NewzIntel.com

Category: Asia Pacific

  • MIL-OSI China: PLA wary of ‘joint patrols’ in South China Sea

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    The People’s Liberation Army’s Southern Theater Command conducted a routine patrol in the South China Sea on Wednesday, a day after the Philippines and United States militaries conducted a joint exercise in the region.
    Tian Junli, spokesperson for the Southern Theater Command, announced the operation on Wednesday evening, accusing the Philippines of colluding with outside countries to organize “so-called joint patrols”, which Tian claimed destabilize the region.
    The Philippines’ actions, Tian said, were an attempt to endorse its “illegal claims” in the South China Sea and undermine China’s maritime rights and interests. “The theater command forces remain on high alert, resolutely defending national territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests. Any military activities that disrupt the South China Sea are fully under control,” the spokesperson said.
    On Tuesday, the air forces of the Philippines and the US held “joint patrols” over the South China Sea, according to the Philippines Air Force.
    The same day, the PLA’s Southern Theater Command’s Air Force conducted a routine patrol over Huangyan Island in the South China Sea. Li Jianjian, a spokesperson for the theater command’s Air Force, said the Philippines had worked with outside countries to organize “joint patrols”, further undermining peace and stability in the region.
    On Monday, Tian addressed the passage of a Chinese naval fleet through the Basilan Strait near the Philippines. Tian said the theater command had organized naval and air forces for far-sea exercises via the Basilan Strait. “The relevant operations were conducted in a safe, standardized and professional manner, fully in accordance with international law and international practice,” Tian said.
    Tian criticized the Philippines for “slandering and hyping up” the normal passage of the Chinese naval fleet, adding that such actions violated the normal navigation rights of other countries, including China.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China to further crack down on online gambling, telecom fraud with relevant countries

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    China will beef up law enforcement cooperation with relevant countries to crack down on online gambling and telecom fraud, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Wednesday.

    On the recent string of cross-border telecom fraud and other vicious cases along the Thailand-Myanmar border, China attaches great importance to it and made persistent effort to ask relevant countries to jointly find solutions through consultation, Lin made the remarks at a regular news briefing in response to a related query.

    “China welcomes the robust measures by relevant country. We stand ready to work with Thailand and other countries to beef up law enforcement cooperation, crack down on online gambling and telecom fraud, protect the safety of Chinese citizens overseas and their lawful rights and interests, and keep normal cross-border exchanges between China and relevant countries in order,” said the spokesperson.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 32-2025: Scheduled Outage: Saturday 08 February to Sunday 09 February 2025 – Multiple Systems

    Source: Australia Government Statements – Agriculture

    06 February 2025

    Who does this notice affect?

    Approved arrangements operators who will be required to view and/or update details of their Approved Arrangement via the Approved Arrangement Management Product (AAMP).

    All clients required to use the Biosecurity Import Conditions System (BICON) during this planned maintenance period.

    All clients required to use the Export / Next Export Documentation (EXDOC/NEXDOC) systems during this planned maintenance period.

    …

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Unambitious and undermined: why NZ’s latest climate pledge lacks the crucial ‘good faith’ factor

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nathan Cooper, Associate Professor of Law, University of Waikato

    New Zealand’s Climate Change Minister Simon Watts speaking during the the recent climate summit in Azerbaijan. Sean Gallup/Getty Images

    The announcement of New Zealand’s new climate pledge under the Paris Agreement was met with sharp criticism last week.

    The agreement commits nations to provide a new pledge, known as a Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) every five years. But it also requires each pledge to be a “progression beyond” the previous one.

    Climate Change Minister Simon Watts announced New Zealand would commit to reducing emissions by 51-55% below 2005 levels by 2035, which is only 1-5% above the current NDC of a 50% cut by 2030.

    Technically, the new NDC represents a progression, albeit the smallest possible one. It was criticised as underwhelming and unambitious to combat climate change, raising the question whether the coalition government has done enough to comply with its international obligations.

    The commitments of each member nation should align with the Paris Agreement’s purpose to hold global average temperature rise well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and to pursue efforts to keep it at 1.5°C.

    But the agreement also requires that each country’s NDC reflects its “highest possible ambition, reflecting its common but differentiated responsibilities and respective capabilities, in light of different national circumstances”.

    Does the government’s announcement to step up emissions cuts by as little as 1% really represent New Zealand’s highest possible ambition in present circumstances?

    In October last year, looking specifically at New Zealand’s potential domestic contribution to the new NDC, the Climate Change Commission advised that emissions cuts of 66% could be achieved without shrinking the economy.

    This excludes potential additional cuts achieved through offshore mitigation – paying for overseas carbon credits or funding other countries to reduce their greenhouse emissions.

    Clearly, deeper cuts are possible and there is room for significantly greater ambition.

    The goal of the Paris Agreement is to limit climate change impacts by holding temperature rise well below 2°C.
    Fiona Goodall/Getty Images

    Bare minimum commitment

    Even if the new NDC meets a minimal requirement for compliance, it is difficult to see how it adheres to the purpose of the Paris Agreement and the level of ambition required.

    New Zealand’s NDC falls short of the commitments offered by other comparable countries and even some developing nations, including the oil and gas producer Brazil, which pledged to cut its emissions by 59-67% by 2035.

    International law has long been guided by the principle of pacta sunt servanda, which translates to “agreements must be kept”. The principle reminds parties to any agreement or convention that all international obligations should be fulfilled in good faith.

    Viewing New Zealand’s new NDC in the context of other recent decisions, it seems the coalition government may be pursuing policies that could undermine climate action while pledging the bare minimum internationally. This would be difficult to characterise as a party acting in good faith.

    Immediately following the new NDC announcement, Resources Minister Shane Jones unveiled New Zealand’s national minerals strategy, along with a list of critical minerals.
    These documents support the government’s goal to double exports from the mineral sector by 2035.

    Despite reassurance in the strategy that minerals production will not come at the expense of our environment, it includes plans to scale up exports of metallurgical coal. But mining more of this coal, then burning it (usually in the process of steelmaking), will add to greenhouse gas emissions.

    Wider concerns about the likely environmental damage and biodiversity loss linked with fast-tracked mining operations continue to be raised.

    Meeting trade obligations

    Last year’s decision to postpone the entry of agriculture into New Zealand’s Emissions Trading Scheme without a robust alternative means that agricultural emissions continue to avoid effective regulation.

    Even recent measures to allow increased road speed limits have been criticised for increasing greenhouse gas emissions as well as worsening air quality and reducing road safety.

    Despite Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s claim to be “all about yes” even on climate change, such decisions are difficult to square with a responsible party to the Paris Agreement acting in good faith.

    The Paris Agreement is clear that emissions pledges are not imposed but are to be determined nationally. The agreement itself lacks an enforcement mechanism, but recently agreed trade deals with the European Union and with the United Kingdom both contain binding and enforceable commitments to the agreement.

    This is a reminder that trading partners are already monitoring New Zealand’s climate actions. Consumer attitudes and trade obligations might become a more powerful lever for climate action in the future. No government should ignore this.

    As the US administration begins to withdraw from the Paris Agreement, now more than ever is the time for other countries to stay focused on its purpose and to match national commitments accordingly.

    Without an NDC in line with the Paris goal, New Zealand’s government is not sending the right message to New Zealanders or to our trading partners and neighbours. It is failing to show international and regional leadership at a time when many Pacific nations are on the frontline of climate-related risk and damage.

    Nathan Cooper 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. Unambitious and undermined: why NZ’s latest climate pledge lacks the crucial ‘good faith’ factor – https://theconversation.com/unambitious-and-undermined-why-nzs-latest-climate-pledge-lacks-the-crucial-good-faith-factor-248877

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Readout of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s Call With Singapore Minister of Defense Ng Eng Hen

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    Pentagon Spokesman John Ullyot provided the following readout:

    Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Singapore Minister of Defense Ng Eng Hen held an introductory call today to discuss key initiatives across the extensive bilateral defense partnership.

    The leaders exchanged views on the strategic environment in the region and reaffirmed the importance of working together to ensure a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific. The Secretary conveyed his appreciation for Singapore’s support for U.S. presence in the region and reaffirmed U.S. commitment for Singapore’s continued military training in the United States.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Readout of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s Call With Philippines Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro, Jr.

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    Pentagon Spokesman John Ullyot provided the following readout:

    Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and Philippine Secretary of National Defense Gilberto Teodoro, Jr. held an introductory call today to discuss defense cooperation in the U.S.-Philippines Alliance. The leaders discussed the importance of reestablishing deterrence in the South China Sea, including by working with allies and partners. They also discussed enhancing the capability and capacity of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. The Secretary reaffirmed the ironclad U.S. commitment to the 1951 Mutual Defense Treaty and its importance for maintaining a secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific. He pledged to remain in close coordination with Secretary Teodoro.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘Do I have to get it in writing?’ Even with compulsory lessons, some teens are confused about how consent works

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Giselle Woodley, Researcher and PhD Candidate, School of Arts and Humanities, Edith Cowan University

    Tirachard Kumtanom/Pexels, CC BY

    Consent education has been mandatory in Australian schools since 2023.

    Amid growing public understanding we need to reduce sexual violence and teach young people about healthy relationships, consent is now part of the national curriculum until Year 10.

    But is this education working?

    Our research with teens suggest some young people are not coming away with an adequate understanding of consent or how to use it in their relationships.

    What is consent education supposed to involve?

    Before 2023, consent was taught at the discretion of each school as part of relationships and sexuality education classes. The Morrison government announced age-appropriate consent lessons in 2022, to start in the first year of school.

    The aim is to teach students about the importance of consent, ensuring they understand it is an ongoing agreement between individuals. This means consent needs to be actively sought and freely given.

    It is still largely up to individual schools to work out how they teach the material.

    Consent education is now a compulsory part of Australia’s National Curriculum.
    Wendy Wei/Pexels, CC BY



    Read more:
    Wondering how to teach your kids about consent? Here’s an age-based guide to get you started

    Our research

    This research is part of a broader study of young people’s perceptions of online sexual content and experiences of relationships and sexuality education.

    For our research, we have spoken to 46 Australian teens (aged 11-17) through a mix of interviews and focus groups. The interviews were done between 2021-2023 and the focus groups were held in December 2023.

    As part of this, we asked interviewees what they learned about consent at school. The comments in this article were made after consent education became compulsory.

    ‘Nothing’ about how to speak to peers

    While some young people told us their schools had over-emphasised consent – “like they’ve gone through everything” – other interviewees found the lessons difficult to apply in their lives. As one focus group participant (in a group of mixed genders, aged 14-16) explained:

    [Young people are] taught in a basic stereotypical movie way like ‘no’, ‘stop that’, but they don’t actually teach, like, real-life situations.

    Lauren* (14) added young people were only taught “if you didn’t want to have sex, then just say no”. As she explained, teens need more practical advice on how to respond to potential partners. This includes:

    more focus on examples of other people asking for sex and what [to] do if you were asked to have sex with someone [or] on how to say ‘no’.

    Another participant (from a focus group of mixed-genders, aged 14-16) noted how saying “no” was more complex than what school lessons suggested and teens could be taught how to advocate for themselves:

    Especially for non-confrontational people ‘cause my friend, [a] creepy guy was being really weird to her, and she wouldn’t say anything about it ‘cause she’s so nice and other people had to step up for her because she wouldn’t tell him that she didn’t want it.

    Interviewees said they wanted more advice on how to handle real-life situations around consent.
    ArtHouse Studio/Pexels, CC BY

    ‘We don’t want to get in trouble’

    Interviewees told us how consent is often discussed within the context of unwanted sex and sexual assault, or as Tiffany (15) explained “all the negative things”. This may contribute to fears about sexual activity.

    Young people also saw consent as a means to avoid “getting into trouble”, rather than checking the comfort and willingness of their sexual partners.
    As Warren (17) told us:

    My friend group that I hang out with, we’re very big on consent. That’s because we’ve heard of cases where people might not have got consent, then they’ve got in trouble because of it […] we don’t want to get in trouble for doing the wrong thing […]

    In response to discussions about affirmative consent laws, and the need to demonstrate consent has been sought and given, Warren continued:

    I don’t know how I’d go about getting it every time, like, if I just invited a girl over [do] I have to get it in writing or something?

    He added he and his friends were thinking about having partners sign a form during their end-of-school celebrations:

    if we bring girls back, we want them to sign a consent form or something like that. That’s an idea we had.

    There are several issues with teens thinking they need a written form for sex. Not only is it transactional and impractical, it could create an idea someone is not “allowed” to withdraw consent at any time. It also presents consent as a simple box-ticking exercise for “yes” or “no”, when it should be based on mutual respect and care, as part of an evolving discussion.

    Going beyond consent

    We only interviewed a modest sample of students from Perth. But our study feeds into other research suggesting “consent” in itself may not stop or prevent sexual violence. That is, even if one partner says “yes” it does not mean the sex is free from coercion or is pleasurable.

    Other Australian studies have found young people can demonstrate high levels of knowledge about consent but may not know how to apply it.

    This suggests young people need more skills and knowledge than simply being told to “seek consent” – a low bar for ethical sex. Consent education also needs to explore communication skills, self-confidence, pleasure, love and relationship dynamics: all topics teens tell us they want to learn about.

    This should not be taken as a criticism of passionate, hardworking teachers and schools. But it suggests they need more support and training to provide consent education in ways young people can actually use.

    *names have been changed.

    Imogen Senior from Body Safety Australia, Gracie Cayley from the Kids Research Institute, Associate Professor Debra Dudek and Dr Harrison W. See from Edith Cowan University contributed to the research on which this article is based.

    This study was funded by the Australian Research Council (ARC) Discovery Project Adolescents’ perceptions of harm from accessing online sexual content (DP 190102435). Primary funding was received from the ARC. The focus groups, were part-funded by Edith Cowan University’s School of Arts and Humanities: School research investment fund as part of the Love Studies’ Teenagers, Consent, and Sex Education project. Giselle Woodley is a member of Bloom-Ed, a relationships and sexuality education advocacy group, whose views are not expressed here. Giselle is also an expert advisor for ‘On your terms’ a consent study run by the Australian Human Rights Commission and funded by the Commonwealth Department of Education.

    Lelia Green is part of the Australian Research Council’s Discovery Project funding scheme (project DP190102435). The views expressed here are those of the authors and not necessarily of the Australian government or the ARC.

    – ref. ‘Do I have to get it in writing?’ Even with compulsory lessons, some teens are confused about how consent works – https://theconversation.com/do-i-have-to-get-it-in-writing-even-with-compulsory-lessons-some-teens-are-confused-about-how-consent-works-248771

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Sens. Markey, Hirono, Duckworth, Rep. Fletcher Reintroduce Right to Contraception Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Bill Text (PDF) | Watch: Senator Markey’s Remarks

    Washington (February 5, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pension (HELP) Committee’s Subcommittee on Primary Health & Retirement Security, along with Senators Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii) and Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), today reintroduced the Right to Contraception Act, legislation that would create a statutory right to obtain and use contraceptives and ensure health care providers have a right to provide contraceptives, contraception, and share information about this essential care. The legislation is led by Congresswoman Lizzie Fletcher (TX-07) in the House.

    In July 2022, the Right to Contraception Act passed the House (220-195). That same month, Republicans blocked an attempt in the U.S. Senate to pass the bill by unanimous consent. They did the same in June 2023. In June 2024, Republicans blocked Senate Democrats’ attempt to pass the bill on the floor.

    “The right to contraception is essential for people’s freedom to make decisions about their lives and their health without politicians getting in the way,” said Senator Markey. “Contraception is essential not only for sexual and reproductive health, but also to treat a wide array of medical conditions and decrease the risk of certain cancers. The Right to Contraception Act will protect the right for people to get contraception and for providers to give it in the face of President Trump and Republicans’ relentless attacks on reproductive justice.”

    “I am proud to introduce the Right to Contraception Act in the 119th Congress in response to the real threats to accessing birth control in Texas and across our country,” said Congresswoman Fletcher. “With 200 original co-sponsors in the House, the Right to Contraception Act reflects the position of the vast majority of Americans who rely on contraception of all kinds to plan their families and their lives. Efforts to restrict access to birth control are not about reflecting the will of the people, they are about taking away the freedom, dignity, and autonomy of all Americans. As a representative from a state intent on taking our reproductive rights away, I will continue to work with my colleagues in Congress and do everything I can to protect and restore the health, privacy, dignity, and autonomy of women and families across our country.  We will not give up.”

    “Contraception is essential health care that millions of people across the country rely on,” said Senator Hirono. “The Right to Contraception Act simply protects patients’ right to access contraception, as well as providers’ right to provide it. I’m proud to join Senator Markey and Representative Fletcher in reintroducing this important bill. The right to control your own body, free from government interference, is as fundamental as it gets, and we’ll continue doing everything we can to protect the reproductive rights of all Americans.”

    “Ever since the Supreme Court threw out Roe v. Wade, we’ve seen extreme MAGA Republicans across the country work to roll back health care and tear reproductive freedom away from Americans—which has cruelly threatened birth control, plan B, IUDs and other forms of contraception,” said Senator Duckworth. “I refuse to let my daughters grow up in a world with fewer rights than I had. As MAGA Republicans continue their anti-choice, anti-science crusade, it is as important as ever that the Senate acts to codify the right to contraception into law so that every American in every state—regardless of their skin color, zip code or income—has equal access to basic, necessary health care. I’m proud to join Senators Markey and Hirono in reintroducing our Right to Contraception Act to do just that.”

    “Nobody wants Donald Trump rifling through their medicine cabinet,” said Democratic Whip Katherine Clark (MA-05). “Democrats’ Right to Contraception Act is as clear-cut as it gets. This is about the health, freedom, and dignity. Republicans once again have a chance to show us where they stand: on the side of health care bans or on the side of the American people.”

    “Affordable, accessible contraception is one of the building blocks for people to be able to make ends meet and get what they want out of life. And now that the Supreme Court has eliminated the constitutional right to abortion, Republicans at every level of government are targeting contraception access – including by threatening to gut Medicaid, the country’s biggest payer of reproductive health care coverage like contraception. We will keep fighting to pass the Right to Contraception Act to keep the government out of our business and out of our exam rooms,” said Congresswoman Sara Jacobs (CA-51).

    “It feels like every day we wake up to someone trying to take away another fundamental right. We have an extremist president, a submissive Republican Congress, and a radical Supreme Court that wants to undo decades of progress. That means it is up to us to protect the rights we once believed were secure—including access to contraception,” said Congresswoman Nikema Williams (GA-05). “I am co-leading the Right to Contraception Act to protect the millions of people who use contraception every day to safeguard their health, the health of others, or manage medical conditions. We must continue to protect the freedom to make personal healthcare decisions.”

    “Access to birth control should be a given, but with extreme Republicans chipping away at women’s reproductive rights by the day, we have no choice but to enshrine this protection into law,” said Congresswoman Angie Craig (MN-02). “I will always stand up for our fundamental rights and freedoms, and that’s why I’m proud to be co-leading the Right to Contraception Act.”  

    “Everyone, no matter their ZIP code, should be able to get the birth control they need, when they need it. At a time when reproductive freedom is under attack across the country, this bill will help people make their own health care decisions and get birth control without government interference. We’re grateful to Sens. Markey, Hirono, and Duckworth and Reps. Fletcher, Jacobs, Craig, and Williams for reintroducing the Right to Contraception Act and for their continued leadership in the fight to make sexual and reproductive health care more accessible. Now is the time to safeguard birth control for our freedom and well-being,” said Alexis McGill Johnson, President and CEO of Planned Parenthood Action Fund.

    “Republicans promised on the campaign trail that they wanted to protect contraception, but there isn’t a single Congressional Republican who has signed on to the Right to Contraception Act. Actions speak louder than words and refusing to back this commonsense bill is a refusal to listen to what voters overwhelmingly support across party lines. No matter what they say, Republicans never had any intention of protecting the fundamental right to contraception. Thank you to Senators Markey, Duckworth, and Hirono and Representatives Fletcher, Craig, Williams, and Jacobs for introducing this essential legislation, and to all of our champions in Congress for reaffirming their commitment to protecting reproductive freedom,” said Mini Timmaraju, President and CEO of Reproductive Freedom for All.

    “The Right to Contraception Act is a vital safeguard for the fundamental freedom to make personal health decisions. As a physician, I see daily how contraception empowers patients to protect their health, plan their families, and shape their futures. Rep. Fletcher’s leadership in advancing this legislation is critical to securing this essential right for all Americans,” said Dr. Dara Kass, Emergency Medicine Physician and Board Member for Americans for Contraception.

    “As an OB-GYN, I’ve seen firsthand that the right to birth control is essential for the well-being of my patients, their families and their communities. For nearly six decades, birth control has allowed millions of people to manage health conditions, plan if and when to have children and achieve their career and educational aspirations. Not surprisingly, birth control is incredibly popular and those who attack it are spreading misinformation and disinformation in order to justify their attacks. If policymakers truly mean what they say regarding support for contraception, there is no clearer way to meaningfully demonstrate that support than by co-sponsoring and passing the Right to Contraception Act,” said Dr. Raegan McDonald-Mosley, MD, MPH, CEO of Power to Decide.

    “Threats to contraceptive access are on the rise—misinformation, distortion of science, funding cuts, restrictions on young peoples’ access, and more. Plus, the network of family planning providers who deliver reproductive health care to thousands is facing unprecedented attacks. Contraception helps people who want to have a baby have well-timed, healthier pregnancies, and more agency in their relationships, education, work life, and finances. That’s why Americans overwhelmingly support contraceptive access. Congress must meet the moment and enshrine the right to contraception into law,” said Clare Coleman, President and CEO of the National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association.

    “The Right to Contraception Act is needed now more than ever as an essential safeguard to protect birth control rights and access. President Trump and extremist members of Congress, state legislators, and judges have all made it clear — they are intent on going after contraception. In just the last two weeks, President Trump unraveled efforts to expand access to birth control, and critical guidance on prescribing contraception has vanished from federal websites. And we are seeing more targeted efforts against birth control in state legislatures, the courts, and on social media. This legislation is critical to push back against these attacks and ensure everyone maintains the right to access the birth control they need, when they need it,” said Gretchen Borchelt, Vice President for Reproductive Rights and Health at the National Women’s Law Center (NWLC). 

    The Right to Contraception Act is endorsed by Power to Decide, National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association, National Women’s Law Center, Guttmacher Institute, Reproductive Freedom for All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America), Population Connection Action Fund, Americans for Contraception, Advocates for Youth, National Partnership for Women & Families, American Public Health Association, American Humanist Association, National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health , Center for Biological Diversity, Ibis Reproductive Health, Physicians for Reproductive Health, Upstream USA, Planned Parenthood Federation of America, National Health Law Program, SIECUS: Sex Ed for Social Change, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, Reproductive Health Access Project, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Upstream USA, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, Center for American Progress, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, All* Above All, and Center for Reproductive Rights.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: NPS, Industry Research Leads to First in Persistent, Ocean Acoustic Data Collection Technology

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    MONTEREY, Calif.  –  

    The team’s successful development of an innovative, self-powered autonomous underwater drone, known as the Persistent Smart Acoustic Profiler (PSAP) Voyager, has already delivered large swaths of oceanographic and passive acoustic data primed for NPS student research since it was deployed for the first time off the coast of Kona, Hawaii, in early November of 2024

    Naval forces have an inherent operational reason to be quiet and stealthy at sea. Retired U.S. Navy Cmdr. John Joseph, a researcher in the NPS Department of Oceanography and principal investigator on the project, said the effort has been funded by the school’s Consortium for Unmanned Systems Education and Research (CRUSER), which is sponsored by the Office of Naval Research.

    “PSAP started as a CRUSER project a few years ago when Yi Chao, Seatrec CEO and a well-known oceanographer, gave a talk at NPS about their energy-harvesting system,” said Joseph, who recognized an opportunity to combine the school’s expertise in undersea acoustics and research instrumentation with Seatrec’s innovative energy harvesting technology.

    NPS excels at conducting applied research in the operating environment. For the first time, PSAP offers an ability to collect and send oceanographic and passive acoustic monitoring data in near real-time for an unlimited period, thanks to the profiler’s ability to harvest energy from the temperature differences in the ocean, enough to fully power the instrumentation indefinitely.

    “Theoretically, PSAP can be deployed once, communicate its acoustic information to remote operators in near real time for limitless periods without requiring retrieval to offload data, refreshment – such as swapping batteries or data storage, or replacement,” explained Joseph. “These characteristics greatly reduce lifecycle costs of a continuous acoustic monitoring effort.”

    Empowering student research and discovery is central to the institution’s efforts with industry partners, and the PSAP Voyager’s ongoing operational test – which can be monitored via the Seatrec website – has provided a trove of data for potential research.

    “Now that we have a sizable amount of oceanographic and acoustic data collected by PSAP, we plan to have students in the undersea warfare and meteorology and oceanography curricula to use these data for thesis research,” said Joseph.

    The role of acoustic sensing in Naval operations is far-reaching and fundamental to U.S. Navy and Marine Corps operations at sea, including undersea sensing and detection.

    “Passive acoustic listening has many operational and research applications in the Navy, and our students at NPS conduct applied research to meet naval-unique needs for at-sea operations that require measurements of ambient noise, understanding the composition of soundscapes and monitoring of marine mammals,” said Joseph. The autonomy and endurance of the PSAP Voyager “provides an unprecedented opportunity to collect acoustic data in real-time for very long periods in remote areas without the expense and logistical tail of ship support.”

    “Sound is used to ‘see’ underwater and is vital to understanding the ocean and monitoring the movement of natural and man-made objects,” added Yi Chao, Ph.D., Seatrec’s CEO and Founder in a recent news release. “Previously, hydrophones required power from expensive underwater cables from shore or ships but our PSAP Voyager untethers hydrophones and provides nearly unlimited persistent monitoring of the ocean in an extremely economical way.”

    While the technology promises to be useful for improving maritime domain awareness, it will also enhance U.S. naval oceanographic models for operational planning used to improve own-force sonar system performance.

    (This news story does not constitute an endorsement of Seatrec or its products and services by the Naval Postgraduate School, the Department of the Navy, or the Department of Defense.)

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Wollongong businesses encouraged to pursue growth opportunities in South East Asia

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    Headline: Wollongong businesses encouraged to pursue growth opportunities in South East Asia

    Published: 6 February 2025

    Released by: Minister for the Illawarra and the South Coast, Minister for Industry and Trade

    The huge trade potential of Wollongong and the wider Illawarra area will be the focus of the latest NSW Government ASEAN Market Update for NSW Businesses series being held in Wollongong today.

    The updates provide local businesses with information about trends and export opportunities across Southeast Asian markets.

    The ASEAN bloc is NSW’s second-largest trading partner, with two-way trade in goods growing by more than nine per cent in the past year. Continued rapid growth is expected in sectors where NSW businesses excel, such as food and beverage, health, and the digital economy.

    Held in partnership with Asialink Business, today’s session will bring together around 80 participants, including Wollongong businesses, industry groups, and diplomatic representatives from Southeast Asian nations, at iAccelerate within the University of Wollongong’s Innovation Campus.

    Speakers at the forum include NSW exporters who have already utilised Investment NSW’s export support services to build connections and drive export sales across Southeast Asia.

    The NSW Government is focussed on promoting ASEAN market opportunities to NSW businesses, with the region expected to become the world’s fourth largest economy by 2040.

    The ASEAN Market Updates series, is supported by other initiatives led by Investment NSW to help small and medium businesses pursue international growth objectives in Southeast Asia and other important export markets around the globe.

    In 2024/25, these include supporting cleantech companies to export to Malaysia and Singapore, and wine to be exported to Vietnam.

    The ASEAN Market Updates series began with a session in Western Sydney last October and will continue in the coming months with events in the Northern Rivers, the Hunter and Wagga Wagga.

    For more information on how the NSW Government supports business to export, visit Investment NSW: https://www.investment.nsw.gov.au/export/

    Minister for Industry and Trade Anoulack Chanthivong said:

    “The ASEAN region is entering a golden age, propelled by a young population, industrialisation and technological advances, which present significant opportunities for NSW exporters.

    “ASEAN nations are actively pursuing economic growth, with an increasing focus on sustainable development, food and health resilience, the digital economy and skills.

    “My ASEAN Market Updates series is all about unlocking the potential of NSW businesses to export and partner with Southeast Asia, where our two-way trade is worth $33.6 billion and continuing to grow.

    “The attendance of so many senior ranking diplomats, including Ambassadors and Consuls General shows the international attractiveness of the NSW economy and is a big vote of confidence in the Illawarra region.”

    Minister for the Illawarra and the South Coast Ryan Park said:

    “The Illawarra is home to innovative businesses with enormous export potential, and Southeast Asia presents a golden opportunity for growth.

    “The NSW Government is here to support Wollongong businesses every step of the way to ensure they can compete and thrive on the global stage.”

    Member for Wollongong Paul Scully said:

    “I’m more than willing to take any opportunity to help sell Wollongong to the world.

    “Wollongong has strong connections with the ASEAN region, but there remains enormous potential to take our trade and investment relationship to the next level.

    “The University of Wollongong has opened three campuses across Malaysia and has several research partnerships, which is just one example of how we’re cultivating deeper connections with the ASEAN region.

    “Today’s ASEAN Market Updates series is an important opportunity for our local businesses to learn more about this dynamic region and how exporting their products and services could turbocharge their growth.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Guardsmen Take On Operation Deep Freeze

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    CHRISTCHURCH, New Zealand  –  

    The 152nd Airlift Wing “High Rollers” from the Nevada Air National Guard achieved a historic first by participating in Operation Deep Freeze.

    The High Rollers supported the annual U.S. military mission in Antarctica by flying augmented max duty day missions, logging over 30 hours in three days in December. The operation challenges the U.S. military with Antarctica’s extreme and unpredictable environment— the coldest, windiest and most inhospitable continent on Earth.

    Rapidly changing weather conditions immediately confronted the High Rollers, operating out of Christchurch, delaying their inaugural mission until Dec. 18. Despite the setbacks, the team maintained readiness and transported 39 passengers and vital cargo to McMurdo Station in Antarctica aboard their C-130 Hercules aircraft. Their efforts provided significant relief to the 139th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron of the New York Air National Guard, which has handled the bulk of ODF missions for decades.

    The 139th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron uses LC-130 aircraft equipped with skis, enabling landings on ice and snow. The unit manages the north-south resupply runs between Christchurch and McMurdo Station and intra-Antarctic missions, including deliveries to remote research stations and the South Pole. This demanding workload has heavily strained their fleet and personnel.

    “We are so happy to see you guys here,” said Senior Master Sgt. Dave Ricks, the 139th Expeditionary Airlift Squadron’s superintendent. “We really appreciate the help that the High Rollers are providing.”

    A C-17 unit from Washington state supports north-south missions during the winter months. However, during the summer, warmer temperatures render the runways too slushy for C-17s to land.

    The High Rollers’ deployment to Operation Deep Freeze strengthens partnerships within the Air National Guard and reduces the operational burden on individual units. Col. Catherine Grush, 152nd Airlift Wing commander, highlighted the collaboration’s importance.

    “It is my hope that we can make this an enduring partnership with the New York Air National Guard and the National Science Foundation,” Grush said. “We are excited to help out and provide whatever support is needed from us.”

    The High Rollers brought fresh resources and enthusiasm to the mission, marking an important step in building capacity and resilience within the U.S. military’s Antarctic operations. Their success highlights the value of joint efforts in tackling the logistical and environmental challenges of operating at the bottom of the world.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: U.S. Space Force’s Space Systems Command and Japan launch First Bilateral Space Effort

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    KAGOSHIMA, Japan  –  

    A U.S. space domain awareness payload hosted on Japan’s Quasi-Zenith Satellite 6 (QZS-6) successfully launched on a Japanese H-3 launch vehicle from the Yoshinobu Launch Complex at the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) Tanegashima Space Center (TNSC) in Japan on February 2, 2025. This is the first bilateral U.S. Japan cooperative space effort focused on national security, and the first of two launches as part of the JAXA Quasi-Zenith Satellite System Hosted Payload (QZSS-HP) program.

    The satellite will be operated by Space Operations Command’s (SpOC) Mission Delta 2 (MD 2), which conducts Space Domain Awareness operations to identify, characterize, and exploit opportunities and mitigate vulnerabilities in the national security space terrain on behalf of the U.S. Space Force (USSF) and U.S. Space Command. The satellite will deliver near real time data to the Space Surveillance Network bolstering the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) understanding of the Geosynchronous Orbit regime above the Indo-Pacific region.

    “This launch is a historic milestone for the U.S.-Japan alliance,” said USSF Col. Bryon McClain, program executive officer for Space Systems Command’s (SSC) Space Domain Awareness and Combat Power. “In an increasingly contested space domain, Japan’s contribution to the U.S. DoD’s deterrence strategy has been, and will continue to be, key to INDOPACOM awareness and operations. We look forward to continuing to collaborate with Japan on space modernization, data sharing, satellite communications, and more.”

    “Congratulations to both nations on this achievement. Mission Delta 2 is honored to operate these payloads as they get on orbit on behalf of the USSF. These sensors will support the fusion of space- and ground-based Space Domain Awareness to further reinforce all-domain collective defense with allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific,” explained USSF Col. Raj Agrawal, commander or SpOC’s Mission Delta 2.

    “I’m proud of the team for this achievement as the first launch in this first-ever bilateral collaboration,” said CMSgt. Jacqueline Sauve,’ SSC’s senior enlisted leader, who was on-site at TNSC for the launch. “This mission is just the beginning of what we can accomplish together with allies and partners.”

    The QZSS-HP program encompasses the integration, launch, and operations of two U.S. payloads hosted on Japanese satellites. In preparation for launch, USSF and Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory (MIT/LL) teams have worked side-by-side with the NSPS and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (MELCO) teams in Japan over the past two years to integrate and test the first hosted payload alongside its Japanese QZS-6 host.

    Both U.S. payloads for this mission were designed and built by MIT/LL in Lexington, MA. The Japanese host Quasi-Zenith Satellites were designed and built by MELCO in Kamakura, Japan to augment the U.S. global positioning system (GPS) capabilities in the region. QZSS-HP utilizes the Multi-Mission Space Operations Center/Enterprise Command and Control – Schriever (MMSOC/EC2-S) enclave located in Colorado.

    “A key component to ensuring the success of the QZSS-HP mission is the ground infrastructure,” said USSF Col. Joe Roth, director of SSC’s Innovation and Prototyping Acquisition Delta. “Ensuring the ground piece exceeds expectation paves the way for continued successful partnership opportunities with our Asia-Pacific allies.”

    The strategic partnership between the USSF and Japan’s National Space Policy Secretariat (NSPS) originated through a December 2020 international agreement to jointly execute the Quasi-Zenith Satellite System-Hosted Payload (QZSS-HP) program. The mission’s second payload aboard QZS-7 is on track for launch in early FY2026.

    Space Systems Command is the U.S. Space Force field command responsible for acquiring, developing, and delivering resilient capabilities to protect our nation’s strategic advantage in, from, and to space. SSC manages a $15.6 billion space acquisition budget for the Department of Defense and works in partnership with joint forces, industry, government agencies, academic and allied organizations to outpace emerging threats. Our actions today are making the world a better space for tomorrow.

    Space Operations Command is the service force provider, focused on generating combat-ready Space forces, sourcing and providing forces for service and combatant commands, and advocating for combat-ready space power from future force to fielded force.

    Mission Delta 2 is the Space Force’s lead Delta for application of Space Domain Awareness to achieve our Nation’s interests in, from, and to space.

    Media representatives can submit questions for response regarding SSC by sending an e-mail to sscpa.media@spaceforce.mil

    Media representatives can submit questions for response regarding SpOC and MD 2 by sending an e-mail to spoc.pa.media@spaceforce.mil

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Safe Access for Urban Mobility: Community-Led Approaches

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    The brief identifies challenges in urban mobility, including universal access, road safety, personal safety, and quality of service. Using community-led approaches, such as journey mapping, establishment of a community council, and dedicated focus groups, it shows that early and effective engagement throughout implementation helps identify potential issues and solutions, minimizing the need for major changes, complaints, or delays.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Dynamic Impact of Foreign Exchange Trading Volume on Foreign Exchange Volatility

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    FX trading volume is a key factor in volatility. Estimation results from econometric models reveal a significant impact of third-party trade volumes on the volatilities of original currency pairs. Though the United States dollar (USD) exerts sizeable effect through third-party channels, currency pairs without USD linkages also have impact, calling renewed attention to using regional cooperation in mitigating volatility as compared with major FX trading partners.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese scientist awarded for excellence in clinical stroke

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Chinese clinical scientist Wang Yongjun has been granted the William M. Feinberg Award for Excellence in Clinical Stroke at the 2025 International Stroke Conference (ISC) held in Los Angeles on Wednesday.
    The Feinberg Award, founded by the American Stroke Association, is named after the late William M. Feinberg, a prominent stroke clinician and researcher who contributed to a more comprehensive understanding to the causes of stroke.
    Wang, president of the Beijing Tiantan Hospital of the Capital Medical University, and president of the Chinese Stroke Association, is the first Asian scientist to receive this award, in recognition of his significant contributions to the investigation and management of clinical research in stroke.
    Addressing the conference, Wang said that over the past 30 years, his team of clinical scientists has produced 12 key pieces of evidence that have changed clinical guidelines and clinical practice. It has brought intravenous thrombolysis into the era of multiple agent options and opportunities of thrombolysis at late time windows.
    “It is very fortunate that our team has been a major force in providing evidence of intravenous thrombolytic therapy for ischemic stroke,” he said.
    “The story continues and our mission is not fully accomplished. Several clinical trials are still ongoing, including thrombolysis with Tenecteplase for minor ischemic strokes, basilar artery occlusion, and thrombolysis for ischemic stroke at very late time windows. We’re looking forward to the results of TRACE-4, TRACE-5 and TRACE-Beyond,” Wang said.
    “Professor Wang has been an inspiration not just to Asia, but to the entire stroke world for the seminal work that he has done both on the prevention side with stroke and with acute stroke. His trials have influenced practice the world over, and have been an inspiration for many of us stroke trialists on how to do large clinical trials,” Bijou Menon, professor of neurology at the University of Calgary, and ISC vice-chair, told Xinhua.
    Tudor G. Jovin, professor of neurology and neurological surgery at the Cooper Medical School of Rowan University, said that Dr. Wang’s exemplary career has had a profound impact on the field of vascular neurology, highlighted through his groundbreaking research, his accomplishments in organization of stroke care, and his commitment to teaching.
    “His highly impactful work has not been confined to only one area of stroke care but spans various domains including acute care, (intravenous and endovascular reperfusion) imaging, stroke prevention and organization of stroke care,” Jovin said.
    ISC is the world’s premier conference dedicated to the science of stroke and brain health. Eleven scientists were individually recognized for their exceptional achievements and contributions toward stroke care and research.
    The three-day conference, running from Wednesday to Friday, features a wide range of topics that cover the latest advances in stroke prevention, treatment, and rehabilitation, offering an opportunity to stay updated on cutting-edge research and advancements in the field of stroke for professionals around the world.
    About 4,000 professionals from worldwide participated in the annual conference.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China to further crack down on online gambling, telecom fraud with relevant countries: FM spokesperson

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China will beef up law enforcement cooperation with relevant countries to crack down on online gambling and telecom fraud, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said on Wednesday.

    On the recent string of cross-border telecom fraud and other vicious cases along the Thailand-Myanmar border, China attaches great importance to it and made persistent effort to ask relevant countries to jointly find solutions through consultation, Lin made the remarks at a regular news briefing in response to a related query.

    “China welcomes the robust measures by relevant country. We stand ready to work with Thailand and other countries to beef up law enforcement cooperation, crack down on online gambling and telecom fraud, protect the safety of Chinese citizens overseas and their lawful rights and interests, and keep normal cross-border exchanges between China and relevant countries in order,” said the spokesperson.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s top legislator holds talks with ROK official

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, holds talks with Woo Won-shik, National Assembly Speaker of the Republic of Korea (ROK), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 5, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    China’s top legislator Zhao Leji held talks with Woo Won-shik, National Assembly Speaker of the Republic of Korea (ROK), in Beijing on Wednesday.

    Zhao, chairman of the National People’s Congress (NPC) Standing Committee, said China and the ROK are close in geography and culture, and enjoy convenient conditions for exchanges and cooperation in various fields.

    Since the establishment of diplomatic ties, China-ROK relations have developed rapidly and achieved fruitful results, which has brought benefits to both sides and their peoples and also promoted regional stability and development, he said.

    China is willing to work with the ROK to strengthen high-level exchanges and strategic communication, make good use of the dialogue and communication mechanisms between government and political parties of the two countries, and enhance mutual understanding and trust, Zhao added.

    “Taking the 10th anniversary of the entry into force of their Free Trade Agreement (FTA) as an opportunity, the two countries will speed up the second phase of negotiations on the FTA and strive to reach an agreement at an early date,” Zhao said.

    Zhao noted that the legislative bodies of China and the ROK have maintained close exchanges and cooperation for a long time, playing an important role in promoting the development of bilateral relations.

    He said the NPC of China is willing to work with the ROK National Assembly to uphold the tradition of friendship and make good use of regular exchange mechanisms and other platforms to enhance communication and exchanges between high-level legislative bodies, special committees, friendship groups, NPC deputies and parliamentarians, so as to create a sound policy and legal environment for bilateral cooperation in various fields.

    “We will encourage more young people to participate in bilateral exchanges and build strength for China-ROK friendship from generation to generation,” Zhao added.

    Woo Won-shik said that since the establishment of diplomatic ties, the two countries have made remarkable cooperative achievements in political, economic, cultural and other fields. The ROK and China will host the APEC Economic Leaders’ Meeting this year and next year respectively. He expressed hope that the two sides will support each other and further deepen bilateral cooperation.

    Adhering to the one-China principle, the ROK hopes to expand bilateral cooperation in such fields as economy and trade, enterprise investment, biomedicine and artificial intelligence, maintain the stability of industrial and supply chains, expand cultural exchanges and continuously enhance the friendly feelings between the two peoples, Woo Won-shik added.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Mental Health Australia’s 2025-2026 Pre-Budget submission

    Source: Mental Health Australia

    Mental Health Australia has developed the following Budget priorities through review of evidence and outstanding recommendations of recent national reviews,  consultation with members including a workshop at our November 2024 Members Policy Forum, and targeted consultations with subject-matter experts.

    We are pleased to present the following specific recommendations to the Australian Government for the 2025-2026 Federal Budget.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Highlights Trump’s Illegal Spending Freeze on Billions via Day One Executive Orders, Putting Economies and Jobs at Risk

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray
    ***VIDEO HERE*** 
    Trump Administration is still blocking hundreds of billions of dollars passed by Congress
    ICYMI: Murray Hold Press Call With WA State Orgs About Jobs at Risk Due to Funding Freeze
    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, is helping lead Senate Democrats in holding the Senate floor for a full 30 hours ahead of a final confirmation vote on Russell Vought to serve as Director of the Office of Management and Budget. Senator Murray delivered an hour-long floor speech and her remarks below touch specifically on how the Trump Administration is still blocking hundreds of billions of dollars of approved funding under Trump’s executive orders, and what sort of pain this illegal funding freeze could mean for Washington state and the country:
    On infrastructure:
    “All of these projects, and many more have been thrown into complete uncertainty because of President Trump’s Executive Orders. It is just completely unclear when, or if these projects are going to get the funds they are counting on and owed—from the bills Congress passed.
    “And that is not just causing chaos, it is not just causing delays, it is causing harm and alarm—because it could mean construction grinds to a halt, and workers lose jobs. It could mean the work will go un-started—or perhaps in some cases—unfinished.
    “Plus, it will mean increasing costs for cities, counties, states, and Tribes for those projects that somehow make it through this. And while there are many more infrastructure projects in my state I still haven’t even touched on, not to mention the other projects across the country. There are so many other projects, organizations, and people who are being harmed right now by President Trump’s reckless funding freeze. “
    On foreign assistance:
    “When people are starving, you cannot just feed them money—you need to have already made the investments to grow food. When democracies are in crisis, you can’t just cut them a check—you need to have helped them build strong institutions. When a deadly disease outbreak strikes—you are going to learn very quickly that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
    “Freezing foreign assistance is not putting America first—it is guaranteeing America comes in last. Because every funding gap we leave is an opportunity for our adversaries to step in, fill the gap, and play the hero while casting us as the villain.”
    […]
    “And let’s be clear—it is not just U.S. leadership on the line here. There are U.S. jobs at stake here. That reality is hitting home hard this week. Back in Washington state, there are some world class organizations that I know may have to lay people off this week—hundreds of people—all because of President Trump’s funding freeze.
    “International aid organizations may make a difference around the world—but they support American jobs too. People who have a paycheck and family. People who work incredibly hard—and who are incredibly proud of the work they do to make the world a better place and reaffirm U.S. global leadership…
    “But they are being sent packing—not because they’ve done anything wrong, not because this work isn’t important. But because President Trump and Elon Musk are listening to whacko conspiracists and ultra-isolationists—while ignoring the experts, ignoring the obvious realities, and again ignoring the law. We should all stand against this”
    The full text of Senator Murray’s remarks on the funding still being frozen by President Trump can be found below, and video can be found HERE.
    “And let me make one thing perfectly clear—even before this latest whirl of chaos, President Trump was already illegally blocking billions of dollars. And even after the OMB guidance was reversed, he is still holding back all of those funds through his illegal executive orders.
    “You don’t have to take it from me. You can take it directly from the White House Press Secretary, quote: ‘This is not a rescission of the federal funding freeze… The President’s [Executive Orders] on federal funding remain in full force and effect, and will be rigorously implemented’
    “So, now that was the chaos of last week, I want to talk about the chaos that remains—what we are still seeing this week, and what it means for folks back home, and across the country. Because there is still significant confusion, and the remaining freezes are still causing significant pain.
    “For example, I’ve heard from cities in my state, and from the Washington State Department of Transportation. Now, it is still hard to get a clear picture, given the chaotic roll out, roll back, and more. But they are telling me they are concerned about infrastructure projects all over my state that are already getting delayed now—and could get derailed entirely because President Trump is still illegally blocking funding we passed with his executive orders.
    “If this illegal freeze continues, people will lose jobs and communities will lose out on projects that have been in the works for years.
    “Trump is blocking money to repair electric chargers, to install heavy duty chargers for trucks, to make critical repairs to bridges in order to protect the safety of millions of drivers, and to install new chargers along major roads in my state like I-90, US-97, US-2, US-195, and US-395. Stopping these projects is just pointlessly hurting commuters and businesses, it is costing construction workers, it is killing jobs.
    “Trump is holding up road projects that make streets safer for pedestrians, bicyclists, and drivers, like a safer streets project in Richland, Washington, and critical safety barriers in Spokane—not to mention the Liberty Park Land Bridge in Spokane, which would reconnect communities, and provide more green space for families to enjoy.
    “Or funds for the city of Lakewood’s plans to revitalize its downtown and bring in more retail space, and restaurants, and health care services, and financial services, make upgrades to roads, and provide a new festival area, park areas, and more.
    “Trump’s freeze is also a concern for the Samish Indian Nation as it works to improve safety and access to their land at the Campbell Lake Road intersection—which has seen growing traffic in recent years—and for a project led by the Tulalip Tribe to improve the interchanges along I-5 exits. The congestion on these ramps can get so bad it backs up to the main highway!
    “We want to get these projects done, we want to get them done—and the last thing we need is uncertainty about these stalled funds.
    “There’s also a project underway to upgrade the technology at our border with Canada—replacing and improving the outdated wait time system to improve accuracy and help our inspection and transportation agencies. This will help travelers headed to Canada avoid long wait times at the border and help fans from around the world, by the way, who are travelling between Seattle and Vancouver for next year’s World Cup move quickly—but not if Trump’s executive orders stop all of this funding!
    “Same for the efforts to update our state-wide planning with a new electronic system that would make the process for planning, and specifications, and estimates more efficient.
    “And, of course, in Washington state—we can never forget about fish, which are crucial to our culture, and our economy, in many ways. Trump’s ongoing funding freeze is putting projects to improve fish habitats on ice—replacing the culvert at Thornton Creek, replacing the failing culvert at Wapato Creek, which is right underneath the Pierce County Terminal at the Port of Tacoma, or removing the fish barrier culverts at Johnson Creek which will open up nearly 3,000 meters of upstream habitat.
    “Not to mention other wildlife preservation work, like an undercrossing structure and wildlife barriers east of Winthrop. And work on our waterways. Funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law is still not restored today for some projects on the Lower Columbia River, projects like stormwater infrastructure that will help keep toxins out of water and restore wetlands and protect the ecosystems.
    “Our ports, our ports—so critical for not only Washington state’s economy, but for the whole country—are caught up in this too. There are port projects now on hold across my state, including for electrical infrastructure and shore power for vessels. These impacts are being felt from Anacortes to Port Angeles to Vancouver. Frozen funding is hurting working families in Washington and across the country, and it is making our economy less competitive.
    “And, we cannot forget our ferries—which are so crucial to many commuters in my state. Washington state ferries are looking to improve their data with a better system for collecting, analyzing, and reporting wait times at all of our terminals. This would give them useful information to improve efficiency and make life better for the people they serve. Losing that funding means more people will miss ferries and long waits in line for Washington state commuters crossing the water to work, to school, to medical appointments.
    “We also have absolutely essential electric transmission and distribution projects that are on hold now and in jeopardy. These are projects that are necessary, helping reduce our wildfire risks, ensure grid reliability, improve resilience to natural disasters, and lower costs for ratepayers across my state of Washington.
    “And these are funded under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law—that is a law that Republicans and Democrats worked together to pass–it’s a program that Republicans thought was important enough to provide $10.5 billion. After what we have seen in recent months and years, I don’t know how you can say with a straight face that modernizing our grid isn’t absolutely vital to the future of our country. You don’t have to listen to me—Secretary Burgum and Secretary Wright said as much in their confirmation hearings.
    “But this project—all of these projects, and many more have been thrown into complete uncertainty because of President Trump’s Executive Orders. It is completely unclear when, or if these projects are going to get the funds they were counting on and they were owed—from bills Congress passed and were signed into law.
    “And that is not just causing chaos, it is not just causing delays, it is causing harm and alarm—because it could mean construction grinds to a halt, and workers lose jobs. It means the work will go un-started—or perhaps in some cases—unfinished.
    “Plus, it will mean increasing costs for cities, counties, states, and Tribes for those projects that somehow make it through all of this. And while there are many more infrastructure projects in my state I still haven’t even touched on, not to mention the other projects across the country. There are so many other projects, and organizations, and people who are being harmed right now by President Trump’s reckless funding freeze.
    “I know there are medical researchers, still worried their work will be considered ‘woke’ when in reality, it is actually pretty darn important we understand the roots of health disparities—things like why the maternal death rate is so much higher for Black or Native American women.
    “Yet, researchers are being told that their research is at risk of being defunded if they are examining issues of ‘equity,’ or ‘barriers to care,’ or even if they are specifically studying ‘females.’
    “And, there are hospitals in my state, and across the country, worried that some of these programs—which are appropriately focused on someone’s gender or race—are in jeopardy.
    “For example, we know pulse oximeters are less accurate for people with darker skin tones—making sure these clinical measurements are accurate will save lives, and can have life and death consequences for patients. And we know women have much higher rates of autoimmune disorders than men—we need to take a look at why that is.
    “We also need to invest in training the next generation of scientists, including from diverse backgrounds. Studies show that diversity in the scientific workforce leads to greater innovation and productivity. But there is a serious concern that lifesaving work is going to get caught up in President Trump’s sweeping illegal executive orders.
    “Another impact of Trump’s actions? The National Park Service has rescinded all of its employment offers for summer seasonal staff. Now that doesn’t just mean people will be facing longer wait lines and dirtier bathrooms—though they will. It could mean park closures throughout this entire summer, and it will mean delayed responses to emergencies—making people less safe.
    “And outside our national parks, Trump is also freezing regional clean up efforts. Things like stopping illegal dumping and improving air quality in our communities.
    “And M. President, let’s talk about foreign assistance, because, for decades now—there has been widespread, bipartisan understanding that promoting stability abroad, promoting democracy, improving health, strengthening trade, and building partnerships is crucial to US leadership.
    “But Trump’s executive orders put all of that at risk by illegally freezing funds. I have heard from organizations that operate all over the world about how they were unable to deliver the life-saving aid that millions of people rely on due to these stop-work orders. That meant millions of doses of lifesaving drugs sat un-used on shelves. Time-sensitive prevention methods against diseases like malaria were not carried out, putting millions at risk. Training for more than 64,000 health care workers were put on hold. Hundreds of millions of metric tons of U.S.-grown commodities sitting—and at the risk of spoiling—in transport, instead of reaching their final destinations across the world to feed people in need.
    “And despite a so-called ‘waiver’ from the U.S. State Department to resume work, much of this life-saving aid is still today on hold. Without a start-work order, those organizations fear they are taking on significant risk in continuing operations. Put simply: this was already unacceptable.
    “And now, over the weekend—President Trump and Elon Musk have decided against all reason, against all evidence, and against the law, mind you, to completely dismantle USAID. And that is on top of the illegal funding freeze that has already been pushing U.S. businesses, nonprofits, and international aid groups to make tough choices, for truly pointless reasons.
    “It should be obvious that these cuts will hurt people across the world. These cuts will mean people starve. These cuts will mean people don’t get clean water. These cuts will mean more disease outbreaks with higher death counts. These cuts will mean less help for victims of violence, and higher death rates for pregnant women.
    “And anyone with an ounce of humanity can see this freeze will get devastating, fast. And—it is important to note—it will get devastating in ways you cannot just make up for with more money later once the damage is done. That is just not how it works.
    “When people are starving, you cannot just feed them money—you need to have already made the investments to grow food.
    “When democracies are in crisis, you can’t just cut them a check—you need to have helped them build strong institutions.
    “When a deadly disease outbreak strikes—you are going to learn very quickly that an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.
    “These are not lessons we need to learn the hard way—by letting people die. We know it all, painfully well, right now. And so, to freeze this funding, is asking for disaster—and not just for other countries across the world, but for us, for the U.S. and for our families here at home.
    “Freezing foreign assistance is not putting America first—it is guaranteeing America comes in last.
    “Because every funding gap we leave is an opportunity for our adversaries to step in, fill that gap, and play the hero while casting us as the villain. How are we supposed to lead the world if we are unwilling to invest in it?
    “I will tell you right now—China is not holding back. They are investing constantly—because they know they aren’t just building infrastructure across the world, they are building stronger partnerships. And we just counted ourselves out of that competition.
    “You want to end U.S. global dominance? You want to tell the world the U.S. is done being a leader? You want to tell other countries—we cannot be trusted to keep our word?
    “Because that is exactly what we are doing if we let Trump get away with illegally cutting off global aid—with the stroke of a pen—and letting the richest man in the world cut off help for some of the poorest people in the world.
    “And let’s be clear—it is not just U.S. leadership on the line here. There are U.S. jobs at stake here. That reality is hitting home hard this week. Back in Washington state, there are some world class organizations that I know may have to lay people off this week—hundreds of people—all because of President Trump’s funding freeze.
    “It is a scene that is not isolated to Washington state—I know it is playing out across the country as well, with thousands of layoffs across 38 states and counting. And I know, so long as President Trump’s lawless war on foreign aid continues—so will these layoffs. We will see hundreds, if not thousands more every week.
    “International aid organizations may make a difference around the world—but they support American jobs, too. People who have a paycheck and family. People who work incredibly hard—and who are incredibly proud of the work they do to make the world a better place and reaffirm U.S. global leadership.
    “But they are being sent packing—not because they have done anything wrong, not because this work is not important. But because President Trump and Elon Musk are listening to whacko conspiracists and ultra isolationists—while ignoring the experts, ignoring the obvious realities, and again ignoring the law. We should all stand against this.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gillibrand, Schumer, Tenney Reintroduce Bipartisan Bill To Establish The Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter National Historical Park

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New York Kirsten Gillibrand

    During WWII, Fort Ontario Was The Only Shelter In The United States for Jewish Refugees Fleeing The Holocaust;

    Legislation Would Keep Their Stories Alive For Generations To Come 

    U.S. Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer and U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand are reintroducing the bipartisan Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter National Historical Park Establishment Act. The Fort Ontario military complex dates back to the early 1840s, and during World War II, it was the only emergency refugee camp in the country for those fleeing the Holocaust. From August 1944 until February 1946, Fort Ontario housed 982 mostly Jewish refugees from Europe, most of whom went on to become American citizens. Designating the Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter as a National Historic Park would give this important historical site permanent protection and help ensure that it is preserved for generations to come. Representative Claudia Tenney (R-NY) leads companion legislation in the House. 

    “The Holocaust Refugee Shelter at Fort Ontario was a place of safety and hope during a dark moment in history, and it deserves recognition in the National Park System,” said Senator Gillibrand. “I am proud to once again be introducing this legislation to achieve this goal and am determined to work across the aisle to get it done.” 

    “It’s only fitting to preserve the rich history of the Safe Haven Holocaust Refuge Shelter Museum and Fort Ontario by officially designating Safe Haven as a National Historical Park. Together, Safe Haven and Fort Ontario tell the powerful history of Central New York and Oswego County dating back to the earliest days of our nation, standing proudly as a beacon of hope for hundreds of Jewish and European refugees forced to flee their homes to escape the horrors of the Holocaust and World War II,” said Senator Schumer. “I’ve been advocating for this designation in Congress for years and was proud to lead this legislation to passage in the Senate last year. Today, we’re taking a step closer to giving Americans from across the country the opportunity to learn about Safe Haven and the role it played in shaping Central New York. I urge my colleagues in the Senate to once again support this bill, and implore the House of Representatives to join us, so we can preserve the rich history of the Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum, Fort Ontario and Oswego County for years to come.”

    “We must ensure that the historic importance of Fort Ontario is properly honored and preserved for future generations. Once an important site in the battles of the French and Indian War and the War of 1812, as well as a refugee camp for Holocaust survivors, it is crucial that we secure the recognition this significant historic site truly deserves. The Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter National Historical Park Establishment Act aims to safeguard this monument’s profound legacy for years to come and solidify its status as a National Monument,” said Congresswoman Tenney.

    Senator Gillibrand has been advocating for Fort Ontario for many years. In 2018, she passed a bill to require the National Park Service to conduct a special resource study (SRS) – the first step in the process to designate a site as a unit of the National Park System – of the Fort Ontario site. In 2024, the SRS was finalized and concluded that the two-acre portion of Fort Ontario representing the fort’s use as a World-War II European refugee shelter meets all necessary criteria. Last year, the bill passed the Senate but failed to become law.

    The full text of the legislation is available here.

    “We are honored to have the federal government recognize this important chapter, not only of our heritage, but in the pages of American history,” said Oswego County Legislature Chairman James Weatherup, District 9. “This shelter was the only one of its kind in the U.S. The nearly 1,000 refugees who came to Oswego became part of the fabric of our community, and we are privileged to help share their stories.”

    “I want to thank Senator Schumer, Senator Gillibrand and Representative Tenney for their unwavering efforts to reintroduce the “Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter National Historical Park Establishment Act”. I strongly believe that the prominence and history that our fort holds are remarkably significant to the story of our country and deserves a national designation. Fort Ontario took in 982 refugees; men, women, and children, who were allowed into the United States during the Holocaust. These refugees were housed in Oswego, NY from August of 1944 until February of 1946. With Fort Ontario being the only refugee shelter for Holocaust victims in all of the United States during World War II, I think that speaks to the gravity and deservedness of this designation,” said Mayor Robert Corradino, City of Oswego. “Thank you again to our representatives working to achieve this legislation. I have great hope to see it be awarded and keep the story of these men, women, and children alive for years to come, with a reach far greater than the Oswego community.”

    “The NYS Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation and Fort Ontario State Historic Site look forward to this potential partnership. The story of the 982 refugees who called Fort Ontario home from 1944-46 is indeed a national story and one we would be happy to assist the NPS, Safe Haven Museum and the City of Oswego to bring to greater national attention.”  said Matthew Macvittie, Historic Site Manager Fort Ontario NYS Historic Site.

    “I am thrilled that this long, bi-partisan effort to bring proper recognition to the truly unique and historically significant Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter is coming to fruition.  I want to thank Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, and Congresswoman Tenney for sponsoring this truly worthwhile bill and for working with me throughout the years to make this happen,” said Former Congressman John Katko.

    “The Jewish Federation of Central New York, strongly urges that Fort Ontario be established as a unit of the National Park System. As the only refugee camp in the United States during the Holocaust, the Fort represents a moment of national commitment to justice and freedom.  It would be a worthy addition to the United States’ National Park System. Thank you, Senator Gillibrand, for continuing to push this legislation forward,” said Barbara Davis, Interim President/CEO, Jewish Federation of CNY

    “We are all excited about the re-introduction of the bill to honor the memory of the 982 refugees from the Holocaust who were housed at Fort Ontario during WWII. I want to thank former Congressman John Katko, Senators Kirsten Gillibrand and Chuck Schumer, and Congresswoman Claudia Tenney for their dedication to preserve this unique period in American history,” said Judy Coe Rapaport, Acting President, Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum.

    “We are very excited to hear the news that Senator Schumer, Senator Gillibrand, and Congresswoman Tenney will be reintroducing to Congress the Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter National Historical Park Establishment Act,” said Daniel Laird, President of Friends of Fort Ontario. “Fort Ontario is singularly unique in that it served as the only refugee camp or shelter for mostly Jewish Holocaust refugees in the United States during WWII. It is where the Holocaust came to America; where every day Americans first met the victims of Nazi persecution and heard their personal stories of survival first-hand. It is where the press finally found a Holocaust story they deemed worthy of feature coverage, and it resulted in the Holocaust moving from the back to the front pages of American newspapers after over eleven years of Hitler’s reign of terror. Furthermore, Fort Ontario is where the first group of refugees entered the United States outside the immigration quota system and were granted asylum. It is, therefore, the birthplace of American Refugee Policy. For these reasons and a list of many more too long to go into, Fort Ontario is well worthy of becoming a National Historical Park.”

    “After touring Ohrdurf Concentration Camp in Germany, Lt. General Dwight D. Eisenhower warned that someday some may deny that the Holocaust ever happened. In order for them to bear witness to Nazi atrocities, Eisenhower ordered troops in theatre including my father to tour Nazi concentration camps. With the last of the greatest generation and Holocaust survivors and Shelter Refugees passing on, and with Anti-Semitism and Holocaust denials on the rise, Eisenhower’s dire prediction has come true. As a National Historical Park, dedicated to interpreting the unique history and significance of the WWII Fort Ontario Emergency Refugee Shelter, Fort Ontario will forever prove to Americans and others that the Holocaust actually happened. I am deeply grateful to Senators Schumer and Gillibrand, and Congresswoman Tenney for making this great effort to establish the Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter National Historical Park,” said Paul Lear, Historian, Member of the Board of the Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum.

    “I am deeply grateful to the Senator Gillibrand, Senator Schumer and Representative Tenny for their unwavering advocacy in ensuring that the stories of refugees are never forgotten. These stories serve as a powerful reminder of how a single, symbolic gesture by the United States not only saved countless lives but also demonstrated the resilience and strength of the human spirit, inspiring us all to work towards a better, more compassionate world,” said Treasurer- Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum and Friends of Fort Ontario.

    “One of my proudest accomplishments during my tenure as President of the Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum, was developing a 2022 Grand Reopening that introduced the public to our 32 new exhibits!  Each exhibit celebrates the 987 survivors who were able to flee from the genocide and inhumane madness that was the Holocaust and be sheltered by the United States at Fort Ontario from 1944-1946.  This small group of Holocaust survivors’ harrowing stories of suffering, loss and resilience are the narratives of the Museum’s exhibits.  And with the support of the bipartisan Fort Ontario Holocaust Refugee Shelter National Historical Park Establishment Act, we will be able to ensure our beloved refugees and their descendants that the Museum’s precious historical artifacts and narratives will be nationally preserved, protected and administered on the same grounds where the echoes of hope and healing can still be heard!” said Audrey S. Hurley, Emeriti President, Safe Haven Holocaust Refugee Shelter Museum.

    “The Fort Ontario Refugee Shelter holds an indelible place in our nation’s history and is part of the fabric of this region. I appreciate the work of our federal representatives to help ensure this sacred place earns its rightful designation as a National Historic Park,” said Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: UWD tiltmeter data currently unreliable

    Source: US Geological Survey

    UWD tiltmeter data currently unreliable

    The UWD tiltmeter, located near Uēkahuna within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, experienced a power supply issue starting at 8 a.m. HST on February 5, 2025, and is not currently providing reliable data. 

    The UWD tiltmeter provides ground deformation information for Kīlauea summit region, and the shallow Halemaʻumaʻu magma reservoir. USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory staff are working to resolve this issue and will provide an update when the tiltmeter can be serviced. In the meantime, the SDH and IKI tiltmeters, located southwest of the summit caldera and east of the summit caldera respectively, remain operational. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Allens’ trusted expertise recognised in 2024 banking and finance rankings

    Source: Allens Insights

    Allens secured top rankings in the 2024 syndicated loans and project finance league tables, reflecting a strong year of activity driven by complex cross-border financings, infrastructure investment, and evolving lender dynamics.

    The firm maintained its market-leading position in syndicated loans, with standout rankings across multiple league tables:

    Bloomberg

    • First in APAC (ex Japan) – borrower lead counsel by deal count
    • First in APAC (ex Japan) – lender lead legal adviser by value
    • Second in APAC (ex Japan) – borrower legal adviser by value

    Debtwire

    • First in APAC (ex Japan) – lead bank legal counsel
    • First in Australia – lead bank legal counsel
    • Second in APAC (ex Japan) – borrower legal counsel
    • Second in Australia – borrower legal counsel

    Infralogic

    • First in APAC – project finance legal adviser by value and deal count
    • First in Australia and New Zealand – project finance legal adviser by value and deal count

    LSEG (formally Refinitiv)

    • Second in APAC (inc Japan) – borrower legal adviser by value and deal count
    • Second in Australia – borrower legal adviser by value and deal count

    ‘These results reflect the trust our clients place in us to advise on their most strategic and high-value financings. We are fortunate to work with market-leading lenders, sponsors, and borrowers across the region, supporting them on complex transactions that drive investment and growth,’ said Partner and Head of Banking & Finance Tim Stewart.

    ‘The market remains highly active, particularly in project finance and structured lending, and we expect this momentum to continue into 2025 as borrowers and lenders adapt to evolving regulatory and economic conditions.’

    Highlights in 2024 included advising:

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: ACCC denies authorisation for industry code on marketing of infant formula

    Source: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

    The ACCC has denied authorisation sought by the Infant Nutrition Council for an industry code which seeks to restrict the advertising and promotion of infant formula.

    The Infant Nutrition Council sought authorisation to continue to implement the Marketing in Australia of Infant Formula: Manufacturers and Importers Agreement (MAIF Agreement) and its associated guidelines for a further five years.

    The ACCC considers that the effectiveness of the MAIF Agreement is being undermined by several factors including its voluntary nature, its limited scope, and restrictions on its ability to capture the breadth of modern digital marketing methods.

    As such, the ACCC considers that the claimed public benefits are unlikely to arise, or are likely to occur with or without the MAIF Agreement. Further, the ACCC considers the conduct is likely to result in some competitive detriment.

    “We are not satisfied in all the circumstances that the MAIF Agreement is likely to result in public benefits that would outweigh the public detriments likely to result from it,” ACCC Acting Chair Mick Keogh said.

    MAIF Agreement

    The MAIF Agreement, initially established in 1992, has formed part of Australia’s response to its obligations as a signatory to the World Health Organisation’s International Code of Marketing Breast Milk Substitutes.

    The MAIF Agreement is a voluntary, self-regulatory code of conduct which aims to restrict those manufacturers and importers of infant formula who opt in to the agreement from advertising and promoting formula for infants up to 12 months of age. Its implementation requires ACCC authorisation as it forms an agreement between competitors not to market their infant formula products.

    “While the link between breastfeeding and improved health outcomes for mothers and children is undisputed, we are concerned there are several factors that undermine the effectiveness of the MAIF Agreement in protecting breastfeeding rates,” Mr Keogh said.

    “We are not satisfied that the MAIF Agreement and associated guidelines are likely to result in a net public benefit to justify authorisation and consider that they are likely to result in some public detriment through reduced competition between infant formula manufacturers and importers, compared to the future without the conduct.”

    Further information on the final determination is available on the ACCC’s public register at Infant Nutrition Council.

    Note to editors

    ACCC authorisation provides statutory protection from court action for conduct that might otherwise raise concerns under the competition provisions of the Competition and Consumer Act.

    Broadly, the ACCC may grant an authorisation when it is satisfied that the public benefit from the conduct outweighs any public detriment.

    Background

    The Infant Nutrition Council represents the majority of manufacturers and importers of infant formula in Australia.

    The Council applied for revocation of the existing authorisation and the substitution of a new one to continue to make and give effect to the MAIF Agreement and its associated guidelines for a further five years to ensure a framework remains in place while the Government prepares and implements its response to the independent review of the MAIF Agreement.

    In September 2024, the ACCC announced it was proposing to deny this authorisation and sought feedback from interested parties which raised broader health policy issues including whether restrictions on marketing of infant formula should extend to breastmilk substitutes for children over 12 months of age and to retailers.

    These issues go beyond the scope of the ACCC’s assessment of this application under competition law and are a matter for the Australian Government.

    The Department of Health and Aged Care commissioned an independent review of the MAIF Agreement which found that it is no longer fit for purpose and recommended that it be replaced with a stronger regulatory framework in the form of a legislated, prescribed, mandatory code.

    In a submission to the ACCC, the Department stated that the Government accepted this recommendation and intends to introduce a mandatory regime to restrict marketing of infant formula, which it expects would take two years to implement.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: UWD tiltmeter

    Source: US Geological Survey

    UWD tiltmeter

    The UWD tiltmeter, located near Uēkahuna within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park, experienced a power supply issue starting at 8 a.m. HST on February 5, 2025, and is not currently providing reliable data. 

    The UWD tiltmeter provides ground deformation information for Kīlauea summit region, and the shallow Halemaʻumaʻu magma reservoir. USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory staff are working to resolve this issue and will provide an update when the tiltmeter can be serviced. In the meantime, the SDH and IKI tiltmeters, located southwest of the summit caldera and east of the summit caldera respectively, remain operational. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Second Reading – Universities Accord (National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-Based Violence) Bill 2025

    Source: Australian Ministers for Education

    This week the new National Student Ombudsman opened its doors.

    It has the powers of a Royal Commission to investigate complaints made against a university.

    This is a national first.

    And it has been a long time coming.

    Too long.

    For too long students have been let down by their universities and inaction by previous Governments.

    Advocates have been ignored and they shouldn’t have been.

    The evidence is overwhelming.

    One in twenty university students report being sexually assaulted on campus.

    One in six report being sexually harassed.

    And one in two report that they felt they weren’t being heard when they made a complaint.

    That’s why I acted.

    That’s why this Government has acted.

    Introducing legislation last year to create the first National Student Ombudsman.

    But this is just the first step.

    These bills that I introduce today are the next steps.

    They provide for the establishment and enforcement of a National Higher Education Code to Prevent and Respond to Gender-based Violence.

    The Code will be made by the Minister as a legislative instrument and it will set out best practice requirements that all higher education providers will be required to meet.

    It will hold all higher education providers to consistently high standards to proactively prevent and respond to gender-based violence.    

    These standards will be backed by monitoring and enforcement to ensure that we build a culture of compliance in this critical area.

    Under the Code, higher education providers will be required to take evidence-based steps to prevent gender-based violence on their campuses. 

    This includes requiring that Vice-Chancellors and CEOs to make a whole-of-organisation plan, and report to their Governing Bodies every six months on the actions they are taking to implement it. 

    They will be required to provide evidence-based prevention education and training to staff and students and consider any history of gender-based violence in the recruitment and promotion of staff. 

    They will be required to consult with students, staff and people with lived experience, and their approach must be informed by evidence of what works. 

    The Code will also ensure that when the worst happens, students and staff have access to the best response possible. 

    A response that’s trauma informed and puts people first. 

    A response that ensures people are heard, have agency in what happens next, have access to the support that they need and are supported by their institution to achieve their educational outcomes.

    Providers will be required to train staff and student leaders on how best to respond to disclosures. 

    And non-disclosure agreements will be prohibited, unless requested by a victim-survivor.  

    Providers will also be required to report de-identified data and measure the changes that their policies are securing, informing compliance, ensuring accountability and contributing to the national evidence base to help us build an understanding of what works best. 

    The Code will also include an enforceable requirement that providers implement the recommendations of the National Student Ombudsman.

    This gives the findings and recommendations of the Ombudsman real teeth and will make sure that they are put in place to improve our universities and other providers.

    University is not just a place where people learn. For many students, it’s where they live.

    That’s why the Code will also have specific requirements to help ensure that student accommodation is safe for students.

    The Code will require that following a disclosure or formal report, measures are immediately put in place to prioritise residents’ safety and arrange urgent support services. 

    And for accommodation which is affiliated with a university but not controlled by it, the university will be required to seek that accommodation provider’s agreement to meet the requirements of the Code or lose the benefits of their affiliation with the university.

    And universities will have an obligation to investigate formal reports of gender-based violence even where they occur at student accommodation which is operated by a third party.

    If you want to know why that’s important, you just have to look at the accounts of sexual assault and mistreatment at university colleges and other on-campus accommodation.

    Universities will not have the option of saying “a disclosure of gender-based violence is a matter for a private college”. Where the discloser or respondent is a student or staff member of the university, the Code will require that the university take action, including to provide trauma-informed support and to investigate where necessary. 

    The Code has been the subject of broad consultation over the past eight months, including with victim-survivor advocates, students, the higher education sector, gender-based violence experts, states and territories and relevant Australian Government agencies. 

    Detailed consultation has taken place through an Expert Reference Group comprising 19 leaders from higher education, gender-based violence and the student accommodation sectors and victim-survivor advocates.

    I table a copy of the draft Code for the information of colleagues.

    The Code contains critically important standards and requirements which all higher education providers must follow.

    That’s why these bills also establish a new regulatory framework with robust compliance monitoring backed by strong enforcement powers.

    To monitor and enforce the Code, a new specialist gender-based violence unit will be established within the Department of Education.

    The unit will provide guidance, education and advice to support universities and other providers in understanding their legal obligations under the Code.

    The unit will also be able to exercise a significant range of powers to monitor, investigate and respond to non-compliance with the Code and the measures in this Bill.

    These powers include issuing requests for information, compliance notices, infringement notices, and powers to require enforceable undertakings and to seek civil penalties and injunctions through a court.

    As I mentioned earlier, Vice Chancellors and CEOs will be directly accountable for the compliance of their university with the Code, including requirements that they report every six months to their governing body.

    The bills provide for significant civil penalties where a provider fails to comply with the National Code or a compliance notice from the Secretary, or fails to keep records or meet their reporting obligations.

    Compliance with the National Code will also become a quality and accountability requirement for providers under the Higher Education Support Act 2003.

    Transparency is important here too.

    That’s why the bill provides for annual reporting on the gender-based violence unit’s operations and performance which will be tabled in both Houses of Parliament.

    The introduction of the Code is part of the Action Plan Addressing Gender-Based Violence in Higher Education, agreed to by all Education Ministers in February last year.

    That Action Plan was recommended by a working group of Commonwealth, State and Territory Governments which my Department convened as part of our response to the Australian Universities Accord Interim Report.

    The Universities Accord Interim Report underlined the importance of moving immediately to address sexual assault and sexual harassment in our universities. 

    That’s what I have done.

    The Student Ombudsman is now up and running.

    And these Bills are the next steps.

    I want to thank everyone who has been involved in bringing them to the Parliament today.

    From the Universities Accord Panel, to the Working Group, Expert Reference Group and Education Ministers across the country. To my colleagues and our respective Departments and offices who worked together to make today possible.

    And most importantly to the advocates and the victim-survivors who have fought for this for so long.

    Organisations like End Rape on Campus.

    End Rape on Campus was founded in 2016 by Sharna Bremner; she ran it with a small group of committed volunteers.

    Working for free.

    Working to make the lives of students safer.

    Incredibly important work.

    When this Parliament passed legislation last year to set up the National Student Ombudsman, they put out this statement:

                “End Rape on Campus Australia has now permanently closed… Almost 9 years to the day since our founding, we’ve done the thing that organisations like ours should be aiming to do – we’ve advocated ourselves out of business. We’re incredibly thankful to everyone who has supported us over the years.”

    End Rape on Campus didn’t close because the work to rid our campuses of sexual assault and harassment is complete. It is not.

    It was because Government was finally listening – and we were bringing together the resources needed to make a real difference.

    That’s what the National Student Ombudsman is.

    And that’s what these bills and the draft National Code are.

    I commend these bills to the House.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mongolian Minister of Defense visits U.S. Indo-Pacific Command

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    AIEA, Hawaii  –  

    U.S. Army Lt. Gen. Joshua M. Rudd, deputy commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, hosts Mongolian Minister of Defense Sandag Byambatsogt at USINDOPACOM headquarters on Camp H.M. Smith in Hawaii, Feb. 4, 2025.

    Topics of discussion included defense ties, advancing shared interests and cooperation, military modernization, and expansion of peacekeeping operations.

    The U.S. and Mongolia upgraded their bilateral relationship to a Strategic Partnership in 2019, and this year marks 38 years of the U.S.-Mongolian relationship rooted in shared values and mutual respect.

    USINDOPACOM is committed to enhancing stability in the Indo-Pacific region by promoting security cooperation, encouraging peaceful development, responding to contingencies, deterring aggression and, when necessary, fighting to win

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What’s the difference between climate and weather models? It all comes down to chaos

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andy Hogg, Professor and Director of ACCESS-NRI, Australian National University

    Nadia Piet/AIxDESIGN & Archival Images of AI / Better Images of AI , CC BY-SA

    Weather forecasts help you decide whether to go for a picnic, hang out your washing or ride your bike to work. They also provide warnings for extreme events, and predictions to optimise our power grid.

    To achieve this, services such as the Australian Bureau of Meteorology use complex mathematical representations of Earth and its atmosphere – weather and climate models.

    The same software is also used by scientists to predict our future climate in the coming decades or even centuries. These predictions allow us to plan for, or avoid, the impacts of future climate change.

    Weather and climate models are highly complex. The Australian Community Climate and Earth System Simulator, for example, is comprised of millions of lines of computer code.

    Without climate and weather models we would be flying blind, both for short-term weather events and for our long-term future. But how do they work – and how are they different?

    The same physical principles

    Weather is the short-term behaviour of the atmosphere – the temperature on a given day, the wind, whether it’s raining and how much. Climate is about long-term statistics of weather events – the typical temperature in summer, or how often thunderstorms or floods happen each decade.

    The reason we can use the same modelling tools for both weather and climate is because they are both based on the same physical principles.

    These models compile a range of factors – the Sun’s radiation, air and water flow, land surface, clouds – into mathematical equations. These equations are solved on a bunch of tiny three-dimensional grid boxes and pieced together to predict the future state.

    These boxes are sort of like pixels that come together to make the big picture.

    These solutions are calculated on a computer – where using more grid boxes (finer resolution) gives better answers, but takes more computing resources. This is why the best predictions need a supercomputer, such as the National Computational Infrastructure’s Gadi, located in Canberra.

    Because weather and climate are governed by the same physical processes, we can use the same software to predict the behaviour of both.

    But there most of the similarities end.

    Climate and weather models are made up of thousands of 3-dimensional grid cells which are represented by mathematical equations that describe physical processes.
    NOAA

    The starting point

    The main differences between weather and climate come down to a single concept: “initialisation”, or the starting point of a model.

    In many cases, the simplest prediction for tomorrow’s weather is the “persistence” forecast: tomorrow’s weather will be similar to today. It means that, irrespective of how good your model is, if you start from the wrong conditions for today, you have no hope of predicting tomorrow.

    Persistence forecasts are often quite good for temperature, but they’re less effective for other aspects of weather such as rainfall or wind. Since these are often the most important aspects of weather to predict, meteorologists need more sophisticated methods.

    So, weather models use complex mathematics to create models that include weather information (from yesterday and today) and then make a good prediction of tomorrow. These predictions are a big improvement on persistence forecasts, but they won’t be perfect.

    In addition, the further ahead you try to predict, the more information you forget about the initial state and the worse your forecast performs. So you need to regularly update and rerun (or, to use modelling parlance, “initialise”) the model to get the best prediction.

    Weather services today can reliably predict three to seven days ahead, depending on the region, the season and the type of weather systems involved.

    Chaos reigns

    If we can only accurately predict weather systems about a week ahead before chaos takes over, climate models have no hope of predicting a specific storm next century.

    Instead, climate models use a completely different philosophy. They aim to produce the right type and frequency of weather events, but not a specific forecast of the actual weather.

    The cumulative effect of these weather events produces the climate state. This includes factors such as the average temperature and the likelihood of extreme weather events.

    So, a climate model doesn’t give us an answer based on weather information from yesterday or today – it is run for centuries to produce its own equilibrium for a simulated Earth.

    Because it is run for so long, a climate (also known as Earth system) model will need to account for additional, longer-term processes not factored into weather models, such as ocean circulation, the cryosphere (the frozen portions of the planet), the natural carbon cycle and carbon emissions from human activities.

    The additional complexity of these extra processes, combined with the need for century-long simulations, means these models use a lot of computing power. Constraints on computing means that we often include fewer grid boxes (that is, lower resolution) in climate models than weather models.

    A machine learning revolution?

    Is there a faster way?

    Enormous strides have been made in the past couple of years to predict the weather with machine learning. In fact, machine learning-based models can now outperform physics-based models.

    But these models need to be trained. And right now, we have insufficient weather observations to train them. This means their training still needs to be supplemented by the output of traditional models.

    And despite some encouraging recent attempts, it’s not clear that machine learning models will be able to simulate future climate change. The reason again comes down to training – in particular, global warming will shift the climate system to a different state for which we have no observational data whatsoever to train or verify a predictive machine learning model.

    Now more than ever, climate and weather models are crucial digital infrastructure. They are powerful tools for decision makers, as well as research scientists. They provide essential support for agriculture, resource management and disaster response, so understanding how they work is vital.

    Andy Hogg works for ACCESS-NRI, Australia’s Climate Simulator, based at the Australian National University. He receives funding for ACCESS-NRI from the Department of Education through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy, and receives research funding from the Australian Research Council. He is a member of the Australian Meteorological and Oceanographic Society.

    Aidan Heerdegen works for ACCESS-NRI, Australia’s Climate Simulator, based at the Australian National University.

    ACCESS-NRI receives funding from the Federal Department of Education through the National Collaborative Infrastructure Strategy.

    Kelsey Druken works for ACCESS-NRI, Australia’s Climate Simulator, based at the Australian National University. ACCESS-NRI receives funding from the Australian federal government through the National Collaborative Research Infrastructure Strategy (NCRIS). She is a member of the American and European Geophysical Unions (AGU, EGU).

    – ref. What’s the difference between climate and weather models? It all comes down to chaos – https://theconversation.com/whats-the-difference-between-climate-and-weather-models-it-all-comes-down-to-chaos-244914

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ricketts, Foreign Relations Committee Republicans Call for Sanctions on Communist China for Transferring Missile Propellants to Iran

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Pete Ricketts (Nebraska)

    February 5, 2025

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE), a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Senator Jim Risch (R-ID), Chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, and six other Senators sent a letter to Secretary of State Marco Rubio encouraging the sanctioning of Chinese entities involved in transferring missile propellant ingredients to Iran. The letter comes in response to multiple reports that two Iranian cargo ships are set to deliver 1,000 tons of missile propellant ingredients from Communist China to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The critical ingredients would enable the IRGC to produce hundreds of midrange missiles.

    “Reimposing maximum pressure on the Iranian regime requires imposing costs on Communist China,” the senators wrote. “We encourage the administration to identify and sanction any entities involved in transferring missile propellants to Iran, including any Chinese companies sourcing the propellants and any Chinese ports that allow sanctioned Iranian ships to dock. Additionally, if the press reports referenced above are accurate, we urge you to work with our global partners to intercept and stop the shipments currently underway. Finally, the administration should pressure Beijing to reverse its decision to green light Iran’s drawdown of stored oil or face severe consequences.”

    In addition to Ricketts and Risch, other signatories include Senators John Cornyn (R-TX), Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Curtis (R-UT), Steve Daines (R-MT), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), and Rick Scott (R-FL). All are members of the Foreign Relations Committee. 

    Read the full letter here or below:

    Dear Secretary Rubio,

    We write to express our growing concern over recent reports that two Iranian cargo ships are set to deliver 1,000 tons of a critical ingredient for missile propellant – sodium perchlorate – from Communist China to Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). This amount of sodium perchlorate would enable the IRGC to produce hundreds of midrange missiles and bolster its efforts to sow discord, promote terrorism, and even directly attack our ally, Israel, once again.

    According to the Financial Times, the first Iranian vessel, the Golbon, departed from Communist China on January 21 and the second, the Jairan, is expected to leave in early February.[1] Both of these vessels are linked to the Islamic Republic of Iran Shipping Line (IRISL), which is sanctioned by the U.S.

    The last 15 months have clearly shown that Tehran’s missile program poses a direct threat to the United States, Israel and other allies and partners in the Middle East and Europe. Since October 7, 2023, the Houthis in Yemen have launched hundreds of missiles at Israel and at commercial cargo vessels and U.S. Navy warships in and around the Red Sea.[2] Hezbollah has fired over 8,000 missiles at Israel.[3] Most concerning, on April 13, Iran directly attacked Israel for the very first time firing over 120 ballistic missiles.[4] On October 1, Iran was even more belligerent, firing 180 ballistic missiles at Israel in the largest ballistic missile attack in history.[5]

    Today, however, Iran is weakened and vulnerable. Its missile inventories are depleted from its aforementioned attacks against Israel, its shipment of ballistic missiles to Russia, and Israeli Defense Force airstrikes that have degraded its missile production facilities. As a result, Tehran has turned to the partner that it has relied on for supplying solid-propellant for its missiles for decades—Communist China.[6]

    Communist China, Iran, Russia, and North Korea continue to increase their coordination as part of a growing axis of authoritarians. Not only is Communist China propping up Iran’s missile program, it also recently gave Tehran the go-ahead to begin drawing down and selling millions of barrels of Iranian oil that have been stored in onshore facilities in Chinese ports for years. Alarmingly, the revenue from these oil sales has already been earmarked for the IRGC.[7]

    Reimposing maximum pressure on the Iranian regime requires imposing costs on Communist China. We encourage the administration to identify and sanction any entities involved in transferring missile propellants to Iran, including any Chinese companies sourcing the propellants and any Chinese ports that allow sanctioned Iranian ships to dock. Additionally, if the press reports referenced above are accurate, we urge you to work with our global partners to intercept and stop the shipments currently underway. Finally, the administration should pressure Beijing to reverse its decision to green light Iran’s drawdown of stored oil or face severe consequences.

    We appreciate your prompt attention to this matter. We stand ready to work with the administration to thwart Iran’s missile program and protect our allies.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Health – New report highlights the need for culturally safe Māori nursing ratios – NZNO

    Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

    Culturally safe ratios within nursing must be urgently introduced in Aotearoa to turn around Māori health inequities and improve whānau health and wellbeing, a new report released today by the New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) has found.
    The report Kaupapa Māori Culturally Safe Staffing Ratios: Māori nursing leaders’ perspectives was released at Waitangi by NZNO Kaiwhakahaere Kerri Nuku.
    The report tells a compelling and previously untold story through a Māori lens about the impact culturally unsafe practice has on our people, she says.
    “It highlights that nurses needed to be both clinically and culturally safe in their practice; and they need enough time to be both.
    “It shows the need for mandatory, fully-funded and legislated culturally safe staffing ratios.”
    Māori nurses need to lead the development and implementation of culturally safe staffing ratios, Kerri Nuku says. Kaumātua and kuia need to be involved, to ensure tikanga is upheld and whānau, hapū and iwi need to define what is culturally safe practice.
    “Māori nursing and the wider Māori health workforce needs to continue to grow across the entire health system. Decision-making about staffing levels needs to be based on consideration of both clinical and cultural factors.”
    Kerri Nuku says there is considerable international interest in the experiences of Māori nurses whose “soft skills” or whanaungatanga and building trust – are critical to keeping Māori whānau engaged in the health system.
    “Māori nurses in the report explain how they do all the regular things required of them, but often get called on to do more. Their cultural work is often invisible.
    “They don’t work with individuals, they work with whānau. They check whether they have kai, whether they are vaccinated. This takes time and can’t be a matter of ‘you’re up next’,” she says.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Serious crash, Helena Bay

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Emergency services are responding to a serious crash involving a car and a pedestrian on Kaiikanui Rd, Helena Bay.

    Police were called about 11.15pm.

    The road will be closed while emergency services work at the scene.

    Please avoid the area, if possible.

    ENDS 

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –