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Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to study on age of smartphone ownership and mental health outcomes

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A study published in Journal of Human Development and Capabilities looks at the age of smartphone ownership and mental health outcomes.

    Prof Pete Etchells, Professor of Psychology and Science Communication, Bath Spa University, said:

    “It’s difficult to fully assess this study, as there are very limited methodological and analytical details provided. While we are given a generalised overview of the Global Mind Project, there is no standardised methods section detailing how variables of interest were measured or operationalised, no demographic information, and no detailed outline of the analytic methods used. This makes it hard to assess the quality of the research conducted. 

    “The study averages a wide range of factors relating to mental health into a single composite score, and correlates this what appears to be a self-report measure of age of first smartphone ownership. The findings suggest some sort of negative relationship – i.e. that the younger the initial age of smartphone ownership, the worse the composite mental health score is. However, it’s not clear from the reported data the strength of these relationships, nor why ownership at age 5-6 is compared with an averaged ownership between age 13-18. 

    “The study then moves on to talk about age of access to social media accounts and potential associations to factors such as poor family relationships and cyberbullying, although again it’s not clear how these were measured. A series of regression analyses are then put in the context of access to AI-power social media environments, but I don’t quite see what this means or how it was measured. Later, AI-powered digital environments are mentioned, which is again a different concept that isn’t clearly defined. 

    “Given the correlational nature of the study, along with unclear definitions of key variables of interest and lack of methodological details, I was therefore surprised to see the paper end with a series of digital policy recommendations for under-13s. While some of these (e.g. digital literacy training) are sensible, it is not clear how they are informed by the study itself. This appears to be another study in a long line of papers that are based on correlational self-report data, and I’m not convinced that more studies along these lines are adding anything new to our understanding of digital technology effects. There is a wealth of complex and interacting factors that will impact on the initial age of smartphone ownership, access to social media and mental health, but it’s not clear how these are accounted for in this study. I would therefore be reluctant to suggest that there are any useful policy implications for this work.”

    Prof Chris Ferguson, Professor of Psychology, Stetson University, said:

    “I honestly wasn’t at all impressed with this study.  First, the survey is both online and self-report, both qualities likely to bias the results.  I took the survey myself (so now I’m a participant, I guess) and found it to be crude.  The survey does not appear to be a well-validated clinical measure of mental health and there are no checks for unreliable responding.  Self-report measures of mental health are now well-known to be unreliable and these questions only touch on mental health in crude non-diagnostic ways.  Online samples are often unreliable, and don’t generalize to individuals who spend less time online.  The analyses are merely descriptive without proper controls.  The language of the study is inappropriately strong for such a crude correlational design lacking proper controls.”

    ‘Protecting the Developing Mind in a Digital Age: A Global Policy Imperative’ by Tara Thiagarajan et al. was published in Journal of Human Development and Capabilities at 5:01 UK time on Monday 21st July. 

    DOI: https://doi.org/10.1080/19452829.2025.2518313

    Declared interests

    Prof Pete Etchells: Pete Etchells is the author of Unlocked: The Real Science of Screen Time (and how to spend it better).

    Prof Chris Ferguson: No conflicts of interest to declare.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • Japan’s shaky government loses upper house control

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Japan’s ruling coalition lost control of the upper house in an election on Sunday, further weakening Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s grip on power even as he vowed to remain party leader, citing a looming tariff deadline with the United States.

    While the ballot does not directly determine whether Ishiba’s administration will fall, it heaps pressure on the embattled leader who also lost control of the more powerful lower house in October.

    Ishiba’s Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) and coalition partner Komeito returned 47 seats, short of the 50 seats it needed to ensure a majority in the 248-seat upper chamber in an election where half the seats were up for grabs.

    That comes on top of its worst showing in 15 years in October’s lower house election, a vote which has left Ishiba’s administration vulnerable to no-confidence motions and calls from within his own party for leadership change.

    Speaking late on Sunday evening after exit polls closed, Ishiba told NHK he “solemnly” accepted the “harsh result”.

    “We are engaged in extremely critical tariff negotiations with the United States…we must never ruin these negotiations. It is only natural to devote our complete dedication and energy to realizing our national interests,” he later told TV Tokyo.

    Asked whether he intended to stay on as premier, he said “that’s right”.

    Japan, the world’s fourth largest economy, faces a deadline of August 1 to strike a trade deal with the United States or face punishing tariffs in its largest export market.

    The main opposition Constitutional Democratic Party finished second with 22 seats.

    Meanwhile, the far-right Sanseito party announced its arrival in mainstream politics, adding 14 seats to one elected previously. Launched on YouTube a few years ago, the populist party found wider appeal with its ‘Japanese First’ campaign and warnings about a “silent invasion” of foreigners.

    ‘HAMMERED HOME’

    Opposition parties advocating for tax cuts and welfare spending struck a chord with voters, as rising consumer prices – particularly a jump in the cost of rice – have sowed frustration at the government’s response.

    “The LDP was largely playing defence in this election, being on the wrong side of a key voter issue,” said David Boling, a director at consulting firm Eurasia Group.

    “Polls show that most households want a cut to the consumption tax to address inflation, something that the LDP opposes. Opposition parties seized on it and hammered that message home.”

    The LDP has been urging fiscal restraint, with one eye on a very jittery government bond market, as investors worry about Japan’s ability to refinance the world’s largest debt pile. Any concessions the LDP must now strike with opposition parties to pass policy will only further elevate those nerves, analysts say.

    “The ruling party will have to compromise in order to gain the cooperation of the opposition, and the budget will continue to expand,” said Yu Uchiyama, a politics professor at the University of Tokyo.

    “Overseas investors’ evaluation of the Japan economy will also be quite harsh.”

    Sanseito, which first emerged during the COVID-19 pandemic spreading conspiracy theories about vaccinations and a cabal of global elites, is among those advocating fiscal expansion.

    But it is its tough talk on immigration that has grabbed attention, dragging once-fringe political rhetoric into the mainstream.

    It remains to be seen whether the party can follow the path of other far-right parties with which it has drawn comparisons, such as Germany’s AfD and Reform UK.

    “I am attending graduate school but there are no Japanese around me. All of them are foreigners,” said Yu Nagai, a 25-year-old student who voted for Sanseito earlier on Sunday.

    “When I look at the way compensation and money are spent on foreigners, I think that Japanese people are a bit disrespected,” Nagai said after casting his ballot at a polling station in Tokyo’s Shinjuku ward.

    Japan, the world’s fastest aging society, saw foreign-born residents hit a record of about 3.8 million last year.

    That is still just 3% of the total population, a much smaller fraction than in the United States and Europe, but comes amid a tourism boom that has made foreigners far more visible across the country.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Security: Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences Alumni Support Pacific Partnership 2025

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    NUKU’ALOFA, Tonga — During their stop in the Kingdom of Tonga, the Pacific Partnership 2025 (PP-25) medical team, consisting of U.S. Navy, Army, Public Health Service and Tongan Ministry of Health personnel, conducted over 30 community health engagements in the fields of One Health, cardiology, critical care medicine, endocrinology, optometry, clinical pharmacy, veterinary medicine, public health, nursing, prenatal care and nutrition between June 18 and June 28, 2025.

    The PP-25 medical team also featured several professors, students, and alumni from the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences (USUHS), located in Bethesda, Maryland, who worked together to engage in multiple health engagements and training workshops as part of the PP-25 mission.

    USUHS Graduate School of Nursing (GSN) Professor and Alumni U.S. Navy Cmdr. Samantha Jennings, stationed at Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command Bremerton, utilized her skills as a Family Nurse Practitioner (FNP) to support the PP-25 Tonga mission stop to train and assist local health care workers at Vaiola Hospital and Mu’a Health Centre in delivering health consultations to numerous patients from across the island. Jennings also served as faculty supervisor to Army Maj. Tiffany Wilson, a dual track nursing student.

    While deployed in support of the PP-25 Tonga mission as a dual track USUHS FNP/WHNP student, Wilson worked as part of a team with U.S. Navy Cmdr. Cheryl Castro, midwife with PP-25, and Hospitalman Nicole Abreu, to deliver prenatal health care to local patients at the Vaiola Hospital and alongside Jennings at Mu’a Health Centre to issue several health consultations to local patients with diverse needs. While garnering experience in delivering health care to patients in resource limited environments, Wilson’s efforts also alleviated the operational strain of sourcing a FNP at the Military Treatment Facility level.

    Additionally, Lt. Cmdr. Sean Foley, USUHS School of Medicine assistant professor applied his knowledge and teaching expertise as a deployed critical care physician with PP-25, to assist and guide multiple Tongan registrar physicians at Vaiola Hospital on medical procedures. Foley worked closely with Dr. Richard Taumoepeau, a Tongan physician, in performing ultrasound-guided thoracenteses, a procedure designed to remove fluid buildup in the lungs to restore their normal function, on six local patients.

    Lt. William Douthitt, a USUHS dual master’s degree holder in School of Medicine and Public Health, applied his expertise and skills as a preventive medicine physician to lead a multidisciplinary foodborne illness tabletop exercise at Vaiola Hospital. Douthitt’s tabletop exercise trained eight local health care officials in strengthening and building upon current public health & communicable disease infrastructure to better respond to disease outbreaks.

    USUHS alumnus, Lt. Louis Pingotti, Doctor of Nursing Practice, medical lead for the PP-25 Tonga mission, oversaw the planning and execution of all medical operations. It was through Pingotti’s consolidated efforts that his fellow USUHS alumni and peers were able to administer a successful conclusion to the PP-25 Tonga mission stop.

    Now in its 21st iteration, the 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: 06.23.2025
    Date Posted: 07.20.2025 23:28
    Story ID: 543297
    Location: NUKU’ALOFA, TO
    Web Views: 3
    Downloads: 0

    PUBLIC DOMAIN  

    This work, Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences Alumni Support Pacific Partnership 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 Russia: Labubu and Beyond: Deciphering the Rise of China’s ‘Intellectual Property Economy’

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 21 (Xinhua) — Before 2025, few could have predicted that a quirky plush doll with a toothy smile would capture the hearts of social media users around the world and spark a global buying frenzy. Labubu, created by Chinese toy maker Pop Mart, is becoming a new icon of the “intellectual property economy,” a booming sector in China’s economic landscape.

    A buzzword in China, the “IP economy” refers to the process of transforming intangible cultural assets—such as stories, characters, and brands—into a variety of products and services. The sector spans film and television, video games, animation, cultural creations, consumer goods, and many other areas.

    As the latest example of the IP economy, Labubu is rapidly evolving from a pop culture phenomenon to a high-yield collectible that is taking over the global market. The planet was recently stunned when a mint-colored Labubu doll sold at an auction in Beijing for over 1 million yuan. Fueled by the high demand for the doll, Pop Mart’s revenue in the first quarter of 2025 soared 165-170 percent year-on-year.

    Along with other successful Chinese IP assets such as the animated blockbuster “Ne Zha 2” and the video game “Black Myth: Wukong,” Labubu illustrates a growing trend in China: the transformation of culture and creativity, enhanced by advanced technology, into business opportunities across a wide range of sectors.

    TECHNOLOGICALLY DRIVEN CULTURAL REVIVAL

    With a history of more than five thousand years, China has a wealth of cultural treasures. However, reviving traditional culture in a modern way that appeals to younger generations, who are becoming the main consumer group, remains a challenge.

    With its innovation-driven development strategy and impressive technological achievements, China has paved a new path for cultural revival: transforming cultural classics into IP assets using cutting-edge technology.

    According to Wang Linsheng, a senior researcher at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, such a transformation cannot be completed by simply copying ideas and concepts or presenting classics in digital form. Rather, it is a process of reinterpreting objects of the classic cultural layer of Chinese civilization to breathe new life into these eternal treasures.

    “With the support of digital technology, China combines cultural classics with modern IP management methods, aiming to transform traditional elements into products that meet the latest aesthetic trends and consumer demand,” Wang Linsheng said.

    His words are supported by the game “Black Myth: Wukong”, inspired by the classic Chinese literary masterpiece “Journey to the West”. Revealing the legendary adventures of Sun Wukong, also known as the Monkey King, the game uses a range of advanced visual technologies to provide realistic scenes and an immersive experience for players of all cultural backgrounds.

    With its technological reimagining of a classic Chinese story, the game has transcended cultural boundaries and become a global hit. On the day of its official release, Black Myth: Wukong topped the charts of Steam, the world’s largest gaming platform, and has since dominated many other gaming markets around the world.

    Commenting on how technology is fueling China’s current IP boom, Chen Gang, an analyst at Soochow Securities, noted that advanced technologies such as 5G and cloud rendering are helping the country overcome the time and space limitations of traditional communication methods, thereby allowing Chinese cultural and entertainment products to reach a wider audience.

    In recent years, cultural sectors have become a powerful catalyst for China’s economic growth. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, China’s per capita expenditure on education, culture and entertainment reached 3,189 yuan in 2024, up 9.8 percent from a year earlier and accounting for 11.3 percent of the country’s total per capita consumer spending.

    Highlighting the role of IP economy in driving economic growth, Wang Linsheng said IP goes beyond just culture or entertainment. The transformation of cultural classics into IP should be based on modern industrial development models, he added, noting that the process also involves various related sectors related to digital media.

    EMERGING INDUSTRIAL CHAIN

    As China’s IP economy continues to unleash its enormous growth potential, it is fostering an industrial chain that involves more and more upstream and downstream enterprises working together to create high-quality products.

    The Chinese fantasy animated film “Nezha 2,” which has already become the highest-grossing film in Chinese cinema history, has caused a “chain reaction” in various industries. To date, more than 10 types of related products based on the film have been planned and launched.

    Earlier this year, Pop Mart released a series of mystery boxes with a Nezha-themed designer toy on its online store on Tmall, a major Chinese online shopping platform. Just eight days after the series was released, the surprise boxes generated over 10 million yuan in revenue. In addition, other related products such as trading cards and plush toys also gained significant popularity.

    By promoting industrial integration based on original IP assets, China is well positioned to build a full industrial chain covering online literature, film and television, games and related products, said Hong Tao, vice chairman of the China Society for Consumer Economy.

    “This full industrial chain development model can expand the application scenarios of intellectual property and help build bridges between the virtual world and reality, thereby generating greater commercial value and economic benefits,” Hong Tao added.

    To achieve this goal, analysts suggested that the country should promote the harmonization of all links in the industrial chain. This can be achieved through the integration of independent IP objects and their systematic, coordinated development.

    “Chinese IP assets can learn from the Marvel universe, which brings together various superheroes in a single narrative structure,” Chen Gang said, adding that the growth model of the American pop culture icon has shown the way to strengthen the interconnectivity and coordination between different IP assets.

    Looking ahead, Wei Pengju, a scholar at the Central University of Finance and Economics, said China should welcome global cooperation in developing its original IP assets. “In this way, the country can make full use of its IP resources and build an international IP system that integrates both cultural and economic values,” he added. -0-

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

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for July 21, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 21, 2025.

    What’s the difference between sperm and semen? And can pre-ejaculate get you pregnant?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Theresa Larkin, Associate Professor of Medical Sciences, University of Wollongong priya kunkayan/Getty Semen, sperm, spunk, cum, ejaculate, pre-cum, seminal fluid. These are just some of the many words we use to describe what comes out of an erect penis. Some of these terms can be used interchangeably,

    What happens if I go over or under on my NDIS plan? And what do shorter funding periods mean for me?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Helen Dickinson, Professor, Public Service Research, UNSW Sydney The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is undergoing another round of major reforms. One key change relates to the funding periods in which participants are allowed to spend their budgets. While these aim to improve the scheme’s sustainability, they

    Opera Australia gives us a rocking Carmen for the post-#metoo era
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruben Perez-Hidalgo, Lecturer in Spanish Studies, University of Sydney Keith Saunders/Opera Australia The story of Carmen, in the 19th century opera by French composer George Bizet, is, at its simplest, the story of a developing tension between Carmen, a stereotypically racialised woman attempting to break free from

    New study peers beneath the skin of iconic lizards to find ‘chainmail’ bone plates – and lots of them
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Roy Ebel, PhD Candidate in Evolutionary Biology, Museums Victoria Research Institute Radiodensity heatmap of emerald tree monitors. Roy Ebel Monitor lizards, also known in Australia as goannas, are some of the most iconic reptiles on the continent. Their lineage not only survived the mass extinction that ended

    Cook Islanders flock from outer islands for 60th anniversary celebrations
    By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist The Cook Islands’ outer islands, or Pa Enua, are emptying as people make the pilgrimage to Rarotonga for constitution celebrations. This year is particularly significant, August 4 marks 60 years of the Cook Islands being in free association with New Zealand. Cook Islands Secretary of Culture Emile Kairua said

    Why has a bill to relax foreign investment rules had so little scrutiny?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Kelsey, Emeritus Professor of Law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images While public attention has been focused on the domestic fast-track consenting process for infrastructure and mining, Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour has been pushing through another fast-track process – this time for

    Federal election feel like ages ago? Parliament is now back. Here’s your political refresher
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jill Sheppard, Senior Lecturer, School of Politics and International Relations, Australian National University Tracey Nearmy/Getty Despite many pre-election predictions, the 48th Australian parliament looks quite similar to the 47th. The Labor Party has greater representation than before: 94 Members of the House of Representatives (up from 77)

    Federal election feel like ages ago? Parliament is now back. Here’s your political refresher
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jill Sheppard, Senior Lecturer, School of Politics and International Relations, Australian National University Tracey Nearmy/Getty Despite many pre-election predictions, the 48th Australian parliament looks quite similar to the 47th. The Labor Party has greater representation than before: 94 Members of the House of Representatives (up from 77)

    Is spinal cord stimulation safe? Does it work? Here’s what you need to know if you have back pain
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Caitlin Jones, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Musculoskeletal Health, University of Sydney AsiaVision/Getty Spinal cord stimulators are electrical devices that are surgically implanted in the body to treat long-term pain. They have a battery pack and leads that deliver electrical impulses directly to the spinal cord. The devices

    Is spinal cord stimulation safe? Does it work? Here’s what you need to know if you have back pain
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Caitlin Jones, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Musculoskeletal Health, University of Sydney AsiaVision/Getty Spinal cord stimulators are electrical devices that are surgically implanted in the body to treat long-term pain. They have a battery pack and leads that deliver electrical impulses directly to the spinal cord. The devices

    Hold up, humans. Ants figured out medicine, farming and engineering long before we did
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tanya Latty, Associate Professor in Entomology, University of Sydney Tambon Nong Chaeng/Pexels Think back to a time you helped someone move a heavy object, such as a couch. While at first the task may have appeared simple, it actually required a suite of advanced behaviours. The job

    Hold up, humans. Ants figured out medicine, farming and engineering long before we did
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tanya Latty, Associate Professor in Entomology, University of Sydney Tambon Nong Chaeng/Pexels Think back to a time you helped someone move a heavy object, such as a couch. While at first the task may have appeared simple, it actually required a suite of advanced behaviours. The job

    Does play belong in primary school? New research suggests teachers are not sure
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katy Meeuwissen, Lecturer in Early Childhood and Primary Education, University of Canberra Jon Challicom/ Getty Images Play is one of the most important parts of early childhood education in Australia. We know children learn about the world through play and it helps them build creativity and independence.

    Does play belong in primary school? New research suggests teachers are not sure
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katy Meeuwissen, Lecturer in Early Childhood and Primary Education, University of Canberra Jon Challicom/ Getty Images Play is one of the most important parts of early childhood education in Australia. We know children learn about the world through play and it helps them build creativity and independence.

    The first video of Earth’s surface lurching sideways in an earthquake offers new insights into this force of nature
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jesse Kearse, Postdoctoral Researcher, Geophysics, Kyoto University Sai Aung MAIN/AFP via Getty Images During the devastating magnitude 7.7 Myanmar earthquake on March 28 this year, a CCTV camera captured the moment the plate boundary moved, providing the first direct visual evidence of plate tectonics in action. Tectonic

    After yet another election, Tasmanians are left wondering what the point of it was
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robert Hortle, Deputy Director, Tasmanian Policy Exchange, University of Tasmania When the results firmed up a few hours after polling closed on Saturday, many Tasmanians would have been wondering, “what was the point of all that?”. A state election only 16 months after the last one looks

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Opera Australia gives us a rocking Carmen for the post-#metoo era

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruben Perez-Hidalgo, Lecturer in Spanish Studies, University of Sydney


     Keith Saunders/Opera Australia

    The story of Carmen, in the 19th century opera by French composer George Bizet, is, at its simplest, the story of a developing tension between Carmen, a stereotypically racialised woman attempting to break free from society’s impositions and her already-written fate.

    Anne-Louise Sark’s adaptation takes that conflict much further.

    Carmen (Danielle de Niese at the performance I attended) is a gypsy who works in a cigarette factory. She catches the eye of Don José (Abraham Bretón), who obsessively falls in love with her.

    Don José’s love for Carmen devolves into what today would be succinctly called “toxic”. In a post-#metoo era, where we are all attuned to anti-racism teachings, Sarks gives us a contrast between the antiquated words sung in French, and the conscious effort to make those words exist in our contemporary world.

    This Carmen is defined by many degrees of contrast. This rocking feeling of contradiction keeps on growing until the climax in the very last act.

    A toxic love

    The opening act begins in a square of Seville. Marg Horwell’s design sees the stage strewn with fluorescent confetti spread all over the floor (as if the Sydney Mardi Gras parade had just ended), a chain link fence colourfully crowded with love locks and flashy ribbons, behind which peeks a monumental but austere cross typical of most squares in that part of Spain.

    There, a teenage couple – sporting polyester track suits – alongside a pair of young lovers similarly attired, and a string of children discordantly dressed stay in the background while one of the khaki-wearing guards begins to sing an aria to the protagonist, “La Carmencita”, also known as Carmen.

    The sensation of the contrast between this contemporary setting and Bizet’s original opera is deepened at the beginning of the second act at Lillas Pastia’s Tavern.

    Marg Horwell’s design plays into the contrast between this contemporary setting and Bizet’s original opera.
    Keith Saunders/Opera Australia

    The stage is crowded by a neon-filled atmosphere composed of camp portrayals of the Virgin Our Lady of Guadalupe and pop art images of the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

    The charm of the background is enhanced by the stellar performances of not only the two main protagonists, Carmen and Don José, but by an array of supporting characters that truly elevate this second bout of the action.

    A string of smugglers are at the tavern of Lillas Pastias, plotting how to bring about their criminal deeds with the help of Carmen, her close friends (incredibly played by Helen Sherman and Jane Ede), and critically Don José, who has just joined them.

    Blinded by this “toxic” love, Don José cannot help but to increase the dramatic tension when he realises Carmen is losing interest in him in favour of the famous bullfighter from Granada, Escamillo (Andrii Kymach).

    The production sees stellar performances from an array of supporting characters.
    Keith Saunders/Opera Australia

    The tension is fortified by the visual conflict between the irreverent religious décor and the ongoing action, consisting of an unruly mob drinking and dancing until the early hours of the morning.

    By the end of this second act, there is another turn of the screw in the depiction of Don José’s progressive possessiveness of Carmen, who in parallel begins to assert ever more explicitly the signs of her indomitability.

    Exploding tension

    The plot picks up pace in the third act, set in the smugglers’ hideout.

    There, an Othello-like Don José spirals down, green with jealousy, in the face of an increasingly distant Carmen. The more Don José wants her, the more Carmen is filled with desires of freedom from her possessive lover.

    This tense dynamic explodes in the fourth act.

    Set in a little cottage right outside a bullring in Seville, it is at this point obvious Carmen and the matador Escamillo are lovers – anticipating Don José’s fatal deed.

    Although the audience must have expected Carmen’s death at the hands of the spirited Don José, witnessing the act of her killing on stage comes as more than just an awaited unpleasant surprise.

    It works to anchor the conflict at the core of Sark’s adaptation.

    The more Don José wants her, the more Carmen is filled with desires of freedom from her possessive lover.
    Keith Saunders/Opera Australia

    For a flash moment, we are pushed to peek beyond the fiction. Don José strangles with his bare hands the actress playing Carmen, her arm hopelessly punching her aggressor, her legs writhing in despair. Such an instant from our sad reality shocks through the stage, breaking the fourth wall.

    The theatricalisation of Carmen’s killing is also the realisation that male violence against women is anything but a fiction – least of all one left in the distant past.

    Paradoxically, the quick lowering of the curtain and the much-deserved long applause that follows serves to cut short the impact of the “real” death of Carmen shown on stage.

    Perhaps, for the next version, a new director will find a newer way to make Carmen’s reality last beyond the many pleasures of watching this multi-layered drama unfold.

    Carmen is at the Sydney Opera House for Opera Australia until September 19, then playing in Melbourne.

    Ruben Perez-Hidalgo 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. Opera Australia gives us a rocking Carmen for the post-#metoo era – https://theconversation.com/opera-australia-gives-us-a-rocking-carmen-for-the-post-metoo-era-261103

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What’s the difference between sperm and semen? And can pre-ejaculate get you pregnant?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Theresa Larkin, Associate Professor of Medical Sciences, University of Wollongong

    priya kunkayan/Getty

    Semen, sperm, spunk, cum, ejaculate, pre-cum, seminal fluid. These are just some of the many words we use to describe what comes out of an erect penis.

    Some of these terms can be used interchangeably, but they’re not all the same. Do you know the difference?

    What is sperm?

    Sperm are male reproductive (sex) cells. The word “sperm” can refer to spermatozoon (singular) or spermatozoa (plural).

    Sperm are tiny cells with an oval-shaped body and a long tail. They measure just 1/20th of a millimetre in length and can only be seen with a microscope.

    Sperm are produced in the two testes (testicles). The testes are glands located inside the scrotum (the skin sac underneath where the penis is attached to the body).

    The testes begin producing sperm at puberty. Sperm production then continues throughout adult life, beginning to decline around age 40. The testes make about 200 million sperm every day.

    To develop, sperm need a temperature range of 34–35°C, which is lower than core body temperature (usually between 36 and 37°C). This is why the testes are located in the cooler scrotum and not in the abdomen or pelvis.

    Each sperm carries chromosomes, which are made up of DNA and genes. When a sperm cell fertilises a female reproductive cell (an ovum or egg), the genetic information of the sperm and ovum combines to form an embryo.

    What is semen?

    Ejaculated sperm has to reach the uterine (fallopian) tubes to fertilise an egg. This is a long journey, so sperm are carried in a fluid that nourishes and protects it (seminal fluid).

    Semen is the mix of sperm and seminal fluid together. It is Latin for “seed” from serere, “to sow”. Semen only exists outside the body, because sperm and seminal fluid only combine at the point of ejaculation.

    Seminal fluid is made in the sex glands. These are the seminal vesicles and prostate, which sit just behind and below the bladder, respectively.

    Semen is about 10% sperm.
    Alila Medical Media/Shutterstock

    The seminal vesicles produce a thick, gel-like substance. It clumps the sperm together immediately after ejaculation and provides the sperm with energy (fructose) to survive their journey.

    This fluid is alkaline – the opposite to acidic – which protects sperm in the more acidic vagina.

    The prostate secretes a thinner, milky fluid with acids that liquefy the semen. This helps the sperm to separate from the initial clump so they can travel through the cervix and uterus to the uterine tubes.

    The prostate also provides zinc, which is essential for sperm survival.

    Ejaculating secretes these fluids and sperm into the urethra, the narrow tube that runs through the penis and also transports urine. At this point, they combine as semen.

    Semen is about 10% sperm and 90% fluid from the seminal vesicles and prostate.

    What happens after ejaculation

    Ejaculating usually produces between 1.5 and 5 millilitres of semen, and each mL contains anywhere between 15 and 200 million sperm.

    If semen is ejaculated into a vagina, sperm have to travel around 15 centimetres to reach the uterine tubes, which is the most common site for fertilisation.

    The fastest and healthiest sperm travel this distance – about 3,000 times their body length – in only 30 minutes.

    For a human of average height, this equates to swimming about 5 kilometres in half an hour. That means sperm can swim twice as fast as the current world record for a 5km open water swim.

    Does ‘pre-cum’ have sperm in it?

    An aroused and erect penis can secrete up to 4mL of pre-ejaculate (pre-cum), which is completely different to semen.

    Pre-ejaculate is produced by different sex glands – the small bulbourethral glands that sit just under the prostate. It is a mucus fluid that lubricates and flushes out the urethra in the penis.

    Theoretically, pre-ejaculate doesn’t contain sperm. However, one small study found the pre-ejaculate of about 40% of men they studied contained sperm, though in very low numbers.

    The risk of getting pregnant from pre-ejaculate is very low – but not zero.

    What can semen say about your overall health?

    Semen is usually creamy-white or pale grey. It often has a faint ammonia or bleach smell, because of its alkaline pH.

    However its colour, consistency and smell can vary between people and even on different days for the same person.

    If semen has a foul odour, it may indicate an infection and should be checked by a doctor.

    Contraception and fertility

    A vasectomy is a form of male contraceptive. This involves cutting the two vas deferens – the tubes that carry sperm from the testes to the urethra. After a vasectomy, ejaculating will produce slightly less semen and it won’t contain sperm.

    Clinical trials have also started for a new potential male contraceptive pill that blocks sperm production in the testes.

    Oxidative stress – an imbalance of too many damaging chemicals and not enough antioxidants – has a negative impact on sperm health and strongly contributes to male infertility.

    The World Health Organization has published a range of values for semen volume and sperm number, concentration, movement and structure among fertile males. However, low sperm count does not always mean lower fertility.

    To keep sperm healthy, it’s recommended to eat a healthy diet rich in antioxidants, exercise regularly, maintain a healthy weight, and not smoke, use recreational drugs or drink a lot of alcohol.

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

    – ref. What’s the difference between sperm and semen? And can pre-ejaculate get you pregnant? – https://theconversation.com/whats-the-difference-between-sperm-and-semen-and-can-pre-ejaculate-get-you-pregnant-253212

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: China expo highlights global supply chain resilience amid tariff turbulence

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

    As tariff tensions and geopolitical uncertainties continue to rattle the global economy, the 2025 China International Supply Chain Expo is emerging as a promising platform to foster resilient, diversified and cooperative global supply chains.

    Running from Wednesday to Sunday in Beijing, the third edition of the supply chain-themed expo has drawn more than 600 exhibitors, notably those of carmakers, logistics providers and pharmaceutical firms, spanning 75 countries and regions.

    Against the backdrop of mounting trade protectionism and rising global fragmentation, the event showcases China’s bid to champion openness, innovation and international cooperation in the face of growing headwinds.

    PLATFORM FOR COOPERATION

    The event comes at a time of heightened trade friction and mounting uncertainty, which is expected to weigh heavily on global economic activity. In its April forecast, the International Monetary Fund projected global growth to slow to 2.8 percent in 2025 and 3 percent in 2026, down from 3.3 percent for both years in its January outlook.

    “Geopolitical tensions have disrupted supply chains, harming not only others but also one’s own interests,” said Xu Jiabin, an economics professor at Renmin University of China. “That’s why we must adopt an inclusive mindset and work together to improve the global supply chain’s connectivity and coordination. This is the path to mutual benefit.”

    People visit the Green Agriculture Chain area of the third China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) in Beijing, capital of China, July 19, 2025. The 2025 CISCE, scheduled from July 16 to 20, opened to general public on Saturday. (Xinhua/Chang Nengjia)

    As the world’s first national-level platform focused on supply chains, the expo helps connect Chinese and international firms, promote technical alignment and support deeper economic cooperation, Zhou Xing, head of public affairs at PwC China, told Xinhua.

    “The expo offers a high-efficiency matchmaking platform,” she said. “It enables companies to align on technology, standards and markets, helping drive global collaboration.”

    For Chinese firms, the expo offers a window to expand their international footprint and connect directly with global supply chain nodes. For multinational firms, it provides an opportunity to gain access to China’s vast market, comprehensive industrial ecosystem and strong policy support.

    SIG Group, a Singapore-based accounting and tax firm, is participating in the expo for the second time. As a company dedicated to supporting Chinese enterprises in expanding into ASEAN markets, it engaged in in-depth exchanges with a wide range of partners at the event.

    Edward Liu, a senior director at SIG Group said the event offers a valuable opportunity to enhance the firm’s ability to serve its clients in the future.

    CHINA’S COMMITMENT

    China has consistently championed open, cooperative international trade as an anchor of stability, especially during times of worldwide economic volatility and geopolitical turbulence.

    In a congratulatory letter sent to the 20th Western China International Fair in May, Chinese President Xi Jinping said that China is willing to take the fair as an opportunity to further enhance mutual understanding, strengthen friendship, and deepen cooperation with friends from all countries.

    China will uphold the multilateral trading system and ensure the stable and smooth flow of global industrial and supply chains together with the world, injecting new impetus into the prosperity and development of the world economy, Xi noted.

    During a March meeting in Beijing with more than 40 global CEOs and business leaders, Xi said, “China has been and will remain an ideal, secure, and promising destination for foreign investors.”

    “Embracing China is embracing opportunities, believing in China is believing in a better tomorrow, and investing in China is investing in the future,” he said.

    The Chinese president called on foreign firms to safeguard the multilateral trading system, maintain the stability of global industrial and supply chains, protect the international environment for openness and cooperation, and advance economic globalization in the right direction.

    A visitor tries a smart product equipped with Snapdragon processor at the Qualcomm booth in the Digital Technology Chain area of the third China International Supply Chain Expo (CISCE) in Beijing, capital of China, July 19, 2025. The 2025 CISCE, scheduled from July 16 to 20, opened to general public on Saturday. (Xinhua/Chang Nengjia)

    CONFIDENCE IN CHINA

    China’s economy beat expectations with robust 5.3 percent GDP growth in the first half of 2025 and is actively taking steps to maintain stability and sustain growth momentum in the months ahead. Such economic resilience has strengthened public and investor confidence in the country’s long-term economic prospects, particularly its appeal as a strategic hub for multinational firms looking to restructure and diversify their supply chains.

    “China is no longer just a manufacturing base, but an innovation hub,” said Zhou. “By integrating digital tools and investing in strategic sectors like EVs, renewables and biotech, China is strengthening its position in global value chains.”

    This strategic pivot is already being recognized by global companies. “China has the world’s most complete EV supply chain, with top-tier local suppliers and highly responsive manufacturing capabilities,” a Tesla spokesperson told Xinhua.

    Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang shared a similar view on Thursday, describing China’s supply chain as a “miracle” and highlighting the country’s deep capabilities in artificial intelligence and computer science.

    As China continues to pursue high-quality opening-up, foreign firms are also gaining expanded access and greater policy support. “Foreign companies are expected to benefit from greater market access, a more level playing field and broader opportunities for cooperation,” said Poh-Yian Koh, president of FedEx China.

    FedEx applauds the Chinese government’s ongoing efforts to optimize the business environment, and pledges to continue to strengthen its logistics network and digital capabilities to enhance connectivity between Chinese and global markets, she added.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Contractor being sought for work on major Rolleston project

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    A major roading project at Rolleston, near Christchurch, has reached a fresh milestone with a call going out for a contractor to carry out physical work on Stage 1 of the project.

    The State Highway 1 Rolleston Access Improvements project – a Road of Regional Significance – will provide transport improvements through Rolleston that mean better connections for people and businesses.

    “Rolleston is at the heart of the Selwyn District, which has been the fastest growing district in New Zealand, which makes these transport improvements all the more important,” says regional manager for New Zealand Transport Agency Waka Kotahi (NZTA), Sean Walsh.

    Stage 1 involves a new roundabout at the Dunns Crossing and Walkers Road intersection with State Highway 1 that will make it easier and safer to enter and exit Rolleston and the industrial area from the south. This will provide efficiencies for freight as they will have a less congested connection into the industrial area.

    The project team has completed design, property acquisition and consenting to enable construction on Stage 1 to start in October this year (once a contractor has been appointed), with planned completion in December next year.

    Stage 2 includes a flyover connecting Rolleston township with business/industrial areas, improved safety at high-risk highway intersections, the removal of the two signalised intersections on SH1 (Hoskyns Rd and Rolleston Drive North), the extension of the two southbound lanes on the motorway to just south of the proposed bridge at Rolleston, a southbound service lane to access businesses and Rolleston town centre, and major safety improvements and upgrades to the rail level crossing at Hoskyns Rd.

    Work continues on design, property acquisition and consenting for Stage 2, with an anticipated construction start date of October 2026.

    Last week NZTA issued a Request for Tenders for the Stage 1 physical works contract for the construction of a roundabout at the SH1/ Dunns Crossing Rd/Walkers Rd intersection, realignment and widening of the SH1, Dunns Crossing Rd, and Walkers Rd carriageways; efficiency improvements at the Weedons interchange and the construction of a new – and the removal of the existing – rail level crossing on Walkers Rd.

    “The work will mean some disruption, but of course we will be doing everything we can to minimise that disruption for road users and the adjacent community,” Mr Walsh says.

    “It’s a positive sign to see progress on projects like this one, adding to a series of projects already underway or in planning on the state highway corridor between Timaru and Lyttelton ports. These include a second Ashburton bridge and the upgrade of SH76/Brougham Street which was formally launched last week.”

    The full Rolleston access improvements project is estimated for completion in late 2028, at a current estimated cost of between $180 to $200 million, including contingencies.

    SH1 Rolleston access improvements

    Later this month, the project team will be out and about in Rolleston to chat with people about the project.

    These drop-in sessions will be a great chance to ask questions, view plans, and learn more about what’s coming. The drop-in sessions are as follows:

    • Selwyn Sports Centre 70 Broadlands Drive | Saturday 26 July, 10.30am-12.30pm
    • Te Ara Ātea 56 Tennyson Street | Thursday 31 July, 2.30-5.30pm
    • West Rolleston School 327 Dunns Crossing Road | Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 August, 2.30-3.30pm both days.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Cutting the fat: Oat oil breakthrough paves way for industry growth

    Source:

    21 July 2025

    New University of South Australia research is providing evidence of biological triggers of oil production in oats, a discovery that will help processing and potentially drive further demand for Australian-grown oats.

    While Australia is the world’s second-largest exporter of oats, high oil content in oat grains creates challenges during milling, reducing processing efficiency and limiting product innovation – particularly in high-demand sectors like oat flour and plant-based proteins.

    Researchers from the University of South Australia, the South Australian Research and Development Institute (SARDI), and the University of Adelaide are collaborating on research designed to better understand the biological processes responsible for oil synthesis in oat grains.

    In this study, two contemporary varieties of oats were examined using spatial imaging techniques to track oil build-up during grain development. Researchers then applied ‘omics’ technologies – lipidomics and proteomics – to analyse lipid and protein expression, which provided key insights into the biological mechanisms involved in the actual formation of the grain, including those relating to oil synthesis.

    The UniSA findings have provided further evidence of the mechanisms that underlie the amount of oil in an oat grain. These findings will help to guide future breeding efforts for naturally lower-oil oat varieties, improving milling yields and creating new value-added opportunities across the oat supply chain.

    UniSA PhD candidate, Darren Lau, says that current oil removal methods are inefficient and that low-oil breeding programs will aid industry growth.

    “While oil can be removed from partially milled oat flakes – using supercritical carbon dioxide prior to further milling – this approach is laborious and expensive,” he says.

    “Breeding low-oil oat varieties is a cost-effective approach but requires further understanding of oil production in oats. This is where our research is critical.

    “Our analysis has identified several key enzymes that are involved in oil synthesis which could be genetically manipulated to lower oil content of oat grains.

    “Reducing oil content could also unlock new opportunities in sectors like oat flour and alternative proteins, which could significantly strengthen Australia’s position in the market.”

    The economic potential of these opportunities is reflected in the quantity of oats exported globally. For example, in 2022 twenty-six million metric tonnes of oats were produced worldwide, ranking them seventh among cereals in production quantity.

    Lowering oil content in oat grains will enhance processing and product versatility, positioning them alongside traditional cereal staples like barley, maize, wheat, and rice, and further driving industry growth.

    The UniSA findings are being used by the Grains Research and Development Corporation (GRDC) oat grain quality consortium to improve suitability for milling and food/beverage ingredient development. Additional research is continuing within the consortium that will build on the study’s findings to further inform breeding efforts aimed at reducing oil content in oats.

    “The consortia are currently working on a larger and more diverse oat cohort to further investigate molecular markers and nutrient partitioning of oil in oats,” Lau says.

    “The consortia are also investigating one of the key enzymes validated in this study to determine whether manipulating or removing it can lower oil content, and how that affects the growth of the plant.”

    SARDI Project Lead Dr Janine Croser, says the study’s findings provide further evidence of key pathways involved in oat oil biosynthesis.

    “This research provides important insights into the biological mechanisms underlying varietal differences of oil production in developing oat grains,” Dr Croser says.

    “We expect that the development of low-oil lines will improve efficiencies in the flour milling process and potentially lead to novel uses for oats.

    “With demand for plant-based foods on the rise, we anticipate the oat grain quality consortium research will help put Australia at the forefront of oat innovation – supporting growers, processors, and exporters alike.”

    The full paper, Proteomic and lipidomic analyses reveal novel molecular insights into oat (Avena sativa L.) lipid regulation and crosstalk with starch synthesis during grain development, is available online.

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    Contact for interview:  Darren Lau E: Darren.Lau@unisa.edu.au
    Media contact: Annabel Mansfield M: +61 479 182 489 E: Annabel.Mansfield@unisa.edu.au
    Josh Owen-Thomas E: Josh.Owen-Thomas@unisa.edu.au

    Other articles you may be interested in

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Britain’s job market sliding under rising labor cost, US tariff threat

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

    Photo taken on Jan. 18, 2022 shows a job center sign in Manchester, Britain. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Britain’s job market continues to show clear signs of weakening, with unemployment rising and recruitment stagnating amid escalating labor costs and external economic pressures. Experts have warned that uncertainty stemming from U.S. tariffs is further exacerbating the situation.

    Data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Thursday revealed that the country’s unemployment rate for people aged 16 and over stood at 4.7 percent during the March-May period of 2025. This marks a notable increase both year-on-year and quarter-on-quarter, pushing the rate to its highest level in nearly four years.

    The ONS figures also showed job vacancies climbing to new highs, indicating that despite a growing number of unemployed individuals, businesses are still struggling to fill positions.

    “The government’s tax rises, a higher minimum wage and the U.S. trade war are hitting the jobs market,” Financial Times reported.

    David Bharier, head of research at the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC), told Xinhua that steep increases in national insurance contributions and the national living wage weigh heavily on the latest employment data.

    “BCC research shows that recruitment remains challenging, and businesses cite labor costs as the biggest pressure,” Bharier said. “This mounting financial pressure, alongside pervasive skills shortages, remains a massive challenge for business, presenting big risks to investment and productivity.”

    According to Bharier, the BCC’s most recent economic forecast suggests hiring will remain subdued and the unemployment rate is expected to stay largely static. “We currently forecast a rate of 4.6 percent at the end of 2027,” he said.

    Tina McKenzie, policy chair of the Federation of Small Businesses (FSB), stressed that the latest trends paint a worrying picture for Britain’s small business sector.

    “New FSB research has found that twice as many small businesses shed staff in the second quarter of 2025-20 percent-than increased their employee numbers,” she said.

    For the first time in the 15-year history of the FSB’s quarterly Small Business Index, more small businesses expect to shrink or close over the next 12 months than those that expect to expand. “That’s more than alarming for the economy and for communities across Britain where these hard-working businesses operate,” she said, noting that small businesses currently provide more than 16 million jobs in Britain-over half of all private sector employment.

    Experts also believe the ongoing threat of U.S. tariffs is contributing to the negative data and will continue to influence Britain’s job market and economy in the long term, despite the existence of a trade agreement.

    William Bain, head of policy at the BCC, said their April survey revealed that 62 percent of firms exporting to the U.S. had been affected by rising costs and order book pressures caused by higher U.S. tariffs, a sentiment that aligns with the rising unemployment figures reported by the ONS.

    David Bailey, professor of business economics at the University of Birmingham, noted that U.S. tariffs are impacting Britain’s export-driven sectors and, in turn, the job market.

    “Even though Britain has got this deal with Trump on tariffs, the tariffs are still going up from 2.5 percent to 10 percent. It may not be 25 percent, but it’s still going to affect exports from Britain and therefore hit economic growth,” Bailey said, adding that this uncertainty for British firms, combined with the government’s “mistake” of raising national insurance contributions alongside the higher minimum wage, has contributed to the sluggish employment situation. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Despite battlefield gains, Israel remains mired in war with no political endgame

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

    The photo released by Israel Defense Forces on May 19, 2025 shows Israeli troops during an operation in the Gaza Strip. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Nearly two years into a multi-front conflict, Israel has made apparent military gains: crippling Hamas’ infrastructure in Gaza, striking deep into Iran, and dealing blows to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Yet the country remains stuck in a prolonged war, with no clear exit strategy in sight.

    Analysts say that while Israel’s military campaign has made some progress, the absence of a coherent political strategy has left its broader objectives undefined. The government’s push to deepen ties with Arab states has come alongside a deliberate sidelining of the Palestinian issue, limiting prospects for long-term regional reconciliation.

    The war in Gaza has caused widespread destruction, decimated much of the enclave’s infrastructure, and killed at least 58,895 people, according to Gaza-based health authorities. The humanitarian toll has drawn international concern, but shows little sign of prompting a shift in Israeli policy.

    Critics argue the war’s continuation primarily serves the interests of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition, which includes far-right and ultra-Orthodox parties. Netanyahu, who is standing trial on corruption charges, has faced internal divisions and consistently poor polling. Recent surveys suggest his coalition partners would not win enough seats to form a government if elections were held today.

    “The coalition now is actually committed to continuing the war,” said Roee Kibrik, head of research at Mitvim – The Israeli Institute for Regional Foreign Policies. “Its survival depends on the war’s continuation.”

    Kibrik said the government appears willing to pursue only limited hostage deals that would avoid ending the war. “If we analyze whether peace or diplomacy is possible under this government, the answer is no,” he said.

    Talks are ongoing in Doha over a possible hostage deal with Hamas. Netanyahu said on Friday that Israel was discussing the release of captives and a potential 60-day ceasefire in Gaza, but blamed Hamas for not engaging seriously.

    Also on Friday, Abu Ubaida, spokesperson for Hamas’ armed wing, said in a televised address that Hamas had repeatedly offered to release all hostages as part of a comprehensive ceasefire deal, but Israel had rejected it. “If the enemy obstructs or withdraws from this round, as it has every time, we cannot guarantee a return to partial deals,” he warned.

    Opposition leaders and families of hostages have accused Netanyahu of prolonging the war for political survival. Demonstrators regularly hold signs reading “The war is killing the hostages,” and describe the conflict as politically motivated to preserve Netanyahu’s rule.

    “The current ruling coalition is focused on staying in power,” said Eyal Zisser, vice rector of Tel Aviv University and a Middle East expert. “Early elections would be disastrous for all coalition members: every poll shows they would lose.”

    To maintain the alliance, he said, Netanyahu must accommodate competing demands: far-right factions insist on continuing the war, while ultra-Orthodox parties seek expanded budgets and draft exemptions.

    Both Zisser and Kibrik believe that the government is not only avoiding diplomatic progress but actively undermining it. “There can be no Palestinian state,” Zisser said, summarizing the coalition’s position. “They oppose even granting autonomy.”

    “Israel wants peace with Arab countries but is not prepared to give anything in return regarding the Palestinians,” he pointed out.

    Genuine progress toward a two-state solution could unlock broad regional cooperation and opportunities, Kibrik said, “but with this government, that option is off the table.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Global athletics talents descend on Bochum for University Games

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

    A star-studded athletics roster offers a taste of the Olympics, with Olympians and defending champions set to compete from July 21 to 27 at the FISU World University Games.

    The throwers’ showdown between Cierra Jackson of the United States and Antonia Kinzel of Germany in the women’s discus on July 24 will be a highlight on the field in the Lohrheidestadion in Bochum.

    Jackson, 22, set a championship record of 65.82 meters on her way to grabbing the 2025 NCAA Outdoor Track and Field Championship title this summer. That prompted the former Fresno State student to turn professional and then, in her first outing as a full-time athlete, Jackson improved her personal best to 67.82m, just 1.68m short of her compatriot Valarie Allman’s gold-winning distance of 69.50m at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

    Defending champion Kinzel, who set her own PB of 62.64m in May, can be counted as a potential challenger to Jackson while competing on home soil.

    “It’s a special feeling to compete in this internationally renowned event in your own country,” Kinzel said.

    “I want to build on my experiences from two years ago in Chengdu, defend my title in the discus throw, and I am really looking forward to the special atmosphere of the FISU Games, giving a little taste of the Olympics.”

    Bayanda Walaza of South Africa is a notable name on the track. He claimed silver in the men’s 4x100m relay at Paris 2024. Aged just 18, and originally a reserve, Walaza ran the leadoff leg in the final, as South Africa won its first ever medal in the event.

    Walaza, who also won the individual sprint double at the U20 World Championships last year, has kicked on this year too. After becoming just the ninth South African to clock under 10 seconds for the 100m, he improved his PB to 9.94 seconds in Zagreb in May. Weeks earlier, Walaza set a South African junior record of 20.08s in the 200m.

    Both PBs meet the qualification criteria for the senior World Athletics Championships, taking place in Tokyo in September.

    Walaza, along with teammate Lythe Pillay, will be looking to secure a 100m-200m-400m clean sweep. Pillay is the 2022 400m U20 world champion and a reigning World Athletics Relays 4x400m gold medalist.

    Fellow South African sprinter Marlie Viljoen is back as the defending champion after she set a PB of 51.42s in the 400m in March.

    Laura Pellicoro (front) of Italy crosses the finish line during the athletics women’s 1500m final at the 31st FISU Summer World University Games in Chengdu, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, Aug. 6, 2023. (Xinhua/Wang Xi)

    The other returning champion is Laura Pellicoro of Italy. Now 24, she won the middle-distance double two years ago and is part of a stellar Italian lineup.

    Dalia Kaddari (Italy) is expected to add something to her long list of achievements which already includes being a two-time Olympian (Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024), European Championship bronze medal in 2022 (4x100m relay), European U23 champion in 2021 (200m) and Youth Olympic Games silver medal in 2018 (200m).

    Edoardo Scotti has been at the center of an impressive 12 months for Italian athletics. He helped his nation finish sixth in the 4x400m mixed relay and seventh in the men’s 4x400m relay at Paris 2024. Then he inspired the team to double silver in the 4x400m mixed and 4x400m men’s relays at the 2024 European Championships in Rome.

    China’s Shu Heng, who is the Asian men’s long jump champion, will try to improve on his PB of 8.22m achieved in May at the Asian Athletics Championships.

    India’s Pooja Singh, at just 1.70 meters tall, will compete as the newly crowned women’s Asian high jump champion. Singh grew up in rural India, with her father taking out loans to fund an athletics journey that began with bamboo poles as crossbars and landing mats fashioned from rice husk and hay.

    Bridget Mbwali from Uganda, a double sprint gold medal winner at last year’s East African University Games, is another decorated runner from Africa. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Is spinal cord stimulation safe? Does it work? Here’s what you need to know if you have back pain

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Caitlin Jones, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Musculoskeletal Health, University of Sydney

    AsiaVision/Getty

    Spinal cord stimulators are electrical devices that are surgically implanted in the body to treat long-term pain. They have a battery pack and leads that deliver electrical impulses directly to the spinal cord. The devices are thought to work by providing electrical impulses that interfere with how the brain senses pain.

    Spinal cord stimulators are mainly used to treat chronic back pain, especially when other less invasive treatments have not worked. They also aim to reduce people’s reliance on risky pain medicines. These include opioids, which research shows are ineffective and harmful for low-back pain.

    But research, including our own, shows spinal cord stimulators work no better than a placebo. And they can also carry risks.

    Do they work?

    In a 2023 Cochrane review, researchers reviewed data from 13 randomised controlled trials on low-back pain and found no benefits in the short and medium term. These international reviews draw together the most robust evidence to provide a detailed summary of what we know on a particular topic.

    Only one of the trials in the review tested efficacy in the longer term (six months). That trial found no benefits of spinal cord stimulation.

    An earlier Cochrane review looked at the evidence of spinal cord stimulation for chronic pain in general, including for neck pain. Reviewers looked at 15 randomised controlled trials and couldn’t be certain about its benefits, largely due to the quality and reliability of the available trials.

    Are there side effects?

    Aside from disappointing results for pain relief, there are risks and side effects to consider.

    We co-authored an analysis of 520 adverse events reported to Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). We found 79% of reported events were rated as severe, with 13% life-threatening. The same research found 80% of events required surgery to correct.

    Our recent analysis in the Medical Journal of Australia looked at data from private health insurers. These cover 90% of spinal cord stimulation implants in Australia. Five major insurers, which covered 76% of privately insured people, contributed de-identified data.

    We found about one-quarter of people who had a spinal cord stimulator implanted needed corrective surgery afterwards. These surgeries occurred within a median of about 17 months. This indicates these surgeries are not routine or expected interventions, such as to replace batteries, which are meant to last five to ten years.

    Our previous research shows the sorts of reasons for corrective surgery. These include to replace a malfunctioning device, or the person was in more pain, had an infection, or a puncture of the delicate tissues covering the spinal cord.

    However, even our latest findings are likely to underestimate the risk of these devices.

    Sometimes the lead delivering the electrical current moves away from the spinal cord to elsewhere in the body. This requires surgery to reposition the lead, but does not necessarily require new hardware, such as a brand new lead. So this type of corrective surgery is not counted in the data from the private health insurance companies.

    How much does it cost?

    We found spinal cord stimulators cost about A$55,000 per patient, including the device, its insertion, and managing any associated additional surgeries.

    For people who only had a “trial” – where the leads are implanted temporarily but the battery pack remains outside the body – this cost was about $14,000 per patient.

    These figures do not include any out-of-pocket costs.

    What do regulators say about the devices?

    In 2022 the TGA began a review of spinal cord stimulators on the market because of safety and performance concerns.

    As a result, several devices were removed from the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods – that is, they were banned from use in Australia, but existing stock could still be used.

    The rest of the devices had conditions imposed, such as the manufacturers being required to collect and report safety data to the TGA at regular time points.

    Should I do my own online research?

    Yes, but be careful. Unfortunately not all online information about spinal cord stimulators is correct.

    Look for sites independent of those who manufacture or implant these devices.

    Government agencies, health departments and universities that have no financial interests in this area may be a better option.

    The Cochrane Library is also a reliable and independent source for trustworthy health information.

    What shall I ask my doctor?

    The Australian health department provides useful advice for consumers about medical implants.

    It says medical implants “are considered higher-risk therapeutic goods, and the decision to get one should not be taken lightly”. It recommends asking your health professional these questions:

    • do I really need this medical implant?

    • what are the risks/benefits?

    • is the medical implant approved?

    • where can I get more information?

    • what happens if I experience an adverse event?

    What else could I do for my back pain?

    There are other treatment options that are effective and have fewer risks than spinal cord stimulation.

    For example, education about how to manage your pain yourself, exercise, cognitive behavioural therapy (a type of psychological therapy), and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (such as ibuprofen) all have solid evidence to back them. All offer benefits that are not outweighed by their potential risks.

    Australian research has shown other types of therapy – such as sensorimotor retraining and cognitive functional therapy – are also effective. You can discuss these and other options with your health professional.

    Spinal cord stimulation is a good example of a treatment that got ahead of the evidence. Although the devices have been around since the 1960s, we’ve only had reliable trials to test whether they work in recent years.

    Everyone wants to find ways to help people with chronic pain, but we must ensure medical care is grounded in reliable science.

    Christopher Maher holds a research fellowship funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council.

    Caitlin Jones 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. Is spinal cord stimulation safe? Does it work? Here’s what you need to know if you have back pain – https://theconversation.com/is-spinal-cord-stimulation-safe-does-it-work-heres-what-you-need-to-know-if-you-have-back-pain-261364

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: The first video of Earth’s surface lurching sideways in an earthquake offers new insights into this force of nature

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Jesse Kearse, Postdoctoral Researcher, Geophysics, Kyoto University

    Sai Aung MAIN/AFP via Getty Images

    During the devastating magnitude 7.7 Myanmar earthquake on March 28 this year, a CCTV camera captured the moment the plate boundary moved, providing the first direct visual evidence of plate tectonics in action.

    Tectonic plate boundaries are where chunks of Earth’s crust slide past each other – not smoothly, but in sudden, violent ruptures.

    The footage shows Earth’s surface lurching sideways, like a gigantic conveyor belt switched on for just a second, as the fault slips.

    What we’re seeing is the propagation of a large earthquake rupture – the primary mechanism that accommodates plate boundary motion at Earth’s surface. These shear fractures travel at several kilometres per second, making them notoriously difficult to observe.

    This video explains the moment Myanmar’s Sagaing Fault ruptured in a large earthquake, allowing the tectonic plate boundary to shift. Research: https://doi.org/10.1785/0320250024.

    These rare events, separated by centuries, have shaped our planet’s surface over millions of years, creating features such as Aotearoa New Zealand’s Alpine Fault and the Southern Alps.

    Until now, seismologists have relied on distant seismic instruments to infer how faults rupture during large earthquakes. This video sheds new light on the process that radiates seismic energy and causes the ground to shake.

    Analysis of the video

    In our new study, we analysed the video frame by frame. We used a technique called pixel cross-correlation to reveal that the fault slipped 2.5 metres sideways over a duration of just 1.3 seconds, with a maximum speed of 3.2 metres per second.

    The total sideways movement in this earthquake is typical of strike-slip fault ruptures, which move the land sideways (in contrast to faults that move land up and down).

    But the short duration is a major discovery.

    The timing of when a fault starts and stops slipping is especially difficult to measure from distant recordings, because the seismic signal becomes smeared as it travels through Earth.

    In this case, the short duration of motion reveals a pulse-like rupture – a concentrated burst of slip that propagates along the fault like a ripple travels down a rug when it’s flicked from one end.

    Capturing this kind of detail is fundamental to understanding how earthquakes work, and it helps us better anticipate the ground shaking likely to occur in future large events.

    Validation of the ‘slickenline’ hypothesis

    Our analysis also revealed something more subtle about the way the fault moved.

    We found the slip didn’t follow a straight path. Instead it curved. This subtle curvature mirrors patterns we’ve observed previously at fault outcrops.

    Called “slickenlines”, these geological scratch marks on the fault record the direction of slip.

    Our work shows the slickenlines we see on outcrops are curved in a manner similar to the curvature seen in the CCTV footage. Based on our video analysis, we can be certain that curved slip occurs, giving credence to our interpretations based on geological observations.

    In our earlier research, we used computer models to show that curved slickenlines could emerge naturally when an earthquake propagates in a particular direction. The Myanmar rupture, which is known to have travelled north to south, matches the direction predicted by our models.

    This alignment is important. It gives us confidence in using geological evidence to determine the rupture direction of past earthquakes, such as the curved slickenlines left behind after the New Zealand Alpine Fault’s 1717 earthquake.

    This first glimpse of a fault in motion shows the potential for video to become a powerful new tool in seismology. With more strategic deployments, future earthquakes could be documented with similar detail, offering further insight into the dynamics of fault rupture, potentially revolutionising our understanding of earthquake physics.

    Jesse Kearse receives funding from Royal Society Te Apārangi Marsden Fund.

    – ref. The first video of Earth’s surface lurching sideways in an earthquake offers new insights into this force of nature – https://theconversation.com/the-first-video-of-earths-surface-lurching-sideways-in-an-earthquake-offers-new-insights-into-this-force-of-nature-261004

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Hold up, humans. Ants figured out medicine, farming and engineering long before we did

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Tanya Latty, Associate Professor in Entomology, University of Sydney

    Tambon Nong Chaeng/Pexels

    Think back to a time you helped someone move a heavy object, such as a couch. While at first the task may have appeared simple, it actually required a suite of advanced behaviours.

    The job needed verbal commands for social coordination (“pivot!”) and anticipation of near-future events (moving other furniture out of the way). It also required a clear, shared vision of the final goal (which room to take the couch to).

    It’s a small but satisfying example of human cooperation. But before we all get too pleased with ourselves, consider that ants – creatures with tiny brains and no capacity for speech – routinely pull off feats that rival, and sometimes exceed, our own.

    Ants routinely pull off feats that rival, and sometimes exceed, our own.
    Andre Moura/Pexels

    Understanding ant intelligence

    Earth is literally crawling with ants. Scientists estimate there are at least 20 quadrillion ants on Earth. That’s 20 followed by 15 zeros – more ants than stars in our galaxy!

    These incredible insects are amongst the most successful organisms on the planet. Part of the success comes from an ability to form complex societies, ranging from a few individuals to millions. And those societies, or colonies, are remarkably co-operative.

    Take, for example, ants’ abilities to move large food items. To do it, they mobilise teams of dozens – or even hundreds – of fellow workers. Together, they efficiently work together to transport the load back to the nest.

    Longhorn crazy ants (Paratrechina longicornis) are even known to clear debris from a path before a heavy object arrives – seemingly anticipating its trajectory and preparing the way.

    One experiment pit longhorn crazy ants against humans, all tasked with moving T-shaped objects (scaled to body size) through tight spaces. In some trials, the human teams were not permitted to speak or use gestures.

    And the result? Ants performed better in larger groups compared to smaller ones, showing the clear benefits of collective action. In contrast, human performance did not improve with group size. And when communication was restricted, human performance declined as group size increased.

    All this highlights how ants rely on collective intelligence, without the need for central control or sophisticated cognition.

    Expert farmers

    Humanity’s invention of agriculture 12,000 years ago is understandably hailed as one of our greatest achievements.

    But leaf cutter ants beat us to it. These ants (from the species Atta and Acromyrmex) evolved to undertake large-scale agriculture about 55 million years ago.

    These ants cut and transport fresh leaves not to eat directly, but to feed a fungus that serves as their main food source.

    This evolutionary partnership allows the ants to feed colonies with populations in the millions.

    Remarkably, leaf cutter ants have also evolved a form of biological pest control to protect their crops from bacteria. Some worker ants patrol the gardens, detecting infected sections of the fungus. Then they apply antibiotics produced by bacteria that live on their bodies.

    What’s more, many ant species farm aphids and other sap-sucking insects.

    As these farmed insects feed on plant sap, they excrete a sugary liquid the ants eagerly collect. In return, ants serve as bodyguards, defending their tiny livestock from predators such as ladybirds and lacewings.

    In some species, queen ants gently carry sap-sucking insects in their jaws as they fly off to start new colonies. Fossilised ants preserved in amber suggest this behaviour evolved up to 20 million years ago, long before humans domesticated animals.

    Ant medicine

    Medical care may seem like a distinctly human innovation. But several ant species have evolved sophisticated ways to treat injuries.

    When a Florida carpenter ant (Camponotus floridanus) is injured during a battle between colonies, its nest-mates will amputate a damaged limb to prevent infection from spreading. Ants receiving this battlefield care are more likely to survive than ants left untreated.

    Some ants can also detect infection and treat infected wounds by cleaning them and applying antimicrobial secretions from specialised glands.

    Master builders

    Some ant species are known to literally put their bodies on the line for the colony.

    Army ants (Eciton burchellii) join their bodies together to form structures. These include bridges across gaps on the forest floor, and “scaffolds” across steep terrain to prevent other ants from slipping.

    Even the nest is made of hundreds of thousands of ants joined together, complete with tunnels and chambers housing the larvae and the queen. The entire structure is packed up and rebuilt each day, after the colony emigrates a few hundred metres into the forest.

    Army ants join their bodies together to form structures.
    Smartse/Wikimedia, CC BY

    Weaver ants (Oecophylla smaragdina), meanwhile, self-assemble into rope ladders to span vertical gaps.

    They also form a line of workers that pull leaves together in treetops to form nests. Once the leaves are winched into place, other ants arrive with ant larvae in their jaws. Each larva produces a tiny blob of silk which the ants use to glue the leaves together.

    Fire ants (Solenopsis invicta), a major pest species, owes its invasive success partly to a unique method of dispersal.

    When their underground nests are flooded by rain, the ants join together into a huge raft which floats on a layer of buoyant larvae. These rafts can ride floodwaters in safety for hundreds of kilometres, until the ants reach dry land.

    When their nests are flooded, fire ants join together into a huge raft.
    TheCoz/Wikimedia, CC BY

    Lessons for humanity?

    Humans rightly take pride in our greatest achievements – agriculture, medicine, engineering and building civilisations. But remarkably, ants mastered these innovations millions of years before we did.

    Ants may be tiny – but by working together they can build complex societies and solve many problems. They might even teach humans a thing or two.

    Tanya Latty co-founded and volunteers for conservation organisation Invertebrates Australia, is former president of the Australasian Society for the Study of Animal Behaviour and is on the education committee for the Australian Entomological Society. She receives funding from the Australian Research Council, NSW Saving our Species, and Agrifutures Australia

    Chris R. Reid receives funding from the Australian Research Council and Macquarie University. He is secretary of the Australasian Society for the Study of Animal Behaviour and is on the education committee for the Australasian Entomological Society.

    – ref. Hold up, humans. Ants figured out medicine, farming and engineering long before we did – https://theconversation.com/hold-up-humans-ants-figured-out-medicine-farming-and-engineering-long-before-we-did-258922

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why has a bill to relax foreign investment rules had so little scrutiny?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Kelsey, Emeritus Professor of Law, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

    Getty Images

    While public attention has been focused on the domestic fast-track consenting process for infrastructure and mining, Associate Minister of Finance David Seymour has been pushing through another fast-track process – this time for foreign investment in New Zealand. But it has had almost no public scrutiny.

    If the Overseas Investment (National Interest Test and Other Matters) Amendment Bill becomes law, it could have far-reaching consequences. Public submissions on the bill close on July 23.

    A product of the ACT-National coalition agreement, the bill commits to amend the Overseas Investment Act 2005 “to limit ministerial decision making to national security concerns and make such decision making more timely”.

    There are valid concerns that piecemeal reforms to the current act have made it complex and unwieldy. But the new bill is equally convoluted and would significantly reduce effective scrutiny of foreign investments – especially in forestry.

    A three-step test

    Step one of a three-step process set out in the bill gives the regulator – the Overseas Investment Office which sits within Land Information NZ – 15 days to decide whether a proposed investment would be a risk to New Zealand’s “national interest”.

    If they don’t perceive a risk, or that initial assessment is not completed in time, the application is automatically approved.

    Transactions involving fisheries quotas and various land categories, or any other applications the regulator identifies, will require a “national interest” assessment under stage two.

    These would be assessed against a “ministerial letter” that sets out the government’s general policy and preferred approach to conducting the assessment, including any conditions on approvals.

    Other mandatory factors to be considered in the second stage include the act’s new “purpose” to increase economic opportunity through “timely consent” of less sensitive investments. The new test would allow scrutiny of the character and capability of the investor to be omitted altogether.

    If the regulator considers the national interest test is not met, or the transaction is “contrary to the national interest”, the minister of finance then makes a decision based on their assessment of those factors.

    Inadequate regulatory process

    Seymour has blamed the current screening regime for low volumes of foreign investment. But Treasury’s 2024 regulatory impact statement on the proposed changes to international investment screening acknowledges many other factors that influence investor decisions.

    Moreover, the Treasury statement acknowledges public views that foreign investment rules should “manage a wide range of risks” and “that there is inherent non-economic value in retaining domestic ownership of certain assets”.

    Treasury officials also recognised a range of other public concerns, including profits going offshore, loss of jobs, and foreign control of iconic businesses.

    The regulatory impact statement did not cover these factors because it was required to consider only the coalition commitment. The Treasury panel reported “notable limitations” on the bill’s quality assurance process.

    A fuller review was “infeasible” because it could not be completed in the time required, and would be broader than necessary to meet the coalition commitment to amend the act in the prescribed way.

    The requirement to implement the bill in this parliamentary term meant the options officials could consider, even within the scope of the coalition agreement, were further limited.

    Time constraints meant “users and key stakeholders have not been consulted”, according to the Treasury statement. Environmental and other risks would have to be managed through other regulations. There is no reference to te Tiriti o Waitangi or mana whenua engagement.

    Forestry ‘slash’ after Cyclone Gabrielle in 2023: no need to consider foreign investors’ track records.
    Getty Images

    No ‘benefit to NZ’ test

    While the bill largely retains a version of the current screening regime for residential and farm land, it removes existing forestry activities from that definition (but not new forestry on non-forest land). It also removes extraction of water for bottling, or other bulk extraction for human consumption, from special vetting.

    Where sensitive land (such as islands, coastal areas, conservation and wahi tapu land) is not residential or farm land, it would be removed from special screening rules currently applied for land.

    Repeal of the “special forestry test” – which in practice has seen most applications approved, albeit with conditions – means most forestry investments could be fast-tracked.

    There would no longer be a need to consider investors’ track records or apply a “benefit to New Zealand” test. Regulators may or may not be empowered to impose conditions such as replanting or cleaning up slash.

    The official documents don’t explain the rationale for this. But it looks like a win for Regional Development Minister Shane Jones, and was perhaps the price of NZ First’s support.

    It has potentially serious implications for forestry communities affected by climate-related disasters, however. Further weakening scrutiny and investment conditions risks intensifying the already devastating impacts of international forestry companies. Taxpayers and ratepayers pick up the costs while the companies can minimise their taxes and send profits offshore.

    Locked in forever?

    Finally, these changes could be locked in through New Zealand’s free trade agreements. Several such agreements say New Zealand’s investment regime cannot become more restrictive than the 2005 act and its regulations.

    A “ratchet clause” would lock in any further liberalisation through this bill, from which there is no going back.

    However, another annex in those free trade agreements could be interpreted as allowing some flexibility to alter the screening rules and criteria in the future. None of the official documents address this crucial question. As an academic expert in this area I am uncertain about the risk.

    But the lack of clarity underlines the problems exemplified in this bill. It is another example of coalition agreements bypassing democratic scrutiny and informed decision making. More public debate and broad analysis is needed on the bill and its implications.

    Jane Kelsey has received funding from the Marsden Fund for research related to New Zealand’s foreign investment regime and international agreements.

    – ref. Why has a bill to relax foreign investment rules had so little scrutiny? – https://theconversation.com/why-has-a-bill-to-relax-foreign-investment-rules-had-so-little-scrutiny-261370

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Employment – 1500 specialist education workers represented by PSA to strike

    Source: PSA

    PSA members have voted to strike in support of their bargaining with the Ministry of Education, which has stretched on now for nine months.
    The staff represented by the PSA work on several programmes of work to support educators, ranging from education reform to managing emergency responses.
    “The Ministry is threatening flexible working arrangements by removing explicit commitments in the collective to allow members to work in a way which suits their family circumstances, said Fleur Fitzsimons, National Secretary for the Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi.
    “This is the thin end of the wedge, reflecting this government’s hostility to what are modern workplace practices around the world.
    “PSA members are also upset by the Ministry’s miserly pay offer at a time when the cost of living is still putting pressure on household budgets.
    “We don’t take this step lightly and will continue to press the Ministry to come back to the table with a fair offer,” Fitzsimons said.
    There are a further 800 specialist education staff from the Ministry of Education represented by NZEI who have also voted to strike in support of their bargaining next week.
    What: 1500 PSA members and 800 NZEI members to strike from 10am-12pm on 22 July in support of current bargaining between their respective union and the Ministry of Education.
    Where: Various locations in Auckland, Hamilton, Napier, Lower Hutt, Wellington, Christchurch, and Dunedin – details below.
    When: 10am – 12pm, 22 July 2025.
    Who: PSA National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons to speak at the Wellington PSA picket on corner of The Terrace and Bowen St, at 10:25am.
    Picket details:
    Whangārei, Walkout at 10am, picket in a line along Dent Street at Town Basin (near Hundertwasser).
    • Auckland Maungawhau, Walkout at 10am, picket in a line down Normanby Rd.
    • Auckland Henderson , Walkout at 10am, march down to Edmonton/Falls roundabout for picket.
    • Auckland Botany, Walkout at 10am, march up Bishop Dunn Pl to Te Irirangi Dr traffic lights for picket.
    • Tauranga (Western BOP), Walkout at 10am, picket at intersection of Elizabeth St and Cameron Rd.
    • Hamilton, Walkout at 10am, march down to the intersection of Home Straight and Te Rapa Rd by the lights for picket.
    • Napier, Walkout at 10am, picket on corner of Lever and Bridge St.
    • Lower Hutt, Walkout at 10am, march down to Chris Bishop MP office on Bloomfield St.
    • Wellington, Walkout at 10am, picket on corner of The Terrace and Bowen St from 10:25am.
    • Christchurch, Walkout at 10am, picket at Bridge of Remembrance.
    • Dunedin, Walkout at 10am, picket outside office on Moray Pl. 
    The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health, and community groups.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Employment – Workers to deliver 80,000 strong pay equity petition – CTU

    Source: NZCTU

    What: Pay equity petition handover

    Where: Forecourt, Parliament, Wellington

    When: 1pm, Wednesday 23 July

    Women representing the more than 300,000 workers in female-dominated industries affected by the Government’s gutting of New Zealand’s pay equity system will deliver a 80,000 strong petition to opposition MPs at Parliament this Wednesday.

    Workers will make the case to MPs that the changes have impacted on not just them but also on the essential work they do to support education, health, families and communities.

    “The gutting of pay equity claims have reversed decades of progress to correct pay rates for women, but we are heartened that tens of thousands of New Zealanders are supporting us,” said secondary school teacher and PPTA delegate Clare Preston.

    “This was a huge slap in the face for women and has a massive impact on the families and communities we care for, but we will continue to rise up,” said care and support worker and E tū delegate Jo-Chanelle Pouwhare.

    “The Government has made it virtually impossible for people in female-dominated industries to be paid fairly, but this petition shows that women will not be deterred in our fight to achieve pay equity for all,” said PSA National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Does play belong in primary school? New research suggests teachers are not sure

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katy Meeuwissen, Lecturer in Early Childhood and Primary Education, University of Canberra

    Jon Challicom/ Getty Images

    Play is one of the most important parts of early childhood education in Australia.

    We know children learn about the world through play and it helps them build creativity and independence.

    There is also broad agreement among early childhood educators and policymakers about the importance of play from birth to five years.

    But once children start school, there is less certainty. Despite growing research about the importance of play in primary school, play is not often used for learning in these years.

    Our new study with Australian primary teachers highlights significant confusion about the role of play in their schools.

    Play can benefit older kids

    There is nothing to suggest the importance of play suddenly stops when children reach school age.

    Research shows play can support learning well into the primary years, helping students develop critical thinking, problem-solving and social skills.

    Recent studies even show play has learning benefits well beyond childhood. Young adults (aged 19–25) who engage in regular play have shown improved emotional intelligence and resilience.

    What do we mean by play?

    When we are talking about play in primary school, it is more than just playground time during recess and lunch.

    Play is what children do naturally, whereas play-based learning is when teachers use that natural playfulness as a teaching tool. Teachers will deliberately incorporate various types of play with specific learning goals and varying levels of adult guidance.

    For example, children might explore mathematical concepts such as geometry and spatial reasoning through LEGO construction. Teachers would guide discovery of patterns, measurements and problem-solving, and then step back to allow students to be creative.

    There is also evidence play can support literacy, numeracy and other academic goals, because it supports attention, memory and planning skills that underpin academic learning.

    Research shows it can also help maintain students’ enjoyment of and engagement in their studies.

    So when used effectively, it could be used across the school curriculum.

    Our research

    To better understand what teachers think about play and why they hold these views, we surveyed 238 teachers across Australia primary schools. Teachers ranged from those teaching the first year of primary school through to Year 6.

    Most of the teachers were from public schools. We used an online questionnaire and recruited participants through email and social media.

    Teachers’ different views on play

    The results revealed some inconsistencies in teachers’ views.

    Teachers strongly agreed play benefits children’s development. More than three-quarters (77%) strongly agreed students develop social skills through play, with similar numbers supporting play’s role in emotional, physical and language development.

    One teacher described play as “magic” and “where real learning happens”.

    However, only 52% strongly agreed students develop academic skills during play, revealing uncertainty about play’s educational value. As another teacher told us:

    Play is something that children do and it’s fun for them, however, [it] should be out of school. School is for learning.

    Some teachers still viewed play as separate from learning, with 61% agreeing that “play is a necessary break from learning” – suggesting they see play and learning as distinct entities rather than integrated.

    Adding to this confusion, teachers often used the terms “play” and “play-based learning” interchangeably, despite these being different concepts.

    How should play-based learning be structured?

    Even when teachers valued play in principle, they struggled to provide time for it in their classrooms. Teachers reported feeling caught between covering mandated content and providing meaningful play experiences. As one teacher told us:

    Play is fantastic for children but a challenge when there is so much limited time to cover such a huge curriculum.

    Teachers were also divided about their role in children’s play. Should they structure it? Leave kids alone? Supervise but not interfere?

    Our analysis revealed several distinct approaches, from hands-off supervision to active involvement. This reveals confusion about best practice (the research suggests different approaches can work, depending on the context).

    What can we do instead?

    Our research suggest there is missed opportunity when it comes to structuring play as part of learning in primary schools.

    To address this, we need several changes. Teacher education programs should include training in practical ways to use play as a teaching tool. For example, how to teach science concepts through games and experiments that feel like play to children.

    Professional development should also help existing teachers understand how to structure meaningful play that supports the curriculum.

    At a policy level, we also need better alignment between the early education and primary years, to ensure play does not disappear at the school gate.

    Katy Meeuwissen 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. Does play belong in primary school? New research suggests teachers are not sure – https://theconversation.com/does-play-belong-in-primary-school-new-research-suggests-teachers-are-not-sure-259800

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Hold up, humans. Ants figured out medicine, farming and engineering long before we did

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tanya Latty, Associate Professor in Entomology, University of Sydney

    Tambon Nong Chaeng/Pexels

    Think back to a time you helped someone move a heavy object, such as a couch. While at first the task may have appeared simple, it actually required a suite of advanced behaviours.

    The job needed verbal commands for social coordination (“pivot!”) and anticipation of near-future events (moving other furniture out of the way). It also required a clear, shared vision of the final goal (which room to take the couch to).

    It’s a small but satisfying example of human cooperation. But before we all get too pleased with ourselves, consider that ants – creatures with tiny brains and no capacity for speech – routinely pull off feats that rival, and sometimes exceed, our own.

    Ants routinely pull off feats that rival, and sometimes exceed, our own.
    Andre Moura/Pexels

    Understanding ant intelligence

    Earth is literally crawling with ants. Scientists estimate there are at least 20 quadrillion ants on Earth. That’s 20 followed by 15 zeros – more ants than stars in our galaxy!

    These incredible insects are amongst the most successful organisms on the planet. Part of the success comes from an ability to form complex societies, ranging from a few individuals to millions. And those societies, or colonies, are remarkably co-operative.

    Take, for example, ants’ abilities to move large food items. To do it, they mobilise teams of dozens – or even hundreds – of fellow workers. Together, they efficiently work together to transport the load back to the nest.

    Longhorn crazy ants (Paratrechina longicornis) are even known to clear debris from a path before a heavy object arrives – seemingly anticipating its trajectory and preparing the way.

    One experiment pit longhorn crazy ants against humans, all tasked with moving T-shaped objects (scaled to body size) through tight spaces. In some trials, the human teams were not permitted to speak or use gestures.

    And the result? Ants performed better in larger groups compared to smaller ones, showing the clear benefits of collective action. In contrast, human performance did not improve with group size. And when communication was restricted, human performance declined as group size increased.

    All this highlights how ants rely on collective intelligence, without the need for central control or sophisticated cognition.

    Expert farmers

    Humanity’s invention of agriculture 12,000 years ago is understandably hailed as one of our greatest achievements.

    But leaf cutter ants beat us to it. These ants (from the species Atta and Acromyrmex) evolved to undertake large-scale agriculture about 55 million years ago.

    These ants cut and transport fresh leaves not to eat directly, but to feed a fungus that serves as their main food source.

    This evolutionary partnership allows the ants to feed colonies with populations in the millions.

    Remarkably, leaf cutter ants have also evolved a form of biological pest control to protect their crops from bacteria. Some worker ants patrol the gardens, detecting infected sections of the fungus. Then they apply antibiotics produced by bacteria that live on their bodies.

    What’s more, many ant species farm aphids and other sap-sucking insects.

    As these farmed insects feed on plant sap, they excrete a sugary liquid the ants eagerly collect. In return, ants serve as bodyguards, defending their tiny livestock from predators such as ladybirds and lacewings.

    In some species, queen ants gently carry sap-sucking insects in their jaws as they fly off to start new colonies. Fossilised ants preserved in amber suggest this behaviour evolved up to 20 million years ago, long before humans domesticated animals.

    Ant medicine

    Medical care may seem like a distinctly human innovation. But several ant species have evolved sophisticated ways to treat injuries.

    When a Florida carpenter ant (Camponotus floridanus) is injured during a battle between colonies, its nest-mates will amputate a damaged limb to prevent infection from spreading. Ants receiving this battlefield care are more likely to survive than ants left untreated.

    Some ants can also detect infection and treat infected wounds by cleaning them and applying antimicrobial secretions from specialised glands.

    Master builders

    Some ant species are known to literally put their bodies on the line for the colony.

    Army ants (Eciton burchellii) join their bodies together to form structures. These include bridges across gaps on the forest floor, and “scaffolds” across steep terrain to prevent other ants from slipping.

    Even the nest is made of hundreds of thousands of ants joined together, complete with tunnels and chambers housing the larvae and the queen. The entire structure is packed up and rebuilt each day, after the colony emigrates a few hundred metres into the forest.

    Army ants join their bodies together to form structures.
    Smartse/Wikimedia, CC BY

    Weaver ants (Oecophylla smaragdina), meanwhile, self-assemble into rope ladders to span vertical gaps.

    They also form a line of workers that pull leaves together in treetops to form nests. Once the leaves are winched into place, other ants arrive with ant larvae in their jaws. Each larva produces a tiny blob of silk which the ants use to glue the leaves together.

    Fire ants (Solenopsis invicta), a major pest species, owes its invasive success partly to a unique method of dispersal.

    When their underground nests are flooded by rain, the ants join together into a huge raft which floats on a layer of buoyant larvae. These rafts can ride floodwaters in safety for hundreds of kilometres, until the ants reach dry land.

    When their nests are flooded, fire ants join together into a huge raft.
    TheCoz/Wikimedia, CC BY

    Lessons for humanity?

    Humans rightly take pride in our greatest achievements – agriculture, medicine, engineering and building civilisations. But remarkably, ants mastered these innovations millions of years before we did.

    Ants may be tiny – but by working together they can build complex societies and solve many problems. They might even teach humans a thing or two.

    Tanya Latty co-founded and volunteers for conservation organisation Invertebrates Australia, is former president of the Australasian Society for the Study of Animal Behaviour and is on the education committee for the Australian Entomological Society. She receives funding from the Australian Research Council, NSW Saving our Species, and Agrifutures Australia

    Chris R. Reid receives funding from the Australian Research Council and Macquarie University. He is secretary of the Australasian Society for the Study of Animal Behaviour and is on the education committee for the Australasian Entomological Society.

    – ref. Hold up, humans. Ants figured out medicine, farming and engineering long before we did – https://theconversation.com/hold-up-humans-ants-figured-out-medicine-farming-and-engineering-long-before-we-did-258922

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Is spinal cord stimulation safe? Does it work? Here’s what you need to know if you have back pain

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Caitlin Jones, Postdoctoral Research Associate in Musculoskeletal Health, University of Sydney

    AsiaVision/Getty

    Spinal cord stimulators are electrical devices that are surgically implanted in the body to treat long-term pain. They have a battery pack and leads that deliver electrical impulses directly to the spinal cord. The devices are thought to work by providing electrical impulses that interfere with how the brain senses pain.

    Spinal cord stimulators are mainly used to treat chronic back pain, especially when other less invasive treatments have not worked. They also aim to reduce people’s reliance on risky pain medicines. These include opioids, which research shows are ineffective and harmful for low-back pain.

    But research, including our own, shows spinal cord stimulators work no better than a placebo. And they can also carry risks.

    Do they work?

    In a 2023 Cochrane review, researchers reviewed data from 13 randomised controlled trials on low-back pain and found no benefits in the short and medium term. These international reviews draw together the most robust evidence to provide a detailed summary of what we know on a particular topic.

    Only one of the trials in the review tested efficacy in the longer term (six months). That trial found no benefits of spinal cord stimulation.

    An earlier Cochrane review looked at the evidence of spinal cord stimulation for chronic pain in general, including for neck pain. Reviewers looked at 15 randomised controlled trials and couldn’t be certain about its benefits, largely due to the quality and reliability of the available trials.

    Are there side effects?

    Aside from disappointing results for pain relief, there are risks and side effects to consider.

    We co-authored an analysis of 520 adverse events reported to Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). We found 79% of reported events were rated as severe, with 13% life-threatening. The same research found 80% of events required surgery to correct.

    Our recent analysis in the Medical Journal of Australia looked at data from private health insurers. These cover 90% of spinal cord stimulation implants in Australia. Five major insurers, which covered 76% of privately insured people, contributed de-identified data.

    We found about one-quarter of people who had a spinal cord stimulator implanted needed corrective surgery afterwards. These surgeries occurred within a median of about 17 months. This indicates these surgeries are not routine or expected interventions, such as to replace batteries, which are meant to last five to ten years.

    Our previous research shows the sorts of reasons for corrective surgery. These include to replace a malfunctioning device, or the person was in more pain, had an infection, or a puncture of the delicate tissues covering the spinal cord.

    However, even our latest findings are likely to underestimate the risk of these devices.

    Sometimes the lead delivering the electrical current moves away from the spinal cord to elsewhere in the body. This requires surgery to reposition the lead, but does not necessarily require new hardware, such as a brand new lead. So this type of corrective surgery is not counted in the data from the private health insurance companies.

    How much does it cost?

    We found spinal cord stimulators cost about A$55,000 per patient, including the device, its insertion, and managing any associated additional surgeries.

    For people who only had a “trial” – where the leads are implanted temporarily but the battery pack remains outside the body – this cost was about $14,000 per patient.

    These figures do not include any out-of-pocket costs.

    What do regulators say about the devices?

    In 2022 the TGA began a review of spinal cord stimulators on the market because of safety and performance concerns.

    As a result, several devices were removed from the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods – that is, they were banned from use in Australia, but existing stock could still be used.

    The rest of the devices had conditions imposed, such as the manufacturers being required to collect and report safety data to the TGA at regular time points.

    Should I do my own online research?

    Yes, but be careful. Unfortunately not all online information about spinal cord stimulators is correct.

    Look for sites independent of those who manufacture or implant these devices.

    Government agencies, health departments and universities that have no financial interests in this area may be a better option.

    The Cochrane Library is also a reliable and independent source for trustworthy health information.

    What shall I ask my doctor?

    The Australian health department provides useful advice for consumers about medical implants.

    It says medical implants “are considered higher-risk therapeutic goods, and the decision to get one should not be taken lightly”. It recommends asking your health professional these questions:

    • do I really need this medical implant?

    • what are the risks/benefits?

    • is the medical implant approved?

    • where can I get more information?

    • what happens if I experience an adverse event?

    What else could I do for my back pain?

    There are other treatment options that are effective and have fewer risks than spinal cord stimulation.

    For example, education about how to manage your pain yourself, exercise, cognitive behavioural therapy (a type of psychological therapy), and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medicines (such as ibuprofen) all have solid evidence to back them. All offer benefits that are not outweighed by their potential risks.

    Australian research has shown other types of therapy – such as sensorimotor retraining and cognitive functional therapy – are also effective. You can discuss these and other options with your health professional.

    Spinal cord stimulation is a good example of a treatment that got ahead of the evidence. Although the devices have been around since the 1960s, we’ve only had reliable trials to test whether they work in recent years.

    Everyone wants to find ways to help people with chronic pain, but we must ensure medical care is grounded in reliable science.

    Christopher Maher holds a research fellowship funded by the National Health and Medical Research Council.

    Caitlin Jones 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. Is spinal cord stimulation safe? Does it work? Here’s what you need to know if you have back pain – https://theconversation.com/is-spinal-cord-stimulation-safe-does-it-work-heres-what-you-need-to-know-if-you-have-back-pain-261364

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Federal election feel like ages ago? Parliament is now back. Here’s your political refresher

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jill Sheppard, Senior Lecturer, School of Politics and International Relations, Australian National University

    Tracey Nearmy/Getty

    Despite many pre-election predictions, the 48th Australian parliament looks quite similar to the 47th. The Labor Party has greater representation than before: 94 Members of the House of Representatives (up from 77) and 29 Senators (up from 26).

    The Coalition’s numbers were famously smashed at the election, and will be represented by 43 Members and 27 Senators.

    Despite the landslide electoral victory, Labor’s parliamentary position is not materially improved. It retains a majority in the House of Representatives, but Prime Minister Anthony Albanese faces the problem of finding jobs to keep such a large backbench occupied. Restless politicians reliably create havoc for their leaders (just ask Keir Starmer).

    In the Senate, Labor has more possible paths to a majority, but none is particularly pretty. Pre-election, the government required 12 additional senators to support its legislation. Often this support came from the Coalition, with the crossbench bypassed entirely, as in the case of political donation reforms.

    Other reforms, including workplace relations, were passed by a combination of Greens and independent senators.

    Labor can achieve a majority (38 votes) in the new Senate by negotiating with either the Greens or the Coalition. If neither is forthcoming, Labor can then turn to a disparate group of crossbenchers: four One Nation Senators, plus Fatima Payman, Jacqui Lambie, Ralph Babet and David Pocock.



    Read more:
    Grattan on Friday: New parliament presents traps for Albanese and Ley

    Clearing the decks

    How the new Senate configuration affects Labor’s legislative agenda depends on what exactly that agenda looks like.

    Labor went into the 47th parliament emphasising the Voice referendum, COVID and rising inflation.

    At the end of that term, ten bills were listed for debate but were “timed out” by the constitutional requirement to hold an election.

    The most controversial of these is the proposal to add a new 15% tax on superannuation balances of more than $3 million. The Greens, under previous leader Adam Bandt, promised to support the bill in 2023 pending the government extending superannuation to paid parental leave (which was legislated in 2024 and came into effect on July 1 2025).



    Read more:
    Actually, Gen Z stand to be the biggest winners from the new $3 million super tax

    The Greens continue to support the tax proposal in principle, but want the threshold lowered to $2 million.

    One Nation is strongly opposed. The Coalition has expressed willingness to negotiate on the condition that unrealised gains are exempt from valuations.

    The government has also proposed cutting the number of overseas students at Australian universities, ostensibly due to concerns over exploitation of the student visa program. The Greens have called the proposal “disastrous for tertiary education”.

    Pocock and the Coalition have both called for key changes to the bill. Their primary concerns are about a ministerial power to decide appropriate student numbers without parliamentary approval.

    Despite opposing the bill for different reasons, the Greens and Coalition were willing to team up against the government – perhaps foreshadowing strategy in the new parliament.

    What’s on the horizon?

    Labor announced just 15 specific policy proposals before the election. Only two costed promises are registered with the Parliamentary Budget Office. This gives Labor a free hand to determine its policy agenda in the 48th parliament.

    Right out of the gate, the government promised to cut HECS debt by 20%. Given the Greens would wipe all current HECS debt, they seem likely to wave this through the Senate.

    Treasurer Jim Chalmers has since declared that while “the first term was primarily inflation without forgetting productivity, the second term will be primarily productivity without forgetting inflation”.

    In search of new thinking, the government has announced an economic reform roundtable comprising government, business and experts, and covering economic resilience, skills, new technologies, healthcare reform and clean energy.

    Productivity is notoriously difficult to measure and improve. Whether policies arising from the roundtable will pass the parliament remains to be seen.

    However, the government’s invitation to Shadow Treasurer Ted O’Brien was accompanied with commentary that Chalmers does not believe O’Brien or his leader Sussan Ley are “by their nature constructive, collaborative types”.

    Other election policies should be legislated with ease. The Coalition has already supported purchasing the Port of Darwin, promised instant asset write-offs for small business, and pledged to match Labor’s Medicare spending dollar for dollar.

    The Coalition is also likely to support new fast-track training for 6,000 tradies.

    The Greens will likely support pro-worker reforms. These include legislated weekend penalty rates and new mental health spending.

    In general, the government’s stated agenda is incremental and should be achievable in this parliament. If the Greens won’t play ball, the Coalition will be waiting in line.

    This will probably lead to quixotic policymaking as Labor bounces between two ideologically opposed partners.

    Elsewhere, as in the case of the government’s post-election approval of new licences for gas extraction, policy can happen without parliamentary approval at all.

    In such cases, meaningful opposition will come from the cross- and backbenches, full of politicians eager to make a name for themselves.

    Jill Sheppard receives funding from the Australian Research Council. She worked as an adviser to Coalition parliamentarians between 2003 and 2007.

    Patrick Leslie receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. Federal election feel like ages ago? Parliament is now back. Here’s your political refresher – https://theconversation.com/federal-election-feel-like-ages-ago-parliament-is-now-back-heres-your-political-refresher-261360

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: President Trump Marks Six Months in Office with Historic Successes

    Source: US Whitehouse

    Today, President Donald J. Trump celebrates the most successful first six months in office for any President in modern American history.

    • Congress passed the One Big Beautiful Bill, thereby delivering the largest tax cut in American history, increasing Americans’ take-home pay by as much as $13,300, and terminating benefits for at least 1.4 million illegal immigrants who were gaming the system.
    • Congress passed President Trump’s historic rescissions package, which will save taxpayers $9 billion in wasteful, politically-motivated funding for leftwing foreign aid scams and biased NPR and PBS.
    • The wholesale price of a dozen eggs is down 53%, or $3.09, since the inauguration and is down 62%, or $5.08, from its March peak.
    • The U.S. economy has now added a net of 671,000 jobs since January 2025, with jobs numbers beating expectations four months in a row. Native-born workers have accounted for all job gains, with native-born employment increasing 2,079,000 while foreign-born employment has fallen 543,000.
    • U.S. Customs and Border Patrol encountered just 6,070 illegal immigrants at the southern border in June — setting a new record low (15% lower than the previous record set in March). Additionally, zero illegal immigrants were released into the U.S. on parole in June, compared to 27,766 a year prior.
    • The administration has ramped up deportations, breaking a record for the number of deportation flights in a month in June. President Trump’s self-deportation push has also been a massive success. Additionally, over 600 known and suspected terrorists have been removed from the United States.
    • At President Trump’s direction, U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement has arrested over 100,000 illegal alien criminals, including over 2,700 members of the vicious Tren de Aragua gang.
    • Following President Trump’s declaration of an energy emergency, the U.S. has reached its fastest rate of new oil and gas drilling permits in years, exceeding the Biden administration by 44%.
    • Since President Trump took office, core inflation has tracked at just 2.1% — levels not seen since the first Trump Administration, when prices were low and stable — and has come in below or at economists’ expectations every single month. Meanwhile, wholesale inflation remained flat in June, while import prices came in far below expectations.
    • Summer gas prices reached their lowest point since 2021, and, inflation-adjusted, are near a 20-year low.
    • President Trump’s deregulatory efforts have already saved Americans over $180 billion, or $2,100 per family of four, with the rollback of automobile-related rules alone expected to save consumers more than $1.1 trillion.
    • President Trump secured a historic agreement for NATO members to raise defense spending to 5% of GDP – a foreign policy feat long thought impossible.
    • Under President Trump’s strong and decisive leadership, the U.S. obliterated Iran’s nuclear program.
    • President Trump secured ceasefires between India and Pakistan and Israel and Iran, a peace agreement between Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo, and a pathway to stability for Syria.
    • As a result of his historic peacemaking efforts, President Trump has already received three Nobel Peace Prize nominations since returning to office.
    • In May, blue-collar wage growth saw its largest increase in nearly 60 years since President Trump’s return to office.
    • Companies and foreign governments have pledged over $7.6 trillion in investments into the U.S.
    • The U.S. Treasury has taken in nearly $90 billion in tariff duties since January 2025, with the agency posting a record $27.2 billion surplus in June – the first June surplus since 2005.
    • President Trump has once again proved to be the Dealmaker-in-Chief, inking a minerals deal with Ukraine, a $14 billion “perpetual Golden Share” sale of U.S. Steel, and trade deals with the United Kingdom, China, and Indonesia.
    • President Trump has signed over 170 executive orders, delivering on key campaign promises such as closing the border, protecting children from chemical and surgical mutilation, removing men from women’s sports, unleashing American energy, ending federal censorship, ending the radical indoctrination in K-12 schooling, and ending radical and wasteful government DEI programs and preferencing.
    • The S&P 500 and Nasdaq market indices have reached multiple record highs.
    • The Supreme Court consistently bolstered the Trump administration’s agenda, blocking activist judges from issuing nationwide injunctions, permitting “third-country deportations,” greenlighting the revocation of temporary protected status (TPS) from more than 500,000 migrants and approving efforts to shrink the federal bureaucracy.
    • President Trump signed several pieces of landmark legislation, including the Genius Act, the Halt Fentanyl Act, the Laken Riley Act, and the Take It Down Act.
    • The U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force and Space Force all reached their recruitment goals months in advance.
    • The Trump administration has made incredible strides in its effort to Make America Healthy Again, with roughly 35% of the American food industry making a commitment to eliminate the use of artificial dyes, including Hershey, Consumer Brands and dozens of ice cream companies representing more than 90% of the ice cream volume sold in the U.S.
    • President Trump has ensured U.S. benefit programs serve U.S. citizens, with the administration now having protected more than $40 billion in benefit programs from illegal aliens since POTUS signed an Executive Order in February “Ending Taxpayer Subsidization of Open Borders.”
    • President Trump inked an agreement to provide billions of dollars of military equipment to Ukraine, with NATO footing the bill.
    • President Trump has cracked down on international cartels, designating eight Latin American cartels as terrorist groups, including Tren de Aragua, MS-13 and the Sinaloa Cartel.
    • President Trump has solidified the U.S.’s position as the world leader in artificial intelligence, attracting north of $1 trillion in AI investment, including $90 billion in groundbreaking AI and energy investments in Pennsylvania.
    • The U.S. is on track for its lowest murder rate on record following President Trump’s reinstatement of law and order.
    • Following President Trump’s February executive order, universities and school systems have stopped allowing men in women’s sports, including the University of Pennsylvania, the Virginia High School League and the University of Maine System.
    • Hospitals and hospital systems across the country have halted so-called “gender-affirming care” for minors following President Trump’s executive order “protecting children from chemical and surgical mutilation.”
    • In his first six months, President Trump has met with 23 foreign leaders, including three visits from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as two visits from the NATO Secretary General — compared to thirteen foreign leaders and the UN Secretary General, the NATO Secretary General, and the Chinese Foreign Minister for Obama and just five in-person visits for Biden. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: IGBST Public Notifications and Resources

    Source: US Geological Survey

    IGBST Public Notifications and Resources

    As part of ongoing efforts required under the Yellowstone Grizzly Bear Conservation Strategy to monitor the population of grizzly bears in the Yellowstone Ecosystem, the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team (IGBST) captures and monitors grizzly bears for research and monitoring purposes. Here you will find capture notifications for the current field season.

    Capture operations can include a variety of activities such as baiting and trapping, but all areas where work is being conducted will have major access points marked with warning signs. Specific bait or capture sites will have closure signs in the immediate vicinity. It is critical that all members of the public heed these signs.

    As part of the IGBST Public Notification and Signing Protocol, the Grizzly Bear Capture Hotline was developed to assist in notification of IGBST trapping operations, as well as serve as a public outreach tool for those with questions pertaining to IGBST capture operations.

    NOTE: State and federal wildlife managers capture bears for both management and research purposes. For questions pertaining to non IGBST bear capture activity, please call state and federal wildlife management officials directly. 

    For more information about IGBST capture operations, call the IGBST hotline at 406-994-6675

    Bear Capture Announcements

    Back to the Interagency Grizzly Bear Study Team website

    Back to NOROCK

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Six Months of Keeping America Safe Under President Trump and Secretary Noem

    Source: US Department of Homeland Security

    DHS has accomplished more in six months than most Administrations achieve in an entire term

    WASHINGTON – In just six months, President Trump and Secretary Noem have delivered the American people a long list of victories in their mission to secure the homeland and Make America Safe Again. 

    Under their leadership, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has closed the southern border, removed violent criminal illegal aliens, restored law and order to our immigration system, supported Americans in times of crisis, revolutionized our Coast Guard to meet the challenges of the 21st Century, and kept Americans safe. 

    Secured the Southern Border 

    • On day one, President Trump declared a national emergency at the southern border.    
    • President Trump immediately reinstated “Remain in Mexico” and ended catch-and-release.  
    • Daily border encounters have plunged by 93% since President Trump took office.
    • Under President Trump’s leadership, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) has located over 10,000 unaccompanied children.
    • Migrants are turning BACK before they even reach our border— migration through Panama’s Darien Gap is down 99%.
    • President Trump—with $46.5 billion from the Big Beautiful Bill—is finishing the border wall. DHS already has more than 85 miles either planned or under construction with funding from the prior year, in addition to hundreds of miles that are now planned to be funded by the bill. President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill also includes over $5 billion for new technology and border surveillance.
    • With the Big Beautiful Bill, CBP will get the resources they need to keep America safe, including $4.1 billion to hire additional personnel, including 5,000 more customs officers and 3,000 new Border Patrol agents.
    • In June, Customs and Border Protection (CBP) had the lowest number of nationwide encounters in CBP history at 25,228.
    • The number of nationwide apprehensions in June was also a historic low of just 8,024.   
    • Notably, on June 28, Border Patrol recorded only 136 apprehensions across the entire Southwest Border—the lowest single-day total in agency history.
    • And in both May and June, U.S. Border Patrol reported zero parole releases—reinforcing the Administration’s commitment to ending catch-and-release policies.   

    Removed the Worst of the Worst Illegal Aliens  

    • The Trump Administration empowered our brave men and women in law enforcement to use common sense to do their jobs effectively. 
    • DHS returned to using the term “illegal alien” which is the statutory language. President Trump will not allow political correctness to hinder law enforcement. 
    • The Trump administration has arrested more than 300,000 illegal aliens in 2025 alone.
    • 70% of ICE arrests are criminal illegal aliens with criminal charges or convictions.     
    • The Big Beautiful Bill will allow ICE to arrest and remove even more criminal aliens by providing $14.4 billion for removals, 10,000 new ICE agents, 80,000 new ICE beds, and a $10,000 signing bonus for new ICE agents. This will help ICE achieve as many as 1 million deportations per year.
    • As part of 287(g), DHS partnered with the State of Florida and opened Alligator Alcatraz, giving the Trump administration the capability to lock up some of the worst scumbags who entered the country illegally under the previous administration. The new facility expands facility and bed space by the thousands.
    • Operation Tidal Wave, the first 287(g) enforcement operation coordinated with state and federal law enforcement partners, resulted in over 800 arrests.
    • President Trump and Secretary Noem are empowering state and local law enforcement to get these criminal illegal aliens off our streets. DHS has secured more than 800 signed agreements with state and local partnerships under 287(g).    
    • At the direction of President Trump, CBP and ICE began widescale immigration enforcement operations in sanctuary city Los Angeles and southern California. The month-long operation resulted in arresting some of the worst of the worst criminal illegal aliens.
    • In July, federal law enforcement officers executed criminal warrant operations at marijuana grow sites in Carpinteria and Camarillo. At least 14 migrant children have been rescued from potential exploitation, forced labor and human trafficking. Federal officers also arrested at least 361 illegal aliens from both sites in Carpinteria and Camarillo.
    • After weeks of delays by activist judges, the Department of Homeland Security finally deported eight barbaric, violent criminal illegal aliens to South Sudan.    

    Delivering Justice for Victims of Illegal Immigration  

    • President Trump and Secretary Noem reopened the Victims of Immigration Crime Engagement (VOICE) office, which was shuttered by the Biden Administration. President Trump and Secretary Noem are standing up for the victims of illegal alien crime and ensuring they have access to much needed resources and support they deserve.    

    Incentivizing Historic Self-Deportations 

    • President Trump ended the CBP One app that allowed more than one million aliens to illegally enter the U.S. The Trump Administration replaced this disastrous program with the CBP Home app, which has a new self-deportation reporting feature for aliens illegally in the country.
    • President Trump launched Project Homecoming through a presidential EO. The United States is also offering any illegal alien who uses the CBP Home App a stipend of $1,000 dollars, paid after their return to their home country has been confirmed through the app. So far, tens of thousands of illegal aliens have used the app to self-deport.  
    • In addition to offering CBP Home, DHS announced illegal aliens who self-deport through the app will receive forgiveness of any civil fines or penalties for failing to depart the United States. DHS also made CBP Home more user friendly by eliminating certain steps and making it easier than ever for illegal aliens to self-deport.
    • DHS and DOJ are enforcing our immigration laws and fining illegal aliens who do not depart when they are supposed to. So far, nearly 10,000 fine notices have been issued by ICE.  

    Restoring Common Sense to America’s Legal Immigration System 

    • President Trump ended the broad abuse of humanitarian parole and returned the program to a case-by-case basis. As part of this effort, Secretary Noem terminated the Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua, and Venezuela parole programs.
    • Following victory at the U.S. Supreme Court, DHS began sending termination notices in June, informing the illegal aliens both their parole is terminated, and their parole-based employment authorization is revoked – effective immediately.
    • DHS has returned the Temporary Protected Status immigration program to its original status: temporary. No longer will this program be abused and exploited by illegal aliens. Secretary Noem rescinded the previous administration’s extension of Venezuelan, Haitian, Nicaraguan, Honduran, and Afghan TPS.
    • Secretary Noem terminated Harvard University’s Student and Exchange Visitor Program (SEVP) certification—meaning Harvard can no longer enroll foreign students and existing foreign students must transfer or lose their legal status—for fostering violence, antisemitism, and coordinating with the Chinese Communist Party.
    • It is a privilege, not a right, for universities to enroll foreign students and benefit from higher tuition to help pad their multibillion-dollar endowments. Harvard University repeatedly abused this privilege and even stonewalled DHS’s request for information.   

    Initiating a Golden Age in American Air Travel 

    • Secretary Noem terminated the politically motivated Quiet Skies Program, which since its existence has failed to stop a single terrorist attack while costing US taxpayers $200 million a year. The program, under the guise of “national security,” was used to target political opponents and benefit political allies.
    • TSA ended the “shoes-off” travel policy, allowing passengers traveling through domestic airports to keep their shoes on while passing through security screening at TSA checkpoints. This change will drastically decrease passenger wait times at our TSA checkpoints, leading to a more pleasant and efficient passenger experience.
    • The Trump administration fully implemented REAL ID enforcement measures nationwide—a law signed 20 years ago. REAL ID helps ensure that travelers are who they say they are and prevents fraud by criminals, terrorists, and illegal aliens. Most travelers have not even noticed a difference because nearly 94% of travelers are already REAL ID compliant.
    • Secretary Noem ended collective bargaining for the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) Transportation Security Officers, which constrained TSA’s chief mission to safeguard our transportation systems.  

    Fixing Disaster Relief for the 21st Century 

    • The Federal Emergency Management Agency is now shifting from bloated, DC-centric dead weight to a lean, deployable disaster force that empowers state actors to provide relief for their citizens. The old processes are being replaced because they failed Americans in real emergencies for decades.
    • President Trump has established the FEMA Review Council to provide recommendations on how to best conduct disaster relief at the federal level. 
    • Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, the FEMA Review Council is developing a comprehensive plan for necessary change.
    • DHS has empowered state and local governments to lead disaster relief efforts without interference from the federal government.  

    Provided Rapid and Effective Support to Flood Victims in Texas 

    • Within moments of the flooding in Texas, DHS assets, including the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG), CBP Border Search, CBP BORSTAR, and FEMA personnel surged into unprecedented action alongside Texas first responders for search and rescue operations.
    • FEMA deployed 311 staffers delivering critical intelligence, aerial imagery, and shelter for 171 survivors.
    • Combined state and federal rescue efforts evacuated and rescued over 1,500 people.   

    Getting CISA Back on Mission 

    • Under the Biden Administration, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA) censored free speech and targeted Americans.
    • Under President Trump’s direction, DHS closed CISA’s politically weaponized offices and fired those responsible for abusing their power.
    • CISA is now back on-mission: Protecting Americans and critical infrastructure from cyberthreats.
    • CISA is shifting away from an all-hazards approach to a risk-informed approach, prioritizing resilience and action over mere information sharing. 
    • CISA personnel are deployed across 10 regions in support of all 56 states/territories. 
    • CISA is also on the front lines of defending America from cyberattacks. 
    • CISA partnered with the FBI and NSA to ensure state and local governments have information and resources necessary for protection.
    • CISA is also providing security support for next year’s FIFA World Cup.
    • Secretary Noem discontinued the Critical Infrastructure Partnership Advisory Council (CIPAC) as a part of the implementation of President Trump’s Executive Order 14217, Commencing the Reduction of the Federal Bureaucracy, and removed members of the Cyber Safety Review Board (CSRB), which CISA oversees.  

    Revolutionizing the Coast Guard 

    • When President Trump came back into office, the Coast Guard faced its greatest readiness crisis since World War II because the Biden Administration left it underfunded and neglected.
    • President Trump’s order to surge Coast Guard assets to our maritime border changed the game.
    • In the first few months of the Trump Administration, the Coast Guard seized more cocaine and other illegal drugs than during the entirety of 2024.
    • For the first time in years, the Coast Guard expects to exceed its recruiting goals.
    • In Fiscal Year 2025, the Coast Guard has brought in more than 4,250 recruits – 1,200 more than the same time last year.
    • That’s 108% over the goal.
    • Under Biden, the Coast Guard fell short of its recruiting goals four years straight.
    • Under President Trump and Secretary Noem, the Coast Guard is unleashing “Force Design 2028,” a revolutionary new blueprint that will make the Coast Guard more agile, more capable, and more responsive than ever before.  

    Standing up for the American taxpayer 

    • The United States Coast Guard (USCG) eliminated an ineffective information technology (IT) program, saving nearly $33 million, and is now focusing resources where they’re most needed to protect our homeland. 
    • USCG partially terminated a wasteful Offshore Patrol Cutter (OPC) contract with Eastern Shipbuilding Group (ESG), which has been slow to deliver four OPCs, harming U.S. defense capabilities.
    • The Trump Administration stopped aliens on the Terror Watchlist from receiving Medicaid benefits.     
    • Secretary Noem cancelled CISA’s expensive headquarters project, saving taxpayers over half a billion dollars.  

    To stop policies that were magnets for illegal immigration, DHS froze all funding to non-governmental organizations that facilitate illegal immigration and announced a partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to ensure taxpayer dollars do not go to housing illegal aliens. 

    ###  

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI: AIXA Miner Advances Scalable Cloud Mining Solutions as Institutional Blockchain Demand Grows

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Denver, Colorado, July 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  As the global cryptocurrency infrastructure continues to mature, a growing divide has emerged between large-scale institutional blockchain adoption and the accessibility of underlying mining technologies. In response, leading cloud mining platforms are rethinking how to scale operations while maintaining inclusivity for a broader range of users.

    AIXA Miner, a U.S.-based cloud mining operator, recently announced infrastructure updates aimed at addressing this industry-wide challenge—developments that coincide with a renewed wave of institutional interest in blockchain infrastructure and asset-backed mining contracts.

    According to a 2025 report by Statista, the global cloud mining market is projected to exceed $7.3 billion by 2028, driven largely by enterprise blockchain deployment and passive-income investment models. These trends are reinforcing the need for platforms that can balance regulatory compliance, high-volume hash power, and usability for both corporations and individuals.

    In a press release published on Yahoo Finance earlier this week, AIXA Miner outlined a suite of upgrades including integration with Gemini 2.5 Pro, a real-time AI engine used to optimize mining allocations based on transaction costs and network load. These updates also expanded backend support for large-scale contracts and institutional wallet integrations, timed alongside Bitcoin’s recent surge past $117,000 per coin.

    “What we’re seeing now is a convergence of interest from traditional financial firms and DeFi-native institutions. Many are looking for mining solutions that don’t require hardware investment but still offer performance transparency,” said Elina Chambers, Head of Infrastructure Strategy at AIXA Miner. “Our role is to enable that transition—without excluding individual participants who helped shape the ecosystem.”

    This development reflects a broader industry trend: decentralized infrastructure as a service. As blockchain moves beyond tokenization into supply chains, finance, and data privacy, mining operations are becoming more than just reward generators; they’re foundational compute layers. Institutional investors now demand verifiable uptime, audited compliance, and secure API access for treasury operations, all while being increasingly conscious of sustainability metrics.

    AIXA Miner’s hybrid model, combining contract-based mining for individuals with institutional-grade ASIC/GPU deployment—addresses these priorities through geographic dispersion, energy diversification, and encrypted reporting layers. Recent expansion efforts have centered on renewable-powered data centers across North America and Southeast Asia.

    While these developments are relevant to institutional actors, the company maintains that everyday users remain core to its growth strategy. The platform retains smart contract–based daily payout structures and entry-level plans starting at $100, even as it integrates enterprise wallet compatibility and third-party custodial options.

    From a regulatory standpoint, AIXA’s infrastructure roadmap also appears aligned with the sector’s current direction. In June 2025, the company completed an external audit of its asset verification and system redundancies, a move increasingly expected of platforms serving institutional clients.

    Industry experts note that such dual-tier strategies are likely to become more common as cloud mining seeks to reposition itself from a speculative income source to a standardized financial product. “As cloud mining matures, platforms will need to meet very different requirements on the retail and institutional ends of the spectrum,” said Dr. Lena Moore, a blockchain infrastructure researcher at the University of California. “Scalability will no longer just mean processing power, it will mean operational flexibility, risk mitigation, and reporting transparency.”

    That shift is underscored by developments elsewhere in the crypto sector. In Q2 2025, several exchanges expanded their DeFi analytics platforms to support mining-related metrics, indicating that mining is being folded into broader asset evaluation strategies. Similarly, asset managers are increasingly allocating to mining-yield derivatives and tokenised staking products mechanisms that parallel traditional bond structures.

    In this context, AIXA Miner’s recent platform adaptations represent a relevant case study in the evolution of cloud mining from a niche service into an enterprise-aligned infrastructure solution. Whether the future of mining lies in AI-optimized routing, renewable capacity expansions, or smart wallet integrations, one reality is becoming clear: cloud mining is no longer solely the domain of crypto-native retail users.

    Instead, it is emerging as a structural component of blockchain’s institutional future—one that demands both scale and accessibility in equal measure.

    Media Contact:
    PR Division
    info@aixaminer.com
    https://aixaminer.com

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: AIXA Miner Advances Scalable Cloud Mining Solutions as Institutional Blockchain Demand Grows

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Denver, Colorado, July 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  As the global cryptocurrency infrastructure continues to mature, a growing divide has emerged between large-scale institutional blockchain adoption and the accessibility of underlying mining technologies. In response, leading cloud mining platforms are rethinking how to scale operations while maintaining inclusivity for a broader range of users.

    AIXA Miner, a U.S.-based cloud mining operator, recently announced infrastructure updates aimed at addressing this industry-wide challenge—developments that coincide with a renewed wave of institutional interest in blockchain infrastructure and asset-backed mining contracts.

    According to a 2025 report by Statista, the global cloud mining market is projected to exceed $7.3 billion by 2028, driven largely by enterprise blockchain deployment and passive-income investment models. These trends are reinforcing the need for platforms that can balance regulatory compliance, high-volume hash power, and usability for both corporations and individuals.

    In a press release published on Yahoo Finance earlier this week, AIXA Miner outlined a suite of upgrades including integration with Gemini 2.5 Pro, a real-time AI engine used to optimize mining allocations based on transaction costs and network load. These updates also expanded backend support for large-scale contracts and institutional wallet integrations, timed alongside Bitcoin’s recent surge past $117,000 per coin.

    “What we’re seeing now is a convergence of interest from traditional financial firms and DeFi-native institutions. Many are looking for mining solutions that don’t require hardware investment but still offer performance transparency,” said Elina Chambers, Head of Infrastructure Strategy at AIXA Miner. “Our role is to enable that transition—without excluding individual participants who helped shape the ecosystem.”

    This development reflects a broader industry trend: decentralized infrastructure as a service. As blockchain moves beyond tokenization into supply chains, finance, and data privacy, mining operations are becoming more than just reward generators; they’re foundational compute layers. Institutional investors now demand verifiable uptime, audited compliance, and secure API access for treasury operations, all while being increasingly conscious of sustainability metrics.

    AIXA Miner’s hybrid model, combining contract-based mining for individuals with institutional-grade ASIC/GPU deployment—addresses these priorities through geographic dispersion, energy diversification, and encrypted reporting layers. Recent expansion efforts have centered on renewable-powered data centers across North America and Southeast Asia.

    While these developments are relevant to institutional actors, the company maintains that everyday users remain core to its growth strategy. The platform retains smart contract–based daily payout structures and entry-level plans starting at $100, even as it integrates enterprise wallet compatibility and third-party custodial options.

    From a regulatory standpoint, AIXA’s infrastructure roadmap also appears aligned with the sector’s current direction. In June 2025, the company completed an external audit of its asset verification and system redundancies, a move increasingly expected of platforms serving institutional clients.

    Industry experts note that such dual-tier strategies are likely to become more common as cloud mining seeks to reposition itself from a speculative income source to a standardized financial product. “As cloud mining matures, platforms will need to meet very different requirements on the retail and institutional ends of the spectrum,” said Dr. Lena Moore, a blockchain infrastructure researcher at the University of California. “Scalability will no longer just mean processing power, it will mean operational flexibility, risk mitigation, and reporting transparency.”

    That shift is underscored by developments elsewhere in the crypto sector. In Q2 2025, several exchanges expanded their DeFi analytics platforms to support mining-related metrics, indicating that mining is being folded into broader asset evaluation strategies. Similarly, asset managers are increasingly allocating to mining-yield derivatives and tokenised staking products mechanisms that parallel traditional bond structures.

    In this context, AIXA Miner’s recent platform adaptations represent a relevant case study in the evolution of cloud mining from a niche service into an enterprise-aligned infrastructure solution. Whether the future of mining lies in AI-optimized routing, renewable capacity expansions, or smart wallet integrations, one reality is becoming clear: cloud mining is no longer solely the domain of crypto-native retail users.

    Instead, it is emerging as a structural component of blockchain’s institutional future—one that demands both scale and accessibility in equal measure.

    Media Contact:
    PR Division
    info@aixaminer.com
    https://aixaminer.com

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Gauteng education online admissions to get underway  

    Source: Government of South Africa

    Parents and guardians have been reminded that the Gauteng Department of Education’s (GDE) 2026 Online Admissions Application period for Grades 1 and 8 will open in the new week.

    The admission system is only meant for parents and guardians with children going to Grade 1 and/or Grade 8 in 2026. It will go on live on Thursday, 24 July 2026, at 8am for Grade 1 and 8 applications.

    “Parents with children that are currently in Grade R must also apply online for their children to be admitted to Grade 1 for 2026 in line with Admissions Regulations. There is no automatic placement from Grade R to Grade 1. Applications to all other grades must be made directly at your desired school(s) in your immediate area,” Gauteng MEC for Education, Matome Chiloane said at a media briefing on Sunday.

    All parents need to register new profiles, old profiles and previous login details will not work.

    After registering on www.gdeadmissions.gov.za, the system will prompt parents to create login credentials (username and password).

    “Parents must keep these credentials safe as they will use them to access the Online Admissions System, and view and manage their profile and application details.

    “Parents must accept the POPI [Protection of Personal Information] disclaimer, enter their correct ID number and details, and remember to read and accept the Terms and Conditions,” Chiloane advised.

    Once parents have gained access to the system, they must begin with the application process and ensure that they complete the 5 Step Application Process. 

    “It is essential for parents and guardians to fill in correct and accurate details in every step of the application process as prompted by the system. Documents must be uploaded or submitted within seven days of applying.

    “Registering a profile without completing every step of the 5 Step Application Process will result in an incomplete application and the applicant not being considered for placement,” he said.

    To receive important SMS notifications and updates regarding their application(s), applicants must provide one reliable and correct cellphone number when registering.

    “Every step of the application process will be confirmed via SMS for security and verification purposes. There will be weekly pop-up messages on the system and SMS notifications sent to registered applicants as reminders to complete their application.

    “SMS notifications will also be sent to parents to acknowledge submission and verification of documents. Therefore, parents are encouraged not to change or lose their cellphone numbers, but in unforeseen cases the department must be contacted for assistance,” the MEC explained.

    He encouraged parents to use the Home Address Within School Feeder Zone option when applying on the system to see schools with feeder zones that cover their home address.

    To increase the chances of placement closer to the parent’s home address, parents should select schools with feeder zones that cover the parent’s home address.

    When applying, parents are urged to select a minimum of three schools and a maximum of five schools.
    All schools will remain open and accessible on the system for applications during the application period.
    Closing date 

    No new applications will be accepted once the application period closes on 29 August 2025 at midnight.
    Parents are advised to not fall for scams that charge a fee to assist with applying online.

    “Bogus operators are scamming parents by falsely promising guaranteed placements in exchange for money. All scams and illegal placements must be reported to the GDE.

    “The GDE does not charge any fees for assisting parents with the application process — all official support is completely free,” the MEC emphasised.

    For more information, assistance or comments:
    •    Call 0800 000 789
    •    WhatsApp 060 891 0361 or
    •    Email: gdeinfo@gauteng.gov.za
    –SAnews.gov.za

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: President Museveni Calls for Household Census in Kampala to Refine Parish Development Model (PDM) Budgeting

    Source: APO – Report:

    .

    President Yoweri Kaguta Museveni has directed local authorities in Kampala’s five divisions to establish accurate data on the number of households within their jurisdictions to help in the equitable allocation of funds under the Parish Development Model (PDM).

    The call was made on Saturday, July 19, 2025, during his visit to Kyambogo Complex Parish in Nakawa Division, where he met with PDM beneficiaries, including a standout success story, Ms. Mbabazi Lillian.

    The President emphasized the need for a data-driven approach to planning and budgeting for the PDM program, highlighting that the uniform allocation of UGX 100 million per parish annually is insufficient for urban centers with dense populations and high demand for financial support.

    “So, this is the kibalo (calculation) I want in the town: to know how many parishes and how many homesteads are in each parish so that when we plan, we shall give over one million, plus some additional funding, based on the number of homes in that parish,” said President Museveni.

    He noted that urban parishes, like those in Kampala, are experiencing overwhelming demand for PDM funds, and the current funding structure fails to cater effectively to the high number of eligible households.

    During the meeting, President Museveni who was accompanied by the First Lady and Minister of Education and Sports, Maama Janet Kataaha Museveni, also toured the poultry enterprise of Ms. Mbabazi, a PDM beneficiary who used her UGX 1 million funding to launch a successful poultry business.

    Mbabazi initially purchased 125 broiler chicks with UGX 350,000 and invested the remaining funds in feed and poultry housing. After a month, she sold the broilers for UGX 1.5 million and reinvested in a second round, earning UGX 2.6 million. Her success did not stop there. She later bought 250 more chicks at UGX 700,000 and sold them for UGX 3.2 million. Eventually, she transitioned into layer chicken farming for egg production, purchasing chicks at UGX 6,500 each. After three months, her hens began laying, and she now collects six trays of eggs daily.

    Standing beside her husband, Mr. Samuel Rukundo, Mbabazi expressed gratitude to the President and the government for initiating the PDM.

    “Now I have some achievement because I was badly off due to COVID-19. My children now go to school, and we’re doing well. I have UGX 3 million in savings and have also started a small juice and chips business,” she said.

    Despite her success, she voiced concern over her lack of permanent land, stating that her current residence is on Kyambogo University property, which restricts her expansion.

    Moved by her story, President Museveni congratulated Mbabazi for exemplifying the benefits of PDM when effectively implemented.

    He offered her UGX 10 million to scale up her poultry business and pledged to buy her two acres of land for permanent settlement and farming.

    “When I come here and see that Rukundo and Mbabazi have implemented one of the seven items under the four-acre model, then I feel very happy,” President Museveni stated.

    Additionally, the President extended UGX 10 million in cash to each PDM beneficiary from the Kyambogo complex parish.

    President Museveni used the opportunity to reflect on Uganda’s economic transformation journey since independence. He underscored the challenge of transitioning the population from subsistence farming to a money economy, citing that in the 1960s, only 4% of households were integrated into the monetary system.

    He explained that Uganda’s traditional economy revolved around “3 Cs and 3 Ts”—cotton, copper, coffee, tobacco, tea, and tourism. While some communities, particularly in Buganda and Northern Uganda, engaged in commercial farming, the majority remained in subsistence agriculture.

    “In my district, Ntungamo, there were six shops for Indians and Arabs. But we had land, banana plantations, and cows, just for home consumption. This has been our struggle,” President Museveni said.

    To reverse this, he initiated the four-acre model, a strategic framework advocating for diversified farming focusing on items such as coffee, fruits, pasture for dairy, food crops, and backyard enterprises such as poultry, piggery, or fish farming.

    “Those who listened have moved. Masaka focused on coffee and is doing well. Poultry and dairy are also transforming lives,” he remarked.

    President Museveni narrated the historical evolution of government-led wealth creation initiatives, from the Entandikwa program through LC structures to NAADS and eventually Operation Wealth Creation (OWC). While OWC saw a marked improvement in integrating Ugandans into the money economy, reaching 61% by 2020, President Museveni expressed discontent over reports of favoritism by UPDF officers.

    “I started hearing stories that the soldiers were “baali beegabira bokka” (giving to friends and relatives), spoiling the name of the UPDF. I told them, let the army get out. Let’s give money directly to people at their parishes. If they misuse it, God is there; he will deal with them,” the President said.

    He cited the success of Mbabazi as a vindication of the shift to direct disbursement of funds under the PDM.

    Highlighting the case of Kawempe Division, President Museveni noted that with 22 parishes each receiving UGX 100 million annually, a total of UGX 6.6 billion has been injected into approximately 7,000 households over the past three years.

    “This money, if used wisely, can transform lives. You don’t need a moneylender who charges UGX 400,000 per month, UGX 5.8 million a year. With PDM, you return UGX 1 million plus UGX 120,000 interest in two years,” H.E. Museveni explained, further urging beneficiaries to understand the revolving nature of PDM and not expect lump-sum access to the fund, emphasizing that with patience, all will benefit.

    President Museveni’s visit to Kyambogo marked one of the penultimate events of his nationwide PDM sensitization tour, which has seen him crisscross the country to evaluate impact, inspire uptake, and recalibrate the program’s delivery.

    The grand finale will be held on Sunday, July 20, 2025, at Kololo Independence Grounds in Kampala, where a mega rally is expected to draw thousands of Kampala residents.

    The event in Kyambogo was also attended by key government figures, including Government Chief Whip Hon. Hamson Denis Obua, National PDM Coordinator Hon. Denis Galabuzi Ssozi, KCCA Executive Director, Hajjat Sharifah Buzeki and her deputy Mr. Benon Kigenyi, Presidential Advisors Hajjat Sarah Kanyike and Hon. Florence Nakiwala Kiyingi, among others.

    – on behalf of State House Uganda.

    MIL OSI Africa –