NewzIntel.com

Category: Australia

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Is your self-review return overdue? You must lodge now

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    If you haven’t lodged your NFP self-review return yet, take action now.
    The 31 March 2025 due date for the 2023–24 NFP self-review return has now passed.

    While you don’t need to call us to request extra time to lodge, you must get started as soon as possible. We are supporting NFPs who are genuinely trying to get it right, including those who have missed the deadline. This support includes suspending penalties as part of our transitional support arrangements for the first year of NFP self-review return lodgment.

    However, from July 2025 we will start to review NFPs who intentionally ignore their obligations. To avoid a review, act now to demonstrate your NFP has taken steps to meet its lodgment obligation.

    How to lodge

    Lodge your NFP’s self-review return through Online services for business or by phoning our automated self-help phone service on 13 72 26. Alternatively, a registered tax agent can lodge the return on your behalf.

    To lodge online, you will need to complete several steps to access to Online services for business. You can follow the NFP self-review return – update, connect and lodge PDF for a written 5 step guide on how to get access to lodge.

    Any requests to update your NFP’s ABN details should already be underway – if you still need to update your details, do this without delay.

    Before you lodge the return, it’s a good idea to:

    • review your NFP’s governing documents
    • check our NFP self-review return question guide to review the questions you’ll be asked on the return and prepare your answers
    • have available your organisation’s ABN and a reference number from any letter we have posted to it – you will need this if lodging through the self-help phone service.

    When your NFP is ready with the required information, the return typically takes around 10 minutes to lodge.

    If your NFP needs help, phone our NFP Advice Service on 1300 130 248, Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 6:00 pm AEST.

    Keep up to date

    We have tailored communication channels for the not-for-profit sector to keep you up to date with key tax and super information:

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Scientists worked with Walpiri to track down bilby poo – and uncover clues to help conserve these iconic animals

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hayley Geyle, Ecologist, Charles Darwin University

    Sarah Maclagan/Author provided

    The greater bilby (Macrotis lagotis) is one of Australia’s most iconic yet at-risk animals — and the last surviving bilby species. Once found across 70% of Australia, its range has contracted by more than 80% since European colonisation.

    Today, these nocturnal marsupials, still culturally significant to many Indigenous peoples, are restricted to remote deserts. They face an ongoing threat of extinction.

    Local elders, Indigenous rangers and scientists hold valuable knowledge about bilby populations, the threats they face, and strategies needed to sustain them into the future.

    Our new study, published today in Conservation Science and Practice, reveals how collaboration between scientists and Indigenous land managers can help yield new and vital information.

    In the field, we used two methods – one based on Walpiri knowledge and one based on standard scientific protocols – to locate bilbies and collect scat (poo) samples in the North Tanami Indigenous Protected Area in the Northern Territory.

    By drawing on Warlpiri tracking expertise and Western scientific methods, we uncovered crucial information on bilby populations that could help conserve these rare creatures.

    The greater bilby is one of Australia’s most iconic yet at-risk animals.
    Ken Griffiths/Shutterstock

    Understanding bilby numbers is important – but hard

    Bilbies turn over tonnes of soil each year, helping to improve soil health, help seeds germinate and enhance water infiltration. Their deep, complex burrows also provide shelter for other species.

    They’re crucial to the health of desert ecosystems; protecting bilbies means protecting the web of life they support.

    To do this, we need to know more about:

    • how many bilbies there are
    • how they respond to land management techniques such as planned burning
    • how they respond to threats such as feral predators.

    Yet, bilbies are notoriously difficult to monitor directly via live capture. They’re nocturnal, shy and solitary. And they inhabit vast landscapes, making it very hard to estimate population numbers.

    Bilby tracks North Tanami (pen for scale).
    Hayley Geyle/Author Provided

    Luckily, the tracks, diggings and scats bilbies leave behind provide ample clues. DNA from scat (if it can be found) can be used to estimate how many bilbies are present in a particular area.

    Systematic ecological surveys, often used to monitor wildlife, can be rigid and expensive, especially in remote regions.

    We need flexible methods that align with local knowledge and the practical realities of monitoring bilbies on Country.

    A new approach to monitor and manage bilbies

    We tested two methods of locating bilby scat for DNA analysis.

    The first was systematic sampling. This is a standard scientific approach where fixed lengths of land were walked multiple times to collect scat.

    This ensures sampling effort is even over the search area and comparable across sites. However, like most species, bilby distribution is patchy, and this approach can lead to researchers missing important signs.

    The second method was targeted sampling, guided by Warlpiri knowledge, to search in areas most likely to yield results.

    This allowed the search team to focus on areas where bilbies were active or predicted to be active based on knowledge of their habits and food sources.

    Altogether, we collected more than 1,000 scat samples. In the lab, we extracted DNA from these samples to identify individual bilbies. These data, combined with the location of samples, allowed us to estimate the size of the bilby population.

    We then compared estimates that would have been derived if we had only done systematic or targeted sampling, or both, to assess their strengths and limitations for monitoring bilby populations.

    The deep, complex burrows of bilbies also provide shelter for other species.
    Kelly Dixon/Author provided

    What we found

    We identified 20 bilbies from the scats collected during systematic surveys and 26 – six more – from targeted surveys. At least 16 individual bilbies were detected by both methods. In total, we confirmed 32 unique bilbies in the study area.

    When it came to population estimates – which consider how many repeat captures occur and where – combining data from both types of surveys produced the most accurate estimates with the least effort.

    Targeted sampling tended to overestimate population size because it focused on areas of high activity. Systematic sampling was more precise but required greater effort.

    Combining both approaches provided the most reliable estimates while saving time.

    In the lab, we extracted DNA from bilby scat samples to identify individual bilbies.
    Hayley Geyle/Author provided

    What this means for conservation

    Our research highlights how collaboration that includes different ways of knowing can improve conservation.

    By adapting standard on-ground survey techniques to include Warlpiri methods for tracking bilbies, we produced better data and supported local capacity for bilby monitoring.

    Elders also had opportunities to share tracking skills with younger people, helping keep cultural knowledge alive.

    Conservation programs often rely on standardised ecological monitoring protocols – in other words, doing things much the same way no matter where you’re working.

    While these protocols provide consistency, they are rigid and don’t always yield the best results. They also fail to incorporate local knowledge crucial for managing species like the bilby.

    Our approach shows how integrating diverse ways of working can deliver more inclusive and effective outcomes, without compromising data reliability.

    A path forward

    Bilbies face ongoing threats including:

    • introduced predators (particularly foxes)
    • habitat degradation and
    • inappropriate fire regimes.

    Their future depends on collaborative efforts that draw on scientific and Indigenous and local knowledges.

    This study provides an example of how such partnerships can work – not just for bilbies, but for other species and ecosystems.

    As Australia confronts biodiversity loss, this research underscores the importance of listening to those who know Country best.

    By valuing and respecting local expertise, we can build a stronger future for bilbies and the landscapes that are their home.

    Hayley Geyle is employed by Territory NRM, who receives funding for threatened species projects from the Australian government through the Natural Heritage Trust. She also works on the Digital Women Ranger project. She is affiliated with Territory NRM and the Northern Institute (Charles Darwin University).

    Cathy Robinson is employed at CSIRO and is Group Leader in the Agriculture and Food Sustainability Program and Research lead for the Digital Women Ranger Program which is supported by the Telstra Foundation. Cathy is also an Adjunct Professor at Charles Darwin University, Chair of IUCN Australian Expert Advisory Panel for the Green List, and Executive Advisor for the Liveris Academy for Innovation and Leadership at the University of Queensland.

    Christine Schlesinger 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.

    Helen Wilson 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. Scientists worked with Walpiri to track down bilby poo – and uncover clues to help conserve these iconic animals – https://theconversation.com/scientists-worked-with-walpiri-to-track-down-bilby-poo-and-uncover-clues-to-help-conserve-these-iconic-animals-245153

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Trump highlights Australian beef in ‘Liberation Day’ trade crackdown

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

    US President Donald Trump singled out Australia’s beef trade for special mention in his announcement that the United States would impose a 10% global tariff as well as “reciprocal tariffs” on many countries.

    In a long speech in the White House Rose Garden, Trump said: “Australia bans – and they’re wonderful people and wonderful everything – but they ban American beef.

    “Yet we imported US$3 billion of Australian beef from them just last year alone.

    “They won’t take any of our beef. They don’t want it because they don’t want it to affect their farmers and you know, I don’t blame them but we’re doing the same thing right now starting at midnight tonight, I would say.”

    Australia bans US fresh beef imports because of biosecurity concerns. The US just-released Foreign Trade Barriers report says, “the United States continues to seek full market access for fresh US beef and beef products”.

    Trump announced a “minimum baseline tariff” of 10%, which would apply to Australia as well as to all other countries.

    Initially, given Trump’s language, there was confusion about what will happen with beef but later it was clarified it would face the basic 10% general tariff, and nothing more.

    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the new US trade regime and said Australia would continue to try to get exemptions for Australia.

    The trade decision was “not unexpected” but had “no basis in logic” and “was not the act of a friend”.

    Albanese announced a response package, but flagged the government did not want to take the US to the World Trade Organisation. The package includes:

    • strenghening anti-dumping provisions

    • providing A$50 million to affected sectors to secure and pursue new markets

    • sending five missions abroad to develop other markets

    • setting up a new resilience program, involving $1 billion in loans to capitalise on new investment opportunities

    • putting Australian businesses at “the front of the queue” in a “buy Australian” policy in government procurement

    • setting up a strategic reserve for Australian critical minerals.

    Albanese re-emphasised Australia would make no changes to the country’s biosecurity rules.

    Under Trump’s announcement, varying “reciprocal” rates are being imposed on individual countries according to the barriers they impose on American items.

    The president described this as “one of the most important days in American history”, saying it represented a “declaration of economic independence”.

    China will face a 34% tariff, while there will be a 25% global tariff on cars imported into the US. Imports from the European Union will have a 20% tariff imposed.

    There will be 25% on imports from South Korea, as well as 24% on imports from Japan and 32% on those from Taiwan.

    Trump’s message to countries seeking special treatment could not have been blunter.

    “To all of the foreign presidents, prime ministers, kings, queens, ambassadors, and everyone else, who will soon be calling to ask for exemptions from these tariffs, I say, terminate your own tariffs, drop your barriers, don’t manipulate here your currencies – they manipulate their currencies, like, nobody can even believe, when it’s a bad, bad thing, and very devastating to us.

    “And start buying tens of billions of dollars of American goods.

    “Tariffs give us protection against those looking to do us economic harm.”

    He said the new US trade regime would raise trillions of dollars that would reduce American taxes and pay down its debt.

    Opposition campaign spokesman James Paterson described the announcement as “disappointing”, He said Australia should work “calmly and directly” with the US administration to get a better deal.

    Nationals leader David Littleproud said action against beef would mean the price of Big Mac burgers would go up for American consumers. Australian beef exported to the US is especially for burgers.

    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. Trump highlights Australian beef in ‘Liberation Day’ trade crackdown – https://theconversation.com/trump-highlights-australian-beef-in-liberation-day-trade-crackdown-253111

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Malawi

    Source:

    We’ve reviewed our advice and continue to advise exercise a high degree of caution in Malawi. Demonstrations and protests can be unpredictable and may turn violent quickly. Avoid protests and demonstrations. During periods of unrest, monitor local media for updates, avoid affected areas and follow the advice of local authorities (see ‘Safety’). You don’t need to apply for a visa if you’re visiting Malawi for tourism purposes for up to 90 days (see ‘Travel’ for details).

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why do women get ‘reassurance scans’ during pregnancy? And how can you spot a dodgy provider?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Rudge, Law lecturer, University of Sydney

    Shutterstock

    Recent media coverage in the Nine newspapers highlights a surge in non-medical ultrasound providers offering “reassurance ultrasounds” to expectant parents.

    The service has resulted in serious harms, such as misdiagnosed ectopic pregnancies and undetected fetal abnormalities, according to the reports.

    So why do some women choose additional ultrasounds? And how can you tell if you should trust the person providing your ultrasound?

    What are reassurance scans?

    Reassurance scans are a type of non-medical elective or “entertainment” ultrasound some women seek in addition to their routine first- and second-trimester scans.

    Reassurance scans are marketed as a way to “give you peace of mind” about your baby’s development, or to assure you “everything is progressing as it should” if you’re not due for a routine scan.

    They’re also called souvenir, boutique or keepsake ultrasounds, because these business typically sell memento packages. These often include so-called 4D images: renderings combined with the fourth dimension of time to show movement.

    Some businesses offer gender identification information, sometimes with “gender-reveal” party accessories, as well as audio recordings of the fetal heartbeat.

    Why do women get them?

    Detailed interview studies have explored why ultrasound images beyond the routine scans are so popular.

    Many expecting parents want to learn the fetal sex as early as possible, seek reassurance, see the facial features of their future child and acquire keepsake images.

    Others find the routine scans too rushed and impersonal, turning to commercial providers as a more ceremonious and fulfilling ritual.

    Some women feel rushed during routine scans.
    Jordi Mora/Shutterstock

    Health sociologists have emphasised the positive health impacts of non-medical ultrasound, which can help expecting mothers and fathers bond with their baby.

    Some feminists in the 20th century criticised the medicalisation of pregnancy for devaluing “lived experience”. But recent feminist accounts have re-framed non-medical scans as a way for women to get health care that goes beyond clinical utility.

    Rather than trivialising the “entertainment” value of these services, some argue obstetricians could learn from the service, thus improving patient satisfaction during obstetric imaging.

    What are the risks of these services?

    In recent years, the technology to provide detailed scans has become more portable, with handheld, smartphone-compatible ultrasound devices now available.

    This, along with the normalisation of sharing ultrasound images on social media, has likely led to more commercial businesses offering these services.

    Yet the service is considered fraught with unmanageable psychological and social risk. Providers are usually not trained to counsel mothers or families should a fetal anomaly be suspected.

    Professional organisations have denounced these businesses for misleading consumers with false reassurances. As these scans aren’t checked by a clinician, these operators cannot give reliable assurances.

    The World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine and Biology and similar bodies disapprove of souvenir ultrasounds on safety grounds. So too does the Australian Sonographers Association, which represents about 70% of sonographers.

    No substantive restrictions on ultrasound devices

    Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration regulates the supply of medical devices. It registers them, classifies them according to their risk and sometimes attaches conditions to their use.

    However, some portable ultrasound scanners approved as low-risk devices carry no specific conditions. Lay consumers could theoretically purchase them, including through the personal importation scheme.

    Last year, the TGA de-registered several handheld devices used to detect fetal heartbeats during pregnancy without health practitioner supervision.

    The decision followed a post-market review that found expectant parents had been falsely reassured by the devices themselves or by untrained people using them in home settings.

    However, no such review has been conducted for portable ultrasound devices.

    While removing devices from the register in this manner may limit consumer access, it is not a “product recall” and would not prevent the continued sale of second-hand devices.

    These days it’s normal to share ultrasound images on social media.
    fizkes/Shutterstock

    Who can perform ultrasounds?

    While some specialist health practitioners may perform ultrasounds (such as obstetricians holding a relevant certificate), most diagnostic imaging specialists are sonographers.

    To perform medical ultrasounds that are eligible for a Medicare rebate, sonographers must be trained and accredited.

    But there is no sonography registration board to receive complaints about sonographers or take disciplinary action against them. This sets sonographers apart from registered health practitioners such as doctors, nurses and pharmacists.

    The Australian Sonographers Association has argued sonographers should be regulated by a registration board.

    This could make sonographers more clearly identifiable through title protections, ensure poorly performing sonographers are disciplined and allow for consistent national standards.

    However, it would not stop unregistered people from providing non-medical ultrasounds.

    So how can you tell if your provider is a sonographer?

    One clear signal that a provider is offering a non-diagnostic ultrasound is that no Medicare subsidy is on offer.

    Australian providers conducting imaging without accreditation must inform consumers of their non-accredited status and confirm no Medicare benefit is payable.

    Not doing so would amount to an offence.

    How can you report a dodgy provider?

    You can make complaints to state-based health complaints bodies. The Health Care Complaints Commission in New South Wales, for example, can investigate complaints about sonographers as non-registered health practitioners and consider the relevant code of conduct.

    When a sonographer is found to have acted improperly, or to pose a health or safety risk, these complaints bodies may issue orders prohibiting the sonographer from providing any health services for a specified period.

    Australian consumer law is another way authorities may crack down on unscrupulous providers. In 2015, a person was prosecuted in Western Australia after selling identical images to six women who received non-medical ultrasounds in their homes.

    Her offences involved making false or misleading claims and accepting money for services not provided.

    If non-medical imaging providers make misleading claims, including about the level of clinical reassurance a non-diagnostic scan can provide, you can report them to the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission.

    The author was employed as a research officer at the Medical Council of New South Wales in 2018.

    – ref. Why do women get ‘reassurance scans’ during pregnancy? And how can you spot a dodgy provider? – https://theconversation.com/why-do-women-get-reassurance-scans-during-pregnancy-and-how-can-you-spot-a-dodgy-provider-253544

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Australian beef highlighted by Donald Trump in ‘Liberation Day’ trade crackdown

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

    US President Donald Trump singled out Australia’s beef trade for special mention in his announcement that the United States would impose a 10% global tariff as well as “reciprocal tariffs” on many countries.

    In a long speech in the White House Rose Garden, Trump said: “Australia bans – and they’re wonderful people and wonderful everything – but they ban American beef.

    “Yet we imported US$3 billion of Australian beef from them just last year alone.

    “They won’t take any of our beef. They don’t want it because they don’t want it to affect their farmers and you know, I don’t blame them but we’re doing the same thing right now starting at midnight tonight, I would say.”

    Australia bans US fresh beef imports because of biosecurity concerns. The US just-released Foreign Trade Barriers report says, “the United States continues to seek full market access for fresh US beef and beef products”.

    Trump announced a “minimum baseline tariff” of 10%, which would apply to Australia as well as to all other countries.

    Initially, given Trump’s language, there was confusion about what will happen with beef but later it was clarified it would face the basic 10% general tariff, and nothing more.

    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the new US trade regime and said Australia would continue to try to get exemptions for Australia.

    The trade decision was “not unexpected” but had “no basis in logic” and “was not the act of a friend”.

    Albanese announced a response package, but flagged the government did not want to take the US to the World Trade Organisation. The package includes:

    • strenghening anti-dumping provisions

    • providing A$50 million to affected sectors to secure and pursue new markets

    • sending five missions abroad to develop other markets

    • setting up a new resilience program, involving $1 billion in loans to capitalise on new investment opportunities

    • putting Australian businesses at “the front of the queue” in a “buy Australian” policy in government procurement

    • setting up a strategic reserve for Australian critical minerals.

    Albanese re-emphasised Australia would make no changes to the country’s biosecurity rules.

    Under Trump’s announcement, varying “reciprocal” rates are being imposed on individual countries according to the barriers they impose on American items.

    The president described this as “one of the most important days in American history”, saying it represented a “declaration of economic independence”.

    China will face a 34% tariff, while there will be a 25% global tariff on cars imported into the US. Imports from the European Union will have a 20% tariff imposed.

    There will be 25% on imports from South Korea, as well as 24% on imports from Japan and 32% on those from Taiwan.

    Trump’s message to countries seeking special treatment could not have been blunter.

    “To all of the foreign presidents, prime ministers, kings, queens, ambassadors, and everyone else, who will soon be calling to ask for exemptions from these tariffs, I say, terminate your own tariffs, drop your barriers, don’t manipulate here your currencies – they manipulate their currencies, like, nobody can even believe, when it’s a bad, bad thing, and very devastating to us.

    “And start buying tens of billions of dollars of American goods.

    “Tariffs give us protection against those looking to do us economic harm.”

    He said the new US trade regime would raise trillions of dollars that would reduce American taxes and pay down its debt.

    Opposition campaign spokesman James Paterson described the announcement as “disappointing”, He said Australia should work “calmly and directly” with the US administration to get a better deal.

    Nationals leader David Littleproud said action against beef would mean the price of Big Mac burgers would go up for American consumers. Australian beef exported to the US is especially for burgers.

    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. Australian beef highlighted by Donald Trump in ‘Liberation Day’ trade crackdown – https://theconversation.com/australian-beef-highlighted-by-donald-trump-in-liberation-day-trade-crackdown-253111

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI: $TOCKHOLDER ALERT: The M&A Class Action Firm Urges Shareholders of FNA, BECN, QTRX, PLYA to Take Action

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, April 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Monteverde & Associates PC (the “M&A Class Action Firm”), has recovered millions of dollars for shareholders and is recognized as a Top 50 Firm in the 2024 ISS Securities Class Action Services Report. We are headquartered at the Empire State Building in New York City and are investigating:

    • Paragon 28, Inc. (NYSE: FNA), relating to the proposed merger with Zimmer Biomet Holdings, Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, Zimmer Biomet will acquire all outstanding shares of Paragon 28 common stock for $13.00 per share. Paragon 28 shareholders will also receive a non-tradeable contingent value right entitling holders to receive up to $1.00 per share in cash if certain revenue milestones are achieved.

    ACT NOW. The Shareholder Vote is scheduled for April 16, 2025.

    Click here for more https://monteverdelaw.com/case/paragon-28-inc-fna/. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.

    • Beacon Roofing Supply, Inc. (NASDAQ: BECN), relating to the proposed merger with QXO, Inc. Under the terms of the agreement, Beacon shareholders will receive $124.35 per share in cash.

    ACT NOW. The Tender Offer expires on April 14, 2025.

    Click here for more https://monteverdelaw.com/case/beacon-roofing-supply-inc-becn/. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.

    • Quanterix Corporation (NASDAQ: QTRX), relating to the proposed merger with Akoya Biosciences. Under the terms of the agreement, Akoya shareholders will receive 0.318 shares of Quanterix common stock for each share of Akoya common stock owned. Quanterix shareholders will own approximately 70% of the combined company.

    Click here for more https://monteverdelaw.com/case/quanterix-corporation-qtrx/. It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.

    • Playa Hotels & Resorts N.V. (NASDAQ: PLYA), relating to the proposed merger with Hyatt Hotels Corporation. Under the terms of the agreement, Hyatt will acquire all outstanding shares of Playa for $13.50 per share in cash.

    ACT NOW. The Tender Offer expires on April 25, 2025.

    Click here for more https://monteverdelaw.com/case/playa-hotels-resorts-n-v-plya/ It is free and there is no cost or obligation to you.

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    3. What cases did you recover money in and how much?

    About Monteverde & Associates PC

    Our firm litigates and has recovered money for shareholders…and we do it from our offices in the Empire State Building. We are a national class action securities firm with a successful track record in trial and appellate courts, including the U.S. Supreme Court. 

    No company, director or officer is above the law. If you own common stock in any of the above listed companies and have concerns or wish to obtain additional information free of charge, please visit our website or contact Juan Monteverde, Esq. either via e-mail at jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com or by telephone at (212) 971-1341.

    Contact:
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    jmonteverde@monteverdelaw.com
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    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Australian beef targeted by Donald Trump in ‘Liberation Day’ trade crackdown

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

    US President Donald Trump singled out Australia’s beef trade for special mention in his announcement that the United States would impose a 10% global tariff as well as “reciprocal tariffs” on many countries.

    In a long speech in the White House Rose Garden, Trump said: “Australia bans – and they’re wonderful people and wonderful everything – but they ban American beef.

    “Yet we imported US$3 billion of Australian beef from them just last year alone.

    “They won’t take any of our beef. They don’t want it because they don’t want it to affect their farmers and you know, I don’t blame them but we’re doing the same thing right now starting at midnight tonight, I would say.”

    Australia bans US beef imports because of biosecurity concerns. The US just-released Foreign Trade Barriers report says, “the United States continues to seek full market access for fresh US beef and beef products”.

    While exactly what will happen with beef is unclear, Trump announced a “minimum baseline tariff” of 10%, which would apply to Australia as well as to all other countries.

    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese condemned the new US trade regime, and said Australia would continue to try to get exemptions for Australia.

    The trade decision was “not unexpected” but had “no basis in logic” and “was not the act of a friend”.

    Albanese announced a response package, but
    flagged the government did not want to take the US to the World Trade Organisation. The package includes:

    • strenghening anti-dumping provisions

    • providing A$50 million to affected sectors to secure and pursue new markets

    • sending five missions abroad to develop other markets

    • setting up a new resilience program, involving $1 billion in loans to capitalise on new investment opportunities

    • putting Australian businesses at “the front of the queue” in a “buy Australian” policy in government procurement

    • setting up a strategic reserve for Australian critical minerals.

    Albanese re-emphasised Australia would make no changes to the country’s biosecurity rules.

    Under Trump’s announcement, varying “reciprocal” rates are being imposed on individual countries according to the barriers they impose on American items.

    The president described this as “one of the most important days in American history”, saying it represented a “declaration of economic independence”.

    China will face a 34% tariff, while there will be a 25% global tariff on cars imported into the US. Imports from the European Union will have a 20% tariff imposed.

    There will be 25% on imports from South Korea, as well as 24% on imports from Japan and 32% on those from Taiwan.

    Trump’s message to countries seeking special treatment could not have been blunter.

    “To all of the foreign presidents, prime ministers, kings, queens, ambassadors, and everyone else, who will soon be calling to ask for exemptions from these tariffs, I say, terminate your own tariffs, drop your barriers, don’t manipulate here your currencies – they manipulate their currencies, like, nobody can even believe, when it’s a bad, bad thing, and very devastating to us.

    “And start buying tens of billions of dollars of American goods.

    “Tariffs give us protection against those looking to do us economic harm.”

    He said the new US trade regime would raise trillions of dollars that would reduce American taxes and pay down its debt.

    Opposition campaign spokesman James Paterson described the announcement as “disappointing”, He said Australia should work “calmly and directly” with the US administration to get a better deal.

    Nationals leader David Littleproud said action against beef would mean the price of Big Mac burgers would go up for American consumers. Australian beef exported to the US is especially for burgers.

    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. Australian beef targeted by Donald Trump in ‘Liberation Day’ trade crackdown – https://theconversation.com/australian-beef-targeted-by-donald-trump-in-liberation-day-trade-crackdown-253111

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: New research reveals chemical secrets of Earth’s crust 4.5 billion years ago

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Turner, Professor, School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University

    The Eurasian and North American tectonic plates in Thingvellir National Park, Iceland. Nido Huebl/Shutterstock

    Earth is the only known planet which has plate tectonics today. The constant movement of these giant slabs of rock over the planet’s magma creates continents – and may have even helped create life.

    In a new paper published in Nature today, colleagues and I reveal secrets of Earth’s crust 4.5 billion years ago. In the process, we also provide a new way to approach one of the biggest enduring scientific mysteries: when did plate tectonics begin?

    Intimately connected to the development of life

    Earth is roughly 4.5 billion years old. Some scientists argue that in its early form, the planet lacked plate tectonics and may have instead been characterised by a stagnant crust (imagine a fixed lid) – similar to the one on Mars.

    Others say it may have been characterised by episodic, stop-start tectonics. The latter might have been triggered by major meteorite impacts that were common early on, but declined in number over time.

    Plate tectonics is intimately linked to the composition of the oceans and atmosphere because the constant movement of the plates also moves carbon and other elements around. It’s also closely linked to how heat is released from Earth’s interior.

    Because of this, plate tectonics is also thought to be intimately connected to the development of life on Earth.

    One of the biggest enduring scientific mysteries is when plate tectonics began.
    Kolonko/Shutterstock

    A distinctive chemical fingerprint

    The movement of tectonic plates produces volcanic activity at their boundaries. But at island arcs, such as the so-called Ring of Fire which encircles the Pacific Ocean, this volcanism has a distinctive chemical fingerprint nearly identical to that of today’s average continental crust. For example, there is a depletion of the element niobium relative to the rare earth elements.

    Because of this, scientists have long thought that the key to determining when plate tectonics began is to find the first appearance of this fingerprint in ancient rocks.

    Unfortunately, the actions of plate tectonics also compress, melt and reprocess the rocks of the Earth’s crust. As a result, ancient rocks are very rare and there are probably none now remaining from the Hadean eon (4.5–4 billion years ago).

    Interestingly, despite much effort over many decades, the results of such attempts to determine the timing of the onset of plate tectonics have resulted in age estimates ranging from 800 million to 4.5 billion years.

    Such a large range suggests a major problem in the approach.

    A new approach

    Beginning in early 2024, the research team I led tried a new approach. The team was made up of four other researchers from the University of Oxford, Curtin University, the University of Technology Queensland and the University of Lyon.

    We used mathematical models to simulate the period of time when Earth’s core was still forming and its surface comprised an ocean of bubbling, molten rock. Specifically, we investigated the degree of melting of Earth’s early mantle – and the behaviour of chemical elements during this process.

    Our results showed Earth’s earliest crust – known as the protocrust – that formed during the Hadean eon, would have a chemical composition identical to that of the modern average continental crust.

    For example, niobium becomes extracted into metal and removed into Earth’s core, whereas the rare earth elements rise to the surface in the magmas that crystallise to form the crust.

    The movement of tectonic plates produces volcanic activity at their boundaries.
    Allen.G/Shutterstock

    The chemical fingerprint was always there

    This discovery has major implications for how we think about Earth’s earliest history. It means the distinctive chemical fingerprint of the continental crust was always there – and only recycled at island arcs ever since.

    It follows that this signature cannot be used to determine when plate tectonics began, explaining why previous studies could not reach any consensus.

    Although major meteorite impacts would have led to melting and reprocessing of the earliest crust, such processes would only have recycled the continental chemical fingerprint, not created it.

    Some of these early large impacts may have also initiated periodic subduction – the downward and sideways movement – of tectonic plates that eventually fell into the continuous, self-sustaining pattern we observe today. However, our study shows that determining when this transition occurred is more complex than long thought and will require new research methods.

    Further modelling of the geodynamics of Earth’s early crust is needed to better understand when it became unstable and started to subduct. So too is a reappraisal of the implications of this for the evolution of the Earth and the ultimate development of life.

    This work also gives us a new way to think about how continents and life might form on other rocky planets.

    Simon Turner 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. New research reveals chemical secrets of Earth’s crust 4.5 billion years ago – https://theconversation.com/new-research-reveals-chemical-secrets-of-earths-crust-4-5-billion-years-ago-253543

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’: why the US is on a war footing over tariffs and mass deportations

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By David Smith, Associate Professor in American Politics and Foreign Policy, US Studies Centre, University of Sydney

    US President Donald Trump’s foreign policy is doing little to enhance his country’s standing abroad. But it is helping to reinforce his political authority at home.

    Congress and the courts are typically deferential to the president on foreign policy – and, in particular, issues related to national security. By putting most of his agenda under the banner of foreign policy, Trump is now taking advantage of that deference to minimise challenges to his power.

    Trump has claimed for decades that US domestic problems can be solved with a more aggressive foreign policy.

    This focus certainly helps him deal with his political problems, allowing him to attack his enemies and evade accountability under the guise of “saving the country”.

    Trump has even gone so far as to call April 2 – when sweeping new tariffs are imposed on foreign goods – “Liberation Day”.

    This is a term usually used to celebrate the end of long wars rather than the beginning of them.

    Congress ceded its foreign policy powers

    We are used to thinking of the US president as having almost unlimited power over US foreign policy. But the Constitution actually gives a lot of that power to Congress.

    For example, Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution gives Congress, not the president, the power to declare war. It also gives Congress the power to “collect Taxes, Duties, Imposts and Excises”, which include tariffs.

    Given these shared responsibilities, the legal scholar Edward Corwin described the Constitution as “an invitation to struggle for the privilege of directing American foreign policy.”

    Since at least the Second World War, the president has been decisively winning that struggle. Or more accurately, Congress has been declining invitations to use its power.

    For example, American wars no longer begin with declarations. The US has not declared war since 1941, even though the country has been at war almost every year since then. Presidents instead initiate and escalate military conflict in other ways, nearly always with Congressional approval. That approval usually remains in place until a war goes badly wrong.

    Congress also passed legislation in 1934 giving the president power to negotiate trade agreements and adjust tariffs. That power expanded significantly with an act in 1962 that authorised the president to impose tariffs if imports threaten “national security”.

    Although Trump claims tariffs will bring economic prosperity back to the US by reviving manufacturing, his administration justifies them on national security grounds. For example, it is currently using another federal act passed in 1977 that allows tariffs in response to an international emergency as justification for its tariffs on Canada and Mexico.

    Given the dubiousness of these justifications and the economic damage tariffs might do, Congress could try to reassert its constitutional power to set tariffs.

    But this isn’t likely to happen soon, given the loyalty of Republicans to Trump. Members of Congress are also reluctant to be seen standing in the way of the president if national security is at stake.

    One revelation of “Signalgate” was the fact the US bombed Yemen without even the pretext of an urgent national security reason. But the Congressional grilling of Trump’s intelligence leaders, predictably, did not address this.

    The courts are no better

    The courts are supposed to review the constitutionality of government actions. But on foreign policy, the courts have been deferential to the president even longer than Congress.

    In a sweeping judgement in 1918, the Supreme Court wrote that foreign relations counted as a “political power” of the executive and legislative branches, not subject to judicial review.

    The Supreme Court has rarely ruled on foreign policy questions since then. When it does, it nearly always supports the president against anyone challenging his right to make foreign policy, including Congress.

    A federal judge recently complained the Trump administration ignored his order blocking deportation flights of alleged Venezuelan gang members to El Salvador.

    Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to justify deporting the Venezuelans, even though some have no criminal record.
    And Secretary of State Marco Rubio argued the deportations were a “foreign policy matter”, and “we can’t have the judges running foreign policy”.

    Mass deportation is one of Trump’s most popular policies. If he is going to pick fights with the judiciary, it makes political sense to do it on an issue where public opinion is on his side – even if the law is not.

    Rubio’s comment is also a likely preview of the arguments Trump’s lawyers will make when cases about immigration reach the Supreme Court.

    Similarly, the Trump’s administration is relying on the 1952 Immigration and Nationality Act to deport protesters who have committed no crimes. This law allows the secretary of state to deport non-citizens if their presence in the US has “potentially serious adverse foreign policy consequences”.

    Deportations under both acts are going to face legal challenges. But the Trump administration is betting the Supreme Court will take Trump’s side, given its conservative members generally hold an expansive view of executive power.

    A Supreme Court win would be a major political victory for Trump. It would encourage him to focus even more on using deportation as a political weapon, and making foreign policy justifications for legally dubious acts.

    War as a political tool

    Trump is effectively putting the US on a war footing. He is justifying his executive actions by recasting allies as enemies who menace national security with everything from illegal drugs to unfair subsidies, and by labelling millions of foreign nationals as “invaders”.

    Many Americans don’t believe him. But as long as he can make threatening foreigners the main focus of American politics, he can find political and legal support for almost anything he wants to do.

    David Smith 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. Trump’s ‘Liberation Day’: why the US is on a war footing over tariffs and mass deportations – https://theconversation.com/trumps-liberation-day-why-the-us-is-on-a-war-footing-over-tariffs-and-mass-deportations-252808

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: CITES annual stats show breadth of goods and tastes

    Source: Department of Conservation

    Date:  03 April 2025

    CITES is the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, monitoring and regulating the international movement of items made from protected species. CITES ensures the long-term survival of these species is not threatened.

    Mark Ryan, DOC’s Border Operations Team Lead, says the recently compiled CITES statistics show the level of seizures and surrenders is returning to pre-COVID levels, with around 6,337 CITES-listed items seized or surrendered at the border in 2024 (up from 6,278 for 2023, and 3,060 surrenders and seizures in 2022).

    “We are seeing seizures and surrenders begin to increase again, although we’ve not yet reached the pre-COVID levels – in 2019 for example, we had more than 8,700 CITES items seized or surrendered,” says Mark.

    “Although corals, clams, and medicine still dominate the CITES items coming in, 2024 saw an array of exotic food items and leather goods carried by in-bound passengers or shipped by importers.”

    Among the 1,144 food items seized or surrendered was a large volume of crocodile jerky – much of it from Australian crocodile farms – and a few cans of whale and bear meat with elaborate label art. Shark and turtle meat were also among the items seized or surrendered in 2024.

    “Although the packaging of the bear meat suggests it may have been legal to purchase it in the country of origin, the importer still needed the correct CITES permits to bring it into New Zealand,” says Mark.

    Fashion products made from the leather of protected species also feature in the 2024 CITES seizures and surrenders, including handbags, purses, and footwear made from python or crocodile skin.

    Although some items may be worth hundreds of dollars and legally purchased overseas, this does not exempt them from needing a CITES permit when coming into New Zealand. Mark says CITES works at the level of species, and is not determined by the value of an item.

    “We appreciate these types of fashion items and accessories are treasured by their owners, but anyone planning on bringing them into New Zealand should check the CITES rules and ensure they have the correct permit.”

    Other unusual items seized or surrendered since the start of 2024 include dried sea horses, hippopotamus teeth, and the skull and tail of a lynx. CITES also covers items such as elephant ivory carvings, some insect species, and more than 34,000 plants.

    More information

    The main CITES seizure/surrender events in 2024 involved:

    • Coral (raw) – 1,678 seizures/surrenders
    • Medicine – 1,254 seizures/surrenders
    • Shells – 1,253 seizures/surrenders
    • Meats – 1,144 seizures/surrenders (most of these are crocodile jerky)
    • Teeth – 163 seizures/surrenders
    • Leather products (small) – 108 seizures/surrenders (incl. crocodile, alligator, snake, leopard or elephant leather bags, belts, boots, bracelets, hatbands, keyrings, shoes, and wallets)

    DOC has an entire section of its website dedicated to CITES, and anyone planning on travelling overseas is urged to familiarise themselves with the CITES rules.

    DOC carries out a range of outreach activities, education, and publicity work to support its CITES responsibilities.

    New Zealand has the highest proportion of threatened native species compared to anywhere else in the world – more than 4,000 are threatened or at risk of extinction.

    It’s not just a few unique species – 72% of our birds, 84% of our plants, 88% of our fish, and 100% of our reptiles are only found in Aotearoa New Zealand. Trade represents a threat for some of these species.

    Contact

    For media enquiries contact:

    Email: media@doc.govt.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: ACT celebrates law change to liberate builders and embrace international materials

    Source: ACT Party

    ACT is welcoming the passage of the Building (Overseas Building Products, Standards, and Certification Schemes) Amendment Bill, which delivers on ideas ACT campaigned on in 2023.

    “Finally, we’re liberating builders and tradies to make use of materials widely approved overseas,” says ACT Housing and Construction spokesperson Cameron Luxton, who is also a Licenced Building Practitioner.

    “Outdated local rules have denied New Zealand builders access to innovative, effective, and affordable products, and this has limited competition, driven up costs, and locked younger generations out of the housing market.

    “We’ve seen massive price hikes for essential materials, and the previous Government’s response was to set up a ‘plasterboard taskforce’. It was like a bad joke. The real issue was that we’d banned popular plasterboard equivalents and other building materials used overseas.

    “Internationally and locally, there’s constant innovation in building materials, but our bespoke local rules have held us back. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel, because regulators in trusted jurisdictions are already doing the work of evaluating these products.

    “This aligns with ACT’s wider war on red tape, including our ‘rule of two’ proposal for approving overseas medicines in New Zealand. It’s common-sense thinking: if a product is good enough for our friends overseas, we shouldn’t deny access to it at home.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Workplace – Better guidance a good idea, but must be backed up by investment in WorkSafe

    Source: New Zealand Institute of Safety Management

    Message: Improved guidance to help companies better understand the risks in workplaces and how best to mitigate them is a welcome step, says the professional body for health and safety experts, the New Zealand Institute of Safety Management.
    “The announcement by the Minister today is exactly what needs to happen to remove uncertainty and make the job of helping companies understand and reduce risks much easier,” said Mike Cosman, NZISM’s Chair.
    “Guidance on how to do health and safety well is a cornerstone of our health and safety system but has been missing since the Health and Safety at Work Act came into force nine years ago. It’s also something that we advocated strongly for in the consultation over these reforms, so we’re pleased to see this included.
    “Unfortunately, it’s an area where both MBIE’s and WorkSafe’s records have not been good. The failure to complete the core Regulations needed to support the Act has created the gap the Minister refers to. More than half of WorkSafe’s guidance is out-of-date and much of the current guidance is not well tailored to its audience.”
    WorkSafe needs the expertise and resources to deliver the quality guidance and Approved Codes of Practice (ACOP) that are needed and to keep it current, given the pace of technological change occurring. NZISM welcomes the ability to enable industry, such as forestry to develop their own ACOPs in conjunction with their workers, given that it’s now 12 years since the need for clearer guidance in that high-risk sector was first recognised by the Independent Forestry Safety Review.
    “In the short term we encourage the Minister to finish the job on the plant and structures (machines, vehicles and buildings) regulations which are largely complete and to begin work on other regulations such as hazardous substances which are dangerously out of date. The intent of following the Australian model law was so that we could ‘steal with pride’ and quickly adapt their Regulation and guidance, rather than trying to reinvent a kiwi-shaped wheel.
    “Health and safety experts are a vital part of mature health and safety systems, not the pointless burden suggested in the Minister’s statement.”
    There’s some technical detail here around the difference between regulations and guidance. Regulations are agreed by Order in Council (essentially by the Governor General on advice from the Prime Minister) and (in the health and safety space) set mandatory requirements for dealing with certain types of work or risk. They are the next step down from the Health and Safety at Work Act 2015.
    Health and safety duties are focused on what an organisation “knows or ought to know” about dealing with certain risks so the role of guidance is very important. Industry guidance can be useful and information from WorkSafe or the other health and safety regulators is particularly important. The most formal and significant type of guidance is an Approved Code of Practice (ACOP); this guidance is signed off by the Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety and is the most persuasive. Minister van Velden proposes to lift the status of ACOPs by making compliance with an ACOP a legal defence (a safe harbour). This makes the rules in the ACOP much more significant.
    Background NZ Institute of Safety Management
    NZISM is New Zealand’s leading professional association for health and safety practitioners. We are a 2,800-strong community, operating nationwide through a network of 14 branches, whose members represent the entire spectrum of New Zealand business and 3,000 health and safety professionals. Our purpose is to influence better health and safety outcomes at work. We achieve this by representing the interests of our members at industry and Government levels, and by supporting the growth and development of members.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Streamlining everyday tasks in education with Microsoft 365 Copilot

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Streamlining everyday tasks in education with Microsoft 365 Copilot

    Transform daily tasks with ideas from the Copilot Scenario Library for education.

    Education professionals bring creativity, dedication, and expertise to work every day, shaping meaningful experiences for their school community. With Copilot, you can build on these strengths—boosting productivity, amplifying creativity, and securely empowering everyone. Explore these possibilities and more with the Copilot Scenario Library for education—a collection of real-world examples that demonstrate how educators and leaders can easily use AI to assist with everyday tasks.

    Explore the Copilot Scenario Library

    The Copilot Scenario Library for education is a great place to start for finding ideas on how to integrate AI into your daily workflow. It offers easy to follow day-in-the-life examples tailored to your role in education. Whether you’re designing personalized lesson content, collaborating with colleagues, or communicating with families, Copilot helps you save time and focus on supporting student success.

    Additional Copilot Scenario Libraries provide targeted guidance and even more day-in-the-life examples:

    • IT Management – Strengthen cybersecurity and optimize device management.
    • Communications – Craft engaging content and improve communication.
    • Operations – Boost efficiency in planning, reporting, and scheduling.
    • Accessibility – Enhance digital accessibility and create inclusive environments.

    Leverage these useful resources to get inspired and support success across your institution with Copilot.

    Copilot Chat: Your AI assistant for education

    Microsoft 365 Copilot Chat is the AI chat experience you can use every day. It’s powered by broad knowledge from the web, built on the latest AI models, and designed to be safe and secure. Copilot Chat includes free, secure AI chat powered by GPT-4o, agents accessible right in the chat, and IT controls, including enterprise data protection and agent management. In addition, pay-as-you-go agents are available through Copilot Chat.

    Get started with Copilot Chat

    While Copilot Chat is an excellent starting point for integrating AI into your day-to-day workflow, Microsoft 365 Copilot offers all the features of Copilot Chat and additional capabilities to transform educational experiences. Integrated into the apps you use every day, Copilot combines the power of the latest AI models with your institutional data—documents, presentations, emails, meetings, chats, and more—plus the web to deliver relevant responses with sources.

    Schools using Copilot have seen tangible benefits. In fact, educators in Brisbane, Australia, reported saving an average of 9.3 hours per week on routine tasks. The time saved is especially crucial in a profession where burnout is a common challenge. As St Francis College Principal John Marinucci highlights, Copilot can transform education by streamlining administrative tasks that often overwhelm educators. This means teachers can now devote more energy and time to their core mission—helping students be successful.

    Read the St Francis College story

    Simplify daily tasks with Copilot Chat

    From lesson planning to school operations, Copilot Chat can help you be more productive. Whether you’re personalizing instruction, gathering resources, communicating with stakeholders, or rolling out new technology, Copilot Chat simplifies everyday tasks—so you can focus on what matters most: helping students thrive. Let’s explore how Copilot Chat can assist you.

    K-12 educator: Differentiate lesson plans

    Personalizing instruction takes time, but Copilot Chat can help you adapt lesson plans faster. Quickly adjust activities by specifying accommodations, instructional strategies, and student needs. Try this sample prompt:

    Adapt this text for a student who is struggling with reading. Address vocabulary issues, identify and define words to practice, and explain figurative language. Include a list of 5 corresponding comprehension questions. Here’s the original text: [copy and paste text]

    K-12 special education assistant: Find appropriate resources for each student

    Special education assistants and support staff work with students across multiple classrooms. Copilot Chat can streamline resource collection by helping you plan your day ahead and suggesting materials based on your input. Spend less time searching and more time supporting students.

    Education leader: Communicate clearly with staff, families, and students

    From morning greetings to school board updates, effective communication is essential for education leaders. Copilot Chat helps you draft clear, professional messages, so you can keep staff, families, and school communities informed without spending hours crafting communication.

    IT professional: Create an onboarding plan

    When introducing new technology, instructional coaches and IT leaders often need a structured rollout plan. Use Copilot Chat to create onboarding guides, find training resources, and outline step-by-step implementation plans. It can save hours of planning time while ensuring a smooth transition for staff and students.

    Take it even further with Microsoft 365 Copilot

    Microsoft 365 Copilot builds on the capabilities of Copilot Chat by connecting with your institutional data and is available in the apps you use every day. Whether you’re summarizing your day in Outlook, adapting lesson plans in Word, or analyzing data in Excel, Copilot can streamline your workflow—helping you stay organized, informed, and more efficient. Let’s explore how Copilot can further assist you.

    Discover Microsoft 365 Copilot

    K-12 educator: Prepare for meetings with families

    Meeting with families is essential to supporting student growth, but preparing for these conversations takes time. With Copilot in PowerPoint, you can generate meeting-ready presentations that include key details—then customize them for each student. Reuse and remix templates to streamline your prep work and keep meetings focused.

    K-12 special education assistant: Review and adapt lesson plans with ease

    Collaboration between educators is key to supporting diverse learning needs, but time constraints often make it difficult to quickly review materials and provide feedback. Copilot in Word can help you streamline review of educator lesson plans in the context of individual student needs. You can then ask Copilot to suggest differentiated learning activities and adjust formative assessments to meet the needs of each student.

    Education leader: Analysis and insights from budgets

    Education leaders make strategic financial decisions to support student learning. Copilot in Excel helps track spending, identify variances, and optimize budgets. Need a quick analysis? Ask Copilot to insert a budget variance column, so you can easily spot trends and reallocate funds where they’re needed most.

    IT professional: Align IT solutions with school priorities

    IT teams play a vital role in keeping schools running smoothly. Copilot in Word helps you draft strategy documents that align IT solutions and projects with school and district goals—making it easier to secure approvals and drive long-term success.

    Find your inspiration

    Copilot is your AI assistant for everyday tasks—helping you support student learning outcomes, boost productivity, and save time. No matter your role, Copilot can help securely empower everyone at your institution, making it easier to work smarter and stay organized. Explore the Copilot Scenario Library for education for inspiration and prompts that you can start using today.

    Explore the Copilot Scenario Library

    You can also use Copilot to find inspiration. For example, you could write a prompt explaining your role and what you need help with. Then, ask Copilot for use cases or examples of how others in similar roles have used AI to improve their daily workflow. This way, you can discover new ways to use AI to enhance your work, streamline your tasks, and achieve your goals with greater ease and creativity.

    To help you and your team build competency with AI and Copilot, check out the Microsoft 363 Copilot learning path which walks you through the basics of Copilot.

    Start the learning path

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Coons, colleagues introduce bipartisan, bicameral bill to create foundation supporting American leadership in emerging technology

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons

    WASHINGTON – Yesterday, U.S. Senators Chris Coons (D-Del.), Todd Young (R-Ind.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), and Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) introduced a bill to establish a nonprofit foundation that would support the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) by bolstering public-private collaboration on U.S. technological innovation and competitiveness. This bill was initially introduced in the 118th Congress. Representatives Haley Stevens (D-Mich.) and Jay Obernolte (R-Calif.) introduced a companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    The Expanding Partnerships for Innovation and Competitiveness (EPIC) Act would establish a foundation to help NIST achieve its goal of promoting U.S. innovation and industrial competitiveness in science and technology. Congress has established similar foundations to support the National Institutes of Health, the U.S. Department of Energy, and other federal agencies. In Delaware, NIST supports the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals (NIIMBL), a public-private partnership on the University of Delaware’s campus focused on advancing biopharmaceutical production and developing Delaware’s workforce for the future.  

    “America’s economic strength depends on technological leadership, and NIST has long been an engine of innovation for our country,” said Senator Coons. “The EPIC Act reflects our ongoing commitment to creating a nonprofit foundation that will mobilize resources to support U.S. leadership on emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, biotech, and quantum computing. With strong bipartisan support across both chambers, this legislation represents a critical investment in America’s technological future.”

    “Maintaining and encouraging research and development in the U.S. is critical to winning the technological race against China and other adversaries,” said Senator Young. “Our bipartisan legislation will support these efforts by establishing an independent foundation to identify and foster innovative public-private partnerships across the country and strengthen the American economy.”

    “Whether it’s AI or quantum computing, the United States is pushing the boundaries of technological innovation on all fronts,” said Senator Hickenlooper. “There are no second chances with technologies this powerful; NIST needs every tool at its disposal to ensure responsible R&D from the start.”

    “Our nation’s technological innovation is what keeps us globally competitive,” said Senator Fischer. “To stay ahead of our rapidly advancing adversaries, we must invest in emerging technologies and the metrics that underpin them. The EPIC Act is an effective, bipartisan way to help us generate more resources to do so without additional taxpayer costs.”

    “Now more than ever, our federal science agencies need every tool to drive U.S. technology leadership,” said Representative Stevens. “The reintroduction of the EPIC Act ensures that NIST—a vital agency in emerging technology, standards, and manufacturing—has the resources to secure American leadership in the mid-21st century. By establishing the Foundation for Standards and Metrology, this bill will accelerate technology commercialization, strengthen international collaborations, and support NIST’s world-class workforce. I look forward to working with my colleagues to advance this bipartisan, bicameral bill and unleash American innovation.”

    “It is vital that America maintains its position as the world leader in science and technology,” said Representative Obernolte. “The creation of the Foundation for Standards and Metrology will assist in ensuring industry, non-profits, and academia receive the resources that they need to establish cutting-edge standards that enhances the economic security and prosperity of the U.S., which is why I’m proud to be a Republican co-lead on this critical legislation.”

    Specifically, the EPIC Act would establish a nonprofit Foundation for Standards and Metrology, enabling NIST to: 

    • Mobilize private and philanthropic funding to support critical scientific and technical initiatives.
    • Collaborate more closely with the private sector, nonprofit organizations, and institutions of higher education.
    • Train the emerging technology workforce of the future and retain top talent at the institute.

    The EPIC Act is endorsed by four former directors of NIST, as well as SEMI Americas, the Semiconductor Industry Association, NIST Coalition, SPIE, SeedAI, Institute for Progress, Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, Center for AI Policy, Telecommunications Industry Association, Institute for AI Policy and Strategy, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Colorado Boulder, Americans for Responsible Innovation, Chainguard, CJW Quantum Consulting, American Physical Society, ACT | The App Association, CivAI, SandboxAQ, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Google, American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, SC Quantum, Software Information Industry Association, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 5 Lakes Institute, and the APA Services, Inc.

    The full text of the bill is available here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Going for Growth: More affordable building products

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Just-passed legislation is expected to put up to 250,000 more building products on shelves this year alone – giving Kiwis building and renovating their homes more choice to fit their budgets, Building and Construction Minister Chris Penk says.“Making it easier and more affordable to build in New Zealand is a central pillar in this Government’s Going for Growth plan to get the economy back on track. “That’s why we have made changes to the Building Act to reduce barriers for using high-quality building products imported from overseas. “The status quo is unacceptable. Construction costs have risen a staggering 40 percent since 2019, spurred on by a lack of competition in the building system. Bringing hundreds of thousands of new options into the market will put downward pressure on prices. “Builders and designers have long called for this change, so they can get the best deals on goods and materials countries like Australia are already benefiting from. “We expect that from July, more than 12,000 essential products – including plasterboard, cladding, and insulation – will be cleared for use through cited standards in the new Building Product Specifications pathway. Building Consent Authorities must accept them, so long as the products are used as intended. “Increasing options on the market is critically important for improving supply chain resilience. Giving our tradespeople alternatives to turn to during product shortages will allow projects to continue without delays. “Local manufacturers will also benefit from being able to test their products against internationally accepted standards, opening the door to valuable export markets. “Work is already underway to establish robust regulations for recognising new products and standards, ensuring only top-quality materials enter the market. This includes targeted consultation with industry leaders and local government.”Note to editors:    

    Under the new system: 

    The Minister for Building and Construction will be able to issue a notice that recognises groups of overseas product standards and standards certification schemes for use in New Zealand.
    A new building product specifications pathway will be introduced to streamline the process of citing international product standards that can be used with acceptable solutions or verification methods to establish compliance with the building code.
    Building Consent Authorities will be required to accept building products and methods that have been certified by an overseas product certification scheme and recognised by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment. 

    The Building (Overseas Building Products, Standards, and Certification Schemes) Amendment Bill responds to recommendations from the Commerce Commission’s 2022 market study into residential building supplies, which highlighted issues with the current lack of competition for the supply and acquisition of building products.  

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Rule of Two for faster access to medicines

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Associate Health Minister David Seymour is welcoming Cabinet’s decision to enable medicines to be approved in less than 30 days if the product has approval from two recognised overseas jurisdictions.   
    This change is included in the Medicines Amendment Bill (the Bill), which amends the Medicines Act 1981. The pathway will be in operation by early 2026.
    The policy will start with Australia, the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, the European Union, Singapore and Switzerland, as recognised countries. These are the main countries Medsafe currently recognises. 
    “Faster access to medicines has always been a priority of mine. For many New Zealanders, pharmaceuticals are life or death, or the difference between a life of pain and suffering or living freely,” Mr Seymour says. 
    “This change will increase access to medicines for Kiwis by introducing a streamlined verification pathway for medicines. People will access new treatments more quickly. This is committed to in the ACT-National and National-NZ First coalition agreements. 
    “Cabinet has agreed to give the responsible Minister powers to regulate the Rule of Two. That means I will be outlining the proposed regulatory pathway for industry and the public to feedback on via the Select Committee process. This system should be as straightforward as possible to allow New Zealanders the greatest level of access to innovative medicine possible. 
    “New cars are acceptable for the New Zealand market if they meet at least one of several foreign standards. We can apply the same principle to medicines, if other jurisdictions have already done the work and can ensure the products’ safety, we don’t need to delay patient’s access by doing the exact same tests,” Mr Seymour says. 
    “This is a common-sense efficiency that costs nothing. It helps Kiwis in need. It can shave months off the approval process. A perfect example of this was with a treatment for asthma which could have been approved by the end of 2022 under this pathway, but was not approved until 16 months later in May 2024. 
    “This Government is making medicines access a priority because it leads to better patient outcomes. So far, we have:

    Changed Pharmac’s process so it can assess a funding application at the same time as Medsafe is assessing the application for regulatory approval
    Allocated Pharmac its largest ever budget of $6.294 billion over four years, and a $604 million uplift to give Pharmac the financial support it needs to carry out its functions – negotiating the best deals for medicine for New Zealanders
    Made patient voice a crucial consideration in Pharmac’s funding decisions
    Put pseudoephedrine back on the shelves of pharmacies

    “We’re committed to ensuring that the regulatory system for pharmaceuticals is not unreasonably holding back access. It will lead to more Kiwis being able to access the medicines they need to live a fulfilling life.”
    Notes to editors: 
    Draft criteria for regulatory pathway rules will likely relate to ensuring that:

    manufacturing sites associated with product have evidence of Good Manufacturing Practice (GMP) compliance which is valid to Medsafe’s satisfaction,
    if a product is a generic or biosimilar prescription medicine, the innovator or reference product is identical to that approved for New Zealand.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Keep your NFP records up to date

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    Did you know that you’re legally required to keep certain records for your not-for-profit (NFP)? All organisations including NFPs are required to keep accurate and complete records of all transactions relating to their tax and superannuation affairs. Generally, for tax purposes, you must keep your records in an accessible form (either printed or electronic) for 5 years.

    Records that you are required to keep include:

    • governing documents
    • financial reports
    • tax invoices
    • documentation relating to grants
    • registrations and certificates.

    A good record keeping system will help you run your NFP successfully and help you manage your tax and super obligations.

    If your NFP is endorsed as a deductible gift recipient (DGR), you must keep records that explain all transactions and other acts relevant to your organisation’s status as a DGR. This requirement applies to both endorsed DGRs and listed by name DGRs.

    If you want to learn more about effective record keeping to keep your NFP on track, take our online Record keepingExternal Link course. This free course will give you the opportunity to dive deeper into the records you need to maintain and ask questions relevant to your NFP. NFPs share many tax obligations with small businesses, and the Small Business online learning platform is a valuable resource to help you avoid common mistakes and understand the tax and super obligations of your NFP better.

    If your NFP needs more information phone our NFP Advice Service on 1300 130 248, Monday to Friday, 8:00 am to 6:00 pm AEST.

    Keep up to date

    Read more articles in the Not-for-profit newsroom and, if you haven’t already, subscribeExternal Link to our free monthly newsletter Not-for-profit news to be alerted when we publish new articles.

    For updates throughout the month, Assistant Commissioner Jennifer Moltisanti regularly shares blog posts and updates on her LinkedInExternal Link profile. And you can check out our online platform ATO CommunityExternal Link to find answers to your tax and super questions.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Monthly exchange rates for 1 July 2024 to 30 June 2025

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin










    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Declares National Emergency to Increase our Competitive Edge, Protect our Sovereignty, and Strengthen our National and Economic Security

    Source: The White House

    PURSUING RECIPROCITY TO REBUILD THE ECONOMY AND RESTORE NATIONAL AND ECONOMIC SECURITY: Today, President Donald J. Trump declared that foreign trade and economic practices have created a national emergency, and his order imposes responsive tariffs to strengthen the international economic position of the United States and protect American workers.

    • Large and persistent annual U.S. goods trade deficits have led to the hollowing out of our manufacturing base; resulted in a lack of incentive to increase advanced domestic manufacturing capacity; undermined critical supply chains; and rendered our defense-industrial base dependent on foreign adversaries.
    • President Trump is invoking his authority under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977 (IEEPA) to address the national emergency posed by the large and persistent trade deficit that is driven by the absence of reciprocity in our trade relationships and other harmful policies like currency manipulation and exorbitant value-added taxes (VAT) perpetuated by other countries.
    • Using his IEEPA authority, President Trump will impose a 10% tariff on all countries.
      • This will take effect April 5, 2025 at 12:01 a.m. EDT.
    • President Trump will impose an individualized reciprocal higher tariff on the countries with which the United States has the largest trade deficits. All other countries will continue to be subject to the original 10% tariff baseline.
      • This will take effect April 9, 2025 at 12:01 a.m. EDT.
    • These tariffs will remain in effect until such a time as President Trump determines that the threat posed by the trade deficit and underlying nonreciprocal treatment is satisfied, resolved, or mitigated.
    • Today’s IEEPA Order also contains modification authority, allowing President Trump to increase the tariff if trading partners retaliate or decrease the tariffs if trading partners take significant steps to remedy non-reciprocal trade arrangements and align with the United States on economic and national security matters.
    • Some goods will not be subject to the Reciprocal Tariff. These include: (1) articles subject to 50 USC 1702(b); (2) steel/aluminum articles and autos/auto parts already subject to Section 232 tariffs; (3) copper, pharmaceuticals, semiconductors, and lumber articles; (4) all articles that may become subject to future Section 232 tariffs; (5) bullion; and (6) energy and other certain minerals that are not available in the United States.
    • For Canada and Mexico, the existing fentanyl/migration IEEPA orders remain in effect, and are unaffected by this order. This means USMCA compliant goods will continue to see a 0% tariff, non-USMCA compliant goods will see a 25% tariff, and non-USMCA compliant energy and potash will see a 10% tariff. In the event the existing fentanyl/migration IEEPA orders are terminated, USMCA compliant goods would continue to receive preferential treatment, while non-USMCA compliant goods would be subject to a 12% reciprocal tariff.

     
    TAKING BACK OUR ECONOMIC SOVEREIGNTY: President Trump refuses to let the United States be taken advantage of and believes that tariffs are necessary to ensure fair trade, protect American workers, and reduce the trade deficit—this is an emergency.

    • He is the first President in modern history to stand strong for hardworking Americans by asking other countries to follow the golden rule on trade: Treat us like we treat you.
    • Pernicious economic policies and practices of our trading partners undermine our ability to produce essential goods for the public and the military, threatening national security.
    • U.S. companies, according to internal estimates, pay over $200 billion per year in value-added taxes (VAT) to foreign governments—a “double-whammy” on U.S. companies who pay the tax at the European border, while European companies don’t pay tax to the United States on the income from their exports to the U.S.
    • The annual cost to the U.S. economy of counterfeit goods, pirated software, and theft of trade secrets is between $225 billion and $600 billion. Counterfeit products not only pose a significant risk to U.S. competitiveness, but also threaten the security, health, and safety of Americans, with the global trade in counterfeit pharmaceuticals estimated at $4.4 billion and linked to the distribution of deadly fentanyl-laced drugs.
      • This imbalance has fueled a large and persistent trade deficit in both industrial and agricultural goods, led to offshoring of our manufacturing base, empowered non-market economies like China, and hurt America’s middle class and small towns. 
      • President Biden squandered the agricultural trade surplus inherited from President Trump’s first term, turning it into a projected all-time high deficit of $49 billion.
    • The current global trading order allows those using unfair trade practices to get ahead, while those playing by the rules get left behind.
    • In 2024, our trade deficit in goods exceeded $1.2 trillion—an unsustainable crisis ignored by prior leadership.
    • “Made in America” is not just a tagline—it’s an economic and national security priority of this Administration. The President’s reciprocal trade agenda means better-paying American jobs making beautiful American-made cars, appliances, and other goods.
    • These tariffs seek to address the injustices of global trade, re-shore manufacturing, and drive economic growth for the American people.
    • Reciprocal trade is America First trade because it increases our competitive edge, protects our sovereignty, and strengthens our national and economic security.
    • These tariffs adjust for the unfairness of ongoing international trade practices, balance our chronic goods trade deficit, provide an incentive for re-shoring production to the United States, and provide our foreign trading partners with an opportunity to rebalance their trade relationships with the United States.

     
    REPRIORITIZING U.S. MANUFACTURING: President Trump recognizes that increasing domestic manufacturing is critical to U.S. national security.

    • In 2023, U.S. manufacturing output as a share of global manufacturing output was 17.4%, down from 28.4% in 2001.
    • The decline in manufacturing output has reduced U.S. manufacturing capacity.
      • The need to maintain a resilient domestic manufacturing capacity is particularly acute in advanced sectors like autos, shipbuilding, pharmaceuticals, transport equipment, technology products, machine tools, and basic and fabricated metals, where loss of capacity could permanently weaken U.S. competitiveness.
    • U.S. stockpiles of military goods are too low to be compatible with U.S. national defense interests.
      • If the U.S. wishes to maintain an effective security umbrella to defend its citizens and homeland, as well as allies and partners, it needs to have a large upstream manufacturing and goods-producing ecosystem.
      • This includes developing new manufacturing technologies in critical sectors like bio-manufacturing, batteries, and microelectronics to support defense needs.
    • Increased reliance on foreign producers for goods has left the U.S. supply chain vulnerable to geopolitical disruption and supply shocks.
      • This vulnerability was exposed during the COVID-19 pandemic, and later with Houthi attacks on Middle East shipping.
    • From 1997 to 2024, the U.S. lost around 5 million manufacturing jobs and experienced one of the largest drops in manufacturing employment in history.

     
    ADDRESSING TRADE IMBALANCES: President Trump is working to level the playing field for American businesses and workers by confronting the unfair tariff disparities and non-tariff barriers imposed by other countries.

    • For generations, countries have taken advantage of the United States, tariffing us at higher rates. For example:
      • The United States imposes a 2.5% tariff on passenger vehicle imports (with internal combustion engines), while the European Union (10%) and India (70%) impose much higher duties on the same product. 
      • For networking switches and routers, the United States imposes a 0% tariff, but India (10-20%) levies higher rates.
      • Brazil (18%) and Indonesia (30%) impose a higher tariff on ethanol than does the United States (2.5%). 
      • For rice in the husk, the U.S. imposes a tariff of 2.7%, while India (80%), Malaysia (40%), and Turkey (31%) impose higher rates. 
      • Apples enter the United States duty-free, but not so in Turkey (60.3%) and India (50%).
    • The United States has one of the lowest simple average most-favored-nation (MFN) tariff rates in the world at 3.3%, while many of our key trading partners like Brazil (11.2%), China (7.5%), the European Union (5%), India (17%), and Vietnam (9.4%) have simple average MFN tariff rates that are significantly higher.
    • Similarly, non-tariff barriers—meant to limit the quantity of imports/exports and protect domestic industries—also deprive U.S. manufacturers of reciprocal access to markets around the world. For example:
      • China’s non-market policies and practices have given China global dominance in key manufacturing industries, decimating U.S. industry. Between 2001 and 2018, these practices contributed to the loss of 3.7 million U.S. jobs due to the growth of the U.S.-China trade deficit, displacing workers and undermining American competitiveness while threatening U.S. economic and national security by increasing our reliance on foreign-controlled supply chains for critical industries as well as everyday goods.
      • India imposes their own uniquely burdensome and/or duplicative testing and certification requirements in sectors such as chemicals, telecom products, and medical devices that make it difficult or costly for American companies to sell their products in India. If these barriers were removed, it is estimated that U.S. exports would increase by at least $5.3 billion annually.
      • Countries including China, Germany, Japan, and South Korea have pursued policies that suppress the domestic consumption power of their own citizens to artificially boost the competitiveness of their export products. Such policies include regressive tax systems, low or unenforced penalties for environmental degradation, and policies intended to suppress worker wages relative to productivity.
      • Certain countries, like Argentina, Brazil, Ecuador, and Vietnam, restrict or prohibit the importation of remanufactured goods, restricting market access for U.S. exporters while also stifling efforts to promote sustainability by discouraging trade in like-new and resource-efficient products. If these barriers were removed, it is estimated that U.S. exports would increase by at least $18 billion annually.
      • The UK maintains non-science-based standards that severely restrict U.S. exports of safe, high-quality beef and poultry products.
      • Indonesia maintains local content requirements across a broad range of sectors, complex import licensing regimes, and, starting this year, will require natural resource firms to onshore all export revenue for transactions worth $250,000 or more.
      • Argentina has banned imports of U.S. live cattle since 2002 due to unsubstantiated concerns regarding bovine spongiform encephalopathy.  The United States has a $223 million trade deficit with Argentina in beef and beef products.
      • For decades, South Africa has imposed animal health restrictions that are not scientifically justified on U.S. pork products, permitting a very limited list of U.S. pork exports to enter South Africa. South Africa also heavily restricts U.S. poultry exports through high tariffs, anti-dumping duties, and unjustified animal health restrictions. These barriers have contributed to a 78% decline in U.S. poultry exports to South Africa, from $89 million in 2019 to $19 million 2024.
      • U.S. automakers face a variety of non-tariff barriers that impede access to the Japanese and Korean automotive markets, including non-acceptance of certain U.S. standards, duplicative testing and certification requirements, and transparency issues. Due to these non-reciprocal practices, the U.S. automotive industry loses out on an additional $13.5 billion in annual exports to Japan and access to a larger import market share in Korea—all while the U.S. trade deficit with Korea more than tripled from 2019 to 2024.
    • Monetary tariffs and non-monetary tariffs are two distinct types of trade barriers that governments use to regulate imports and exports. President Trump is countering both through reciprocal tariffs to protect American workers and industries from these unfair practices.

     
    THE GOLDEN RULE FOR OUR GOLDEN AGE: Today’s action simply asks other countries to treat us like we treat them. It’s the Golden Rule for Our Golden Age.

    • Access to the American market is a privilege, not a right.
    • The United States will no longer put itself last on matters of international trade in exchange for empty promises.
    • Reciprocal tariffs are a big part of why Americans voted for President Trump—it was a cornerstone of his campaign from the start.
      • Everyone knew he’d push for them once he got back in office; it’s exactly what he promised, and it’s a key reason he won the election.
    • These tariffs are central to President Trump’s plan to reverse the economic damage left by President Biden and put America on a path to a new golden age.
      • This builds on his broader economic agenda of energy competitiveness, tax cuts, no tax on tips, no tax on Social Security benefits, and deregulation to boost American prosperity.

     
    TARIFFS WORK: Studies have repeatedly shown that tariffs can be an effective tool for reducing or eliminating threats that impair U.S. national security and achieving economic and strategic objectives.

    • A 2024 study on the effects of President Trump’s tariffs in his first term found that they “strengthened the U.S. economy” and “led to significant reshoring” in industries like manufacturing and steel production.
    • A 2023 report by the U.S. International Trade Commission that analyzed the effects of Section 232 and 301 tariffs on more than $300 billion of U.S. imports found that the tariffs reduced imports from China and effectively stimulated more U.S. production of the tariffed goods, with very minor effects on prices.
    • According to the Economic Policy Institute, the tariffs implemented by President Trump during his first term “clearly show[ed] no correlation with inflation” and only had a temporary effect on overall price levels.
    • An analysis from the Atlantic Council found that “tariffs would create new incentives for US consumers to buy US-made products.”
    • Former Biden Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen affirmed last year that tariffs do not raise prices: “I don’t believe that American consumers will see any meaningful increase in the prices that they face.”
    • A 2024 economic analysis found that a global tariff of 10% would grow the economy by $728 billion, create 2.8 million jobs, and increase real household incomes by 5.7%.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Act now to ensure your governing documents are accurate

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    A not-for-profit (NFP) is required to maintain governing documents that demonstrate they operate on a NFP basis, including organisations that self-assess their income tax exemption. These governing documents must include clauses that prevent the NFP from distributing income or assets to members, both while it operates and when it winds up.

    NFP self-review return requirement

    Non-charitable NFPs with an active Australian business number (ABN) must lodge an annual NFP self-review return to notify us of their eligibility to self-assess as income tax exempt. When completing the return, NFPs must confirm they follow clauses in their governing documents that prohibit distribution of income or assets to members.

    What if your NFP doesn’t have these governing document clauses?

    • As a transitional arrangement NFPs can self-assess as income tax exempt in their first self-review return for the 2023–24 income year, provided they’ve not distributed any assets or income to its members.
    • NFPs must update their governing documents by 30 June 2025 to continue self-assessing as income tax exempt for the 2024–25 income year.
    • If your NFP doesn’t have clauses that prohibit distributions to members in its governing documents by 30 June 2025, it cannot self-assess as income tax exempt for the 2024–25 income year onwards. This may result in your NFP needing to lodge an income tax return.
    • Updates to governing documents cannot be backdated. It can take time to update your governing documents, as you may need to hold an annual general meeting (AGM) to note any amendments. So be sure get started as soon as possible so you don’t run out of time.

    What are governing documents?

    Governing documents outline your organisation’s purpose, NFP character, and operational guidelines. They may be called by names such as your NFP’s rules or articles of association, constitution, rule book, or deed of trust.

    They should include:

    • the NFP’s purpose: the mission and objectives of the organisation
    • not-for-profit clauses: statements that ensure the organisation’s income and assets are used solely for its purpose and not distributed to members or other private persons
    • dissolution clauses: guidelines on what happens to the organisation’s assets if it winds up.

    We recommend you conduct a review of your NFP’s governing documents annually in preparation for the annual self-review return, and whenever there is a major change to the structure or activities of the organisation. This will ensure your governing documents remain in order.

    If you need more help with getting ready to lodge your NFP self-review return, including how to prepare your governing documents, you can visit our website for information on how to lodge the NFP self-review return.

    Read more articles in the Not-for-profit newsroom and, if you haven’t already, subscribeExternal Link to our free monthly newsletter Not-for-profit news to be alerted when we publish new articles.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: If your NFP is taxable, you must lodge your return soon

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    Taxable not-for-profits (NFPs) need to lodge an income tax return or non-lodgment advice by 15 May.

    Who needs to lodge?

    Taxable NFPs include organisations that do not meet the criteria for income tax exemption. These organisations must lodge an income tax return to report their taxable income and pay any tax due. The types of NFPs that may need to lodge an income tax return include:

    • NFP companies
    • Other taxable companies
    • Taxable trusts or partnerships

    Lodgment due date

    Organisations with an income year ending 30 June, have until 15 May 2025 to lodge the 2023–24 income tax return If you have an ATO approved SAP your due date to lodge the 2023-24 income tax return is determined by your approved balance date. It’s important for NFPs to meet this deadline to avoid any penalties or interest charges.

    Preparing for lodgment

    To prepare for lodgment, taxable NFPs should:

    Review financial records: Ensure all financial records are accurate and up to date.

    Determine taxable income: Calculate the organization’s taxable income for the financial year.

    Complete the tax return: Use the appropriate tax return form for your NFP’s structure (e.g., company tax return, trust tax return).

    How to lodge

    There are several ways to lodge the income tax return:

    Online: The quickest and easiest method is through Online services for business.

    Registered tax agent: A registered tax agent can lodge the return on your NFP’s behalf.

    Paper lodgment: If online lodgment is not possible, you can lodge a paper return by mail.

    Support and resources

    Here are some various resources to assist NFPs with their tax return lodgment:

    NFP Guide to the Company Tax Return: This guide provides detailed instructions on how to complete the company tax return for NFPs.

    Online services: Access to online lodgment and support tools.

    Read more articles in the Not-for-profit newsroom and, if you haven’t already, subscribeExternal Link to our free monthly newsletter Not-for-profit news to be alerted when we publish new articles.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: ATO welcomes review on the management of financial abuse within the tax system

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) welcomes the release of the Inspector-General of Taxation and Taxation Ombudsman’s report into the ATO’s identification and management of financial abuse within the tax system.

    Financial abuse is a serious issue which can have significant impacts for victims. 

    The ATO has an important role in supporting taxpayers impacted by financial abuse, whilst ensuring the continued integrity of the tax system.

    We agree with all recommendations provided in the Tax Ombudsman’s report, and value the perspectives of those who contributed to the report, including the lived experience of victim survivors.

    The Tax Ombudsman’s findings help us to increase our understanding of community expectations and real-life experiences, so we can better support taxpayers impacted by financial abuse.

    Several of the report’s recommendations build on work already underway in the ATO to support vulnerable clients.

    The ATO’s Vulnerability Capability is strengthening and coordinating the way we support people experiencing vulnerability. This includes the development of a framework and specific actions and to support people experiencing vulnerability, including financial abuse.

    The ATO welcomes insights on how to further strengthen and coordinate support for taxpayers that have experienced financial abuse, including considering improvements to our existing procedures in place to support these taxpayers.

    We recognise the Tax Ombudsman’s findings in relation to the ATO’s role ensuring the integrity of the tax system and in holding perpetrators of financial abuse to account within our existing powers.

    We commit to further engagement and consultation with other government agencies and community groups and leveraging existing support and programs to address financial abuse within the tax system.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Behind the Scenes of a Cancer Control ImPACT Review Mission

    Source: International Atomic Energy Agency – IAEA

    Lorna Awo Renner (left) is seen discussing paediatric care as part of the imPACT Review team at work at Primary Health Care Centre Primerio Maio.

    “The rising numbers of cancer cases in Mozambique is of great concern,” said Mozambique’s Minister of Health, Armino Tiago, speaking of his decision to invite the IAEA, World Health Organization and the International Agency for Research on Cancer, to carry out an imPACT review in the country in 2024. “The government is taking action to expand access to diagnosis and treatment,” he added.

    Mozambique, in common with many low- income countries (LICs) around the world, is facing a growing cancer challenge. Cancer is now the second leading cause of death globally, and many health systems in LICs are least prepared to manage this burden.

    How do ImPACT Reviews Help Countries with Cancer Control?

    Each year, the IAEA, together with its partners the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), conducts around ten ImPACT Reviews, designed to support countries in their efforts to improve comprehensive cancer control.

    ImPACT Reviews assess a country’s cancer control capacities and needs in order to  prioritize interventions and help governments effectively respond to their country’s cancer burden. This response could involve creating a national cancer control plan, producing feasibility documents – often called ‘bankable documents’- that justify the funding of cancer care facilities to donors, or deciding to join WHO cancer initiatives, such as those on cervical, breast and childhood cancer.

    “Controlling cancer in Mozambique is a significant challenge, compounded by limitations in infrastructure, human resources, and access to adequate diagnostics and treatments,” said Tiago, Mozambique’s Minister of Health.

    “The imPACT Review represents a valuable opportunity to identify critical gaps and outline concrete strategies to strengthen our capacity to address cancer. We are confident that this collaboration will provide essential guidance to improve cancer care in our country,” the Minister of Health added.

    What Goes On Behind the Scenes of an ImPACT Review?

    Experts participating in the Mozambique mission came from countries in Africa, Europe, North and South America, bringing expertise from fields ranging from palliative care, pathology and public health to oncology and epidemiology. Many were also native speakers of Portuguese, which is widely spoken in Mozambique.

    As in other imPACT Reviews, the Mozambique mission experts were nominated by the IAEA, IARC and WHO. IARC recommended experts in cancer registry, an information system that collects, manages and analyses data on people diagnosed with cancer. The IAEA nominated experts in radiation medicine, diagnostic imaging and radiation safety and the WHO nominated experts on all other aspects of cancer control.

    The experts met online several times in the run-up to the mission to discuss their findings.

    Three months before setting foot in Mozambique, the imPACT Review international experts started meeting online to assess the needs of the country. The experts researched the latest available evidence on public health policies and cancer control, provided by IARC, WHO and IAEA, including experts from the IAEA human health programme. They also gathered reports and data from UN staff,  professionals from Mozambique’s Ministry of Health and other national cancer stakeholders to gain a good understanding of the country’s cancer-related infrastructure and capacity. Professionals and stakeholders in cancer control in Mozambique completed questionnaires to help the imPACT Review experts identify needs, challenges and opportunities. A preliminary report was produced ahead of the in-country mission to determine its scope.

    Arsen Juric, Mozambique imPACT Review Coordinator said: “These preparatory meetings are part of a strategic process. They help the experts make evidence-based recommendations that aim to strengthen and embed cancer control in Mozambique’s national health system, better serving patient needs across the country.”

    The imPACT review is designed to give a broad overview of cancer care in the host country, determining the gaps and needs which are most urgent, to inform decision makers when formulating health policy regarding cancer.

    What is Cancer Control?

    Prevention includes factors such as diet, smoking cessation and vaccinations against infectious disease. It is estimated it is currently possible to prevent 40 per cent of all cancers.

    Detection includes screening and early diagnosis. Early detection means many cancers have a high potential for cure.

    Treatment aims to cure disease, prolong life, and improve the quality of remaining life

    Palliative care involves addressing the needs of patients and their families from the time of cancer diagnosis to improve quality of life and the ability to cope effectively. 

    On the Ground in Mozambique

    At the beginning of May, the imPACT Review team experts arrived in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, to visit hospitals and public health centres. They met cancer care experts, policy and decision makers and technical staff from Mozambique’s Ministry of Health, and the staff of the WHO country office, as well as representatives of civil society organizations

    In addition to experts from IARC and WHO, the mission also included an expert from MD Anderson Cancer Center, an IAEA nuclear safety expert, an IAEA cancer control expert and the IAEA’s National Liaison Officer for Mozambique.

    ImPACT reviews look at every aspect of cancer control, including how data on cancer is managed, and financing, as well as prevention, early detection, diagnosis, treatment and palliative care. During the review, the experts visited hospitals, primary health care facilities, and met with civil society, patient and cancer advocacy groups in Mozambique to obtain as much data as possible on the cancer control situation in the country.

    The imPACT Review team visited Primeiro Maio to find out more about the country’s national cervical cancer screening programme

    Prioritizing Women and Children’s Cancers

    While imPACT Reviews look at all aspects of cancer control, the Mozambique review gave the team to focus on WHO cancer initiatives, such as those on cervical, breast and childhood cancer.

    Severin von Xylander from Mozambique’s WHO Country Office said the WHO was also working with the National Cancer Control Programme in Mozambique to prioritize the prevention and early detection of cancers affecting women and children, in line with global cancer control initiatives.

    At the Primeiro Maio healthcare centre, the  imPACT Review team learned more about the scope of services in primary care, such as prevention and early detection, particularly in terms of cancers that affect women and children.

    Speaking of positive outcomes, Celina Mate, of the Mozambique Ministry of Health, said that interactions with the imPACT review team during the in-country mission had helped realize that their cervical cancer screening coverage was more comprehensive than they had previously thought.

    “In addition to this aspect, we were able to look at our needs and the need to advocate for financial support to increase screening capacity using a high-standard test such as the HPV DNA test,” said Mate.

    Paintings by children at Maputo Central Hospital.

    Lorna Awo Renner, an international expert in paediatric oncology from Ghana taking part in the imPACT Review, used her time in Mozambique to observe and make recommendations on how the country is  addressing childhood cancer.

    “Over 80 per cent of childhood cancers are curable, but at a global level we are at about 30 per cent, you take the low- and middle- income countries, they have even lower rates,” she says.

    The WHO’s Global Initiative for Childhood Cancers, aims to improve long term cure outcomes for childhood cancer globally to over 60 per cent by 2030. Renner said she hoped  Mozambique would also join the initiative.

    At the end of the mission, a report was produced for the Mozambican government, which will support the next national cancer plan to address the growing cancer situation in the country.

    The IAEA’s Support to Mozambique

    The imPACT Review team are shown imaging equipment by Narciso Sitoe,a radiation oncologist trained under the IAEA technical cooperation programme.

    The IAEA has supported Mozambique in providing cancer care at Maputo Central Hospital for over a decade. A Brazilian team of consultants carried out the training and implementation of radiotherapy at Maputo Central Hospital with the support of the IAEA’s technical cooperation programme. Since 2009,14 specialists at Maputo Central Hospital have been trained in radiation oncology and medical physics through the IAEA’s technical cooperation programme, with the aim of strengthening radiotherapy services.

    Rays of Hope: Cancer Care for All

    While around half of all cancer patients can benefit from some form of radiotherapy, countries such as Mozambique have only limited access to this technology. As just one radiotherapy unit in the capital city of Maputo is available for a population of over 30 million people, many cancer patients in Mozambique are unable to access this life-saving treatment.

    Establishing new radiotherapy facilities is a complex project, requiring new infrastructure and equipment (or better use of existing infrastructure and equipment) as well as training to ensure professionals are available to work in the new facilities, and that radiation safety protocols are followed.

     In 2023 Mozambique joined the IAEA’s Rays of Hope initiative, which aims to help bridge the gap in cancer care around the world by expanding access to radiotherapy.

    “Through Rays of Hope the IAEA will continue to support the expansion of radiation medicine capacities in Mozambique, in diagnosis as well as treatment, including through support for the development and training of the national cancer care workforce,” said Hua Liu, IAEA Deputy Director General and Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation.

    ImPACT Reviews are a vital step in helping countries to improve national radiotherapy services, along with cancer control in general, as they allow international teams of cancer control experts to support national counterparts with cancer control planning and investments.

    READ MORE: Mozambique is Prioritizing Cancers Affecting Women and Children

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NEW REPORT: Trump’s Mass Firings at VA Hurt WA Veterans

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    ICYMI: Murray Statement on Trump & Elon Plans to Decimate VA, Firing 80,000 Employees and Putting Veterans’ Care in Grave Danger

    ICYMI: Senator Murray, VA Researchers, Employees, Contractors in WA State Slam Trump & Elon’s Plans to Decimate VA With Further Mass Layoffs, Harm Services Veterans Rely On

    ***Report HERE***

    Washington, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, released a new report detailing how President Trump and Elon Musk’s reckless mass firings at the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) are already harming veterans’ services and health care in Washington state and across the country.

    Senator Murray has been outspoken in standing up for veterans, VA employees, and VA researchers against Trump and Elon Musk’s indiscriminate mass layoffs that will undermine critical services our nation’s veterans rely on every day. Senator Murray, a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, was among the first to raise the alarm about the layoffs of VA researchers and called on President Trump to immediately reverse the firings. She pressed VA Deputy Secretary nominee Dr. Paul Lawrence on the firings of VA researchers at the hearing on his nomination last week, held a press conference with a VA employee and veteran in Seattle who was abruptly laid off as part of the mass firings with zero justification, and put out a fact sheet on how the indiscriminate mass firings were hurting workers in Washington state, including VA researchers. In January, Murray and others called on President Trump to exempt all VA employees from the hiring freeze issued as part of his Day One Executive Orders.  

    The full report is available HERE and below:

    National View: The Department of Veterans Affairs

    The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs serves approximately nine million enrolled veterans every year. Washington state alone has around 232,000 veterans enrolled in the VA health care system. Its mission is to provide comprehensive care, support, and benefits to veterans of the United States military and their families. Core VA benefits and services include: health care including medical, mental health, and rehabilitation care; benefits and compensation including disability compensation, pensions, educational assistance, and housing loans; and burial and memorial services, including access to national cemeteries.

    Like the rest of the federal government, VA employs high numbers of veterans and military spouses compared to private sector employers. Veterans make up 30% of the federal workforce, and the federal government is the largest single employer of veterans in the country.

    On February 13, 2024, VA Secretary Collins terminated 1,000 VA employees, including a substantial number of veterans and military spouses, without cause.Then on February 24, Secretary Collins carried out another round of illegal terminations of VA employees. This mass firing brought the total number of fired VA employees to 2,400. Of those fired, a large proportion were themselves veterans and military spouses. On March 4, a leaked internal VA memo showed that Secretary Collins planned to terminate an estimated 83,000 employees – likely including an estimated 20,000 veterans – by the end of September of this year. This plan to reduce the VA workforce to September 2019 levels, coupled with the ongoing hiring freeze and illegal terminations of probationary employees, will be catastrophic for the agency, its workforce, and for the veterans, caregivers, and survivors it serves.

    These measures will reverse the progress made by the previous Administration, during which VA was able to deliver more care and benefits to more veterans than ever before. It would roll back the progress and massive expansion of care and benefits from the bipartisan PACT Act, the largest expansion of VA health care and benefits in decades. These mass firings also threaten to erode recent progress in lowering the veteran unemployment rate, which has been a longstanding, bipartisan priority.

    The Department of Veterans Affairs Provides Necessary Services and Has Ripple Effects Across Washington State

    Before these mass firings, the VA was already experiencing staff shortages. The recent additional staffing and funding cuts will exacerbate these shortages and negatively impact the care veterans receive.

    Former VA employees describe likely irreversible damage to the VA system, including loss of innovation and increased strain on already scarce staff time and resources. 

    • Future Zhou, a disabled Army veteran who worked as an Inventory Manager at the Puget Sound VA Medical Center in Washington state, was abruptly let go due to recent workforce cuts imposed by the Trump Administration. By eliminating inventory management positions, understaffed nurses will now be burdened with additional responsibilities as they work to provide top-notch care with already limited time. Veteran patients will need to wait longer for medication and equipment they need while they are receiving care.
      • “Unfortunately, I was not alone. Five other logistics personnel in our probationary phase were dismissed within hours of me, two mail clerks and three supply techs. The unprofessional manner in which these decisions were executed was incredibly disrespectful. I have since visited my office—because I still receive my care at the Seattle VA—and witnessed firsthand the undue stress and devastation that these indiscriminate firings have caused. Our supply team is now more than seven days behind on placing critical supply requests for medication and equipment in our hospital, and our supply techs have had to cut their night shifts, limiting deliveries to our clinics. I saw nurses going down to the warehouse to collect their own supplies in order to continue to provide quality care to our veterans. I am not confident that the hospital can remain open under these conditions.”
    • Christian Helfrich, who served twenty years with the Puget Sound VA Medical Center as a research investigator, was one of seven research employees laid off because their research terms were not renewed due to the hiring freeze.
      • “In terms of what the effect will be on veterans… it’s not having innovative care developed in the VA, like pulmonary teams using the Electronic Health Record to identify problems for veterans before they happen, preventing things like pneumonia, and it’s not doing things like having people systematically identifying problems with the new Oracle Electronic Health Record… Research is an investment in the future—and if we don’t invest in research today, we are not investing in the future of the VA. And I’ll just add, what’s going on right now isn’t a two-way door where you can tear down the VA and then see what happens, and if you don’t like it, go back to the way it was. This is a one-way door —if we tear it down now, it is going to take years or decades to build back.”
    • Raphael Garcia, a 100% disabled Army veteran and combat engineer, was abruptly fired from his role as a management analyst with the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs by the current administration.
      • “I swore an oath to serve our country—first in the U.S. Army and then at the VA—only to be suddenly terminated by the very institution that promised to care for those who have served … Removing key personnel, not only delays claim processing, it erodes the institutional knowledge built over years of service, and sacrifices the care and compassion our veterans deserve.”

    All three of these VA employees provided essential services to improve the health and lives of veterans. Without these staff and the other dedicated VA employees who were unduly fired, health care access and disability claim decisions will be delayed, services will be eliminated, and overall care for veterans will be negatively impacted.

    One veteran, who is a prominent member and advocate in his local veteran service organization, confirmed that these cuts will further stress these systems that veterans rely on.

    • Joshua Schrek is an Iraq and Afghanistan veteran who now lives in Renton, Washington and serves as a Judge Advocate General of the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW). He’s been active in the VFW for over 15 years, previously serving at the post, district, and department levels, including previously being the Department of Washington VFW state Chief of Staff. His comments represent his own views and not those of VFW.
      • “I have received information directly from an employee at the Seattle VA who expressed serious concerns. He shared that his department is responsible for overseeing 46 veteran-facing products and services, including My HealtheVet, Community Care Billing, Enrollment & Eligibility, and the Veterans Crisis Line. Out of 140 authorized positions, only 65 are filled – expected to drop to 59. He also noted that they rely on over 700 contractors, and with contract cancellations happening centrally and without local input, there’s a risk these systems could go offline with no available staff to restore them.”
      • “The situation has the potential to affect not only veterans but also the families who rely on VA support systems. If services like benefits processing, crisis response, and access to medical care are interrupted, it creates stress and instability for those trying to navigate an already complex system. One particularly alarming note shared with me was that if some systems break, they may ‘stay down indefinitely’ due to a lack of technical staff to fix them.”

    The Trump Administration is Damaging Veterans’ Access to Care for Years to Come

    Trump and Musk are putting the health care and benefits veterans have earned in grave danger. They are firing tens of thousands of people responsible for administering the services and care that over nine million veterans enrolled in VA health care across the country count on—and it’s a breach of the sacred commitment we make to our veterans to take care of them when they return home. These arbitrary mass layoffs, at the very least, are going to mean longer processing times for disability or education claims veterans are desperately waiting on and longer wait times for veterans to see a healthcare provider—to say nothing of the serious threat to patient safety or the threat of VA medical centers closing. For example, the Puget Sound VA already has 40 mental health position vacancies, 14 of which are psychology positions. Firing additional employees will only further decrease access to mental health care. The consequences will reverberate for generations—more veterans sick and unable to get their benefits, more veterans out of a job, and fewer men and women willing to sign up to serve a nation that shows it will not keep their promises to them.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC Tornado Watch 99

    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.
    SEL9

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 99
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    315 PM CDT Wed Apr 2 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    Central and Eastern Illinois
    Western and Central Indiana

    * Effective this Wednesday afternoon and evening from 315 PM
    until 1000 PM CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Several tornadoes likely with a couple intense tornadoes
    possible
    Widespread damaging winds likely with isolated significant gusts
    to 80 mph possible
    Scattered large hail events to 1.5 inches in diameter possible

    SUMMARY…Severe storms are expected to develop and increase
    initially across central/northeast Illinois late this afternoon, and
    steadily progress east-northeastward into eastern Illinois and much
    of western/central/northern Indiana by evening.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 90 statute miles
    north and south of a line from 30 miles west northwest of Decatur IL
    to 45 miles north northeast of Indianapolis IN. For a complete
    depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
    (WOUS64 KWNS WOU9).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

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

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 97…WW 98…

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 70 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean
    storm motion vector 23035.

    …Guyer

    SEL9

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 99
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    315 PM CDT Wed Apr 2 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    Central and Eastern Illinois
    Western and Central Indiana

    * Effective this Wednesday afternoon and evening from 315 PM
    until 1000 PM CDT.

    * Primary threats include…
    Several tornadoes likely with a couple intense tornadoes
    possible
    Widespread damaging winds likely with isolated significant gusts
    to 80 mph possible
    Scattered large hail events to 1.5 inches in diameter possible

    SUMMARY…Severe storms are expected to develop and increase
    initially across central/northeast Illinois late this afternoon, and
    steadily progress east-northeastward into eastern Illinois and much
    of western/central/northern Indiana by evening.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 90 statute miles
    north and south of a line from 30 miles west northwest of Decatur IL
    to 45 miles north northeast of Indianapolis IN. For a complete
    depiction of the watch see the associated watch outline update
    (WOUS64 KWNS WOU9).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

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

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 97…WW 98…

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 1.5 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 70 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 500. Mean
    storm motion vector 23035.

    …Guyer

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW9
    WW 99 TORNADO IL IN 022015Z – 030300Z
    AXIS..90 STATUTE MILES NORTH AND SOUTH OF LINE..
    30WNW DEC/DECATUR IL/ – 45NNE IND/INDIANAPOLIS IN/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 80NM N/S /29WNW AXC – 36NNE IND/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..1.5 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..70 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 500. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 23035.

    LAT…LON 41308939 41628595 39028595 38688939

    THIS IS AN APPROXIMATION TO THE WATCH AREA. FOR A
    COMPLETE DEPICTION OF THE WATCH SEE WOUS64 KWNS
    FOR WOU9.

    Watch 99 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    High (80%)

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

    Mod (50%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    High (90%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    Mod (50%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Mod (50%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Low (20%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    High (>95%)

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Appian completes sale of MVV to Baiyin Nonferrous for US$420 million

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LONDON, April 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Appian Capital Advisory LLP (“Appian”), the investment advisor to long-term value-focused private capital funds that invest in companies in metals, mining, and adjacent industries, is pleased to announce the completion of the sale of Mineração Vale Verde (“MVV”) to Baiyin Nonferrous Group Co., Ltd (“Baiyin Nonferrous”) for an all-cash offer of US$420 million.

    Highlights

    • Funds advised by Appian have completed an all-cash transaction for the 100% sale of MVV to Baiyin Nonferrous for US$420 million
    • Appian has executed its investment thesis and realized significant value for its investors by bringing MVV into production and delivering an attractive mid-scale copper-gold open pit mining operation from greenfield
    • Acquired in 2018 with ten employees, MVV began production in May 2021, just three years after its initial investment
    • MVV’s stable operations and strong financial performance have been achieved alongside a leading safety track record with zero Lost Time Incidents (“LTI”) in the last three years, with over 1050 people now working on-site
    • MVV will continue to deliver copper over multiple decades with its efficient operations that position the mine in the middle of the industry cost curve
    • Appian’s funds remain well positioned with positive exposure to key trends, including the energy transition

    The transaction marks Appian’s 13th successful exit and demonstrates the effectiveness of Appian’s operating model in identifying, acquiring, and optimizing undervalued mining projects using technical arbitrage to create significant value for its investors. This approach is underpinned by Appian’s leading cross-disciplinary team, which includes geologists, engineers, metallurgists, and finance professionals focused on creating value across all aspects of Appian’s portfolio.

    Michael W. Scherb, Founder and CEO of Appian, commented: “This transaction further validates Appian’s ability to identify great overlooked assets and use our in-house technical expertise to realize their potential and optimize their value for our investors. It underlines the strategic positioning of Appian’s portfolio to support the growing demand for a reliable supply of high-quality critical minerals.”

    Transaction details

    The completed transaction encompasses 100% of the equity in MVV owned by the Appian funds. The headline purchase price of US$420 million is on a cash-free, debt-free basis.

    Appian is committed to ensuring MVV’s continued success under new ownership and, following the completion, is now providing operational support to Baiyin Nonferrous to assist with the transition and full takeover of the asset.

    As part of the Transaction, Baiyin Nonferrous demonstrated its commitment to safety and maintaining MVV’s leading ESG practices, which Appian has implemented in alignment with globally recognized best practices.

    Standard Chartered and Citigroup acted as the financial advisors, and Norton Rose Fulbright was the legal advisor to Appian on this Transaction.

    MVV acquisition and optimization

    The Appian funds acquired MVV, owner of the Serrote greenfield open-pit copper-gold asset located in Alagoas, Brazil, from Aura Minerals in 2018 with ten employees. Appian identified Serrote as a rare standalone, construction-ready, copper project with meaningful precious metal by-product credits that could benefit from its technical arbitrage and asset development strategy.

    Following the acquisition, Appian completed a revised Definitive Feasibility Study based on the internal view of a re-scoped project developed during due diligence. This included reducing plant throughput and focusing production on a higher-grade section of the resources with a lower strip ratio. These changes led to a lower initial CAPEX budget of US$243 million vs US$420 million in the original mine plan and reduced operating costs over the life of mine.

    Appian actively worked across all aspects of the investment to unlock value. This included building the in-country management team and installing Appian’s best practice operating standards and procedures. Appian also secured a US$140 million financing facility for the project from a syndicate of three international banks and signed favorable offtake contracts with global traders and smelters.

    The mine was constructed during the COVID-19 pandemic and brought to production in May 2021. The project was delivered ahead of schedule and under budget by US$48 million, within three years of Appian’s initial acquisition. The ramp-up of commercial operations was completed in Q4 2022. MVV has been in stable operation for two years since and today has over 1050 employees.

    MVV has a best-in-class safety record and operates with the highest ESG standards. The project has recorded zero LTIs with over 1.9 million hours worked in the last 12 months, and zero LTIs in the past 36 months. Its Scope 1 and 2 emissions intensity per tonne of copper produced was 1.53 t CO2e/t in 2023, less than half the industry average reported by the International Energy Agency.

    In 2024, MVV achieved strong operational and financial results with 18.3kt of copper and 8.2koz of gold produced, generating an EBITDA of US$83.9 million from US$184.4 million of revenue. The mine’s average C1 cash cost in 2024 was US$1.74/lb Cu.

    MVV will continue to deliver copper over multiple decades with its efficient operations that position the mine in the middle of the industry cost curve. The mine is well located with access to three ports and Maceió airport. The site is connected to the national grid via a 230kV powerline with access to low-cost, renewable energy, with Brazil’s energy mix being 86% renewable.

    MVV is the largest regional exporter in the Alagoas state, accounting for 28.2% of the state’s total exports by value. 100% of MVV’s employees are Brazilian, and over 80% are from the local municipalities. MVV has strong support from both the local community and regional authorities. Community initiatives are a core part of the mine’s operations and include providing support for school STEM programs, social projects for female entrepreneurs, and environmental educational courses.

    For further information:

    Click here to view and download a video detailing the history of MVV.

    Appian Capital Advisory LLP:

    Andrew Todd, Head of Communications: +44 7990416759 / atodd@appiancapitaladvisory.com

    +44 (0)20 7004 0951 / info@appiancapitaladvisory.com

    About Appian Capital Advisory LLP
    Appian Capital Advisory LLP is the investment advisor to long-term value-focused private capital funds that invest in companies in metals, mining, and adjacent industries.

    Appian is a leading investment advisor with global experience across South America, North America, Australia and Africa and a successful track record of supporting companies in metals, mining, and adjacent industries to achieve their development targets, with a global operating portfolio overseeing nearly 5,000 employees.

    Appian has a global team of 85 experienced professionals with presences in London, New York, Hong Kong, Toronto, Vancouver, Lima, Belo Horizonte, Montreal, Dubai, Johannesburg and Perth.

    For more information, please visit www.appiancapitaladvisory.com, or find us on LinkedIn, Instagram or Twitter/X.

    About Baiyin Nonferrous Group Co., Ltd

    Baiyin Nonferrous engages in the mining, smelting, processing, and trading of various non-ferrous metals in China. Founded in 1954, Baiyin Nonferrous has operations in China and overseas. In China, they own and operate mines and smelters in Gansu, Shaanxi, Inner Mongolia and other provinces. Their overseas operations include Gold One Group in South Africa and Minera Shouxin in Peru. Globally, Baiyin Nonferrous has a production capacity of 400ktpa copper, 400ktpa lead and zinc, 15tpa gold and 500tpa silver.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3fcfc2de-da91-4535-82c9-4e93cec91491

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: SideChannel, Inc. to Present at the AI & Technology Virtual Investor Conference April 3rd

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WORCESTER, Mass., April 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — SideChannel, Inc. (OTCQB:SDCH) (“SideChannel”), a leading provider of cybersecurity services and technology to emerging and middle market companies, today announced that Brian Haugli, Chief Executive Officer, will present live at the AI & Technology Virtual Investor Conference hosted by VirtualInvestorConferences.com, on April 3rd, 2025.

    DATE: April 3rd
    TIME: 2:30 PM ET
    LINK: REGISTER HERE

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

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

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

    Company Highlights & Financial Overview

    • Recently placed proprietary software with DoD agencies
    • Expanding sales and marketing team to land more clients and expand with existing clients
    • Fiscal Year 2024 revenue of $7.4 million
    • Fiscal Year 2024 cashflow of $244 thousand
    • Zero debt

    About SideChannel
    SideChannel helps emerging and mid-market companies protect their assets. Founded in 2019, we deliver comprehensive cybersecurity plans through a series of actions branded SideChannel Complete.

    SideChannel deploys a combination of skilled and experienced talent and technology tools to offer layered defense strategies supported by battle-tested processes. SideChannel also offers Enclave, a network infrastructure platform that accelerates the journey from zero to zero-trust. Learn more at sidechannel.com/enclave.

    Investors and shareholders are encouraged to receive press releases and industry updates by subscribing to the investor email newsletter and following SideChannel on X and LinkedIn.

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

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

    CONTACTS:

    SideChannel, Inc.
    Ryan Polk
    Chief Financial Officer
    ir@sidechannel.com 

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

    Forward-Looking Statements
    This press release may contain forward-looking statements, including information about management’s view of SideChannel’s future expectations, plans and prospects. In particular, when used in the preceding discussion, the words “believes”, “hopes”, “expects”, “intends”, “plans”, “anticipates”, ”potential”, “could”, “should” or “may”, and similar conditional expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements relating to future sales, earnings, cash flows, results of operations, uses of cash and other measures of financial performance.

    Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause SideChannel’s actual results and financial condition to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. These risk factors include, but are not limited to: that we have incurred net losses since inception, our need for additional funding, the substantial doubt about our ability to continue as a going concern, and the terms of any future funding we raise; our dependence on current management and our ability to attract and retain qualified employees; competition for our products; our ability to develop and successfully introduce new products, improve current products and innovate; unpredictability in our operating results; our ability to retain existing licensees and add new licensees; our ability to manage our growth; our ability to protect our intellectual property (IP), enforce our IP rights and defend against claims that we infringed on the IP of others; the risk associated with the concentration of our cash in one financial institution at levels above the amount protected by FDIC insurance; and other risk factors included from time to time in documents we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including, but not limited to, our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K. These reports are available at www.sec.gov.

    Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could have material adverse effects that could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected or represented in the forward-looking statements. Further, factors that we do not presently deem material as of the date of this release may become material in the future. The forward-looking statements included in this press release are made only as of the date hereof. SideChannel cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance, or achievements. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. Finally, SideChannel undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements after the date of this release, except as required by law, nor any obligation to update or correct information prepared by third parties.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SPC PDS Tornado Watch 98

    Source: US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

    Note:  The expiration time in the watch graphic is amended if the watch is replaced, cancelled or extended.Note: Click for Watch Status Reports.
    SEL8

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 98
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    250 PM CDT Wed Apr 2 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    Eastern and South-Central Arkansas
    Southern Illinois
    Southwest Indiana
    Western Kentucky
    Southeast Missouri
    Northern Mississippi
    Western Tennessee

    * Effective this Wednesday afternoon from 250 PM until Midnight
    CDT.

    …THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION…

    * Primary threats include…
    Several tornadoes and a few intense tornadoes likely
    Widespread damaging winds and isolated significant gusts to 80
    mph likely
    Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2
    inches in diameter possible

    SUMMARY…Storms are expected to develop this afternoon initially
    across the ArkLaMiss and Mid-South, with the overall environment
    becoming increasingly favorable for tornadoes through late afternoon
    into early/mid-evening. Some of these tornadoes may be strong or
    intense (EF3+), with widespread damaging winds also likely across
    the region by evening. This is a Particularly Dangerous Situation
    with intense storms expected over a relatively broad regional area,
    with multiple rounds of severe storms possible in some areas.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 90 statute miles
    east and west of a line from 55 miles southeast of Pine Bluff AR to
    30 miles northwest of Evansville IN. For a complete depiction of the
    watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU8).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

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

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 97…

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 70 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 550. Mean
    storm motion vector 24035.

    …Guyer

    SEL8

    URGENT – IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
    Tornado Watch Number 98
    NWS Storm Prediction Center Norman OK
    250 PM CDT Wed Apr 2 2025

    The NWS Storm Prediction Center has issued a

    * Tornado Watch for portions of
    Eastern and South-Central Arkansas
    Southern Illinois
    Southwest Indiana
    Western Kentucky
    Southeast Missouri
    Northern Mississippi
    Western Tennessee

    * Effective this Wednesday afternoon from 250 PM until Midnight
    CDT.

    …THIS IS A PARTICULARLY DANGEROUS SITUATION…

    * Primary threats include…
    Several tornadoes and a few intense tornadoes likely
    Widespread damaging winds and isolated significant gusts to 80
    mph likely
    Scattered large hail and isolated very large hail events to 2
    inches in diameter possible

    SUMMARY…Storms are expected to develop this afternoon initially
    across the ArkLaMiss and Mid-South, with the overall environment
    becoming increasingly favorable for tornadoes through late afternoon
    into early/mid-evening. Some of these tornadoes may be strong or
    intense (EF3+), with widespread damaging winds also likely across
    the region by evening. This is a Particularly Dangerous Situation
    with intense storms expected over a relatively broad regional area,
    with multiple rounds of severe storms possible in some areas.

    The tornado watch area is approximately along and 90 statute miles
    east and west of a line from 55 miles southeast of Pine Bluff AR to
    30 miles northwest of Evansville IN. For a complete depiction of the
    watch see the associated watch outline update (WOUS64 KWNS WOU8).

    PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

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

    &&

    OTHER WATCH INFORMATION…CONTINUE…WW 97…

    AVIATION…Tornadoes and a few severe thunderstorms with hail
    surface and aloft to 2 inches. Extreme turbulence and surface wind
    gusts to 70 knots. A few cumulonimbi with maximum tops to 550. Mean
    storm motion vector 24035.

    …Guyer

    Note: The Aviation Watch (SAW) product is an approximation to the watch area. The actual watch is depicted by the shaded areas.
    SAW8
    WW 98 TORNADO AR IL IN KY MO MS TN 021950Z – 030500Z
    AXIS..90 STATUTE MILES EAST AND WEST OF LINE..
    55SE PBF/PINE BLUFF AR/ – 30NW EVV/EVANSVILLE IN/
    ..AVIATION COORDS.. 80NM E/W /50W SQS – 26NNW PXV/
    HAIL SURFACE AND ALOFT..2 INCHES. WIND GUSTS..70 KNOTS.
    MAX TOPS TO 550. MEAN STORM MOTION VECTOR 24035.

    LAT…LON 33599282 38328958 38328626 33598969

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

    Watch 98 Status Report Message has not been issued yet.

    Note:  Click for Complete Product Text.Tornadoes

    Probability of 2 or more tornadoes

    High (90%)

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

    High (90%)

    Wind

    Probability of 10 or more severe wind events

    High (80%)

    Probability of 1 or more wind events > 65 knots

    High (70%)

    Hail

    Probability of 10 or more severe hail events

    Mod (50%)

    Probability of 1 or more hailstones > 2 inches

    Mod (50%)

    Combined Severe Hail/Wind

    Probability of 6 or more combined severe hail/wind events

    High (>95%)

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Chinese barges and Taiwan Strait drills are about global power projection − not just a potential invasion

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Colin Flint, Distinguished Professor of Political Science, Utah State University

    A Mulberry Harbour for the 21st century. Image from video posted on Weibo via Chinese state media.

    Is China intent on a D-Day style invasion of Taiwan?

    Certainly that has been the tone of some of the reporting following the emergence of photos and videos depicting massive new Chinese barges designed for land-to-sea military operations. The fact that China launched a two-day military drill in the Taiwan Strait on April 1, 2025, has only intensified such fears.

    To me, the curious thing regarding these musings about a potential war involving China, which has one of the world’s most advanced militaries, is that it is supported by reference to technology first used some 80 years ago – specifically, the Mulberry Harbours, floating piers that allowed Allies to deploy land vehicles onto the beaches at Normandy on June 6, 1944.

    As an expert on the history and geopolitics of the Mulberry Harbours, I believe using the World War II example obscures far more than it clarifies with regard to the geopolitical situation today. Indeed, while the new Chinese ships may be operationally similar to their historical forebears, the strategic situation in China and Taiwan is far different.

    Disquiet on the Pacific front?

    The possibility of a Chinese invasion of Taiwan, an island the Chinese Communist Party sees as part of its territory, is perhaps the most pressing security issue for countries in the Asia-Pacific region.

    Beijing has increasingly ratcheted up the aggressive rhetoric toward the government in Taipei during the premiership of President Xi Jinping. While one reading of Xi is that his rhetoric is in part a strategic move to burnish Chinese power globally, labeling Taiwan as a renegade or breakaway province is, for many, a clear indication of an intention to invade and bring the island within the geography of Chinese sovereignty.

    From the U.S. perspective, the Trump administration gave early signals that it saw China as the main threat to its national security, though Washington’s commitments to the defense of Taiwan remain uncertain, much like the president’s ultimate policy views toward Beijing.

    Aside from the geopolitics, any China decision to invade Taiwan would mean attempting an extremely challenging military operation that is, historically speaking, a risky proposition. Seaborne invasions have often led to high casualties or even outright failure.

    The Gallipoli landings on the coast of Turkey during World War I, for example, led to the withdrawal of mainly Australian and New Zealand forces after high casualties and barely any territorial gains. In World War II, island-hopping by U.S. forces to push back Japan’s advance achieved strategic goals – but at a high human cost.

    The difficulty posed by sea-to-land invasion is not just the battles on Day 1, it is the logistical challenge of continuing to funnel troops and materiel to sustain a push out from the beachhead. That’s where the barges come into play.

    About those WWII barges …

    British Prime Minister Winston Churchill was skeptical of opening a front against Nazi Germany by a landing on the French coast – a position that frustrated the United States. The main concern of Churchill and his generals was the logistical puzzle. They reasoned that Germany would either retain control of French ports or sabotage them, and that tanks, guns, food, soldiers and other necessities were not going to be brought up from reserve via ports.

    The Mulberry Harbours fixed that problem by creating a set of floating piers that would rise up and down with the tide by being fixed to sophisticated anchors. Ships could moor to these piers and unload needed material. The piers were protected by an inner ring of concrete caissons, dragged across the channel and sunk into position, and an outer breakwater of scuttled ships. The Mulberry Harbours were a combination of cutting-edge pier technology and improvisation.

    Construction of a Mulberry Harbour, and the unloading of supplies for the Allies at Colleville, France, in 1944.
    Three Lions/Getty Images

    The images of Chinese invasion barges today show that the technology has advanced, but the principle of an operational need for logistical support of a beachhead breakout is the same.

    Yet the geography of any invasion is very different. In World War II, the Mulberry Harbours were part of an invasion from an island to conquer a continent. But a Chinese invasion of Taiwan would be the inverse – from a continent to an island.

    Great power politics, Chinese characteristics

    The use of Mulberry Harbours, as innovative as it was, was only a moment in a longer geopolitical process.

    The D-Day invasion was the culmination of the transfer of U.S. military might across the Atlantic through Operation Bolero. Simply, the United Kingdom became a giant warehouse – mainly for U.S. soldiers and equipment.

    The Mulberry Harbours made the crossing of the English Channel possible for these men and weapons. It was the last step in the projection of U.S. power across the Atlantic Ocean and on to the European continent. I describe this as a process of a seapower moving from its near or coastal waters to far waters in another part of the globe.

    The calculation for China is very different. Certainly, barges would help an invasion across the Taiwan Strait. But China sees Taiwan as part of its near waters, and it wants to secure those waters from global competition.

    Beijing views the U.S. as having established a military presence just off its coastline from World War II to the present day, making the western Pacific another set of U.S. far waters across the globe accompanying its European presence. From its perspective, China is surrounded by a U.S. military based in Okinawa, Guam and the Philippines. This chain of bases could restrict China’s ambition through blockade, and controlling Taiwan would help China create a gap in this chain.

    Of course, China does not just have an eye on its near waters. It has also created a far water presence of its own in its building of an ocean-going military navy, established a military base in Djibouti, and through its Belt and Road Initiative become an economic and political presence across the Indian, Pacific, Arctic and Atlantic oceans.

    Chinese invasion barges could be deployed quite early in China’s process of moving from near to far waters. The Mulberry Harbours, conversely, were deployed once the U.S. had already secured its Caribbean, Atlantic and Pacific near waters.

    Part of a process

    Technical matters and historical comparisons with the Mulberry Harbours are an interesting way to look at the new Chinese invasion barges and consider the operational scale of geopolitics. But as with the World War II case, China-Taiwan tensions are simply a modern example of a local theater – this time, the Taiwanese Strait – being part of a greater global process of power projection. The comparisons to Mulberry Harbours, therefore, are not with the technology itself but its role in a mechanism of historical geopolitical change.

    The reemergence of the technology of invasion barges may be a sign that a new conflict is on the horizon. If that were the case, the irony is that China would be using Mulberry Harbour-type technology to secure its position in the western Pacific at the same time the Trump administration is questioning the strategic value of the U.S. presence in Europe – a presence established through World War II and, at least in part, the use of the Mulberry Harbours.

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

    – ref. Chinese barges and Taiwan Strait drills are about global power projection − not just a potential invasion – https://theconversation.com/chinese-barges-and-taiwan-strait-drills-are-about-global-power-projection-not-just-a-potential-invasion-253408

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –