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Category: Education

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: expert reaction to study looking at continuous glucose monitors and measuring blood sugar levels in people without diabetes

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition looks at continuous glucose monitors in people without diabetes. 

    Dr Adam Collins, Associate Professor of Nutrition, University of Surrey, said:

    “The appeal of CGMs lies in their non-invasiveness, coupled with their ability to automatically measure glucose every 5 minutes for up to 2 weeks at a time.  This provides the user with a mass of real time data which can be informative for dietary and lifestyle changes, particularly useful on those who are diabetic.  However, this study by Prof Gonzalez and his team is highly relevant and informative given the increasing use of CGMS by healthy, non-diabetic individuals.

    “This study nicely illustrates potential issues of accuracy with CGMs.  The robustness of the study lies in its measurement of postprandial glucose excursions on multiple occasions, under standardised conditions, in a well-controlled crossover design.  By design, CGMs sample interstitial fluid, which we assume is directly reflective of blood glucose, but yet could be influenced by other factors that impact glucose movement into tissues.  In addition, there will inevitably be some time lag between blood glucose and interstitial fluid changes.  This lag could be as short as a few minutes or as long as half an hour.  Such a lag can be problematic when detecting rapid changes in blood glucose.

    “We are in the middle of a similar validation study investigating the accuracy and reliability of CGMS and have observed that discrepancies can be as high as 1-1.5mmol/L.  Such a discrepancy can be significant in those who are healthy and have normal blood glucose control, as their normal range of blood glucose is typically far smaller.  This can lead to misinterpretation and “misdiagnosis” of apparent blood glucose excursions that still remain within the boundaries of normal.  Indeed, often individuals are basing dietary and lifestyle changes on what are essentially variations of normal any way, compounded by a magnitude of error in the data itself.

    “To add to this, in our current study, we are examining an agreement between two CGM devices fitted to participants at the same time, and have observed discrepancies between devices on the same person.  For example, differences between having the device fitted on your dominant or non-dominant arm.  I would also suggest that using handheld devices for measuring capillary blood, as has been the traditional practice (and used in this AJCN study), can also be subject to error.  Similarly, we have observed discrepancies between two handheld devices measuring the same individual’s blood.

    “With all this said, I very much agree with the lead authors’ conclusions.  The use and interpretation of CGM devices in healthy individuals should be undertaken with caution.  They certainly shouldn’t be used as the sole basis for dietary changes, restrictions, or extreme lifestyle changes.”

    Dr Nicola Guess, academic dietitian and researcher specialising in the dietary prevention and management of type 2 diabetes, University of Oxford, said:

    “This was a well conducted randomised controlled trial which compared the glucose response to standard meals using two methods: a CGM (continuous glucose monitor) and capillary blood testing (“finger prick” testing) in 15 healthy males and females.  The investigators found that CGMs overestimate glucose to a clinically-relevant degree in healthy people without prediabetes or diabetes.  This means that people who have normal glucose may be led to believe they have prediabetes.

    “This is one of a growing number of studies which demonstrate how cautious we need to be when interpreting CGM data from a person without diabetes.  In this study, the CGM estimated the “time out of range” as 4-fold higher compared to the capillary value.  Other studies have found CGMs can also underestimate glucose (for example during exercise) and are particularly inaccurate when glucose concentration changes rapidly.

    “Taken together, I would advise people without diabetes using CGMs to interpret the output with a pinch of salt.”

    ‘Continuous glucose monitor overestimates glycemia, with the magnitude of bias varying by postprandial test and individual – A randomized crossover trial’ by Katie M. Hutchins et al. was published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition at 08:00 UK time on Wednesday 26 February 2025. 

    DOI: 10.1016/j.ajcnut.2025.02.024

    Declared interests

    Dr Adam Collins: “No conflict of interest.”

    Dr Nicola Guess: “No conflicts with any CMG company.  Nutrition adviser to Beyond Meat (I advise on fortification questions, ingredients etc., and have written blogs for them).  For MyFitnessPal I provide input into their behavioural programmes and have written blogs for them.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: World-first technology can see ‘previously undetectable’ cancer spread A groundbreaking new scanner developed by scientists at the University of Aberdeen could change the way breast cancer is diagnosed and treated, meaning patients could receive fewer surgeries and more individually-tailored treatments.

    Source: University of Aberdeen

    Side by side image of same breast tissue in MRI and FCI. (l) MRI image of breast with cancerous tumours circled in red (r) FCI image of same breast shows same tumour in red with secondary tumour spread in blue. Spread not visible in MRI. The patient had a mixed tumour i.e two different types of tumour and one of them is not visible in MRI.A groundbreaking new scanner developed by scientists at the University of Aberdeen could change the way breast cancer is diagnosed and treated, meaning patients could receive fewer surgeries and more individually-tailored treatments.

    Scientists from the University, in collaboration with NHS Grampian, used a prototype version of the new Field Cycling Imager (FCI) scanner to examine the breast tissue of patients newly diagnosed with cancer. They found that the FCI scanner could distinguish tumour material from healthy tissue with more accuracy than current MRI methods.  

    This innovation could change the course of treatment for millions of people with cancer.  Currently, around 15 percent of women need a second surgery after a lumpectomy as the edges of the tumour may still be involved. This new technique could potentially more accurately outline these tumours and reduce the need for those repeat operations.  

    A University of Aberdeen innovation, the FCI scanner follows in the footsteps of the full body MRI scanner, also invented at the University around 50 years ago which has gone on to save millions of lives around the world. The Field Cycling Imager derives from MRI but can work at ultra-low magnetic fields which means it is capable of seeing how organs are affected by diseases in ways that were previously not possible.   

    While similar to MRI in that MRI uses strong magnetic fields and radio waves to produce detailed images of the inside of the body without touching it – the FCI scanner can vary the strength of the magnetic field during the patient’s scan.  This means the FCI acts like multiple scanners in one and can extract multiple different types of information about the tissue.  

    A further benefit of this new technology is that it can detect tumours without having to inject dye into the body, known as contrast, which has been associated with kidney damage and allergic reactions in some patients. 

    Dr Lionel Broche, senior Research Fellow in Biomedical Physics and lead researcher in the study said: “We found that images generated from FCI can characterise breast tumours more accurately. This means it could improve the treatment plan for the patients by improving the accuracy of biopsy procedures by better detecting the type and location of tumours, and by reducing repeated surgery so really, the potential impact of this on patients is extraordinary.  

    “My colleagues in the University of Aberdeen built the world’s first clinical MRI in the 1970s so it is both fitting and exciting that we are making waves again with an entirely new type of MRI called Fast Cycling MRI – FCI. 

    “This is a truly exciting innovation and as we keep improving the technology for FCI, the potential for clinical applications is limitless.” 

    Dr Gerald Lip, consultant radiologist in NHS Grampian and co-investigator in the study, has recently been appointed President of the British Society of Breast Radiology.  

    He added: “This data is very promising, and we still need more prospective work, but these results will really support future clinical applications. 

    “We treat between 400 and 500 women with breast cancer in NHS Grampian every year and the potential this technology has to reduce the need for women to return for extra surgery is huge, benefitting them and reducing wait times and operating theatre resource. 

    “We hope it will have a future role in supporting cancer diagnosis and management.” 

    The research is published in Nature Communications Medicine  

    … it could improve the treatment plan for the patients by improving the accuracy of biopsy procedures by better detecting the type and location of tumours, and by reducing repeated surgery so really, the potential impact of this on patients is extraordinary.” Dr Lionel Broche

    To find out how you can help support medical research at the University of Aberdeen please contact giving@abdn.ac.uk. If you would prefer to make a gift of your time, please contact alumni@abdn.ac.uk to find out more about our alumni volunteering opportunities.

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    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: 15 million South Africans don’t get enough to eat every day: 4 solutions

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Stephen Devereux, Research Fellow, Institute of Development Studies

    At least 15 million South Africans suffer from food insecurity. That means they don’t have enough nutritious food to live healthy lives.

    This is due to a combination of factors, including unemployment, poverty, inequality and food system failures.

    More than 1,000 children die from malnutrition each year. This compares unfavourably with 350 child deaths from malnutrition in Brazil, which has more than three times South Africa’s population, and 269 child deaths in Colombia, which has about the same per capita income as South Africa.

    A robust indicator of chronic hunger is child stunting. Stunting in South Africa has flatlined at around 25%, or one in four children, since the early 1990s. Other middle-income countries such as Brazil and Peru have made impressive progress. Peru halved its rate from 28% in 2008 to 13% in 2016, after the president committed to reducing stunting.



    Read more:
    South Africa’s hunger problem is turning into a major health crisis

    How can South Africa’s government deliver on the right to food and begin the urgent process of eradicating hunger?

    We have worked on food security and food justice for many years. We’ve researched the links between social protection and hunger and between food systems and nutrition, and the cost of hunger.

    Based on this experience, our view is that food shortages are not a cause of hunger in South Africa. The country produces and imports all the food it needs. Instead, the problem is unequal access to food. While some South Africans live in a world of abundance, with no budget constraints, millions more survive below the food poverty line, unable to afford even a basic nutritious diet for their families.

    We believe that the government must deliver on the constitutional right to food and begin the urgent process of eradicating hunger. It can do this by expanding the social grant system, extending the school nutrition programme, reducing food waste, and ensuring access to land for low-income rural and peri-urban households.

    Above all, a coherent and coordinated strategy for tackling hunger is needed, led by a minister of food, following models like Brazil’s Zero Hunger initiative. In December 2024, Brazil handed over the G20 presidency to South Africa, after it launched the Global Alliance Against Hunger and Poverty. South Africa should embrace the embrace the spirit and focus of the alliance to develop its own Zero Hunger strategy.

    Four steps to end hunger

    The South African government pays out 19 million social grants a month, or 26 million if the 9 million recipients of the special social relief of distress grant are included. Without these cash transfers, poverty and malnutrition in the country would be even higher. But they are inadequate, especially in a context of high and rising food prices.



    Read more:
    South Africa’s fight against extreme poverty needs a new strategy – model shows how social grants could work

    Firstly, the following changes should be made to social grant payments.

    • An immediate increase in the child support grant, followed by further increases. The goal should be to get this grant, which is currently below the food poverty line at R530 a month (US$28), to R1,634 (US$34). This is the minimum amount of money needed to meet basic needs, including nutritious food, clothing and shelter.

    • Pregnant women should receive a maternal support grant from 12 weeks of pregnancy, to reduce the risk of low birth weight.

    • Social grants should increase to match inflation every year.

    Secondly, the National School Nutrition Programme, which provides one nutritious meal to all learners in poorer primary and secondary schools, has limited impact because meals are provided only on weekdays during school terms.

    The programme should be boosted in the following ways:

    • The Department of Basic Education must deliver adequate nutrition to all children in early learning programmes, all year round.

    • Programmes for school-age children should be extended to ensure that they all receive at least one nutritious meal every day, including on weekends and school holidays.

    • Adequate funding should be given to school food gardens and nutrition education. Moreover, the national school nutrition programme starts too late to address under-5 stunting. It only begins when children enter grade R, aged 5.



    Read more:
    Malnutrition in South Africa: how one community wants resources to be spent

    Thirdly, interventions are needed in the food system.

    • Prices of essential food items should be regulated, to keep them affordable for low-income South Africans and to encourage shifts in consumption choices towards healthier, more nutritious diets.

    • Positive dietary choices can also be promoted through the use of subsidies, discounts or vouchers on “best buy” foods, either for all consumers or for shoppers receiving social grants. They could be given vouchers for nutritious food items along with their cash transfers. Food subsidies or vouchers must include foods that are protein-rich (meat, fish, eggs, dairy), since protein is highly inaccessible to the poor.



    Read more:
    How do people choose what food to buy? Answers depend on what you ask – so we built a research tool for African countries

    • Government must extend social security protections to seasonal and informal workers during periods of unemployment and underemployment. Seasonal hunger requires specific attention. Seasonal farm workers – most of whom are women – have low incomes, few savings, and limited access to unemployment insurance. They face food insecurity and hunger during the off-season winter months.

    • The government’s land redistribution programme should prioritise securing access to land for poor agrarian or peri-urban households, and providing support (water, inputs, extension advice) to farm that land. This would help vulnerable groups which derive most of their food from production.

    Agrarian households (smallholder farmers, farm workers, farm dwellers) are poorer and more food insecure, especially the female-headed households who survive below the food poverty line. When farm women with food gardens have direct access to fresh vegetables, their dietary diversity improves, and they earn income by selling produce to meet their basic needs.

    Lastly, steps must be take to reduce loss and waste in the food system.

    A third of food produced in South Africa, 10 million of 31 million tons, goes to waste each year. This is equivalent to 30 billion meals, in a context where an estimated 20 billion meals would be enough to end hunger. The government has committed to halving food waste by 2030, in its draft food losses and waste strategy of 2023. It must be finalised and operationalised.

    Next steps

    These interventions would cost money. And the government will argue that it is doing all it can to address hunger with the resources available.

    There are many options for raising additional resources to address the hunger crisis – as seen when the government found R500 billion (US$33 billion) to address the COVID-19 crisis in 2020.

    The government should also consider raising additional revenue by introducing a wealth tax targeting high-net-worth individuals. This could be used to increase social grants or subsidise nutritious foods.



    Read more:
    Urban food gardens produce more than vegetables, they create bonds for young Capetonians – study

    Finally, government needs to tackle hunger in a coordinated way. Several government departments, including agriculture, social development and health, address issues related to food security. However, no government ministry focuses specifically on hunger.

    The president should appoint a minister of food to address the hunger crisis along the lines of the special minister of electricity position established in 2023 to deal with the country’s energy supply problem.



    Read more:
    South Africa needs to change direction on maternal health to solve child malnutrition

    At the same time, a national food commission should be established, to monitor and coordinate all initiatives that focus on the goal of eradicating hunger.

    The government should be guided by the priorities set down by a new coalition – the Union Against Hunger – which is due to be launched on 26 February. The initiative is a coalition of civil society organisations and academics (the authors are among the founding members). It has compiled a list of 10 demands that reflect our analysis of the causes of hunger and recommended solutions. They include realising everyone’s constitutional right to food, halving child stunting by 2030 and making nutritious food accessible to all.

    Stephen Devereux receives funding from the National Research Foundation (NRF). He holds a Research Chair in Social Protection for Food Security, affiliated to the DSI–NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security and the Institute for Social Development at the University of the Western Cape, South Africa.

    Busiso Moyo previously received funding from the Centre of Excellence in Food Security – UWC and the IDRC-Canada. He is affiliated with the Union Against Hunger (UAH) initiative.

    Mark Heywood previously headed Section 27, which receives funding and received funding for the Justice and Activism Hub. He is affiliated with the Union Against Hunger initiative.

    – ref. 15 million South Africans don’t get enough to eat every day: 4 solutions – https://theconversation.com/15-million-south-africans-dont-get-enough-to-eat-every-day-4-solutions-250700

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-Evening Report: View from The Hill: the mud flies, but will the voters take much notice?

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

    In these scrappy days before the prime minister announces the election date, the mud and the personal insults are flying, despite the politicians knowing voters hate this sort of thing.

    On Wednesday morning TV, shadow finance minister Jane Hume, usually reasonably restrained with her language, called Employment Minister Murray Watt “king grub” of the “grubbiest people you will ever come across” – a reference to Labor’s pursuit of Peter Dutton’s past share trading. As Watt remarked, “That’s quite an accusation”.

    Hume was later on the warpath in a Senate estimates hearing, where Treasury Secretary Steven Kennedy fended off an opposition attack suggesting, in essence, that Treasurer Jim Chalmers had sought to make Treasury his political pawn.

    Dutton spent most of his Wednesday news conference pushing back on attacks on his integrity relating to his purchase of bank shares during the global financial crisis, and dealing with questions about his acquisition of an extensive property portfolio over decades.

    What the opposition dubs Labor’s “dirt unit” apparently drove the share story. The core of it is that Dutton bought bank shares just before the Rudd government announced its guarantee to ensure the financial security of the banks.

    Labor demanded to know whether Dutton had insider knowledge of the imminent guarantee through a Rudd government briefing of the opposition. Dutton, who declared the share purchase, says he had no information other than what was in the public domain.

    The story about Dutton’s property portfolio – which he has unloaded, no doubt as part of preparations in pursuit of the prime ministership – ran in Nine media. The report said

    Peter Dutton has made $30 million of property transactions across 26 pieces of real estate over 35 years, making him one of the country’s wealthiest-ever contenders for prime minister.

    Dutton was late with declaring on the parliamentary register some of the transactions.

    Nine says the story didn’t come from a Labor “dirt unit”, but it was grist for an embattled government.

    Dirt digging, mud throwing, and exploitation of the politics of envy are recurring features of election campaigns. Whether they’ll have much resonance this time is doubtful.

    The share story, going back the best part of a couple of decades, doesn’t sound like a smoking gun. We’ve heard about Dutton’s property buying before. We know he has plenty of money. Not as much, of course, as earlier PMs Malcolm Turnbull and Kevin Rudd.

    Dutton, working on the assumption these stories will be brief wonders, kept his cool.

    He hasn’t provided more details about the bank shares, relying on a general response that everything had been above board. On his property purchases, he made it clear he’s proud of his climb up the aspirational ladder since he was a “butcher’s boy” in those days when he had a job in a butcher’s shop.

    For Dutton, the mud is all in a day’s work. The attack on Kennedy is in a rather different category.

    In the run-up to an election, Treasury often finds itself in a awkward position, as a government seeks to use it, while an opposition objects. This time, Chalmers employed it to discredit the opposition’s policy to give a tax break to small businesses for taking their workers or clients to a meal.

    Treasury doesn’t cost opposition policies. So the government asked it to cost a theoretical policy that was similar to that of the Coalition. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Treasury came up with a much bigger cost than the opposition said was produced by the Parliamentary Budget Office.

    Kennedy insisted to the Senate hearing, “we do not act politically”.

    “I have behaved no differently with this government, nor have I observed the department’s behaving any differently,” he said. “I understand how the circumstances might lead you to question that, but all I can do is assure you that that has not been the case.”

    If Dutton became prime minister, would Kennedy’s position be at risk?

    It shouldn’t be. Kennedy, appointed by the Coalition, served the previous Liberal government very well and was a key figure in its ambitious economic response to the COVID pandemic. That response kept many people in jobs and the economy out of recession.

    While Kennedy was taking the flak in estimates, Chalmers had been in Washington making Australia’s case for an exemption of the Trump aluminium and steel tariffs.

    Chalmers’s visit was timely and carefully managed. The treasurer said before he left Australia he wouldn’t obtain an outcome on tariffs – it was about making Australia’s case. So when there was not an outcome, it was not a disappointment. “My task here in DC wasn’t to try and conclude that discussion, it was to try and inform it,” Chalmers told a news conference after his talks.

    Chalmers spent time with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent and National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett. He said the discussion was “wider-ranging than just steel and aluminium”. Bessent also was a speaker at the superannuation summit held at the Australian embassy (a coup for ambassador Kevin Rudd as well as Chalmers).

    In his 2023 Monthly essay, Chalmers argued for the super funds to invest more widely in Australia, notably in social housing.

    At the embassy conference, Chalmers was able to look to a much wider horizon for the funds.

    The current value of Australian super fund investments in the US is around $400 billion – due to reach $1 trillion over the next decade. So, Australia’s superannuation sector has the size, scale and presence to play a big role in driving new American industries and creating jobs.

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

    – ref. View from The Hill: the mud flies, but will the voters take much notice? – https://theconversation.com/view-from-the-hill-the-mud-flies-but-will-the-voters-take-much-notice-250897

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Key trends and interview rehearsal: Technograd to host career consultation day

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Muscovites who want to develop their careers, improve their professional skills or find their dream job are invited to a career consultation day at the Technograd Innovation and Educational Complex at VDNKh. Participants will be given lectures, workshops and personal consultations with experts who will help them better navigate modern labor market trends and adapt their career goals.

    The Career Consultation Day will take place on March 1 at the Art. Technograd pavilion at VDNKh, located at 119 Mira Avenue, Building 63. Participation is free, but is required. pre-registration. The number of seats is limited. The event is organized by the career development center of the ANO “Development of Human Capital” of the capital Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development.

    Learn about modern challenges

    The event will begin with a lecture on the situation on the labor market. At 11:00, the expert will present key trends, talk about challenges for managers and the importance of developing soft skills.

    At 11:30 a.m. there will be a session called “Job Search for Managers. How to Overcome Competition in the Labor Market?” Participants will learn about modern challenges in the management personnel market, the role of a personal brand, effective search strategies, and methods for successfully passing interviews for management positions.

    At 12:40, the expert will consider the legal aspects of employment using real cases from practice. And at 14:00, visitors will find out whether it is worth trusting artificial intelligence when searching for vacancies. The lecture will tell how smart algorithms affect job search, whether it is possible to entrust a neural network with creating an ideal resume, and how to effectively combine artificial intelligence with human skills.

    At 15:10, there will be a lecture for students and graduates of higher education institutions, dedicated to the first steps on the professional path: how and when to start looking for a job, what to indicate in a resume for a specialist without work experience, how to write a strong cover letter and choose the most promising among several offers. The expert will demonstrate options for templates of successful resumes for students, and also share personal experience: he will tell who is chosen for an internship or first job.

    The theoretical part will be concluded by the session “What problems arise when looking for a job and how to deal with them?” Here visitors will learn what difficulties job seekers may encounter and how to overcome them. Starts at 16:10.

    Rehearse the interview

    In parallel, trainings will be held at the site. At 11:30, the training “Looking for your strengths” will begin. An expert will teach you how to identify personal abilities that will help in building a career trajectory and allow you to present yourself to an employer.

    From 2:00 PM to 4:00 PM, participants will attend the training “Big Interview Rehearsal”, which will help them confidently pass an interview with an employer. The expert will tell why recruiters ask difficult questions and how to find an answer that will reveal the applicant’s abilities. Visitors will work on self-presentation skills and learn to understand their internal state, which affects their behavior during an interview. Together with the expert, the guests will make a list of questions to ask the employer.

    Individual career consultations will be available from 13:00 to 17:00. 15 experts will discuss pressing issues with those interested: career transitions, changing employers, finding a vacancy for a recent graduate or a specialist over 45, going into entrepreneurship, methods for increasing salaries and other topics. To register for a consultation, you must get a free ticket from 10:30 to 11:00 at the registration desk. The consultation lasts 30 minutes and will be available to 70 participants.

    A detailed schedule and registration forms for lectures and workshops can be found on the website “Technograd”.

    The project is supervised by the ANO “Development of Human Capital”, subordinate to the capital Department of Entrepreneurship and Innovative Development.

    Practice is a priority: how Technograd trains IT specialistsThe number of graduates of courses and trainings at Technograd at VDNKh has doubled

    Innovative and educational complex “Technograd”— a center for professional training and retraining. Here, Muscovites can acquire new knowledge and master applied skills in in-demand specialties. The Career Development Center is one of the areas of activity of Technograd. Its specialists help in finding professions in accordance with the individual characteristics of applicants, in career planning and training.

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

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/150572073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: New report skewers Coalition’s contentious nuclear plan – and reignites Australia’s energy debate

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Quiggin, Professor, School of Economics, The University of Queensland

    Debate over the future of Australia’s energy system has erupted again after a federal parliamentary inquiry delivered a report into the deployment of nuclear power in Australia.

    The report casts doubt on the Coalition’s plan to build seven nuclear reactors on former coal sites across Australia should it win government. The reactors would be Commonwealth-owned and built.

    The report’s central conclusions – rejected by the Coalition – are relatively unsurprising. It found nuclear power would be far more expensive than the projected path of shifting to mostly renewable energy. And delivering nuclear generation before the mid-2040s will be extremely challenging.

    The report also reveals important weaknesses in the Coalition’s defence of its plan to deploy nuclear energy across Australia, if elected. In particular, the idea of cheap, factory-built nuclear reactors is very likely a mirage.

    A divisive inquiry

    In October last year, a House of Representatives select committee was formed to investigate the deployment of nuclear energy in Australia.

    Chaired by Labor MP Dan Repacholi, it has so far involved 19 public hearings and 858 written submissions from nuclear energy companies and experts, government agencies, scientists, Indigenous groups and others. Evidence I gave to a hearing was quoted in the interim report.

    The committee’s final report is due by April 30 this year. It tabled an interim report late on Tuesday, focused on the timeframes and costs involved. These issues dominated evidence presented to the inquiry.

    The findings of the interim report were endorsed by the committee’s Labor and independent members, but rejected by Coalition members.

    What did the report find on cost?

    The report said evidence presented so far showed the deployment of nuclear power generation in Australia “is currently not a viable investment of taxpayer money”.

    Nuclear energy was shown to be more expensive than the alternatives. These include a power grid consistent with current projections: one dominated by renewable energy and backed up by a combination of battery storage and a limited number of gas peaking plants.

    The Coalition has identified seven coal plant sites where it would build nuclear reactors. Some 11 gigawatts of coal capacity is produced on those sites. The committee heard replacing this capacity with nuclear power would meet around 15% of consumer needs in the National Electricity Market, and cost at least A$116 billion.

    In contrast, the Australian Energy Market Operator estimates the cost of meeting 100% of the National Electricity Market’s needs – that is, building all required transmission, generation, storage and firming capacity out to 2050 – is about $383 billion.

    What about the timing of nuclear?

    On the matter of when nuclear energy in Australia would be up and running, the committee found “significant challenges” in achieving this before the mid-2040s.

    This is consistent with findings from the CSIRO that nuclear power would take at least 15 years to deploy in Australia. But is it at odds with Coalition claims that the first two plants would be operating by 2035 and 2037 respectively.

    The mid-2040s is well beyond the lifetime of Australia’s existing coal-fired power stations. This raises questions about how the Coalition would ensure reliable electricity supplies after coal plants close. It also raises questions over how Australia would meet its global emissions-reduction obligations.

    Recent experience in other developed countries suggests the committee’s timeframe estimates are highly conservative.

    Take, for example, a 1.6GW reactor at Flamanville, France. The project, originally scheduled to be completed in 2012, was not connected to the grid until 2024. Costs blew out from an original estimate of A$5.5 billion to $22 billion.

    The builder, Électricité de France (EDF), was pushed to the edge of bankruptcy. The French government was forced to nationalise the company, reversing an earlier decision to privatise it.

    EDF is also building two reactors in the United Kingdom – a project known as Hinkley C. It has also suffered huge cost blowouts.

    Recent nuclear reactor projects in the United States have also fallen victim to cost overruns, sending the owner, Westinghouse, bankrupt.

    What does the Coalition say?

    The committee report included dissenting comments by Coalition members.

    As the Coalition rightly points out, global enthusiasm for nuclear power remains steady. The UK, France and the US all signed a declaration in 2023 at the global climate change conference, COP28, pledging to triple nuclear power by 2050.

    And in the UK and France, advanced plans are afoot to construct new nuclear reactors at existing sites.

    But even there, progress has been glacial. The UK’s Sizewell C project has been in the planning stage since at least 2012. The French projects were announced by President Emmanuel Macron in 2022. None of these projects have yet reached a final investment decision. Delays in Australia would certainly be much longer.

    The Coalition also draws a long bow in claiming Australia’s existing research reactor at Lucas Heights, in New South Wales, means we are “already a nuclear nation”.

    At least 50 countries, including most developed countries, have research reactors. But very few are contemplating starting a nuclear industry from scratch.

    At least one issue seems to have been resolved by the committee’s inquiry. Evidence it received almost unanimously dismissed the idea small modular reactors (SMRs) will arrive in time to be relevant to Australia’s energy transition – if they are ever developed.

    The Coalition’s dissenting comments did not attempt to rebut this evidence.

    Looking ahead

    Undoubtedly, existing nuclear power plants will play a continued role in the global energy transition.

    But starting a nuclear power industry from scratch in Australia is a nonsensical idea for many reasons – not least because it is too expensive and will take too long.

    In the context of the coming federal election, the nuclear policy is arguably a red herring – one designed to distract voters from a Coalition policy program that slows the transition to renewables and drags out the life of dirty and unreliable coal-fired power.

    The Conversation

    John Quiggin is a former member of the Climate Change Authority. His submission to the nuclear electricity generation inquiry was cited in the interim report

    – ref. New report skewers Coalition’s contentious nuclear plan – and reignites Australia’s energy debate – https://theconversation.com/new-report-skewers-coalitions-contentious-nuclear-plan-and-reignites-australias-energy-debate-250912

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: A film about the development of digital technologies in the capital can now be watched online

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The popular science mini-series “Moscow in Digital” can now be watched online. Each episode immerses the viewer in the history of the capital’s technological projects and allows you to learn more about how the city has become one of the most developed megacities in the world in 30 years.Department of Information Technology of the City of Moscow told where and how you can watch the film, which premiered at the end of last year.

    “The educational mini-series “Moscow in Digital” is dedicated to the 30th anniversary of the Runet and tells how technologies have developed over three decades, services have been created, projects have appeared that today make the lives of Muscovites even more comfortable, vibrant and safe. Each episode covers a certain area of the city’s life and immerses you in the history of not only digitalization, but also Moscow itself. The frame intertwines archival footage and photographs that remind adults and tell the new generation about the times when issues were resolved in a live queue, phone numbers were remembered by heart, people went to the library or bookstore to find information, and visited five different departments to pay bills. From February 26, you can watch the series at any convenient time

    on Rutube and in social networks “VKontakte”, as well as on streaming platforms,” the press service of the capital’s Department of Information Technology reported.

    The film reflects each stage of the development of urban technologies, shows the path traveled and painstaking work on creating the digital infrastructure of the metropolis. When creating the mini-series, gigabytes of information were collected and hundreds of documents were studied, experts and specialists who were engaged in the digitalization of Moscow for three decades were involved. The comfortable timing of the film – each episode lasts from 20 to 25 minutes – allows you to immerse yourself in the history of the development of IT projects, while the easy and entertaining form of presentation of information does not tire the viewer with complex terminology and excessive amounts of information.

    Moscow Government experts not only talk about how digitalization became a familiar part of the city’s main areas of life – healthcare, transport, education, construction and others, but also share their personal experience as residents and users of electronic products. In essence, the film is an educational and entertaining encyclopedia about the capital’s technological projects and services. There you can learn, for example, how artificial intelligence is helping doctors across the country today, or walk around a virtual copy of VDNKh, and also find answers to many other questions.

    “Of course, the best way to feel how convenient it is to use modern services in the capital is to simply live in Moscow. Many are so accustomed to the good that they do not even notice how technology has changed the lives of city residents. And our mini-series will help to fully understand the possibilities of digital Moscow, truly one of the most advanced megacities in the world,” said Russian TV and radio host Alexander Pushnoy, who helps viewers of the film immerse themselves in the atmosphere of innovation.

    He remembers the times when payphones were everywhere, Moscow was studied using a city atlas and a route with identification signs was drawn on a piece of paper. And today, on the mos.ru portal, you can solve almost any issue with a couple of clicks. Artificial intelligence helps to deal with many everyday tasks, and the management of the megalopolis is built using big data analysis.

    Each episode gives a full picture of how digitalization was introduced into various spheres of life in the metropolis. For example, from the first one, you can learn how high technologies and projects make the city truly smart. The viewer will have to go all the way from the start of the first round-the-clock server in the Moscow City Hall building to the creation of a digital twin of the city, the Mos.Tech technological platform and the capital’s metaverse. The second episode tells about the development of projects in the social sphere: the Muscovite card, the unified medical information and analytical system and the Moscow Electronic School, as well as projects for young people. In the third one, you can learn how the mos.ru portal turned from a news feed with a guest book into a resource used by more than 15.9 million people, and about the evolution of Moscow transport, one of the most comfortable in the world. The final part is dedicated to digitalization in the sphere of culture and tourism. It also talks about the opportunities for every Muscovite to take part in the life of the city and influence what the capital will be like in the future.

    The film was shot by the Gorky Film Studio production center, which is part of the Moscow film cluster, and the director was Konstantin Reich.

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

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/150569073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Address to the CommsDay Regional and Remote Forum

    Source: Australian Ministers 1

    THE MOST CONNECTED CONTINENT 

    I acknowledge the Traditional Owners, the Ngunnawal and Ngambri people, and those with connections to the lands of the ACT.
     
    I pay my respects to Elders past and present, and First Nations people joining, including First Nations Digital Inclusion Advisory Group co-chair Associate Professor Lyndon Ormond-Parker.
     
    The Advisory Group continues to progress digital inclusion for First Nations people, particularly those in regional and remote Australia.
     
    In December, the Group delivered the First Nations Digital Inclusion Roadmap: 2026 and Beyond, a blueprint for government and industry as we work towards closing the digital divide.
     
    This follows the Advisory Group’s initial report to Government, which helped to inform the First Nations Community Wi-Fi Program – which has been rolled out in around 20 communities.

    Last week, I announced a contestable program to provide the next tranche of Community Wi-Fi.  
     
    We have also set up a First Nations Digital Support Hub and Network of Digital Mentors, and improved national data collection.
     
    These initiatives are making a real difference to First Nations communities, which remain some of the nation’s most digitally isolated.
     
    Of course, there is a lot more work to do – collectively – to close the digital divide.
     
    I thank the Advisory Group for their on-going commitment and progress on this, and I welcome their participation at the CommsDay Regional and Remote Forum.
     
    It is wonderful to be part of this inaugural – and very timely – forum focussed on the future of regional and remote connectivity in Australia.
     
    Thank you, Grahame Lynch, for bringing together industry, consumer advocates, and government representatives in the nation’s capital.
     
    It’s great to see so many familiar faces; I know many of you have travelled far to take part.
     
    From Forthside in Tasmania to Belyuen in the Top End, from Moruya on the NSW South Coast to Port Augusta in South Australia, from King Island to Palm Island, everywhere I travel across regional, rural and remote Australia, I see the work of building Australia’s future is gathering pace.
     
    Whether it’s Medicare, superannuation, childcare, or the National Broadband Network, Labor governments have a proud history of expanding universal access to essential services that Australians rely on.
     
    Labor founded the NBN to provide fast, reliable and affordable internet to all people in Australia, regardless of where they live.
     
    Families and businesses in our regions and suburbs should have equal access to the opportunities the NBN delivers.
     
    And Labor’s NBN is already saving households more than 100 hours and $2,580 per year in avoided travel time and costs.
     
    And we are very proud of our record on delivery.
     
    When we came into office, fewer than 300,000 premises had access to NBN fibre upgrades. Today, more than 4.3 million premises do.
     
    The Albanese Government is on track to reach our commitment of extending fibre upgrades to 5 million premises by the end of 2025 – on time and within budget.
     
    Today, there are an additional 2.7 million higher-speed plans taken up – an 80 per cent increase from when we came into office.
     
    We have delivered our $480 million upgrades to NBN Co’s Fixed Wireless and Satellite services, more than doubling average speeds.
     
    Around 800,000 households and businesses in regional, remote and peri-urban areas can now benefit from faster broadband and increased data.
     
    This includes 122,000 premises formerly in the satellite footprint.
     
    This freed up satellite capacity and enabled NBN Co to launch a Sky Muster Premium service with download speeds of up to 100 Mbps and unmetered data.
     
    This resulted in a 75 per cent surge in data consumption for active Skymuster users, delivering important economic and social benefits in health and education.
     
    Our Government is listening to the community – including through the 2024 Regional Telecommunications Review – about the importance they place on increasing minimum regulated broadband speeds to reflect today’s needs.
     
    The current legislated guarantee is for only 25Mbps download speeds, which does not reflect the growing capability of the NBN and other telecommunications networks in Australia, consumer expectations or emerging international norms.
     
    I have asked my Department to commence work on a public consultation on the pathway to increase the minimum download speed to 100Mbps.
     
    An increase over time to Australia’s regulated broadband speeds will bring Australia in line with international best practice and help to power the economy.
     
    And ensure fair and equitable access to services that better meet the needs of users in our increasingly digitally-driven economy.
     
    It’s no secret I have a passion for my portfolio.
     
    As Communications Minister, I’ve seen the transformation connectivity is having at every level of our society and economy.
     
    The difference it is making to people, businesses and communities and our regions.
     
    Building Australia’s future to be the most connected continent is more than critical infrastructure – it’s about the long-term interests of consumers.
     
    It demands forward-looking regulatory environments that facilitate competition.
     
    Over the past few years, 5G has been deployed, fibre access expanded, and low orbit satellites are providing next generation services.
     
    Yet the Universal Service Obligation remains stuck in a different era, entirely at odds with society’s needs for mobility.
     
    Introduced in the 1990s, the USO is a consumer protection to support reasonable access to landlines and payphones for people in Australia.
     
    This was a time when the voice-only ‘brick’ phone was exciting and expensive!
     
    The very first 1G phone was introduced in Australia by Telecom in 1987, retailing at a massive $4,250 or nearly $12,000 in today’s dollars.
     
    The idea of being able to walk and talk was novel. The concepts of mobile web browsing or video calling were almost non-existent.
     
    Today, mobile phones are comparatively affordable, and their use is ubiquitous.
     
    The Universal Service Obligation is as dated as those brick phones of the past.
     
    The only way to build regional Australia’s mobile future is with a modern USO, where mobile coverage is an explicit policy objective for the first time.
     
    And I am proud to say this is what Labor will deliver.
     
    The Albanese Government, if reelected, will legislate a Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation, known as UOMO.
     
    This is about recognising, in the truest sense of the word, that mobile connectivity is an essential service.
     
    UOMO will require mobile operators to provide outdoor mobile coverage nearly everywhere in Australia where you can see the sky.
     
    This includes the around 70 per cent of our vast continent that does not have mobile connectivity. 
     
    UOMO will enable more Australians to send messages and make voice calls, including calls to Triple Zero, during emergencies and natural disasters.

    This responds to a key piece of feedback from the Regional Telecommunications Review about the need for multiple connection paths.
     
    And unlike universal landline and broadband where Telstra and NBN Co are effectively the sole providers of the obligation, an express policy objective of Labor’s Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation is to facilitate competitive coverage.
     
    This reform will ensure up to 5 million square kilometers of new and competitive outdoor mobile coverage across Australia, including more than 37,000 kilometers of new coverage along roads and highways in regional and rural communities.
     
    Just think about what this means for the farmer out in the paddock, the injured hiker on the trail, or the distressed parent whose car has broken down.
     
    I welcome the strong endorsements of ACCAN, the National Farmers’ Federation, regional telecommunication stakeholders like the Better Internet for Regional and Rural Australia group, the Regional Telecommunications Independent Review Committee, the NSW Rural Fire Service, the First Nations Digital Advisory Council and a growing list of local and regional councils.
     
    The only mindless opposition is coming from the Coalition.
     
    The Nationals say we are going too slow.
     
    The Liberals say we should not be doing this at all or going too fast.
     
    This smorgasbord of incoherence and freewheeling incompetence is emblematic of a Liberal-National Party that does not know what it stands for.

    In contrast, the Labor Party is very clear on where we want to go.
     
    The Albanese Government will work closely with industry, regulators and stakeholders to introduce legislation in 2025, and work on this has commenced.
     
    The initial focus will be on increasing access to messaging and voice services, with a public-safety focus.
     
    We expect the voice and SMS obligation to be implemented by late 2027, with many Australians likely to benefit well before then.
     
    Given our audience here, I’d like to take this opportunity to provide further detail around the regulatory and policy context, and thank them for their participation in this reform process.
     
    Firstly, we understand this is a rapidly-developing market and our implementation timeline has been designed with regard to this.
     
    Where warranted by global supply, spectrum or capability factors, our legislation will afford mobile operators appropriate flexibility on implementation.
     
    Our Government will also engage with industry and examine incentives to promote competition objectives and public interest outcomes.
     
    As I outlined earlier, a top priority of the Government is to facilitate a healthy supply side market, that offers carriers and consumers choice.
     
    Promoting competition is an express policy feature of UOMO’s design.
     
    This aim is to bring forward investments and product partnerships, and remove market barriers to enable Australians to contact emergency services through D2D.
     
    Our policy announcement is a demand signal to global low orbit providers – we want you to expand your capability in Australia.
     
    The D2D capability is initially expected to provide baseline text messaging, then voice calls and, in time, limited mobile data.
     
    Broadly, industry is targeting the availability of D2D messaging from late this year, followed by voice from 2026 onwards.
     
    Our Government’s expectation is that these services will be well and truly in the market by late 2027.
     
    Secondly, D2D is not a replacement for terrestrial mobile networks or the USO.
     
    It will complement existing networks with a thin coverage layer, and ensure we cover as much of Australia as possible, for the benefit of all.
     
    Labor is filling a giant “black spot” that could simply never be addressed through mobile tower deployment at this scale or speed.
     
    As you are well aware, terrestrial-based network expansion can be a “law of diminishing returns” up against challenging geography and customer ratios that do not stack-up to commercial viability.
     
    The Government remains committed to existing co-investment programs, such as the Mobile Black Spot Program, and the Mobile Network Hardening Program.
     
    These programs will evolve with UOMO to deliver the best public policy outcomes for regional communities – of this I am very confident.
     
    Thirdly, I want to affirm our commitment to engagement.
     
    The expanded Universal Service Obligation framework follows two years of evidence-based groundwork, consultation and engagement.
     
    Early this term, I recognised the potential of the opportunity of LEOSat technology.
     
    I established the LEO Satellite Working Group to bring together the perspectives of global operators, Australian telcos, spectrum and engineering experts, and regional stakeholders.
     
    The Working Group, and data emerging from our LEOSat technical trials, is helping to inform our ongoing work on universal services modernisation.
     
    We have also been engaging with:

    • Global and domestic industry on D2D technology roadmaps;
    • the Australian Communications and Media Authority on radio communications spectrum considerations;
    • the Regional Telecommunications Review, local councils and the First Nations Digital Inclusion Advisory Group;
    • And, importantly, regional and remote consumers and communities.

    The Albanese Government, if re-elected, will continue this collaborative approach, working with the satellite industry, regulators, mobile network operators, consumer groups and other stakeholders as we develop, and introduce, legislation this year.
     
    Finally, we have expectations of industry around providing clear, accurate and accessible public information for consumers.
     
    Consumers need a clear understanding of the capability of D2D services and device compatibility.
     
    We are not talking about streaming Netflix from the Pilbara.
     
    I’ve been advised by industry that different devices are being rigorously tested for compatibility, and that more handsets are becoming eligible. 
     
    This is in keeping with international developments.
     
    We now have in place a more robust handset testing scheme built around the collaboration of the CommsAlliance, test labs at the University of Technology Sydney and the overarching regime administered by the ACMA.
     
    This will be leveraged to ensure consumers are better educated and receive reliable information.

    Because LEOSats orbit close to the Earth, they can provide services to mobile phones that usually communicate through terrestrial networks.
     
    Even during emergencies, when power outages impact the availability of local mobile towers, LEOSats can provide a thin layer of coverage.
     
    Last month, from Los Angeles, we saw this capability in action.
     
    As the highly destructive and deadly wildfires struck, thousands of messages were sent via D2D by thousands of people using standard unmodified devices.
     
    In the depths of crisis, people could text loved ones, neighbours, and, most importantly, emergency services – even when terrestrial networks were silenced.
     
    The public safety implications of D2D cannot be underestimated, particularly during natural disasters – which are becoming far more frequent and destructive.
     
    Closer to home, over the Summer, Australians were transfixed by the disappearance of bush walker Hadi Nazari who got lost in Kosciuszko National Park.
     
    Almost two weeks after he went missing in the unforgiving wilderness he was, thankfully, found alive.
     
    The significant search and rescue operation included a dozen SES teams, 200 personnel, more than 4000 volunteer hours and specialist aircraft.
     
    Hadi’s location could have been known within minutes with a charged mobile phone, Direct 2 Device technology, and a clear view to the sky.
     
    D2D will substantially expand opportunity for people to seek help if they are lost, injured or facing natural disasters in areas without terrestrial mobile coverage.
     
    It will give consumers more connectivity options, as mobile networks are already required to carry all Triple Zero voice calls over their networks.
     
    Early mover markets include the US and New Zealand, where we are seeing limited text to emergency services emerge as an early D2D capability.
     
    In the US, T-Mobile has opened registration for a Beta program, with priority given to first responder agencies and individuals.
     
    One New Zealand provider currently offers D2D text services across a number of premium phones. 
     
    My Department is exploring the feasibility and desirability of expanding the Triple Zero service to have message-based capability – recognising that access to Triple Zero by voice is preferred in time critical situations.
     
    It is also important that people know which devices can access D2D services, and the Government will work with the industry regulator to ensure there is clear public information on this.
     
    This is just the first step towards reform to the USO.
     
    The Department will commence consultation to inform the development of legislation, and we encourage all stakeholders to engage in that process.
     
    The Government has also sought advice on incentives and the removal of barriers to support competition outcomes and public interest objectives.
     
    That work is also underway, and if the Government is returned to office, will gather pace as this would be our top communications legislative priority for 2025.
     
    As part of this process, we will develop a roadmap for a basic data obligation, alongside voice and text as technology evolves.
     
    The Government continues to work through the recommendations of the 2024 Regional Telecommunications Review alongside progress on USO reform.
     
    Undertaken every three years, the review is an opportunity for people living and working outside major cities to share their experiences, views and expectations regarding connectivity and telecommunications services.
     
    The community response to the 2024 review represented a four-fold increase in participation on the previous review.
     
    The unprecedented interest in the work of the Regional Telecommunications Review reflects the importance placed on connectivity in these communities.

    The Committee conducted online consultations and 20 in-person sessions across Australia from Thursday Island to Geraldton, Katherine and Benalla.
     
    In total, more than 4,000 stakeholders took part and more than 3,000 survey responses were received.
     
    The Committee engaged with industry throughout the process to address issues raised during consultations and potential reform options were workshopped.
     
    I’d like to thank Committee Chair, the Honorable Alannah MacTiernan – who will be addressing the Forum this morning.
     
    As well as Committee Members Kristy Sparrow, the Honorable Fiona Nash, Dr Jessa Rogers and Ian Kelly for their extensive work, expert advice and engagement on the ground.
     
    The report’s 14 recommendations address a diverse range of telecommunications issues – from enhanced mobile coverage, consumer affordability, universal service modernisation and the role of LEOSats, through to First Nations inclusion and digital literacy.
     
    We are considering the report’s findings and recommendations and continue to work with key partners like all of you here in the room.
     
    As I noted at the outset, Labor governments have a proud history of expanding universal access and UOMO is the next important piece of architecture.
     
    Australians are proud and early adopters of technology, and we are ambitious to leverage this advantage as part of building a better future.
     
    There is tremendous activity and buzz in the communications space right now.
     
    It’s a time of reform, in-sync with incredible innovation that is making once unviable goals a reality.
     
    This Forum is shining a spotlight on the opportunities this presents for regional, rural and remote Australia.
     
    We know some of these communities face connectivity challenges their city counterparts do not.
     
    Since coming to office, we have been working hard to bridge this divide.
     
    At the last election, we took a record regional telecommunications and connectivity package to the election.
     
    Since then, the Government and NBN Co have expanded fibre access and upgraded fixed wireless, collectively enabling higher speeds to a footprint of nearly 5 million homes and businesses.
     
    Government and industry co-investment has delivered 146 local projects under our Regional Connectivity Plan.
     
    And more than 150 base stations have been built under the Mobile Black Spot Program this term.
     
    These projects have helped carry over 43 million calls, including 48,000 emergency calls.
     
    We are backing Aussie farmers and ag-tech suppliers through our hugely popular On Farm Connectivity Program, which the National Farmers Federation has singled out as one of the best Commonwealth initiatives ever for their sector.
     
    NBN Co has delivered free Community Wi-Fi for First Nations communities, and free home broadband to school kids who would otherwise go without.
     
    And just this week, we have tripled down on our ambition and optimism for the future with our announcement of a Universal Outdoor Mobile Obligation.
     
    The fact is the Albanese Government is delivering with competence, and with a Labor heart.
     
    And the biggest risk to this progress is a Liberal-National Coalition Government.
     
    Let there be no doubt that if Peter Dutton becomes Prime Minister he will privatise the NBN to pay for his $600 billion nuclear fantasy.
     
    It is Australian consumers and regional communities who will pay the price.
     
    In nine years, the Coalition took Australia back from fibre to copper, and created a new acronym for the universal access framework which they were unwilling to reform.
     
    And just before they were voted out, they sneakily tried to push up NBN wholesale prices by inflation plus three per cent on some products.

    Their new Shadow Minister – the third in three years – never once mentioned connectivity during her six years in Parliament before coming into the portfolio.
     
    And Mr Dutton will ensure the Shadow’s effective title will be the ‘Minister for Privatisation’ – not the Minister for Communications.
     
    Australia can do much better than that.
     
    I want to close by thanking the industry, consumer groups, and indeed regional and stakeholders across this portfolio for your engagement throughout this term.
     
    We have learnt much from you. We have left nothing on the field, and sought to do our best.
     
    As a marginal seat holder, and as I’ve said before previous elections, I’ll either be seeing a lot more of you or a lot less of you.
     
    And an important election contest will be fought over the coming month or two.
     
    What I do want you to know is that I and the Albanese Government genuinely value your expertise, and your voice has made a difference.
     
    Now is not a time for thinking small, looking back or aiming low.
     
    This is a time to lean-in to opportunities and forge ahead in making Australia the most connected continent.
     
    Labor is doing this with one eye on the sky, and the other watching out for what’s best for all Australians – regardless of who – or where – they are.

    Every Australian deserves access to fast, reliable and affordable connectivity.
     
    Let’s keep working together to build our future, and deliver the modern world-class communications network our country demands and deserves.
     
    Thank you.
     

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Durbin, Schiff Blast Trump Administration’s Plan to Use Federal Prisons for Mass Deportation Efforts

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla, Durbin, Schiff Blast Trump Administration’s Plan to Use Federal Prisons for Mass Deportation Efforts

    Senate Judiciary Democrats to Attorney General Bondi: “We write to object to the recent decision to use Federal Bureau of Prisons facilities to detain immigrants swept up in the Trump Administration’s mass deportation efforts and urge you to reconsider this plan”

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Immigration Subcommittee, joined Senate Democratic Whip Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), and other Senate Judiciary Committee Democrats in condemning the Trump Administration’s intended use of Bureau of Prisons (BOP) facilities to detain immigrants as part of President Trump’s mass deportation plan. The move is a policy revival from Trump’s first administration, where detained immigrants described allegations of mistreatment and unconstitutional detention conditions. The detainees, many of whom were seeking asylum, were often denied access to legal counsel, phone calls, clean clothing, educational programming, and even religious freedom.

    The Senators expressed concerns with the February 7 memo from BOP’s Correctional Programs Branch directing the policy change. They highlighted the memo’s lack of answers on how to safely manage interactions between civil immigration detainees and incarcerated criminals, how BOP staff will receive sufficient training and resources to manage the civil immigrant detainee population, and whether BOP facilities could meet basic immigration detention standards.

    “[This memo fails] to provide meaningful guidance and direction to staff on the serious questions raised by these instructions,” wrote the Senators. “… Due to [the Bureau of Prisons] already suffering from years of understaffing, inadequate resources, and crumbling infrastructure, the Administration’s decision to revive immigration detention in BOP facilities seriously threatens the safety and well-being of BOP staff, incarcerated individuals, and immigrant detainees.”

    “Until serious funding and staffing challenges outlined above are addressed, federal prisons simply cannot safely and humanely meet the needs of its current inmate population, much less the needs of civil immigration detainees,” continued the Senators. “Immigration detainees in federal prisons will face substandard conditions and care, and their detention will only exacerbate significant institutional problems facing the Bureau. We therefore urge you to reconsider this plan and instead work with us to address BOP’s existing challenges.”

    In their letter, the Senators also outlined the long-faced staffing and infrastructure challenges that this policy change would perpetuate, as detailed by labor unions and previous Committee hearings. Additionally, they described understaffing as just “one symptom of chronic underinvestment in the Bureau,” including growing maintenance needs that executive staff characterize as a “foundational, enterprise-wide challenge” costing $3 billion.

    In addition to Padilla, Durbin, and Schiff, the letter is also signed by U.S. Senators Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).

    Senator Padilla is a leading voice in Congress opposing President Trump’s anti-immigrant actions and rhetoric. He sharply criticized Trump’s harmful executive orders targeting immigrants at the start of his second Administration. Yesterday, Padilla denounced Trump’s transfer of immigrants from the United States to Guantánamo as unlawful and demanded answers regarding these transfers. Last week, Padilla cosponsored the Born in the USA Act to effectively block the implementation of Trump’s unconstitutional executive order attempting to end birthright citizenship for certain children born in the United States, or a similar subsequent executive order. Last year, Padilla emphasized the dangers and immense economic costs of the Trump Administration’s mass deportation plans during a Senate Judiciary Committee hearing.

    Full text of the letter to Attorney General Bondi is available here and below:

    Dear Attorney General Bondi:

    We write to object to the recent decision to use Federal Bureau of Prisons facilities to detain immigrants swept up in the Trump Administration’s mass deportation efforts and urge you to reconsider this plan.

    During the previous Trump Administration, detained immigrants described alleged mistreatment and unconstitutional detention conditions in federal prisons. The detainees, many of whom were seeking asylum, lacked access to legal counsel, religious rights, phone calls, educational or other programming, and even clean clothing. Despite this troubling history, the current Trump Administration is apparently relying on the same poorly conceived detention scheme.

    On February 7, the Bureau’s Correctional Programs Branch issued a memo stating that, “[e]ffective immediately, Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP) employees will accept and process all new Department of Homeland Security (DHS) detainees,” while failing to provide meaningful guidance and direction to staff on the serious questions raised by these instructions. These questions include how to manage interactions between civil immigration detainees and the existing criminally incarcerated population; how the Department of Justice (DOJ) and DHS will ensure BOP staff receive adequate training and resources to meet the needs of the civil immigrant detainee population; and whether BOP facilities would even be able to meet basic immigration detention standards. Due to BOP already suffering from years of understaffing, inadequate resources, and crumbling infrastructure, the Administration’s decision to revive immigration detention in BOP facilities seriously threatens the safety and well-being of BOP staff, incarcerated individuals, and immigrant detainees.

    With 122 institutions nationwide, BOP is responsible for the well-being and rehabilitation of over 155,000 federal inmates, nearly 143,000 of whom are in BOP custody. The Bureau has long-faced significant staffing and infrastructure challenges. At the end of 2024, BOP announced plans to permanently close one prison and idle six additional facilities due to “significant challenges, including a critical staffing shortage, crumbling infrastructure and limited budgetary resources.” BOP already grapples with considerable resource deficiencies in discharging its primary mandate, and simply does not have adequate resources to take on the additional challenge of safely and humanely accommodating immigration detainees.

    The Bureau’s chronic understaffing challenges are well-documented. President Trump’s order to freeze hiring of all federal civilian employees as of January 22, 2017 exacerbated the situation. BOP reportedly eliminated 6,000 positions as a result, a 14 percent staffing decrease from 2016 levels. Though the hiring freeze was rescinded later in the Trump Administration, the Bureau has continued to struggle with underfunding, resulting in decreased competitiveness in the employment market; staffing levels have still not rebounded. As set forth in a February 2024 letter to then-President Biden from the President of the Council of Prison Locals 33, American Federation of Government Employees AFL-CIO, the Bureau has lost “almost 9,000 staff since 2016,” bringing the federal prison workforce down to a “critical level.” As of December 2024, BOP is authorized for 14,900 full time correctional officer positions and reported 12,662 officers in pay status. BOP is additionally authorized for 27,498 “other” positions, of which the Bureau reports 23,949 are in pay status.

    As several recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearings have highlighted, understaffed prisons already face immense challenges in keeping current populations and staff safe, let alone accommodating an influx of immigration detainees. BOP currently institutes inadequate workarounds to address dangerous staff shortages. A February 2024 DOJ Office of the Inspector General (OIG) report on inmate deaths detailed BOP’s overreliance on augmentation, the practice of assigning noncustodial staff such as teachers, case managers, and medical staff to perform routine correctional officer duties for a period of time to help offset correctional staff shortages. BOP also mandates overtime to compensate for staffing shortages, with officers “often covering six to seven days per week with shifts extending up to 16 hours,” according to the correctional officers union. The OIG report “found that both practices burdened existing staff and potentially contributed to staff fatigue, sleep deprivation, decreased vigilance, and inattentiveness to duty,” outcomes negatively affecting staff morale and performance.

    The significant stress on BOP staff caused by chronic understaffing predictably impacts the Bureau’s ability to care for those in its custody. For example, staff shortages in health and psychology positions “can negatively affect the availability and quality of treatment, programming, and general medical and mental healthcare” for incarcerated individuals, including “treatment and programs designed to treat substance abuse disorders and mental illnesses.” NPR found that some incarcerated individuals have been forced to wait months or years for necessary medical treatment. Similarly, understaffing in educational and programming positions hinders successful implementation of rehabilitative programs designed to reduce recidivism—including programming mandated by the First Step Act, the bipartisan criminal justice reform legislation that President Trump signed into law in 2018.

    Most alarmingly, safety and security cannot be ensured without minimum levels of staffing. For example, in 2022, a fight left two incarcerated individuals dead in United States Penitentiary Beaumont. The correctional officers’ union condemned the incident and noted that “chronic understaffing of our prisons is jeopardizing the lives of both workers and inmates.” Indeed, according to the OIG’s February 2024 report, “[t]he BOP specifically identified insufficient staffing as an issue in at least 30 of the inmate deaths” that the report examined.

    Understaffing is just one symptom of chronic underinvestment in the Bureau. For example, a May 2023 DOJ OIG report noted that “BOP has limited resources to address its extensive and growing maintenance needs, and in many cases, necessary repairs cannot be completed in a timely manner due to a lack of funding.” Examples of the Bureau’s “aging and failing infrastructure” include buckling concrete, water leaks, poor ventilation, and energy inefficiencies. BOP Executive Staff have described the inability to address this issue as a “foundational, enterprise-wide challenge.” In February 2024, then- BOP Director Colette Peters testified to the Senate Judiciary Committee that the Bureau has a maintenance and repair backlog of about $3 billion.

    Immigration detention facilities with which DHS contracts must comply with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) immigration detention standards, including providing access to medical and mental health care, access to counsel, language access, access to religious opportunities, a process for reporting and responding to complaints, and limitations on solitary confinement. Troubling reports indicate that BOP is not observing ICE detention standards, which reflect the appropriate conditions for the unique nature of civil immigration detainees. Indeed, given the staffing, infrastructure, and resource challenges that BOP faces, BOP facilities cannot be expected to rapidly adapt to meet such standards—and as a result they will likely again face challenges regarding unconstitutional conditions of confinement.

    Until serious funding and staffing challenges outlined above are addressed, federal prisons simply cannot safely and humanely meet the needs of its current inmate population, much less the needs of civil immigration detainees. Immigration detainees in federal prisons will face substandard conditions and care and their detention will only exacerbate significant institutional problems facing the Bureau. We therefore urge you to reconsider this plan and instead work with us to address BOP’s existing challenges.

    We look forward to your prompt response.

    Sincerely,

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Sobyanin approved priorities for the development of the Moscow education system

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The Presidium of the Moscow Government considered the issue of priorities for the development of the education system in the capital for 2025. Based on its results, Sergei Sobyanin decided to increase the standards for per capita financing of general education schools to improve the quality of education while simultaneously leveling the standards for grades 5-11. 46 billion rubles will be allocated for these purposes. In addition, a decision was made to develop a system of mathematical and natural science training for schoolchildren, increase the number of budget places in colleges for Muscovites – ninth-grade graduates to support the growing interest in secondary vocational education, and to build five advanced schools of the future.

    The capital is among the top five world leaders in the quality of school education. The decisions taken will help maintain and improve these positions, as well as ensure the competitiveness of Moscow school graduates in the context of the transformation of the labor market and the development of digital technologies.

    Increased funding and regulations

    In 2025, funding for school education will be further increased by 13 percent. 46 billion rubles will be allocated from the city budget for these purposes.

    High results and success of students in high school, college and university largely depend on basic fundamental training in elementary school and in grades five to nine, since it is during this period that interest in learning is formed, and the talents and abilities of the child are revealed. Therefore, today it is important to pay the same attention to elementary and basic school as to high school. This will become an important factor in the further growth of the quality of capital education and the success of students.

    In this regard, the Moscow Government decided to introduce a single high standard of financing in grades 5-11 instead of two different ones for the middle and senior levels, and also to increase its size. It will amount to 197 thousand rubles per year per student.

    In basic school (grades 5–9), the standard will increase by almost 20 percent, and for grades 10–11, by 5.4 percent. The per capita standard in primary school (grades 1–4) will increase by almost 15.7 percent, to 171,000 rubles per year.

    Strengthening the natural science and mathematics areas in school

    In addition, additional budget funds will be allocated to improving the quality of mathematical and natural science training for schoolchildren, which determines the achievement of the capital’s technological leadership.

    Starting from the new 2025/2026 academic year, schools will organize city-wide courses in mathematics, science, and technology for grades one through six. Students will solve creative problems, developing logic, spatial, and analytical thinking. New city Olympiads will also appear, including experimental ones, for the early identification of children’s talents and their subsequent individual support. Already in April next year, at the “Ready for Life in a Smart City” Olympiad, students in grades three through four will be able to demonstrate the skills they acquired in additional classes.

    Conducting such classes will also require a more advanced level of teacher training and acquisition of new competencies. From April 1 of this year, teachers will be offered a new system of training and advanced training in special courses.

    The decision to develop additional courses for schoolchildren was made taking into account the growing interest of schoolchildren in mathematical and natural science education. In 2025, a record 60 percent of eleventh-graders will take the advanced level mathematics course on the Unified State Exam — more than 32 thousand graduates.

    Over the past five years, interest in computer science has grown by 46 percent, with 16,000 people taking the exam this year. In addition, physics has become a popular subject for the first time in the last few years, with more than 10,000 graduates choosing it.

    Building schools of the future and upgrading educational infrastructure

    Systematic development of education is impossible without the formation of a high-quality educational environment. The capital has begun implementing an unprecedented project to update school infrastructure and material and technical base.

    Since 2024, a large-scale program “My School” has been implemented, within the framework of which it is planned to modernize up to 100 school buildings per year. Now, after reconstruction, the first four buildings have been opened. By the beginning of the new academic year, about 50 schools in Moscow will be modernized. More than 35 thousand children will study in modern, comfortable and high-tech classes.

    At the same time, the city continues to build new school buildings. In particular, a decision was made to create five advanced schools of the future in Presnensky, Meshchansky, Basmanny and Tagansky districts. New educational buildings will be built according to innovative standards, including the creation of comfortable spaces for scientific experiments, group and individual work, exhibition areas for projects, a media library with an atrium and recreation areas. Particular attention will be paid to visual openness and filling the space with light.

    By 2032, about a thousand school buildings will be built or modernized in the capital.

    Expanding educational choice for young people

    The priority task in the field of education is to provide young people with the widest possible choice of educational trajectory in accordance with the interests and talents of each student.

    Schoolchildren who continue their education in grades 10-11 study at least two subjects in depth to better prepare for entering a university. The capital’s pre-professional education standard, which is based on the “school-college-university-enterprise” model, has also proven its effectiveness.

    Traditionally, after completing the ninth grade, many graduates choose to continue their education in college, which allows them to quickly obtain a sought-after profession and begin an independent life. More than 75 percent of vacancies on the Moscow labor market are aimed at specialists with secondary vocational education. The share of graduates of city colleges who get a job in their specialty is 95 percent.

    The 2024 admission campaign showed a growing interest among ninth-graders in secondary vocational education. The allocated 16 thousand additional target places were filled by 100 percent. Twice as many ninth-graders became college students — about 36 thousand people.

    Among the most popular areas are information technology and programming, graphic design, cooking and confectionery, tourism and hospitality. Demand among applicants for specialties in finance and trade, education and the social sphere is growing.

    Taking this trend into account, in 2025 the Moscow Government decided to increase the number of budget places in city colleges for ninth-grade graduates according to need.

    Starting in 2023, the city will implement a set of measures to modernize and systematically develop secondary vocational education. It is based on two basic principles:

    — relevance and demand (educational programs are developed with the direct participation of employers and professional associations);

    – practical orientation (students are immersed in a professional environment from the first year of study at college, and practical classes make up at least 70 percent of the total training time and are conducted under the guidance of experienced mentors and industrial training masters).

    One of the key elements of change is constant interaction with employers, working according to their requests. Today, city colleges have more than three thousand partners from all sectors of the economy.

    Another important area of modernization of secondary vocational education in Moscow is the large-scale re-equipment of colleges. Over the course of several years, it is planned to re-equip or create anew more than two thousand laboratories and workshops. This will allow practical and laboratory work to be carried out at a modern technological level using equipment that operates at city enterprises.

    Three flagship practical training centers will also be built on the basis of modern production facilities. One of them, located in the Rudnevo industrial park, opened in October 2024.

    The plans include building seven innovative educational campuses with a total area of over 400,000 square meters to accommodate over 60,000 students by 2031. Among them are colleges in the creative industries, information technology, healthcare, hospitality, industry, transport, construction, and others.

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

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    HTTPS: //vv.mos.ru/mayor/tkhemes/12423050/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Church hymns and social beers: how Australia is reviving the magic of singing together

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wendy Hargreaves, Senior Learning Advisor, University of Southern Queensland

    State Library of Victoria

    It was 2009. John Farnham walked on stage at the disaster relief concert for the most devastating bushfires in Australian history. He belted out You’re The Voice to 36,000 people at the Sydney Cricket Ground. Then, as he lowered his microphone, 36,000 voices belted it right back.

    Farnham knew the real star that day was not himself, but the thousands of everyday Australians singing in solidarity with their hurting nation.

    Singing together is electrifying, but can Australians tap into this magic without the tragedy?

    We’re all the voice.

    The science behind the magic

    Group singing has a proven ability to produce positive social bonding and help us tune in to others’ feelings.

    That sense of connecting and relating can boost our mental health; particularly crucial given many Australians seriously neglect self-care.

    After taking part in a year-long community singing program, Aboriginal and Torres Straight Islander adults reported reduced depression, increased resilience and a greater sense of social connection.

    Physiologically, research shows group singing can increase the hormone oxytocin which helps us bond with people and feel good. It can decrease cortisol levels to positively modulate our immune system. Making music together may also release endorphins that help our tolerance of pain.

    Rewinding on Australian singing

    Australia’s identity as a singing nation has never quite matched countries like Wales, “the land of song”. Centuries-old singing traditions are well-suited to huddling indoors in snowy northern hemisphere villages.

    Indeed, the tradition of singing Christmas carols was devised as a cure for the European winter blues. Our warmer Australian climate, in contrast, coaxes us outdoors for other activities in wide open spaces.

    Hymn singing at Melbourne’s Royal Exhibition Building in 1882.
    State Library of Victoria

    Australia’s choral tradition grew initially through church music; printed on tiny 12x7cm pages, books from the early 1800s provide a glimpse at the hymns church choirs and congregations once sang.

    Music researcher Dianne Gome reports these books were also used for official state occasions and in the home. They were so popular, Australians began to create their own versions.

    Singing was part of 19th century Australian life. At home, pianos were treasured for family singalongs and a sign of wealth and culture. Choirs blossomed, such as the The Brisbane Musical Union (now The Queensland Choir) which formed in 1872 with 112 members. Singing was valued, and local journals critiqued technique. Even The Wireless Weekly reported a radio poll “to decide the worst singer” in 1942.

    Work songs – morale boosters as workers labour through repetitive tasks – also showed our early singing culture. One Queensland man recently described life as a 14-year-old in a 1930s tram track foundry:

    Every night I came home exhausted. It was hard work, but we used to sing […] How many people sing at their work today?

    Alongside its presence in churches, work places and social gatherings, singing became a pillar of Australian education.

    A book on education history in Victoria reports singing was introduced in the 1850s for “harmonising and refining the mind” and as a “most favourable influence […] on the moral associations of the goldfields”.

    While some traditions in schools continue today, claims of a crowded curriculum and de-valuing of the arts have pushed school singing from essential to optional.

    There also exists a social pressure on Australian boys to play sport rather than sing in choirs.

    Today’s Aussie group singing style

    A fair dinkum Aussie singing style is well established in sporting circles.

    The 1978 World Cricket Series jingle C’mon Aussie C’mon was so simple and catchy its tune still rings through stadiums today. Likewise, Mike Brady’s Up There Cazaly – inspired by the 1910s footballer whose name was used in World War II battle cries – has been a favourite crowd singalong at AFL Grand Finals for decades.

    Footy club theme songs aside, Brisbane Lions fans will be particularly familiar with a modern opportunity for sports singing: goal songs. After every goal at a Lions’ home game, a snippet from a player-chosen track blares across the stands.

    Not all of these song selections make successful singalongs, but Charlie Cameron’s choice of Take Me Home Country Roads is a clear favourite. Tellingly, the crowd keeps singing after the music stops.

    At the other end of the spectrum of group size and vocal expertise is the small Australian-bred a capella group The Idea of North. Their expert musical arrangements and blended sound perfectly encapsulates collaborative singing with unity, harmony and joy.

    For a quirky Australian choral option, a group of men from Mullumbimby formed the “fake” Russian choir, Dustyesky (a wordplay on the famous Russian writer Dostoevsky). They don’t speak the language, yet their energy and passion for singing made them a hit in Russia and brought about an invitation to sing in Moscow.

    With millions of internet views, another highly successful Australian response to group singing came from Astrid Jorgensen, creator of Pub Choir. With laughter and a drink, members of the public meet at a licensed venue to learn a song in three-part harmony.

    Jorgensen’s tailored musical arrangements of popular songs suit untrained singers, don’t require music reading skills and make singing in harmony with complete strangers easy and fun. Jorgensen found the key to motivating Aussies to sing together is crowds, humour and a social beer.

    Wendy Hargreaves 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. Church hymns and social beers: how Australia is reviving the magic of singing together – https://theconversation.com/church-hymns-and-social-beers-how-australia-is-reviving-the-magic-of-singing-together-250254

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Politics with Michelle Grattan: Tom Rogers calls for national digital literacy campaign and more civics teaching

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

    We see the political parties’ frantic election campaigns, but behind the scenes the Australian Electoral Commisison is working just as hard.

    An often overlooked part of Australia’s democracy, the AEC is vital in ensuring our elections are both efficient and fair, a task full of challenges.

    We’re joined today by Tom Rogers, recently retired as Electoral Commissioner. As commissioner, Rogers oversaw three federal elections and the Voice referendum. He is now a member of the advisory board of the International Institute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance and provides his expertise on elections globally.

    Rogers describes running a modern Australian election as

    the largest peacetime logistic exercise in the life of Australia […] it’s so complex administratively to run these events.

    It’s a bit like setting up a fortune 500 company in four weeks, running it, then dismantling it a couple of weeks after the event. It is just phenomenally complex. And the amazing thing is that because we’ve got good systems in place, it works pretty well.

    The agency goes from, I’ll use very rough figures here, about a thousand people all over Australia during the non-electoral period up to about 105,000 people during that very short period.

    There are a lot of calls for truth in advertising laws and some calls for it to be managed by the AEC. Rogers insists the AEC should not be involved,

    I was a firm believer that that would be very inappropriate for the AEC. It’s one of those rare things where we were very, very proactive in talking to people about that. And one of the reasons is because I think it would ruin the AEC’s reputation for neutrality. It’s as simple as that.

    It will impact on the AEC’s level of trust with the community.[…] given trust is so important, that people trust electoral outcomes, I think it’s incredibly dangerous.

    While not wanting to be involved with truth in advertising, Rogers does see the importance in the AEC countering misinformation on Australia’s electoral process,

    We’ve established a ‘defending democracy unit’. We ran a national campaign called Stop and Consider to get people to think about the source of information.

    But I think the bit that we can do and that’s still missing is we really need a national digital literacy campaign for our citizens. When you correct disinformation about electoral matters, there’s a whole body of research that shows that it’s kind of effective. What is more effective rather than debunking is ‘prebunking’ and what is more effective again, is giving citizens the skills they need to make up their own mind about the accuracy of information.

    The Stop and Consider campaign, I might be wrong, but is still the only national campaign focussed on giving citizens skills. We need to run something like that all the time. I think there’s a real need for this in the modern era and that’s what we should be doing.

    Rogers also highlights the importance of civics education

    It’s critical. The AEC is already doing good work in this space. Up until I left at the end of last year, generally speaking the AEC was getting about 100,000 kids a year through the Electoral Education Centre in Canberra, which is excellent. They are in the process of digitising much of the materials so that that could be spread to schools that are unable to visit Canberra.

    I do think we need to do more.

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

    – ref. Politics with Michelle Grattan: Tom Rogers calls for national digital literacy campaign and more civics teaching – https://theconversation.com/politics-with-michelle-grattan-tom-rogers-calls-for-national-digital-literacy-campaign-and-more-civics-teaching-250901

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Jason Bohrer Named Communications Director for Senator Kevin Cramer

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

    ***Click here to download audio.***

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND) has named Jason Bohrer, former President and Chief Executive Officer of the Lignite Energy Council, to serve as Communications Director in his Washington, D.C. office. 

    Bohrer is leaving the Lignite Energy Council after nearly 12 years with the trade association headquartered in Bismarck, N.D. A graduate of North Dakota State University and the George Mason University Antonin Scalia Law School, Bohrer previously held Capitol Hill positions as a Chief of Staff, Legislative Counsel/Director and Director of Constituent Communications for members of the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives.  

    “My team and I started working with Jason shortly after we went to Congress,” said Cramer. “He was working for Congressman Raul Labrador, who is now Idaho’s Attorney General and a good friend of mine. We worked closely together on natural resources and energy issues, but many others as well.  When Jason came to North Dakota to be president of the Lignite Energy Council I was happy to be a strong advocate for that. Now, after 12 years in the state, I’m thrilled he’s coming back to Washington and will continue working for North Dakota and North Dakotans in my office. He’s a great communicator, organizer, and manager. He’s also a team leader and will be a tremendous asset to the people of North Dakota. I’m honored he’s chosen to come to work for us and help us in this very new and important session of Congress.” 

    “I met Senator Cramer when he was first elected to Congress in 2012,” said Bohrer. “I was impressed by his authenticity, consistency and dedication to his principles. Obviously, from my work at the Lignite Energy Council I am familiar with his national leadership on energy policy. But I have also watched him rise to become one of the nation’s strongest voices for other common sense and constitutionally-consistent solutions. Senator Cramer has been a huge part of the North Dakota success story, and I’m excited to join him as he continues to take proven North Dakota policies to Washington, D.C., to unleash American energy and return to sound federalist principles of law and order.”

    Elected to his second term in the U.S. Senate in November, Cramer’s Senate committee assignments are Armed Services; Environment and Public Works; Veterans’ Affairs, and Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs. An energy policy expert, in 2003 he began serving nearly a decade as a North Dakota Public Service Commissioner and helped oversee the most dynamic economy in the nation.

    Bohrer will begin his position on April 7.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Sergey Netesov, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Head of the Laboratory of Bionanotechnology, Microbiology and Virology of the Faculty of Natural Sciences of NSU: “The new coronavirus does not pose a visible danger to people yet”

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    Sergey Netesov, Doctor of Biological Sciences, Professor, Academician of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Head of the Laboratory of Bionanotechnology, Microbiology and Virology Faculty of Natural Sciences of NSU: “The new coronavirus does not yet pose a visible danger to people”

    — Having studied the primary sources — articles published in February 2025 in the journals Cell and Nature — I can say that the discovery of the HKU5-CoV-2 virus, which is a type of the HKU5 virus, is an interesting fact, but so far this virus does not pose a visible danger to humans.

    The HKU5 virus was first identified in bats in China back in 2006. The above-mentioned articles indicate that one of its variants seems to have a binding site in the S protein for the same human cell receptors as the SARS-CoV-2 virus, which causes Covid-19. However, this virus has not yet caused disease in any human, although it has the potential to do so. However, almost any animal virus has this potential.

    It should be noted that the bats from whose organisms it was isolated are carriers of hundreds of different viruses, but only a few are capable of infecting people. This means that the danger of the newly discovered virus to people is highly questionable.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Moscow schoolchildren can prepare for the Unified State Exam with the help of “MESh”

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    On the platform “Moscow Electronic School” (MES) provides services for students and their parents, allowing them to competently organize preparation for the Unified State Exam and Basic State Exam (USE and OGE), as well as consciously choose a suitable educational institution.

    “The Moscow Electronic School has become an important assistant for Moscow schoolchildren in their studies. The platform includes a wide range of content, including for preparing for final exams, so students can save time and quickly find the topics they need. This approach simplifies preparation and makes it more structured,” the press service of the Moscow

    Department of Education and Science.

    Thus, the service “Exams” is available for graduates, where all the necessary materials for successfully passing the Unified State Exam are collected. During this academic year, more than 80 thousand schoolchildren used it almost 320 thousand times. Here, graduates can familiarize themselves with the content of exercises in all subjects and recommended materials for preparation. In particular, these are annually updated video analysis of Unified State Exam assignments, in which the best teachers of the capital share their experience and analyze examples from previous years. This format helps children to better understand complex topics, avoid common mistakes and increase their self-confidence before exams. Teachers can use the materials in workshops to prepare for the Unified State Exam or attach them to homework so that students repeat the topic covered and better assimilate the material.

    Video analysis of Unified State Exam assignments in all subjects has appeared in the MES library

    This year, 424 video analyses have already been created. They are available in the “Exams” service in the web version of the electronic diary on the website Shul.mos.ru and in the mobile application “MESH Diary”, as well as on the home page of the MES library in the selection “Preparation for the Unified State Exam-2025”. In this section, 281 video analysis for preparation for the unified city test appeared. The materials were published in advance so that graduates had enough time to fully work through the topics.

    To consolidate the material studied, the Exams service offers about 1,600 tests with automatic checking. Students can study at a comfortable pace, devoting more time to those tasks that cause difficulties. In addition, MES has more than 100 videos with recommendations on how to manage time during the exam and fill out the Unified State Exam forms, as well as with advice from psychologists on stress management and memory development.

    In order for the students to understand what they should focus on during their preparation, the topics that may be encountered on the Unified State Exam and the Basic State Exam are marked with special icons in the MESH electronic diary. They are displayed in the lesson cards in the schedule and help to find the necessary materials faster. These functions can be used in the web version of the electronic diary on the website Shul.mos.ru and in the mobile application “MESH Diary”.

    In addition, everything necessary for preparing for exams is collected in the MES library. Thus, the service provides educational materials on mathematics, which were developed by specialists of the electronic educational system “Gipermatika”. Graduates can use collections of problems to prepare for the Unified State Exam, and students in grades 6-11 can take mathematical courses, including theoretical and practical parts.

    A virtual laboratory will help you prepare for the OGE and USE in computer science on your own “MESH Informatics”. A selection of courses and practical tasks will allow you to consolidate or improve your knowledge of the subject, as well as understand how much time it takes to solve a particular test.

    In addition, the children can use the materials of the online service “Cloud of Knowledge”. They include 430 simulators and 142 assignment options for preparing for the Unified State Exam and the Basic State Exam.

    You can get help in choosing a college in the service “Student Portfolio”. This contains the results of professional testing and personal recommendations from career mentors. Ninth-graders can learn more about their abilities, identify their inclinations for certain professions, and decide on the direction of their further education.

    “Moscow Electronic School”— a joint project of the capital’s Departments of Education and Science Andinformation technology, created in 2016. A single digital educational platform is available to Moscow teachers, students and their parents. Among the main services of “MES” are a library of educational materials, an electronic diary and journal, “Moskvenok”, “Student Portfolio” and “Olympiads”.

    Providing the capital’s schoolchildren with modern digital services increases the efficiency of the educational process, helps children to plan their school and personal time wisely and corresponds to the objectives of the “All the Best for Children” national project “Youth and Children”.

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

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/150570073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Your super fund is invested in private markets. What are they and why has ASIC raised concerns?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Melatos, Associate Professor of Economics, University of Sydney

    If you are a member of a super fund, some of your long-term savings are probably invested in private markets.

    Public markets are familiar to most of us – the stock market and government and corporate bond markets. Private markets include unlisted assets such as companies owned by private equity firms, infrastructure investments and private credit markets.

    Corporate watchdog the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC), has today released a discussion paper that emphasises the growth in private capital, seemingly at the expense of public markets. While the number of listed companies and the value of initial public offerings has shrunk, private equity and infrastructure funds have boomed.

    Should we be worried about this?

    Public vs private markets

    Public markets tend to be transparent, tightly regulated and liquid. Companies listed on the stock exchange publish their financial accounts, hold annual general meetings and their shares can be readily traded.

    In contrast, private markets are lightly regulated. Private capital investments are more opaque, less liquid and, hence, more risky. But they can deliver much higher returns (or losses).

    Often, obtaining capital from private sources makes sense. For example, entrepreneurs whose startup firms are short of revenue, profit and tangible assets are unlikely to be able to raise capital in public markets, or from banks. Instead, they turn to private equity firms for funding.

    What are the concerns?

    In its report, ASIC raises several concerns:

    • the shrinking of Australia’s public equity markets might hurt the economy

    • the rise of private markets may create new or amplified risks

    • the lack of transparency of private markets poses a challenge for investors and regulators.

    Public markets play an important role connecting investors with companies seeking capital. The shrinking of public markets, therefore, has important economic implications. Will private markets be able to pick up the slack?

    Notwithstanding the growth in private capital markets, they are still small compared to their public counterparts. The total capitalisation of the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX) is $3 trillion. Total private capital funds under management are only $150 billion.

    The lack of disclosures in private capital markets might also create more and different risks for financial markets and the economy; risks that regulators may not understand, nor know how to anticipate or effectively mitigate.

    The role of Australian super funds

    ASIC is concerned about the implications for the superannuation industry of the growth of private capital markets and decline in public markets.

    Australia’s superannuation assets now total $4.1 trillion, greater than the value of Australia’s GDP and more than the total value of all companies listed on the ASX. Anything that alters the playing field for Australian super has the potential to create outsized risk (or opportunity) for the Australian economy.

    The ASIC report highlights the growing involvement of Australia’s superannuation funds in private markets. Australia’s two largest super funds, Australian Super and Australian Retirement Trust, each have about 20% of their total funds invested in private markets.

    The fact is that Australia’s superannuation sector has outgrown Australian public markets. They cannot trade shares on the ASX without moving share prices significantly to their detriment. On the other hand, having super funds, which are highly regulated to protect member savings, investing in unregulated private capital markets is jarring, if not potentially risky.

    Having said this, the size of Australia’s super funds means they can set the terms and price at which they invest. This power is most valuable in private deals; less so in public markets where a company’s stock price and its financial accounts are public knowledge.

    Increasingly, super funds directly invest in infrastructure projects such as ports and airports rather than buy shares in listed infrastructure firms.

    What’s behind the shift in markets?

    The ASIC report points the finger at the usual culprits for the shift from public to private capital markets, including the regulatory burden on public companies and the rise of technology companies that prefer to tap private capital.

    However, another problem is bedevilling policymakers everywhere: too much capital is chasing too few profitable investment opportunities. Companies have lots of cash on their books and nothing to spend it on.

    Increasingly, such companies have resorted to share buybacks (reducing the number of their shares on issue) to reward investors in a tax-effective way. A lot of the shrinkage in public equity is due to share buybacks that in 2022 alone totalled US$1.3 trillion.

    Why does all this matter?

    The ASIC report is notable for what it does not say; nothing, for example, on its own chequered history of investigative and enforcement action.

    The growing importance of opaque private markets matters more if regulators are asleep at the wheel. ASIC’s tendency for weak oversight and sclerotic enforcement can hardly have raised investor confidence in Australia’s public capital markets.

    Its oversight of initial public offerings (IPOs) has also been questionable over a long period. How can ASIC be expected to adequately manage complex private capital market risks given its woeful performance managing simpler public market risks?

    The apparent decline of public markets has been spooking even sophisticated private financial market players – including, most notably, Jamie Dimon, CEO of JP Morgan. If Dimon is concerned, then ASIC – and all of us – should probably also be concerned.

    Mark Melatos 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. Your super fund is invested in private markets. What are they and why has ASIC raised concerns? – https://theconversation.com/your-super-fund-is-invested-in-private-markets-what-are-they-and-why-has-asic-raised-concerns-250788

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU scientists are the first in the world to use a time-projection chamber for accelerator mass spectrometry

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    Researchers of the Center for Collective Use “Accelerator Mass Spectrometry of NSU-NNC” have tested for the first time an ion detector based on a low-pressure VPK on the MICADAS accelerator spectrometer and obtained the first results. This device was installed instead of the native MICADAS detector (ionization chamber), in which the ions of the C14 isotope are counted, based on the results of which the dating of the studied sample is performed.

    In 2023, this time-projection chamber was installed for the first time on a domestic accelerator mass spectrometer, which is made and maintained by the G.I. Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics SB RAS and is located in the Cenozoic Geochronology Shared Utility Center of the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography SB RAS. It was successfully tested on a beam of 14C ions with an energy of 4 MeV and proved to be operational. Later, this chamber was tested on a beam of 14C ions with an energy of 0.4 MeV at the MIKADAS UMS. If the experiments are successful, a smaller VPK will be created in the future for installation on the prototype of the first domestic low-voltage universal accelerator mass spectrometer, which is being created by NSU scientists within the framework of the Priority-2030 program.

    Time-projection chamber (TPC) — in application to accelerator mass spectrometry, this is a method of identifying low-energy heavy ions based on measuring their path lengths in gas. The principle of operation is as follows: ions fly into the chamber through a thin entrance window. Then they lose energy due to ionization losses. As a result, a trail of gas ions and electrons is formed along the track. These electrons, under the influence of an external electric field, drift in the gas at a constant speed in the direction of the GEM, where they are amplified. At the end, the amplified electrons are collected on a collector and digitized by the data acquisition system. Thus, the electron collection time corresponds to the ion path length.

    — Previously, the time-projection chamber was developed for the INP UMS to separate ions with the same atomic masses and different nuclear charges. This gas detector will separate Be10 (beryllium) ions from B10 (boron). Since the nuclei of boron and beryllium have different charges, with equal initial energies, their path lengths in a gas environment are different and the VPK will separate them. Be10 has a longer half-life (1.39 million years) compared to 14C (5730 years), so measuring the 10Be content will allow scientists to date geological samples, — explained Ekaterina Parkhomchuk, Director of the UMS NSU-NNC Collective Use Center.

    The MICADAS accelerator mass spectrometer, unlike the domestic multiisotope, is aimed only at detecting and determining the amount of the rare isotope C14 in the samples being studied. C14 ions pass through the entire accelerator mass spectrometer and then enter the gas detector, where they are identified and counted.

    — Accelerator mass spectrometers are equipped with various types of detectors. For example, the MICADAS UMS has an ionization chamber. We replaced it with a time-projection chamber. One of the important parts of the MICADAS ionization chamber is the preamplifier. If it fails, MICADAS will stop, and we will have to either buy a new preamplifier, which is very difficult in the current circumstances, — said Alexey Petrozhitsky, engineer at the Center for Collective Use “Accelerator Mass Spectrometry NSU-NNC”.

    It is important that ionization chambers have one significant drawback – they operate in a mode where the signal-to-noise ratio is far from optimal. In addition, the preamplifier is very demanding of electronics, unlike the gas analyzer, which is equipped with a time-projection chamber.

    — In our detector, we amplify the signal using a gas electron multiplier, which significantly reduces the requirements for the electronics of the data acquisition system. In addition, our VPK produces a much better signal-to-noise ratio, is easy to manufacture, operate and repair. We needed to find an answer to the question: is it possible to use the VPK as a detector of 14C ions with an energy of 0.4 MeV? And in the course of our work, we came to a positive answer. We are confident that the time-projection chamber we have developed can be used as the final detector in the first domestic universal low-voltage accelerator mass spectrometer, which we are currently working on. The experiments we are currently conducting are aimed precisely at testing the detector for the first domestic UMS, and the MICADAS setup acts as an ion beam source available to us. This can be called the first brick for building our own setup. When a project already has a detector that registers particles, it means that a significant area of problems has already been covered and other specialists can join in the creation of a new UMS, ensuring the execution of work at the next stage, commented Tamara Shakirova, a junior researcher at the Institute of Nuclear Physics SB RAS, the Center for Collective Use “Accelerator Mass Spectrometry NSU-NNC”.

    Currently, tests of the time-projection chamber at MICADAS are carried out on two types of samples: the ANU standard sample (IAEA-C6, sugar) with a 14C content close to the modern level and a “blank” (polyethylene CH – Elemental Microanalysis B2024 standard) with a 14C content of 0.002 of the modern level. The purpose of the tests is to optimize the operating parameters: working gas pressure, gain, electron drift velocity.

    — We have collected a sufficient amount of data, and are currently processing and analyzing it. The main thing is that we have made sure that the time-projection chamber works in the mode we expect and produces clearly readable signals above background values. We can certainly say that we can read C14 from them, which is quite suitable for conducting radiocarbon analysis of samples, — said Alexey Petrozhitsky.

    Reference:

    Accelerator mass spectrometry is a method for measuring the concentration of rare long-lived cosmogenic isotopes in a sample: 10Be, 14C, 26Al, 36Cl, 41Ca, 129I. It is based on the extraction of atoms from the sample with subsequent “piece by piece” counting of the isotopes of interest. The high accuracy of AMS analysis allows measuring the concentration of a rare isotope. This method is used in many sciences, for example, in archeology, geology, biomedicine, ecology, astrophysics. It is most widely used in radiocarbon dating of archaeological objects, that is, recording the concentration of the carbon-14 isotope. The time interval of dating for 14C goes back as far as 50 thousand years. Determining the concentration of another cosmogenic nuclide 10Be is also of interest, since the time interval of dating is much wider – up to 10 million years.

    Currently, the NSU-NSC Accelerator Mass Spectrometry Shared Utility Center has two UMS installations. The first was created by scientists from the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics SB RAS more than 10 years ago. The second Swiss-made MICADAS accelerator mass spectrometer was purchased in 2019. Scientists from Novosibirsk State University, the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics SB RAS, the Institute of Archeology and Ethnography SB RAS, and the Boreskov Institute of Catalysis as part of the Center’s research group are working on creating a domestic low-voltage universal accelerator mass spectrometer that will combine the advantages of the first two installations. The project is designed for five years and is being implemented with the support of the Priority-2030 program.

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Beijing conference examines AI’s transformative role

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The 2025 Enterprise Management Annual Conference is held at the National School of Development of Peking University in Beijing on Feb. 23, 2025. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

    Entrepreneurs and scholars gathered at the 2025 Enterprise Management Annual Conference in Beijing on Feb. 23 to explore how AI innovations, such as DeepSeek and Unitree Technology’s humanoid robots, are reshaping industries, the workforce and society.

    The conference was co-organized by Enterprise Management magazine, Entrepreneur magazine, and the National School of Development of Peking University.

    During the keynote speech session, Yu Yong, chairman of Hebei Iron and Steel Group Co., Ltd. (HBIS), highlighted DeepSeek’s groundbreaking role in demonstrating China’s growing strength in AI, elevating the global AI conversation to new heights.

    “AI has ushered in a new technological revolution,” he said. “It has far-reaching implications, especially for manufacturing industries.”

    Yu noted that AI is changing how productivity is generated, emphasizing computational power and data over traditional capital and labor. This fundamental shift is reshaping business management models, replacing hierarchical, assembly-line practices with flat, borderless organizations. AI-driven technologies are making it possible to optimize processes in ways previously unimaginable, both improving efficiency and reimagining how value is created.

    “AI will liberate workers from routine tasks, allowing them to focus on higher-level work,” Yu said. “Human workers will transition into roles such as AI managers and strategists, similar to what we’ve done in our corporation.”

    Over the past two years, HBIS has restructured its business units to integrate AI, ensuring a smooth transition as AI becomes more integral to operations, Yu said.

    Humanoid robots were a key topic in a subsequent roundtable discussion. Zhang Rui, chairman of Beijing Ironman Technology Co. Ltd., discussed the company’s pioneering work in bipedal robots, which began with its founding in 2015 as China’s first company to focus on this field.

    Zhang emphasized the importance of tailoring the use of humanoid robots to industry needs. “A humanoid robot is not always the best solution for every scenario,” he said. “It is important to match the robot’s capabilities with the specific demands of the industry.”

    Zhang Yueqiang, vice president of Yonyou Network Co., Ltd., discussed how AI is already transforming professions. “AI has the potential to replace many jobs in fields such as basic translation, writing and even data analysis,” he said. “By 2030, we will see disruptive changes in the workplace, with nearly half of existing skills becoming obsolete.” The key to staying relevant, Zhang stressed, is to focus on creativity, critical thinking and adaptability — skills that AI cannot easily replicate.

    The discussion also highlighted AI’s growing role in public services. Tian Qunxi, chief innovation officer of Seeyon Internet Software Corp., noted that the government is among AI’s largest beneficiaries due to its extensive databases. Tian emphasized that AI will profoundly impact public services, such as administrative processes, by improving efficiency and accuracy in ways previously unseen.

    The 2025 Enterprise Management Annual Conference provided a platform for deep insights into the ongoing AI revolution. From manufacturing to public services, AI is transforming industries at an accelerating pace. As a transformative force, AI is reshaping how we work, live and interact with the world. The challenge, experts agree, is to not only embrace AI but also prepare for the profound changes it will bring.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: New light shed on diversity of plateau’s plants

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    Aerial photo shows the scenery at Mt Nyanpo Yutse in Tibetan autonomous prefecture of Golog of Northwest China’s Qinghai province. Qinghai province, located in Northwest China, much of which lies on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is the home to the headwaters of the Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Chinese scientists have discovered what determined the distribution of unique high-altitude plants across the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, thereby answering a major global scientific question.
    Known as the “Roof of the World” and the “Third Pole of the Earth”, the plateau hosts exceptionally rare plants, with over one-third of them found nowhere else on Earth.
    “This makes it a global biodiversity hot spot,” said Wang Tao, a professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences’ Institute of Tibetan Plateau Research and the lead author of a related study published recently in the journal Nature Communications.
    “For decades, scientists have tried to understand how these mountain-specific plants developed their unique distribution patterns,” he said.
    Working with researchers from the University of Basel in Switzerland, Xishuangbanna Tropical Botanical Garden of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Peking University, Wang’s team found that historical shifts in tree growth limits — the highest altitude at which trees can survive — played a crucial role.
    The study re-created a model to show how the plateau’s tree line, the upper forest limit, moved over time since the last Ice Age 22,000 years ago.
    Wang said it is widely accepted that the uplift of the plateau played a key role in the origin of its flora, while periodic climate fluctuations during the Quaternary Period 2.6 million years ago drove the diversification of species.
    Earlier studies have warned that global warming pushes trees higher up mountains, squeezing the habitat of alpine plants. This new research reveals that past tree line shifts also left a lasting mark.
    In addition to the Quaternary climate fluctuations, the fluctuations regarding past tree line shifts “have also influenced the diversity of endemic alpine species in alpine areas, a factor that had not been explored before”, Wang said.
    The study found that the average elevation of the tree line in the distant past on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau was lowest — roughly 3,426 meters — during the Last Glacial Maximum, which lasted from 29,000 to 19,000 years ago, and highest — about 4,187 meters — during the Holocene Thermal Maximum about 8,000 years ago. The average present-day tree line is at 4,009 meters.
    The fluctuation in tree line elevation between glacial and interglacial periods reached up to 850 meters, causing the habitat area for endemic alpine species during interglacial periods to be about 50 percent of the habitat area during glacial periods.
    “Areas with stable environments over time developed more unique plant mixes. In contrast, regions with frequent tree line changes had simpler, more uniform plant communities,” Wang said.
    Team member Xu Jinfeng said: “Think of environmental changes as a sieve — only the toughest species survive repeated shifts, making plant groups look similar. Stable areas let plants develop special traits, creating richer diversity.”
    According to the study, rapid warming and rising tree lines could threaten the plateau’s unique plants.
    “These species aren’t built to handle double pressures from climate change and invading trees,” said Wang. “Our findings help design better protection plans.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Applauds Implementation of Social Security Fairness Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA) applauded the announcement by the U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) that the over 3 million American public servants hurt by the Windfall Elimination Provision (WEP) and the Government Pension Offset (GPO) will immediately begin receiving  Social Security benefit increases and retroactive payments. This follows the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act, which fully repeals the two unfair Social Security provisions, WEP and GPO, and was signed into law on January 5, 2024, after Cassidy successfully secured a vote on the Senate floor. Earlier this month, Cassidy urged the SSA to move quickly to implement the new law. 
    “Police officers, teachers, nurses, and other state and local public servants across Louisiana will finally receive the correct Social Security payments,” said Dr. Cassidy. “These folks have waited years for this day. The fight took too long, but let’s focus on the victory.”  
    SSA will begin depositing retroactive payments into bank accounts on Tuesday, February 25, 2025, and complete nearly all retroactive payments by the end of March. Adjustments to ongoing monthly benefits will begin in April.
    Before the passage of the Social Security Fairness Act, around 94,000 Louisianans were unfairly penalized by WEP and GPO. WEP was enacted in 1983 and reduces the Social Security benefits of workers who receive pensions from a federal, state, or local government for employment not covered by Social Security. GPO was enacted in 1977 and reduces Social Security spousal benefits for spouses, widows, and widowers whose spouses receive pensions from a federal, state, or local government. 
    Background:
    Cassidy played a pivotal role in getting the Social Security Fairness Act signed into law on January 5, 2025. Cassidy successfully demanded a vote on the Social Security Fairness Act. In July and again in December, Cassidy spoke on the U.S. Senate floor urging Congress to repeal WEP and GPO as part of his “Big Idea” to save, strengthen, and secure America’s retirement system. In June, Cassidy entered a statement into the record urging the repeal of WEP and GPO ahead of the U.S. Senate Finance Subcommittee field hearing on Social Security. 
    Cassidy is a long-time cosponsor of the Social Security Fairness Act in the Senate, being an original cosponsor since he became a Member of Congress in 2009. He led the introduction of the legislation in the 117th and 116th Congress.
    Cassidy led a bipartisan working group to preserve and protect Social Security. He released the inaugural Bill on the Hill video where he asked Capitol Hill visitors from across the country their thoughts on the looming benefit cuts to Social Security and presented his “Big Idea.”
    Last March, Cassidy grilled U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on President Biden’s plan to address Social Security, to which Secretary Yellen admitted “the president doesn’t have a plan,” to save Social Security.
    Cassidy has discussed the “Big Idea” at a public forum with AARP on the future of Social Security, outlined his Social Security plan in a fireside chat with the Bipartisan Policy Committee, and authored op-eds in the Washington Examiner in July, the Wall Street Journal in March, and State Affairs and Washington Post in May. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cassidy Blocks Democrat Attempt to Sabotage Bipartisan Effort to Address Opioid Crisis

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Louisiana Bill Cassidy

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), chair of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, today blocked Democrats’ efforts to undermine his Halt Lethal Trafficking (HALT) Fentanyl Act on the Senate floor. The HALT Fentanyl Act, supported by Republican and Democrat lawmakers, makes permanent the class-wide scheduling of deadly fentanyl-related substances, set to expire at the end of March. 
    On Thursday, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee is planning to vote on the HALT Fentanyl Act. Cassidy led the bill’s introduction on a bipartisan basis with U.S. Senators Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Chairman of the Judiciary Committee, and Martin Heinrich (D-NM). In an effort to undermine this legislative process, Democrats attempted to ram through a bill earlier today that would only temporarily extend the class-wide scheduling. This would create greater uncertainty for law enforcement who rely on the classification to combat the opioid crisis.  
    “For years, Congress has failed to make the Schedule I classification of fentanyl-related substances permanent. Our law enforcement cannot continue to have this uncertainty,” said Dr. Cassidy. “We must pass the HALT Fentanyl Act as soon as possible to make this classification permanent. Democrat attempts to undermine these bipartisan efforts only embolden the drug cartels exploiting our communities with deadly drugs.” 
    After blocking Democrats legislation, Cassidy asked for a Senate vote on the House companion to the Halt Lethal Trafficking (HALT) Fentanyl Act, which passed the U.S. House of Representatives this month by a strong bipartisan vote of 312 to 108, with 98 House Democrats voting in favor. Senate Democrats blocked this bipartisan legislation from passing the Senate floor.  
    Click here to watch Cassidy’s full remarks objecting to Democrats’ legislation.       
    See below for the remarks as prepared for delivery. 
    Mr. President,
    For years, Congress has refused to make a definitive, a permanent decision. It has failed to make the Schedule I classification of fentanyl-related substances permanent. Law enforcement needs this permanent change to combat the opioid crisis and go after the criminals flooding our communities with deadly drugs.  
    Congress’ inaction only emboldens China, drug cartels, and other criminals who exploit our communities. That cannot happen. We need a lasting solution. 
    Mr. President, there is no reason to do a temporary extension. We have the bipartisan votes to make the Schedule I classification permanent. 
    This Thursday, the Senate Judiciary Committee, with the support of Judiciary Chairman Grassley and Senator Heinrich, is marking up the Halt Lethal Trafficking (HALT) Fentanyl Act. This legislation permanently classifies fentanyl-related substances as Schedule I controlled substances.  
    Let’s be clear, the HALT Fentanyl Act is not controversial. For two consecutive Congresses, it passed the House of Representatives with strong bipartisan support. There are enough votes to pass HALT in Judiciary Committee, and on the Senate floor this Congress.  
    My Democrat colleague’s delays that permanency. Schedule I classification will once again be in jeopardy when the next deadline comes around. Our law enforcement cannot continue to have this uncertainty.  
    That is why after my objection, I will ask unanimous consent to pass the HALT Fentanyl Act. This legislation has already passed the House of Representatives and has bipartisan support in the Senate. I hope all my Democrat colleagues join me in supporting this bill. 
    We have a responsibility to provide law enforcement the tools they need to address the scourge of deadly drugs in our communities. Failure to act puts Americans in harm’s way.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Auckland University – Business School celebrates triple crown

    Source: University of Auckland Business School

    The University of Auckland Business School is in the top one percent in the world, receiving sought-after accreditation from three international organisations – the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), the Association of MBAs (AMBA) and the European Quality Improvement System (EQUIS).

    It was the first in Australasia to attain this ‘triple crown’ in 2004, a recognition it has now maintained for two decades making it the longest-standing triple crown accredited school in the region.

    All three international accrediting bodies praised many aspects of its operations in the latest round of accreditation awards.

    The European Quality Improvement System awarded accreditation to the School based on overall quality, viability and a commitment to continuous improvement. It also considered internationalisation and corporate connections.

    The Business School’s commitment to excellence, academic quality and innovative programme design were among several areas that impressed assessors from the Association of MBAs, an institution known for stringent criteria that evaluate teaching, curriculum and student interaction.

    Meanwhile, accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business is achieved by just six percent of the world’s business schools and is considered the gold standard in global business education.

    Business schools that earn this accreditation must demonstrate a commitment to excellence in teaching, research, curriculum development and student success. In the latest accreditation renewal, the organisation commended the Business School for its outstanding research engagement, research-led teaching and strong commitment to positive societal impact through faculty and departmental research centres.

    It said: “The recent establishment of the Energy Centre and Inclusive Capitalism Centre as faculty-level research centres has brought increased emphasis to research agendas of critical significance for New Zealand and the Asia-Pacific region.”

    It also praised the Business School for actively driving initiatives to improve research impact, such as the national research translation competition, which sees academics translate complex studies into relatable reads.

    “Additionally, the experience of the School in developing a wide range of research engagements and collaborations with industry partners, such as with prominent Māori owned seafood company, Moana New Zealand, lead the way in informing classroom learning through rich case study development that prioritises local issues and solutions.”

    Business School Dean Susan Watson says the triple crown achievement is a testament to the School’s exceptional performance across teaching, research, student success and industry engagement.

    “With the successful completion of all three accreditations in an exceptionally compressed timeframe, the Business School continues to demonstrate remarkable organisational capability and sustained excellence,” she says.

    “This recognises our innovative programme design, impactful research and meaningful industry engagement – both in New Zealand and on the world stage.”

    She says the Business School also earned accolades for its cultural leadership.

    “Our unique integration of Māori perspectives and commitment to diversity sets us apart globally. We combine international best practice with local cultural excellence.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why do we fall for wellness scams? Our cultural biases and myths are often to blame

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jesse Ruse, Clinical Psychologist, PhD Candidate, University of Sydney

    Netflix

    Netflix’s Apple Cider Vinegar has renewed interest in Belle Gibson’s infamous wellness scam, reminding us how vulnerable we can be to deception. While Gibson’s scheme eventually collapsed, her story highlights how fraudsters can exploit our psychological and cultural biases to lure us into wellness traps.

    Part of our culture includes the shared mythologies and symbols that help us make sense of the world. These stories and symbols seem to make our lives more “efficient” by surpassing tedious fact-checking. Over time, these cultural codes become embedded into our psychologies, operating as background biases that shape our decision-making.

    By becoming aware of these biases, we can develop a more critical approach to evaluating information presented to us. In doing so, we can protect ourselves from the Belle Gibsons of the world.

    A desire for inner bodily purity

    One pervasive wellness mythology suggests health can be found in the “pure” state of the body, and that illness occurs when outside contaminants pollute the body.

    As anthropologist Mary Douglas notes, we symbolically equate the “inner” with purity and the “outer” with pollution. This leads to efforts to protect ourselves from outside threats. We are disgusted by the idea of the harmful “outside” getting inside and violating the body’s inner sanctum.

    Gibson’s cookbook and app promoted a diet that claimed inner health problems (such as cancer) are the result of outside contamination, in this case by “bad” foods.

    This symbolism also appears in various diets that advocate for removing certain types of food, such as sugar or gluten, to achieve a state of inner sanctity and, therefore, health.

    Similarly, various “clean eating” diets will specifically link certain foods to cleanliness and others to dirtiness. In their most extreme form, these diets constitute orthorexia, a clinical condition defined by an “obsession” with healthy eating.

    The allure of ‘ancient wisdom’

    Each day we face an overwhelming array of choices, from the products we use to how we construct our identities. As people living in modern, affluent societies we are, as philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre put it, “condemned to be free”.

    In this context of choice overload and decision fatigue, ancient wisdom offers a seductive simplicity: a return to simpler times.

    In 1953, psychoanalyst Jacques Lacan observed that we possess a nostalgia for an idealised golden age (regardless of whether it ever truly existed). We yearn for a mythical era of simplicity, safety and happiness. This psychological bias for the past manifests as a deep reverence for “ancient wisdom”, seemingly passed down through generations and untainted by modern influence.

    This preference can be seen in our instinctive trust in grandparents’ remedies and traditional healing practices, even when scientific evidence doesn’t always support them. Gibson and others co-opt this nostalgia by selling us products that connect us to the past.

    Suspicion of industrial-scale production

    Our minds are often suspicious of large-scale and complex manufacturing processes, and will often devalue industrially produced products.

    This scepticism of scale stems from negative associations with factory work, questionable standards and a history of multinational corporations prioritising profit over people. As a public, we are growing understandably weary of the multinational companies whose influence we can’t seem to escape. Politicians often further this narrative by claiming that globalisation – replacing local cottage industries with industrialised mega-companies – screws the little guys like you and me.

    Gibson capitalised on a growing suspicion of the industrial-scale pharmaceutical industry to promote her bespoke “homegrown” wellness products. Locally-made goods often have increased value simply because they are made on a smaller scale, regardless of their quality or materials.

    Historically, various groups including the Luddites and the hippie movement have rejected the industrial push. More recently, we saw these dynamics play out in COVID-19 vaccine denial, which partially stems from suspicions of the pharmaceutical companies.

    A preference for natural over artificial

    Culturally, the concept of the “natural” holds powerful meaning, positioning things found in nature as inherently superior to those manufactured by humans (deemed “artificial”).

    This natural/artificial dichotomy establishes a symbolic framework in which natural remedies, raw foods and authenticity represent the “proper” order of things – how life should be. The “appeal to nature” bias persists because it resonates with our collective intuition that modern life has somehow disconnected us from important truths or healthier ways of living.

    Research has demonstrated we tend to have a positive association with the concept of the “natural”, which we understand as objects not altered by human intervention. This preference isn’t merely aesthetic. It also reflects our belief in a moral order.

    Gibson famously claimed alternative therapies – most notably apple cider vinegar – helped treat her alleged cancer. Similar patterns appear throughout the wellness industry, where influencers and companies market products by emphasising their natural origins and minimal processing.

    These claims leverage our psychological bias toward natural remedies, even when the scientific evidence for their efficacy is lacking.

    Jesse Ruse 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. Why do we fall for wellness scams? Our cultural biases and myths are often to blame – https://theconversation.com/why-do-we-fall-for-wellness-scams-our-cultural-biases-and-myths-are-often-to-blame-250790

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Ignore the ‘ivory tower’ clichés – universities are the innovation partners more Kiwi businesses need

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Omid Aliasghar, Senior Lecturer, Management and International Business, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

    NicoElNino/Shutterstock

    When it comes to turning research into real-world success, New Zealand has a problem.

    Despite the country’s NZ$3.7 billion research and development spending in 2023 – a 17% jump from the previous year — too many New Zealand businesses fail to commercialise innovation.

    According to the World Intellectual Property Organization, New Zealand ranks 21st for innovation inputs. This means we’re good at investing in research and development. But we rank 45th in knowledge outputs and 78th in industry diversification. Essentially, we’re spending more but getting less.

    So, what’s holding the country back? In a lot of cases, it can boil down to a lack of collaboration with universities.

    Universities are typically focused on generating novel or new-to-the world knowledge, with researchers, cutting-edge technology and deep industry connections.

    Working with universities can connect businesses to researchers, government agencies, private industry and global networks. Collaboration can also offer businesses credibility. It signals to investors, partners and customers that they are serious about innovation.

    Yet many businesses underestimate their value. They assume collaboration is slow, academic or bureaucratic.

    Our study – based on a digital survey of 541 firms across a wide range of industries and regions in New Zealand – looked at whether collaborating with universities could help businesses to bring ideas to market, sell intellectual property and develop technology.

    We also considered whether there was a difference in working with international universities versus collaborating with local institutions. While identifying details of the individual businesses were kept confidential, here is what we learned.

    The case for foreign university partnerships

    Our research found partnering with foreign universities allowed New Zealand businesses to tap into global expertise and advanced research. It also provided access to diverse knowledge networks, where businesses could learn from various real-world applications of scientific knowledge.

    For example, a New Zealand business specialising in artificial intelligence (AI) can gain game-changing insights by collaborating with top universities in the United States.

    The partnerships can provide access to leading AI models, advanced algorithms, and global industry connections. These partnerships can enable the business to stay ahead in an increasingly competitive market.

    Additionally, many universities had well-established technology transfer offices. These had experience in helping businesses commercialise research.

    In short, foreign university collaborations opened doors to the world’s best knowledge and technology – critical for firms operating in fast-moving industries.

    New Zealand technology businesses have benefited from partnering with universities based in the United States on artificial intelligence projects.
    Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock

    The strength of local university collaborations

    We also found local university collaborations had their own advantages, including
    an understanding of New Zealand’s specific challenges, from climate change impact on agriculture to AI adoption in small businesses.

    This contextual knowledge made their expertise highly relevant for firms aiming to commercialise innovation within New Zealand’s unique market conditions.

    Working with local universities also allowed businesses to build strong, personal relationships with researchers, fostering faster and more effective knowledge exchange.

    Unlike foreign partnerships, where interactions may be limited to emails and virtual meetings, local collaborations allowed for regular in-person brainstorming, experimentation and problem solving.

    Finally, collaborating with New Zealand’s universities gave businesses access to top local talent, helping them recruit skilled graduates familiar with the domestic market and its needs.

    A balanced approach

    Investing in research and development alone won’t drive innovation for businesses. Without strategic collaboration, firms risk wasting resources on ideas that never reach the market.

    Businesses should take a balanced approach. Foreign university collaborations can offer groundbreaking advances, cutting-edge knowledge and global networks. At the same time, local university collaborations offer accessible knowledge, local expertise and stronger working relationships.

    By embracing these partnerships, New Zealand businesses can turn research into commercial success, drive national economic growth, and position themselves as global innovation leaders. The question is no longer if firms should collaborate with universities – it’s how quickly they can start.

    This research was completed with Annique Un (Northeastern University), Kazuhiro Asakawa (Keio University), Jarrod Haar (Massey University) and Sihong Wu (University of Auckland).

    Omid Aliasghar receives funding support for this research provided by Building New Zealand’s Innovation Capacity Spearhead within the Science for Technological Innovation National Science Challenge.

    – ref. Ignore the ‘ivory tower’ clichés – universities are the innovation partners more Kiwi businesses need – https://theconversation.com/ignore-the-ivory-tower-cliches-universities-are-the-innovation-partners-more-kiwi-businesses-need-249129

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Appointments – PSA appoints Fleur Fitzsimons as a National Secretary

    Source: PSA

    PSA Assistant Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons has been appointed as a National Secretary of the country’s largest union, PSA President Virgil Iraia says.
    Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is led by two National Secretaries and Fleur will join National Secretary Duane Leo as co-leader of the union.
    To ensure continuity the PSA has appointed Fleur ahead of National Secretary Kerry Davies’ retirement later in year. Kerry has spent 40 years working for the union movement, mainly with the PSA, and has been National Secretary for six years.
    Virgil says the PSA was pleased that a candidate of Fleur’s ability had stepped up to replace Kerry, whose experience and leadership had been vital to the work of the PSA.
    “Kerry has done an outstanding job for the PSA, and we were looking for a strong and able candidate to step into the senior leadership role at a time when members were facing a hostile political and economic environment.
    “Fleur will bring her considerable experience and skills to this role. Her skills will help us keep advocating for properly funded public and state services, health care, local government and community services, and for recognition of the importance of the work of our members who deliver these,” Virgil says.
    Fleur has 20 years’ experience working for the PSA as an organiser, media adviser, solicitor, Assistant Secretary, and most recently as an Acting National Secretary.
    She also served as a Wellington City Councillor for five years, and is a former President of the Victoria and New Zealand University students’ associations.
    “We have a lot of work to do in response to the Government’s attacks on public, community and health services. I am looking forward to the challenge” Fleur says.
    The PSA is the union of 95,000 members, working in the Public Service, State Sector, Health, Local Government and Community and Public Services.
    The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health boards and community groups.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cantwell Releases Snapshot Report Showing How Proposed Medicaid Funding Cuts Could Devastate WA Health Care

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

    02.25.25

    Cantwell Releases Snapshot Report Showing How Proposed Medicaid Funding Cuts Could Devastate WA Health Care

    Central and Eastern Washington at highest risk with Medicaid on chopping block — 70% of children in Central WA’s Congressional District 4 are on Medicaid; rural hospital leaders warn of closings

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, as House Republicans continue to debate whether they will make significant cuts to Medicaid, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA) released a snapshot report highlighting the impact that slashing Medicaid to fund tax cuts for corporations and the ultra-wealthy would have on Washington state’s health care system — especially in Central and Eastern Washington.

    The snapshot report includes new data on the percentage of Medicaid patients in each of the State of Washington’s U.S. congressional districts, as well as by region. Congressional District 4 (Central Washington) and Congressional District 5 (Eastern Washington) have the highest proportions of adults and total population on Medicaid. Seventy percent of children in District 4 are on Medicaid.

    The report also includes information provided by rural Central and Eastern Washington hospitals, showing how crucial Medicaid funding is for their survival. “We’re struggling to keep our doors open … the only thing left to cut is the hospital itself,” the report quotes Astria Toppenish Hospital Administrator Cathy Bambrick as saying.

    Based on interviews and statements from more than a dozen health organizations statewide, the report details how Medicaid cuts — and the subsequent service cuts by providers — would likely affect all Washingtonians.

    Children:

    47% of WA children are on Medicaid. “Babies could die,” says Dr. Jason Deen, an Associate Professor of Pediatrics and pediatric cardiologist at the University of Washington who treats children across Washington state, as children like those he treats could lose access to life-saving specialty care without Medicaid.

    Farmers: 

    Rural hospitals in Central and Eastern Washington would be hardest hit by these cuts. “It is not uncommon for our small family farmers to be on a Medicaid program,” says Garfield County Hospital District CEO Mat Slaybaugh.

    People with chronic conditions:

    Without health care coverage, people with chronic conditions won’t get the consistent care they need. “People are going to be dying in their homes,” says Spokane-area nurse Jessica Grove. 

    Anyone with a medical emergency:

    Medicaid helps people avoid the emergency room; it also funds first responders in our state. Cuts to the program could mean overcrowded ERs and longer wait times for ambulances. “Every Washingtonian should be concerned about any funding cuts that could lead to slower response times in a life-threatening emergency,” says Dennis Lawson, President of the Washington State Council of Fire Fighters. 

    Sen. Cantwell’s snapshot report on Washington state is available HERE. 

    Medicaid is the federal program that insures many low-income adults and children, pregnant people, seniors, and people with disabilities. Washington state’s Medicaid program, Apple Health, ensures that eligible Washingtonians can afford to seek health care and see providers when they need to.  The program also ensures that hospitals — which are required to treat everyone, regardless of their ability to pay — receive reimbursements for the significant number of low-income people they serve. About 1.8 million Washingtonians are enrolled in Apple Health.

    Congressional Republicans are proposing deep cuts to Medicaid through the budget reconciliation process. President Trump has said that he opposes cuts to Medicaid, however he has also said that he supports the House Republican budget plan — which includes cuts to Medicaid. Late last week, Senate Republicans launched the budget resolution process, which would allow them to fold budget cuts and policy changes into a single package for an up-down vote. The House is expected to vote on a competing budget resolution this week, and the two chambers will eventually have to reconcile their plans and finalize the package’s details. 

    During Trump’s first term, he supported — and Sen. Cantwell opposed — an effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act that would have cut Medicaid by $800 billion.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Chinese dating simulator Love and Deepspace now has a period tracker – it signals a shift in mobile gaming

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephanie Harkin, Lecturer, Games, School of Design, RMIT University

    Papergames

    24/7 companionship. Spend time with him whenever you want.

    This is the promise made by Love and Deepspace, a mobile romance game by the Chinese company Papergames.

    Some think video games are all guns and cars, but romance games or “dating simulators” are immensely popular, especially among young women.

    Love and Deepspace reached 50 million users across more than 170 countries and regions in January. Despite their popularity, dating sims, as they are known for short, usually fly under the radar in discussions about games.

    Meanwhile, a recent major update for Love and Deepspace has furrowed some brows by introducing an unusual new feature: a period tracker.

    Need help keeping track of tasks?

    Dating sims offer a fantasy of romantic, intimate companionship. Otome games (from the word “maiden” in Japanese) are a sub-genre of dating sims that are catered to women. They offer a suite of boyfriends to choose from – each attentive, caring and, of course, incredibly handsome.

    Ideal in every way except being fictional.

    Love and Deepspace is a science-fiction otome game that stands out with its unusual blend of combat, magic, dating and gacha (meaning random rewards) microtransactions – which are controversial for their parallels to gambling.

    Its latest update introduced a Remind Me feature, where players can ask their virtual boyfriends to remind them of daily tasks and special events, as well as their upcoming period. Players input information about their menstrual cycle and the game then generates its own predictive calendar and notifications.

    The player’s in-game boyfriend will offer to pick up some sanitary products or even reach towards the screen and provide an imaginary abdomen massage.

    The millions of users drawn to a fantasy about considerate men says a lot about the frustrations women have with modern dating and dating apps.

    Women are conscious of the conservative gender roles within otome games, but at the same time find pleasure in their focus on the female gaze and ability to explore their sexual desire privately.

    In China, where otome games are especially popular, censorship of explicit content for women has intensified. These games are able to convey sexually suggestive themes that are subtle enough to elude censorship.

    Otome games are not new

    Otome games have been around for three decades.

    Angelique, a game made by an all-women team in 1994, is considered to be the first. It helped set the stage for other boyfriend fantasy media for women as seen in the rising popularity of “boyfriend ASMR” on audio and video platforms today. These are designed to directly address the listener in both sensual and everyday scenarios.

    Video games have changed a lot since then, especially as mobile devices have evolved to be more intimate, accompanying us everywhere.

    Love and Deepspace is introducing more features including “Quality Time”, which rewards players for working or studying with the game open. The rewards come in the form of an animated man sighing and whispering into the player’s headphones.

    ‘Feel his deepening breath, rising heartbeat, and the trickle of sweat. He’s working out together with you!’
    Love and Deepspace/X

    Periods and privacy

    Love and Deepspace’s period reminders mirror existing period tracker apps, though they do not incorporate the usual fertility date predictions or ability to log symptoms and sexual activity. That’s probably a good thing.

    Period tracker apps have faced scrutiny for mishandling users’ data. Popular period tracker app Flo has faced a lawsuit in the British Columbia Supreme Court in Canada for sharing personal data to third-party tech firms, including Facebook and Google, which use the data for targeted advertising.

    Meanwhile, the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the United States has threatened many people’s bodily autonomy and made them concerned about the legal risks of sharing personal biological information.

    Love and Deepspace’s privacy policy states any menstruation data is only used for the prediction and reminder features, and that it will not be shared with any third parties without the player’s consent.

    The banning of the Chinese-owned platform TikTok in the US was driven by fears of foreign influence and data privacy. Yet our privacy may not be safer with a US company than a Chinese one.

    US-owned companies have been just as liable to sell sensitive information to third parties, such as location data to abortion clinics and gay clubs.

    Australia’s Privacy Act does not just apply to Australian companies. Papergames could be sanctioned if it breaches its privacy policy.

    That said, it is unlikely many users will be familiar with the policy or read future changes made to it. It is best to always practise caution when entering any kind of personal information in platforms, apps or video games.

    A potential shift

    Period tracking is not a core component in the game. But this new feature signals a potential shift towards more mobile games integrating popular app functions, such as health data.

    Instead of a casual time-filler, mobile games like Love and Deepspace are competing for players’ attention over other apps – which is concerning given its controversial gacha random rewards.

    It’s also possible the game’s designers are picking up on a widespread desire for men to care more about their partner’s periods.

    Stephanie Harkin 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. Chinese dating simulator Love and Deepspace now has a period tracker – it signals a shift in mobile gaming – https://theconversation.com/chinese-dating-simulator-love-and-deepspace-now-has-a-period-tracker-it-signals-a-shift-in-mobile-gaming-250497

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: 【Global News】Panasonic to Showcase Innovative STEAM Program Developed with MIT Media Lab at SXSW EDU 2025

    Source: Panasonic

    Headline: 【Global News】Panasonic to Showcase Innovative STEAM Program Developed with MIT Media Lab at SXSW EDU 2025

    Austin, TX, U.S. – Feb. 25, 2025 – Panasonic Holdings Corporation (Panasonic HD) will be demonstrating its groundbreaking STEAM education service, “Scratch Home School,” developed in collaboration with the MIT Media Lab at SXSW EDU 2025, the world’s largest creative conference focused on education. Visit Booth #614 in the EXPO on site for a hands-on demonstration March 3–5 2025, where Panasonic will also be conducting a Show & Tell Session on March 4 starting at 1:30pm CST.
    Panasonic’s “Scratch Home School,” integrates IoT home appliances into a STEAM education curriculum, transforming everyday activities into creative learning experiences. Originally researched at MIT Media Lab in 2018, this program has been rigorously tested in Japan and is currently in a year-long pilot at St. Agnes School in Massachusetts since late 2024.

    Why STEAM Education Matters

    STEAM education is crucial for fostering creativity and deep learning in children. However, traditional materials often limit engagement. “Scratch Home School” breaks these barriers by using IoT devices like toasters and lighting to make learning interactive and fun, encouraging children to experiment and discover their passions.
    Employment in STEM occupations has grown 79% in the past three decades and is projected to grow an additional 11% from 2020 to 2030 [1]. This growth underscores the importance of preparing students with the skills and knowledge needed to thrive in these fields.

    Experience It at SXSW EDU 2025

    Join Panasonic at SXSW EDU 2025 to experience “Scratch Home School” in action! Attendees can interact with IoT toasters and lighting, powered by (MIT’s) Scratch-based visual programming, and see how these tools are supporting critical curriculums.
    Panasonic HD is committed to exploring new partnerships with educational institutions and companies in the U.S. through this exhibition. Together, Panasonic aims to overcome challenges in STEAM education and create an environment that nurtures children’s diverse talents and interests.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The UK must make big changes to its diets, farming and land use to hit net zero – official climate advisers

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Neil Ward, Professor of Rural and Regional Development at the Tyndall Centre for Climate Change Research, University of East Anglia

    William Edge / shutterstock

    If the UK is to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, over one-third of its sheep and cows will have to go, with their fields being replaced by huge new areas of woodland. That’s one conclusion of the latest report by the the Climate Change Committee (CCC), the UK government’s independent advisor on climate change.

    The CCC is tasked with outlining how much greenhouse gas the UK can emit if it is to achieve its climate targets – its “carbon budget”. The committee also recommends how the country might reduce its emissions to get within that budget. It sets future budgets every five years or so. This latest report, the seventh carbon budget, looks at emissions in the period 2038 to 2043. It updates the sixth carbon budget produced in 2020.

    The UK has almost halved its greenhouse gas emissions since 1990, but that was the easy half. Most dirty industries are long gone, for instance, and coal power plants have been replaced with gas and renewable energy.

    Next, the country will be grappling with the most challenging sectors including the focus of my academic research: agriculture and land use. This challenge will be worsened by the impacts of climate change and geopolitical uncertainties that raise doubts about the UK’s food security.

    Currently, agriculture makes up about 11% of UK emissions, but this proportion will rise considerably over the next 15 years as other sectors decarbonise further. Cattle and sheep contribute most of these emissions, and the latest carbon budget suggests their numbers will have to be reduced by 22% by 2035 and by over 38% by 2050.

    This is principally to release land to plant tens of thousands of hectares of new woodland each year (60,000 hectares a year by 2040) and to grow energy crops (38,000 hectares a year by 2040). It will also mean fewer emissions from the animals themselves and from growing animal feed.

    The UK needs a lot more of this.
    Callums Trees / shutterstock

    Less meat and dairy

    The latest carbon budget suggests that dietary change is key to this anticipated change in farming and land use. While British people won’t need to give up meat entirely, they will need to reduce consumption of meat and dairy products by around 35% by 2050 compared to 2019 levels.

    Meat and dairy consumption are already falling, however, and the trend has accelerated since 2020. To meet the budget, the decline would need to continue but more rapidly than the long-term trend.

    The CCC is in the business of advising on what government should do to address climate change, not in the business of telling people what to eat. It hopes that food labels with additional information about emissions will help people make better choices for themselves.

    Emphasising non-meat options and altering the layout of supermarkets may also help change the “choice environment” and so change consumption practices. Nevertheless, before long, the UK and devolved governments will have to grasp the nettle of diet change, land use and livestock. There have already been successful legal challenges for having inadequate plans in this area.

    It helps that diets good for the planet are also good for people’s health. In October 2024, the House of Lords food, diet and obesity committee estimated diet-related ill health and obesity cost £98 billion a year. This is a significant drag on productivity and places acute pressures on the NHS.

    Plant-based foods are better for food security

    Energy security is currently prompting much thought and action, but food security has not. Dietary change can also help improve the UK’s food security, however, since meat and dairy take up more land per calorie than healthier alternatives. A large-scale shift in diet and land use could render the UK more resilient to future wars, pandemics or anything else that causes shocks to food prices and supplies.

    For farmers and landowners there has been increasing interest in greener approaches to production, sometimes called regenerative farming. Some within, or clustered around, farming will protest about the scale of reduction in animal numbers implied by net zero.

    Faced with the basic maths, a marked reduction looks unavoidable. The sooner the conversation can shift from whether change is needed to how it might best be fairly and equitably pursued, the better.

    This carbon budget brings positive opportunities for nature restoration, diversifying rural economies and improving the appearance and ecology of the countryside. But for net emissions to come down enough, the amount of wooded land will need to increase from 13% to 19% by 2050 – that’s over a million extra hectares, or roughly equivalent to Cornwall, Devon and Dorset combined.

    These are very stretching targets, and tree planting over the past few years has fallen far short of the rates required. Because afforestation is such an important factor in the carbon budget, if the UK fails to meet its targets, the dietary changes may need to be even greater.

    Heightened international instability threatening UK food security could mean the same. Indeed, some food, health and environmental organisations will point to the seventh carbon budget and say the CCC has not gone far enough.

    Don’t have time to read about climate change as much as you’d like?

    Get a weekly roundup in your inbox instead. Every Wednesday, The Conversation’s environment editor writes Imagine, a short email that goes a little deeper into just one climate issue. Join the 40,000+ readers who’ve subscribed so far.

    Neil Ward receives funding from UKRI in his role as Co-lead of the AFN (AgriFood4NetZero) Network+.. He is a member of the Labour Party and the National Trust.

    – ref. The UK must make big changes to its diets, farming and land use to hit net zero – official climate advisers – https://theconversation.com/the-uk-must-make-big-changes-to-its-diets-farming-and-land-use-to-hit-net-zero-official-climate-advisers-250158

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Nose-to-tail mining: how making sand from ore could solve a looming crisis

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Franks, Professor and Director – Global Centre for Mineral Security, The University of Queensland

    Thanagornsoisep/Shutterstock

    Every year, the world consumes around 50 billion tonnes of sand, gravel and crushed stone. The astonishing scale of this demand is hard to comprehend – 12.5 million Olympic sized swimming pools per year – making it the most-used solid material by humans.

    Most of us don’t see the sand and gravel all around us. It’s hidden in concrete footpaths and buildings, the glass in our windows and in the microchips that drive our technology.

    Demand is set to increase further – even as the extraction of sand and gravel from rivers, lakes, beaches and oceans is triggering an environmental crisis.

    Sand does renew naturally, but in many regions, natural sand supplies are being depleted far faster than they can be replenished. Desert sand often has grains too round for use in construction and deserts are usually far from cities, while sand alternatives made by crushing rock are energy- and emissions-intensive.

    But there’s a major opportunity here, as we outline in our new research. Every year, the mining industry crushes and discards billions of tonnes of the same minerals as waste during the process of mining metals. By volume, mining waste is the single largest source of waste we make.

    There’s nothing magical about sand. It’s made up of particles of weathered rock. Gravel is larger particles. Our research has found companies mining metals can get more out of their ores, by processing the ore to produce sand as well.

    This would solve two problems at once: how to avoid mining waste and how to tackle the sand crisis. We dub this “nose-to-tail” mining, following the trend in gastronomy to use every part of an animal.

    Concrete is everywhere – but it requires a great deal of sand and gravel.
    MVolodymyr/Shutterstock

    The failings of tailings

    The metal sulphides, oxides and carbonates which can be turned into iron, copper and other metals are only a small fraction of the huge volumes of ore which have to be processed. Every year, the world produces about 13 billion tonnes of tailings – the ground-up rock left over after valuable metals are extracted – and another 72 billion tonnes of waste rock, which has been blasted but not ground up.

    For decades, scientists have dreamed of using tailings as a substitute for natural sand. Tailings are often rich in silicates, the principal component of sand.

    But to date, the reality has been disappointing. More than 18,000 research papers have been published on the topic in the last 25 years. But only a handful of mines have found ways to repurpose and sell tailings.

    Why? First, tailings rarely meet the strict specifications required for construction materials, such as the size of the particles, the mineral composition and the durability.

    Second, they come with a stigma. Tailings often contain hazardous substances liberated during mining. This makes governments and consumers understandably cautious about using mining waste in homes and our built environment.

    Neither of these problems is insurmountable. In our research, we propose a new solution: manufacture sand directly from ore.

    Converting rock into metal is a complex, multi-step process which differs by type of metal and by type of ore. After crushing, the minerals in the ore are typically separated using flotation, where the metal-containing sulphide minerals attach to tiny bubbles that float up through the slurry of rock and water.

    At this stage, leftover ore is normally separated out to be disposed of as waste. But if we continue to process the ore, such as by spinning it in a cyclone, impurities can be removed and the right particle size and shape can be achieved to meet the specifications for sand.

    We have dubbed this “ore-sand”, to distinguish it from tailings. It’s not made from waste tailings – it’s a deliberate product of the ore.

    Turning ore into metal requires intensive crushing and grinding. These methods could also make sand.
    Aussie Family Living/Shutterstock

    More from ore

    This isn’t just theory. At the iron ore mine Brucutu in Brazil, the mining company Vale is already producing one million tonnes of ore-sand annually. The sand is used in road construction, brickmaking and concrete.

    The move came from tragedy. In 2015 and 2019, the dams constructed to store tailings at two of Vale’s iron ore mines collapsed, triggering deadly mudflows. Hundreds of people died – many of them company employees – and the environmental consequences are ongoing.

    In response, the company funded researchers (such as our group) to find ways to reduce reliance on tailings dams in favour of better alternatives.

    Following our work with Vale we investigated the possibility of making ore-sand from other types of mineral ores, such as copper and gold. We have run successful trials at Newmont’s Cadia copper-gold mine in Australia. Here, using innovative methods we have produced a coarser ore-sand which doesn’t require as much blending with other sand.

    Ore-sand processing makes the most sense for mines located close to cities. This is for two reasons: to avoid the risk of tailings dams to people living nearby, and to reduce the transport costs of moving sand long distances.

    Our earlier research showed almost half the world’s sand consumption happens within 100 kilometres of a mine which could produce ore-sand as well as metals. Since metal mining already requires intensive crushing and grinding, we found ore-sand can be produced with lower energy consumption and carbon emissions than the extraction of conventional sands.

    The challenge of scale

    For any new idea or industry, the hardest part is to go from early trials to widespread adoption. It won’t be easy to make ore-sand a reality.

    Inertia is one reason. Mining companies have well-established processes. It takes time and work to introduce new methods.

    Industry buy-in and collaboration, supportive government policies and market acceptance will be needed. Major sand buyers such as the construction industry need to be able to test and trust the product.

    The upside is real, though. Ore-sand offers us a rare chance to tackle two hard environmental problems at once, by slashing the staggering volume of mining waste and reducing the need for potentially dangerous tailings dams, and offering a better alternative to destructive sand extraction.

    Daniel Franks would like to acknowledge funding and collaboration support from the Queensland Government, Australian Economic Accelerator, Resources Technology and Critical Minerals Trailblazer, Newcrest Mining, Newmont, Vale, The University of Geneva, The University of Exeter, The Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais, and The University of Queensland. Daniel Franks is the recipient of an Australian Research Council Future Fellowship (FT240100383) funded by the Australian Government.

    – ref. Nose-to-tail mining: how making sand from ore could solve a looming crisis – https://theconversation.com/nose-to-tail-mining-how-making-sand-from-ore-could-solve-a-looming-crisis-250284

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –