Category: Asia Pacific

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Kiwis’ Lotto generosity turns into 121 completed cyclone recovery projects – Gisborne

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says that communities in the Gisborne region are benefitting from $3.55 million in grants from funds raised through a special Lotto draw for Cyclone Gabrielle relief. 
     

    “Cyclone Gabrielle had a devasting impact on the East Coast, causing widespread destruction to property and requiring significant relief efforts. Now, one year after grant applications closed, 121 community organisations have received funding to rebuild thanks to the generosity of Kiwis who bought tickets to the special Lotto draw for Cyclone Gabrielle relief,” says Ms van Velden. 
     

    Funds raised from the special Lotto draw were passed on to the Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Trust, which accepted grant applications until May 2024 and distributed all funds by October 2024. Grants were given to community organisations in regions where a state of emergency was declared for Cyclone Gabrielle, which were Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, East Coast, Hawke’s Bay, and Tararua.  
     

    “As well as repairing and replacing community facilities that were damaged by the cyclone, the proceeds of the lottery draw went towards upgrading local emergency services organisations so they can be better prepared for any future severe weather events”. 

    Gisborne projects that received funding include: 
     

    $49,916 to St John Gisborne Area to protect the ambulance station from flooding 

    $29,839 to the Pehiri Emergency Management Group for communications systems, emergency supplies, and equipment  

    $30,000 to the Ruatoria Volunteer Fire Brigade (Fire and Emergency New Zealand) to purchase and install additional water storage tanks to increase brigade water capacity and resilience for fire emergency response 

    $25,000 to the Tahunga Residents Association Incorporated for amenities and upgrades to the community hall so it can be used as an emergency hub 

    “Raising funds for important community projects is at the heart of what Lotto does. I’m pleased that the funds raised from this special Lotto draw went towards better preparing impacted communities for future events.” 
     

    The special draw was a part of the overall cyclone recovery effort and complemented the work that government, charities, mayoral relief funds, corporate partners and local fundraisers did in raising money to help with the response and recovery in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle. 
     

    The Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Trust was established by the Crown as an independent entity to distribute funds raised in the Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal. The Trust allocated $14,511,916 in total across the regions affected to help recovery efforts, of which $11,770,000 came from the live Lotto NZ draw on 18 March 2023. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Kiwis’ Lotto generosity turns into 71 completed cyclone recovery projects – Auckland

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says that communities across Auckland are benefitting from $1.8 million in grants from funds raised through a special Lotto draw for Cyclone Gabrielle relief.  

    “Cyclone Gabreille had a devasting impact on parts of Auckland, causing widespread damage to property and requiring significant relief efforts. Now, two years on, 71 community organisations have received funding to rebuild thanks to the generosity of Kiwis who bought tickets to the special Lotto draw for Cyclone Gabrielle relief,” says Ms van Velden.  

    Funds raised from the special Lotto draw were passed on to the Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Trust, which were then distributed to the community in regions where a state of emergency was declared for Cyclone Gabrielle, which were Northland, Auckland, Waikato, Bay of Plenty, East Coast, Hawke’s Bay, and Tararua. 

    “As well as repairing and replacing community facilities that were damaged by the cyclone, the proceeds of the lottery draw went towards upgrading local emergency services organisations so they can be better prepared for any future severe weather events.” 

    Auckland projects that received funding include:  

    $20,000 to the Titirangi Volunteer Coastguard Incorporated to replace equipment damaged in the cyclone 

    $21,921 to Karekare Surf Life Saving Club for essential search and rescue equipment to support lifeguard operations during extreme weather events 

    $30,000 to South Kaipara Good Food for water tanks, generators, irrigation systems and other equipment to support food resilience   

    $24,733 to Bethells Beach Emergency Resilience Group for equipment and resources for emergency support  

    “Raising funds for important community projects is at the heart of what Lotto does. I’m pleased that the funds raised from this special Lotto draw went towards relief for Aucklanders doing it tough in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle.” 

    The special draw was a part of the overall cyclone recovery effort and complemented the work that government, charities, mayoral relief funds, corporate partners and local fundraisers did in raising money to help with the response and recovery in the aftermath of Cyclone Gabrielle. 

    The Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal Trust was established by the Crown as an independent entity to distribute funds raised in the Cyclone Gabrielle Appeal.  

    The Trust allocated $14,511,916 in total across the regions affected to help recovery efforts, of which $11,770,000 came from the live Lotto NZ draw on 18 March 2023.  

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Greenpeace submits against the Regulatory Standards Bill and its far-right fringe ideas

    Source: Greenpeace

    Greenpeace Aotearoa has today filed its submission opposing the Regulatory Standards Bill and calling for it to be rejected in full.
    The Greenpeace submission has pulled no punches, stating:
    “Dressed up in the language of freedom and liberty, this Bill promotes a fringe libertarian worldview that individuals and corporations are entitled to harm nature and others, and if restrictions are placed on them, then they should be compensated.”
    “This ideology is fundamentally at odds with our nation’s deeply-rooted values of fairness, care, and collective responsibility.”
    “At its core, this Bill is an attempt by a far-right politician to create a bill of rights for corporations, at the expense of the rights of New Zealanders, the rights of nature, and the rights of Māori guaranteed to them under Te Tiriti o Waitangi.”
    “If enacted, it will, without doubt, erode environmental protection, lead to the extinction of precious native wildlife, and impair the Government’s ability to take action on climate change.”
    The Greenpeace Aotearoa submission goes on to warn that the Bill would open the floodgates for corporations to expect taxpayer handouts for any regulation that protects public health and the environment, or tries to manage the cost of living. It gives a series of chilling examples:
    • If rules were strengthened to prevent catastrophic oil spills such as the Deepwater Horizon disaster, the executives at BP oil would expect millions from the taxpayer.
    • Basic protections for our drinking water or lakes and rivers, would see Fonterra making complaints to an unelected regulatory standards board and expecting a public payout.
    • Supermarket giants would expect compensation for any efforts to limit price gouging and bring down grocery prices.
    • Offshore shareholders of multinational forestry companies would expect a payout for any new laws compelling them to prevent further deaths of New Zealand forestry workers.
    • Even the Tobacco industry would expect taxpayer dollars simply for efforts to save New Zealanders’ lives and get us to a smoke-free reality.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Israel’s NZ Energy Deals In Spotlight – PSNA congratulates Mercury Energy abandoning contract with Israel’s Ormat Technologies but Contact Energy should follow

    Source: Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA)

    Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa is congratulating Mercury Energy’s terminating its contract with Israel’s Ormat Technologies to design the Ngatamariki geothermal power station near Taupo.

    PSNA Co-Chair Maher Nazzal says it appears Mercury has acknowledged the legal jeopardy of Israeli companies operating throughout the world.

    “The International Court of Justice last year declared Israel’s presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territories is illegal and called on everyone to stop giving ‘aid or assistance’ to Israel which will help it to maintain its illegal occupation.”

    “Mercury’s decision is in line the ICJ findings and we welcome it as a victory for the Boycott Divestment and Sanctions campaign to isolate Israel.”

    “No New Zealand companies should have any dealings with Israel, either directly or indirectly.”

    “Israel is a rogue genocide and apartheid state – a threat and an embarrassment to all of humanity,” Nazal says.“But the Ormat contract with Mercury is not the only one.  We are now renewing our calls on Contact Energy to do the same and cut its links with Ormat Technologies.”

    “If Contact doesn’t follow Mercury, then I’m sure many electricity consumers will take the Israeli connection in mind and so switch from Contact to Mercury.”

    Maher Nazzal

    Co-Chair PSNA

     

    Here is a copy of the letter we sent to Contact Energy in November last year:

    15 November 2024

    Mike Fuge

    Chief Executive Officer

    Contact Energy

     

    c/o Louise Wright

    Head of Communications and Reputation

    Kia ora Mr Fuge,

    Contact Energy partnering with the racist apartheid state of Israel

    We noted your media release of 13 November 2024 (“Contact invests to redevelop Wairakei”) which confirms Contact is investing to begin replacing the Wairakei geothermal power station.

    What your release doesn’t mention is that you are intending to partner with an Israeli company, Ormat Technologies, through an Engineering, Procurement, and Construction (EPC) contract to build the new plant. Ormat has confirmed this in their own announcement dated a day earlier.

    It is not tenable for Contact Energy to sign off on this agreement and we are requesting the company withdraw from doing so immediately. Signing this proposed agreement would be a kick in the teeth for Palestinians suffering from industrial-scale slaughter at the hands of the apartheid state of Israel in which Ormat Technologies is embedded.

    Ormat Technologies has its main production facilities based in Yavne, Israel. Yavne is a city build over the Palestinian town of Yibna from which Palestinians were ethnically cleansed in 1948 and to which they have sought their right of return since 1948, only to be denied by racist Israeli policies.

    That Contact would even consider signing an agreement with an Israeli company in light of Palestinian calls for BDS (Boycott Divestment and Sanctions) against Israel and particularly after 13 months of genocide where most of the 43,000 confirmed victims have been women and children – is an outrage which makes a mockery of your carefully-crafted corporate story which claims to be based on “tikanga” and principles of respect for people and the planet.

    We urge you to do the right thing today and dismantle your links with Ormat and any associated Israeli companies. Palestinians and Palestinian New Zealanders have the right to demand no less from you.

    Please respond without unnecessary delay. 

    Ngā mihi.

    Nā,

     

    John Minto

    National Chair PSNA

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pacific Partnership 2025 Conducts Mission Stop in Suva, Fiji, June 13, 2025 [Image 23 of 26]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on


    SUVA, Fiji (June 13, 2025) Operations Specialist 1st Class Ashley Stanley, left, with the Pacific Partnership 2025 (PP-25) team, bids farewell to students of Waiqanake District School after a rugby match as part of PP-25 in Suva, Fiji, June 13, 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: 06.13.2025
    Date Posted: 06.17.2025 04:59
    Photo ID: 9116988
    VIRIN: 250613-N-ED646-3680
    Resolution: 6937×4624
    Size: 6.58 MB
    Location: SUVA, FJ

    Web Views: 8
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN  

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pacific Partnership 2025 Conducts Mission Stop in Suva, Fiji, June 14, 2025 [Image 1 of 6]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on


    SUVA, Fiji (June 14, 2025) U.S. Navy Lt. j.g. Derek Chipmon, left, a public health planner with the Pacific Partnership 25 (PP-25) team, is given an apiary tour by a local beekeeper in Suva, Fiji, during PP-25, June 14, 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: 06.14.2025
    Date Posted: 06.18.2025 23:14
    Photo ID: 9119926
    VIRIN: 250614-N-ED646-7410
    Resolution: 7597×5063
    Size: 9.36 MB
    Location: SUVA, FJ

    Web Views: 0
    Downloads: 0

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    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pacific Partnership 2025 Conducts Mission Stop in Suva, Fiji, June 14, 2025 [Image 2 of 6]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on


    SUVA, Fiji (June 14, 2025) U.S. Navy Lt. Corey Day, left, entomologist assigned to Navy Medicine Readiness Training Command, and Lt. j.g. Derek Chipmon, center, public health planner with the Pacific Partnership 25 (PP-25) team, are given an apiary tour by a local beekeeper in Suva, Fiji, during PP-25, June 14, 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: 06.14.2025
    Date Posted: 06.18.2025 23:14
    Photo ID: 9123236
    VIRIN: 250614-N-ED646-5507
    Resolution: 8640×5760
    Size: 14.06 MB
    Location: SUVA, FJ

    Web Views: 0
    Downloads: 0

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    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Money Market Operations as on June 18, 2025

    Source: Reserve Bank of India


    (Amount in ₹ crore, Rate in Per cent)

      Volume
    (One Leg)
    Weighted
    Average Rate
    Range
    A. Overnight Segment (I+II+III+IV) 5,99,803.47 5.18 3.50-6.55
         I. Call Money 15,058.07 5.27 4.75-5.35
         II. Triparty Repo 3,98,470.60 5.19 5.00-5.25
         III. Market Repo 1,83,650.70 5.14 3.50-5.40
         IV. Repo in Corporate Bond 2,624.10 5.48 5.30-6.55
    B. Term Segment      
         I. Notice Money** 69.50 5.15 5.00-5.25
         II. Term Money@@ 370.00 5.50-6.00
         III. Triparty Repo 200.00 5.30 5.30-5.30
         IV. Market Repo 980.89 4.99 1.00-5.50
         V. Repo in Corporate Bond 0.00
      Auction Date Tenor (Days) Maturity Date Amount Current Rate /
    Cut off Rate
    C. Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) & Standing Deposit Facility (SDF)
    I. Today’s Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
    3. MSF# Wed, 18/06/2025 1 Thu, 19/06/2025 1,389.00 5.75
    4. SDFΔ# Wed, 18/06/2025 1 Thu, 19/06/2025 2,96,073.00 5.25
    5. Net liquidity injected from today’s operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*       -2,94,684.00  
    II. Outstanding Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
    3. MSF#          
    4. SDFΔ#          
    D. Standing Liquidity Facility (SLF) Availed from RBI$       7,332.31  
    E. Net liquidity injected from outstanding operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     7,332.31  
    F. Net liquidity injected (outstanding including today’s operations) [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     -2,87,351.69  
    G. Cash Reserves Position of Scheduled Commercial Banks
         (i) Cash balances with RBI as on June 18, 2025 9,60,917.95  
         (ii) Average daily cash reserve requirement for the fortnight ending June 27, 2025 9,54,173.00  
    H. Government of India Surplus Cash Balance Reckoned for Auction as on¥ June 18, 2025 0.00  
    I. Net durable liquidity [surplus (+)/deficit (-)] as on May 30, 2025 5,84,684.00  
    @ Based on Reserve Bank of India (RBI) / Clearing Corporation of India Limited (CCIL).
    – Not Applicable / No Transaction.
    ** Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 2 to 14 days tenor.
    @@ Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 15 days to one year tenor.
    $ Includes refinance facilities extended by RBI.
    & As per the Press Release No. 2019-2020/1900 dated February 06, 2020.
    Δ As per the Press Release No. 2022-2023/41 dated April 08, 2022.
    * Net liquidity is calculated as Repo+MSF+SLF-Reverse Repo-SDF.
    ¥ As per the Press Release No. 2014-2015/1971 dated March 19, 2015.
    # As per the Press Release No. 2023-2024/1548 dated December 27, 2023.
    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    
    Press Release: 2025-2026/561

    MIL OSI Economics

  • Iran, Israel trade fresh air attacks as Trump weighs US involvement

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Iran and Israel traded further air attacks on Thursday as President Donald Trump kept the world guessing about whether the United States would join Israel’s bombardment of Iranian nuclear facilities.

    A week of Israeli air and missile strikes against its major rival has wiped out the top echelon of Iran’s military command, damaged its nuclear capabilities and killed hundreds of people, while Iranian retaliatory strikes have killed two dozen civilians in Israel.

    The worst-ever conflict between the rivals has raised fears that it will draw in world powers and rock regional stability already undermined by the spillover effects of the Gaza war.

    Speaking to reporters outside the White House on Wednesday, Trump declined to say if he had made any decision on whether to join Israel’s air campaign. “I may do it. I may not do it. I mean, nobody knows what I’m going to do,” he said.

    Trump in later remarks said Iranian officials wanted to come to Washington for a meeting and that “we may do that.” But he added, “It’s a little late” for such talks.

    Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rebuked Trump’s earlier call for Iran to surrender in a recorded speech played on television, his first appearance since Friday.

    The Americans “should know that any U.S. military intervention will undoubtedly be accompanied by irreparable damage,” he said. “The Iranian nation will not surrender.”

    Iran denies it is seeking nuclear weapons and says its program is for peaceful purposes only. The International Atomic Energy Agency said last week Tehran was in breach of its non-proliferation obligations for the first time in 20 years.

    The foreign ministers of Germany, France and Britain plan to hold nuclear talks with their Iranian counterpart on Friday in Geneva to urge Iran to return to the negotiating table, a German diplomatic source told Reuters.

    But while diplomatic efforts continue, some residents of Tehran, a city of 10 million people, on Wednesday jammed highways out of the city as they sought sanctuary from intensified Israeli airstrikes.

    The Wall Street Journal said Trump had told senior aides he approved attack plans on Iran but was holding off on giving the final order to see if Tehran would abandon its nuclear program.

    Senior U.S. officials are preparing for the possibility of a strike on Iran in the coming days, Bloomberg News reported on Wednesday, citing people familiar with the matter.

    DRONE ATTACKS

    Early on Thursday, air defences were activated in Tehran, intercepting drones on the outskirts of the capital, the semi-official SNN news agency reported. Iranian news agencies also reported it had arrested 18 “enemy agents” who were building drones for Israeli attacks in the northeastern city of Mashhad.

    Israel’s military said sirens sounded in northern Israel and in the Jordan Valley on Thursday and that it had intercepted two drones launched from Iran.

    The Iranian missile salvoes mark the first time in decades of shadow war and proxy conflict that a significant number of projectiles fired from Iran have penetrated defences, killing Israelis in their homes.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in a video released by his office on Wednesday, said Israel was “progressing step by step” towards eliminating threats posed by Iran’s nuclear sites and ballistic missile arsenal.

    “We are hitting the nuclear sites, the missiles, the headquarters, the symbols of the regime,” Netanyahu said.

    Israel, which is not a party to the international Non-Proliferation Treaty, is the only country in the Middle East believed to have nuclear weapons. Israel does not deny or confirm that.

    Netanyahu also thanked Trump, “a great friend of the state of Israel,” for standing by its side in the conflict, saying the two were in continuous contact.

    Trump has veered from proposing a swift diplomatic end to the war to suggesting the United States might join it.

    In social media posts on Tuesday, he mused about killing Khamenei.

    Russian President Vladimir Putin, asked what his reaction would be if Israel did kill Iran’s Supreme Leader with the assistance of the United States, said on Thursday: “I do not even want to discuss this possibility. I do not want to.”

    Putin said all sides should look for ways to end hostilities in a way that ensured both Iran’s right to peaceful nuclear power and Israel’s right to the unconditional security of the Jewish state.

    A source familiar with internal discussions said Trump and his team were considering options that included joining Israel in strikes against Iranian nuclear installations.

    Since Friday, Iran has fired around 400 missiles at Israel, some 40 of which have pierced air defences, killing 24 people, all of them civilians, according to Israeli authorities.

    Iran has reported at least 224 deaths in Israeli attacks, mostly civilians, but has not updated that toll for days.

    (Reuters)

  • Prime Minister Modi departs for New Delhi after completing successful three-nation tour

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Thursday, emplaned for New Delhi after completing a successful visit to Croatia, the last leg of the three nation tour, marking a significant milestone in the bilateral ties between the two countries.

    The Prime Minister’s first stop was Cyprus, followed by Canada, where he attended the G7 Summit, and then Croatia, making it the first visit by an Indian PM to the European nation.

    During his visit, PM Modi was warmly welcomed by the people and government of Croatia. He expressed his gratitude for the warm welcome and highlighted the visit’s significance in ushering in a new chapter in the shared journey of friendship and extensive cooperation between India and Croatia.

    “Grateful to the people and Government of Croatia for the warm welcome during what has been a truly landmark visit. This visit ushers in a new chapter in our shared journey of friendship and extensive cooperation,” PM Modi posted on X.

    He noted that the visit marked an important milestone in bilateral relations, with many significant decisions made to strengthen India-Croatia ties.

    His remarks came after a day of high-level engagements, including talks with his Croatian counterpart Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic and a ceremonial welcome in the capital city of Zagreb, which he shared highlights of on Wednesday.

    Taking to social media platform X, PM Modi posted a series of updates on his engagements during the visit. He wrote, “Grateful to my friend, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic for the special gesture of showing me the city centre of the historical and culturally rich city of Zagreb.”

    He also shared glimpses of the ceremonial reception accorded to him in Zagreb, saying, “Pictures from the ceremonial welcome in Zagreb, Croatia.”

    Following his meeting with the Croatian Prime Minister, PM Modi posted, “Held productive talks with my friend, Prime Minister Andrej Plenkovic in Zagreb. Our talks covered many sectors, aimed at making the India-Croatia bond even stronger. We will be working closely in the fields of defence and security, pharmaceuticals, agriculture, IT, renewable energy, technology and more. Synergies in areas like semiconductors, shipbuilding, connectivity and more will also be greatly beneficial.”

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Wednesday that India and Croatia will promote cooperation in several areas including pharmaceuticals, agriculture, and information technology.

    He added that a Defence Cooperation Plan will also be formulated for long-term collaboration in the defence sector. In a joint press statement with Croatia PM Andrej Plenkovic after their delegation-level talks, PM Modi said the two countries have emphasised joint research and collaboration between their academic institutions and India will share its space experience with Croatia.

    PM Modi reached Croatia earlier in the day in the last leg of his three-nation visit. He expressed his heartfelt gratitude to the Croatian Prime Minister and the Croatian government for the enthusiasm, warmth and affection with which he has been welcomed.

    “This is the first visit of any Indian Prime Minister to Croatia, and I have had the good fortune of it. India and Croatia are connected by common values like democracy, rule of law, pluralism and quality. It is a happy coincidence that last year the people of India have given me and the people of Croatia have given the opportunity to Croatian Prime Minister, Andrej Plenkovic, to serve for the third consecutive time,” he said. The Prime Minister was earlier accorded ceremonial welcome on his arrival in Croatia. (IANS)

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Drugs, firearm found in Waihi warrants

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Waikato Police uncovered methamphetamine, cannabis, a firearm, ammunition and a homemade taser during search warrants in Waihi yesterday.

    Police, including the Armed Offenders Squad and drug detector dogs, executed the two search warrants in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

    Drugs, drug paraphernalia, firearms and ammunition, stolen property and a homemade taser were found. A firearm was also found in a concealed cavity in a wall.

    “We see the harm that drug dealing causes to our communities daily,” says Inspector Mike Henwood.

    “These warrants represent local police’s ongoing commitment to tackling drug offending in our rural towns and the associated crime that follows.

    “Drug dealing takes a huge toll on our local communities and leads to other offending like thefts and burglaries from innocent residents and hard-working businesses.”

    “I am really proud of the work the teams did investigating this offending – being able to hold these offenders to account shows our commitment to stamping out drugs in our community.

    “Recovering the drugs and dangerous weapons that were present, alongside evidence of dealing, is a great result.”

    A 33-year-old man and a 33-year-old woman are due to appear Hamilton District Court on drug dealing and weapons charges today.

    If you have concerns about illegal drug use in your community, please call 111 if there is an immediate public safety risk or contact us via 105 online or by phone to make a report.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI: Altius Inspiro Wins 2025 Fortress Cybersecurity Award for Network Security

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MANILA, Philippines, June 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Altius Inspiro, a leader in digital CX and outsourcing solutions, has proudly received the 2025 Fortress Cybersecurity Award, presented by the Business Intelligence Group. This esteemed accolade underscores the company’s groundbreaking innovation in fortifying systems, infrastructure, and data against a constantly evolving threat landscape.

    The Fortress Cybersecurity Awards honor organizations that go beyond compliance to develop secure systems and processes using innovative, measurable, and proactive approaches to cybersecurity. Altius Inspiro stood out for its remarkable achievements in strengthening digital resilience and advancing security practices.

    Through cutting-edge enhancements, Altius Inspiro redefined network security by implementing robust measures such as two-factor and multi-factor authentication systems, coupled with intrusion prevention strategies to mitigate threats before they materialize. By consolidating technologies under a Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Cloud Platform, the company not only improved performance but also generated significant cost efficiencies. Additionally, the integration of AI-powered threat detection tools, including Microsoft Sentinel, allowed the organization to proactively anticipate and counteract cybersecurity risks, resulting in a marked improvement in their cybersecurity metrics and overall resilience.

    Ryo Ohashi, President and CEO of Altius Inspiro, expressed his gratitude for this recognition, stating, “This award emphasizes our relentless dedication to staying ahead of digital threats. Our teams work tirelessly to innovate and deliver advanced cybersecurity solutions that protect the systems and data of our clients, partners, and communities. This recognition serves as validation of their commitment to building trust and ensuring resilience in an increasingly complex digital world.”

    Altius Inspiro’s strides in cybersecurity demonstrate not only a commitment to safeguarding digital ecosystems but also its leadership at the forefront of industry innovation. This award solidifies the company’s position as a trusted partner in navigating the challenges of the modern threatscape.

    About Altius Inspiro, Inc. 

    Altius Inspiro is a global leader in digital customer experience management and business process outsourcing, serving Fortune 1000 companies across diverse industries. With a reputation for operational excellence and digital innovation, the company delivers next-generation CX solutions powered by strategy, advanced analytics, and technology. Altius Inspiro is a subsidiary of Altius Link, Inc., supported by shareholders KDDI Corporation and Mitsui & Co., Ltd. 

    For more information, visit www.inspiro.com.

    Contact:

    Raymond Boholano
    Vice President, Marketing and Corporate Communications
    raymond.boholano@inspiro.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 2025–26 ACT Budget: investing in police and justice

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The 2025-26 ACT Budget is investing in a safer community.

    The ACT Government is providing more support for community safety through the 2025-26 ACT Budget.

    The investment will support ACT Policing’s workforce and infrastructure.

    This will ensure police can continue responding to the needs of a growing city and keep the community safe.

    The Budget includes funding for the recently agreed Australian Federal Police Enterprise Agreement.

    This investment will support salary increases, leave entitlements and allowances for ACT Policing staff, in addition to enabling services.

    The Budget provides support for:

    • detailed design of critical infrastructure upgrades at Winchester and City Police Stations, including mechanical, electrical, fire and hydraulic systems
    • detailed planning and analysis of future police accommodation in the Woden Patrol Zone and a Molonglo Police Station.

    The Government will also implement the Sexual Assault Advocate Pilot Program. This was a key recommendation of the Sexual Assault (Police) Review.

    The program includes:

    • establishing a fourth Sexual Assault and Child Abuse Team within ACT Policing to manage high investigative caseloads
    • dedicated sexual assault advocates to support victim-survivors during police engagement
    • a new Witness Assistant Scheme officer in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.

    These reforms will improve support and outcomes for victim-survivors of sexual violence in Canberra.

    Strengthening access to justice for vulnerable Canberrans

    The ACT Government is investing in practical, targeted justice initiatives.

    These will ensure vulnerable Canberrans can continue to access the legal services they need, when they need them.

    The 2025–26 ACT Budget is supporting key legal assistance services, justice reform initiatives, and the growing need for responsive support for victims of crime, people on low income, women, First Nations peoples and culturally diverse communities.

    These initiatives will strengthen frontline legal services and improve outcomes for people facing disadvantage, hardship or discrimination.

    Key measures in the 2025–26 ACT Budget include:

    • appointment of a 10th Magistrate to the ACT Magistrates Court, to improve processing times and address growing demand in civil and criminal matters
    • additional funding for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions’ Witness Assistance Scheme and to meet the increased demands of an expanded judiciary
    • funding for legal assistance providers, including the Women’s Legal Centre, Canberra Community Law, the Aboriginal Legal Service, and CARE Financial Counselling
    • investment in the ACT Human Rights Commission, to continue the Intermediary Program, which provides targeted services for vulnerable complainants, witnesses and accused persons in the criminal justice system.
    • support for Legal Aid ACT’s services across a number of programs
    • additional funding for the Victims Services Scheme and Financial Assistance Scheme administered by Victims Services ACT
    • implementation of a sexual assault advocate pilot program to support victims’ access to specialist services, and conducting of investigations in a more victim-centric and trauma-informed way
    • support for the ACT Government Solicitor’s Office to meet increased demand for legal advice under the Human Rights Act 2004. A new regulatory prosecution function will also strengthen enforcement and compliance across government
    • funding to enhance the Coroner’s Court with increased resourcing to manage caseloads. It will also support efficient and sensitive handling of matters that often involve vulnerable individuals and families.

    Read more like this:


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


    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-Evening Report: Horse whipping is painful and cruel. The latest incident shows why it should be banned

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anne Quain, Senior Lecturer, Sydney School of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney

    Doug Pensinger/Getty Images

    Last week, the peak body for equestrian sport in Australia suspended a prominent member after footage allegedly depicted Australian Olympic dressage rider Heath Ryan whipping a horse more than 40 times.

    Ryan confirmed he was the rider in the footage, which was reportedly taken about two years ago.

    He explained the horse, Nico, had belonged to a friend who had been hospitalised for serious injuries inflicted by the animal.

    Ryan wrote Nico had “always been a problem child” and was about to be sent to slaughter.

    However, Ryan, an experienced trainer and instructor, intervened to “salvage” the horse.

    Footage appears to show Heath Ryan whipping a horse repeately.
    DressageHub, CC BY

    But horses, just like humans, feel pain, which is why more needs to be done to minimise the use of whips on horses.

    What happened next?

    The footage depicts Ryan mounted on Nico, forcefully whipping him.

    Both the whoosh of the whip travelling at speed and the sound of it contacting Nico’s flesh are audible.

    Nico kicks out several times in response, yet the whipping continues.

    Nico seems “shut down” – a term used to describe a horse when they appear to have no understanding of what they need to do to make an adverse experience stop.

    Whipping causes horses pain. The skin in the gluteal area of the horse, which Ryan repeatedly struck with the whip, is sensitive to pain just like the skin of humans.

    This is not the first time whipping has been in the spotlight. In July 2024, footage emerged of three-time Olympic dressage gold medallist Charlotte Dujardin repeatedly whipping a horse on the hind legs.

    This led to the International Equestrian Federation fining her CHF 10,000 (A$18,867) and imposing a 12-month suspension.




    Read more:
    The Paris Olympics horse-whipping scandal shows the dangers of ‘Disneyfication’ in horse sports


    More recently in Australia, in May 2025, the RSPCA prosecuted a case against trainer Liandra Gray, who was recorded striking a horse with a padded racing whip more than 40 times. A Tasmanian court found Gray had caused unreasonable and unjustifiable pain and the whip use constituted cruelty.

    Equestrian Australia’s national dressage rules forbid excessive use of whips.

    Despite stating he “hated” whipping Nico, Ryan argued he was acting in the horse’s interests.

    After an undisclosed period, Nico was re-homed, and according to Ryan “is now thriving in a loving and competitive home with an exciting future”.

    Does the end justify the means?

    Ryan’s justification of his treatment of Nico is based on the positive consequences for the horse (avoiding slaughter) and the current owners (Nico can continue to be ridden).

    This justification is a type of consequentialism, where an outcome is judged to be good or not based on the consequences it brings about. This raises an important question: what counts as a “good” outcome and by whose standard are we judging?

    Ryan’s justification points to a culture where horses’ needs and interests are not respected and where they are valued solely for their utility to humans.

    But we know horses are sensitive, sentient beings, capable of suffering.

    The relationship between a rider and horse is often described as a partnership. In reality, horses have little choice.

    The equipment and cues riders rely on to control horses work because they are aversive and even painful. Because horses are motivated to escape from painful stimuli, they rapidly learn to perform in the desired way.

    Because of this reliance on aversive stimuli to control horses, it is essential riders remove it as soon as the horse performs the desired behaviour (for example, releasing tension on the reins).

    Why was Nico a ‘problem child’ in the first place?

    During riding, a horse knows it has responded correctly if the rider removes the aversive stimulus that was used to cue the horse.

    If the rider removes the stimulus at the wrong time or not at all, the horse may become confused, stressed and express unwanted behaviours.

    If this is repeated, the unwanted responses can quickly become a habit and the horse may be labelled a problem.

    Based on the footage, it seems that instead of learning to move forward to escape pressure from the rider’s heels or whip, Nico appears to have developed a habit of stalling (slowing or coming to a stop instead of moving forward).

    Stress and fear can impair animals’ ability to learn and problem solve and horses vary considerably in their personalities and ability to learn what humans require of them.

    The combination of personality, stress, fear and rider inconsistencies can quickly lead to the development of unwanted behaviours.

    It is likely Nico’s behaviour reflects these factors.

    It’s time for a change

    This incident likely taught Nico to fear humans and to expect that being ridden will involve inescapable pain unless he does exactly what his rider wants.

    Training methods like this are considered outdated and unethical.

    This is because there is ample scientific evidence showing the modification of unwanted behaviour in ridden horses can be achieved without resorting to violence to force them into submission.

    International groups such as the International Society for Equitation Science (ISES) and the Federation of Veterinarians of Europe have highlighted the risks of misusing aversive training stimuli.

    They argue training methods that lead to fear and stress are inefficient and pose unacceptable welfare risks.

    ISES has even developed a set of 10 principles for training even the most difficult horses.

    While Ryan has justified his intervention as the only possible solution to Nico’s unwanted behaviour, the scientific evidence shows it is neither necessary nor ethical to violently whip a horse to teach it a lesson.

    Anne Quain has consulted for animal welfare organisations including the RSPCA. She is a member of the Australian Veterinary Association, the Australian and New Zealand College of Veterinary Scientists, and the European College of Animal Welfare and Behaviour Medicine in Animal Welfare Science, Ethics and Law. She has been a recipient of an Australian Companion Animal Health Foundation Grant. She has undertaken two residencies at The Ethics Centre.

    Cathrynne Henshall receives funding from the Hong Kong Jockey Club Welfare Research Funding

    ref. Horse whipping is painful and cruel. The latest incident shows why it should be banned – https://theconversation.com/horse-whipping-is-painful-and-cruel-the-latest-incident-shows-why-it-should-be-banned-259041

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI China: China releases new grassland vegetation map of ‘roof of the world’

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Pregnant Tibetan antelopes are pictured under a rainbow in Qiangtang National Nature Reserve in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region, June 16, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    China has released its most detailed map yet of grassland vegetation on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, using a scale of 1:500,000.

    The map, developed by a team led by Wang Yanfen, a professor at the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences (UCAS), was officially unveiled on Tuesday during an academic seminar on grassland vegetation mapping.

    Experts at the seminar noted that the map, based on field surveys and multi-source remote sensing data, accurately depicts plant formation distributions and holds significant implications for climate adaptation, sustainable development, and future research on ecosystem functions across the plateau.

    The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, known as the “roof of the world” and “Asia’s water tower,” serves as a vital ecological security barrier for China. Its ecosystem is dominated by grasslands, which are ecologically fragile and highly sensitive to global climate change.

    Over the past 50 years, intensified climate change and growing human activity have altered vegetation distribution patterns, rendering existing maps outdated.

    The launch of the second scientific expedition on the plateau in 2017 provided a new opportunity to update the grassland vegetation map.

    Wang said that 65 plant formations or formation groups have been identified, and compared to previously published versions, the new map reveals significant vegetation changes over the past 40 years.

    For instance, the proportion of alpine meadows that prefer wet and cold conditions has increased from 50 to 69 percent in the grasslands, which strongly confirms the ongoing trend of warming and wetting on the plateau, she added.

    In the process of preparing the map, the research team integrated in situ surveys, multi-temporal satellite remote sensing data, and artificial intelligence technology.

    This approach synthesized spectral, structural and functional characteristics of plants alongside environmental factors like terrain and hydrothermal conditions, Wang explained.

    This innovative approach overcomes the challenges of accurately identifying and classifying plant communities in complex high-altitude environments, which has traditionally been a difficult task.

    “Unlike conventional mapping techniques, it places greater emphasis on the intrinsic relationship between plant community attributes and their corresponding habitat characteristics, thereby ensuring objectivity and efficiency in the mapping process,” said Wang.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police release further CCTV in a further appeal for Elisabeth Nicholls

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Attributable to Detective Sergeant Lucy Aldridge

    Christchurch Police are releasing the above CCTV images in a further appeal for information on the whereabouts of 79-year-old Elisabeth Nicholls.

    These CCTV images of Lis were taken during her last confirmed sighting at the Chateau on the Park in Riccarton, at around 7.54pm on Wednesday 4 June.

    Since Elisabeth was reported missing, searchers and Police have gone door to door, reviewed CCTV footage, searched the Avon River, and made further extensive enquiries, but we have not been able to find Lis.

    Today, Police deployed a drone in the Riccarton and Hagley Park areas between 8am and midday. We are now in the process of examining these images and reviewing what was captured.

    Police are urging residents in the nearby area who have not yet done so to please check their backyards, sheds and sleepouts, and anywhere where a person could seek shelter on your property.

    We, alongside Lis’ family, are seriously concerned for her wellbeing and are appealing to anyone with information to please contact us.

    For anyone with CCTV, dashcam, or video footage in the Riccarton and Hagley Park areas between 6.40pm on Wednesday 4 June to 8am on Thursday 5 June, please review the footage you have and contact Police if you believe you see Lis.

    When Lis went missing in the Riccarton area, she was physically strong, and may have walked some distance.

    If you see Lis, please ring Police on 111 immediately. If you have information regarding her whereabouts, please contact us online at 105.police.govt.nz, clicking “Update Report” or by calling 105.

    Please use the reference number 250604/5465.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Otago students to benefit from more classrooms

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The Government’s ensuring hundreds more students in Otago benefit from new, safe, warm and dry classrooms.
    A $27 million investment into new infrastructure will help make sure schools meet the needs of their communities and gets ahead of new growth.
    It will support the construction of:

    Six new teaching spaces at Dunstan High School
    A twelve-teaching space expansion at Te Kura Whakatipu o Kawarau

    The investment is in addition to the purchase of a site at Ladies Mile in Queenstown last year, which will accommodate a new primary school in the area.
    “Queenstown in particular, has had strong and steady growth over the last decade, and we are committed to ensuring they are equipped to teach the basics brilliantly. Planning for the two growth projects is underway and is expected to begin in the next 12 months. This means that students, families and the Otago community can benefit sooner,” Education Minister Erica Stanford says.
    “Funding for the construction of the new primary school at Ladies Mile will be considered in future years. Securing the land at this time means that we will be able to hit ‘go’ on construction when capacity is needed.” 
    This announcement builds on the Government’s commitment to ongoing investment in school property, and follows recent announcements to support growth in Canterbury, the Central North Island and provision of specialist education. 
    “Quality education is crucial to growing the regions. These new classrooms are an investment in the future of young learners in Otago Central Lakes and builds on the 120 new classrooms announced for Canterbury in the last month,” South Island Minister James Meager says.
    “There is huge potential for Otago Central Lakes to become a hub for digital and tech investors, alongside our traditional backbone industries of tourism and agriculture. To enable that investment, we need to foster brilliance in our young people by investing in their future and building for growth. We also need a high-quality education infrastructure to attract the best quality workforce to our regions.”
    “Our efficiencies in school property delivery allows more schools, communities and children benefit sooner. The use of standardised building designs and offsite manufacturing have lowered the average cost of a classroom by 28%, allowing 30% more classrooms to be delivered last year compared to 2023. We will continue to drive costs down so more Kiwi kids can thrive,” Ms Stanford says.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for June 19, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on June 19, 2025.

    Australian citizens in Iran and Israel are desperate to leave. Is the government required to help?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane McAdam, Scientia Professor and ARC Laureate Fellow, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Sydney As thousands of Australian citizens and permanent residents stuck in Iran and Israel continue to register for repatriation flights, the government is scrambling to find safe ways to evacuate them. With

    Popular period-tracking apps can hold years of personal data – new NZ research finds mixed awareness of risk
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Friedlander, PhD Candidate in Sociology, University of Waikato Shutterstock/Krotnakro Period-tracking apps are popular digital tools for a range of menstrual, reproductive and general health purposes. But the way these apps collect and use data involves risk. Many apps encourage users to log information well beyond their

    Migrating bogong moths use the stars and Earth’s magnetic field to find ancestral summer caves each year
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eric Warrant, Professor of Zoology at the University of Lund, Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University, and Adjunct Professor, University of South Australia Vik Dunis/iNaturalist, CC BY-NC It’s a warm January summer afternoon, and as I traverse the flower-strewn western slopes of Australia’s highest mountain, Mount

    Jaws at 50: how a single movie changed our perception of white sharks forever
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Long, Strategic Professor in Palaeontology, Flinders University Shane Myers Photography/Shutterstock It’s been 50 years since Steven Spielberg’s movie Jaws first cast a terrifying shadow across our screens. At a low point during production, Spielberg worried he’d only ever be known for “a big fish story”. The

    Robot eyes are power hungry. What if we gave them tools inspired by the human brain?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam D Hines, Research Fellow, Centre for Robotics, Queensland University of Technology A hexapod robot navigating outdoors. Adam Hines Robots are increasingly becoming a part of our lives – from warehouse automation to robotic vacuum cleaners. And just like humans, robots need to know where they are

    Winter viruses can trigger a heart attack or stroke, our study shows. It’s another good reason to get a flu or COVID shot
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tu Nguyen, PhD Candidate, Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Irina Shatilova/Shutterstock Winter is here, along with cold days and the inevitable seasonal surge in respiratory viruses. But it’s not only the sniffles we need to worry about. Heart attacks and strokes also

    School playgrounds are one of the main locations for bullying. How can they be set up to stop it?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon Hyndman, Associate Dean (Academic), Faculty of Arts and Education, Charles Sturt University Dan Kenyon/ Getty Images Children spend thousands of hours in playgrounds at school. A lot of this time does not have the same levels of teacher preparation and supervision as classrooms do. Research shows

    Would you cheat on your tax? It’s a risky move, the tax office knows a lot about you
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert B Whait, Senior Lecturer in Taxation Law, University of South Australia Soon, more than 15 million Australians should be lodging a tax return with the Australian Taxation Office in the hope of receiving at least a small refund. About 60% of taxpayers use an accountant to

    Companies are betting on AI to help lift productivity. Workers need to be part of the process
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Llewellyn Spink, AI Corporate Governance Lead, Human Technology Institute, University of Technology Sydney The Conversation, CC BY-NC Australia’s productivity is flatlining, posting the worst vitals we’ve seen in 60 years. Politicians and chief executives are prescribing artificial intelligence (AI) like it’s the new penicillin – a wonder

    Is Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend album cover satire or self-degradation? A psychology expert explores our reactions
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katrina Muller-Townsend, Lecturer in Psychology, Edith Cowan University Island Records Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend album cover has fans divided. Carpenter poses on all fours, her glossy blond hair grasped by a male figure cropped from the frame. Her wide-eyed expression intensifies an ambiguous performance of subservience,

    Kicked out for coming out: more than half of LGBTIQ+ flatmates face discrimination for their identity
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brodie Fraser, Senior Research Fellow, He Kāinga Oranga Housing and Health Research Programme, University of Otago Sangar Akreyi/Getty Images People who belong to the LGBTIQ+ community say flatting is fraught with difficulties that go well beyond learning new routines and sharing space with strangers. Our new research

    Tracing the Drax family’s millions – a story of British landed gentry, slavery and sugar plantations
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Lashmar, Reader in Journalism, City St George’s, University of London ‘Planting the sugar-cane’: vast fortunes were made from the trades in both sugar and human slaves in the Americas. Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division, The New York Public Library Rich

    Nineteen Eighty-Four might have been inspired by George Orwell’s fear of drowning
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nathan Waddell, Associate Professor in Twentieth-Century Literature, University of Birmingham George Orwell had a traumatic relationship with the sea. In August 1947, while he was writing Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) on the island of Jura in the Scottish Hebrides, he went on a fishing trip with his young

    What happens when aid is cut to a large refugee camp? Kenyan study paints a bleak picture
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olivier Sterck, Associate professor, University of Oxford Humanitarian needs are rising around the world. At the same time, major donors such as the US and the UK are pulling back support, placing increasing strain on already overstretched aid systems. Global humanitarian needs have quadrupled since 2015, driven

    Grok’s ‘white genocide’ responses show how generative AI can be weaponized
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Foulds, Associate Professor of Information Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Someone altered the AI chatbot Grok to make it insert text about a debunked conspiracy theory in unrelated responses. Cheng Xin/Getty Images The AI chatbot Grok spent one day in May 2025 spreading debunked conspiracy

    Politics with Michelle Grattan: an ‘impatient’ Jim Chalmers on taking political risks in Labor’s second term
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images While the world’s media is largely focused on conflict in the Middle East, the focus for many Australians remains at home, with the government preparing the long task ahead of trying to lift Australia’s productivity. Last week,

    View from The Hill: Jim Chalmers wants to get on with economic reform and tax is in his sights
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Jim Chalmers speaking to the National Press Club June 18, 2025. Screenshot from the ABC Broadcast, CC BY-NC Jim Chalmers cast his Wednesday National Press Club speech as a second instalment in a two-part presentation that was kicked off by

    Iran’s long history of revolution, defiance and outside interference – and why its future is so uncertain
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus Professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University; and Vice Chancellor’s Strategic Fellow, Victoria University Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has gone beyond his initial aim of destroying Iran’s ability to produce nuclear weapons. He has called on the Iranian people

    95 lawyers demand stronger NZ stand over Israel amid Middle East tensions
    Asia Pacific Report Ninety-five New Zealand lawyers — including nine king’s counsel — have signed a letter demanding Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and two other ministers urge the government to take a stronger stand against Israel’s “catastrophic” actions in Gaza. The letter has been sent amid rising tensions in the region,

    Gay and bisexual men will soon be able to donate blood and plasma
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yasmin Mowat, Clinical Project Manager, Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney AnnaStills/Getty Images Many gay and bisexual men have been excluded from donating blood and plasma (the liquid portion of blood) for decades because of rules developed during the HIV crisis in the 1980s. The Australian Red Cross’ blood

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for June 19, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on June 19, 2025.

    Australian citizens in Iran and Israel are desperate to leave. Is the government required to help?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane McAdam, Scientia Professor and ARC Laureate Fellow, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Sydney As thousands of Australian citizens and permanent residents stuck in Iran and Israel continue to register for repatriation flights, the government is scrambling to find safe ways to evacuate them. With

    Popular period-tracking apps can hold years of personal data – new NZ research finds mixed awareness of risk
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anna Friedlander, PhD Candidate in Sociology, University of Waikato Shutterstock/Krotnakro Period-tracking apps are popular digital tools for a range of menstrual, reproductive and general health purposes. But the way these apps collect and use data involves risk. Many apps encourage users to log information well beyond their

    Migrating bogong moths use the stars and Earth’s magnetic field to find ancestral summer caves each year
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Eric Warrant, Professor of Zoology at the University of Lund, Visiting Fellow at the Australian National University, and Adjunct Professor, University of South Australia Vik Dunis/iNaturalist, CC BY-NC It’s a warm January summer afternoon, and as I traverse the flower-strewn western slopes of Australia’s highest mountain, Mount

    Jaws at 50: how a single movie changed our perception of white sharks forever
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Long, Strategic Professor in Palaeontology, Flinders University Shane Myers Photography/Shutterstock It’s been 50 years since Steven Spielberg’s movie Jaws first cast a terrifying shadow across our screens. At a low point during production, Spielberg worried he’d only ever be known for “a big fish story”. The

    Robot eyes are power hungry. What if we gave them tools inspired by the human brain?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam D Hines, Research Fellow, Centre for Robotics, Queensland University of Technology A hexapod robot navigating outdoors. Adam Hines Robots are increasingly becoming a part of our lives – from warehouse automation to robotic vacuum cleaners. And just like humans, robots need to know where they are

    Winter viruses can trigger a heart attack or stroke, our study shows. It’s another good reason to get a flu or COVID shot
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tu Nguyen, PhD Candidate, Department of Paediatrics, University of Melbourne, Murdoch Children’s Research Institute Irina Shatilova/Shutterstock Winter is here, along with cold days and the inevitable seasonal surge in respiratory viruses. But it’s not only the sniffles we need to worry about. Heart attacks and strokes also

    School playgrounds are one of the main locations for bullying. How can they be set up to stop it?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendon Hyndman, Associate Dean (Academic), Faculty of Arts and Education, Charles Sturt University Dan Kenyon/ Getty Images Children spend thousands of hours in playgrounds at school. A lot of this time does not have the same levels of teacher preparation and supervision as classrooms do. Research shows

    Would you cheat on your tax? It’s a risky move, the tax office knows a lot about you
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert B Whait, Senior Lecturer in Taxation Law, University of South Australia Soon, more than 15 million Australians should be lodging a tax return with the Australian Taxation Office in the hope of receiving at least a small refund. About 60% of taxpayers use an accountant to

    Companies are betting on AI to help lift productivity. Workers need to be part of the process
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Llewellyn Spink, AI Corporate Governance Lead, Human Technology Institute, University of Technology Sydney The Conversation, CC BY-NC Australia’s productivity is flatlining, posting the worst vitals we’ve seen in 60 years. Politicians and chief executives are prescribing artificial intelligence (AI) like it’s the new penicillin – a wonder

    Is Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend album cover satire or self-degradation? A psychology expert explores our reactions
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katrina Muller-Townsend, Lecturer in Psychology, Edith Cowan University Island Records Sabrina Carpenter’s Man’s Best Friend album cover has fans divided. Carpenter poses on all fours, her glossy blond hair grasped by a male figure cropped from the frame. Her wide-eyed expression intensifies an ambiguous performance of subservience,

    Kicked out for coming out: more than half of LGBTIQ+ flatmates face discrimination for their identity
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brodie Fraser, Senior Research Fellow, He Kāinga Oranga Housing and Health Research Programme, University of Otago Sangar Akreyi/Getty Images People who belong to the LGBTIQ+ community say flatting is fraught with difficulties that go well beyond learning new routines and sharing space with strangers. Our new research

    Tracing the Drax family’s millions – a story of British landed gentry, slavery and sugar plantations
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Lashmar, Reader in Journalism, City St George’s, University of London ‘Planting the sugar-cane’: vast fortunes were made from the trades in both sugar and human slaves in the Americas. Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture, Photographs and Prints Division, The New York Public Library Rich

    Nineteen Eighty-Four might have been inspired by George Orwell’s fear of drowning
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nathan Waddell, Associate Professor in Twentieth-Century Literature, University of Birmingham George Orwell had a traumatic relationship with the sea. In August 1947, while he was writing Nineteen Eighty-Four (1949) on the island of Jura in the Scottish Hebrides, he went on a fishing trip with his young

    What happens when aid is cut to a large refugee camp? Kenyan study paints a bleak picture
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olivier Sterck, Associate professor, University of Oxford Humanitarian needs are rising around the world. At the same time, major donors such as the US and the UK are pulling back support, placing increasing strain on already overstretched aid systems. Global humanitarian needs have quadrupled since 2015, driven

    Grok’s ‘white genocide’ responses show how generative AI can be weaponized
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By James Foulds, Associate Professor of Information Systems, University of Maryland, Baltimore County Someone altered the AI chatbot Grok to make it insert text about a debunked conspiracy theory in unrelated responses. Cheng Xin/Getty Images The AI chatbot Grok spent one day in May 2025 spreading debunked conspiracy

    Politics with Michelle Grattan: an ‘impatient’ Jim Chalmers on taking political risks in Labor’s second term
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Asanka Ratnayake/Getty Images While the world’s media is largely focused on conflict in the Middle East, the focus for many Australians remains at home, with the government preparing the long task ahead of trying to lift Australia’s productivity. Last week,

    View from The Hill: Jim Chalmers wants to get on with economic reform and tax is in his sights
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Jim Chalmers speaking to the National Press Club June 18, 2025. Screenshot from the ABC Broadcast, CC BY-NC Jim Chalmers cast his Wednesday National Press Club speech as a second instalment in a two-part presentation that was kicked off by

    Iran’s long history of revolution, defiance and outside interference – and why its future is so uncertain
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus Professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University; and Vice Chancellor’s Strategic Fellow, Victoria University Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has gone beyond his initial aim of destroying Iran’s ability to produce nuclear weapons. He has called on the Iranian people

    95 lawyers demand stronger NZ stand over Israel amid Middle East tensions
    Asia Pacific Report Ninety-five New Zealand lawyers — including nine king’s counsel — have signed a letter demanding Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and two other ministers urge the government to take a stronger stand against Israel’s “catastrophic” actions in Gaza. The letter has been sent amid rising tensions in the region,

    Gay and bisexual men will soon be able to donate blood and plasma
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yasmin Mowat, Clinical Project Manager, Kirby Institute, UNSW Sydney AnnaStills/Getty Images Many gay and bisexual men have been excluded from donating blood and plasma (the liquid portion of blood) for decades because of rules developed during the HIV crisis in the 1980s. The Australian Red Cross’ blood

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Largest maritime navigation system upgrade in decades

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The Government is making New Zealand more attractive to international shipping lines with the first major investment in navigation services in more than 30 years.

    Land Information Minister Chris Penk says the $28.6 million Budget 2025 funding secures the future of shipping, tourism and the maritime economy – highlighting the Government’s commitment to back economic growth.

    “The investment enables safer and faster access to New Zealand’s ports, keeping trade flowing smoothly and reliably and provides confidence in shipping. This is key as more than 99 percent of our imports and exports move by sea.

    “Land Information New Zealand (LINZ) and Maritime New Zealand are working together to create high-tech digital navigation tools based on the global S-100 standard. These tools will make navigation more precise, helping ships save fuel and cut costs while operating in our waters.

    “The initiative will transform how mariners access and use data such as electronic charts, water levels, ocean surface currents and navigational warnings.”

    Associate Transport Minister James Meager says the investment benefits both economic growth and maritime safety.

    “Modern digital maritime data and services will enable freight-efficient, environmentally responsible shipping routes that boost trade and investment across the Pacific.

    “The investment in high-tech infrastructure ensures our maritime and tourism sectors are ready to thrive, while enhancing safety and efficiency.

    “Importantly, it positions New Zealand at the forefront of the shift to digital navigation technology, and signals to the world that we’re serious about supporting innovation, sustainabilitty and welfare at sea.

    “Beyond New Zealand’s coastline, this initiative supports safer, more efficient shipping across our wider maritime region – including Antarctica and South-West Pacific nations such as the Cook Islands, Samoa, Tonga, Niue, and Tokelau.

    “As we celebrate Matariki and reflect on New Zealand’s rich cultural history of navigating by the stars, now is the perfect time to look ahead toward building a resilient maritime economy for future generations.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police urge caution on the roads this holiday weekend

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Police are reminding road users that there will be zero tolerance for unsafe driving this Matariki Weekend.

    “There was an unacceptable number of road deaths over King’s Birthday weekend, and we don’t want a repeat of that this weekend. If you are driving in a way that puts your own, or someone else’s, safety at risk, expect there to be consequences,” says Director Road Policing, Superintendent Steve Greally.

    “We have zero tolerance for selfish drivers gambling with other people’s lives.”

    Emergency services see first-hand the devastation that dangerous road behaviours cause, and the harm doesn’t end at the scene.

    “One of the hardest parts of our job is knocking on a door in the middle of the night to tell a family that their loved one isn’t coming home,” Superintendent Greally says.

    “Matariki is a time for families to come together and be with each other – please don’t do anything which would prevent that from happening.”

    Police will be out on the country’s roads in increased numbers this weekend, with the clear intention to stop and prevent unsafe driving behaviour, day and night.

    Our officers and road safety partners are undertaking a large amount of work to ensure the safety of everyone on our roads.

    Many of us make long journeys over long weekends. We know that tired drivers make mistakes, so take regular breaks and split the driving with someone if you can.

    Having your seatbelt on, driving to the conditions and not being distracted while driving can be the difference in walking away from a crash or being seriously injured or worse.

    Information on holiday road toll periods can be found here: Safety — Road deaths | Ministry of Transport.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Royal fern is a royal pain

    Source: NZ Department of Conservation

    Date:  19 June 2025

    Royal fern can colonise natural areas rapidly, growing up to 2 m high, and crowding out native species in already pressured wetlands and swamps. A deciduous fern, the bright green paper-thin fronds turn yellow and rusty orange in autumn, and each plant produces thousands of tiny spores easily spread by the wind, birds, and humans.

    Surveillance and control work in partnership with iwi, landowners and regional councils is happening in Taranaki, Waikato, Rotorua, and Northland. Susan Emmitt, Technical Advisor at DOC, says despite the intensive work, the fern is still spreading.

    “Royal fern is still being found in new places, as the spores disperse over long distances allowing new plants to establish in remote areas,” says Susan.

    “The fern has been targeted for eradication in Northland, and is being controlled in the Bay of Plenty, Taranaki, and Auckland. To try and halt its spread, we’ve drawn a containment line roughly halfway down the North Island.

    “We’re asking the public to report any sightings of the plant south of this line.”

    Royal fern is challenging to remove, as it thrives in wetland sites which are difficult to access on foot.

    “It can be dug out, roots and all, but this is slow and very labour intensive. We’re working alongside field teams to find the most efficient control methods.

    “It’s very easy to spread the spores around when we’re clearing the area, so we wear gloves and disposable overalls, and carefully double or triple-bag the fertile fronds once they’ve been cut. We also have rigorous decontamination procedures, so we don’t accidentally spread them from one site to another.”

    Drones are a valuable tool in the control of the invasive fern.

    “The distinct bright green leaves are easily visible from the air in wetlands, so we can use drones to monitor existing or treated sites,” says Susan. “This saves a lot of time and effort, letting us work faster and more effectively.”

    Autumn and early winter are the perfect time to spot this plant; royal fern fronds change colour in autumn, making the plants stand out. Members of the public are being asked to report sightings of royal fern from the Bay of Plenty and Taranaki southwards via iNaturalist or info@doc.govt.nz, including a photo and location.

    “Nature is in trouble, but all of us can help protect our species and habitats. Reporting royal fern is a small action to make a big difference; thanks to a report at Farewell Spit in March 2024, the site was able to be treated immediately and prevent a potentially catastrophic invasion.”

    Background information

    Royal fern (Osmunda regalis) is an Unwanted Organism under the Biosecurity Act 1993. This wetland weed has been targeted for eradication in Northland, and is being controlled in the Bay of Plenty and Auckland under the Regional Pest Management plans.

    It has spread southwards over the past few decades. Our surveillance operation aims to gain a better understanding of the southern distribution of royal fern with the aim of controlling and containing its spread and protecting high priority sites.

    Contact

    For media enquiries contact:

    Email: media@doc.govt.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: 62 percent fewer scam texts reported after Internal Affairs crackdown

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Minister of Internal Affairs Brooke van Velden says the Department of Internal Affairs [the Department] has made significant progress in tackling scams in New Zealand, with a 62 per cent drop in reports of SMS scams in 2024 from 2023, following the Department’s investigations into scammers.
    The Department’s 2024 Digital Messaging Transparency Report, published this week, details some of the actions the Department has taken to catch people perpetrating scams, including by conducting search warrants and seizing equipment.
    “Scams cause serious financial and emotional harm, often preying on vulnerable people in our communities. I’m pleased the Department’s work is making a real impact in reducing scams and holding perpetrators accountable,” says Ms van Velden.
    In 2024 the Department received over 103,000 reports of SMS scams, conducted six search warrants, and seized almost $400,000 worth of scam equipment as well as $162,000 in cash. One of the search warrants resulted in the arrest of a 19-year-old Auckland man and the seizure of a cell site simulator. A cell site simulator is a false cell tower which tricks nearby mobile devices into connecting to the fraudulent network so that scam text messages can be sent to the connected phones.
    Commerce and Consumer Affairs Minister Scott Simpson, who is the lead anti-scams Minister, welcomes the report’s findings and highlights the Government’s increasing focus on keeping New Zealanders safer from scammers.
    “Online financial scams cause significant harm to New Zealanders – reported losses have been nearly $200 million a year, but some estimate this to be as high as $2 billion. Often scams affect the more vulnerable people in our community and our loved ones. We are taking action to change this. I intend to make announcements in due course on further work we intend to do to reduce scams across New Zealand,” says Mr Simpson.
    “The prevalence of scams also hurts the wider economy, as people become less comfortable with transacting online. Building back people’s trust by reducing scams is part of rebuilding the economy and reducing the cost of living,” says Ms van Velden.
    The report is available at: https://www.dia.govt.nz/Spam-Transparency-reports

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Getting more trainee teachers into rural schools

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The Government’s ensuring some of New Zealand’s most isolated schools get the pipeline of teachers they need to teach the basics brilliantly.

    “For most new teachers, school placements play a significant role in deciding where they choose to teach once they qualify as a teacher. We know rural and isolated schools struggle to fill these rolls. This Government is helping address that so more children benefit from excellent teachers in the classroom,” Education Minister Erica Stanford says.

    $494,000 will fund “Go Rural: Isolated Placements Fund” – an initiative that contributes to the costs student teachers incur. Up to 123 student teachers in their final year of study will be eligible for a payment of $4,000 to take up a professional experience placement in a rural or isolated school.

    “We know students’ factor in additional accommodation, childcare and travel costs for when they choose where they undertake their placement. This investment will make it easier for them to take up placements in some of our most unique communities.

    Applications for the fund will be available in early 2026.

    “This is just one of several initiatives we have put in place to ensure more Kiwi kids benefit from quality teaching and leadership in the classroom. Through Budget 2025 we are expanding the School Onsite Training Programme (SOTP) by 530 places, supporting up to 800 teachers to access an Aspiring Principal Programme and funding approximately 115,000 teacher registrations and practicing certificates.

    “We are committed to supporting our incredible teachers. By growing the skills and knowledge in our workforce, our tamariki have the very best chance to thrive at school and beyond,” Ms Stanford says.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Pacific – Republic of Nauru becomes first Pacific country to launch digital asset regulator

    Source: Republic of Nauru

     

    In a landmark move for the Pacific region, the Nauru Parliament on Tuesday June 17 passed legislation to establish a dedicated virtual asset regulatory authority. 

     

    The Bill establishes the Command Ridge Virtual Asset Authority (CRVAA), named after the highest point of land in Nauru, as an autonomous regulator overseeing virtual assets, digital banking, and Web3 innovation. 

     

    It will provide a licencing scheme that will allow virtual asset service providers (VASPs) to register and offer their services using Nauru as a base.

     

    Nauru President David Adeang said the regulation would pave the way for Nauru to be a digital asset leader in the region and is another step towards strengthening financial integrity, investing in future generations, and forging new pathways for resilience.

     

    He pointed out that Nauru is one of the Pacific’s most at-risk nations, acknowledged under the United Nations Multidimensional Vulnerability Index (MVI), for its heightened exposure to economic and environmental shocks, and that the Government needed to embrace innovation. 

     

    “This bold step aims to harness the potential of virtual assets to diversify revenue streams and fortify economic resilience,” he said.

     

    “By implementing robust oversight of VASPs, Nauru aims to foster sustainable growth, channel new financial inflows into strategic instruments such as its Intergenerational Trust Fund, and reduce its reliance on climate financing, which is often challenging to secure.”

     

    The President said Nauru aspires to secure a more sustainable and self-reliant economic future.

     

    “We want to be a government of solutions and innovation, be proactive not passive, and positively approach the future with boldness,” he said.

     

    Minister for Commerce and Foreign Investment Maverick Eoe told Parliament that more countries are recognising the potential of virtual assets from blockchain technologies to decentralised finance.

     

    “This Bill proposes to introduce a framework that will put Nauru on par with other countries leading in the development of their digital economies and generating revenue from such developments,” he said. 

     

    “The licensing framework….ensures Nauru becomes a competitor, attracting businesses that bring investment, job creation, and financial innovation,” he said.

     

    “By regulating VASPs, token issuance, and secure digital transactions, we can position Nauru as a hub for these types of innovation and development within this part of the world.

     

    He said the legislation is a commitment to the future prosperity of the country and a statement that Nauru does not fear the digital transformation, but embraces it and leads within the Pacific region. 

     

    CRVAA will be tasked with ensuring cybersecurity standards, monitoring financial transactions and enforcing compliance with international anti-money laundering and financial transparency protocols.

     

    The Bill, which provides unmatched legal certainty for the token-issuer, introduces a groundbreaking token classification system that provides long-awaited clarity for the global crypto industry, stating that:

     

    • Cryptocurrencies are presumed commodities, not securities;
    • Utility and payment tokens are excluded from investment contract status;
    • Governance and reward tokens are protected from misclassification

     

    The Nauru law defines the activities subject to CRA authorisation as follows:

     

    • Operation of centralised or decentralised virtual asset platforms
    • Exchange services between virtual assets and/or fiat currencies
    • Custodial and non-custodial virtual asset wallet services
    • Issuance of virtual tokens, including ICOs, STOs, and NFTs
    • Lending, staking, yield farming, and decentralised finance (DeFi) services
    • Stablecoin issuance and cross-border payment solutions
    • Operation of digital banks and digital payment platforms
    • Issuance and management of E-money.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Exercise NZ – International Yoga Day 2025: Yoga’s Timeless Path to Well-being

    Source: Exercise NZ

    Saturday, June 21st, marks International Yoga Day,  a global celebration of one of the world’s oldest and most holistic forms of movement and mindfulness. With origins dating back over 5,000 years in India, yoga has transcended borders and generations to become a powerful global movement with over 300 million people practising worldwide today.

    Research-based evidence continues to grow, supporting the notion that yoga benefits all aspects of our overall well-being, including mental, emotional, social, and physical health. Encouragingly, yoga participation in Aotearoa remains steady,  a reflection of its lasting appeal and value. Increasingly, Kiwis are recognising that the true benefits of yoga unfold through consistent, ongoing practice. As one of the most effective, accessible, and sustainable paths to overall well-being, yoga offers long-term rewards for those who embrace it as part of their lifestyle. With different styles and methods of practice, it is a modality that can be incorporated into any life stage or capacity. International Yoga Day is a wonderful starting point and an invitation to make yoga a regular, enriching part of everyday life.

    Research consistently promotes the potential health benefits related to the regular practice of yoga, such as improvements in mood, focus, and resilience. A Harvard Medical School article notes that yoga can be as effective as standard exercise in reducing anxiety and depression symptoms, with added benefits to brain function, heart rate variability, and emotional balance. The same review highlights how yoga practice increases thickness in the cerebral cortex and hippocampus, areas of the brain tied to memory and learning. Additionally, further research in Frontiers in Integrative Neuroscience confirms yoga’s positive effects on brain structure and function, particularly in areas related to self-awareness and emotional regulation.

    Why Yoga Works: Evidence-Based Benefits

    Yoga can reduce symptoms of depression and anxiety by up to 40%
    Regular practice improves sleep, focus, and heart rate variability
    Yoga enhances flexibility, balance, and core strength, reducing the risk of injury
    Long-term practice supports emotional regulation and mental clarity
    Yoga may increase brain volume in key areas related to cognition and memory

    This International Yoga Day, ExerciseNZ and YogaNZ invite you to go beyond a single day of practice and consider how yoga could become a lasting part of your life. Take a moment to pause, breathe deeply, and move with intention. Whether you’re stepping into a studio, unrolling your mat at home, or trying yoga for the first time, you’re joining a global movement toward greater wellbeing, mindfulness, and inner peace.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Interview with Mark Kenny, Democracy Sausage, Australian National University podcast

    Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

    Mark Kenny:

    G’day there and welcome to Democracy Sausage from the Australian National University. I’m Mark Kenny director of ANU’s Australian Studies Institute and I’m delighted to welcome back to Democracy Sausage federal Treasurer, Jim Chalmers. G’day there Jim.

    Jim Chalmers:

    It’s nice to see you again, Mark, thanks for having me back on your podcast.

    Kenny:

    It’s a great pleasure. There’s a fair bit happening in the world, it seems like the pace of events is such really, I don’t know. You have spoken about this, written about it a few times as well, the rate of change, the number of events that are happening globally and the significance of them and the combination of them. I think and the way things tend to sort of – we end up with these compound problems, don’t we, or compound challenges. I wonder how tiring that is for you but also how in a sense it makes things feel like they are moving so fast.

    Take the election for example, a big moment in Australia and a huge historic result as you were, I think, at some pains to grapple with as the numbers tumbled out on election night as you were sitting there on the ABC. But the election itself even seems – even though the 48th parliament hasn’t sat yet – the election feels likes it was quite a while ago now.

    Chalmers:

    Old news.

    Kenny:

    It’s extraordinary, isn’t it?

    Chalmers:

    It really is.

    Kenny:

    And not in a good way necessarily because most of these events we’re talking about aren’t things that we would automatically dial‑in if we could. Wars breaking out and various calamities, environmental and so forth. How does it feel to you? Does it feel to you like, in politics now, there’s this sense that governments age more quickly because of, just the sort of cadence of events and exposure, and having to explain it and navigate it all?

    Chalmers:

    It feels almost exactly as you’ve described it, the pace of change and churn is accelerating. And in my part of the shop I think about the fact that even in the last not even 2 decades we’ve had 4 major economic shocks now – a GFC, COVID, an inflation shock and now the shock that comes from these escalating trade and geopolitical tensions. And so the world is moving fast, the global economy is in lots of ways a perilous place because of this cascading change that we’re seeing that we need to respond to.

    And so I do feel like our responsibility really in this environment is, there’s an element of making our economy more resilient in the face of all this uncertainty and volatility but also a sense of working out how do we make our people, our economy, a beneficiary of all this churn and change.

    It would be naive I think to assume that this change is temporary, short term and that we will return to some long period of normalcy like we saw after the end of the Cold War. And so this really dominates our thinking – the international environment, the pace of change, the way that change is accelerating really is the primary influence on the way we think about this second term.

    Kenny:

    Yeah you have written about this in the past. You’ve got a reputation, quite rightly, as a thinker and someone who reads a lot and thinks a lot about the big historical trends and the forces that are happening underneath it. How do you reflect on that period that you talked about – that you just made reference to – the period after the Cold War? Of course we always hear it described as framed by the end of history argument and all of that. Now sort of, I suppose, what are we, quarter of a century after the 90s have ended. How do we look back on that now? How do you look back on it?

    Chalmers:

    Well I look at it in sort of 3 periods. There’s the period from the end of the Second World War to the end of the Cold War.

    Kenny:

    Which we are saying is about sort of ‘89, ‘90 that sort of time.

    Chalmers:

    Yeah, that’s right. And you know momentous change in that period, dominated by the Cold War essentially. Then you had the end of the Cold War until the GFC, and others have described that as the Great Moderation.

    Kenny:

    I suppose you’d say until September 11 though wouldn’t you almost –

    Chalmers:

    Yeah in security terms, you’ll forgive me for having sort of an economic lens –

    Kenny:

    – an economic frame, yeah.

    Chalmers:

    But sure in the first decade of the 2000s, the world changed dramatically and the thing for us as Australians is we were among the primary beneficiaries of that period of moderation between the end of the Cold War and the early 2000s. We, the Australian economy, partly by choice, by intelligent policy choices in the ‘80s and ‘90s but also the way that the world was structured was very beneficial for Australia.

    And now we think about these 4 shocks in 2 decades and also against the backdrop of all of this technological change, demographic change, our industrial base is changing and the world is fragmenting. And so now we have to work out collectively, not just as a government but as Australians, how do we become the primary beneficiaries of all of this churn and change in the same way that we were the primary beneficiaries of that period of calm from the end of the Cold War.

    Kenny:

    Yeah, because during that period I suppose the rules held. There was a thing called the international rules‑based order, there was a sense in which there was at least a predictability about the framing of whatever might happen. Whereas now we don’t have that. We have this sort of sense of, particularly with the US being in a sense the chief architect and enforcer of that international order, having itself begun to walk away from it in quite dramatic ways, economic ways of course with tariffs and everything which we can come to.

    But that really – on top of things like pandemics and financial crises and the like – it really makes it, it means that we basically now have what replaced the predictability of the rules is the unpredictability of what follows, almost as a permanent dynamic.

    Chalmers:

    I think that’s a good way to describe it. Unpredictability is a good way of thinking even about these trade tensions that we’ve got right now because from day‑to‑day, week‑to‑week, the state of the negotiation between the US and China is changing. It’s the unpredictability that is making people wary, making investors wary and decision makers wary. It’s the sense of a lack of stability and predictability, I think as you rightly point out.

    And we’ve got this big fragmentation in the world and we shouldn’t over‑interpret that but we shouldn’t under‑interpret it either. The world is fragmenting, it has a huge influence on how we think about our own economy. And again it’s against these – we’ve got all these short term volatility – we see the gold price, the oil price bouncing around, stock markets have been bouncing around before and since so‑called Liberation Day, but that kind of masks a bigger structural change in the global economy.

    There’s a big change in the way that the world conducts its business now. And the responsibility on us as decision makers in government, but also in the private sector and the community more broadly, is to work out how do we make our people beneficiaries of that rather than victims of it.

    Kenny:

    And as you said in the early 2000s for example we were in a very good position to be beneficiaries. I remember covering budgets during that time and they were constantly framed by revenue upgrades, mostly from resources, and the budget was constantly in better shape than it was predicted to be.

    Now we are talking about a different world, much less predictable one. But I think I’ve heard you say, and I put the question to you I suppose rhetorically but where would you rather be in the circumstance that we’re in now, would it be Australia or somewhere else? We are still pretty well positioned.

    Chalmers:

    For sure. I hope it’s not talking out of school, but when Governor Phil Lowe and I used to go to these G20 conferences and we would sit there and we’d – when we were speaking in between the sessions or having a cup of tea or something we’d say, we’d look around the room and you’d say, who would you rather be in this group than us. And it’s an important bit of perspective and what I try to do in the speech at the National Press Club is to say we shouldn’t choose between these false binaries.

    There’s a bunch of people that will always talk the economy down. There’s a bunch of people – and maybe politicians are sometimes guilty of this – who will only ever talk the place up. Let’s just put it into its proper perspective.

    Australia in lots of ways is outperforming the world. The fact that we’ve got inflation down, while keeping unemployment low, we’ve got real wages growing again, the combination of things that we’ve got in our economy is something that a lot of our peer countries would like to see in their own economies. And we can recognise that at the same time as we can recognise our economy is not productive enough, the budget needs to be more sustainable, we need to be more resilient in the face of all this global uncertainty that you and I are talking about today.

    And so I think it’s not just possible to have those views simultaneously, it’s imperative that we do. That we have the proper perspective about our economy. Our economy in global terms is performing quite well, particularly our labour market, which in lots of ways to me is the most important thing, how people are actually earning and providing for their loved ones –

    Kenny:

    It’s like how the economy works for people.

    Chalmers:

    It’s the people‑facing part of the economy matters the most to me. And in some of those areas it’s been extraordinary, we’ve got the lowest average unemployment of any government in the last 50 years, at the same time as we’ve got inflation down and got real wages up.

    So it’s a long way of saying, let’s have some perspective about the economy. I’m going to try and get better at saying here is all the things that are going really well that we’re really pleased about, here are the things where we need to be doing better if we want to lift living standards for people in our country. Productivity, budget sustainability, resilience in the world, these are the things where we can acknowledge and work together on making things better.

    Kenny:

    Well let’s go to that productivity thing, because the Prime Minister recently at the Press Club and then you in the speech to the Press Club as well talking about productivity. And I think you have made the point before that the first term, how did you put it, the first term was basically –

    Chalmers:

    Primarily.

    Kenny:

    – primarily about fighting inflation but with an eye to productivity and the second term is about lifting productivity with an eye to keeping inflation under control. Is that sort of broadly what you were saying?

    Chalmers:

    Yeah it is, and I said that the morning after the election on the Insiders panel. I’d sat kind of in one corner of the ABC studio for about 6 or 7 hours in the evening and rocked up to the other corner of the studio in the morning. And that is how I see it.

    Kenny:

    Imagine what it’s like for David Speers.

    Chalmers:

    Exactly. I guess the point that I’m trying to make is we already have a productivity agenda. It’s substantial, it’s ambitious. But the bulk of our first term was about fighting inflation. And in the second term I think we still care about inflation, cost of living, real wages, still a huge focus of us but we will focus more on productivity, more on the supply side of the economy.

    When we talk about productivity, I think it’s important to remember it comes back to what we were just saying about the labour market more broadly. Productivity can come across as this kind of cold and soulless concept. It’s about how efficiently we use inputs to create outputs in our economy.

    Kenny:

    Is it widely understood, do you think, in the electorate when politicians and economists talk about productivity? What’s your – you’re an MP right, you represent people, you have your own electorate, you’re dealing with constituents all the time, right. What’s the general understanding of this as a term?

    Chalmers:

    It’s not a word that people use when they bail you up at Coles or Woolies. I acknowledge that. But it’s really the most important thing that will deliver higher living standards for people. And so I try not to think of productivity as that cold and soulless concept. Productivity is about a more dynamic economy, which lifts living standards, and a more dynamic society where we create more opportunities for more of our people.

    And what I’m trying to do is I’m trying to broaden the national policy and political conversation beyond the tired old fights over things like industrial relations. Productivity is about how we adapt and adopt technology, it’s how we transform our energy resources, it’s about making our businesses more competitive, it’s about the care economy, it’s about human capital, how we invest in people.

    Kenny:

    A lot of these things are things that as you say, they’re good, everyone would agree they’re all public goods. They’re things that should happen and so forth. Many of them – particularly if we think about human capital and getting more from people because they can contribute more and that adds to dynamism in the economy and creativity and opportunities all those brilliant things – but in a sense they’re long‑term investments that are required aren’t they?

    We are sitting here in a university. University education and training, obviously been a strong priority of the government. But it needs that’s the – I guess what I’m getting at is these aren’t things that you can just sort of flick a switch and make happen, right. They take long‑term planning and thinking and commitment and funding.

    Chalmers:

    Well 2 things about that. I mean, first of all there are 2 visions for productivity. And this is not the place for partisan reflections but there’s a view that says we’ll only get productivity if we make people work harder and longer for less. That is essentially our political opponent’s view of productivity.

    We think we’ll get productivity if we invest in people, their ability to adapt and adopt technology in a more modern economy. And so the way that our opponents think about productivity, that will never be our jam. That will never be – that’s not what we are on about.

    We are not trying to screw down people’s wages and working conditions. We think there’s a better way to go about it. But I think you’re absolutely bang on when you talk about – I think of it as the delayed gratification when it comes to productivity policy. There are some elements of economic policy where you get a bang for your buck sooner.

    Productivity is one of those things you got to chip away at and I’ve tried to point out, there’s not one thing as you rightly say, you can’t just flick one switch. If there was one switch we could flick somebody would have flicked it already to make our economy more productive. You’ve got to chip away, you’ve got to have a broader idea of productivity and you’ve got to work with people and bring people together. And that’s what we intend to do.

    Kenny:

    Let’s take a quick break and be back in a moment. Welcome back. I’m talking with Treasurer Jim Chalmers, ANU alum, among many things. Dr Chalmers, the productivity matter we were just talking about, there’s going to be this roundtable, the Prime Minister has announced, and you’ve spoken about at the Press Club as well.

    Obviously, the criticism that people will make if they want to will be another talk fest. We see these from time to time. From what I understand you’re girding against this, you’re trying to design it in ways that will mean that it has to deliver something more than kind of rhetoric and disagreement in a sense.

    Chalmers:

    Exactly right. I mean first of all I acknowledge it’s kind of unusual to have the Prime Minister and the Treasurer at the National Press Club 8 days apart but it’s deliberate. Because what we’re trying to do is in the Prime Minister’s great speech that he gave at the Press Club. And what I’m trying to do as well, is to say we’ve got a big agenda, it’s ambitious, our priority is delivering what we took to the election but we’ve got an obligation to work out what comes next.

    And the best way to do that, the tone that Anthony sets in our government is to try and do that together. And I know when you bring people together there will always be an element of people who want to say that it’s failed before it’s even happened. And it might be that people bring the same old talking points and maybe progress is hard to come by. But that’s not a reason not to have a crack at it and see where there might be common ground.

    Kenny:

    There’s an acceptance right across the board that productivity is an issue. That lifting productivity is the ticket to higher living standards and to insulating the economy as well against some of these external shocks. So it’s a good starting place, but then you get as you say, people sort of usually retreating in to certain camps defending their position and looking for gains from others.

    Chalmers:

    There might be a bit of that but let’s see how far we can get if we don’t take that approach. I think broadly people do understand it would be better if our economy was more productive, our budget more sustainable and that we are more resilient in a world that is as uncertain as it is.

    I think that is broadly understood and what I want to try to do at this roundtable is to go beyond problem ID into ideas. I want people to bring specific things and I want them to help build consensus, not just leave it to the government to build consensus.

    Kenny:

    So in other words within the framework of this round table you are looking for people to be talking to each other?

    Chalmers:

    Each other yeah.

    Kenny:

    So that the unions for example talking with employers. And together perhaps agreeing on something they can agree on, which will shift the needle as they say.

    Chalmers:

    And there are so many areas where this is so important. I mean technology, artificial intelligence is going to be a game changer in our economy.

    Kenny:

    It is for everyone right.

    Chalmers:

    Yeah and we need to work together to work out how do we get the best version of that. And so that is our hope and let’s be blunt about it, it remains to be seen how much appetite there is for that. But I think we owe it to ourselves to try to work out where there’s common ground. That’s what the round table is all about.

    People have been terrific about it in the conversations I’ve had with them so far, already there’s a heap of interest. People will be able to feed in, even if they’re not in the Cabinet room that week and so I think it’s set up to succeed, it remains to be seen whether it will.

    Kenny:

    So we’re going to be looking for the productivity of the productivity roundtable.

    Chalmers:

    That’s right, or we’ll get the Productivity Commission to measure it.

    Kenny:

    Yeah because it’s not – you can’t measure it just by butchers paper can you, and annoying‑smelling textas. It’s literally about, I mean the term people often use is concrete, but what’s substantive or concrete comes from it, and can actually result in policy changes. And you’re confident that that can actually achieve something?

    Chalmers:

    I’m confident about that. We’ve got a big agenda on productivity, even this week the Cabinet agreed some next steps. We’ve got the Productivity Commission working on a bunch of stuff. We really have everything we need to succeed except consensus and I hope that seeking consensus is not a naive undertaking. I feel cautiously confident that we can make some progress but it remains to be seen.

    Kenny:

    Consensus of course was the big word in the 1980s with Bob Hawke in particular and the summits that were held and so forth. And we know of course Kevin Rudd had his 2020 – I can’t remember what it was called exactly.

    Chalmers:

    2020 Summit I believe.

    Kenny:

    I think it was summit. This is much more, I suppose surgical in a sense.

    Chalmers:

    Deliberately. We did the Jobs and Skills Summit at the start of our government and I don’t like how that’s been caricatured, the outcomes of that. I actually think we made a lot of progress then.

    But rather than hundreds of people in the room, we will host a small group in the Cabinet room. We won’t do a lot of problem ID, the problem is broadly understood. We want people to bring their ideas. We want them to be responsible and realistic about that. We want them to see the whole chessboard when it comes to our national economy, not just their own kind of specific narrow interests.

    Kenny:

    Yeah because that’s always the frustration for governments isn’t it, it’s all very well for various interests to be pushing their position and perhaps that’s the way our economy and our society has been set up. But our governments have to try to look at the whole – as you say – chessboard, and figure out the implications of each of those moves and what it does to the whole.

    Chalmers:

    And even in budget terms, it’s very easy to call for huge tax cuts. It’s very easy to call for huge new outlays in one area or another. I don’t dismiss people who call for those things but we have to make it all add up at the end of the day. And so hopefully the kind of guidance we give people about how they approach this opportunity in the Cabinet room in the second half of August, hopefully people take that seriously. I think we will make more progress if they do.

    Kenny:

    Yeah. Now I mentioned before how you were there on election night and you were watching the events unfold. Do you think in the frame of what we have just been talking about the fact that it is such a stonking majority that the government has. And whilst it’s not impossible for the government to be turfed out at the next election, it’s not impossible but it doesn’t seem very likely to anyone who has been watching the game for a long time.

    I mean it is just, that would be such a dramatic turnaround from the current situation. I’m not asking you to comment on that particularly but what I am interested in is whether that changes the dynamic in a thing like this productivity roundtable and in the way generally people are looking at things. There’s a sort of a, I think a level of predictability, about who it is that these interests groups will be dealing with for this term and probably the next. Is that an opportunity for everyone?

    Chalmers:

    First of all, I don’t believe that a third term is assured. I don’t think those assurances –

    Kenny:

    I know you have to say it and I agree.

    Chalmers:

    No, no I believe it. There’s no assurances in politics. There’s no assurances in politics. I do think that there is a sense of relief that the election’s resolved and resolved decisively. I do think that there’s an element of that in the broader community and in the stakeholders I deal with. A little bit of an element of predictability in a very unpredictable world to join up where we began this conversation. So there is, I think that.

    For us, you mentioned sitting on the set on election night. The kind of 3 stages I progressed through were firstly surprise, secondly relief. An overwhelming sense of relief. And then thirdly most importantly a sense of gratitude and the reason I mentioned that sense of gratitude is because whether this government has 3 more years to live or 6 more years to live, I am more determined than I’ve ever been to make the most of the opportunity.

    Because when you think about where we were at at the end of 2024, it was conceivable that we could lose the election and the clarifying impact of that when you think about the clock is ticking on all of us. The clarifying impact of what could have been a close run thing but turned out to be a decisive thing. Surprised, relieved and grateful and determined to make the most of this opportunity for however long it lasts.

    Kenny:

    James McGrath, who you were on with, seemed to be moving through those stages slightly more slowly. His weren’t identical stages, they were the opposite I suppose. But he took some time it seemed to me to accept what the numbers were saying. But nonetheless as you say it was a very dramatic night. Just dwelling on that for a moment, how did you feel or how do you feel now reflecting on the sort of brutality of the way your fellow Queenslander Peter Dutton was ejected from politics altogether in that process? There’s a finality about it.

    Chalmers:

    First of all, on James, I genuinely felt for James. We’ve lost our share of national elections too and it’s just, it dawns on you at some point that you’ve got to do opposition for another 3 years and it’s a horrendous –

    Kenny:

    Slog.

    Chalmers:

    So I respect James and I felt for him sitting next to him, and it was a rugged night for him. Yeah, the brutality of 2 leaders of 2 of the 4 biggest parties in the parliament hit the fence on election night. That’s an extraordinary thing. And a brutal thing.

    The thing you will notice, I hope you notice, is I don’t dance on anyone’s political grave. I think politics is tough enough as it is when you’re in it that you shouldn’t dump on people when they’re out of it. And there’s a psychological thing about your own local community telling you they don’t want you anymore, I can only imagine that that is especially rugged for him. But I don’t want to dance on his political grave.

    I hope he doesn’t mind me saying that I’ve been in touch with him since he lost. We had a friendly exchange. He played politics as hard as anyone, if not harder than most. And so we acknowledge that too but I genuinely wish him well and his family. Politics is hard yards for everyone and to be disposed of with that level of brutality I can only imagine is really tough.

    Kenny:

    Yeah. I think it should be said that people who dealt with him, with Peter Dutton at a personal level, his colleagues. And he was popular at a personal level because there was a warmth about him and I’ve certainly said this in things I’ve written in the past as well. He was as you say, a very hard political player but he wasn’t like some other leaders that I won’t mention that weren’t particularly popular with their colleagues. Nonetheless, an extraordinarily badly‑designed campaign, it’s just unbelievable.

    Look in the brief amount of time we’ve got left, can I explore this idea that the Prime Minister has used a bit and you’ve used in your speech as well, made reference to this idea of progressive patriotism. I’m quite fascinated by this. I think the idea that the political right has had a mortgage on patriotism in the past I think is wrong. But it’s an ill‑defined concept at least or it’s a work in progress. How would you frame it?

    Chalmers:

    First of all you’re being characteristically humble, Mark, in not pointing out to all of your listeners that you have been grappling with, publicly, with some of these concepts for some time. I have listened to you and read you with interest in the past about this concept about patriotism. And really what Anthony is talking about when he talks about progressive patriotism is this sense that we can have Australian answers to these very difficult global questions.

    His progressive patriotism is really about Australian exceptionalism. It’s about the fact that we’ve built together, not just governments, but as a country, we’ve built together Medicare and superannuation, and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and all these sorts of things, which around the world other countries envy.

    And so a sense of patriotism which is progressive, which is exceptional and what I try to say in my contribution to this in tipping my hat to him. And this idea that he has prosecuted, is it’s also very pragmatic, it’s very practical. It’s not especially ideological. It’s progressive in the sense that it’s about being more inclusive, looking to the future not just to the past. But it’s practical, it’s pragmatic, it’s about problem solving. That’s what we intend to bring to this reform task in the second term.

    Kenny:

    Yeah so things like the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme, universal health insurance, Medicare, that sort of roped in to this, right. I guess what I’m trying to get at is what’s beyond what we already do and know, what’s the use of the term if it is just to describe in a sense what we already do?

    Chalmers:

    I think it’s about recognising this huge opportunity that Australia has because of the progress we’ve made together, because of the way that we think about ourselves and each other. The responsibilities that we have to each other, we don’t believe in this kind of scorched‑earth view of the world that says when the world economy is going berserk it’s everyone for themselves.

    And so I think that’s central to it, that’s the progressive part of it, this sense that we’re all in it together at the worst times and in the worst crises. And also a sense of confidence and optimism that despite everything that’s coming at us from around the world we have it within us to respond effectively, not just to play defence, not just to play off the back foot, but to make this work for us. And that’s the mindset that we all need to have.

    Four shocks in 2 decades, all of this churn and change in the world, a lot of progress we’ve made as Australians. A lot to be proud of, but a lot that we need to do together and we have everything we need, as I said before, except this sense of consensus about the way forward and if Anthony’s second term is to be anything it’s about the search for that.

    Kenny:

    One of the things that’s really challenged the consensus, this will probably be the last question here, but one of the things that’s challenged that consensus, probably the most dramatic challenge to any sort of political consensus over the last 15 years or so has been the argument over climate change. It has just been so divisive and so unproductive to go back to a theme we have been talking about before. Just the amount of time that’s been wasted and policy reversals and division and so forth.

    You’ve studied, I mean you wrote your PhD about Paul Keating’s period you’ve thought about this a lot, right. The idea of the great reform era of the ‘80s and ‘90s, the things that have been done there. Most of those things of course as is well known can’t be done again, they don’t need to be done again.

    But the big reform question now it seems to me and I’m interested in your thoughts about this is decarbonisation of the economy. It’s the transition. We often hear that you shouldn’t waste a crisis. I guess you could also say you shouldn’t waste a huge majority, right. Is this a mandate to accelerate the process of Australia’s economic transition because that’s about resilience as well isn’t it?

    Chalmers:

    The energy transformation is a big part of our reform agenda, and we come at that with ambition not because we’ve got a big majority but because we’ve got a big responsibility. And we do have a big opportunity to be again as the whole world’s energy sources transform and transition, Australia’s got a really compelling role to play in that. I’m excited about our critical minerals, I’m excited about our human capital base, our renewables sector.

    And so I think one of the reasons why we’ve been, I say we, charitably, why the kind of ideology of the extremes on climate change has dominated the conversation. But in the investor communities I knock around in, this is not seen as an especially ideological thing. This is seen as to be about the future of our economy. The future of our industrial base, how we attract and deploy capital more efficiently. This is a very mainstream idea apart from the ideological extremes of X and social media.

    Kenny:

    We understand that Sussan Ley is reviewing all policies and one of those policies it turns out is apparently, is the commitment to net zero. Or at least that’s what a number of people are urging the Coalition to do, is to walk away from commitment to net zero by 2050. What’s your feeling about that?

    Chalmers:

    I think if they walked away it would show they haven’t learnt anything from the last couple of elections. And it feels like from my distance I’m not an expert on the internals of the Liberal and National parties, but it feels like they are setting themselves up for a big barney on this.

    And that’s not good for the way we think about our economy, the way we think about attracting capital and investment, the way we think about certainty in our economy, that would be a bad thing. First of all, if they spent the next 3 years fighting about this but also if they walked away from something that most sane people see as a sensible way to go for an economy like ours.

    Kenny:

    Jim, thanks so much for coming on Democracy Sausage again, for being back here on your old alma mater, the campus of ANU. It’s been a great pleasure talking to you and we’ll look forward to doing so again at some point.

    Chalmers:

    I really enjoyed being back, Mark, and having another great chat, thanks so much.

    Kenny:

    That’s Democracy Sausage for this week. Until next week bye for now.

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Interview with Isabella Higgins, AM, ABC Radio

    Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

    Isabella Higgins:

    Treasurer Jim Chalmers has outlined his ambition to implement bold tax reforms. In a major speech, he declared he didn’t want to engage in a rule‑in‑rule‑out game. He says everything is on the table ahead of a key economic roundtable in August. He joined me a short time ago.

    Treasurer, this conflict has already had some global financial impacts. In your view, what level of economic threat does this conflict pose?

    Jim Chalmers:

    The big risk here is obviously oil prices. We saw a big spike on Friday in the price of oil. That has implications for Australians at the petrol bowser. And there’s a lot of concern about what it might mean not just for inflation, as important as that is, but also global growth. If you look at the US Fed, which met overnight to determine the course of interest rates, they left their interest rates on hold for now. They want to see how that uncertainty plays out. But they did revise down their expectations for growth in the American economy. They did revise up their expectations for inflation and unemployment.

    I think that’s a bit of a hint of the potential consequences of what we’re seeing in the Middle East. As I said before, it’s a really dangerous time on the ground in the Middle East, but also a dangerous time for the global economy. And I think a lot of people, including us, are alive to those risks. So, I get briefed daily on the consequences for our economy and the global economy from what we’re seeing in the Middle East.

    Higgins:

    Well, Treasurer, it’s your job in this uncertain times that you would like to, as you say, have a plan for major tax reform highlighted in a major speech yesterday saying that an economic reform roundtable in August is a key moment to shape what that might look like. You’ve said you don’t want to engage in a game of rule‑in‑rule‑out, but do you expect robust reforms can be implemented in this term of parliament?

    Chalmers:

    I think so. And the point that we’re making, the reason we’re gathering this reform roundtable, is because the best defence against all this global economic uncertainty is a more productive economy, a more sustainable budget and more resilience in the face of what’s happening around the world. It’s the best way to lift living standards and create more opportunities in our economy and in our society. So we’re bringing people together – our belief, the Prime Minister’s belief, and right through the government is the best way to make progress is together. That’s what this reform roundtable is all about. It’s a smaller group, it’s got a targeted agenda. It’s all about how we try and build some consensus around our major economic challenges.

    We expect, we anticipate, we welcome the fact that people will have a whole range of views about the best way to go about that. Our job and the job of the reform roundtable is to see where there might be some common ground. We already have a big economic reform agenda. We’re already making progress in our economy. We’ve made big progress in our Budget. And this is about how we consider next steps in a consultative and a collaborative way.

    Higgins:

    But truly robust change, do they not need electoral mandate, major reforms? If we think, the GST John Howard took that to the election, are you nervous about taking major reform to the public when they haven’t been before the election?

    Chalmers:

    When I was asked about this at the National Press Club my point then, and the point that I would make again today, is that we would decide the sequencing and the timing of any changes depending on what the nature of those changes are. We don’t want to pre‑empt the conversation at the reform roundtable. People will bring big ideas. It will be an opportunity to see if we can build some consensus. And once we know the sorts of directions that people want us to pick up and run with, that would be the appropriate time to work out the sequencing of it.

    It may be that there are some things that come out of the roundtable which could be implemented relatively quickly. We don’t know yet. And so let’s see what people bring to the table. I’ve been so encouraged by the spirit with which people are approaching this opportunity, and I don’t want to artificially limit that or narrow that by ruling things in, ruling things out or thinking about sequencing before we’ve got all the ideas on the table.

    Higgins:

    But Treasurer, just how willing would you be to compromise on some of these plans? For example, the superannuation tax reforms. The Coalition doesn’t look likely to support that. Are you willing to work with the Greens?

    Chalmers:

    We’ve said that we’ll do our best to get it through the Senate. And that necessarily involves conversations with the Greens. I think that’s self‑evident. The opposition is opposed to that change. And the roundtable is about working on the –

    Higgins:

    – on the superannuation, are you willing to meet the Greens on the lowered threshold of $2 million instead of $3 million, and those changes to indexation rules?

    Chalmers:

    I thought you meant am I prepared to meet with the Greens, which I will. But in terms of the proposals they’ve put on the table, our preference and our expectation is that we legislate what we took to the people and what we announced more than 2 years ago. But I will respectfully engage with the Greens and with others in the Senate to pass this legislation. We did announce this policy almost 2 and a half years ago. There has been an election in between, and we’ll have the necessary conversations to try and see it passed.

    Higgins:

    Treasurer Jim Chalmers, thanks very much for joining us on AM.

    Chalmers:

    Thanks, Isabella.

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bersama Warrior 2025 Kicks Off with Opening Ceremony, Strengthening U.S.-Malaysia Defense Ties

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    KUANTAN (TANJONG GELANG), Malaysia — The 11th annual Bersama Warrior exercise began with an opening ceremony on June 17 with keynote addresses from Malaysian Lt. Gen. Dato’ Zahani Bin Hj Zainal Abidin and U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Michael Ake in Kuantan, Malaysia.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI Security: Bersama Warrior 2025 Kicks Off with Opening Ceremony, Strengthening U.S.-Malaysia Defense Ties

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    KUANTAN (TANJONG GELANG), Malaysia — The 11th annual Bersama Warrior exercise began with an opening ceremony on June 17 with keynote addresses from Malaysian Lt. Gen. Dato’ Zahani Bin Hj Zainal Abidin and U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Michael Ake in Kuantan, Malaysia.

    MIL Security OSI