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Category: Australia

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Tornado Watch 257

    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.
    SEL7

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 257
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    930 PM EDT Thu May 15 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    Northern and West-Central Indiana
    Far Southern Lower Michigan
    Lake Michigan

    * Effective this Thursday night and Friday morning from 930 PM
    until 300 AM EDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    A few tornadoes and a couple intense tornadoes possible
    Scattered damaging winds likely with isolated significant gusts
    to 75 mph possible
    Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2.5
    inches in diameter possible

    SUMMARY…Thunderstorms will spread east-northeastward this evening
    and overnight while posing a threat for a few tornadoes, scattered
    severe/damaging winds with the ongoing cluster, and large hail with
    any sustained supercells.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 45 statute miles
    east and west of a line from 30 miles east of Benton Harbor MI to 90
    miles south of South Bend IN. For a complete depiction of the watch
    see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU7).

    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 253…WW 255…WW 256…

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 2.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 65 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean
    storm motion vector 24040.

    …Gleason

    SEL7

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 257
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    930 PM EDT Thu May 15 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    Northern and West-Central Indiana
    Far Southern Lower Michigan
    Lake Michigan

    * Effective this Thursday night and Friday morning from 930 PM
    until 300 AM EDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    A few tornadoes and a couple intense tornadoes possible
    Scattered damaging winds likely with isolated significant gusts
    to 75 mph possible
    Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2.5
    inches in diameter possible

    SUMMARY…Thunderstorms will spread east-northeastward this evening
    and overnight while posing a threat for a few tornadoes, scattered
    severe/damaging winds with the ongoing cluster, and large hail with
    any sustained supercells.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 45 statute miles
    east and west of a line from 30 miles east of Benton Harbor MI to 90
    miles south of South Bend IN. For a complete depiction of the watch
    see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU7).

    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 253…WW 255…WW 256…

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 2.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 65 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean
    storm motion vector 24040.

    …Gleason

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW7
    WW 257 TORNADO IN MI LM 160130Z – 160700Z
    AXIS..45 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    30E BEH/BENTON HARBOR MI/ – 90S SBN/SOUTH BEND IN/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 40NM E/W /24SSE PMM – 35N IND/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..2.5 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..65 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24040.

    LAT…LON 42138497 40398546 40398718 42138672

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU7.

    Watch 257 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Mod (50%)

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

    Mod (30%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    Mod (60%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Mod (30%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Mod (50%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Mod (30%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    High (80%)

    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 New Zealand: Speech to Otago Regional Growth Summit

    Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

    Thank you for being here.

    We appreciate your time. We appreciate your work.

    You have been joined this morning by five Ministers:

    • The Honourable Shane Jones, a driving force for the economic success of provincial New Zealand.
    • Customs Minister Casey Costello.
    • South Island Minister James Meager, and
    • Associate Regional Development Minister Mark Patterson.

    Today’s summit

    Ours is a country that has taken challenges and overcome them.

    Too often, we look to somebody else for an answer. We need look no further than ourselves.

    Gathered in this room are senior leaders from across the Otago region. Industry leaders, education leaders, transport leaders, elected leaders, and future leaders.

    Indeed, this entire region represents a story of New Zealand. One that embraces its resources, recognises its assets, develops itself, markets itself, attracts a thriving workforce and builds a community.

    These Regional Growth Summits have been set up as a forum for businesses, industry, and key regional leaders for your region’s priorities and how we can work together to grow regional economies.

    Rail as an economic enabler

    A man called Julius Vogel, from Dunedin, saw New Zealand as a nation and not as a series of regions. He connected us with rail, building more rail in ten years than in the 130 years which followed. One nation with many strengths.

    This morning, you have heard from Hon Shane Jones of our Government’s commitment of $8.2 million to build a three-track rail siding connecting Southern Link Logistics, an inland freight hub.

    Freight is about getting from A to B. Freight is the lifeblood of our economy. It’s no good making something if it doesn’t go to a customer.

    Rail boosts the network. Rail is the clearing house for busy ports, moving vast quantities of containers so ports can handle more ships. More ships enable more exports, more imports, more trade.

    Inland freight hubs mean local road freight operators, and rail freight, can feed regional goods into the hub and have rail take the combined heavy-haul to port. This model happens all over the country, and locals here in Otago have said they need it, and we have listened and delivered.

    Further, we have rebuilt the Hillside Railway Workshops in Dunedin. Brand new mechanical depots and network services, and an assembly operation is driving mechanical engineering expertise here in Otago and delivering 1,500 wagons to serve national goods.

    We don’t just talk. We deliver.

    Rebuilding the economy

    New Zealand requires a productive economy to thrive. 

    That means using what we have, adding value, and solving problems elsewhere in the world with our ideas and our products.

    This is not a new idea. Economic success requires work, right here, right now, every day.

    We have many assets as a nation:

    • Our people, their dedication to each other, their families and their communities. Their willingness to put in a hard days work, and our educators, thinkers and innovators and their tenacity to push humanity forward.
    • Our businesses, taking risk and investing for tomorrow, building industries, and backing their communities.
    • Our infrastructure – roads, rails, ports, farms, mills, depots, workshops, fibre, and much more. We have invested heavily, and these assets remain as vital to our success today as they have for decades.
    • Our resources – pastoral land, oceans and rivers, forests and yes, a thing called the extractive industry. Look around, 96 percent of this building and every building in New Zealand came from the extractive industry.

    We must aggressively sell our country as an attractive investment destination.

    The question that is always asked, “but why New Zealand?”, and we must have the answer.

    What gives us an edge over other small nations seeking investment? Why should an investor look to us, to our people, to our resources, to our future and decide we are where their future lies?

    Singapore, Taiwan, Ireland, and Croatia today, have answered these questions.

    So, what must we do?

    First, developing talent is essential to driving productivity gains.

    Many of you will also be aware of the work underway to redesign New Zealand’s vocational training to make it more regionally responsive, efficient, and relevant. These changes will help equip our people with the skills to take better opportunities within their communities, rather than needing to head off to Australia.

    Government investment through Regional Development funds, which started with the Provincial Growth Fund, has had a huge impact on growing job opportunities in Otago, with just under 1,000 jobs created through central government investment in Otago to date. 

    We will see these positive employment outcomes continue with the construction of the flood resilience projects and future potential investments through the Regional Investment Fund.

    Second, competitive business settings. We need the right policies and settings to allow development in the right places at the right time. We are talking here about sensible tax, predictable labour settings, and reliable migration settings.

    The length of time it takes to deliver infrastructure projects in New Zealand is costing us – in inflated costs, delays, and importantly from our perspective, in our international reputation for doing business. We see shovel-ready projects trapped in cycles of over-regulation and legal challenges.

    Third, promoting global trade and investment to boost the value of our exports, grow international markets and attract investment for our firms.

    As the Minister of Foreign Affairs this one is obvious. We are rebuilding the importance of solid relationships and working in partnership with other countries.

    Fourth, science and innovation systems are critical to boosting the number of knowledge-intensive, internationally connected firms.

    Improving digital connectivity and skills is a critical way of ensuring communities have access to a broader range of employment opportunities and enjoy greater productivity. To support these outcomes, the Provincial Growth Fund provided a $950,000 grant for the business case and $10 million grant toward the development of the Centre of Digital Excellence in Dunedin. 

    The centre invests in career pathways to the gaming industry, helps develop digital skills, grows digital capability, supports innovation through contestable funds, and attracts digital businesses to Dunedin.

    Fifth, long-term infrastructure. We want to see major projects on the Fast-Track. That is why we have legislated for economically significant infrastructure projects to be considered for what they are: the pathway to our future. We got things done in our past, and we are going to do it again.

    We are backing our roads and our rail because we know an export nation relies on solid connections to our coastal ports.

    And, if Minister Jones hasn’t made you aware, a $1.2 billion Regional Infrastructure Fund.

    Conclusion

    Now, we remind you that while the people of Wellington do have strengths, the public service within Wellington will not be the problem solver for Otago. That is your job.

    We need our regions to be running at full steam, increasing self-sufficiency, resilience, and for everyone to benefit from the changes we’re driving.

    And if you need help, tell Shane Jones what’s important to you as a region, and how we can work together to make that happen.

    You will be heard.

    Thank you very much.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Speech to Hillside Workshops

    Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

    Good morning.

    First, let us reiterate the thanks already given to civic leaders, Ministers, Mayors, parliamentarians past and present, union leaders, business leaders and members of the public gathered here today. 

    Let us also acknowledge the KiwiRail workers of Dunedin, especially the former and current workers here at Hillside today.

    You asked. We delivered.

    It is important to mark history. Knowing where we have come from helps us understand where we are going.

    Hillside Workshops have been a mainstay of New Zealand’s industrial heritage for a century. 

    A little over a decade ago the staff numbers were down to 12, and Hillside was closing.

    Today, 60 people work in the mechanical depot and 50 track workers serving the region have shifted here from Cumberland Street.

    The reason that Hillside is alive and well as you see it today is that in 2019, the Honourable Shane Jones allocated $20 million to start the masterplanning, demolition and rebuild of the main mechanical workshop here at Hillside.

    The masterplan was followed through when the Government approved $85 million more for the site, which included shifting the network operation here and funding the assembly of 1,500 wagons here in Dunedin.

    Our decisions, and your advocacy, saved Hillside Workshops.

    Dozens of people, almost entirely from Otago, have been employed and are learning technical mechanical engineering skills. Right here. Right now.

    The Honourable Mark Patterson visited last year and spoke with a mechanical engineer who grew up in Dunedin and worked at Fisher and Paykel. 

    His Fisher and Paykel role was made redundant, and he shifted to Australia, but the Hillside Workshop redevelopment brought him home. Like many others.

    These are technical minds and hands being put to work – and work is a matter of dignity and contribution.

    Hillside Workshops are an emblem of New Zealand’s industrial heritage.

    This city is famed for Julius Vogel who saw New Zealand as a nation, not a collection of regions. He connected the provinces by rail and built lines that stretched from Bluff to Kawakawa, and eventually connecting us as a nation with main trunks. He built more lines in ten years than in the following 130.

    We are committed to making sure rail has a strong future in this country and it rests on KiwiRail being able to serve its customers with assets that are fit for the job.

    That is what we have done here.

    The new, high-quality wagons that are being built here at Hillside are part of our Ministry’s strategy for rail. 

    They will lift service reliability, allowing KiwiRail to better deliver for their existing freight customers. In turn, that will attract more customers and grow freight volumes. 

    Now it’s up to KiwiRail to deliver, and it’s up to freight movers to “think rail”. Use it or lose it.  

    As you know, Dunedin is a dynamic city with a long history of contribution to the country’s engineering and technology sectors. 

    Our regional investments help build this capability in the city – from establishing the Inventors Lab and Centre of Digital Excellence to funding engineering equipment and support for technology manufacturing. 

    The Hillside redevelopment has also redefined KiwiRail’s footprint in Dunedin, freeing up its landholdings for wider industrial development. That means opportunities for investment here. That means jobs here.

    It’s a great privilege today to officially, albeit belatedly, declare the Hillside Workshops open.

    We don’t just the start the job, we finish it.

    Thank you to everyone who has been involved in this successful project and who are continuing to make it deliver. 

    Thank you very much.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Waste-to-energy in Australia: how it works, where new incinerators could go, and how they stack up

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ali Abbas, Associate Dean (Research), University of Sydney

    Martin Mecnarowski, Shutterstock.

    Every year, Australia buries millions of tonnes of waste in landfills. But these sites are filling fast, recycling has its own limitations, and most waste export is banned. So councils and state governments are looking for alternatives.

    Several large-scale incinerators have been proposed, to turn municipal solid waste into electricity. One is already up and running in Perth’s outer suburbs.

    The A$1.5 billion Parkes Energy Recovery project planned for New South Wales would be Australia’s biggest. However, community backlash over potential health risks could put the plan in doubt.

    As chemical engineers, we recognise the potential benefits of this technology. Modern facilities operating around the world show these processes can be efficient, safe and environmentally controlled. However, minimal risk does not mean zero risk. Understanding both the benefits and challenges is crucial to address community concerns.

    What is waste-to-energy?

    Waste-to-energy, also known as energy-from-waste, can transform waste otherwise destined for landfill into electricity, heat or fuel.

    This does not replace recycling. Instead, it offers a solution for materials that are difficult or impossible to recycle. Care must be taken, however, to ensure waste-to-energy technologies complement rather than supplant recycling efforts.

    How does it work?

    There are three main types of waste-to-energy technologies:

    1. Thermal: use heat to generate steam, which spins turbines to create electricity. The heat can come from burning waste, producing carbon dioxide, water and ash. Alternatively, solid waste can be turned into gas (hydrogen and carbon monoxide). This process is known as gasification.

    2. Biological: use microorganisms to break down organic matter in the waste stream, producing biogas, mainly methane. This is then used for power or heat generation.

    3. Chemical: use processes such as pyrolysis or hydrothermal liquefaction to convert hard-to-recycle materials into fuels or chemicals. These can feed into industrial and manufacturing processes.

    What’s holding Australia back?

    When most Australians hear about making energy from waste, they think of
    old-fashioned incinerators. Those outdated facilities released smoke and toxins into the air.

    But modern incinerators use advanced air pollution control systems that capture harmful emissions.

    Some use static electricity to remove dust or smoke particles from the gas stream. Other pollution control systems include acid gas scrubbers, catalytic converters and fabric filters.

    This can cut emissions of fine particles by up to 99%.

    The volume of waste sent to landfill is also reduced by up to 90%. What remains includes incinerator bottom ash and fly ash. Often these can be reused in making concrete, pavement and other construction materials. But regulatory issues will need to be overcome before this can happen in Australia.

    Introducing the Parkes project

    The Parkes Energy Recovery project, announced in March, promises to process around 600,000 tonnes of waste a year. This should generate at least 60 megawatts of electricity – enough to power 80,000 homes.

    To receive development approval, the project must comply with stringent environmental and health standards. This includes preparing an Environmental Impact Statement and Human Health Risk Assessment. The NSW Environment Protection Authority may then issue an Environment Protection Licence. Such a licence requires ongoing monitoring and frequent audits.

    Extensive community consultation is underway.

    Other projects around Australia

    There are two waste-to-energy plants in Western Australia, one at Kwinana and another under construction at East Rockingham. A third plant has been given the go-ahead in Victoria, at Maryvale.

    Kwinana received its first delivery of waste in July 2024.

    Licences to build other major waste-to-energy facilities have been issued in Victoria. Various proposals are also being considered in New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia.

    Australia’s first standalone, large-scale waste-to-energy plant in WA | ABC News.

    Taking tips from overseas

    A shortage of landfill sites in cities across Europe and Asia originally promoted investment in waste-to-energy technology. These power plants are now commonplace in Germany, the Netherlands and Japan, substantially reducing reliance on landfill.

    The Amager Bakke plant in Copenhagen shows how such facilities can also enrich a community. This award-winning building doubles as a public recreation space, complete with a rooftop ski slope.

    In China, the proposed Shenzhen East Waste-to-Energy Plant could process 5,000 tonnes of waste a day. That works out to 1.8 million tonnes of waste a year, if run continuously.

    One of the world’s largest waste-to-energy plants is in Shenzhen, China (Dezeen)

    Waste-to-energy and the circular economy

    Waste-to-energy technology is useful in the transition to a circular economy. This is an economy where resources are continually cycled through the system and never wasted.

    Reusing, recycling and reducing waste must remain top priorities. Waste-to-energy technology should then be used as a last resort, extracting value from hard- or impossible-to-recycle materials.

    It’s certainly better than sending waste to landfill. When buried underground, waste can leach toxins into soil, ground and surface water. The potent greenhouse gas methane is also released when food rots in landfill.

    Over-reliance on waste-to-energy could supplant more sustainable circular recycling efforts. But incineration plants are being scaled back in Europe, as the focus shifts to reuse.

    Copenhagen’s power plant is also a ski slope (The Impossible Build)

    The case for waste-to-energy

    Despite its potential, waste-to-energy technology remains controversial in Australia. Some local communities remain concerned about emissions and potential long-term health risks. Environmental groups also question the potential effects on recycling rates.

    Nevertheless, growing awareness of the limitations of recycling, increasing landfill levies, bans on waste exports, and ambitious federal and state circular economy strategies are making waste-to-energy a more pragmatic option. Stringent regulation and community consultation will be necessary to get these projects off the ground.

    Responsible use of modern waste-to-energy technology can generate electricity and heat for homes with minimal emissions, and can extend benefits that serve local communities. It can also complement Australia’s renewable energy targets while taking a better approach to managing waste.

    Professor Ali Abbas is Associate Dean (Research) at the University of Sydney Faculty of Engineering. He is Australia’s Chief Circular Engineer (Circular Australia), and Founder and Executive Director Innovation at Scimita Group, a Deep Tech Innovation House working in sustainable technologies. He has previously advised government and industry on energy-from-waste and circular economy topics.

    Dominic Bui Viet is a Research Fellow at The University of Sydney in the Faculty of Engineering. He has previously received funding from a Cooperative Research Centre projects grant to conduct research into pyrolysis technologies for waste management.

    Eric Sanjaya is a Research Fellow at The University of Sydney, Faculty of Engineering. He has previously advised government and industry on energy-from-waste and circular economy topics

    – ref. Waste-to-energy in Australia: how it works, where new incinerators could go, and how they stack up – https://theconversation.com/waste-to-energy-in-australia-how-it-works-where-new-incinerators-could-go-and-how-they-stack-up-254395

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Pillar Two interactions with other provisions

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    Interaction with other provisions

    Australia’s implementation of the Global Anti-Base Erosion Model RulesExternal Link (GloBE Rules) includes consequential amendments to Australia’s income tax law to clarify its interaction with Pillar Two. The amendments are included in the Multinational—Global and Domestic Minimum Tax (Consequential) Act 2024External Link.

    In particular, the Consequential Act includes amendments to specific Australian cross-border tax provisions. These include rules concerning foreign income tax offsets, controlled foreign companies, hybrid mismatches and foreign hybrids.

    Australia’s foreign income tax offset (FITO) rules do not provide a foreign tax credit for taxes paid under a foreign income inclusion rule (IIR) and foreign undertaxed profits rule (UTPR).

    However, to the extent you satisfy the usual eligibility criteria and integrity rules, a FITO may be claimed in respect of foreign domestic minimum top-up tax (DMT) paid on income included in your Australian assessable income.

    The amount of the FITO allowed in respect of foreign DMT taxes is subject to an additional safeguard.

    New FITO integrity rule for foreign DMT taxes

    The amount of DMT tax which an entity is treated as having paid is reduced by:

    • the amount of a refundable tax credit that is refunded to an entity because the credit exceeds income tax liability
    • consideration received for the transfer of a transferable tax credit to which an entity was entitled in respect of a foreign income tax of that jurisdiction
    • cash or cash equivalent amounts recognised as government grants under International Accounting Standard 20 (or a comparable accounting standard applicable under a foreign law)
    • a benefit of a kind specified by the Minister in respect of a specified jurisdiction.

    This new integrity rule complements the existing FITO integrity rule. The existing rule reduces the amount of foreign income tax that an entity is considered to have paid:

    • to the extent it is entitled to refunds of the foreign income tax, or
    • by any other benefits worked out by reference to the amount of foreign income tax.

    Example: New FITO integrity rule for foreign DMT

    Entity A (a constituent entity located in unlisted country Jurisdiction A) is a Controlled Foreign Company (CFC), wholly owned by Aus Co, which is part of the same multinational enterprise group (MNE group).

    Jurisdiction A has a corporate tax rate of 10% and has enacted a Qualified Domestic Minimum Top-up Tax.

    Entity A receives a $6 grant from the government of Jurisdiction A (recognised as a government grant under an applicable accounting standard).

    Entity A derived $85 of attributable income, which is wholly attributable to Aus Co. In arriving at the $85 of attributable income, a notional deduction of $10 for corporate income tax and $5 for a foreign DMT tax paid in Jurisdiction A is claimed.

    Assuming other relevant conditions in the FITO rules are satisfied, the amount of FITO that could have been available for Aus Co would have been $15 (the combination of $10 CIT and $5 DMT), disregarding the new integrity rule.

    However, under the new integrity rule, the FITO is reduced by the government grant ($6), capped at the amount of foreign DMT tax paid ($5).

    Therefore, the FITO allowed is $15 – $5 = $10.

    End of example

    Controlled foreign company rules

    The CFC rules work to attribute foreign income earned by a foreign company back to Australia in certain circumstances. The interactions between the CFC rules and Pillar Two are such that:

    • Tax imposed under CFC tax regimes (including Australia) are taken into account when calculating the effective tax rate of a jurisdiction for Pillar Two purposes.
    • Foreign DMT, IIR or UTPR taxes are excluded from the meaning of ‘subject to tax’ for CFCs and transferor trusts located in a listed jurisdiction under section 324 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936 (ITAA 1936). This will also impact whether certain income is considered eligible designated concession income (EDCI) and therefore taxed in Australia.
    • Taxpayers are precluded from notionally deducting foreign IIR tax and foreign UTPR tax in calculating attributable income under section 393 of the ITAA 1936.
    • A notionally allowable deduction may be available for payments of foreign DMT tax.

    Australia’s Qualified Domestic Minimum Tax (QDMT) is given priority in its application to Australian income and does not take into account taxes imposed under other CFC tax regimes.

    Example: Eligible designated concessional income

    Australian Entity A Co is an attributable taxpayer in respect of B Co, which is located in an overseas listed country. The listed country has implemented the IIR, UTPR and DMT.

    The listed country applies a QDMT, which includes an item of income from B Co in its Effective Tax Rate (ETR) calculation. This income is otherwise exempt for corporate income tax purposes in the listed country.

    In determining whether the item of income has been subject to tax in a listed country, the taxpayer is required to disregard any imposition of GloBE taxes (IIR, UTPR and DMT). The item is still considered as EDCI.

    The taxpayer is also entitled to a notional deduction for any foreign DMT paid in respect of the EDCI included in its notional assessable income.

    End of example

    Hybrid mismatch rules

    The operation of Australia’s hybrid mismatch rules broadly continues to operate unaffected by the Australian global and domestic minimum tax.

    Foreign DMT, IIR or UTPR and other foreign minimum taxes are disregarded when determining if an amount of income is subject to foreign income tax per the hybrid mismatch rules under section 832-120 of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997. This ensures that a hybrid mismatch can be identified irrespective of whether a jurisdiction has implemented an IIR, UTPR or DMT.

    The disregarding of such taxes also applies in the context of Australia’s targeted integrity rule in Subdivision 832-J. Specifically, a foreign GloBE tax does not impact whether a payment of interest or an amount under a derivative financial arrangement is subject to foreign income tax at a rate of 10% or less. However, the application of foreign IIR, UTPR and DMT taxes may still be a relevant factor under the principal purpose test in determining whether it is reasonable to conclude that an entity entered a scheme with the requisite purpose.

    Foreign hybrid rules

    Similarly, Australia’s foreign hybrid rules broadly continues to operate unaffected by the Pillar Two regime.

    Australia’s foreign hybrid rules ensure that an entity that qualifies as a ‘foreign hybrid’ is treated as a partnership (rather than a company) for Australian tax purposes.

    One of the requirements for entities to be treated as foreign hybrids is that no foreign income tax is imposed on the entity itself. References to ‘foreign income tax’ do not include foreign IIR, UTPR and DMT taxes and other foreign minimum taxes, ensuring that the foreign hybrid rules are not impacted by a foreign jurisdiction’s decision to impose such taxes at the level of the foreign hybrid entity.

    Example: Foreign hybrid limited partnership

    Polar LLP is located in Jurisdiction A. AusCo, located in Australia, is a limited partner of Polar LLP. Under the corporate income tax regime of Jurisdiction A, Polar LLP is treated as fiscally transparent, and the imposition of taxes are on partners of Polar LLP of which AusCo is one.

    Assuming all other relevant conditions are met under Australia’s foreign hybrid rules, Polar LLP is treated as a fiscally transparent partnership for Australian tax purposes. One of the requirements to be met is that foreign income tax is imposed on the partners of Polar LLP (including AusCo) and not on Polar LLP itself.

    Jurisdiction A implements a IIR, UTPR and DMT, and legislates for these GloBE and DMT related liabilities to be imposed on limited partnerships (such as Polar LLP) instead of on its partners.

    AusCo is required to disregard the imposition of those taxes on the partnership and will continue to treat Polar LLP as a foreign hybrid limited partnership under Division 830.

    End of example

    More information

    For more information, see:

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: World-first reusable space debris collector set to revolutionise sector

    Source:

    16 May 2025

    Paladin founder and CEO, Harrison Box, with Triton

    University of South Australia based startup Paladin Space has demonstrated the world’s first space payload capable of capturing debris from multiple targets and storing it on satellites for recycling, reducing the cost of space debris removal and making the process more sustainable.

    The company showcased their technology, called Triton, at a private demonstration event yesterday at UniSA’s Innovation & Collaboration Centre (ICC).

    The next steps will be to demonstrate the technology in orbit, secure pilot customers and perform qualification testing for a space mission. The company is also expecting to share news of an overseas expansion in coming months.

    South Australian Treasurer and Minister for Defence and Space Industries Stephen Mullighan says the potential of this innovative product demonstrates the impact South Australian based space startups are having in leading advances in space technology.

    “Space start-ups play a critical role in accelerating the growth of the South Australian space industry and strengthening our economic resilience and relevance,” Minister Mullighan said.

    “Paladin Space’s innovative technology, which has been developed right here in South Australia, is a perfect example of what’s possible when you foster an environment that nurtures bold ideas. It’s an example of homegrown ingenuity where South Australia is developing innovative ideas aimed at solving global challenges.”

    Space debris is a growing issue that poses significant threats to satellites and space missions. The large volume of debris, combined with its high velocity, creates a collision risk with potential to damage satellites and space infrastructure.

    A report by Northern Sky Research found that the ‘In-Orbit Servicing Market’ is expected to reach $4.7b by 2031, and roughly half of that market is debris removal and salvaging.

    Founder of Paladin Space, Harrison Box says their product will be able to capture multiple pieces of debris in a single mission.

    “Triton will make the process of debris removal more sustainable and cost effective while also being able to eject its contents on space targets, preserving the spacecraft in orbit to be reused for other missions,” he says.

    Their solution means Triton will eject its contents from the parent satellite at a very specific time so that it’s trajectory will not interfere with anyone else’s satellites. Shortly after ejection, Triton will descend into the Earth’s atmosphere, causing it to burn up completely within a matter of hours.

    The team are designing Triton to be compatible with future in-orbit recycling solutions so its contents can be delivered in-orbit as materials for manufacturing.

    “We are designing Triton to be able to dock easily with these in-orbit manufacturing stations so that the contents it collects can be recycled into metal rods or sheets for manufacturing satellites,” Mr Box says.

    “Not only is this practice sustainable, but incredibly cost effective for satellite manufacturers to ‘skip’ the launch phase of a mission and simply build their assets in space.”

    The Triton container is designed to capture many small pieces of debris such as fragments from collisions, however, the product is scalable depending on the mission. If a customer wants a larger volume, they could achieve 600mm (0.6m) cubed, or smaller missions may only require 300mm (0.3m) cubed.

    Paladin Space participated in UniSA’s space accelerator program Venture Catalyst Space in 2023, supported by the South Australian Space Industry Centre.

    Deputy Director: Business Incubation at the University of South Australia Craig Jones says the novel technology has the potential to make a huge impact on the space debris market.

    “Triton is on course to revolutionise the space debris industry and contribute to manufacturing in space, a mind-blowing proposition. We look forward to seeing it in action one day soon,” Jones says.

    “From placing second at an ICC global space hackathon, to participating in the Venture Catalyst Space program in 2023, we are incredibly proud to have played a small part in supporting this team to build their enterprise,” he says.

    Box says UniSA’s support and infrastructure continue to be instrumental to the success of his business.

    L-R, Harrison Box, Stephen Mulligan MP, Peter Stevens and Craig Jones

    “The advice I received in the early days helped to shape everything from our pitch deck to the financial accounting for our business, including areas like employability, beach-head markets, problem validation and general customer acquisition practices.

    “Having an office space to prototype and run our business from was also a game-changer that allowed Paladin Space to be put on the map, and I am still honoured to be a resident at the Innovation & Collaboration Centre – despite the team growing larger.”

    Box says he plans to keep his company headquarters in South Australia as they grow for as long as the government continues to support the space industry.

    Venture Catalyst Space, has supported 40 startups that have collectively raised almost $43 million in additional investment and grants, while creating almost 240 space jobs.

    About Harrison Box:

    • Box has a Masters in Aerospace Engineering with first-class honours from the University of Glasgow.
    • He spent a year of his study at the University of California where he led a team to design and build a liquid rocket engine test stand in the Mojave desert.
    • During his time at university he worked as a Powertrain Engineer at Nissan and a Avionics Engineer for a flight hardware company before becoming a Systems Engineer for BAE Systems. He spent two years working for multiple fast-jets in various countries, then was a Concept Engineer doing a variety of R&D work on military fast-jets for the remaining year before moving to Australia and becoming a Senior Systems Engineer for a novel radar project.

    Media contact: Megan Andrews, Megan.andrews@unisa.edu.au, 0434 819 275

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Crypto exchange $75k out of pocket for missing reporting deadlines

    Source: Australian Department of Communications

    AUSTRAC issued infringement notices of $75,120 to digital currency exchange provider Cointree Pty Ltd for the alleged failure to submit suspicious matter reports (SMRs) to AUSTRAC on time. 
    The action came after Cointree voluntarily disclosed it had not met the reporting timeframes required by the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006 (AML/CTF Act).
    AUSTRAC CEO Brendan Thomas said that failing to submit SMRs on time denies AUSTRAC and its law enforcement partners the opportunity to act on the information in a timely manner.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for May 16, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on May 16, 2025.

    Waste-to-energy in Australia: how it works, where new incinerators could go, and how they stack up
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ali Abbas, Associate Dean (Research), University of Sydney Martin Mecnarowski, Shutterstock. Every year, Australia buries millions of tonnes of waste in landfills. But these sites are filling fast, recycling has its own limitations, and most waste export is banned. So councils and state governments are looking for

    The sun will come out tomorrow: remembering the life and music of Charles Strouse
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mara Davis Johnson, Lecturer in Creative and Performing Arts, University of Wollongong The Broadway community is today mourning the passing of Charles Strouse at the age of 96, the legendary composer behind hits like Bye Bye Birdie (1960), Applause (1970) and Annie (1976). Strouse was born on

    No chance to say goodbye – defeated MPs will rue not giving valedictory speeches
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Nethery, Associate professor of politics and policy, Deakin University Former Greens leader Adam Bandt’s 15-year career in federal parliament came to an end in a nondescript park in Melbourne, far from the seat of power in Canberra. He was there to concede defeat in the federal

    How accurate are my medical records? You might be surprised how often errors creep in
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sheree Lloyd, Senior Lecturer in Health Services Management, University of Tasmania DC Studio/Shutterstock Medical records of hundreds of patients at a Sydney hospital’s cancer genetics service have been reviewed following irregularities related to care by a single specialist. According to St Vincent’s Hospital, in about 520 records,

    So your primary school child has a ‘boyfriend’ or ‘girlfriend’. Should you be worried?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cher McGillivray, Assistant Professor in Psychology, Bond University Karhut/Shutterstock If you have a child in primary school you may not be expecting to help them manage romantic relationships. Surely this is an issue for the high school years? While young children do not experience romantic love in

    Viral ‘Hongdae boy’ videos expose the fringe group of South Korean men trying to sleep with foreign women
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanna Elfving-Hwang, Associate Professor (Korean Society and Culture), Dean International (Korea), Curtin University Shutterstock If you’re on TikTok, you may have come across “Hongdae boys” or “Hongdae guys” recently. In a social media context, the term refers to a group of young South Korean men who prey

    A trial is testing ways to enforce Australia’s under-16s social media ban. But the tech is flawed
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexia Maddox, Senior Lecturer in Pedagogy and Education Futures, La Trobe University De Visu/Shutterstock Australia’s move to ban under-16s from social media is receiving widespread praise. Other countries, including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Singapore and Japan, are also now reportedly considering similar moves. The ban was legislated

    Banning young people from social media sounds like a silver bullet. Global evidence suggests otherwise
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jasleen Chhabra, Research Fellow, Centre for Youth Mental Health, The University of Melbourne Monkey Business / Shutterstock Around 98% of Australian 15-year-olds use social media. Platforms such as TikTok, Snapchat and Instagram are where young people connect with friends and online communities, explore and express their identities,

    This election, young people held the most political power. Here’s how they voted
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Intifar Chowdhury, Lecturer in Government, Flinders University This election, a lot of focus was directed at young voters. With Millennials and Gen Z now making up a larger share of the electorate than Baby Boomers, this was deserved. But for all the attempts to reach these cohorts,

    Grattan on Friday: Ley and Littleproud have had a prickly relationship – can they negotiate a smooth future?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With the future of the Coalition relationship on the line, Nationals leader David Littleproud drove to his Liberal counterpart Sussan Ley’s hometown of Albury this week. They had much to talk about, and it wasn’t going to be easy. Littleproud

    Likely final House seat outcome: 94 Labor, 44 Coalition, 12 Others
    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 ABC has called Labor wins in 93 of the 150 House of Representatives seats. The Coalition has won 43 seats, the Greens one and all Others

    Fresh start for the Greens, with new leader Larissa Waters
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nathan Fioritti, Lecturer in Politics, School of Social Sciences, Monash University Queensland Senator Larissa Waters is the new leader of the Australian Greens, following a two-hour partyroom meeting held in the wake of the party’s lacklustre performance in the May 3 election. Waters was elected unopposed. New

    The new leader of the Greens sits in the Senate. Why is that so unusual in Australian politics?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anne Twomey, Professor Emerita in Constitutional Law, University of Sydney The 2025 federal election resulted in some unexpected outcomes, including the loss by the Greens Leader, Adam Bandt, of his seat in the House of Representatives. The new Greens leader is Senator Larissa Waters. Does it matter

    Trump signed plenty of contracts in the Middle East, but he’s no closer to the two ‘deals’ he really wants
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Shahram Akbarzadeh, Convenor, Middle East Studies Forum (MESF), and Deputy Director (International), Alfred Deakin Institute for Citizenship and Globalisation, Deakin University US President Donald Trump’s visit to Arab states in the Middle East this week generated plenty of multibillion-dollar deals. He said more than US$1 trillion (A$1.5

    As the Latrobe Valley moves away from coal jobs, could a green worker’s cooperative offer a solution?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Patmore, Emeritus Professor of Business and Labour History, University of Sydney Workers at Earthworker Energy Manufacturing Co-op Worker cooperatives may sound like something out of the 19th century, but they still exist in the age of global capitalism. In Spain, for instance, the Mondragon Corporation is

    It’s wild mushroom season in Australia. Here’s how to stay safe and avoid poisoning
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darren Roberts, Conjoint Associate Professor in Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology, St Vincent’s Healthcare Clinical Campus, UNSW Sydney dannersjb/Shutterstock A number of Australian states including New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia have issued warnings in recent weeks about the risks of eating wild mushrooms. Mushrooms generally grow

    Dishevelled, dehydrated delirium: new Aussie film The Surfer, starring Nicolas Cage, is an absolute blast
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grace Russell, Lecturer, School of Media, Film and Journalism, Monash University Madman Entertainment Nicolas Cage has made a career from his highly entertaining scenery chewing. He follows a performance style he calls “Nouveau Shamanic” – an exaggerated form of method acting where he acts according to the

    Disheveled, dehydrated delirium: new Aussie film The Surfer, staring Nicolas Cage, is an absolute blast
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grace Russell, Lecturer, School of Media, Film and Journalism, Monash University Madman Entertainment Nicolas Cage has made a career from his highly entertaining scenery chewing. He follows a performance style he calls “Nouveau Shamanic” – an exaggerated form of method acting where he acts according to the

    ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for May 15, 2025
    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on May 15, 2025.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why Anthony Albanese’s presence at Pope Leo’s inauguration is shrewd politics

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Darius von Guttner Sporzynski, Historian, Australian Catholic University

    When Prime Minister Anthony Albanese steps into St Peter’s Square for the inaugural Mass of Pope Leo XIV on Sunday, the optics will be far more than pious courtesy.

    For a day, the Vatican will temporarily be the world’s premier diplomatic stage. And a canny Australian leader can use such an occasion to advance domestic and foreign policy agendas simultaneously.

    Faith optics and domestic politics

    Albanese has lately spoken of “reconnecting” with his Catholic heritage. He called the election of the US-born pontiff “momentous” for believers and non-believers alike.

    In multicultural Australia, where roughly one in four citizens identifies as Catholic, Albanese’s trip to the Vatican allows him to reassure a core constituency that sometimes feels politically overlooked: Catholics.

    This signalling costs Albanese nothing. Yet, it helps to boost Labor’s broader narrative of inclusion and respect for faith communities.

    St Peter’s Square as a diplomatic crossroads

    The inaugural mass will also attract a rare concentration of global powerbrokers in one square kilometre. The head-of-state guest list is still fluid, but several confirmations make the trip worth Albanese’s while.

    Albanese’s most immediate objective will likely be to revive free-trade negotiations with the European Union, which broke down in 2023.

    The Australian has reported that Albanese hopes to bend the ear of European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa.

    Albanese will also get a chance to meet Prince Edward, who will represent King Charles III, as well as his newly elected counterpart in Canada, Prime Minister Mark Carney.

    Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky is also expected to attend after a week of overtures to the new pope concerning Kyiv’s quest for a just peace in its war with Russia.

    Speculation was swirling around the possibility of US President Donald Trump returning to Rome, fresh from his high-visibility appearance at Pope Francis’s funeral on April 26.

    But Vice President JD Vance will lead the US delegation, joined by Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

    For Albanese, a corridor encounter with Vance would allow him to set a personal tone before his expected visit to Washington later this year, without the media glare that accompanies an Oval Office photo-op.

    Why leaders flock to the Vatican

    Some commentators may frame the attendance of world leaders at the mass cynically: a chance to use a sacred event for their own political purposes.

    Yet, politicians have long been a fixture at papal events. Such participation is hardly exceptional. It reflects a centuries-old dynamic in which those with temporal political power seek moral sanction, and the papacy demonstrates its enduring capacity to convene the political order.

    Pope Francis’s inauguration in 2013 drew 31 heads of state and 132 official delegations from national governments or international organisations.

    And John Paul II’s funeral in 2005 assembled more than 80 sitting heads of state. It was one of the largest gatherings of leaders in modern history.

    Why does the Vatican exert such magnetic pull?

    First, it is a neutral micro-state whose moral authority can confer legitimacy on secular, political initiatives. Consider, for example, John Paul II’s role in Poland’s democratic revolution.

    Second, the Holy See’s diplomatic corps is the world’s oldest continuous foreign service. It boasts diplomatic relations with 184 states, including Palestine and Taiwan (one of a dozen states in the world to do so).

    Although every pontiff is first and foremost the universal pastor of the Catholic Church, the Lateran Treaty of 1929 also endowed him with full sovereignty over the territory of Vatican City.

    The pope’s head-of-state status is most visible at multilateral forums. In 2024, for instance, Pope Francis became the first pontiff to address a G7 summit, speaking in a special session on artificial intelligence.

    He also had a string of bilateral meetings on the sidelines with the leaders of the United States, Ukraine, France, Brazil, Turkey, Canada and India, among others.

    When a pope travels, host governments roll out the symbols of a state visit, though the Vatican insists on calling such trips “apostolic journeys”. Conversely, when foreign leaders come to Rome, they are received in the pope’s own apartments, not in a government palace. These meetings therefore take on a spiritual, as well as political, cast.

    In short, the pope moves with ease between being a shepherd and sovereign. His spiritual authority opens doors for dialogue, while his head-of-state status allows him to receive ambassadors, sign treaties and sit across the table from presidents and prime ministers.

    The result is a singular blend of moral voice and diplomatic reach unmatched in global affairs.

    Pragmatic statecraft under the colonnade

    For a middle-power such as Australia, dialogue between a prime minister and a pope can have a multiplier top-down effect. These discussions often echo across chancelleries in the Global South, especially in Catholic Latin America and the Philippines. These are both priority markets for Australian education and green-hydrogen exports.

    In Rome, Albanese can also affirm Australia’s commitment to multilateralism at a moment when Indo-Pacific tensions have nudged Canberra towards increased defence spending and an over-militarised image. The sacred stage permits a softer register: diplomacy as dialogue, not deterrence.

    When the incense clears on Sunday, most viewers will remember the pageantry: the fisherman’s ring (a gold signet ring cast for each new pope), the pallium (the white woollen band draped over the pope’s shoulders during mass), and the roar of 100,000 pilgrims.

    Yet, the quieter choreography in the diplomatic boxes may shape trade flows, security partnerships and refugee corridors for years.

    Albanese appears to have recognised this rare alchemy. Showing up in Rome is pragmatic statecraft, executed under Bernini’s colonnade. This is where religious and political figures have long mingled — and will continue to do so as long as popes and prime minister seize the moment.

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

    – ref. Why Anthony Albanese’s presence at Pope Leo’s inauguration is shrewd politics – https://theconversation.com/why-anthony-albaneses-presence-at-pope-leos-inauguration-is-shrewd-politics-256696

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Saudi Arabia has big AI ambitions. They could come at the cost of human rights

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Niusha Shafiabady, Associate Professor in Computational Intelligence, Australian Catholic University

    This week, on his tour of the Middle East, United States President Donald Trump unveiled a suite of new deals with Saudi Arabia.

    Trump claimed the deals were worth more than US$1 trillion (A$1.5 trillion). This is likely an overestimate. What’s less murky is that many of these deals involve the development of artificial intelligence (AI) technology.

    This news came shortly after Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince and de facto ruler, Mohammed bin Salman, launched a new company known as Humain to develop and manage AI. The company is part of Saudi Arabia’s state-run investment firm, and is seeking to create powerful Arabic large language models. This would be significant for the more than 450 million people who speak Arabic around the world.

    These developments are part of Saudi Arabia’s vision to become a global AI hub, as it tries to diversify its economy away from oil.

    But as AI grows in Saudi Arabia, it could have consequences – including for human rights.

    An absolute monarchy

    Saudi Arabia is an absolute monarchy in which the unelected king holds total authority in the way the country is run. According to nonprofit organisation Freedom House, the country “restricts almost all political rights and civil liberties”.

    The country has been criticised by Human Rights Watch for human rights issues, including suppressing free speech and targeting government critics.

    In one extreme example, in October 2018, one of the government’s most vocal critics, Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi, was assassinated at the Saudi consulate in Istanbul, Turkey. A 2021 US intelligence report concluded Mohammed bin Salman approved the assassination.

    Discrimination against women is another major human rights concern. These issues have led to serious concerns about overall freedoms in the country.

    Becoming a global AI hub

    Saudi Arabia is expanding its efforts to extend economic opportunities while positioning the country at the forefront of global AI innovation. According to the Global AI Index, the country’s public AI spending commitments significantly outrank those of the US and China, totalling more than $40 billion over the next decade.

    The newly-launched AI company, Humain, is at the centre of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to become a global AI hub.

    This week the company announced a partnership with NVIDIA, which develops special computer chips known as graphic processing units – or GPUs – for AI. NVIDIA will support the creation of AI data centres in Saudi Arabia by exporting “several hundred thousand” of its most advanced GPUs over the next five years.

    Humain will also deploy an AI platform developed by NVIDIA to enable industries to create digital twins. These are virtual replicas of physical environments that aim to enhance efficiency and sustainability.

    Alongside its partnership with NVIDIA, Humain also announced a new US$5 billion partnership with Amazon Web Services. This will help build a suite of AI infrastructure in Saudi Arabia.

    More broadly, Saudi Arabia is embedding AI into urban development. The technology is at the heart of its megacity development known as The Line. AI is also being deployed to streamline traffic systems and enhance energy efficiency.

    This is something the general public in Saudi Arabia support. For example, a 2022 survey by Ipsos found 76% of adults in Saudi Arabia believed that products and services using AI have more benefits than drawbacks. This compared to a global country average of 52%.

    Nonprofit organisation Freedom House says the monarchy that governs Saudi Arabia restricts almost all political rights and civil liberties.
    Chaudhary Umair Ahmad/Shutterstock

    A digital authoritarian tool

    Saudi Arabia already uses AI and other digital technologies to monitor citizens and control dissent.

    For example, the country reportedly used spyware on devices belonging to Jamal Khashoggi’s relatives in the lead up to his murder.

    The Line will also incorporate digital tracking systems of citizens. This has led some critics to describe it as a “surveillance city”.

    With the country’s track record in mind, the huge expansion of Saudi Arabia’s AI capabilities creates further opportunities for the regime to use the technology in ways that could be of concern.

    In a 2024 paper political scientist Nayera Mohamed Hamed Ibrahim described AI in Saudi Arabia as being a “digital authoritarian tool” which further entrenched the absolute power of the monarchy and its control over civilian life.

    The technology risks becoming an even more powerful digital authoritarian tool in Saudi Arabia as the country continues its march to becoming one of the world’s biggest developers of AI.

    Niusha Shafiabady 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. Saudi Arabia has big AI ambitions. They could come at the cost of human rights – https://theconversation.com/saudi-arabia-has-big-ai-ambitions-they-could-come-at-the-cost-of-human-rights-256793

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Getting taxi service and ride-sourcing provider GST registration and income right

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    Our focus

    If you provide taxi, limousine or ride-sourcing services you must register for goods and services tax (GST) regardless of your turnover. You must collect and pay the GST and income tax on all your rides and all other business income.

    We use a range of data sources, including data provided to the ATO by taxi and ride-sourcing platforms, to review the tax file number (TFN), Australian business number (ABN) and GST registration status and other activities of drivers in this industry.

    If you’re a driver in this industry and don’t have a TFN, ABN and GST registration, you need to:

    • register now
    • collect, report and pay GST on all your future rides as required under the law
    • report all your income from your rides in your next tax return.

    How to get it right

    To get it right, you’ll need a TFN, an ABNExternal Link and register for GST. If you’re not using a tax professional for your tax affairs, the best way to securely register, report and pay your GST on all your future rides is to get a myIDExternal Link and register for ATO online services or Online services for business.

    If you don’t register for GST, penalties and interest may apply. If you haven’t declared all your income for ride-sourcing in prior years you can amend a previous tax return.

    You can also contact your tax professional to obtain advice specific to your business needs.

    What we’ll do if you don’t register

    We’ll continue to monitor drivers who don’t have a TFN, ABN or GST registration and those who haven’t declared all their assessable income.

    If you’re a driver who, after 3 months, still chooses not to register and comply with your GST and income tax obligations, we may:

    • register you for GST
    • back-date your GST registration
    • instruct you to back-pay all the GST on your prior rides, plus interest
    • determine what income tax you need to pay on your taxable income
    • apply financial penalties, which you’ll also need to pay
    • instruct you to complete a number of online courses.

    Keep up to date

    Learn more by taking our free self-paced online courses at Essentials to strengthen your small businessExternal Link.

    You can also:

    • subscribe to our free Small business newsletter to get updates that might impact your business
    • contact your tax professional to obtain advice specific to your business needs.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: You usually need more than a few drops of blood, saliva or urine to detect illnesses. Here’s why

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amali Cooray, PhD Candidate in Genetic Engineering and Cancer, WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research)

    Lumen Photos/Shutterstock

    In the 2000s, biotech company Theranos promised to revolutionise blood testing. Founder Elizabeth Holmes claimed Theranos technology could perform hundreds of tests using just a finger-prick drop of blood. If true, their diagnostics would be faster, cheaper and more accessible.

    Theranos raised hundreds of millions of dollars from investors and was valued at more than US$9 billion in 2015.

    However, the technology never worked, leading to one of the biggest scandals in biotech history. Theranos was secretly using traditional machines to run many tests, then claiming the results came from its own (non-functional) device. Holmes was eventually convicted of fraud and sentenced to 11 years in prison.

    Today, a new startup, Haemanthus, claims to have developed a similar technology. Co-founded by Billy Evans (Holmes’ partner), this new company says it can detect and diagnose illnesses using tiny amounts of blood, urine, or even saliva.

    While technology has advanced since Theranos’ time, it’s important to consider these claims carefully.

    Clinicians and lab techs can currently detect many conditions with blood, and some with urine or saliva. These are an important tools in modern medicine. However, the volumes required are usually much greater than a few drops or a dab.

    What can blood detect?

    Blood circulates through all organs, transporting cells, nutrients, hormones and waste products. Blood tests collect several millilitres of blood from a vein and send this to a laboratory for analysis.

    Blood tests can check if a person has signs of infection or disease, to monitor organ function, or to show how a person is responding to medical treatment. Blood tests are widely used to monitor heart disease, diabetes, kidney disease, or deficiencies in iron or vitamins.

    A significant proportion of medical decisions are based on laboratory analysis of blood tests. Making them more affordable and accessible would have great benefits.

    What about urine?

    Urine is produced by the kidneys and contains waste filtered from the blood. The colour and composition of urine gives you a snapshot of any problems the body might be trying to fix.

    Urine analysis can detect urinary tract infections, kidney disorders, diabetes and liver diseases by measuring sugars, proteins and cells.

    Urine can detect some infections such as UTIs.
    AnaLysiSStudiO/Shutterstock

    As urine tests are non-invasive and easy to administer, they can be used to quickly screen for some conditions.

    However, factors such as how much you’ve had to drink and what you’ve eaten can influence urine composition, potentially affecting test results.

    Saliva can also be used for diagnoses

    Saliva is the clear, watery liquid produced by salivary glands in the mouth. It’s mostly water (around 99%), but also contains various substances such as hormones, antibodies, enzymes, DNA, RNA and metabolites.

    Saliva testing is already used in clinical settings to detect HIV antibodies, monitor levels of cortisol (a marker of stress) and to diagnose viral infections such as COVID.

    The potential of saliva as another non-invasive diagnostic tool is growing, especially as researchers identify more markers of disease that it can contain.

    However, saliva production varies between individuals. The composition of saliva can be impacted by what you eat and drink, the time of day, or even stress. These variations can limit how consistent and reliable saliva can be for making a diagnosis.

    But how much of it do you need?

    While diagnosing diseases using bodily fluids isn’t new, Haemanthus and other startups differentiate themselves by aiming (and claiming) to need only small amounts for multiple tests: a drop of blood, a swab of saliva, or a few milliliters of urine. This would mean faster, cheaper, more convenient tests that cause less discomfort.

    The promise of avoiding traditional blood tests is appealing.
    Ronald Rampsch/Shutterstock

    But there are physical limitations of small samples. Many diagnostic markers (called biomarkers) are only present in very low amounts in our body fluids.

    When the sample amount decreases, so do the amounts of the biomarkers, making it harder to detect them reliably. This is particularly true for biomarkers such as hormones, cancer markers, or early-stage disease indicators.

    What can you detect with a few drops?

    Of course, some conditions can be diagnosed using small samples, but generally only one condition is tested for with each small sample, unlike the claims of companies like Theranos.

    Finger-prick blood samples, for example, can monitor blood glucose levels of people with diabetes.

    Small urine samples can detect urinary tract infections, but not all types of infections at once.

    The specific biomarkers for these conditions can be reliably detectable in small amounts of fluid.

    To diagnose more complex conditions, or even unknown conditions, multiple tests may be required, each needing different sample preparations. This requires both volume and precision – two things tests with small sample volumes struggle to deliver.

    What happens next?

    While the idea of diagnosing illnesses with small fluid samples is promising, especially for remote or resource-limited settings, the science suggests we should be cautious.

    Most human diseases are complicated, and we usually need comprehensive testing approaches to diagnose them. Relying only on small fluid samples could lead to misdiagnosis, delayed treatments, or unnecessary interventions.

    Innovations in biosensor technology, machine learning algorithms and biomarker discovery continue to advance the field. And one day, fast and reliable small volume testing may be possible.

    However, a lot more peer-reviewed research and regulatory approvals will be essential to ensure patient safety and diagnostic accuracy.



    Read more:
    Worried about getting a blood test? 5 tips to make them easier (and still accurate)

    John (Eddie) La Marca receives funding from Cancer Council Victoria. He is affiliated with the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Research Institute and the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research.

    Sarah Diepstraten receives funding from Cure Cancer Australia and My Room Children’s Cancer Charity.

    Amali Cooray 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. You usually need more than a few drops of blood, saliva or urine to detect illnesses. Here’s why – https://theconversation.com/you-usually-need-more-than-a-few-drops-of-blood-saliva-or-urine-to-detect-illnesses-heres-why-256562

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: To boost the nation’s health, the government’s proposed food strategy must put people over profits

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachael Walshe, Post-doctoral Researcher, University of Canberra

    crbellette/sShutterstock

    On election night, a triumphant Anthony Albanese took to the stage brandishing a Medicare card as a symbol of the nation’s commitment to public healthcare.

    As the re-elected government gets to work on its promised national food security strategy “Feeding Australia”, it has a unique opportunity to build a strategic agenda as bold and transformative as Medicare.

    That agenda is investment in food as a public good – a recognition that a healthy food system is as important to the nation’s health and wellbeing as access to hospitals, bulk-billing doctors and subsidised medicines.

    Feeding Australia

    The new Labor government, with its large majority, has a once-in-a-generation chance to deliver meaningful change in our food system.

    It went into the election promising a new food security strategy, which Agriculture Minister Julie Collins says will improve supply chain resilience and and minimise price volatility at the checkout:

    Australia has an impressive record in agriculture, feeding millions of people both here and abroad, but we can’t afford to be complacent. The Albanese Labor government will protect and strengthen Australia’s food security for the benefit of our farmers and all Australians, as well as the trading partners that rely on our produce. When our food and supply chains are secure, it reduces financial strain on households, helping all Australians.

    Labor has tried this before. In 2013, the Gillard government’s short-lived National Food Plan was critcised for prioritising corporate interests over public health and sustainability.

    Repeating past mistakes will again risk putting corporate hunger first. The Feeding Australia strategy must prioritise the health of people, planet, and care for Country.

    Food for thought

    The food security strategy must address multiple, converging crises:

    • growing food poverty
    • worsening diet-related health
    • biosecurity threats
    • accelerating climate change
    • declining farmer viability
    • supermarket duopoly.

    Australia produces enough food to feed more than twice its population. Yet it struggles to feed its own people well.

    Foodbank Australia estimates one third of Australians now experience some form of food insecurity. A combination of market failures and policy inaction leaves us vulnerable to supply chain disruption and even greater food inequity.

    Biosecurity is also a challenge. The recent outbreak of bird flu means eggs – a basic pantry item – now cost 16.1% more than 2020.

    But it’s not only consumers who are suffering. One-third of vegetable growers are considering leaving agriculture in the next year, due to high costs and what growers’ group AUSVEG has called the “relentless squeeze” on margins.

    A business-as-usual approach will only reinforce the current state of Australia’s supermarket sector, which is among the most concentrated and profitable in the world. Accusations of price gouging and misleading pricing raise concerns for consumers, particularly during a cost-of-living crisis.

    As extreme climate events and biosecurity threats increase in frequency and intensity, the duopoly’s centralised supply chains have occasionally failed. After this year’s floods in Far North Queensland, supermarket shelves were empty once again.

    Empty shelves were a weekly occurance in Far North Queensland after the floods stopped rail and road transport.
    Photo by Mick Haupt on Unsplash

    Yet, independent grocers with shorter supply chains remained stocked – as they did during the Queensland floods in 2011.

    The food strategy must do more than offer a band-aid solution to fix an ailing food system.

    Community networks

    Local food networks have an important role to play in this process.

    They are collectives of people and organisations that are committed to creating food and farming systems that put health, equity, and sustainability first. They gather collective wisdom, mobilise public procurement to support local producers, and secure more democratic, health-oriented, and sustainable food system policies.

    Food networks are flourishing in North America, which has more than 300 active councils as of 2023. The Australian sector is not as mature, but is growing.

    Groups including the South Australian Urban Food Network, Tasmanian Food Security Council, Southern Harvest (NSW/ACT), and Farm 2 Fork Collective (Queensland), demonstrate growing capacity for citizen involvement in food policy and decision making. These networks encourage local initiatives such as community gardens, food hubs, and localised institutional procurement.

    New research points to how community-led food cooperatives can also help improve food security and healthier diets.

    These, and other examples, show the power of community in strengthening food system resilience and security. But they can’t do it alone. Communities need government support and investment.

    Future food

    The question of who feeds Australia – and how we are fed – matters to us all.

    The National Food Security Strategy is an opportunity to forge a more healthy food future. It can lay the foundations for a food and farming system that feeds us well for generations to come.

    Achieving this bold agenda will take an inclusive, participatory process that foregrounds First Nations’ voices and the lived experience of those at the sharp end of the cost-of-living crisis.

    Rachael Walshe works for Sustain: The Australian Food Network

    Kelly Donati is a co-founder and volunteer board director of Sustain: The Australian Food Network.

    Molly Fairweather works for Sustain: The Australian Food Network. She is also a member of Healthy Food Systems Australia (HFSA).

    Nick Rose is the co-founder and Executive Director of Sustain: the Australian Food Network. He is also a Senior Lecturer in the Bachelor of Food Studies at William Angliss Institute.

    Nick Rose was a Partner Investigator on an ARC project, Strengthening Food Governance at the Local Level (2019-2022).

    Sustain currently receives funding from a range of public sector organisations and philanthropic foundations with a shared mission for food system change, including VicHealth and Lord Mayor’s Charitable Organisation.

    – ref. To boost the nation’s health, the government’s proposed food strategy must put people over profits – https://theconversation.com/to-boost-the-nations-health-the-governments-proposed-food-strategy-must-put-people-over-profits-256679

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Australian researchers use a quantum computer to simulate how real molecules behave

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ivan Kassal, Professor of Chemical Physics, University of Sydney

    University of Sydney Nano Institute

    When a molecule absorbs light, it undergoes a whirlwind of quantum-mechanical transformations. Electrons jump between energy levels, atoms vibrate, and chemical bonds shift — all within millionths of a billionth of a second.

    These processes underpin everything from photosynthesis in plants and DNA damage from sunlight, to the operation of solar cells and light-powered cancer therapies.

    Yet despite their importance, chemical processes driven by light are difficult to simulate accurately. Traditional computers struggle, because it takes vast computational power to simulate this quantum behaviour.

    Quantum computers, by contrast, are themselves quantum systems — so quantum behaviour comes naturally. This makes quantum computers natural candidates for simulating chemistry.

    Until now, quantum devices have only been able to calculate unchanging things, such as the energies of molecules. Our study, published this week in the Journal of the American Chemical Society, demonstrates we can also model how those molecules change over time.

    We experimentally simulated how specific real molecules behave after absorbing light.

    Simulating reality with a single ion

    We used what is called a trapped-ion quantum computer. This works by manipulating individual atoms in a vacuum chamber, held in place with electromagnetic fields.

    Normally, quantum computers store information using quantum bits, or qubits. However, to simulate the behaviour of the molecules, we also used vibrations of the atoms in the computer called “bosonic modes”.

    This technique is called mixed qudit-boson simulation. It dramatically reduces how big a quantum computer you need to simulate a molecule.

    Using a new technique allows realistic simulations to be carried out with small quantum computers.
    Nicola Bailey

    We simulated the behaviour of three molecules absorbing light: allene, butatriene, and pyrazine. Each molecule features complex electronic and vibrational interactions after absorbing light, making them ideal test cases.

    Our simulation, which used a laser and a single atom in the quantum computer, slowed these processes down by a factor of 100 billion. In the real world, the interactions take femtoseconds, but our simulation of them played out in milliseconds – slow enough for us to see what happened.

    A million times more efficient

    What makes our experiment particularly significant is the size of the quantum computer we used.

    Performing the same simulation with a traditional quantum computer (without using bosonic modes) would require 11 qubits, and to carry out roughly 300,000 “entangling” operations without errors. This is well beyond the reach of current technology.

    By contrast, our approach accomplished the task by zapping a single trapped ion with a single laser pulse. We estimate our method is at least a million times more resource-efficient than standard quantum approaches.

    We also simulated “open-system” dynamics, where the molecule interacts with its environment. This is typically a much harder problem for classical computers.

    By injecting controlled noise into the ion’s environment, we replicated how real molecules lose energy. This showed environmental complexity can also be captured by quantum simulation.

    What’s next?

    This work is an important step forward for quantum chemistry. Even though current quantum computers are still limited in scale, our methods show that small, well-designed experiments can already tackle problems of real scientific interest.

    Simulating the real-world behaviour of atoms and molecules is a key goal of quantum chemistry. It will make it easier to understand the properties of different materials, and may accelerate breakthroughs in medicine, materials and energy.

    We believe that with a modest increase in scale — to perhaps 20 or 30 ions — quantum simulations could tackle chemical systems too complex for any classical supercomputer. That would open the door to rapid advances in drug development, clean energy, and our fundamental understanding of chemical processes that drive life itself.

    The authors declare no competing interests. The research was supported by the Sydney Horizon Fellowship program, the Wellcome Leap Quantum for Bio program, the Australian Research Council, the US Office of Naval Research Global, the US Army Research Office Laboratory for Physical Sciences, Lockheed Martin and the Sydney Quantum Academy.

    – ref. Australian researchers use a quantum computer to simulate how real molecules behave – https://theconversation.com/australian-researchers-use-a-quantum-computer-to-simulate-how-real-molecules-behave-256870

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: All rise and explore the law and its role in our community this Law Week

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

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

    Released 16/05/2025

    Canberrans are being called upon to deepen their knowledge of the law as the ACT prepares for its annual Law Week.

    Running 16 to 23 May, the week includes a range of events to promote public understanding of the law and its role in society. The theme for 2025 is “exploring law, engaging communities, inspiring change”.

    Attorney-General Tara Cheyne said with the government in the process of progressing important reforms, Law Week provides a timely opportunity for the community to learn more about the justice system and how it works.

    “The law intersects with almost every aspect of our lives, although many of us don’t think about it until it affects us personally. Law Week is a chance for us to reflect on our unique legal system and acknowledge its important role in our society,” the Attorney-General said.

    “Australia’s legal system is one of the key elements that ensure we live in a free and fair society that finely balances individual rights and community safety.

    “The ACT Government is currently consulting on important bail reforms which would seek to improve the framework within which judicial officers need to make often complex decisions. To find out more or provide input visit www.yoursayconversations.act.gov.au/bail-reform.

    “Another key initiative is the proposed introduction of an indicative sentencing framework, which has the potential to streamline criminal court proceedings, reduce uncertainty for defendants and victims, and allow for faster access to support services.

    Law Week events in Canberra are being delivered by the ACT Law Society and its partners. This year they are also raising funds for Roundabout Canberra.

    In addition to fundraising events there are also a number of free educational events, including a series of events for high school and college students at the ACT Courts on Friday 23 May, including:

    • Mock jury empanelment: An interactive role play highlighting the jury process and guided by Sheriff’s Officers.
    • Mock bail hearing:  You be the judge, a simulated court hearing delivered in an engaging, educational format.
    • Local justice organisations: An exhibit of organisations that work in the justice sector, with visits from Court Support Canines.
    • Educational court tours: Showing students the ACT Courts’ history and what happens inside a courtroom.

    For more information on Law Week events, visit: https://actlawsociety.asn.au/about/law-week.

    Quotes attributable to Benjamin Wickham, CEO at ACT Courts and Tribunals:

    “This is our third annual open day as part of Law Week.  As well as the mock bail hearing, our Sheriffs will guide students through the jury empanelment process, and we will have a cohort of local justice agencies onsite to give visitors information about the vital services they provide to the community.

    “The aim of this open day is to give people a view behind the scenes of the courts. Coming before a judge or a magistrate can be extremely stressful, and the open day gives people an opportunity to see how the justice system works and hopefully take away some of the fear and anxiety that people have about what happens here.”

    – Statement ends –

    Tara Cheyne, MLA | Media Releases

    «ACT Government Media Releases | «Minister Media Releases

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: New inclusive scarves bring comfort and pride to breast screening in the ACT

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

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

    Released 16/05/2025

    People from the LGBTIQA+ community who attend a breast screening appointment in the ACT will receive a rainbow scarf to foster inclusivity and encourage health screenings.

    BreastScreen ACT has today launched the Inclusive Rainbow Threads Project ahead of the International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia, Intersexism, and Transphobia.

    In collaboration with local artist LaToya Kennedy of Kalari Art, BreastScreen ACT has created vibrant rainbow scarves to encourage people from the LGBTIQA+ community to invest in their health and book in for a breast screen.

    Minister for Health Rachel Stephen-Smith emphasised the importance of creating a safe and welcoming environment for all individuals accessing breast screening services in the ACT.

    “The Inclusive Rainbow Threads Project is a positive step towards ensuring that breast and chest screenings are accessible and inclusive for everyone, regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation,” Minister Stephen-Smith said.

    “The rainbow scarves will be given to individuals who identify as part of the LGBTIQA+ community and attend their breast screening appointment.

    “By fostering an environment of support and respect, we aim to encourage regular screenings and promote the health and wellbeing of the LGBTIQA+ community in the ACT.”

    The project is supported by BreastScreen ACT’s community of donors and supporters, Luton Properties, the ACT Government LGBTQIA+ and Social Inclusion Strategy Team, and the Canberra Hospital Foundation.

    Through Canberra Hospital Foundation’s Pay It Forward initiative, members of the community can contribute by purchasing a scarf where a portion of the funds will pay it forward for someone in the LGBTQIA+ community who attends a screening.

    This project builds on the installation of three new mammography machines at ACT community health centres in 2022-23.

    Free mammograms are available to eligible Canberrans over the age of 40 years. People aged 50 to 74 years are actively encouraged to have mammograms every two years. It only takes about 20 minutes and no referral is needed.

    More information on BreastScreen ACT can be found here: www.canberrahealthservices.act.gov.au/services-and-clinics/services/breastscreen-act.

    Quotes attributable to Jodie Kirkness, BreastScreen ACT Quality and Promotions Manager:

    “It’s important to make people feel safe and included when they come in for a breast screen. Health care should be accessible, inclusive and supportive for everyone – regardless of gender identity or sexual orientation.

    “Research shows that people within this group experience increased discrimination, affecting access to health services and ultimately reducing the benefits of early detection.”

    Quotes attributable to LaToya Kennedy of Kalari Art:

    “As a proud Indigenous lesbian, I draw inspiration from my ancestors who have walked this land before us and who have managed and maintained this land for tens-of-thousands of years; and from my Indigenous and LGBTQIA+ communities who have taught me to always be strong and proud of who I am and where I come from.

    “I also get inspiration from my surroundings, recreating elements of Country and telling stories through symbolic representation.”

    “The design shows multiple aspects of traditional elements, such as meeting places, connection pathways, people, symbols that represent the LGBTQIA+ community, footprints, and animal tracks.”

    “The design also demonstrates connections and unique relationships that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people have with the country, land and the LGBTQIA+ community.”

    – Statement ends –

    Rachel Stephen-Smith, MLA | Media Releases

    «ACT Government Media Releases | «Minister Media Releases

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Green your verge with our free plant giveaway

    Source: South Australia Police

    Local verges and gardens will soon be greener, with our popular Wannagrow plant giveaway returning next month.

    Wanneroo Deputy Mayor James Rowe said this year’s giveaway would see 8,000 free verge-friendly plants handed out to residents, to support biodiversity and urban greening across the City.

    “There will be volunteers from the Wildflower Society of WA on hand to provide expert advice and help distribute a selection of waterwise native plants for your garden,” he said.

    “Our Wannagrow program is just one of the ways we are working to create a more liveable, waterwise City for all residents.”

    City of Wanneroo residents are eligible for 10 plants each, via a convenient drive-through collection. Pre-registration is essential and proof of residency will be required.

    This initiative is proudly co-funded by Water Corporation’s Waterwise Greening Scheme.

    Event details:

    When: 9am to 2pm, Saturday 15 June 2025

    Where: Kingsway Regional Sporting Complex, Madeley

    RSVP: Registrations are essential. Free tickets will be released in two stages:

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: From Acting Chief Officer Garry Cook, AFSM

    Source:

    CFA acknowledges that we have had a number of our brigades reporting unavailability overnight and today due to crewing issues.

    We are continuing to monitor the situation but want to reassure the community that we have operating procedures in place to ensure that when brigades are offline we can respond neighbouring brigades to protect communities or put in place alternative arrangements. 

    The safety of life and property is always our number one priority. We expect that our brigades will turn out to protect their communities as they always have done in their time of need. 

    CFA acknowledges that our volunteers and brigades, many of whom are from rural communities, have had a long summer of fire activity and are facing a lot of pressure as a result of drought which is impacting their livelihoods. 

    We respect their rights to engage in matters relevant to their local communities, including those who are concerned about the potential impact of the Emergency Services and Volunteers Fund. 

    The Victorian Government has announced that a rebate will apply to all eligible CFA operational and support volunteer members and we will be working with our members to ensure that they are able to seek the information they need to apply for the rebate. 

    We are proud of the work that our members do to provide critical services 24/7 in protecting their communities. 

    Submitted by CFA Media

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Tornado Watch 258

    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.
    SEL8

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 258
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    1130 PM EDT Thu May 15 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    Eastern Lower Michigan
    Lake Erie
    Lake Huron

    * Effective this Thursday night and Friday morning from 1130 PM
    until 500 AM EDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    A couple tornadoes possible
    Scattered damaging winds likely with isolated significant gusts
    to 75 mph possible
    Isolated large hail events to 1.5 inches in diameter possible

    SUMMARY…A well-organized thunderstorm cluster should continue to
    pose a threat for scattered severe/damaging winds and a couple of
    tornadoes as it moves quickly eastward across Lower Michigan.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 50 statute miles
    east and west of a line from 35 miles northwest of Bad Axe MI to 35
    miles south of Ann Arbor MI. 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 256…WW 257…

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 65 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean
    storm motion vector 25045.

    …Gleason

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW8
    WW 258 TORNADO MI LE LH 160330Z – 160900Z
    AXIS..50 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    35NW BAX/BAD AXE MI/ – 35S ARB/ANN ARBOR MI/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 45NM E/W /19SSW ASP – 34SSW DXO/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..1.5 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..65 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 25045.

    LAT…LON 44138248 41718278 41718472 44138450

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU8.

    Watch 258 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    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 (60%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Mod (30%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Low (20%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Low (10%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    High (80%)

    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-Evening Report: Some young trans people take sex hormones so their bodies better align with their gender. What are the benefits and risks?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cristyn Davies, Senior Research Fellow in the Specialty of Child and Adolescent Health, Faculty of Medicine and Health, University of Sydney

    romain-jorge/Shutterstock

    Triggered by hormonal changes in the brain and body, puberty marks a physical transformation. Oestrogen and testosterone – often called “sex hormones” – drive many familiar changes, such as breast development and periods or a deeper voice and facial hair.

    For most young people, the pubertal changes they experience align with their gender. However, for trans and gender diverse adolescents, these changes can be distressing and may lead to a sense of disconnection from their true sense of self.

    (We’ll use the term “trans” in this article to refer to transgender and gender diverse people.)

    Why do young trans people use sex hormones?

    To support trans adolescents, oestrogen and testosterone may be used to induce physical changes that better align with their gender.

    Oestrogen stimulates breast development, alters body fat distribution, results in softer skin, and reduces facial and body hair, creating a more feminine appearance.

    Testosterone deepens the voice, increases facial and body hair, promotes muscle growth and stops periods, creating a more masculine appearance.

    Hormones are just one means by which people can affirm their gender and only some trans adolescents seek sex hormone treatment. Other means include puberty suppression, changing your name, pronouns, hair, clothing and legal documents.

    When do trans people start sex hormones?

    Many trans people start taking sex hormones as adults.

    For those who start as adolescents, hormones are introduced when a young person is considered to have the intellectual and emotional maturity to make this decision.

    The starting age also varies depending on the person’s preferences, family support and barriers to accessing care. These barriers include long wait times, regional disparities, costs, legal or policy restrictions, and challenges navigating the health system, all of which make it harder to get timely, reliable care.

    Before starting hormone therapy, trans adolescents undergo comprehensive assessment and counselling with a team of mental health professionals and medical doctors who specialise in transgender health. This helps ensure young people understand the potential benefits, limitations, risks, and long-term implications of treatment.

    This process involves their family and is designed to provide time, support and space for shared, informed decision-making.

    A young trans man takes a walk
    Young trans people undergo comphrensive assessments and counselling before they start taking sex hormones.
    Sandra van der Steen/Shutterstock

    Treatment with sex hormones usually begins with low doses, after which adjustments are made over time under regular clinical monitoring.

    Subsequent physical changes occur gradually over several years, as is true for puberty, and some of these are irreversible. Breast growth or a deepened voice, for example, will persist if treatment is stopped.

    What are the benefits?

    The largest study to date followed 315 trans and gender diverse adolescents for two years after starting oestrogen or testosterone. It found a significant increase in how comfortable participants felt about their appearance. This was accompanied by significant improvements in life satisfaction and reductions in depression and anxiety.

    More recently, Australian youth mental health research centre Orygen conducted a review of the overall evidence. It reported sex hormone treatment for young trans people is associated with body image satisfaction and reduced psychological symptoms, including depression, anxiety and suicide attempts, thoughts and/or planning.

    An independent review of the evidence commissioned by NSW Health reported similar conclusions and found sex hormone therapy was associated with reduced gender dysphoria, which is the distress experienced when a person’s gender identity differs from their sex reported at birth.

    Together, these published outcomes are consistent with decades of clinical and lived experience that young trans people report feeling more at ease in their bodies, more confident in social settings, and more optimistic about their future after starting hormones.

    What about unwanted effects?

    Like all medical treatments, sex hormone therapy involves the potential for unwanted effects.

    Oestrogen, for example, can increase the risk of blood clots and breast cancer in the long-term, but the overall risk appears low.

    Testosterone can increase acne as well as the number of red blood cells the body produces. Too many red cells can make a person’s blood too thick and increase the likelihood of a stroke or heart attack. Monitoring red cell counts and adjusting the dose of testosterone helps reduce these risks.

    Oestrogen and testosterone can also affect the reproductive system. Oestrogen can stop sperm production and testosterone can stop the ovaries from releasing eggs, but neither treatment should be considered an effective form of contraception.

    Given the possibility that trans adolescents might wish to stay on hormone treatment long-term, they are usually offered fertility counselling before starting treatment. The option to freeze sperm or eggs exists, although access and affordability can be a challenge.

    One unwanted effect that has received a lot of attention relates to regret. There is fear adolescents who start hormone treatment will regret this decision later on.

    At this stage, the risk of regret among adolescents starting hormone therapy appears low. Harvard researchers recently followed a cohort of 1,050 adolescents who had received hormone therapy, and only one was noted to have expressed regret.

    However, the risk of regret is inherent to any medical treatment. Allowing adolescents the dignity of risk to make their own decisions respects their autonomy.

    Sex hormones have been used in trans adolescents since at least the 1980s, and so far the evidence suggests these treatments are safe and work well for those who receive them. Nonetheless, long-term research into their safety (and effectiveness) is ongoing and essential.

    What about consent?

    Past decisions of the Family Court of Australia established a requirement for both parents to provide consent for their trans adolescent to access hormonal treatments, treating this care as legally exceptional.

    However, a 2022 decision of the Queensland Supreme Court ruled an adolescent, who is under the age of 18 and has sufficient understanding and intelligence to consent for themselves, could consent to their own hormone treatment.

    Despite this, some gender clinics still require consent from both parents. If there’s a dispute between parents, the matter should be taken to court, to reach a resolution based on the adolescent’s best interests.

    Testosterone and oestrogen therapy are not new or experimental. They are grounded in decades of clinical practice and growing evidence. What is new is the public attention. We need to ensure policies and conversations are based on facts, not fear.

    The Conversation

    Cristyn Davies reports voluntarily being co-chair of the Human Rights Council of Australia; co-chair of the Child and Youth Special Interest Group for the Public Health Association of Australia; President of the Australian Association For Adolescent Health; an ambassador to Twenty10 Incorporating the Gay and Lesbian Counselling Service of New South Wales; and co-chair of the research committee for the Australian Professional Association for Trans Health.

    Blake Cavve is a senior research officer at The Kids Research Institute Australia and an adjunct researcher at The University of Western Australia, with ongoing research collaborations with the Child and Adolescent Health Service. Blake has recieved funding from the Perth Children’s Hospital Foundation and the Raine Medical Research Foundation. He is a member of the Australian Professional Association for Trans Health, and the World Professional Association for Transgender Health.

    Ken Pang is a Senior Principal Research Fellow at the Murdoch Children’s Research Insititute and a paediatrician at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne. He receives research funding from the Australian National Health and Medical Research Council and the Medical Research Future Fund. He is a member of the Australian Professional Association for Trans Health, the World Professional Association for Transgender Health, and the editorial board of the journal, Transgender Health.

    Michele O’Connell is paediatric endocrinologist at the Royal Children’s Hospital in Melbourne. She is a co-investigator on research studies funded by the Medical Research Future Fund and a member of the Australian Professional Association for Trans Health.

    Rachel Skinner receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council’s Medical Research Future Fund and the Australian Research Council for related research. She is an adolescent medicine paediatrician employed by the Sydney Children’s Hospitals Network and provides clinical care to trans young people. She has professional memberships with the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, the Australian Association of Adolescent Health, the Society of Adolescent Health and Medicine, the Australian Professional Association of Transgender Health and the World Professional Association of Transgender Health.

    – ref. Some young trans people take sex hormones so their bodies better align with their gender. What are the benefits and risks? – https://theconversation.com/some-young-trans-people-take-sex-hormones-so-their-bodies-better-align-with-their-gender-what-are-the-benefits-and-risks-251254

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Energy Sector – New Zealand Cleantech companies making an impact on the world stage

    With cleantech critical to both climate mitigation and economic growth, a visit to Singapore last week by six New Zealand cleantech companies, a Venture Capital firm and the MacDiarmid Institute, couldn’t have come at a more important time.

    OpenStar Technologies, TasmanIon, Nilo, Cetogenix, Mushroom Material, Allegro Energy (now Australia-based) and BridgeWest Ventures travelled as part of the “Cleantech Trek” to attend The Liveability Challenge and Cleantech Forum Asia, where they met with investors and multinational partners.

    “It’s huge that these NZ startups-some named in the Asia Forum’s ‘APAC Cleantech 25’-have developed technologies with the potential to help transition the world to a greener economy,” said Natalie Plank, MacDiarmid Institute Deputy Director Commercialisation and Industry Engagement.

    The APAC Cleantech 25 recognises forward-thinking companies developing and deploying breakthrough environmental solutions, while driving economic growth and technological progress across the Asia-Pacific region.

    Dr Plank said the opportunity for the companies to be part of the wider Cleantech ecosystem in Singapore, to seek investment and to partner with multinational partners, comes at a significant time.

    “The world needs climate mitigation technologies like never before. Singapore offers a chance to connect with investors and global players who can help scale New Zealand cleantech into international supply chains and energy infrastructure.”

    Dr Ratu Mataira, Founder and CEO of fusion startup OpenStar, said that Aotearoa had built a reputation for building creative technologies that support a greener future.

    “We’ve seen that in companies like Lanzatech, and it’s unsurprising a new crop of Kiwi startups feature so strongly on this list. In our field of fusion, Kiwis were here at the start with Rutherford, and they will be here at the end with OpenStar.”

    The importance of cleantech to the future New Zealand economy

    Cleantech industries are rapidly emerging as a cornerstone of the global economy. The World Economic Forum describes them as “the enablers of our future decarbonised energy system” and recognises them as “a major economic factor.”

    Michelle Polglase, GM of Project Delivery at Ara Ake, highlights a recent Boston Consulting Group report that identifies “Green Tech” as a key growth sector for New Zealand. “We already have many of the ingredients for a thriving cleantech ecosystem,” she says, “including research institutes, innovative startups, incubators and private investors.”

    The cleantech sector is scaling rapidly around the world. Global investment reached more than US$40 billion in 2023, and the International Energy Agency projects that spending on clean energy will rise from US$1.8 trillion in 2023 to US$4.5 trillion annually by the early 2030s under its ‘net zero pathway’ scenario.

    The New Zealand Cleantech Mission is helping local companies tap into this global opportunity. Now in its third Cleantech Trek – a series of visits to leading cleantech companies regionally and overseas – the Mission is backed by foundational sponsors Ara Ake and the MacDiarmid Institute, continuing work originally supported by Callaghan Innovation.

    “We’d love to see more clean energy companies from New Zealand on the world stage,” says Michelle Polglase. “To get there, they need commercialisation support, growth capital and strong global connections.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: No chance to say goodbye – defeated MPs will rue not giving valedictory speeches

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Nethery, Associate professor of politics and policy, Deakin University

    Former Greens leader Adam Bandt’s 15-year career in federal parliament came to an end in a nondescript park in Melbourne, far from the seat of power in Canberra.

    He was there to concede defeat in the federal election. In one fell swoop, Bandt had lost his seat, his party’s leadership, his vocation and his living.

    As a defeated MP, he was denied the opportunity to deliver a valedictory speech in parliament, which is available to politicians who go out on their own terms.

    Instead, he stood in a garden, reflecting on his career highs and lows and thanking his family and supporters.

    Adam Bandt draws his 15-year parliamentary career to a close after conceding defeat in his seat of Melbourne.

    Bandt wasn’t the only high-profile politician whose career was cut short without the formal opportunity to say goodbye to parliament.

    At least 14 other MPs, including Peter Dutton, Bridget Archer, David Coleman, Michael Sukkar and Zoe Daniel, were sent on their way by voters without a valedictory to help draw a line under their parliamentary service.

    Rite of passage

    Valedictory speeches are vital for democratic renewal, because they help MPs navigate the complex changeover from the all-consuming role of a parliamentarian to life after politics.

    In this regard, they are similar to other rituals, such as graduations, weddings and even funerals, which help participants and observers make sense of major life transitions. This is why valedictory speeches are a cherished rite of passage for many departing members.

    Bill Shorten planned his retirement from politics and gave a valedictory speech in November 2024. He knew he was one of the fortunate ones:

    In 123 years of the storied history of the Parliament of the Commonwealth of Australia, 1,244 individuals have been elected to the House of Representatives, each introduced themselves in their first speech […] But only 216 ever got the chance to say goodbye, to give a valedictory. Political life can be tough. Election defeat, scandal, illness, Section 44. So today, I stand here neither defeated nor disposed, lucky to have served, fortunate to be able to say goodbye and thank you.

    While first speeches have a long history in parliament, it was only in the 1980s that valedictory speeches became widely available to departing MPs and senators.

    Since then, valedictories have become one of the signature personal moments in a parliamentary career. They are often celebratory, friendly and funny in tone. Unsurprisingly, these speeches tend to be the most autobiographical – and frank – an MP will give in their career.

    On their way out, members speak with less constraint. Cross-party friendships are frequently noted. Some speak about the enormous sacrifices made by their spouses and children, and moments of personal loss.

    Life after politics

    We interviewed 39 former members of the Victorian parliament in 2020 about their experiences leaving parliament.

    Many spoke of valedictory speeches being important touchstones in their transition to life post-parliament.

    One former MP who gave a valedictory told us they “went out in the best way possible”:

    My valedictory speech was probably one of the best speeches I’ve ever made, and I still go back and watch it occasionally […] My kids were there, and family were there. It was just a really nice way to finish up with a funny speech. Then everyone lines up on both sides to shake your hand.

    No closure

    For some who missed out, the absence of the ritual contributed to ongoing negative feelings about parliament and their political career generally.

    Many former MPs experienced financial and emotional stress in their life on “civvy street”. Many found it difficult to establish an identity or career after politics.

    For involuntary leavers, the difficulties of electoral loss can be compounded by the sense of exclusion from one of the key transitional practices, leading to a sense of alienation. One former MP we interviewed recalled:

    One thing I did miss […] was I didn’t get to do a last speech. Very sad that I wasn’t able to round it off. There’s no closure and it’s almost like you’re just kicked out, here’s your basket of things from your desk and off you go.

    New rituals

    Given strangers are not permitted on the floor of the House or Senate, it is not possible for the vanquished to deliver conventional valedictories after an election.

    Parliament should consider giving these former members and senators a comparable transitional process to draw a line under their political careers.

    Some progress has been made. Since 2010, federal members who lost their seats can provide a written statement in lieu of a speech. A booklet of these statements is presented to the House early in the new parliament.

    We recommended to the Parliament of Victoria that a valedictory event be held in the Queen’s Hall or another formal location.

    Not all members want to go back to parliament – some may prefer to say goodbye in a local park.

    But for those who do, this can be an important observance to mark the end of their contribution to public life and their identity as a parliamentarian.

    Amy Nethery received funding from the Parliament of Victoria in 2020 to examine former MP’s experiences of the transition to life after parliament.

    Peter Ferguson received funding from the Parliament of Victoria in 2020 to examine former MP’s experiences of the transition to life after parliament.

    Zim Nwokora received funding from the Parliament of Victoria in 2020 to examine former MP’s experiences of the transition to life after parliament.

    – ref. No chance to say goodbye – defeated MPs will rue not giving valedictory speeches – https://theconversation.com/no-chance-to-say-goodbye-defeated-mps-will-rue-not-giving-valedictory-speeches-256569

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: UPDATE: Arrest – Serious Assault – Alice Springs

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force have arrested a man in relation to the serious assault that occurred in Alice Springs yesterday afternoon.

    Around 12am, detectives attended a residence on Gap Road and arrested the 22-year-old man.

    He currently remains in custody.

    The victim remains in hospital receiving treatment and a crime scene remains open in on Gregory Terrace, between Todd Street and Hartley Street, with members of the public advised to avoid the area.

    Initial enquiries indicate both the offender and victim were known to each other and not Alice Springs residents.

    Investigations into the assault and the large altercation remain ongoing.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: $577 million to support film and TV production

    Source: NZ Music Month takes to the streets

    The Government is providing certainty to New Zealand’s film industry by providing the funding needed to sustain the International Screen Production Rebate, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis announced today.

    “This funding will help bring investment, jobs and income to New Zealand, boosting our economic growth. 

    “We are sending a clear message to the world: New Zealand is the best place in the world to make movies.  Bring your productions here to take advantage of our talent and locations. 

    “The Budget increase of $577 million across this year and the next four takes total funding for the rebate scheme to $1.09 billion over the forecast period, better reflecting expected demand for the scheme. Settings remain unchanged,” Nicola Willis says. 

    “The rebate scheme is working and we want New Zealand’s film industry to know the Government is backing them to grow into the future. 

    “At last count our screen sector provided work for about 24,000 people and generated about $3.5 billion in annual revenue. 

    “While industry incentives are not generally our favoured approach, the reality is we simply won’t get the offshore investment in our highly successful screen sector without continuing this scheme,” Ms Willis says.

    “New Zealand competes with more than 100 territories world-wide that provide screen incentives, including countries like Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom that provide more generous incentives than ours.

    “Eligible productions can access a 20 per cent cash rebate on qualifying New Zealand production expenditure where production costs are more than $15 million for feature films and $4 million for TV productions.

    ”A further 5 per cent rebate is available to productions spending more than $30 million which meet additional criteria for industry and economic growth.

    “Inbound productions invested nearly $7.5 billion in New Zealand in the past 10 years, supported by $1.5 billion in rebate payments.

    “Following a review of the rebate settings completed in late-2023, 10 big international productions have been attracted here, including eight from the major Hollywood studios. They include A Minecraft Movie, the second highest-grossing film of 2025 so far, and Taika Waititi’s Klara and the Sun now in production.

    “Along with investment and jobs, New Zealand has benefited from acquiring a highly skilled screen industry workforce. Film production companies provide work for thousands of people and create fantastic opportunities for young New Zealanders.

    “The Government will continue to work with the New Zealand Film Commission to ensure we continue to attract high-value productions from around the world.”

    Notes for editors

    • Through Budget 2025, the Government is increasing baseline funding for the New Zealand Screen Production Rebate – International so it better reflects current forecast demand for the rebate.
    • Previously the Government was regularly called on to provide time-limited funding on top of baseline funding for the scheme.
    • The changes mean that funding for 2024/25 is increasing to $250 million, and to $210 million from 2025/26 onwards, which better reflects the expected costs of the rebate based on registered productions and current forecast demand.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI: Sky Quarry Reports First Quarter 2025 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WOODS CROSS, Utah, May 15, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Sky Quarry Inc. (NASDAQ: SKYQ) (“Sky Quarry” or “the Company”), an integrated energy solutions company committed to revolutionizing the waste asphalt shingle recycling industry, today announced its financial and operational results for the three months ended March 31, 2025.

    Key Financial and Operational Highlights

    • Generated $6.3 million in Q1 revenue, a 50% increase from Q4 2024.
    • Signed a Letter of Intent with R & R Solutions, the only permitted asphalt shingle recycler in New Mexico, to explore the feasibility of establishing a modular waste-to-energy site in the Southwest.
    • Executed a Letter of Intent with Southwind RAS, a leading recycler in the Midwest, to collaborate on regional facility deployment and feedstock supply.
    • Engaged TAR360 to accelerate the company’s growth trajectory, optimize internal processes, and support execution across key operational initiatives.

    Commentary by David Sealock, Chairman & Chief Executive Officer, and Darryl Delwo, Chief Financial Officer of Sky Quarry

    “We are pleased with the continued growth across our operations and the progress we’ve made in the first quarter of 2025 toward executing our waste-to-energy strategy, which is central to our mission of transforming recycled asphalt shingles into sustainably produced fuels and other valuable materials. At PR Spring, asset upgrades are nearing completion, and once commissioned, the site will activate our fully integrated production model and enable commercial-scale output.

    As part of our national expansion strategy, we signed non-binding Letters of Intent with Southwind RAS in the Midwest and R & R Solutions in the Southwest. These LOIs represent an early step in evaluating potential partnerships that could expand Sky Quarry’s geographic footprint and provide access to more than 1.5 million tons of asphalt shingle supply annually. If advanced, these relationships could unlock new revenue opportunities through facility development, expanded processing capacity, and the sale of high-value materials such as recycled liquid asphalt, blended fuels, and other products derived from waste asphalt shingles.

    We’re seeing the impact of operational improvements made in 2024 at the Foreland Refinery, with a 50% increase in revenue from Q4 2024 to Q1 2025 as output stabilized and product volumes rebounded.

    To build on this momentum, we engaged TAR360 to further optimize operations at Foreland. While we’re encouraged by recent performance gains, our shared goal is to increase throughput by up to 400% over time, scaling from our current 20,000 barrels per month to as much as 100,000. Achieving this level of production would enhance operating leverage, expand margins, and drive stronger profitability.

    With these improvements and additional efficiencies underway, we believe Foreland is positioned to play a key role in meeting growing fuel demand across the Western U.S. California’s refining capacity is expected to decline by 21% in a single year due to major facility closures, while global price spreads and supply constraints are creating price dislocations that make local refining more competitive. As market conditions continue to evolve, we are executing with purpose by scaling production, improving performance, and positioning Sky Quarry for a strong 2025.”

    Financial Results for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2025

    Total revenues for the first quarter ended March 31, 2025, were approximately $6.3 million, down from $11.0 million in the same period of 2024. This decline was primarily driven by ongoing challenges in reestablishing supply streams following the Foreland Refinery outage and refurbishment in mid-2024. In addition, lower commodity prices contributed to the decrease, with WTI crude falling from $87 per barrel in April 2024 to $71 per barrel at the end of Q1 2025.

    Gross profit for the quarter was negative $726,000, compared to a gross profit of $569,000 in the prior-year period.

    Total operating expenses increased to $1.94 million in Q1 2025, up from $1.61 million in Q1 2024, reflecting higher general and administrative costs, non-cash share-based compensation, and depreciation.

    As a result, the Company reported a net loss of $3.3 million for the first quarter of 2025, compared to a net loss of $2.5 million in the same period last year.

    Net cash used in operating activities for the three months ended March 31, 2025, was approximately $2.0 million, compared to $1.2 million for the same period in 2024.

    About Sky Quarry Inc.

    Sky Quarry Inc. (NASDAQ:SKYQ) and its subsidiaries are, collectively, an oil production, refining, and a development-stage environmental remediation company formed to deploy technologies to facilitate the recycling of waste asphalt shingles and remediation of oil-saturated sands and soils. Our waste-to-energy mission is to repurpose and upcycle millions of tons of asphalt shingle waste, diverting them from landfills. By doing so, we can contribute to improved waste management, promote resource efficiency, conserve natural resources, and reduce environmental impact. For more information, please visit skyquarry.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release may include ”forward-looking statements.” All statements pertaining to our future financial and/or operating results, future events, or future developments may constitute forward-looking statements. The statements may be identified by words such as “expect,” “look forward to,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “seek,” “estimate,” “will,” “project,” or words of similar meaning. Such statements are based on the current expectations and certain assumptions of our management, of which many are beyond our control. These are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties, and factors, including but not limited to those described in our disclosures. Should one or more of these risks or uncertainties materialize or should underlying expectations not occur or assumptions prove incorrect, actual results, performance, or our achievements may (negatively or positively) vary materially from those described explicitly or implicitly in the relevant forward-looking statement. We neither intend, nor assume any obligation, to update or revise these forward-looking statements in light of developments which differ from those anticipated. You are urged to carefully review and consider any cautionary statements and the Company’s other disclosures, including the statements made under the heading “Risk Factors” and elsewhere in the Company’s Form 10-K as filed with the SEC on March 31, 2025. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of the document in which they are contained.

    Investor Relations
    Jennifer Standley
    Director of Investor Relations
    Ir@skyquarry.com

    Company Website
    www.skyquarry.com

    Sky Quarry Inc.
    Consolidated Balance Sheets
    As of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024
     
        March 31, 
    2025    		   December 31,
    2024
             
    ASSETS        
             
    Current assets:        
    Cash   $ 213,000   $ 385,116
    Accounts receivables     1,758,159     1,123,897
    Prepaid expenses and other assets     641,427     339,124
    Inventory     2,103,379     3,149,236
    Total current assets     4,715,965     4,997,373
             
    Property, plant, and equipment     5,942,782     6,160,318
    Oil and gas properties     8,832,356     8,534,967
    Restricted cash     798,851     2,929,797
    Right-of-use asset     1,091,656     1,115,785
    Goodwill     3,209,003     3,209,003
             
    Total assets   $ 24,590,613   $ 26,947,243
    LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY        
             
    Current liabilities:        
    Accounts payable and accrued expenses   $ 3,233,613     $ 4,046,319  
    Current portion of operating lease liability     81,775       38,422  
    Current portion of finance lease liability     16,626       16,120  
    Warrant liability     184,087       459,067  
    Lines of credit     2,328,127       1,260,727  
    Current maturities of notes payable     6,164,310       6,578,017  
    Total current liabilities     12,008,538       12,398,672  
             
    Notes payable, less current maturities, net of debt issuance costs     1,999,999       2,000,560  
    Operating lease liability, net of current portion     15,613       77,824  
    Finance lease Liability, net of current portion     987,018       971,690  
    Total Liabilities     15,011,168       15,448,746  
             
    Commitments and contingencies        
             
    Shareholders’ Equity:        
    Preferred stock $0.001 par value: 25,000,000 shares authorized; 0 shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively     –       –  
    Common stock $0.0001 par value: 100,000,000 shares authorized: 21,260,924 and 19,027,208 shares issued and outstanding as of March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively     2,126       1,903  
    Additional paid in capital     37,088,388       35,674,391  
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss     (209,286 )     (209,708 )
    Accumulated deficit     (27,301,783 )     (23,968,089 )
    Total shareholders’ equity     9,579,445       11,498,497  
             
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 24,590,613     $ 26,947,243  
    Sky Quarry Inc.
    Consolidated Statements of Operations and Comprehensive Loss
    For the Periods Ended March 31, 2025 and 2024
                     
          Three Months Ended March 31, 2025       Three Months Ended March 31, 2024
    Net sales     $ 6,332,967         $ 10,952,330  
                   
    Cost of goods sold       7,059,059           10,382,881  
    Gross Margin       (726,092 )         569,449  
                   
    Operating expenses:              
    General and administrative       1,935,457           1,607,884  
    Depreciation and amortization       2,028           1,472  
    Total Operating expenses       1,937,485           1,609,356  
                   
    Loss from operations       (2,663,577 )         (1,039,907 )
                   
    Other income (expense):              
    Interest expense       (872,468 )         (1,308,445 )
    Loss on extinguishment of debt       (85,753 )         (108,887 )
    Gain on warrant valuation       274,980           –  
    Other income (expense)       7,477           (5,306 )
    Gain on sale of assets       5,647           –  
    Other expense, net       (670,117 )         (1,422,638 )
                   
    Loss before provision for income taxes       (3,333,694 )         (2,462,545 )
                   
    Provision for income taxes       –           –  
                   
    Net loss       (3,333,694 )         (2,462,545 )
                   
    Other comprehensive income (loss)              
    Exchange gain (loss) on translation of foreign operations       422           (8,134 )
                   
    Net loss and comprehensive loss     $ (3,333,272 )       $ (2,470,679 )
                   
    Loss per common share              
    Basic and diluted     $ (0.16 )       $ (0.15 )
    Weighted average shares outstanding              
    Basic and diluted       21,264,725           16,334,862  
    Sky Quarry Inc.
    Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows
    For the Three Months Ended March 31, 2025 and 2024
     
          2025       2024  
             
    CASH FLOWS FROM OPERATING ACTIVITIES        
    Net loss   $ (3,333,694 )   $ (2,462,545 )
    Adjustments to reconcile net loss to cash used in operating activities:        
    Share based compensation     78,880       270,176  
    Depreciation and amortization     242,004       164,534  
    Amortization of debt issuance costs     765,793       1,166,227  
    Amortization of right-of-use asset     24,129       21,952  
    Gain on revaluation of warrant liabilities     (274,980 )     –  
    Loss on extinguishment of debt     56,660       108,887  
    Gain on sale of assets     (5,647 )     –  
             
    Changes in operating assets and liabilities:        
    Accounts receivable     (634,263 )     (766,259 )
    Prepaid expenses and other assets     (302,302 )     (323,750 )
    Inventory     1,045,857       203,235  
    Accounts payable and accrued expenses     373,889       371,043  
    Operating lease liability     450       21,952  
    Net cash used in operating activities     (1,963,224 )     (1,224,548 )
             
    CASH FLOWS FROM INVESTING ACTIVITIES        
             
    Proceeds from sale of assets     14,060       –  
    Purchase of exploration and evaluation assets     (297,389 )     (144,964 )
    Purchase of property, plant, and equipment     (32,881 )     (282,702 )
    Net cash used in investing activities     (316,210 )     (427,666 )
             
    CASH FLOWS FROM FINANCING ACTIVITIES        
             
    Proceeds on lines of credit     5,339,736       10,641,448  
    Payments on lines of credit     (4,272,336 )     (11,638,704 )
    Proceeds from note payable     143,237       9,820,288  
    Payments on note payable     (1,231,214 )     (5,300,608 )
    Warrants Issued (net against payment of debt issuance costs)         –  
    Debt discount on note payable         (1,970,936 )
    Payments on finance lease     (3,473 )     (19,851 )
    Proceeds on issuance of preferred stock         197,500  
    Preferred stock offering costs         (40,870 )
    Proceeds on issuance of common stock         19,492  
    Common stock offering costs         –  
    Net cash provided by (used in) financing activities     (24,050 )     1,707,755  
             
    Effect of exchange rate on cash     422       (8,134 )
             
    Increase (decrease) in cash and restricted cash     (2,303,062 )     47,407  
    Cash and restricted cash, beginning of the period     3,314,913       4,680,836  
             
    Cash and restricted cash, end of the period   $ 1,011,851     $ 4,728,243  

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Tornado Watch 255

    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.
    SEL5

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 255
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    515 PM CDT Thu May 15 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    Northern and Central Illinois
    Far Northwest Indiana
    Lake Michigan

    * Effective this Thursday afternoon and evening from 515 PM until
    1000 PM CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    A few tornadoes and a couple intense tornadoes possible
    Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 3
    inches in diameter likely
    Scattered damaging winds likely with isolated significant gusts
    to 75 mph possible

    SUMMARY…Supercell thunderstorms will pose a threat for large to
    very large hail this evening as they move east-northeastward. The
    largest hailstones may reach up to 2-3 inches in diameter. A few
    tornadoes are also possible, and a strong tornado may occur.
    Otherwise, scattered severe/damaging winds should also be a threat,
    especially if thunderstorms can congeal into clusters later this
    evening.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 70 statute miles
    east and west of a line from 60 miles north northeast of Marseilles
    IL to 35 miles west southwest of Champaign IL. For a complete
    depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
    (WOUS64 KWNS WOU5).

    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 251…WW 252…WW
    253…WW 254…

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 3 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 65 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean
    storm motion vector 23035.

    …Gleason

    SEL5

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 255
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    515 PM CDT Thu May 15 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    Northern and Central Illinois
    Far Northwest Indiana
    Lake Michigan

    * Effective this Thursday afternoon and evening from 515 PM until
    1000 PM CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    A few tornadoes and a couple intense tornadoes possible
    Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 3
    inches in diameter likely
    Scattered damaging winds likely with isolated significant gusts
    to 75 mph possible

    SUMMARY…Supercell thunderstorms will pose a threat for large to
    very large hail this evening as they move east-northeastward. The
    largest hailstones may reach up to 2-3 inches in diameter. A few
    tornadoes are also possible, and a strong tornado may occur.
    Otherwise, scattered severe/damaging winds should also be a threat,
    especially if thunderstorms can congeal into clusters later this
    evening.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 70 statute miles
    east and west of a line from 60 miles north northeast of Marseilles
    IL to 35 miles west southwest of Champaign IL. For a complete
    depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
    (WOUS64 KWNS WOU5).

    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 251…WW 252…WW
    253…WW 254…

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 3 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 65 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean
    storm motion vector 23035.

    …Gleason

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW5
    WW 255 TORNADO IL IN LM 152215Z – 160300Z
    AXIS..70 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    60NNE MMO/MARSEILLES IL/ – 35WSW CMI/CHAMPAIGN IL/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 60NM E/W /19NW ORD – 6NNW AXC/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..3 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..65 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 23035.

    LAT…LON 42168686 39838757 39839021 42168960

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU5.

    Watch 255 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Mod (50%)

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

    Mod (30%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    Mod (60%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Mod (30%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Mod (60%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Mod (60%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    High (90%)

    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 USA: Duckworth Slams Republicans for Undermining the Implementation of Bipartisan PACT Act to Expand VA Care for Veterans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    May 15, 2025
    [WASHINGTON, D.C.] – Today, combat Veteran and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) slammed Congressional Republicans for continuing to enable Donald Trump’s harmful cuts to VA services and its workforce, undermining the VA’s ability to keep up with new demand for care and benefits for our nation’s Veterans under the bipartisan PACT Act. During her remarks at a forum today, Duckworth called out Republicans for defending Trump slashing our VA while failing to exercise their own oversight and accountability for the proven deterioration of PACT Act implementation since Donald Trump returned to office. Duckworth’s remarks can be found on the Senator’s YouTube.
    “The PACT Act was a historic, overwhelmingly bipartisan victory that changed millions of Veterans’ lives,” said Senator Duckworth. “But just like other critical services for our Veterans, Donald Trump has taken a sledgehammer to PACT Act care and benefits as well as the dedicated workforce that provides these services for our nation’s heroes. Meanwhile, instead of holding Trump accountable for the damage done to Veterans as these cuts continue to delay services and care, Republicans are wasting time pointing fingers and placing blame on literally anyone else except Donald Trump. If Republicans really cared about our Veterans, they’d grow a spine and condemn these cuts immediately.”
    Duckworth has been a fierce leader and advocate for Veterans and the VA staff who serve them in the wake of the disastrous Trump-Musk layoffs. Recently, Duckworth slammed a senior official from the VA after he failed to publicly commit to rehiring VCL workers who were wrongfully fired in Trump-Musk layoffs. After the first VA purge laid off workers with the VCL—including several Veterans—Duckworth successfully pushed the Trump Administration to reinstate these devoted public servants that work to support our Veterans in their darkest moments.
    Additionally, Duckworth and U.S. Senator Andy Kim (D-NJ) are leading the push for the Protect Veteran Jobs Act, legislation that would reinstate the thousands of Veterans who were fired in the Trump-Musk layoffs. Duckworth and Kim subsequently introduced their legislation as an amendment to Republicans’ slush fund continuing resolution. Republicans shamefully blocked it from passing.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congresista Ramirez Leads 109 Members to Protect the Constitutional Right to Birthright Citizenship

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Delia Ramirez – Illinois (3rd District)

    Washington, DC —  Today, Congresswoman Delia C. Ramirez (IL-03), proud daughter of immigrants and citizen by birthright, introduced legislation to block the implementation of President Trump’s unconstitutional Executive Order that illegally and unconstitutionally seeks to end citizenship for children born in the United States. The Born in the USA Act is co-led by a coalition of Members of Congress that includes the Hispanic Caucus Chair Adriano Espaillat (NY-13), Asian Pacific American Caucus Chair Grace Meng (NY-06), Black Caucus Chair Yvette Clarke (NY-09), Judiciary Committee Ranking Member Jamie Raskin (MD-08), and Derek Tran (CA-45)

    The legislation prohibits any government funds from being appropriated or used to carry out President Donald Trump’s unconstitutional and illegal Executive Order 14160, “Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship.”

    “Trump has posed the question of who gets to be an American. The fact is that every citizen not naturalized in this country is a citizen by birthright. And it is important to remember that our nation’s history would not be complete without the children of immigrants who, like me, are citizens by birthright and pride themselves on being AMERICANS, said Congresswoman Ramirez.” I am both a daughter of immigrants and the daughter of America;  a proud Chapina and an American by birthright. It is my honor to lead 109 members of Congress to ensure not a single dollar goes to Trump’s illegal, unconstitutional attempt to undermine our Constitution, our rights, our liberties, and the soul of our nation.” 

    “Protecting birthright citizenship from Donald Trump’s reckless executive order is our duty, not only as Democrats, but as Americans,” said CHC Chair Adriano Espaillat. “The Fourteenth Amendment was forged in the ashes of the Civil War and refined through 150 years of jurisprudence. No president can change it by executive order, and Trump’s shameless attempt to do so is a grave threat to the very ideals of our nation and of a binding Constitution. Unilaterally modifying the highest law in the land is antithetical to our American values, and we will continue to fight these heinous actions by an administration that seeks to redefine what we, as a nation, stand for.”

    “Birthright citizenship is enshrined in the Constitution and has been affirmed by the Supreme Court numerous times — including in the landmark United States v. Wong Kim Ark decision — yet President Trump is determined to overrule this century-old precedent and eliminate one of the most common pathways for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders to become U.S. citizens,” said Rep. Grace Meng, Chair of the Congressional Asian Pacific American Caucus. “Not on our watch. I am proud to introduce the Born in the USA Act with my colleagues to stand up for American values and stand against this unconstitutional executive overreach.”

    “Birthright citizenship has been the law of the land since 1868, when the 14th Amendment overturned Dred Scott and established equal citizenship by birth,” said Ranking Member Jamie Raskin. “Donald Trump cannot erase the parts of the Constitution he doesn’t like or decide who counts as an American by executive order. The Born in the USA Act will ensure that no taxpayer dollars are used to enforce this unlawful order, which would compel federal agencies, from the State Department to the Social Security Administration, to deny or question U.S. citizenship for children born on American soil, thereby undermining a fundamental constitutional right that has defined our nation since the Civil War.”

    “For over 140 years, birthright citizenship has been a cornerstone of American law and culture,” said Rep. Derek Tran. “We have always been a nation of immigrants–my own parents came to this country as refugees, and I gained citizenship through the birthright principle. So many people across the country share my story and have enriched our nation in countless ways as productive members of American society. I’m proud to stand with my colleagues in introducing the Born in the USA Act to protect birthright citizenship and ensure that all those born on U.S. soil are awarded the Constitutional protections they deserve.”

    The bill is cosponsored by Congressmembers Raja Krishnamoorthi (IL-08), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Henry Johnson (GA-04), Jasmine Crockett (TX-30), Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (NY-14), Linda T. Sánchez (CA-38), Becca Balint (VT-AL), Jesús G. “Chuy” García (IL-04), Madeleine Dean (GA-05), Nikema Williams (GA-05), André Carson (IN-07), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), James P. McGovern (MA-02), Sylvia R. Garcia (TX-29), Ritchie Torres (NY-15), Jonathan L. Jackson (IL-01), Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07), Mary Gay Scanlon (PA-05), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12), Dan Goldman (NY-10), Maxwell Frost (FL-10), Paul D. Tonko (NY-20), Darren Soto (FL-09), Dave Min (CA-47), Mark Pocan (WI-02), Bennie G. Thompson (MS-2), Andrea Salinas (OR-06), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), LaMonica McIver (NJ-10), Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), Dina Titus (NV-01), Ilhan Omar (MN-05), Gabe Amo (RI-01), John Garamendi (CA-08), Sarah McBride (DE-00), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Stephen Lynch (MA-08), Angie Craig (MN-02), Summer L. Lee (PA-12), Greg Casar (TX-35), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Chellie Pingree (ME-01), Gilbert R. Cisneros (CA-31), Maxine Dexter (OR-03), Jill Tokuda (HI-02), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Emanuel Cleaver (MO-05), Steve Cohen (TN-09), Gregory W. Meeks (NY-05), Luz Rivas (CA-29), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Wesley Bell (MO-01), Brendan Boyle (PA-02), Ayanna Pressley (MA-07), Robin L. Kelly (IL-02), Frederica S. Wilson (FL-24), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Timothy M. Kennedy (NY-26), Troy Carter (LA-02), Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Josh Gottheimer (NJ-05), Gabe Vasquez (NM-02), Ted W. Lieu (CA-36), Robert J. Menendez (NJ-08), Shontel M. Brown (OH-11), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Jennifer L. McClellan (VA-04), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Greg Stanton (AZ-04), Veronica Escobar (TX-16), Julie Johnson (TX-32), Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Janelle S. Bynum (OR-05), Mikie Sherrill (NJ-11), Teresa Leger Fernandez (NM-03), Mark Takano(CA 39), Glenn Ivey (MD-04), Jerrold Nadler (NY-12), Pablo José Hernández (PR-00), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Al Green (TX-09), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Joaquin Castro (TX-20), Emily Randall (WA-06), Judy Chu (CA-28), Danny Davis (IL-07), Lauren Underwood (IL-14), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Terri A. Sewell (AL-07), Laura Friedman (CA-30), Betty McCollum (MN-04), Morgan McGarvey (KY-03), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Marc Veasey (TX-33), Suzanne Bonamici (OR-01).

    The legislation also counts with the support of local and national organizations, including American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), National Immigration Law Center (NILC), Stop AAPI Hate, FWD.us, Center for American Progress (CAP), OCA-Asian Pacific American Advocates, National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), Japanese American Citizens League (JACL), Asian Americans Advancing Justice (AAJC), Illinois Coalition for Immigrant and Refugee Rights (ICIRR), Center for Law and Social Policy (CLASP), African Communities Together, Haitian Bridge Alliance, Immigration Hub, and UndocuBlack. 

    The Born in the USA Act is a companion to S.646, introduced in the Senate by Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV). 

    Text of the bill, CLICK HERE. 

    BACKGROUND:

    On January 29, 2025, Donald Trump signed Executive Order 14160, Protecting the Meaning and Value of American Citizenship. The executive order illegally and unconstitutionally seeks to undermine the constitutional right to birthright citizenship. 

    The 14th Amendment guarantees that all people born in the U.S. are U.S. citizens. In the 1898 United States v. Wong Kim Ark case, the Supreme Court affirmed that the 14th Amendment protects the birthright citizenship of all children born in the country, including those from undocumented parents.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Kick Off Summer on Victoria Day at Government House

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Released on May 15, 2025

    Summer has arrived at Government House! To celebrate, the team at Government House is taking things outdoors for some Victoria Day free, family fun. 

    Be at Government House Monday, May 19 from 1 to 4 p.m. for a classic car show, to visit furry friends in the petting zoo and enjoy a tasty treat. 

    “Spending Victoria Day at Government House is the perfect way to kick off the season,” Minister Responsible for the Provincial Capital Commission Eric Schmalz said. “Bring family and friends and celebrate the warmer months ahead with an afternoon of outdoor activities on the great lawns which surround this historic site.”

    In addition, Government House is now open seven days a week from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Visitor experience hosts are ready to welcome you all summer long. 

    Visitors are also encouraged to explore the sprawling, blooming gardens, the Amédée Forget Museum and check out the newest exhibit in the Queen Elizabeth II Art Gallery. There is always something to see and do at Government House.

    For more information, visit: https://governmenthousesk.ca/events/summer-kick-off.

    About Government House

    Government House is a National Historic Site and Provincial Heritage Property with a mission to provide visitors with an accessible historic place to preserve, promote and celebrate Saskatchewan’s living heritage. Government House is the steward of a vibrant collection and historic property that is living and ever-changing. Experience the story of Government House through educational experiences, engaging programs and collaborative partnerships. 

    -30-

    For more information, contact:

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Safety booms not installed at Timiskaming Dam Complex

    Source: Government of Canada News

     For immediate release

    Timiskaming, Quebec, May 15, 2025 – Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) wishes to advise the public that, due to unfavourable conditions, the in-water safety booms upstream of the dams have not been installed at the Timiskaming Dam Complex, ahead of the Victoria Day May long weekend, in time for the start of the summer navigation season.

    Safety booms, or water barriers, are designed to ensure the safety of people in and around water by creating secure boundaries.

    The safety booms will be installed once weather conditions permit.

    Exercise caution when approaching the area of the dams. Boaters and swimmers are advised to respect safety signage and stay at a safe distance from the dams.

    PSPC encourages users to exercise caution and thanks them for their patience. 

    MIL OSI Canada News –