    “I cannot wait to see the dividends this investment delivers for our strong local sporting community.”

    Eagle Vale High School principal Craig Butler said:

    “The community is very excited about the new sports facilities. They think it’s wonderful that we’re supporting our kids and showing a commitment to the Macarthur area.

    “We are going to have kids who will become Olympic champions and professional athletes, but as a sports high school, we can allow them to manage their study so they don’t have to make a choice between academic success and sport.

    “The students know they are part of something special and talk about the school with pride.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar Statement on Firings at the U.S. Department of Agriculture

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, released the following statement on reports that the Administration has fired U.S. Department of Agriculture employees.

    “U.S. Department of Agriculture employees support farmers and ranchers, invest in rural communities, prevent wildfires, protect our natural resources, and more. It is one thing to institute reforms. It is another to mandate across-the-board layoffs that stop or delay work on avian flu, wildfires, rural hospitals, and loans for farmers and ranchers. This will hurt U.S. agriculture and rural Americans just when our farmers are getting hit by animal disease, the threat of Trump tariffs, and no updated Farm Bill.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Missing teenager located, Mount Wellington

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)


    Location:

    Counties Manukau

    The 16-year-old previously reported missing from the Mount Wellington area has been located safe and well.

    Police would like to thank those members of the public who provided information, which assisted in locating him.

    ENDS.

    Holly McKay/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: ‘Koji flour’ product will help reduce reliance on cocoa in popular foods

    Source: University of Abertay

    ‘Koji flour’ product will help reduce reliance on cocoa in popular foods

    A ground-breaking collaboration between Abertay University and a food biotechnology company has led to the development of an innovative solution to address the ongoing global cocoa shortage.

    Academics from Abertay’s Department of Built Environment and Life Sciences have collaborated with Fermtech, a food biotechnology firm based in Oxford, to create a game-changing ingredient called ‘Koji flour’.

    The new product enhances cocoa flavour and reduces the amount of cocoa required in popular chocolate foods like brownies, contributing to a more sustainable approach to food production.

    The team’s approach involves repurposing spent grains—byproducts from local breweries and distilleries – by using a natural ‘Koji’ fermentation technique, meaning Koji Flour requires no agricultural land to produce. 

    As a result, the team has demonstrated the capability to reduce cocoa usage in chocolate products by as much as 30%.

    With ongoing refinements, they anticipate achieving a 50% reduction this year, which will further help lower production costs, improve sustainability in the industry, and reduce dependence on cocoa for everyday products.  

    Andy Clayton, CEO of Fermtech, said:  

    At Fermtech, we are committed to redefining the way ingredients are sourced and used in food production to reduce the global carbon footprint. Our collaboration with Abertay University is an example of this approach, which has led to fantastic results. By using innovative fermentation techniques, Koji Flour delivers a 98% lower carbon footprint compared to cocoa and offers substantial cost savings to food producers. This is the circular economy in action, promoting a more responsible food system while enhancing flavours and reducing our reliance on imported ingredients.

    The project has been supported by funding from two key organisations: the Industrial Biotechnology Innovation Centre (IBioIC), which supports innovation in the bioeconomy, and Interface, which fosters collaboration between Scotland’s academic and business communities to drive economic, environmental, and social growth. 

    Alberto Fiore, Professor of Food Chemistry and Technology, said:  

    Natural processes such as fermentation play a crucial role in advancing food innovation. At Abertay, we are proud of our longstanding tradition of partnering with businesses like Fermtech to create innovative solutions that address sustainability and climate change challenges. This project highlights how sustainability can yield significant commercial, environmental, and health benefits, showing that by addressing global challenges, we can work together toward a brighter future for everyone.

    Cocoa is a key ingredient in many popular products, including chocolate, baked goods, and cosmetics. However, it is currently facing a shortage driven primarily by the effects of climate change on agricultural and food production systems worldwide.  

    Farmers are grappling with challenges such as drought and disease, both exacerbated by climate change, which has resulted in a significant 30% decline in cocoa yields. This crisis has led to prices soaring by over 250% in the past three years, causing consumers to increasingly face rising costs for everyday products, including chocolate. 

    Koji flour has attracted attention from both local and international companies, with trials currently taking place throughout Scotland and the UK. Food producers are keen to embrace this innovative technology to cut costs, stabilise product prices, and lessen their dependence on cocoa. 

    Kim Cameron, Senior Business Engagement Manager at IBioIC, added:  

    This project is a fantastic example of how biotechnology can address pressing global challenges like food security and climate change. By turning by-products from one industry into valuable resources for another, it not only supports a circular economy but also highlights the potential for creating more resilient supply chains. It is great to see fermentation techniques being used to reduce environmental impact and open up new opportunities for collaboration, further boosting Scotland’s bioeconomy.

    Howell Davies, Sector and Business Engagement Manager at Interface, said:  

    The catalyst funding has proven an invaluable resource to initiate business-academic relationships which bring value to the Scottish economy, such as Abertay University and Fermtech. It is fantastic to see this project develop and support the aim of net zero in the food and drink sector and shows how well-placed Scotland is to combine its assets with university expertise and facilities.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Study shows our own voice is recognised above others but that new voices can also be prioritised into our ‘sense of self’

    Source: University of Abertay

    Study shows our own voice is recognised above others but that new voices can also be prioritised into our ‘sense of self’

    Whether or not we like the sound of it, our ability to pick out our own voice is highly developed. 

    But new research from Abertay academics has now suggested that our brain can also quickly learn to recognise a second voice over others if we are asked to think of it as our own. 

    The study, published in the British Journal of Psychology, set out to explore how our brains process both our own voice and recorded voices we have been assigned ownership of, with a view to informing a wide range of potential uses such as assistive technologies for speech impaired people or customised voices in video games.  

    Through a series of voice recognition tasks, researchers first tested how effectively participants could recognise a recorded voice that had been assigned to them to think of as their own. 

    The group was asked to listen out for words spoken by the ‘new voice’ assigned to them, but also those labelled as belonging to a ‘stranger’ and ‘friend’.

    Even after a very brief exposure to the sound of their assigned new voice, participants immediately became better at recognising it over the others, suggesting their brain had quickly taken ownership and prioritised the sound.

    In a second part of the study, participants’ own voices were recorded and added to the task, with results showing these were always recognised fastest.

    Dr Neil Kirk of Abertay University’s Department of Sociological and Psychological Sciences, who led the research, said the findings could be further developed to inform a variety of products or services.

    He said:

    With the recent rise in voice cloning tools powered by artificial intelligence, our work suggests there may be benefits to using a person’s own voice in digital technologies designed to enhance self-representation. For example, there could be potential uses in assistive devices for people who have lost the ability to speak, or in interactive entertainment in the use of custom online avatars. There’s also an interesting question for further exploration around our ability to take on new voices as our own in the digital world, and the benefits or issues that may have, particularly as our online and real-world interactions become ever more entwined.

    Professor Sheila Cunningham who collaborated on the project said:

    We know that our brains give special attention to information that relates to ourselves in some way, like hearing our own name being spoken across a noisy room. These results show that this additional prioritisation seems to be able to extend to new voices that we feel a sense of ownership over, showing how adaptable our sense of self can be.

    The full study, ‘Listen to yourself! Prioritisation of self-associated and own voice cues’ is available here.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: President Donald J. Trump Approves Kentucky Emergency Declaration

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-left”>Today, President Donald J. Trump declared that an emergency exists in the Commonwealth of Kentucky and ordered Federal assistance to supplement Commonwealth and local response efforts due to the emergency conditions resulting from severe storms, straight-line winds, flooding, and landslides beginning on February 14, 2025, and continuing. 

    The President’s action authorizes the Department of Homeland Security, Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), to coordinate all disaster relief efforts which have the purpose of alleviating the hardship and suffering caused by the emergency on the local population. FEMA will provide appropriate assistance for required emergency measures, authorized under Title V of the Stafford Act, to save lives and to protect property and public health and safety, and to lessen or avert the threat of a catastrophe in all 120 counties of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
     
    Specifically, FEMA is authorized to identify, mobilize, and provide, at its discretion, equipment and resources necessary to alleviate the impacts of the emergency.  Emergency protective measures, limited to direct federal assistance, will be provided at 75 percent Federal funding. 
     
    Mr. Jeremy Slinker of FEMA has been appointed to coordinate Federal recovery operations in the affected areas.
     
    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION MEDIA SHOULD CONTACT THE FEMA NEWS DESK AT (202) 646-3272 OR FEMA-NEWS-DESK@FEMA.DHS.GOV.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/PAKISTAN – The Salesians celebrate the 25th anniversary of missions in Pakistan with a special focus on Akash Bashir

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Salesians Pakistan ANS

    Lahore (Agenzia Fides) – In the rural areas of Punjab, Pakistan, there are many peasant families who live off what they produce, who have only an agricultural income and many children. These families, including Christians and Muslims, are united by the problem of poverty. Often they cannot finance the education of their children, especially that of girls, who are culturally discriminated against and often prevented from completing their education or from taking up vocational training. This is the situation that the Salesian missionaries found themselves in when they arrived in the central region of Pakistan 25 years ago and decided to open a mission there. This is how an institution was born that is now very appreciated in the region and very popular with boys and girls, as the first Salesian priest ordained in Pakistan, Father Noble Lal (48), director of the “Don Bosco Technical Vocational School”, tells us today. The institute, which opened in Lahore in 2000, has trained more than 8,000 boys and girls in the 25 years of its activity, in a country where there are still many illiterate people, especially in rural areas.The institute in Lahore, which employs teachers, volunteers and employees of the Salesians of Don Bosco, also employs Father Noble Lal and Brother Piero Ramello, a missionary from Piedmont and originally from Italy. The institution, which has been structured over the years, is now at full capacity: the “Don Bosco Educational Society” offers educational opportunities in the field of both school education (“New Don Bosco Higher Secondary School”) and vocational training (“Don Bosco Technical Centre”). In the complex in Lahore, which has the typical facilities of the Salesians of Don Bosco’s educational project, such as the theater and a playground, “various educational programs are carried out according to the needs of the community, all of which aim to combat the problem of youth unemployment,” reports the Salesian priest. The global “Don Bosco Education” project in Pakistan aims to reach marginalized communities in remote areas. The school fees charged by the Salesians are low because most of the families of the children who attend the institute are very poor and need support or scholarships to finance the school or vocational training that will make them independent members of society. The institute offers training in metalworking, electrical work, carpentry and automobile sector. “Since the institution opened in 2000, we have trained thousands of young people between the ages of 15 and 22 in various technical professions. This has helped many of those who had dropped out of school to find jobs,” explained the religious, recalling that Pakistan is a country with a low average age, “which therefore has a high percentage of children and young people.”Particular attention is paid to girls “to try to reduce school dropouts,” explains Father Lal. In fact, many girls abandon their education long before the end of compulsory education to take care of the family, or because of the prevalence of early and arranged marriages by families (another widespread cultural custom in the Indian subcontinent). This happens in rural village communities, but also in the outskirts of urban centers such as Lahore. The Salesians in Pakistan are aware of this cultural and social phenomenon and are involved in social promotion initiatives and educational programs on women’s rights to promote awareness and empowerment of young girls. “We encourage girls to continue their studies; we also maintain relationships with their families of origin to ensure that they do not abandon their studies,” explains the director. Vocational training courses (for example tailoring) are also organized for them “so that they can learn a trade, which contributes to the emancipation of girls,” he notes.In addition to the educational center in Lahore, the Salesians are also active in Quetta, the capital of the Pakistani province of Balochistan, the other city where the Salesians of Don Bosco were the first “to develop a model of joint education for boys and girls in our school. Since then, others in Pakistan have followed our example,” reports the religious.Today, the educational and vocational training work of the Salesians is “very much appreciated by the population, who show us much gratitude, but also by the civil institutions, who recognize our social commitment and our openness to young people of all religions and cultures, Muslims, Christians and other minorities”.There is another area in which the Salesians are making an active contribution to the Catholic community in Pakistan: the institutional collaboration in the beatification process of the Servant of God Akash Bashir, for whom the Diocese of Lahore has opened the diocesan phase of the process. Akash was a student at the Salesian School in Lahore. On the occasion of the celebrations for the 25th anniversary of the missions of the Salesians in Pakistan, which took place in Lahore these days, a book on Akash Bashir was also published. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 15/2/2025)
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  • MIL-OSI Europe: ASIA/MYANMAR – Catholic priest killed in the Archdiocese of Mandalay

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Archdiocese of Mandalay

    Mandalay (Agenzia Fides) – Father Donald Martin, 44, a diocesan priest of the Archdiocese of Mandalay, is the first Burmese Catholic priest killed in the civil conflict that is bloodying the country. His lifeless body, mutilated and disfigured by stab wounds, was found yesterday, February 14 at 6 am, by parishioners in the grounds of the parish of Our Lady of Lourdes, where he was the parish priest. The church is located in the village of Kan Gyi Taw, in the territory of the Shwe Bo district, which is part of the Sagaing region. According to Fides sources, the man was violently and cruelly stabbed several times. The bloody manner in which the killing was carried out suggests a targeted attack for reasons that have yet to be investigated, just as the killers have yet to be identified: not an easy task in a context of widespread violence, with clashes raging between opposition militias and the Burmese army.The news has caused shock and deep sadness in the local community. The faithful have mobilized to try to understand the cause of the killing and the identity of the killers. The Sagaing region in northern Myanmar is one of those where fighting and clashes between the People’s Defense Forces and the Burmese army are a daily occurrence.Father Donald Martin, 44, was ordained a priest in 2018. In this period of civil war, he carried out his task as pastor of souls with zeal, fidelity and obedience, administering the sacraments in the parish and trying to be close to the suffering community. Furthermore, like so many other priests, he dedicated himself to humanitarian assistance to displaced people scattered throughout the territory, bringing them spiritual consolation and material aid. (PA) (Agenzia Fides, 15/2/2025)
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  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/BURUNDI – Appointment of Bishop of Bubanza

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Saturday, 15 February 2025

    Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) – Pope Francis has appointed Rev. Fr. Emmanuel Ntakarutimana, O.P., until now Coordinator of the Council for the creation of the Catholic University of Burundi, as Bishop of the Diocese of Bubanza (Burundi).His Exc. Msgr. Emmanuel Ntakarutimana, of the Order of Preachers, was born on 30 December 1956 in the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Gitega. After studying Philosophy at the Major Seminary of Bujumbura and Theology at the Université Catholique Du Congo in Kinshasa, he obtained a Doctorate in Fundamental Theology at the Université de Fribourg in Switzerland.He made his first profession in Ibadan, Nigeria on September 28, 1981, his perpetual vows in 1984 in Rweza (Burundi) and was ordained a priest in Gitega on August 23, 1987.He has held the following positions: Professor of Fundamental Theology at the Major Seminary of Gitega (1986-1989); Secretary of the Episcopal Commission for Justice and Peace (1988-1990); Master of Students at the Inter-African Formation House of the Dominicans in Kinshasa (1991-1993); Advisor to the Superior and Coordinator for Africa of the Order of Dominican Fathers (1993-1999); Coordinator of the Ubuntu Center for the Promotion of Peace and Reconciliation in Bujumbura (2001-2015); Director of the Office of the Episcopal Conference for Evangelization (2015-2021); since 2021, Coordinator of the Council for the creation of the Catholic University of Burundi. (Agenzia Fides, 15/2/2024)
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  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Forces Strike ISIS-Somalia

    Source: United States AFRICOM

    In coordination with the Federal Government of Somalia, U.S. Africa Command conducted an airstrike against ISIS-Somalia in Northeast Somalia on Feb. 16, 2025.

    The command’s initial assessment is that the strike killed two ISIS terrorists and no civilians were harmed.

    U.S. Africa Command will continue to assess the results of this operation and provide additional information as appropriate. Specific details about units and assets will not be released to ensure continued operations security.

    Degrading ISIS and other terrorist organizations’ ability to plot and conduct attacks that threaten the U.S. homeland, our partners, and civilians remains central to U.S. Africa Command’s mission.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Murkowski and Sullivan Recognize Elizabeth Peratrovich Day

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alaska Lisa Murkowski

    02.16.25

    Anchorage, AK – U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (both R-AK) are honored to recognize February 16th as “Elizabeth Peratrovich Day” through a Senate resolution. The national recognition celebrates the historic Alaska civil rights leader who played an integral role in the Alaska Territorial Legislature’s passage the Anti-Discrimination Act of 1945—decades before the signing of the federal Civil Rights Act of 1964. This is the third consecutive year that Elizabeth Peratrovich Day will be nationally recognized. 

    “Whether it be her work to integrate public schools, laying the groundwork for ANCSA, or securing the right to vote for Alaska Natives, Elizabeth Peratrovich left an indelible mark on Alaska’s history,” said Senator Murkowski. “Senator Sullivan and I are honored to lead this resolution in Congress to nationally commemorate her extraordinary contributions to Alaska.”

    “Elizabeth Peratrovich changed Alaska’s history—and our country’s history—for the better, fighting tirelessly for racial equality decades before the passage of the national Civil Rights Act in Congress,” said Senator Sullivan. “Her courage and leadership was a shining light in a dark chapter of history when Alaska Native people were routinely discriminated against and denied equal rights in our state. Elizabeth Peratrovich’s legacy as a civil rights leader continues to inspire generations of Alaskans to speak out against injustice and listen to voices that may be silenced or ignored. I look forward to the unanimous passage of our resolution for the third year in a row to recognize February 16 as Elizabeth Peratrovich Day nationwide—an incredible, fitting tribute to this great Alaskan and American.”

    MIL OSI USA News –