NewzIntel.com

Category: Australia

  • MIL-Evening Report: Scam Factories: the inside story of Southeast Asia’s brutal fraud compounds

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ashlynne McGhee, Digital Storytelling Editor

    Scam Factories is a special multimedia and podcast series by The Conversation that explores the inner workings of Southeast Asia’s brutal scam compounds.

    The Conversation’s digital storytelling and podcast teams collaborated with three researchers: Ivan Franceschini, a lecturer in Chinese Studies at the University of Melbourne; Ling Li, a PhD candidate at Ca’ Foscari University of Venice; and Mark Bo, an independent researcher.

    The researchers have spent the past few years interviewing nearly 100 survivors of these compounds and documenting the rise of the industry in Southeast Asia for a forthcoming book.

    Scam Factories will unfold across three multimedia articles and three podcast episodes this week. We’ll update this page as more is published.

    Part 1

    Our first article explores how people are lured into the industry and what life is like inside the compounds, where scammers are forced to work long hours and are often subjected to violence.

    And in our first podcast episode, No skills required, our researchers travel to a village in Cambodia called Chrey Thom to see what these compounds look like. And we hear from two survivors, a Ugandan man we’re calling George and a Malaysian woman we’re calling Lee, about how they were recruited into compounds in Laos and Myanmar.

    The Conversation contacted all the companies mentioned in this series for a comment, except Jinshui, which we couldn’t contact. We did not receive a response from any of them.

    Credits

    The podcast series was written and produced by Gemma Ware with production assistance from Katie Flood and Mend Mariwany. Sound design by Michelle Macklem. Leila Goldstein was our producer in Cambodia and Halima Athumani recorded for us in Uganda. Hui Lin helped us with Chinese translation. Photos by Roun Ry, KDA, Halima Athumani and Ivan Franceschini.

    Justin Bergman at The Conversation in Australia edited the articles in the series and Matt Garrow worked on the graphical elements of the stories. Series oversight and editing help from Ashlynne McGhee.

    – ref. Scam Factories: the inside story of Southeast Asia’s brutal fraud compounds – https://theconversation.com/scam-factories-the-inside-story-of-southeast-asias-brutal-fraud-compounds-250448

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: After 3 years of war, Ukrainian business leaders share their lessons on survival

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy L. Kenworthy, Professor of Management, Bond University

    Drop of Light/Shutterstock

    It’s exactly three years since Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

    During that time, Ukrainians have lived through one of the world’s largest and most brutal humanitarian crises. Yet their resilience remains high.

    The United Nations estimates that 64% of micro, small and medium enterprises had to either suspend or close their operations in Ukraine at some stage after the war began.

    But the vast majority of these have since opened back up.

    Over the past year, our international team of researchers from both Australia and Ukraine sought to find out what might drive such extraordinary resilience. The answer, according to Ukrainian business leaders, is their people.

    Running a business in a war

    Ukrainians are currently living through their third winter of this war. Some of Russia’s latest attacks have targeted the gas infrastructure and other energy facilities crucial for keeping people alive.

    These daily attacks have made previously safe cities no longer safe, leaving residents without water, heat and electricity in bitterly cold conditions.

    According to the UNHCR’s 2025 Global Appeal, Russia’s targeting of homes, hospitals and communities has resulted in civilian deaths, mass displacements, restricted access to humanitarian aid, and severely disrupted essential services.

    For businesses, the war has impacted virtually every aspect of commercial activity. Beyond the immediate threat of coming under direct attack, firms have had to deal with everything from disrupted supply chains through to frequent power outages.

    As one interviewee put it:

    Many of us are afraid our main businesses may go bankrupt. We are constantly facing periods with no electricity which stops businesses and cuts us off from the world. We live with constant air raid alarms, moving in and out of underground shelters. We have a significant shortage of personnel because so many have gone to fight on the front lines or left the country.

    The UN estimates that utilisation of production capacity for Ukraine’s micro, small and medium enterprises dropped from 72.4% before the war to 45.7% in 2023.

    To make matters worse, with millions of people having fled Ukraine, finding and retaining qualified personnel has become extremely difficult.

    Women have been stepping into historically male dominated professions such as mining, truck driving and welding to fill the gap left by men who’ve joined the fight. But there is still a significant labour shortage.

    A diverse range of sectors have continued to operate in Ukraine since the war began, despite labour shortages and other issues.
    Oleksandr Filatov/Shutterstock

    Over the past year, our international team of researchers from both Australia and Ukraine surveyed business leaders from 85 different small and medium-sized businesses across 19 different industries in Ukraine.

    These spanned engineering, transportation, aviation and mining through to agriculture, tourism, IT, healthcare, entertainment and finance.

    We asked which resources were – and still are – key to the survival of their organisations.

    Finance and access to funding came in at number two, followed by production and energy, new customers & markets, equipment technology & information and policy & regulations.

    The most important resource

    The most important resource, highlighted by 82% of the business leaders we surveyed, was their people.

    When operating within an environment of severe crisis and disruption, the pressure can be enormous. But the Ukrainian executives we interviewed figured out a way to unite and lead their teams into the future.

    As one reflected:

    When team members are motivated, they are more likely to be optimistic and resilient when facing difficulties. Motivated employees are more productive than demotivated ones. This is important when people need to accomplish more with fewer resources.

    Forcing positive adaptation

    For many organisations in our research, operating within a crisis had pushed them to implement valuable human resource practices other businesses often struggle with.

    Some had transitioned to a “flatter” organisational structure, speeding up decision making by giving employees more autonomy. Others invested in team training which focused on empowering employees to share their thoughts on how to best move forward.

    Our processes and planning horizons have changed completely. We’ve had to become more agile and flexible in our approach to leadership, often reducing planning cycles and adapting to new realities much faster than before.

    A focus on wellbeing was another common theme. Some organisations hosted more meetings to allow their employees to share stories – not only about work but also about their personal fears and victories.

    Some also encouraged their employees to complete volunteer work together during work hours.

    There was an emphasis across interviews on the fact all employees need additional rest and recovery time, and encouraging them to take time off whenever needed.

    Making sacrifices

    Many of the new support mechanisms had financial consequences for the organisations.

    One business cancelled the salaries of its top management team one month after the war started. Another hired a full-time psychologist to provide counselling in both formal and informal sessions.

    Some continued to pay the salaries of their serving members:

    All our mobilized employees who are serving in the military have been receiving their salaries for the past three years. We also ensure they are equipped with everything they need, stay in constant contact with them, and support their families.

    Knowing their business was supporting the war effort had a positive impact on employee motivation:

    The only difference in employee motivation is the understanding that our company actively supports the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Thus, every employee in the company understands that through their work, they are involved in this support.

    In the end, it is the connections between people these leaders saw as the key to their organisational resilience.

    No matter how hard things get, how much grief and suffering we endure, we know for certain that tomorrow the sun will rise. And even if it’s not for us, it will be for our children. This is what gives us the strength to continue living, creating, and preserving Ukraine — for us and for future generations.

    The authors would like to acknowledge their academic partners and coauthors from the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, Ukraine, Yaryna Boychuk, Valeria Kozlova, Sophia Opatska, and Olena Trevoho, and thank all the Ukrainian business leaders who participated in this research.

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

    – ref. After 3 years of war, Ukrainian business leaders share their lessons on survival – https://theconversation.com/after-3-years-of-war-ukrainian-business-leaders-share-their-lessons-on-survival-249145

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: A powerful force is stopping the Indian Ocean from cooling itself – spelling more danger for Ningaloo

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Boden-Hawes, PhD Candidate in oceanography, The University of Western Australia

    Violeta Brosig/Blue Media Exmouth

    Widespread coral bleaching at Ningaloo Reef off Western Australia’s coast has deeply alarmed scientists and conservationists.

    Photos captured by divers, published by The Guardian last week, show severe bleaching at several sites along the reef, which runs for 260 kilometres off the state’s northwest.

    A severe marine heatwave in the Indian Ocean off WA has caused the coral bleaching. In some places, surface temperatures up to 4°C warmer than usual have been recorded.

    Hotter temperatures aren’t only happening at the ocean’s surface – data indicates they also extend several hundred metres deep. Warm, deeper water can shut down the ocean’s natural cooling process, putting corals at even greater risk of bleaching.

    Counting the cost

    The full extent of damage to Ningaloo won’t be known until scientists conduct field surveys in coming months.

    So far, bleaching has been documented at several sites, including Turquoise Bay, Coral Bay, Tantabiddi, and Bundegi (Exmouth Gulf).

    Other sites such as Scott Reef, Ashmore Reef, the Rowley Shoals and Rottnest Island are also at risk.

    Damage wrought by the heatwave extends beyond coral. More than 30,000 fish have died since the September onset.

    The below images show the heatwave’s progression. Temperatures from February last year are included for comparison.

    The white circle shows the location of Ningaloo. Cooler temperatures are in blue and purple. Warmer temperatures are in yellow and orange.

    The images show the heatwave reached Ningaloo in December last year and moved south in January. Temperatures fell slightly in February due to strong southerly winds. From March, temperatures are forecast to increase again.

    A complex warming picture

    According to recent data and modelled forecasts, hotter ocean temperatures off northern WA run several hundred metres deep.

    This has been caused by developing La Nina conditions. La Nina and its opposite, El Nino, influence ocean temperatures and weather patterns across the Pacific.

    During La Nina, trade winds strengthen and push warm water westward. This intensifies two important ocean currents.

    The first is the Indonesian Throughflow – which carries warm Pacific waters through the Indonesian seas and into the eastern Indian Ocean. The second is the Leeuwin Current, which picks up this warm water and takes it further south towards Perth.

    This has led to a build-up of hotter water along the WA coastline.

    La Nina is also affecting WA’s reefs in other ways.

    Some coral reefs are naturally cooled by local tides which pull deep, colder water towards the surface. This process, which has been likened to an ocean’s “air conditioner”, can temporarily relieve heat stress for reefs.

    The process relies on “stratification” – that is, layers of seawater that differ in temperature, salinity and density (or weight). Warmer, less dense water collects at the surface and colder, denser water falls to deeper levels.

    La Nina conditions can suppress, or even shut down, this cooling effect in two ways.

    First, it reduces the difference in density between ocean layers. This causes water to draw upwards from shallower depths. Second, it increases water temperatures at depth.

    All this means the water pumped to the surface isn’t much cooler than temperatures at the surface.

    For many reefs along the coast of WA, the suppression of this tidal cooling is probably contributing to worsening conditions, and more coral bleaching.

    Most bleaching forecasts rely on sea surface temperatures. This means scientists may be underestimating the vulnerability of deeper reefs.

    What’s in store for Ningaloo and surrounds?

    Looking ahead, the situation at Ningaloo and surrounding reefs remains critical.

    Bleached reefs are able to recover if temperatures cool quickly. This means theoretically, Ningaloo and other affected reefs may survive the summer.

    But unfortunately, temperatures are rising again and the marine heatwave is expected to continue until April, as the below image shows.

    Sea surface temperature anomaly forecast for March to May. Ningaloo denoted with black ‘X’.
    Bureau of Meteorology

    Climate change is making marine heatwaves more intense and frequent. It means reefs often don’t have time to recover between destructive bleaching events.

    All this is compounded by the general trend towards warmer oceans as the planet heats up.

    Drastic action on climate change is needed now. If this alarming pattern continues, the world’s reefs risk being lost entirely.

    Nicole L. Jones receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Western Australian government.

    Kelly Boden-Hawes 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. A powerful force is stopping the Indian Ocean from cooling itself – spelling more danger for Ningaloo – https://theconversation.com/a-powerful-force-is-stopping-the-indian-ocean-from-cooling-itself-spelling-more-danger-for-ningaloo-250151

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Falling vaccination rates put children at risk of preventable diseases. Governments need a new strategy to boost uptake

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Breadon, Program Director, Health and Aged Care, Grattan Institute

    Yuri A/Shutterstock

    Child vaccination is one of the most cost-effective health interventions. It accounts for 40% of the global reduction in infant deaths since 1974 and has led to big health gains in Australia over the past two decades.

    Australia has been a vaccination success story. Ten years after we begun mass vaccination against polio in 1956, it was virtually eliminated. Our child vaccination rates have been among the best in the world.

    But after peaking in 2020, child vaccination in Australia is falling. Governments need to implement a comprehensive strategy to boost vaccine uptake, or risk exposing more children to potentially preventable infectious diseases.

    Child vaccination has been a triumph

    Thirty years ago, Australia’s childhood vaccination rates were dismal. Then, in 1997, governments introduced the National Immunisation Program to vaccinate children against diseases such as diphtheria, tetanus, and measles.

    Measures to increase coverage included financial incentives for parents and doctors, a public awareness campaign, and collecting and sharing local data to encourage the least-vaccinated regions to catch up with the rest of the country.

    What followed was a public health triumph. In 1995, only 52% of one-year-olds were fully immunised. By 2020, Australia had reached 95% coverage for one-year-olds and five-year-olds. At this level, it’s difficult even for highly infectious diseases, such as measles, to spread in the community, protecting both the vaccinated and unvaccinated.

    By 2020, 95% of children were vaccinated.
    Drazen Zigic/Shutterstock

    Gaps between regions and communities closed too. In 1999, the Northern Territory’s vaccination rate for one-year-olds was the lowest in the country, lagging the national average by six percentage points. By 2020, that gap had virtually disappeared.

    The difference between vaccination rates for First Nations children and other children also narrowed considerably.

    It made children healthier. The years of healthy life lost due to vaccine-preventable diseases for children aged four and younger fell by nearly 40% in the decade to 2015.

    Some diseases have even been eliminated in Australia.

    Our success is slipping away

    But that success is at risk. Since 2020, the share of children who are fully vaccinated has fallen every year. For every child vaccine on the National Immunisation Schedule, protection was lower in 2024 than in 2020.

    Gaps between parts of Australia are opening back up. Vaccination rates in the highest-coverage parts of Australia are largely stable, but they are falling quickly in areas with lower vaccination.

    In 2018, there were only ten communities where more than 10% of one-year-old children were not fully vaccinated. Last year, that number ballooned to 50 communities. That leaves more areas vulnerable to disease and outbreaks.

    While Noosa, the Gold Coast Hinterland and Richmond Valley (near Byron Bay) have persistently had some of the country’s lowest vaccination rates, areas such as Manjimup in Western Australia and Tasmania’s South East Coast have recorded big declines since 2018.

    Missing out on vaccination isn’t just a problem for children.

    One preprint study (which is yet to be peer-reviewed) suggests vaccination during pregnancy may also be declining.

    Far too many older Australians are missing out on recommended vaccinations for flu, COVID, pneumococcal and shingles. Vaccination rates in aged care homes for flu and COVID are worryingly low.

    What’s going wrong?

    Australia isn’t alone. Since the pandemic, child vaccination rates have fallen in many high-income countries, including New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.

    Globally, in 2023, measles cases rose by 20%, and just this year, a measles outbreak in rural Texas has put at least 13 children in hospital.

    Alarmingly, some regions in Australia have lower measles vaccination than that Texas county.

    The timing of trends here and overseas suggests things shifted, or at least accelerated, during the pandemic. Vaccine hesitancy, fuelled by misinformation about COVID vaccines, is a growing threat.

    This year, vaccine sceptic Robert F. Kennedy Jr was appointed to run the US health system, and Louisiana’s top health official has reportedly cancelled the promotion of mass vaccination.

    In Australia, a recent survey found 6% of parents didn’t think vaccines were safe, and 5% believed they don’t work.

    Those concerns are far more common among parents with children who are partially vaccinated or unvaccinated. Among the 2% of parents whose children are unvaccinated, almost half believe vaccines are not safe for their child, and four in ten believe vaccines didn’t work.

    Other consequences of the pandemic were a spike in the cost of living, and a health system struggling to meet demand. More than one in ten parents said cost and difficulty getting an appointment were barriers to vaccinating their children.

    There’s no single cause of sliding vaccination rates, so there’s no one solution. The best way to reverse these worrying trends is to work on all the key barriers at once – from a lack of awareness, to inconvenience, to lack of trust.

    What governments should do

    Governments should step up public health campaigns that counter misinformation, boost awareness of immunisation and its benefits, and communicate effectively to low-vaccination groups. The new Australian Centre for Disease Control should lead the charge.

    Primary health networks, the regional bodies responsible for improving primary care, should share data on vaccination rates with GPs and pharmacies. These networks should also help make services more accessible to communities who are missing out, such as migrant groups and disadvantaged families.

    State and local governments should do the same, sharing data and providing support to make maternal child health services and school-based vaccination programs accessible for all families.

    Governments can communicate better about the benefits of vaccination.
    Yuri A/Shutterstock

    Governments should also be more ambitious about tackling the growing vaccine divides between different parts of the country. The relevant performance measure in the national vaccination agreement is weak. States must only increase five-year-old vaccination rates in four of the ten areas where it is lowest. That only covers a small fraction of low-vaccination areas, and only the final stage of child vaccination.

    Australia needs to set tougher goals, and back them with funding.

    Governments should fund tailored interventions in areas with the lowest rates of vaccination. Proven initiatives include training trusted community members as “community champions” to promote vaccinations, and pop-up clinics or home visits for free vaccinations.

    At this time of year, childcare centres and schools are back in full swing. But every year, each new intake has less protection than the previous cohort. Governments are developing a new national vaccination strategy and must seize the opportunity to turn that trend around. If it commits to a bold national plan, Australia can get back to setting records for child vaccination.

    Grattan Institute has been supported in its work by government, corporates, and philanthropic gifts. A full list of supporting organisations is published at www.grattan.edu.au.

    Wendy Hu 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. Grattan Institute has been supported in its work by government, corporates, and philanthropic gifts. A full list of supporting organisations is published at www.grattan.edu.au.

    – ref. Falling vaccination rates put children at risk of preventable diseases. Governments need a new strategy to boost uptake – https://theconversation.com/falling-vaccination-rates-put-children-at-risk-of-preventable-diseases-governments-need-a-new-strategy-to-boost-uptake-249591

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: NASA’s new telescope will create the ‘most colourful’ map of the cosmos ever made

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Deanne Fisher, Associate Professor of Astronomy, Swinburne University of Technology

    NASA’s SPHEREx observatory undergoes integration and testing at BAE Systems in Boulder, Colorado, in April 2024. NASA/JPL-Caltech/BAE Systems

    NASA will soon launch a new telescope which it says will create the “most colourful” map of the cosmos ever made.

    The SPHEREx telescope is relatively small but will provide a humongous amount of knowledge in its short two-year mission.

    It is an infrared telescope designed to take spectroscopic images – ones that measure individual wavelengths of light from a source. By doing this it will be able to tell us about the formation of the universe, the growth of all galaxies across cosmic history, and the location of water and life-forming molecules in our own galaxy.

    In short, the mission – which is scheduled for launch on February 27, all things going well – will help us understand how the universe came to be, and why life exists inside it.

    A massive leap forward

    Everything in the universe, including you and the objects around you, emits light in many different colours. Our eyes split all that light into three bands – the brilliant greens of trees, blues of the sky and reds of a sunset – to synthesise a specific image.

    But SPHEREx – short for Spectro-Photometer for the History of the Universe, Epoch of Reionization and Ices Explorer – will divide light from everything in the sky into 96 bands. This is a massive leap forward. It will cover the entire sky and offer new insights into the chemistry and physics of objects in the universe.

    The mission will complement the work being done by other infrared telescopes in space, such as the James Webb Space Telescope and Hubble Space Telescope.

    Both of these telescopes are designed to make high-resolution measurements of the faintest objects in the universe, which means they only study a tiny part of the sky at any given time. For example, the sky is more than 15 million times larger than what the James Webb Space Telescope can observe at once.

    In its entire mission the James Webb Space Telescope could not map out the whole sky the way SPHEREx will do in only a few months.

    SPHEREx will take will take spectroscopic images of 1 billion galaxies, 100 million stars, and 10,000 asteroids. It will answer questions that require a view of the entire sky, which are missed out by the biggest telescopes that chase the highest resolution.

    NASA’s SPHEREx mission will use these filters to capture spectroscopic images of the cosmos.
    NASA/JPL-Caltech

    Measuring inflation

    The first aim of SPHEREx is to measure what astronomers call cosmic inflation. This refers to the rapid expansion of the universe immediately after the Big Bang.

    The physical processes that drove cosmic inflation remain poorly understood. Revealing more information about inflation is possibly the most important research area of cosmology.

    Inflation happened everywhere in the universe. To study it astronomers need to map the entire sky. SPHEREx is ideal for studying this huge mystery that is fundamental to our cosmos.

    SPHEREx will use the spectroscopic images to measure the 3D positions of about a billion galaxies across cosmic history. Astronomers will then create a picture of the cosmos not just in position but in time.

    This, plus a lot of statistics and mathematics, will let the SPHEREx team test different theories of inflation.

    The SHEREx mission will complement the work of the James Webb Space Telescope, which captured this composite image of stars, gas and dust in a small region within the vast Eagle Nebula, 6,500 light-years away from Earth.
    NASA/ESA/CSA/STScI

    Pinpointing the location of life-bearing molecules

    Moving much closer to home, SPHEREx aims to identify water- and life-bearing molecules (known as biogenic molecules) in the clouds of gas in our galaxy, the Milky Way.

    In the coldest parts of our galaxy, the molecules that create life (such as water, carbon dioxide and methanol) are trapped in icy particles. Those icy biogenic molecules have to travel from the cold gas in the galaxy onto planets so life can come to be.

    Despite years of study, this process remains a huge mystery.

    To answer this fundamental question about human existence, we need to know where all those molecules are.

    What SPHEREx will provide is a complete census of the icy biogenic molecules in our surrounding galaxy. Icy biogenic molecules have distinct features in the infrared spectrum, where SPHEREx operates.

    By mapping the entire sky, SPHEREx will pinpoint where these molecules are, not only in our galaxy but also in nearby systems.

    Located some 13,700 light-years away from Earth in the southern constellation Centaurus of the Milky Way, RCW 49 is a dark and dusty stellar nursery that houses more than 2,200 stars.
    NASA/JPL-Caltech/University of Wisconsin

    Once we know where they all are, we can determine the necessary conditions to form biogenic molecules in space. In turn, this can tell us about a crucial step in how life came to be.

    Currently 200 spectra have been taken on biogenic molecules in space. We expect the James Webb Space Telescope will obtain a few thousand such measurements.

    SPHEREx will generate 8 million new spectroscopic images of life-bearing molecules. This will revolutionise our understanding.

    Mapping the whole sky enables astronomers to identify promising regions for life and gather large-scale data to separate meaningful patterns from anomalies, making this mission a transformative step in the search for life beyond Earth.

    Deanne Fisher receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. NASA’s new telescope will create the ‘most colourful’ map of the cosmos ever made – https://theconversation.com/nasas-new-telescope-will-create-the-most-colourful-map-of-the-cosmos-ever-made-247104

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Security: CTF153 and USS Stout ‘Ready Together’ for Red Sea Maritime Security

    Source: United States Naval Central Command

    MANAMA, Bahrain —

    Combined Maritime Forces’ Combined Task Force 153 and the United States Navy Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Stout (DDG 55) have remained ‘ready together’ as they safeguard maritime security in the Red Sea.

    The guided-missile destroyer and its crew provided direct support to the Australian-led multinational task force during January and February, keeping watch for illicit activities including piracy, smuggling and narcotics trafficking.

    While on patrol, crewmembers practiced skills needed to safely visit, board and search vessels, and to legally seize illicit materials being smuggled through the vital waterway.

    The training came as CTF153 refocused on its core maritime security mission after responsibility for Operation Prosperity Guardian—the international response to attacks  on merchant shipping by Houthi terrorists—was transferred from CMF to U.S. Navy Destroyer Squadron 50 (DESRON 50).

     

    Commander CTF 153, Royal Australian Navy Capt. Jorge McKee praised the Stout commanding officer and crew for the teamwork with his staff ashore.

    “While our task force team ashore closely monitor the Red Sea for any activity requiring closer investigation by ships at sea, the crew of Stout are keeping their skills sharp and ready,” Captain McKee said. “It is an honor to work with USS Stout, as it is named in honor of U.S. Navy Rear Adm. Herald F. Stout, who served alongside Australians in the Second World War.”

    Established in 2022, CTF 153 is one of five task forces under CMF. Its mission is to deter and impede illicit non-state actors in the Red Sea, Bab al-Mandab and Gulf of Aden.

    CTF153’s area of responsibility includes some of the world’s most important shipping lanes, connecting the Mediterranean Sea with the Indian Ocean and the greater Middle East region.

    Combined Maritime Forces, a 46-nation naval partnership headquartered in Bahrain, is the world’s largest multinational naval partnership. It is committed to upholding the rules-based international order at sea, promoting security, stability and prosperity across approximately 3.2 million square miles of international waters, including crucial shipping lanes.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: View from The Hill: Dutton tries to neutralise health issue by saying, ‘we’ll do just what Labor does’

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

    Peter Dutton has launched a game of one-upmanship after Anthony Albanese at the weekend unveiled Labor’s $8.5 billion health policy that promises near universal bulk billing for GP visits by 2030.

    Dutton wants to neutralise health as an election battleground. So he immediately pledged to match the Albanese policy. He’s included another $500 million, from an already announced Coalition policy for mental health, so he can get to the bigger number of $9 billion.

    What’s more, the Opposition leader said the government should legislate the health plan before the election. There are two issues with that call.

    On the present parliamentary sitting timetable, legislation could in theory be passed in budget week, which is set to start March 25. But, as everyone who’s paying attention knows, the current speculation is there probably won’t be a budget, with many players and observers anticipating Albanese will soon announce an April election.

    Secondly, however, legislation is not needed. The changes can be made by regulation.

    The Coalition decision to take over the Labor health policy holus bolus may be tactically smart – time will tell. Fixing up bulk billing will be popular; the opposition knows it would be on risky ground getting into an argument about it, even on detail.

    But just adopting such a big Labor policy, within hours of seeing it, without further thought or strutiny, raises questions about the Coalition’s policy rigour.

    Doesn’t it have a few ideas of its own? Labor’s policy, while welcomed, has already come under some criticisms. For instance, there are suggestions it might be harder to address the bulk billing issue in certain areas than in others, so maybe the claims for the policy are too sweeping. And some experts would prefer greater attention on more fundamental reforms to Medicare.

    In strict policy terms, as distinct from political expediency, the Coalition’s approach just seems lazy. Shadow health minister Anne Ruston is said to have been out and about with stakeholders – did she come to exactly the same policy conclusions as Labor? Presumably, given the policy’s expense, a Coalition government would not be able to spend more on other health initiatives, which restricts its scope to do further or different things.

    On the fiscal side, Dutton is looking for general spending cuts but says there will be no cuts in health. “The Coalition always manages the economy more effectively and that’s why we can afford to invest in health and education,” he said on Sunday.

    Can we believe in this “no cuts” line? The government points back to Tony Abbott’s time when similar promises were made and the reality didn’t match the rhetoric. Dutton was health minister then and the government tried to introduce a Medicare co-payment. That attempt fizzled in face of opposition, but some voters might think that a Coalition that puts on Labor’s clothes so readily might shed some of them when in office, pleading the weather was hotter than it expected. That’s especially possible when it is a policy that stretches out several years, as this one does.

    Certainly Labor has already been homing in on Dutton’s record from more than a decade ago.

    None of this alters the fact that something needs to be done to boost bulk billing, which has now fallen to about 78% of GP visits. The govenrment’s disputes the opposition’s figure that it reached 88% under the Coalition but indisputably, it has certainly tumbled from where it once was.

    The question now is, who will people trust more to fix it up?

    Dr Chalmers goes to Washington

    Meanwhile, the government is still battling on all fronts to make its case heard in Washington for an exemption from the US tariffs on aluminium and steel.

    In a flying trip at the start of this week Treasurer Jim Chalmers will be the first Australian minister to visit there since President Trump announced the tariffs.

    The treasurer will have discussions with the US treasury secretary Scott Bessent, whom he met (courtesy of ambassador Kevin Rudd) before the presidential election. So the talks will have the advantage of familiarity.

    Chalmers on Sunday played down the prospect of any finality on tariffs coming out of his visit, which will also take in a conference of superannuation fund investors looking to put money into American businesses. The conference is being held at the Australian embassy.

    If Australia eventually gets a favourable result on tariffs in the near term, the treasurer will be able to claim at least a tick for his efforts.

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

    – ref. View from The Hill: Dutton tries to neutralise health issue by saying, ‘we’ll do just what Labor does’ – https://theconversation.com/view-from-the-hill-dutton-tries-to-neutralise-health-issue-by-saying-well-do-just-what-labor-does-250606

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: ‘Ne Zha 2’ dominates Australian cinemas 2 weeks on

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    The Hoyts Sunnybank cinema in Brisbane, Australia’s third largest city, presented 14 sessions of the Chinese animated film “Ne Zha 2” on Sunday, significantly more than other popular films including “Captain America: Brave New World” which was shown in eight sessions.

    This photo taken on Feb. 13, 2025 shows a projected poster for the Chinese fantasy feature “Ne Zha 2” at a shopping mall in Sydney, Australia. (Xinhua/Ma Ping)

    While Sunnybank has a concentrated Chinese diaspora population, another Brisbane cinema Event Garden City Mt Gravatt showed “Ne Zha 2” in 11 sessions, the same as “Bridget Jones: Mad About the Boy.”

    About two weeks after the release and pre-screening of the Chinese animation blockbuster, mainstream Australian cinemas have greatly increased their screening schedules of “Ne Zha 2” across the country due to strong demand from local audiences, with a majority of the seats taken in most sessions.

    “Ne Zha 2” entered the top three at Australia’s weekend box office in its debut last week in 91 cinemas, following “Captain America” and “Bridget Jones” last weekend, according to box office reporting company Numero on Monday.

    Where was the marketing

    Peter Koevari, director of GP2 Entertainment, a Brisbane-based independent film production company, attended the opening screening of “Ne Zha 2” and was shocked by how little promotion this film received, although “the cinema was absolutely packed out and the film was excellent.”

    “Fantastic sound, fantastic imagery and characterization … but … where was the marketing?” said Koevari who is also director at Queensland-based FilmLab Academy. His voice-acting students recently tried their hand at dubbing a trailer for “Ne Zha 2.”

    Following the tale of an iconic boy god from Chinese mythology, “Ne Zha 2,” the highest-grossing animated movie of all time globally, has seen its box office revenue worldwide, including presales, surpass 13 billion yuan (about 1.8 billion U.S. dollars), according to ticketing platforms on Saturday.

    “The film is breaking records worldwide at exceeding levels, but it hasn’t really been marketed at all in the West — there wasn’t even a poster up and the trailers cannot be seen anywhere. The only people that know about this are those in the Chinese community or those who know people in the Chinese community… Just imagine how this film would be doing if it was marketed properly,” Koevari said.

    Ancient philosophies

    “Ne Zha 2,” the sequel to the 2019 Chinese blockbuster “Ne Zha,” is more than a high-octane, action-packed and visually stunning animated spectacle, full of hilarious moments and thrilling fight scenes. Beneath all that, it’s something much deeper: a bold re-imagining of Chinese traditional mythology, cultural history and philosophies, said Hong Yanyan, PhD candidate in communication and media studies at the University of Adelaide.

    “Ne Zha 2” carries the weight of Eastern cultural essence — Daoist balance, Confucian ethics, Mohist resistance, Legalist reform and the strategic wisdom of “The Art of War,” Hong said.

    In Daoist philosophy, evil and good, often known as Yin and Yang, are not absolute, but are rather shifting, interconnected forces, which is embodied in Ne Zha’s character in the film, she said, adding the film proves that even the smallest, most underestimated individual can change the world.

    Maryam, a viewer from Adelaide, said, “The movie really made me think about how good people are not always good, and bad people are not always bad, which made me really even look into human nature more deeply.”

    “Ren” (benevolence), a core Confucian virtue, is reflected in the film’s emotional climax when Ne Zha is struck by the “heart-piercing curse,” a brutal spell that covers his body in ten thousand thorns, causing unbearable pain and keeping him under control by targeting his heart. Ne Zha’s human mother, Lady Yin, clings to him as his thorns pierce her skin — yet she refuses to let go.

    “It’s a moment of heartbreak, parental love and inner awakening. As his mother takes her final breath, in Ne Zha’s grief, his body shatters into a million pieces. And then, he is reborn,” Hong said.

    She also highlighted the most profound transformation which comes from the dragon prince Ao Bing, whose once-imposing father Dragon King releases his grip: “Your path is yours to forge.” The weight of tradition gives way to something new, reflecting a changing China where younger generations are defining their own paths, she added.

    Beyond Daoist and Confucian ideals, “Ne Zha 2” also weaves in Legalist reform and Mohist resistance, she said, adding these philosophies challenge rigid hierarchies, or in Ne Zha’s case, “divine order,” and advocate for collective justice. The celestial-demon war itself plays out like a lesson in Sun Tzu’s Art of War.

    Penetrating cultural barriers

    “‘Ne Zha 2’ is undoubtedly another success story. People love the imaginative and legendary old story, and the high-tech special effects give the movie a new charm,” Associate Professor Gong Qian at the School of Education of Curtin University told Xinhua.

    Despite the expansion of the Chinese community in Australia, young people’s enthusiasm for Chinese culture is still some way off compared to their affinity for Japanese and Korean culture, she said.

    While lion and dragon dances, kung fu, dragon boats and Chinese festivals, often with fixed ritual times, are not easily integrated into the daily lives of Australians, Chinese vlogger Li Ziqi’s short videos, the video game “Black Myth: Wukong,” the TV series Three-Body, and TikTok are popular among Australian young people because they are more modern forms of art and entertainment, Gong added.

    “Ne Zha 2” has a “coolness” that easily penetrates cultural barriers and enters the hearts and minds of Australians, Gong said, adding there are still countless intellectual properties (IPs) in Chinese culture that need to be developed. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Spokesperson slams Australia for slandering China’s lawful military exercises

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    A spokesperson for China’s Ministry of National Defense on Sunday condemned Australia’s unfounded claims regarding China’s lawful military exercises in waters near Australia.

    Spokesperson Wu Qian made the remarks in response to a media query about Australia’s accusation of three Chinese warships’ recent activities and live-fire drills on the high seas near Australia.

    “Australia’s claims are completely unfounded,” Wu said, stating that the Chinese naval exercise took place in high seas far from Australia’s coastline.

    Wu added that China’s live-fire training was conducted with repeated safety notices that had been issued in advance.

    The spokesperson emphasized that China’s actions were entirely in accordance with international law and established practices and would not impact aviation safety.

    “Despite being fully aware of the fact, Australia has unjustly criticized China and deliberately exaggerated the issue, and we are astonished and strongly dissatisfied with this,” Wu said.

    China hopes Australia will approach the relations between the two countries and their militaries with an objective and rational attitude, show more sincerity and professionalism, and make genuine efforts to contribute to the stable development of these ties, he added. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Labor and the Coalition have pledged to raise GP bulk billing. Here’s what the Medicare boost means for patients

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Duckett, Honorary Enterprise Professor, School of Population and Global Health, and Department of General Practice and Primary Care, The University of Melbourne

    Labor yesterday foreshadowed a major Medicare change to address the falling rate of bulk billing, with an A$8.5 billion election announcement. The government said it would increase incentive payments for GPs to bulk bill all patients, from November 1 2025.

    Today the Coalition said it would match Labor’s Medicare investment dollar-for-dollar.

    Medicare was designed as a universal scheme to eliminate financial barriers to access to health care. The contemporary slogan is that you only need your Medicare card, not your bank card, to see your doctor.

    But fewer than half of Australians are always bulk billed when the see a doctor. So how did we get into this situation? And what could these changes mean for access to care?



    Read more:
    Albanese pledge: nine in ten GP visits bulk billed by 2030, in $8.5 billion Medicare injection

    Why bulk billing has been declining

    Until changes introduced by then Health Minister Tony Abbott in 2003, Medicare was the same for everyone.

    But in response to declining rates of GP bulk billing at the time, the then Coalition government backed away from Medicare’s universality and introduced targeted bulk billing incentives for pensioners and health-care card-holders, children, people in rural and remote Australia and, in a political fix to appease then Tasmanian independent Senator Brian Harradine, all Tasmanians.

    Fast-forward to 2014 and then Health Minister Peter Dutton introduced legislation as part of the budget for a compulsory copayment for GP consultations – a proposal that did not survive six months and failed in the Senate. A smaller optional payment also failed to get approval.

    But the idea of getting Australians to pay out of pocket to see a GP survived. It was introduced by stealth by freezing GP rebates, rather than adjusting them to inflation. This slowly forced GPs to introduce patient co-payments as their costs increased and their rebates didn’t.

    By the time Labor was elected, bulk billing was said to be in freefall.

    Labor’s first response was to restore the indexation of rebates, so they increase increase in line with inflation in November of each year.

    It then tripled the bulk billing incentive. This meant GPs received a greater rebate when they didn’t charge patients an out-of-pocket fee.

    But the new incentive was not enough to cover the gap between rebate and fees in metropolitan areas.

    What proportion of Australians are now bulk billed?

    Only about 48% of people have the security of “always” being bulk billed when they see a GP. A further 24% are “usually” bulk billed.

    Bulk billing rates are highest in poorer areas – South West Sydney has an “always” rate of 81%, almost quadruple the rate in the ACT (23%), which has Australia’s lowest “always” rate.

    The always bulk billed rate – excluding special COVID items which required bulk billing – has dropped from about 64% in 2021–22.

    The rate of bulk billing as a percentage of all visits to the GP, rather than people, is much higher. Around 78% of all attendances (aka visits) in the second half of 2024 were bulk billed. The higher rate is because more frequent users, such as older Australians, are bulk billed at a higher rate than younger people.

    What does the new bulk billing package include?

    The initiative announced yesterday includes three positive changes.

    First, it again increases the bulk billing incentive.

    It also introduces an additional bonus for general practices which achieve 100% billing.

    The new combined Medicare rebate in metropolitan areas for a standard bulk billed visit to the GP is A$69.56 when both changes are applied. This is $27 above the current rebate of $42.85 (without any bulk billing incentive).

    The current average out-of-pocket payment when a service is not bulk billed is $46. So there will still be a gap, but the difference between bulk billing and not is now significantly smaller.

    *Totals include item Medicare rebate, Bulk Billing Incentive item rebate, and 12.5% Bulk Billing Practice Incentive Program payment.
    Government Press Release

    The government expects a major uplift – to 90% of visits bulk billed – as a result.

    State government payroll taxes, also encourage bulk billing, by not requiring GPs to pay payroll tax on consultations that are bulk billed. This will provide a further incentive to increase the bulk billing rate.

    The second positive change is that the new initiatives are for everyone. This ends the two-tiered incentive the Coalition introduced in 2003 and restores Medicare as a truly universal scheme.

    Australia will now rejoin all other high-income countries (other than the United States) in having health funding underpinned by universality.

    Third is the introduction of a 12.5% “practice payment” bonus for practices that bulk bill all patients.

    This starts the necessary transition from a reliance on fee-for-service payments as the main payment type for general practice.

    A “practice payment” is more holistic and better suited to a world where more people have multiple chronic disease which require care for the whole person, rather than episodic care. It signals payments need to be redesigned for that new reality.

    Over time, this could fund and encourage multi-disciplinary teams of GPs, nurses and allied health professionals such as psychologists and physiotherapists – rather than patients always seeing a GP.

    The downsides

    The main risk practices face in contemplating these changes is the fear of how long this new scheme will last. A previous Coalition government showed it was prepared to use a rebate freeze to achieve its policy of a shift away from Medicare as a universal scheme.

    The best way of reducing that risk would be to build in indexation of the rebate, and the incentive, into legislation.

    The Royal Australian College of GPs says not everyone will be bulk billed because rebates are still too low to cover the cost of care.

    This is true, as the gap between the prevailing metro bulk billed fee and the new rebate plus incentive will be about $20. But the aim is to increase bulk billing to 90% not 100% – and that is probably achievable.

    Bottom line

    The new arrangements will likely reverse the decline in the rates of bulk billing. The government can reasonably expect a bulk billing rate of around 90% of visits in the future.

    For consumers facing cost-of-living pressures, it will be a very welcome change. There will be more 100%-bulk-billing practices and patients will no longer face a lottery based on a doctor’s or receptionist’s mood or whim about whether they will be bulk billed.

    Yesterday’s announcement and the Coalition’s backing is a watershed, benefiting patients and general practices.

    Labor is playing to its strengths and it will hope to reverse its current polling trends with this announcement.

    The Coalition obviously hopes to negate the impact of a popular announcement by matching it. What will weigh in voters’ minds, though, is whether today’s Coalition announcement will be delivered after the election. The Coalition has a long history – dating back to Malcolm Fraser – of promising one thing about health policy before an election and reversing it after the vote, and this will probably fuel a “Mediscare” campaign by Labor.

    Stephen Duckett 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. Labor and the Coalition have pledged to raise GP bulk billing. Here’s what the Medicare boost means for patients – https://theconversation.com/labor-and-the-coalition-have-pledged-to-raise-gp-bulk-billing-heres-what-the-medicare-boost-means-for-patients-250604

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: View from The Hill: Dutton tries to nautralise health issue by saying, ‘we’ll do just what Labor does’

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

    Peter Dutton has launched a game of one-upmanship after Anthony Albanese at the weekend unveiled Labor’s $8.5 billion health policy that promises near universal bulk billing for GP visits by 2030.

    Dutton wants to neutralise health as an election battleground. So he immediately pledged to match the Albanese policy. He’s included another $500 million, from an already announced as Coalition policy for mental health, so he can get to the bigger number of $9 billion.

    What’s more, the Opposition leader said the government should legislate the health plan before the election.

    On the present parliamentary sitting timetable, legislation could in theory be passed in budget week, which is set to start March 25. But, as everyone who’s paying attention knows, the current speculation is there probably won’t be a budget, with many players and observers anticipating Albanese will soon announce an April election.

    The Coalition decision to take over the Labor health policy holus bolus may be tactically smart – time will tell. Fixing up bulk billing will be popular; the opposition knows it would be on risky ground getting into an argument about it, even on detail.

    But just adopting such a big Labor policy, within hours of seeing it, without further thought or strutiny, raises questions about the Coalition’s policy rigour.

    Doesn’t it have a few ideas of its own? Labor’s policy, while welcomed, has already come under some criticisms. For instance, there are suggestions it might be harder to address the bulk billing issue in certain areas than in others, so maybe the claims for the policy are too sweeping. And some experts would prefer greater attention on more fundamental reforms to Medicare.

    In strict policy terms, as distinct from political expediency, the Coalition’s approach just seems lazy. Shadow health minister Anne Ruston is said to have been out and about with stakeholders – did she come to exactly the same policy conclusions as Labor? Presumably, given the policy’s expense a Coalition government would not be able to spend more on other health initiatives, which restricts its scope to do further or different things.

    On the fiscal side, Dutton is looking for general spending cuts but says there will be no cuts in health. “The Coalition always manages the economy more effectively and that’s why we can afford to invest in health and education,” he said on Sunday.

    Can we believe in this “no cuts” line? The government points back to Tony Abbott’s time when similar promises were made and the reality didn’t match the rhetoric. Dutton was health minister then and the government tried to introduce a Medicare co-payment. That attempt fizzed, but some voters might think that a Coalition that puts on Labor’s clothes so readily might shed some of them when in office, pleading the weather was hotter than it expected. That’s especially possible when it is a policy that stretches out several years, as this one does.

    Certainly Labor has already been homing in on Dutton’s record from more than a decade ago.

    None of this alters the fact that something needs to be done to boost bulk billing, which has now fallen to about 78% of GP visits. The govenrment’s disputes the opposition’s figure that it reached 88% under the Coalition but indisputably, it has certainly tumbled.

    The question now is, who will people trust more to fix it up?

    Dr Chalmers goes to Washington

    Meanwhile, the government is still battling on all fronts to make its case heard in Washington for an exemption from the US tariffs on aluminium and steel.

    In a flying trip at the start of this week Treasurer Jim Chalmers will be the first Australian minister to visit there since President Trump announced the tariffs.

    The treasurer will have discussions with the US treasury secretary Scott Bessent, whom he met (courtesy of ambassador Kevin Rudd) before the presidential election. So the talks will have the advantage of familiarity.

    Chalmers on Sunday played down the prospect of any finality on tariffs coming out of his visit, which will also take in a conference of superannuation fund investors looking to put money into American businesses. The conference is being held at the Australian embassy.

    If Australia eventually gets a favourable result on tariffs in the near term, the treasurer will be able to claim at least a tick for his efforts.

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

    – ref. View from The Hill: Dutton tries to nautralise health issue by saying, ‘we’ll do just what Labor does’ – https://theconversation.com/view-from-the-hill-dutton-tries-to-nautralise-health-issue-by-saying-well-do-just-what-labor-does-250606

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Caitlin Johnstone: Israel pushes new atrocity narrative just as ceasefire deadline approaches

    Report by Dr David Robie – Café Pacific. –

    COMMENTARY: By Caitlin Johnstone

    A new narrative is being aggressively pushed by Israel and its apologists to justify resuming the Gaza genocide, conveniently just as an important deadline for ceasefire negotiations draws near.

    The Israeli “Defence” Force (IDF) is now claiming that the Israeli children Kfir and Ariel Bibas “were both brutally murdered by terrorists while being held hostage in Gaza, no later than November 2023.”

    IDF spokesman Daniel Hagari told the press on Friday that, “Contrary to Hamas’ lies, Ariel and Kfir were not killed in an airstrike. Ariel and Kfir Bibas were murdered by terrorists in cold blood.

    “The terrorists did not shoot the two young boys, they killed them with their bare hands. Afterward, they committed horrific acts to cover up these atrocities.”

    Anyone who has been following the events in Gaza over the last year and a half will be unsurprised to learn that Israel provided no evidence to support these incendiary claims.

    Benjamin Netanyahu released a video statement in his signature American English waving around an enlarged photograph of the children and talking about what savage monsters the Palestinians are.

    “Hamas murdered them in cold blood,” Netanyahu says, while the camera zooms in on the adorable little redheads. “As the prime minister of Israel, I vow that I will not rest until the savages who executed our hostages are brought to justice. They do not deserve to walk this earth.

    “Nothing will stop me. Nothing.”

    Sabotaging ceasefire negotiations
    This happens just as Netanyahu has been working to sabotage ceasefire negotiations by adding new non-starter demands that were not in the original agreement, just as sources in Israeli media predicted he would do upon his return from Washington earlier this month.

    The six-week-long first stage of the ceasefire deal with Hamas is set to expire at the beginning of March next weekend

    This is obvious babies-on-bayonets atrocity propaganda, being released at the most convenient of times. After Israel has been caught lying about beheaded babies and mass rapes and so much more, only an idiot would take any of these claims on faith.

    But it’s doing the job. Now everywhere you look you’ll see Israel supporters calling to end the ceasefire and reignite the Gaza holocaust to avenge these innocent children. I just saw an article from Tablet Magazine titled “Their Time Is Up,” subtitled “The murder of the Bibas children caps off an 18-month catalog of horrors that has told us exactly who our Palestinian neighbors are.

    “Backed by a friend in the White House, Israel must secure its future through strong unilateral action.”

    Most likely cause of death
    All this despite the fact that we know the most likely cause of the children’s death was the fact that their own government was raining military explosives on places where hostages were being held during that time.

    Hamas reported back in November 2023 that the Bibas children had been killed in an Israeli airstrike along with their mother. In December 2023 it was reported in the mainstream press that Hamas had offered to return their bodies to Israel but Israel had refused, telling the press that “Israel will not address propaganda-based reports coming from Hamas”.

    You don’t need to trust Hamas or anyone else to deduce that a woman and two children being killed by Israeli airstrikes in an area where many women and children were being killed by Israeli airstrikes every day is a much more likely scenario than Palestinian resistance fighters spontaneously deciding to murder children with their bare hands instead of using them as negotiating leverage as planned.

    As journalist Muhammad Shehada recently noted on Twitter, Israel already has an established track record of lying about Hamas killing hostages who were actually killed in Israeli airstrikes.

    In December 2023, Israel informed the families of three hostages that they had been murdered by Hamas. The mother of one of the hostages kept digging and eventually discovered that they had died of asphyxiation when IDF troops “gassed” the tunnel they were hiding in.

    Last September, the IDF admitted that they had killed the hostages in an airstrike and lied about it.

    Three weeks ago Shehada correctly predicted in an article with Zeteo that Israel was preparing to use the Bibas deaths as an excuse to terminate the ceasefire, long before any of this started.

    Shehada noticed the way pro-Israel narrative managers had been pushing the line that great vengeance must be exacted upon Gaza if it turns out the Bibas children have been harmed, despite Hamas having announced their deaths more than a year ago.

    They knew those children were dead, so after the ceasefire was announced in late January they began circulating the narrative that discovery of their demise would be a valid reason to end it.

    Israel forces shoot dead 2 Palestinian children
    Israeli forces shot and killed two Palestinian children in the West Bank just yesterday  —  both of them shot in the back. You could be forgiven for not knowing that this happened, because the Western political/media class has been too focused on the deaths of two little white kids to pay attention to such trivialities.

    Israel needs to keep “discovering” new Hamas atrocities from 2023 because otherwise it just looks like one-sided atrocities being committed by Israel this whole time. First it was beheaded babies, then later it was “We’ve discovered Hamas did mass rapes!”, and now it’s the Bibas kids.

    They need to do this because the Hamas attack was the last time anything happened where Israel could frame itself as the victim, so they’ve been milking it and milking it and milking it for as long as possible while committing orders of magnitude worse abuse in Gaza.

    It’s all designed to drum up outrage, and to draw sympathy toward Israel and away from the obvious victims who Israel has been abusing, displacing and mass murdering for a year and a half.

    As calls to rain vengeance upon Gaza grow louder, remember this: the Bibas kids aren’t the reason, they’re the excuse. The excuse to advance pre-planned agendas against the Palestinians that have been in place since long before those children were born.

    Caitlin Johnstone is an Australian independent journalist and poet. Her articles include The UN Torture Report On Assange Is An Indictment Of Our Entire Society. She publishes a website and Caitlin’s Newsletter. This article is republished with permission.

    This article was first published on Café Pacific.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese hybrid rice thrives in Philippines, enhancing food security

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Every day, 98-year-old Melencio Maniego walks the narrow earthen banks between his 16-hectare rice fields to inspect his crops.

    “I’ve planted Chinese hybrid rice for over a decade,” the Filipino said, gazing across the green and yellow paddies in Central Luzon, dubbed “rice granary of the Philippines.”

    Rice is a staple in the Southeast Asian country, and Chinese hybrid rice has gained trust among local farmers for its high yield and resilience against diseases and strong winds. “We believe in China’s advanced farming technology and expertise,” Maniego said.

    Maniego was among the first in Victoria town, Tarlac province, to adopt hybrid rice developed by Longping High-tech, a Chinese agricultural company named after Yuan Longping, affectionately known as the “father of hybrid rice.”

    “Since using Chinese hybrid rice, my yield has increased by over 30 percent,” he said with a thumbs-up.

    As the world’s top rice importer in 2024, the Philippines faces pressure to boost domestic production. “There’s huge potential for agricultural cooperation between China and the Philippines,” said Guo Xiaobo, head of Longping High-tech Philippine R&D Center.

    Guo, who has worked in the Philippines for nearly a decade, said his team concentrates on developing high-yield, disease-resistant rice varieties. The center operates 200 mu (about 13.3 hectares) of experimental fields in Nueva Ecija province, home to the Philippine-Sino Center for Agricultural Technology (PhilSCAT).

    Inside the PhilSCAT’s lobby, a mural depicts two doves flying towards a shower of rice grains. Nearby brass plaques in Filipino and Chinese languages highlight the center as a symbol of bilateral cooperation.

    John Davidson was trained at the PhilSCAT before he got his job as a technician at Longping High-tech in 2018.

    “I learned modern farming techniques there, and the Chinese experts were willing to share their knowledge,” said the 34-year-old Filipino.

    Davidson said hybrid rice has steadily improved yields, strengthening food security and boosting farmers’ livelihood.

    “I hope the bilateral agricultural cooperation continues. It brings real benefits to us,” he said.

    In early February, the Philippines declared a food security emergency to bring down the cost of rice. “This emergency declaration allows us to release rice buffer stocks held by the National Food Authority to stabilize prices and ensure that rice, a staple food for millions of Filipinos, remains accessible to consumers,” Agriculture Secretary Francisco Tiu Laurel said in a statement.

    On Maniego’s farm, increased production has led to higher wages for his workers.

    “Thanks to Chinese hybrid rice, I’m sure a good harvest is coming soon,” Maniego said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Meeting with Secretary of the Treasury of the United States

    Source: Australian Treasurer

    Tonight, I will fly to Washington, D.C. Once there, I plan to meet with the U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Scott Bessent.

    Our established relationship predates this meeting, but this will be our first discussion since confirmation in his new role.

    We will meet at an important time for the global economic outlook.

    The United States – Australian economic partnership brings significant benefits to both sides. From capital markets to critical minerals and trade, there is much to discuss.

    Before flying back to Australia on Tuesday afternoon, I will also address the Australian Superannuation Investment Summit being convened by U.S. Ambassador Kevin Rudd.

    This Summit will bring together some of Australia’s largest super funds with leading figures from the U.S. investment community at the Australian Embassy in Washington.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Charges – Recklessly endanger serious harm – Central Desert Region

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force has charged a 17-year-old male with recklessly endangering serious harm after an incident at a community in the Central Desert Region on Thursday morning.

    About 2:00am, police allege the male armed with an edged weapon threatened and assaulted his 16-year-old female partner, stabbing her multiple times in the leg. A 15-year-old female, known to the victim, attempted to intervene and was stabbed in the back before the offender continued to assault his partner by stabbing her in the back. The two female youths fled from the offender and were treated at the local clinic with serious injuries.

    Yesterday, Alice Springs members were deployed to the community to assist local police in safely apprehending the 17-year-old male.

    He was arrested and charged with:

    • Recklessly Endanger Serious Harm
    • Endangering others (being rescued)
    • Aggravated Assault
    • Breach of Bail
    • Served with a full non-contact DVO

    He was remanded to appear in court tomorrow.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Restored stability in China-Australia ties benefits both sides: FM

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with his Australian counterpart Penny Wong in Johannesburg, South Africa, Feb. 21, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Yudong)

    The return of China-Australia relations to a path of sound and stable development serves the common interests of both sides and aligns with the aspirations of their peoples, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said while meeting with his Australian counterpart, Penny Wong, in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Friday.

    Under the strategic guidance of their leaders, China-Australia relations have stabilized, a development welcomed by all sectors of both countries, said Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

    China is ready to work with Australia to build a more mature, stable and fruitful comprehensive strategic partnership, he added.

    While appreciating Australia’s repeated commitment to the one-China principle, China hopes that Australia will continue to respect its core interests and major concerns, maintain the political foundation of bilateral relations, and properly manage differences, Wang said.

    Amid the current complex and volatile international situation, China believes that all countries should practice true multilateralism, with major countries taking the lead in firmly opposing efforts to reverse the course of history and return to the “law of the jungle,” he said.

    China is ready to work with Australia and other members of the international community to defend the victorious outcomes of World War II and uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core, he added.

    Wong, for her part, said that China-Australia exchanges across various fields have made positive strides, with economic and trade relations fully recovered, sending positive signals.

    The Australian side adheres to the one-China policy and is willing to continue strengthening cooperation with China in areas that serve their respective national interests, uphold the international rule of law and strategic security, and jointly address global challenges, she said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: South Australia Police urgent call for safer road behaviours

    Source: South Australia Police

    South Australia Police is making an urgent call for safer road behaviours, after 17 lives have tragically already been lost in 2025. Vulnerable road users have been overrepresented this year, with three motorcyclists, three pedestrians and two cyclists killed on our roads.

    Officer in Charge of Traffic Services Branch, Acting Superintendent Jaimi Burns said serious road trauma has been occurring at a concerning rate this year and it is tragic to see the majority of lives lost on the roads have been vulnerable road users.

    Superintendent Burns’ warning comes as analysis of 2024 fatalities and serious injuries reveals speed and dangerous driving as the major causes of lives lost.

    In 2024, 91 lives lost and 847 people were left with serious injuries resulting from road crashes, with the majority of incidents occurring on regional roads.

    Distraction, driving dangerously and speeding were the leading causes of last year’s 847 serious injury crashes. Additionally. drug driving was a contributing factor in 70 regional serious injury crashes and 129 motorcycle serious injury crashes.

    “Serious road trauma often involves one or more of the Fatal Five road behaviours that significantly increase the risk of being involved in a crash. Tragically, this means almost all lives lost and serious injuries could have been prevented through safer road behaviour’s” Superintendent Burns said.

    “With distraction and speeding playing a major role in so many crashes last year, the critical message to road users across South Australia is clear – these selfish behaviours need to stop.”

    “We are pleading with people driving on South Australian roads to stay focused and drive to the conditions and speed limit so everyone can arrive safely.”

    Young drivers aged 16 to 24 and passengers under 16 were also significantly overrepresented in lives lost and serious injury crashes.

    In 2024, 11 young drivers lost their lives while 155 young drivers sustained serious injuries. Additionally, three passengers under 16 lost their lives and 16 were seriously injured

    “South Australia Police will continue to take strong action to deter and detect unsafe behaviours on our roads, through road safety education and enforcement statewide,” said Superintendent Burns.

    “It is also essential that people understand that making smart and safe choices while on the road will prevent crashes and save lives.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Marape’s message to PNG men, boys: ‘Stop the violence against women’

    PNG Post-Courier

    Prime Minister James Marape has issued a strong appeal to all young men and boys in Papua New Guinea — stop abusing girls, mothers, and sisters.

    He made the plea yesterday before flying to Australia, emphasising the importance of respecting women and children in society.

    Marape urged young men to take their issues to him instead of resorting to violence against women and children.

    Marape also called for the nation to rise in consciousness to preserve the values and achievements of their fathers and mothers who fought for independence 50 years ago.

    “We want to give a special recognition to the fathers and mothers of our country, a generation and people of our country to be proud to be here today,” he said.

    He expressed his pain at seeing the continued cycle of abuse and disrespect towards women and children in the country.

    Marape’s message was clear: violence and abuse towards women and children would not be tolerated, and the nation must come together to ensure the safety and well-being of all its citizens.

    ‘Don’t do it to our sisters’
    “These are not two things that we want to take on. For every young boy out there, if you have an issue in society, I don’t mind you taking it upon me. But please don’t do it to the girls in the neighbourhood,” he said.

    “Don’t do it to our sisters in the neighbourhood. Don’t do it to our mothers and aunties in the neighbourhood.

    “In a time when our nation is facing a 50th anniversary, I call for our nation to rise in a consciousness to preserve what our fathers and mothers did 50 years ago.

    “Lawlessness, disrespect for each other, especially women and children amongst us. This is something that I speak at great lengths and speak from the depth of my heart.

    “It pains me to see girls, women, and children continue to face a vicious cycle of abuse and total abhorrence, abuse of children, rape,” he said.

    “I just thought these are important activities coming up. I want to conclude by asking our country through the media.

    “We are in another state of our 50th anniversary year.

    ‘Let us take responsibility’
    “We have many challenges in our country. But all of us, we take responsibility of our country. As government, we are trying our absolute best.

    “Citizens, public servants, private sector, all of us have responsibility to our country. Unless you have another country to go and live in, if property is your country in the first instance, I call out to all citizens, take responsibility in your corner of property.

    “Privacy alone cannot be able to do everything that you expect it to do.

    “I’m not omnipotent. I’m not omniscient. I’m not omnipresent.

    “I’m but only one person coordinating at the top level. Call for every citizen of our country.

    “As we face our 49th year and as we welcome our 50th of September 16,) we call this on every one of us.”

    Republished from the PNG Post-Courier with permission.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Men’s Wellness Centre to improve First Nations safety in Lakes Entrance

    Source: Ministers for Social Services

    Joint with:

    The Hon Amanda Rishworth MP
    Minister for Social Services
    Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme
    Member for Kingston

    Senator Raff Ciccone
    Federal Labor Senator for Victoria

    The First Nations communities of Lakes Entrance in Victoria are set to benefit from a new Men’s Wellness Centre, as part of the Albanese Labor Government’s efforts to address domestic and family violence.

    Gippsland Lakes Complete Health Limited will receive $2.4 million in funding to set up the Lakes Entrance Aboriginal Health Association (LEAHA) Deyettyan Dardiganni Wellness Service project.

    The Men’s Wellness Centre will provide a safe space for local men to connect and communicate with Elders, the East Gippsland community, and each other. The program aims to help First Nations men connect with education, housing, healthcare and economic development initiatives that help break the cycle of violence.

    This funding is part of a $41.4 million Government investment under the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan 2023-2025 to develop 13 new Men’s Wellness Centres for First Nations peoples around Australia.

    Minister for Social Services, Amanda Rishworth, said providing targeted, community-led support for men is critical to ending gender-based violence in First Nations communities.

    “Together with the other 12 Men’s Wellness Centres the Government is funding around Australia, the Lakes Entrance Centre will help us shift the dial on gender-based violence and better support men to keep their families and communities safe,” Minister Rishworth said.

    “With its strong focus on connection to community and culture, the Deyettyan Dardiganni Wellness Service shows the importance of programs delivered for and by First Nations peoples in creating real change.

    “Through the new Men’s Wellness Centres, we are ensuring First Nations men have access to the strengths-based, culturally safe services and activities they need to break the cycle of violence.”

    Federal Labor Senator for Victoria, Raff Ciccone, said the funding would promote culturally safe practices.

    “The Lakes Entrance Centre will support the healing journey of First Nations men and families in Gippsland,” Senator Ciccone said.

    “Having an environment where local men can take part in education programs and initiatives is incredibly important.

    “That’s why the Albanese Labor Government is investing in the region and is committed to addressing gender-based violence.”

    This initiative will also help progress Target 13 under the National Agreement on Closing the Gap 2020-2030 (National Agreement), which aims to reduce all forms of violence against First Nations women and children by at least 50 per cent by 2031.

    More information on the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Action Plan 2023-2025 is available at the Department of Social Services website.

    If you or someone you know is experiencing, or at risk of experiencing domestic, family and sexual violence, call 1800 737 732, text 0458 737 732 or visit www.1800respect.org.au for online chat and video call services.

    • Available 24/7: call, text, or online chat
    • Mon-Fri, 9am-midnight AEST (except national public holidays): video call (no appointment needed) 

    If you are concerned about your behaviour or use of violence, you can contact the Men’s Referral Service on 1300 766 491 or visit www.ntv.org.au

    Feeling worried or no good? Connect with 13YARN Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Crisis Supporters on 13 92 76 available 24/7 from any mobile or pay phone, or visit www.13yarn.org.au No shame, no judgement, safe place to yarn.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Call for information – Indecent assault – Mitchell Street, Darwin

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested a 33-year-old male for indecent assault in the Darwin CBD this morning.

    About 2:10am, members in the area witnessed the man indecently assaulting multiple victims outside of a licensed premises on Mitchell Street adjacent to Nutall Place.

    The man was arrested and he is expected to be charged later today.

    Police are urging any victims that may have left the area prior to talking to police to make contact on 131 444 and reference NTP2500019602.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: OCEANIA/AUSTRALIA – The first intercontinental meeting of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Asia and Oceania is currently taking place in Sydney

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Sydney (Agenzia Fides) – For the first time, representatives of the National Directions of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Asia and Oceania are meeting for an intercontinental meeting. The meeting, which is currently taking place in Sydney, will continue until Sunday.The National Directors, who represent more than 20 countries on both continents, including Bangladesh, Cambodia and Laos, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Korea, Lebanon, New Zealand, the Pacific Islands, Pakistan, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, East Timor, Vietnam, Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, will focus on the importance of collaboration in relation to the urgencies and hopes that characterize missionary work in the various local situations.The leitmotif of the five days is Pope Francis’ invitation to be “missionaries of hope among the peoples” (see Message for World Mission Sunday 2025). The participants of the meeting sent a message of solidarity in prayer to the Bishop of Rome, who is currently being treated for bilateral pneumonia at Gemelli Hospital in Rome.”The Pontifical Mission Societies in Australia ‘Catholic Mission’ is privileged to host the intercontinental meeting of the National Directors for Asia and Oceania,” said Father Brian Lucas. “Australia has very strong relations with our immediate neighbours, including the support of a regional office in Phnom Penh, and this opportunity for personal exchange provides an excellent basis for cooperation.”The aim is to join forces and find solutions together to respond to local challenges, said the organizers of the meeting, which, in addition to offering training courses (including one on the theme of the Jubilee Year “Pilgrims of Hope”), also offered the opportunity to meet with representatives of the Australian Church, including Archbishop Charles Balvo, Apostolic Nuncio in Australia, and Vincent Long Van Nguyen OFM, Bishop of the Diocese of Parramatta. In addition, the National Directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies from Asia and Oceania also met with Ms. Kelly Paget, Chancellor of the Diocese of Broken Bay, who had taken part in the World Synod on Synodality in Rome.”We are trying these days to unite as two regions. Of course, we have different problems, challenges and hopes, and that is what we are discussing here. Our hope is to speak with a united voice and work together for the mission of the Church throughout the world and to bring about concrete change,” said Father Michael Cheng Chai, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in New Zealand. (EG) (Agenzia Fides, 22/2/2025)
    Share:

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Albanese pledge: nine in ten GP visits bulk billed by 2030, in $8.5 billion Medicare injection

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

    The Albanese government on Sunday will pledge $8.5 billion for Medicare, declaring this would enable all Australians to have access to bulk billing by 2030.

    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese will announce the policy at a rally in Tasmania, where the Labor seat of Lyons and the Liberal seat of Bass are in play.

    Under the plan, Labor would extend the bulk billing incentive to all Australians, and also create an extra incentive payment for practices that bulk billed all their patients.

    The changes would mean an extra 18 million bulk billed GP visits annually, the government says. Nine out of ten GP visits would be bulk billed by 2030. On the government’s figures, this would increase the number of fully bulk billing practices to about 4,800, triple the present figure.

    The government says its plan would produce patient savings of up to $859 million a year by 2030.

    It says this is the single largest investment in Medicare since it was created more than 40 years ago.

    The promised big health spend is designed both to focus the election campaign on an area of traditional strength for Labor, and to address the serious erosion of bulk billing rates in recent years. The rate is currently down to about 78%.

    The health package also promises to boost the number of nurses and doctors in the system. Four hundred nursing scholarships would be provided. By 2028 2,000 new GP trainee places would be funded each year in federally-funded GP training programs. The number funded in 2025 is 1600.

    The government has peviously tripled the bulk billing incentive for pensioners, concession card holders and families with children. From November 1, that would be widened to all Australians.

    Also from November 1, in addition to the bulk billing incentive, practices that fully bulk billed would receive an extra 12.5% loading on their Medicare rebates.

    “The combined investment means around 4,800 practices will be in a better financial position if they adopt full bulk billing,” Albanese and Health Minister Mark Butler said in a statement.

    Albanese said the plan “will make Medicare even stronger, help with cost of living pressures and ensure every Australian receives the best health care that they deserve”.

    Butler said people would be worse off if Peter Dutton became PM. “Peter Dutton tried to end bulk billing with a GP tax and then started a six-year freeze to Medicare rebates that froze GP incomes and stripped billions out of Medicare.”

    Proposed New Bulk Billing Arrangments

    The table below shows how total Medicare payments for common visits would increase from November 1, with the expansion of the bulk billing incentive to all Australians and the new incentive payment for practices that bulk billed every patient.

    The bulk billing incentive is scaled according to how far a general practice is from a major city or metropolitan area, with larger Medicare payments as communities get more remote.

    The total cost of the bulk billing initiatives over the forward estimates is nearly $7.9 billion.

    The costs year-by -year are: 2025-26, nearly $1.2 billion; 2026-27, nearly $2 billion; 2027-28, $2.3 billion, and 2028-29, $2.4 billion.

    The government said most of the cost of the Medicare package is accounted for the the December budget update and the rest would be in the next budget.

    The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners this month called for the extension of bulk billing incentives to those under 35. It said this would boost the national rate to 85%.

    The Greens have called for tripling the bulk billing incentive for everyone with a Medicare card.

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

    – ref. Albanese pledge: nine in ten GP visits bulk billed by 2030, in $8.5 billion Medicare injection – https://theconversation.com/albanese-pledge-nine-in-ten-gp-visits-bulk-billed-by-2030-in-8-5-billion-medicare-injection-249948

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Arrests – Property offences – Palmerston

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested three male youths in relation to a number of property offences last night.

    About 1:30am, police received reports of an unknown number of youths attempting to steal a vehicle at a residence in Zuccoli. It is alleged that the resident became aware and confronted the youths before they threw an object at him and fled the scene before police arrival.

    Police also became aware of a 35-year-old male injured at a close by location whilst attending to the initial report. He was allegedly struck in the head by a rock while trying to confront a number of youths attempting to steal a vehicle nearby his residence.

    About 4:15am, police received further reports of a ram raid and burglary at a business on Stuart Highway in Berrimah. The youths stole a number of items and fled the scene before police arrival.

    In a later incident about 11:45am this morning, police received reports of a burglary of a work vehicle, after three male youths threatened a staff member from aCaravan Park on the Stuart Highway in Holtze. 

    A number of members from specialist areas including the Dog Operations Unit, Strike Force Trident, general duties members and Drone resources were deployed and set up a cordon in scrubland behind the hotel to execute a plan of apprehension. Around 5pm this afternoon police apprehended the three male youths aged, 11, 14 and 16. They are expected to be charged later.

    Strike Force Trident detectives have since reviewed CCTV footage and identified that the three male youths were involved in all three incidents. Investigations remain ongoing.

    Territory Duty Superintendent Troy Stephens said “I want to commend the efforts of our officers for their swift and professional response in safely apprehending those involved, and preventing further harm to the community.

    “This result highlights our commitment to keeping the Northern Territory community safe and ensuring offenders are brought before the courts.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Albanese Government provides tax relief to support investment and jobs

    Source: Minister for Trade

    The Albanese Labor Government will provide tax relief for Australia’s distillers, brewers and wine producers.

    Currently brewers and distillers get a full refund of any excise paid up to $350,000 each year. The Government will increase the excise remission cap to $400,000 for all eligible alcohol manufacturers. The Government will also increase the Wine Equalisation Tax (WET) producer rebate to $400,000.

    Adjusting the taxation arrangements will back an important local industry as well as supporting regional tourism, investment and job creation. Currently around 1,500 brewers and distillers and 3,000 wine producers access these tax incentives.

    The proposal will apply from 1 July 2026.

    In addition to the tax relief, the Australian Trade and Investment Commission (Austrade) will be providing Australian distillers, brewers and wine producers with additional support to help them grow their exports in high priority overseas markets.

    This support includes the opportunity to join in trade missions, expert advice and connections to help our small and medium size exporters tap into fast growing markets, including in Southeast Asia and beyond.

    The tax relief is estimated to decrease tax receipts by $70 million over five years from 2024-25.

    Quotes attributable to the Prime Minister Anthony Albanese:

    “To build Australia’s future, we need strong small and medium sized businesses generating jobs and economic opportunity for Australians.

    “This common sense measure will back thriving local industries and open the way for growth.”

    Quotes attributable to the Treasurer Jim Chalmers:

    “We’re pleased to have found room in a tight budget to provide some tax relief for a really important industry creating jobs and opportunities around Australia.

    “Brewers, distillers and winemakers play a large role in many local economies and this support will help them invest and grow.”

    Quotes attributable to the Minister for Trade and Tourism Don Farrell:

    “Supporting small distillery, brewing and wine businesses is not just about producing exceptional products – it’s about creating jobs, fostering local economies, and building a better Australia.

    “By boosting our export support for these businesses, we are helping fast-track their success in international markets which will create even more jobs at home.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Minister going to Australia for aged care meetings

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Associate Health Minister Hon Casey Costello is traveling to Australia for meetings with the aged care sector in Melbourne, Canberra, and Sydney next week.

    “Australia is our closest partner, so as we consider the changes necessary to make our system more effective and sustainable it makes sense to learn from its recent experience on aged care sector reform,” Ms Costello says.

    Minister Costello will meet with Ageing Australia, visit aged care facilities across the three cities, and meet with Federal and State government organisations, including the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commissioner and Independent Health and Aged Care Pricing Authority. She will also meet with New Zealand aged care providers operating in both trans-Tasman markets.

    “This visit also provides an opportunity for me to engage with my ministerial counterparts and their officials across my Customs, Seniors, and Associate Police and Associate Immigration portfolio responsibilities,” Ms Costello says.

    Minister Costello will meet with the Hon Anthony Carbines, Victoria Minister for Police; Hon Tony Burke, Federal Minister for Home Affairs; and Hon Jodie Harrison, New South Wales Minister for Seniors.

    The Minister will also meet with the Commissioners of the Australia Federal Police, Australian Border Force, and the Australia Taxation Office to discuss their experience targeting transnational and serious organised crime.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Global earnings of ‘Ne Zha 2’ hit 13B yuan

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    People pose for photos in front of the poster of the Chinese animated feature “Ne Zha 2” at IMAX Sydney in Sydney, Australia, Feb. 11, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The Chinese animated movie “Ne Zha 2” has seen its box office revenue worldwide, including presales, surpass 13 billion yuan (about $1.8 billion), according to ticketing platforms.

    The blockbuster has made headlines with a list of spectacular records. It established itself as China’s all-time top-grossing film as early as Feb. 6, just nine days after its release during the Chinese New Year.

    Following the tale of Nezha, an iconic boy god from Chinese mythology, the animation later became the first film to gross $1 billion in a single market. It then entered the global box office top 10 and secured the throne as the highest-grossing animated movie of all time globally.

    The Chinese milestone film has opened in overseas markets, including Australia, New Zealand and North America.

    With rich storytelling and jaw-dropping visuals, it has drawn many Nezha fans in China to revisit cinemas and contribute more to the still-rising box office receipts. According to the movie’s official Weibo account, its release on Chinese big screens has been extended until March 30.

    Despite the conclusion of the Spring Festival holiday and the winter vacation, a prime moviegoing season, insiders have anticipated the domestic box office to culminate at around 15 billion yuan.

    Largely driven by the glittering Nezha phenomenon and a strong film market performance during the holiday, China’s domestic box office revenue of 2025 has exceeded 21 billion yuan as of Saturday, roughly half of that for the whole year of 2024, according to ticketing platform Maoyan.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: NORTH BOKARA ROAD, WOODLANE (Grass Fire)

    Source: Country Fire Service – South Australia

    Issued on
    22 Feb 2025 15:06

    Issued for
    WOODLANE near Mypolonga in the Murraylands.

    Warning level
    Advice – Stay Informed

    Action
    CFS is responding to a fire near Mypolonga.

    If you are in this area, stay informed and monitor local conditions. More information will be provided by the CFS when it is available.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: New den opens for Dingley Dingoes

    Source: Australian Executive Government Ministers

    Gamedays of the 2025 season for the Dingley Cricket, Football and Netball Clubs will be even better for supporters, with the unveiling of the new open terrace viewing platform at the Dingley Sports Pavilion. 

    Jointly funded by the Albanese Government and Kingston City Council, the new terrace provides impressive views of Souter Oval and enhanced accessibility for supporters with mobility requirements.

    The football and cricket clubs have been a staple in the Dingley community for nearly seven decades, and with the existing facilities starting to show signs of their considerable service in recent years, it was time to breathe new life into Souter Oval.

    The new, extended terrace has been funded through the Investing in Our Communities Program, with the Albanese Government providing $177,000 for the development and the remaining $93,000 funded by the Kingston City Council. 

    It complements the $9.98 million pavilion upgrade that will meet contemporary sporting code requirements and provide the space and flexibility for the sporting clubs to continue servicing the local community.

    The pavilion, with its extended deck, isn’t restricted to gameday use – the public are able to hire the space as an affordable option for meetings, workshops or events with a catering capacity of up to 150 people.

    Construction of the extended terrace provided 22 local full-time jobs and will create another three ongoing jobs in the local community.

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

    “Our government is committed to building social infrastructure that brings locals together and strengthens communities. 

    “Sports clubs just like this one are so much more than a place to kick a ball. They’re a safe space for young people, a facility to unite, and a healthy activity. 

    “I look forward to seeing this terrace full on gamedays, packed with supporters to take in the glorious weekend weather and get behind their local team.” 

    Quotes attributable to the Federal Member for Isaacs Mark Dreyfus:

    “For nearly 70 years, the Dingley football, cricket, and now netball clubs, have been giving locals a reason to cheer. 

    “Countless kids from Dingley Village and the surrounding neighbourhoods have kicked their first goal or taken their first wicket right here. 

    “So, I’m proud to be standing here today for the opening of the new pavilion, and I hope the new terrace remains a place for proud parents to cheer on their kids for decades to come.”

    Quotes attributable to Kingston City Council Mayor Georgina Oxley: 

    “Our Council is passionate about backing local sport, and we are thrilled to see this project come to fruition.

    “From promoting physical health and social connections to fostering mental wellbeing and instilling valuable life skills – as we all know the benefits of sport and sports clubs extend far beyond the playing field. 

    “By supporting and investing in our local clubs, we want to cultivate environments where individuals thrive, relationships flourish, and dreams can be pursued.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Total Fire Ban Declared for Central and North Central Regions

    Source: Victoria Country Fire Authority

    A Total Fire Ban (TFB) has been declared for the Central and North Central regions for tomorrow, Sunday 23 February 2025.

    Hot, dry, and windy conditions will elevate fire danger across the state overnight and throughout Sunday, with strengthening northerly winds continuing into the morning ahead of a west to south-westerly change.

    Temperatures are expected to reach 32-36°C in the far north, 31-34°C in Gippsland, and 25-30°C elsewhere across the state. With fresh and gusty northerly winds, stronger than contracting eastward, bringing gusts of 90-100km/h in some areas, before the late change.

    Due to an elevated risk of thunderstorms across central parts of the state in the early hours of Sunday morning and the possibility of dry lightning in the northwest later in the day, there is a significant fire risk from midnight tonight stretching into the early afternoon on Sunday.

    A Total Fire Ban means no fires can be lit in the open air or allowed to remain alight from 12.01am to 11.59pm on the day of the declaration.

    CFA Chief Officer Jason Heffernan said the TFB has been declared due to the ongoing heightened fire risk.

    “We are in the middle of a prolonged 36-hour period of heightened fire danger, with worsening conditions forecast early tomorrow,” Jason said.

    “These conditions, including strong winds, high temperatures, and the risk of dry lightning, mean any fire that starts could spread rapidly.

    “We’re urging communities to stay informed and be prepared. If you’re in a high-risk area, ensure you have multiple sources of information to keep up-to-date. Review your bushfire survival plan and make sure you know where you will go and what you need to take with you in the event of a fire.”

    You can find out if your area is under a Total Fire Ban by visiting the CFA website www.cfa.vic.gov.au, and for information on what this means for you visit the Can I or Can’t I page.

    Victorians should ensure they have access to multiple sources of emergency information, including:

    • ABC local radio, commercial and designated emergency broadcasters
    • The VicEmergency App
    • The VicEmergency website: www.emergency.vic.gov.au
    • The VicEmergency Hotline: 1800 226 226
    • CFA or VicEmergency Twitter and Facebook
    Submitted by CFA Media

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: PARIS CREEK ROAD, PARIS CREEK (Grass Fire)

    Source: Country Fire Service – South Australia

    Issued on
    22 Feb 2025 13:20

    Issued for
    PARIS CREEK near Strathalbyn in the Mount Lofty Ranges.

    Warning level
    Advice – Stay Informed

    Action
    CFS is responding to a fire near Strathalbyn in the Mount Lofty Ranges.

    If you are in this area, stay informed and monitor local conditions. More information will be provided by the CFS when it is available.

    MIL OSI News –