NewzIntel.com

Category: Asia Pacific

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN engages in an interview with Maghreb Arabe Presse

    Source: ASEAN

    In wrapping up his Official Visit to Morocco, Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today shared his views with Maghreb Arabe Presse on the potential of the ASEAN-Morocco Sectoral Dialogue Partnership, which includes the areas of trade and investment, energy and climate change, education and youth, tourism and culture, and connectivity, among others. SG Dr. Kao also expressed his appreciation for the opportunity to learn more about the trajectory of Morocco’s national development, especially through his meetings with high-level Moroccan government officials. He further shared his perspectives on ways to further strengthen ASEAN-Morocco ties, particularly by promoting people-to-people ties, cultural and academic exchanges, facilitating private sector engagement and building institutional linkages. Maghreb Arabe Presse—is the official Moroccan news agency based in Rabat, established in 1959. It serves as the primary source of news and information for the Kingdom of Morocco, both domestically and internationally.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN engages in an interview with Maghreb Arabe Presse appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Paul Henry appointed to TVNZ Board

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Broadcaster Paul Henry has been appointed to the TVNZ Board, Media and Communications Minister Paul Goldsmith says.

    “Mr Henry has spent nearly his entire career involved in the broadcasting industry, producing news, current affairs, and entertainment programming both here in New Zealand and overseas.

    “He was integral in the establishment of the successful multi-platform Paul Henry breakfast show, established and sold a radio station in the Wairarapa, and was heavily involved in the launch of the former radio network Today FM.

    “He has a deep and passionate understanding of the sector and will enhance the board’s insight and strategic decision making.

    “I am aware Mr Henry is set to host The Chase New Zealand. However, I am advised any perceived conflict can be effectively managed.

    “I am also reappointing John Quirk, who has served on the TVNZ Board since 2023.

    “Mr Quirk brings over 20 years of governance, strategic leadership, investment, and corporate advisory experience, with a particular focus on technology, digital transformation, and high-growth companies.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Youth arrested in restaurant burglary, Waikato

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Attributable to Sergeant Mike Palmer:

    A youth has been arrested and charged in relation to a burglary in Pukete on Wednesday.

    The burglary happened at around 2:20am on Wednesday morning at a restaurant on Church Road.

    Two youths in a stolen vehicle smashed a glass door and took around 35 bottles of alcohol and 17 electronic tablets before fleeing the scene.

    Police were notified later that morning, and a scene examination was conducted. Upon receiving CCTV, fast working officers identified and arrested one of the offenders the following morning.

    The stolen vehicle was recovered, and all the tablets have been returned to the victim.

    A 16-year-old appeared in the Hamilton Youth Court Thursday afternoon charged with burglary and unlawfully using a motor vehicle.

    Police continue to make enquiries to identify the second offender involved.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre.
     

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: The NBL Blitz will be held in Canberra this year

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The NBL Blitz will be held at the recently refurbished AIS Arena.

    In brief:

    • The National Basketball League will hold its pre-season tournament, the NBL Blitz, in Canberra this year.
    • The NBL Blitz will be held at the recently refurbished AIS Arena.
    • This story includes ticket details and other important information.

    Canberra basketball fans rejoice.

    The National Basketball League (NBL) will hold its pre-season tournament, the NBL Blitz, in Canberra this year.

    The event will be held at the recently refurbished AIS Arena from 27 August to 31 August.

    Attendees can expect five days of non-stop action as all 10 NBL teams go head-to-head in preparation of the NBL season.

    See some of Australia’s best talent on the court, with double headers each evening of the event.

    The schedule

    Wednesday 27 August:

    Perth Wildcats vs Melbourne United

    Adelaide 36ers vs Illawarra Hawks

    Thursday 28 August:

    Brisbane Bullets vs Sydney Kings

    Cairns Taipans vs Tasmania JackJumpers

    Friday 29 August:

    South East Melbourne Phoenix vs New Zealand Breakers

    Illawarra Hawks vs Perth Wildcats

    Saturday 30 August:

    Melbourne United vs Brisbane Bullets

    Tasmania JackJumpers vs Adelaide 36ers

    Sunday 31 August:

    Sydney Kings vs South East Melbourne Phoenix

    New Zealand Breakers vs Cairns Taipans

    The ACT Government has worked with the NBL, Basketball ACT and the AIS Arena to make this exciting event possible.

    This event will be delivered through funding from the 2025–26 ACT Budget.

    Tickets

    Tickets are now available. Gather your friends and family and secure them on the NBL Blitz website.

    For updates, check the NBL website and social media channels.

    Read more like this:

    Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:


    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Prevention of Family and Sexual Violence agency to drop informal name, expand advisory board diversity

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Minister for the Prevention of Family Violence and Sexual Violence Karen Chhour is today announcing it will no longer use the informal name of Te Puna Aonui and will adopt its legal name: the Executive Board for the Elimination of Family Violence and Sexual Violence.  

    “This decision reflects the reality that all people are potentially victims of Family Violence and Sexual Violence, as well as the wishes of disgruntled former advisory board members who have asked for the gifted Te Reo name to be returned,” says Mrs Chhour.  

    “They have raised their concerns with me around my decision to not extend their tenure as the Ministerial Advisory Board, as well as concerns around my decision to include other communities in a new, multi-cultural advisory board which will replace the current Māori-only one.  

    “I need an advisory board that can advise on all issues victim-survivors face, and one that reflects the diversity of our nation, not just the seventeen per cent of New Zealanders who identify as Māori.  

    “Yes, I am Māori, and proud of this. I am also a mother, a wife, and a survivor of both family and sexual violence. The idea that one part of my being is somehow more important than any other is something I don’t accept, and I don’t believe that the majority of New Zealanders would accept this either.  

    “It is also Government policy that Government departments, with the exception of those focused on Māori, will have their main names in English.  

    “By continuing with a Te Reo name I believe we risk potentially making non-Māori victim-survivors feel like their lived experiences do not matter. I can assure them that they do and will continue to.  

    “This is the right thing to do, it reflects our national values of equality.  

    “The important work of the agency will be strengthened by the incorporating Pasifika, Asian communities, and other groups who were deliberately excluded by the scope of the previous Ministerial Advisory Board for this portfolio.  

    “While Te Puna Aonui is an informal name, not a legal one, it will take time to update the agency’s branding and letterhead.  

    “This is a positive step forward for the Executive Board for the Elimination of Family Violence and Sexual Violence and for our national response to these hugely important issues.”  

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Volcano Watch — Where does Kīlauea tephra go? The answer is blowin’ in the wind

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Volcano Watch is a weekly article and activity update written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates.

    This animated GIF shows a timelapse sequence consisting of one image every several days between December 25, 2024, and June 20, 2025.  The photos were taken from the northern rim of the caldera, near Uēkahuna overlook and the view is south towards the ongoing eruption site in Halemaʻumaʻu. The sequence shows the dramatic development of a tephra cone on the rim of Halema‘uma‘u during the twenty-six episodes of lava fountaining that have occurred between December 23, 2024, and June 20, 2025. USGS images. 

    Recent Volcano Watches have described the episodic nature of this eruption, with episodes of lava fountains separated by pauses. Other Volcano Watches have described hazards associated with lava fountaining. 

    The extent and severity of hazards associated with lava fountaining depend on three factors: (1) lava fountain height, (2) wind conditions, and (3) lava fountain angle. 

    Overall, lava fountains during this eruption have been getting higher. This pattern is not guaranteed to continue, but the four most recent episodes have erupted the highest lava fountains—all taller than 1,000 feet (300 meters). Incredibly, these spectacular fountains are still shorter than the record 1,900-foot (580 meter) fountains of the 1959 Kīlauea Iki eruption. 

    Taller fountains means that more tephra (pieces of the lava fountain, which includes Pele’s hair) can be deposited further away, as the starting point from which tephra starts to fall to the ground is higher up. The ongoing eruption has created a hill of tephra southwest of Halemaʻumaʻu—similar to how tephra fallout from the 1959 Kīlauea Iki fountains formed Puʻupuaʻi. During the last four episodes the hill has grown by as much as 30 feet (10 meters) in a single episode! The growing hill hasn’t posed a hazard to the public as it is within a closed area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park—but this brings us to wind.

    Dominant trade wind conditions generally send tephra and volcanic gas southwest over the remote Kaʻū Desert. Eruption viewing areas within the national park are unaffected, but there can be decreased air quality in communities downwind of Kīlauea due to volcanic gas, vog (“volcanic smog”), and small amounts of Pele’s hair may fall.

    Future episodes could occur during less favorable conditions, or during wind patterns affected by hurricanes. This already happened: episodes 15 and 16 occurred during low and variable winds, and Pele’s hair fell on nearby communities—from the Volcano Golf Course to Ohia Estates and beyond. During episode 15, tephra also fell at Uēkahuna and Kīlauea overlooks, resulting in the temporary closure of these popular viewing areas, while during episode 16, tephra fell on Highway 11.

    What if an episode occurs during Kona winds (the opposite direction from trade winds)? Recent episodes provide a guide. Episode 23 fountains reached 1,150 feet (350 meters) during strong persistent tradewinds with speeds of 9–14 miles/hour, and episode 24 fountains reached 1,200 feet (365 meters) during tradewinds with speeds of 5–10 miles/hour. Both times, tephra deposits were up to 2 feet thick a mile directly downwind—about the same distance as from the vents to Kīlauea overlook. For both, the tephra deposit was visible in satellite imagery up to 2½ miles away—slightly less than the distance from the vents to Volcano House. This corresponds to an inch or less of tephra.

    What about lava fountain angle? Imagine a garden hose blasting water. If the nozzle is pointed straight towards the sky, water will fall back down on the ground nearby—although wind can send the water downwind. This is the default behavior of lava fountains. An “inclined fountain” happens when the nozzle is angled away from the sky (a change in vent geometry) or if there is a partial blockage.

    Inclined fountains happened briefly and suddenly in 1959 (Kīlauea Iki) and 1969 (Maunaulu) after the cone partially collapsed into the vent during lava fountaining (a partial blockage). It took up to 20 minutes for the blockages to clear and the fountain to straighten itself. As the nearest viewing areas of the current eruption are over a mile away from the vents, they are not likely to be directly affected in the unlikely event of an inclined fountain.

    The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) will continue to monitor Kīlauea’s summit eruption and its hazards, working closely with Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and the Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Agency. The combination of an episodic lava fountain and hurricane season is rare and its good to maintain an awareness of which way the wind is blowing.

    These maps show lava flow and tephra accumulation at Kīlauea volcano associated with episodes 23 (left) and 24 (right) of the ongoing eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu that started on December 23, 2024, using data recorded by the Italian Space Agency’s (ASI) COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation satellite constellation. These maps combine cross-polarized radar amplitude images taken on two different dates, along with interferometric coherence from the time between those dates. In the maps, unchanged barren areas are represented in blue/purple, vegetated areas appear in yellow/light green, and new deposits over barren land are shown in either dark or bright green. Large yellow dots show measured tephra deposit thickness, and the dotted circle encompasses distances within 1.3 miles (2.1 kilometers) of the eruptive vents. Public viewing areas within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park are indicated with white squares; these can be temporarily closed for public safety.

    Volcano Activity Updates

    Kīlauea has been erupting episodically within the summit caldera since December 23, 2024. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is WATCH.

    Episode 26 of the Kīlauea summit eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu crater occurred on June 20, with approximately 9 hours of fountaining from the north and south vents. Summit region inflation since the end of episode 26, along with persistent tremor, suggests that another episode is possible and could start between June 29 and July 3. Sulfur dioxide emission rates are elevated in the summit region during active eruption episodes. No unusual activity has been noted along Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone. 

    Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert Level is at NORMAL.

    No earthquakes were reported felt in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week.

    HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and Mauna Loa.

    Please visit HVO’s website for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake information, and more. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Volcano Watch — Where does Kīlauea tephra go? The answer is blowin’ in the wind

    Source: US Geological Survey

    Volcano Watch is a weekly article and activity update written by U.S. Geological Survey Hawaiian Volcano Observatory scientists and affiliates.

    This animated GIF shows a timelapse sequence consisting of one image every several days between December 25, 2024, and June 20, 2025.  The photos were taken from the northern rim of the caldera, near Uēkahuna overlook and the view is south towards the ongoing eruption site in Halemaʻumaʻu. The sequence shows the dramatic development of a tephra cone on the rim of Halema‘uma‘u during the twenty-six episodes of lava fountaining that have occurred between December 23, 2024, and June 20, 2025. USGS images. 

    Recent Volcano Watches have described the episodic nature of this eruption, with episodes of lava fountains separated by pauses. Other Volcano Watches have described hazards associated with lava fountaining. 

    The extent and severity of hazards associated with lava fountaining depend on three factors: (1) lava fountain height, (2) wind conditions, and (3) lava fountain angle. 

    Overall, lava fountains during this eruption have been getting higher. This pattern is not guaranteed to continue, but the four most recent episodes have erupted the highest lava fountains—all taller than 1,000 feet (300 meters). Incredibly, these spectacular fountains are still shorter than the record 1,900-foot (580 meter) fountains of the 1959 Kīlauea Iki eruption. 

    Taller fountains means that more tephra (pieces of the lava fountain, which includes Pele’s hair) can be deposited further away, as the starting point from which tephra starts to fall to the ground is higher up. The ongoing eruption has created a hill of tephra southwest of Halemaʻumaʻu—similar to how tephra fallout from the 1959 Kīlauea Iki fountains formed Puʻupuaʻi. During the last four episodes the hill has grown by as much as 30 feet (10 meters) in a single episode! The growing hill hasn’t posed a hazard to the public as it is within a closed area of Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park—but this brings us to wind.

    Dominant trade wind conditions generally send tephra and volcanic gas southwest over the remote Kaʻū Desert. Eruption viewing areas within the national park are unaffected, but there can be decreased air quality in communities downwind of Kīlauea due to volcanic gas, vog (“volcanic smog”), and small amounts of Pele’s hair may fall.

    Future episodes could occur during less favorable conditions, or during wind patterns affected by hurricanes. This already happened: episodes 15 and 16 occurred during low and variable winds, and Pele’s hair fell on nearby communities—from the Volcano Golf Course to Ohia Estates and beyond. During episode 15, tephra also fell at Uēkahuna and Kīlauea overlooks, resulting in the temporary closure of these popular viewing areas, while during episode 16, tephra fell on Highway 11.

    What if an episode occurs during Kona winds (the opposite direction from trade winds)? Recent episodes provide a guide. Episode 23 fountains reached 1,150 feet (350 meters) during strong persistent tradewinds with speeds of 9–14 miles/hour, and episode 24 fountains reached 1,200 feet (365 meters) during tradewinds with speeds of 5–10 miles/hour. Both times, tephra deposits were up to 2 feet thick a mile directly downwind—about the same distance as from the vents to Kīlauea overlook. For both, the tephra deposit was visible in satellite imagery up to 2½ miles away—slightly less than the distance from the vents to Volcano House. This corresponds to an inch or less of tephra.

    What about lava fountain angle? Imagine a garden hose blasting water. If the nozzle is pointed straight towards the sky, water will fall back down on the ground nearby—although wind can send the water downwind. This is the default behavior of lava fountains. An “inclined fountain” happens when the nozzle is angled away from the sky (a change in vent geometry) or if there is a partial blockage.

    Inclined fountains happened briefly and suddenly in 1959 (Kīlauea Iki) and 1969 (Maunaulu) after the cone partially collapsed into the vent during lava fountaining (a partial blockage). It took up to 20 minutes for the blockages to clear and the fountain to straighten itself. As the nearest viewing areas of the current eruption are over a mile away from the vents, they are not likely to be directly affected in the unlikely event of an inclined fountain.

    The USGS Hawaiian Volcano Observatory (HVO) will continue to monitor Kīlauea’s summit eruption and its hazards, working closely with Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park and the Hawaiʻi County Civil Defense Agency. The combination of an episodic lava fountain and hurricane season is rare and its good to maintain an awareness of which way the wind is blowing.

    These maps show lava flow and tephra accumulation at Kīlauea volcano associated with episodes 23 (left) and 24 (right) of the ongoing eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu that started on December 23, 2024, using data recorded by the Italian Space Agency’s (ASI) COSMO-SkyMed Second Generation satellite constellation. These maps combine cross-polarized radar amplitude images taken on two different dates, along with interferometric coherence from the time between those dates. In the maps, unchanged barren areas are represented in blue/purple, vegetated areas appear in yellow/light green, and new deposits over barren land are shown in either dark or bright green. Large yellow dots show measured tephra deposit thickness, and the dotted circle encompasses distances within 1.3 miles (2.1 kilometers) of the eruptive vents. Public viewing areas within Hawaiʻi Volcanoes National Park are indicated with white squares; these can be temporarily closed for public safety.

    Volcano Activity Updates

    Kīlauea has been erupting episodically within the summit caldera since December 23, 2024. Its USGS Volcano Alert level is WATCH.

    Episode 26 of the Kīlauea summit eruption in Halemaʻumaʻu crater occurred on June 20, with approximately 9 hours of fountaining from the north and south vents. Summit region inflation since the end of episode 26, along with persistent tremor, suggests that another episode is possible and could start between June 29 and July 3. Sulfur dioxide emission rates are elevated in the summit region during active eruption episodes. No unusual activity has been noted along Kīlauea’s East Rift Zone or Southwest Rift Zone. 

    Mauna Loa is not erupting. Its USGS Volcano Alert Level is at NORMAL.

    No earthquakes were reported felt in the Hawaiian Islands during the past week.

    HVO continues to closely monitor Kīlauea and Mauna Loa.

    Please visit HVO’s website for past Volcano Watch articles, Kīlauea and Mauna Loa updates, volcano photos, maps, recent earthquake information, and more. Email questions to askHVO@usgs.gov.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Politics – People’s Select Committee on Pay Equity encourage submissions

    Source: People’s Select Committee on Pay Equity

    The People’s Select Committee on Pay Equity, formed by 10 former women MPs, has today provided an update on progress and released its Terms of Reference, following the Committee’s first meeting.

    “We are thrilled that hundreds of New Zealanders have already sent in submissions and taken the time to share their experiences and expertise with us,” said Professor Marilyn Waring DNZM.

    “The Committee recently met for the first time and discussed how we would work together. We have a good range of views and understanding represented and so we are well placed to consider the legislative changes and public views.

    “I encourage people to keep sending in submissions, in particular we want to ensure that we hear from employers and people who may not disagree with the law change, to ensure that a wide range of views are represented.

    “We are looking forward to hearing from organisations, experts and workers at our first oral hearing, to be held in Wellington on the 11th of August 2025.

    “The Committee will deliver a report at the end of this process that will provide a summary of the key themes and conclusions of the submissions, and other evidence collected from OIAs, data analyses, parliamentary debates and press statements, as well as rigorous research on pay equity. This report will be provided to Parliament and available to the public by the end of the year,” said Waring.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Northland News – Te Aupōuri wins big at 2025 Whakamānawa ā Taiao – Environmental Awards

    Source: Northland Regional Council

    After years of protecting and reinvigorating the vast and variable whenua of their beloved Te Aupōuri, Oranga Whenua Oranga Tangata Taiao’s hard mahi has paid off, winning two top awards at this year’s Northland Regional Council Whakamānawa ā Taiao – Environmental Awards.
    Te Rūnanga Nui O Te Aupōuri’s kaitiaki arm, Oranga Whenua Oranga Tangata Taiao, were the big winners of Thursday night’s biennial awards ceremony held at the Waitangi Treaty Grounds, taking out not only the Kaitiakitanga award, but the overall Te Tohu Matua- Supreme Award (subs: Thursday, June 26).
    Over the past several years, the team of 12 has installed 16,250 meters of fencing, restored 0.625 hectares of wetland, planted more than 120,000 native plants and captured 2288 invasive species.
    During that time, they also developed essential work skills and achieved significant conservation outcomes, like bringing back the critically endangered Ultriculis australis and declining long-fin tuna.
    Their ‘holistic approach to protecting te taiao’, award judges said, had resulted in significantly improving the wellbeing of their whenua.
    The judges were also impressed at how their kaupapa had strengthened connections between their iwi and their whenua, had fostered environmental awareness amongst local kura and engaged the community in sustainable land management practices.
    Oranga Whenua Oranga Tangata Taiao lead Niki Conrad says the group is happy and humbled by the accolades.
    “A lot of people are doing some really good work out there and it’s great to be recognised, especially when we are from way up north and a lot of our work is behind the scenes.”
    “We’re sticking true to our kaupapa and all our kaimahi are invested in it.” 
    The awards – held for the sixth time – recognise individuals, groups and organisations making a difference for Northland’s environment.
    According to the judges, competition was fierce across all award categories this year thanks to the high calibre of applications.
    Council Deputy Chair Tui Shortland says she is excited to see the number of incredible projects protecting te taiao across Northland and that the awards are NRC’s way of recognising and celebrating that kaitiakitanga in action.
    Councillor Shortland also congratulated the Oranga Whenua Oranga Tangata Taiao team and says she commended them for the important improvement to the wellbeing of their lands, which were of cultural, social, and environmental significance.
    “Oranga Whenua Oranga Tangata have created employment opportunities for 12 local Te Aupouri iwi members, developing essential skills and achieving notable conservation outcomes,” Shortland says.
    “The project has also involved whānau, hapū, and iwi and enhanced self-confidence, pride, and well-being through activities that deepen understanding of whakapapa, tūpuna heritage, and historical sites.
    “They have also collaborated with Te Kura o Te Kao to carve and erect pou at significant sites, which further underscores their commitment to cultural preservation and environmental stewardship.”
    Other winners:
    Piroa Conservation Trust; Environmental action in water quality improvement.
    The Piroa Conservation Trust is a coalition of over 30 community-led conservation groups dedicated to restoring biodiversity in Bream Bay and surrounding areas.
    The group demonstrated lots of measurable outcomes, high levels of community involvement and an impressive scope of initiatives.
    These included riparian planting (with 10,000 plants already in the ground), water quality testing, wetland restoration and fencing were key to the success of the Wai Tuwhera project, with water quality data being consistently measured.
    The trust has strong relationships with iwi, hapū and community groups, working with Patuharakeke and in partnership with Whitebait Connection and NZ Landcare Trust, and has been thoughtful in seeking ways to engage directly with farmers.   
    A strong focus on educational outreach, including workshops and school programmes, has raised awareness and educated the community about the importance of water quality.
    The trust has also been active on social media, ensuring their activities gain recognition across Te Taitokerau and thought of innovations to develop their reach, for example distributing “riparian gift packs”.
    Trustee and group founder Ann Neill says winning the award is an amazing privilege.
    Highly commended in the water quality category was Tiaki Nga Wai O Hokianga.
    Weed Action Native Habitat Restoration Trust; Environmental action in the community.
    The trust’s application demonstrates the depth of its engagement and success in drawing in the community to its mahi. Its range covers a very wide geographic area and it is tackling a huge weed control problem – this is a massive commitment and requires an enormous amount of work. 
     The trust has made great connections across the community and has a very good relationship with iwi/hapū, including with Aki Tai Here. They have a good set of well-recorded measurable outcomes.
    Trust ecological advisor Mike Urlich says the recognition had left him “a bit emotional and just really stoked”. “It’s an acknowledgement of all the hard work that goes on.”
    Highly commended in the environmental action in the community category were Tiaki Nga Wai O Hokianga, Bream Head Conservation Trust Reserve Revegetation and Ngā Kaitiaki o te Ahi.
    Project Island Song; Environmental action to protect native life.
    This project has had an undoubted impact over time, having achieved 15 years of pest-free status and 40,000 trees planted. Long-term commitment is evident and the group’s mahi has made a huge difference to Pewhairangi Bay of Islands. 
    The group works with school groups, individuals, families and businesses and in partnership with hapū and the governing committee. The school involvement was especially inspirational, particularly with the small, isolated schools. 
    The group is working on pest control, returning lost species and clearly making good progress on tackling weeds too. 
    Project Island Song chair William Fuller says the group enjoys good community support and puts the group’s success down to the hard work of hundreds of volunteers over many years. “Everyone has a passion for restoring the bird song.”
    Highly commended in the environmental action to protect native life category were Piroa Conservation Trust, Weed Action Native Habitat Restoration Trust and Jill Mortensen. 
    Bay of Islands International Academy; Environmental action in education.
    This entry demonstrated an outstanding holistic approach, involving all levels and curriculum areas across the school and throughout their local community and hapū. The academy has successfully woven te ao Māori and sustainability throughout its mahi. 
    It was impressive to note the impact on students, who have been empowered to take ownership of environmental change. The academy has also ensured a multi-generational approach by enabling older students to teach younger students and enabling kaumatua as expert helpers. Its trapping programme is extensive.
    Spokesperson Lucy Miller says winning the award was a surprise but felt it was well-deserved.
    “All the kids have been taught to be kaitiaki of their land, the ocean that’s near them and to look after Purerua Peninsula.”
    Highly commended in the environmental action in education category were Whangārei Girls’ High School, Hurupaki School and Te Kura O Hato Hohepa Te Kamura.
    Mountains to Sea Conservation Trust; environmental leadership.
    Mountains to Sea has a broad focus on freshwater and marine ecosystems and the connection between them. Its application stood out for its very strong community partnerships, commitment to education and the cross-community development it fosters throughout its mahi. 
    The freshwater habitat restoration undertaken through its īnanga spawning program has had a huge impact – on protecting biodiversity across Te Taitokerau and enabling a widespread and consistent community engagement programme that upskills and inspires. The trust has active partnerships with iwi, hapū and schools and facilitate high levels of community volunteering.
    Spokesperson Kim Jones says people are doing some amazing work around Te Taitokerau and for the trust to be recognised with the award was awesome, amazing and humbling.
    Highly commended in this category was The Love Bittern Project.
    Earth Buddies; Youth Environmental Leader.
    Earth Buddies is an inspiring youth-led education programme designed and delivered by 25 students from Whangārei Girls’ High School’s kaiarahi (prefect) team and Environmental Committee. 
    The students have formed a partnership with Whangārei Primary School to provide bi-weekly environmental lessons to more than 150 students in Years 3 and 4. The lessons cover topics such as composting, climate change, and pest management.  
    Through these engaging sessions, the secondary students are not only helping to develop critical thinking in the younger generation but are also strengthening their own environmental knowledge. This initiative goes beyond the classroom by encouraging families to adopt eco-friendly practices and inviting parents/caregivers to take part in activities. 
    In helping to educate the next generation, Earth Buddies is contributing to long-term conservation and climate mitigation efforts in Whangārei and is a programme that could be replicated in other communities. 
    Group leader Stella Moreton says the group is very honoured and excited to be recognised.
    Highly commended in this category were Roman Makara – Taiao Club and India Clarke.
    Te Rūnanga Nui o Te Aupōuri – Oranga Whenua Oranga Tangata Taiao Team; Kaitiakitanga.
    Highly commended in this category were Patuharakeke Te Iwi Trust – Te Pou Taiao, Ngā Kaitiaki o te Ahi and Ngā Kaitiaki O Ngā Wai Māori.
    Tū Mai Rā Energy Northland; environmental action in business.
    Tū Mai Rā offers solar power solutions, aiming to harness the energy of the sun – Tū Mai Rā means to ‘Stand before the sun’. 
    This entry demonstrated commitment to the community – Tū Mai Rā is not subject to a regulatory requirement to provide electricity, it is doing it to benefit the community. This will have a positive impact on many people by improving climate resilience, and community resilience during natural hazards. A greater uptake of renewable energy will reduce greenhouse gases and resilience will be improved in remote areas. 
    Tū Mai Rā Energy is also providing employment and upskilling opportunities for locals, bringing more benefits to the community. Tū Mai Rā is an excellent application, which is portrayed by its achievement as the winners of the Tai Tokerau Māori Business Merit Award and receiving highly commended in the climate change category as well.
    Company director Ella Te Huia says keeping true to yourselves and what you believe in is the right thing to do.
    Patuharakeke Te Iwi Trust – Te Pou Taiao; environmental action to address climate change.
    Te Pou Taiao o Patuharakake (TPT) is preparing and supporting its people to adapt to a changing climate by equipping them with the tools and strategies to do so. 
    TPT has harnessed technology to begin to address the climate crisis and has developed a climate change risk assessment tool to visually illustrate the risks to Patuharekeke rohe. The toolbox features sea level rise modelling and identifies coastal flood hazard zones and erosion prone land. 
    The toolbox will be used to inform the Patuharakeke Hapū Environmental Management Plan (which is currently in its draft phase), incorporating both mātauranga Māori and western science within mitigation, adaptation and resilience strategies. 
    The levels of community engagement are excellent and its passion shines through in the application. Its approach to developing climate resilience through holistic thinking is impressive.
    Trust pou hautu Juliane Chetham says the trust has a fantastic team and sees a lot of young rangatahi taking a leadership role which is appropriate in the climate change arena.
    Highly commended in this category was Tū Mai Rā Energy Northland. 
    Piroa Conservation Trust; winner Kiwi Coast Special Award.
    Piroa Conservation Trust is a collaborative, forward thinking group which incorporates hapū, schools, community, DOC, businesses and a team of volunteers.
    A strong governance has helped guide direction to become a broad conservation group at the southern area of Northland. The vision for expansion of pest control and kiwi habitat will help the long-term survival of kiwi in Te Tai Tokerau, Northland.
    Project Island Song was highly commended in this category. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Ministry for Culture and Heritage – Media Reform summary of submissions released

    Source: Ministry for Culture and Heritage

    Manatū Taonga Ministry for Culture and Heritage today released a summary of the submissions received on the Government’s recent proposed changes to media regulation and content production.
    The Ministry received 197 submissions in total, with 103 of these submissions representing organisations.
    “Thank you to everyone that provided feedback to the five proposals as part the Media Reform consultation,” says Manatū Taonga Deputy Secretary Policy, Performance & Insights, Emily Fabling.
    “The majority of feedback was supportive of the proposals to ensure accessibility of local media platforms, increase discoverability of local content, and to increase captioning and audio description.
    “The feedback was more mixed on the proposals to modernise professional media regulation and streamline content funders.
    “Our policy team continues to do further analysis and engagement on these proposals, based on the feedback we’ve received. Again, we appreciate the expertise, experience and insights provided to our Ministry during consultation,” says Fabling.
    Analysis and policy advice to Government will continue in the coming months, and any changes will require Cabinet approval.
    View the summary of submissions on the Ministry for Culture and Heritage website:  www.mch.govt.nz/publications/media-reform-summary-submissions

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: SOPA Announces the Winners of its 2025 Awards for Editorial Excellence

    Source: Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA)

    Bloomberg’s Mishal Husain delivered the keynote address about image, voice and trust in the age of AI

    HONG KONG, June 26, 2025 – The Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA), a Hong Kong-based not-for-profit organization dedicated to encouraging the highest standards in journalism, announced the winners of its prestigious annual Awards for Editorial Excellence. (full list of winners also available here:

    https://sopawards.com/the-sopa-awards/award-winners/)

    The awards recognize outstanding journalistic work from the past year in the Asia-Pacific region and were given out at a celebratory dinner in Hong Kong on Thursday June 26, marking the 27th consecutive year of the awards.

    Global, regional/local, and Chinese-language media outlets submitted more than 700 entries in 21 categories including Bahasa Indonesia, which has been part of the lineup for the past three years.

    Submissions from regional and local publications rose substantially from a year earlier, showing the growing voices of smaller publications around the region. To help showcase grassroots coverage, SOPA offered reduced entry fees to small media outlets and first-time entrants from a dozen countries and regions. Several took home prizes including Mekong Eye, which won the top regional/local award in Investigative Reporting for Cattle Hustle, and Hong Kong’s HK Feature got Honorable Mention in the Chinese-language Feature Writing category for ‘Democracy pineapple’ caught in political dilemma across the Taiwan Strait. Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism won the top regional/local award in Explanatory Reporting for Renewed Attention on Political Dynasties in the Philippines.

    China’s economy and tensions with the U.S. over technology continued to be a focus, while brewing issues on a number of fronts sparked an increase in India-related entries.

    Here are some highlights:

    EXCELLENCE IN REPORTING ON WOMEN’S ISSUES

    The New York Times with The Fuller Project won the top global award for The Brutality of Sugar, with judges calling it an “eye-opening” account “revealing the horrendous conditions facing women in India’s sugar industry.”

    The Wire won the top regional/local award for Breaking The Nets, which the judges said offered “a fascinating insight into the knock-on effects of India’s patriarchal society” and how women contend with them.EXCELLENCE IN AUDIO REPORTING

    Mongabay won the top regional/local award for Wild Frequencies: How listening to India’s animals inspires people to protect wildlife, which judges praised as showing how sounds are a clue to “whether an ecosystem is healthy or imperiled.”

    EXCELLENCE IN HUMAN RIGHTS REPORTING

    The Collective HK won the top Chinese-language award for Five Years After Anti-Extradition Law Amendment Bill Movement: How are they?, which focused on four personalities in the 2019 social movement in Hong Kong and the judges said is “full of drama” without “emotive writing.”

    EXCELLENCE IN FEATURE WRITING

    The Australian Financial Review won the top regional/local award for Inside the ‘unending chaos’ at Andrew Forrest’s Fortescue, which the judges called “an impressive portrait” of an Australian businessman involved in tackling climate change.

    Initium Media won the top Chinese-language group award for Chinese Fighting for Russia: Money, Thrill and Becoming Influencers, which the judges noted had “sparked significant attention and discussion.”

    EXCELLENCE IN TECHNOLOGY REPORTING

    Nikkei Asia won the top global award for China’s tech industry fights back, which the judges called “a well-reported exploration of China’s drive for tech primacy in the face of U.S. restrictions.”

    EXCELLENCE IN ARTS AND CULTURE REPORTING

    The Economist’s 1843 Magazine won the top global award for How I became the Taliban’s portrait artist, which the judges called “a gripping account” of how the author’s own kidnapping in Afghanistan showed an unexpected side of today’s Taliban.

    EXCELLENCE IN REPORTING BREAKING NEWS

    Reuters won the top global and regional/local award for South Korea’s martial law crisis, which judges said, “kept global audiences informed about one of the biggest breaking stories last year.”EXCELLENCE IN OPINION WRITING

    Singapore’s The Straits Times won the regional/local award for No country for young men: Where is Malaysia’s next generation of leaders? The judges said it “demystifies the complex web of personalities shaping Malaysian politics.”

    The judges selected Qianer Liu of The Information for the SOPA Award for Young Journalist citing her “unique insights into the tech competition between the U.S. and China.”

    The Wall Street Journal won the coveted SOPA Award for Public Service Journalism for A Vicious New Scam Industry Metastasizes that detailed the brutal reality of the global criminal enterprise of “pig butchering” cyber fraud.

    “Congratulations to all the winners, honorable mentions and finalists,” said Bill Ridgers, Asia Digital Editor at The Economist and Co-Chair of SOPA’s Editorial Committee. “The high quality of entries for the SOPA 2025 awards is proof that the media continues to perform a critical role in informing readers in Asia Pacific and elsewhere about this region and helping shape public discourse.”

    SOPA would like to thank Bloomberg’s Mishal Husain who spoke on image, voice and trust in the age of AI. Her keynote address will be available on SOPA’s YouTube channel from 28 June, 2025. (link: https://www.youtube.com/@sopaasia)

    We also extend thanks to our nearly 120 volunteer judges and to Karen Koh for being our Master of Ceremonies, and to the University of Hong Kong’s Journalism and Media Studies Centre, which has administered the awards since 2011.

    Critical to presenting the awards are our sponsors. Factiva is an Associate Sponsor and Telum Media is a Supporting Partner.

    Awards Ceremony Dinner photos can be accessed here:

    https://sopawards.com/awards-dinner-photos/

    About SOPA

    The Society of Publishers in Asia (SOPA) is a Hong Kong-based not-for-profit organization that was founded in 1982 to champion freedom of the press, promote excellence in journalism and endorse best practices for all local and regional publishing platforms in the Asia-Pacific region.

    Today, SOPA is the voice of Asia’s media and publishing industry, and continues to work to uphold media standards and freedoms while celebrating and supporting professional journalism and publishing. The SOPA Awards for Editorial Excellence are the annual,flagship awards, serving as a regional benchmark for quality, professional journalism and have been given out every year since 1999.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Kākāpō breeding season raises stakes for Predator Free Rakiura

    Source: NZ Department of Conservation

    With a bumper breeding season forecast for kākāpō in 2026, we explain why eradicating introduced predators from Rakiura/Stewart Island is critical, so this iconic parrot has space to grow along with other threatened species.

    Kākāpō used to thrive here on Rakiura. We want to make it safe for them to return. Photo by Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu.

    Predator Free Rakiura (PFR) is preparing for its first large-scale attempt to eradicate introduced predators in a trial at the southern tip of the island next year.

    The project has been in development for nearly 30 years, and the aim is to remove rats, possums, feral cats and hedgehogs from the island and prevent them from reinvading.

    The stakes just got higher with the announcement that next year could be the biggest kākāpō breeding season on record. These rare parrots desperately need more space to breed and grow, and Rakiura contains the ideal habitat for them, however, predators need to be eradicated first to ensure their safety.

    Huge ambition behind PFR partnership

    PFR is being led by the Department of Conservation (DOC) in partnership with Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu and Zero Invasive Predators (ZIP), with input from the Rakiura community.

    ZIP is planning and delivering the project, building off its successful predator elimination project in South Westland. Priorities this year include ongoing engagement with the Rakiura and Bluff communities and research on the effectiveness of tools and techniques that will be used in the eradication trial.

    Solstice was the last kākāpō to be found on Rakiura in 1997. She currently lives on Whenua Hou. Photo by DOC.

    Te Puka Rakiura Trust is developing a biosecurity system to prevent predators from returning to Rakiura after they are eradicated.

    It’s the largest, most complex predator eradication ever attempted, and there are important conservation, social and economic outcomes at stake:

    • Protecting vulnerable native species on the island, returning threatened wildlife and improving forest health.
    • Developing tools and techniques to eradicate predators on the mainland.
    • On-the-ground results to help generate further funding and public support to make New Zealand Predator Free by 2050.  
    • Social and economic benefits for Rakiura and Southland communities and industries.

    Imagining a predator-free future

    The forecast for a bumper kākāpō breeding season next year is a huge deal because there are less than 250 kākāpō remaining and they only breed every few years when rimu trees have mass fruiting.

    See this blog for more information about the breeding season ahead.

    Tāne Davis, Ngāi Tahu, with tīeke.

    The problem is there’s not enough habitat to safely home these chicks in the long run, with predator free islands including nearby Whenua Hou/Codfish Island close to maximum capacity.

    Tāne Davis, who is a Ngāi Tahu representative on the Kākāpō Recovery Group and a long-time advocate for PFR, says kākāpō need to return home.

    “Rakiura is the original hou kainga for these birds, as many of them or their parents came from here. The pressure is on for us to make it possible for them to return.”

    Imagine a future where Rakiura is free of predators and kākāpō become so abundant again that children can hear their booming calls on bush walks. 

    “The lifeforce of kākāpō and our people will be enhanced through this connection,” Tāne says.

    Rakiura can save kākāpō again

    In 1977, a small population of kākāpō were discovered on Southern Rakiura. Before this, people thought that kākāpō would become extinct because female kākāpō had not been found for decades. It was quickly discovered that kākāpō were not safe on Rakiura due to predation by feral cats.

    Over the next few decades, kākāpō were transferred to predator-free islands, and with a founding population of 50 birds, the Kākāpō Recovery Programme was established. The Operations Manager for the programme, Deidre Vercoe, says Rakiura can save kākāpō again.

    “With the population growing, our biggest challenge is finding safe habitat for kākāpō to thrive in. By creating new predator free sites, we can continue to restore this taonga. Rakiura saved the kākāpō in the past, and a predator-free Rakiura is key for the future of the species.”

    Deidre Vercoe, DOC Operations Manager, Kākāpō Recovery Programme, with Sinbad.

    Extinction prevention part of our DNA

    In 1997, Rakiura DOC Ranger Phred Dobbins helped find the last kākāpō, named Solstice. Phred has spent much of his 40-year conservation career removing predators from smaller offshore islands, including about 3,000 possums from Whenua Hou with traps.

    We can’t afford not to try and make Rakiura predator free, Phred says.

    “The longer predators are here, the poorer the environment and we are becoming. We have the ability, motivation, and duty to make change, and we need to take calculated risks.”

    Rakiura DOC Ranger, Phred Dobbins in Oban. Photo by DOC.

    This vision of a healthier, more harmonious ecosystem holds huge potential for many other native species, including those that still exist on the island like pukunui/southern New Zealand dotterel and other endangered species that could return like mohua/yellowhead and tīeke/South Island saddleback.

    Find out more about the species that belong on Rakiura

    Recent flock counts show pukunui is one of the most critically endangered native birds in New Zealand. There are only 105 left largely because of predation by feral cats, down from 173 in 2020.

    Pukunui were once widespread in the lower part of Te Waipounamu, but now only breed on Rakiura mountain tops. We’re aiming to increase the population to at least 300 birds by 2035 by increasing predator control. However, if we can get rid of predators permanently, the population could expand well beyond this target.

    “Extinction prevention is part of our DNA here at DOC. Imagine if we still had huia and moa and then let them disappear,” Phred says.

    The anchor stone for Predator Free 2050

    Predator Free Rakiura is the anchor-stone for Predator Free 2050. Photo by Greg Lind.

    The vision for PFR expands further when we consider how critical this project is for New Zealand’s Predator Free 2050 goal.

    Rakiura is the missing link in the chain of islands south of Bluff that have already been made predator-free including Codfish Island/Whenua Hou, Ulva Island/Te Wharawhara, Bench Island/Waitaua and most of the Tītī/Muttonbird Islands and the Sub-Antarctic Islands.

    In Māori tradition, Māui fished up Te Ika-a-Māui (the North Island), Te Waipounamu (the South Island) was his waka, and Rakiura was the anchor stone.

    Metaphorically, Predator Free Rakiura is the anchor stone project for Predator Free 2050, says Brent Beaven, Predator Free 2050 Manager.

    “Rakiura will help to expand our foundation of knowledge so other eradication projects can be implemented across the country. For example, we are learning more about how to work across large, complex environments that are inhabited and utilised by people and a diverse array of native and introduced species.

    “It’s a vital test of our capabilities. It’s the anchor stone project right now in the bid to make New Zealand predator-free.” 

    Find out more

    Learn more about the critical role DOC has in this project alongside Ngāi Tahu, Zero Invasive Predators (ZIP), and Te Puka Rakiura Trust.

    Predator Free Rakiura: Our work

    Learn more about the PFR elimination trial and the research being done this year.

    Community Updates – Predator Free Rakiura

    Donate today to help eradicate predators from Rakiura/Stewart Island.

    Visit New Zealand Nature Fund to donate

    See frequently asked questions about Predator Free Rakiura.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Driver licencing wait times shortest yet

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The Government’s work to deliver better public services for New Zealanders is paying dividends for people working to gain their driver licence, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says.  

    “National average wait times are now just four days for a full licence test and seven days for a restricted licence test, down from a peak of up to 90 days in some regions,” Mr Bishop says.

    “At one point in 2024, we saw wait times get as high as 90 days in some regions, with a backlog of over 80,000 people applying to sit their licence tests at one point.

    “These unacceptable wait times were the result of the previous government’s decision to remove re-sit fees for theory and practical tests in 2023. This led to people not preparing properly for their tests, no shows, and people failing. These people simply went back in line to re-sit their test again and again.

    “The Government took decisive action to reduce wait times. We introduced a limit of one free re-sit for Class 1 driver licence tests, removed free re-sits for overseas licence conversions, and temporarily extended the amount of time people can drive on their overseas licence from 12 months to 18 months.

    “NZTA and VTNZ have also recruited and trained more than 70 new Driver Testing Officers, introduced new temporary testing sites, and extended testing site hours in some regions. Text alerts were also introduced to remind people of their driving test and ensure they turn up on the day.

    “Wait times are continuing to be monitored closely, and if they increase at individual testing sites NZTA will work with testing agents to bring them down. 

    “We have delivered on our promise to bring wait times down, creating a more efficient licensing system that contributes to road safety. 

    “I also encourage anyone preparing for their test to check out the free resources available on the Drive website. Developed by NZTA and ACC, Drive is an official resource designed to help learner drivers and those teaching others how to drive. 

    “A driver licence can unlock many opportunities for a person and improve access to employment. We want to make sure we’re removing barriers and keeping people safe on our roads.” 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Kākāpō Breeding Season 2026

    Source: NZ Department of Conservation

    3…2…1, Boom!

    Counting down to the kākāpō breeding season

    Image credit: DOC.

    After a four-year wait, the Kākāpō Recovery team is thrilled that breeding will return in 2026. Together with our Treaty Partner Ngāi Tahu and National Partner Meridian Energy, we’re preparing for what could be the biggest boom in kākāpō chicks yet!

    Kākāpō advocacy lead Andie Gentle breaks down the excitement, the science, the challenges, and how the measures of success for the recovery of this taonga species are changing.

    Kākāpō chicks | DOC.

    Why all the hype?

    Admittedly, we always get super excited about breeding seasons – and for good reason.

    Kākāpō are a taonga species to Ngāi Tahu, the principal Māori iwi of southern New Zealand. The world’s only, flightless, nocturnal parrot is critically endangered with just 242 alive today. The breeding populations are only found on three very remote, rugged predator-free islands in the deep south of Aotearoa New Zealand; Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, Pukenui/Anchor Island and Te Kāhaku/Chalky Island.

    We estimate kākāpō can live between 60-90 years. Most don’t successfully breed until their teens (males) or tweens (females). Even then, they only breed when rimu trees mast (mass fruit) once every 2-4 years. Female kākāpō, who feed their chicks rimu fruit, lay between 1-5 eggs but will usually fledge one chick per season.

    Alice and chick Rupi | Jake Osborne/DOC.

    Once widespread across the country, kākāpō populations plummeted after humans arrived due to hunting, habitat loss, and introduced predators. Since 1995, we’ve worked to rebuild the population from just 51 birds – 31 males, 20 females; and we’ve supported them through 12 breeding seasons, reaching a top population in 2022 of 252. 

    Many of the earlier seasons produced fewer than a handful of chicks, but as the population has slowly grown, breeding seasons have grown too! In terms of numbers, 2019 has been our biggest breeding season yet, with management initiatives helping produce a record 73 fledglings. 

    So yes, we do get hyped – because the mahi is intensive and every chick is so precious! 

    The art of prediction

    Using summer temperature patterns, we can predict rimu mast events (and therefore breeding seasons) up to two years in advance. Closer to the season, we collect sample rimu branches from the islands and count the tips to estimate fruiting levels. 

    Image 1: Kākāpō Recovery’s Technical Advisor Daryl Eason counting rimu tips | DOC.
    Images 2 & 3: rimu fruit | DOC. 

    We know some kākāpō will breed if more than 10 percent of rimu tips bear fruit and that a greater number of kākāpō breed as the percentage of fruit increases. 

    The latest data for 2026 shows record-high predictions of around 50–60 percent fruiting across all three breeding islands. If this happens there could be potential for nearly all of the 87 breeding-age females to nest in 2026. 

    What the lek?

    Kākāpō are the only lek-breeding parrot in the world. A lek is a mating system where males gather in a communal area, called a lek, to display to females. Male kākāpō spend months preparing ‘track and bowl’ systems (networks of cleared paths and depressions that help resonate sound) where they perform booming and chinging courtship calls. These nightly displays to attract females from across the island can last for weeks or even months on end. Once mating is done, the female takes on all parenting duties – nesting, incubating, and raising the chick’s solo. 

    Our mahi behind the scenes

    Just like male kākāpō preparing for breeding season, we’ve been busy getting ready. 

    From recruiting and training staff, to ensuring island infrastructure and data networks are running smoothly, it’s all hands-on deck.  

    Our National Partner, Meridian Energy, plays a vital role in maintaining generators and power systems on the remote breeding islands to support the seasonal influx of people and power critical equipment like chick incubators. 

    testing machine – 1

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    Meridian Energy engineers Mark (left) and Joe (right), at work maintaining the power systems on the kākāpō breeding islands.

    Ahead of each season, we strategically transferred some birds between islands, based on their history and genetics, to give them all the best chance of success. Around October we start providing supplementary food to help some birds reach optimal breeding condition.

    Each kākāpō wears a radio transmitter that tracks their activity and location year-round. These allow us to learn remotely when matings occur (Dec-Jan), who mated with who, and when females are nesting. 

    During nesting and hatching (Jan–March), we locate nests, ensure their safety, and set up nearby camps to keep an eye on things. Vulnerable eggs or chicks may need incubators, hand-rearing or taken to the mainland for specialist care. 

    Through April and May, we continue to monitor chick growth and ensure they fledge safely. 

    Every breeding season is a chance to grow the kākāpō population, however success goes beyond numbers alone.  

    Image 1: Kākāpō Recovery Technical Advisor Daryl Eason weighing chick.
    Image 2: Operations Manager Deidre Vercoe assess fertility and development of kākāpō egg.
    Image 3: Kākāpō eating from feeding hopper | Jake Osborne/DOC

    Redefining the measures of success

    Kākāpō are among the most intensively managed species on Earth but as the population grows, the same level of on the ground management isn’t sustainable. 

    After 30 years of managing each bird individually, breeding season success is now less about fledging numbers, and more about working towards establishing self-sustaining populations. 

    When the population numbered less than 200 birds, it was essential that every single chick made it through. In recent seasons we’ve been stepping back, phasing out nightly nest checks by using genetic ranking to prioritise eggs and chicks, and trialling low-intervention on Te Kākahu / Chalky Island. 

    The population is still critically endangered, so we’ll keep working hard to increase numbers, but as the population grows, we need to shift the balance towards understanding and supporting a more natural level of survival. 

    This season, we’ll step back further with: 

    • Fewer egg and chick checks 
    • More eggs hatching in nests rather than the safety of incubators 
    • Allowing mothers to raise multiple chicks 
    • Reduced supplementary feeding in some areas 
    • Expanding the low-management trial to parts of Pukenui / Anchor Island 

    Inevitably, this reduced management approach could result in a higher, more natural number of egg and chick deaths however this move toward minimal intervention is key to a more natural, efficient, and sustainable future for kākāpō recovery.    

    Mother Makorea and chick Willans together in a nest cavity | Jake Osborne/DOC.

    The habitat challenge

    While the potential of a record-breaking season is great news, kākāpō still face big challenges. Ongoing research on genetics and disease are helping us learn as much as possible to support a healthy population, but the most pressing challenge is finding more suitable habitat. We are trialling new small islands and a fenced sanctuary site, but what this species really needs is large scale habitat. As a former natural home to kākāpō, Rakiura/Stewart Island is the perfect contender, but introduced predators need to be removed to make it safer for kākāpō to return. You can learn more about why Predator Free Rakiura could be a game changer for kākāpō in this new blog post.

    Solstice in nest | DOC.

    Let’s make history, together

    The 2026 breeding season could mark a significant turning point for kākāpō, not just in numbers, but in how we support the future of this taonga species.  

    You can support the mahi, and follow along as we bring kākāpō stories from the remote islands of Southern New Zealand to the world.  
    • Donate or Adopt a kākāpō to support Kākāpō Recovery via the Mauri Ora Kākāpō Trust  

    Our mahi is achieved with our Treaty Partner Ngāi Tahu and National Partner Meridian Energy which provides funding as well as electrical infrastructure, technology and volunteering support to the programme.  

    Kākāpō receiving medical care at Dunedin Wildlife Hospital (left) and Auckland Zoo (right) | DOC.

    Invaluable to the programme too, is the expertise from vet supporters Auckland Zoo and Dunedin Wildlife Hospital, and the transportation of threatened species through the DOC and Air New Zealand national partnership. 

    With 100 percent of our operational costs covered externally, work to help restore the mauri (lifeforce) of kākāpō is also made possible thanks to the generosity of hundreds of volunteers, supporters and donors. 

    The kākāpō are ready. We’re ready. Let’s make history, together! 

    Image credit: DOC.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Beyond playgrounds: how less structured city spaces can nurture children’s creativity and independence

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jose Antonio Lara-Hernandez, Senior Researcher in Architecture, Auckland University of Technology

    Getty Images

    Children’s play is essential for their cognitive, physical and social development. But in cities, spaces to play are usually separated, often literally fenced off, from the rest of urban life.

    In our new study, we compare children’s use of such spaces in Auckland, New Zealand, and Venice, Italy. Our findings present a paradox: playgrounds built for safety can stifle creativity and mobility, while self-organising open spaces offer rich opportunities to explore and belong.

    In Auckland, places such as Taumata Reserve are a testimony to contemporary playground design – grassy, shaded, equipped with slides and swings, and buffered from traffic. Such places are an oasis cherished by caregivers for the sense of perceived safety they provide.

    Yet during our observations, we noted how these spaces function not necessarily as an oasis or a point for social encounter, but rather as isolated refuge islands, disconnected from the city’s everyday life. Children’s independent mobility and opportunities for diverse play activities remained limited and predefined.

    Children in urban spaces in Venice are free to find their own spontaneous activities.
    Antonio Lara-Hernandez, CC BY-SA

    Contrast this with Venice’s Santa Croce neighbourhood. Car-free streets and piazzas, such as Campo San Giacomo dell’Orio above, pulsate with life. We saw children play ball, draw on pavements, chase each other and even water plants. These spaces are shared inter-generational stages.

    To compare children’s experience, we measured the diversity of activities (a proxy for creativity). Auckland’s Taumata Reserve scored just 1.46. In contrast, Venice scored 2.33, with more than 2,600 spontaneous acts in the streets, reflecting a child-led play culture.

    Why this matters

    Play is not a luxury. It is a fundamental necessity of life to understand, navigate and adapt to the complexities of the world.

    From a deterministic perspective, contemporary Western cultures (such as in Europe and New Zealand) prescribe diverse benefits of play. This includes learning and developing resilience, spatial awareness and social skills.

    In Auckland, safety is the focus. While inclusion for children with special needs is understandable, it may inadvertently limit the collective capacity for vital and formative developmental experiences at the neighbourhood scale.

    Global research shows declining children’s mobility, linked to car dependency and adult-controlled routines. This reduces children’s activity radius, constrains confidence and diminishes connection to place. For one of us, a father of two, watching his daughters navigate parks underscores this: children need to be able to learn risk competency.

    Venice is a cultural model we can draw lessons from. Its pedestrian streets let children roam, climb statues and play hide-and-seek on bridges. This exposure to risks builds judgement, adaptability and agency. It also makes children co-creators of urban life.

    Children in Venice’s car-free piazza San Giacomo dell’Orio play ball, draw on pavements and chase each other.
    Authors provided, CC BY-SA

    Our study uses what we call “temporary appropriation” – when children use spaces in unplanned, creative ways – and a design framework called SPIRAL, which draws from individual experiences and cultural narratives to build public spaces.

    Auckland’s rules and fences curb this; Venice’s human-scale design invites it.
    Venice’s conditions foster risk competency in children and caregivers, strengthening community bonds through a culture of care. Auckland’s spaces for play are spatially fragmented, limiting social encounters and the risk-taking skills vital for development.

    Auckland’s playgrounds tend to be separated and limit the development of risk-taking skills.
    Shutterstock/Mary Star

    From a New Zealand perspective, it is also essential to recognise the significance of place-based belonging from a Māori worldview. Concepts such as whakapapa (genealogy), whenua (land) and whanaungatanga (relational ties) emphasise deep, inter-generational connections to place.

    In this view, play is not merely recreation but a cultural expression; a way for children to experience turangawaewae (a place to stand).

    What other cities can learn

    From our research, we can draw lessons for how urban spaces might be reimagined to better support children’s wellbeing and autonomy. This includes:

    • Designing public spaces with natural elements, “risky art”, loose parts and creative equipment for open-ended play that balances safety without compromising opportunities for discovery and risk-taking

    • reducing the number of cars and slowing speeds to achieve better outcomes for children

    • reclaiming streets so that all people and animals can have positive adventures

    • prioritising policies for car-free or traffic-calmed areas across neighbourhoods and in proximity to social places (schools, libraries, shops, parks) to contribute to a culture where safety is a collective responsibility and a commitment towards a stronger social cohesion

    • proactively involving children in urban design through place-making and temporary appropriation; it is their right to be heard and listened to through the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

    • encouraging participatory co-design workshops and action-focused initiatives to harness children’s insights to design spaces that meet needs

    • considering nuanced and emotional indicators for success such as belonging, curiosity, joy and inter-generational exchange rather than just efficiency or maintenance cost

    • and collaboratively modifying the environment over time.

    We envision cities where children roam freely, invent and experience deeper and authentic belonging. Venice proves that shared public spaces help children enrich and shape cities, as much as the rest of the population does.

    Safe playgrounds are only a starting point. For healthy, regenerative and vibrant cities to work, we need to realise that children should have agency to shape the complex assemblage that cities really are. Let’s build urban futures where children don’t just play, but can have positive adventures.

    The choices we make today matter. We can either feed the fear or meet the cultural challenge together by embracing the positive adventures of life, with a sense of collective wellbeing, care and stewardship.

    Jose Antonio Lara-Hernandez received funding for the Horizon 2020 CRUNCH project and was a member of the curatorial team of the Italian Pavilion for the Venice Biennale 2021. He is a senior member of City Space Architecture and the International Society of City and Regional Planners.

    Gregor Mews has previously served as a founding director of the Australian Institute of Play and currently serves as a council board member of City Space Architecture as well as a member of the International Society of City and Regional Planners.

    – ref. Beyond playgrounds: how less structured city spaces can nurture children’s creativity and independence – https://theconversation.com/beyond-playgrounds-how-less-structured-city-spaces-can-nurture-childrens-creativity-and-independence-257481

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Receives Phone Call from Indian Minister of External Affairs

    Source: Government of Qatar

    Doha, June 26, 2025

    HE Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani received a phone call Thursday from HE Minister of External Affairs of the Republic of India Dr. Subrahmanyam Jaishankar

    The call dealt with discussing bilateral cooperation between the two countries and means to support and enhance them. The call also dealt with regional developments, in addition to a number of issues of joint interest. 

    During the call, HE the Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs affirmed that the State of Qatar will continue to deal with all developments wisely, within the framework of its full commitment to the principle of good neighborliness and the promotion of security and stability in the region.

    He stressed the need for concerted regional and international efforts to de-escalate and resolve disputes through diplomatic means. 

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Warren, Senators Urge Trump Admin to Protect Workers, Expand Access to Overtime Pay

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    June 26, 2025
    Biden-era rule would have made 4.3 million more workers eligible for overtime pay
    “Repealing this rule would be a huge blow to working families across the country and is another way in which Republicans continue to run on working-class values but govern according to billionaires’ wishes.” 
    Text of Letter (PDF)
    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) led members of the Senate Democratic Caucus in writing to the Secretary of the Department of Labor (DoL), Lori Chavez-DeRemer, urging the department to preserve President Biden’s expansion of the overtime threshold. 
    Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.) and Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), and Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) joined in signing the letter. 
    Under the Fair Labor Standards Act, certain hourly, non-salaried workers who work more than 40 hours a week get paid 1.5 times their regular pay rate for the extra hours they work. But these overtime protections do not cover “bona fide executive, administrative or professional employees,” as “defined and delimited” by regulations promulgated by DOL. Under the current regulation, only those workers making a salary less than $35,568 automatically qualify for overtime. Above that salary, workers are subject to the opaque and very employer-friendly duties test to determine if their work qualifies for exemption.
    In 2024, President Biden’s DoL updated the rule, which would have raised the salary cap to $43,888 and again in January 2025 to $58,656, instituted an automatic increase every three years, and provided clearer guidance and definitions to prevent employers from misclassifying employees. 
    The changes would have made 4.3 million more workers eligible for overtime pay and put $1.5 billion into workers’ pockets annually. 
    Unfortunately, in November 2024, a Trump-appointed District Court judge in the Fifth Circuit blocked this rule from going into effect. The Biden Administration immediately appealed this ruling. But on April 24, 2025, the Trump administration indicated it would abandon its efforts to appeal the ruling and revive the 2024 rule, robbing millions of Americans of overtime protections and the thousands of dollars the rule would have earned them.
    “This refusal to defend the overtime rule in court flies in the face of President Trump’s campaign promises to help workers. It is particularly cruel as President Trump and Congressional Republicans work to force through their ‘big beautiful bill,’ which would be the biggest wealth transfer in a single bill from working class Americans to billionaires this country has ever seen,” wrote the senators. 
    Senator Warren urged Secretary DeRemer to continue fighting to preserve the rule and provide an analysis or justification for why the Department decided to stop the appeals process to defend the rule by July 5, 2025. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Australia – Australia’s set to accept its one millionth refugee – AMES

    Source: AMES

    Sometime, probably around October this year, a person will step off aircraft somewhere in Australia in the last stage of their journey way from conflict or persecution.

    This person will be the one millionth refugee settled in Australia since the end of World War II.

    The Department of Home Affairs says Australia has successfully settled more than 985,000 refugees and humanitarian entrants since the country’s first humanitarian intake occurred in 1947.

    With 20,000 refugee places currently allocated for each financial year, the million milestone is due to be reached in the early months of the 2025-26 financial year.

    Based on these figures, it is expected the one-millionth arrival to occur sometime between September and November 2025.

    The milestone represents a million individual journeys toward refuge and a million stories of people rebuilding their lives in safety with hope for the future.

    Since the 1930s, Australia has welcomed refugees fleeing global conflicts — from Jewish refugees before and after World War Two, to Southeast Asians after the Vietnam War.

    Following World War Two, Australia entered formal agreements with international bodies to accept displaced people from Europe.

    In November 1947, more than 800 people from Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania arrived in Fremantle. They were the first of 170,000 displaced persons resettled in Australia after World War Two.

    Later decades saw more structured resettlement, particularly in response to major global conflicts.

    Over the past 40 years, Australia has continued to resettle people from conflict-riven regions, including the Southeast Asia the Middle East, Africa and Myanmar.

    Today, refugees from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Venezuela, Iraq, Syria, Myanmar and countries in the Horn of Africa continue to arrive under the humanitarian program.

    In two recent emergency situations, Australia evacuated 4100 refugees from Afghanistan following the return of the Taliban to power in 2021 and around 4,000 Ukrainians, mostly women and children, who initially arrived on tourist visas after the Russian invasion are new transitioning to permanent protection visas.

    CEO of AMES Australia Cath Scarth said the million-refugee mark was a reflection of Australia’s proud history of affording refugee to people fleeing war, conflict or persecution.

    “Australia has a generous and sophisticated refugee settlement program that not only offers refuge to people fleeing war or persecution but also equips them to build successful lives and become contributors,” Ms Scarth said.

    “We are an example to the world at a time when more than 122 million people are displaced due to war, conflict or persecution,” she said.

    Australia is a leading refugee resettlement country, ranking among the top few resettlement countries on a per capita basis.

    The United States has historically accepted the greatest number of refugees, but its program has recently been effectively shuttered by the Trump administration, meaning the loss of 100,000 annual resettlement places.

    Among refugees who have come to Australia in recent years are:

    Iraqi doctor Asseel Yako who, in his homeland, tended to battlefield wounds suffered by soldiers or militia members fighting ISIS or patching up women children horrifically injured in explosions of gunfire.

    Ten years later he is still saving lives working a consultant physician, specialising in internal medicine at Warragul Hospital, in Gippsland, Victoria.

    The job is the culmination of years of hard work, striving to get his qualifications recognised in Australia.

    He had studied and worked as a doctor for almost twenty years before arriving in Australia, but he was forced to jump through extraordinary hoops to be able practice medicine again.

    Cambodian refugee Chan Uoy has helped breathe new life into the struggling regional town of Dimboola, in Victoria’s west.

    Chan has opened the Dimboola Imaginarium, an eclectic and exotic gift shop and Air BnB recently featured in the high-end magazine Conde Nast Traveller. Chan has also recently become the deputy mayor of the local Hindmarsh Shire.

    The Dimboola Imaginarium is a stimulating space with a cornucopia of exotic wares, including an almost life-size giraffe, oversize world globes, and colourfully painted rocking horses. The five Air BB bedrooms have differing but exotic and indulgent décor.

    He has also launched the Wimmera Steampunk Festival, which this year is expected to attract 5000 visitors to the town.

    Young soccer star Yaya Dukuly is the embodiment of refugee aspiration and success.

    The 22-year-old Adelaide United soccer star was born into a refugee family in Guinea. His father is a Liberian and his mother is from Guinea.

    Yaya arrived in Australia with his family as a child and grew up in Adelaide. Now a professional footballer and Australian under-23 representative, he is also an emerging community leader and role model.

    Yaya brought is powerful and authentic new voice in the multicultural sector, supporting newly arrived refugees and advocating for their communities.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Climate Report – Global Drought Hotspots Report Catalogs Severe Suffering, Economic Damage

    Source: United Nations – Convention to Combat Desertification

    Food, water, energy crises, human tragedies in 2023-2025 detailed in sweeping analysis by U.S. National Drought Mitigation Center and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification.

    Fuelled by climate change and relentless pressure on land and water resources, some of the most widespread and damaging drought events in recorded history have taken place since 2023, according to a UN-backed report launched today.

    Prepared by the U.S. National Drought Mitigation Center (NDMC) and the UN Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD), with support from the International Drought Resilience Alliance (IDRA), the report “Drought Hotspots Around the World 2023-2025” provides a comprehensive account of how droughts compound poverty, hunger, energy insecurity, and ecosystem collapse.

    Says UNCCD Executive Secretary Ibrahim Thiaw: “Drought is a silent killer. It creeps in, drains resources, and devastates lives in slow motion. Its scars run deep.”

    “Drought is no longer a distant threat,” he adds. “It is here, escalating, and demands urgent global cooperation. When energy, food, and water all go at once, societies start to unravel. That’s the new normal we need to be ready for.”

    “This is not a dry spell,” says Dr. Mark Svoboda, report co-author and NDMC Founding Director. “This is a slow-moving global catastrophe, the worst I’ve ever seen. This report underscores the need for systematic monitoring of how drought affects lives, livelihoods, and the health of the ecosystems that we all depend on.”

    “The Mediterranean countries represent canaries in the coal mine for all modern economies,” he adds. “The struggles experienced by Spain, Morocco and Türkiye to secure water, food, and energy under persistent drought offer a preview of water futures under unchecked global warming. No country, regardless of wealth or capacity, can afford to be complacent.”

    A wide-ranging crisis

    The new report synthesizes information from hundreds of government, scientific and media sources to highlight impacts within the most acute drought hotspots in Africa (Somalia, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, Malawi, Botswana, Namibia), the Mediterranean (Spain, Morocco, Türkiye), Latin America (Panama, Amazon Basin), Southeast Asia, and beyond.

    Africa: 

    • Over 90 million people across Eastern and Southern Africa face acute hunger. Some areas have been enduring their worst ever recorded drought.
    • Southern Africa, already drought-prone, was devastated with roughly 1/6th of the population (68 million) needing food aid in August 2024. 
    • In Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Zambia, and Malawi, maize and wheat crops have failed repeatedly. In Zimbabwe alone, the 2024 corn crop was down 70% year on year, and maize prices doubled while 9,000 cattle died of thirst and starvation. 
    • In Somalia, the government estimated 43,000 people died in 2022 alone due to drought-linked hunger. As of early 2025, 4.4 million people – a quarter of the population – face crisis-level food insecurity, including 784,000 expected to reach emergency levels.
    • Zambia suffered one of the world’s worst energy crises as the Zambezi River in April 2024 plummeted to 20% of its long-term average. The country’s largest hydroelectric plant, the Kariba Dam, fell to 7% generation capacity, causing blackouts of up to 21 hours per day and shuttering hospitals, bakeries, and factories.

    Mediterranean:

    • Spain: Water shortages hit agriculture, tourism, and domestic supply. By September 2023, two years of drought and record heat caused a 50% drop in Spain’s olive crop, causing its olive oil prices to double across the country. 
    • Morocco: The sheep population was 38% smaller in 2025 relative to 2016, prompting a royal plea to cancel traditional Eid sacrifices.
    • Türkiye: Drought accelerated groundwater depletion, triggering sinkholes that present hazards to communities and their infrastructure while permanently reducing aquifer storage capacity.

    Latin America:

    • Amazon Basin: Record-low river levels in 2023 and 2024 led to mass deaths of fish and endangered dolphins, and disrupted drinking water and transport for hundreds of thousands. As deforestation and fires intensify, the Amazon risks transitioning from a carbon sink to a carbon source.
    • Panama Canal: Water levels dropped so low that transits were slashed by over one-third (from 38 to 24 ships daily between October 2023 and January 2024), causing major global trade disruptions. Facing multi-week delays, many ships were rerouted to longer, costlier paths via the Suez Canal or South Africa’s infamous Cape of Good Hope. Among the knock-on effects, U.S. soybean exports slowed, and UK grocery stores reported shortages and rising prices of fruits and vegetables.

    Southeast Asia:

    • Drought disrupted production and supply chains of key crops such as rice, coffee, and sugar. In 2023-2024, dry conditions in Thailand and India, for example, triggered shortages leading to a 8.9% increase in the price of sugar in the US.

    “A Perfect Storm” of El Niño and climate change

    The 2023–2024 El Niño event amplified already harsh climate change impacts, triggering dry conditions across major agricultural and ecological zones. Drought’s impacts hit hardest in climate hotspots, regions already suffering from warming tr

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Stats NZ media information release: Annual enterprise survey: 2024 financial year (provisional)

    Annual enterprise survey: 2024 financial year (provisional) – information release

    27 June 2025

    The annual enterprise survey (AES) is New Zealand’s most comprehensive source of financial statistics covering more than 500,000 businesses. It provides annual information on the financial performance and financial position for industry groups operating in New Zealand.

    Key facts
    Provisional results for all AES industries are for the 2024 financial year, compared with the 2023 financial year.

    • Total income increased by $51 billion (5.5 percent) to $980 billion.
    • Total expenditure increased by $26 billion (3.1 percent) to $857 billion.
    • Businesses earned $121 billion in surplus before income tax – up $16 billion (15 percent). This increase was mainly driven by non-operating activity, with non-operating income increasing, and non-operating expenses decreasing.
    • Operating surplus (excludes non-operating income and expenses) increased by $5.0 billion (4.9 percent) to $108 billion. This was driven by a $12 billion increase in operating surplus for the financial and insurance services industries.
    • Total assets increased by $99 billion (3.5 percent) to $2.9 trillion.
    • Businesses made a 4 percent return on assets – unchanged from 2023.

    Visit our website to read this information release and to download CSV files:

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Wireless networks provide high speed alternatives to remote and regional households

    Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

    NBN Co’s fixed wireless and Starlink’s satellite networks are providing Australians living outside of the fixed-line network footprint with high speed alternatives, according to the ACCC’s latest Measuring Broadband Australia report.

    The report, which compared broadband performance during March 2025, found that both networks can deliver download speeds above 100 Mbps during evening busy hour periods between 7 and 11 PM on weekdays.

    Starlink services recorded an average busy hour download speed of 170.2 Mbps, while services on NBN Co’s new Fixed Wireless Home Fast and Fixed Wireless Superfast plans achieved median results of 166.2 and 283.5 Mbps, respectively.

    “Australians who live in regional and remote areas and cannot access a fixed-line network rely on alternatives such as satellite and fixed wireless services to connect to the internet,” ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey said.

    “The introduction of Starlink and upgrades to the NBN Fixed Wireless network have provided these consumers with access to faster speeds than before.”

    While both networks were capable of high download performance, Starlink services delivered higher upload speeds, the report found.

    The average busy hour upload speed observed on Starlink’s standard service was 29.2 Mbps. This result exceeded the individual upload performance of all monitored services on the Fixed Wireless Superfast plan, the fastest plan on the NBN Fixed Wireless network.

    The average busy hour upload speed observed on the popular Fixed Wireless Plus plan was 11.2 Mbps.

    Starlink services recorded lower averages for latency and loading times for popular websites, while NBN fixed wireless services recorded fewer outages and lower packet loss. However, the difference in average performance for these metrics is minimal and is unlikely to significantly impact the user’s overall experience.

    “In addition to our performance data, we encourage consumers to consider the price of the service, including any hardware and installation costs, and their household’s broadband usage needs” Ms Brakey said.

    Figure 1. Average busy hour speeds on Starlink and NBN Fixed Wireless plans

    • Note: *Median average used for plans with smaller sample sizes.

    Background

    The ACCC welcomes the Federal Government’s announcement in the 2025-26 Federal Budget to continue funding the Measuring Broadband Australia program for a further 12 months until June 2026. The Federal Government has funded the ACCC to run a national broadband performance monitoring and reporting program from 2017-25.

    The ACCC is seeking more volunteers for the extended program. To sign up, visit Measuring Broadband Australia.

    Data for the Measuring Broadband Australia program is provided by UK-based firm SamKnows using methodology based on speed testing programs delivered in the UK, US, Canada and New Zealand.

    Starlink operates a constellation of Low Earth Orbit satellites rapidly moving above the Earth’s surface. Starlink’s download and upload speed results do not include connections using Telstra’s Starlink service with plan speeds of 50/10 Mbps.

    Latency measures the average time it takes to send a packet of data to the test server and back to the consumer’s connection. Lower latency results in faster responses, providing a more reliable experience when using real-time applications such as video conferencing and online gaming. High latency may result in a lag or delay.

    Packet loss measures the percentage of packets that do not make it to their destination out of all packets sent during a test. Higher packet loss at levels above 1 per cent may be detrimental to user experience by causing lagging, reduced video quality or dropouts during real-time applications such as video streaming and video conferencing.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEA to recognize nine extraordinary individuals and organizations with its highest honor

    Source: US National Education Union

    Washington – For their exemplary work as advocates in, and outside of, their communities, nine extraordinary individuals and organizations will receive NEA’s highest and most prestigious award, the Human and Civil Rights (HRC) Awards, on July 2, at the Oregon Convention Center, in Portland, Ore.

    The theme of the 58th annual award dinner is “Building a Legacy for Collective Freedom: A Celebration of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion,” a timely acknowledgement of the current administration’s attempts to roll back progress on DEI initiatives, and more importantly, a recognition to the accomplishments of this year’s recipients.

    In 1966, the NEA and the American Teachers Association (ATA), a union for Black teachers at segregated schools in the south, merged into one organization. To carry on with the ATA tradition of honoring leaders of the civil rights movement, the NEA continued to sponsor the HRC awards ceremonies, holding the first award dinner of the merged Association in 1967.

    “This year’s recipients of the NEA Human and Civil Rights Awards are not just meeting the moment—they are redefining it,” said NEA President Becky Pringle. “They’re giving voice to the unheard, breaking barriers, defending the truth of our shared history, and preparing the activists of tomorrow to shine the light across the country. By standing firm against attacks on public education and rooting their deeds and actions in racial and social justice, they are reigniting the promise of democracy—one classroom at a time, one school at a time, one community at a time.”

    Meet the 2025 NEA Human and Civil Rights Awards Recipients

    These NEA allies and partners received HCR awards for leading with courage, creativity, and commitment to advancing social and racial justice:

    A Modern Day MLK

    Leshun “Ship” Collins dedicates his time at Orange High School in Pepper Pike, Ohio to more than just his role as a health and physical education instructor. He has spent the past two decades mentoring young African American men to see their full potential in spite of typical societal perceptions by connecting their pride in their identity to academic achievement.

    The Male Minority Leadership Group, an afterschool mentorship program Collins created, offers a safe space young Black men to bond over their commonalities and embrace their differences. He hopes that they will learn to take control of their destiny through his program.

    As a board member of the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center, Collin is also dedicated to respecting and protecting women. His initiative, the White Ribbon Campaign, focuses on the issue of domestic abuse. Collins uses his allyship to support women by raising awareness and advocating for gender equality.

    Collins is the recipient of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Award, a fitting honor for the community activist.

    Teaching Her Story So It’s Never Repeated

    Holocaust survivor and educator Maude Dahme is committed to teaching young people to stand up for what they believe in. Her own education as a child was interrupted when the German occupation of Holland ordered her and her family into a detention center.

    In 1950, Dahme immigrated to New Jersey, where she started her teaching career. For twenty years, Dahme was a member of the New Jersey Board of Education. For five of those years, she served as president and used her leadership role to implement Holocaust education into the curriculum. As a New Jersey Education Association member, she spends her summers at teacher seminars and visiting concentration camps around the world.

    Dahne is the embodiment of the word “resilient.” Her decision to use her story to teach the younger generation how to accept differences so that the history she teaches them is never repeated is why she was chosen as the recipient of the Dorros Peace and International Understanding Award.

    Breaking Glass Ceilings

    Marissa Winmill, one of the nation’s most influential figures in advancing academic opportunities for young women, strives to create future female icons. Her unrelenting will to break barriers for young women is why she is the recipient of the Mary Hatwood Futrell Award.

    Her position as a board member for the Washington Professional Educator Standards Board has allowed her to propose policies to benefit both female instructors and their students. While teaching at Washington’s Kent-Meridian High School, Winmill started a Girls Who Code club, giving female students access to tools needed to succeed in STEM fields.

    Her initiatives ensure that teenage girls are never denied access to the opportunities they need to reach their full potential show that she is following in the footsteps of former NEA President Mary Hatwood Futrell.

    The Activists of Today and Tomorrow

    Marta Silva is the recipient of the George I. Sánchez Memorial Award. In her role as a heritage language instructor at Olathe North High School in Kentucky and as the creator of the Heritage Language program, an initiative in her district to level the playing field for Hispanic students by promoting translation and interpretation skills, and career training practices, she empowers Latino students to pursue higher education and push through barriers.

    Elise Carter, one of the few African American educators in her district, in Fort Thomas, Kentucky, is carrying on the “Father of Black History’s” mission to advance African American culture, which has earned her the Carter G. Woodson Memorial Award. Carter created an innovative Social Equity course and stood firm when community leaders criticized it as critical race theory. Through years of persistence, she ensured that Black history and principles of diversity, equity, and inclusion remained part of her district’s curriculum.

    Jesús Valle is the recipient of the Wilma Mankiller Memorial Award. Through his work as a tenured professor of Native American Studies at Sacramento’s American River College, as well as his initiative of creating the Native Resource Center for Northern California Indigenous youth, he has advocated for inclusivity, pride and dignity, strengthening Native communities.

    The Showing Up for Education-Kansas City, Education Core (SURJ-KC) is an organization that consists of locally-based white educators in Kansas City seeking to educate themselves on the effects racism and white supremacy has on the public school system. SURJ-KC also creates space in its community for other individuals to gain an understanding of racial injustices by hosting public forums and panel discussions led by diverse speakers. SURJ-KC exemplifies the true allyship that is needed to dismantle harmful systems and ideologies, earning it the H. Councill Trenholm Memorial Award.

    The Mississippi Minority Farmers Alliance of North Mississippi (MMFA) is the recipient of the Reg Weaver Human and Civil Rights Award. Founded by a small group of Black farmers, the MMFA has supported marginalized farmers and brought equity to the world of agriculture.

    As the most developed school in the United States to teach an Indigenous language, Ke Kula ‘O Nāwahīokalani ‘Ōpu ‘U Iki Public Charter School is making a way for Asian American and Pacific Islander youth to embrace their culture by keeping the Hawai’ian language alive. Because of the school’s commitment to reject attempts of assimilation and instead celebrate their students’ Hawai’ian identities, it is the recipient of the Ellison S. Onizuka Memorial Award.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: NATO’s 5% of GDP defence target ramps up pressure on Australia to spend vastly more

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Parker, Adjunct Fellow, Naval Studies at UNSW Canberra, and Expert Associate, National Security College, Australian National University

    After lobbying by US President Donald Trump, NATO leaders have promised to boost annual defence spending to 5% of their countries’ gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035.

    A NATO statement released this week said:

    United in the face of profound security threats and challenges, in particular the long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security and the persistent threat of terrorism, allies commit to invest 5% of GDP annually on core defence requirements as well as defence-and security-related spending by 2035.

    This development comes at a tricky time for the Albanese government. It has so far batted away suggestions Australia should increase its defence spending from current levels of around 2% of gross domestic product (GDP), or almost A$59 billion per year (and projected to reach 2.33% of GDP by 2033–34). Trump has called on Australia to increase this to about 3.5%.

    With this NATO agreement, global security deteriorating and defence capability gaps obvious, pressure is mounting on the Australian government to increase defence spending further.

    Pressure from Trump

    A long‑time critic of NATO, Trump and his key officials have castigated NATO’s readiness and spending.

    Meanwhile, Russia’s war on Ukraine, now in its fourth year, and a spate of suspected Russian sabotage across Europe have sharpened concerns about allied preparedness.

    Against this backdrop, the NATO summit saw Trump publicly reaffirms US commitment to the alliance, and European members pledged to lift defence spending.

    What exactly did NATO promise and why?

    The headlines say NATO members agreed to increase annual defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035.

    In fact, the actual agreement is more nuanced.

    The summit communique, notably shorter than in previous years, broke the pledge down into two parts.

    The first is 3.5% of GDP on what is considered traditional defence spending: ships, tanks, bullets, people and so on.

    The second part – the remaining 1.5% of GDP – is to

    protect our critical infrastructure, defend our networks, ensure our civil preparedness and resilience, unleash innovation, and strengthen our defence industrial base.

    Exactly what strategic resilience initiatives this money will be spent on is up to the individual member nation.

    It might be tempting to paint NATO’s commitment to increased defence spending as evidence of European NATO partners bowing to US political pressure.

    But it’s more than that. It is a direct response to the increased threat posed by Russia to Europe, and perhaps an insurance policy against any doubts European NATO partners may have about the US reliability and enduring commitment to the 76-year-old alliance between the US and Europe.

    However, not all countries are keen on the defence spending commitment, with notable reservations from Spain and Belgium.

    These two countries are yet to meet NATO’s 2014 commitment to spend 2% of GDP on defence.

    What’s all this mean for Australia?

    The commitment to hike NATO defence spending will have an indirect impact on Australia’s own beleaguered defence spending debate.

    As mentioned, Australia’s main strategic ally – the US – has pressured Australia to hike defence spending to 3.5% of GDP, up from around 2.02% of GDP this financial year (which the government projects will reach 2.33% by 2033–34).

    Australia is not the only Indo-Pacific partner being pushed to spend more on defence. Japan is too.

    This is consistent with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Shangri-La speech in May, when he urged Asian allies to step up on defence spending, pointing to Europe as the model.

    The NATO announcement will likely embolden the US to apply greater pressure on the Australia to increase defence spending.

    Trump’s strategy towards NATO has clearly been to sow ambiguity in the minds of European countries as to the US’ commitment to NATO, to get them to come to the table on defence spending.

    This may well be a future Australia faces, too. It could mean a bumpy road ahead for Australia and its most crucial alliance partner.

    Where to from here?

    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said Australia will determine its own level of defence spending, and that arbitrary GDP limits are unhelpful. Defence spending, he argues, should be based on capability needs, not demands from allies.

    And he is right, to a point.

    That said, allies have a right to have an expectation all parties in the alliance are holding up their end of the bargain.

    Australian defence spending should be based on the capabilities it needs to resource its stated defence strategy and defend its core interests. Currently, in my view, Australia’s defence capability does not match its current strategy.

    There are clear gaps in Australia’s defence capabilities, including:

    • its aged naval capability
    • a lack of mine warfare, replenishment and survey capabilities
    • a limited ability to protect critical infrastructure against missile attack
    • space capabilities.

    These are key risks, at the moment of possibly most significant strategic circumstances since the second world war.

    In the event of a major crisis or conflict in the region, Australia would not presently be able to defend itself for a prolonged period. To address this requires structural reform and defence investment.

    In response to this week’s NATO announcement, Defence Minister Richard Marles said:

    We have gone about the business of not chasing a number, but thinking about what is our capability need, and then resourcing it.

    During the election campaign both the prime minister and defence minister left the door open to increasing defence spending.

    The real unknown is how long it will take to make it happen, and how much damage it may do in the meantime to Australia’s relationship with the US and overall defence-preparedness.

    Jennifer Parker is affiliated with UNSW Canberra and ANU’s National Security College.

    – ref. NATO’s 5% of GDP defence target ramps up pressure on Australia to spend vastly more – https://theconversation.com/natos-5-of-gdp-defence-target-ramps-up-pressure-on-australia-to-spend-vastly-more-259886

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Reporting and monitoring – ACE in Schools

    Source: Tertiary Education Commission

    Last updated 18 February 2025
    Last updated 18 February 2025

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    This page covers reporting and monitoring requirements for Adult and Community Education (ACE) in Schools funding.
    This page covers reporting and monitoring requirements for Adult and Community Education (ACE) in Schools funding.

    Reporting
    If you receive ACE (Schools) funding, you must submit:

    a progress report for the period 1 January to 31 May no later than 10 working days after 31 May; and
    a progress report for the period 1 January to 30 September no later than 10 working days after 30 September; and
    a final report for the period 1 January to 31 December no later than 31 January of the following year. 

    Each progress report and the final report must:

    be completed and submitted in accordance with the template that we will provide to you; and
    relate to the specific delivery commitments outlined in your Investment Plan. 

    If you receive ACE (Schools) funding to support ACE coordination you must submit to us:

    an interim report on expenditure for the period 1 January to 30 September no later than 10 working days after 30 September; and
    a final report on expenditure for the period 1 January to 31 December no later than 31 January of the following year. 

    For details about the information we require you to report, please refer to Other Fund Actuals.
    Templates for the two progress reports and one final report are available for tertiary education organisations (TEOs) to complete and submit by the due dates on DXP Ngā Kete. 
    Individual learner data
    Schools must collect and retain accurate data on each learner enrolment, including demographic information at the time of enrolment, and up-to-date records of learner attendance. This data is required for audit purposes, but you do not need to submit it to us with the full year Actuals Report unless you are voluntarily reporting National Student Numbers (NSNs).
    You should also collect and retain learner outcomes data for each course, including in relation to the intended outcomes, and whether or not you achieved these.
    National Student Number (NSN) reporting
    From 1 January 2023, education organisations that deliver under the ACE in Communities or ACE in Schools fund can voluntarily report their learners’ NSNs. This is to enable further research into ACE learners and assist in monitoring learner outcomes and pathways.
    Monitoring
    We monitor school performance to understand school performance in the sector, and to inform our decisions about future funding they may receive.
    We monitor schools funded through ACE against the following:

    commitments:

    number of learners and hours of delivery (contracted and delivered),
    hours of learner attendance,
    delivery sites, and

    performance indicators:

    course completion rates – whether learners attend on average at least 80 percent of tuition time across funded courses, and
    priority learner groups.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Reporting and monitoring – English Language Teaching

    Source: Tertiary Education Commission

    Last updated 18 February 2025
    Last updated 18 February 2025

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    This page provides information about tertiary education organisations’ (TEOs’) reporting on English Language Teaching – Intensive Literacy and Numeracy (ELT ILN) delivery, and how we monitor their performance.
    This page provides information about tertiary education organisations’ (TEOs’) reporting on English Language Teaching – Intensive Literacy and Numeracy (ELT ILN) delivery, and how we monitor their performance.

    TEOs with an indicative allocation of ELT ILN funding submit a completed mix of provision (MoP) template to us via DXP Ngā Kete. 
    We approve the MoP through the Investment Plan (Plan) approval process.
    We monitor TEOs’ reported delivery against these commitments and other requirements and expectations that we set TEOs.
    Reporting
    If you receive ELT ILN funding, you must submit:  

    a progress report for the period 1 January to 31 May no later than 10 working days after 31 May; and 
    a progress report for the period 1 January to 30 September no later than 10 working days after 30 September; and
    a final report for the period 1 January to 31 December no later than 31 January of the following year. 

    Each progress report and the final report must:

    be submitted in accordance with the template that we will provide to you; and
    relate to the specific outcomes outlined in your Investment Plan.

    For details about the information we require you to report, please refer to Other Fund Actuals.
    Templates for the two progress reports and one final report are available for TEOs to complete and submit by the due dates on DXP Ngā Kete.
    Monitoring
    We monitor TEO performance and practices to understand their performance in the sector, and to inform our decisions about future funding they may receive.
    We monitor a TEO’s:

    achievement of MoP delivery commitments
    compliance with ELT funding conditions for the relevant year
    compliance with legislative requirements
    hours and intensity of delivery, and
    achievement of other expectations that we communicate to TEOs.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Reporting and monitoring – Intensive Literacy and Numeracy

    Source: Tertiary Education Commission

    Last updated 18 February 2025
    Last updated 18 February 2025

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    This page provides information about tertiary education organisations’ (TEOs’) reporting on Intensive Literacy and Numeracy (ILN) delivery, and our monitoring of their performance.
    This page provides information about tertiary education organisations’ (TEOs’) reporting on Intensive Literacy and Numeracy (ILN) delivery, and our monitoring of their performance.

    TEOs with an indicative allocation of ILN funding submit a completed Mix of Provision (MoP) template to us via DXP Ngā Kete.
    We approve the MoP through the Investment Plan approval process.
    We monitor TEOs’ reported delivery against these commitments and other requirements and expectations that we set.
    Reporting
    If you receive ILN funding, you must submit:

    a progress report for the period 1 January to 31 May no later than 10 working days after 31 May; and
    a progress report for the period 1 January to 30 September no later than 10 working days after 30 September; and
    a final report for the period 1 January to 31 December no later than 31 January of the following year.

    Each progress report and the final report must:

    be submitted in accordance with the template that we will provide to you; and
    relate to the specific delivery commitments outlined in your Investment Plan. 

    For details about the information we require you to report please refer to Other Fund Actuals.
    Templates for the two progress reports and one final report are available for TEOs to complete and submit by the due dates on DXP Ngā Kete.
    Monitoring
    We monitor TEO performance and practices to understand their performance in the sector, and to inform our decisions about future funding they may receive.
    We monitor a TEO’s:

    achievement of MoP delivery commitments
    compliance with ILN funding conditions for the relevant year
    compliance with legislative requirements
    hours and intensity of delivery, and
    achievement of other expectations that we communicate to TEOs.

    Funding conditions by year

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Reporting and monitoring – Refugee English

    Source: Tertiary Education Commission

    Last updated 18 February 2025
    Last updated 18 February 2025

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    This page provides information about tertiary education organisations’ (TEOs’) reporting on English Language Teaching Refugee English Fund (Refugee English) Fund delivery, and our monitoring of their performance.
    This page provides information about tertiary education organisations’ (TEOs’) reporting on English Language Teaching Refugee English Fund (Refugee English) Fund delivery, and our monitoring of their performance.

    Reporting
    If you receive Refugee English funding, you must submit:  

    a progress report for the period 1 January to 31 May no later than 10 working days after 31 May;
    a progress report for the period 1 January to 30 September no later than 10 working days after 30 September; and
    a final report for the period 1 January to 31 December no later than 31 January of the following year. 

    Each progress report and the final report must:

    be submitted in accordance with the template that we will provide to you; and
    relate to the specific outcomes in your Investment Plan.

    For details about the information we require you to report, please refer to Other Fund Actuals.
    Templates for the two progress reports and one final report are available for TEOs to complete and submit by the due dates on DXP Ngā Kete.
    The reports relate to the specific delivery commitments outlined in your Investment Plan. The reports cover the funded calendar year; they are cumulative and build on the information supplied in the previous reporting period for the funding year. After you have submitted a progress report, we will release it back to you for further data entry (ie, the cumulative information).
    Monitoring
    We monitor TEO performance and practices to understand their performance in the sector, and to inform our decisions about future funding they may receive.
    We monitor a TEO’s:

    achievement of mix of provision (MoP) delivery commitments
    compliance with Refugee English funding conditions for the relevant year
    compliance with legislative requirements, and
    achievement of other expectations that we communicate to TEOs.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pacific Partnership 2025 Conducts Mission Stop in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 26, 2025 [Image 1 of 8]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on

    NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga (June 26, 2025) U.S. Navy Cmdr. Christina Carter, public health nurse deployed in support of Pacific Partnership 2025 (PP-25), writes on a whiteboard during a tabletop training exercise with local nurses of Vaiola Hospital as part of PP-25 in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 26, 2025. Now in its 21st iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Moises Sandoval/Released)

    Date Taken: 06.26.2025
    Date Posted: 06.26.2025 18:43
    Photo ID: 9134605
    VIRIN: 250626-N-ED646-9883
    Resolution: 7888×5261
    Size: 8.65 MB
    Location: NUKU’ALOFA, TO
    Web Views: 2
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN  

    This work, Pacific Partnership 2025 Conducts Mission Stop in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 26, 2025 [Image 8 of 8], by PO2 Moises Sandoval, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.

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  • MIL-OSI Security: Pacific Partnership 2025 Conducts Mission Stop in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 26, 2025 [Image 2 of 8]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on

    NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga (June 26, 2025) U.S. Navy Capt. Andrew Kaplan, right, and Chief Hospital Corpsman David, center, both deployed in support of Pacific Partnership 2025 (PP-25), assist a local doctor perform an ultrasound during PP-25 in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 26, 2025. Now in its 21st iteration, the Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Moises Sandoval/Released)

    Date Taken: 06.26.2025
    Date Posted: 06.26.2025 18:43
    Photo ID: 9134606
    VIRIN: 250626-N-ED646-3171
    Resolution: 8640×5760
    Size: 12.03 MB
    Location: NUKU’ALOFA, TO
    Web Views: 2
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN  

    This work, Pacific Partnership 2025 Conducts Mission Stop in Nuku’Alofa, Tonga, June 26, 2025 [Image 8 of 8], by PO2 Moises Sandoval, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.

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  • MIL-OSI: Intermap Technologies Announces Voting Results of the Annual General Meeting of Shareholders

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — (TSX: IMP; OTCQB: ITMSF) – Intermap Technologies Corporation (“Intermap” or the “Company”) held its annual general meeting of shareholders (the “Meeting”) on June 26, 2025, at the offices of Norton Rose Fulbright Canada LLP, located at 3700, 400 Third Avenue S.W., Calgary, Alberta. A total of 27,270,817 Class A common shares of Intermap (“Common Shares”), representing 45.93% of the total Common Shares outstanding, were represented in person or by proxy at the Meeting.

    Intermap’s shareholders voted in favor of all items of business put forward at the Meeting, being (i) the election of all nominated directors, as more fully described in the Company’s management information circular dated May 28, 2025 (the “Circular”), and (ii) the appointment of MNP LLP as auditors of the Company, as more fully described in the Circular and in the press release issued by the Company on June 20, 2025, copies of which are available under the Company’s profile on SEDAR+ at www.sedarplus.ca.

    The results of the vote in respect of the election of directors of the Company to hold office until the next annual general meeting of shareholders, until their successors are duly elected or appointed, or until they otherwise cease to hold office, are as follows:

    Nominee   Result of Vote   Votes For   Votes Withheld
    Patrick A. Blott   Elected   18,579,224
    (96.38%)    		   698,190
    (3.62%)
    Philippe Frappier   Elected   18,696,326
    (96.99%)    		   581,088
    (3.01%)
    John (Jack) Hild   Elected   18,694,826
    (96.98%)    		   582,588
    (3.02%)
    Jordan Tongalson   Elected   18,696,326
    (96.99%)    		   581,088
    (3.01%)

    The results of the vote in respect of the appointment of MNP LLP, Chartered Professional Accountants, as auditors of the Company to hold office until the next annual general meeting of shareholders, with remuneration to be determined by the board of directors of the Company, are as follows:

    Votes For 26,566,313
    (97.42%)
    Votes Withheld 704,504
    (2.58%)

    About Intermap Technologies
    Founded in 1997 and headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Intermap (TSX: IMP; OTCQB: ITMSF) is a global leader in geospatial intelligence solutions, focusing on the creation and analysis of 3D terrain data to produce high-resolution thematic models. Through scientific analysis of geospatial information and patented sensors and processing technology, the Company provisions diverse, complementary, multi-source datasets to enable customers to seamlessly integrate geospatial intelligence into their workflows. Intermap’s 3D elevation data and software analytic capabilities enable global geospatial analysis through artificial intelligence and machine learning, providing customers with critical information to understand their terrain environment. By leveraging its proprietary archive of the world’s largest collection of multi-sensor global elevation data, the Company’s collection and processing capabilities provide multi-source 3D datasets and analytics at mission speed, enabling governments and companies to build and integrate geospatial foundation data with actionable insights. Applications for Intermap’s products and solutions include defense, aviation and UAV flight planning, flood and wildfire insurance, disaster mitigation, base mapping, environmental and renewable energy planning, telecommunications, engineering, critical infrastructure monitoring, hydrology, land management, oil and gas and transportation. 

    For more information, please visit www.intermap.com or contact:
    Jennifer Bakken
    Executive Vice President and CFO
    CFO@intermap.com
    +1 (303) 708-0955

    Sean Peasgood
    Investor Relations
    Sean@SophicCapital.com
    +1 (647) 260-9266

    The MIL Network –