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Category: Australia

  • MIL-OSI Global: In siding with Russia over Ukraine, Trump is not putting America first. He is hastening its decline

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Matthew Sussex, Associate Professor (Adj), Griffith Asia Institute; and Fellow, Strategic and Defence Studies Centre, Australian National University

    Has any nation squandered its diplomatic capital, plundered its own political system, attacked its partners and supplicated itself before its far weaker enemies as rapidly and brazenly as Donald Trump’s America?

    The fiery Oval Office meeting between Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky on Friday saw the American leader try to publicly humiliate the democratically elected leader of a nation that had been invaded by a rapacious and imperialistic aggressor.

    And this was all because Zelensky refused to sign an act of capitulation, criticised Putin (who has tried to have Zelensky killed on numerous occasions), and failed to bend the knee to Trump, the country’s self-described king.

    The Oval Office meeting became heated in a way that has rarely been seen between world leaders.

    What’s worse is Trump has now been around so long that his oafish behaviour has become normalised. Together with his attack dog, Vice President JD Vance, Trump has thrown the Overton window – the spectrum of subjects politically acceptable to the public – wide open.

    Previously sensible Republicans are now either cowed or co-opted. Elon Musk’s so-called Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is gutting America’s public service and installing toadies in place of professionals, while his social media company, X, is platforming ads from actual neo-Nazis.

    The FBI is run by Kash Patel, who hawked bogus COVID vaccine reversal therapies and wrote children’s books featuring Trump as a monarch. The agency is already busily investigating Trump’s enemies.

    The Department of Health and Human Services is helmed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr., a vaccine denier, just as Americans have begun dying from measles for the first time in a decade. And America’s health and medical research has been channelled into ideologically “approved” topics.

    At the Pentagon, in a breathtaking act of self-sabotage, Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered US Cyber Command to halt all operations targeting Russia.

    And cuts to USAID funding are destroying US soft power, creating a vacuum that will gleefully be filled by China. Other Western aid donors are likely to follow suit so they can spend more on their militaries in response to US unilateralism.

    What is Trump’s strategy?

    Trump’s wrecking ball is already having seismic global effects, mere weeks after he took office.

    The US vote against a UN General Assembly resolution condemning Russia for starting the war against Ukraine placed it in previously unthinkable company – on the side of Russia, Belarus and North Korea. Even China abstained from the vote.

    In the United Kingdom, a YouGov poll of more than 5,000 respondents found that 48% of Britons thought it was more important to support Ukraine than maintain good relations with the US. Only 20% favoured supporting America over Ukraine.

    And Trump’s bizarre suggestion that China, Russia and the US halve their respective defence budgets is certain to be interpreted as a sign of weakness rather than strength.

    The oft-used explanation for his behaviour is that it echoes the isolationism of one of his ideological idols, former US President Andrew Jackson. Trump’s aim seems to be ring-fencing American businesses with high tariffs, while attempting to split Russia away from its relationship with China.

    These arguments are both economically illiterate and geopolitically witless. Even a cursory understanding of tariffs reveals that they drive inflation because they are paid by importers who then pass the costs on to consumers. Over time, they are little more than sugar pills that turn economies diabetic, increasingly reliant on state protections from unending trade wars.

    And the “reverse Kissinger” strategy – a reference to the US role in exacerbating the Sino-Soviet split during the Cold War – is wishful thinking to the extreme.

    Putin would have to be utterly incompetent to countenance a move away from Beijing. He has invested significant time and effort to improve this relationship, believing China will be the dominant power of the 21st century.

    Putin would be even more foolish to embrace the US as a full-blown partner. That would turn Russia’s depopulated southern border with China, stretching over 4,300 kilometres, into the potential front line of a new Cold War.

    What does this mean for America’s allies?

    While Trump’s moves have undoubtedly strengthened the US’ traditional adversaries, they have also weakened and alarmed its friends.

    Put simply, no American ally – either in Europe or Asia – can now have confidence Washington will honour its security commitments. This was brought starkly home to NATO members at the Munich Security Conference in February, where US representatives informed a stunned audience that America may no longer view itself as the main guarantor of European security.

    Vice President JD Vance delivers a strong message to European leaders.

    The swiftness of US disengagement means European countries must not only muster the will and means to arm themselves quickly, but also take the lead in collectively providing for Ukraine’s security.

    Whether they can do so remains unclear. Europe’s history of inaction does not bode well.

    US allies also face choices in Asia. Japan and South Korea will now be seriously considering all options – potentially even nuclear weapons – to deter an emboldened China.

    There are worries in Australia, as well. Can it pretend nothing has changed and hope the situation will then normalise after the next US presidential election?

    The future of AUKUS, the deal to purchase (and then co-design) US nuclear powered submarines, is particularly uncertain.

    Does it make strategic sense to pursue full integration with the US military when the White House could just treat Taipei, Tokyo, Seoul and Canberra with the same indifference it has displayed towards its friends in Europe?

    Ultimately, the chaos Trump 2.0 has unleashed in such a short amount of time is both unprecedented and bewildering. In seeking to put “America First”, Trump is perversely hastening its decline. He is leaving America isolated and untrusted by its closest friends.

    And, in doing so, the world’s most powerful nation has also made the world a more dangerous, uncertain and ultimately an uglier place to be.

    Matthew Sussex has received funding from the Australian Research Council, the Atlantic Council, the Fulbright Foundation, the Carnegie Foundation, the Lowy Institute and various Australian government departments and agencies.

    – ref. In siding with Russia over Ukraine, Trump is not putting America first. He is hastening its decline – https://theconversation.com/in-siding-with-russia-over-ukraine-trump-is-not-putting-america-first-he-is-hastening-its-decline-251140

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: From the fashion to the speeches to the music, this was an Oscars of few surprises. 5 experts break it down

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Harriette Richards, Senior Lecturer, School of Fashion and Textiles, RMIT University

    In a year with few surprises in the awards categories, there was also a dearth of surprises on the red carpet. The sartorial themes included sparkling metallics, coloured menswear and bows, bows and more bows.

    Metallic gowns that resemble the Oscar statue are a familiar sight at the Academy Awards and this year was no different. Some of the standouts included best actress nominee Demi Moore in a magnificently glittering silver Armani Privé gown, Selena Gomez in custom Ralph Lauren encrusted with 16,000 individual blush-toned jewel teardrops, and Emma Stone in a minimalist Louis Vuitton sheath covered in iridescent fish scales.

    In the menswear category, tuxedos reign supreme. This year was notable only for the diversity of colours in which these suits came.

    Best actor nominee Timothée Chalamet lived up to his reputation for monochrome, richly hued ensembles in a custom butter yellow leather suit by Givenchy, paired with a matching silk shirt and delicate neck brooch in place of a tie. His best actor nominated compatriot, Colman Domingo (one of the best dressed men in Hollywood) was pristine in a double-breasted red silk jacket with black lapels, black trousers and matching red shirt by Valentino, similarly eschewing a tie in favour of a fine gold brooch. Andrew Garfield wore louche chocolate brown Gucci and Jeremy Strong wore a suit by Loro Piana in an unusual tone of olive green.

    Bows of varying size and stature were perhaps the strongest theme of the night.

    Best actress winner Mikey Madison in black and pink Dior, best supporting actress nominee Felicity Jones in shimmering liquid silver Armani, Elle Fanning in white and black Givenchy and Lupita Nyong’o in white Chanel were all adorned with bows at their waists.

    The most remarkable bow of the night though was best actress nominee Cynthia Erivo in a structured deep emerald-green velvet Louis Vuitton gown, the broad, wing-like sleeves of which were crafted as a bow.

    Notable mentions must also go to those attendees who do not fit neatly into any thematic category. Best supporting actress nominee Ariana Grande wore a meticulously crafted pale pink Schiaparelli confection and Lisa (of Blackpink and now White Lotus fame) perfected a feminine take on masculine suiting in a tuxedo dress by Markgong.

    The only real surprise was the lack of political statements on display. Unlike recent years, when pins and ribbons in support of Ukraine and Palestine were widely worn, this year only Guy Pearce was spotted wearing a Free Palestine pin, Conclave writer Peter Straughan wore a Ukrainian flag pin and Kayo Shekoni had “free Congo” emblazoned on the sole of her high heels.

    – Harriette Richards

    The best picture: Anora

    And the best picture Oscar goes to … Anora – the film that was favoured to win, so no surprises here.

    Though he had been working for more than a decade at the time, writer-director-editor Sean Baker came onto the independent movie scene with a bang with 2015’s Tangerine, a gimmicky film that was mainly celebrated for being shot on an iPhone. Why this would be celebrated is anyone’s guess. I suspect it’s because of the “I could do it too” factor – something the average person certainly couldn’t say if we’re talking 35mm celluloid.

    Since then, Baker’s films have relished in embracing the digital, neon world, but always in a kind of sentimental and shallow, rather than critical, register. None of his films are awful – and maybe that’s saying something in this day and age. Anora also is not awful, but it’s not particularly memorable either.

    Anora follows a run of the mill American dream-type story about a hard-working stripper who seems to strike fairytale gold when a young, fun Russian oligarch falls in love with her. Only the dream turns out to be more of a nightmare (kind of) when things don’t quite work out and the film ends with the titular character once again independent and free.

    The idea of undercutting the fairytale setup of the typical rom-com is not at all original, and the film strikes me as even more schmaltzy in its rejection of the fairytale dream than if it had embraced it and played like a tween-focused Nickelodeon film (it’s about as poignant as this).

    The film’s cardinal sin, however – and it’s certainly not alone in this – is its critical overlength. Each of the film’s sections could have had some 20 minutes cut and we would have had an enjoyably tight romp at 80 minutes. Instead, Anora drags on, swept up in its imagining of its own profundity – at times pretentious, but mainly tedious.

    – Ari Mattes

    Not the year to stick a neck out

    The speeches this year were conspicuously meek. No announcer majorly insulted anyone else. No winner assaulted anyone else. Even the James Bond retrospective lacked energy. What’s going on in Hollywood?

    There are clues that help explain this curious flatness. Host Conan O’Brien mentioned the pressure of “divisive politics” while reflecting on California’s wildfires. Several winners spoke about the importance of shared experience, of what unites us, of film as a medium that brings people together, a force for “good and progress in the world” and “a reminder not to let hate go unchecked”.

    The directors of No Other Land, receiving their Oscar for best documentary, shared the one clear critical voice. Palestinian Basel Adra wished his newborn daughter a life without the fear that governs daily life in his homeland. Israeli co-director Yuval Abraham agreed: “There is another way. It’s not too late for life and for the living. There is no other way.”

    However, that was the only moment people at the Oscars seemed willing to confront the political elephant in the room.

    Anora director Sean Baker used his last (of four!) acceptance speeches to compel more people to help keep cinema doors open. He made his point passionately: this was the best way to sustain an industry that could continue to make brilliant movies. That said, the most emotive speeches of past Oscars events went much further than just commenting on the bread and butter concerns of the film industry.

    This year, there were more clues in what people did not say. There were feints at Russian dictators – but nobody mentioned the war in Ukraine. There was no discussion of a certain election result, nor of filmmakers’ fears that Washington is now in the control of a governing faction that loathes them. Most revealing of all: nobody raised a peep about the President or his friends.

    Hollywood’s collective discipline was on show tonight – and 2025 is not the year to stick a neck out.

    – Tom Clark

    A banner year for independent film

    Independent films were the big winners for this year’s Oscars. While many of the technical awards went to the big budget films, such as Wicked (the US$145 million film won costume design and production design) and Dune: Part 2 (made at a budget of US$190 million, and winning sound and visual effects), the night’s major awards went to small productions.

    While the definitions of “independence” and “studio” films don’t exist in a neat binary when it comes to production and global distribution, we can distinguish between film juggernauts and smaller films.

    Three independent films won significant awards that are of note. Latvian film Flow was the first independent film to win best animated feature, up against major films Inside Out 2 (Pixar Films) and The Wild Robot (DreamWorks).

    The film follows a cat, a dog, a capybara, a secretary bird and a ring-tailed lemur navigating a post-apocalyptic world with rising sea levels. The film also only used free and open-source software Blender and mostly used sounds from real world counterparts of the various characters. It was made for a budget of just €3.5 million (A$5.9 million).

    The best documentary film nominees were dominated by independent films. Notably, the winner No Other Land has sadly been unable to find a distributor to release the film in the United States. (It is available for streaming in Australia on DocPlay, and in select cinemas.) The film was only eligible because the Film Lincoln Centre in New York facilitated a one-week, qualifying theatrical run.

    The night’s top glories went to Anora, made on a budget of just US$6 million (A$9.7 million) and taking home the awards for best film, director, actress, screenplay and editing.

    In his acceptance speech for best director, Sean Baker spoke of the importance of films getting a theatrical release. Films, he said, are about humanity – and that is best experienced in watching a film with other people.

    During awards season, Baker has often spoken about the importance of small budget films in the expression of core human experiences.

    The final message of the night went to Baker when he thanked the Academy for recognising a truly independent film: “Long live independent film!”

    Indeed, independent films ruled this year’s Oscars.

    – Stuart Richards

    Best actor and actress

    Mikey Madison, who won the best actress award for Anora, is quite good in the role. That said, it’s difficult to evaluate her performance in such a meandering film.

    She tries hard playing a stripper who falls for Prince Charming – a Russian oligarch (Hollywood’s anti-Russian sentiment has certainly grown in recent years) who turns out to be a bit of a weakling with meanie parents. But Madison never really convincingly embodies the character, and we’re ever aware as we watch the film that she’s an actress working her way through relevant emotions and intensities.

    That said, Madison is good at yelling and stripping, and this is the main way she shows her chops here. She screamed well in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2019), too. The bar this year was admittedly pretty low, and truth be told Madison’s performance in Anora (aside from Fernanda Torres for I’m Still Here) is probably the best out of the nominees.

    In contrast, Adrien Brody, who won the best actor award, is absolutely unforgettable in the flawed but magnificent The Brutalist – the best he’s been since The Pianist, and the deserved winner by a mile out of a similarly mediocre field. Brody is simply a pleasure to watch, and drives, in a wholly embodied way, this grandiose and exceedingly long film (the fact it doesn’t feel long is largely due to his magnetism).

    The screenplay, in which the character comes across as a combination of arrogant, sweet and at times comedic, allows Brody to display the full range of his talent, and he plays the whole thing with an endearing vulnerability. But, again, it’s unfair to compare Brody and Madison – The Brutalist is a spectacularly accomplished cinematic epic, while Anora feels as stylish and profound as a social media video (I know that’s the point, but that doesn’t make it any more compelling).

    – Ari Mattes

    A lacklustre year for music

    This was a strong year for music-based films, with three of the most nominated ones being musicals of various types: the big-budget Broadway adaptation Wicked, the original film musical Emilia Pérez, and the musician biopic A Complete Unknown.

    The music of the ceremony itself was nicely assembled, with a live orchestra (conducted by Michael Bearden) accompanying proceedings from above the stage.

    But the show was marred by an absence: the best song nominations were not performed live. The new songs this year were so bland, however – especially when compared to the Wicked score and Bob Dylan – that I can hardly blame the producers. The nominations included a dull Elton John song, some soft guitar rock from Sing Sing, Diane Warren’s 16th (!) nominated song (more soft rock), and two forgettable songs from Emilia Pérez (one of which, El Mal, was the winner).

    So little faith did the Academy have in the songs that only a few seconds were played from each, mostly covered by a montage of interviews with the songwriters.

    This year’s nominated best scores were not much more memorable, but Daniel Blumberg deserved his win for The Brutalist. It demonstrates a high level of composition and orchestration craft. It uses edgy instrumental textures to increase the feelings of uncertainty and imbalance that the film imparts.

    The show included a lot of Wizard of Oz. Ariana Grande sang Over the Rainbow from the 1939 film and Cynthia Erivo sang Home from The Wiz, the 1974 soul musical based on the book. Then they performed Defying Gravity from Wicked together.

    Another subtle Wizard of Oz nod was the music played during the commercial breaks: a loop based on Brand New Day from The Wiz, whose 1979 film version had its music produced by the late Quincy Jones. Queen Latifah and backup dancers brought some much needed energy to the last hour of the ceremony with Ease on Down the Road, also from The Wiz, as part of a Jones tribute.

    One surprise was an unnecessary but enjoyable James Bond sequence featuring Margaret Qualley dancing to John Barry’s famous theme, a performance of Live and Let Die by K-pop star Lisa, Doja Cat singing Diamonds Are Forever, and Raye’s rendition of Skyfall.

    This plus the various numbers from the Oz Musical Universe only highlighted how lacklustre this year’s nominated music was.

    – Gregory Camp

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

    – ref. From the fashion to the speeches to the music, this was an Oscars of few surprises. 5 experts break it down – https://theconversation.com/from-the-fashion-to-the-speeches-to-the-music-this-was-an-oscars-of-few-surprises-5-experts-break-it-down-251264

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Melting Antarctic ice will slow the world’s strongest ocean current – and the global consequences are profound

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Taimoor Sohail, Postdoctoral Researcher, School of Geography, Earth and Atmospheric Sciences, The University of Melbourne

    Mongkolchon Akesin, Shutterstock

    Flowing clockwise around Antarctica, the Antarctic Circumpolar Current is the strongest ocean current on the planet. It’s five times stronger than the Gulf Stream and more than 100 times stronger than the Amazon River.

    It forms part of the global ocean “conveyor belt” connecting the Pacific, Atlantic, and Indian oceans. The system regulates Earth’s climate and pumps water, heat and nutrients around the globe.

    But fresh, cool water from melting Antarctic ice is diluting the salty water of the ocean, potentially disrupting the vital ocean current.

    Our new research suggests the Antarctic Circumpolar Current will be 20% slower by 2050 as the world warms, with far-reaching consequences for life on Earth.

    The Antarctic Circumpolar Current keeps Antarctica isolated from the rest of the global ocean, and connects the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian oceans.
    Sohail, T., et al (2025), Environmental Research Letters., CC BY

    Why should we care?

    The Antarctic Circumpolar Current is like a moat around the icy continent.

    The current helps to keep warm water at bay, protecting vulnerable ice sheets. It also acts as a barrier to invasive species such as southern bull kelp and any animals hitching a ride on these rafts, spreading them out as they drift towards the continent. It also plays a big part in regulating Earth’s climate.

    Unlike better known ocean currents – such as the Gulf Stream along the United States East Coast, the Kuroshio Current near Japan, and the Agulhas Current off the coast of South Africa – the Antarctic Circumpolar Current is not as well understood. This is partly due to its remote location, which makes obtaining direct measurements especially difficult.

    Understanding the influence of climate change

    Ocean currents respond to changes in temperature, salt levels, wind patterns and sea-ice extent. So the global ocean conveyor belt is vulnerable to climate change on multiple fronts.

    Previous research suggested one vital part of this conveyor belt could be headed for a catastrophic collapse.

    Theoretically, warming water around Antarctica should speed up the current. This is because density changes and winds around Antarctica dictate the strength of the current. Warm water is less dense (or heavy) and this should be enough to speed up the current. But observations to date indicate the strength of the current has remained relatively stable over recent decades.

    This stability persists despite melting of surrounding ice, a phenomenon that had not been fully explored in scientific discussions in the past.

    What we did

    Advances in ocean modelling allow a more thorough investigation of the potential future changes.

    We used Australia’s fastest supercomputer and climate simulator in Canberra to study the Antarctic Circumpolar Current. The underlying model, ACCESS-OM2-01, has been developed by Australian researchers from various universities as part of the Consortium for Ocean-Sea Ice Modelling in Australia.

    The model captures features others often miss, such as eddies. So it’s a far more accurate way to assess how the current’s strength and behaviour will change as the world warms. It picks up the intricate interactions between ice melting and ocean circulation.

    In this future projection, cold, fresh melt water from Antarctica migrates north, filling the deep ocean as it goes. This causes major changes to the density structure of the ocean. It counteracts the influence of ocean warming, leading to an overall slowdown in the current of as much as 20% by 2050.

    Far-reaching consequences

    The consequences of a weaker Antarctic Circumpolar Current are profound and far-reaching.

    As the main current that circulates nutrient-rich waters around Antarctica, it plays a crucial role in the Antarctic ecosystem.

    Weakening of the current could reduce biodiversity and decrease the productivity of fisheries that many coastal communities rely on. It could also aid the entry of invasive species such as southern bull kelp to Antarctica, disrupting local ecosystems and food webs.

    A weaker current may also allow more warm water to penetrate southwards, exacerbating the melting of Antarctic ice shelves and contributing to global sea-level rise. Faster ice melting could then lead to further weakening of the current, commencing a vicious spiral of current slowdown.

    This disruption could extend to global climate patterns, reducing the ocean’s ability to regulate climate change by absorbing excess heat and carbon in the atmosphere.

    Ocean currents around the world (NASA)

    Need to reduce emissions

    While our findings present a bleak prognosis for the Antarctic Circumpolar Current, the future is not predetermined. Concerted efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions could still limit melting around Antarctica.

    Establishing long-term studies in the Southern Ocean will be crucial for monitoring these changes accurately.

    With proactive and coordinated international actions, we have a chance to address and potentially avert the effects of climate change on our oceans.

    The authors thank Polar Climate Senior Researcher Dr Andreas Klocker, from the NORCE Norwegian Research Centre and Bjerknes Centre for Climate Research, for his contribution to this research, and Professor Matthew England from the University of New South Wales, who provided the outputs from the model simulation for this analysis.

    Taimoor Sohail receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    Bishakhdatta Gayen receives funding from Australian Research Council (ARC). He works at University of Melbourne as ARC Future Fellow and Associate Professor. He is also A/Prof. at CAOS, Indian Institute of Science.

    – ref. Melting Antarctic ice will slow the world’s strongest ocean current – and the global consequences are profound – https://theconversation.com/melting-antarctic-ice-will-slow-the-worlds-strongest-ocean-current-and-the-global-consequences-are-profound-251053

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: University Research – Melting Antarctic ice sheets will slow Earth’s strongest ocean current – Melbourne University

    Source:  University of Melbourne

    Melting ice sheets are slowing the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), the world’s strongest ocean current, researchers have found.

    This melting has implications for global climate indicators, including sea level rise, ocean warming and viability of marine ecosystems.

    The researchers, from the University of Melbourne and NORCE Norway Research Centre, have shown the current slowing by around 20 per cent by 2050 in a high carbon emissions scenario.

    This influx of fresh water into the Southern Ocean is expected to change the properties, such as density (salinity), of the ocean and its circulation patterns.

    University of Melbourne researchers, fluid mechanist Associate Professor Bishakhdatta Gayen and climate scientist Dr Taimoor Sohail, and oceanographer Dr Andreas Klocker from the NORCE Norwegian Research Centre, undertook the research. They analysed a high-resolution ocean and sea ice simulation of ocean currents, heat transport and other factors to diagnose the impact of changing temperature, saltiness and wind conditions. (ref. https://www.norceresearch.no/en/ )

    Associate Professor Gayen said: “The ocean is extremely complex and finely balanced. If this current ‘engine’ breaks down, there could be severe consequences. These could include more climate variability, with greater extremes in certain regions, and accelerated global warming due to a reduction in the ocean’s capacity to act as a carbon sink.”

    The ACC works as a barrier to invasive species, like rafts of southern bull kelp that ride the currents, or marine-borne animals like shrimp or molluscs, from other continents reaching Antarctica.

    As the ACC slows and weakens, there is a higher likelihood such species will make their way onto the fragile Antarctic continent. This will potentially have a severe impact on the food web, which may, for example, change the available diet of Antarctic penguins.

    The ACC is a crucial part of the world’s “ocean conveyor belt” and is more than four times stronger than the gulf stream. It moves water around the globe – linking the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. The ACC is the main mechanism for the exchange of heat, carbon dioxide, chemicals and biology across these ocean basins.

    The researchers used Australia’s fastest supercomputer and climate simulator, GADI, located at Access National Research Infrastructure  in Canberra. The underlying model (ACCESS-OM2-01) has been developed over a number of years by Australian researchers from various universities. (ref. https://www.access-nri.org.au/ )

    The projections explored in this analysis were conducted by a research team based at UNSW, who found that the transport of ocean water from the surface to the deep may also slow in the future. (ref. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-023-05762-w )

    Dr Sohail said it is predicted the slow-down will be similar under the lower emissions scenario, provided ice melting accelerates as predicted in other studies.

    “The 2015 Paris Agreement aimed to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels. Many scientists agree we have already reached this 1.5 degree target, and it is likely to get hotter, with flow-on impacts on Antarctic ice melting,” Dr Sohail said.(ref. https://theconversation.com/earth-is-already-shooting-through-the-1-5-c-global-warming-limit-two-major-studies-show-249133 )

    “Concerted efforts to limit global warming (by reducing carbon emissions) will limit Antarctic ice melting, averting the projected ACC slowdown.”

    Published in Environmental Research Letters today, the research reveals the impact of ice melting and ocean warming on the ACC is more complex than previously thought.

    “The melting ice sheets dump vast quantities of fresh water into the salty ocean. This sudden change in ocean ‘salinity’ has a series of consequences. These include the weakening of the sinking of surface ocean water to the deep (called the Antarctic Bottom Water), and, based on this study, a weakening of the strong ocean jet that surrounds Antarctica,” Associate Professor Gayen said.

    Associate Professor Gayen said this new research contrasts with previous studies, which suggested the ACC may be accelerating.

    “Ocean models have historically been unable to adequately resolve the small-scale processes that control current strength. This model resolves such processes, and shows a mechanism through which the ACC is projected to actually slow-down in the future. However, further observational and modelling studies of this poorly-observed region are necessary to definitively discern the current’s response to climate change,” he said.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Dutton says as PM he would ‘lobby’ Donald Trump to reconsider Ukraine stand

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

    Peter Dutton says if he became prime minister he would lobby US President Donald Trump “to reconsider his position” on Ukraine.

    The opposition leader, who previously rejected Trump’s description of Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky as a “dictator”, has gone further in distancing himself from Trump after the shouting match in the Oval Office, when Trump and Vice President JD Vance berated Zelensky.

    “I was disappointed by the scenes out of the White House,” Dutton told a Monday news conference. “I believe that President Zelensky requires the support of European countries, of the United States, and countries like Australia as well.”

    He said the United States has been “an incredibly important ally” for Australia and he regarded it as a reliable one.

    But making decisions in Australia’s best interests sometimes meant “standing up to your friends and to those traditional allies because our views have diverged.

    “In relation to Ukraine, the Australian view at the moment is different to the United States, and my job as prime minister will be to lobby the president of the United States to reconsider his position in relation to Ukraine. Because I think it’s in all of our collective best interests if we’re able to provide support to Ukraine, and that’s something I’m dedicated to.”

    Dutton’s criticism of Trump is at odds with some in his base and some right wing commentators, who are wedded to Trump, right or wrong.

    Unlike policy on the Middle East, where bipartisanship has broken, both sides of Australian politics have remained firmly behind Ukraine from the start of the war. There is no sign of the bipartisanship being under pressure.

    Australia has supplied Ukraine with about $1.5 billion worth of assistance, of which $1.3 billion is military aid.

    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, speaking at the start of Monday’s cabinet’s meeting, reiterated Australia’s strong backing for the embattled country in its war with Russia.

    “We regard this as an issue of doing what’s right, but also what is in Australia’s national interest.

    “The brave people of Ukraine, led so extraordinarily by President Zelensky, are fighting not just for their national sovereignty and for their democracy. They are fighting for the international rule of law.

    “And it is an easy choice that Australia has made.”

    On Sunday Treasurer Jim Chalmers said “I think President Zelensky is a hero”.

    Dutton on Monday used similar language. “President Zelensky is a modern-day hero. He’s a war hero and he deserves support.”

    On another front – Australia’s bid to avoid the US tariffs on aluminium and steel – while there is bipartisanship, the opposition is from time to time critical of the government’s handling of the issue.

    Shadow finance minister Jane Hume said on Monday: “The Coalition wholeheartedly supports the government’s efforts to make sure that these tariffs are not imposed by the US.

    “We would hope that the government will pull out all stops here in order to make sure that Australia’s national interests, our economic interests, are protected. I do note that Anthony Albanese is the only member of the Quad, which is one of our most important diplomatic relationships with the US, that hasn’t met directly with Donald Trump yet.”

    The new tariffs are due to come into effect on March 12.

    Australia has been further alarmed by an article published late last week by Trump’s trade advisor, Peter Navarro.

    Navarro wrote: “Consider Australia. Its heavily subsidised smelters operate below cost, giving them an unfair dumping advantage, while Australia’s close ties to China further distort global aluminium trade”.

    “Australia and Canada represent frontal assaults on our aluminium markets.”

    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. Dutton says as PM he would ‘lobby’ Donald Trump to reconsider Ukraine stand – https://theconversation.com/dutton-says-as-pm-he-would-lobby-donald-trump-to-reconsider-ukraine-stand-251256

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Global Ocean Treaty two years on: Australia’s chance for international cooperation

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    SYDNEY, Tuesday 04 March 2025 — Two years after the United Nations agreed to bring the historic Global Ocean Treaty into force, Greenpeace is urging the Australian government to make good on its pledge for ocean protection and finally ink the treaty into law.

    The UN treaty to protect the high seas was agreed two years ago today in 2023. It is a legally binding pact to conserve international waters, a crucial component in global efforts to protect 30% of the world’s oceans and lands by 2030. While 110 countries have signed the treaty, only 18 countries have ratified the treaty into law so far. 

    Greenpeace Australia Pacific Senior Campaigner Georgia Whitaker said:

    “The government has been sitting on the Global Ocean Treaty for two years while other countries rapidly move to ratify and bring the treaty into force. We are an ocean-loving nation, and the Australian government could act as a proud leader on the world stage by making good on its promise to protect the high seas now. Our oceans don’t have the luxury of time – we need to ratify now, then deliver protected ocean sanctuaries in our big blue backyard: the Tasman Sea.”

    Once the treaty is in force, governments can propose ocean sanctuaries for the high seas. A 2023 scientific report by Greenpeace identified the South Tasman Sea and Lord Howe Rise – the high seas between Australia and New Zealand – as being of critical importance for protection.

    Until the treaty enters into force, the management of our global oceans is very fragmented. There is no legal global instrument that allows for the creation of sanctuaries in international waters. To this day, less than 1% of the high seas – the largest habitat on Earth, comprising 64% of the world’s ocean – is fully or highly protected from human activities.

    The countdown is on, as the pivotal UN Ocean Conference (UNOC) will take place in Nice, France, in less than 100 days.

    “UNOC is a unique chance for Governments to show global leadership for ocean protection. Australia must use this opportunity and ratify the treaty before arriving in Nice,” added Whitaker.

    —ENDS—

    For more information or to arrange an interview, please contact Kimberley Bernard on +61 407 581 404 or [email protected]

    Notes to Editor

    High res images and footage of Australia’s oceans can be found here

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI: Exosens delivers very strong full-year 2024 results, overperforming on its IPO guidance; Sustained growth dynamic anticipated for 2025-2026

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EXOSENS DELIVERS VERY STRONG FULL-YEAR 2024 RESULTS, OVERPERFORMING ON ITS IPO GUIDANCE

    SUSTAINED GROWTH DYNAMIC ANTICIPATED FOR 2025-2026

    FY 2024 HIGHLIGHTS

    • Strong revenue growth of +35.0%, above IPO guidance, to €394.1m in 2024, reflecting dynamic like-for-like growth (+24.9%) and successful integration of bolt-on acquisitions
    • Significant increase in profitability, with adjusted EBITDA of €118.5m in 2024 (+37.8%), representing a best-in-class margin of 30.1% (vs. 29.5% in 2023), above IPO guidance and above top range of estimated landing given in January 2025
    • Net profit of €30.7m in 2024, recording a strong growth of +66.7% over 2023
    • Robust balance sheet with a net leverage of 1.2x at year-end 2024, enabling the execution of our growth strategy
    • Proposed payment of a €0.10 cash dividend per share for the 2024 fiscal year, for the first time since Exosens’ IPO

    OUTLOOK FOR 2025 AND THE 2024-2026 PERIOD: SUSTAINED GROWTH DYNAMIC DRIVEN BY DEFENSE TAILWINDS

    • Continued strong performance expected in 2025, with revenue growth in the high-teens and adjusted EBITDA growth in the low twenties
    • Global market demand is higher than initially expected, with NATO and Tier-1 allies continuing to ramp up their procurement of night vision systems further improving the perspectives, which implies a high-teens 2024-2026 adjusted EBITDA CAGR
    • In order to meet this demand Exosens decided to invest €20m to expand its production capacity not only in Europe but also in the US with, for the first time, a new production plant in the US, which will give us additional market opportunities

    Mérignac (France), 3 March 2025 – Exosens (EXENS; FR001400Q9V2), a high-tech company focused on providing mission and performance-critical amplification, detection and imaging technology, today publishes its results for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024. At its 28 February 2025 meeting, Exosens’ Board of Directors approved the consolidated financial statements for 2024.

    “We are pleased to announce our first results as a publicly-listed company, with 2024 performance exceeding our IPO guidance. In a dynamic defense market, driven by rising geopolitical tensions and increasing defense budgets across NATO countries and Tier-1 allies, Exosens fully benefited from these structural trends and is well-positioned to continue doing so. 2024 was a pivotal year, we flawlessly executed our strategy, reinforcing our leadership in mission-critical technologies, surpassing expectations, and further enhancing our best-in-class margins, that set us apart from our peers.

    Amplification remains a key driver of our growth with higher-than-expected market demand, necessitating capacity expansion. As a result, we have decided to scale up capacity in Europe and enter the US market, anticipating sustained mid-term demand and emerging opportunities.

    We are also accelerating the growth of D&I segment, which achieved +7% like-for-like growth in 2024, driven by an improved product mix, market share gains, and successful acquisitions. These markets are benefiting from AI-driven advancements in industrial control, nuclear energy, and healthcare research.

    With a focus on sustainable growth, we remain committed to customer satisfaction, innovation, operational excellence, and disciplined acquisitions. Backed by a strong balance sheet and a dynamic market environment, we are well-positioned to accelerate expansion and create value for both customers and shareholders, including our first dividend payment.”, commented Jérôme Cerisier, CEO of Exosens.

    Key financial indicators

    In € millions FY 2023 FY 2024 Change (%) LFL1(%)
    Revenue 291.8 394.1 +35.0% +24.9%
             
    Adjusted gross margin 131.1 189.6 +44.7% –
    As a % of revenue 44.9% 48.1% +320bps –
             
    Adjusted EBITDA 86.0 118.5 +37.8% –
    As a % of revenue 29.5% 30.1% +60bps –
             
    Adjusted EBIT 66.1 95.3 +44.1% –
    As a % of revenue 22.7% 24.2% +150bps –
             
    Operating income 48.3 73.0 +51.2% –
    As a % of revenue 16.5% 18.5% +200bps –
             
    Net profit 18.4 30.7 +66.7% –
    Net profit ex. PPA amortization 27.8 41.5 +49.2% –
             
    Free cash flow 20.5 55.4 +170.0% –
    Cash conversion (%) 69.3% 74.1% +480bps –
             
    Net debt 302.3 144.1 (47.7)% –
    Leverage ratio (x) 3.3x 1.2x (2.1)x –
    1Like-for-like.

    Strong revenue performance in FY 2024 in a dynamic market environment, outperforming our IPO guidance

    In € millions FY 2023 FY 2024 Change (%) Like-for-like (%)
    Amplification 209.9 280.2 +33.5% +33.5%
    Detection & Imaging 82.5 117.5 +42.5% +6.8%
    Eliminations & Other (0.6) (3.7) n/a n/a
    Total revenue 291.8 394.1 +35.0% +24.9%

    Exosens posted a strong performance in FY 2024, outperforming its IPO guidance and continuing its strong growth trajectory, with consolidated revenue totaling €394.1 million, which represented a significant growth of +35.0% (or +€102.3 million) compared to FY 2023, of which+24.9% year-on-year on a like-for-like basis, mainly driven by a strong demand in Defense end-markets.

    Amplification revenue reached €280.2 million in FY 2024, reflecting a significant growth of +33.5% compared to FY 2023, driven by stronger sales volumes and increased share of higher-performance image intensifier tubes for Defense’s night vision applications.

    The global night vision market is benefiting from growing demand, driven by increasing defense budgets and the need for armies worldwide to enhance their night fighting capabilities, including the ongoing shift from monocular to binocular goggles. The return of high-density combat has underscored the critical importance of night operation abilities as a key tactical advantage. NATO and Tier-1 allies continued to ramp up their procurement of night vision systems in 2024, though they are still far from reaching the targeted equipment rate.

    Reflecting this increasing market demand, Exosens, worldwide leader, has benefited from its position as the strategic supplier of NATO and Tier-1 allies for night vision image intensifier tubes with a number of major business wins in markets such as Germany, the UK, Poland, Belgium, Finland, France or Australia, among others.

    On the M&A front, the Group announced agreement to acquire NVLS, a specialist in man-portable night vision and thermal devices, in October 2024, which will accelerate Exosens’ mid-term capability to develop next gen googles with innovative solutions combining night vision and thermal devices. Closing is expected to occur in the coming months, pending customary clearances and approvals.

    Detection & Imaging revenue totaled €117.5 million in FY 2024, representing an increase of +42.5% compared to FY 2023, mainly driven by a positive product mix and accelerated growth from 2023 bolt-on acquisitions (Telops, El-Mul, and Photonis Germany1).

    Like-for-like growth reached +6.8% in FY 2024, accelerating from the +6.0% recorded in 9M 2024. This strong performance was driven by market share gains following new product launches, as well as growing demand in our key high-growth end markets (Life Sciences, Nuclear and Defense). These factors more than offset the softness in Industrial Control markets (China, machine vision).

    Throughout the year, Exosens continued to execute on its disciplined bolt-on strategy with two synergistic acquisitions: Centronic (radiation detection solutions), in July, reinforcing our position as the key European leader in nuclear instrumentation, and LR Tech (FTIR spectrometry) in September, complementing Telops’ products to strengthen our position in high-end spectroscopy instruments. Additionally, in November, Exosens announced the acquisition of Noxant, a specialist in high-performance cooled infrared cameras, set to close in Q1 2025.

    Significant improvement in adjusted gross margin in FY 2024

      FY 2023 FY 2024 Change
      In €m % of sales In €m % of sales In %
    Amplification 93.3 44.4% 132.4 47.3% +42.0%
    Detection & Imaging 37.7 45.7% 57.1 48.6% +51.6%
    Eliminations & Other 0.1 n/a 0.1 n/a n/a
    Adjusted gross margin 131.1 44.9% 189.6 48.1% +44.7%

    Exosens posted a strong increase in adjusted gross margin at Group level and across both segments in FY 2024, mainly due to higher sales volumes, improved yields and a favorable product mix. The Group’s adjusted gross margin stood at €189.6 million in FY 2024, reflecting a growth of +44.7% compared to FY 2023. Adjusted gross margin rate reached 48.1% in FY 2024, marking a significant improvement of 320 basis points year-on-year.

    Adjusted gross margin of the Amplification segment totaled €132.4 million in FY 2024 (+42.0% vs. FY 2023), representing a margin of 47.3% (vs. 44.4% in FY 2023). This strong increase in margin rate mainly reflected higher sales volumes, improved yields and a favorable product mix.

    Adjusted gross margin of the Detection & Imaging segment amounted to €57.1 million in FY 2024 (+51.6% vs. FY 2023), representing a margin of 48.6% (vs. 45.7% in FY 2023). This improved margin rate was mainly driven by a positive product mix, improved yields and supply-chain cost synergies.

    Continued strong operational execution driving further profitability increase in FY 2024

    Exosens reported a further increase of its profitability at Group level in FY 2024, reinforcing best-in-class margin, driven by strong business momentum and continued operational excellence.

    Adjusted EBITDA amounted to €118.5 million in FY 2024, representing a sharp growth of +37.8% (or +€32.5 million) compared to €86.0 million in FY 2023. As a result, adjusted EBITDA margin improved by 60 basis points to reach 30.1% in FY 2024 (vs. 29.5% in FY 2023).

    Adjusted EBIT totaled €95.3 million in FY 2024, posting a strong growth of +44.1% (or +€29.2 million) compared to €66.1 million in FY 2023. As a result, adjusted EBIT margin increased by 150 basis points to reach 24.2% in FY 2024 (vs. 22.7% in FY 2023).

    The Group’s recorded an operating income of €73.0 million in FY 2024, representing a significant increase of +51.2% (or €24.7 million) compared to €48.3 million in FY 2023. As a percentage of sales, operating margin improved by 200 basis points to reach 18.5% (vs. 16.5% in FY 2023).

    Significant growth in net income, up +67% in FY 2024

    Exosens recorded a significant increase in net profit, reaching €30.7 million in FY 2024, up by +66.7% (or €12.3 million) compared to FY 2023. Adjusted for PPA amortization, net profit was €41.5 million in FY 2024, representing a growth of +49.2% (or €13.6 million) compared to FY 2023.

    Strong increase in free cash flow, up +€35 million in FY 2024

    Exosens recorded a significant increase in free cash flow to €55.4 million in FY 2024 (vs. €20.5 million in FY 2023). This strong increase was achieved despite one-off expenses related to IPO consulting fees. In addition, the Group achieved a higher cash conversion rate of 74.1% in FY 2024 compared to 69.3% in FY 2023, with increased investment towards the end of the year to support future growth.

    Sustained R&D efforts in FY 2024 to support long-term growth and market leadership

    R&D expenses grew by +35.0% to €30.4 million (7.7% of sales) in FY 2024 compared to €22.5 million (7.7% of sales) in FY 2023. Continued efforts in R&D like the development of 5G image intensifier tubes for Defense’s night vision applications, or next gen detectors for Life Sciences and Nuclear will sustain the group’s future growth and maintain its leading positions.

    Completion of the first phase of capacity expansion

    Capital expenditure reached €27.9 million in FY 2024 compared to €23.7 million in FY 2023, marking a reduction in capex to sales ratio to 7.1% (vs. 8.1% in FY 2023) following the completion of capacity expansion resulting from investments started in 2022-2023.

    Strengthened capital structure, fully supporting our growth strategy

    Following Exosens’ successful IPO in June 2024, which included a capital increase of €180 million and a full debt refinancing (securing two new credit facilities of a total amount of €350 million), the Group has significantly deleveraged, with its net debt more than halving to €144.1 million as at 31 December 2024 compared to €302.3 million as at 31 December 2023. Accordingly, the leverage ratio decreased significantly to 1.2x as at 31 December 2024, as compared to a ratio of 3.3x as at 31 December 2023, providing the Group with ample capacity to pursue its investments in growth.

    Dividend

    The Company’s Board of Directors decided, during its meeting on 28 February 2025, to propose the payment of a €0.10 cash dividend per share for the 2024 fiscal year. This amount will be subject to the approval of the Annual General Shareholders’ Meeting, which will take place on 23 May 2025.

    Outlook for 2025 and the 2024-2026 period: Sustained growth dynamic driven by defense tailwinds

    Exosens expects a continued strong performance in 2025, with revenue growth in the high-teens and adjusted EBITDA growth in the low twenties compared to 2024.

    The Group expects a high-teens 2024-2026 adjusted EBITDA CAGR and a cash conversion2ratio in the range of 70%-75% over the period, taking into account capacity investment in Europe and in the US.

    Furthermore, the Group intends to pursue its growth strategy, at a pace consistent with historical trend, while maintaining a leverage ratio3of around 2x.

    Webcast

    Jérôme Cerisier, CEO and Quynh-Boi Demey, CFO will hold a conference call and webcast to discuss Exosens’ full-year 2024 results on Monday, 3 March 2025 at 9:00am CET. This presentation will be followed by a Q&A session and can be accessed via the following link:
    https://channel.royalcast.com/landingpage/exosens-en/20250303_1/

    The press release and the presentation will be available in the Investor Relations section on Exosens’ website at https://www.exosens.com/investors.

    Audit procedures in respect of the consolidated financial statements are complete and the corresponding audit report of the auditors is in the process of being delivered.

    Financial Calendar

    • 28/04/2025: Q1 2025 revenue & adj. gross margin (publication before market opening);
    • 29/04/2025: Publication of 2024 Universal Registration Document;
    • 23/05/2025: Annual general meeting;
    • 31/07/2025: H1 2025 results (publication before market opening);
    • 27/10/2025: Q3 2025 revenue & adj. gross margin (publication before market opening).

    About Exosens

    Exosens is a high‐tech company, with more than 85 years of experience in the innovation, development, manufacturing and sale of high‐end electro‐optical technologies in the field of amplification, detection and imaging. Today, it offers its customers detection components and solutions such as travelling wave tubes, advanced cameras, neutron & gamma detectors, instrument detectors and light intensifier tubes. This allows Exosens to respond to complex issues in extremely demanding environments by offering tailor‐made solutions to its customers. Thanks to its sustained investments, Exosens is internationally recognized as a major innovator in optoelectronics, with production and R&D carried out on 12 sites, in Europe and North America and with over 1,700 employees. Exosens is listed on compartment A of the regulated market of Euronext Paris ﴾Ticker: EXENS – ISIN: FR001400Q9V2﴿. Exosens is a member of Euronext Tech Leaders segment and is also included in several indices, including CAC All-Tradable, CAC Mid & Small, FTSE Total Cap and MSCI France Small Cap. For more information: www.exosens.com.

    Investor Relations

    Laurent Sfaxi, l.sfaxi@exosens.com

    Media Relations

    Brunswick Group, exosens@brunswickgroup.com
    Laetitia Quignon, + 33 6 83 17 89 13
    Nicolas Buffenoir, + 33 6 31 89 36 78

    APPENDICES

    Reconciliation of adjusted EBITDA and adjusted EBIT

    In € millions FY 2023 FY 2024
    Operating profit 48.3 73.0
    Depreciation, amortization and impairment – net 29.2 34.1
    Other income and expenses 4.6 3.9
    EBITDA 82.0 111.0
    Share-based payments 1.6 2.9
    One-off costs 2.4 4.5
    Adjusted EBITDA 86.0 118.5
    Depreciation, amortization and impairment ex. PPA amortization (19.9) (23.3)
    Adjusted EBIT 66.1 95.3

    Reconciliation of free cash flow and cash conversion

    In € millions FY 2023 FY 2024
    Adjusted EBITDA 86.0 118.5
    Capitalized research and development costs (8.6) (11.0)
    Adjusted EBITDA after capitalized R&D costs 77.4 107.5
    Change in working capital4 (21.4) (10.7)
    Tax paid (6.9) (6.7)
    Maintenance capital expenditure4 (6.4) (12.5)
    Others (4.9) (7.0)
    Free cash flow before growth 37.8 70.7
    Growth capital expenditure4 (17.3) (15.3)
    Free cash flow after growth 20.5 55.4
         
    Adjusted EBITDA after capitalized R&D costs and capital expenditure (A) 53.7 79.6
    Adjusted EBITDA after capitalized R&D costs (B) 77.4 107.5
    Cash conversion (%) (A) / (B) 69.3% 74.1%

    Consolidated statement of income

    In € millions FY 2023 FY 2024
    Revenue 291.8 394.1
    Cost of sales (76.0) (103.0)
    Other purchases and external expenses (54.1) (65.5)
    Taxes and duties other than income tax (1.6) (1.6)
    Employee benefits expenses (81.3) (110.8)
    Other operating income / (expenses) 4.4 2.0
    Depreciation, amortization and additions to provisions (30.4) (38.2)
    o/w PPA amortization (9.5) (10.8)
    Current operating profit / (loss) 52.8 76.9
    Current operating profit / (loss) ex. PPA amortization 62.3 87.8
    Other income / (expenses) (4.5) (3.9)
    Operating profit / (loss) 48.3 73.0
    Operating profit / (loss) ex. PPA amortization 57.7 83.8
    Net financial result (28.0) (31.2)
    Profit / (loss) before tax 20.2 41.8
    Profit / (loss) before tax ex. PPA amortization 29.7 52.6
    Income tax (1.8) (11.1)
    Net profit / (loss) 18.4 30.7
    Net profit / (loss) ex. PPA amortization 27.8 41.5

    Consolidated statement of cash flows

    In € millions FY 2023 FY 2024
    Net profit / (loss) 18.4 30.7
    Net financial results 28.0 31.2
    Income tax 1.8 11.1
    Charges net of reversals to depreciation and amortization 30.9 36.9
    Other income / (expenses) (0.2) 2.5
    Income tax received / (paid) (6.9) (6.7)
    Change in net working capital (21.7) (9.5)
    Net cash flow from / (used in) operating activities 50.5 96.2
    Net investments in assets (31.4) (41.3)
    Net acquisition of equity investments (69.3) (31.4)
    Investment grant received and other flows 1.1 (0.0)
    Net cash flow from / (used in) investment activities (99.6) (72.7)
    Capital increases / (decreases) 0.0 180.0
    Acquisitions and disposals of treasury shares 0.0 (0.3)
    Change in financial liabilities and IFRS 16 leases 57.6 (65.1)
    Interest payments (including IFRS 16 leases) (24.4) (24.2)
    Other 2.3 (14.1)
    Net cash flow from / (used in) financing activities 35.5 76.3
    Effect of changes in exchange rates 0.2 0.4
    Increase / (decrease) in cash and cash equivalents (13.5) 100.2
    Cash and cash equivalents at the beginning of the period 29.0 15.5
    Cash and cash equivalents at the end of the period 15.5 115.6

    Consolidated balance sheet – Assets

    In € millions 31-Dec-2023 31-Dec-2024
    Goodwill 174.3 189.5
    Intangible assets 202.4 204.9
    Tangible assets 72.1 93.6
    Right-of-use of leases 10.8 10.6
    Investment in associates 3.4 3.4
    Financial assets and other long-term investments 0.7 0.9
    Deferred tax assets 0.0 (0.0)
    Non-current assets 463.7 502.8
    Inventory 78.5 93.0
    Accounts receivable 69.2 71.0
    Derivative financial instruments 0.2 0.0
    Financial assets and other short-term investments 29.4 33.0
    Cash and cash equivalents5 15.5 117.2
    Current assets 192.7 314.2
         
    Total assets 656.4 817.0

    Consolidated balance sheet – Equity and liabilities

    In € millions 31-Dec-2023 31-Dec-2024
    Share capital 1.9 21.6
    Additional paid-in capital 188.1 342.5
    Reserves 14.1 48.5
    Total equity 204.1 412.6
    Long-term financial debt 300.8 247.8
    Long-term lease liabilities 7.7 8.2
    Pension liabilities 7.6 7.5
    Provisions and other long-term liabilities 8.6 13.4
    Deferred tax liabilities 17.6 20.6
    Non-current liabilities 342.3 297.4
    Short-term financial debt 7.0 2.5
    Short-term lease liabilities 2.4 2.7
    Derivative financial instruments – 0.1
    Accounts payable 32.3 26.0
    Provisions and other short-term liabilities 68.4 75.6
    Current liabilities 110.1 107.0
         
    Total equity and liabilities 656.4 817.0

    Definitions

    Like-for-like growth is the revenue growth achieved by the Group excluding currency impact and scope effect, which corresponds to revenue recorded during period “n” by all the companies included in the Group’s scope of consolidation at the end of period “n-1” (excluding any contribution from the companies acquired after the end of period “n-1”), compared with revenue achieved during period “n-1” by the same companies. Like-for-like growth for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024 therefore excludes the contribution of Telops, El-Mul and Photonis Germany (formerly ProxiVision), acquired by the Group in October 2023, July 2023 and June 2023, respectively, as well as Centronic and LR Tech, acquired by the Group in July 2024 and September 2024, respectively.

    Adjusted gross margin is equal to the difference between the selling price and the cost price of products and services (including notably employee benefits).

    Adjusted EBITDA is defined as operating profit, less (i) additions net of reversals to depreciation, amortization and impairment of non-current assets; (ii) non-recurring income and expenses as presented in the Group’s consolidated income statement within “Other income” and “Other expenses”, and (iii) the impact of items that do not reflect ordinary operating performance (in particular business reorganization and adaption costs, costs relating to acquisition and external growth transactions, as well as the IFRS 2 share-based payment expense).

    Adjusted EBIT is defined as operating profit, less (i) non-recurring income and expenses as presented in the Group’s consolidated income statement within “Other income” and “Other expenses”, and (ii) the impact of items that do not reflect ordinary operating performance (in particular business reorganization and adaption costs, costs relating to acquisition and external growth transactions, as well as the IFRS 2 share-based payment expense). Depreciation, amortization and reversal of impairment losses on non-current assets, included in adjusted EBIT, exclude the amortization of the part of non-current assets corresponding to purchase price allocation.

    Cash conversion is calculated as follows: (adjusted EBITDA – capitalized research and development costs – capital expenditure) / adjusted EBITDA – capitalized research and development costs).

    Leverage ratio is calculated as net debt / adjusted EBITDA as defined in the Group’s New Senior Credit Facilities Agreement entered into as part of the refinancing executed in the frame of the IPO.

    Forward-looking statements

    Certain information included in this press release are not historical facts but are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs, expectations and assumptions, including, without limitation, assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which Exosens operates, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from the forward-looking statements included in this press release. These risks and uncertainties include those set out and detailed in Chapter 3 “Risk Factors” of the registration document approved on 22 May 2024 by the French financial markets’ authority (“Autorité des marchés financiers”) under number I. 24-010. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this press release and the Group expressly disclaims any obligation or undertaking to release any update or revisions to any forward-looking statements included in this press release to reflect any change in expectations or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which these forward-looking statements are based. Forward-looking information and statements are not guarantees of future performances and are subject to various risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and generally beyond the control of the Group. Actual results could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, forward-looking information and statements. This press release is provided for information purposes only. It does not constitute and should not be deemed to constitute an offer to the public of securities.

    1 Formerly ProxiVision.
    2 Cash conversion is defined as (adjusted EBITDA – capitalized R&D – capex) / (adjusted EBITDA – capitalized R&D).
    3 Leverage ratio is defined as net financial debt / adjusted EBITDA.
    4 Capital expenditures not paid at year-end 2024 were reclassified in working capital.
    5 As at 31 December 2024, cash and cash equivalents balance sheet position amounts to €117.2 million. Adjusted for bank overdrafts for €0.3 million and interests to be received for €1.2 million, cash and cash equivalents amount to €115.6 million as reported in the cash flow statement.

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: From the fashion to the speeches to the music, this was an Oscars of few surprises. 5 experts break it down

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Harriette Richards, Senior Lecturer, School of Fashion and Textiles, RMIT University

    In a year with few surprises in the awards categories, there was also a dearth of surprises on the red carpet. The sartorial themes included sparkling metallics, coloured menswear and bows, bows and more bows.

    Metallic gowns that resemble the Oscar statue are a familiar sight at the Academy Awards and this year was no different. Some of the standouts included best actress nominee Demi Moore in a magnificently glittering silver Armani Privé gown, Selena Gomez in custom Ralph Lauren encrusted with 16,000 individual blush-toned jewel teardrops, and Emma Stone in a minimalist Louis Vuitton sheath covered in iridescent fish scales.

    In the menswear category, tuxedos reign supreme. This year was notable only for the diversity of colours in which these suits came.

    Best actor nominee Timothée Chalamet lived up to his reputation for monochrome, richly hued ensembles in a custom butter yellow leather suit by Givenchy, paired with a matching silk shirt and delicate neck brooch in place of a tie. His best actor nominated compatriot, Colman Domingo (one of the best dressed men in Hollywood) was pristine in a double-breasted red silk jacket with black lapels, black trousers and matching red shirt by Valentino, similarly eschewing a tie in favour of a fine gold brooch. Andrew Garfield wore louche chocolate brown Gucci and Jeremy Strong wore a suit by Loro Piana in an unusual tone of olive green.

    Bows of varying size and stature were perhaps the strongest theme of the night.

    Best actress winner Mikey Madison in black and pink Dior, best supporting actress nominee Felicity Jones in shimmering liquid silver Armani, Elle Fanning in white and black Givenchy and Lupita Nyong’o in white Chanel were all adorned with bows at their waists.

    The most remarkable bow of the night though was best actress nominee Cynthia Erivo in a structured deep emerald-green velvet Louis Vuitton gown, the broad, wing-like sleeves of which were crafted as a bow.

    Notable mentions must also go to those attendees who do not fit neatly into any thematic category. Best supporting actress nominee Ariana Grande wore a meticulously crafted pale pink Schiaparelli confection and Lisa (of Blackpink and now White Lotus fame) perfected a feminine take on masculine suiting in a tuxedo dress by Markgong.

    The only real surprise was the lack of political statements on display. Unlike recent years, when pins and ribbons in support of Ukraine and Palestine were widely worn, this year only Guy Pearce was spotted wearing a Free Palestine pin, Conclave writer Peter Straughan wore a Ukrainian flag pin and Kayo Shekoni had “free Congo” emblazoned on the sole of her high heels.

    – Harriette Richards

    The best picture: Anora

    And the best picture Oscar goes to … Anora – the film that was favoured to win, so no surprises here.

    Though he had been working for more than a decade at the time, writer-director-editor Sean Baker came onto the independent movie scene with a bang with 2015’s Tangerine, a gimmicky film that was mainly celebrated for being shot on an iPhone. Why this would be celebrated is anyone’s guess. I suspect it’s because of the “I could do it too” factor – something the average person certainly couldn’t say if we’re talking 35mm celluloid.

    Since then, Baker’s films have relished in embracing the digital, neon world, but always in a kind of sentimental and shallow, rather than critical, register. None of his films are awful – and maybe that’s saying something in this day and age. Anora also is not awful, but it’s not particularly memorable either.

    Anora follows a run of the mill American dream-type story about a hard-working stripper who seems to strike fairytale gold when a young, fun Russian oligarch falls in love with her. Only the dream turns out to be more of a nightmare (kind of) when things don’t quite work out and the film ends with the titular character once again independent and free.

    The idea of undercutting the fairytale setup of the typical rom-com is not at all original, and the film strikes me as even more schmaltzy in its rejection of the fairytale dream than if it had embraced it and played like a tween-focused Nickelodeon film (it’s about as poignant as this).

    The film’s cardinal sin, however – and it’s certainly not alone in this – is its critical overlength. Each of the film’s sections could have had some 20 minutes cut and we would have had an enjoyably tight romp at 80 minutes. Instead, Anora drags on, swept up in its imagining of its own profundity – at times pretentious, but mainly tedious.

    – Ari Mattes

    Not the year to stick a neck out

    The speeches this year were conspicuously meek. No announcer majorly insulted anyone else. No winner assaulted anyone else. Even the James Bond retrospective lacked energy. What’s going on in Hollywood?

    There are clues that help explain this curious flatness. Host Conan O’Brien mentioned the pressure of “divisive politics” while reflecting on California’s wildfires. Several winners spoke about the importance of shared experience, of what unites us, of film as a medium that brings people together, a force for “good and progress in the world” and “a reminder not to let hate go unchecked”.

    The directors of No Other Land, receiving their Oscar for best documentary, shared the one clear critical voice. Palestinian Basel Adra wished his newborn daughter a life without the fear that governs daily life in his homeland. Israeli co-director Yuval Abraham agreed: “There is another way. It’s not too late for life and for the living. There is no other way.”

    However, that was the only moment people at the Oscars seemed willing to confront the political elephant in the room.

    Anora director Sean Baker used his last (of four!) acceptance speeches to compel more people to help keep cinema doors open. He made his point passionately: this was the best way to sustain an industry that could continue to make brilliant movies. That said, the most emotive speeches of past Oscars events went much further than just commenting on the bread and butter concerns of the film industry.

    This year, there were more clues in what people did not say. There were feints at Russian dictators – but nobody mentioned the war in Ukraine. There was no discussion of a certain election result, nor of filmmakers’ fears that Washington is now in the control of a governing faction that loathes them. Most revealing of all: nobody raised a peep about the President or his friends.

    Hollywood’s collective discipline was on show tonight – and 2025 is not the year to stick a neck out.

    – Tom Clark

    A banner year for independent film

    Independent films were the big winners for this year’s Oscars. While many of the technical awards went to the big budget films, such as Wicked (the US$145 million film won costume design and production design) and Dune: Part 2 (made at a budget of US$190 million, and winning sound and visual effects), the night’s major awards went to small productions.

    While the definitions of “independence” and “studio” films don’t exist in a neat binary when it comes to production and global distribution, we can distinguish between film juggernauts and smaller films.

    Three independent films won significant awards that are of note. Latvian film Flow was the first independent film to win best animated feature, up against major films Inside Out 2 (Pixar Films) and The Wild Robot (DreamWorks).

    The film follows a cat, a dog, a capybara, a secretary bird and a ring-tailed lemur navigating a post-apocalyptic world with rising sea levels. The film also only used free and open-source software Blender and mostly used sounds from real world counterparts of the various characters. It was made for a budget of just €3.5 million (A$5.9 million).

    The best documentary film nominees were dominated by independent films. Notably, the winner No Other Land has sadly been unable to find a distributor to release the film in the United States. (It is available for streaming in Australia on DocPlay, and in select cinemas.) The film was only eligible because the Film Lincoln Centre in New York facilitated a one-week, qualifying theatrical run.

    The night’s top glories went to Anora, made on a budget of just US$6 million (A$9.7 million), and taking home the awards for best film, director, actress, screenplay and editing.

    In his acceptance speech for best director, Sean Baker spoke of the importance of films getting a theatrical release. Films, he said, are about humanity – and that is best experienced in watching a film with other people.

    During awards season, Baker has often spoken about the importance of small budget films in the expression of core human experiences.

    The final message of the night went to Baker when he thanked the Academy for recognising a truly independent film: “Long live independent film!”

    Indeed, independent films ruled this year’s Oscars.

    – Stuart Richards

    Best actor and actress

    Mikey Madison, who won the best actress award for Anora, is quite good in the role. That said, it’s difficult to evaluate her performance in such a meandering film.

    She tries hard playing a stripper who falls for Prince Charming – a Russian oligarch (Hollywood’s anti-Russian sentiment has certainly grown in recent years) who turns out to be a bit of a weakling with meanie parents. But Madison never really convincingly embodies the character, and we’re ever aware as we watch the film that she’s an actress working her way through relevant emotions and intensities.

    That said, Madison is good at yelling and stripping, and this is the main way she shows her chops here. She screamed well in Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood (2019), too. The bar this year was admittedly pretty low, and truth be told Madison’s performance in Anora (aside from Fernanda Torres for I’m Still Here) is probably the best out of the nominees.

    In contrast, Adrien Brody, who won the best actor award, is absolutely unforgettable in the flawed but magnificent The Brutalist – the best he’s been since The Pianist, and the deserved winner by a mile out of a similarly mediocre field. Brody is simply a pleasure to watch, and drives, in a wholly embodied way, this grandiose and exceedingly long film (the fact it doesn’t feel long is largely due to his magnetism).

    The screenplay, in which the character comes across as a combination of arrogant, sweet and at times comedic, allows Brody to display the full range of his talent, and he plays the whole thing with an endearing vulnerability. But, again, it’s unfair to compare Brody and Madison – The Brutalist is a spectacularly accomplished cinematic epic, while Anora feels as stylish and profound as a social media video (I know that’s the point, but that doesn’t make it any more compelling).

    – Ari Mattes

    A lacklustre year for music

    This was a strong year for music-based films, with three of the most nominated ones being musicals of various types: the big-budget Broadway adaptation Wicked, the original film musical Emilia Pérez, and the musician biopic A Complete Unknown.

    The music of the ceremony itself was nicely assembled, with a live orchestra (conducted by Michael Bearden) accompanying proceedings from above the stage.

    But the show was marred by an absence: the best song nominations were not performed live. The new songs this year were so bland, however – especially when compared to the Wicked score and Bob Dylan – that I can hardly blame the producers. The nominations included a dull Elton John song, some soft guitar rock from Sing Sing, Diane Warren’s 16th (!) nominated song (more soft rock), and two forgettable songs from Emilia Pérez (one of which, El Mal, was the winner).

    So little faith did the Academy have in the songs that only a few seconds were played from each, mostly covered by a montage of interviews with the songwriters.

    This year’s nominated best scores were not much more memorable, but Daniel Blumberg deserved his win for The Brutalist. It demonstrates a high level of composition and orchestration craft. It uses edgy instrumental textures to increase the feelings of uncertainty and imbalance that the film imparts.

    The show included a lot of Wizard of Oz. Ariana Grande sang Over the Rainbow from the 1939 film and Cynthia Erivo sang Home from The Wiz, the 1974 soul musical based on the book. Then they performed Defying Gravity from Wicked together.

    Another subtle Wizard of Oz nod was the music played during the commercial breaks: a loop based on Brand New Day from The Wiz, whose 1979 film version had its music produced by the late Quincy Jones. Queen Latifah and backup dancers brought some much needed energy to the last hour of the ceremony with Ease on Down the Road, also from The Wiz, as part of a Jones tribute.

    One surprise was an unnecessary but enjoyable James Bond sequence featuring Margaret Qualley dancing to John Barry’s famous theme, a performance of Live and Let Die by K-pop star Lisa, Doja Cat singing Diamonds Are Forever, and Raye’s rendition of Skyfall.

    This plus the various numbers from the Oz Musical Universe only highlighted how lacklustre this year’s nominated music was.

    – Gregory Camp

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

    – ref. From the fashion to the speeches to the music, this was an Oscars of few surprises. 5 experts break it down – https://theconversation.com/from-the-fashion-to-the-speeches-to-the-music-this-was-an-oscars-of-few-surprises-5-experts-break-it-down-251264

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Dr. Ann Liebert, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, University of Sydney, Visits Jan Aushadhi Kendra at AIIMS, New Delhi

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Dr. Ann Liebert, Adjunct Senior Lecturer, University of Sydney, Visits Jan Aushadhi Kendra at AIIMS, New Delhi

    Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana is an amazing initiative that can be represented in many countries: Dr. Ann Liebert

    Dr Liebert commends the efforts of the Government of India in ensuring affordable and high-quality medicines reach citizens

    Posted On: 01 MAR 2025 6:13PM by PIB Delhi

    Dr. Ann Liebert, Adjunct Senior Lecturer at the University of Sydney, visited the Jan Aushadhi Kendra at AIIMS, New Delhi, to gain insights into the Pradhan Mantri Bhartiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) and explore potential avenues for knowledge-sharing and collaboration in the field of affordable healthcare solutions. Dr. Ann is on a visit to Delhi for a media conclave.

    Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP) is an amazing initiative that can be represented in many countries, said Dr. Ann. She added that there are many remote communities in Australia that don’t have easy access to pharmacies, and this model of PMBJP could be followed there to provide affordable medicine.

    Dr. Ann Liebert commended the efforts of the Government of India in ensuring affordable and high-quality medicines reach citizens. She emphasized that universal access to essential medicines is critical for public health and expressed her appreciation for India’s commitment to this cause.

    Dr. Liebert was provided an overview of the Jan Aushadhi initiative, explaining its core objective of making quality generic medicines accessible at affordable prices, where she was given a guided tour of the Kendra, where she observed the range of PMBJP products and gained a deeper understanding of their impact on public healthcare in India.

    A short film showcasing the Jan Aushadhi initiative was also presented, covering the operational framework and reach of Jan Aushadhi Kendras; efficient supply chain management & expansion strategy and affordability, accessibility & stringent quality control of medicines.

    ​Dr. Liebert expressed keen interest in the Jan Aushadhi POS (Point of Sale) software and its role in streamlining the distribution and allocation of medicines. PMBI officials highlighted the robust quality assurance protocols under PMBJP, including procurement from WHO-GMP certified manufacturers and a two-tier quality check with NABL-accredited laboratories before distribution.

    Concluding her visit, Dr. Liebert engaged with the pharmacists and staff at the Jan Aushadhi Kendra, appreciating their dedication to making quality healthcare accessible to all.

    The visit ended on a highly positive note, reinforcing the significance of international collaboration in advancing affordable healthcare solutions.

     *****

    MV/AKS

    (Release ID: 2107339) Visitor Counter : 37

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Prime Minister meets former PM of Australia

    Source: Government of India

    Posted On: 01 MAR 2025 2:33PM by PIB Delhi

    The Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi met the former Prime Minister of Australia, H.E. Mr. Tony Abbott at NXT Conclave in New Delhi today.

    He wrote in a post on X:

    “Delighted to meet my good friend and former Australian PM, Mr. Tony Abbott. He has always been a friend of India’s. We have all seen him enjoy millets during his current visit. @HonTonyAbbott”

    **********

    MJPS/SR/SKS

    (Release ID: 2107224) Visitor Counter : 18

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Nine more arrested in PNG for brutal kidnap, rape and murder of woman

    By Scott Waide, RNZ Pacific PNG correspondent

    Content warning: This story discusses rape and violence.

    Police in Papua New Guinea have arrested nine more men in connection with the rape and murder of a Port Moresby woman.

    The arrests, announced by Police Commissioner David Manning, follow a two-week investigation supported by forensic experts from the Australian Federal Police (AFP).

    Margaret Gabriel, 32, was abducted from her home at Port Moresby’s Watermark Estate by more than 20 armed men. She was was later raped and murdered.

    The attack sparked nationwide outrage, with calls for stronger protections for women and faster justice in gender-based violence cases.

    Commissioner Manning confirmed the suspects were apprehended on February 27 and subjected to DNA and fingerprint testing.

    “DNA evidence and fingerprints are conclusive forensic evidence and afford irrefutable evidence to ensure convictions in a court of law,” he said.

    The nine men join three others already in custody, though police have not clarified their specific roles in the crime.

    Forensic analysis
    AFP forensic specialists from Canberra assisted PNG’s Royal Papua New Guinea Constabulary (RPNGC) in analysing evidence.

    Manning praised the collaboration, saying it underscored the integration of these advanced investigative techniques into PNG’s investigations is strengthening the cases put before the court.

    Gender-based violence remains pervasive in PNG, with a 2023 UN report noting that more than two-thirds of women experience physical or sexual abuse in their lifetimes.

    Limited forensic resources and slow judicial processes have historically hampered prosecutions.

    Police increasingly rely on international partnerships, including a longstanding forensics programme with Australia, to address these gaps.

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

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 57-2025: Services Restored: Monday 03 March 2025 – BICON external website

    Source: Australia Government Statements – Agriculture

    Who does this notice affect?

    All clients of the department’s Biosecurity Import Conditions System (BICON) – external website.

    Information

    Restored time:

    As of 15:58 Monday 03 March 2025 (AEDT).

    Detail:

    Between 11:30 and 15:58 on Monday 03 March 2025 (AEDT), the BICON external website was experiencing an unplanned service disruption. As a result, users may have experienced service degradation (e.g. slowness) and/or an inability to load webpages…

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: First Nations language celebrated at Kaurna Day with new songbook

    Source: University of South Australia

    03 March 2025

    Kaurna songbook cover artist Gabriel Stengle and Project Officer at Kaurna Warra Pintyanthi Jaylon Newchurch. Photo by Andre Castellucci.

    The University of Adelaide and University of South Australia communities have come together to celebrate the University of Adelaide’s second annual Kaurna Day, this year marked by the launch of a Kaurna songbook — a valuable resource for preserving and revitalising the Kaurna language.

    Titled Yurikurringa Ngadluku Paltirna: Listen to Our Songs, the Kaurna songbook is a contemporary reworking of the original Kaurna Paltinna, created in the 1990s.

    Developed in collaboration with Kaurna Warra Pintyanthi (KWP), the Centre for Aboriginal Studies in Music (CASM), Kaurna Plains School, independent Aboriginal artists, and Kaurna community members, it contains 15 songs in Kaurna language or featuring Kaurna words. The songbook serves as both an educational tool and a cultural archive.

    With 109 out of 123 spoken Indigenous languages in Australia listed as endangered, the urgency to safeguard language and cultural identity has never been greater. The Kaurna songbook aims to combat language decline among younger generations of Kaurna people, strengthening identity, resilience, and well-being within the community.

    Kaurna Day: Tirkanthi – Ngutu – Taikurrinthi (Learning – Knowledge – Be United Together) is a free public event honouring and celebrating First Nations people and culture where the new songbook further strengthens the commitment to culture preservation. Following the success of the University of Adelaide’s first Kaurna Day last year, this year’s event expands its celebration of music, dance, and storytelling, by extending from the University of Adelaide’s North Terrace campus to Roseworthy, Waite, and UniSA’s City West Campus.

    Photo by Andre Castellucci.

    The day features a sunrise smoking ceremony at the University of Adelaide’s North Terrace, Roseworthy and Waite campus, followed by a breakfast catered by Creative Native. The North Terrace campus features community stalls with First Nations artists, makers, and businesses, alongside live performances by DEM MOB, Jamie Goldsmith and Taikurtinna Dance Group, Kaurna Plains School Choir, and more.

    Academic showcases, student presentations, collaborative information sessions, traditional games, and live artmaking by artist Brooke Rigney are also part of the program. Meanwhile at UniSA’s City West Campus, Aboriginal leader Jack Buckskin is running Kaurna language workshops throughout the day.

    Special limited-edition prints of the Kaurna songbook will be provided for free to schools and community centres in the Kaurna Plains region. It will also be available for free download on the Kaurna Warra Pintyanthi website, along with audio recordings of the songs.  

    Pro Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous Engagement) of the University of Adelaide Professor Steve Larkin said:

    “Kaurna Day is a celebration of unity and cultural pride, weaving together the rich histories of the Kaurna community and the academic realms of the University of Adelaide and UniSA. It strengthens our connections through shared knowledges and respect, fostering an inclusive environment that empowers First Nations people.

    “Together, we are building a brighter future, honouring the past while paving the way for growth, understanding, and lasting partnerships.”

    Photo by Andre Castellucci.

    Project Officer at Kaurna Warra Pintyanthi (KWP) Jaylon Newchurch said:

    “The songbook plays a crucial role in the preservation and revitalisation of the Kaurna language, demonstrating how far language resources have come since the 1990s. It honours the work of those who helped restore the language and serves as a living testament to its resilience.

    “By showcasing Kaurna in a modern context, the songbook helps ensure that the language remains vibrant for future generations while staying deeply connected to our roots and our old people who came before us.”

    Vice-Chancellor and President of the University of Adelaide Professor Peter Høj AC said:

    “Kaurna Day represents the University’s deep connection with the Kaurna community. The land on which many of our campuses stand has been home to the Kaurna people for thousands of years. Recognising and celebrating this enduring connection is essential to fostering meaningful reconciliation and ensuring that the language, culture, and traditions of the Kaurna people continue to thrive.”

    UniSA’s Pro Vice Chancellor: Aboriginal Leadership and Strategy Professor Tina Brodie said:

    “Kaurna Day is an opportunity to recognise the ongoing connection of the Kaurna People to their place and to celebrate Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander Cultures more broadly. The launch of the Kaurna songbook is a representation of the generosity of the Kaurna people and all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples’ who share knowledges and culture with us all.”

    Photo by Andre Castellucci.

    UniSA Vice-Chancellor and President Professor David Lloyd said:

    “We are honoured to be able to recognise and celebrate our connection to the Kaurna lands, the people, their history and culture. Kaurna Day allows us an opportunity to further strengthen the long-standing connection to the lands upon which our two universities stand and operate.

    “The Kaurna and wider Aboriginal communities have enriched us with their knowledge and perspectives and it’s a privilege to be able to share that and celebrate the reclaiming and revitalisation of the endangered Kaurna language.”

    Media contact:

    Lara Pacillo, Media Officer, The University of Adelaide. Mobile: +61 404 307 302. Email: lara.pacillo@adelaide.edu.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Cyclone Alfred is expected to hit southeast Queensland – the first in 50 years to strike so far south

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steve Turton, Adjunct Professor of Environmental Geography, CQUniversity Australia

    If you’re in southeast Queensland, brace yourself.

    Tropical Cyclone Alfred is expected to cross the southeast Queensland coast late this Thursday as a Category 2 storm. The last tropical cyclone to make landfall in the region was ex-Tropical Cyclone Zoe in 1974, half a century ago.

    Category 2 cyclones produce winds at levels considered damaging at best, destructive at worst – typically gusting as high as 164 kilometres per hour. It can cause minor damage to houses and significant damage to signs, trees and caravans. Power failures are common, while small boats can break moorings. Significant beach erosion is likely on the Sunshine Coast and Gold Coast.

    Cyclone Alfred formed nine days ago in the Coral Sea, 900 kilometres north east of Cairns, then headed out to sea. Then it tracked south, reaching severe Category 4 status east of Mackay. In recent days, the storm weakened further as it meandered into the cooler waters of the southern Coral Sea. The cyclone seemed set to peter out, far offshore.

    No longer. The latest forecasts show the storm sharply changing direction and making a beeline for heavily populated areas of southeast Queensland.

    Its erratic path is not unexpected. Cyclones forming over the Coral Sea have the most unpredictable paths in the world, frustrating coastal Queensland residents, fishers, tourist operators and meteorologists themselves.

    Alfred is a typically unpredictable Coral Sea cyclone. But unusually, it has maintained its cyclonic structure and intensity much further south, into subtropical latitudes.

    Issued Monday March 3rd, this map shows the forecast path of Cyclone Alfred this week.
    Bureau of Meteorology, CC BY-NC-ND

    Cyclones, typhoons and hurricanes explained

    Cyclones, hurricanes and typhoons are different names for the same intense, horizontally rotating tropical storms. They occur in seven tropical ocean basins, above and below the equator.

    These storms need atmospheric heat. They only form over seas warmer than 27°C, where evaporation rates are high. They don’t occur in the cooler South Atlantic basin, and only rarely in the southeast Pacific, during strong El Niño events when sea surface temperatures are warmer.

    The northwest Pacific – off eastern Asia and the Philippines – experiences the most frequent and intense tropical storms (known there as typhoons).

    Australia averages about 13 cyclones a year. Most won’t make landfall and only a few are severe. The world’s hardest hit nation is China, where six cyclones make landfall annually.

    This map shows the aggregated paths of the world’s tropical cyclone over the 150 years to 2006. Note: this map uses the Saffir-Simpson scale in measuring wind speeds, which differs slightly to the Australian scale.
    NASA, CC BY-NC-ND

    In the north Pacific and north Atlantic, cyclones typically follow predictable tracks. They move westwards, steered by sub-tropical high pressure sytems to their north.

    Cyclone paths are also fairly predictable off the northwest coast of Australia. They typically form over the Timor Sea and drift southwest before shifting south and crossing the coast. Some are severe, as we saw with Category 5 Cyclone Zelia last month.

    By contrast, Coral Sea cyclones such as Alfred are much harder to predict.

    In the southern hemisphere, cyclones spin clockwise. This figure shows how cyclones form around a low pressure system over warm seawater. Depending on their intensity, tropical cyclones are steered by dominant winds in the lower, middle and upper layers of the atmosphere.
    Metservice New Zealand, CC BY-NC-ND

    How cyclones are steered

    Strong winds are the main force steering cyclones, determining direction and forward speed.

    Severe tropical cyclones (categories 3–5) are characterised by deep convection currents, which form the famous eye at the centre of the storm, as well as feeder rainbands converging into their centre. Severe systems are generally steered by winds in the middle to upper levels.

    By contrast, weaker cyclones (categories 1–2) are much shallower and often have little or no convection around their centre. They tend to be steered by winds in the lower to middle levels. At present, Cyclone Alfred looks to remain relatively weak.

    Wind speed and direction can differ markedly in different levels of the atmosphere. Winds can also change direction at the same level. These competing influences are what lies behind the erratic paths of our cyclones.

    Cyclones forming in the Coral Sea are more likely to be pushed in different directions by different winds and weather systems than their equivalents in other ocean basins. This is what makes them so hard to predict.

    In our region, cyclones are largely steered by two high pressure systems.

    The first pushes cyclones east, and the second steers them west. If both are present and roughly equal in strength, they can hold a cyclone near-stationary. We saw this with Cyclone Alfred for most of the last week.

    Slow-moving tropical cyclones such as Alfred are more likely to wander, while faster-moving cyclones such as Severe Cyclone Yasi follow a stronger steering pattern and more predictable paths.

    Quite often, cyclones travel south and east out to sea. There, they quietly die in a large area of ocean colloquially known as the cyclone graveyard, southeast of Brisbane. These cyclones are steered by different weather systems – upper troughs, cold masses of air from the Southern Ocean.

    Cyclone Alfred was initially steered east by a near equatorial ridge to its northeast, then became stuck between this high pressure ridge and a sub-tropical ridge to its southwest. This is why it meandered very slowly south and built up strength to become severe.

    An upper trough then pushed it southeast over the weekend. This week, it’s likely to turn sharply westward towards land, propelled by a high pressure ridge to the south.

    Landfall – but where?

    After meandering around the Coral Sea for more than a week, Cyclone Alfred’s forecast track now seems more certain.

    The system is expected to intensify from a Category 1 to 2 tomorrow as it moves over warmer waters and draws in more moisture-laden air. This should see it maintain near Category 2 status until landfall. After it hits, it should rapidly weaken to a tropical low over southern Queensland into the weekend.

    Alfred will bring a lot of rain, making flooded rivers and flash flooding likely. The Bureau of Meteorology has issued a flood watch for catchments all the way from Maryborough to the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales. These communities should prepare now.

    Cyclone Alfred has a large area of gales, so will affect a wide swathe of coastline from K’gari (Fraser Island) to Byron Bay. Storm-force winds will cover a 100km wide area, mostly concentrated on its southern flank as it approaches and crosses the coast.

    In the longer term, Alfred’s remnants will likely be captured by an approaching upper trough and taken back offshore, where it will die in the cyclone graveyard – gone, but not likely to be forgotten.

    Steve Turton has previously received funding from the Australian Government.

    – ref. Cyclone Alfred is expected to hit southeast Queensland – the first in 50 years to strike so far south – https://theconversation.com/cyclone-alfred-is-expected-to-hit-southeast-queensland-the-first-in-50-years-to-strike-so-far-south-251241

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Federation TAFE Awards honour student excellence

    Source: Federation University

    Federation TAFE’s outstanding achievers were celebrated at the 2025 Federation TAFE Awards for Excellence with 42 award winners announced at a gala event at The Mining Exchange, Ballarat, on Thursday 27 February.

    Recipients across 30 categories were recognised for excellence in their chosen areas of study and presented with certificates by industry sponsors and community leaders including Mayor, City of Ballarat, Councillor Tracey Hargreaves.

    The Federation TAFE Apprentice of the Year Award, sponsored by The Rotary Club of Ballarat South, went to Certificate III in Electrotechnology Electrician student Lachlan McKenzie, while Diploma of Nursing student Cathrin Logan was awarded the City of Ballarat sponsored Federation TAFE Trainee of the Year award for her work with Grampians Health.

    Owen Pugh, a Diploma of Engineering – Technical student received the prestigious EJT Tippett Outstanding Achievement Award for outstanding achievement in and dedication to his studies.
    Owen originally began studying engineering within the higher education environment, however he soon changed to study the Diploma qualification at Federation TAFE for its practical and valuable hands-on experience. Owen is now enrolled to study a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) at Federation University while working as an assistant draftsperson.

    Two new awards sponsored by the Highlands Local Learning and Employment Network (LLEN) recognising excellence in vocational education and training delivered to secondary school (VETDSS) students were presented for the first time this year.

    The Highlands LLEN VET Cluster VETDSS Award for Excellence was awarded to Piper Burzacott, Jordan Canavan, Noah McLelland, and Molly Skoblar while the Highlands LLEN Vocational Major award was presented to Federation College student, Giaan Watts.

    Certificate III in Engineering Composites Trade student, Eden Row was awarded The Rotary Club of Ballarat Endeavour Award while Chris Britten, Azlan Harris, and Alexander Radoll all received a Federation TAFE Growth Award awarded to Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander First Nations People students who demonstrate significant commitment to their studies.

    Wimmera Federation TAFE Diploma of Nursing teacher, Gabrielle McCulloch was awarded VET Teacher/Trainer of the Year in recognition of her strong focus on bridging the gap between theory and practical application and ensuring students are well prepared for the nursing workforce.

    The Federation TAFE Awards for Excellence incorporated the Craftsperson Awards where 150 students who successfully completed their apprenticeship training in 2024 were welcomed with the honorary title of “Craftsperson of the City of Ballarat” by Federation University, the City of Ballarat and the Rotary Club of Ballarat. Dating back to 1956, the Craftsperson Awards also acknowledge the region’s businesses who participate in the apprenticeship scheme.

    Quotes attributable to Federation University Pro Vice-Chancellor VET & Pathways and Chief Executive TAFE, Mr Darren Gray

    “Congratulations to all the 2025 Federation TAFE Awards for Excellence winners and nominees. These awards celebrate the outstanding achievements, determination, and enterprise of our students, apprentices, trainees, and teachers, as well as the support of local employers and industry.”

    “The award winners have shown excellence in pursuit of their studies and chosen careers, and we look forward to seeing the positive impact they will make within their communities and industries.”

    Quotes attributable to City of Ballarat Mayor, Cr Tracey Hargreaves

    “The City of Ballarat’s association with Federation University Australia’s TAFE Awards for Excellence goes back almost 70 years and we are proud to continue supporting the prestigious event.”

    “It is critical that we teach people the importance of using their skills and knowledge to obtain gainful employment, self-esteem and make a positive contribution to our community and economy.”

    Quotes attributable to President of the Rotary Club of Ballarat, Jan Davidson

    “As President of the Rotary Club of Ballarat, I am both humbled and inspired by the number of students showcased within the Federation TAFE Awards for Excellence, incorporating the Craftsperson Awards which have been in existence since 1956.”

    “The Rotary Club of Ballarat Endeavour Award honours the student’s tenacity and devotion to their studies, and I am honoured to be a member of an organisation that continues to support such a brilliant award. I know these inspirational people will go on to greater success, and I look forward to seeing where their journeys lead them.”

    Quotes attributable to EJT Tippett Outstanding Achievement Award recipient, Owen Pugh

    “Receiving the EJT Tippett Outstanding Achievement Award was a welcome surprise. I’m honoured and flattered to be recognised.”

    “Studying with Federation TAFE has been a great experience for me. The Diploma of Engineering – Technical course content, my teacher, Justin Bisson, who had a real impact on me, and working with all the students from different employment and learning backgrounds really gave me a new perspective on things. The hands-on nature of the course required you to think in practical terms, such as application and outcome of engineering, practical design, and working as a part of a team, and was something I wouldn’t have been able to get anywhere else.”

    “My experience at Federation TAFE has given me the confidence to go into the workforce as a Draftsperson and begin studying a Bachelor of Engineering (Mechanical) with Federation University.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 56-2025: Changes to BICON Standard List of Laboratory Microorganisms and Infectious Agents

    Source: Australia Government Statements – Agriculture

    3 March 2025

    Who does this notice affect?

    Importers and customs brokers associated with importing laboratory microorganisms and infectious agents under a standard permit, including those who currently hold a standard permit to import microbes or related material.

    What has changed?

    In March 2024, the department completed a scientific review of the biosecurity risks associated with the taxa included on the list of standard laboratory microorganisms and infectious…

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Allens advises Zenith on $1.9 billion refinancing

    Source: Allens Insights

    Allens has advised Zenith Energy on its $1.9 billion refinancing and increase to its existing bank debt facilities, providing more than $1 billion in growth capital to support the development of new projects.

    The refinancing, backed by a syndicate of 14 Australian and international lenders, provides growth funding to support Zenith’s financial capacity as it expands its role in delivering renewable and hybrid power solutions. A portion of the transaction includes green loan facilities structured under Zenith’s Green Finance Framework, aligning with the Asia Pacific Loan Market Association’s Green Loan Principles.

    ‘We congratulate Zenith and the financiers on this significant transaction, which supports Zenith’s ability to capitalise on the opportunities of the energy transition. This refinancing highlights the strong market confidence in Zenith’s strategy and the role it plays in enabling decarbonisation in the resources sector. We are very pleased to continue our long standing relation with Zenith and to be able to support it into the future,’ said partner Rod Aldus.

    Allens legal team

    Banking & Finance

    Rod Aldus (Partner), Michael Ryan (Partner), Tania Joppich (Senior Associate), Bronte Barber (Lawyer)

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Arrest – Domestic violence – Gillen

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested a 27-year-old male in relation to a domestic violence incident that occurred in Alice Springs overnight.

    Around 10pm, police received a report that a female had been stabbed by her male partner at a residence in Gillen. Police attended and located the victim with non-life-threatening injuries to her head, arms and lower back. She was conveyed to the Alice Springs Hospital in a stable condition.

    The offender fled the scene prior to police arrival and investigations commenced.

    Police subsequently identified and located the 27-year-old male offender at the base of West Gap, where he was arrested.

    The offender was charged with Aggravated Assault and Engage in conduct that contravenes domestic violence order. He remains in police custody and will appear in the Alice Springs Local Court at a later date.

    Investigations are ongoing and police urge anyone with information to call 131 444 and quote reference NTP2500022523. Anonymous reports can also be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.

    If you or someone you know are experiencing difficulties due to domestic violence, support services are available, including, but not limited to, 1800RESPECT (1800737732) or Lifeline 131 114.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Motorbike rider detected speeding at 148km/h in 100km/h zone at Stanley

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Motorbike rider detected speeding at 148km/h in 100km/h zone at Stanley

    Monday, 3 March 2025 – 4:18 pm.

    A motorbike rider intercepted speeding 48km/h above the limit at Stanley has been issued an infringement notice for 4-months licence disqualification, six demerit points, and $1161.50.  
    The 44-year-old man from Queensland was intercepted about 3.50pm yesterday, riding a red Honda CBR100RR motorcycle at 148km/h in a 100km/h zone on the Stanley Highway. 
    Sergeant Lee-Anne Walters said, “The section of road the rider was speeding on was narrow and heavily used by tourists and local motorists, and the consequences of his dangerous riding could have been tragic.” 
    “I urge every motorcyclist to consider their safety, and the safety of others, every time they ride on our roads.”  
    “Obey the road rules, to help us keep everyone safe.” 

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Consumer Data Right expansion to deliver a better deal for consumers

    Source: Australian Treasurer

    The Albanese Government is uplifting the Consumer Data Right (CDR) by expanding the system to non‑bank lending providers to deliver a better deal for more Australians.

    After extensive consultation and undertaking a strategic assessment of the way forward for CDR, the Albanese Government announced the CDR reset in August 2024. The intent of this reset was to address concerns around high compliance costs and the limited uptake of use cases by consumers.

    Through this reset, the Government is focusing on making improvements to the current framework to reduce unnecessary costs and enable high‑value use cases. The Albanese Government:

    • Has amended the CDR rules to streamline the consent process for consumers.
    • Is examining changes to the framework that could be made to reduce costs and facilitate high value use case.
    • Is exploring how the existing data sharing framework can better support high priority use cases such as consumer finance and lending, small business accounting services and energy switching.
    • Has written to the Data Standards Body setting out the Government’s expectations that future standards changes align with the Government’s direction for CDR.
    • Flagged an intention to move towards a ban of screen scraping.

    Today we announce another next step in the CDR reset, the expansion of CDR into non‑bank lending, commencing from mid‑2026.

    Today’s announced changes:

    • Expand the CDR to include non‑bank lending products, promoting greater competition and innovation in the market.
    • Remove the requirement for data holders to share consumer or product data for niche products such as asset finance, consumer leases, reverse mortgages, margin loans and foreign currency amounts.
    • Reduce the period of data to be held and shared from 7 years to 2 years, reducing costs associated with maintaining and responding to requests for historical data.
    • Ensure Buy Now, Pay Later products are covered by data sharing obligations.

    These changes ensure the CDR targets priority use cases, such as consumer finance and lending, without imposing unnecessary costs and regulatory burden on smaller lenders.

    The CDR enables Australian households and businesses to access their data held by their bank or electricity retailer through innovative new products that allows them to make informed choices, switch providers, and more easily apply for products and services.

    By unlocking the value of a consumer’s data, the CDR has the potential to be a transformational piece of economic reform for Australian consumers, delivering more choice and access to the best possible deals on a range of financial products tailored to a consumer’s individual need.

    The Government’s changes will open opportunities for consumers to use the CDR to find the best deals on more lending products. It will also address the cost burden of the CDR on the financial sector.

    The Government is working closely with stakeholders and will continue to expand the CDR in ways that foster innovation, whilst being purposeful and focussed on consumer benefit.

    The Albanese Government is getting on with the job of resetting of the CDR to ensure it delivers to its potential as an innovative piece of our economic infrastructure.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Grants to fuel future STEM pathways

    Source: Government of Queensland

    Issued: 3 Mar 2025

    • Recipients will share in almost $500,000 for science activities.
    • STEM-based events and activities to increase participation in science and encourage people to enter STEM career pathways.

    From the coast to the city, the future generation of science superstars are set to benefit from a range of engaging science activities throughout Queensland.

    The Queensland Government has committed almost $500,000 to encourage students to a consider a STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics) career and encourage communities to engage with science.

    Grants of up to $20,000 have been awarded to 28 recipients through the Engaging Science Grants program, with community science-based festivals and tailored education programs for groups traditionally under-represented in science among the projects.

    The broad range of events and activities encourage engagement between scientists and the community, playing a vital role in building science literacy.

    Queensland Chief Scientist Professor Kerrie Wilson said the Engaging Science Grants program is a great opportunity for students and communities to connect with scientists.

    “Engaging in science activities and events is essential to inspire the future generation of scientists so our workforce is well-equipped to ensure our economy thrives.

    “I am particularly excited by those projects that introduce the wonders of science to groups that are generally under-represented in STEM such as the #STEMLIKEAPATSGIRL project which aims to empower and engage North Queensland girls in STEM, with hands-on activities that encourage them to envision their futures in the field.

    “Our commitment to building Queensland’s science ecosystem under the Future Queensland Science Strategy also includes a focus on empowering community awareness and engagement in science.

    “Whether you’re a student exploring future pathways, an aspiring scientist, or simply curious about how the world works, I encourage everyone to take part in some of these events and activities.”

    View more information about the 2025 recipients from the Engaging Science Grants program.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: National Children’s Commissioner welcomes Senate Inquiry report calls for child justice reform

    Source: Australian Human Rights Commission

    National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds has welcomed the interim findings by the first ever Senate Inquiry into Australia’s child justice and incarceration system. 

    Tabled on Friday, the interim report highlights the urgent need for political leaders to drive systemic reform to ensure child justice is made a national priority. It followed 223 submissions and testimonies from 40 witnesses, including all of Australia’s Children’s Commissioners, Guardians, and Advocates. 

    National Children’s Commissioner Anne Hollonds said: “The Inquiry heard compelling and consistent testimonies about the failures of child justice systems across Australia. There is evidence of widespread breaches of human rights, and a persistent lack of accountability by state and territory governments to act to prevent crime by children and keep communities safe.   

    “The Senate Committee also heard there is a role for the Federal Government to provide national leadership on reform based on evidence and human rights.” 

    Commissioner Hollonds said the “significant and disturbing evidence” is reflected in the interim report’s two recommendations. The Committee recommends ‘the Senate continues to pursue an inquiry into the incarceration of children’, and that the next Australian Parliament refer to the Senate ‘an inquiry into Australia’s child justice and detention system, with particular reference to the Commonwealth’s responsibilities’.  

    The Senate Committee also commended the landmark Help Way Earlier! report into child justice reform, led by Ms Hollonds and tabled in Parliament last August. It noted four key recommendations: establishing a National Taskforce to ensure child justice reform, appointing a federal Minister for Children, creating a Ministerial Council for Child Wellbeing, and embedding the international child rights convention into a National Children’s Act and federal Human Rights Act.  

    Commissioner Hollonds: “It is very heartening to see the confirmation of our contribution, which we could not have achieved without the support of fellow child rights advocates, and the many children and families who bravely shared their experiences with the justice system. 

    “I sincerely hope this interim Senate Inquiry report will be a turning-point for systemic change, after decades of neglect of our youngest citizens.   

    “These are children in the most vulnerable of circumstances, and we have failed them. It is time for all Australian governments to be accountable for the human rights of children consistent with our obligations under the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.”  

    Read more about our report: ‘Help Way Earlier!’ How Australia can transform child justice to improve safety and wellbeing.  

    ENDS | Media contact: media@humanrights.gov.au or 0457 281 897 (only calls, no texts please) 

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: CEO of Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility to retire

    Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

    Northern Australia Infrastructure Facility (NAIF) CEO Craig Doyle has advised the NAIF Board of his intention to retire from his position in August, ending three successful years at the helm of the NAIF.  

    As CEO, Mr Doyle is responsible for the administration of NAIF, leading a talented and diverse team of professionals tasked with unlocking prosperity in our regions and driving growth in the northern Australian economy.  

    Mr Doyle joined as CEO in June 2022 and has since overseen a large number of NAIF’s portfolio of investments ranging from large-scale resource and energy developments to social infrastructure projects.

    Minister for Northern Australia, the Hon Madeleine King MP, reflected on Mr Doyle’s time as CEO and said he would leave the NAIF in a strong position. 

    “Craig’s leadership oversaw a crucial period for the NAIF, where they supported $1.3 billion of loans estimated to return $20 billion in public benefit to northern Australia,” Minister King said.

    “While it will be business as usual for Craig until his final day in August, I want to take this moment to acknowledge his significant contributions in leading the NAIF.

    “Craig departs with the gratitude of myself, the Government and key stakeholders and I wish him all the best with future endeavours.”

    Under the NAIF Act, the Board is responsible for appointing the CEO, and a recruitment process will soon be underway to ensure continuity. The process will be open, transparent and merit-based.

    The Australian Government will continue to work with the NAIF Board on these arrangements.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Draft TD on early stage investor tax offset scheme

    Source: Australian Department of Revenue

    We’ve published a draft tax determination (TD) on the early stage investor tax offset scheme we alerted you to in December 2024.

    Our view in the draft determination is that the anti-avoidance provisions in the tax law can apply to this scheme, potentially cancelling any tax benefit obtained by participants.

    This will apply to those who are involved in the scheme before, during or after the final determination is published. Participants in this scheme may have to pay back the offset claimed. Potentially penalties and interest may also be applied.

    The draft determination is currently open for consultation and feedback will help ensure our guidance is clear for small businesses.

    Feedback is due by 28 March. For more information on how and where to send your feedback, see the draft determination.

    Advice on tax schemes

    We’re continuing to warn the community about the risks of getting involved in tax schemes, particularly those spreading online – like this one. Online schemes are on the rise, enticing honest people who don’t fully understand what the consequences are.

    If you are offered this scheme, you should reject it and report it to the ATO. If you have already invested, contact us for help. If you proactively approach the ATO, you may be eligible for a reduction in any penalties.

    For more information visit Tax schemes.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Lodging your NFP self-review return through a tax agent

    Source: Australian Department of Revenue

    Non-charitable not-for-profits (NFPs) with an active Australian business number (ABN) that self-assess as income tax exempt are due to lodge their 2023–24 self-review return by 31 March 2025.

    One of the ways to lodge an NFP self-review return is through your NFP’s registered tax agent.

    If you’re engaging a new tax agent or changing your tax agent to lodge your NFP self-review return, you must nominate them as your NFP’s tax agent.

    This is an added layer of protection to ensure you have control over who accesses your organisation’s information and performs tasks on your behalf. While this step must be completed by you, your tax agent can assist you through the process if you need help.

    How to nominate your agent

    Here is a breakdown of what is required to nominate your tax agent:

    1. Set up your digital ID, such as myID
    2. Link your digital ID to your NFPs ABN
    3. Log into Online services for businessExternal Link
    4. Nominate your authorised agent in Online services for business
    5. Let your agent know you have nominated them.

    Before you can complete steps 1 and 2, you must make sure you are the principal authorityExternal Link for your NFP. This is also known as the associate for your NFP.

    For more detail about these steps visit How to nominate your registered agent, which includes a downloadable PDF guide with screenshots. You can also see Agent nomination for more information.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: I’m a medical forensic examiner. Here’s what people can expect from a health response after a sexual assault

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mary Louise Stewart, Senior Career Medical Officer, Northern Sydney Local Health District; PhD Candidate, University of Sydney

    fizkes/Shutterstock

    An estimated one in five women and one in 16 men in Australia have experienced sexual violence.

    After such a traumatic experience, it’s understandable many are unsure if they want to report it to the police. In fact, less than 10% of Australian women who experience sexual assault ever make a police report.

    In Australia there is no time limit on reporting sexual assault to police. However, there are tight time frames for collecting forensic evidence, which can sometimes be an important part of the police investigation, whether it’s commenced at the time or later.

    This means the decision of whether or not to undergo a medical forensic examination needs to be made quite quickly after an assault.

    I work as a medical forensic examiner. Here’s what you can expect if you present for a medical forensic examination after a sexual assault.

    A team of specialists

    There are about 100 sexual assault services throughout Australia providing 24-hour care. As with other areas of health care, there are extra challenges in regional and rural areas, where there are often further distances to travel and staff shortages.

    Sexual assault services in Australia are free regardless of Medicare status. To find your nearest service you can call 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) or Full Stop Australia (1800 385 578) who can also provide immediate telephone counselling support.

    It’s important to call the local sexual assault service before turning up. They can provide the victim-survivor with information and advice to prevent delays and make the process as helpful as possible.

    The consultation usually occurs in a hospital emergency department which has a designated forensic suite, or in a specialised forensic service.

    The victim-survivor is seen by a doctor or nurse trained in medical and forensic care. There’s a sexual assault counsellor, crisis worker or social worker present to support the patient and offer counselling advice. This is called an “integrated response” with medical and psychosocial staff working together.

    In most cases the victim-survivor can have their own support person present too.

    Depending on what the victim-survivor wants, the doctor or nurse will take a history of the assault to guide any medical care which may be needed (such as emergency contraception) and to guide the examination.

    Sexual assault services are always very aware of giving victim-survivors a choice about having a medical forensic examination. If a person presents to a sexual assault service, they can receive counselling and medical care without undergoing a forensic examination if they do not wish to.

    Sexual assault services are inclusive of all genders.

    Collecting forensic samples

    Samples collected during a medical forensic examination can sometimes identify the perpetrator’s DNA or intoxicating substances (alcohol or drugs that might be relevant to the investigation). The window of opportunity to collect these samples can be as short as 12 hours, or up to 5–7 days, depending on the nature of the sexual assault.

    In most of Australia, an adult who has experienced a recent sexual assault can be offered a medical forensic examination without making a report to police.

    Depending on the state or territory, the forensic samples can usually be stored for 3 to 12 months (up to 100 years in Tasmania). This allows the victim-survivor time to decide if they want to release them to police for processing.

    The doctor or nurse will collect the samples using a sexual assault investigation kit, or a “rape kit”.

    Collecting these samples might involve taking swabs to try to detect DNA from external and internal genital areas and anywhere there may have been DNA transfer. This can be from skin cells, where the perpetrator touched the victim-survivor, or from bodily fluids including semen or saliva.

    The doctor or nurse carrying out the examination do their best to minimise re-traumatisation, by providing the victim-survivor information, choices and control at every step of the process.

    The victim-survivor can usually have a support person with them.
    Monkey Business Images/Shutterstock

    How about STIs and pregnancy?

    During the consultation, the doctor or nurse will address any concerns about sexually transmitted infections (STIs) and pregnancy, if applicable.

    In most cases the risk of STIs is small. But follow-up testing at 1–2 weeks for infections such as chlamydia and gonorrhoea, and at 6–12 weeks for infections such as syphilis and HIV, is usually recommended.

    Emergency contraception (sometimes called the “morning after pill”) can be provided to prevent pregnancy. It can be taken up to five days after sexual assault (but the sooner the better) with follow-up pregnancy testing recommended at 2–3 weeks.

    Things have improved over time

    When I was a junior doctor in the late 90s, taking forensic swabs was usually the responsibility of the busy obstetrics and gynaecology trainee in the emergency department, who was often managing multiple patients and had little training in forensics. There was also usually no supportive counsellor.

    Anecdotally, both the doctor and the patient were traumatised by this experience. Research shows that when specialised, integrated services are not provided, victim-survivors’ feelings of powerlessness are magnified.

    But the way we carry out medical forensic examinations after sexual assault in Australia has improved over the years.

    With patient-centred practices, and designated forensic and counselling staff, the experience for the patient is thought to be empowering rather than re-traumatising.

    Our research

    In new research published in the Australian Journal of General Practice, my colleagues and I explored the experience of the medical forensic examination from the victim-survivor’s perspective.

    We surveyed 291 patients presenting to a sexual assault service in New South Wales (where I work) over four years.

    Some 75% of patients reported the examination was reassuring and another 20% reported it was OK. Only 2% reported that it was traumatising. The majority (98%) said they would recommend a friend present to a sexual assault service if they were in a similar situation.

    While patients spoke positively about the care they received, many commented that the sexual assault service was not visible enough. They didn’t know how to find it or even that it existed.

    We know many victim-survivors don’t present to a sexual assault service or undergo a medical forensic examination after a sexual assault. So we need to do more to increase the visibility of these services.

    The National Sexual Assault, Family and Domestic Violence Counselling Line – 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for any Australian who has experienced, or is at risk of, family and domestic violence and/or sexual assault.

    Mary Louise Stewart receives funding from the Ramsay Research and Education Grant and from the University of Sydney via the Postgraduate Research Support Scheme. Mary Louise Stewart works as a medical forensic examiner where her research is being undertaken.

    – ref. I’m a medical forensic examiner. Here’s what people can expect from a health response after a sexual assault – https://theconversation.com/im-a-medical-forensic-examiner-heres-what-people-can-expect-from-a-health-response-after-a-sexual-assault-244404

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: North Coast cattle treated for tick fever

    Source: New South Wales Department of Primary Industries

    3 Mar 2025

    NSW Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) and Local Land Services (LLS) have reminded producers to be alert following the confirmation of tick fever on two North Coast cattle properties.

    North Coast LLS district veterinarian, Phillip Carter, said the cattle were treated for tick fever,  Babesiosis, once confirmed by DPIRD Elizabeth Macarthur Agricultural Institute laboratory tests.

    “If treatment is delayed tick fever can kill susceptible animals and producers should contact a vet immediately if cattle show signs of tick fever,” Dr Carter said.

    “These two positive cases of tick fever are the first new confirmed cases in NSW this year and we saw signs of cattle tick infestation during our inspection of the animals.

    “We advise producers to monitor herds for cattle tick and cattle tick fever as other animals may be infected and are yet to show signs.

    “Unexplained death can be the first sign of tick fever. Other signs producers should look out for in their cattle include lethargy, depression, salivation, red urine, elevated temperature, jaundice and anaemia.

    “Tick fever is spread by cattle tick, which thrive in warm, humid conditions and we urge producers to practice good farm biosecurity to prevent more tick fever cases in these seasonal conditions.

    “Producers should regularly check cattle for ticks, especially when cattle are yarded in preparation for autumn sales.”

    NSW DPIRD Cattle Tick Operations leader, Larry Falls, said producers should immediately report signs of cattle tick on their animals by calling the NSW Biosecurity Helpline, 1800 680 244.

    “Early intervention is key to minimising the spread and impact of cattle tick and tick fever,” Mr Falls said.

    “The NSW record of movement for cattle tick lists the mandatory biosecurity requirements which must be followed when bringing cattle from cattle tick infested areas into NSW and moving from cattle tick restricted properties in NSW.
    “Following these biosecurity requirements helps prevent the introduction and spread of cattle tick and minimises costs and losses to your enterprise and livestock industries.”

    Tick fever and cattle tick are notifiable under NSW biosecurity legislation, supporting the efforts of industry, producers and government who work together to keep NSW tick-free.

    Cattle tick and tick fever pose significant economic impact on cattle production in northern Australia due to potential large losses of animals, production losses, restrictions on trade and treatment costs.

    If you find sick or dead cattle or suspect tick fever, immediately contact your LLS DV or call the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline, 1800 675 888.

    Information about cattle tick and tick fever is available from the NSW DPIRD website.

    Media contact: pi.media@dpird.nsw.gov.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The Lost Tiger: first animated film by an Indigenous woman explores heritage and identity through a thylacine

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ari Chand, Lecturer in Illustration and Animation, University of South Australia

    Maslow Entertainment

    Director Chantelle Murray’s new family film The Lost Tiger is the first animated feature written and directed by an Indigenous woman.

    Continuing with a long history of Indigenous storytelling, Murray has embedded the film with themes of identity, heritage and adventure. In doing so, she tells a story that is utterly heartwarming and wholly unique to place.

    In Murray’s own words:

    I didn’t have anything like this growing up. I had the things that reinforced the horrible narratives of Indigenous people globally. So, to have something there for the next generation, representation means everything.

    The film is produced by Brisbane-based and woman-run Like a Photon Creative, the studio behind The Sloth Lane (2024) and Scarygirl (2023).

    A powerful message

    The Lost Tiger is classic orphan story founded on identity. The main character is a thylacine (Tasmanian tiger) named Teo (voiced by Thomas Weatherall), whose hero’s journey starts when he begins to grapple with his differences.

    Teo is found as a baby, alongside a mysterious crystal, by a couple from the gregarious wrestling kangaroo troupe Roomania. Young Teo struggles with his identity as he’s coming of age and wants to fit in.

    After visiting a museum, Teo meets platypus and aspiring guild adventurer named Plato (Rhys Darby). Once Plato identifies Teo as one of the world’s last thylacines, he tells him of a legendary lost “Tiger Island” said to be inhabited by thylacines – and the two begin a quest to find the island.

    The film critiques the “doctrine of discovery” through its antagonist, adventure guild explorer Quinella Quoll (Celeste Barber). The doctrine of discovery refers to a legal and ideological approach through which colonisers tried to justify the seizing of land, resources and objects by Indigenous peoples.

    Quoll – who is always looking to “discover” powerful new artifacts for her museum collection – embodies all the extractive qualities of historical European explorers and museum founders.

    This is an important message at a time when museums both nationally and internationally are reevaluating what they hold in their collections – and trying to address the historical injustices associated with colonial acquisitions.

    With a simple but well-executed plot, the film allows for some fun colloquialisms such as “2-up” (an old Aussie gambling game) and “stop, drop and roll”, along with a slate of side characters that highlight the value of simply doing what’s right.

    It taps into the universal truth that each person’s story is irrevocably connected to the stories of others, and that the effect of our choices go far beyond our own lives.

    Visually, The Lost Tiger has a distinct texture, underpinned by a vivid vision of the bush. Murray, who is from the Kimberley region, was highly intentional in her portrayal of Australia’s dynamic landscapes. As she explains:

    I grew up with red rocks, super white sand, and this aqua coloured ocean, and it looks just like a painting. And it wasn’t until I left Broome and came back, and went, ‘This country has such a juxtaposition’. One minute you can be in the desert, and then you walk into a rain forest with these waterfalls.

    The animation itself is created on “stepped keys”, a process in which only every second frame is animated. So instead of seeing 24 frames of motion per second, as you would in a traditional computer-animated film, you see 12 frames per second. This pose-to-pose movement gives the film a stop-motion feel.

    This unique approach is complemented by some whiz-bang moments sure to draw in younger viewers. The film’s wrestling scenes and action sequences, supported by animation director Tania Vincent, are choreographed with high levels of energy, leading to a climactic end.

    Between two worlds

    Animation has the unique ability to tell stories that are both inclusive and diverse – which acknowledge our differences, yet connect us through our shared loves and experiences.

    The Lost Tiger does this beautifully by focusing on messages of respect, unity, connection to place and the importance of conserving precious resources on First Nations lands. It also taps into the difficulties of belonging (and struggling to belong) across different cultural worlds.

    Murray’s film helps lead us towards an industry that embraces diverse voices, and which will be able to support the uniquely Australian voices of future generations.

    The creators of the film acknowledge the Turrbal and Yuggera Peoples as the Traditional Owners and Custodians of the lands in Queensland on which the film was made.

    The Lost Tiger is in cinemas now.

    Ari Chand 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. The Lost Tiger: first animated film by an Indigenous woman explores heritage and identity through a thylacine – https://theconversation.com/the-lost-tiger-first-animated-film-by-an-indigenous-woman-explores-heritage-and-identity-through-a-thylacine-251033

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: A night at the theatre, from one century to another

    Source: Auckland Council

    Imagine it’s 2030. The St James Theatre has opened its doors again.

    You’ve just seen Six60 play on the newly restored stage inside the amphitheatre, or heard Sol3Mio soar at great heights through the harmonies of the Pearl Fishers opera duet.   

    And you step out into the street.

    There are plants and trees lining both sides of Queen Street – mature and lush-green. Footpaths are generously wide and the Waihorotiu path has become a gentle lane of riders who give priority to pedestrians. Shoppers have right of way.

    You’re thinking about which travel option you’ll choose to get home. And there are many.

    Render of Te Hā Noa, Victoria Street – under construction.

    Will you stroll to your apartment a short distance away? Will you cross Queen Street to the Wellesley Street bus interchange and catch a bus – now smoothly funnelling people to all parts of the region?

    Will you catch a train at Te Waihorotiu Station? The City Rail Link – Auckland’s new underground train system – has been operating for a few years and is already a hit with Aucklanders of all ages.

    Will you grab an e-scooter and ride the Waihorotiu path to catch a ferry at the bottom of town, or hop on your bike parked on a rack outside the theatre and ride the cycleway now lining Te Hā Noa, Victoria Street? You’ll see beautiful artwork, mature trees on either side of the upgraded street and spacious streetside spaces for socialising.

    Or will you meet friends after the show at one of the area’s vibrant hospitality lanes bustling with people, and drive home later? Or will a taxi meet you at a pick-up zone nearby, making the theatre experience accessible especially for the disabled and elderly.

    If the St James Theatre had eyes, it would have witnessed a metamorphosis. It would have seen a burgeoning population and a transforming city centre since it first opened in 1928.

    Back then, the theatre would have seen trams pulling up outside, an asphalted roadway, women daring to lift their hemlines, department stores leading a new retail trend, and the splendour of the Civic Theatre taking shape across the street, among many other stitches of an everchanging urban tapestry.

    When the much-adored St James Theatre opens again, it will open to a city centre re-designed and responsive to changing times, a century after the theatre’s 1928 opening. There will be pedestrian-prioritised spaces, trees, rain gardens, public art, more visibility of te ao Māori narratives, and more transport options.

    More information on the history of the St James Theatre is available via PDF [1.16 MB].

    Theatregoers might even hear the singing of waiata in the underpass at nearby Myers Park, something they might not have been able to imagine a century ago. Read about Waimahara here and explore six other majestic icons in the central city here.

    Pictures tell the story of our city centre’s transformation here.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Director General David Cheng-Wei Wu Submitted an Article to The Daily Telegraph on Chinese Navy’s Incursion to Australian Waters

    Source: Republic Of China Taiwan 2

    《Why is China sending ships our way? Just ask Taiwan》
    Cheng-Wei Wu, Director General of the Taipel Economic and Cultural Office In Sydney
    The surprise visit of three Chinese warships just 150 nautical miles east of Sydney serves as a wake-up call, bringing up distant memories of World War II when Australia, a country “girt by sea”, was exposed to threat of an authoritarian power’s navy suddenly appearing in the nation’s waters.
    Yet for some time Australian opinion leaders have debated the nature of the China threat.
    But the simple fact is, last week Chinese warships conducted live-fire drills in Australia’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) for the very first time, and from afar. And at least 49 commercial flights flying over the Tasman Sea between Australia and New Zealand were forced to change course, after receiving a short-notice verbal warning broadcast from the Chinese warships.
    Australia’s Defence Minister Richard Marles stated that China did not follow the best practice of giving 12 to 24 hours’ prior notice and the Australian government has expressed concern to the Chinese government.
    There has plenty of analysis in the past few days on the purpose to rationalise China’s flagrant military moves. It is worth noting that a comment published by Chinese Communist Party’s mouthpiece, the Global Times, stated that: “The People’s Liberation Army is expected to host more such far seas voyages … Some countries may have not yet adapted to seeing the PLA Navy’s normal voyages”.
    Coming from Taiwan, a neighbouring country which faces China’s military harassment and economic coercion on a regular basis, I want to share observations that China is trying to create its “new normal” now in Australia’s front yard with the grey zone tactics, just as they have done in the Taiwan Strait.
    We have seen an uptick of frequency of PLA aircraft’s incursions into our ADIZ (Air Defence Identification Zone) from 960 sorties in 2021 to 3074 sorties in 2024.
    China does this to protest the world’s engagement with Taiwan and to cast a shadow over our elections.
    On this score, it is sure that China knows about Australia’s upcoming federal election and calculated it was “worthwhile” sending a fleet to make an impression.
    China would also like to test the determination of our democratic allies in the Indo-Pacific region, particularly as Donald Trump recalibrates US foreign policy.
    The development of international relations may have its own course. Nevertheless, there are still some rules in world politics which have been verified throughout the pain and history.
    “Like-minded countries must band together”, should be the one to help
    stand up against aggression and authoritarian expansionism.
    When Australia faces the Chinese military bully and intimidation, do not forget the rules we learned, and all democracies would be united by your side, including Taiwan.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –