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Category: Australia

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for May 31, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on May 31, 2025.

    Detroit’s population grew in 2023, 2024 − a strategy to welcome immigrants helps explain the turnaround from decades of population decline
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul N. McDaniel, Associate Professor of Geography, Kennesaw State University The Mexican-American community in southwest Detroit held a rally in March 2025, asking ICE to leave the immigrant community alone. Jim West/UCG/Universal Images Group via Getty Images Detroit’s population grew in 2024 for the second year in

    Hurricane season is here, but FEMA’s policy change could leave low-income areas less protected
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ivis García, Associate Professor of Landscape Architecture and Urban Planning, Texas A&M University Hurricane Harvey inundated the Cottage Grove neighborhood of Houston in 2018. Scott Olson/Getty Images When powerful storms hit your city, which neighborhoods are most likely to flood? In many cities, they’re typically low-income areas.

    Shock NSW Senate result as One Nation beats Labor to win final seat
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne The button was pressed to electronically distribute preferences for the New South Wales Senate today. All analysts expected Labor to win the final seat, for a three

    GPs will be a great help for managing ADHD medications. But many patients will still need specialists
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Guastella, Professor and Clinical Psychologist, Michael Crouch Chair in Child and Youth Mental Health, University of Sydney The New South Wales government this week announced reforms that will allow some GPs to treat and potentially diagnose attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). This aims to make ADHD care

    Will elections for judges make Mexico the ‘most democratic country in the world’? Critics fear the opposite
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Luis Gómez Romero, Senior Lecturer in Human Rights, Constitutional Law and Legal Theory, University of Wollongong On Sunday, Mexico will hold an unprecedented election, becoming the first country in the world to allow voters to elect judges at every level. Voters will elect approximately half the judges

    What is mantle cell lymphoma? Magda Szubanski’s ‘rare and fast-moving’ cancer, explained
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John (Eddie) La Marca, Senior Research Officer, Blood Cells and Blood Cancer, WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research) Lisa Maree Williams/Getty Beloved Australian actor, Magda Szubanski, has revealed she’s been diagnosed with a “very rare, very aggressive, very serious” blood cancer called mantle cell

    Keith Rankin Analysis – Who, neither politician nor monarch, executed 100,000 civilians in a single night?
    Analysis by Keith Rankin. Who, neither politician nor monarch, executed 100,000 civilians in a single night? Answer: Curtis LeMay, American Air Force General, in the wee hours of 10 March 1945. While authorised by his immediate superior, this firebombing of Tokyo was a decentralised military operation which received subsequent popular approval. It was called ‘Operation

    ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for May 30, 2025
    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on May 30, 2025.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Arrest – Domestic violence offences – Palmerston

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested a 41-year-old male in relation to a domestic violence incident in Palmerston yesterday.

    About 12:30pm, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received reports of a female being stabbed multiple times at the back of a shopping centre nearby Kilgour Lane.

    The male and female are known to each other.

    Police arrived and arrested the male nearby. St John Ambulance conveyed the female to Royal Darwin Hospital in a stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries.

    The incident is still under investigation and charges are expected to follow.

    Anyone who witnessed the incident is urged to contact police on 131 444 and reference job number NTP2500055552. You can anonymously report crime via Crime Stoppers by calling 1800 333 000.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Tornado Watch 350

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL0

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 350
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    455 PM EDT Fri May 30 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    District Of Columbia
    Delaware
    Central and Eastern Maryland
    Central and Southern New Jersey
    Southeast Pennsylvania
    Northern and Eastern Virginia
    Coastal Waters

    * Effective this Friday afternoon from 455 PM until Midnight EDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    A couple tornadoes possible
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 65 mph possible
    Isolated large hail events to 1.5 inches in diameter possible

    SUMMARY…Scattered thunderstorms are forecast to continue to
    develop late this afternoon and continue through the evening as
    storms progress from west to east across the Watch. A few
    supercells are forecast with an attendant risk for a couple of
    tornadoes, damaging gusts, and isolated large hail. Additional
    thunderstorm bands may also pose a risk for damaging gusts before
    all of this activity moves east of the coast.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 90 statute miles
    east and west of a line from 50 miles east of South Hill VA to 30
    miles northwest of Philadelphia PA. For a complete depiction of the
    watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU0).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for
    tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch
    area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for
    threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements
    and possible warnings.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 347…WW 348…

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 55 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 400. Mean
    storm motion vector 23025.

    …Smith

    SEL0

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 350
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    455 PM EDT Fri May 30 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    District Of Columbia
    Delaware
    Central and Eastern Maryland
    Central and Southern New Jersey
    Southeast Pennsylvania
    Northern and Eastern Virginia
    Coastal Waters

    * Effective this Friday afternoon from 455 PM until Midnight EDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    A couple tornadoes possible
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 65 mph possible
    Isolated large hail events to 1.5 inches in diameter possible

    SUMMARY…Scattered thunderstorms are forecast to continue to
    develop late this afternoon and continue through the evening as
    storms progress from west to east across the Watch. A few
    supercells are forecast with an attendant risk for a couple of
    tornadoes, damaging gusts, and isolated large hail. Additional
    thunderstorm bands may also pose a risk for damaging gusts before
    all of this activity moves east of the coast.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 90 statute miles
    east and west of a line from 50 miles east of South Hill VA to 30
    miles northwest of Philadelphia PA. For a complete depiction of the
    watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU0).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for
    tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch
    area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for
    threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements
    and possible warnings.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 347…WW 348…

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 55 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 400. Mean
    storm motion vector 23025.

    …Smith

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW0
    WW 350 TORNADO DC DE MD NJ PA VA CW 302055Z – 310400Z
    AXIS..90 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    50E AVC/SOUTH HILL VA/ – 30NW PHL/PHILADELPHIA PA/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 80NM E/W /47WSW ORF – 25S ETX/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..1.5 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..55 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 400. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 23025.

    LAT…LON 36687876 40157736 40157394 36687551

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU0.

    Watch 350 Status Report Messages:

    STATUS REPORT #3 ON WW 350

    VALID 302340Z – 310040Z

    SEVERE WEATHER THREAT CONTINUES RIGHT OF A LINE FROM 5 SSW AVC TO
    20 SW RIC TO 35 NNW RIC TO 40 SW DCA TO 20 SSE MRB.

    FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SEE MESOSCALE DISCUSSION 1051

    ..WENDT..05/30/25

    ATTN…WFO…LWX…PHI…AKQ…CTP…

    &&

    STATUS REPORT FOR WT 350

    SEVERE WEATHER THREAT CONTINUES FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS

    DEC001-003-005-310040-

    DE
    . DELAWARE COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

    KENT NEW CASTLE SUSSEX
    $$

    DCC001-310040-

    DC
    . DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

    DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
    $$

    MDC003-005-009-011-013-015-017-019-021-025-027-029-031-033-035-
    037-039-041-043-045-047-510-310040-

    MD
    . MARYLAND COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

    ANNE ARUNDEL BALTIMORE CALVERT
    CAROLINE CARROLL CECIL
    CHARLES DORCHESTER FREDERICK
    HARFORD HOWARD KENT
    MONTGOMERY PRINCE GEORGES QUEEN ANNE’S
    ST. MARYS SOMERSET TALBOT
    WASHINGTON WICOMICO WORCESTER

    MARYLAND INDEPENDENT CITIES INCLUDED ARE

    BALTIMORE CITY
    $$

    NJC001-005-007-009-011-015-021-025-029-033-310040-

    NJ
    . NEW JERSEY COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

    ATLANTIC BURLINGTON CAMDEN
    CAPE MAY CUMBERLAND GLOUCESTER
    MERCER MONMOUTH OCEAN
    SALEM
    $$

    PAC001-017-029-045-071-091-101-133-310040-

    PA
    . PENNSYLVANIA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

    ADAMS BUCKS CHESTER
    DELAWARE LANCASTER MONTGOMERY
    PHILADELPHIA YORK
    $$

    VAC001-013-025-033-036-041-053-057-059-073-081-085-087-093-095-
    097-099-101-103-107-115-119-127-131-133-149-153-159-175-179-181-
    183-193-199-510-550-570-595-600-610-620-630-650-670-683-685-700-
    710-730-735-740-760-800-810-830-310040-

    VA
    . VIRGINIA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

    ACCOMACK ARLINGTON BRUNSWICK
    CAROLINE CHARLES CITY CHESTERFIELD
    DINWIDDIE ESSEX FAIRFAX
    GLOUCESTER GREENSVILLE HANOVER
    HENRICO ISLE OF WIGHT JAMES CITY
    KING AND QUEEN KING GEORGE KING WILLIAM
    LANCASTER LOUDOUN MATHEWS
    MIDDLESEX NEW KENT NORTHAMPTON
    NORTHUMBERLAND PRINCE GEORGE PRINCE WILLIAM
    RICHMOND SOUTHAMPTON STAFFORD
    SURRY SUSSEX WESTMORELAND
    YORK

    VIRGINIA INDEPENDENT CITIES INCLUDED ARE

    ALEXANDRIA CHESAPEAKE COLONIAL HEIGHTS
    EMPORIA FAIRFAX FALLS CHURCH
    FRANKLIN FREDERICKSBURG HAMPTON
    HOPEWELL MANASSAS MANASSAS PARK
    NEWPORT NEWS NORFOLK PETERSBURG
    POQUOSON PORTSMOUTH RICHMOND
    SUFFOLK VIRGINIA BEACH WILLIAMSBURG
    $$

    ANZ430-431-450-451-452-453-454-455-530-531-532-533-534-535-536-
    537-538-539-540-541-542-543-630-631-632-634-635-636-637-638-650-
    652-654-656-310040-

    CW

    . ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS INCLUDED ARE

    DELAWARE BAY WATERS NORTH OF EAST POINT NJ TO SLAUGHTER BEACH DE

    DELAWARE BAY WATERS SOUTH OF EAST POINT NJ TO SLAUGHTER BEACH DE

    COASTAL WATERS FROM SANDY HOOK TO MANASQUAN INLET NJ OUT 20 NM

    COASTAL WATERS FROM MANASQUAN INLET TO LITTLE EGG INLET NJ OUT 20
    NM

    COASTAL WATERS FROM LITTLE EGG INLET TO GREAT EGG INLET NJ OUT 20
    NM

    COASTAL WATERS FROM GREAT EGG INLET TO CAPE MAY NJ OUT 20 NM

    COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE MAY NJ TO CAPE HENLOPEN DE OUT 20 NM

    COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE HENLOPEN TO FENWICK ISLAND DE OUT 20 NM

    CHESAPEAKE BAY NORTH OF POOLES ISLAND MD

    CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM POOLES ISLAND TO SANDY POINT MD

    CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM SANDY POINT TO NORTH BEACH MD

    CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM NORTH BEACH TO DRUM POINT MD

    CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM DRUM POINT MD TO SMITH POINT VA

    TIDAL POTOMAC FROM KEY BRIDGE TO INDIAN HEAD MD

    TIDAL POTOMAC FROM INDIAN HEAD TO COBB ISLAND MD

    TIDAL POTOMAC FROM COBB ISLAND MD TO SMITH POINT VA

    PATAPSCO RIVER INCLUDING BALTIMORE HARBOR

    CHESTER RIVER TO QUEENSTOWN MD

    EASTERN BAY

    CHOPTANK RIVER TO CAMBRIDGE MD AND THE LITTLE CHOPTANK RIVER

    PATUXENT RIVER TO BROOMES ISLAND MD

    TANGIER SOUND AND THE INLAND WATERS SURROUNDING BLOODSWORTH
    ISLAND

    CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM SMITH POINT TO WINDMILL POINT VA

    CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM WINDMILL POINT TO NEW POINT COMFORT VA

    CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM NEW POINT COMFORT TO LITTLE CREEK VA

    CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM LITTLE CREEK VA TO CAPE HENRY VA INCLUDING
    THE CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE TUNNEL

    RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER FROM URBANNA TO WINDMILL POINT

    YORK RIVER

    JAMES RIVER FROM JAMESTOWN TO THE JAMES RIVER BRIDGE

    JAMES RIVER FROM JAMES RIVER BRIDGE TO HAMPTON ROADS
    BRIDGE-TUNNEL

    COASTAL WATERS FROM FENWICK ISLAND DE TO CHINCOTEAGUE VA OUT 20
    NM

    COASTAL WATERS FROM CHINCOTEAGUE TO PARRAMORE ISLAND VA OUT 20 NM

    COASTAL WATERS FROM PARRAMORE ISLAND TO CAPE CHARLES LIGHT VA OUT
    20 NM

    COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE CHARLES LIGHT TO VIRGINIA-NORTH CAROLINA
    BORDER OUT TO 20 NM

    $$
    THE WATCH STATUS MESSAGE IS FOR GUIDANCE PURPOSES ONLY. PLEASE
    REFER TO WATCH COUNTY NOTIFICATION STATEMENTS FOR OFFICIAL
    INFORMATION ON COUNTIES…INDEPENDENT CITIES AND MARINE ZONES
    CLEARED FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND TORNADO WATCHES.
    $$

    STATUS REPORT #2 ON WW 350

    VALID 302255Z – 302340Z

    SEVERE WEATHER THREAT CONTINUES RIGHT OF A LINE FROM 30 ENE DAN
    TO 35 N AVC TO 30 ESE CHO TO 25 NNE CHO.

    FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SEE MESOSCALE DISCUSSION 1049

    ..WENDT..05/30/25

    ATTN…WFO…LWX…PHI…AKQ…CTP…

    &&

    STATUS REPORT FOR WT 350

    SEVERE WEATHER THREAT CONTINUES FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS

    DEC001-003-005-302340-

    DE
    . DELAWARE COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

    KENT NEW CASTLE SUSSEX
    $$

    DCC001-302340-

    DC
    . DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

    DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
    $$

    MDC003-005-009-011-013-015-017-019-021-025-027-029-031-033-035-
    037-039-041-043-045-047-510-302340-

    MD
    . MARYLAND COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

    ANNE ARUNDEL BALTIMORE CALVERT
    CAROLINE CARROLL CECIL
    CHARLES DORCHESTER FREDERICK
    HARFORD HOWARD KENT
    MONTGOMERY PRINCE GEORGES QUEEN ANNE’S
    ST. MARYS SOMERSET TALBOT
    WASHINGTON WICOMICO WORCESTER

    MARYLAND INDEPENDENT CITIES INCLUDED ARE

    BALTIMORE CITY
    $$

    NJC001-005-007-009-011-015-021-025-029-033-302340-

    NJ
    . NEW JERSEY COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

    ATLANTIC BURLINGTON CAMDEN
    CAPE MAY CUMBERLAND GLOUCESTER
    MERCER MONMOUTH OCEAN
    SALEM
    $$

    PAC001-017-029-045-071-091-101-133-302340-

    PA
    . PENNSYLVANIA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

    ADAMS BUCKS CHESTER
    DELAWARE LANCASTER MONTGOMERY
    PHILADELPHIA YORK
    $$

    VAC001-013-025-033-036-041-047-053-057-059-061-073-075-081-085-
    087-093-095-097-099-101-103-107-109-115-117-119-127-131-133-135-
    137-145-149-153-159-175-177-179-181-183-193-199-510-550-570-595-
    600-610-620-630-650-670-683-685-700-710-730-735-740-760-800-810-
    830-302340-

    VA
    . VIRGINIA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

    ACCOMACK ARLINGTON BRUNSWICK
    CAROLINE CHARLES CITY CHESTERFIELD
    CULPEPER DINWIDDIE ESSEX
    FAIRFAX FAUQUIER GLOUCESTER
    GOOCHLAND GREENSVILLE HANOVER
    HENRICO ISLE OF WIGHT JAMES CITY
    KING AND QUEEN KING GEORGE KING WILLIAM
    LANCASTER LOUDOUN LOUISA
    MATHEWS MECKLENBURG MIDDLESEX
    NEW KENT NORTHAMPTON NORTHUMBERLAND
    NOTTOWAY ORANGE POWHATAN
    PRINCE GEORGE PRINCE WILLIAM RICHMOND
    SOUTHAMPTON SPOTSYLVANIA STAFFORD
    SURRY SUSSEX WESTMORELAND
    YORK

    VIRGINIA INDEPENDENT CITIES INCLUDED ARE

    ALEXANDRIA CHESAPEAKE COLONIAL HEIGHTS
    EMPORIA FAIRFAX FALLS CHURCH
    FRANKLIN FREDERICKSBURG HAMPTON
    HOPEWELL MANASSAS MANASSAS PARK
    NEWPORT NEWS NORFOLK PETERSBURG
    POQUOSON PORTSMOUTH RICHMOND
    SUFFOLK VIRGINIA BEACH WILLIAMSBURG
    $$

    ANZ430-431-450-451-452-453-454-455-530-531-532-533-534-535-536-
    537-538-539-540-541-542-543-630-631-632-634-635-636-637-638-650-
    652-654-656-302340-

    CW

    . ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS INCLUDED ARE

    DELAWARE BAY WATERS NORTH OF EAST POINT NJ TO SLAUGHTER BEACH DE

    DELAWARE BAY WATERS SOUTH OF EAST POINT NJ TO SLAUGHTER BEACH DE

    COASTAL WATERS FROM SANDY HOOK TO MANASQUAN INLET NJ OUT 20 NM

    COASTAL WATERS FROM MANASQUAN INLET TO LITTLE EGG INLET NJ OUT 20
    NM

    COASTAL WATERS FROM LITTLE EGG INLET TO GREAT EGG INLET NJ OUT 20
    NM

    COASTAL WATERS FROM GREAT EGG INLET TO CAPE MAY NJ OUT 20 NM

    COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE MAY NJ TO CAPE HENLOPEN DE OUT 20 NM

    COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE HENLOPEN TO FENWICK ISLAND DE OUT 20 NM

    CHESAPEAKE BAY NORTH OF POOLES ISLAND MD

    CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM POOLES ISLAND TO SANDY POINT MD

    CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM SANDY POINT TO NORTH BEACH MD

    CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM NORTH BEACH TO DRUM POINT MD

    CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM DRUM POINT MD TO SMITH POINT VA

    TIDAL POTOMAC FROM KEY BRIDGE TO INDIAN HEAD MD

    TIDAL POTOMAC FROM INDIAN HEAD TO COBB ISLAND MD

    TIDAL POTOMAC FROM COBB ISLAND MD TO SMITH POINT VA

    PATAPSCO RIVER INCLUDING BALTIMORE HARBOR

    CHESTER RIVER TO QUEENSTOWN MD

    EASTERN BAY

    CHOPTANK RIVER TO CAMBRIDGE MD AND THE LITTLE CHOPTANK RIVER

    PATUXENT RIVER TO BROOMES ISLAND MD

    TANGIER SOUND AND THE INLAND WATERS SURROUNDING BLOODSWORTH
    ISLAND

    CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM SMITH POINT TO WINDMILL POINT VA

    CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM WINDMILL POINT TO NEW POINT COMFORT VA

    CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM NEW POINT COMFORT TO LITTLE CREEK VA

    CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM LITTLE CREEK VA TO CAPE HENRY VA INCLUDING
    THE CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE TUNNEL

    RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER FROM URBANNA TO WINDMILL POINT

    YORK RIVER

    JAMES RIVER FROM JAMESTOWN TO THE JAMES RIVER BRIDGE

    JAMES RIVER FROM JAMES RIVER BRIDGE TO HAMPTON ROADS
    BRIDGE-TUNNEL

    COASTAL WATERS FROM FENWICK ISLAND DE TO CHINCOTEAGUE VA OUT 20
    NM

    COASTAL WATERS FROM CHINCOTEAGUE TO PARRAMORE ISLAND VA OUT 20 NM

    COASTAL WATERS FROM PARRAMORE ISLAND TO CAPE CHARLES LIGHT VA OUT
    20 NM

    COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE CHARLES LIGHT TO VIRGINIA-NORTH CAROLINA
    BORDER OUT TO 20 NM

    $$
    THE WATCH STATUS MESSAGE IS FOR GUIDANCE PURPOSES ONLY. PLEASE
    REFER TO WATCH COUNTY NOTIFICATION STATEMENTS FOR OFFICIAL
    INFORMATION ON COUNTIES…INDEPENDENT CITIES AND MARINE ZONES
    CLEARED FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND TORNADO WATCHES.
    $$

    STATUS REPORT #1 ON WW 350

    VALID 302140Z – 302240Z

    THE SEVERE WEATHER THREAT CONTINUES ACROSS THE ENTIRE WATCH AREA.

    ..WENDT..05/30/25

    ATTN…WFO…LWX…PHI…AKQ…CTP…

    &&

    STATUS REPORT FOR WT 350

    SEVERE WEATHER THREAT CONTINUES FOR THE FOLLOWING AREAS

    DEC001-003-005-302240-

    DE
    . DELAWARE COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

    KENT NEW CASTLE SUSSEX
    $$

    DCC001-302240-

    DC
    . DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

    DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
    $$

    MDC003-005-009-011-013-015-017-019-021-025-027-029-031-033-035-
    037-039-041-043-045-047-510-302240-

    MD
    . MARYLAND COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

    ANNE ARUNDEL BALTIMORE CALVERT
    CAROLINE CARROLL CECIL
    CHARLES DORCHESTER FREDERICK
    HARFORD HOWARD KENT
    MONTGOMERY PRINCE GEORGES QUEEN ANNE’S
    ST. MARYS SOMERSET TALBOT
    WASHINGTON WICOMICO WORCESTER

    MARYLAND INDEPENDENT CITIES INCLUDED ARE

    BALTIMORE CITY
    $$

    NJC001-005-007-009-011-015-021-025-029-033-302240-

    NJ
    . NEW JERSEY COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

    ATLANTIC BURLINGTON CAMDEN
    CAPE MAY CUMBERLAND GLOUCESTER
    MERCER MONMOUTH OCEAN
    SALEM
    $$

    PAC001-017-029-045-071-091-101-133-302240-

    PA
    . PENNSYLVANIA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

    ADAMS BUCKS CHESTER
    DELAWARE LANCASTER MONTGOMERY
    PHILADELPHIA YORK
    $$

    VAC001-007-013-025-033-036-041-047-049-053-057-059-061-065-073-
    075-081-085-087-093-095-097-099-101-103-107-109-111-115-117-119-
    127-131-133-135-137-145-147-149-153-159-175-177-179-181-183-193-
    199-510-550-570-595-600-610-620-630-650-670-683-685-700-710-730-
    735-740-760-800-810-830-302240-

    VA
    . VIRGINIA COUNTIES INCLUDED ARE

    ACCOMACK AMELIA ARLINGTON
    BRUNSWICK CAROLINE CHARLES CITY
    CHESTERFIELD CULPEPER CUMBERLAND
    DINWIDDIE ESSEX FAIRFAX
    FAUQUIER FLUVANNA GLOUCESTER
    GOOCHLAND GREENSVILLE HANOVER
    HENRICO ISLE OF WIGHT JAMES CITY
    KING AND QUEEN KING GEORGE KING WILLIAM
    LANCASTER LOUDOUN LOUISA
    LUNENBURG MATHEWS MECKLENBURG
    MIDDLESEX NEW KENT NORTHAMPTON
    NORTHUMBERLAND NOTTOWAY ORANGE
    POWHATAN PRINCE EDWARD PRINCE GEORGE
    PRINCE WILLIAM RICHMOND SOUTHAMPTON
    SPOTSYLVANIA STAFFORD SURRY
    SUSSEX WESTMORELAND YORK

    VIRGINIA INDEPENDENT CITIES INCLUDED ARE

    ALEXANDRIA CHESAPEAKE COLONIAL HEIGHTS
    EMPORIA FAIRFAX FALLS CHURCH
    FRANKLIN FREDERICKSBURG HAMPTON
    HOPEWELL MANASSAS MANASSAS PARK
    NEWPORT NEWS NORFOLK PETERSBURG
    POQUOSON PORTSMOUTH RICHMOND
    SUFFOLK VIRGINIA BEACH WILLIAMSBURG
    $$

    ANZ430-431-450-451-452-453-454-455-530-531-532-533-534-535-536-
    537-538-539-540-541-542-543-630-631-632-634-635-636-637-638-650-
    652-654-656-302240-

    CW

    . ADJACENT COASTAL WATERS INCLUDED ARE

    DELAWARE BAY WATERS NORTH OF EAST POINT NJ TO SLAUGHTER BEACH DE

    DELAWARE BAY WATERS SOUTH OF EAST POINT NJ TO SLAUGHTER BEACH DE

    COASTAL WATERS FROM SANDY HOOK TO MANASQUAN INLET NJ OUT 20 NM

    COASTAL WATERS FROM MANASQUAN INLET TO LITTLE EGG INLET NJ OUT 20
    NM

    COASTAL WATERS FROM LITTLE EGG INLET TO GREAT EGG INLET NJ OUT 20
    NM

    COASTAL WATERS FROM GREAT EGG INLET TO CAPE MAY NJ OUT 20 NM

    COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE MAY NJ TO CAPE HENLOPEN DE OUT 20 NM

    COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE HENLOPEN TO FENWICK ISLAND DE OUT 20 NM

    CHESAPEAKE BAY NORTH OF POOLES ISLAND MD

    CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM POOLES ISLAND TO SANDY POINT MD

    CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM SANDY POINT TO NORTH BEACH MD

    CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM NORTH BEACH TO DRUM POINT MD

    CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM DRUM POINT MD TO SMITH POINT VA

    TIDAL POTOMAC FROM KEY BRIDGE TO INDIAN HEAD MD

    TIDAL POTOMAC FROM INDIAN HEAD TO COBB ISLAND MD

    TIDAL POTOMAC FROM COBB ISLAND MD TO SMITH POINT VA

    PATAPSCO RIVER INCLUDING BALTIMORE HARBOR

    CHESTER RIVER TO QUEENSTOWN MD

    EASTERN BAY

    CHOPTANK RIVER TO CAMBRIDGE MD AND THE LITTLE CHOPTANK RIVER

    PATUXENT RIVER TO BROOMES ISLAND MD

    TANGIER SOUND AND THE INLAND WATERS SURROUNDING BLOODSWORTH
    ISLAND

    CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM SMITH POINT TO WINDMILL POINT VA

    CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM WINDMILL POINT TO NEW POINT COMFORT VA

    CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM NEW POINT COMFORT TO LITTLE CREEK VA

    CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM LITTLE CREEK VA TO CAPE HENRY VA INCLUDING
    THE CHESAPEAKE BAY BRIDGE TUNNEL

    RAPPAHANNOCK RIVER FROM URBANNA TO WINDMILL POINT

    YORK RIVER

    JAMES RIVER FROM JAMESTOWN TO THE JAMES RIVER BRIDGE

    JAMES RIVER FROM JAMES RIVER BRIDGE TO HAMPTON ROADS
    BRIDGE-TUNNEL

    COASTAL WATERS FROM FENWICK ISLAND DE TO CHINCOTEAGUE VA OUT 20
    NM

    COASTAL WATERS FROM CHINCOTEAGUE TO PARRAMORE ISLAND VA OUT 20 NM

    COASTAL WATERS FROM PARRAMORE ISLAND TO CAPE CHARLES LIGHT VA OUT
    20 NM

    COASTAL WATERS FROM CAPE CHARLES LIGHT TO VIRGINIA-NORTH CAROLINA
    BORDER OUT TO 20 NM

    $$
    THE WATCH STATUS MESSAGE IS FOR GUIDANCE PURPOSES ONLY. PLEASE
    REFER TO WATCH COUNTY NOTIFICATION STATEMENTS FOR OFFICIAL
    INFORMATION ON COUNTIES…INDEPENDENT CITIES AND MARINE ZONES
    CLEARED FROM SEVERE THUNDERSTORM AND TORNADO WATCHES.
    $$

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Mod (40%)

    Probability of 1 or more strong (EF2-EF5) tornadoes

    Low (20%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    Mod (40%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Low (20%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Low (20%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Low (20%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    Mod (60%)

    For each watch, probabilities for particular events inside the watch (listed above in each table) are determined by the issuing forecaster. The “Low” category contains probability values ranging from less than 2% to 20% (EF2-EF5 tornadoes), less than 5% to 20% (all other probabilities), “Moderate” from 30% to 60%, and “High” from 70% to greater than 95%. High values are bolded and lighter in color to provide awareness of an increased threat for a particular event.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Mexico City-Based Attorney Pleads Guilty in $52 Million Dollar Sinaloa Cartel Money Laundering Scheme

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – Hector Alejandro Paez Garcia, a Mexico City-based attorney, has pleaded guilty in federal court, admitting that he and others conspired to transport, transmit, and transfer tens of millions of dollars in drug trafficking proceeds from the United States to Mexico.

    Paez’s plea is part of a long-term FBI investigation targeting a Mexico-based money laundering organization (MLO) that is believed to have laundered at least $52.7 million for the Sinaloa Cartel before the organization’s leaders were arrested.

    According to court documents, the MLO utilized a network of shell companies in San Diego to launder tens of millions of dollars in bulk cash from across the country generated through the Sinaloa Cartel’s drug importation and distribution operations. MLO employees travelled to dozens of U.S. cities to pick up this bulk cash in amounts up to $200,000. The money was then funneled through the San Diego-based shell companies and delivered to money laundering accounts in Mexico controlled by Paez, who in his plea agreement admitted serving a managerial role in the MLO’s operations.

    During the investigation, FBI agents seized 66 money laundering bank accounts throughout the United States. As the FBI began to target and seize the MLO’s assets, Paez turned to the use of cryptocurrency in an attempt to shield those assets from law enforcement. But the FBI was able to infiltrate and take down the MLO’s cryptocurrency laundering network.

    To date, the investigation has resulted in the arrests of 11 people on money laundering charges and the seizure of more than $3.1 million in illicit assets. A related DEA investigation led to 24 additional arrests and asset seizures totaling $450,000.

    In March 2025, six individuals and seven entities, including several of Paez’s co-conspirators, were the target of sanctions imposed by the Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC). Treasury Sanctions Criminal Operators and Money Launderers for the Notorious Sinaloa Cartel | U.S. Department of the Treasury.

    Paez is scheduled to be sentenced on August 15, 2025.

    To date, in addition to Paez, additional participants in the scheme have been charged, including the following:

    • Miguel Angel Encinas Gomez of Mexicali, México, leader of a Mexicali-based cell of MLO. Encinas pleaded guilty to laundering $35 million in bulk cash narcotics proceeds in July 2023.
    • Hugo Andres Velasquez Pantza, a Colombian national who allegedly assisted the MLO in the implementation of cryptocurrency into their operations. Velasquez was subsequently targeted in an undercover FBI operation and arrested in Rome, Italy in January 2025. Velasquez was extradited to the United States in April 2025 and awaits trial.
    • James Harmon Yarbrough of Apopka, Florida, who worked in partnership with Cevallos to receive $326,000 in illicit proceeds in a scheme to converting the funds to cryptocurrency. Yarbrough pleaded guilty in July 2023.
    • Victoria Johanna Lopez, Jose Jesus Lopez, Jose Mayorga Martinez, and Gerardo Vasquez Jr. who allegedly worked as bulk cash couriers who handled and deposited bulk cash for the MLO. Victoria Lopez, Jose Lopez, Mayorga have pleaded guilty. Vazquez’s case is set for trial in September 2024.
    • Jhonatan Suarez Florez of Auburndale, Florida, who used accounts associated with his Florida-based construction and door manufacturing businesses to receive and transmit funds belonging to the criminal organization. Suarez Florez pleaded guilty in December 2024.
    • Alberto David Benguait Jimenez, an alleged leader of the MLO, remains a fugitive at this time. If anyone has information related to this individual, please contact the FBI at 858-320-1800.

    This case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Paul Benjamin and Robert Miller. Former Assistant U.S. Attorney Owen Roth contributed significantly to the case. The FBI worked in close partnership with the Drug Enforcement Administration, Imperial County District Office, as well as Panamanian authorities, to seize the MLO’s assets and arrest multiple participants in the scheme.

    The Justice Department’s Office of International Affairs worked with law enforcement partners in Italy to secure the arrest and extradition of Velasquez Pantza.

    DEFENDANT                                               Case Number 23cr0446                                               

    Hector Alejandro Paez Garcia                        Age: 43                                   Mexico City, Mexico

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    International Money Laundering Conspiracy – Title 18, U.S.C., Section 1956(h), and 1956(a)(2)(B)(i)

    Maximum penalty: Twenty years in prison and $500,000 fine

    INVESTIGATING AGENCY

    Federal Bureau of Investigation

    *The charges and allegations contained in an indictment or complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

    This case is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. [use if applicable] Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    This case is the result of ongoing efforts by the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), a partnership that brings together the combined expertise and unique abilities of federal, state and local law enforcement agencies. The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt, dismantle and prosecute high-level members of drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations and enterprises.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: MADE IN THE USA: President Trump’s Vision is Revitalizing American Industry

    Source: US Whitehouse

    President Donald J. Trump heads to Pennsylvania today, where he’ll champion the partnership he brokered between U.S. Steel and Nippon Steel — a $14 billion investment that will create at least 70,000 jobs and ensure steel is made in America for decades to come.

    AMERICAN JOBS, AMERICAN STEEL.

    The landmark agreement comes alongside a host of companies from across industries that are onshoring their production and investing in American manufacturing as President Trump relentlessly pursues his America First trade policies.

    Look no further than the automotive industry:

    • Stellantis announced a $5 billion investment in its U.S. manufacturing network, including re-opening its Belvidere, Illinois, plant and a $388 “megahub” in Detroit, Michigan.
    • General Motors announced an $888 million investment at its propulsion plant in Tonawanda, New York.
    • Volkswagen is planning to make a “massive” investment in its U.S. production.
    • Toyota announced it will boost hybrid vehicle production at its West Virginia plant.
    • Mercedes-Benz announced it will add a new vehicle to its Tuscaloosa, Alabama, manufacturing plant.
    • Honda plans to shift production of the Civic from Japan to the U.S.
    • Hyundai announced a $20 billion investment to support its U.S. vehicle production.
    • Kia plans to produce hybrid vehicles at its affiliate Hyundai’s Georgia factory.

    It’s not just the auto industry; scores of others are lining up to invest in America:

    • Project Stargate, led by Japan-based Softbank and U.S.-based OpenAI and Oracle, announced a $500 billion private investment in U.S.-based artificial intelligence infrastructure.
    • Apple announced a $500 billion investment in U.S. manufacturing and training.
    • NVIDIA, a global chipmaking giant, announced it will invest $500 billion in U.S.-based AI infrastructure over the next four years amid its pledge to manufacture AI supercomputers entirely in the U.S. for the first time.
    • IBM announced a $150 billion investment over the next five years in its U.S.-based growth and manufacturing operations.
    • Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) announced a $100 billion investment in U.S.-based chips manufacturing.
    • Johnson & Johnson announced a $55 billion investment over the next four years in manufacturing, research and development, and technology.
    • Roche, a Swiss drug and diagnostics company, announced a $50 billion investment in U.S.-based manufacturing and research and development, which is expected to create more than 12,000 jobs.
    • Bristol Myers Squibb announced a $40 billion investment over the next five years in its research, development, technology, and U.S.-based manufacturing operations.
    • Eli Lilly and Company announced a $27 billion investment to more than double its domestic manufacturing capacity.
    • United Arab Emirates-based ADQ and U.S.-based Energy Capital Partners announced a $25 billion investment in U.S. data centers and energy infrastructure.
    • Novartis, a Swiss drugmaker, announced a $23 billion investment to build or expand ten manufacturing facilities across the U.S., which will create 4,000 new jobs.
    • John Deere announced plans to invest $20 billion over the next decade in American expansion, production, and manufacturing.
    • United Arab Emirates-based DAMAC Properties announced a $20 billion investment in new U.S.-based data centers.
    • France-based CMA CGM, a global shipping giant, announced a $20 billion investment in U.S. shipping and logistics, creating 10,000 new jobs.
    • Sanofi announced it will invest at least $20 billion over the next five years in manufacturing and research and development.
    • Venture Global LNG announced an $18 billion investment at its liquefied natural gas facility in Louisiana.
    • Gilead Sciences announced an $11 billion boost to its planned U.S.-based manufacturing investment.
    • AbbVie announced a $10 billion investment over the next ten years to support volume growth and add four new manufacturing plants to its network.
    • Pratt Industries announced a $5 billion investment to create 5,000 new manufacturing jobs in Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Arizona.
    • GlobalWafers, a Taiwanese silicon wafer manufacturer, announced a $4 billion investment in its U.S.-based production.
    • Thermo Fisher Scientific announced it will invest an additional $2 billion over the next four years to enhance and expand its U.S. manufacturing operations and strengthen its innovation efforts.
    • Merck & Co. announced it will invest a total of $9 billion in the U.S. over the next several years after opening a new $1 billion North Carolina manufacturing facility — including in a new state-of-the-art biologics manufacturing plant in Delaware, which will create at least 500 new jobs.
    • Clarios announced a $6 billion plan to expand its domestic manufacturing operations.
    • In addition to its overall investments, Amazon announced it is investing $4 billion in small towns across America, creating more than 100,000 new jobs and driving opportunities across the country.
    • Regeneron Pharmaceuticals, a leader in biotechnology, announced a $3 billion agreement with Fujifilm Diosynth Biotechnologies to produce drugs at its North Carolina manufacturing facility.
    • Kraft Heinz announced a $3 billion investment to upgrade its U.S. factories — its largest investment in its plants in decades.
    • NorthMark Strategies, a multi-strategy investment firm, announced a $2.8 billion investment to build a supercomputing facility in South Carolina.
    • Kimberly-Clark announced a $2 billion investment to expand its U.S. manufacturing operations, including a new advanced manufacturing facility in Warren, Ohio, an expansion of its Beech Island, South Carolina, facility, and other upgrades to its supply chain network.
    • Chobani, a Greek yogurt giant, announced $1.7 billion to expand its U.S. operations.
      • $1.2 billion to build its third U.S. dairy processing plant in New York, which is expected to create more than 1,000 new full-time jobs.
    • Corning announced it is expanding its Michigan manufacturing facility investment to $1.5 billion, adding 400 new high-paying advanced manufacturing jobs for a total of 1,500 new jobs.
    • Carrier announced an additional $1 billion investment in its U.S. manufacturing, innovation, and workforce expansion, which is expected to create 4,000 new jobs.
    • GE Aerospace announced a $1 billion investment in manufacturing across 16 states — creating 5,000 new jobs.
    • Anduril Industries announced a $1 billion investment for a new autonomous weapon system facility in Ohio.
    • Williams International announced a $1 billion investment for a new high-volume aviation gas turbine engine manufacturing facility in Okaloosa County, Florida.
    • Amgen announced a $900 million investment in its Ohio-based manufacturing operation.
    • Merck Animal Health announced an $895 million investment to expand their manufacturing operations in Kansas.
    • Schneider Electric announced it will invest $700 million over the next four years in U.S. energy infrastructure.
    • GE Vernova announced it will invest nearly $600 million in U.S. manufacturing over the next two years, which will create more than 1,500 new jobs.
    • Abbott Laboratories announced a $500 million investment in its Illinois and Texas facilities.
    • AIP Management, a European infrastructure investor, announced a $500 million investment to solar developer Silicon Ranch.
    • London-based Diageo announced a $415 million investment in a new Alabama manufacturing facility.
    • Lego announced a $366 million investment to build a new distribution center in Prince George County, Virginia.
    • The Bel Group announced a $350 million investment to expand its U.S.-based production, including at its South Dakota, Idaho and Wisconsin facilities — which will create 250 new jobs.
    • Dublin-based Eaton Corporation announced a $340 million investment in a new South Carolina-based manufacturing facility for its three-phase transformers.
    • Anheuser-Busch announced a $300 million investment in its manufacturing facilities across the country.
    • Germany-based Siemens announced a $285 million investment in U.S. manufacturing and AI data centers, which will create more than 900 new skilled manufacturing jobs.
    • Clasen Quality Chocolate announced a $230 million investment to build a new production facility in Virginia, which will create 250 new jobs.
    • Fiserv, Inc., a financial technology provider, announced a $175 million investment to open a new strategic fintech hub in Kansas, which is expected to create 2,000 new high-paying jobs.
    • Paris Baguette announced a $160 million investment to construct a manufacturing plant in Texas.
    • Siemens Healthineers announced a $150 million investment to expand production, including relocating manufacturing operations for its Varian company from Mexico to California. 
    • JBS USA announced a $135 million investment for a new sausage production facility in Perry, Iowa.
    • TS Conductor announced a $134 million investment to build an advanced conductor manufacturing facility in South Carolina, which will create nearly 500 new jobs.
    • Switzerland-based ABB announced a $120 million investment to expand production of its low-voltage electrification products in Tennessee and Mississippi.
    • Saica Group, a Spain-based corrugated packaging maker, announced plans to build a $110 million new manufacturing facility in Anderson, Indiana.
    • Hotpack, a Dubai-based maker of food packaging materials and related products, announced a $100 million investment to establish its first U.S. manufacturing facility in Edison, New Jersey.
    • Charms, LLC, a subsidiary of candymaker Tootsie Roll Industries, announced a $97.7 million investment to expand its production plant and distribution center in Tennessee.
    • Toyota Motor Corporation announced an $88 million investment to boost hybrid vehicle production at its West Virginia factory, securing employment for the 2,000 workers at the factory.
    • AeroVironment, a defense contractor, announced a $42.3 million investment to build a new manufacturing facility in Utah.
    • Paris-based Saint-Gobain announced a new $40 million NorPro manufacturing facility in Wheatfield, New York.
    • India-based Sygene International announced a $36.5 million acquisition of a Baltimore biologics manufacturing facility.
    • Asahi Group Holdings, one of the largest Japanese beverage makers, announced a $35 million investment to boost production at its Wisconsin plant.
    • Valbruna Slater Stainless announced a $28 million investment in its stainless steel and nickel alloys bars manufacturing plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana.
    • Cyclic Materials, a Canadian advanced recycling company for rare earth elements, announced a $20 million investment in its first U.S.-based commercial facility, located in Mesa, Arizona.
    • Guardian Bikes announced a $19 million investment to build the first U.S.-based large-scale bicycle frame manufacturing operation in Indiana.
    • Amsterdam-based AMG Critical Minerals announced a $15 million investment to build a chrome manufacturing facility in Pennsylvania.
    • NOVONIX Limited, an Australia-based battery technology company, announced a $4.6 million investment to build a synthetic graphite manufacturing facility in Tennessee.
    • LGM Pharma announced a $6 million investment to expand its manufacturing facility in Rosenberg, Texas.
    • ViDARR, a defense optical equipment manufacturer, announced a $2.69 million investment to open a new facility in Virginia.

    That doesn’t even include the U.S. investments planned by foreign countries:

    • United Arab Emirates committed to investing $1.4 trillion in the U.S. over the next decade.
    • Qatar committed to generating $1.2 trillion in an economic exchange between the two countries.
    • Japan announced a $1 trillion investment in the U.S.
    • Saudi Arabia committed investing $600 billion in the U.S. over the next four years.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: CLARKE ISSUES STATEMENT ON SUPREME COURT’S DISTURBING RULING TO REVOKE LEGAL STATUS OF MORE THAN 500,000 MIGRANTS

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Yvette D Clarke (9th District of New York)

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    May 30, 2025

    MEDIA CONTACT: 

    e: jessica.myers@mail.house.gov

    c: 202.913.0126

    WASHINGTON, DC – Congresswoman Yvette D. Clarke (NY-09) released the following statement:

    “I am truly outraged by the Supreme Court’s morally bankrupt and legally absurd decision to rubber stamp the Trump Administration’s efforts to strip more than half a million migrants in our nation of their protected status. With SCOTUS’ blessing, Donald Trump’s barbaric punishment of hundreds of thousands of innocent Cubans, Haitians, Venezuelans, and Nicaraguans living legally in our nation can proceed – and his administration can now take its cruel crusade against immigrant Americans to an unprecedented new level.

    “It’s stunning that our nation’s highest court has all but endorsed a nonsensical argument based only in this administration’s hysterical contempt for immigrants. We’re talking about the most vulnerable people in the world, each of whom was promised safety and protection in this nation, who are instead now staring down a death sentence if forced to return to their previous countries. With this decision, America has betrayed and backstabbed more than 500,000 children, women, and men. Let me be clear: that is a sin that cannot and will not be forgiven.

    “The Supreme Court of the United States gave its resounding approval of a xenophobic policy that punishes the very people it should be protecting, and that is utterly disgusting. In their hour of need, these innocents deserved only love. Tragically, the Trump Administration is capable of only hate.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Bipartisan Coalition of CA Delegation Members Demand Restoration of Critical Disaster Resiliency Program

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla, Bipartisan Coalition of CA Delegation Members Demand Restoration of Critical Disaster Resiliency Program

    LOS ANGELES, CA — U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.) joined U.S. Representative Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.-19), Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and a bipartisan group of California delegation members in demanding the restoration of the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program. The Trump Administration recently announced its decision to end the BRIC program and cancel all BRIC applications from Fiscal Years 2020-2023, a shortsighted move that jeopardizes pre-disaster mitigation measures and infrastructure resiliency efforts in California and throughout the country.
    President Trump signed the BRIC program into law as part of the 2018 Disaster Reform Act, helping fund local projects that reduce damage from flooding, tornadoes, and other weather-related events. Since its inception, the BRIC program has invested $5 billion in grants for resilient infrastructure. Projects in California include drought and earthquake mitigation projects in Kern and Tulare counties and wildfire management projects in Santa Cruz, Napa, Sonoma, and Nevada counties, all of which are still working to recover from the 2020 wildfires that were some of the deadliest and costliest wildfires in California history.
    “We are deeply concerned about the impact of this decision. If FEMA decides to ultimately withdraw its federal investment, these counties will be forced to abandon these life- and infrastructure-saving projects,” wrote the bipartisan coalition of lawmakers. “Ending the BRIC Program will result in higher costs for Americans, especially as natural disasters become more frequent and severe.”
    “The BRIC Program allows the State of California and its many communities to shift away from reactive disaster spending and toward research-supported, proactive investment in community resilience. We urge you to immediately reverse this decision and do all you can to support the work of this vital program,” continued the lawmakers.
    Every dollar spent on pre-disaster mitigation and preparedness saves between $6 and $13 in damages, cleanup costs, and economic impact. California stands to lose over $1 billion in disaster resilience and mitigation funding if the Administration proceeds with the cancellation of the BRIC program.
    In addition to Padilla, Panetta, and Schiff, the letter was also signed by Representatives Pete Aguilar (D-Calif.-33), Nanette Barragán (D-Calif.-44), Ami Bera (D-Calif.-06), Julia Brownley (D-Calif.-26), Salud Carbajal (D-Calif.-24), Judy Chu (D-Calif.-28), Gil Cisneros (D-Calif.-31), Jim Costa (D-Calif.-21), Mark DeSaulnier (D-Calif.-10), Vince Fong (R-Calif.-20), Laura Friedman (D-Calif.-30), John Garamendi (D-Calif.-08), Robert Garcia (D-Calif.-42), Josh Harder (D-Calif.-09), Jared Huffman (D-Calif.-02), Sara Jacobs (D-Calif.-51), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-Calif.-37), Ro Khanna (D-Calif.-17), Young Kim (R-Calif.-40), Mike Levin (D-Calif.-49), Sam Liccardo (D-Calif.-16), Ted Lieu (D-Calif.-36), Zoe Lofgren (D-Calif.-18), Dave Min (D-Calif.-47), Kevin Mullin (D-Calif.-15), Scott Peters (D-Calif.-50), Luz Rivas (D-Calif.-29), Linda Sánchez (D-Calif.-38), Brad Sherman (D-Calif.-32), Lateefah Simon (D-Calif.-12), Eric Swalwell (D-Calif.-14), Mike Thompson (D-Calif.-04), Norma Torres (D-Calif.-35), Derek Tran (D-Calif.-45), and David Valadao (R-Calif.-22).
    Senator Padilla previously joined over 80 of his colleagues in a bipartisan, bicameral letter urging Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kristi Noem to reinstate the BRIC program.
    Full text of the California lawmakers’ letter is available here and below:
    Dear Secretary Noem and Mr. Richardson,
    We write with great concern regarding the decision to end the Building Resilient Infrastructure and Communities (BRIC) program and cancel all BRIC applications from Fiscal Years 2020- 2023. Given its impact on the State of California, which stands to lose over one billion dollars in promised resilience funding, we urge you to reconsider this decision.
    The BRIC program, established in the 2018 Disaster Reform Act and signed into law by President Trump, has distributed $5 billion in grants since its inception, driving investment in resilient infrastructure. While we understand and support the need to find efficiencies and improve the BRIC program, these grants save federal dollars and help protect our most vulnerable communities through emergency preparedness.
    Projects in the State of California include drought and earthquake mitigation projects in Kern and Tulare counties and wildfire management projects in Santa Cruz, Napa, Sonoma, and Nevada counties, all of which are still working to recover from the 2020 wildfires that were some of the deadliest and costliest wildfires in the State’s history. This BRIC funding, which included a match from local homeowners, would have funded home hardening, defensible space fuels reduction, evacuation route fuel reduction, and landscape-scale fuel reduction work. We are deeply concerned about the impact of this decision. If FEMA decides to ultimately withdraw its federal investment, these counties will be forced to abandon these life- and infrastructure-saving projects.
    Moreover, pre-disaster mitigation and up-front investment saves taxpayer dollars. For every dollar spent in pre-disaster mitigation and preparedness, between $6 and $13 is saved in damages, cleanup costs, and economic impact. We support the Agency’s goal of reducing the amount of federal dollars spent on disaster recovery and believe the BRIC program helps to achieve future cost reductions. Ending the BRIC Program will result in higher costs for Americans, especially as natural disasters become more frequent and severe.
    Consequently, we respectfully request responses to the following questions by June 13, 2025:
    1. How many projects in California will be impacted by this decision?
    2. What is FEMA’s timeline and process for cancelling this funding?
    3. In a memo, Director Hamilton noted that not all projects will be impacted if they have already commenced. What stage of project completion will allow recipients to continue to receive funding?
    4. Former Director Hamilton also noted that FEMA will create a new, similar program. What are the details and timelines for the rollout of this program?
    The BRIC Program allows the State of California and its many communities to shift away from reactive disaster spending and toward research-supported, proactive investment in community resilience. We urge you to immediately reverse this decision and do all you can to support the work of this vital program.
    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Concern for welfare – Search and Rescue Operation – Darwin Harbour

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Search and Rescue Section are actively searching for Brendon Doherty, a 55-year-old male, who voluntarily jumped off the Channel Island Bridge last night accompanied by work mates.

    About 9:42pm, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received reports of the male drifting away after several minutes of him laughing and active within the water after jumping off the bridge. It is alleged Mr Doherty was unable to swim back to shore, despite his friends’ attempts to encourage him. He was last seen in the middle of the channel, drifting toward Darwin City in strong tidal currents. Witnesses observed him for approximately two minutes before losing sight of him.

    He was last seen wearing steel cap boots, shorts and a dark shirt.

    The Search and Rescue Section deployed and overnight have done an extensive search of the Elisabeth River in the East Arm area. Police are urging anyone who may witnesses a male floating or along the shore in the harbour to provide aid and call Triple Zero immediately.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Wine Sector – APPELLATION MARLBOROUGH WINE UNVEILS GROUNDBREAKING INTERACTIVE WINE MAP

    Source: Appellation Marlborough Wine

    APPELLATION MARLBOROUGH WINE UNVEILS GROUNDBREAKING INTERACTIVE WINE MAP

    Digital Platform Revolutionises Understanding of New Zealand’s Premier Wine Region
    Marlborough, New Zealand, May 2025 – Appellation Marlborough Wine (AMW) today launches its highly anticipated Interactive Wine Map of Marlborough, a cutting-edge digital platform set to transform how wine professionals and enthusiasts experience the region’s diverse terroir. 
    This innovative tool elevates the original Wine Map of Marlborough, created by the Marlborough Wine Map Collective, into an immersive digital experience that brings the region’s unique characteristics to life.
    Developed through a strategic partnership with Marlborough-based geospatial experts MapHQ, the interactive map offers unprecedented insights into the factors that define Marlborough’s world-renowned wines. Users can explore distinct subregions through interactive layers revealing critical terroir elements-topography, rainfall, temperature, and soil composition-all enhanced with photography and expert commentary from leading winemakers and viticulturists.
    Sophie Parker-Thomson MW, Chair of Appellation Marlborough Wine, explains the significance of this digital milestone:
    “The AMW interactive map represents a quantum leap in communicating Marlborough’s diverse wine story. For the first time, we are offering a dynamic, visual exploration of how our distinctive subregions and microclimates stylistically contribute to our wines. It’s an indispensable resource for anyone seeking to deepen their understanding of what makes the Marlborough wine region, and the AMW certified wines produced here, so exceptional.”
    Rob Besaans, Founder of MapHQ, highlights the technical innovation behind the project: “Partnering with AMW to create this digital platform has been an inspiring journey. Together, we’ve developed a tool that truly showcases the diversity and depth of Marlborough’s wine-growing region.”
    “Users can seamlessly transition between different data visualisations, revealing the complex interplay of factors that influence Marlborough wines.”
    The Interactive Wine Map of Marlborough is now freely accessible on the AMW website, highlighting AMW’s continued innovation and commitment to showcasing the remarkable diversity and quality of Appellation Marlborough wines to global audiences.
    Experience the Interactive Wine Map at www.appellationmarlboroughwine.co.nz/map
    ABOUT APPELLATION MARLBOROUGH WINE
    Established in 2018, Appellation Marlborough Wine™ safeguards the integrity, authenticity, and global reputation of Marlborough wines. Wines bearing the AMW certification mark provide guarantees of:
    – Origin – Made exclusively from 100% Marlborough-grown grapes from a delimited viticultural area.
    – Authenticity – Bottled in New Zealand to preserve regional integrity and quality.
    – Quality – Quality parameters such as minimum ripeness levels and certification through an independent blind tasting process to ensure typicity and quality.
    – Sustainability – Produced from vineyards certified by a recognised sustainable viticulture scheme.
    With over fifty-five members, AMW is dedicated to protecting the future of Marlborough’s iconic wine region.
    ABOUT MapHQ
    MapHQ leverages years of geospatial insights and expertise to simplify mapping with an intuitive no-code platform. Our solution transforms complex geographic data into compelling visual experiences, empowering businesses of all sizes to enhance strategy, marketing, and operations through impactful, custom location-based insights.
    For more information, visit www.maphq.app.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Press Release: FDIC Announces Retirement of Patrick Mitchell, Director of the Division of Insurance and Research

    Source: US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC

    WASHINGTON — The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) today announced the retirement of Patrick (Pat) Mitchell, Director of the Division of Insurance and Research (DIR). 

    “Pat’s intellectual prowess, wide-ranging expertise, and deep understanding of economic, banking, and policy issues has been a tremendous resource for our agency,” said FDIC Acting Chairman Travis Hill. “Whether he was analyzing risks in the banking sector or managing the FDIC’s Deposit Insurance Fund (DIF), Pat always approached his work thoughtfully and proficiently.”

    Mr. Mitchell joined the FDIC in 2010 as a financial analyst and served in several other management roles before being named division director in May 2022. He oversaw the FDIC’s work monitoring existing and emerging risks to the DIF, and led DIR’s response to the 2023 regional bank failures.

    During his 15 years at the FDIC, Mr. Mitchell also served as Deputy Director for Risk Analysis and Pricing, Associate Director of Asset Management in the Division of Resolutions and Receiverships (DRR), and Chief of DIR’s Large Bank Pricing section.

    Mr. Mitchell is a Chartered Financial Analyst and earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Bachelor of Science degree in economics from the United States Military Academy.  He also attended the Senior Managers in Government program at the Harvard Kennedy School.

    # # #

    MEDIA CONTACT: 
    mediarequests@fdic.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: NZ and India cement progress as four-country tour ends

    Source: New Zealand Government

    New Zealand and India have discussed their enhanced relationship across a broad range of domains, Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Winston Peters says.  
    “New Zealand and India have agreed that we can and should be doing more together,” Mr Peters says.
    “Both countries have worked hard over the last 18 months to bring energy, focus and deeper practical cooperation to the relationship.”
    While in New Delhi, Mr Peters held official talks and had a working dinner with India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.
    “This has been an excellent opportunity to take stock of the progress we have made over the past year-and-a-half, while also discussing the pressing regional and global challenges our countries face,” Mr Peters says.
    “New Zealand and India have a shared interest in promoting a stable, secure and prosperous Indo-Pacific region. My discussions with Minister Jaishankar and have been invaluable in understanding Indian perspectives on recent events and charting our course for enhanced bilateral cooperation.”
    Mr Peters noted that, over the past 18 months, New Zealand and India had made concrete steps towards closer engagement across a wide range of domains, including defence and security, trade and economic cooperation, science and technology and sport.  
    While in New Delhi, Mr Peters also had meetings with the President of the Bharatiya Janata Party, JP Nadda, and the Leader of the Opposition, Rahul Gandhi; and delivered a speech about New Zealand’s strengthening ties with South and South East Asia under the Foreign Policy Reset.  
    His visit to India concluded a four-country tour which also included trips to Australia, Sri Lanka and Nepal.  
    “New Zealand’s strategic and economic interests are inextricably tied to the Indo-Pacific, including South Asia. It is crucial that we continue to invest in and strengthen our relationships here,” Mr Peters says.  
    “This week has also highlighted the quality of our relationships in South Asia, characterised by rich people-to-people connections, a common desire to do more together, and shared perspectives on the challenges facing our region.”
    During the first half of this Parliamentary term (from December 2023 to May 2025), Mr Peters has visited 45 countries and spent 154 days overseas on official visits.
    Mr Peters returns to New Zealand later today (31 May). 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Remarks by Minister of National Defence David McGuinty at CANSEC 2025

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Check Against Delivery

    Vice-Chief of the Defence Staff, Lieutenant-General Kelsey, 
    Members of the Canadian Armed Forces, 
    International delegates, 
    Service members from our Allies and partners, 
    Members of the diplomatic corps, 

    Fellow parliamentarians, 

    And finally, industry partners,

    Good morning everyone, bonjour à tous.

    It’s a privilege to join you for this year’s CANSEC. My thanks to Christyn Cianfarani and everyone at CADSI for organizing this important event, and for bringing us together.

    It is especially an honour to be here as CANSEC is hosted in the electoral district I represent. I want to welcome you all to Ottawa South.

    Many of the companies in this room have a home in the National Capital Region. With over 10,000 workers, Ottawa’s defence sector is a major employer. We have talent working in all aspects of the industry from tech, aerospace, and manufacturing. This is my first major engagement as Minister of National Defence.

    Many of you are new faces—but I’m looking forward to getting to know you, and learning more about how your work strengthens Canada’s defence and security.

    Building a business is difficult. It comes with a lot of uncertainty and financial risk. Without you taking on that risk, we wouldn’t have the equipment and services needed to keep Canadians safe.

    So, thank you, for getting to work, thank you for employing Canadians, and thank you for growing our economy.

    For those of you here today in uniform…
    The people who commit their lives to service…
    Who take on the hardest tasks in the toughest conditions…
    Who are ready at the drop of a hat… 
    Who deserve the best from those of us who support them— 

    Thank you for choosing to serve Canada.

    I’ve been struck by the deep sense of shared purpose I’ve seen—across government and industry—to strengthen our defence capabilities, and ensure our people are equipped for today’s challenges and tomorrow’s threats.

    We have a clear direction, and we’ve made a decision. We’ve decided to act without delay, in close cooperation with our industry partners.

    The global security environment today is volatile and uncertain.

    Russia’s illegal and immoral invasion of Ukraine has stretched into a third, brutal year. China’s imperial ambitions are increasingly clear—in its military buildup and its assertive posture toward other international powers.

    And, states like North Korea and Iran continue to act as destabilizing forces in the Indo-Pacific and the Middle East.

    Canada is not immune to these threats.

    We face real challenges—both military and non-military—that demand an equally strong and coordinated response.

    This includes growing activity in the Arctic, where our competitors have shown little hesitation in challenging Canada’s territorial sovereignty.

    As well as the threats posed by emerging technologies that are changing the very nature of war.

    And we get it.

    We are moving quickly to ensure our military has the tools to defend our country and continent—while remaining an engaged, reliable partner abroad.

    And here is the key message: this work can only be done in partnership with you. 

    It is work that needs the full spectrum of equipment and services offered in this room—from quantum computing to shields to ammunition.

    A new government was elected some four short weeks ago, and having run on a platform to strengthen Canada’s sovereignty and security, your government is moving to take immediate and decisive action to rebuild Canada’s defence capacity, rearm the Canadian Armed Forces, and invest in the Canadian defence industry.

    The commitments we are making will support skilled and reliable jobs and stimulate growth in our communities across the country—including in more than 3,000 communities where the Canadian Armed Forces are present.

    Already, in Canada, defence accounts for two hundred seventy-six thousand direct and indirect jobs.

    Let’s be practical: we see this with the opening of the new B Jetty in CFB Esquimalt, which created close to 1,300 jobs during its construction.

    We see this in our Future Aircrew Training program, an $11.2 billion investment in training the next generation of Canadian aviators – which will create or maintain 3,400 jobs annually across Canada.

    We see this with our River-Class Destroyer project, which will sustain over 5,000 jobs over the next 15 years, many of them in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

    And by sourcing Canadian-made steel, aluminum, and critical minerals, we will multiply the economic benefits and strengthen local industries— like the aluminium industry in Québec.

    But that’s not enough. I share in your ambition to do more.

    Now is the time to scale up our production here at home. Now is the time for government and industry to work together.

    Now is the time for your government to invest in you—to capitalize on the immense and growing defence opportunities.

    Canada’s defence is bolstered by the strong relationships we have with our Allies and international partners.

    We have over fifty international delegates attending CANSEC this year – a testament to the high calibre of the Canadian defence industry.

    And as we strengthen these international ties, there will be opportunities for industry to help us deliver on shared priorities.

    In November, Canada and Australia signed an agreement to work together on researching emerging missile threats, with a focus on countering hypersonic weapon systems.

    And, earlier this year, Prime Minister Carney announced further cooperation with the Australians—investing over six billion dollars in a partnership to develop advanced Over the Horizon Radar capabilities.

    After all, the Canadian Arctic belongs to Canada.

    I want to increase the work our defence industry does with our Allies and partners.

    My promise to you is that I will be: 

    Unafraid to carry the flag of the Canadian defence industry around the globe. 

    Unafraid to champion the innovative and class leading technology of Canadian companies. 

    Unafraid to help you compete on the world stage.

    Our defence industry is world-class.

    Innovative, highly skilled, and globally competitive.

    Yet we need to better harness what you bring to the table.

    In previous engagements between National Defence and industry, many of you raised concerns—about friction points, timelines, and the need for clear, consistent guidance.

    I want to reassure you that your comments have been heard.

    Our forthcoming Defence Industrial Strategy will put your insights into action.

    We’ll build a secure, resilient industrial base that supports long-term defence goals.

    Canada has planned to triple defence spending from 2014 levels by 2030—but, your government is moving to accelerate this.

    Your government will invest more to acquire the necessary equipment the CAF needs to be successful in carrying out its missions.

    We’re also taking real steps to improve how we buy, maintain, and upgrade our equipment. That includes streamlining our requirements and speeding up delivery—so CAF members get the tools they need, faster.

    And we’re moving toward a more regular, ongoing approach to defence planning. One that helps us stay on top of global threats, track our progress, and fix gaps before they grow.

    I don’t need to remind you that the world is changing fast—and this new approach will help us keep up. It will also give more consistency and predictability to our industry partners.

    Having a strong, well-equipped military, supported by a strong defence industrial base, is top priority for me, for the Prime Minister, and for your government—as demonstrated by the PM’s appointment of Canada’s first-ever Secretary of State for Defence Procurement, Stephen Fuhr.

    And as your government promises to do more, we ask that you do more.

    We simply cannot afford to wait a decade for the capabilities we need today.

    We need you to help us meet our ambitious timelines.

    Canadians have a legacy of mobilizing quickly when times get tough.

    During the Second World War, we went from just six ships to the third-largest navy in the world.

    We can—and we will—recapture that same innovative spirit.

    By procuring new equipment we can meet modern challenges.

    But, we need people.

    We need soldiers, aviators, and sailors.

    The people that make up the Canadian Armed Forces are our greatest asset. Without them, we wouldn’t be able to accomplish anything we set out to do.

    Last fiscal year, we surpassed our recruitment goals, bringing in over 6,700 new Regular Force members.

    That’s a 55% increase from the year before.

    And we will build on this success and grow our recruitment numbers even further.

    We’re going to do that by making it easier to serve, by building more housing units on bases, by expanding access to childcare, by providing better training, better equipment, and meaningful opportunities for career growth.

    And by building a culture rooted in dignity, inclusion, and respect for everyone who serves.
    We ask a hell of a lot of our military members and their families. 
    We ask them to be apart for extended periods of time. 
    We ask them to carry out dangerous missions. 
    In fact, we ask them to put the safety of others before their own—in defence of peace, freedom, and democracy.

    That is a lot to ask.

    And no matter the task, they carry out their duties with the utmost skill, dedication, and professionalism.

    To the Canadian Armed Forces members listening: you are simply second to none.

    To conclude we’re ready to work with you to bring this vision for defence, and for Canada’s defence industry, to life. In fact, no government can do this without you.

    Without your risk taking.

    Without your creativity.

    Without your entrepreneurship.

    Our cooperation will ensure our Armed Forces members have everything they need to protect our country and those who call it home.

    And reaffirm Canada’s position as a reliable and valuable partner on the international stage.

    We are seized with the urgency of this task—and I know you are too. Our country is calling on us to take on this responsibility in the defence of Canadians, their security and sovereignty.

    Thank you. Merci.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Tornado Watch 348

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    WW 348 TORNADO NC VA WV 301735Z – 310000Z

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 348
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    135 PM EDT Fri May 30 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    Northwest into Central North Carolina
    Western and Northern Virginia
    Southern and Eastern West Virginia

    * Effective this Friday afternoon and evening from 135 PM until
    800 PM EDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    A couple tornadoes possible
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph possible
    Isolated large hail events to 1.5 inches in diameter possible

    SUMMARY…Scattered thunderstorms are forecast to develop ahead of a
    surface low where enlarged hodographs and moist low levels will
    promote a mix of cells and bands of storms. The stronger storms
    will pose a risk for a couple of tornadoes, scattered damaging
    gusts, and isolated large hail.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 80 statute miles
    east and west of a line from 30 miles north northeast of Elkins WV
    to 20 miles southwest of Greensboro NC. For a complete depiction of
    the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS
    WOU8).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Tornado Watch means conditions are favorable for
    tornadoes and severe thunderstorms in and close to the watch
    area. Persons in these areas should be on the lookout for
    threatening weather conditions and listen for later statements
    and possible warnings.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 347…

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 60 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean
    storm motion vector 25035.

    …Smith

    Read more

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Minister Sidhu to advance Canada’s trade priorities in Paris, France

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    May 30, 2025 – Ottawa, Canada – Global Affairs Canada

    The Honourable Maninder Sidhu, Minister of International Trade, will be in Paris, France, from June 2 to 4, 2025, to attend the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) Ministerial Council Meeting (MCM), participate in meetings with WTO ministers and host a G7 trade ministers’ meeting.

    At the OECD MCM—chaired by Costa Rica with Canada, Australia and Lithuania as vice-chairs—Minister Sidhu will advance Canada’s trade priorities, including reinforcing open and stable markets, diversifying our trading relationships and leveraging the digital economy. These priorities will help Canada foster sustainable and inclusive economic growth, benefiting Canadian businesses, workers and communities right across the country.

    As Canada holds the G7 presidency this year, the Minister will host a trade ministers’ meeting, where he will emphasize the G7’s critical role in promoting economic prosperity for citizens and businesses and strengthening economic security and resilience amid evolving global trade challenges.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI: PROACTIS SA – Press Release 30.05.2025 (AFR report publication)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press Release

    Postponement of publication of results and Annual Financial Report for the year ending January 31, 2025

    Paris, France – (30 May 2025) – PROACTIS SA (ISIN code: FR0004052561) announces the postponement of the publication, originally scheduled for May 30, 2025, of its results and Annual Financial Report for the year ended January 31, 2025.

    This postponement follows the delay in finalizing the audit by the statutory auditors of PROACTIS HOLDING LIMITED (parent company of PROACTIS SA) and the delay in agreeing certain matters with the auditors of PROACTIS SA, notably with regards to the impairment of goodwill and forming a conclusion on going concern. As such, PROACTIS SA has no choice but to postpone the publication of its results and Annual Financial Report for the year ending January 31, 2025.

    PROACTIS SA and PROACTIS HOLDING LIMITED have already taken the necessary steps to complete the audits as quickly as possible.

    PROACTIS SA will announce the next publication dates in a press release in the near future.

    * * * *

    About Proactis SA (https://www.proactis.com/proactis-sa), a Proactis Company

    Proactis SA connects companies by providing business spend management and collaborative business process automation solutions for both goods and services, through The Business Network. Our solutions integrate with any ERP or procurement system, providing our customers with an easy-to-use solution which drives adoption, compliance and savings.

    Proactis SA has operations in France, Germany, USA and Manila.

    Listed in Compartment C on the Euronext Paris Eurolist.

    ISIN: FR0004052561, Euronext: PROAC, Reuters: HBWO.LN, Bloomberg: HBW.FP

    Contacts
    Tel: +33 (0)1 53 25 55 00
    E-mail: investorContact@proactis.com

    * * * *

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Press Release: FDIC Issues CRA Examination Schedules for Third Quarter 2025 and Fourth Quarter 2025

    Source: US Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation FDIC

    WASHINGTON – The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) today issued the lists of institutions scheduled for a Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) examination during the third quarter 2025 and fourth quarter 2025.  CRA regulations require each federal bank and thrift regulator to publish its quarterly CRA examination schedule at least 30 days before the beginning of each quarter. 

    The Community Reinvestment Act is a 1977 law that requires the FDIC to assess a bank’s record of meeting the credit needs of its entire community, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods, consistent with safe and sound operations.  CRA examinations allow federal regulators to assess an institution’s record of helping to meet those needs.

    CRA examinations are scheduled based on an institution’s asset size and CRA rating.  Absent reasonable cause, an institution with $250 million or less in assets and a CRA rating of Satisfactory can be subject to a CRA examination no more frequently than once every 48 months.  Absent reasonable cause, an institution with $250 million or less in assets and a CRA rating of Outstanding can be subject to a CRA examination no more frequently than once every 60 months.  

    The schedules of institutions to be examined July 1, 2025, through September 30, 2025, and October 1, 2025, through December 31, 2025, are based on the best information now available and are subject to change.  For example, a regulated financial institution not otherwise scheduled for an examination may be examined in connection with the application for a deposit facility.  Alternatively, some institutions may require more time and resources than originally allotted, thus delaying other scheduled examinations.  If an institution is rescheduled for a different quarter, that information will be included on a later list. 

    Federal bank and thrift regulators encourage public comment on the institutions to be examined under the CRA. Comments about FDIC-supervised institutions should be directed to the institutions themselves or to the Deputy Regional Director of the appropriate FDIC regional office (attached).  All public comments received prior to completion of a CRA examination will be considered.

    The CRA examination schedules for the third quarter of 2025 and fourth quarter of 2025 are attached.  Schedules also can be obtained by calling (703) 562-2200 or (877) 275-3342, faxing a request to (703) 562-2296, or writing to:

    FDIC
    Public Information Center
    3501 Fairfax Drive
    Room E-1002
    Arlington, VA 22226

    ATTACHMENTS:

    # # #

    MEDIA CONTACT: 
    LaJuan Williams-Young
    lwilliams-young@FDIC.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Blackdown Tableland National Park temporary closure

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Issued: 26 May 2025

    Blackdown Tableland National Park is temporarily closed to allow roadworks aimed at improving visitor safety and access to be completed.

    Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service (QPWS) is upgrading and resealing the main access road, as well as undertaking grading and re-gravelling works between Yaddamen Dhina (Horseshoe lookout) and the Munall camping area, including upgrades and repairs to steep, sealed sections of the road.

    These improvements will enhance the overall visitor experience.

    For safety reasons, the narrow and winding access road cannot accommodate vehicles and visitors during the roadworks.

    Blackdown Tableland National Park is scheduled to reopen on 1 August 2025, following completion of roadworks.

    QPWS will provide an update when the protected area is safe to reopen.

    Visitors are being urged to check Park Alerts for up-to-date information on protected area closures.

    The public is urged to obey all signs and directions from Rangers to ensure their safety.

    Media contact:                 DETSI Media Unit on (07) 3339 5831 or media@des.qld.gov.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Zheng halts Mboko’s run to book place in Roland Garros last 16

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

    Paris Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen of China continued her strong run at the French Open on Friday, advancing to the women’s singles Round of 16 with a straight-sets win over 18-year-old Canadian qualifier Victoria Mboko.

    The eighth seed needed just under 90 minutes to beat Mboko 6-3, 6-4 in their first career meeting, marking her second appearance in the last 16 at Roland Garros after her breakthrough run in 2022.

    Zheng Qinwen returns a shot during the women’s singles 3rd round match between Zheng Qinwen of China and Victoria Mboko of Canada at the French Open tennis tournament at Roland Garros, Paris, France, May 30, 2025. (Xinhua/Li Jing)

    “I was born in China in a really hot place, which is called Wuhan. So I handled the hot weather quite well,” Zheng said in her post-match interview. “Last year when I played the Olympic Games, it was hotter than this. So actually I like this condition, but I want to say thanks to all the crowd who suffered here under the sun today with me.”

    Zheng also praised her young opponent. “I want to say congrats to the opponent because I feel she played really well, and I think we pushed each other to play our best tennis. And sometimes we had really good points. It was not an easy match.”

    Zheng will next face the winner of the match between Dayana Yastremska of Ukraine and Liudmila Samsonova of Russia as she looks to reach her first French Open quarterfinal.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI: PrairieSky Receives TSX Approval for Renewed Normal Course Issuer Bid

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, May 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — PrairieSky Royalty Ltd. (“PrairieSky” or the “Company“) (TSX: PSK) is pleased to announce that the Toronto Stock Exchange (the “TSX“) has accepted the notice of PrairieSky’s intention to commence a normal course issuer bid (the “NCIB“).

    On April 14, 2025, PrairieSky announced its intention to seek TSX approval to renew its NCIB for an additional one-year period. The NCIB allows the Company to purchase up to 15,355,946 common shares which represents approximately 6.5% of the common shares outstanding, being 235,536,040 as of May 21, 2025, and 10% of the public float of 153,559,462 common shares which is defined as the common shares outstanding after excluding common shares beneficially owned by directors and executive officers of PrairieSky and persons who beneficially own or exercise control or direction over more than 10% of the issued and outstanding common shares of PrairieSky. The NCIB will commence on June 4, 2025 and will expire no later than June 3, 2026.

    Under the NCIB, common shares may be repurchased in open market transactions on the TSX, and/or other Canadian alternative trading systems. In accordance with the rules of the TSX governing normal course issuer bids, the total number of common shares the Company is permitted to purchase is subject to a daily purchase limit of 99,954 common shares, representing 25% of the average daily trading volume of common shares on the TSX calculated for the six-month period ended April 30, 2025, being approximately 399,818 common shares. However, the Company may make one block purchase per calendar week which exceeds the daily repurchase restriction. Any common shares that are purchased under the NCIB will be cancelled by PrairieSky.

    The Company believes that from time to time the market price of the common shares may not reflect their underlying value. The purchase of common shares will increase the proportion of interest of, and be advantageous to, all remaining shareholders. In addition, any purchases by the Company will afford increased liquidity to those shareholders of the Company who may wish to dispose of their common shares.

    PrairieSky has entered into an automatic share purchase plan with its broker, CIBC Capital Markets, in order to facilitate purchases of its common shares. The automatic purchase plan allows for purchases by the Company of its common shares at any time, including, without limitation, when the Company would ordinarily not be permitted to make purchases due to regulatory restriction or self-imposed blackout periods. Purchases will be made by PrairieSky’s broker based upon the parameters prescribed by the TSX and the terms of the parties’ written agreement.

    PrairieSky currently intends to purchase up to a maximum of 15,355,946 common shares to effect NCIB purchases over the next 12 months. PrairieSky purchased 3,415,900 common shares under its current normal course issuer bid which authorized the purchase for cancellation of up to 5,000,000 common shares and commenced on June 4, 2024 and runs to June 3, 2025. Since instituting the normal course issuer bid in 2016 to March 31, 2025, PrairieSky has purchased and cancelled an aggregate of 20.1 million common shares at a weighted average price per share of $16.74.

    FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

    This press release contains certain forward-looking statements. The use of any of the words “expect”, “anticipate”, “may”, “will”, “should”, “believe”, “intends”, and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements contained in this press release include our expectations with respect the number of common shares under NCIB purchases to be effected over the next 12 months.

    With respect to forward-looking statements contained in this press release, we have made several assumptions including that the common shares will from time-to-time trade below their value, that the Company will complete purchases of common shares pursuant to the NCIB and those described in detail in our Management Discussion & Analysis and the Annual Information Form for the period ended December 31, 2024. Readers and investors are cautioned that the assumptions used in the preparation of such forward-looking statements, 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. Our actual results, performance, or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. We can give no assurance that any of the events anticipated will transpire or occur, or if any of them do, what benefits we will derive from them.

    By their nature, forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, some of which are beyond our control, including the market price of the common shares being too high to ensure that purchases benefit the Company and its shareholders, impact of general economic conditions, industry conditions, volatility of commodity prices, stock market volatility and failure to execute purchases under the NCIB. The foregoing and other risks are described in more detail in PrairieSky’s Management Discussion & Analysis and the Annual Information Form for the period ended December 31, 2024 under the headings “Risk Management” and “Risk Factors”, respectively, each of which is available at www.sedarplus.com.

    Further, any forward-looking statement is made only as of the date of this press release, and PrairieSky undertakes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement or statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which such statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by applicable securities laws. New factors emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for PrairieSky to predict all of these factors or to assess in advance the impact of each such factors on PrairieSky’s business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements.

    The forward-looking statements contained in this press release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement.

    ABOUT PRAIRIESKY ROYALTY LTD.

    PrairieSky is a royalty-focused company, generating royalty revenues as petroleum and natural gas are produced from its properties. PrairieSky has a diverse portfolio of properties that have a long history of generating funds from operations and that represent the largest and most concentrated independently-owned fee simple mineral title position in Canada. PrairieSky’s common shares trade on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol PSK.

    FOR FURTHER INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT:

    PrairieSky Royalty Ltd.

    Investor Relations
    (587) 293-4000

    www.prairiesky.com

    PDF available: http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/6d0e44ba-aa7a-422f-b79d-9d3722a29243

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Australian Oilseeds Announces Third Quarter Fiscal 2025 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COOTAMUNDRA, Australia, May 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Australian Oilseeds Holdings Limited (the “Company”) (NASDAQ: COOT), a manufacturer and seller of sustainable edible oils to customers globally, today announced financial results for its third quarter fiscal 2025 ended March 31, 2025.

    Third Quarter Fiscal 2025 Financial Highlights Compared to Prior Year

    • Sales revenue increased 49.8% to A$9.4 million driven by broad-based growth across retail, wholesale and high protein meal categories.
    • Retail oil revenue increased 69.4% to A$4.7 million reflecting expanded distribution at several leading retailers in Australia along with the addition of new SKUs.
    • Net loss of A$0.6 million compared to net income of A$41 thousand, reflecting changes to sales mix, planned investments in brand and marketing, as well as higher professional fees, insurance and employee costs.

    “We were pleased to deliver strong year-over-year growth in the third quarter, led by our retail category where our expanded distribution network and broader product lineup drove results,” said Gary Seaton, Chief Executive Officer. “We also saw robust demand across customers and channels, validating our commitment to premium quality. We remain steadfast in our commitment to eliminating chemicals from the edible oil production and manufacturing systems and continue to believe we are well positioned for significant growth and improving returns over the long term.”

    About Australian Oilseeds Holdings Limited. Australian Oilseeds Holdings Limited, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”) (NASDAQ: COOT) through its subsidiaries, including Australian Oilseeds Investments Pty Ltd., an Australian proprietary company, is focused on the manufacture and sale of sustainable oilseeds (e.g., seeds grown primarily for the production of edible oils) and is committed to working with all suppliers in the food supply chain to eliminate chemicals from the production and manufacturing systems to supply quality products to customers globally. The Company engages in the business of processing, manufacture and sale of non-GMO oilseeds and organic and non-organic food-grade oils, for the rapidly growing oilseeds market, through sourcing materials from suppliers focused on reducing the use of chemicals in consumables in order to supply healthier food ingredients, vegetable oils, proteins and other products to customers globally. Over the past 20 years, the Company’s cold pressing oil plant has grown to become the largest in Australia, pressing strictly GMO-free conventional and organic oilseeds.

    Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to, statements regarding our financial outlook, business strategy and plans, market trends and market size, opportunities and positioning. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections. Words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “should,” “believe,” “hope,” “target,” “project,” “goals,” “estimate,” “potential,” “predict,” “may,” “will,” “might,” “could,” “intend,” “shall” and variations of these terms and similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond our control. For example, global economic conditions could in the future reduce demand for our products; we could in the future experience cybersecurity incidents; we may be unable to manage or sustain the level of growth that our business has experienced in prior periods; our financial resources may not be sufficient to maintain or improve our competitive position; we may be unable to attract new customers, or retain or sell additional products to existing customers; we may experience challenges successfully expanding our marketing and sales capabilities, including further specializing our sales force; customer growth could decelerate in the future; we may not achieve expected synergies and efficiencies of operations from recent acquisitions or business combinations, and we may not be able to pay off our convertible notes when due. Further information on potential factors that could affect our financial results is included in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for June 30, 2024 and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent our views only as of the date of this press release and we assume no obligation and do not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

    Contact
    Australian Oilseeds Holdings Limited
    126-142 Cowcumbla Street
    Cootamundra New South Wales 2590
    Attn: Amarjeet Singh, CFO
    Email: amarjeet.s@energreennutrition.com.au

    Investor Relations Contact
    Reed Anderson
    (646) 277-1260
    reed.anderson@icrinc.com 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Australian Oilseeds Holdings Limited Announces Conversion of Existing A$5 Million of Debt to Equity, Strengthening Balance Sheet Moving Forward

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    COOTAMUNDRA, Australia, May 30, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Australian Oilseeds Holdings Limited (the “Company”) (NASDAQ: COOT), a manufacturer and seller of sustainable edible oils to customers globally, today announced a A$5 million debt-to-equity conversion (the “Conversion”).

    In connection with the conversion, JSKS Enterprises Pty Ltd., (“JSKS”), an entity controlled by Gary Seaton, Chief Executive Officer and a member of the Company’s Board of Directors, converted approximately A$5 million of its outstanding loan into 4,452,479 shares of Company’s ordinary shares, $0.0001 par value per share (“Ordinary Shares”).

    Gary Seaton, Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We continue to be very pleased with the momentum and trajectory of our business. The decision to convert a meaningful portion of debt to equity strengthens our balance sheet and enhances financial flexibility while also demonstrating the long-term commitment to the Company’s future by management and its shareholders, which will reduce our debt by A$5 million and increases our shareholders’ equity by the same amount, and is in line with our strategy to optimize our capital structure.”

    Pursuant to the Conversion, the principal amount of all loans made to the Company by JSKS, along with accrued interest through April 30, 2025, will be deemed repaid by the Company and all of its obligations with respect to the principal amount and accrued interest will be satisfied in full and cancelled. In exchange, the Company has issued to JSKS 4,452,479 Ordinary Shares. 

    About Australian Oilseeds Holdings Limited. Australian Oilseeds Holdings Limited, a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”) (NASDAQ: COOT) through its subsidiaries, including Australian Oilseeds Investments Pty Ltd., an Australian proprietary company, is focused on the manufacture and sale of sustainable oilseeds (e.g., seeds grown primarily for the production of edible oils) and is committed to working with all suppliers in the food supply chain to eliminate chemicals from the production and manufacturing systems to supply quality products to customers globally. The Company engages in the business of processing, manufacture and sale of non-GMO oilseeds and organic and non-organic food-grade oils, for the rapidly growing oilseeds market, through sourcing materials from suppliers focused on reducing the use of chemicals in consumables in order to supply healthier food ingredients, vegetable oils, proteins and other products to customers globally. Over the past 20 years, the Company’s cold pressing oil plant has grown to become the largest in Australia, pressing strictly GMO-free conventional and organic oilseeds.

    Forward-Looking Statements: This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including but not limited to, statements regarding our financial outlook, business strategy and plans, market trends and market size, opportunities and positioning. These forward-looking statements are based on current expectations, estimates, forecasts and projections. Words such as “expect,” “anticipate,” “should,” “believe,” “hope,” “target,” “project,” “goals,” “estimate,” “potential,” “predict,” “may,” “will,” “might,” “could,” “intend,” “shall” and variations of these terms and similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain these identifying words. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which involve factors or circumstances that are beyond our control. For example, global economic conditions could in the future reduce demand for our products; we could in the future experience cybersecurity incidents; we may be unable to manage or sustain the level of growth that our business has experienced in prior periods; our financial resources may not be sufficient to maintain or improve our competitive position; we may be unable to attract new customers, or retain or sell additional products to existing customers; we may experience challenges successfully expanding our marketing and sales capabilities, including further specializing our sales force; customer growth could decelerate in the future; we may not achieve expected synergies and efficiencies of operations from recent acquisitions or business combinations, and we may not be able to pay off our convertible notes when due. Further information on potential factors that could affect our financial results is included in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K for June 30, 2024 and our other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent our views only as of the date of this press release and we assume no obligation and do not intend to update these forward-looking statements.

    Contact
    Australian Oilseeds Holdings Limited
    126-142 Cowcumbla Street
    Cootamundra New South Wales 2590
    Attn: Amarjeet Singh, CFO
    Email: amarjeet.s@energreennutrition.com.au

    Investor Relations Contact
    Reed Anderson
    (646) 277-1260
    reed.anderson@icrinc.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Police catch drink and drug drivers

    Source: New South Wales – News

    South Australia Police detected 53 drink and drug driving offences in a targeted statewide road safety operation last week.

    Operation Stop Drink and Drug Drive was conducted from 23 to 25 May 2025 involving both static and mobile alcohol and drug testing units.

    Officer in Charge of Traffic Services Branch, Superintendent Shane Johnson said the results indicate that too many drivers are still making the irresponsible decision to drive under the influence of alcohol and drugs.

    “Drink and drug driving is a selfish decision that puts drivers and other road users at unnecessary risk of injury or a loss of life,” Superintendent Johnson said.

    “In this operation, police detected 23 positive drug driving offences and 32 drink driving offences, so 51 people immediately lost their licence and 22 had their vehicle impounded.

    “Police will continue to conduct high-visibility operations across the state to target those who ignore the law. If you drink alcohol or take drugs and get behind the wheel, you are taking an unnecessary risk and will get caught. “

    An incident of note involved a 62-year-old Para Hills woman who was detected allegedly with a blood alcohol reading five times over the legal limit with a reading of 0.266 after failing to navigate a left-hand turn and crashing a vehicle on a pedestrian refuge. She was issued with drink driving and driving without due care and issued with a 12-month immediate loss of licence.

    A 62-year-old Morphett Vale man was also detected with an alleged a blood alcohol reading of 0.266 was stopped for driving in an erratic manner. He was issued with a 12-month immediate loss of licence notice and police impounded his vehicle for 28 days.

    MIL OSI News –

  • Astronomers scrutinize a star behaving unlike any other

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Astronomers have spotted a star acting unlike any other ever observed as it unleashes a curious combination of radio waves and X-rays, pegging it as an exotic member of a class of celestial objects first identified only three years ago.

    It is located in the Milky Way galaxy about 15,000 light-years from Earth in the direction of the constellation Scutum, flashing every 44 minutes in both radio waves and X-ray emissions. A light-year is the distance light travels in a year, 5.9 trillion miles (9.5 trillion km).

    The researchers said it belongs to a class of objects called “long-period radio transients,” known for bright bursts of radio waves that appear every few minutes to several hours.

    This is much longer than the rapid pulses in radio waves typically detected from pulsars – a type of speedily rotating neutron star, the dense collapsed core of a massive star after its death. Pulsars appear, as viewed from Earth, to be blinking on and off on timescales of milliseconds to seconds.

    “What these objects are and how they generate their unusual signals remain a mystery,” said astronomer Ziteng Wang of Curtin University in Australia, lead author of the study published this week in the journal Nature.

    In the new study, the researchers used data from NASA’s orbiting Chandra X-ray Observatory, the ASKAP telescope in Australia and other telescopes.

    While the emission of radio waves from the newly identified object is similar to the approximately 10 other known examples of this class, it is the only one sending out X-rays, according to astrophysicist and study co-author Nanda Rea of the Institute of Space Sciences in Barcelona.

    The researchers have some hypotheses about the nature of this star. They said it may be a magnetar, a spinning neutron star with an extreme magnetic field, or perhaps a white dwarf, a highly compact stellar ember, with a close and quick orbit around a small companion star in what is called a binary system.

    “However, neither of them could explain all observational features we saw,” Wang said.

    Stars with up to eight times the mass of our sun appear destined to end up as a white dwarf. They eventually burn up all the hydrogen they use as fuel. Gravity then causes them to collapse and blow off their outer layers in a “red giant” stage, eventually leaving behind a compact core roughly the diameter of Earth – the white dwarf.

    The observed radio waves potentially could have been generated by the interaction between the white dwarf and the hypothesized companion star, the researchers said.

    “The radio brightness of the object varies a lot. We saw no radio emission from the object before November 2023. And in February 2024, we saw it became extremely bright. Fewer than 30 objects in the sky have ever reached such brightness in radio waves. Remarkably, at the same time, we also detected X-ray pulses from the object. We can still detect it in radio, but much fainter,” Wang said.

    Wang said it is thrilling to see a new type of behavior for stars.

    “The X-ray detection came from NASA’s Chandra space telescope. That part was a lucky break. The telescope was actually pointing at something else, but just happened to catch the source during its ‘crazy’ bright phase. A coincidence like that is really, really rare – like finding a needle in a haystack,” Wang said.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Global: From working class pubs to sold-out stadiums: how darts has become a major international sport

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Joshua McLeod, Senior Lecturer in Sport Management, Deakin University

    Few sports have witnessed a transformation as dramatic as darts in recent years.

    From its origins as a pub game stereotypically played with cigarette and beer in hand, darts is now serious business.

    With surging television ratings and huge demand for live events, the growth of darts continues to leave many sports looking on in envy.

    There has been a combination of factors at play – not least one exceptionally prodigious teenager. Before discussing those factors, it’s worth taking a closer look at the numbers.

    Becoming big business

    Darts sits alongside a select few sports to have achieved significant commercial growth over the past decade.

    While not at the scale of sports such as the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) and Formula 1, the rise of darts has been prolific.

    In the United Kingdom, a record-breaking peak of 3.7 million viewers watched the 2024 Professional Darts Corporation (PDC) World Championship final. It was Sky Sports’ highest-ever non-soccer broadcast.

    In addition to the PDC World Championship – the sport’s premier knockout event – viewership records were also broken across the 2024 Premier League Darts season, a league-format competition featuring weekly fixtures between top-ranked players.

    On the UK’s Sky Sports, the 15 most-watched nights in the competition’s history all occurred that year.

    The PDC World Championship and Premier League Darts sit alongside the World Matchplay as the “Triple Crown” of most important darts events.

    Outside the UK, darts viewership also continues to grow.

    The Netherlands remains a strong and expanding heartland, while in Germany, viewership for the World Championship final has increased eightfold since 2008.

    In Australia, precise viewing figures are not widely available, but the Foxtel Group’s landmark four-year deal with the PDC in 2023 suggests rising demand.

    Surging audiences are translating into significantly larger broadcast deals.

    In 2025, Sky Sports reportedly outbid Netflix to secure a new £125 million (A$260.3 million) deal for exclusive UK coverage of the PDC for 2026–30. That was double the size of the previous deal.

    In contrast, many other sports face stagnation or even sharp declines in media rights value.

    For instance, the UK Super League rugby’s rights on Sky Sports fell from £40 million (A$83.3 million) per season in 2021 to £21.5 million (A$44.5 million) in 2024.

    Similarly, in soccer, the French Ligue 1’s TV deal with DAZN collapsed due to underwhelming subscriber numbers. Meanwhile, ESPN walked away from its long-standing agreement with Major League Baseball after unsuccessfully trying to cut its US$550 million (A$848 million) annual payment down to $200 million (A$309 million).

    Prize money in darts has also exploded.

    Next year, the winner of the two-week long World Championship will bank £1 million (A$2.08 million) – doubling this year’s purse.

    The prize money was £60,000 (A$124,960) in 2005, representing a 1,567% increase over 20 years.

    Tickets are also hot property. Premier League and World Championship sessions often sell out within minutes worldwide: the UK, Bahrain, New York and even Wollongong have become key stops in darts’ international calendar.

    The recipe for success

    Like Formula 1 and the UFC, darts benefits from being privately operated.

    Without the typical bureaucracy and conflicting interests seen in many traditional sport governing bodies, the PDC can respond more quickly to audience preferences and market opportunities.

    This streamlined, commercially driven approach has been key to darts’ growth.

    The sport has been expertly tailored to modern audiences.

    One of darts’ best-known selling points is the live event experience. The entertainment-first approach is known for loud music, the showmanship of player walk-ons, fancy dress from the crowd and yes, often plenty of alcohol.

    The lines are blurred between sport and party and fans love it.

    Culturally, darts is seen by many as fun, relatable, and rooted in working-class culture. After all, its heritage is in the pub.

    Darts is ideally suited to modern sport media consumption habits: PLD matches last only 20–30 minutes and the up-close TV product works perfectly for social media highlight clips.

    It is also one of the few sports where women compete directly against men.

    This adds another layer of interest for fans and has helped elevate stars such as Fallon Sherrock, who made headlines in 2019 by becoming the first woman to win a match at the PDC World Championship, eventually reaching the final 32.

    A prodigy emerges

    The so-called “Littler Effect” has given darts’ profile a significant boost.

    The emergence of talented teenager Luke Littler has broken new ground for the sport and drawn global interest.

    The English prodigy, who has quickly risen to fame, is by far the sport’s biggest star, but it would be unfair to say darts is a one-man band.

    Luke Humphries and Michael van Gerwen enjoy significant profiles while Phil Taylor is regarded as the sport’s greatest player. Australia’s Simon “The Wizard” Whitlock also forged a successful career.

    There is also colourful two-time world champion Peter Wright.

    Where to from here?

    The success of darts reveals much about modern sports audiences and their preferences.

    Darts does not rely on traditional ideas of athletic excellence, nor does it fit the Olympic ideal.

    Yet, darts is thriving while many traditional sports are stagnating.

    Darts’ success stems from remaining authentic to its working-class roots while evolving into an engaging commercial product suited for television, short-form content and digital media.

    For darts to fully achieve its global potential, the next step has to be continued international growth. Although it has grown steadily in markets like Australia and throughout Asia, the UK remains darts’ dominant base.

    As the global sports marketplace becomes more fragmented and competitive, darts is well positioned to continue growing.

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

    – ref. From working class pubs to sold-out stadiums: how darts has become a major international sport – https://theconversation.com/from-working-class-pubs-to-sold-out-stadiums-how-darts-has-become-a-major-international-sport-254807

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Improving lives through local climate action

    Source: Scottish Government

    Scotland’s Climate Action Hubs to receive £6 million funding.

    Community projects across Scotland aimed at improving lives through local climate action are set to benefit from a share of £6 million Scottish Government funding.

    Scotland’s nationwide network for Climate Action Hubs encourage and support climate action unique to their own areas from flood mitigation, repair shops and local energy generation to food growing and tree planting.

    There is now a Hub covering every area in Scotland fulfilling a previous Programme for Government commitment to ensure people are empowered to act on climate in their own neighbourhoods.

    Acting Net Zero Secretary Gillian Martin confirmed the funding during a visit to Buckie Thistle Football Club which is being supported by Moray Climate Hub to reduce its impact on the environment and raise awareness of climate change in local schools. 

    Ms Martin said: “I am very pleased to hear first-hand how Moray Climate Hub has been helping communities in the area support climate action from working with their local football team to identify ways in which they can cut their emissions to setting up a biodiversity garden for adults with learning difficulties.

    “Football clubs, like Buckie Thistle, play an influential role in their local community, and their efforts to reduce their carbon footprint will undoubtedly inspire others to do the same, and provide a template for climate action that other clubs can follow.

    “Tackling climate change is our collective responsibility and will require collaborative action at all levels. We must also share in the economic and health benefits that protecting our planet for future generations will bring. 

    “Communities are uniquely placed to play a critical role in shaping and driving forward the transition to low carbon and climate resilient living and we want to empower people to take action in their neighbourhoods that’s right for them. 

    “That is why we are proud to continue to support our hugely successful framework of regional climate hubs, which provide a vehicle for communities to come together and engage in collective grassroots action.”

    Moray Climate Hub Manager (Moray CAN) Louise Nicol said: “We’re delighted to receive continued funding , it means we can keep supporting communities across Moray to take meaningful climate action in ways that work for them. Working with Buckie Thistle has been great, and we are both learning so much from each other. Football is more than a game – it’s a community hub, and it’s a great way to open up conversations about the environment.”

    Buckie Thistle Football Club General manager, Stephen Shand, said: “We’re very grateful for the support from Moray Climate Hub – it’s helped us get our heads around what we can do as a club to be more environmentally responsible. We’re just at the start of the journey, but it’s exciting to learn more and see where small changes can make a difference. The help we are getting to find funding has been a huge boost to the club.”  

    Background

    A total of 24 hubs have been set up across Scotland – fulfilling a 2024 Programme for Government commitment.

    Contact information for climate action hubs.

    The Scottish Government is providing up to £6 million of funding in 2025 – 2026 for its network of Climate Action Hubs alongside a support package for delivery. This is broken down as follows – with some funding still to be allocated:

    Hub

    Total 25/26 Grant

    Angus

    171,946.00

    Argyll and Bute

    158,208.00

    Ayrshire

    370,000.00

    Dumfries and Galloway

    212,461.60

    Dundee

    163,895.00

    East Dunbartonshire

    105,985.00

    East Lothian

    166,617.00

    East Renfrewshire

    106,294.00

    Edinburgh

    375,000.00

    Fife

    307,505.00

    Forth Valley

    375,000.00

    Glasgow

    473,425.00

    Highlands & Islands

    476,952.00

    Inverclyde

    102,000.00

    Lanarkshire

    473,661.95

    Midlothian

    125,000.00

    Moray

    146,247.00

    North East

    510,895.00

    Outer Hebrides

    141,700.00

    Perth & Kinross

    165,000.00

    Renfrewshire

    162,000.00

    Scottish Borders

    171,151.33

    West Dunbartonshire

    70,960.00

    West Lothian

    170,985.00

    Total

    5,702,888.88

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Centenary Big Sing and Big Play to showcase city’s young musical talent

    Source: City of Stoke-on-Trent

    Published: Friday, 30th May 2025

    Hundreds of children from across the city will take to the stage at the Victoria Hall this June as part of a special City Music Service concert series celebrating Stoke-on-Trent’s centenary.

    The Big Sing will take place over two dates – Wednesday 4 June and Tuesday 10 June – featuring performances from Key Stage 1 (City Songbirds) and Key Stage 2 (City Voices) pupils. The concerts will include well-loved songs performed by choirs from schools across the city alongside City Music Service ensembles.

    The Big Play, taking place on Wednesday 11 June, will shine a spotlight on instrumentalists from both primary and secondary schools. With morning and afternoon sessions, the event will see a wide range of young musicians performing together.

    These performances form part of the council-run City Music Service’s wider annual concert programme, which showcases some of the city’s most talented young musicians and singers. Each week, the service works in partnership with local schools to deliver high-quality musical education to more than 10,000 children and young people aged two to 18.

    Councillor Sarah Jane Colclough, cabinet member for children’s services, said: “What better way to mark our city’s Centenary than by celebrating its future through music? The Big Sing and Big Play offer a joyful, inspiring showcase of the talent, dedication and creativity of our young people.

    These concerts are always very popular, and I’d encourage families to book early and come along to support the next generation of Stoke-on-Trent’s musicians.”

    The City Music Service was established in 2002 and has played a vital role in making music education accessible, enjoyable and inclusive. Pupils start with City Songbirds and progress to groups such as the City Youth Choir, City Youth Wind Orchestra, and City Youth String Orchestra, performing regularly in prestigious venues.

    Tickets are now on sale for both concerts via ATG Tickets:

    The Big Sing (4 & 10 June): https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-big-sing-stoke-100/victoria-hall/

    The Big Play (11 June): https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-big-play-stoke-100/victoria-hall/

    Tickets cost £7.50 for adults, £6 for under 16s, and £22 for a family ticket (two adults and two children). Bookings can also be made by calling the box office on 0844 871 7649.

    For more information on the City Music Service or either of the events, email citymusicservice@stoke.gov.uk

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • PM Modi meets IPL star Vaibhav Suryavanshi and his parents in Patna

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday met 14-year-old cricket prodigy Vaibhav Suryavanshi and his parents at Patna Airport during his two-day visit to Bihar. The meeting took place shortly before the Prime Minister departed for a major public event in Bikramganj, where he is scheduled to inaugurate infrastructure projects worth ₹48,500 crore.

    In a post on X, PM Modi said, “At Patna airport, met the young cricketing sensation Vaibhav Suryavanshi and his family. His cricketing skills are being admired all over the nation! My best wishes to him for his future endeavours.”

    Suryavanshi, who has captured the nation’s attention during the IPL 2025 season, became the youngest player to score a century in the tournament’s history. He was signed by Rajasthan Royals for ₹1.1 crore in the last auction and has scored 252 runs in seven matches, including a record-breaking 35-ball century and a half-century.

    His recent performances have earned him a spot in India’s U19 squad for the England tour scheduled from June 24 to July 23. The tour includes a 50-over warm-up match, five Youth ODIs, and two multi-day matches against England U19.

    Earlier this month, during the inauguration of the Khelo India Youth Games 2025 in Bihar, PM Modi had praised the youngster’s extraordinary achievements. “We have seen the outstanding performance of the son of Bihar, Vaibhav Suryavanshi, in the IPL,” the Prime Minister had said. “Behind his success lies not just talent, but tireless hard work and constant exposure at different levels of the game.”

    Suryavanshi’s cricket journey has been historic. He made his first-class debut for Bihar at just 12 years and 284 days and scored a half-century in the Vijay Hazare Trophy. On the international stage, he holds the record for the fastest youth Test century by an Indian, a 58-ball ton against Australia, and was instrumental in India’s campaign in the ACC U19 Asia Cup.

    The young cricketer’s rise has been hailed as one of Indian cricket’s most remarkable stories in recent times, and his meeting with the Prime Minister is seen as both a recognition of his early success and encouragement for the road ahead.

    -IANS

  • MIL-OSI: Oma Savings Bank Plc – Managers’ transactions – Pykäri

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    OMA SAVINGS BANK PLC, STOCK EXCHANGE RELEASE 21 MAY 2025 AT 15.00. P.M. EET, MANAGERS’ TRANSACTIONS

    Oma Savings Bank Plc – Managers’ transactions – Pykäri
    ____________________________________________

    Person subject to the notification requirement
    Name: Pykäri, Pekka
    Position: Other senior manager
    Issuer: Oma Savings Bank Plc
    LEI: 743700LE1ECAPXC5UT18

    Notification type: INITIAL NOTIFICATION
    Reference number: 743700LE1ECAPXC5UT18_20250527134104_53
    ____________________________________________

    Transaction date: 2025-05-28
    Venue not applicable
    Instrument type: SHARE
    ISIN: FI4000306733
    Nature of the transaction: SUBSCRIPTION

    Transaction details
    (1): Volume: 179 Unit price: 7.5129 EUR

    Aggregated transactions
    (1): Volume: 179 Volume weighted average price: 7.5129 EUR

    Oma Savings Bank Plc

    Additional information:
    Karri Alameri, CEO, tel. +358 45 656 5250, karri.alameri@omasp.fi

    DISTRIBUTION: 
    Nasdaq Helsinki Ltd
    Major media
    www.omasp.fi

    OmaSp is a solvent and profitable Finnish bank. About 600 professionals provide nationwide services through OmaSp’s 48 branch offices and digital service channels to over 200,000 private and corporate customers. OmaSp focuses primarily on retail banking operations and provides its clients with a broad range of banking services both through its own balance sheet as well as by acting as an intermediary for its partners’ products. The intermediated products include credit, investment and loan insurance products. OmaSp is also engaged in mortgage banking operations.

    OmaSp core idea is to provide personal service and to be local and close to its customers, both in digital and traditional channels. OmaSp strives to offer premium level customer experience through personal service and easy accessibility. In addition, the development of the operations and services is customer-oriented. The personnel is committed and OmaSp seeks to support their career development with versatile tasks and continuous development. A substantial part of the personnel also own shares in OmaSp.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Shock NSW Senate result as One Nation beats Labor to win final seat

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne

    The button was pressed to electronically distribute preferences for the New South Wales Senate today. All analysts expected Labor to win the final seat, for a three Labor, two Coalition, one Green result. Instead, One Nation won the final seat, for a two Labor, two Coalition, one Green and one One Nation result. This is a One Nation gain from the Coalition.

    Six of the 12 senators for each state and all four territory senators were up for election on May 3. Changes in state senate representation are measured against 2019, the last time these senators were up for election. State senators elected at this election will start their six-year terms on July 1.

    Senators are elected by proportional representation in their jurisdictions with preferences. At a half-Senate election, with six senators in each state up for election, a quota is one-seventh of the vote, or 14.3%. For the territories, a quota is one-third or 33.3%.

    Final primary votes in NSW gave Labor 2.63 quotas, the Coalition 2.06, the Greens 0.78, One Nation 0.42, Legalise Cannabis 0.24, Trumpet of Patriots 0.17, the Libertarians 0.13 and Family First 0.11. One Nation defeated Labor’s third at the final count by 0.89 quotas to 0.87.

    Labor was hurt by the Greens being well short of quota, and getting preferences from left sources that would otherwise have gone to Labor, while right-wing parties united behind One Nation. The Greens only crossed quota at the second last count, and their small surplus wasn’t enough for Labor to catch One Nation.

    I covered Senate results from other states and territories earlier and this week.

    In the later piece, I talked about the two-party count. This isn’t finished yet in NSW or Victoria, but one side of politics usually needs about 57% of the two-party vote in a state to win four of the six senators (four quotas). This is very difficult to achieve.

    In Tasmania, Labor won the two-party count by over 63–37, but missed out on three senators owing to Jacqui Lambie. In South Australia, Labor won by over 59–41 and the left won a 4–2 Senate split. In Victoria, Labor leads by nearly 57–43, and the left won a 4–2 Senate split. In Western Australia and NSW, Labor won by less than 56–44 and the Senate was tied 3–3 between left and right.

    Out of the 40 Senate seats that were up at this election, Labor won 16 (up three), the Coalition 13 (down five), the Greens six (steady), One Nation three (up two) and Lambie and David Pocock one each (both steady). The Coalition lost senators in all mainland states, with Labor gaining in Victoria, South Australia and Queensland, and One Nation in NSW and WA.

    The 36 state senators elected in 2022 won’t be up for election until 2028. For the whole Senate, Labor has 28 out of 76, the Coalition 27, the Greens 11, One Nation four and there are six others. Labor will need either the Greens or the Coalition to reach the 39 votes needed for a Senate majority.

    In 2022, the United Australia Party (UAP) won a seat in Victoria. During the last term, Lidia Thorpe defected from the Greens, Fatima Payman from Labor and Tammy Tyrrell from the Jacqui Lambie Network. The six others are these four, Pocock and Lambie.

    Counting Thorpe, Payman and Pocock as left and the UAP as right, the left overall has a 42–32 Senate majority, with two others (Lambie and Tyrrell).

    National Senate primaries and results by state

    Nationally, Labor won 35.1% of the Senate vote (up 5.0% since 2022), the Coalition 29.9% (down 4.4%), the Greens 11.7% (down 0.9%), One Nation 5.7% (up 1.4%), Legalise Cannabis 3.5% (up 0.2%), Trumpet of Patriots 2.6% and Family First 1.5%.

    Labor won 34.6% nationally in the House of Representatives, so their Senate vote was 0.5% higher than in the House. It’s likely the lack of a Teal option helped Labor in the Senate.

    This table shows the senators elected in each state and territory in 2025, with the seat share and vote share at the bottom. Despite the losses in NSW and WA, Labor and the Greens are overrepresented in the Senate relative to vote share.

    Others are greatly underrepresented, but this is because most other parties are either left or right-wing, and their preferences go to Labor, the Greens, the Coalition or One Nation rather than to more others.

    For the combined left to lose control of the Senate in 2028, they would need to lose four seats. The only seat that looks vulnerable is the WA seat won by Payman for Labor in 2022. Even if the Coalition wins in 2028, the Senate is likely to be hostile to the Coalition.

    At a double dissolution election, all senators are up for election at the same time. If the Coalition wins in 2028, a double dissolution would be an option to seek to change a hostile Senate.

    Preference distributions for WA and Queensland

    Final WA primary votes gave Labor 2.53 quotas, the Liberals 1.86, the Greens 0.90, One Nation 0.41, Legalise Cannabis 0.28, the Nationals 0.25 and Australian Christians 0.19.

    One Nation defeated Labor’s third at the final count by 0.90 quotas to 0.86. When the Nationals were excluded, the Liberals got a large surplus. As in Victoria, Liberal preferences heavily favoured One Nation over Labor and Legalise Cannabis.

    But Legalise Cannabis preferences were not as good for Labor as in Victoria, with Labor winning these preferences by 13 points over One Nation, rather than 24 points in Victoria.

    Final Queensland primary votes gave the Liberal National Party 2.17 quotas, Labor 2.13, the Greens 0.73, One Nation 0.50, Gerard Rennick 0.33, Trumpet of Patriots 0.26 and Legalise Cannabis 0.25.

    Both the Greens and One Nation easily reached a quota on the distribution of preferences, with Rennick finishing far behind on 0.55 quotas.

    Adrian Beaumont 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. Shock NSW Senate result as One Nation beats Labor to win final seat – https://theconversation.com/shock-nsw-senate-result-as-one-nation-beats-labor-to-win-final-seat-257888

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: New Zealand and India: A broad-based, enduring partnership

    Source: New Zealand Government

    [Speech to the Ananta Aspen Centre, New Delhi, India]
    Namaste, good afternoon. 
    Ms Indrani Bagchi, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen. Thank you for the chance to speak with you today. Over the past 18 months, New Zealand and India have been working hard to deepen the excellent relations developing between us.
    It’s great to be back in New Delhi, just over year since our last visit. Last night, we were able to take stock with Minister Jaishankar of the progress New Zealand and India have made in strengthening relations in recent times, while discussing a broad range of challenging issues facing our region and our world. 
    We must, at the outset, pay tribute to Minister Jaishankar. He is one of the world’s leading statesmen, and it is an absolute pleasure to be working with him on this important project of cementing New Zealand-India relations. 
    This afternoon, we would like to outline for you why and how New Zealand seeks stronger relations with India, in the context of our broader approach to foreign policy in these uncertain, disordered times. 
    We will describe New Zealand’s outward face: how our small state of 5.2 million people sees its place in, and interacts with, the rest of the world. We will outline New Zealand’s foreign policy, which was reset after the new Coalition Government came into office in late 2023. We wish you to understand our priorities as well as our national values. And we will describe our determination to do more in, and with South and South East Asia, and especially with the great nation that is India. 
    Who we are
    First and foremost, New Zealand is a small collection of islands in the Southwest Pacific, just north of the penguins. The original discovery and settlement of the Pacific Islands, including New Zealand, is one of the most remarkable stories of exploration in human history. 
    Historians have compared it with space exploration as both were journeys into the unknown. But Pacific navigation is arguably even more remarkable because the canoes that set out from the Asian landmass knew not where they would land, nor when, nor indeed if they would find any new territory.
    But find land they did, as they forged new identities and societies on atolls and islands that today stand as a testament to their imagination, endurance and a resilience to overcome the formidable challenges of distance, geography, and resource scarcity.
    So, New Zealand is a Pacific Island country – we just sailed and paddled further – and we are linked with our Pacific family by geography, history, culture, politics, demography and indeed DNA. 
    We are also, self-evidently, a maritime nation. The Pacific Ocean represents 31 percent of the world’s surface. The Indian Ocean accounts for another 20 percent, so the Indo-Pacific accounts for about half the world’s surface, meaning protecting sea lanes and freedom of navigation is crucial for both India and New Zealand.
    New Zealand is also a migrant nation, one of the most multicultural countries anywhere. Seventeen percent of our people trace their origins to Asia, including six percent who have Indian ancestry. That diversity strengthens us at home – and connects us to the region that shapes our prosperity. Seven of our ten largest export destinations are in Asia. That is no coincidence. It is the reality of a deeply interconnected future. 
    We are also a deeply democratic people, with New Zealand being one of only nine countries who have enjoyed democracy continuously since 1854. 
    We are proud to have granted our earliest people, the Māori, the franchise all the way back in 1867, and to have been the first nation on earth to give women the vote, in 1893. We were also proud, when visiting your new parliament last year, to see New Zealand-made carpet adorning India’s magnificent new chamber in the world’s largest democracy. 
    New Zealanders, as an artefact of our geographical isolation from the world’s great populations centres, have always been outward-looking people, curious about the world around them. Indeed, many of our most iconic New Zealanders have done their best work outside our shores. 
    Lord Ernest Rutherford, who split the atom. Mountaineer Sir Edmund Hillary, who first climbed Mount Everest with Sherpa Tenzing Norgay, and whose legacy we were able to honour in Nepal this week. And, more latterly, cricketer John Wright, who coached India’s national team between 2000-2005; and, lest we forget, while on the subject of cricket, the New Zealand team which stunned the cricketing world in Bengaluru, Pune and Mumbai last year, are just a few of our peak Kiwi performers overseas.
    But, as our cricket team showed, the New Zealand character is forged not by a never-ending pipeline of natural talent – something India is blessed with – but by working very hard to hone the skills needed to compete on the global stage and to make the most of limited resources, whatever the endeavour.
    We push ourselves to work harder because New Zealand has understood these past 80 years, as a small state geographically isolated from the great landmasses of Asia, Europe and the Americas, that only through the conduct of a highly active foreign policy can we advance our national interests, defend our region, and make it more prosperous.
    Foreign Policy Reset
    Distinguished guests, in February 2024 Cabinet endorsed a significant foreign policy reset. 
    The six pillars of our foreign policy reset are as follows:
    First, we are significantly increasing our focus and resources applied to South and Southeast Asia. 
    Second, we have renewed and reinvigorated meaningful engagement with our traditional and likeminded partners. Beginning, as always, with our one formal ally and indispensable partner, Australia, which we visited again just late last week. 
    Third, we are actively sustaining a deeper focus on the Pacific Islands region, bolstering development and security collaboration in response to regional needs and crises.
    Fourth, we are carefully targeting our multilateral engagement to global and transboundary issues, working with close partners to defend and preserve core principles of international law that underpin our security and prosperity. 
    Fifth, we are supporting new groupings that advance and defend our interests and capabilities. The IP4, where we work closely with Australia, South Korea, Japan and NATO, is an example of this new support. 
    Sixth, we are working hard promoting our goal of seriously lifting New Zealand’s export value over the next decade. 
    The six pillars of the Government’s Foreign Policy Reset are underpinned by three key concepts:

    The realism that informs the Government’s foreign policy.
    Our view of the crucial role that diplomacy needs to play in our troubled world.
    And our unshakeable belief that small states matter and that all states are equal.

    In fashioning foreign policy responses the realist tendency is to err on the side of prudence. That is, we are careful in what we say, and when and how we say it. In conditions of great uncertainty and disorder, such as we are currently experiencing, prudence is a both a logical and necessary guiding principle for a small state like New Zealand.
    We see our responsibility to the New Zealand people, in conducting foreign policy, as making cool-headed calculations of the country’s own strengths and weaknesses as we fashion our responses to events large or small that impact upon New Zealand’s interests.
    For a small state like New Zealand, the role of diplomacy is a crucial instrument of our foreign policy. In our complex geostrategic environment never has effective diplomacy been more needed. In the 18 months since returning for a third time as Foreign Minister we’ve spoken widely with colleagues across the globe. We’ve visited 45 countries, several more than once, met with well over 100 Presidents, Prime Ministers, Deputy Prime Ministers and Foreign Ministers, and had over 400 political engagements.

    Summing up those discussions in our National Statement to the United Nations last year, we said it has never been more apparent just how much diplomacy and the tools of statecraft matter in our troubled world. 
    Since war and instability is everyone’s calamity, diplomacy is the business of us all. We have observed that at this moment in time the ability to talk with, rather than at, each other has never been more needed. 
    Those who share our values, and even those who do not, gain from understanding each other’s position, even when we cannot agree. From understanding comes opportunity and from diplomacy comes compromise, the building block of better relations between nations. We said we need more diplomacy, more engagement, more compromise. 
    As Winston Churchill also said in his later years, “meeting jaw-to-jaw is better than war.”

    The inherent tensions and imbalances in the global order – between the desire for a rules-based order that protects small states against aggression, and the unjustified exercise of power by certain Great Powers – have only grown over the last past eight decades. 

    Yet small states matter now as much as they did then. New Zealand holds the foundational belief that all states are equal and that our voices matter as much as more powerful states. 
    Adopting a prudential approach to our diplomacy also means not reacting to everything that happens around you. We are more interested in understanding and anticipating the trend lines that are apparent over much longer periods and how they manifest during our time at the wheel.
    The broadening India-New Zealand relationship
    Which brings us to the India-New Zealand relationship.  India’s trendlines are nothing short of stunning. India’s growth story is well known to us, and it is breathtaking: the fastest-growing economy in the G20 and on track to be the world’s third-largest economy in the coming years. 
    India’s middle class is now almost half a billion strong. In the last decade alone, 250 million Indians have been lifted out of poverty. India’s aviation industry has soared, with the number of airports more than doubling to 157, and a new highway network covering 95,000 kilometres – enough to drive between New Zealand and India eight times. These are not mere statistics; they represent an extraordinary economic transformation. 
    Globally, India has cemented itself as a key player. Hosting the G20 summit in 2023 and landing a spacecraft on the moon’s South Pole two years ago, are testaments to its growing influence. 
    For New Zealand, India presents immense untapped potential. Despite India’s economic scale, it remains only our 12th largest trading partner, accounting for just 1.5 percent of our exports. 
    We are determined to change that. Our strengths – from food and beverage products to agriculture, forestry, horticulture, education, and tourism – are world-class. And our innovation in areas like outer space and renewable energy will find a welcoming partner in India.
    Early in this term we clearly expressed our intent to build a deeper and broader relationship with India. But, as Mahatma Gandhi said, “An ounce of practice is worth more than tons of preaching.” So we have followed through with practical action to broaden our relationship.
    We have sought to increase the tempo and seniority of engagements between our politicians. Our first overseas visit outside our home region of Australia and Pacific was to India, where we visited both Gujarat and New Delhi in March 2024. The Trade Minister has visited India five times. 
    In March his year, Prime Minister Luxon visited India on one of New Zealand’s largest-ever Prime Ministerial missions. And we enthusiastically welcomed India’s President in August 2024, and, just recently, the Minister of State for External Affairs, Shri Pabitra Margherita.
    Since the Foreign Policy Reset, we’ve made concrete strides. We’ve launched negotiations on a Comprehensive Free Trade Agreement – a breakthrough in our economic relationship. But even before that milestone we had put in place measures to deepen the economic relationship, with new arrangements on horticulture, forestry, and education also recently finalised.
    Additionally, we have seen a Memorandum of Understanding signed between Air New Zealand and Air India to explore a codeshare agreement on 16 routes across India, Singapore, Australia, and New Zealand. This will make travel between our nations easier, boosting tourism, education, and business connections. 
    But our relationship with India goes well beyond economic ties. It extends to defence and security – a priority for New Zealand in the Indo-Pacific. In an emerging multipolar world, India is evolving into a geopolitical giant, an indispensable security actor in both regional and global spheres. 
    During a time of great uncertainty, instability and disorder, we have taken steps to work more closely on matters of defence and security with India. A recently signed Defence Cooperation Arrangement will facilitate closer links between our militaries. 
    Meanwhile, we have taken practical steps to work together more closely. The New Zealand Navy is leading Combined Task Force 150, charged with securing trade routes and countering terrorism, smuggling, and piracy in the Indian Ocean and Gulf of Aden. 
    India’s involvement in this mission, as the Deputy Command of the Task Force, underscores the growing closeness of our defence ties. The taskforce has already had very real impact, disrupting the trade of $600 million worth of illegal drugs so far. 
    With tensions rising in the Indo-Pacific, it is crucial for New Zealand to work hand-in-hand with India and other like-minded partners to ensure the region remains free and open, with all nations respecting the rules that underpin peace and stability.
    India makes a significant contribution to upholding the rules-based international system on which we rely, via its growing influence in multilateral forums. 
    In addition, India has been a leader in promoting solar energy worldwide. We were pleased to sign up to the India and France-led International Solar Alliance, which now has over 100 member countries. And New Zealand has endorsed India’s candidature for permanent membership in a reformed UN Security Council.
    Turning to our growing people-to-people links, Prime Minister Modi has spoken often of the Indian diaspora in New Zealand, calling it a “living bridge” between our countries. 
    That is certainly true – the vibrant Indian community in New Zealand is contributing immeasurably to our society. 
    Their economic contribution is enormous, with estimates from six years ago suggesting it was worth around NZ$10 billion. We have no doubt it has grown since. 
    Of course, our partnership is also about more than economics and politics. It’s about people, and there’s no greater expression of that than sport. Cricket, of course, is a key element of our relationship – we will soon mark 100 years of sporting ties with India.
    But our sporting connections go beyond cricket. New Zealand and India have recently signed a Sports Memorandum of Cooperation, paving the way for new collaborations in high-performance sports, technology, research, and people exchanges.
    When you consider the range of measures outlined today across these key areas, it becomes clear that India and New Zealand are building a truly broad-based relationship.

    Concluding Remarks
    In concluding this speech on New Zealand’s foreign policy and our approach to India, and before taking your questions, let us briefly reinforce our key messages here this afternoon.
    First, while we are operating under severe conditions of uncertainty and the world faces extremely difficult economic and security challenges, New Zealand is pursuing a Foreign Policy Reset to help secure our place in the world.
    Second, the foreign policy of this New Zealand Government is unashamedly realist because in conditions of uncertainty prudence is preferable to pious platitudes when it comes to protecting New Zealand’s and the Indo-Pacific’s immediate and longer-term economic and security interests.
    Third, our broadening bilateral relations with India are very important to us. New Zealand is deeply committed to South and South East Asia in general, and India in particular. We are taking concrete actions to make good on our commitment to India and the region, across political engagement, defence and security, trade and economics, people and cultural, and multilateral connections. 
    Ultimately, there’s plenty in our relationship to benefit both New Zealand and India, as we work more closely together on defence and security, on sharing technology and human capital and in cooperating economically. India can rely upon New Zealand’s word and the actions that support them. And we are in it for the long haul. 
    Thank you.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –