NewzIntel.com

Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI USA: 77 Software Verification and Validation Part I & II

    Source: US Government research organizations

    You will need a government-issued photo ID (e.g., passport or driver’s license) when you check into the Visitors Center at the entrance of NIST and if bringing a vehicle onto the NIST campus, a vehicle registration card.

    PLEASE NOTE: Effective July 21, 2014, under the REAL ID Act of 2005 (https://www.dhs.gov/real-id/real-id-frequently-asked-questions), agencies, including NIST, can only accept a state-issued driver’s license or identification card for access to federal facilities if issued by states that are REAL ID compliant or have an extension. NIST currently accepts other forms of federally issued identification in lieu of a state-issued driver’s license, such as a valid passport, passport card, DOD’s Common Access Card (CAC), Veterans ID, Federal Agency HSPD-12 IDs, Military Dependents ID, Transportation Workers Identification Credential (TWIC), and TSA Trusted Traveler ID. See Visitor Information for the latest information.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Iris Experts Group (IEG) Annual Meeting

    Source: US Government research organizations

    The Iris Experts Group is a forum for the discussion of technical questions of interest to USG agencies and their staff that are employing or may employ iris recognition to carry out their mission.

    This is the annual meeting.  The presentations include status updates on government projects and IEG activities as well as presentations from academic, government and commercial research & development efforts.

    The meeting is open to all who can legally transact business with NIST.  Registration is required, but there is no registration fee.  
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The war won’t end Iran’s nuclear program – it will drive it underground, following North Korea’s model

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Burke, Professor of Environmental Politics & International Relations, UNSW Sydney

    The United States’ and Israel’s strikes on Iran are concerning, and not just for the questionable legal justifications provided by both governments.

    Even if their attacks cause severe damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities, this will only harden Iran’s resolve to acquire a bomb.

    And if Iran follows through on its threat to pull out of the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), this will gravely damage the global nuclear nonproliferation regime.

    In a decade of international security crises, this could be the most serious. Is there still time to prevent this from happening?

    A successful but vulnerable treaty

    In May 2015, I attended the five-yearly review conference of the NPT. Delegates debated a draft outcome for weeks, and then, not for the first time, went home with nothing. Delegates from the US, United Kingdom and Canada blocked the final outcome to prevent words being added that would call for Israel to attend a disarmament conference.

    Russia did the same in 2022 in protest at language on its illegal occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in Ukraine.

    Now, in the latest challenge to the NPT, Israel and the US have bombed Iran’s nuclear complexes to ostensibly enforce a treaty neither one respects.

    When the treaty was adopted in 1968, it allowed the five nuclear-armed states at the time – the US, Soviet Union, France, UK and China – to join if they committed not to pass weapons or material to other states, and to disarm themselves.

    All other members had to pledge never to acquire nuclear weapons. Newer nuclear powers were not permitted to join unless they gave up their weapons.

    Israel declined to join, as it had developed its own undeclared nuclear arsenal by the late 1960s. India, Pakistan and South Sudan have also never signed; North Korea was a member but withdrew in 2003. Only South Sudan does not have nuclear weapons today.

    To make the obligations enforceable and strengthen safeguards against the diversion of nuclear material to non-nuclear weapons states, members were later required to sign the IAEA Additional Protocol. This gave the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) wide powers to inspect a state’s nuclear facilities and detect violations.

    It was the IAEA that first blew the whistle on Iran’s concerning uranium enrichment activity in 2003. Just before Israel’s attacks this month, the organisation also reported Iran was in breach of its obligations under the NPT for the first time in two decades.

    The NPT is arguably the world’s most universal, important and successful security treaty, but it is also paradoxically vulnerable.

    The treaty’s underlying consensus has been damaged by the failure of the five nuclear-weapon states to disarm as required, and by the failure to prevent North Korea from developing a now formidable nuclear arsenal.

    North Korea withdrew from the treaty in 2003, tested a weapon in 2006, and now may have up to 50 warheads.

    Iran could be next.

    How things can deteriorate from here

    Iran argues Israel’s attacks have undermined the credibility of the IAEA, given Israel used the IAEA’s new report on Iran as a pretext for its strikes, taking the matter out of the hands of the UN Security Council.

    For its part, the IAEA has maintained a principled position and criticised both the US and Israeli strikes.

    Iran has retaliated with its own missile strikes against both Israel and a US base in Qatar. In addition, it wasted no time announcing it would withdraw from the NPT.

    On June 23, an Iranian parliament committee also approved a bill that would fully suspend Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA, including allowing inspections and submitting reports to the organisation.

    Iran’s envoy to the IAEA, Reza Najafi, said the US strikes:

    […] delivered a fundamental and irreparable blow to the international non-proliferation regime conclusively demonstrating that the existing NPT framework has been rendered ineffective.

    Even if Israel and the US consider their bombing campaign successful, it has almost certainly renewed the Iranians’ resolve to build a weapon. The strikes may only delay an Iranian bomb by a few years.

    Iran will have two paths to do so. The slower path would be to reconstitute its enrichment activity and obtain nuclear implosion designs, which create extremely devastating weapons, from Russia or North Korea.

    Alternatively, Russia could send Iran some of its weapons. This should be a real concern given Moscow’s cascade of withdrawals from critical arms control agreements over the last decade.

    An Iranian bomb could then trigger NPT withdrawals by other regional states, especially Saudi Arabia, who suddenly face a new threat to their security.

    Why Iran might now pursue a bomb

    Iran’s support for Hamas, Hezbollah and Syria’s Assad regime certainly shows it is a dangerous international actor. Iranian leaders have also long used alarming rhetoric about Israel’s destruction.

    However repugnant the words, Israeli and US conservatives have misjudged Iran’s motives in seeking nuclear weapons.

    Israel fears an Iranian bomb would be an existential threat to its survival, given Iran’s promises to destroy it. But this neglects the fact that Israel already possesses a potent (if undeclared) nuclear deterrent capability.

    Israeli anxieties about an Iranian bomb should not be dismissed. But other analysts (myself included) see Iran’s desire for nuclear weapons capability more as a way to establish deterrence to prevent future military attacks from Israel and the US to protect their regime.

    Iranians were shaken by Iraq’s invasion in 1980 and then again by the US-led removal of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003. This war with Israel and the US will shake them even more.

    Last week, I felt that if the Israeli bombing ceased, a new diplomatic effort to bring Iran into compliance with the IAEA and persuade it to abandon its program might have a chance.

    However, the US strikes may have buried that possibility for decades. And by then, the damage to the nonproliferation regime could be irreversible.

    Anthony Burke received funding from the UK’s Economic and Social Research Council for a project on global nuclear governance (2014–17).

    – ref. The war won’t end Iran’s nuclear program – it will drive it underground, following North Korea’s model – https://theconversation.com/the-war-wont-end-irans-nuclear-program-it-will-drive-it-underground-following-north-koreas-model-259281

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

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

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

    Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images

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

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

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

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

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

    What is the proposed carbon levy all about?

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

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

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

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

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

    Not all fuels are the same

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

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

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

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

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

    We also examined three types of fuel.

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

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

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

    Is green ammonia an answer?

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Looking ahead to net-zero

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

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

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

    HECTOR MATA/AFP via Getty Images

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

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



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

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

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

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

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

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

    Hauntingly familiar?

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

    Comparisons to the Iraq War

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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

    Trump’s foreign policy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    What this reveals about Trump

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

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

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

    Dylan Carr/Unsplash

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

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

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

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

    How does ‘blocking the internet’ work?

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

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

    Hardware

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

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



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

    Software and configuration

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

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

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

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

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



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

    How common is this?

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

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

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

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

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

    How can people evade internet controls?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

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

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Congratulations to the winners and prize winners!

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

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Government Cuts – Another 46 jobs to go at DIA with a further 14 under threat – PSA

    Source: PSA

    The Department of Internal Affairs has told staff today that it is axing another 46 jobs, which the PSA says which will ramp up workload on remaining staff and put New Zealanders at risk.
    The changes confirmed to staff at briefings today will see many roles merged, such as the Manager Digital Violent Extremism being merged with a Manager Digital Messaging and Systems, says Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi National Secretary Fleur Fitzsimons.
    “Expecting one manager to do the work of two, especially at a time when the risk of violent extremism is escalating, is dangerous and makes no sense,” Fitzsimons says.
    The changes will also see Personal Assistants become responsible for two General Managers instead of one.
    “Reducing Personal Assistants is a false economy that will see senior managers spending more time doing administrative work, rather than the work they were employed to do. At the same time, it increases the likelihood of the Personal Assistants facing burn out from unreasonably increased workloads.
    “Personal Assistants do the type of vital support role performed predominantly by women that are dismissed by the Government but are the glue that hold organisations together,” Fitzsimons says.
    The changes follow proposals put forward for consultation in March, which aimed to save approximately $8 million a year to meet Government savings targets. They followed a wave of restructuring last year which saw, among many changes, the loss of key staff keeping children safe from online harm, and those stopping scams and international crime syndicates engaging in money laundering.
    As well as the 46 roles confirmed to today, another 69 fixed term roles were not renewed and the DIA is reconsulting on changes that may see another net reduction of 14 roles.
    The Public Service Association Te Pūkenga Here Tikanga Mahi is Aotearoa New Zealand’s largest trade union, representing and supporting more than 95,000 workers across central government, state-owned enterprises, local councils, health, and community groups.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Dr. Rand Paul Introduces “End the Fed’s Big Bank Bailout Act”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kentucky Rand Paul

     

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

    June 20th, 2025

     Contact: Press_Paul@paul.senate.gov, 202-224-4343

    Dr. Rand Paul Introduces “End the Fed’s Big Bank Bailout Act”

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. Senator Rand Paul (R-KY)  introduced the End the Fed’s Big Bank Bailout Act, legislation to prohibit the Federal Reserve from paying interest on balances held at Federal Reserve banks by or on behalf of depository institutions.

    “Our country is over $36 trillion in debt,” said Dr. Paul. “But no one pays attention to the hundreds of billions of dollars the Federal Reserve unnecessarily paid to banks to NOT lend money to consumers.”

    Until 2008, the Federal Reserve paid no interest to banks on reserve balances. That changed after the financial crisis, when Congress authorized the payments as a tool to control the money supply. From 2008 to 2016, interest payments averaged just $5 billion annually. But with the Fed’s rate now above 4 percent, these payments have exploded.

    “In 2022, the Fed paid $60 billion to banks. In 2023, the Fed payments to banks rose to over $176 billion. And in 2024, the Fed’s subsidy to banks rose to about $186 billion. The Fed has been operating at a loss since September 2022,” Dr. Paul continued. “While the Fed no longer has profits and ceased returning those profits to the taxpayers by remitting those funds to the Treasury, it still, to this very day, pays what has amounted to hundreds of billions of dollars to banks.”

    The End the Fed’s Big Bank Bailout Act amends Section 19 of the Federal Reserve Act to eliminate the Fed’s authority to make these interest payments. Senator Paul argues this simple change could save more than a trillion dollars over the next decade.

    “At a time of persistent and self-imposed worsening losses at the Fed, the manipulators of the American economy continue to pay banks to do nothing but have their funds sit in a safe,” said Dr. Paul. “How can anybody, especially the populist Republicans and the entire Democratic Caucus, defend such a subsidy when supposed income inequality and the national debt is at the top of the political agenda?”

     Read the bill HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • Trump announces ceasefire in 12-day Iran-Israel war

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday a complete ceasefire between Israel and Iran, potentially ending the 12-day war that saw millions flee Tehran and prompted fears of further escalation in the war-torn region.

    But there was no confirmation from Israel and the Israeli military said it had detected missiles launched from Iran towards Israel in the early hours of Tuesday.

    “Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.

    Israel, joined by the United States on the weekend, has carried out attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities, after alleging Tehran was getting close to obtaining a nuclear weapon.

    “On the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will, I would like to congratulate both Countries, Israel and Iran, on having the Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence to end, what should be called, ‘THE 12 DAY WAR’,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social site.

    While an Iranian official earlier confirmed that Tehran had agreed to a ceasefire, the country’s foreign minister said there would be no cessation of hostilities unless Israel stopped its attacks.

    Abbas Araqchi said early on Tuesday that if Israel stopped its “illegal aggression” against the Iranian people no later than 4 a.m. Tehran time (0030 GMT) on Tuesday, Iran had no intention of continuing its response afterwards.

    There have been no reported Israeli attacks on Iran since that time.

    “The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later,” Araqchi added in a post on X.

    A senior White House official said Trump had brokered the deal in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel had agreed so long as Iran did not launch further attacks.

    Trump appeared to suggest that Israel and Iran would have some time to complete any missions that are underway, at which point the ceasefire would begin in a staged process.

    Iran denies ever having a nuclear weapons program but Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has said that if it wanted to, world leaders “wouldn’t be able to stop us”.

    Israel, which is not a party to the international Non-Proliferation Treaty, is the only country in the Middle East believed to have nuclear weapons. Israel does not deny or confirm that.

    Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani secured Tehran’s agreement during a call with Iranian officials, an official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters on Tuesday.

    U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff were in direct and indirect contact with the Iranians, the White House official said.

    Neither Iran’s U.N. mission nor the Israeli embassy in Washington responded to separate requests for comment from Reuters.

    Hours earlier, three Israeli officials had signaled Israel was looking to wrap up its campaign in Iran soon and had passed the message on to the United States.

    Netanyahu had told government ministers whose discussions ended early on Tuesday not to speak publicly, Israel’s Channel 12 television reported.

    Markets reacted favorably to the news.

    S&P 500 futures rose 0.4% late on Monday, suggesting traders expect the U.S. stock market to open with gains on Tuesday.

    U.S. crude futures fell in early Asian trading hours on Tuesday to their lowest level in more than a week after Trump said a ceasefire had been agreed, relieving worries of supply disruption in the region.

    END TO THE FIGHTING?

    There did not appear to be calm yet in the region.

    The Israeli military issued two evacuation warnings in less than two hours to residents of areas in the Iranian capital Tehran, one late on Monday and one early on Tuesday.

    Israeli Army radio reported early on Tuesday that alarms were activated in the southern Golan Heights area due to fears of hostile aircraft intrusion.

    Earlier on Monday, Trump said he would encourage Israel to proceed towards peace after dismissing Iran’s attack on an American air base that caused no injuries and thanking Tehran for the early notice of the strikes.

    He said Iran fired 14 missiles at the U.S. air base, calling it “a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered.”

    Iran’s handling of the attack recalled earlier clashes with the United States and Israel, with Tehran seeking a balance between saving face with a military response but without provoking a cycle of escalation it can’t afford.

    Tehran appears to have achieved that goal.

    Iran’s attack came after U.S. bombers dropped 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on Iranian underground nuclear facilities at the weekend, joining Israel’s air war.

    Much of Tehran’s population of 10 million has fled after days of bombing.

    The Trump administration maintains that its aim was solely to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, not to open a wider war.

    “Iran was very close to having a nuclear weapon,” Vice President JD Vance said in an interview on Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier.”

    “Now Iran is incapable of building a nuclear weapon with the equipment they have because we destroyed it,” Vance said.

    Trump has cited intelligence reports that Iran was close to building a nuclear weapon, without elaborating. However, U.S. intelligence agencies said earlier this year they assessed that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon and a source with access to U.S. intelligence reports told Reuters last week that that assessment hadn’t changed.

    But in a social media post on Sunday, Trump spoke of toppling the hardline clerical rulers who have been Washington’s principal foes in the Middle East since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

    Israel, however, had made clear that its strikes on Evin prison – a notorious jail for housing political prisoners – and other targets in Tehran were intended to hit the Iranian ruling apparatus broadly, and its ability to sustain power.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI USA: House Passes Congressman Valadao’s Romance Scam Prevention Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David G Valadao (CA-21)

    WASHINGTON – Today, the House of Representatives unanimously passed H.R. 2481, the Romance Scam Prevention Act. Congressman David Valadao (CA-22) introduced the bipartisan legislation in April alongside Reps. Brittany Pettersen (CO-07), Tom Suozzi (NY-03), and Craig Goldman (TX-12). This bill would require dating apps and services to issue fraud ban notifications to users who have interacted with a person removed from the app for fraudulent activity.

    Senators Marsha Blackburn (R-TN) and John Hickenlooper (D-CO) introduced the companion bill in the Senate, which passed out of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation on March 12, 2025.

    “Millions of Americans use online dating platforms to connect with romantic partners, but unfortunately, they’ve also become a way for scammers to target and exploit unsuspecting victims,” said Congressman Valadao. “As criminals become more sophisticated, it’s important we have safeguards in place to protect users. The Romance Scam Prevention Act is a bipartisan effort to enhance online safety and combat financial fraud, and I look forward to working with my Senate colleagues to get this bill across the finish line.”

    “Online dating services are being used as a platform for bad actors to target and exploit individuals, yet protections continue to lag behind,” said Rep. Pettersen. “Notifying users if they have been in contact with a potential scammer is a basic security feature that every online dating service should provide. This bipartisan bill will help reduce online crime and keep people safe from online scammers. I’m grateful this legislation has passed the House with bipartisan support, and I will keep working to see it signed into law.”

    “These aren’t just creepy or shady tactics—they are life-ruining attacks that disproportionately target the elderly, as well as young men and women,” said Rep. Suozzi. “As a father, a former mayor and as a member of Congress, I’ll never stop fighting to protect people from exploitation—online or anywhere else.”

    Congressman Valadao spoke on the House Floor during debate on the legislation. Watch his remarks here or read as prepared below:

    Mr. Speaker,

    I rise to urge support for my bill, the Romance Scam Prevention Act. 

    Every year, millions of Americans from all ages and backgrounds use dating apps and websites to make connections. For many, online dating has made it easier to build relationships, but unfortunately there are countless stories of criminals using these sites for fraudulent activity.

    While it’s sadly common to see users lie about things like their age or occupation, romance scammers use fake profiles to develop connections and emotionally or financially exploit unsuspecting users.

    According to the Federal Trade Commission, Americans lost over $1.1 billion in 2023 alone, with senior citizens being the most at-risk age group.

    There have been countless stories of people being conned out of their entire life savings, all because they believed they had found love online.

    People who meet online often take their conversations to other communication platforms and might not know they are talking to someone who has been removed. 

    This bill requires dating platforms to issue fraud ban notifications to users who have interacted with an account who has been removed for fraudulent activity.

    As criminals are becoming more sophisticated when it comes to exploiting victims online, it’s time to put safeguards in place to protect users from financial fraud. 

    I want to thank Chairman Guthrie and his staff at the Committee on Energy & Commerce for their work on this important bill as well as my co-leads, Reps. Brittany Pettersen, Tom Suozzi, and Craig Goldman.

    Thank you, and I yield back.

    Background:

    Over 60 million Americans used an online dating service in 2023, and the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) reported that romance scams resulted in victims losing over $1.1 billion. Criminals use false names and stories to lure individuals into conversation before manipulating them to give up sensitive information. When an online dating service provider becomes aware of a user committing fraudulent activity, like illegally obtaining money, the online dating service provider immediately deactivates the fraudulent user’s account. However, individuals who meet online often take their conversations to other communication platforms, so even when a fraudulent account is removed, an individual might not know they are still communicating with someone who was banned from the platform.

    Read the full bill here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    The bill:  

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

       The measure also:  

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

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

      A summary of the agriculture funding bill is available here.  

      ###

     

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: National Early Years Policy Summit

    Source: Murray Darling Basin Authority

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    “Together for our children”

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

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

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

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

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

    Value of ECEC – the opportunity

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

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

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

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

    To foster curiosity and confidence.

    To ready children for school and for life.

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

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

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

    There is more to do.

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

    Ambition and past progress

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Towards universal ECEC

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    It means more quality early education delivered to families.

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

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

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

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

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

    And the final pillar is quality and safety.

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

    And there is no quality without putting safety first.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI News –

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

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

    iLongLoveKing/Shutterstock

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

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

    Public baths everywhere

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    A first-century CE inscription declared that

    baths, wine, and sex make life worth living.

    Baths and the grim reality of slavery

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

    Archaeological evidence suggests even dentistry was performed at the baths.

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

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

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

    Baths across the empire

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

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

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

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

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

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

    A long history

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

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

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

    Peter Edwell receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

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

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Chief Economists Briefing

    Source: World Economic Forum (video statements)

    Chief Economists Briefing

    The global economic outlook has darkened considerably, according to the World Economic Forum’s latest survey of chief economists.

    Gain expert insights and actionable perspectives from leading chief economists on the outlook for global growth amid geopolitical uncertainty and technological disruption.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jg2YMrqYAxM

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI China: China to promote high-quality development of gold industry

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

    China will promote the high-end, intelligent, green and safe development of its fast-growing gold industry, according to the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) on Monday.

    Recently, the ministry and eight other government departments, including the National Development and Reform Commission, the Ministry of Commerce and the Ministry of Natural Resources, issued an action plan for the high-quality development of the gold industry from 2025 to 2027.

    The introduction of the action plan aims to balance industrial growth with enhanced security while capitalizing on China’s existing strengths in gold smelting, processing capacity and operational management, according to the MIIT.

    China’s capacity to ensure gold resources and the innovation level of its industrial chain will be improved significantly by 2027, per the plan. The country’s gold resources will increase by 5 percent to 10 percent during the period, and its output of gold and silver will grow by more than 5 percent.

    By 2027, breakthroughs will be achieved in multiple areas of key technology and equipment. Additionally, industrial upgrades will ensure that mines with a daily gold-processing capacity exceeding 500 tonnes account for over 70 percent of the national total.

    China will promote green, efficient resource utilization through such actions as establishing green mines and factories, and it will accelerate digital transformation through the adoption of artificial intelligence and other technologies, according to the plan.

    As the global leader in both gold production and consumption, China reported a gold output of 377.24 tonnes and a gold consumption of 985.31 tonnes in 2024, data from the China Gold Association shows. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Britain unveils 10-year industrial strategy to cut energy costs, support key sectors

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

    The British government on Monday unveiled a comprehensive 10-year Industrial Strategy designed to tackle long-standing structural challenges facing British industry, including high energy costs and lengthy delays in electricity grid connections.

    The plan also outlines targeted support for eight high-growth sectors, including advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and digital technology.

    A major component of the strategy is the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme, which aims to reduce electricity bills by up to 25 percent for more than 7,000 energy-intensive businesses – including those in the steel and chemicals sectors – starting in 2027. These savings will come from removing several existing charges on electricity bills that currently fund renewable energy generation and backup supply systems.

    Complementing this initiative, the British Industry Supercharger program will expand support for approximately 500 companies in sectors such as ceramics, glass, and aluminum. These firms currently receive a 60 percent discount on electricity network charges, which will increase to 90 percent from 2026, a move expected to lower operating costs and enhance global competitiveness.

    To address persistent delays in connecting to the electricity grid, the government plans to launch a Connections Accelerator Service by the end of 2025. The service will work in coordination with energy providers, devolved governments, and local authorities to expedite grid access for major investment projects.

    British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed the strategy as “a turning point for Britain’s economy and a clear break from the short-termism and sticking plasters of the past.”

    Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves emphasized the plan’s investment-friendly approach, noting that it would ease business energy costs, unlock funding for advanced technologies, and support job creation. “It will boost our economy and create jobs that put more money in people’s pockets,” she said.

    The government stressed that the reforms would not lead to higher taxes or household energy bills. Instead, they will be financed through adjustments to the national energy system and increased revenues from carbon pricing.

    Beyond energy reforms, the strategy includes sector-specific support for eight high-potential industries: advanced manufacturing, clean energy, creative industries, defense, digital and technologies, financial services, life sciences, and professional and business services. Each sector will receive tailored policy frameworks and funding packages over the next decade.

    While industry representatives have broadly welcomed the announcement, some experts and business leaders have voiced reservations. Critics argue that although the electricity price reforms may enhance competitiveness, they are unlikely to fully close the gap with lower industrial power costs in countries like France and Germany. Britain’s electricity prices remain closely linked to wholesale gas markets, which still account for a larger share of Britain’s energy mix than in many European countries.

    Others questioned the government’s ability to follow through on its long-term commitments, citing past inconsistencies in industrial policy. Several industry voices also called for faster implementation amid intensifying global competition for green investment.

    The government said detailed action plans for each sector will be published in phases over the coming months. 

    MIL OSI China News –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    A brighter prospect is emerging for the sand fighters.

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

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

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI: Cielo Provides Update on Settlement Agreement, Shareholder Meeting and Webinar, and Units for Debt Transactions

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CALGARY, Alberta, June 23, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Cielo Waste Solutions Corp. (TSXV: CMC; OTC PINK: CWSFF) (“Cielo” or the “Company”) today provides an update on the Settlement Agreement, Securities for Debt Transactions, and Shareholder Meeting (each as defined below).

    Settlement Agreement

    Cielo had previously announced the execution of a settlement agreement (the “Settlement Agreement”) with Expander Energy Inc. (“Expander”) and certain directors, shareholders and related parties of Expander (collectively and together with Expander, the “Settlement Parties”). The Settlement Agreement provides for the effective unwinding, to the extent possible, of certain previously disclosed transactions (the “Transactions”) completed between Cielo and the applicable Settlement Parties, including Expander, pursuant to and in connection with an amended and restated asset purchase agreement dated November 8, 2023, as amended on September 16, 2024 (the “APA”). The unwinding was expected to take effect on June 13, 2025 (the “Closing Date”), subject to completion of certain closing conditions, including the payment of an aggregate amount of C$748,208.79 (the “Payment”) to the applicable Settlement Parties, including Expander, in full and final satisfaction of all and any outstanding fees owing by the Company. Cielo was unable to make the Payment in accordance with the Settlement Agreement. Cielo has received a notice of breach of the Settlement Agreement from Expander as a result however Cielo continues to make efforts to make the Payment and is in discussions with Expander and the Settlement Parties with respect to the extension of the Closing Date on mutually agreeable terms.

    Shareholder Meeting and Webinar

    As previously disclosed, Cielo’s shareholder meeting (the “Shareholder Meeting”) will be held on Tuesday, June 24, 2025. As the Company has received no advance notice of any other nominations in accordance with Cielo’s Advance Notice Policy, only the incumbent directors of the Company, being Mr. Ryan Jackson, Ms. Sheila Leggett, Mr. Peter MacKay and Mr. Larry Schafran, will be considered, and are anticipated to be elected, at the Shareholder Meeting.  

    Details on the Shareholder Meeting are contained in a Notice of Meeting and Management Information Circular (the “Meeting Materials”) that was mailed to shareholders of Cielo as of the record date filed on SEDAR+, and are also available on the Company’s profile on www.sedarplus.ca.

    The Shareholder Meeting will be held in person at 11am Mountain Time/1 pm Eastern Time. The formal portion of the Shareholder Meeting will be followed by a presentation and question answer period in person and by webcast (the “Webinar”). Shareholders who attend the Webinar will be able to hear the formal portion of the Shareholder Meeting but will not be able to vote at or otherwise participate. Once the formal portion of the Shareholder Meeting has concluded, those who attend the Webinar may view the presentation and participate in the question-and-answer period. Those who wish to attend the Webinar may register in advance of the Shareholder Meeting using the following link: Cielo AGM Webinar

    Securities for Debt Transactions

    In a news release issued on May 16, 2025 (the “May 16 PR”), Cielo announced the anticipated settlement of an aggregate $1,797,195 (the “Original Aggregate Debt Amount”) through the issuance of securities of the Company (the “Securities for Debt Transactions”), subject to the approval of the TSX Venture Exchange (the “Exchange”). The Company would like to make a correction to the May 16 PR, which stated that the Company anticipated the issuance of 35,943,847 Repayment Units (as defined below), whereas the correct number of Repayment Units anticipated to be issued at the time of the May 16 PR was 33,433,120 Repayment Units.

    The Company has also agreed to increase the Original Debt Amount to $1,967,766 (the “Aggregate Debt Amount”). As a result of the increase, the Company intends to issue:

    • 33,523,132 units of the Company (each, a “Repayment Unit”, collectively the “Repayment Units”) in aggregate to the Creditors at a price of $0.05 per Unit, to settle $1,676,167 of the Aggregate Debt Amount (the “Units for Debt Transactions”), the terms of which were described in the May 16 PR; and
    • 5,832,180 common shares of the Company (the “Repayment Shares”, together with the Repayment Units, collectively the “Repayment Securities”) at a price of $0.05 per Repayment Share (the “Shares for Debt Transactions”) to two (2) Insiders of the Company (as that term is defined in the policies of the Exchange) to settle $291,609 of the Aggregate Debt Amount owing to the Insiders. No warrants will be issued to the Insiders.

    The Shares for Debt Transactions with the Insiders are considered to be “related party transactions” under Multilateral Instrument 61-101 – Protection of Minority Security Holders in Special Transaction (“MI 61-101”). The Company will rely upon the exemptions from the valuation and minority shareholder approval requirements of MI 61-101 contained in section 5.5 (a) and 5.7(1) (a), as the fair market value of the Shares for Debt Transactions does not exceed 25% of the market capitalization of the Company, as determined in accordance with MI 61-101.

    The Units for Debt Transactions and the Shares for Debt Transactions are subject to the approval of the Exchange. Upon approval and issuance, the Repayment Securities will be subject to a hold period of 4 months.

    This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy the securities in the United States. The securities have not been and will not be registered under the United States Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “U.S. Securities Act”) or any state securities laws and may not be offered or sold within the United States or to U.S. Persons as defined under applicable United States securities laws unless registered under the U.S. Securities Act and applicable state securities laws or an exemption from such registration is available.

    ABOUT CIELO

    Cielo Waste Solutions Corp. is a publicly traded company focused on transforming waste materials into high-value renewable fuels. Cielo seeks to address global waste challenges while contributing to the circular economy and reducing carbon emissions. Cielo is fueling renewable change with a mission to be a leader in the wood by-product-to-fuels industry by using environmentally friendly, economically sustainable and market-ready technologies. Cielo is committed to helping society ‘change the fuel, not the vehicle’, which the Company believes will contribute to generating positive returns for shareholders. Cielo shares are listed on the TSX Venture Exchange under the symbol “CMC,” as well as on the OTC Pink Market under the symbol “CWSFF.”

    For further information please contact:

    Cielo Investor Relations

    Ryan C. Jackson, CEO
    Phone: (403) 348-2972
    Email: investors@cielows.com

    CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

    This news release contains certain forward-looking statements and forward-looking information (collectively referred to herein as “forward-looking statements”) within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities laws. All statements other than statements of present or historical fact are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are often, but not always, identified by the use of words such as “anticipate”, “achieve”, “could”, “believe”, “plan”, “intend”, “objective”, “continuous”, “ongoing”, “estimate”, “outlook”, “expect”, “may”, “will”, “project”, “should” or similar words, including negatives thereof, suggesting future outcomes.

    Forward-looking statements are subject to both known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of Cielo, that may cause the actual results, level of activity, performance, or achievements of the Company to be materially different from those expressed or implied by such forward looking statements. Forward-looking statements and information are based on plans, expectations and estimates of management at the date the information is provided and are subject to certain factors and assumptions. The Company is making forward-looking statements, including but not limited to, with respect to: the Settlement Agreement, including any extension to the Closing Date and related terms; the Shareholder Meeting, including the date thereof, the re-election of incumbent directors, and the Webinar; and the Securities for Debt Transactions, including the amounts and other terms of the Units for Debt Transactions and Shares for Debt Transactions, including but not limited to the number of Repayment Shares and Repayment Units to be issued, the price, and the MI 61-101 exemptions to be relied upon.

    Investors should continue to review and consider information disseminated through news releases and filed by Cielo on SEDAR+. Although the Company has attempted to identify crucial factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in forward looking statements, there may be other factors that cause results not to be as anticipated, estimated or intended.

    Forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and involve a number of risks and uncertainties, some of which are described herein. Such forward-looking statements necessarily involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which may cause Cielo’s actual performance and results to differ materially from any projections of future performance or results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements are made as of the date hereof and, except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to publicly update or revise such statements to reflect new information, subsequent or otherwise.

    Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as such term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

    The MIL Network –

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

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

    Getty Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Comparison across time

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Inadequate administrative data

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Major demographic change

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

    • fertility has declined and is at sub-replacement levels

    • the population is rapidly ageing

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

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

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

    iLongLoveKing/Shutterstock

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

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

    Public baths everywhere

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    A first-century CE inscription declared that

    baths, wine, and sex make life worth living.

    Baths and the grim reality of slavery

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

    Archaeological evidence suggests even dentistry was performed at the baths.

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

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

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

    Baths across the empire

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

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

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

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

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

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

    A long history

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

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

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

    Peter Edwell receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

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

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese FM meets former British PM

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

    Wang Yi, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, meets with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in Beijing, capital of China, June 23, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Chinese Foreign Minster Wang Yi on Monday met with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair in Beijing.

    Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said that as permanent members of the UN Security Council and major countries in the world, China and Britain must fulfill their international obligations, demonstrate responsibility and commitment, and contribute to global peace and development.

    Last year, the leaders of the two countries talked over phone and held talks, steering bilateral relations onto a trajectory of improvement and development, Wang said, noting that China welcomes Britain’s commitment to a consistent, long-term China policy grounded in mutual respect.

    “China stands ready to work with Britain to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, enhance exchanges across sectors, deepen mutual understanding, and promote the healthy and stable development of China-Britain relations,” Wang said.

    Blair said that attempts to isolate China are doomed to fail as the world needs greater understanding of China, noting that the two sides should strengthen dialogue at government levels and across social sectors, while conducting extensive mutually beneficial cooperation to achieve sustained and sound bilateral development.

    On the Israel-Iran conflict, Wang said that differences between countries should be resolved peacefully through dialogue and consultation, noting that Israel’s preemptive strike on Iran on the grounds of “potential future threats” and U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities under the supervision of the International Atomic Energy Agency sent a wrong signal to the world by advocating force over dialogue in resolving disputes, and set a dangerous precedent with significant consequences.

    “All parties to the conflict are urged to take measures to de-escalate tensions and return to negotiations for political settlement to restore peace and stability in the Middle East,” Wang added.

    Blair said that Britain is deeply concerned about the Israel-Iran conflict and calls for diplomatic engagement through dialogue to swiftly return to negotiations, achieving a prompt recovery to the regional peace, security, and stability.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: ‘Avatar: Fire and Ash’ Cinity preview at CineEurope showcases China’s tech power

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

    The first footage from James Cameron’s highly anticipated “Avatar: Fire and Ash” was presented at CineEurope in Barcelona, Spain, on June 18, using the Chinese-developed Cinity projection system.

    An “Avatar: Fire and Ash” logo on display at CineEurope in Barcelona, Spain, June 18, 2025. [Photo courtesy of China Film Group]

    At CineEurope, the official convention of the International Union of Cinemas, a sub-5 minute presentation of “Avatar: Fire and Ash” was showcased using China’s premium cinema system Cinity, developed by China Film Group. The showcase delivered an immersive audiovisual experience that drew acclaim from global film industry professionals.

    James Cameron continues his pursuit of cinematic perfection in “Avatar: Fire and Ash” with 4K, 3D and 48fps screening technology. His selection of the Cinity system for the film’s first global reveal demonstrates his trust in its premium format capabilities — delivering Pandora’s vibrant landscapes with unprecedented clarity to create a sensory revolution for audiences worldwide.

    Industry veterans in attendance praised the system’s exceptional color depth, contrast, dynamic range and motion clarity. Several noted that Cinity’s unmatched brightness and high frame rate deliver superior 3D that fully realizes directors’ visions. The presentation of “Avatar: Fire and Ash” received particular acclaim for its immersive quality, with its high brightness and frame rate achieving something other systems cannot.

    In a video message shown at the China premiere of “Avatar: The Way of Water” in 2022, Cameron stated that Cinity technology helps moviegoers experience Avatar’s world more immersively than ever before. He then confirmed continuing the partnership with Cinity to create the ultimate big-screen experience, declaring it the new gold standard for film screening. 

    The Cinity cinema system, which utilizes independent Chinese intellectual property rights, is an advanced projection system featuring 4K, 3D, ultra-high brightness, high dynamic range, wide color gamut, high frame rate and immersive sound technologies, which makes films more vivid and immersive. It debuted in director Ang Lee’s film “Gemini Man” in 2019, demonstrating its huge potential to international studios and exhibitors.

    Cinity’s cinema projection system and LED cinema projection system are now expanding across Europe, delivering novel, exceptional and groundbreaking premium viewing experiences to audiences. The technology demonstrates China’s transition from follower to standard-setter in cinema tech, marking a key step in the globalization of Chinese film technology, according to a statement from China Film Group.

    Industry insiders and cinemagoers at CineEurope in Barcelona, Spain, June 18, 2025. [Photo courtesy of China Film Group]

    The “Avatar” franchise revolutionized the film industry in 2009 with its first installment. It became a global cultural phenomenon, ushered in the 3D era for cinemas worldwide, accelerated the growth of IMAX and transformed China’s film industry. The original film earned $2.92 billion and remains the highest-grossing movie in history, while its sequel, “Avatar: The Way of Water,” grossed $2.32 billion to become the third-highest grossing film worldwide.

    “Avatar: Fire and Ash,” the third film in the franchise, opens worldwide on Dec. 19, continuing James Cameron’s Pandora saga. The story follows Jake Sully (Sam Worthington) and Neytiri (Zoe Saldaña) as their family confronts grief after Neteyam’s death and the aggressive Ash People tribe led by Varang. The cast also includes Sigourney Weaver, Stephen Lang, Oona Chaplin and Kate Winslet.

    The film preview in Barcelona featured a video appearance from James Cameron in New Zealand, who paid tribute to his late collaborator Jon Landau. Cameron promised audiences they would see “a side of Pandora you didn’t know existed,” adding that “Avatar” films are “made to be experienced on the big screen.”

    MIL OSI China News –

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy: 8 Things You Should Know About Iran

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    June 23, 2025

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Monday wrote a Substack post outlining eight ideas that should inform how the American public thinks about the Trump administration’s strikes against Iran and President Trump’s refusal to learn the lessons of America’s previous military misadventures in the Middle East.
    “America’s addiction to military intervention in the Middle East is a stubborn habit to break for our nation, and it’s heartbreaking,” Murphy wrote. “It’s heartbreaking mostly because we have continuous evidence that believing we can change minds or political realities in this complicated region by brute military force is folly.”
    Murphy explained the American people are not the ones pushing for endless conflict:  “But, we keep going to war, despite the evidence telling us “hell no,” because of a powerful but wrongheaded group of warmongers and cheerleaders in Washington: hawkish politicians; profit-obsessed weapons sellers; and capable but naively optimistic military planners.
    He laid out various potentially dangerous consequences of Trump’s decision to strike Iran: “The worst consequence, of course, is a full-blown war in the region that draws in the United States…If Iran kills American troops, the conflict could spiral and America would be back at war in the Middle East…Another potentially dangerous consequence would be the fall of the regime in Tehran. The Supreme Leader is a murderous tyrant who wants Israel wiped off the map and has killed hundreds of U.S. troops in Iraq. Even if he were pushed out internally, he could be replaced by someone even more hardline and bent on revenge, willing to order terrorist attacks all over the globe. A third scenario, a civil war in which Iran descends into chaos, could be even worse for the United States and the region…”
    Murphy argued diplomacy, not military intervention, is the best way to prevent Iran from acquiring a nuclear weapon: “You cannot bomb knowledge out of existence. Iran knows how to make a nuclear bomb…And bombing their facilities just destroys their equipment; it does not eliminate their knowledge… If Iran makes the decision to build a weapon, and they have a country like Russia helping them, they could easily get a weapon in a dangerously short amount of time…If America hadn’t already successfully negotiated and implemented an agreement with Iran to stop them from obtaining a nuclear weapon, maybe the military option would look more reasonable. Yes, we don’t want Iran to have a nuclear weapon, but from 2014-2107, Iran’s advanced nuclear research program was dismantled, and we had inspectors crawling all over the country ensuring their compliance. Trump’s national security advisors urged him to stay in the deal – it was working! – but he disastrously withdrew.”
    Murphy concluded: “This is a moment where Congress needs to step in. This week, we are likely to take a vote that makes it crystal clear President Trump does not have the authorization for these strikes or a broader war with Iran. This is also a moment for the American people to stand up and say we do not want another war in the Middle East. In the last twenty years, we have seen the untold damage done – the lives lost, the billions of dollars wasted, and our reputation squandered – and we won’t allow Trump to take us down that path again.”
    Murphy released a statement Saturday night following the strikes.

    MIL OSI USA News –

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

    US Senate News:

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

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

    By Lillian Hanly, RNZ News political reporter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

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

    By Lillian Hanly, RNZ News political reporter

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 06/23/2025 VIDEO: Blackburn Joins ICE Ride-Along, Speaks with Agents in Nashville

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) released the following video and statement after speaking with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents in Nashville and joining them for a ride-along operation targeting a criminal illegal alien convicted of child sexual abuse.
    Just this week, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security released new data revealing that ICE agents now face a 500% increase in assaults. Senator Blackburn recently introduced the Protecting Law Enforcement from Doxxing Act to make it illegal to dox federal law enforcement officials as Democrat politicians dox and threaten to dox federal agents, including House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, U.S. Representative Jerry Nadler, and Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell.
    “You really don’t appreciate the amount of work that goes into apprehensions and deportations until you speak with the men and women who are working so hard behind the scenes every single day and see the risks they take firsthand. As ICE officers face a 500% increase in assaults against them, we owe these agents a debt of gratitude for all that they do to keep us safe,” said Senator Blackburn. “Lawless, left-wing politicians are fueling the surge in assaults against law enforcement officers who risk their lives to keep our communities safe. In stark contrast, President Trump and his administration are standing up for law-abiding citizens over criminal illegal aliens by empowering ICE agents to do their jobs.”

    Click here to download this video.
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    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Thailand steps up border controls with Cambodia to combat transnational crime

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

    Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra (3rd L, front) meets the press at the government house in Bangkok, Thailand, June 23, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra announced on Monday that Thailand will tighten its border controls with neighboring Cambodia to combat transnational crime.

    Speaking after a high-level meeting at the government house, Paetongtarn said restrictions on cross-border travel for both vehicles and individuals will be enforced, including limiting operating hours at checkpoints.

    She stated that crossings in seven provinces along the Thai-Cambodian border will be limited to essential travel, such as for students, medical patients, and vital goods.

    The prime minister said Thailand will halt exports of goods, particularly fuel and electricity, that support illegal operations across the border and will consider suspending fuel shipments to Cambodia suspected of being used in unlawful activities.

    Internet services and submarine internet cables connected to Cambodia’s government and military entities will also be suspended, she said.

    Following Paetongtarn’s announcement, the Thai military unveiled strengthened measures on border crossing with Cambodia, allowing only essential and humanitarian travel.

    Thailand’s latest measures came amid mounting border tensions with Cambodia. Cambodia said on Sunday it would stop fuel and gas imports from Thailand, while advising its citizens against non-essential travel to Thailand. 

    MIL OSI China News –