NewzIntel.com

Category: Australia

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Safety works complete at Eumundi-Noosa Road

    Source:

    Motorists and bike riders will now benefit from safety improvements along the Eumundi-Noosa Road, between Lenehans Lane, and the Doonan and Beckmans Road roundabout in Noosaville.

    Both the Australian and Queensland Governments made significant contributions of $12.5 million for a joint investment of $25 million to deliver these critical safety works under the Road Safety Program. 

    Eumundi-Noosa Road has a significant crash history. The completed works will improve safety by separating through traffic, reducing the potential for head-on crashes, and improving conditions for all road users. 

    Key improvements delivered as part of the safety project include:

    • increasing separation between lanes of opposing traffic by a wide centre lane treatment
    • road widening and resurfacing 
    • installing audio tactile line marking to alert drivers if they drift from their lane
    • the removal of roadside hazards
    • providing safety improvements for bike riders, including sealed shoulders and left-turn lanes at key intersections
    • installing targeted roadside safety barriers, including motorcycle protection
    • the relocation and modification of existing street lighting to suit the wider road formation

    As one of two primary routes linking the Bruce Highway with Noosa, the safety improvements along the Eumundi-Noosa Road will benefit a broad mix of road users and vehicle types, including a significant portion of commuter and tourist traffic. 

    More information about the project’s safety feature can be accessed here.  

    Quotes attributable to Federal Assistant Minister for Regional Development and Senator for Queensland, Anthony Chisholm:

    “We’re proud to have partnered with the Queensland Government to deliver these important safety upgrades, which will help to reduce crashes and serious injuries on this section of the Eumundi-Noosa Road.

    “As the key connection between the Bruce Highway and Noosa, these improvements are set to benefit both locals and those travelling from out of town to visit the popular region. 

    “The Road Safety Program is one of many initiatives in our government’s strategy to reduce the nation’s road toll.” 

    Quotes attributable to the Queensland Minister for Transport and Main Roads, Brent Mickelberg:

    “It is important we take every step possible to help reduce road trauma across Queensland, which includes delivering lasting infrastructure that ensures safer journeys for all road users.

    “Road safety is a top priority for the Crisafulli Government and I’d like to thank the local community and motorists for their patience whilst these important safety improvements were underway.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Wangaratta station officially opens as work on Inland Rail Beveridge to Albury Tranche 1 is complete

    Source:

    The transformed Wangaratta railway station has been officially opened today, marking the completion of major works on Inland Rail’s Beveridge to Albury (B2A) Tranche 1 project.

    Inland Rail – which will run double-stacked freight trains via regional Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland – will cut rail freight travel time between Melbourne and Brisbane to less than 24 hours. 

    At Wangaratta, modifications of the station precinct and the replacement of the adjacent Green Street bridge were required to allow sufficient clearance for double-stacked freight trains. 

    Together with construction partner, McConnell Dowell, Inland Rail transformed the station by:

    • relocating the east track to form a new west track 

    • adding a new western platform 

    • removing two footbridges and replacing them with a single pedestrian underpass 

    • lowering the tracks under Green Street bridge and 

    • replacing the Green Street bridge on the same alignment.

    Wangaratta station is now more accessible with a new western carpark, better connected with new pathways, lifts, ramps and stairs and safer with the installation of 35 security cameras.

    In addition, Inland Rail also lowered the tracks under the Murray Valley Highway at Barnawartha North and replaced bridges over the rail line at Glenrowan and Seymour-Avenel Road.

    Wangaratta station is the centrepiece of the B2A Tranche 1 project, which also involved upgrading sections of the 262 km of existing rail between Beveridge and Albury.

    Tranche 2, which will complete the Victorian section of Inland Rail, is already underway. 

    Work on B2A Tranche 1 has delivered significant benefits for local communities and businesses in regional Victoria. 

    Almost 1,650 people were employed on the project, including 59 First Nations people, 124 women, 39 apprentices, and 176 young adults under the age of 25.

    1,578 workers were residents from across the region and 488 were from Wangaratta.

    346 local businesses (10 of which were First Nations-owned) secured contracts worth $161.3 million on the project.

    Of this, $18 million was invested across 43 Wangaratta businesses, that were engaged to deliver everything from electrical services, plumbing and traffic management to precast concrete products, equipment hire, accommodation and catering. 

    Quotes attributable to Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King:

    “Inland Rail will transform the way we’re able to move freight across Australia; it’s essential infrastructure that will help us keep pace with our nation’s population growth. 

    “The project is now well on the way, with the opening of the Wangaratta station and the completion of the first of two tranches on the Beveridge to Albury section.

    “Almost 1,650 people were employed on this project, and injected $18 million in Wangaratta businesses.

    “Inland Rail is projected to carry 70% domestic use goods, which means we’ll be able to get food from our growers to our suppliers to our homes in rapid speed.”  

    Quotes attributable to Inland Rail CEO Nick Miller:

    “The opening of the Wangaratta railway station precinct and the completion of B2A Tranche 1 is an exciting milestone for the whole project.

    “We are another step closer to running double-stacked freight trains from Melbourne to Brisbane.

    “The high numbers of local workers and businesses engaged on the project is a terrific result and it’s something we want to replicate all the way to Brisbane.

    “We’re determined this project leaves a legacy in the towns it touches, and not just new railway infrastructure.

    “We want to expose local workers to new opportunities, boost skills and develop and expand capabilities of businesses so they can grow and thrive after we’re gone.

    “All levels of government worked closely with local communities to build important new infrastructure that will benefit Australia for decades.”

    Quotes attributable to Federal Labor Senator for Victoria Lisa Darmanin:

    “It’s full steam ahead for Inland Rail, and the opening of the new Wangaratta Station is a significant milestone for both the community and this essential infrastructure project.”

    “This is a national project with genuine local benefits for the Wangaratta community – workers, businesses and transport users alike.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Radio 5AA Adelaide, Afternoons with Stacey Lee

    Source:

    STACEY LEE [HOST]: Well, the main construction works are now underway on the Torrens to Darlington, the last little bit of the puzzle to fix up South Road. And here in town today to make the announcement is the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, the Honourable Catherine King, and she joins me in the studio. Good afternoon, Minister

    CATHERINE KING [MINISTER]: Good afternoon. It is great to be here in Adelaide again. 

    STACEY LEE: And thank you for your time and coming into the studio. It seems like just last week you were being sworn in as the infrastructure Minister once again. 

    CATHERINE KING: Well, it was last week or last Tuesday, and so absolutely fantastic. First big project I get to come to is the Torrens to Darlington, which is absolutely going great guns. You cannot miss that construction work has well and truly started. 

    STACEY LEE: Yeah, absolutely. Why was this the first one you wanted to visit as the new slash old minister? 

    CATHERINE KING: Well, it’s pretty much the biggest project, the biggest road project in the country. I think North East Link in Victoria would sort of have some equivalence to it. It’s a big project. You’re going to have three tunnel boring machines. So, the work that you’re starting to see at the moment is all of the work getting ready for the tunnel boring machines to come in. And so basically they build them on a big platform, they drop that down about 25 meters, and then they get assembled and go, and they’re huge. They’re absolutely massive. You’ll see lots of activity around all of that. And so being able to just go and have a look at that work that started some of the side roads to make sure we can keep traffic flying. They’ve been completed as well. So, you’re going to see construction started. It’s a big project that’s going to be going for the next three to four years, really. So great to be able to get on site. And as I said, biggest, biggest, really road project in the country. And it’s at a stage where we could go and have a look at it.

    STACEY LEE:  And certainly the biggest one that our state’s seen. We’ve got the the Heysen Tunnels on the on the freeway, but these tunnels will be…

    CATHERINE KING: they will be amazing. There are a few things I love about this project. I love it. I love a good infrastructure project, but what I particularly like about this is that you’ve got three tunnel boring machines. That’s unusual. Normally, there’s two at most. So that’s really quite different. But the other is that a number of people employed on it, about 5500 are going to be employed. A lot of them locals. And I met a couple of Victorians who’ve moved off over to Adelaide from the Big Builds that they’ve been doing in Victoria, and are just loving living in Adelaide. So, we’re trying to entice them back over the border, but I think they’re probably staying here for a long, well, certainly for a while, yet. But also, the green space that you’re going to gain from this project as well, like it’s often when you see these really massive road projects, you see them really dividing suburbs, and they can cut across suburbs, and it’s impossible to, you know, really live around them, whereas, because you’re going underground here, you get all of this space back that the community can use. So, this is a really amazing project, and I think you’re going to see lots of lots of great art, great parks, that’s also part of it, which give the community back their space

    STACEY LEE: up above ground. I was thinking, are we building parks underground? Now that’s something new.

    CATHERINE KING: Green space on top, the green space on top. So, a lot of people employed. But then, of course, there’s the savings. You’re getting rid of those 21 sets of traffic lights. And you think every time you’re stopping at a traffic light, that’s minutes and minutes you’re in the car just waiting, and 21 of those going out, 40 minutes will be saved in that drive if you’re driving that route regularly. And that’s 40 minutes you get back with your kids, or get to stay and have a little sleep in in the morning if you’re trying to get to work. 

    STACEY LEE: I thought you were going to say, or stay at work a bit longer.

    CATHERINE KING: (laughs) no I want people home to do the things that they love doing as well, as well as being able to get to work more efficiently as well. 

    STACEY LEE: Yeah, absolutely. Now, you mentioned the timeline. Is it on track? When is it expected to be finished? Because this is the last piece of the puzzle; we’ve been waiting for years.

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah, it’s a real so, so with infrastructure projects, everyone wants them done tomorrow, but they’re big and they’re complex engineering projects. So, 2031 is meant to be the completion of this project. Of course, if you have, you know, we’re not looking likely at the moment, but really heavy rains that cause problems or things that delay, you know, but I think they’ve done all of that preliminary work, so all the geo tech work, so they know that it’s not, you know, mostly clay underground, if you hit really heavy rock that slows the tunnel boring machines down. But all of that, all of that on time to date, and we hope the project proceeds that way. 

    STACEY LEE:  2031, did you say?

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah, well, that’s the, that’s the finish, and it feels like, but also, it’ll go really quick. You’ll, you’ll see the amount of work that’s being done on it. But you’ve got to start. You don’t start these projects. You don’t finish them.

    STACEY LEE: And does South Road, as it currently stands, remain open while the tunnel…?

    CATHERINE KING: So, yeah that’s right. So that, again, that adds to complexity of projects. You still got to be able to move people around the city. So that’s, that’s what happens in the meantime. So, this is really, you’ll see, you’ll start to see all that happening underground. Well, you won’t send underground, but you’ll see all the work starting at the entrance. 

    STACEY LEE: And in terms of funding, I believe this was a 50/50, funding, yeah?

    CATHERINE KING: That’s right. So, $7.7 billion from each level of government. And what you’re seeing is the Commonwealth is increasingly stepping into that space now, into sort of some of the suburbs and cities that we traditionally wouldn’t have been in. So that’s been happening over a long period of time. The Commonwealth sort of traditionally only funded those big, you know, big roads outside of cities, the connecting parts. And then over time, we’ve increasingly been stepping into the space of funding more in terms of the suburbs and suburban roads and connectivity. So that’s sort of why our infrastructure pipeline has grown. But also you’re seeing us involved in projects like the Torrens to Darlington. 

    STACEY LEE: And potentially other projects as well, like the Greater Adelaide Freight Bypass, which was a big one during the election campaign. 

    CATHERINE KING: yeah, well, we announced just over half a billion dollars for that. That’s been a really important project for us as well, so that, and also the Curtis Road Level Crossing Removal, again, a really big project and we’ve been involved, obviously, in a lot of the level crossing removals. I think there’s three to four of them happening at the moment, and they really do change again the amount of time people are stuck waiting in cars to actually get to where they need to go.

    STACEY LEE: Yeah. In terms of the freight bypass, that was a big one in a in a very marginal seat during the election and Labor won that seat. I think the agreement prior to the election, or the commitment from your party, was 50% funding split. Did you have a chance to pull the Premier aside today and say, hey, I know your budget’s coming up in a few months. Are you willing to commit to the other 50?

    CATHERINE KING: Well that would be a matter for their budget. You know the thing that I would say about the relationship I have with Tom Koutsantonis and also Premier Malinauskas. But of course, my boss, the Prime Minister, with the Premier in particular, is a really collaborative one. We work together. We work through issues, and we will, you know, we think the bypass is important. We put that half a billion dollars plus on the table. And we look forward to working with the South Australian Government to deliver that project. 

    STACEY LEE: How confident are you that it’ll get off the ground? 

    CATHERINE KING: Well, I think it’s important. I think we do need to bear in mind that there are always capacity constraints in terms of infrastructure as well. So, we’ll have to talk to them about the timing of the project. You know, we might need to do some planning and geo tech work and all of that stuff first. But you know, they know it’s important. They’ve committed to the you know, they’re committed to the project. You know, they’ve brought the project to us so that 50% that we’ve put on the table, we’re really keen to work with the South Australian Government on that, and we’ll work through whatever issues there are going forward.

    STACEY LEE: And it is still a priority for your government given now that’s no longer a marginal seat, and the other one Boothby is no longer marginal either? 

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah, I guess what I’d say with infrastructure, what I’ve been really at pains to do is to try and stop some of this sort of – it’s a marginal seat or it’s not a marginal seat. Like what we’ve tried to do, we’ve asked states to deliver now, under the reforms, we put in place 10-year infrastructure plans, and really, what we’re doing is looking at projects that are part of that 10-year long-term horizon of infrastructure projects. So it became obviously a political issue in the election campaign – that happens, we have elections, that always occurs. But really, this has been really important, you know, it was in our last budget, the state government had brought it to us as a project. So we just work our way, pretty much systematically, through those and start delivering and that’s really been my experience, is get the planning work done, make sure that we know how much it’s going to cost, and then you start doing the work on it. Part of the problem of what I inherited is that we often had lots of press releases that were very politicised. It was often about marginal seats or what was happening there, and not enough money allocated to it. In fact, we didn’t even know as a Commonwealth how much something was going to cost, because the previous government had said, oh, we’ll put, you know, $200 million into this, or $400 million. And you suddenly look at it, and we did a big review, and you go, actually, it’s going to cost a lot more than that. How are we going to find the money? So really, what we’re trying to do is planning work, planning money, planning work, first get an idea about that and then work with the State governments to actually deliver them. And that’s proving to be a really good model. 

    STACEY LEE: Yeah, well, I guess that happens with every project at the moment. You know, costs have blown out over the last few years a lot. So hopefully, I know there’s a lot of people I’m in, I’m in the seat of Sturt, and so it was a big issue for me in the lead up to the election, for a lot of people. So hopefully in the state budget next month, I think, we get some sort of a resolution on whether that early work can occur in those investigations, and we’ll go from there. 

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah, no, that would be great. 

    STACEY LEE: Up to anything else while you’re in town, Minister? 

    CATHERINE KING: No, this was a big thing today. And as I said, it was great to see the amount of workers that are on site, they’re really excited. Like, the thing about construction workers too, is they love these projects and being able to show off what they’re doing. And this is a big build, so I hope lots of people get the opportunity. There’s a great visitor center that’s got the example of the tunnel boring machines in there is go and have a bit of a look. There’ll be a bit of disruption while this build is occurring. That’s inevitable, but it’ll really make a huge difference to the city, and to people’s lives. 

    STACEY LEE: Alright, well, I’ll leave you to get back to it. Maybe you can stop off at the central market for lunch before you head. 

    CATHERINE KING: Generally, I always stop off at the Haigh’s. We’ll see about that. I’m trying to lose a bit of weight, but that always happens in in Adelaide, we hit the Haigh’s. It is always amazing. And everyone tells me it tastes better when you buy it in Adelaide, absolutely, that’s what I’m told. 

    STACEY LEE: Well it’s in walking distance from the studio so I’ll let you get to it. Thank you for coming in. 

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Media conference – Adelaide

    Source:

    NADIA CLANCY [STATE MEMBER FOR ELDER]: I’m Nadia Clancy. I am the Member for Elder I’m here today with the Premier Peter Malinauskas as well as Federal Minister for Infrastructure Catherine King. We also have State Minister who you are all well accustomed to, Minister Koutsantonis, and my electorate boundary mate, Jayne Stinson. So we’re right in the electorate of Elder at the moment and I am so excited to see so much activity on site at the moment. It sort of has felt like a slow burn and now we are here. I really want to thank my constituents for their patience and understanding as we’ve dealt with these changes and these sort of minor inconveniences, and really, really excited that now the Norrie Avenue link road has now been completed which is making things a lot easier for locals. Now I will hand over to the Premier.

    PETER MALINAUSKAS [SA PREMIER]: Thanks so much Nadia, it’s great to be here with you and Jayne. Your consistent advocacy on behalf of your constituents is making the relative inconvenience of this project far easier to deal with so we can make sure we can get it done. It’s great to be here with Tom as always but I particularly want to thank Catherine King, the Federal Infrastructure Minister, and take this opportunity to in this forum congratulate you, Catherine, on the re-election of the Albanese Government and your retention of one the most important portfolios that we see in any government in the country.

    The partnership between my state government and the Albanese federal government really is on show here. I am very pleased that we are getting this project done. The non-stop South Road project has been talked about for decades and the hardest part is now finally underway because we are making it happen. We have not spared any expense to get it done properly the first time. A $15.4 billion infrastructure project that will literally change the way that traffic moves through our city for the next 100 years. The legacy of this project will be not just an infinite amount of convenience for tens of thousands of motorists, but it’ll actually be changing the economic dynamic of the way our city operates, which is exactly why this is worth it in the long run. I cannot possibly overstate the size and the complexity of this $15.4 billion project, but when it is completed, which is actually, in the scheme of things, not that far away, it’ll mean that up to 40 minutes in commute time is saved as a result of the removal of 21 sets of traffic lights for people during peak hour. Any time you remove 21 sets of traffic lights from any journey on our roads in a metropolitan environment, it saves a lot of time, but 40 minutes for a community to peak hour, that’s a big number. And when you add that up for every single working family, every single day of the week, it means hours and hours of people’s lives that are returned to a better standard of living or to a better economic outcome, which is exactly why this project requires urgency. And finally, we’ve got two governments getting together to get it done and get it done properly.

    There has been a lot of work, a lot of work that has led to us being able to be here today where major construction is now underway for where the tunnel boring machines on the southern end of the project will be lowered. Just behind where I’m standing right now, two 90 metre- long tunnel boring machines will be lowered 25 metres below the surface to start tunnelling out throughout the second half of 2026 right through to the project’s completion. This is one of the biggest engineering undertakings that’s not just occurred in the history of our state but indeed the nation. This is the biggest infrastructure project in Australia right now. There is none bigger than this, and it’s going to change the way our city operates forever in a way that will be a lot more convenient for everyone from working families to small businesses to big businesses who want to get things moving in and around metropolitan Adelaide.

    The non-stop South Road project has been talked about a lot and we’ve seen a lot been achieved over the course of the last 20 years. But this is the big part, this is the hard part and my government is getting it done. But we’re only able to do that because of the partnership, a 50/50 funding partnership between the state and federal government, $7.7 billion from the Commonwealth, $7.7 billion coming from the state government. Every step of the way, the relationship between the government, particularly between Minister Koutsantonis and Minister King has just been outstanding.

    I want to take this opportunity to really thank Minister King, not just for her stewardship but also for her advocacy on occasions. She appreciates just how dynamic and important this project is and has done a lot to help make it happen. So I’ll hand over to the Minister to say a few words and then Minister Koutsantonis, Minister King and myself will be able to answer your questions.

    CATHERINE KING [MINISTER]: Thanks Premier. Well, it’s great to be back here in the great state of South Australia, and you can see behind us here, this is a state that is delivering important infrastructure for communities here in Adelaide. Can I thank Nadia and Jayne for being here, they’ve been great advocates of this project, but can I particularly acknowledge both the premier and also Minister Koutsantonis. It is such a delight to work with the pair of them on these projects. I know both them coming to government and us coming to government, this project really was in a bit of a state and we had to make hard decisions about investing more money to get this project done. This $15 billion plus project is very much a 50/50 partnership between the Albanese Labor Government and the Malinauskas Labor Government, because Labor Government’s build peace.

    Infrastructure is absolutely my passion. I’m so delighted to have been returned as Infrastructure Minister because infrastructure changes lives. And what a great way of doing so. Twenty-one sets of traffic lights removed, 40 minutes off commute time. And that means for people, that’s 40 minutes more you can spend with your families. Actually spending time being able to do the things that matter most to all of us. Being able to spend that time with your kids, being able to spend that time with your families. It also is a great employment generator. Over 5,500 people will be employed on this site over the course of its life, and 600 of those are going to be trainees and apprentices, new workers coming into the construction industry. And I particularly want to give a shout out to the many women in construction that we’re seeing, heaps of them on site here today. It is a great career, and I’m so delighted that we see so many women entering this field. We have to have more women in construction, and this project with 600 new trainees and new apprentices working on site will deliver that.

    Delighted to partner with the Malinauskas Government on this project. We’re investing over $9 billion in infrastructure here in South Australia, but this is by far the biggest build of any of them. You can see behind us where the tunnel boring machines will be assembled and then dropped to actually start their work, and there’s going to be lots of opportunities for the media to see this construction project. It is the biggest road project in the state. There are lots of other projects that would claim to rival it, but I would have to say it’s the biggest project in state and the biggest project in the country in terms of the longest and three tunnel boring machines, the largest in the country, when they’re assembled on site.

    So, terrific to be here today. I want to thank and wish all the very best to the construction company. You can see this has started because it’s only Labor governments that actually deliver infrastructure, and only Labor governments that deliver the sort of infrastructure that South Australia needs.

    I’ll hand over to the Premier for questions and then we’ll work from there.

    JOURNALIST: [inaudible]

    PETER MALINAUSKAS: Yeah, I can talk about that, and maybe Tom can [indistinct]… as well. Look, you can’t make an omelette without breaking some eggs, and we’re a government that’s very conscious of the fact that during a project of this size and complexity, of course there’s going be a degree of disruption. But we want to get things done, and we’re not going to back away from making tough decisions that are required to set the state up for the long term. There’s a lot of economic opportunity before South Australia at the moment, and if we want people to be able to participate in it, they’ve got to be able to get to their places of work in a way that is efficient and productive, which means this project just has to be delivered. It just has to get done.

    Now, there has been a lot of engagement with local communities, and local MPs have certainly been powerful advocates – not just through the compulsory acquisition process, which is largely complete, but also with all the various movements and traffic that we’ll see over the coming years ahead. But at the end of it is the end game, which is a 40 minute saving for people in their commute during peak hour. Twenty-one sets of traffic lights removed. That’ll be worth it, right? It’s not just this project that we’ve got going on that causes a bit of inconvenience too. As a government, we’ve made tough decisions on this project. We’ve made tough decisions on the womens’ and kids’ project. But we do it because what we’re interested in is the long-term outcome. We’re not thinking about short-term politics. We’re thinking about long-term outcomes for the state, and none is more important than the $15.4 billion project that we deliver here.

    It’s true to say that if I was only thinking about the next election, we probably wouldn’t necessarily make the same decisions. But because we’re thinking about the long term, and we do want to get to that end point of having a 40 minute saving, we’re powering ahead and making the tough choices so we can get this project done, and done as quickly as we can.

    JOURNALIST: How confident are you that this is going to be delivered on time and on budget? [Indistinct] …

    PETER MALINAUSKAS: [Talks over] Well, so far, things have gone alright. So far, things are going well. Now, we’re not naive to the fact that there’s going to be challenges along the way, but so far, I mean, I’ve been honest about the womens’ and kids’, and I’ll be honest about this project. So far, things are going well. But we’re still at the front nine, we’re not on the back nine yet, and then it’s going to happen.

    JOURNALIST: There’s a lot of money that’s being spent on this, obviously federally and state. Is there a lot of wiggle room in the budget for other projects that are going to be coming up?

    PETER MALINAUSKAS: Well, you’ll have to wait and see in the budget. We’re not that far away. Look, we’ve been really pleated as a government in delivering budget surpluses. We haven’t just forecast them, we’ve delivered them. We haven’t delivered a deficit yet. We’re working hard to keep it that way, and that gives us the room to be able to invest in things that set the state up for the long term. But there’s always competing priorities. The biggest one for us remains health and education. That’s core business as far as we’re concerned, and it makes a difference to people’s lives, and we’re always looking for opportunities to invest in those things.

    But as far as major transport infrastructure, we focus on the non-stop South Road element, but there’s also a lot of east-west connectivity that we’re investing in as well. That’s already starting to move traffic a lot better to and from other parts of Adelaide. So the $15.4 billion project number is predominantly the non-stop South Road element, but a lot of east-west activity and connectivity has been invested in too, which will also help traffic flow more broadly.

    JOURNALIST: There’s a lot of construction going on around Adelaide [indistinct]. Do we have the local [indistinct]…?

    PETER MALINAUSKAS: That’s a good question. By and large, yes. I mean, look, If you’re in civil construction or other construction type jobs, South Australia is the place you want to be. There’s no doubt about it. We are grateful though that we are seeing some expertise come from other parts of the country. In fact, I was just chatting to someone calling Adelaide home, and hopefully, it stays that way because we are going to need the workforce in the future. Because understand this, we’ve got this project, we’ve got the womens’ and kids’, but then beyond that, all the work that is required down at Osborne, which is many billions of dollars worth of construction, there’ll be work there in the future as well. Our ambitions for what we hopefully want to see happen at Olympic Dam, what we want to see at Wyalla, it’s not just a pipeline of work over the course of the next four years. What we’re setting ourselves up for is a pipeline of work over the course of the decade ahead, because that’s what prudent planning demands.

    So, in terms of workforce, yes, of course, there’s a lot of demand for labour in the state at the moment. We’ve got the lowest unemployment rate levels we’d ever seen. I think we’ve got the seventh lowest unemployment rate in the nation. It’s below 4 per cent. That’s a good problem to have, in some respects. But we’ve also got to be investing into skills in the future, which is what our technical college is all about.

    JOURNALIST: [inaudible]

    PETER MALINAUSKAS: Yeah, in parts, yes. And if they end up calling Adelaide their home, that’s a good thing. It’s why we’ve got more houses being built in South Australia on an apples-for-apples basis than any other part of the country. The stats out just in the last fortnight show that housing dwelling starts, and also approvals are growing at the fastest rate in South Australia, anywhere in the country. In fact, the national average is going backwards but South Australia is growing. 

    JOURNALIST: Had another fatal crash, and you’re saying [indistinct] on our roads. What will need to be done to keep the roads safe now?

    PETER MALINAUSKUS: Well, I might invite Tom to have a few words about this. I mean, apart from just acknowledging the awful loss of life, it’s heartbreaking for a family. You know, we see the road toll and that’s a number but what sits behind that, of course, are real people and family will be devastated badly by those deaths and my thoughts are with them. But in terms of the truck traffic I might just leave it to Tom to say a few words. Is there any other questions for me before I [indistinct] to Tom? 

    JOURNALIST: Yeah. I was just wondering, in terms of the upper house, Sarah Game has obviously left One Nation. What does that look like for you guys now in terms of passing legislation? Do you have any concerns or confidence in that change with Tammy as well of course? 

    PETER MALINAUSKUS: Yeah. I haven’t had chance to speak about Tammy publicly yet, either, so maybe I’ll deal with both of those. Yeah look, in our rich, vibrant liberal democracy change happens, and we’ve got a quite a diverse mix of people in the upper house. And what I try to do is work with them, regardless of their political hue. Of course, there are things that we’ll disagree on ideologically and philosophically, that’s clear. But I also want to work with people from other political parties, because that’s the way you achieve results. 

    So, whether Tammy Franks is in the Greens or Sarah Nation[sic] is in One Nation, I’m going to sit down and I’m going to work with them, because I think that’s what leadership requires. I will, however, make this point, you know, out of all of the cross section of political hues in the parliament at the moment, of which there are a number, there’s only one political party that hasn’t lost any members or had anyone quit or leave, and what is the party? It’s us. So, despite us having more members than anybody else, we’re the most disciplined and united team. So- but in terms of Tammy and Sarah, they’ve made their own decisions, that’s for them and their political parties to resolve. But as the Premier of the state I want to work with them no matter what.

    JOURNALIST: Do you think it’s very fair for the voters who have helped vote in these people in to have party members. For example, Sarah wasn’t particularly known in her own right beforehand to have these people then going to sit as independent? Do you think that’s fair to them?

    PETER MALINAUSKUS:  This has been a feature of the Westminster system since it’s dawn. And what we do, though, in the Labor Party is- you know, in South Australia, we’ve got a particularly disciplined and united- you know, where we have points of difference we sit down and work with one another, rather than just storm out and quit. And that’s what allows us, as a government, to focus on what’s in the best interest of the state. The business of other political parties, I’ll leave that to them to [indistinct].

    JOURNALIST: [Indistinct] around the issues [indistinct] parties or anything which will change that way. 

    PETER MALINAUSKUS: I understand the argument, but I think it’s difficult. And it’s not a feature of many Westminster parliaments we see around- in the world. So, it’s not something I envisage having here anytime soon. 

    JOURNALIST: Back to the question?

    PETER MALINAUSKUS: Yeah, I’ll know that Tom’s got that.

    JOURNALIST: [Indistinct] There have been some talk about our industry, trucking industry and the rules surrounding the drivers and training that’s sort of sparked up that debate, and why we don’t know the circumstances surrounding this one we need to have another look at how we’re training truck drivers.

    TOM KOUTSANTONIS [SA MINISTER FOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND TRANSPORT]: Yeah. So, we have here in South Australia. So, we’re the first state in the federation to change the way we’re training drivers, especially ones who are coming from abroad. We are no longer recognising accreditation in other jurisdictions internationally. We wanted them to be trained here in Australia, to understand Australian conditions. 

    Look, heavy vehicles are getting larger in Australia, they’re not getting smaller. We’re a big country and we are looking at growing our road trains even larger, and training is becoming even more important. What occurred on the weekend is a tragedy. It probably could have been avoided. No one needs to die on our roads with a heavy vehicle if everyone is trained appropriately and equipment is appropriately maintained. 

    We’ll let this go through the court process to understand exactly what occurred. I understand police have charged a person this morning so I’m not going to go into the details other than to say, if you come to this and you want to drive a heavy vehicle in South Australia, we expect you to be trained here in South Australia. I call on other jurisdictions to do the same thing because it’s important that Australian conditions are top of mind for when we train our drivers. 

    Now, I don’t know the circumstances here. I don’t know what occurred here, I’m getting a briefing later on today. But it’s important to note that heavy vehicles are dangerous. We have very, very strict heavy vehicle national regulations that govern the way people drive heavy vehicles, the way that they’re trained, and the way that these vehicles are assessed. There’s trainer responsibility here, right back to the owners of the company and directors of that company who could be personally liable for even criminal charges if something is going wrong. So, we want to get to the bottom of this, but it is way too early to form any judgment.

    PETER MALINAUSKUS: Thanks so much everyone. Cheers.

    JOURNALIST: Sorry. Just one more. 

    PETER MALINAUSKUS: So, we’ll take this last one [indistinct]…

    JOURNALIST: Sorry. In terms of the speed that [indistinct] today, you’re going to increase it to around [indistinct] saying another 25 kilometres per hour on our roads. Do you know much about that? Does council [indistinct]…

    TOM KOUTSANTONIS: I do. Yes, there are reforms. Yes, yes. So, what we’ve done is we’ve listened to the RAA, we’ve listened to tow truck drivers. When amber lights turn on because they’re working on a vehicle on the side of the road that’s either broken down or needs to be towed, there have been too many crashes and near misses that make it dangerous to bring aid to people who are stranded on the side of the road. So, when you see these amber lights it’s important that you slow down to 25 kilometres per hour, as safely and as quickly as possible for you to do so. If you do breach it, depending on the speed that you’re going over – the same penalties apply for emergency service vehicles, if you drive past a police car and ambulance with red lights flashing. 

    It’s very, very important to maintain the safety and security of these people providing assistance on the side of the road, and we make no apologies for that. I heard this morning tow truck drivers who are turning up to cars that have been broken down on the side of the road, while they’re connecting these vehicles seeing either individuals being clipped or vehicles being rammed into. It’s important now people, when they see flashing lights, to slow down. 

    PETER MALINAUSKUS: All right, thanks very much, everyone.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Raising curtain on concert hall refurbishment

    Source:

    The historic Perth Concert Hall is one step closer to its transformation, with preliminary works commencing last month on the $150.3 million refurbishment. 

    Construction broke ground marking the start of essential structural work to restore the heritage listed building, which was the first Australian concert hall built after World War II.

    The revitalisation includes a home for the West Australian Symphony Orchestra featuring office and rehearsal spaces, bar areas and events spaces, along with refurbishment of the auditorium entry, lifts and stairs to improve venue accessibility. 

    Updated seating, lighting and backstage facilities have been carefully considered to preserve the venue’s distinctive features and internationally-renowned acoustic features.

    The WA Government awarded the tender for forward works to Australian-owned and operated construction company ADCO, which has delivered similar large-scale, government and private projects. The main works tender is scheduled to be awarded in November 2025.

    A digital fly-through of the Perth Concert Hall project shows a new and improved entry experience, through a redesigned and landscaped forecourt to create a more connected and welcoming approach to the venue.

    The Perth Concert Hall Redevelopment is one of 14 projects under the $1.7 billion Perth City Deal partnership. The Australian Government is investing $532.7 million to projects including the ECU City Campus, WACA Upgrade, East Perth Common Ground, and the Boorloo (Causeway) Bridge.

    The $150.3 million investment includes $134.3 million in WA Government funding, $12 million from the Australian Government and $4 million from the City of Perth.

    Comments attributed to Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King: 

     “Refurbishing and expanding the Perth Concert Hall will capitalise on Perth’s historical and cultural strengths, and preserve the hall for future generations.

    “After 50 years of continuous operation, we’re investing in this cultural icon to be enjoyed by the community for at least 50 more. 

     “Expected to create 230 jobs, the Albanese Labor Government is delivering infrastructure that stimulates the economy, connects communities, and fosters vibrancy in our cities.”

    Comments attributed to Federal Member for Perth Patrick Gorman:

    “This investment helps secure Perth’s future as the cultural centre of Australia’s west coast. 

    “This will give local, national and international acts a venue worthy of their creative talents. 

    “The Albanese Labor Government is investing in Perth and the creative and tourism industries that employ thousands across our country.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Are influencers villains, victims or champions of change? The reality is more complex

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Aya Aboelenien, Associate Professor of Marketing, HEC Montréal

    As the influencer ecosystem expands and its culture evolves, there is increasing pressure for the industry to prioritize ethics over profit. (Shutterstock)

    Social media influencers have become cultural powerhouses, setting trends, shaping lifestyles and even swaying political views. As their influence grows, so do ethical debates about them: are they villains exploiting their audiences, victims of an unregulated industry or champions driving positive change?

    In our chapter in the recently released book, Influencer Marketing, we synthesized existing literature to explore the ethical minefield of influencer culture and attention economy. We scrutinized the responsibilities of influencers, brands, platforms and consumers, and the broader impact of influencers on society at large.

    Influencers as villains

    Influencers are often cast as villains in the online world. They are frequently criticized for inauthentic behaviour, such as by failing to disclose partnership agreements, perpetuating unrealistic beauty or lifestyle standards or by lying to their audiences outright.

    Despite regulations, many influencers hide their paid partnerships.
    In 2023, for instance, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission found that 81 per cent of influencers failed to properly disclose paid partnerships.

    Influencers are incentivized to do this because advertising-heavy content can appear inauthentic and be off-putting to followers. These omissions mislead audiences into thinking products and brand reviews are based on genuine opinion, rather than part of a paid script.

    Multiple influencers have also been caught lying to their followers about their lifestyles. One notable example is Belle Gibson, an Australian wellness influencer who falsely claimed to have cured her terminal cancer through diet. She gained a massive following and profited from these claims before being exposed and fined US$410,000 for misleading and deceptive conduct.

    Netflix trailer for ‘Apple Cider Vinegar.’

    Despite the controversy, Gibson’s story was adapted by Netflix into a series called Apple Cider Vinegar, further fuelling the money-making machine.

    Another case is that of Yovana Mendoza, a raw vegan influencer who was filmed eating fish in a Bali restaurant. The video went viral after being leaked by fellow travellers. Despite later revealing that she had stopped being vegan because of health reasons, she still faced backlash and accusations of hypocrisy.

    Unrealistic beauty standards

    Influencers, and particularly virtual CGI influencers, are also villainized by the masses for perpetuating unrealistic standards and lifestyle choices.

    From posing as the “perfect family” or the “perfect wife” (such as trad wife influencer Hannah Neeleman, also known as Ballerina Farm), to flaunting ultra-thin or perfectly chiselled beauty ideals, influencer content fosters harmful social comparisons.



    Read more:
    Women can build positive body image by controlling what they view on social media

    These portrayals can contribute to anxiety and low self-esteem among social media audiences. Influencers prey on these insecurities to make profit and gain influence, which affects the well-being of these audiences.

    In the case of male Instagram followers of the hashtag #fitfam, one study found increased pressure to achieve the so-called “instabod” — a sculpted, idealized physique — was linked to symptoms of muscle dysmorphia.

    Influencers as champions

    Despite the controversies surrounding influencer culture, some content creators are leveraging their platforms to do good. Body positivity influencers, for instance, advocate for self-love and self-acceptance, which can improve body satisfaction and appreciation among young women.

    One of the best known figures in this space is Ashley Graham, who challenges beauty norms by sharing unedited photos of herself with her 21.4 million Instagram followers.

    There are also green influencers who champion sustainability. For example, Alessandro Vitale teaches urban farming, while Emma Dendler advocates for zero-waste living.

    A study found that many women fashion influencers over 50 engage in what researchers call “styleactivism.” They use their social media platforms to bring about important changes in the ageist and sexist fashion and beauty markets.

    There is also a growing movement known as “deinfluencing,” where influencers discourage mindless consumption by critiquing over-hyped products, like the viral Stanley Cup water bottle.

    Influencers as victims

    While some influencers might profit from the system, others are victims of business exploitation and malpractices. There are a growing number of cases of unpaid labour where influencer agencies, like Speakr, have been accused of withholding payments, leaving creators in financial limbo.

    Black and LGBTQ+ influencers have also reported facing pay discrimination. They often earn less than their white counterparts or are asked to work for free. Stephanie Yeboah, a Black plus-size influencer, told The Guardian she discovered she was paid less than white influencers while working on the same campaign.

    Many influencers operate without the backing of talent managers or influencer agencies, despite taking on multiple roles, including videographers, video editors, scriptwriters, lighting specialists, directors and on-screen talent. This leaves them especially vulnerable to exploitation.

    To top it all, influencers are also victims of online harassment and cyberbullying. As part of a 2021–22 United Kingdom parliamentary inquiry into influencer culture, blogger Em Sheldon told MPs she faced relentless abuse and threats from online trolls.

    As the influencer ecosystem expands and its culture evolves, there is increasing pressure for the industry to prioritize ethics over profit. Weeding out the unethical practices lurking in various corners of this lucrative industry will require collective efforts from policymakers, brands, as well as influencers and their followers.

    Aya Aboelenien receives funding from Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC)

    Ai Ming Chow 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. Are influencers villains, victims or champions of change? The reality is more complex – https://theconversation.com/are-influencers-villains-victims-or-champions-of-change-the-reality-is-more-complex-257527

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: North-easterly winds forecast for the start of the 2024 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, wind change expected on Friday

    Source: Australia Safe Travel Advisories

    24/12/2024

    The Bureau of Meteorology is continuing to monitor the weather conditions closely over the coming days to provide vital information to the race crews and navigators in the 2024 Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race, which commences on Boxing Day, Thursday 26 December 2024.

    Bureau senior meteorologist Gabrielle Woodhouse has been providing a series of marine safety and weather briefings to navigators and crews in the lead-up to the race.

    “At race start, we are expecting north to northeasterly winds, sunny skies and warm temperatures as the yachts exit the Heads,” Ms Woodhouse said.

    “Strong winds will develop on Boxing Day as the yachts head south along the NSW coast, and wind warnings are expected.”

    A trough is forecast to cross the south-east of the country on Friday morning, bringing a strong west to south-westerly wind change to Tasmanian waters and the Bass Strait.

    “This west to southwesterly change will be strong and abrupt as it arrives early Friday morning, and may bring the chance of a shower or even a thunderstorm and possibly gale-force winds for a period.”

    During the weekend, northwest to southwesterly winds are likely to persist, but the focus will be on lighter winds forecast along the Tasmanian east coast.

    The Bureau will continue to monitor the forecast and conditions, providing further briefings for crews and organisers ahead of the race start on Boxing Day, and during the race until the last yacht arrives in Hobart.

    Another front or trough bringing a southwest to southeasterly change to the region is expected near or on New Year’s Eve.

    Navigators and crews will be kept across forecast information via regular updates, as well as information that is continuously updated on the Bureau’s website, app and social media channels.

    Visit our Marine services for offshore yacht races.

    ENDS…

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: For L-374 retiree, giving back is a way of life

    Source: US International Brotherhood of Boilermakers

    Community service isn’t something John Beebe does. It’s much more than that. It’s who he is. The Local 374 (Hobart, Indiana) retiree has spent a lifetime giving back, volunteering, helping others, selflessly going the extra mile and stepping up. It’s not a brag. He doesn’t need a pat on the back.

    It’s just who John Beebe is.

    Beebe is well known as a go-to volunteer and overall champion for the Lake Area United Way; Lakeshore Area Regional Recovery of Indiana; the town of Highland and Lake County, Indiana, where he lives; the Northern Indiana Area Labor Federation-AFL-CIO, which he served as Boilermaker liaison for 61 years; his Methodist church disaster relief team; and Scouting America. Especially Scouting.

    Serving others may have taken root when he joined the Boy Scouts as a kid—and with 73 years of Scouting under his belt, those are some deep roots. 

    “What intrigued me was the outdoors,” he says of his venture into Cub Scouts in 1952. He also admits, “I didn’t want to stay at home, because my mother would have me washing dishes.”

    If avoiding work was part of his motivation, the irony is that Scouts propelled him many years on a path that would hone his dedication to discipline, hard work and service to others. He eventually earned his Eagle Scout, went into the Scout’s Exploring program and was working as a lifeguard when a fellow Scouting enthusiast and Boilermaker recruited him to work a shipbuilding job. He wasn’t sure what he wanted to do for a career, and he thought it could be a start. Turns out he had a knack for welding. After working a bit, then a short layoff and callback, he was told he’d be sworn in as a L-374 Boilermaker.

    Then came a war. Beebe was drafted and served in Vietnam. When he returned home, he took just a few weeks off before getting back to work. From then on, one job led to another, with his well-earned reputation as a good, hard worker and Eagle Scout serving him through the ranks.

    In one instance, he was called by a contractor to interview for a superintendent job he hadn’t applied to at Bethlehem Steele. They had his resume and wanted to talk to him, so he drove out and met with several gentlemen, one who sat against a wall and didn’t speak. At the end of it all, he was told to go get a cup of coffee. The silent man joined him and said, “Congratulations, you’re going to get hired. Those three guys work for me, and you’re getting hired because you’re an Eagle Scout. Eagle Scouts have leadership skills, and I know, because I’m an Eagle Scout.”

    Beebe has kept the cycle of goodwill going, volunteering his time with local Scouting throughout his life. Upon his return from Vietnam, he says the local program told him: “Boy we are glad to see you! You’re the new Scout advisor!”

    He’s remained close with the five men who earned their Eagle Scouts with him—they still get together once a month. His wife, who passed away in 1995, was an Explorer Advisor for the Scouts, and his kids were all into Scouting. He’s served the local Scouting Council and on the regional board.

    “It’s a good way to keep your kids off the street and out of trouble,” he says. “You never hear of an Eagle Scout getting into trouble.”

    With his background, it’s no surprise that organizations like United Way, area labor federation and other organizations have eagerly recruited Beebe over the years to fundraise, lend his leadership skills or literally lend a hand. 

    When areas of Munster, Indiana, flooded in 2010 and destroyed over 3,000 properties, Beebe was among multi-craft union members working side-by-side to clean up neighborhoods. He was also instrumental in assessing and reporting critical needs and where help was most needed. Lakeshore Area Regional Recovery of Indiana gave him an award for that. 

    His contributions over decades with the Northern Indiana Area Labor Federation-AFL-CIO earned him the prestigious George Meanie Award. United Way presented him with a Lifetime Achievement Award. He’s met an astronaut, former First Lady Laura Bush and former Vice President Mike Pence. He’s even been recognized as a “Distinguished Hoosier” by the then-Indiana State Governor Mitch Daniels.

    But that’s not why he’s done it all.

    “I give back as much as I can,” he says. “This is your home. This is where you live. We all need to take care of our community. Everything I do, I seem to have a lot of fun. I don’t want to be parked in front of a TV in a chair, so I stay busy.” 

    He has a solid reputation for staying busy helping others.

    “Brother Beebe is an example of what brotherhood means. He is someone Local 374, the labor movement and his community can count on—not out of obligation, but because he really cares about helping others,” says IVP-Great Lakes Dan Sulivan.

    When Beebe addresses families during Eagle Scout presentations, he encourages the Scouts’ parents to read the definition of the Citizenship Merit Badges and what it takes to earn them. Those badges focus on a person’s responsibility to their nation, the community and society.

    “Read them tonight or tomorrow, then go back and read them again in a few days to understand what your child went through,” he says is his advice. “They don’t teach that in school anymore.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: MYTHBUSTER: The One Big Beautiful Bill Isn’t “Bad” for Families — It’s the Opposite

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    HOAX: The One Big Beautiful Bill is “bad for our families.”
    FACT: Democrats have totally lost the plot — opposing middle class tax cuts, an expanded child tax credit, border security, and more.
    They’re opposing the largest tax cut in history, which will put an extra $5,000 in their pockets with a double-digit percent decrease to their tax bills. In fact, Americans earning between $30,000 and $80,000 will pay around 15% less in taxes.
    They’re opposing NO TAX ON TIPS for the millions of Americans who work in the service industry and NO TAX ON OVERTIME for law enforcement, nurses, and more.
    They’re opposing historic tax cuts for senior citizens.
    They’re opposing a boost to the child tax credit.
    They’re opposing new savings accounts for newborns and the chance for children across America to experience the miracle of compounded growth.
    They’re opposing expanded access to childcare for hardworking American families.
    They’re opposing historic border security to keep their communities safe.
    They’re opposing expanded health savings accounts that give Americans greater choice and flexibility in how they spend their money.
    They’re opposing scholarships that empower Americans to choose the education that best fits the needs of their families.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Matador Technologies Inc. to Present at the Blockchain and Digital Assets Virtual Investor Conference June 5th

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Matador Technologies Inc. (TSXV: MATA, OTCQB: MATAF, FSE: IU3), a publicly traded Bitcoin treasury company, today announced that Deven Soni, CEO, will present live at the Blockchain and Digital Assets Virtual Investor Conference hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com, on June 5th, 2025.

    DATE: June 5th
    TIME: 1:30 PM ET
    LINK: REGISTER HERE

    This will be a live, interactive online event where investors are invited to ask the company questions in real-time. If attendees are not able to join the event live on the day of the conference, an archived webcast will also be made available after the event.

    It is recommended that online investors pre-register and run the online system check to expedite participation and receive event updates.  

    Learn more about the event at www.virtualinvestorconferences.com.

    Recent Company Highlights

    Secured $1.5 Million Strategic Investment from Arrington Capital
    Matador Technologies Inc. received a CAD $1.5 million investment from Arrington Capital, a prominent digital asset management firm.

    Entered Binding LOI with Indian Digital Asset Firm HODL Systems
    Matador signed a binding letter of intent to invest up to USD $3.2 million in HODL Systems, an Indian technology company. This investment could grant Matador up to a 24.95% ownership stake.

    Completed $3 Million Non-Brokered Private Placement
    Matador successfully closed a non-brokered private placement, raising approximately CAD $3 million.

    Unveiled New Bitcoin-Centric Brand Identity
    Matador announced a refreshed brand identity, emphasizing its evolution into a vertically integrated Bitcoin ecosystem company. The new branding reflects Matador’s core principles: prioritizing Bitcoin, aligning with the broader Bitcoin network, and designing strategies to compound Bitcoin per share, underscoring its commitment to building financial infrastructure on the Bitcoin blockchain.

    About Matador Technologies Inc.
    Matador Technologies Inc. is a publicly traded Bitcoin ecosystem company that holds Bitcoin as its primary treasury asset and builds products to enhance the Bitcoin network. Through a self-reinforcing model that combines strategic Bitcoin accumulation, Bitcoin-native product development, and participation in digital asset infrastructure, Matador aims to grow long-term shareholder value without dilution.

    The Company’s flagship offering, the Digital Gold Platform, allows users to buy, sell, and trade 1-gram gold units on the Bitcoin blockchain—bridging traditional value with decentralized technology. With a Bitcoin-first strategy, a debt-free balance sheet, and a clear focus on innovation, Matador is helping shape the future of financial infrastructure on Bitcoin. Visit us online at https://www.matador.network/.

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

    NEITHER THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE NOR ITS REGULATION SERVICES PROVIDER (AS THAT TERM IS DEFINED IN THE POLICIES OF THE TSX VENTURE EXCHANGE) ACCEPTS RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THIS RELEASE.

    This news release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any securities in any jurisdiction.

    Forward Looking Statements – Certain information set forth in this news release may contain forward-looking statements that involve substantial known and unknown risks and uncertainties, including risks associated with the implementation of the Company’s treasury management strategy, risks relating to whether the transaction with HODL will be concluded as currently proposed or at all, risks relating to the receipt of applicable regulatory approvals and the launch of the Company’s mobile application as currently proposed or at all. These forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, certain of which are beyond the control of the Company, including with respect to the potential acquisition of digital assets and/or US dollars, the pricing of such acquisitions and the timing of future operations. Readers are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such information, although considered reasonable at the time of preparation, may prove to be imprecise and, as such, undue reliance should not be placed on forward-looking statements.

    About Virtual Investor Conferences®
    Virtual Investor Conferences (VIC) is the leading proprietary investor conference series that provides an interactive forum for publicly traded companies to seamlessly present directly to investors.

    Providing a real-time investor engagement solution, VIC is specifically designed to offer companies more efficient investor access.  Replicating the components of an on-site investor conference, VIC offers companies enhanced capabilities to connect with investors, schedule targeted one-on-one meetings and enhance their presentations with dynamic video content. Accelerating the next level of investor engagement, Virtual Investor Conferences delivers leading investor communications to a global network of retail and institutional investors.

    CONTACTS:
    Matador Technologies Inc.
    Sunny Ray
    President
    647-496-6282
    sunny@matador.network 

    Virtual Investor Conferences
    John M. Viglotti
    SVP Corporate Services, Investor Access
    OTC Markets Group
    (212) 220-2221
    johnv@otcmarkets.com 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: DVCon U.S. 2026 Announces Call for Extended Abstracts, Workshop and Tutorial Proposals

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    GAINESVILLE, Fla., June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The 2026 Design and Verification Conference and Exhibition United States (DVCon U.S.), sponsored by Accellera Systems Initiative, is pleased to announce its Call for Extended Abstract, Workshop, and Tutorial Proposals. The 38th annual DVCon U.S. will be held March 2-5 at the Hyatt Regency Hotel, Santa Clara, CA.

    “DVCon U.S. continues to be the premier venue for exploring the latest trends, technologies, and standards in design and verification,” stated Xiaolin Chen, DVCon U.S. 2026 General Chair. “We invite proposals that share real-world experiences, innovative methodologies, and forward-looking insights. Our goal is to deliver an exceptional technical program while preserving the personal connections and collaborative spirit that have long defined the DVCon experience.”

    Extended Abstract Information

    DVCon U.S. 2026 invites engineers, researchers, and practitioners to submit extended abstracts that provide deep technical insights, practical case studies, and innovative approaches across the design and verification landscape. Submissions should focus on real-world experiences and address emerging trends that are shaping the future of electronic system development.

    Suggested topic areas include, but are not limited to:

    • Functional verification and validation
    • Safety-critical design and verification
    • Low-power design techniques
    • Machine learning and big data applications
    • Design and verification reuse and automation
    • Mixed-signal design and verification

    Authors may also incorporate topics such as EDA tool usage, FPGA-based design, specialized verification languages (e.g., SVA or PSL), scripting, Portable Stimulus applications, AMS techniques, and IoT-related methodologies.

    Extended abstracts should be between 600 and 1,200 words and demonstrate technical depth, innovation, and relevance.

    More information and guidelines for DVCon U.S. 2026 abstract submissions can be found here.

    Sponsored Short Workshop and Tutorial Information

    DVCon U.S. 2026 welcomes proposals for technical tutorials and short workshops that offer high-impact educational content for design and verification professionals. These sessions provide an excellent opportunity for industry experts to share knowledge, demonstrate tools and methodologies, and engage directly with attendees.

    Short workshops are 90-minute sponsored sessions open to all attendees registered for the full conference. Scheduled for both Monday and Thursday, these workshops may be formatted as hands-on demonstrations or lecture-style presentations, allowing flexibility in delivery and engagement.

    DVCon U.S. technical tutorials are three-hour sessions included with full conference registration. The Technical Program Committee seeks proposals that are timely, highly relevant, and rich in continuing education value. Topics should address current challenges and trends in design and verification.

    Suggested topics for both workshops and tutorials include:

    • SystemVerilog for design and verification
    • SystemC, C, and C++ in system-level design
    • Software-driven and SoC verification
    • Assertion-based verification (SystemVerilog, PSL)
    • Coverage-driven verification and debug techniques
    • Low-power design strategies and high-level synthesis
    • Mixed-signal modeling and AMS verification
    • Secure IP-based SoC design and encryption
    • Transaction-level modeling, ESL design, and IP integration (IP-XACT)
    • Portable Stimulus and standards adoption
    • Formal methods, emulation, FPGA prototyping, and post-silicon debug
    • Embedded software co-verification and productivity methods
    • Functional safety, security, and open-source methodologies
    • Machine learning applications in design and verification

    Proposals should include an abstract between two to five paragraphs (not exceeding 1,000 words) that clearly outline the objective, technical depth, and value to attendees. For more details on DVCon U.S. 2026 workshop and tutorial proposal guidelines, including pricing, visit here.

    Submission Deadline
    The submission site for all proposals opens July 15. The deadline to submit extended abstracts, tutorial and workshop proposals is September 7, 2025.

    For inspiration and to view proceedings from past conferences, visit the archives site.

    About DVCon
    DVCon is the premier conference for discussion of the functional design and verification of electronic systems. DVCon is sponsored by Accellera Systems Initiative, an independent, not-for-profit organization dedicated to creating design and verification standards required by systems, semiconductor, intellectual property (IP) and electronic design automation (EDA) companies. For more information about Accellera, please visit www.accellera.org. For more information about DVCon U.S., please visit here. Follow DVCon on Facebook, LinkedIn or @dvcon_us on X or to comment, please use #dvcon_us.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Can kelp forests help tackle climate change?

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Jennifer McHenry, Senior Research Fellow, Department of Biology, University of Victoria

    Countries around the world are increasingly turning to nature to help alleviate the impacts of climate change. Forests, grasslands and wetlands are already considered as “natural climate solutions.” Now, some scientists are asking: could kelp forests be part of the solution too?

    As some of the fastest growing species on Earth, kelp form lush underwater forests along temperate coastlines. In addition to supporting marine biodiversity, sustaining fisheries and contributing to local economics and livelihoods, kelp forests also absorb carbon. But their role in climate change mitigation remains uncertain.

    In the first national assessment of Canada’s kelp forests, our research team set out to estimate how much carbon these ecosystems might be capturing and storing in the ocean, and whether that carbon stays out of the atmosphere long enough to be considered a natural climate solution.

    To tackle this question, we assembled a national kelp forest database, including satellite and aerial maps, kelp productivity measurements and ocean current models to estimate how much kelp carbon actually leaves the continental shelf.

    This study is part of a national research effort being led by researchers at the University of Victoria called Blue Carbon Canada, which was funded by Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO), Oceans North and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) to investigate how Canada’s “blue carbon” could fit into its national climate mitigation strategy. Our team included 22 kelp researchers and experts from 14 academic institutions, government agencies and NGOs from Canada, the United States and Australia.



    Read more:
    Why some of British Columbia’s kelp forests are in more danger than others

    Measuring kelp carbon

    The carbon absorbed by trees, peatlands and seagrasses typically gets locked away for decades or longer. However, when kelp dies or breaks apart, instead of storing the carbon in the ground, much of it is released back into the ocean. Depending on the conditions, some of it sinks. Some of it washes back to shore. Some gets eaten and and fuels coastal food webs.

    Only a small fraction settles in coastal seafloor sediments or makes it far enough offshore to reach deep water, where it’s more likely to stay out of the atmosphere over the long term. Another fraction decomposes and becomes tiny dissolved particles that can circulate on ocean currents below the mixed layer depth for decades to centuries.

    So while protecting and managing kelp forests promotes carbon capture, it may not always directly translate into climate change mitigation.

    Our research found that between 40,000 and 400,000 metric tonnes of carbon per year is likely being captured and exported from Canadian kelp forests to the deep ocean. In terms of carbon dioxide removal, this would be at least comparable to more established natural climate solutions carbon ecosystems in Canada, like tidal marshes and seagrasses, suggesting they merit further consideration.

    It’s a promising number. But the potential role of kelp in Canada’s climate action plans is far from settled.

    Can we count on kelp?

    Our findings are relevant as countries increasingly look to count natural sources of carbon removal in their nationally determined contributions under the Paris Climate Accord, with the idea that better ecosystem management, protection and restoration could all enhance natural carbon sinks.

    Kelp forests have not yet been included in national inventories. However, there has been growing interest in whether better kelp forest management and even restoration could qualify.

    Part of the problem is data. Most countries, including Canada, still lack sufficient information on where their kelp forests are, how productive they are, where that carbon is going in the ecosystem and how these dynamics are changing over space and time. As a result, few countries have been able to assess their kelp forests at national scales.

    There are also unanswered questions about how much kelp forest loss can be prevented under climate change and how much ecosystem restoration could be scaled up to meaningfully contribute to climate change mitigation. Restoration methods for kelp forests, such as green gravel, are being actively developed but remain largely untested.

    Our study provides guidance to help countries overcome some of these challenges. We offer a step-by-step blueprint for developing first kelp carbon estimates from limited data, including data needs and sources and tools for data analysis that acknowledge data uncertainties.

    Looking ahead

    Managing and protecting kelp forests is likely to be a low-regret option, meaning that while it might not significantly mitigate climate change, its many other benefits would still outweigh the costs. After all, these ecosystems offer a host of benefits, from supporting fisheries to shoreline protection. Given our findings, they may also have the ability to help tackle climate change.

    But leaning too heavily on kelp before the science is clear could backfire. Overstating its role in climate change mitigation could lead to misplaced confidence and unrealistic expectations. Worse, it could distract from the most important and immediate task: fossil fuel reductions.

    That does not mean kelp’s climate solutions potential should be dismissed. At present, it’s thought that kelp forests and other algae capture and store around 175 million tonnes annually, maybe more given recent research.

    But Canada needs to proceed carefully and invest in closing key knowledge gaps before scaling up plans to include kelp in national carbon accounting. This includes greater public investment in kelp forest mapping, monitoring, high resolution oceanographic modelling and ground-truthing of national estimates.



    Read more:
    Buried kelp: seaweed carried to the deep sea stores more carbon than we thought

    Kelp forests are in trouble

    Overall, a precautionary approach is needed to ensure we don’t miss out on future kelp solutions. That’s because even as interest in kelp grows, these ecosystems are disappearing in many places.

    Kelp restoration methods, like green gravel shown here from the Kelp Rescue Initiative in B.C., are advancing but still in their infancy.
    (Lauren Dykman/University of Victoria)

    In British Columbia, kelp forests have declined in recent decades due to climate change-fuelled marine heatwaves and population booms of sea urchins, which graze on kelp.

    Similar trends have been documented in many parts of the world, from Norway to Tasmania, where lush kelp forests are being replaced by weedy turf algae.

    When kelp forests are lost, the carbon they hold can be released quickly. Export of kelp carbon to the deep ocean and other carbon sinks stops. So instead of helping to slow climate change, their loss could make things much worse.

    Kelp forests will not solve the climate crisis on their own. But our research shows they could be apart of the solution, especially if we act now to fill critical research gaps.

    Today, the most immediate value of kelp forests lies in supporting marine biodiversity, coastal fisheries, and community livelihoods. That alone makes them worth saving.

    Jennifer McHenry receives funding from the Natural Sciences and Engineering Council of Canada (NSERC), Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO),and Oceans North.

    Julia K. Baum receives funding from NSERC, Fisheries and Oceans Canada (DFO) and Oceans North. She is also affiliated as a science advisor with the Kelp Rescue Initiative.

    – ref. Can kelp forests help tackle climate change? – https://theconversation.com/can-kelp-forests-help-tackle-climate-change-257215

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: “Through Her Lens”: New UN Photo Exhibit Celebrates Women Leading Peace

    Source: United Nations – Peacekeeping

    New York, 7 June 2025 – This June, the United Nations will unveil a compelling new photo exhibit at New York’s Photoville Festival, bringing global attention to the leadership, courage and impact of women and their allies driving peace in some of the world’s most volatile places. Featuring original photos by local women photographers, the exhibition spotlights women peacebuilders, human rights defenders, UN peacekeepers and grassroots activists whose stories are too often overlooked. Their portraits and environments reflect both the challenges of conflict and the possibilities that emerge when women lead.

    Launched in commemoration of the 25th anniversary of UN Security Council resolution 1325 (2000), the exhibition highlights the Women, Peace and Security (WPS) agenda which recognises not only the disproportionate impact of conflict on women but also their indispensable role in shaping peace, building trust, and leading transformative change.

    “The fight for gender equality is not just about fairness,” said United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres in his remarks at the 2025 International Women’s Day commemoration in New York. “It is about power – who gets a seat at the table, and who is locked out. Simply put, when women and girls rise, everyone thrives.”

    Captured across eleven settings – Abyei, Cyprus, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Haiti, Kosovo, Lebanon, Mozambique, Occupied Palestinian Territory, South Sudan and Sudan – the images tell a collective story of resilience, resistance, and transformation.

    “Too often, the role of women in peace processes and trust building is overlooked or underrepresented,” said Laura Hasani, a photojournalist from Kosovo with over 25 years’ experience. “These photos aim to change that, so the world sees and hears from the women who are rebuilding communities and leading change.”

    In Haiti, Clyfane Saintil, a feminist activist and nonprofit leader featured in the exhibit, helps Haitian girls and women build confidence to claim their rights and shape their futures. “Change begins in our communities, where women and girls rise, and when men choose to be allies rather than obstacles,” she said.

    Through the lens of those living the realities of conflict, the exhibition reframes how we see women: not only as victims, but as architects of peace and justice. It also calls on governments, international organisations, and communities to recommit to the promise of the WPS agenda, which remains as urgent today as it was 25 years ago.

    Through Her Lens: Women Rising for Peace is a collaboration between the United Nations Department of Peace Operations and Department of Political and Peacebuilding Affairs, UN Women, and the Elsie Initiative Fund. Premiering in Brooklyn Bridge Park on 7 June 2025, it will remain open to the public until 22 June, then travel to some of the countries featured before reaching the European Parliament in Brussels and, in October, UN Headquarters in New York, among others.

    The exhibition is supported by the governments of Australia, Canada, Denmark, the European Union, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, Norway, Sweden, the Republic of Korea and the United Kingdom, whose generous contributions made it possible to share these powerful stories worldwide.

    The exhibition is free to view from June 7-22, 2025, at the Photoville Festival, Brooklyn Bridge Park, Pier 1, New York City.

    Find out more: Through Her Lens: Women Rising for Peace – Photoville Festival

    Download the digital assets: Trello board

    Note to the editors: The ‘Through Their Lens: Women Rising for Peace’ photo exhibition is underpinned by the principles outlined in United Nations Security Council resolution 1325 (2000) and subsequent nine resolutions on Women, Peace and Security. The resolutions recognise the importance of women’s full, equal and meaningful participation in conflict resolution and call for greater inclusion of women in peacemaking and decision-making at all levels in peace and political processes.

    * * * *

    Media contacts:

    UN Department of Peace Operations

    Sophie Boudre

    Email: boudre@un.org

    Tel.: +1 917 691 5359

    Milly Copping James

    Email: milly.coppingjames@un.org

    Tel.: +1 646 897 6383

    UN Department of Peacebuilding and Political Affairs

    Kyung Ae (Susie) Lim

    Email: lim7@un.org

    Tel.: +1 646 595 7068

    UN Women

    Media Team Email: media.team@unwomen.org

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Secretary-General of ASEAN delivers remarks at the Opening Ceremony of 2025 Meeting of the OECD Council at Ministerial Level (MCM) in Paris

    Source: ASEAN – Association of SouthEast Asian Nations

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, delivered remarks at the Opening Ceremony of the 2025 Meeting of the OECD Council at Ministerial Level (MCM) on 3 June 2025, commemorating the handover of the co-chairmanship of the OECD Southeast Asia Regional Programme (SEARP) from current Co-Chairs, Australia and Viet Nam, to the incoming Co-Chairs, Canada and the Philippines.
     
    In his remarks, Dr. Kao welcomed the continued collaboration between ASEAN and the OECD, underscoring shared commitment to promote good regulatory practices, prioritise sustainable development, and place inclusive growth at the core of region’s economic progress.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN delivers remarks at the Opening Ceremony of 2025 Meeting of the OECD Council at Ministerial Level (MCM) in Paris appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Global: We asked over 8,700 people in 6 countries to think about future generations in decision-making, and this is what we found

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Stylianos Syropoulos, Assistant Professor of Psychology, Arizona State University

    Shifting the public’s perspective toward greater concern for future generations could result in more support for climate change policies, among others. Artur Debat/Moment via Getty Images

    People often prioritize the well-being of family, friends and neighbors, as they feel a closeness emotionally and share the same temporal context. But they overlook how people born decades or centuries from now may suffer as a result of today’s failures to address major global risks such as climate change, future pandemics and unregulated artificial intelligence.

    Our new research, published in the British Journal of Social Psychology, shows that brief, low-cost psychological interventions can help individuals adopt a more expansive moral perspective to include future generations.

    We conducted three online studies with over 8,700 participants to examine whether prompting people to consider the long-term consequences of their actions could shift moral priorities beyond the present.

    In one of two interventions, participants imagined themselves serving on a government committee responsible for protecting future generations. Their task was to ensure that new legislation accounted not only for immediate needs but also for long-term impacts; they were asked to write a speech communicating these goals to the American public. This exercise highlighted institutional responsibility and the role of collective action across time.

    In the second intervention, participants engaged with a more personal thought experiment adapted from philosopher William MacAskill’s book “What We Owe the Future,” which explores our moral responsibility toward humanity’s long-term future.

    The impact of actions over time.

    Here, they read a scenario about a hiker who comes across broken glass on a remote trail – glass that may one day injure an unknown child. Should the hiker clean it up, even though no one is watching and the child may not appear for decades? After reflecting on this story, participants were asked to write about what they themselves could do to help make the future better for others.

    Moral concern for both intervention and control participants was assessed using the Moral Expansiveness Scale. We asked participants to rate how much moral concern they felt for a wide range of issues. These included concern for future generations, alongside family and friends, strangers, marginalized groups such as LGBTQ+ people, animals and the natural environment.

    Why it matters

    Although these exercises differed, one emphasizing collective responsibility and the other individual, both led to the same outcome: Participants randomly assigned to an intervention condition expressed significantly greater moral concern for future generations than those assigned to a control condition who completed neither exercise.

    This effect held across cultural contexts and across six diverse countries – the U.S., Argentina, South Africa, the Philippines, the U.K. and Australia – and persisted even when participants were required to make trade-offs in a zero-sum version of the Moral Expansiveness Scale. In this version of the task, they distributed a fixed number of “moral concern points” across competing groups, compelling them to weigh the moral importance of future generations against that of present-day entities like family members, strangers, nature and others.

    What’s especially intriguing, however, is that the elevated concern for future generations among intervention participants did not come at the expense of concern for other socially distant entities or those viewed as marginalized.

    What changed was how participants prioritized their moral concern: They placed slightly less emphasis on family and friends – groups that people typically prioritize most, even when they may be least in need of moral protection.

    In contrast, concern increased for distant others, both living today and in the future.

    What’s next

    This perspective, encouraged by the interventions, could perhaps help lay the groundwork for more durable public support for addressing long-term challenges.

    In future work, we hope to explore whether these interventions can inspire real-world action. This could include increased support for climate policies, voting for leaders who prioritize long-term investments like sustainable infrastructure and pandemic preparedness, or donating to causes that benefit future generations.

    But how might these interventions be integrated into everyday life? One promising approach is to embed them into settings where such reflections already occur, such as schools, civic education programs or public awareness campaigns.

    To assess their real-world potential, we plan to examine the durability of these effects. We want to see whether deploying them in such contexts can meaningfully inspire long-term shifts in attitudes and – importantly – behavior.

    For example, brief storytelling exercises or classroom role-plays, like imagining oneself as a future-focused policymaker, could be incorporated into high school or college curricula to shape students’ values, goals and even career trajectories. Similarly, community workshops, online media or social campaigns could adapt these scenarios to foster long-term thinking in broader populations.

    When people reflect on how their actions today shape the future, they may be more likely to back solutions to present-day issues like poverty and inequality, knowing these problems can have ripple effects for generations to come. They may also become more motivated to confront emerging risks, such as unregulated artificial intelligence or future pandemics, before those risks escalate.

    The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.

    The research relevant to this article was funded by the John Templeton Foundation and APA Division 48.

    The research relevant to this article was funded by the John Templeton Foundation and APA Division 48.

    – ref. We asked over 8,700 people in 6 countries to think about future generations in decision-making, and this is what we found – https://theconversation.com/we-asked-over-8-700-people-in-6-countries-to-think-about-future-generations-in-decision-making-and-this-is-what-we-found-256767

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: A bottlenose dolphin? Or Tursiops truncatus? Why biologists give organisms those strange, unpronounceable names

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Nicholas Green, Assistant Professor of Biology, Kennesaw State University

    The system of scientific naming began in the 1700s. Westend61 via Getty Images

    Most people would call it a “field mouse,” but a scientist would ask, “Was it Peromyscus maniculatus? Or Peromyscus leucopus?”

    Scientists use a system of complicated-sounding names to refer to everyday creatures, a practice heavily lampooned in the Warner Bros. cartoons featuring the Road Runner and Wile E. Coyote – or, respectively, Accelleratii incredibus and Carnivorous vulgaris.

    As a biologist, I use these seemingly odd names myself and help my students learn them. For most people it’s a huge effort, like learning a second language. That’s because it is.

    A chimpanzee, otherwise known as Pan troglodytes.
    guenter guni/E+ via Getty Images

    Humans, skunks and maple trees

    The science of naming and classifying organisms is called taxonomy. Scientists do this so they can be as precise as possible when discussing living things.

    The first word in an organism’s name is its genus, which is a group of related species, such as Panthera for lions, tigers and leopards.

    The second word is the specific name identifying the species, usually defined as a population that can reproduce only with each other, such as Panthera leo for lion.

    Every two-word combination must be unique. Called binomial nomenclature, this naming system was popularized by Swedish naturalist Carl Linnaeus in the 1700s. So, humans are Homo sapiens, the red maple Acer rubrum, garlic Allium sativum, and the eastern spotted skunk Spilogale putorius.

    Today, biologists maintain huge databases containing the taxonomic names of plants, animals, fungi and other organisms. For instance, one of these databases – the Open Tree of Life project – includes over 2.3 million species.

    The scientist who discovers a species usually names it by publishing a formal description in a peer-reviewed journal. From there, the name makes its way into the databases. From then on, scientists always use that name for the organism, even if it turns out to be misleading. For example, many fossils were originally given names containing the Greek root “saur,” which means lizard – even though paleontologists later realized dinosaurs were not lizards.

    The archosaur group includes dinosaurs and also today’s birds and crocodiles.
    Orla/iStock via Getty Images Plus

    Snobbery isn’t the issue

    To most people, these names sound inscrutable. Particularly nowadays, as science becomes more open and accessible to everyone, such arcane vocabulary can come across as old-fashioned and elitist.

    Given the current backlash against “elites” and “experts” in every field, that’s a serious charge. But in a roundabout way, this seemingly exclusive practice is really a story of inclusiveness.

    As modern science began taking shape in Europe during the 1600s, scientists had a problem. They wanted to read and be read by others, but language got in the way. French scientists couldn’t read Swedish, Swedes couldn’t read Italian, and Italians couldn’t read German.

    Also, writing about plants and animals posed a particular challenge: Many species had common names that could vary from place to place, and some common names might apply to multiple species. Scientists needed a way to be precise and consistent when referring to species, so that everyone could understand each other.

    To sidestep the language issue, scientists of the era mostly published their work in classical Latin. Back then, everyone learned it – at least every European man wealthy enough to attend school and become a scientist. Others published in classical Greek, also widely taught. By sticking with these more universally known languages, early scientists made sure that science was accessible to as many of their peers as possible.

    By the late 1700s and 1800s, translation services were broadly available, so naturalists such as Georges Cuvier could write in his native French, and Charles Darwin in his native English. Today, English has become the de facto language for science, so most scientists publish in English regardless of their native tongue.

    So why continue to use Latin and Greek names today? Taxonomists do it partly out of tradition, but partly because the terminology is still useful. Even without seeing a photo of the animal, a biologist might work out that Geomys bursarius – “earth-mouse with a pouch” – was a pocket gopher. Or that Reithrodontomys fulvescens – “groove-toothed mouse that is yellow” – is a yellow mouse with grooves on its incisors.

    A two-minute, how-to-do-it lesson.

    What’s in a name?

    Although taxonomists still largely adhere to the naming principles of Linnaeus, new scientific names are more and more frequently derived from non-European languages. For example, a chicken-size dinosaur discovered and named in China is called Yi qi, meaning “strange wing” in Mandarin.

    Some of the more recent names are touched by whimsy, with a few honoring politicians and celebrities. Etheostoma obama is a spangled darter named after the 44th U.S. president; the Swift twisted-claw millipede – Nannaria swiftae – is named after pop star Taylor Swift.

    With so much of Earth’s biodiversity yet to be discovered and named, remember that names are just names. What we call these species often reflects our own values and perspectives.

    In the future, another language – or no language at all – might rise to dominance. Artificial intelligence may act as a universal translator. This possibility would let everyone publish and read science in their own language. Predicting how technology will change our relationship with terminology is challenging, but the need for precise scientific language, including the names of species, will never go away.

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

    – ref. A bottlenose dolphin? Or Tursiops truncatus? Why biologists give organisms those strange, unpronounceable names – https://theconversation.com/a-bottlenose-dolphin-or-tursiops-truncatus-why-biologists-give-organisms-those-strange-unpronounceable-names-252265

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Fiji coup culture and political meddling in media education gets airing

    Pacific Media Watch

    Taieri MP Ingrid Leary reflected on her years in Fiji as a television journalist and media educator at a Fiji Centre function in Auckland celebrating Fourth Estate values and independence at the weekend.

    It was a reunion with former journalism professor David Robie — they had worked together as a team at the University of the South Pacific amid media and political controversy leading up to the George Speight coup in May 2000.

    Leary was the guest speaker at a gathering of human rights activists, development advocates, academics and journalists hosted at the Whānau Community Centre and Hub, the umbrella base for the Fiji Centre and Asia Pacific Media Network.

    She said she was delighted to meet “special people in David’s life” and to be speaking to a diverse group sharing “similar values of courage, freedom of expression, truth and tino rangatiratanga”.

    “I want to start this talanoa on Friday, 19 May 2000 — 13 years almost to the day of the first recognised military coup in Fiji in 1987 — when failed businessman George Speight tore off his balaclava to reveal his identity.

    She pointed out that there had actually been another “coup” 100 years earlier by Ratu Cakobau.

    “Speight had seized Parliament holding the elected government at gunpoint, including the politician mother, Lavinia Padarath, of one of my best friends — Anna Padarath.

    Hostage-taking report
    “Within minutes, the news of the hostage-taking was flashed on Radio Fiji’s 10 am bulletin by a student journalist on secondment there — Tamani Nair. He was a student of David Robie’s.”

    Nair had been dispatched to Parliament to find out what was happening and reported from a cassava patch.

    “Fiji TV was trashed . . . and transmission pulled for 48 hours.

    “The university shut down — including the student radio facilities, and journalism programme website — to avoid a similar fate, but the journalism school was able to keep broadcasting and publishing via a parallel website set up at the University of Technology Sydney.

    “The pictures were harrowing, showing street protests turning violent and the barbaric behaviour of Speight’s henchmen towards dissenters.

    “Thus began three months of heroic journalism by David’s student team — including through a period of martial law that began 10 days later and saw some of the most restrictive levels of censorship ever experienced in the South Pacific.”

    Leary paid tribute to some some of the “brave satire” produced by senior Fiji Times reporters filling paper with “non-news” (such as haircuts, drinking kava) as act of defiance.

    “My friend Anna Padarath returned from doing her masters in law in Australia on a scholarship to be closer to her Mum, whose hostage days within Parliament Grounds stretched into weeks and then months.

    Whanau Community Centre and Hub co-founder Nik Naidu speaking at the Asia Pacific Media Network event at the weekend. Image: Khairiah A. Rahman/APMN

    Invisible consequences
    “Anna would never return to her studies — one of the many invisible consequences of this profoundly destructive era in Fiji’s complex history.

    “Happily, she did go on to carve an incredible career as a women’s rights advocate.”

    “Meanwhile David’s so-called ‘barefoot student journalists’ — who snuck into Parliament the back way by bushtrack — were having their stories read and broadcast globally.

    “And those too shaken to even put their hands to keyboards on Day 1 emerged as journalism leaders who would go on to win prizes for their coverage.”

    Speight was sentenced to life in prison, but was pardoned in 2024.

    Taeri MP Ingrid Leary speaking at the Whānau Community Centre and Hub. Image: Nik Naidu/APMN

    Leary said that was just one chapter in the remarkable career of David Robie who had been an editor, news director, foreign news editor and freelance writer with a number of different agencies and news organisations — including Agence France-Presse, Rand Daily Mail, The Auckland Star, Insight Magazine, and New Outlook Magazine — “a family member to some, friend to many, mentor to most”.

    Reflecting on working with Dr Robie at USP, which she joined as television lecturer from Fiji Television, she said:

    “At the time, being a younger person, I thought he was a little but crazy, because he was communicating with people all around the world when digital media was in its infancy in Fiji, always on email, always getting up on online platforms, and I didn’t appreciate the power of online media at the time.

    “And it was incredible to watch.”

    Ahead of his time
    She said he was an innovator and ahead of his time.

    Dr Robie viewed journalism as a tool for empowerment, aiming to provide communities with the information they needed to make informed decisions.

    “We all know that David has been a champion of social justice and for decolonisation, and for the values of an independent Fourth Estate.”

    She said she appreciated the freedom to develop independent media as an educator, adding that one of her highlights was producing the groundbreaking documentary Maire about Maire Bopp Du Pont, who was a student journalist at USP and advocate for the Pacific community living with HIV/AIDs community.

    She later became a nuclear-free Pacific parliamentarian in Pape’ete.

    Leary presented Dr Robie with a “speaking stick” carved from an apricot tree branch by the husband of a Labour stalwart based in Cromwell — the event doubled as his 80th birthday.

    In response, Dr Robie said the occasion was a “golden opportunity” to thank many people who had encouraged and supported him over many years.

    Massive upheaval
    “We must have done something right,” he said about USP, “because in 2000, the year of George Speight’s coup, our students covered the massive upheaval which made headlines around the world when Mahendra Chaudhry’s Labour-led coalition government was held at gunpoint for 56 days.

    “The students courageously covered the coup with their website Pacific Journalism Online and their newspaper Wansolwara — “One Ocean”.  They won six Ossie Awards – unprecedented for a single university — in Australia that year and a standing ovation.”

    He said there was a video on YouTube of their exploits called Frontline Reporters and one of the students, Christine Gounder, wrote an article for a Commonwealth Press Union magazine entitled, “From trainees to professionals. And all it took was a coup”.

    Dr Robie said this Fiji experience was still one of the most standout experiences he had had as a journalist and educator.

    Along with similar coverage of the 1997 Sandline mercenary crisis by his students at the University of Papua New Guinea.

    He made some comments about the 1985 Rainbow Warrior voyage to Rongelap in the Marshall islands and the subsequent bombing by French secret agents in Auckland.

    But he added “you can read all about this adventure in my new book” being published in a few weeks.

    Taieri MP Ingrid Leary (right) with Dr David Robie and his wife Del Abcede at the Fiji Centre function. Image: Camille Nakhid

    Biggest 21st century crisis
    Dr Robie said the profession of journalism, truth telling and holding power to account, was vitally important to a healthy democracy.

    Although media did not succeed in telling people what to think, it did play a vital role in what to think about. However, the media world was undergoing massive change and fragmentation.

    “And public trust is declining in the face of fake news and disinformation,” he said

    “I think we are at a crossroads in society, both locally and globally. Both journalism and democracy are under an unprecedented threat in my lifetime.

    “When more than 230 journalists can be killed in 19 months in Gaza and there is barely a bleep from the global community, there is something savagely wrong.

    “The Gazan journalists won the UNESCO/Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize collectively last year with the judges saying, “As humanity, we have a huge debt to their courage and commitment to freedom of expression.”

    “The carnage and genocide in Gaza is deeply disturbing, especially the failure of the world to act decisively to stop it. The fact that Israel can kill with impunity at least 54,000 people, mostly women and children, destroy hospitals and starve people to death and crush a people’s right to live is deeply shocking.

    “This is the biggest crisis of the 21st century. We see this relentless slaughter go on livestreamed day after day and yet our media and politicians behave as if this is just ‘normal’. It is shameful, horrendous. Have we lost our humanity?

    “Gaza has been our test. And we have failed.”

    Other speakers included Whānau Hub co-founder Nik Naidu, one of the anti-coup Coalition for Democracy in Fiji (CDF) stalwarts; the Heritage New Zealand’s Antony Phillips; and Multimedia Investments and Evening Report director Selwyn Manning.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Free education in the ACT

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    • This article summarises free education and training available to Canberrans.
    • Support is available to children and students, as well as adults looking to change careers or upskill.

    Free education is available for Canberrans looking to start their career, change direction or upskill.

    Students and those returning to work can also access support.

    This is not an exhaustive list of free education in Canberra.

    Free three-year-old preschool

    Canberra families can access free preschool for children who are three years old. Canberra families can use preschool for free. They get up to 300 hours each year.

    This equates to about six hours per week, generating an average saving of $1329 per child for eligible families.

    For information on which Childhood Education and Care services across Canberra offer the free three-year-old preschool program visit act.gov.au/education.

    Free TAFE is jointly funded by the ACT and Australian Governments.

    Free TAFE offers free training courses through CIT for people who want to learn, retrain or upskill.

    The courses on offer address skills shortages across essential in-demand sectors such as:

    • hospitality and tourism
    • children’s education and care
    • construction
    • aged care, health and disability care
    • technical and digital.

    Find out more at cit.edu.au.

    ACT Women’s Return to Work Grants program

    This grants program supports women who have been out of the workforce for more than six months to re-enter the workforce.

    A grant of up to $1,000 is available to eligible woman who meet the criteria.

    The grants can be used for:

    • courses
    • resources for study
    • work clothing.

    Grant recipients also get a one-on-one mentoring session that offers:

    • links to education and training opportunities
    • employment support.

    Work Experience and Support program

    The Work Experience and Support program helps multicultural Canberrans who are unemployed.

    This program provides recipients a chance to:

    • build your skills and knowledge
    • experience an Australian workplace
    • improve your job seeking confidence and competitiveness
    • build a network of contacts in the ACT public service.

    The program runs full-time over 12 weeks. Successful participants will get a Certificate II in Workplace Skills from CIT.

    There are two application rounds per year. Find out more at act.gov.au.

    Adult and Community Education JobTrainer grants program

    The JobTrainer program assists Canberrans facing challenges in learning, training, and employment.

    It aims to help them develop essential skills needed to participate effectively in the labour market and contribute to Canberra’s economic growth.

    The programs are for participants aged 17 years or older and not enrolled in or attending a school, college or other program leading to the completion of Year 12.

    Libraries ACT’s digital resources

    Libraries ACT has a huge inventory of digital learning and educational materials for people of all ages.

    From learning to read, vocabulary or story time in languages other than English. Libraries ACT offers a huge range of learning resources.

    Canberrans can access:

    • a huge range of kid’s resources
    • newspapers, magazines and comics
    • arts and crafts instructional videos
    • English and foreign language resources.

    Stay up to date with news and events in the ACT, sign up to our email newsletter:Subscribe to OurCBR.

    Read more like this:

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

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Your guide to live music in Canberra

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Canberra is a vibrant hub for live music, offering a rich mix of international, national, and local performances. No matter your taste, there’s a venue and genre to suit everyone.

    Whether you’re heading to your local pub for a casual gig or counting down to a major concert you’ve had booked for months, Canberra’s diverse music scene has something for you.

    The Baso Belconnen (formerly known as the Basement)

    The Baso is known for its underground vibes and hosting some of the biggest touring acts in Canberra. A long-standing venue with a reputation for packed gigs and good music.

    The Pot Belly nourishes the soul of those seeking a venue that feels like a house party. From rock gigs to acoustic nights, it caters to your hard-core needs.

    The George is well-known for having great music and supporting local up and coming talent. Catch live music Wednesday, Fridays and Sundays.

    From Friday night jazz jams to debut tours, Gang-Gang has a list of gigs, comedy, trivia and music for everyone. A well-known inner-north hub for good music and times.

    Are live music and craft beer your jam? Then the Taphouse is a great spot to enjoy a chilled Friday night or Sunday with friends and a schnitzel.

    The Old Canberra Inn is a well-known pub in Lyneham. It has live music from local bands from Wednesday to Sunday. If you want a family-friendly meal and some quiet jazz or acoustic music, this is a great place to go.

    Live at the Polo is a beloved inner-north hub. It’s a live music venue that features local artists and musicians from around the world. You can check their music page to find out about intimate acoustic sets, energetic band nights, and music you can groove to.

    Iconic live music venues renowned for showcasing top international and national talent across all genres. Under the ucliveˣ brand, fresh lineups are released every month.

    On Tuesday evenings, enjoy performances by the city’s best local duos, trios, and quartets showcasing the smooth sounds of jazz. On Wednesday nights, there are jam sessions where top jazz musicians from Canberra play fun and lively Chicago-style jazz.

    Giddy up! Fun Time Pony is the perfect spot for those seeking a blend of lively music and a dance floor. Trivia, comedy, and live local bands every Saturday attract large crowds.

    Shadows is a vibrant venue that often spills out of the well-known Sydney Building. It features a diverse lineup of DJs and live bands, showcasing genres such as New Wave, Darkwave, Post-Punk, Goth, Glam, Art Rock, Industrial, and EBM.

    Squeaky Clean above Verity Lane has mastered the art of burgers and live music. Check out their Verity Lane Way Festivals and enjoy a mix of Canberra and surrounding talent.

    Smack bang in the heart of Canberra, King O’Malley’s offer at least four nights of live music a week. Catch up with friends over a drink and dinner and enjoy up-beat folk on Thursdays. There is rock’n’roll on Fridays and Saturdays and classic Irish folk music every Sunday evening.

    Live music and great food — Dissent is a café by day, dive bar by night. Join the team for an eclectic mix of live music and entertainment. Help support a vibrant live music scene and the strong community spirit that makes Canberra truly unique.

    A powerhouse for national and emerging talent, the Street Theatre is a staple for the Canberra communities performing arts and live music scene.

    Llewellyn Hall hosts a wide range of local and international performers, with frequent appearances by the Canberra Symphony Orchestra, Australian Chamber Orchestra, and Musica Viva. It also serves as an exceptional stage for diverse events, including contemporary music, comedy, dance, and public lectures.

    The pulse of live music and entertainment in Canberra, Canberra Theatre offers something for everyone, across all ages and musical tastes. From family favourites like Bluey to iconic artists like Paul Kelly, it delivers an unforgettable lineup sure to satisfy every live music lover.

    The capital’s largest events venue hosting major artists. Located in the heart of the city, within the CBD’s entertainment precinct, there’s superb sounds and a view from every seat.

    A buzzing southside community hub. The Irish Club showcases top talent from Canberra and nearby regions every Friday night. Known for its family friendly atmosphere, they also have traditional Irish music and live music each month.

    Rose Cottage showcases a variety of local talent. Whether you’re cozying up by the fire inside or enjoying the sunshine in the courtyard, there’s always a great lineup and plenty to enjoy.

    From jazz to First Nations open-mic nights and coventry jams, the Tuggeranong Arts Centre house a diverse and exciting range of artists and talents all year-round. Keep an eye out for live music and entertainment at the lakeside centre.

    Enjoy live music every Saturday night at the Durham, where Canberra’s best local bands and DJs come together for a fun night out.

    Renowned for its rich history of hosting legendary acts like Cold Chisel, INXS, AC/DC, and John Farnham. The German Club continues to build its reputation as a destination for great food and exceptional live music. Discover a dynamic lineup of local, interstate, and international artists and entertainment on their website.

    The Wesley Music Centre, located in Canberra’s inner south, is a lively hub for classical and chamber music. The Centre is home to numerous community arts groups and is dedicated to nurturing local musical talent. Join their popular Wednesday lunchtime concert series or weekly program of performances.

    More than one location

    Smith’s is one of Canberra’s most iconic and loved performance venues. The bar and performing arts café showcase events of all genres of music, comedy, poetry, cabaret, burlesque, performance art.

    P.J O’Reilly’s Irish Pub, Canberra City & Tuggeranong

    Canberra’s classic Irish pubs, located in both the City and Tuggeranong, offer a diverse range of entertainment and live music for everyone. From DJs to acoustic performers, you’re guaranteed a great meal and fantastic tunes no matter which side of town you’re on.

    To help you discover the right act or genre, check out these great resources:

    Stay up to date with news and events in the ACT, sign up to our email newsletter:Subscribe to OurCBR.

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

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Missing middle reforms to boost housing choice

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The reforms aim to create more diverse housing options that blend seamlessly into Canberra’s suburbs.

    In brief:

    • The ACT Government has proposed housing reforms.
    • These aim to enable more low-rise housing within existing Canberra suburbs.
    • Canberrans can have their say on the reforms via YourSay Conversations.

    The ACT Government has proposed reforms to increase housing supply and choice across the ACT.

    Changes to suburban zoning and new design requirements aim to boost supply of high quality, sustainable ‘missing middle’ housing types in Canberra.

    Canberrans can now learn more about the reforms and share their thoughts via the YourSay Conversations website.

    What is the ‘missing middle’?

    The term ‘missing middle’ refers to homes that are somewhere between detached standalone houses and medium- to high-rise apartments.

    These include:

    • multi-occupancy houses on a block
    • townhouses
    • terrace homes
    • low-rise apartments.

    These housing types offer Canberrans greater choice, close to existing:

    • schools
    • transport
    • shops
    • parks
    • community facilities and services.

    More choice, not just more homes

    Canberra’s population is set to reach 700,000 by 2050. The Missing Middle Reforms will greatly increase the Government’s ability to reach its goal of 30,000 new homes by 2030.

    The reforms go beyond simply building more homes. The aim is to create more diverse housing options that blend seamlessly into Canberra’s suburbs.

    This means increasing the land availability within the ACT’s existing urban footprint, to increase opportunities for development.

    Have your say on the reforms

    Canberrans can now share their thoughts on the reforms, which comprise:

    • suburban zoning changes
    • a Missing Middle Housing Design Guide, developed with local industry design and construction experts.

    To have your say, go to the YourSay Conversations website.

    Read more like this:

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


    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Five geoengineering trials the UK is funding to combat global warming

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Robert Chris, Honorary Associate, Geography, The Open University

    graphicwithart / shutterstock

    The UK government recently announced plans to fund five small-scale trials related to geoengineering. It’s the first time a state research funding body has put serious money into what’s known as solar radiation management, or SRM, which seeks to cool the planet by reflecting more of the Sun’s energy back into space.

    It’s easy to see why countries have been so hesitant to proceed with projects of this nature: SRM is highly controversial, even among scientists.

    Deliberately altering the atmosphere, a shared global resource, is fraught with ethical, geopolitical and practical problems. It is and always has been a crazy idea.

    However, many consider the failure to control carbon emissions means not intervening in this way is an even crazier idea. They consider it necessary to avert the collapse of ecosystems and society. Perhaps solar geoengineering is the price we must pay for our wholly inadequate climate change response to date.

    The good news is that SRM may be able to deliver some progress relatively quickly. Earth has become slightly less reflective over the past few decades. That’s mostly thanks to reduced cloud cover (warmer oceans cause clouds above them to evaporate), but also thanks to less snow and ice, and a significant reduction in nasty-but-reflective shipping fuel pollutants.

    By my calculations (based on data from US climate scientist James Hansen), this reduction in the reflectivity of Earth has caused as much warming as the 750 gigatonnes of CO₂ emitted since 2005. And while it will take decades to achieve significant global cooling through decarbonisation, it can be achieved relatively quickly by small increases in reflectivity.

    Of the 21 projects being funded by Aria, the UK government’s Advanced Research and Invention Agency, five are likely to involve small-scale outdoor experiments. They account for about half the £57 million programme.

    Three of the projects concern brightening clouds over the ocean, one explores a method of refreezing the Arctic and the fifth looks at a specific detail of injecting reflective aerosols into the stratosphere.

    The other projects concern how to govern these technologies and model and monitor their effects. They could also yield insights vital for securing the public and governmental support necessary if these technologies are ever to be deployed on a much larger scale.

    Marine cloud brightening

    Marine cloud brightening seeks to make clouds over the ocean more reflective. This is done by turning seawater into an aerosol spray and allowing air currents to loft salt crystals into the clouds, where they enhance the creation of reflective water droplets.

    Clouds above the ocean could become a key battleground in the fight against climate change.
    G_O_S / shutterstock

    The greatest challenge with this method is making enough seawater mist in which the droplets are of a uniform size, about 1 micron in diameter. The Reflect project led by the University of Manchester has received £6.1 million to explore “the technical feasibility and optimal methods” for generating these droplets.

    A team from the University of Reading has developed a process using drones to fire electric charges through fog to alter the size of its water droplets. Their Brightspark project has been awarded £2 million to determine whether this process would be viable and safe if applied to clouds. A second phase involving small-scale testing in the UK is contingent on further approval by Aria.

    Daniel Harrison, an oceanographer at Southern Cross University in Australia, has been researching marine cloud brightening for several years for the limited purpose of protecting the corals of the Great Barrier Reef. Preliminary results are positive.

    His previous work will be extended to assess if, and how, marine cloud brightening could work safely and effectively, but still only as a regional intermittent intervention to protect coral from marine heatwaves.

    This will also be a two-phase project (£1 million and £5 million respectively) in which the research will initially deal with modelling and spray design. Subject to further approvals, it will then test the newfound knowledge over the Great Barrier Reef.



    Read more:
    Could ‘marine cloud brightening’ reduce coral bleaching on the Great Barrier Reef?

    The remaining two projects are both from teams led by the Centre for Climate Repair at Cambridge University (I’m an associate researcher of the centre but I have no involvement in either of these projects).

    Arctic refreezing

    Engineer Shaun Fitzgerald has been awarded £9.9 million to extend an existing research project to examine the feasibility of thickening Arctic sea ice by pumping seawater from below the ice on to the surface, where it freezes. The idea is to increase the extent and thickness of sea ice in winter so that it endures longer through the summer.

    Thicker, longer-lasting sea ice may help keep global warming in check.
    Mozgova / shutterstock



    Read more:
    Arctic ice is vanishing – our bold experiment is trying to protect it

    The project also includes modelling to assess the impact this would have on a range of climate phenomena. Most significantly, this includes the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation, an ocean current that some fear is in imminent danger of weakening sufficiently to bring Siberian winters to north-west Europe.

    Stratospheric aerosol injection

    The final project being funded looks at the injection of aerosols into the stratosphere – higher than clouds – where they would reflect a little of the Sun’s energy back to space.

    Many regard this as the form of geoengineering most likely to happen. It is the most studied, as it replicates the natural cooling effect of certain big volcanic eruptions that put massive amounts of sulphate-based aerosols into the stratosphere. Scaling it to be climatically significant is thought to be relatively straightforward, and would probably be the cheapest cooling option.

    One significant concern is the health and environmental impact of these aerosols as they fall back to the planet’s surface. Hugh Hunt, also an engineering professor at Cambridge, has been awarded £5.5 million to examine a range of alternative aerosol compounds. The plan is to send tiny samples into the stratosphere in specially designed gondolas attached to balloons. The gondolas will later be recovered, so that the effect of the stratosphere on the samples can be examined. Nothing will be released into the atmosphere.

    A small step towards something much bigger

    Aria is treading a fine line with this programme.

    On the one hand, the organisation recognises that further interventions might be needed to mitigate the harm from the continuing failure to phase out fossil fuels. On the other, it recognises how controversial such interventions are. It is clearly anxious not to provoke a public furore that could undermine the research effort.

    In isolation, it is unlikely that this programme will fill any knowledge gaps that might encourage policymakers to push climate intervention up the international agenda. What it could demonstrate, however, is that with appropriate controls in place, it is safe to test these options.

    Perhaps the next funding round will support bigger outdoor experiments. These would help determine which technologies can eventually become the safe and effective climate interventions we desperately need.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 45,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Robert Chris 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. Five geoengineering trials the UK is funding to combat global warming – https://theconversation.com/five-geoengineering-trials-the-uk-is-funding-to-combat-global-warming-256515

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China has issued a stern warning over the US, Japan, Australia and the Philippines hyping up the so-called “China threat”

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    BEIJING, June 3 (Xinhua) — China has expressed strong dissatisfaction and resolute opposition to the United States, Japan, Australia and the Philippines hyping up the so-called “China threat” and inciting regional confrontation over issues related to the East China Sea and South China Sea, Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said on Tuesday.

    Responding to questions about the negative remarks made by the four countries towards China at the Shangri-La Dialogue forum, Lin Jian told a daily press conference that China had given them a stern reprimand.

    “The bloc policy and the clash of camps reflect the mentality of the Cold War era, which is at odds with the spirit of the times and is not welcomed by countries in the region,” Lin Jian said, adding that such actions do not solve the problem and cannot intimidate China.

    China’s determination and will to safeguard its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests are unwavering, he said.

    “We call on the United States and its allies to stop slandering and smearing China on maritime issues, distorting facts and shifting responsibility to others. They should stop forming exclusive ‘small groups’ and stop actions that undermine or disrupt regional countries’ efforts to resolve disputes through dialogue and maintain peace and stability,” Lin Jian said. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI: Fierce Medtech Names AI Pathology Leader Proscia to 2025 Fierce 15

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PHILADELPHIA, June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Proscia®, a software company accelerating pathology’s transition to digital and AI, today announced its inclusion in Fierce Medtech’s “Fierce 15” of 2025. This annual list honors private companies making an outsized impact on healthcare. Proscia earned its spot for its AI pathology leadership across the precision medicine value chain.

    Proscia’s Concentriq® platform delivers a uniquely comprehensive approach to AI from drug discovery to diagnostics. It incorporates a portfolio of best-in-class applications, tools for building algorithms, and AI-native features into routine workflows, helping its user base of over 12,000 pathologists and scientists to drive efficiencies, identify novel biomarkers, and develop and deploy companion diagnostics. Concentriq is trusted by 16 of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies as well as major laboratories set to diagnose 32,000 patients per day on the platform this year.

    “AI in pathology is about much more than use case-specific applications and individual foundation models,” said David West, Proscia’s CEO. “We’re equipping both life sciences organizations and diagnostic laboratories to fully harness AI’s potential to rewire pathology and drive precision medicine forward. Fierce Medtech’s recognition validates the impact of our broad approach for our users and patients.”

    This honor builds on a series of high-impact milestones for Proscia. Last week, Labcorp announced it adopted Concentriq LS to accelerate clinical trials and companion diagnostic development as part of its expanded precision oncology portfolio. Proscia also recently launched Concentriq Embeddings to accelerate AI development with foundation models, demonstrating a 13x efficiency gain. Additionally, the company introduced a real-world data offering enabling data scientists to leverage over 10 million pathology images with associated clinical and genomic data to fuel their AI algorithms.

    Proscia is continuing to accelerate its momentum. In March, the company announced $50M in funding led by Insight Partners to increasingly weave AI into Concentriq’s core and drive its commercial growth. The company is also adding to the 120+ research and diagnostic applications already available on the platform through its precision medicine AI portfolio.

    Proscia will demonstrate the accessibility of its AI development tools at the Digital Pathology & AI Congress in its hometown of Philadelphia. On June 4, it will host a pre-conference workshop where participants can build functional AI applications in under two hours without programming experience. Learn more about ‘From Pixels to Insight’ and register to attend here.

    View the full Fierce 15 list here.

    About Proscia
    Proscia is a software company accelerating pathology’s transition to a digital, data-driven discipline and enabling AI to advance precision medicine. Its Concentriq enterprise pathology platform, precision medicine AI portfolio, and real-world data fuel the development and use of novel therapies and diagnostics to drive the fight against humanity’s most challenging diseases, like cancer. 16 of the top 20 pharmaceutical companies and a global network of diagnostic laboratories rely on Proscia’s solutions each day. The company has FDA 510(k) clearance and CE-IVDR certification for its diagnostic software. For more information, visit proscia.com, and follow Proscia on LinkedIn and X.

    Contact:
    Sydney Fenkell
    VP, Marketing Communications
    sydney@proscia.com
    215.816.3436

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Willis Lease Finance Corporation Announces Offering of $596 Million in Fixed Rate Notes

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COCONUT CREEK, Fla., June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Willis Lease Finance Corporation (NASDAQ: WLFC) (“WLFC” or the “Company”), a leading lessor of commercial jet engines, announced today that its wholly-owned subsidiary, Willis Engine Structured Trust VIII (“WEST”), proposes to offer $524 million in aggregate principal amount of Series A Fixed Rate Notes (the “Initial Series A Notes”) and $72 million in aggregate principal amount of Series B Fixed Rate Notes (the “Initial Series B Notes” and, together with the Initial Series A Notes, the “Initial Notes”). The Notes will be secured by, among other things, WEST’s direct and indirect interests in a portfolio of 62 aircraft engines and two airframes, which WEST will acquire from WLFC or its other subsidiaries pursuant to an asset purchase agreement.

    The net proceeds of the Notes will be primarily applied to (i) pay certain fees and expenses related to the offering of the Notes, (ii) deposit initial amounts in reserve accounts for security deposits, maintenance expenses and other expenses and (iii) pay WLFC periodically over a 270-day delivery period the consideration for the aircraft engines and the airframes acquired by WEST from WLFC in connection with the financing. WLFC and its subsidiaries will apply any net proceeds it receives to repay debt collateral by the assets and for general corporate purposes.

    The Notes being offered by WEST have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), or any other securities laws of any jurisdiction, and may not be offered or sold in the United States or to U.S. persons (as defined in Regulation S under the Securities Act) absent registration or an applicable exemption from registration requirements. The Notes are being offered only to persons reasonably believed to be “qualified institutional buyers” as defined in, and in reliance on, Rule 144A under the Securities Act and outside the United States to non-U.S. persons in accordance with Regulation S under the Securities Act.

    This news release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of, the Notes in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the Securities Act or the securities laws of any such jurisdiction. This news release is being issued pursuant to and in accordance with Rule 135c under the Securities Act.

    Except for historical information, the matters discussed in this press release contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Do not unduly rely on forward-looking statements, which give only expectations about the future and are not guarantees. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update them to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which the forward-looking statement is based, except as required by law. Our actual results may differ materially from the results discussed in forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to: the effects on the airline industry and the global economy of events such as war, terrorist activity and global pandemics; changes in oil prices, rising inflation and other disruptions to the world markets; trends in the airline industry and our ability to capitalize on those trends, including growth rates of markets and other economic factors; risks associated with owning and leasing jet engines and aircraft; our ability to successfully negotiate equipment purchases, sales and leases, to collect outstanding amounts due and to control costs and expenses; changes in interest rates and availability of capital, both to us and our customers; our ability to continue to meet changing customer demands; regulatory changes affecting airline operations, aircraft maintenance, accounting standards and taxes; the market value of engines and other assets in our portfolio; and risks detailed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and other continuing and current reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. It is advisable, however, to consult any further disclosures the Company makes on related subjects in such filings.

    CONTACT: Scott B. Flaherty
      Executive Vice President &
    Chief Financial Officer
      sflaherty@willislease.com
      561.413.0112

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Sanborn Expands Airborne Geophysics Fleet with Second Fixed-Wing Aircraft for Large-Scale Geophysical Surveys

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo., June 03, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Sanborn Map Company, Inc. (Sanborn), a leading provider of remote sensing and geophysical survey solutions, has expanded its airborne capabilities with the addition of a second fixed-wing aircraft equipped specifically for large-scale geophysical data collection. This expansion enhances Sanborn’s capacity to deliver efficient, high-resolution subsurface insights across expansive project areas.

    The new aircraft is outfitted with advanced geophysical instrumentation, provided by Sanborn Geophysics ULC. It includes three high sensitivity magnetometers and a full spectrum radiometric system. This setup enables the detection of subtle magnetic and radiometric anomalies critical for geological mapping, mineral exploration, and environmental assessment.

    “The growing demand for large scale geophysical surveys justified more geophysics aircraft in our fleet,” said John Copple, CEO of Sanborn. “This investment enhances responsiveness and improves scheduling efficiency for our customers.”

    With this investment, Sanborn continues to build on its legacy of innovation in remote sensing and geophysical services — offering a scalable, aircraft-based solution for organizations seeking actionable data across vast and varied landscapes.

    For more information about Sanborn’s airborne geophysics capabilities, visit www.sanborn.com/sanborn-geophysics or contact info@sanborn.com.

    Company Information

    The Sanborn Map Company, Inc. (Sanborn) is a leading geospatial solutions provider with over 150 years of experience supporting public and private sector clients. Sanborn specializes in high-resolution nadir and oblique imagery, LiDAR, geophysics, and geospatial data and analytics. The company also provides scalable staff augmentation for transportation, utilities, infrastructure, and emergency management. Sanborn’s airborne platforms enable efficient, wide-area data collection. With a focus on innovation, quality, and security, Sanborn delivers precise, actionable intelligence that supports resilient, data-driven decisions across a wide range of industries and applications.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/75060327-0002-4724-98aa-e290217f55b9

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hong Kong Police conducts cross-border anti-scam operation with six countries and regions

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Hong Kong Police Force, in collaboration with the police forces of Macao Special Administrative Region (SAR), Malaysia, the Maldives, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand, conducted the first joint operation of the Cross-border Anti-Scam Collaboration Platform “FRONTIER+” from April 28 to May 28. The operation achieved significant results in combating cross-border scam activities.

         During the month-long operation, over 2 700 law enforcement officers from seven countries and regions were deployed, successfully identifying and dismantling multiple cross-border scam syndicates. In total, 1 858 individuals (aged between 14 and 81) were arrested, involving 9 268 scam cases, including online shopping scams, telephone deceptions (such as government official impersonation scams and impersonating customer service scams), investment scams, rental scams, and employment scams, etc, with a total loss amounting to US$225 million. A total of 32 607 bank accounts were frozen, and approximately US$20 million fraudulent funds were intercepted, effectively disrupting criminal cash flows. Enforcement details of the countries and regions are set out in the Annex.

         Investigation revealed that scam trends show notable similarities across different jurisdictions. For instance, the impersonation of customer service representatives emerged as a widespread scam tactic in Hong Kong in 2024 and the trend started to drop in 2025 after police intervention. However, similar fraudulent schemes employing identical scripts and excuses to deceive citizens into monetary losses began to appear in Singapore and Macao SAR in 2025. This underscores the critical need for cross-jurisdictional collaboration and intelligence sharing to combat scam syndicates effectively.

         The Cross-border Anti-Scam Collaboration Platform “FRONTIER+” was jointly established by various anti-scam centres in October 2024. As of now, the platform includes anti-scam centres from 10 countries and regions, namely Australia, Canada, Hong Kong SAR, Indonesia, Macao SAR, Malaysia, the Maldives, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand. By strengthening intelligence exchange and coordinated actions, the platform aims to combat scams, cyber-related crimes and money laundering. The platform will continue to conduct real-time intelligence analysis and sharing, carry out cross-border joint operations from time to time, and expand its network by inviting more countries and regions to join in order to enhance enforcement efficiency.

         Members of the public are urged to remain vigilant against scams at all times and to exercise caution in their financial transactions. Avoid hastily clicking on hyperlinks, downloading mobile applications, or logging into suspicious websites. If in doubt, the public is advised to verify suspicious information or websites using “Scameter” on CyberDefender’s website (cyberdefender.hk/en-us/scameter/), or the mobile app “Scameter+”; or to call the “Anti-Scam Helpline 18222” for enquiries

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Hongkong Post unveils new stamp issues for July to December 2025

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         â€‹Hongkong Post announced today (June 3) that five sets of special stamps with various themes will be issued from July to December 2025. Each stamp issue has its own ingenious design and distinctive style, making the stamps valuable collectables for philatelists and the public.
          
         Inscribed on the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2016, the “24 solar terms” of the Chinese calendar reflect the change of seasons and meteorological patterns. Following the “24 Solar Terms – Spring” special stamps and “24 Solar Terms – Summer” special stamps issued in 2020 and 2023 respectively, Hongkong Post will issue special stamps themed on “24 Solar Terms – Autumn”, featuring six solar terms of autumn, namely “Autumn Commences”, “End of Heat”, “White Dew”, “Autumnal Equinox”, “Cold Dew” and “Frost”.
          
         The Central Government gifted a pair of giant pandas, Ying Ying and Le Le, to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) in 2007. The pair welcomed a pair of cubs, Jia Jia and De De, on August 15, 2024. The twin cubs have since captured the hearts of the public, who have been keenly following their growth. Hongkong Post will issue special stamps themed on “Giant Panda Twin Cubs” to showcase the highlights of Jia Jia and De De’s daily lives at different stages and witness their growth journey.
          
         In Hong Kong, there are many distinctive hiking trails, offering hikers a diverse array of green experiences. Among them, the Wilson Trail is a long-distance hiking trail that begins at Stanley and finishes at Nam Chung in the New Territories, stretching approximately 78 kilometres across Hong Kong Island, Kowloon and the New Territories. Hongkong Post will issue a set of 10 special stamps themed on “Hong Kong Hiking Trails Series No. 3: Wilson Trail” to feature the gorgeous scenery of various sections along the Wilson Trail.
          
         Hong Kong’s airport plays an indispensable role in the successful development of Hong Kong into an international aviation hub. The passenger terminal of Kai Tak Airport was completed and commenced service as early as in the 1960s. In view of the growing demand for air traffic, Kai Tak Airport completed its historical mission in 1998 when Hong Kong International Airport relocated from Kai Tak to Chek Lap Kok. At present, it has developed a three-runway system. Meanwhile, the Government of the HKSAR is pressing ahead with the Airport City development strategy. Hongkong Post will issue a set of special stamps on the theme of “Aviation Development in Hong Kong” to feature the thriving aviation development in the city.
          
         Christmas is a season full of joy, warmth and blessings. As a city embracing both Chinese and Western cultures, Hong Kong showcases a lively festive ambience throughout Christmas. Hongkong Post will issue special stamps on the theme of “Christmas Stamps V”, which adopt the night view of Victoria Harbour as the background, showcasing a variety of Christmas elements under the starry sky and highlighting the joy of the festive season.
          
         Customers may place advance orders for the above new stamp products from today on Hongkong Post’s online shopping mall “ShopThruPost” (shopthrupost.hongkongpost.hk). Customers may also visit the Facebook page “郵票．郵趣@Hongkong Post Stamps” (www.facebook.com/HKPStamps) for more details. Customers who place orders by June 23 (Monday) will receive attractive gifts and bonus points. Further information about placing orders can be obtained from the Hongkong Post Stamps website (stamps.hongkongpost.hk) or by calling the Hongkong Post Philatelic Bureau hotline at 2785 5711.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Joint anti-scam operation a success

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The Hong Kong Police Force, in collaboration with its counterparts in Macau, Malaysia, the Maldives, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand, conducted the first joint operation of FRONTIER+, a cross-boundary anti-scam platform.

    During the month-long operation that began on April 28, 1,858 individuals were arrested, involving 9,268 cases of online shopping scams, telephone deceptions, investment scams, rental scams and employment scams, with a total loss amounting to US$225 million.

    Moreover, 32,607 bank accounts were frozen and approximately US$20 million in fraudulent funds were intercepted, effectively disrupting criminal cash flows.

    At a press conference this afternoon, Hong Kong Police Force Commercial Crime Bureau Chief Superintendent Wong Chun-yue said investigations revealed that scams across different jurisdictions showed notable similarities.

    For instance, the impersonation of customer service representatives emerged as a widespread scam tactic in Hong Kong in 2024, and became less prevalent in 2025 after police intervention. Also in 2025, similar fraudulent schemes employing identical scripts and excuses began to appear in Singapore and Macau.

    This observation underscores the critical need for cross-jurisdictional collaboration and intelligence sharing to combat scam syndicates effectively, Mr Wong pointed out.

    Established by various anti-scam centres in October 2024, FRONTIER+ now comprises 10 countries and regions, including Australia, Canada, the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Indonesia, the Macao SAR, Malaysia, the Maldives, Singapore, South Korea and Thailand.

    By strengthening intelligence exchange and co-ordinated actions, the platform aims to combat scams, cyber-related crimes and money laundering. It will continue to conduct real-time intelligence analysis and sharing, carry out cross-boundary joint operations, and expand its network by inviting more countries and regions to join, in order to enhance enforcement efficiency.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Weather News – First week of winter brings stormy conditions and cold temperatures – MetService

    Source: MetService

    Covering period of Tuesday 3rd – Sunday 8th June – Another bout of windy and wet weather is due to run across New Zealand this week followed by a wintry feeling weekend with cold temperatures across the country and even some snowfall for the South Island.  

    MetService is forecasting a broad area of rain to move across the country from west to east during Wednesday, with the heaviest rain expected in Taranaki Maunga and Tasman District where Heavy Rain Warnings have been issued. The rain and strong winds are the result of a rapidly deepening area of low pressure forming off the eastern coast of Australia and crossing the country.  

    MetService Meteorologist John Law says, “This week we see another visitor arriving from the Tasman Sea and it’s set to bring some active weather with it, but it’s not just the wind and rain we have to watch out for, with cold air rushing in behind this system it’s going to be a much colder end to the week.”
     
    Heavy Rain Warnings have been issued for Bay of Plenty east of Whakatāne and inland Gisborne/Tairāwhiti, Tongariro National Park, Taranaki Maunga, the Tararua Range, Tasman District west of Motueka and Marlborough Ranges. Heavy Rain Watches have been issued for Northland, Auckland, Buller, Grey, Westland and Fiordland.

    The rain on Wednesday is expected to be accompanied by thunderstorms in the northern and western parts of the North Island, with localised downpours, strong and gusty winds forecast. Strong Wind Watches have been issued for Northland, Auckland, Bay of Plenty, Gisborne, Taranaki, Wellington and Wairarapa.

    Overnight Wednesday, the Canterbury High Country is likely to find rain turning to snow, especially across the higher parts of the region and impacting the higher roads and passes. A Heavy Snow Watch has been issued for the region, with heavy snow possible above 300 metres (or possibly lower).

    “As we’ve turned into June the weather will be taking on a real wintry feel,” says Law. “On Wednesday, we’ll be expecting snow for some of the higher roads of the Canterbury region so take extra care and keep up with the latest forecasts as well as the latest road information from NZTA.”

    Temperatures are set to tumble for the end of the week, with daytime highs struggling to get beyond the teens across the country.  

    “The second half of the week will be feeling very different to the first, as cold southwesterly winds sweep across New Zealand,” says Law. “The coldest spots will be found in Central Otago, where daytime temperatures for Wānaka and Alexandra are only likely to reach 3°C or 4°C this weekend.”  
     
    While snow is set to stay about the high country on Wednesday and Thursday, the colder air on Friday brings the potential of snow to lower areas of Canterbury.
    “Cold air and wintry showers will feature in the forecast for parts of the South Island on Friday, but the heaviest snow is expected over the highest parts of Canterbury overnight on Wednesday. Snow is likely to near sea level on Friday for Canterbury, Otago, Southland and Fiordland. While this snow is likely to be significant and may cause disruptions to travel, at this stage warning amounts are not expected,” Law concludes.

    Understanding MetService Severe Weather Warning System

    Severe Thunderstorm Warnings (Localised Red Warning) – take cover now:

    This warning is a red warning for a localised area.
    When extremely severe weather is occurring or will do within the hour.
    Severe thunderstorms have the ability to have significant impacts for an area indicated in the warning.
    In the event of a Severe Thunderstorm Red Warning: Act now!

    Red Warnings are about taking immediate action:

    When extremely severe weather is imminent or is occurring
    Issued when an event is expected to be among the worst that we get – it will have significant impact and it is possible that a lot of people will be affected
    In the event of a Red Warning: Act now!

    Orange Warnings are about taking action:

    When severe weather is imminent or is occurring
    Typically issued 1 – 3 days in advance of potential severe weather
    In the event of an Orange Warning: Take action.

    Thunderstorm Watch means thunderstorms are possible, be alert and consider action

    Show the area that thunderstorms are most likely to occur during the validity period.
    Although thunderstorms are often localised, the whole area is on watch as it is difficult to know exactly where the severe thunderstorm will occur within the mapped area.
    During a thunderstorm Watch: Stay alert and take action if necessary.

    Watches are about being alert:

    When severe weather is possible, but not sufficiently imminent or certain for a warning to be issued
    Typically issued 1 – 3 days in advance of potential severe weather.
    During a Watch: Stay alert

    Outlooks are about looking ahead:

    To provide advanced information on possible future Watches and/or Warnings
    Issued routinely once or twice a day
    Recommendation: Plan.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: WorkSafe needs more investment to keep workers safe, not a road cone hot line – PSA

    Source: PSA
    The Government’s latest plan for making workplaces safer won’t work when WorkSafe lacks the resources to be the tough regulator it needs to be.
    “We have an appalling safety record in this country, and this plan fails to invest more in WorkSafe so it can do a better job of ensuring workers come home safe and sound,” said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association for Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
    WorkSafe has received no extra Budget funding from this government and almost one in five workers has been shown the door in recent years. Jobs axed include health specialists, advisors, researchers, evaluators and legal kaimahi who support WorkSafe inspectors and whose role is to educate businesses and protect workers from poor health and safety practices.
    “Nothing in this plan today adequately responds to our fatality record which is around double that of Australia.
    “Employers should be fearful about prosecution if they don’t keep worker safe and alive. But the Government is happy to take the pressure off businesses and water down the enforcement activities of WorkSafe.
    “It’s not good enough. WorkSafe is recruiting more inspectors, but not nearly enough. Australia has 11 inspectors for every 100,000 workers, while New Zealand has 6.5 and turnover remains high.
    “Guidance for businesses needs to be updated, so they know how to reduce harm in the workplace, but they can’t do it alone. Only a well resourced WorkSafe can do that working alongside business.
    “The hotline to report road cones, which are a safety tool for motorists and workers, is a red herring. It says everything we need to know about the Government’s priorities.
    “It’s not enough to end pay equity, now the Government is coming after our health and safety protections as well. It’s appalling.”
    The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –