NewzIntel.com

Category: Justice

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Tax – Keeping ability to gather tax information essential says tax reform group – TJA

    Source: Tax Justice Aotearoa

    20 February 2025 – Tax Justice Aotearoa is calling on the Minister of Revenue to retain the ability for Inland Revenue to collect vital information that supports effective tax policy making.

    “We are concerned that the Minister initiated a review of this important provision within the Tax Administration Act just over a year after IR produced its report on High Net Worth Individuals,” said Glenn Barclay, Chairperson of Tax Justice Aotearoa.

    “That piece of work provided us with the first in depth information on the scale of the inequities of our tax system and the review has the air of an exercise to close down or restrict similar research in the future. We are calling on the Minister to stick with this provision, which is essential to good tax policy making.”

    S.17GB of the Tax Administration Act is the provision that enabled Inland Revenue to carry out that ground breaking Report on High Net Worth Individuals in 2023.

    The report revealed that the wealthiest 311 families in the country had an effective tax rate of around 9%, while the average taxpayer had an effective tax rate of over 20%.
     
    “The lack of balance in our tax system is now well understood, but without the information gathered under s.17GB we would not have had the research on High Net Worth Individuals and would be guessing about the extent of the problem,” said Glenn Barclay.

    S.17GB goes beyond the general information collecting power in the Act, which is not sufficient to provide access to information that could potentially lead to policy change – it is mainly about enforcement.
     
    “The need for this provision is also a symptom of our badly out of balance tax system. If we were already taxing capital in any meaningful way, then it is reasonable to assume that IR would have much better information about what high net worth individuals are worth.

    “In the absence of those taxes and that information, this provision becomes even more essential.”
     
    Glenn Barclay also drew attention to the relevance of s.17GB to other recently announced policies.
     
    “Government policies such as the possibility of reducing corporate taxes and encouraging wealthy individuals to come to New Zealand, mean that understanding their contribution to revenue is going to become more important, not less,” he said.
     
    “There is no good reason to reduce or eliminate this power to gather information other than to protect vested interests and we ask the Minister to put the public interest first.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Arrests – Driving offences – Greater Darwin Region

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested two females and four males yesterday for driving under the influence of drugs.

    Darwin Traffic Operations members launched a road blitz yesterday targeting speeding in the Greater Darwin Region, resulting in six positive roadside drug tests during random traffic apprehensions.

    Two females, aged 40 and 41 years-old, and the four males aged 33, 37, 39, and 52 years-old, have had their drivers licences immediately suspended. Some of the offenders were issued with infringement notices and some have been summonsed to appear in court at a later date.

    Darwin Traffic Operations are also investigating a hooning incident that occurred on Saturday night. Police allege two vehicles took off at speed from traffic lights and were later observed on CCTV footage fishtailing along the road. One of the vehicles contained a 3-year-old child at the time of the incident.

    A 33-year-old male involved in this incident, will have his vehicle seized and will be summonsed to appear in the Darwin Local Court at a later date. He has been charged with participating in speed trials / races, drive vehicle cause loss of traction and dangerous driving.

    Superintendent Paul Wood said, “It is utterly disgraceful that these individuals have chosen to endanger the lives of our fellow Territorians. Not only were these motorists speeding, they also tested positive for drugs. This is a blatant disregard for public safety.”

    “Police will continue to remind all road users about the Fatal Five as they are critical factors that contribute to the tragic loss of life on our roads.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Further arrest following Wainuiomata assault

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Attributable to Detective Senior Sergeant Martin Todd, Hutt Valley CIB:

    Police have today arrested and charged a 19-year-old man following an assault in Wainuiomata on Wednesday 5 February.

    The man faces a charge of wounding with intent to cause grievous bodily harm and is due to appear in the Hutt Valley District Court on Friday 21 February.

    Today’s arrest follows the arrest of a 23-year-old man on 6 February.

    The victim was discharged from hospital after five nights and is recovering at home.

    We would like to thank the community for the information they have provided us to date.

    The investigation continues to progress, including ongoing efforts to locate the weapon allegedly used in the assault.

    Residents in the vicinity of Woolworths Wainuiomata are asked to check their properties for any items similar to a knife that could assist our investigation.

    We would still like to hear from anyone with CCTV or dashcam footage of the incident.

    You can provide information to Police by calling 105 and quoting file number 250205/0193.

    Information can also be shared anonymously through Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Having an x-ray to diagnose knee arthritis might make you more likely to consider potentially unnecessary surgery

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Belinda Lawford, Senior Research Fellow in Physiotherapy, The University of Melbourne

    pikselstock/Shutterstock

    Osteoarthritis is a leading cause of chronic pain and disability, affecting more than two million Australians.

    Routine x-rays aren’t recommended to diagnose the condition. Instead, GPs can make a diagnosis based on symptoms and medical history.

    Yet nearly half of new patients with knee osteoarthritis who visit a GP in Australia are referred for imaging. Osteoarthritis imaging costs the health system A$104.7 million each year.

    Our new study shows using x-rays to diagnose knee osteoarthritis can affect how a person thinks about their knee pain – and can prompt them to consider potentially unnecessary knee replacement surgery.

    What happens when you get osteoarthritis?

    Osteoarthritis arises from joint changes and the joint working extra hard to repair itself. It affects the entire joint, including the bones, cartilage, ligaments and muscles.

    It is most common in older adults, people with a high body weight and those with a history of knee injury.

    Many people with knee osteoarthritis experience persistent pain and have difficulties with everyday activities such as walking and climbing stairs.

    How is it treated?

    In 2021–22, more than 53,000 Australians had knee replacement surgery for osteoarthritis.

    Hospital services for osteoarthritis, primarily driven by joint replacement surgery, cost $3.7 billion in 2020–21.

    While joint replacement surgery is often viewed as inevitable for osteoarthritis, it should only be considered for those with severe symptoms who have already tried appropriate non-surgical treatments. Surgery carries the risk of serious adverse events, such as blood clot or infection, and not everyone makes a full recovery.

    Most people with knee osteoarthritis can manage it effectively with:

    • education and self-management
    • exercise and physical activity
    • weight management (if necessary)
    • medicines for pain relief (such as paracetamol and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs).

    Debunking a common misconception

    A common misconception is that osteoarthritis is caused by “wear and tear”.

    However, research shows the extent of structural changes seen in a joint on an x-ray does not reflect the level of pain or disability a person experiences, nor does it predict how symptoms will change.

    Some people with minimal joint changes have very bad symptoms, while others with more joint changes have only mild symptoms. This is why routine x-rays aren’t recommended for diagnosing knee osteoarthritis or guiding treatment decisions.

    Instead, guidelines recommend a “clinical diagnosis” based on a person’s age (being 45 years or over) and symptoms: experiencing joint pain with activity and, in the morning, having no joint-stiffness or stiffness that lasts less than 30 minutes.

    Despite this, many health professionals in Australia continue to use x-rays to diagnose knee osteoarthritis. And many people with osteoarthritis still expect or want them.

    What did our study investigate?

    Our study aimed to find out if using x-rays to diagnose knee osteoarthritis affects a person’s beliefs about osteoarthritis management, compared to a getting a clinical diagnosis without x-rays.

    We recruited 617 people from across Australia and randomly assigned them to watch one of three videos. Each video showed a hypothetical consultation with a general practitioner about knee pain.

    People with knee osteoarthritis can have difficulties getting down stairs.
    beeboys/Shutterstock

    One group received a clinical diagnosis of knee osteoarthritis based on age and symptoms, without being sent for an x-ray.

    The other two groups had x-rays to determine their diagnosis (the doctor showed one group their x-ray images and not the other).

    After watching their assigned video, participants completed a survey about their beliefs about osteoarthritis management.

    What did we find?

    People who received an x-ray-based diagnosis and were shown their x-ray images had a 36% higher perceived need for knee replacement surgery than those who received a clinical diagnosis (without x-ray).

    They also believed exercise and physical activity could be more harmful to their joint, were more worried about their condition worsening, and were more fearful of movement.

    Interestingly, people were slightly more satisfied with an x-ray-based diagnosis than a clinical diagnosis.

    This may reflect the common misconception that osteoarthritis is caused by “wear and tear” and an assumption that the “damage” inside the joint needs to be seen to guide treatment.

    What does this mean for people with osteoarthritis?

    Our findings show why it’s important to avoid unnecessary x-rays when diagnosing knee osteoarthritis.

    While changing clinical practice can be challenging, reducing unnecessary x-rays could help ease patient anxiety, prevent unnecessary concern about joint damage, and reduce demand for costly and potentially unnecessary joint replacement surgery.

    It could also help reduce exposure to medical radiation and lower health-care costs.

    Previous research in osteoarthritis, as well as back and shoulder pain, similarly shows that when health professionals focus on joint “wear and tear” it can make patients more anxious about their condition and concerned about damaging their joints.

    If you have knee osteoarthritis, know that routine x-rays aren’t needed for diagnosis or to determine the best treatment for you. Getting an x-ray can make you more concerned and more open to surgery. But there are a range of non-surgical options that could reduce pain, improve mobility and are less invasive.

    Belinda Lawford receives funding from Arthritis Australia, Medical Research Future Fund and Medibank. She is a Steering Committee Member of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International Rehabilitation Group, and also an Editorial Board member for Journal of Orthopaedic and Sports Physical Therapy.

    Kim Bennell receives research funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Medical Research Futures Fund as well as Medibank Private. Some of the consumer resources recommended in this article have been developed by her research team. She consults for Wolters Kluwers UptoDate knee osteoarthritis clinical guidelines

    Rana Hinman receives funding from National Health and Medical Research Council, the Medical Research Future Fund and Medibank. Some of the consumer resources recommended in this article have been developed by her research team. She is also an Editorial Board member for Journal of Physiotherapy.

    Travis Samuel William Haber is a Steering Committee Member of the Osteoarthritis Research Society International Rehabilitation Group and of the Australian and New Zealand Musculoskeletal Clinical Trials Network Osteoarthritis Special Interest Group.

    – ref. Having an x-ray to diagnose knee arthritis might make you more likely to consider potentially unnecessary surgery – https://theconversation.com/having-an-x-ray-to-diagnose-knee-arthritis-might-make-you-more-likely-to-consider-potentially-unnecessary-surgery-249374

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Playing favourites, inconsistency or a fair decision? Unpacking Jannik Sinner’s doping case

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matt Nichol, Lecturer in Law, CQUniversity Australia

    The tennis world is still reeling after news the number one ranked men’s player, Jannik Sinner, agreed to a three-month suspension issued by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to be served between the Australian and French Opens.

    Sinner, a three-time Grand Slam winner, received the ban after twice testing positive for clostebol, a steroid banned by the World-Anti Doping Code, in March 2024.



    Read more:
    Tennis is facing an existential crisis over doping. How will it respond?

    The fallout

    “Unintentional doping offences” – as in Sinner’s case – can attract a maximum two-year ban even if the athlete shows no fault or negligence.

    Sinner’s three-month ban was immediately criticised by many in the media and within tennis circles due to its leniency and convenient timing. It also did not result from a hearing before an anti-doping tribunal or the Court of Arbitration for Sport, as has been the case with other tennis players who have received bans in the past.

    The suspension was the product of a “case resolution agreement” (a negotiated settlement) between WADA and Sinner.

    WADA initially appealed the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s decision not to suspend Sinner on the basis of demonstrating no significant fault or negligence, but withdrew its case before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

    Sinner argued the banned substance entered his system after a massage by a physiotherapist in his entourage who had used a cream with clostebol to treat a cut on his finger.

    Both WADA and the International Tennis Integrity Agency accepted this version of events.

    In the eyes of most, WADA’s actions failed to pass the “pub test” and many high-profile tennis players voiced their concerns.

    Novak Djokovic flagged issues over the treatment of high-ranked athletes such as Sinner compared to lower-ranked players.

    For example, Chilean Nicolas Jarry was suspended for 11 months in 2020 after testing positive to ligandrol and stanozolol that he alleged were in a supplement he took.

    In 2023 Sweden’s Mikael Ymer was suspended for 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport for failing to submit to three out-of-competition tests in a 12-month period.

    Great Britain’s Tara Moore took nearly two years to clear her name before an anti-doping tribunal in 2023 revealed contaminated meat had led to her positive tests for nandrolone and boldenone. Despite this decision, Moore served a 19-month ban.

    Djokovic’s view suggested favouritism for higher-ranked players, who can access top lawyers. He also criticised a lack of transparency in the Sinner agreement with WADA.

    However, high-ranked players such as Simona Halep and Maria Sharapova have received lengthy suspensions for doping violations.

    Nick Kyrgios was similarly critical, stating it was a sad day for the sport and that fairness in tennis did not exist.

    Former Spanish player Feliciano Lopez was among those who supported Sinner. He said he believed in clean sport and that Sinner had not enhanced his performance and took responsibility for the actions of his physiotherapist.

    Intentional and unintentional doping

    The criticisms appear to be based on a misunderstanding of the anti-doping provisions in the World Anti-Doping Code and the failure by WADA to clearly communicate its rationale for Sinner’s suspension.

    Rather than favouritism for a high-ranked player, WADA’s decision to suspend Sinner for three months was based on the distinction in the World Anti-Doping Code between intentional and unintentional doping. It found that Sinner:

    • had not intended to cheat using clostebol
    • received no performance-enhancing benefit from the substance
    • had no knowledge of the administration of the substance.

    But WADA argued that under the code, Sinner was responsible for the negligence of his entourage and issued the suspension.

    WADA confirmed its rationale for the three-month suspension after Spanish media pointed out that figure skater Laura Barquero had received a six-year ban for a positive test of clostebol.

    WADA differentiated the two cases based on intention. It was not convinced by Barquero’s explanation of how clostebol entered her system, while it said the evidence supported Sinner’s version of events.

    Lessons from the Sinner case

    So what can be learned from Sinner’s case?

    One of the most important legal issues arising from the Sinner case is the distinction in the anti-doping rules between intentional and unintentional doping.

    This distinction explains the difference in penalties between Sinner and other athletes.

    Also, the facts of a doping case are relevant in determining circumstances that may reduce the severity of a penalty in matters resolved by negotiated case resolution agreements.

    An important lesson for WADA is ensuring transparency in proceedings and the clear communication of the rationale used to arrive at a penalty.

    Finally, a Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing may not have been needed for Sinner as the parties agreed on the facts leading to the doping rule violation.

    Matt Nichol 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. Playing favourites, inconsistency or a fair decision? Unpacking Jannik Sinner’s doping case – https://theconversation.com/playing-favourites-inconsistency-or-a-fair-decision-unpacking-jannik-sinners-doping-case-250143

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The ASIO threat assessment is a dark outlook for Australia’s security. Are our laws up to the task?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Kendall, Adjunct Research Fellow, The University of Queensland

    Shutterstock

    This week, ASIO chief Mike Burgess delivered his sixth Annual Threat Assessment.

    His approach this time was unprecedented. Instead of focusing on past and present threats, Burgess declassified parts of ASIO’s assessment for the future, warning us about Australia’s security outlook to 2030.

    Over the next five years, ASIO is expecting “an unprecedented number of challenges, and an unprecedented cumulative level of potential harm”, Burgess warned. At the same time, the threat environment will become more diverse.

    Espionage and foreign interference are already at extreme levels, but are anticipated to intensify. Sabotage is expected to pose an increasing threat. Politically motivated violence and communal violence will also remain an elevated concern.

    What does this mean for our criminal laws? Are they robust enough to protect us from the growing and diversifying threat of espionage, sabotage and foreign interference? Or will they need bolstering?

    What are the threats?

    Espionage, or spying, involves the theft of information. Burgess has warned that both our enemies and our friends will seek to steal information from us.

    This includes information about our military capabilities and alliances, such as AUKUS.

    Instead of using traditional spies to gather this information, Burgess expects greater use of proxies.

    These proxies could be unwittingly involved in the espionage efforts of a foreign country – such as private investigators. Or they could know exactly what they’re doing.

    Foreign interference involves covertly shaping decision-making to the advantage of a foreign power. Burgess has warned that foreign governments are monitoring, intimidating and coercing Australians and diaspora communities, including engaging in coerced repatriations.

    He also expects that foreign interference may be used to undermine community support for AUKUS.

    Concerningly, ASIO has disrupted plots by foreign countries to physically harm (or even kill) people living in Australia. This includes activists, journalists and ordinary citizens – all critics of certain foreign governments.

    Both espionage and foreign interference will be enabled by advances in technology, including artificial intelligence (AI), deep fakes and large online pools of personal data.

    Sabotage involves deliberately destroying or damaging infrastructure.

    Russia has been engaging in diverse acts of sabotage in Europe, aiming to erode support for Ukraine and damage cohesion. These attacks include arson against various types of infrastructure (including defence and munitions facilities), jamming civil aviation GPS systems, and disrupting railways.

    While Burgess warned that the risk of similar attacks against Australia is increasing (including attacks against infrastructure arising out of AUKUS), cyber-enabled sabotage will be of more concern. At the moment, foreign governments are exploring and exploiting Australia’s critical infrastructure networks to map systems and maintain access in the future.

    As with espionage, Burgess expects criminal proxies to be used more frequently to engage in sabotage. This includes state-sponsored or state-supported terrorist groups.

    Are our laws ready to deal with this?

    With the espionage, sabotage and foreign interference threat growing and diversifying over the next five years, you’d be right to ask whether our criminal laws are robust enough to stand up to the challenge.

    For the most part, they are.

    All the laws apply to conduct that occurs “in the real world” and online. The laws also apply to any foreign country, including our friends, as well as terrorist organisations.

    In addition to foreign countries, the laws apply to conduct on behalf of a foreign country, including where the conduct is directed, funded or supervised by the foreign country or a person acting on its behalf. This means the laws would apply to proxies hired to engage in espionage or sabotage.

    Our sabotage laws are broad enough to cover the explorations of critical infrastructure networks currently being undertaken. An act of sabotage does not have to be committed to be an offence under these laws.

    Our foreign interference laws would cover coerced repatriations. While plots to harm Australians may also fall within these offences, a number of other offences also exist for harming or killing Australian citizens or residents.

    Room for improvement

    Our espionage, sabotage and foreign interference laws certainly are “world-leading”. However, there are some drawbacks.

    For example, the laws are yet to grapple with the rise of AI and its use to gather information for espionage or generate mis- or disinformation for foreign interference.

    While the laws have broad extraterritorial reach – they apply to conduct that occurs within or outside Australia – the practicalities of enforcing the laws when offenders are located overseas is a big barrier.

    But in today’s digital age where espionage, sabotage and foreign interference can be conducted online from the safety of a foreign country and therefore beyond the reach of Australia’s criminal law, we need more than a robust legal response.

    As Burgess stressed, these issues “require whole of government, whole of community, whole of society responses […] national security is truly national security: everybody’s business”.

    We all need to be aware of the risks and what we – as individuals, employees, researchers and business owners – can do to mitigate them.

    This article was written in Sarah Kendall’s personal capacity as an Adjunct Research Fellow at the University of Queensland School of Law. It does not reflect the views of the Queensland Law Reform Commission or the Queensland Government.

    – ref. The ASIO threat assessment is a dark outlook for Australia’s security. Are our laws up to the task? – https://theconversation.com/the-asio-threat-assessment-is-a-dark-outlook-for-australias-security-are-our-laws-up-to-the-task-250372

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Playing favourites, inconsistency or a fair decision? Unpacking Jannik Sinner’s doping case

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Matt Nichol, Lecturer in Law, CQUniversity Australia

    The tennis world is still reeling after news the number one ranked men’s player, Jannik Sinner, agreed to a three-month suspension issued by the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) to be served between the Australian and French Opens.

    Sinner, a three-time Grand Slam winner, received the ban after twice testing positive for clostebol, a steroid banned by the World-Anti Doping Code, in March 2024.



    Read more:
    Tennis is facing an existential crisis over doping. How will it respond?

    The fallout

    “Unintentional doping offences” – as in Sinner’s case – can attract a maximum two-year ban even if the athlete shows no fault or negligence.

    Sinner’s three-month ban was immediately criticised by many in the media and within tennis circles due to its leniency and convenient timing. It also did not result from a hearing before an anti-doping tribunal or the Court of Arbitration for Sport, as has been the case with other tennis players who have received bans in the past.

    The suspension was the product of a “case resolution agreement” (a negotiated settlement) between WADA and Sinner.

    WADA initially appealed the International Tennis Integrity Agency’s decision not to suspend Sinner on the basis of demonstrating no significant fault or negligence, but withdrew its case before the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

    Sinner argued the banned substance entered his system after a massage by a physiotherapist in his entourage who had used a cream with clostebol to treat a cut on his finger.

    Both WADA and the International Tennis Integrity Agency accepted this version of events.

    In the eyes of most, WADA’s actions failed to pass the “pub test” and many high-profile tennis players voiced their concerns.

    Novak Djokovic flagged issues over the treatment of high-ranked athletes such as Sinner compared to lower-ranked players.

    For example, Chilean Nicolas Jarry was suspended for 11 months in 2020 after testing positive to ligandrol and stanozolol that he alleged were in a supplement he took.

    In 2023 Sweden’s Mikael Ymer was suspended for 18 months by the Court of Arbitration for Sport for failing to submit to three out-of-competition tests in a 12-month period.

    Great Britain’s Tara Moore took nearly two years to clear her name before an anti-doping tribunal in 2023 revealed contaminated meat had led to her positive tests for nandrolone and boldenone. Despite this decision, Moore served a 19-month ban.

    Djokovic’s view suggested favouritism for higher-ranked players, who can access top lawyers. He also criticised a lack of transparency in the Sinner agreement with WADA.

    However, high-ranked players such as Simona Halep and Maria Sharapova have received lengthy suspensions for doping violations.

    Nick Kyrgios was similarly critical, stating it was a sad day for the sport and that fairness in tennis did not exist.

    Former Spanish player Feliciano Lopez was among those who supported Sinner. He said he believed in clean sport and that Sinner had not enhanced his performance and took responsibility for the actions of his physiotherapist.

    Intentional and unintentional doping

    The criticisms appear to be based on a misunderstanding of the anti-doping provisions in the World Anti-Doping Code and the failure by WADA to clearly communicate its rationale for Sinner’s suspension.

    Rather than favouritism for a high-ranked player, WADA’s decision to suspend Sinner for three months was based on the distinction in the World Anti-Doping Code between intentional and unintentional doping. It found that Sinner:

    • had not intended to cheat using clostebol
    • received no performance-enhancing benefit from the substance
    • had no knowledge of the administration of the substance.

    But WADA argued that under the code, Sinner was responsible for the negligence of his entourage and issued the suspension.

    WADA confirmed its rationale for the three-month suspension after Spanish media pointed out that figure skater Laura Barquero had received a six-year ban for a positive test of clostebol.

    WADA differentiated the two cases based on intention. It was not convinced by Barquero’s explanation of how clostebol entered her system, while it said the evidence supported Sinner’s version of events.

    Lessons from the Sinner case

    So what can be learned from Sinner’s case?

    One of the most important legal issues arising from the Sinner case is the distinction in the anti-doping rules between intentional and unintentional doping.

    This distinction explains the difference in penalties between Sinner and other athletes.

    Also, the facts of a doping case are relevant in determining circumstances that may reduce the severity of a penalty in matters resolved by negotiated case resolution agreements.

    An important lesson for WADA is ensuring transparency in proceedings and the clear communication of the rationale used to arrive at a penalty.

    Finally, a Court of Arbitration for Sport hearing may not have been needed for Sinner as the parties agreed on the facts leading to the doping rule violation.

    Matt Nichol 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. Playing favourites, inconsistency or a fair decision? Unpacking Jannik Sinner’s doping case – https://theconversation.com/playing-favourites-inconsistency-or-a-fair-decision-unpacking-jannik-sinners-doping-case-250143

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Ensuring Lawful Governance and Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency” Regulatory Initiative

    Source: The White House

    class=”has-text-align-left”>By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
     

         Section 1.  Purpose.  It is the policy of my Administration to focus the executive branch’s limited enforcement resources on regulations squarely authorized by constitutional Federal statutes, and to commence the deconstruction of the overbearing and burdensome administrative state.  Ending Federal overreach and restoring the constitutional separation of powers is a priority of my Administration.  

         Sec. 2.  Rescinding Unlawful Regulations and Regulations That Undermine the National Interest.  (a)  Agency heads shall, in coordination with their DOGE Team Leads and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, initiate a process to review all regulations subject to their sole or joint jurisdiction for consistency with law and Administration policy.  Within 60 days of the date of this order, agency heads shall, in consultation with the Attorney General as appropriate, identify the following classes of regulations:
    (i)    unconstitutional regulations and regulations that raise serious constitutional difficulties, such as exceeding the scope of the power vested in the Federal Government by the Constitution;
    (ii)   regulations that are based on unlawful delegations of legislative power;
    (iii)  regulations that are based on anything other than the best reading of the underlying statutory authority or prohibition;
    (iv)   regulations that implicate matters of social, political, or economic significance that are not authorized by clear statutory authority;
    (v)    regulations that impose significant costs upon private parties that are not outweighed by public benefits;
    (vi)   regulations that harm the national interest by significantly and unjustifiably impeding technological innovation, infrastructure development, disaster response, inflation reduction, research and development, economic development, energy production, land use, and foreign policy objectives; and
    (vii)  regulations that impose undue burdens on small business and impede private enterprise and entrepreneurship.
    (b)  In conducting the review required by subsection (a) of this section, agencies shall prioritize review of those rules that satisfy the definition of “significant regulatory action” in Executive Order 12866 of September 30, 1993 (Regulatory Planning and Review), as amended.
    (c)  Within 60 days of the date of this order, agency heads shall provide to the Administrator of the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA) within the Office of Management and Budget a list of all regulations identified by class as listed in subsection (a) of this section.
    (d)  The Administrator of OIRA shall consult with agency heads to develop a Unified Regulatory Agenda that seeks to rescind or modify these regulations, as appropriate.

         Sec. 3.  Enforcement Discretion to Ensure Lawful Governance.  (a)  Subject to their paramount obligation to discharge their legal obligations, protect public safety, and advance the national interest, agencies shall preserve their limited enforcement resources by generally de-prioritizing actions to enforce regulations that are based on anything other than the best reading of a statute and de-prioritizing actions to enforce regulations that go beyond the powers vested in the Federal Government by the Constitution.
    (b)  Agency heads shall determine whether ongoing enforcement of any regulations identified in their regulatory review is compliant with law and Administration policy.  To preserve resources and ensure lawful enforcement, agency heads, in consultation with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, shall, on a case-by-case basis and as appropriate and consistent with applicable law, then direct the termination of all such enforcement proceedings that do not comply with the Constitution, laws, or Administration policy.

         Sec. 4.  Promulgation of New Regulations.  Agencies shall continue to follow the processes set out in Executive Order 12866 for submitting regulations for review by OIRA.  Additionally, agency heads shall consult with their DOGE Team Leads and the Administrator of OIRA on potential new regulations as soon as practicable.  In evaluating potential new regulations, agency heads, DOGE Team Leads, and the Administrator of OIRA shall consider, in addition to the factors set out in Executive Order 12866, the factors set out in section 2(a) of this order.   

         Sec. 5.  Implementation.  The Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall issue implementation guidance, as appropriate.

         Sec. 6.  Definitions.  (a)  “Agency” has the meaning given to it in 44 U.S.C. 3502, except it does not include the Executive Office of the President or its components.
    (b)  “Agency head” shall mean the highest-ranking official of an agency, such as the Secretary, Administrator, Chairman, or Director.
    (c)  “DOGE Team Lead” shall mean the leader of the DOGE Team at each agency as described in Executive Order 14158 of January 20, 2025 (Establishing and Implementing the President’s “Department of Government Efficiency”).
    (d)  “Enforcement action” means all attempts, civil or criminal, by any agency to deprive a private party of life, liberty, or property, or in any way affect a private party’s rights or obligations, regardless of the label the agency has historically placed on the action.
    (e)  “Regulation” shall have the meaning given to “regulatory action” in section 3(e) of Executive Order 12866, and also includes any “guidance document” as defined in Executive Order 13422 of January 18, 2007 (Further Amendment to Executive Order 12866 on Regulatory Planning and Review).
    (f)  “Senior appointee” means an individual appointed by the President, or performing the functions and duties of an office that requires appointment by the President, or a non-career member of the Senior Executive Service (or equivalent agency system).

         Sec. 7.  Exemptions.  Notwithstanding any other provision in this order, nothing in this order shall apply to:
    (a)  any action related to a military, national security, homeland security, foreign affairs, or immigration-related function of the United States;
    (b)  any matter pertaining to the executive branch’s management of its employees; or
    (c)  anything else exempted by the Director of the Office of Management and Budget.

         Sec. 8.  Severability.  If any provision of this order, or the application of any provision to any person or circumstance, is held to be invalid, the remainder of this order and the application of its provisions to any other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby. 

         Sec. 9.  General Provisions.  (a)  Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:  
    (i)   the authority granted by law to an executive department, agency, or the head thereof; or  
    (ii)  the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.  
    (b)  This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.  
    (c)  This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person. 
     
     
     
    THE WHITE HOUSE,
        February 19, 2025.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Woman charged with arson over West Launceston fire

    Source: Tasmania Police

    Woman charged with arson over West Launceston fire

    Thursday, 20 February 2025 – 1:52 pm.

    A woman has been charged with arson following a fire at a West Launceston residence overnight.
    Tasmania Fire Service and Tasmania Police were called to Merrys Lane about 10.30pm Wednesday after reports a structure was on fire.
    A man, who was inside the property at the time of the fire, had escaped without injuries and contacted emergency services.
    Crews from Launceston and Prospect fire brigades attended and contained the fire.
    Damage has been estimated at approximately $400,000.
    A woman – who was also outside the residence when emergency services arrived – was arrested by police. 
    A fire investigation determined the fire was deliberately lit and the woman – a 52 year old of no fixed address – has since been charged with arson and detained to appear in the Launceston Magistrates Court tonight.
    Anyone with information or CCTV footage from the area at the time of the fire should contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au
     

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: UPDATE: Arrest – Breach of bail

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force have arrested the male youth that breached his bail in Lajamanu yesterday.

    Members from the Fugitive Taskforce arrested the youth a short time ago within the community.

    He remains in custody and is expected to be charged later today.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy: if Your Plan is to Destroy the Rule of Law, Kash Patel is the Perfect Person to Lead the FBI

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
    [embedded content]
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Wednesday spoke on the U.S. Senate floor to sound the alarm on President Donald Trump’s blatant disregard for the rule of law. Murphy condemned Trump’s efforts to use the justice system as a tool to punish his critics and protect his allies, warning the confirmation of Kash Patel to lead the FBI would be a dangerous step toward dismantling American democracy.
    On the dangerous nomination of Kash Patel to lead the FBI, Murphy said: “If your plan is to destroy the rule of law and turn the Department of Justice into a political weapon that rewards loyalty and punishes dissent, then Kash Patel is the perfect person to lead the FBI, and that is likely exactly why he was chosen. […] He has an enemies list. He thinks that people who helped elect Joe Biden are criminals. […] Honestly, how on Earth are we going to let someone lead the world’s most important, most revered law enforcement agency, who is secretly in business with the Chinese Communist Party, who believes that the FBI organized the invasion of the Capitol, who runs a fake charity, who has a brand in order to make money off of his affiliation with Donald Trump?”
    Murphy called out Patel’s sham foundation: “While he believes this, he also knows that there’s a money-making opportunity in all of this. This is his logo: K$H. He’s a brand. He says all these things because he believes them, but also because it makes him a hero to the gullible conspiracy theorists inside MAGA. He uses them. He sells stuff to them: sweatshirts, T-shirts, lapel pins. K$H. Now if you buy this sweatshirt for $55, it says all net profits go to the Kash Foundation. But you know what we found out, unsurprisingly, is that in 2023, by selling all these sweatshirts and merch, the K$H Foundation had $1.3 million in revenues. Now it purports to support heroic whistleblowers with legal services and other support services. You know what percentage of that $1.3 million went to actual services? Less than 15%. Kash Patel pocketed almost all the money that he made from selling these T-shirts.”
    Murphy detailed how President Trump is brazenly using the Department of Justice to curry favor and punish critics: “Trump ordered the Department of Justice to cut a deal with the indicted mayor of New York City, Eric Adams. The deal was simple. If Adams pledged loyalty to Trump and agreed specifically to cooperate with Trump’s immigration raids in the city, Trump would look the other way regarding Adams’ corruption. The charges would be dropped, and Adams could keep stealing money as long as he was politically loyal to Trump. They didn’t hide this deal. Adams and a high-ranking Trump official literally went on TV to announce that they had formed an alliance based upon the release of charges in exchange for political loyalty.
    He added: “There is not a rule of law anymore. There is one set of law for people or entities who are loyal to Donald Trump, and there is one set of law for people who dare criticize him. That is not democracy. And if we don’t find a way, Republicans and Democrats, to come together to defend the rule of law, if we don’t say that what is happening today – deals being cut with corrupt politicians in exchange for their pledges of loyalty to Donald Trump – if we can’t speak with one voice about that kind of corruption, well, then our democracy is cooked.”
    He concluded: “The law loses all meaning when it becomes simply what the president, what the leader, on any given day decides. This is the worst possible moment to put a person like Kash Patel in charge of the FBI. It is heartbreaking to see so many of my Republican colleagues, many of whom I admire, put loyalty to Donald Trump ahead of loyalty to this country, and more specifically loyalty to that sacred principle, the rule of law. My prediction is that if you vote for Kash Patel, more than any other confirmation vote you make, you will come to regret this one to your grave.”
    A full transcript of his remarks can be found below:
    MURPHY: “Thank you, Mr. President. Mr. President, the idea that men and women citizens are bound by a common set of laws that are applied consistently and universally, regardless of one’s income or political power or political affiliation, it’s a fairly modern invention. Because for thousands of years, laws were simply what rulers used to impose and maintain power, to control people. Laws were applied or crimes were invented for the ruler’s critics, and laws were ignored or waived away for those in favor with the regime.
    “Now early Americans had watched the British kings apply laws selectively, both in Britain and in the colonies, and they sought – our founders sought – to create a nation where all men were equal in the face of the law, and [where] the law was applied uniformly and justly. 
    “That idea – equal justice, the law applies to everybody regardless of who you support politically or who you are aligned with politically – was in many ways the founders’ most vital check against tyranny. That’s the difference between a democracy made of equal citizens and an autocracy where the law is simply whatever the ruler decides. It is a foundational principle of American constitutional democracy. It is not something that we can take for granted. 
    “Now, I will admit, likely every president has made a decision or decisions that compromised that belief in the rule of law. Often those decisions were related to one of the maximalist powers that the president supposes. That’s the power of the pardon. I, for instance, did not agree with President Biden’s decision to issue pardons to his family members. I thought that was excessive. I thought that compromised the rule of law. 
    “But this President’s contempt for the rule of law, Donald Trump’s contempt for the rule of law, is unprecedented. What we are all watching right now is Donald Trump throwing away the idea that laws apply to everyone equally. And it is astonishing to watch so many of my Republican colleagues fall in line. Some of them may be on board for the destruction of the rule of law because they want the Trump family to rule forever, but many of them know that this is wrong, what is happening, and their silence is heartbreaking. 
    “Donald Trump issued a statement over the weekend: quote, ‘He who saves the country does not violate any law.’ That’s a quote attributed to one of the most notorious dictators of the last half millennium: Napoleon Bonaparte. It’s a stunning claim that Trump, not the law or Congress, decides what is legal and illegal. 
    “If he had said that in 2017, maybe we could just write it off as Trump being Trump, as just bluster trolling. But this time he is actually implementing a methodical campaign to seize control of the law and apply it differently depending on whether you support him or oppose him. 
    “Take, for example, what happened on Friday night. Trump ordered the Department of Justice to cut a deal with the indicted mayor of New York City, Eric Adams. The deal was simple. If Adams pledged loyalty to Trump and agreed specifically to cooperate with Trump’s immigration raids in the city, Trump would look the other way regarding Adams’ corruption. The charges would be dropped, and Adams could keep stealing money as long as he was politically loyal to Trump. 
    “They didn’t hide this deal. Adams and a high-ranking Trump official literally went on TV to announce that they had formed an alliance based upon the release of charges in exchange for political loyalty. But when Trump told the highest-ranking Justice Department employees in New York City to execute the corrupt deal, they wouldn’t. The top official resigned rather than take part in the corruption. So did the next in the chain of command. By the time that Trump found someone who would implement the deal, seven DOJ lawyers and four of Adams’ deputy mayors had resigned because what was happening in plain view was a fundamental challenge, a fundamental corruption to the rule of law, a rule of law that up until today Republicans and Democrats had both revered. 
    “Meanwhile, other parts of Trump’s team are engaging on the other side of the ledger, targeting and harassing – using the law – the President’s critics. Because that’s what happens in a nation without the rule of law. Law enforcement lets loyalists like Adams off the hook and is overzealous in targeting critics. 
    “Let me give you just one example of what is happening right now as we speak. Last month, Trump’s new FCC Chairman opened an investigation into a single radio station that had the audacity to simply file a news report about an ICE raid that was happening locally. Multiple other sources filed similar reports with similar footage, but only one investigation was opened, and you guessed it, it was against the radio station that was owned by a high-profile critic of Donald Trump, George Soros. 
    “So the game is clear. Like, we can see it. They’re not even hiding it. There is not a rule of law anymore. There is one set of law for people or entities who are loyal to Donald Trump, and there is one set of law for people who dare criticize him. That is not democracy.  And if we don’t find a way, Republicans and Democrats, to come together to defend the rule of law, if we don’t say that what is happening today – deals being cut with corrupt politicians in exchange for their pledges of loyalty to Donald Trump – if we can’t speak with one voice about that kind of corruption, well, then our democracy is cooked.
    “Which brings us to the pending nominee to lead the FBI, Kash Patel. If your plan is to destroy the rule of law and turn the Department of Justice into a political weapon that rewards loyalty and punishes dissent, then Kash Patel is the perfect person to lead the FBI, and that is likely exactly why he was chosen.
    “Listen, Kash Patel is a joke. Many of my Republican colleagues know this. He has spent the last four years taking the most extreme positions inside the world of MAGA in order to make money for himself. 
    “For instance, he says that he can provide proof beyond a reasonable doubt that the FBI was behind the January 6 invasion of this building. Let me say that again. The man that my Republican colleagues are about to vote to lead the FBI believes that there is irrefutable proof that the agency he is about to lead secretly organized the violent assault on the Capitol. That is bananas. My Republican colleagues know that. That is a lie. And we’re about to put this guy in charge of the FBI? An agency that he claims organized a secret plot to invade the Capitol?
    “He wrote a book called ‘Government Gangsters’ and at the end he added an Appendix entitled ‘Enemies List.’ Like, straight out of the McCarthy era. He has a list – he wrote it down – of people he believes are enemies of America. And, shocker, they’re all Democrats, or Republicans who dared speak out and criticize Donald Trump. 
    “You’re going to put at the head of the FBI – the agency that can arrest anyone they want, put people in jail – a man who thinks that anyone who disagrees with Donald Trump politically is an enemy of the United States. Patel has further suggested that anybody who administered the 2020 election could be subject to arrest. Why? Because he believes in his heart that the election was rigged, despite the fact that Joe Biden won by seven million votes – far, far more than Trump won by in 2024. So anybody who helped rig the 2020 election is, in his mind, a potential criminal. 
    “This is off-the-wall stuff. But of course it is, because while he believes this, he also knows that there’s a money-making opportunity in all of this. This is his logo: K$H. He’s a brand. He says all these things because he believes them, but also because it makes him a hero to the gullible conspiracy theorists inside MAGA. He uses them. He sells stuff to them: sweatshirts, T-shirts, lapel pins. K$H.
    “Now if you buy this sweatshirt for $55, it says all net profits go to the Kash Foundation. But you know what we found out, unsurprisingly, is that in 2023, by selling all these sweatshirts and merch, the K$H Foundation had $1.3 million in revenues. 
    “Now it purports to support heroic whistleblowers with legal services and other support services. You know what percentage of that $1.3 million went to actual services? Less than 15%. Kash Patel pocketed almost all the money that he made from selling these T-shirts. 
    “He even hocks a COVID vaccine reversal pill. Let me say that again: the incoming director of the FBI, in addition to selling T-shirts and pocketing most of the proceeds, also sells a vaccine reversal pill that is just pure snake oil. But if there are enough people loyal to Donald Trump to buy anything Trump’s lieutenants sell on the internet, then fair game. 
    “To top it all off, just recently after his confirmation hearing, we also found out that Kash Patel has been a fashion consultant to a shadowy holding company controlled, it seems, by members of the Chinese Communist Party. Honestly, how on Earth are we going to let someone lead the world’s most important, most revered law enforcement agency, who is secretly in business with the Chinese Communist Party, who believes that the FBI organized the invasion of the Capitol, who runs a fake charity, who has a brand in order to make money off of his affiliation with Donald Trump? He has an enemies list. He thinks that people who helped elect Joe Biden are criminals. 
    “This is a really dangerous moment. It’s a really dangerous moment. This deal that Donald Trump just cut with the mayor of New York, it’s a big deal. It’s a big deal. I admit that prior presidents have made decisions that compromise the rule of law. But we’ve never seen anything like this, so brazen and out in the open, that the mayor of New York and a Trump official would go on national TV to announce that they had made an arrangement in which Mayor Adams could continue his corruption as long as he was politically loyal to Donald Trump. 
    “They did that out in the open on TV because it’s a signal to everybody else out there that the law will be applied differently to you if you are loyal to the president and that the law will be zealously applied to you, maybe in excess of the letter of the law, if you are a critic of the president. That’s why they went on TV, to show the world the corruption, as a signal that things are different now, that the law is not the law, the law is what President Trump decides the law is. 
    “The law loses all meaning when it becomes simply what the president, what the leader, on any given day decides. This is the worst possible moment to put a person like Kash Patel in charge of the FBI. It is heartbreaking to see so many of my Republican colleagues, many of whom I admire, put loyalty to Donald Trump ahead of loyalty to this country, and more specifically loyalty to that sacred principle, the rule of law. My prediction is that if you vote for Kash Patel, more than any other confirmation vote you make, you will come to regret this one to your grave. I yield the floor.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Retail pricing, merger reform implementation and competition issues among ACCC’s 2025-26 priorities

    Source: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission

    ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb has stressed the positive impacts of a competitive economy for consumers as she outlined the agency’s priorities for the 2025-26 financial year.

    Speaking at a Committee for Economic Development of Australia event in Sydney today, Ms Cass-Gottlieb outlined the agency’s annual compliance and enforcement priorities which include working decisively on consumer protection, promoting competitive markets, and clear and accurate pricing information for products and essential services.

    “The ACCC‘s complementary mandates support the community to participate with trust and confidence in commercial life and promote the proper functioning of Australian markets. We will continue to pursue our priorities through strong enforcement action, education to foster compliance, and advocacy for reform,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

    “Consumers are still doing it tough, and the cost of groceries and essential services have contributed to significant cost of living stress.”

    “We will continue to work hard to protect consumers by using the full range of our tools and powers to enhance competition and fair trading, through tough and rigorous enforcement as well as targeted compliance and education initiatives.”

    Cost of living and competition issues in groceries, retail and essential services

    Ms Cass-Gottlieb said the ACCC would conduct dedicated investigations and enforcement activities to address competition and consumer concerns in the supermarket and retail sector in the year ahead.

    One priority will be to address consumer and fair trading concerns, with a focus on misleading pricing practices including around surcharging.

    Another priority to address competition concerns in the supermarket and retail sector will focus on firms with market power and conduct that impacts small business or contributes to higher prices for consumers.

    “Our work will also address the potential imbalance of power more broadly between larger businesses that impose standard form contracts on one hand, and small businesses and consumers on the other as reflected in our priority on unfair contract terms in consumer and small business contracts,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

    Market concentration is a growing challenge across the Australian economy, not just in supermarkets and retail, but also in aviation, digital platforms, and many of our essential services.

    Australian consumers and small businesses are likely to feel the impact of any anti-competitive conduct in essential services on price, choice and quality of services. Therefore, in 2025 to 2026, the ACCC will continue to prioritise promoting competition in essential services with a focus on telecommunications, electricity, and gas.

    In addition to these cost of living measures, the ACCC will add a new priority, to address misleading surcharging practices and other add-on costs.

    “We have previously taken enforcement action against merchant surcharging that exceeds the cost of card acceptance. In the year ahead, our work will focus on increasing business compliance with the excessive card payment surcharging prohibition, and improving pricing practices to ensure all add on costs are appropriately disclosed,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

    Competition and merger reform contribute to a dynamic economy and lower prices

    “Greater competition in markets fuels economic dynamism and growth. This is the key principle on which Australia’s competition policy, and the ACCC’s role in enforcing it, rests.”

    “That’s why we use our tools in competition policy and consumer fair trading to achieve the best outcomes,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

    “When markets are not workably competitive, Australian customers, whether consumers or businesses, pay the price. When businesses compete with each other to meet consumer needs, they are incentivised to innovate and improve, to offer greater choice, lower prices and better quality products and services that deliver value for the money consumers choose to spend.”

    “Competition promotes higher growth rates, higher household incomes and a strong Australian economy. And competition contributes to a better standard of living and a better way of life.”

    Therefore, one of the enduring ACCC priorities is to address anti-competitive agreements and practices, misuse of market power and cartel conduct so that competition may be fostered at all levels of the supply chain.

    After the passing of new merger legislation, voluntary notification of mergers will begin from 1 July 2025, ahead of the new regime coming into effect from 1 January 2026.

    “We acknowledge the challenges navigating this period and are committed to working with the community during the transition,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

    “Successfully and efficiently implementing the reform to the merger regime, promoting compliance with the new regime, and taking enforcement action, where necessary, will be a significant focus for us in the coming year.”

    In addition to these key priorities, the ACCC will continue its work on product safety, consumer and fair trading issues in the digital economy, with a focus on misleading or deceptive advertising within influencer marketing, online reviews, in-app purchases and unsafe consumer products.

    Promoting choice, compliant sales practices and removing unfair contract terms such as subscription traps in online sales, is a key focus for the ACCC.

    The focus on consumer, fair trading and competition concerns in relation to environmental claims and sustainability will also continue, with a new emphasis on greenwashing, as will a range of other priorities.

    “In the year ahead, as we progress the priorities I have outlined today, we will continue to use our full range of tools and powers available under Australia’s Competition and Consumer Act and the Australian Consumer Law, and to exercise our enforcement powers independently, in the public interest, and with integrity and professionalism,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.

    “We will also continue, as always, to remain clear eyed in our purpose to enhance competition across our economy, to promote the welfare of consumers and small businesses and to make markets work for all Australians.”

    More information including the full list of the ACCC’s 2025-26 enforcement priorities is available at Compliance and enforcement policy and priorities.

    A summary is also available at 2025-26 Compliance and Enforcement Priorities.

    A transcript of the speech is available online.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Helping charities and strengthening communities

    Source: Australian Treasurer

    The Albanese Government is helping Australia’s 62,000 charities by ensuring that states and territories collaborate effectively with the federal government – reducing unnecessary paperwork.

    We’re taking the practical step of including representatives from all states and territories on the advisory board of the Australian Charities and Not‑for‑profits Commission (ACNC). This will include the greatest representation from state and territory governments since the Board’s inception in 2013.

    This move builds on the substantial body of work that Labor has done to support charities, and aligns with recommendations in the Productivity Commission’s landmark Future Foundations for Giving report.

    These strategic appointments aim to ensure the diverse interests of our communities are effectively represented, fostering a consistent national approach to regulatory and policy matters within the charity sector.

    The ACNC Advisory Board supports the Commissioner by offering informed advice on matters affecting charities and strengthening the governance and effectiveness of the sector.

    The new ex‑officio appointments will provide an additional layer of regulatory expertise, complementing the sector‑based members and enhancing the Board’s role as a forum supporting charity law, policy and regulatory reform.

    The new appointments to the ACNC Advisory Board are:

    • New South Wales – Ms Natasha Mann, Commissioner of Fair Trading and Deputy Secretary of Fair Trading and Regulatory Services, Department of Customer Service
    • Northern Territory – Ms Amanda Nobbs‑Carcuro, Executive Director, Industry Capability, Licensing and Migration, Department of Trade, Business and Asian Relations
    • Queensland – Ms Victoria Thompson, Deputy Director‑General, Harm Prevention and Regulation, Department of Justice
    • South Australia – Mr Brett Humphrey, Commissioner for Consumer and Business Services
    • Tasmania – Ms Robyn Pearce, Executive Director of Consumer, Building and Occupational Services, Department of Justice
    • Victoria – Ms Nicole Rich, Director of Consumer Affairs Victoria, Executive Director of Regulatory Services, Department of Government Services
    • Western Australia – Ms Patricia Blake, Commissioner for Consumer Protection, Department of Energy, Mines, Industry, Regulation and Safety

    The ACT is already represented on the board, with David Crosbie, CEO of the Community Council for Australia, reappointed in July 2023.

    This ensures that all states and territories will be represented in the national conversation about helping charities and reconnecting communities.

    These appointments reinforce the Government’s commitment to fostering a robust, well‑regulated charity sector that serves communities across Australia. It builds on our achievements to date. Since coming into government, the Australian Government has:

    • Improved the deductible gift recipient system by creating a new pathway for community foundations to access tax deductible status.
    • Streamlined the deductible gift recipient application process for environmental organisations, harm prevention charities, cultural organisations, and overseas aid organisations.
    • Introduced legislation to give the ACNC greater discretion to comment publicly on harmful breaches of compliance, to better support public trust and confidence in the regulatory framework.
    • Appointed a widely respected charity sector expert, Sue Woodward, to head the ACNC.
    • Refreshed the ACNC Advisory Board to be more representative of the charity sector, bringing First Nations, CALD and youth voices onto the Board.
    • Sent a clear signal that charitable advocacy is supported and welcomed by this government.
    • Worked with state and territory governments to streamline and harmonise fundraising rules across jurisdictions.
    • Funded a new General Social Survey with new questions on participation in volunteering and involvement in cultural events and cultural activities, and providing insights reflecting the impact of giving, participation, and purpose driven activity.

    Quotes attributable to Assistant Minister for Charities, Dr Andrew Leigh MP

    “Labor wants to minimise the time that Australia’s great charities spend doing paperwork, so we can maximise the energy they devote to helping the vulnerable, cleaning up the environment, helping people stay active, and connecting neighbours.

    “One of the best ways of achieving this is to ensure that all jurisdictions are working together on charitable regulation.

    “Bringing sector experts and regulators from all states and territories onto the advisory board of the charities commission will help charities by reducing regulatory overlap, and ensuring jurisdictions are working together to help charities and non‑profits thrive.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Three people taken into custody on Karangahape Road

    Source: New Zealand Police (District News)

    Three people have been arrested following a firearms incident in Herne Bay this afternoon.

    At around 1.30pm, information was received that a man was carrying a firearm on Hamilton Road.

    A Police camera operator observed the man getting into a vehicle and tracked it travelling along Jervois Road.

    Police units conducted an armed traffic stop on Karangahape Road.

    As the traffic stop was being carried out, a passenger ran from the vehicle and attempted to get into a vehicle passing by.

    Our staff prevented this from occurring and arrested the 35-year-old man, who had an outstanding warrant for his arrest.

    No injuries have been reported.

    Police arrested two other occupants of the vehicle, a man and woman aged 30, without incident.

    On searching the vehicle, Police have recovered a paintball gun.

    Charges are being considered for what has unfolded this afternoon.

    ENDS

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Cross-border telecom fraud gang stands trial

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    A total of 23 defendants, including key members of several major telecom fraud groups based in northern Myanmar stood trial in China on multiple charges including crimes that had killed 14 Chinese nationals and injured six others.

    Members of a telecom fraud criminal gang stand trial at Wenzhou Intermediate People’s Court in Zhejiang province. The six-day trial closed on Wednesday. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A local court in Wenzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, heard the case from Feb. 14 to 19.
    The defendants included Mg Myin Shaunt Phyin and Ma Thiri Maung, ringleaders of a criminal gang led by their family, as well as major members of the gang and members of other related gangs who served as the “sponsors” of the family’s criminal activities.
    They were facing 11 counts of criminal charges including fraud, intentional homicide, intentional injury, illegal detention, operating casinos, drug trafficking, and organizing prostitution.
    According to the prosecutors, the defendants took advantage of the family’s influence in relevant areas in northern Myanmar and set up several compounds to house criminal gangs, providing armed protection for the operations of the “sponsors” and colluding with them in relevant crimes, such as telecom fraud schemes targeting people in China.
    The gambling and fraud crimes involved funds of more than 10 billion yuan (about 1.4 billion U.S. dollars) and caused the deaths of 14 Chinese nationals and injuries to six other Chinese, the indictment said.
    In a high-profile incident, on Oct. 20, 2023, the gang, in collaboration with the “sponsors,” organized armed escorts to relocate people working for their gangs in an attempt to evade an upcoming crackdown.
    During the relocation, some individuals attempted to escape but were shot by the armed escorts, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries.
    At the trial, prosecutors presented evidence and each defendant and their lawyers examined it. Both sides gave their respective accounts, and the defendants made their respective final statements.
    More than 100 people, including Chinese legislators, political advisors, journalists, family members of those involved, and members of the public, observed the court proceedings.
    The verdict will be announced in due course.
    In addition to the latest trial, several thousand other suspects linked to the criminal groups have been put under investigation after they were linked to more than 10,000 reported telecom fraud cases.
    A prior official statement emphasized that the handling of the case reflects China’s dedication to protecting the legitimate rights and interests of the nation and its citizens.
    The crimes partially took place within Chinese borders, specifically targeted Chinese citizens, and jeopardized the shared interests of the international community, thus granting China jurisdiction under its Criminal Law and international treaties, according to procuratorial sources. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Klobuchar Urges Action at Senate Judiciary Hearing on Children’s Safety Online

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn)

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ranking Member of the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law, today delivered the following opening statement at the Judiciary Committee hearing on Children’s Safety in the Digital Era: Strengthening Protections and Addressing Legal Gaps.

    A transcript of Klobuchar’s full opening statement is available below and a video can be downloaded here. 

    Senator Klobuchar: Thank you so much, Mr. Chairman, and I am truly looking forward to working with Senator Blackburn on this important Subcommittee. As many of you know, Senator Lee and I chaired the Antitrust Subcommittee for a long time, but I actually think this situation right now, with the possibility of moving on these bills, is going to be a very positive development.

    As Senator Blackburn just pointed out, despite the strong support that we have had from Senator Durbin and Senator Grassley and Senator Graham when he chaired this Committee, or was the ranking on this Committee, we’ve just continued to run into roadblocks to passing these laws, and it’s getting absolutely absurd.

    Senator Grassley is well aware of the antitrust tech bill that he and I lead, that hundreds and hundreds of millions of dollars are spent against it in TV ads, and despite the fact that the companies, FAANG [Facebook, Amazon, Apple, Netflix, and Google] as we call them, have agreed in other countries to some of these consumer protections that did not happen in America.

    I think that this piece of it—whether it’s Instagram’s promotion of content that encourages eating disorders, frightening rise of non-consensual AI-generated pornographic deep fakes, or the tragic stories of kids losing their lives to fentanyl-laced pills—will most likely be leading the way as we continue to push our antitrust and privacy and news bills.

    Just this month, this committee heard from Bridgette Norring of Hastings, Minnesota. Her son, Devin, was struggling with migraines, and bought what he thought was a Percocet over Snapchat to deal with the pain. But it really wasn’t a Percocet, it was a fake pill laced with fentanyl. And with that one pill, as we say, “one pill kills,” he died at age 19.

    For too long, the companies have turned a blind eye when young children joined their platforms; used algorithms that pushed harmful content—they have done that; and provided a venue for dealers to sell deadly drugs like fentanyl.

    We know that social media also increases the risk of mental illness, addiction, exploitation, and even suicide among kids. I will never forget the testimony of the FBI Director telling us that in just one year, I believe it was 2023, over 20 kids had committed suicide just because of the pornography and the images that had been put out there when they were innocently sending a picture to who they thought was a girlfriend or a boyfriend.

    That’s why this committee has taken this on on a bipartisan basis, and I am hopeful that this hearing will be the beginning of actually passing these bills into law.

    Representative Guffey, you and I met through Senator Cruz, and the bill that he and I have, the TAKE IT DOWN Act. We have an additional bill that Senator Cornyn and I have that’s really important, that’s passed through this committee, the SHIELD Act. And as you know all too well, the threat of dissemination alone can be tragic, especially for kids. We need to enact the Kids Online Safety Act, which, thanks to Senators Blumenthal and Blackburn, [has] passed the Senate on a 91-3 vote. As we know, some of these are stalled out in the House.

    We need to get the federal rules of the road in place for safeguarding our data. According to a recent study, social media platforms generated $11 billion in revenue in 2022 from advertising directed at kids and teenagers, including $2 billion in ad profits derived from users age 12 and under.

    I am supportive, as was mentioned by Senator Durbin, of the legislation that he and Senator Graham and Hawley and many others have to open the courtroom doors to those harmed by social media by making those reforms to Section 230. That legislation was enacted long before any of this was going on.

    And somehow, with respect to other industries, we’ve been able to make smart decisions to put more safety rules in place. Just ask those passengers that were on that flight that flipped upside down in Toronto, who were in those seats that were the result of safety rules that were put in place. And yet, when it comes to this, we just put up our hands and say, “no, they’re lobbying against us,” or “they have too [much] money,” or “we like some of the people that work there.” And we do nothing.

    And by doing nothing, instead of reaching some reasonable accommodations of settlements or things we can do on legislation, we just let them run wild at the expense of our kids’ lives. Thank you.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Release: Govt losing police faster than it can hire them

    Source: New Zealand Labour Party

    The Government is falling even further behind its promised target of 500 new police officers, now with 72 fewer police officers than when National took office.

    “Instead of increasing police numbers as promised, Mark Mitchell is taking New Zealand Police backwards and overseeing a reduction in officers,” Labour police spokesperson Ginny Andersen said.

    “The reality is that we’re seeing fewer police officers, more job cuts to police staff, and officers being tasked with extra duties like taking jackets off gang members instead of focusing on criminal behaviour, all of which is stretching Police to a breaking point.

    “The numbers reported by the Police Association show that as of January 2025, the total number of police officers has decreased from 10,211 to 10,139 since November 2023, leaving New Zealand with 72 fewer police officers than when National made its announcement 14 months ago.  

    “A recruitment campaign launched by Police today to try to turn this around may be a little too late. There are reports of increasing attrition at New Zealand Police, as more Kiwi officers choose to take up the offer of a job in Australia, adding to the record numbers of people taking the Prime Minister’s advice of ‘Everyone Must Go’ and leaving the country.     

    “Police are being stretched thin at a time when cocaine and methamphetamine use is surging. It’s time for the National Government to stop making excuses and start delivering the resources our police need,” Ginny Andersen said.

    Stay in the loop by signing up to our mailing list and following us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Major members of northern Myanmar telecom fraud syndicates stand trial

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    A total of 23 defendants, including key members of several major telecom fraud groups based in northern Myanmar stood trial in China on multiple charges including crimes that had killed 14 Chinese nationals and injured six others.
    A local court in Wenzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, heard the case from Feb. 14 to 19.
    The defendants included Mg Myin Shaunt Phyin and Ma Thiri Maung, ringleaders of a criminal gang led by their family, as well as major members of the gang and members of other related gangs who served as the “sponsors” of the family’s criminal activities.
    They were facing 11 counts of criminal charges including fraud, intentional homicide, intentional injury, illegal detention, operating casinos, drug trafficking, and organizing prostitution.
    According to the prosecutors, the defendants took advantage of the family’s influence in relevant areas in northern Myanmar and set up several compounds to house criminal gangs, providing armed protection for the operations of the “sponsors” and colluding with them in relevant crimes, such as telecom fraud schemes targeting people in China.
    The gambling and fraud crimes involved funds of more than 10 billion yuan (about 1.4 billion U.S. dollars) and caused the deaths of 14 Chinese nationals and injuries to six other Chinese, the indictment said.
    In a high-profile incident, on Oct. 20, 2023, the gang, in collaboration with the “sponsors,” organized armed escorts to relocate people working for their gangs in an attempt to evade an upcoming crackdown.
    During the relocation, some individuals attempted to escape but were shot by the armed escorts, resulting in multiple deaths and injuries.
    At the trial, prosecutors presented evidence and each defendant and their lawyers examined it. Both sides gave their respective accounts, and the defendants made their respective final statements.
    More than 100 people, including Chinese legislators, political advisors, journalists, family members of those involved, and members of the public, observed the court proceedings.
    The verdict will be announced in due course.
    In addition to the latest trial, several thousand other suspects linked to the criminal groups have been put under investigation after they were linked to more than 10,000 reported telecom fraud cases.
    A prior official statement emphasized that the handling of the case reflects China’s dedication to protecting the legitimate rights and interests of the nation and its citizens.
    The crimes partially took place within Chinese borders, specifically targeted Chinese citizens, and jeopardized the shared interests of the international community, thus granting China jurisdiction under its Criminal Law and international treaties, according to procuratorial sources. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Regulator takes action against apps for illegally collecting, using personal data

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    China’s top cyber regulator said on Wednesday that a total of 82 apps have recently been ordered to be taken down or rectified for illegally collecting and using personal information.
    In a news release, the Cyberspace Administration of China said that upon investigation, four apps were found to not publicly disclosing their rules for collecting and using personal information and were thus ordered to be taken down in accordance with the law.
    In addition, another 78 apps were found to not providing functions for deleting or correcting personal information as required by law.
    These apps have been given a one-month deadline to rectify the issues, and those that fail to do so within the given period will be taken down in accordance with the law, according to the release.
    All 82 apps with such problems have violated China’s Personal Information Protection Law and other relevant legal regulations, it said.
    The release cited an official from the regulator as saying that the agency will continue to strengthen supervision and management in the field of personal information protection in accordance with the law, and will resolutely safeguard the personal information rights and interests of the people.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump admin halts legal representation for 26,000 immigrant children

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The Trump administration has halted a program that provided lawyers to nearly 26,000 immigrant children, some too young to read or speak, who are or were under the custody of the Office of Refugee Resettlement, reported the Los Angeles Times on Wednesday.

    “The children, about 4,000 of whom live in California, face deportation, and many don’t have parents or legal guardians in the country,” noted the report.

    The Interior Department on Tuesday ordered the Acacia Center for Justice, which coordinates the federally funded program that paid the attorneys, “to stop work.” In its letter, the agency cited contracting rules to justify the program pause, but did not offer clear reasons why.

    “Since taking office, the Trump administration has sought to weaken portions of the immigration system that support detainees,” said the report, adding that “the orders come as an administration advisory group, which billionaire aide Elon Musk calls the Department of Government Efficiency, has been firing federal workers throughout the government and eliminating programs that it says don’t align with the administration’s objectives.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Structure fire – Whitewood Road – Howard Springs

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Northern Territory Fire and Rescue Service (NTFRS) responded to a structure fire on Whitewood Road overnight.

    At 2am, NTFRS received reports of a structure fire on private property behind the service station on Whitewood Road, Howard Springs impacting a shed and demountable.

    Several career and volunteer firefighting units swiftly responded, including several pump appliances, the HAZMAT rehabilitation trailer, large water tanker, rescue tender and volunteer grassfire units, who immediately worked to bring the fire under control.

    An evacuation of impacted properties was initiated while firefighters worked to extinguish the fires.

    NT Police, Power and Water Corporation and St John Ambulance attended the scene. No injuries were reported during the incident.

    NTFRS brought the fire under control by 5am and crews remain on the scene as a precaution.

    The two structures on the property sustained considerable damage.

    A crime scene has been established and NTFRS fire investigators and NT Police are working together to determine the cause of the fire.

    Anyone with information is urged to make contact with police on 131 444.

    Media contact:

    Rickie Abraham

    8923 9803

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Harrogate man arrested after weapons found

    Source: South Australia Police

    Police have arrested a man after an investigation led them to locating homemade explosive items, firearms and weapons at his address.

    On Wednesday 19 February, police from Mount Barker arrested and charged a 41-year-old man from Harrogate with possess a prohibited weapon, possess a firearm without a licence, possess a dangerous article, manufacture an explosive and two counts of unlawful possession.

    The arrest followed a search of the male’s home where police located knuckledusters, two gel blasters, two large PVC pipe-based cannons, two small homemade explosive devices, illicit drugs and prescribed drug equipment.

    Police also located a stolen boat and trailer and two motorbikes, suspected of being stolen.

    Police are making further enquiries to identify the owner of the bikes.

    The man was refused bail and will appear in the Adelaide Magistrates Court today, Thursday 20 February.

    CO2500007271

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Palestine and Gaza’s Hamas resistance condemn Fiji over embassy plan

    By Anish Chand in Suva

    Palestine has strongly condemned Fiji’s decision to open a Fiji embassy in Jerusalem, calling it a violation of international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.

    The Palestinian Foreign Ministry and the Hamas resistance group that governs the besieged enclave of Gaza issued separate statements, urging the Fiji government to reverse its decision.

    According to the Palestinian Foreign Ministry, the Fijian decision is “an act of aggression against the Palestinian people and their inalienable rights”.

    The Palestinian group Hamas said in a statement that the decision was “a blatant assault on the rights of our Palestinian people to their land and a clear violation of international law and UN resolutions, which recognise Jerusalem as occupied Palestinian territory”.

    Fiji will become the seventh country to have an embassy in Jerusalem after the US, Guatemala, Honduras, Kosovo, Papua New Guinea, and Paraguay.

    Republished from The Fiji Times with permission.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Guterres urges Caribbean leaders to keep pushing for peace, climate action and sustainable development

    Source: United Nations 2

    Peace and Security

    In an address on Wednesday to Caribbean leaders meeting in Barbados, UN Secretary-General António Guterres announced a potential plan to support an “effective force” in Haiti as armed gangs continue to terrorize the population. 

    Mr. Guterres was speaking during the opening of the Caribbean Community (CARICOM) Heads of Government Meeting in the capital Bridgetown, where he called for unity to achieve progress in peace and security, climate and sustainable development.

    “A unified Caribbean is an unstoppable force,” he said. “I urge you to keep using that power to push the world to deliver on its promises.”

    ‘Trouble in paradise’

    The Secretary-General noted that the region’s “exquisite beauty is famed the world over, but there is trouble in paradise.”

    He told leaders that “wave after wave of crisis is pounding your people and your islands – with no time to catch your breath before the next disaster strikes.”

    Caribbean countries are experiencing uncertainty fuelled by geopolitical tensions, the socio-economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, soaring debt and interest rates, and a surge in the cost of living. 

    Global solutions exist

    These are all happening “amidst a deadly swell of climate disasters – ripping development gains to shreds, and blowing holes through your national budgets,” and as countries “remain locked-out of many international institutions – one of the many legacies of colonialism today.”

    The UN chief insisted that “the cure for these ills is global,” and the world needs to deliver on hard-won global commitments to address the immense challenges the international community is facing.

    He listed three key areas “where, together, we must drive progress.” 

    Peace in Haiti

    Mr. Guterres called for unity for peace and security, “particularly to address the appalling situation in Haiti – where gangs are inflicting intolerable suffering on a desperate and frightened people.”

    He said CARICOM and its Eminent Persons Group have provided invaluable support in this regard. 

    “We must keep working for a political process – owned and led by the Haitians – that restores democratic institutions through elections,” he said.

    Security and stability

    A UN-backed Multinational Security Support Mission is currently on the ground to back up the Haitian National Police.

    The Secretary-General said he will soon report to the Security Council on the situation in the country, including proposals on the role the UN can play to both support stability and security, and address the root causes of the crisis.

    He intends to present a proposal similar to the one for Somalia, in which the UN assumes responsibility for the structural and logistical expenditures necessary to put the force in place. Salaries are paid through a trust fund that already exists.

    “If the Security Council will accept this proposal, we will have the conditions to finally have an effective force to defeat the gangs in Haiti and create the conditions for democracy to thrive,” he said, drawing applause.

    © WFP/Fedel Mansour

    Hurricane Beryl last July caused devastation on Union Island in Saint Vincent and the Grenadines.

    Climate crisis opportunity

    His second point – unity on the climate crisis – underlined “a deplorable injustice” as Caribbean countries “have done next to nothing” to create it. Moreover, they have “fought tooth and nail for the global commitment to limit global temperature rise to 1.5 degrees.”

    Mr. Guterres said countries must deliver new national climate plans ahead of the COP30 UN climate conference later this year.  The plans must align with the 1.5 goal, with the G20 group of industrial nations leading the way.

    “This is a chance for the world to get a grip on emissions,” he said. “And it’s a chance for the Caribbean to seize the benefits of clean power, to tap your vast renewables potential, and to turn your back on costly fossil fuel imports.”

    As finance is required, he underscored the need for confidence that the $1.3 trillion agreed at the previous COP will be mobilized. Developed countries also must honour their promises on adaptation finance and make meaningful contributions to the new Loss and Damage Fund.

    “When the Fund was created, the pledges made were equivalent to the new contract for just one baseball player in New York City,” he remarked.

    Finance for sustainable development

    Meanwhile, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) “are starved of adequate finance, as debt servicing soaks-up funds, and international financial institutions remain underpowered.”

    The Secretary-General said Caribbean countries have been at the forefront of the fight for change, pioneering bold and creative solutions.  He said the Pact for the Future, together with the Bridgetown Initiative, marks significant progress.

    Mr. Guterres thanked Caribbean leaders for supporting the Pact, which UN Member States adopted last year. 

    Key deliverables include support for an SDG Stimulus of $500 billion annually and commitment to reform international financial institutions to allow greater participation by developing countries. 

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: NTFES to deploy third contingent interstate this year

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    NT Fire and Emergency Services will deploy 17 members to Western Australia today to assist with wildfires which have been burning south of Perth for over a week.

    Several wildfires are currently burning in Shannon, Boorara-Gardner and D’Entrecasteaux National Parks near Windy Harbour, Boorara Brook and Meerup, with several watch and act warnings in place across southern WA.

    The Western Australian Government formally requested assistance from all jurisdictions on Tuesday afternoon, prompting a swift response from NTFES who arranged for a large contingent of NT Fire and Rescue Service and Bushfires NT staff to depart Darwin on Thursday.

    Upon arrival in Perth the contingent will be stationed across the southwest and are expected to spend the next week working alongside colleagues from WA and NSW and QLD.

    The team, consisting of volunteers and staff from NT Fire and Rescue Service and Bushfires NT will assist with firefighting operations.

    Acting Commissioner NT Fire and Emergency Services, Collene Bremner said the team were ready to step up to assist our WA colleagues during this critical time.

    “Our highly skilled crews will assist on the fire ground and within the Incident Management Team (IMT) with a range of tasks that they’re well prepared and experienced in delivering,” she said.

    “The remote and rugged landscapes in southern WA are like NT conditions which our members highly skilled and trained in working in. Given the scale of the wildfires currently burning across the southwest region we are more than happy to provide additional capacity to aid in the response efforts – our staff are well-trained and ready to go.”

    “Our thoughts are with all of those on the front line of this sustained response and those residents impacted by the fires.”

    This deployment highlights the dedication and core values of the newly established NTFES agency. Many of these individuals put their personal lives on hold to assist communities, as well as others in need during times of crisis.

    The recent formation of the NT Fire and Emergency Services, which combines the NT Fire and Rescue Service, NT Emergency Service, and Bushfires NT into one agency, enhances our ability to respond to emergencies while prioritising community resilience.

    Media contact:

    Rickie Abraham

    89239803

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI: First National Bank Alaska announces unaudited results for fourth quarter and full year 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ANCHORAGE, Alaska, Feb. 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — First National Bank Alaska’s (OTCQX:FBAK) net income for the fourth quarter of 2024 was $19.9 million, or $6.29 per share. This compares to a net income of $16.6 million, or $5.24 per share, for the same period in 2023.

    “Fourth quarter results concluded another year of strong financial performance in 2024,” said First National Board Chair and CEO/President Betsy Lawer. “Growth in both loans and customer deposits along with repositioning efforts in the securities portfolio enhanced the balance sheet. Growth in noninterest income along with outstanding expense management resulted in record-high net income. As we build on the momentum generated in 2024, I’m excited about where our recently expanded leadership team will take us to further help Alaskans shape a brighter tomorrow.”

    Loans totaled $2.5 billion as of Dec. 31, 2024, an increase of $24.3 million during fourth quarter 2024, and an increase of $196.6 million compared to the same period in 2023. Fourth quarter loan quality was strong with nonperforming loans of $4.3 million, 0.17% of outstanding loans compared to $4.7 million and 0.20% as of Dec. 31, 2023. The provision for credit losses totaled $0.7 million for the year ended Dec. 31, 2024, compared to a $0.9 million benefit for year ended Dec. 31, 2023. The allowance for credit losses as of Dec. 31, 2024 totaled $18.0 million, or 0.73% of total loans.

    Fourth quarter total interest and loan fee income was $63.4 million, a 6.2% increase from $59.8 million for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2023. The yield on loans increased to 6.67% compared to 6.25% on Dec. 31, 2023. Interest and fees on loans and interest and dividends on investment securities increased in the fourth quarter on rate and volume improvements.

    Assets totaled $5.0 billion as of Dec. 31, 2024, decreasing by $559.5 million due to the repayments during the fourth quarter of the December 2023 advance under the Federal Reserve Bank Term Funding Program and the July 2024 Federal Home Loan Bank borrowing. Return on assets on Dec. 31, 2024, was 1.22%, fifteen basis points higher compared to 2023.

    Deposits and repurchase agreements totaled $4.4 billion as of Dec. 31, 2024, an increase of $47.1 million during the fourth quarter, and an increase of $13.1 million since Dec. 31, 2023. Seasonal outflow was offset by new customer deposits during the fourth quarter of 2024.

    Interest expense for the quarter decreased by $0.2 million compared to the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2023, due to repayments of borrowed funds offset by mix changes in interest-bearing deposits. Net interest margin through Dec. 31, 2024, was 3.12% compared to 2.82% for the year ended Dec. 31, 2023.

    Noninterest income for fourth quarter 2024 was $7.0 million, an increase of 7.5% compared to fourth quarter 2023. Quarterly income improvement occurred within fiduciary activities and mortgage loan servicing. Noninterest expenses for the fourth quarter of 2024 increased 12.4% compared to the same period in 2023, primarily due to an increase in salaries and benefits driven by the competitive labor market and health care costs. The efficiency ratio for Dec. 31, 2024, was 53.51% and remains better than First National’s peer groups, both in Alaska and across the nation.

    Provision for income taxes was reduced $2.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 as compared to the fourth quarter of 2023, reflecting certain state income tax benefits achieved in the securities portfolio.

    Shareholders’ equity was $516.6 million as of Dec. 31, 2024, compared to $464.8 million as of Dec. 31, 2023. This $51.8 million increase resulted from a decrease in the net unrealized loss position of the securities portfolio and net income retained in excess of dividends paid. Return on equity as of Dec. 31, 2024, was 13.60% compared to 13.97% as of Dec. 31, 2023. Book value per share as increased to $163.11, compared to $146.77 as of Dec. 31, 2023. The bank’s Dec. 31, 2024, Tier 1 leverage capital ratio of 10.54% remains above well-capitalized standards.

    ABOUT FIRST NATIONAL BANK ALASKA

    First National Bank Alaska files a quarterly financial report with the Federal Financial Institution Examination Council. The bank’s latest Consolidated Report of Condition and Income (Call Report) is filed by the 30th of the month following quarter-end and is subsequently posted at FNBAlaska.com and OTCMarkets.com.

    Alaska’s community bank since 1922, First National proudly meets the financial needs of Alaskans with ATMs and 28 locations in 19 communities throughout the state, and by providing banking services to meet their needs across the nation and around the world.

    In 2025, Forbes selected First National as the sixth bank in the country on their America’s Best Banks list. In 2024, Alaska Business readers voted First National “Best of Alaska Business” in the Best Place to Work category for the ninth year in a row, Best Bank/Credit Union for the fourth time running, and Best Customer Service. The bank was also voted “Best of Alaska” in 2024 in the Anchorage Daily News awards, ranking as one of the top three in the Bank/Financial category for the sixth year in a row. American Banker again recognized First National as a “Best Bank to Work For” in 2024, for the seventh consecutive year.

    For more than a century, the bank has been committed to supporting the communities it serves. In 2024, for the eighth consecutive reporting period, over a span of twenty-four years, First National Bank Alaska received an Outstanding Community Reinvestment Act performance rating from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency Our dedicated team strives to provide exceptional customer service to meet the banking needs of our neighbors and fellow Alaskans across the state to help shape a brighter tomorrow.

    First National Bank Alaska is a Member FDIC, Equal Housing Lender, and recognized as a Minority Depository Institution by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, as it is majority-owned by women.

    CONTACT: Corporate Communications, 907-777-3409

               
    Financial Overview (Unaudited)  
    ($ in thousands, except per common share amounts)        
      Three months ended
    		   Year ended
      Dec. 31,
    		   Sep. 30,
    		   Dec. 31,
    		   December 31,
      2024
    		   2024
    		   2023
    		   2024
    		   2023
    Income Statement          
    Total Interest And Loan Fee Income $ 63,439     $ 64,615     $ 56,773     $ 59,493     $ 59,761  
    Total Interest Expense $ 18,591     $ 21,319     $ 16,521     $ 21,168     $ 18,803  
    Provision for Credit Losses $ (118 )   $ (432 )   $ (344 )   $ 721     $ (930 )
    Total Noninterest Income $ 7,011     $ 7,293     $ 6,522     $ 28,233     $ 25,426  
    Total Noninterest Expense $ 27,696     $ 25,928     $ 24,651     $ 104,346     $ 98,168  
    Provision for Income Taxes $ 4,350     $ 7,099     $ 6,593     $ 22,839     $ 22,657  
    Net Income $ 19,931     $ 17,994     $ 16,580     $ 67,048     $ 60,010  
    Earnings per common share $ 6.29     $ 5.68     $ 5.24     $ 21.17     $ 18.96  
    Dividend per common share $ 6.40     $ 3.20     $ 6.40     $ 16.00     $ 16.00  
               
    Financial Overview (Unaudited) Quarter Ended
      12/31/2024 9/30/2024 6/30/2024 3/31/2024 12/31/2023
    Balance Sheet          
    Total Assets $ 4,997,767     $ 5,557,306     $ 5,116,066     $ 5,212,976     $ 5,730,835  
    Total Securities $ 1,928,625     $ 2,602,519     $ 2,197,788     $ 2,404,078     $ 2,384,951  
    Total Loans $ 2,469,935     $ 2,445,596     $ 2,391,593     $ 2,369,282     $ 2,273,311  
    Total Deposits $ 3,679,155     $ 3,728,181     $ 3,698,631     $ 3,665,066     $ 3,780,018  
    Repurchase Agreements $ 743,193     $ 647,043     $ 615,096     $ 571,463     $ 629,280  
    Total Deposits and Repurchase Agreements $ 4,422,348     $ 4,375,224     $ 4,313,727     $ 4,236,529     $ 4,409,298  
    Total Borrowing under the Federal Reserve Bank Term Funding Program $ –     $ 249,868     $ 249,868     $ 430,000     $ 780,000  
    Unrealized loss on marketable securities, net of tax $ (62,985 )   $ (52,020 )   $ (86,857 )   $ (95,809 )   $ (98,378 )
    Total Shareholders’ Equity $ 516,562     $ 527,864     $ 485,167     $ 470,702     $ 464,791  
               
    Financial Measures          
    Return on Assets   1.22 %     1.15 %     1.08 %     0.95 %     1.07 %
    Return on Equity   13.60 %     12.90 %     12.30 %     11.52 %     13.97 %
    Net Interest Margin   3.12 %     3.04 %     2.98 %     2.76 %     2.82 %
    Yield on Loans   6.67 %     6.65 %     6.55 %     6.40 %     6.25 %
    Yield on Securities   2.55 %     2.49 %     2.33 %     2.36 %     1.66 %
    Cost of Interest Bearing Deposits   1.57 %     1.62 %     1.60 %     1.55 %     1.02 %
    Efficiency Ratio   53.51 %     53.59 %     54.94 %     56.00 %     54.28 %
               
    Capital          
    Shareholders’ Equity/Total Assets   10.34 %     9.50 %     9.48 %     9.03 %     8.11 %
    Tier 1 Leverage Ratio   10.54 %     10.39 %     11.12 %     9.96 %     9.85 %
    Regulatory Well Capitalized Minimum Ratio – Tier 1 Leverage Ratio   5.00 %     5.00 %     5.00 %     5.00 %     5.00 %
    Tier 1 (Core) Capital $ 579,547     $ 579,884     $ 572,024     $ 566,511     $ 563,169  
               
    Credit Quality          
    Nonperforming Loans and OREO $ 4,313     $ 4,186     $ 4,731     $ 28,634     $ 4,659  
    Nonperforming Loans and OREO/Total Loans   0.17 %     0.17 %     0.20 %     1.21 %     0.20 %
    Nonperforming Loans and OREO/Tier 1 Capital   0.74 %     0.72 %     0.83 %     5.05 %     0.83 %
    Allowance for Credit Losses $ 18,025     $ 18,550     $ 19,000     $ 18,800     $ 17,750  
    Allowance for Credit Losses/Total Loans   0.73 %     0.76 %     0.79 %     0.79 %     0.78 %
               
    Net interest margin, yields, and efficiency ratios are tax effected.      
    Financial measures are year-to-date.          
               

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Police operation – Breach of Bail

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force is searching for a male youth that breached his bail at Lajamanu yesterday.

    The youth had travelled to the community in the care of NT Department of Children and Families (DCF) personnel to attend a funeral whilst subject to strict bail conditions.

    About 2:45pm, following the funeral, the youth was transported by DCF staff to a residence in the community to collect personal items before returning to Darwin. Whilst at the residence the male youth and another community member fled into thick scrubland at the rear of the property.

    Police were notified a short time later and have deployed a number of resources, including the Fugitive Taskforce, to locate the male youth.

    The youth is yet to be located and officers are continuing their extensive search efforts today with the assistance of the local community. 

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senators Markey, Van Hollen, Whitehouse, and Sanders Demand Answers from Justice Department on Forced Resignation of Assistant U.S. Attorney Over Illegal Pressure to Freeze National Green Bank Funding

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Letter Text (PDF)

    Washington (February 19, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.) and Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) today wrote to Department of Justice Inspector General Michael Horowitz about revelations that Assistant U.S. Attorney Denise Cheung was pressured to find evidence of a crime as a justification for freezing the release of billions of dollars in congressionally approved federal funds for the National Clean Investment Fund and the Clean Communities Investment Accelerator. These programs, which are part of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund, leverage private capital to cut energy bills for families and small businesses, improve resiliency against climate change-fueled disasters, and create local economic opportunity while combatting climate change. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) also signed the letter. 

    In the letter, the lawmakers write, “The reports that Ms. Cheung was pressured to circumvent this standard suggest a deliberate attempt to weaponize the Justice Department for political purposes. Indeed, according to one report, ‘Cheung’s resignation came in connection with a Justice Department effort to assist President Donald Trump’s new head of the Environmental Protection Agency, who said last week that he would try to rescind $20 billion in grants awarded by the Biden administration for climate and clean energy projects.’” 

     
    The lawmakers continue, “Federal prosecutors have an obligation to comply with the legal ethics rules governing their conduct, including their duty to refuse illegal or unethical orders from superiors. Not even a month into the second Trump administration, several career prosecutors have already resigned rather than participate in legally and ethically questionable actions, igniting a crisis within the Justice Department. The Department must not become an instrument of political retribution or partisan maneuvering.” 

    The lawmakers urge the Office of the Inspector General, “to immediately open an investigation into the circumstances surrounding Ms. Cheung’s resignation, the directives she received, and the broader pattern of political interference in prosecutorial decisions. The integrity of our justice system depends on the independence of prosecutors and their ability to enforce the law free from political influence. If substantiated, these allegations represent an existential threat to the rule of law and demand swift corrective action.” 

    Senator Markey secured numerous provisions in the Inflation Reduction Act, including the creation of a $27-billion national climate financing network based on the National Climate Bank Act, which he introduced along with Senator Van Hollen. Following the passage of the Inflation Reduction Act in 2022, Senators Markey and Van Hollen and Congresswoman Debbie Dingell (MI-06) — the House lead on the climate financing legislation — welcomed the launch of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund in April 2023.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: McAllen man sentenced to over 33 years for sexually abusing minors

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    McALLEN, Texas – A 29-year-old local resident has been sentenced for enticement of a minor and production of child sexual abuse material, announced U.S. Attorney Nicholas J. Ganjei.

    Christian Hanks pleaded guilty Oct. 15, 2024.

    U.S. District Judge Micaela Alvarez has now sentenced Hanks to 400 and 360 months for enticement and production of child pornography convictions, respectively. The court ordered the sentences will run concurrently. In handing down the prison terms, the court noted the repeat nature of the offenses and the degree of manipulation involved in them. Judge Alvarez also indicated Hanks’ behavior was consistent with that of a sexual predator. He was further ordered to serve 10 years on supervised release following completion of his prison terms. During that time, he will have to comply with numerous requirements designed to restrict his access to children and the internet. Hanks will also be ordered to register as a sex offender.

    “As the court found, the defendant’s behavior in this case was particularly abhorrent, and deserving of a significant sentence” said Ganjei. “Children deserve to grow up in a safe community, free from the predations of individuals like Hanks. We will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to ensure that similar predators are uncovered and prosecuted.”

    “The conviction and sentencing of this individual today highlights our steadfast dedication to safeguarding our children,” said Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations (ICE-HSI) Deputy Special Agent in Charge Mark Lippa. “With the sentence of production of child pornography, ICE-HSI sends a strong message that such reprehensible behavior will not be tolerated. We must remain united in our efforts to protect the safety and well-being of every child.”

    Hanks recorded himself sexually abusing a minor victim in December 2023. The investigation revealed years of communication between himself and the minor regarding further sexual abuse, and requests to abuse the minor and other minor children.

    The investigation also revealed Hanks had engaged in grooming behavior with another minor victim in the Western District of Louisiana to entice her to engage in sexual conduct with him. The investigation revealed he also engaged in sexual intercourse with the second minor victim.

    He will remain in custody pending transfer to a U.S. Bureau of Prisons facility to be determined in the near future.

    Homeland Security Investigations in Texas and Louisiana conducted the investigation.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Cahal P. McColgan and Earl M. Campbell prosecuted the case, which was brought as part of Project Safe Childhood (PSC), a nationwide initiative the Department of Justice (DOJ) launched in May 2006 to combat the growing epidemic of child sexual exploitation and abuse. U.S. Attorneys’ Offices and the Criminal Division’s Child Exploitation and Obscenity Section leads PSC, which marshals federal, state and local resources to locate, apprehend and prosecute individuals who sexually exploit children and identifies and rescues victims. For more information about PSC, please visit DOJ’s PSC page. For more information about internet safety education, please visit the resources link on that page.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Orleans Man Sentenced for Making False Statements to United States Small Business Administration

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA – RENIC PALMER, JR. (“PALMER”), age 25, of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced on February 13, 2025, before United States District Judge Carl J. Barbier.  PALMER previously pled guilty to making or using false writings or documents to the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(3), announced Acting U.S. Attorney Michael M. Simpson.

    According to court documents, PALMER submitted false writings and documents to the SBA, to obtain a Payroll Protection Program (“PPP”) Loan.  In his application, among other things, PALMER falsely represented that he was the owner of a merchant wholesale hair supply company formed in 2017, and that he was eligible for PPP funds.  As a result of these false representations, PALMER obtained $20,832.00 from the SBA.

    Judge Barbier sentenced PALMER to three years of probation, restitution of $20,832 to the SBA, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.

    Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.

    For more information on the Department’s response to the pandemic, please visit https://www.justice.gov/coronavirus.

    Acting U.S. Attorney Simpson commended the Special Agents of the Coast Guard Investigative Service for their work on this case.  Assistant United States Attorney Andre J. Lagarde of the Public Integrity Unit is in charge of the prosecution.

    MIL Security OSI –