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Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Scientists and NSU graduates have developed an algorithm for controlling a swarm of drones using the “detection-delivery” scheme

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    Scientists from NSU, engineers from Smart Drones LLC (SmartDrones platform) and specialists from the Siberian Fire and Rescue Academy of the State Fire Service of the Russian Emergencies Ministry presented a joint development — an algorithm for controlling a swarm of drones, online detection and determination of the coordinates of detected objects using AI. The technology was tested at an off-site meeting dedicated to the introduction of innovative technologies in the work of agricultural producers, which took place in the Ordynsky District on June 20 with the participation of Deputy Governor of the Novosibirsk Region Irina Manuilova, Minister of Science and Innovation Policy of the Novosibirsk Region Vadim Vasiliev and Minister of Agriculture of the region Andrei Shindelov. The off-site meeting of representatives of science, developers of advanced technologies and innovative projects was held at the production site of Dary Ordynska OPKh LLC.

    The researchers demonstrated the ability of drones to interact in space using the detection-delivery scheme, distributing tasks: one of them detects an object, determines and transmits coordinates to another drone, which carries out delivery according to the specified coordinates. The control algorithm can be scaled to any number of devices and different types of recognized objects.

    The joint development is the result of agreements that were reached after testing drone delivery in April. Then, a new model of an unmanned aerial vehicle, developed by NSU scientists for delivering goods to hard-to-reach areas, successfully covered a distance of 4.5 km across the Ob River and delivered the goods to their destination. The test flight was part of the first tests in Siberia of SmartDrones Fires technology for detecting and extinguishing fires using a swarm of drones and AI technologies, jointly with the Main Directorate of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia for the Novosibirsk Region.

    — Based on the results of the tests, we decided to combine the two technologies and try to work them out in a complex, namely: one drone, controlled using specialized SmartDrones software developed by our company, automatically analyzes data from a video camera, detects a person and transmits his coordinates to the second drone developed by NSU. The second UAV automatically delivers the necessary parcel, which may include water, medicine, etc., according to the specified coordinates. In two months, we took the necessary steps for integration and presented the new technology in action at an off-site meeting that took place at the end of last week, — said Alexey Meleshikhin, founder of the Smart Drones company, a graduate of the Physics Department of NSU.

    In the future, NSU researchers and engineers from the SmartDrones startup will work together to improve the technology for controlling a swarm of drones using the “detection-delivery” scheme and plan to create a full-fledged digital platform that will find application in various areas – agriculture, tourism, emergency prevention, etc.

    — Now we have worked out the interaction of two drones and tested the algorithm “detection and delivery of water”. We have shown how the automatic data transfer from the first drone to the second one works, so that the latter arrives at these coordinates and makes the delivery. In the future, we plan to conduct testing on a larger number of devices, when we can have several drones, each of them monitoring its own square and solving the problem of detecting different types of objects that need different types of delivery – water, medicine, life jacket, etc. In the future, the technology can be scaled to an unlimited number of devices. In addition, the platform being developed will allow drones to make various joint decisions. For example, to calculate the distance of an object and determine who will fly to it faster and deliver, for example, a first aid kit to a victim; what to do in case of loss of communication with one of the UAVs, etc. All these algorithms will be worked out and implemented on the basis of the SmartDrones digital platform, — explained Alexey Meleshikhin.

    The Smart Drones company, founded by NSU graduates and developing the SmartDrones Fires hardware and software complex for automatic fire detection and calculation of the forces and means required to extinguish them using a swarm of drones and AI technologies, is a resident of AkademPark and the winner of the spring, 30th, anniversary accelerator A:START.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Artificial Intelligence for Materials Science (AIMS) Workshop

    Source: US Government research organizations

    Credit: Crissy Robinson/NIST

    As part of the JARVIS workshop series, the 6th Artificial Intelligence for Materials Science (AIMS) workshop will be held as an in-person only event at the National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) located at 9700 Great Seneca Highway in Rockville, Maryland on July 9 – 10, 2025. This event is sponsored by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

    The scope of the workshop is briefly stated below:

    The Materials Genome Initiative (MGI) promises to expedite materials discovery through high-throughput computation and high-throughput experiments. The application of artificial-intelligence (AI) tools such as machine learning, deep learning and various optimization techniques is critical to achieving such a goal.

    Some of the key research areas for materials AI include: developing well-curated and diverse datasets, choosing effective representations for materials, inverse materials design, integrating autonomous experiments and theory, challenges and advantages of self-driving laboratories, merging physics-based models with AI models, and choosing appropriate algorithms/work-flows. Lastly, uncertainty quantification in AI-based predictions for material properties and issues related to building infrastructure for disseminating AI knowledge are of immense importance for making AI- based materials investigation successful. This workshop is intended to cover all the above-mentioned challenges. To make the workshop as effective as possible we plan to largely but not exclusively focus on inorganic solid-state materials.

    Topics addressed in this workshop will include (but not be limited to):

    – Datasets and tools for employing AI for materials

    – Integrating experiments with AI techniques

    – Graph neural networks for materials

    – Comparison of AI techniques for materials

    – Challenges of applying AI to materials

    – Uncertainty quantification and building trust in AI predictions

    – Generative modeling

    – Foundation models

    – Machine learning force fields

    – Large language models

    – Autonomous experimentation

    If registered participants are interested in presenting a poster, please send name, affiliation, title, and abstract to daniel.wines [at] nist.gov (daniel[dot]wines[at]nist[dot]gov), no later than June 27, 2025. We plan to hold a best poster competition for early career researchers.

    List of Speakers

    Jiaman Hu Wisconsin
    Tess Smidt MIT
    Brandon Wood Meta
    Heather Kulik MIT
    Joseph Krause Radical AI
    Ichiro Takeuchi UMD
    Martin Seifrid NC State
    Olexandr Isayev CMU
    Ali Hamze Samsung
    Simon J.L. Billinge Columbia
    Ankit Agrawal Northwestern
    Jason Hattrick-Simpers University of Toronto
    Arun Mannodi-Kanakkithodi Purdue
    Benji Maruyama AFRL
    Panchapakesan Ganesh ORNL
    Roberto Car Princeton
    Shengyen Li NIST
    Aditya Nandy UCLA
    Steven Torrisi Toyota
    Olga S. Ovchinnikova Thermo Fisher Scientific
    Milad Abolhasani NC State University
    Luis Barroso-Luque Meta
    Nathan Johnson ZEISS
    Corey Oses JHU

    A room block has been reserved at the following location:

    Sheraton Rockville

    Address: 920 King Farm Blvd, Rockville, MD 20850

    Rate: $159/night (excluding taxes and fees). Rate includes breakfast and shuttle to and from NCCoE.

    CLICK HERE to book your room.

    Last day to book your room: June 20, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: A carbon levy on global shipping promises to slash emissions. We calculated what that means for Australia’s biggest export

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Brear, Director, Melbourne Energy Institute, The University of Melbourne

    Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images

    Moving people and things around the world by sea has a big climate impact. The shipping industry produces almost 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions – roughly the same as Germany – largely due to the movement of container ships, bulk carriers and tankers.

    Under international rules, these emissions are not included in any nation’s greenhouse gas reporting. That means they often escape scrutiny.

    Unlike cars, international shipping can’t shift to using low-emissions electricity – the batteries required are too big and heavy. So clean fuels must play a role.

    A proposed shake-up of the global shipping industry would encourage the use of clean fuels and penalise shipping companies that stick to cheaper, more polluting fuels. Should it proceed, emissions from global shipping would be regulated for the first time.

    Using our peer-reviewed modelling, we investigated how the changes might affect Australia’s largest export: iron ore.

    What is the proposed carbon levy all about?

    The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is the United Nations body responsible for regulating international shipping. It recently approved a draft plan to tackle the shipping sector’s contribution to climate change through a type of “cap and trade” scheme.

    The plan would involve setting a limit, or cap, on how much each shipping company can emit. Companies must then either buy credits or be penalised if they go over their limit. Companies that stay under their limit – for example, by using cleaner fuels – would earn credits, which they could then sell.

    In this way, high-emitting shipping companies are penalised and low-emitting companies are rewarded.

    Under the plan, the total limit for emissions from global shipping would fall each year. This increases the incentive for companies to switch to lower emission fuels and makes higher-emission fuels progressively more expensive to use.

    The plan is scheduled to be adopted by the shipping industry in October this year and would begin in 2027.

    Not all fuels are the same

    The proposed change is particularly significant for Australia. As a remote island nation, our imports and exports are heavily reliant on massive ships. This is most important for our commodity exports – iron ore in particular.

    Our recently published modelling estimated the emissions and financial impacts of various low-emission shipping options for Australia’s exports.

    We estimated Australia’s commodity exports create about 34 million tonnes of greenhouse gases a year. This is about 8% of Australia’s domestic greenhouse gas emissions, but it’s not included in Australia’s national reporting.

    Using the same modelling, we then examined how the proposed new regulation would affect the cost of shipping Australia’s largest export, iron ore. We chose a common route from Port Hedland in Western Australia to Shanghai in China.

    First, we looked at current fuel costs, as well as overall shipping costs measured per tonne of delivered ore. Shipping costs include both the fuel costs and the cost of the ships designed to use it. Then we estimated how much fuels and shipping might cost from 2030, assuming the proposed regulation has come into force.

    We also examined three types of fuel.

    The first was heavy fuel oil (HFO), one of the main fuels used in international shipping. It’s traditionally the cheapest shipping fuel and also has the highest greenhouse gas emissions.

    The second was “blue” ammonia. This fuel is typically made from natural gas using a manufacturing process where the carbon in the natural gas is captured and stored. It has lower greenhouse gas emissions than heavy fuel oil, but it is not a “green” fuel.

    Thirdly, we looked at “green” ammonia, which is produced using renewable energy. We examined two types of green ammonia – that produced using current technology, and “advanced” green ammonia, made using new technologies in development.

    Is green ammonia an answer?

    From about 2030, the overall cost of shipping powered by heavy fuel oil will start to rise significantly under the proposed regulation. That’s because shipping companies using this fuel must purchase credits from those using cleaner options.

    Blue ammonia may then make it cheaper to ship iron ore from Australia to Asia. Users of this fuel could generate and sell credits that higher-emitting fuel users buy, offsetting some of the shipping costs associated with using blue ammonia.

    But if international shipping is to reach the IMO’s goal of net-zero emissions by about 2050, this is very likely to require a green fuel.

    However, green ammonia is more expensive than heavy fuel oil and blue ammonia with current technology. And our analysis found the proposed regulation – and associated subsidy – doesn’t make it the lowest cost shipping option from 2030 onwards either.

    This is why technological innovation is important. CSIRO projections of the future costs of renewable energy and green-fuel manufacture suggest that, should technologies improve, green ammonia may compete on cost with heavy-fuel oil in the 2030s, even without subsidies.

    If so, this zero-emission fuel could become the cheapest way to export Australian iron ore.

    Looking ahead to net-zero

    As our calculations show, a combination of regulation and innovation could help international shipping achieve its goal of net-zero emissions.

    These fuels could be made in Australia, and potentially used by other industries such as rail, mining, road freight and even aviation.

    Such an industry would therefore contribute significantly to the world’s emission-reduction goals, and could help Australia realise its ambition to become a major global exporter of green fuels and other green products.

    Michael Brear receives research funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, the Australian Research Council, the Future Energy Exports CRC and the Clean Marine Fuel Institute. He also receives funding from other government and industry organisations for work on other aspects of energy and transport decarbonisation.

    Gerhard (Gerry) F. Swiegers is an ARC Industry Laureate Fellow and the Chief Technology Officer of Hysata. Hysata is a manufacturer of electrolysers which are used for green hydrogen manufacture. Green hydrogen is a key feedstock for the manufacture of green ammonia.

    Michael Leslie Johns receives funding from the ARC and Future Energy Exports CRC.

    Nguyen Cao receives funding from the Future Energy Exports CRC and the Clean Marine Fuel Institute.

    Rose Amal is the leader of the Particles and Catalysis Research Group, Co-Director of ARC Training Centre for the Global Hydrogen Economy and the Lead of the PowerFuels Network under NSW Decarbonisation Innovation Hub. Rose receives funding from Australian Research Council (ARC) and Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources, Department of Education (Trailblazer Recycling and Clean Energy program), ARENA and NSW Environmental Trust. She was an ARC Laureate Fellow.

    – ref. A carbon levy on global shipping promises to slash emissions. We calculated what that means for Australia’s biggest export – https://theconversation.com/a-carbon-levy-on-global-shipping-promises-to-slash-emissions-we-calculated-what-that-means-for-australias-biggest-export-258915

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Hauntingly familiar? Why comparing the US strikes on Iran to Iraq in 2003 is off target

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Benjamin Isakhan, Professor of International Politics, Deakin University

    HECTOR MATA/AFP via Getty Images

    On June 21, the United States launched airstrikes on three Iranian nuclear facilities – Fordow, Natanz and Isfahan – pounding deeply buried centrifuge sites with bunker-busting bombs.

    Conducted jointly with Israel, the operation took place without formal congressional authorisation, drawing sharp criticism from lawmakers that it was unconstitutional and “unlawful”.



    Read more:
    Why the US strikes on Iran are illegal and can set a troubling precedent

    Much of the political debate has centred on whether the US is being pulled into “another Middle East war”.

    The New York Times’ Nick Kristof weighed in on the uncertainties following the US’ surprise bombing of Iran and Tehran’s retaliation.

    Even US Vice President JD Vance understood the unease, stating:

    People are right to be worried about foreign entanglement after the last 25 years of idiotic foreign policy.

    These reactions have revived comparisons with George W. Bush’s 2003 invasion of Iraq: a Republican president launching military action on the basis of flimsy weapons of mass destruction (WMD) evidence.

    Hauntingly familiar?

    While the surface similarity is tempting, the comparison may in fact obscure more about President Donald Trump than it reveals.

    Comparisons to the Iraq War

    In 2003, Bush ordered a full-scale invasion of Iraq based on flawed intelligence, claiming Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein possessed WMDs. And while the war was extremely unpopular across the world, it did have bipartisan congressional support.

    The invasion toppled Iraq’s regime in just a few weeks.

    What followed was a brutal conflict and almost a decade of US occupation. The war triggered the rise of militant jihadism and a horrific sectarian conflict that reverberates today.

    So far, Trump’s one-off strikes on Iran bear little resemblance to the 2003 Iraq intervention.

    These were precision strikes within the context of a broader Iran-Israel war, designed to target Iran’s nuclear program.

    And, so far, there appears to be little appetite for a full-scale military invasion or “boots on the ground”, and regime change seems unlikely despite some rumblings from both Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

    Yet the comparison to Iraq persists, especially among audiences suspicious of repeated US military interventions in the Middle East. But poorly considered analogies carry costs.

    For one, the Iraq comparison sheds little light on Trump’s foreign policy.



    Read more:
    The US has entered the Israel-Iran war. Here are 3 scenarios for what might happen next

    Trump’s foreign policy

    To better understand the recent strikes on Iran, we need to look at Trump’s broader foreign policy.

    Much has been made of his “America first” mantra, a complex mix of prioritising domestic interests, questioning international agreements, and challenging traditional alliances.

    Others, including Trump himself, have often touted his “no war” approach, pointing to large-scale military withdrawals from Afghanistan, Syria and Iraq,and the fact he had not started a new war.

    But beyond this, Trump has increased US military spending and frequently used his office to conduct targeted strikes on adversaries – especially across the Middle East.

    For example, in 2017 and 2018, Trump ordered airstrikes on a Syrian airbase and chemical weapons facilities. In both instances, he bypassed Congress and used precision air power to target weapons infrastructure without pursuing regime change.

    Also, from 2017 to 2021, Trump authorised US support for the Saudi-led war in Yemen, enabling airstrikes that targeted militant cells but also led to mass civilian casualties.

    Trump’s policy was the subject of intense bipartisan opposition, culminating in the first successful congressional invocation of the War Powers Resolution – though it was ultimately vetoed by Trump.

    And in 2020, Trump launched a sequence of attacks on Iranian assets in Iraq. This included a drone strike that killed senior Iranian military commander Qassem Soleimani.

    Again, these attacks were conducted without congressional support. The decision triggered intense bipartisan backlash and concerns about escalation without oversight.

    While such attacks are not without precedent – think back to former US President Barack Obama’s intervention in Libya or Joe Biden’s targeting of terrorist assets – the scale and veracity of Trump’s attacks on the Middle East are much more useful as a framework to understanding the recent attacks on Iran than any reference to the 2003 Iraq war.

    What this reveals about Trump

    It is crucial to scrutinise any use of force. But while comparing the 2025 Iran strikes to Iraq in 2003 may be rhetorically powerful, it is analytically weak.

    A better path is to situate these events within Trump’s broader political style.

    He acts unilaterally and with near-complete impunity, disregarding traditional constraints and operating outside established norms and oversight.

    This is just as true for attacks on foreign adversaries as it is for the domestic policy arena.

    For example, Trump recently empowered agencies such as Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to operate with sweeping discretion in immigration enforcement, bypassing legal and judicial oversight.

    Trump also uses policy as spectacle, designed to send shockwaves through the domestic or foreign arenas and project dominance to both friend and foe.

    In this way, Trump’s dramatic attacks on Iran have some parallels to his unilateral imposition of tariffs on international trade. Both are abrupt, disruptive and framed as a demonstration of strength rather than a way to create a mutually beneficial solution.

    Finally, Trump is more than willing to use force as an instrument of power rather than as a last resort. This is just as true for Iran as it is for the US people.

    The recent deployment of US Marines to quell protests in Los Angeles reveals a similar impulse: military intervention as a first instinct in the absence of a broader strategy to foster peace.

    To truly understand and respond to Trump’s Iran strikes, we need to move beyond sensationalist analogies and recognise a more dangerous reality. This is not the start of another Iraq; it’s the continuation of a presidency defined by impulsive power, unchecked force and a growing disdain for democratic constraint.

    Benjamin Isakhan receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Australian Department of Defence. The views expressed in this article do not reflect those of Government policy.

    – ref. Hauntingly familiar? Why comparing the US strikes on Iran to Iraq in 2003 is off target – https://theconversation.com/hauntingly-familiar-why-comparing-the-us-strikes-on-iran-to-iraq-in-2003-is-off-target-259668

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Iran’s internet blackout left people in the dark. How does a country shut down the internet?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mohiuddin Ahmed, Senior Lecturer of Computing and Security, Edith Cowan University

    Dylan Carr/Unsplash

    In recent days, Iranians experienced a near-complete internet blackout, with local service providers – including mobile services – repeatedly going offline. Iran’s government has cited cyber security concerns for ordering the shutdown.

    Shutting off the internet within an entire country is a serious action. It severely limits people’s ability to freely communicate and to find reliable information during times of conflict.

    In countries that have privatised mobile and internet providers, control is often exercised through legislation or through government directives – such as age restrictions on adult content. By contrast, Iran has spent years developing the capacity to directly control its telecommunications infrastructure.

    So how can a country have broad control over internet access, and could this happen anywhere in the world?

    How does ‘blocking the internet’ work?

    The “internet” is a broad term. It covers many types of applications, services and, of course, the websites we’re familiar with.

    There’s a range of ways to control access to internet services, but broadly speaking, there are two “simple” methods a nation could use to block citizens’ internet access.

    Hardware

    A nation may opt to physically disconnect the incoming internet connectivity at the point of entry to the country (imagine pulling the plug on a telephone exchange).

    This allows for easy recovery of service when the government is ready, but the impact will be far-reaching. Nobody in the country, including the government itself, will be able to connect to the internet – unless the government has its own additional, covert connectivity to the rest of the world.



    Read more:
    Undersea cables are the unseen backbone of the global internet

    Software and configuration

    This is where it gets more technical. Every internet-connected endpoint – laptop, computer, mobile phone – has an IP (internet protocol) address. They’re strings of numbers; for example, 77.237.87.95 is an address assigned to one of the internet service providers in Iran.

    IP addresses identify the device on the public internet. However, since strings of numbers are not easy to remember, humans use domain names to connect to services – theconversation.com is an example of a domain name.

    That connection between the IP address and the domain is controlled by the domain name system or DNS. It’s possible for a government to control access to key internet services by modifying the DNS – this manipulates the connection between domain names and their underlying numeric addresses.

    An additional way to control the internet involves manipulating the traffic flow. IP addresses allow devices to send and receive data across networks controlled by internet service providers. In turn, they rely on the border gateway protocol (BGP) – think of it like a series of traffic signs which direct internet traffic flow, allowing data to move around the world.

    Governments could force local internet service providers to remove their BGP routes from the internet. As a result, the devices they service wouldn’t be able to connect to the internet. In the same manner, the rest of the world would no longer be able to “see” into the country.



    Read more:
    Internet shutdowns: here’s how governments do it

    How common is this?

    In dozens of countries around the world, the internet is either routinely controlled or has been shut down in response to major incidents.

    A recent example is a wide-scale internet blackout in Bangladesh in July 2024 during student-led protests against government job quotas.

    In 2023, Senegal limited internet access to handle violent protests that erupted over the sentencing of a political leader. In 2020, India imposed a lengthy internet blackout on the disputed Himalayan region of Kashmir. In 2011, the Egyptian government withdrew BGP routes to address civil unrest.

    These events clearly show that if a government anywhere in the world wants to turn off the internet, it really can. The democratic state of the country is the most significant influence on the willingness to undertake such action – not the technical capability.

    However, in today’s world, being disconnected from the internet will heavily impact people’s lives, jobs and the economy. It’s not an action to be taken lightly.

    How can people evade internet controls?

    Virtual private networks or VPNs have long been used to hide communications in countries with strict internet controls, and continue to be an effective internet access method for many people. (However, there are indications Iran has clamped down on VPN use in recent times.)

    However, VPNs won’t help when the internet is physically disconnected. Depending on configuration, if BGP routes are blocked, this may also prevent any VPN traffic from reaching the target.

    This is where independent satellite internet services open up the most reliable alternative. Satellite internet is great for remote and rural areas where traditional internet service providers have yet to establish their cabling infrastructure – or can’t do so.

    Even if traditional wired or wireless internet connections are unavailable, services such as Starlink, Viasat, Hughesnet and others can provide internet access through satellites orbiting Earth.

    To use satellite internet, users rely on antenna kits supplied by providers. In Iran, Elon Musk’s Starlink was activated during the blackout, and independent reports suggest there are thousands of Starlink receivers secretly operating in the country.

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

    – ref. Iran’s internet blackout left people in the dark. How does a country shut down the internet? – https://theconversation.com/irans-internet-blackout-left-people-in-the-dark-how-does-a-country-shut-down-the-internet-259546

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU students won six medals at the “I am a professional” Olympiad

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    The results of the All-Russian Student Olympiad “I am a Professional” – one of the largest educational projects in the country – have been summed up. NSU students won six medals: three gold and three bronze.

    Master’s student Faculty of Information Technology Ivan Baksheev won the gold medal and became the winner of the Olympiad for the fourth time. This year, he immediately went to the final as last year’s medalist. The Olympiad included two rounds: theoretical and practical, both under strict online proctoring.

    — I have been participating in the Olympiad for several years now. This year was my last chance, as the Olympiad is not held for postgraduates. The most difficult tasks were those on the physical protection of critical facilities, but in the end I solved them best. And in the practical round, I had to urgently deal with memory dumps — quickly find the necessary software, install and use it. The results were expected: judging by the scores, it was already clear in April that the gold was in my pocket, — Ivan shares.

    The student is currently continuing his research work, with his interests focused on various aspects of information theory, including issues related to data protection:

    “I am studying various aspects of information theory and plan to enroll in graduate school at NSU or one of the institutes of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, continuing to work in this field,” he says.

    The gold medal in the Psychology track was won by Lyubov Pecherina, a student at the Institute of Medicine and Medical Technologies of NSU. The Olympiad was held in two stages – an online qualifying round and an in-person final, which Lyubov wrote at the TSU site.

    — During my school years, I actively participated in Olympiads — I won and took prizes. In my fourth year, I wanted to test my knowledge again, but in the direction of my studies at the university, that is, psychology. The result was the status of a gold medalist, that is, first place. The Olympiad tasks were really interesting, and completing them brought me considerable pleasure. I think the most difficult task was the one in which I had to read an English-language article from a scientific journal on cognitive sciences and write an abstract for it, also in English. But what I liked most was the task about the problems of the modern urban environment and the psychological consequences of living in the city, which required multidisciplinary knowledge. I was once again convinced that the main thing when solving problems in the Olympiad is not to be afraid to think and always go beyond the curriculum, to act creatively. I was amazed at such a high result. When I saw my gold medal diploma, tears came to my eyes, and I realized that all the effort I put into my studies was not wasted, says Lyubov.

    Lyubov is currently studying the characteristics of self-perception in people with autism spectrum disorders and is preparing to enter the NSU Master’s program in counseling and clinical psychology.

    — I study autism spectrum disorder, namely, what characterizes and distinguishes the perception of the surrounding world, oneself, one’s body and emotions in people with ASD from neurotypical people. In the future, I plan to enroll in a master’s program at NSU, finish and publish an article dedicated to the peculiarities of self-perception in autistic people, and, of course, take part in the Olympiad again, — Lyubov shares.

    Another gold medal winner is Alexander Tomilov, a student Faculty of Natural SciencesHe became the winner in the track “Chemistry”.

    — I have been participating in this Olympiad for the second year, because it gives an opportunity to demonstrate my knowledge and receive a reward in the form of an increased scholarship or cash prizes for medalists. This year I managed to become a gold medalist in Chemistry and a prize winner in Physics, which I am very happy about. The selection was held online, the semi-final included theoretical problems, and the final at Moscow State University was a practical course. There, it was necessary to work in a chemical laboratory: prepare solutions, carry out synthesis and analyze products. This year, the problems were closer to those we solve at the department, so I coped with them more confidently. The medal is both recognition and financial support, — says Alexander.

    Nazim Mustafin, a student of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, became a two-time bronze medalist of the Olympiad in two tracks at once: Chemistry and Biotechnology.

    — There is a qualifying round for both Olympiads, but I only wrote the chemistry qualifying round, since my diploma in biotechnology was accepted last year. The chemistry qualifying round was quite difficult, so I didn’t think I would make it to the final. However, I was lucky, — says Nazim.

    The final of the chemical track took place at Moscow State University. Nazim managed to meet friends in Moscow, visit various museums and become a prize winner.

    — Last year I won a silver medal in biotechnology and fourth place in chemistry — this year the results have shifted a little. The student track for the master’s degree is more difficult: I had to compete with graduates of the master’s degree. The final in chemistry itself was easier this year — I scored 99 points out of 100 for the practical. But in biotechnology they added a choice of problems, and it became more difficult to calculate the time correctly, — Nazim admits.

    Nazim calls participation in the Olympiad a challenge and an opportunity to earn money – there is a solid cash prize for medals. Next year, he plans to try his hand at mathematics and quantum computing.

    — I am very happy with this victory. Now the period of active study is over, so I plan to delve into the theoretical foundations of what I do in the laboratory, at the same time I am working there on a project to assemble an experimental setup, — the prize winner concludes.

    Also, a bronze medal in biotechnology was won by a student of the Faculty of Natural Sciences Anna Skotareva. This is her first participation in this track, and immediately – a prize place.

    — I have been participating in Olympiads since the first grade. At university I decided to continue — this year I tried myself in biotechnology for the first time and unexpectedly received bronze. The tasks were classic, without surprises. The topics about industrial ecology and synthetic structures turned out especially well — they are close to what I do, — Anna shares.

    In addition, Anna became the winner in the track “Ecology”. Now she studies genes associated with antibiotic resistance in prokaryotes, is interested in systems biology and bioinformatics.

    “These days it’s difficult to be a specialist in one field; you need to be able to adapt quickly,” says Anna.

    The All-Russian Olympiad “I am a Professional” is the flagship project of the presidential platform “Russia – the Land of Opportunities”. It is held with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, more than 35 leading universities in the country and over 500 companies, including Yandex, Sber, VTB, Rosatom, Russian Railways and others.

    Congratulations to the winners and prize winners!

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China maps new healthcare blueprint for world

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

    How can people in remote and underdeveloped areas access advanced healthcare services? Can tailored medical solutions meet their unique needs? China, with such questions in mind, is boosting technological advancements to map a healthcare blueprint that benefits the world.

    Jotham Kimondo, a 35-year-old doctoral student from Tanzania, is currently studying at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China in Chengdu, capital of southwest China’s Sichuan Province.

    Under the supervision of Wu Zhe, a professor at the university and director of the Chengdu Tianfu Jincheng Frontier Medical Equipment Research Institute, Kimondo is focusing on the design of ultrasonic medical devices.

    As a faculty member in Tanzania, Kimondo aims to learn ultrasonic instrument design and manufacturing in China to benefit his home country.

    “My research involves innovative design of ultrasonic medical instruments to monitor the pathological changes of human tissues, which is an important indication of disease. Women in Tanzania still rely on traditional methods like physician’s palpation to check for lumps in the mammary examination. This approach greatly depends on physicians’ individual experience and is not always accurate. And some women are not willing to do breast examinations,” said Kimondo.

    Kimondo added that many diseases still plague the people of Tanzania. “I want to improve healthcare in Tanzania, helping people to maintain health. If we develop more innovative ultrasonic medical equipment together in the future, it would be highly beneficial for early screening of breast diseases and other illnesses in Tanzania, especially after those devices become more convenient and cheaper, and can be better promoted across African countries.”

    At the Tianfu Jincheng Lab City of Future Medicine, over 53 registered companies related to frontier medicine have been attracted to explore the cutting edge of future medical innovation and integrated medicine.

    Recently, at the Remote Ultrasound Center of the Tianfu Jincheng institute, a doctor was talking online with another doctor at the Ultrasound Department of Chengdu Eastern New Area Second People’s Hospital, guiding the use of a portable ultrasound device on a patient’s carotid artery.

    Real-time imaging and relevant data of the ultrasound inspection were displayed on a shared screen, allowing the two doctors to communicate directly, discuss pathological conditions and give professional diagnostic results.

    “Traditional high-end ultrasound machines are expensive, costing millions. Rural residents in China’s western regions often need to seek ultrasound examinations in higher-level county hospitals,” Wu explained.

    “Our research efforts aim to enable portable ultrasound devices to be widely used in rural areas of western China for early disease screening and chronic disease management. Compared to high-end ultrasound machines, our portable device significantly lowers costs. Additionally, it is simpler and more convenient to use in grassroots hospitals,” Wu added.

    Use of this portable ultrasound device, which is the size of a smartphone, has already been implemented in over 10 health centers in eastern Chengdu — providing free carotid and thyroid screenings to more than 2,000 residents.

    With the continuous improvement of China’s industrial design and manufacturing capabilities and medical research levels, innovation in the development of medical devices is soaring. The growing recognition of Chinese medical devices in overseas markets is resulting in increasing international orders, encouraging more Chinese medical companies to go global.

    In the City of Future Medicine, an industrial park, workers at Chengdu Seamaty Technology Co., Ltd. are packing biochemical analysis reagents. This batch of goods is set to be shipped globally from Chengdu.

    This “Little Giant” firm, which refers to novel and elite small and medium-sized enterprises that specialize in a niche market, boast cutting-edge technologies and show great potential, focuses on the research and production of point-of-care testing (POCT) medical devices, and has already sold its medical products to more than 150 countries and regions worldwide.

    In its quality inspection center, hundreds of fully automated biochemical analyzers undergo pre-shipment quality checks.

    “This shipment of instruments will be sent to Europe. Last year, our company’s total sales reached 320 million yuan (about 44.6 million U.S. dollars), and in the first five months of this year, our international business has increased by 59 percent compared to the same period last year,” said Wang Bin, deputy general manager of the company, highlighting that the growth in overseas orders reflects an increasing acceptance of Chinese medical device manufacturing products in international markets.

    Innovative technologies such as 3D printing, organ-on-chip systems, nanorobots and brain-computer interfaces are advancing the scientific research applications of medical devices in China, presenting a future-oriented medical landscape.

    At Chengdu Tianqi Additive Intelligent Manufacturing Co., Ltd., personalized patient-matched medical solutions are being precisely created with 3D printing technology. It uses computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) modeling, and a layer-by-layer printing process, to turn virtual designs into physical products, making the envisioned design a tangible reality.

    In a modern manufacturing workshop, dozens of industrial printers operate in an orderly manner, with a laser engraver precisely etching patterns in titanium alloy powder to an accuracy of 0.01 millimeters.

    Within just a few hours, products such as patient-matched maxillofacial bone plates are printed. This seemingly ordinary industrial scene reflects significant advancements that China has made in the realm of precision medical manufacturing.

    Compared to the handmade bending of bone plates in the past, 3D printing offers a more precise, convenient, safe and stable way to create customized products.

    “We are currently conducting custom production for a case in Singapore. Engineers input patient data transmitted from the hospital into the system, and the AI algorithms aid designers in creating personalized data models for patient facial reconstruction, which are then integrally formed via metal 3D printers,” Gao Bangkui, marketing director of Chengdu Tianqi Additive lntelligent Manufacturing Co., Ltd said.

    Gao added that in the future, the company will prioritize serving the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia to meet the customized medical needs of countries and regions participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China completes world’s first interventional brain-computer interface experiment on human

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

    China completes world’s first interventional brain-computer interface experiment on human

    Xinhua | June 24, 2025

    A Chinese team, led by Nankai University, announced a significant breakthrough in brain-computer interface (BCI) technology: the world’s first interventional human BCI experiment on a human patient.

    This less-invasive procedure helped a 67-year-old male patient, suffering from paralysis, regain significant limb function, according to Nankai’s announcement on Sunday.

    The patient, who had experienced left-side paralysis for six months due to a cerebral infarction, saw his left upper limb achieve actions like grasping and taking medicine.

    Unlike the invasive skull-opening surgery used by Elon Musk’s Neuralink last year, this pioneering technique involves implanting a device into the skull via neck blood vessels. The device, a stent electrode, was guided into the patient’s cranial blood vessel wall using high-precision imaging.

    A wireless transmission and power supply unit was also implanted subcutaneously to collect and transmit brain electrical signals, said the Nankai team.

    After the surgery, the system has operated stably without complications such as infection, enabling precise brain signal acquisition and interactive control.

    This approach significantly reduces surgical risks while maintaining high signal acquisition accuracy and a shorter recovery period, said Duan Feng, a professor from Nankai who led the research.

    The advancement has laid the groundwork for future large-scale adoption and offers new hope for patients with motor dysfunctions like stroke, said Duan.

    It came after Duan’s team conducted the world’s first interventional BCI experiment on non-human primates in 2023.

    The team’s future plans involve recruiting more participants and exploring additional rehabilitation methods. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Case Opposes Proposed Funding Bill That Cuts Food Assistance To Hawaii Residents

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ed Case (Hawai‘i – District 1)

    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Congressman Ed Case (HI-01), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, tonight voted against the proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Related Agencies funding measure.  

    The measure would provide $25.5 billion, a $1 billion decrease from the current year, for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agriculture and rural development programs, the Farm Credit Administration, Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the FDA.

    It is the third of twelve separate bills developed and approved by the Appropriations Committee that would fund the federal government at some $1.6 trillion for FY 2026 commencing October 1st of this year. 

    “While the measure funds many critical Hawai‘i priorities, I regrettably had to vote against it because it would cut food assistance for vulnerable families and make it even harder for Hawai‘i farmers to make ends meet,” said Case, who is in his seventh year on Appropriations and previously served on the House Committee on Agriculture.  

    “At a time when families around the country and our state are struggling with the high cost of living and rising food costs, and when Hawai‘i agriculture is struggling with high production costs and the consequences of the administration’s rash and chaotic tariff war, we should be maintaining our time-tested federal programs, not reducing or even eliminating them.” 

    The bill:  

    ·        Cuts $100 from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and fails to support the cash benefit for fruits and vegetables that ensures women, infants and children get the nutrients they need.  

    ·        Reduces staffing for the Farm Service Agency (FSA), which operates offices across the country that assist farmers in getting needed federal assistance. The bill provides $110 million less for FSA staffing than what was provided in FY 2025.  

    ·        Cuts funding for the Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Operations by 5 percent below FY 2025 funding levels.

    ·        Cuts rural housing and water and waste-water grants.

    In addition, the bill eliminates key programs for Hawai‘i, like the Reimbursement Transportation Cost Payment Program for Geographically Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers. This program helps our local farmers with the cost of getting their produce to the mainland markets. Additionally, the Micro-Grants for Food Security Program, which increases the quantity and quality of locally grown food through small-scale gardening, herding and livestock and apiary operations, was eliminated.  

    Case especially objected to large cuts in critical foreign food assistance programs, including $900 million for Food for Peace, almost 50% down to its lowest level since 2002, and $220 million for the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition program, $20 million below the FY 2025 level. 

    “Cutting our international food assistance programs is contrary to our values and harms our national security. Global food insecurity leads to political instability, making countries more vulnerable to conflict and extremism, and helping other countries and peoples with their food needs knits together alliances and partnerships which are critical to our national defense,” said Case, a member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.  

    Despite these and other significant problems with the bill, Case highlighted positive provisions he requested including important victories for Hawai‘i, including $216 million for the Specialty Crop Pests Program, which helps to protect our topical crops from invasive species. In addition, $15 million was included for Minor Crop Pest Management, which provides expert assistance for effective minor/specialty crop protection. The bill also provides research and education funds for Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving institutions, in addition to funding for our land-grant universities like the University of Hawai‘i.  

    “Invasive species pose a significant ecological and economic threat to our Hawai‘i, with specially damaging impacts on local agriculture,” said Case.  

    “This agriculture funding bill provides support for our local farmers, farmers markets and food promotion programs, which combined will help our Hawai‘i deal with the soaring cost of food, much of which is imported to our islands,” said Case.  

      Provisions in the bill of interest to Hawai‘i that Case worked to secure include:  

    ·        $5 million for Education Grants for Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions. This program addresses the educational needs of food and agricultural sciences-related disciplines and prepares low-income students for careers related to food, agricultural and natural resources.  

    ·        $123 million for the USDA Wildlife Damage Management Program, which helps to prevent the spread of the Brown Tree Snake to Hawai‘i.  

    ·        $3 million for Agricultural Canine Detection and Surveillance of invasive species and diseases, an increase of $500,000.  

    ·        $1.1 billion for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, including $216 million for combating specialty crop pests.  

    ·        $36 million for Agriculture Quarantine Inspections to prevent infestations of pests and diseases.  

    ·        $15 million for the Minor Crop Pest Management Program to provide expert assistance to minor and specialty crop producers.  

    ·        $8 million for the Grassroots Source Water Protection Program that is designed to prevent water source pollution.  

    ·        $5 million for Aquaculture Centers and $2 million for aquaculture research programs.  

    ·        $1 million for Tropical and Subtropical Agricultural Research Grants for Insular Areas.  

       The measure also:  

    ·        Directs the Agricultural Research Service to continue research on tropical and subtropical crops, emphasizing the need to combat invasive pests.

    ·        Directs the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to report on existing protocols protecting Hawai‘i from invasive species and evaluate options for enhancing this protocol.  

      A summary of the agriculture funding bill is available here.  

      ###

     

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: National Early Years Policy Summit

    Source: Murray Darling Basin Authority

    I acknowledge the traditional owners of the land we meet on today – the Jagera and Turrbal peoples – and pay my respects to their elders past and present.

    I extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people here today.

    Ministers don’t get to choose their portfolio, but if I did, it would have been Early Childhood Education and Care.

    I’m proud to have been an early years advocate for many years, in my time representing educators with the Big Steps campaign – to respect and value this overwhelmingly female workforce.

    A workforce that was expected to love their work, but live with their low wages, for way too long.

    So it was already an honour to be a member of the Albanese Government team, and to be there in the chamber, with educators in the gallery, when Treasurer Jim Chalmers announced we would fund educators’ historic 15 percent payrise last May.

    And it’s a huge honour to continue our work, now as Minister, and to have the job of helping to deliver the Prime Minister’s ambition of universal early education for every child, no matter their postcode or what their parents do.

    “Together for our children”

    Today marks only five weeks in the job – so I feel like a combination of veteran and new starter.

    It is wonderful to have the opportunity to be in a room with so many experts and advocates who have been at the forefront of advancing early childhood development, with such impact. Big congrats to the Investment Dialogue for Australia’s Children for bringing together an amazing room of leaders.

    And I‘m really pleased that you’ll hear tomorrow from my friend and colleague Tanya Plibersek.

    The theme of the summit – Together for our children – couldn’t be more appropriate or timely.

    And I really look forward to working together with you to extend the benefits of quality early education to more children, in more families, in the locations that need it most.

    Value of ECEC – the opportunity

    I don’t need to tell people in this room the benefits of giving children the best start in life.

    And I don’t need to tell you about the evidence.

    We have known the benefits of high quality early learning for decades.

    In particular, the importance of play-based learning to support language development, problem-solving, and emotional regulation.

    To foster curiosity and confidence.

    To ready children for school and for life.

    And if high quality early learning is good for all children, we know it is even better for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

    So if we care about all children having the best start, we have to care about quality education and care.

    I know that for many people in this room, this week’s release of the 2024 Australian Early Development Census only serves to underscore the importance of continued government investment in quality early learning.

    There is more to do.

    And when there’s work to be done, it’s always important to consider where we’ve come from, to chart the best path forward.

    Ambition and past progress

    This country has a proud history of great reforms in early education.

    Reforms like those of the Rudd-Gillard Government to:
    •    Deliver our world-leading National Quality Framework
    •    Mandate educator to child ratios
    •    Establish minimum qualifications for educators
    •    Increase access to early learning for indigenous children
    •    And launch the first national curriculum

    And as a result of these reforms, the trajectory of quality in early education has consistently been one of improvement, to this day.

    These historic reforms happened because of a combination of values and leadership, and unity of purpose.

    Values that every child deserves the opportunity to grow and learn and be ready for the future, no matter where they live or what their parents do.

    Leadership like that shown by Julia Gillard, Jenny Macklin and Kate Ellis who knew the evidence that early education is a gamechanger, and acted on it.

    Leadership reflected in the advocacy of so many in this room, to achieve so much reform in those critical years.  

    And unity of purpose, as the sector came together to engage with government to advance their commitment to professionalisation and quality.

    Towards universal ECEC

    Those same values and leadership have underpinned the work of my colleague and Cabinet Minister Jason Clare and my predecessor Anne Aly who have continued the significant journey of the previous Labor government.

    Their focus has been to build out four pillars of universal early education.

    And critically, again, the sector has united to embrace reform and make it happen.

    In particular, to build the first pillar of reform – a stable and respected workforce.

    We know that our 15% payrise is already paying big dividends.

    I’ve heard the difference its made again and again as I’ve visited centres. It helps with the bills. It helps educators to save more and stress less.

    And by valuing our dedicated educators in their pay packets, we are seeing significant reductions in staff turnover, as educators see a future in the jobs they love.

    And that future means more children are enjoying the ongoing relationships and connections with educators that they need to thrive.

    It means more quality early education delivered to families.

    Second, we are building more affordable early education and care through:
    •    Our changes to the Child Care Subsidy. Today a family on $120,000 per year is more than $4,600 better off – having cut their out of pocket costs by more than a third.

    •    And through our 3 Day Guarantee replacing the Activity Test – a test which excludes children from early learning based on what their parents do, not what’s best for them.

    •    The 3 Day Guarantee will be in effect from January, with an entitlement for every child of 72 hours per fortnight subsidised early learning.   And for First Nations children that is a full 100 hours per fortnight.

    The third pillar is building supply in areas that need it the most, with our billion dollar Building Early Education Fund to deliver early learning in underserved areas in outer suburbs and regions.

    A big commitment from the Commonwealth to extend early education into those child care deserts that leave so many children behind.

    And the final pillar is quality and safety.

    There is no quality without a stable workforce that can stay in jobs they love.

    And there is no quality without putting safety first.

    In recent months we have all seen images which are hard to watch.

    It can both be true that the actions we have seen are utterly unacceptable and must be stopped, and that the vast majority of children are safe and well cared for by outstanding professionals.

    Professionals who tell me they feel betrayed by what they are seeing and reading.

    Yesterday we announced tougher child safety rules that have  been agreed by all governments, including 24 hour mandatory reporting, and restrictions on the use of personal mobile devices in centres.

    And, the Commonwealth is exploring using our powers to crack down on dodgy operators that put profit before children’s safety by restricting their access to Commonwealth funding – cutting off the Child Care Subsidy for existing repeat offenders, and preventing further expansion.

    Ensuring that children are safe, and that their families are confident of this, underpins everything we are doing now, and all of the reform that we want to lead.

    Bringing the system “together for our children” to create change

    To conclude, right now, we are building the pillars of universal early education – workforce, affordability, accessibility, and quality.

    As we build towards universal early learning and care, we have:
    •    A mountain of evidence of the benefits; 
    •    Shared values and leadership, in this room and beyond 
    •    A sector uniting for reform
    •    And – critically – a Prime Minister who sees and understands the benefits of universal early education, and is ready to build on our proud Labor legacy in the early years.

    Everyone in this room has a stake in helping to build that future, and nobody can do it alone.

    And I know you have many ideas and much expertise to make change happen.

    Change that gives children the best start, no matter their postcode or what their parents do.

    I look forward to working with all of you to deliver that future. 
     

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘Baths, wine, and sex make life worth living’: how ancient Romans used public baths to relax, work out and socialise

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Edwell, Associate Professor in Ancient History, Macquarie University

    iLongLoveKing/Shutterstock

    Standing in the vast ruins of the Baths of Caracalla in Rome, hundreds of gulls circle above. Their haunting cries echo voices from 1,800 years ago. Today, the bare shell of what was one of Rome’s largest bath complexes mostly sits empty, occasionally playing host to opera performances.

    But what were the baths of ancient Rome actually like back then? And why were the Romans so into public bathing?

    Public baths everywhere

    While living in Rome for almost a year, I noticed the remains of ancient baths (thermae in Latin) everywhere.

    Virtually every emperor built them, and by the middle of the fourth century there were 952 public baths in the city.

    The largest were the baths built by the emperor Diocletian (284–305). Around 3,000 people a day could bathe at this 13-hectare complex.

    These baths, like most, contained a room (the caldarium) heated by air ducts in the walls and floors. The floors were so hot special sandals were worn.

    Another room leading from it was milder (the tepidarium), before bathers entered the frigidarium, which contained a cold pool. A 4,000-square-metre outdoor swimming pool was the central feature.

    Public baths also often featured gymnasiums, libraries, restaurants and exercise yards.

    Today, the baths of Caracalla mostly sit empty.
    Wirestock/Getty

    ‘Baths, wine, and sex make life worth living’

    The philosopher Seneca, also an advisor to the emperor Nero, lived above a bath complex around 50 CE.

    He described the sounds of people “panting in wheezy and high-pitched tones” as they lifted weights. Others plunged into swimming tanks with a loud splash. Shop-owners selling food yelled out the prices of their wares. Some sang loudly for their own pleasure in the bathroom.

    One 4th-century CE account describes how aristocrats sometimes arrived at the baths with 50 servants attending them.

    Sections of the baths were reserved for these guests, who brought their finest clothes and expensive jewellery.

    While emperors built large public bath complexes, there were many smaller private ones. Entry fees were low and sometimes free during festivals and political campaigns. This allowed all social classes to use the baths.

    Women and men bathed separately and used the baths at different times of the day. Some bath complexes had areas designated for women only. The physician Soranus of Ephesus, who wrote a treatise on gynaecology in the second century CE, recommended women go to the baths in preparation for labour.

    In a crowded and polluted city like Rome, the baths were a haven. Warm water, smells of perfumed ointments, massages and a spa-like environment were pleasures all could indulge in.

    A first-century CE inscription declared that

    baths, wine, and sex make life worth living.

    Baths and the grim reality of slavery

    Baths were places of great social importance, and nudity allowed bathers to show off their physical prowess.

    Archaeological evidence suggests even dentistry was performed at the baths.

    Behind these images of indulgence, however, lay the grim reality of slavery. Slaves did the dirtiest work in the baths.

    They cleaned out cinders, emptied toilets and saw to the clearing of drains.

    Slaves came to the baths with their owners, whom they rubbed down with oil and cleaned their skin with strygils (a type of scraper). They entered the baths through a separate entrance.

    Baths across the empire

    Baths were popular in every city and town across the Roman Empire. A famous example is Aquae Sulis – the modern town of Bath – in England (which was under Roman rule for hundreds of years). At Aquae Sulis, a natural hot spring fed the baths. The goddess Minerva was honoured at the complex.

    The remains of similar bath complexes have been found in North Africa, Spain and Germany.

    Extensive remains of a Roman bath at Baden Baden in Germany are among the most impressive.

    Similarly, at Toledo in Spain, a public Roman bath complex measuring almost an acre has been found.

    Baths were often built in military camps to provide soldiers with comforts during their service. Remains of military baths have been found all over the empire. Researchers have found and excavated the baths for the army camp at Hadrian’s wall, a wall built to help defend the Roman Empire’s northern frontier in what is now modern Britain.

    The baths at Chester contain hot rooms (caldaria), cold rooms (frigidaria) and also a sweat room (sudatoria), which is similar to a sauna.

    A long history

    The Romans weren’t the first to use public baths. Their Greek forebears had them too. But the Romans took public bathing to a empire-wide level. It became a marker of Roman culture wherever they went.

    Public bathing would continue in the empire’s Islamic period and became famously popular under the Ottomans, who ruled the empire between 1299 and 1922. Turkish hammams (baths) remain an important public institution to this day and they descend directly from the Romans. Istanbul still contains 60 functioning hammams.

    Roman baths were not only technically ingenious and architecturally impressive, they connected people socially from all walks of life. As the gulls circle over the baths of Caracalla in Rome, their haunting cries connect us to that very world.

    Peter Edwell receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. ‘Baths, wine, and sex make life worth living’: how ancient Romans used public baths to relax, work out and socialise – https://theconversation.com/baths-wine-and-sex-make-life-worth-living-how-ancient-romans-used-public-baths-to-relax-work-out-and-socialise-257466

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Defying all odds, “Desert Poplar Spirit” works green miracles in Taklimakan

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

    An aerial drone photo taken on Oct. 25, 2024 shows the autumn scenery of the desert poplar forest at the Huludao (Gourd Island) scenic spot in Yuli County, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

    In the vast wilderness of Xinjiang’s Taklimakan Desert, the populus euphratica, or the desert poplar, thrives against harsh conditions, withstanding cold, heat, alkali, and extreme drought while serving as a natural barrier against sandstorms.

    Mirroring the indomitable nature of the trees, a dedicated group has taken root there, tirelessly working to transform sand into greenery. Their perseverance has crystallized into what locals call the “Desert Poplar Spirit.”

    Nurjamal Emdulla is one of them. After graduating from college in 2010, she returned to her hometown of Awati County in Aksu Prefecture to join the local forestry and grassland bureau.

    In 2021, local authorities initiated a sand control project in the county’s Aiximan region on the northwestern margin of the Taklimakan, an area characterized by extensive sand dunes resulting from desertification. This was when Nurjamal Emdulla’s war against the sands began.

    For days on end, she would spend over ten hours in the field. “I teach workers planting techniques — how to dig holes, plant saplings, and water them correctly,” she explained. “And how to secure each sapling’s base with wire mesh to prevent wildlife from damaging the young plants.”

    The commute to and from work was no easy feat. “When sandstorms rage, visibility drops greatly, and even fresh footprints vanish instantly. Getting lost was routine,” she recalled. “My mom would always complain that ‘as a girl, you don’t even have a chance to wear dresses.’”

    For Nurjamal Emdulla, the harsh working conditions were never the real challenge. What truly unsettled her was the seeming impossibility of life taking root in those barren sands.

    For desert control workers, failure is a daily companion. One strong sandstorm can uproot freshly planted saplings in minutes. And the scorching heat and lack of water can also claim the fragile seedlings.

    “Oftentimes, it felt like what we were doing was pointless,” she even considered quitting.

    The turnaround came in spring 2022. One day, Nurjamal Emdulla discovered some new green on the branches of the saxaul shrubs, although it was too pale to be seen. “The trees were alive! I saw hope,” she recalled, with tears brimming in her eyes.

    Nowadays, vast stands of saxaul trees and tamarisk flourish across the once-barren lands, and long-absent wild animals such as hares, foxes and pheasants can be spotted occasionally.

    The same kind of despair that once bothered Nurjamal Emdulla was also felt by people in Wenaletaikushi village in Kashgar Prefecture.

    The village was encircled by desert on three sides, with encroaching dunes just 50 meters from the nearest homes. Villagers tried to plant trees but failed due to drought. Cotton and wheat yields withered season after season. Many abandoned their homes in search of a better life.

    Dai Zhigang, 55, from the forestry and grassland bureau of Kashgar, was sent to work as head of the village in 2023 with a battle cry: “We will tame this desert!”

    With the township government’s backing, the village implemented drip irrigation systems to resolve the water shortage issue. And a trial planting of saxaul trees and Russian olive shrubs began in earnest.

    “At the beginning, villagers were doubtful,” he said; some call him “bottle gourd head,” which in the Uygur language means a stubborn, silly person.

    Indeed, the campaign was not without its struggles: the newly leveled sand dunes would reclaim their heights overnight after sandstorms; the freshly planted saplings were often uprooted by shifting sands.

    After facing one defeat after another, a forest comprised of sand-fixation trees had successfully taken root last year.

    “Now the villagers are convinced and as determined as I am to continue with our planting,” Dai said. More and more villagers have voluntarily joined the desert prevention and control team. By this spring, over 160 hectares of desert had been regreened.

    The resilience and perseverance are evident not only on the frontlines of desert control but also within research institutions, where science is waging its campaign against the encroaching sands.

    Li Zhijun, a professor of Tarim University in Aral City, is called the “Desert Poplar Princess” by her colleagues.

    Over the past 25 years, she has traveled across the Tarim Basin to collect wild poplar germ plasm resources, leading multiple studies on the conservation and restoration of populus euphratica forests.

    Li and her team spend over six months each year conducting field surveys. When their cars get stuck in the soft sands, they pick up their heavy ladders and sampling gear, and trek the remaining kilometers.

    They climb up and down the trees to collect samples and conduct measurements. When encountering strong winds, the team could only hold hands with one another and push forward against wind and sand.

    “The desert poplar is a part of my life. Their resilience and vitality inspire me, enabling me to persist,” said the 62-year-old.

    Over the years, she led her team to over 60 counties and cities, collecting over 4,000 samples of poplar genetic resources. She developed conservation plans for various genetic resources of the species and established a gene pool for China’s poplar resources.

    Every day, such stories of failure, success, struggle and perseverance unfold across the vast deserts of Xinjiang.

    Thanks to decades of sand control efforts, China completed a 3,046-km green belt of trees and sand-blocking technologies last November to fully encircle the Taklimakan Desert.

    A brighter prospect is emerging for the sand fighters.

    “We not only work to control the sand, but will also make money from it,” said Dai Zhigang. Besides planting saxaul and poplar trees to fix the sand, the village is also cultivating economic crops such as licorice, roses, and watermelons. He also set aside a section of vacant sandy land with plans to create a desert park to attract tourists.

    Asked about his plans to retire, he replied, “I’ll keep working with the desert until the day these old bones turn to dust!”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: World embraces ‘cool’ Chinese creativity with zeal

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

    Right beside the Louvre in Paris, a limited-edition Mona Lisa-inspired collectible toy known as Labubu was fueling a buying frenzy at a store of Chinese toy giant Pop Mart.

    Also, in Times Square, New York, the fiery-wheeled Ne Zha appeared on a giant screen earlier this year, kicking off a wave of overseas screenings of this Chinese animated hit.

    Additionally, at the ongoing Expo 2025 in Osaka, China-chic interactive experiences such as a Wukong with artificial intelligence (AI) at the China Pavilion have attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors within just a month of its opening.

    Notably, an increasing number of creative and diverse Chinese cultural products have become global sensations in recent times. Empowered by this trend, China’s cultural presence abroad is undergoing a paradigm shift while unveiling a youthful image, with many overseas audiences expressing admiration for how “cool” the country is becoming.

    LABUBU’S GLOBAL REACH

    At the Pop Mart store in K11 Art Mall in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in south China, long queues form regularly. Thai tourist Bonn patiently followed the crowd and finally secured her shopping fix after nearly 30 minutes of waiting. During her trip to Hong Kong, she had spent around 3,000 Hong Kong dollars (about 382 U.S. dollars) on merchandise.

    “Wherever I go, I always visit the local Pop Mart to stock up,” Bonn said. She especially adores the cute Labubu character and has collected hundreds of differently costumed figurines since getting hooked last year.

    “I dress the figurines up and even take them traveling with me,” she added.

    Recently, this sharp-toothed, rabbit-eared forest sprite has gained global popularity. Stores frequently sell out, while prices surge in secondary markets. According to Pop Mart, thanks to original IPs like Labubu, the company’s overseas revenue in the first quarter of 2025 had surged by 475 to 480 percent year on year.

    Created by a Hong Kong artist and blending Nordic mythology with Chinese design, Labubu has struck a global emotional chord. Thai authorities labeled it an “Amazing Thailand Experience Explorer,” its theme song was sung on the streets of Barcelona, and it was even “invited” to attend Milan Fashion Week.

    “Great intellectual properties (IPs) have the power to transcend cultures,” said Chen Xiaoyun, vice president of Pop Mart International Group Limited, adding that the company is committed to creating IPs with diverse aesthetics and gathering global creativity.

    “The export of such new mass culture shows the world what a ‘Cool China’ looks like, while offering universal appeal that resonates through cultural creativity,” wrote Zhang Yiwu, a professor at Peking University.

    TECH-DRIVEN CULTURAL INNOVATION

    The video game “Black Myth: Wukong” is another recent cultural phenomenon from China that is yielding international acclaim. Not long after the game was released, a reaction clip posted by British gaming streamer “itsjavachip” went viral, as she was moved to tears by the emotional storyline of Bajie in the game, earning her a fanbase of Chinese followers.

    Last month, “itsjavachip” was invited to China to visit the production set of another original martial arts-themed Chinese game. At the studio, she learned martial arts moves, donned a black outfit and experienced wire-assisted motion capture firsthand.

    Calling it an “absolutely amazing” experience, she said that playing a character in the game would be a dream come true.

    Employing cutting-edge simulation technologies, “Black Myth: Wukong” immerses players in scenes such as ancient buildings in Shanxi and the picturesque landscapes of the Jiangnan region. As of the end of last year, the game had sold 28 million copies worldwide, generating over 9 billion yuan (about 1.24 billion U.S. dollars) in revenue within five months of its release.

    In 2024, domestically developed Chinese games generated actual overseas sales revenue of more than 18.55 billion U.S. dollars, marking a year-on-year increase of 13.39 percent. The success of Chinese games abroad highlights the dual driving forces of traditional culture and intelligent digital technology.

    In the realm of traditional culture, digitization is also breaking geographical barriers and becoming a “digital window” helping global audiences to better understand China.

    As of May this year, the Palace Museum had digitized about 52 percent of its collection; the flying apsaras of Dunhuang “dance gracefully” on the screen through digital technology; the Zenghouyi chime bells are “struck” in a digital world…

    “I can directly scan artifacts and learn relevant information through it,” said Italian blogger Massimo, who couldn’t help but exclaim while holding the AR guide at Henan Museum.

    Such “coolness” can help China’s content industry attract a wider global audience, said Kevin Kelly, founding executive editor of Wired magazine.

    FROM CONNECTION TO CO-CREATION

    Through China’s cultural exports, global audiences are not only able to connect and empathize with their content, but are also co-creating something even bigger.

    British web fiction writer JKSManga was initially a devoted reader of Eastern fantasy web novels such as “Soul Land.” A few years ago, he registered on WebNovel, an online literature platform under China Literature Limited, and started writing his own works. His breakout series “My Vampire System” has garnered over 73 million reads and has been adapted into multiple formats.

    For JKSManga, being urged by readers to update his stories is a source of great joy. He describes the writing process as a form of social interaction, a sharing based on shared values.

    As of November last year, WebNovel had around 6,000 translated Chinese web novels and was home to nearly 450,000 overseas authors and 680,000 original works by overseas authors.

    Hou Xiaonan, CEO and president of China Literature Limited, said that online literature has become a global cultural phenomenon, not only because of the global spread of Chinese IP, but also thanks to the globalization of the Chinese IP model itself.

    Meanwhile, Ye Xiu, protagonist of the popular Chinese web novel “The King’s Avatar,” was recently “invited” by Swiss authorities to serve as a “travel ambassador,” offering fans an innovative immersive experience.

    Wei Pengju, senior researcher at the Central University of Finance and Economics in Beijing, said China’s cultural trade has evolved into a hybrid export model of “digital content + IP operations + technological services,” and that Chinese cultural exports have entered a new phase highlighting content, empowered by technology, and featuring co-creation.

    Via such cultural interactions, with wider opening up, broader innovation and deeper cooperation, China stands ready to share with the rest of the world an ever-cooler China. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pacific Partnership 2025 Concludes Mission Stop in Suva, Fiji, June 16, 2025

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    SUVA, Fiji – Pacific Partnership 2025 officially concluded its mission stop in Fiji with a closing ceremony hosted at the Waiqanake District School on June 16, 2025.

    The largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster response preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific, Pacific Partnership enables participants, including United States and Fijian personnel, to work together to enhance disaster response capabilities and foster new and enduring friendships.

    “The United States of America believes in a free and open Pacific for all nations,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Mark B. Stefanik, mission commander during the closing ceremony. “We deeply value our long history with Fiji and we hope that the work done here helps to reinforce our commitment to this island and to the people of Fiji.”

    While in Fiji, the medical team, consisting of U.S. and Fijian public health services personnel, conducted a total of 16 side-by-side subject matter expert exchanges in the fields of hemoculture, permaculture, agriculture, and apiculture. The team accrued more than 26 hours of hands-on training through public health engagements such as the Polymerase Chain Reaction laboratory, spay and neuter clinics, ruminant husbandry training, and a beekeeping tour assembling over 42 participants from across Suva.

    The Pacific Partnership engineering team also capitalized on the opportunity to provide focused support to address several local infrastructure concerns. A total of 12 U.S. Navy Sailors, assigned to Amphibious Construction Battalion 1, and 8 New Zealand Royal Army Engineers collaborated to undertake the construction and repairs of the Waiqanake District School, to include the complete renovation and installation of a small library in a classroom building. The team also removed obsolete rain gutters from three different classroom buildings and rendered a fresh coat of paint to two classroom buildings. Waiqanake District School, which accommodates over 300 staff, faculty and students, hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony in celebration for the newly renovated facilities on June 16.

    U.S. Navy Musicians with the Pacific Fleet “Big Wave” Brass Band engaged in a variety of live performances across more than 10 school campuses and venues across the island of Viti Levu, Fiji. This musical ensemble featured 10 musicians, which hosted concerts between Suva and Nadi, including the closing ceremony of Pacific Partnership 2025’s mission stop in Fiji.

    Now in its 21st iteration, Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific.

    Date Taken: 06.16.2025
    Date Posted: 06.19.2025 21:08
    Story ID: 501094
    Location: SUVA, FJ
    Web Views: 54
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN  

    This work, Pacific Partnership 2025 Concludes Mission Stop in Suva, Fiji, June 16, 2025, by PO2 Moises Sandoval, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Pacific Partnership 2025 Concludes Mission Stop in Suva, Fiji, June 16, 2025

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    SUVA, Fiji – Pacific Partnership 2025 officially concluded its mission stop in Fiji with a closing ceremony hosted at the Waiqanake District School on June 16, 2025.

    The largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster response preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific, Pacific Partnership enables participants, including United States and Fijian personnel, to work together to enhance disaster response capabilities and foster new and enduring friendships.

    “The United States of America believes in a free and open Pacific for all nations,” said U.S. Navy Capt. Mark B. Stefanik, mission commander during the closing ceremony. “We deeply value our long history with Fiji and we hope that the work done here helps to reinforce our commitment to this island and to the people of Fiji.”

    While in Fiji, the medical team, consisting of U.S. and Fijian public health services personnel, conducted a total of 16 side-by-side subject matter expert exchanges in the fields of hemoculture, permaculture, agriculture, and apiculture. The team accrued more than 26 hours of hands-on training through public health engagements such as the Polymerase Chain Reaction laboratory, spay and neuter clinics, ruminant husbandry training, and a beekeeping tour assembling over 42 participants from across Suva.

    The Pacific Partnership engineering team also capitalized on the opportunity to provide focused support to address several local infrastructure concerns. A total of 12 U.S. Navy Sailors, assigned to Amphibious Construction Battalion 1, and 8 New Zealand Royal Army Engineers collaborated to undertake the construction and repairs of the Waiqanake District School, to include the complete renovation and installation of a small library in a classroom building. The team also removed obsolete rain gutters from three different classroom buildings and rendered a fresh coat of paint to two classroom buildings. Waiqanake District School, which accommodates over 300 staff, faculty and students, hosted a ribbon cutting ceremony in celebration for the newly renovated facilities on June 16.

    U.S. Navy Musicians with the Pacific Fleet “Big Wave” Brass Band engaged in a variety of live performances across more than 10 school campuses and venues across the island of Viti Levu, Fiji. This musical ensemble featured 10 musicians, which hosted concerts between Suva and Nadi, including the closing ceremony of Pacific Partnership 2025’s mission stop in Fiji.

    Now in its 21st iteration, Pacific Partnership series is the largest annual multinational humanitarian assistance and disaster management preparedness mission conducted in the Indo-Pacific. Pacific Partnership works collaboratively with host and partner nations to enhance regional interoperability and disaster response capabilities, increase security and stability in the region, and foster new and enduring friendships in the Indo-Pacific.

    Date Taken: 06.16.2025
    Date Posted: 06.19.2025 21:08
    Story ID: 501094
    Location: SUVA, FJ
    Web Views: 54
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN  

    This work, Pacific Partnership 2025 Concludes Mission Stop in Suva, Fiji, June 16, 2025, by PO2 Moises Sandoval, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Here’s why some people suffer from motion sickness – and which remedies actually work

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christian Moro, Associate Professor of Science & Medicine, Bond University

    EyeEm Mobile GmbH/Getty

    Cars may be a modern phenomenon, but motion sickness is not. More than 2,000 years ago, the physician Hippocrates wrote “sailing on the sea proves that motion disorders the body”. In fact, the word nausea derives from the Greek naus, meaning ship.

    Whether you’re in a ship, car, plane, or riding a rollercoaster, motion sickness (also called travel sickness or seasickness) can make you retch, vomit, sweat and become pale, and feel nauseated, dizzy and tired.

    For some people, watching dizzying scenes in a television show or simply thinking about moving can make us feel woozy. Playing video games or using virtual reality headsets can also lead to motion sickness (in this case, called “cybersickness”).

    But why does it happen? And why doesn’t it affect everyone?

    What is motion sickness?

    Motion sickness can happen in response to real or perceived motion.

    We don’t understand the exact mechanisms underlying motion sickness, although there are various hypotheses.

    The most accepted theory is that our brains like to know what’s going on around us. If our body is moving, but our brain can’t work out why, this creates some internal confusion.

    Within our brains, the “vestibular system”, which includes sensory organs in your inner ear, helps maintain balance.
    It has trouble doing this when you’re constantly being moved around (for example, inside a car) and sends the signals throughout our body which make us feel woozy.

    Supporting this theory, people who have damage to some parts of their inner ear systems can become completely immune to motion sickness.

    Why does motion sickness affect some people and not others?

    Very rough movement will make almost anyone
    motion sick. But some people are much more susceptible.

    Women tend to experience motion sickness more than men. There is evidence that hormonal fluctuations – for example during pregnancy or some stages of the menstrual cycle – may increase susceptibility.

    Some other conditions, such as vertigo and migraines, also make people more likely to experience motion sickness.

    In children, motion sickness tends to peak between ages six and nine, tapering off in the teens. It is much rarer in the elderly.

    In a car, the driver is normally in charge of the motion, and so their brain can anticipate movements (such as turning), leading to less motion sickness than for passengers.

    Are some modes of transport worse?

    Motion sickness is typically triggered by slow, up-and-down and left-to-right movements (low-frequency lateral and vertical motion). The more pronounced the motion, the more likely we are to get sick.

    This is why you might feel fine during some stages of an air flight, but become nauseous during times when there is turbulence. It’s the same at sea, where the larger and more undulating the waves, the more chance there is passengers will feel sick.

    Recent reports have suggested electric vehicles make motion sickness worse.

    This may be because electric vehicles tend to launch from a standstill with a fast acceleration. Sudden movements like this can make some occupants more nauseous.

    The silence of an electric vehicle is also unusual. Most of us are used to hearing the engine running and feeling the vehicle’s rumble as it moves. The silence in an electric vehicle removes these prompts, and likely further confuses our brain, making motion sickness worse.

    Interestingly, when an electric vehicle is put into autonomous (self-driving) mode, the driver becomes just as susceptible to motion sickness as the passengers.

    What helps motion sickness?

    For some people it never goes away, and they remain susceptible to motion sickness for life.

    But there are ways to manage symptoms, for example, avoiding travelling in bad weather, looking out the window and focusing on stable points (such as the aeroplane wing during a flight) or a distant stationary object (such as the horizon). This reduces conflicting signals in your brain.

    It may also help to:

    Medicines can help. Your doctor or pharmacist can recommend a variety of over-the-counter medications, such as antihistamines, which may help alleviate symptoms.

    Some people find alternative treatments helpful, including ginger, anti-nausea wrist bands (sea-bands or pressure bands). However we still don’t have enough consistent scientific evidence to endorse these remedies.

    There are longer-term options such as prescription medications and skin patches. However, many have potential side effects, so you should discuss these with a health professional.

    Not all of these medications will be suitable for children. However, there are some options which may help alleviate serious cases, and these can be talked through with your family GP.

    Does it ever go away?

    Sometimes, repeated exposure to the activity (called habituation) can help reduce motion sickness. The ancient Romans and Greeks reported the more experienced a sailor became, the less prone they were to sea sickness.

    While inconvenient, motion sickness may also have some evolutionary advantages. It’s thought species prone to motion sickness (including humans, fish, dogs, cats, mice and horses) avoid dangerous patches of rough water or high windy branches.

    We’re safest when firmly on land and not moving at all. Perhaps motion sickness is simply one way that our body works to keep us out of harm’s way.

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

    – ref. Here’s why some people suffer from motion sickness – and which remedies actually work – https://theconversation.com/heres-why-some-people-suffer-from-motion-sickness-and-which-remedies-actually-work-258065

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Data gaps and demographic change: the end of the NZ census will create big blind spots

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Spoonley, Distinguished Professor, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University

    Getty Images

    Ending the New Zealand census as we’ve known it will save money – it was “no longer financially viable”, according to Statistics Minister Shane Reti – but the true cost of those savings could be considerable.

    Of course, it’s no secret the two previous censuses raised major questions about the quality of census data and the process. In 2018, an untested experiment with online returns, and a reduced workforce in the field, saw “an unacceptably low response rate”.

    In 2023, StatsNZ had to apologise again, this time for failing to keep the collected data safe and for another low response rate, especially for Māori. The problems were compounded by low trust in government and an unwillingness to share private information in the wake of COVID-related misinformation.

    It didn’t help that the 2023 census cost NZ$325 million, up from $104 million in 2013 – double the amount per capita, for reasons that remain unclear.

    That was enough. Cabinet papers between March and May last year signalled the government was going to move to an alternative system of data collection. The shift was characterised as “modernising the census” – except there will be no census.

    But the change has been made without any apparent consideration of how the census is used – specifically, that it is crucial to the management of a modern society and economy – and what will be lost in the process.

    Comparison across time

    One of the primary functions of a census is to allow comparison with previous censuses over time. And these go back a long way.

    The first census, in 1851, collected data on Europeans only, although the Native Secretary provided details of Māori from 1849 to 1850. The Census Act of 1858 required that a national census of all Europeans take place every three years. A new act in 1877 introduced the five-yearly census we’ve become used to.

    Data on Māori was collected separately until 1916 when a question on “race” appeared. The 1926 Census and Statistical Act then required all individuals, including Māori, to complete the census forms.

    Depression and war meant there were no censuses in 1931 and 1941, and the 2011 census was delayed because of the Christchurch earthquakes. Otherwise, we have had regular updates from nearly all the resident population on a whole range of aspects of life in New Zealand.

    This comprehensive picture of New Zealanders and the way we live underpins nearly every aspect of political decision-making and policy development. But no more.

    The new approach will use existing administrative data collected by government departments and agencies as part of their normal business. ACC, Inland Revenue, the Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Education, and Department of Internal Affairs will be key data sources.

    The data gaps will be addressed by asking those departments and agencies to change some of what they collect. But the main change will involve surveys – as yet unspecified in terms of sample size or frame, or the questions and topics to be covered – which will “verify data quality and fill gaps”.

    As well as saving money, the statistics minister says, this approach will provide “more timely insights”. But this all leaves important questions unanswered.

    Inadequate administrative data

    Administrative data is collected for specific purposes and in different ways by government departments and agencies. The coverage is incomplete, there is often no consistency in what is collected, and there are issues about data quality and robustness.

    Moreover, information management is not a particular strength of most public sector agencies (Inland Revenue might be one of the few exceptions). It will be interesting to see whether the government is prepared to fund new technology options and methods to help improve this data collection.

    For example, the Understanding Policing Delivery research project has identified issues with data collection, especially in relation to ethnicity: national intelligence activities collect and hold data on ethnicity, iwi and hapū affiliations, but the process for issuing police infringement notices for offending does not.

    As a StatsNZ exercise which looked at ethnicity data collection across the government sector noted:

    The question asked for ethnicity differs widely across administrative data sources and often differs within each administrative source depending on the mode of collection or the form used.

    Such inconsistencies will need to be rectified if administrative data is to be anything like as comprehensive and consistent as the data provided by the census.

    Major demographic change

    New Zealand is also undergoing major demographic change, including the following trends:

    • fertility has declined and is at sub-replacement levels

    • the population is rapidly ageing

    • the proportion of population living in the top half of the North Island is increasing

    • and immigration has contributed significantly to population growth and diversity.

    I am not convinced the new administrative approach will capture these demographic changes, much less good data on the wellbeing of various communities or the nature of families and households.

    Administrative data, by definition, is partial and suited to the particular activities and concerns of the agency or department in question. But in a modern, complex society, data is key. We have just lost one of the most powerful tools available for understanding this country in the 21st century.

    The author acknowledges Len Cook, former Government Statistician of New Zealand, for his comments and suggestions.

    Paul Spoonley has received funding from MBIE and is associated with Koi Tu.

    – ref. Data gaps and demographic change: the end of the NZ census will create big blind spots – https://theconversation.com/data-gaps-and-demographic-change-the-end-of-the-nz-census-will-create-big-blind-spots-259663

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Here’s why some people suffer from motion sickness – and which remedies actually work

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Christian Moro, Associate Professor of Science & Medicine, Bond University

    EyeEm Mobile GmbH/Getty

    Cars may be a modern phenomenon, but motion sickness is not. More than 2,000 years ago, the physician Hippocrates wrote “sailing on the sea proves that motion disorders the body”. In fact, the word nausea derives from the Greek naus, meaning ship.

    Whether you’re in a ship, car, plane, or riding a rollercoaster, motion sickness (also called travel sickness or seasickness) can make you retch, vomit, sweat and become pale, and feel nauseated, dizzy and tired.

    For some people, watching dizzying scenes in a television show or simply thinking about moving can make us feel woozy. Playing video games or using virtual reality headsets can also lead to motion sickness (in this case, called “cybersickness”).

    But why does it happen? And why doesn’t it affect everyone?

    What is motion sickness?

    Motion sickness can happen in response to real or perceived motion.

    We don’t understand the exact mechanisms underlying motion sickness, although there are various hypotheses.

    The most accepted theory is that our brains like to know what’s going on around us. If our body is moving, but our brain can’t work out why, this creates some internal confusion.

    Within our brains, the “vestibular system”, which includes sensory organs in your inner ear, helps maintain balance.
    It has trouble doing this when you’re constantly being moved around (for example, inside a car) and sends the signals throughout our body which make us feel woozy.

    Supporting this theory, people who have damage to some parts of their inner ear systems can become completely immune to motion sickness.

    Why does motion sickness affect some people and not others?

    Very rough movement will make almost anyone
    motion sick. But some people are much more susceptible.

    Women tend to experience motion sickness more than men. There is evidence that hormonal fluctuations – for example during pregnancy or some stages of the menstrual cycle – may increase susceptibility.

    Some other conditions, such as vertigo and migraines, also make people more likely to experience motion sickness.

    In children, motion sickness tends to peak between ages six and nine, tapering off in the teens. It is much rarer in the elderly.

    In a car, the driver is normally in charge of the motion, and so their brain can anticipate movements (such as turning), leading to less motion sickness than for passengers.

    Are some modes of transport worse?

    Motion sickness is typically triggered by slow, up-and-down and left-to-right movements (low-frequency lateral and vertical motion). The more pronounced the motion, the more likely we are to get sick.

    This is why you might feel fine during some stages of an air flight, but become nauseous during times when there is turbulence. It’s the same at sea, where the larger and more undulating the waves, the more chance there is passengers will feel sick.

    Recent reports have suggested electric vehicles make motion sickness worse.

    This may be because electric vehicles tend to launch from a standstill with a fast acceleration. Sudden movements like this can make some occupants more nauseous.

    The silence of an electric vehicle is also unusual. Most of us are used to hearing the engine running and feeling the vehicle’s rumble as it moves. The silence in an electric vehicle removes these prompts, and likely further confuses our brain, making motion sickness worse.

    Interestingly, when an electric vehicle is put into autonomous (self-driving) mode, the driver becomes just as susceptible to motion sickness as the passengers.

    What helps motion sickness?

    For some people it never goes away, and they remain susceptible to motion sickness for life.

    But there are ways to manage symptoms, for example, avoiding travelling in bad weather, looking out the window and focusing on stable points (such as the aeroplane wing during a flight) or a distant stationary object (such as the horizon). This reduces conflicting signals in your brain.

    It may also help to:

    Medicines can help. Your doctor or pharmacist can recommend a variety of over-the-counter medications, such as antihistamines, which may help alleviate symptoms.

    Some people find alternative treatments helpful, including ginger, anti-nausea wrist bands (sea-bands or pressure bands). However we still don’t have enough consistent scientific evidence to endorse these remedies.

    There are longer-term options such as prescription medications and skin patches. However, many have potential side effects, so you should discuss these with a health professional.

    Not all of these medications will be suitable for children. However, there are some options which may help alleviate serious cases, and these can be talked through with your family GP.

    Does it ever go away?

    Sometimes, repeated exposure to the activity (called habituation) can help reduce motion sickness. The ancient Romans and Greeks reported the more experienced a sailor became, the less prone they were to sea sickness.

    While inconvenient, motion sickness may also have some evolutionary advantages. It’s thought species prone to motion sickness (including humans, fish, dogs, cats, mice and horses) avoid dangerous patches of rough water or high windy branches.

    We’re safest when firmly on land and not moving at all. Perhaps motion sickness is simply one way that our body works to keep us out of harm’s way.

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

    – ref. Here’s why some people suffer from motion sickness – and which remedies actually work – https://theconversation.com/heres-why-some-people-suffer-from-motion-sickness-and-which-remedies-actually-work-258065

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: ‘Baths, wine, and sex make life worth living’: how ancient Romans used public baths to relax, work out and socialise

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Peter Edwell, Associate Professor in Ancient History, Macquarie University

    iLongLoveKing/Shutterstock

    Standing in the vast ruins of the Baths of Caracalla in Rome, hundreds of gulls circle above. Their haunting cries echo voices from 1,800 years ago. Today, the bare shell of what was one of Rome’s largest bath complexes mostly sits empty, occasionally playing host to opera performances.

    But what were the baths of ancient Rome actually like back then? And why were the Romans so into public bathing?

    Public baths everywhere

    While living in Rome for almost a year, I noticed the remains of ancient baths (thermae in Latin) everywhere.

    Virtually every emperor built them, and by the middle of the fourth century there were 952 public baths in the city.

    The largest were the baths built by the emperor Diocletian (284–305). Around 3,000 people a day could bathe at this 13-hectare complex.

    These baths, like most, contained a room (the caldarium) heated by air ducts in the walls and floors. The floors were so hot special sandals were worn.

    Another room leading from it was milder (the tepidarium), before bathers entered the frigidarium, which contained a cold pool. A 4,000-square-metre outdoor swimming pool was the central feature.

    Public baths also often featured gymnasiums, libraries, restaurants and exercise yards.

    Today, the baths of Caracalla mostly sit empty.
    Wirestock/Getty

    ‘Baths, wine, and sex make life worth living’

    The philosopher Seneca, also an advisor to the emperor Nero, lived above a bath complex around 50 CE.

    He described the sounds of people “panting in wheezy and high-pitched tones” as they lifted weights. Others plunged into swimming tanks with a loud splash. Shop-owners selling food yelled out the prices of their wares. Some sang loudly for their own pleasure in the bathroom.

    One 4th-century CE account describes how aristocrats sometimes arrived at the baths with 50 servants attending them.

    Sections of the baths were reserved for these guests, who brought their finest clothes and expensive jewellery.

    While emperors built large public bath complexes, there were many smaller private ones. Entry fees were low and sometimes free during festivals and political campaigns. This allowed all social classes to use the baths.

    Women and men bathed separately and used the baths at different times of the day. Some bath complexes had areas designated for women only. The physician Soranus of Ephesus, who wrote a treatise on gynaecology in the second century CE, recommended women go to the baths in preparation for labour.

    In a crowded and polluted city like Rome, the baths were a haven. Warm water, smells of perfumed ointments, massages and a spa-like environment were pleasures all could indulge in.

    A first-century CE inscription declared that

    baths, wine, and sex make life worth living.

    Baths and the grim reality of slavery

    Baths were places of great social importance, and nudity allowed bathers to show off their physical prowess.

    Archaeological evidence suggests even dentistry was performed at the baths.

    Behind these images of indulgence, however, lay the grim reality of slavery. Slaves did the dirtiest work in the baths.

    They cleaned out cinders, emptied toilets and saw to the clearing of drains.

    Slaves came to the baths with their owners, whom they rubbed down with oil and cleaned their skin with strygils (a type of scraper). They entered the baths through a separate entrance.

    Baths across the empire

    Baths were popular in every city and town across the Roman Empire. A famous example is Aquae Sulis – the modern town of Bath – in England (which was under Roman rule for hundreds of years). At Aquae Sulis, a natural hot spring fed the baths. The goddess Minerva was honoured at the complex.

    The remains of similar bath complexes have been found in North Africa, Spain and Germany.

    Extensive remains of a Roman bath at Baden Baden in Germany are among the most impressive.

    Similarly, at Toledo in Spain, a public Roman bath complex measuring almost an acre has been found.

    Baths were often built in military camps to provide soldiers with comforts during their service. Remains of military baths have been found all over the empire. Researchers have found and excavated the baths for the army camp at Hadrian’s wall, a wall built to help defend the Roman Empire’s northern frontier in what is now modern Britain.

    The baths at Chester contain hot rooms (caldaria), cold rooms (frigidaria) and also a sweat room (sudatoria), which is similar to a sauna.

    A long history

    The Romans weren’t the first to use public baths. Their Greek forebears had them too. But the Romans took public bathing to a empire-wide level. It became a marker of Roman culture wherever they went.

    Public bathing would continue in the empire’s Islamic period and became famously popular under the Ottomans, who ruled the empire between 1299 and 1922. Turkish hammams (baths) remain an important public institution to this day and they descend directly from the Romans. Istanbul still contains 60 functioning hammams.

    Roman baths were not only technically ingenious and architecturally impressive, they connected people socially from all walks of life. As the gulls circle over the baths of Caracalla in Rome, their haunting cries connect us to that very world.

    Peter Edwell receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. ‘Baths, wine, and sex make life worth living’: how ancient Romans used public baths to relax, work out and socialise – https://theconversation.com/baths-wine-and-sex-make-life-worth-living-how-ancient-romans-used-public-baths-to-relax-work-out-and-socialise-257466

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for June 24, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on June 24, 2025.

    Calls for New Zealand to denounce United States attack on Iran
    By Lillian Hanly, RNZ News political reporter Prominent lawyers are joining opposition parties as they call for the New Zealand government to denounce the United States attack on Iranian nuclear facilities. Iranian New Zealander and lawyer Arman Askarany said the New Zealand government was showing “indifference”. It comes as acting Prime Minister David Seymour told

    Warm-ups, layered clothes, recovery: 4 tips to exercise safely in the cold
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Harry Banyard, Senior Lecturer in Exercise and Sports Science, Swinburne University of Technology Maridav/Shutterstock Temperatures have dropped in many parts of Australia which means runners, cyclists, rowers, hikers, or anyone physically active outside need to take extra precautions to stay safe and exercise in relative comfort. Cold

    Sharks freeze when you turn them upside down – and there’s no good reason why
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jodie L. Rummer, Professor of Marine Biology, James Cook University Rachel Moore Imagine watching your favourite nature documentary. The predator lunges rapidly from its hiding place, jaws wide open, and the prey … suddenly goes limp. It looks dead. For some animals, this freeze response – called

    Drone footage captured orcas crafting tools out of kelp – and using them for grooming
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vanessa Pirotta, Postdoctoral Researcher and Wildlife Scientist, Macquarie University Sara Jenkins/500px/Getty The more we learn about orcas, the more remarkable they are. These giant dolphins are the ocean’s true apex predator, preying on great white sharks and other lesser predators. They’re very intelligent and highly social. Their

    Inaccurate and misogynistic: why we need to make the term ‘hysterectomy’ history
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Theresa Larkin, Associate Professor of Medical Sciences, University of Wollongong Panuwat Dangsungnoen/Getty Images Have you had a tonsillectomy (your tonsils taken out), appendectomy (your appendix removed) or lumpectomy (removal of a lump from your breast)? The suffix “ectomy” denotes surgical removal of the named body part, so

    More women are using medical cannabis – but new research shows barriers push some into illegal markets
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vinuli Withanarachchie, PhD candidate, College of Health, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University Getty Images The number of women using medicinal cannabis is growing in New Zealand and overseas. They use cannabis treatment for general conditions such as pain, anxiety, inflammation and nausea, as well as

    It’s time to face an uncomfortable truth: maybe our pampered pets would be better off without us
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nancy Cushing, Associate professor, University of Newcastle ROSLAN RAHMAN/AFP via Getty Images Pet-keeping is often promoted for the benefits it brings humans. A close association with another animal can provide us with a sense of purpose and a daily dose of joy. It can aid our health,

    Work, wages and apprenticeships: sifting for clues about the lives of girls in ancient Egypt
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Julia Hamilton, Lecturer in History and Archaeology, Macquarie University Weavers in the Tomb of Khnumhotep II, Beni Hassan, Egypt. Painted by Norman de Garis Davies (MMA 33.8.16) We know surprisingly little about the lives of children in ancient Egypt. And what records we do have about them

    Archetyp was one of the dark web’s biggest drug markets. A global sting has shut it down
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elena Morgenthaler, PhD Candidate, School of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Griffith University Operation Deep Sentinel Last week, one of the dark web’s most prominent drug marketplaces – Archetyp – was shut down in an international, multi-agency law enforcement operation following years of investigations. It was touted as

    How do sleep trackers work, and are they worth it? A sleep scientist breaks it down
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dean J. Miller, Senior Lecturer, Appleton Institute, HealthWise Research Group, CQUniversity Australia Many smartwatches, fitness and wellness trackers now offer sleep tracking among their many functions. Wear your watch or ring to bed, and you’ll wake up to a detailed sleep report telling you not just how

    ‘It feels like I am being forced to harm a child’: research shows how teachers are suffering moral injury
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Glenys Oberg, PhD candidate in education and trauma, The University of Queensland SolStock/Getty Images Australia is in the grip of a teacher shortage. Teachers are burning out, warning the job is no longer sustainable and leaving the profession. We know this is due to excessive workloads, stress

    NZ Greens call on state to condemn US over ‘dangerous’ attack on Iran
    Asia Pacific Report New Zealand’s opposition Green Party has called on the government to condemn the United States for its illegal bombing of Iran and inflaming tensions across the Middle East. “The actions of the United States pose a fundamental threat to world peace,” said Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson in a statement. “The rest

    View from the Hill: Albanese supports US bombing, reluctantly
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra When Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong went out on Monday to back the United States attack on Iran, it was obvious their support was through gritted teeth. Albanese told their joint news conference: “The world has

    Woodside’s North West Shelf gas extension is being challenged in the courts. Could it be stopped?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Hepburn, Professor, Deakin Law School, Deakin University The controversial extension of Woodside’s North West Shelf gas project off Western Australia faces two legal challenges. Both raise significant concerns about the validity of government approvals. One could even seek an injunction, preventing federal environment minister Murray Watt

    Australian CEOs are still getting their bonuses. Performance doesn’t seem to matter so much
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Denniss, Adjunct Professor, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University RomanR/Shutterstock Almost all of Australia’s top chief executives are, according to their boards at least, knocking it out of the park in terms of performance. That is despite sluggish productivity, persistently high carbon emissions, rising

    Strait of Hormuz: closing vital oil and gas route would disrupt global supplies. How will Australia be affected?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sanjoy Paul, Associate Professor in Operations and Supply Chain Management, UTS Business School, University of Technology Sydney Below the Sky/Shutterstock The Iranian parliament has approved the closure of key shipping route the Strait of Hormuz, in a move that could further escalate the Israel/Iran war. The strait

    MIT researchers say using ChatGPT can rot your brain. The truth is a little more complicated
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vitomir Kovanovic, Associate Professor and Associate Director of the Centre for Change and Complexity in Learning (C3L), Education Futures, University of South Australia Rroselavy / Shutterstock Since ChatGPT appeared almost three years ago, the impact of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies on learning has been widely debated. Are

    Why the US strikes on Iran are illegal and can set a troubling precedent
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Donald Rothwell, Professor of International Law, Australian National University After the United States bombed Iran’s three nuclear facilities on Sunday, US President Donald Trump said its objective was a “stop to the nuclear threat posed by the world’s number one state sponsor of terror”. US Defence Secretary

    How do I get started in the gym lifting weights?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mandy Hagstrom, Senior Lecturer, Exercise Physiology. School of Health Sciences, UNSW Sydney Thomas Barwick/Getty So you’ve never been to a gym and are keen to start, but something’s holding you back. Perhaps you don’t know what to actually do in there or feel like you’ll just look

    NZ’s plan to ‘welcome anyone, from anywhere, anytime’ is not a sustainable tourism policy
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Regina Scheyvens, Professor of Development Studies, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University Getty Images Attracting more Chinese tourists to New Zealand, including during the off-season, was a major part of Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s trade agenda during his visit to China last week. As Tourism Minister

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Leads Senators in Demanding Answers on Trump Administration’s Cuts to Veteran Education Benefits

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) led Senate colleagues in a letter to the Trump Administration expressing deep concern over the administration’s recent budget and staffing cuts at the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Education, and demanding answers on how these cuts will negatively impact critical education benefits for veterans and programs that support veterans as they transition to civilian life, pursue higher education, or reenter the workforce. Rosen was joined by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Angus King (I-ME), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Andy Kim (D-NJ), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Tina Smith (D-MN), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mark Warner (D-VA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Tim Kaine (D-VA). 
    “With nearly 16 million veterans across our nation who have selflessly served and sacrificed in defense of our country, it is imperative that these cuts do not undermine essential programs that support veterans transitioning to civilian life and building successful careers,” wrote the Senators. “Education programs such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the Yellow Ribbon Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) have empowered countless veterans to pursue higher education, gain critical skills, and become integral contributors to our economy and society. Laws and regulations enforced by the Department of Education, such as the 90/10 rule and borrower defense to repayment, have also historically prevented veterans from being taken advantage of by predatory programs. Weakening or eliminating any of these programs or protections would not only harm veterans but also jeopardize our national workforce readiness and long-term economic resilience.”
    “As a country, we carry a moral and strategic responsibility to ensure our veterans are equipped for success after service. Safeguarding the educational benefits veterans rely upon is not only a commitment to our promises, but also an investment in our nation’s future and vital for military recruitment,” the Senators’ letter continued. “We respectfully request a detailed explanation of the impacts these budget and staffing cuts and planned changes to federal oversight and accreditation policy will have on veterans’ access to, and success in, higher education, vocational training, and associated support services nationwide.”
    The full letter can be found HERE.
    Senator Rosen has been a steadfast advocate for veterans in Nevada and nationwide. In January 2025, she co-sponsored the bipartisan Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act, now law, which authorized funds to County Veterans Service Officers and local efforts to connect veterans with benefits related to education, housing, disability, and other services. In February 2025, she helped introduce the Purple Heart Veterans Education Act, closing a loophole so that every Purple Heart recipient can transfer their GI Bill benefits to their dependents. In 2024, Rosen led the bipartisan Education Flexibility for Veteran Parents Act, allowing veteran parents to receive full GI Bill housing stipends regardless of whether the program is in-person or online. Her bipartisan bill to require the VA to maintain a permanent helpline for veterans to use for information on VA services was signed into law last year as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025. These efforts underscore her unwavering commitment to ensuring veterans and their families receive the education benefits they’ve earned through service.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Leads Senators in Demanding Answers on Trump Administration’s Cuts to Veteran Education Benefits

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) led Senate colleagues in a letter to the Trump Administration expressing deep concern over the administration’s recent budget and staffing cuts at the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Education, and demanding answers on how these cuts will negatively impact critical education benefits for veterans and programs that support veterans as they transition to civilian life, pursue higher education, or reenter the workforce. Rosen was joined by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Angus King (I-ME), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Andy Kim (D-NJ), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Tina Smith (D-MN), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mark Warner (D-VA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Tim Kaine (D-VA). 
    “With nearly 16 million veterans across our nation who have selflessly served and sacrificed in defense of our country, it is imperative that these cuts do not undermine essential programs that support veterans transitioning to civilian life and building successful careers,” wrote the Senators. “Education programs such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the Yellow Ribbon Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) have empowered countless veterans to pursue higher education, gain critical skills, and become integral contributors to our economy and society. Laws and regulations enforced by the Department of Education, such as the 90/10 rule and borrower defense to repayment, have also historically prevented veterans from being taken advantage of by predatory programs. Weakening or eliminating any of these programs or protections would not only harm veterans but also jeopardize our national workforce readiness and long-term economic resilience.”
    “As a country, we carry a moral and strategic responsibility to ensure our veterans are equipped for success after service. Safeguarding the educational benefits veterans rely upon is not only a commitment to our promises, but also an investment in our nation’s future and vital for military recruitment,” the Senators’ letter continued. “We respectfully request a detailed explanation of the impacts these budget and staffing cuts and planned changes to federal oversight and accreditation policy will have on veterans’ access to, and success in, higher education, vocational training, and associated support services nationwide.”
    The full letter can be found HERE.
    Senator Rosen has been a steadfast advocate for veterans in Nevada and nationwide. In January 2025, she co-sponsored the bipartisan Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act, now law, which authorized funds to County Veterans Service Officers and local efforts to connect veterans with benefits related to education, housing, disability, and other services. In February 2025, she helped introduce the Purple Heart Veterans Education Act, closing a loophole so that every Purple Heart recipient can transfer their GI Bill benefits to their dependents. In 2024, Rosen led the bipartisan Education Flexibility for Veteran Parents Act, allowing veteran parents to receive full GI Bill housing stipends regardless of whether the program is in-person or online. Her bipartisan bill to require the VA to maintain a permanent helpline for veterans to use for information on VA services was signed into law last year as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025. These efforts underscore her unwavering commitment to ensuring veterans and their families receive the education benefits they’ve earned through service.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Entire Senate Democratic Caucus Urge Leader Thune to Change Course on Proposed Cuts to Health Care and Food Assistance

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
     
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, joined every member of the Senate Democratic Caucus in calling on Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to change course on Republicans’ plan to take health care and food assistance away from millions of Americans—including seniors, children, people with disabilities, and veterans—to pay for tax breaks for the wealthiest.
    “If enacted, these cuts to food assistance and health care will mean widespread hardship for Americans, including seniors, children, people with disabilities, and veterans; irreversibly weaken state and local governments; and pull the rug out from under rural hospitals, nursing homes, community health centers, farmers, independent grocers, food banks, and so many others,” wrote the senators.
    “Just because the House has acted in this regard does not mean the U.S. Senate must make the same mistakes,” continued the senators. “Congress should be enacting policies that lower costs and make it easier for American families to thrive rather than raising the costs of food, health care, and other vital services.” 
    U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also signed the letter.
    Full text of the letter is available HERE and below.
    Dear Senator Thune:
    At a time when American families are struggling with the high prices of food, health care, housing, and other essentials, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that will raise costs even more by terminating health insurance for millions of Americans and taking food assistance from millions — all to provide tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans and corporations.  
    If enacted, these cuts to food assistance and health care will mean widespread hardship for Americans, including seniors, children, people with disabilities, and veterans; irreversibly weaken state and local governments; and pull the rug out from under rural hospitals, nursing homes, community health centers, farmers, independent grocers, food banks, and so many others. Just because the House has acted in this regard does not mean the U.S. Senate must make the same mistakes. Congress should be enacting policies that lower costs and make it easier for American families to thrive rather than raising the costs of food, health care, and other vital services. 
    Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) guarantee access to affordable health care for millions of working and middle-class families across the country.  More than 80 million people are enrolled in Medicaid, while more than 24 million buy their own health insurance through the ACA Marketplaces. The nation’s uninsured rate has dropped to historic lows because of the health coverage and security afforded by these essential programs. The House-passed Republican reconciliation bill includes over $1 trillion in health care cuts, decimating Medicaid and dismantling the ACA. 
    The non-partisan, independent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) finds the entirety of Republicans’ health care cuts will terminate health care coverage for 16 million people. These coverage losses are not without consequence. New analyses find more than 51,000 Americans will die as a result of the bill’s Medicaid cuts, which will also lead to the loss of 850,000 jobs. The Republican bill will increase costs for everyone and damage local economies; raise premiums and health care costs across markets; shutter rural hospitals and nursing homes; worsen unemployment from resulting job loss; and slam state budgets with new, unaffordable costs. 
    The House-passed bill includes the largest health care cuts in history. Its Medicaid policies will ensnare millions in red tape, making it impossible for them to enroll in coverage; increase premiums and cost-sharing for low-income seniors and families; and slash Medicaid payments to hospitals, community health centers, nursing homes, and other health care providers; among other draconian, harmful cuts. 
    The Republican bill’s underhanded cuts to the ACA will dismantle and destabilize the Marketplaces. A thicket of new red tape requirements will make it nearly impossible for working and middle-class Americans to access tax credits that make their premiums affordable and enroll in coverage through the Marketplaces. Republican cuts will more than double ACA premiums for tens of millions of Americans, putting coverage out of reach for small businesses, gig workers, family caregivers, and millions of others who buy their own health insurance through the Marketplaces. 
    The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the cornerstone of America’s anti-hunger efforts, helping to put food on the table for 42 million Americans, including nearly 16 million children, 8 million seniors, 4 million people with disabilities, and 1.2 million veterans. The effectiveness of SNAP has been shown time and again. SNAP reduces food insecurity and poverty; lowers health care costs; supports farmers, grocers and local economies; provides a long-term return on investment in our children and their future; and acts as an automatic economic stabilizer during times of weak economic conditions. 
    The House-passed reconciliation bill proposes nearly $300 billion in cuts to SNAP — the deepest cuts to food assistance in history. If enacted into law, CBO estimates that over 3 million Americans – including seniors, kids 7 or older, and families living in areas with a weak economy – will lose their food assistance entirely because of stricter eligibility requirements and red tape. Another 1.3 million Americans will lose SNAP entirely or have their benefits cut as a result of the provision requiring states to pay for a significant portion of SNAP — forcing states to choose between helping their residents afford groceries and funding education, public safety, investment in workforce and education, and other critical priorities. 
    Other provisions in the bill will reduce future benefits for tens of millions of additional Americans. In addition, hundreds of thousands of children will lose free and reduced-price school meals through the National School Lunch Program. In total, tens of millions of Americans will see their grocery costs increase, and many will go hungry as a result.
    Just because the House has rushed to pass damaging policies that will raise costs and result in millions losing access to health care or food does not mean that it is too late for the Senate to change course. We urge you to set aside the House bill and instead work with us to lower costs and ensure all Americans can access the health care and food they need to survive.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Cadet Camp 2026 wrap-up

    Source:

    The Cadets line up in front of the Central Highlands Training Centre Gas Prop

    From May 16 to 18, 36 inspiring young CFA volunteers came together for an unforgettable Cadet Camp — and what a weekend it was!

    Held at YMCA’s Lady Northcote Discovery Camp, our 16 to 17-year-old volunteers (cadets) from across Victoria took part in a jam-packed program of team building, personal development and hands-on training at Central Highlands VEMTC.

    Throughout the camp, they forged friendships, built confidence, and deepened their commitment to serving their communities — all while having a whole lot of fun.

    Highlights included:

    • A live drafting session with Ballarat City and Rowsley brigades
    • CFA’s simulation table, offering real-time decision-making experience
    • Pumper and rescue demo from Ballan Fire Brigade
    • Visit from La Trobe University’s Aspire program, sharing opportunities for further development
    • Words of encouragement from CFA CEO Greg Leach AFSM, reminding cadets to embrace every opportunity.

    The Cadet Camp weekend isn’t just about preparing for the future. It is a powerful reminder that our young members are not just tomorrow’s leaders — they are here now, taking their place and playing their part in keeping Victorian communities safe.

    Submitted by Chris Melenhorst

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Calls for New Zealand to denounce United States attack on Iran

    By Lillian Hanly, RNZ News political reporter

    Prominent lawyers are joining opposition parties as they call for the New Zealand government to denounce the United States attack on Iranian nuclear facilities.

    Iranian New Zealander and lawyer Arman Askarany said the New Zealand government was showing “indifference”.

    It comes as acting Prime Minister David Seymour told reporters on Monday there was “no benefit” in rushing to a judgment regarding the US attack.

    “We’re far better to keep our counsel, because it costs nothing to get more information, but going off half-cocked can be very costly for a small nation.”

    Iran and Israel continued to exchange strikes over the weekend after Israel’s initial attack nearly two weeks ago.

    Israeli authorities say at least 25 people have been killed, and Iran said on Sunday Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people since June 13.

    The Human Rights Activists news agency puts the death toll in Iran above 650 people.

    US attacked Iran nuclear sites
    The US entered the war at the weekend by attacking what it said was key nuclear sites in Iran — including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan — on Sunday.

    On Monday, the Australian government signalled its support for the strike, and called for de-escalation and a return to diplomacy.

    Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the strike was a unilateral action by its security ally the United States, and Australia was joining calls from Britain and other countries for Iran to return to the negotiating table

    Not long after, Foreign Minister Winston Peters issued a statement on X, giving tacit endorsement to the decision to bomb nuclear facilities.

    The statement was also released just ahead of the NATO meeting in Brussels, which Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was attending.

    Peters said Iran could not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons, and noted the United States’ targeted attacks aimed at “degrading Iran’s nuclear capabilities”.

    He went on to acknowledge the US statement to the UN Security Council saying the attack was “acting in collective self-defence consistent with the UN Charter”.

    Self-defence ‘complete joke’
    Askarany told RNZ it was a “complete joke” that New Zealand had acknowledged the US statement saying it was self-defence.

    “It would be funny if it wasn’t so horrific.”

    He said it was a clear escalation by the US and Israel, and believed New Zealand was undermining the rules-based order it purported to support, given it refused to say Israel and the US had attacked Iran.

    Askarany acknolwedged the calls for deescalation and for peace in the region, but said they were “abstract platitudes” if the aggressor was not named.

    He called on people who might not know about Iran to learn more about it.

    “There’s so much history and culture and beautiful things about Iran that represent my people far more than the words of Trump and Netanyahu.”

    Peters told RNZ Morning Report on Monday the government wanted to know all the facts before taking a position on the US strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

    Politicians at a crossroads
     Acting Prime Minister David Seymour held his first post-cabinet media conference on Monday, in which he said nobody was calling on New Zealand to rush to a judgment on the rights and wrongs of the situation.

    He echoed the Foreign Minister’s statement, saying “of course” New Zealand noted the US assertion of the legality of their actions.

    He also indicated, “like just about every country in the world, that we cannot have a nuclear-armed Iran.”

    “That does not mean that we are rushing to form our own judgment on the rights or wrongs or legality of any action.”

    He insisted New Zealand was not sitting on the fence, but said “nor are we rushing to judgement.”

    “I believe the world is not sitting there waiting for New Zealand to give its position on the legality of the situation.

    “What people do want to see is de escalation and dialogue, and most critically for us, the safety of New Zealanders in the region.”

    When asked about the Australian government’s position, Seymour said New Zealand did not have the intelligence that other countries may have.

    Hikpins says attack ‘disappointing’
    Labour leader Chris Hipkins called the attack by the US on Iran “very disappointing”, “not justified” and “almost certainly” against international law.

    He wanted New Zealand to take a stronger stance on the issue.

    “New Zealand should take a stronger position in condemning the attacks and saying that we do not believe they are justified, and we do not believe that they are consistent with international law.”

    Hipkins said the US had not made a case for the action taken, and they should step back and get back around the table with Iran.

    The Green Party and Te Pāti Māori both called on the government to condemn the attack by the US.

    “The actions of the United States pose a fundamental threat to world peace.

    ‘Dangerous escalation’
    “The rest of the world, including New Zealand, must take a stand and make it clear that this dangerous escalation is unacceptable,” said Green Party coleader Marama Davidson.

    “We saw this with the US war on Iraq, and we are seeing it again with this recent attack on Iran. We are at risk of a violent history repeating itself.”

    Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi said the government was remaining silent on Israel.

    “When the US bombs Iran, Luxon calls it an ‘opportunity’. But when Cook Islanders assert their sovereignty or Chinese vessels travel through international waters, he leaps to condemnation,” said Waititi.

    “Israel continues to maintain an undeclared nuclear arsenal. Yet this government won’t say a word.

    “It condemns non-Western powers at every turn but remains silent when its allies act with impunity.”

    International law experts weigh in
     University of Waikato Professor Alexander Gillespie said it was “an illegal war” and the option of diplomacy should have been exhausted before the first strike.

    As Luxon headed to NATO, Gillespie acknowledged it would be difficult for him to take a “hard line” on the issue, “because he’s going to be caught up with the members and the partners of NATO.”

    He said the question would be whether NATO members accept there was a right of self-defence and whether the actions of the US and Israel were justified.

    Gillespie said former prime minister Helen Clark spoke very clearly in 2003 against the invasion of Iraq, but he could not see New Zealand’s current Prime Minister saying that.

    “That’s not because they don’t believe it, but because there would be a risk of a backhand from the United States.

    “And we’re spending a lot of time right now trying not to offend this Trump administration.”

    ‘Might is right’ precedent
    University of Otago Professor Robert Patman said the US strike on Iran would likely “make things worse” and set a precedent for “might is right.”

    He said he had “no brief” for the repressive Iranian regime, but under international law it had been subject of “two illegal attacks in the last 10 days”, from Israel and now from the US.

    Patman said New Zealand had been guarded in its comments about the attacks on Iran, and believed the country should speak out.

    “We have championed non nuclear security since the mid 80s. We were a key player, a leader, of the treaty to abolish nuclear weapons, and that now has 94 signatories.”

    He said New Zealand does have a voice and an expectation to contribute to an international debate that’s beginning to unfold.

    “We seem to be at a fork in the road moment internationally, we can seek to reinstate the idea that international relations should be based on rules, principles and procedures, or we can simply passively accept the erosion of that architecture, which is to the detriment of the majority of countries in the world.”

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

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Calls for New Zealand to denounce United States attack on Iran

    By Lillian Hanly, RNZ News political reporter

    Prominent lawyers are joining opposition parties as they call for the New Zealand government to denounce the United States attack on Iranian nuclear facilities.

    Iranian New Zealander and lawyer Arman Askarany said the New Zealand government was showing “indifference”.

    It comes as acting Prime Minister David Seymour told reporters on Monday there was “no benefit” in rushing to a judgment regarding the US attack.

    “We’re far better to keep our counsel, because it costs nothing to get more information, but going off half-cocked can be very costly for a small nation.”

    Iran and Israel continued to exchange strikes over the weekend after Israel’s initial attack nearly two weeks ago.

    Israeli authorities say at least 25 people have been killed, and Iran said on Sunday Israeli strikes had killed at least 224 people since June 13.

    The Human Rights Activists news agency puts the death toll in Iran above 650 people.

    US attacked Iran nuclear sites
    The US entered the war at the weekend by attacking what it said was key nuclear sites in Iran — including Fordow, Natanz, and Isfahan — on Sunday.

    On Monday, the Australian government signalled its support for the strike, and called for de-escalation and a return to diplomacy.

    Australia’s Foreign Minister Penny Wong said the strike was a unilateral action by its security ally the United States, and Australia was joining calls from Britain and other countries for Iran to return to the negotiating table

    Not long after, Foreign Minister Winston Peters issued a statement on X, giving tacit endorsement to the decision to bomb nuclear facilities.

    The statement was also released just ahead of the NATO meeting in Brussels, which Prime Minister Christopher Luxon was attending.

    Peters said Iran could not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons, and noted the United States’ targeted attacks aimed at “degrading Iran’s nuclear capabilities”.

    He went on to acknowledge the US statement to the UN Security Council saying the attack was “acting in collective self-defence consistent with the UN Charter”.

    Self-defence ‘complete joke’
    Askarany told RNZ it was a “complete joke” that New Zealand had acknowledged the US statement saying it was self-defence.

    “It would be funny if it wasn’t so horrific.”

    He said it was a clear escalation by the US and Israel, and believed New Zealand was undermining the rules-based order it purported to support, given it refused to say Israel and the US had attacked Iran.

    Askarany acknolwedged the calls for deescalation and for peace in the region, but said they were “abstract platitudes” if the aggressor was not named.

    He called on people who might not know about Iran to learn more about it.

    “There’s so much history and culture and beautiful things about Iran that represent my people far more than the words of Trump and Netanyahu.”

    Peters told RNZ Morning Report on Monday the government wanted to know all the facts before taking a position on the US strike on Iran’s nuclear facilities.

    Politicians at a crossroads
     Acting Prime Minister David Seymour held his first post-cabinet media conference on Monday, in which he said nobody was calling on New Zealand to rush to a judgment on the rights and wrongs of the situation.

    He echoed the Foreign Minister’s statement, saying “of course” New Zealand noted the US assertion of the legality of their actions.

    He also indicated, “like just about every country in the world, that we cannot have a nuclear-armed Iran.”

    “That does not mean that we are rushing to form our own judgment on the rights or wrongs or legality of any action.”

    He insisted New Zealand was not sitting on the fence, but said “nor are we rushing to judgement.”

    “I believe the world is not sitting there waiting for New Zealand to give its position on the legality of the situation.

    “What people do want to see is de escalation and dialogue, and most critically for us, the safety of New Zealanders in the region.”

    When asked about the Australian government’s position, Seymour said New Zealand did not have the intelligence that other countries may have.

    Hikpins says attack ‘disappointing’
    Labour leader Chris Hipkins called the attack by the US on Iran “very disappointing”, “not justified” and “almost certainly” against international law.

    He wanted New Zealand to take a stronger stance on the issue.

    “New Zealand should take a stronger position in condemning the attacks and saying that we do not believe they are justified, and we do not believe that they are consistent with international law.”

    Hipkins said the US had not made a case for the action taken, and they should step back and get back around the table with Iran.

    The Green Party and Te Pāti Māori both called on the government to condemn the attack by the US.

    “The actions of the United States pose a fundamental threat to world peace.

    ‘Dangerous escalation’
    “The rest of the world, including New Zealand, must take a stand and make it clear that this dangerous escalation is unacceptable,” said Green Party coleader Marama Davidson.

    “We saw this with the US war on Iraq, and we are seeing it again with this recent attack on Iran. We are at risk of a violent history repeating itself.”

    Te Pāti Māori co-leader Rawiri Waititi said the government was remaining silent on Israel.

    “When the US bombs Iran, Luxon calls it an ‘opportunity’. But when Cook Islanders assert their sovereignty or Chinese vessels travel through international waters, he leaps to condemnation,” said Waititi.

    “Israel continues to maintain an undeclared nuclear arsenal. Yet this government won’t say a word.

    “It condemns non-Western powers at every turn but remains silent when its allies act with impunity.”

    International law experts weigh in
     University of Waikato Professor Alexander Gillespie said it was “an illegal war” and the option of diplomacy should have been exhausted before the first strike.

    As Luxon headed to NATO, Gillespie acknowledged it would be difficult for him to take a “hard line” on the issue, “because he’s going to be caught up with the members and the partners of NATO.”

    He said the question would be whether NATO members accept there was a right of self-defence and whether the actions of the US and Israel were justified.

    Gillespie said former prime minister Helen Clark spoke very clearly in 2003 against the invasion of Iraq, but he could not see New Zealand’s current Prime Minister saying that.

    “That’s not because they don’t believe it, but because there would be a risk of a backhand from the United States.

    “And we’re spending a lot of time right now trying not to offend this Trump administration.”

    ‘Might is right’ precedent
    University of Otago Professor Robert Patman said the US strike on Iran would likely “make things worse” and set a precedent for “might is right.”

    He said he had “no brief” for the repressive Iranian regime, but under international law it had been subject of “two illegal attacks in the last 10 days”, from Israel and now from the US.

    Patman said New Zealand had been guarded in its comments about the attacks on Iran, and believed the country should speak out.

    “We have championed non nuclear security since the mid 80s. We were a key player, a leader, of the treaty to abolish nuclear weapons, and that now has 94 signatories.”

    He said New Zealand does have a voice and an expectation to contribute to an international debate that’s beginning to unfold.

    “We seem to be at a fork in the road moment internationally, we can seek to reinstate the idea that international relations should be based on rules, principles and procedures, or we can simply passively accept the erosion of that architecture, which is to the detriment of the majority of countries in the world.”

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

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Warm-ups, layered clothes, recovery: 4 tips to exercise safely in the cold

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Harry Banyard, Senior Lecturer in Exercise and Sports Science, Swinburne University of Technology

    Maridav/Shutterstock

    Temperatures have dropped in many parts of Australia which means runners, cyclists, rowers, hikers, or anyone physically active outside need to take extra precautions to stay safe and exercise in relative comfort.

    Cold environments can also include high winds and water exposure, which present unique physiological, psychological and logistical challenges that can turn people off exercising.

    While exercising in the cold does not typically increase injury risk, certain conditions can lead to a drop in whole body temperature (hypothermia) and impaired exercise performance.

    One advantage to exercising in the cold is that it often feels easier, since the body perceives lower exertion levels compared to performing the same task in hot environments.

    While it’s sometimes tempting to rug up and stay indoors when temperatures plummet, here are some tips for exercising in cold conditions.

    1. Wear layers

    Start exercising in a slightly chilled state (if you’re warm when you begin, take a layer off).

    Strip down one layer as you warm up to avoid overheating and excessive sweating, which can lead to chilling later as you cool down.

    Clothing recommendations include:

    • inner (base) layer: wear a lightweight, moisture-wicking fabric (such as polyester) as a base layer to keep sweat away from your skin
    • middle (insulating) layer: add a fleece or thermal layer if temperatures are close to freezing
    • outer layer: a windproof, water-resistant jacket is essential in wet, windy or snowy conditions
    • additional considerations: for hands and feet, wear gloves and opt for polyester socks. A beanie or headband is great for the head and ears because you lose a significant amount of heat from your head.

    2. Warming up is crucial

    In cold conditions, your muscles may take longer to warm up and may be at a greater risk of injury due to reduced blood flow (vasoconstriction), reduced flexibility and slower reaction times.

    Spend about ten minutes (perhaps indoors) performing a structured warm-up. This should include dynamic stretches and exercises such as push-ups, leg swings, lunges, calf raises, squats and high knees before heading out.

    This will help enhance blood flow, increase tissue temperature and improve your joints’ range of motion.

    No matter what exercise type you choose, start slowly and gradually progress your intensity.

    3. Be aware of the risks

    Depending on the mode of activity, outdoor exercise can be riskier during winter due to slippery surfaces and reduced visibility.

    If you are walking or running, shorten your steps and stride length when it’s wet to maintain control and prevent slips and falls.

    If you are cycling, avoid sharp turns or sudden stops. Stick to well-lit areas and paths and try to exercise during daylight hours if possible.

    Also, consider wearing bright or reflective clothing at night or in foggy conditions.

    4. The importance of recovery

    Spend a few minutes at the end of your workout for active recovery (walking and stretching) which helps prevent blood pooling and inflammation in the feet, while bringing the body’s systems back to homeostasis (resting breathing and heart rate).

    When it’s extremely cold, get indoors immediately because your body temperature drops fast once you stop moving.

    Change out of any damp clothes and have a warm shower or bath as soon as possible to help regulate body temperature and prevent hypothermia. Be aware of signs of hypothermia, which include shivering, slurred speech, cold pale skin and poor coordination, among others.

    Other tips to consider

    If it’s nearing or below 0°C with wind chill or rain or snow, perhaps opt for an indoor mode of exercise such as treadmill running, stationary cycling or cross-training to avoid unnecessary risks such as hypothermia, non-freezing cold injuries (such as trenchfoot) or freezing cold injuries (frostbite).

    To ensure adequate hydration, it is recommended to consume about 500ml of fluid two hours before exercise and to continue to drink during and after exercising.

    If you do brave the cold to exercise outside, is still advisable to wear sunscreen (SPF 30 or higher) on exposed skin during the day, since ultra violet radiation can still pass through clouds and is not related to temperature.

    Overall, exercise in the cold can be safe and enjoyable with the right precautions and planning.

    Harry Banyard 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. Warm-ups, layered clothes, recovery: 4 tips to exercise safely in the cold – https://theconversation.com/warm-ups-layered-clothes-recovery-4-tips-to-exercise-safely-in-the-cold-255223

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Education – Whitireia Foundation scholarships enable study for nearly 900 students across 20+ years

    Source: Whitireia and WelTec

    Since its inception in 2002, the Whitireia Foundation has awarded scholarships to nearly 900 ākonga (students), supporting their journeys through tertiary study and into careers that make a meaningful impact in their communities.
    From nursing and paramedicine to construction, hospitality, IT and more, the Foundation’s impact spans a wide range of industries. More than half of all scholarship recipients have gone on to study in healthcare and social services, helping to fill essential roles in our communities.
    The annual Whitireia Foundation Scholarship Awards ceremony took place this month, celebrating ākonga who have received scholarships to support their study at Whitireia and WelTec in 2025. The event brought together ākonga, whānau, sponsors, Foundation trustees, staff and community leaders including Porirua Mayor Anita Baker and Ngāti Toa Rangatira Dr Te Taku Parai to acknowledge the achievements of this year’s recipients.
    Dr Leanne Ivil, Whitireia and WelTec Operations Lead and Director Teaching and Learning, says the Foundation plays a vital role in helping ākonga succeed.
    “Not only do these scholarships provide financial assistance, but they also give ākonga a sense of belonging, of being seen and supported. For many, the moment they realise that others believe in their future is a significant turning point.”
    Chair of the Whitireia Foundation, Kelvin Irvine, says the power of the scholarships lies in the connections they represent.
    “Education isn’t a solo journey. These awards reflect a wider community of sponsors, staff, mentors and whānau who come together to champion our ākonga. We’reincredibly proud to have supported nearly 900 ākonga to date, and we look forward to continuing that legacy.”
    Delia (Dee) Pahina-Kopa, a third-year Bachelor of Nursing Māori student, was awarded a Whitireia Foundation Scholarship sponsored by Tū Ora Compass Health for her second and third year of studies.
    “This scholarship has lifted a huge weight off my shoulders,” she says. ” It’s allowed me to focus fully on my learning and I’m incredibly grateful to the Whitireia Foundation and Tū Ora Compass Health for making that possible.”
    The Whitireia Foundation relies on the strong relationship between its trustees and sponsors who work together each year to support ākonga in their studies. Kelvin Irvine says sponsors come from a wide range of industries and their ongoing support reflects a shared commitment to helping ākonga succeed.
    “Many of our sponsors have supported the Foundation for years, while others have come on board more recently. What they all have in common is a belief in the value of education and a commitment to invest in the future of our young people and communities,” says Kelvin.
    This year’s scholarships will support students across a range of programmes at Whitireia and WelTec, including nursing, social work, IT, business, construction, creativity, hospitality and trades.
    The Whitireia Foundation, a volunteer-run Charity, aims to promote knowledge, interest and support for the educational activities of Whitireia and WelTec ākonga. The Whitireia Foundation would like to acknowledge the generous support of 2025 sponsors:
    – Alpha NZ
    – Aspiring Wallpaper Ltd
    – Britton House Movers Ltd
    – Dr Sally Hasell
    – Focus Projects Ltd
    – Ford Sumner Lawyers
    – Foster + Melville Architects
    – Gee & Hickton Funeral Directors
    – Geraldine Lyndhurst
    – Graduate Women Wellington
    – J A Russell Ltd
    – James and Janet Goggin
    – Kirk-Burnnand Family
    – Maude Legal
    – Montage NZ
    – Ngāti Toa Rangatira
    – Nikau Foundation
    – P & M Waite
    – Porirua City Council
    – Red Wolf  Security
    – Tanya and Neil Macdonald
    – The Y Foundation (YMCA)
    – Tu Ora Compass Health
    – Whitireia Foundation

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Sharks freeze when you turn them upside down – and there’s no good reason why

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jodie L. Rummer, Professor of Marine Biology, James Cook University

    Rachel Moore

    Imagine watching your favourite nature documentary. The predator lunges rapidly from its hiding place, jaws wide open, and the prey … suddenly goes limp. It looks dead.

    For some animals, this freeze response – called “tonic immobility” – can be a lifesaver. Possums famously “play dead” to avoid predators. So do rabbits, lizards, snakes, and even some insects.

    But what happens when a shark does it?

    In our recent study, we explored this strange behaviour in sharks, rays and their relatives. In this group, tonic immobility is triggered when the animal is turned upside down – it stops moving, its muscles relax, and it enters a trance-like state. Some scientists even use tonic immobility as a technique to safely handle certain shark species.

    But why does it happen? And does it actually help these marine predators survive?

    The mystery of the ‘frozen shark’

    Despite being well documented across the animal kingdom, the reasons behind tonic immobility remain murky – especially in the ocean. It is generally thought of as an anti-predator defence. But there is no evidence to support this idea in sharks, and alternative hypotheses exist.

    We tested 13 species of sharks, rays, and a chimaera — a shark relative commonly referred to as a ghost shark — to see whether they entered tonic immobility when gently turned upside down underwater.

    Seven species did, but six did not. We then analysed these findings using evolutionary tools to map the behaviour across hundreds of million years of shark family history.

    So, why do some sharks freeze?

    Tonic immobility is triggered in sharks when they are turned upside down.
    Rachel Moore

    Three main hypotheses

    There are three main hypotheses to explain tonic immobility in sharks:

    1. Anti-predator strategy – “playing dead” to avoid being eaten
    2. Reproductive role – some male sharks invert females during mating, so perhaps tonic immobility helps reduce struggle
    3. Sensory overload response – a kind of shutdown during extreme stimulation.

    Our results don’t support any of these explanations.

    There’s no strong evidence sharks benefit from freezing when attacked. In fact, modern predators such as orcas can use this response against sharks by flipping them over to immobilise them and then remove their nutrient-rich livers – a deadly exploit.

    The reproductive hypothesis also falls short. Tonic immobility doesn’t differ between sexes, and remaining immobile could make females vulnerable to harmful or forced mating events.

    And the sensory overload idea? Untested and unverified. So, we offer a simpler explanation. Tonic immobility in sharks is likely an evolutionary relic.

    A case of evolutionary baggage

    Our evolutionary analysis suggests tonic immobility is “plesiomorphic” – an ancestral trait that was likely present in ancient sharks, rays and chimaeras. But as species evolved, many lost the behaviour.

    In fact, we found that tonic immobility was lost independently at least five times across different groups. Which raises the question: why?

    In some environments, freezing might actually be a bad idea. Small reef sharks and bottom-dwelling rays often squeeze through tight crevices in complex coral habitats when feeding or resting. Going limp in such settings could get them stuck – or worse. That means losing this behaviour might have actually been advantageous in these lineages.

    So, what does this all mean?

    Rather than a clever survival tactic, tonic immobility might just be “evolutionary baggage” – a behaviour that once served a purpose, but now persists in some species simply because it doesn’t do enough harm to be selected against.

    It’s a good reminder that not every trait in nature is adaptive. Some are just historical quirks.

    Our work helps challenge long-held assumptions about shark behaviour, and sheds light on the hidden evolutionary stories still unfolding in the ocean’s depths. Next time you hear about a shark “playing dead”, remember – it might just be muscle memory from a very, very long time ago.

    Jodie L. Rummer receives funding from the Australian Research Council. She is affiliated with the Australian Coral Reef Society, as President.

    Joel Gayford receives funding from the Northcote Trust.

    – ref. Sharks freeze when you turn them upside down – and there’s no good reason why – https://theconversation.com/sharks-freeze-when-you-turn-them-upside-down-and-theres-no-good-reason-why-259448

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Behind the headlines: the hidden toll on journalists during the pandemic era

    Source:

    24 June 2025

    Getty Images

    New research has revealed the trauma faced by journalists during the height of the pandemic, caused by exposure to online threats, disturbing information and disrupted work routines that exacerbated an industry already under pressure from the rise of social media and online news.

    Journalism and media experts from the University of South Australia have explored the impact of online trauma and threats faced by media professionals during lockdown and restriction periods of the pandemic.

    Findings suggest that while journalists were able to work from home, their reliance on online and digital tools increased, exposing them to potential threats such as trolling, cyber stalking, graphic content, fake news and disturbing information, as well as disrupted work routines.

    A survey of 60 people from around the world found that journalists’ reliance on online resources significantly increased during COVID-19. Before the pandemic only 9% of surveyed journalists spent less than two hours per day online for work. By the time lockdowns occurred, that figure rose to 100%. Almost two-thirds of journalists said fake news and dangerous information was the most potent online danger following the height of the pandemic.

    Lead researcher PhD student Amantha Perera has worked as a journalist for more than 20 years, his work appearing in TIME, Reuters, The Washington Post, The Guardian and al-Jazeera.

    He says the pandemic left journalists in a constant state of uncertainty and feeling anxious and nervous for long periods of time. They also felt they lacked the effective resources and skills to create relief from that environment.

    “The traditional journalism practices like tight deadlines, attention to detail and the competition to report stories before others made it more difficult for journalists to switch off. Those we surveyed described COVID-19 as an intense, fast-moving and dynamic story with constant emphasis that it was global and potentially fatal. The threat of infection was always present,” Perera says.

    “An overwhelming 97.6% of the survey participants agreed that more resources should be diverted to help journalists build skills to mitigate online trauma which can include disturbing information, graphic content, and abuse and threats.”

    One survey participant described the isolation of working and living in a hyper-active information environment and being connected 24/7.

    “I was alone a lot in front of the computer. I could not move around in my city. I felt trapped, often interviewing people in very difficult situations. That made things more pronounced for me, and I couldn’t escape it by doing things I usually enjoyed as I was stuck at home,” they said.

    The exponential rise in social media platforms such as Facebook, X, Instagram, TikTok and YouTube, as well as other online resources, have made it easier for audiences to engage immediately with the news cycle and journalists themselves.

    “Social media, messaging groups and user comments on stories make it easy for readers to be anonymous and this has created a new digital challenge for journalists who work online,” Perera says.

    “The more time that journalists spend inside social media communities, means the more exposure to online toxicity. This is combined with journalists being required to produce often lifesaving public safety information while working long hours and often in remote workspaces during the height of COVID-19.

    “This challenging reporting environment resulted in feelings of fatigue, frustration and anxiety – all of which can manifest in journalists reporting under other potentially traumatic situations like natural disasters.”

    UniSA PhD student Amantha Perera, right, reports on the post-conflict impact of drought and climate extremities in a rural Sri Lanka village Andigama in 2017.

    Perera has proposed the development of a ‘digital flak jacket’ for journalists – a suite of tools and training which adequately prepares journalists for work in digital spaces. His idea was influenced by time he spent reporting the war in Sri Lanka. Every time Perera entered an active conflict zone, he would put on a flak jacket, which is a form of body armour.

    “I did this to make sure that I was prepared and relatively safe from potential hazardous reporting situations. In a similar vein, the digital flak jacket proposes a digital equivalent; a set of resources and interventions, which would allow journalists to report within digital or hybrid workspaces safely. For the digital flak jacket to be effective, the individual journalist needs to assess the current threat exposure levels and decide on the most suitable interventions,” he says.

    While COVID-19 restrictions have long eased, urgent humanitarian situations in Myanmar, Sri Lanka, Ukraine, Israel and Gaza leave journalists to face similar and potentially dangerous working situations while reliant on online resources.

    “Our ongoing work investigating current work conditions faced by journalists in the Asia Pacific has shown that journalism is now functioning in a hybrid workspace where the online and the offline interchange seamlessly,” he says.

    “This has in turn increased the exposure levels to what we now define as technology facilitated threats. There is also heightened concerns over the impact of generative AI from job losses to fake content to eroding trust. The digital flak jacket is an essential work tool now.”

    Contact for interview: Amantha Perera, PhD student, UniSA E: m_b_r_amantha.perera@mymail.unisa.edu.au

    Media contact: Melissa Keogh, Communications Officer, UniSA M: +61 403 659 154 E: Melissa.Keogh@unisa.edu.au

    MIL OSI News –