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Category: Asia Pacific

  • MIL-OSI Security: Founder and Former CEO of Artificial Intelligence Start-Up SKAEL Charged with Securities Fraud and Wire Fraud

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)

    Defendant Allegedly Raised Over $40 Million While Misrepresenting Financial and Sales Information

    SAN FRANCISCO – A federal grand jury indicted Baba Nadimpalli, the founder and former Chief Executive Officer of SKAEL, Inc. (SKAEL), with securities and wire fraud for defrauding investors and misleading them about the company’s revenue, annual recurring revenue (ARR), and other financial and sales information.

    According to an indictment filed Jan. 17, 2024 and unsealed Sept. 23, 2024, Nadimpalli, 41, a citizen of Australia who resided in San Francisco, Calif., founded SKAEL in 2016 and served as its Chief Executive Officer from 2016 until July 2022.  SKAEL was a San Francisco-based, software-as-a-service (“Saas”) company that claimed to provide its corporate clients with artificial intelligence and automation software to assist customers with mundane, time-intensive tasks by building “Digital Employees,” which SKAEL claimed could connect databases, synthesize large amounts of information, provide information and insights, and perform tasks.  SKAEL earned revenue by charging implementation fees for the building of Digital Employees and subscription fees for the use of the Digital Employees once they were built.

    The indictment alleges that from January 2020 until about February 2022, SKAEL raised over $40 million in three rounds of financing. To induce prospective and existing investors to invest, Nadimpalli allegedly made false claims regarding SKAEL’s revenue and ARR (a measure of total revenue expected per year from committed customers with signed contracts, an important metric for investors), as well as customer and sales information.  For example, in or around 2021, Nadimpalli allegedly provided materially false information to investors in advance of their investments in SKAEL, including representing that SKAEL was receiving ARR from certain companies that did not subscribe to SKAEL’s software and services; overstating ARR from certain customers who were SKAEL customers; and representing that customers who had terminated their SKAEL subscriptions were current customers with ARR.

    The indictment further alleges that in or around February 2022, SKAEL raised approximately $30 million in a Series A preferred stock offering which valued SKAEL at approximately $230 million after closing. In connection with the stock offering, Nadimpalli allegedly directed the creation of an electronic data room for potential investors that contained (1) a spreadsheet that Nadimpalli maintained that contained materially false information about the company’s ARR and customers; (2) a materially false profit and loss statement; (3) a financial metrics spreadsheet that contained materially false subscription revenue and ARR amounts; and (4) an investor presentation that contained materially false information about the company’s ARR, revenue, and customer adoption.

    As described in the indictment, in furtherance of the scheme, Nadimpalli provided an investor and a financial employee false bank account information that included purported customer payments that had not actually been deposited.

    Nadimpalli is charged with three counts of securities fraud and seven counts of wire fraud.  If convicted of securities fraud, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $5,000,000.  If convicted of wire fraud, he faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.  However, any sentence following conviction would be imposed by the court after consideration of the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and the federal statute governing the imposition of a sentence, 18 U.S.C. § 3553.

    An indictment merely alleges that crimes have been committed and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    The announcement was made by U.S. Attorney Ismail J. Ramsey and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Special Agent in Charge Robert K. Tripp.

    The case is being handled by the Corporate and Securities Fraud Section of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of California.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Noah Stern and Ilham Hosseini are prosecuting the case with the assistance of Mark DiCenzo. The prosecution is the result of an investigation by the FBI.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI thank the San Francisco Regional Office of the Securities and Exchange Commission, which announced today a parallel civil enforcement action against Nadimpalli in the Northern District of California.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Sexual strangulation has become popular – but that doesn’t mean it’s wanted

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Hannah Bows, Associate Professor in Criminal Law, Durham University

    Shutterstock

    An act seemingly once confined to bondage and “kink” communities has become mainstream. Despite the many risks to health (including death), sexual choking is now popular, even commonplace, particularly among young people.

    Sexual choking is a more informal label for strangulation. It involves the grabbing, holding or compression of another’s neck either by hands, or limb, or by use of a prop or weapon, and typically involves restriction of blood or air flow. When it is used as part of a sexual encounter, it is frequently referred to as “erotic asphyxiation” or “breath play”.

    In a 2016 survey of Americans aged 18-60 years, 21.4% of women who had sex with men had been choked. And one in five men admitted to choking a partner (male or female) during sex.

    An Australian study from this year found that more than half of 18- to 35-year-olds reported they had been strangled during sex at least once. A similar proportion admitting to strangling a partner at least once. Though strangling is common among both men and women, evidence shows that women are more likely to be strangled and men more likely to do the strangling.

    Separate research suggests strangulation has become so normalised that many do not consider it to be a form of rough or violent sex at all. A 2019 survey found only around a third of participants considered choking to be rough sexual behaviour. Most considered hair pulling, being pinned down, biting, being tied up and slapping as rough sexual behaviour.

    While there have not been many studies on the prevalence of choking until recently, researchers and campaigners have reported that young people are talking about the practise more in recent years.

    According to a 2022 study that surveyed American university students, those who report enjoying being strangled cited a high from the experience – a feeling of euphoria – that heightens sexual pleasure.

    People give various reasons for engaging in sexual strangling, including wanting to be kinky or adventurous, believing it would please their partner, and feelings of power and dominance. But campaigners point out that the often gendered nature of strangulation can feed into wider patterns of coercion and control of women by men.

    Although sexual choking appears to be increasingly common, it is not necessarily wanted by those engaging in or receiving it. A significant proportion of women, in particular, do not consent to being choked, even if the rest of the encounter is consensual.

    A survey for the BBC in 2019 found that in a study of 2,000 young women aged 18–39, 38% had experienced unwanted slapping, choking, gagging or spitting during otherwise consensual sex. And a similar proportion of men admit to choking or strangling a partner during sex without their consent.

    Normalising strangulation

    The act of strangulation has become increasingly normalised and sexualised. The Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy, a worldwide bestseller, was widely criticised by feminist campaigners, academics and domestic abuse charities for eroticising strangulation and making it socially acceptable. The recent Netflix-produced films Lady Chatterley’s Lover and Obsession also contain strangulation during sex scenes, which are presented as part of a love story.

    A 2020 investigation by the Times found hundreds of images of sexualised choking and strangulation on Pinterest, Instagram and Tumblr. The images included pictures of young women being pinned down and strangled by men, women with gags over their mouths and children being gripped by the throat.

    Social media hashtags promoting these images include #Daddy, #ChokingKink, #BreathPlay and #Strangle. Disturbingly, the investigation found hypersexualised tags and descriptions accompanying many of these images, including one which said “bruise my oesophagus”.

    Unwanted strangulation can happen during otherwise consensual sex.
    PPstudio/Shutterstock

    Pornography has also played a role in eroticising strangulation, as part of a wider normalisation of violent sex. And research has found links between people seeing choking depicted in pornography and engaging in it themselves.

    In TV, books, social media or pornography, it is almost always men strangling women. Similarly, the evidence on real life sexual choking shows this is a practice more often done by men to women.

    The creep of strangulation into legitimate and normalised behaviour makes it more difficult for women to escape (and avoid) violent relationships. This normalisation leads many women to feel like they cannot speak up about nonconsensual choking.

    In her recent book exploring rough sex, journalist Rachel Thompson highlights that women feel refusing to participate or responding to non-consensual choking could reflect negatively on them as sexual partners.

    Risky behaviour

    Regardless of consent, strangulation is associated with a range of health risks. These include loss of consciousness, loss of voice, difficulty in swallowing or breathing, bruising, redness, haemorrhages, headaches, depression, PTSD, suicidal thoughts and death (including delayed death occurring days or weeks after the strangulation).

    Strangulation has traditionally been viewed as a violent act and has long been recognised as assault in criminal law. A growing number of homicides of women by men involve claims that the death was an accident resulting from “rough sex” gone wrong.

    Strangulation or asphyxiation is a leading cause in many of these cases, and in some, reference has been made to the Fifty Shades of Grey trilogy as the inspiration for engaging in what is alleged to have been consensual sexual choking.

    England and Wales have recently introduced a new offence of non-fatal strangulation as part of domestic abuse legislation, which police appear to be actively using. But the law alone isn’t enough to change the normalisation of this dangerous act.



    Read more:
    Longer sentences for ‘rough sex’ killers may not deliver justice for victims

    Some advocates for safe BDSM practice have suggested that breath play can be done safely if there is clear consent, proper boundaries and certain rules are followed. But clinicians, academics and parliamentarians have argued there is no safe way to choke someone.

    Hannah Bows receives funding from the ESRC, British Academy & Home Office.

    – ref. Sexual strangulation has become popular – but that doesn’t mean it’s wanted – https://theconversation.com/sexual-strangulation-has-become-popular-but-that-doesnt-mean-its-wanted-239235

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Nature is adapting to climate change – why aren’t we?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jack Marley, Environment + Energy Editor, UK edition

    Humanity may be no better prepared for the impacts of climate change today than in the 1970s.

    So says a new study led by Stanford University researchers that compared how sensitive societies are to extreme weather now versus 50 years ago. This research has yet to be peer-reviewed, and its conclusions run counter to what many climate policy experts have long assumed. If they are accurate, it means that additional wealth, technology and climate-savvy have not meaningfully enhanced our protection as the weather has become more hostile.


    This roundup of The Conversation’s climate coverage comes from our award-winning weekly climate action newsletter. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 35,000+ readers who’ve subscribed.

    Earth’s atmosphere has warmed and contains more moisture as a result of fossil fuel burning. Europeans reeling from Storm Boris can testify to the failure of even wealthy countries to adapt to this reality says Chris Medland, a PhD candidate in climate change resilience at the University of Surrey.



    Read more:
    Who’s to blame when climate change turns the lights off?

    Eventually, everyone will feel this deficit.

    “Your home may not be in the path of the next storm but the infrastructure it relies on might be,” Medland says.

    Flood defences, power lines, rail networks – all of these things and more need to be built or upgraded to withstand mounting storms. Yet in the recently flooded UK, the companies that run utilities are not expressly obliged to ensure their networks remain resilient to climate change, Medland says. Nor is it clear who is ultimately responsible for keeping the lights on as the crisis intensifies.

    Invaders must die?

    If the accounts of biologists are anything to go by, the natural world is adapting to the effects of climate change far more radically than any human institution.

    “Faced with the degradation of their habitat, the species that will survive will be those that are able to adapt,” says Suzanne Bonamour, a postdoctoral researcher in ecology at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.

    Bonamour studies an endangered seabird, the crested cormorant, and its struggles to feed itself and its brood amid stormier seas. These birds can migrate to escape a winter squall, but only some do.



    Read more:
    How cormorants are rethinking their migration routes in the face of climate change

    Bonamour wonders whether adult birds might transmit this behaviour to their chicks, but she says that there is little that species can do to compensate for the catastrophe humans are engineering.

    Adjusting to a rapidly changing climate is a very tall order.
    LABETAA Andre/Shutterstock

    When plants and animals seeking cooler climes settle on new shores, they usually get a hostile reception. Attempting to root out these migrants is generally a mistake according to Heather Kharouba, an ecologist at the University of Ottawa.

    “Stated plainly, the vast majority of intentionally or unintentionally introduced species are not a threat to native ecosystems,” she says.



    Read more:
    Climate change means we may have to learn to live with invasive species

    Some arrivals do cause problems. In North America, “invasive species” include the emerald ash borer, an insect from north-eastern Asia that damages ash trees. But most control measures are laborious and expensive failures, Kharouba says. Some are even harmful, like using herbicides that afflict the native and non-native alike.

    Kharouba cites numerous examples of introduced species enriching their new homes. More generally, there is a trade-off: forests in the eastern US that are turning gold with autumn’s onset now harbour fewer species, but they store more carbon.

    “All this means that introduced plants could be well placed to support, or even buffer, current ecosystems as they undergo transitions due to climate change,” Kharouba says.

    Nature offers stark evidence that the world is changing rapidly. What if we embraced it?

    ‘Not just a challenge’

    Climate activists have typically shied away from discussing “climate adaptation” for fear of sounding defeatist says Joost de Moor, an assistant professor of political science at Sciences Po. There is cause to remain laser-focused on cutting emissions, he adds, but no excuse to neglect the question entirely.

    If change is inevitable, what sort of world do we want to emerge from the climate crisis? In March 2023, protesters in western France seized the initiative when they opposed the construction of a 628,000 sq metre reservoir in the rural Sainte-Soline commune, de Moor says.



    Read more:
    How climate activists finally seized the issue of adaptation in 2023

    France had suffered a historic drought, and so a huge artificial water reserve might have seemed prudent. Not if it involved draining a common resource, the water table, to serve a few farmers whose methods of agriculture already placed an untenable strain on struggling ecosystems, protesters argued.

    The campaign sparked a vital debate about whose needs ought to be prioritised in a future with greater hardship says Lucien Thabourey, a sociologist of environmental activism at Sciences Po. Fortunately, there is also a conversation to be had about the ways in which everyone might live better.



    Read more:
    Sainte-Soline : un tournant pour les mouvements écologistes ?

    “Some of the actions taken by humans to minimise the risk of catastrophic floods can actually make life more pleasant anyway, even when it isn’t raining,” says Maryam Imani, an associate professor of water systems engineering at Anglia Ruskin University.



    Read more:
    Torrential rain represents an opportunity to build a better society

    “For this reason, we should see rains like this not just as a challenge, but as an opportunity.”

    – ref. Nature is adapting to climate change – why aren’t we? – https://theconversation.com/nature-is-adapting-to-climate-change-why-arent-we-239750

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Ron DeSantis Issues Updates on State Preparedness Efforts Ahead of Hurricane Helene

    Source: US State of Florida

    TALLAHASSEE, Fla.—Today, Governor Ron DeSantis was joined by Florida Division of Emergency Management (FDEM) Executive Director Kevin Guthrie in Tampa to meet with power and utility linemen staged and ready to respond to power outages caused by Hurricane Helene, and to provide updates on state preparedness efforts before the storm’s landfall.

    Following Governor DeSantis’ request, FEMA approved the state’s pre-landfall disaster declaration request. This will provide important resources and assistance from the federal government, including personnel, equipment and supplies, as well as making available funding sources for emergency protective measures. The pre-landfall declaration request is for the 41 Florida counties included in Executive Order 24-208.

    Governor DeSantis issued Executive Order 24-209 on September 24, updating EO 24-208 and declaring a state of emergency for 61 counties, which allows for state officials to make critical resources available to communities ahead of any potential storm impacts.

    Voluntary and mandatory evacuation orders are in effect in multiple counties statewide. Residents need to evacuate as soon as possible if they are under a mandatory evacuation order. Counties under evacuation orders can be found at FloridaDisaster.org/EvacuationOrders.

    Residents in need of assistance finding or going to a shelter in the Big Bend region for Hurricane Helene can call (800) 729-3413. FDEM team members will be conducting callbacks from messages received last night, as well as accepting new calls today, to facilitate shelter coordination. For additional resources and assistance, residents can call the State Assistance Information Line (SAIL) at (800) 342-3557. Assistance is available in English, Spanish and Haitian-Creole.

    As of 11AM ET, the storm has strengthened into Hurricane Helene, with maximum sustained winds of 80 mph. Helene is expected to move across the eastern Gulf of Mexico and to the Florida Big Bend coast by Thursday evening. Additional strengthening is forecast, and Helene is expected to be a major hurricane when it reaches landfall.

    Watches and warnings in effect include

    Hurricane Warning: western Alachua, coastal Citrus, Columbia, Dixie, Franklin, Gadsden, Gilchrist, Gulf, Hamilton, coastal Hernando, Jefferson, Lafayette, Leon, Levy, Liberty, Madison, western Marion, coastal Pasco, Suwannee, Taylor and Wakulla counties

    Hurricane Watch: inland Citrus, inland Hernando, coastal Hillsborough, coastal Manatee, inland Pasco, Pinellas, coastal Sarasota

    Tropical Storm Warning: central and eastern Alachua, Baker, Bay, Bradford, Brevard, Broward, Calhoun, Charlotte, inland Citrus, Clay, Collier,  DeSoto, Duval, Flagler, Glades, Hardee, Hendry, Highlands, inland Hernando, Hillsborough, Holmes, Indian River, Jackson, Lake, Lee, Miami-Dade, Monroe (including Florida Keys and Dry Tortugas), Manatee, central and eastern Marion, Martin, Nassau, Okeechobee, Orange, Osceola, Palm Beach, inland Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, Putnam, Sarasota, Seminole, St. Johns, St. Lucie, Sumter, Union, Volusia, Walton, Washington

    Storm Surge Warning: along the entire Florida Big Bend and West Coast through Southwest Florida

    Storm Surge Watch: Coastal Bay and Gulf counties along Mexico Beach to Indian Pass

    Floridians are encouraged to know their risks from hurricane hazards and prepare for potential impacts from Hurricane Helene. To learn more, residents can visit FloridaDisaster.org/Guide.

    Counties have begun their preparation efforts including measures like sandbag stations. For updates on county resources available visit FloridaDisaster.org/Counties for a list of all 67 county emergency management contacts.

    State Preparedness Efforts

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: E Ink Wins Manufacturer of the Year at the 9th Annual Massachusetts Manufacturing Awards Ceremony

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    BILLERICA, Mass., Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — E Ink (8069.TW) the originator, pioneer, and global commercial leader in ePaper technology, today announced that the Commonwealth of Massachusetts recognized E Ink as a leading manufacturer in the state at the 9th Annual Manufacturing Awards. Companies across the Commonwealth, including E Ink, were honored by the Legislative Manufacturing Caucus and accepted their awards on September 25 at Gillette Stadium. 

    The award recognizes E Ink in part because of its ongoing manufacturing and production of ePaper displays in Massachusetts. E Ink’s Billerica and South Hadley facility has been actively producing the Company’s proprietary ink and film products since 2009. E Ink has since acquired both sites and plans further expansion in the future. The Company is also looking to invest in automation within the factories to stay competitive in a challenging manufacturing environment.

    The most notable product manufactured in Massachusetts is E Ink’s black and white ink and film, which is used in millions of eReaders and electronic shelf labels, in transportation signs throughout the world, including at the MBTA, and in the world’s first color-changing car, produced with BMW. E Ink’s innovative and rugged ePaper enables a variety of applications that value a low power display that is easy on the eyes.

    “Massachusetts stands at the forefront of advanced manufacturing in the United States, thanks to the collaborative efforts of government and industry,” said Paul Apen, E Ink’s US Chief Operating Officer. “Under the leadership of Speaker Mariano, Senate President Spilka, and Governor Healey, the Legislature has made strategic investments in this critical sector. At E Ink, we are committed to driving innovation, enhancing production, and creating jobs for residents in the Commonwealth.”

    Formed in August 2014, the Manufacturing Caucus includes more than 70 legislators from around the Commonwealth. Lawmakers focus on training for manufacturing employees, encouraging innovation by helping start-ups access resources, and expanding apprenticeship opportunities in key manufacturing sectors.  To celebrate October’s Manufacturing Month, the Commonwealth’s Legislative Manufacturing Caucus teamed up with The Center for Advanced Manufacturing (CAM), along with MassMEP, MassRobotics, Forge, WPI, and the MassHire boards, who hosted the “Massachusetts Manufacturing Mash-Up” at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.

    As a global leader in ePaper technology, E Ink is not only committed to delivering innovative technology via advanced manufacturing processes but is also prioritizing sustainability. The company is actively focused on reducing carbon emissions throughout the product design and manufacturing processes by conducting carbon footprint verification and providing customers with a sustainable framework for the design and integration of ePaper products.

    E Ink has also set the ambitious goal of achieving Net Zero by 2040 and RE100 by 2030, which means sourcing the company’s entire energy utilization from renewable sources. As of December 2023, E Ink’s global operations and sales sites have already achieved RE35 with factories and offices in Billerica, Fremont, and South Hadley (United States), and sales offices in Tokyo (Japan) and Seoul (South Korea), successfully reaching RE100 by using 100 percent renewable energy. In September 2023, E Ink’s science-based greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets were validated and approved by the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). For years, E Ink was identified as having 99.9 percent of Green Revenue according to the FTSE Russell Green Revenue 2.0 Data Model, underscoring the positive environmental impact of ePaper products.

    About E Ink

    E Ink Holdings Inc. (8069.TWO), based on technology from MIT’s Media Lab, provides an ideal display medium for applications spanning eReaders and eNotes, retail, home, hospital, transportation, logistics, and more, enabling customers to put displays in locations previously impossible. E Ink’s electrophoretic display products make it the worldwide leader for ePaper. Its low power displays enable customers to reach their sustainability goals, and E Ink has pledged using 100% renewable energy in 2030 and reaching net zero carbon emissions by 2040. E Ink has been recognized for their efforts by receiving, validation from Science-Based Targets (SBTi) and is listed in both the DJSI World and DJSI Emerging Indexes. Listed in Taiwan’s Taipei Exchange (TPEx) and the Luxembourg market, E Ink Holdings is now the world’s largest supplier of ePaper displays. For more information please visit www.eink.com. E Ink. We Make Surfaces Smart and Green.

    Contact:
    V2 Communications on behalf of E Ink
    eink@v2comms.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Browning Man Admits Assaulting Woman with Belt on Blackfeet Indian Reservation

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (c)

    GREAT FALLS — A Browning man accused of beating and then using a belt to assault a woman on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation admitted to an assault charge today, U.S. Attorney Jesse Laslovich said.

    The defendant, Briar Joseph Crawford, 29, pleaded guilty to assault with a dangerous weapon. Crawford faces a maximum of 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release.

    Chief U.S District Judge Brian M. Morris presided. The court will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for Jan. 29, 2025. Crawford was detained pending further proceedings.

    The government alleged in court documents that on Aug. 6, 2023, Crawford went to Twin Lakes go fishing with the victim, identified as Jane Doe. They got into an argument, and Crawford began to severely beat Doe over several hours as they traveled from Twin Lakes to the East Glacier Cut Across Road. At one point, Crawford removed his belt, wrapped it around Doe’s neck, grabbed it and lifted her weight off the ground until she blacked out. Doe suffered numerous injuries from the prolonged assault.

    The U.S. Attorney’s Office is prosecuting the case. The FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services conducted the investigation.

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fatal crash, Waimakariri

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Police can now advise one person has died following a crash on Depot Road, View Hill in Waimakariri.

    The single-vehicle crash was reported to Police at 8pm yesterday (25 September).

    The driver and sole occupant of the car died at the scene.

    Enquiries into the circumstances of the crash are under way.

    ENDS 

    Issued by Police Media Centre 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoeven Statement on Identification of ND WWII Servicemember Charles R. Reiser, Lost During Operation Forager

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for North Dakota John Hoeven
    09.24.24
    WASHINGTON – Senator John Hoeven, a member of the Senate Defense Appropriations Committee, today issued the following statement regarding the service of Army Pvt. 1st Class Charles R. Reiser, a native of Washburn, North Dakota who served in the U.S. Army during World War II and was lost during Operation Forager on the island of Saipan, in the Northern Mariana Islands. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) announced today that the remains of Reiser, 20, were accounted for on June 25, 2024. Reiser was killed on June 15, 1944, when it is believed his unit, D, 708th Amphibious Tank Battalion, was providing armor support to the Marines’ initial landing on the beaches during Operation Forager. U.S. servicemembers ashore were under constant assault from Japanese mortars.
    “We are grateful for the DPAA and their work in identifying Charles. It’s vital that we always remember the bravery and sacrifices made by our servicemembers during WWII,” said Hoeven. “Charles, who was killed along with thousands of other Americans during the Battle of Saipan, reminds us yet again of the courage of the Greatest Generation. We honor Charles’ sacrifice and join his family, his fellow veterans and North Dakotans in paying tribute to his loss.”
    Hoeven helped advance legislation in 2014 that created the DPAA, and since that time, he has worked to support the agency as it seeks to locate and bring home the remains of missing service personnel. The DPAA identified Reiser’s remains using DNA as well as dental and other evidence. Reiser will be buried in Arlington National Cemetery, on a date to be determined.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hirono, Murkowski Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Hold Judiciary Accountable for Workplace Misconduct

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Mazie K. Hirono
    WASHINGTON, DC – Today, U.S. Senators Mazie K. Hirono (D-HI), a member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) introduced the bicameral, bipartisan Judiciary Accountability Act of 2024 (JAA). The legislation would ensure the more than 30,000 employees of the federal judiciary have strong statutory rights and protections against discrimination, sexual harassment, retaliation, and other forms of workplace misconduct and will guide further conversations with stakeholders and experts about a legislative solution to protect the rights of judiciary employees. U.S. Representatives Hank Johnson (D-GA), Jerrold Nadler (D-NY), and Norma Torres (D-CA) introduced a House companion bill.
    “No one is above the law, but most federal judiciary employees lack essential workplace protections, preventing them from obtaining justice when they face discrimination and harassment,” said Senator Hirono. “Employees of the federal judiciary dedicate their careers to providing justice, and they deserve justice when they face misconduct in the workplace. Yet these employees are among the only ones in the United States who lack the right to sue when they face discrimination or harassment. The Judiciary Accountability Act will help to protect the 30,000 federal judiciary employees by extending basic anti-discrimination protections to cover them, giving them access to federal court to vindicate those rights, and helping to ensure more accountability in the federal courts.”
    “The Judiciary Accountability Act expands federal laws that prohibit workplace harassment and discrimination to employees of the judiciary, putting them on par with executive branch, congressional, and private sector employees who have long-had these protections,” said Senator Murkowski. “This legislation not only helps safeguard employees from mistreatment at work, but also establishes a review system to foster accountability when those rights are violated. I appreciate the opportunity to lead this bipartisan legislation with Senator Hirono to cultivate transparency and a positive working environment within the judicial branch.”
    The foundational federal civil rights statutes—such as Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964—generally do not apply to the federal judiciary, making it one of the only employers in the entire country–public or private–whose employees are not protected by federal civil rights laws that prohibit discrimination and retaliation. The federal judiciary has faced sustained criticism for its approach to preventing, investigating, and remedying sexual harassment and discrimination by judges and others in the judicial branch.
    This year, back-to-back reports were released—one from the from the U.S. Government Accountability Office, the other from the Federal Judicial Center and National Academy of Public Administration—underscoring that although the Judiciary has taken steps to implement an internal dispute resolution process, that process can be disjointed and confusing. Moreover, no part of that process provides judiciary employees a path to vindicate their rights in court.
    The Judiciary Accountability Act will:
    Give judicial branch employees the same anti-discrimination rights and remedies private sector and government employees have had for decades. Today, most judicial branch employees are not protected by the federal civil rights statutes that prohibit discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex (including sexual orientation and gender identity), national origin, age, and disability. The Judiciary Accountability Act would correct that injustice.
    Protect judicial branch employees from retaliation against them by providing them with the right to sue for relief if they are retaliated against. Unlike other federal employees, most judicial branch employees currently have no statutory protection against retaliation. At a House Judiciary Committee hearing in 2020, multiple witnesses testified that they and others were afraid to come forward about the sexual harassment they suffered or witnessed.
    Establish a comprehensive workplace misconduct prevention program overseen by an improved and expanded Office of Judicial Integrity. The Office’s Board of Directors would include members experienced in investigating and enforcing civil rights laws against workplace discrimination, as well as experience assisting victims of discrimination, retaliation, sexual harassment and sexual assault. The Office would administer a nationwide, confidential reporting system and a comprehensive training program addressing workplace behavior and bystander intervention, among other duties.
    Require regular assessments of workplace culture to determine the effectiveness of judicial branch policies designed to prevent and remedy harassment and discrimination.
    Make clear that discrimination and retaliation constitute judicial misconduct and ensure that the judicial misconduct laws apply to all federal judges, regardless of whether they subsequently resign, retire, or pass away.
    The full text of the legislation is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Uzbekistan: ICITAP Commences Development of Counter Terrorism Investigators and Managers Courses with Law Enforcement Academy of Uzbekistan

    Source: United States Attorneys General 13

    On July 22, ICITAP commenced its training development engagement with the Law Enforcement Academy (LEA) of Uzbekistan jointly with the Foreign and Commonwealth Development Office of the British Government. This engagement will facilitate the long-term sustainability of counter-terrorism related teachings across agencies and institutions within Uzbekistan. The joint training development team consisting of individuals from the US, UK, and the LEA will work together for a three-week period reviewing existing materials, course structures, accreditation opportunities and incorporating human rights teachings to support an enhanced ability to investigate and manage counter-terrorism investigations and prosecutions. During the engagement the team will visit the Jakarta Centre for Law Enforcement Cooperation (JCLEC) in Indonesia to engage with staff and representatives from the National Police Academy. They will have the opportunity to observe a course designed to support the development of female law enforcers in the field of counter-terrorism surveillance techniques. The visit to JCLEC will enable the team to witness how counter-terrorism related training is being delivered effectively within Southeast Asia and serve as a point of reference for course structure and content. At the conclusion of this initial period of development the training team will structure counter-terrorism courses for delivery to academics, prosecutors, and frontline enforcement assets. Following agreement across the team on content and structure CT-DOJ/ICITAP will work with institutions in the US and UK to seek accreditation opportunities. This process will assist with long-term capacitation in country and encourage enhanced intelligence-sharing practices due to the developed abilities to handle intelligence and information accordingly. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: MORE THAN 4,700 VETERAN NURSESRECEIVE UP TO $15,000 UNDER ANGEL SCHEME

    Source: Asia Pacific Region 2 – Singapore

          More than 4,700 nurses aged 46 and above who have at least five years in service in the public healthcare sector have received a one-off recognition payout amounting between $5,000 to $15,000 this month, under the Award for Nurses’ Grace, Excellence and Loyalty (ANGEL) scheme.

    2.    The ANGEL scheme was introduced by the Ministry of Health (MOH) to attract and encourage nurses to build a lifelong career in nursing, and was announced by Minister for Health Mr Ong Ye Kung in February 2024.

    3.   24,000 eligible nurses in the public healthcare institutions are currently on the ANGEL scheme, and can receive payouts every three to six years. Nurses who continue to work in the public healthcare sector, including new nurses, can receive a total payout of up to $100,000 over 20 years of their career. The payouts to more than 4,700 nurses in September 2024 aim to recognise the contributions of experienced nurses who have already served a number of years. Nurses who have served fewer years typically join the profession at a young age, and will be able to enjoy the full benefits of the scheme if they continue to pursue a career in nursing.

    4.   Publicly funded Community Care Organisations and Social Service Agencies with nurses funded by the Ministry of Social and Family Development will also be able to participate in the ANGEL scheme. MOH will be working closely with these employers in the coming months to encourage them to come onboard the scheme, so that the 5,000 nurses currently serving in these organisations can also benefit.

    5.   In total, 29,000 nurses from both the public healthcare and community sectors stand to benefit from the ANGEL scheme. We hope to encourage nurses to stay and continue to contribute to the wider public healthcare system, as well as to attract more to take up nursing as a career. We will continue to pursue other efforts, such as growing the local nursing training pipelines for both fresh graduates and mid-career entrants, as well as recruiting foreign nurses to augment our local core.

    MINISTRY OF HEALTH
    25 SEPTEMBER 2024

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Ignoring a privacy breach only makes it worse

    Source: Privacy Commissioner

    Privacy Commissioner, Michael Webster says its always better to notify his office about a privacy breach than ignore it. His message comes as he names Ultimate Care Group Limited as consistently ignoring their notification requirements, after it was found that theyd lost part of a patients medical records. Mr Webster said, My recommendation is for agencies to notify us and do it early, even if they’re not 100 percent sure a privacy breach has occurred, or dont yet have all the details. It’s always better to talk to us than ignore the problem.

    The decision to name Ultimate Care Group was made so they could become an example for others. Ultimate Care had several instances where they should have made an earlier notification.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Improving resilience on State Highway 63 in Marlborough

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    New resilience work is about to get underway on State Highway 63 in Marlborough, on the Blenheim side of The Wash Bridge.

    New resilience work is about to get underway on State Highway 63 in Marlborough, on the Blenheim side of The Wash Bridge.

    Contractors will be on-site from Monday, 7 October, with work expected to continue until early December.

    They will raise the height of the road by 1.5 meters to minimise future flooding and carry out culvert improvements as well.

    Mark Owen, Regional Manager Wellington/Top of the South, says this section of state highway between Blenheim and St Arnaud is prone to flooding.

    “Making these improvements and increasing the highway’s resilience will help keep the road open in bad weather, and ensure people, products, and places remain connected.”

    “It means the transport network will be stronger and better prepared for any future disruption,” Mr Owen says.

    During the work, one lane of the highway will remain open under stop/go temporary traffic management. A 30 km/h temporary speed limit will also be in place. Road users can expect delays of up to 10 minutes.

    Mr Owen says the work is funded by the Transport Resilience Fund.

    “The fund is about covering the cost of resilience improvements on the state highway network and minimising damage from future weather events.”

    “Marlborough residents know only too well how big an impact floods can have. Investments like this can make a big difference,” Mr Owen says.

    Other resilience works are planned for Marlborough. They include State Highway 6 Canvastown at Racecourse Bridge, State Highway 6 Rai Saddle and State Highway 1 at Dashwood. More information about these projects will be shared before they get underway. 

    Works Schedule: 

    • Stop/Go temporary traffic management in place from Monday. 7 October to Friday. 6 December, 7:30 am – 5 pm – No work on Saturdays or Sundays or public holidays.
    • The road will reopen to two lanes outside of work hours.
    • A temporary speed limit of 30 km/h will be in place at the site 24/7.
    • Expect delays of up to 10 minutes.

    More Information: 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Readout of Deputy Secretary of Defense Hicks’ Meeting With Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    Pentagon Spokesman Eric Pahon provided the following readout:

    Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks hosted Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri at the Pentagon today to discuss priorities for strengthening the U.S.-India defense partnership through defense industrial cooperation, technology innovation, and operational cooperation.

    She noted that the United States and India continue to break new ground in areas of cooperation that will enhance the security of both countries, as well as the broader Indo-Pacific region.

    Deputy Secretary Hicks thanked Foreign Secretary Misri for India’s strong support of the maritime security and logistics initiatives announced at the Quad Leaders Summit last weekend.

    They also discussed ongoing efforts to co-produce jet engines, land mobility systems, and munitions, as well as the continued progress through the India-U.S. Defense Acceleration Ecosystem (INDUS-X) to foster joint innovation among defense industry stakeholders in both countries.

    Deputy Secretary Hicks highlighted the success of the recent INDUS-X Summit, which resulted in the announcement of a new joint innovation challenge for space domain technologies, as well as an upgraded memorandum of understanding between the U.S. Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) and the Indian Defense Ministry’s Innovations for Defense Excellence (iDEX) office.

    The two officials also discussed regional security issues and a range of operational cooperation initiatives aimed at promoting stability and security in the Indo-Pacific.

    Deputy Secretary Hicks expressed the importance of continuing to advance progress across all areas of the Major Defense Partnership, and pledged to deepen cooperation to promote a shared vision for a free and open Indo-Pacific.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: USS Preble Departs San Diego for Japan

    Source: United States Navy Pacific Fleet 1

    by Courtesy Story

    22 September 2024


    CORONADO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES

    The Arleigh Burke-class guided-missile destroyer USS Preble (DDG 88) departed San Diego Sept. 22, 2024, shifting its homeport to Yokosuka, Japan. The move is part of a scheduled rotation of forward-deployed naval forces in the Pacific a permanent change of station move for for the crew and family members.

    Preble replaces USS Benfold (DDG 65), which will depart Yokosuka and shift its homeport to Everett, Washington.

    The forward presence of Preble directly supports the United States’ commitment to the defense of Japan, enhancing the national security of the United States while improving its ability to protect strategic interests. Preble will directly support the Defense Strategic Guidance to posture the most capable units forward in the Indo-Pacific Region.

    The United States values Japan’s contributions to the peace, security and stability of the Indo-Pacific and its long-term commitment and hospitality in hosting U.S. forces forward deployed there. These forces, along with their counterparts in the Japan Self-Defense Forces, make up the core capabilities the alliance needs to meet our common strategic objectives.

    “It has been more than four years since Preble last operated in 7th Fleet,” said Cmdr. Paul Archer, Preble’s commanding officer. “But Preble today is markedly different than the ship that last left 7th Fleet. Armed with the U.S. Navy’s most capable combat system suite, this crew is well-trained and hungry to take our cutting-edge warship west to support national strategic objectives. The Western Pacific is gaining a true asset—unparalleled technical capabilities and more than 300 Sailors excited for this new opportunity.”

    Preble is the sixth ship to be named in honor of Commodore Edward Preble, an early 19th century U.S. Navy hero who served in the Revolutionary War and launched the attack on Tripoli in 1803.

    The ship was commissioned Nov. 9, 2002, in Boston and has been homeported at Naval Base San Diego for nearly 22 years.

    One of Preble’s most notable operations was its 2004 surge deployment in support of the global war on terrorism. It was one of several U.S. Navy, Coast Guard, and coalition ships responsible for patrolling and safeguarding the waters near the Khawr AL Amaya and Al Basrah oil terminals in the Persian Gulf.

    The security environment in the Indo-Pacific requires that the U.S. Navy positions the most capable ships forward. This posture allows the most rapid response times for maritime and joint forces and brings our most capable ships with the greatest amount of striking power and operational capability to bear in the timeliest manner.

    The mission of Commander, Naval Surface Force, Pacific is to man, train, and equip the Surface Force to provide fleet commanders with credible naval power to control the sea and project power ashore.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins Joins Bipartisan Legislation to Honor WWII Nurses with Congressional Gold Medal

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins
    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Susan Collins joined 32 of her Senate colleagues in supporting the bipartisan WWII Nurses Congressional Gold Medal Act, a bill to recognize the work and sacrifices of World War II nurses by presenting them with a Congressional Gold Medal, the highest civilian award bestowed by the United States Congress. The bill would award this honor to the more than 59,000 Army Nurses and 14,000 Navy Nurses who served in World War II.
    Awarding this medal is a well-deserved commemoration of the service of nurses like Alize Zwicker, who was born in Brownville, and during the war, was held in a Japanese internment camp in the Philippines for three years after the nation was seized by Japan in 1942. Alize was the only Maine servicewoman held as a prisoner of war in either of the two world wars.
    “The brave and resilient women who answered the call to serve the nation during the Second World War deserve to be remembered alongside our country’s greatest patriots,” said Senator Collins. “This bipartisan effort would ensure that the adversity overcome by Maine nurses like Alize Zwicker is properly memorialized in our history.”
    The WWII Nurses Congressional Gold Medal Act is endorsed by the American Red Cross, Friends of the National World War II Memorial, and the National Military Women’s War Memorial.
    In addition to Senator Collins, the WWII Nurses Congressional Gold Medal Act is sponsored by Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Steve Daines (R-MT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mike Braun (R-IN), Jon Tester (D-MT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Joe Manchin (I-WV), Jacky Rosen (D-NV), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Tim Kaine (D-VA), John Cornyn (R-TX), Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ), Tina Smith (D-MN), Raphael Warnock (D-GA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), John Barrasso (R-WY), Edward Markey (D-MA), Mark Warner (D-VA), Patty Murray (D-WA), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Angus King (I-ME), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Peter Welch (D-VT), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Laphonza Butler (D-CA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Interview with Sarah Ferguson, ABC 7.30

    Source: Australian Government – Minister of Foreign Affairs

    Sarah Ferguson, Host: After nearly a year of conflict in Gaza, there are now fears the situation in southern Lebanon could destabilise the entire Middle East. Israel’s heavy bombardment beginning on Monday targeting Hezbollah is believed to have killed 569 people. Today, Hezbollah fired a ballistic missile towards Tel Aviv. The missile was intercepted. The escalation comes as global leaders gathered in New York for the UN General Assembly, where Secretary-General António Guterres warned Lebanon is at the brink. Foreign Minister Penny Wong was at the meeting in New York. She joined me earlier. Penny Wong, welcome to 7.30.

    Penny Wong, Foreign Minister: Good to be with you.

    Ferguson: Now, following this week’s escalation in Lebanon, can you start by describing the atmosphere at the UN?

    Foreign Minister: First, in relation to Lebanon, can I say to your audience, I know there are so many people in Australia who have relatives, friends and family in Lebanon and this is obviously a very stressful situation for them. In terms of how things are here in the United Nations, many countries have been working to try and ensure there is no regional escalation of the conflict in Gaza, and their people are concerned, as you would have, as you would know from what the Secretary-General said to the General Assembly today about the prospect for more loss of civilian life in Lebanon.

    Ferguson: Are Israel’s attacks in Lebanon legitimate acts of self-defence?

    Foreign Minister: What I’d say is this. There is no doubt that Hezbollah is a terrorist organisation and there is no doubt that Hezbollah has been engaging in attacks on Israel and has breached international law. Even in law, even in war, however, there are rules and as you know, international humanitarian law applies to all conflicts, even when engaging a terrorist actor. However, what I would say is our advocacy at the moment, like so many others here in New York, is aimed at trying to avert a regional escalation because of what that would mean for Israel and for the people of the region, including the people of Lebanon. Our advocacy is to try and avert further civilian casualties.

    Ferguson: Now, would a ceasefire, however elusive that is at the moment, would a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza halt further escalation in Lebanon? Or do you fear that the course is now set between Israel and Hezbollah?

    Foreign Minister: Whatever people’s views about those hypotheticals, a ceasefire is necessary. I mean, we see what has happened in Gaza. We see the civilian toll. We see that so many tens of thousands of civilians have been killed. We see how many children have been lost. So, we would continue to back in the UN Security Council’s resolution. It’s called for a ceasefire. We will continue to urge all parties, as President Biden did today, to agree to that ceasefire.

    Ferguson: Do you think the international community has learnt anything from the enormous civilian destruction during the war in Gaza?

    Foreign Minister: It has been, I think, quite distressing and, frankly, catastrophic. Horrific for so many around the world. It has been deeply distressing. I hope that what this will do is bring more countries together to galvanise commitment to and compliance with international humanitarian law. That’s my motivation behind the initiative that I launched yesterday alongside many other countries from around the world. A commitment to work together for the protection of humanitarian workers.

    As you probably know, Sarah, you know, this has been the worst year so far on record in terms of the deaths of humanitarian workers, aid workers, of course, one of them Australian Zomi Frankcom. Gaza is the most dangerous place on Earth to be an aid worker. So, we have brought countries together to say whether it’s in Sudan, whether it’s in Yemen, whether it’s in Myanmar or Gaza, we are committed to trying to galvanise greater commitment to and compliance with international humanitarian law, particularly in respect of aid workers, because you can’t assist civilians in conflict zones unless aid workers are protected.

    Ferguson: You’re doing this in the name of Australian Zomi Frankcom. The Israeli Military Advocate General is still considering whether to pursue that case further. Do you trust the Israeli system?

    Foreign Minister: We do want to see full transparency and accountability. We will be watching very closely the work of the Military Advocate General. Obviously, we want to see that report when it is finalised, we want to see those decisions made. And we, again, would be looking to the Israeli Defence Force, which has acknowledged and taken responsibility for those deaths of Zomi Frankcom and her fellow workers from World Central Kitchen. We would be looking for full transparency in relation to any findings.

    Ferguson: Does full transparency include releasing the audio of the drone footage of the killing, which the family hasn’t had access to?

    Foreign Minister: The family has called for that and I have expressed that to the Israeli government, and I’ve expressed the view that in the circumstances, obviously we would ask that the Israeli government, we would seek that the Israeli government respond positively to Zomi Frankcom’s family’s requests.

    Ferguson: Have you had any response from the Israelis about that audio?

    Foreign Minister: Not at my level as yet, no.

    Ferguson: I just want to go back to last week’s UN vote demanding Israel withdraw from the Occupied Palestinian Territories. You said that the resolution went too far in its demands. What were the specific obstacles from Australia’s point of view?

    Foreign Minister: I would say two things. One is our preference would have been to support a resolution that was consonant with and consistent with the ICJ advisory opinion, the International Court of Justice advisory opinion. Obviously, the advice to me was that the language went further than we would have liked. We engaged with many other like-mindeds to try and get the sorts of amendments that we would have liked. We’ll keep working through the UN with, obviously, the Palestinian delegation and other like-mindeds because we do want to give effect to a two-state solution. We do want to add our voice to a pathway to peace, and we know that this will only be resolved, the conflict in the Middle East will only be resolved, and we will only see security for both Palestinians and Israelis, if we see two states, as was envisioned by the UN when Israel was established.

    Ferguson: Were the sticking points the issues of land restitution and compensation for Palestinians?

    Foreign Minister: Well, there were a number of issues in that resolution which did go, and I think you’ve picked a couple of them, to final status issues, issues which obviously still would require resolution, even if there can be progress on two states. But I think the broader point is we do support two states. We have taken action which is consistent with our position. Those actions have included our position on settlements, those actions have included sanctions on extremist settlers, and those actions have included the votes you’ve seen in the United Nations.

    Ferguson: In Australia, you’ve been accused of lacking moral courage. Do those words hurt?

    Foreign Minister: I’ve been accused of many things on both sides and as people say things in the street, I get criticism from both sides. The approach I’ve tried to take in this, Sarah, as the Foreign Minister of Australia, is to try to think very carefully about what is the principle position Australia should take and try to act in accordance with that, and that’s what I will always do.

    Ferguson: You’ve had a meeting today with your Chinese counterpart. Did you discuss Australia’s role in the Quad?

    Foreign Minister: I had a meeting with Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Obviously, we’ve had quite a number of meetings over the last few years and we discussed multilateral issues, so, United Nations issues, we discussed bilateral issues and we discussed international issues. Obviously, China is very aware of our role, our membership of the Quad and our engagement in that. That was one of the issues that was raised, there were many other issues raised as well.

    Ferguson: Now, just while it pains always to stress the appearance of good relations with China, the Albanese government has committed to much deeper involvement with US military strategy to counter China. How does that, how does that latter position reflect Labor values?

    Foreign Minister: Well, I think Labor values are first to work for peace, stability and prosperity. I think Labor values are to recognise we work in the Alliance, we work in the region, and we work through the rules to assure peace and stability, and that’s what we are doing. Our position as a government to work with the United States, to work with Japan, to work with ASEAN, and to work in the multilateral system as well as to engage with China is all about assuring Australia’s place in the world and trying to ensure that we, our children, grow up in a region which has the same sorts of attributes that we have had, we’ve been privileged to have for most of our lives there.

    Ferguson: Think that the Australian public wants a much deeper involvement in US military strategy?

    Foreign Minister: I think the Australian public want peace and stability, and that’s what we’re seeking to do, and I would make the point if the reference is AUKUS and the involvement with the United States, Australia has a very clear framework in relation to our sovereignty, and that matters. But so too, what matters is the objective that we seek to bring to, as I said, the alliance to the region and the rules, which is peace and stability and shared prosperity.

    Ferguson: Penny Wong, thank you very much indeed for joining us.

    Foreign Minister: Good to speak with you.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schatz Leads Bipartisan Group Of Senators In Urging Senate Leaders To Take Up Legislation To Permanently Extend Telehealth Flexibilities, Expand Access

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) led members of the bipartisan Senate Telehealth Working Group in calling on Senate leaders to take up legislation to permanently extend telehealth flexibilities for Medicare beneficiaries that are set to expire at the end of the year. Specifically, the senators urged for the passage of the bipartisan CONNECT for Health Act which Schatz leads with U.S. Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) and was reintroduced last year with the support of 66 bipartisan senators. The letter follows Telehealth Awareness Week and comes after the House Energy & Commerce Committee unanimously advanced a two-year telehealth extension. In addition to Schatz, the letter is signed by Wicker and U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.), and Mark Warner (D-Va.).
    “At least 66 Democratic and Republican Senators support permanently expanding telehealth access, and similar provisions have passed on a bipartisan unanimous basis in committees of jurisdiction in the House of Representatives. The Senate must quickly act to advance these policies, which protect access to telehealth services and align with your objective to advance bipartisan legislation that promotes the health and well-being of Americans,” the senators wrote.
    They continued, “Medicare beneficiaries have come to rely on expanded access to telehealth services and are satisfied with the care they receive. We must provide patients and clinicians with long-term certainty of their ability to access and provide care through telehealth. The CONNECT for Health Act will help us achieve this shared goal and has strong, bipartisan support in the Senate.”
    The CONNECT for Health Act makes permanent telehealth flexibilities made temporarily available during the COVID-19 pandemic and later extended. Additionally, it expands access to telehealth services by removing unnecessary barriers and enabling doctors, particularly in rural and underserved communities, to leverage telehealth to better serve their patients. The bill was first introduced in 2016 and is considered the most comprehensive legislation on telehealth in Congress. Several provisions of the bill have since been enacted into law or adopted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
    The full text of the letter can be found below and is available here.
    Dear Leader Schumer and Leader McConnell:
    With the end-of-year expiration of telehealth flexibilities rapidly approaching, we write to urge you to prioritize policies that ensure all Medicare beneficiaries retain access to telehealth services. At least 66 Democratic and Republican Senators support permanently expanding telehealth access,  and similar provisions have passed on a bipartisan unanimous basis in committees of jurisdiction in the House of Representatives. The Senate must quickly act to advance these policies, which protect access to telehealth services and align with your objective to advance bipartisan legislation that promotes the health and well-being of Americans.
    Under your leadership, Congress has recognized the critical role of telehealth in health care delivery by expanding coverage during and after the COVID-19 public health emergency. Most recently in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2023, Congress enacted a two-year extension of Medicare telehealth services coverage. This ensured continuity of care and provided time for experts to evaluate the effects of expanded telehealth serves. Recent studies by leading researchers and the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) are clear: Telehealth provides essential access to care and improves outcomes, including reduced emergency department utilization and improved medication adherence. 
    Access to telehealth is at-risk, as noted by Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) in the Calendar Year 2025 Medicare Physician Fee Schedule Proposed Rule: “absent Congressional action, beginning January 1, 2025, statutory restrictions on geography, site of service, and practitioner type that existed prior to the COVID-19 PHE will go back into effect”.   Consequently, Congress must advance policies from our consensus bipartisan bill, the CONNECT for Health Act, before the coverage extension lapses. We urge you to prioritize the following provisions from our bill, which would improve American’s access to and quality of care:
    Telehealth should be available to all Medicare beneficiaries, regardless of where they live. Therefore, Congress should permanently remove geographic restrictions on telehealth services and permit the home and other clinically appropriate settings as originating sites. If budget constraints make permanent policy out of reach, given the significant costs required to ramp up and provide high quality telehealth programs, Congress must provide the maximum extension possible at an adequate length for providers to make necessary investments.
    Practitioners should be able to provide clinically appropriate telehealth services. The flexibility to provide telehealth, within state scope of practice laws, is particularly critical given high rates of provider shortages across disciplines.  Therefore, Congress should expand the authority for practitioners eligible to furnish telehealth services.
    Federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics should be able to provide telehealth services, free from unnecessary barriers and disincentives. Therefore, Congress should include federally qualified health centers and rural health clinics as distant site providers and telehealth should be integrated into these providers’ payment systems.
    Telemental health services should be accessible, free from barriers. Telehealth has transformed mental and behavioral health care, now accounting for 40 percent of telehealth services provided under the Medicare Physician Fee Schedule.   Notably, just 20 percent of Medicare beneficiaries with a telemental health visit in the preceding quarter would satisfy the requirements to access these services under current statute.   Therefore, Congress should permanently repeal the six-month in-person visit requirement for telemental health services.
    Patients receiving hospice care should be permitted to receive assessments by telehealth. Therefore, Congress should allow for the use of telehealth in the recertification of a Medicare beneficiary for hospice.
    Medicare beneficiaries and providers should be supported as health care continues to transition.  Therefore, Congress should provide resources to improve beneficiary engagement and health care professional use of telehealth. Congress should also task the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to ensure that telehealth quality is effectively measured, and that limited outlier billing patterns are addressed.
    Medicare beneficiaries have come to rely on expanded access to telehealth services and are satisfied with the care they receive.   We must provide patients and clinicians with long-term certainty of their ability to access and provide care through telehealth.  The CONNECT for Health Act will help us achieve this shared goal and has strong, bipartisan support in the Senate. Further, the Ways & Means and Energy & Commerce Committees have unanimously advanced telehealth legislation.  We appreciate your collaboration and leadership on this issue and look forward to working with you to ensure access to telehealth services is retained by the end of 2024.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senate Passes Schatz-Wicker Resolution Designating Telehealth Awareness Week

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz
    WASHINGTON – The U.S. Senate passed a bipartisan resolution authored by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) designating September 15-21 as “Telehealth Awareness Week.” The resolution recognizes that telehealth has helped millions of Americans across the country access quality health care, and has become a critical component of health care delivery.
    “Telehealth helps people access quality health care when and where they need it, and our resolution highlights the broad, bipartisan support for raising awareness of and expanding access to telehealth,” said Senator Schatz, co-chair of the Senate Telehealth Working Group.
    “Telehealth is a cost-effective way for people in rural and underserved areas to access health care. Increasing the services available to patients remains one of my top priorities,” Senator Wicker said.
    The resolution affirms the bipartisan support in Congress for telehealth and encourages expanded access to telehealth services for all people, including members of rural and underserved communities. It notes that 25 percent of Medicare beneficiaries used telehealth services at least once in 2023, and that nearly 90 percent were satisfied with their experience. It concludes that “Telehealth Awareness Week” unites the efforts of patients, caregivers, health care providers, policymakers, and other stakeholders to advance the role of telehealth in health care.
    The resolution is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Ben Cardin (D-Md.), John Thune (R-S.D.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), and Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-Miss.).
    Schatz has led efforts to expand access to telehealth, including reintroducing the CONNECT for Health Act, the most comprehensive bipartisan telehealth legislation in Congress. Since its first iteration in 2016, several provisions from the bill have been signed into law.
    The full text of the resolution is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: As Nationwide Book Bans Top 10,000, Schatz, Raskin Introduce Bicameral Resolution Condemning Book Bans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Hawaii Brian Schatz
    WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawai‘i) and U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin (D-Md.) introduced a resolution condemning an escalating censorship crisis that has removed and targeted thousands of books from the shelves of schools, libraries and universities across the country. 
    The bicameral resolution, coinciding with Banned Books Week, reinforces congressional recognition of students’ First Amendment rights and affirms that the freedom to read is essential to a strong democracy. In the 2023-2024 school year alone, PEN America documented over 10,000 instances of individual books being banned, nearly triple the previous academic year. Many bans have removed books from public shelves with characteristics that would be targeted by Project 2025, which additionally proposes labeling teachers and librarians who distribute such books as sex offenders.
    “Any attempt to ban books because someone has an ideological disagreement or doesn’t believe in capturing the full scope of history is un-American,” said Senator Schatz. “Freedom of expression is a founding principle of our country, and it’s up to all of us to stand up against these attacks on this fundamental right.”
    “By filling our libraries with a diversity of stories, we help our students understand new perspectives rather than suppressing their freedom to think, read and write independently,” said Representative Raskin. “We must close this chapter of censorship and, rather than continuing to take a page from the world’s dictators and autocrats, turn our attention to the resources students need to succeed. I am grateful to Senator Schatz for his partnership on this resolution.”
    According to findings from PEN America and the American Library Association, targeted books include classics like To Kill A Mockingbird, 1984, and The Handmaid’s Tale. Books are also more likely to be removed if they feature content related to the LGBTQIA+ experience, race or racial injustice or stories about grief and abuse.
    “We thank Representative Raskin and Senator Schatz for their continued commitment to academic freedom and the First Amendment. The movement to ban books is an affront to public education and students’ ability to understand the world,” said PEN America’s Congressional Affairs Lead, Laura Schroeder. “The targeted bans intentionally seek to silence the experiences of authors of color, LGBTQI+ authors and stories that explore the themes of racism, trauma, religion, gender identity and sexual identity. Students are being deprived of stories that can help them deal with real lived experiences such as trauma and violence. This must end.”
    “Libraries defend every American’s freedom to read – a freedom that is increasingly under threat – even though many librarians face criticism and threats to their livelihood and safety,” said Cindy Hohl, president of the American Library Association. “This Banned Books Week, we’re proud to have Congressional leaders standing with us and with communities that are fighting back to protect their libraries and schools from the censors.”
    The resolution is endorsed by the American Library Association (ALA), Banned Books Week Coalition, EveryLibrary, Interfaith Alliance, JCRC of Greater Washington, Jewish Community Relations Council of Broward County (Florida), Jewish Community Relations Council of Portland, Jewish Council for Public Affairs, National Book Foundation, National Coalition Against Censorship, National Council of Jewish Women, National Council of Teachers of English, National Education Association, National LGBTQ Task Force Action Fund, PEN America, PFLAG National, Red Wine and Blue Education Fund, The Sikh Coalition, Jewish Community Relations Council for Tucson & Southern Arizona, and Urban Libraries Council (ULC). 
    In addition to Schatz, the Senate resolution is cosponsored by U.S. Senators John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Mazie K. Hirono (D-Hawaii), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Angus King (I-Maine), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), and Chris Murphy (D-Conn.).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Poet Technologies Announces Closing of US$15 Million Private Placement

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NOT FOR DISTRIBUTION TO U.S. NEWSWIRE SERVICES OR FOR DISSEMINATION IN THE UNITED STATES

    TORONTO, Sept. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — POET Technologies Inc. (“POET” or the “Corporation“) (TSXV: PTK; NASDAQ: POET), the designer and developer of the POET Optical Interposer™, Photonic Integrated Circuits (PICs) and light sources for the data center, tele-communication and artificial intelligence markets, is pleased to announce that it has completed a non-brokered private placement with a single institutional investor pursuant to which the Corporation issued 4,000,000 common shares (the “Common Shares“) and an accompanying warrant exercisable for an aggregate of up to 2,000,000 Common Shares (each, a “Warrant Share”) at an exercise price of $5.00 (or approximately C$6.78) per Common Share (the “Warrant“) for aggregate gross proceeds of US$15,000,000 (the “Offering”). The combined price of one Common Share and accompanying Warrant in respect of one-half Common Share was US$3.75 (or approximately C$5.09). Subject to the terms of the Warrant, the Warrant is exercisable, in whole or in part, for a period of five years from the date of issuance.

    The Corporation intends to use the net proceeds of the Offering for working capital and general corporate purposes. No commission or finder’s fee was paid by the Corporation and no underwriter or sales agent was engaged by the Corporation in connection with the Offering.

    All Common Shares and the accompanying Warrant issued under the Offering were distributed to a purchaser located outside of Canada in reliance on OSC Rule 72-503 – Distributions Outside of Canada and, accordingly, all Common Shares, the accompanying Warrant and all Warrant Shares issued under the Offering are not subject to a Canadian statutory hold period in accordance with applicable Canadian securities laws. The Offering remains subject to the final acceptance of the TSX Venture Exchange (the “Exchange“).

    This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. This news release shall not constitute an offer of securities for sale in the United States. The securities being offered have not been, nor will they be, registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and such securities may not be offered or sold within the United States absent registration under U.S. federal and state securities laws or an applicable exemption from such U.S. registration requirements.

    About POET Technologies Inc.

    POET is a design and development company offering high-speed optical engines, light source products and custom optical modules to the artificial intelligence systems market and to hyperscale data centers.  POET’s photonic integration solutions are based on the POET Optical Interposer™, a novel, patented platform that allows the seamless integration of electronic and photonic devices into a single chip using advanced wafer-level semiconductor manufacturing techniques. POET’s Optical Interposer-based products are lower cost, consume less power than comparable products, are smaller in size and are readily scalable to high production volumes. In addition to providing high-speed (800G, 1.6T and above) optical engines and optical modules for AI clusters and hyperscale data centers, POET has designed and produced novel light source products for chip-to-chip data communication within and between AI servers, the next frontier for solving bandwidth and latency problems in AI systems.  POET’s Optical Interposer platform also solves device integration challenges across a broad range of communication, computing and sensing applications.  POET is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, with operations in Allentown, PA, Shenzhen, China, and Singapore.  More information about POET is available on our website at www.poet-technologies.com.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

    This news release contains “forward-looking information” (within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws) and “forward-looking statements” (within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995). Such statements or information are identified with words such as “anticipate”, “believe”, “expect”, “plan”, “intend”, “potential”, “estimate”, “propose”, “project”, “outlook”, “foresee” or similar words suggesting future outcomes or statements regarding any potential outcome. Such statements include, without limitation, the Corporation’s expectations with respect to its products, the scalability of the POET Optical Interposer and the success of the Corporation’s products, the Corporation’s use of proceeds for the Offering and the Corporation’s ability to obtain the final approval of the Exchange. Such forward-looking information or statements are based on a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions which may cause actual results or other expectations to differ materially from those anticipated and which may prove to be incorrect. Assumptions have been made regarding, among other things, management’s expectations regarding the size of the market for its products, the capability of its joint venture to produce products on time and at the expected costs, the performance and availability of certain components, and the success of its customers in achieving market penetration for their products. Actual results could differ materially due to a number of factors, including, without limitation, the attractiveness of the Corporation’s product offerings, performance of its technology, the performance of key components, and ability of its customers to sell their products into the market. For further information concerning these and other risks and uncertainties, refer to the Corporation’s filings on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca and on the website of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. Although the Corporation believes that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking information or statements are reasonable, prospective investors in the Corporation’s securities should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because the Corporation can provide no assurance that such expectations will prove to be correct. Forward-looking information and statements contained in this news release are as of the date of this news release and the Corporation assumes no obligation to update or revise this forward-looking information and statements except as required by applicable securities laws.

    Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release. No stock exchange, securities commission or other regulatory authority has approved or disapproved the information contained herein.

    120 Eglinton Avenue, East, Suite 1107, Toronto, ON, M4P 1E2- Tel: 416-368-9411 – Fax: 416-322-5075

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Mixing it up: hybrid work models can offer the best of both worlds for worker wellbeing and productivity

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Blumenfeld, Director, Centre for Labour, Employment and Work, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon sparked debate on the future of work in New Zealand this week when he ordered public service employees back to the office.

    But Luxon’s edict neglects a broader transformation in work culture.

    Work from home (WFH) arrangements have grown considerably over the past decade, propelled by an increase in dual-income households and rapid technological advancements.

    The COVID pandemic acted as a catalyst for further change, proving that many jobs could successfully be performed remotely.

    Our upcoming article in the New Zealand Journal of Employment Relations addresses the pros and cons of remote work. We highlight how a hybrid model – mixing days in the office with days working from home – can improve wellbeing, engagement and productivity.

    We found embracing a hybrid approach may lead to better outcomes as society shifts with technology and employment expectations. And, despite the prime minister’s demands on public service workers, it may be too late to go back.

    Embracing flexibility

    Under current rules, employees can request flexible working arrangements. Employers must provide valid reasons if they decline the request.

    According to a 2023 survey from Human Resources New Zealand, 40% of HR professionals noted productivity gains as a critical advantage of WFH arrangements.

    And some professional organisations have embraced work from home or hybrid work arrangements.

    The New Zealand Law Association, for example, has emphasised the significant benefits of flexible work for their members, including increased employee engagement, productivity, and overall wellbeing.

    A report from Te Kawa Mataaho Public Service Commission noted the public service’s success in delivering quality services during the pandemic while working remotely.

    The commission’s current guidance on hybrid work arrangements supports flexibility that allows working from home to focus and working together when necessary.

    Does WFH reduce efficiency?

    Luxon argues forcing workers back to the office will promote efficiency. But there is little evidence suggesting New Zealand’s productivity has significantly declined with WFH or hybrid arrangements.

    Instead, we found office-only arrangements risked introducing new inefficiencies for the government. These included new layers of permissions and reporting on arrangements that have already been agreed to.

    The assumption that office work suits everyone is also contradicted by experiences during and after COVID.

    During the first year of the pandemic, many workers felt the void of casual interactions that once sparked creativity. They also struggled with isolation. This was especially pronounced for caregivers, often women, who had to juggle professional duties with increased childcare responsibilities.

    Despite this, a University of Otago survey conducted during the pandemic noted 67% of participants preferred a hybrid work model.

    Many expressed optimism regarding remote work’s continuation, with significant portions reporting stable or increased productivity, although some struggled with home distractions.

    And our research found taking a hybrid approach to work – with one or more days at home – reduced the risks from professional and social isolation and improved collaboration.

    Opportunities to work at home some of the time also allowed time for focused work, reduced commuting time and improved wellbeing.

    Boosting productivity from home

    Luxon’s assertion that working from home is “not an entitlement” aligns with traditional views on work. These include the belief that time at a desk is a measurement of productivity, rather than measuring the outcomes from work.

    However, a growing body of evidence indicates remote work can elevate both productivity and employee satisfaction.

    Eliminating daily commutes allows employees to redirect time toward focused work, positively impacting job satisfaction and mental wellbeing.

    Moreover, remote work fosters inclusivity, enabling organisations to source talent from a broader geographic area, which in turn enhances diversity and innovation.

    A report from McKinsey & Company found businesses adopting flexible work arrangements are better positioned to navigate future uncertainties, sustaining or even boosting productivity.

    A survey by the Australian Council of Trade Unions exploring WFH revealed nearly 48% of participants experienced enhanced productivity, attributed in part to the elimination of commuting.

    However, it also highlighted challenges. Some 40% of respondents said they were facing longer work hours, which can lead to burnout. Addressing these issues is essential to maintaining employee wellbeing.

    The future of work

    Instead of enforcing strict office attendance, leaders should adapt to the changing work landscape.

    Promoting flexible arrangements can foster a more productive and engaged workforce, ultimately benefiting New Zealand’s public service in today’s dynamic environment.

    Balancing both office and remote work presents the most promising path forward.

    Joanne Crawford receives funding from the Health Research Council and the NZ Industrial Relations Foundation Trust.

    Roya Gorjifard receives funding from the Victoria University of Wellington for Doctoral Research.

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

    – ref. Mixing it up: hybrid work models can offer the best of both worlds for worker wellbeing and productivity – https://theconversation.com/mixing-it-up-hybrid-work-models-can-offer-the-best-of-both-worlds-for-worker-wellbeing-and-productivity-239710

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The government is reviewing negative gearing and capital gains tax, but this won’t be enough to fix our housing shortage

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Cull, Associate professor, Western Sydney University

    Negative gearing and capital gains tax are back on the national agenda as Australians deal with a housing crisis and politicians look for ways to tackle the issue and win voters’ support at the upcoming election.

    The Labor government confirmed this week the tax concessions were being reviewed. Meanwhile, the government is struggling to pass its Help to Buy housing assistance legislation through the Senate.

    The Help to Buy legislation is aimed at helping first home buyers on low and middle incomes purchase their first home. The government would contribute up to 40% of the home purchase price and require only a 2% deposit from buyer. Buyers could eventually buy back the government’s equity share.

    But the legislation has stalled with the Greens wanting more including rent caps and pulling back negative gearing while the Coalition says the government “shouldn’t be in the business of co-owning people’s homes”.

    The review, revealed yesterday, could reportedly include a cap on the number of properties a person could negatively gear. The changes would not affect anyone who is currently negatively geared.

    Negative gearing lets taxpayers claim deductions on their tax for the expenses relating to owning an investment property. They can save on tax as the property potentially rises in value. They can also be eligible for a reduced capital gains tax when they sell the property.

    But any changes to negative gearing and capital gains tax policies could face further opposition – depending on how they are implemented. The crucial issue is whether the changes free up enough housing stock and make it more affordable for buyers and renters.

    Home ownership in Australia

    Based on National Housing Supply and Affordability Council data, home ownership across most age groups has been declining since the 1970s.

    Younger households, aged between 25 and 34 years, are hardest hit, having 34% of household income spent on mortgage costs in 2022–23.

    About 67% of households in Australia are home owners, and the remainder renters. While the proportion of owners with a mortgage has increased since 1994, so too has the proportion of private renters.

    Size of the investment market

    Just under 10% of all taxpayers negatively geared their properties in 2020–21 and more than 70% of property investors have only one investment property.

    While there have been calls for changes to negative gearing policy to cap the number of investment properties at six, this would impact about only 20,000 individual property investors.

    Changes to capital gains tax

    Suggestions to increase capital gains tax (CGT) need to be considered carefully, given that:

    • there is no solid evidence to show that increasing CGT will increase housing supply and in fact, it may have the opposite effect by limiting rental housing available

    • any change to CGT legislation also impacts other investments (such as shares), as the CGT discount also applies to other capital gains

    • multiple investment properties are often held within self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) which are subject to different CGT rules and also benefit from superannuation tax concessions

    • the rapid increase in housing prices over recent years is likely to result in very large amounts of CGT being paid on investment properties, even with the current 50% CGT discount.

    Other ways to improve affordability and availability

    Policy discussions around housing affordability and availability invariably lead to suggestions to change how negative gearing and capital gains tax operate. However, taxation policy is not the only solution available.

    Another suggestion put forward is to allow first home buyers to use their superannuation for deposits.

    Regardless of one’s position on accessing superannuation for something other than retirement, this suggestion is not viable for low to middle income earners. These households are unlikely to have substantial superannuation balances. Also, they don’t have the earning capacity to service a mortgage for the outstanding amount.

    There is currently a push to use self-managed super funds SMSFs to enable home ownership. This would effectively allow individuals to become tenants in homes owned by their super funds.

    However, the complexities of superannuation law mean this could cause big problems for people whose relationships break down.

    Considering the generational wealth that currently exists in property, the government could consider making it easier for parents or grandparents to gift (or sell) property to their children or grandchildren, in certain circumstances.

    This area has not yet been sufficiently explored.

    What needs to change

    The real issue of housing affordability is multifaceted, and any change needs to be done as part of a broader policy.

    It is likely that on its own, changes to negative gearing and/or capital gains tax will not achieve the intended outcome to make housing more accessible and affordable for Australians who want to buy a home.

    While the debate around the best way to achieve housing affordability and accessibility continues, and while there are statistics that tell us about the current housing crisis, one crucial thing that is missing is the voice of the very people that any new housing policy should be designed to assist.

    More consultation is needed with younger age groups and low to middle income earners who are struggling with high rent and unable to purchase their own home.

    Australia desperately needs bold new innovative housing policies that do not rely solely on the taxation system but that consider a raft of measures that meet the housing needs of everyday Australians.

    Michelle Cull is co-founder of the Western Sydney University Tax Clinic which has received funding from the Australian Taxation Office as part of the National Tax Clinic Program. Michelle Cull is a member of CPA Australia and the Financial Advice Association Australia. Michelle is also an academic member of UniSuper’s Consultative Committee and volunteers as Chair of the Macarthur Advisory Council for the Salvation Army Australia.

    – ref. The government is reviewing negative gearing and capital gains tax, but this won’t be enough to fix our housing shortage – https://theconversation.com/the-government-is-reviewing-negative-gearing-and-capital-gains-tax-but-this-wont-be-enough-to-fix-our-housing-shortage-239813

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Our electricity workforce must double to hit the 2030 renewables target. Energy storage jobs will soon overtake those in coal and gas

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jay Rutovitz, Research Director, Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney

    Wanwajee Weeraphukdee/Shutterstock

    The electricity workforce will need to double in five years to achieve Australia’s 2030 renewable energy target, our new report finds. More than 80% of these jobs will be in renewables. Jobs in energy storage alone will overtake domestic coal and gas jobs (not including the coal and gas export sector) in the next couple of years.

    The Australian Energy Market Operator (AEMO) updates its Integrated System Plan every two years. It’s a blueprint for the energy transition from coal to renewable energy. The plan lays out scenarios for how the electricity system might change to help put in place all the elements needed to make the transition happen.

    AEMO and the RACE for 2030 co-operative research centre commissioned the Institute for Sustainable Futures to undertake modelling on the workforce needed for this transition. The “step change” scenario in the Integrated System Plan is broadly aligned with the 2030 renewables target. Under this scenario, we found the electricity workforce would need to grow from 33,000 to peak at 66,000 by 2029.

    Rooftop solar and batteries together are projected to account for over 40% of these jobs. Wind farms will employ around one-third and solar farms just under 10%. Jobs would also treble in transmission line construction to connect renewables in regional areas to cities and other states in the next few years.

    Job projections in the National Electricity Market under the ‘step change’ scenario that aligns with the 2030 renewables target.
    Author provided

    Job growth would surge in a ‘renewable energy superpower’

    In the “green energy export” scenario, Australia becomes a “renewable energy superpower”. The country uses renewable energy to export green hydrogen and power heavy industry. In this scenario, the electricity workforce would almost treble to 96,000 by the late 2020s.

    By 2033, after construction peaks, more than half of electricity sector jobs will be in operations and maintenance. This applies to both the step change and green energy export scenarios.

    A significant employment downturn is projected during the 2030s. But in the green energy export scenario jobs then climb steeply again to a peak of 120,000. This projection reflects AEMO’s expectations of when green export growth will occur.

    New South Wales is projected to have the most renewable energy jobs in the 2020s. However, Queensland would become the largest state for renewable jobs (especially in wind farms) in the green energy export scenario.

    Projected total job numbers by scenario.
    Author provided

    What are the other possibilities?

    “Progressive change” is another scenario in the Integrated System Plan. For this scenario, we modelled slower growth in renewable energy. It reflects constraints on the economy and supply chains (including labour and minerals) for renewables.

    In an “enhanced manufacturing” scenario, local renewable energy manufacturing increases. Our modelling found it could create a peak of 5,000 extra jobs.

    Importantly, these projections don’t include upstream jobs in supply chains for the sector (for example, increased mining to supply the resources that renewables need) or electrification of homes.

    Creating this many jobs is very challenging

    Our modelling shows the workforce needs to grow very rapidly to make Australia’s energy transition happen. Unfortunately, the challenges of building this workforce are daunting. They include:

    • there’s a shortage of almost all key occupations in demand for the electricity sector – electricians, engineers, construction managers – according to Australia’s Skills Priority List

    • “extraordinary growth” forecast by Infrastructure Australia in other major infrastructure projects, such as transport, which will compete for many of the same skilled workers

    • under AEMO’s scenarios, employment will be subject to boom-bust cycles, which increases the risk of skill shortages and damaging impacts, such as housing shortages, in regional areas

    • Australia has relied heavily on skilled migrants – and will look to do so again – but many parts of the world are chasing the same workers.

    The International Energy Agency has noted:

    Labour and skills shortages are already translating into project delays, raising concerns that clean energy solutions will be unable to keep pace with demand to meet net zero targets.

    What can be done to avoid skill shortages?

    Some action has been taken to increase the workforce. The federal government, for instance, is subsidising apprentices under the New Energy Apprenticeship program.

    But action isn’t happening at the scale and pace required.

    What else can be done?

    Firstly, Jobs Skills Australia and Powering Skills Organisation (which oversees energy skills training) have outlined ways to increase the system’s capacity to train more skilled workers. This includes creating better pathways into renewable energy for students, especially in recognised Renewable Energy Zones.

    Secondly, Jobs Skills Australia has noted the need for renewable energy businesses to increase their intakes of apprentices. It recommends expanding the Australian Skills Guarantee to include generation and transmission projects.

    The guarantee has set mandatory targets for apprentices or trainees to complete 10% of labour hours on Commonwealth-funded major construction and information technology projects (A$10 million plus). It could also be applied to major government funding programs for renewable energy and transmission. These include:

    • the Capacity Investment Scheme, a government tender program to support a large volume of new renewables and storage projects

    • Rewiring the Nation, a $20 billion fund for transmission lines

    • grants from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency and the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.

    Thirdly, government tenders could moderate the peaks and troughs in employment by limiting the maximum and minimum volumes built each year.

    Fourthly, including more women and First Nations Australians can increase labour supply and workforce diversity. Only one-in-two First Nations Australians are employed compared to around two in three in the wider population. Yet they account for around one-in-ten people in some major Renewable Energy Zones.

    Government pre-employment programs, working with industry and First Nations groups, could also increase the supply of workers. These could have a dramatic social impact too.

    It’s a challenging problem whichever way you look at it. We need rapid change to build renewable energy capacity before coal plants retire and to tackle climate change. But that depends on growing the workforce amid skill shortages.

    There’s a range of ways to increase the supply of workers and improve local outcomes. But we are running out of time. Urgent action is needed.

    The Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney received funding from the Australian Energy Market Operator and the RACE for 2030 CRC for the report upon which this article is based

    The Institute for Sustainable Futures, University of Technology Sydney received funding from the Australian Energy Market Operator and the RACE for 2030 CRC for the report upon which this article is based.

    – ref. Our electricity workforce must double to hit the 2030 renewables target. Energy storage jobs will soon overtake those in coal and gas – https://theconversation.com/our-electricity-workforce-must-double-to-hit-the-2030-renewables-target-energy-storage-jobs-will-soon-overtake-those-in-coal-and-gas-239718

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why are we seeing more pandemics? Our impact on the planet has a lot to do with it

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olga Anikeeva, Research Fellow, School of Public Health, University of Adelaide

    ImageFlow/Shutterstock

    Pandemics – the global spread of infectious diseases – seem to be making a comeback. In the Middle Ages we had the Black Death (plague), and after the first world war we had the Spanish flu. Tens of millions of people died from these diseases.

    Then science began to get the upper hand, with vaccination eradicating smallpox, and polio nearly so. Antibiotics became available to treat bacterial infections, and more recently antivirals as well.

    But in recent years and decades pandemics seem to be returning. In the 1980s we had HIV/AIDS, then several flu pandemics, SARS, and now COVID (no, COVID isn’t over).

    So why is this happening, and is there anything we can do to avert future pandemics?

    Unbalanced ecosystems

    Healthy, stable ecosystems provide services that keep us healthy, such as supplying food and clean water, producing oxygen, and making green spaces available for our recreation and wellbeing.

    Another key service ecosystems provide is disease regulation. When nature is in balance – with predators controlling herbivore populations, and herbivores controlling plant growth – it’s more difficult for pathogens to emerge in a way that causes pandemics.

    But when human activities disrupt and unbalance ecosystems – such as by way of climate change and biodiversity loss – things go wrong.

    For example, climate change affects the number and distribution of plants and animals. Mosquitoes that carry diseases can move from the tropics into what used to be temperate climates as the planet warms, and may infect more people in the months that are normally disease free.

    We’ve studied the relationship between weather and dengue fever transmission in China, and our findings support the same conclusion reached by many other studies: climate change is likely to put more people at risk of dengue.

    COVID was not the first pandemic, and is unlikely to be the last.
    Jaromir Chalabala/Shutterstock

    Biodiversity loss can have similar effects by disrupting food chains. When ranchers cleared forests in South America for their cattle to graze in the first half of the 20th century, tiny forest-dwelling, blood-feeding vampire bats suddenly had a smörgåsbord of large sedentary animals to feed on.

    While vampire bats had previously been kept in check by the limited availability of food and the presence of predators in the balanced forest ecosystem, numbers of this species exploded in South America.

    These bats carry the rabies virus, which causes lethal brain infections in people who are bitten. Although the number of deaths from bat-borne rabies has now fallen dramatically due to vaccination programs in South America, rabies caused by bites from other animals still poses a global threat.

    As urban and agricultural development impinges on natural ecosystems, there are increasing opportunities for humans and domestic animals to become infected with pathogens that would normally only be seen in wildlife – particularly when people hunt and eat animals from the wild.

    The HIV virus, for example, first entered human populations from apes that were slaughtered for food in Africa, and then spread globally through travel and trade.

    Meanwhile, bats are thought to be the original reservoir for the virus that caused the COVID pandemic, which has killed more than 7 million people to date.

    Climate change can affect the distribution of animals which carry disease, such as mosquitoes.
    Kwangmoozaa/Shutterstock

    Ultimately, until we effectively address the unsustainable impact we are having on our planet, pandemics will continue to occur.

    Targeting the ultimate causes

    Factors such as climate change, biodiversity loss and other global challenges are the ultimate (high level) cause of pandemics. Meanwhile, increased contact between humans, domestic animals and wildlife is the proximate (immediate) cause.

    In the case of HIV, while direct contact with the infected blood of apes was the proximate cause, the apes were only being slaughtered because large numbers of very poor people were hungry – an ultimate cause.

    The distinction between ultimate causes and proximate causes is important, because we often deal only with proximate causes. For example, people may smoke because of stress or social pressure (ultimate causes of getting lung cancer), but it’s the toxins in the smoke that cause cancer (proximate cause).

    Generally, health services are only concerned with stopping people from smoking – and with treating the illness that results – not with removing the drivers that lead them to smoke in the first place.

    Similarly, we address pandemics with lockdowns, mask wearing, social distancing and vaccinations – all measures which seek to stop the spread of the virus. But we pay less attention to addressing the ultimate causes of pandemics – until perhaps very recently.

    Often we treat the proximate causes of illness, but not the ultimate causes.
    Basil MK/Pexels

    A planetary health approach

    There’s a growing awareness of the importance of adopting a “planetary health” approach to improve human health. This concept is based on the understanding that human health and human civilisation depend on flourishing natural systems, and the wise stewardship of those natural systems.

    With this approach, ultimate drivers like climate change and biodiversity loss would be prioritised in preventing future pandemics, at the same time as working with experts from many different disciplines to deal with the proximate causes, thereby reducing the risk overall.

    The planetary health approach has the benefit of improving both the health of the environment and human health concurrently. We are heartened by the increased uptake of teaching planetary health concepts across the environmental sciences, humanities and health sciences in many universities.

    As climate change, biodiversity loss, population displacements, travel and trade continue to increase the risk of disease outbreaks, it’s vital that the planetary stewards of the future have a better understanding of how to tackle the ultimate causes that drive pandemics.

    This article is the first in a series on the next pandemic.

    Olga Anikeeva receives funding from Green Adelaide.

    Jessica Stanhope receives funding from the Ecological Health Network and Green Adelaide. She is affiliated with the Environmental Physiotherapy Association.

    Peng Bi receives funding from the Australian Research Council, National Health and Medical Research Council, National Climate Change Adaptation Research Facility, AusAID,

    Philip Weinstein receives funding from competitive external granting bodies. He is affiliated with Nature Foundation, Australian Entomological Society, and the South Australian Museum.

    – ref. Why are we seeing more pandemics? Our impact on the planet has a lot to do with it – https://theconversation.com/why-are-we-seeing-more-pandemics-our-impact-on-the-planet-has-a-lot-to-do-with-it-226827

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The ‘best comet of the year’ is finally here – here’s everything you need to know

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jonti Horner, Professor (Astrophysics), University of Southern Queensland

    AstroStar/Shutterstock

    In January 2023, a new comet was discovered. Comets are found regularly, but astronomers quickly realised this one, called C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS), had the potential to be quite bright.

    Some hyperbolic reports have suggested it might be the “comet of the century”, but any astronomer will tell you the brightness of comets is notoriously hard to predict. As I explained last year, we’d have to wait until it arrived to be sure how bright it would become.

    Now, the time has come. Comet C/2023 A3 is currently visible with the naked eye in the morning sky in Australia and Aotearoa New Zealand, with its best yet to come in the next few weeks. And it does look promising. It’s unlikely to be the comet of the decade (never mind the comet of the century), but it will almost certainly become the best comet of the year.

    So where, and when, should you look to get your best views of this celestial visitor?

    A show in the morning, before sunrise

    At the moment, comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) is a morning object, rising around an hour and a half before sunrise. It is visible to the naked eye, but not yet spectacular. However, with binoculars you can easily see the comet’s dusty tail pointing away from the Sun.

    The comet will remain at about the same altitude in the morning sky until around September 30. It will then get closer to the horizon on each consecutive morning until it’s lost in the glare of the approaching dawn by October 6 or 7.

    If you want to spot the comet in the morning sky, look east. The sliders below will help you orient yourself and choose the best time to look, depending on your latitude.

    During this period, the comet should slowly brighten. It reaches its closest approach to the Sun (perihelion) on September 27, when it will be 58 million kilometres from our star.

    As it swings around the Sun, it will continue to approach Earth, and so should continue to brighten. The best show in the morning sky will likely be during the last couple of days of September and the first few days in October, before the comet is lost to view.

    A potential daylight comet

    Thanks to pure good fortune, comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) will then pass almost directly between Earth and the Sun on October 9 and 10.

    This could cause a spectacular brightening of the comet, thanks to “forward scattering” caused by its dust. Imagine looking towards a bright light source through a cloud of dust grains. The grains nearest to the light source will scatter light from the source back towards you.

    As the comet swings between Earth and the Sun, it will be perfectly placed for this forward scattering process to occur. If the comet is particularly dusty, this could cause its apparent brightness to increase by up to 100 times.

    If it does, there’s a small chance the comet could briefly become visible in the daylight sky on October 9 and 10.

    However, it will be very close to the Sun in the sky, and incredibly hard to spot. Only the most experienced observers may be able to detect the comet at this time, and it requires a special technique. Do not try to stare at the Sun to see it.

    The best show could be after October 12

    After swinging between Earth and the Sun, the comet will appear in the evening sky. It will rapidly climb in the western sky, and should be a bright, naked-eye object for a few days from October 12. The sliders below will give you a sense of where to look.

    For the first few days of this period, the comet will still benefit from the forward scattering of sunlight, but this will decrease as it moves away.

    What about the tail?

    The positioning of the comet, Earth and the Sun in the Solar System means the comet’s tail will be streaming outwards, past our planet. This means it could grow to prodigious lengths in the night sky.

    The bulk of that tail will likely be too dim to see easily with the naked eye, but it could be a fantastic spectacle for photographers. Expect to see a wealth of comet images flooding the internet around the middle of October.

    As the days pass and the comet climbs higher, it will fade quite rapidly. It will likely become too faint to see with the naked eye, even for seasoned and experienced observers, before the end of October.

    At that point, the show will be over. Comet C/2023 A3 (Tsuchinshan-ATLAS) will continue to flee the inner Solar System, moving into the icy depths of space, never to return.

    How reliable are the predictions?

    At the moment, the comet is already bright enough to consider it the “comet of the year”, outshining comet 12P/Pons-Brooks from earlier this year.

    But remember the classic saying – comets are like cats. They have tails and will often surprise us. For now, comet C/2023 A3 is behaving itself. It’s brightening predictably, and putting on a good show.

    But comets that approach this closely to the Sun often fragment. This is impossible to predict, and far from guaranteed. If the comet did break up, it could become even more spectacular because of all the dust and gas it would release.

    The opposite could still happen, too. The comet could fail to brighten as much as we expect, although that seems unlikely at this stage.

    Whatever happens, we’re in for a fascinating few weeks of comet watching. Hopefully, a real spectacle awaits us.

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

    – ref. The ‘best comet of the year’ is finally here – here’s everything you need to know – https://theconversation.com/the-best-comet-of-the-year-is-finally-here-heres-everything-you-need-to-know-239300

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: In a too-close-to-call US presidential election, will ‘couch-sitters’ decide who wins?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeff Bleich, Professorial fellow, Jeff Bleich Centre for Democracy and Disruptive Technologies, Flinders University

    In countries with compulsory voting, such as Australia and many in Latin America, the system usually ensures an overwhelming majority of voters cast their ballots election after election.

    In the United States, it’s a very different story. Two-thirds of eligible voters turned out to vote in the 2020 presidential election – the highest rate since 1900. Turnout in presidential elections before 2020 tended to hover between 50% and 65%.

    Often, it’s the voters choosing to stay home on the couch who effectively decide an election’s outcome.

    Under the United States’ unusual Electoral College presidential voting system, the candidate who wins the most votes nationally does not necessarily win the election. Twice in the past 25 years, Democrats have won the popular vote in the presidential race and still lost the election. That includes Donald Trump’s win over Hillary Clinton in 2016.

    As such, victory depends on getting more voters “off the couch” in key battleground states where the decisive Electoral College votes are up for grabs. In those states, it doesn’t matter what percentage of people show up to vote, or how much a candidate wins by, it is winner take all.

    A voter who doesn’t vote, therefore, actually makes an active choice — they remove a vote from the candidate they would have likely chosen, and so give an important advantage to the person they would not have voted for.

    The “couch” is effectively where Americans go to vote against their self-interest.

    Who is more incentivised to vote?

    As this year’s presidential election between Trump and Kamala Harris approaches, we ask a simple question: whose “couch” will decide one of the most consequential elections in living memory?

    Recent research demonstrates that partisanship is an important driver of voter choice in presidential elections.

    The fact that the US is deeply divided is not news to most, but current survey data show how evenly split along partisan lines it actually is. With about 30% of Americans identifying as a Republican and 30% identifying as a Democrat, there is virtually no difference in the total number of voters who support each major party.

    The remaining 40% of Americans identify as “independent” – that is, not loyal to either major political party. Almost seven decades of research on the American voter shows, however, that independents heavily “lean” towards one party or the other, with about half leaning Republican and the other half leaning Democrat.

    One possible insight into which group has greater incentive to vote is polling on people’s dissatisfaction with their party’s candidate.

    According to the most recent Gallup Poll data, 9% of Republicans currently have an unfavourable opinion of Trump. In contrast, only 5% of Democrats have an unfavourable opinion of Harris.

    Partisan voters who are dissatisfied with their party candidate have a massive incentive to “stay on the couch” and refrain from voting. They don’t really want to vote for “the other team”, but they can’t stand their own team anymore either.

    For example, Republican women in the suburbs, veterans and traditional Republicans have started to abandon Trump over his stances on reproductive rights and national security, and his temperament. The Trump campaign clearly knows this. At a rally in New York a few days ago, he told attendees to “get your fat ass out of the couch” to go vote for him.

    Should these disaffected Republican and Republican-leaning voters stay home on November 5, Harris may well have a decisive edge over Trump.

    When the couch wins, America loses

    In 2016, Trump defied the polls and traditional voter turn-out trends by convincing some disaffected, working-class Democrats to stay on the couch, vote for an unelectable third party candidate or, in some cases, vote for him.

    Could this happen again? Or will Democrats be able to reverse this phenomenon by getting exhausted Republicans suffering Trump fatigue to stay home, while motivating everyone from Taylor Swift fans to “never Trumpers” to veterans of foreign wars to get out to vote.

    Recent trends suggest overall turnout will be comparatively high, in line with the past three federal US elections.

    Democrats have traditionally benefited from higher voter turn-out, but it is not as clear this is still the case in 2024. Recent research shows higher turnout rates seem to have favoured the Republican Party since 2016.

    Yet both parties still have significant numbers of people who don’t vote. According to the Pew Research Center, 46% of Republicans and Republican-leaning independents didn’t vote in the past three elections (2018, 2020 and 2022), compared to the 41% of Democrats and Democratic-leaning independents.

    So again, who sits on the couch matters. Inevitably, many of those who stay home will get precisely what they don’t want. When the couch wins, America loses.

    Jeff Bleich is a former US ambassador to Australia and a member of the National Security Leaders for America, a group of 700 former generals, admirals, service secretaries, ambassadors, and other national security professionals, that has endorsed Kamala Harris in the presidential election. He was also special counsel to President Barack Obama and served as chair of the Fulbright Foreign Scholarship Board under President Donald Trump and as a member of President Joe Biden’s (non-partisan) National Security Education Board.

    Rodrigo Praino receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Australian Government Department of Defence, and SmartSat CRC.

    – ref. In a too-close-to-call US presidential election, will ‘couch-sitters’ decide who wins? – https://theconversation.com/in-a-too-close-to-call-us-presidential-election-will-couch-sitters-decide-who-wins-239394

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: The idea of Atmanirbhar Bharat & Viksit Bharat will pull out the country from slavery mindset – Anurag Singh Thakur

    Source: Government of India

    The idea of Atmanirbhar Bharat & Viksit Bharat will pull out the country from slavery mindset – Anurag Singh Thakur

    Anurag Thakur interacts with the students of MIT World Peace University in ‘Viksit Bharat Ambassador – Yuva Connect’ initiative

    Posted On: 25 SEP 2024 7:55PM by PIB Mumbai

    Pune, 25 September 2024

     

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi has given the idea of making India a self-reliant  and developed country. Lok Sabha MP Anurag Singh Thakur has asserted that this concept will pull out our country out of the slavery mindset.

    He was speaking as the Chief guest at a program organized under the ‘Viksit Bharat Ambassador – Yuva Connect’ initiative at MIT World Peace University College, Kothrud, Pune. Under the ‘Viksit Bharat Ambassador – Yuva Connect’ initiative, interactive session are being organized to guide the  youth about their participation and responsibility towards achieving the goal of a developed India in various colleges of Maharashtra.

    Myers MIT Institute Trustee Rahul Karad, MIT World Peace University Vice-Chancellor Dr. R. M. Chitnis, National Skating Champion Jinesh Nanal, Viksit Bharat Youth Ambassador Kritika Bhandari and other dignitaries were present on the occasion.

      

    Trees were planted in the premises of the institute under the Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam initiative of the Central Government at the beginning of the program. Later, Anurag Singh Thakur paid  floral tributes to the statue of Sant Dnyaneshwar in the institute.

      

    Vice-Chancellor Dr. R. M. Chitnis welcomed the dignitories in his introductory speech. Kritika Bhandari then briefed all the students about the My Bharat portal run by the Union Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports and urged them to register themselves on the portal. National Skating champion Jinesh Nanal shared experience of his sports journey while interacting with the students.

     

    * * *

    PIB Pune | S.Patil/H.Akude/D.Rane

     

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN conducts interview with Chinese media

    Source: ASEAN

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today participated in interviews with Chinese media outlets, including People’s Daily, Xinhua News Agency, China Media Group, China Daily, and Guangxi Radio & TV. The interviews focused on ASEAN-China relations, during which Dr. Kao addressed inquiries related to the China-ASEAN Free Trade Area 3.0, trade and investment, the digital and green economies, the China-ASEAN Year of People-to-People Exchange, and the China-ASEAN Expo.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN conducts interview with Chinese media appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN shares thoughts on ASEAN-China relations with Siam Associated Press

    Source: ASEAN

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today had an interview with Siam Associated Press on the margins of the 21st China-ASEAN Expo (CAEXPO) in Nanning, China, where Dr. Kao shared his thoughts and perspectives on ASEAN-China relations, regional cooperation and multilateralism.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN shares thoughts on ASEAN-China relations with Siam Associated Press appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –