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Category: Australia

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK and Australia launch new partnership in weapons development

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    UK and Australia launch new partnership in weapons development

    The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and Defence Science and Technology (DST) Group Australia have announced a ground-breaking partnership.

    Early Concept for Testbed

    The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) and Defence Science and Technology (DST) Group Australia have announced a ground-breaking partnership to develop next-generation sub-systems for low-cost weapons systems, bringing together cutting-edge technologies from both nations.

    The partnership will combine the UK’s Modular Weapons Testbed and Australia’s SHARKTOOTH programme, which features innovative ‘plug-and-launch’ modular technology, aimed at accelerating the employment of advanced, yet affordable weapons technologies. This integration represents a significant advancement in complex weapons development and will help accelerate and de-risk industry’s development of guided weapon sub-systems.

    Under this collaboration both nations will develop new approaches and new technologies enhancing future weapon systems capability, including low-cost seekers (sensors which are responsible for detecting and tracking targets), additively manufactured engines (created by 3D printing or similar), modular warheads and fuses, algorithms to improve guidance, navigation and control and other novel weapons technologies.

    The partnership will deliver several key advantages:

    • reduced development costs and risks through shared expertise
    • accelerated deployment of new capabilities
    • enhanced interoperability between UK and Australian forces
    • develop and demonstrate innovation ideas from both nations, helping to invest in sovereign defence ecosystems
    • flexible, modular design allowing rapid adaptation to emerging threats.

    The collaboration enables both nations to access a wider pool of innovative ideas, co-operate on technology development and deliver faster against a broader range of operational use cases. For both the UK and Australia this will strengthen defence primes, small to medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and academia in support of Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) and the UK Ministry of Defence’s Complex Weapons Pipeline and Australia’s Guided Weapons and Explosive Ordnance (GWEO) Enterprise.

    Each nation is developing a concept demonstrator equivalent to a concept car to enable us to prove future technologies before they go into sovereign industrial and military capabilities.

    SHARKTOOTH is Australia’s developmental weapon system, a small missile which will enable rapid integration of various components including sensors, warheads, guidance systems and propulsion units.

    A spokesperson for Dstl said:

    This collaboration represents a step-change in how we develop and deploy complex weapons systems.

    By combining Australia’s modular approach with the UK’s missiles know-how, we’re creating more versatile and capable systems for our armed forces.

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Ami Bera, California Delegation Members Demand Continuation of Critical Food Programs

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Ami Bera (D-CA)

    Today, U.S. Representative Ami Bera, M.D. (CA-06) joined the Democratic Members of the California Congressional Delegation in demanding the United States Department of Agriculture reverse harmful federal program cancelations and freezes impacting state food banks and farmers. 

    Despite encompassing less than 4% of the country’s farmland, California generates over 11% of the U.S. agricultural value; over a third of the country’s vegetables and over three-quarters of the country’s fruits and nuts are grown in California.  The Trump Administration’s discontinuation of the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Cooperative Agreements for 2025, the Local Food for Schools (LFS) Cooperative Agreement Program, and the freeze of the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) funds threatens the livelihoods of more than 600 California farmers and jeopardizes food assistance for more than six million Californians.  A network of 49 food banks, serving 58 counties in California, have already seen over 300 food loads paused or cancelled. 

    “These programs provide critical support to farmers and food producers in California while ensuring access to nutritious, locally sourced food for families, students, and communities, which we feel are in line with this Administration’s stated goals to provide more opportunities for Americans to eat healthy, support farmers, and boost domestic demand for produce,” wrote the Members.  “We remain committed to working with USDA to find solutions that sustain and expand market access for American farmers while ensuring that families and communities continue to benefit from fresh, locally produced food. We respectfully request that you revisit these decisions in light of the millions of our constituents who would be impacted.”

    Additional signers of the letter include: Reps. Pete Aguilar (CA-33), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Judy Chu (CA-28), Gil Cisneros (CA-31), Lou Correa (CA-46), Jim Costa (CA-21), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Laura Friedman (CA-30), John Garamendi (CA-08), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Adam Gray (CA-13), Josh Harder (CA-09), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Mike Levin (CA-49), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Dave Min (CA-47), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Scott Peters (CA-50), Luz Rivas (CA-29), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Mark Takano (CA-39), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Norma Torres (CA-35), Derek Tran (CA-45), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Maxine Waters (CA-43), and George Whitesides (CA-27).

    Read the full letter here or below:

    Dear Madam Secretary, 

    We write regarding recent decisions to discontinue the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Cooperative Agreements for 2025, the Local Food for Schools (LFS) Cooperative Agreement Program, and the freeze of the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) funds. These programs benefit producers of all sizes, expand market opportunities, and increase resilience in our local food systems, particularly as farmers continue to navigate rising input costs and economic uncertainty. With these cancellations, more than 600 California farmers will lose a vital market, and families and children will lose an important lifeline and access to healthy, locally grown food. We request and encourage you to reverse this decision and continue to fully fund and support these important initiatives. 

    As Members of the California Delegation, we proudly represent the farmers and producers that contribute to California’s agricultural abundance and the nation’s food supply. Despite encompassing less than 4% of the country’s farmland, California generates over 11% of the U.S. agricultural value; over a third of the country’s vegetables and over three-quarters of the country’s fruits and nuts are grown in California. It is important that this Administration continues to support California producers and bolster their access to local markets. 

    Given the significant role that USDA plays in bolstering local and regional agricultural supply chains in California and across the country, we urge your reconsideration of the discontinuation of the LFPA Cooperative Agreements for 2025 and LFS Cooperative Agreement Program. As you know, LFPA strengthens agricultural supply chains by facilitating the purchase of regionally grown food, while LFS helps schools and childcare facilities provide fresh, local options to students. These programs provide critical support to farmers and food producers in California while ensuring access to nutritious, locally sourced food for families, students, and communities, which we feel are in line with this Administration’s stated goals to provide more opportunities for Americans to eat healthy, support farmers, and boost domestic demand for produce. 

    Additionally, both the freeze and cancellation of TEFAP funds will significantly impact our state’s food banks who partner with their network of churches, schools, and food pantries. As of the writing of this letter, we are aware that food banks across the state have had over 300 food loads paused or cancelled across the network of 49 food banks for distribution to eligible individuals and households within 58 counties. This means less food than expected for food banks who are serving more than 6 million Californians each month. 

    We remain committed to working with USDA to find solutions that sustain and expand market access for American farmers while ensuring that families and communities continue to benefit from fresh, locally produced food. We respectfully request that you revisit these decisions in light of the millions of our constituents who would be impacted. Thank you for your attention to this matter, and we look forward to your response. 

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Panetta Leads California Delegation Members Demanding Continuation of Critical Food Programs

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif)

    Monterey, CA – United States Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) led the Democratic Members of the California Congressional Delegation in demanding the United States Department of Agriculture reverse harmful federal program cancelations and freezes impacting state food banks and farmers.  Co-leading this effort alongside Rep. Panetta are Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA) and Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chair of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (CA-11).

    Despite encompassing less than 4% of the country’s farmland, California generates over 11% of the U.S. agricultural value; over a third of the country’s vegetables and over three-quarters of the country’s fruits and nuts are grown in California.  The Trump Administration’s discontinuation of the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Cooperative Agreements for 2025, the Local Food for Schools (LFS) Cooperative Agreement Program, and the freeze of the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) funds threatens the livelihoods of more than 600 California farmers and jeopardizes food assistance for more than six million Californians.  A network of 49 food banks, serving 58 counties in California, have already seen over 300 food loads paused or cancelled. 

    “These programs provide critical support to farmers and food producers in California while ensuring access to nutritious, locally sourced food for families, students, and communities, which we feel are in line with this Administration’s stated goals to provide more opportunities for Americans to eat healthy, support farmers, and boost domestic demand for produce,” wrote the Members.  “We remain committed to working with USDA to find solutions that sustain and expand market access for American farmers while ensuring that families and communities continue to benefit from fresh, locally produced food. We respectfully request that you revisit these decisions in light of the millions of our constituents who would be impacted.”

    Additional signers of the letter include; Reps. Pete Aguilar (CA-33), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Ami Bera (CA-06), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Judy Chu (CA-28), Gil Cisneros (CA-31), Lou Correa (CA-46), Jim Costa (CA-21), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Laura Friedman (CA-30), John Garamendi (CA-08), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Adam Gray (CA-13), Josh Harder (CA-09), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Mike Levin (CA-49), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Dave Min (CA-47), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Scott Peters (CA-50), Luz Rivas (CA-29), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Mark Takano (CA-39), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Norma Torres (CA-35), Derek Tran (CA-45), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Maxine Waters (CA-43), and George Whitesides (CA-27).

    Read the full letter here or below.

    Dear Madam Secretary, 

    We write regarding recent decisions to discontinue the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Cooperative Agreements for 2025, the Local Food for Schools (LFS) Cooperative Agreement Program, and the freeze of the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) funds. These programs benefit producers of all sizes, expand market opportunities, and increase resilience in our local food systems, particularly as farmers continue to navigate rising input costs and economic uncertainty. With these cancellations, more than 600 California farmers will lose a vital market, and families and children will lose an important lifeline and access to healthy, locally grown food. We request and encourage you to reverse this decision and continue to fully fund and support these important initiatives. 

    As Members of the California Delegation, we proudly represent the farmers and producers that contribute to California’s agricultural abundance and the nation’s food supply. Despite encompassing less than 4% of the country’s farmland, California generates over 11% of the U.S. agricultural value; over a third of the country’s vegetables and over three-quarters of the country’s fruits and nuts are grown in California. It is important that this Administration continues to support California producers and bolster their access to local markets. 

    Given the significant role that USDA plays in bolstering local and regional agricultural supply chains in California and across the country, we urge your reconsideration of the discontinuation of the LFPA Cooperative Agreements for 2025 and LFS Cooperative Agreement Program. As you know, LFPA strengthens agricultural supply chains by facilitating the purchase of regionally grown food, while LFS helps schools and childcare facilities provide fresh, local options to students. These programs provide critical support to farmers and food producers in California while ensuring access to nutritious, locally sourced food for families, students, and communities, which we feel are in line with this Administration’s stated goals to provide more opportunities for Americans to eat healthy, support farmers, and boost domestic demand for produce. 

    Additionally, both the freeze and cancellation of TEFAP funds will significantly impact our state’s food banks who partner with their network of churches, schools, and food pantries. As of the writing of this letter, we are aware that food banks across the state have had over 300 food loads paused or cancelled across the network of 49 food banks for distribution to eligible individuals and households within 58 counties. This means less food than expected for food banks who are serving more than 6 million Californians each month. 

    We remain committed to working with USDA to find solutions that sustain and expand market access for American farmers while ensuring that families and communities continue to benefit from fresh, locally produced food. We respectfully request that you revisit these decisions in light of the millions of our constituents who would be impacted. Thank you for your attention to this matter, and we look forward to your response. 

    Sincerely,

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Reps. Lofgren, Panetta, & CA Members of Congress Demand the Continuation of Critical Food Programs

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Zoe Lofgren (D-San Jose)

    MONTEREY COUNTY, CA – U.S. Representative Zoe Lofgren (CA-18), Chair of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation, along with Rep. Jimmy Panetta (CA-19), Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA), Sen. Adam Schiff (D-CA), and Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (CA-11) led their California colleagues in demanding the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) reverse harmful federal program cancelations and freezes impacting state food banks and farmers.

    Despite encompassing less than 4% of the country’s farmland, California generates over 11% of the U.S. agricultural value; over a third of the country’s vegetables and over three-quarters of the country’s fruits and nuts are grown in California. The Trump Administration’s discontinuation of the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Cooperative Agreements for 2025, the Local Food for Schools (LFS) Cooperative Agreement Program, and the freeze of the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) funds threatens the livelihoods of more than 600 California farmers and jeopardizes food assistance for more than six million Californians. A network of 49 food banks, serving 58 counties in California, have already seen over 300 food loads paused or cancelled. 

    “These programs provide critical support to farmers and food producers in California while ensuring access to nutritious, locally sourced food for families, students, and communities, which we feel are in line with this Administration’s stated goals to provide more opportunities for Americans to eat healthy, support farmers, and boost domestic demand for produce,” wrote the Members. “We remain committed to working with USDA to find solutions that sustain and expand market access for American farmers while ensuring that families and communities continue to benefit from fresh, locally produced food. We respectfully request that you revisit these decisions in light of the millions of our constituents who would be impacted.”

    Additional signers of the letter include: Reps. Pete Aguilar (CA-33), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Ami Bera (CA-06), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Judy Chu (CA-28), Gil Cisneros (CA-31), Lou Correa (CA-46), Jim Costa (CA-21), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Laura Friedman (CA-30), John Garamendi (CA-08), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Adam Gray (CA-13), Josh Harder (CA-09), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Mike Levin (CA-49), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Dave Min (CA-47), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Scott Peters (CA-50), Luz Rivas (CA-29), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Mark Takano (CA-39), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Norma Torres (CA-35), Derek Tran (CA-45), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Maxine Waters (CA-43), and George Whitesides (CA-27).

    Read the full letter here or below.

    Dear Madam Secretary, 

    We write regarding recent decisions to discontinue the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Cooperative Agreements for 2025, the Local Food for Schools (LFS) Cooperative Agreement Program, and the freeze of the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) funds. These programs benefit producers of all sizes, expand market opportunities, and increase resilience in our local food systems, particularly as farmers continue to navigate rising input costs and economic uncertainty. With these cancellations, more than 600 California farmers will lose a vital market, and families and children will lose an important lifeline and access to healthy, locally grown food. We request and encourage you to reverse this decision and continue to fully fund and support these important initiatives. 

    As Members of the California Delegation, we proudly represent the farmers and producers that contribute to California’s agricultural abundance and the nation’s food supply. Despite encompassing less than 4% of the country’s farmland, California generates over 11% of the U.S. agricultural value; over a third of the country’s vegetables and over three-quarters of the country’s fruits and nuts are grown in California. It is important that this Administration continues to support California producers and bolster their access to local markets. 

    Given the significant role that USDA plays in bolstering local and regional agricultural supply chains in California and across the country, we urge your reconsideration of the discontinuation of the LFPA Cooperative Agreements for 2025 and LFS Cooperative Agreement Program. As you know, LFPA strengthens agricultural supply chains by facilitating the purchase of regionally grown food, while LFS helps schools and childcare facilities provide fresh, local options to students. These programs provide critical support to farmers and food producers in California while ensuring access to nutritious, locally sourced food for families, students, and communities, which we feel are in line with this Administration’s stated goals to provide more opportunities for Americans to eat healthy, support farmers, and boost domestic demand for produce. 

    Additionally, both the freeze and cancellation of TEFAP funds will significantly impact our state’s food banks who partner with their network of churches, schools, and food pantries. As of the writing of this letter, we are aware that food banks across the state have had over 300 food loads paused or cancelled across the network of 49 food banks for distribution to eligible individuals and households within 58 counties. This means less food than expected for food banks who are serving more than 6 million Californians each month. 

    We remain committed to working with USDA to find solutions that sustain and expand market access for American farmers while ensuring that families and communities continue to benefit from fresh, locally produced food. We respectfully request that you revisit these decisions in light of the millions of our constituents who would be impacted. Thank you for your attention to this matter, and we look forward to your response. 

    Sincerely,

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Pelosi Joins California Democrats Demanding Continuation of Critical Food Programs

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi Representing the 12th District of California

    Washington D.C. — Speaker Emerita Nancy Pelosi (CA-11) joined Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) and Democratic Members of the California Congressional Delegation in urging the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) to reverse harmful decisions that cancel or freeze federal food assistance programs vital to California’s farmers, food banks and families. Alongside Speaker Emerita Pelosi and Rep. Panetta, this coordinated effort is also led by Senators Alex Padilla (D-CA), Adam Schiff (D-CA) and Chair of the California Democratic Congressional Delegation Rep. Zoe Lofgren (CA-18).

    Despite encompassing less than 4% of the country’s farmland, California generates over 11% of the U.S. agricultural value; over a third of the country’s vegetables and over three-quarters of the country’s fruits and nuts are grown in California.  The Trump Administration’s discontinuation of the Local Food Purchase Assistance (LFPA) Cooperative Agreements for 2025, the Local Food for Schools (LFS) Cooperative Agreement Program, and the freeze of the Emergency Food Assistance Program (TEFAP) funds threatens the livelihoods of more than 600 California farmers and jeopardizes food assistance for more than six million Californians. A network of 49 food banks, serving 58 counties in California—including the SF-Marin Food Bank, which serves both San Francisco and Marin counties—have already seen over 300 food loads paused or cancelled.

    “These programs provide critical support to farmers and food producers in California while ensuring access to nutritious, locally sourced food for families, students, and communities, which we feel are in line with this Administration’s stated goals to provide more opportunities for Americans to eat healthy, support farmers, and boost domestic demand for produce,” wrote the Members. “We remain committed to working with USDA to find solutions that sustain and expand market access for American farmers while ensuring that families and communities continue to benefit from fresh, locally produced food. We respectfully request that you revisit these decisions in light of the millions of our constituents who would be impacted.”

    The full letter is available [HERE].

    Additional signers of the letter include; Reps. Pete Aguilar (CA-33), Nanette Barragán (CA-44), Ami Bera (CA-06), Julia Brownley (CA-26), Salud Carbajal (CA-24), Judy Chu (CA-28), Gil Cisneros (CA-31), Lou Correa (CA-46), Jim Costa (CA-21), Mark DeSaulnier (CA-10), Laura Friedman (CA-30), John Garamendi (CA-08), Robert Garcia (CA-42), Jimmy Gomez (CA-34), Adam Gray (CA-13), Josh Harder (CA-09), Jared Huffman (CA-02), Sara Jacobs (CA-51), Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37), Ro Khanna (CA-17), Mike Levin (CA-49), Sam Liccardo (CA-16), Ted Lieu (CA-36), Doris Matsui (CA-07), Dave Min (CA-47), Kevin Mullin (CA-15), Scott Peters (CA-50), Luz Rivas (CA-29), Raul Ruiz (CA-25), Linda Sánchez (CA-38), Brad Sherman (CA-32), Lateefah Simon (CA-12), Eric Swalwell (CA-14), Mark Takano (CA-39), Mike Thompson (CA-04), Norma Torres (CA-35), Derek Tran (CA-45), Juan Vargas (CA-52), Maxine Waters (CA-43), and George Whitesides (CA-27).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: NATO must be ‘stronger, fairer, and more lethal’ Foreign Secretary to say

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    NATO must be ‘stronger, fairer, and more lethal’ Foreign Secretary to say

    UK to highlight ironclad support for Alliance and push Allies to increase defence spending.

    • UK says NATO must stay strong and united to boost our collective defence in face of generational threat from Russia

    • Foreign Ministers’ summit follows biggest sustained increase in UK defence spending since the Cold War, delivering security for hardworking British people

    • Allies set out their ironclad support for Ukraine in NATO-Ukraine Council

    The UK will encourage NATO Allies to step up defence spending to support Euro-Atlantic security as the Foreign Secretary arrives in Brussels for the NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting today (Thursday 3 April).

    He will say that making NATO stronger, fairer, and more lethal is key to protecting the conditions for growth at home.

    As the Alliance steps up to face long-term and interconnected threats from Russia and its enablers , the UK will tell Allies that it’s our collective duty to boost defence spending and deter our adversaries. Increases in defence spending mean more and better capabilities, keeping us safe.

    While Russia and other actors work to destabilise Euro-Atlantic societies, the UK is playing its part, with the largest sustained increase to defence spending since the Cold War, hitting 2.5% from April 2027 and rising to 3% in the next parliament.

    Increasing defence spending by £11.8bn between now and 2027/28 will protect the conditions for growth and security at home, putting money back into the pockets of hard-working British people. Between 2023-24 the defence sector supported more than 430,000 jobs across the UK.

    In the NATO-Ukraine Council, the Foreign Secretary will discuss the practical planning undertaken by the UK, France, and other Allies to prepare and deploy as a Coalition of the Willing in the event of a peace deal.

    While Putin continues to delay and obstruct on a move to a ceasefire, the UK and Allies have doubled down to support Ukraine in the face of Russia’s barbaric invasion. Ukraine has shown its strong commitment to peace, yet Russia’s on-going bombardment of Ukrainian cities and infrastructure has not ceased. 

    The Foreign Secretary will tell Allies that now is the time to maximise pressure on Putin, through every economic lever possible, to force him to the negotiating table. 

    Foreign Secretary David Lammy said:

    Keeping our country safe is the Government’s first duty, and NATO is the cornerstone of our security, both at home and abroad.

    That’s why we have announced the biggest investment to defence spending since the Cold War.

    Allies must spend more, produce more and deliver more on defence so NATO can become stronger, fairer and more lethal – boosting our collective defence ensures that NATO is ready for the threats and challenges we face.

    At the meeting David Lammy will discuss shared security threats and challenges with counterparts from NATO, as well as the EU and NATO’s Indo-Pacific partners – Australia, Japan, New Zealand and South Korea. This includes the challenges China poses to both Indo-Pacific and Euro-Atlantic security, especially its enablement of Russia’s illegal war.

    The NATO Foreign Ministers Meeting follows a week of meetings on regional security with Allies and partners across Europe.

    On Sunday the Foreign Secretary visited STRIKFORNATO, the naval command centre for the Allied Command Operations outside of Lisbon, before heading to the Weimar Plus Foreign Ministers Meeting in Madrid on Monday, where he urged partners to take a united approach to the global challenges posed by Russia’s war machine. He also visited British and other NATO troops stationed in Kosovo to maintain stability in the Western Balkans.

    On Tuesday, the UK added Russia to the UK’s Foreign Influence Registration Scheme to expose interference attempts on British soil.

    Updates to this page

    Published 3 April 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Arrest of two men in west London linked to Hezbollah

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Two men have been arrested on suspicion of terrorism offences as part of a proactive investigation by the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command.

    Detectives arrested a 39-year-old man [A] on Tuesday, 1 April at an address in north west London on suspicion of being a member of a proscribed organisation, preparation for acts of terrorism and being involved in a funding arrangement for the purposes of terrorism.

    Officers also arrested a 35-year-old man [B] at an address in west London on suspicion of being a member of a proscribed organisation.

    The investigation relates to Hezbollah, a proscribed organisation under UK counter terrorism legislation. The investigation is largely focused on activity overseas, as well as activity within the UK. At this time, there is not believed to be any imminent threat to the public .

    Commander Dominic Murphy, head of the Met’s Counter Terrorism Command said: “Terrorism and terrorists have a global reach and impact and the activities of terrorist groups overseas can harm communities here in the UK as well as causing devastation to those abroad.

    “Our investigation remains ongoing, but I hope that these arrests show we will take robust action against anyone here whom we suspect as being involved in terrorist activity regardless of whether their activity is focused here in the UK or elsewhere.”

    The two men were taken to a London police station, and have since been released on bail until a date in mid-July.

    Searches were carried out at five addresses – two in North West London, one in West London, one in South West London and one in Essex – and these are now complete.

    Enquiries continue

    + Communities defeat terrorism, and information from the public is vital to counter terrorism investigations. If you see or hear something that doesn’t feel right, then trust your instincts and ACT by reporting it in confidence at www.gov.uk/ACT or call police in confidence on 0800 789 321.

    In an emergency, always dial 999.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Tech and Data – Databricks Announces the General Availability of Lakeflow Connect

    Source: Databricks

    No-code ingestion connectors for Salesforce, Workday to help enterprise customers unlock full power of Data Intelligence

    ●        The first connectors of many, Salesforce Sales Cloud and Workday provide a simple and scalable method to ingest data into Databricks.

    ●        Lakeflow Connect enables use cases such as analysing consumer behavior, predicting churn, and centralising HR analytics.

    ●        Global enterprise customers like Porsche Holding are already using Lakeflow Connect to strengthen their consumer journeys.

    Sydney, Australia, April 3 – Databricks, the Data and AI company, today announced the General Availability of Lakeflow Connect for Salesforce and Workday. Lakeflow Connect introduces no-code ingestion connectors for popular SaaS applications, databases, and file sources – enabling enterprises to build scalable ingestion pipelines and unlock the full power of their data with the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform. The Salesforce and Workday connectors are the first managed connectors to be released to GA since the Lakeflow Connect announcement last July, with many more on the way.

    Lakeflow Connect enables high-value use cases across industries, such as understanding customer behaviour, analysing HR data, and identifying upsell opportunities. It is powered by serverless compute and is available across AWS, Azure and GCP. Its managed data connectors are fully integrated with the Data Intelligence Platform for governance, observability and enterprise security.

    “It’s challenging for ANZ businesses to build and maintain ingestion pipelines for SaaS applications themselves because each API is unique and changes often, and database ingestion can be even more complex. Enterprises often require additional infrastructure like virtual machines for extraction tools, Kafka for streaming, and a strong understanding of change data capture (CDC) technologies for efficient ingestion,” said Nick Eayrs, Vice President of Field Engineering, APJ, at Databricks.

    “This means organisations spend a lot of time building, optimising, and maintaining a patchwork of pipelines. This slows down projects and can create a fragmented ETL architecture that’s difficult to govern. It also forces highly skilled data engineers to spend time moving data and monitoring pipelines instead of developing strategic innovations.”

    Lakeflow Connect eliminates these challenges by making it easy to create production-ready pipelines with a few clicks in the UI or a few lines of code. Under the hood, ingestion is efficient, with incremental updates and optimised API usage. As your managed pipelines run, we take care of schema evolution, seamless third-party API upgrades, and comprehensive observability with built-in alerts.

    Lakeflow Connect for Salesforce allows enterprises to pair Databricks’ advanced analytics and AI tools with Salesforce’s CRM data to build a more effective seller experience: predicting sales trends, deepening insights into customer behaviors, and personalising engagement strategies. The connector supports Salesforce-specific requirements, like custom objects and formula fields.

    Databricks and Salesforce announced a strategic partnership in 2023 to build robust integrations for our joint customers, and have since then launched the zero-copy Salesforce Data Cloud Connector so customers can discover, query, and govern Salesforce Data Cloud directly from Unity Catalog. Paired with Lakeflow Connect for Salesforce, customers can use both their CRM data and their CDP data within Databricks.

    Lakeflow Connect for Workday also provides simple, low-maintenance ingestion. Enterprises can access custom Workday reports for centralised analytics on their employee workforce.

    Both connectors seamlessly integrate with the Data Intelligence Platform, so businesses can use:

    ●       DLT to transform data declaratively and update transformations incrementally as data continues to stream in

    ●       Databricks Workflows to orchestrate these pipelines

    ●       Databricks Asset Bundles (DABs) to manage continuous integration and delivery

    ●       Advanced analytics and machine learning tools to drive business value

    ●       Unity Catalog to govern data and pipelines

    ●       Lakehouse Monitoring to maintain data quality

    Driving high-value business use cases

    Lakeflow Connect helps unlock high-value use cases across various industries, such as understanding customer behavior, analysing HR data, or identifying upsell opportunities.

    A common use case is predicting customer churn, such as a retailer ingesting Salesforce customer order data and combining it with customer interactions across other channels for enriched insights.

    Another use case is creating a customer support dashboard for executives and support teams. You can even use LLMs to diagnose the trends that appear in the dashboard, as shown in this step-by-step blog post.

    For human resources departments, the Workday connector can help track and predict HR trends, such as employee turnover. For example, HR leaders can ingest relevant Workday reports, transform them with DLT, and incorporate the results into an AI/BI dashboard.

    Use case: Developing a human resources dashboard with Lakeflow Connect for Workday

    “Using the Salesforce connector from Lakeflow Connect helps us close a critical gap for Porsche from the business side on ease of use and price. On the customer side, we’re able to create a completely new customer experience that strengthens the bond between Porsche and the customer with a unified and unfragmented customer journey,” said Lucas Sulzberger, Project Manager, Porsche Holding

    Getting started with Lakeflow Connect

    Data teams can now use Lakeflow Connect to build efficient, incremental pipelines at scale, with just a few clicks or lines of code. Get started today with the Salesforce or Workday connector to help unlock high-value use cases, such as predicting customer churn, running personalised customer analytics, and identifying upsell opportunities.

    Lakeflow Connect’s roadmap includes additional connectors like SQL Server, Google Analytics, ServiceNow, SFTP, SharePoint, and PostgreSQL.

    Lakeflow Connect has a compute-based pricing model. Salesforce and Workday, which run exclusively on serverless infrastructure will incur serverless DLT DBT charges. See more details on rates: https://www.databricks.com/product/pricing/delta-live

    About Databricks

    Databricks is the Data and AI company. More than 10,000 organisations worldwide — including Block, Comcast, Condé Nast, Rivian, Shell and over 60% of the Fortune 500 — rely on the Databricks Data Intelligence Platform to take control of their data and put it to work with AI. Databricks is headquartered in San Francisco, with offices around the globe and was founded by the original creators of Lakehouse, Apache Spark , Delta Lake and MLflow.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Destiny Bridge and New Kingsway open

    Source: Scotland – City of Perth

    Known collectively as the Cross Tay Link Road project, Destiny Bridge and the New Kingsway, are key elements of the Perth Transport Futures infrastructure project linking the A9, the A93 and the A94 by providing a crossing over the River Tay.

    The project also includes a 12km active travel path network, connecting the neighbouring communities with Perth city centre and providing alternatives to vehicular traffic. The path network also connects a central hub at a new Park-and-Choose area, and incorporates a green bridge to separate active travel users and wildlife from the road.

    Together, the active travel path network and improved transport infrastructure will deliver on the project’s key priorities of reducing congestion and improving air quality in Perth city centre. Scottish Government, through Transport Scotland, has provided a £40m funding contribution to Perth and Kinross Council.

    First Minister John Swinney said: “The completion of the New Kingsway and Destiny Bridge is a significant milestone for Perth, and I have no doubt that it will be transformative for the area and bring enormous benefits to all who use it.

    “Reducing traffic volumes in the city centre will make journey times quicker, while also helping to reduce pollution, improve air quality, and free up road space for improved public transport.

    “Our £40 million investment in the New Kingsway and Destiny Bridge is in addition to the £150 million Scottish Government has already committed to the Tay Cities Region Deal, which is expected to create 6,000 jobs and lever a further £400 million of investment into the region.

    “This project showcases exactly how, with the right investment and strong partnerships, we will continue to deliver on my priorities of growing the economy, improving public services and protecting the planet.”

    Enabling works on the project commenced in early 2022 following the appointment of main contractor, BAM UK & Ireland. As well as delivering the £150m project on time and on budget, the project team has also generated over £51m of social and economic value within the local area.

    Councillor Grant Laing, Perth and Kinross Council Leader,  said: “As the largest infrastructure project ever undertaken by Perth and Kinross Council, the opening of Destiny Bridge and the New Kingsway marks a momentous achievement for all involved.

    “I would like to offer thanks to the project team for their hard work and dedication; and to residents, particularly those in Stormontfield, Scone and Luncarty, for their patience and understanding during the build.”

    Councillor Laing continued: “As well as positively impacting on the environment and economy, during construction the project has created job opportunities and tackled local skills shortages through a robust outreach and training programme.

    “It has also assisted in, and generated, several legacy projects including the Denmarkfield Allotments and Community Orchards, the new active travel path network and the Community Artwork project, all of which will bring enjoyment and health benefits for our Perth and Kinross residents for many years to come.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Man jailed for rape of two teenagers

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    A man has been jailed after being found guilty of raping two teenagers he met at a central London train station.

    Abdul-Majed Saif, 30 (13.11.94) of Great West Road, Hounslow was sentenced to 19 years’ imprisonment at Isleworth Crown Court on Tuesday, 1 April – he was also ordered to serve a further six-and-a-half years on licence. Saif had been found guilty of nine counts of rape in relation to two 14-year-olds following the conclusion of a trial at the same court on 31 January.

    The court had heard how Saif had met the two teenagers in Victoria train station on 28 April 2024. He offered them cannabis and convinced them to go back to his house in Osterley where he raped them.

    After the teenagers reported the incident to police and identified Saif’s address, Saif was quickly arrested on 2 May 2024. He denied the offences and was released on bail while an investigation was undertaken. Forensic evidence, coupled with the testimonies of the two teenagers, built a compelling body of evidence and Saif was subsequently charged and convicted of multiple offences.

    Both teenagers were supported by specially trained officers throughout the investigation.

    Detective Constable Stephen Gayfer from the West Area Command Unit who led the investigation said: “I want to thank both survivors in this case for coming forward and helping to get a dangerous predator like Saif off the streets. The abuse he has put these children through is absolutely sickening and is something which will undoubtedly affect them for the rest of their lives.

    “I don’t underestimate the immense courage it took for them to come forward and speak to police and I’d like to commend them on their strength throughout our investigation.

    “It is possible that Saif has preyed on others and I’d encourage anyone who has been abused by this man to reach out and get in touch with us. You will be supported and you will be listened to.”

    Detective Superintendent Rebecca Reeves, Head of Public Protection at West Area, said: “Saif is a dangerous predator. The lengthy term of imprisonment he has been given reflects the very serious nature of the harm that he has caused to these young people. They have been incredibly courageous in coming forward.

    “Officers in our dedicated Rape and Serious Sexual Offences teams work tirelessly to pursue the offenders who target vulnerable children. We are determined to secure justice for child victims of sexual exploitation.”

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Good news, beach lovers: our research found 39% less plastic waste around Australian coastal cities than a decade ago

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephanie Brodie, Research Scientist in Marine Ecology, CSIRO

    jittawit21, Shutterstock

    Picture this: you’re lounging on a beautiful beach, soaking up the sun and listening to the soothing sound of the waves. You run your hands through the warm sand, only to find a cigarette butt. Gross, right?

    This disturbing scene is typical of coastal pollution in Australia. But fortunately our new research shows the problem is getting better, not worse. Over the past ten years, the amount of waste across Australian coastal cities has reduced by almost 40%. We’re also finding more places with no rubbish at all.

    We surveyed for debris in and around six Australian urban areas between 2022 and 2024. Then we compared our results to previous surveys carried out a decade ago. We found less coastal pollution overall and reset a new baseline for further research.

    Our study shows efforts to clean up Australia’s beaches have been working. These policies, practices and outreach campaigns have reduced the extent of pollution in coastal habitats near urban centres. But we can’t become complacent. There’s plenty of work still to be done.

    One of the many beaches surveyed by CSIRO.
    TJ Lawson

    What we did

    In Australia, three-quarters of the rubbish on our coasts is plastic. Even cigarette butts are mainly made of plastic.

    To tackle the pollution effectively, we need to understand where the waste is coming from and how it gets into the environment.

    Research has shown much of the coastal debris comes from local inland areas. Poor waste management practices can result in debris eventually making its way through rivers to the coast and out to sea.

    We focused on urban areas because high population density and industrial activity contributes to waste in the environment. We examined six areas across Australia:

    • Perth in Western Australia
    • Port Augusta in South Australia
    • Hobart in Tasmania
    • Newcastle in New South Wales
    • Sunshine Coast in Queensland
    • Alice Springs in the Northern Territory.

    These places represent a starting point for the national baseline. At each location we studied sites on the coast, along rivers and inland, within a 100 kilometre radius.

    We inspected strips of land 2m wide. This involved two trained scientists standing in an upright position looking downward, slowly walking along a line surveying for debris items. Together they captured information about every piece of debris they came across, including the type of material and what it was originally used for (where possible).

    What we found

    On average, we found 0.15 items of debris per square metre of land surveyed. That’s roughly one piece of rubbish every five steps.

    Plastic was the most common type of waste. But in many cases it was unclear what the item was originally used for. For example, fragments of hard plastic of unknown origin were found in a quarter of all surveyed areas.

    Polystyrene fragments were the most common item overall (24% of all debris fragments). Other frequently encountered items included food wrappers or labels, cigarette butts, and hard plastic bottle caps or lids.

    We found more waste near farms, industry and disadvantaged areas.

    The types of waste varied among cities. For example, cigarette butts were the most prevalent items in Newcastle, Perth and the Sunshine Coast. But food wrappers and beverage cans were more prevalent in Port Augusta and Alice Springs, respectively.

    Hobart had the highest occurrence of beverage bottles and bottle fragments.

    The most common type of waste varied among cities.
    CSIRO

    Targeting problem items

    Identifying the different types of litter in the environment can help policymakers and waste managers target specific items and improve waste recovery.

    Research has shown container deposit legislation, which enables people to take eligible beverage containers to a collection point for a refund, has reduced the number of beverage containers in the coastal environment by 40%. Hobart did not have a container deposit scheme in place at the time of our survey.

    Plastic bag bans can reduce bag litter. Now polystyrene food service items are becoming increasingly targeted by policymakers.

    Hobart had the highest occurrence of beverage bottles and bottle fragments.
    Caroline Bray

    Making progress

    When we compared our results to the previous survey from 2011-14 we found a 39% decrease in coastal debris. We also found 16% more areas where no debris was present.

    Our results support previous research that found an ongoing trend towards less waste on Australian beaches.

    We think our research demonstrates the effectiveness of improved waste management policies, campaigns such as the “Five R’s – Refuse, Reduce, Reuse, Repurpose, then Recycle” – as well as clean-up efforts.

    It’s likely that increased awareness is making a big dent in the problem. But reducing the production of plastic, and invoking changes further up the supply chain, would likely further help reduce mismanaged waste in the environment.

    Implications for the future

    Measuring and monitoring litter can inform policymaking and waste management. Our research serves as a benchmark for evaluating and informing future efforts to reduce plastic waste.

    We are heartened by the findings. But continued effort is needed from people across government, industry and Australian communities. Everyone needs to address how we produce, use and dispose of plastic for a cleaner and healthier planet.

    Australians are increasingly aware of the need to keep the coastal environment free of litter.
    Qamar Schuyler

    As part of her role at CSIRO, Stephanie Brodie receives funding the federal Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, and the Australian Fisheries Management Authority.

    Britta Denise Hardesty received funding for this work from the Department of Climate Change, Energy, Environment and Water. Shell Australia previously provided funding for this research via Earthwatch Australia for surveys and citizen science projects carried out between 2011 and 2014.

    – ref. Good news, beach lovers: our research found 39% less plastic waste around Australian coastal cities than a decade ago – https://theconversation.com/good-news-beach-lovers-our-research-found-39-less-plastic-waste-around-australian-coastal-cities-than-a-decade-ago-253221

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman Johnson Headlines UN Atlanta Chapter Black History Month Event on Capitol Hill: Celebrating Resilience & Empowerment: The 2nd International Decade for People of African Descent (2025–2034)

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Hank Johnson (GA-04)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – On December 17, 2024, the United Nations proclaimed a Second International Decade for People of African Descent 2025-2034. This Second International Decade confronts the legacies of enslavement and colonialism, delivers reparatory justice, and secures the full human rights and freedoms of people of African descent worldwide.

    In support of that effort, Congressman Hank Johnson (GA-04) and Congresswoman Sydney Kamlager-Dove (CA-37) reintroduced their resolution supporting the UN resolution by reaffirming the United States’ commitment to advancing racial justice, addressing systemic inequities, and promoting the rights and dignity of people of African descent globally.

    On Monday, February 24, 2025, in celebration of Black History Month, Congressman Johnson addressed the United Nations Association Black History Month Event: Celebrating Resilience and Empowerment: The Second International Decade for People of African Descent (2025–2034) on Capitol Hill. 

    To watch the event, click HERE. To read Congressman Johnson’s speech, click HERE. 

    “The Second Decade for People of African Descent is more than a recognition, it is a call to action,” said Congressman Hank Johnson. “As we face a resurgence of challenges to racial justice and human rights, we must stand firm in our commitment to progress. Black communities have long been at the forefront of change, shaping history through resilience, advocacy, and leadership. This decade is not just about reflecting on the past — it is about advancing justice, securing equality, and building a future where dignity and opportunity are a reality for all. History will not judge us by our words alone, but by what we do today and tomorrow.”

    “I was proud to co-lead the resolution calling for a Second International Decade for People of African Descent, and I’m glad that the UN did the right thing in declaring the Second Decade as we entered a moment of severe backsliding around the world,” said Rep. Kamlager-Dove. “With American democracy under attack, we are turning toward African-descendent communities across the globe now more than ever for their perspectives, lessons learned, best practices, and strategies for resistance and triumph. Someone has to fight for our rights and our democracy, and like always it’s going to be Black communities leading the charge against authoritarianism.”

    Danielle Dean, Vice Chair of Advocacy, United Nations Association said: “The Second Decade for People of African Descent offers an opportunity to bring greater awareness of what the decade is, and inspire action within our own communities. More can be done to include young voices, inspire local communities and partner with our national and international friends to deliver on the vision of the first decade.”

    Quote from Gimena Sanchez-Garzoli from WOLA:  “At a time where there is global democratic backsliding and a growing anti-rights, anti-diversity and anti-inclusion movement the Second Decade will protect the rights gained and advance the newer challenges faced by Afro-descendants including the climate crisis and racial bias in new technologies.”

    Quote from Raudemar Ofunshi Hernandez, Afro-Latino Spiritual Leader: “Our destiny has given us an opportunity to, with the leadership of Representatives Hank Johnson and Sydney Kamlager-Dove, jointly with the Black Caucus and our big ancestral army, to fulfill our overdue dreams.”

    The moderator of the event was Tracy Gray, President, United Nations Association of the United States of America, Atlanta Chapter. The panelists included: 

    Professor Justin Hansford, Director of the Howard University, Thurgood Marshall Civil Rights Center and Member of the UN Permanent Forum of People of African Descent.
    Rachel Bowen Pittman, Executive Director of the United Nations Association of the United States of America.
    Dr. Tonija Hope, Director, Ralph Bunche International Affairs center, Howard University. member of the US Civil Society Committee for the Joint Action Plan to Eliminate Racial and Ethnic Discrimination (JAPER) and Chair of the US Civil Society Committee for the US-Colombia Action Plan to Promote Racial and Ethnic Equality (CAPREE).
    Gimena Sanchez-Garzoli, Director of Andes, Washington Office of Latin America.
    Raudemar Ofunshi Hernandez, Spiritual Leader and President, Colombia Acuerdo de Paz NGO

    Key topics of the event addressed:  

    Achievements of the First International Decade
    Contributions of African-descended communities
    Setting priorities for the Second International Decade
    Building global solidarity through the UN framework

     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Schakowsky, Jayapal, Carson, Welch Reintroduce Bill to Restore UNRWA Funding

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky (9th District of Illinois)

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Representative Jan Schakowsky (IL-09) has re-introduced H.R. 2411, the UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act, with Rep. André Carson (IN-07), Rep. Pramila Jayapal (WA-07), and Senator Peter Welch (D-VT). This bill will end the congressionally and administratively mandated pause on funding for the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA). 

    The United States has historically been one of the largest financial supporters of UNRWA, which serves nearly 6 million Palestinian refugees across the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Syria, Jordan, and Lebanon. In March of last year, the U.S. paused UNRWA funding after the Israeli government alleged that 12 agency employees had direct involvement in Hamas’ October 7 terrorist attack. 

    Following the United Nations’ investigation and proactive commitments made by UNRWA toward complete accountability and reform, all countries except the U.S. have resumed their UNRWA funding, including the European Union, United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, Finland, Germany, Japan, and Sweden. 

    Humanitarian aid and supplies have not entered the Gaza Strip since March 2, when the Israeli authorities imposed a siege. Reports show that supplies are depleting at alarming rates, which could cause deaths from malnutrition and starvation. Several bakeries have already shut down after running out of cooking gas, and the U.N. World Food Programme reports that its flour supplies can only support bread production for five more day. UNRWA has served as the primary humanitarian aid organization operating in Gaza, and without funding, hundreds of thousands of Gaza civilians are left vulnerable.

    “For decades, the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) has been a lifeline for Palestinians throughout the Middle East, providing food, clean water, health care, shelter, education, and livelihoods. UNRWA has provided essential support to those in Gaza throughout the Israel-Hamas war and dire humanitarian crisis. UNRWA and the United Nations have taken swift and decisive actions to address the concerns raised by the U.S. government when it paused funding last year and our allies have long ago resumed funding for UNRWA. The U.S. must follow suit and finally resume funding for this critical humanitarian agency,” said Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky. “I am proud to co-lead the UNRWA Funding Emergency Restoration Act to restore funding to UNRWA and help Gazans get the humanitarian assistance they need at a time of unprecedented crisis.”

    “The scale of this devastating, man-made crisis in Gaza cannot be overstated,” said Congressman André Carson. “Providing humanitarian aid to a starving nation – with funding Congress has appropriated year after year – should not be controversial. We need to end this blockade and restore full humanitarian funding to UNRWA. I urge my colleagues who care about basic human rights, the rights of pregnant women, and the wellbeing of innocent children to join our bill. It’s past time we restore funding and save lives.”

    “For decades, UNRWA has played a unique and integral role in supporting the welfare of Palestinian refugees,” said Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal. “The organization’s on-the-ground understanding is invaluable to ensuring that humanitarian aid makes it to the people who need it most — in the West Bank, East Jerusalem, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, and critically in this moment, in Gaza. Permanently revoking funding for UNRWA will unquestionably lead to more devastation and loss of life in Gaza and throughout the Middle East. We must restore U.S. funding to UNRWA to ensure that those acting in good faith to save civilian lives have the necessary resources to continue their irreplaceable work.”

    “Since day one of this conflict, UNRWA has proven to be the backbone of the humanitarian response in Gaza. It is unacceptable that the funding pause has gone on this long—the civilian populations of Gaza and the West Bank are paying the price. As the humanitarian crisis in Gaza continues to intensify, support for humanitarian aid is more important than ever,” said Senator Peter Welch. “Congress must pass this legislation to ensure UNRWA can safely deliver humanitarian assistance to starving women, children, and families desperate for food, medicine, and shelter.”

    Below is a list of all endorsing organizations:

    National Organizations: 99 Coalition, American Friends Service Committee, Amnesty International USA, Amnesty International USA, Carolina Peace Center , Historians for Peace and Democracy, Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC), Center for Constitutional Rights, Center for Constitutional Rights, Center for Gender & Refugee Studies, Center for International Policy Advocacy, Center for Jewish Nonviolence, Charity & Security Network, Coalition for Humane Immigrant Rights (CHIRLA), CODEPINK, Congregation of Our Lady of Charity of the Good Shepherd, U.S. Provinces, Demand Progress, Doctors Against Genocide, DSA, End Wars Working Group of Progressive Democrats of America , Episcopal Peace Fellowship Palestine Israel Network, Friends Committee on National Legislation, Friends Committee on National Legislation , Friends of Sabeel North America (FOSNA), George Devendorf, Global Ministries of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) and United Church of Christ, Health Advocacy International, Hindus for Human Rights, Human Rights Watch, IfNotNow Movement, International Civil Society Action Network (ICAN), International Refugee Assistance Project, J Street, Jahalin Solidarity, Jahalin Solidarity, Jewish Voice for Peace Action, Justice4palestinians, MADRE, Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, Medglobal , Middle East Democracy Center (MEDC), Migrant Roots Media, MoveOn, MPower Change Action Fund, Muslim Advocates, Muslims United PAC, National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good Shepherd, National Council of Churches, New Jewish Narrative, No Dem Left Behind , Nonviolent Peaceforce, NRC USA, Partners for Progressive Israel, Pax Christi USA, Peace Action, Poligon Education Fund, Presbyterian Church, (USA), Office of Public Witness, Quincy Institute, ReThinking Foreign Policy, ReThinking Foreign Policy, RootsAction.org, Sisters of Mercy of the Americas – Justice Team, Terre des hommes Lausanne, The Borgen Project, The Tahrir Institute for Middle East Policy (TIMEP), United Methodists for Kairos Response (UMKR), UNRWA USA National Committee, USCPR Action, Win Without War, Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom, US Section (WILPF US), Yemen Relief and Reconstruction Foundation 

    State and Local Organizations:  Al Otro Lado, Atlanta Multifaith Coalition for Palestine (AMCP), Barry University, Brooklyn For Peace, Carolyn Eisenberg, Ceasefire Now NJ, Christian Jewish Allies for a just peace for Israel Palestine, Church Women United in New York State, Delawareans for Palestinian Human Rights, Florida Peace & Justice Alliance, FOSNA Pittsburgh , Greater Dayton Peace Coalition, Houston for Palestine Coalition, Indiana Center for Middle East Peace, Jews for Racial and Economic Justice, MARUF CT (Muslim Advocacy for Rights, Unity, and Fairness), Massachusetts Peace Action, Minnesota Peace Project, Muslim Justice League, Nebraskans for Peace Palestinian Rights Task Force, NorCal Sabeel, Oasis Legal Services, Peace Action Maine, Peace Action WI, Peace Action WI, Peace, Justice, Sustainability NOW!, Peace, Justice, Sustainability, NOW!, Progressive Democrats of America – Central New Mexico, Progressive Democrats of America- Central New Mexico, Sisterhood of Salaam Shalom DC-Metro Action Group, The Palestine Justice Network of the Presbyterian Church USA, Bay Area, UPTE Members for Palestine, Valley View Presbyterian Church, Voices for Justice in Palestine, YUSRA

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Three women bitten by dingoes on K’gari

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Issued: 2 Apr 2025

    Rangers are investigating an incident where three female tourists were nipped on the lower legs by dingoes whilst they were walking on the track into Lake Wabby yesterday afternoon around 4pm.

    The tourists were part of two separate visitor groups that were returning from Lake Wabby, and they received minor injuries. Tour guides administered first aid before taking them to the Queensland Ambulance Service Happy Valley station for assessment.

    The tourists declined to leave the island.

    Information we have received to date indicates that tagged dingoes may have been involved, and the department is continuing to investigate the incident.

    Rangers will continue to patrol the area and provide Be dingo-safe! education to residents and visitors.

    Report any concerning dingo encounters by calling 07 4127 9150 or emailing dingo.ranger@des.qld.gov.au.

    Visitors to K’gari are reminded to Be dingo-safe! at all times:

    • always stay close (within arm’s reach) to children and young teenagers
    • always walk in groups and carry a stick
    • never feed dingoes
    • camp in fenced areas where possible
    • do not run – running or jogging can trigger a negative dingo interaction
    • lock up food stores and iceboxes (even on a boat)
    • never store food or food containers in tents
    • secure all rubbish, fish and bait.

    For more information go to K’gari dingoes.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Diesel spill in Mooloolaba

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Issued: 2 Apr 2025

    A broken pump handle has resulted in approximately 1500 litres of diesel being released into the Mooloolah River at the Mooloolaba Harbour.

    The Pollution Hotline received a call at 10:45am on 1 April 2025 reporting the spill at a refuelling station.

    Our officers investigated and were advised that the spill occurred after a broken pump handle failed to shut off, resulting in diesel entering the water.

    Executive Director at the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation, Brad Wirth said the department will continue to monitor the spill to assess the impacts to the environment.

    “Our officers quickly attended the site less than an hour after the spill was reported to us and investigated the incident.

    “The diesel was already widely dispersed with the outgoing tide. We will continue to work with Maritime Safety Queensland and Sunshine Coast Council to ensure any potential impacts of the spill are minimised.

    “If you ever find yourself in this situation where fuel is leaking, it is important to let the refuelling station know so they can activate the emergency stop.”

    To report pollution incidents to the department please call the Pollution Hotline on 1300 130 372 or complete an online environmental report.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Digging into soil conservation

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Issued: 2 Apr 2025

    Meet the women leading the next generation of soil stewardship from the ground up as they embark on a new graduate program led by the Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation.

    Jessica Cook, Mali Eagle and Bec Reeves will be digging into the world of agricultural and environmental science, with a focus on preserving Queensland’s soil health, through the new Queensland Soil Science Graduate and First Nations Engagement Program.

    Queensland Chief Scientist Professor Kerrie Wilson said the program would help build Queensland’s capability in this important science sector as the trio would work with leading soil scientists and First Nations groups to develop innovative ways to enhance farming practices and protect our natural environment.

    “This is such an exciting collaboration, with these graduates’ understanding of soil helping to inform agricultural management strategies, which will positively contribute to the sustainability of our environment,” Prof Wilson said.

    “Soil is important to everyone – without soil we don’t have plants, and without plants we don’t have food or oxygen.

    “The program will accelerate the training and development of graduate scientists and rangers in both western and traditional soil science practices to address critical knowledge and capability gaps.

    “First Nations peoples were Queensland’s first scientists, and their knowledge is key to protecting our biodiversity for generations to come.

    “I look forward to seeing these women lead the way in soil science and become the next generation of soil science practitioners.”

    As part of their training, the graduates will be hosted by a regional Natural Resource Management (NRM) organisation and a Queensland Government agency over 12 months.

    The Queensland Soil Science Graduate and First Nations Engagement Program is a $1.1M initiative jointly funded by the State and Federal governments as part of the $20M National Soil Action Plan.

    Soil science ranger Bec Reeves said the opportunity to contribute to cultural conservation practices and learn more about soil processes such as soil survey techniques and digital soils mapping analyses was exciting.

    “I’m a very hands-on and practical learner and enjoy being On Country, so getting to go out and get your hands dirty certainly piqued my interest,” she said.

    “I am passionate about the environment and want to learn as much as possible while I’m in this program.

    “There are so many niches within soil science and culturally for me as a First Nations person, the connection around environmental practices and conservation practices like traditional burning is something I’m really interested in exploring.”

    An additional three graduates will be employed as part of the Queensland Soil Science Graduate and First Nations Engagement Program in 2026.

    View more information about the National Soil Action Plan program

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

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Fiji slapped with Trump’s highest tariffs among Pacific countries

    By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist

    Although New Zealand and Australia seem to have escaped the worst of Donald Trump’s latest tariffs, some Pacific Islands stand to be hit hard — including a few that aren’t even “countries”.

    The US will impose a base tariff of 10 percent on all foreign imports, with rates between 20 and 50 percent for countries judged to have major tariffs on US goods.

    In the Pacific, Fiji is set to be charged the most at 32 percent, the US claiming this was a reciprocal tariff for the island nation imposing a 63 percent tariff on it.

    Nauru, one of the smallest nations in the world, has been slapped with a 30 percent tariff, the US claimed they are imposing a 59 percent tariff.

    Vanuatu will be given a 22 percent tariff.

    Norfolk Island, which is an Australian territory, has been given a 29 percent tariff, this is despite Australia getting only 10 percent.

    Most other Pacific nations were given the 10 percent base tariff.

    This included Tokelau, despite it being a non-self-governing territory of New Zealand, with a population of only about 1500 people living on the atoll islands.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Severe Thunderstorm Watch 106

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    WW 106 SEVERE TSTM TX 030625Z – 031300Z

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 106
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    125 AM CDT Thu Apr 3 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    Western into North-Central Texas

    * Effective this Thursday morning from 125 AM until 800 AM CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2.5
    inches in diameter likely
    Isolated damaging wind gusts to 60 mph possible

    SUMMARY…Elevated supercells should pose a threat for mainly large
    to very large hail this morning as they move quickly northeastward.
    Some of the hail could reach up to 2-2.5 inches in diameter.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 60
    statute miles north and south of a line from 55 miles northwest of
    San Angelo TX to 50 miles east northeast of Dallas TX. For a
    complete depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline
    update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU6).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for 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. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 103…WW 104…WW 105…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    2.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 50 knots. A
    few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean storm motion vector
    23040.

    …Gleason

    Read more

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Grattan on Friday: Trying too hard for a special tariff deal with Trump could be the wrong way to go

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra

    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Opposition Leader Peter Dutton both agree Australia should react to US President Donald Trump’s aggressive tariff regime by continuing to seek a special deal. They just disagree about which of them could better handle the challenge of dealing with the rogue president.

    Dutton said after Trump’s announcement, “the deal is there to be done”, but insisted Albanese just isn’t up to the task.

    At Wednesday’s briefing for the red meat industry, Trade Minister Don Farrell said, “Tomorrow might be the end of the first part of the process but we’ll continue to engage with the Americans to get these tariffs removed, as we did with the Chinese.”

    But if there is indeed a deal to be done, at what cost would it come? The price could be higher than any specifics negotiated.

    Australia should be careful of going down the route of supplicant – which, let’s be blunt, is what this would involve.

    It’s long been clear we can’t predict what Trump might do in his international relationships. His appalling bullying of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky; his extraordinary treatment of Canada; his bizarre bid to grab Greenland from NATO ally Denmark – individually, each of these is shocking; collectively, they amount to nearly unimaginable behaviour from a US president.

    The risk of trying to cosy up to the Trump administration in seeking exemptions from the 10% general tariff is that, whatever the overt quid pro quo involved, Trump would then see Australia as owing him something if and when he needed it.

    A deal could mean Australia would later feel somewhat constrained in calling out egregious Trump actions. Even if it didn’t, the perception could be there.

    It’s obvious in retrospect – if it wasn’t all along – that Australia was never going to escape whatever general tariff Trump imposed. At least we are at the bottom of the league table – we’re among the countries minimally hit. As of course we should be, given the Australia-US Free Trade Agreement. As Albanese said, we shouldn’t be targeted at all.

    One area for possible future negotiation is the ban, for biosecurity reasons, on US fresh beef coming into Australia. There have already been talks about this. Albanese on Thursday said Australia wouldn’t compromise its biosecurity, but flagged room for some possible movement.

    This is double-edged. Beef producers will want an exemption, but anything that could be construed as even a remote threat to our biosecurity would go down badly in sections of the electorate, regardless of guarantees.

    Australia is in a solid position to withstand the direct effects of the Trump tariffs. Only about 5% of our exports go to the US.

    The effect on the beef trade could be relatively mild. The Americans have a dwindling cattle herd (the lowest since the early 1950s). Australian lean beef is particularly suitable for burgers. And, given the 10% tariff applies to other countries, we won’t be disadvantaged against other suppliers. So the Americans are likely to continue to need Australian beef – they will just have to pay more for it.

    Peter Draper, professor of international trade at the University of Adelaide, puts the bilateral situation in perspective. “We rode out China’s trade coercion, and China is a much more important trading partner. These tariffs are much smaller.”

    Draper argues that “as a matter of principle, you shouldn’t negotiate with bullies”.

    Also, the US is breaking international trade rules that are crucial to uphold, Draper says. Cutting special deals validate the rule-breaker’s actions, he says.

    The real, and significant, cost to Australia will be what the tariff regime will do to the international economy. Treasurer Jim Chalmers described “Liberation Day” as “a dark day for the global economy”.

    Shiro Armstrong, professor of economics at the Australian National University, says the “main game is stopping the contagion of these tariffs globally and stopping a retreat to a 1930s retaliatory spiral”.

    Armstrong believes that when it comes to getting a special deal, Australia’s chances are probably better than those of most countries.

    But he warns Australia should be “very careful” of a deal involving critical minerals – something the government had on the table and the opposition has said it would pursue. Armstrong points to Trump’s penchant for using “economic coercion to extract concessions”.

    Immediately after the Trump announcement, Albanese had a response ready to go.

    This includes financial encouragement for exporters to seek to grow other markets.

    Australia is not retaliating with counter-tariffs (a sensible stance in line with its free trade beliefs). But there are some “protection-lite” measures in the Albanese package.

    Australian businesses will be put at “the front of the queue” for government procurement and contracts.

    This measure is part of the government’s current “Buy Australian” push. A small dose of protectionism, it may mean taxpayers pay more for goods and services.

    On another front, Albanese said Australia would establish a “Critical Minerals Strategic Reserve”. Details are to come, but it is expected to be a stockpile for these minerals, which are vital for defence equipment in particular. Perhaps such a move is to assure Australians that if there were an agreement to facilitate US access to critical minerals, the government would have belt-and-braces protection for these vital national assets.

    In this first week of the campaign, Dutton has found himself on the barbed wire fence when it comes to Trump. He’s putting himself forward as the better leader to deal with Trump (including fighting him if necessary). He’s also rejecting suggestions he is running on Trump-like policies.

    In general, the first week of the campaign has been a hard slog for the opposition leader. He comes across as undercooked and late with his deliveries. We are still waiting for the modelling of his controversial policy for an east coast gas reservation scheme.

    In the 2022 election campaign, Albanese had a shocker start. But the Liberals now are in a worse place than Labor was then, and Dutton’s campaign needs a significant lift. The question is whether he has the capacity to give it that.

    Michelle Grattan 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. Grattan on Friday: Trying too hard for a special tariff deal with Trump could be the wrong way to go – https://theconversation.com/grattan-on-friday-trying-too-hard-for-a-special-tariff-deal-with-trump-could-be-the-wrong-way-to-go-253737

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The UK wants to screen Netflix’s Adolescence in schools. Should you watch it with your child?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joanne Orlando, Researcher, Digital Literacy and Digital Wellbeing, Western Sydney University

    UK Prime Minster Keir Starmer met with Adolescence writer Jack Thorne to discuss adolescent safety at Downing Street on Monday. Jack Taylor/ GettyImages

    Netflix’s Adolescence has ignited global debate.

    The series traces the disturbing journey of 13-year-old Jamie Miller, whose exposure to misogynistic online communities may have contributed to him to killing a female classmate. Its graphic portrayal has captivated audiences, with more than 66 million views.

    This week, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he wants to see it shown in high schools, framing it as a cautionary educational tool against the toxic “manosphere”.

    His office said showing Adolescence would

    help students better understand the impact of misogyny, dangers of online radicalisation and the importance of healthy relationships.

    Should parents be watching the series with their kids?

    Before you turn on the TV, remember Adolescence is not a documentary. It is a drama series. And the issues it raises require care and nuance.



    Read more:
    A child killer, parenting struggles and ‘innies’ running wild: what to stream in April

    What is the manosphere?

    The manosphere is a collection of digital spaces such as forums, influencers and content creators, that promote extremist sexist views under the guise of male empowerment.

    While initially focused on fathers’ rights, controversial content creators like Andrew Tate have shifted its focus toward pushing extremist beliefs to boys and young men. Core beliefs include:

    • men and women have strict and opposing roles they must follow

    • women manipulate men through sex and their appearance

    • men are either winners (dominant and attractive), or losers (weak failures), pressuring boys to obsess over power or resign themselves to failure.

    A growing body of research is showing some young people are being influenced by these views.



    Read more:
    We research online ‘misogynist radicalisation’. Here’s what parents of boys should know

    We need to make sure we include boys

    So it is hugely important to address misogyny and gender-based violence in our community. But we need to approach young people with care.

    Many boys are now growing up in a culture where masculinity itself can be framed as toxic.

    Adolescence fits into this framing, dramatising an extreme case of a boy radicalised into violence. But presenting it without nuance risks implying all males are innately aggressors.

    This could alienate alienate young men who might already be hesitant to discuss their struggles.

    We already know young men find it hard to get help

    Research shows boys often avoid seeking help for depression or anxiety because it makes them seem vulnerable and not masculine. They can be taught from an early age crying or admitting fear risks ridicule.

    So this presents a challenge. We need to be able to confront harmful behaviours without making boys feel “inherently broken”.

    We also need to be careful not reinforcing any feelings of shame that might prevent boys from seeking help.

    A growing body of research is showing how young boys and men can be influenced by the manosphere.
    Perfect Wave/ Shutterstock



    Read more:
    ‘I don’t really wanna consume his content’: what do young Australian men think of Andrew Tate?

    Social media is a ‘super peer’

    Meanwhile, we need to understand the power of online worlds and social media. Adolescence (ages 10–14) is a time of vulnerability. As puberty reshapes their bodies and brains, teens become hyper-sensitive to social judgement and peer approval. For insecure teens, social media can function as a “super peer” – shaping attitudes and behaviours, much like a big brother or sister.

    Extremist content preys on insecurity by offering dangerously simplistic answers to complex questions about who they are and how they should behave:

    • simplistic rules (“This is how you should act”)

    • belonging (“We understand you”)

    • scapegoats (“Your pain is their fault”).

    Platforms like Instagram and TikTok also use algorithms which promote the content that triggers strong reactions. We see this in manosphere content, and content that focuses on other ares of vulnerability, such as physical appearance, relationships and life goals.

    So teens need help to navigate this digital landscape in an informed and balanced way.

    How can you watch Adolescence with your child?

    Adolescence can serve as one potential starting point for crucial discussions about gender, identity and online influences.

    As a dramatic series rather than a documentary, it’s value lies in its ability to provoke questions and start conversations, rather than provide answers.

    If you are watching it with your child you could talk about:

    • why certain ideas about masculinity and femininity appeal to them and to others

    • how social media shapes their sense of identity

    • what healthy self expression and relationships really look like

    • what voices are missing from the series (such as the perspective of the girl killed and her family)

    • what support teens would find meaningful from parents and teachers.

    The series succeeds if it makes viewers more thoughtful about the content they consume and the identities they choose to embrace, but we shouldn’t mistake it for a comprehensive solution.

    And if it’s not right for your child or household, Adolescence should not be seen as mandatory viewing. The most important thing is to create spaces where adults and teens can critically examine how they use social media, identity and relationships.

    Good discussions can start anywhere from a Netflix drama, to a news article or a student’s personal experience. What matters most is that we’re having them – and we keep having them as children and young people grow up.

    Joanne Orlando receives funding from NSW Department of Education and previously from Office of eSafety Commissioner.

    – ref. The UK wants to screen Netflix’s Adolescence in schools. Should you watch it with your child? – https://theconversation.com/the-uk-wants-to-screen-netflixs-adolescence-in-schools-should-you-watch-it-with-your-child-253548

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI: Completion of Share Buyback Programme

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LEI: 213800NNT42FFIZB1T09 
    03 April 2025

    Transaction in Own Shares

    Foresight Group Holdings Limited (“Foresight”, the “Group”), a leading investment manager in real assets and providing capital for growth, announces that, in accordance with the terms of its share buyback programme announced on 27 October 2023, and extended on 27 June 2024, 09 December 2024 and further extended on 28 February 2025 (the “Share Buyback”), the Group purchased the following number of its ordinary shares of £nil par value (“Ordinary Shares”) each through Numis Securities Limited (which is trading for these purposes as Deutsche Numis) (“Deutsche Numis”).

    Date of purchase: 02 April 2025
    Aggregate number of Ordinary Shares purchased: 11,820
    Lowest price paid per share (GBp): 341.00
    Highest price paid per share (GBp): 351.00
    Volume weighted average price paid per share (GBp): 345.71

    Once settled, the purchased shares will be held by the Group in treasury, which means they will have no voting rights while they are held in treasury. This purchase successfully completes the Buyback Programme of up to £17 million initially announced on 27 October 2023. Including the above purchase, the total shares purchased under the Buyback Programme amounts to 3,993,735. To date, 1,391,739 shares have been transferred out of treasury.

    As a result, the Group’s total voting rights will be 113,745,807 while the Group’s issued ordinary share capital is 116,347,803 of which 2,601,996 continue to be held in treasury. This figure for the total number of voting rights may be used by shareholders as the denominator for the calculations by which they will determine if they are required to notify their interest in the Group under the FCA’s Disclosure Guidance and Transparency Rules.

    In accordance with Article 5(1)(b) of the UK version of Regulation (EU) No. 596/2014 which is part of UK law by virtue of the European Union (Withdrawal) Act 2018, the table below contains detailed information of the individual trades made by Deutsche Numis as part of the Share Buyback.

    Aggregate information:

    Venue Volume-weighted average price
    (pence per share)    		 Aggregated volume
    LSE 345.71 11,820

    Individual information:

    Number of ordinary shares purchased Transaction price
    (GBp share)    		 Time of transaction (UK Time) Trading venue
    400 345.50  09:04:03 XLON
    496 345.50  09:04:03 XLON
    567 345.50  09:04:03 XLON
    1014 344.00  09:33:15 XLON
    475 344.00  09:33:15 XLON
    259 346.00  11:09:56 XLON
    260 345.50  11:13:29 XLON
    1200 345.50  11:13:29 XLON
    320 344.00  12:41:38 XLON
    175 344.00  12:41:38 XLON
    171 344.00  12:41:38 XLON
    729 343.00  13:06:09 XLON
    598 343.00  13:06:09 XLON
    487 342.50  13:39:58 XLON
    329 342.50  13:39:58 XLON
    24 342.50  13:39:58 XLON
    925 341.00  14:26:51 XLON
    168 351.00  16:01:52 XLON
    8 351.00  16:01:52 XLON
    556 351.00  16:01:52 XLON
    791 350.00  16:01:53 XLON
    129 350.00  16:05:12 XLON
    810 350.00  16:05:12 XLON
    238 349.50  16:05:40 XLON
    600 349.50  16:05:40 XLON
    21 345.71  16:07:49 XLON
    70 351.00  16:12:42 XLON

    For further information please contact:

    Foresight Group Investors
    Liz Scorer / Ben McGrory
    +44 (0) 7966 966956 / +44 (0) 7443 821577
    ir@foresightgroup.eu

    Deutsche Numis
    Charles Farquhar / Rajesh Iyer
    +44 (0) 207 260 1000 

    H-Advisors Maitland
    Sam Cartwright / Audrey Da Costa
    +44 (0) 782 725 4561 / +44 (0) 781 710 5562
    Foresight@h-advisors.global

    About Foresight Group Holdings Limited

    Founded in 1984, Foresight is a leading investment manager in real assets and capital for growth, operating across the UK, Europe, and Australia.

    With decades of experience, Foresight offers investors access to attractive investment opportunities at the forefront of change. Foresight actively builds and grows investment solutions to support the energy transition, decarbonise industry, enhance nature recovery and realise the economic potential of ambitious companies.

    A constituent of the FTSE 250 index, Foresight’s diversified investment strategies combine financial and operational skillsets to maximise asset value and provide attractive returns to its investors. Its wide range of private and public funds is complemented with a variety of investment solutions designed for the retail market.

    Foresight is united by a shared commitment to build a sustainable future and grow thriving companies and economies.

    Visit https://foresight.group for more information.

    Follow us on LinkedIn for key updates. 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Changes to your PAYG withholding cycle

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    Each year, we review pay as you go (PAYG) withholding cycles to check if they need to be changed based on your business’s annual withholding amount.

    During April, we’ll be writing to you if your PAYG withholding cycle is going to change. If affected, your reporting and payment obligations will change from 1 July, 2025.

    We’ll change your withholding, reporting and payment cycle if your annual withholding payments in all branches have increased.

    Where your annual withholding amount is:

    • between $25,000 and $1 million (medium withholder status), you’re required to report on your activity statement and pay monthly.
    • more than $1 million (large withholder status) you’re required to pay electronically within 6–8 days from the day you withheld the amount, such as when you pay staff. You’ll get a new Payment Reference Number (PRN) ending in 70 to quote when you pay on the set payment days. You need to check that the withholding amounts you’re paying using your new PRN match the amounts you’ve reported via Single Touch Payroll. You don’t need to report PAYG withholding on your activity statements if you report through Single Touch Payroll.

    Changing your withholding, reporting and payment cycle

    If your withholding status is changing, it’s important that you make the changes to your payroll software before 1 July, 2025 to align your withholding reporting and payments with the new due dates.

    You can ask to stay on your existing cycle if you estimate your 2025–26 PAYG withholding amount will be less than the relevant threshold.

    To do this, send us a Request to remain on a lower withholding cycle form within 21 days from the issue date of our letter. Provide the reason for your request, outlining your change in circumstances and the estimated amount of withholding in 2025–26.

    For more information, visit ATO annual review of PAYG withholding cycles.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Severe Thunderstorm Watch 105

    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
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 105
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    1255 AM EDT Thu Apr 3 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    Northeast Kentucky
    Eastern Ohio
    Extreme Western Pennsylvania
    Western and Northern West Virginia
    Lake Erie

    * Effective this Thursday morning from 1255 AM until 700 AM EDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph possible
    A tornado or two possible

    SUMMARY…A fast-moving line of thunderstorms over western Ohio will
    track eastward across the watch area overnight, posing a risk of
    locally damaging wind gusts and perhaps a tornado.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 50
    statute miles east and west of a line from 15 miles west of Erie PA
    to 35 miles southwest of Huntington WV. For a complete depiction of
    the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS
    WOU5).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for 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. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 98…WW 102…WW 103…WW
    104…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    1 inch. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A few
    cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 400. Mean storm motion vector
    24035.

    …Hart

    SEL5

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Severe Thunderstorm Watch Number 105
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    1255 AM EDT Thu Apr 3 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Severe Thunderstorm Watch for portions of
    Northeast Kentucky
    Eastern Ohio
    Extreme Western Pennsylvania
    Western and Northern West Virginia
    Lake Erie

    * Effective this Thursday morning from 1255 AM until 700 AM EDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Scattered damaging wind gusts to 70 mph possible
    A tornado or two possible

    SUMMARY…A fast-moving line of thunderstorms over western Ohio will
    track eastward across the watch area overnight, posing a risk of
    locally damaging wind gusts and perhaps a tornado.

    The severe thunderstorm watch area is approximately along and 50
    statute miles east and west of a line from 15 miles west of Erie PA
    to 35 miles southwest of Huntington WV. For a complete depiction of
    the watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS
    WOU5).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

    REMEMBER…A Severe Thunderstorm Watch means conditions are
    favorable for 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. Severe thunderstorms can and occasionally do produce
    tornadoes.

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 98…WW 102…WW 103…WW
    104…

    AVIATION…A few severe thunderstorms with hail surface and aloft to
    1 inch. Extreme turbulence and surface wind gusts to 60 knots. A few
    cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 400. Mean storm motion vector
    24035.

    …Hart

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW5
    WW 105 SEVERE TSTM KY OH PA WV LE 030455Z – 031100Z
    AXIS..50 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    15W ERI/ERIE PA/ – 35SW HTS/HUNTINGTON WV/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 45NM E/W /8WNW ERI – 64SW HNN/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..1 INCH. WIND GUSTS..60 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 400. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24035.

    LAT…LON 42087950 38008209 38008392 42088144

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

    Watch 105 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    Low (20%)

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

    Low (5%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    Mod (40%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Low (20%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Low (10%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Low (

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Counter Terrorism officers call on parents to be aware

    Source: United Kingdom London Metropolitan Police

    Counter Terrorism officers from the Met Police are urging parents across London to be aware of the signs that might indicate that their child could be vulnerable to radicalisation or being drawn into dangerous forms of violent extremism.

    The call comes after heightened public and media focus on how schoolchildren are increasingly being drawn into extreme and radical ideologies after a similar storyline was featured in current TV drama Adolescence where a young schoolboy was drawn into a violent form ‘incel’ ideology online.

    Detective Superintendent Jane Corrigan, who is the Met’s London Prevent Co-ordinator said: “The themes and storyline in Adolescence have sparked some incredibly important debate about dangerous rhetoric and ideologies that young schoolchildren can be exposed to through online and social media platforms.

    “While it’s a fictitious drama, the story is grounded in a reality that we are seeing more and more in our work within Counter Terrorism Policing. Young people are being referred into us, and in almost every instance, a big part of their vulnerability is coming from what they are doing, seeing and consuming online.

    “But it’s actually those who aren’t being referred to us who most concern us. That’s why it is so important that parents and carers are taking an active interest in what their child is doing online – to have those conversations and be aware of the potential warning signs. And if following that, they are still concerned or worried about their child, then it’s really important they reach out for more help as quickly as possible.

    “The Act Early website is an excellent starting place, with tips and guidance on how to have those conversations and some of the warning signs to look out for. And there is also a support line they can call to get advice direct from one of our specialist officers.”

    If you are worried about someone, then visit the ACT Early website – actearly.uk – or call the Act Early Support Line on 0800 011 3764, in confidence, to speak with specially trained officers.

    Although public attention has been particularly drawn to this issue as a result of the Adolescence drama, Counter Terrorism officers have been concerned for some time over the increasing numbers of young people being radicalised.

    These concerns have found to be proven by recently published figures for terrorism arrests and Prevent referrals.

    Both 2023 and 2024 were the highest two years on record in terms of the number of children aged 17 or under being arrested for terrorism related offences, with 43 and 39 such arrests respectively. In 2002, there were only three such arrests and even as recently as 2019, the equivalent figure was as low as 12.

    Prevent referral figures paint a similar picture, with almost six out of every ten Prevent referrals in 2023/24 now relating to those aged 17 and under, up from around five in every ten back in 2016/17.

    Detective Superintendent Corrigan added: “I appreciate that this might seem quite daunting or unsettling for some parents or carers. And while it is still only a very small proportion of young people who may actually be affected, parents must not be fooled into thinking that this is something that only happens to others. We’ve had referrals and provided support through Prevent to a whole range of children, relating to a whole mix of different ideologies.

    “So please, visit the ACT Early website, speak to your child and if you have any concerns at all then trust your instincts and get in touch with us so that we can help – before it might become too late.”

    Prevent is the government-led programme which aims to stop vulnerable people from being drawn into terrorism, with police working with other safeguarding agencies to provide the necessary support.

    The public can also take an active role in reporting any terrorist or extremist online content that they come across via gov.uk/ACT.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Trump’s trade war will hurt everyone – from Cambodian factories to US online shoppers

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Toohey, Professor of Law, UNSW Sydney

    It had the hallmarks of a reality TV cliffhanger. Until recently, many people had never even heard of tariffs. Now, there’s been rolling live international coverage of so-called “Liberation Day”, as US President Donald Trump laid out tariffs to be imposed on countries around the world.

    Just hours ago, Trump announced imports to the United States from all countries will be subject to a new “baseline” 10% tariff. This is an additional tax charged by US Customs and Border Protection when products cross the border.

    The baseline tariff is expected to take effect from April 5, and the higher reciprocal tariffs on individual countries from April 9. That leaves no time for businesses to adjust their supply chains.

    What might the next “episode” hold for the rest of the world? We can expect many countries to retaliate, bringing in tariffs and trade penalties of their own. That comes with risks.

    Tariffs on the whole world

    No country has been spared from today’s baseline tariffs, including many of the US’s traditional allies.

    Vietnam will be among the hardest hit, with a 46% tariff. China, South Korea and Japan will also feel the brunt of the newest announcement – all subject to tariffs of between 24% and 34%. The European Union is subject to 20%.

    Many countries had already vowed to retaliate.

    In a recent speech, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said “all instruments are on the table”. She also stressed that the single market is the “safe harbour” for EU members.

    Canada was apparently spared from the baseline 10% tariff. But it still has to contend with previously announced 25% tariffs on the automotive and other sectors.

    Canada’s new prime minister, Mark Carney, has said “nothing is off the table” in terms of retaliation.

    Major tariffs on Asia

    China’s 34% tariff is a further aggravation to already fractious relations between the world’s two largest economies.

    Vietnam is especially reliant on the US market, and has been trying to negotiate its way through tariff threats. This has included unprecedented agreements to accept deported Vietnamese citizens from the US.

    Until this point, Vietnam had benefited from tensions between the US and China. These new enormous tariffs will have large ripple effects through not only Vietnam, but also less economically developed Cambodia (49% tariff) and Myanmar (44% tariff).

    Is it worth fighting back?

    Vulnerable countries may not have the leverage to fight back. It is hard to imagine what leverage Cambodia or Myanmar could have against the US, given the disparity in resources.

    Other countries consider it is not worth the fight. For example, Australia is rightly questioning whether a tit-for-tat strategy is effective, or will just ramp up the problem further.

    One country that has flown under the radar is Russia. Two-way trade with Russia is small, and subject to sanctions. But US media have reported Trump would like to expand the trading relationship in the future.

    A nightmare for the US Postal Service

    One of the interesting side effects of Trump’s announcements relates to what trade experts call the “de minimis” rule: usually, if you make a small purchase online, you don’t pay import taxes when the item arrives in your country.

    Trump closed this loophole in February. Now, US tariffs apply to everything, even if below the “de minimis” amount of US$800.

    This won’t just be a nightmare for online shoppers. Some 100,000 small parcels arrive in the US every hour. Tariffs will now have to be calculated on each package and in coordination with US Customs and Border Protection.

    Boycotts and retaliation

    We can also expect consumer backlash to increase worldwide, too. Canada’s “elbows up” movement is one template.

    Consumers around the world are already choosing to redirect their spending away from US products, expressing their anger at the Trump administration’s stance on trade, diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, environmental protection, gender rights and more.

    Consumers should be careful about jumping on the bandwagon without doing their homework, though. Boycotting a US fast food outlet might make you feel better (and frankly may be better for your health), but that’s also going to impact the local franchise owner.

    Hating Americans en masse is also not productive – many US citizens are themselves deeply upset at what is happening.

    Claiming victory while consumers pay more

    Watch out for the impending claim of victory – one of Trump’s mantras popularised in the recent movie, The Apprentice.

    The US trade deficit rocketed after Trump’s previous tariff announcements this year, as importers scrambled to stockpile supplies before price increases.

    This cannot happen this time, because the tariffs come into effect in just three days.

    In the short term, the monthly trade deficit will decline if imports return to normal, which will give Trump a chance to claim the policies are working – even if it’s just a rebound effect.

    But these tariffs will harm rather than help ordinary Americans. Everyday purchases like clothes (made in places like Vietnam, Cambodia and China) could soon cost a lot more than they used to – with a $20 t-shirt going up to nearly $30, not including US sales taxes.

    As this reality TV-style trade drama continues to unfold, the world should prepare for more episodes, more cliffhangers, and more uncertainty.

    Lisa Toohey receives public research funding from the Australian Government and is a past recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship.

    – ref. Trump’s trade war will hurt everyone – from Cambodian factories to US online shoppers – https://theconversation.com/trumps-trade-war-will-hurt-everyone-from-cambodian-factories-to-us-online-shoppers-253726

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What Donald Trump’s dramatic US trade war means for global climate action

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rakesh Gupta, Associate Professor of Accounting & Finance, Charles Darwin University

    US President Donald Trump’s new trade war will not only send shockwaves through the global economy – it also upsets efforts to tackle the urgent issue of climate change.

    Trump has announced a minimum 10% tariff to be slapped on all exports to the United States. A 34% duty applies to imports from China and a 20% rate to products from the European Union. Australia has been hit with the minimum 10% tariff.

    The move has prompted fears of a global economic slowdown. This might seem like a positive for the climate, because greenhouse gas emissions are closely tied to economic growth.

    However, in the long term, the trade war is bad news for global efforts to cut emissions. It is likely to lead to more energy-intensive goods produced in the US, and dampen international investment in renewable energy projects.

    How does global trade affect emissions?

    Traditionally, growth in the global economy leads to greater emissions from sources such as energy use in both manufacturing and transport. Conversely, emissions tend to fall in periods of economic decline.

    Trade tensions damage the global economy. This was borne out in the tariff war between the US and China, the world’s two largest economies, in 2018 and 2019.

    Trump, in his first presidential term, imposed tariffs on billions of dollars worth of imports from China. In response, China introduced or increased tariffs on thousands of items from the US.

    As a result, the International Monetary Fund estimated global gross domestic product (GDP) would fall by 0.8% in 2020. The extent of its true impact on GDP is difficult to determine due to the onset of COVID in the same year.

    However, Trump’s tariff war is far broader this time around, and we can expect broadscale damage to global GDP.

    In the short-term, any decline is likely to have a positive impact on emissions reduction. We saw this effect during the COVID-19 pandemic, when global production and trade fell.

    But unfortunately, this effect won’t last forever.

    Domestic production isn’t always a good thing

    Every country consumes goods. And according to Trump’s trade plan, which aims to revive the US manufacturing base, the goods his nation requires will be produced domestically rather than being imported.

    Unfortunately, this US production is likely to be inefficient in many cases. A central tenet of global trade is that nations focus on making goods where they have a competitive advantage – in other words, where they can manufacture the item more cheaply than other nations can. That includes making them using less energy, or creating fewer carbon emissions.

    If the US insists on manufacturing everything it needs domestically, we can expect many of those goods to be more emissions-intensive than if they were imported.

    Renewable energy slowdown?

    Globally, investment in renewable energy has been growing. The US trade war jeopardises this growth.

    Renewable energy spending is, in many cases, a long-term investment which may not produce an immediate economic reward. The logic is obvious: if we don’t invest in reducing emissions now, the economic costs in the future will be far worse.

    However, the US tariffs create a new political imperative. Already, there are fears it may trigger a global economic recession and increase living costs around the world.

    National governments are likely to become focused on protecting their own populace from these financial pressures. Business and industry will also become nervous about global economic conditions.

    And the result? Both governments and the private sector may shy away from investments in renewable energy and other clean technologies, in favour of more immediate financial concerns.

    The COVID experience provides a cautionary tale. The unstable economic outlook and higher interest rates meant banks were more cautious about financing some renewable energy projects.

    And according to the International Energy Agency, small to medium-sized businesses became more reluctant to invest in renewable energy applications such as heat pumps and solar panels.

    What’s more, the slowing in global trade during the pandemic meant the supply of components and materials vital to the energy transition was disrupted.

    There are fears this disruption may be repeated following the US tariff move. For example, the duty on solar products from China to the US is expected to rise to 60%, just as demand for solar energy increases from US data centres and artificial intelligence use.

    Few nations can afford to impose retaliatory tariffs on the US imports.

    Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, for example, says this nation will not slap new duties on US imports, saying: “We will not join a race to the bottom that leads to higher prices and slower growth”.

    China, however, can be expected to return fire. Already it has halted imports of liquefied natural gas (LNG) from the US for 40 days – a move attributed to trade tensions.

    This may seem like good news for emissions reduction. However, China, like all other nations, needs energy. With less gas from the US, it may resort to burning more coal – which generates more CO₂ when burnt than gas.

    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese responds to Trump’s tariff announcement.

    An uncertain time

    Free global trade has worldwide benefits. It helps reduce poverty and stimulates innovation and technology. It can improve democracy and individual freedoms.

    And, with the right safeguards in place, global trade can help drive the clean energy transition. Global trade improves efficiency and innovation and technology. This is likely to benefit innovation in clean energy and energy efficiency.

    Trump’s tariff war weakens global trade, and will slow the world’s progress towards decarbonisation. It is a most uncertain time – both for the world’s economy, and its climate.

    Rakesh Gupta 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. What Donald Trump’s dramatic US trade war means for global climate action – https://theconversation.com/what-donald-trumps-dramatic-us-trade-war-means-for-global-climate-action-253740

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Man charged after police seize firearms during targeted Mowbray search

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Man charged after police seize firearms during targeted Mowbray search

    Thursday, 3 April 2025 – 3:42 pm.

    A man has been charged after police seized four firearms, a silencer, and quantities of illicit substances during a targeted search at Mowbray yesterday.
    Members of Northern Drug and Firearms Unit executed a search warrant at the private residence, seizing a 3D printed pistol, a shortened rifle, an unregistered rifle, and a 12-gauge shotgun.
    A 23-year-old Mowbray man presented to Launceston Police Station this morning, and was charged with multiple firearms-related offences including possess a prohibited firearm to which a firearms licence may not be issued, possess a shortened firearm, and possess a silencer.
    He was also charged with recklessly discharging a firearm in relation to an incident on 1 February and wounding over an incident on 19 January.
    He will appear in the Launceston Magistrates Court at a later date.
    Anyone with information about illegal firearms should contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Animal Welfare – SAFE condemns the export of over 80 greyhounds for racing

    Source: SAFE For Animals

    An Australian greyhound racing news outlet has reported 80 New Zealand greyhounds were sent to Australia this week despite the Racing Minister Winston Peters directive that dogs should not be exported overseas for racing purposes in the lead up to the 2026 ban.
    It was reported that a specially chartered flight containing 80 greyhounds arrived in Queensland from New Zealand on Wednesday night.
    SAFE Head of Campaigns Jessica Chambers says this highlights the need for swift government intervention and clear direction.
    “This matter requires the immediate attention of the Racing Minister, to ensure no more dogs are sent overseas and denied their legal right to freedom from racing”.
    During the announcement of the ban on December 10, Racing Minister Winston Peters revealed legislation would be passed under urgency to prevent any unnecessary killing of racing dogs as the result of the announcement. The Minister also specified that homes must be found for the dogs and that they would not be sent to race overseas.
    SAFE is Aotearoa’s leading animal rights organisation.
    We’re creating a future that ensures the rights of animals are respected. Our core work empowers society to make kinder choices for ourselves, animals and our planet.
    Notes:
    – During the December 10 announcement of the ban, Racing Minister Winston Peters said “they will be re-homed, not re-race tracked”.
    – The dogs are reported to belong to New Zealanders Steve Evans and his son Riley who own the training team Goldstar Racing. The article states they planned the move as soon as the ban was announced.
    – The ministerial advisory committee formed to oversee the closure of the industry was due to release an interim report on 30 April, however it has been delayed until 30 May 2025. The report will include advice on the legislative, regulatory or operational changes required to implement closure of the industry, an operational transition plan and a timeline for the closure. This report is intended to inform the content of the second Bill.
    – Since Racing Minister announced a ban on greyhound racing on December 10, 2024, 244 dogs have suffered injuries requiring a standdown period, 50 dogs have suffered broken bones, and 6 dogs have died.
    – Since the racing season began on August 1, 2024, 587 dogs have suffered injuries requiring a standdown period, 91 dogs have suffered broken bones, and 11 dogs have died. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Is TikTok right? Do I need to eat more protein?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nick Fuller, Clinical Trials Director, Department of Endocrinology, RPA Hospital, University of Sydney

    mavo/Shutterstock

    In the ever-changing wellness industry, one diet obsession has captured and held TikTok’s attention: protein.

    Whether it’s sharing snaps of protein-packed meals or giving tutorials to boost your intake, the message is clear: maximum protein consumption is essential for weight management and wellness.

    Supermarkets have fed this obsession, stacking the shelves with protein-packed bars, shakes and supplements, and protein-boosted versions of just about every food we eat.

    But is all this extra protein as beneficial as it’s made out to be? How much protein do we really need?



    Read more:
    Protein is being added to yoghurt, bread and even coffee – but is it really good for our health?

    Different types of protein

    Protein is an essential macronutrient our bodies need to function correctly.
    It’s made up of building blocks called amino acids. Twenty amino acids link in different combinations to form proteins that are classified into:

    • essential amino acids – ones our bodies can’t make that we need to get through our diet

    • non-essential amino acids – ones our bodies can make.

    When we think about protein, animal-based foods such as meat, chicken, fish, eggs and dairy products are usually top of mind.

    However, the essential amino acids we need to get from our diet can also be found in many plant-based foods, including legumes, nuts, seeds, wholegrains and soy products like tofu.

    Why we need protein

    Proteins are often called the workhorses of life. They’re involved in virtually every process that keeps our bodies functioning and play a vital role in:

    • building and repairing tissue. From our muscles and bones to our skin and nails, proteins are responsible for their growth, renewal and repair

    • fighting infection. Our immune system relies on antibodies, a type of protein, to fight off bacteria and viruses

    • transporting substances such as nutrients and blood sugar through our bodies and taking oxygen from our lungs to our cells

    • regulating processes. Most of the hormones controlling crucial functions, like our metabolism, are proteins

    • managing activity. Protein catalysts, in the form of enzymes, manage vital chemical reactions driving important actions in our bodies, including our ability to digest food

    • providing energy. Protein isn’t a primary energy source but it can be used for energy when other sources are low.

    Protein is vital for almost every process that keeps our body functioning.
    sk/Unsplash

    Protein also plays an essential role in weight management by:

    So influencers have it half right: protein is a must-have. But that doesn’t mean it’s a more-is-better situation.

    How much protein do we actually need?

    Our daily protein requirements are based on our body weight, gender and age.

    Protein should account for around 15–25% of our total daily energy intake, with the national guidelines recommending

    • women consume 0.75 grams of protein per kilo of body weight (and 1.0 grams per kilo of body weight when pregnant or breastfeeding)

    • men consume 0.84 grams of protein per kilo of body weight.

    A woman weighing 72 kilos, for example, should consume 54 grams of protein daily, while a man weighing 87 kilos should consume 73 grams.

    Our recommended protein intake changes as we age, with adults aged over 70 requiring 25% more protein than younger people – or around 67 grams of protein daily for women and 91 grams for men.

    Lean meat is a good source of protein but it’s not the only one.
    Pexels/Taryn Elliott

    This is because, as we age, our bodies stop working as efficiently as before. Around the age of 40, we start experiencing a condition called sarcopenia, where our muscle mass naturally declines, and our body fat starts increasing.

    Because muscle mass helps determine our metabolic rate, when our muscle mass decreases, our bodies start to burn fewer calories at rest.

    Given the role protein plays in muscle growth and preservation, it’s even more vital as we age.



    Read more:
    What can you do to speed up your metabolism?

    What does this look like in real life?

    By including a protein source at every meal, you can easily meet your daily protein needs. With the example below, you end up with around 125g a day for men and around 100g for women.

    Women should consume 0.75 grams of protein per kilo of body weight, while men should consume 0.84 grams. Here’s how to get to 100 or 120 grams.
    Interval Weight Loss

    Broken down into meals, this might look like:

    • breakfast: chickpea scramble = 1.5 fist-sizes of protein

    • morning tea: Greek yoghurt and a handful of nuts

    • lunch: beef stir fry = 1 fist-size of protein

    • afternoon tea: hummus, veggie sticks and one boiled egg

    • dinner: lentil and beef bolognese, and salad = half a fist-size of protein.

    What happens when we consume too much protein?

    The wellness industry may make you think you’re not getting enough protein. But for most people, we are fixating on a problem that doesn’t exist. In fact, you can get too much, when at levels of greater than 2 grams per kilo of body weight per day.

    A diet excessively high in protein can lead to nutritional deficiencies that can result in poor immune function, fatigue and a decrease in bone density because you’re likely to lose out on other nutrients.

    High meat intake, particularly processed meats, may also increase our risk of cancer and heart disease, and can come with a surplus of energy that leads to weight gain.

    Balance is key

    Aim for a diet balanced across all of the macronutrients we need: wholegrain carbohydrates, healthy fats and protein.

    As a guide, aim to fill a quarter of your plate with lean protein (lean meat, poultry, fish, eggs, tofu, nuts, seeds, legumes or beans), a quarter with wholegrain carbohydrates and the rest with vegetables and fruits.

    And avoid those unnecessary, protein-boosted foods and supplements – your health, weight and hip pocket will thank you for it.

    At the Boden Group, Charles Perkins Centre, we are running clinical trials for metabolic health. You can register here to express your interest.

    A/Prof Nick Fuller works for the University of Sydney and RPA Hospital and has received external funding for projects relating to the treatment of overweight and obesity. He is the author and founder of the Interval Weight Loss program, and the author of Healthy Parents, Healthy Kids with Penguin Books.

    – ref. Is TikTok right? Do I need to eat more protein? – https://theconversation.com/is-tiktok-right-do-i-need-to-eat-more-protein-234375

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s trade war will hurt everyone – from Cambodian factories to US online shoppers

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Lisa Toohey, Professor of Law, UNSW Sydney

    It had the hallmarks of a reality TV cliffhanger. Until recently, many people had never even heard of tariffs. Now, there’s been rolling live international coverage of so-called “Liberation Day”, as US President Donald Trump laid out tariffs to be imposed on countries around the world.

    Just hours ago, Trump announced imports to the United States from all countries will be subject to a new “baseline” 10% tariff. This is an additional tax charged by US Customs and Border Protection when products cross the border.

    The baseline tariff is expected to take effect from April 5, and the higher reciprocal tariffs on individual countries from April 9. That leaves no time for businesses to adjust their supply chains.

    What might the next “episode” hold for the rest of the world? We can expect many countries to retaliate, bringing in tariffs and trade penalties of their own. That comes with risks.

    Tariffs on the whole world

    No country has been spared from today’s baseline tariffs, including many of the US’s traditional allies.

    Vietnam will be among the hardest hit, with a 46% tariff. China, South Korea and Japan will also feel the brunt of the newest announcement – all subject to tariffs of between 24% and 34%. The European Union is subject to 20%.

    Many countries had already vowed to retaliate.

    In a recent speech, the president of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, said “all instruments are on the table”. She also stressed that the single market is the “safe harbour” for EU members.

    Canada was apparently spared from the baseline 10% tariff. But it still has to contend with previously announced 25% tariffs on the automotive and other sectors.

    Canada’s new prime minister, Mark Carney, has said “nothing is off the table” in terms of retaliation.

    Major tariffs on Asia

    China’s 34% tariff is a further aggravation to already fractious relations between the world’s two largest economies.

    Vietnam is especially reliant on the US market, and has been trying to negotiate its way through tariff threats. This has included unprecedented agreements to accept deported Vietnamese citizens from the US.

    Until this point, Vietnam had benefited from tensions between the US and China. These new enormous tariffs will have large ripple effects through not only Vietnam, but also less economically developed Cambodia (49% tariff) and Myanmar (44% tariff).

    Is it worth fighting back?

    Vulnerable countries may not have the leverage to fight back. It is hard to imagine what leverage Cambodia or Myanmar could have against the US, given the disparity in resources.

    Other countries consider it is not worth the fight. For example, Australia is rightly questioning whether a tit-for-tat strategy is effective, or will just ramp up the problem further.

    One country that has flown under the radar is Russia. Two-way trade with Russia is small, and subject to sanctions. But US media have reported Trump would like to expand the trading relationship in the future.

    A nightmare for the US Postal Service

    One of the interesting side effects of Trump’s announcements relates to what trade experts call the “de minimis” rule: usually, if you make a small purchase online, you don’t pay import taxes when the item arrives in your country.

    Trump closed this loophole in February. Now, US tariffs apply to everything, even if below the “de minimis” amount of US$800.

    This won’t just be a nightmare for online shoppers. Some 100,000 small parcels arrive in the US every hour. Tariffs will now have to be calculated on each package and in coordination with US Customs and Border Protection.

    Boycotts and retaliation

    We can also expect consumer backlash to increase worldwide, too. Canada’s “elbows up” movement is one template.

    Consumers around the world are already choosing to redirect their spending away from US products, expressing their anger at the Trump administration’s stance on trade, diversity equity and inclusion (DEI) policies, environmental protection, gender rights and more.

    Consumers should be careful about jumping on the bandwagon without doing their homework, though. Boycotting a US fast food outlet might make you feel better (and frankly may be better for your health), but that’s also going to impact the local franchise owner.

    Hating Americans en masse is also not productive – many US citizens are themselves deeply upset at what is happening.

    Claiming victory while consumers pay more

    Watch out for the impending claim of victory – one of Trump’s mantras popularised in the recent movie, The Apprentice.

    The US trade deficit rocketed after Trump’s previous tariff announcements this year, as importers scrambled to stockpile supplies before price increases.

    This cannot happen this time, because the tariffs come into effect in just three days.

    In the short term, the monthly trade deficit will decline if imports return to normal, which will give Trump a chance to claim the policies are working – even if it’s just a rebound effect.

    But these tariffs will harm rather than help ordinary Americans. Everyday purchases like clothes (made in places like Vietnam, Cambodia and China) could soon cost a lot more than they used to – with a $20 t-shirt going up to nearly $30, not including US sales taxes.

    As this reality TV-style trade drama continues to unfold, the world should prepare for more episodes, more cliffhangers, and more uncertainty.

    Lisa Toohey receives public research funding from the Australian Government and is a past recipient of a Fulbright Fellowship.

    – ref. Trump’s trade war will hurt everyone – from Cambodian factories to US online shoppers – https://theconversation.com/trumps-trade-war-will-hurt-everyone-from-cambodian-factories-to-us-online-shoppers-253726

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –