NewzIntel.com

Category: CTF

  • MIL-Evening Report: What is cannabis use disorder? And how do you know if you have a problem?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danielle Dawson, PhD Candidate, School of Psychology and National Centre for Youth Substance Use Research, The University of Queensland

    Around 41% of Australians report they’ve used cannabis at some point in their life.

    Research estimates that 22% of recreational cannabis consumers meet criteria for a cannabis use disorder. This condition can make it difficult to control how often or how much cannabis they use.

    For medicinal cannabis, our research estimated the percentage of cannabis consumers who meet criteria for a cannabis use disorder was similar, around 25%.

    These figures may come as a surprise, as the perceived risks associated with cannabis have been steadily declining in many countries.

    So, how can you tell if your cannabis use is a problem?

    What does cannabis use disorder look like?

    A person might use cannabis to relax after a stressful day at work or to help them sleep. At first, they might do so every now and then. But over time, they might come to rely on using cannabis to stop feeling uncomfortable, stressed and sleepless.

    They might begin to use cannabis daily to feel “normal”.

    With regular use, the body develops tolerance to the effects of cannabis. So the person needs to use more cannabis to get the same “high”.

    People who consume cannabis might use more cannabis than they intended or might have problems performing at work because they’re high at the start of the work day, or they fail to do important things such as paying bills, and buy cannabis instead.

    The person might keep using cannabis despite noticing their use is causing clouded thoughts, memory issues and anxiety.

    Friends and family might notice problems with their cannabis use and recommend they stop or cut back. This can be difficult for people with cannabis use disorder because they may feel anxious, irritable and have difficulty sleeping if they suddenly stop using cannabis.

    Some people who use cannabis can’t function like they used to.
    PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

    These withdrawal symptoms can make it harder to quit or cut back. Withdrawal symptoms are quickly relieved by using cannabis, creating a cycle of relapse.

    How is it diagnosed?

    Health professionals use specific criteria to diagnose a cannabis use disorder.

    According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), a person may have a cannabis use disorder if they show at least two symptoms within one year. Symptoms can include:

    • using larger amounts over longer periods than intended

    • cravings for cannabis, where the person feels a strong urge or desire to use cannabis

    • trying and failing to cut back on cannabis use

    • continuing cannabis use despite worsening physical or psychological problems

    • failing to fulfil major role obligations at work, school or home

    • needing to use a greater amount for the same effect, known as tolerance

    • experiencing withdrawal symptoms such as feeling anxious, irritable or having trouble sleeping.

    According to the DSM, two to three symptoms indicate a mild cannabis use disorder and few problems. A moderate disorder involves four to five symptoms, while six-plus symptoms means a severe disorder.

    Who is at greatest risk?

    In both recreational and medicinal consumers, the risk of cannabis use disorder is higher for people who use cannabis:

    • frequently, especially daily

    • by smoking or vaping

    • with higher levels of THC or in larger amounts.

    Other risk factors are starting cannabis use at a younger age and using cannabis to relieve symptoms of anxiety, depression and chronic pain.

    What’s the relationship with chronic pain?

    People struggling to manage their pain may turn to cannabis hoping to find relief.

    However, recent studies question the effectiveness of cannabis to manage pain.

    People who use cannabis to relieve chronic pain often use it more frequently.
    AYO Production/Shutterstock

    So people may increase how often they use cannabis or use more potent cannabis products in an unsuccessful attempt to control their pain.

    This can lead to a cannabis use disorder, making it more difficult to manage their pain and impairing their ability to cope with the demands of everyday life.

    How to reduce your risk

    Legal changes in many countries, including Australia, have allowed greater access to cannabis for medical reasons. People now often use cannabis for both recreational and medical reasons (dual-use).

    If you use cannabis, reduce your risk of developing a cannabis use disorder by avoiding daily use and avoiding cannabis products with high THC.

    If you’re concerned about your cannabis use, consult your medical practitioner or contact the National Alcohol and Other Drug Hotline on 1800 250 015 for confidential advice.

    Wayne Hall has in the past five years been paid to advise the WHO on the adverse health effects of cannabis and to advise the Commonwealth Department of Health on the safety and effectiveness of medical uses of cannabis-based medicines.

    Danielle Dawson and Valentina Lorenzetti 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. What is cannabis use disorder? And how do you know if you have a problem? – https://theconversation.com/what-is-cannabis-use-disorder-and-how-do-you-know-if-you-have-a-problem-256098

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: China issues new rare disease guidelines

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    The National Health Commission on Thursday released a second batch of diagnosis and treatment guidelines for 86 rare diseases.

    The batch covers conditions including achondroplasia, a disorder of bone growth that can cause dwarfism; acquired hemophilia; and acromegaly, a hormonal disorder that can lead to the enlargement of body parts.

    China has about 20 million patients with rare diseases, with more than 200,000 new cases each year.

    The first batch of treatment guidelines was published in 2019 and covered 121 rare diseases.

    The Peking Union Medical College Hospital said Thursday that the new guidelines were jointly compiled by the hospital and the China Alliance for Rare Disease at the commission’s request.

    “These guidelines have comprehensively outlined the clinical features, diagnostic standards, treatment approaches and long-term management strategies for 86 rare diseases, serving as a valuable reference for medical workers,” the hospital said in a statement.

    “Their implementation is expected to minimize diagnostic errors, optimize care and improve patient outcomes,” it said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Senior CPC official highlights global civilizations dialogue, cooperation at Beijing conference

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Senior CPC official highlights global civilizations dialogue, cooperation at Beijing conference

    Cai Qi, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, delivers a keynote speech at the opening ceremony of the Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting in Beijing, capital of China, July 10, 2025. The Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting opened here on Thursday. [Photo/Xinhua]

    BEIJING, July 10 — Senior Communist Party of China (CPC) official Cai Qi on Thursday called for greater efforts to promote dialogue and cooperation among global civilizations, as he attended the opening of the Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting in Beijing.

    Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to the meeting, which was read out at the opening ceremony by Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee.

    In his keynote speech, Cai, who is a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and a member of the Secretariat of the CPC Central Committee, said the Global Civilization Initiative proposed by President Xi more than two years ago has received enthusiastic responses and positive echoes from the international community.

    The initiative, which upholds the core principle of seeking common ground while reserving differences, is deeply rooted in China’s fine traditional culture and resonates with cultural values shared by many other nations, Cai said.

    Noting that the path to global peace and development remains long and challenging, Cai called for joint efforts to explore diverse development models, strengthen cultural inheritance and innovation, advance cultural and people-to-people exchanges, and build a diverse and multi-dimensional global network for dialogue and cooperation among civilizations.

    Themed “Safeguarding Diversity of Human Civilizations for World Peace and Development,” the meeting is co-hosted by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee and the International Department of the CPC Central Committee.

    United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres sent his message of congratulations to the event, which has attracted over 600 guests from about 140 countries and regions.

    Former heads of state and government from Indonesia, Namibia, Japan and Belgium delivered speeches at the opening ceremony.

    Li Shulei, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee, reads out a congratulatory letter from Chinese President Xi Jinping at the opening ceremony of the Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting in Beijing, capital of China, July 10, 2025. The Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting opened here on Thursday. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Global experts call for peace, dialogue to handle South China Sea disputes

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    An aerial drone photo taken on April 9, 2024 shows the scenery of Huangyan Dao in the South China Sea. [Photo/Xinhua]

    An international symposium on the history and reality of the South China Sea was held in Beijing on Thursday, calling for peace and dialogue in the region.

    Participants from around the world engaged in in-depth discussions on topics including the post-World War II international order, sovereignty over Nanhai Zhudao — known in English as the South China Sea islands — and the re-evaluation of the South China Sea arbitration award in 2016.

    Wu Shicun, chairman of the Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance, said that China’s sovereignty over Nanhai Zhudao and adjacent waters has ample historical and legal basis, as China has managed the region since ancient times and in accordance with the post-WWII international order.

    “China’s safeguarding of its sovereignty of Nanhai Zhudao is maintaining international order, rather than undermining international rules,” said Wu in his opening remarks at the symposium.

    “China and ASEAN should advance the consultations of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea (COC), and work together to safeguard peace and stability in the region,” Wu said when speaking about the illegal award of the South China Sea arbitration in July 2016.

    Rommel Banlaoi, president of the Philippine Society for International Security Studies, said the award has jeopardized Philippine relations with China and complicated the geopolitical situation in the South China Sea.

    “The South China Sea should not be the source of our division. In ancient times, the sea linked and united Filipinos and Chinese,” Banlaoi said. “The best way to settle disputes is through dialogue and consultations. The key factor for that is to rebuild confidence.”

    Held by the National Institute for South China Sea Studies and the Huayang Center for Maritime Cooperation and Ocean Governance, the event attracted over 150 experts, scholars and other representatives of more than 10 countries and regions, including China, Indonesia, the Philippines, the United Kingdom and Canada.

    The Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea (DOC), signed in 2002 by China and ASEAN member states, outlines the most important principles in the management of disputes over the South China Sea. Consultations on the COC were launched between the two sides in 2013. Both the DOC and the COC are aimed at safeguarding peace and stability in the region.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: International guests engage in civilization dialogue in Beijing, highlighting cultural diversity and cooperation

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Scholars, experts and political figures from around the world convened in Beijing on Thursday to engage in an in-depth dialogue on civilization, highlighting cultural diversity and cooperation in a world grappling with turbulence and uncertainty.

    “Dialogue is essential in a world fractured by conflict, intolerance and misinformation,” UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said in a congratulatory message delivered to the opening ceremony of the Global Civilizations Dialogue Ministerial Meeting.

    Under the theme of “Safeguarding Diversity of Human Civilizations for World Peace and Development,” the two-day event has attracted over 600 guests from approximately 140 countries and regions.

    At the opening ceremony, several speakers expressed concerns over growing global instability, from escalating regional conflicts to the rising tide of de-globalization.

    It is precisely because of these ongoing tensions that the Global Civilization Initiative has taken on even greater significance, according to the participants.

    Put forward by China in 2023, the foresighted vision advocates respect for the diversity of global civilizations, the promotion of the common values of humanity, the emphasis on cultural inheritance and innovation, and enhanced international people-to-people exchange and cooperation.

    Exploring solutions to global challenges, participants have proposed dialogue over division, and understanding over conflict, calling on stakeholders to work together to enrich human civilization, strengthen cultural inheritance and innovation, and reinforce people-to-people exchange.

    “The rich diversity of civilizations is a powerful force for mutual understanding and global solidarity,” Guterres said in his message.

    Participants at the meeting also lauded China’s consistent efforts to drive human development through inclusiveness and cooperation.

    China has strengthened its connection with the world through the Belt and Road Initiative, and built an international consensus via the Global Development Initiative, said Yukio Hatoyama, former prime minister of Japan. And by proposing the vision of a community with a shared future for all, it has helped transcend hegemonic logic, acknowledge cultural diversity, and inject sustainable Eastern wisdom into global governance, he added.

    Eying a mechanism for the Global South countries to build a future free from inequity and hegemony, Megawati Soekarnoputri, general chairwoman of the Indonesian Democratic Party of Struggle and former president of Indonesia, said that dialogue alone is not enough.

    “We must return to the core values of civilization. History has proven that the rise and fall of civilizations always depend on the choice of human,” she added.

    Before Thursday’s meeting, international guests toured cities such as Shanghai, Hangzhou, Qufu and Dunhuang to gain firsthand insight into the Chinese civilization.

    Welisarage Keerthipala Perera, an assistant to the minister of Buddhasasana, religious and cultural affairs of Sri Lanka, expressed his admiration of the ancient Buddhist murals at the Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, northwest China. He believes that dialogue on global civilization is vital, as enhanced mutual understanding can help resolve conflicts.

    “The key is to maintain dialogue and deepen mutual understanding,” Fabrice Edouard Piault, a French publishing professional, said. “This meeting strengthens ties between nations. That’s precisely why it matters.”

    At parallel sub-forums on Friday, participants will explore the crucial role of inter-civilization exchange and mutual learning in building an inclusive world, and in promoting global development and prosperity, cultural inheritance and innovation, understanding and friendship among peoples, scientific and technological progress, and academic exchange.

    The event is co-hosted by the Publicity Department and the International Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Tax Time 2025 update – 8 July

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    Welcome and governance

    The ATO Co-chair welcomed members and ATO attendees to the Tax Practitioner Stewardship Group (TPSG) Tax Time 2025 meeting.

    ATO updates

    Frontline Services

    We can confirm it has been a successful first week of tax time:

    • We’ve received 22,000 calls from agents, which is 8% down from last year.
    • Lodgment numbers are down 10% for self-preparers, and 15% for agent lodged.
    • Safety nets have now been successfully lifted; therefore early lodgers should start receiving their refunds by the end of this week.

    IT system updates and maintenance

    Good performance of core Tax Time Support systems with forecasts for Online Services and IITR Lodgments tracking well.

    Planned maintenance of ATO online was successfully completed on Monday 6 July between 9:00 pm AEST and 1:00 am AEST (7 July).

    ATO Digital services

    Commonwealth Superannuation Corporation (CSC) have identified an error in their original reporting of PAYGW for members of the MSBS and DFRDB super schemes.

    CSC lodged their original report on 4 July with this data flowing through to pre-fill tax returns. On 6 July, it was reported that pre-fill information had been reported twice as both super lump sum and super income stream income.

    We are working with CSC to address the issue as soon as possible. Its recommended members wait for prefill data to be corrected before lodging. Members who have lodged with the duplicated data may need to complete an amendment to correct this issue.

    ATO Communications

    We continue to highlight the importance of keeping accurate records and eligibility when claiming deductions in line with our ongoing ‘Back to Basics’ theme.

    The ATO Tax Time Spokesperson will be recording the KPMG Tax Now podcast, the Tax Vibe podcast, as well as recording an episode of the NTAA’s Tax on the Couch.

    An ATO Community language officer will be interviewed on SBS in Hindi on the importance of using a registered tax agent, including how to find out if the tax agent is registered and that only a registered tax agent can charge a fee for preparing and lodging your tax return. They will also cover if taxpayers are unsure of their tax obligations or need assistance, they can speak to a registered tax agent.

    The first ‘Open Forums’ for this financial year, scheduled on 7 August from 1:00 pm AEST, will cover TPB Code obligations, implementation and compliance guidance, and Small Business focus areas for the upcoming quarter.

    The Tax Professionals Tax Time webcast recording is now available at Tax professionals webcasts | Australian Taxation Office. Topics discussed around tax time include what’s new for individuals and small business clients, preparing your practice, and cyber security.

    Superannuation

    As of Monday 7 July, 56% of employers have finalised their STP data ensuring their employees have the right information to lodge their 2024–25 income tax returns.

    We have reminded members that employer’s STP finalisation declarations are due next Monday 14 July. They should make sure they finalise the data for all employees paid during the financial year. This includes those they haven’t paid for a while, like employees or casuals who stopped work for them during the year.

    Member insights and experience

    Member comments

    A member reminded tax agents that the prefill availability is updated regularly, and encouraged members to promote information on Pre-fill availability across their networks via their newsletters and tax time communications, etc.

    Useful links

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘Storm clouds are gathering’: 40 years on from the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior

    From the prologue of the 40th anniversary edition of David Robie’s seminal book on the Rainbow Warrior’s last voyage, former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark (1999-2008) writes about what the bombing on 10 July 1985 means today.

    The bombing of the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland Harbour on 10 July 1985 and the death of a voyager on board, Greenpeace photographer Fernando Pereira, was both a tragic and a seminal moment in the long campaign for a nuclear-free Pacific.

    It was so startling that many of us still remember where we were when the news came through. I was in Zimbabwe on my way to join the New Zealand delegation to the United Nations World Conference on Women in Nairobi. In Harare I met for the first time New Zealand Anglican priest Father Michael Lapsley who, in that same city in 1990, was severely disabled by a parcel bomb delivered by the intelligence service of the apartheid regime in South Africa. These two bombings, of the Rainbow Warrior and of Michael, have been sad reminders to me of the price so many have paid for their commitment to peace and justice.

    It was also very poignant for me to meet Fernando’s daughter, Marelle, in Auckland in 2005. Her family suffered a loss which no family should have to bear. In August 1985, I was at the meeting of the Labour Party caucus when it was made known that the police had identified a woman in their custody as a French intelligence officer. Then in September, French prime minister Laurent Fabius confirmed that French secret agents had indeed sunk the Rainbow Warrior. The following year, a UN-mediated agreement saw the convicted agents leave New Zealand and a formal apology, a small amount of compensation, and undertakings on trade given by France — the latter after New Zealand perishable goods had been damaged in port in France.

    Both 1985 and 1986 were momentous years for New Zealand’s assertion of its nuclear-free positioning which was seen as provocative by its nuclear-armed allies. On 4 February 1985, the United States was advised that its naval vessel, the Buchanan, could not enter a New Zealand port because it was nuclear weapons-capable and the US “neither confirm nor deny” policy meant that New Zealand could not establish whether it was nuclear weapons-armed or not.

    In Manila in July 1986, a meeting between prime minister David Lange and US Secretary of State George Schultz confirmed that neither New Zealand nor the US were prepared to change their positions and that New Zealand’s engagement in ANZUS was at an end. Secretary Schultz famously said that “We part company as friends, but we part company as far as the alliance is concerned”.

    New Zealand passed its Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament and Arms Control Act in 1987. Since that time, until now, the country has on a largely bipartisan basis maintained its nuclear-free policy as a fundamental tenet of its independent foreign policy. But storm clouds are gathering.

    Australia’s decision to enter a nuclear submarine purchase programme with the United States is one of those. There has been much speculation about a potential Pillar Two of the AUKUS agreement which would see others in the region become partners in the development of advanced weaponry. This is occurring in the context of rising tensions between the United States and China.

    Many of us share the view that New Zealand should be a voice for deescalation, not for enthusiastic expansion of nuclear submarine fleets in the Pacific and the development of more lethal weaponry.

    Eyes of Fire: The Last Voyage and Legacy of the Rainbow Warrior . . . publication 10 July 2025. Image: David Robie/Little Island Press

    Nuclear war is an existential threat to humanity. Far from receding, the threat of use of nuclear weapons is ever present. The Doomsday Clock of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists now sits at 89 seconds to midnight. It references the Ukraine theatre where the use of nuclear weapons has been floated by Russia. The arms control architecture for Europe is unravelling, leaving the continent much less secure. India and Pakistan both have nuclear arsenals. The Middle East is a tinder box with the failure of the Iran nuclear deal and with Israel widely believed to possess nuclear weapons. North Korea continues to develop its nuclear weapons capacity. An outright military conflict between China and the United States would be one between two nuclear powers with serious ramifications for East Asia, South-East Asia, the Pacific, and far beyond.

    August 2025 marks the eightieth anniversary of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. A survivors’ group, Nihon Hidankyo, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year. They bear tragic witness to the horror of the use of nuclear weapons. The world must heed their voice now and at all times.

    In the current global turbulence, New Zealand needs to reemphasise the principles and values which drove its nuclear-free legislation and its advocacy for a nuclear-free South Pacific and global nuclear disarmament. New Zealanders were clear — we did not want to be defended by nuclear weapons. We wanted our country to be a force for diplomacy and for dialogue, not for warmongering.

    The multilateral system is now in crisis — across all its dimensions. The UN Security Council is paralysed by great power tensions. The United States is unlikely to pay its dues to the UN under the Trump presidency, and others are unlikely to fill the substantial gap which that leaves. Its humanitarian, development, health, human rights, political and peacekeeping, scientific and cultural arms all face fiscal crises.

    This is the time for New Zealand to link with the many small and middle powers across regions who have a vision for a world characterised by solidarity and peace and which can rise to the occasion to combat the existential challenges it faces — including of nuclear weapons, climate change, and artificial intelligence. If our independent foreign policy is to mean anything in the mid-2020s, it must be based on concerted diplomacy for peace and sustainable development.

    Movement back towards an out-of-date alliance, from which New Zealand disengaged four decades ago, and its current tentacles, offers no safe harbour — on the contrary, these destabilise the region within which we live and the wide trading relationships we have. May this new edition of David Robie’s Eyes of Fire remind us of our nuclear-free journey and its relevance as a lode star in these current challenging times.

    • The 40th anniversary edition of Eyes of Fire: The Last Voyage and Legacy of the Rainbow Warrior by David Robie ($50, Little Island Press) can be purchased from Little Island Press. 

    Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘Storm clouds are gathering’: 40 years on from the bombing of the Rainbow Warrior

    From the prologue of the 40th anniversary edition of David Robie’s seminal book on the Rainbow Warrior’s last voyage, former New Zealand prime minister Helen Clark (1999-2008) writes about what the bombing on 10 July 1985 means today.

    The bombing of the Rainbow Warrior in Auckland Harbour on 10 July 1985 and the death of a voyager on board, Greenpeace photographer Fernando Pereira, was both a tragic and a seminal moment in the long campaign for a nuclear-free Pacific.

    It was so startling that many of us still remember where we were when the news came through. I was in Zimbabwe on my way to join the New Zealand delegation to the United Nations World Conference on Women in Nairobi. In Harare I met for the first time New Zealand Anglican priest Father Michael Lapsley who, in that same city in 1990, was severely disabled by a parcel bomb delivered by the intelligence service of the apartheid regime in South Africa. These two bombings, of the Rainbow Warrior and of Michael, have been sad reminders to me of the price so many have paid for their commitment to peace and justice.

    It was also very poignant for me to meet Fernando’s daughter, Marelle, in Auckland in 2005. Her family suffered a loss which no family should have to bear. In August 1985, I was at the meeting of the Labour Party caucus when it was made known that the police had identified a woman in their custody as a French intelligence officer. Then in September, French prime minister Laurent Fabius confirmed that French secret agents had indeed sunk the Rainbow Warrior. The following year, a UN-mediated agreement saw the convicted agents leave New Zealand and a formal apology, a small amount of compensation, and undertakings on trade given by France — the latter after New Zealand perishable goods had been damaged in port in France.

    Both 1985 and 1986 were momentous years for New Zealand’s assertion of its nuclear-free positioning which was seen as provocative by its nuclear-armed allies. On 4 February 1985, the United States was advised that its naval vessel, the Buchanan, could not enter a New Zealand port because it was nuclear weapons-capable and the US “neither confirm nor deny” policy meant that New Zealand could not establish whether it was nuclear weapons-armed or not.

    In Manila in July 1986, a meeting between prime minister David Lange and US Secretary of State George Schultz confirmed that neither New Zealand nor the US were prepared to change their positions and that New Zealand’s engagement in ANZUS was at an end. Secretary Schultz famously said that “We part company as friends, but we part company as far as the alliance is concerned”.

    New Zealand passed its Nuclear Free Zone, Disarmament and Arms Control Act in 1987. Since that time, until now, the country has on a largely bipartisan basis maintained its nuclear-free policy as a fundamental tenet of its independent foreign policy. But storm clouds are gathering.

    Australia’s decision to enter a nuclear submarine purchase programme with the United States is one of those. There has been much speculation about a potential Pillar Two of the AUKUS agreement which would see others in the region become partners in the development of advanced weaponry. This is occurring in the context of rising tensions between the United States and China.

    Many of us share the view that New Zealand should be a voice for deescalation, not for enthusiastic expansion of nuclear submarine fleets in the Pacific and the development of more lethal weaponry.

    Eyes of Fire: The Last Voyage and Legacy of the Rainbow Warrior . . . publication 10 July 2025. Image: David Robie/Little Island Press

    Nuclear war is an existential threat to humanity. Far from receding, the threat of use of nuclear weapons is ever present. The Doomsday Clock of the Bulletin of Atomic Scientists now sits at 89 seconds to midnight. It references the Ukraine theatre where the use of nuclear weapons has been floated by Russia. The arms control architecture for Europe is unravelling, leaving the continent much less secure. India and Pakistan both have nuclear arsenals. The Middle East is a tinder box with the failure of the Iran nuclear deal and with Israel widely believed to possess nuclear weapons. North Korea continues to develop its nuclear weapons capacity. An outright military conflict between China and the United States would be one between two nuclear powers with serious ramifications for East Asia, South-East Asia, the Pacific, and far beyond.

    August 2025 marks the eightieth anniversary of the nuclear bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. A survivors’ group, Nihon Hidankyo, was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize last year. They bear tragic witness to the horror of the use of nuclear weapons. The world must heed their voice now and at all times.

    In the current global turbulence, New Zealand needs to reemphasise the principles and values which drove its nuclear-free legislation and its advocacy for a nuclear-free South Pacific and global nuclear disarmament. New Zealanders were clear — we did not want to be defended by nuclear weapons. We wanted our country to be a force for diplomacy and for dialogue, not for warmongering.

    The multilateral system is now in crisis — across all its dimensions. The UN Security Council is paralysed by great power tensions. The United States is unlikely to pay its dues to the UN under the Trump presidency, and others are unlikely to fill the substantial gap which that leaves. Its humanitarian, development, health, human rights, political and peacekeeping, scientific and cultural arms all face fiscal crises.

    This is the time for New Zealand to link with the many small and middle powers across regions who have a vision for a world characterised by solidarity and peace and which can rise to the occasion to combat the existential challenges it faces — including of nuclear weapons, climate change, and artificial intelligence. If our independent foreign policy is to mean anything in the mid-2020s, it must be based on concerted diplomacy for peace and sustainable development.

    Movement back towards an out-of-date alliance, from which New Zealand disengaged four decades ago, and its current tentacles, offers no safe harbour — on the contrary, these destabilise the region within which we live and the wide trading relationships we have. May this new edition of David Robie’s Eyes of Fire remind us of our nuclear-free journey and its relevance as a lode star in these current challenging times.

    • The 40th anniversary edition of Eyes of Fire: The Last Voyage and Legacy of the Rainbow Warrior by David Robie ($50, Little Island Press) can be purchased from Little Island Press. 

    Article by AsiaPacificReport.nz

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Ernst Saves Taxpayers $100 Million

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)

    WASHINGTON – In addition to the One Big Beautiful Bill delivering the largest tax cut in history, the law will also save taxpayers $100 million by eliminating freebies for free-loading fat cats thanks to an amendment successfully attached by U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa).
    Ernst’s effort ended the backwards practice of forcing small businesses to foot the bill for unemployment benefits for those making more than $1 million annually.
    Here is some of the coverage:
    NEW YORK TIMES | A bipartisan effort cuts unemployment benefits for high earners.
    “There were few moments of bipartisanship during the debate over the Republicans’ sprawling tax and domestic policy bill. One exception was an amendment added by Senator Joni Ernst, Republican of Iowa, that, as she put it, ended ‘freebies for freeloading fat cats.’”
    RADIO IOWA | Ernst amendment on ‘jobless millionaires’ passes U.S. Senate
    “Ernst, who has been proposing this policy since 2023, said during the first two years of the Biden Administration thousands of millionaires were paid $271 million in unemployment assistance. Nearly 15,000 millionaires got unemployment checks in 2021 according to the IRS.”
    WASHINGTON TIMES | Trump’s big, beautiful bill boots millionaires off unemployment benefits
    “In the early morning hours of July 1, as senators were debating and voting on dozens of amendments, Sen. Joni Ernst managed to get her colleagues to accept her amendment that forbids people who show at least $1 million of income in any one year from collecting unemployment insurance benefits.”
    KJAN | Grassley and Ernst back ‘Big Beautiful Bill’
    “Senator Joni Ernst authored an amendment to the bill to prevent people who are laid off — but have over a million dollars in income from other sources — from getting unemployment benefits.”
    NEW YORK POST |Senate smashed vote-a-rama record during struggle to pass Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’
    “Sen. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) successfully tacked on an amendment to cut unemployment benefit funding for millionaires, which she estimated could save $100 million.”
    CNN | Senate’s marathon voting session on Trump’s ‘big, beautiful bill’ stretches into morning
    “Around 3:30 a.m. ET Tuesday, the Senate adopted its first change to the bill. Offered by Republican Sen. Joni Ernst of Iowa, the amendment bars federal funds from being used for unemployment benefits to individuals whose wages are at least $1 million.”
    NEWSWEEK | Senate Approves Banning Unemployment Benefits For People With More Than $1m Income
    “An amendment introduced by Republican Senator Joni Ernst of Iowa passed with an overwhelming voice vote on June 30, as it targeted people who have more than one million dollars in income who receive unemployment benefits.”
    BIZ PAC REVIEW | Trump’s bill kicks millionaires off unemployment benefits: ‘No more freebies for fat cats!’
    “President Donald Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ budget package included an amendment that will pull the unemployment benefits paid out by the federal government to the ‘idle rich,’ as Sen. Joni Ernst noted.”
    NEWSER | Senate Finds a Unanimous Moment Over Unemployment
    “The amendment’s sponsor, GOP Sen. Joni Ernst, referred to the beneficiaries as ‘freeloading fat cats’ and previously made the case to cut their benefits.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Wildfires in Syria’s Latakia affect nearly 2,000 families

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Photo taken with a mobile phone on July 10, 2025 shows burned trees and damaged houses in province of Latakia, northwestern Syria. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Some 1,900 Syrian families have been directly affected, with thousands more at risk, as wildfires continue to ravage Syria’s northwestern province of Latakia for an eighth consecutive day, the United Nations (UN) humanitarian agency said Wednesday.

    According to a report by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), the wildfires, active since July 2, have spread across more than 40 ignition points, burning extensive areas of pine forest, agricultural land, and village outskirts.

    The wildfires have caused substantial displacement of people and a rise in humanitarian demands, especially regarding shelter, water, and other essential services.

    OCHA said that the hardest-hit communities are primarily areas where refugee returnees have settled, while a noticeable decline in return movements has been observed following the wildfires.

    Meanwhile, Syria launched a rapid response program on Wednesday in cooperation with the World Food Programme to aid those affected by the wildfires in Lattakia, chief of agriculture authorities Amjad Badr was quoted as saying by the state news agency SANA.

    Badr said the total areas affected by the wildfires were estimated at around 15,000 hectares, and necessary support, such as agricultural supplies and infrastructure services, would be provided to those affected. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: US sanctions on UN human rights expert unacceptable: UN spokesman

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    U.S. sanctions against a UN human rights expert are unacceptable, said a UN spokesman on Thursday.

    The imposition of sanctions on UN human rights special rapporteurs is a dangerous precedent, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in response to U.S. sanctions on Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory.

    Member states are perfectly entitled to their views and to disagree with the reports by the special rapporteurs, said the spokesman, “but we encourage them to engage with the UN human rights architecture. The use of unilateral sanctions against special rapporteurs, or any other UN expert or official, is unacceptable.”

    He also noted that Albanese, like all other UN human rights special rapporteurs, is an independent human rights expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council and reporting to the Geneva-based council.

    Special rapporteurs do not report to the UN secretary-general, who has no authority over them or their work, added Dujarric.

    Washington on Wednesday announced sanctions against Albanese over her role in investigating alleged Israeli human rights violations against Palestinians. The move marks Washington’s latest efforts to deter international investigations into alleged war crimes committed by Israel amid its ongoing military operations in Gaza.

    The sanctions follow an executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump in February, which authorized punitive measures against the International Criminal Court for what the administration described as “illegitimate and baseless actions” targeting the United States and Israel. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: US sanctions on UN human rights expert unacceptable: UN spokesman

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    U.S. sanctions against a UN human rights expert are unacceptable, said a UN spokesman on Thursday.

    The imposition of sanctions on UN human rights special rapporteurs is a dangerous precedent, said Stephane Dujarric, spokesman for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, in response to U.S. sanctions on Francesca Albanese, UN special rapporteur on the human rights situation in the occupied Palestinian territory.

    Member states are perfectly entitled to their views and to disagree with the reports by the special rapporteurs, said the spokesman, “but we encourage them to engage with the UN human rights architecture. The use of unilateral sanctions against special rapporteurs, or any other UN expert or official, is unacceptable.”

    He also noted that Albanese, like all other UN human rights special rapporteurs, is an independent human rights expert appointed by the UN Human Rights Council and reporting to the Geneva-based council.

    Special rapporteurs do not report to the UN secretary-general, who has no authority over them or their work, added Dujarric.

    Washington on Wednesday announced sanctions against Albanese over her role in investigating alleged Israeli human rights violations against Palestinians. The move marks Washington’s latest efforts to deter international investigations into alleged war crimes committed by Israel amid its ongoing military operations in Gaza.

    The sanctions follow an executive order signed by U.S. President Donald Trump in February, which authorized punitive measures against the International Criminal Court for what the administration described as “illegitimate and baseless actions” targeting the United States and Israel. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: SCO Global Mayors Dialogue gleans insights to urban development

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Digitally empowered governance, trust-based cooperation, and security as a foundation for growth were highlighted at a summit as key pillars in the future development of cities across the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

    The Global Mayors Dialogue: SCO Summit Cities was held in Tianjin from Sunday to Wednesday. The event brought together nearly 20 representatives of SCO member states and cities to engage in two thematic dialogues focused on urban governance and cooperation.

    Urban governance was a central theme throughout the discussions. As smart city development becomes a global priority, China’s experience in enhancing governance through digital technologies drew broad attention and recognition from visiting delegates.

    Parvina Mukhamadalievna Nematova, a city councilor from Dushanbe in Tajikistan, noted that Dushanbe has drawn on Chinese experience for more than 20 smart city projects.

    “We have witnessed the autonomous management system of the Tianjin Port, including its digital and unmanned operations. These practices provide valuable references for both urban governance and enterprise management. We plan to carry out cooperation with Tianjin in this regard,” she said.

    China’s emerging low-altitude economy also attracted considerable attention as a potential innovative solution to ease urban congestion and improve transportation management.

    Aleksandra Voronova, a counselor at the Moscow Center for International Cooperation, expressed strong interest in China’s current exploration of “air taxis” and drone-based traffic monitoring.

    This interest, she said, is driven by the significant pressure on urban mobility in Moscow, where a public transport system handles over 16.6 million trips daily — amounting to 6 billion trips annually.

    In May, a delegation from Moscow visited the southern Chinese metropolises of Shenzhen and Guangzhou to participate in thematic exchanges, and to tour several urban planning and transportation design institutions. This provided crucial insights for the enhancement of Moscow’s transportation infrastructure and population mobility monitoring systems, Voronova said.

    Beyond hardware and technological connectivity, trust remains the invisible infrastructure of the digital age. Participants were in broad agreement that trust among SCO countries is not only built on transparent, open interactions, but is also deeply rooted in cultural affinity and mutual understanding.

    In an interview, Sheradil Baktygulov, director of Kyrgyzstan’s Institute for World Policy Study, said that China and Kyrgyzstan share not only borders but also cultural ties dating back over 2,000 years, and this has laid a solid foundation for ongoing exchange and cooperation between the countries’ younger generations.

    In 2024, China announced plans to offer 1,000 youth exchange places for young people from SCO countries over the next five years.

    “Understanding each other’s culture leads to trust. And with trust comes the possibility of joint development and shared prosperity,” said Zhazgul Madinova, a media expert at Kyrgyz national Kabar news agency.

    Ensuring security as the foundation for development became a key concern among participants. Discussions covered long-standing issues like combating international crime, the emerging challenges of artificial intelligence, and protecting public health and personal safety.

    As important centers for economic cooperation and regional growth within the SCO, cities are increasingly seeing security not as a cost but as a core asset for sustainable development.

    Attendees called for the creation of a broader, stronger platform under the SCO to enable city leaders to discuss and coordinate on security matters regularly, enhancing joint decision-making and responses. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: SCO Global Mayors Dialogue gleans insights to urban development

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    Digitally empowered governance, trust-based cooperation, and security as a foundation for growth were highlighted at a summit as key pillars in the future development of cities across the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO).

    The Global Mayors Dialogue: SCO Summit Cities was held in Tianjin from Sunday to Wednesday. The event brought together nearly 20 representatives of SCO member states and cities to engage in two thematic dialogues focused on urban governance and cooperation.

    Urban governance was a central theme throughout the discussions. As smart city development becomes a global priority, China’s experience in enhancing governance through digital technologies drew broad attention and recognition from visiting delegates.

    Parvina Mukhamadalievna Nematova, a city councilor from Dushanbe in Tajikistan, noted that Dushanbe has drawn on Chinese experience for more than 20 smart city projects.

    “We have witnessed the autonomous management system of the Tianjin Port, including its digital and unmanned operations. These practices provide valuable references for both urban governance and enterprise management. We plan to carry out cooperation with Tianjin in this regard,” she said.

    China’s emerging low-altitude economy also attracted considerable attention as a potential innovative solution to ease urban congestion and improve transportation management.

    Aleksandra Voronova, a counselor at the Moscow Center for International Cooperation, expressed strong interest in China’s current exploration of “air taxis” and drone-based traffic monitoring.

    This interest, she said, is driven by the significant pressure on urban mobility in Moscow, where a public transport system handles over 16.6 million trips daily — amounting to 6 billion trips annually.

    In May, a delegation from Moscow visited the southern Chinese metropolises of Shenzhen and Guangzhou to participate in thematic exchanges, and to tour several urban planning and transportation design institutions. This provided crucial insights for the enhancement of Moscow’s transportation infrastructure and population mobility monitoring systems, Voronova said.

    Beyond hardware and technological connectivity, trust remains the invisible infrastructure of the digital age. Participants were in broad agreement that trust among SCO countries is not only built on transparent, open interactions, but is also deeply rooted in cultural affinity and mutual understanding.

    In an interview, Sheradil Baktygulov, director of Kyrgyzstan’s Institute for World Policy Study, said that China and Kyrgyzstan share not only borders but also cultural ties dating back over 2,000 years, and this has laid a solid foundation for ongoing exchange and cooperation between the countries’ younger generations.

    In 2024, China announced plans to offer 1,000 youth exchange places for young people from SCO countries over the next five years.

    “Understanding each other’s culture leads to trust. And with trust comes the possibility of joint development and shared prosperity,” said Zhazgul Madinova, a media expert at Kyrgyz national Kabar news agency.

    Ensuring security as the foundation for development became a key concern among participants. Discussions covered long-standing issues like combating international crime, the emerging challenges of artificial intelligence, and protecting public health and personal safety.

    As important centers for economic cooperation and regional growth within the SCO, cities are increasingly seeing security not as a cost but as a core asset for sustainable development.

    Attendees called for the creation of a broader, stronger platform under the SCO to enable city leaders to discuss and coordinate on security matters regularly, enhancing joint decision-making and responses. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: German auto parts giant strengthens tech ties with Chinese automakers

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    German auto parts giant ZF is intensifying its technology cooperation with Chinese automakers, the company said on Thursday.

    In a press release, ZF said it is benefiting from the increasing importance of chassis technology, driven by the future trends of e-mobility, software-defined vehicles, and automated driving.

    During its Chassis Tech Day, the company showcased its modular “Chassis 2.0” approach, which integrates smart actuators, system expertise, and software know-how to unlock new avenues for growth.

    Peter Holdmann, member of ZF’s Board of Management and head of Division Chassis Solutions, said the company is targeting 33 percent of the global chassis technology market by the end of the decade.

    At the core of Chassis 2.0 is the industrialization of by-wire technologies, which have already been implemented in vehicles from Chinese brands. The NIO ET9 is the first mass-produced car in China equipped with ZF’s pure steer-by-wire system.

    “This is a prime example of how Chinese and German companies can leverage their respective strengths for collaborative innovation,” said Zhang Hui, vice president of NIO Europe. He added that China-Germany cooperation thrives on the agility and innovation capacity of Chinese firms, paired with the engineering, safety, and industrial expertise of German manufacturers.

    ZF also revealed that it has received two additional orders from Chinese automakers for its latest chassis technologies and has secured a contract with luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz.

    The company has been doubling down on its investment in China, which has gone into a new R&D centre and 10 newly-built or expanded factories in the past two years. Today, nearly one-third of ZF’s 161 global production sites are located in China. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: German auto parts giant strengthens tech ties with Chinese automakers

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    German auto parts giant ZF is intensifying its technology cooperation with Chinese automakers, the company said on Thursday.

    In a press release, ZF said it is benefiting from the increasing importance of chassis technology, driven by the future trends of e-mobility, software-defined vehicles, and automated driving.

    During its Chassis Tech Day, the company showcased its modular “Chassis 2.0” approach, which integrates smart actuators, system expertise, and software know-how to unlock new avenues for growth.

    Peter Holdmann, member of ZF’s Board of Management and head of Division Chassis Solutions, said the company is targeting 33 percent of the global chassis technology market by the end of the decade.

    At the core of Chassis 2.0 is the industrialization of by-wire technologies, which have already been implemented in vehicles from Chinese brands. The NIO ET9 is the first mass-produced car in China equipped with ZF’s pure steer-by-wire system.

    “This is a prime example of how Chinese and German companies can leverage their respective strengths for collaborative innovation,” said Zhang Hui, vice president of NIO Europe. He added that China-Germany cooperation thrives on the agility and innovation capacity of Chinese firms, paired with the engineering, safety, and industrial expertise of German manufacturers.

    ZF also revealed that it has received two additional orders from Chinese automakers for its latest chassis technologies and has secured a contract with luxury carmaker Mercedes-Benz.

    The company has been doubling down on its investment in China, which has gone into a new R&D centre and 10 newly-built or expanded factories in the past two years. Today, nearly one-third of ZF’s 161 global production sites are located in China. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: [Galaxy Unpacked 2025] From AI to Actionable Care: Industry Leaders Chart the Future of Mobile Innovation at Galaxy Tech Forum

    Source: Samsung

    At Galaxy Unpacked 2025 on July 9, Samsung Electronics unveiled its latest Galaxy Z series devices and wearables — pushing the boundaries of foldable design and connected wellness experiences. These innovations mark the next step in the company’s mission to deliver meaningful, user-centered technology, with Galaxy AI and digital health emerging as key pillars of the journey ahead.
     
    To explore these themes further, Samsung hosted two panels at the Galaxy Tech Forum on July 10 in Brooklyn. Samsung Newsroom joined industry leaders and executives to examine how ambient intelligence and advanced health technologies are shaping the future of mobile innovation.
     
     
    (Panel One) The Next Vision of AI: Ambient Intelligence
    ▲ (From left) Moderator Sabrina Ortiz, Jisun Park, Mindy Brooks and Dr. Vinesh Sukumar
     
    The first panel, “The Next Vision of AI: Ambient Intelligence,” explored how multimodal capabilities are enabling the continued evolution of AI in everyday life — blending into user interactions in ways that feel intuitive, proactive and nearly invisible. Panelists discussed the smartphone’s evolving role, the importance of platform integration and the power of cross-industry collaboration to deliver secure, personalized intelligence at scale.
     
    Jisun Park, Corporate Executive Vice President and Head of Language AI Team, Mobile eXperience (MX) Business at Samsung Electronics, opened the conversation by reflecting on Galaxy AI’s rapid adoption. Since the launch of the Galaxy S25 series in January, more than 70% of users have engaged with Galaxy AI features. He then turned the discussion to the next frontier, ambient intelligence — AI that is deeply personal, predictive and ever-present.
     
    ▲ Jisun Park from Samsung Electronics
     
    Samsung sees ambient intelligence as AI that is so seamlessly integrated into daily life it becomes second nature. The company is committed to democratizing Galaxy AI to 400 million devices by the end of 2025.
     
    This vision builds on insights from a yearlong collaboration with London-based research firm Symmetry, which revealed that 60% of users want their phones to anticipate needs without prompts — based on daily habits.
     
    “Some see AI as the start of a ‘post-smartphone’ era, but we see it differently,” said Park. “We’re building a future where your devices don’t just respond — they become smarter to anticipate, see and work quietly in the background to make life feel a little more effortless.”
     
    Mindy Brooks, Vice President of Android Consumer Product and Experience at Google, discussed how multimodal AI is moving beyond reactive response to deeper understanding of user intent across inputs like text, vision and voice. Google’s Gemini is designed to be intelligently aware and anticipatory — tuned to individual preferences and routines for assistance that feels natural.
     
    ▲ Mindy Brooks from Google
     
    “Through close collaboration with Samsung, Gemini works seamlessly across its devices and connects with first-party apps to provide helpful and personalized responses,” she said.
     
    Dr. Vinesh Sukumar, Vice President of Product Management at Qualcomm Technologies emphasized that as AI becomes more personalized, there is more information than ever that needs to be protected.
     
    “For us, privacy, performance and personalization go hand in hand — they’re not competing priorities but co-equal standards,” he said.
     
    ▲ Dr. Vinesh Sukumar from Qualcomm Technologies
     
    Both Brooks and Dr. Sukumar reinforced the importance of tight integration across platforms and hardware.
     
    “Our work with Samsung prioritizes secure, on-device intelligence so that users know where their data is and who controls it,” said Dr. Sukumar.
     
    ▲ The AI panel at Galaxy Tech Forum
     
    Moderator Sabrina Ortiz, senior editor at ZDNET, closed the session with a discussion on AI privacy. Panelists agreed that trust, transparency and user control must underpin the entire AI experience.
     
    “When it comes to building more agentic AI, our priority is to ensure we’re fostering smarter, more personalized and more meaningful assistance across our device ecosystem,” said Brooks.
     
     
    (Panel Two) The Next Chapter of Health: Scaling Prevention and Connected Care
    The second panel, “The Next Chapter of Health: Scaling Prevention and Connected Care,” focused on how technology can bridge the gap between wellness and clinical care — making health insights more connected, proactive and usable for individuals, healthcare providers and digital health solution partners. Panelists explored how the convergence of clinical data, at-home monitoring and AI is reshaping the modern healthcare experience.
     
    ▲ (From left) Moderator Dr. Hon Pak, Mike McSherry, Dr. Rasu Shrestha and Jim Pursley
     
    Health data is often siloed across systems, resulting in inefficiencies and gaps in care. Combined with rising rates of chronic illness, an aging population and ongoing clinician shortages, the result is a system under pressure to deliver timely, effective care.
     
    ▲ Dr. Hon Pak from Samsung Electronics
     
    “Patients and consumers around the world are asking us to hear them, to know them, to truly understand them,” said moderator Dr. Hon Pak, Senior Vice President and Head of Digital Health Team at Samsung Electronics. “And I believe this is the opportunity we have with Samsung, Xealth and partners like Hinge and Advocate. Together, we are creating a connected ecosystem where healthcare can truly make a difference — not just in the life of a patient, but in the life of a person.”
     
    Samsung is addressing this challenge through technological innovation and its recent acquisition of Xealth, a leading digital health platform with a network of more than 500 hospitals and 70 digital health solution providers. Through Xealth, Samsung plans to connect wearable data and insights from Samsung Health into clinical workflows — delivering a more unified and seamless healthcare experience.
     
    ▲ Mike McSherry from Xealth
     
    “This [phone], plus your devices — the watch, the ring — are going to replace the standalone blood pressure monitor, the pulse oximeter, a variety of different devices,” said Mike McSherry, founder and CEO of Xealth. “It’s going to be one packaged solution, and that’s going to simplify care.”
     
    This collaboration is designed to empower hospitals with real-time insights and help prevent chronic conditions through early detection and continuous monitoring with wearable devices.
     
    ▲ Dr. Rasu Shrestha from Advocate Health
     
    “The reality is that with all of the challenges that exist in healthcare, it is not any one entity that can heroically go in and save healthcare. It really takes an ecosystem,” said Dr. Rasu Shrestha, Executive Vice President and Chief Innovation & Commercialization Officer at Advocate Health. “That’s part of the reason why I’m so excited about Xealth and Samsung — and partners like us — really coming together to solve for this challenge. Because it is about Samsung enabling it. It’s more of an open ecosystem, a curated ecosystem.”
     
    The panel spotlighted the growing shift from hospital-based care to care at home — and the opportunities enabled by Samsung’s expanding ecosystem of connected devices. Data from wearables, including those equipped with Samsung’s BioActive Sensor technology, can provide high-quality input for AI-driven insights.
     
    Paired with Samsung’s SmartThings connectivity and wide portfolio of smart home devices, the company is uniquely positioned to support remote health monitoring and treatment from home.
     
    AI is expected to play a role in reducing clinician workload by streamlining administrative tasks and surfacing the most relevant insights at the right time. Platforms like Xealth offer users a personalized, friendly interface to access necessary information from one place for a more connected healthcare experience.
     
    ▲ The health panel at Galaxy Tech Forum
     
    Across both sessions, one theme was clear — realizing the potential of ambient intelligence and scaling prevention and connected care requires deep, cross-industry collaboration.
     
    From on-device privacy solutions like Knox Matrix to expanded integration across Galaxy devices, Samsung and its partners are building an ecosystem that’s not only intelligent but simple, secure and future-ready.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: [Editorial] Enriching Life Through Human-Centered Design

    Source: Samsung

     
    We are living through a defining moment in history. Technology has become a central force in our daily lives like never before, and the pace of innovation and change is truly extraordinary. In this rapidly evolving world, the human element — our thoughts, emotions, aspirations and needs — matters more than ever. Even as technology takes the lead, we believe our greatest strength lies in empathy and care.
     
    As designers, our mission goes beyond creating innovative products. We aim to elevate people’s lives — to design tools and experiences that help them live better, longer and more meaningfully, by taming technology in service of humanity.
     
    Samsung Electronics is a worldwide leader in tech and already plays an essential role in the lives of billions around the globe. Through our products, we help you clean your home, wash your clothes and dishes, preserve your food, store your memories, stay entertained, stay connected and express yourself — whether at home, on the move or in public spaces. This reach is both a tremendous privilege and, in the age of AI and accelerated technological change, an incredible opportunity and an immense responsibility.
     
    That sense of purpose is what inspired me to join Samsung this year, after more than two decades as a designer and business leader across industries and cultures. I was drawn by the possibility to help reimagine the relationship between people and technology — putting humans at the heart of our product universe, to create a world where innovation truly supports and enhances our lives, unlocking, amplifying and elevating the human side of technology.
     
     
    Rewriting the Code of a Design-Driven Company
    To me, design is far more than a product or a user interface. It’s more than the interplay of form and function. I like to define design as the art of dreaming, crafting and taking to life distinctive solutions, meaningful experiences and authentic stories that deeply resonate with people’s needs and aspirations. In this sense, form and function follow meaning. Design becomes a force for purposeful innovation — one that begins and ends with people.
     
    Across Samsung’s product portfolio, design serves as a language — one that understands people and interprets the complexity of the world around us. It has the power to humanize technology, transforming algorithms into emotion, features into feelings. In a time of accelerating complexity, design is how we restore clarity and foster deeper connections — with ourselves, our cultures and our lives.
     
    Samsung’s commitment to design thinking dates back to 1996, when it declared the “Year of Design Revolution.” That year marked a turning point, with design officially recognized as a core strategic asset. With a “human-centered design philosophy” at its heart, Samsung laid the foundation for a design ethos that continues to evolve and grow.
     
    Now, in the era of AI, our challenge is to build upon that legacy — to amplify its intent, refine its spirit and redefine what design means in a new cultural and technological landscape. Products can be copied, but a design philosophy — its purpose and point of view — cannot be replicated. This is why culture matters. For individuals and for organizations alike, consistency, authentic creativity and genuine care at every touchpoint are what set great companies apart.
     
     
    A New Challenge to Everyday Innovation
    Today, Samsung innovations are already transforming everyday life. Robot vacuum cleaners quietly maintain our homes. Smartwatches provide real-time insights into our health. Intelligent appliances, from washing machines to dishwashers, offer greater efficiency, performance and ease of use. Smart refrigerators adapt to our habits to keep food fresher for longer. Our screens deliver breathtaking visuals, our audio systems fill rooms with immersive soundscapes, and our smartphones, tablets and wearables keep us connected through intuitive design and purposeful features.
     
    All of this is remarkable. Yet, the real frontier lies in something greater: the seamless integration of all these devices into a coherent, human-centered journey. We’re not just designing individual products — we’re designing an ecosystem of experiences. We’re redefining what “smart” really means by infusing technology with empathy, meaning and emotional resonance.
     
    Samsung’s design now goes beyond the object. It places thoughtful connections, insightful information, and intentional emotions at the center. Through a cohesive design experience across our entire ecosystem — from mobile to TV to home appliances — we’re committed to enriching every interaction.
     
    Our vision is a future where design brings warmth to innovation, and where technology helps us not only do more — but live longer, live better, and live more connected, and more meaningfully, creating an empathetic layer between people and their environments. This personal field of emotionally attuned, physiologically aware, and ethically governed technologies interconnects to form constellations of care — enabling shared rhythms and deeper connection across the home, family and community.
     
     
    The Future Is Emotional, Meaningful, Connected Intelligence

     
    The next frontier of smart technology must offer more than just functionality. With Samsung’s advancements in AI, empowered by hardware and software, we are unlocking a new dimension of emotional intelligence — where technology doesn’t just work for us, but resonates with us.
     
    What excites me most about AI in product design is how it enables us to listen, learn and craft experiences that feel deeply personal. As intelligence becomes ambient — woven seamlessly into our everyday devices — design takes on a greater responsibility: to ensure that intelligence feels warm, human and caring. We’re shifting from devices that demand our attention to those that pay attention, anticipating needs, adapting preferences and forming meaningful relationships with users.
     
    We’re envisioning an ecosystem where intelligence isn’t confined to one device, but exists around you — quiet, empathetic, always present when needed, and gracefully invisible when not. Samsung’s holistic approach to AI spans across the entire ecosystem — from smartphones to TVs, wearables to home appliances — transforming each product into a thoughtful companion in your daily life.
     
    Imagine a TV that mirrors your mood. A refrigerator that understands your dietary goals. A watch or ring that knows when you need rest, and gently guides you toward better mental and physical wellbeing. This is not just innovation — it’s a design philosophy where intelligence surrounds you, senses you, learns from you and ultimately adapts to serve you better. Each product becomes part of a larger, unified story, grounded in empathy, awareness and care.
     
     
    Design as a Force for Meaning — And for a Better Tomorrow
    Technology will always continue to evolve. But what truly matters is the meaning it brings — to individuals and to society. At Samsung, we innovate not just because we can, but because we care. It starts with a sincere commitment to people and a deep sense of responsibility for the impact we create.
     
    What has always inspired me about Samsung is its belief in openness — not just as a platform strategy, but as a cultural principle. Openness to collaboration. Openness to bold, unconventional ideas. Openness to meeting people where they are. This spirit of openness removes barriers, fuels connection and sets the stage for truly meaningful innovation.
     
    These are the values that have shaped my career and the principles I believe will drive our industry forward. They reflect a shared mission: to build technology that enriches human life, with empathy at its core.
     
    Through our love for humanity and our clear vision for the future, we invite you to join us on this journey — one shaped by Samsung Design, and guided by purpose, care and imagination.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Brownley Statement Following Immigration Enforcement Activities in Camarillo

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Julia Brownley (D-CA)

    Camarillo, CA – Today, Congresswoman Julia Brownley (CA-26) released the following statement in response to recent immigration enforcement activities and large federal agent presence at a farm in Ventura County. This raid comes amid a broader escalation of immigration enforcement actions across Ventura County, Los Angeles County, and Southern California.

    “I am aware of the recent immigration enforcement activities and large federal agent presence on Laguna Road in Camarillo and have been closely monitoring the situation. I’m deeply frustrated by the lack of transparency from ICE and the Department of Homeland Security, and I will be demanding answers to find out who they detained and where the detainees are being taken.

    “These militarized raids are not routine immigration enforcement. They are part of a deliberate, disruptive, and ongoing campaign of cruelty that is an unacceptable assault on our way of life. ICE should be focused on individuals who pose real threats to public safety, not carrying out broad sweeps that destabilize entire communities.

    “The farmworkers being targeted in these operations are the same individuals who break their backs day in and day out to feed this country. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they were rightly declared essential workers who were vital to sustaining our nation’s food supply. To turn around and target them is wrong and profoundly immoral.

    “These raids are a misuse of federal resources, and they are not how we keep our neighborhoods safe. In fact, this kind of chaos only makes our communities more insecure. And as these actions continue to traumatize families and tear communities apart, they are also tearing at the fabric of our humanity.

    “I am continuing to work to hold this administration accountable and ensure that all Ventura County families, regardless of immigration status, feel safe. We can, and we must, enforce our immigration laws while upholding the rule of law and respecting due process.”

    ###

    Issues: 119th Congress, Immigration, Local Issues

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Health Employment – Hospital nurses to take nationwide strike action – NZNO

    Source: New Zealand Nurses Organisation

    More than 36,000 Te Whatu Ora nurses, midwives, health care assistants and kaimahi hauora have voted to strike for 24-hours after Health NZ failed to address their safe staffing concerns.
    New Zealand Nurses Organisation Tōpūtanga Tapuhi Kaitiaki o Aotearoa (NZNO) Chief Executive Paul Goulter says there was strong support from members to take strike action after a new offer from Te Whatu Ora last week was worse than a previous one in May.
    “This latest offer from Te Whatu Ora fails to address concerns about safe staffing despite them being raised continually throughout the collective agreement bargaining process.
    “Patients are at risk because of short staffing. Nurses, midwives and health care assistants are stretched too thin and can’t give patients the care they need. This is heartbreaking for our exhausted members who became health care workers because they want to help people.
    “Te Whatu Ora data obtained by NZNO under the Official Information Act shows between January and November last year, 50% of all days shifts were understaffed across hospital wards in 16 health districts,” Paul Goulter says. (see table in editor’s notes)
    To “add insult to injury” members have again been offered a wage increase which doesn’t meet cost of living increases and will see them and their whānau go backwards financially, he says.
    “There were 30,000 New Zealanders who moved to Australia in the past year. We know some of them are burnt out nurses moving for better conditions and wages.
    “Te Whatu Ora needs to do more to retain our nursing workforce, employ graduate nurses and ensure patients get the care they need. This is about the health and wellbeing of real people and their whānau, not the need to meet some arbitrary budget set by the Government.
    “It looks like this Government has lost control of health,” Paul Goulter says.
    Notes:
    -The nationwide strike will be held from 9am on Wednesday 30 July until 9am on Thursday 31 July.
    -The strike will be a complete withdrawal of labour at every place in New Zealand where Te Whatu Ora provides health care or hospital care services.
    -Life preserving services will continue to be provided.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Earth’s ‘oldest’ impact crater is much younger than previously thought – new study

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Aaron J. Cavosie, Senior Lecturer, School of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Curtin University

    Outcrops of shocked rocks from the Miralga impact structure. Aaron Cavosie

    Ever been late because you misread a clock? Sometimes, the “clocks” geologists use to date events can also be misread. Unravelling Earth’s 4.5-billion-year history with rocks is tricky business.

    Case in point: the discovery of an ancient meteorite impact crater was recently reported in the remote Pilbara region of Western Australia. The original study, by a different group, made headlines with the claim the crater formed 3.5 billion years ago. If true, it would be Earth’s oldest by far.

    As it turns out, we’d also been investigating the same site. Our results are published in Science Advances today. While we agree that this is the site of an ancient meteorite impact, we have reached different conclusions about its age, size and significance.

    Let’s consider the claims made about this fascinating crater.

    One impact crater, two versions of events

    Planetary scientists search for ancient impacts to learn about Earth’s early formation. So far, nobody has found an impact crater older than the 2.23-billion-year-old Yarrabubba structure, also in Australia. (Some of the authors from both 2025 Pilbara studies were coauthors on the 2020 Yarrabubba study.)

    The new contender is located in an area called North Pole Dome. Despite the name, this isn’t where Santa lives. It’s an arid, hot, ochre-stained landscape.

    The sun sets on the arid landscape of North Pole Dome in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
    Alec Brenner

    The first report on the new crater claimed it formed 3.5 billion years ago, and was more than 100 kilometres in diameter. It was proposed that such a large impact might have played a role in forming continental crust in the Pilbara. More speculatively, the researchers also suggested it may have influenced early life.

    Our study concludes the impact actually happened much later, sometime after 2.7 billion years ago. This is at least 800 million years younger than the earlier estimate (and we think it’s probably even younger; more on that in a moment).

    We also determined the crater was much smaller – about 16km in diameter. In our view, this impact was too young and too small to have influenced continent formation or early life.

    So how could two studies arrive at such different findings?

    Subtle clues of an impact

    The originally circular crater is deeply eroded, leaving only subtle clues on the landscape. However, among the rust-coloured basalts are unique telltale signs of meteorite impact: shatter cones.

    Outcrop photo of shatter cones in basalt at the Miralga impact structure. The black pen cap is 5cm long.
    Alec Brenner

    Shatter cones are distinctive fossilised imprints of shock waves that have passed through rocks. Their unique conical shapes form under brief but immense pressure where a meteorite strikes Earth.

    Both studies found shatter cones, and agree the site is an ancient impact.

    This new crater also needed a name. We consulted the local Aboriginal people, the Nyamal, who shared the traditional name for this place and its people: Miralga. The “Miralga impact structure” name recognises this heritage.

    Determining the timing of the impact

    The impact age was estimated by field observations, as neither study found material likely to yield an impact age by radiometric dating – a method that uses measurements of radioactive isotopes.

    Both studies applied a geological principle called the law of superposition. This states that rock layers get deposited one on top of another over time, so rocks on top are younger than those below.

    Example of the law of superposition, known as Hutton’s unconformity, at Siccar Point Scotland. The gently dipping layered rocks at the top left were deposited onto – and are therefore younger than – the nearly vertical layered rocks at the bottom right.
    Anne Burgess/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    The first group found shatter cones within and below a sedimentary layer known to have been deposited 3.47 billion years ago, but no shatter cones in younger rocks above this layer. This meant the impact occurred during deposition of the sedimentary layer.

    Their observation seemed to be a “smoking gun” for an impact 3.47 billion years ago.

    As it turns out, there was more to the story.

    Our investigation found shatter cones in the same 3.47 billion-year-old rocks, but also in younger overlying rocks, including lavas known to have erupted 2.77 billion years ago.

    Outcrop of shatter cones in 2.77-billion-year-old basalt at the Miralga impact structure. These lavas are the youngest rocks in the area we found to have shatter cones. They have distinctive holes (vesicles) representing trapped gas bubbles. The pen is 15cm long.
    Aaron Cavosie

    The impact had to occur after the formation of the youngest rocks that contained shatter cones, meaning sometime after the 2.77-billion-year-old lavas.

    At the moment, we don’t know precisely how young the crater is. We can only constrain the impact to have occurred between 2.7 billion and 400 million years ago. We’re working on dating the impact by isotopic methods, but these results aren’t yet in.

    Smaller than originally thought

    We made the first map showing where shatter cones are found. There are many hundreds over an area 6km across. From this map and their orientations, we calculate the original crater was about 16km in diameter.

    A 16km crater is a far cry from the original estimate of more than 100km. It’s too small to have influenced the formation of continents or life. By the time of the impact, the Pilbara was already quite old.

    Artist’s depiction looking northwest across the Pilbara, over the 16km-wide Miralga crater. The crater is shown 3km above the modern land surface to account for the deep erosion that has since erased it. The crater size is based on the distribution of shatter cones (inset). The cones point up and back towards the original ‘ground zero’ of the impact. Maps produced using Google Earth Studio.
    Alec Brenner

    A new connection to Mars

    Science is a self-policing sport. Claims of discovery are based on data available at the time, but they often require modification based on new data or observations.

    While it’s not the world’s oldest, the Miralga impact is scientifically unique, as craters formed in basalt are rare. Most basalts there formed 3.47 billion years ago, making them the oldest shocked target rocks known.

    Prior to impact, these ancient basalts had been chemically altered by seawater. Sedimentary rocks nearby also contain the earliest well-established fossils on Earth. Such rocks likely covered much of early Earth and Mars.

    This makes the Miralga impact structure a playground for planetary scientists studying the cratered surface (and maybe early life) of Mars. It’s an easily accessible proving ground for Mars exploration instruments and imagery, right here on Earth.

    Aaron J. Cavosie receives or has received funding from the Australian Research Council, the US National Science Foundation, and NASA.

    Alec Brenner 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. Earth’s ‘oldest’ impact crater is much younger than previously thought – new study – https://theconversation.com/earths-oldest-impact-crater-is-much-younger-than-previously-thought-new-study-259803

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: A weakened Iran and Hezbollah gives Lebanon an opening to chart path away from the region’s conflicts − will it be enough?

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Mireille Rebeiz, Chair of Middle East Studies and Associate Professor of Francophone and Women’s, Gender and Sexuality Studies at Dickinson College. Adjunct Professor of Law at Penn State Dickinson Law., Dickinson College

    The national Lebanese flag hangs on a building amid a Hezbollah demonstration in the southern suburbs of Beirut on July 6, 2025. Photo by Nael Chahine / Middle East Images via AFP

    After a 12-day war launched by Israel and joined briefly by the United States, Iran has emerged weakened and vulnerable. And that has massive implications for another country in the region: Lebanon.

    Hezbollah, Tehran’s main ally in Lebanon, had already lost a lot of its fighters, arsenal and popular support during its own war with Israel in October 2024.

    Now, Iran’s government has little capacity to continue to finance, support and direct Hezbollah in Lebanon like it has done in the past. Compounding this shift away from Hezbollah’s influence, the U.S. recently laid down terms for a deal that would see the withdrawal of Israeli troops from southern Lebanon in return for the total disarmament of the paramilitary group – a proposal seemingly backed by the Lebanese government.

    As an expert on Lebanese history and culture, I believe that these changing regional dynamics give the Lebanese state an opening to chart a more neutral orientation and extricate itself from neighboring conflicts that have long exacerbated the divided and fragile country’s chronic problems.

    The shaping of modern Lebanon

    Ideologically, developments in Iran played a major role in shaping the circumstances in which Hezbollah, the Shiite Islamist political party and paramilitary group, was born.

    The Iranian Revolution of 1978-79 toppled the widely reviled and corrupt Western-backed monarchy of Shah Mohammad Reza and led to the establishment of an Islamic republic. That revolution resonated among the young Shiite population in Lebanon, where a politically sectarian system that was intended to reflect a balanced representation of Muslims and Christians in the country had led to de facto discrimination against underrepresented groups.

    Since Lebanon’s independence from France in 1943, most of the power has been concentrated in the hands of the Maronite Christians and Sunnis, leaving Shiite regions in south Lebanon and the Bekaa Valley lacking in development projects, social services and infrastructure.

    At the same time, Lebanon for decades had been irreparably changed by the politics of its powerful neighbor in Israel.

    In the course of founding its state in 1948, Israel forcibly removed over 750,000 Palestinians from their homeland – what Palestinians refer to as the Nakba, or “catastophe.” Many fled to Lebanon, largely in the country’s impoverished south and Bekaa Valley, which became a center of Palestinian resistance to Israel.

    In 1978, Israel invaded Lebanon to push Palestinian fighters away from its northern borders and put an end to rockets launched from south Lebanon. This fighting included the massacre of many civilians and the displacement of many Lebanese and Palestinians farther north.

    In 1982, Israel invaded Lebanon again with the stated purpose of eliminating the Palestinian Liberation Organization that had moved its headquarters to the country’s south. An estimated 17,000 to 19,000 Lebanese and Palestinian civilians and armed personnel were killed during the conflict and the accompanying siege of Beirut.

    It was in this cauldron of regional and domestic sectarianism and state abandonment that Hezbollah formed as a paramilitary group in 1985, buoyed by Shiite mobilization following the Iranian revolution and Israel’s invasion and occupation.

    Hezbollah’s domestic spoiler status

    Over time and with the continuous support of Iran, Hezbollah become an important player in the Middle East, intervening in the Syrian civil war to support the Assad regime and supporting the Kata’ib Hezbollah, a dominant Iraqi pro-Iranian militia.

    In 2016, Secretary General of Hezbollah Hassan Nasrallah officially recognized Iran’s role in funding their activities.

    People gather to stage a demonstration in support of Iran in front of the Iranian Embassy in Beirut, Lebanon, on June 25, 2025.
    Photo by Houssam Shbaro/Anadolu via Getty Images

    With Tehran’s support, Hezbollah was effectively able to operate as a state within a state while using its political clout to veto the vast majority of Lebanese parliamentary decisions it opposed. Amid that backdrop, Lebanon endured three long presidential vacuums: from November 2007 to May 2008; from May 2014 to October 2016; and finally from October 2022 to January 2024.

    Lebanon also witnessed a series of political assassinations from 2005 to 2021 that targeted politicians, academics, journalists and other figures who criticized Hezbollah.

    How the equation has changed

    It would be an understatement, then, to say that Hezbollah’s and Iran’s weakened positions as a result of their respective conflicts with Israel since late 2023 create major political ramifications for Lebanon.

    The most recent vacuum at the presidential level ended amid Hezbollah’s military losses against Israel, with Lebanon electing the former army commander Joseph Aoun as president.

    Meanwhile, despite the threat of violence, the Lebanese opposition to Hezbollah, which consists of members of parliament and public figures, has increased its criticism of Hezbollah, openly denouncing its leadership and calling for Lebanon’s political neutrality.

    These dissenting voices emerged cautiously during the Syrian civil war in 2011 and have grown after the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks and the subsequent war on Gaza.

    During the latest Israel-Iran war, the Lebanese opposition felt emboldened to reiterate its call for neutrality. Enabled by the U.S’s growing tutelage over Lebanon, some opposition figures have even called to normalize relations with Israel.

    These efforts to keep Lebanon out of the circle of violence are not negligible. In the past, they would have been attacked by Hezbollah and its supporters for what they would have considered high treason. Today, they represent new movement for how leaders are conceiving of politics domestically and diplomacy across the region.

    The critical regional context going forward

    As the political system cautiously changes, Hezbollah is facing unprecedented financial challenges and is unable to meet its fighters’ needs, including the promise to rebuild their destroyed homes. And with its own serious internal challenges, Iran now has much less ability to meaningfully support Hezbollah from abroad.

    But none of that means that Hezbollah is defeated as a political and military force, particularly as ongoing skirmishes with Israel give the group an external pretext.

    The Hezbollah-Israel war ended with a ceasefire brokered by the United States and France on Nov. 27, 2024. However, Israel has been attacking south Lebanon on an almost daily basis, including three incidents over the course of 10 days from late June to early July that have left several people dead and more than a dozen wounded.

    Amid these violations, Hezbollah continues to refuse to disarm and still casts itself as the only defender of Lebanon’s territorial integrity, again undermining the power of the Lebanese army and state.

    Lebanon’s other neighbor, Syria, will also be critical. The fall of the Assad regime in December 2024 diminished Hezbollah’s powers in the region and land access to Iraq and Iran. And the new Syrian leadership is not interested in supporting the Iranian Shiite ideology in the region but rather in empowering the Sunni community, one that was oppressed under the Assad dictatorship.

    While it’s too early to say, border tensions might translate into sectarian violence in Lebanon or even potential land loss. Yet the new Syrian government also has a different approach toward its neighbors than its predecessor. After decades of hostility, Syria seems to be opting for diplomacy with Israel rather than war. It is unclear what these negotiations will entail and how they will impact Lebanon and Hezbollah. However, there are real concerns about new borders in the region.

    The U.S. as ever will play a major role in next steps in Lebanon and the region. The U.S. has been pressing Lebanon to disarm Hezbollah, and the U.S Ambassador to Turkey and special envoy for Syria Thomas Barrack said he was “unbelievably satisfied” by Lebanon’s response thus far. But so far, there has been no fundamental shift on that front.

    Meanwhile, despite the calls for neutrality and the U.S pressure on Lebanon, it is hard to envision a new and neutral Lebanon without some serious changes in the region. Any future course for Lebanon will still first require progress toward peace in Gaza and ensuring Iran commits not to use Hezbollah as a proxy in the future.

    Mireille Rebeiz is affiliated with American Red Cross.

    – ref. A weakened Iran and Hezbollah gives Lebanon an opening to chart path away from the region’s conflicts − will it be enough? – https://theconversation.com/a-weakened-iran-and-hezbollah-gives-lebanon-an-opening-to-chart-path-away-from-the-regions-conflicts-will-it-be-enough-260031

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives shatters the church’s century-long effort to curate its own image

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Brenton Griffin, Casual Lecturer and Tutor in History, Indigenous Studies, and Politics, Flinders University

    Hulu

    Reality TV series The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives follows a number of social media influencers from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who rose to prominence through social media, and particularly TikTok.

    The show is based in Utah, United States, where the church has its headquarters. But it stands in stark contrast with the stereotypical perception of Mormons – and especially Mormon women – the church has promoted for more than a century.

    Through its exploration of traditionally “taboo” topics such as sex, marital issues, mental illness and sexual abuse, The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives clashes against the church’s carefully curated public image.

    Historical pariahs

    Historically, the church’s practice of polygamy placed it at odds with the mainstream sexual and familial norms of 19th century America.

    Polygamy had been practised by Mormons since at least the 1830s, and was officially announced as permissible by the church in 1852. The church now acknowledges its founder, Joseph Smith, married almost 40 women and teenage girls before his death in 1844.

    When Mormon missionaries began to proselytise throughout the world, newspapers criticised the practice, and Mormons were framed as sexual deviants and racialised “pariahs”. In other words, Mormons were presented as being racially different to the rest of white American society. This claim was even supported by doctors at the time.

    1904 Time cartoon by C.J. Rudd, captioned: ‘Mormon Elder Berry – out with his six year olds, who take after their mothers.’
    KUER/Religion of a Different Color: Mormonism and the Struggle for Whiteness’ (2017) by W. Paul Reeve.

    To Mormons, however, polygamy was a reintroduction of the correct form of marriage, and they pointed to biblical prophets to justify it.

    In 1862, the US congress passed a series of laws aimed at abolishing polygamy. This resulted in the arrest of church leaders and the confiscation of church-owned funds and properties in Utah.

    Then, in the 1870s, exposés written by former Mormons (particularly women) decried polygamy as evil, increasing hostility against Mormon leaders.

    Ann Eliza Webb Young, ex-wife of Mormon prophet Brigham Young, wrote the exposé ‘Wife No. 19, Or The Story of Life in Bondage’.
    Internet Archive Open Library

    In 1890, church leader Wilford Woodruff announced in a revelation known as the Manifesto that polygamy would cease. The Manifesto was accepted by most Mormons as the government’s harassment increased. However, breakaway groups called “fundamentalists” continued the practice.

    Today, Mormon scriptures continue to state polygamy is the correct form of marriage, and will exist in the afterlife.

    The stereotypical Mormon

    Since the ending of polygamy, the church has sought to establish itself as a moral equal to mainstream Christian norms, especially sexual norms. In 1995, it released a document titled Family: A Proclamation to the World which emphasised the view that heterosexual marriage and strict gender roles are divinely ordained.

    The 1995 official Mormon document, ‘The Family: A Proclamation to the World’.
    BYU Scholar Arcive

    As the church has grown, it has presented its members as model citizens of the nations they reside in.

    In doing so, it has promoted unique doctrines and practices, such as sexual abstinence before marriage, and a particular health code called the Word of Wisdom which bars alcohol, tea, coffee and tobacco.

    These doctrines, and existing stereotypes of Mormons, are examined in The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives.

    Colliding perceptions

    The 2024 release of the series caused waves in the Latter-day Saints community, with a number of Mormon-focused publications condemning it.

    Before the show was released, the church published a general statement saying media portrayals of Mormons “often rely on sensationalism and inaccuracies that do not fairly and fully reflect the lives of our Church members”. It has yet to directly comment on the show.

    Nonetheless, the representation of Mormons in The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is problematic for the church, because it transgresses its highly curated image of Mormonism.

    As the influencers put it, there is a desire to push back against stereotypes around Mormonism, and particularly Mormon women. These stereotypes have been crystallised by the church to combat perceptions of Mormons as sexually abhorrent, due to past practices of polygamy.

    The women in the show wear clothing that would not cover “temple garments”, the mandatory Latter-day Saint undergarments which seek to impose sexual modesty.

    There is also a tongue-in-cheek acknowledgement that while the church prohibits stimulants such as tea, coffee and alcohol, Mormons within Utah and surrounds still consume other, somewhat surprising, substances. For instance, the use of ketamine in therapy is allowed when administered by a healthcare professional.

    The series also engages with topics considered taboo in the church, such as marital issues, mental health struggles and consensual sex. Even if these are being played up by the cast or producers, such discussions are lacking in broader Mormon circles.

    Importantly, there are admissions by some cast members, including one of the husbands, of being sexually abused as children. According to the cast members themselves, these disclosures are intended to empower viewers who may have had similar experiences.

    This is a powerful critique, because the Mormon church has come under intense scrutiny for its failure to properly respond to child sexual assault, both in the US and globally.

    The next steps

    The show is having a marked impact on perceptions of Mormonism, despite the church’s stance it doesn’t represent the beliefs and lifestyle of Mormons more broadly.

    For many viewers, it might be their introduction to the religion. This is concerning for adherents, and particularly for the church’s leadership.

    The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives reunion special aired earlier this month.
    Hulu

    There are internal tools the church could use against the show’s cast members, such as disciplinary councils or excommunication. But these would be ineffective since only about half the members consider themselves “faithful” Mormons.

    It’s interesting the church has yet to condemn the show. Perhaps maintaining an image of reluctant acceptance is more important, as in recent years the church has been criticised for overreach against its own members.

    In this case, the show would be an uncomfortable reality the church will just have to live with. Either way, the damage to the stereotypical Mormon image is done.

    The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives is available to stream on Disney+.

    Brenton Griffin was raised as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but is no longer a practising member of the church. His research is focused on the religion’s place in Australian and New Zealand popular culture, politics, and society from the 19th century to present.

    – ref. The Secret Lives of Mormon Wives shatters the church’s century-long effort to curate its own image – https://theconversation.com/the-secret-lives-of-mormon-wives-shatters-the-churchs-century-long-effort-to-curate-its-own-image-260418

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: What is the Strait of Hormuz and why is it so important for global shipping?

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Belinda Clarence, Law Lecturer, RMIT University

    During the recent conflict between Iran and Israel, Iran threatened to block the Strait of Hormuz, one of the world’s major shipping routes.

    Would that be possible, and what effects would it have?

    The Strait of Hormuz is a choke point at the entrance to the Persian Gulf. It is used to transport about 20% of global daily oil consumption.

    Iran effectively controls this crucial shipping route because it is a coastal state bordering this narrow stretch of water. The strait is too narrow to avoid navigating waters claimed by Iran. This raises thorny legal questions about whether it is really possible for Iran to block the strait, and what recourse other states have if it does.

    This geographical reality is far from new, and the legal frameworks governing international maritime activity have developed over centuries. At its heart is the lex mercatoria — the “law of merchants” — a body of transnational commercial law that emerged organically from the practices of traders operating across borders.

    Within this broader framework sits the lex maritima, or customary maritime law, which has long adapted to the hazards of shipping across vast oceans.

    The lex maritima originated from the shared practices of seafarers and merchants. Its purpose? To manage the unpredictable nature of maritime trade that demands coherent and stable rules.

    One of the most enduring principles of this legal tradition is the idea of mare liberum, or “the free sea”, set out by Dutch jurist Hugo Grotius in 1609. He argued the high seas should remain open to all for peaceful navigation and trade. This conveniently legitimised the ambitions of European colonial powers, granting them unfettered access to global maritime routes at a time when control over sea-based trade promised immense economic and strategic advantage.

    The shifting boundaries of maritime law

    One of the most fundamental questions in maritime law is: where do a nation’s territorial waters end, and the high seas begin?

    After the second world war, a series of conferences culminated in the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), where the customary 3 nautical miles (5.56km) of territorial waters states could claim as their own was extended. This narrow limit was rooted more in historical naval range – the so-called “cannon shot rule” – than in modern geopolitical or environmental realities.

    In 1959, Iran took the unusual step of unilaterally extending its territorial sea to 12 nautical miles, despite not being a party to UNCLOS. Two decades later, following the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the US Embassy hostage crisis, Washington grew increasingly anxious about the security of oil flows from the Persian Gulf. These concerns intensified during the Iran-Iraq War, especially as Iran began using small islands in the Strait of Hormuz to deploy military forces and threaten commercial shipping.

    UNCLOS and the new rules of the sea

    One of the key compromises of UNCLOS was an extension of territorial waters for states that ratified the treaty. In exchange, UNCLOS replaced the older concept of “innocent passage” – which allowed only surface navigation through territorial seas – with the broader notion of “transit passage”. Under this regime, vessels and aircraft from other states are granted the right to travel not only on the surface, but also under the sea and through the air above straits used for international navigation.

    While 169 states have ratified UNCLOS, both Iran and the United States remain notable holdouts. This means Iran does not enjoy the broader 12-nautical-mile limit recognised under UNCLOS, and the US cannot claim the agreement’s protections for transit passage through strategic choke points.

    While the geopolitical and legal tensions surrounding the Strait of Hormuz may seem far removed from the world of private commerce, the global economy continues to function thanks to a powerful legal tool: the contract. Contracts offer a predictable framework that allows trade across borders without parties needing to trust one another personally.

    The Strait of Hormuz is bordered by active, assertive states such as Iran, which means the potential for interstate conflict is relatively high. This doesn’t mean commercial contracts are irrelevant to the recent dispute in the Strait of Hormuz — far from it. But their influence is more indirect.

    What can be learned?

    Without significant political change in Tehran, it’s unlikely either Iran or the US will shift its position on adopting UNCLOS. Yet despite Iran’s repeated threats to close the strait, it has never followed through — and the US Navy continues to maintain a steady presence in the region. For now, a fragile but persistent equilibrium holds.

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

    – ref. What is the Strait of Hormuz and why is it so important for global shipping? – https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-strait-of-hormuz-and-why-is-it-so-important-for-global-shipping-260920

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Rugby headgear can’t prevent concussion – but new materials could soften the blows over a career

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Nick Draper, Professor of Sport and Exercise Science, University of Canterbury

    The widely held view among rugby players, coaches and officials is that headgear can’t prevent concussion. If so, why wear it? It’s hot, it can block vision and hearing, and it can be uncomfortable.

    Headgear was originally designed to protect players from cuts and abrasions. But players still hope it will offer them a degree of protection against the collisions they experience in the game. Some players adopt it after previous concussions.

    We’re now seeing increasing numbers of professional players opting in. The Irish men’s team, for example, field up to five players each match sporting headgear. In Japan, it’s mandatory for juniors. And more parents in New Zealand are making their children wear it, too.

    The exact specifications for rugby match kit – boots, shorts, shoulder pads and
    headgear – are regulated through World Rugby’s Law 4 and Regulation 12. In 2019, the governing body launched a trial enabling players to wear headgear with new technical specifications in training and matches.

    The specifications have meant manufacturers can take advantage of novel “isotropic” materials that can potentially reduce the impact forces experienced by players.

    Conventional headgear is composed of soft foams that flatten when a player’s head collides with the ground or another player. As such, they can only minimally absorb those collision forces.

    Isotropic materials behave differently. They can absorb impacts from multiple directions and may offer a level of protection against the effects on a player’s head of a tackle or other collision event.

    Given these changes, and in light of recent research, we may need to change the narrative around rugby headgear: while it may not prevent concussion, it might reduce the total contact “burden” experienced by players in a game and over a whole season. And this could have benefits for long-term brain health.

    Impacts across seasons and careers

    Contact in rugby – through tackles, at the breakdown, and in scrums and lineouts – leads to players experiencing a number of collisions or “head acceleration events”. This contact is most commonly head to ground, head to body or head to head.

    By having players use “smart” mouthguards with embedded micro-accelerometers and gyroscopes to capture head movements, researchers can now measure each collision and each player’s contact load in a game – and potentially over a career.

    A player’s total contact load is found by adding together the magnitude of the impacts they experience in a game. These are measured as “peak linear accelerations” or “peak rotational accelerations”.

    While past research and media attention has focused on concussion, it has become clear the total contact burden in training and matches – the total “sub-concussive knocks” through head acceleration events – may be as important, if not more so.

    One of our own research projects involved following 40 under-16 players wearing smart mouthguards for all training and matches across one season. Peak Linear accelerations are measured as a g-force (g). Activities such as such as running, jumping and shaking the head would measure under 8g, for example, whereas heading a soccer ball might measure 31g.

    The results of our study showed the players differed greatly in their cumulative exposure over a whole season, from 300g to nearly 14,000g. These differences would be amplified further over an entire rugby career.

    Some of the variation is likely due to a player’s team position, with loose forwards having a greater burden than others. But it also seems some players just enjoy the contact aspects of the game more than others.

    Rugby is an impact sport: the Ireland and England women’s teams clash in 2025.
    Getty Images

    Potential benefits of new headgear materials

    Researcher Helen Murray at the University of Auckland has highlighted the need for more research into the burden of collisions, rather than just concussions, over a rugby career. In particular, we need to know more about its effect on future brain health.

    We hope to contribute to this by following our existing cohort of players through their careers. In the meantime, our research has examined the potential of existing rugby headgear and new isotropic materials to mitigate peak accelerations in rugby collisions.

    Using the field data collected from male and female players over the past four seasons, we have designed laboratory testing protocols to compare the conventional and newer materials.

    The results suggest the new forms of headgear do have the potential to reduce the impact burden for players.

    We found 55–90% of head acceleration events do involve direct contact with the head. As such, collision-mitigation headgear could be beneficial. And our laboratory testing produced an estimated 30% reduction in peak linear accelerations with the headgear compared to without.

    The nature of concussion is complex and related to the size of an impact as well as its direction and angle. For instance, we observed the concussions experienced by the junior players occurred between 12g and 62g – well below the male threshold of 70g requiring professional players to be removed from the field for a head injury assessment.

    Currently, it seems unlikely headgear can prevent concussion. But it does appear new headgear materials could significantly reduce the total impact burden for players during their careers. And this may help safeguard their future brain health.

    Nick Draper receives funding from the Health Research Council, Cure Kids, the Neurological Foundation, Canterbury Medical Research Foundation, Pacific Radiology Group, the Maurice and Phyllis Paykel Trust, and the UC Foundation.

    – ref. Rugby headgear can’t prevent concussion – but new materials could soften the blows over a career – https://theconversation.com/rugby-headgear-cant-prevent-concussion-but-new-materials-could-soften-the-blows-over-a-career-258912

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Does AI actually boost productivity? The evidence is murky

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Jon Whittle, Director, Data61, CSIRO

    Roman Samborskyi/Shutterstock

    There’s been much talk recently – especially among politicians – about productivity. And for good reason: Australia’s labour productivity growth sits at a 60-year low.

    To address this, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has convened a productivity round table next month. This will coincide with the release of an interim report from the Productivity Commission, which is looking at five pillars of reform. One of these is the role of data and digital technologies, including artificial intelligence (AI).

    This will be music to the ears of the tech and business sectors, which have been enthusiastically promoting the productivity benefits of AI. In fact, the Business Council of Australia also said last month that AI is the single greatest opportunity in a generation to lift productivity.

    But what do we really know about how AI impacts productivity?

    What is productivity?

    Put simply, productivity is how much output (goods and services) we can produce from a given amount of inputs (such as labour and raw materials). It matters because higher productivity typically translates to a higher standard of living. Productivity growth has accounted for 80% of Australia’s income growth over the past three decades.

    Productivity can be thought of as individual, organisational or national.

    Your individual productivity is how efficiently you manage your time and resources to complete tasks. How many emails can you respond to in an hour? How many products can you check for defects in a day?

    Organisational productivity is how well an organisation achieves its goals. For example, in a research organisation, how many top-quality research papers are produced?

    National productivity is the economic efficiency of a nation, often measured as gross domestic product per hour worked. It is effectively an aggregate of the other forms. But it’s notoriously difficult to track how changes in individual or organisational productivity translate into national GDP per hour worked.

    AI and individual productivity

    The nascent research examining the relationship between AI and individual productivity shows mixed results.

    A 2025 real-world study of AI and productivity involved 776 experienced product professionals at US multinational company Procter & Gamble. The study showed that individuals randomly assigned to use AI performed as well as a team of two without. A similar study in 2023 with 750 consultants from Boston Consulting Group found tasks were 18% faster with generative AI.

    A 2023 paper reported on an early generative AI system in a Fortune 500 software company used by 5,200 customer support agents. The system showed a 14% increase in the number of issues resolved per hour. For less experienced agents, productivity increased by 35%.

    But AI doesn’t always increase individual productivity.

    A survey of 2,500 professionals found generative AI actually increased workload for 77% of workers. Some 47% said they didn’t know how to unlock productivity benefits. The study points to barriers such as the need to verify and/or correct AI outputs, the need for AI upskilling, and unreasonable expectations about what AI can do.

    A recent CSIRO study examined the daily use of Microsoft 365 Copilot by 300 employees of a government organisation. While the majority self-reported productivity benefits, a sizeable minority (30%) did not. Even those workers who reported productivity improvements expected greater productivity benefits than were delivered.

    AI and organisational productivity

    It’s difficult, if not impossible, to attribute changes in an organisation’s productivity to the introduction of AI. Businesses are sensitive to many social and organisational factors, any one of which could be the reason for a change in productivity.

    Nevertheless, the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has estimated the productivity benefits of traditional AI – that is, machine learning applied for an industry-specific task – to be zero to 11% at the organisational level.

    A 2024 summary paper cites independent studies showing increases in organisational productivity from AI in Germany, Italy and Taiwan.

    In contrast, a 2022 analysis of 300,000 US firms didn’t find a significant correlation between AI adoption and productivity, but did for other technologies such as robotics and cloud computing. Likely explanations are that AI hasn’t yet had an effect on many firms, or simply that it’s too hard to disentangle the impact of AI given it’s never applied in isolation.

    AI productivity increases can also sometimes be masked by additional human labour needed to train or operate AI systems. Take Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology for shops.

    Publicly launched in 2018, it was intended to reduce labour as customer purchases would be fully automated. But it reportedly relied on hiring around 1,000 workers in India for quality control. Amazon has labelled these reports “erroneous”.

    More generally, think about the unknown number (but likely millions) of people paid to label data for AI models.

    AI and national productivity

    The picture at a national level is even murkier.

    Clearly, AI hasn’t yet impacted national productivity. It can be argued that technology developments take time to affect national productivity, as companies need to figure out how to use the technology and put the necessary infrastructure and skills in place.

    However, this is not guaranteed. For example, while there is consensus that the internet led to productivity improvements, the effects of mobile phones and social media are more contested, and their impacts are more apparent in some industries (such as entertainment) than others.

    Productivity isn’t just doing things faster

    The common narrative around AI and productivity is that AI automates mundane tasks, making us faster at doing things and giving us more time for creative pursuits. This, however, is a naive view of how work happens.

    Just because you can deal with your inbox more quickly doesn’t mean you’ll spend your afternoon on the beach. The more emails you fire off, the more you’ll receive back, and the never-ending cycle continues.

    Faster isn’t always better. Sometimes, we need to slow down to be more productive. That’s when great ideas happen.

    Imagine a world in which AI isn’t simply about speeding up tasks but proactively slows us down, to give us space to be more innovative, and more productive. That’s the real untapped opportunity with AI.

    Jon Whittle works at CSIRO which receives R&D funding from a wide range of government and industry clients.

    – ref. Does AI actually boost productivity? The evidence is murky – https://theconversation.com/does-ai-actually-boost-productivity-the-evidence-is-murky-260690

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Does Donald Trump deserve the Nobel Peace Prize? We asked 5 experts

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Emma Shortis, Adjunct Senior Fellow, School of Global, Urban and Social Studies, RMIT University

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has formally nominated United States President Donald Trump for the Nobel Peace Prize. He says the president is “forging peace as we speak, in one country, in one region after the other”.

    Trump, who has craved the award for years, sees himself as a global peacemaker in a raft of conflicts from Israel and Iran, to Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

    With the conflict in Gaza still raging, we ask five experts – could Trump be rewarded with the world’s most prestigious peace prize?

    Emma Shortis is Director of International and Security Affairs at The Australia Institute, an independent think tank.

    Jasmine-Kim Westendorf has received funding from the Australian Research Council.

    Shahram Akbarzadeh receives funding from Australia Research Council.

    Ali Mamouri and Ian Parmeter 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. Does Donald Trump deserve the Nobel Peace Prize? We asked 5 experts – https://theconversation.com/does-donald-trump-deserve-the-nobel-peace-prize-we-asked-5-experts-260801

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Trump is aiming to silence public media in the US – and if he succeeds, his supporters here will take note

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Bruce Wolpe, Non-resident Senior Fellow, United States Study Centre, University of Sydney

    The ABC dodged a bullet in the Australian election. The Albanese government supports the ABC. In the United States, however, the 2024 presidential election severely wounded public media in America.

    Fresh from his decisive victory in Congress – passage of the One Big Beautiful bill that locks in the legislation to prosecute Trump’s domestic policy agenda – Trump is demanding Congress cancel funding for public media, the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) and National Public Radio (NPR). Hardliners in the US House of Representatives have already voted to end all federal funding for public media. The Senate will vote on this issue in mid-July.

    We have tale of two vital and powerful media institutions in Australia and the US. What happens over there can affect what happens here.

    Towards the end of Australia’s election campaign, Peter Dutton, then leader of the Liberal Party, opened up on the ABC. He looped in The Guardian for good measure. And he implied other media deserved his words:

    Forget about what you have been told by the ABC, The Guardian and the other hate media.

    Dutton’s words embellished previous policies under Coalition governments, with budget cuts to the ABC of over $500 million, and several inquiries into the degree of ABC’s neutrality and objectivity in its coverage of news and current affairs.



    Read more:
    Peter Dutton calling the ABC and the Guardian ‘hate media’ rings alarm bells for democracy

    Kim Williams, chair of the ABC, said the network would “perform well” under any scrutiny from a Dutton government. Dutton himself, shortly before the election, demanded the ABC show “excellence” in order to prove to taxpayers that its almost $1.2 billion annual budget was justified.

    The Coalition’s defeat aided the ABC’s victory in its longstanding quest for financial stability and future growth. The ABC can continue to build on the commitments established by the Albanese Labor government in 2023 – even though there are choppy waters for the ABC as its new leadership makes programming and staffing decisions for the years ahead.

    With a new Coalition shadow cabinet in place, we will see as future budgets play out whether they have changed their tune on their approach to the ABC.

    We will see how both the government and the Coalition react to Kim Williams’ powerful case he recently presented for “more investment for much-needed renewal” in the ABC.

    Public media in Trump’s America

    In America today, public media are facing Trump’s wrath.

    Trump’s hatred of mainstream media is legendary. For the past decade, Trump has called the major media outlets the “enemy of the people” – the same label that Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin used against those who dared to oppose him.

    In his second term, Trump is engaged in aggressive muscling of the enemies he sees in the media. The Associated Press is barred from the pool of journalists covering the president. Trump has silenced the Voice of America. The US ABC and CBS television networks have both settled lawsuits filed by Trump to seek damages for their broadcast coverage of him and the 2024 presidential campaign. The price to help avoid regulatory punishment by the government of those two networks: $US16 million (A$24.5 million) each.

    For a country that established freedom of the press under its Constitution, Trump’s attacks on news media are an ongoing assault on America’s democracy.

    Trump’s attacks on PBS and NPR show the existential threat they face.

    In 1967, Congress established and funded the Corporation for Public Broadcasting to bring to life public television and radio across America. Money from CPB supports the stations. The stations contract with PBS and NPR to help produce the programming they air, from the PBS NewsHour, Frontline and Sesame Street on PBS to Morning Edition and All Things Considered on NPR – and much more.

    Trump holds the same sentiment that Dutton expressed against the ABC – that the public broadcasters are biased toward the “extreme woke Marxist left”. Trump wrote on Truth Social that:

    Jim Jordan of Ohio, one of the most influential Republican leaders in the House of Representatives, was in-your-face direct on the case against public media:

    This bill’s real simple. Don’t spend money on stupid things, and don’t subsidize biased media.

    In late April, Trump ordered the firing of three of CPB’s five directors. On May 1, Trump issued an executive order that will savage public media’s existence:

    At the very least, Americans have the right to expect that if their tax dollars fund public broadcasting at all, they fund only fair, accurate, unbiased, and nonpartisan news coverage […] The CPB fails to abide by these principles to the extent it subsidizes NPR and PBS.“

    Public media has filed red-hot lawsuits against Trump and his officials for crushing the First Amendment free-speech rights of public televion and radio stations, and for cancelling funds appropriated by Congress. The court rulings in these cases will be crucial to the outcome.

    The last near-fatal threat to public broadcasting was in 1981, when President Ronald Reagan sought Congress’ approval to decimate its funding. Under Reagan conservatism, media belong in the private sector. The conservative’s political bias against public broadcasting framed the push to cancel government funding.

    But Congress rose up successfully against the Reagan cuts – led not only by Democrats but with Senate Republicans from rural states who understood how important public broadcasting was to their communities. Their budgets were trimmed, but PBS and NPR were not decapitated.

    Lessons for the ABC

    The same is true here: ABC stations in country areas are similarly held in high regard.

    The cuts to public media passed the US House by one vote on June 12.

    The Senate will vote in the coming days. We will see if some Senate Republicans who voted against Trump’s One Big Beautiful bill last week will stand up again and vote to buck Trump on this issue and protect public media in their states.

    If Trump succeeds in silencing public media in America, the Trump echo chamber in Australia will take note. Some hard conservatives in Canberra and the Murdoch media will likely leverage Congress’ approval of Trump’s order that PBS and NPR be punished for their left-wing bias and that public media should become the province of the private sector. Defunding public media in the US will sustain the sentiment that one day, under a future government here, the scythe will be wielded at the ABC.

    If the US Senate supports Trump, the fight for the ABC in Australia – not just over money, but over its role, responsibilities and standing in Australia – may not be over.

    Bruce Wolpe is a (non-resident) Senior Fellow at the United States Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. The views expressed herein are his own. Wolpe served on the staff of Prime Minister Julia Gillard. He worked on the Democratic staff in Congress on public broadcasting issues and was an executive with NPR. He is the author of two books on Trump and Australia.

    – ref. Trump is aiming to silence public media in the US – and if he succeeds, his supporters here will take note – https://theconversation.com/trump-is-aiming-to-silence-public-media-in-the-us-and-if-he-succeeds-his-supporters-here-will-take-note-260584

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI China: China section of China-Russia east-route natural gas pipeline transports over 100 bln cubic meters

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    China section of China-Russia east-route natural gas pipeline transports over 100 bln cubic meters

    Updated: July 11, 2025 08:39 Xinhua
    Engineers check facilities at a gas transmission pipeline station in Heihe, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, July 9, 2025. As of July 10, the cumulative gas transmission volume of the China-Russia east-route natural gas pipeline’s China section has surpassed 100 billion cubic meters. The pipeline’s China section begins in Heihe, a city in the country’s northeast bordering Russia, and transports natural gas from Siberia all the way south to Shanghai, China’s economic and financial hub. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo taken on July 9, 2025 shows a view of a gas transmission pipeline station in Heihe, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese FM dubs country dependable partner for ASEAN to address challenges

    Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

    KUALA LUMPUR, July 10 — China has always been the most reliable stabilizing force in a turbulent world and the most dependable partner for the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) members to address challenges, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said here on Thursday.

    Noting that China and ASEAN share similar development concepts, common demands and integrated interests, Wang said when attending the China-ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting held here that China regards ASEAN as a priority direction for neighborhood diplomacy and a pioneer area for promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind.

    “We should support and achieve success for each other in promoting the modernization process of Asia,” said Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee.

    Wang briefed the achievements of China-ASEAN cooperation and put forward four proposals.

    Firstly, to be a model in defending international fairness and justice. Wang said that China and ASEAN must resolutely safeguard the global system with the United Nations at its core and the international order based on international law.

    China supports ASEAN’s central position in the regional architecture and its greater role in regional and international affairs. China is willing to work with ASEAN countries to practice open regionalism and true multilateralism and make greater contributions to regional and global governance.

    Secondly, to be a model for maintaining regional peace and stability. Wang said that the peace and stability in the region are extremely precious and should be firmly safeguarded, and geopolitical conflicts or bloc confrontations should not be introduced into Asia, adding that China is willing to take the lead in signing the Protocol to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone.

    Wang said that the South China Sea is the common home of regional countries, rather than a “gladiatorial arena” for major powers, and China is willing to expand cooperation with ASEAN countries in areas such as marine environmental protection, navigation safety, maritime law enforcement and key marine infrastructure, and fully implement the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea, advance consultations on the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea, and always keep the initiative on the South China Sea issue in our own hands.

    Thirdly, to set an example of conducting mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation. Wang said that China is willing to work with ASEAN to build the Version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area, implement the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership Agreement to a high quality, and create a high-level free trade network.

    China is willing to continue to take the high-quality Belt and Road cooperation as the main platform, strengthen connectivity and cooperation in production and supply chains with ASEAN, and create highlights of cooperation in areas such as artificial intelligence, digital transformation and clean energy.

    China speaks highly of ASEAN’s firm commitment to free trade and the multilateral trading system and believes that it is necessary to resolve economic and trade differences through equal dialogue and mutual benefit, safeguard own dignity and the bottom line of principles, and must not do so at the expense of the interests of third parties, Wang said.

    Fourthly, to set an example for promoting inclusiveness and mutual learning. China is willing to continue to advocate dialogue, exchanges and mutual learning among different civilizations with ASEAN countries, Wang said, adding that both sides should jointly well organize the “Year of People-to-People Exchange,” enhance exchanges in education, youth, think tanks, media and other fields, take concrete actions to implement the Global Civilization Initiative, and promote mutual understanding, friendship and integration among the people.

    The participating countries said that China-ASEAN cooperation is the most dynamic and fruitful. China has always been one of the most important dialogue partners of ASEAN, expressing gratitude to China for its support of ASEAN’s central position.

    They said that they are willing to accelerate the alignment of development strategies with China, cooperate under the Belt and Road Initiative at a high quality, deepen all-round cooperation in trade, investment, connectivity, digital transformation, clean energy and transnational crime, and look forward to the signing of the ASEAN-China free trade area 3.0 protocol within this year to continuously promote regional economic integration.

    Appreciating China’s willingness to take the lead in signing the Protocol to the Treaty on the Southeast Asia Nuclear Weapon-Free Zone, they said they look forward to the early conclusion of the Code of Conduct in the South China Sea by all parties.

    They also said that they are willing to work with China to safeguard multilateralism and the multilateral trading system and jointly address global challenges, further strengthen unity and cooperation with China, jointly advance the modernization process in Asia, and promote regional peace, stability and prosperity.

    During the meeting, Wang also met with foreign ministers of relevant countries.

    MIL OSI China News –