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  • MIL-OSI Global: It’s not just ‘chronic fatigue’: ME/CFS is much more than being tired

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Sarah Annesley, Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Cell and Molecular Biology, La Trobe University

    Edwin Tan/Getty

    Myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is as complex as its name is difficult to pronounce. It’s sometimes referred to as simply “chronic fatigue”, but this is just one of its symptoms.

    In fact, ME/CFS is a complex neurological disease, recognised by the World Health Organization, that affects nearly every system in the body.

    The name refers to muscle pain (myalgia), inflammation of the brain (encephalomyelitis), and a profound, disabling fatigue that rest can’t relieve.

    However, the illness’s complexity – and its disproportionate impact on women – means ME/CFS has often been incorrectly labelled as a psychological disorder.

    What is ME/CFS?

    ME/CFS affects people of all ages but is most commonly diagnosed in middle age. It is two to three times more common in women than men.

    While the exact cause is unknown, ME/CFS is commonly triggered by an infection.

    The condition has two core symptoms: a disabling, long-lasting fatigue that rest doesn’t relieve, and a worsening of symptoms after physical or mental exertion.

    This is known as post-exertional malaise. It means even slight exertion can make symptoms much worse, and take much longer than expected to recover.

    This varies between people, but could mean simply having a shower or attending a social event triggers worse symptoms, either immediately or days later.

    These symptoms include pain, sleep issues, cognitive difficulties (such as thinking, memory and decision-making), flu-like symptoms, dizziness, gastrointestinal problems, heart rate fluctuations and many more.

    For some people, symptoms can be managed in a way that allows them to work. For others, the disease is so severe it can leave them housebound or bedridden.

    Symptoms can fluctuate, changing over time and in intensity, making ME/CFS a particularly unpredictable and misunderstood condition.

    Not just ‘in your head’

    A growing body of scientific evidence, however, clearly shows ME/CFS is a biological, not mental, illness.

    Neuroimaging studies have revealed differences in the brain activity and structure of people with ME/CFS, including poor blood flow and lower levels of neurotransmitters (chemical messengers in the nervous system).

    Other research indicates the condition affects how the body produces energy (the metabolism), fights infection (the immune system), delivers oxygen to muscles and tissues, and regulates blood pressure and heart rate (the vascular system).

    Issues with criteria

    To diagnose ME/CFS, a clinician will also exclude other possible causes of fatigue, which can be a lengthy process. A patient needs to meet a set of clinical criteria.

    But one of the major challenges in researching ME/CFS is that the diagnostic criteria clinicians use vary worldwide.

    Some criteria focus solely on fatigue and include people with alternate reasons for fatigue, such as a psychiatric disorder.

    Others are more narrow and may only capture ME/CFS patients with more severe symptoms.

    As a result, it can be very difficult to compare across different studies, as the reasons they include or exclude participants vary so much.

    Changes to the guidelines

    In Australia, doctors often receive little formal education about ME/CFS.

    Most commonly, they follow the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ clinical guidelines to diagnose and manage ME/CFS. These are based on the Canadian Consensus Criteria which are considered more stringent than other ME/CFS diagnostic criteria.

    They include post-exertional malaise and fatigue for more than six months as core symptoms.

    However, these guidelines are outdated and rely heavily on controversial studies that assumed the primary cause of ME/CFS was “deconditioning” – a loss of physical strength due to a fear or avoidance of exercise.

    These guidelines recommend ME/CFS should be treated with cognitive behavioural therapy – a common psychotherapy which focuses on changing unhealthy thoughts and behaviours – and graded exercise therapy, which gradually introduces more demanding physical activity.

    While cognitive behaviour therapy can be effective for some people managing ME/CFS, it’s important not to frame this condition primarily as a psychological issue.

    Graded exercise therapy can encourage people to push beyond their “energy envelope”, which means they do more than their body can manage. This can trigger post-exertional malaise and a worsening of symptoms.

    In June 2024, the Australian government announced A$1.1 million towards developing new clinical guidelines for diagnosing and managing ME/CFS.

    Leading organisations have scrapped the recommendation of graded exercise therapy in the United States (in 2015) and the United Kingdom (in 2021). Hopefully Australia will follow suit.

    What can people with ME/CFS do?

    While we wait for updated clinical guidelines, “pacing” – or working within your energy envelope – has shown some success in managing symptoms. This means monitoring and limiting how much energy you expend.

    Some evidence also suggests people who rest in the early stages of their initial illness often experience better long-term outcomes with ME/CFS.

    This is especially relevant after the COVID pandemic and with the emergence of long COVID. Studies indicate more than half of those affected meet stringent clinical criteria for ME/CFS.

    In times of acute illness we should resist the temptation to push through. Choosing to rest may be a crucial step in preventing a condition that is much more debilitating than the original infection.

    Sarah Annesley receives funding from The Judith Jane Mason & Harold Stannett Williams Memorial Foundation and ME Research UK (SCIO charity number SCO36942).

    – ref. It’s not just ‘chronic fatigue’: ME/CFS is much more than being tired – https://theconversation.com/its-not-just-chronic-fatigue-me-cfs-is-much-more-than-being-tired-258803

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: It’s not just ‘chronic fatigue’: ME/CFS is much more than being tired

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Sarah Annesley, Senior Postdoctoral Research Fellow in Cell and Molecular Biology, La Trobe University

    Edwin Tan/Getty

    Myalgic encephalomyelitis / chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) is as complex as its name is difficult to pronounce. It’s sometimes referred to as simply “chronic fatigue”, but this is just one of its symptoms.

    In fact, ME/CFS is a complex neurological disease, recognised by the World Health Organization, that affects nearly every system in the body.

    The name refers to muscle pain (myalgia), inflammation of the brain (encephalomyelitis), and a profound, disabling fatigue that rest can’t relieve.

    However, the illness’s complexity – and its disproportionate impact on women – means ME/CFS has often been incorrectly labelled as a psychological disorder.

    What is ME/CFS?

    ME/CFS affects people of all ages but is most commonly diagnosed in middle age. It is two to three times more common in women than men.

    While the exact cause is unknown, ME/CFS is commonly triggered by an infection.

    The condition has two core symptoms: a disabling, long-lasting fatigue that rest doesn’t relieve, and a worsening of symptoms after physical or mental exertion.

    This is known as post-exertional malaise. It means even slight exertion can make symptoms much worse, and take much longer than expected to recover.

    This varies between people, but could mean simply having a shower or attending a social event triggers worse symptoms, either immediately or days later.

    These symptoms include pain, sleep issues, cognitive difficulties (such as thinking, memory and decision-making), flu-like symptoms, dizziness, gastrointestinal problems, heart rate fluctuations and many more.

    For some people, symptoms can be managed in a way that allows them to work. For others, the disease is so severe it can leave them housebound or bedridden.

    Symptoms can fluctuate, changing over time and in intensity, making ME/CFS a particularly unpredictable and misunderstood condition.

    Not just ‘in your head’

    A growing body of scientific evidence, however, clearly shows ME/CFS is a biological, not mental, illness.

    Neuroimaging studies have revealed differences in the brain activity and structure of people with ME/CFS, including poor blood flow and lower levels of neurotransmitters (chemical messengers in the nervous system).

    Other research indicates the condition affects how the body produces energy (the metabolism), fights infection (the immune system), delivers oxygen to muscles and tissues, and regulates blood pressure and heart rate (the vascular system).

    Issues with criteria

    To diagnose ME/CFS, a clinician will also exclude other possible causes of fatigue, which can be a lengthy process. A patient needs to meet a set of clinical criteria.

    But one of the major challenges in researching ME/CFS is that the diagnostic criteria clinicians use vary worldwide.

    Some criteria focus solely on fatigue and include people with alternate reasons for fatigue, such as a psychiatric disorder.

    Others are more narrow and may only capture ME/CFS patients with more severe symptoms.

    As a result, it can be very difficult to compare across different studies, as the reasons they include or exclude participants vary so much.

    Changes to the guidelines

    In Australia, doctors often receive little formal education about ME/CFS.

    Most commonly, they follow the Royal Australian College of General Practitioners’ clinical guidelines to diagnose and manage ME/CFS. These are based on the Canadian Consensus Criteria which are considered more stringent than other ME/CFS diagnostic criteria.

    They include post-exertional malaise and fatigue for more than six months as core symptoms.

    However, these guidelines are outdated and rely heavily on controversial studies that assumed the primary cause of ME/CFS was “deconditioning” – a loss of physical strength due to a fear or avoidance of exercise.

    These guidelines recommend ME/CFS should be treated with cognitive behavioural therapy – a common psychotherapy which focuses on changing unhealthy thoughts and behaviours – and graded exercise therapy, which gradually introduces more demanding physical activity.

    While cognitive behaviour therapy can be effective for some people managing ME/CFS, it’s important not to frame this condition primarily as a psychological issue.

    Graded exercise therapy can encourage people to push beyond their “energy envelope”, which means they do more than their body can manage. This can trigger post-exertional malaise and a worsening of symptoms.

    In June 2024, the Australian government announced A$1.1 million towards developing new clinical guidelines for diagnosing and managing ME/CFS.

    Leading organisations have scrapped the recommendation of graded exercise therapy in the United States (in 2015) and the United Kingdom (in 2021). Hopefully Australia will follow suit.

    What can people with ME/CFS do?

    While we wait for updated clinical guidelines, “pacing” – or working within your energy envelope – has shown some success in managing symptoms. This means monitoring and limiting how much energy you expend.

    Some evidence also suggests people who rest in the early stages of their initial illness often experience better long-term outcomes with ME/CFS.

    This is especially relevant after the COVID pandemic and with the emergence of long COVID. Studies indicate more than half of those affected meet stringent clinical criteria for ME/CFS.

    In times of acute illness we should resist the temptation to push through. Choosing to rest may be a crucial step in preventing a condition that is much more debilitating than the original infection.

    Sarah Annesley receives funding from The Judith Jane Mason & Harold Stannett Williams Memorial Foundation and ME Research UK (SCIO charity number SCO36942).

    – ref. It’s not just ‘chronic fatigue’: ME/CFS is much more than being tired – https://theconversation.com/its-not-just-chronic-fatigue-me-cfs-is-much-more-than-being-tired-258803

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Jun 19, 2025 0100 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

     For best viewing experience, please enable browser JavaScript support.

    Jun 19, 2025 0100 UTC Day 1 Convective Outlook

    Updated: Thu Jun 19 00:52:49 UTC 2025 (Print Version |   |  )

    Probabilistic to Categorical Outlook Conversion Table

     Forecast Discussion

    SPC AC 190052

    Day 1 Convective Outlook
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    0752 PM CDT Wed Jun 18 2025

    Valid 190100Z – 191200Z

    …THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FROM THE LOWER
    GREAT LAKES/OHIO VALLEY TO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS…

    …SUMMARY…
    Severe thunderstorms, with damaging winds, will spread across
    portions of the Ohio/Tennessee Valley region this evening. Isolated
    severe thunderstorms will also continue across portions of the Red
    River region of southern Oklahoma and North Texas.

    …01z Update…

    Notable mid-level height falls will spread across the lower Great
    Lakes/Ohio Valley overnight in response to a short-wave trough that
    will advance into MI-IL by the end of the period. Synoptically, LLJ
    is strengthening across the OH Valley ahead of the main surface
    front that extends from Lake MI-central IL-central MO. While the
    primary squall line has surged well ahead of the front into central
    OH/KY, scattered convection is gradually increasing along the front
    across MO/western IL. This activity may continue to increase as the
    boundary surges southeast later tonight. Otherwise, the lead squall
    line is expected to propagate into the upper Ohio Valley with an
    attendant threat of damaging winds.

    Farther southwest into the southern Plains, 00z soundings from both
    OUN and FWD exhibit minimal CINH with seasonally high PW values and
    strong MLCAPE (>3000 J/kg). Both soundings have adequate deep-layer
    shear for organized updrafts, but the Red River corridor should only
    experience weak low-level warm advection through the overnight
    period. Isolated severe thunderstorms will be the most likely
    scenario given the weak forcing along this portion of the boundary.

    ..Darrow.. 06/19/2025

    CLICK TO GET WUUS01 PTSDY1 PRODUCT

    .html”>Latest Day 2 Outlook/Today’s Outlooks/Forecast Products/Home

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC MD 1360

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Mesoscale Discussion 1360
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    1108 PM CDT Wed Jun 18 2025

    Areas affected…portions of central Missouri

    Concerning…Severe potential…Watch unlikely

    Valid 190408Z – 190545Z

    Probability of Watch Issuance…5 percent

    SUMMARY…A couple instances of marginally severe hail may occur
    over the next couple of hours. A WW issuance is not expected.

    DISCUSSION…An embedded 500 mb impulse is overspreading MO,
    contributing to locally higher deep-layer shear (e.g. 40+ kts of
    effective bulk shear per 03Z mesoanalysis), as well as deep-layer
    ascent. As such, a few transient supercells have developed, with
    MRMS mosaic radar data suggesting that some of these storms are
    producing hail that is approaching severe limits. Mid-level lapse
    rates are not particularly steep, as shown by the 00Z SGF observed
    soundings, which depicts near 7 C/km mid-level lapse rates atop a
    stabilizing boundary layer. While an instance or two of 1+ inch
    diameter hail may be observed, the aforementioned tall/thin CAPE
    (with MLCAPE around 1000 J/kg) and modest deep-layer shear suggest
    that severe hail should be overall isolated. As such, a WW issuance
    is not expected.

    ..Squitieri/Smith.. 06/19/2025

    …Please see www.spc.noaa.gov for graphic product…

    ATTN…WFO…LSX…SGF…EAX…

    LAT…LON 37959434 38589392 38979245 38769109 38219066 37589103
    37339210 37379301 37569393 37959434

    MOST PROBABLE PEAK HAIL SIZE…UP TO 1.25 IN

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC – No watches are valid as of Thu Jun 19 05:07:01 UTC 2025

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Current Convective Watches (View What is a Watch? clip)Updated:  Thu Jun 19 05:19:06 UTC 2025 No watches are currently valid

    Archived Convective ProductsTo view convective products for a previous day, type in the date you wish to retrieve (e.g. 20040529 for May 29, 2004). Data available since January 1, 2004.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Who are Iran’s allies? And would any help if the US joins Israel in its war?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ali Mamouri, Research Fellow, Middle East Studies, Deakin University

    As Israel continues its attacks on Iran, US President Donald Trump and other global leaders are hardening their stance against the Islamic Republic.

    While considering a US attack on Iran’s nuclear sites, Trump has threatened Iran’s supreme leader, claiming to know his location and calling him “an easy target”. He has demanded “unconditional surrender” from Iran.

    Meanwhile, countries such as Germany, Canada, the UK and Australia have toughened their rhetoric, demanding Iran fully abandon its nuclear program.

    So, as the pressure mounts on Iran, has it been left to fight alone? Or does it have allies that could come to its aid?

    Has Iran’s ‘axis of resistance’ fully collapsed?

    Iran has long relied on a network of allied paramilitary groups across the Middle East as part of its deterrence strategy. This approach has largely shielded it from direct military strikes by the US or Israel, despite constant threats and pressure.

    This so-called “axis of resistance” includes groups such as Hezbollah in Lebanon, the Popular Mobilisation Forces (PMF) in Iraq, the Houthi militants in Yemen, as well as Hamas in Gaza, which has long been under Iran’s influence to varying degrees. Iran also supported Bashar al-Assad’s regime in Syria before it was toppled last year.

    These groups have served both as a regional buffer and as a means for Iran to project power without direct engagement.

    However, over the past two years, Israel has dealt significant blows to the network.

    Hezbollah — once Iran’s most powerful non-state ally — has been effectively neutralised after months of attacks by Israel. Its weapons stocks were systematically targeted and destroyed across Lebanon. And the group suffered a major psychological and strategic loss with the assassination of its most influential leader, Hassan Nasrallah.

    In Syria, Iranian-backed militias have been largely expelled following the fall of Assad’s regime, stripping Iran of another key foothold in the region.

    That said, Iran maintains strong influence in Iraq and Yemen.

    The PMF in Iraq, with an estimated 200,000 fighters, remains formidable. The Houthis have similarly sized contingent of fighters in Yemen.

    Should the situation escalate into an existential threat to Iran — as the region’s only Shiite-led state — religious solidarity could drive these groups to become actively involved. This would rapidly expand the war across the region.

    The PMF, for instance, could launch attacks on the 2,500 US troops stationed in Iraq. Indeed, the head of Kata’ib Hezbollah, one of the PMF’s more hardline factions, promised to do so:

    If America dares to intervene in the war, we will directly target its interests and military bases spread across the region without hesitation.

    Iran itself could also target US bases in the Persian Gulf countries with ballistic missiles, as well as close the Strait of Hormuz, through which about 20% of the world’s oil supply flows.

    Will Iran’s regional and global allies step in?

    Several regional powers maintain close ties with Iran. The most notable among them is Pakistan — the only Islamic country with a nuclear arsenal.

    For weeks, Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has tried to align Iran more closely with Pakistan in countering Israel’s actions in Gaza.

    In a sign of Pakistan’s importance in the Israel-Iran war, Trump has met with the country’s army chief in Washington as he weighs a possible strike on its neighbour.

    Pakistan’s leaders have also made their allegiances very clear. Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif has offered Iran’s president “unwavering solidarity” in the “face of Israel’s unprovoked aggression”. And Pakistani Defence Minister Khawaja Asif recently said in an interview Israel will “think many times before taking on Pakistan”.

    These statements signal a firm stance without explicitly committing to intervention.

    Yet, Pakistan has also been working to de-escalate tensions. It has urged other Muslim-majority nations and its strategic partner, China, to intervene diplomatically before the violence spirals into a broader regional war.

    In recent years, Iran has also made diplomatic overtures to former regional rivals, such as Saudi Arabia and Egypt, in order to improve relations.

    These shifts have helped rally broader regional support for Iran. Nearly two dozen Muslim-majority countries — including some that maintain diplomatic relations with Israel — have jointly condemned Israel’s actions and urged de-escalation.

    It’s unlikely, though, that regional powers such as Saudi Arabia, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates and Turkey would support Iran materially, given their strong alliances with the US.

    Iran’s key global allies, Russia and China, have also condemned Israel’s strikes. They have previously shielded Tehran from punitive resolutions at the UN Security Council.

    However, neither power appears willing — at least for now — to escalate the confrontation by providing direct military support to Iran or engaging in a standoff with Israel and the US.

    Theoretically, this could change if the conflict widens and Washington openly pursues a regime change strategy in Tehran. Both nations have major geopolitical and security interests in Iran’s stability. This is due to Iran’s long-standing “Look East” policy and the impact its instability could have on the region and the global economy.

    However, at the current stage, many analysts believe both are unlikely to get involved directly.

    Moscow stayed on the sidelines when Assad’s regime collapsed in Syria, one of Russia’s closest allies in the region. Not only is it focused on its war in Ukraine, Russia also wouldn’t want to endanger improving ties with the Trump administration.

    China has offered Iran strong rhetorical support, but history suggests it has little interest in getting directly involved in Middle Eastern conflicts.

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

    – ref. Who are Iran’s allies? And would any help if the US joins Israel in its war? – https://theconversation.com/who-are-irans-allies-and-would-any-help-if-the-us-joins-israel-in-its-war-259265

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 19 June 2025 News release WHO issues first global guideline to improve pregnancy care for women with sickle cell disease

    Source: World Health Organisation

    The World Health Organization (WHO) today released its first-ever global guideline on the management of sickle cell disease (SCD) during pregnancy, addressing a critical and growing health challenge that can have life-threatening consequences for both women and babies.

    SCD is a group of inherited blood disorders characterized by abnormally shaped red blood cells that resemble crescents or sickles. These cells can block blood flow, causing severe anaemia, episodes of severe pain, recurrent infections, as well as medical emergencies like strokes, sepsis or organ failures.

    Health risks associated with SCD intensify during pregnancy, due to heightened demands on the body’s oxygen and nutrient supply. Women with SCD face a 4- to 11-fold higher likelihood of maternal death than those without. They are more likely to experience obstetric complications like pre-eclampsia, while their babies are at greater risk of stillbirth or being born early or small.

    “With quality health care, women with inherited blood disorders like sickle cell disease can have safe and healthy pregnancies and births,” said Dr Pascale Allotey, Director for Sexual and Reproductive Health and Research at WHO and the United Nations’ Special Programme for Human Reproduction (HRP). “This new guideline aims to improve pregnancy outcomes for those affected. With sickle cell on the rise, more investment is urgently needed to expand access to evidence-based treatments during pregnancy as well as diagnosis and information about this neglected disease.”

    There are around 7.7 million people living with SCD worldwide – a figure that has increased by over 40% since 2000. SCD is estimated to cause over 375 000 deaths each year. The disease is most prevalent in malaria-endemic regions, particularly sub-Saharan Africa–which accounts for around 8 in 10 cases–as well as parts of the Middle East, the Caribbean, and South Asia. With population movements and improvements in life expectancy, the sickle cell gene is also becoming more widespread globally, meaning more maternity care providers need to know how to manage the disease.

    Until now, clinical guidance for managing SCD in pregnancy has largely drawn on protocols from high-income countries. WHO’s new guideline aims to provide evidence-based recommendations that are also relevant for low- and middle-income settings, where most cases and deaths from the disease occur. Accordingly, the guideline includes over 20 recommendations spanning:

    • folic acid and iron supplementation, including adjustments for malaria-endemic areas;
    • management of sickle cell crises and pain relief;
    • prevention of infections and blood clots;
    • use of prophylactic blood transfusions; and
    • additional monitoring of the woman and the baby’s health throughout pregnancy.

    Critically, the guideline highlights the need for respectful, individualized care, adapted according to women’s unique needs, medical histories and preferences. It also addresses the importance of tackling stigma and discrimination within healthcare settings, which can be a major challenge for people with SCD in several countries around the world.

    “It’s essential that women with sickle cell disease can discuss their care options early in pregnancy—or ideally before—with knowledgeable providers,” said Dr Doris Chou, Medical Officer and lead author of the guideline. “This supports informed decisions about any treatment options to continue or adopt, as well as agree on ways of handling potential complications, so as to optimize outcomes for the woman, her pregnancy, and her baby.”

    Given the complex nature of these disorders, if a pregnant woman has SCD, the guideline notes the importance of involving skilled and knowledgeable personnel in her care team. These may include specialists like haemotologists as well as midwives, paediatricians and obstetrician-gynecologists who provide services for reproductive and newborn health.

    SCD is a neglected health condition that remains considerably under-funded and under-researched, despite its growing prevalence worldwide. While treatment options are improving for the general population, the guideline underscores the urgent need for more research into the safety and efficacy of SCD treatments for pregnant and breastfeeding women – populations that have historically been excluded from clinical trials.

    This publication is the first in a new WHO series on managing noncommunicable diseases in pregnancy. Future guidelines will address cardiovascular conditions, diabetes, respiratory diseases, mental health disorders and substance use. Chronic diseases are increasingly recognized as major contributors to maternal and newborn deaths and ill health.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s message on the International Day for the Elimination of Sexual Violence in Conflict [scroll down for French version]

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    Sexual violence is a grotesque tactic of war, used to brutalize, torture, and repress, scarring bodies, minds and entire communities. The horror of these heinous crimes echoes long after the guns fall silent.

    Too often, perpetrators walk free, cloaked in impunity, while survivors often bear the impossible burden of stigma and trauma. The pain does not end with them. It stretches across lifetimes, ravaging generations of families, and forces the inherited legacy of trauma and suffering on the descendants of survivors.

    The focus of this year is the deep and lasting intergenerational wounds of conflict-related sexual violence. To break the cycle, we must confront the horrors of the past, support the survivors of today, and protect future generations from the same fate.

    That means ensuring safe access to vital, survivor-centered and trauma-informed services; delivering justice and holding perpetrators to account; and listening to – and amplifying – the vital voices of survivors.

    Let’s unite to end this despicable crime, demand justice for survivors, and sustain our critical efforts to end the cycle of violence for good. 

    ***

    La violence sexuelle est une tactique de guerre abjecte, utilisée pour brutaliser, torturer et opprimer. Elle laisse des séquelles durables sur les corps et les esprits et meurtrit des populations entières. L’horreur de ces crimes odieux continue de résonner longtemps après que les armes se sont tues.

    Trop souvent, les auteurs de ces crimes restent en liberté et vivent en toute impunité, tandis que les personnes survivantes portent le fardeau insoutenable de la stigmatisation et du traumatisme. La douleur ne cesse jamais. Elle dure toute la vie, ravage les familles de génération en génération et lègue aux descendants traumatismes et souffrances.

    Cette année, l’attention se porte sur les blessures intergénérationnelles causées par la violence sexuelle liée aux conflits, qui sont profondes et durables. Pour briser cette chaîne, nous devons affronter les horreurs du passé, accompagner les personnes survivantes d’aujourd’hui et protéger les générations futures d’un sort identique.

    Pour cela, il faut permettre aux personnes survivantes d’avoir accès en toute sécurité à des services de base capables de prendre en charge leur traumatisme ; rendre la justice et faire en sorte que les auteurs de crimes répondent de leurs actes ; être à l’écoute des personnes survivantes et faire entendre leur voix.

    Unissons-nous pour mettre fin à ce crime odieux, exiger que justice soit rendue aux personnes survivantes et, grâce à l’action que nous continuerons à mener, briser définitivement le cycle de la violence.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Energy Sector – Electricity generators collaborate to help secure New Zealand’s energy future

    Source: Energy Resources Aotearoa

    Energy Resources Aotearoa welcomes today’s announcement from Genesis Energy and other major electricity generators, Mercury, Meridian, and Contact, setting out a proposed long-term agreement to establish a strategic energy reserve and retain Huntly’s Rankine units to support a secure energy future for New Zealand.
    Energy Resources Aotearoa Chief Executive John Carnegie says the proposal is a pragmatic signal that generators can work together to manage growing system risks.
    “As New Zealand navigates the challenges of declining domestic natural gas, growing but intermittent renewable generation, and highly volatile economic and geopolitical conditions, this proposal is a practical response to uncertainty.
    “Huntly has long been New Zealand’s energy security blanket. Its dual-fuel capability – capable of running on both coal and natural gas – provides the system with resilience and flexibility, with the potential to expand this to biomass in the future.
    More domestic gas supply will further enhance this capability and reduce our dependence on coal during periods of peak demand or supply shortfall.”
    “We welcome more wind and solar, but they also make the system more volatile. We need to increase our firm generation capacity even more, in the form of more gas-fired power plants, to meet demand peaks. There’s no single fix, but this proposal is a useful part of the solution as we manage uncertainty.”
    Energy Resources Aotearoa will continue to advocate for policy and regulatory settings that support long-term investment in reliable, secure and affordable energy, to power New Zealand’s future.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: ACT Budget 2025–26: Supporting Primary Care and Building a More Inclusive Health Workforce

    Source: Australian National Party

    As part of ACT Government’s ‘One Government, One Voice’ program, we are transitioning this website across to our . You can access everything you need through this website while it’s happening.

    Released 19/06/2025

    The 2025–26 ACT Budget will deliver targeted investment to strengthen local general practice, improve affordability and access to primary care, and support a more inclusive and self-determined First Nations health workforce.

    The ACT Government is investing in new health funding over four years to ensure Canberrans can access the right care in the right place, with a stronger primary care system that delivers better outcomes and equity.

    This includes:

    • $7.3 million over four years to support general practice through bulk billing incentives, wellbeing and professional development support for GPs, and more junior doctor placements in ACT general practices.
    • $2.36 million over four years (ongoing and indexed) to grow the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health workforce and address systemic barriers to participation.
    • Payroll tax changes for medical practices from 1 July 2025 that will exempt income from bulk billed GP services – a measure that will support affordability and access while reducing the administrative burden on practices.

    Treasurer Chris Steel said that investments is part of  ACT Government’s delivering on its health priorities and compliments the Federal Government’s commitments to strengthening Medicare.

    “Health care is our biggest priority in the Budget, and these measures will support more affordable local access to primary health care,” Minister Steel said.

    “The Government will provide support for both the workforce and the community – with more bulk billing appointments, better support for GPs, and a stronger First Nations workforce to deliver culturally safe care. These measures will ensure Canberrans can access the care they need, closer to home.”

    Key measures in the Budget will deliver on Government commitments to support GPs to expand services and reduce out-of-pocket costs for families. A $1.5 million grants program will be piloted over two years to support general practices that commit to bulk billing all children under 16.

    The Government is also delivering on the Government commitment to support for the primary health care workforce by investing in professional development and wellbeing, including funding for the Drs4Drs mental health support program and expanding Junior Medical Officer (JMO) placements into general practice settings to promote early consideration of a GP career pathway.

    To support greater access for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to health careers, the Budget also includes funding for new workforce governance structures, culturally safe supervision, and support for local implementation of the National First Nations Workforce Plan.

    Health Minister Rachel Stephen-Smith said the investments are part of a coordinated approach to grow and support the health workforce and are key actions in the ACT Health Workforce Strategy: Action Plan 2024-2026 .

    “Primary care is the foundation of a strong health system, and we’re backing our GP workforce to do what they do best – deliver high-quality, accessible care to the community,” Minister Stephen-Smith said.

    “We’re also backing a stronger, more self-determined Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander workforce. This Budget funds new dedicated roles, better training and supervision, and action on systemic racism in the health system.

    “Together, these investments will help build a more inclusive, sustainable health system – one that puts equity, respect and workforce wellbeing at its core.

    “They complement Federal Labor’s commitments to expanding bulk billing and build on the ACT Government’s broader work to expand community-based, person-centred healthcare and reduce pressure on the hospital system.”

    – Statement ends –

    Chris Steel, MLA | Rachel Stephen-Smith, MLA | Media Releases

    «ACT Government Media Releases | «Minister Media Releases

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN delivers keynote speech at the Jakarta Forum on ASEAN-China Relations

    Source: ASEAN

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today delivered the keynote speech at the Jakarta Forum on ASEAN-China Relations: New Areas, New Engines and New Opportunities, held at the Shangri-La Hotel, Jakarta, Indonesia. In his speech, Dr. Kao outlined key strategic priorities for shaping the future of ASEAN–China relations, including Digital Economy, Green Transition, Supply Chain Resilience, Transport Connectivity, and Tourism Cooperation, among others.
     
    Download the full keynote speech here.
     

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN delivers keynote speech at the Jakarta Forum on ASEAN-China Relations appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 06/18/2025 VIDEO: Blackburn Slams White House ‘Cabal’ for Hiding Biden Cognitive Decline and Hijacking Executive Power

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) slammed the Biden White House during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing for hiding Joe Biden’s cognitive decline for four years and the subsequent shameless coverup by the media and Democrats. Senator Blackburn laid out how Joe Biden’s cabal behind the curtain has undermined the faith of the American people in public institutions. 

    Click here to download video of Senator Blackburn’s remarks during the Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

    Many of Joe Biden’s Own Cabinet Members Knew He Was Unfit to Serve

    Senator Blackburn: “You could look at any of the footage and see what was transpiring with President Biden, and I think the fact that many of his own cabinet members knew that he was not fit to serve, and that there was a cabal behind the curtain who was making all the decisions it is so offensive to the American people, and it’s not something that is a partisan issue. As I talk with Democrats, many of them have lost faith in what they thought was going to be a very moderate Joe Biden administration, and it turned into be the far-left Bernie Sanders version of the Democrat party that was using the autopen and making decisions and committing our great nation to policies that the American people did not support and would never have supported.”

    Biden Staffers Were Willing to Do Undemocratic Things to Hold onto Power

    Senator Blackburn: “These staffers were willing to do undemocratic things, using their term to keep the president in office. To keep Biden there, they were willing to do undemocratic things, unlawful things. That behavior… undermines the faith of Tennesseans and all Americans in our public institutions because they could see what was happening, but they were being lied to by people in the White House who were probably then running in their office and saying, ‘Well, we pulled it off another day.’”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall: We Do Not Want American Troops Involved in a Foreign War

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Senator Marshall Joins The Vince Show to Discuss The President’s One Big Beautiful Bill, English Language Requirements for Truck Drivers, and the Iran / Israel Conflict
    Washington – On Wednesday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), joined Vince Coglianese on The Vince Show to discuss President Trump’s ‘One Big, Beautiful Bill,’ his new legislation to mandate all truck drivers speak English, and what could happen next in the ongoing conflict in Iran. 

    Click HERE to listen to the full interview.
    On the progress being made in the OBBB negotiations:
    “We’re making incredible progress in the Senate. I think first of all, we have to figure out what all the Senators can agree upon and then follow back up with the House. … Probably the one thing that is still missing, there are a lot of us who would still like to see some more cuts – there’s about $2 trillion of cuts so far. We’d like to see a little bit more, if at all possible.
    “We think another couple hundred billion dollars is sitting there. We’ve given those suggestions to leadership. I just think it’s an incredible negotiation going on now between House leadership with Mike Johnson and, of course, Leader Thune in the Senate and the White House. I can tell you, they’re all in the same room, they’re working hard and just trying to find that sweet spot where we can get to 218 in the house, 51 in the Senate.”
    On what will happen to the SALT Deduction:  
    “I know everyone is fixated on the amounts 20, 30, $40,000, and by the way, that’s a $400 billion hit over the next 10 years. Red states subsiding, blue states $400 billion. But I really think it’s when you should not be able to benefit from them at what salary – if you’re making $500,000 a year, should you still get that, and be able to write that off? And if you’re making $600,000?  …So that’s another dial to keep your eye on, as we go forward.”
    On why the OBBB is needed to keep the southern border secure:  
    “[DHS] is going to run out of money very soon. It’s expensive what they’re doing; they probably said maybe $100,000 per person when it comes to arresting them, housing them, going through the process, and deporting them. You think about that we have 400,000 violent illegal aliens out there. It’s going to be very expensive to do. I think they’re living on borrowed time and borrowed money.
    “And to your point, as much as anything, this bill will allow President Trump to fulfill his campaign promise to secure the border, arguably forever, but at least for the next four years. And so, I say, I think it’s all it’s going to have $45 billion to build 2000 miles of barrier, double the number of ice removal agents, etc.”
    On the newest legislation for English literacy requirements for truck drivers:   
    “So, we want to codify President Trump’s rules, so that way, heaven forbid another Barack Obama President comes in here. And he’s the one who said it was okay – he took this rule out that required the English language to drive, and we’re not just talking little trucks, we’re talking the big trucks, the big semis that we see on the roads – I mean, it just makes sense.
    “And by the way, I’m not the first to say this, but common sense is not very common in Washington, DC, but under President Trump, he’s restoring common sense. This is just a common-sense issue: that if you’re driving a big truck, you need to be able to take a driver’s test in English and be able to read and speak English proficiently. It’s just common sense.”
    On what’s happening in Iran and if American forces will become involved:
    “I think that we all agree that Iran cannot have nuclear weapons. I think that is the absolute bottom line. I think that we have trust that President Trump is weighing all the different sides of this conversation. I think that most of us hope that Israel can finish the job. I think there’s a way that they can finish the job as well without us. I think that’s what would be best. And I certainly don’t want to get ahead of the President, if he decides differently, there’ll be a darn good reason that he decided differently.
    “I never want to speak for the President. I think that most senators hope and believe that Israel can finish the job on their own. We’ll continue our defensive posture. Do everything we can to stay out of the war … Again, we’re talking about us to look through the eyes of the Iranian people – this is a great time for them. What we’re hoping to see over there is a regime change as well and end this terrorist organization. We have confidence that President Trump will thread the needle properly to do whatever needs to be done. But the great thing is, I know philosophically, President Trump is not going to get us into another endless war.
    “We do not want American troops in there. I think we would all just have a fit to see one American troop in there on the ground. It’s a big difference between that and a precision strike, if that’s what’s necessary. President Trump has demonstrated precision strikes in the past, but I just don’t see any circumstances that we’re going to have American boots on the ground in this. Look, Israel’s got this under control – why do we want to go in there and make this thing get worse?… I certainly believe that Iran was very close to nuclear warheads – they had 60% enriched uranium enough to make at least 10 atomic bombs. Look, nuclear power plants in America never go beyond 6% enrichment. They’re sitting there at 60%, there’s no doubt in my mind that they were planning on making a nuclear weapon.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Durbin Announce $30 Million in Federal Funding for O’hare Airport Runway Extensions

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    June 18, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) and U.S. Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) today announced $30,000,000 in federal funding through the U.S. Department of Transportation’s Federal Aviation Authority for O’Hare International Airport. The federal funding will be used to pave Runway 9R/27L an additional 3,290 feet in length to reduce delays, accommodate more passengers and allow for increased aircraft operations.

    “Illinois’s airports are critical economic engines for our state and the source of jobs for so many working families,” Duckworth said. “I’m proud to join Senator Durbin in announcing this investment of federal funding to help expand and modernize infrastructure at O’Hare International Airport. I will continue to work alongside Senator Durbin to make traveling more efficient and reliable for all passengers while ensuring that our communities are receiving the much-needed federal resources they deserve.”

    “O’Hare keeps millions of Americans connected with reliable air travel. By improving and modernizing its infrastructure, we are laying the foundation for increased connectivity and reliability,” said Durbin. “Today’s announced federal funding for O’Hare will enhance the travel experience for passengers. I will continue working with Senator Duckworth to ensure Illinois airports have the necessary federal resources to keep passengers safe and connected.”

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth to Hegseth: “Let the Military Get Back to Its Real Job Defending Americans, Not Policing Them”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth

    June 18, 2025

    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) excoriated Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth for deploying American servicemembers to police and intimidate their fellow Americans in our nation’s communities, something that actively undermines the Secretary’s own self-proclaimed goal of strengthening our military’s warfighting capabilities and protecting Americans from real foreign threats. Duckworth underscored how misusing our military for domestic law enforcement matters diverts taxpayer dollars and our Armed Forces’ attention away from the combat training that servicemembers need to face foreign enemies abroad. Duckworth’s remarks can be found on the Senator’s YouTube.

    “The unjustified, un-American misuse of the military in American cities pulls resources and attention away from our Armed Forces’ core missions to the detriment of the country, the warfighters and, yes, even the warfighting that Secretary Hegseth claims to love,” said Senator Duckworth. “The military should not be playing cop against their fellow Americans—and the longer they do, the less they’re preparing for real warfighting against real foreign threats to the American people. It’s time Mr. Hegseth let the military get back to its actual job and stop forcing them to do DHS’s. If he wants to be DHS Secretary, he can apply for it when he’s been fired from being Defense Secretary due to his incompetence.”

    During today’s Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) hearing, Duckworth noted that the Trump Administration’s deployment of American servicemembers to California is just the latest in a deliberate, systematic and dangerous politicized campaign to reorient our military away from warfighting and toward intimidating Americans in their own communities. On his first day back in office, President Trump directed U.S. Northern Command to revise its Unified Command Plan and add new planning requirements to combat “criminal activities.” Trump also signed a series of executive orders redirecting the Defense Department’s priorities toward supporting domestic law enforcement, including one in April that tells the Department to “use national security assets for law and order.” This is an egregious misuse of the military that undermines its core mission to protect and defend our nation from foreign threats, and thereby makes all Americans less safe.

    Over the weekend, Duckworth joined U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-CA) and the entire Senate Democratic Caucus in demanding that President Trump immediately withdraw all military forces from Los Angeles and cease all threats to deploy the National Guard or active-duty service members to American cities. And, while questioning the Commandant of the Marine Corps during a hearing last week, Duckworth slammed the Trump Administration’s deployment of 700 Marines into Los Angeles. The Senator said, “I don’t condone violence or property destruction, but using active-duty Marines this way sets a dangerous precedent that risks damaging public trust in our military and politicizing a military force that must remain mission-focused. President Trump is asking Marines to be away from their families for a situation that the President himself said yesterday was ‘simmering, but not very much.’”

    Since he was first nominated and throughout his confirmation hearing, Duckworth has made it clear that Pete Hegseth is manifestly unqualified to lead our men and women in uniform as Secretary of Defense. After his egregious national security breach that needlessly put the lives of our troops in greater danger, Duckworth has demanded that Hegseth resign in disgrace or be fired immediately.

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Almost 16 thousand Moscow teachers will take courses on teaching mathematics in a new format

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    About 16 thousand Moscow teachers will undergo training to use new approaches in teaching mathematics, of which over 1.5 thousand teachers work in the fifth and sixth grades. Employees of 150 schools will begin training. These are teachers, methodologists and principals. This was reported by the press service Department of Education and Science of the City of Moscow.

    “Starting from the new academic year, Moscow schools will introduce additional courses in mathematics, science and technology for grades one through four. Large-scale training of teachers is being conducted for this purpose. Already 14,000 primary school teachers have begun classes, and now teachers of grades five through six will join them. They will master the stratified approach, in which students are divided into groups depending on the child’s interest in studying mathematics: mathematics for everyone, mathematics for those interested, and mathematics for those passionate. Teachers will learn to work with children with different educational needs,” the department’s press service noted.

    Children’s groups (strata) will be formed based on the results of diagnostics and taking into account the opinions of parents. In the first half of the year, children will be able to try themselves at different levels, and from the second half, they will continue their studies in a suitable group. At the same time, they can move to a simpler level at any time.

    This approach will help schoolchildren master mathematics at a comfortable pace. The tasks will correspond to their level of preparation and interests, which will have a positive effect on the results and motivation. To do this, teachers will study different teaching methods, get acquainted with the experience of schools that already use the stratified approach, and learn how to build interaction with students and parents.

    Courses in mathematics, science and technology in grades one through four will begin in September 2025. The emphasis will be on creative tasks and the development of modern skills. Some classes will be devoted to Moscow’s opportunities and in-demand professions. The program also does not include homework, so as not to create an additional burden.

    Earlier, the capital created expert council for the development of mathematical and natural science education. Its goal is to improve the quality of education in schools and support children’s interest in the exact sciences. The Council is engaged in the development of promising proposals for the development of mathematical and natural science education, the examination of teaching aids, advanced training courses for teachers, and the analysis of best pedagogical practices. It is headed by the Rector Moscow City Pedagogical University Doctor of Pedagogical Sciences Igor Remorenko. The group includes leading specialists – coaches of Olympic teams, teachers, scientists, methodologists, representatives of universities and industrial partners.

    Strengthening mathematical and natural science training is part of the Moscow education development strategy approved by Sergei Sobyanin. The measures taken will help maintain the capital’s advantage in this area. This year, young Muscovites won a record number of awards at the All-Russian School Olympiad — 1,863 diplomas, and by the end of 2024, they had received more than 50 percent of the country’s gold medals at international intellectual competitions.

    Sobyanin: Muscovites win medals at international chemistry and physics olympiadsMoscow schoolchildren won 17 medals at the International Informatics TournamentIn the Kingdom of Science: How Moscow Schoolchildren Win Medals at International Olympiads

    The advanced training program was organized by the Center for Pedagogical Excellence of the Moscow Department of Education and Science and the Moscow City Pedagogical University.

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

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

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/155456073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: National Emergencies – Volunteers crucial to our emergency management system – NEMA

    Source: National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA)

     

    Emergency management is everyone’s responsibility – and this National Volunteer Week (15-21 June), NEMA is celebrating the people in our communities that put in the hard yards when things get tough.

     

    Volunteers are involved at every level in Aotearoa New Zealand’s emergency management system. They are a crucial part of all four Rs – risk reduction, readiness, response and recovery – and they balance home, family and day jobs alongside stepping up for their communities.

     

    “There are so many ways volunteers contribute to our emergency management system, and we want to thank everyone who gets involved,” NEMA’s Director of Civil Defence Emergency Management John Price says.

    • New Zealand Response Teams (known as NZRTs) support Civil Defence Emergency Management groups, working with emergency services, helping manage evacuations and running Civil Defence Centres. NZRTs are staffed by qualified personnel and there are teams across the country.
    • Most communities have a Civil Defence Centre or community hub, where locals can come together during and after an emergency. These are opened and run by people in the community.
    • Many different organisations provide search and rescue services, including Land Search and Rescue, Coastguard New Zealand, Amateur Radio Emergency Communications and Surf Live Saving New Zealand.
    • Volunteers with Fire and Emergency New Zealand help communities prevent, prepare, respond and recover from emergencies.

     

    “I also want to give a shout-out to the people across the country who help their communities in other ways,” John Price says.

     

    “There are lots of ways to help out in emergencies, whether it’s as part of an organised group or just mucking in and helping your neighbours.

     

    “Volunteers are the golden thread creating closer ties across communities and building the social cohesion that is so important.

     

    “We also need to remember that behind every volunteer who’s out in the field, there are administrators, people running training and logistics – and those at home who are keeping the whānau safe.

     

    “Volunteers tell us they love what they do and find it extremely rewarding, as well as a great way to meet people and build closer ties with communities.”

     

    For those who want to get involved, John Price says there’s more information on NEMA’s Get Ready site, as well as Volunteering New Zealand which can match keen people with opportunities to get stuck in.

     

    “Without our volunteers, we’d be in trouble in an emergency. That’s why we always want to hear from people who can step up when things are tough, and help their community.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Call for information – Property Damage – Katherine

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force are calling for information after four vehicles were damaged at a block of units along Grevillea Road in Katherine East overnight.

    Police received reports this morning that four vehicles were damaged within the area and upon review of available CCTV footage it was identified that there were two suspects involved. Police believe the two also allegedly continued to canvass nearby properties throughout the night.

    The persons of interest are believed to be youths, with one wearing a red hoodie with black sleeves, and the other wearing a camouflage patterned black and white hoodie.

    If anyone has any information in relation to this incident, particularly those who may have CCTV footage from the area to contact police on 131 444. Please reference job number NTP2500062353. You can anonymously report crime via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Scrapping the national census raises data sovereignty and surveillance fears for Māori

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lara Greaves, Associate Professor of Politics, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

    Getty Images

    Yesterday’s announcement that the five-yearly national census would be scrapped has raised difficult questions about the effectiveness, ethics and resourcing of the new “administrative” system that will replace it.

    An administrative census will use information collected in day-to-day government activities, such as emergency-room admission forms, overseas travel declarations and marriage licences.

    The move is not necessarily bad in principle, especially given the rising cost of the census and declining participation rates. But to make it effective and robust it must be properly resourced. And it must give effect to the principles of te Tiriti o Waitangi (Treaty of Waitangi), as set out in the Data and Statistics Act.

    The transformation process so far leaves considerable room for doubt that these things will happen. In particular, there are major ethical and Māori data sovereignty issues at stake.

    As Te Mana Raraunga (the Māori Data Sovereignty Network) advocates, data is a living taonga (treasure), is of strategic value to Māori, and should be subject to Māori governance. Changes to census methods risk compromising these values – and undermining public trust in the official statistics system in general.

    Because the new system takes census data gathering out of the hands of individual citizens and households, it also raises questions about state surveillance and social licence.

    Surveillance and social licence

    Surveillance means more than police stakeouts or phone-tapping. The state constantly collects and uses many kinds of data about us and our movements.

    For more than a decade, the Integrated Data Infrastructure has been the government’s tool to patch gaps in its own data ecosystems.

    This administrative data is collected without our direct and informed consent, and there is no real way to opt out. The safeguard is that information about individuals is “de-identified” once it enters the Integrated Data Infrastructure – no names, just data points.

    Stats NZ, which administers the system, says it has the social licence to collect, cross-reference and use this administrative data. But genuine social licence requires that people understand and accept how their data is being used.

    Stats NZ’s own research shows only around one in four people surveyed have enough knowledge about its activities to make an informed judgement.

    The risks associated with this form of surveillance are amplified for Māori because of their particular historical experience with data and surveillance. The Crown used data collection and monitoring systems to dispossess land and suppress cultural practices, which continue to disproportionately affect Māori communities today.

    Meaningful work to address this has taken place under the Mana Ōrite agreement, a partnership between Stats NZ and the Data Iwi Leaders Group (part of the National Iwi Chairs Forum). The agreement aims to solidify iwi authority over their own data and ensure Māori perspectives are heard in decision-making around data and statistics.

    Data and a distorted picture of Māori

    On the face of it, repurposing administrative data seems like a realistic solution to the census budget blowout. But there are questions about whether the data and methods used in an administrative census will be robust and of high quality. This has implications for policy and for communities.

    Administrative data in its current form is limited in many ways. In particular, it misses what is actually important to Māori communities, and what makes life meaningful to them.

    Administrative data often only measures problems. It is collected on Māori at their most vulnerable – when they’re in crisis, sick or struggling – which creates a distorted picture. In contrast, Te Kupenga (a survey by Stats NZ last run in 2018) included information by Māori and from a Māori cultural perspective that reflected lived realities.

    Before increasing reliance on administrative data, greater engagement with Māori will be needed to ensure a data system that gathers and provides reliable, quality data. It is especially important for smaller hapori Māori (Māori communities), which need the data to make decisions for their members.

    Stats NZ plans to partly fill the data void left by removing the traditional census with regular surveys. But the small sample size of surveys often makes it impossible to obtain reliable information on smaller groups, such as takatāpui (Māori of diverse gender and sexualities) or specific hapū or iwi groups.

    It is not clear the implications of this have been fully been worked through in the census change process. Nor is it clear whether the recommendations from Stats NZ’s Future Census Independent External Review Panel – from Māori and a range of experts – have been fully considered.

    This included crucial recommendations around commissioning an independent analysis informed by te Tiriti principles, meaningful engagement with iwi-Māori, and the continuing implementation of a Māori data governance model developed by Māori data experts.

    We are not opposed to updating the way in which census data is collected. But for the new approach to be just, ethical and legal will require it to adhere to te Tiriti o Waitangi and the relationship established in the Mana Ōrite agreement.

    Lara Greaves receives funding from the Royal Society of NZ, MBIE, and Horizon Europe. Lara is affiliated with Te Mana Raraunga-Māori Data Sovereignty Network.

    Ella Pēpi Tarapa-Dewes is affiliated with Te Mana Raraunga-Māori Data Sovereignty Network.

    Kiri West receives funding from Ngā Pae o te Māramatanga. She is affiliated with Te Mana Raraunga-Māori Data Sovereignty Network.

    Larissa Renfrew is affiliated with Te Mana Raraunga-Māori Data Sovereignty Network.

    – ref. Scrapping the national census raises data sovereignty and surveillance fears for Māori – https://theconversation.com/scrapping-the-national-census-raises-data-sovereignty-and-surveillance-fears-for-maori-259274

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • Indian stock market trades flat amid US Fed policy decision

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Indian benchmark indices opened on a flat note Thursday, reacting cautiously to the US Federal Reserve’s latest policy decision and weak cues from Asian markets. Early trade saw selling pressure across IT, PSU banking, FMCG, and pharma sectors.

    At around 9:34 am, the Sensex was trading marginally higher by 1.66 points at 81,446.32, while the Nifty edged up by 9.90 points to 24,821.95, showing a minimal gain of 0.04%.

    The Nifty Bank index was up by 43.15 points, or 0.08%, at 55,871.90. Meanwhile, the Nifty Midcap 100 dropped 40.35 points, or 0.07%, to 58,068.85, whereas the Nifty Smallcap 100 gained 25.60 points, or 0.14%, reaching 18,404.05.

    Analysts noted that while the US Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged, it maintained its projection of two rate cuts this year. However, an increasing number of policymakers now foresee no cuts at all.

    “Additionally, the Fed slightly revised its long-term outlook, projecting just one quarter-point cut each in 2026 and 2027,” said Mandar Bhojane of Choice Broking.

    Market experts believe the 24,500–25,000 range for the Nifty will likely hold unless geopolitical developments — particularly from the Israel-Iran conflict — shift the market mood.

    “If there’s news of de-escalation, the Nifty may break out of the upper band. However, any escalation, especially affecting the Strait of Hormuz and causing a spike in crude oil prices, could threaten the 24,500 support level,” said Dr. V.K. Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services.

    Among Sensex stocks, Tech Mahindra, IndusInd Bank, Infosys, HCLTech, PowerGrid, and Tata Steel were the top losers in early trade. On the other hand, Titan, M&M, Kotak Mahindra Bank, and Tata Motors emerged as top gainers.

    Foreign Institutional Investors (FIIs) remained net buyers on June 18, purchasing equities worth ₹890 crore. Domestic Institutional Investors (DIIs) also showed buying interest, investing ₹1,091 crore during the session.

    Across Asia, markets in Bangkok, Japan, Seoul, Jakarta, Hong Kong, and China were trading in the red.

    Meanwhile, US markets ended on a mixed note in the previous session, reacting to the Federal Reserve’s policy announcement and Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s comments. The Dow Jones closed at 42,171.66, down 44.14 points or 0.10%, while the S&P 500 dipped 1.85 points to 5,980.87. The Nasdaq, however, gained 25.18 points to close at 19,546.27, up 0.13%.

    — IANS

  • President Murmu to visit Uttarakhand from June 19–21, will launch key civic and cultural projects in Dehradun

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    President Droupadi Murmu will undertake a three-day official visit to Uttarakhand from June 19 to 21, during which she will inaugurate a series of development and public engagement initiatives at Rashtrapati Niketan in Dehradun. The President will also participate in various cultural and educational programmes.

    On June 19, President Murmu will inaugurate an amphitheatre at Rashtrapati Niketan and lay foundation stones for staff quarters, stables, and barracks.

    The following day, the President will formally open Rashtrapati Niketan for public visits and inaugurate visitor amenities including a Facilitation Centre, Cafeteria, and Souvenir Shop. She will also inaugurate Rashtrapati Tapovan and lay the foundation for Rashtrapati Udyan. Both Rashtrapati Niketan and Rashtrapati Tapovan will open to the public from June 24.

    President Murmu is also scheduled to visit the National Institute for Empowerment of Persons with Visual Disabilities in Dehradun on June 20, where she will attend an exhibition, visit a model school science lab, and interact with students. Later in the evening, the President will release a commemorative postage stamp marking 125 years of Raj Bhavan, Nainital.

    On June 21, President Murmu will participate in a mass yoga demonstration at the State Police Line Maidan, Dehradun, as part of International Yoga Day celebrations.

  • Young guns shine as Juventus hammer Al-Ain 5-0 at Club World Cup

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Randal Kolo Muani and Francisco Conceicao both scored twice as the young guns of Juventus made a statement in their Club World Cup opener with a dominant 5-0 win over Emirati club Al-Ain on Wednesday.

    Kolo Muani grabbed both of his goals in the first half, Conceicao scored either side of the break while Turkey forward Kenan Yildiz also found the net as Juventus dazzled the crowd at Audi Field with some mesmeric football.

    “I’m very happy to win the game, the team played a great game so we’re happy and now we’ll get ready for the next game,” said Kolo Muani.

    “I finished last season well and we’ve started this good as well.”

    The convincing victory sent Juventus top of Group G level on three points with England’s Manchester City, who beat Wydad Casablanca 2-0 earlier on Wednesday.

    Twice Asian champions Al-Ain conceded two thirds of the pitch for much of the first half and Juventus midfielder Khephren Thuram ran the show from about 35 metres out with Conceicao and Yildiz buzzing around in front of him.

    A neat exchange of passing in the 11th minute set Alberto Costa free on the edge of the box and the young Portuguese right back lofted over a cross which Kolo Muani met with a powerful header at the far post for the opening goal.

    Costa’s fine work down the right flank 10 minutes later set up the second goal for Conceicao, who ghosted across the box before unleashing a shot which took a deflection and flew over the outstretched arms of Rui Patricio in the Al-Ain goal.

    A further 10 minutes on and the lively Yildiz took the ball on the left before cutting inside, taking two touches and firing a shot into the net off the post.

    Al-Ain had to push forward if they were going to get anything out of the game but they paid the price for their ambition in stoppage time at the end of the first half.

    A through ball from Thuram found Kolo Muani peeling off the last defender and the French striker slotted the ball into net with the outside of his right foot to take his tally to five goals in his last six games for The Old Lady.

    The Emirati side had a goal ruled out for offside at the start of the second half and skipper Kodjo Laba drew a fine save out of Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio in the 49th minute.

    Conceicao, however, put the game well beyond them in the 58th minute when he skipped into the box from the right wing and beat Portuguese Patricio for the second time with a fine low strike.

    Patricio finally showed the quality that earned him 108 Portugal caps to deny Kolo Muani a hat-trick in the 66th minute and Juventus substitute Douglas Luiz came close to further blowing out the scoreline in the last couple of minutes.

    Juventus next play Morroco’s Wydad in Philadephia on Sunday, while Al-Ain, who lost to Real Madrid in the 2018 Club World Cup final, face City in Atlanta later the same day.

    -Reuters

  • Captain Gill to bat at number four as India look to fill Kohli void

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India’s new test captain Shubman Gill will drop down one spot in the order to take Virat Kohli’s old position at number four, vice skipper Rishabh Pant said on Wednesday ahead of their series opener against England.

    Kohli, who scored 9,230 runs in tests including 30 centuries, followed former captain Rohit Sharma into retirement from the format last month.

    India named Gill as their new test captain in May, picking the 25-year-old batter over pace spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.

    “I think Shubman is going to bat at number four and I’m going to stick to number five as of now,” Pant told reporters.

    “And (the) rest, we are going to keep on discussing about that.

    “Obviously, it’s a new start for us, big people have left. Yes, there will be a gap, but at the same time, it’s an opportunity for us to build a new culture from here or take a culture forward from there, just adding to it.”

    Pant said his friendship with Gill will help them tackle the leadership responsibilities, with their first big challenge coming up on Friday when the first test kicks off at Leeds.

    “If you’re good friends off the field, it eventually comes on the field. It’s much better for cricket always, and that is something I’ve always believed in,” he said.

    “Me and him, we get along really well together. We keep on having conversations, and the kind of comfort zone we have with each other, I think that is really going to be special for us.”

    -Reuters

  • Fed keeps key rates steady; cites ‘meaningful’ inflation, cautious path ahead

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The U.S. central bank held interest rates steady on Wednesday and policymakers signaled borrowing costs are still likely to fall in 2025, but Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell cautioned against putting too much weight on that view, and said he expects “meaningful” inflation ahead as consumers pay more for goods due to the Trump administration’s planned import tariffs.

    “No one holds these … rate paths with a great deal of conviction, and everyone would agree that they’re all going to be data-dependent,” Powell said in a press conference after the end of a two-day U.S. central bank meeting where policymakers slowed their overall outlook for rate cuts in response to a more challenging outlook of weaker economic growth, rising joblessness, and faster price increases.

    If not for tariffs, Powell said, rate cuts might actually be in order, given that recent inflation readings have been favorably low.

    But a cost shock is coming, he insisted, with producers, manufacturers and retailers still involved in a complicated struggle over who will pay the levies imposed so far, and President Donald Trump still contemplating an aggressive set of import duties that could go into effect early next month.

    “Everyone that I know is forecasting a meaningful increase in inflation in coming months from tariffs, because someone has to pay for the tariffs … between the manufacturer, the exporter, the importer, the retailer,” Powell said. “People will be trying not to be the ones who can pick up the cost. Ultimately, the cost of the tariff has to be paid, and some of it will fall on the end consumer.”

    “We’ll make smarter and better decisions if we just wait a couple of months or however long it takes to get a sense of really what is going to be the pass-through of inflation” from the higher import taxes, Powell said.

    In new economic projections released alongside the Fed’s statement, policymakers sketched a modestly stagflationary picture of the economy, with growth in 2025 slowing to 1.4%, unemployment rising to 4.5%, and inflation ending the year at 3%, well above the current level.

    While policymakers still anticipate cutting rates by half a percentage point this year, as they projected in March and December, they slightly slowed the pace from there to a single quarter-percentage-point cut in each of 2026 and 2027 in a protracted fight to return inflation to their 2% target.

    And there was a split among the 19 policymakers, with seven of them feeling no rate cuts will be needed. That diversity of views reflects that while uncertainty over Trump’s tariff policy is down from its peak in April, it’s still “a very foggy time,” Powell said, adding that policymakers may have divergent assessments of the risk that inflation could stay persistently higher, or that the labor market could weaken.

    Under the new projections, inflation will remain elevated at 2.4% through 2026 before falling to 2.1% in 2027 amid largely stable unemployment.

    The projected 1.4% GDP growth this year compares to the 1.7% rate seen in the last round of projections in March, and the 4.5% unemployment rate expected at the end of the year is up from the 4.4% projected in March. The rate in May was 4.2%

    So far, however, “the unemployment rate remains low, and labor market conditions remain solid,” the Fed said in a policy statement that kept its benchmark overnight interest rate in the 4.25%-4.50% range. The decision was approved unanimously.

    “There’s still bias towards some version of stagnation, lower growth with rising sticky inflation,” said Jack McIntyre, portfolio manager for global fixed income at Brandywine Global. “It feels like it’s a Fed that’s still being very patient, and they’re still biased towards cutting rates in the near future.”

    TRUMP LASHES OUT

    The Fed’s statement did not mention the sudden outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Iran and the risk that conflict posed to global oil or other markets.

    Powell said the Fed is watching the conflict “like everybody else” and that while it’s possible energy prices could rise, such price spikes generally fade and don’t have lasting effects on inflation.

    “For the time being we are well positioned to wait to learn more about the likely course of the economy before considering any adjustments to our policy stance,” Powell said. The Fed, he added, is set up to “react” to incoming information in a timely way.

    U.S. stock indexes closely largely flat on the day, while the 10-year Treasury yield was mostly unchanged. Interest rate future prices continued to suggest the Fed’s September 16-17 meeting was the most likely point for the next rate cut, with another reduction in borrowing costs likely by the end of 2025.

    The central bank’s latest action again ignored Trump’s call for immediate rate cuts, a move Fed officials feel would be counter to their effort to ensure inflation returns to the 2% target until key tariff changes are finalized and their effects are better understood.

    As Fed officials were meeting on Wednesday, Trump called Powell “stupid” and said the policy rate should be slashed in half, the type of move usually reserved for severe economic emergencies. The president also mused about installing himself as Fed chief.

    The Fed cut rates three times last year, with the last move coming in December. Policymakers, however, have been reluctant to commit to a timeline for further cuts given the volatility of U.S. trade policy, and the difficulty of estimating how the burden of higher import taxes will be spread among consumers, importers, and producing nations.

    (Reuters)

  • Fed keeps key rates steady; cites ‘meaningful’ inflation, cautious path ahead

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The U.S. central bank held interest rates steady on Wednesday and policymakers signaled borrowing costs are still likely to fall in 2025, but Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell cautioned against putting too much weight on that view, and said he expects “meaningful” inflation ahead as consumers pay more for goods due to the Trump administration’s planned import tariffs.

    “No one holds these … rate paths with a great deal of conviction, and everyone would agree that they’re all going to be data-dependent,” Powell said in a press conference after the end of a two-day U.S. central bank meeting where policymakers slowed their overall outlook for rate cuts in response to a more challenging outlook of weaker economic growth, rising joblessness, and faster price increases.

    If not for tariffs, Powell said, rate cuts might actually be in order, given that recent inflation readings have been favorably low.

    But a cost shock is coming, he insisted, with producers, manufacturers and retailers still involved in a complicated struggle over who will pay the levies imposed so far, and President Donald Trump still contemplating an aggressive set of import duties that could go into effect early next month.

    “Everyone that I know is forecasting a meaningful increase in inflation in coming months from tariffs, because someone has to pay for the tariffs … between the manufacturer, the exporter, the importer, the retailer,” Powell said. “People will be trying not to be the ones who can pick up the cost. Ultimately, the cost of the tariff has to be paid, and some of it will fall on the end consumer.”

    “We’ll make smarter and better decisions if we just wait a couple of months or however long it takes to get a sense of really what is going to be the pass-through of inflation” from the higher import taxes, Powell said.

    In new economic projections released alongside the Fed’s statement, policymakers sketched a modestly stagflationary picture of the economy, with growth in 2025 slowing to 1.4%, unemployment rising to 4.5%, and inflation ending the year at 3%, well above the current level.

    While policymakers still anticipate cutting rates by half a percentage point this year, as they projected in March and December, they slightly slowed the pace from there to a single quarter-percentage-point cut in each of 2026 and 2027 in a protracted fight to return inflation to their 2% target.

    And there was a split among the 19 policymakers, with seven of them feeling no rate cuts will be needed. That diversity of views reflects that while uncertainty over Trump’s tariff policy is down from its peak in April, it’s still “a very foggy time,” Powell said, adding that policymakers may have divergent assessments of the risk that inflation could stay persistently higher, or that the labor market could weaken.

    Under the new projections, inflation will remain elevated at 2.4% through 2026 before falling to 2.1% in 2027 amid largely stable unemployment.

    The projected 1.4% GDP growth this year compares to the 1.7% rate seen in the last round of projections in March, and the 4.5% unemployment rate expected at the end of the year is up from the 4.4% projected in March. The rate in May was 4.2%

    So far, however, “the unemployment rate remains low, and labor market conditions remain solid,” the Fed said in a policy statement that kept its benchmark overnight interest rate in the 4.25%-4.50% range. The decision was approved unanimously.

    “There’s still bias towards some version of stagnation, lower growth with rising sticky inflation,” said Jack McIntyre, portfolio manager for global fixed income at Brandywine Global. “It feels like it’s a Fed that’s still being very patient, and they’re still biased towards cutting rates in the near future.”

    TRUMP LASHES OUT

    The Fed’s statement did not mention the sudden outbreak of hostilities between Israel and Iran and the risk that conflict posed to global oil or other markets.

    Powell said the Fed is watching the conflict “like everybody else” and that while it’s possible energy prices could rise, such price spikes generally fade and don’t have lasting effects on inflation.

    “For the time being we are well positioned to wait to learn more about the likely course of the economy before considering any adjustments to our policy stance,” Powell said. The Fed, he added, is set up to “react” to incoming information in a timely way.

    U.S. stock indexes closely largely flat on the day, while the 10-year Treasury yield was mostly unchanged. Interest rate future prices continued to suggest the Fed’s September 16-17 meeting was the most likely point for the next rate cut, with another reduction in borrowing costs likely by the end of 2025.

    The central bank’s latest action again ignored Trump’s call for immediate rate cuts, a move Fed officials feel would be counter to their effort to ensure inflation returns to the 2% target until key tariff changes are finalized and their effects are better understood.

    As Fed officials were meeting on Wednesday, Trump called Powell “stupid” and said the policy rate should be slashed in half, the type of move usually reserved for severe economic emergencies. The president also mused about installing himself as Fed chief.

    The Fed cut rates three times last year, with the last move coming in December. Policymakers, however, have been reluctant to commit to a timeline for further cuts given the volatility of U.S. trade policy, and the difficulty of estimating how the burden of higher import taxes will be spread among consumers, importers, and producing nations.

    (Reuters)

  • Israel Strikes Iran’s Police Headquarters as Conflict Enters Seventh Day with Mounting Casualties

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Israel-Iran conflict has intensified dramatically as it enters its sixth day, with Israeli forces conducting three waves of airstrikes across Iran while Iranian authorities report mounting casualties from the sustained bombardment. The latest escalation came as Israel targeted Iran’s national police headquarters, injuring several people according to Iranian state news agency IRNA, while Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz claimed his country had destroyed the headquarters of Iran’s public security.

    On Wednesday, Israel launched its most extensive military operation against Iran since the conflict began, carrying out airstrikes in three waves across the day.

    The first wave, overnight, struck around 40 targets in the Tehran area , including centrifuge manufacturing sites and anti-tank missile production facilities. By afternoon, a second series of strikes hit 20 additional locations, focusing on three major missile production centers. The evening assault targeted surface-to-surface missile launch and storage sites in western Iran.

    The sustained bombardment has triggered a mass exodus from Tehran and other Iranian cities. Thousands are fleeing, with reports of widespread panic and heavy congestion along evacuation routes.

    Iranian authorities and human rights groups now estimate at least 585 people have been killed and over 1,300 injured since the start of hostilities , many of them civilians.

    Infrastructure across the region is reeling. Airport closures and travel restrictions continue to disrupt civilian movement and affect foreign nationals throughout West Asia.

    Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that Israeli strikes successfully hit two centrifuge production sites that were once monitored under the 2015 nuclear deal , a development seen as a significant escalation in efforts to degrade Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

    Iran has responded with overwhelming force, launching over 400 ballistic missiles and approximately 1,000 drones at Israel since hostilities began. While Israel’s defense systems intercepted the majority of incoming projectiles, at least 20 missiles struck urban areas, resulting in 24 confirmed deaths and more than 500 wounded Israelis. Fires and destruction have been reported across Tel Aviv and other major cities as air raid sirens continue to sound throughout the country.

    The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps has vowed continued retaliation while Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has rejected mounting international pressure for de-escalation. Iran has issued stark warnings that any direct United States intervention would trigger ‘irreparable consequences’ and an ‘all-out war’ throughout West Asia, raising fears of a broader regional conflict.

    U.S President Donald Trump has dramatically escalated American involvement by demanding Iran’s “unconditional surrender” while increasing military deployments to the region. The administration is reportedly weighing direct strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and has begun evacuating some embassy personnel from Israel in preparation for possible expanded hostilities. Trump’s shift from earlier calls for restraint to open support for Israeli military actions marks a significant policy change that could reshape the conflict’s trajectory.

  • Israel Strikes Iran’s Police Headquarters as Conflict Enters Seventh Day with Mounting Casualties

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The Israel-Iran conflict has intensified dramatically as it enters its sixth day, with Israeli forces conducting three waves of airstrikes across Iran while Iranian authorities report mounting casualties from the sustained bombardment. The latest escalation came as Israel targeted Iran’s national police headquarters, injuring several people according to Iranian state news agency IRNA, while Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz claimed his country had destroyed the headquarters of Iran’s public security.

    On Wednesday, Israel launched its most extensive military operation against Iran since the conflict began, carrying out airstrikes in three waves across the day.

    The first wave, overnight, struck around 40 targets in the Tehran area , including centrifuge manufacturing sites and anti-tank missile production facilities. By afternoon, a second series of strikes hit 20 additional locations, focusing on three major missile production centers. The evening assault targeted surface-to-surface missile launch and storage sites in western Iran.

    The sustained bombardment has triggered a mass exodus from Tehran and other Iranian cities. Thousands are fleeing, with reports of widespread panic and heavy congestion along evacuation routes.

    Iranian authorities and human rights groups now estimate at least 585 people have been killed and over 1,300 injured since the start of hostilities , many of them civilians.

    Infrastructure across the region is reeling. Airport closures and travel restrictions continue to disrupt civilian movement and affect foreign nationals throughout West Asia.

    Meanwhile, the International Atomic Energy Agency has confirmed that Israeli strikes successfully hit two centrifuge production sites that were once monitored under the 2015 nuclear deal , a development seen as a significant escalation in efforts to degrade Iran’s nuclear capabilities.

    Iran has responded with overwhelming force, launching over 400 ballistic missiles and approximately 1,000 drones at Israel since hostilities began. While Israel’s defense systems intercepted the majority of incoming projectiles, at least 20 missiles struck urban areas, resulting in 24 confirmed deaths and more than 500 wounded Israelis. Fires and destruction have been reported across Tel Aviv and other major cities as air raid sirens continue to sound throughout the country.

    The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps has vowed continued retaliation while Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has rejected mounting international pressure for de-escalation. Iran has issued stark warnings that any direct United States intervention would trigger ‘irreparable consequences’ and an ‘all-out war’ throughout West Asia, raising fears of a broader regional conflict.

    U.S President Donald Trump has dramatically escalated American involvement by demanding Iran’s “unconditional surrender” while increasing military deployments to the region. The administration is reportedly weighing direct strikes on Iranian nuclear facilities and has begun evacuating some embassy personnel from Israel in preparation for possible expanded hostilities. Trump’s shift from earlier calls for restraint to open support for Israeli military actions marks a significant policy change that could reshape the conflict’s trajectory.

  • ‘We are proud to be Indians’: evacuated students thank Modi govt after return from Iran

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    After arriving safely in New Delhi on Thursday, all 110 Indian citizens evacuated from Iran expressed their gratitude to the Narendra Modi-led Union government and the Indian embassies in Iran and Armenia for their timely and safe evacuation amid the escalating military conflict in the Middle East.

    As part of Operation Sindhu, the first flight carrying Indian nationals from Iran landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. The evacuees, including 90 students from Urmia Medical University, were flown in on IndiGo flight 6E 9487, which arrived at Terminal-3 in the early hours of Thursday.

    Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, welcomed the evacuees at the airport.

    Speaking to IANS, Singh said, “We have planes ready. Another aircraft will depart today. We are evacuating more people from Turkmenistan. Our missions have opened 24-hour helplines for any evacuation requests. As the situation evolves, more planes and chartered flights will be dispatched to bring back all Indian nationals from Iran.”

    Several students, visibly emotional, recounted their experiences and expressed appreciation for the Indian government’s swift action.

    One student said, “The situation was extremely dangerous and we were scared. We saw drones, injured people, and the internet was down—nothing was working. But the Indian government came through, took us in, and brought us home safely. Salute to them. They took an unbelievable step, and we’re truly proud to be Indians.”

    Another student added, “The situation in Iran is worsening rapidly. Just two days ago it seemed manageable, but now it’s much worse. We are extremely thankful to the Indian government and the Indian embassies in Iran and Armenia for the way they took care of us and brought us back.”

    A third student said, “The embassies prioritized our evacuation and ensured we were the first to return to India. Their efforts were remarkable.”

    Operation Sindhu was launched by India to evacuate its nationals from Iran amid rising regional tensions. The first batch included students from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

    The evacuation was coordinated through Armenia, with the students traveling by road to Yerevan, the Armenian capital, under the supervision of the Indian missions in Iran and Armenia. The students departed from Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan at 14:55 IST on June 18, arriving in Delhi in the early hours of June 19.

    On Wednesday evening, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that Indian students residing in Tehran were safely moved out of the city as a precautionary measure.

    In an official statement, the MEA said, “Indian students in Tehran have been moved out of the city for safety reasons through arrangements made by the Indian Embassy.”

    MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also announced on Twitter, “Operation Sindhu begins. India evacuated 110 students from northern Iran who crossed into Armenia under the supervision of our Missions in Iran and Armenia on June 17.”

    The Indian government has expressed gratitude to the governments of Iran and Armenia for their cooperation in facilitating the smooth evacuation.

    “India accords the highest priority to the safety and security of Indian nationals abroad. As part of the ongoing operation, the Indian Embassy in Iran has been assisting large numbers of Indian nationals in relocating from high-risk areas to safer zones and evacuating them through available and feasible routes,” the MEA stated.

    Indian nationals in Iran have been advised to stay in contact with the Indian Embassy in Tehran through its emergency helpline, as well as the 24×7 Control Room established by the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.

    — IANS

  • ‘We are proud to be Indians’: evacuated students thank Modi govt after return from Iran

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    After arriving safely in New Delhi on Thursday, all 110 Indian citizens evacuated from Iran expressed their gratitude to the Narendra Modi-led Union government and the Indian embassies in Iran and Armenia for their timely and safe evacuation amid the escalating military conflict in the Middle East.

    As part of Operation Sindhu, the first flight carrying Indian nationals from Iran landed at Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi. The evacuees, including 90 students from Urmia Medical University, were flown in on IndiGo flight 6E 9487, which arrived at Terminal-3 in the early hours of Thursday.

    Union Minister of State for External Affairs, Kirti Vardhan Singh, welcomed the evacuees at the airport.

    Speaking to IANS, Singh said, “We have planes ready. Another aircraft will depart today. We are evacuating more people from Turkmenistan. Our missions have opened 24-hour helplines for any evacuation requests. As the situation evolves, more planes and chartered flights will be dispatched to bring back all Indian nationals from Iran.”

    Several students, visibly emotional, recounted their experiences and expressed appreciation for the Indian government’s swift action.

    One student said, “The situation was extremely dangerous and we were scared. We saw drones, injured people, and the internet was down—nothing was working. But the Indian government came through, took us in, and brought us home safely. Salute to them. They took an unbelievable step, and we’re truly proud to be Indians.”

    Another student added, “The situation in Iran is worsening rapidly. Just two days ago it seemed manageable, but now it’s much worse. We are extremely thankful to the Indian government and the Indian embassies in Iran and Armenia for the way they took care of us and brought us back.”

    A third student said, “The embassies prioritized our evacuation and ensured we were the first to return to India. Their efforts were remarkable.”

    Operation Sindhu was launched by India to evacuate its nationals from Iran amid rising regional tensions. The first batch included students from the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir.

    The evacuation was coordinated through Armenia, with the students traveling by road to Yerevan, the Armenian capital, under the supervision of the Indian missions in Iran and Armenia. The students departed from Zvartnots International Airport in Yerevan at 14:55 IST on June 18, arriving in Delhi in the early hours of June 19.

    On Wednesday evening, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) confirmed that Indian students residing in Tehran were safely moved out of the city as a precautionary measure.

    In an official statement, the MEA said, “Indian students in Tehran have been moved out of the city for safety reasons through arrangements made by the Indian Embassy.”

    MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal also announced on Twitter, “Operation Sindhu begins. India evacuated 110 students from northern Iran who crossed into Armenia under the supervision of our Missions in Iran and Armenia on June 17.”

    The Indian government has expressed gratitude to the governments of Iran and Armenia for their cooperation in facilitating the smooth evacuation.

    “India accords the highest priority to the safety and security of Indian nationals abroad. As part of the ongoing operation, the Indian Embassy in Iran has been assisting large numbers of Indian nationals in relocating from high-risk areas to safer zones and evacuating them through available and feasible routes,” the MEA stated.

    Indian nationals in Iran have been advised to stay in contact with the Indian Embassy in Tehran through its emergency helpline, as well as the 24×7 Control Room established by the Ministry of External Affairs in New Delhi.

    — IANS

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: State Highway 60 cleared following crash near Mapua Drive, Tasman

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Police can advise State Highway 60 has reopened in both directions following an earlier crash near Mapua Drive.

    The two vehicle crash occurred at about 3pm.

    Police thank motorists for their coperation on the road while it was closed.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Team

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –