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  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Baldwin Releases Statement on Bipartisan Bill to Fund Labor, Health, and Education Departments for Fiscal Year 2026

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Ranking Member of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services, released the following statement after the full committee advanced her Fiscal Year 2026 funding legislation to the Senate floor. In addition to funding critical programs that the Trump Administration has tried to cut or withhold funding from – including Head Start, the National Institutes of Health, and Job Corps – the bipartisan bill takes further steps to mandate the timely delivery of Congressionally approved funding and adequate staffing levels at federal agencies to carry out the mission of these programs.

    “At the end of the day, my North Star is delivering for the people of Wisconsin. While no one got everything they wanted in this bill, I’m proud to say we found common ground and are doing just that to address the challenges facing working families across the country. From investing in cancer and Alzheimer’s research, to protecting the Department of Education and early education funding, to strengthening my 988 Suicide Lifeline, we came together to deliver for our constituents,” said Senator Baldwin. “This bill not only puts Donald Trump’s budget in the trash, it also reins in this President’s efforts to dismantle and withhold funding for critical programs our constituents rely on. This bill takes on the kitchen table issues families face by addressing childcare costs, connecting more Americans with good-paying jobs, and taking on the mental health and opioid epidemics. While it is not perfect, I look forward to getting it over the finish line on behalf of Wisconsinites who want to see a Washington that works for them.”

    As Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Labor, Health, and Human Services, Senator Baldwin writes the bill that funds the Departments of Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education. A summary of the bill is available below.

    Key Points & Highlights – Department of Health and Human Services

    Department of Health and Human Services (HHS): The bill provides $116.6 billion, an increase of $446 million in discretionary funding for the Department of Health and Human Services over fiscal year 2025.

    The bill rejects the Trump administration’s harmful efforts to defund and dismantle critical work that HHS oversees—maintaining important funding for programs across HHS that touch the lives of nearly every American, while providing targeted increases to important bipartisan priorities. The bill includes new requirements to help ensure adequate staffing and the timely awarding of funding to prevent completely unnecessary delays and disruptions in programs that families and communities across the country count on—from child care and Head Start to substance use and mental health—and that support lifesaving research into cures and treatments for devastating diseases.

    Biomedical Research: The bill provides $48.7 billion in discretionary funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH)—an increase of $400 million to propel lifesaving and life-changing cures and treatments across NIH’s 27 institutes and centers and the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H).

    The bill rejects the catastrophic 40% cut to NIH proposed by President Trump, and instead of slashing funding for biomedical research, includes a:

    • $150 million increase for cancer research;
    • $100 million increase for Alzheimer’s disease research;
    • $30 million increase for the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases;
    • $30 million increase for the Office of Research on Women’s Health;
    • $25 million increase for ALS research, fully funding the $100 million as authorized by the ACT for ALS Act of 2021;
    • $20 million increase for the IMPROVE Initiative for research on maternal mortality;
    • $12 million increase for BRAIN Initiative research;
    • $10 million increase for diabetes research;
    • $10 million increase for rare disease research;
    • $9 million increase for the Undiagnosed Diseases Network; and a
    • $5 million to implement the National Parkinson’s Project.

    The bill also rejects the Trump administration’s proposal—and illegal efforts—to cap indirect cost rates at 15%, which would devastate biomedical research, and continues a longstanding provision that prohibits NIH from implementing such a cap. The bill also rejects the Trump administration’s misguided elimination of programs across NIH by maintaining funding for HIV vaccine research, training programs that support the next generation of researchers, and the Safe to Sleep campaign, among others.

    The bill also includes, as part of a manager’s amendment, a new provision that would prevent implementation of the Office of Management and Budget’s misguided policy for NIH to fund significantly more of its multi-year research grants in one lump sum. This poorly thought-out new policy would significantly cut the number of research grants NIH awards this year and next year—according to NIH’s own estimate, by 40% in fiscal year 2025, reducing the percentage of cancer research grants it will award from 13% to 7%, and Alzheimer’s disease grants from 18% to 6%. OMB’s attempt this week to explicitly and illegally withhold billions in funding and halt all remaining NIH research grants through the rest of the year makes its intentions crystal clear. More needs to be done to protect NIH research programs, but the provision included in this bill is an important step in preventing the Trump administration from decimating the biomedical research enterprise Congress has built in a bipartisan manner over decades, which has long been the envy of the world and drives medical innovation that has saved millions of lives.

    The bill also includes a new authority for NIH to address loopholes in sexual harassment reporting and strengthen accountability by requiring institutions to complete investigations into concerns about harassment, bullying, retaliation, or hostile working conditions, even if the alleged perpetrator leaves their current position and is no longer employed by the institution. It provides the NIH Director the authority to decline the transfer of an award to a different institution, helping to close the “pass-the-harasser” loophole. It also provides the NIH Director the authority to share investigation reports on an as-needed basis with any institution that receives NIH funding.

    Child Care and Early Learning Programs: The bill includes $8.8 billion for the Child Care and Development Block Grant (CCDBG)—an $85 million increase over fiscal year 2025; and $12.4 billion for Head Start, an $85 million increase. Much more needs to be done to address our broken child care system and ensure every working family can find and afford child care, which is critical for businesses and our economy too—but sustained annual increases in these programs are critical in the meantime. The bill also sustains funding for Preschool Development Grants, which President Trump proposed eliminating in his budget request.

    Addressing Substance Use Disorders and Mental Health: The bill sustains funding to address the rising toll of opioid overdoses fueled by fentanyl, maintain access to substance use disorder prevention and treatment, and improve access to mental health services.

    The bill rejects President Trump’s proposed cuts to SAMHSA programs and maintains SAMHSA as its own, independent agency to ensure substance use and mental health remain a priority at HHS. The bill includes targeted increases to SAMHSA programs, including $2.0 billion, a $20 million increase over fiscal year 2025, for the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant; $1.6 billion for State Opioid Response grants, a $20 million increase; and $145 million for the Rural Communities Opioid Response Program.

    It protects key investments in mental health programs by sustaining funding for the Mental Health Block Grant, Project AWARE, Mental Health Awareness Training, and the National Childhood Traumatic Stress Network. The bill also provides $535 million, a $15 million increase over fiscal year 2025, for the 988 Suicide Prevention Lifeline, to address continued increases in demand as 988 has been stood up over the last several years, and it restores dedicated funding for the LGBTQ+ youth specialized services line that President Trump eliminated this summer.

    Additionally, it includes approximately $180 million in investments within the Department of Education to address the shortage of school-based mental health professionals and services in our nation’s K-12 schools.

    Essential Health Care Programs: The bill protects investments in health care access and affordability and the health care workforce—maintaining investments in core programs, including $1.86 billion for Community Health Centers and $128.6 million for the National Health Service Corps. The United States Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) is fully funded, and the bill affirms support for the mission and scientific integrity of the task force. The bill also includes a $9.3 million increase in rural health programs to boost recruitment of health care providers to practice in rural areas and support rural hospitals.

    Importantly, the bill provides a $5 million increase in funding for the Organ Procurement and Transplantation Network (OPTN) Modernization Initiative to strengthen and reform the nation’s organ donation and transplant system. There are more than 100,000 individuals on the organ transplant waitlist, and this initiative, which began during the Biden administration, will allow the OPTN to better serve patients and families and strengthen accountability.

    Public Health: The bill rejects the approximately $4 billion—or 50%—cut to CDC programs proposed by President Trump’s budget request. CDC helps keep Americans safe and healthy by protecting against diseases and supporting states and local communities as they do the same. It also rejects the Trump administration’s haphazard proposal to dismantle CDC, which risks Americans’ health and safety, and requires HHS to support staffing levels to carry out the CDC’s programs.

    The bill also helps support state and local health departments by sustaining critical programs across the CDC, including funding for chronic diseases, the Office of Smoking and Health, injury prevention programs (including firearm injury and mortality research), global health programs, and immunization and infectious disease prevention programs.

    HIV/AIDS: The bill includes $613 million for the Ending the HIV Epidemic Initiative, which provides high-need jurisdictions with prevention and treatment services for people at high risk for HIV transmission. This includes $220 million within the CDC’s Domestic HIV/AIDS Prevention and Research programs to develop and deploy innovative data management solutions, increase access to PrEP, and better detect and respond to HIV clusters, and $128.9 million for the CDC’s global HIV/AIDS program. The bill also provides full funding for the Ryan White HIV/AIDS program, including dental services and training for health care practitioners, two initiatives that President Trump sought to eliminate in his budget proposal.

    Women’s Health: The bill sustains funding for reproductive health programs, including Title X and the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program, which President Trump eliminated in his budget proposal. The bill also increases investments in maternal health across CDC and NIH with a $53 million increase for programs that aim to address maternal mental health, prevent pregnancy-related deaths, support best practices to improve maternal health outcomes, and invest in women’s health research. The bill also provides funding for a new initiative to support survivors of sexual assault and creates a new menopause initiative within AHRQ to translate research best practices into clinical practice for women. Importantly, the bill includes increases in funding for the Maternal Mental Health Hotline and maternal health safety initiatives through the Alliance for Innovation on Maternal Health program.

    Pandemic Preparedness and Biodefense: The bill includes $3.6 billion for the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR). It sustains funding for the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA); Project Bioshield; the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS); and Industrial Base Management and Supply Chain (IBMSC) activities to help ensure that critical resources in the public health supply chain—including raw materials, medical countermeasures, and ancillary supplies—are manufactured in the United States. It also includes $4 million to support a new program to improve emergency medical services and trauma care during a public health emergency.

    Administration for Community Living: The bill maintains funding for the Administration for Community Living as its own agency within HHS to help support seniors and Americans with disabilities so they can live and participate fully in their communities. This includes providing $1.1 billion for senior nutrition programs and providing targeted increases for family caregiver programs.

    Home Heating and Cooling Assistance: The bill includes $4.045 billion for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), a $20 million increase over fiscal year 2025, to help low-income households heat and cool their homes.

    Key Points & Highlights – Department of Education

    Department of Education: The bill provides $79.0 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Education.

    The bill rejects the Trump administration’s call to eliminate the Department of Education and maintains funding across the Department, including funding for K-12 formula and competitive grant programs, CTE and adult education programs, federal student aid, postsecondary competitive grants, and civil rights enforcement to provide the resources needed to help schools improve educational outcomes for students and protect all students from discrimination.

    The bill includes new requirements that the Department of Education maintain the staff necessary to ensure it carries out its statutory responsibilities, including carrying out programs and activities funded in this bill in a timely manner. The bill also includes new requirements for the Department of Education to make formula grants available to states and districts on time. While this should be unnecessary, this step prevents any administration from withholding key funding for students and creating chaos for states and schools, which distracts educators from helping kids thrive.

    Supporting Elementary and Secondary Education Students: The bill strengthens investments in foundational formula grant programs for elementary and secondary education and in public schools, teachers, and students—rejecting the $4.5 billion cut and the proposed consolidations in President Trump’s budget request for a new $2 billion block grant program.

    The bill boosts funding for Title I-A grants by $50 million above the fiscal year 2025 level to $18.457 billion. More than 80% of the nation’s school districts receive these funds, and nearly 25 million students go to schools receiving Title I funding. The bill also provides $15.224 billion, an increase of $50 million over fiscal year 2025, for all three IDEA Special Education State grant programs and retains each as a separate program. IDEA state grant programs support more than seven million students and children with disabilities and their families who receive IDEA services through these programs. The bill also includes new guardrails to prevent the administration from moving these formula grant programs to other federal agencies and disrupting the efficient and effective use of federal funds intended to improve outcomes for students.

    The bill also continues current investments, except for a few targeted reductions, across a range of other important formula and competitive grant programs authorized to improve teaching and learning in elementary and secondary schools, rejecting President Trump’s proposed elimination of $1.5 billion in total funding for nine important programs.

    Career and Technical Education (CTE): The bill provides $1.45 billion for CTE grants and $729 million for adult education grants and appropriates such funding to the Department of Education to carry out these programs, rejecting President Trump’s call to eliminate federal support for adult education. The bill includes new provisions requiring both CTE and adult education formula grants to be awarded in a timely way to prevent any administration from withholding these critical funds.

    Higher Education: The bill provides a total maximum Pell Grant award of $7,395 for the 2026-2027 award year, rejecting President Trump’s proposal to cut the Pell grant by over $1000. This coming school year, Pell Grants are expected to help over 7 million students at all stages of life pursue postsecondary education and further their careers. The bill also rejects President Trump’s proposals to eliminate a range of postsecondary education programs.

    Instead, the bill sustains funding for Federal Work Study and the Federal Supplemental Educational Opportunity Grant that provide additional need-based aid to students to help them afford postsecondary education. The bill also includes $65 million for the Teacher Quality Partnership program and $15 million for the Hawkins Centers of Excellence to help educator preparation programs address educator shortages. It also continues other investments available to recruit, develop, and retain an effective and diverse teacher and school leader workforce, including $90 million for the Supporting Effective Educator Development program.

    The bill sustains funding for TRIO at $1.191 billion; $388 million for GEAR UP; $75 million for the Child Care Access Means Parents in School Program (CCAMPIS); a $10 million for the Basic Needs Program; and $40 million for the Postsecondary Student Success Grant Program to help students prepare for and succeed in post-secondary education. The bill also sustains funding for Title III and V programs that support HBCUs, MSIs, Tribal colleges, and other institutions. President Trump had proposed to eliminate CCAMPIS, TRIO, GEAR UP, International Education, the Basic Needs Program, and the Postsecondary Student Success Grant, among other programs in his budget request.

    The bill also sustains funding for the administration of student aid programs. This funding supports a wide range of activities, including: implementing the FAFSA; disbursing student aid; ensuring services are available to student loan borrowers; implementing more affordable repayment plans; and fixing longstanding issues in student loan forgiveness programs. Finally, the bill includes important requirements to help Congress conduct oversight over the new higher education provisions contained in the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

    Protecting Students from Discrimination: The bill rejects President Trump’s proposed cut of $49 million, or one-third of the total budget, for the Office for Civil Rights. Instead, the bill maintains the current budget level of $140 million and requires the Department to support the staffing levels necessary for OCR to fulfill its statutory responsibilities.

    Advancing Education Research, Statistics, and Assessments: The bill maintains current funding of $793 million for the Institute of Education Sciences for all programs and activities of IES funded in fiscal year 2024, rejecting the massive reduction of $532 million or 67% proposed in President Trump’s budget request. The Trump administration’s significant workforce reductions and program delays at IES this year have caused it to fail to meet statutory requirements. The bill requires the Department to support staffing levels necessary for IES and the National Center for Education Statistics to fulfill their statutory responsibilities.

    Key Points & Highlights – Department of Labor

    Department of Labor (DOL): The bill includes $13.7 billion in discretionary funding for the Department of Labor. The bill rejects the harmful cuts proposed by the Trump administration, including the administration’s proposal to block grant our nation’s workforce training programs.

    Workforce Development: The bill includes $2.9 billion for Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act (WIOA) formula grants, protecting essential investments made in recent years. It includes a new directive requiring DOL to award such funds in a timely manner. It provides $285 million for Registered Apprenticeships and $105 million for YouthBuild. The bill also rejects President Trump’s call to eliminate Job Corps and instead provides $1.76 billion for Job Corps. Rejecting President Trump’s proposed cuts for many of these programs and continuing funding for these key workforce development programs will help grow the economy, provide workers with the skills they need to secure good-paying jobs of the future, and help American businesses compete globally.

    Worker Protection: The bill rejects drastic reductions proposed in President Trump’s request and sustains key investments in DOL’s worker protection agencies charged with enforcing requirements for employers to pay workers what they earn and provide safe and healthy workplaces. The bill maintains $191 million in funding for the Employee Benefits Security Administration, which is responsible for, among other things, ensuring private sector employment-based group health plans comply with mental health and substance use disorder parity requirements. The bill also maintains $260 million for Wage and Hour Division to support the Division’s work to recover wages workers are owed and to combat exploitative child labor. Last year, the Division secured more than $273 million in back wages collected and damages for nearly 152,000 workers nationwide.

    The bill also provides $111 million, $41 million more than President Trump’s budget request, for the Bureau of International Labor Affairs to enforce labor provisions of free trade agreements and trade preference programs and combat international child labor and forced labor. Finally, the bill rejects the proposed elimination of the Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs and Women’s Bureau, providing $106 million and $23 million, respectively.

    Key Points & Highlights – Related Agencies

    Social Security Administration (SSA): The bill includes $15.0 billion for SSA’s administrative expenses—an increase of $594 million over fiscal year 2025. This is $100 million more than President Trump’s budget request to help address staffing challenges and improve service to the public. The Trump administration has single-handedly created completely unnecessary chaos at SSA that has weakened Americans’ ability to get the benefits they are owed—and it has continually misled the public with easily disproven claims about widespread fraud. Instead of admitting to its lie, SSA has doubled down and pursued poorly planned and implemented policy changes. The American public and the beneficiaries SSA serves have paid the price, with unacceptable wait times to access the benefits and services Americans deserve, and that they have literally earned through a lifetime of work. Instead of chasing conspiracy theories, the administration should focus on actually improving services and addressing service delivery challenges impacting Americans across the country. The resources in this bill will help SSA do just that.

    AmeriCorps: The bill rejects President Trump’s elimination of AmeriCorps and sustains funding for all of AmeriCorps’ grant programs by providing a total of $1.25 billion to the Corporation for National and Community Service (CNCS) to administer these programs. This bill also includes new provisions requiring any administration to award AmeriCorps state formula funding in a timely way and includes new requirements to ensure CNCS will award competitive grants in a timely fashion, too. The bill will support AmeriCorps members serving in communities across the country and working to address pressing challenges, including responding to natural disasters, assisting in schools, supporting our veterans, promoting economic opportunity, and conserving and protecting the environment.

    Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB): As a result of Congressional Republicans’ approval of the Rescissions Act of 2025—the first ever partisan rescissions bill signed into law—no funds are provided in the bill for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the more than 1,500 locally owned public TV and radio stations nationwide that have, for over 50 years, been supported by CPB funds and infrastructure investments. Republicans’ devastating rescissions bill will particularly hurt 120 stations that rely on CPB for more than 25% of their revenue, who are now scrambling to find new sources of support or significantly reduce programming or close in the coming months.

    Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS): The bill continues to invest $295 million in the nation’s libraries and museums through programs of the Institute of Museum and Library Services and requires IMLS to fund specified programs and activities at amounts identified in the Committee report.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Pfluger Holds Town Hall in Mertzon

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11)

    Rep. Pfluger Holds Town Hall in Mertzon

    Mertzon, Texas, July 31, 2025

    MERTZON, TX—Congressman August Pfluger (TX-11) hosted a community town hall in Mertzon to recognize a local good news story, give an update on the 119th Congress, and take questions from those in attendance.

    During the town hall, Congressman Pfluger recognized the 2025 Senior Rifle Team – consisting of Daniel Crutchfield, James Crutchfield, Arely Reyes, and Payton Rose – who recently placed 9thout of 28 teams at the State 4-H Shooting Sports Match in Victoria, Texas. The 4-H Rifle Team is one of the largest 4-H programs in Irion County, and this was a huge accomplishment for their school.

    “It was an honor to be in Mertzon and recognize Irion County High School’s 2025 Senior Rifle Team for their outstanding achievements at the State 4-H Shooting Sports Match. Our students are the future of America, and it was great having these young and bright individuals represented at the town hall,” said Rep. Pfluger. “Hosting town halls across Texas-11 will always be a top priority of mine because hearing directly from the hardworking men and women who call this district home is essential to my work. Thank you to everyone who came out to listen, ask questions, and provide feedback on how I can better represent you and your families in Congress.”

    Photos from the town hall available for broadcast and distribution can be found HERE, and a few highlighted below.

    Rep. Pfluger pictured with Senior Rifle Team members Daniel Crutchfield, James Crutchfield, Arely Reyes, and Payton Rose

    Rep. Pfluger pictured with members of Irion County High School’s Rifle Team

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: UPDATE: Charges – Aggravated assault – Moulden

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Investigators from Strike Force Lyra have now charged a 28-year-old male in relation to an aggravated assault that occurred in Moulden on Wednesday morning.

    He was served with two domestic violence orders and charged with Reckless endangering serious harm-aggravated, Aggravated assault, and Going armed in public.

    He will appear in Darwin Local Court today. 

    If you or someone you know are experiencing difficulties due to domestic violence, support services are available, including, but not limited to, 1800RESPECT (1800737732) or Lifeline 131 114.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: MRF-D assists with urgent lifesaving support to the Philippines

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    At the request of the government of the Philippines, U.S. Marines with the Marine Rotational Force – Darwin (MRF-D) 25.3 Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) are working alongside the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to provide urgent lifesaving support to communities affected by typhoons, tropical storms, and the Southwest Monsoon. The forward presence and ready posture of United States Indo-Pacific Command (USINDOPACOM) in the region facilitates rapid and effective response to crisis, demonstrating the U.S.’s commitment to allies and partners during times of need.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chen wins 4th world title as Popovici completes sprint double

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

    China’s Chen Yuxi captured her fourth world title in the women’s 10-meter platform, while Romania’s David Popovici delivered a historic swim in the men’s 100-meter freestyle at the World Aquatics Championships on Thursday.

    Chen, who led both the preliminary and semifinal rounds, secured gold with a score of 430.50 points. Germany’s Pauline Alexandra Pfeif earned silver with 367.10 points, while 15-year-old Chinese diver Xie Peiling took bronze with 358.20 in her world championships debut.

    Chen Yuxi of China kisses the medal after the awarding ceremony for the women’s 10m platform final of diving at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, July 31, 2025. (Xinhua/Luo Yuan)

    “Every world championship holds a special place in my memory,” Chen said. “This time, under physical strain and the challenge of maintaining form, I was still able to deliver a 430-point performance. I’m very satisfied.”

    Chinese swimmers added two bronze medals on the fifth day of competition. In the women’s 50-meter backstroke final, Wan Letian finished third in 27.30 seconds, behind American swimmers Katharine Berkoff and Regan Smith, who claimed gold and silver, respectively.

    “I’ve overcome a mental hurdle,” Wan said. “I wasn’t very confident before, but standing on the podium at an international event has given me courage and helped me identify areas for improvement. I hope to go further in future competitions.”

    In the women’s 4×200-meter freestyle relay final, the Chinese team of Liu Yaxin, Yang Peiqi, Yu Yiting and Li Bingjie finished third behind Australia and the United States. Li, who previously won silver in the 200m and 400m freestyle, anchored the final leg.

    “This was my first time swimming the anchor leg,” Li said. “My teammates swam really well, so I just wanted to fight for the best possible result.”

    The men’s 100-meter freestyle final was one of the most anticipated races of the day. Popovici clocked a blistering 46.51 seconds, setting a new championship record and securing gold. Jack Alexy of the United States took silver, and Australia’s Kyle Chalmers earned bronze.

    Popovici’s time is the second-fastest ever in the event, just behind the world record of 46.40 seconds set by China’s Pan Zhanle at the Paris Olympics.

    “I’d give myself a 10 tonight,” Popovici said. “I’m not the kind of person who usually says something is perfect, but I think today really was.”

    In the men’s 200-meter individual medley final, France’s Leon Marchand, who broke the world record in the semifinals, won gold in 1:53.68. Shaine Casas of the U.S. took silver, and Hungary’s Hubert Kos earned bronze. China’s Wang Shun, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic champion, finished seventh.

    Reflecting on his eighth appearance at the world championships since 2011, Wang noted the rise in competition. “Especially at this edition, you can feel the level has risen a lot – perhaps because everyone refocused after the Olympics.”

    Canada’s Summer McIntosh set a new championship record in the women’s 200-meter butterfly, winning gold in 2:01.99. Regan Smith of the U.S. and Australia’s Elizabeth Dekkers rounded out the podium. China’s Yu Zidi narrowly missed a medal, finishing fourth.

    In semifinal action, Qin Haiyang advanced to the men’s 200-meter breaststroke final with the eighth-fastest time. Teammate Dong Zhihao finished 15th and did not advance. In the women’s 100-meter freestyle, Cheng Yujie qualified for the final with the fifth-fastest time; Wu Qingfeng placed 15th. In the women’s 200-meter breaststroke, Lyu Qinyao finished 10th and did not move on. Yu Jingming did not advance from the men’s 200-meter backstroke heats.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The royal commission recommended abolishing time limits on abuse cases – a year on, nothing has changed

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zoë Prebble, Lecturer in Criminal Law, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington

    Getty Images

    Among the 138 recommendations of the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry’s final report to parliament was a clear call: remove the legal time limits that prevent survivors of historic abuse from seeking justice in civil court.

    That report – Whanaketia – Through pain and trauma, from darkness to light – was published on July 24 last year. One year on, the government has yet to act.

    Without that reform, survivors of historic abuse remain vulnerable to being turned away by the legal system – not because their experiences aren’t credible, but because the law still treats them as being out of time.

    The royal commission heard from thousands of survivors of childhood abuse in the care of state and faith-based institutions between 1950 and 1999. What stood out was how often that harm was made worse by silence, disbelief and legal systems that failed to respond.

    Limitation periods in abuse cases

    Under New Zealand law, people generally have six years from the time a harm occurs to bring a civil claim. That limit is set out in the Limitation Act 2010 for events after 2011, and in the Limitation Act 1950 for events before that.

    For survivors of historic abuse, particularly childhood abuse, that six-year window rarely reflects how trauma actually works. Survivors often take decades to feel sufficiently safe and supported to come forward and name what happened to them.

    The 1950 law allowed limitation periods to be paused if a claimant was under a “disability” – a legal term meaning they were either a child or, in the language of the time, of “unsound mind”. In practice, this meant the six-year clock usually didn’t start for children until they reached adulthood.

    The 2010 law clarified this by explicitly saying the limitation period for children begins at 18. It also introduced a new “incapacitated” exception, allowing the clock to pause for adults who are unable to make decisions or take legal action because of trauma or other conditions.

    But in practice it’s a narrow doorway. Courts require survivors to prove not just trauma, but a high legal incapacity threshold.

    This means that even when the abuse is acknowledged, and even when survivors have strong evidence, civil cases are often barred. The bar is not that the harm didn’t happen, but that it happened “too long ago”.

    How civil time limits deny justice

    In 2019, former Air Force servicewoman Mariya Taylor brought a civil claim against the sergeant who had sexually abused her in the 1980s while both were stationed at the Whenuapai base.

    The court accepted the abuse had occurred. But because Taylor was not legally considered “disabled” by trauma, and the six-year window had closed, her case was struck out under the Limitation Act 1950. Adding insult to injury, she was ordered to pay costs to her abuser.

    At 18, Taylor had entered a rigid military hierarchy where power and discipline made reporting abuse nearly impossible.

    Her case shows how limitation periods can block even well-evidenced claims, and how institutional dynamics such as silence, shame and obedience often delay disclosure.

    These same patterns were pivotal to the royal commission’s findings.

    Australia is ahead of NZ

    Australia has taken a markedly different approach. In line with the final report of its own Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in 2017, every state and territory removed civil limitation periods for survivors of childhood abuse.

    Survivors can now bring civil claims regardless of how long ago the abuse occurred. In landmark case in 2023, GLJ v. The Trustees of the Roman Catholic Church for the Diocese of Lismore, the High Court of Australia rejected a request to shut down proceedings even though the alleged abuser and other witnesses had died. The court said the case could still go ahead using available evidence.

    The GLJ decision is important for New Zealand courts. It shows that while removing time bars doesn’t guarantee victory for survivors, it does give them the chance to be heard.

    Delayed but not denied

    Removing time limits for civil claims involving historic abuse, as the royal commission recommended, is now overdue.

    A first step would be for the government to clearly commit to amending the Limitation Act 2010 to exclude claims of historic abuse – especially child sexual abuse – from the six-year deadline.

    This would bring New Zealand into line with Australia and recognise what we now know about the delayed nature of disclosure, trauma and institutional silence. It would also honour the spirit of the royal commission’s work.

    As courts and commissions have recognised, removing limitation periods doesn’t guarantee a win for survivors. But it does mean they’re at least allowed to try.

    For years, survivors have been told they’ve spoken too late. Reforming limitation laws won’t undo the harm they suffered. But it will show their testimony matters, and that justice delayed does not have to mean justice denied.

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

    – ref. The royal commission recommended abolishing time limits on abuse cases – a year on, nothing has changed – https://theconversation.com/the-royal-commission-recommended-abolishing-time-limits-on-abuse-cases-a-year-on-nothing-has-changed-261831

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI: The Ether Machine Marks Ethereum’s 10th Birthday with Major ETH Treasury Purchase

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, NY, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Ether Machine, the ether generation company, announced yesterday that The Ether Reserve LLC has purchased nearly 15,000 ETH at $3,809.97 USD for a total of $56,900,000.01 USD as part of The Ether Machine’s long-term accumulation strategy. This brings total ETH purchased and committed to 334,757 with up to $407,000,000 of USD remaining for additional ETH purchases.

    Timed to coincide with Ethereum’s 10-year anniversary, the purchase marks the beginning of The Ether Machine’s treasury deployment, and reflects a deep conviction in ETH as the most important asset of the decentralized internet and its mission to build a long-term, institutional-grade ETH treasury.

    “We couldn’t imagine a better way to commemorate Ethereum’s 10th birthday than by deepening our commitment to ether,” said Andrew Keys, Chairman and Co-Founder of The Ether Machine. “We are just getting started. Our mandate is to accumulate, compound, and support ETH for the long term – not just as a financial asset, but as the backbone of a new internet economy.”

    The purchase was made by The Ether Reserve LLC from part of the $97 million in cash proceeds from its previously announced private placement. The Ether Reserve LLC will purchase additional ether from the remaining proceeds in the coming days, which will be announced separately.

    In parallel with the accumulation announcement, Keys also made a personal donation of $100,000 to the Protocol Guild, a community-led funding initiative supporting Ethereum’s core protocol contributors. The Protocol Guild is widely recognized as one of the most effective models for open-source sustainability in Web3, having distributed millions of dollars to over 150 long-term researchers, developers, and maintainers responsible for Ethereum’s base layer.

    “Ethereum would not exist without the tireless work of its core developers,” said Keys. “This donation is a token of thanks to the stewards of the protocol, and a celebration of everything Ethereum has made possible over the past decade. Happy 10th birthday, Ethereum.”

    ——————

    About The Ether Machine

    Formed through a business combination (to be completed) between The Ether Reserve LLC and Dynamix Corporation, a NASDAQ-listed special purpose acquisition company (the “Business Combination”), pursuant to a definitive business combination agreement (the “Business Combination Agreement”), The Ether Machine is an Ethereum yield and infrastructure company purpose-built for institutional management and scale. Expected to be anchored by one of the largest on-chain ETH positions of any public entity, The Ether Machine will actively generate and optimize ETH-denominated returns through staking, restaking, and secure, professionally risk-managed DeFi participation. The Ether Machine also expects to provide turnkey infrastructure solutions for enterprises, DAOs, and Ethereum-native builders seeking access to Ethereum’s consensus and blockspace economy. To learn more, please visit www.ethermachine.com.

    About Protocol Guild

    Protocol Guild is a community-led funding mechanism that supports the long-term contributors maintaining Ethereum’s core protocol. Through an eligibility framework, member registry, and onchain contracts, the Guild allocates funding transparently and over time to those advancing Ethereum’s layer 1. It operates independently of governance decisions and helps ensure the protocol’s most critical work is sustainably supported as a public good. To learn, please visit www.protocolguild.org.

    About Dynamix Corporation

    Dynamix Corporation (“DYNX”) is a special purpose acquisition company incorporated under the laws of Cayman Islands for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. DYNX is led by the following seasoned investors and industry executives: Andrea “Andrejka” Bernatova, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, Nader Daylami, Chief Financial Officer, Philip Rajan, Vice President of M&A and Strategy and board members, Lynn A. Peterson, Diaco Aviki and Tyler Crabtree. Additionally, Ralph Alexander, Joe Gatto, Peter Gross, Jimmy Henderson, Tommy Stone, and Steve Webster served as Advisors to DYNX. DYNX maintains a corporate website at https://dynamix-corp.com.

    Media Contact:
    press@ethermachine.com

    Additional Information and Where to Find It

    DYNX and The Ether Machine, Inc. (“Pubco”) intend to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a Registration Statement on Form S-4 (the “Registration Statement”), which will include a preliminary proxy statement of DYNX and a prospectus of Pubco (the “Proxy Statement/Prospectus”) in connection with the Business Combination and the other transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement and/or described in this communication (together with the Business Combination and the private placement investments, the “Proposed Transactions”). The definitive proxy statement and other relevant documents will be mailed to shareholders of DYNX as of a record date to be established for voting on the Business Combination and other matters as described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus. DYNX and/or Pubco will also file other documents regarding the Proposed Transactions with the SEC. This communication does not contain all of the information that should be considered concerning the Proposed Transactions and is not intended to form the basis of any investment decision or any other decision in respect of the Proposed Transactions. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION, SHAREHOLDERS OF DYNX AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES ARE URGED TO READ, WHEN AVAILABLE, THE PRELIMINARY PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, AND AMENDMENTS THERETO, AND THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND ALL OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR THAT WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH DYNX’S SOLICITATION OF PROXIES FOR THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING OF ITS SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD TO APPROVE THE PROPOSED TRANSACTIONS AND OTHER MATTERS AS DESCRIBED IN THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS BECAUSE THESE DOCUMENTS WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT DYNX, THE COMPANY, PUBCO AND THE PROPOSED TRANSACTIONS. Investors and security holders will also be able to obtain copies of the Registration Statement and the Proxy Statement/Prospectus and all other documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC by DYNX and Pubco, without charge, once available, on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or by directing a request to: Dynamix Corp, 1980 Post Oak Blvd., Suite 100, PMB 6373, Houston, TX 77056; e-mail: info@regen.io, or to: The Ether Machine, Inc., 2093 Philadelphia Pike #2640, Claymont, DE 19703, e-mail: dm@etherreserve.com.

    NEITHER THE SEC NOR ANY STATE SECURITIES REGULATORY AGENCY HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE PROPOSED TRANSACTIONS DESCRIBED HEREIN, PASSED UPON THE MERITS OR FAIRNESS OF THE BUSINESS COMBINATION OR ANY RELATED TRANSACTIONS OR PASSED UPON THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE DISCLOSURE IN THIS COMMUNICATION. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY CONSTITUTES A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

    The Pubco Class A Stock to be issued by Pubco and the class A units issued and to be issued by The Ether Reserve LLC (the “Company”), in each case, in connection with the Proposed Transactions, have not been registered under the Securities Act and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

    Participants in the Solicitation

    DYNX, Pubco, the Company and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed under SEC rules to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from DYNX’s shareholders in connection with the Business Combination. A list of the names of such directors and executive officers, and information regarding their interests in the Business Combination and their ownership of DYNX’s securities are, or will be, contained in DYNX’s filings with the SEC. Additional information regarding the interests of the persons who may, under SEC rules, be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies of DYNX’s shareholders in connection with the Business Combination, including the names and interests of the Company and Pubco’s directors and executive officers, will be set forth in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus, which is expected to be filed by DYNX and Pubco with the SEC. Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of these documents as described above.

    No Offer or Solicitation

    This communication is for informational purposes only and is not a proxy statement or solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the Proposed Transactions and shall not constitute an offer to sell or exchange, or a solicitation of an offer to buy or exchange the securities of DYNX, the Company or Pubco, or any commodity or instrument or related derivative, nor shall there be any sale of any such securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, sale or exchange would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act or an exemption therefrom. Investors should consult with their counsel as to the applicable requirements for a purchaser to avail itself of any exemption under the Securities Act.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This communication contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws with respect to the Proposed Transactions and the parties thereto, including expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions, plans, prospects, results or strategies regarding Pubco, the Company, DYNX and the Proposed Transactions and statements regarding the anticipated benefits and timing of completion of the Proposed Transactions, business plans and investment strategies of Pubco, the Company and DYNX, expected use of the cash proceeds of the Proposed Transactions, the Company’s ability to stake and leverage capital markets and other staking operations and participation in restaking, the amount of capital expected to be received in the Proposed Transactions, the assets held by Pubco, Ether’s position as the most productive digital asset, plans to increase yield to investors, any expected growth or opportunities associated with Ether, Pubco’s listing on an applicable securities exchange and the timing of such listing, expectations of Ether to perform as a superior treasury asset, the upside potential and opportunity for investors resulting from any Proposed Transactions, any proposed transaction structures and offering terms and the Company’s and Pubco’s plans for Ether adoption, value creation, investor benefits and strategic advantages. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “potential,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions.

    These are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including regulatory review, Ethereum protocol developments, market dynamics, the risk that the Proposed Transactions may not be completed in a timely manner or at all, failure for any condition to closing of the Business Combination to be met, the risk that the Business Combination may not be completed by DYNX’s business combination deadline, the failure by the parties to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the Business Combination, including the approval of DYNX’s shareholders, or the private placement investments, costs related to the Proposed Transactions and as a result of becoming a public company, failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the Proposed Transactions, the level of redemptions of DYNX’s public shareholders which may reduce the public float of, reduce the liquidity of the trading market of, and/or maintain the quotation, listing, or trading of the Class A shares of DYNX or the shares of Pubco Class A Stock, the lack of a third-party fairness opinion in determining whether or not to pursue the Business Combination, the failure of Pubco to obtain or maintain the listing of its securities any stock exchange on which Pubco Class A Stock will be listed after closing of the Business Combination, changes in business, market, financial, political and regulatory conditions, risks relating to Pubco’s anticipated operations and business, including the highly volatile nature of the price of Ether, the risk that Pubco’s stock price will be highly correlated to the price of Ether and the price of Ether may decrease between the signing of the definitive documents for the Proposed Transactions and the closing of the Proposed Transactions or at any time after the closing of the Proposed Transactions, risks related to increased competition in the industries in which Pubco will operate, risks relating to significant legal, commercial, regulatory and technical uncertainty regarding Ether, risks relating to the treatment of crypto assets for U.S. and foreign tax purposes, challenges in implementing its business plan including Ether-related financial and advisory services, due to operational challenges, significant competition and regulation, being considered to be a “shell company” by any stock exchange on which the Pubco Class A Stock will be listed or by the SEC, which may impact the ability to list Pubco’s Class A Stock and restrict reliance on certain rules or forms in connection with the offering, sale or resale of securities, the outcome of any potential legal proceedings that may be instituted against the Company, DYNX, Pubco or others following announcement of the Business Combination and those risk factors discussed in documents of the Company, Pubco, or DYNX filed, or to be filed, with the SEC. The foregoing list of risk factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of the final prospectus of DYNX dated as of November 20, 2024 and filed by DYNX with the SEC on November 21, 2024, DYNX’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, DYNX’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 20, 2025 and the registration statement on Form S-4 and proxy statement/prospectus that will be filed by Pubco and DYNX, and other documents filed by DYNX and Pubco from time to time with the SEC, as well as the list of risk factors included herein. These filings do or will identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known or that are currently deemed immaterial may also cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward- looking statements, and none of the parties or any of their representatives assumes any obligation and do not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, each of which are made only as of the date of this communication.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Searching for a lethal needle in a haystack: traces of highly potent synthetic opioids found in used syringes

    Source:

    01 August 2025

    A class of synthetic opioids that are up to 1000 times more potent than morphine have been found in used syringes across metropolitan Adelaide, sparking fears of a wave of overdoses that could be lethal.

    In the first study of its kind in South Australia, University of South Australia researchers have detected traces of nitazene in samples of discarded injecting equipment, plastic bags, vials and filters from public disposal bins at local needle and syringe program sites.

    Their findings are published today (Friday 1 August) in the Drug & Alcohol Review.

    Using highly sensitive chemical analysis, researchers identified nitazenes in 5% of 300 samples, mainly in combination with heroin and mostly found in syringes.

    Nitazenes led to 32 overdose deaths in Australia between 2020 and 2024, with 84% of patients unaware the synthetic opioid was present in the drug they consumed. It is increasingly hidden in illicit drugs such as fentanyl and heroin, posing extreme overdose risks, often with fatal consequences.

    “Nitazenes are among the most potent synthetic opioids in circulation today, some stronger than fentanyl, which is 50 times more potent than heroin,” according to lead researcher UniSA Associate Professor Cobus Gerber.

    “These substances can be lethal in tiny quantities and are often mixed with other drugs, making them incredibly difficult to detect and monitor through traditional means,” he says.

    Several different nitazenes were identified, some of them combined with the non-opioid veterinary sedative xylazine, which is not approved for human use.

    “This is particularly alarming,” says Assoc Prof Gerber, “as xylazine has been linked to severe adverse effects, including necrotic skin lesions, prolonged sedation and depression.

    “Finding xylazine alongside nitazenes in the same samples is a worrying sign because it mirrors what we are seeing overseas, especially in the United States, where these drug combinations are contributing to a wave of overdose deaths and complex clinical presentations.”

    Less than one in five nitazene-related emergency cases in Australia involved people who knowingly took the drug, with most people mistakenly believing they consumed heroin, methamphetamine or other familiar substances.

    “Accidental exposure is a key risk,” says co-author UniSA researcher Dr Emma Keller.

    “When drugs are contaminated with nitazenes, the margin for error narrows dramatically. Standard doses can become fatal, especially for people who don’t know what their product contains or who don’t carry naloxone, a medication that can rapidly reverse the effects of an opioid overdose.”

    The detection of these substances in South Australia comes amid growing calls for expanded drug-checking services, including the use of nitazene-specific drug strips and public health alerts.

    Associate Prof Gerber says that chemical testing of used drug paraphernalia is a non-invasive, effective way to identify emerging threats in the drug supply.

    “This kind of data can trigger rapid alerts to health agencies, treatment services and peer networks, allowing people who use drugs to make more informed choices.”

    Wastewater analysis is also used to detect illicit drugs in the community, but due to the sporadic nature of drug use, other monitoring approaches like chemical testing are necessary.

    Drug and Alcohol Services South Australia, who co-authored the study, has shared the findings with community advisory groups, healthcare providers and the state’s early warning system network.

    ‘Searching for a Needle in a Haystack: Chemical Analysis Reveals Nitazenes Found in Drug Paraphernalia Residues’ in published in Drug and Alcohol Review. DOI: 10.1111/dar.70010

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

    Researcher contacts: Associate Professor Cobus Gerber M: +61 423 496 066
    E: cobus.gerber@unisa.edu.au; Dr Emma Pedler M: +61 424 950 030 E: emma.pedler@unisa.edu.au
    Media contact: Candy Gibson M: +61 434 605 142 E: candy.gibson@unisa.edu.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Our Poppies the pick of the bunch

    Source:

    01 August 2025

    UniSA’s Dr Sarah Boyle and Dr Ben Singh, recipients of SA’s 2025 Young Tall Poppy Awards

    Six researchers from the University of Adelaide and University of South Australia have been named as this year’s South Australian Young Tall Poppies, with their expertise in chrono-nutrition, climate science, marine ecology and precision measurement garnering this prestigious recognition.

    The Young Tall Poppy science awards are an initiative of the Australian Institute of Policy and Science (AIPS) and have been established to celebrate researchers who combine cutting-edge science with a passion for engaging and inspiring others.

    “I am thrilled to see such a strong showing from both the University of Adelaide and University of South Australia,” said Professor Anton Middelberg, Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Research) at the University of Adelaide and Deputy Vice Chancellor Research & Innovation at Adelaide University.

    “These are six bright young minds who are leading their fields and improving so many aspects of our society through their work. It is exciting to have their combined talent included in the inaugural cohort for Adelaide University, which opens in 2026.”

    The University of Adelaide and University of South Australia researchers honoured in the South Australian 2025 Young Tall Poppy Science Awards comprise:

    Dr Sarah Boyle is an ARC DECRA Research Fellow at UniSA’s Centre for Cancer Biology, leading the Cancer Matrix and Mechanics Group within the Tumour Microenvironment Laboratory. Her research investigates how cancer cells hijack non-cancerous cells in their vicinity, and how physical stress in the tumour’s ecosystem promotes metastasis and recurrence. By identifying the mechanisms involved, she is paving the way for new treatments and improved patient outcomes.

    Dr Georgina Falster is a DECRA Fellow from the University of Adelaide’s School of Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences, whose research focuses on climate science. She is interested in local and global water cycles from monthly to multi-centennial time scales, and is looking into how Australian droughts are changing and using water isotopes to track dynamic variability in the water cycle.

    Dr Amy Hutchison is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Adelaide’s Robinson Research Institute and Adelaide Medical School, and based within SAHMRI’s Lifelong Health Theme. Her research explores how modified meal patterns, such as intermittent fasting and time-restricted feeding, can improve blood glucose control and cardiovascular risk – a field known as chrono-nutrition.

    Dr Sarah Scholten, from the University of Adelaide’s School of Physics, Chemistry and Earth Sciences, researches how the unique properties of light can be harnessed to break the boundaries of precision measurement. Dr Scholten is part of a team that has developed a compact high-stability clock that outperforms GPS navigation systems and could be more reliable for use as a timing signal in defence applications.

    Dr Ben Singh, from UniSA’s Allied Health and Human Performance Academic Unit, researches physical inactivity and why so many people remain physically inactive despite knowing the benefit of exercise. His research is focused on developing practical, evidence-based tools to help people move more in their daily lives. From tailored exercise programs to mobile apps and wearable devices, he explores how to keep people active and support them to live healthier lives.

    Dr Nina Wootton, a marine ecologist from the University of Adelaide’s School of Biological Sciences, has an interest in the impacts of plastic pollution on marine environments. Dr Wootton’s research has involved quantifying the amount of plastic and microplastic found in seafood species globally, analysing the potential effects of plastic on seafood species and fisheries, and working with the seafood industry to help develop solutions to this growing plastic problem.

    South Australia’s overarching Young Tall Poppy of the Year will be announced on Friday, 8 August. For more information on the Tall Poppy Awards, visit the website.

    Media contacts

    Johnny von Einem, Senior Media Officer, University of Adelaide. Phone: +61 0481 688 436, Email: johnny.voneinem@adelaide.edu.au
    Annabel Mansfield, Senior Media Advisor, University of Adelaide. Phone: +61 479 182 489. Email: Annabel.Mansfield@unisa.edu.au

    Other articles you may be interested in

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Electricity industry on notice as more households invest in subsidised batteries and solar

    Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

    The ACCC is warning battery and solar suppliers and electricity retailers their sales practices must meet scrutiny as demand for home batteries and solar systems jumps due to subsidy schemes and the large savings that households on solar and battery plans are experiencing.

    The ACCC’s latest Electricity Inquiry Report examines emerging markets for new electricity services, particularly those supported by solar and battery systems, and compares the electricity bills of solar and battery customers with the bills of regular customers who draw only from the grid.

    The report found that the Australian Government’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program is making batteries more affordable and providing more households an opportunity to lower their electricity bills. To ensure that consumers receive the full benefit of the Program, the ACCC is warning that retailers and installers must act in the consumer’s interest.

    “As more Australian households switch to battery and solar plans, it’s important that the deals on offer are fair, accurate and easy to understand,” ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey said.

    “The ACCC will be watching carefully and actively monitoring consumer complaints. We will hold solar and battery installers, retailers and suppliers accountable to ensure they comply with Australia’s consumer laws.”

    “Consumers looking to take advantage of the new subsidies for solar home batteries to lower their energy bills, should take their time and not feel pressured to rush in straight away,” Ms Brakey said.

    The report emphasises the complexity of investing in a solar and home battery system and the need for consumers to understand whether the benefits they receive outweigh the costs, particularly when choosing system sizes.

    The report supports calls for additional consumer protections to safeguard consumers purchasing systems and signing up to new energy services like virtual power plants. It also supports calls for an overarching consumer duty that requires energy companies to act in the interests of consumers.

    “We believe additional consumer protections are needed as more Australians participate in markets for new and emerging energy services,” Ms Brakey said.

    “We advise consumers to read the Australian Government’s Solar Consumer Guide, compare a number of quotes from different providers, and ask for personalised information from solar and battery sellers about the appropriate size for their system and the projected cost savings.”

    Solar and battery customers see biggest bill savings

    Australian households with rooftop solar and a home battery have electricity bills that are on average 40 per cent less than customers whose electricity comes entirely from the grid (regular users), the report found.

    The report presents new analysis of the 2023 to 2024 billing outcomes of customers that have adopted different renewable energy solutions and compares them to regular users.

    The median annual residential electricity bill for regular users, without rebates, in the National Electricity Market in 2023 to 2024 was $1,565. The median household with rooftop solar paid about 18 per cent less ($1,279 per year), while a household with solar and a home battery paid about 40 per cent less ($936).

    Residential customers who are connected to a virtual power plant, which is an energy sharing network of solar and batteries, paid about 63 per cent less ($580) than the median household.

    “Home solar and batteries continue to be a compelling option for Australians who can afford the upfront cost, with those who are connected to a virtual power plant saving up to almost $1000 off their annual bill,” ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey said.

    Median bills paid by regular, solar, battery and virtual power plant customers, by region, quarter 3 of 2023 to quarter 3 of 2024.

    Government rebates bring down power bills by 21 per cent

    The report also shows that government rebates resulted in the median quarterly household power bill dropping by 21 per cent between the third quarter 2023 and third quarter 2024.

    Without rebates, the median quarterly bill would have instead risen by 4 per cent.

    “The sharpest decline across the National Electricity Market was in South East Queensland, where rebates exceeded the median bill amount,” Ms Brakey said.

    Background

    The National Electricity Market is comprised of South East Queensland, New South Wales (including the ACT), Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia. Western Australia and the Northern Territory are not connected to the National Electricity Market.

    To inform this report, we collected billing data from 8 retailers, which cover 97 per cent of residential customers and 90 per cent of small business customers in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and South East Queensland. We obtained additional data for customers on virtual power plant services, electric vehicle tariffs and behavioural demand response plans.

    In 2018, the Australian Government directed the ACCC to hold an inquiry into the prices, profits and margins in relation to the supply of electricity in the National Electricity Market (which covers NSW, Victoria, South East Queensland and South Australia). On 23 March 2025, the Australian Government announced a 12-month extension to the inquiry.

    This is the 13th time the ACCC has reported as part of this inquiry.

    The report is available on the ACCC’s website at Electricity market monitoring 2018-2025.

    The ACCC is required to report at least every 6 months. The next report is scheduled for December 2025.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Tax time 2025 update – 29 July

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    Welcome and governance

    The ATO Co-chair welcomed members and ATO attendees to the Tax Practitioner Stewardship Group (TPSG) Tax Time 2025 meeting.

    ATO Updates

    Frontline Services

    It’s been a busy start to the week and so far this tax time we’ve received 3.6 million individual lodgments. Overall, this is a 3% decrease compared to last year. Lodgment numbers for self-preparers have decreased 2%, whilst agent lodged returns are down 6%.

    We’ve received on average around 22,000 calls from agents each week, totalling 89,000. This is 11% down from this time last year.

    Around 21.2 million (or 95%) of Single Touch Payroll (STP) records have been finalised. This is similar to the same time last year.

    Member comments

    A member queried why so many tax agents are calling when they have access to the Online services for agents (OSFA) portal. We advised there could be several drivers for the calls. The key calls we are receiving from agents are primarily regarding payment negotiations and GST. Overall agent calls are on the decline, and this may be attributed to the reduction in calls regarding compromised accounts.

    A member advised the refund requests and Pay As You Go (PAYG) registrations functionality in OSFA has disappeared, which may also be a reason that agents are calling. We agreed to investigate this further.

    IT system updates & maintenance

    Overall, we’ve had good stability, and performance across systems throughout tax time, with a maintenance release successfully deployed over the weekend.

    It was however noted, that at around 8:30am AEST on 29 July 2025, we saw degradation across all online services that required authentication to access. Other services not requiring authentication remained stable. The issue was resolved around 11am AEST.

    Member comments

    A member advised access manager was still having problems and there were also some linking issues. We confirmed both access manager and ABR were having some intermittent issues and our teams were monitoring and addressing the degradation.

    ATO Digital services

    We noted that digital services are operating as intended and there is nothing to report.

    ATO Communications

    We released a statement in the media centre addressing the Four Corners report that aired on 28 July.

    The bill before Parliament to cut student debt by 20% this is not yet law (as at 29 July 2025). We advised that no action is required and there will be communications in the next couple of weeks encouraging agents to lodge as normal. We advised if the law passes, the reduction will be backdated to the student debt balance the individual had on 1 June 2025.

    Assistant Commissioner Sarah Vawser is presenting a Tax Time 2025 segment at next Tuesday’s TPB ‘tax time tips’External Link webinar.

    We’ve issued a taxpayer alert on GST Fraud, with a particular focus on some property and construction industries making false claims. Tax professionals can assist by reporting of any instances they become aware of to the ATO.

    Member comments

    A member queried if there were concerns that the Four Corners story will be seen as a ‘how to’ guide and whether we are expecting an increase in fraudulent claims as a result. We advised there have been a number of changes to strengthen the system since Operation Protego and we’re closely monitoring the situation.

    A member queried whether the communications to agents regarding the bill before Parliament to cut student debt, will be shared with the Content and Communications Working Group first. We advised until the legislation passes, no action can be taken, as this bill belongs to the Department of Education – however we will consider this suggestion.

    Member Insights and Experience

    Member comments

    A member advised that from a tax clinics point of view, they’re receiving a large amount of contact from individuals and small businesses experiencing financial difficulty. The tax clinics are analysing their data from the past 7 years regarding contact received, and what was required to assist. With over 10,000 applications during this time, they believe the data may assist the ATO to provide future educational pieces for vulnerable taxpayers. We advised we would be interested in the findings from their analysis.

    A member raised concerns around a communication issuing through myGov for first time PAYG Instalment receivers. Taxpayers receiving this message do not know what it means, the content seems to be missing the mark, and there is no call to action. We advised we will take the review of this communication as an action item.

    A member noted the Tax Ombudsman has released a report on letters issued by the ATO and agreed with the report, that too often the ATO is writing from a revenue authority focus without providing content the audience can clearly understand. We agreed with and will be implementing the Tax Ombudsman’s recommendations.

    Members agreed to shift the meetings to fortnightly. The next meeting will be Tuesday 12 August.

    Useful links

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Economic Reform Roundtable agenda

    Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

    Today we are releasing the agenda for the government’s Economic Reform Roundtable.

    This is all about bringing people together and building consensus around the big challenges and opportunities in our economy.

    The Roundtable agenda released today reflects the government’s agenda for long term economic reform, with a focus on resilience, productivity and budget sustainability.

    It’s a packed schedule.

    From competition to capital attraction, AI to approvals, innovation to better regulation – there’s a lot to cover.

    Each day will be divided into three sessions, and the core group of 23 attendees will participate in all sessions over the 3 days. More invitations will soon be issued for participants to attend specific sessions.

    This is a targeted agenda that has been deliberately designed to give us the best possible chance of building consensus on the direction of economic reform.

    Economic Reform Roundtable agenda:

    Day 1 – Resilience

    Presentation – Some perspectives on productivity trends by RBA Governor Michele Bullock

    Session 1 – International risks, opportunities and trade

    Session 2 – Skills attraction, development and mobility

    Session 3 – Capital attraction and business investment

    Day 2 – Productivity

    Presentation – Productivity and reform by Productivity Commission Chair Danielle Wood

    Session 1 – Better regulation and approvals

    Session 2 – Competition and dynamism across the federation

    Session 3 – AI and innovation

    Day 3 – Budget sustainability and tax reform

    Presentation – Role of budget sustainability by Treasury Secretary Jenny Wilkinson PSM

    Session 1 – Efficient and high-quality government services, spending and care

    Presentation – A better tax system by Grattan Institute CEO Dr Aruna Sathanapally

    Session 2 – A better tax system

    The full Economic Reform Roundtable agenda can be found on the Treasury website.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Protecting homeowners from dodgy builders and tradespeople

    Source: Australian Capital Territory Policing

    Consumer Affairs Victoria is continuing to crack down on dodgy builders and tradies to protect Victorians from getting ripped off.  

    Our latest legal action is against Austin Bongart, 27, of Ballan. Bongart traded as Aussie’s Concrete and Fencing Solutions when he allegedly committed building work-related offences between April 2022 and January 2024. 

    Consumer Affairs Victoria alleges he:  

    • accepted excessive deposits 
    • failed to provide the agreed services within a reasonable time  
    • entered into a major domestic building contract while unregistered, and 
    • failed to provide an information statement to a customer as required. 

    Bongart advertised his services online. He was investigated after consumers made complaints that Bongart had taken up-front payments from them – often for several thousand dollars – for fencing or concreting. They reported he never returned to start the work or only started minimal work and failed to finish the job. 

    Bongart is due to face the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court for a committal mention on 4 August 2025. 

    This prosecution – under the Australian Consumer Law and the Domestic Building Contracts Act 1995 – follows action we’ve taken for poor conduct on other residential renovations and builds: 

    • Unregistered builder Mark (Najy) Rayes was recently convicted and fined for taking more than $100,000 in payments from customers for services he did not provide. 
    • The director of a ‘tiny home’ kit business entered a plea of guilty last November to charges of accepting $1.3 million in payments from customers, without supplying any products. 

    Builders must be registered with the Building and Plumbing Commission to do building works valued at over $10,000.  

    Electricians and plumbers must also be licensed or registered while people doing plastering, painting, tiling or fencing do not need a registration.  

    Consumer Affairs Victoria advises Victorians looking to hire a tradie to: 

    • get more than one written quote 
    • ask friends and family for references 
    • research the business before going ahead.  

    Be wary of anyone pressuring you to sign up and hand over a large deposit. 

    Visit the Building and Plumbing Commission website to find a registered builder. 

    Learn more about planning a renovation or build.  

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Rockabye baby: the ‘love songs’ of lonely leopard seals resemble human nursery rhymes

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Lucinda Chambers, PhD Candidate in Marine Bioacoustics, UNSW Sydney

    CassandraSm/Shutterstock

    Late in the evening, the Antarctic sky flushes pink. The male leopard seal wakes and slips from the ice into the water. There, he’ll spend the night singing underwater amongst the floating ice floes.

    For the next two months he sings every night. He will sing so loudly, the ice around him vibrates. Each song is a sequence of trills and hoots, performed in a particular pattern.

    In a world first, we analysed leopard seal songs and found the predictability of their patterns was remarkably similar to the nursery rhymes humans sing.

    We think this is a deliberate strategy. While leopard seals are solitary animals, the males need their call to carry clearly across vast stretches of icy ocean, to woo a mate.

    Solitary leopard seals want their call to carry.
    Ozge Elif Kizil/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

    A season of underwater solos

    Leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) are named after their spotted coats. They live on ice and surrounding waters in Antarctica.

    Leopard seals are especially vocal during breeding season, which lasts from late October to early January. A female leopard seal sings for a few hours on the days she is in heat. But the males are the real showstoppers.

    Each night, the males perform underwater solos for up to 13 hours. They dive into the sea, singing underwater for about two minutes before returning to the water’s surface to breathe and rest. This demanding routine continues for weeks.

    A male leopard seal weighs about 320 kilograms, but produces surprisingly high-pitched trills, similar to those of a tiny cricket.

    Within a leopard seal population, the sounds themselves don’t vary much in pitch or duration. But the order and pattern in which the sounds are produced varies considerably between individuals.

    Our research examined these individual songs. We compared them to that of other vocal animals, and to human music.

    Listening to songs from the sea

    The data used in the study was collected by one author of this article, Tracey Rogers, in the 1990s.

    Rogers rode her quad bike across the Antarctic ice to the edge of the sea and marked 26 individual male seals with dye as they slept. Then she returned to record their songs at night.

    The new research involved analysing these recordings, to better understand their structure and patterns. We did this by measuring the “entropy” of their sequences. Entropy measures how predictable or random a sequence is.

    We found the songs are composed of five key “notes” or call types. Listen to each one below.

    A low double trill.
    Tracey Rogers UNSW Sydney, CC BY-SA28.5 KB (download)

    A hoot with low single trill.
    Tracey Rogers UNSW Sydney, CC BY-SA53.8 KB (download)

    High double trill.
    Tracey Rogers UNSW Sydney, CC BY-SA29.7 KB (download)

    Low descending single trill.
    Tracey Rogers UNSW Sydney, CC BY-SA49 KB (download)

    Medium single trill.
    Tracey Rogers UNSW Sydney, CC BY-SA22.7 KB (download)

    A remarkably predictable pattern

    We then compared the songs of the male leopard seals with several styles of human music: baroque, classical, romantic and contemporary, as well as songs by The Beatles and nursery rhymes.

    What stood out was the similarity between the predictability of human nursery rhymes and leopard seal calls. Nursery rhymes are simple, repetitive and easy to remember — and that’s what we heard in the leopard seal songs.

    The range of “entropy” was similar to the 39 nursery rhymes from the Golden Song Book, a collection of words and sheet music for classic children’s songs, which was first published in 1945. It includes classics such:

    • Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
    • Frère Jacques
    • Ring Around a Rosy
    • Baa, Baa, Black Sheep
    • Humpty Dumpty
    • Three Blind Mice
    • Rockabye Baby.

    For humans, the predictable structure of a nursery rhyme melody helps make it simple enough for a child to learn. For a leopard seal, this predictability may enable the individual to learn its song and keep singing it over multiple days. This consistency is important, because changes in pitch or frequency can create miscommunication.

    Like sperm whales, leopard seals may also use song to set themselves apart from others and signal their fitness to reproduce. The greater structure in the songs helps ensure listeners accurately receive the message and identify who is singing.

    Male leopard seals produce high-pitched cricket-like trills.

    An evolving song?

    Leopard seals sound very different to humans. But our research shows the complexity and structure of their songs is remarkably similar to our own nursery rhymes.

    Communication through song is a very common animal behaviour. However, structure and predictability in mammal song has only been studied in a handful of species. We know very little about what drives it.

    Understanding animal communication is important. It can improve conservation efforts and animal welfare, and provide important information about animal cognition and evolution.

    Technology has advanced rapidly since our recordings were made in the 1990s. In future, we hope to revisit Antarctica to record and study further, to better understand if new call types have emerged, and if patterns of leopard seal song evolve from generation to generation.

    Tracey Rogers receives funding from ARC.

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

    – ref. Rockabye baby: the ‘love songs’ of lonely leopard seals resemble human nursery rhymes – https://theconversation.com/rockabye-baby-the-love-songs-of-lonely-leopard-seals-resemble-human-nursery-rhymes-262113

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: A Hawaiian epic made in NZ: why Jason Momoa’s Chief of War wasn’t filmed in its star’s homeland

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Duncan Caillard, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Communication Studies, Auckland University of Technology

    Jason Momoa’s historical epic Chief of War, launching August 1 on Apple TV+, is a triumph of Hawaiians telling their own stories – despite the fact their film and TV production industry now struggles to be viable.

    The series stars Momoa (Aquaman, Game of Thrones) as Kaʻaina, an ali’i (chief) who fights for – and later rises against – King Kamehameha I during the bloody reunification of Hawaii.

    Already receiving advance praise, the nine-episode first season co-stars New Zealand actors Temeura Morrison, Cliff Curtis and Luciane Buchanan, alongside Hawaiian actors Kaina Makua, Brandon Finn and Moses Goods.

    A passion project for Momoa, the Hawaiian star co-created the series with writer Thomas Pa’a Sibbett after years in development. With a reported budget of US$340 million, it is one of the most expensive television series ever produced.

    It is also a milestone in Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) representation onscreen. Controversially, however, the production only spent a month in Hawaiʻi, and was mostly shot in New Zealand with non-Hawaiian crews.

    Momoa has even expressed an interest in New Zealand citizenship, but the choice of location is more a reflection of the troubled state of the film industry in Hawaiʻi. On the other hand, it is a measure of the success of the New Zealand screen industry, with potential lessons for other countries in the Pacific.

    Ea o Moʻolelo – story sovereignty

    Set at the turn of the 19th century, Chief of War tells the moʻolelo (story, history) of King Kamehameha I’s conquest of the archipelago.

    Hawaiʻi was historically governed by aliʻi nui (high chiefs), and each island was ruled independently. Motivated by the threat of European colonisation and empowered by Western weaponry, Kamehameha established the Hawaiian Kingdom, culminating in full unification in 1810.

    The series is an important example of what authors Dean Hamer and Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu have called “Ea o Moʻolelo”, or story sovereignty, which emphasises Indigenous peoples’ right to control their own narrative by respecting the “the inalienable right of a story to its own unique contents, style and purpose”.

    Chief of War is also the biggest Hawaiian television series ever produced. Although Hawaiʻi remains a popular setting onscreen, these productions have rarely involved Hawaiians in key decision-making roles.

    Sea of troubles

    The series hits screens at a time of major disruption in Hollywood, with streaming services upending established business models.

    “Linear” network television faces declining viewership and advertising revenue. Movie studios struggle to draw audiences to theatres. The consequences for workers in the the industry have been severe, as the 2023 writers strike showed.

    Those changes have had a catastrophic impact on the Hawaiʻi film industry, too.

    Long a popular location – Hawaii Five-O (1968-1980, 2010-2020), Magnum P.I. (1980-1988, 2018-2024) and Lost (2004-2010) were all shot on location in Hawaiʻi – it is an expensive place to film.

    Actors, crew and production equipment often have to be flown in from the continental United States, and producers compete with tourism for costly accommodation.

    Kaina Makua as King Kamehameha and New Zealand actor Luciane Buchanan as Ka’ahumanu in Chief of War.
    Apple TV+

    An industry in transition

    These are not uncommon problems in distant locations, and many governments try to attract screen productions through tax incentives and rebates on portions of the production costs.

    New Zealand, for example, offers a 20-25% rebate for international productions and 40% for local productions. Hawaiʻi offers a 22-27% rebate.

    But this is less than other US states offer, such as Georgia (30%), Louisiana (40%) and New Mexico (40%). Hawaiʻi also has an annual cap of US$50 million on rebates.

    To make things even harder, Hawaiʻi offers only limited support for Indigenous filmmakers. Governments in Australia and New Zealand provide targeted funding and support for Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori filmmakers.

    By contrast, the Hawaiʻi Film Commission doesn’t provide direct grants to local filmmakers or producers (Indigenous or otherwise). Small amounts of government funding have been administered through the Public Broadcasting Service, but this is now in jeopardy after US President Donald Trump recently cut federal funding.

    The Hawaiʻi screen industry faces a perfect storm. For the first time since 2004, film and TV production has ground to a halt. Many workers now doubt the long-term sustainability of their careers.

    Lessons from Aotearoa NZ

    While there are lessons Hawaiʻi legislators and industry leaders could learn from New Zealand’s example, there should also be a measure of caution.

    The Hawaiʻi tax credit system is out of date. But despite industry lobbying, legislation to update it failed to reach the floor of the legislature earlier this year. New tax settings would help make local production viable again.

    Secondly, decades of investment in Māori cinema have seen it become diverse, engaging and creatively accomplished. Hawaiʻi could benefit from greater direct investment in Hawaiian storytelling, respecting its cultural value even if it doesn’t turn a commercial profit.

    On the other hand, New Zealand has a favourable currency exchange rate with the US which can’t be replicated in Hawaiʻi. And New Zealand film production workers have seen their rights to unionise watered down compared to their American peers.

    But if Hawaiʻi can get its settings right, a possible second season of Chief of War may yet be filmed there, which could mark a genuine rejuvenation of its own film industry.

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

    – ref. A Hawaiian epic made in NZ: why Jason Momoa’s Chief of War wasn’t filmed in its star’s homeland – https://theconversation.com/a-hawaiian-epic-made-in-nz-why-jason-momoas-chief-of-war-wasnt-filmed-in-its-stars-homeland-261742

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: How can I tell if I am lonely? What are some of the signs?

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Marlee Bower, Senior Research Fellow, Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney

    gremlin/Getty Images

    Without even realising it, your world sometimes gradually gets smaller: less walking, fewer days in the office, cancelling on friends. Watching plans disintegrate on the chat as friends struggle to settle on a date or place for a catch-up.

    You might start to feel a bit flat or disconnected. Subtle changes in habit and mood take hold. Could you be … lonely?

    It’s not a label many of us identify with easily, especially if you know you’ve got friends, or are in a happy relationship.

    But loneliness can happen to us all from time to time – and identifying it is the first step to fixing it.

    So, what is loneliness?

    Loneliness is the distress we feel when our relationships don’t meet our needs – in quality or quantity.

    It’s not the same as being objectively alone (otherwise known as “social isolation”).

    You can feel deeply lonely even while surrounded by friends, or totally content on your own.

    Loneliness is subjective; many people don’t realise they’re lonely until the feeling becomes persistent.

    What are some of the signs to look for?

    You may feel a physical coldness, emptiness or hollowness (I’ve heard it described as feeling like you are missing an organ). Some research shows social pain is experienced similarly in the brain to physical pain.

    Behavioural signs may include:

    • changes in routine
    • trouble getting to sleep or staying asleep
    • changed appetite (maybe you’re eating more or less than you normally would, or have less variety in your diet)
    • withdrawing from plans you would usually enjoy (perhaps you’re skipping a regular exercise class, or going to shows or sports events less often).

    Emotionally, you may feel:

    • a persistent sadness
    • tired
    • disconnected
    • like you don’t belong, even when you are with others.

    You may also feel more sensitive to rejection or criticism.

    Sometimes, your world shrinks so gradually you barely notice it – until things get quite bad.
    francescoch/Getty Images

    But you’re not alone and you’re not broken.

    Loneliness is a normal response to disconnection.

    The late US neuroscientist John Cacioppo described loneliness as an evolutionary alarm system.

    In the past, being separated from your tribe meant danger and risk from predators, so our brains developed a way to push us back towards connection.

    The pain of loneliness is designed to keep us connected and safe.

    Why is it often hard to recognise loneliness?

    Sadly, there’s still a lot of stigma around admitting loneliness, especially for men.

    Many people resist identifying as lonely, or feel this marks them as a “loser”.

    But this silence can make the problem worse.

    When no one talks about it, it becomes harder to break the cycle of loneliness, and the stigma remains.

    While passing loneliness is normal, chronic or persistent loneliness can hurt our health.

    Research shows chronic loneliness is associated with:

    • depression
    • anxiety
    • weakened immunity
    • heart disease
    • earlier death.

    Loneliness can also become self-reinforcing. When loneliness feels normal, it can start to shape how you see the world: you expect rejection, withdraw more and the cycle deepens.

    The earlier you notice you’re lonely, the easier it is to break.

    But I’m in a relationship, have loads of friends and a rewarding job

    Yes, but you can still be lonely.

    Most of us need different kinds of relationships to thrive. It’s not about how many people you know, but whether you feel connected and have a meaningful role in these relationships.

    You may feel lonely even with strong friendships if you are lacking deeper connection, shared identity or a sense of community.

    This doesn’t mean you’re ungrateful, or a bad friend.

    It just means you need more or different kinds of connection.

    OK, I’ve realised I am lonely. Now what?

    Start by asking yourself: what kind of connection am I missing?

    Is it one-to-one friendships? A partner? Casual social interactions? A shared purpose or community?

    Then reflect on what’s helped you feel more connected in the past. For some, it’s joining a choir, a book club or a sports group. For others, it may be volunteering or just saying “yes” to small social moments, like chatting with your local barista or learning the name of the local butcher.

    If you’re still struggling, a psychologist can help with tailored strategies for building connection.

    The structural causes of loneliness

    It’s also important to remember loneliness is often not because of personal failings or overall mental health.

    My own research shows loneliness is often shaped by structural factors, such as poor planning in our local neighbourhood environments, financial inequality, work pressures, social norms, or even long-term effects of restrictions from the COVID pandemic.

    We are also learning more about how climate change can disrupt social connection and worsen loneliness due to, for example, higher temperatures or bushfires.

    Loneliness is normal, common, human and completely solvable.

    Start by noticing it in yourself and reach out if you can.

    Let’s start talking about it more, so others can feel less alone too.

    Marlee Bower receives funding from the Henry Halloran Urban and Regional Research Initiative, the BHP Foundation, AHURI and NHMRC. She is affiliated with the University of Sydney Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use and Australia’s Mental Health Think Tank.

    – ref. How can I tell if I am lonely? What are some of the signs? – https://theconversation.com/how-can-i-tell-if-i-am-lonely-what-are-some-of-the-signs-261262

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Friday essay: libertarian tech titan Peter Thiel helped make JD Vance. The Republican kingmaker’s influence is growing

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Luke Munn, Research Fellow, Digital Cultures & Societies, The University of Queensland

    The money is easy to trace. Scroll back through tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel’s political donations and you’ll soon hit US$15 million worth of transfers sent to Protect Ohio Values, JD Vance’s campaign fund. The donations, made in 2022, are a staggering contribution to an individual senate race, and helped put Vance (Thiel’s former employee at tech fund Mithril Capital) on a winning trajectory.

    But if money matters, so do ideas. Scroll back through Vance’s speeches, and you’ll hear echoes of Thiel’s voice. The decline of US elites (and by extension, the nation) is supposedly a result of technological stagnation: declining innovation, trivial distractions, broken infrastructure. To make the nation great again, Thiel believes, tech should come first, corporates should be unshackled, and the state should resemble the startup. For Vance, who has now risen to the office of US vice-president, a Thiel talk on these topics at Yale Law was “the most significant moment” of his time there.

    Thiel’s influence on politics is at once financial, technical and ideological. In the New York Times, he was recently described as the “most influential right-wing intellectual of the last 20 years”. And his potent cocktail of networks, money, strategy and support exerts a rightward force on the political landscape. It establishes a powerful pattern for up-and-coming figures to follow.

    To “hedge fund investor” and “tech entrepreneur”, Thiel has recently added a new label: Republican kingmaker.

    Who is Peter Thiel?

    Thiel was born in Germany but grew up in the United States, with a childhood sojourn in apartheid South Africa. Max Chafkin’s critical but balanced biography, The Contrarian, claims Thiel was bullied growing up and protected himself by becoming resolutely “disdainful”. He studied philosophy and then law at Stanford, where he founded The Stanford Review, a libertarian–conservative student paper that signalled his early interest in controversial politics and culture wars.

    While difficult to pin down precisely, Thiel’s Christianity shapes his belief in a declining or even apocalyptic world that can only be countered with unapologetic interventions and technological innovations. God helps those who help themselves – but could always use additional help from ambitious tech elites.

    In 1998, Thiel cofounded his first tech company, Confinity, which launched its flagship product PayPal in 1999 and merged with Elon Musk’s X.com in 2000. In 2002, eBay bought PayPal for $1.5 billion and Thiel became a multimillionaire. He invested in several startups, including Facebook, and established his hedge fund, Clarium, and his venture capital firm, Founders Fund.

    In their own ways, each of these developments is a response to Thiel’s thesis that the world is stuck. In his 2011 essay The End of the Future, he decries the “soft totalitarianism of political correctness in media and academia” and the “sordid world” of entertainment. The result is “50 years of stagnation” that has transformed humanity “into this more docile kind of a species”.

    Thiel’s answer is more risk, more tech and more ambition. It’s exemplified most clearly by Palantir Technologies, the data analytics firm he cofounded in 2004.

    Palantir has worked closely with US armed forces and intelligence agencies for 14 years. It is currently working closely with the Trump administration to create a “super-database” of combined data from all federal agencies, and building a platform for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) “to track migrant movements in real time”.

    Investing in right-wing politics

    Thiel’s political interventions have ramped up over time. Libertarianism generally takes an arms-length approach to politics in favour of individual freedom and market determination. But even in “purely” financial spaces, politics creeps in.

    Clarium’s macroeconomic approach meant the political landscape had to be factored in: “high-conviction, directional investments based on key drivers of the global economy and fundamental themes underappreciated by the marketplace”.

    If politics, like technology, had stagnated – into a non-choice between similar parties – how could it be “disrupted”? Thiel began making political donations in December 2011, with contributions totalling at least $2.6 million, to the third presidential campaign of Ron Paul, a longstanding conservative congressman in Texas.

    While Paul would ultimately be unsuccessful, Thiel recognised something others had missed. Voters had not been attracted to some idealistic libertarian, as the media portrayed him, but to the old Ron Paul, a neoconservative whose newsletters published in his name in the 1980s and ‘90s suggested 95% of Black men in Washington DC were criminals. (He denied writing them in 2011, calling the statements “terrible”.) His appeal was never “merely” about economic freedom, but about race and class, fear and grievance.

    Donald Trump took this dark undercurrent, a strain that has always underpinned parts of US politics, and ran with it. Dog-whistles were dispensed with in favour of overt claims that most illegal immigrants were rapists, certain Latin American countries were shitholes, women were bitches, and white supremacists were “very fine people”. Trump, noted one article, was “weaponizing the conservative id”.

    In these visions, multiculturalism and progressivism are not just cultural threats, but economic ones. They undermine the ability of company founders to exploit labour, blow past regulations, and obey the brutal logic of the market.

    “A world safe for capitalism is presumably one of monopoly companies and patriarchal networks,” note media scholars Ben Little and Alison Winch in their profile of Thiel. It’s a world “where ‘the multiculture’ has been transformed into racialised domination”.

    Thiel has certainly contributed to the rise of Trump and the new breed of right-wing politicians through his vast wealth. In 2016, Thiel contributed $1.25 million to Trump’s campaign, thinking “he had a 50-50 chance of winning”. This earned him a speaking slot at the Republican convention. But his influence extends beyond mere money.

    Thiel’s endorsement of Trump at the 2016 Republican convention was hugely significant for garnering support. So was his famous declaration there that he was proud to be gay, Republican and American. After Trump won his first term, Thiel continued to be involved. He joined the transition team and recommended aligned individuals for key positions, such as Michael Kratsios, who would become chief technology officer.

    So, Thiel’s support of Trump should be understood as an investment, just like his early investments in PayPal and Facebook. As Chafkin notes, Thiel’s bet on Trump is a wager with high upsides and low risk. Thiel’s outspoken views in favour of “seasteading” (floating independent city-states) and against immigration and women’s emancipation had already alienated the more progressive sectors of Silicon Valley.

    If the bet paid off, Thiel and his empire could benefit handsomely. And this is exactly what has played out. Since Trump has taken office in his second term, Palantir has already netted more than $113 million in federal government spending.

    Palantir: from information to domination

    Palantir’s origin story reflects its blend of technical expertise and political ambition. To combat rising fraud, members of PayPal developed a software tool that could mine vast amounts of transactions and find the connections between them, homing in on a handful of culprits in a deluge of data.

    Thiel was prescient in spinning this core idea from finance to intelligence, where analysts were searching for patterns and anomalies amid the noise – a needle in a haystack. Palantir commercialised and expanded this concept, bringing a leaner, data-driven Silicon Valley approach to a sector dominated by established Washington incumbents.

    Thiel and Palantir chief executive Alex Karp believe Silicon Valley has lost its way, frittering away its vast talents and ingenuity on trivial pursuits: advertising, gaming, social media. For them, the era of ambitious scientific projects and unapologetic military industrial collaborations – the Manhattan Project, the Moon landing — needs to be revived.

    In his book, the Technological Republic, Karp calls for a state that looks more like a startup – lean, technology-driven, and led authoritatively by a founder-like figure who is not afraid to “move fast and break stuff” (the Silicon Valley motto), especially when it comes to dominating enemies and ensuring the safety of a nation’s citizens.

    Palantir, of course, answers this call. It combines machine learning with military spending, data-driven “intelligence” with naked violence. This is most clear in its longstanding collaboration with ICE, which is now carrying out notorious immigration raids at the behest of the Trump administration. “On the factory floor, in the operating room, on the battlefield,” states a recent Palantir recruitment ad placed across US college campuses, “we build to dominate.”

    Palantir’s blueprint has been emulated by a growing array of others. Anduril, Skydio and Shield AI are all founded on developing information technologies for military and intelligence use. Last week, Rune Technologies closed a $24 million Series A round of funding to move warfare logistics away from the “Excel era” and towards AI-augmented tools.

    Answering Karp’s call, these startups are unapologetic in leveraging engineering expertise for more substantial, authoritarian and historically controversial areas.

    Playing the scapegoat

    One of the clearest outlines of Thiel’s political philosophy is laid out in the Straussian Moment, a 30-page essay he published in 2007.

    For Thiel, the spectacular violence of the September 11 terrorist attacks was a wake-up call, rousing the citizenry from that “very long and profitable period of intellectual slumber and amnesia that is so misleadingly called the Enlightenment”.

    Curtis Yarvin.
    David Merfield/Wikipedia, CC BY

    In Thiel’s view, the Enlightenment project – to advance knowledge, cultivate tolerance, and elevate humanity as a whole – rested on a naive understanding of human nature. Like Curtis Yarvin and other influential Silicon Valley political thinkers, he asserts that humanity is brutal and a shift from Enlightenment optimism to Dark Enlightenment pessimism is required.

    It is unsurprising, then, that Thiel looks to René Girard (once called “the new Darwin of the human sciences”) for inspiration; he even organised a symposium at Stanford with Girard in attendance. Girard begins from a bleak view of human nature, a Hobbesian world where life is nasty, brutish and short. For Girard, mimesis or imitation is at the heart of the human. This mirroring quality means violence is always threatening to escalate, to constantly ramp up with no inherent limit.

    To corral this violence, ancient cultures created the scapegoat, a sacrificial system where all-against-all was replaced by all-against-one. Yet the scapegoat is no longer viable – the revelation of Christ is that the scapegoat is an innocent victim.

    Thiel takes Girard’s insights and twists them to his own ends. First, Thiel asserts that even if violence begets more violence, nonviolence is not an option. Enemies must not be allowed to prevail. In the face of uncompromising adversaries, such as the 9/11 attackers, who threaten to dismantle some idealised way of life, preemptively responding to violence is “urgently demanded”.

    Second, Thiel takes the concept of the scapegoat and flips it. In this judo-like manoeuvre, the real victims are not the marginalised or the minority, but the hegemonic class (whites, males, liberals, conservatives), who are being pressured by cancel culture, political correctness, diversity initiatives and so on.

    Shortly after graduating, Thiel coauthored a book, The Diversity Myth, about alleged political intolerance at Stanford. In it, he rails against a rampant multiculturalism that he claims stifles freedom of speech and derails education and entrepreneurialism. Here, scapegoating is weaponised. It’s mobilised toward a conservative advance in the ongoing cultural wars, which are always also political wars.

    Contradiction or evolution?

    Thiel is a walking paradox. He bemoans cancel culture and political correctness, while waging a highly expensive and clearly personal war to bankrupt a media outlet that offended him. (After Gawker printed the “open secret” of Thiel’s gay status in 2007, Thiel funded lawsuits against them until they were shut down.)

    He calls himself a libertarian, but has founded a company that derives millions in contracts from the bloated budgets of the many military agencies (the National Security Agency, the FBI, the US Army) that now comprise the sprawling state.

    He celebrates capitalism and the free hand of the market, but always stresses that the path to business success rests on establishing monopolies with no real competition. He is a German-born immigrant who actively supports technologies (Palantir) and candidates (Trump) that establish xenophobic environments and seek to deport those deemed “other”. And, most personally, he is both a conservative Republican and an openly gay man.

    At a purely logical level, these elements are incompatible. There is a perceived gap between Thiel’s words and actions, a gulf between his ideologies and his activities. For staunch libertarians at Thiel’s companies, his manoeuvrings at the state level make no sense. For queer scholars, Thiel’s exclusionary rather than liberatory politics mean he is a man who has sex with other men, rather than being gay.

    For these critics, both things cannot be true; therefore, some labels, identities and activities are fake, marginal or impossible. Yet one of Thiel’s many lessons is that contradiction is a strength rather than a weakness.

    Thiel’s philosophy, which journalists have called techno-fascism, recalls philosopher Umberto Eco, who described fascism as a “beehive of contradictions” and “a collage of different philosophical and political ideas”. The radical right, in particular, has no problem mashing together many views that at face value should not fit: scavenger ideologies that are opportunistic in grabbing elements that work for them.

    Instead of contradictions, these hybrid forms need to be understood as evolutions. They are tensions, held within the body and the mind of the subject, that push monolithic frameworks like conservatism beyond their existing limits. Thiel’s power – and his political blueprint for others – is insisting you can be a philosophical entrepreneur, an illiberal patriot, and a queer conservative.

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

    – ref. Friday essay: libertarian tech titan Peter Thiel helped make JD Vance. The Republican kingmaker’s influence is growing – https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-libertarian-tech-titan-peter-thiel-helped-make-jd-vance-the-republican-kingmakers-influence-is-growing-261856

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Employment – Are Foodstuffs reneging on agreement to rehire Victoria Park New World staff displaced by fire?

    Source: Workers First Union

    Workers First Union members who worked at Victoria Park New World, which was severely damaged by a fire in mid-June, say that Foodstuffs North Island managers appear to be reneging on their commitment to rehire all supermarket staff who are losing jobs and income as a result of the fire, with final paycheques due on Monday 4 August and around 40% of workers still without job offers.
    Union members say that of the 80 new positions available at New World Point Chevalier, only around half have been filled by staff from New World Victoria Park, with many workers left in the dark and seeming not to have been rehired by other Foodstuffs stores, as was initially suggested to union representatives. The brand-new New World Point Chevalier was due to open in September but was brought forward to 19 August as a result of the fire at Victoria Park.
    One worker from the New World Victoria Park store alleged that in particular, many workers aged 40 or older and those with disabilities and learning difficulties have not yet received offers of employment from Point Chevalier or other Foodstuffs stores in Auckland, while younger workers appeared to have been more likely to be recruited.
    Workers First Union is calling for Foodstuffs North Island – the cooperative comprised of New World and Pak’N’Save stores in the North Island – to prioritise hiring all displaced workers from Victoria Park and live up to their commitments to the union that no worker would lose income as a result of the fire.
    “They coordinate on pricing, stock, advertising and specials – why the hell can’t they coordinate rehiring experienced staff who’ve lost their jobs as a result of a fire?” said Jas Giri, Workers First Organiser.
    “We’re really concerned that the apparent indifference by Foodstuffs store managers in the region means an estimated 40% of Victoria Park workers will be without any income from Monday, when their final paycheques arrive.”
    “It’s unnecessary, disheartening and confusing behaviour from a company that many of these workers have given decades of their lives to and believed they would be looked after by when the worst happened.”
    “There is no defensible reason to leave a group of vulnerable workers without income during a cost-of-living crisis in the middle of winter under an austerity government – it’s Dickensian stuff.”
    Mr Giri said Workers First was urging the Foodstuffs North Island cooperative to “get their act together” and urgently confirm or arrange practicable roles for these workers in nearby New World and Pak’N’Save supermarkets. He said it was particularly difficult for workers to seek comparable roles in Woolworths stores because there was a “de facto” hiring freeze in place at the Australasian chain.
    Lindsay Rowles, Foodstuffs North Island retail and property general manager, told media in July that “it’s been great to see how the co-op pulls together and looks after its own” and that over 100 of the 189 staff who worked at Victoria Park had already been “engaged in employment”.
    One worker, who has worked at New World Victoria Park for more than a decade and has not yet been re-hired at another Foodstuffs store, said there were implications of “ageism” and workers were “in turmoil” ahead of their last paycheque on August 4th.
    “They went to the press, they said they look after their team, they said they’ll make sure everyone has a job, but many of us feel hopeless now with our last pay day coming up on Monday and no job to go into,” said the worker, commenting anonymously for their own protection.
    “I’m happy for the ones who have been rehired, but some of us have worked at Victoria Park for 26 years, since the store opened its doors, and do not have jobs lined up.”
    “We want to work but we don’t know where to go from here. Lots of people are feeling let down after working so many years for a company and being loyal for so long.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Arrest – Indecent assault – Durack

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The NT Police Force has arrested a 32-year-old male in relation to an indecent assault that occurred in Durack this morning.

    Around 7:10am, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received reports that a female had allegedly been indecently assaulted by a male unknown to her while walking through the golf course grounds in Palmerston.

    It is alleged that a male approached the victim and indecently assaulted her before she screamed, and he fled the scene on foot.

    A short time later, Strike Force Trident members located the alleged offender nearby. During the attempted arrest, he allegedly threw a bottle at officers before being taken into custody.

    He remains in police custody with charges expected to follow.

    Police urge anyone with information about the incident to make contact on 131 444, quoting reference number P25204673. Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or via https://crimestoppersnt.com.au/.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Is Australia becoming a more violent country?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samara McPhedran, Principal Research Fellow, Violence Research and Prevention Program, Griffith University

    Almost every day, it seems we read or hear reports another family is grieving the murder of a loved one in a street brawl, another business owner is hospitalised after trying to fend off armed robbers, or shoppers simply going about their business are confronted by knife-wielding thugs.

    The way media and politicians talk, it seems as if we are in the middle of an unprecedented violent crime crisis.

    But are we?

    The short answer is: no.

    Comparing today with the past

    Although the numbers fluctuate from year to year, Australia is less violent today than in previous years.

    It is difficult to make direct comparisons over decades, because the way crimes are defined and recorded changes (especially for assault).

    Weapons and violence are rarely out of the media cycle in Australia, leading many to fear this country is becoming less safe for everyday people. Is that really the case, though? This is the first story in a four-part series.

    For crimes like domestic violence, the statistics are extremely hard to compare over time but even so, prevalence appears to have declined (although only about half of all women who experience physical and/or sexual violence from their partners seek advice or support).

    However, if we consider homicide and robbery (which have been categorised much the same way over time), the numbers have been falling for decades.

    Yes, knives and bladed weapons have been in the news recently, but this does not mean they are being used more often.

    Reliable, long-term statistics are not always available but the ones we have show the use of weapons has declined over time.

    Interestingly, this seems to have nothing to do with the weapons themselves. For instance, armed robbery and unarmed robbery both rise and fall in about the same way, at about the same time. Homicide follows a similar pattern.

    Not all crimes are reported to police but self-reported statistics show the same trends.

    Relative to ten years ago, Australians now are less likely to say they have experienced physical or threatened face-to-face assault in the previous 12 months.

    Places with greater socioeconomic disadvantage typically experience more violence. In Queensland, for instance, Mt Isa has higher violent crime rates than affluent areas of Brisbane.

    Despite differences between places, there is generally less violence than there used to be.

    Why is violence declining?

    Nobody knows quite why violence is decreasing. This is not just happening in Australia but across many developed nations.

    Suggestions include better social welfare, strong economies, improved education, low unemployment, women’s rights and stable governance. Also, new avenues have opened up that carry less risk than violent crime – such as cyberfraud instead of robbing a bank.

    There is no clear, compelling explanation.

    Yet when we consider Australia’s responses when violence does occur, measures such as bans (for example, on machetes), more police powers and more (or longer) prison sentences have become the fallback.

    Evidence shows these types of reactions achieve little, but in an environment of endless “crisis” it is almost impossible to make good decisions. This is made even harder in circumstances where victims and activists push politicians to implement “feel-good” policies, regardless of how ultimately fruitless those will be.

    Who are the people being violent?

    One thing remains the same: violent crime is primarily committed by younger men (who are also likely to be victims).

    Ethnicity and migration are also recurrent themes. Just as young Italians with switchblades were the focus of moral panic in the 1950s and 60s, migrants from places such as Africa and the Middle East are now held up as a danger.

    Ethnicity/migration history data is not always recorded in crime statistics, but the information we do have suggests a more complex picture.

    Factors such as exposure to warfare and civil strife can certainly play a role in people’s use of violence.

    However, unemployment, poverty, poor education and involvement with drugs and/or gangs tend to play a much larger part.

    Reactions versus reality

    If society is less violent, why are public reactions to violence seemingly becoming more intense?

    Incidents that would have received little attention a decade ago now dominate public debate and single incidents – no matter how rare or isolated – are enough to provoke sweeping legislative and policy changes.

    Violence is political currency. The more the spectre of violence is emphasised and exaggerated, the more power people are willing to give to authorities to do something to fix it.

    This is also about psychology: the better things get, the more sensitive people tend to be to whatever ills remain and resilience can crumble when something bad does happen.

    Pandering to this by rushing to make people feel safer – while politically irresistible – has unintended consequences. When another incident occurs, as it always does, people feel even more vulnerable because they were led to believe the problem had been “fixed”.

    This creates a never-ending cycle of superficial responses while underlying issues are ignored.

    We cannot legislate or politicise our way out of violence. The best responses are ones that identify and address actual root causes and look at the circumstances that surround violence – rather than fixating on the violence itself.

    This means moving away from emotional reactions and taking a clear look at why violence occurs in the first place.

    Until this happens, any further reductions in violence are more likely to be good luck than good management.

    Samara McPhedran has received funding from various Australian and international government grant programs, including the Australian Research Council and Criminology Research Council, for a number of projects relating to violence. She has been appointed to various advisory panels and committees, including as a member of the Queensland Ministerial Advisory Panel on Weapons. She does not receive any financial remuneration or other reward for these activities. She is the Executive Director (Analysis, Policy and Strategy) of the Violence Prevention Institute Australia. She is not, and has never been, a member of any political party. The views expressed are those of the author alone.

    – ref. Is Australia becoming a more violent country? – https://theconversation.com/is-australia-becoming-a-more-violent-country-260102

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Wood fires, warm drinks, hot water bottles: 5 expert tips on how to avoid burns this winter

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Martin, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, School of Biomedical Sciences, Pathology and Laboratory Science, The University of Western Australia

    Alex P/Pexels

    It’s a cold, crisp evening and the air carries a chill that bites. As temperatures drop and houses get colder, we turn to trusted sources of warmth such as wood fires, heaters, hot water bottles and warm drinks.

    But these winter comforts come with the risk of burns.

    Staying warm in winter is important, but so is staying safe. So, a little caution can go a long way to prevent serious injury.

    Let’s start with children

    Young children are naturally curious, and in winter, their explorations often take them dangerously close to sources of heat. One common scenario involves toddlers reaching out to touch a glowing wood-fired heater.

    These are attractive to curious children because they are bright, warm and often within reach. Tragically, these burns can cause significant injuries to small hands and fingers, often requiring long recovery times and specialist care.

    Scalds from hot drinks are also very common in young children. These accidents tend to happen during everyday moments, such as when a parent is trying to juggle a hot drink with a sick, unsettled child on their lap.

    Seasonal colds and viruses mean children often need more comfort and physical contact, increasing the likelihood of accidents. A hot drink, even one that has cooled slightly, can cause deep burns to a child’s skin if spilled.

    In many parts of Australia at this time of year, bonfires, fire pits and campfires become common. Extinguishing a fire with sand may seem safe, but embers underneath can retain enough heat to burn skin hours later.

    Children running in light shoes can be unaware of where a fire has been and step directly onto it, resulting in severe burns to their feet.

    Beware of hot water bottles, wheat bags

    Hot water bottles are one of the most common causes of scalding and burns in both adults and children.

    Hot water bottles can cause scald burns from spills when being filled, can leak or burst if cuddled or rolled on, or cause contact burns if placed directly on the skin. Always check the bottle for wear, use hot tap water instead of boiling water, and keep a layer between the bottle and the skin.

    Wheat bags can also cause burns over winter, particularly when overheated or applied directly to skin without a cover. Rarely, wheat bags have caught fire, especially when overheated or re-heated repeatedly without allowing them to fully cool between use.

    Older people can also be at risk

    Elderly people face a unique set of risks in winter. For some, underlying health issues, such as diabetes or poor circulation, can reduce sensitivity to heat, making them unaware they have been burnt.

    A classic example is burns to the lower legs caused by sitting too close to a bar heater for extended periods. These burns may go unnoticed until they become painful or infected.

    In some cases, financial strain plays a role. Many older adults live on fixed incomes and may hesitate to heat their entire home to save on energy bills. Instead, they may rely on small portable heaters in closed rooms or heated blankets and hot water bottles. These workarounds are cost-effective, but can increase the risk of burns.

    How can I stay safe?

    Burns are preventable injuries. Here’s how to reduce the risk:

    1. use a barrier around heaters to protect exploring hands

    2. keep hot drinks out of reach when holding a child, and consider using mugs with lids for added safety

    3. supervise young children closely around campfires, bonfires and fire pits, and extinguish with water not sand

    4. ensure hot water bottles are in good condition. Never fill a hot water bottle with boiling water, use the hot tap, and do not use if there are signs of wear or damage. Don’t overheat wheat bags

    5. regularly check your heater is safe and is working as it should. Sit at least a metre away.

    When should I seek medical care?

    If a burn happens, run the burn under cool running water for at least 20 minutes, while keeping the person warm. Don’t apply ice, creams or ointments, as they can cause more damage by trapping in the heat. Remove tight clothing or jewellery. Cover the burn with a loose, clean cloth or non-stick dressing.

    Seek medical attention if the burn:

    • is deep, even if the person isn’t in pain

    • is larger than a 20c piece or has blisters

    • involves the airway, face, hands or genitals

    • looks leathery, or there are patches of brown, black or white

    • if the person has trouble breathing.

    Lisa Martin receives funding from Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation, Perron Foundation, The Kids Research Institute, and is employed by The Fiona Wood Foundation.

    – ref. Wood fires, warm drinks, hot water bottles: 5 expert tips on how to avoid burns this winter – https://theconversation.com/wood-fires-warm-drinks-hot-water-bottles-5-expert-tips-on-how-to-avoid-burns-this-winter-261254

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Teenager Yu Zidi narrowly misses podium again

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

    China’s 12-year-old Yu Zidi finished fourth in the women’s 200-meter butterfly final at the World Aquatics Championships on Thursday, narrowly missing the podium for a second time this week.

    Yu Zidi of China is seen after the women’s 200m butterfly final of swimming at the World Aquatics Championships in Singapore, July 31, 2025. (Xinhua/Wu Zhizun)

    The primary school student, competing in her first international meet, clocked two minutes 6.43 seconds – just 0.31 seconds behind bronze medalist Elizabeth Dekkers of Australia.

    Earlier in the week, Yu also placed fourth in the 200-meter individual medley final on Monday.

    Canada’s Summer McIntosh won the race in 2:01.99, setting a new world championships record. Regan Smith of the United States took silver in 2:04.99.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Federal Government pledges $500,000 to tackle loneliness epidemic

    Source:

    01 August 2025

    Adelaide-based organisation Spark has received almost $500,000 from the Federal Government to expand its innovative work tackling loneliness on a local scale and fostering stronger, more connected communities.

    Launched in the Adelaide Hills in 2024, Spark was co-designed by researchers from the University of South Australia, led by Dr Nadia Corsini, in partnership with The Hut Community Centre and the Adelaide Hills community. The pilot project has quickly gained momentum for its grassroots approach to combating one of the most pressing public health challenges of our time: loneliness.

    “In just a short time, Spark has shown how powerful community-led action can be in reducing loneliness,” says Dr Corsini.

    “Thanks to additional funding ($496,243) from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) we can now strengthen and expand Spark to reach more communities across South Australia, and to continue building the evidence base for what truly inspires and empowers communities to tackle loneliness. 

    “Our vision is a future where everyone feels a sense of belonging and communities are inclusive, resilient, and compassionate.”

    The announcement comes just ahead of Loneliness Awareness Week (4–10 August) hosted by national entity Ending Loneliness Together. This year’s theme – ‘Moments Matter’ – is a timely reminder of the importance of community connection in protecting both health and wellbeing.

    Loneliness affects almost one in three Australians, with one in six experiencing severe loneliness.* Chronic loneliness doubles the risk of long-term illness, increases the likelihood of depression and anxiety by over fourfold, and is linked to heart disease, stroke, dementia, and even early death.

    In June this year, the World Health Organization declared social disconnection a global public health priority*, citing an estimated 100 loneliness-related deaths every hour worldwide.

    Spark’s initiatives respond directly to this crisis, by inviting people to connect in welcoming, low-pressure environments. All initiatives are hosted by their dedicated team of volunteers known as Sparkies.

    “Everyone deserves to feel like they belong,” says Dr Corsini. “Loneliness isn’t just a personal issue – it’s a social one. That’s why community-led solutions like Spark are so vital.

    “We are grateful for the Women’s Health Research Translation and Impact Network for funding the original project* that allowed us to work with the community and design the solution.”

    A video accompanying this release is available here.

    The following organisations will benefit from the grant to expand the Spark project:

    Office for Ageing Well – Department of Human Services, The Hut Community Centre, Zest Creative Living Life, Uniting Communities, Community Centres SA, Adelaide Hills Council, Alexandrina Council, Murray Bridge Community Centre, Tall Trees Counselling and Psychotherapy, The Rural City of Murray Bridge, Anglican Community Care Inc, Carers SA, Lutheran Care, Skylight.

    Sources:
    *State of the Nation Report 2023, Ending Loneliness Together
    *Report of the WHO Commission on Social Connection
    *Project genesis paper

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

    Media contact: Candy Gibson M: +61 434 605 142 E: Candy.Gibson@unisa.edu.au
    Researcher contact: Dr Nadia Corsini P: 8302 9989 E: Nadia.Corsini@unisa.edu.au

    Other articles you may be interested in

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Governments are becoming increasingly secretive. Here’s how they can be made to be more transparent

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gabrielle Appleby, Professor of Law, UNSW Law School, UNSW Sydney

    Transparency is vital to our democratic system of government.

    It promotes good government, spurring those in power into better practice. Even when what is revealed is pretty revolting, transparency means those transgressions are known, and accountability for them can follow.

    Transparency is particularly important for people who otherwise do not have access to government, who are not “in the room” or “at the table”, whether that be directly or through lobbyists or other connections.

    But recent data reveal government transparency in Australia is on the decline. Given the connection between transparency and a well-functioning democracy, this is deeply concerning.

    The Albanese government’s compliance rate with Senate orders for documents is the lowest of any government since 2016, and the second-worst of any government since 1993. Disclosures under freedom of information laws have dropped dramatically over the past decade.

    The problem isn’t a lack of solutions, but that governments appear perpetually unwilling to open up.

    How should transparency work?

    In Australia, there is a complex system of institutions and laws that provide government accountability and transparency.

    Outside of the blunt instrument of electoral accountability through the ballot box, the parliament, and in particular the non-government-dominated Senate, plays a key role in providing accountability and transparency.

    The transparency work of the Senate is supplemented by a number of regimes, chief among them freedom of information. Under freedom of information, members of the public can request specific information from government departments and agencies, and this is supported by a “freedom of information champion”, the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner.

    To work properly, these schemes and regimes need the ongoing support, cooperation and buy-in (literally in the form of funding) from government. This has, at times, been less than forthcoming, which can hobble their operation in different ways.

    There are also several reasons why a government might refuse to publicly disclose what it is doing. Former High Court Chief Justice Harry Gibbs said “government at a high level cannot function without some degree of secrecy”.

    But limits and exceptions to transparency regimes are controversial. Does there need to be an exception at all? Does a particular document fall within the exception?

    The government holds the upper hand in asserting whether a document falls within an exception, because they are the ones who know what the documents are. This gives rise to cynicism that these exceptions can be and are being abused.

    Documents remaining buried

    This cynicism may be warranted, as two recent reports by the Centre for Public Integrity show successive governments lack true commitment to transparency.

    The first report was about Senate orders for the production of documents and how often the government complies with them.

    One of the Senate’s most powerful tools in holding the executive to account is its ability to order the production of government documents.

    But governments have a long history of avoiding compliance with Senate orders. They either outright refuse to respond, or offer broad claims of “public interest immunity” over sensitive documents, such as those relating to national security, Cabinet, federal relations or law enforcement.

    While the Senate can sanction ministers who refuse to comply with its orders, such as through suspending them from the chamber, it has historically done little in response to government insouciance.

    This means we don’t know whether the public interest immunity claims being made over the documents are valid, and there is currently no mechanism to find out.

    The recent data show the government’s compliance rates with Senate orders to produce documents have fallen from 92% in 1993–96, to approximately 33% for the current parliament.

    This is a low that only the Abbott/Turnbull government in the 44th parliament has the ignominious record of beating in the past 30-odd years.

    It is coupled with the government increasingly claiming public interest immunity. Public interest immunity rejections as a proportion of non-compliance sat at 61% over the 46th Parliament, this rose to almost 68% over the Albanese government’s first term.

    These averaged roughly one claim per week under Albanese, compared with about one claim every three weeks under by the Morrison government in the 46th parliament.

    What about freedom of information?

    The second report is on the operation of the Commonwealth’s freedom of information (FOI) regime.

    The Albanese government’s performance on delivering transparency this way is a mixed bag.

    First, the good news: the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner is better resourced, first-instance processing times have improved, and more of the reviews received by the OAIC are being finalised.

    But the plaudits end there.

    Whereas the proportion of requests granted in full stood at 59% in 2011–12, by 2023–24 it had fallen to just 25%.

    Over the same period, outright refusals have ballooned from 12% to 23%.

    The precipitous decline in the “refusal gap” (the difference between the proportion of requests granted in full and those refused) is alarming.

    Moreover, it’s difficult to have confidence in the correctness of these refusals. In 2023–24, almost half of initial decisions were found to be flawed following internal review.

    Processing timeframes are also cause for significant concern. Average processing time for Office of the Australian Information Commissioner reviews has blown out from 6 months in 2016-17, to 15.5 months in 2023-24.

    Fixing the mess

    Of course, numbers are not a full story. But they also cannot be denied, and these tell a damning story for government.

    So how could they be addressed?

    The Senate should adopt an independent legal arbiter to oversee claims for public interest immunity. This would discourage secrecy by providing an independent review mechanism for parliament to check the government’s immunity claims.

    For this reform to work, the Senate must not shy away from flexing its enforcement muscles either. The government must know that lack of transparency has consequences.

    In response to the freedom of information crisis, there’s a number of reforms that could improve transparency. These cover:

    • legislative changes such as clarifying that existing applications are not invalidated with a change in minister or portfolio title

    • greater resourcing to support information officer training and ongoing monitoring

    • and increasing parliamentary oversight of the regime.

    Transparency is not an elite concern, but one of those who are otherwise not in the room. It is the peoples’ concern. Governments, however, have incentives to keep the status quo.

    So even though Labor spoke a big transparency game in opposition, they have done little in government. We need to demand that they do.

    The author would like to thank Catherine Williams, Executive Director of the Centre for Public Integrity, for her contributions to this article.

    Gabrielle Appleby is a Director of the Centre for Public Integrity.

    – ref. Governments are becoming increasingly secretive. Here’s how they can be made to be more transparent – https://theconversation.com/governments-are-becoming-increasingly-secretive-heres-how-they-can-be-made-to-be-more-transparent-262012

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why UK recognition of a Palestinian state should not be conditional on Israel’s actions

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karen Scott, Professor in Law, University of Canterbury

    Getty Images

    The announcement this week by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the recognition of a Palestininian state has been welcomed by many who want to see a ceasefire in Gaza and lasting peace in the region.

    In contrast to other recent statements on the status of Palestine, however, the UK has said it will recognise Palestine as a state in September

    unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza and commits to a long term sustainable peace, including through allowing the UN to restart without delay the supply of humanitarian support to the people of Gaza to end starvation, agreeing to a ceasefire, and making clear there will be no annexations in the West Bank.

    Until this week, the UK’s position had been that recognition would only follow a negotiated two-state solution in Israel-Palestine. Other countries have now begun to shift from that position, too.

    The latest UK statement was preceded by announcements from France on July 25 and Canada on July 31 that they too would recognise Palestine as a state in September.

    But the UK position is different in one important way: it is conditional on Israel failing to comply with its international humanitarian obligations in Gaza and the West Bank.

    In other words, recognition of Palestine as a state by the UK is being used as a stick to persuade Israel to agree to a ceasefire. Should Israel agree to those conditions, the UK will presumably not recognise Palestine as a state in September, but will revert to its original position on a two-state solution.

    Conditional recognition subject to action by Israel – a third state – represents an unwelcome and arguably dangerous departure from international practice.

    While recognition (or otherwise) of states is inherently political – as demonstrated by the unique status of Taiwan, for example – it is not and should not be made conditional on the action or inaction of third states.

    How states are recognised

    According to the Convention on the Rights and Duties of States, a state must have a permanent population, territory, an independent government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other states, as well as self-determination.

    Palestine has arguably met all these criteria, with the possible exception of an independent government, given the level of Israeli intervention in the West Bank and the current situation in Gaza.

    Although recognition by other states is arguably not a formal criterion of statehood, it is very difficult to function as a state without reasonably widespread recognition by other states.

    Some 147 countries – two-thirds of UN members – now recognise the State of Palestine, including Spain, Ireland and Norway, which made announcements in 2024.

    Those choosing not to formally recognise a Palestinian state are now in a small minority, including Australia and New Zealand. This is inevitably leading to calls in those countries to change position.

    Australia is considering such a shift, subject to conditions similar to those set out by Canada – including the release of Israeli hostages, the demilitarisation of Hamas, and reform of the Palestinian Authority.

    New Zealand is currently maintaining its longstanding position of recognising Palestine within the context of a two-state solution. On July 30, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and 13 of his counterparts issued a joint statement – the “New York Call” – demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and reiterating “unwavering commitment to the vision of the two-State solution”.

    The statement also asserted that “positive consideration” to recognise the state of Palestine is “an essential step towards the two-state solution”.

    Better options are available

    The UK’s position, however, introduces another dynamic. By using recognition of Palestine as a tool to punish Israel for its actual and alleged breaches of international law in Gaza, it is implicitly failing to respect Palestine’s right to self-determination.

    If Palestine deserves statehood, it is on its own terms, not as a condition of Israel’s policies and actions.

    But it is also setting a dangerous precedent. Countries could choose to recognise (or not recognise) states to pressure or punish them (or indeed other states) for breaches of international law. Such breaches may or may not be connected to the state actually seeking recognition.

    This is important, because the post-colonial settlement of geographical boundaries remains deeply insecure in many regions. As well, low-lying island nations at risk of losing territory from sea-level rise may also find their status challenged, as territory has traditionally been a requirement of statehood.

    The UK’s apparent conditional recognition of Palestine is only likely to increase this international instability around statehood.

    While the UK’s announcement may be “clever politics” from a domestic perspective, and avoids outright US opposition internationally, it has conflated two separate issues.

    The better option would be for the UK to recognise Palestine as a state, joining a growing number of countries that plan to do so in advance of the UN General Assembly meeting in September. It could make this subject to conditions, including the release of hostages and exclusion of Hamas from Palestinian governance.

    And it should continue to press Israel to agree to a ceasefire in addition to the other demands set out in its announcement, and hold Israel accountable for its gross breaches of international law in Gaza. It can back up those demands with appropriate diplomatic and trade sanctions.

    New Zealand, too, has a range of options available, and can help increase the pressure on Israel by using them.

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

    – ref. Why UK recognition of a Palestinian state should not be conditional on Israel’s actions – https://theconversation.com/why-uk-recognition-of-a-palestinian-state-should-not-be-conditional-on-israels-actions-262345

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for August 1, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on August 1, 2025.

    Why UK recognition of a Palestinian state should not be conditional on Israel’s actions
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karen Scott, Professor in Law, University of Canterbury Getty Images The announcement this week by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the recognition of a Palestininian state has been welcomed by many who want to see a ceasefire in Gaza and lasting peace in the region. In

    Governments are becoming increasingly secretive. Here’s how they can be made to be more transparent
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gabrielle Appleby, Professor of Law, UNSW Law School, UNSW Sydney Transparency is vital to our democratic system of government. It promotes good government, spurring those in power into better practice. Even when what is revealed is pretty revolting, transparency means those transgressions are known, and accountability for

    Wood fires, warm drinks, hot water bottles: 5 expert tips on how to avoid burns this winter
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Martin, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, School of Biomedical Sciences, Pathology and Laboratory Science, The University of Western Australia Alex P/Pexels It’s a cold, crisp evening and the air carries a chill that bites. As temperatures drop and houses get colder, we turn to trusted sources of

    Is Australia becoming a more violent country?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samara McPhedran, Principal Research Fellow, Violence Research and Prevention Program, Griffith University Almost every day, it seems we read or hear reports another family is grieving the murder of a loved one in a street brawl, another business owner is hospitalised after trying to fend off armed

    The royal commission recommended abolishing time limits on abuse cases – a year on, nothing has changed
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zoë Prebble, Lecturer in Criminal Law, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Getty Images Among the 138 recommendations of the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry’s final report to parliament was a clear call: remove the legal time limits that prevent survivors of historic

    Industrial-scale deepfake abuse caused a crisis in South Korean schools. Here’s how Australia can avoid the same fate
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joel Scanlan, Senior Lecturer in Health Information Management, University of Tasmania South Korea’s deepfake crisis triggered a wave of protests in 2024. Anthony WALLACE / AFP Australian schools are seeing a growing number of incidents in which students have created deepfake sexualised imagery of their classmates. The

    Colombia is producing more cocaine than ever – and more is reaching Australian shores
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cesar Alvarez, Lecturer in Terrorism and Security Studies, Charles Sturt University Members of the Colombian anti-narcotics police test cocaine after a drug bust. RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images Imagine an area larger than the Australian Capital Territory, nearly twice the size of London and four times that

    How can I tell if I am lonely? What are some of the signs?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marlee Bower, Senior Research Fellow, Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney gremlin/Getty Images Without even realising it, your world sometimes gradually gets smaller: less walking, fewer days in the office, cancelling on friends. Watching plans disintegrate on the chat as

    Rockabye baby: the ‘love songs’ of lonely leopard seals resemble human nursery rhymes
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lucinda Chambers, PhD Candidate in Marine Bioacoustics, UNSW Sydney CassandraSm/Shutterstock Late in the evening, the Antarctic sky flushes pink. The male leopard seal wakes and slips from the ice into the water. There, he’ll spend the night singing underwater amongst the floating ice floes. For the next

    Shark tales, a sinking city and a breathless cop thriller: what to watch in August
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexa Scarlata, Lecturer, Digital Communication, RMIT University As the cool nights continue, it’s the perfect time to cozy up with a new batch of captivating films and series. This month’s streaming highlights bring a little bit of everything, from gripping true crime, to thought-provoking political drama, and

    A Hawaiian epic made in NZ: why Jason Momoa’s Chief of War wasn’t filmed in its star’s homeland
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Duncan Caillard, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Communication Studies, Auckland University of Technology Jason Momoa’s historical epic Chief of War, launching August 1 on Apple TV+, is a triumph of Hawaiians telling their own stories – despite the fact their film and TV production industry now struggles

    As protesters condemn Western media ‘complicity’, Gaza journalists struggle for survival
    Asia Pacific Report Protesters demonstrated outside several major US media outlets in Washington this week condemning their coverage of the genocide in Gaza, claiming they were to blame over misinformation and the worsening catastrophe. Banging pots and pans to spotlight the starvation crisis, they accused the media of “complicity in genocide”. Banners and placards proclaimed

    The company tax regime is a roadblock to business investment. Here’s what needs to change
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alex Robson, Deputy Chair, Productivity Commission, and Adjunct Professor, Queensland University of Technology Erman Gunes/Shutterstock Productivity growth is a key driver of improvements in living standards. But in Australia over the last decade, output per hour worked grew by less than a quarter of its 60-year average.

    Grattan on Friday: Aggrieved Liberals stamp their feet, testing Sussan Ley’s authority
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra As any leader of a political party knows, when you demote people they can become difficult, or worse. Among Opposition Leader Sussan Ley’s multiple problems are two very unhappy former frontbenchers. Sarah Henderson, who was opposition education spokeswoman last term,

    Espionage cost Australia $12.5 billion in 2023-24, ASIO boss Mike Burgess says
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Espionage cost Australia $12.5 billion in 2023-24, according to a study by ASIO and the Australian Institute of Criminology. The figure includes the direct costs of known espionage incidents, including state-sponsored theft of intellectual property, as well as the indirect

    Labor well-placed to win three Bass seats in Tasmanian election, giving left a total of 20 of 35 MPs
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Labor is well-placed to win three seats in the electorate of Bass at the Tasmanian election, although its party totals imply it deserves only two. This would

    The Muslim world has been strong on rhetoric, short on action over Gaza and Afghanistan
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus Professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University; and Vice Chancellor’s Strategic Fellow, Australian National University When it comes to dealing with two of the biggest current crises in the Muslim world – the devastation of Gaza and the Taliban’s draconian

    Kids need to floss too, even their baby teeth. But how do you actually get them to do it?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dileep Sharma, Professor and Head of Discipline – Oral Health, University of Newcastle Jonathan Borba/Pexels A survey from the Australian Dental Association out this week shows about three in four children never floss their teeth, or have adults do it for them. Many of the survey respondents

    Grief is the Thing with Feathers comes to the stage with a glorious intensity of purpose
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Huw Griffiths, Associate Professor of English Literature, University of Sydney Brett Boardman/Belvoir The idea of the titular Crow in Ted Hughes’ poems is wild, untameable and irreducible to words. In an early poem in the sequence, words come at Crow from all angles but he just ignores

    Politics with Michelle Grattan: independent MP Allegra Spender on making tax fairer for younger Australians
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With parliament now finished its first fortnight’s session, attention will soon be on the government’s August 19-21 economic reform roundtable, bringing together business, unions, experts and community representatives to pursue consensus on ways to lift Australia’s flagging productivity. Independent member

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘The great mass of waters killed many thousands’: how earthquakes and tsunamis shook ancient Greece and Rome

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Konstantine Panegyres, Lecturer in Classics and Ancient History, The University of Western Australia

    The Roman baths at Sabratha, Libya, were damaged in the earthquake and tsunami of 365 AD Reza / Getty Images

    The Greek poet Crinagoras of Mytilene (1st century BC–1st century AD) once addressed a little poem to an earthquake. He asked the quake not to destroy his house:

    Earthquake, most dread of all shocks … spare my new-built house, for I do not know of any terror equal to the quivering of the earth.

    Like us, ancient people had many things to say about natural disasters. So, what information did they leave behind for us, and what can we learn from them?

    The story of Nicomedia

    One of the most vivid ancient accounts of an earthquake is found in the writings of the Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus (c. 330–395 AD).

    On August 24 358 AD, there was a huge earthquake at Nicomedia, a city in Asia Minor.

    As Ammianus recounts:

    A terrific earthquake completely overturned the city and its suburbs … since most of the houses were carried down the slopes of the hill, they fell one upon another, while everything resounded with the vast roar of their destruction.

    The human effect was devastating.

    The palace of the emperor Diocletian at Nicomedia was damaged in the quake of 358 AD.
    G. Berggren / Getty Images

    Most people were “killed at one blow”, says Ammianus. Others, he tells us, were “imprisoned unhurt within slanting house roofs, to be consumed by the agony of starvation”.

    Hidden in the rubble “with fractured skulls or amputated arms or legs”, injured survivors “hovered between life and death”, but most could not be recovered, “despite their pleas and protestations” resounding from beneath the rubble, according to Ammianus.

    Famous natural disasters in the ancient world

    A number of natural disasters involving earthquakes and tsunamis were especially famous in ancient Greek and Roman times.

    In 464 BC, in Sparta, there was a huge earthquake. People at the time said it was greater than any earthquake that had ever occurred beforehand.

    According to the Greek writer Plutarch (c. 46–119 AD), the earthquake “tore the land of the Lacedaemonians into many chasms”, collapsed the peaks of the surrounding mountains, and “demolished the entire city with the exception of five houses”.

    In 373–372 BC, the Greek coastal cities of Helice and Buris were destroyed by tsunamis. They were permanently submerged beneath the waves.

    An anonymous Greek poet evocatively wrote that the walls of these cities, which had once been thriving with many people, were now silent under the waves, “clad with thick sea-moss”.

    But arguably the most famous ancient tsunami occurred on July 21 365 AD on the northern coast of Africa, at that time controlled by the Romans.

    Again according to Ammianus, early in the morning there was a huge earthquake. Then, not long after, the water retreated from the shore:

    the sea with its rolling waves was driven back and withdrew from the land, so that in the abyss of the deep thus revealed people saw many kinds of sea-creatures stuck fast in the slime … and vast mountains and deep valleys, which nature had hidden in the unplumbed depths.

    Then, suddenly, the sea returned with a vengeance. As Ammianus tells us, it smashed over the land destroying everything in its path:

    The great mass of waters killed many thousands of people by drowning … the lifeless bodies of shipwrecked persons lay floating on their backs or on their faces … great ships, driven by the mad blasts, landed on the tops of buildings, and some were driven almost two miles inland.

    Earthquakes were famous for their sound. The Roman scholar Pliny the Elder (23–79 AD) explained that earthquakes have a “terrible sound” – like “the bellowing of cattle or the shouts of human beings or the clash of weapons struck together”.

    Ancient ideas about what causes earthquakes and tsunamis

    Like today, ancient people wanted to know what caused these phenomena. There were various different theories.

    Some people thought Poseidon, god of the sea, earthquakes and horses, was responsible.

    As the Greek writer Plutarch (c. 46–119 AD) comments, “men sacrifice to Poseidon when they wish to put a stop to earthquakes”.

    An ancient statue of Poseidon, god of the sea and earthquakes, from the island of Milos.
    Sepia Times / Getty Images

    However, other people looked beyond divine explanations.

    One interesting theory held by the philosopher Anaximenes (6th century BC) was that the earth itself was the cause of earthquakes.

    According to Anaximenes, huge parts of the earth beneath the ground can move, collapse, detach or tear away, thus causing shaking.

    “Huge waves”, said Anaximenes, are “produced by the weight [of falling earth] crashing down into the [waters] from above”.

    Ancient people knew nothing of tectonic plates and continental drift. These were discovered much later, mainly through the pioneering work of Alfred Wegener (1880–1930).

    Preparing for natural disasters

    Ancient Greeks and Romans had little way of predicting or preparing for earthquakes and tsunamis.

    Pherecydes of Samos (6th century BC) was said to have predicted an earthquake “from the appearance of some water drawn from a well”, according to the Roman statesman Cicero (106–43 BC).

    For the most part, though, ancient people had to live at the mercy of these occurrences.

    As the anonymous author of a treatise titled On the Cosmos once wrote, natural disasters are part of life on earth:

    Violent earthquakes before now have torn up many parts of the earth; monstrous storms of rain have burst out and overwhelmed it; incursions and withdrawals of the waves have often made seas of dry land and dry land of seas…

    While our understanding of these events (and our ability to prepare for them, and recover afterward) has improved immeasurably since ancient times, earthquakes and tsunamis are things we will always have to deal with.

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

    – ref. ‘The great mass of waters killed many thousands’: how earthquakes and tsunamis shook ancient Greece and Rome – https://theconversation.com/the-great-mass-of-waters-killed-many-thousands-how-earthquakes-and-tsunamis-shook-ancient-greece-and-rome-262358

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: ‘The great mass of waters killed many thousands’: how earthquakes and tsunamis shook ancient Greece and Rome

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Konstantine Panegyres, Lecturer in Classics and Ancient History, The University of Western Australia

    The Roman baths at Sabratha, Libya, were damaged in the earthquake and tsunami of 365 AD Reza / Getty Images

    The Greek poet Crinagoras of Mytilene (1st century BC–1st century AD) once addressed a little poem to an earthquake. He asked the quake not to destroy his house:

    Earthquake, most dread of all shocks … spare my new-built house, for I do not know of any terror equal to the quivering of the earth.

    Like us, ancient people had many things to say about natural disasters. So, what information did they leave behind for us, and what can we learn from them?

    The story of Nicomedia

    One of the most vivid ancient accounts of an earthquake is found in the writings of the Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus (c. 330–395 AD).

    On August 24 358 AD, there was a huge earthquake at Nicomedia, a city in Asia Minor.

    As Ammianus recounts:

    A terrific earthquake completely overturned the city and its suburbs … since most of the houses were carried down the slopes of the hill, they fell one upon another, while everything resounded with the vast roar of their destruction.

    The human effect was devastating.

    The palace of the emperor Diocletian at Nicomedia was damaged in the quake of 358 AD.
    G. Berggren / Getty Images

    Most people were “killed at one blow”, says Ammianus. Others, he tells us, were “imprisoned unhurt within slanting house roofs, to be consumed by the agony of starvation”.

    Hidden in the rubble “with fractured skulls or amputated arms or legs”, injured survivors “hovered between life and death”, but most could not be recovered, “despite their pleas and protestations” resounding from beneath the rubble, according to Ammianus.

    Famous natural disasters in the ancient world

    A number of natural disasters involving earthquakes and tsunamis were especially famous in ancient Greek and Roman times.

    In 464 BC, in Sparta, there was a huge earthquake. People at the time said it was greater than any earthquake that had ever occurred beforehand.

    According to the Greek writer Plutarch (c. 46–119 AD), the earthquake “tore the land of the Lacedaemonians into many chasms”, collapsed the peaks of the surrounding mountains, and “demolished the entire city with the exception of five houses”.

    In 373–372 BC, the Greek coastal cities of Helice and Buris were destroyed by tsunamis. They were permanently submerged beneath the waves.

    An anonymous Greek poet evocatively wrote that the walls of these cities, which had once been thriving with many people, were now silent under the waves, “clad with thick sea-moss”.

    But arguably the most famous ancient tsunami occurred on July 21 365 AD on the northern coast of Africa, at that time controlled by the Romans.

    Again according to Ammianus, early in the morning there was a huge earthquake. Then, not long after, the water retreated from the shore:

    the sea with its rolling waves was driven back and withdrew from the land, so that in the abyss of the deep thus revealed people saw many kinds of sea-creatures stuck fast in the slime … and vast mountains and deep valleys, which nature had hidden in the unplumbed depths.

    Then, suddenly, the sea returned with a vengeance. As Ammianus tells us, it smashed over the land destroying everything in its path:

    The great mass of waters killed many thousands of people by drowning … the lifeless bodies of shipwrecked persons lay floating on their backs or on their faces … great ships, driven by the mad blasts, landed on the tops of buildings, and some were driven almost two miles inland.

    Earthquakes were famous for their sound. The Roman scholar Pliny the Elder (23–79 AD) explained that earthquakes have a “terrible sound” – like “the bellowing of cattle or the shouts of human beings or the clash of weapons struck together”.

    Ancient ideas about what causes earthquakes and tsunamis

    Like today, ancient people wanted to know what caused these phenomena. There were various different theories.

    Some people thought Poseidon, god of the sea, earthquakes and horses, was responsible.

    As the Greek writer Plutarch (c. 46–119 AD) comments, “men sacrifice to Poseidon when they wish to put a stop to earthquakes”.

    An ancient statue of Poseidon, god of the sea and earthquakes, from the island of Milos.
    Sepia Times / Getty Images

    However, other people looked beyond divine explanations.

    One interesting theory held by the philosopher Anaximenes (6th century BC) was that the earth itself was the cause of earthquakes.

    According to Anaximenes, huge parts of the earth beneath the ground can move, collapse, detach or tear away, thus causing shaking.

    “Huge waves”, said Anaximenes, are “produced by the weight [of falling earth] crashing down into the [waters] from above”.

    Ancient people knew nothing of tectonic plates and continental drift. These were discovered much later, mainly through the pioneering work of Alfred Wegener (1880–1930).

    Preparing for natural disasters

    Ancient Greeks and Romans had little way of predicting or preparing for earthquakes and tsunamis.

    Pherecydes of Samos (6th century BC) was said to have predicted an earthquake “from the appearance of some water drawn from a well”, according to the Roman statesman Cicero (106–43 BC).

    For the most part, though, ancient people had to live at the mercy of these occurrences.

    As the anonymous author of a treatise titled On the Cosmos once wrote, natural disasters are part of life on earth:

    Violent earthquakes before now have torn up many parts of the earth; monstrous storms of rain have burst out and overwhelmed it; incursions and withdrawals of the waves have often made seas of dry land and dry land of seas…

    While our understanding of these events (and our ability to prepare for them, and recover afterward) has improved immeasurably since ancient times, earthquakes and tsunamis are things we will always have to deal with.

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

    – ref. ‘The great mass of waters killed many thousands’: how earthquakes and tsunamis shook ancient Greece and Rome – https://theconversation.com/the-great-mass-of-waters-killed-many-thousands-how-earthquakes-and-tsunamis-shook-ancient-greece-and-rome-262358

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Why UK recognition of a Palestinian state should not be conditional on Israel’s actions

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Karen Scott, Professor in Law, University of Canterbury

    Getty Images

    The announcement this week by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the recognition of a Palestininian state has been welcomed by many who want to see a ceasefire in Gaza and lasting peace in the region.

    In contrast to other recent statements on the status of Palestine, however, the UK has said it will recognise Palestine as a state in September

    unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza and commits to a long term sustainable peace, including through allowing the UN to restart without delay the supply of humanitarian support to the people of Gaza to end starvation, agreeing to a ceasefire, and making clear there will be no annexations in the West Bank.

    Until this week, the UK’s position had been that recognition would only follow a negotiated two-state solution in Israel-Palestine. Other countries have now begun to shift from that position, too.

    The latest UK statement was preceded by announcements from France on July 25 and Canada on July 31 that they too would recognise Palestine as a state in September.

    But the UK position is different in one important way: it is conditional on Israel failing to comply with its international humanitarian obligations in Gaza and the West Bank.

    In other words, recognition of Palestine as a state by the UK is being used as a stick to persuade Israel to agree to a ceasefire. Should Israel agree to those conditions, the UK will presumably not recognise Palestine as a state in September, but will revert to its original position on a two-state solution.

    Conditional recognition subject to action by Israel – a third state – represents an unwelcome and arguably dangerous departure from international practice.

    While recognition (or otherwise) of states is inherently political – as demonstrated by the unique status of Taiwan, for example – it is not and should not be made conditional on the action or inaction of third states.

    How states are recognised

    According to the Convention on the Rights and Duties of States, a state must have a permanent population, territory, an independent government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other states, as well as self-determination.

    Palestine has arguably met all these criteria, with the possible exception of an independent government, given the level of Israeli intervention in the West Bank and the current situation in Gaza.

    Although recognition by other states is arguably not a formal criterion of statehood, it is very difficult to function as a state without reasonably widespread recognition by other states.

    Some 147 countries – two-thirds of UN members – now recognise the State of Palestine, including Spain, Ireland and Norway, which made announcements in 2024.

    Those choosing not to formally recognise a Palestinian state are now in a small minority, including Australia and New Zealand. This is inevitably leading to calls in those countries to change position.

    Australia is considering such a shift, subject to conditions similar to those set out by Canada – including the release of Israeli hostages, the demilitarisation of Hamas, and reform of the Palestinian Authority.

    New Zealand is currently maintaining its longstanding position of recognising Palestine within the context of a two-state solution. On July 30, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and 13 of his counterparts issued a joint statement – the “New York Call” – demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and reiterating “unwavering commitment to the vision of the two-State solution”.

    The statement also asserted that “positive consideration” to recognise the state of Palestine is “an essential step towards the two-state solution”.

    Better options are available

    The UK’s position, however, introduces another dynamic. By using recognition of Palestine as a tool to punish Israel for its actual and alleged breaches of international law in Gaza, it is implicitly failing to respect Palestine’s right to self-determination.

    If Palestine deserves statehood, it is on its own terms, not as a condition of Israel’s policies and actions.

    But it is also setting a dangerous precedent. Countries could choose to recognise (or not recognise) states to pressure or punish them (or indeed other states) for breaches of international law. Such breaches may or may not be connected to the state actually seeking recognition.

    This is important, because the post-colonial settlement of geographical boundaries remains deeply insecure in many regions. As well, low-lying island nations at risk of losing territory from sea-level rise may also find their status challenged, as territory has traditionally been a requirement of statehood.

    The UK’s apparent conditional recognition of Palestine is only likely to increase this international instability around statehood.

    While the UK’s announcement may be “clever politics” from a domestic perspective, and avoids outright US opposition internationally, it has conflated two separate issues.

    The better option would be for the UK to recognise Palestine as a state, joining a growing number of countries that plan to do so in advance of the UN General Assembly meeting in September. It could make this subject to conditions, including the release of hostages and exclusion of Hamas from Palestinian governance.

    And it should continue to press Israel to agree to a ceasefire in addition to the other demands set out in its announcement, and hold Israel accountable for its gross breaches of international law in Gaza. It can back up those demands with appropriate diplomatic and trade sanctions.

    New Zealand, too, has a range of options available, and can help increase the pressure on Israel by using them.

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

    – ref. Why UK recognition of a Palestinian state should not be conditional on Israel’s actions – https://theconversation.com/why-uk-recognition-of-a-palestinian-state-should-not-be-conditional-on-israels-actions-262345

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI China: China champions global cooperation on wetland conservation at COP15

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

    Amid growing global attention to wetland conservation, China’s efforts and achievements in this field are particularly eye-catching at the 15th Meeting of the Conference of the Contracting Parties to the Ramsar Convention on Wetlands (COP15), due to conclude in Victoria Falls on Thursday.

    From building the world’s largest number of international wetland cities to achieving legislative breakthroughs and forging capacity-building partnerships with other countries, China has embraced a comprehensive approach to wetland protection, deeply rooted in ecological civilization and its unwavering support for global efforts.

    An aerial drone photo taken on June 5, 2025 shows volunteers taking a boat to inspect the breeding habitat of migrant birds at a wetland on the estuary of the Baisha River in Qingdao City, east China’s Shandong Province. (Photo by Wang Haibin/Xinhua)

    SIGNIFICANT PROGRESS

    At the height of summer, deep within the East Dongting Lake National Nature Reserve in central China’s Yueyang city, Hunan province, schools of fish swim freely in the lake, deer bound through the forests, and birds sing joyfully among the trees.

    “We are proud to say that the wetlands are now the ecological calling cards of Yueyang,” said Yu Ge, a representative of the city who attended COP15 in the resort city of Victoria Falls in the Matabeleland North Province of Zimbabwe.

    The COP15, themed “Protecting Wetlands for Our Common Future,” brought together government representatives to strengthen international commitments to wetland conservation and to highlight the vital role of wetlands in sustaining ecological health, biodiversity and climate resilience.

    Yu actively promoted Yueyang at every event during his short stay in Zimbabwe, warmly inviting participants from different countries to explore the city. With approximately 285,200 hectares of wetlands, Yueyang has stepped up its conservation efforts in recent years and was officially recognized as an international wetland city at this year’s COP15.

    A total of nine Chinese cities won the prestigious title during the meeting, bringing the total number of such cities in China to 22, the highest in the world, showcasing the country’s significant achievements in wetland conservation.

    According to China’s National Forestry and Grassland Administration, China currently boasts 56.35 million hectares of wetlands, ranking fourth in the world. It is also home to 82 Wetlands of International Importance and five national parks.

    Yan Zhen, deputy head of China’s National Forestry and Grassland Administration, said during the meeting that in recent years, China has continuously improved its legal and institutional framework for wetland conservation, comprehensively protected wetland ecosystems, and actively engaged in international cooperation, continuously contributing to global wetland protection efforts.

    “Over the last 20 years, China has made significant progress in wetland conservation, marking a turning point that has led to a more balanced and sustainable relationship between humans and nature,” Yan said.

    SHINING EXAMPLE

    China became a party to the Ramsar Convention in 1992 and hosted COP14 in 2022, during which it was elected as chair of the standing committee to lead the convention process for the following three years.

    This photo taken on July 22, 2025 shows a herd of yaks in a wetland near Mapam Yumco Lake in Burang County of Ngari Prefecture, southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Tenzing Nima Qadhup)

    In an exclusive interview with Xinhua during COP15, Musonda Mumba, secretary general of the Convention on Wetlands, said she assumed the role six weeks before the opening of COP14 and felt “very fortunate” to start the journey with China. “China has provided leadership in making sure that all the draft resolutions made at COP14 were dealt with and delivered in a timely manner.”

    China’s Wetland Protection Law, effective since June 2022, is the country’s first dedicated legislation on wetlands, providing a comprehensive legal framework for wetland conservation, restoration, management and sustainable use.

    Hailing the law as a “shining example” to the world, Mumba said, “China is one of the very few countries that actually have a wetland law. And that for me is also incredibly impressive, because not only does the law talk about having inventory, having the right data, managing these wetland systems, it also talks about the role of cities and why these cities matter.”

    The success in wetland conservation has not only benefited China’s biodiversity, but also contributed to the health of cross-border ecosystems by integrating wetland protection with other environmental goals, such as migratory bird conservation, she noted.

    Moreover, China’s efforts to raise awareness have sparked a significant increase in global interest in wetland conservation over the past years, she added.

    “Indeed, if you look across the world, China has taken a leadership position in doing the right thing for wetlands,” Coenraad Krijger, CEO of Wetlands International, a global not-for-profit organisation, told Xinhua on the sidelines of COP15.

    He applauded China for its leading role in the global wetland preservation agenda, noting that China’s status as a major investment partner in the world makes it a key player in safeguarding the health of wetland ecosystems.

    “Through the trade relations that China has, and the investments that China has all over the world, (China) is also connected to (other) very important wetlands worldwide,” Krijger said.

    While development is welcome, there is a need to maintain a balance between development and the health of wetlands, he said, adding that he is eager to visit Chinese wetland cities in the future to learn how they achieve urban development while reaping the benefits of preserving the wetlands.

    UNWAVERING COMMITMENT

    In many rapidly developing regions of Africa, urban expansion has taken a toll on wetlands, a growing issue that communities and policymakers are striving to address.

    This photo taken on Nov. 27, 2023 shows little swans resting at a wetland in Yueyang City, central China’s Hunan Province. (Photo by Cao Zhengping/Xinhua)

    According to Wetlands International’s Director for East Africa Julie Mulonga, many African countries have policies in place to protect wetlands, but there is a lack of investment in implementation measures.

    Local communities and indigenous knowledge play a crucial role in effectively driving wetland conservation efforts, she said, adding that China’s wetland management experience could provide a valuable reference and its advanced technology could go a long way in helping the continent achieve green development.

    Over the years, China has been actively supporting many African countries in wetland governance through legislative exchanges, technical training and talent development, helping enhance their ability to restore and preserve wetlands.

    Wetlands are crucial for ecological resilience, and their future hinges on unwavering international cooperation, said Xia Jun, director general of the International Cooperation Department at China’s National Forestry and Grassland Administration. “This profound understanding underpins China’s unwavering commitment to its conservation.”

    In 2024, China launched the International Mangrove Center (IMC) in the southern city of Shenzhen to promote global mangrove conservation, sustainable use and international cooperation.

    Xia described the IMC as a landmark initiative that reflects the spirit of global cooperation.

    With the support of the IMC, the Mangrove Conservation Foundation, a private foundation based in China, has been carrying out programs in African countries such as Madagascar and Kenya to help preserve mangroves, which are vital coastal ecosystems along the continent’s shorelines, Sun Lili, co-founder and executive board chair of the foundation, told Xinhua.

    Christine Colvin, Freshwater Policy Lead, WWF International, said: “This COP is really important in terms of setting goals for the next period, for the next decade, and the strategic plan for the contracting parties to Ramsar, and it prioritises international cooperation.”

    Colvin said that China is demonstrating to municipalities and local governments around the world how to bring nature back into cities and design new urban areas that are more permeable, allowing the natural water cycle to function.

    Commending China for leading the way in this field, the WWF official said they are looking forward to continuing cooperation with China to boost global efforts to preserve wetlands and build more permeable sponge cities.

    MIL OSI China News –