NewzIntel.com

Category: DJF

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: ASEAN Young Business Leaders to meet in Viet Nam, marking 50 years of ASEAN-New Zealand relations

    Source: Asia New Zealand Foundation

    Business leaders from New Zealand and Southeast Asia will gather in Viet Nam this July for the ASEAN Young Business Leaders Initiative (YBLI) Summit, taking place from 23-27 July 2025 in Da Nang and Hue. The event is hosted by the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono in partnership with the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT).
    The Summit brings together YBLI programme alumni and entrepreneurs from a range of industries – including agribusiness, technology, tourism, fashion, health, and food and beverage – to connect, collaborate, and explore new growth opportunities.
    “Through this Summit, we aim to build lasting connections among entrepreneurs from New Zealand and ASEAN,” says Suzannah Jessep, Chief Executive at the Asia New Zealand Foundation. “Viet Nam is an important partner in the region and strengthening relationships, trade and economic ties here benefits both sides.”
    Nick Siu, Director of Business and Entrepreneurship at the Foundation, adds, “This is a chance for emerging leaders to learn from each other, find ways to collaborate, and develop new ideas that could lead to partnerships.”
    “YBLI opened doors for my business, helping to secure our first export customer in Singapore. I look forward to strengthening these connections at the upcoming event,” says Nick Carey, Managing Director, Green Meadows Beef, New Zealand.
    “The Summit is a great opportunity to connect with fellow changemakers and discover ways to advance our sectors together,” says Bicky Nguyen, Co-founder, Cricket One, Viet Nam.
    “Since attending the last YBLI event, I’ve grown my consulting firm and am now expanding into Australia and the wider Asia-Pacific region,” says Kaye-Maree Dunn, Managing Director Making Everything Achievable and Āhau NZ Limited.
    The Summit marks 50 years of diplomatic relations between New Zealand and both ASEAN and Viet Nam, as well as the 30th anniversary of the Asia New Zealand Foundation.
    “New Zealand is proud to be a close friend and partner of ASEAN for more than 50 years,” says New Zealand Ambassador to Viet Nam, Caroline Beresford. “Strengthening these ties goes beyond diplomacy – the Summit empowers young leaders, builds partnerships, and creates mutually beneficial opportunities for both ASEAN and New Zealand.”
    -END-
    About the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono
    Established in 1994, the Asia New Zealand Foundation Te Whītau Tūhono is New Zealand’s leading provider of Asia insights and experiences. Its mission is to equip New Zealanders to excel in Asia, by providing research, insights and targeted opportunities to grow their knowledge, connections and experiences across the Asia region. The Foundation’s activities cover more than 20 countries in Asia and are delivered through eight core programmes: arts, business, entrepreneurship, leadership, media, research, Track II diplomacy and sports.
    About the ASEAN Young Business leaders Initiative
    The ASEAN Young Business Leaders Initiative (YBLI) is a key part of the New Zealand Government’s ASEAN strategy. The aim of the programme is to facilitate trade and build connections between business leaders and entrepreneurs in New Zealand and Southeast Asia. This is achieved through short, targeted visits to New Zealand and Southeast Asia for ASEAN entrepreneurs and Kiwi entrepreneurs respectively.  

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: USINDOPACOM hosts Transnational Security Cooperation Course 25-1

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    CAMP H.M. SMITH, Hawaii — Adm. Samuel J. Paparo, commander of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, hosted 40 senior U.S. and international military and civilian officials at USINDOPACOM headquarters on Camp H.M. Smith in Honolulu for the Daniel K. Inouye Asia-Pacific Center for Security Studies’ Transnational Security Cooperation Course 25-1, July 16, 2025.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: SIGNED INTO LAW: Bipartisan Legislation That Secures Permanent Scheduling of Fentanyl Analogues

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Maggie Hassan

    Washington, D.C. – Today the Halt All Lethal Trafficking of (HALT) Fentanyl Act, bipartisan legislation that U.S. Senators Maggie Hassan and Jeanne Shaheen helped introduce and was supported by Congressman Chris Pappas (NH-01) and Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), was signed into law. This law permanently schedules all fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I drugs under the Controlled Substances Act to ensure law enforcement can keep them off the streets and hold drug traffickers accountable.

    “The vast majority of drug-related deaths in New Hampshire have been caused by the trafficking of illicit fentanyl. That’s why I have consistently engaged with law enforcement, public health experts, and colleagues across the aisle to ensure that the scheduling of fentanyl analogues did not lapse and is finally made permanent,” said Congressman Pappas. “The enactment of this legislation represents an important step forward and will ensure law enforcement retains the full suite of tools they need to take on the opioid crisis and crack down on drug traffickers, but we cannot rest here. I remain committed to delivering the resources our communities need to stop traffickers, bring down drug-related deaths, and support people in recovery.”

    “In the Granite State we’ve lost far too many lives due to fentanyl overdoses, and we must do everything we can to prevent more deaths,” said Senator Shaheen. “I was proud to help introduce this bipartisan legislation in the Senate and I’m glad the President has signed it into law so that we can stop the flow of fentanyl into our communities, hold traffickers accountable and save lives.”

    “Too many families across New Hampshire have experienced the devastating effects of the fentanyl crisis,” said Senator Hassan. “The HALT Fentanyl Act will permanently classify fentanyl analogues at the strongest level allowed under the law, boosting penalties and giving law enforcement more tools to get these deadly illicit drugs off our streets. This bill marks a step forward in combatting fentanyl and I am glad the President has signed it into law.”

    “Illicit fentanyl is the leading driver of overdose deaths in New Hampshire, taking the lives of hundreds of loved ones every year. We can and must do more to combat this epidemic and help save lives,” said Congresswoman Goodlander. “The HALT Fentanyl Act will help stop the flow of these dangerous drugs into our communities and hold illicit distributors accountable. I will continue working to ensure our law enforcement partners have the tools they need to keep New Hampshire communities safe.” 

    Pappas has led efforts to permanently schedule fentanyl-related substances in the House, securing several extensions of the temporary scheduling order while working to ensure the passage of permanent legislation. The HALT Fentanyl Act contains identical key provisions from Pappas’s bipartisan SAFE Act, which he first introduced in the 117th Congress.

    Shaheen has spearheaded crucial legislation and funding to fight the substance use disorder epidemic, including through her leadership on the pivotal U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, which funds the U.S. Department of Justice. Shaheen recently introduced her bipartisan Keeping Drugs Out of Schools Act to help prevent youth opioid use and overdoses by establishing a new grant program that allows current or former Drug-Free Communities (DFC) coalitions to partner with schools to provide resources educating students about the dangers of synthetic opioids. Shaheen has also led the bipartisan Cooper Davis Act which would crack down on online drug sales through social media and helped enact the FENTANYL Results Act to increase global cooperation in the fight against synthetic drug trafficking.

    Senator Hassan has worked to stop drug trafficking and support communities devastated by the fentanyl crisis. She helped advance the DETECT Fentanyl and Xylazine Act, which was signed into law last year and is supporting law enforcement with enhanced tools to find and eliminate illegal substances such as fentanyl and xylazine. Senators Hassan, Shaheen, and their colleagues also passed into law the FEND Off Fentanyl Act, which targets the illicit fentanyl supply chain and imposes sanctions on traffickers. Senator Hassan also developed the END FENTANYL Act, signed into law last year, which helps Customs and Border Protection crack down on fentanyl trafficking at the border.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “Intonation” Sets Beijing on Fire: How Russian Musicians Conquered the Chinese Public

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    The Russian Cultural Center in Beijing hosted a concert that became a true celebration of friendship and music. The group “Intonation” did not just perform – it created the magic of unity, blurring the boundaries between the stage and the audience, between Russia and China.

    From the very first minutes, the artists captured the attention of the audience, but the real sensation was caused by a surprise – a song in Chinese. The sincere performance touched the audience to the depths of their souls: the applause did not subside, and after the concert, many came up to thank the musicians for respecting their culture.

    But the surprises did not end there. The musicians descended into the hall, inviting the audience to dance in a circle, involving everyone in improvised dances and joint singing. It seemed that for several hours the cultural center turned into a big friendly party, where there is no place for shyness – only joy, laughter and music.

    This concert became more than just a performance. It was a dialogue of two cultures, where Russian warmth met Chinese hospitality. The musicians of “Intonation” proved that art knows no language barriers. When hearts burn on stage, the audience responds in kind – and then a real miracle is born.

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Man charged with stolen property and firearms offences

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Man charged with stolen property and firearms offences

    Thursday, 17 July 2025 – 12:46 pm.

    A man has been charged as investigations continue into the stealing of five vehicles from a North Hobart car yard in May.
    Last month, police from the South East, Glenorchy and Bridgewater Criminal Investigation Branches executed several searches in the Montrose and Derwent Valley areas, alongside the Southern Drugs and Firearms Unit.
    A Toyota Rav 4 stolen from a North Hobart car yard was located at an address in Magra, as well as close to $150,000 of other property also believed to be stolen.
    The property included a firearm, several motor vehicles, a trailer, a generator, and about one tonne of fuel. A quantity of illicit drugs was also located.
    A 36-year-old Magra man has since been charged with various stolen property and firearms offences and will reappear in the Hobart Magistrates Court on 12 September 2025.
    Four of the five vehicles stolen from the North Hobart car yard have been recovered.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: UPDATE: Fatal Crash – Delamere

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force are continuing to investigate the fatal crash in Delamere yesterday.

    One vehicle, a silver Mitsubishi Pajero, was carrying four occupants, aged 63, 63, 70 and 76, while the second vehicle, a Toyota 76 series troop carrier, was carrying a 25-year-old man.

    The 76-year-old man was declared deceased at the scene.

    Investigations have now confirmed that the Toyota was stolen from a residence on Heron Crescent, Katherine.

    Police urge anyone with information to make contact on 131 444.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Marine Environment – Alliance renews call for bottom trawling ban in Hauraki Gulf

    Source: Greenpeace

    Members of the Hauraki Gulf Alliance have deployed a massive ‘Ban Bottom Trawling’ banner on the deck of the Rainbow Warrior, demanding an end to destructive bottom trawling in the Hauraki Gulf Marine Park.The Alliance, which includes Forest & Bird, LegaSea and Greenpeace, has a long-running campaign to remove trawling from Hauraki Gulf and the renewed call comes as bottom trawling faces increased public scrutiny.
    Speaking from the Rainbow Warrior, in the Gulf, “Heal the Hauraki” documentary producer Mandy Kupenga says:”For too long, the practice of bottom trawling has bulldozed the rich and fragile ecosystems beneath the surface of the Hauraki Gulf. Entire ocean communities have been devastated. What happens beneath the waves doesn’t stay there-when we lose biodiversity in the sea, we lose part of what sustains life on land as well.
    “We cannot continue turning a blind eye. It’s time to restore the mauri-the life force-of the Gulf, and honour our responsibility to future generations. Ending bottom trawling in and around the Hauraki Gulf isn’t just a conservation decision. It’s a moral one.”
    Gulf advocate Shaun Lee says the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries “needs to listen to 97.2% of 8,909 submitters who have asked for a full ban on bottom impact fishing in the Gulf”. LegaSea spokesperson Benn Winlove says he is disappointed the Minister for Oceans and Fisheries is willing to ignore such strong public sentiment against bottom trawling.
    “Public opposition to environmental destruction is growing and it’s incredible that a Minister in charge of ensuring sustainability of fish populations and their habitat is willing to let bottom trawling continue in the Gulf, let alone in the Marine Park.”
    Bianca Ranson, campaigner from Forest & Bird, says:
    “97% of submitters have called for a complete ban of bottom impact fishing in the Hauraki Gulf yet the Minister of Oceans and Fisheries, Shane Jones, mocks Tīkapa Moana calling it ‘just a mud-stained bottom’. That is an insult to every living thing that dep

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Pillen Appoints David Jones as Sarpy County Election Commissioner

    Source: US State of Nebraska

    . Pillen Appoints David Jones as Sarpy County Election Commissioner

    LINCOLN, NE – Today, Governor Jim Pillen announced his appointment of David Jones of Papillion as election commissioner for Sarpy County, effective July 18. Jones will complete the term vacated by Emily Ethington, who resigned in early April.

    Jones comes to the role with two decades of leadership experience in the areas of project management, digital operations and strategic coordination. His career began in the U.S. Air Force where he served in multiple roles, including deputy director of staff for the 55th Wing at Offutt Air Force Base. In the private sector, Jones was operations manager for MacAulay-Brown, Inc. in Ohio, where he oversaw a $147 million defense program supporting the U.S. Strategic Command. Most recently, Jones worked for Gallup in Omaha as a technical project manager and Scrum master.

    Jones graduated from the United States Air Force Academy with a bachelor’s degree in social sciences.

    Per state law, the Governor appoints election commissioners for counties larger than 100,000 people. Those counties include Sarpy, Lancaster and Douglas.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Pillen Highlights Bills to Increase Government Efficiency

    Source: US State of Nebraska

    . Pillen Highlights Bills to Increase Government Efficiency

     

    LINCOLN, NE – Today, Governor Jim Pillen was joined by agency leadership and state senators in highlighting bills that will help cut red tape, streamline processes, eliminate requirements and generally, maximize delivery of services to Nebraskans. Those legislative initiatives were contained in LB346, LB347 and LB660. During the news conference, Gov. Pillen signed ceremonial copies of each of the bills.

    Since assuming office, Gov. Pillen has made identifying government efficiencies and related savings a cornerstone of his administration. Using a systems approach, state agencies have been able to improve customer service, while at the same time reducing General Fund appropriations. 

    “Improving government efficiency while lowering costs is essential for accountability, economic growth, and effective delivery of services for Nebraskans,” said Gov. Pillen. “These bills contribute to those goals, and I am grateful to the legislature for getting these measures passed.”

    LB346, brought on the Governor’s behalf by Speaker of the Legislature John Arch, eliminates or modifies approximately 40 boards, commissions, committees and other bodies that have been created over the years, but are no longer serving their intended purpose. Many now have a termination date of July 1, 2026.  LB346 was passed by the Legislature on a unanimous vote.

    “I was enthusiastic to introduce and support LB346, a ‘good government’ bill that results in efficiencies across state government,” said Speaker Arch. “The successful elimination of boards and commissions that are duplicative or no longer serving a purpose is an excellent example of the administration and the Legislature working together to improve the functioning of our state government.”

    LB376, which was advanced by the Health and Human Services Committee, eliminated 28 outdated reports and modified eight others that had been produced by the Department of Health and Human Services. DHHS CEO Steve Corsi noted that prior to passage of the bill, it was estimated that the agency was required, on average, to submit one report to the Legislature every other day, amounting to more than 1800 pages per year. 

    “Instead of wasting time on outdated reports that serve no useful purpose, DHHS public servants can focus on what really matters: protecting kids, improving public health, and helping Nebraskans most in need,” said CEO Corsi. “This law is a win for efficiency and common sense.”

    Senator Bob Anderson addressed LB660, an omnibus bill that also received unanimous support from senators and included multiple pieces of legislation aimed at boosting government efficiency, including LB662. 

    “This legislative package strengthens Nebraska’s economic security, both in terms of protecting our infrastructure from foreign surveillance and ensuring our financial commitments are transparent and accountable to taxpayers,” said Sen Andersen. “LB662, in particular, promotes long-overdue transparency in how Nebraska’s agencies request, manage and rely on federal funds. Good governance begins with accountability. Nebraskans are asking for efficiency and transparency from their government and the bills being signed here today deliver just that.”

    LB664 was also amended into LB660 before final passage. It makes several changes when it comes to submitting comments, written materials and issuing challenges under the state’s regulatory process for state agencies.  

    “LB664 is a vital, commonsense reform that enhances government accessibility and responsiveness,” said Sen. Storer. “It alleviates the undue burden on small businesses and individuals in Nebraska who previously had to travel across the state to pursue justice. This bill levels the playing field, ensuring fairness and accountability are available to every Nebraskan, regardless of their location, by allowing legal challenges to be filed closer to home.”

    “I think it’s important that we all continue to be committed to getting government out of our hair and shrinking government,” said Gov. Pillen “It’s easy to talk about, but it takes perseverance and a lot of dedication by senators to help make it happen.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Pillen Highlights Bills to Increase Government Efficiency

    Source: US State of Nebraska

    . Pillen Highlights Bills to Increase Government Efficiency

     

    LINCOLN, NE – Today, Governor Jim Pillen was joined by agency leadership and state senators in highlighting bills that will help cut red tape, streamline processes, eliminate requirements and generally, maximize delivery of services to Nebraskans. Those legislative initiatives were contained in LB346, LB347 and LB660. During the news conference, Gov. Pillen signed ceremonial copies of each of the bills.

    Since assuming office, Gov. Pillen has made identifying government efficiencies and related savings a cornerstone of his administration. Using a systems approach, state agencies have been able to improve customer service, while at the same time reducing General Fund appropriations. 

    “Improving government efficiency while lowering costs is essential for accountability, economic growth, and effective delivery of services for Nebraskans,” said Gov. Pillen. “These bills contribute to those goals, and I am grateful to the legislature for getting these measures passed.”

    LB346, brought on the Governor’s behalf by Speaker of the Legislature John Arch, eliminates or modifies approximately 40 boards, commissions, committees and other bodies that have been created over the years, but are no longer serving their intended purpose. Many now have a termination date of July 1, 2026.  LB346 was passed by the Legislature on a unanimous vote.

    “I was enthusiastic to introduce and support LB346, a ‘good government’ bill that results in efficiencies across state government,” said Speaker Arch. “The successful elimination of boards and commissions that are duplicative or no longer serving a purpose is an excellent example of the administration and the Legislature working together to improve the functioning of our state government.”

    LB376, which was advanced by the Health and Human Services Committee, eliminated 28 outdated reports and modified eight others that had been produced by the Department of Health and Human Services. DHHS CEO Steve Corsi noted that prior to passage of the bill, it was estimated that the agency was required, on average, to submit one report to the Legislature every other day, amounting to more than 1800 pages per year. 

    “Instead of wasting time on outdated reports that serve no useful purpose, DHHS public servants can focus on what really matters: protecting kids, improving public health, and helping Nebraskans most in need,” said CEO Corsi. “This law is a win for efficiency and common sense.”

    Senator Bob Anderson addressed LB660, an omnibus bill that also received unanimous support from senators and included multiple pieces of legislation aimed at boosting government efficiency, including LB662. 

    “This legislative package strengthens Nebraska’s economic security, both in terms of protecting our infrastructure from foreign surveillance and ensuring our financial commitments are transparent and accountable to taxpayers,” said Sen Andersen. “LB662, in particular, promotes long-overdue transparency in how Nebraska’s agencies request, manage and rely on federal funds. Good governance begins with accountability. Nebraskans are asking for efficiency and transparency from their government and the bills being signed here today deliver just that.”

    LB664 was also amended into LB660 before final passage. It makes several changes when it comes to submitting comments, written materials and issuing challenges under the state’s regulatory process for state agencies.  

    “LB664 is a vital, commonsense reform that enhances government accessibility and responsiveness,” said Sen. Storer. “It alleviates the undue burden on small businesses and individuals in Nebraska who previously had to travel across the state to pursue justice. This bill levels the playing field, ensuring fairness and accountability are available to every Nebraskan, regardless of their location, by allowing legal challenges to be filed closer to home.”

    “I think it’s important that we all continue to be committed to getting government out of our hair and shrinking government,” said Gov. Pillen “It’s easy to talk about, but it takes perseverance and a lot of dedication by senators to help make it happen.” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for July 17, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 17, 2025.

    Do women really need more sleep than men? A sleep psychologist explains
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amelia Scott, Honorary Affiliate and Clinical Psychologist at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, and Macquarie University Research Fellow, Macquarie University klebercordeiro/Getty If you spend any time in the wellness corners of TikTok or Instagram, you’ll see claims women need one to two hours more sleep than

    I created a Vivaldi-inspired sound artwork for the Venice Biennale. The star of the show is an endangered bush-cricket
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Miriama Young, Associate Professor Music Composition, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, The University of Melbourne Marco Zorzanello It was late January when I got the call. I’m asked to bring my sound art to a collaborative ecology and design project, Song of the Cricket, for the Venice Biennale

    Is it okay to boil water more than once, or should you empty the kettle every time?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Faisal Hai, Professor and Head of School of Civil, Mining, Environmental and Architectural Engineering, University of Wollongong Avocado_studio/Shutterstock The kettle is a household staple practically everywhere – how else would we make our hot drinks? But is it okay to re-boil water that’s already in the kettle

    What does Australian law have to say about sovereign citizens and ‘pseudolaw’?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Madeleine Perrett, PhD Candidate in Law, University of Adelaide Armed with obscure legal jargon and fringe interpretations of the law, “sovereign citizens” are continuing to test the limits of the Australian justice system’s patience and power. A few weeks ago, two Western Australians were jailed for 30

    Is childbirth really safer for women and babies in private hospitals?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hannah Dahlen, Professor of Midwifery, Associate Dean Research and HDR, Midwifery Discipline Leader, Western Sydney University A study published this week in the international obstetrics and gynaecology journal BJOG has raised concerns among women due to give birth in Australia’s public hospitals. The study compared the outcomes

    We were part of the world heritage listing of Murujuga. Here’s why all Australians should be proud
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jo McDonald, Professor, Director of Centre for Rock Art Research + Management, The University of Western Australia Senior Ranger, Mardudunhera man Peter Cooper, oversees the Murujuga landscape Jo McDonald, CC BY-SA On Friday, the Murujuga Cultural Landscape in northwest Western Australia was inscribed on the UNESCO World

    Is our mental health determined by where we live – or is it the other way round? New research sheds more light
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matthew Hobbs, Associate Professor and Transforming Lives Fellow, Spatial Data Science and Planetary Health, Sheffield Hallam University Photon-Photos/Getty Images Ever felt like where you live is having an impact on your mental health? Turns out, you’re not imagining things. Our new analysis of eight years of data

    The secret stories of trees are written in the knots and swirls of your floorboards. An expert explains how to read them
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gregory Moore, Senior Research Associate, School of Agriculture, Food and Ecosystem Sciences, The University of Melbourne Magda Ehlers/Pexels, CC BY Have you ever examined timber floorboards and pondered why they look the way they do? Perhaps you admired the super-fine grain, a stunning red hue or a

    Tasmania is limping towards an election nobody wants. Here’s the state of play
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Hortle, Deputy Director, Tasmanian Policy Exchange, University of Tasmania In the darkest and coldest months of the year, Tasmanians have been slogging through an election campaign no one wanted. It’s been a curious mix of humdrum plodding laced with cyanide levels of bitterness, with the most

    What is astigmatism? Why does it make my vision blurry? And how did I get it?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Flora Hui, Research Fellow, Centre for Eye Research Australia and Honorary Fellow, Department of Surgery (Ophthalmology), The University of Melbourne Ground Picture/Shutterstock Have you ever gone to the optometrist for an eye test and were told your eye was shaped like a football? Or perhaps you’ve noticed

    From Sister Rosetta Tharpe to Ronnie Yoshiko Fujiyama: how electric guitarists challenge expectations of gender
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Janelle K Johnstone, Associate Lecturer Crime, Justice and Legal Studies, PhD Candidate School of Social Inquiry, La Trobe University American gospel singer and guitarist Sister Rosetta Tharpe playing a Gibson Les Paul electric guitar on stage in 1957. Chris Ware/Keystone Features/Hulton Archive/Getty Images I’ve been playing a

    Ken Henry urges nature law reform after decades of ‘intergenerational bastardry’
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Phillipa C. McCormack, Future Making Fellow, Environment Institute, University of Adelaide Former Treasury Secretary Ken Henry has warned Australia’s global environmental reputation is at risk if the Albanese government fails to reform nature laws this term. In his speech to the National Press Club on Wednesday, Henry

    David Robie: New Zealand must do more for Pacific and confront nuclear powers
    Rongelap Islanders on board the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior travelling to their new home on Mejatto Island in 1985 — less than two months before the bombing. Image: ©1985 David Robie/Eyes of Fire He accused the coalition government of being “too timid” and “afraid of offending President Donald Trump” to make a stand on the

    First-hand view of peacemaking challenge in the ‘Holy Land’
    Occupied West Bank-based New Zealand journalist Cole Martin asks who are the peacemakers? BEARING WITNESS: By Cole Martin As a Kiwi journalist living in the occupied West Bank, I can list endless reasons why there is no peace in the “Holy Land”. I live in a refugee camp, alongside families who were expelled from their

    Politics with Michelle Grattan: Malcolm Turnbull on Australia’s ‘dumb’ defence debate
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra The Albanese government remains in complicated territory on the international stage. It has to tread carefully with China, despite the marked warming of the bilateral relationship. It is yet to find its line and length with the unpredictable Trump administration.

    Why is Israel bombing Syria?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ali Mamouri, Research Fellow, Middle East Studies, Deakin University Conflict in Syria has escalated with Israel launching bombing raids against its northern neighbour. It follows months of fluctuating tensions in southern Syria between the Druze minority and forces aligned with the new government in Damascus. Clashes erupted

    Bougainville election: More than 400 candidates vie for parliament
    By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist More than 400 candidates have put their hands up to contest the Bougainville general election in September, hoping to enter Parliament. Incumbent President Ishmael Toroama is among the 404 people lining up to win a seat. Bougainville is involved in the process of achieving independence from Papua New

    Scientists could be accidentally damaging fossils with a method we thought was safe
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mathieu Duval, Adjunct Senior Researcher at Griffith University and La Trobe University, and Ramón y Cajal (Senior) Research Fellow, Centro Nacional de Investigación sobre la Evolución Humana (CENIEH) 185,000-year-old human fossil jawbone from Misliya Cave, Israel. Gerhard Weber, University of Vienna, CC BY-ND Fossils are invaluable archives

    Right-wing political group Advance is in the headlines. What is it and what does it stand for?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Riboldi, Lecturer in Social Impact and Social Change, UTS Business School, University of Technology Sydney Advance/Facebook Political lobby group Advance has been back in the headlines this week. It was revealed an organisation headed by the husband of the Special Envoy for Combatting Antisemitism, Jillian Segal,

    We travelled to Antarctica to see if a Māori lunar calendar might help track environmental change
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Holly Winton, Senior Research Fellow in Climatology, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Holly Winton, CC BY-SA Antarctica’s patterns of stark seasonal changes, with months of darkness followed by a summer of 24-hour daylight, prompted us to explore how a Māori lunar and environmental calendar

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Australia – From 4 trades to 40,000: How 30 years of CommSec has shaped Aussie investing – CBA

    Source: Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA)

    CommSec reflects on its 30-year journey and the future of investing.

    When CommSec launched on 17 July 1995, just four trades were placed via telephone and fax, at $75 each. Investing was slow and largely reserved for the few who had the time, knowledge, and access.

    But that day marked the beginning of a shift that would help reshape how Australians engage with financial markets. Fast forward to today, and investors can trade on the bus to work with the tap of their phone.

    “Many younger investors would find it hard to imagine what it was like buying and selling shares 30 years ago. Back in the early ‘90s, investing wasn’t exactly easy. Picture having to put in a call to a stockbroker, sometimes even fax orders, fill out reams of paperwork, and then wait for what felt like weeks for your share certificate to arrive,” said CommSec’s Executive General Manger James Fowle.

    “In 2025, that same process now takes a matter of seconds and you can do it straight from your mobile.”

    https://youtu.be/AforSgYeUQA?si=k1ocLNyupyitvbCr

    CommSec’s vision 30 years ago was to make the stock market easy, accessible and affordable.

    Three decades later, CommSec customers now execute around 40,000 trades daily, with the average value of shares bought and sold on the platform reaching $575 million each day. In the past 30 years, CommSec has completed nearly 160 million orders, worth more than $2.5 trillion – roughly the equivalent size of Australia’s economy.

    CommSec’s journey in many ways mirrors the broader evolution of investing in Australia, moving from the margins to the mainstream and becoming a core part of how Australians build wealth.

    Through a commitment to empower more Australians to grow their wealth, CommSec has helped transform how Aussies invest.

    “Over the past 30 years, CommSec has played a critical role in shaping the way Australians invest. Whether a first-time investor or seasoned portfolio builder, we’ve always pathed new ground to make investing more accessible to all Australians through innovation and education. Trust is key to who we are and I’m thankful to the millions of Australians who continue to trust us to grow their wealth,” said Fowle.

    The evolution of investing

    CommSec’s path to becoming Australia’s leading online broker has transpired largely due to the platform’s ability to meet the evolving needs of investors.

    In 1997, CommSec became the first Australian broker to launch a share trading website, paving the way for a digital trading future.

    By 2001, around 80 percent of CommSec’s trades were being placed online, mirroring a broader trend: Australians wanted more control, more transparency, and more speed when they invested.

    In 2008, CommSec launched Australia’s first iPhone trading app, making trading accessible to Aussies with a smartphone.  And in 2019, CommSec Pocket was launched – a low cost, simple investing app that aims to empower more Australians to start their investing journey.

    Fast forward to today, and nearly 50 per cent of trades are made via mobile.

    Over the years, market participation has also grown across demographics as government privatisations, the rise of self-managed super funds (SMSFs), the popularity of exchange traded funds (ETFs), and the increasing use of mobile apps have all contributed to a more engaged and informed investor base.

    Ten years ago, 20 per cent of CommSec’s customers were under 40 – today, that number has more than doubled to 43 per cent. Meanwhile, the percentage of female investors on CommSec has almost tripled in the past 5 years.

    “Markets have become more dynamic, and so have investors,” said Tom Piotrowski, CommSec’s long-time market analyst.

    “We’ve gone from a world where people waited for the morning paper to receive market news, to one where they’re trading on their phones during a lunch break. Now we’re pushing out a daily podcast and educating our customers on TikTok. That shift has been extraordinary to witness.”

    Not only that, CommSec has taken great strides in making investing more accessible through education. Initiatives like CommSec Learn offers tips to beginners, while the CommSec Invest podcast breaks down the fundamentals of investing. Also, bite sized content is delivered through channels like Instagram, YouTube and TikTok.

    A trusted partner through volatility

    From bull markets to the GFC, CommSec has supported customers through the uncertainty and volatility of the market.

    In CommSec’s 30-year history, the top 10 trading days have all occurred over the last 5 years.

    “Covid really changed the market – the number of first-time traders has more than doubled since February 2020,” said Fowle.

    “The introduction of tariffs by President Trump on April 2 rattled global financial markets, with the three-day drop in the S&P 500 being one of the worst market sell-offs since World War II, while the ASX witnessed its biggest one-day drop since 2020. In fact, April 7 was CommSec’s largest trading day in three years, with the team processing over $1.4 billion in trades.

    “What makes me proud is not just how we responded to the high and low moments like these; but how over three decades, CommSec has remained a trusted partner for Australians on their investment journey.”

    Looking forward to the future

    As technology continues to evolve at an ever-accelerating pace, CommSec is committed to remaining at the forefront of innovation to help more Aussies invest and grow their wealth.

    “The Australian stock market is poised for continued evolution, with technology playing a central role in shaping trading practices and investor engagement,” Fowle said.

    “I’m incredibly proud that CommSec, 30 years on, continues to make investing easy, accessible and affordable. As innovation continues to accelerate, we are well positioned to continue to harness new technologies to meet the evolving needs of our customers.”

    30 Years of CommSec by the Numbers

    Australian Markets Since 1995

    The ASX All Ordinaries Accumulation Index has risen 335%
    Average NSW house prices have increased by 751%
    CBA’s share price has grown from $9.34 (30/6/95) to $184.75 (30/6/25), a 1878% increase
    Wealth per capita has surged from $96,810 to $810,000

    CommSec Firsts

    July 1995: First direct broker
    1997: First free live share price quotes
    November 2003: First retail Stop Loss order
    July 2008: First Financial Services iPhone App

    Average number of trades

    Four trades on day 1
    10,000 trades per day by 2002
    40,000 /$575m per day by 2025

    Method of Trading

    Telephone and Fax only on launch 31 July 1995 ($75 per trade)
    Internet access was offered in October 1996, providing information only. Trading started March 1997. 80% of trades made online by 2001

    Top trading days

    2020 and 2021 dominate the top five biggest trading days showing the impacts of COVID.
    The sixth biggest trading day was on 7 April 2025, following the announcement of U.S. tariffs.
     

    Stocks over time

    Top 5 stocks: 25 June 1995

    1. BHP
    2. News Corp
    3. NAB
    4. CRA
    5. WBC  

    Top 5 Stocks: 26 June 2025  

    1. CBA
    2. BHP
    3. Rio Tinto
    4. NAB
    5. CSL

    CommSec customers

    Percentage of customers under 40:

    Now: 39.80%
    5 years ago: 25.57%
    10 years ago: 20.19%
    30 years ago: 26.42%

    Percentage of female customers with holdings:

    Now: 27.46%
    3 years ago: 12.62%
    5 years ago: 10.60%.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: US Army Deploys, Fires Mid-Range Capability During Talisman Sabre 25

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    NORTHERN TERRITORY, Australia — The 3rd Multi-Domain Task Force (MDTF) deployed a Mid-Range Capability (MRC) to Australia and conducted a Standard Missile 6 live fire on July 15th, 2025, successfully sinking a maritime target in support of Exercise Talisman Sabre 25, a bilateral exercise between the U.S. and Australian militaries. The deployment demonstrates the 3rd MDTF’s ability to deploy and support regional security and stability.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Feenstra Attends White House Signing Ceremony for HALT Fentanyl Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Randy Feenstra (IA-04)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Hull) issued the following statement after attending the signing ceremony for the HALT Fentanyl Act at the White House:

    “I applaud President Trump for signing into law the HALT Fentanyl Act and taking decisive action to keep fentanyl and other poisonous substances out of our country. In conjunction with our work to secure the border, this legislation will help law enforcement confiscate dangerous drugs, combat the drug cartels, and save lives. Too many families have lost loved ones to an overdose, and this law will strengthen our mission to keep drugs out of our communities and away from our kids.”

    The HALT Fentanyl Act permanently lists all fentanyl-related substances under Schedule I of the Controlled Substances Act.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: I created a Vivaldi-inspired sound artwork for the Venice Biennale. The star of the show is an endangered bush-cricket

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Miriama Young, Associate Professor Music Composition, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, The University of Melbourne

    Marco Zorzanello

    It was late January when I got the call. I’m asked to bring my sound art to a collaborative ecology and design project, Song of the Cricket, for the Venice Biennale of Architecture. When such as invitation arrives, you have no choice but to jump in.

    I see an image of the site for the project: the Gaggiandre at the Arsenale – a medieval shipyard that serviced the Venetian military at its imperial peak.

    Once a resplendent hive of industry, it is even detailed by Dante Alighieri in The Divine Comedy:

    As in the arsenal of the Venetians,
    all winter long a stew of sticky pitch
    boils up to patch their sick and tattered ships
    that cannot sail (instead of voyaging,
    some build new keels, some tow and tar the ribs
    of hulls worn out by too much journeying;
    some hammer at the prow, some at the stern,
    and some make oars, and some braid ropes and cords;
    one mends the jib, another, the mainsail)

    The Gaggiandre is a cavernous, church-like space flanked by stone colonnades, wooden roof beams, and situated, in true Venetian style, on a bed of water. With long reverberation times, music in this space would need to be slowly unfolding, drawing the listener in and inviting them to meditate.

    It is a place of reflection, both metaphorically and physically. To a sound artist, creating for the Gaggiandre is a dream.

    Art and the Anthropocene

    The Song of the Cricket exhibit has been on display at the Biennale since May. Its purpose is to bridge ecological research with sound art to raise awareness for our fragile biodiversity, with a focus on the critically endangered Adriatic bush-cricket, Zeuneriana marmorata.

    Zeuneriana marmorata is a rare species found in wetlands in north-eastern Italy and Slovenia.
    Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

    What better place than Venice – a city slowly sinking – to reflect on where we stand in this moment of environmental collapse?

    The exhibit was created by a large team of collaborators. It features several mobile habitats populated with Zeuneriana. Some of these habitats sit on the Arsenale lawn, while other symbolic habitats float on the water as life rafts. Alongside the enclosures, my pre-composed “sound garden” plays through speakers onto the lawn.

    At the end of the Biennale, the team, led by landscape architect and ecologist Alex Felson, intends to use the life rafts to ceremonially transport incubated eggs to a new home on the mainland.

    The installation features mobile cricket habitats on the lawn, as well as symbolic life rafts on the water.
    Miriama Young

    Sounds of nature and Vivaldi

    On the lawn, the chirrup of live courting bush-crickets blends with pre-recorded sounds of their ancestors. These ancestral sounds might double as a lullaby for newly orphaned eggs, as adults only live a few months.

    The accompanying sound garden is richly diverse, created from an array of fauna sounds drawn from Northern Italian wetland environments, including the Eurasian reed warbler, the cuckoo and, my personal favourite, the green toad.

    My intention is for the soundscape to transport audiences to a different time and place: to a future where these species thrive in a healthy ecology.

    Excerpt from the Song of Crickets sound installation.
    Miriama Young and Monica Lim1.73 MB (download)

    There is a second element to the sound installation, created with support from sound technologist Monica Lim. Informed by the music of Antonio Vivaldi, this element serves to further activate the untapped airspace and enhance visitors’ experience of the site.

    Born in Venice in 1678, Vivaldi is a ubiquitous and avoidable cliché for locals. Yet his music was the perfect inspiration for this project, as it encodes a hidden ecological story.

    Vivaldi incorporated the literal sounds of nature into The Four Seasons (1723), with particular species’ songs annotated onto the score.

    The Song of the Cricket borrows elements from Vivaldi’s Summer: Allegro non Molto. In the short section I drew from, the cuckoo, turtledove and goldfinch are all musically described and credited by Vivaldi.

    And although they are not expressly mentioned, I imagine bush-crickets also pervade Vivaldi’s Summer movement, as we know they were once prolific in the Venice lagoon, and would have filled the summer air during his lifetime. You might hear them in the rapidly repeating (tremolo) string gestures.

    The cricket’s song serves as a indicator of an ecosystem’s health. But the sound of crickets in Venice today is largely missing.

    Our take on Vivaldi is slowed down 30 times, magnified and fragmented, voiced through synthesizers, and piped into the Gaggiandre through five speakers – creating an immersive experience that feels at once futuristic and Baroque.

    Mobile habitats awaiting the Zeuneriana marmorata eggs float on the water.
    Marco Zorzanello

    Bridging the past and an imagined future

    The decision to borrow from music of the Western historical canon (in this case Vivaldi) fits into a burgeoning movement that composer Valentin Silvestrov coined “eschatophony”.

    This is presumably a portmanteau of “eschatology”, the study of the end of the world, and “phony”, which in this case relates to sound (such as symphony). Here, we are left only to wrestle with and re-contextualise our musical past, to create “echoes of history”.

    The inclusion of sound is still a novelty at the architecture Biennale. Of the 300 exhibits this year, I can count on one hand the projects that incorporated sound. All of them were special.

    Sound creates a remarkable theatre, both through its immediacy, as well as its capacity to elevate a project beyond the prosaic, into the poetic.

    Venice is a city where history pervades at every turn. The Song of the Cricket invites listeners in, offering them space to reflect, and to imagine a future where ecosystems might once again thrive.

    This article is part of Making Art Work, our series on what inspires artists and the process of their work.

    Miriama Young 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. I created a Vivaldi-inspired sound artwork for the Venice Biennale. The star of the show is an endangered bush-cricket – https://theconversation.com/i-created-a-vivaldi-inspired-sound-artwork-for-the-venice-biennale-the-star-of-the-show-is-an-endangered-bush-cricket-259681

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: I created a Vivaldi-inspired sound artwork for the Venice Biennale. The star of the show is an endangered bush-cricket

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Miriama Young, Associate Professor Music Composition, Melbourne Conservatorium of Music, The University of Melbourne

    Marco Zorzanello

    It was late January when I got the call. I’m asked to bring my sound art to a collaborative ecology and design project, Song of the Cricket, for the Venice Biennale of Architecture. When such as invitation arrives, you have no choice but to jump in.

    I see an image of the site for the project: the Gaggiandre at the Arsenale – a medieval shipyard that serviced the Venetian military at its imperial peak.

    Once a resplendent hive of industry, it is even detailed by Dante Alighieri in The Divine Comedy:

    As in the arsenal of the Venetians,
    all winter long a stew of sticky pitch
    boils up to patch their sick and tattered ships
    that cannot sail (instead of voyaging,
    some build new keels, some tow and tar the ribs
    of hulls worn out by too much journeying;
    some hammer at the prow, some at the stern,
    and some make oars, and some braid ropes and cords;
    one mends the jib, another, the mainsail)

    The Gaggiandre is a cavernous, church-like space flanked by stone colonnades, wooden roof beams, and situated, in true Venetian style, on a bed of water. With long reverberation times, music in this space would need to be slowly unfolding, drawing the listener in and inviting them to meditate.

    It is a place of reflection, both metaphorically and physically. To a sound artist, creating for the Gaggiandre is a dream.

    Art and the Anthropocene

    The Song of the Cricket exhibit has been on display at the Biennale since May. Its purpose is to bridge ecological research with sound art to raise awareness for our fragile biodiversity, with a focus on the critically endangered Adriatic bush-cricket, Zeuneriana marmorata.

    Zeuneriana marmorata is a rare species found in wetlands in north-eastern Italy and Slovenia.
    Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

    What better place than Venice – a city slowly sinking – to reflect on where we stand in this moment of environmental collapse?

    The exhibit was created by a large team of collaborators. It features several mobile habitats populated with Zeuneriana. Some of these habitats sit on the Arsenale lawn, while other symbolic habitats float on the water as life rafts. Alongside the enclosures, my pre-composed “sound garden” plays through speakers onto the lawn.

    At the end of the Biennale, the team, led by landscape architect and ecologist Alex Felson, intends to use the life rafts to ceremonially transport incubated eggs to a new home on the mainland.

    The installation features mobile cricket habitats on the lawn, as well as symbolic life rafts on the water.
    Miriama Young

    Sounds of nature and Vivaldi

    On the lawn, the chirrup of live courting bush-crickets blends with pre-recorded sounds of their ancestors. These ancestral sounds might double as a lullaby for newly orphaned eggs, as adults only live a few months.

    The accompanying sound garden is richly diverse, created from an array of fauna sounds drawn from Northern Italian wetland environments, including the Eurasian reed warbler, the cuckoo and, my personal favourite, the green toad.

    My intention is for the soundscape to transport audiences to a different time and place: to a future where these species thrive in a healthy ecology.

    Excerpt from the Song of Crickets sound installation.
    Miriama Young and Monica Lim1.73 MB (download)

    There is a second element to the sound installation, created with support from sound technologist Monica Lim. Informed by the music of Antonio Vivaldi, this element serves to further activate the untapped airspace and enhance visitors’ experience of the site.

    Born in Venice in 1678, Vivaldi is a ubiquitous and avoidable cliché for locals. Yet his music was the perfect inspiration for this project, as it encodes a hidden ecological story.

    Vivaldi incorporated the literal sounds of nature into The Four Seasons (1723), with particular species’ songs annotated onto the score.

    The Song of the Cricket borrows elements from Vivaldi’s Summer: Allegro non Molto. In the short section I drew from, the cuckoo, turtledove and goldfinch are all musically described and credited by Vivaldi.

    And although they are not expressly mentioned, I imagine bush-crickets also pervade Vivaldi’s Summer movement, as we know they were once prolific in the Venice lagoon, and would have filled the summer air during his lifetime. You might hear them in the rapidly repeating (tremolo) string gestures.

    The cricket’s song serves as a indicator of an ecosystem’s health. But the sound of crickets in Venice today is largely missing.

    Our take on Vivaldi is slowed down 30 times, magnified and fragmented, voiced through synthesizers, and piped into the Gaggiandre through five speakers – creating an immersive experience that feels at once futuristic and Baroque.

    Mobile habitats awaiting the Zeuneriana marmorata eggs float on the water.
    Marco Zorzanello

    Bridging the past and an imagined future

    The decision to borrow from music of the Western historical canon (in this case Vivaldi) fits into a burgeoning movement that composer Valentin Silvestrov coined “eschatophony”.

    This is presumably a portmanteau of “eschatology”, the study of the end of the world, and “phony”, which in this case relates to sound (such as symphony). Here, we are left only to wrestle with and re-contextualise our musical past, to create “echoes of history”.

    The inclusion of sound is still a novelty at the architecture Biennale. Of the 300 exhibits this year, I can count on one hand the projects that incorporated sound. All of them were special.

    Sound creates a remarkable theatre, both through its immediacy, as well as its capacity to elevate a project beyond the prosaic, into the poetic.

    Venice is a city where history pervades at every turn. The Song of the Cricket invites listeners in, offering them space to reflect, and to imagine a future where ecosystems might once again thrive.

    This article is part of Making Art Work, our series on what inspires artists and the process of their work.

    Miriama Young 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. I created a Vivaldi-inspired sound artwork for the Venice Biennale. The star of the show is an endangered bush-cricket – https://theconversation.com/i-created-a-vivaldi-inspired-sound-artwork-for-the-venice-biennale-the-star-of-the-show-is-an-endangered-bush-cricket-259681

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Do women really need more sleep than men? A sleep psychologist explains

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amelia Scott, Honorary Affiliate and Clinical Psychologist at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, and Macquarie University Research Fellow, Macquarie University

    klebercordeiro/Getty

    If you spend any time in the wellness corners of TikTok or Instagram, you’ll see claims women need one to two hours more sleep than men.

    But what does the research actually say? And how does this relate to what’s going on in real life?

    As we’ll see, who gets to sleep, and for how long, is a complex mix of biology, psychology and societal expectations. It also depends on how you measure sleep.

    What does the evidence say?

    Researchers usually measure sleep in two ways:

    • by asking people how much they sleep (known as self-reporting). But people are surprisingly inaccurate at estimating how much sleep they get

    • using objective tools, such as research-grade, wearable sleep trackers or the gold-standard polysomnography, which records brain waves, breathing and movement while you sleep during a sleep study in a lab or clinic.

    Looking at the objective data, well-conducted studies usually show women sleep about 20 minutes more than men.

    One global study of nearly 70,000 people who wore wearable sleep trackers found a consistent, small difference between men and women across age groups. For example, the sleep difference between men and women aged 40–44 was about 23–29 minutes.

    Another large study using polysomnography found women slept about 19 minutes longer than men. In this study, women also spent more time in deep sleep: about 23% of the night compared to about 14% for men. The study also found only men’s quality of sleep declined with age.

    The key caveat to these findings is that our individual sleep needs vary considerably. Women may sleep slightly more on average, just as they are slightly shorter on average. But there is no one-size-fits-all sleep duration, just as there is no universal height.

    Suggesting every woman needs 20 extra minutes (let alone two hours) misses the point. It’s the same as insisting all women should be shorter than all men.

    Even though women tend to sleep a little longer and deeper, they consistently report poorer sleep quality. They’re also about 40% more likely to be diagnosed with insomnia.

    This mismatch between lab findings and the real world is a well-known puzzle in sleep research, and there are many reasons for it.

    For instance, many research studies don’t consider mental health problems, medications, alcohol use and hormonal fluctuations. This filters out the very factors that shape sleep in the real world.

    This mismatch between the lab and the bedroom also reminds us sleep doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Women’s sleep is shaped by a complex mix of biological, psychological and social factors, and this complexity is hard to capture in individual studies.

    Let’s start with biology

    Sleep problems begin to diverge between the sexes around puberty. They spike again during pregnancy, after birth and during perimenopause.

    Fluctuating levels of ovarian hormones, particularly oestrogen and progesterone, seem to explain some of these sex differences in sleep.

    For example, many girls and women report poorer sleep during the premenstrual phase just before their periods, when oestrogen and progesterone begin to fall.

    Perhaps the most well-documented hormonal influence on our sleep is the decline in oestrogen during perimenopause. This is linked to increased sleep disturbances, particularly waking at 3am and struggling to get back to sleep.

    Some health conditions also play a part in women’s sleep health. Thyroid disorders and iron deficiency, for instance, are more common in women and are closely linked to fatigue and disrupted sleep.

    How about psychology?

    Women are at much higher risk of depression, anxiety and trauma-related disorders. These very often accompany sleep problems and fatigue. Cognitive patterns, such as worry and rumination, are also more common in women and known to affect sleep.

    Women are also prescribed antidepressants more often than men, and these medications tend to affect sleep.

    Society also plays a role

    Caregiving and emotional labour still fall disproportionately on women. Government data released this year suggests Australian women perform an average nine more hours of unpaid care and work each week than men.

    While many women manage to put enough time aside for sleep, their opportunities for daytime rest are often scarce. This puts a lot of pressure on sleep to deliver all the restoration women need.

    In my work with patients, we often untangle the threads woven into their experience of fatigue. While poor sleep is the obvious culprit, fatigue can also signal something deeper, such as underlying health issues, emotional strain, or too-high expectations of themselves. Sleep is certainly part of the picture, but it’s rarely the whole story.

    For instance, rates of iron deficiency (which we know is more common in women and linked to sleep problems) are also higher in the reproductive years. This is just as many women are raising children and grappling with the “juggle” and the “mental load”.

    Women in perimenopause are often navigating full-time work, teenagers, ageing parents and 3am hot flashes. These women may have adequate or even high-quality sleep (according to objective measures), but that doesn’t mean they wake feeling restored.

    Most existing research also ignores gender-diverse populations. This limits our understanding of how sleep is shaped not just by biology, but by things such as identity and social context.

    So where does this leave us?

    While women sleep longer and better in the lab, they face more barriers to feeling rested in everyday life.

    So, do women need more sleep than men? On average, yes, a little. But more importantly, women need more support and opportunity to recharge and recover across the day, and at night.

    Amelia Scott is a member of the psychology education subcommittee of the Australasian Sleep Association. She receives funding from Macquarie University.

    – ref. Do women really need more sleep than men? A sleep psychologist explains – https://theconversation.com/do-women-really-need-more-sleep-than-men-a-sleep-psychologist-explains-259985

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Do women really need more sleep than men? A sleep psychologist explains

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amelia Scott, Honorary Affiliate and Clinical Psychologist at the Woolcock Institute of Medical Research, and Macquarie University Research Fellow, Macquarie University

    klebercordeiro/Getty

    If you spend any time in the wellness corners of TikTok or Instagram, you’ll see claims women need one to two hours more sleep than men.

    But what does the research actually say? And how does this relate to what’s going on in real life?

    As we’ll see, who gets to sleep, and for how long, is a complex mix of biology, psychology and societal expectations. It also depends on how you measure sleep.

    What does the evidence say?

    Researchers usually measure sleep in two ways:

    • by asking people how much they sleep (known as self-reporting). But people are surprisingly inaccurate at estimating how much sleep they get

    • using objective tools, such as research-grade, wearable sleep trackers or the gold-standard polysomnography, which records brain waves, breathing and movement while you sleep during a sleep study in a lab or clinic.

    Looking at the objective data, well-conducted studies usually show women sleep about 20 minutes more than men.

    One global study of nearly 70,000 people who wore wearable sleep trackers found a consistent, small difference between men and women across age groups. For example, the sleep difference between men and women aged 40–44 was about 23–29 minutes.

    Another large study using polysomnography found women slept about 19 minutes longer than men. In this study, women also spent more time in deep sleep: about 23% of the night compared to about 14% for men. The study also found only men’s quality of sleep declined with age.

    The key caveat to these findings is that our individual sleep needs vary considerably. Women may sleep slightly more on average, just as they are slightly shorter on average. But there is no one-size-fits-all sleep duration, just as there is no universal height.

    Suggesting every woman needs 20 extra minutes (let alone two hours) misses the point. It’s the same as insisting all women should be shorter than all men.

    Even though women tend to sleep a little longer and deeper, they consistently report poorer sleep quality. They’re also about 40% more likely to be diagnosed with insomnia.

    This mismatch between lab findings and the real world is a well-known puzzle in sleep research, and there are many reasons for it.

    For instance, many research studies don’t consider mental health problems, medications, alcohol use and hormonal fluctuations. This filters out the very factors that shape sleep in the real world.

    This mismatch between the lab and the bedroom also reminds us sleep doesn’t happen in a vacuum. Women’s sleep is shaped by a complex mix of biological, psychological and social factors, and this complexity is hard to capture in individual studies.

    Let’s start with biology

    Sleep problems begin to diverge between the sexes around puberty. They spike again during pregnancy, after birth and during perimenopause.

    Fluctuating levels of ovarian hormones, particularly oestrogen and progesterone, seem to explain some of these sex differences in sleep.

    For example, many girls and women report poorer sleep during the premenstrual phase just before their periods, when oestrogen and progesterone begin to fall.

    Perhaps the most well-documented hormonal influence on our sleep is the decline in oestrogen during perimenopause. This is linked to increased sleep disturbances, particularly waking at 3am and struggling to get back to sleep.

    Some health conditions also play a part in women’s sleep health. Thyroid disorders and iron deficiency, for instance, are more common in women and are closely linked to fatigue and disrupted sleep.

    How about psychology?

    Women are at much higher risk of depression, anxiety and trauma-related disorders. These very often accompany sleep problems and fatigue. Cognitive patterns, such as worry and rumination, are also more common in women and known to affect sleep.

    Women are also prescribed antidepressants more often than men, and these medications tend to affect sleep.

    Society also plays a role

    Caregiving and emotional labour still fall disproportionately on women. Government data released this year suggests Australian women perform an average nine more hours of unpaid care and work each week than men.

    While many women manage to put enough time aside for sleep, their opportunities for daytime rest are often scarce. This puts a lot of pressure on sleep to deliver all the restoration women need.

    In my work with patients, we often untangle the threads woven into their experience of fatigue. While poor sleep is the obvious culprit, fatigue can also signal something deeper, such as underlying health issues, emotional strain, or too-high expectations of themselves. Sleep is certainly part of the picture, but it’s rarely the whole story.

    For instance, rates of iron deficiency (which we know is more common in women and linked to sleep problems) are also higher in the reproductive years. This is just as many women are raising children and grappling with the “juggle” and the “mental load”.

    Women in perimenopause are often navigating full-time work, teenagers, ageing parents and 3am hot flashes. These women may have adequate or even high-quality sleep (according to objective measures), but that doesn’t mean they wake feeling restored.

    Most existing research also ignores gender-diverse populations. This limits our understanding of how sleep is shaped not just by biology, but by things such as identity and social context.

    So where does this leave us?

    While women sleep longer and better in the lab, they face more barriers to feeling rested in everyday life.

    So, do women need more sleep than men? On average, yes, a little. But more importantly, women need more support and opportunity to recharge and recover across the day, and at night.

    Amelia Scott is a member of the psychology education subcommittee of the Australasian Sleep Association. She receives funding from Macquarie University.

    – ref. Do women really need more sleep than men? A sleep psychologist explains – https://theconversation.com/do-women-really-need-more-sleep-than-men-a-sleep-psychologist-explains-259985

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Catholic clergy are speaking out on immigration − more than any other political issue except abortion

    Source: The Conversation – USA (3) – By Evan Stewart, Assistant Professor of Sociology, UMass Boston

    Catholic bishops invited by Mark Seitz, center, the bishop of El Paso, Texas, lead a march in solidarity with migrants on March 24, 2025, in downtown El Paso. AP Photo/Andres Leighton

    Catholic priests across the U.S. discuss immigration with their congregations more than leaders in many other faith traditions, according to our new research published in the journal Sociological Focus.

    Catholic priests also said they discussed immigration more than nearly all other political issues, including hunger in their communities, capital punishment, health care and the environment. Abortion was the only one priests discussed slightly more often.

    Our study, which uses data from the 2022 National Survey of Religious Leaders, found that 71% of Catholic priests surveyed said they spoke about any political issue with their congregations. Among them, just over half talked about immigration.

    In white conservative Protestant congregations, Black Protestant congregations and non-Christian congregations, only about a quarter of leaders who discussed political issues said they talked about immigration. Leaders of white liberal Protestant congregations, however, talked about the topic almost as much as Catholic leaders did.

    Why it matters

    The United States has a long history of religious leaders addressing political matters, on both the left and the right – and today is no different.

    With immigration raids on the rise across the country and an unprecedented level of funding approved for deportations, Catholic bishops in the U.S. are speaking out. Many of them have called for compassion and care for migrants and the need to uphold human dignity and due process, regardless of someone’s immigration status – in line with Catholic social teaching.

    As sociologists who study politics and religion, we wanted to know what is happening on the ground in congregations. Given the church’s teachings about caring for the vulnerable, we expected that Catholic clergy might be particularly likely to speak out.

    However, the percentage of people affiliated with a religious congregation is decreasing, and those who do attend are increasingly politically conservative. Rank and file Catholics are very divided on their support for immigrants, according to a 2024 national survey by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate.

    In this context, we were curious about whether clergy would discuss a political issue such as immigration with their congregations or say they avoid it altogether.

    What still isn’t known

    The survey we used is from 2022, before some of today’s immigration enforcement policies took effect. That said, these findings demonstrate that immigration was on the radar for Catholic leaders before the recent changes under the current administration.

    Because we focused on survey data, we got a good picture of trends among Catholic leaders nationwide. However, we could look only at whether religious leaders reported discussing immigration; we could not know exactly what they said, or how. There is much more to learn about what kinds of political messages come from the pulpit today and what messages tend to stick with congregants.

    We did find that Catholic leaders of congregations where the majority of worshipers are Hispanic were much more likely to talk about immigration, compared with leaders of non-Catholic Hispanic congregations and Catholic leaders of mostly white congregations. Because Hispanic communities in the U.S. are facing the brunt of the immigration crackdown, this finding shows that Catholic leaders have been addressing the needs of their communities.

    What’s next

    Catholic parishioners may be exposed to different opinions about immigration from religious and political leaders. Diane, one of the authors, is furthering this research by conducting interviews with Catholics in Greater Boston. By asking church members to talk through their attitudes toward immigrants, we can learn more about how people make sense of complicated ethical questions.

    The Research Brief is a short take on interesting academic work.

    Diane Beckman received funding from Duke University to conduct research using data from the National Survey of Religious Leaders.

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

    – ref. Catholic clergy are speaking out on immigration − more than any other political issue except abortion – https://theconversation.com/catholic-clergy-are-speaking-out-on-immigration-more-than-any-other-political-issue-except-abortion-260485

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese FM meets with Tajik counterpart

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

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Tajikistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sirojiddin Muhriddin in Tianjin, north China, July 16, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    TIANJIN, July 16 — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Tajikistan’s Minister of Foreign Affairs Sirojiddin Muhriddin in north China’s Tianjin on Wednesday.

    Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that the leaders of the two countries have clarified the direction and made arrangements for developing the comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the new era between two countries.

    China is willing to work with Tajikistan to implement the consensus reached between the two heads of state, prepare for the next stage of high-level exchanges, and jointly promote a successful Tianjin summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), he said.

    China firmly supports Tajikistan in following a development path that is suited to its national conditions, supports Tajik President Emomali Rahmon’s plans for the country’s long-term development, and opposes any interference in Tajikistan’s internal affairs by any force, said the minister.

    Wang said China and Tajikistan should effectively implement the inter-governmental economic and trade cooperation plan, enhance connectivity between the two countries, strengthen practical cooperation in various fields such as investment, energy, counter-terrorism and security, and promote the continuous development of bilateral relations.

    For his part, Muhriddin said that Tajikistan will fully support and cooperate with China to ensure the success of a historic SCO Tianjin summit.

    Under the guidance of the two heads of state, bilateral relations have opened a new chapter and maintained a positive momentum of development, Muhriddin said.

    He added that Tajikistan is willing to work with China to make full use of bilateral cooperation mechanisms, expand inter-party and inter-parliamentary exchanges, deepen cooperation in various fields including economy and trade investment, connectivity, medicine, informatization and education to promote the China-Tajikistan comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership in the new era to a higher level.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese FM meets with Uzbek counterpart in Tianjin

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

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov in Tianjin, north China, July 16, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    TIANJIN, July 16 — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Uzbekistan’s Foreign Minister Bakhtiyor Saidov in Tianjin on Wednesday.

    Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that the two heads of state held a cordial, friendly meeting during the second China-Central Asia Summit and made strategic plans for the development of China-Uzbekistan relations.

    China is willing to work with Uzbekistan to fully implement the consensus reached between their leaders, make good preparations for the next stage of high-level exchange, and promote the development of bilateral relations to a higher quality and higher level, Wang said.

    China is a trustworthy and reliable partner for Uzbekistan, and has always regarded Uzbekistan as one of the priorities in its neighborhood diplomacy, Wang said, adding that China supports Uzbekistan in safeguarding its national independence, sovereignty, security and development interests.

    Wang said the two sides should accelerate cooperation in key areas, promote the early operation of the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan Railway, and make more achievements in bilateral cooperation.

    China looks forward to working with Uzbekistan and other member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to ensure the complete success of the SCO Tianjin summit and inject stronger impetus into the development of the organization, he said.

    Saidov expressed his deep admiration for the historic accomplishments of China’s development, as well as his willingness to learn from China’s development experience.

    He said that the two heads of state have elevated bilateral relations to an all-weather comprehensive strategic partnership for a new era, with fruitful practical cooperation seen in various fields.

    Uzbekistan is willing to expand cooperation with China in such areas as logistics, minerals, artificial intelligence, the green transformation and desertification control, Saidov said, adding that it is also ready to communicate and coordinate closely with China on regional and international affairs, safeguard the common interests of both sides, and push bilateral relations to a new level.

    The recent Meeting of the Council of the Ministers of Foreign Affairs of the SCO Member States achieved positive results, Saidov said, noting that Uzbekistan will, as always, fully support and assist China in its successful hosting of the Tianjin summit.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese FM meets Pakistani deputy PM

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

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar in Tianjin, north China, July 16, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    TIANJIN, July 16 — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar in north China’s Tianjin on Wednesday.

    Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that the frequent communication between the foreign ministers of the two countries reflects the high level of the all-weather strategic cooperative partnership between China and Pakistan, which is conducive to deepening mutual trust and friendship and promoting cooperation in various fields.

    He said China is willing to work with Pakistan to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, and continue to firmly support each other on issues concerning each other’s core interests.

    China supports Pakistan in focusing on handling its own affairs, achieving independent and sustainable development, and continuously enhancing its comprehensive national strength, he said, adding that China is willing to enhance strategic dialogue with Pakistan, jointly build the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor to a high level, and deepen cooperation on agriculture, industry, and mining.

    He said China also stands ready to jointly plan the celebration activities for the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries next year.

    Noting that China supports Pakistan in carrying out counter-terrorism operations and the Chinese government has always been concerned about the safety of Chinese people in Pakistan, Wang said it is believed that Pakistan will continue to do its best to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel, projects and institutions in Pakistan.

    He said China appreciates Pakistan supporting China’s tenure as the rotating chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and looks forward to making joint efforts with Pakistan to ensure the complete success of the Tianjin summit.

    Dar said Pakistan adheres to the one-China principle and supports China on issues concerning China’s core interests. Pakistan fully supports China in organizing the Tianjin summit, looks forward to further deepening all-round cooperation between the two sides, and will do its best to ensure the safety of Chinese personnel and institutions in Pakistan, he said.

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Pakistani Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Mohammad Ishaq Dar in Tianjin, north China, July 16, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China to continue to support Iran in safeguarding sovereignty, dignity: FM

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

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi in Tianjin, north China, July 16, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    TIANJIN, July 16 — China will continue to support Iran in safeguarding its national sovereignty and dignity, resisting power politics and bullying, defending its legitimate rights and interests through political negotiation, and adhering to the principle of good-neighborliness and friendship to continuously improve and develop relations with its neighboring countries, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Wednesday.

    Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks in north China’s Tianjin during a meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Seyed Abbas Araghchi, who is in China for the meeting of the council of the ministers of foreign affairs of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states.

    As a comprehensive strategic partner, China is willing to work with Iran to deepen mutual trust, strengthen cooperation, expand exchanges, and promote the steady and long-term development of China-Iran relations, Wang said.

    Araghchi thanked China for its invaluable support for Iran while also expressing support for China’s role as the rotating president of the SCO and its preparations for the Tianjin Summit.

    Iran is willing to enhance high-level exchanges between the two countries, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and continue to firmly support each other, he said.

    The two sides also exchanged their views on the Iranian nuclear issue.

    Araghchi reaffirmed that Iran has absolutely no intention to develop nuclear weapons but will not give up its legitimate right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy. It is willing to resume negotiations and consultations with all parties as soon as possible on the premise of equality and respect, to seek a political solution to the Iranian nuclear issue.

    Wang said that China has always opposed the use of force or the threat of force and advocates resolving differences through dialogue and consultation.

    China highly values Iran’s commitment not to developing nuclear weapons, respects Iran’s right to the peaceful use of nuclear energy, and appreciates Iran’s pursuit of peace through diplomatic means. China supports Iran in maintaining the momentum of dialogue with all parties, and is willing to continue to play a constructive role in promoting the settlement of the Iranian nuclear issue and stability in the Middle East region, he noted.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Xinjiang opens new civil airport

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

    Passengers board flight CZ5091 of China Southern Airlines, which is bound for Yerevan of Armenia, at Urumqi Diwopu International Airport in Urumqi, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Sept. 3, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The Barkol Dahe Airport officially began operations on Tuesday, bringing the total number of civil airports in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to 28, the highest among all provincial-level regions in China.

    As the second high-altitude airport in Xinjiang, Barkol Dahe Airport is located in the Kazak Autonomous County of Barkol, Hami City. With a total investment of 692.84 million yuan (96.87 million U.S. dollars), the airport has an annual capacity to handle 300,000 passengers and 700 tonnes of cargo.

    Currently, two air routes have been launched at Barkol Dahe Airport — one from Chengdu to Barkol, with a stopover in Zhengzhou, and the other from Chongqing to Barkol. Future plans include an air route connecting Beijing.

    According to Xinjiang Airport Group, the new airport will play a significant role in promoting regional economic development, supporting local specialty industries, boosting tourism, and advancing rural revitalization efforts in Barkol and its surrounding areas.

    As the core area of the Silk Road Economic Belt, Xinjiang has been working hard to accelerate airport construction. The number of airports, both operational and under-construction, is expected to reach 33 in Xinjiang by the end of 2025.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: World Youth Development Forum highlights youth role in green consumption

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

    Youth representatives pose for a group photo before the opening ceremony of the 2025 World Youth Development Forum in Suzhou, east China’s Jiangsu province, July 15, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Young business leaders and representatives from around the world on Wednesday gathered in Suzhou, east China’s Jiangsu rovince, joining United Nations officials to call for youth-driven solutions in promoting green consumption.

    This thematic forum on green consumption and sustainable development is part of the ongoing 2025 World Youth Development Forum, which opened on Tuesday under the theme, “Unleash Youth Potential for Global Development.” The event has drawn participants from over 100 countries and regions, as well as 17 international organizations.

    “We are witnessing a surge in youth-led initiatives centered on global climate governance and green development,” said Xu Xiao, president of the All-China Youth Federation, which is one of the forum’s organizers.

    “Young innovators are driving emissions reduction through technological breakthroughs, and contributing to the sustainable growth of the global economy,” Xu said.

    Green consumption, participants noted, is quickly becoming a dominant force in global markets. “Today’s younger consumers are increasingly conscious of environmental values and the social responsibility behind the brands they support,” said Gao Dekang, president of Bosideng Group.

    “Young consumers are deeply engaged with pop culture. Through recyclable materials, low-carbon initiatives and biodiversity awareness campaigns, we’re turning collectibles into ambassadors of green living,” said Chen Xiaoyun, vice president of Chinese toymaker Pop Mart, whose designer toy brand has a presence in more than 90 countries and regions.

    “Now a big topic of conversation among youth is obviously climate change and the shift to renewable energy,” said John Hayden, a university student from the United States, adding that young people are eager to find meaningful careers that allow them to make a positive impact on the planet.

    Qin Jing, vice president of Trip.com Group, highlighted rising global awareness of sustainable travel. “Today, nearly 90 percent of young travelers are open to eco-friendly journeys,” she said. “We are calling on youth around the world to embrace green mobility and help make tourism more sustainable.”

    “China is taking the lead in green energy consumption, particularly in the field of new energy vehicles,” said Huang Wandi, a young employee of State Grid Suzhou Power Supply Company. “We, the younger generations, are also actively contributing through technological innovation.”

    Huang and her team have developed a mobile charging robot that allows electric vehicles to recharge without being restricted to designated parking spots. “With such innovations, we hope to do our part in advancing sustainable development,” she said.

    Young people are an indispensable force in achieving sustainable development, said Jessy Santos, deputy secretary of the National Youth Secretariat of Brazil. “Brazil and many other nations are mobilizing youth to play a greater role in addressing climate change.”

    “It is vital that young people, especially those on the front lines, are included in climate education and decision-making, blending traditional knowledge with ecological stewardship,” she added.

    “Building a sustainable future for our planet may be the most pressing challenge of our time,” said James George, deputy resident representative of the United Nations Development Programme in China. “It is inspiring to see so many young people across the globe rising to meet this challenge with conviction and creativity.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Mainland slams DPP for defaming commemorations of victory against Japanese aggression

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

    The Chinese mainland on Wednesday denounced Taiwan’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) authorities for defaming upcoming commemorations of China’s victory over Japanese aggression in the 1940s, stating that the move “fully exposes their disgraceful nature.”

    Chen Binhua, a spokesperson for the State Council Taiwan Affairs Office, made the remarks in response to a media query after Taiwan authorities labeled the celebrations as “united front tactics” or “cognitive warfare” and threatened to cut retirement benefits for those who take part.

    This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. A gathering, including a military parade, will be held on the morning of Sept. 3 in Tian’anmen Square in Beijing.

    “The war was a just struggle in which all the sons and daughters of the Chinese nation united as one to resist Japanese militarist aggression,” the spokesperson stressed.

    “We invite Chinese Kuomintang party veterans to these commemorative activities out of respect for historical facts and in recognition of their contributions in defense of the country,” Chen said.

    Chen noted that the DPP authorities not only refused to hold such commemorations themselves, but instead threatened and intimidated the veterans.

    “This is shameful and is bound to trigger strong opposition from compatriots in Taiwan,” he said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: 124 dead in Pakistan during 3 weeks of monsoon devastation

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

    A man carries his children as he wades through flood water after heavy monsoon rains in southern Pakistan’s Hyderabad on July 15, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Torrential monsoon rains and associated incidents have left at least 124 people dead and 264 others injured across Pakistan over the past three weeks, the National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) said Wednesday.

    In its latest situation report, the NDMA said the casualties were recorded between June 26 and July 16, with eight new deaths and 11 injuries reported in the last 24 hours.

    The eastern Punjab province was the worst affected, with 49 fatalities and 158 injuries, followed by the northwestern Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province with 38 deaths and 57 injuries. The southern Sindh province reported 20 deaths and 40 injuries, while the southwestern Balochistan province recorded 16 fatalities and four injuries.

    One death and five injuries were reported in Pakistan-controlled Kashmir, while no casualties were recorded in northern Gilgit-Baltistan and the Islamabad Capital Territory, said the NDMA.

    Pakistan experiences heavy monsoon rains from July to September each year, which often cause widespread flooding, infrastructure damage, and casualties, particularly in low-lying and rural areas.

    Authorities have issued advisories and are working with provincial governments to coordinate relief and rescue efforts in the most affected regions. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Jordan evacuates 35 sick children from Gaza for treatment

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

    A sick child from Gaza arrives at the King Hussein Bridge border crossing, Jordan, on July 16, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The Jordan Armed Forces on Wednesday evacuated the seventh group of sick children from the Gaza Strip under the Jordanian Medical Corridor initiative, according to a military statement.

    The group included 35 children, accompanied by 72 family members. They were transported to Jordan for treatment in local hospitals via the King Hussein Bridge.

    The evacuation was carried out in coordination with the Jordanian Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization, and conducted under strict medical and security procedures.

    According to the statement, this is the largest group evacuated since the initiative was launched in March.

    To date, a total of 112 children and 241 family members have been brought to Jordan for medical care.

    Jordan’s King Abdullah II announced in February the country’s readiness to receive up to 2,000 Palestinian children from Gaza for treatment. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Heatwave grips Egypt, prompts widespread warnings

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

    People cool off at a beach of the Mediterranean Sea during a heatwave in Alexandria, Egypt, on July 16, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Egypt is experiencing an exceptional heatwave, with high temperatures and humidity posing significant risks to public health and impacting key sectors such as agriculture and industry.

    The Egyptian Meteorological Authority said Wednesday’s temperatures on the northern coasts range from 31 degrees Celsius to 32 degrees, in Greater Cairo from 37 degrees to 38 degrees, and in the southern region from 40 degrees to 44 degrees.

    The severe heat is expected to persist in the coming days, with both daytime and nighttime temperatures forecast to rise by up to 3 degrees Celsius above seasonal averages, according to Director of Analysis and Forecasts at the Egyptian Meteorological Authority Mahmoud Shahin.

    Agriculture and food security

    Ibrahim Darwish, professor of Agriculture at Menoufia University, said that rising temperatures pose a serious challenge to food and water security in agricultural countries.

    He told Xinhua that high temperatures lead to a decrease in agricultural productivity due to their negative impact on photosynthesis, respiration, and biosynthesis within plants.

    Darwish noted that the heatwave is likely to alter planting and ripening times, as high temperatures accelerate the plant’s life cycle, leading to premature and incomplete ripening, which in turn prevents sufficient dry matter formation, especially in grains.

    Darwish added that the heatwave may also increase the incidence of insect pests and plant diseases, damage plant tissues, and inhibit root development. Crops require more water to compensate for these effects, reducing water-use efficiency and increasing strain on water resources, he added.

    Impact on industry

    Engineer Ahmed Abdel-Rashid, a factory manager for air conditioners at Haier Egypt Environmental Complex, said high temperatures will result in a decrease in work efficiency and raise the risk of workplace accidents.

    Abdel-Rashid pointed out that the heatwave will also lead to higher electricity consumption due to increased reliance on cooling systems, and raise the risk of breakdowns in heat-sensitive machinery, potentially leading to production delays or shutdowns.

    However, Abdel-Rashid pointed out potential upsides, including improved solar energy output from increased solar radiation. The heatwave may also spur demand for air conditioners, fans, and insulation materials — boosting local markets and creating opportunities for innovation in sustainable cooling technologies and energy-efficient building solutions.

    Public health risks

    Magdy Badran, a member of the Egyptian Society of Allergy and Immunology, said among the most significant negative health impacts citizens may experience during the current heatwave are heat stress and heatstroke.

    “These are among the most common health risks in hot weather, resulting from the body losing large amounts of water and salts due to excessive sweating, leading to dizziness, headache, nausea, and general fatigue. If not promptly addressed, the condition can escalate to heatstroke,” he told Xinhua.

    He added that the exacerbation of chronic diseases is a common outcome of continuous exposure to high temperatures, noting that heart patients may experience an increased burden due to fluid loss and sudden drops in blood pressure.

    “Respiratory patients, such as those with asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, may face greater difficulty breathing due to increased humidity or heat-related air pollution. Similarly, patients with high blood pressure are susceptible to severe drops in blood pressure due to excessive sweating,” Bardan warned. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: UNICEF chief says UN-led humanitarian action in Gaza sidelined

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

    The UN-led humanitarian response in Gaza has been sidelined since the breakdown of the ceasefire in March, even though the world body was doing a good job, said UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Executive Director Catherine Russell on Wednesday.

    “For the last several months, the UN-led humanitarian response has been sidelined despite the fact that during the March ceasefire, we were delivering assistance in an efficient and safe manner,” she told a Security Council meeting on the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

    Essential vaccines and neonatal care, lifesaving nutrition services, and access to clean water were affected, she said, and asked members of the Security Council to ensure that UNICEF and their humanitarian partners are allowed to do their jobs.

    “We have proven that essentials like medicine, vaccines, water, food, and nutrition for babies can reach those in need, wherever they are, when we have appropriate access. We urgently need a return to the functioning UN-led aid pipeline with safe and sustained humanitarian access through all available (border) crossings,” said Russell.

    Also, she reiterated the UN secretary-general’s appeal to ensure that all aid delivery is demilitarized and grounded in the principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence.

    Russell was referring to the militarized mode of humanitarian aid distribution carried out by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, run by the United States, which set up four sites in the whole of Gaza in restricted Israeli military zones where starving civilians enter through fenced lanes under the eyes of armed security contractors.

    Between May 27 and July 7, the UN Human Rights Office recorded the killings of 798 Palestinian civilians, including children, desperate to find food at or near distribution sites and humanitarian convoys, she said.

    More than 17,000 children have reportedly been killed and 33,000 injured in Gaza since the outbreak of the war in October 2023, an average of 28 children have been killed each day, said Russell. “Consider that for a moment. A whole classroom of children killed, every day for nearly two years.”

    In Gaza, the effects of the violence perpetrated on children have been catastrophic. International law is clear: all parties to the conflict must protect civilians and ensure the safe and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance, she said while also calling for unimpeded humanitarian access and a ceasefire, as well as efforts to put an end to the war. 

    MIL OSI China News –