NewzIntel.com

Category: Asia Pacific

  • MIL-Evening Report: NZ hopes to store carbon in marine ecosystems – but some are so degraded they’re already a source of emissions

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Francis Thrush, Director of the Institute of Marine Science, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

    Shutterstock/Danita Delimont

    For New Zealand, a country with an underwater territory 14 times its landmass, marine ecosystems present a significant opportunity to investigate carbon storage options.

    Prompted by a 2023 report from the Parliamentary Commissioner for the Environment, the government recognised the need to focus on the oceans in addressing climate change.

    In its emissions reduction plan for 2026-2030, it highlights the potential to harness marine habitats as carbon sinks and to count this towards the country’s efforts to slow climate change.

    Several blue-carbon studies report on stocks of carbon in sediments and mangrove, saltmarshes and kelp forests. This tells us how much carbon is stored in these ecosystems – but very little about how carbon flows through them and the factors that influence whether it is stored or emitted.

    Research shows seagrass meadows, mangroves, saltmarshes and kelp forests are significant carbon stores.
    Shutterstock/Daniel Poloha

    This is important. Marine ecosystems can be both sinks or sources of carbon. If we don’t understand how organic material is transformed or how carbon dioxide (CO₂) is either taken up by plants or emitted into the atmosphere, we will likely make poor decisions about nature-based solutions.

    To address this, we have invited researchers from the Scandinavian research partnership CoastClim – an innovative project linking seafloor biodiversity and climate – to bring their unique set of instrumentation to New Zealand to explore patterns in greenhouse gas emissions from the seafloor.

    The measurements we made this summer are tracking emissions of methane and CO₂ from seafloor sediments in the upper reaches of several harbours (Waitemata, Mahurangi and Whangateau) in the Auckland region.

    We found CO₂ concentrations were up to eight times higher than atmospheric levels in more disturbed and polluted parts of these harbours. Methane concentrations were up to 30 times higher. This shows that degraded habitats are indeed transformed into net emitters of greenhouse gases.

    Paying attention to land-coast connections

    There has been concern about the health of the Firth of Thames, at the back of the Hauraki Gulf, because the area drains a large catchment with intensive agriculture.

    We found this region is a significant source of greenhouse gases.

    Our sampling on the open coast revealed high draw-down of CO₂ in healthy patches of kelp. But this effect was reversed in areas where New Zealand’s endemic sea urchin, kina, has grazed off the kelp. These regions are known as kina barrens and they dominate many non-protected reefs.

    Kina, New Zealand’s endemic sea urchin, grazes on kelp and can turn the seafloor into a source of emissions.
    Wikimedia Commons/Shaun Lee, CC BY

    Our data highlight an important finding relevant to how we manage marine ecosystems and address both the biodiversity and climate crises. As we stress and degrade these ecosystems, they have less capacity to process carbon in ways that store it or move it into food webs. The system fails in its self-regulation and transforms into a net source of greenhouse gases.

    We argue that we have to manage these ecosystems in an integrative fashion, considering the long-term stores of carbon and the time it takes to build them up, along with the many processes that move carbon from one part of the ecosystem to another.

    Considering the dynamics of marine carbon and restoring or protecting coastal ecosystems are good options for addressing multiple challenges. We shouldn’t just be looking for good places to bank carbon but also those where good management can reduce seafloor disturbance and therefore limit the release of greenhouse gases.

    Considering climate and biodiversity

    This project highlights the importance of considering both biodiversity and climate together. If we manage one ignorant of the other, we risk failure because biodiversity matters to how we address climate change.

    This holistic understanding of the stock and flows of carbon (long-term sequestration and carbon in living organisms) is necessary if we are to identify viable long-term carbon stores. It is also crucial to assessing how the stresses we put on the marine environment can turn an ecosystem from a carbon sink to a source.

    Working with our Scandinavian colleagues also confirmed our earlier research. For a number of years, we have been studying how different stressors – including sediment disturbance, nutrient flows from land and microplastic pollution affect the way nitrogen, carbon and oxygen are processed in coastal sediments.

    These processes have implications for the release of greenhouse gases. But until now, we have not been able to test some connections and close the loop on some of our ideas.

    As with most interventions to natural ecosystems, we are better off accepting they are complex, and that any supposed “silver bullet” solutions can have unintended consequences.

    Simon Francis Thrush receives funding from currently from MBIE and the Auckland Foundation.

    – ref. NZ hopes to store carbon in marine ecosystems – but some are so degraded they’re already a source of emissions – https://theconversation.com/nz-hopes-to-store-carbon-in-marine-ecosystems-but-some-are-so-degraded-theyre-already-a-source-of-emissions-248875

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Another US funding cut threatens human rights in North Korea – and hands more power to a dictator

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danielle Chubb, Associate Professor of International Relations, Deakin University

    Shutterstock

    This week, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on human rights in North Korea issued an appeal to the international community. She expressed concern about the future of civil society work on North Korean human rights.

    The cause for alarm is a sudden freeze on the funds of the National Endowment for Democracy (NED)- a US nongovernmental organisation.

    One major beneficiary of funds from the NED are groups documenting and helping to stop human rights abuses in North Korea.

    The funding halt threatens to damage further the lives of people living under one of the world’s most egregious authoritarian regimes.

    What is the NED?

    The NED is a US institution with a long history in its foreign policy, described as a “bastion of Republican internationalism”. Established by an act of Congress, it was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan in 1983.

    With bipartisan support, the NED is squarely based on core Republican values of spreading democracy through the world. It supports the work of nongovernmental organisations in more than 100 countries every year.

    While it is unclear why Elon Musk, in his role in the Department of Government Efficiency, has suddenly taken aim at this institution, the consequences of cutting off funding overnight are easy to see.

    One result is the likely end of decades-long work on North Korean human rights.

    How this affects North Korea

    One of the groups hit hard by this funding freeze is the Citizens’ Alliance for North Korean Human Rights. The original single-issue North Korean human rights organisation, it’s now planning to shut its doors.

    Without NED funding, it says it cannot cover its running costs, such as paying the rent or staff salaries.

    It also can’t continue its important work investigating and documenting human rights abuses suffered by North Korean people.

    The Citizens’ Alliance is just one of many groups, most of which are based in South Korea, that rely on the NED for their work.

    The political environment in South Korea is uncertain and precarious for North Korean human rights activists. Despite efforts to diversify funding sources over many decades, there are few other options.

    I have studied this question in-depth and over two decades. It’s a problem that cannot be overcome overnight, or even in the medium term, as it’s so deeply embedded, both politically and socially.

    In the absence of funding opportunities in South Korea, Seoul-based groups must look abroad.

    Yet many of the international support schemes available exist to fund in-country democratisation and human rights efforts.

    The authoritarian regime in North Korea is so complete that no active, open civil society efforts can safely take place. The movement relies entirely on transnational activism and so doesn’t neatly fit into existing funding schemes.

    On top of this, the funding freeze comes at a particularly bad time, with South Korea in a state of political turmoil. In the wake of the President Yoon Suk-yeol’s impeachment following his declaration of martial law, it is unclear what the future of the limited number of existing initiatives will be.

    Putting North Korea in the spotlight

    For a long time, the plight of those suffering human rights abuses inside the secretive country was not well known to the outside world.

    For decades, civil society groups built coalitions, gathered information, wrote reports, compiled databases, held public awareness-raising events, and lobbied politicians at all different levels. They then succeeded in bringing about the 2014 UN Commission of Inquiry into North Korean Human Rights.

    This inquiry, chaired by Australia’s Michael Kirby, has been the definitive document on North Korean human rights for more than ten years.

    Its findings of gross violations of human rights inside the country have formed the evidentiary basis for international action on North Korean human rights. Examples of the report’s findings include:

    • the use of political prison camps, torture, executions and other sorts of arbitrary detention to suppress real or perceived political dissent

    • an almost complete denial of the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion and association

    • the use of access to food as a means of control over the population.

    Non-profit North Korean human rights groups remain at the centre of this work. Having succeeded in putting the issue squarely on the international agenda, they continue to press for greater attention on the human rights situation from the international community.

    The groups relying on NED funding do a wide range of work. They support North Koreans living in South Korea and elsewhere abroad. Some provide support to formally record human rights abuses, helping build a robust database of testimony from survivors.

    Others back in-country accounts from underground North Korean journalists, and more still do myriad other advocacy, support and accountability work.

    But now this work could all end more suddenly than anyone could have expected.

    More power to a dictator

    The Database Center for North Korean Human Rights has paused all but its most urgent programs and launched an appeal for donations. Executive Director Hannah Song has described the situation as a crisis of “a massive and sudden cut to funding that threatens the crucial work of those on the frontlines”.

    Sokeel Park, the leader of another nongovernmental group working in this space, described it as “by far the biggest crisis facing NGOs working on this issue since the start of the movement in the 1990s”.

    This is no exaggeration. The North Korean human rights movement has had an outsized effect on the international community’s awareness and understanding of how the North Korean government maintains order and represses dissent.

    So who wins out of this? North Korea’s Supreme Leader and dictator, Kim Jong-un.

    Back in 2018, US President Donald Trump’s State of the Union address centred on the human rights violations suffered by the North Korean people at the hands of the authoritarian regime. Trump declared:

    we need only look at the depraved character of the North Korean regime to understand the nature of the nuclear threat it could pose.

    Now, by effectively silencing the government’s most vocal critics, the Trump administration appears to be giving breathing room to one of the world’s most atrocious authoritarian regimes.

    Danielle Chubb 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. Another US funding cut threatens human rights in North Korea – and hands more power to a dictator – https://theconversation.com/another-us-funding-cut-threatens-human-rights-in-north-korea-and-hands-more-power-to-a-dictator-251239

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: ‘Ne Zha 2’ makes history as first non-Hollywood film to surpass $2B

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    This photo taken on Feb. 13, 2025 shows a projected poster for the Chinese fantasy feature “Ne Zha 2” at a shopping mall in Sydney, Australia. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Chinese animated blockbuster “Ne Zha 2” has become the first non-Hollywood film to exceed $2 billion in global earnings, including presales, according to data from ticketing platform Maoyan.

    The milestone, reached as of Monday afternoon, comes just 33 days after its release on Jan. 29 during the Chinese New Year and 13 days after it surpassed Disney’s 2024 film “Inside Out 2” to become the highest-grossing animated movie of all time.

    This achievement adds to the film’s growing list of accolades, including being the first to gross $1 billion in a single market and the first non-Hollywood title to enter the billion-dollar club.

    Directed by Yang Yu, known as Jiaozi, the sequel to the 2019 animated hit “Ne Zha” — which grossed 5 billion yuan (about $696.91 million) and topped the Chinese box office that year — now ranks seventh on the all-time global box office charts, just behind Marvel’s 2018 film “Avengers: Infinity War.”

    The film’s unprecedented box office success, with over 98 percent of the revenue generated on the Chinese mainland according to Maoyan data, has redefined the ceiling for single-film earnings in Chinese cinema.

    “This success has not only boosted the confidence of creators but also showcased the resilience and immense growth potential of the Chinese market,” said Lai Li, a Maoyan analyst.

    “Ne Zha 2” continues the tale of the iconic boy god from Chinese mythology, as Nezha and his ally Aobing struggle to rebuild their physical forms and secure their fate with the help of the immortal Taiyi Zhenren.

    The film’s rich storytelling, jaw-dropping visuals, and universal themes of defiance, fate, and self-confidence have captivated audiences worldwide. Rao Shuguang, president of the China Film Critics Association, praised the film for seamlessly blending traditional Chinese mythology with modern storytelling, creating a narrative that speaks to contemporary sensibilities.

    Chen Xuguang, director of the Institute of Film, Television, and Theatre at Peking University, hailed “Ne Zha 2” as “a miracle and a peak in Chinese cinema, a record that may remain unbroken for a long time.”

    “‘Ne Zha 2’ has not only boosted the morale and confidence of Chinese filmmakers but also drawn new audiences back to theaters from other entertainment mediums,” Chen told Xinhua.

    The film’s technical mastery is equally staggering, featuring nearly 2,000 special effects shots and contributions from 138 animation studios. This collaborative effort exemplifies the strength of China’s creative ecosystem and heralds a new era of aesthetic and industrial standards for the country’s film industry, he said.

    In North America, “Ne Zha 2” has grossed an estimated $18 million after three weekends, according to Comscore. Released by CMC Pictures in Mandarin with English subtitles across over 600 theaters, the film has consistently ranked in the top five at the North American box office, becoming the highest-grossing Chinese-language film in the region since 2006.

    Sheila Sofian, a professor at the University of Southern California and a member of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, praised the film’s production design, sound design, and music, calling it “mind-blowing” and noting its universal appeal, in a video interview shared by China Media Group.

    The film’s success has also injected much-needed optimism into China’s film industry, which saw a 23 percent decline in earnings in 2024 compared to 2023 and a 34 percent drop from its pre-pandemic peak in 2019. Driven by “Ne Zha 2,” China’s box office revenue hit a record high during the 2025 Spring Festival holiday and has since experienced robust growth.

    Dong Wenxin, a film critic and manager of a cinema in Jinan, Shandong Province, told Xinhua that the film’s success has been a boon for the industry. “Friends in the business have told me their theaters have already hit 50 percent of their annual box office goals over the first two months of 2025,” she said.

    Beyond its commercial triumph, “Ne Zha 2” is poised to serve as a cultural bridge, offering global audiences a window into China’s rich mythology and traditions. According to Shi Anbin, director of the Israel Epstein Center for Global Media and Communication at Tsinghua University, films like “Ne Zha 2” and video games like “Black Myth: Wukong” are part of a broader cultural renaissance in which ancient tales are reimagined through a modern lens.

    In a video interview, Jiaozi reflected on the personal journey the “Ne Zha” films have taken him on, from a passion project to a global phenomenon. “The first step was creating something I loved, and domestic audiences loved it too,” he said. “Over time, I’ve worked to improve it, to refine my craft. I believe that one day, new ideas, deeper meanings and new soul will emerge from it, and the whole world will be able to appreciate it.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s ice city greets over 90 million visitors in 2024-2025 winter season

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The craze for winter sports has fueled tourism in China’s ice city of Harbin, with the number of tourist arrivals growing 9.7 percent year on year to over 90 million during the 2024-2025 winter season.

    As one of China’s top winter tourism destinations, Harbin, the capital of northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, saw its tourism sector rake in 137.22 billion yuan (about 19 billion U.S. dollars) from Nov. 8, 2024, to Feb. 28, 2025, up 16.6 percent year on year, according to Harbin’s culture and tourism bureau.

    The number of international visitors to Harbin, in particular, surged 94.2 percent compared to the last winter season, driven by an influx of tourists from Russia, Japan, the Republic of Korea and ASEAN countries, the bureau said.

    Harbin has ignited a fervor for ice and snow tourism on Chinese social media this winter, since the opening of the 41st Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival on Jan. 5.

    Attractions such as Harbin Ice-Snow World, the Sun Island International Snow Sculpture Art Expo, Central Avenue, St. Sophia Cathedral and the Siberian Tiger Park, alongside the festival, were among the most popular tourist destinations. Notably, Harbin Ice-Snow World welcomed a record-breaking 3.56 million visitors during its 68 days of operations.

    The ninth Asian Winter Games and a series of test events held in Harbin also contributed to the tourism surge. The city has built more than 500 ice-and-snow sports venues, and 15 local ski resorts have upgraded their facilities, entertaining spectators and athletes from around the world.

    Cultural venues such as the Harbin Museum and the Exhibition Hall of Evidences of Crime Committed by Unit 731 of the Japanese Imperial Army also experienced increased visitor traffic.

    China has unveiled an ambitious plan to develop its ice and snow economy as a new economic driver, targeting a total market size of 1.2 trillion yuan by 2027 and 1.5 trillion yuan by 2030, according to a guideline released by the State Council in 2024.

    Leveraging the opportunity, Harbin is implementing a slew of market regulation and tourist guidance measures to continue optimizing its tourism experience, unleashing greater economic momentum for its ice and snow resources.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Christchurch Police crack down on antisocial road user behaviour

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Canterbury Police issued 179 infringements over the weekend as we responded to antisocial road user behaviour in the district.

    As predicted, the car enthusiast event was incredibly well-run with limited complaints or issues, the event organisers maintained a good line of communication with Police over the course of the weekend.

    The issues arose following the event, with a small number of attendees, and many who just came for the activity post-event, deciding to engage in dangerous driving behaviour on our roads.

    Police made it clear over the three nights, this activity would not be tolerated as we responded to unofficial ‘meets’ and antisocial road user activity as it arose.

    Over the course of the weekend, a total of 179 infringements were issued, 6 vehicles were impounded, and 44 vehicles – deemed not to be road worthy – were ordered off the road.

    Alongside this, one person was arrested for a warrant to arrest, 10 drivers were served licence suspension notices, six drivers were forbidden to drive for their offending on the night, and three drivers were processed for excess breath alcohol.

    Police also collected information over the course of the weekend which will be used for future enforcement action.

    Canterbury Police would like to thank the members of the public that reported unlawful driving behaviour throughout the weekend.

    Anyone who witnesses any antisocial driving behaviour is urged to contact Police on 111 with as much information as they can safely gather.

    Information can also be provided for non-emergencies online at 105.police.govt.nz clicking “Make a Report” or by calling 105.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: More locally trained doctors in primary care

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Health Minister Simeon Brown has today announced further initiatives as part of a package to tackle shortages in general practice and improve access to primary care and health outcomes.

    “I am focused on ensuring Kiwis have better access to primary care services, and strengthening our health workforce is a key part of that,” Mr Brown says.

    “Today I am announcing:
     

    • An increase in the number of training placements for doctors at medical schools by a further 25 each year.
       
    • Up to 50 New Zealand-trained graduate doctors a year to train in primary care settings. 
       

    “We can’t just rely on sourcing our doctors from overseas – we must ensure a sustainable pipeline of New Zealand-trained doctors.

    “As part of our plan, we will fund more Kiwis to train as doctors by boosting the number of placements at medical schools by a further 25 each year.

    “During the term of this Government, medical school placements have already increased by 75 places each year. This additional funding will bring the total of extra places to 100, seeing the cap on first-year medical school enrolments increased to 639 annually from 2026.

    “We need to make investments now to grow this important workforce, so that New Zealanders have access to timely, quality healthcare – now, and in the future.

    “This boost delivers on our commitment to train more talented, local students.”

    The additional places will be allocated across the University of Auckland and the University of Otago, beginning in 2026. 

    “We are also ramping up the number of trainee GPs to give Kiwis better access to healthcare in their communities,” Mr Brown says.

    “New Zealand has a shortage of family doctors, who play an important role in helping Kiwis to stay well and out of emergency departments.

    “Providing opportunities for graduate doctors to receive clinical supervision and gain registration in a primary care environment is part of our plan to increase GP numbers.

    “This initiative will allocate $23.3 million over four years to introduce a funded primary care pathway to registration for New Zealand-trained graduate doctors. The majority of time will be spent in primary care providers, instead of hospitals.

    “Talented graduate doctors who have an interest in primary care will be given an early opportunity to pursue that interest, working in communities right across the country.

    “Funding will support up to 50 New Zealand-trained graduate doctors into these primary care settings each year from 2026.

    “A stronger health workforce that we can retain is critical to achieving our goal of ensuring all New Zealanders have access to timely, quality healthcare.

    “These initiatives are the latest in a series to improve access to primary care and ensure New Zealanders can see their doctor, faster.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Te Aka Raataa: Regenerating Te Puhinui for a Greener Future

    Source: Auckland Council

    A major transformation is underway for Te Puhinui / Puhinui Stream, with Te Aka Raataa Stage 1 leading the charge to regenerate the mauri of this vital waterway and its surrounding communities.

    A Healthier Future for Manukau

    After years of declining water quality and environmental degradation, Te Aka Raataa is breathing new life into the stream and surrounding areas. This initiative reconnects people with nature, ensuring a healthier future for Manukau.

    As part of the Eke Panuku Transform Manukau regeneration programme, this project will revitalise Rata Vine Stream Reserve, creating green spaces that connect communities and link to the town centre, Hayman Park, and beyond.

    Councillor Daniel Newman is a strong advocate for seeing this investment in the south.

    “At its heart this project is about the health of urban streams and waterways, and how they relate to the neighbours and the surrounding community.” 

    “I am proud to have been able to help secure the budgets necessary to deliver these projects, and I know we can make a meaningful difference to the Puhinui Stream.

    My thanks to all of the staff and the contractors who are working on the front line to deliver a successful project, “says Councillor Daniel Newman.

    Also representing the Manurewa-Papakura ward, Councillor Angela Dalton sees the project as positive place-shaping for Auckland’s south.

    “I’m wholeheartedly behind Te Aka Raataa Stage 1 because it’s about shaping a sustainable future for our communities. By regenerating the awa, we’re making meaningful strides for the future – improving water quality, creating green spaces for people to reconnect with nature and each other, and strengthening links to the Manukau area. This is a wonderful opportunity to build a healthier, more resilient community, and I’m proud to be part of it.”  

    Te Whakaoranga o Te Puhinui: A Bold Regeneration Plan

    Te Puhinui, a cherished ecological and cultural taonga, has long been disconnected from its surrounding communities. The launch of Te Aka Raataa Stage 1 marks a significant milestone—an ambitious collaboration aimed at regenerating this natural treasure while transforming Manukau into a greener, more connected city.

    Grounded in mātauranga Māori, the initiative places iwi leadership at its heart, ensuring that the regeneration of Te Puhinui benefits future generations. Te Whakaoranga o Te Puhinui sets out a long-term vision for intergenerational well-being, emphasising the profound connections between people, place, and nature. This initiative is a key part of the broader Transform Manukau programme.

    Eke Panuku Priority Location Director, Richard Davison, says “This marks an exciting milestone in a project that has been years in the making as part of the Transform Manukau programme. Te Aka Raataa Stage 1 is about more than just regenerating a stream—it’s about reconnecting people with nature and strengthening community ties.

    “This first stage moves us closer to the vision of a continuous link from the Botanic Gardens to Hayman Park and Manukau city centre, creating a vibrant accessible pathway through a revitalised green space that everyone can enjoy, while also supporting new housing development in the area.”

    A Collaborative Effort for Lasting Change

    Bringing together Eke Panuku, Healthy Waters & Flood Resilience, Ngaati Tamaoho, Te Ākitai Waiohua, Ngaati Te Ata Waiohua, and the Manurewa Local Board, this project is a shared commitment to restoring the health of the Puhinui catchment and its people.  By restoring the stream to a more natural state, Eke Panuku and Auckland Council aim to improve water quality, support biodiversity, and create a healthier, more attractive and resilient environment for both people and wildlife.

    Local Board Chair Matt Winiata acknowledges the collaboration with iwi and wider community groups that have progressed this important kaupapa.

    “Undertaking a project like this would not be possible without the time, skill and mātauranga knowledge of our community.

    “Stage 1 is an exciting time for residents who live near the awa, the long-term benefits of a revitalised Puhinui Stream will be felt for generations to come.” 

    Project Benefits

    Awa-First approach: We’re helping the stream flow more like it used to by bringing back its natural state to improve its flow. By adding planting and wetlands, we’ll help protect the banks from washing away and improve the water quality.

    Revitalising green spaces: providing quality open spaces for people to relax, gather, learn and play.

    Connecting people to nature: Providing better community access to the stream with new boardwalks and improving connections with wider pathways for walking and cycling

    Supporting native wildlife: Creating healthy habitats for birds, insects, and aquatic life.

    This is just the beginning – Te Aka Raataa is laying the foundation for a greener, healthier Manukau, where both people and nature thrive together.  Works are scheduled to be completed by December 2025.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Federal electoral divisions in the Northern Territory formalised [4 March 2025]

    Source: Australian Electoral Commission

    AECMedia

    Updated: 4 March 2025

    The next federal election will be conducted on new electoral division boundaries in the Northern Territory after a notice was published today in the Commonwealth Government Notices Gazette.

    While final names and boundaries for House of Representatives seats in the Northern Territory were announced on Tuesday 7 January 2025, today’s gazette is the step that formally sets them in place and provides people with further information about the new boundaries.

    The final redistribution report will be available after the Minister has tabled material in both houses of Parliament.

    Northern Territory households notified of seat change ahead of the 2025 federal election

    Approximately 2,000 households in the city of Palmerston that were previously in the electoral division of Lingiari will now be in the division of Solomon for the federal election. In the coming few weeks, the AEC will be notifying these households of that change.

    AEC Northern Territory Manager Geoffrey Bloom said that a federal election date could be announced any day, and that it must be held sometime in either April or May.

    “With a federal election coming it is important that voters know whether they’ll be voting in either Lingiari or Solomon for the House of Representatives,” Mr Bloom said.

    “There will be an automatic change made on their enrolment record but the action required by voters is simply to know what their seat is ahead of time so they can be prepared when they’re thinking about who they might vote for.”

    Editor’s notes:

    • People on the electoral roll who are affected by the redistribution will now be moved into their new federal electoral division in readiness for the 2025 election. No action is necessary.
    • Further information about the redistribution process
    • Households can expect to see letters arriving in the coming weeks.
    • Enrol, update or check enrolment: aec.gov.au
    • Northern Territory federal redistribution

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Local News – Wellington Water Committee statement

    Source: Porirua City Council

    [Statement issued on behalf of Wellington City, Porirua City, Hutt City, Upper Hutt City and Greater Wellington Regional Councils.]  
    Today representatives of the shareholding councils of Wellington Water Limited (WWL), along with iwi leaders, met to discuss the implications of WWL efficiency and value for money reports for water reform.
    All members of the Wellington Water Committee agree that it is utterly unacceptable that the operations and maintenance costs incurred by Wellington Water do not represent good value for ratepayer money. Members unreservedly apologise to the people of the Wellington region for the high costs identified and the failure to provide oversight on appropriate practices and organisational culture to ensure competitively priced services.
    “The impact on our communities is simply intolerable and it cannot continue,” said Councillor Ros Connelly, Acting Chair of the Wellington Water Committee. “We will be urgently convening a meeting of the WWL Committee where the reports, implications and response can be confirmed, and we will ensure clear accountability going forward.”
    All those in attendance reconfirmed a commitment to the need for water reform and for Wellington Water Limited to develop a robust transition plan so that a new entity can start off on the right footing.
    “As part of the transition planning, further work will be done to test the cost assumptions being used to inform planning for the new water organisation. These assumptions must be robust and reliable in preparation for our water services delivery plan being submitted by 3 September 2025,” Connelly said.
    The Extraordinary Wellington Water Committee meeting is scheduled for Monday at 3.30pm. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: UPDATED: Primary care funding a positive step in the right direction, says College of GPs

    Source: Royal NZ College of General Practitioners

    This statement has been updated to reflect the Minister’s latest announcement made at 1pm today. The updated text is bolded–
    The Royal New Zealand College of General Practitioners has welcomed the Health Minister’s funding announcement saying it is a big step in the right direction towards building a well-resourced and sustainable primary care workforce.
    Increased investment in primary care has long been at the forefront of our members’ concerns and the College’s advocacy work, particularly improving access to GP, rural hospital and primary care services and growing, and retaining, the workforce.
    College President Dr Samantha Murton says, “Any additional funding for primary care will ultimately benefit our patients and improve health outcomes, and as specialist GPs and rural hospital doctors who work in the community, this is our priority.
    “As we know there are many areas in primary care that need permanent solutions and further investment, and the Minister has shown that he is willing to invest broadly. I hope that by incentivising primary care to nursing graduates they will see the value in what our workforce does and choose to stay in it for the long-term. This will help alleviate nursing workforce challenges especially in rural communities. Pay parity between primary and secondary nursing is what we still need to aim for.
    “Providing timely and accessible care for all New Zealanders and the increased availability of telehealth will be beneficial, but it needs to be offered alongside improved support for face-to-face primary care services to ensure continued patient safety. Telehealth fills a niche, not a void,” says Dr Murton.
    College Chief Executive Toby Beaglehole says, “Enabling more overseas doctors to gain general registration in primary care in New Zealand and gain valuable first-hand experience will boost the workforce pipeline. That said, we cannot take our focus off supporting our homegrown workforce. New Zealand needs to attract and retain 300 general practice registrars per year just to maintain GP numbers and investment in the training programme is critical to this.
    “The Minister’s latest announcement to increase our homegrown workforce is welcomed by the College. These medical graduates who choose to train in primary care will see firsthand just how important and impactful continuity of care can be at a community level and, we hope they follow the rewarding pathway of becoming a specialist GP.
    “Additional support will also be needed for our current specialist GPs who will be supervising these graduates on top of their already busy workloads.
    “Investment in strong, future focused and sustainable primary care will reduce the pressure on secondary care. We look forward to further engagement with Minister Brown on lasting solutions that increase access to specialist general practitioners for New Zealanders and thank him sincerely for the steps he has announced.
    “The College is pleased to see our ongoing advocacy has been reflected in the Minister’s decisions and we look forward to learning the specifics of this additional funding.” 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police seek witnesses to fatal Woodville crash

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Attribute to Detective Sergeant Joe Salisbury:

    Police investigating a fatal crash near Woodville yesterday are seeking dashcam footage from the public.

    The crash happened on Saddle Road about 11am on Monday 3 March, when a green-coloured truck overturned and hit a white Ford Transit van travelling in the opposite direction.

    The driver of the van sadly died at the scene, while a passenger in the van was physically unharmed.  The truck driver also received injuries and had to be cut from the vehicle. Police are providing support to those involved, and the family of the deceased. 

    The investigation into the cause of the crash will likely take some time, but we hope motorists or members of the public may have information that can help. We would like to hear from any motorists who have dashcam footage from that section of road around the time of the crash, or anyone who witnessed it.

    If you have any information that could help our enquiries, please update us online now or call 105.

    Please use the reference number 250303/5741.

    While the investigation is ongoing, we are unable to comment further at this time.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: All New South Wales public schools on a path to full and fair funding

    Source: Australian Ministers for Education

    The Albanese and Minns Labor Governments have reached an Agreement to fully and fairly fund New South Wales public schools.
     
    As part of the Heads of Agreements signed today, the Commonwealth will provide an additional 5 per cent of the Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) to New South Wales.
     
    This will lift the Commonwealth contribution from 20 per cent to 25 per cent of the SRS by 2034 and follows New South Wales delivering its election commitment to reach 75 per cent of the SRS in 2025, two years ahead of the former Liberal National Government.
     
    This will see an estimated $4.8 billion in additional Commonwealth funding to New South Wales public schools over the next 10 years.

    This represents the biggest ever new investment in New South Wales public schools by the Australian Government.
     
    New South Wales has also committed to removing the 4 per cent provision of indirect school costs such as capital depreciation so that New South Wales schools will be fully funded over the life of the Agreement.
     
    Commonwealth funding will be tied to the reforms needed to lift education standards across the country, including more individualised support for students, continuing evidence-based teaching practices, and more mental health and wellbeing support for schools.

    This is not a blank cheque. The Agreement will be accompanied by a New South Wales Bilateral Agreement, which ties funding to reforms that will help students catch up, keep up and finish school, such as:  

    • Year 1 phonics and early years of schooling numeracy checks to identify students who need additional help;
    • evidence-based teaching and targeted and intensive supports such as small-group or catch-up tutoring to help students who fall behind;
    • initiatives that support wellbeing for learning – including greater access to mental health professionals;
    • access to high-quality and evidence-based professional learning, and
    • initiatives that improve the attraction and retention of teachers.

    In addition to these reforms, the Agreements have national targets that complement the New South Wales Government’s own public school targets released last week.

    National targets include: 

    • Improving NAPLAN proficiency levels for reading and numeracy across all year levels;
    • Increasing the outcomes for priority equity cohorts in NAPLAN results;
    • Increasing the Student Attendance Rate;
    • Increasing the engagement rate (completed or still enrolled) of initial teacher education students; and
    • Increasing the proportion of students leaving school with a Year 12 certificate.

    This means more help for students and more support for teachers.

    Today’s agreement with New South Wales follows agreements with Western Australia, the Northern Territory, Tasmania, the Australian Capital Territory, South Australia and Victoria.
     
    The Commonwealth is continuing to work with Queensland.
     
    Quotes attributable to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:
     
    “Building Australia’s Future means investing in the next generation.
     
    “That’s why every dollar of this funding will go into helping children learn.
     
    “We know that education opens the doors of opportunity, and we want to widen them for every child in Australia.
     
    “This is about investing in real reform with real funding – so all Australian children get the best possible education.”
     
    Quotes attributable to New South Wales Premier Chris Minns:
     
    “Public education is the best investment any government can make. Every dollar spent in this space is a dollar spent on the future of our country.

    “Every single child in Australia has the right to a quality, free public education and we are proud to work with the Albanese Labor Government to ensure New South Wales schools are fully funded.
     
    “We’ve seen a 40% reduction in teacher vacancies since we came to government, but we know there’s still more to do.

    “This investment is vital as we work to lift education standards across the state by ensuring there is a qualified, dedicated teacher at the front of the classroom.”
     
    Quotes attributable to Minister for Education, Jason Clare:

    “This is big. The biggest state in the country has now signed up.
     
    “This will help more than 780,000 kids in more than 2,200 public schools.
     
    “This is real funding tied to real reforms to help students catch up, keep up and finish school.
     
    “It’s not a blank cheque. I want this money to get results.
     
    “That’s why funding will be directly tied to reforms that we know work.
     
    “It will help make sure every child gets a great start in life. What every parent wants. And what every Australian child deserves.”
     
    Quotes attributable to New South Wales Minister for Education and Early Learning Prue Car:

    “This incredible outcome for public schools will allow us to deliver on the ambitious targets we have set for the public education system in New South Wales.

    “Our commitment to rebuilding public education will now be underpinned by an agreement that delivers full funding for public schools.
     
    “The Minns Labor Government inherited a teacher shortage crisis and falling outcomes after a decade of under funding by Federal and State Liberal and National Governments that saw 10,000 merged and cancelled classes daily and over 3000 teacher vacancies.
     
    “With teacher vacancies now down 40 per cent and the number of cancelled classes halved, we are delivering tangible results.  

    “This investment will enable us to restore public education in New South Wales to the world-leading standards that families deserve.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Transcript-radio interview-ABC South East NSW Breakfast

    Source: Australian Executive Government Ministers

    EDDIE WILLIAMS: Bega will become home to a new Medicare urgent care clinic, while the existing clinic at Batemans Bay will see its hours extended under an election promise from the Labor Government. It’s part of a $644 million commitment to open another 50 urgent care clinics across the country. The Member for Eden-Monaro is Kristy McBain. Good morning. 

    KRISTY MCBAIN: Good morning, Eddie. 

    WILLIAMS: How do these clinics work?

    MCBAIN: These clinics are aimed at trying to free up emergency departments for real emergencies. Those urgent matters like cuts that need stitches, burns, a sprain at the local football on the weekend, minor breaks. Those things can all be done through the Urgent Care Clinic, so that you’re not waiting in an emergency department, and you’re leaving the resources there for people who need emergency care. 

    WILLIAMS: Have they been effective in that? Or do patients often end up being referred to the emergency department anyway? 

    MCBAIN: There are times where patients do get referred to the emergency department. I was at an Urgent Care Clinic yesterday, and previously they had referred someone who had chest pains to the emergency department. They do refer patients that are in emergency situations anyway, that’s what they’re required to do. It’s our health system working to its best, where we’ve got GPs taking care of those routine appointments, where you’ve got Urgent Care Clinics dealing with people that have got, urgent medical needs. Then you’ve got the emergency department dealing with those serious emergency issues in our hospitals. 

    WILLIAMS: Why Bega as a location for one of these clinics? 

    MCBAIN: We went to the last election with a commitment to open 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics and we’ve delivered 87. We know that they’ve been incredibly effective, but the locations of the additional 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics were determined based on advice from the Department of Health and Aged Care. The exact locations of those will be worked through with an independent commissioning process, which is the same process that has delivered the previous 87. That commissioning process is run by the primary health networks or state and territory governments, independent of the Commonwealth. We’re looking at the data which shows where these clinics are best located, and making sure we’re giving people more options and more choice for healthcare. 

    WILLIAMS: When you say, you know that they’re working, the Royal Australian College of GPs says there’s been no sign of an evaluation to show whether they are actually providing value for money or helping keep people away from hospital. Is this really the best use of $644 million, or would, more support for GPs be a better bang for buck? 

    MCBAIN: Obviously, we’ve strengthened Medicare rebates over the last three years. We’ve tripled that bulk billing incentive, and worked really closely with GPs on a whole range of things. The announcement we made to strengthen Medicare by a further investment of $8.5 million not only provides additional rebates in the Medicare system, it also provides more Commonwealth supported places at universities to train doctors. It provides scholarships to nurses and nurse practitioners to upskill themselves to get further qualifications. It provides incentives to get those medical graduates to take up the GP specialisation so that we can get more doctors into our system. That’s on top of waiving HECS for doctors and nurse practitioners who go out and practice in rural and remote Australia. We’re really focused on that workforce issue, as well as strengthening Medicare, as well as providing more healthcare options across our communities. 

    WILLIAMS: Yeah. Does that work for workforce issue going to be a challenge here as well? How difficult will it be to staff these clinics? 

    MCBAIN: The workforce issue has been there for many decades. What we’re doing is concentrating on how we can get more people studying medicine at university. As I said, more Commonwealth supported places. We’ve worked with communities across the country to put in rural medical schools and training options into our regional hospitals so that people, when they come out and train in a regional area, are more likely to stay there. We are continuing to focus on that workforce issue with a number of the incentive programs that we’ve got now for doctors and nurse practitioners to go out into our region. We’ll continue to focus on the training option as well as strengthening the rebates, as well as making sure we’ve got more care options. It’s incredibly important that we continue to keep those focuses on all aspects of healthcare. 

    WILLIAMS: When would you hope that this clinic in Bega would open? 

    MCBAIN: Obviously following the next election that independent commissioning process will be undertaken by the Primary Health Network or the state government, depending on who we partner with at that time. Hopefully we’ll see one up and running very soon. 

    WILLIAMS: You’re hearing from Kristy McBain, the Member for Eden-Monaro. Labor’s also promising to freeze the excise on beer. The Coalition’s committed to the same. Will you consider freezing the tobacco excise as well?

    MCBAIN: We’ve listened to communities and I’ve spoken to numerous publicans and club managers across our community. What we don’t want to see is people not going out to socialise. We don’t want to see some of our small businesses that provide social connection in our community fail because of the excise, which goes up by CPI twice a year. We’ve campaigned really heavily to make sure that this announcement was made. It’s incredibly important that we continue to focus on how we can assist people with cost of living. This is another way, along with our cheaper medicines policy, the cheaper childcare policy. At this stage, we haven’t discussed the excise on tobacco. 

    WILLIAMS: Telstra held a community forum in Narooma on Friday. That was something you’d asked them to do after a lot of locals had poor mobile coverage during peak holiday season. How confident are you that things will be better next summer? 

    MCBAIN: It was really good for Telstra to hear directly from community members about the frustrations they had with congested signals and call drop outs, particularly during the summer period. They have assessed the tower that services the main township of Narooma and have found that it is congested and they are looking at putting up additional spectrum on that tower. It’s in addition to the work that they’re doing for a new tower in Dalmeny, and small cells in mystery Bay, which have been funded already. It was incredibly pleasing for community to hear that their concerns were being heard, and that there is more work happening, particularly on that Narooma Tower with additional spectrum. It is important, though, that we continue to tell Telstra when there are problems, so that it can be reported and it can be looked into by the Telstra engineers. We remain open to passing that feedback directly to Telstra for consumers, if that’s what’s required. 

    WILLIAMS: Couple of quick questions from the community on health. Jane asks where’s the funding for dental clinics in the hospital and down at Pambula Community Centre? Or what can the government do when it comes to dental care in the region? 

    MCBAIN: Obviously dental care is provided by Community Health through New South Wales Health. We continue to work with them on how we can provide more options to the community, particularly into dental care. The community health fair in Pambula does a great job, but it takes a while to get an appointment and we continue to work with the New South Wales Health Department on what additional options they can provide.

    WILLIAMS: Robyn in Bega asks, if you have a fracture, wouldn’t a hospital be faster than an Urgent Care Clinic? 

    MCBAIN: At times an Urgent Care Clinic can be faster. We saw over the weekend when I was in Queanbeyan someone that came in with what appeared to be a fracture or a break in the foot. It turned out to be a serious sprain instead. They were in and out of that Urgent Care Clinic within an hour. It’s important to know if you do need to be referred on to emergency department, you will, but in many cases,  it can be dealt with quicker through the emergency care centre. 

    WILLIAMS: Kristy McBain, appreciate your time this morning. Thank you. 

    MCBAIN: Good to be with you. 

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Remarks by President Trump on Investment Announcement

    US Senate News:

    Source: The White House
    class=”has-text-align-center”>Roosevelt Room
    2:38 P.M. EST
         THE PRESIDENT:  Hello, everybody.  Thank you very much.
         Thank you very much.  This is a very big day for a lot of reasons, but this gentleman is a very unique man.  I think I can say, in the world of chips, certainly, but in the world pretty much of business, nobody has done what he’s done.  For those of you that are into that world, you would say, “Wow, he’s a legend.”  But he is a legend.  And it’s an honor to be with you.  Very great honor.  Thank you very much.
         MR. WEI:  Thank you, Mr. President.
         THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you very much.
         Welcoming, from TSMC — which is the biggest there is, at a level that you can’t even calculate, frankly — C.C. Wei, to the White House for a very historic announcement.  This is a tremendous thing for our country and, hopefully, for his company. 
         We’re also pleased to be joined by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and White House AI and crypto czar, David Sacks, another two very highly respected people.  It’s great to have you guys involved.  And, David, thank you very much for coming on.
         David is sort of the king of intellect in that world.  We have some good people.     Today, Taiwan Semiconductor is announcing that they will be investing at least $100 billion dollars in new capital in the United States over the next short period of time to build state-of-the-art semiconductor manufacturing facilities.  I think, mostly, it’s going to be in Arizona, which is what I understand, which is a great state.  I like it because I won it.  But I won most of them — (laughs) — actually.  So — but I did.  We won it, and we won it big.
         The most powerful AI chips in the world will be made right here in America, and it’ll be a big percentage of the chips made by his company.  But, as you know, they’re based mostly in Taiwan.  And they’re far and away the biggest.  There’s nobody even close. 
         This $100 billion in new investment will go into building five cutting-edge fabrication facilities in the great state that we just discussed, Arizona, and will create thousands of jobs — many thousands of jobs, and they’re high-paying jobs.     In total, today’s announcement brings Taiwan Semiconductor investments to about $165 billion — they’ve started already — among the largest new foreign direct investments in United States.
         Apple, as you know, made a big announcement last week of $500 billion, and we have some others that have announced. 
         We have many that want to announce.  But I don’t have time to do all of these announcements, I tell you.  But, for you, I’m doing the announcement.
         MR. WEI:  Thank you.
         THE PRESIDENT:  This will create hundreds of billions of dollars in economic activity and boost America’s dominance in artificial intelligence and beyond. 
         Semiconductors are the backbone of the 21st century economy — and, really, without the semiconductors, there is no economy — powering everything from AI to automobiles to advanced manufacturing.  And we must be able to build the chips and semiconductors that we need right here, in American factories, with American skill and American labor.  And that’s exactly what we’re doing.
         As you know, Taiwan pretty much has a monopoly on that market.  And I think “pretty much” is not a term that’s even appropriate.  They do have a monopoly.  And this is a tremendous move by the most powerful company in the world. 
         It’s a matter of economic security.  It’s also a matter of national security for us.  And, at the same time, Mr. Wei will be able to diversify and have his tremendous presence in another place and a very safe place.  And I want to thank Taiwan Semiconductor for doing the announcement.  
         And I’d like to ask Mr. Wei to say a few words, if you might.
         And I’d also like to ask Howard and David — you can say a couple of words.  But maybe you should go first because, right now, he’s the most important man in the room.  I’m sorry, fellas.
         Please.
         Thank you very much.  Thank you.  Great honor.  
         MR. WEI:  Thank you, Mr. President.
         THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.
         MR. WEI:  I’m a — I’m a little bit nervous, so I have to pull out my piece of paper.
         Mr. President, Secretary Lutnick — and, David, I didn’t know that — your title, but — okay.
         First, I want to thank — say thank you to Mr. President to give me this opportunity to announce our big project in the U.S. 
    TSMC is the world’s largest chip manufacturing, founded by Dr. Morris Chang in 1987.  It’s now at the forefront of semiconductor technology, supporting AI advancement and industry growth. 
         In fact, I would like to wind back the time that in 2020 we have to thank President Trump’s vision and his support.  So, TSMC start the journey of establishing the advanced chip manufacturing in Arizona.  And now, let me proudly say, now the vision become reality.  
         In Phoenix, Arizona, with 3,000 employees, we are producing the most advanced chip made on U.S. soil with the success of our first fab. 
         So, we are now very happy to announce we are going to invest additional 100 billion U.S. dollar in addition to our current 65-billion-U.S.-dollars investment in Arizona.  We are going to build three more new fab — be- — after we promised the three fabs already, and another two very advanced packaging fab, and, most important, an R&D center, also in Arizona. 
         For this, all the investment — $165 billion — is going to create thousand of the high-paid job, as the president just announced.  And we are, most important — actually, we are going to produce many AI chips.  We are going to produce many chips to support AI’s progress and to support the smartphone’s progress. And, again, with that, I want to thank President Trump again for his support.  In addition, I also want to thank my customers in the U.S., such as Apple, Nvidia, AMD, Qualcomm, Broadcom.  They all support TSMC’s manufacturing in the U.S.  Without their support, we probably cannot make it true. 
    So, again, I want to thank them.  Also, I’d like to thank the TSMC’s employee.  Without their effort, we just cannot make it today. 
    That’s all I want to say.  And thank you. 
    THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.  That’s great.  (Applause.)  Thank you very much. 
    Howard, please.  David.
    SECRETARY LUTNICK:  Sure.
    THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you. 
    SECRETARY LUTNICK:  So, I’m thrilled to be here today, because President Trump has made it a fundamental objective to bring semiconductor chip manufacturing home to America. 
    Under the Biden administration, TSMC received a $6 billion grant, and that encouraged them to build $65 billion.  So, America gave TSMC 10 percent of the money to build here.  And now you’re seeing the power of Donald Trump’s presidency, because TSMC, the greatest manufacturer of chips in the world, is coming to America with $100 billion investment.  And, of course, that is backed by the fact that they can come here because they can avoid paying tariffs. 
    So, the idea is: Come to America.  Build greatness in America.  Build for the American customers — the Apple, Nvidia, that whole list that Chairman Wei gave — in order to bring production to America. So, we’re really, really excited.  This continues the most incredible path you’ve ever seen, in these first weeks and months of the Trump administration, of incredible manufacturing coming to America.  The keys that the president has called out are coming here.  They’re coming here in huge size because they want to be in the greatest market in the world, and they want to avoid the tariffs that, if they’re not here, they’d have to suffer. 
    So, I want to congratulate C.C. Wei for bringing in this incredible $100 billion investment, but it’s on the shoulders of our president, Donald Trump, which is why he’s coming. 
    So, thank you.  
    THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you.
    David.  
    MR. SACKS:  Thank you, sir.  Well, the products that TSMC makes are literally the most important products in the world.  I mean, these advanced chips power everything.  They power AI.  They power your phone.  They power your cars.  And without them, the whole modern economy would stop, but they’re not made in the United States. 
    So, for TSMC to move here is a huge, huge development, and we owe that to President Trump’s leadership on the economy and Secretary Lutnick as well.  And, C.C., thank you for — for coming here. 
    Thank you.  Yeah.
    THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you, David. 
    So, thank you very much.  A big percentage of chips with this investment will be made now — a big percentage.  Worldwide, we had very little.  Almost none.  We used to have a lot with Intel.  But we had very little.  And we’ll be at close to 40 percent of the market with this transaction and a couple of others that we’re doing.  That’s a tremendous leap — like, a leap that nobody would have really said was possible. 
    So, I just want to thank you all for being here.  If you want a couple of questions.
    (Cross-talk.)
    Q    On the — 
    THE PRESIDENT:  Ideally on this subject. 
    Yes, please. 
    Q    — specific number of jobs it will create.   He said thousands —
    THE PRESIDENT:  They — yeah.
    Q    — but do you have a better —
    THE PRESIDENT:  They — you’re probably talking about 25,000 jobs.  But it’ll get bigger and bigger with time.  Knowing this gentleman, it’ll get bigger and bigger.  There’ll be no stopping him.  (Laughs.)
    Q    Mr. President, what more —
    THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah.  Brian, go ahead.
    Q    Right.  In addition to the jobs, you talked about national security, and that’s one thing I think a lot of Americans —
    THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah. 
    Q    — at home don’t understand.  Explain the national security aspect of this. 
    THE PRESIDENT:  Well, without the chips and semiconductors, nothing runs today.  You can’t buy a car without them.  You can’t get a radio, a television, nothing — you can’t get anything.  And we thought it was very important — obviously, business was, but we thought even to terms of national security, to have this large percentage of the chips, semiconductors, and other things that they make — the most important product, and not a product that you can really copy.  It takes years and years.  
    You’re on the needle of a pin is total genius.  I mean, they can put things — I mean, something the size of the needle, the point of a pin, they put information that is just not even believable. 
    So, if you would — 
    (Cross-talk.) 
    If you would see this, it’s just really something. 
    Yes, Brian. 
    Q    Can I — one — one more aspect to that.  Honda —
    THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah. 
    Q    — announced they’re coming to Indiana because of the tariffs.  Once again —
    THE PRESIDENT:  That’s right.
    Q    — you’re bringing additional jobs in manufacturing.  Do you want to comment on that as well?
    THE PRESIDENT:  Well, Honda is coming, and I told you about Apple, that they’re going to be starting to build massively here — $500 billion.  And we have many other companies.  It’s going to be announced, but we had many that have already announced.  And no, it’s going to be great.  It’s looking — it’s looking really strong.  I don’t think this country has ever seen anything like we’re seeing right now. 
    Now, the tariffs, as you know, it will start a week earlier than the reciprocal, which is going to be on — a couple of weeks earlier.  Reciprocal tariffs start on April 2nd.  And I wanted to make it April 1st, but I didn’t want to do — I didn’t want to go April Fool’s Day — (laughter) — because that cost me — that costs a lot of money, but — that one day.  So, we’re going April 2nd.
    But very importantly, tomorrow, tariffs — 25 percent on Canada and 25 percent on Mexico, and that’ll start.  So, they’re going to have to have a tariff.  So, what they’ll have to do is build their car plants, frankly, and other things in the United States — in which case, they have no tariffs.  In other words, you build — and this is exactly what Mr. Wei is doing by building here.  Otherwise, they’ll build — if they did them in Taiwan to send them here, they’ll have 25 percent or 30 percent or 50 percent or whatever the number may be someday.  It’ll go only up.  But by doing it here, he has no tariffs, so he’s way ahead of the game. 
    And I would just say this to people in Canada or Mexico, if they’re going to build car plants, the people that are doing them are much better off building here, because we have the market.  We’re the market where they sell the most.  
    And so, I think it’s going to be very exciting.  Very exciting for the automobile companies.  Very exciting for — I can think of any — as an example, North Carolina, they had the great — I used to go there to buy furniture for hotels, and it’s been wiped out.  That business all went to other countries, and now it’s all going to come back into North Carolina — the furniture manufacturing business.
    Please.  
    Q    Mr. President —
    Q    Is the Ukraine minerals deal now dead, or can it be revived?  What — what’s your —
    THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I’ll let you know.  We’re making a speech — you probably heard about it — tomorrow night, so I’ll let you know tomorrow night. 
    But, no, I don’t think so.  I think it’s — look, it’s a great deal for us, because, you know, Biden very, very, foolishly — stupidly, frankly — gave $300 billion and — $350 billion, more accurately — to a country to fight and to try and do things.  And you know what happened?  We get nothing.  We get nothing — just gave it. 
    We could have rebuilt our entire U.S. Navy with $350 billion.  Think of it.  Three hundred and fifty billion, we could have rebuilt our U.S. Navy.
    So, he gave it away as fast as the money could be gone.  And what we’re doing is getting that all back and a lot more than that.  And what we need — it’s very important for this business that we’re talking about here, with chips and semiconductors and everything else — we need rare earths.  And the deal we have is we have the finest rare earths that you can. 
    Q    Sir, on Ukraine.  Sir, on Ukraine.
         Q    Are you going to press back —
    Q    Thank you, Mr. President.  What do you need to see from President Zelenskyy to restart these negotiations?
    THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I just think he should be more appreciative, because this country has stuck with them through thick and thin.  We’ve given them much more than Europe, and Europe should have given more than us, because, as you know, that’s right there.  That’s the border. 
    This country really was like the fence on the border.  It was very important to Europe.  And I’m not knocking Europe, I’m saying they’re just — they were a lot smarter than Joe Biden, because Joe Biden didn’t have a clue.  He just gave money hand over a fist, and they should have been able to equalize with us. 
    In other words, if we gave a dollar, they should have given.  Well, we gave $350 billion.  They probably gave 100, but on top of it all, they get their money back, because they are doing it in the form of a loan, and it’s a secured loan.  
    So, when I saw that, which I’ve known about for a little while, I said, “It’s time for us to be smart.”  At the same time, it’s great for them, because they get us in the country taking the rare earth, which is going to fuel this big engine, and especially the engine that we’ve, in a very short time, created.  And we get something, and we’re in the — we’re there.  We have a presence there. 
    With all of that being said, I want one thing to happen: I want all of those young people to stop being killed.  They’re being killed by the thousands every single week.  Last week, 2,700 were killed.  Twenty-seven hundred young — in this case, just about, all young boys from Ukraine and from Russia.  And that’s not young people from the United States, but it’s on a human basis. 
    I want to see it stop.  The money is one thing, but the death.  And they’re losing thousands of soldiers a week, and that’s not including the people that get killed every time a town goes down or a missile goes into a town.
    (Cross-talk.)
    We — and — and I want to see it stop. 
    Yes.  
    Q    Mr. President, are you considering canceling military aid to Ukraine?  And can we get a reaction to what the Kremlin just said, that your administration is bringing U.S. worldview in alignment with Moscow’s?  
    THE PRESIDENT:  So, this is a deal that should have never happened.  This is a deal that would have never happened, and it didn’t happen — for four years, it didn’t happen.  It was never even close to happening.  If I were president, would not have happened.  And October 7th would have — would not have happened in Israel.  And inflation wouldn’t have happened. 
    And Afghanistan, disastrous — the way they withdrew — not the fact that they withdrew but the way they withdrew — would have never happened.  And we would have had Bagram right now instead of China having it.  It was one hour away from where China makes their nuclear weapons.  We would have kept Bagram — one of the biggest air bases in the world. 
    All of these things happened, and it’s a shame.  But it is what it is, and now we’re here.  I want to see it end fast.  I don’t want to see this go on for years and years.
    Now, President Zelenskyy supposedly made a statement today in AP — I’m not a big fan of AP, so maybe it was an incorrect statement — but he said he thinks the war is going to go on for a long time, and he better not be right about that.  That’s all I’ll say.
    Q    Mr. President, is there any —
         Q    Could this project — could this minimize the impact of the U.S. with chips should China decide to isolate Taiwan or China decide to take Taiwan? 
    THE PRESIDENT:  Well, it’s a very interesting point.  It’s a great question, actually.  But this would certainly — I can’t say “minimize.”  That would be a catastrophic event, obviously.  But it will at least give us a position where we have — in this very, very important business, we would have a very big part of it in the United States.  So, it would have a big impact if something should happen with Taiwan.
    Q    And with Russia sanctions, are you looking at relieving Russian sanctions if there is a peace deal?
    THE PRESIDENT:  Well, we’re going to make deals with everybody to get this war, including Europe and European nations.  And they’ve acted very well.  You know, they’re good people.  I know; most of them are friends of mine — the heads of state, the heads of the various countries, prime ministers from the different — I got four prime ministers and five presidents called me over the last two days, and they want to work it out.  They want to get it worked out.  
    And I think they’re also — you know, they’re talking money, but the money is less important than the deaths.  We’re talking thousands of young people a week.  And people would say why do I care about Ukraine, young people; why do I care about — and not all young, but they’re pretty young.  You know, Ukraine is running a little bit low, and they’re getting older.  They’re recruiting older people.  It’s a very, very sad thing that’s happening over there, and we want to get it finished.  We want to stop the death. 
    (Cross-talk.)
    Q    Mr. President, on the tariffs.  Is there any room left for Canada and Mexico to make a deal before midnight?  And should we expect those Chinese tariffs, the extra 10 percent to take effect tomorrow?
    THE PRESIDENT:  No room left for Mexico or for Canada.  No, the tariffs, you know, they’re all set.  They go into effect tomorrow.
    Q    Mr. President, just a follow-up on my colleague’s question.  Hearing —
    THE PRESIDENT:  And just so you understand, vast amounts of fentanyl have poured into our country from Mexico and, as you know, also from China, where it goes to Mexico and goes to Canada.  And China also had an additional 10, so it’s 10 plus 10.  
    And it comes in from Canada, and it comes in from Mexico, and that’s a very important thing to say.
    Yeah, please.  Go ahead.
    Q    Have you decided if you’re going to suspend military aid to Ukraine?  Have you made that decision?
    THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I haven’t even talked about that right now.  I mean, right now, we’ll see what happens.  A lot of things are happening right now, as we speak — I mean, literally as we speak.  I could give you an answer and go back to my office — the beautiful Oval Office.  I could go back into the Oval Office and find out that the answer is obsolete.
         It’s like his business.  It’s obsolete.  You come up with a new chip, and it’s obsolete about two minutes later, right?  But that’s what’s good about his business.  That’s why he’s the only one that’s successful in it.  But — 
         Q    And on tariffs, sir.
         Q    Mr. President, just to follow up my colleague’s question from Russia is saying that your foreign policy is largely in line with their vision.  Should that be concerning to Americans? 
    THE PRESIDENT:  Said what?
    Q    Should that be concerning to Americans?
    THE PRESIDENT:  Read the statement.
    Q    That Russia — Russia says that your administration’s foreign policy is, quote, “largely in line” with their vision.
    THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I tell you what, I think it takes two to tango, and you’re going to have to make a deal with Russia, and you’re going to have to make a deal with Ukraine.  You’re going to have to have the ascent, and you’re going to have to have the consent from the European nations, because I think that’s important, and from us. 
    I think everybody has to get into a room, so to speak, and we have to make a deal.  And the deal could be made very fast.  It should not be that hard a deal to make.  It could be made very fast. 
    Now, maybe somebody doesn’t want to make a deal, and if somebody doesn’t want to make a deal, I think that person won’t be around very long.  That person will not be listened to very long.  Because I believe that Russia wants to make a deal.  I believe, certainly, the people of Ukraine want to make a deal.  They’ve suffered more than anybody else.  We talk about suffering — they’ve suffered.
    But if you think about it, under President Bush, they got Georgia, right?  Russia got Georgia.  Under President Obama, they got a nice, big submarine base, a nice big chunk of land where they have their submarines.  You know that, right?  Crimea.  Under President Trump, they got nothing.  And under President O-Biden, they tried to get the whole thing.  They tried to get the whole big Ukraine, the whole thing.  If I didn’t get in here, they would’ve gotten the whole thing.  
    So, I can only say — you can go back to Bush, you go back to Obama, and go back to Biden — they took a lot.  The only one they didn’t get — you know what I gave them?  I gave them anti-tank missiles.  That’s what I gave them.  I gave them sanctions on Russia — on Russia.  I gave them Javelins.  You know the Javelins?  You know when they took out all those tanks?
    You know, the tanks were heading to Kyiv by the hundreds, and they were unstoppable, and I gave them Javelins. 
    So, you know, I really — Putin is the one that will tell you this has not been so good for them.  The fact is that I just want fairness.  I want fairness. 
    But think of it.  I gave Russia nothing except grief.  I gave them nothing.  I gave them sanctions and Javelins.  That’s what I gave them. 
    Obama gave them sheets.  And you heard that statement before.  It’s a very famous — Trump gave them Javelins, and Obama gave them sheets.  And then they say how close I am to Russia. 
    Let me tell you, we have to make a deal, because there are a lot of people being killed that shouldn’t be killed.  But remember, Trump gave them nothing, and the other presidents gave them a lot.  They gave them everything.
    Q    Mr. President, on trade.  You met with president — Argentine President Javier Milei at CPAC.  He wants to sign a free trade agreement —
    THE PRESIDENT:  Right. 
    Q    — with the United States.  Is that something that you would consider, even with Argentina, or any other country?
    THE PRESIDENT:  I’ll consider anything.  And Argentina — I think he’s great, by the way.  I think he’s a great leader.  He’s doing a great job.  He’s doing a fantastic job.  Brought it back from oblivion. 
    Yeah, we’ll look at things.  We’re looking at the UK with things.  It doesn’t have to be tariffs.  But tariffs are easy, they’re fast, they’re efficient, and they bring fairness. 
    For instance, when people kill their dollar, their equivalent of the dollar, whatever — whether it’s the yuan or the yen in Japan or the yuan in China — when they drop them down, that gives us — that puts us at a very unfair disadvantage.  So, all I have to do is say, “Howard, we’re going to have to raise the tariffs a little bit.”
    Because I’ve called President Xi, I’ve called the leaders of Japan to say, “You can’t continue to reduce and break down your currency.  You can’t do it, because it’s unfair to us.”  It’s very hard for us to make tractors — Caterpillar — here, when Japan, China, and other places are killing their currency, meaning driving it down. 
    So, all of these things add up, and the way you solve it very easily is with tariffs.  Because when they do that, instead of having to make phone calls every day, like I used to do with certain leaders — President Xi, a little bit — a lot of phone calls talking about the fact that they’re lowering their yuan.  They’re lowering it down.  And that makes it very, very hard for us. 
    So, this way, I just say, “Look, let them do that, and we make up for it with the tariffs.”  But —
    Q    Will you be speaking with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum about tariffs today? 
    THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah, sure, I will.  I have a lot of respect for her.  I have a lot of respect for her. 
    (Cross-talk.) 
    Q    After the 10 percent tariff take ef- —
    THE PRESIDENT:  Yeah. 
    Q    — takes effect, it’ll be 20 percent on China now.  How high are you willing to go against China?
    THE PRESIDENT:  Well, I can’t say.  It depends on what they do with their currency.  It depends on what they do in terms of a retaliation with some kind of an economic retaliation, which I don’t think they’re going to retaliate too much.  
    Hey, look, the United States has been taken advantage of for 40 years.  The United States has been a laughing stock for years and years.  That’s why this gentleman has built in Taiwan, instead of building here.  It would have been better if he built here.  
    If we had a president that knew what they were doing — and we had a lot of them very bad on trade.  Look, I’m a huge fan of Ronald Reagan, but he was bad on trade.  Very bad on trade.  He allowed a lot of people, a lot of businesses, to be taken.  So, I say that with due respect, because I — he was so great on other things, but he was bad on trade. 
    We are setting records right now — records like nobody has ever seen before.  When you have companies like this coming in and almost 40 percent of their company, in one signature, is going to be devoted to what he does, which is one of the most important — important businesses in the world, that’s an unbelievable thing.  When Apple now is going to start building all of their plants here, all because of what we’ve done in terms of — it’s not because he likes me or they like me.  They don’t probably like me at all.  I don’t know.  I think he likes me a little bit, at least.  (Laughter.)
    MR. WEI:  No, I like you.
    THE PRESIDENT:  But you know what?  It’s the incentive we’ve created or the negative incentive.  I mean, it’s going to be very costly for people to take advantage of this country.  They can’t come in and steal our money and steal our jobs and take our factories and take our businesses and expect not to be punished, and they’re being punished by tariffs. 
    It’s a very powerful weapon that politicians haven’t used because they were either dishonest, stupid, or paid off in some other form.  And now we’re using them.
    Q    Have you spoken with President Xi?
    Q    Agriculture — 
    THE PRESIDENT:  Say it. 
    Q    Have you spoken with President Xi about this this term?
    THE PRESIDENT:  I don’t want to tell you that. 
    Q    On those incentives, sir.
    THE PRESIDENT:  Thank you very much, everybody. 
    (Cross-talk.) 
    Thank you.  Thank you very much.
                                 END                3:07 P.M. EST

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Honors Wayne Everett of Fultondale as March “Veteran of the Month”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville

    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) released a video honoring U.S. Marine Corps Corporal Wayne Everett as the March “Veteran of the Month.”

    Excerpts from Sen. Tuberville’s remarks can be found below, and his complete remarks can be found here.

    “Challenges are a part of life that show us what we’re really made of. Corporal Wayne Everett of Fultondale reminds us that while we can’t control what challenges life throws our way, we can control how we respond. 

    He enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1965, leaving his small town of East Lake for the jungles of Vietnam. After discharging from the military, Wayne took his young family back home to the Birmingham area to work with his father as a painter for the next decade. His years in active duty taught him lessons he carried with him in raising his family and in his career. 

    Wayne took on the role of caregiver when his wife was diagnosed with cancer, and they were raising young children. Even in the face of tragedy, Wayne’s loyalty never wavered. And despite his wife’s passing, Wayne continued to devote himself to his church and his family. Some years after, he remarried to an old friend where they joined their lives as a blended family.

    He is admired by all who know him, including his stepdaughter Reata, who nominated him for this recognition.

    While Wayne is a man of few words, his character and actions speak volumes.”

    Senator Tuberville recognizes a different Alabama veteran each month for their service and contribution to their community. Constituents can nominate an Alabama veteran and submit their information to Senator Tuberville’s office for consideration by emailing press_office@tuberville.senate.gov. 

    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP, and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Australian Deputy PM: New centre to protect Fraser Coast turtles breaks ground

    Source: Minister of Infrastructure

    Work has started on the Fraser Coast Turtle Rehabilitation and Research Centre dedicated to the recovery of sick and injured marine turtles and vital research on the threats they face.

    Led by the University of the Sunshine Coast, the centre on the Hervey Bay foreshore will transform care for many at-risk marine turtles, removing the need to transport them several hours to receive life-saving treatment.

    More than 1,400 turtles have been rescued on the Fraser Coast over the past two years, with more than 300 needing specialist care at the nearest rehabilitation facility on the Sunshine Coast. 

    The project will retrofit existing buildings with a new fit-for-purpose facility including a specialist turtle life support system and indoor tanks to care for sick and injured sea turtles.

    The Centre will also be a hub for researchers investigating the general health of marine life across the wider region, and the emerging threats they face, including a deadly “soft shell syndrome”, which is plaguing the local turtle population.

    The Australian Government is providing $250,000 funding for the works with the Queensland Government allocating $1.17 million.

    Quotes attributable to Federal Assistant Minister for Regional Development, Anthony Chisholm:

    “Queensland is home to some of the world’s most diverse marine wildlife and this $250,000 investment will help safeguard the Fraser Coast’s turtle populations for future generations.

    “This facility will also boost the local economy with an estimated 15 jobs set to be created, along with students, researchers and tourists all set to walk through its doors, which benefits the entire region.”

    Quotes attributable to Queensland Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, Jarrod Bleijie:

    “We’re proud to partner with the University of Sunshine Coast to deliver this critical infrastructure on the Hervey Bay foreshore. 

    “Queenslanders voted for a fresh start and the State Government is committed to partnering with local government to deliver local projects that create jobs, provide long-term economic benefits and improve the lifestyle of Queenslanders no matter where they live.”

    Quotes attributable to Fraser Coast Mayor, George Seymour:

    “This facility will benefit the region’s wildlife, university students and the broader community, including Butchulla traditional owners.

    “This is an excellent partnership between all three levels of government, community groups and the University of the Sunshine Coast.

    “The turtles are an endangered species, so it is important that we research what has been happening to the local population that has caused the large number of fatalities and casualties.”

    Quotes attributable to University of the Sunshine Coast Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Helen Bartlett 

    “We are pleased to formally announce the name for the new centre, which will give our threatened turtles the greatest opportunity for survival, is the ‘UniSC Milbi Centre – Sea Turtle Research and Rehabilitation’. 

    “Milbi is the Butchulla word for sea turtle and the Dayman Park site where the centre is located holds great cultural significance for the Butchulla people and their deep connection with the Milbi and other sea and land creatures. 

    “This is reflected in the design and operation of the centre, where Butchulla Land and Sea Rangers will help to care for rescued sea turtles on country, and science and Indigenous knowledge will combine to fill gaps in our local and global understanding of marine turtles.

    “Six of the world’s seven species of marine turtles are found in the region – all listed as vulnerable or endangered – and are ecologically and genetically linked to other parts of Australia and the wider Pacific region.

    “To rescue and care for marine turtles is vitally important, as is research to better understand the cause of strandings and deaths, and to increase their chances of survival once they are rehabilitated and returned safely to the sea. 

    “This centre will be a hub for vital research that will help to inform local, state, national and international responses to mitigate threats to marine turtles, including disease and climate change.

    “Ongoing funding support from governments, organisations and the community is vital for our endangered sea turtles.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: New centre to protect Fraser Coast turtles breaks ground

    Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

    Work has started on the Fraser Coast Turtle Rehabilitation and Research Centre dedicated to the recovery of sick and injured marine turtles and vital research on the threats they face.

    Led by the University of the Sunshine Coast, the centre on the Hervey Bay foreshore will transform care for many at-risk marine turtles, removing the need to transport them several hours to receive life-saving treatment.

    More than 1,400 turtles have been rescued on the Fraser Coast over the past two years, with more than 300 needing specialist care at the nearest rehabilitation facility on the Sunshine Coast. 

    The project will retrofit existing buildings with a new fit-for-purpose facility including a specialist turtle life support system and indoor tanks to care for sick and injured sea turtles.

    The Centre will also be a hub for researchers investigating the general health of marine life across the wider region, and the emerging threats they face, including a deadly “soft shell syndrome”, which is plaguing the local turtle population.

    The Australian Government is providing $250,000 funding for the works with the Queensland Government allocating $1.17 million.

    Quotes attributable to Federal Assistant Minister for Regional Development, Anthony Chisholm:

    “Queensland is home to some of the world’s most diverse marine wildlife and this $250,000 investment will help safeguard the Fraser Coast’s turtle populations for future generations.

    “This facility will also boost the local economy with an estimated 15 jobs set to be created, along with students, researchers and tourists all set to walk through its doors, which benefits the entire region.”

    Quotes attributable to Queensland Deputy Premier and Minister for State Development, Infrastructure and Planning, Jarrod Bleijie:

    “We’re proud to partner with the University of Sunshine Coast to deliver this critical infrastructure on the Hervey Bay foreshore. 

    “Queenslanders voted for a fresh start and the State Government is committed to partnering with local government to deliver local projects that create jobs, provide long-term economic benefits and improve the lifestyle of Queenslanders no matter where they live.”

    Quotes attributable to Fraser Coast Mayor, George Seymour:

    “This facility will benefit the region’s wildlife, university students and the broader community, including Butchulla traditional owners.

    “This is an excellent partnership between all three levels of government, community groups and the University of the Sunshine Coast.

    “The turtles are an endangered species, so it is important that we research what has been happening to the local population that has caused the large number of fatalities and casualties.”

    Quotes attributable to University of the Sunshine Coast Vice-Chancellor and President, Professor Helen Bartlett 

    “We are pleased to formally announce the name for the new centre, which will give our threatened turtles the greatest opportunity for survival, is the ‘UniSC Milbi Centre – Sea Turtle Research and Rehabilitation’. 

    “Milbi is the Butchulla word for sea turtle and the Dayman Park site where the centre is located holds great cultural significance for the Butchulla people and their deep connection with the Milbi and other sea and land creatures. 

    “This is reflected in the design and operation of the centre, where Butchulla Land and Sea Rangers will help to care for rescued sea turtles on country, and science and Indigenous knowledge will combine to fill gaps in our local and global understanding of marine turtles.

    “Six of the world’s seven species of marine turtles are found in the region – all listed as vulnerable or endangered – and are ecologically and genetically linked to other parts of Australia and the wider Pacific region.

    “To rescue and care for marine turtles is vitally important, as is research to better understand the cause of strandings and deaths, and to increase their chances of survival once they are rehabilitated and returned safely to the sea. 

    “This centre will be a hub for vital research that will help to inform local, state, national and international responses to mitigate threats to marine turtles, including disease and climate change.

    “Ongoing funding support from governments, organisations and the community is vital for our endangered sea turtles.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: The Week the World Changed

    Source: ACT Party

    The Haps

    Parliament didn’t sit last week, so your property was safe. ACT’s MPs were out, including at the Northland Field Days, Auckland’s Round the Bays, and holding public meetings as far south as Invercargill. This Thursday David Seymour and Todd Stephenson are holding a public meeting in Queenstown, details here, and on Friday Simon Court is in Hokitika, details here.

    The Week the World Changed

    Lots changed last week, or at least long-telegraphed changes were spelled out more in neon lights than dots and dashes. New Zealand’s insularity is famous, if there was a nuclear war in Europe the Herald would still lead with Auckland property prices, or whether the All Blacks will be free-to-air.

    Insularity is all fine, most of the world is a hellhole most of the time anyway. But insularity can’t protect us from all hells, and some of them have got closer in the last week.

    The protection we’ve had from the seas and friendly navies is ebbing away, even though we’ve relied on it since humans arrived here.

    Part I: Nobody else could get here.

    Part II: Only the British could get here.

    Part III: Only the Americans could get here.

    Depending on your perspective, the British part might be a mixed blessing, but on the whole we’ve built one of the most successful societies in history with little care for our security.

    If that changes, we’re going to have very different things to think and worry about. We’ll have to think about confronting others who want to dominate and perhaps kill us for the first time in generations. Even the Herald will need to sharpen up.

    The Trump-Zelensky-Vance conflagration was extraordinary. Trump is elected and the U.S. is a sovereign nation. They can act however they like, so we’re not passing judgement. We’re just trying to think through what it means for our sovereign nation. We don’t think there’s enough public debate about this to be ready for the world we’re entering.

    After World War I the U.S. went isolationist, when World War II began the German Army was ten times larger than theirs. By the time they had U-Boats off the Eastern seaboard and planes bombing Hawaii, they were arming up again.

    After World War II they decided to keep policing the world. It led to an extraordinary period of peace and prosperity (maybe it will be known as the second Elizabethan era, after QEII). Now the Americans are out of that game again. The Oval Office conflagration was perhaps just the neon-lit spelling out of something that’s been coming a long time.

    Add that together with the Chinese ‘taskforce’ of three ships (and one sub?). It was not extraordinary, it just hasn’t happened here for a couple of generations. Ships that could easily rain down munitions on New Zealand cities, with there being little we can do about it, is a new thing to living New Zealanders. Perhaps nuclear-powered American ships weren’t that bad after all?

    The Cook Islands appear to be shifting their allegiance or at least trying to eat their cake and have it, too. Their comprehensive strategic partnership with the Chinese Government appears to open the Cooks up to Chinese investment and development, as well as resource extraction. It might allow a workforce of Chinese nationals in the Cooks that would give the Chinese Government reason to ‘protect’ them. That would be a crisis.

    From a defence and security point of view, the Cook’s gambit is a stationary version of the ships. The Chinese Government is asserting that the South Pacific is in their sphere of influence, and that’s a different proposition from the democratic British or Americans doing it.

    It all adds up to our country needing to change footing. Muldoon once said ‘New Zealanders will never vote on foreign affairs.’ We’ve been shielded, but as our shields ebb away, we will need to change our stance.

    A lot of questions become much clearer.

    Could we afford to ban oil and gas exploration?

    Could we afford to shut the country down for an extravagantly long time over COVID?

    Could we afford to create a binary state based on a false interpretation of the Treaty?

    The answer was always no, but now there is another reason why.

    The New Zealand project needs to sort its internal problems with a lot more maturity, so we can face up to external ones. Another reason why we cannot afford a Labour-Green-Te Pāti Māori fiasco, and why ACT must keep the alternative Government bold.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Transport – EMA backs congestion charging as Auckland’s traffic woes worsen

    Source: EMA

    The release today of a study on congestion in Auckland adds to the urgency around the introduction of time of use charging, says the Employers and Manufacturers Association (EMA).
    Auckland’s Cost of Congestion white paper, released by Mayor Wayne Brown, found congestion will cost Auckland $2.6 billion a year by 2026 – factoring in the cost of lost time, as well as impacts like reduced business investment and consumer spending.
    EMA Head of Advocacy Alan McDonald says there finally seems to be the political will to implement time of use charging in New Zealand’s largest city.
    The government’s Time of Use Charging Bill will be read in Parliament this month, and Auckland’s Mayor has come out strongly in support.
    “The EMA has long advocated for time of use charging as it will help maximise the use of existing motorway and arterial corridors around the slowly choking greater city area,” says McDonald.
    “The EMA commissioned NZIER to conduct a similar survey in 2019, which put the cost of congestion to Auckland’s economy at up to $1.3 billion annually.
    “Things have clearly gotten worse.
    “The local traffic modelling in the new report shows Aucklanders now sit in traffic for 29 million hours a year.
    “Congestion charging is intended to reduce this traffic and introduce more certainty into travel times on our roading network, but it will also improve air quality and help to fund public transport.
    “This means that allowing businesses and tradespeople who need their vehicles to effectively deliver goods and services around the city will have flow-on effects.
    “There are also social benefits for residents who need their vehicles to make doctor’s appointments or drop kids at sport practices.
    “Moves to charge commuters who travel at peak times will encourage many to use public transport and help the city derive maximum benefit from the City Rail Link when it comes online in early 2026.”
    In central London, congestion charging was introduced in 2003 and has helped cut traffic by around 15%.
    In Stockholm, where congestion charging was introduced in 2007, it has reduced traffic within the city centre by about 20%.
    “Congestion charging has been shown to work around the world and the case for implementing it in Auckland grows by the day,” says McDonald.
    “It’s time to put a solid case to residents that time of use charging has social as well as business benefits.
    “It needs to be done right, but it also needs to be done with some urgency if we are going to unlock productivity in New Zealand.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fresh stats reinforce tourism’s contribution to the economy

    Source: New Zealand Government

    New figures out today again reinforce the importance of tourism to sustained economic growth, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston says.

    International Visitor Survey results for the year ending December 2024 show a significant increase of 23 per cent in annual visitor spend. 

    “These figures are further encouragement for a sector which continues to work really hard to regain its pre-2019 ground,” Louise Upston says.

    “While the annual visitor spend is still below pre-pandemic levels, it’s clearly on the rise. 

    “Today’s MBIE numbers show that international visitors spent $12.2 billion in New Zealand in 2024, including $3.2 billion in the December quarter alone. When adjusted for inflation, this is 86 per cent of 2019 levels.

    “The increase in spending aligns with a higher number of international visitors to our shores, up 12 per cent from the previous year.  

    “Visitors on holiday typically spend more than those visiting for other reasons, and because there were more international holidaymakers in 2024, that drove up the overall spend.

    “While different data sets and time periods mean some differences between these figures and those released with the Tourism Satellite Account last week, the consistent message across both is one of positive recovery for tourism in New Zealand. 

    “The International Visitor Survey is our most up to date dataset to track international visitor spending.

    “The Government has a clear priority to unleash economic growth and getting our visitor numbers back to pre-pandemic levels will be critical to that goal. Economic growth is also key to creating more jobs and higher incomes and reducing the cost of living

    “The initiatives we’ve already launched under the Tourism Boost package, including those to support our off-peak travel and regional tourism, will ensure that our tourism industry recovers and thrives.

    “We’ve recently announced

    • $500,000 for marketing New Zealand as the ‘go now’ destination for Australians
    • $30 million to support conservation visitor related experiences
    • $3 million for regional tourism boost
    • $9 million for Great Rides cycle infrastructure

    “That drive to encourage more visitors was also reflected during the Prime Minister’s recent visit to Viet Nam, where Vietjet announced four flights a week between Auckland and Ho Chi Minh City from September.

    “There will be more to come. 2025 is our chance to reinforce the value of tourism to a humming, vibrant country, where we welcome anyone, from anywhere, anytime,” Louise Upston says.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: ACCC releases guidance on merger reform transition

    Source: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

    The ACCC has released guidance on transitional arrangements to assist businesses and their advisers considering a merger in 2025, ahead of Australia’s new merger regime coming into effect.

    Under the new regime, all acquisitions that meet a prescribed threshold must be notified to the ACCC from 1 January 2026.

    “The new rules and processes for mergers and acquisitions will be a major change for businesses and the ACCC. Supporting businesses and other stakeholders by providing clarity on key dates and processes is crucial to a successful transition,” ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said.

    The new law contains provisions to assist businesses to transition to the new regime which include the option for businesses to start using the new regime on a voluntary basis from 1 July 2025.

    The guidance indicates how the ACCC intends to assist businesses navigate this period, taking into account questions we have received about the transition.

    In particular, the ACCC has sought to clarify how businesses can engage with the ACCC on their mergers throughout 2025 , and what might happen in a range of potential scenarios. These include whether informal clearances received during 2025 will mean those acquisitions are exempt from the obligation to notify from 1 January.

    “A key message is that if businesses are considering seeking an informal merger review after 1 July 2025, it is important they engage with us as soon as possible,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

    “This will help manage the risk that there won’t be enough time for the ACCC to complete its assessment before the new mandatory merger review process comes into effect.”

    The ACCC will continue to work with businesses to navigate the transition to the new regime and the guidance may be progressively updated to ensure it addresses new questions that emerge.

    “We are committed to ensure the transition to the new mandatory regime is transparent and smooth,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

    Businesses, advisers, consumers and other interested members of the community can now subscribe for updates on merger reform on the ACCC website: Subscribe to merger reform updates

    Background

    Currently Australia’s merger regime does not require merger parties to notify the ACCC of proposed acquisitions or to wait for ACCC clearance before proceeding with the acquisition.

    On 28 November 2024, the Australian Parliament passed the Treasury Laws Amendment (Mergers and Acquisitions Reform) Bill 2024. The ACCC welcomed the new legislation.

    Under the new regime, all transactions above a prescribed threshold must be notified to the ACCC.

    The ACCC first released proposed merger reforms at the Law Council conference in 2021. ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb commenced her term in 2022. She has continued to advocate for merger reform including at the National Press Club in April 2023.

    The ACCC has consistently outlined why the changes are necessary to achieve effective merger control in Australia and ensure there is strong competition across the economy, driving dynamism, productivity and restraint on prices for the benefit of consumers and efficient businesses.

    The ACCC’s submissions to the Treasury Competition Review, which includes detailed analysis and argues the case for reform can be found here: https://www.accc.gov.au/inquiries-and-consultations/accc-submissions-to-external-consultations#toc-mergers-

    The ACCC issued a Statement of Goals in October 2024 to outline its approach to implementing the new regime and to reduce uncertainty during the transition.

    The ACCC encourages businesses considering a merger during the transition to contact us at mergers@accc.gov.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Happy to hear from us a little less?

    Source: Australian Department of Revenue

    We’ve stopped issuing automated statement of accounts (SOAs) when the only transaction on an account is a general interest charge (GIC).

    This means there’ll be less ATO correspondence for you or your clients to receive and process, but you’ll still have access to up-to-date account information when it comes to interest accruing on debts.

    • You can view your clients’ account balances and recent transactions in Online services for agents.
    • Your clients can view their account balance and recent transactions in ATO online services.
    • Our regular debt correspondence with taxpayers will continue to advise that GIC may accrue until the debt is paid in full, and the amount owing will include any GIC incurred up to that point.
    • In certain circumstances, we may send taxpayers reminders by SMS, myGov message or email that GIC is accruing.
    • You or your client can contact us to request a SOA at any time.

    We’ll continue to issue SOAs for other events, such as when interest accrues on early payments, when credits or refunds are used to offset other debts, and in some cases, when a Notice of Assessment issues.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Highlights from the 2025 SMSFA conference

    Source: Australian Department of Revenue

    The 2025 SMSF Association conference was a great success, with Deputy Commissioner Emma Rosenzweig, Superannuation and Employer Obligations, speaking in collaboration with Leah Sciacca, Senior Executive Leader, Financial Advice & Investment Management, from ASIC. They discussed regulatory issues and updates:

    • Non-lodgment of Self-Managed Super Fund annual returns (SARs) continues to be a concern. If a trustee fails to lodge on time and doesn’t contact us, their SMSF’s compliance status could be removed from Super Fund lookup. This can stop rollovers and impact employer contributions; trustees may also face penalties.
    • The SMSF illegal early access gap decreased from $256.1 million in 2020–21 to $250.1 million in 2021–22. The latest estimate shows the amount accessed illegally either blatantly, or through prohibited loans being $481.8 million this is a statistically significant increase from the 2021 estimate. Prohibited loans contributed to this increase, highlighting the ongoing need for compliance.
    • Identity fraud and scams continue to rise in the SMSF sector. We’ve strengthened identity checks, but its important trustees educate themselves about being vigilant to identity fraudsters.
    • Recent changes to the Tax Practitioners Board Code of Conduct reinforce obligations for registered agents. They include maintaining client records, providing advice, and managing conflicts of interest and confidentiality.
    • Trustees not actioning release authorities. This means super could be taxed concessionally when it shouldn’t be and there are consequences for this.
    • The proposed commencement of Payday Super in July 2026 will almost certainly drive significant change for funds in the way contributions are received.

    For more detailed information, you can read Emma’s speech from the conference.

    We also released our last education module Running a SMSFExternal Link at our booth. This completes our suite of resources which help trustees understand their obligations are each stage of an SMSF’s lifecycle.

    Looking for the latest news for SMSFs? You can stay up to date by visiting our SMSF newsroom and subscribingExternal Link to our monthly SMSF newsletter.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Average dividend and franking credit yields

    Source: Australian Department of Revenue

    When to use these yields

    You can use these yields if you made an election under former section 160APHR of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 (ITAA 1936). This means you:

    Note: Under the simplified imputation system, applying from 1 July 2002, franking accounts are expressed in dollars of tax paid, rather than the corresponding taxable income. From this time, average franking credit yield equals average franking rebate yield.

    Example: how to calculate average franking credit yield for periods prior to 1 July 2002 before the franking accounts were expressed in dollars of tax paid.

    The yields for the 12 months to 30 June 1999 are:

    • average dividend yield – 3.65%
    • average franking rebate yield – 1.44%
    • average franking credit yield – 1.44% × (64 ÷ 36) = 2.56%.

    End of example

    Find out more in TD 2007/11 Income tax: imputation: franked distributions: qualified persons: does an entity have to be a qualified person within the meaning of Division 1A of former Part IIIAA of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936.

    List of yields

    These yields are calculated with the assistance of S&P Dow Jones Indices and are generally available by the middle of the following month.

    2025 yields

    For the months ending

    Average dividend
    yield (%)

    Average franking
    rebate yield (%)

    31 January

    3.07%

    0.96%
    2024 yields

    For the months ending

    Average dividend
    yield (%)

    Average franking
    rebate yield (%)

    31 December

    3.10%

    0.97%

    30 November

    3.12%

    0.97%

    31 October

    3.18%

    0.99%

    30 September

    3.23%

    1.01%

    31 August

    3.19%

    0.99%

    31 July

    3.83%

    1.22%

    30 June

    3.86%

    1.23%

    31 May

    3.89%

    1.24%

    30 April

    3.92%

    1.26%

    31 March

    3.95%

    1.27%

    29 February

    3.25%

    1.04%

    31 January

    4.14%

    1.37%
    2023 yields

    For the months ending

    Average dividend
    yield (%)

    Average franking
    rebate yield (%)

    31 December

    4.15%

    1.37%

    30 November

    4.17%

    1.38%

    31 October

    4.12%

    1.38%

    30 September

    4.12%

    1.38%

    31 August

    4.58%

    1.57%

    31 July

    4.49%

    1.53%

    30 June

    4.51%

    1.54%

    31 May

    4.51%

    1.55%

    30 April

    4.46%

    1.53%

    31 March

    4.44%

    1.52%

    28 February

    3.95%

    1.31%

    31 January

    4.40%

    1.51%
    2022 yields

    For the months ending

    Average dividend
    yield (%)

    Average franking
    rebate yield (%)

    31 December

    4.41%

    1.51%

    30 November

    4.39%

    1.50%

    31 October

    4.36%

    1.49%

    30 September

    4.32%

    1.48%

    31 August

    4.01%

    1.36%

    31 July

    3.99%

    1.36%

    30 June

    3.97%

    1.35%

    31 May

    3.95%

    1.34%

    30 April

    3.94%

    1.34%

    31 March

    3.97%

    1.35%

    28 February

    4.17%

    1.45%

    31 January

    3.61%

    1.22%
    2021 yields

    For the months ending

    Average dividend
    yield (%)

    Average franking
    rebate yield (%)

    31 December

    3.64%

    1.23%

    30 November

    3.66%

    1.24%

    31 October

    3.52%

    1.19%

    30 September

    3.57%

    1.21%

    31 August

    2.96%

    0.94%

    31 July

    2.97%

    0.97%

    30 June

    3.02%

    0.99%

    31 May

    3.03%

    1.01%

    30 April

    2.80%

    0.91%

    31 March

    2.87%

    0.93%

    28 February

    2.81%

    0.89%

    31 January

    2.93%

    0.93%
    2020 yields

    For the months ending

    Average dividend
    yield (%)

    Average franking
    rebate yield (%)

    31 December

    2.93%

    0.93%

    30 November

    3.00%

    0.94%

    31 October

    3.29%

    1.03%

    30 September

    3.29%

    1.03%

    31 August

    3.52%

    1.12%

    31 July

    3.62%

    1.14%

    30 June

    3.60%

    1.13%

    31 May

    3.69%

    1.13%

    30 April

    4.05%

    1.29%

    31 March

    4.03%

    1.28%

    29 February

    3.84%

    1.20%

    31 January

    3.98%

    1.26%
    2019 yields

    For the months ending

    Average dividend
    yield (%)

    Average franking
    rebate yield (%)

    31 December

    4.04%

    1.28%

    30 November

    4.10%

    1.30%

    31 October

    4.15%

    1.34%

    30 September

    4.20%

    1.36%

    31 August

    4.14%

    1.35%

    31 July

    4.18%

    1.36%

    30 June

    4.20%

    1.36%

    31 May

    4.21%

    1.37%

    30 April

    4.23%

    1.38%

    31 March

    4.25%

    1.39%

    28 February

    4.22%

    1.39%

    31 January

    4.16%

    1.35%
    2018 yields

    For the months ending

    Average dividend
    yield (%)

    Average franking
    rebate yield (%)

    31 December

    4.15%

    1.35%

    30 November

    4.11%

    1.34%

    31 October

    4.11%

    1.34%

    30 September

    4.10%

    1.34%

    31 August

    4.13%

    1.35%

    31 July

    4.11%

    1.34%

    30 June

    4.15%

    1.35%

    31 May

    4.16%

    1.36%

    30 April

    4.18%

    1.36%

    31 March

    4.18%

    1.36%

    28 February

    4.29%

    1.39%

    31 January

    4.19%

    1.36%

    Find yields going back to 1998 on data.gov.auExternal Link.

    S&P Dow Jones Indices

    The ‘All Ordinaries’ is a product of S&P Dow Jones Indices LLC or its affiliates (‘SPDJI’) and ASX Operations Pty Ltd., S&P®, S&P 500®, US 500, The 500, iBoxx®, iTraxx® and CDX® are trademarks of S&P Global, Inc. or its affiliates (‘S&P’); Dow Jones® is a registered trademark of Dow Jones Trademark Holdings LLC (‘Dow Jones’); ASX, ALL ORDINARIES are trademarks of ASX Operations Pty Ltd. SPDJI, Dow Jones, S&P, their respective affiliates, or ASX Operations Pty Ltd. and none of such parties make any representation regarding the advisability of investing in investment product(s) nor do they have any liability for any errors, omissions, or interruptions of the All Ordinaries.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN to participate in the Cambodia-ASEAN Business Summit 2025 hosted by Cambodia Chamber of Commerce

    Source: ASEAN

    At the invitation of Neak Oknha Kith Meng, President of Cambodia Chamber of Commerce and the Chair of ASEAN Business Advisory Council Cambodia, Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, will lead the ASEAN Secretariat team to participate in the Cambodia-ASEAN Business Summit 2025, in Phnom Penh, Cambodia, on 6 March 2025. Held under the theme “Accelerating ASEAN’s Connectivity: People, Infrastructure and Trade,” the Business Summit is expected to provide an invaluable platform for fostering economic cooperation, increasing connectivity and promoting sustainable development within ASEAN. Throughout his stay in Phnom Penh on 6-7 March 2025, and in addition to his participation in the Cambodia-ASEAN Business Summit 2025,SG Dr. Kao will also engage in a series of other significant activities, including holding a bilateral meeting with the President of Cambodia Chamber of Commerce and the Chair of ASEAN Business Advisory Council  Cambodia, visiting the Resource Centre of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC), as well as conducting a Roundtable Discussion with the Club of Cambodian Journalists,  with the theme “ASEAN Community Vision 2045: View of the Secretary-General of ASEAN.” 

    This visit underscores the ASEAN Secretariat’s continued support and commitment to strengthening stronger collaboration among ASEAN Member States in reinforcing its dedication to advancing regional cooperation, development and prosperity.
    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN to participate in the Cambodia-ASEAN Business Summit 2025 hosted by Cambodia Chamber of Commerce appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Without change, half of Australian kids and adolescents will be overweight or obese by 2050

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Kerr, Research Fellow, Adolescent Population Health and Obesity Epidemiology, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute

    World Obesity Federation

    Since the 1990s, the proportion of the world’s population who are overweight (with a body mass index of 25–30) or obese (with a body mass index of 30 or above) has doubled.

    If current patterns continue, we estimate that by 2050, 30% of the world’s children and adolescents (aged five to 24 years) will be overweight or obese, according to our new research in The Lancet.

    By 2050, we forecast that 2.2 million Australian children and adolescents will be living with obesity. A further 1.6 million will be overweight. This is a combined prevalence of 50% – and an increase of 146% between 1990 and 2050.

    Already in 2017–18, excess weight and obesity cost the Australian government A$11.8 billion. The projected disease burden will add billions of dollars to these health costs.

    So how did we get here? And most importantly, what can we do to turn this trajectory around?

    It’s not just about health problems later in life

    Living with obesity increases the likelihood of living with disability and dying at a young age.

    Obesity doesn’t just cause health problems later in life. Living with obesity increases the chance of developing many serious diseases during childhood or adolescence, including fatty liver disease, type 2 diabetes and hypertension (high blood pressure).

    Due to weight-related teasing, bullying and stigma, obesity can also cause problems with mental health, and school and community engagement.

    Some of the negative health effects of obesity can be reversed if young people return to a normal weight.

    But reducing your weight from an obese BMI (30-plus) to a normal weight BMI (18.5–25) is very difficult. As a result, 70–80% of adolescents with a BMI of 30 or above live their adult years with obesity.

    So it’s important to prevent obesity in the first place.

    How did this happen?

    Obesity is often blamed on the individual child, parent or family. This is reflected in significant weight-based stigma that people in larger bodies often face.

    Yet the rapidly changing patterns of obesity throughout the world reinforce the importance of viewing it as a society-level problem.

    The drivers of the obesity epidemic are complex. A country’s increasing obesity rates often overlap with their increasing economic development.

    Economic development encourages high growth and consumption. As local farming and food supply systems become overtaken by “big-food” companies, populations transition to high-calorie diets.

    Meanwhile, our environments become more “obesogenic”, or obesity-promoting, and it becomes very difficult to maintain healthy lifestyles because we are surrounded by very convenient, affordable and addictive high-calorie foods.

    Obesity arises from a biological response to living in these environments.

    Some people are more negatively affected by living in these environments and gain more body weight than others. As our recent study showed, compared to those born with low genetic risk, adolescents who are born with a high genetic risk of developing obesity are more likely to become overweight or obese when living in poverty.

    Other research shows those with a high genetic risk are more likely to gain weight when living in obesity-promoting environments.

    Can we fix this problem?

    The steepest increase in the proportion of young people with obesity is expected to be in the coming years. This means there is an opportunity to address this public health issue through bold actions now.

    Some young people with severe obesity should be provided access to funded, stigma-free team-based weight-management health care. This may include:

    • access to GPs and nurses for lifestyle advice about diet and exercise

    • anti-obesity medications such as semaglutide

    • weight-loss surgery.

    Changes need to reach older and younger adolescents.
    Murrr Photo/Shutterstock

    But to reach all young people, it is the overarching systems, not people, that need to change.

    Success will be greatest if policies change multiple parts of the environmental systems that young people live in, including schools, food systems, transport systems and built environments. These changes will also reach older adolescents, whose rate of obesity continues to increase.

    It is also important to target the commercial determinants of obesity. Strategies could include:

    This should be coupled with changes to the built environment and urban planning, such as increasing green space, footpaths and walkability.

    Because obesity doesn’t belong to any one part of government, action can fall through the cracks. Although there are significant efforts being made, action requires coordinated investments from numerous government portfolios – health, education, transport, urban planning – at local, state and national levels.

    Governments should commit to an immediate five-year action plan to ensure we don’t fail another generation of children and adolescents.

    Jessica Kerr has received funding from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council. This research was also funded by the Gates Foundation.

    Peter Azzopardi receives funding from NHMRC.

    Susan M. Sawyer has received funding from National Health and Medical Research Council and the Wellcome Trust.

    – ref. Without change, half of Australian kids and adolescents will be overweight or obese by 2050 – https://theconversation.com/without-change-half-of-australian-kids-and-adolescents-will-be-overweight-or-obese-by-2050-250520

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: China refutes Rubio’s false charges

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China strongly deplores and firmly opposes the recent remarks made by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio, which were steeped in the Cold-War mentality and full of lies and false accusations, and has lodged serious protests with the U.S. side, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Monday.

    Spokesperson Lin Jian made the remarks at a daily press briefing in response to a query about the remarks made by Rubio, who blamed China on issues of Taiwan, economy and trade, COVID-19 and Indo-Pacific affairs during a recent interview with a U.S. media outlet.

    There is but one China in the world, Taiwan is an inalienable part of China, and the government of the People’s Republic of China is the sole legal government representing the whole of China — this is the real status quo in the Taiwan Strait, Lin said.

    Noting that the Taiwan question is the most crucial, sensitive and explosive question in China-U.S. relations, Lin said that if the United States does not hope to trigger confrontation, it must stop crossing or trampling on the red line of the Taiwan question.

    Lin said that trade and tariff wars have no winner. The U.S.’s attempts to politicize and weaponize trade and economic issues, levy tariff hikes on Chinese imports under the pretext of fentanyl, and create blocks to its normal trade, investment and economic cooperation with China will only harm its own economic interests and international credibility.

    Lin added that China stands ready to work with the United States to address each other’s concerns through dialogue and consultation on the basis of equality and mutual respect, and will take all measures necessary to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.

    Lin noted that origins-tracing of COVID-19 is a serious science issue, and that it is “extremely unlikely” that the pandemic was caused by a lab leak, which was the authoritative conclusion reached by the experts of the WHO-China joint mission following their field trips to the lab in Wuhan and in-depth communication with researchers. The United States needs to immediately stop slinging mud on and scapegoating China.

    Lin said that the Asia-Pacific is a pace-setter in cooperation and development, not a chess board for geopolitical rivalry. The United States should not project its own hegemonic mentality onto China.

    “Attempts to stoke bloc confrontation in the Asia-Pacific run counter to the trend of the times and go against the common aspiration of regional countries,” Lin said, adding that these moves will win no support and be doomed to failure.

    Lin said that a lie told a thousand times cannot be a fact, that the world will not be fooled by such baseless vilification against China, and that megaphone diplomacy does no good for China-U.S. relations.

    China will be committed to viewing and developing relations with the United States on the basis of the principles of mutual respect, peaceful coexistence and win-win cooperation, and will also firmly defend its national sovereignty, security and development interests, Lin said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Russia bans entry of nine Japanese citizens, including FM

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Russia has banned Japanese Minister for Foreign Affairs Takeshi Iwaya and eight other Japanese citizens from entering the country in a retaliatory move, the Russian foreign ministry said Monday.

    The decision was made in response to Tokyo’s “ongoing so-called sanction measures” against Russia, the ministry said in a statement.

    The list also included Japanese Ambassador to Ukraine Masashi Nakagome and former Japanese Ambassador to Ukraine Kuninori Matsuda, among others.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 58-2025: Unplanned Service Disruption: Tuesday 04 March 2025 – BICON

    Source: Australia Government Statements – Agriculture

    04 March 2025

    Who does this notice affect?

    All clients required to use the department’s Biosecurity Import Conditions System (BICON) website.

    Information

    Start time:
    As of: 09:30 Tuesday 04 March 2025 (AEDT).

    The department’s BICON website is currently experiencing an unplanned service disruption. As a result, users may experience service degradation (e.g. slowness) and/or an inability to load BICON webpages.

    Action

    This…

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: $10 million for Cascade Pier upgrades

    Source: Australian Executive Government Ministers

    The Australian Government is investing in Norfolk Island’s shipping needs, with a $10 million project to repair and raise the Cascade Pier apron, as well as supporting future freight containerisation.

    The apron section of the Cascade Jetty sustained significant damage with large rocks being deposited on it from Cyclone Gabrielle in early 2023.

    The Australian Government’s investment will see this important commercial and recreational asset repaired and upgraded.  

    The project will see the apron raised and extended with storage and washdown facilities established for cargo containers, for the enhanced loading and unloading of materials, vessels and goods to and from the island. 

    It will improve cyclone resilience, marine access and shipping operations, along with safety for jetty users.

    The Norfolk Island community and stakeholders will have opportunities for input throughout the design and construction of the Cascade Pier upgrades, particularly in considering the needs of business, industry and pier users.

    Project design consultants will be on island for stakeholder engagement to support the detailed design works for the project in the next few months.

    The project to deliver two purpose-built Cargo Transfer Vessels (CTVs) is also now almost complete with construction being finalised and the CTVs anticipated to be delivered to the island by April this year. 

    The CTVs have been specifically constructed for Norfolk Island lighterage and delivered in partnership with Norfolk Island Regional Council to improve safety, efficiency and reliability, including for the crew loading and unloading the cargo. 

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Territories, Kristy McBain MP: 

    “As the first issue raised with me when I commenced as Minister, I understand the importance of reliable shipping to Norfolk Island.

    “Cascade Pier is not only critical for Norfolk’s sea freight supply, it’s an iconic part of the island’s coastline and heritage – which is why we’re investing in its future.

    “Upgrading the Cascade Pier apron is part of our Government’s commitment to supporting the long-term resilience and sustainability of Norfolk Island’s freight network.”

    Quotes attributable to the Member for Bean, David Smith MP: 

    “From fishing boats, to supply ships and cargo and lighterage vessels – Cascade Pier is a vital part of Norfolk Island.

    “These essential upgrades have the potential to reshape how freight is transported to and from the island, which is why I’m proud we’re delivering this targeted investment.

    “I’ll continue working with the community on ways we can support Norfolk Island’s distinct needs into the future.” 

    MIL OSI News –