NewzIntel.com

Category: Asia Pacific

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Classroom creativity inspires

    Source: Reserve Bank of Australia

    12 May 2025

    Challenging classrooms are producing fresh ideas as the new school year gets underway for the four teachers we will follow throughout 2025.

    Lilly Maynard

    Year 5–6 teacher, Ulverstone Primary School, Tasmania

    Year 5–6 teacher
    Ulverstone Primary School, Tasmania

    For Lilly Maynard, now in her second year as a graduate teacher at Ulverstone Primary School on Tasmania’s northwest coast, additional funding would be transformative.

    Teaching a Year 5 to 6 class, Maynard says the school’s resources, particularly in technology, fall short of meeting student needs.

    “We have one device for every two to three students,” she says. “I’d love to see one-to-one devices because, by the time they reach Year 5 or 6, many students still don’t know basic technology skills like saving a document or changing fonts.”

    To bridge this gap, Maynard and other Year 5 and 6 teachers are rolling out a new technology unit in 2025 to cover foundational skills for Microsoft Word, Teams and Canva.

    Funding impacts more than technology. She reflects on the benefits of having extra teacher aides in the classroom.

    “Last year, I had a Year 6 student who struggled academically. With the limited aide time we had, we focused on intensive small-group work, going back to sentence structure and the elements of narrative writing,” she says.

    “Having more support would mean not only helping those who are struggling but also extending students who are ready to be challenged.”

    A legacy of safety

    Maynard was inspired to teach by her kindergarten teacher, whom she describes as creating a caring and safe presence for students: “I’ve always wanted to be that person for others.”

    This aspiration now shapes her classroom priorities, in which building resilience and fostering a safe learning environment are central. “We do a lot of social and emotional learning activities, teaching students how to handle conflicts or deal with challenges,” she says. “It’s amazing to watch them start resolving small issues on their own.”

    A one-year part-time paid teaching internship, which she completed in the last year of her university studies, helped her segue into teaching.

    Learning on Sea Country

    Maynard’s school’s connection to its local environment is a highlight. Late last year, about one third of Ulverstone’s 380 students participated in the education department’s Sea Country program, which integrates Palawa perspectives into learning.

    “We did pre-teaching activities about what Sea Country means and, on the excursion, it was incredible to see students reflecting on the land’s historical and cultural significance.”

    This year, Maynard aims to continue refining her skills and exploring innovative assessment techniques. “I want to build on my trials of formative assessments like exit tickets I had success with last year.”

    “My goal as a teacher is to nurture curiosity, foster creativity, and instil a lifelong love of learning.”

    With additional funding, Maynard says these aspirations could become a reality for every student in her class.12 May 2025

    Challenging classrooms are producing fresh ideas as the new school year gets underway for the four teachers we will follow throughout 2025.

    Bry Knife

    English teacher, Mabel Park State High School, Logan, QLD

    Homeschool to high school

    Bry Knife’s teaching career reflects education’s evolving landscape, where personal experience and advocacy play vital roles in meeting the diverse needs of today’s classrooms.

    Knife’s school days were outside of the mainstream experience. The child of a missionary and pastor, Knife was home-schooled in Ethiopia from Years 3 to 10.

    “Because I didn’t have a traditional education, I feel I can relate to the diversity of students at my school,” says Knife.

    Studying at his own speed through homeschooling taught them that “everyone works at their own pace”. For Knife, that means embracing organisational strategies such as using a bullet journal and medication to manage ADHD.

    Knife identifies as a non-binary, trans-masculine teacher. He prefers to use a combination of pronouns – he/him and they/them – to reflect his identity and experience of gender.

    At university, Knife found themself “figuring out that I was queer in a very conservative space”. He completed an accelerated liberal arts bachelor’s and teaching master’s degrees in four-and-a-half years. After graduating, Knife was guaranteed permanency through the Teacher Education Centre of Excellence Program.

    Embracing diversity

    This year marks Knife’s fifth as a teacher. He joined Mabel Park High just over two years ago. The school has almost 1800 students and can be “complex”, says Knife, particularly with behaviour management issues. In 2025, Knife expects to continue teaching English to students in Years 7 to 12.

    “My identity wasn’t as supported early in my teaching career,” Knife says. “Now, I’m much more myself. I’m supported and even celebrated, such as on Wear It Purple Day. I can project a steadiness to my students, who won’t feel safe or comfortable if the adult in the room is anxious and jittery.”

    Knife credits the Queensland Teachers’ Union with the support provided to facilitate their transfer. Knife now holds multiple union roles, including QTU activist and Pride Committee member, and has helped advocate for solutions to address the teacher shortage.

    “Offering permanency is no longer an incentive because the shortage makes that easy to get,” Knife says.

    Bridging gaps

    Proper funding for resources remains a major challenge, particularly as Mabel Park High works to “close the digital divide”.

    “There are Year 7 students at my school who don’t know how to use computers, research on the internet, or type up an assessment. As we roll out a bring-your-own device program, we’re finding that many parents can’t afford computers and don’t have one at home. More funding would bridge that gap,” he says.

    Lottie Smith

    Year 7–10 teacher, Centre of Deaf Education, Adelaide, SA

    Lottie Smith still feels pride over a student’s achievement in her first year of teaching.

    The Year 8 student, who is deaf and has an intellectual disability, won the speech contest on the theme “black, loud and proud” during Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Reconciliation Week.

    Smith, who teaches a Year 7 to 10 class at Avenues College in Adelaide, thought of the student as soon as she heard about the contest.

    “I sat with him and broke down the question, and we worked out a speech in sign language and practised it,” she says.

    “On the day, I stood in front of him holding big cue cards. He used sign language, and an interpreter voiced his words.”

    Smith grows emotional recalling the moment: “He did this in front of the Aboriginal Youth Commissioner, a panel of Elders, and young people. His competitors, the other contestants, used a microphone.”

    Support that’s needed

    The achievement highlights Smith’s dedication and one-on-one coaching. She teaches four other students who are deaf or hard of hearing and have complex additional needs such as autism or intellectual disabilities. Smith works with the support of one Student Learning Support Officer (SLSO).

    “Extra funding would mean more support staff,” she says. “One-on-one support is critical for meeting the needs of our complex student cohort.”

    Smith also believes in upskilling SLSOs, who often work closely with the students with the highest needs. “SLSOs have limited access to professional training, and that needs to change,” she says.

    Out-of-pocket costs

    Smith is grateful for a partial subsidy she received to pursue Certificates II and III in Auslan, a prerequisite for her master’s degree in teaching hearing-impaired students. However, the financial burden of further qualifications has been significant.

    “The government offers a scholarship for one unit per semester of the Auslan course, which means doing it part-time,” she says. “But I studied my master’s full-time alongside Auslan, so I was automatically out-of-pocket by a few thousand dollars, but only just found out I could have applied for a scholarship.”

    The lack of funding support is unfair and unethical, says Smith.

    “I went out of my way to gain these qualifications, adding to my HECS debt for a hard-to-fill role,” she says.

    Last year Smith was awarded SA Early Career Educator of the Year 2024 on World Teachers Day in recognition of her work with Australian Association of Teachers of the Deaf (SA).

    Smith says developing her students’ Auslan and English language skills drives her.

    “I look forward to continuing celebrating my students’ small wins that contribute to their confidence, skills and independence.”

    Amelia Evans

    Physical education and science teacher, University of Canberra High School Kaleen, ACT

    The opportunity to take on leadership roles and make a positive community impact drew ACT teacher Amelia Evans into teaching.

    Recalling her school days, the sixth-generation teacher says: “I didn’t always love school, but I enjoyed the positive relationships I had with my PE teachers, making school a bit more fun every day.”

    After Year 12, Evans completed a year in the Royal Australian Navy, “squirrelling away my pay” before starting her teaching degree.

    Despite juggling multiple jobs, she finished her degree in three years instead of four, without a scholarship.

    Inclusive PE

    Now in her third year of high-school physical education teaching at the University of Canberra High School Kaleen, Evans faces ongoing challenges.

    “In each class, I have 30 young people with diverse abilities and needs, but we’re all working towards the same goal: ensuring everyone can succeed,” she says.

    For example, last year, she adapted PE lessons so a blind student who loves to run could participate.

    “We’d go out onto the oval and play ‘tips’. I got a whole class set of little bells for the other students to wear, so she knows they’re about to try to tag her.”

    Funding wish list

    Evans says more funding would improve equipment, facilities, and accessibility for schools like hers.

    “Some of the gear only lasts a term. Things get thrown on the roof, then you put a fragile badminton racket in the hands of a 13-year-old who’s never used one before – one will break every couple of lessons.”

    Boosting funding would also mean “extra hands to create tasks to help students who need differentiated learning”.

    Limited facilities remain a problem, too.

    “Our school ovals aren’t good enough for PE, so we use the public ovals 500 metres away, which takes more of our teaching time,” she says.

    Wet weather brings further challenges, with up to six PE classes crammed into a gym designed for two.

    Despite these hurdles, Evans’ dedication hasn’t gone unnoticed. She was nominated for an ACT teaching award last year for co-founding a Year 8 and 9 girls’ empowerment group. About 20 students attend twice-weekly sessions, which include lunch, music, and resilience-building activities.

    “A parent has twice run workshops on saying ‘no’ – what to do if you’re approached in the street – and how to walk and look tougher than you feel,” Evans says.

    Last year, she co-ordinated the transition of Year 6 students into high school. Additionally, she is studying a Certificate IV in mental health at her own expense to upskill in wellbeing support.

    “It will help me have an input in decision-making for the benefit of all students and staff. I want to help lead my school in a positive direction,” Evans says.

    By Margaret Paton

    This article was originally published in the Australian Educator, Autumn 2024

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Paid to learn

    Source: Reserve Bank of Australia

    12 May 2025

    The Skills Shortage and the Teaching Gap

    The skills shortage gripping Australia’s workforce is a vicious cycle. Vocational education is essential to train workers to fill these gaps, but there’s also a shortage of qualified TAFE teachers – who are struggling under high workloads to meet this essential demand.

    To close that skills gap, and avoid losing current staff to burnout, the VET sector desperately needs more industry-qualified teachers. But like other Australian employers, TAFE must hire from the same limited pool of skilled tradespeople and professionals.

    From Industry to the Classroom

    Ten years ago, trade-qualified carpenter Steve Cole turned down a TAFE teaching job because “business was booming” and he had contract commitments. At the time, Cole was keen to share his 30 years’ knowledge of the construction industry, but as the boss of a busy company he felt he couldn’t walk away.

    Still, teaching stayed in Cole’s mind.
    “I was training people on-the-job and I felt that there were things that I had to give,” he says. Looking ahead to the final act of his career, he liked the idea of “a full circle back to where I started. I had fond memories of TAFE in the ’70s studying carpentry and construction”.

    Teaching is an intellectually challenging job that offers great work/life/family balance without the physical demands of industry labour.
    “I know as a 62-year-old electrician that I wouldn’t be up crawling around in roofs or out digging ditches,” says Phil Chadwick, NSW Teachers Federation TAFE lead organiser.

    Enter: Paid to Learn

    To lure mid-career and senior professionals such as Cole, “TAFE NSW had to be a little bit creative in the way that they recruited teachers to encourage people to get off the tools [and] pick up the whiteboard marker,” Chadwick says,

    It developed a program that’s unique to NSW: Paid to Learn.

    Learning to Teach

    There are three prerequisites to become a VET teacher: a nationally recognised qualification in the discipline in which you want to teach, between three and five years of industry experience, and a Certificate IV in Training and Assessment (TAE).

    “One of the bigger barriers in attracting tradespeople and professionals out of the jobs that they do is gaining that minimum teaching qualification, the TAE Cert IV,” Chadwick says.

    While the TAE course is fee-exempt under the Free TAFE joint government initiative, it still demands six months of full-time study, or 12 months part-time. To a busy professional, that’s a long time without their usual income.

    Even juggling part-time coursework with an industry job is tough, as worksite demands compete with the routine and discipline of study. “I wouldn’t advise that,” says Cole.

    Early in 2024, he was browsing the ‘I Work for NSW’ public-sector jobs website when he spotted a Paid to Learn carpentry teaching job at Meadowbank TAFE. For Cole, the chief attraction was financial: “I’ve still got bills to pay, a mortgage to pay, and I could learn on the job and be paid a reasonable salary instead of closing my business, having no income and doing it that way.”

    Paid to Learn allowed Cole to start working at Meadowbank straight away – with full teaching salary, plus superannuation, leave and other benefits – while refreshing his 11-year-old TAE qualification through an intensive course of 14 weeks.

    “Basically from day one, they’re in the classroom teaching,” Chadwick says. TAFE students benefit from their new teachers’ industry currency, as effectively six weeks earlier, they were on the tools.

    To soften the impact of hitting the ground running, Paid to Learn also pairs trainee teachers with mentors and supervisors, whose tailored, wraparound support sets them up to succeed.

    “I think that’s invaluable,” Cole says now, a year into his new career. “The TAE teaching staff are extremely supportive if you allow them to support you.”

    How It Works

    “Most of our members that go into the program are employed as permanent full-time or temporary full-time employees,” Chadwick says. “It’s a bit like an apprenticeship or a traineeship, where a person starts the job and then they’re released from work to attend TAFE.”

    Cole spent three full days per week in TAE classes at Mt Druitt TAFE, then two days at Meadowbank, shadowing a more experienced teacher. Trade skills teaching has improved since his apprentice days. “It’s a lot more hands-on,” he reflects. “That hands-on approach, theory taught within practical, I think works well for the student cohort that we have.”

    Paid to Learn prioritises industries targeted by the NSW skills shortage list: trades such as electrical, carpentry, plumbing, automotive and engineering, and metal fabrication, plus in-demand fields such as community services, aged care and community health.

    “In our class, we had two electricians,” says Cole; “I’m a carpenter. We had two cabinetmaker-joiners and we had a fellow from aerospace who trains aeroplane mechanics and service technicians.”

    TAFE NSW uses Paid to Learn as an incentive to attract staff to campuses with the most acute needs. “[Teachers] can be recruited based on their trade or profession, but they can also be recruited to a specific location in the state, and that’s what sets the priority,” says Chadwick.

    The program was piloted from August to November 2022 in Western Sydney, which is in a construction and energy boom. “So that’s typically why there’s a lot of carpenters, electricians and plumbers in it,” Chadwick says. The next cohort of 47 new teachers start their jobs in March 2025.

    Putting Learning Into Practice

    The TAE Certificate IV can be academically demanding for trade-qualified professionals, especially if it’s been a while since they were in a classroom.

    Though Cole already knew his trade inside out, the TAE course handed him a different toolbox: “teaching methodology and classroom management, and building up effective relationships with the student cohort.”

    “[It was a] very steep learning curve for me,” Cole recalls, but he’s relished the challenge. “I learn something new every single day, and I learn things about myself.”

    He uses the term “reflective journey” – which he calls “a TAFE-ism” – to describe the introspective, analytical skills he honed during Paid to Learn. “I’ve certainly learned a lot about other people.”

    He was particularly impressed by his specialist TAE teacher, “and the lengths she went through to not cut corners at all, but to build our skills up to the level where we pass with confidence.” And he could immediately practise what he’d just learned: “That’s how I teach now, using her as an example.”

    He also bonded with the other trainee teachers in his class.

    “We’ve socialised since, got together for Christmas drinks and so forth, and talked about our experiences,” he says.

    Chadwick says Paid to Learn’s cohort-based approach boosts trainee teachers’ engagement in their studies, and their completion rates, compared to those undertaking the TAE alone.

    “The collaborative effort between the students helps each other,” he says.

    The Rewards

    Of 287 participants in Paid to Learn’s first year, 278 are still teaching – a 97 per cent retention rate.

    A full-time TAFE NSW teacher can earn $88,842 to $105,362, depending on their work history. Chadwick concedes industry pay can be higher, “but it’s not the money that they come for, it’s the conditions.”

    After an interim review of NSW’s VET system found only 48 per cent of TAFE NSW educators were employed permanently, “it’s a really big improvement that TAFE are taking these people on in secure jobs rather than in casual jobs,” Chadwick says.

    They’ll also benefit from the newly negotiated TAFE Commission of NSW Teachers and Related Employees enterprise agreement, which will boost the top salary to around $120,000 by 2027.

    Compared to teaching, “running your own business is quite an onerous task – a lot longer hours per week,” says Cole.

    Now his kids are adults, he’s happy to trade off the flexibility and control of self-employment for more relaxed work.

    Cole was also surprised by how much he appreciated the camaraderie of teaching.

    “I was the top dog in my business; that’s a little bit isolating in some ways, and now I’m working closely with people of equal standing within the TAFE hierarchy,” he says. “To feel like I am part of a team, for me, has been a real positive.”

    Chadwick says Paid to Learn “is not a magic bullet. On its own, it is not a solution. But it’s definitely a step in the right direction.”

    It represents a welcome investment in an education sector whose funding has been volatile and politicised.

    Cole, meanwhile, heartily recommends Paid to Learn to other NSW industry professionals contemplating a career change.

    “The rewards from teaching aren’t really talked about enough,” he enthuses.

    “The regard with which students hold us is something of an honour, really. We’re seen as mentors and people to be trusted, and guides. That’s a lovely position to be in. It makes me feel really good about myself.”

    Article by Mel Campbell

    This article was originally published in The Australian TAFE Teacher, Autumn 2025

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Keeping the engines running

    Source: Reserve Bank of Australia

    20 May 2025

    TAFE NSW Ultimo in the heart of central Sydney delivers the state’s only Marine Mechanical Cert III alongside qualifications in marine engineering, in a purpose-built onsite marine craft construction education facility.
    The Ultimo campus, originally opened in 1891 as the new home of Sydney Technical College on the lands of the Gadigal People of the Eora Nation and represents New South Wales’ first government owned and built vocational education facility. Today its NSW’s largest TAFE campus consisting of heritage buildings from the 1890s with newer buildings built through the 20th century to support expanding educational offerings and the growing number of students. The campus encompasses structures including the former Technological Museum (1893), Turner Hall (1892) and Commercial High School (1892), and the separate George Street-located Marcus Clark Building (1913), which was acquired in 1966.It seems fitting that mechanics remains an important offering on campus, considering Sydney Technical College was initially established in 1878 as a partnership between the Sydney Mechanics’ School of Arts, the Trades and Labor Council of New South Wales, the Engineering Association of New South Wales Trades, and supported by government. When the government decided to fully fund the college in 1883, it became the birthplace of TAFE as we now know it – a statewide system of technical education. Today TAFE NSW continues its public vocational education mission. When visiting the Ultimo campus in February, NSW minister for Skills, TAFE and Tertiary Education Steve Whan said: “The maritime industry is crucial to our economy and TAFE NSW plays an important role in ensuring the next generation of seafarers and mechanics have the skills to succeed.”

    Navigating the Waves

    Simon Rodgers is acting head teacher, Mechanics at TAFE NSW Ultimo. He looks after marine mechanics, motorcycles and auto electrical and is the first marine mechanic to head the department. Rodgers has been teaching at TAFE NSW for 20 years and began his career as a marine mechanic apprentice, learning at TAFE NSW alongside automotive apprentices as the marine mechanic qualification wasn’t yet available. “I grew up on a farm, so we were just into motorcycles and boats and tractors and things like but when I started my apprenticeship, that’s when my formal training started,” he says. “When I was at school, I loved mechanics and a lot of my friends were getting into automotive and I saw that as there was so many people doing it that I didn’t want to do it, I wanted to do something unique and I was lucky enough to secure a marine apprenticeship.” “I started my apprenticeship as a marine mechanic in 1988 and worked with that company for just under 10 years. [Then] I had an opportunity to start my own business.” After 10 years running his business, one of his boating industry representatives mentioned a TAFE NSW teaching role and he decided to look into it and found it offered him the flexibility to spend more time with his young family. After 10 years running his business, one of his boating industry representatives mentioned a TAFE NSW teaching role and he decided to look into it and found it offered him the flexibility to spend more time with his young family. He went through the TAFE NSW teacher training program at the time, where he taught at TAFE on a reduced program and went to university to earn a BA in Adult Education: “Working in industry with your hands for 15–20 years and then having to go and sit in a classroom and write essays, it was very difficult, but what I have noticed is the teaching skill set that I gained through that process has benefited me.” He hasn’t looked back, discovering he truly loved being a TAFE teacher. “My philosophy is that I don’t try and drag them up to where I’m at with my experience is, I let them know that the only difference between the students and myself is time in the saddle,” he says. “So I like to get down to their level, interact with them and just teach them stuff. “Probably my best teacher was my stepfather and he always explained to me, it doesn’t matter how much you learn or whatever you do, if you don’t pass it on it gets lost. I’ve got to pass the baton on.”

    Passing the Baton

    Marine mechanics has been offered at Ultimo since 1997 when the marine specialist facility opened. “We get to concentrate on three main things in our qualification: engines, electrical and propulsion systems and we probably do more than most other disciplines around those three topics,” he says. “Our qualification is incredibly diverse. We’ve got specialist teachers that represent most of the industry – we all have unique skill sets and we program those skill sets around the subjects to best suit the apprentices.” “We’ve been able to restructure the course delivery in Stage Three to run two separate streams so that we can have the heavy diesel people concentrating on their discipline and the petrol people concentrating on theirs.” “You can engage any employer, any engine manufacturer and they really respect what we do at TAFE and how we train our apprentices.” “There are apprentices who have sat in our classroom who now work for engine manufacturers, we’ve had apprentices travel throughout Europe working on superyachts and many of the students that we’ve taught in the past are now running their own business and sending their own apprentices here.” “It’s a very family style of business, very generational, we’ve got one current employer who’s got his third child coming through.”

    Family Legacies

    That third child is the younger brother of Michaela Douglas who recently completed her Marine Mechanical Technology apprenticeship at TAFE NSW Ultimo last year, before winning the Boating Industry Association’s Apprentice of the Year award. “I am a third-generation qualified marine mechanic,” says Douglas. “I work for my family’s business Douglas Marine; and we’re based on Pittwater out of the Royal Prince Alfred Yacht Club. My grandparents started the company, then my dad and his brother worked in the business, and now me and my two brothers are in the business and my sister was also working in the office while she was at uni.” “The teachers, they’re great. If you put the effort in, they will put double the effort in, they really want to help you.” “They have really good facilities. They start in the morning teaching you the theory. And then you’d go into the workshop and actually pull apart whatever you’re learning about… and learn how to put them back together.”

    Lifelong Learning

    Following the completion of her Cert III, on the recommendation of her teacher Simon Rodgers, TAFE NSW nominated Douglas for Boating Industry Australia’s Apprentice of the Year award. She won both the NSW and Australia wide Apprentice of the Year. Now fully qualified, she’s loving her work, especially the variety it offers: “I enjoy explaining to someone why [what I’ve done is] important… it’s always different.” Douglas is now studying Automotive Electrical Technologies to support her marine mechanic work.

    Building and Sharing Knowledge

    TAFE NSW marine construction teacher Robert Reid is a shipwright by trade and has been teaching full time at Ultimo since 2018. “I kind of needed to share,” he says of his transition from industry to teaching. “Thinking back, as a kid sailing, I was kind of always instructing… and as a foreman at work, I was showing others how to do things.” Reid says TAFE is about more than technical instruction: “TAFE is about access, support, and being able to come in and learn all the [skills] and the mechanics behind the visual.”

    Nurturing Initiative

    “When things start to click for them, things they couldn’t do before… when they’ve brought in their own initiative.” “There’s close ties to industry… the apprentice’s bosses came through TAFE and they want the same skills demonstrated.” “We’ve been able to tie in Cert IV from this year, which is set up for fabrication and welding units and for bidding for contracts.”

    Smoother Sailing

    Maddison Webb-Leck, Certificate III in Marine Craft Construction Stage 1 Student of the Year, is a shipwright apprentice and Wiradjuri woman. She found her passion through hands-on TAFE learning and help from her uncles: “I watched [my boss] put a transom in and lay it up a bit and I was like, oh, this is kind of cool.” She especially enjoys fibre glassing and being on the water: “The guys are stronger in woodwork, but you put me in a glass room and I pretty much overtake them all,” she laughs.

    Putting in the work

    Webb-Leck says the approach of seeing and then doing at TAFE suits her style of learning: “I can’t just be told on how to do it. I have to watch it a bit and then I can replicate it.” She applies the same philosophy to her work: “There’s only the three of us at my work, so I have to do a lot of my own jobs. I’ll get shown how to do it and then I’m on that, as a small business we’ve got a lot of business to get through.” Webb-Leck’s work includes the gamut of repairs and building of marine craft, but her favourite part is glassing – working with fibreglass. “I do a lot of fibreglass work, so then when I come to TAFE, it’s a bit of a struggle because it’s all woodwork, but we do a lot of rebuild and repairs at work, so that helps me a lot. “The guys are stronger in woodwork, but you put me in a glass room and I pretty much overtake them all,” she laughs. It’s those skills and her work ethic that put her in contention for the Student of the Year award. “So many people in the class were like ‘you got it because you’re a girl’, but I’m good at what I do. I’ve come so far and I’m more trained than most people my age,” she says. “My folks, they’re actually really proud. Everyone’s really proud. It’s a lot of pressure on me, but it’s good to have pressure, because there’s been a few rough days and rough weeks where I’ve thought about leaving just because it’s rough but I pulled through. I start thinking about that and I’m just like, whoa, I’ve come this far, there’s so much riding on it. Those days where it gets really hard and your boss is angry at you, you’re angry at yourself and you kind of just have to go with it.” She says her love of being on the water also helps and reminds her of why she’s working so hard, but also of being a kid and constantly going up river with her dad. “I learned how to ski when I was four – dad grew up on the water, his mates grew up on the water, his dad grew up on the water,” she says. “Quiet weekends when you go out on the water with your mates and you have the whole water to yourself and we don’t stop skiing, it’s just fun.” Aside from playing netball, most of her hobbies, such as water-skiing, revolve around the water: “Power boat races are pretty cool to watch. We’ll go to Yarrawonga to watch them and then when they come back down to the Hawks, we’ll watch them again. There are a lot of different designed hulls and motors in there. It’s really fun – they’re one of the best weekends.” Between work, her apprenticeship, friends and family, she also continues to spend time with her dad on the water and looks forward to one day helping him race his boat. “My dad wants to race his boat. He’s got a car motor in it, but he’s always wanted to race it. So if he was to race that, I’d race that with him just for the fun of it, not for any competition, just see how quick we can go,” she says. “If we actually put work into it and do it, then yeah, maybe we can do it.”

    By Diana Ward

    This article was originally published in the Australian TAFE Teacher, Autumn 2025

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Corporate Executives Sentenced to Federal Prison for Failing to Report Defective Dehumidifiers Linked to More Than 450 Fires

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    LOS ANGELES – Two corporate executives were sentenced today to federal prison terms for conspiring to defraud the United States and for failing to report information about defective dehumidifiers linked to multiple fires in the first criminal enforcement action against corporate executives for failing to report required information ever brought under the Consumer Product Safety Act. (CPSA)

    Simon Chu, 70, of Pomona, was sentenced to 38 months in federal prison and was fined $5,000 by United States District Judge Dale S. Fischer. Judge Fischer today also sentenced Charley Loh, 67, of Arcadia, to 40 months in federal prison and fined him $12,000.

    The executives each were found guilty by a jury in November 2023 of one count of conspiracy to defraud the United States Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and one count of failure to furnish information as required by the CPSA.

    “Federal law requires companies to report potentially dangerous products to the Consumer Product Safety Commission to help protect consumers from harm,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will continue to investigate and bring to justice companies and individuals who willfully evade these requirements and put the public in danger.”

    “Corporate executives who choose to ignore the law will be held accountable – especially when death and serious injuries result,” said United States Attorney Bill Essayli. “By putting profits over the safety of others, these defendants created serious risks to consumers, and we will continue to prosecute those who endanger the public.”

    “These Chinese-made products were hazardous, and the defendants knew it,” said CPSC Acting Chairman Peter Feldman. “Today’s sentences are a clear message that the CPSC will take a hard line against executives who break American laws and endanger families. I commend the CPSC and Justice Department teams for their work to secure this outcome.”

    The defective dehumidifiers sold by Chu’s and Loh’s two corporations were included in multiple recalls of a larger number of defective dehumidifiers manufactured by Gree Electric Appliances Inc. of Zhuhai (Gree Zhuhai) in China. Recall notes stated that more than 450 reported fires and millions of dollars in property damage have been linked to the recalled Gree Zhuhai dehumidifiers. 

    The most recent recall announcements for the Gree dehumidifiers can be found here and here. The CPSC’s most recent warning about the recalled Gree dehumidifiers is here. 

    Chu was part owner and chief administrative officer of Gree USA Inc. and another corporation in the City of Industry, that distributed and sold to retailers for consumer purchase dehumidifiers that were made by Gree Zhuhai in China. Loh was part owner and CEO of the same two corporations.

    The CPSA requires manufacturers, importers and distributors of consumer products to report “immediately” to the CPSC information that reasonably supports the conclusion that a product contains a defect that could create a substantial product hazard or creates an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death. This duty also applies to the individual directors, officers, and agents of those companies.

    By September 2012, Chu, Loh and their companies received multiple reports that their Chinese dehumidifiers were defective, dangerous and could catch fire. They also knew that they were required to report this product safety information to the CPSC immediately. Despite their knowledge of consumer complaints of dehumidifier fires and test results showing defects in the dehumidifiers, Chu and Loh failed to disclose their dehumidifiers’ defects and hazards for at least six months while they continued to sell their products to retailers, for resale to consumers.

    The jury acquitted both defendants of one count of wire fraud.

    Gree USA was sentenced in April 2023 to pay a $500,000 criminal fine after pleading guilty to failing to notify the CPSC about the problems with the dehumidifiers. The fine, along with provisions to pay restitution to victims, was part of a $91 million criminal resolution with Gree USA, Gree Zhuhai and another related Gree company, Hong Kong Gree Electric Appliances Sales Co. Ltd.

    Homeland Security Investigations investigated this matter.

    Assistant United States Attorney Dennis Mitchell of the Environmental Crimes and Consumer Protection Section, and Justice Department Trial Attorneys Natalie Sanders, Speare Hodges, and Stephen Gripkey of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch prosecuted this case, with the assistance of Patricia Vieira of the CPSC’s Office of General Counsel.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: New Pharmac Chief Executive welcomed

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Associate Health Minister with responsibility for Pharmac David Seymour has welcomed Natalie McMurtry as Pharmac’s Chief Executive.

    Natalie McMurtry will start as Pharmac’s Chief Executive on Monday 15 September, taking over from the Acting Chief Executive, Brendan Boyle.

    “For the first time, Pharmac has its own Minister. Last year I outlined in my letter of expectations that Pharmac should have appropriate processes for ensuring that people living with an illness, along with their carers and family, can participate in and provide input into decision-making processes around medicines – this is committed to in the Act-National Coalition Agreement,” Mr Seymour says. 

    “Since then, the culture shift at Pharmac has been positive. It has moved towards a more adaptable and patient-centered approach to funding medicines. My expectation is that this will continue.

    “This is in part thanks to the culture review Pharmac undertook to ensure their internal processes weren’t getting in the way of their job – negotiating the best deals for medicine for New Zealanders.

    “Pharmac also conducted a consumer engagement workshop. Patients groups were invited to discuss how they should be consulted in decision-making processes. I look forward to seeing this in practice. 

    “Pharmac are learning from their experiences and making changes where necessary. For example, the community let Pharmac know that they weren’t consulted enough on the original oestradiol decision. In response, Pharmac added a consultation step to its annual tender process to seek feedback when considering a medicine brand change.  

    “The appointment of Natalie McMurtry is another positive step towards a Pharmac which works for the people it serves. I look forward to working alongside her as we look to cement positive change, and continue to move towards a more transparent, inclusive and people-focused organisation.”

    Natalie McMurtry is a seasoned healthcare executive with over 25 years of experience as a frontline clinician and senior leader in Canada. Natalie has held several executive roles within Alberta Health Services, including Vice President of Provincial Clinical Excellence.

    “The Government is doing its part. Last year we allocated Pharmac its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, and a $604 million uplift to give Pharmac the financial support it needs to carry out its functions – negotiating the best deals for medicine for New Zealanders,” Mr Seymour says. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: President Ramaphosa in a bilateral meeting with President Lee Jae-myung of the Republic of Korea.

    Source: Republic of South Africa (video statements)

    H.E President Cyril Ramaphosa in a bilateral meeting with H.E President Lee Jae-myung of the Republic of Korea.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N8oh-wKAdcs

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: EIT Emeritus Professor awarded OBE in King’s Birthday Honours

    Source: Eastern Institute of Technology

    5 minutes ago

    EIT Emeritus Professor (One Welfare) Nat Waran has been awarded an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for her services to equine welfare, research and education, in the United Kingdom’s King’s Birthday Honours list.

    The prestigious honour was announced on June 13 in the United Kingdom and recognises Professor Waran’s global contribution to equine welfare through education, research and advocacy.

    EIT Emeritus Professor Nat Waran has been awarded an OBE in the UK King’s Birthday Honours for her services to equine welfare, research and education.

    Professor Waran, who previously served as Executive Dean at the Eastern Institute of Technology (EIT), said the award was an unexpected but deeply meaningful recognition.

    “This reflects not only my work but, most importantly, the collaborative efforts of colleagues, students and organisations who have worked so hard to advance horse welfare and better understand their needs,” she said.

    “EIT has played a significant part in this achievement by supporting my animal welfare work, both during my time as Executive Dean and now as an Emeritus Professor.”

    Originally from the United Kingdom, Professor Waran began her academic career at the University of Edinburgh, where she launched the world’s first postgraduate programme in animal behaviour and welfare. Over the decades, her academic and advocacy work has taken her across continents, influencing education and practice in both developed and developing countries.

    At EIT, she championed the One Welfare framework, which recognises the interconnected wellbeing of animals, people and the environment. She also led major research initiatives and supported global collaboration in animal welfare science.

    Professor Waran remains based in Hawke’s Bay and is Director of the Good Life for Animals Centre at Companion Animals New Zealand. Her current work includes international research on equine emotion and welfare, the role of exercise in canine wellbeing and the impact of indoor living on cats.

    “I’ve always been driven by a deep commitment to improving animal welfare. I don’t need an award to stay passionate about the work, but I do hope this recognition helps bring greater visibility to the importance of research, education and compassion in how we treat animals around the world.”

    EIT Operations Lead Glen Harkness congratulated Professor Waran on her achievement.

    “Nat has achieved remarkable success across multiple domains, but her transformative work in equine welfare stands as a testament to her unwavering commitment to evidence-based practice,” he said.

    “Her contributions at EIT and internationally have not only improved animal welfare standards but have fundamentally shaped how we educate, advocate and innovate in this space.”

    Professor Waran is expected to travel to the UK later this year to receive the honour at an official investiture ceremony.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: New Chief Executive for Pharmac

    Source: PHARMAC

    Pharmac’s Board has appointed a new Chief Executive to lead the organisation.

    Canadian Natalie McMurtry will join Pharmac on Monday 15 September after an extensive recruitment search within New Zealand and overseas.

    Board Chair Paula Bennett says Ms McMurtry brings significant front-line and health leadership experience to the Pharmac role.

    “The level of interest in this role and the calibre of applicants was really high but in the end the Board was impressed by Natalie McMurtry’s depth of strategic and operational experience, intelligence, people focus and empathetic approach.

    “This is exactly what Pharmac needs as a more transparent, inclusive and outward-focused organisation.”

    Natalie McMurtry is currently the Chief Transition Officer responsible for launching a new Acute Care Agency in Alberta, Canada. Prior to that she was the Assistant Deputy Minister for Pharmaceutical and Supplementary Health Benefits with the Alberta Government. She began her career as a paediatric critical care pharmacist at the Stollery Children’s Hospital in Edmonton and has since held a variety of strategic and operational roles across the health system. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in pharmacy from Dalhousie University and an MBA in Innovation Leadership.

    She says she is looking forward to joining Pharmac.

    “I am honoured and excited to be joining the Pharmac team at such a pivotal time. I’m deeply grateful for the opportunity to contribute to an organisation that plays such a vital role in the health and wellbeing of New Zealanders.”

    Ms McMurtry will replace Acting Chief Executive Brendan Boyle, who was appointed for a fixed term while recruitment was underway to fill the vacancy left by former Chief Executive Sarah Fitt. Paula Bennett thanked Brendan Boyle for his work in the interim.

    “We have been very fortunate to have his extensive public sector experience available to lay strong foundations for the new Chief Executive.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Two Corporate Executives Sentenced in First-Ever Criminal Prosecution for Failure to Report Under Consumer Product Safety Act

    Source: US State of California

    Two California businessmen were sentenced in Los Angeles, California, today for conspiracy and failing to report information related to defective dehumidifiers linked to multiple residential fires.

    U.S. District Court Judge Dale S. Fischer sentenced Simon Chu, 70, of Pomona, California, and Charley Loh, 67, of Arcadia, California, to serve 38 and 40 months in prison respectively, plus three years of supervised release, for their roles in a conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and in failing to furnish information as required by the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA). The Court also ordered Chu and Loh to pay fines of $5,000 and $12,000, respectively, as part of their sentences. Chu and Loh were convicted on November 16, 2023, following trial in Los Angeles.

    According to court documents and evidence presented in court, Loh was part owner and chief executive officer of Gree USA Inc. (Gree USA), and another corporation in City of Industry, California, both of which imported and sold residential dehumidifiers that were made in China by Gree Electric Appliances, Inc. of Zhuhai (Gree Zhuhai). Chu was part owner and chief administrative officer of the same two corporations.  

    The CPSA requires manufacturers, importers and distributors of consumer products to report “immediately” to the CPSC information that reasonably supports the conclusion that a product contains a defect that could create a substantial product hazard or creates an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death. This duty also applies to the individual directors, officers and agents of those companies. According to evidence presented in court, by September 2012, Chu, Loh and their companies had received multiple reports that their Chinese dehumidifiers were defective, dangerous and could catch fire. They also knew that they were required to report this product safety information to the CPSC immediately. Despite knowing about dehumidifier fires and tests showing defects in the dehumidifiers, Chu and Loh failed to disclose those defects and hazards for at least six months while they continued to sell their products.

    “Federal law requires companies to report potentially dangerous products to the Consumer Product Safety Commission to help protect consumers from harm,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will continue to investigate and bring to justice companies and individuals who willfully evade these requirements and put the public in danger.”

    The defective dehumidifiers sold by Chu and Loh’s two corporations were included in multiple recalls of a larger number of defective dehumidifiers manufactured by Gree Zhuhai. According to the recall notices, more than 450 reported fires and millions of dollars in property damage were linked to the recalled Gree dehumidifiers.

    The most recent recall announcements for the Gree dehumidifiers can be found here: www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2017/Gree-Reannounces-Dehumidifier-Recall-Following-450-Fires-and-19-Million-in-Property-Damage-0 and here:

    www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2023/Gree-Recalls-1-56-Million-Dehumidifiers-Due-to-Fire-and-Burn-Hazards-Reports-of-At-Least-23-Fires.

    The CPSC’s most recent warning about the recalled Gree dehumidifiers is here: www.cpsc.gov/Warnings/2023/CPSC-Warning-Stop-Using-Recalled-Gree-Dehumidifiers-Due-to-Fire-Hazard-4-Deaths-May-be-Tied-to-Recalled-Units.

    “Corporate executives who choose to ignore the law will be held accountable – especially when death and serious injuries result,” said U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “By putting profits over the safety of others, these defendants created serious risks to consumers, and we will continue to prosecute those who endanger the public.”

    “These Chinese-made products were hazardous, and the defendants knew it,” said CPSC Acting Chairman Peter Feldman. “Today’s sentences are a clear message that the CPSC will take a hard line against executives who break American laws and endanger families. I commend the CPSC and Justice Department teams for their work to secure this outcome.”

    Gree USA was sentenced in April 2023 to pay a $500,000 criminal fine after pleading guilty to failing to notify the CPSC about the problems with the dehumidifiers. The fine, along with provisions to pay restitution to victims, was part of a $91 million criminal resolution with Gree USA, Gree Zhuhai and another related Gree company, Hong Kong Gree Electric Appliances Sales Co. Ltd. This resolution is the first corporate criminal enforcement action ever brought under the CPSA.

    Homeland Security Investigations of the Department of Homeland Security investigated the case.

    This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Natalie Sanders, Speare Hodges, and Stephen Gripkey of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis Mitchell of the Central District of California, with the assistance of Patricia Vieira of the CPSC’s Office of General Counsel.

    Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, visit its website at www.justice.gov/usao-cdca.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Corporate Executives Sentenced in First-Ever Criminal Prosecution for Failure to Report Under Consumer Product Safety Act

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Two California businessmen were sentenced in Los Angeles, California, today for conspiracy and failing to report information related to defective dehumidifiers linked to multiple residential fires.

    U.S. District Court Judge Dale S. Fischer sentenced Simon Chu, 70, of Pomona, California, and Charley Loh, 67, of Arcadia, California, to serve 38 and 40 months in prison respectively, plus three years of supervised release, for their roles in a conspiracy to defraud the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) and in failing to furnish information as required by the Consumer Product Safety Act (CPSA). The Court also ordered Chu and Loh to pay fines of $5,000 and $12,000, respectively, as part of their sentences. Chu and Loh were convicted on November 16, 2023, following trial in Los Angeles.

    According to court documents and evidence presented in court, Loh was part owner and chief executive officer of Gree USA Inc. (Gree USA), and another corporation in City of Industry, California, both of which imported and sold residential dehumidifiers that were made in China by Gree Electric Appliances, Inc. of Zhuhai (Gree Zhuhai). Chu was part owner and chief administrative officer of the same two corporations.  

    The CPSA requires manufacturers, importers and distributors of consumer products to report “immediately” to the CPSC information that reasonably supports the conclusion that a product contains a defect that could create a substantial product hazard or creates an unreasonable risk of serious injury or death. This duty also applies to the individual directors, officers and agents of those companies. According to evidence presented in court, by September 2012, Chu, Loh and their companies had received multiple reports that their Chinese dehumidifiers were defective, dangerous and could catch fire. They also knew that they were required to report this product safety information to the CPSC immediately. Despite knowing about dehumidifier fires and tests showing defects in the dehumidifiers, Chu and Loh failed to disclose those defects and hazards for at least six months while they continued to sell their products.

    “Federal law requires companies to report potentially dangerous products to the Consumer Product Safety Commission to help protect consumers from harm,” said Assistant Attorney General Brett Shumate of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “The Justice Department will continue to investigate and bring to justice companies and individuals who willfully evade these requirements and put the public in danger.”

    The defective dehumidifiers sold by Chu and Loh’s two corporations were included in multiple recalls of a larger number of defective dehumidifiers manufactured by Gree Zhuhai. According to the recall notices, more than 450 reported fires and millions of dollars in property damage were linked to the recalled Gree dehumidifiers.

    The most recent recall announcements for the Gree dehumidifiers can be found here: www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2017/Gree-Reannounces-Dehumidifier-Recall-Following-450-Fires-and-19-Million-in-Property-Damage-0 and here:

    www.cpsc.gov/Recalls/2023/Gree-Recalls-1-56-Million-Dehumidifiers-Due-to-Fire-and-Burn-Hazards-Reports-of-At-Least-23-Fires.

    The CPSC’s most recent warning about the recalled Gree dehumidifiers is here: www.cpsc.gov/Warnings/2023/CPSC-Warning-Stop-Using-Recalled-Gree-Dehumidifiers-Due-to-Fire-Hazard-4-Deaths-May-be-Tied-to-Recalled-Units.

    “Corporate executives who choose to ignore the law will be held accountable – especially when death and serious injuries result,” said U.S. Attorney Bill Essayli for the Central District of California. “By putting profits over the safety of others, these defendants created serious risks to consumers, and we will continue to prosecute those who endanger the public.”

    “These Chinese-made products were hazardous, and the defendants knew it,” said CPSC Acting Chairman Peter Feldman. “Today’s sentences are a clear message that the CPSC will take a hard line against executives who break American laws and endanger families. I commend the CPSC and Justice Department teams for their work to secure this outcome.”

    Gree USA was sentenced in April 2023 to pay a $500,000 criminal fine after pleading guilty to failing to notify the CPSC about the problems with the dehumidifiers. The fine, along with provisions to pay restitution to victims, was part of a $91 million criminal resolution with Gree USA, Gree Zhuhai and another related Gree company, Hong Kong Gree Electric Appliances Sales Co. Ltd. This resolution is the first corporate criminal enforcement action ever brought under the CPSA.

    Homeland Security Investigations of the Department of Homeland Security investigated the case.

    This case is being prosecuted by Trial Attorneys Natalie Sanders, Speare Hodges, and Stephen Gripkey of the Civil Division’s Consumer Protection Branch, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Dennis Mitchell of the Central District of California, with the assistance of Patricia Vieira of the CPSC’s Office of General Counsel.

    Additional information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts may be found at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. For more information about the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, visit its website at www.justice.gov/usao-cdca.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: XRP Nears $3: PFMCrypto Unveils 48-Hour Mining Blitz With $1M Reward Pool to Celebrate Token Momentum

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LOS ANGELES, June 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As XRP edges closer to the anticipated $3 milestone this June, global cloud mining leader PFMCrypto has launched a high-impact, two-day XRP mining promotion. This 48-hour campaign includes a $1 million XRP giveaway, aiming to reward users and leverage the growing excitement around XRP’s bullish trajectory.

    Highlights of the Limited-Time XRP Campaign:
    – Intensive 48-Hour Mining Window: Designed for accelerated gains, users can mine XRP in a time-optimized format.
    – $1M in XRP Rewards: With structured reward tiers of $35 / $1,800 / $4,800, PFMCrypto is incentivizing both new and existing miners to participate.
    – Enhanced Daily Yields: Participants will enjoy higher-than-usual mining returns for the duration of the promotion.

    Campaign Link: https://pfmcrypto.net

    Smart Mining Meets Market Timing: AI-Powered XRP Mining from PFMCrypto
    The company’s mining infrastructure, powered by artificial intelligence, is engineered for efficiency and ease. Supporting major assets like BTC, LTC, DOGE, and XRP, PFMCrypto enables users to mine cryptocurrencies without investing in equipment or managing technical operations. Its intelligent algorithms optimize hash power in real time to deliver consistent returns.

    Why PFMCrypto Is the Go-To Choice for XRP Mining Beginners and Veterans Alike:
    – No Equipment Required: Access institutional-grade mining capacity instantly.
    – Zero Maintenance Fees: PFMCrypto handles electricity, cooling, and hardware upkeep—users simply activate their plans.
    – $10 Welcome Bonus: Every new user receives a sign-up reward and daily login incentives.
    – Daily Payouts + Capital Security: Users earn daily income, with the principal returned upon contract maturity.

    Claim your bonus and start earning now → Join PFMCrypto

    Why This Campaign Matters Now: XRP’s Ascent to $3
    Crypto analysts are increasingly optimistic about XRP, pointing to growing institutional use and clearer regulatory frameworks. Many believe a breakout beyond $3 is imminent. PFMCrypto’s CEO commented:
    “We believe XRP is at a pivotal turning point. This campaign is our way to empower the community, allowing everyone to ride this wave of opportunity together.”

    PFMCrypto’s Cloud Contracts: Verified by Results, Not Hype
    With the rollout of the special 2-day XRP contract, PFMCrypto opens the door to its high-efficiency cloud mining backbone at no additional cost. Trusted by over 9.2 million users across 192 countries, the company’s historical performance speaks for itself:
    2-Day Contract: +6.6% ROI
    5-Day Contract: +6.15% ROI
    15-Day Contract: +20.7% ROI
    30-Day Contract: +55.6% ROI
    These figures reflect real user outcomes, powered by AI-driven optimization and market-responsive strategies.

    Browse full contract options → Explore Plans

    How to Get Started with XRP Cloud Mining on PFMCrypto:
    1. Register: Sign up and get an instant $10 bonus. Earn $0.60 daily by simply logging in.
    2. Choose Your Plan: From short-term to long-range strategies, select the mining contract that suits your goals.
    3. Start Mining: Once activated, PFMCrypto automates all processes—yielding hassle-free, steady earnings.

    About PFMCrypto
    Founded in 2018, PFMCrypto is a pioneer in decentralized mining solutions, offering a comprehensive platform for passive income through cryptocurrency. With over $1 billion in payouts distributed and operations across Asia, Europe, and North America, PFMCrypto continues to drive innovation in cloud mining. Its seamless, user-first model empowers both casual investors and institutional players.

    Learn more and begin mining XRP at: https://pfmcrypto.net

    Media Contact:

    Amelia Elspeth
    PFMcrypto
    info@pfmcrypto.net

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9bd6c8f1-eb54-4b74-b6cf-fffc307ca10d

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/84849ab4-58c8-4a94-9671-1e41e416a21a

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: XRP Nears $3: PFMCrypto Unveils 48-Hour Mining Blitz With $1M Reward Pool to Celebrate Token Momentum

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LOS ANGELES, June 16, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As XRP edges closer to the anticipated $3 milestone this June, global cloud mining leader PFMCrypto has launched a high-impact, two-day XRP mining promotion. This 48-hour campaign includes a $1 million XRP giveaway, aiming to reward users and leverage the growing excitement around XRP’s bullish trajectory.

    Highlights of the Limited-Time XRP Campaign:
    – Intensive 48-Hour Mining Window: Designed for accelerated gains, users can mine XRP in a time-optimized format.
    – $1M in XRP Rewards: With structured reward tiers of $35 / $1,800 / $4,800, PFMCrypto is incentivizing both new and existing miners to participate.
    – Enhanced Daily Yields: Participants will enjoy higher-than-usual mining returns for the duration of the promotion.

    Campaign Link: https://pfmcrypto.net

    Smart Mining Meets Market Timing: AI-Powered XRP Mining from PFMCrypto
    The company’s mining infrastructure, powered by artificial intelligence, is engineered for efficiency and ease. Supporting major assets like BTC, LTC, DOGE, and XRP, PFMCrypto enables users to mine cryptocurrencies without investing in equipment or managing technical operations. Its intelligent algorithms optimize hash power in real time to deliver consistent returns.

    Why PFMCrypto Is the Go-To Choice for XRP Mining Beginners and Veterans Alike:
    – No Equipment Required: Access institutional-grade mining capacity instantly.
    – Zero Maintenance Fees: PFMCrypto handles electricity, cooling, and hardware upkeep—users simply activate their plans.
    – $10 Welcome Bonus: Every new user receives a sign-up reward and daily login incentives.
    – Daily Payouts + Capital Security: Users earn daily income, with the principal returned upon contract maturity.

    Claim your bonus and start earning now → Join PFMCrypto

    Why This Campaign Matters Now: XRP’s Ascent to $3
    Crypto analysts are increasingly optimistic about XRP, pointing to growing institutional use and clearer regulatory frameworks. Many believe a breakout beyond $3 is imminent. PFMCrypto’s CEO commented:
    “We believe XRP is at a pivotal turning point. This campaign is our way to empower the community, allowing everyone to ride this wave of opportunity together.”

    PFMCrypto’s Cloud Contracts: Verified by Results, Not Hype
    With the rollout of the special 2-day XRP contract, PFMCrypto opens the door to its high-efficiency cloud mining backbone at no additional cost. Trusted by over 9.2 million users across 192 countries, the company’s historical performance speaks for itself:
    2-Day Contract: +6.6% ROI
    5-Day Contract: +6.15% ROI
    15-Day Contract: +20.7% ROI
    30-Day Contract: +55.6% ROI
    These figures reflect real user outcomes, powered by AI-driven optimization and market-responsive strategies.

    Browse full contract options → Explore Plans

    How to Get Started with XRP Cloud Mining on PFMCrypto:
    1. Register: Sign up and get an instant $10 bonus. Earn $0.60 daily by simply logging in.
    2. Choose Your Plan: From short-term to long-range strategies, select the mining contract that suits your goals.
    3. Start Mining: Once activated, PFMCrypto automates all processes—yielding hassle-free, steady earnings.

    About PFMCrypto
    Founded in 2018, PFMCrypto is a pioneer in decentralized mining solutions, offering a comprehensive platform for passive income through cryptocurrency. With over $1 billion in payouts distributed and operations across Asia, Europe, and North America, PFMCrypto continues to drive innovation in cloud mining. Its seamless, user-first model empowers both casual investors and institutional players.

    Learn more and begin mining XRP at: https://pfmcrypto.net

    Media Contact:

    Amelia Elspeth
    PFMcrypto
    info@pfmcrypto.net

    Photos accompanying this announcement are available at
    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/9bd6c8f1-eb54-4b74-b6cf-fffc307ca10d

    https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/84849ab4-58c8-4a94-9671-1e41e416a21a

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China expects to make greater contribution to peace and development in the region and around the world together with Kazakhstan – Xi Jinping /more details/

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    ASTANA, June 16 (Xinhua) — China hopes to make greater contributions to peace and development in the region and around the world together with Kazakhstan through stability and positive energy in bilateral relations, Chinese President Xi Jinping said in Astana on Monday.

    Xi Jinping made the corresponding statement during talks with Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev before the start of the 2nd China-Central Asia Summit.

    The Chinese leader noted that Chinese-Kazakh relations have stood the test of changes in the international situation and always maintain a high level of development. This is explained by the geographical proximity and long-standing friendship between the peoples of the two countries, and is also a logical choice in the desire of both countries for joint development, the PRC Chairman stated.

    According to Xi Jinping, in recent years, thanks to the joint planning of the leaders of the two countries, the China-Kazakhstan community of shared future has become more valuable in quality and richer in content. Tangible and beneficial results have been constantly emerging, which has greatly increased the sense of satisfaction of the people of both countries.

    China always views and develops its relations with Kazakhstan from a strategic height and in the long term, and is willing to steadily strengthen the friendship between the two countries, Xi Jinping said.

    Both China and Kazakhstan are at key stages of their development and rise, he stressed, adding that the two countries should jointly advance comprehensive cooperation.

    First, as the Chinese President pointed out, high-level strategic mutual trust should guide the development of bilateral relations. The two countries should continue to support each other on issues affecting their core interests and major concerns, promote the alignment of development strategies, be a reliable backbone for each other in an unstable international situation, and provide mutual assistance for the development and rise of both countries.

    Secondly, Xi Jinping said that high-quality cooperation under the Belt and Road should be used to qualitatively improve bilateral cooperation. Efforts should be made to strengthen the strengths of traditional cooperation in areas such as trade, investment and energy, promote cross-border railway projects and the upgrading of checkpoint infrastructure, enhance connectivity, expand high-tech cooperation, and promote green and sustainable development.

    Thirdly, the Chinese President continued, it is necessary to carry out comprehensive cooperation in the field of security to maintain peace and stability in both countries, expand exchanges in the areas of law enforcement and defense, jointly combat the “three evil forces” (terrorism, separatism and extremism), deepen cooperation in the field of emergency management, disaster prevention and minimization.

    Fourth, Xi Jinping pointed out that it is necessary to conduct various cultural and humanitarian exchanges to consolidate the foundation of China-Kazakhstan friendship. He called for properly organizing the China Tourism Year in Kazakhstan, encouraging more active youth, media, inter-regional and think tank exchanges.

    Xi Jinping stressed that in the context of chaotic changes in the international situation, China and Kazakhstan should firmly safeguard the international system with the UN at its core and the international order based on international law, put genuine multilateralism into practice, and safeguard the common interests of developing countries.

    China highly appreciates the extensive preparatory work done by Kazakhstan ahead of the 2nd China-Central Asia Summit and believes that the current summit will write a new chapter in the history of cooperation between China and Central Asia, the Chinese President said.

    In addition, China, as the current chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), is willing to work with all SCO member countries to take advantage of the organization’s upcoming summit in Tianjin this year to strengthen the SCO and showcase its new development, new breakthroughs and new image, Xi added.

    K.-Zh. Tokayev, for his part, stated that China is a friendly neighbor, close friend and reliable partner of Kazakhstan.

    According to him, the Kazakh-Chinese relations of eternal comprehensive strategic partnership are entering a new golden era, contributing to the sustainable socio-economic development of both countries, benefiting their peoples and setting a model for interstate relations.

    Noting that Kazakhstan and China have a strong political will to strengthen cooperation, K.-Zh Tokayev noted that the two countries invariably support each other on issues affecting their core interests, such as sovereignty and security, regardless of changes in the international situation.

    The President of Kazakhstan noted that under the wise leadership of Chairman Xi Jinping, tremendous successes have been achieved in building socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era.

    Kazakhstan is sincerely pleased with these achievements and firmly believes that China will continue to achieve even greater success in development, K.-Zh. Tokayev emphasized, adding that Kazakhstan is ready to deepen strategic mutual trust and comprehensive mutually beneficial cooperation with China, taking bilateral relations to a new level.

    The two sides, he continued, should jointly promote high-quality cooperation within the framework of the Belt and Road, expand cooperation in such areas as trade, investment, industry, agriculture, energy and transportation, and strengthen cultural and people-to-people exchanges in such areas as culture, education, sports and tourism.

    The Kazakh side highly values and actively supports China’s responsibility and efforts to ensure international fairness and justice, and is ready to continue to closely cooperate with China and support each other within the framework of multilateral structures such as the UN, SCO, BRICS, the China-Central Asia mechanism, the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia, in order to advance the development of the international order in a more just and reasonable direction, K.-Zh. Tokayev pointed out.

    Following the talks, the two leaders witnessed the exchange of more than 10 documents on bilateral cooperation, covering areas such as trade, investment, science and technology, customs, tourism and media. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: UN Peacekeeping Chief Visits Viet Nam: Strengthening Global Peacekeeping through Gender Equality

    Source: United Nations – Peacekeeping

    This June, Under-Secretary-General for UN Peace Operations Jean-Pierre Lacroix concluded a four-day visit to Viet Nam, reaffirming the UN’s strong partnership with the country and spotlighting Viet Nam’s leadership in promoting women’s participation in peacekeeping. 

    The visit coincided with Viet Nam’s hosting of an international forum on enhancing the participation of female police officers in UN peacekeeping operations, jointly organized by the Ministry of Public Security of Viet Nam and UN Women. The event brought together over 100 participants from around the world, including high-level national officials, international partners, police peacekeepers, and UN leadership, to identify ways to promote more participation of women in UN peacekeeping.  

    Women peacekeepers in civilian, military, and police roles have been rising steadily over the last several years but remain underrepresented, despite evidence that peacekeeping missions are more successful when women are meaningfully represented, including at the senior leadership level. Member States play a critical role in helping to address these gaps. 

    USG Lacroix thanked the Government of Viet Nam for its longstanding commitment to UN Peacekeeping and for championing the UN’s Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda, which calls for increased participation of women at all decision-making levels, protection of women and girls from gender-based violence, and the integration of gender perspectives in peacekeeping and conflict resolution efforts. He noted the timely significance of the forum as the global community marks 25 years since the adoption of Security Council Resolution 1325, which laid the foundation for the WPS agenda. 

    “Viet Nam is a strong supporter of [the Women Peace and Security Agena]” Mr. Lacroix affirmed. “I look forward to continuing to strengthen our already excellent partnership in training, leadership development, and inclusive work environments.” 

    The forum highlighted Viet Nam’s impressive deployment of female police officers, with women comprising over 30% of its police peacekeepers—exceeding the UN’s minimum target of 20%. Senior Lieutenant General Le Quoc Hung underscored the Ministry of Public Security’s proactive policies to empower female officers and integrate gender equality into Viet Nam’s security architecture. 

    Discussions at the event explored global and national experiences, challenges, and policy gaps related to the deployment of women in peace operations, offering actionable recommendations to further elevate their roles and leadership. 

    Advancing the WPS agenda is a critical part of initiatives like Action for Peacekeeping (A4P) and its implementation strategy, A4P+, which seek to continually strengthen our operations and ensure we can continue to meet evolving security threats.  

    During his visit, Mr. Lacroix also visited a moving exhibition organized by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in  Viet Nam and Viet Nam National Mine Action Center, showcasing artwork by children from areas heavily contaminated by landmines and explosive remnants of war. With nearly 20% of Viet Nam’s territory affected, the USG commended national and international efforts—particularly in Mine Action, advanced technologies, and the training of women deminers—to build safer, more resilient communities. “Support to Mine Action is critical to ensure safer futures for these younger generations,” he said. 

    This year also marks 50 years since the end of the war in Viet Nam. Against this backdrop, Mr. Lacroix’s meetings with Vietnamese officials served as a powerful reminder of the country’s transformation and enduring contributions to international peace and security.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Reforms needed to help Pacific workers access millions in unclaimed superannuation

    Source:

    17 June 2025

    Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme workers at Currency Creek. They’re joined by Dr Rob Whait from UniSA and Dr Connie Vitalie from WSU.

    Finance experts are calling on the Federal Government to make it easier for Pacific and Timor-Leste workers that come to Australia to access unclaimed superannuation once their visa expires.

    More than 31,000 workers participated in the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme in rural and regional Australia in March 2025, helping to fill labour gaps in agriculture, aged care, hospitality and tourism.

    PALM workers on a nine-month visa can typically accumulate between $3000-4000 in superannuation before tax, while those on four-year visas can accumulate up to $16,000. It can only be claimed after their visa expires and they’ve returned to their home country, and the process of accessing the funds is difficult and time consuming.

    Many PALM workers are unaware that these funds can be repatriated. Plus, complex legislative requirements, administrative red tape, access to computers and the internet, lack of financial capability, and cultural and language barriers, mean that millions of dollars in superannuation go unclaimed.

    UniSA Senior Lecturer and Manager of the UniSA Tax Clinic, Dr Rob Whait, says the Australian Tax Office holds millions of dollars of unclaimed superannuation owned to workers from the PALM scheme.

    “Completing the required paperwork requires workers to be proficient in English, seeing as the forms aren’t available in other languages. It also requires access to a computer and the internet as the forms can’t be downloaded and need to be completed online, then emailed to the relevant authority,” he says.

    “In PALM countries, English is a second language, and the internet is not as readily accessible as it is here. The responsibility for making a claim lies solely with the worker, and there is no obligation for the employer here in Australia to provide information about how workers can claim their superannuation.”

    Dr Whait and Dr Connie Vitale from Western Sydney University are recommending policy reforms to make it easier for PALM workers to have their superannuation directly paid into their own super fund in their home country while working in Australia, or have the funds paid as part of their wages in lieu of superannuation.

    Analysis by Dr Whait and Dr Vitale of the issue revealed several recommended policy reform options to make it easier for PALM workers to claim their superannuation once their visa expires. It was found that allowing workers to automatically have their superannuation paid directly into their own fund in their home country while working in Australia would be the most logical option.

    The two researchers travelled to PALM worker locations across SA and NSW late last year to support workers to prepare their Departing Australia Superannuation Payments (DASP) claims and other documentation before leaving Australia.

    He says the recent visits to the PALM worker locations revealed that paying superannuation into a super fund in their own country was not the most preferred option by the workers themselves and that payment added up front to their wages was most desired.

    “A leader among the PALM workers said that he would prefer Australia to follow the New Zealand approach where superannuation is not paid at all, and instead, they get all their money paid as wages. Another PALM worker said that the superannuation funds in their country are not being managed in their best interests,” Dr Whait says.

    “After visiting PALM worker locations, we were left with the impression that many PALM workers would rather have immediate access to their money to help their families and communities now, rather than wait for retirement. Further research can confirm these preferences and impressions.”

    Dr Whait says the PALM scheme is arguably of great strategic importance to Australia since it helps to build and maintain positive relationships with the Pacific region.

    “Enhanced economic prosperity arises from PALM workers taking the skills they’ve learnt in Australia back to their own communities, he says.

    “PALM workers are collectively leaving many millions of dollars in superannuation unclaimed, but any potential reforms must consider recent political tensions in the Pacific,” Dr Whait says.

    “If done correctly, PALM superannuation policy reform presents Australia with an opportunity to rebuild and strengthen relationships with its Pacific neighbours.

    The University of South Australia and the University of Adelaide are joining forces to become Australia’s new major university – Adelaide University. Building on the strengths, legacies and resources of two leading universities, Adelaide University will deliver globally relevant research at scale, innovative, industry-informed teaching and an outstanding student experience. Adelaide University will open its doors in January 2026. Find out more on the Adelaide University website.

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    Contact for interview: Dr Rob Whait, Senior Lecturer, UniSA Business and Manager, UniSA Tax Clinic E: Rob.Whait@unisa.edu.au
    Media contact: Melissa Keogh, Communications Officer, UniSA M: +61 403 659 154 E: melissa.keogh@unisa.edu.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Targeted action on suicide prevention

    Source: New Zealand Government

    The Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey has today launched the Government’s Suicide Prevention Action Plan which sets out a five-year whole-of-government approach to preventing suicide in New Zealand.

    “I want to acknowledge the people who have lost their lives to suicide, those struggling with their mental health or addiction, and those with lived experience or who have been affected by suicide,” Mr Doocey says.

    “New Zealand continues to face stubbornly high suicide rates. Last year, 617 people died by suspected suicide. Behind that number are grieving families, friends, colleagues, and communities.

    “What sets this Plan apart from the last is the actions in the Plan are now focused on delivery with clear milestones, completion dates, and importantly an accountable agency.

    “There are 21 health-led new actions and 13 cross-agency new actions in the Plan. The actions overall aim is to improve access to suicide prevention and postvention supports, grow a workforce that is able to support those at risk of, or affected by suicide, and strengthen our focus on prevention and early intervention.

    “I am particularly proud that this plan is grounded in lived experience. More than 400 people and organisations contributed to the consultation process, including many who have experienced distress themselves or lost someone to suicide. Their insights shaped these actions and helped ensure we are targeting the right areas.

    “Some key actions include by the end of this year establishing a new suicide prevention community fund. This will provide targeted support that is focused on populations experiencing higher rates of suicidal distress.

    “We know one of the biggest barriers to support is our workforce. The Plan includes initiatives that will grow our workforce, such as by expanding suicide prevention training and strengthening existing resources to better equip workforces, communities and families.

    “We want people to receive care in the community instead of resorting to an emergency department, that is why by the end of next June, we will have rolled out six crisis recovery cafés that will provide more options for people experiencing distress.

    “However, for those who are presenting to emergency departments in mental distress, by the end of December we will establish peer support roles in eight emergency departments for people presenting with mental health and addiction needs.”

    Implementation of the action plan will be supported by existing suicide prevention investment of $20 million per year, plus allocation of an additional $16 million per year to improve access to mental health and suicide prevention supports through initiatives identified in the Plan.

    “There is hope and a way forward. Suicide is preventable and we have a duty as a Government, and as a country, to do more to ensure all New Zealanders have the access and support they need to heal and go on to live the life they deserve,” Mr  Doocey says.The Minister for Mental Health Matt Doocey has today launched the Government’s Suicide Prevention Action Plan which sets out a five-year whole-of-government approach to preventing suicide in New Zealand.

     “I want to acknowledge the people who have lost their lives to suicide, those struggling with their mental health or addiction, and those with lived experience or who have been affected by suicide,” Mr Doocey says.

    “New Zealand continues to face stubbornly high suicide rates. Last year, 617 people died by suspected suicide. Behind that number are grieving families, friends, colleagues, and communities.

     “What sets this Plan apart from the last is the actions in the Plan are now focused on delivery with clear milestones, completion dates, and importantly an accountable agency.

     “There are 21 health-led new actions and 13 cross-agency new actions in the Plan. The actions overall aim is to improve access to suicide prevention and postvention supports, grow a workforce that is able to support those at risk of, or affected by suicide, and strengthen our focus on prevention and early intervention.

     “I am particularly proud that this plan is grounded in lived experience. More than 400 people and organisations contributed to the consultation process, including many who have experienced distress themselves or lost someone to suicide. Their insights shaped these actions and helped ensure we are targeting the right areas.

    “Some key actions include by the end of this year establishing a new suicide prevention community fund. This will provide targeted support that is focused on populations experiencing higher rates of suicidal distress.

    “We know one of the biggest barriers to support is our workforce. The Plan includes initiatives that will grow our workforce, such as by expanding suicide prevention training and strengthening existing resources to better equip workforces, communities and families.

     “We want people to receive care in the community instead of resorting to an emergency department, that is why by the end of next June, we will have rolled out six crisis recovery cafés that will provide more options for people experiencing distress.

     “However, for those who are presenting to emergency departments in mental distress, by the end of December we will establish peer support roles in eight emergency departments for people presenting with mental health and addiction needs.”

     Implementation of the action plan will be supported by existing suicide prevention investment of $20 million per year, plus allocation of an additional $16 million per year to improve access to mental health and suicide prevention supports through initiatives identified in the Plan.

     “There is hope and a way forward. Suicide is preventable and we have a duty as a Government, and as a country, to do more to ensure all New Zealanders have the access and support they need to heal and go on to live the life they deserve,” Mr  Doocey says.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Submissions for Anti-Bullying Rapid Review close this week

    Source: Murray Darling Basin Authority

    Submissions to inform the Anti-Bullying Rapid Review which has been launched by the Albanese Labor Government will close at the end of this week.

    To date, more than 900 submissions have been received from families, young people, teachers and community members from across Australia.

    The majority of submissions have come from parents, who have emphasised the importance of clear communication for the intervention and management of bullying.

    Submissions from teachers have highlighted the need for resources and training to help them respond to bullying incidents.

    The submissions from young people are highlighting the importance of needing to be heard, listened to and valued.

    The Anti-Bullying Rapid Review is a key part of the Government’s plans to develop a consistent national approach to addressing bullying in Australian schools.

    The Review, being led by Dr Charlotte Keating and Dr Jo Robinson AM, is examining current school procedures and best practice methods to address bullying behaviours.

    The Review will consult broadly with key stakeholders across metropolitan and regional Australia, including parents, teachers, students, parent groups, state education departments and the non-government sector. 

    Submissions will help in understanding the different approaches to responding to bullying in schools and the effectiveness of them.

    Bullying has no place in our schools. Students, teachers and staff should always feel safe in the classroom.

    That’s why we will listen to parents, students, teachers and staff to develop a national standard that is grounded in evidence and informed by lived experiences.

    The final report of the Review will be presented to all Australian Education Ministers in coming months. 

    Submissions opened on 20 May and will close this Friday on 20 June 2025.

    Visit www.education.gov.au/antibullying-rapid-review to make a submission, which can be made anonymously if preferred.

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Education Jason Clare:

    “Bullying is not just something that happens in schools, but schools are places where we can intervene and provide support for students.

    “All students and staff should be safe at school, and free from bullying and violence.

    “That’s why we’re taking action to develop a national standard to address bullying in schools.

    “Last year we worked together to ban mobile phones in schools. This is another opportunity for us to support students, teachers and parents across the country.

    “We will listen to parents, teachers, students and work with the states and territories to get this right.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Dragon boat races in Toronto promote athleticism and cultural heritage (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Dragon boat races in Toronto promote athleticism and cultural heritage  
    Organised by the Toronto Chinese Business Association, the mega event attracted thousands of people to celebrate the Chinese tradition that blends athleticism and cultural heritage.
     
    Speaking at the opening ceremony of the Festival, the Acting Director of the Toronto ETO, Mr Gavin Yeung, remarked that the Toronto ETO is pleased to continue supporting the Festival. “Hong Kong brought this water sport to Canada almost four decades ago,” he said. “The dragon boat race signifies the strong and enduring ties between Hong Kong and Canada.”
     
    Mr Yeung shared that Hong Kong, as the events capital of Asia, stands as a globally connected city that hosts world-class events, including mega sports competitions, international conferences and cultural exhibitions, attracting tourists around the world. 
     
         “A notable highlight is the newly opened Kai Tak Sports Park,” he said. “Spanning over 28 hectares, this multipurpose venue is the largest sports, entertainment and mega event complex in Hong Kong.” Highlighting the concept of “tourism is everywhere” in Hong Kong, he encouraged Canadians to visit Hong Kong and discover the many exciting developments in Asia’s world city.
     
    The Toronto ETO also set up a Hong Kong pavilion with a mini-exhibition to showcase the history of dragon boating in Hong Kong. Cheering for their favourite teams while exploring the cultural favours, visitors enjoyed an unforgettable weekend.
     
    Besides Toronto, the Toronto ETO also celebrated dragon boat festivals in different cities across Canada. The festivals in Vancouver and Ottawa will be held from June 20 to 22 (Vancouver and Ottawa time) respectively. 
    Issued at HKT 5:00

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Rio Rancho Woman Faces Federal Charges for Trafficking Over 120 Pounds of Fentanyl

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    ALBUQUERQUE – A Rio Rancho woman faces federal drug trafficking charges after a significant seizure during a routine traffic stop on Interstate 40 within the Laguna Pueblo Reservation.

    According to court documents, on June 11, 2025, a Bureau of Indian Affairs officer conducted a traffic stop on a vehicle for excessive window within the Laguna Reservation. The officer detected the odor of marijuana and observed drug paraphernalia in plain view upon approaching the vehicle. The driver, Jordan Baldwin, 22, admitted to possessing marijuana and was asked to exit the vehicle. Baldwin also admitted to using a straw found in her possession to snort cocaine.

    The officer conducted a probable cause search of the vehicle, locating additional drug paraphernalia and Xanax pills in the front passenger area. In the trunk, the officer discovered a large black duffle bag containing a substantial quantity of blue pills, which, based on his training and experience, he believed to be fentanyl. Field tests later confirmed the pills as fentanyl, with a gross weight of 122.22 pounds, equating to approximately 504,140 pills.

    Black duffle bag containing fentanyl pills

    Fentanyl pills on a scale

    Baldwin is charged with possession with intent to distribute and distribution of 400 grams and more of fentanyl and will remain on conditions of release pending trial, which has not yet been scheduled. If convicted of the current charges, Baldwin faces a mandatory minimum of 10 years and up to life in prison.

    U.S. Attorney Ryan Ellison made the announcement today.

    The Bureau of Indian Affairs investigated this case. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jesse Pecoraro is prosecuting the case.

    A criminal complaint is merely an allegation. All defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Carthage Woman Pleads Guilty to Arson

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Jackson, MS – On June 12, 2025, a Leake County woman pleaded guilty to setting fire to a Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians tribal member’s home located in the Pearl River Community of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians.

    According to court documents, in September of 2021, Lashandell F. Thomas, 25, attempted to burn down the residence by starting a fire in the interior of the home.  Thomas was indicted in January of 2022.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Patrick A. Lemon of the Southern District of Mississippi, made the announcement.  The Choctaw Police Department investigated the case.

    Thomas is scheduled to be sentenced on October 10, 2025, and faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. A federal district judge will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kevin J. Payne and Brian K. Burns prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Justice Department Highlights Enforcement Efforts Protecting Older Americans from Transnational Fraud Schemes in Recognition of 2025 World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

    Source: US State of California

    Note: The cases underlined hyperlink to press releases

    In recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced that the Justice Department is reinvigorating efforts to protect older Americans from transnational schemes that cost billions of dollars, often stealing their life savings. In the past few weeks alone, investigators and prosecutors have arrested and filed cases against foreign fraudsters and domestic actors who have knowingly facilitated foreign-based crimes.

    “Prosecutors across the country are stepping up the fight against malicious schemes that target older Americans,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We are working with domestic law enforcement and foreign counterparts every day to hold criminals accountable and ensure that justice is done for our seniors both here at home and abroad.”

    These include cases involving romance fraud, lottery fraud, tech support fraud, and grandparent scams. Romance fraud is a confidence scheme where a perpetrator feigns romantic interest with a victim only to later extract money or property under false pretenses. Lottery fraud schemes trick victims into believing they have won a non-existent lottery or sweepstakes prize in order to extract fake fees, taxes, or other fabricated charges from the victim. Tech support fraud scams involve perpetrators tricking victims into believing that their computer or phone has a problem, often through fake pop-up messages, and to later seek funds from the victims in order to “fix” the “problem.” Grandparent scams, another type of confidence scheme, involve scammers impersonating a grandchild or close family member who experiences a fictitious emergency and needs money from the victim as soon as possible.

    Transnational Elder Fraud

    Lottery Fraud

    United States v. Troy Murray; United States v. Cutter Murray. On June 11, the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch filed an Information in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida charging Troy Murray also known as “Steve Dixson” with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The Branch also filed Troy Murray’s agreement to plead guilty. According to court documents, Troy Murray sold to lottery fraud scammers, including Jamaicans, his lead list database containing the names, and personal information of over seven million elderly American consumers. Scammers then used these lists to defraud those elderly victims. Additionally, Cutter Murray, Troy Murray’s son, will plead guilty to one count of money laundering for receiving and then laundering $1.6 million of the fraudulent funds Troy Murray obtained. Several purchases were in excess of $10,000. This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

    United States v. Dennis Anderson; United States v. Frank Angelori. On June 9, the Consumer Protection Branch filed court documents charging Dennis Anderson and Frank Angelori for facilitating additional Jamaica-based elder fraud. According to court documents, Anderson and Angelori were lead list brokers and business partners, who from as early as 2015 until at least March 2020, knowingly sold lists containing consumer names and contact information of mostly older Americans to Jamaican clients who perpetrate lottery fraud on senior citizens. These cases were investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

    United States v. Deeno Jackson. On May 30, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona announced an indictment charging Deeno Jackson, 27, a citizen of Jamaica with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to court documents, Jackson and others engaged in a lottery fraud scheme targeting elderly victims in Arizona and throughout the United States. One victim lost over $400,000 from the scheme.

    United States v. Jimmy Smith. On April 1, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut announced charges against Jimmy Smith, 30, a citizen of Jamaica, who resided in Hinesville, Georgia. According to court documents, Smith and others defrauded at least four victims residing in Connecticut, New York, Texas, and California, by telling them they had won a Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes and needed to pay taxes or money to claim the prize.

    Romance Fraud

    United States v. Charles Uchenna Nwadavid. On April 9, the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the District of Massachusetts announced charges against Charles Uchenna Nwadavid, a citizen of Nigeria who was arrested after landing at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. In January 2024, a grand jury indicted Nawadavid on one count of mail fraud and two counts of money laundering. Between approximately 2016 to September 2019, Nwadavid allegedly participated in romance scams that tricked victims into sending money abroad.

    United States v. Otuo Amponsah et al. On May 13, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio unsealed charges against Otuo Amponsah, Anna Amponsah, Hannah Adom, Portia Joe, Abdoul Issaka Assimiou, and Dwayne Asafo Adjei for their participation in conspiracies to commit wire fraud and money laundering. According to court documents, from December 2017 through March 2024, the defendants used various wire fraud and romance fraud schemes — often targeting elderly individuals in the United States — to obtain funds from victims by means of false pretenses. The defendants shared funds obtained from victims with co-conspirators in the Republic of Ghana and elsewhere. This case was investigated by the FBI.

    United States v. Clinton Ogedegbe. On April 15, a grand jury in the Western District of North Carolina returned an indictment against Clinton Ogedegbe, charging him with one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of concealment money laundering. According to court documents, from July 2023 through at least February 2024, Ogedegbe and his co-conspirators carried out a scheme to launder the proceeds of romance fraud schemes typically targeting elderly and other vulnerable victims. This case was investigated by the FBI.

    United States v. Joseph Kwadwo Badu Boateng also known as “Dada Joe Remix.” On May 30, a grand jury indictment was unsealed in the District of Arizona charging Joseph Boateng also known as “Dada Joe Remix,” a citizen of Ghana, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to court documents, from at least 2013 through March 2023, Boateng and his co-conspirators engaged in a romance/inheritance scheme that targeted elderly American victims and others around the world. The co-conspirators falsely represented that they had gold and jewels and that to release such items, taxes and fees or other costs would be required. Ghanian authorities arrested Boateng on May 28 pursuant to a U.S. request for his extradition. This case was investigated by the FBI.

    United States v. 679,981.22 Tether, et al. On June 3, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio announced the filing of a civil forfeiture complaint against 679,981.22 in the Tether cryptocurrency suspected of being fraudulently obtained as part of a romance/investment scam. According to court documents, one victim was targeted via LinkedIn and another victim was targeted though the dating App “Coffee Meets Bagel.”  

    United States v. John Muriuku Wamuigah. On May 22, Malaysia extradited Kenyan national John Muriuku Wamuigah to stand trial in the District of Connecticut on a wire fraud charge.  According to court documents, Mamuiga and others executed a scheme to defraud using business email compromise and romance scams. The scheme involved exploitation of elderly victims through romance scams to serve as unwitting money mules.

    United States v. Dwayne Asafo Adjei et al. On June 4, a superseding indictment sought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio was unsealed. It charges David Onyinye Abuanekwu, Dwayne Asafo Adjei, Nancy Adom, Eric Aidoo, and Nader Wasif with wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies. According to court documents, from December 2017 through March 2024, the defendants used various wire fraud and romance fraud schemes — often targeting elderly individuals in the United States — to obtain funds from victims by means of false pretenses. The defendants shared in funds obtained from victims with co-conspirators in the Republic of Ghana and elsewhere. This case was investigated by the FBI.

    Tech Support / Imposter Fraud

    United States v. Rakeshkumar Patel. On May 21, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware announced Indian national Rakeshkumar Patel’s guilty plea to one count of wire fraud conspiracy for his role in an elder fraud scam targeting Americans. According to court documents, the scheme involved at least $2.1 million in loss from victims who were contacted over the phone by fraudsters posing as federal agents who convinced victims their identities had been stolen and that they were under federal investigation.   

    United States v. Nanjun Song et al. On May 21, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island announced the indictment of eight individuals for their roles in orchestrating and executing an elaborate transnational fraud and money laundering scheme targeting elderly citizens in the United States and Canada. According to court documents, pop-up messages on seniors’ computers making various false claims lured victims to call live agents, who informed the victims that their financial assets were at risk or could be garnished, among other false claims. Law enforcement identified approximately 300 individuals in at least 37 states who suffered known losses exceeding $5 million.

    United States v. Atharva Shailesh Sathawane. On May 27, a grand jury in the Northern District of Florida charged Atharva “Andy” Sathawane with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to court documents, Sathawane and his co-conspirators defrauded elderly victims throughout the United States into providing money and gold in response to fraudulent telephone calls and electronic messages. This case was investigated by the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, and the Gainesville Police Department.

    Grandparent Scams

    United States v. Johnny Cepeda. On May 30, a grand jury in the District of New Jersey indicted Jhonny Cepeda of New York, NY, with wire fraud conspiracy. According to court documents, Cepeda served as a courier in a “grandparent” or “family-in-need-of-bail” scam operated from call centers in the Dominican Republic. The scam targeted elderly Americans, deceiving numerous victims into believing that a loved one had been arrested and urgently needed cash for bail and other legal services. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, and the FBI.

    Mail Fraud

    United States v. Georg Ingenbleek. On May 14, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey announced that Georg Ingenbleek, 58, a citizen of Germany, was extradited to the United States to face an indictment charging him with two counts of mail fraud. According to court documents, from at least 2011 through 2016, Ingenbleek orchestrated a massive mail fraud scheme targeting elderly and otherwise vulnerable victims with false and fraudulent psychic solicitations. Ingenbleek had been a fugitive since being indicted in 2020.

    Domestic Elder Fraud

    While prosecuting perpetrators who believe they are hidden abroad is one focus of the Department’s work, the Department also remains focused on domestic actors who prey on American seniors and domestic actors who facilitate foreign-based schemes. Fraud can erode American seniors’ trust in markets and other important public institutions, furthering a feeling of isolation and helplessness for individuals who worked for decades to have a secure retirement.

    Matters Relating to Domestic Perpetrators

    United States v. Kenneth W. Mattson. On May 22, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northen District of California announced the arrest of Kenneth Mattson, who is charged with wire fraud, money laundering, and obstruction of justice. According to court documents, for more than a decade, Mattson allegedly solicited and obtained millions of dollars in investments from hundreds of investors — many of whom were nearing or in retirement — in what he represented were legitimate and safe interests of limited partnerships that owned real estate.  Those representations were false: although many of the partnerships were real entities, Mattson’s victims, referred to in the indictment as “off-books investors,” never had interests in those partnerships.  

    United States v. Jon Kubler. On May 23, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina announced charges against Jon Kubler of Redondo Beach, California. According to court documents, from December 2017 to April 2023, Kubler orchestrated a $4 million investment scheme that targeted elderly and vulnerable victims. Despite not being licensed as an investment adviser, Kubler allegedly provided investment planning and management services to victims who were unsophisticated investors, elderly, and the beneficiaries of settlements or life insurance proceeds.  

    United States v. Sunil Patel et al. On April 15, a grand jury in the Southern District of New York charged Sunil Patel, Ratansha Vakil, and Lakhmichand Lohani with conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and bank fraud. According to court documents, from April 2023 through December 2023, the defendants laundered the proceeds of an elder fraud scheme, in which the defendants’ co-conspirators made phone calls to elderly victims, told them their assets or personal information was at risk, and directed them to send their money in the form of cashiers’ checks to limited liability companies controlled by the defendants. This case was investigated by the FBI.

    United States v. Kendall Grey. On June 10, Kendall Grey pled guilty to one count of bank fraud in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. According to court documents, from July 2022 through January 2023, in his role as a bank insider, Grey facilitated a retirement account scam. Scammers involved in the scheme tricked an investment management company into authorizing a distribution to an imposter posing as the true accountholder. They created phony identification documents for the victim accountholder in order to open bank accounts in the victim’s name, which were used to receive and launder the stolen funds.

    Recovering Victim Loss

    In addition to holding fraudsters to account, the Department is committed to recovering money for victims whenever possible. Victims face many challenges in financially recovering from fraud schemes — and that is even more true for older victims. Many retired seniors are no longer earning income and cannot count on market appreciation to grow their retirement savings. Perpetrators may have already spent or forwarded victim funds beyond the reach of U.S. law enforcement. Victims may not have the resources to pursue legal action or hire legal representation. These, and other reasons, make it critically important that the Department do whatever it takes to achieve substantial victim restitution in cases we investigate and prosecute.

    Today, the Attorney General announced the successful conclusion of the Consumer Data Victim Compensation Fund, managed by the Consumer Protection Branch of the Civil Division. In 2021, the Department of Justice reached Deferred Prosecution Agreements (DPAs) with two separate data companies, Epsilon Data Management and KBM Group, under the terms of which the two companies admitted to selling or renting the data of millions of American consumers to the perpetrators of mass mailing fraud schemes. Such schemes typically involved letters sent by mail falsely promising large cash prizes or other rewards in exchange for payment of a fee. In 2022, a third consumer data company, Wiland Inc., signed a Non-Prosecution Agreement with the Department of Justice that included an additional $4.4 million in victim compensation.

    As a part of their DPAs, Epsilon and KBM funded the operation of a Claims Administrator to more effectively reimburse victims. In total, as of June 2025, the fund has returned over $129 million to over 100,000 victims across the country.

    National Elder Fraud Hotline

    In addition to returning money to victims of elder fraud, the Department also supports older victims through its National Elder Fraud Hotline campaign. The National Elder Fraud Hotline is a free, national resource for older adults and their loved ones experiencing financial fraud. Supported by the Office for Victims of Crime, the National Elder Fraud Hotline is staffed by professionals who have experience working with older adults. Staff are continuously updated on the latest scams, are trained to make referrals and warm hand-offs for resources and services in the older adult’s local area and can assist older adults in placing a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), a report which has the potential to freeze funds (although freezing funds cannot be guaranteed).

    If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.

    For more information about the department’s efforts to help older Americans and to combat elder abuse, neglect, financial exploitation and fraud, please visit the department’s Elder Justice webpage (at elderjustice.gov). For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov/  or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.

    The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance working with foreign authorities to secure the arrest and extradition to the United States of perpetrators abroad.

    The Department notes that for all cases discussed above, facts included in a Complaint, Information, or Indictment are only allegations, and all defendants are innocent until proven guilty by evidence beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Justice Department Highlights Enforcement Efforts Protecting Older Americans from Transnational Fraud Schemes in Recognition of 2025 World Elder Abuse Awareness Day

    Source: United States Attorneys General

    Note: The cases underlined hyperlink to press releases

    In recognition of World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, Attorney General Pamela Bondi announced that the Justice Department is reinvigorating efforts to protect older Americans from transnational schemes that cost billions of dollars, often stealing their life savings. In the past few weeks alone, investigators and prosecutors have arrested and filed cases against foreign fraudsters and domestic actors who have knowingly facilitated foreign-based crimes.

    “Prosecutors across the country are stepping up the fight against malicious schemes that target older Americans,” said Attorney General Pamela Bondi. “We are working with domestic law enforcement and foreign counterparts every day to hold criminals accountable and ensure that justice is done for our seniors both here at home and abroad.”

    These include cases involving romance fraud, lottery fraud, tech support fraud, and grandparent scams. Romance fraud is a confidence scheme where a perpetrator feigns romantic interest with a victim only to later extract money or property under false pretenses. Lottery fraud schemes trick victims into believing they have won a non-existent lottery or sweepstakes prize in order to extract fake fees, taxes, or other fabricated charges from the victim. Tech support fraud scams involve perpetrators tricking victims into believing that their computer or phone has a problem, often through fake pop-up messages, and to later seek funds from the victims in order to “fix” the “problem.” Grandparent scams, another type of confidence scheme, involve scammers impersonating a grandchild or close family member who experiences a fictitious emergency and needs money from the victim as soon as possible.

    Transnational Elder Fraud

    Lottery Fraud

    United States v. Troy Murray; United States v. Cutter Murray. On June 11, the Department’s Consumer Protection Branch filed an Information in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida charging Troy Murray also known as “Steve Dixson” with conspiracy to commit wire fraud. The Branch also filed Troy Murray’s agreement to plead guilty. According to court documents, Troy Murray sold to lottery fraud scammers, including Jamaicans, his lead list database containing the names, and personal information of over seven million elderly American consumers. Scammers then used these lists to defraud those elderly victims. Additionally, Cutter Murray, Troy Murray’s son, will plead guilty to one count of money laundering for receiving and then laundering $1.6 million of the fraudulent funds Troy Murray obtained. Several purchases were in excess of $10,000. This case was investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

    United States v. Dennis Anderson; United States v. Frank Angelori. On June 9, the Consumer Protection Branch filed court documents charging Dennis Anderson and Frank Angelori for facilitating additional Jamaica-based elder fraud. According to court documents, Anderson and Angelori were lead list brokers and business partners, who from as early as 2015 until at least March 2020, knowingly sold lists containing consumer names and contact information of mostly older Americans to Jamaican clients who perpetrate lottery fraud on senior citizens. These cases were investigated by the U.S. Postal Inspection Service.

    United States v. Deeno Jackson. On May 30, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Arizona announced an indictment charging Deeno Jackson, 27, a citizen of Jamaica with wire fraud and conspiracy to commit wire fraud. According to court documents, Jackson and others engaged in a lottery fraud scheme targeting elderly victims in Arizona and throughout the United States. One victim lost over $400,000 from the scheme.

    United States v. Jimmy Smith. On April 1, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Connecticut announced charges against Jimmy Smith, 30, a citizen of Jamaica, who resided in Hinesville, Georgia. According to court documents, Smith and others defrauded at least four victims residing in Connecticut, New York, Texas, and California, by telling them they had won a Publishers Clearing House Sweepstakes and needed to pay taxes or money to claim the prize.

    Romance Fraud

    United States v. Charles Uchenna Nwadavid. On April 9, the U.S. Attorney’s Office (USAO) for the District of Massachusetts announced charges against Charles Uchenna Nwadavid, a citizen of Nigeria who was arrested after landing at the Dallas-Fort Worth Airport. In January 2024, a grand jury indicted Nawadavid on one count of mail fraud and two counts of money laundering. Between approximately 2016 to September 2019, Nwadavid allegedly participated in romance scams that tricked victims into sending money abroad.

    United States v. Otuo Amponsah et al. On May 13, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio unsealed charges against Otuo Amponsah, Anna Amponsah, Hannah Adom, Portia Joe, Abdoul Issaka Assimiou, and Dwayne Asafo Adjei for their participation in conspiracies to commit wire fraud and money laundering. According to court documents, from December 2017 through March 2024, the defendants used various wire fraud and romance fraud schemes — often targeting elderly individuals in the United States — to obtain funds from victims by means of false pretenses. The defendants shared funds obtained from victims with co-conspirators in the Republic of Ghana and elsewhere. This case was investigated by the FBI.

    United States v. Clinton Ogedegbe. On April 15, a grand jury in the Western District of North Carolina returned an indictment against Clinton Ogedegbe, charging him with one count of money laundering conspiracy and one count of concealment money laundering. According to court documents, from July 2023 through at least February 2024, Ogedegbe and his co-conspirators carried out a scheme to launder the proceeds of romance fraud schemes typically targeting elderly and other vulnerable victims. This case was investigated by the FBI.

    United States v. Joseph Kwadwo Badu Boateng also known as “Dada Joe Remix.” On May 30, a grand jury indictment was unsealed in the District of Arizona charging Joseph Boateng also known as “Dada Joe Remix,” a citizen of Ghana, with conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to court documents, from at least 2013 through March 2023, Boateng and his co-conspirators engaged in a romance/inheritance scheme that targeted elderly American victims and others around the world. The co-conspirators falsely represented that they had gold and jewels and that to release such items, taxes and fees or other costs would be required. Ghanian authorities arrested Boateng on May 28 pursuant to a U.S. request for his extradition. This case was investigated by the FBI.

    United States v. 679,981.22 Tether, et al. On June 3, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio announced the filing of a civil forfeiture complaint against 679,981.22 in the Tether cryptocurrency suspected of being fraudulently obtained as part of a romance/investment scam. According to court documents, one victim was targeted via LinkedIn and another victim was targeted though the dating App “Coffee Meets Bagel.”  

    United States v. John Muriuku Wamuigah. On May 22, Malaysia extradited Kenyan national John Muriuku Wamuigah to stand trial in the District of Connecticut on a wire fraud charge.  According to court documents, Mamuiga and others executed a scheme to defraud using business email compromise and romance scams. The scheme involved exploitation of elderly victims through romance scams to serve as unwitting money mules.

    United States v. Dwayne Asafo Adjei et al. On June 4, a superseding indictment sought by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Ohio was unsealed. It charges David Onyinye Abuanekwu, Dwayne Asafo Adjei, Nancy Adom, Eric Aidoo, and Nader Wasif with wire fraud and money laundering conspiracies. According to court documents, from December 2017 through March 2024, the defendants used various wire fraud and romance fraud schemes — often targeting elderly individuals in the United States — to obtain funds from victims by means of false pretenses. The defendants shared in funds obtained from victims with co-conspirators in the Republic of Ghana and elsewhere. This case was investigated by the FBI.

    Tech Support / Imposter Fraud

    United States v. Rakeshkumar Patel. On May 21, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Delaware announced Indian national Rakeshkumar Patel’s guilty plea to one count of wire fraud conspiracy for his role in an elder fraud scam targeting Americans. According to court documents, the scheme involved at least $2.1 million in loss from victims who were contacted over the phone by fraudsters posing as federal agents who convinced victims their identities had been stolen and that they were under federal investigation.   

    United States v. Nanjun Song et al. On May 21, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Rhode Island announced the indictment of eight individuals for their roles in orchestrating and executing an elaborate transnational fraud and money laundering scheme targeting elderly citizens in the United States and Canada. According to court documents, pop-up messages on seniors’ computers making various false claims lured victims to call live agents, who informed the victims that their financial assets were at risk or could be garnished, among other false claims. Law enforcement identified approximately 300 individuals in at least 37 states who suffered known losses exceeding $5 million.

    United States v. Atharva Shailesh Sathawane. On May 27, a grand jury in the Northern District of Florida charged Atharva “Andy” Sathawane with one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to commit money laundering. According to court documents, Sathawane and his co-conspirators defrauded elderly victims throughout the United States into providing money and gold in response to fraudulent telephone calls and electronic messages. This case was investigated by the FBI, U.S. Secret Service, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigations, and the Gainesville Police Department.

    Grandparent Scams

    United States v. Johnny Cepeda. On May 30, a grand jury in the District of New Jersey indicted Jhonny Cepeda of New York, NY, with wire fraud conspiracy. According to court documents, Cepeda served as a courier in a “grandparent” or “family-in-need-of-bail” scam operated from call centers in the Dominican Republic. The scam targeted elderly Americans, deceiving numerous victims into believing that a loved one had been arrested and urgently needed cash for bail and other legal services. This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), Social Security Administration Office of the Inspector General, and the FBI.

    Mail Fraud

    United States v. Georg Ingenbleek. On May 14, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey announced that Georg Ingenbleek, 58, a citizen of Germany, was extradited to the United States to face an indictment charging him with two counts of mail fraud. According to court documents, from at least 2011 through 2016, Ingenbleek orchestrated a massive mail fraud scheme targeting elderly and otherwise vulnerable victims with false and fraudulent psychic solicitations. Ingenbleek had been a fugitive since being indicted in 2020.

    Domestic Elder Fraud

    While prosecuting perpetrators who believe they are hidden abroad is one focus of the Department’s work, the Department also remains focused on domestic actors who prey on American seniors and domestic actors who facilitate foreign-based schemes. Fraud can erode American seniors’ trust in markets and other important public institutions, furthering a feeling of isolation and helplessness for individuals who worked for decades to have a secure retirement.

    Matters Relating to Domestic Perpetrators

    United States v. Kenneth W. Mattson. On May 22, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northen District of California announced the arrest of Kenneth Mattson, who is charged with wire fraud, money laundering, and obstruction of justice. According to court documents, for more than a decade, Mattson allegedly solicited and obtained millions of dollars in investments from hundreds of investors — many of whom were nearing or in retirement — in what he represented were legitimate and safe interests of limited partnerships that owned real estate.  Those representations were false: although many of the partnerships were real entities, Mattson’s victims, referred to in the indictment as “off-books investors,” never had interests in those partnerships.  

    United States v. Jon Kubler. On May 23, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Western District of North Carolina announced charges against Jon Kubler of Redondo Beach, California. According to court documents, from December 2017 to April 2023, Kubler orchestrated a $4 million investment scheme that targeted elderly and vulnerable victims. Despite not being licensed as an investment adviser, Kubler allegedly provided investment planning and management services to victims who were unsophisticated investors, elderly, and the beneficiaries of settlements or life insurance proceeds.  

    United States v. Sunil Patel et al. On April 15, a grand jury in the Southern District of New York charged Sunil Patel, Ratansha Vakil, and Lakhmichand Lohani with conspiracy to commit money laundering, conspiracy to commit bank fraud, and bank fraud. According to court documents, from April 2023 through December 2023, the defendants laundered the proceeds of an elder fraud scheme, in which the defendants’ co-conspirators made phone calls to elderly victims, told them their assets or personal information was at risk, and directed them to send their money in the form of cashiers’ checks to limited liability companies controlled by the defendants. This case was investigated by the FBI.

    United States v. Kendall Grey. On June 10, Kendall Grey pled guilty to one count of bank fraud in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia. According to court documents, from July 2022 through January 2023, in his role as a bank insider, Grey facilitated a retirement account scam. Scammers involved in the scheme tricked an investment management company into authorizing a distribution to an imposter posing as the true accountholder. They created phony identification documents for the victim accountholder in order to open bank accounts in the victim’s name, which were used to receive and launder the stolen funds.

    Recovering Victim Loss

    In addition to holding fraudsters to account, the Department is committed to recovering money for victims whenever possible. Victims face many challenges in financially recovering from fraud schemes — and that is even more true for older victims. Many retired seniors are no longer earning income and cannot count on market appreciation to grow their retirement savings. Perpetrators may have already spent or forwarded victim funds beyond the reach of U.S. law enforcement. Victims may not have the resources to pursue legal action or hire legal representation. These, and other reasons, make it critically important that the Department do whatever it takes to achieve substantial victim restitution in cases we investigate and prosecute.

    Today, the Attorney General announced the successful conclusion of the Consumer Data Victim Compensation Fund, managed by the Consumer Protection Branch of the Civil Division. In 2021, the Department of Justice reached Deferred Prosecution Agreements (DPAs) with two separate data companies, Epsilon Data Management and KBM Group, under the terms of which the two companies admitted to selling or renting the data of millions of American consumers to the perpetrators of mass mailing fraud schemes. Such schemes typically involved letters sent by mail falsely promising large cash prizes or other rewards in exchange for payment of a fee. In 2022, a third consumer data company, Wiland Inc., signed a Non-Prosecution Agreement with the Department of Justice that included an additional $4.4 million in victim compensation.

    As a part of their DPAs, Epsilon and KBM funded the operation of a Claims Administrator to more effectively reimburse victims. In total, as of June 2025, the fund has returned over $129 million to over 100,000 victims across the country.

    National Elder Fraud Hotline

    In addition to returning money to victims of elder fraud, the Department also supports older victims through its National Elder Fraud Hotline campaign. The National Elder Fraud Hotline is a free, national resource for older adults and their loved ones experiencing financial fraud. Supported by the Office for Victims of Crime, the National Elder Fraud Hotline is staffed by professionals who have experience working with older adults. Staff are continuously updated on the latest scams, are trained to make referrals and warm hand-offs for resources and services in the older adult’s local area and can assist older adults in placing a report with the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3), a report which has the potential to freeze funds (although freezing funds cannot be guaranteed).

    If you or someone you know is age 60 or older and has been a victim of financial fraud, help is standing by at the National Elder Fraud Hotline: 1-833-FRAUD-11 (1-833-372-8311). The hotline is open Monday through Friday from 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. ET. English, Spanish, and other languages are available.

    For more information about the department’s efforts to help older Americans and to combat elder abuse, neglect, financial exploitation and fraud, please visit the department’s Elder Justice webpage (at elderjustice.gov). For more information about the Consumer Protection Branch and its enforcement efforts, visit its website at www.justice.gov/civil/consumer-protection-branch. Elder fraud complaints may be filed with the FTC at reportfraud.ftc.gov/  or at 877-FTC-HELP. The Department of Justice provides a variety of resources relating to elder fraud victimization through its Office for Victims of Crime, which can be reached at www.ovc.gov.

    The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs provided substantial assistance working with foreign authorities to secure the arrest and extradition to the United States of perpetrators abroad.

    The Department notes that for all cases discussed above, facts included in a Complaint, Information, or Indictment are only allegations, and all defendants are innocent until proven guilty by evidence beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Ice Age shelter high up in the Blue Mountains reveals Aboriginal heritage from 20,000 years ago

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin Wilkins, Aboriginal Cultural Educator, Trainer and Facilitator, Indigenous Knowledge

    Artist’s impression of Dargan Shelter as it would have looked during the last Ice Age. Painting by Leanne Watson Redpath

    Travel back 20,000 years into the last Ice Age, to a time when the upper reaches of the Blue Mountains were treeless and the ridgelines and mountain peaks laden in snow and ice.

    At an elevation of 1,073 metres, you will find Dargan Shelter, an ancient rock shelter resembling a large amphitheatre. Looking around, you could easily assume this cold and barren high country was too difficult for people to spend time in.

    But our new research, published today in Nature Human Behaviour, indicates Dargan Shelter was occupied as early as the last Ice Age and repeatedly visited during this cold period.

    Our excavation results provide the earliest known evidence of high-altitude occupation in Australia, establishing the Blue Mountains as Australia’s most archaeologically significant periglacial landscape – that is, an area which goes through seasonal freezing and thawing.

    Cultural perspectives

    This is a highly significant landscape concentrated with tangible and intangible cultural values for Aboriginal people.

    For millennia, Aboriginal people have passed down the knowledge and stories of Country.

    Knowing our Ancestors have lived here, in this Country, for thousands of years was on our minds as the team headed down into the site where we would sit alongside our Ancestors of yesterday.

    We chose this site because of its location on a known Aboriginal travelling route, high elevation and its potential to hold deep deposits.

    Archaeologically, a deep and undisturbed deposit is one of the most important things to look for. The sediment buildup over time preserves cultural material, and allows us to reconstruct past activities by associating cultural objects within distinct layers or bands of time.

    Members of the season 3 team at Dargan Shelter. Back to front, left to right: Tyrone Pal, Rodney Lawson, Wayne Brennan, Duncan Wright, Eitan Harris, Juliet Schofield, Michael Spate, Wayne Logue, Lauren Roach, Rebecca Chalker, Dominic Wilkins, Phil Piper, Amy Way, Imogen Williams.
    Amy Way

    When we enter the site, we pay respects to the Country and Ancestors before us. As part of the opening of the site for the archaeological works, a lyrebird song and dance were performed and, magically, a handful of lyrebirds began approaching the cave and singing out as if they were communicating between the current and old worlds through song.

    We do not know who exactly the Aboriginal people who moved through the Blue Mountains in the deep past were, nor where they came from. But Dargan Shelter was probably an important stopover point for people to attend gatherings and ceremonies that could have included people from the western interior, the Cumberland coastal plains, and Country to the north and south.

    Finds from the Dargan Shelter excavation

    New evidence provides definitive proof of repeated occupation in this once frozen high-altitude landscape. It is now believed to be the oldest occupied site in Australia at high elevation.

    We unearthed 693 stone artefacts, including 117 flakes from stratigraphic layers older than 16,000 years, and documented a small amount of faded rock art, including a child-sized hand stencil and two forearm stencils.

    Charcoal from hearths (campfires) underwent radiocarbon dating, indicating Dargan Shelter had been continuously occupied since 22,000 to 19,000 years ago.

    Stone artefacts excavated at Dargan shelter dating to the last ice-age, showing the range of non-quartz raw material used during that time. (A) hornfels; (B) black quartzite hammerstone from the Hunter region; (C) exotic coarse grained unidentified siliceous stone possibly from Jenolan; (D) Local Burragorang claystone; (E) exotic fine grained siliceous stone possibly from Jenolan;
    Amy Way

    Among the findings, most of the stone tools were locally sourced and made. But, very interestingly some stones from the Jenolan Caves area, approximately 50 kilometres to the south-west, and the Hunter Valley region, 150 km to the north, were also found. This indicates people were travelling into this mountainous region from both the north and south.

    We found a sandstone grinding slab, dated to 13,000 years ago, consistent with shaping bone or wooden artefacts such as needles, awls, bone points and nose points. A basalt anvil with impact marks consistent with cracking hard woody nuts and seed shells was dated to 8,800 years ago.

    Greater Blue Mountains and world heritage

    The Blue Mountains was listed as a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage area in 2000 for its outstanding biodiversity values.

    Although the cultural heritage is remarkably intact and connected with an environmental system and natural features, the parallel nomination for cultural values listing failed due to a paucity of archaeological and cultural heritage information.

    Our new research should be considered in a nomination for the UNESCO World Heritage area to also encompass cultural heritage alongside biodiversity.

    The Blue Mountains landscape shrouds a silent yet rich tapestry of Aboriginal heritage.

    Our people have walked, lived and thrived in the Blue Mountains for thousands of years. The mountains are a tangible connection to our Ancestors who used them as a meeting place for sharing, storytelling and survival. They are a part of our cultural identity.

    We need to respect and protect our heritage for the benefit of all Australians.

    Archaeological works in progress: Imogen Williams, Rebecca Chalker and Tyrone Pal excavating the Ice Age layers.
    Amy Way

    Our results align Australia for the first time with ice age data from the world’s other inhabited continents, including sites in other places not traditionally thought of as cold climates, such as Mexico and Spain.

    We now have a truly global story of people entering and living in high-altitude landscapes during the last ice age.

    The continuation of research projects like this one, and the invaluable evidence it provides across the region, will allow Aboriginal people with connections to the Blue Mountains to begin to stitch back together much of the history and many of the stories that until now have had gaps.

    The more we discover and piece together the movements, ceremonies and stories, the stronger we are as a community.

    Amy Mosig Way receives funding from the Australian Museum Foundation and is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney.

    Erin Wilkins, Leanne Watson, and Wayne Brennan do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Ice Age shelter high up in the Blue Mountains reveals Aboriginal heritage from 20,000 years ago – https://theconversation.com/ice-age-shelter-high-up-in-the-blue-mountains-reveals-aboriginal-heritage-from-20-000-years-ago-247358

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Ice Age shelter high up in the Blue Mountains reveals Aboriginal heritage from 20,000 years ago

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin Wilkins, Aboriginal Cultural Educator, Trainer and Facilitator, Indigenous Knowledge

    Artist’s impression of Dargan Shelter as it would have looked during the last Ice Age. Painting by Leanne Watson Redpath

    Travel back 20,000 years into the last Ice Age, to a time when the upper reaches of the Blue Mountains were treeless and the ridgelines and mountain peaks laden in snow and ice.

    At an elevation of 1,073 metres, you will find Dargan Shelter, an ancient rock shelter resembling a large amphitheatre. Looking around, you could easily assume this cold and barren high country was too difficult for people to spend time in.

    But our new research, published today in Nature Human Behaviour, indicates Dargan Shelter was occupied as early as the last Ice Age and repeatedly visited during this cold period.

    Our excavation results provide the earliest known evidence of high-altitude occupation in Australia, establishing the Blue Mountains as Australia’s most archaeologically significant periglacial landscape – that is, an area which goes through seasonal freezing and thawing.

    Cultural perspectives

    This is a highly significant landscape concentrated with tangible and intangible cultural values for Aboriginal people.

    For millennia, Aboriginal people have passed down the knowledge and stories of Country.

    Knowing our Ancestors have lived here, in this Country, for thousands of years was on our minds as the team headed down into the site where we would sit alongside our Ancestors of yesterday.

    We chose this site because of its location on a known Aboriginal travelling route, high elevation and its potential to hold deep deposits.

    Archaeologically, a deep and undisturbed deposit is one of the most important things to look for. The sediment buildup over time preserves cultural material, and allows us to reconstruct past activities by associating cultural objects within distinct layers or bands of time.

    Members of the season 3 team at Dargan Shelter. Back to front, left to right: Tyrone Pal, Rodney Lawson, Wayne Brennan, Duncan Wright, Eitan Harris, Juliet Schofield, Michael Spate, Wayne Logue, Lauren Roach, Rebecca Chalker, Dominic Wilkins, Phil Piper, Amy Way, Imogen Williams.
    Amy Way

    When we enter the site, we pay respects to the Country and Ancestors before us. As part of the opening of the site for the archaeological works, a lyrebird song and dance were performed and, magically, a handful of lyrebirds began approaching the cave and singing out as if they were communicating between the current and old worlds through song.

    We do not know who exactly the Aboriginal people who moved through the Blue Mountains in the deep past were, nor where they came from. But Dargan Shelter was probably an important stopover point for people to attend gatherings and ceremonies that could have included people from the western interior, the Cumberland coastal plains, and Country to the north and south.

    Finds from the Dargan Shelter excavation

    New evidence provides definitive proof of repeated occupation in this once frozen high-altitude landscape. It is now believed to be the oldest occupied site in Australia at high elevation.

    We unearthed 693 stone artefacts, including 117 flakes from stratigraphic layers older than 16,000 years, and documented a small amount of faded rock art, including a child-sized hand stencil and two forearm stencils.

    Charcoal from hearths (campfires) underwent radiocarbon dating, indicating Dargan Shelter had been continuously occupied since 22,000 to 19,000 years ago.

    Stone artefacts excavated at Dargan shelter dating to the last ice-age, showing the range of non-quartz raw material used during that time. (A) hornfels; (B) black quartzite hammerstone from the Hunter region; (C) exotic coarse grained unidentified siliceous stone possibly from Jenolan; (D) Local Burragorang claystone; (E) exotic fine grained siliceous stone possibly from Jenolan;
    Amy Way

    Among the findings, most of the stone tools were locally sourced and made. But, very interestingly some stones from the Jenolan Caves area, approximately 50 kilometres to the south-west, and the Hunter Valley region, 150 km to the north, were also found. This indicates people were travelling into this mountainous region from both the north and south.

    We found a sandstone grinding slab, dated to 13,000 years ago, consistent with shaping bone or wooden artefacts such as needles, awls, bone points and nose points. A basalt anvil with impact marks consistent with cracking hard woody nuts and seed shells was dated to 8,800 years ago.

    Greater Blue Mountains and world heritage

    The Blue Mountains was listed as a UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization) World Heritage area in 2000 for its outstanding biodiversity values.

    Although the cultural heritage is remarkably intact and connected with an environmental system and natural features, the parallel nomination for cultural values listing failed due to a paucity of archaeological and cultural heritage information.

    Our new research should be considered in a nomination for the UNESCO World Heritage area to also encompass cultural heritage alongside biodiversity.

    The Blue Mountains landscape shrouds a silent yet rich tapestry of Aboriginal heritage.

    Our people have walked, lived and thrived in the Blue Mountains for thousands of years. The mountains are a tangible connection to our Ancestors who used them as a meeting place for sharing, storytelling and survival. They are a part of our cultural identity.

    We need to respect and protect our heritage for the benefit of all Australians.

    Archaeological works in progress: Imogen Williams, Rebecca Chalker and Tyrone Pal excavating the Ice Age layers.
    Amy Way

    Our results align Australia for the first time with ice age data from the world’s other inhabited continents, including sites in other places not traditionally thought of as cold climates, such as Mexico and Spain.

    We now have a truly global story of people entering and living in high-altitude landscapes during the last ice age.

    The continuation of research projects like this one, and the invaluable evidence it provides across the region, will allow Aboriginal people with connections to the Blue Mountains to begin to stitch back together much of the history and many of the stories that until now have had gaps.

    The more we discover and piece together the movements, ceremonies and stories, the stronger we are as a community.

    Amy Mosig Way receives funding from the Australian Museum Foundation and is a Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney.

    Erin Wilkins, Leanne Watson, and Wayne Brennan do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Ice Age shelter high up in the Blue Mountains reveals Aboriginal heritage from 20,000 years ago – https://theconversation.com/ice-age-shelter-high-up-in-the-blue-mountains-reveals-aboriginal-heritage-from-20-000-years-ago-247358

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Some students learning English can take at least 6 years to catch up to their peers. How can we support them better?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lucy Lu, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney

    Rawpixel/ Getty Images

    About one quarter of Australian school students are learning English as an additional language or dialect.

    This means their first language or dialect is something other than English and they need extra support to develop proficiency in what we call standard Australian English.

    This group of students includes immigrants and refugees from non-English speaking countries, children of migrant heritage where English is not spoken at home and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

    But the level and duration of support they receive varies across schools. This is an issue because these students risk underachieving or being labelled as having learning difficulties without adequate help.

    Until now, little was known about how long these students take to learn English.

    Our new research published today by the Australian Education Research Organisation, found it can take many years for students to develop the English language skills they need. This suggests students need ongoing and targeted support to learn English as an additional language.

    Our study

    We looked at more than 110,000 primary and high school students in New South Wales public schools over a nine-year period.

    The students were learning English as an additional language from 2014 to 2022. Our research used two methods.

    First, we analysed how long it took these students to achieve the same scores in their NAPLAN reading and writing tests as their English-speaking peers with the same background characteristics. That is, students were matched for characteristics such as gender, student socio-educational advantage and school location.

    Second, we analysed how long it took students learning English as an additional language to reach certain phases of language proficiency. There is a national learning progression resource for schools supporting students learning English as an additional language. It has four phases: beginning, emerging, developing and consolidating.


    Source: The EAL/D Learning Progression: Foundation to Year 10, ACARA, 2015., CC BY

    It can take many years to learn English

    Combining both methods, we found students need considerable time to learn English as an additional language.

    For students who were assessed as “beginning” when they started school, it takes an average of six years to reach the final “consolidating” phase.

    This means those students starting in kindergarten (the first year of school in NSW) are likely to need English language support throughout primary school.

    For “beginning” students who start in later years, they may need continued English language support in high school.

    Students who started school at the “emerging” and “developing” phases take, on average, four and three years, respectively to have English skills on par with their peers.

    Learning English takes longer as you go along

    We also found as students learned English, each phase in their progression took longer to achieve than the one before:

    • the average time from beginning to emerging was one year and one month

    • from emerging to developing was one year and eight months

    • from developing to consolidating was two years and seven months.

    What can impact learning?

    But learning English is complex and can be impacted by many factors.

    We found students with socio-educational disadvantage progressed 22% slower than advantaged students, students with refugee experiences progressed 14% slower than those without. Male students took 6% longer than their female peers.

    We also found students starting school in kindergarten progressed about 9% slower, compared to starting school in Australia in later primary year levels.

    But we found students who started school already at the final, “consolidating” phase of English outperformed monolingual peers in NAPLAN. This suggests these students, who are arguably bilingual, were at an educational advantage.

    Average NAPLAN reading performance of students learning English as an additional language and their matched peers.
    Source: NSW Department of Education National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy 2014 to 2022, CC BY

    Targeted support is needed

    Our findings have a number of implications.

    Firstly, they help us understand the nature and length of support needed for students learning English students in schools.

    Secondly, they highlight the importance of ongoing, targeted support for students.

    This also suggests we need to make effective professional support available for teachers working with students who are learning English as an additional language.

    The academic advantage of bilingual students also points to a need to encourage and support students using and developing their first and other languages, alongside English.

    Lucy Lu is the Senior Manager, Analytics and Strategic Projects in the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO). AERO is jointly funded by the Commonwealth, state and territory governments.

    Jennifer Hammond has previously received funding from the Australian Research Council and the NSW Department of Education. All projects funded from these sources were completed more than six years ago.

    – ref. Some students learning English can take at least 6 years to catch up to their peers. How can we support them better? – https://theconversation.com/some-students-learning-english-can-take-at-least-6-years-to-catch-up-to-their-peers-how-can-we-support-them-better-258819

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Some students learning English can take at least 6 years to catch up to their peers. How can we support them better?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lucy Lu, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, Faculty of Education and Social Work, University of Sydney

    Rawpixel/ Getty Images

    About one quarter of Australian school students are learning English as an additional language or dialect.

    This means their first language or dialect is something other than English and they need extra support to develop proficiency in what we call standard Australian English.

    This group of students includes immigrants and refugees from non-English speaking countries, children of migrant heritage where English is not spoken at home and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

    But the level and duration of support they receive varies across schools. This is an issue because these students risk underachieving or being labelled as having learning difficulties without adequate help.

    Until now, little was known about how long these students take to learn English.

    Our new research published today by the Australian Education Research Organisation, found it can take many years for students to develop the English language skills they need. This suggests students need ongoing and targeted support to learn English as an additional language.

    Our study

    We looked at more than 110,000 primary and high school students in New South Wales public schools over a nine-year period.

    The students were learning English as an additional language from 2014 to 2022. Our research used two methods.

    First, we analysed how long it took these students to achieve the same scores in their NAPLAN reading and writing tests as their English-speaking peers with the same background characteristics. That is, students were matched for characteristics such as gender, student socio-educational advantage and school location.

    Second, we analysed how long it took students learning English as an additional language to reach certain phases of language proficiency. There is a national learning progression resource for schools supporting students learning English as an additional language. It has four phases: beginning, emerging, developing and consolidating.


    Source: The EAL/D Learning Progression: Foundation to Year 10, ACARA, 2015., CC BY

    It can take many years to learn English

    Combining both methods, we found students need considerable time to learn English as an additional language.

    For students who were assessed as “beginning” when they started school, it takes an average of six years to reach the final “consolidating” phase.

    This means those students starting in kindergarten (the first year of school in NSW) are likely to need English language support throughout primary school.

    For “beginning” students who start in later years, they may need continued English language support in high school.

    Students who started school at the “emerging” and “developing” phases take, on average, four and three years, respectively to have English skills on par with their peers.

    Learning English takes longer as you go along

    We also found as students learned English, each phase in their progression took longer to achieve than the one before:

    • the average time from beginning to emerging was one year and one month

    • from emerging to developing was one year and eight months

    • from developing to consolidating was two years and seven months.

    What can impact learning?

    But learning English is complex and can be impacted by many factors.

    We found students with socio-educational disadvantage progressed 22% slower than advantaged students, students with refugee experiences progressed 14% slower than those without. Male students took 6% longer than their female peers.

    We also found students starting school in kindergarten progressed about 9% slower, compared to starting school in Australia in later primary year levels.

    But we found students who started school already at the final, “consolidating” phase of English outperformed monolingual peers in NAPLAN. This suggests these students, who are arguably bilingual, were at an educational advantage.

    Average NAPLAN reading performance of students learning English as an additional language and their matched peers.
    Source: NSW Department of Education National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy 2014 to 2022, CC BY

    Targeted support is needed

    Our findings have a number of implications.

    Firstly, they help us understand the nature and length of support needed for students learning English students in schools.

    Secondly, they highlight the importance of ongoing, targeted support for students.

    This also suggests we need to make effective professional support available for teachers working with students who are learning English as an additional language.

    The academic advantage of bilingual students also points to a need to encourage and support students using and developing their first and other languages, alongside English.

    Lucy Lu is the Senior Manager, Analytics and Strategic Projects in the Australian Education Research Organisation (AERO). AERO is jointly funded by the Commonwealth, state and territory governments.

    Jennifer Hammond has previously received funding from the Australian Research Council and the NSW Department of Education. All projects funded from these sources were completed more than six years ago.

    – ref. Some students learning English can take at least 6 years to catch up to their peers. How can we support them better? – https://theconversation.com/some-students-learning-english-can-take-at-least-6-years-to-catch-up-to-their-peers-how-can-we-support-them-better-258819

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: A weird group of boronias puzzled botanists for decades. Now we’ve solved the pollination mystery

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Douglas Hilton, Chief Executive, CSIRO

    Andy Young

    Boronias, known for their showy flowers and strong scent, are a quintessential part of the Australian bush. They led Traditional Owners to the best water sources and inspired Australian children’s author and illustrator May Gibbs to pen one of her earliest books, Boronia Babies.

    But a weird group of boronias has puzzled botanists for decades. They have closed flowers that thwart most insect visitors. Those that do gain entry may encounter alternating sterile and fertile anthers (the male part that produces pollen) and sometimes, an enlarged stigma (the female part that receives pollen).

    Since the early 1960s, scientists speculated this group of boronias relied on an “unusual agent for effective pollination”. Moths were occasionally mentioned in the botanical literature as potential pollinators, but the full story remained elusive – until now.

    As my colleagues and I detail in our new research, moths are indeed the mystery pollinators of this strange group of flowers. This knowledge is crucial to ensuring their long-term survival.

    May Gibbs pictured a Boronia Baby hiding inside a Boronia megastigma flower.
    2025 © The Northcott Society and the Cerebral Palsy Alliance.

    Sweeping plants, far and wide

    My interest in the boronia pollinators began 15 years ago. I was studying a family of moths in my spare time, with a group of friends.

    These moths, called Heliozelidae, are tiny. Their wings are just a few millimetres long, smaller than a grain of rice.

    They fly during the day and are seldom attracted to lights, so they are poorly represented in museum collections. The best way to find them is to sweep plants with a butterfly net then look inside it.

    The author searching for moths in Western Australia.
    Douglas Hilton

    After sweeping plants all over Australia, we discovered this country is a hotspot for Heliozelidae. Hundreds – if not thousands – of these species are new to science and yet to be described. In comparison, only 90 species of Heliozelidae have been described from the rest of the world.

    We consistently found one group of 15 moth species on the boronias with the weird flowers in the biodiversity hotspot of Western Australia’s South West. Each moth species was found only on a specific boronia species.

    When we took a closer look, we found each of the 15 Heliozelidae has an intricate structure at the tip of its abdomen that collects pollen. There’s nothing else quite like this in the 150,000 known species of moths and butterflies. At last, the mystery of the boronia pollinators was solved.

    Pollen-collecting structure, replete with pollen, on the dorsal tip of the abdomen of the moth that pollinates Boronia crenulata.
    Dr Qike Wang

    The process of pollinating boronias

    In spring, female moths lay many eggs inside flowers. While moving about inside the flower, she collects pollen in the little structure on her abdomen. She enters and exits multiple flowers, pollinating as she goes.

    When the eggs hatch, the caterpillars eat some of the flowers’ developing seeds. When they are fully grown, they leave the flower and burrow into the soil to pupate in a cocoon. When they emerge in spring as moths, the flowers are blooming again and the life cycle repeats.

    For some species, such as brown boronia, the moths may be the only visitor the flowers ever receive. This suggests the moth and the plant have a reciprocal relationship, depending on each other for reproduction and ultimately, survival.

    This is unusual in nature. The poster-child for this type of relationship is the figs and fig wasps.

    Tiny metallic day-flying moths are the boronia pollinators.
    Andy Young

    What’s in a name?

    When a scientist discovers and officially describes a new species in the academic literature, they have to name it. Scientific names have two parts. The first part is the genus or group of closely related species and the second identifies the individual species.

    We built a family tree which included the new pollinating moths using their DNA sequences. We showed the pollinators belong to the genus Prophylactis meaning “to guard before”, which previously contained four non-pollinating species. This gives us the first part of the name.

    For the second part, we used the name of the plant each moth pollinates and added the suffix -allax, meaning “alternately” or “in exchange”. This shows their close relationship to the plant.

    So, the moth that pollinates Boronia megastigma is called Prophylactis megastigmallax. The moth that pollinates the endangered Boronia clavata is Prophylactis clavatallax – and so on.

    Much to learn

    The pollinating moths are more closely related to each other than to other species in the Prophylactis genus. This suggests they inherited their pollen-collecting structure from a long-gone common ancestor.

    As with all good science, this research leads to new questions. For example, we are now studying which moth-plant pairs fully depend on each other.

    Other Australian plant species may also have intimate relationships with moths.
    Current field work is exploring which of Australia’s 486 plant species in the citrus-family (Rutaceae) are linked to moths and how often moths have evolved to pollinate them.

    Bush secrets brought to life

    Our research shows just how much of Australia’s biodiversity is yet to be understood and protected.

    As climate change and land-clearing drive biodiversity loss at an unprecedented rate, this is a challenge we must tackle with renewed urgency. Otherwise our children and grandchildren may only experience the full glory of Gibb’s characters on a page, and not in the natural world.

    Boronia Babies on Boronia megastigma
    2025 © The Northcott Society and the Cerebral Palsy Alliance.

    Douglas Hilton works for CSIRO. The work highlighted in this article received funding from The Hermon Slade Foundation, which supports high quality biological research by scientists in Australian universities and research institutes. The research was made possible through a group of generous collaborators and co-authors including Andy Young, Liz Milla, Mengjie Jin, Stephen Wilcox, Qike Wang, Verena Wimmer, Jinny Chang, Henning Kallies, Andie Hall, Marina Watowich, Carly Busch, Jordan Wilcox, Aileen Swarbrick, Marlene Walter, Don Sands, Davina Paterson, David Lees, Marco Duretto, Adnan Moussalli, Mike Halsey and Axel Kallies.

    – ref. A weird group of boronias puzzled botanists for decades. Now we’ve solved the pollination mystery – https://theconversation.com/a-weird-group-of-boronias-puzzled-botanists-for-decades-now-weve-solved-the-pollination-mystery-258393

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: When new dads struggle, their kids’ health can suffer. Tackling mental distress early can help

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Delyse Hutchinson, Associate Professor, Clinical Psychologist, and NHMRC Leadership Fellow, SEED Centre for Lifespan Research, School of Psychology, Deakin University

    D-BASE/Getty

    In Australia, an estimated one in ten men experience mental health issues such as anxiety and depression before and after their child is born (the perinatal period).

    Alongside emotional ups and downs and exhaustion, new dads may also be facing greater practical demands, such as caring for the baby, supporting their partner, and providing financially.

    It’s not surprising, then, that becoming a dad may be linked to increased psychological distress. But it’s concerning because many men don’t access help. There’s also growing evidence a father’s mental state may affect his developing child in the short and long term.

    Our new review brings together the international evidence about the relationship between fathers’ mental health and children’s development for the first time.

    We found consistent associations between dads’ psychological distress before and after birth and poorer outcomes in children’s social, emotional, cognitive, language and physical development, from birth until the early teens.

    The good news? There are effective ways to intervene early.

    Barriers to getting help

    There are complex reasons why new fathers might not access help for mental distress.

    Notably, a 2024 review of Australian and international research found fathers are not routinely asked in health-care settings about their wellbeing at any point before the birth of a child, or after – when support is often most needed.

    Men may also feel they need to be strong and push past tough emotions to “get on” with looking after the family.

    They may be reluctant to acknowledge their own difficulties, and instead avoid the issue, through strategies such as working excessively, or using alcohol or other drugs.

    Working hours can also make accessing services difficult.

    As a result, men may have trouble recognising mental distress and it may go undetected by the people around them and in the wider health-care system.

    We don’t know the true impact

    Research on early risk factors for poorer child development is around 17 times more likely to focus on mothers’ health and lifestyle, compared to fathers.

    This focus is understandable, given up to one in five women experience perinatal anxiety or depression in the transition to motherhood.

    Strong evidence links mothers’ mental distress to poorer child outcomes. For example, mothers experiencing perinatal anxiety or depression may withdraw and find it difficult to interact with their child. This may be linked to delays in children’s developing social and emotional skills.

    Yet similar research on fathers has been lacking.

    This imbalance affects health policy and clinical practice, leaving many fathers feeling excluded from family health care. The impact on their children has also been poorly understood.

    What we looked at

    Our new research aimed to understand how men’s mental health before and after birth is related to their child’s development, from birth through adolescence.

    We looked at the findings from 84 longitudinal studies which track people over long periods of time, including from Australia, Europe, Asia and North America.

    The review included any study that measured an association between perinatal depression, anxiety or stress in fathers (biological or adoptive) and child development. These included social and emotional skills, thinking and problem-solving, language, physical development and motor skills.

    Our study had three main findings

    First, mental distress in fathers during pregnancy and after birth was consistently linked to poorer development in their children.

    Specifically, this included lower ratings on social, emotional, cognitive, and language skills, such as the capacity to interact with others, understand feelings, process information and communicate. It also affected physical health outcomes, such as body weight, sleep and eating patterns.

    Second, associations were evident from early development (infancy) through to the early teens (13 years). This suggests that, without support, a father’s perinatal mental distress may be related to child development well beyond infancy.

    Third, fathers’ mental distress after birth was more strongly related to how children developed than their mental distress during pregnancy.

    This is not surprising, because it’s when fathers begin to interact with infants and may more directly influence their development.

    So, what should change?

    Our findings underscore that getting in early to support dads – both before and soon after the arrival of a new child – is crucial.

    Routine screening for signs of mental distress is effective in identifying mothers who might benefit from help. This could be extended to all parents, through family planning, antenatal and postpartum clinics, and GP check-ups.

    Research shows 80% of men see a GP or allied health practitioner in the year before having a baby. Asking about other aspects of wellbeing – such as sleep quality – can be an effective and non-stigmatising way to ease into conversations about mental health.

    This can help connect men with support services earlier, to improve their health and their children’s.

    What should men look out for?

    Studies suggest men may often express their distress through relationship strain, rather than sadness. They may also report self-harm, suicidal ideation and feeling isolated.

    Common signs a new dad might be struggling with mental health include:

    • fatigue
    • sleep problems
    • difficulty concentrating
    • racing heart
    • sweating
    • muscle tension
    • changes in appetite
    • feeling worried or out of control
    • irritability
    • anger
    • increased use of alcohol or other drugs.

    Is there support?

    Options for men who want more support include counselling, peer group support and online apps that use mindfulness and cognitive behaviour therapy to help manage moods.

    For fathers needing more immediate support, crisis support services offer 24/7 live counselling via chat, telephone or video:

    If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14. In an emergency in Australia, call triple 0.

    Delyse Hutchinson receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

    Jacqui Macdonald receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council’s Medical Research Future Fund and the Australian Research Council. She convenes the Australian Fatherhood Research Consortium and she is on the Movember Global Men’s Health Advisory Committee.

    Samantha Teague receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

    Genevieve Le Bas and Stephanie Aarsman do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. When new dads struggle, their kids’ health can suffer. Tackling mental distress early can help – https://theconversation.com/when-new-dads-struggle-their-kids-health-can-suffer-tackling-mental-distress-early-can-help-253024

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Ancient termite poo reveals 120 million-year-old secrets of Australia’s polar forests

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alistair Evans, Professor, School of Biological Sciences, Monash University

    Witsawat.S/Shutterstock

    Imagine a lush forest with tree-ferns, their trunks capped by ribbon-like fronds. Conifers tower overhead, bearing triangular leaves almost sharp enough to pierce skin. Flowering plants are both small and rare.

    You’re standing in what is now Victoria, Australia, about 127 million years ago during the Early Cretaceous Period. Slightly to your south, a massive river – more than a kilometre wide – separates you from Tasmania. This river flows along the valley forming between Australia and Antarctica as the two continents begin to split apart.

    During the Early Cretaceous, southeastern Australia was some of the closest land to the South Pole. Here, the night lasted for three months in winter, contrasting with three months of daytime in summer. Despite this extreme day-night cycle, various kinds of dinosaurs still thrived here, as did flies, wasps and dragonflies.

    And, as our recently published research in Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology reveals, termites also chewed through the decaying wood of fallen trees. This is the first record of termites living in a polar region – and their presence provides key insights into what these ancient forests were like.

    Home makers, not homewreckers

    Termites might have a public reputation as homewreckers.

    But these wood-eating bugs are a key part of many environments, freeing up nutrients contained in dead plants. They are one of the best organisms at breaking down large amounts of wood, and significantly speed up the decay of fallen wood in forests.

    Ancient polar forests roughly 120 million years ago in southeastern Australia were dominated by conifer trees.
    Bob Nicholls

    The breakdown of wood by termites makes it easier for further consumption by other animals and fungi.

    Their role in ancient Victoria’s polar forests would have been just as important, as the natural decay of wood is very slow in cold conditions.

    Although the cold winters would have slowed termites too, they may have thrived during long periods of darkness, just as modern termites are more active during the night.

    The oldest termite nest in Australia

    Our new paper, led by Monash University palaeontology research associate Jonathan Edwards, reports the discovery of an ancient termite nest near the coastal town of Inverloch in southeastern Victoria. Preserved in a 80-centimetre-long piece of fossilised log, the nest tunnels carved out by termites were first spotted by local fossil-hunter extraordinaire Melissa Lowery.

    Without its discoverers knowing what it was then, the log was brought into the lab and we began investigating the origins of its structures.

    Understanding the nest was challenging at first: the tunnels exposed on the surface were filled with what looked like tiny grains of rice, each around 2 millimetres long. We suspected they were most likely the coprolites (fossilised poo) of the nest-makers. Once we took a look under the microscope we noticed something very interesting: this poo was hexagonal.

    Termite poo has a distinct hexagonal shape, as seen in these thin sections of the fossilised log we examined.
    Jonathan Edwards & William Parker

    How did this shape point to termites as the “poopetrators”?

    Modern termites have a gut with three sets of muscle bands. Just before excretion, their waste is squeezed to save as much water as possible, giving an almost perfect hexagonal shape to the pellets.

    The size, shape, distribution and quantity of coprolites meant we had just discovered the oldest termite nest in Australia – and perhaps the largest termite wood nest from dinosaur times.

    A global distribution

    We continued to investigate the nest with more specific methods.

    For example, we scanned parts of it with the Australian Synchrotron – a research facility that uses X-rays and infrared radiation to see the structure and composition of materials. This showed us what the unweathered coprolites inside the log looked like.

    MicroCT imagery of termite coprolites within the nest.
    Jonathan Edwards

    We also made very thin slices of the nest and looked at these slices with high-powered microscopes. And we analysed the chemistry of the log, which further supported our original theory of the nest’s identity.

    The oldest fossilised termites have been found in the northern hemisphere about 150 million years ago, during the Late Jurassic Period.

    What is exciting is that our trace fossils show they had reached the southernmost landmasses by 127 million years ago. This presence means they had likely spread all over Earth by this point.

    The termites weren’t alone

    Surprisingly, these termites also had smaller wood-eating companions.

    During our investigation, we also noticed coprolites more than ten times smaller than those made by termites. These pellets likely belonged to wood-eating oribatid mites – minuscule arachnids with fossils dating back almost 400 million years. Many of their tunnels ring those left by the termites, telling us they inhabited this nest after the termites abandoned it.

    CT reconstructions of termite and mite coprolites show the huge difference in size between them.
    Jonathan Edwards

    Termite tunnels may have acted as mite highways, taking them deeper into the log. Moreover, because both groups ate the toughest parts of wood, these two invertebrates might have directly competed at the time. Modern oribatid mites only eat wood affected by fungi.

    Regardless, our study documents the first known interaction of wood-nesting termites and oribatid mites in the fossil record.

    This nest also provides important support for the idea that Australia’s polar forests weren’t dominated by ice, as modern termites can’t tolerate prolonged freezing.

    This is the first record of termites living in a polar region, and their presence suggests relatively mild polar winters — something like 6°C on average. Termites would’ve been key players in these ecosystems, kickstarting wood breakdown and nutrient cycling in an otherwise slow environment.

    So maybe next time you spot a termite nest, you’ll see a builder, not a bulldozer.

    The authors would like to acknowledge the work of Jonathan Edwards who led the research and helped prepare this article.

    Alistair Evans receives funding from the Australian Research Council and Monash University, and is an Honorary Research Affiliate with Museums Victoria.

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

    – ref. Ancient termite poo reveals 120 million-year-old secrets of Australia’s polar forests – https://theconversation.com/ancient-termite-poo-reveals-120-million-year-old-secrets-of-australias-polar-forests-258399

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Jaws at 50: a cinematic masterpiece – and an incredible piece of propaganda

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Colin Alexander, Senior Lecturer in Political Communications, Nottingham Trent University

    Jaws turns 50 on June 20. Last year, Quentin Tarantino called Stephen Spielberg’s film “possibly the greatest movie ever made”. Though he was quick to add that it isn’t the best film in terms of script, cinematography or acting, he was convinced that its overall quality as a movie remains unmatched.

    I’m not so sure if Jaws is the best movie ever made – but it’s certainly the movie that I like to watch the most. It is as fascinating and multilayered as it is entertaining and depressing. As a researcher of political propaganda, I believe that Jaws had political purpose.

    I have watched Jaws well over 50 times and still, with every viewing, I spot a new detail. Just last week I noticed that when police chief Brody (Roy Scheider) leaves his office after the first shark attack, he opens a gate in a white picket fence.

    The white picket fence is often used to symbolise the American dream and Brody’s actions are likely intended to symbolise the disruption to the dream’s pursuit of capitalism as he seeks to close the beaches and potentially ruin the town’s tourism season.

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    The film was released in June 1975. Just in time for summer holidays spent splashing in the waves (or not!). However, despite its continued acclaim, it didn’t win any of the big Academy Awards in 1976. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest dominated that year. Composer John Williams did, however, win the Oscar for best original score, which I assume you are now humming in your head.



    Read more:
    One Flew Over The Cuckoo’s Nest: 50 years on Jack Nicholson’s greatest performance is as fresh as ever

    The film is based on the book by Peter Benchley, published a year earlier in 1974. The book’s plot is somewhat different to the film. For example, Matt Hooper – the shark specialist played by Richard Dreyfuss in the film – is eaten by the shark, possibly as an act of retribution for his sins on land. He survives in the film.

    Benchley was US president Lyndon Johnson’s (1963-1969) communications advisor before he became an author and so knew Washington’s priorities well. The film was then commissioned before the book had time to become a commercial success, which is somewhat unusual.

    The trailer for Jaws.

    The shark – powerful, mysterious, dark eyed, stalking the American people and killing without emotion – represents the threat posed by communism. The defeat of this “menace” will require the reunification of American society following its disastrous and fractious involvement in the Vietnam war and political scandals like Watergate.

    Hence, the white public sector worker (Brody), the scientist (Hooper) and the military veteran (Quint), put their differences aside to band together on a rickety and ill-equipped boat – the Orca – which was possibly meant to symbolise the wobbling US of its time.

    So while Jaws is a parable of societal repair, it is also a story of exclusively white unification amid external threats. The civil rights movement and Vietnam are inextricably linked through the service of young black men to the cause, and yet black characters are conspicuous by their absence from the book and the film. The only black presence in the book is an anonymous gardener who rapes wealthy white women.

    Human will to dominate the natural world

    In the book, the horror focuses upon human, rather than animal, behaviour. This comes in the form of political corruption, mafia influence, adultery, snobbery, racial prejudice, community disconnect and dishonest journalism. And it occurs as much on land as it does at sea. There is a large section midway through the book where the shark plays no part in the, at times, highly sexual plot.

    Spielberg removed many of the undercurrents and insinuations of the book for his adaptation. The film gives less attention to life in the town of Amity and focuses largely on the shark and the horror of its actions.

    The irony is that so many characters feel personally offended by an animal capable of instinct alone, when they as humans – capable of reason and choice – behave so badly towards each other. Indeed, the lack of an eco-centric character to defend the shark in both the book or the film is telling.

    Brody yells for people to ‘get out of the water’.

    The overwhelming horror is instead found in the treatment of the shark and the assertion that it must be killed rather than respected and left alone. Indeed, Jaws represents a parable of the modern human perception of battle against nature. Wherein Brody, Hooper and Quint, despite their differences, are united in their assumption of human superiority and their perspective that the problem ought to be dealt with using violence.

    The story of Jaws also speaks to George Orwell’s essay Shooting an Elephant from 1936. It captured the author’s dilemma while working as a police officer in colonial Burma when an elephant disrupted the regular process of capitalism by trampling through a local market.

    The philosophers Max Horkheimer and Theodor Adorno referred to the enlightenment as having created a “new barbarity” wherein humans are engaged in a project of destruction. Here then, a shark has had the audacity to behave in an inconvenient way to man’s profiteering from tourism and must be killed.

    Indeed, one of the biggest criticisms of the film, which Spielberg has subsequently acknowledged, is its inaccurate representation of shark behaviour and the extent to which the film’s success contributed to the decline of the species.

    Ultimately then, Jaws – the book, the film and the reaction of audiences to it – serves as a testimony to the role played by fear within human decision-making. The fear of “others”. Fear of the unknown. Fear of the natural world. Fear of loss of status or reputation.

    It’s a testament to the susceptibility of humans to become insular and violent when they are scared, but also to the distorting influence of propagandists in determining what they ought to be afraid of.

    This article features references to books that have been included for editorial reasons, and may contain links to bookshop.org. If you click on one of the links and go on to buy something from bookshop.org The Conversation UK may earn a commission.

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

    – ref. Jaws at 50: a cinematic masterpiece – and an incredible piece of propaganda – https://theconversation.com/jaws-at-50-a-cinematic-masterpiece-and-an-incredible-piece-of-propaganda-253498

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –