NewzIntel.com

Category: Asia Pacific

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Plan ahead for northbound closures on SH20

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    Overnight road rehabilitation work on State Highway 20 (SH20) northbound between Cavendish Drive and the SH20A link will get underway this week.

    Work will be carried out between 10pm and 5am over 10 nights between Wednesday 26 March and Monday 14 April 2025. There will be no work on Friday and Saturday nights.

    Work will begin at Cavendish Drive, with a full northbound closure in place on SH20 between Cavendish Drive and Massey Road. Work will then move further north, with a full northbound closure between Massey Road and Walmsley Road, including the link to SH20A.  

    Stage 1: Full northbound closure on SH20 between Cavendish Drive to Massey Road 

    During this time the following ramps will be closed.   

    • Cavendish Drive northbound on-ramp   
    • Cavendish Drive to Puhinui Road northbound service lane   
    • Puhinui Road northbound off-ramp and on-ramp  
    • Massey Road northbound off-ramp  

    Detour via: Puhinui Road, Wylie Road, Station Road, Buckland Road and Massey Road.  

    Stage 2:  Full northbound closure on SH20 between Massey Road and Airport (SH20A) Link.

    During this time the following ramps will be closed.   

    • Massey Road northbound on-ramp    
    • SH20 northbound to SH20A southbound link    
    • SH20A northbound to SH20 northbound link  

    Detour via:   

    • For motorists travelling northbound on SH20: Please use the recommended detour via Massey Road, Robertson Road, Walmsley Road, Coronation Road and Rimu Road.  
    • For motorists travelling from SH20A: Please use the recommended detour via Kirkbride Road, McKenzie Road, Coronation Road and Rimu Road.

    These works are weather dependent and may change from advertised dates.

    To view updates to schedule, go to www.nzta.govt.nz/asm/upcoming-maintenance

    For real time updates, visit www.journeys.nzta.govt.nz(external link)

    If you would like to stay informed about these and other works, sign up(external link) to our resident email notifications.

    NZTA thanks everyone for their patience and support while we carry out this important maintenance. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: The most important thing the Government will do

    Source: ACT Party

    The Haps

    At least one left wing chat room went ballistic about last week’s Free Press. The idea that men are oppressed seemed to trigger them so badly they missed the central point: The world is not made up of groups oppressing each other, but individuals trying to make the most of their time on earth.

    The most important thing the Government will do

    New Zealand in a nutshell is the best land in the world that you can’t build a home (or a quarry, or a road, or a water treatment plant, or a power station) on. Nearly every major problem we face begins with the difficulty in getting consent to build things.

    Why are young people disillusioned and leaving the country? Why are poor households spending over half their income on housing? Why is the Government spending billions on rental subsidies? Why are a worrying number of people facing retirement still paying rent? Why is the economy infamously imbalanced towards housing? It’s too hard to build houses and the services that connect them together.

    In this area ACT’s, and especially Simon Court’s, hard work in opposition is paying off for the whole country. Late last year Cabinet signed off on the engine room work Simon has been doing with RMA reform Minister Chris Bishop.

    The work started in 2022 with ACT’s paper Building New Zealand and Conserving Nature. The paper contains the details that Cabinet signed off as shaping the Government’s new Resource Management laws.

    It begins, “ACT proposes a shift in principle on Resource Management. At present the underlying principle is the 1980s paradigm of ‘sustainable development.’ This has never been defined in a way that is practical to implement… Instead, the principle of resource management should be to preserve the enjoyment of property… On a property rights basis, they can do anything that does not harm others’ enjoyment of property. It dramatically reduces the range of people who have an interest in someone else’s use of their own property.”

    Therein lies the heart of the Government’s reforms, based on ACT’s Coalition commitment to “replace the Resource Management Act 1991 with new resource management laws premised on the enjoyment of property rights as a guiding principle.”

    It says laws plural and there will be two laws under the Government’s reforms. One to guide urban development and planning, and another to guide environmental protection. As ACT has long said, it’s never made sense that the same law protecting Fiordland governs whether a horse paddock in Henderson can have two homes built on it.

    Building and Conserving Nature carries on to set out other principles; how water should be taken, how discharges to land and water should be managed within environmental limits, and how nationwide codes would replace every council reinventing every wheel for basic activities. These ideas also shine through in the Government’s plans, and they will make an enormous difference to the future of this country.

    Reforms like this make us proud to support ACT. The basic ideas of less regulation and more respect for private property rights are core party philosophy. They’re also becoming real with the Government’s reforms. Most importantly they are the solution to our country’s deepest problems.

    When the next generation can see their pathway to living in a property-owning democracy, the whole society changes. People who are physically invested in the community, with the security to build a life and start a family if they choose, are different types of citizens.

    Making it easier to build a water treatment plant, a road, a subdivision, and a home at the end of it may be the most important change this country can make, and it’s ACT what did that.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: New Zealand & India Comprehensive FTA consultation begins

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Trade and Investment Minister Todd McClay has today launched a public consultation on New Zealand and India’s negotiations of a formal comprehensive Free Trade Agreement.
    “Negotiations are getting underway, and the Public’s views will better inform us in the early parts of this important negotiation,” Mr McClay says.
    We are offering all interested New Zealanders, including businesses, NGOs, and members of the public the opportunity to make a submission prior to 15 April 2025. 
    With a population of 1.4 billion people and on track to become the world’s third-largest economy by 2030, India holds significant potential for New Zealand and will play a pivotal role in the Government’s goal to double New Zealand’s exports by value over the next ten years. 
    Alongside trade agreement negotiations, New Zealand will continue to invest in stronger, deeper, more sustainable connections with India across all pillars of the relationship, including our political, defence and security, sporting, environmental, and people-to-people connections.
    For more information, including on how you can make a submission, please share your views at  https://www.mfat.govt.nz/have-your-say before 15 April 2025.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: (WIP) High Court says no to travelling Group Costs Orders

    Source: Allens Insights (legal sector)

    Impact on class action landscape: Victoria’s magnet effect 7 min read

    In the first of a string of upcoming decisions about the class action landscape, the High Court of Australia handed down judgment in Bogan v Smedley on 12 March 2025.1 The Court held that a group costs order (GCO) made in a class action commenced in the Supreme Court of Victoria could not travel to the Supreme Court of New South Wales and that, consequently, neither could the proceeding.

    Key takeaways 

    Background

    The legislative regime

    Group costs orders

    In every state and territory across Australia, legislation prohibits a law practice from charging contingency fees. Since July 2020, however, Victorian legislation has contained an exception for GCOs—orders allowing the representatives of plaintiffs in a class action to recover as costs a specified percentage of any award or settlement obtained in the proceeding.

    To make a GCO, the Supreme Court of Victoria must be satisfied that it is ‘appropriate or necessary to ensure that justice is done in the proceeding’.2

    Transfer of proceedings

    At the heart of this proceeding was s1337H(2) of the Corporations Act 2001 (Cth), which allows a court to transfer a proceeding to another court if it appears to the first court that, ‘having regard to the interests of justice’, it is more appropriate for the second court to determine the matter.

    Notably, this provision only applies to a proceeding with respect to a civil matter arising under, relevantly, the Corporations Act or the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001 (Cth) (ASIC Act).

    The Arrium proceeding

    On 14 August 2020, a class action was commenced in the Supreme Court of Victoria against the directors of Arrium Ltd (Arrium) and its auditor, alleging contraventions of the Corporations Act, the ASIC Act and the Australian Consumer Law. There was evidence that the proceeding was originally intended to be filed in the Supreme Court of New South Wales, where Arrium had its principal place of business and where the relevant events had largely taken place. The High Court inferred that the ultimate choice to file in Victoria rather than NSW was to take advantage of the availability of GCOs.

    The plaintiffs applied for a GCO on 2 February 2021. On 26 February 2021, one of the defendants applied to transfer the proceeding to the Supreme Court of New South Wales.

    The Supreme Court of Victoria made orders that the GCO application be determined first, before the transfer application. As noted by the High Court, no objection was taken to that order at the time. A GCO was then made in favour of the plaintiffs’ solicitors entitling them to 40% of any award or settlement (the Arrium GCO).

    The transfer application was not ultimately dealt with by the Supreme Court of Victoria. Instead, three questions arising on that application were removed to the Victorian Court of Appeal:

    1. whether the Arrium GCO would remain in force if the proceeding were transferred to the Supreme Court of New South Wales;
    2. if not, whether the absence of the Arrium GCO in the Supreme Court of New South Wales was a relevant factor to the transfer application; and
    3. whether the proceeding should be transferred.

    Decision of the Victorian Court of Appeal

    In respect of those questions, the Victorian Court of Appeal unanimously held that:

    1. the Arrium GCO would not remain in force if the proceeding were transferred to the Supreme Court of New South Wales;
    2. this was relevant to (and decisive of) the transfer application; and
    3. the proceeding should not be transferred.

    The same questions were subsequently removed to the High Court for determination.

    Summary of findings

    A majority of the High Court (Chief Justice Gageler, Justices Gordon, Gleeson, Jagot and Beech-Jones ) and Justice Edelman (in separate reasons) reached the same conclusion on each question as the Court of Appeal. Justice Steward disagreed on the second question, holding that the availability or not of a GCO in the Supreme Court of New South Wales was not relevant to the transfer application.

    Would the Arrium GCO remain in force in NSW?

    The parties agreed that the Supreme Court of New South Wales had no power to make an order in the nature of the Arrium GCO. The issue for the High Court instead turned on whether a provision of the Corporations Act would give legal force to the Arrium GCO if the proceeding were transferred.

    The High Court held that it would not. To the contrary, the provision could only apply if the Supreme Court of New South Wales had power to make an order providing for at least ‘similar steps’ to the Arrium GCO. The parties agreed it did not have that power and, accordingly, the Arrium GCO could not be carried into NSW. 

    Was the absence of the Arrium GCO relevant to the transfer application?

    The majority held that the absence of the Arrium GCO could not be ignored in considering whether transfer to NSW was in ‘the interests of justice’. Importantly, it was agreed between the parties that there was not a realistic prospect of alternative funding being obtained in the absence of the Arrium GCO. In this regard the majority stated that the capacity of the plaintiffs and class members to obtain access to justice ‘bear[s] vitally’ on the interests of justice,4 a sentiment echoed by Justice Edelman.5 In the views of the majority and Justice Edelman, these matters were decisive of the transfer application because, on the facts of the case, there was a ‘considerable risk’ that the proceeding would not be able to continue without the GCO.6

    By contrast, Justice Steward held that the Arrium GCO was not relevant to, and so not determinative of, the transfer application. His Honour disagreed with the majority on the basis that a GCO offers a plaintiff an advantage (a way of ensuring the financial viability of a proceeding) and imposes on a defendant a corresponding disadvantage (being subjected to a proceeding which would not be viable in any other jurisdiction). To consider the Arrium GCO a relevant factor would, in his Honour’s view, be for the court to ‘play favourites’.7 As his Honour noted, NSW did not cease to be a place where the plaintiffs could obtain justice merely because Victoria introduced laws introducing an exception to an otherwise national ban on contingency fees, and nor did those laws mean NSW was not a suitable forum in which to litigate class actions.

    Will a GCO always anchor proceedings to Victoria?

    The majority also noted that common factors bear on the determination of GCO applications and transfer applications. As noted above, the former involves consideration of whether the GCO is appropriate or necessary to ensure that justice is done, while the latter involves an inquiry into ‘the interests of justice’. While the High Court stopped short of articulating a general rule, its reasoning suggests that where a GCO has been made (because the court is satisfied that it is appropriate or necessary to ensure that justice is done), that will tend in favour of it being in the interests of justice that the proceeding remains in Victoria.

    Looking ahead

    One route not taken by the parties in this case was to challenge the sequence in which the Supreme Court of Victoria dealt with the GCO and transfer applications. If the transfer application was heard before the making of the GCO, the transfer application would have been decided by reference only to the connections the proceeding had to Victoria and NSW respectively. It remains to be seen what the attitude of the courts will be to that kind of challenge, however, it may be one strategy open to parties faced with similar circumstances in future.

    The majority’s reasoning also suggests a potential shift in the High Court’s approach to considering factors relevant to the ‘interests of justice’ and similar assessments. The High Court previously held that whether an action can proceed is not relevant to that inquiry.8 By contrast, in Bogan v Smedley, the majority and Justice Edelman held that whether the action could proceed was relevant to an inquiry into whether the transfer was ‘in the interests of justice’. As further matters come before the High Court which require a similar analysis, it will be interesting to monitor the extent to which the Court considers the survival of a proceeding to be relevant to ‘ensuring justice is done’.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Giving rivers room to move: how rethinking flood management can benefit people and nature

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christina McCabe, PhD Candidate in Interdisciplinary Ecology, University of Canterbury

    Shutterstock/S Watson

    When we think about flood management, higher stop banks, stronger levees and concrete barriers usually come to mind. But what if the best solution – for people and nature – isn’t to confine rivers, but to give them more space?

    This alternative is increasingly being considered as an approach to mitigating flood risk. But allowing rivers room to move also delivers ecological benefits far beyond flood risk reduction. It supports biodiversity, improves water quality and stores carbon.

    As climate change increases the frequency and intensity of extreme floods, rethinking our approach to managing floodplain rivers has never been more urgent.

    Climate change, floods and river confinement

    Climate change is amplifying flood risks worldwide, and Aotearoa New Zealand is no exception. Large floods are expected to become much more frequent and severe, threatening communities, infrastructure and ecosystems.

    Many of these risks are made worse by past management decisions that have artificially confined rivers within narrow channels, cutting them off from their natural floodplains.

    Floodplain river systems have historically been dynamic, shifting across landscapes over time. But extensive stop banks, modification of river channels and land development have restricted this natural variability.

    Strangling rivers in this way transfers and heightens flood risks downstream by forcing water through confined channels at greater speeds. It also degrades ecosystems that rely on the natural ebb and flow of river processes.

    The Waiau River, a gravel-bed braided river in the South Island, has been constrained by land development, primarily for agriculture.
    Background satellite image: Google (c) 2025 Airbus, CC BY-SA

    Giving rivers space to roam

    The idea of allowing rivers to reclaim space on their floodplains is not new.

    In the Netherlands, the Room for the River programme was a response to flooding in 1995 that led to large-scale evacuations of people and cattle. In England, predictions that economic risks associated with flooding will increase 20-fold within this century ignited the Making Space for Water strategy.

    However, these initiatives typically remain focused on flood protection, overlooking opportunities to maximise ecological benefits. Our new research shows that well-designed approaches can deliver ecological gains alongside flood protection.

    This is crucial because floodplain river systems are among the most valuable ecosystems. They provide about a quarter of all land-based ecosystem services such as water retention and pollutant filtration, as well as educational, recreational and cultural benefits.

    Managing rivers for variability

    A fundamental shift in river management involves acknowledging and accommodating natural variability. Floodplain rivers are not static: they change across landscapes and through time, responding to seasonal flows, sediment movement and ecological processes.

    Braided rivers are an example of floodplain rivers that have natural variability and diverse habitat types.
    Angus McIntosh, CC BY-SA

    Our research synthesises the ecological processes that are enabled when floodplain rivers have room to move.

    Rivers that are not unnaturally confined are typically more physically complex. For instance, along with the main river channel, they might have smaller side channels, or areas where the water pools and slows, springs popping up from below ground to re-join the surface waters, or ponds on the floodplain.

    A diverse range of habitats supports a rich variety of plant and animal life. Even exposed gravel, made available in rivers that flow freely, provides critical nesting sites for endangered birds.

    Biodiversity is not one-dimensional. Instead, it exists and operates at multiple scales, from a small floodplain pond to a whole river catchment or wider. In a dynamic, ever-changing riverscape, we might find the genetic composition of a species varying in different parts of the river, or the same species of fish varying in their body size, depending on the habitat conditions.

    These examples of natural biological variability enable species and ecosystems to be resilient in the face of uncertain future conditions.

    Rivers that have room to move on their floodplains are highly dynamic. This diagram shows the main types of ecological variability in a free-flowing river: physical variability, habitat heterogeneity and variable ecosystem processes.
    Adapted from McCabe et al. 2025 Nature Water, CC BY-SA

    At a larger scale, the type and number of species that live in different floodplain river habitats also varies. This diversity of biological communities produces variation in the functions ecosystems perform across the river, such as the uptake of nutrients or processing of organic matter. This can even help to diversify food webs.

    These variations mean not all species or groups of species in the river will be vulnerable to the same disturbances – such as droughts or floods – at the same time. This is because plants and animals in rivers have evolved to take advantage of long-term rhythms of floods and droughts in different ways.

    For instance, the cottonwood poplars of the southwest United States time their seed release with the highly predictable rhythms of snowmelt-driven spring floods in that part of the world. In Aotearoa New Zealand, whitebait fish species typically deposit their eggs during high autumn flows, which then get transported to sea as larvae during high winter flows.

    Some animals need multiple habitats within the river for different stages of life. Other creatures travel from afar to use river floodplains for only a short time. The latter includes the banded dotterel (Charadrius bicinctus), endemic to Aotearoa New Zealand. This bird travels as far as 1,700km to nest on braided-river gravels each spring. Banded dotterels are in decline, and they rely on habitats provided by rivers that have space to roam.

    The endangered black-fronted tern (Chlidonias albostriatus) uses gravel bar habitats on river floodplains for nesting.
    Angus McIntosh, CC BY-SA

    A call for more sustainable river management

    As climate change accelerates, we must rethink how we manage our waterways. Reinforcing levees and deepening channels may seem like logical responses to increased flood risk, but these approaches often exacerbate long-term vulnerabilities and transfer risk elsewhere.

    We call for practitioners to broaden the scope of values included in river management policy and programmes to include ecological variability.

    Nature-based solutions are approaches that seek to benefit both people and nature. By working with nature rather than against it, we can create landscapes that are more resilient, adaptive, and supportive of both people and biodiversity.

    It’s time to embrace a new paradigm for river management – one that sees rivers not as threats to be controlled, but as lifelines to be protected and restored.

    Christina McCabe receives funding through an Aho Hīnātore doctoral research scholarship at the University of Canterbury.

    Jonathan Tonkin receives funding from a Rutherford Discovery Fellowship and the Centre of Research Excellence Te Pūnaha Matatini. He also receives funding from the Antarctic Science Platform and the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment.

    – ref. Giving rivers room to move: how rethinking flood management can benefit people and nature – https://theconversation.com/giving-rivers-room-to-move-how-rethinking-flood-management-can-benefit-people-and-nature-251225

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Trade mission to China

    Source: Australian National Party



    As part of ACT Government’s ‘One Government, One Voice’ program, we are transitioning this website across to our . You can access everything you need through this website while it’s happening.

    Released 24/03/2025

    Promoting further trade, tourism and economic development with our largest trading partner, across a range of sectors, including tourism, aviation, education and investment will be the focus of this week’s trade mission to China.

    The week-long mission features activities celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Beijing-Canberra sister city relationship and a meeting with the Mayor of Beijing and Beijing Municipal Government representatives.

    Returning to Canberra’s largest export market for the first time since the Covid pandemic, the mission will focus on delivering outcomes outlined in our International Engagement Strategy and T2030 Tourism Strategy.

    Under the T2030 strategy, the Government aims to reach $5 billion in annual visitor expenditure by 2030. China is Canberra’s largest international market and has considerable capacity to grow over this decade. Recent data shows 15 per cent of all international visitors to the ACT came from China, contributing 52 per cent of the total international visitor spend.

    Tourism and investment opportunities will be pursued through meetings with airlines including Air China and Cathay Pacific, hotel operators and key tourism distribution partners.

    Education partnerships will also be strengthened including an official visit to the Cunzhi Senior High School in Shanghai – who deliver the ACT Year 12 certificate through the BSSS (Board of Senior Studies).

    Supported by Tourism Australia, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and AusTrade, participants in the mission include Visit Canberra and the Commissioner for International Engagement.

    The estimated cost of the Chief Minister’s component of the trade mission is under $15,000, met from the ACT Executive 2024-25 Budget. The final cost will be reported as part of the regular quarterly travel reports.

    – Statement ends –

    Andrew Barr, MLA | Media Releases

    «ACT Government Media Releases | «Minister Media Releases

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Asian Economic Integration Report 2025: Harnessing the Benefits of Regional Cooperation and Integration

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    The report examines how integration has significantly impacted trade, global value chains, foreign direct investment, finance, migration, remittances, and tourism, and highlights that a renewed focus on regional cooperation could cushion external shocks. Modernizing trade and investment agreements, enhancing regional financial arrangements, and advancing digitalization could help drive economic prosperity, bridge the digital divide, and navigate challenges in the coming decades.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Samsung Unveils New Refrigerator Lineup Equipped With Screens and Enhanced AI Vision Inside Feature

    Source: Samsung

    Samsung Electronics today announced the global rollout of its latest lineup of smart refrigerators, reinforcing the “Screens Everywhere” vision introduced at CES 2025. This expansion includes the introduction of the 9-inch AI Home screen1 on the 4-Door, 4-Door French Door and Side-by-Side refrigerators, as well as an enhanced Family Hub screen on select French Door and Side-by-Side models. An enhanced AI Vision Inside2 feature is integrated on select 4-Door and 4-Door French Door models, refining food identification and streamlining meal planning to ensure a more intuitive kitchen experience for users.
     
    “By offering a wide array of refrigerator options across type and also screen sizes, we are expanding choices to meet diverse household requirements,” says Jeong Seung Moon, EVP and Head of the R&D Team for Digital Appliances Business at Samsung Electronics. “Consumers can enjoy greater flexibility in choosing fridge designs while benefiting from the AI-powered smart home experience Samsung provides.”
     
     
    A Smarter Way To Manage Food, Home, Family Communication and Entertainment
    Samsung’s new refrigerators incorporate the intuitive 9” AI Home screen and 32” or 21.5” Family Hub screens, which are designed to enhance four key areas of daily life: Food, Home, Family Communication and Entertainment. The first category, food, is especially powered by the upgraded AI Vision Inside, which adds four more food items to the list of recognizable types for a total of 37. Furthermore, adding on to fresh food items, AI Vision Inside can now also recognize processed food items. Refrigerators with the enhanced AI Vision Inside will recognize and recommend users to save processed food items that have been placed inside multiple times, allowing up to 50 items to be saved with designated names.3 Based on the improved food list, the screen will provide tailored recipe recommendations and meal planning,4 making home cooking more seamless and personalized.
     
    Beyond food, the screens also enhance smart home connectivity. The latest advancements provide deeper integration into the smart home ecosystem, making the refrigerator a central hub capable of controlling connected appliances throughout the entire home. With the integration of Map View, users can monitor and control Samsung appliances and even third-party smart home devices5 like lights and smart plugs. There’s also SmartThings Energy,6 which helps users track and optimize their energy consumption, facilitating greater efficiency in everyday life. The intuitive display provides users with access to a great deal of information about their home, with users also being able to issue voice commands through Bixby.7
     
    The new Daily Board feature keeps everyone informed and connected. Placed at the heart of the home, the refrigerator screen delivers real-time updates throughout the day — whether it’s the morning weather and schedule before heading to work, or daily energy consumption reports in the evening. Users can also easily access their schedules through voice commands and receive tailored responses. By recognizing each family member’s voice and replying accordingly, Bixby will serve as both a helpful assistant for the entire household and for each person individually.8 Additional family-focused features include a shared gallery for storing precious memories and a calendar to help with daily planning.
     
    Samsung’s latest refrigerators also redefine entertainment in the kitchen, allowing users to stay engaged while cooking or spending time with family. With Spotify integration, users can listen to their favorite music or podcasts directly from their fridge.9 SmartView Mirroring enables seamless screen sharing from smartphones or Samsung TVs, and the dedicated gallery feature lets families display their favorite photos, adding a personal touch to the kitchen.
     
     
    The Next Generation of Refrigeration

    The 4-Door Refrigerator is designed to meet the needs of modern households with its innovative features.10 The 9” AI Home applied on select models allows the refrigerator to integrate seamlessly with the smart home ecosystem. Models that incorporate Hybrid Cooling technology11 keep produce fresh for even longer, while also allowing extra space12 by utilizing a peltier module that is compact in size for cooling. By utilizing the conventional compressor and the Peltier module together, AI Hybrid Cooling is capable of providing additional cooling whenever necessary, such as when the internal temperature increases or when AI predicts a potential rise.13 When users put in a large amount of groceries after shopping or open the door multiple times in the summer, the Peltier module will assist the compressor to maintain a consistent internal temperature.
     
    The 4-Door Refrigerator also comes in Kitchen Fit design, allowing agile installation that requires only a tiny gap of just 4mm from the sides and 20mm from the top. Also, the refrigerator’s doors have been enhanced with SpaceMax insulation technology that uses less amount of high-efficiency insulation, increasing the space in the doors by 56% compared to previous models equaling 10L in capacity.14 Users can also enjoy convenience with the wide opening door that opens more than 90 degrees, and the food showcase to store frequently used items.
     

     
    The 4-Door French Door Refrigerator, launching in North America, is available in various configurations, including a 32” Family Hub and a 9” AI Home. This flexibility allows users to choose the best fit for their kitchen. The Auto Open Door15 feature ensures hassle-free accessibility with just a gentle tap, making it accessible to everyone in all kinds of situations to effortlessly access the inside of the fridge. It also has a Beverage Center that includes a water dispenser and a 1.4L Auto-Fill Water Pitcher that is dishwasher safe16 and BPA free.17 Apart from ensuring that fresh, filtered water is always available, the pitcher also allows users to infuse their water with fruits and herbs.
     

     
    The Side-by-Side Refrigerator also offers multiple screen options, including the 21.5” Family Hub and 9” AI Home.18 The model, featuring an Auto Open Door that opens up widely makes it simpler to reach stored items,19 is designed for users who prioritize easy access and organization. Select European models are equipped with Hybrid Cooling technology — as seen in the 4-Door refrigerator — to maintain freshness by preventing temperature fluctuations.
     
    All three types of refrigerators come with the AI Energy Mode feature, allowing users to reduce energy consumption by up to an additional 10%.20 Users can choose to activate the mode always or when electricity bills are expected to exceed the preset target.
     
    With these latest innovative solutions, Samsung continues to push the boundaries of the connected kitchen, transforming the refrigerator into an intelligent hub that enhances food management, smart home integration and entertainment. By seamlessly blending AI-enabled convenience with energy efficiency, Samsung is redefining how users interact with their appliances and bringing the future of the smart home to life.
     
     
    1 A Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung account are required to access the AI Home, our network-based service, including apps, and other smart features available through your refrigerator. You may need to use a separate device e.g. your laptop/desktop or mobile device, to create/log into a Samsung Account. If you choose not to log-in, you will not be able to enjoy any features available on the AI Home, such as the services available on the SmartThings App and the phone call features. Recipe recommendations and Bixby accessible through the AI Home utilize AI (based on deep learning models, which may be updated periodically to improve accuracy). To access your AI recipe recommendations, click on the ‘Food’ service within the SmartThings App in the AI Home menu.2 Available on select T-Type and French Door refrigerator models. As of April 2025, AI Vision Inside can recognize 37 food items like fresh fruits and veggies. If the food is not recognizable, it may be listed as an unknown item. AI Vision Inside cannot identify or list any food items in the fridge door bins or freezer. It recognizes food items based on deep learning models, which may be updated periodically to improve accuracy.3 Processed foods are limited to those that keep a certain packaged form. AI Home recommends to save the item after it has been input more than 4 times during 30 days.4 Requires login to the Samsung account. The recommendations and meal plans may not fit personal preferences in some cases.5 A Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung account are required. Third-party devices must by SmartThings compatible.6 Available on Android and iOS devices. All devices should be connected to Wi-Fi or other wireless network, and registered with a single Samsung Account. The energy usage and estimated cost shown in SmartThings Energy may differ from your actual usage and cost. Availability may vary by country, region, service provider, network environment, or device, and may change without notice.7 Bixby is Samsung’s brand of Internet of Things (IoT) voice assistant. Its service availability may vary depending on the country, language, and dialect.8 Available starting from 2025 May through over-the-network update. Customized answering is available on select usage cases such as accessing Calendar, Gallery, Find my Phone.9 Available in all countries excluding China, Qatar, Yemen, Russia, Sudan10 Available in North America, Europe, Latin America, Southeast Asia and the Middle East in 2025. Available screen sizes may vary.11 Available on select models of the 4-Door refrigerator in 2025.12 Based on internal testing, compared to existing Samsung RF9000D model (RF65DG9H*-Global, RF23DB99*-NA/LATAM)13 The Peltier element is a semiconductor-based component that cools using just electricity, without refrigerant. It operates when either the temperature in the refrigerator rises above the normal range or AI predicts that the temperature will rise in 5 minutes due to a long period of food storage or cleaning, based on an analysis of the user’s refrigerator opening and closing pattern.14 Based on internal testing, compared to Samsung RF60DB9KF*** model launched in Korea. The capacity may vary by models, region, and feature specifications.15 An automatic closing function is not available. The actual angle that the doors open may vary due to the installation circumstances and usage conditions, like storing heavy items in the door bins. The user may need to adjust how the refrigerator is installed if the doors don’t open properly. The touch sensors can be turned on/off from the display or SmartThings app and the default setting is ‘Off’. The Auto Open Door function may be activated inadvertently by contact with any body part or by a child or pet.16 Tested for 125 cycles in accordance with the “Mechanical dishwashing resistance of utensils” test method (BS EN 12875-1:2005) and certified as dishwasher safe by SGS.17 Bisphenol A (BPA) is found in polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins, which are often used in food and beverage containers, and has been linked with possible adverse health effects.18 Available in Europe, Southeast Asia, China, the Middle East, Africa and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS).19 You can select the door opening level using the SmartThings App (SmartThings is available on Android and iOS devices. A Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung account are required). The ‘Wide-open’ option automatically opens the door by an angle of 80 degrees or more, but the door does not close automatically. The ‘Semi-open’ option reduces the force required to open the door, and automatically closes the door after a certain period of time if the door is left open. The actual angle that the doors open may vary due to the installation circumstances and usage conditions, like storing heavy items in the door bins.20 The test results are based on a comparison of the factory setting temperature when using AI Energy mode and without using AI Energy mode. Results may vary depending on the usage conditions and patterns. AI Energy Mode can be activated in SmartThings Energy, which is available on Android and iOS devices. SmartThings Energy requires Wi-Fi connection and a Samsung account.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Former Filipino president Duterte’s arrest by the ICC – 20 journalists killed during his presidency

    Pacific Media Watch

    Paris-based global media freedom watchdog Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has recalled that 20 journalists were killed during the six-year Philippines presidency of Rodrigo Duterte, a regime marked by fierce repression of the press.

    Former president Duterte was arrested earlier this week as part of an International Criminal Court investigation into crimes against humanity linked to his merciless war on drugs. He is now in The Hague awaiting trial.

    The watchdog has called on the administration of current President Ferdinand Marcos Jr to take strong measures to fully restore the country’s press freedom and combat impunity for the crimes against media committed by Duterte’s regime.

    “Just because you’re a journalist you are not exempted from assassination, if you’re a son of a bitch,” Rodrigo Duterte said in his inauguration speech on 30 June 2016, which set the tone for the rest of his mandate — unrestrained violence against journalists and total disregard for press freedom, said RSF in a statement.

    During the Duterte regime’s rule, RSF recorded 20 cases of journalists killed while working.

    Among them was Jesus Yutrago Malabanan, shot dead after covering Rodrigo Duterte’s drug war for Reuters.

    Online harassment surged, particularly targeting women journalists.

    Maria Ressa troll target
    The most prominent victim was Maria Ressa, Nobel Peace Prize laureate and founder of the news site Rappler, who faced an orchestrated hate campaign led by troll armies allied with the government in response to her commitment to exposing the then-president’s bloody war.

    Media outlets critical of President Duterte’s authoritarian excesses were systematically muzzled: the country’s leading television network, ABS-CBN, was forced to shut down; Rappler and Maria Ressa faced repeated lawsuits; and a businessman close to the president took over the country’s leading newspaper, the Philippine Daily Inquirer, raising concerns over its editorial independence.

    “The arrest of Rodrigo Duterte is good news for the Filipino journalism community, who were the direct targets of his campaign of terror,” said RSF’s Asia-Pacific bureau director Cédric Alviani.

    RSF’s Asia-Pacific bureau director Cédric Alviani . . . “the Filipino journalism community were the direct targets of [former president Rodrigo Duterte]’s campaign of terror.” Image: RSF

    “President Marcos and his administration must immediately investigate Duterte’s past crimes and take strong measures to fully restore the country’s press freedom.”

    The repression carried out during Duterte’s tenure continues to impact on Filipino journalism: investigative journalist Frenchie Mae Cumpio has been languishing in prison since her arrest in 2020, still awaiting a verdict in her trial for “financing terrorism” and “illegal possession of firearms” — trumped-up charges that could see her sentenced to 40 years in prison.

    With 147 journalists murdered since the restoration of democracy in 1986, the Philippines remains one of the deadliest countries for media workers.

    The republic ranked 134th out of 180 in the 2024 RSF World Press Freedom Index.

    Source report from Reporters Without Borders. Pacific Media Watch collaborates with RSF.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Pro-Palestinian protesters challenge NZ’s Winston Peters at state of the nation speech

    Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. –

    Like a relentless ocean, wave after wave of pro-Palestinian pro-human rights protesters disrupted New Zealand deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters’ state of the nation speech at the Christchurch Town Hall yesterday.

    A clarion call to Trumpism and Australia’s One Nation Party, the speech was accompanied by the background music of about 250 protesters outside the Town Hall, chanting: “Complicity in genocide is a crime.”

    Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) co-chair John Minto described Peters’ attitude to Palestinians as “sickening”.

    Inside the James Hay Theatre, protester after protester stood and spoke loudly and clearly against the deputy Prime Minister’s failure to support those still dying in Gaza, and his failure to denounce the ongoing genocide.

    Ben Vorderegger was the first of nine protesters who appealed on behalf of people who have lost their voices in the dust of blood and bones, bombs and sniper guns.

    Before he and others were hauled out, they spoke for the tens of thousands of Palestinians who have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza — women, men, doctors, aid workers, journalists, and children.

    Gazan health authorities have reported that the official death toll is now more than 50,000 — but that is the confirmed deaths with thousands more buried under the rubble.


    The Christchurch Town Hall protest.            Video:PSNA

    Real death toll
    The real death toll from the genocide in Gaza has been estimated by a reputed medical journal, The Lancet, at more than 63,000. A third of those are children. Each day more children are killed.

    One by one the protesters who challenged Peters were manhandled by security guards to a frenzied crowd screaming “out, out”.

    The deputy Prime Minister’s response was to deride and mock the conscientious objectors. He did not stop there. He lambasted the media.

    At this point, several members of his audience turned on me as a journalist and demanded my removal.

    Pro=Palestine protesters at the Christchurch Town Hall yesterday to picket Foreign Minister Winston Peters at his state of the nation speech.Image: Saige England/APR

    This means that not only is the right to free speech at stake, the right or freedom to report is also being eroded. (I was later trespassed by security guards and police from the Town Hall although no reason was supplied for the ban).

    Inside the Christchurch Town Hall the call by Peters, who is also Foreign Minister, to “Make New Zealand Great Again” continued in the vein of a speech written by a MAGA leader.

    He whitewashed human rights, failed to address climate change, and demonstrated loathing for a media that has rarely challenged him.

    Ben Vorderegger in keffiyeh was the first of nine protesters who appealed on behalf of Palestinans before
    being thrown out of the Christchurch Town Hall meeting. Image: Saige England/APR

    Condemned movement
    Slamming the PSNA as “Marxist fascists” for calling out genocide, he condemned the movement for failing to talk with those who have a record of kowtowing to violent colonisation.

    This tactic is Colonial Invasion 101. It sees the invader rewarding and only dealing with those who sell out. This strategy demands that the colonised people should bow to the oppressor — an oppressor who threatens them with losing everything if they do not accept the scraps.

    Peters showed no support for the Treaty of Waitangi but rather, endorsed the government’s challenge to the founding document of the nation – Te Tiriti o Waitangi. In his dismissal of the founding and legally binding partnership, he repeated the “One Nation” catch-cry. Ad nauseum.

    Besides slamming Palestinians, the Scots (he managed to squeeze in a racist joke against Scottish people), and the woke, Peters’ speech promoted continued mining, showing some amnesia over the Pike River disaster. He did not reference the environment or climate change.

    After the speech, outside the Town Hall police donned black gloves — a sign they were prepared to use pepper-spray.

    PSNA co-chair John Minto described Peters’ failure to stand against the ongoing genocide of Palestinians as “bloody disgraceful”.

    The police arrested one protester, claiming he put his hand on a car transporting NZ First officials. A witness said this was not the case.

    PSNA co-chair John Minto (in hat behind fellow protester) . . . the failure of Foreign Minister Winston Peters to stand against the ongoing genocide of Palestinians is “bloody disgraceful”. Image; Saige England/APR

    Protester released
     The protester was later released without any charges being laid.

    A defiant New Zealand First MP Shane Jones marched out of the Town Hall after the event. He raised his arms defensively at protesters crying, “what if it was your grandchildren being slaughtered?”

    I was trespassed from the Christchurch Town Hall for re-entering the Town Hall for Winston Peters’ media conference. No reason was supplied by police or the Town Hall security personnel for that trespass order..

    “The words Winston is terrified to say . . . ” poster at the Christchurch pro-Palestinian protest. Image: Saige England/APR

    It is well known that Peters loathes the media — he said so enough times during his state of the nation speech.

    He referenced former US President Bill Clinton during his speech, an interesting reference given that Clinton did not receive the protection from the media that Peters has received.

    From the over zealous security personnel who manhandled and dragged out hecklers, to the banning of a journalist, to the arrest of someone for “touching a car” when witnesses report otherwise, the state of the nation speech held some uncomfortable echoes — the actions of a fascist dictatorship.

    Populist threats
    The atmosphere was reminiscent of a Jorg Haider press conference I attended many years ago in Vienna. That “rechtspopulist” Austrian politician had threatened journalists with defamation suits if they called him out on his support for Nazis.

    Yet he was on record for doing so.

    I was reminded of this yesterday when the audience called ‘out out’ at hecklers, and demanded the removal of this journalist. These New Zealand First supporters demand adoration for their leader or a media black-out.

    Perhaps they cannot be blamed given that the state of the nation speech could well have been written by US President Donald Trump or one of his minions.

    The protesters were courageous and conscientious in contrast to Peters, said PSNA’s John Minto.

    He likened Peters to Neville Chamberlain — Britain’s Prime Minister from 1937 to 1940. His name is synonymous with the policy of “appeasement” because he conceded territorial concessions to Nazi Germany in the late 1930s, fruitlessly hoping to avoid war.

    “He has refused to condemn any of Israel’s war crimes against Palestinians, including the total humanitarian aid blockade of Gaza.”

    Refusal ‘unprecedented’
    “It’s unprecedented in New Zealand history that a government would refuse to condemn Israel breaking its ceasefire agreement and resuming industrial-scale slaughter of civilians,” Minto said.

    “That is what Israel is doing today in Gaza, with full backing from the White House.

    “Chamberlain went to meet Hitler in Munich in 1938 to whitewash Nazi Germany’s takeovers of its neighbours’ lands.

    “Peters has been in Washington to agree to US approval of the occupation of southern Syria, more attacks on Lebanon, resumption of the land grab genocide in Gaza and get a heads-up on US plans to ‘give’ the Occupied West Bank to Israel later this year.

    “If Peters disagrees with any of this, he’s had plenty of chances to say so.

    “New Zealanders are calling for sanctions on Israel but Mr Peters and the National-led government are looking the other way.”

    New Zealand First MP Shane Jones marched out of the Town Hall after the event, dismissing protesters crying, “what if it was your grandchildren being slaughtered?” Image: Saige England/APR

    Only staged questions
    The conscientious objectors who rise against the oppression of human rights are people Winston Peters regards as his enemies. He will only answer questions in a press conference staged for him.

    He warms to journalists who warm to him.

    The state of the nation speech in the Town Hall was familiar.

    Seeking to erase conscientiousness will not make New Zealand great, it will render this country very small, almost miniscule, like the people who are being destroyed for daring to demand their right to their own land.

    Saige England is a journalist and author, and a member of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA). She is a frequent contributor to Asia Pacific Report and Café Pacific.

    Part of the crowd at the state of the nation speech by Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters at the Christchurch Town Hall yesterday. Image: Saige England/APR

    This article was first published on Café Pacific.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Phase II of space project completed

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Researchers monitor the operational status at the control center of the Chinese Meridian Project in Beijing on Thursday. [Photo/Xinhua]
    China achieved a significant milestone in space science on Friday with the completion and national approval of the Chinese Meridian Project Phase II.
    The project is the world’s first comprehensive ground-based monitoring network spanning the entire sun-Earth space environment, extending from the solar atmosphere to near-Earth space, said Li Hui, deputy director of the National Space Science Center of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.
    The breakthrough delivers 72-hour early warnings in space weather forecasting as solar activity approaches its 11-year peak this year, which poses interference risks to space missions and navigation systems, said Luo Bingxian, deputy director of the State Key Laboratory of Solar Activity and Space Weather at the NSSC.
    With construction starting in 2019, the CMP Phase II established a “two vertical, two horizontal “double-cross monitoring network along the 100 degrees and 120 degrees east longitudes, and the 30 degrees and 40 degrees north latitudes.
    By integrating 16 new observation stations with the original 15 CMP Phase I stations, the project enables unprecedented three-dimensional monitoring of space weather phenomena, from solar eruptions to the Earth’s atmospheric responses.
    The CMP Phase II features several key technological advancements, Li said, with the Daocheng Solar Radio Telescope ranking first. The ring-shaped array captures 3D coronal tomography with a 10-solar-radius field of view, enabling exceptional tracking of solar activity.
    The project includes the world’s first tristatic incoherent scatter radar system, which employs phased array technology to perform ionospheric computed tomography scanning and 3D imaging over distances of thousands of kilometers.
    The Super Dual Auroral Radar Network, a mid-latitude high-frequency radar array, achieves large-scale continuous detection of ionospheric dynamics in the middle and high latitudes of the Asian sector, covering over 4,000 km meridionally and 10,000 km zonally.
    During its trial phase, the CMP Phase II demonstrated high reliability, Li said. It captured the May 2024 super geomagnetic storm, providing real-time, high-precision data crucial to understanding the sun-Earth space environment’s responses to the solar activities.
    Wang Chi, general commander of the CMP Phase II, said that the project exemplifies China’s institutional strengths in “mega-science”.
    “By unifying global-scale monitoring, we are building a critical shield against space weather threats and offering innovative solutions to global scientific challenges,” he said.
    Building on this achievement, China is launching the International Meridian Circle Program, enabling all-latitude, all-weather and round-the-clock observation of space weather. This initiative will address transnational challenges such as solar storms and geomagnetic disruptions, reflecting a commitment to a collaborative future in space exploration.
    “The Daocheng Solar Radio Telescope is the world’s largest synthetic aperture radio telescope. The preliminary design and validation phases alone consumed half the project timeline, uncovering numerous technical bottlenecks. With perseverance and patience, we addressed these challenges step by step,” said Yan Jingye, chief designer of the telescope.
    All monitoring data from the CMP will be made accessible to domestic and international universities and research institutions for collaborative research, Li said.
    “Space environment and weather are integral to the community with a shared future for mankind. However, disturbances in space weather pose a significant challenge worldwide, requiring coordinated efforts from the international community,” he said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump’s ‘transactional foreign policy’ hits deadlock

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    In the two months since taking office, U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has been aggressively pursuing its foreign policy agenda under the belief that everything is subject to “deals,” triggering wide backlash in international society.

    The essence of Trump’s foreign policy is “purely transactional,” said an article on the U.S. website The National Interest.

    “All I know, is… deals”

    “My whole life is deals. That’s all I know, is deals,” said Trump following his meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron about a month ago.

    When it comes to the means to facilitate these deals, as Kevin Hassett, director of the White House National Economic Council, put it, “We could do that with carrots, and we can do that with sticks.”

    On the issue of the Ukraine crisis, to facilitate negotiations between the parties, the Trump administration threatened that Russia would face U.S. sanctions if it refused to participate in talks, and that Ukraine would lose U.S. aid if it declined to negotiate.

    The United States has also coveted Ukraine’s resources, initially demanding rare earth elements, followed by oil, natural gas and other mineral resources.

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky strongly opposed these demands at first. His fiery clash with Trump at the White House on Feb. 28 shocked the world, prompting the United States to suspend military aid to Ukraine and cut off intelligence-sharing.

    When they spoke by phone on Wednesday, Trump even suggested to Zelensky that the United States could help run, and possibly own, Ukraine’s Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, according to a statement by the U.S. presidential administration.

    On the Palestinian question, Trump demanded that Hamas release detained Israeli hostages, threatening that “or it is OVER for you” on March 5 in a post on Truth Social.

    Trump also proposed to “clean out” Gaza in late January and used the suspension of aid as leverage to pressure Egypt and Jordan to accept Palestinians.

    To address the issues of illegal immigration and fentanyl within the United States, the Trump administration wielded the “tariff stick” against Mexico and Canada. According to the Trump administration’s logic, these two major problems were caused by Canada and Mexico, and if they are not resolved, tariffs will be imposed.

    Trump also set his sights on Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark.

    He said that the United States would take control of Greenland “one way or the other,” refusing to rule out economic or military coercion. Trump said he would consider imposing tariffs on Denmark “at a very high level” if it resisted his offer to acquire the territory.

    Referring to Trump’s book where he talks about his experiences as a hotel developer, Sina Toossi, a fellow at the U.S. think tank Center for International Policy, told AFP: “He approaches diplomacy the way he approached real estate in ‘The Art of the Deal:’ — escalate tensions, maximize threats, push the situation to the brink of disaster and then, at the last minute, strike a deal.”

    “Transactional foreign policy” reaches impasse

    “My proudest legacy will be that of a peacemaker and unifier,” Trump declared in his inaugural address on Jan. 20. But how effective is his “transactional foreign policy?”

    After Trump’s phone calls with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Zelensky on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively, U.S. media believe that Russia has in effect rejected the U.S.-proposed 30-day ceasefire plan for Russia and Ukraine.

    The Washington Post reported that the call between the U.S. and Russian leaders highlighted differences more than agreement.

    Meanwhile, Ukraine is also dissatisfied with the proposal to halt attacks on each other’s energy infrastructure within 30 days, hoping to extend the ceasefire to include other civilian infrastructure.

    Zelensky said that Ukraine has no intention of transferring the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant, which the Trump administration is interested in.

    As with Ukraine, Trump has pledged to bring “peace” to the Middle East, but his failure to facilitate “deals” through coercion and pressure has led to the rekindling of the flames of war in Gaza and Yemen.

    After “full coordination with the United States,” the Israeli military resumed large-scale airstrikes on the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, signaling the collapse of the Gaza ceasefire agreement.

    Additionally, the U.S. military began large-scale military operations against Yemen’s Houthi group on March 15. In retaliation, the Houthis claimed to have attacked U.S. aircraft carriers multiple times.

    After the Trump administration launched its “tariff war,” many countries implemented countermeasures. On March 12, the Canadian government announced a 25-percent retaliatory tariff on 29.8 billion Canadian dollars’ (20.7 billion U.S. dollars’) worth of U.S. goods.

    On the same day, the European Commission declared that the European Union (EU) would impose retaliatory tariffs on 26 billion euros’ (28.3 billion U.S. dollars’) worth of U.S. goods starting in April, targeting items such as beef, poultry, whiskey and motorcycles.

    Trump’s tariffs “are an act of self-harm,” The Economist said in a recent article.

    Trump’s remarks about Greenland have also increased anti-American sentiment on the island. To protest Trump’s remarks about acquiring the territory, an anti-American rally was held on March 15 in Nuuk, the capital of Greenland, with thousands of demonstrators marching to the U.S. Consulate there.

    Danish and EU officials also voiced their support for Greenland. “I believe that Greenland will remain part of the Danish Commonwealth for quite some time,” Danish Foreign Minister Lars Lokke Rasmussen said recently.

    “To all the people of Greenland and of Denmark as a whole, I want to be very clear that Europe will always stand for sovereignty and territorial integrity,” European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Tuesday.

    The Japanese daily Yomiuri Shimbun commented Thursday: “Another major offensive has begun in the Middle East, and Russia declined to endorse a full ceasefire in Ukraine. U.S. President Donald Trump’s diplomacy based on deals has apparently stalled.”

    A more dangerous world

    Analysts believe that the root cause of the impasse in “transactional foreign policy” lies in Trump’s sole focus on U.S. interests. He disregards the demands and needs of others, especially those of conflicting parties, and makes no effort to address the underlying issues.

    “For Trump, foreign policy isn’t about carefully negotiated peace deals. It’s about performance, leverage and crafting a narrative that sells,” Toossi said.

    Trump’s ability to create bargaining chips out of thin air and force concessions through coercion and inducement rely on the United States’ military and economic strength, analysts said.

    The essence of his “transactional foreign policy” is nothing more than coercion diplomacy rooted in power, serving the narrow self-interests of the United States. Rather than solving problems at their root, it ignores the concerns of relevant parties and pressures them to accept U.S. terms.

    “Team Trump claims that its dealmaking will bring peace and that, after 80 years of being taken for a ride, America will turn its superpower status into profit,” said The Economist in an article.

    “Instead it will make the world more dangerous, and America weaker and poorer,” it added. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China, Japan can jointly promote, practice Asian values

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China and Japan can advocate the Eastern wisdom of valuing harmony and practicing empathy, and promote and practice Asian values, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Sunday.

    Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during his meeting in Tokyo with Yasuo Fukuda, former Japanese prime minister and former chairman of the Boao Forum for Asia.

    Wang expressed appreciation to Fukuda for taking the lead in Japan to endorse and support China’s vision of a community with a shared future for mankind and for taking the lead in establishing the cultural exchange institution for an Asian community.

    China and Japan are geographically close and share many cultural similarities and intertwined interests, Wang said.

    “We hope that the Japanese side will work with China to maintain the political and public support for China-Japan relations, push for the sound and stable development of bilateral ties, and jointly promote peace, stability and prosperity in Asia,” Wang added.

    Fukuda said it is of great significance to deepen exchanges in various fields such as people-to-people, cultural and academic interactions between Japan and China.

    He affirmed his commitment to promoting dialogue and cooperation, enhancing mutual understanding, and contributing to the improvement and development of Japan-China relations. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Macao intl parade promotes beauty of cultural integration

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    With a verdant Loong (Chinese dragon) made of bamboo, a handmade armor performance from Japan, and an elephant hat dance from South Korea showing up in front of the Ruins of St. Paul’s, the “2025 Macao International Parade” officially set off on Sunday.

    People participate in the 2025 Macao International Parade in Macao, south China, March 23, 2025. The 2025 Macao International Parade celebrating the 26th anniversary of Macao’s Return to the Motherland was held on Sunday. (Xinhua/Cheong Kam Ka)

    These were part of the 83 performing teams from various cultures across the world.

    Upholding the spirit of “Love, Peace and Cultural Integration” while promoting Macao’s designation as a “Culture City of East Asia 2025,” this year’s parade featured local groups and participating groups worldwide, totaling an estimated 1,800 artists.

    The local team, “the Funny Old Tree Theater Ensemble,” performed about the Earth, suggesting that different cultures share one home. Vong Weng Chon, a team member, said that as a Macao resident, he was pleased to make new friends from different backgrounds. “It’s lively and exciting,” he added.

    As another “Culture City of East Asia 2025,” Huzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, brought the dance of bamboo leaf Loong. Zhu Zhengguo, a member of the performing team, told Xinhua that it was an honor to bring their traditional treasure to this event. He was also happy to see and communicate with other art groups.

    Italian artist Ilaria Fioretto was impressed by Macao’s cultural atmosphere. “Here, we have the possibility to interact with different cultures … It is a treasure to know different artists from different countries,” she added.

    According to Macao’s Cultural Affairs Bureau, the parade is a signature festive event of Macao. Since its first edition in 2011, it has entered its 11th edition and has become one of the events celebrating Macao’s return to the motherland, drawing the participation of residents and tourists from around the world.

    The parade procession set off from the Ruins of St. Paul’s and passed through old streets and alleys in the historic center of Macao. The final performance held at Sai Van Lake Square marked the opening of the “Culture City of East Asia” program, where various performing groups staged a vibrant and artistic celebration.

    “It’s hard to put my feelings into words,” said Ms. Tang, a tourist from central China’s Hubei visiting Macao for the first time. She waited in the crowd to see the parade, describing the experience as a “surprise.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Appeal for information following fatal crash, Whakatane

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Attributable to Sergeant Shane Tailby, Eastern Bay of Plenty Road Policing:

    Police are appealing for information following a fatal crash in Whakatane yesterday, (Sunday 23 March).

    Around 4:55pm Police responded to Ohope Road after a car and a motorbike collided.

    It appears the motorbike has been travelling at speed around the corner where they have slid out onto their side into the opposite lane, a vehicle travelling in the opposite direction has then struck the motorbike, with the impact resulting in the car flipping onto its roof.

    The motorbike rider was located in a critical condition and CPR was commenced, however sadly they died at the scene.

    The driver was taken to Whakatane Hospital with minor injuries, and was discharged last night.

    The investigation into the cause of the crash remains ongoing and Police are asking anyone that witnessed the crash or has information that may assist in our investigation to contact Police.

    You can report information to us via 105 either online or over the phone. Please reference file number: 250323/2112.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Invercargill Police appealing for information following aggravated robbery

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Police are appealing for information following an aggravated robbery at a commercial premises in Invercargill.

    At around 3.30am this morning, Police were alerted to four people entering a store on North Road with two armed with knives and another with a trye iron.

    The group targeted cigarettes and tobacco before fleeing the area in a vehicle.

    Thankfully, the two store employees are uninjured however they are understandably shaken by the incident.

    Invercargill Police would like to speak with anyone who may have witnessed the aggravated robbery or may have information that could assist in our investigation.

    Police would also like to hear from anyone who may have CCTV or dashcam footage in the North Road area between 12am and 5am this morning.

    Anyone who may have information that can assist Police in our investigation is urged to contact us online at 105.police.govt.nz, clicking “Update Report” or by calling 105.

    Please use the reference number 250324/2633.

    Information can also be provided anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 11

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Update: Serious crash, Symonds Street

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Police remain at the scene of an earlier crash in Symonds Street.

    We can now advise five people sustained injuries following the single vehicle crash.

    One person was transported to hospital in a critical condition and four others suffered moderate to minor injuries.

    Police are aware of speculations surrounding the cause of the crash.

    This remains under investigation, however at this early stage we believe drugs or alcohol may have been a factor.

    Symonds Street remains closed from Wellesley Street to Grafton Road and diversions are in place.

    ENDS.

    Holly McKay/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Celebrating early warning collaboration on World Meteorological Day

    Source: Australia Safe Travel Advisories

    23/03/2025

    Issued: 23 March 2025

    Today is World Meteorological Day and an opportunity to recognise the contributions of national weather and water agencies across the world.

    The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), the specialised agency of the United Nations for meteorology, operational hydrology and related geophysical sciences, commemorates World Meteorological Day on 23 March each year. This year also marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of the WMO.

    The Bureau of Meteorology continues to play a leading role in supporting Pacific Islands nations to prepare for and respond to the impacts of severe weather and a changing climate. The Bureau engages in several initiatives in the Pacific region aligned to this year’s theme of “Closing the early warning gap”.

    In partnership with the Pacific Meteorological Council, the Bureau supports the Weather Ready Pacific (WRP) program, to enhance early warning systems and increase climate resilience in the Pacific.

    As part of the initiative, the Bureau provides technical guidance and advice to help the Pacific improve its infrastructure, systems and training.

    General Manager of International Development, Dr Andrew Jones said the program supports the Pacific region in benefiting from advances in forecast and warning systems for weather, hydrological and oceanic events, enabling increased accuracy specificity and lead times of forecasts.

    “Severe weather events devastate Pacific Island communities through loss of life and damage to homes and infrastructure, agricultural lands, livelihoods, and economies,” Dr Jones said.

    “Climate change escalates the Pacific’s vulnerability to extreme events by increasing their intensity and/or frequency.

    “The Bureau supports Pacific meteorological leaders in providing technical guidance and advice to ensure that every Pacific Island person will be safer from severe weather and the impacts of climate change.”

    The Bureau also works with stakeholders in Pacific Island countries to adapt to and mitigate the impacts of climate variability through the Climate and Oceans Support Program in the Pacific (COSPPac) and, in collaboration with the World Meteorological Organization and the Papua New Guinea Weather Service, the Climate Risk and Early Warning Systems Papua New Guinea (CREWS-PNG).

    Dr Jones said Papua New Guinea’s diverse topography and highly variable rainfall means a limited rain gauge network is insufficient to accurately assess rainfall distribution.

    “The Bureau’s technical advice of extensive and uniform coverage of satellite-based precipitation observations provide a more precise picture of rainfall,” Dr Jones said.

    “CREWS-PNG closes the early warning gap, benefiting over 200 users in agriculture, water, energy, and emergency services with improved decision-making and climate resilience.

    “Meteorology operates outside of political and geographical boundaries. The Bureau works with partners in other countries, sharing information and resources to benefit people in Australia and around the world.”

    Find out more information about the Weather Ready Pacific (WRP) program here: Program Summary and about World Meteorological Day here: World Meteorological Day

    ENDS…

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Pro-Palestinian protesters challenge Peters at state of the nation speech

    SPECIAL REPORT: By Saige England in Christchurch

    Like a relentless ocean, wave after wave of pro-Palestinian pro-human rights protesters disrupted New Zealand deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters’ state of the nation speech at the Christchurch Town Hall yesterday.

    A clarion call to Trumpism and Australia’s One Nation Party, the speech was accompanied by the background music of about 250 protesters outside the Town Hall, chanting: “Complicity in genocide is a crime.”

    Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA) co-chair John Minto described Peters’ attitude to Palestinians as “sickening”.

    Inside the James Hay Theatre, protester after protester stood and spoke loudly and clearly against the deputy Prime Minister’s failure to support those still dying in Gaza, and his failure to denounce the ongoing genocide.

    Ben Vorderegger was the first of nine protesters who appealed on behalf of people who have lost their voices in the dust of blood and bones, bombs and sniper guns.

    Before he and others were hauled out, they spoke for the tens of thousands of Palestinians who have been killed by Israeli forces in Gaza — women, men, doctors, aid workers, journalists, and children.

    Gazan health authorities have reported that the official death toll is now more than 50,000 — but that is the confirmed deaths with thousands more buried under the rubble.

    Real death toll
    The real death toll from the genocide in Gaza has been estimated by a reputed medical journal, The Lancet, at more than 63,000. A third of those are children. Each day more children are killed.

    One by one the protesters who challenged Peters were manhandled by security guards to a frenzied crowd screaming “out, out”.

    The deputy Prime Minister’s response was to deride and mock the conscientious objectors. He did not stop there. He lambasted the media.

    At this point, several members of his audience turned on me as a journalist and demanded my removal.

    Pro-Palestine protesters at the Christchurch Town Hall yesterday to picket Foreign Minister Winston Peters at his state of the nation speech. Image: Saige England/APR

    This means that not only is the right to free speech at stake, the right or freedom to report is also being eroded. (I was later trespassed by security guards and police from the Town Hall although no reason was supplied for the ban).

    Inside the Christchurch Town Hall the call by Peters, who is also Foreign Minister, to “Make New Zealand Great Again” continued in the vein of a speech written by a MAGA leader.

    He whitewashed human rights, failed to address climate change, and demonstrated loathing for a media that has rarely challenged him.

    Ben Vorderegger in keffiyeh was the first of nine protesters who appealed on behalf of Palestinans before
    being thrown out of the Christchurch Town Hall meeting. Image: Saige England/APR

    Condemned movement
    Slamming the PSNA as “Marxist fascists” for calling out genocide, he condemned the movement for failing to talk with those who have a record of kowtowing to violent colonisation.

    This tactic is Colonial Invasion 101. It sees the invader rewarding and only dealing with those who sell out. This strategy demands that the colonised people should bow to the oppressor — an oppressor who threatens them with losing everything if they do not accept the scraps.

    Peters showed no support for the Treaty of Waitangi but rather, endorsed the government’s challenge to the founding document of the nation – Te Tiriti o Waitangi. In his dismissal of the founding and legally binding partnership, he repeated the “One Nation” catch-cry. Ad nauseum.

    Besides slamming Palestinians, the Scots (he managed to squeeze in a racist joke against Scottish people), and the woke, Peters’ speech promoted continued mining, showing some amnesia over the Pike River disaster. He did not reference the environment or climate change.

    After the speech, outside the Town Hall police donned black gloves — a sign they were prepared to use pepper-spray.

    PSNA co-chair John Minto described Peters’ failure to stand against the ongoing genocide of Palestinians as “bloody disgraceful”.

    The police arrested one protester, claiming he put his hand on a car transporting NZ First officials. A witness said this was not the case.

    PSNA co-chair John Minto (in hat behind fellow protester) . . . the failure of Foreign Minister Winston Peters to stand against the ongoing genocide of Palestinians is “bloody disgraceful”. Image; Saige England/APR

    Protester released
     The protester was later released without any charges being laid.

    A defiant New Zealand First MP Shane Jones marched out of the Town Hall after the event. He raised his arms defensively at protesters crying, “what if it was your grandchildren being slaughtered?”

    I was trespassed from the Christchurch Town Hall for re-entering the Town Hall for Winston Peters’ media conference. No reason was supplied by police or the Town Hall security personnel for that trespass order..

    “The words Winston is terrified to say . . . ” poster at the Christchurch pro-Palestinian protest. Image: Saige England/APR

    It is well known that Peters loathes the media — he said so enough times during his state of the nation speech.

    He referenced former US President Bill Clinton during his speech, an interesting reference given that Clinton did not receive the protection from the media that Peters has received.

    From the over zealous security personnel who manhandled and dragged out hecklers, to the banning of a journalist, to the arrest of someone for “touching a car” when witnesses report otherwise, the state of the nation speech held some uncomfortable echoes — the actions of a fascist dictatorship.

    Populist threats
    The atmosphere was reminiscent of a Jorg Haider press conference I attended many years ago in Vienna. That “rechtspopulist” Austrian politician had threatened journalists with defamation suits if they called him out on his support for Nazis.

    Yet he was on record for doing so.

    I was reminded of this yesterday when the audience called ‘out out’ at hecklers, and demanded the removal of this journalist. These New Zealand First supporters demand adoration for their leader or a media black-out.

    Perhaps they cannot be blamed given that the state of the nation speech could well have been written by US President Donald Trump or one of his minions.

    The protesters were courageous and conscientious in contrast to Peters, said PSNA’s John Minto.

    He likened Peters to Neville Chamberlain — Britain’s Prime Minister from 1937 to 1940. His name is synonymous with the policy of “appeasement” because he conceded territorial concessions to Nazi Germany in the late 1930s, fruitlessly hoping to avoid war.

    “He has refused to condemn any of Israel’s war crimes against Palestinians, including the total humanitarian aid blockade of Gaza.”

    Refusal ‘unprecedented’
    “It’s unprecedented in New Zealand history that a government would refuse to condemn Israel breaking its ceasefire agreement and resuming industrial-scale slaughter of civilians,” Minto said.

    “That is what Israel is doing today in Gaza, with full backing from the White House.

    “Chamberlain went to meet Hitler in Munich in 1938 to whitewash Nazi Germany’s takeovers of its neighbours’ lands.

    “Peters has been in Washington to agree to US approval of the occupation of southern Syria, more attacks on Lebanon, resumption of the land grab genocide in Gaza and get a heads-up on US plans to ‘give’ the Occupied West Bank to Israel later this year.

    “If Peters disagrees with any of this, he’s had plenty of chances to say so.

    “New Zealanders are calling for sanctions on Israel but Mr Peters and the National-led government are looking the other way.”

    New Zealand First MP Shane Jones marched out of the Town Hall after the event, dismissing protesters crying, “what if it was your grandchildren being slaughtered?” Image: Saige England/APR

    Only staged questions
    The conscientious objectors who rise against the oppression of human rights are people Winston Peters regards as his enemies. He will only answer questions in a press conference staged for him.

    He warms to journalists who warm to him.

    The state of the nation speech in the Town Hall was familiar.

    Seeking to erase conscientiousness will not make New Zealand great, it will render this country very small, almost miniscule, like the people who are being destroyed for daring to demand their right to their own land.

    Saige England is a journalist and author, and a member of the Palestine Solidarity Network Aotearoa (PSNA). She is a frequent contributor to Asia Pacific Report.

    Part of the crowd at the state of the nation speech by Deputy Prime Minister Winston Peters at the Christchurch Town Hall yesterday. Image: Saige England/APR

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Wang Yi meets Japan-China friendship groups to enhance ties

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the CPC Central Committee, meets with representatives from seven Japan-China friendship groups in Tokyo, Japan, March 23, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission, on Sunday met with representatives from seven Japan-China friendship groups, highlighting the importance of bilateral cooperation amid global uncertainties.

    Noting the increasing instability in the international situation, Wang emphasized that China is determined to shoulder its responsibilities as a major power, work together with other nations to safeguard peace and security in Asia, and promote human development and progress.

    As close neighbors and two major global economies, China and Japan must reassess the value of their relationship, reaffirm the significance of their friendship, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, and consolidate the strength of friendly people-to-people ties to promote the sustained, healthy, and stable development of China-Japan relations, Wang said.

    While acknowledging the long-term dedication of the seven friendship groups in advancing bilateral friendship, Wang urged them to press forward in the direction of peaceful and friendly cooperation to make new contributions to safeguarding the fundamental interests of both peoples.

    He outlined three key areas for strengthening ties, including maintaining the political foundation, enhancing dialogue and exchanges across various sectors, and cultivating successors for China-Japan friendship.

    The China-Japan Joint Statement must be strictly observed, with particular emphasis on properly handling historical issues and the Taiwan question, and resisting any distortions, falsifications, or actions that undermine the foundation, Wang stressed.

    He also called for encouraging the younger generation to participate actively in friendship initiatives, ensuring the legacy of bilateral cooperation is carried forward.

    Attending the meeting were Hiroshi Moriyama, chairman of the Japan-China Friendship Parliamentarians’ Union and secretary-general of Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party, President of the Japanese Association for the Promotion of International Trade Yohei Kono, as well as leaders of other friendship groups.

    Representatives from the groups emphasized the critical importance of China-Japan friendship for both nations and their peoples, pledging efforts to continue fostering exchanges at local and youth levels and further strengthen the bond between the peoples of China and Japan.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: TTC Global Announces Key Partnership with Oneconsult

    Source: Press Release Service – Press Release/Statement:

    Headline: TTC Global Announces Key Partnership with Oneconsult

    Auckland-based TTC Global, a worldwide pioneer in software quality engineering, has partnered with Oneconsult, a Swiss cybersecurity firm, to deliver comprehensive digital security assurance in New Zealand.

    The post TTC Global Announces Key Partnership with Oneconsult first appeared on PR.co.nz.

    – –

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: 24 March 2025 New West Coast homes ready for whānau Local iwi last week blessed a new nine home development in Hokitika. Neighbours and members of the community were invited to look through the homes before tenants moved in. It marks the most significant development completed in Hokitika to date.

    Source: New Zealand Government Kainga Ora

    Julia Campbell, Regional Director Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast, says “More than half the people who’ve been on the social housing register and waiting for a home in the Westland district are in need of a two-bedroom home, so the completion of this development is a significant milestone for the town”.

    “These homes will give the people who have moved in a chance to put down roots in a stable environment, in some cases for the first time in many months. Having a warm, dry home can make such a difference to people’s health and wellbeing.”

    Ms Campbell says a specialist placement team has worked closely with the tenants. “During pre-housing conversations, we’ve spoken to people about their connections to the community and any support they may need to live well in their new home in the future. Our team will continue to support everyone who will be living there to settle in well into their new homes and community.”

    Construction began in February last year of the homes, which Kāinga Ora purchased earlier this month from developer KR Construction Limited. There are currently another seven Kāinga Ora homes under construction in Hokitika. See more of what’s happening in the West Coast region.

    Some of the new state homes in Hokitika

    Page updated: 24 March 2025

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Serious crash, Symonds Street

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Emergency services are responding to a serious crash in Auckland Central.

    The crash, on Symonds Street, was reported to Police just after midday.

    At this early stage it appears a vehicle has collided with a tree and a pedestrian.

    One person has been transported to hospital in a critical condition and two other people have suffered moderate injuries.

    Symonds Street is closed from Wellesley Street to Grafton Road and diversions are in place.

    Motorists are advised to expect delays.

    The Serious Crash Unit has been notified.

    ENDS.

    Holly McKay/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fraudulent asbestos removals catch up with industry veteran

    Source: Worksafe New Zealand

    Solid ethics and legal compliance must underpin the asbestos industry, WorkSafe New Zealand says, after an unlicensed asbestos remover was sentenced for pocketing more than $20,000 by misrepresenting his employer.

    Barrie John Crockett was in a project management role at Demasol Limited. Between December 2021 and June 2022, Mr Crockett used Demasol’s name and letterhead to invoice three customers who paid into his personal bank account for work totalling $21,938. A dissatisfied customer contacted Demasol, leading to an investigation that revealed the illegal activity following Mr Crockett’s redundancy in May 2022.

    As Demasol was not involved in the work, it cannot give any assurance that the asbestos removal was carried out in line with the regulatory requirements. It also remains unclear exactly where the removed asbestos was disposed.

    “Not only is this dangerous work for an unlicensed person to do, but someone like Mr Crockett who had worked in the industry for over 25 years should have known far better. This type of criminal behaviour is not worth the risk because offenders will be held responsible,” says WorkSafe’s Head of Authorisations and Advisory, Kate Morrison.

    Most asbestos removals need to be carried out by a licensed asbestos remover, and the work must be notified to WorkSafe under the under the Health and Safety at Work (Asbestos) Regulations 2016.

    “Licensing exists for a reason and removal work is tightly regulated to ensure safety. Circumventing the rules is both reckless and deceitful when the harm done by asbestos exposure is well known. An estimated 220 people die each year from preventable asbestos-related diseases in New Zealand. A system with trained and qualified people to remove this dangerous material is critical to better safety for workers and all New Zealanders,” says Kate Morrison.

    Asbestos fibres can be blown a long way from a poorly managed removal site. The airborne fibres are so small they’re invisible to the naked eye, and can cause harm when breathed in. There are no safe levels of exposure, so there are no excuses for not managing asbestos safely.

    High-risk activities including asbestos removal are a priority focus within WorkSafe’s new strategy. We are focusing particularly on high-risk sectors and high-risk activities which may result in acute, chronic or catastrophic harm.

    Read about WorkSafe’s priority plan for Permitting
    Read WorkSafe’s latest guidance on managing asbestos

    Background

    • Barrie Crockett was sentenced at Auckland District Court on 21 March 2025.
    • An order to pay $15,000 in reparations was imposed, alongside a sentence of 140 hours community work.
    • Barrie Crockett was charged under sections 240(1)(a) and 241(a) of the Crimes Act 1961
      • By deception and without claim of right, obtained possession of a pecuniary advantage, namely $21,938.75
    • The maximum penalty is seven years imprisonment.

    Media contact details

    For more information you can contact our Media Team using our media request form. Alternatively:

    Email: media@worksafe.govt.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: 90 recruits join Wing 386

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    The 90 recruits of Wing 386, alongside their patron Dame Noeline Taurua, were welcomed to the Royal New Zealand Police College (RNZPC) last week.

    “The constabulary recruiting team has worked incredibly hard to deliver 90 recruits onto Wing 386 and we are really happy to have increased our wing capacity sooner than initially planned,” 500 Programme Director, Superintendent Kelly Ryan says.

    “Other groups within Police providing specialist services to some of our recruiting processes such as Emergency Communication Centre, Vetting and Safer People have provided additional support to make this possible.”

    Last year Police announced it would increase the potential capacity of recruit wings at the RNZPC from 80 to 100 from April 2025. The change was in response to a major surge in applications and will help ensure quality applicants move through the pipeline and into training faster.

    Since the announcement, changes have been made to the RNZPC to facilitate the larger wings.

    “Enabling even 10 more recruits to join a wing is a significant jump and required a lot of planning and additional support for training. We look forward to welcoming even more recruits in our wings of up to 100 in the months ahead,” Superintendent Ryan says.

    “The median time between application and starting at RNZPC has already reduced by more than 90 days over the last year.

    “We’re focused on making sure our process is fit-for-purpose, so applicants flow through each step quickly and our standards continue to be robust.”

    The increased capacity at the RNZPC, and a training facility to come in Auckland soon, will support Police’s work to deliver on the Government’s commitment of 500 additional officers.

    “Achieving this growth in recruits requires a huge effort from across the entire organisation for attracting, selecting, and training the new officers,” Superintendent Ryan says.

    “Research is very clear, the most effective way to recruit police officers is through our own staff identifying, encouraging, and supporting people they know would be great to apply.

    “It’s critical that everyone leans in on this, so we get the very best people into our organisation.”

    Districts have also demonstrated strong support by putting in place at least one full time constabulary member to actively engage and take ownership of their district’s recruiting.

    “Whether you’re taking your first steps into the workforce or considering a career change, the best time to apply is right now.

    “The earlier you apply, the sooner you’ll be ready to start your training into a one of the most rewarding careers there is,” Superintendent Ryan says.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Cordons in place, Sydenham

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    A cordon is in place around a property in Sydenham as Police work to ensure a person’s safety.

    Police were called to an address on Percival Street about 10:40am to reports a person was making threats.

    As a precaution, Police have evacuated people from adjacent properties and a cordon of approximately 100m is in place around the Percival Street address.

    People are asked to stay clear until the situation can be safely resolved.

    ENDS

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: PRESIDENT OF INDIA TO GRACE THE SILVER JUBILEE OF CHHATTISGARH LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY AT RAIPUR AND ATTEND THE FOUNDATION DAY CEREMONY OF BHARATIYA BISWBASU SHABAR SAMAJ AT KALIAPALLI TOMORROW

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 23 MAR 2025 8:43PM by PIB Delhi

    The President of India, Smt Droupadi Murmu will grace the silver jubilee of Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly at Raipur tomorrow (March 24, 2025). Tomorrow, she will also attend the foundation day ceremony of Bharatiya Biswabasu Shabar Samaj at Kaliapalli, Nayagarh, Odisha.

    ***

    MJPS/SR

    (Release ID: 2114206) Visitor Counter : 55

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: KEEL LAYING OF SECOND AND THIRD NEXT GENERATION OFFSHORE PATROL VESSELS (YARD 1281 AND 1282)

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 23 MAR 2025 7:13PM by PIB Delhi

    Keel Laying ceremony of the second and third Next Generation Offshore Patrol Vessels (NGOPV), to be constructed by Goa Shipyard Ltd (GSL), was held at M/s Yeoman Marine Services Private Ltd (YMSPL), Ratnagiri on 23 Mar 25. The contracts for indigenous design and construction of 11 NGOPV were concluded on 30 Mar 23 between Ministry of Defence and GSL, Goa and M/s Garden Reach Shipbuilders and Engineers (GRSE), Kolkata, with seven ships to be constructed by Lead Shipyard M/s GSL and four ships by Follow Shipyard M/s GRSE.

    Main hull blocks of Yard 1281 and Yard 1282 are being fabricated at the premises of YMSPL, Ratnagiri as part of GSL’s build strategy. Keel Laying ceremony of both the vessels was held at Ratnagiri with V Adm R Swaminathan, Controller Warship Production & Acquisition as the Chief Guest, in the presence of senior officials from Indian Navy, M/s GSL and M/s YMSPL.

    The NGOPVs with an approximate tonnage of 3000T, are designed for Coastal Defence & Surveillance, Search & Rescue operations, Protection of Offshore Assets and Anti-Piracy missions. Keel Laying of these vessels marks a significant milestone in the overall project timeline. The 11 NGOPVs are being built in consonance with the nation’s vision of ‘Aatmanirbhar Bharat’ and ‘Make in India’ and are poised to augment the Indian Naval maritime prowess.

    ****

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Union Minister Shri Manohar Lal Reviews Progress of Urban Development on his visit to Odisha

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 23 MAR 2025 5:47PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister for Housing & Urban Affairs and Power, Government of India,Shri Manohar Lal reviewed the implementation and progress of key urban development initiatives and infrastructure projects.

    Highlighting the potential of Odisha’s urban centers, the Minister emphasized the need to develop Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Puri, and Khordha as Growth Hubs to drive regional economic development. The focus will be on improving infrastructure, encouraging industrial and commercial growth, and promoting sustainable urbanization through strategic planning and public-private partnerships.

    A major point of discussion was the proposal for developing a new city as part of the Greater Bhubaneswar area. The Hon’ble Minister assured support for the project and advised the State Government to explore funding opportunities under the 15th Finance Commission and the Urban Challenge Fund.

    To promote sustainable urban mobility, the Central Government has approved the deployment of 400 electric buses for Odisha under the Pradhan Mantri e-Bus Sewa Scheme. The Minister also reviewed the proposed Bhubaneswar Metro project and reaffirmed full support from the Ministry of Housing & Urban Affairs to address the city’s growing public transport needs.

    In a key housing initiative, Bhubaneswar served as the launch site for the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (PMAY). The proposal for 50,000 new houses under PMAY-Urban (PMAY-2) was discussed, and the Hon’ble Minister assured continued coordination with the State Government for its expeditious approval.

    The Minister lauded Odisha’s progress under the Atal Mission for Rejuvenation and Urban Transformation (AMRUT), particularly in achieving milestones such as the 24×7 water supply project currently underway in 18 cities.

    Under the Swachh Bharat Mission 2.0, the state has shown commendable improvements in sanitation and waste management. The Hon’ble Minister directed the State to prioritize clearing legacy waste sites to reclaim land and create greener urban spaces.

    Further, the Hon’ble Minister emphasized intensified implementation of the PM Street Vendor’s AtmaNirbhar Nidhi (PM SVANidhi) scheme, urging the State Government to ensure wider outreach and faster credit access for street vendors across Odisha.

    The visit reflects the Centre’s commitment to strengthening urban development and improving the quality of life for citizens through close cooperation with State Governments.

    ****

    SK

    (Release ID: 2114183) Visitor Counter : 21

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 2-week residential programme trains senior and mid-level election officials from Bhutan in election administration

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 23 MAR 2025 5:16PM by PIB Delhi

    The 2-week residential capacity development programme on election administration for 40 senior and mid-level officers from Bhutan concluded on the 21st of March 2025 at IIIDEM, New Delhi. The Hon’ble Election Commissioner of Bhutan also participated in the programme. The programme was held from the 10th to the 21st of March 2025.

    Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar along with ECs Dr. Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Dr. Vivek Joshi met the Election Commissioner of Bhutan Mr. Ugyen Chewang during his call on at ECI on the 18th of March 2025. A valedictory session was held on the 21st of March at IIIDEM. DEC Shri Ajeet Kumar in his opening address, reiterated India’s commitment to deepening electoral cooperation and capacity-building engagements with Bhutan. Former CEC Shri T.S. Krishnamurthy also shared his insights on the robust institutional credibility developed by the ECI over decades.

    The valedictory session concluded with a vote of thanks from EC of Bhutan, Mr. Ugyen Chewang, followed by the distribution of certificates to all participants. The interactive, case-study based training programme covered key aspects of election management, aimed at enhancing electoral management capabilities, sharing international best practices, and fostering stronger institutional cooperation between India and Bhutan.

    Based on the request of the EC of Bhutan, a two-night visit to Rewalsar, Mandi, Himachal Pradesh was organised from the 15th to 17th March 2025, a revered site associated with Guru Padmasambhava, who introduced Buddhism to Bhutan. The Bhutan EC also planted a Ficus Religiosa (Peepal tree) sapling on campus signifying the mutual values of peace, sustainability, and spiritual wisdom that both nations share on the 19th of March.

    Regular training programs and visits characterise ECI’s engagement with Bhutan.

    ******

    PK/RP

    (Release ID: 2114179) Visitor Counter : 30

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –