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Category: Australia

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Breast cancer cases projected to rise by nearly 40 per cent by 2050, WHO warns

    Source: United Nations MIL OSI

    Health

    Breast cancer cases are expected to increase by 38 percent globally by 2050, with annual deaths from the disease projected to rise by 68 percent, according to a new report from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), a specialised branch of the World Health Organization (WHO). 

    The findings, published in Nature Medicine on Monday, warn that if current trends continue, the world will see 3.2 million new breast cancer cases and 1.1 million related deaths each year by mid-century.

    The burden will be disproportionately felt in low- and middle-income countries, where access to early detection, treatment and care remains limited.

    “Every minute, four women are diagnosed with breast cancer worldwide and one woman dies from the disease, and these statistics are worsening,” said Dr. Joanne Kim, an IARC scientist and co-author of the report. 

    “Countries can mitigate or reverse these trends by adopting primary prevention policies, such as WHO’s recommended ‘best buys’ for noncommunicable disease prevention, and by investing in early detection and treatment,” she explained.

    A growing global burden 

    Breast cancer remains the most common cancer among women worldwide and the second most common cancer overall.

    In 2022 alone, an estimated 2.3 million new cases were diagnosed, with 670,000 deaths reported. However, the report highlights significant disparities across regions.

    The highest incidence rates were recorded in Australia, New Zealand, North America and Northern Europe, while the lowest rates were found in South-Central Asia and parts of Africa.

    Meanwhile, the highest mortality rates were reported in Melanesia, Polynesia and Western Africa, where limited access to healthcare contributes to poorer outcomes.

    The link between breast cancer survival and economic development is stark: in high-income countries, 83 percent of diagnosed women survive, whereas in low-income countries, more than half of women diagnosed with breast cancer die from it.

    Urgent need for action

    The WHO launched the Global Breast Cancer Initiative in 2021, aiming to reduce breast cancer mortality rates by 2.5 per cent per year, which could prevent 2.5 million deaths by 2040.

    The initiative focuses on early detection, timely diagnosis and access to quality treatment.

    Dr. Isabelle Soerjomataram, Deputy Head of IARC’s Cancer Surveillance Branch, emphasised the need for high-quality cancer data to drive better policies in lower-income regions.

    “Continued progress in early diagnosis and improved access to treatment are essential to address the global gap in breast cancer and ensure that the goal of reducing suffering and death from breast cancer is achieved by all countries worldwide,” she said.

    The path forward 

    The report underscores the importance of stronger health systems, increased funding for breast cancer screening and treatment, and the adoption of cost-effective prevention policies.

    With the projected rise in cases and deaths, the international community faces an urgent challenge – one that requires coordinated action to ensure millions of lives are not lost to a disease that is increasingly preventable and treatable. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI: CoinShares Confirms Zero Exposure to Bybit Exchange

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    24th February 2024 | SAINT HELIER, Jersey | CoinShares International Limited (“CoinShares” or “the Group”) (Nasdaq Stockholm: CS; US OTCQX: CNSRF), a leading global investment company specialising in digital assets, today confirms that it has no exposure to the Bybit exchange.

    ABOUT COINSHARES

    CoinShares is a leading global investment company specialising in digital assets, that delivers a broad range of financial services across investment management, trading and securities to a wide array of clients that includes corporations, financial institutions and individuals. Focusing on crypto since 2013, the firm is headquartered in Jersey, with offices in France, Sweden, Switzerland, the UK and the US. CoinShares is regulated in Jersey by the Jersey Financial Services Commission, in France by the Autorité des marchés financiers, and in the US by the Securities and Exchange Commission, National Futures Association and Financial Industry Regulatory Authority. CoinShares is publicly listed on the Nasdaq Stockholm under the ticker CS and the OTCQX under the ticker CNSRF.

    For more information on CoinShares, please visit: https://coinshares.com
    Company | +44 (0)1534 513 100 | enquiries@coinshares.com
    Investor Relations | +44 (0)1534 513 100 | enquiries@coinshares.com 

    PRESS CONTACT

    CoinShares
    Benoît Pellevoizin
    bpellevoizin@coinshares.com

    M Group Strategic Communications
    Peter Padovano
    press@coinshares.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: QCR Holdings, Inc. Announces CEO Retirement and Executive Transition

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MOLINE, Ill., Feb. 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — QCR Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: QCRH) (“QCR Holdings” or the “Company”), today announced that, effective immediately following the annual stockholders meeting on May 22, 2025, Larry J. Helling will retire from his role as Chief Executive Officer of the Company and of Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust Company, one of the Company’s wholly-owned bank subsidiaries. Additionally, Mr. Helling will also retire at that time from the boards of directors of the Company and Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust Company. Upon Mr. Helling’s retirement, Todd A. Gipple, the Company’s current President and Chief Financial Officer, will become President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company. Additionally, Nick W. Anderson, the Company’s current Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer, will become the Company’s Chief Financial Officer upon Mr. Gipple’s move to Chief Executive Officer.

    “We were extremely fortunate to have Larry’s leadership as CEO over the past 6 years. Larry joined the organization in 2001 with the formation of Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust Company and became CEO of the Company in 2019. Larry has left an indelible mark on the entire organization,” remarked Marie Ziegler, Chair of QCR Holdings. “Larry’s focus on our clients, shareholders and employees through his emphasis on local control of our banking subsidiaries has been critical in guiding us through the past several years, which included the pandemic and the unique inflationary economic environment. We appreciate Larry’s dedication to the organization and working with the board to implement a seamless succession. We congratulate Larry on his impressive career and look forward to his continued friendship during his well-earned retirement.”

    “It’s been an honor to serve at QCR Holdings and its banking subsidiaries for more than two decades. I have been fortunate to see the positive impacts that our company has had on the communities we serve. We are a relationship-driven organization, and that is reflected in our talented employees, who work diligently to make a positive difference for our clients,” commented Mr. Helling. “Our growth and success in recent years have been possible because of Todd’s leadership and exceptional ability to work with others. I leave knowing that the organization will continue to be guided by a strong leader who embraces our culture.”

    Mr. Gipple has served as the Company’s Chief Financial Officer since 2000, when he transitioned from a successful public accounting career. Through his years in the organization, Mr. Gipple has served in other capacities, including Chief Operating Officer, President and, since 2009, as a director of the Company, in addition to serving on the boards of the Company’s various banking subsidiaries. Mr. Gipple also is an active community leader in the Quad Cities and has served on the Board of Directors and Executive Committees of several local organizations during his 40 years in the community. He currently serves on the Board of Directors of The John Deere Classic and is Past-Chair and a current member of the Executive Committee of the Board of Directors for the YMCA of the Iowa Mississippi Valley.   “I’m honored to take on the CEO role of our company following our annual meeting in May,” said Mr. Gipple. “I have been fortunate to work with Larry since he joined QCR Holdings in 2001 when he founded Cedar Rapids Bank and Trust Company, and I have enjoyed working closely with him the past six years as he has led our company as CEO. It has been very rewarding to be a part of the company’s success the past 25 years. I look forward to continuing that success by retaining our local community banking model that keeps us focused on exceeding the expectations of our clients, creating stronger communities, and sustaining our top-tier financial performance. This focus has served us well throughout the history of our company and has created long-term value for our shareholders.”  

    Mr. Anderson, an Illinois native and graduate of Western Illinois University, is a Certified Public Accountant. Mr. Anderson began his banking career as a teller while working his way through college. Since late 2019, he has served as Chief Accounting Officer of the Company, overseeing all of the Company’s internal and external financial reporting. He also is actively involved in his community and currently serves as the Vice President of Project Renewal of Davenport, Inc., which provides educational, recreational, and social activities for children during the school year and summer. “I have had the pleasure of working closely with Nick for over 20 years and I am fully confident that his transition into the Chief Financial Officer role will be seamless,” said Mr. Gipple. “He has the trust of the board and the executive management team and will do an excellent job overseeing the financial responsibilities at the Company while continuing to be an important part of communicating our successful story with shareholders and other constituencies.”

    Mr. Helling’s retirement and Messrs. Gipple’s and Anderson’s appointments will be effective immediately following the Company’s annual stockholder meeting, scheduled to be held on May 22, 2025.

    About Us

    QCR Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Moline, Illinois, is a relationship-driven, multi-bank holding company serving the Quad Cities, Cedar Rapids, Cedar Valley, Des Moines/Ankeny, and Springfield communities through its wholly owned subsidiary banks. The banks provide full-service commercial and consumer banking and trust and wealth management services. Quad City Bank & Trust Company, based in Bettendorf, Iowa, commenced operations in 1994; Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust Company, based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, commenced operations in 2001; Community State Bank, based in Ankeny, Iowa, was acquired by the Company in 2016; Springfield First Community Bank, based in Springfield, Missouri, was acquired by the Company in 2018, and Guaranty Bank, also based in Springfield, Missouri, was acquired by the Company and merged with Springfield First Community Bank in 2022, with the combined entity operating under the Guaranty Bank name. Additionally, the Company serves the Waterloo/Cedar Falls, Iowa community through Community Bank & Trust, a division of Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust Company. Quad City Bank & Trust Company offers equipment loans and leases to businesses through its wholly owned subsidiary, m2 Equipment Finance, LLC, based in Waukesha, Wisconsin, and provides correspondent banking services. The Company has 36 locations in Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin, and Illinois. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had $9.0 billion in assets, $6.7 billion in loans, and $7.1 billion in deposits. For additional information, please visit the Company’s website at www.qcrh.com.

    PRESS CONTACT:
    Cari Henson
    VP, Corporate Communications Manager
    309.277.2668 | chenson@qcrh.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Mavenir and Terrestar Achieve Industry First Satellite Voice Over NB-IoT Call in NTN Mode

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RICHARDSON, Texas, Feb. 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mavenir, the cloud-native network infrastructure provider building the future of networks, and Terrestar Solutions Inc., Canada’s premier mobile satellite operator, have achieved a groundbreaking milestone by successfully completing an industry first Voice over NB-IoT (Narrowband Internet of Things) call in NTN (Non-Terrestrial Networks) mode. The achievement was conducted over a 3GPP-standardized NTN S-band spectrum, avoiding interference common in terrestrial networks. Designed to work with GEO satellite delays as well, the network ensures consistent coverage despite higher latency. This approach enables GEO operators to monetize NTN services immediately.

    This industry-first call was made earlier in the year, January 2025, using standard codec, Sony’s Altair ALT1250 module, Mavenir Open RAN (Open vRAN and Open Beam radio), Mavenir Converged Packet Core, and was conducted in collaboration with Terrestar.

    The successful VoNB (Voice over NB-IoT) call highlights Mavenir’s and Terrestar’s industry leadership in delivering innovative solutions that bridge the connectivity gap in challenging and remote environments. By leveraging 3GPP standards-based NTN technology, the collaboration is driving the integration of satellite and terrestrial networks to bring seamless connectivity to underserved regions, supporting IoT use cases and extending the scope of reliable communication.

    Jacques Leduc, President, Terrestar Solutions: “Terrestar Solutions embodies innovation and leadership as the first MSS player to offer a real-time voice service based on a fully compliant 3GPP non-terrestrial network. With our dedicated S-band spectrum and an open network architecture, we leverage the strength of the 3GPP ecosystem to drive a breakthrough that sets us apart. Our mission: to accelerate the ecosystem development and provide all, through their mobile service provider, with satellite mobile connectivity that ensures security, autonomy, and independence.” 

    Sachin Karkala, SVP & GM, RAN Business Unit, Mavenir: “Satellite services provide the perfect addition to existing terrestrial networks, adding a layer of widespread coverage, and nowhere is this more important than underserved and remote regions. This development allows satellite operators to launch voice services immediately using available spectrum, existing GEO satellites and industry-standard user equipment with a simple software upgrade to deliver voice services country-wide.”

    This achievement paves the way for broader adoption of NTN-based NB-IoT solutions and further integration of voice services into IoT ecosystems as the standards progress. It also reinforces Mavenir’s role as a pioneer in delivering technologies that empower industries and communities worldwide.

    Notes to the editor:

    About Terrestar Solutions

    Terrestar Solutions Inc. is the only Canadian mobile satellite operator engaged in the race to bring direct-to-device satellite services to smartphones and IoT devices and make anywhere-in-Canada communication a reality. Terrestar is committed to nurturing the ever-evolving, standards-based and open network ecosystem, enabling Mobile Network Operators to deliver ubiquitous communication services. Thanks to the Echostar T1 satellite, its ground network infrastructure and 40MHz of S-band mobile-satellite spectrum, Terrestar connects Canadians from almost anywhere in the country, even in Canada’s most remote regions, through its Strigo Mobile-Satellite Service (MSS). The Strigo service also supports non-profit and First Nations organizations, a testament to the Company’s powerful sense of responsibility towards the welfare and progress of the communities it serves. For more information, visit www.terrestarsolutions.ca, or follow us on LinkedIn. 

    About Mavenir

    Mavenir is building the future of networks today with cloud-native, AI-enabled solutions which are green by design, empowering operators to realize the benefits of 5G and achieve intelligent, automated, programmable networks. As the pioneer of Open RAN and a proven industry disruptor, Mavenir’s award-winning solutions are delivering automation and monetization across mobile networks globally, accelerating software network transformation for 300+ Communications Service Providers in over 120 countries, which serve more than 50% of the world’s subscribers. For more information, please visit www.mavenir.com

    Meet Mavenir at Mobile World Congress 2025, Barcelona, Mar 3-6, 2025.

    To explore Mavenir’s latest innovations and learn more about how Mavenir is delivering the Future of Networks – Today, visit us in Hall 2 (Stand 2H60) at #MWC25.

    Media Contacts

    Mavenir: Emmanuela Spiteri PR@mavenir.com
    Terrestar: Victoria Ollers media@terrestarsolutions.ca 

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta Commits $60 Million for Homeownership Grants

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ATLANTA, Feb. 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta (FHLBank Atlanta) announced today that it is making $60 million in grant funding available through two enhanced programs to help families and individuals purchase or rehabilitate a home. Financial institutions that are members of FHLBank Atlanta can apply for funding to distribute to eligible customers beginning today, Feb. 24, 2025.

    “We are pleased to expand our support for homebuyers and homeowners this year, especially in light of challenges including high home prices and recent natural disasters,” said FHLBank Atlanta President and CEO Kirk Malmberg. “These programs have been designed to assist both first-time and repeat homebuyers, low- and moderate-income families, members of public service occupations, and those in declared emergency areas. We anticipate this funding will significantly impact the lives of thousands of people.”  

    FHLBank Atlanta is committing $40 million through its 2025 Affordable Housing Program (AHP) Homeownership Set-aside Program. Each member financial institution can access up to $750,000 to distribute through three products:

    • First-time Homebuyer: Provides up to $17,500 in downpayment, closing cost, or rehabilitation assistance to first-time homebuyers in connection with the purchase of an existing home. This is an increase from $12,500 offered in 2024.
    • Community Partners: Provides up to $20,000 in downpayment, closing cost, counseling, or rehabilitation assistance in connection with the purchase or purchase and rehabilitation of an existing home by employed or retired law enforcement officers, educators, firefighters, health care workers, veterans and surviving spouses, and other first responders. This is an increase from $15,000 offered in 2024.
    • Community Rebuild and Restore: Provides up to $25,000 in funding for the rehabilitation of an existing owner-occupied home in Major Disaster Declaration areas as designated by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) or by a local, state, or other federal government agency. This funding per unit is up from $10,000 in 2024.

    FHLBank Atlanta is contributing $20 million to promote affordable housing through its Workforce Housing Plus+ Program, developed for borrowers with incomes between 80.01% and 120% of the area median income (AMI).

    • Member financial institutions can access up to $500,000 each and disburse grants up to $15,000 per eligible borrower for downpayment and closing costs.
    • Homes must be the primary residence of each grant recipient and located in FHLBank Atlanta’s district, which includes Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.

    “As a member of FHLBank Atlanta, we have access to a range of affordable housing programs, including downpayment assistance, which reduces barriers to homeownership for many people,” said Paul Phillips, President and CEO of Freedom First Federal Credit Union. “By applying for FHLBank Atlanta funding to distribute, we are creating a ripple effect of positive change – empowering local individuals and families to invest in their futures and build generational wealth while strengthening communities. As a community development financial institution (CDFI), these programs are a powerful way that we fulfill our mission to help people prosper and help communities thrive.”

    Visit the FHLBank Atlanta website for full detail and eligibility requirements for the 2025 Homeownership Set-aside Program and Workforce Housing Plus+ Program. Funds to member institutions are available on a first-come, first-served basis. Borrower contribution and credit counseling are required for most products.

    If you need assistance connecting with a member financial institution, or for more information, call the Bank’s Community Investment Services department at 1.800.536.9650, option 3.

    About FHLBank Atlanta
    FHLBank Atlanta offers competitively-priced financing, community development grants, and other banking services to help member financial institutions make affordable home mortgages and provide economic development credit to neighborhoods and communities. The Bank’s members – its shareholders and customers – are commercial banks, credit unions, savings institutions, community development financial institutions, and insurance companies located in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Virginia, and the District of Columbia. FHLBank Atlanta is one of 11 district Banks in the Federal Home Loan Bank System. Since 1990, the FHLBanks have awarded approximately $9.1 billion in Affordable Housing Program funds, assisting more than 1.2 million households.

    For more information, visit our website at www.fhlbatl.com.

    CONTACT: Sheryl Touchton
    Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta
    stouchton@fhlbatl.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Apollo to Acquire Bridge Investment Group

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Scaled Investment Platform Expands Apollo’s Origination Capabilities in Residential and Industrial Real Estate

    Bridge Manages $50 Billion of High-Quality AUM in Complementary Sectors Aligned with Apollo’s Long-Term Growth Strategy

    NEW YORK and SALT LAKE CITY, Feb. 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Apollo (NYSE: APO) and Bridge Investment Group Holdings Inc. (NYSE: BRDG) (“Bridge” or the “Company”) today announced they have entered into a definitive agreement for Apollo to acquire Bridge in an all-stock transaction with an equity value of approximately $1.5 billion.

    Founded in 2009, Bridge is an established leader in residential and industrial real estate as well as other specialized real estate asset classes. Led by an experienced senior leadership team and over 300 dedicated investment professionals with significant real estate investment and operating expertise, Bridge’s forward-integrated model, nationwide operating platform and data-driven approach have fostered organic growth and consistently produced desirable outcomes across asset classes.

    Bridge will provide Apollo with immediate scale to its real estate equity platform and enhance Apollo’s origination capabilities in both real estate equity and credit, which is expected to benefit Apollo’s growing suite of hybrid and real estate product offerings. Bridge manages approximately $50 billion of high-quality AUM in real estate products targeting both institutional and wealth clients and is expected to be highly synergistic with Apollo’s existing real estate equity strategies and leading real estate credit platform. The transaction is expected to be immediately accretive to Apollo’s fee-related earnings upon closing.

    Apollo Partner and Co-Head of Equity David Sambur said, “We are pleased to announce this transaction with Bridge, which is highly aligned with Apollo’s strategic focus on expanding our origination base in areas of our business that are growing but not yet at scale. Led by a respected real estate team including Executive Chairman Bob Morse and CEO Jonathan Slager, Bridge brings a seasoned team with deep expertise and a strong track record in their sectors. Their business will complement and further augment our existing real estate capabilities, and we believe we can help scale Bridge’s products by leveraging the breadth of our integrated platform. We look forward to working with Bob and the talented Bridge team as we seek to achieve the strategic objectives we laid out at our recent Investor Day.”

    Bridge Executive Chairman Bob Morse said, “We are proud to be joining Apollo and its industry-leading team, who share our commitment to performance and excellence. This transaction will allow the Bridge and Apollo teams to grow on the strong foundation that Bridge has built since 2009 as we work to pursue meaningful value and impact for our investors and communities. With Apollo’s global integrated platform, resources, innovation and established expertise, we are confident that Bridge will be positioned for the next phase of growth amid growing demand across the alternative investments space.”

    Transaction Details
    Under the terms of the transaction, Bridge stockholders and Bridge OpCo unitholders will receive, at closing, 0.07081 shares of Apollo stock for each share of Bridge Class A common stock and each Bridge OpCo Class A common unit, respectively, valued by the parties at $11.50 per each share of Bridge Class A common stock and Bridge OpCo Class A common unit, respectively.

    Upon the closing of the transaction, Bridge will operate as a standalone platform within Apollo’s asset management business, retaining its existing brand, management team and dedicated capital formation team. Bob Morse will become an Apollo Partner and lead Apollo’s real estate equity franchise.

    A special committee of independent directors for Bridge (the “Special Committee”), advised by its own independent legal and financial advisors, reviewed, negotiated and unanimously recommended approval of the merger agreement by the Bridge Board of Directors, determining that it was in the best interests of Bridge and its stockholders not affiliated with Bridge management and directors. Acting upon the recommendation of the Special Committee, the Bridge Board of Directors approved the merger agreement. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2025, subject to customary closing conditions for transactions of this nature, including approval by a majority of the Class A common stock and Class B common stock of Bridge, voting together and the receipt of regulatory approvals. Certain members of Bridge management and their affiliates, collectively owning approximately 51.4% of the outstanding voting power of the Class A common stock and Class B common stock of Bridge, have entered into voting agreements in connection with the transaction and have agreed to vote in favor of the transaction in accordance with the terms therein. Subject to and upon completion of the transaction, shares of Bridge common stock will no longer be listed on the New York Stock Exchange and Bridge will become a privately held company.

    Further information regarding terms and conditions contained in the definitive merger agreement will be made available in Bridge’s Current Report on Form 8-K, which will be filed in connection with this transaction.

    Bridge Fourth Quarter and Full-Year 2024 Earnings
    Bridge will no longer be holding its fourth quarter and full-year 2024 earnings conference call and webcast scheduled for February 25, 2025, due to the pending transaction.

    Advisors
    BofA Securities, Citi, Goldman, Sachs & Co. LLC, Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC and Newmark Group are acting as financial advisors, Paul, Weiss, Rifkind, Wharton & Garrison LLP is acting as legal counsel and Sidley Austin LLP is acting as insurance regulatory counsel to Apollo. J.P. Morgan Securities LLC is serving as financial advisor to Bridge and Latham & Watkins LLP is acting as legal counsel. Lazard is serving as financial advisor to the special committee of the Bridge Board of Directors and Cravath, Swaine & Moore LLP is acting as legal counsel.

    Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

    This press release contains statements regarding Apollo, Bridge, the proposed transactions and other matters that are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, discussions related to the proposed transaction between Apollo and the Company, including statements regarding the benefits of the proposed transaction and the anticipated timing and likelihood of completion of the proposed transaction, and information regarding the businesses of Apollo and the Company, including Apollo’s and the Company’s objectives, plans and strategies for future operations, statements that contain projections of results of operations or of financial condition and all other statements other than statements of historical fact that address activities, events or developments that Apollo and the Company intends, expects, projects, believes or anticipates will or may occur in the future. Such statements are based on management’s beliefs and assumptions made based on information currently available to management. All statements in this communication, other than statements of historical fact, are forward-looking statements that may be identified by the use of the words “outlook,” “indicator,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “expects,” “plans,” “seek,” “anticipates,” “plan,” “forecasts,” “could,” “intends,” “targets,” “projects,” “contemplates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “predicts,” “potential” or “continue” or the negative of these terms or other similar expressions, but not all forward- looking statements include such words. These forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, many of which are beyond the control of Apollo and the Company, that could cause actual results and performance to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. Factors and risks that may impact future results and performance include, but are not limited to, those factors and risks described under the section entitled “Risk Factors” in Apollo’s and the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and such reports that are subsequently filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

    The forward-looking statements are subject to certain risks, uncertainties and assumptions, which include, but are not limited to, and in each case as a possible result of the proposed transaction on each of Apollo and the Company: the ultimate outcome of the proposed transaction between Apollo and the Company, including the possibility that the Company’s stockholders will not adopt the merger agreement in respect of the proposed transaction; the effect of the announcement of the proposed transaction; the ability to operate Apollo’s and the Company’s respective businesses, including business disruptions; difficulties in retaining and hiring key personnel and employees; the ability to maintain favorable business relationships with customers and other business partners; the terms and timing of the proposed transaction; the occurrence of any event, change or other circumstance that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement and the proposed transaction; the anticipated or actual tax treatment of the proposed transaction; the ability to satisfy closing conditions to the completion of the proposed transaction (including the adoption of the merger agreement in respect of the proposed transaction by the Company’s stockholders); other risks related to the completion of the proposed transaction and actions related thereto; the ability of Apollo and the Company to integrate the businesses successfully and to achieve anticipated synergies and value creation from the proposed transaction; global market, political and economic conditions, including in the markets in which Apollo and the Company operate; the ability to secure government regulatory approvals on the terms expected, at all or in a timely manner; the global macro-economic environment, including headwinds caused by inflation, rising interest rates, unfavorable currency exchange rates, and potential recessionary or depressionary conditions; cyber-attacks, information security and data privacy; the impact of public health crises, such as pandemics and epidemics and any related company or government policies and actions to protect the health and safety of individuals or government policies or actions to maintain the functioning of national or global economies and markets; litigation and regulatory proceedings, including any proceedings that may be instituted against Apollo or the Company related to the proposed transaction; and disruptions of Apollo’s or the Company’s information technology systems.

    These risks, as well as other risks related to the proposed transaction, will be included in the Registration Statement (as defined below) and Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus (as defined below) that will be filed with the SEC in connection with the proposed transaction. While the list of factors presented here is, and the list of factors to be presented in the Registration Statement and Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus are considered representative, no such list should be considered to be a complete statement of all potential risks and uncertainties. Other unknown or unpredictable factors also could have a material adverse effect on Apollo’s and the Company’s business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects. Accordingly, readers should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are inherently subject to uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Except as required by applicable law or regulation, neither Apollo nor the Company undertakes (and each of Apollo and the Company expressly disclaim) any obligation and do not intend to publicly update or review any of these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

    No Offer or Solicitation

    This press release is not intended to and does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to subscribe for or buy or an invitation to purchase or subscribe for any securities or the solicitation of any vote in any jurisdiction pursuant to the proposed transactions or otherwise, nor shall there be any sale, issuance or transfer of securities in any jurisdiction in contravention of applicable law. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of Section 10 of the Securities Act. Subject to certain exceptions to be approved by the relevant regulators or certain facts to be ascertained, the public offer will not be made directly or indirectly, in or into any jurisdiction where to do so would constitute a violation of the laws of such jurisdiction, or by use of the mails or by any means or instrumentality (including without limitation, facsimile transmission, telephone and the internet) of interstate or foreign commerce, or any facility of a national securities exchange, of any such jurisdiction.

    Additional Information Regarding the Transaction and Where to Find It

    This press release is being made in respect of the proposed transaction between Apollo and the Company. In connection with the proposed transaction, Apollo intends to file with the SEC a registration statement on Form S-4, which will constitute a prospectus of Apollo for the issuance of Apollo common stock (the “Registration Statement”) and which will also include a proxy statement of the Company for the Company stockholder meeting (together with any amendments or supplements thereto, and together with the Registration Statement, the “Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus”). Each of Apollo and the Company may also file other relevant documents with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction. This document is not a substitute for the Registration Statement or Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus or any other document that Apollo or the Company may file with the SEC. The definitive Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus (if and when available) will be mailed to stockholders of the Company.

    INVESTORS ARE URGED TO READ IN THEIR ENTIRETY THE REGISTRATION STATEMENT, THE JOINT PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND ANY OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS THAT MAY BE FILED WITH THE SEC, AS WELL AS ANY AMENDMENTS OR SUPPLEMENTS TO THESE DOCUMENTS, CAREFULLY AND IN THEIR ENTIRETY IF AND WHEN THEY BECOME AVAILABLE BECAUSE THEY CONTAIN OR WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT THE PROPOSED TRANSACTION. Investors will be able to obtain free copies of the Registration Statement and Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus (if and when available) and other documents containing important information about Apollo, the Company and the proposed transaction, once such documents are filed with the SEC through the website maintained by the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Copies of the documents filed with, or furnished to, the SEC by Apollo will be available free of charge by accessing the Investor Relations section of Apollo’s website at https://ir.apollo.com. Copies of the documents filed with, or furnished to, the SEC by the Company will be available free of charge by accessing the Investor Relations section of the Company’s website at https://www.bridgeig.com. The information included on, or accessible through, Apollo’s or the Company’s website is not incorporated by reference into this communication.

    Participants in the Solicitation

    Apollo, the Company, and certain of their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from the Company’s stockholders in respect of the proposed transaction. Information about the directors and executive officers of Apollo, including a description of their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is contained in its Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, dated April 26, 2024 (the “Apollo Annual Meeting Proxy Statement”), which is filed with the SEC. Any changes in the holdings of Apollo’s securities by Apollo’s directors or executive officers from the amounts described in the Apollo Annual Meeting Proxy Statement have been or will be reflected in Initial Statements of Beneficial Ownership of Securities on Form 3 (“Form 3”), Statements of Changes in Beneficial Ownership on Form 4 (“Form 4”) or Annual Statements of Changes in Beneficial Ownership of Securities on Form 5 (“Form 5”) subsequently filed with the SEC and available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Information about the directors and executive officers of the Company, including a description of their direct or indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, is contained in its Proxy Statement on Schedule 14A, dated March 21, 2024 (the “Company Annual Meeting Proxy Statement”), which is filed with the SEC. Any changes in the holdings of the Company’s securities by the Company’s directors or executive officers from the amounts described in the Company Annual Meeting Proxy Statement have been or will be reflected on Forms 3, Forms 4 or Forms 5, subsequently filed with the SEC and available at the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Other information regarding the participants in the proxy solicitation and a description of their direct and indirect interests, by security holdings or otherwise, will be contained in the Registration Statement and the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus and other relevant materials to be filed with the SEC regarding the proposed transaction when such materials become available. Investors should read the Registration Statement and the Joint Proxy Statement/Prospectus carefully when available before making any voting or investment decisions.

    About Apollo
    Apollo is a high-growth, global alternative asset manager. In our asset management business, we seek to provide our clients excess return at every point along the risk-reward spectrum from investment grade credit to private equity. For more than three decades, our investing expertise across our fully integrated platform has served the financial return needs of our clients and provided businesses with innovative capital solutions for growth. Through Athene, our retirement services business, we specialize in helping clients achieve financial security by providing a suite of retirement savings products and acting as a solutions provider to institutions. Our patient, creative, and knowledgeable approach to investing aligns our clients, businesses we invest in, our employees, and the communities we impact, to expand opportunity and achieve positive outcomes. As of December 31, 2024, Apollo had approximately $751 billion of assets under management. To learn more, please visit www.apollo.com.

    About Bridge Investment Group
    Bridge is a leading alternative investment manager, diversified across specialized asset classes, with approximately $50 billion of assets under management as of December 31, 2024. Bridge combines its nationwide operating platform with dedicated teams of investment professionals focused on select verticals across real estate, credit, renewable energy and secondaries strategies.

    Contacts

    For Apollo:

    Noah Gunn
    Global Head of Investor Relations
    Apollo Global Management, Inc.
    212-822-0540
    ir@apollo.com

    Joanna Rose
    Global Head of Corporate Communications
    Apollo Global Management, Inc.
    212-822-0491
    communications@apollo.com

    For Bridge:

    Shareholder Relations:
    Bonni Rosen Salisbury
    Bridge Investment Group Holdings Inc.
    shareholderrelations@bridgeig.com

    Media:
    Charlotte Morse
    Bridge Investment Group Holdings Inc.
    (877) 866-4540
    charlotte.morse@bridgeig.com

    H/Advisors Abernathy
    Eric Bonach / Dan Scorpio
    (917) 710-7973 / (646) 899-8118
    eric.bonach@h-advisors.global / dan.scorpio@h-advisors.global

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Triathlon test event set for March

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    The 15th National Games Triathlon Test Event will be held at the Central Harbourfront and Victoria Harbour on March 1 and 2, and special traffic and transport arrangements will be in place in Central and Wan Chai from February 26.

    The women’s individual and men’s individual races are scheduled for 8am and 10.30am respectively on March 1, while the mixed relay race will take place at 2pm on March 2.

    To prepare for and facilitate the test event, special traffic and transport arrangements will be implemented in phases.

    From 10am on February 26 to 6pm on March 2, the section of Expo Drive between Legislative Council Road and Expo Drive Central will be temporarily closed.

    From 5am to 8am on February 28, Police will implement intermittent road closures in the vicinity of the Central Harbourfront and Wan Chai North, including Lung Wo Road, Yiu Sing Street, Lung Hop Street, Expo Drive, Expo Drive Central, and Expo Drive East.

    These road sections will be closed from 2am to 2pm on March 1 and from 8am to 6pm on March 2.

    Regarding public transport, cross-harbour bus route nos. 104 and 961 and Citybus route nos. H1 and H2 will be subject to temporary diversions.

    At the same time, the terminal point of cross-harbour bus route no. 961 at Expo Drive East will be temporarily relocated to Harbour Road outside Wan Chai Swimming Pool, and the bus stop of Citybus route no. H1 at Expo Drive East near Golden Bauhinia Square will also be temporarily suspended.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Derby’s Market Hall to reopen after £35.1m refurbishment

    Source: City of Derby

    The doors to Derby’s historic Market Hall will open again to the public on Saturday 24 May – almost 159 years to the day since its original grand opening.

    Visitors will see at first hand the results of a careful, multi-million-pound restoration, aimed at preserving the rich heritage of the Grade II-listed building while also introducing modern enhancements.

    The Market Hall was officially declared open on 29 May,1866, by Mayor Frederick Longdon. When the occasion was marked an appropriate inaugural ceremony, including a performance of Handel’s Messiah. 

    The transformed Market Hall will bring together the best of the region’s independent shopping, eating, drinking and entertainment and will offer a variety of new features and experiences for visitors including:

    • A carefully curated mix of traditional and themed stalls, including quality fresh produce
    • Make and trade stalls and creative spaces
    • a cosmopolitan food court and bars
    • Events and pop-up activity

    Wates Construction, which has an extensive track record of heritage restoration work across the UK, led an expert team of local architects and engineers – including Latham Architects, Rogers Leask, and Clancy Consultants – on the flagship project.

    Derby City Council also appointed design consultancy Hemingway Design to help bring alive an ambition to create a building that will be a hub for creatives, makers and traders, building on the city’s heritage of innovation and industry.

    The £35.1m transformation, partly funded with £9.43m from the Governments Future High Streets Fund (FHSF) began with the Market Hall’s most iconic feature: the striking cast iron, copper, and glass roof. Designed by Melbourne engineer Rowland Mason Ordish, whose later work included the roof of London’s St Pancras railway station, this distinctive element needed significant repair.  

    Previously, the Market Hall often had to close to customers if there was a chance of strong winds, snow, or heavy rain in case the glass windows came out of their frames. These windows have now been replaced, and the extensive structural restoration of the roof was finished in August 2022.

    The revitalised Market Hall has also been redesigned with accessibility and inclusion at its heart, making it an accessible building for all visitors.

    Councillor Nadine Peatfield, Leader of Derby City Council and Cabinet Member for City Centre, Regeneration, Strategy and Policy, said:

    I’m thrilled to announce that the historic Derby Market Hall will be reopening its doors on Saturday 24 May 2025. The building is a treasure for Derby and its reopening has been highly anticipated by many. This is a historic moment for everyone in the city to be celebrated by all.

    Derby Market Hall will be a flagship, vibrant destination that will attract visitors from across the region and beyond. I am truly excited for the opening event, and I know that visitors will enjoy everything that the revitalised Market Hall has to offer.

    Located at the heart of the city centre, linking Derbion and St Peter’s Quarter with the Cathedral Quarter and Becketwell, the redeveloped Market Hall will play a key role in widening the diversity of the city centre and is expected to generate £3.64m for the local economy every year. 

    Plans are now underway for an official event to mark the reopening of the Derby Market Hall.

    Follow Derby Market Hall on Facebook and Instagram, or visit the website, to find out more. 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Throw Down pieces celebrating Stoke-on-Trent to go on display at Gladstone Pottery Museum

    Source: City of Stoke-on-Trent

    Published: Monday, 24th February 2025

    Eye-catching ceramics crafted by the potters in episode seven of The Great Pottery Throw Down (Sunday, 16 February) are to go on display at the historic Gladstone Pottery Museum.

    The museum – which threw open its doors early this year as part of Stoke-on-Trent’s Centenary celebrations – will host the special exhibition from Wednesday, 5 March.

    To mark the city’s 100th anniversary, The Great Pottery Throw Down challenged the potters to design and create bird baths that honour the six towns of Stoke-on-Trent. Each piece reflects the area’s rich industrial heritage, vibrant green spaces and historic waterways.

    The six bird baths will be showcased as part of Gladstone Pottery Museum’s standard entry offer, giving visitors a unique opportunity to see these creative tributes up close.

    Alongside the Throw Down display, visitors can explore the only complete Victorian pottery factory from the era when coal-fired ovens produced the world’s finest bone china.

    The museum offers a fascinating insight into the city’s renowned ceramics industry, which earned Stoke-on-Trent its title as The Potteries.

    Visitors can also enjoy live demonstrations and observe traditional pottery skills in action. And they can try their hand at throwing a pot, crafting a delicate bone china flower, or decorating their own ceramic piece for a unique souvenir (available for a small extra charge).

    Councillor Jane Ashworth, leader of Stoke-on-Trent City Council, said: “Gladstone Pottery Museum is a real gem in our city’s cultural heritage. It’s fantastic that, alongside our extended opening, we’ve been able to secure this special display from The Great Pottery Throw Down.

    “The show is a wonderful celebration of Stoke-on-Trent’s proud ceramics history – the craft and industry that made us famous worldwide and earned us city status in 1925.

    “If you’ve never visited before, 2025 is the perfect time to support our local attractions and discover the incredible heritage we have on our doorstep.”

    For information on opening times and admission to the museum go to https://www.stokemuseums.org.uk/gpm 

    Please call the museum on 01782 237777 ahead of your visit to check which demonstrations will be taking place on the day you plan to visit.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Remarks to Somare-Whitlam scholars welcome event

    Source: Australian Government – Minister of Foreign Affairs

    [Acknowledgments omitted]

    Prime Minister, that you are here this evening speaks to the depth of our relationship.

    Neighbours, friends, equal partners. One of the nicest things in my job is that the Prime Minister of Papua New Guinea calls me ‘sister’.

    It is such an important relationship to both our countries.

    I want to start by acknowledging also those who we’re here to celebrate – our 2025 Australia Awards Somare-Whitlam scholars. Congratulations.

    There’s nothing that spells ‘great expectations’ than being the recipient of a scholarship named after two of our greatest prime ministers.

    You have all worked incredibly hard to get here.

    You’ve done your family and your wantok proud.

    This is an opportunity to further your education and take new skills, knowledge and experience back to PNG, for the betterment of your country and this relationship.

    I hope it is also an opportunity for the Australians you will meet – I hope they will also have the privilege of learning from you, as I have learnt from the Prime Minister and his colleagues, and his people – learn about the traditions and history that binds our two countries.

    Those connections are perhaps the most enduring benefits of the Somare-Whitlam scholarships.

    You see, history can turn on the hinge of personal relationships.

    In 1969, when then opposition leader Gough Whitlam was visiting Wewak, he was challenged by a young man who asked:

    “So when is Australia going to give us our independence?”

    Whitlam shot back:

    “How about tomorrow?”

    The young man was local trade union secretary, Michael Somare.

    And this exchange was the start of a friendship between the two men that changed the course of history for both our nations.

    Obviously, independence wasn’t quite as quick as ‘tomorrow’.

    Gough Whitlam visited PNG six times before becoming prime minister.

    And it was I think in great part, those visits and the personal ties which led him to believe in the imperative for PNG’s independence.

    And when he did become Prime Minister in 1972, those personal ties made all the difference.

    By 1975, Michael Somare and Gough Whitlam sat side-by-side at PNG’s independence ceremony.

    Two friends – now leaders – were making good on a promise six years prior.

    Two friends planting the tree.

    So it is with great honour and friendship that we mark fifty years since PNG’s independence today.

    An opportunity to reflect on Australia’s partnership with PNG, over the last 50 years and the next 50 – in which all of you are playing a part.

    Yumi Stap Wantaim – we stand together.

    Australia and PNG have always stood side by side. Sir Michael and Gough stood side by side and we now walk with you, step by step, into a shared future.

    As Gough said in 1975, “Australia wants the closest possible relationship with her nearest neighbour, the new nation of Papua New Guinea. A relationship of equals, based on mutual respect, understanding and trust”.

    That is the basis of which the Albanese Government seeks to work with the Government of Prime Minister Marape, the Government of Papua New Guinea.

    Amongst the areas we’re working together is obviously education, and improving access to education for all to build an even stronger PNG over the coming fifty years.

    I end tonight by making two points.

    First, to reiterate my congratulations to the recipients of the Somare-Whitlam Awards, and the Australia Awards scholars also here today.

    I hope your studies here I hope are the beginning of a lifelong association with Australia, and a contribution to the future partnership between our countries.

    Finally, Prime Minister – you spoke when I was in PNG with you last year, so passionately about the importance of this 50th anniversary, and we see that tonight in how you speak.

    You spoke about how important it was that the people of Papua New Guinea, and the people of Australia understand what this has been and who we are to one another.

    It’s so important that we understand what our future together can look like.

    So, I want to thank you for bringing that passion and that insight to our country and to our leaders.

    I want to thank you for honoring us with your presence today and that of your delegation. And I want to thank you for your friendship to Australia.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Mergers and Acquisitions (M&As) Reflect Growing Global Interest in African Mining

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    CAPE TOWN, South Africa, February 24, 2025/APO Group/ —

    International mining stakeholders are increasing their access to Africa’s mineral resources through joint ventures, acquisitions and stakes in local projects. Meanwhile, African countries and operators are leveraging these partnerships to enhance capital, accelerate project development and meet ambitious production targets.

    The upcoming African Mining Week (AMW), taking place in Cape Town this October, will spotlight mergers and acquisitions (M&A), offering African projects a platform to showcase opportunities and providing global investors the stage to present growth strategies for Africa’s expanding mining sector.

    Recent research by the Economist Intelligence Unit indicates that foreign investment in Africa’s mining industry is poised for significant growth in 2025, building on strong momentum established in 2024. Several key transactions highlight this trend. Earlier this month, UK-based Altona Rare Earths finalized its acquisition of an 85% stake in Botswana’s Sesana Copper-Silver Project from Ignate Minerals, committing significant capital to accelerate exploration and mine development. In December 2024, Australian mining firm Patriot Lithium acquired a 90% stake in Zambia’s Kitumba Copper Large Scale Exploration License from Newlight Nominees Zambia, enabling increased funding for exploration and production activities. Similarly, in October 2024, Jubilee Metals, a UK-based company, acquired Project G, its second open-pit copper asset in Zambia, as part of a strategy to boost investments and raise copper output to 25,000 tons per year.

    Recent M&A activity in Africa’s mining sector is reshaping the industry, improving operational efficiencies and creating new pathways for innovation and technology transfer. For African nations, these investments bring new opportunities for job creation, infrastructure development and access to global markets, fueling economic growth. Additionally, the influx of foreign capital and expertise enhances local capabilities, enabling African countries to harness their natural resources more effectively while addressing challenges like underdeveloped supply chains and limited financing for exploration.

    In South Africa, M&A activity reached $10 billion between June 2023 and 2024, with 32 deals closed, compared to 24 year-on-year, according to PwC. Among the notable deals, Kenya’s Marula Mining secured a 51% stake in South Africa’s Mansera Kruisrivier Cobalt Holding Company in July 2024, funding feasibility and aerial studies to advance the project. Meanwhile, China’s Baowu Steel Group acquired stakes in Guinea’s Simandou Project, the world’s largest untapped iron ore deposit, in June 2024. In Mali, Ganfeng Lithium secured an operational stake in the Goulamina Lithium Mine in a $342.7-million deal with Australia’s Leo Lithium in May 2024. The UAE-based International Resource Holdings also entered the market, acquiring Zambia’s Mopani Copper Mines for $1.1 billion in May 2024, enhancing exploration and production capabilities at one of the country’s largest copper facilities.

    As African nations focus on boosting mineral production to drive economic growth, M&A activity is expected to intensify, with global partners seeking greater stakes in the continent’s abundant resources. Against this backdrop, the upcoming AMW will play a crucial role in shaping Africa’s M&A landscape by facilitating project showcases, fostering partnerships and advancing deal signings that will define the future of the mining sector.

    African Mining Week serves as a premier platform for exploring the full spectrum of mining opportunities across Africa. The event is held alongside the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energy 2025 conference (https://AECWeek.com/) from October 1 -3. in Cape Town. Sponsors, exhibitors and delegates can learn more by contacting sales@energycapitalpower.com

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Sydney ETO supports Hong Kong artists thriving at Adelaide Fringe (with photos)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office, Sydney (Sydney ETO) is supporting contemporary art platform Hong Kong Soul to stage four Hong Kong performance programmes at the Adelaide Fringe from February 21 to March 10, showcasing Hong Kong’s unique East-meets-West art culture and the talent of Hong Kong artists.

         Hong Kong Soul is featuring two indoor programmes at the Adelaide Fringe, namely the award-winning physical theatre performance “No Dragon No Lion” by TS Crew, “Echoes of Silence: A Percussion Multimedia Odyssey” by Toolbox Percussion, as well as street performances by flow artist Lai Yee and freestyle football performer Lyson Sze.

         Speaking at the premiere show of “No Dragon No Lion” on February 21, the Director of the Sydney ETO, Mr Ricky Chong, said that the Sydney ETO is pleased to see Hong Kong Soul making its debut at the Adelaide Fringe 2025. He added that the Government is committed to developing the arts, culture and creative industries, with substantial resources provided to support arts and cultural groups and artists.

         Hong Kong Soul also staged a selection of performances at the Sydney ETO’s Chinese New Year reception in Adelaide on February 20 to share the joy of the Year of the Snake with the local community in Adelaide.

         Held from February 21 to March 23, the Adelaide Fringe is the biggest arts festival in the southern hemisphere and a world-renowned, annual arts event that attracts over 8 000 independent artists from far and wide to South Australia.                  

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Interview – ABC Afternoon Briefing with Tom Lowrey

    Source: Australian Ministers for Education

    TOM LOWREY, HOST: Now, while the government wants to run on its support for Medicare, some in the Opposition have criticised the way the government is selling its pledge as a rerun of Medi-scare. To discuss this and more, let’s bring in the Youth Minister, Anne Aly. Minister, thanks for joining Afternoon Briefing and thanks for bearing through some technical difficulties too.

    MINISTER ANNE ALY: That’s ok. It’s just another day.

    LOWREY: And we’re already hearing GPs saying this is welcome, this Medicare pledge, but it doesn’t mean they’re about to start bulk billing. Their costs are simply too high. What would you say to them?

    ALY: Look, I think that the overwhelming evidence that we’ve seen, and I know that the Health Minister, Mark Butler, has done extensive consultations on this, is that this is good policy, it’s welcome policy, and first and foremost it’s about ensuring that all Australians have access to the healthcare they need and they don’t put off seeing a doctor because of the cost of seeing a doctor. And secondly, it’s about getting Medicare back on track to what its original purpose is, is that you should have access to the services you need, the health services you need, not based on your credit card. So, all the information that we’ve got is that this is good policy and that we’re confident that it will be taken up by the majority of bulk billing clinics or of practitioners, sorry, practitioner clinics by 2030.

    LOWREY: Yeah, we’ve been told to expect 90 per cent bulk billing by 2030. Is that figure a commitment from Labor or is it a hope?

    ALY: I think it’s based on projections of and – projections of what the uptake would be. These are really good incentives for practitioners and practices to bulk bill beyond what they already bulk bill, which is people on a concession card, for children and for pensioners and low-income families. This is to ensure that every Australian, regardless of what their bank balance is, has access to the medical services that they need. So, those projections are based on a level of confidence that this is the kind of incentive that will make a difference to practitioners and practices.

    LOWREY: Anne Aly, your home state of WA is in the midst of a state election campaign. We saw both campaigns launch their campaigns over the weekend. Are you worried that voters in WA might be happy to back Roger Cook, who seems like a reasonably popular Premier, but willing to back Peter Dutton when the federal election rolls around?

    ALY: Well, there’s always this kind of talk, and there’s two schools of thought. One is that the state election impacts on the federal election, and the other one is that, you know, Australians are discerning enough voters to make a difference between the two. And, you know, both are true to some extent and in their own ways. Look, I think that West Australians know that Labor, both federally and state, is good for them. We’ve got a strong economy here in WA, we’ve got low unemployment, we’ve got a state government that has really managed the budget well. We’ve got really strong infrastructure. And you know, we’ve got a Federal Government in Labor that has worked closely with the WA Government in the interests of Western Australia and a Prime Minister in Anthony Albanese who has made WA a focus. He’s been to Australia more times than I can, to Western Australia more times than I can count. I think it’s about 30 times or getting up to 30 times now, and has demonstrated to West Australians that he’s not just eastern states focused.

    LOWREY: Labor in WA at a state level. Is it something of a high watermark? Of course, the Former Premier Mark McGowan knocked the Liberals down. So, I think, is it six lower house seats in that state? Are you concerned the Liberals might take some momentum federally, even out of a close defeat in WA? They don’t necessarily need to win this election; they just need to come somewhat close.

    ALY: Well, the Liberals have a long way to go to, to take, take government here in Western Australia. I think they have to win something like 20 seats. So, it’s impossible to see them doing that, to be quite frank. You know, I think the extent to which they will claw back some of the seats that they lost at the last election will be seen over as the WA election continues. But I think also the West Australian Liberals have shown that they’re just really not ready to govern to be honest. They’ve had a whole lot of different scandals with one of the, with some of the, the people that they’ve pre-selected. They’ve had a challenge from Basil Zempilas against Libby Mettam, and I don’t think they’ve demonstrated to the West Australian people that they are in a position to govern and that they’re ready to govern.

    LOWREY: I just want to touch on your portfolio area of child care quickly and early childhood education. Is there more to come from Labor on child care ahead of the election or the Activity Test changes we saw past Parliament in the past few weeks it for Labor ahead of that poll?

    ALY: Well, I’ll just say it wasn’t just the Activity Test. The Activity Test, yes, did pass Parliament and for your viewers, the Activity Test was introduced by the Liberal Government in 2018. And the purpose of it, the stated purpose of it, was to incentivise women, in particular, to return to work. We know that that didn’t happen, and rather, what the Activity Test did was lock out children, and particularly children who would benefit the most from early childhood education and care, lock them out of the system. The Liberal and Coalition voted against our changes to the Activity Test, which demonstrates where they sit in terms of those transformational benefits of early childhood education and care, but also in terms of cost-of-living relief, because removing the Activity Test would benefit around 70,000 families with real cost-of-living relief. But that’s not the only thing that we’re doing. We’ve also got a building education fund, Building Early Education Fund. That’s a billion dollars that we’re putting towards building the services that families and children need, particularly in areas where there are no services. So, outer suburban, rural and regional and in vulnerable communities. This is all part of the big package, of course, starting with bringing down the cost of early childhood education, raising the wages of early childhood educators and getting more early childhood educators in to ensure kind of a stable workforce as a foundation and all working towards our vision of an early childhood education and care sector that is universal, and that recognises that this is an essential service that families and parents rely on.

    LOWREY: And before I let you go, I just want to touch on some of what we’ve seen in the Middle East over the past few days. Israel has been heavily critical of a ceremony Hamas put on as it returned the bodies of four Israeli hostages late last week. What did you make of those images, and how concerned are you about the ceasefire holding?

    ALY: I’m really concerned. I think what this demonstrates, what we know, is that it is particularly fragile. The ceasefire is particularly fragile. Peace is over there is particularly fragile. What we want to see is this first phase of the ceasefire to run smoothly and continue and then transition into the second phase of the ceasefire with a goal towards everlasting peace through a two-state solution. That’s Australia’s position. We’ve always supported a ceasefire, so of course, we are keen to see that the conditions of the ceasefire continue to be met and that that ceasefire can transition to the second phase. So, it is concerning. It is concerning that there are, I guess, challenges to the ceasefire continuing, but again, underscoring the fragility of it.

    LOWREY: Anne Aly, thanks so much for joining the Afternoon Briefing.

    ALY: Thank you.
     

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: World’s largest atlas on display

    Source: State Library of NSW

    World’s largest atlas, Earth Platinum, on display in the Mitchell Library Reading Room

    The world’s largest atlas, Earth Platinum, is now on display in the Mitchell Library Reading Room until Monday 10 March.

    The 128-page atlas weighs 150 kilograms and there are only 31 copies in the world. 

    More than 100 international cartographers, geographers and photographers went into the making of the book.

    The book was conceived at Millennium House, a specialist book publisher in Sydney, and was printed in Italy and bound in Hong Kong. 

    Plan your visit

    Want to learn more about maps?

    Join us for a special Family Sunday: March into maps on Sunday 9 March 2025 from 10 am.
    This free event is suitable for the whole family. Learn more

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Protecting critical minerals R&D for future success

    Source: Allens Insights

    An opportunity for Australian businesses to lead the global energy transition 5 min read

    The Australian federal and state governments are committed to growing Australia’s critical minerals sector, as discussed in our latest Insight. If suitably developed and executed, there is an opportunity to place Australia at the forefront of the global clean energy transition. However, along with this new horizon comes an intricate web of IP considerations, particularly in the mid-stream processing space.

    This Insight examines IP opportunities to secure, or IP roadblocks that may need to be traversed, to protect Australia’s investment in the critical minerals sector.

    Key takeaways

    • The Australian critical minerals market has seen an influx of investment and there is an exciting opportunity to develop a local mid-stream processing industry.
    • However, domestic IP registrations for technology developments in this area have not seen a corresponding growth.
    • By leveraging Australia’s strong research and development (R&D) activity and implementing robust IP policy, including proactively monitoring IP risks and protecting IP rights, Australian businesses can cultivate a competitive edge and place Australia at the front of the global clean energy transition.

    Opportunities for mid-stream processing

    As identified in Australia’s Critical Minerals Strategy 2023-30, there is a geostrategic and economic opportunity for Australia to become a ‘globally significant producer of […] processed critical minerals’. This would require the Australian resources sector to branch out from predominantly acting as an upstream discovery and raw mineral extractor, and develop new onshore processing and manufacturing projects (which traditionally have been conducted overseas).

    This opportunity has been explored in a recent CSIRO Report, which acknowledges that greater R&D focus is required for processes further down the supply chain. This shift in focus from Australia’s traditional upstream mining involvement will require a number of challenges to be overcome, including navigating (and potentially gaining access to) third-party IP, strong cost competition, significant capital and financial investment, as well as ESG considerations. We take a further look at navigating the IP landscape below.

    The IP landscape

    A key to protecting Australia’s advancements in the critical minerals supply chain, including mid-stream processing, is to secure domestic IP rights. This would promote a long-term strategy of national collaboration and reduce the reliance on foreign IP and processing facilities.

    However, as seen in the following chart, despite Australia’s increased investment into the critical minerals space, Australia’s global share of critical minerals IP has not seen a corresponding growth in recent years. In contrast, Chinese entities continue to be world leaders in securing IP rights in the critical mineral space, as they’ve done in other sensitive geopolitical areas of technology. By way of example, Huawei has navigated sanctions in overseas jurisdictions by licensing its IP to companies implementing new 5G/6G infrastructure. This has significantly boosted Huawei’s revenue and demonstrated the value of protecting its R&D investment with registered IP.

    As previously reported here, innovation in the critical minerals space can be protected through patent protection, or as confidential information or trade secrets. Although it may be appropriate in certain situations to rely on confidential information and trade secrets to protect R&D, such a strategy is not without risk, eg if there is a data breach or leak. Patent protection can provide 20 years of exclusive rights to new innovations, and proactive IP strategies can provide significant commercial advantages by building company assets and thickets that protect technological advancements and keep competitors at bay. At the same time, navigating third-party IP will help avoid roadblocks and risks to major projects. Hence, industry players who implement clear and comprehensive IP strategies to ensure they are managing these IP risks and opportunities appropriately can obtain a strong market advantage.

    International collaboration

    Growing domestic R&D and IP will be crucial to Australia’s success in developing its critical minerals industry. However, international collaboration is another way for Australia to leverage opportunities to move into and build its mid-to-downstream processing capability. Entities in several foreign countries hold relevant patents and are seeking attractive jurisdictions to set up processing plants. As such, domestic companies may be able to partner with these companies to license IP or establish joint ventures to deploy domestic operations. Any joint venture may in turn result in the development of new IP, which should be protected with forward-thinking IP strategies and policies.

    Next steps

    Australia’s success in building its critical minerals industry will benefit from a two-pronged approach consisting of R&D activity and international engagement to develop and support the deployment of advanced technologies—leveraging IP effectively is a critical element in every aspect of this approach. Implementing appropriate IP policies now, to manage IP risks and secure IP opportunities in new projects, will help secure Australia’s critical minerals position for future success.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Allens advises Pacific Green on development and sale of Limestone Coast North BESS project

    Source: Allens Insights

    Allens has advised Pacific Green on the development and sale of the Limestone Coast North Energy Park battery energy storage system (BESS) to Intera Renewables, a wholly owned subsidiary of Palisade Partners.

    The 250MW/500MWh BESS is located in the Limestone Coast region of South Australia and is expected to commence commercial operations in early 2027.

    ‘The development of the Limestone Coast North BESS represents a trend we are seeing across Australia in terms of the important role standalone BESS will play in Australia’s energy transition. It is also great to see Pacific Green, as a new entrant in the Australian market, achieve this milestone,’ said Partner and energy sector leader Kate Axup.

    ‘Large-scale energy storage assets are an attractive acquisition target for fund managers like Palisade Partners and we hope to be involved in many more transactions like this one this year,’ said M&A Partner Chelsey Drake.

    The firm advised on all aspects of the transaction including the project documents, connection arrangements, offtake, the sale process and financing.

    Allens has recently been involved in a number of notable battery projects, including advising the lenders on Australia’s largest standalone BESS financing, ZEN Energy on new battery and solar investment platform and ENGIE on virtual battery offtake agreement.

    Allens legal team

    Projects

    Kate Axup (Partner), David Donnelly (Partner), Michael Graves (Partner), Naomi Bergman (Partner), Ben van Weel (Managing Associate), Skye Kirby (Managing Associate), Luisa Colosimo (Senior Associate), Amy Ryan (Senior Associate), Dennis Smith (Senior Associate), Tina Tran (Senior Associate), Madeleine George (Associate), Grace Vipen (Associate), Alisha Arora (Associate), Penny Hollingdale (Lawyer), Alice Warner (Lawyer), Harrison Philp (Lawyer)

    M&A and Capital Markets

    Chelsey Drake (Partner), Annie Shum (Senior Associate), Eleanor Skuza (Associate), Candice Pettegree (Lawyer)

    Finance, Banking & Debt Capital

    Scott McCoy (Partner), Sophie Langham (Associate).

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: ACCC 2025/2026 enforcement priorities

    Source: Allens Insights

    Key areas of focus for the year ahead 5 min read

    The ACCC remains focused on the protection of consumers and small business in its 2025/26 enforcement priorities announced by Gina Cass-Gottlieb on 20 February 2025.

    • Cartels and anti-competitive conduct remain an ongoing enforcement priority.
    • Competition and consumer issues that impact cost of living pressures remain a priority, with the ACCC focusing on firms with market power, conduct that impacts small businesses and misleading pricing practices.
    • For consumers and small businesses, there will be a particular focus on unfair contract terms, improving compliance with consumer guarantees (particularly in consumer electronics) and continued advocacy for the introduction of a prohibition against unfair trading practices and penalties for non-compliance with consumer guarantees.
    • Greenwashing and sustainability collaborations remain a key area of focus for the ACCC. Particularly in recognition of the substantial impact that greenwashing can have on consumer trust, as well as the incentives for businesses to invest in ‘green’ activities.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Guns and cash stolen in Yorketown break-in

    Source: South Australia Police

    Police are investigating after firearms and cash was stolen from a home at Yorketown overnight.

    About 1am on Monday 24 February, police were called to a home on St Vincent Highway after three men broke into the property and assaulted the occupant. The men stole a large amount of cash along with a number of firearms.

    The suspects also stole the victim’s Toyota sedan which has since been located at Minlaton.

    The victim, a 74-year-old man, sustained injuries to his head and was treated at the local hospital.

    Yorke Mid North police are investigating the incident and are seeking anyone with information to call Crime Stoppers at www.crimestopperssa.com.au or on 1800 333 000.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: $25 million to ease congestion on Toongabbie Bridge

    Source: Australian Ministers 1

    The Albanese Labor Government is building Australia’s future, investing $25 million to upgrade Wentworth Avenue and reduce congestion on Toongabbie Bridge. 

    Toongabbie Bridge is a critical connection road for residents of Western Sydney, impacting traffic flow between Parramatta and Seven Hills, as well as access to Westmead Hospital. 

    It is also one of the few connections across the rail line, and the only local crossing linking to the major arterials, including Seven Hills Road, Prospect Highway and the Cumberland and Great Western Highways.

    With a single lane in each direction, the 70+ year old bridge is a known pinch-point which experiences severe congested, especially during peak periods. 

    Today’s investment will focus on easing congestion on the bridge by increasing and improving traffic flow along Wentworth Avenue.

    The upgrades are expected to include intersection upgrades and lane widening, and will support increased productivity and improved liveability for residents and motorists of Toongabbie and its surrounds. 

    With significant population and economic growth predicted within Cumberland, Blacktown and Parramatta Local Government Areas, further pressure on the local transport network surrounding Toongabbie is anticipated.

    Recent planning and analysis of traffic around the bridge showed that notwithstanding the constraining nature of the bridge itself, significant congestion was due to intersections on Wentworth Avenue, either side of the bridge.

    The final project scope and delivery timeframes will be determined in consultation with the New South Wales Government, Cumberland City Council, Parramatta City Council and Blacktown Council. 

    This builds on the Australian Government’s existing investment of $18 billion for infrastructure projects in Western Sydney. 

    Quotes attributable to Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King:

    “We’re building Australia’s future right here in Western Sydney, currently investing $18 billion into Western Sydney’s infrastructure.

    “We know how important the Toongabbie fix is to the community here and the knock-on effect it has on the Western Sydney road network. 

    “We’re giving hours back to Toongabbie locals, Westmead workers and everyone in between with this record investment in Toongabbie Bridge.” 

    Quotes attributable to Federal Member for Parramatta Andrew Charlton:

    “This bridge has been a nightmare for forty years. Everyone said they were going to fix it – today we’re doing it. I went into bat with our community for Toongabbie; to get this fixed once and for all and Minister King backed us because this government builds and delivers. 

    “This investment will cut congestion, slash travel times, and make life easier for local residents who rely on this connection every day.”

    Quotes attributable to State Member for Prospect Hugh McDermott MP:

    “I’m really pleased I can work with Andrew Charlton to get this done. Andrew has delivered $25m to get the bridge upgrade finished and done.”

    Quotes attributable to Parramatta Councillor Sameer Pandey:

    “I am delighted the bridge is finally getting done. This is an excellent commitment that will help the community.”

    Quotes attributable to Cumberland City Council Mayor Ola Hamed:

    “This funding will place Council in a strong position to take the design work from concept to reality.

    “The Cumberland community has been voicing concerns over the traffic congestion in this area for many years so this funding will be welcome news to so many who have borne the inconvenience of this bottleneck for so long.

    “Council is appreciative of the Federal Government’s allocation of this money to build the much-needed infrastructure for our community, and we look forward to seeing the project come to life, complementing our planned public domain upgrades to the Toongabbie town centre”.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Friedrich Merz has won Germany’s election. But as the far right soars, forming a government may be difficult

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Matt Fitzpatrick, Professor in International History, Flinders University

    Friedrich Merz’s centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has captured the highest proportion of votes in Germany’s election on Sunday. The celebrations could be short-lived, though, as the task of forming a government now looms.

    As it stands, Germany’s public broadcaster has projected Merz’s CDU and its Christian Social Union (CSU) counterpart in Bavaria to win 208 seats in the Bundestag (28.5%). The ousted Social Democratic Party (SPD) has been reduced to 121 seats (16.5%), while the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party achieved its biggest-ever result of 151 seats (20.7%).

    Other minor parties have failed to meet the 5% threshold in the proportional German parliamentary system, limiting the possible options for a government to take shape.

    Merz’s party did lift its vote share compared to its record low in 2021. And German voters have given him the opportunity to attempt forming a governing coalition.

    However, his electoral strategy may have made it harder to solve a number of problems, many of them of his own making. Here are four key things his victory has failed to do, which could make governing in Germany more difficult.

    1. Stem the number of voters to the far right

    With the German economy in the doldrums, Merz would have easily won on the question of economic management alone. Strangely, however, his electoral strategy mimicked the anti-migrant rhetoric of the far-right AfD.

    By noisily electioneering on the policy of stemming the flow of migrants and insisting at every opportunity that migrants (particularly those from the Middle East) were a threat to the German way of life, Merz has given legitimacy to what had been fringe policies.

    Yet, the election results show that the Germans who were motivated to vote for an anti-migrant party went for the most virulent version (the AfD) – particularly in the old East Germany – and not Merz’s centre-right imitation.

    Instead of stealing votes from the AfD, Merz has substantially contributed to the record showing of the far-right party by making immigration – and radical approaches to it – a central issue.

    The smiles on the face of the AfD leadership after the election tell the story. The party may not be in government, but its policies will in all likelihood be pursued by a Merz government.

    2. Exclude the left from German politics

    The day before the election, Merz railed against “green and left crazies” and insisted “there is no longer left politics in Germany”.

    The SPD vote did sink dramatically off the back of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s ineffectual and lacklustre term in office. But the left-wing Die Linke party (The Left) rode the wave of anti-AfD and anti-Merz sentiment to return from the wilderness with its best election showing in almost a decade.

    In particular, a rousing speech by Die Linke leader Heidi Reichinneck helped lift the mood on the left in response to Merz’s anti-migrant stance. Die Linke is back in the Bundestag, at least for another term.

    3. Create a governing coalition

    Merz has spent the past few weeks breaking taboos by working with the German far right and roundly abusing his opponents using the kind of intemperate language rarely seen in German politics. Now, he is faced with building a governing coalition.

    He has painted himself into a corner. He has called the Greens party and Die Linke “crazies”. And his closest ideological ally, the Free Democrats (FDP), appear to have failed to reach the 5% hurdle to enter parliament after voters punished the party for effectively blowing up the last coalition government.

    So shockingly poor was the FDP’s result, its leader, Christian Lindner, has offered his resignation.

    Previously, a “grand coalition” between the CDU and SPD has been able to form a stable government. This was especially so under former-Chancellor Angela Merkel, the longtime CDU leader.

    The centre-left SPD vote might just be large enough to form a coalition government with Merz’s CDU. Whether the SPD would do so after being shocked in the past few weeks by Merz’s dalliances with the far right remains an open question.

    Scholz, the SPD leader, has categorically ruled out serving in a Merz cabinet. Whether he might resign to make way for a grand coalition remains to be seen, should one prove mathematically possible.

    That leaves only the far-right AfD – the only other party potentially large enough to allow Merz to form a two-party coalition government. Merz has ruled out a CDU-AfD coalition as a threat to German democracy.

    Merz will either have to radically revise his attitudes towards the parties to his left or break his word not to allow the far right into government. If he did the latter, he may very well become Germany’s 21st century Franz von Papen, the Weimar Republic-era leader widely viewed as having helped usher the Nazis to power in the 1930s.

    4. Exorcise the ghost of Angela Merkel

    Merz’s career has been marked by his inability to overcome Merkel and her vision of the CDU as the umbrella party of the democratic centre.

    After dragging his party to the right, Merz has posted an electoral result lower than anything Merkel ever gained.

    Even if his party is able to cobble together a coalition government, Merz will still sit in the shadow of his more democratically popular, centrist predecessor.

    Matt Fitzpatrick receives funding from the Australian Research Council. He is the President of the History Council of South Australia.

    – ref. Friedrich Merz has won Germany’s election. But as the far right soars, forming a government may be difficult – https://theconversation.com/friedrich-merz-has-won-germanys-election-but-as-the-far-right-soars-forming-a-government-may-be-difficult-250621

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 50-2025: Scheduled Outage: Saturday 01 March to Sunday 02 March 2025 – BICON

    Source: Australia Government Statements – Agriculture

    24 February 2025

    Who does this notice affect?

    All clients required to use the department’s Biosecurity Import Conditions System (BICON) during this planned outage.

    Information

    To support system maintenance, BICON will be unavailable from 23:00 Saturday 01 March to 01:00 Sunday 02 March 2025 (AEDT).

    Following the system maintenance, BICON account holders will have greater visibility on the status of their permit applications that are underway. This improved…

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: There’s an outbreak of melioidosis in north Queensland. Here’s what to know about this deadly ‘mud bug’

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Jeffries, Senior Lecturer in Microbiology, Western Sydney University

    moomin201/Shutterstock

    Seven people have now died from melioidosis in flood-ravaged north Queensland this year.

    Dozens of cases have been reported in the state in recent weeks, which experts have described as unprecedented.

    So what is melioidosis, and why are we seeing a spike in cases now?

    How do people get infected?

    Melioidosis is caused by the bacterium Burkholderia pseudomallei, a bug which normally lives harmlessly in soil and freshwater. But it can be dangerous when it infects humans or animals.

    B. pseudomallei – sometimes called the “mud bug” – enters the body through cuts or scratches. It can also be breathed in and enter the lungs via small airborne water droplets, or by drinking affected water.

    Symptoms usually develop within one to four weeks after a person has been infected. The disease can cause either local infections, such as chronic skin ulcers, or, more commonly, a lung infection which can lead to pneumonia.

    Melioidosis is caused by the bacteria B. pseudomallei.
    Reddress/Shutterstock

    Symptoms of the infection include fever, headache, trouble breathing, chest and muscle pain, confusion and seizures. In rare cases the disease can enter the bloodstream and cause septicaemia.

    Treatment involves receiving intravenous antibiotics in hospital for several weeks followed by up to six months of oral antibiotics.

    How common is it?

    Diagnosis is usually conducted using a specialist bacterial culture. This is where a sample isolated from the patient is grown in a petri dish to identify the bacteria, which can take several days.

    Globally, around 165,000 cases of melioidosis are reported annually, and 89,000 deaths. The majority of cases occur in southeast Asia, particularly Thailand.

    Because similar symptoms can be caused by so many other diseases, melioidosis is commonly misidentified, meaning reported case numbers are probably far lower than the actual number of infections.

    Also, cases often occur in remote communities and resource-poor settings, which can mean they’re less likely to be diagnosed.

    The disease is thought to be endemic to northern Australia. It usually infects about 0.6 per 100,000 people annually in Queensland, which would be equivalent to around 30 people.

    In the Northern Territory, around 17 people per 100,000 are infected annually, which would be equivalent to about 42 cases. However, this data is several years old.

    In Australia, melioidosis is often treated before fatalities occur. The mortality rate has been estimated at less than 10%.

    More people die from the disease in lower-resource countries with poorer diagnostic capabilities and hospital facilities. In Thailand the mortality rate is estimated to be around 40%.

    Who is at risk?

    Anyone can get melioidosis, but certain people are at higher risk. This includes people with diabetes, liver and kidney disease, cancer, or other conditions which might compromise the patient’s immune system.

    In Australia, the disease is also significantly more common in First Nations people than among non-Indigenous Australians.

    Once infected, people who are Indigenous, older or have chronic health conditions are at higher risk of poorer outcomes.

    In the current outbreak in Queensland, at least three of the victims so far have been elderly.

    What’s causing the current outbreak?

    Recent cases in north Queensland have been identified mainly around Townsville and Cairns.

    Cairns and Hinterland Hospital and Health Service has recorded at least 41 cases since January 1, while more than 20 cases have been reported in Townsville in February.

    This is most likely related to increased rainfall and flooding in and around these areas.

    B. pseudomallei lives in soil and mud, and comes to the surface during periods of high rainfall. So recent heavy rain and flooding in north Queensland has likely increased the risk of melioidosis.

    In the Northern Territory, 28 cases have been reported since the start of the rainy season last October. However this is lower than recent seasons.

    How can you protect yourself?

    If you’re in an affected region, you can protect yourself by limiting exposure to mud and water, and using appropriate personal protective equipment such as gloves and boots if spending time in muddy areas. Cover any open wounds and wear a respirator if you’re working closely with water.

    Monitor for symptoms and see a doctor if you feel unwell.

    Several vaccines are in development for melioidosis, and experts have recently called for it to be recognised as a neglected tropical disease by the World Health Organization.

    Particularly seeing as increasing extreme weather events due to climate change may make melioidosis more common, hopefully we’ll see an increase in research into and awareness of this disease in the years ahead.

    Thomas Jeffries 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. There’s an outbreak of melioidosis in north Queensland. Here’s what to know about this deadly ‘mud bug’ – https://theconversation.com/theres-an-outbreak-of-melioidosis-in-north-queensland-heres-what-to-know-about-this-deadly-mud-bug-250392

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Friedrich Merz has won Germany’s election. But as the far right soars, forming a government may be difficult

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matt Fitzpatrick, Professor in International History, Flinders University

    Friedrich Merz’s centre-right Christian Democratic Union (CDU) has captured the highest proportion of votes in Germany’s election on Sunday. The celebrations could be short-lived, though, as the task of forming a government now looms.

    As it stands, Germany’s public broadcaster has projected Merz’s CDU and its Christian Social Union (CSU) counterpart in Bavaria to win 208 seats in the Bundestag (28.5%). The ousted Social Democratic Party (SPD) has been reduced to 121 seats (16.5%), while the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party achieved its biggest-ever result of 151 seats (20.7%).

    Other minor parties have failed to meet the 5% threshold in the proportional German parliamentary system, limiting the possible options for a government to take shape.

    Merz’s party did lift its vote share compared to its record low in 2021. And German voters have given him the opportunity to attempt forming a governing coalition.

    However, his electoral strategy may have made it harder to solve a number of problems, many of them of his own making. Here are four key things his victory has failed to do, which could make governing in Germany more difficult.

    1. Stem the number of voters to the far right

    With the German economy in the doldrums, Merz would have easily won on the question of economic management alone. Strangely, however, his electoral strategy mimicked the anti-migrant rhetoric of the far-right AfD.

    By noisily electioneering on the policy of stemming the flow of migrants and insisting at every opportunity that migrants (particularly those from the Middle East) were a threat to the German way of life, Merz has given legitimacy to what had been fringe policies.

    Yet, the election results show that the Germans who were motivated to vote for an anti-migrant party went for the most virulent version (the AfD) – particularly in the old East Germany – and not Merz’s centre-right imitation.

    Instead of stealing votes from the AfD, Merz has substantially contributed to the record showing of the far-right party by making immigration – and radical approaches to it – a central issue.

    The smiles on the face of the AfD leadership after the election tell the story. The party may not be in government, but its policies will in all likelihood be pursued by a Merz government.

    2. Exclude the left from German politics

    The day before the election, Merz railed against “green and left crazies” and insisted “there is no longer left politics in Germany”.

    The SPD vote did sink dramatically off the back of Chancellor Olaf Scholz’s ineffectual and lacklustre term in office. But the left-wing Die Linke party (The Left) rode the wave of anti-AfD and anti-Merz sentiment to return from the wilderness with its best election showing in almost a decade.

    In particular, a rousing speech by Die Linke leader Heidi Reichinneck helped lift the mood on the left in response to Merz’s anti-migrant stance. Die Linke is back in the Bundestag, at least for another term.

    3. Create a governing coalition

    Merz has spent the past few weeks breaking taboos by working with the German far right and roundly abusing his opponents using the kind of intemperate language rarely seen in German politics. Now, he is faced with building a governing coalition.

    He has painted himself into a corner. He has called the Greens party and Die Linke “crazies”. And his closest ideological ally, the Free Democrats (FDP), appear to have failed to reach the 5% hurdle to enter parliament after voters punished the party for effectively blowing up the last coalition government.

    So shockingly poor was the FDP’s result, its leader, Christian Lindner, has offered his resignation.

    Previously, a “grand coalition” between the CDU and SPD has been able to form a stable government. This was especially so under former-Chancellor Angela Merkel, the longtime CDU leader.

    The centre-left SPD vote might just be large enough to form a coalition government with Merz’s CDU. Whether the SPD would do so after being shocked in the past few weeks by Merz’s dalliances with the far right remains an open question.

    Scholz, the SPD leader, has categorically ruled out serving in a Merz cabinet. Whether he might resign to make way for a grand coalition remains to be seen, should one prove mathematically possible.

    That leaves only the far-right AfD – the only other party potentially large enough to allow Merz to form a two-party coalition government. Merz has ruled out a CDU-AfD coalition as a threat to German democracy.

    Merz will either have to radically revise his attitudes towards the parties to his left or break his word not to allow the far right into government. If he did the latter, he may very well become Germany’s 21st century Franz von Papen, the Weimar Republic-era leader widely viewed as having helped usher the Nazis to power in the 1930s.

    4. Exorcise the ghost of Angela Merkel

    Merz’s career has been marked by his inability to overcome Merkel and her vision of the CDU as the umbrella party of the democratic centre.

    After dragging his party to the right, Merz has posted an electoral result lower than anything Merkel ever gained.

    Even if his party is able to cobble together a coalition government, Merz will still sit in the shadow of his more democratically popular, centrist predecessor.

    Matt Fitzpatrick receives funding from the Australian Research Council. He is the President of the History Council of South Australia.

    – ref. Friedrich Merz has won Germany’s election. But as the far right soars, forming a government may be difficult – https://theconversation.com/friedrich-merz-has-won-germanys-election-but-as-the-far-right-soars-forming-a-government-may-be-difficult-250621

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Erotica, gore and racism: how America’s war on ‘ideological bias’ is letting AI off the leash

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Judith Bishop, Tracey Banivanua Mar Fellow, La Trobe University

    3d_kot/Shutterstock

    Badly behaved artificial intelligence (AI) systems have a long history in science fiction. Way back in 1961, in the famous Astro Boy comics by Osamu Tezuka, a clone of a popular robot magician was reprogrammed into a super-powered thief. In the 1968 film 2001: A Space Odyssey, the shipboard computer HAL 9000 turns out to be more sinister than the astronauts on board think.

    More recently, real-world chatbots such as Microsoft’s Tay have shown that AI models “going bad” isn’t sci-fi any longer. Tay started spewing racist and sexually explicit texts within hours of its public release in 2016.

    The generative AI models we’ve been using since ChatGPT launched in November 2022 are generally well behaved. There are signs this may be about to change.

    On February 20, the US Federal Trade Commission announced an inquiry to understand “how consumers have been harmed […] by technology platforms that limit users’ ability to share their ideas or affiliations freely and openly”. Introducing the inquiry, the commission said platforms with internal processes to suppress unsafe content “may have violated the law”.

    The latest version of the Elon Musk–owned Grok model already serves up “based” opinions, and features an “unhinged mode” that is “intended to be objectionable, inappropriate, and offensive”. Recent ChatGPT updates allow the bot to produce “erotica and gore”.

    These developments come after moves by US President Donald Trump to deregulate AI systems. Trump’s attempt to remove “ideological bias” from AI may see the return of rogue behaviour that AI developers have been working hard to suppress.

    Executive orders

    In January, Trump issued a sweeping executive order against “illegal and immoral discrimination programs, going by the name ‘diversity, equity, and inclusion’ (DEI)”, and another on “removing barriers to AI innovation” (which includes “engineered social agendas”).

    In February, the US refused to join 62 other nations in signing a “Statement on Inclusive and Sustainable AI” at the Paris AI Action Summit.

    What will this mean for the AI products we see around us? Some generative AI companies, including Microsoft and Google, are US federal government suppliers. These companies could come under significant direct pressure to eliminate measures to make AI systems safe, if the measures are perceived as supporting DEI or slowing innovation.

    AI developers’ interpretation of the executive orders could result in AI safety teams being reduced in size or scope, or replaced by teams whose social agenda better aligns with Trump’s.

    Why would that matter? Before generative AI algorithms are trained, they are neither helpful nor harmful. However, when they are fed a diet of human expression scraped from across the internet, their propensity to reflect biases and behaviours such as racism, sexism, ableism and abusive language becomes clear.

    AI risks and how they’re managed

    Major AI developers spend a lot of effort on suppressing biased outputs and unwanted model behaviours and rewarding more ethically neutral and balanced responses.

    Some of these measures could be seen as implementing DEI principles, even as they help to avoid incidents like the one involving Tay. They include the use of human feedback to tune model outputs, as well as monitoring and measuring bias towards specific populations.

    Another approach, developed by Anthropic for its Claude model, uses a policy document called a “constitution” to explicitly direct the model to respect principles of harmless and respectful behaviour.

    Model outputs are often tested via “red teaming”. In this process, prompt engineers and internal AI safety experts do their best to provoke unsafe and offensive responses from generative AI models.

    A Microsoft blog post from January described red teaming as “the first step in identifying potential harms […] to measure, manage, and govern AI risks for our customers”.

    The risks span a “wide range of vulnerabilities”, “including traditional security, responsible AI, and psychosocial harms”.

    The blog also notes “it is crucial to design red teaming probes that not only account for linguistic differences but also redefine harms in different political and cultural contexts”. Many generative AI products have a global user base. So this sort of effort is important for making the products safe for consumers and businesses well beyond US borders.

    We may be about to relearn some lessons

    Unfortunately, none of these efforts to make generative AI models safe is a one-shot process. Once generative AI models are installed in chatbots or other apps, they continually digest information from the human world through prompts and other inputs.

    This diet can shift their behaviour for the worse over time. Malicious attacks, such as user prompt injection and data poisoning, can produce more dramatic changes.

    Tech journalist Kevin Roose used prompt injection to make Microsoft Bing’s AI chatbot reveal its “shadow self”. The upshot? It encouraged him to leave his wife. Research published last month showed that a mere drop of poisoned data could make medical advice models generate misinformation.

    Constant monitoring and correction of AI outputs are essential. There is no other way to avoid offensive, discriminatory or unsafe behaviours cropping up without warning in generated responses.

    Yet all signs suggest the Trump administration favours a reduction in the ethical regulation of AI. The executive orders may be interpreted as allowing or encouraging the free expression and generation of even discriminatory and harmful views on subjects such as women, race, LGBTQIA+ individuals and immigrants.

    Generative AI moderation efforts may go the way of Meta’s fact-checking and expert content moderation programs. This could have an impact on global users of US-made AI products such as OpenAI ChatGPT, Microsoft Co-Pilot and Google Gemini.

    We might be about to rediscover how essential these efforts have been to keep AI models in check.

    Judith Bishop has received funding from Creative Australia for a book on AI and human data. Until 2022 she led teams producing training data for global AI companies and US government research agencies.

    – ref. Erotica, gore and racism: how America’s war on ‘ideological bias’ is letting AI off the leash – https://theconversation.com/erotica-gore-and-racism-how-americas-war-on-ideological-bias-is-letting-ai-off-the-leash-250060

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Visit to G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors meeting in South Africa

    Source: Australian Treasurer

    This week, I will be representing the Treasurer in Cape Town at the first G20 Finance Ministers and Central Bank Governors (FMCBG) meeting under South Africa’s 2025 G20 Presidency.

    At the G20, Australia engages with the world’s largest economies and adds our voice to the global conversation.

    Against a backdrop of global uncertainty, there is a greater impetus for international macroeconomic cooperation through the G20.

    This meeting will be an opportunity to discuss with fellow Finance Ministers the global economic outlook, sustainable development, combating inequality, and strengthening our international institutions.

    The Albanese Government is working productively with international colleagues to tackle shared challenges.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Charges – Drug and firearm offences – Berrimah

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force has charged a 33-year-old male for drug and firearm offences in Darwin last Thursday.

    About 3:35pm, Gangs Task Force members executed a targeted traffic apprehension at a business on Stuart Highway in Berrimah after receiving intelligence of offending. The male is believed to be a prospect for the Mongols Outlaw Motor Cycle Gang located in Darwin.

    The man attempted to flee from police before colliding with a police vehicle and another vehicle belonging to a member of the public. He then continued to evade police apprehension resulting in a short pursuit in North Crest. The vehicle stopped due to damage and the man was arrested without further incident.

    Police conducted a lawful search of the vehicle and located 116 grams of methamphetamine, 1.5 grams of cocaine and 20 tablets of unauthorised prescription medication. Along with that, the man was in possession of a firearm, ammunition, cash and drug paraphernalia.

    He has since been charged with:

    • Supply schedule 1 dangerous drug – commercial quantity
    • Possess schedule 1 dangerous drug – commercial quantity
    • Possess schedule 1 dangerous drug – less than traffickable quantity
    • Possess schedule 8 substance
    • Possess tainted property
    • Possess firearm whilst unlicensed
    • Possess prohibited firearm
    • Unlawfully modify firearm
    • Possess ammunition without permit/license
    • Fail to obey direction of Police Officer
    • Not stop/assist after crash
    • Drive a motor vehicle while disqualified
    • Drive with prohibited drug in body
    • Dangerous driving during pursuit
    • Enter roundabout incorrect lane

    He was remanded to appear in Darwin Local Court today.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 49-2025: Scheduled Outage: Saturday 01 March to Sunday 02 March 2025 – Multiple Systems

    Source: Australia Government Statements – Agriculture

    24 February 2025

    Who does this notice affect?

    All clients required to use the Export / Next Export Documentation (EXDOC/NEXDOC) systems during this planned maintenance period.

    All clients who will be required to make an online payment during this planned maintenance period.

    All importers and customs brokers who will be required to lodge imported cargo documentation to the department for biosecurity assessment during this planned maintenance period.

    All…

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: How Whyalla can be upgraded to green steel and why we need to keep steel production in Australia

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Rossetto, Adjunct, Institute for Sustainability, Energy and Resources, University of Adelaide

    Financial challenges at the Whyalla steelworks in South Australia have reignited debate about the nation’s steel industry and its future.

    Australians should have access to quality steel at competitive prices. The domestic steel production industry employs tens of thousands of people.

    The state and federal governments have stepped in, however, announcing a A$1.9 billion support package for Whyalla, together with a new $1 billion green iron investment fund. Half of the new fund will be allocated to Whyalla to support its transition to green steel production. That’s a large amount of money for a privately owned business.

    So, are the new packages going to be money well spent? To answer that question, let’s examine the priorities.

    A national priority

    Steel is an industry in which securing sovereign production capability is crucial. Sovereign capability means ensuring an industry can survive external shocks such as interruptions to shipping routes or disputes with other countries in the supply chain.

    Steel is a vital input for defence industries such as ship and submarine building. What could be said of a country’s autonomy – or its sovereign capability – if it relies on others for the steel needed for its defence?

    Whyalla is one of the two largest steelworks in Australia, the other being BlueScope’s Port Kembla plant. At least at first glance, the green iron investment fund seems to deal with the sovereign capability criterion well enough. Whyalla appears an ideal candidate.

    However, the public subsidy is large. The subsidised plant’s ability to operate in an economically competitive manner needs to be examined. Further, while the Whyalla plant began its life as a supplier to an adjacent shipbuilding operation, its share of the current domestic defence industry steel market is unclear.

    Environmentally friendly steel?

    Production of steel using iron ore and coking coal is a greenhouse gas emissions intensive process. It can result in as many as 2.5 tonnes of greenhouse gas per tonne of steel.

    The plan for Whyalla has long been to replace its coal-fired blast furnace with an electric arc furnace. This could, in turn, be supplied with low-emission sources of energy and consume scrap steel. While there is no globally agreed definition, this kind of approach would likely qualify as green steel.

    Sanjeev Gupta’s GFG, the owner of the plant, had originally wanted this furnace to be operating by 2025, potentially using solar among its energy supply. The plan would have cut its emissions dramatically. The timeline later slipped to 2027.

    The longer term plan for Whyalla appears based around production of green hydrogen to replace coking coal. As the world charges toward net zero emissions by 2050, the belief is that Australia can capture a good part of the green metals market.

    The challenge is that green hydrogen is expensive and not widely used around the world. It’s hard to find signs that the global steel market is willing to pay a premium in the absence of sectoral emissions pricing. The strategy could therefore be seen as a bet on the future. If the bet went wrong, who would absorb the losses? It would, most likely, be the taxpayer.

    The United States leads the way in low-emissions steel production. Firms there use electric arc furnaces to recycle scrap steel with energy from low-emission sources. This technology is proven and operates at industrial scale. It has a fraction of the emissions intensity but relies on the availability of scrap steel.

    Can we add value?

    Australia is a major world supplier of two key materials crucial for most steel making. These are iron ore and coking coal.

    The countries to which we sell those raw materials then do the processing and manufacture, capturing profit that is arguably lost to the Australian economy. Whyalla is already an example of domestic value-adding. It uses iron ore from mines in the adjacent area, and domestic coking coal.

    For Australia, however, this is going to be tricky. Australia is effectively signalling to its international customers that, one day, it hopes to compete with them in the global steel markets. In other words, this creates an incentive for the country’s customers to look for alternatives to buy iron ore.

    Whether Australia increases steel production ahead of its customers finding new sources of iron ore elsewhere in the world is a risky race with an uncertain result.

    Focus on government spending

    So, back to the question: is the new funding going to be money well spent? Perhaps the most solid justification among the priorities examined, is sovereign capability.

    The government probably needs to provide more information on how the new fund differs through from Future Made in Australia or the National Reconstruction Fund. Is this old funding with a new name? The nation is entering federal election season. Focus on government spending efficiency is likely to increase.

    Daniel Rossetto is the owner of Climate Mundial Limited, a private company that does consulting work but is currently inactive. He does ad hoc private consulting through various consulting platforms. He is also the owner and host of a new private and independent YouTube channel called Climate Mundial’s Energy and Climate Weekly. He is on the editorial board of the Discover Sustainability journal published by Springer Nature.

    – ref. How Whyalla can be upgraded to green steel and why we need to keep steel production in Australia – https://theconversation.com/how-whyalla-can-be-upgraded-to-green-steel-and-why-we-need-to-keep-steel-production-in-australia-250402

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: China didn’t violate any rules with its live-fire naval exercises. So, why are Australia and NZ so worried?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Donald Rothwell, Professor of International Law, Australian National University

    In recent days, the Chinese Navy conducted two live-fire military exercises in waters near Australia and New Zealand, sparking concern in both countries.

    The Albanese government lodged a diplomatic protest with Beijing. China responded by saying it was “deeply surprised and strongly dissatisfied” by Australia’s response.

    What exactly happened?

    The presence of the People’s Liberation Army Navy (or PLA Navy) ships was well known. Australia’s Department of Defence put out a media release on February 13 indicating it was “aware” of the three ships operating to the northeast of Australia.

    Over the next week, the ships gradually made their way along Australia’s east coast through its exclusive economic zone in the Tasman Sea, which extends 200 nautical miles (370km) from a country’s coastline.

    On February 21, the PLA Navy gave short notice of its intent to conduct a possible live-fire exercise in the high seas between Australia and New Zealand. The next day, the ships conducted a second live-fire exercise. A live fire exercise can take many forms, such as using live rounds against stationary sea targets or the testing of new weapons systems.“

    Once Australia and New Zealand received China’s notification of its exercises, a maritime and air exclusion zone was created in the vicinity of the Chinese ships, and trans-Tasman commercial flights were diverted.

    Both exercises took place in “international waters”, which means no country has sovereignty over them. Neither Canberra nor Wellington contested China’s right to conduct these exercises, as the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea places no constraints on high-seas military operations.

    The United States, for example, has conducted such high-seas weapons tests in the past, causing Qantas flights across the Pacific to be occasionally diverted.

    If they were legal, why were Australia and NZ upset?

    Australian Defence Minister Richard Marles was critical of the short notice China gave both countries of its intention to use live rounds of ammunition.

    Typically, Marles said, standard protocol is to provide between 12 to 24 hours notice of such exercises. This allows enough time to warn other ships in the area and for airlines to divert their flights.

    However, because the exercises took place in the high seas, the protocol is more ambiguous. This became the key point of differentiation with China. Beijing could argue its warships are under no legal obligation to tell anyone what they are doing on the high seas. As Defence Ministry spokesman Wu Qian said,

    China’s actions are in full compliance with international law and international practices, and will not affect aviation flight safety.

    This is also the first instance of China conducting Tasman Sea military exercises. As such, it poses a challenge for how Australia and New Zealand should respond to future Chinese conduct.

    The PLA Navy has been sailing more frequently around the Australian coast and has observed Australian military exercises conducted with defence partners, such as Exercise Talisman Sabre in 2023.

    Why did China conduct the exercises here?

    This is an important question since China could have just as easily conducted these exercises closer to its own shores.

    Part of the answer lies in China having the capacity and capability to project its military force far beyond its own shores.

    These types of activities are also important intelligence gathering exercises. Each Chinese Navy visit will give it more experience in waters where it does not frequently sail, while also gauging how Australia and New Zealand respond.

    Given the increasing cooperation between China and some Pacific Island nations, such as the Cook Islands and Solomon Islands, we should expect the Chinese Navy will become a more frequent visitor to the region.

    What can Australia and NZ do about it?

    As Australia and New Zealand are strong supporters of the rules-based international order on which the law of the sea is based, there is very little they can legally do to obstruct China. Nevertheless, three options are available.

    First, enhanced air and naval surveillance of China’s activities in these waters is legally permissible. Constantly shadowing the PLA Navy in the South Pacific, though, would be a drain on stretched defence resources.

    Both countries would also need to ensure their navies are not in the line of fire to avoid an accident that could spiral into a major conflict.

    Second, Australia and New Zealand could work though bodies such as the International Maritime Organization and International Civil Aviation Organization to settle on agreed practices on how much advance notification is required for high seas live-fire tests.

    Finally, both countries could push for negotiations on a regional “naval code of conduct”. Similar codes have been agreed upon by both China and the US in the past. Incidents like this could prove to be a catalyst for more.

    The South Pacific will increasingly be a strategically contested maritime space. Australia and New Zealand frequently deploy their navies for humanitarian operations in neighbouring Pacific states and engage in exercises with their military partners. The US Navy is also becoming more active in the Pacific Ocean and South China Sea to counter China, as are the navies of other nations, such as the United Kingdom, France and Japan.

    With the potential for these various navies to be operating at the same time in the region, negotiating some basic “rules of the sea” would be a prudent and a helpful confidence-building measure to avoid a potential conflagration.

    Donald Rothwell receives funding from Australian Research Council.

    – ref. China didn’t violate any rules with its live-fire naval exercises. So, why are Australia and NZ so worried? – https://theconversation.com/china-didnt-violate-any-rules-with-its-live-fire-naval-exercises-so-why-are-australia-and-nz-so-worried-250618

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: In A Nighttime Travesty, First Nations women embrace Indigenous futurism – and push the boundaries of theatre

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julie Andrews, Professor and Academic Director (Indigenous Research), La Trobe University

    Gregory Lorenzutti/Malthouse Theatre

    A Nighttime Travesty is a bold new piece of theatre that depicts many illusions and truth interspersed with history.

    What would happen if the world was to end? A plane has left Earth because Earth is dying. The journey is an escape for survival, but they are taking Earth-created social inequalities with them.

    While hurtling into space, two hostesses talk about not feeling at home on Earth anymore. We can no longer advance as a human race and are forced to relocate.

    The future of humankind does not appear optimistic – it is in the hands of the pilot.

    Kamarra Bell-Wykes and Carly Sheppard, co-creators of the work and the lead performers, bring brilliance to their artistic flair, playing multiple characters.

    They are the two hostesses: one a young Aboriginal woman who has been impregnated by the pilot, and the other a robot. The pilot is played by Bell-Wykes, and Sheppard is a strange victim with a wit.

    A Nighttime Travesty intertwines Indigenous futurism and vaudeville.
    Gregory Lorenzutti/Malthouse Theatre

    Directed by Stephen Nicolazzo, A Nighttime Travesty is thought-provoking and complex theatre that addresses Aboriginal history and oppression using media representations of Aussie male humour.

    Earth is dying. The journey is an escape for survival, but they are taking Earth-created social inequalities with them. There is no new world waiting for them to start over. They will have to do that themselves.

    They ponder what is ahead of them as they travel to a new life somewhere in space.

    The thread throughout the production is held together by a black and white history while the actors sing, dance, give birth and turn into murderers.

    Indigenous futurism

    A Nighttime Travesty intertwines Indigenous futurism and vaudeville.

    Indigenous futurism is a cultural practice of imagining the future, while acknowledging past and present. Including cultural practices and ways of knowing with social and political commentary within a scientific framework can create an aura of illusion and truth.

    Aboriginal storytelling has long moved in and out of the past into the present in various artistic mediums as a form of expression and teaching. Indigenous futurism can be found in literature, film, visual arts, video games, poetry, music, fashion and theatre.

    The philosophies of Indigenous ways of knowing and oral histories are important tools for storytelling.

    The actors play dual gender neutral roles. The women depict the Australian male: the sexual power and masculinity in the workplace intermixed with artificial intelligence and technology. They are joined on stage by performers Zach Blampied and Peter Wykes, and musicians Matt Pana and Small Sound.

    A Nighttime Travesty is particularly dense with sexualised humour and underlying pokes of fun made at the Aussie male expense.

    The dark side of the humour from an Indigenous woman’s perspective steers the twists and turns which move with such quick motion that the audience is left waiting for conclusions to the messages.

    Kamarra Bell-Wykes and Carly Sheppard bring brilliance to their artistic flair.
    Gregory Lorenzutti/Malthouse Theatre

    Aboriginal history

    Much of this play is a reflection upon humanity and the life lessons learned or not learned from history. It is also a social and political commentary from young viewers of Australian humour on television and experiences of Australian society values.

    Throughout the play there is lots of symbolism reflecting Australia. The sexual humour is structured around Australian icons of media, and BBQ aprons with male and female printed torsos. The actors morph into the sexuality of the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal women.

    It seems the co-creators researched the long-running Saturday night national television show Hey Hey It’s Saturday to finally offer a First Nations commentary.

    On that show, men roasted each other, their guests and the audience – and presented a gem every now and then that would save their credibility.

    Here, a dark hooded man sits on a bench titled “Hey Hey it’s Judgement Day” and a puppet on a stick named Dicky Lee is involved in sexual acts. This is presented as humorous, yet the audience is left feeling slightly embarrassed at Dicky’s involvement.

    The play riffs off the long-running variety show Hey Hey, It’s Saturday.
    Gregory Lorenzutti/Malthouse Theatre

    Religion, sex and babies born out of wedlock are harsh realities of life. Religion and God is pondered for the new world – but God is a man, and is blamed for the problems of the world.

    Can they start over in a modern world, and what will their faith be? The Aboriginal hostess is concerned that, on a new planet, her Elders will be meaningless and, as the only Aboriginal on the plane, her culture and her race will die out. But wait – her baby will be the new beginning.

    A Nighttime Travesty from A Daylight Connection played at Malthouse Theatre, Melbourne. Season closed.

    Julie Andrews 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. In A Nighttime Travesty, First Nations women embrace Indigenous futurism – and push the boundaries of theatre – https://theconversation.com/in-a-nighttime-travesty-first-nations-women-embrace-indigenous-futurism-and-push-the-boundaries-of-theatre-248132

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –