NewzIntel.com

Category: Great Britain

  • The vicious injury cycle of India’s fast bowlers: what’s causing it and how can it be fixed?

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India’s persistent fast-bowling injury crisis is back in focus after a string of setbacks ahead of the Manchester Test against England. Young quicks Akash Deep (groin), Nitish Kumar Reddy (knee ligament), and Arshdeep Singh (cut on bowling hand) were ruled out, compounding a problem that has increasingly derailed India’s pace resources in recent years.

    The latest absentees join a growing list of sidelined fast bowlers, including Mayank Yadav and Umran Malik — both of whom have missed substantial game time due to recurring injuries. Mayank, who impressed with raw pace in the IPL, is now recovering from back surgery in New Zealand. Umran, who briefly returned for Kolkata Knight Riders, is still under rehabilitation after a hip injury and dengue.

    Injuries to Mohsin Khan and Avesh Khan, both recovering from knee surgeries, have triggered fresh scrutiny of India’s pace management systems. Concerns now extend beyond injury prevention to how workload, preparation, and rehabilitation are structured.

    ‘Under-bowled generation’

    Steffan Jones, a specialist fast bowling coach and former Rajasthan Royals consultant, said India’s current crop of quicks is suffering from inadequate exposure to sustained high-intensity bowling during formative years.

    “There’s a generation of bowlers getting injured because they didn’t bowl enough when they were younger,” Jones told IANS. “Workload spikes — such as bowling 10 overs one week and 50 the next — are causing these problems. The body hasn’t adapted gradually.”

    He added that bowling in nets lacks the match-day intensity and shouldn’t be counted towards workload totals. “The mismatch between low-volume, high-intensity loads is a key factor. Bowlers are undercooked when asked to deliver in pressure situations.”

    Technique, strength and flawed coaching methods

    Jones also pointed to biomechanical flaws and strength deficiencies. “Fast bowling is about torque and speed — generated through trunk-pelvis separation — and that isn’t being taught properly. Many coaches coach the way they played, which is outdated.”

    On strength, Jones said cricketers are not as physically developed as athletes in sports with similar movement profiles, such as javelin or sprinting. “Cricketers across nations are just not strong enough. That’s a fact.”

    Lumbar stress fractures: a recurring theme

    Several Indian quicks, including Jasprit Bumrah, Mayank Yadav and Prasidh Krishna, have suffered lumbar stress fractures — often linked to workload surges. John Gloster, Rajasthan Royals’ head physiotherapist and former India physio, said such injuries carry long-term risks.

    “Post-fracture, bone mineral density in the injured area remains low for 12–18 months, increasing the chance of recurrence,” Gloster said. “Spikes in load, along with low Vitamin D3 levels, make the bone extremely vulnerable.”

    Bumrah vs Mayank: A case study in development

    Bumrah, despite early doubts over his unorthodox action, climbed steadily through U-19, domestic, and IPL levels before breaking into the national team — playing over 20 domestic matches before his India debut. In contrast, Mayank featured in only one Ranji Trophy match and limited List A and T20 appearances before being fast-tracked.

    While Bumrah has battled injuries — notably back fractures in 2019 and 2023 — his progress has been more consistent. Mayank’s stop-start career, punctuated by side strains, toe issues, and back problems, underscores the challenges facing fast-tracking decisions.

    “Mayank doesn’t have any technical flaw that would make him prone to constant injuries,” said Jones. “But I’d question how much bowling he did when younger. Over- or under-bowling at that stage can both be harmful.”

    Rehab under scrutiny

    The standard rehabilitation protocol begins with injury assessment at the National Cricket Academy’s Centre of Excellence (CoE), followed by a return-to-play process. But sources say the system lacks consistency.

    “There’s often no structured plan,” a source familiar with the process said on condition of anonymity. “Players rest for 15 days, then start running and training without proper progression. It’s a disorganised approach.”

    Ashish Kaushik, former CoE head physio and now with Lucknow Super Giants, acknowledged the complexity of fast-bowler rehab. “Diagnoses are usually accurate, but the post-diagnosis rehab and return timelines must be precise. That’s where we need to improve.”

    He also raised questions about workload monitoring. “Managing gym and on-field workload is just as important as monitoring skills workload. Definitions of workload management need to evolve.”

    Fast-tracking pace at a cost

    India’s dearth of genuine 150+ kmph bowlers — such as Mayank and Umran — puts added pressure on rare talents, who are often rushed into top-level cricket. Without patient, long-term development plans, injuries become almost inevitable.

    “Mayank’s body went into protection mode after repeated breakdowns,” Jones said. “He needs a tailored plan — not added muscle, but a stronger core and specific movement training, including sprinting and jumping.”

    The broader concern, experts say, is cultural. A shift in mindset is needed among coaches, support staff, and administrators — one that prioritises long-term sustainability over short-term gains.

    A system under strain

    As India continues to suffer from recurring fast-bowling breakdowns, questions grow louder: Are players being rushed back? Are rehab protocols being followed correctly? And most crucially, is the system equipped to manage and preserve its rarest pace talents?

    Unless those questions are addressed, the cycle of injuries — and setbacks for team strategies — may continue.

    (With agency input)

  • MIL-OSI Russia: US and EU reach trade deal – D. Trump, W. von der Leyen

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    LONDON, July 28 (Xinhua) — U.S. President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on Sunday that the two sides have reached a trade deal under which the United States will impose a basic 15 percent tariff on goods from the European Union.

    The statement was made at a joint press briefing on Sunday afternoon following talks at US President Donald Trump’s golf club in Turnberry, Scotland.

    Pharmaceuticals were excluded from the deal, while existing 50 percent tariffs on EU steel and aluminum exports to the United States will remain in place.

    While both leaders described the deal as a step toward restoring “trade balance” and promoting more equitable bilateral trade, the agreement allows the United States to impose broad 15 percent tariffs on EU goods while providing zero-tariff access to a range of strategic American exports. In return, the EU has committed to purchasing $750 billion in American energy and investing an additional $600 billion in the United States.

    At a press briefing, D. Trump said the agreement would allow American cars to re-enter the European market and make American agricultural exports more accessible to the EU. –0–

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Two Maslin Beach men in court over drug trafficking

    Source: New South Wales – News

    Two men were arrested for drug trafficking after police searched a Maslin Beach home on Saturday.

    Southern District CIB detectives searched the Maslin Beach property on Saturday 26 July and allegedly located 7.5 litres of 1,4-Butanediol (liquid fantasy), 23 steroid vials, 81 suboxone strips, various prescription medications, cannabis products, $5550 in cash and drug equipment.

    A 35-year-old man and a 24-year-old man, both occupants of the address, were arrested and charged with trafficking in a large commercial quantity of a controlled drug and other serious drug offences.

    They were refused police bail and will appear in the Christies Beach Magistrates Court today.

    Anyone with information about illicit drugs can report it anonymously to police via Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

    CO2500030688

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Early Childhood Education and Care (Strengthening Regulation of Early Education) Bill 2025

    Source: Murray Darling Basin Authority

    Mr Speaker, in the last few weeks Australians right across the country have been shocked and sickened by the news in Victoria.

    A person arrested and charged with multiple heinous offences against children.

    Offences allegedly committed in child care centres.

    The mums and dads of thousands of children are now dealing with the fear that their children could be hurt or are sick, and the trauma of getting them tested.

    This is a live investigation and the matter remains before the courts.

    But I have been pretty blunt in the last few weeks.

    People have been arrested and convicted for offences like those alleged before.

    And governments of different colours, State and Federal have taken action.

    But not enough.

    And not fast enough.

    That’s the truth.

    We have to do everything that we can to ensure the safety of our children when they walk – or when they are carried – through the doors of an early childhood education and care service.

    At centres across the country big and small. But not just there. In family day care, and in-home care and at outside school hours care.

    And this Bill is part of that.

    In short, it will give us the power to cut off funding to child care centres that aren’t up to scratch when it comes to safety and quality.

    Services that don’t meet the standard when it comes to safety and quality, or where they are in breach of the law or are acting in a way that puts the safety of children at risk.

    This power will apply to all forms of early education and care that are eligible for the Child Care Subsidy.

    Centre-based day care.

    Family Day Care. 

    In Home Care. 

    And Outside School Hours care too.

    Funding is the big weapon that the Australian Government has to wield here.

    Australian taxpayers are the biggest funders of child care centres.

    We do that through the Child Care Subsidy.

    $16 billion dollars a year.

    Centres can’t operate without it.

    It covers about 70 per cent of the average cost of running a centre.

    It pays for things like wages and rent and electricity.

    This legislation gives us the power to suspend or cancel that funding if a centre is not meeting the quality, safety and other compliance requirements that are put in place by our national system of early childhood regulation. 

    This is how that system works.

    The Education and Care Services National Law sets the standards we expect child care centres to meet. 

    State Government Regulators are responsible for rating centres and enforcing the standards.

    Most centres meet the standards now, but not all.

    If State Regulators think there is a real and imminent threat to safety they can shut a centre on the spot.

    And they do.

    Sometimes though they will identify problems in centres that can and need to be fixed.

    And sometimes those problems remain unfixed.

    That’s where this legislation comes in.

    The real purpose of this legislation isn’t to shut centres down but to raise standards up.

    To make sure that the safety and quality in child care centres is what parents expect and what our children deserve.

    This is how it will work.

    It will give the Secretary of my Department the power to take into account a provider’s quality, safety and compliance history when considering whether a provider should be approved to administer the Child Care Subsidy, or whether they should continue to be approved, or if they should be approved to operate a new service.

    That has never been part of the Child Care Subsidy system since it started in 2018. It will be now.

    This change will tie a centre’s eligibility to administer the Child Care Subsidy directly to their record on quality, safety and compliance.

    And it will allow the Secretary of my Department to cut off access to the Child Care Subsidy where standards are not being met.

    That might mean cutting funding to an existing provider or service, or denying a provider the ability to expand until they have met the required standards.

    Under these changes, the Secretary of my Department will be able to impose conditions on a provider’s approval, or to move immediately to a process to suspend or cancel that approval on the basis of safety and quality concerns.

    Where conditions are imposed, a provider must meet those conditions within a specified timeframe if they want to maintain their approval.

    This could include a condition that the provider comply with directions from their state regulator. It might require them to follow a quality improvement plan or hire a quality and safety expert to help them lift their standards.

    As I said a moment ago, the Secretary of my Department can also move immediately to a process to suspend or cancel a provider on the basis of quality and safety concerns. That involves issuing a formal notice to the provider requiring a response within 28 days.

    If the provider doesn’t give a good explanation in that period, the Secretary of my Department can cancel or suspend their approval.

    It’s a process that permits providers an opportunity to engage with my Department where they have a genuine commitment to improve.

    These powers will be used in close collaboration with states and territories, backing in their core role and responsibility regulating quality and safety. 

    It means the Commonwealth can use the power of the Child Care Subsidy funding to lift the standards of providers not doing the right thing – and ensure those that aren’t up to scratch don’t get access to Commonwealth funding.

    This Bill also expands the Commonwealth’s powers to publish information about providers that are sanctioned for non-compliance.

    The Secretary of my Department already has the power to publicise actions such as suspending or cancelling a provider’s approval for the Child Care Subsidy. 

    The information is available in the Enforcement Action Register on the Department’s website, along with other information such as how the department issues infringement notices and imposes conditions on approvals.

    This Bill expands that power to include the power to publicise when a provider is refused approval for a new service. 

    It also gives the Secretary of my Department the power to publish other compliance action taken against providers, such as when conditions are applied – including the details of those conditions.

    Or where an infringement notice has been issued, including the details of the notice, such as the alleged contravention and the fine amount.

    Conditions and infringements are very important, because they point to specific things a provider must fix to stay eligible for the Child Care Subsidy. 

    Parents should know when a centre their child attends, or one they are thinking of using, is subject to a condition or has received an infringement.

    When this legislation is passed, the Secretary of my Department will expand the breadth of the Enforcement Action Register to include those things I have just outlined. 

    I have asked the Secretary of my Department to ensure the Enforcement Action Register provides parents and other organisations with as much information as possible, given the circumstances of each matter.

    Providing more detailed information on compliance actions and refusals of new services is important to ensure parents have the information that they need to make one of the most important decisions in their child’s early years. 

    About who they want to put their trust in to care for their child.

    It will also ensure transparency for company directors and board members, who may not be directly responsible for the day-to-day management of the provider, but who play an important role in ensuring their organisations are taking the steps needed to keep children safe in early childhood education and care.

    The Bill also gives the Commonwealth’s authorised officers more powers to do their job. It allows them to perform spot-checks and to enter premises without consent during operating hours to detect non-compliance across the sector.

    It means that the Commonwealth’s officers don’t need to get a warrant or other pre-authorisation to inspect a centre, an outside schools hours care service, or family day care service.

    These Commonwealth powers largely mirror arrangements that are already in place for state and territory regulators of early child and education care under the National Law and Regulations.

    The primary purpose of these compliance officers is to monitor compliance with the family assistance law. This is a serious issue in early education and care.

    Over the last three years, this Government has allocated $221 million dollars in additional funding to detect and prevent Child Care Subsidy fraud, and this has helped claw back around $318 million dollars for the taxpayer. 

    These new powers add to this.

    If while the compliance officers are there, they identify safety and quality concerns, they will also be able to share that information with State Government regulators to take action.

    A person who does not co-operate with an authorised person seeking access commits a criminal offence – and is liable to a civil penalty.

    The Bill also includes a number of other integrity measures.

    It will allow the Secretary of my Department to delegate the power to apply for a monitoring warrant to an appropriately qualified Executive Level officer. 

    Monitoring warrants are an effective tool in conducting Child Care Subsidy fraud and compliance investigations. These changes will streamline processes allowing warrants to be requested and issued more quickly.

    The Bill also makes amendments to allow the Secretary of my Department to delegate their existing power to appoint an appropriately qualified and experienced expert to conduct audits of large child care providers.

    This power is expanded to allow delegation to a Senior Executive Service employee. This will further streamline the process for appointing auditors, an important tool in ensuring integrity and compliance in the sector.

    The Bill also makes important changes to how gap fees are collected from families who use Family Day Care and In Home Care.

    The Bill makes an amendment to require all Family Day Care and In Home Care Providers to collect Child Care Subsidy gap fees directly from families. This will reduce the administrative burden on individual educators so they can focus on providing education and care to children. It will also improve transparency and integrity of Child Care Subsidy funding.

    Mr Speaker, the purpose of this Bill is not to shut child care centres down.

    It’s to raise standards up.

    This is not about leaving parents stranded without care for their children because of fixable or minor short-comings at their service.

    But this legislation is also not an idle threat.

    Services, be they are centre-based day care, or family day care, or in-home care, or outside school hours care, know what they have to do to consistently meet national quality standards.

    Providers that can improve their services to meet the standard will get the chance to do that.

    Services that don’t, can’t, or won’t will lose their access to funding.

    I think that’s fair. And I think most Australian parents will too.

    Mr Speaker, this Bill also isn’t the only thing we have to do to improve safety in child care centres.

    There is a lot more.

    After Ashley Paul Griffith was arrested and charged in Queensland with multiple child sex offences, Education Ministers across the country commissioned the Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority – ACECQA – to conduct a Child Safety Review.

    Education Ministers have agreed in principle to the key recommendations of that review. 

    Some have been implemented. But there is more work that needs to be done.

    That includes establishing a National Educator Register to help track workers from centre to centre. And from state to state.

    It also means mandatory child safety training to support the 99.9 per cent of educators who care for our children every single day and do a fantastic job, to help them to recognise the people in their centres who are up to no good. 

    After 4 Corners exposed appalling examples of abuse and neglect on 17 March this year, the New South Wales Government commissioned Chris Wheeler, a former Deputy New South Wales Ombudsman, to undertake an independent review of the New South Wales Early Childhood Education and Care Regulatory Authority. 

    That Review recommends increasing penalties on services for offences that are largely factual or procedural, and for which prosecution is currently the only avenue available. 

    It also recommends services be required to display their compliance history alongside their quality ratings to help families make informed choices about child care.

    The Wheeler Review also recommends allowing the regulator to require that a provider install CCTV when they identify a potential risk to the health and safety of children at a service, or when the service has failed to meet quality standards for an unreasonable period of time. 

    These recommendations and more will be considered by Education Ministers when we meet next month.

    The other area where serious work is needed is to improve the operation of Working with Children Checks.

    Problems here were identified a long time ago.

    The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse recommended the Commonwealth Government facilitate a national model for Working with Children Checks.

    At the moment the systems in different states work differently.

    In some States the Working with Children Check is valid for five years. In others it’s two or three years.

    In some States only people over eighteen working with children require a Check. In others this is required from the age of fourteen or fifteen.

    Jurisdictions also differ in how they assess both criminal and non-conviction information, as well as patterns of behaviour.

    There are also issues with getting real time updates to Working with Children Checks and information sharing between jurisdictions. 

    This system isn’t run by Education Ministers. In some States it is run by the Attorney General. In others it is Ministers with responsibility for Child Protection, Human Services, or Families and Communities.

    Next month the Commonwealth Attorney General will also bring her state and territory counterparts together to address these serious issues.

    Mr Speaker, there is no more serious work than this.

    I want to thank my friend and colleague, Senator Jess Walsh, the Minister for Early Childhood Education and Youth, for her leadership on quality and safety in early learning and her work in bringing this Bill to the Parliament. 

    And I want to thank the Leader of the Opposition and the Shadow Minister for Education, Jonno Duniam, and the Assistant Minister, Zoe Mckenzie, and their teams for the serious and professional and bipartisan way they have engaged with us on this legislation.

    To make sure we get it right.

    It’s what mums and dads across the country want of us. And expect of us.

    They are not interested in excuses.

    They expect action.

    They expect all levels of Government to work together and the people that run child care services to join us in this work as well.

    We all know, no party, no government, State or Federal, has done everything we need to do here.

    That’s obvious.

    But I think everyone here is determined to do what needs to be done to rebuild confidence in a system that parents need to have confidence in.

    A system that more than a million mums and dads rely on to care for and to educate the most important people in their world – their children.

    This legislation is an important part of that.

    It’s not everything.

    The truth is this work will never end.

    But this is an important step.

    And I commend this Bill to the House.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: US, EU seal trade deal amid concerns over tariff imbalance

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

    U.S. President Donald Trump and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen claimed Sunday that they had reached a trade deal under which the United States would impose a baseline tariff of 15 percent on European Union (EU) goods.

    The announcement was made at a joint press briefing Sunday afternoon following trade talks at the Trump Turnberry in South Ayrshire, Scotland.

    Although both leaders described the deal as a step toward restoring “trade balance” and promoting more equitable two-way commerce, the agreement allows the United States to impose a broad 15 percent tariff on EU goods while securing zero-tariff access for a range of strategic American exports. In contrast, the EU has pledged to purchase 750 billion U.S. dollars’ worth of American energy and commit an additional 600 billion U.S. dollars in investments in the United States.

    At the press briefing, Trump claimed the agreement would enable American cars to re-enter the European market and make U.S. agricultural exports more accessible in the EU. He also said that pharmaceuticals were excluded from the agreement, while existing 50 percent tariffs on EU steel and aluminium exports to the United States will remain in place.

    However, at a separate press briefing, von der Leyen clarified that the EU and the U.S. had agreed to include pharmaceuticals under the 15 percent tariff framework. She did not rule out the possibility of further U.S. trade actions in the future.

    When asked whether a 15 percent tariff for EU carmakers-up from 2.5 percent under the Biden administration-was a favorable outcome, von der Leyen responded that, prior to this agreement, European vehicles faced a total tariff of 27.5 percent when entering the U.S. market. This included a 25 percent levy imposed during Trump’s previous term in addition to the original 2.5 percent. The new 15 percent rate, she argued, represents a reduction from that level.

    Bernd Lange, chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on International Trade, criticized the newly reached deal as “unsatisfactory” and “significantly imbalanced,” warning that it could undermine the EU’s economic stability and job security.

    “This is a deal with a slant. Clearly, concessions have been made that are difficult to bear,” Lange said in a statement on Sunday.

    Prior to the agreement, over 70 percent of EU exports to the United States were subject to tariffs, including 50 percent on steel and aluminium, 25 percent on automobiles and parts, and a 10 percent duty on most other goods. Trump had warned that if no deal was reached by Aug. 1, the 10 percent tariff would be raised to 30 percent. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Women’s rugby is booming, but safety relies on borrowed assumptions from the men’s game

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Dane, Postdoctoral associate, University of Calgary

    Rugby union, commonly known as just rugby, is a fast-paced and physical team sport. More girls and women in Canada and around the world are playing it now than ever before.

    As of 2021, women’s rugby reached a record 2.7 million players globally, a 25 per cent increase over four years, and by 2023, women’s rugby participation was growing at a rate of 38 per cent year-over-year.

    Countries including Australia, England, Ireland and the United States offer professional contracts for women’s teams. While these remain modest compared to the men’s game, they still represent a clear step forward.

    Canada’s senior women’s XVs team is currently ranked second in the world and heading into the 2025 Rugby World Cup, which kicks off on Aug. 22 in England. The national sevens team also captured silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics — further evidence of the game’s growing competitiveness in Canada.

    However, many systems, including coaching and medical support, have not kept pace with the demands of elite competition. With visibility increasing ahead of the 2025 World Cup, stronger institutional support is needed to match the sports’ growing professionalism and popularity.

    Safety concerns

    Often described as a “game for all”, rugby builds confidence, resilience and lifelong friendships. For girls and women especially, rugby can be empowering in ways few sports can match. It embraces the physicality of tackling, pushes back against traditional gender expectations and fosters solidarity and inclusion by valuing all body shapes and abilities.

    But rugby is also a collision sport, and as such, it carries inherent risks. Tackling is the top cause of injury in rugby, and it has one of the highest concussion rates among youth girls’ sports in Canada. Concussions can have long-term effects on players’ health.



    Read more:
    Concussion is more than sports injuries: Who’s at risk and how Canadian researchers are seeking better diagnostics and treatments

    These concerns are especially urgent as the women’s game becomes more physical and professionalized, and players are hit harder and more often. Unlike men’s rugby, women’s teams often operate with fewer medical or coaching support resources, which can lead to inconsistent or absent injury prevention programs.

    Compounding the risk is the fact that many women also come to rugby later in life, often with less experience in contact sports. This delayed exposure restricts proper tackle skill development and player confidence in contact. This means safe tackling is even more important.

    Without proper supports, the physical risks of the game may outweigh its benefits.

    Science is still playing catch-up

    While women’s rugby is growing rapidly, the science behind it is has not kept pace. Most of what we know about rugby safety — how to tackle, how much to train or when it’s safe to return to play after injury — largely comes from research on men.

    Decisions around coaching and player welfare have been based on male data, leaving female players under-served and potentially at greater risk. While these foundations may well apply to girls and women, the problem is we don’t yet know for sure.

    Only four per cent of rugby tackle research has focused on women. Much of the early evidence on girls rugby comes from Canada, underscoring the country’s leadership in this space. Still, most coaches and clinicians rely on a “one-size-fits-all” approach that may not account for menstrual cycles, pregnancy, different injury profiles or later sport entry.

    The differences matter because strength, speed and injury risk all vary. Women are 2.6 times more likely than men to sustain a concussion. Gender also shapes access to training, care and facilities, often limiting opportunities for women to develop safe tackling skills, receive adequate support and train in safe, well-resourced environments, factors that impact both performance and safety.



    Read more:
    Prevention is better than cure when it comes to high concussion rates in girls’ rugby

    Even safety tools reflect this gap. World Rugby’s Tackle Ready and contact load guidelines were designed around male athletes. While well-intentioned, we know little about how they work for girls and women. Instead of discarding these tools, we need to adapt and evaluate them in female contexts to ensure they support injury prevention and provide equal protection.

    Women’s rugby needs better data

    Change is underway. More research and tools are being designed specifically for girls and women. A search of PubMed, a database of published biomedical research, reveals a steep rise in studies on women’s rugby over the past decade, especially in injury surveillance, injury prevention, performance, physiology and sociocultural contexts.

    New rule trials, such as testing lower tackle heights, are being evaluated on women athletes. New technologies like instrumented mouthguards and video analysis are also helping researchers understand how girls and women tackle, how head impacts happen and how they can be prevented.

    Much of this new research is led by our team at the Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, a pan-Canadian, multidisciplinary group focused on moving upstream to prevent concussions in adolescent girls’ rugby.

    The women’s game is also driving its own innovations. Resources like World Rugby’s Contact Confident help girls and women safely build tackle skills, particularly those new to contact sport.

    Researchers are analyzing injury patterns, interviewing players and coaches and studying return-to-play pathways that reflect girls’ and women’s physiology and life stages.

    The scope of research is also expanding to pelvic health, breast protection and more tailored injury prevention. Global collaboration is making this work more inclusive, spanning different countries, skill levels and age groups, not just elite competitions.

    But this is just the start.

    A golden opportunity lies ahead

    Girls’ and women’s rugby is experiencing unprecedented growth. Rising participation, media attention and new sponsorships are fuelling momentum. It’s a golden opportunity to build strong, sustainable foundations.

    Gold-standard support requires focused, ongoing research and a commitment to sharing that evidence with players, coaches, health-care providers and policymakers. It’s time to build systems for women’s rugby based on women’s data, not borrowed assumptions from the men’s game.

    But challenges remain. Some national teams still have to raise funds to attend World Cups. Others train without consistent access to medical or performance staff — clear signs that the women’s game is still catching up.

    To sustain and accelerate the growth of girls’ and women’s rugby, the sport deserves more resources and research tailored specifically to participants. A “one-size-fits-all” model no longer works. By investing in systems that are safer, focused on prevention, more inclusive and grounded in evidence, we can build a thriving future for women’s rugby that lasts for generations to come.

    Isla Shill has received funding from World Rugby.

    Stephen West has previously received funding from World Rugby

    Kathryn Dane 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. Women’s rugby is booming, but safety relies on borrowed assumptions from the men’s game – https://theconversation.com/womens-rugby-is-booming-but-safety-relies-on-borrowed-assumptions-from-the-mens-game-261055

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Update: Investigations continue into Shooting at Munno Para West

    Source: New South Wales – News

    A man has died after a shooting incident at Munno Para West.

    Just after 11pm on Saturday 26 July, police were called to a house on Stebonheath Road after reports of a disturbance.

    A struggle has occurred between two men at the house after one of the men made threats with a firearm.

    Patrols arrived and found a 53-year-old Taperoo man dead from a gunshot wound, believed to be from a gun in his possession.

    The gun was recovered nearby.

    A 31-year-old man from the house is assisting police with their enquiries.

    As a result of ongoing investigations into the incident police today, Sunday 27 July have arrested two women and a man in relation to a report of a disturbance which occurred on the evening of Saturday 26 July at a hotel on Main North Road, Smithfield.

    This disturbance is believed to be linked to the Munno Para West incident.

    A 21-year-old woman from Blakeview was arrested and charged with affray and act likely to cause harm, a 22-year-old woman from Munno Para West and a 31-year-old man from Campbelltown were both arrested and charged with affray.

    The group have all been served a three-month liquor licence barring order, excluding them from the hotel.

    They have been bailed to appear in the Elizabeth Magistrates Court on the 9 September.

    The trio are continuing to assist police with their enquiries, and it is believed all parties are known to each other.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Australia – WA continues its streak as Australia’s strongest economic performer: CommSec State of the States – CBA

    Source: Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA)

    Strong retail and business investment keep WA on top, while anticipated rate cuts could eventually support a lift in performance for NSW and Victoria.

    Western Australia has once again claimed the top spot in the latest CommSec State of the States report, leading the nation’s economic performance rankings for a fourth consecutive quarter.

    South Australia also began 2025 with a bang, climbing from fourth to second, driven by solid gains across several key indicators.

    The State of the States report determines which Australian state or territory economy is performing best by tracking eight key economic indicators and comparing the latest observation with decade averages (or the “normal”).

    “Western Australia led across several economic measures, taking first place in retail trade, housing finance, and business investment. Meanwhile South Australia ranks first on two indicators – construction work and dwelling starts,” Chief CommSec Economist Ryan Felsman said.

    “Overall, the economic performance of Australia’s states and territories is being supported by a combination of slowing inflation, falling interest rates, rising real wages, robust government spending and a solid labour market.

    “But economic growth has moderated, held back by slowing public investment, population growth and household spending. The future path will depend on the resiliency of the job market, further interest rate cuts and US President Donald Trump’s trade policies.”

    In the July 2025 edition of the State of the States:

    Western Australia leads the national performance rankings for the fourth successive report. The state is ranked first on three of the eight economic indicators – retail trade, housing finance and equipment spending.

    South Australia has jumped to second from fourth after a strong start to 2025, with a pickup in consumer spending and business investment. South Australia now leads other economies on dwelling starts and construction work done, lifting from second spot in the previous quarter.

    Queensland stays third, ranking second on relative unemployment and housing finance, but consumer activity in the southeast of the state was disrupted in the March quarter by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.

    Victoria dropped from second to fourth place. The state is in third spot on four indicators but is held back by weakness in relative unemployment. Victoria stays in second spot for retail spending with it being 10 per cent above its ‘normal’ levels or the decade average.

    Tasmania is steady in fifth place – ranking first on relative unemployment, with the trend jobless rate at a record low 3.8 per cent in June. But the state is held back by relative population growth, which is at the weakest level in nearly a decade.

    New South Wales slips back to sixth from equal fifth position due to a delayed transition from public to private sector led growth, while the ACT joins NSW in sixth, ranking first on relative economic growth, constrained by more modest public demand and weak business investment

    The Northern Territory stays in eighth place despite strength in relative population growth. The decade-average method of assessing economic performance disadvantages the Top End given significant LNG construction over 2012–18 inflated a range of economic indicators. That said, the Territory has lifted its economic performance in the past 12 months.

    Annual growth rates

    The State of the States report also compares the annual growth rates across the eight major indicators, enabling comparisons in terms of more recent economic momentum. This quarter’s report revealed:

    • The commodities and tourism-focused state of Western Australia continues to outperform the rest of the nation, also ranking first on four of the eight key economic indicators. Population growth is particularly strong.
    • South Australia is the big improver, also jumping to second from fourth spot, supported by a pick-up in consumer spending, business investment and construction activity.
    • The Northern Territory lifts from fifth to third due to robust growth in business investment and construction activity.
    • Queensland slips to fourth from second following a fall in coal and agricultural exports caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred.
    • Victoria dips from third to fifth despite above-average net overseas migration, supporting household spending.
    • New South Wales joins Victoria in fifth, up from sixth, with Sydney’s heavily mortgaged households benefiting from interest rate cuts.
    • The ACT (seventh) and Tasmania (eighth) are both being held back by weakness in private sector investment.

    About the CommSec State of the States Report

    The July 2025 edition of the State of the States report uses the most recent economic data available. While population growth data relates to the December quarter of 2024, other data – such as unemployment – is much timelier, covering the month of June 2025, with the majority of the other indicators using March quarter of 2025 figures.

    CommSec, the self-directed broking arm of Australia’s largest bank, assesses the performance of each state and territory on a quarterly basis using eight key indicators. Those indicators include economic growth, retail spending, equipment investment, unemployment, construction work done, population growth, housing finance and dwelling commencements.

    Just as the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) uses long-term averages to determine the level of “normal” interest rates, CommSec compares the key indicators to decade averages; that is, against “normal” performance.

    CommSec also compares annual growth rates for eight key indicators for all states and territories, in addition to Australia as a whole, enabling a comparison of economic momentum.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: City to undertake major tram track works in High Street and Pall Mall

    Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

    The City of Greater Bendigo is preparing to commence a $5.68 million project in mid to late October to remove and replace a 660-metre section of the ageing dual tram tracks in High Street and Pall Mall between Short Street and Mundy Street.

    The City will be undertaking preliminary survey work this week from Tuesday July 29 until Thursday July 31 along High Street and Pall Mall. These works will require temporary lane closures at various times.

    City of Greater Bendigo Engineering Manager Ian McLauchlan said this section of the tram track has not been renewed since the 1930’s and is now in need of replacement to ensure Bendigo’s famous talking trams can continue to operate.

    “Bendigo Tramways is a much valued and loved local attraction for both residents and visitors and this work is necessary to help preserve one of Greater Bendigo’s most important heritage attractions into the future,” Mr McLauchlan said.

    “During the works period this section of High Street and Pall Mall will be reduced to one lane on either side of the tram tracks and a reduced speed limit of 40 km/h will be applied through the work zone.

    “The City strongly encourages motorists travelling between White Hills and Golden Square and beyond to avoid the area where possible and use Weeroona Avenue / Lucan Street / Barnard Street / Don Street as alternative routes to avoid any potential delays.”

    Project works will include:

    • Establishment of site and works storage compound in Sidney Myer Place, installation of temporary fencing, traffic barriers and signage
    • Protection of the existing infrastructure including heritage poles and utilities
    • Removal of existing historic granite cobble stones and existing track
    • Earthworks to subgrade level and disposal of all excess material
    • Installation of new track and associated infrastructure and reinstatement of cleaned granite cobble stones and asphalt road pavement to centre of adjacent traffic lane
    • New line-marking

    When the works are underway there will be no right turns allowed into Forest, Mitchell, View, Williamson, Bull, and Mundy Streets and Easter Fair Way from High Street and Pall Mall. Sidney Myer Place will be used as a work site compound and will be closed to traffic.

    Right hand turns will be available at Short Street and Chapel Street.

    Left hand turns will be available into High Street and Pall Mall from Forest, Mitchell, View, Williamson, Bull, and Mundy Streets and from Easter Fair Way.

    The southernmost pedestrian crossing at the intersection of Pall Mall and Williamson Street will remain open during the works.

    The northernmost pedestrian crossing at Mitchell Street will remain open for the majority of the project. However, the remainder of the intersections will be closed to crossing and right turning vehicle traffic.

    Providing the project runs according to plan, the Forest Street and Mitchell/View Street intersections will be reopened in early November once this section of track replacement works have been completed.

    Works are anticipated to take place between 7am and 7pm, seven days per week with the possibility of some night works. The project is expected to be completed by late November subject to weather conditions and the availability of supplies and materials.

    The tourist trams will not operate while works are underway. For more information on the operation of the trams, visit: 

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Prime Minister to meet President Trump for wide ranging talks in Scotland

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    Prime Minister to meet President Trump for wide ranging talks in Scotland

    The Prime Minister will travel to Scotland today to meet the President for talks.

    • The Prime Minister will travel to Scotland today to meet the President for talks on his golf course in Turnberry
    • The leaders are expected to discuss progress on implementing the UK-US trade deal, hopes for a ceasefire in the Middle East and applying pressure on Putin to end the war in Ukraine
    • The leaders will travel on together for a further private engagement in Aberdeen

    The strength of the UK-US relationship will be on display again today (Monday 28 July) as the Prime Minister meets US President Donald Trump in Scotland for wide-ranging talks.

    The Prime Minister will travel to the President’s golf course in Turnberry during the course of his private visit, ahead of the President’s landmark second State Visit to the UK in September.

    Over the course of the visit, the leaders are expected to talk one-on-one about advancing implementation of the landmark Economic Prosperity Deal so that Brits and Americans can benefit from boosted trade links between their two countries.

    The Prime Minister is also expected to welcome the President’s administration working with partners in Qatar and Egypt to bring about a ceasefire in Gaza. He will discuss further with him what more can be done to secure the ceasefire urgently, bring an end to the unspeakable suffering and starvation in Gaza and free the hostages who have been held so cruelly for so long.

    Securing peace in Ukraine will also be high on the agenda, with the Prime Minister and President set to talk about their shared desire to bring an end to the barbaric war. It is expected they will reflect on progress in their 50-day drive to arm Ukraine and force Putin to the negotiating table.

    After their meeting they will travel on together to a private engagement in Aberdeen.

    The UK and the US have one of the closest, most productive alliances the world has ever seen, working together to cooperate on defence, intelligence, technology and trade.

    The UK was the first country to agree a deal with the US that lowered tariffs on key sectors and has received one of the lowest reciprocal tariff rates in the world.

    Businesses in the aerospace and autos sectors are already benefitting from the strong relationship the UK has with the US and the deal agreed on 8 May.

    The Government is working at pace with the US to go further to deliver benefits to working people on both sides of the Atlantic and to give UK industry the security it needs, protect vital jobs, and put more money in people’s pockets through the Plan for Change.

    Updates to this page

    Published 27 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Search for driver after business and cars rammed

    Source: New South Wales – News

    Police are looking for a driver after he allegedly drove into a Campbelltown cafe and a police car at Prospect last night.

    Police were called to a cafe on Newton Road, Campbelltown about 8pm on Sunday 27 July by reports of a collision.

    A woman had been sheltering inside the cafe during an altercation with the driver of a silver Holden sedan.  It will be alleged that he reversed into the front of the cafe causing damage to the windows.

    Luckily, no one was standing near the windows inside the cafe at the time and there were no injuries.

    The man drove off.

    The 35-year-old Plympton Park woman was wanted for other matters and arrested.  She did not apply for bail and will face court today.  It is believed the pair are known to each other and this was not a random incident.

    A Dog Operations patrol spotted the Holden sedan on Main North Road, Prospect about 8.45pm and followed it into the car park of a fast-food restaurant.

    The driver then allegedly rammed the Dog Operations patrol vehicle and crashed into a Ford Ranger parked in the car park.

    The Holden drove off and was abandoned in John Street, Prospect.  The driver ran off and despite a search of the suburb, he has not yet been located.  The Holden was seized by police and is suspected of being stolen.

    A police officer sustained an injury to his hand, believed to have occurred while smashing the window of the Holden Commodore in an attempt to stop the vehicle in the car park at Prospect.

    Inquiries are continuing to locate the suspect.

    Anyone with information that may assist the investigation is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Smeaton’s Tower to sparkle for Lionesses win

    Source: City of Plymouth

    Tonight (Sunday 27 July), Plymouth City Council will be lighting Smeaton’s Tower gold, to celebrate the Lionesses spectacular win in the UEFA Women’s Euro final against Spain.

    Reacting to the win, Councillor Sue Dann, Plymouth City Council’s Cabinet Member for Sport and Leisure, said:

    “What a phenomenal moment for England and for the future of women’s sport. The Lionesses have once again captured the hearts of the nation, not just with their skill and determination, but with their unshakable belief in what’s possible. This victory is more than a trophy, it’s a turning point.

    “Here in Plymouth, we’re already seeing the ripple effects of this incredible momentum. With Brickfields set to become the new home of Argyle Women, we’re investing in the future of the women’s game right on our doorstep. It’s a bold step that reflects the growing passion for women’s football in our city and our commitment to giving it the platform it deserves.

    “The Lionesses have inspired a generation and now it’s our job to make sure that inspiration turns into opportunity. From school pitches to stadiums, we want every girl in Plymouth to know that the game is theirs to play, and the dream is theirs to chase.

    “England is proud. Plymouth is proud. And today, we celebrate not just a win — but a future that’s brighter, bolder, and more equal than ever before.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Designs unveiled for Newcastle green energy precinct

    Source: Workplace Gender Equality Agency

    The final concept designs have been unveiled for the Port of Newcastle’s Clean Energy Precinct, which will establish the Hunter region as an industry leader in Australia’s transformation to net-zero.    

    Community members, prospective commercial partners and international investors attended a virtual-reality walk-through of the site today, where the future design of the precinct was brought to life.The Clean Energy Precinct will be located on a disused 220-hectare site on Kooragang Island, just north of Newcastle’s CBD and straddling the south channel of the Hunter River.

    With a $100 million investment from the Australian Government committed in the 22/23 Federal Budget, the Port of Newcastle site will be transformed into a burgeoning industrial hub enabling the production, storage, distribution and export of clean energy products, including green hydrogen and ammonia. The precinct will integrate clean energy production and storage with the Hunter’s Hydrogen Hub gateway projects, the New South Wales Renewable Energy Zones, and offshore wind developments – making it a vital cog in our net zero future.

    The Port of Newcastle has been progressing Front-End Engineering and Design and Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) studies, backed by community consultation and industry engagement, and today’s release of designs allow the public and potential commercial partners to visualise the planned layout of the precinct infrastructure. 

    The precinct infrastructure includes electrical and water services, production facilities, storage, vehicle access, and pipelines for distribution and export.

    The EIS will be released publicly later this year, and construction of the precinct is expected to break ground in 2027. 

    For progress updates on the Clean Energy Precinct, visit the Port of Newcastle’s website. 

    Quotes attributable to Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King:

    “Australia’s largest coal port is diversifying its offering and preparing to accommodate new and growing industries on the shores of the Hunter River. 

    “Newcastle has always been one of the most productive industrial centres in Australia, and we’re ensuring its legacy continues with the Clean Energy Precinct. 

    “It’s crucial that we develop the infrastructure now to be prepared for Australia’s energy future, and that’s exactly what we’re doing here on Kooragang Island.”

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen:

    “The Hunter has been an industrial and economic powerhouse for decades, making the Port of Newcastle an ideal location for a Clean Energy Precinct that can support decarbonisation of heavy industry and connect Australia’s renewable resources to the world.

    “The Albanese Labor Government is supporting industrial regions like the Hunter to take advantage of the economic and job opportunities that come with reliable renewable energy.”

    Quotes attributable to Federal Member for Newcastle Sharon Claydon:

    “The Clean Energy Precinct will be the jewel in the crown of Newcastle’s future. 

    “It will create thousands of secure and well-paid jobs for Novocastrians, and stimulate the economy of the CBD and surrounds thanks to its central location.

    “Being here today to see the plans first hand fills me with excitement for what the future holds for our city, it’s people, and the greater Hunter region.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Lights a step closer as construction kicks off on Central Coast Highway with Tumbi road intersection upgrade

    Source: Workplace Gender Equality Agency

    Safer, more reliable journeys are on the way for motorists who use the Central Coast Highway, with main construction works starting to upgrade the Central Coast Highway-Tumbi Road intersection.

    The Albanese and Minns Labor governments are joining forces to deliver a $65.5 million upgrade that will significantly improve journeys for Central Coast motorists and the 26,000 vehicles using this stretch daily.

    The transformation will slash travel times, improve safety, and boost the local economy with 125 construction jobs supported throughout the build.

    This major investment will be split among the two governments, with the Albanese Government contributing $52.4 million, and the New South Wales Government investing $13.1 million.

    Work has officially begun to replace the existing roundabout with modern traffic lights and expand the highway to two lanes in each direction, to the project boundary. This upgrade will address the notorious bottleneck and improve traffic flow and safety on the Central Coast Highway between Wamberal and Bateau Bay.

    Key project features

    The comprehensive upgrade includes:

    • Traffic lights replacing the roundabout
    • Highway widening to two lanes each way north of the intersection
    • Two right-turn lanes from Tumbi Road onto the highway
    • A right turn lane onto Tumbi Road from the Central Coast Highway southbound
    • Extended left-turn capacity into Tumbi Road
    • Upgraded footpaths and cycling infrastructure
    • Relocated bus stops for better passenger access, with two existing northbound bus stops moved to a common location north of the intersection

    Timeline and consultation

    Following extensive community consultation in 2021-2022 and preparatory works in 2023, Daracon Pty Ltd was awarded the construction contract in March 2025. The project is expected to be completed in 2027, weather permitting.

    More information can be accessed here.

    Quotes attributable to Federal Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Minister Catherine King:

    “Endless queues down Tumbi Road will soon be a thing of the past as the Australian Government and the NSW Government work together to upgrade the Tumbi Road intersection.

    “This upgrade will make the intersection safer, reduce delays and improve traffic flow. Traffic lights will also give NSW traffic controllers the ability to make changes to the timing and sequencing of lights to maintain traffic flow even in the busiest holiday periods.”

    Quotes attributable to Federal Member for Dobell Emma McBride:

    “The Tumbi Road roundabout is a known bottleneck and I’m delighted to see work start to address this long-standing issue.

    “Replacing the roundabout with traffic lights will help better manage traffic flows, reducing congestion and cutting travel times.

    Quotes attributable to NSW Regional Transport and Roads Minister Jenny Aitchison:

    “It’s fantastic to see work start to upgrade the Tumbi Road intersection, which is one of the most congested on the Central Coast Highway.

    “This upgrade will improve journey times and reliability for the 26,000 motorists who use this section of road every day.

    “This day has been a long time coming and I’m delighted to be part of a Labor government that is delivering for the people of the Central Coast.”

    Quotes attributable to NSW Minister for the Central Coast David Harris:

    “This upgrade will benefit all local road users, whether they are driving, walking, riding or using public transport.

    “This work will make journeys safer and quicker, which is good news for residents, local businesses and transport operators.

    “It’s good news for the local economy too, with the project to create about 125 jobs throughout the construction phase.”

    Quotes attributable to State Member for The Entrance David Mehan:

    “This is a critical upgrade for communities across the Central Coast because the Central Coast Highway is a key regional link.

    “It is absolutely fantastic see this work getting underway.

    “All road users can look forward to reduced congestion and more reliable journeys.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: ABC South East NSW Breakfast with Eddie Williams

    Source: Workplace Gender Equality Agency

    EDDIE WILLIAMS, HOST: Roads, rates, and rubbish, and childcare, disaster recovery, community transport, school holiday programs, even a laundromat. The role of local government has been changing and evolving over the years. It’s been growing. And a new report has found councils across the state are having to foot the bill for one and a half billion dollars in services each year, that they say should be funded by the state and federal governments. This report commissioned by Local Government New South Wales shows councils state-wide are absorbing more so-called cost shifting from the other levels of government, with that cost shifting up by around 10 per cent over the past few years.

    Kristy McBain is the Minister for Local Government, and the Member for Eden-Monaro. Good morning.

    KRISTY MCBAIN, MINISTERREGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND TERRITORIES: Good morning.

    EDDIE WILLIAMS: You’ve seen this as a mayor, and now as the federal minister. How much have you seen the role of local councils change?

    KRISTY MCBAIN: I think local councils have substantially changed over the last number of years. I mean, in the last 10 or 15 years I think councils now play a critical role in that emergency response and recovery phase, which, you know, had not typically been the bailiwick of local councils. And I’ve seen that from a community level, and now as the Minister for Emergency Services, the role that councils play in response and recovery is absolutely critical for communities.

    EDDIE WILLIAMS: So are they the best placed level of government for that sort of a role?

    KRISTY MCBAIN: Yeah, clearly. I mean, they’ve got a local workforce and, you know, they have elected officials from that local area with, you know, that inside knowledge that the other levels of government just don’t have from that hyper-localised perspective. So it’s really important that there is a really strong partnership with local councils to be able to assist in times of emergency.

    EDDIE WILLIAMS: Is that partnership there and particularly is the funding there for local councils to play these roles?

    KRISTY MCBAIN: Yeah, that’s right. So obviously, you know, we rely heavily on councils in response and recovery, but, you know, that funding is there to assist them, whether it’s the immediate $1 million after a disaster is cleared to assist with clean-up, or whether it’s the ongoing disaster recovery funding arrangements where councils go and assess their infrastructure and then we work with the state government to ensure that funding can be made to- to be handed to councils to ensure that infrastructure can be repaired and replaced.

    EDDIE WILLIAMS: What about the more day-to-day community services, things like childcare, aged care, disability care, the other sorts of programs that you see like community transport? Should that be part of the local government purview?

    KRISTY MCBAIN: Well, I guess it’s up to every local council to prioritise the services that they’re providing in community. We’ve seen over recent times a number of councils pull out of aged care services in particular and hand those onto not-for-profits or to the market because it is a difficult sector to be operating in. In regards to childcare services, a lot of our councils are providing childcare services because there are no market operators that can do that in those areas, but there are obviously a range of funding buckets for childcare services in particular.

    EDDIE WILLIAMS: Yeah, are the funding buckets all kind of working? You know, things like competitive grants are by definition competitive and some councils miss out. Where do things go from here to make sure councils have the money to deliver all this?

    KRISTY MCBAIN: Well, I guess when we’re looking at competitive grants, we’re usually looking at new or upgraded infrastructure. So councils have got, you know, their own work to do in terms of understanding what their service and delivery plan is going to look like over any four-year term, what maintenance needs to be done on particular assets, and it’s up to them whether they apply for those grants to upgrade or have new assets in their community.

    We have worked really closely with local councils in particular for a range of the funding options that are available through the federal government. We’re doubling Roads to Recovery, which is an automatic allocation to all of the 537 local council areas across the country to allow them to have more maintenance on local roads. And then we’ve got a range of competitive programs, including the Housing Support Program which is all about that enabling infrastructure to get more housing developments underway.

    EDDIE WILLIAMS: What about Financial Assistance Grants? This is something a lot of local government groups talk about. Is the government willing to increase those?

    KRISTY MCBAIN: Financial Assistance Grants is over $3 billion every year. This year’s $3.4 billion is allocated across the country to councils. We have brought forward over $1.7 billion in Financial Assistance Grants, which was paid to councils before the end of the financial year, to assist with a range of service delivery for local councils. There’s long been calls to increase that, but we also don’t want to replace the requirement of the states to do their part in this as well, and a lot of that cost shifting we’re talking about is coming from the state government requirements. And we want to make sure that there is enough money for weeds maintenance for local councils. We want to make sure that there is a range of funding opportunities that also come from the state, because it’s a requirement of all three levels of government to be working together.

    EDDIE WILLIAMS: All three levels working together? Are you all getting into the same room to try to sort this out?

    KRISTY MCBAIN: Look, I chair the Local Government Ministers’ Forum, and we’ve had some broad agreement on some of the things that need to be addressed, including a simple national accounting standard for local governments. It’s different across the jurisdictions. And a national approach to how councils actually, I guess, grade their assets and when they maintain them so that when grants are being applied for, we’re really comparing apples and apples across the country.

    EDDIE WILLIAMS: There is a federal inquiry into local government sustainability that’s been underway. Is the Government willing to take some meaningful action, potentially look at some reforms, depending on what that inquiry recommends?

    KRISTY MCBAIN: Yeah, well, it’s the first local government inquiry in over two decades. And when we look back 20 years ago, the iPhone wasn’t invented and Silverchair was still a band at the top of the chart. So it’s really important, I think, that the inquiry completes its work. We’ll reconstitute that committee so it can finalise the report. But clearly the reason we’ve done that is so that we can get a really good understanding of where the system needs to improve and how we can make that work.

    EDDIE WILLIAMS: You’re hearing from Kristy McBain, the Minister for Local Government and Emergency Management and the Member for Eden-Monaro. On another issue, the NSW Health-funded Goulburn Urgent Care Service has come to an end, attracting and retaining healthcare staff to the regions being one of the challenges cited there. How confident are you that a federally funded Medicare Urgent Care Clinic in Bega will open this year and will stay viable?

    KRISTY MCBAIN: Yeah, well, the closure of the Urgent Care Service in Goulburn was a very disappointing outcome for the community, and one I’ve been working to try to prevent. I’ve been advocating with the NSW Government for it to remain open. It was a well-utilised service, but ultimately the service’s contract was negotiated by the NSW Government, and the state needs to work on their model. But the Medicare Urgent Care Clinics have been a real game-changer across our health sector. In Queanbeyan alone, we’ve had more than 12,000 free presentations since it opened last year, which I think is a real testament to how much this was needed. And anecdotally, we’ve heard from a range of people that utilise the Queanbeyan Hospital, and they’ve said that it’s taken significant pressure off the hospital, which is fantastic.

    We’re providing $644 million to establish another 50 Urgent Care Clinics across the country, including in the Bega Valley. The provider will be negotiated through an independent process by the Primary Health Network, and we’re really confident that it will run effectively like it does in a range of other regional areas across the country.

    EDDIE WILLIAMS: When will that open?

    KRISTY MCBAIN: It will go through that independent process which is being commissioned at this point in time, and I don’t have an exact date on when that’s due to finish. But as soon as I’ve got some more info, I will be out there sharing it with the community.

    EDDIE WILLIAMS: And the way that will work, the way that relationship and provider comes about, is that something that will be ongoing into the long term, or a sort of year-to-year contract? How do you expect that to look?

    KRISTY MCBAIN: Yeah, well the contracts are negotiated and dealt with through the Primary Health Network. It’s run at arm’s length from the federal government because we’ve got Primary Health Networks that cover every corner of Australia, and they do their job in making sure that we’ve got providers that can work within the community, and the Urgent Care Clinics are staffed effectively for our communities.

    EDDIE WILLIAMS: Kristy McBain, I appreciate your time this morning. Thank you.

    KRISTY MCBAIN: Great to be with you.

    EDDIE WILLIAMS: The Member for Eden-Monaro, Minister for Local Government and Emergency Management, Kristy McBain.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Q&A – Queensland Media Club

    Source: Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority

    Queensland Media Club Speeches and Q&A here: https://youtu.be/f2DeHcivspg?si=guNHL0f1ZCkMWhwz

     

    JOURNALIST: It’s been 100 days since the Government’s 100-day review. When can Queenslanders expect to see tangible shovels in the ground, concrete rising in Victoria Park? Because as you’ve touched on in your speech, we don’t have a lot of time.

    JARROD BLEIJIE: Well, yes, you’re right, [Journalist], we don’t. And that’s why today we’ve- [Indistinct] have authorised now to start a little preliminary work. So all the geotechnical work that’s got to take place, the soil testing that’s got to take place, is going to be starting from, I would suspect, next week you can start seeing some work. I wouldn’t say the excavators are going to be there next week, but certainly all the prelim work has to take place in terms of the soil testing. Now, that has to happen because each of them have to work out the best location for Victoria Park once they do the testing of the park.

    JOURNALIST: One thing you mentioned in your speech but didn’t touch too deeply on was Brisbane Arena. It sounds like we’re not going to get Brisbane Arena before 2032; can you make a guarantee that we will?

    JARROD BLEIJIE: Oh, we absolutely will get there before 2032. The Gabba will come down in 20- after 2032, but the Brisbane Arena, we are actually- so the document that I just came back from the United States to be part of Brisbane’s next iconic destination which is the Brisbane Arena. We’ve had over 2,200 expressions of interest put in through the website already on that. We are talking to the market at the moment about the Go Print site and then the secondary site which is the Gabba location, about whether it should be combined or two separate sites, depending on what the private sector want to do. But we absolutely will partner with private sector. We will go to procurement on the Brisbane Arena by the end of this year. So I would suspect in the next couple of months my Department, Department of Infrastructure and Planning, will actually formally go and procure them to build the arena. And then next year will be the planning, and I suspect you’ll start seeing it being built from end of next year and into 2027, and it will be built absolutely before 2032. 

    JOURNALIST: You mentioned in your speech too you’d like to see more transport investment from the Federal Government. Minister King, are you open to that? How much money will Queensland provide? Perhaps we can just get our GST back. 

    [Laughter]

    CATHERINE KING: I knew someone would mention that, I just wondered if that would happen. Already the Commonwealth is investing, I think it’s over $27 billion in transport infrastructure here in Queensland. I think in the equivalent states, it’s- I think you’re the highest amount. Every other state is less than that, believe me. So that is the first thing I’m saying. I think also, there are issues around capacity. We can only build so much at any one time. Our priority has absolutely been Bruce Highway. You saw us come in January with the Prime Minister, acknowledge that that is an unfinished piece of business for all of us, and we’re very determined to get that done. That being said, we’re already investing over $12 billion in [Indistinct] infrastructure. We will look at new requests that come through, and they come from every state and territory pretty regularly, I can say. They come through for Queensland in our normal budget processes. We don’t have a budget yet until next year, but really, we’ve been very determined to make sure, you know, we put planning money in, we put planning work in, we get a good idea about what the costs are and then we progress from there. And I’m sure Queensland will do what every other state does and ask for its share of funding. 

    JOURNALIST: Might I come to the working media table for the first question? Is there a microphone here to [Indistinct]…?

    CATHERINE KING: I think we’ve stolen them. We’ve got three up here now. 

    JOURNALIST: Deputy Premier, Fraser Barton from the Australian Associated Press. I asked you when the delivery plan was announced in March about workers and construction and how we’re going to get all these workers. How has the government progressed that? Is- are we still going to quote ransack New South Wales and Victoria for people? And where will all of these workers live given housing shortages in the state?

    JARROD BLEIJIE: Well thank you, great question. I don’t think I used the word ransacked. I said beg, borrow and steal. And now that I’ve signed the deal with the Federal Minister, I guess I can trash Victoria because, who would- do you want to live in Victoria or Queensland? So, interestingly, yesterday I had the Infrastructure Partnerships- I had a meeting with Infrastructure Partnerships Australia, and we talked about the very issue about the workforce and where they’re going to come from. It’s going to be mixed. It’s going to be home-grown talent with the apprenticeships and traineeships coming through the system. It’s going to be new businesses coming into Queensland. It will be looking to New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia and getting businesses to relocate to Queensland. Unashamedly, we need to do that. It’s going to be looking at migration, the school migration sector. So that’s how we’ll get the workforce. The second question I always get about the workforce is where are you going to house them? Well, 20,000 in Logan, because I’ve just given the Mayor 135 million, but that 135 million is- pales in- is insignificant compared to the rest that I’m about to announce over the next two weeks, which is the Residential Activation Fund. And that’s a catalytic infrastructure fund designed to help councils get the infrastructure to build the houses. So Mayor Raven at Logan, he said in the media last week that the Logan Council would stop approving buildings if they didn’t have the new wastewater treatment plant. So the $135 million the state are co-contributing with the Council will allow that wastewater treatment facility to be put in place, opening, unlocking 20,000 homes. 

    Now that $2 billion infrastructure fund is happening all around Queensland, and over 50 per cent of that is going to be in regional Queensland. So we’ve got to make sure that we support councils to unlock the land. And as I always say, the issue of the housing crisis is supply, supply, supply. It is the biggest inhibitor at the moment for building houses in Queensland. We’ve already abolished the tax. We abolished our [Indistinct] for first homeowners buying or building their first home in Queensland, so that’s great. We’ve got a better taxation regime. We’ve increased the first home owner grant to $30,000, 15 to 30, we kept that in the budget last week, so that’s a good incentive as well. So we’ve got to build the houses, but you can’t just do it in isolation. You’ve got to look at all of it at the same time.

    JOURNALIST: Deputy Premier, Alex Brewster, ABC News. You’ve refuted reports about the infrastructure around Victoria Park Stadium this morning. When can we expect to see the detail of things like a potential train station, pedestrian bridge, and even a warm-up track around that stadium?

    JARROD BLEIJIE: You used the word refute, Alex, I used the words – I think TMR may have done some brainstorming on where they would like to see certain things and stations. Government have not made decisions on that connectivity yet. And GIICA now, as part of legislation we passed last week, a big proportion of that is transport and mobility. So, those plans now- because the legislation has been put in place, those plans now have to get out to GIICA with Department of Transport and Main Roads.

    And I’ll repeat, on the transport front, it’s the state’s responsibility, a rail between the Gold Coast and Brisbane. The way [indistinct] Sunshine Coast with a Federal Government are giving(*), 50 per cent funding in stage one of that project. So, look, it’ll happen fairly quickly now, I anticipate, that GIICA have the Victoria Park, they’ll have a CEO in a very short period of time, and they’ll be able to get on with the job and work with TMR to find the best location for Victoria Park. And that’s why you can’t put the cart before the horse, because you’ve got to do all the geo tech, which we are now doing on Victoria Park to understand where the best location for the stadium actually is, and then look at the transport hub. 

    Incidentally, I would note that if you look at Victoria Park, Centenary Pool, which is going to be the new National Aquatic Centre, and the Ekka, we just opened Exhibition Station, over at the RNA; there is three or four hubs within 15 minutes of walking already around that. If we can increase it, that’s great, but we will now get to work with the Brisbane City Council and TMR. 

    JOURNALIST: Deputy Premier, Harry Clark from Sky News. How committed are you to holding Olympics rowing on the Mighty Fitzroy in Rockhampton given resistance, including that which is coming from the International Olympics Committee?

    JARROD BLEIJIE: Very committed. It’s in our delivery plan and I spoke to the IOC. Look, I’ve got to say that the International Olympic Committee were very good with us in our discussions with that. As Minister King points out, [indistinct] alterations before. Like any of the venues, we have to go through the PVR process, the project validation process. The five projects that have already been validated, that’s what we’re going to procure on from today. But all of the minor venues obviously have to go through project validation. We did a lot of the project validation whilst the Federal Government was in caretaker mode from my department to look at the costings and all of that. 

    We believe it’s vitally important for Rocky and the kids in Rocky to have a facility, and there has been a lot of public commentary about it. But my God, if you go to Rocky, which I think I’ll be there in a couple of days, if you go to Rocky this time of year, in July, where the Olympic and Paralympic Games are going to be held, the Fitzroy River is a mirror. It is the most beautiful thing, hence why they do state championships and national championships on the Mighty Fitzroy River. 

    And I respectfully said to the International Olympic Committee when they were over here, I said, if it’s okay for Rocky kids and Australian kids to row on the Mighty Fitzroy River, it’s okay for Pierre from Paris to row on the mighty Fitzroy River. And look, the IOC took that well.

    [Laughter]

    JOURNALIST: Has anyone contacted Pierre and asked him? It is the [indistinct].

    JARROD BLEIJIE: I know we did- someone was in a crowd and he did jump up and he said, I’m actually Pierre from Paris. He said, but I’m not a rower. I said, well, maybe you should be. 

    JOURNALIST: Deputy Premier, it’s serious though. The Government has been staunch. Your Sports Minister colleague said he isn’t certain Olympic rowing will be held in Rockhampton, but do you acknowledge that it is not only the Government’s decision? It’s the IOC, the International Federation. And, is there a plan b if they say it’s not good enough? 

    JARROD BLEIJIE:  Well, okay, but is the IOC paying for it? If they don’t want it in Rocky then they pay for it, but they’re not, it’s the State Government and the Federal Government. So, I’m not sure the IOC- we had put it back a little bit on the IOC, but we’ve done it very respectfully. Because we wanted the games to be about regional Queensland and we committed to the people of Rockhampton, who have a great rowing facility, and they’re going to have a better rowing facility. 

    And Minister King and I, and I hope I’m not breaching confidence, we’ve had this discussion about rowing. It’s got to go to the International Olympic Committee Rowing Federation who are actually over here in July. They’ll do all their technical assessments. But that happens with every venue. And in LA the rowing facility does not meet the International Olympic Committee requirements. It’s too short. But do you know what they did? They just said, for the LA it’ll be okay, and they signed off on it. So, they do bend the rules for other venues, including rowing in LA which does not meet the requirements for international rowing. 

    JOURNALIST: Deputy Premier, hi. Jess Bahr here from SBS World News. Just a couple of questions from NRTV. Are you consulting with Traditional Owners to reach an agreement on preserving cultural heritage at Finn Park? And do you think you’ll reach an agreement, or will you override cultural and heritage laws? 

    JARROD BLEIJIE: I think we’ll reach an agreement. Two points, observations I’ll make on that. In the legislation that we passed in Parliament last week, there were two elements to the overriding provisions. One was dealing with environment laws, heritage laws, planning laws, local government laws, and there was a complete override, but we actually did carve it up with cultural heritage provisions for First Nations Australians. So, we actually will still go through a process of consulting with First Nations about Victoria Park. 

    Now, ultimately, if an agreement can’t be reached then the laws have to override. But we actually have put a special provision pursuant to the cultural and heritage legislation that exists in Queensland at the moment, to still go through that process. And part of the deal that we’ve struck with the Federal Government, it was one of the requirements from Minister King and the Federal Government, is that consultation does take place, which we’ve committed to. And that’s in the legislation, that will go through a process through Minister Fiona Simpson’s department, as it does with existing legislation.

    We’ve also committed to Minister King and the Federal Government that community consultation, looking at the precinct plan; looking for as much green space, open space that we can retain in Victoria Park, and we’ve committed to that. So, I’m confident that we will secure support, and we’ll just go through the motions as it is. But we did carve out a particular provision in that, recognising the significance of that issue. 

    JOURNALIST: Andrew from The Guardian. This is a question for both of you. Both of you have gone through elections in the last year, in fact, one two months ago. And in no case was this plan, the Victoria Park plan, brought to the electorate? In fact, at that state level it was explicitly ruled out. Should the electorate have known about this before they voted on that? It’s a big old stadium in the middle of a suburb. Surely, the people would have liked to know that before the decision was made. 

    JARROD BLEIJIE: Well, thank you. I’ll start and, thankfully, you’ve got a question I’ll be able to build you up to divert all the questions to you. Look we were, when we announced the delivery plan, the Premier and I were pretty up front. We apologised, we said sorry. We took the position to the election of no new stadiums. We did the 100-day review and there was also the former government did the [Indistinct] review that recommended Victoria Park. We did take it to the elections about the stadiums.

    But it became apparent during the GIICA review and the 100-day review that there was just no other option, alternative. There was no time now to knock down the Gabba and rebuild the Gabba. The displacement of AFL and cricket was too great and too costly. So, we were pretty up front. I think we said in a room of a thousand people and journos, we stood up and apologised and we said we’ll cop that. It’s not the position we took to the election but it’s the position now that we think is in the best interest of all Queensland, and particularly for the 2032 Games, particularly for AFL, the Lions, the Mighty Lions, and cricket.

    So yeah, I’m not hiding behind the fact that we had a different position from the election, but I think we tried as best we could to explain ourselves and why would we change our position, and why we put in the delivery plan and accepted the recommendations from GIICA. Because if we hadn’t of, you would end up with a Government making political decisions again, and it would’ve gone around in circles, and you would not be in a room today with the Federal Minister and a State Minister, having done the deal, struck the deal to deliver the 2032 Games. You’d be talking about temporary stadiums [Indistinct] spending $2.25 billion, and no procurement process underway. 

    I think it is a different position we took to the election, but we’re pretty up front with it, we apologised. And we said to Queenslanders, this is now our job to explain why we took that position to the election, and explain why because it is now in the best interests of Queenslanders to get on and proceed and do the best that we can.

    CATHERINE KING: Thanks. I’d say, equally, from our point of view is that the delivery plan was provided and the Queensland Government’s response to that in March of this year. We wanted to take some time to look at it and to get the details about what are the costs of new venues, what does that look like. You know, publicly I’ve been very upfront about that. It’s been [Indistinct] as has the Prime Minister, that we’re really keen to see the arena. 

    It’s why we put the Commonwealth’s money there. We know the Prime Minister’s a pretty big fan of live music and we felt, from our point of view, that was good legacy. But that project has now being procured by the private sector. That is a decision the Queensland Government has made and we’ve been faced with the decision, well, given that it is no longer a Games venue and the agreement is about Games venues in terms of funding, what do we do about it? 

    And that’s why we’ve taken our time. We’ve looked at the finances. We have put conditions around the stadium. We recognise that it is a challenging issue for First Nations people, for local green space. We want to make sure that it’s got right and that it is a precinct that everybody can enjoy, and that’s why we’ve taken our time to do that and we’re making this an [indistinct] too.

    JOURNALIST: Deputy Premier, Alex Brewster again. Have you turned your mind to what you might like to see the stadium called? I know you’re a proud monarchist. Would you perhaps like to see it named after a royal name?

    [Laughter]

    JARROD BLEIJIE: Actually, thinking about that, Minister King did not put in her letter of agreement anything about how- King’s Stadium in honour of either Charles or Catherine. Thank you. Food for thought. Thank you, Alex. 

    No, look, we joked in Parliament that it would be the John Sosso Stadium. Well, some people in Queensland have a big fascination with my Director General. He just wants to get on with the job and stay out of the press. But, look, GIICA recommended it be named the Brisbane Stadium – iconic. Just travelling back from the States, all the stadiums over there are named- they do funding deals. Incidentally, all the stadiums are built by the private sector, so if there’s anyone in the room today who wants to chip in as well and help Minister King and I balance our budgets a little more and invest. Because I kept asking all the other- I went to SoFi, I went to AT&T, and I said, how did that level of investment from Government in having all these? And they said, oh no, the building heads of the sporting teams just build these things – and jeez, wow. Lions have got to put in a bit more I think, in cricket. 

    But no, we had I haven’t turned our minds to that yet. We’ll just get shovels in the ground and start building it and then we’ll work out the name of it.

    JOURNALIST: Minister King, can I just jump in there and ask you, when you were negotiating with the State Government, did the Commonwealth put to the state that rowing could be held in Penrith?

    CATHERINE KING: So, what we’ve done as part of the agreement is we’ve provisioned money for Rockhampton, but that is conditional or dependent on the federated body for rowing determining that rowing can go forward there. Obviously, we’ll await that decision, but we’ll provision money for Rockhampton for that to occur. And again, that’s the decision that the Queensland Government has done, and that’s what it wants to do. And obviously, if there’s a different decision taken, we’ll work with the Queensland Government on that. But the Deputy Premier is pretty determined that’s where rowing is going to be.

    JOURNALIST: We’ve also had the Prime Minister suggest Penrith. What’s your view?

    CATHERINE KING: Again, I think that the Prime Minister is a problem solver and I think he knows that there are some challenges with Rockhampton, but we’ll let the Rowing Federation go and have a look at those and make a decision from there. And we’ll provision money for that venture as part of the Minor Venues Program and we’ll work through the processes. And there’s a [indistinct] plan B, then that’ll be a matter for discussion with the Queensland Government. But as I said, the Deputy Premier’s pretty determined and that that’s where rowing’s going to be. We’ll let the Federation do its work.

    JOURNALIST: Mackenzie Scott here from The Australian newspaper. Obviously, you’ve looked into this $7.1 billion deal today but the Treasurer, David Janetzki, has launched his team to start privatisation of certain large infrastructure projects. How much do you expect the public- sorry, the private sector to give in a monetary sense into Games infrastructure?

    JARROD BLEIJIE: Well, we have provisioned for $7.1 billion, that’s the deal. That was the Federal Government that have got to account for that as well. So, it equates to, if you look at the 7.1 billion, it’s not 50-50. It’s nearly 50-50. We’ll call it 50-50. It’s a couple hundred million less than the Federal contributions, a couple hundred million less than our contribution. We’ve stuck to that $7.1 billion figure. 

    Now, that doesn’t include private sector investment. We’ve budgeted on a provision that that is what it’s going to take for the state and the Commonwealth to get those venues, the major venues and minor venues done. If the private sector come into the market and assist GIICA with the stadium develop, minor venues, then that’s a bonus. That’s a bonus for the Federal Government and for the State Government. Those discussions have to take place with GIICA, but that will go through the procurement process.

    So, it’s not that we’ve announced that the private sector will build Victoria Park. We haven’t announced that at all. We have budgeted the money. As I said, our budget is $5.15 billion over the next four years for Olympic and Paralympic infrastructure. So, it’s state and Commonwealth funding, and we’ve kept it at 7.1.

    Catherine and I were talking about this before we came in today, and there’s a lot of people talking to us, oh, but blowouts, blowouts, blowouts. And I said: don’t be guided by the 10 years of blowouts from previous governments in Queensland. There are businesses in Queensland and nationally that actually deliver things on time and on budget. We can’t be in that mindset that everything is just going to blow out. We’ve got to make sure we try and do it on time and on budget. And our budget is 7.1. We’ve not shifted from that. 

    JOURNALIST: Deputy Premier, Rosanna Kingsun from Seven News. Can you rule out whether there will be a new train station at the Olympic Park there as in the paper, or is that not a consideration at all? And a question for Minister King. What would you like to see the State Government and Brisbane City Council include in their new precinct plan?

    JARROD BLEIJIE: Rosie, thank you for the question. I’m not really anything in or out about the transportation. Because what we need to do is work out what will be the best public transportation system around RNA, Victoria Park, the new stadium, and also the National Aquatics Centre. So, I’m not going to rule anything in or out. I’ll be guided by the experts. They’ve got a job to do now to work out what that transportation plan looks like – new stations, no stations. So, we’ll be open to any of the suggestions that come forward, but it’s got to be in the best interest of the commuters to get people around all the venues.

    CATHERINE KING: And that’s really what we will dig for in terms of the transport and mobility plan and not just obviously how people are going to move around the venues, and obviously, the IOC and Australian Olympic Committee will also be interested in those issues.

    In terms of precinct overall, I think what you will see across the globe at the moment is that where stadiums are being built- we’re not the only country that is facing challenges of people being concerned about the cost of those, loss of green space, all of those things. And what you’re seeing- and I think there’s some really interesting examples in the US, in Queens for example. I had the incredible privilege of being able to go and have a look a couple of years ago now, at Tottenham Hotspur’s new stadium and what they did around there around being able to provide education opportunities for a really incredibly disadvantaged community. 

    As I said in my speech, really I’m interested in more infrastructure [indistinct], not just in sport. We can see what that legacy looks like. But really, the opportunity we have here is to really shape cities, and to shape the way people live and dream about and enjoy those cities. And really, that’s what we’re looking for in the precinct plan. Because we know, long after the Games have finished, there’s people who live in these communities and we want them to be able to utilise those facilities, utilise the green space, be able to utilise transport and love where they live. And that is challenging. 

    As I said, that we’re not the only country in the world who might be aware there’s an election in Tasmania at the moment, and the issue around that there. In the same way, as we’ve said, we’ve funded Macquarie Point Precinct. We just haven’t funded just a stadium, what the life is going to look like down in that particular part of the world. So that’s really the sort of thing we’ll be looking for from both the transport and the precincts point of view.

    MC: Ladies and gentlemen, unfortunately, that’s where we’ll have to leave it, but I’m sure we’ll have many more of these events in the lead up to 2032. Please join me in thanking the Deputy Premier and Minister King.

    [Applause]

    MIL OSI News –

  • ENG vs IND: Jadeja, Washington pull off epic rescue act as India draw Manchester Test, keep series alive

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India pulled off a remarkable escape to force a draw in the fourth Test against England at Old Trafford on Sunday, riding on a spirited batting display led by Shubman Gill, Ravindra Jadeja, and Washington Sundar.

    Facing a daunting 311-run deficit and reduced to 0/2 early in their second innings, India responded with defiance, batting through more than five sessions for the loss of just two additional wickets. They finished the final day on 425/4, denying England a series-clinching win.

    Skipper Shubman Gill led from the front with a resolute century — his fourth of the series — while Jadeja and Sundar struck unbeaten hundreds of their own, frustrating the hosts in front of a silenced Old Trafford crowd.

    Earlier, England had set up the game with the bat, piling on 669 in their first innings — their fifth-highest total in Test history. But their bowlers failed to make inroads on a pitch that gradually flattened out, allowing the visitors to claw their way back into the contest.

    The result keeps the five-match series alive at 2-1 in England’s favour. The hosts now head to the final Test at The Oval, starting Thursday, needing to avoid defeat to secure the series.

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Women’s rugby is booming, but safety relies on borrowed assumptions from the men’s game

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Kathryn Dane, Postdoctoral associate, University of Calgary

    Rugby union, commonly known as just rugby, is a fast-paced and physical team sport. More girls and women in Canada and around the world are playing it now than ever before.

    As of 2021, women’s rugby reached a record 2.7 million players globally, a 25 per cent increase over four years, and by 2023, women’s rugby participation was growing at a rate of 38 per cent year-over-year.

    Countries including Australia, England, Ireland and the United States offer professional contracts for women’s teams. While these remain modest compared to the men’s game, they still represent a clear step forward.

    Canada’s senior women’s XVs team is currently ranked second in the world and heading into the 2025 Rugby World Cup, which kicks off on Aug. 22 in England. The national sevens team also captured silver at the 2024 Paris Olympics — further evidence of the game’s growing competitiveness in Canada.

    However, many systems, including coaching and medical support, have not kept pace with the demands of elite competition. With visibility increasing ahead of the 2025 World Cup, stronger institutional support is needed to match the sports’ growing professionalism and popularity.

    Safety concerns

    Often described as a “game for all”, rugby builds confidence, resilience and lifelong friendships. For girls and women especially, rugby can be empowering in ways few sports can match. It embraces the physicality of tackling, pushes back against traditional gender expectations and fosters solidarity and inclusion by valuing all body shapes and abilities.

    But rugby is also a collision sport, and as such, it carries inherent risks. Tackling is the top cause of injury in rugby, and it has one of the highest concussion rates among youth girls’ sports in Canada. Concussions can have long-term effects on players’ health.



    Read more:
    Concussion is more than sports injuries: Who’s at risk and how Canadian researchers are seeking better diagnostics and treatments

    These concerns are especially urgent as the women’s game becomes more physical and professionalized, and players are hit harder and more often. Unlike men’s rugby, women’s teams often operate with fewer medical or coaching support resources, which can lead to inconsistent or absent injury prevention programs.

    Compounding the risk is the fact that many women also come to rugby later in life, often with less experience in contact sports. This delayed exposure restricts proper tackle skill development and player confidence in contact. This means safe tackling is even more important.

    Without proper supports, the physical risks of the game may outweigh its benefits.

    Science is still playing catch-up

    While women’s rugby is growing rapidly, the science behind it is has not kept pace. Most of what we know about rugby safety — how to tackle, how much to train or when it’s safe to return to play after injury — largely comes from research on men.

    Decisions around coaching and player welfare have been based on male data, leaving female players under-served and potentially at greater risk. While these foundations may well apply to girls and women, the problem is we don’t yet know for sure.

    Only four per cent of rugby tackle research has focused on women. Much of the early evidence on girls rugby comes from Canada, underscoring the country’s leadership in this space. Still, most coaches and clinicians rely on a “one-size-fits-all” approach that may not account for menstrual cycles, pregnancy, different injury profiles or later sport entry.

    The differences matter because strength, speed and injury risk all vary. Women are 2.6 times more likely than men to sustain a concussion. Gender also shapes access to training, care and facilities, often limiting opportunities for women to develop safe tackling skills, receive adequate support and train in safe, well-resourced environments, factors that impact both performance and safety.



    Read more:
    Prevention is better than cure when it comes to high concussion rates in girls’ rugby

    Even safety tools reflect this gap. World Rugby’s Tackle Ready and contact load guidelines were designed around male athletes. While well-intentioned, we know little about how they work for girls and women. Instead of discarding these tools, we need to adapt and evaluate them in female contexts to ensure they support injury prevention and provide equal protection.

    Women’s rugby needs better data

    Change is underway. More research and tools are being designed specifically for girls and women. A search of PubMed, a database of published biomedical research, reveals a steep rise in studies on women’s rugby over the past decade, especially in injury surveillance, injury prevention, performance, physiology and sociocultural contexts.

    New rule trials, such as testing lower tackle heights, are being evaluated on women athletes. New technologies like instrumented mouthguards and video analysis are also helping researchers understand how girls and women tackle, how head impacts happen and how they can be prevented.

    Much of this new research is led by our team at the Sport Injury Prevention Research Centre, a pan-Canadian, multidisciplinary group focused on moving upstream to prevent concussions in adolescent girls’ rugby.

    The women’s game is also driving its own innovations. Resources like World Rugby’s Contact Confident help girls and women safely build tackle skills, particularly those new to contact sport.

    Researchers are analyzing injury patterns, interviewing players and coaches and studying return-to-play pathways that reflect girls’ and women’s physiology and life stages.

    The scope of research is also expanding to pelvic health, breast protection and more tailored injury prevention. Global collaboration is making this work more inclusive, spanning different countries, skill levels and age groups, not just elite competitions.

    But this is just the start.

    A golden opportunity lies ahead

    Girls’ and women’s rugby is experiencing unprecedented growth. Rising participation, media attention and new sponsorships are fuelling momentum. It’s a golden opportunity to build strong, sustainable foundations.

    Gold-standard support requires focused, ongoing research and a commitment to sharing that evidence with players, coaches, health-care providers and policymakers. It’s time to build systems for women’s rugby based on women’s data, not borrowed assumptions from the men’s game.

    But challenges remain. Some national teams still have to raise funds to attend World Cups. Others train without consistent access to medical or performance staff — clear signs that the women’s game is still catching up.

    To sustain and accelerate the growth of girls’ and women’s rugby, the sport deserves more resources and research tailored specifically to participants. A “one-size-fits-all” model no longer works. By investing in systems that are safer, focused on prevention, more inclusive and grounded in evidence, we can build a thriving future for women’s rugby that lasts for generations to come.

    Isla Shill has received funding from World Rugby.

    Stephen West has previously received funding from World Rugby

    Kathryn Dane 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. Women’s rugby is booming, but safety relies on borrowed assumptions from the men’s game – https://theconversation.com/womens-rugby-is-booming-but-safety-relies-on-borrowed-assumptions-from-the-mens-game-261055

    MIL OSI –

  • Man United beat West Ham 2-1 in Premier League Summer Series

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Manchester United made a winning start to the Premier League Summer Series, defeating West Ham United 2-1 at the MetLife Stadium.

    Bruno Fernandes scored both goals — a penalty early in the game and a second-half strike — to secure three points in the tournament. Jarrod Bowen pulled one back for the Hammers with a clinical finish and was only denied an equaliser by a sharp save from Altay Bayindir in the dying moments.

    United made a blistering start, nearly scoring in the opening minute. Fernandes’s through ball found Rasmus Hojlund, who advanced toward goal and fired a left-footed shot that struck the outside of the post.

    Just three minutes later, Alphonse Areola fumbled a high ball that ricocheted off El Hadji Malick Diouf’s back and fell to Ayden Heaven. Though the defender was moving away from goal, he was brought down by the Hammers’ keeper, leading to a clear penalty, according to Manchester United’s official report.

    Amorim’s men continued to press forward. Hojlund lashed a decent chance over the bar after his pass was cut out and rebounded back to him. On the half-hour mark, Fernandes fired a dipping shot over the bar from outside the box after receiving a pass from Amad. West Ham’s only notable effort came from James Ward-Prowse, whose acrobatic attempt — following a deep cross from ex-Red Aaron Wan-Bissaka and a header by Tomas Soucek — came to nothing.

    United did find the net again in the 38th minute when the impressive Manuel Ugarte broke through and set up Amad. The Ivorian’s calm finish, however, was disallowed for offside in what appeared to be a marginal call.

    Amorim’s side kept up the pressure after the break, and within four minutes, Max Kilman was dispossessed by Hojlund. Fernandes latched onto the loose ball and raced clear for a one-on-one with Areola. However, his strike lacked power and precision, allowing the goalkeeper to save. Kobbie Mainoo followed up with a shot that deflected for a corner.

    From the set-piece, Matthijs de Ligt’s header — from Fernandes’s looping ball into the box — was well saved by Areola. Just minutes later, with 52 on the clock, Mainoo capitalised on a poor pass from Areola. Fernandes received the ball and floated in a beautiful finish, taking full advantage of the keeper’s poor positioning.

    West Ham pulled one back in the 63rd minute through Bowen, who smashed home a powerful shot after Jean-Clair Todibo found Soucek, who in turn teed up the England international.

    In the 66th minute, Amorim changed his entire outfield lineup, and West Ham also made several substitutions. The game lost some rhythm, but Luis Guilherme came close in the 84th minute with a fierce drive that flew over Bayindir’s bar.

    The Hammers nearly equalised in stoppage time when Bowen fired goalwards again, but Bayindir produced a stunning save to preserve the win and three points for United — ahead of their next match against Bournemouth, who earlier beat Everton 3-0.

    IANS

  • Trump says Thailand, Cambodia agree to hold immediate ceasefire talks

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    U.S. President Donald Trumpsaid on Saturday the leaders of Cambodia and Thailand had agreed to meet immediately to quickly work out a ceasefire, as he sought to broker peace after three days of fighting along their border.

    Thailand’s acting prime minister, Phumtham Wechayachai, thanked Trump and said Thailand “agrees in principle to have a ceasefire in place” but “would like to see sincere intention from the Cambodian side.”

    Phumtham was responding in a Facebook post to a series of social media posts by Trump during a visit to Scotland. Trump said he had spoken to Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Manet and Phumtham and warned them that he would not make trade deals with either if the border conflict continued.

    “Both Parties are looking for an immediate Ceasefire and Peace,” Trump wrote as he gave a blow-by-blow account of his diplomatic efforts.

    Phumtham also said he had asked Trump “to convey to the Cambodian side that Thailand wants to convene a bilateral dialogue as soon as possible to bring forth measures and procedures for the ceasefire and the eventual peaceful resolution of the conflict.”

    More than 30 people have been killed and more than 130,000 people displaced in the worst fighting between the Southeast Asian neighbours in 13 years.

    Before Trump spoke to the two leaders, Thai-Cambodian border clashes persisted into a third day and new flashpoints emerged as both sides said they had acted in self-defense in the dispute and called on the other to cease fighting and start negotiations.

    U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is deeply concerned by the clashes and “urges both sides to immediately agree to a ceasefire and to address any issues through dialogue,” Deputy U.N. spokesperson Farhan Haq said in a statement.

    Haq said Guterres “condemns the tragic and unnecessary loss of lives” and “remains available to assist in any efforts towards a peaceful resolution of the dispute.”

    Trump offered no details on the ceasefire negotiations he said Thailand and Cambodia had agreed to hold.

    The White House did not immediately respond to questions on the timing and venue for talks and the Thai and Cambodian embassies in Washington also did not immediately respond.

    There were clashes early on Saturday, both sides said, in the Thai coastal province of Trat and Cambodia’s Pursat Province, a new front more than 100 km (60 miles) from other conflict points along the long-contested border.

    The countries have faced off since the killing of a Cambodian soldier late in May during a brief skirmish. Troops on both sides of the border were reinforced amid a full-blown diplomatic crisis that brought Thailand’s fragile coalition government to the brink of collapse.

    As of Saturday, Thailand said seven soldiers and 13 civilians had been killed, while Cambodia said five soldiers and eight civilians had been killed.

    Trump’s direct involvement followed U.S. calls for restraint on both sides. He said he spoke to each leader and relayed messages back and forth.

    “They have agreed to immediately meet and quickly work out a Ceasefire and, ultimately, PEACE!,” Trump wrote, saying both countries wanted to get back to the “Trading Table.” He has sought to reach separate deals with dozens of countries by August 1 in response to his announcement of wide-ranging tariffs on imports to the U.S.

    “When all is done, and Peace is at hand, I look forward to concluding our Trading Agreements with both!” Trump said.

    Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, chair of the ASEAN regional bloc, said he would continue to push a ceasefire proposal. Cambodia has backed Anwar’s plan, while Thailand has said it agreed with it in principle.

    -Reuters

  • Trump golfs in Scotland as Epstein questions persist

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    U.S. President Donald Trump kept a low profile on his Scottish golf course on Saturday, ahead of meetings with top British and European leaders, as questions swirled at home about his ties to disgraced financier and sex offender Jeffrey Epstein.

    Trump arrived on Friday on a visit that has triggered protests in Scotland, with hundreds lining the streets of the capital Edinburgh waving placards saying: “NOT MY PRESIDENT.”

    The U.S. leader told reporters on arrival that he would visit his two golf properties in Scotland – one in Turnberry on the west coast where he is playing on Saturday and the other near Aberdeen on the country’s eastern coast. He is also due to meet British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, Scottish leader John Swinney and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, whom he called a “highly respected woman.”

    Von der Leyen headed to Scotland on Saturday, ahead of the meeting, with two top U.S. officials flying in from Washington and officials on both sides expressing cautious optimism that a framework trade agreement could be reached.

    Trump will meet with von der Leyen at 1530 GMT on Sunday, the White House said.

    Frustrated by continued questions about his administration’s handling of investigative files related to Epstein’s criminal charges and his 2019 death in prison, Trump on Friday told reporters to focus on bigger issues and other people.

    “You make it a very big thing over something that’s not a big thing,” Trump said. “Don’t talk about Trump. What you should be talking about is the fact that we have the greatest six months in the history of a presidency.”

    Trump, normally a master at changing the subject when a topic stings politically, has been unable to shake off persistent unrest from his usually loyal base about Epstein, who died by suicide in prison in 2019.

    The U.S. president was spotted on the golf course on Saturday morning, but had no public events on his schedule. Reporters and supporters were kept away by enhanced security.

    The White House said Trump was golfing with his son, Eric Trump, and the U.S. ambassador to Britain, Warren Stephens, and his son. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt was also on the course.

    White House officials hope some time out of the limelight will allow the Epstein controversy to die down, two sources familiar with the matter told Reuters.

    GAZA CONCERNS

    Away from the golf course, hundreds of anti-Trump protesters gathered outside the U.S. consulate in Edinburgh, with some holding up placards with images of Trump with Epstein. Others in the crowd held pro-Palestinian signs.

    Cat Cutmore, 31, an Edinburgh resident, said she felt compelled to protest Trump’s visit given her deep concerns about the worsening situation in Gaza after 21 months of war and what she sees as the U.S. president’s attacks on democratic principles. She chafed at his warm reception by Scottish and British officials.

    “There comes a point where if you roll out the red carpet to somebody who has put citizens of his own country and people who are seeking asylum into prison camps, you’re complicit,” she said.

    Janet MacLeod Trotter, another Edinburgh resident and an author of historical fiction, said she was particularly angry that Trump was capitalising on his mother’s name, which she shares.

    On the trip, Trump will open a golf course near Aberdeen named after his mother, Mary Anne MacLeod, who was born and raised on a Scottish island before emigrating to the United States.

    “We’re just fed up with the way that he’s using political clout to browbeat people around the world … He’s coming here and using that as a gimmick to help his business interests,” Trotter said.

    Gabriele Negro, an Italian who works at the University of Edinburgh, said he was there to send a signal that he, like others, did not agree with Trump’s immigration policies and stance on Gaza.

    Trump bought the Turnberry property, which includes a hotel and golf course, for $60 million in 2014, in the hope of returning the course to the rotation for the Open Championship, but said his visit was “not about that.”

    It has not hosted the event since 2009 amid concerns about the lack of accommodation and infrastructure for an event that draws hundreds of thousands.

    -Reuters

  • MIL-OSI China: Hundreds protest Trump’s visit to Scotland amid heavy security

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

    Hundreds of people took to the streets of Aberdeen and Edinburgh on Saturday to protest the arrival of U.S. President Donald Trump, who is in Scotland for a five-day visit.

    A heavy police presence was maintained outside the Trump Turnberry resort in South Ayrshire, as authorities prepared for potential risks, including terrorism-related threats. Sky News reported that Scottish police had requested support from other parts of Britain to bolster security.

    Assistant Chief Constable Emma Bond said that it would be “inappropriate” to overlook last year’s assassination attempt on Trump while planning security for the visit. She described the operation as one of the most complex and challenging tasks that Scottish police have undertaken in years, with the cost expected to be “significant.”

    A group called “UK Stop Trump Coalition” posted videos on TikTok on Saturday, with one clip captioned, “Aberdeen is filling up with protesters against Donald Trump’s golfing visit.”

    Protesters held signs reading “FELON 47 NOT WELCOME HERE,” referencing Trump’s criminal conviction, and displayed photos of Trump alongside Jeffrey Epstein.

    Hundreds of demonstrators gathered near the William Wallace statue in central Aberdeen, where speakers included Scottish Green co-leader Patrick Harvie, climate activists and minority rights advocates, according to local STV News. Protesters also raised concerns over the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

    Kirsty Haigh, a member of the “Scotland Against Trump” alliance, told local media that protesters from across Britain had united to oppose Trump and what she called his “politics of division.” She criticized Trump for using Scotland as a place to “cleanse his image.”

    Trump’s five-day visit to Scotland is scheduled to run from July 25 to 29. He is expected to spend time at both the Trump Turnberry resort in South Ayrshire and Trump International Scotland in Aberdeenshire. During his stay, he will also hold informal meetings with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and Scottish First Minister John Swinney.

    CNN reported that Trump’s trip to Scotland comes amid the political scandal over his relationship with Jeffrey Epstein, describing the visit as a “golf-heavy” escape from political tensions in Washington.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Shooting at Munno Para West

    Source: New South Wales – News

    A man has died after a shooting incident at Munno Para West.

    Just after 11pm on Saturday 26 July, police were called to a house on Stebonheath Road after reports of a disturbance.

    A struggle has occurred between two men at the house after one of the men made threats with a firearm.

    Patrols arrived and found a 53-year-old Taperoo man dead from a gunshot wound, believed to be from a gun in his possession.

    The gun was recovered nearby.

    A 31-year-old man from the house is assisting police with their enquiries.

    There are no other persons sought over the matter.

    Anyone who witnessed the incident is asked to call Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000, or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Man arrested after Hindley Street incident

    Source: New South Wales – News

    A man has been arrested after an incident in the Adelaide CBD last night.

    It will be alleged that about 5.15pm on Saturday 27 July, a man forced his way into a massage business on Hindley Street and barricaded himself alone inside the premises.

    Staff members were not injured.

    Security Response Section members and negotiators were called to the scene to assist patrols in removing the man from the business.

    Police used capsicum spray and a taser to safely detain the suspect, a 43-year-old Camden Park man.

    He was taken to hospital for a mental health assessment and later released into police custody, where he was charged with trespass, disorderly behaviour and resist arrest.

    He was bailed to appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on 15 September.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Swinney funding for Trump’s course embarrassing

    Source: Scottish Greens

    26 Jul 2025 External Affairs

    Nobody can be above the law in Scotland.

    More in External Affairs

    As US President and convicted criminal Donald Trump lands in Aberdeenshire, the Scottish Greens have renewed calls for his Scottish financial interests to be investigated.

    Patrick Harvie, Scottish Green co-leader, first called on the Scottish Government to seek an Unexplained Wealth Order (UWO) to investigate Trump’s businesses 5 years ago.

    A UWO is a power held by the Scottish Government to investigate the finances of politically active individuals who have gained wealth through suspicious means.

    The criminal charges brought against Trump in New York specifically cited his Menie golf estate in Aberdeenshire, finding its value had been falsely inflated.

    Patrick Harvie MSP said:

    “The super-rich like Donald Trump must not be allowed to act with impunity, buying up land, trashing environmental sites, and controlling politicians. Scotland isn’t their personal playground.

    “We need to send a strong signal that no matter how wealthy you are, you aren’t above the law. You’ll face the same scrutiny and legal challenges as anybody else. 

    “I first made this call five years ago. Since then, Trump has been convicted of 34 felonies and found liable in court for sexual abuse. We all know what kind of man he is and how his businesses have operated.

    “Keir Starmer and John Swinney can’t hide away from holding Donald Trump accountable just because of who he is. He is not immune to following the laws of our country. They talk about protecting a ‘special relationship’, but this looks increasingly like a subservient one.

    “It’s time for the Scottish Government to take heed of our long-standing call and investigate Trump with a UWO, instead of cosying up to him and trying to win his favour.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI NGOs: Plastic Greenpeace plastic protesters stand down after blocking INEOS mega tanker for 24 hours Greenpeace climbers have ended their protest at the iconic Forth Road Bridge in Scotland after successfully blocking a gas tanker owned by the plastics giant INEOS for 24… by Graham Thompson July 26, 2025

    Source: Greenpeace Statement –

    Greenpeace climbers have ended their protest at the iconic Forth Road Bridge in Scotland after successfully blocking a gas tanker owned by the plastics giant INEOS for 24 hours. All 10 climbers descended safely aided by Greenpeace support boats.

    The original press release is available here

    The protesters began climbing down their ropes in the early hours of this morning. The protest started on Friday with climbers abseiling from the bridge and unfurling six giant banners reading ‘PLASTICS TREATY NOW’. Their action prevented the INEOS tanker INDEPENDENCE from delivering its cargo of American fracked gas for a full 24 hours, as the vessel can only reach Grangemouth on high tides.

    All 10 Greenpeace climbers were voluntarily transported to Port Edgar in South Queensferry where they were arrested by officers from Police Scotland on suspicion of Culpable and Reckless Conduct. 

    Greenpeace targeted INEOS, the UK’s biggest plastic producer, ahead of critical international talks in two weeks to secure a Global Plastics Treaty to tackle plastic pollution. Every month thousands of tonnes of gas are delivered to Grangemouth where they are turned into billions of tiny plastic pellets (nurdles) that are transported around the world. Greenpeace accuses the company of deliberately undermining the talks so it can continue ramping up plastic production. 

    The upcoming INC5.2 talks to finalise a Global Plastics Treaty are a once-in-a-generation opportunity for governments to stem the flow of plastic that is causing such harm to our towns, environment and wildlife. Greenpeace is demanding that companies like INEOS and their lobbyists, who have a direct interest in making massive profits from selling plastic, are excluded from the talks allowing governments to reach an ambitious deal.

    Amy Cameron, Programme Director at Greenpeace UK said: “We’ve achieved what we set out to. By blocking INEOS, we’ve drawn global attention to the company’s bottomless appetite for plastic production, false solutions and profit for its billionaire boss Jim Ratcliffe. 

    “Their feeble suggestion that recycling and managing waste can hand them a free pass to go on producing more plastic forever is laughable. It comes from the same industry playbook as the health benefits of smoking and carbon offsetting. The plastic pollution problem is just too massive. Less than 10% of plastic is currently recycled globally, and this is set to rise to just 17% by 2060, while the amount of plastic we’re producing is set to triple. The only solution is to address the problem at source which means securing a strong Global Plastics Treaty that imposes legally-binding caps on plastic production.

    “INEOS are cutting jobs at Grangemouth while trying to open a massive new plastics plant in Belgium, leaving Scottish workers high and dry. If Jim Ratcliffe really cared about skilled jobs in Scotland he’d invest his billions in supporting his workers to transition into the green industries of the future, instead of throwing money at Formula 1 racing teams and football clubs.”

    Contrary to INEOS’ claims, the protest was both safe and caused minimal disruption. The climbers are all highly-trained and spent weeks rehearsing this action to ensure it was safe. They were supported at all times by rescue climbers and support boats. The Forth Road Bridge carries low volumes of bus, bicycle and pedestrian traffic and was closed by Police Scotland – not by the protest directly. 

    An international team of Greenpeace activists abseil from Scotland’s Forth Road Bridge to block an INEOS tanker from delivering its cargo of fracked American gas to the Grangemouth petrochemical facility. The Greenpeace protest is aimed at chemicals giant INEOS, owned by billionaire Sir Jim Ratcliffe, which is opposing efforts by UN Member States to secure a Global Plastics Treaty to curb plastic pollution. INEOS is the UK’s biggest plastics manufacturer, producing (pellets) daily at its Grangemouth plant – enough to make 60 million plastic bottles.© Luca Marino / Greenpeace

    Ends

    Notes to editors:

    The original press release is available here

    Download photos and footage from the protest here.

    For more information, or to arrange an interview with a Greenpeace spokesperson, contact the news team:

    • Greenpeace UK press office: press.uk@greenpeace.org / 020 7865 8255
    • Greenpeace press officer in Scotland: Kai Tabacek; 07984 127025

    MIL OSI NGO –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Fatal crash, Forth

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Fatal crash, Forth

    Saturday, 26 July 2025 – 6:12 pm.

    At approximately 12.40pm today, emergency services responded to reports of a crash on Wilmot Road where a tree had fallen onto a 4WD utility as it was travelling on the roadway.
    Sadly, the driver of the vehicle, a man in his 50s died at the scene.
    The passenger in the vehicle, a woman in her 50s was provided medical assistance at the scene and was being flown to the Royal Hobart Hospital with serious injuries.
    Our thoughts and condolences are with everyone affected by the crash.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Press conference, Sydney

    Source: Workplace Gender Equality Agency

    ANNE STANLEY: Hi, everyone. Thank you for being here this morning. My name is Anne Stanley. I’m the Federal Member for Werriwa. This is a fantastic start to more roads that will make sure that this part of the world is not in gridlock all the time. It will get trucks moving around our part of the world. And it is fantastic that the New South Wales Labor Government and the Federal Labor Government are finally doing what we’ve been waiting over 20 years to happen. So I’m just going to hand over now to Minister King to talk to you. 

    CATHERINE KING: Great, thanks very much. And first, can I just say to Anne and to David, our new Member for Hughes, it’s so fantastic to be here. I think this is the first event that I’ve done with David here in this space, but it’s great to be here with both of you. But also, of course, Ryan Park as Acting Premier and my friend and colleague, Jenny Aitchison who worked so closely together on projects such as this. 

    Well, we know that driving westbound along the M5 has become quite difficult for people. As the Moorebank Intermodal Precinct has come online, the weave that happens as trucks are trying to get on to the M5 to then get on to the Hume to get our goods to and from market. They’re also obviously competing with the many people and many commuters who live in this area who are finding that they are often queued back for almost a kilometre as we do that weave to try and get through this intersection. And really, the announcement today, this $380 million announcement, 50-50 funding, State and Federal Government working in partnership together, is about untangling that weave, untangling that intersection to make sure that commuters can get to and from work faster, that our trucks can get to market, and to move around this precinct more efficiently, because we know that economic activity is incredibly important here in this part of Sydney, and we also want to make sure people are able to move about efficiently and safely. Any time that a family is spending in a car or a worker is spending in a car, it’s time that they are not spending at home with their families. So this upgrade, it’s a complex piece of work. The fact that we’re here today getting the contracts signed for the delivery of this project, it’s been a long time coming, but I’m really delighted. And it’s taken, really, a federal and state Labor government who really don’t just talk about projects, we actually deliver them. We do the hard work, we do the planning, we do the design work, and we actually deliver projects, and I’m delighted to be here as part of that.

    I’ll hand over to Jenny, and then I think the Acting Premier is going to say a few words, take some questions, and then they’re going to sign a contract. Thanks everybody.

    JENNY AITCHISON: Thanks everyone. It’s great to be here today with Catherine King, Minister for Infrastructure federally, and federal colleagues Anne and David, and of course, my state colleagues, Acting Premier Ryan Park and the Member for Liverpool, Charishma Kaliyanda.

    It is a great day, a great announcement, $380 million to ensure that the success that we are seeing with freight and ensuring that our goods get to market is delivered. So we’ve just been over at the Moorebank Intermodal, and this will be a critical piece of infrastructure that will realise the potential of that development. Getting those vehicle movements to stop weaving between the lanes, the interchange to be grade-separated will be a major game-change. There will be upgrades to rail and also to pedestrian infrastructure. This will make this a much better piece of transport for all road users and stop that interweaving that we’re seeing of up to 2900 vehicles a day doing that. We’re looking at 2500 trucks using this, so it is really important for safety, for congestion busting, that we get this right.

    The Minns Labor Government is building better communities right across Western Sydney and indeed all of New South Wales, and this is a significant step forward. I’m really pleased that we’ll be signing the contract today with Seymour Whyte. It’s a design and construct contract, so they will be doing that design work. But people will start to see work happening soon as the geotechnical investigations happen, and then we will hope to have shovels in the ground very shortly after that. So, it is a major piece of investment in our communities of Western Sydney that have been crying out for so long for assistance with reducing those traffic snares. As Minister King said, every minute in the car is a minute away from friends, from family, from that wonderful time we have of recreation and rest. And most importantly, it’s the safety aspects of this to ensure that once the cars and the trucks are using this infrastructure, they are able to do so safely without creating issues.

    I’m going to pass over now to Acting Premier Ryan Park, and he can give you a few comments as well

    ACTING PREMIER RYAN PARK: Thank you, Minister, and thank you, Minister King, for being here. It’s delightful that you’re in this portfolio again. I know it’s one that you’re very passionate about. It’s great for New South Wales to continue their partnership and relationship with the Albanese Labor Government in Canberra and to Catherine King, who’s a very experienced Minister when it comes to the delivery of infrastructure. Thank you to Minister Aitchison and the team from Transport for New South Wales, local members at both the state and federal level. Anne Stanley was saying to me earlier that this is something that has been around since 2008, so no doubt the people of South Western Sydney can’t wait for this to happen.

    A $380 million investment in an important part of the road network essentially improves efficiency, improves safety, improves travel times for people moving in and around this area, but also in particular for freight. That’s a very important part of what happens in this South Western Sydney component. This is a major freight hub, not just for New South Wales but the entire country. And what we know is we need to continue to invest in the road infrastructure to make sure that we are delivering roads that are safe, performing efficiently and effectively for local community members, as well as those moving in and around there from other areas.

    I do want to speak a little bit overnight about a report that I’ve received from Dr Chant in relation to influenza, COVID, and RSV. Influenza continues to rise. We are continuing to see significant cases of influenza being presented to our local emergency departments. I can’t stress this enough right now: as we are heading to the peak or just on peak of influenza, we need people to get vaccinated. We need children to get vaccinated. We are still seeing not enough people, both over the age of 65 and young children, getting that vaccination. We need to take pressure off our emergency departments as we head through the winter months. And what we can all want to do over the winter here in New South Wales and, of course, in Sydney, is enjoy our surroundings, enjoy being with family. You can’t do that if you have the flu. So I’m saying to people today, once again, we are reaching or on the verge of reaching the peak in terms of influenza, but that is an important message to get through about making sure you go and get vaccinated. That includes young children and particularly includes older people.

    We’ve also got to emphasise with this much influenza around, RSV and of course COVID, which has started to stabilise – we’ve probably reached the peak of COVID – please don’t go to aged care facilities if you’re unwell. Please stay at home. Please don’t go to hospitals. What we want to do is make sure that our system can perform for those who need our hospital system. What we don’t want to do is people stuck in our hospital system with serious case of influenza, RSV or COVID. We can all do our thing and what we can do is go and get vaccinated.

    CATHERINE KING: I’ll leave questions to you. Any questions?

    JOURNALIST: You mentioned that shovels will be in the ground shortly. Do you have any more indication of when that would be?

    RYAN PARK: Well, I understand we’ve got to sign the contract today, and then we’ve got to make sure that, as all state governments do, we spend the Commonwealth’s money as quickly and as fast as we can.

    [Laughter]

    CATHERINE KING: On time and on budget. 

    RYAN PARK: That’s always the way. Never get in the road of a state government minister and some federal government money, but it’ll happen very, very soon. Shovels in the ground, and we’ll be proceeding with this project I imagine in the next few weeks.

    JOURNALIST: How long will the construction take?

    JENNY AITCHISON: Yep. So, the project will, the actual construction will start in early 2026. By the time the design elements are done, it will take probably two years to do that. Obviously, we will be working to expedite that as much as possible with the contractors and, you know, the way that we have been working in New South Wales on ensuring that our infrastructure spend is spent in a much more measured and considered way will help us to keep to those time frames. But obviously, you know, weather and other factors can come in.

    JOURNALIST: And how long do you expect it to take once the construction starts in early 2026?

    JENNY AITCHISON: Yeah, so we’re expecting that it will take a couple of years to get construction finalised. Obviously, that depends on a range of factors of weather and things like that. But, you know, we know that we have been working very hard to get our construction timelines back under control to ensure that things are being built on time and ready for the public. We know that during this time there is often disruptions for local communities. We thank them for their patience during that time.

    JOURNALIST: And those disruptions that will happen, they’re obviously necessary, so to speak, but what impact do you expect to have for traffic?

    JENNY AITCHISON: Look, what will happen is that there will be the usual construction impact, so that may be lane closures at particular times to keep workers safe. Everything these days- we know that there have been some really big challenges for construction work on roads. We’re really urging cars to travel to those roadside- roadworks speed limits. One of the things I’ve been very disappointed to see in some of our projects is people speeding through work zones. That is not acceptable. We have really worked to minimise those across all of our projects, those speed limits, but we want to make sure that drivers are driving to conditions.

    JOURNALIST: So we will see some traffic impact on those lanes around where you need to widen the road?

    JENNY AITCHISON: Yes, certainly there will be some, and we will use all the elements at our disposal, things like working at night where there’s less traffic, ensuring that we’ve got proper signalling and all that sort of thing in place so that we can minimise that disruption, but it is always a challenge. There’s, as we like to say, no gain without pain, but we are doing everything we can to minimise it and we’re really grateful to those members of the public who assist us in that by driving to the conditions.

    JOURNALIST: And do you have any sort of forecast on how this will help improve traffic, like any time reductions or anything like that?

    JENNY AITCHISON: Look, I don’t have specific time reductions here, but I think the main point is really the safety benefits. And we know at the moment there is queuing, so there will obviously be those timings. I can’t give you exact numbers right off the top of my head, but the main thing is not having that situation where a vehicle turning left then going right has only got a couple of hundred metres to do it, or conversely coming right and going left. They won’t be working together on the same piece of roadway. The grade separation will enable that to be a much safer transition.

    JOURNALIST: Acting Premier, does it really pass the pub test that taxpayers are paying for gym memberships and picnic days for rail workers while there are still so many public sector workers waiting for pay rises?

    RYAN PARK: Well, look, government reaches agreements through the bargaining process with unions and their trade union movement and representatives. The nature of those arrangements will become very, very clear as a part of the fair work process. We’re not trying to hide anything here. The reality is what we wanted to do was get an agreement, and we had to strike a balance between making sure that we provided fair work and conditions and pay for working men and women on our transport system, but at the same time making sure that we can get a transport system operating at its very highest capacity, and operating as efficiently and effectively for passengers and commuters every single day.

    JOURNALIST: Some pretty funny perks. Was it a matter of offer them the funny perks, just so that they can stop striking?

    RYAN PARK: Well, look, no one wants rail workers striking. We want working men and women who work in our transport system to be paid well with good conditions. We’re not going to apologise for that. As a part of the bargaining process, that’s how and which you agree to conditions or disagree with conditions. For us, the process is about making sure that we got the balance right between ensuring that we had a well-run, well-operated and efficient and maintained transport system, at the same time making sure that working men and women had their conditions and pay recognised. We think we’ve got the balance right.

    As the Health Minister, I’ll continue to work with those workers in the healthcare sector over the weeks and months ahead to make sure that we can strike a deal in relation to their paying conditions as well.

    JOURNALIST: As you know, all public sector groups were asked to find to help pay for their pay rises. Do you know if the rail union did have a productivity offsets down and what they might be?

    JENNY AITCHISON: Look, certainly there were savings provisions and productivity provisions within that bargaining process. The enterprise agreement, as is required and as has long been government policy, will be published by the Fair Work Commission, so everyone will be able to see what those are. But as an example, you know, moving to one rail, ensuring we have efficiencies there is really important. Even the consultation periods, you know, we had the former government that had rolling stock on the tracks, sitting idle for literally years because they couldn’t negotiate and consult with the union. We have a fair, open and transparent agreement. We’ve got three years of that. It will provide certainty to the travelling public, It will provide certainty to the travelling public, certainty to the rail workers and certainty to everyone who is- you know, taxpayers who want to see value for money.

    We can always cherry-pick parts of the agreements for things that we might not think are important but the reality is here, we’ve got a very good deal for the taxpayers of New South Wales that has got the unions back to work. It’s been very substantially and overwhelmingly agreed to by the unions, 92 per cent agreement, a very high participation in the ballot. 

    So, I think this is, what we’ve got, is a good agreement that strikes the balance. It’s going to Fair Work now to get that final tick off and check everything’s right. But we have done this in a very open and transparent manner and that’s what’s important here. 

    JOURNALIST: Minister, can I ask you about those offsets? And the consolidation I suppose with one rail. There’s been some suggestion from the opposition that the agreement results in 100 job losses. Toby Warnes was asked the other day whether that would be the case [indistinct]. Are we expecting 100 job losses over the next few years, for Transport for New South Wales to pay the union?

    JENNY AITCHISON: Look, we are working very closely with the union to ensure efficiency and productivity. No-one likes job losses, we know that. But the reality is, where there’s efficiency gains that can be made they will happen because we want to have a better service for commuters. We want to have a reliable, stable service that is resilient and is well maintained. The One Rail initiative is really important for the regions, because what it does is really go back to the idea that we have one rail network in NSW that services everyone. 

    We’ve been working on that right across transport over the last two years, to deliver one transport for all of New South Wales The idea that there’s a binary system of transport in New South Wales, whether it’s in rail or road, is done. We have one transport for New South Wales We have one road network. We have one rail network. There will be efficiencies in that. And we hope to grow the task for transport. We hope to grow services for commuters. 

    So, what we’re saying is we should be investing in growth of the services, and we need to ensure that we have the maximum productivity. And that’s what this agreement’s giving us. 

    JOURNALIST: How much does the agreement cost? What’s the cost of it? Obviously, it’s been struck – we’ve seen it, we’ve gone through the clauses. How much is it? 

    JENNY AITCHISON: Look, the overall quantum is still being finalised. Obviously as you can agree, until that goes through the final stages of the Fair Work Commission process, it would be premature to put a final figure on it. We need to make sure that we have one figure out there that everyone is aware of, but we are working on that and we will come back with that when it’s the appropriate time. 

    JOURNALIST: Ryan, I understand that you are just a seat warmer this week, but the Premier did make a bet with the Queensland Premier that he would record a tourism ad for Queensland if we lost the Origin. Is that something you’ll be doing this week?

    RYAN PARK: Well, well, well. Yes, he gave me one job, hey? I’ve let him down within 48 hours. So, no doubt, I won’t be doing this job again for a little while. No, disappointing last night. Boys put up an incredible fight, but an inspirational performance by Cameron Munster, given what he’s been dealing with over the course of the last few days. They were just too good for us, no doubt. We’ll have to do the add and we’ll do it a lot quicker than what Queensland haven’t paid New South Wales for their COVID bill – it’s about 115 million bucks but, yeah, maybe we can call it quits.

    JOURNALIST: You haven’t put your hand up to record it while he’s away?

    RYAN PARK: No doubt I’ll have to do it. I’ll take that huge load on. It was tough watching New South Wales last night. It was tough being the Acting Premier, but if he wants me to do it, I’m a team player, I’ll do it.

    JOURNALIST: You’re at the bargaining table for nurses, have they put gym memberships on the table, are you open to that one?

    RYAN PARK: Look, I want to get the nurses resolved as quickly as possible. Everyone knows that that’s what I’m trying to do, we’re not there yet, we’re not at the stage. They haven’t put those types of incentives to me, but if they do, like every other arrangement, we’ll have a look at what things come forward as a part of that. That’s not something we’re looking at the moment. Our focus is to try and make sure that we can get a deal. We’ve got the independent umpire in place to make a determination if we can’t do it before then.

    JOURNALIST: I know this isn’t quite in your wheelhouse, but there’s been some issues around with the new bail consolidation, basically a massive backlog of matters before the courts, especially with the Downing Centre being out of action, and people languishing in cells for longer. Has anyone raised with you this week, because you’re the Acting Premier, that there have been these teething issues?

    RYAN PARK: I’ve had raised just very, very briefly, actually by the Governor of New South Wales the other day, given her legal background in relation to the Downing Court and some challenges there. I understand that repairs and some refurbishments as a result of the damage is currently underway. I understand that judicial officers and court staff are looking to make sure those cases are moved around to other areas. It’s an important part of our democracy, the delivery of justice, and justice needs to be delivered as quickly as possible. That’s what we always try and do. It is a challenge in relation to the Downing Centre, given the extensive nature of the appearances and the hearings that are held there and the number of lists that are done there but we’re working through that.

    JOURNALIST: Is it a concern that there are these people that are being kept longer than they should themselves before they get a bail hearing?

    RYAN PARK: Well it’s always concerning when there’s ever delay in any part of the justice system. That’s always a concern for members of the community no matter who they are and what side of the issue they’re on, that’s always a concern. But we will obviously work through that. The Attorney-General with New South Wales Police and Corrections are no doubt working through those issues in relation to court challenges. The Downing Centre situation has made it difficult, but I understand judicial officers and court staff are working through that process to try and get as many people through those other facilities as we can.

    JOURNALIST: Also not really in your wheelhouse, but we know for many people rents have gone up by around $20 per week, for some people that means cutting back on essentials. What do you say to those people who are struggling right now?

    RYAN PARK: Well, we know very clearly that’s it’s tough out there. It’s really tough. For many, many people, cost of living is certainly the biggest challenge they talk to me about as a local member in their own community. Things are tough. The decision not to drop interest rates is tough on people with mortgages that can correspondingly make it challenging for people in rental properties.

    What we’ve tried to do over the last few years is introduce a number of reforms in the rental space to try and make it as easy and as cost effective for people to rent as possible. We know close to 40 per cent of people now rent. That’s very, very different even in the times period since I’ve been in public office. That’s really changed. So we are going to, as a government and future governments at all levels, we’ll continue to have to look at ways to make renting affordable, to make it as efficient and effective as possible. Because it now deals with a very large group of people.

    JOURNALIST: And I guess just on the missing surfer, he was found after about [indistinct]. 

    RYAN PARK: Yeah. See, that is that is absolutely amazing. As a local member of parliament on a coastal sea, unfortunately, we see this frequently. And very rarely do we get the outcome that we’ve been made aware of today. Absolute remarkable case. Phenomenal that our emergency personnel were able to rescue him. Phenomenal that he is still alive. That is obviously not the outcome that is often we see, that often we see in these types of incidents when they take place, and that is a fantastic result for him, his family, but I’m sure the people of the North Coast are just thrilled when they’ve heard that news.

    CATHERINE KING: Thank you.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: £1.1 billion boost to improve local recycling services across England

    Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

    Press release

    £1.1 billion boost to improve local recycling services across England

    Money from packaging reforms to fund better recycling collections and cut costs for taxpayers

    Household bins lined up outside

    Every town and city across the country will receive a major boost to their recycling services, with more than £1 billion funnelled into improving critical infrastructure and collections, Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh announced today (Saturday 26 July 2025).

    Under an outdated regime, the bill for disposing of items like milk bottles, cereal boxes and soup tins is currently footed by local councils with taxpayers paying.

    Through the new Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging scheme, businesses who produce packaging will pay their fair share of the recycling costs.

    Delivering on the government’s Plan for Change, the investment will unlock regional growth, create new green jobs across the country, and boost household recycling rates which for years have failed to show significant improvement.

    Circular Economy Minister Mary Creagh said:

    This government is cleaning up Britain and ending the throwaway society.

    Under the Plan for Change, we are pumping more than £1 billion into local recycling services.

    This will revolutionise how we deal with our waste and ensure more of today’s rubbish is recycled into tomorrow’s packaging.

    The scheme works by charging fees to the businesses that use packaging to meet the costs of collecting and recycling it. The costs will be higher for hard to recycle materials and less where packaging can be reused or refilled.

    This will encourage businesses to reduce the amount of packaging they use, shift to more recyclable materials and design new products that can be recycled and reused more easily, stopping waste from going to the nation’s landfills or incinerators.

    For the coming year, councils in England will receive £1.1 billion to improve recycling services for residents. This could be spent on offering local residents more streamlined recycling collections which can ensure more household waste is recycled.

    The funds can also go towards building new infrastructure or covering the costs of upgrading facilities where councils send household waste. This includes Veolia’s Integrated Waste Management Facility in Southwark, which handles and processes materials collected from homes, and then sends them to be turned into new products.

    Minister of State for Local Government and English Devolution, Jim McMahon OBE MP said:

    Clean and tidy streets are something everyone wants to see, and these common-sense reforms will help councils achieve that.

    Whether it’s channelling more money into recycling or reforming the outdated funding system, we are fixing the foundations of local government so that it can focus on what matters most to people across the country.

    Gavin Graveson, CEO Veolia UK said:  

    We welcome the Government’s progress on the crucial suite of legislation that will help raise recycling rates, decarbonise and incentivise domestic infrastructure investment.

    We look forward to supporting our local authority partners to invest in the essential services they provide to collect and recycle more materials, as well as supporting brands and producers to not only design for recyclability, but also include recycled content in their products. That’s how we’ll build a world-leading, profitable and sustainable circular economy.

    Executive Director of the Environmental Services Association, Jacob Hayler said:

    Our members stand ready to invest billions, alongside local authority partners, in the next generation of recycling services, infrastructure and jobs, which will provide a rapid boost to England’s stalled recycling rates. The new producer responsibility regime for packaging, alongside other measures to simplify recycling services, will unlock this investment and support our ambition to achieve a circular economy in the United Kingdom over the next decade.

    Jim Bligh, Director of Corporate Affairs and Packaging at The Food and Drink Federation, said:

    This announcement is welcome news for both industry and consumers, coming just before producers receive their first invoices for EPR. It marks a vital step towards delivering the improvements in the UK’s recycling system that we all want and need. With a £1.4 billion annual investment from packaging producers into EPR, we’re pleased to see the government’s commitment to ensuring these funds will be used to upgrade infrastructure and resurrect our flatlining recycling rates.

    Cllr Adam Hug, environment spokesperson for the Local Government Association, said:

    It’s positive to see the costs of managing packaging waste shift to the industry creating this waste.

    Councils are proud to run some of the best recycling services in the world, with high levels of public satisfaction despite significant financial pressures.

    This success is built on council’s local knowledge and strong links with communities, and we hope the new scheme will support that work and help reduce the amount of packaging ending up in household bins.

    Libby Peake, head of resource policy at Green Alliance, said:

    For too long, the costs of dealing with packaging waste and recycling have fallen unfairly on local councils and, ultimately, taxpayers, when they have no control over the packaging businesses use. It’s absolutely right that costs are now shifting to the companies who create packaging and can figure out how to use less of it in future. This is an important step in the move away from an inefficient and wasteful system.

    The Environment Secretary has been clear that all councils must use this funding to deliver improved packaging waste collection services for their communities, with PackUK empowered to reduce future allocations if evidence shows that funding has been used for other purposes.

    The Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging scheme is a crucial part of the government’s packaging reforms, which industry estimates will support 25,000 new jobs and underpin £10 billion of investment in new sorting and processing facilities over the next decade.

    Alongside Extended Producer Responsibility for Packaging, the government is introducing a Deposit Return Scheme in 2027. This will provide a financial incentive to return empty drinks containers to a collection point, such as at their local supermarket, so that bottles or cans will be recycled.

    A sensible and pragmatic approach to the collection of materials from households and workplaces is also being introduced. Simpler Recycling for workplaces went live in March 2025 and launches for households in March 2026. It will boost recycling rates and reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill.

    The action to clean up Britain doesn’t end there – with the Circular Economy Taskforce working with sectors to create a series of specific roadmaps to improve and reform the approach to using materials, underpinned by a Circular Economy Strategy which will be published in autumn.

    Updates to this page

    Published 26 July 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Brazilian National Indicted for Selling Firearms

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    BOSTON – A Brazilian national unlawfully living in the Clinton and Framingham areas has been indicted by a federal grand jury in Boston for trafficking firearms.

    Patrick Rodrigues DeOliveira, 25, was indicted on one count of dealing firearms without a license and one count of conspiracy to engage in the business of dealing in firearms without a license. He will be arraigned in federal court in Boston on July 30, 2025. Rodrigues DeOliveira had previously been charged by criminal complaint Sept. 18, 2024.

    According to the charging documents, between August and September 2024, Rodrigues DeOliveira conspired to obtain firearms in South Carolina and sell them in Massachusetts. Specifically, in August 2024, Rodrigues DeOliveira allegedly traveled with others to South Carolina to obtain firearms. Additionally, it is alleged that Rodrigues DeOliveira sold a shotgun and a pistol outside of a motel in Framingham on Sept. 10, 2024 for $3,500.  

    The charges of conspiracy and engaging in the business of dealing firearms without a license each provide for a sentence of up to five years in prison, three years of supervised release and a fine of up to $250,000. Sentences are imposed by a federal district court judge based upon the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and statutes which govern the determination of a sentence in a criminal case.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; Bryan DiGirolamo, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms & Explosives, Boston Field Division; Michael J. Krol, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations in New England; and Patricia H. Hyde, Field Office Director, Boston, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police and the Framingham Police Department. Assistant U.S. Attorney John Reynolds of the Organized Crime & Gang Unit is prosecuting the case.

    The details contained in the charging documents are allegations. The defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    MIL Security OSI –