NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Transcript – Radio 4RO Rockhampton with Dales Whyte

    Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

    DALES WHYTE [HOST]: Joining us in the studio at the moment is the Minister for, amongst other things, Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Local Government, the Honourable Catherine King. Good morning Catherine, how are you?

    CATHERINE KING [MINISTER]: I’m well. And that was a very apt song. I haven’t met you yet either, but today we have. So there you go.

    DALES WHYTE: The world is a better place.

    CATHERINE KING: There you go.

    DALES WHYTE: We have been asking people to give us a call, and they’ve been– look, there’s been bulk calls coming in the last 48 hours. Amazingly enough, or unexpectedly, we’ve got a lot of interest in what’s happening with the Bruce Highway. First call we got was soon after we knew you were coming. It was: when is work starting on the Bruce Highway?

    CATHERINE KING: Good. Well, the first thing I can say is that today I’m here. The Bruce Highway Advisory Committee is in town today, and we are meeting together to talk about what the next tranche of projects. But I’m here with Brent Mickelberg as well. We’ll be announcing the first tranche of projects under the new $9 billion safety package. There’s 23 projects; 16 of those are construction projects. They will start shortly. They’re ready to go. Literally, the contracts are about to be signed, and a further planning for the next set of tranche of projects is underway. The advisory committee is advising both the Queensland and the federal government about where the problem areas are.

    So, on that, we obviously have the motoring groups, we’ve got local representatives of local councils along the highway, truck drivers. And they’re the people who are going to try and tell us where we need to work first, because what we want to do is work on the worst bits of the road first and get those improvements. And that’s what we’re announcing today.

    DALES WHYTE: I think that’s fabulous. I think that– I’ve got to say, and I said it earlier on the radio, I would have hoped that somebody from Transport and Main Roads, one of our great public servants, and we do have really good public servants in Queensland, would have been sitting down keeping an idea of the road areas that need working.

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah, well they’ve started– so this first lot have come from TMR. So the first lot have come from TMR. And there’s that 15-year action plan for the Bruce that was developed some time ago. So it’s come from there. And then what we’re doing is using the advisory group to actually develop the next tranche of projects. So that’ll just keep rolling. So today, it’s about 300 million worth of projects that are being released, and that money is now being released. And that’s literally– we announced this money in January. And here we are not too far down the track and we’re actually getting on with it.

    DALES WHYTE: We– yeah, we certainly do need it. I would like to have seen it done in January three years ago.

    CATHERINE KING: [Laughs]

    DALES WHYTE: Another question …

    CATHERINE KING: [Interrupts] I think all of it is. But, you know, to be blunt, to be political for a moment, it’s taking a Labor Government to get in and do it.

    DALES WHYTE: No, don’t forget, the election coming up. You’re allowed to get in a free plug for yourself.

    CATHERINE KING: [Laughs]

    DALES WHYTE: Is the immediate money available for both the Bruce Highway and the beef roads?

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah. So also what we’re announcing today. So this beef roads has been extraordinarily frustrating to me. So, there’s a $500 million package for beef roads. And in essence, what we’ve been waiting for is the councils in the area with the Queensland Government to basically say, where are the roads that you want us to spend the money on? There’s one thing to say, here, we’re allocating money. So again today, $38 million is the first tranche of that. I’ve signed off on that money. Construction will start on those as well.

    DALES WHYTE: Now, we have a little chestnut for you that I know you’re going to love.

    CATHERINE KING: [Laughs] OK.

    DALES WHYTE: According to the Senate estimates hearing, $440 million of that $7 billion will be spent over the next three years on the Bruce Highway. What happened to the full 7 billion?

    CATHERINE KING: Well, yeah. So this is this sort of nonsense. And I understand your local member has been touting this around. So estimates are estimates. Basically, what they do is they estimate. We think that according to where the schedule of where works is up to, this is where money will need to be released. Now, today we’re blowing that out of the water, to be quite honest, because we’re just releasing $300 million in the first three months. So what happens is Queensland will come forward to me. They do what’s called a project proposal report. They say we’re now ready to spend the money and then we just move money into– money moves in and out of the forward estimates all the time. You wouldn’t expect that I would put $7.2 billion in the first year and say, here you go, Queensland, off you go, you just can spend it wherever you like. I’m sure Queensland would love it if I did that.

    DALES WHYTE: Well, we just want to spend it on this goat track.

    CATHERINE KING: [Laughs] Exactly. Well that’s why we’re doing it. So you’ve got to– you know, they’ve got to do the planning. They’ve got to come to me and say, here’s the report. This is how much it’s going to cost. This is– you know, we’re ready to go to tender. Can you release the money? And we just release the money. And that’s basically what happens with every project. There’s a reason they’re called estimates. They’re estimates of when we think projects will be ready and we move money in and out of them all the time.

    DALES WHYTE: The proof will be in the pudding.

    CATHERINE KING: Absolutely. Well, we’ve got 300 million being released today …

    DALES WHYTE: [Talks over] I think that’s fabulous.

    CATHERINE KING: … in three months.

    DALES WHYTE: Now, this is a really important question. I have driven the Hume Highway on numerous occasions.

    CATHERINE KING: Yes.

    DALES WHYTE: I used to live in New South Wales. Don’t hold that against me.

    CATHERINE KING: [Laughs]

    DALES WHYTE: But …

    CATHERINE KING: [Talks over] Well, I’m a Victorian, so I have driven on it too.

    DALES WHYTE: My question is, it’s all concrete. It’s pretty much flood proofed. Why are we– why aren’t we doing that here?

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah. So– I mean, different roads will need different conditions because of the amount of rain and weather. And again, I’m not an engineering expert, so I rely on the advice of TMR and the engineers to say this is what we’re doing. But one of the things we’ve been focused on– so we’ve got this safety package, this $9 billion, there is a further $10 billion of works that is already underway so that will continue. A lot of that is really big money, around flood proofing and building better. And so you can see that as the road improves slowly but surely a bit more down south that it has up this way, and partly what we’re trying to do now is focus on the central and the north bits of this to get that flood proofing as well. So those big projects will also still continue. And I think– again, Gladstone to Rockhampton we’ve got 188 million. I’ve just released that as well for that section of the road, so that money is in addition to the 9 billion. So, all of that’s happening. In terms of what surface you use and what treatment, really that’s up to the engineers. But our expectation is, from the Commonwealth’s point of view, is that we are building resilience into our infrastructure. There is no point building something and then it– the surface washes away. And it’s frustrating to me, and I know it’s frustrating to many of your listeners when that occurs. So that’s really what we’re focused on.

    DALES WHYTE: And that’s– it’s really amazing. Of all the people that called us, it basically came down to the Bruce Highway.

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah. Absolutely.

    DALES WHYTE: So that gives you an idea of how important that is in our part of the world.

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah. Well, it’s your major– like, it’s the only way you can travel around, between communities. It– absolutely. And we’ve understood that, we’ve always understood it. And it’s why we’re focused on trying to get this improved.

    DALES WHYTE: You’ve brought your bucket of money with you. What else are you releasing today?

    CATHERINE KING: Well, today also– so the Rocky Ring Road has been a really important project. I think if you’ve heard the Prime Minister talk about it, this is a project he promised back, I think with Kirsten Livermore way, way, way back. It’s taken a long time to get this project off the road. When we came to government, the tenders had come in at about 700 million more than were expected because it had been so delayed, frankly, under the previous government. It was going to cost more, we had to take some time to try and work out, well, how do we find that money? Can we get costs down at all? We found that money. There has been another cost pressure that would have been– the Queensland Government has reported. So, we’re adding another 200 million, taking the Commonwealth’s contribution to the Rocky Ring Road to $1.4 billion. It’s a big ring road. And so that money is being released again today as well. So making sure there was a view that we could scope it back a bit and not put that money in, we took the decision, we’ll put the 200 million in and the full scope of the Rocky Ring Road will proceed.

    DALES WHYTE: Now, if I was a little bit dubious of politicians…

    CATHERINE KING: [Talks over] No, you’re not like that at all. No, never. [Laughs]

    DALES WHYTE: Never, not me. One could say, oh, this is just spending in time for the election. Why didn’t it happen earlier?

    CATHERINE KING: Well, again, the cost overrun for that has only just been identified, so I didn’t know about it a year ago. If I’d known about it a year ago, we would have dealt with it. So it’s only just come to light that this cost pressure is there so we’re just doing that. In terms of the Bruce Highway, we’ve been working with both the previous Queensland Government and the new Queensland Government on what we could do next. We had 10 billion already on the table. Those projects were proceeding and continue to go. I’d always like them to happen much more quickly, to be blunt. I think it would be good if they happened much more quickly and we’d been working with them about what next, what do we need to do? And again, we sort of do it on a project by project basis. And so we needed them to come to us to say what it was that was needed. And once they did that, we stepped up.

    DALES WHYTE: I’ve kept my questions to last. So are you– I’m running out now. I’m out of time, that is. 15-year plan for the Bruce Highway. We can’t wait 15.

    CATHERINE KING: No, you definitely can’t. So what we’ve said with this 9 billion safety package, and the focus of this is doing what’s called– there’s a star rating system, but that basically looks at the safety of each of the big highways in particular. And it says that, really, the best– safest road is a five-star road. And that’s where you’ve got, dual lanes separated …

    DALES WHYTE: Much like the Hume Highway.

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah. Like that. Like– I’m trying to think, even in my home district, the Western Highway is a bit safer, but it’d probably be around four stars. It’s three in some parts as well, and down to two in others as well. So really what you’re trying to do is look at where is every single part of this that is at a two star, and we want to lift that up to three. If we can get it higher, we will. It will depend on the treatment. So you’ve got to widen shoulders. You’ve got to put grade separation in place. So you’re going to start to see that, we’ve said we’ll do that in eight years. That’s the plan is to get that done in eight years. If we can get it done sooner, we will. You’ve got a bit of a workforce shortage up here, unfortunately, at the moment. And there’s a lot happening, building everywhere. Olympics is going to put some strain on the labour force as well.  And we’d like to get it done.

    DALES WHYTE: And we want some of the Olympics up here.

    CATHERINE KING: Well, that’ll be a matter for the Queensland Government’s review. You’ll be– I mean, you know it’s always tricky with these things. What you want to do is be able to make sure that you’ve got some facilities for people, for places to train, that you’ve got some legacy afterwards so that you’ve got sporting fields and facilities that people can use afterwards.

    DALES WHYTE: Okay, here we go. The final question: is all this money going to happen no matter who wins the election?

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah. So this is all in the budget. So the announcement we made of the 7.2 billion and then the Queensland Government made 1.8, that is already in the budget. But of course, when you’ve got an opposition looking for $351 billion of cuts, I can’t guarantee what they might cut. Let’s hope it’s not the Bruce.

    DALES WHYTE: Well, I don’t think anyone would be game to cut the Bruce. And …

    CATHERINE KING: Not if you’re on the case, mate. No.

    DALES WHYTE: With respect to Peter Dutton, he is a Queenslander, so he knows better.

    CATHERINE KING: I don’t know, he got confused between Yeppen and Yeppoon, so I don’t know about that.

    DALES WHYTE: [Laughs] Oh well okay. Point taken. Well done. Minister King, thank you so much for your time. It’s always a pleasure and hopefully you won’t be a stranger.

    CATHERINE KING: Never. I will come back anytime you’d like me to.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Do eggs really make you constipated? A gut expert on what the evidence says

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vincent Ho, Associate Professor and clinical academic gastroenterologist, Western Sydney University

    Popovo Bros/Shutterstock

    You might’ve heard too many eggs make you constipated. Influencers on Instagram claim it too. The United Kingdom has slang for it – being “egg bound”.

    Eggs were once blamed for raising blood cholesterol levels, which turned out to be false. Did we get it wrong about eggs and constipation too?

    Here’s what the mixed bag of evidence tells us.

    Starting with constipation

    Constipation means different things to different people, and there are many different types.

    Let’s focus on “functional constipation”, when people have hard, infrequent and often difficult-to-pass bowel movements. This constipation isn’t due to a physical blockage of the bowel or from disease.

    Functional constipation is very common. Globally, about one in ten adults (10.1%) and one in seven children (14.4%) have it at any one time.

    Is eating eggs to blame?

    Several studies link eating eggs with constipation, but not necessarily how you’d think.

    A 2002 study of 1,699 Japanese residents over 40 found Japanese women who ate eggs at least five times a week were less likely to be constipated. Eating eggs didn’t affect constipation rates in men. The researchers couldn’t explain the difference.

    A later study involved 3,770 female Japanese university students who filled in a questionnaire about what they’d eaten over the past month. A Western diet high in foods such as processed meats and eggs was linked to more constipation than a traditional Japanese diet (which has lots of rice but not much bread or confectionary).

    Another study looked at middle-aged adults in southern China who ate duck or chicken eggs as part of a Western diet. This was linked to a higher risk of constipation compared with the traditional southern Chinese diet, which has lots of refined grains, vegetables, fruits, pickled vegetables, fish and prawns.

    However, such dietary studies mostly rely on participants remembering what they ate. People also don’t always fill in dietary questionnaires truthfully, and tend to under-report eating unhealthy food and over-report eating healthy food. So dietary questionnaires aren’t always accurate.

    They also rarely look at a single food item (such as eggs) in isolation.

    Even if these studies mention eggs, the population studied can vary in age, gender and ethnicity. So the findings may not apply universally.

    How about other evidence?

    Laboratory based experiments looking at how egg proteins are digested in the bowel may offer some clues.

    When researchers fed constipated rats protein from egg yolk, their constipation improved. This could be due to an egg yolk protein called phosvitin. This retains water around itself in the colon (the large intestine) and makes the stool bulkier and easier to pass.

    We’re learning more about how the gut handles eggs.
    Christos Georghiou/Shutterstock

    How about humans? As far as I’m aware, no specific research involved feeding people eggs to see if this cured their constipation or made it worse. But we know a little about what happens in the gut when people eat eggs.

    Although eggs are quite a digestible food for humans, research shows even cooked egg proteins are not completely digested and absorbed in the small intestine.

    A small amount reaches the colon where it is linked to increased numbers of good bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium and Prevotella. There’s often more Prevotella, in particular, in people with looser stools.

    So some research supports the idea eating eggs improves constipation.

    What about eating lots of protein?

    Eggs are rich in protein. Could a diet with lots of protein cause constipation?

    No, protein itself is not to blame, according to research involving adults and children in the United States.

    That study found someone eating a diet low in carbohydrate was more likely to be constipated after eating extra protein (the equivalent of an extra two small eggs a day). That’s compared with someone eating a moderate amount of carbohydrate.

    Why the difference? The researchers said low carbohydrate intake could be linked to less Prevotella in their stools, potentially making the stools firmer.

    This makes sense. Fibre is a type of carbohydrate the body can’t readily digest. Low dietary fibre is linked to constipation.

    If we have adequate fibre in our diet then eat extra protein, this won’t worsen constipation. It may actually improve it.

    However, not eating enough fibre on a high-protein diet is very likely to increase the risk of constipation.

    Adding fibre to your high-protein diet could help.
    Daniil Demin/Shutterstock

    Kids with allergies

    There’s also a type of functional constipation associated with kids’ food allergies.

    A study from Greece tested children with chronic (long-term) constipation to see if they had food allergies.

    The children found to have food allergies ate a diet without these foods (including eggs) for eight weeks. Constipation improved in most of these children.

    How are food allergies in children and constipation related? A type of immune cell found in people with allergies – known as mast cells – can affect the bowels. These cells can contribute to bowel muscles not contracting well. Food is less able to move along, leading to constipation.

    So if all other causes of a child’s constipation have been ruled out, and they have a food allergy, their constipation may be allergy-related.

    However, it’s recommended to try healthy eating, with enough fluid and fibre first. If that doesn’t resolve the constipation, the child could try an elimination diet, under medical supervision.

    What are we to make of all this?

    Overall, there’s no firm evidence that eating more eggs leads to constipation.

    Provided you eat a diverse diet containing fibre along with your eggs there should be no increased risk of constipation.

    If chronic constipation doesn’t get better with extra fluids and fibre, talk to your doctor.

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

    – ref. Do eggs really make you constipated? A gut expert on what the evidence says – https://theconversation.com/do-eggs-really-make-you-constipated-a-gut-expert-on-what-the-evidence-says-249370

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Google to acquire Israeli cybersecurity startup Wiz for $32B

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Google said on Tuesday it has agreed to acquire Israeli cloud security startup Wiz for approximately 32 billion U.S. dollars, marking its largest acquisition to date.

    The deal, which Google expects to close in 2026, represents the largest-ever exit for an Israeli startup, surpassing Intel Corp’s 15.3-billion-dollar acquisition of autonomous vehicle company Mobileye in 2017.

    Wiz, headquartered in New York City with significant operations in Israel, confirmed the acquisition on its website.

    Founded in 2020, Wiz rapidly gained traction in the cybersecurity sector, achieving a 1.7-billion-dollar valuation within a year. In May 2024, the company raised 1 billion dollars at a 12-billion-dollar valuation.

    Wiz, which reportedly employs approximately 1,800 people, provides cloud security solutions that help companies detect and mitigate risks across various layers of their cloud infrastructure. Its platform scans cloud resources, including network structures and permissions, to identify configuration errors, vulnerabilities, and malware.

    Google said Wiz will become part of its cloud business.

    The reported acquisition follows a failed attempt in July 2024, when a planned 23-billion-dollar deal between Google and Wiz collapsed, according to media reports.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: SAIC Motor introduces premium EV lineup in Thailand

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Workers work at the SAIC Motor-CP manufacturing plant in Chonburi, Thailand, Sept. 7, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Chinese automaker SAIC Motor introduced a premium electric vehicle (EV) lineup under its MG brand in Thailand on Tuesday in a move to deliver cutting-edge and customer-centric technologies in the Thai automotive market.

    The event highlighted the launch of the coupe electric SUV MG IM6, making the Southeast Asian country the first market to experience the right-hand-drive version of the model after its successful debut in China.

    Available in both premium and performance variants, the new MG IM6 is developed under the concept of “Intelligence in Motion,” featuring an intelligent driving experience, futuristic safety technology, and advanced electrification.

    Speaking at the launch event, Xu Yin, president of MG Sales (Thailand) and vice president of SAIC Motor-CP, said the company aims to set new standards for EVs in the Thai auto market and redefine the driving experience, as both objectives play essential roles in growth.

    Xu said MG seeks to collaborate with stakeholders in Thailand to elevate the nation’s fast-growing auto industry to the global stage while advancing sustainability by introducing customer-focused innovations and technologies.

    Since entering the Thai market in 2013, SAIC Motor-CP, a joint venture between Shanghai Automotive Industry Corporation (SAIC) and Charoen Pokphand Group (CP), has achieved accumulated sales of 220,000 units. The company has also shipped 32,000 units manufactured in Thailand across the region.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump’s tariff escalation sparks global concern

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Customers shop at a Target store in Rosemead, Los Angeles County, California, the United States, on March 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariff strategy, including a universal steel and aluminum tariff of 25 percent and global reciprocal tariffs starting from April 2, has sparked widespread concern over its economic impact both domestically and globally.

    A poll published by The Guardian on Monday showed that 72 percent of Americans are worried about tariffs, up from 61 percent in January.

    The economic uncertainty is reflected across political lines, with 90 percent of Democrats and 57 percent of Republicans expressing concern. Many fear long-term damage, with 66 percent of Americans believing that the U.S. economy will take years to recover from Trump’s tariffs, the survey shows.

    “There’s growing concern that tariffs could have a lasting and unknowable impact on the economy, regardless of whether they’re walked back soon or not,” said John Gerzema, CEO of Harris Poll.

    Economist Kimberly Clausing said in a recent interview with The New York Times that high tariffs could reduce imports, harm U.S. production and cost jobs, calling the moves a “good starting point” of the goal to “weaken America’s position in the world.”

    According to a recent estimate from the National Association of Home Builders, the rising costs of construction materials, including lumber, aluminum and steel, could add 9,200 U.S. dollars in costs for a typical home.

    “Builders continue to face elevated building material costs that are exacerbated by tariff issues, as well as other supply-side challenges that include labor and lot shortages,” said Buddy Hughes, chairman of the association.

    The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development released a report on Monday, suggesting Trump’s escalating trade tariffs will hit world growth and raise inflation.

    Global economic growth would slow from 3.2 percent in 2024 to 3.1 percent in 2025, largely as a result of the trade tensions, said the organization.

    In Canada, the U.S. tariffs have been met with a wave of patriotism, with some consumers and businesses boycotting American products.

    “Right now, I’m a little angry. I don’t want to invest in American companies,” Joanna Goodman, owner of Au Lit Fine Linens, a Toronto-based bedding and nightwear company, told the BBC on Monday.

    “It’s about having your eggs in one basket. And right now, that basket is very reckless and very precarious,” Goodman said, referring to Canada’s long-time economic dependence on the United States.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Shanghai Fashion Week promises fusion of tradition, technology, creativity

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    As the AW 2025 Shanghai Fashion Week prepares to kick off on March 25, Chinese ethnic fashion brand EP Yaying is gearing up for the opening show.

    Established in 1988, EP Yaying will showcase a collection that draws inspiration from intangible cultural heritage, blending it with cutting-edge technology to narrate a Chinese fashion story.

    Zhang Huaming, chairman of EP Yaying Fashion Group, highlighted the brand’s dedication to exploring traditional Chinese attire and the diverse clothing cultures of various ethnic groups to fuel their creative endeavors. By carefully selecting materials such as Tibetan yak wool from the Tibetan Plateau and top-grade cashmere from Inner Mongolia’s Alashan Plateau, EP Yaying aims to bridge the gap between the East and West, sharing rare materials and profound ethnic cultural narratives from China with a global audience.

    The fashion week will also feature a collaboration by Disney China and 10 local brands on March 27 to present a themed show titled “Toy Story: 30 Years and Beyond”. The collaboration will feature nearly 200 pieces, including 64 fashion looks and nine jewelry designs, marking the first-ever fashion presentation inspired by Toy Story, the iconic computer-animated feature film that revolutionized the industry three decades ago.

    Alex Lin, vice-president of regional merchandising and product design at The Walt Disney Company, APAC, expressed enthusiasm about the collaboration, citing Disney’s longstanding relationship with Shanghai Fashion Week and the opportunity to celebrate Toy Story’s 30th anniversary on a global scale.

    Following the fashion extravaganza, sportswear giant Nike will close the AW 2025 Shanghai Fashion Week with the “Victory Lap” show on April 1, inspired by female athletes in track and field.

    Dong Tao, senior director of women’s marketing in Greater China at Nike, stressed the brand’s commitment to pushing the boundaries of sports fashion through innovative design and cross-industry collaborations, aiming to showcase a diverse expression of sportswear to a broader audience and industry professionals.

    Adding an olfactory dimension to the fashion spectacle, Notes Shanghai, a concurrent fragrance event, will provide a platform for in-depth exchanges and collaborations between the perfume industry and the fashion sector.

    Wu Yue, the founder of Notes Shanghai, emphasized the unique sensory experiences offered by fashion and perfume, noting that both play crucial roles in shaping personal style. The event will shine a spotlight on artistic niche commercial brands, featuring a balanced mix of domestic and international participants, further enriching the sensory tapestry of Shanghai Fashion Week.

    The 2025 MODE exhibition will also kick off at United Centre from March 25 to 29, attracting over 200 brands and enterprises, with overseas brands making up more than 50 percent.

    African luxury brands will debut collectively at the MODE for the first time, promoting the African brands to the local market while MIK Fashion will bring 12 Korean brands to showcase K-Fashion.

    M SPACE forum will discuss cutting-edge topics such as artificial intelligence technology, the dissemination of intangible cultural heritage of ethnic minorities, fragrance and fashion, and the dynamic aspects of Africa into the discourse for the first time.

    In the realm of sustainability, Ulio Sustainability Space creates a sustainable product exhibition, showcasing bio-based materials, wearable ceramics and recycled footwear.

    The Sustasia Fashion Prize, the first in Asia to focus on sustainable innovation, co-launched by the Shanghai Fashion Designs Association and the yehyehyeh Innovation Community, will host its final competition and awards ceremony during Fashion Week.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Arrests made following early morning burglaries in Rangiora

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    Attributable to Senior Sergeant Stephen McDaniel:

    The quick work of Police staff has led to the apprehension of three young people following a string of offences in Rangiora this morning.

    Alarm activations, the proactive work of officers on the ground in Rangiora, and proactive reporting led to the arrests following three commercial burglaries on High Street, and Ashley Street.

    Police were called to action after a patrol unit conducting proactive patrols in Rangiora saw the fog cannon of a phone store had been activated on Ashley Street around 4:10am.

    Following this sighting, Police were notified of two further burglaries after two more store alarms were activated, including a fog cannon at one of the stores. 

    A vehicle was seen leaving from near one of the stores in the Rangiora CBD, however, was not pursued and was subsequently located abandoned outside another store.

    Later this morning, a vehicle freshly reported stolen was seen driving on Ohoka Road and signalled to stop, however the driver failed to do so and continued onto Williams Street. A pursuit was not initiated.

    Around 4:40am Police came across the vehicle crashed on Main North Road near Doubledays Road, Kaiapoi.

    As a precaution, the three occupants were checked over by ambulance staff, but they were uninjured.

    All three young people were well known to Police. They have been remanded in custody and are due to reappear in the Christchurch Youth Court on charges including failing to stop, unlawfully getting into a vehicle, and burglary.

    This behaviour is understandably frustrating for business owners and residents in our community. We are glad to have held these offenders accountable almost immediately after the offences were reported.

    Police continue to encourage the community to report suspicious behaviour by calling 111 if it is happening now, or 105 if it is after the fact.

    ENDS

    Issued by Polcie Media Centre 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Beefing up central Queensland’s road network

    Source: Australian Ministers 1

    The Albanese Labor Government tomorrow will announce the release of $38 million to get started on the early works package for the Central Queensland Beef Roads project. 

    The Central Queensland Beef Roads is a strategic road network that covers 218,000 square kilometres and supports the movement of around $1.7 billion in freight and agricultural produce – in particular Australian beef – each year from inland areas to saleyards, processing facilities and ports across the region.

    The network also supports other industries such as tourism, critical minerals and renewable energy.

    The $500 million project is being jointly funded by the Australian and Queensland Governments, with Australian Government contributing $400 million, and the Queensland Government contributing the remaining $100 million.

    The early works package has been identified in partnership with local councils and industry stakeholders. 

    Projects selected will address immediate needs by sealing and widening sections of the network to provide all-weather access, improve productivity and safety. 

    This will have significant benefits for all road users, especially our freight drivers.  

    The early works package includes the following projects:

    • Upgrade 2.7 kilometres of Clermont-Alpha Road East
    • Upgrade 3.0 kilometres of Clermont-Alpha Road West
    • Upgrade 4.8 kilometres of Fitzroy Developmental Road
    • Upgrade 5.7 kilometres of Alpha-Tambo Road
    • Upgrade 7.6 kilometres of May Downs Road

    Construction on the early works package is expected to commence in mid-2025 and will be completed by mid-2027.

    Today’s announcement reveals the Commonwealth’s contribution is flowing. 

    A 10-year investment strategy is being developed for the Beef Roads project that will identify short, medium and long-term priorities and guide future investment decisions in consultation with local councils, industry stakeholders and the Queensland Government.

    The investment strategy is expected to be completed in mid-2025.

    Quotes from Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Catherine King: 

    “Queensland’s beef roads are as essential to the state as the cattle industry itself, which is why we’re getting on with delivering these critical upgrades. 

    “We know there is still work to do, but this first set of projects will make the roads wider, smoother and above all, safer for all road users.  

    “This is good for our nation’s freight productivity, good for central Queenslanders,  and good for our truckies who use these roads every day.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Flooding in the Sahara, Amazon tributaries drying and warming tipping over 1.5°C – 2024 broke all the wrong records

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew King, Associate Professor in Climate Science, ARC Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather, The University of Melbourne

    Climate change is the most pressing problem humanity will face this century. Tracking how the climate is actually changing has never been more critical.

    Today, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) published its annual State of the Climate report, which found heat records kept being broken in 2024. It’s likely 2024 was the first year to be more than 1.5°C above the Earth’s pre-industrial average temperature. In 2024, levels of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere hit the highest point in the last 800,000 years.

    The combination of heat and unchecked emissions, the organisation points out, had serious consequences. Attribution studies found a link between climate change and disasters such as Hurricane Helene, which left a trail of destruction in the southeastern United States, and the unprecedented flooding in Africa’s arid Sahel region.

    Slowing these increasingly dangerous changes to Earth’s climate will require a rapid shift from fossil fuels to clean energy.

    The record heat of 2024

    From the North Pole to the South Pole, the oceans and our land masses, the report catalogues alarm bells ringing ever louder for Earth’s vital signs.

    Steadily rising global average temperatures show us the influence of the extra heat we are trapping by emitting greenhouse gases. The ten warmest years on record have all happened in the past ten years.

    The report shows 2024 was the warmest year since comprehensive global records began 175 years ago. The planet was an estimated 1.55°C (plus or minus 0.13°C) warmer than it was between 1850 and 1900.

    Together, 2023 and 2024 marked a jump in global mean temperature from previous years. There was a jump of about 0.15°C between the previous record year (2016 or 2020 depending on the dataset) and 2023. Last year was even warmer – about 0.1°C above 2023.

    Last year was the first year the planet was likely more than 1.5°C above pre-industrial levels. This doesn’t mean we have broken the 2015 Paris Agreement goal of holding warming under 1.5°C – temperatures would need to be sustained over a number of years to formally lose that fight. But it’s not good news.

    There are a few extra factors at play in this record-breaking global temperature, including an El Niño event boosting eastern Pacific Ocean temperatures in the first part of 2024, falling pollution from shipping leading to less cloud over the ocean, and a more active sun as well.

    Researchers are hard at work unpicking why the Earth’s average temperature jumped in 2023 and 2024. But it is clear the 2024 record-breaking warmth and most other damning statistics in the report would not have occurred if it wasn’t for human-induced climate change.

    Much of the Northern Hemisphere was more than 2°C warmer in 2024 than 1951-1980 levels and many equatorial areas saw new annual temperature records.
    NASA GISS, CC BY-NC-ND

    Carbon dioxide up, glacial melt up, sea ice down

    It’s not just global temperatures breaking records.

    Carbon dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere reached 427 parts per million last year. Sea level rise has accelerated and is now about 11 centimetres above early 1990s levels, and the oceans are at their highest temperatures on record.

    Seasonal sea-ice in the Arctic and around Antarctica shrank to low levels (albeit short of record lows) in 2024, while preliminary data shows glacial melt and ocean acidification continued at a rapid pace.

    Almost all parts of the world were much warmer in 2024 than even recent averages (1991–2020) and much of the tropics experienced record heat.

    From cyclones to heatwaves, another year of extreme events

    In the English-speaking media, extreme events affecting North America, Europe and Australia are well covered, such as the devastating Hurricane Helene in the US and the lethal flash flooding in Spain.

    By contrast, extreme weather and its fallout in Africa, South America and Southeast Asia get less coverage.

    In September 2024, Super Typhoon Yagi killed hundreds and caused widespread damage through the Philippines, China and Vietnam. Later in the year, Cyclone Chido struck Mayotte and Mozambique causing more than 100,000 people to be displaced. Hundreds died in Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan due to spring floods following an unusual cold wave.

    Unusual flooding hit parts of the arid Sahel and even the Sahara Desert. Meanwhile the worst drought in a century hit southern Africa, devastating small farmers and leading to rising hunger.

    Much of South and Central America was hit by significant drought. Huge tributaries to the Amazon River all but dried up for the first time on record. Severe summer heat hit much of the Northern Hemisphere, while more than 1,300 pilgrims died during the Hajj pilgrimage in Mecca as heat and humidity pushed past survivable limits.

    Globally, extreme weather forced more people from their homes than any other year since 2008, which had widespread floods and fires.

    Did climate change play a role in these extreme events? The answer ranges from a resounding yes in some cases to a likely small role in others.

    Scientists at World Weather Attribution found the fingerprints of climate change in Hurricane Helene’s large-scale rain and winds as well as the flooding rains in the eastern Sahel.

    Paying the price for decades of inaction

    This report is a dire score card. The numbers are sobering, scary but sadly, not surprising.

    We have known the basic mechanism by which greenhouse gases warm the planet for over 100 years. The science behind climate change has been around a long time.

    But our response is still not up to the task.

    Currently, our activities are producing ever more greenhouse gas emissions, trapping more heat and causing more and more problems for people and the planet. Every fraction of a degree of global warming matters. The damage done will keep worsening until we end our reliance on fossil fuels and reach net zero.

    Andrew King receives funding from the ARC Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather and the National Environmental Science Program.

    Linden Ashcroft has received funding from the Australian Research Council and is affiliated with the ARC Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather

    – ref. Flooding in the Sahara, Amazon tributaries drying and warming tipping over 1.5°C – 2024 broke all the wrong records – https://theconversation.com/flooding-in-the-sahara-amazon-tributaries-drying-and-warming-tipping-over-1-5-c-2024-broke-all-the-wrong-records-252490

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Universities – Preparing for catastrophic fire danger days a challenge for many older Australians – Flinders University

    Source: Flinders University

    Most older Australians recently surveyed by Flinders University would not follow the Country Fire Services’ advice regarding catastrophic fire danger days.

    “With bushfires expected to become more frequent, severe, and destructive in residential areas, preparation is crucial for saving lives and reducing financial losses,” says report lead researcher Professor Beverley Clarke, a geographer in the College of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences.

    “Older Australians have unique challenges in disaster preparedness due to potential mobility or health issues and limited familiarity with digital emergency communication tools.

    “However, our study also found that many older Australians also possess strong community ties and historical knowledge of past bushfire events, which greatly impacts how they understand and respond to the advice.”

    Looking to understand their preparedness for a bushfire and responses to early warning messages, the researchers interviewed 61 older residents in three high-risk regions in South Australia – the Adelaide Hills, the Coorong, and the Yorke Peninsula – as well as aged care service providers and emergency responders.

    “On catastrophic fire days, emergency services advise that the safest option is to leave the threatened region in advance, either the night before or early in the morning, but only 10 percent of those we spoke to indicated they would heed that advice,” says report co-author Professor Kirstin Ross, a professor of environmental health in the College of Science and Engineering.

    “Many indicated they planned to stay until the fire posed an immediate threat, citing the desire to protect their home, uncertainty about evacuation destinations and logistical difficulties such as pets and mobility issues as reasons to stay.

    “Warning fatigue from past alerts that did not result in fires was also highlighted as a reason to delay evacuations.”

    The study found the few participants who did express willingness to leave early were influenced by adequate insurance coverage, personal experience with bushfires, exposure to compelling survivor testimonies, recognition of personal physical limitations, or, access to clear and practical information.

    A significant gender divide also emerged, with women more inclined to evacuate early, while men were more committed to staying and defending their property.

    The researchers also investigated residents’ bushfire action plans, finding while most had some kind of plan very few had a written plan.

    Several factors prevented the formulation of written plans including challenges accessing electronic communication, such as limited internet access or outdated devices, and limited recall of where to access emergency service information.

    “Many participants found bushfire preparedness information overwhelming and confusing, or found the generalised nature of the messaging not resonating with them,” says sociologist Dr Zoei Sutton, another researcher involved in the study in the College of Humanities and Social Sciences.

    “Yorke Peninsula participants in particular highlighted they did not have a clear, reliable safer place to evacuate to on a catastrophic fire danger day, adding to the complexity of their planning.”

    Many residents said they relied on informal networks such as family and community members for guidance and decision-making around when to leave ahead of a bushfire.

    The researchers say their report highlights the need for more tailored bushfire preparedness messaging that takes into account differing geographic and social factors.

    “Older Australians have a wealth of knowledge and much experience to offer. If we involve them in production of messaging it may resonate better with them, and we may see more older residents heed warnings and leave bushfire prone locations much earlier on catastrophic fire danger days,” says Professor Clarke.

    “Australia’s population is ageing, and the risk of bushfires is increasing. It is important vulnerable members of the community have access to meaningful messaging that is clear, practical and engaging. This will improve bushfire resilience that will ultimately save lives.”

    The team was assisted by South Australia’s Country Fire Service to undertake the research.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Reception for Community Networks Wellington

    Source: New Zealand Governor General

    E nga rau rangatira mā, e huihui mai i tēnei ra, tēnei aku mihi mahana ki a koutou. Nau mai, haere mai ki Te Whare o Te Kawana Tianara o Te Whanganui-a-Tara. Kia ora mai tātou katoa.

    I’d like to begin by specifically acknowledging: Her Worship Tory Whanau, Mayor of Wellington; Diana Wolken, Chair of the Executive Committee of Community Networks Wellington; Debbie Delaney, Coordinator of Community Networks Wellington; and Theresa Hall, Maddie Clark, and Amanda Ashby, Executive Committee.

    And to all our distinguished guests here this morning, including of course, members of Wellington’s community and social sector – tēnā koutou katoa. As Governor-General, I’m delighted to have this opportunity to acknowledge the powerful and important work that each of you do in support of the Wellington, Hutt Valley, and Porirua communities.

    I wish to firstly acknowledge what a difficult time this must be for many of you here this morning, as well as the organisations you represent – knowing, as I do, the enormous financial hardships being experienced by community sector providers and families throughout the country. However, I also acknowledge that your work could not be more important, and I commend each of you for remaining steadfast in your support of those members of our society who find themselves cut off, in crisis, and – so often – with nowhere else to turn.

    Having spent much of my own life and career advocating for the wellbeing of tamariki and whānau, I understand the importance of the community and social sector for maintaining the fabric of our communities – and I know that your work is all the more impactful, when it is done in close connection with those who share your values and objectives. As the whakataukī says: ‘Waiho i te toipoto, kaua i te toiroa. Let us keep close together, not far apart.’

    Last year, Dr Davies and I visited the Hawkes’ Bay and Tairāwhiti regions, to see how those communities were recovering following Cyclone Gabrielle. The theme that we encountered again and again, was how essential local organisations had been in supporting whānau in their recovery – and the better-connected those organisations were, both with each other, and into their communities, the more effective they could be in supporting families through that time of such terrible devastation and loss.

    I wish to acknowledge Community Networks Wellington specifically, for bringing together this group here today, whose work so often goes unacknowledged. I also wish to recognise your own work in supporting this sector, so integral to the wellbeing of our society. By providing such an active and effective platform for local charities and community groups to come together, you give your member organisations new avenues, invaluable insights, and powerful means for supporting the needs of those they serve.

    It was St Francis of Assisi who said: ‘Remember, when you leave this earth, you can take with you nothing that you have received, only what you have given: a full heart, enriched by honest service, love, sacrifice, and courage.’ As Governor-General, on behalf of all New Zealanders, I wish to thank everyone here this morning – for all that you do and that you give in support of those most vulnerable and marginalised members of our society.

    I wish finally to offer my most heartfelt encouragement: please, keep going. Your work remains so acutely important, and I have no doubt of the great positive impact you are having, and the comfort you are providing to so many. I invite you to please enjoy the hospitality of this House – and I wish you all the very best in your ongoing work across our communities.

    Kia ora huihui tātou katoa.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police on the scent in Flat Bush

    Source: New Zealand Police (National News)

    A vehicle of interest to Police in the Flat Bush area has been located with drugs, cash, and offensive weapons.

    Police approached the vehicle parked up on Murphys Road on Tuesday afternoon.

    Inspector Rakana Cook, Counties Manukau East Area Prevention Manager says officers approached the vehicle to speak with the driver.

    “On approach, a strong odour of cannabis reeked from the vehicle,” he says.

    “A search of the vehicle was invoked which located cannabis divvyed up into eight bags.”

    At the same time a large knife was located on the driver’s side of the vehicle, invoking a further search for offensive weapons.

    “Police located another large knife in the vehicle as well as a wooden baseball bat and around $1500 in cash.”

    Around 139 grams of cannabis was located. The 20-year-old man was arrested by Police.

    Inspector Cook says he faces charges of possession of cannabis for supply and possession of an offensive weapon.

    “Our Area Prevention Unit are continuing to do great work in targeting and preventing harm in the Flat Bush community,” he says.

    “It’s the second discovery of bagged up cannabis in a vehicle travelling through our area this week.”

    Police continue to encourage the community to report suspicious activity in their area by calling 111.

    ENDS.

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Over 10 Years of Fujisawa Sustainable Smart Town: Opening Up New Possibilities Towards the Future

    Source: Panasonic

    Headline: Over 10 Years of Fujisawa Sustainable Smart Town: Opening Up New Possibilities Towards the Future

    For more than a decade, since its grand opening in 2014, Fujisawa Sustainable Smart Town (Fujisawa SST) has embodied a bold vision for life-centered, eco-conscious modern living. Presently some 2,000 people live in 566 smart town dwellings.
    Designed as a model for the cities of the future, it integrates sustainability, resilience, and well-being into every aspect of daily life. By combining smart technologies, renewable energy, and community-driven initiatives, Fujisawa SST creates an efficient resident-focused environment that sets a new standard for sustainable residential development.
    At the heart of Fujisawa SST is co-creation, where stakeholders actively shape the town’s evolution. From advanced mobility systems and sustainable solutions to wellness infrastructure, the town continuously refines how cutting-edge technology supports community values. This dynamic approach has made Fujisawa SST a real-world testing ground for future urban solutions, allowing it to scale innovations that enhance residents’ lives and serve as a blueprint for cities worldwide.

    A Demonstration of Smart City Excellence

    Since its opening, Fujisawa SST has successfully achieved its initial goals, fostering an expanding ecosystem of co-creation initiatives. The town has met its original environmental targets by reducing CO2 emissions by 70% (compared to 1990 levels) and household water consumption by 30% (compared to the 2006 standard of household equipment), while also achieving a renewable energy utilization rate of over 30% as part of its energy goals. Additionally, as part of its safety and security objectives, it has secured lifeline infrastructure for three days in case of emergencies.
    Co-creation activities such as community building and business incubation have also expanded, with over 100 demonstration experiments and marketing initiatives, including mobility solutions, and 10 successful business ventures emerging from the project.
    As a result, Fujisawa SST has earned high recognition as one of Japan’s leading real-world smart towns. It has received numerous domestic and international awards, and to date, has welcomed more than 41,000 visitors from 60 countries on study tours.
    “From the very beginning, our approach wasn’t just about closing down a former factory site—it was about creating a new town and finding a fresh way to contribute to the local community,” explains Fujisawa SST Project Leader, Harumi Tanaka, Manager of Smart City Group, Business Solutions Division, Panasonic Operational Excellence Co., Ltd. “By incorporating environmental initiatives and cutting-edge technology demonstrations, we’ve attracted visitors not only from across Japan but from around the world. It’s exciting to see our vision for a sustainable and innovative town being recognized and appreciated.”

    Expanding Renewable Energy and Circular Living

    As Fujisawa SST enters its next phase of development, environmental sustainability remains a top priority. By 2034, the town aims to reduce CO2 emissions by 50% compared to 2020 levels, with over 60% of its renewable energy self-consumption rate striving towards the goal of producing and consuming energy at home. To achieve this, the town is continuously evolving its energy infrastructure, enhancing solar power networks, and adopting next-generation energy storage technologies and energy saving solutions.
    One promising initiative in this transition is the deployment of Glass-based Perovskite Photovoltaic, which tested in a model home up to March of 2025. This next-generation photovoltaic offers not only high efficiency, but also flexibility in size, transmittance, and design, allowing for customization according to specific requirements, enabling power generation in places where conventional solar cells cannot be installed and making them ideal for urban environments. This so-called “energy-generating glass” aims to harmonize urban aesthetics with renewable energy generation, contributing to CO2 reduction and power resilience. By advancing such original technologies, Panasonic seeks to expand practical applications and drive the future of sustainable cityscapes.
    Another pillar of the town’s sustainability vision is the Circular Town Project, which focuses on optimizing resource use and minimizing waste. Its goal is to analyze material flows within the community and identify ways to improve recycling efficiency and reduce raw materials consumption. For example, excess renewable energy generated by homes can be shared with town facilities, ensuring a balanced and consistent supply. Additionally, local businesses and residents can actively participate in reuse initiatives, fostering a circular economy that prioritizes sustainability.
    Meanwhile, all single-family homes are equipped with a Home Energy Management System (HEMS), ensuring power and hot water supply through solar power and ENE-FARM (energy farming) systems in emergencies. Energy usage data collected via integrated HEMS in detached homes will not only help visualize the town’s environmental goals but also allow analysis of data tied to household demographics. This data-driven approach enables Fujisawa SST to evolve dynamically, ensuring a smarter, more resilient urban environment tailored to the needs of its residents.

    Innovations in Disaster Resilience

    Fujisawa SST was designed with resilience at its core, integrating advanced infrastructure and smart technologies to ensure stability in emergencies. The town’s disaster-resistant features include underground power and communication lines, earthquake-resistant gas pipelines, and decentralized energy systems that maintain reliable operations even during crises. Buildings incorporate passive design elements that enhance structural integrity while optimizing energy efficiency.
    To further strengthen preparedness, Fujisawa SST looks ahead to leveraging digital twin simulations to enhance disaster response strategies. Such real-time virtual models can allow authorities to simulate emergency scenarios, optimize evacuation plans, and improve coordination. Additionally, interactive drills and training sessions will ensure the community stays well-prepared and ready to respond effectively in times of crisis.
    Energy security is a key pillar of the town’s resilience strategy. The expansion of emergency energy storage solutions, including community power banks that store excess solar energy, will ensure a stable power supply during outages. AI-equipped drones will also be deployed for continuous risk management, monitoring environmental conditions, and optimizing crisis management efforts.
    In the event of a disaster, Fujisawa SST is designed to remain self-sufficient. The town will sustain three days of uninterrupted essential services and maintain a seven-day stockpile of food and water, ensuring the well-being of its residents. By prioritizing self-sufficiency and proactive crisis management, Fujisawa SST sets a new standard for disaster-resilient smart cities.

    Blending Smart Mobility with Community Well-Being

    Fujisawa SST is dedicated to enhancing residents’ well-being by integrating smart solutions that promote health, community engagement, and sustainable mobility under the theme, “fostering life skills from ages 0 to 100 and beyond.” The Park Wellstate Shonan senior residence features AI-assisted healthcare monitoring to assist a resident’s daily routines while ensuring safety and independence. Complementing this, the Wellness Square serves as a multi-functional hub, combining serviced housing for seniors with pharmacy, nursery, and cram school, creating an intergenerational space that fosters health, welfare, and lifelong learning.
    Active lifestyles and recreation also play a vital role in Fujisawa SST’s vision. The Mizuno Sports Plaza offers interactive wellness programs and community sports initiatives, encouraging residents of all ages to stay active while building social connections.
    Beyond physical health, social and cultural engagement are central to the town’s identity. Fujisawa SST hosts regular workshops, arts and culture festivals, and technology showcases, bringing together residents and external collaborators. Programs like the Fujisawa Town Parent Project empower locals to organize events that welcome neighboring communities and deepen their connection to the town.  
    The town is also reshaping urban mobility to make daily life more convenient and sustainable. Electric vehicle-sharing services, AI-powered route optimization, and pedestrian-friendly urban design are reducing congestion and improving accessibility, while also participating in Japan’s first demonstration experiment of simultaneous operation of 10 remotely operated small vehicles in multiple areas as an operation center and driving implementation site. Looking ahead, Fujisawa SST plans to pilot low-speed electric transport for short distances and drone-assisted delivery services, further enhancing urban mobility.     
    By integrating smart health services, active lifestyle programs, cultural initiatives, and sustainable transportation, Fujisawa SST continues to set new standards for community well-being in the cities of tomorrow.

    Expanding the Smart City Vision Beyond Borders

    As Fujisawa SST celebrates its 10th anniversary, it stands as a global model for sustainable city planning. Over the past decade, the town has demonstrated how smart technologies, community-driven initiatives, and resilient infrastructure can create a thriving, future-ready urban environment.
    With ambitious targets for carbon neutrality, disaster preparedness, and enhanced well-being, Fujisawa SST continues to push the boundaries of what a smart city can achieve.
    Looking ahead, the next phase of Fujisawa SST’s evolution will focus on scaling its innovative urban solutions beyond its current boundaries. By refining its smart city model and collaborating with new partners, the town aims to establish a replicable framework for sustainable urban development that can inspire communities worldwide.
    “With the opening of a residence for active seniors and a sports facility on October 1, 2024, we have completed the first chapter of Fujisawa SST’s development,” says Harumi Tanaka. “Now, as we enter the second chapter, we have restructured into the Fujisawa SST Consortium, welcoming new companies and organizations to further drive innovation.” 
    Beyond physical development, Tanaka’s group is focusing on enhancing the community experience by integrating new perspectives such as resource circulation and well-being. “With Environment, Safety and Security, and Health and Connection as our core themes, we are evolving our town services—including energy, security, mobility, wellness, and community—to expand and enrich Fujisawa SST for the future.”

    Related Articles

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI China: Mi-8 helicopter crashes in Russia’s Leningrad region

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    A Mi-28 helicopter crashed Tuesday during a planned training flight over Russia’s Leningrad region, killing the crew onboard, local media reported, citing the Russian Defense Ministry.

    The helicopter, which was not carrying ammunition, crashed in an uninhabited area, the defense ministry was quoted as saying. The cause of the crash was not specified.

    Search and rescue teams are currently working at the scene, according to the ministry. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: ICYMI: Senator Baldwin Continues “Hands Off Medicaid Tour” in Eau Claire

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wisconsin Tammy Baldwin
    EAU CLAIRE, WI – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Baldwin (D-WI) continued her “Hands Off Medicaid Tour” in Eau Claire, calling out President Donald Trump and Congressional Republicans’ plan to slash Medicaid to pay for tax cuts for the wealthy. In Eau Claire, Senator Baldwin was joined by Wisconsinites who shared their stories about how Medicaid helps them and their families afford the care they need to stay healthy. About 152,900 Wisconsinites in Western Wisconsin – or Wisconsin’s 3rd Congressional District – utilize Medicaid for health care, including 21,600 seniors and 50,000 children.
    “Republicans are planning to terminate health care for our neighbors, friends, and loved ones on Medicaid – all to make room in the budget for new tax breaks for big corporations and the wealthiest. In Western Wisconsin, over 150,000 Wisconsinites’ care would be in jeopardy, from low-income children to seniors in nursing homes,” said Senator Baldwin. “Today, I was in Eau Claire to hear exactly what taking away this lifeline would mean for Wisconsinites and send the message loudly and clearly: Hands off Medicaid.”
    Senator Baldwin was joined by the following Wisconsinites who shared their stories and appealed to Congressional Republicans to stop their efforts to terminate the health care that keeps them and their families well:
    Adam and Janice Wojak – Fall Creek, WI – Adam and Janice shared the story of their son Chase who was diagnosed with autism at around three years old and uses Wisconsin’s Medicaid programs, which allows him to live at home under the care of his parents rather than in an institutional setting.
    Sharen Warden – Eleva, WI – Sharen shared that her husband is at an assisted living facility after he suffered a massive stroke, and relies on Medicaid. She shared she isn’t sure what they would do without Medicaid.
    Sandra Dye – Eau Claire, WI – Sandra’s son is 30 years old and has been suffering from chronic migraines since he was eight. Medicaid has made it possible for him to get the care that he needs to continue fighting for relief from his symptoms.
    Sharon Dillon – Eau Claire, WI – Sharon cannot afford medications for her chronic illnesses without Medicaid. She also has two adult children with autism that utilize Medicaid for care.
    Republicans are planning deep cuts to Medicaid that will jeopardize the coverage of 72 million Americans. In Wisconsin, over 1.2 million are enrolled in Medicaid. About 1 in 3 children in both Wisconsin’s rural and metro communities have Medicaid coverage. More than 300,000 kids under age 19 are members of BadgerCare Plus or another Wisconsin Medicaid program.
    Across the country, Medicaid covers nearly half of all children, 31.5 million, over 8.3 million seniors, and around 15 million people with disabilities. Medicaid also pays for 6 out of 10 residents in nursing homes, with 5.6 million Americans counting on Medicaid for their long-term care bills and Medicaid paying for over half of long-term care in the United States. Severe cuts to Medicaid will also jeopardize rural hospitals and clinics’ ability to keep their doors open. Over 12 million rural Americans rely on Medicaid for health care.
    The next stops of the “Hands Off Medicaid Tour” include:
    Madison and Racine on Thursday, March 20, 2025
    Waukesha on Friday, March 21, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump-Putin ceasefire conversation shows no initial signs of bringing peace to Ukraine

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By James Horncastle, Assistant Professor and Edward and Emily McWhinney Professor in International Relations, Simon Fraser University

    Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to a proposal by United States President Donald Trump for Russia and Ukraine to stop attacking each other’s energy infrastructure for 30 days, according to statements by both the White House and the Kremlin.

    Yet within hours of a Trump-Putin phone call about a U.S. ceasefire proposal, Russia was reportedly attacking Ukrainian energy facilities again, leading Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accuse Putin of effectively rejecting the terms.

    The deal falls short of an unconditional 30-day ceasefire proposed by U.S. and Ukrainian officials earlier this month.

    In fact, Trump’s latest phone call with Putin seemingly didn’t amount to any substantive changes, except for an apparently short-lived Russian agreement to refrain from targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure — a concession that might actually benefit Russia.

    The winter, when Ukraine is most vulnerable to Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure, is almost done. Russia’s dependence on energy exports to support its war effort, however, remains constant, and any Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy facilities will be framed as a breach by Russian authorities.

    Russia exploiting Trump’s desire for peace at any cost will probably be an ongoing trend.

    Given the earlier proposal was highly vague, this leads to one conclusion. Russia is playing for time to maximize its negotiating position.

    Trump’s goal

    The U.S. is playing an important role in peace negotiations. Under former president Joe Biden, this was due to the fact that the U.S. provided Ukraine with arms and moral support.

    Like most aspects of American policy, however, Trump dramatically pivoted, even attacking Zelenskyy in an infamous White House meeting in February. Now Trump is seeking a ceasefire, no matter what form it takes, to build a reputation as a statesman and distract Americans from domestic policy issues.



    Read more:
    What the U.S. ceasefire proposal means for Ukraine, Russia, Europe – and Donald Trump

    This development places Zelenskyy in a political bind. The U.S. in the past provided most of the military aid to Ukraine and the relationship between the Ukrainian leader and Trump is acrimonious.

    As such, even if Zelenskyy doesn’t agree with American ceasefire proposals, he must give the appearance of agreement or risk permanently alienating the mercurial Trump. Putin, in the meantime, will exploit any Ukrainian-American tensions.

    Current military situation

    The first year of the current phase of the Ukraine-Russia war was marked by mobility as both Russia and Ukraine made considerable advances and counteroffensives.

    Since the start of 2023, however, the conflict is increasingly defined as a war of attrition and a stalemate.

    Many analysts argue that such a war favours Russia. Wars of attrition are defined by slow, grinding advances whereby large casualties are a necessary byproduct for success. Given Russia’s material and personnel advantages, it can afford to suffer higher casualties.

    For the past several months, Russian forces have been making slow, steady advances against Ukrainian positions. Russia has suffered significant casualties in these advances, and they may not be sustainable over the long term.

    Putin is gambling that Ukraine’s and the international community’s will to fight will be broken by the time this is an issue. Trump’s push for a ceasefire at any cost suggests Putin may have a point.

    Any immediate ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine would leave Ukraine occupying Russian soil in the Kursk region, which Russia cannot accept.

    Russia’s immediate goal

    Ukraine’s 2024 incursion into the Kursk region provided the country and its people with a necessary respite from the war of attrition. Ukrainian forces, attacking an under-defended and unprepared part of the Russian front line, made significant advances into Russia.

    Ukraine’s ability to maintain territory around Kursk has also proven to be an embarrassment for Putin and the Russian establishment.

    Putin recently said Russian forces encircled Ukrainian forces in the salient, although Ukraine denies it. Regardless of the statement’s validity, it speaks to the importance both parties attach to the battle.

    Russia’s reputation

    This issue highlights a particular problem for the Russian leadership. Russia has done its utmost to frame its so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine as a success. An example is Russia’s formal annexation of four Ukrainian areas in 2022, despite not actually possessing the territory at the time.

    Any perception of the invasion of Ukraine as a failure is a non-starter for a Russian government concerned about its domestic standing.

    Ukraine possessing Russian territory, however, leads to questions in Russia about the war’s success. Ukraine, in exchange for relinquishing any Russian territory it seized during the war, would undoubtedly seek the return of Ukrainian territory.

    Russia has not even achieved its minimal goals of seizing the four Ukrainian regions it’s officially annexed. Therefore, it’s unlikely Putin would ever agree to the exchange of the territory it has actually already seized in exchange for the Kursk salient.

    Putin is following the Russian playbook of negotiating from strength. So long as Ukraine maintains Kursk, Russia will not negotiate in good faith.

    While Kursk is the most prominent area of Russia concern, there are other conditions that will become important in the future as Putin seeks to improve Russia’s negotiating position.

    It’s a lesson that Trump will soon learn, despite any and all efforts he or his administration make to frame things positively.

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

    – ref. Trump-Putin ceasefire conversation shows no initial signs of bringing peace to Ukraine – https://theconversation.com/trump-putin-ceasefire-conversation-shows-no-initial-signs-of-bringing-peace-to-ukraine-252368

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Exercise NZ – Midway Results: MPs Step Up in Fit 4 Office Challenge

    Source: Exercise NZ

    At the halfway mark of the Fit 4 Office (F4O) Challenge, New Zealand MPs from across the political spectrum are proving that even the busiest schedules can include time for movement. 

    With 11 MPs actively engaging in the challenge using Myzone heart rate monitors, the competition is heating up as they strive to lead by example and inspire Kiwis to prioritise physical activity.

    Exercise New Zealand (ExerciseNZ) launched the challenge on March 5, 2025, as a three-week initiative to promote regular movement while fostering a friendly competitive spirit among Members of Parliament. 

    Participants track their movement using Myzone wearable technology, aiming to accumulate 1,000 Myzone Effort Points (MEPs) by the challenge’s conclusion. 
    Myzone monitors record MEPs based on heart rate data, measuring effort rather than just steps or distance. This system ensures that all activity is fairly tracked, with points awarded based on the intensity of exercise rather than duration alone, making it an inclusive and motivating tool for participants of all fitness levels.

    At the halfway point, the top five participants have all soared past this milestone and look to be on the right path to hitting the 3,000 MEPs milestone if they maintain this effort.

    Standout Performers So Far
    As the competition reaches its midpoint, three MPs from three different political parties have distinguished themselves as frontrunners:

    Mark Mitchell (National) – 2169 MEPs
    Julie-Anne Genter (Greens) – 2036 MEPs
    Jan Tinetti (Labour) – 1848 MEPs

    ExerciseNZ CEO Richard Beddie acknowledges the commitment MPs are showing:
    “This challenge is not just about competition; it’s about demonstrating that movement matters. The participation of our MPs reinforces the importance of incorporating daily activity, no matter how demanding their roles are.”

    The Power of Movement
    Scientific research consistently highlights the benefits of regular physical activity, including:

    A 4% improvement in overall fitness with just 15 minutes of movement per day.
    A 12% boost in energy levels.
    An 8% increase in sleep quality.

    Long-term benefits include a longer life expectancy and reduced risk of serious conditions like cancer and dementia. Additionally, research from Deloitte has found that physical inactivity costs the New Zealand economy over $2.3 billion annually, including $650 million in increased healthcare costs.

    What’s Next?
    With one week remaining, MPs will continue their push towards gaining those ever so sought-after MEPs points while inspiring New Zealanders to add more movement to their day—whether through structured workouts, active transport, or taking the stairs instead of the elevator.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Death toll rises to 413 as Israeli airstrike continues

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Palestinians mourn for victims who were killed by Israeli airstrikes at a hospital in Gaza City on March 18, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The Palestinian death toll from the Israeli airstrikes on various places across the Gaza Strip early Tuesday morning has risen to 413, the Gaza-based health authorities said.

    In a press statement, the health authorities said that the ongoing Israeli attacks also injured at least 562 Palestinians.

    The statement added that a number of victims are still trapped under the rubble and efforts are underway to retrieve them.

    Meanwhile, the Israeli military and Shin Bet domestic intelligence agency said Tuesday afternoon that they were continuing to strike Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad targets across Gaza.

    “At this time, the IDF (Israel Defense Forces) and Shin Bet are striking terror targets throughout the Gaza Strip,” the military and Shin Bet said in a joint statement, adding that “the targets struck over the past few hours include terrorist cells, launch posts, weapons stockpiles, and additional military infrastructure.”

    Israel said it was resuming strikes because of Hamas’ repeated refusals to release its hostages and its rejection of all offers it received from the U.S. presidential envoy Steve Witkoff and mediators.

    Hamas accused Israel of violating the ceasefire that took effect on Jan. 19 and called on mediators to pressure Israel to halt the military campaign. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China makes progress in advancing sustainable development, human rights protection: experts

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

    China makes progress in advancing sustainable development, human rights protection: experts

    People taste grapes at a grape fair in Turpan, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Aug. 17, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    GENEVA, March 18 — China has made significant progress in pursuing sustainable development and human rights protection in recent years, experts said at a side event during the 58th session of the UN Human Rights Council on Monday.

    The event, titled “The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and Human Rights Protection,” was co-hosted by the China Society for Human Rights Studies and the China Foundation for Human Rights Development.

    Sun Meng, a professor at the Human Rights Institute of China University of Political Science and Law, emphasized China’s commitment to a path that integrates sustainable development with human rights protection.

    She added that China has always adhered to the development concept of innovation, coordination, greenness, openness and sharing, as well as the people-oriented development principle, and fully implemented the idea of human rights protection.

    Senior residents learn calligraphy at an elderly care center in Dongcheng District in Beijing, capital of China, Oct. 31, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Zhou Shaoqing, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, stated that one of the reasons behind the rise of ideologies and movements that severely impact social cohesion and even political stability worldwide is the extreme disparity in wealth and the high inequality of economic and social rights.

    He emphasized that China addresses this issue through relevant policies and legislation to ensure economic and social equality, with a particular focus on promoting equal development for ethnic minority regions and remote regions. China’s systematic policy framework, development priorities, and the goal of “common prosperity” provide valuable references for addressing global governance inequality, he added.

    Tang Yingxia, deputy director of Nankai University’s Human Rights Center, stated that human rights, climate change, and sustainable development are closely interconnected, and this intrinsic link calls for active measures at the national level.

    Women attend an event celebrating the International Women’s Day with their children at a kindergarten in Nanjing, east China’s Jiangsu Province, on March 7, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    She highlighted that China is addressing climate change by proposing and implementing its dual carbon goals to protect environmental rights. Furthermore, China has adopted relevant measures at various levels and achieved remarkable success in the development of a low-carbon economy.

    Da Lu, an associate professor from China’s Southwest University of Political Science and Law, noted that there are still many challenges ahead in achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. He called on the international community to adhere to the principles of consultation, joint construction and sharing, promote the building of a more just and reasonable international order, and inject more positive impetus into global development.

    This photo taken on Feb. 29, 2024 shows an exterior view of the United Nations (UN) Office in Geneva, Switzerland. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: How Jia Zhangke’s film Caught by the Tides uses 20 years of footage to capture a changing China

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Moran, Lecturer in the Department of English, Creative Writing and Film, University of Adelaide

    MK2 Films

    Chinese independent director Jia Zhangke’s new film Caught by the Tides, now in select Australian cinemas, provides a unique vision of China’s rapid social transformation in the 21st century.

    Using a combination of documentary footage and scenes shot by Jia over the past 20 years during the making of his earlier films, Caught by the Tides follows Qiaoqiao (Zhao Tao) and her boyfriend, small-time hustler Bin (Li Zhubin).

    Bin leaves their small town to make his fortune working on the Three Gorges Dam and Qiaoqiao goes to find him, taking her on a journey through the changing landscape of contemporary China.

    The film not only registers monumental changes, like the building of the dam, but the minutiae of everyday details from changing fashion to altered streetscapes.

    Jia’s film is a quiet and meditative affair which dwells on the passage of time in a fast-paced world. The film not only captures 20 years in a rapidly changing China, but also offers a reflection on Jia’s career as a filmmaker.

    Framing the provinces

    Jia was born in 1970. He grew up in the city of Fenyang, Shanxi province, and came of age during Deng Xiaoping’s economic liberalisation and “opening up” of the 1980s.

    He studied at the Beijing Film Academy before returning home to shoot his first feature Xiao Wu (Pickpocket) in 1997.

    The films he made in Shanxi – Xiao Wu, Platform (2000) and Unknown Pleasures (2002) – have been dubbed his “hometown trilogy”.

    Shanxi is known for its notoriously dangerous coal mining industry. Jia focused on the lives of those left behind by China’s “economic miracle” and life outside of the metropolis. His use of non-actors, preference for street shooting and slow minimalist style set his work apart from commercial Chinese cinema.

    The second film in the trilogy, Platform, includes a mesmerising performance from Zhao Tao, then an unknown actor who has since starred in all of Jia’s later films. Zhao and Jia were married in 2012. Zhao is a key artistic collaborator whose portrayal of strong female protagonists is central to all the director’s later work.

    Cinema and cultural memory

    Jia’s international breakthrough came with Still Life (2006), shot in the ancient area of Fengjie on the banks of the Yangtze while cities were being demolished and thousands displaced to make way for the Three Gorges Dam.

    Working on Still Life confirmed Jia’s belief in “cinema’s function as memory” which captures the present before it disappears. Still Life combined Jia’s early realist style with a new surreal approach, including a building taking off and a mysterious flying saucer zooming into the distance.

    To Jia, this blend of realism and surrealism is essential for portraying China’s rapid historical transformation. He says the speed of development in China “has had an unsettling surreal effect”.

    To represent this, he has experimented with all the possibilities of cinema blending documentary, fiction, animation, pop music, Chinese opera and digital images to create a stunning body of work.

    Caught by the tides of history

    Caught by the Tides continues Jia’s experimentation with cinema and history in his most ambitious work to date.

    Production was influenced by the COVID pandemic, when Jia was unable to start work on a new film. Instead, he began to review footage he and his director of photography Yu Lik-Wai had shot since 2001.

    Jia describes the process of reviewing the footage as “like time-travelling” as he returned to the beginning of the 21st century and his youth.

    The film is partly composed of a collage of documentary footage which Jia and his collaborators spent over two years editing. We see excitement in the streets when Beijing is announced as the host city of the 2008 Olympic Games, before cutting to a montage of young people dancing in strobe-lit underground nightclubs.

    This kaleidoscope of documentary footage is combined with scenes shot during the making of Jia’s earlier films. From this combination of archival footage featuring Jia’s regular stars Zhao and Li Zubin, a story emerges about China’s rapid change.

    Jia began work on Caught by the Tides during COVID.
    MK2 Films

    As Qiaoqiao guides the viewer through the chaotic transformations taking place in the country, there is something particularly arresting about seeing places and actors change before our very eyes.

    The final scenes, shot with modern digital cameras, have a sleek and cold aesthetic in contrast to the pixelated early footage. It is in part a reflection of Jia’s own melancholic view of historical change in which the past is forgotten, and the everyday lives of ordinary people disappear from view. Yet as a whole, the film suggests cinema can preserve the past and give dignity and beauty to everyday experiences.

    Caught By the Tides provides viewers with a refreshing glimpse of Chinese life from within. Cinema like Jia’s remains in a unique position to promote a more nuanced view of China’s complex and ever-evolving history.

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

    – ref. How Jia Zhangke’s film Caught by the Tides uses 20 years of footage to capture a changing China – https://theconversation.com/how-jia-zhangkes-film-caught-by-the-tides-uses-20-years-of-footage-to-capture-a-changing-china-252392

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Cardio and strength training boost health as you age. But don’t forget balance exercises to reduce your chance of falls

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anne Tiedemann, Professor of Physical Activity and Health, University of Sydney

    shurkin_son/Shutterstock

    We all recognise the benefits of regular aerobic or cardiovascular exercise to support our heart and lung health. Being active is also good for our social and mental health. And strength training promotes strong bones and muscles.

    But as we age, we also need to train our balance to avoid falls.

    Around one in three people aged 65 and over have a fall each year.

    Falls are a common cause of disability and loss of independence in older age and can lead to an older person moving from living independently into living in a residential aged care facility. More than 6,000 older Australians die each year from falls.

    But many falls are preventable. So exercise that targets balance and strength is crucial.

    How much do we need to do?

    International guidelines recommend all older people exercise to prevent falls, even if they’ve never fallen. Prevention is far better than cure.

    Other guidelines recommend people aged 65 and over do “functional balance and strength training” on three or more days a week, to improve their ability to do day-to-day activities, stay independent, and prevent falls.

    Since balance starts to decline at around age 50, it’s even better to start training balance before the age of 65.

    In order to increase our muscle strength, we need to progressively lift heavier weights. Similarly, to boost our balance, we need to practise activities that progressively challenge it. This improves our ability to stay steady in difficult situations and avoid falling.

    Functional training means doing a physical activity that imitates everyday activities, such as standing up out of a chair, or stepping onto a step.

    When you practise the everyday activities necessary for living independently, you improve your ability to perform them. This reduces the likelihood of falling when doing those activities, and therefore helps you maintain your independence for longer.

    What exercises can you do?

    The best exercises to challenge our balance system and reduce the risk of falling are performed while standing, rather than seated.

    For example, you can stand with your feet close together or on one leg (if it’s safe to do so) while also performing controlled upper-body movements, such as leaning and reaching. This is a functional balance exercise and it can be made progressively more challenging as your balance improves.

    Here are some exercises you can practise at home:

    Sit to stand

    Practise standing up from a seated position ten times every hour or so. See if you can do it without using your arms for support. To increase the balance challenge, place a cushion under the feet.

    Heel-raises

    Rise up onto your toes and hold the position for a few seconds. Hold on to a bench or wall for support if you need to but gradually remove the support as your balance improves. To increase the balance challenge, try doing this with your eyes closed.

    You can make heel-raises progressively harder.
    Mary Rice/Shutterstock

    Heel-toe walking

    Practise walking along an imaginary line, with one foot placed in front of the other. Hold on to a bench or wall for support if you need to but gradually remove the support as your balance improves.

    Stepping in different directions

    Practise quickly stepping forwards, sideways and backwards. Being able to move our feet quickly can help avoid a fall if you trip on something. If you are able, more challenging activities include stepping up or jumping onto a box.

    Squats and lunges

    Squats and lunges improve balance and leg strength. Add some hand weights to increase the challenge.

    Squats improve balance and leg strength.
    LightField Studios/Shutterstock

    These examples and others can be found on the Safe Exercise at Home website.

    Make it regular – and tailor it to your needs

    It’s important that balance challenging exercises are performed regularly, at least three times per week. The benefits of exercise are lost if you stop doing them, so ongoing practice is important.

    People of all abilities can safely undertake balance training exercise, however extra guidance and support is recommended for people who have physical limitations, are frail, or who are at a higher risk of falls.

    For younger or fitter people, agility activities such as rapid stepping, dancing and running are likely to improve co-ordination and balance too.

    So next time you are carrying out your exercise routine, ask yourself: what am I doing to improve my balance? Investing in balance training now can help you avoid falls, and lead to greater independence in older age.

    Anne Tiedemann receives research funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia and from the Medical Research Future Fund of Australia. She has voluntary roles with the World Falls Prevention Society and with the Australia and New Zealand Falls Prevention Society.

    Cathie Sherrington receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council and the Medical Research Future Fund of Australia. She has voluntary roles with the Australian and New Zealand Fall Prevention Society, the International Society for Physical Activity and Health, the International Society for Behavioural Nutrition and Physical Activity, the Fragility Fracture Network.

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

    – ref. Cardio and strength training boost health as you age. But don’t forget balance exercises to reduce your chance of falls – https://theconversation.com/cardio-and-strength-training-boost-health-as-you-age-but-dont-forget-balance-exercises-to-reduce-your-chance-of-falls-249375

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: UPDATE: Charges – Take or Interfere with protected wildlife – Knuckey Lagoon

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force has charged a 19-year-old male with property offences and Interfere with protected wildlife following an unlawful entry in Knuckey Lagoon last Friday.

    Yesterday about 2:15pm, Strike Force Trident and Dog Operations Unit members tracked down the 19-year-old to a residence in Malak and apprehended him without incident.

    He has since been charged with:

    • Burglary – Building
    • Damage to Property x 4
    • Trespass – Entering Without Authority x 2
    • Take/Interfere With Protected Wildlife
    • Theft
    • Driving, Using/Riding Motor Vehicle Without Consent
    • Learner Driver – No Person in Front Seat
    • Drive Without L Plates When Required

    He will appear in Darwin Local Court today.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: WILLIAMSTOWN (Grass Fire)

    Source: Country Fire Service – South Australia

    Homes that have been built to withstand a bushfire, and are prepared to the highest level, may provide safety.

    You may lose power, water, phone and data connections.

    Fire crews are responding but you should not expect a firefighter at your door.

    What you should do

    • Check and follow your Bushfire Survival Plan.
    • Protect yourself from the fire’s heat – put on protective clothing.
    • Tell family or friends of your plans.

    If you are leaving

    • Leave now, don’t delay.
    • Roads may become blocked or access may change. Smoke will reduce visibility.
    • Secure your pets for travel.
    • If you become stuck in your car, park away from bushes, cover yourself, get onto the floor as the windows may break from the intense heat.

    If you are not leaving – prepare to defend

    • Identify a safe place inside, with more than one exit, before the fire arrives. Keep moving away from the heat of the fire.
    • Bring pets inside and restrain them.
    • Move flammable materials such as doormats, wheelie bins and outdoor furniture away from your house.
    • Close doors and windows to keep smoke out.
    • If you have sprinklers, turn them on to wet the areas.
    • If the building catches fire, go to an area already burnt. Check around you for anything burning.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump-Putin ceasefire conversation shows no initial signs of ending the war in Ukraine

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By James Horncastle, Assistant Professor and Edward and Emily McWhinney Professor in International Relations, Simon Fraser University

    Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to a proposal by United States President Donald Trump for Russia and Ukraine to stop attacking each other’s energy infrastructure for 30 days, according to statements by both the White House and the Kremlin.

    Yet within hours of a Trump-Putin phone call about a U.S. ceasefire proposal, Russia was reportedly attacking Ukrainian energy facilities again, leading Ukraine’s Volodymyr Zelenskyy to accuse Putin of effectively rejecting the terms.

    The deal falls short of an unconditional 30-day ceasefire proposed by U.S. and Ukrainian officials earlier this month.

    In fact, Trump’s latest phone call with Putin seemingly didn’t amount to any substantive changes, except for an apparently short-lived Russian agreement to refrain from targeting Ukraine’s energy infrastructure — a concession that might actually benefit Russia.

    The winter, when Ukraine is most vulnerable to Russian attacks on its energy infrastructure, is almost done. Russia’s dependence on energy exports to support its war effort, however, remains constant, and any Ukrainian attacks on Russian energy facilities will be framed as a breach by Russian authorities.

    Russia exploiting Trump’s desire for peace at any cost will probably be an ongoing trend.

    Given the earlier proposal was highly vague, this leads to one conclusion. Russia is playing for time to maximize its negotiating position.

    Trump’s goal

    The U.S. is playing an important role in peace negotiations. Under former president Joe Biden, this was due to the fact that the U.S. provided Ukraine with arms and moral support.

    Like most aspects of American policy, however, Trump dramatically pivoted, even attacking Zelenskyy in an infamous White House meeting in February. Now Trump is seeking a ceasefire, no matter what form it takes, to build a reputation as a statesman and distract Americans from domestic policy issues.



    Read more:
    What the U.S. ceasefire proposal means for Ukraine, Russia, Europe – and Donald Trump

    This development places Zelenskyy in a political bind. The U.S. in the past provided most of the military aid to Ukraine and the relationship between the Ukrainian leader and Trump is acrimonious.

    As such, even if Zelenskyy doesn’t agree with American ceasefire proposals, he must give the appearance of agreement or risk permanently alienating the mercurial Trump. Putin, in the meantime, will exploit any Ukrainian-American tensions.

    Current military situation

    The first year of the current phase of the Ukraine-Russia war was marked by mobility as both Russia and Ukraine made considerable advances and counteroffensives.

    Since the start of 2023, however, the conflict is increasingly defined as a war of attrition and a stalemate.

    Many analysts argue that such a war favours Russia. Wars of attrition are defined by slow, grinding advances whereby large casualties are a necessary byproduct for success. Given Russia’s material and personnel advantages, it can afford to suffer higher casualties.

    For the past several months, Russian forces have been making slow, steady advances against Ukrainian positions. Russia has suffered significant casualties in these advances, and they may not be sustainable over the long term.

    Putin is gambling that Ukraine’s and the international community’s will to fight will be broken by the time this is an issue. Trump’s push for a ceasefire at any cost suggests Putin may have a point.

    Any immediate ceasefire agreement between Russia and Ukraine would leave Ukraine occupying Russian soil in the Kursk region, which Russia cannot accept.

    Russia’s immediate goal

    Ukraine’s 2024 incursion into the Kursk region provided the country and its people with a necessary respite from the war of attrition. Ukrainian forces, attacking an under-defended and unprepared part of the Russian front line, made significant advances into Russia.

    Ukraine’s ability to maintain territory around Kursk has also proven to be an embarrassment for Putin and the Russian establishment.

    Putin recently said Russian forces encircled Ukrainian forces in the salient, although Ukraine denies it. Regardless of the statement’s validity, it speaks to the importance both parties attach to the battle.

    Russia’s reputation

    This issue highlights a particular problem for the Russian leadership. Russia has done its utmost to frame its so-called “special military operation” in Ukraine as a success. An example is Russia’s formal annexation of four Ukrainian areas in 2022, despite not actually possessing the territory at the time.

    Any perception of the invasion of Ukraine as a failure is a non-starter for a Russian government concerned about its domestic standing.

    Ukraine possessing Russian territory, however, leads to questions in Russia about the war’s success. Ukraine, in exchange for relinquishing any Russian territory it seized during the war, would undoubtedly seek the return of Ukrainian territory.

    Russia has not even achieved its minimal goals of seizing the four Ukrainian regions it’s officially annexed. Therefore, it’s unlikely Putin would ever agree to the exchange of the territory it has actually already seized in exchange for the Kursk salient.

    Putin is following the Russian playbook of negotiating from strength. So long as Ukraine maintains Kursk, Russia will not negotiate in good faith.

    While Kursk is the most prominent area of Russia concern, there are other conditions that will become important in the future as Putin seeks to improve Russia’s negotiating position.

    It’s a lesson that Trump will soon learn, despite any and all efforts he or his administration make to frame things positively.

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

    – ref. Trump-Putin ceasefire conversation shows no initial signs of ending the war in Ukraine – https://theconversation.com/trump-putin-ceasefire-conversation-shows-no-initial-signs-of-ending-the-war-in-ukraine-252368

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Urban deer removal complete in Cranbrook, Kimberley

    The Province, with the support of the ʔaq’am First Nation and the cities of Cranbrook and Kimberley, has completed the removal and testing of urban deer to curb the spread of chronic wasting disease (CWD).

    The operation took place Feb. 18-28, during which time 100 deer were removed from Cranbrook and 26 from Kimberley. All deer removed in this project were tested for CWD at a Ministry of Agriculture laboratory in Abbotsford. One white-tailed adult female from Cranbrook tested positive for CWD by the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. All other deer tested negative.

    CWD is a fatal infection that affects species in the deer family (cervids), such as mule deer, white-tailed deer, elk, moose and caribou. The disease spreads through grooming, body fluids, and shared spaces. While highly contagious among cervids, there have been no reported cases of CWD spreading to humans or pets. It is inadvisable for people or pets to consume meat from an infected animal.

    The risk of spread is higher in urban deer because of population density. Urban deer populations in Cranbrook and Kimberley are of special concern because of their proximity to five CWD cases detected in the Kootenay region in the last year.

    Targeted removal was undertaken by trained professionals following strict protocols to ensure public safety and minimize stress on the animals.

    Future management decisions will continue to be made in consultation with First Nations and local municipalities. An urban deer collaring program has been initiated to better understand the movement and ranges of these animals to inform risk assessment and an appropriate response. Other actions may include additional removals and testing of urban deer in Cranbrook and Kimberley.

    Provincial wildlife staff thank all the volunteers and partners who assisted with this project.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Claire Anderson to the Spectrum Summit 2025

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Nanaimo, British Columbia
    March 18, 2025

    Claire Anderson, Commissioner for British Columbia and Yukon
    Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC)

    Check against delivery

    Thank you for the introduction and the warm welcome. Before I begin, I would like to acknowledge that we are gathered here today on the territory of the Snuneymuxw First Nation. I understand that in the Sarlequun Snuneymuxw Treaty of 1854, the British Crown recognized Snuneymuxw self-determination and Aboriginal title, and that today, Snuneymuxw governance is rooted in Snawayalth (teachings), and this model of governance upholds the Nation’s self-determination and territorial sovereignty.

    It is a real pleasure to be here with all of you today. I want to thank the Indigenous Connectivity Institute for inviting me to speak and for gathering us all together to discuss this important subject. The Institute is an important, Indigenous-led voice helping to tackle the challenges that affect our own Indigenous communities. This includes the digital divide that disproportionately affects Indigenous communities and affects their ability to fully participate in the 21st-century global economy.

    As participants to this Summit, many or most of you have insight into what those challenges look like and how deep their roots grow. And that places you in a unique position to examine solutions that work best for your own communities.

    Access to wireless frequency ranges, or spectrum as we have come to call it, is critical to any telecommunications service provider. Access to spectrum helps a company provide its customers with reliable and clear wireless services. So it only makes sense that as more and more Indigenous-led companies and community groups look to improve connectivity in their communities, they are increasingly interested in spectrum management and access to this vital resource.

    Spectrum management and the CRTC’s role

    This is why I was so happy that we all had the chance to hear this morning from Mark Saunders at Innovation, Science and Economic Development (or ISED). ISED is responsible for managing spectrum in Canada, including how spectrum is allocated through the auction system that Mark touched on.

    Indigenous communities and companies who want to create local solutions to their community’s connectivity challenges need spectrum access. ISED’s ‘use it or lose it’ policy and, most importantly, its announcement of a new licensing framework for unused spectrum in rural, remote and Indigenous areas, should improve this access. This included, as Mark touched on, the ongoing development of the Indigenous priority window spectrum policy framework. I look forward to the seeing the results and the final policy when it is released.

    At the CRTC, our work focuses on telecommunications companies and the services they provide over spectrum, as well as the infrastructure that facilitates access to these services.

    Support structures, small cells and access

    For example, one of our areas of focus in the recent past has been working on regulatory measures to make access to telecommunications poles and other forms of existing infrastructure easier and more efficient.

    In fact, less than two months ago we released a decision designed to make it easier for companies to deploy new communications networks. It laid out the terms and conditions which will allow companies to access the poles, lines and other support structures controlled by large telephone companies, so that smaller competitors – such as Indigenous-led companies and co-ops – can deploy their own networks.

    There are several more granular and detailed changes that were made, as part of this decision, which I won’t cover today. But I will point out that all were made with the intent of making this new access as smooth and as easy as possible for new competitors to enter new markets. It will improve competition, lower prices, and provide high-quality telecom services to communities across the country, while also supporting continued investment.

    Building on this access, we are working on another decision concerning wireless attachments to these poles. Ensuring high-speed wireless connectivity on 5G networks and beyond will require the deployment of thousands of additional cell sites across Canada.

    We are now in the final stages of a consultation on whether the CRTC should allow third parties to attach wireless equipment like small cells onto poles across Canada. As this is still a matter before the CRTC, I cannot hint at the details of any decision that the Commission might make. But what I can say is that we expect to release a decision soon.

    Broadband Fund

    As we work on these key regulatory issues, we are also a part of the Government of Canada’s larger effort to connect all communities to reliable high-speed Internet services. In 2019, the CRTC launched the Broadband Fund to help connect rural, remote and Indigenous communities across the country. The Broadband Fund’s focus is broader than our scope today, focusing on wireline broadband services in addition to wireless services.

    To date, the fund has improved high-speed Internet and cellphone services in more than 270 communities, connecting essential institutions such as schools, health care facilities and community centres. We are wrapping up our evaluations of the projects proposed in our third call for applications – a call that garnered applications seeking more than $1.9 billion in funding. In the past year alone we committed funding that will better connect Inuit communities in northern Quebec and Nunavut, improve access along nearly 100 kilometres of major roads in Newfoundland and Labrador, Quebec and Ontario, and improve connectivity along roads and to rural communities in Yukon, northern Manitoba, and right here in B.C.

    In addition to these funding commitments, we are also working to improve the fund itself. We want to make it easier for prospective recipients to apply for funding and make the evaluation process simpler and more transparent. And once an application is approved, we want to consolidate and simplify reporting requirements.

    As part of this review, we are also looking at how we can better engage with Indigenous communities and facilitate their access to the Broadband Fund. This includes changing the way we consult and engage with Indigenous communities, and we have created our Indigenous Relations Team within the CRTC to help. Furthermore, we are in the process of developing a distinct Indigenous stream of the Broadband Fund. I look forward to sharing more details as it progresses.

    Spectrum, telecom, and economic reconciliation

    And as I continue today, I want to acknowledge the opportunities for reconciliation that are found through telecommunications. Historically, when we spoke about reconciliation, it seemed as though there was an expectation that one party to a relationship had to reconcile or compromise their values to serve a larger interest. But we are moving away from that understanding of reconciliation, and placing a stronger emphasis on hearing how Indigenous communities can heal from historically damaging colonial relationships.

    I’ve been attending Indigenous connectivity conferences and learning from you about the opportunities that exist for communities to create revenue through telecommunications. The Commission has heard in multiple proceedings what communities stand to gain if they are included in the management and ownership of networks: jobs are created, skill sets are expanded, and relationships are nourished. Reconciliation is advanced through partnerships with existing telecom providers, but also when we have wholly Indigenous-owned service providers.

    Often, Indigenous communities are on the fringes of society, geographically and, unfortunately, politically speaking. And a way for Indigenous nations to assert self-determination and sovereignty has been through ownership of major critical infrastructure, including telecommunications infrastructure and services. The importance of jobs in remote communities where services and employment opportunities are sparse cannot be overstated. Keeping money in the community can be a deciding factor in whether or not a family has food in the fridge.

    One of the objectives of the Broadband Fund review that I mentioned earlier is to help advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples. As we noted in one of our policy decisions resulting from that ongoing review, Indigenous groups told us of the barriers they face that discourage them from applying for Broadband funding. We have taken steps to streamline the application process and make it easier for Indigenous people to pick up the phone and call a point of contact in our Indigenous Relations Team instead of having to navigate our processes alone. We also are exempting Indigenous funding recipients from having to provide wholesale open access to transport infrastructure, because we believe they should have the choice to make that determination for themselves.

    Additionally, we are providing funding for up to two years of technical training for Indigenous staff in communities that propose to serve as part of funded capital projects, and we aren’t requiring a 10% holdback on projects with approved funding of $5 million or less.

    Furthermore, we are requiring each Broadband Fund applicant to obtain and show consent from any Indigenous community in which it plans to build infrastructure as part of its funded capital project. Meaningful consultation and community consent means that Indigenous communities are able to benefit from funded projects that happen on their territories.

    These are measures that result in capacity training, job growth and economic opportunities for Indigenous communities and people.

    Conclusion

    I believe the Commission is on the right path of advancing reconciliation, because reconciliation is integral to the public interest, and at the CRTC, the public interest is at the heart of everything we do. In everything I have discussed today, from our regulatory work to our funding decisions, we are supporting continued investments in our networks while also putting the needs of everyone in this country first.

    That includes our Indigenous communities. But while we can’t go back and change the past, we can ensure that the regulatory and funding decisions we make chart a course for a better future.

    And everyone gathered here today can influence that future. Every decision we make is based on an extensive public record including consultations, hearings, and public outreach.

    So I encourage you to get involved in our processes. Make your voice, and the voices of your community, heard. If you are unsure how to do that, get in touch with our Indigenous Relations Team or contact your regional CRTC Commissioner.

    Because the only way we can build that brighter future is by doing so together.

    If we have time for some questions, I’d like to invite any Indigenous youth to ask questions before moving on to questions from Indigenous participants and then all other participants.

    Thank you. Gunalcheesh.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Rosen Join Colleagues in Demanding Trump Administration Reverse Major Cuts to Food Assistance for Schools

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senators Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) and Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) joined Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.) and 29 of their colleagues in demanding the Department of Agriculture reverse its cancellation of food purchase programs across the United States, warning of the harmful impacts this move will have on both families and American farmers. Nevada utilizes these federal funds to support the state’s food bank network and school nutrition programs by purchasing local foods from farmers and producers in Nevada, benefiting students, families, and the local economy.

    “We write to express serious concerns regarding the cancellation of U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs supporting local and regional food purchases providing assistance to those in need,” wrote the Senators. “These successful programs, the Local Food Purchase Assistance Cooperative Agreement Program (LFPA) and the Local Food for Schools Cooperative Agreement Program (LFS), allow states, territories, and Tribes to purchase local foods from nearby farmers and ranchers to be used for emergency food providers, schools, and child care centers.”

    “At a time when food insecurity remains high, providing affordable, fresh food to food banks and families while supporting American farmers is critical,” they continued. “We have grave concerns that the cancellation of LFPA and LFS poses extreme harm to producers and communities in every state across the country.”

    The full letter can be found here.

    Senators Cortez Masto and Rosen have been vocal opponents of the Trump Administration’s efforts to cut critical programs Nevadans rely on all while trying to give further tax breaks to the ultra-wealthy. The Senators have pushed multiple Departments under the Trump Administration for detailed, public information regarding the impacts of President Trump’s federal funding freeze, hiring freeze, and terminations on Nevada – including to the Department of the Interior, the U.S. Forest Service, the National Nuclear Security Administration, the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Agriculture, and the General Services Administration. Earlier this year, Cortez Masto and Rosen urged the Department of the Interior to immediately cease its freeze of Inflation Reduction Act funding for the Lower Colorado River System Conservation and Efficiency Program.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Leads Colleagues in Reintroducing Legislation to Prevent the Shackling and Mistreatment of Pregnant Women in ICE and CBP Custody

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Legislation would provide permanent safeguards for pregnant and postpartum women in ICE and CBP custody; Rep. Garcia to introduce companion legislation in the House

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former chair of the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) led 22 senators last week in reintroducing her Stop Shackling and Detaining Pregnant Women Act. The legislation will protect the health and safety of pregnant, postpartum, and lactating women in immigration detention by establishing a presumption of release, prohibiting any agency under the U.S. Department of Homeland Security from shackling pregnant women in its custody—including those in the custody of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP)—and setting new standards of care and transparency for the treatment of pregnant women and youth. Congresswoman Sylvia R. Garcia (D, TX-29) will soon be reintroducing companion legislation in the House.

    “Shackling pregnant women in immigration custody is not only unnecessary, it is dangerous and traumatic for women and their pregnancies—and there is simply no justifiable reason for this barbaric practice,” said Senator Murray. “At a time that we have a president whose approach to immigration appears to be cruelty for cruelty’s sake, it is more important than ever that we act to ensure all pregnant women in custody are treated humanely and with respect. I will continue to fight against the gross mistreatment of pregnant women in immigration detention and am proud to join my friend Rep. Garcia in reintroducing this important legislation.”

    The mistreatment of pregnant women in ICE detention has been well-documented—and without basic protections, pregnant women in ICE detention are at higher risk of miscarriage, stillbirth, and other pregnancy-related health complications. A Government Accountability Office study published in 2020 found that between 2016 and 2018, ICE detained pregnant women over 4,600 times. As Congress increased its oversight of the detention of pregnant, postpartum, and nursing women that number has dropped to just 158 pregnant, postpartum, and nursing women detained in the first half of Fiscal Year 2024.

    The Stop Shackling and Detaining Pregnant Women Act is supported by: The American Civil Liberties Union, American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, Center for Reproductive Rights, Church World Service, Families USA, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, MomsRising, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, National Council of Jewish Women, National Immigrant Justice Center, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, National Women’s Law Center, Reproductive Freedom for All, and Planned Parenthood Federation of America.

    In the Senate, the legislation is cosponsored by U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Chris Coons (D-DE), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Dick Durbin (D-IL), John Fetterman (D-PA), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Andy Kim (D-NJ), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Jack Reed (D-RI), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Peter Welch (D-VT), and Ron Wyden (D-OR).

    A one-pager on the legislation is HERE.

    The full text of the legislation is HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: DOC urges dog owners to act after nine kiwi killed

    Source: Department of Conservation

    Date:  19 March 2025

    “This situation needs urgent action. Kiwi are a taonga species found only in Aotearoa, and if they disappear from here, they’re gone forever. Dog owners and all organisations involved must take their responsibilities seriously.”

    “These recent kiwi deaths are devastating, and we need everyone to play their part in protecting our native wildlife,” says Bronwyn BauerHunt, DOC Operations Manager for the Bay of Islands.

    The first dead kiwi was reported to DOC on 29 January 2025, followed by two more on 11 February. Between 12 February and 9 March, another six kiwi were found dead. All were found on private land. Some of the carcasses were badly decomposed, making it difficult to determine the exact cause of death, but several were fresh enough to be tested for canine DNA.

    DOC rangers met with Far North District Council (FNDC) staff on 14 February, to discuss the best approaches to address uncontrolled dogs in the immediate area. Under the Dog Control Act, only FNDC has the authority to enter private property on reasonable grounds, and seize dogs suspected of attacking kiwi.

    DOC has been working closely with Kiwi Coast a community-led, collaborative conservation initiative in Northland, to examine the kiwi, collect DNA samples where possible, and record details of each case. All kiwi in good enough condition will undergo a post-mortem examination to determine the cause of death.

    These latest deaths add to a concerning trend. Dogs are the leading cause of kiwi deaths, and in past incidents, they have been responsible for multiple kiwi fatalities across Northland, leading to prosecutions. In 2019, a single roaming dog killed at least six kiwi near Whangārei, resulting in a prosecution and a fine for the owner.

    In 2021, another case in the Bay of Islands saw a dog owner fined after their pet was linked to the deaths of several kiwi. These cases highlight the serious consequences of failing to control dogs in kiwi habitat.

    “We urge all dog owners in kiwi zones to be responsible. Keep your dogs under control at all times, especially at night. If you live in or near kiwi habitat, the safest option is to keep your dog contained or inside when not supervised,” says Bronwyn.

    Anyone with information about uncontrolled dogs in the area is encouraged to contact FNDC 0800 920 029 or DOC 0800 DOC HOT.

    Contact

    For media enquiries contact:

    Email: media@doc.govt.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: SH45 safety work continues in New Plymouth

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    A small stretch of State Highway 45 Devon Street West in New Plymouth will be closing next month for safety improvement work.

    The work is part of a wider project that the New Plymouth Infrastructure Partnership, on behalf of NPDC and NZ Transport Agency, is completing to improve road user safety along SH45 between Morley Street and Barrett Road. 

    To complete this work as safely and efficiently as possible, SH45 at the intersection of Morley Street will be closed at night (7pm-6am) from Sunday 6 April to Thursday 1 May. Work will be carried out Sunday to Thursday every week during this period.

    During the closure periods, alternative routes will be available for road users and will be clearly signposted. 

    Outside the night works, and on Friday and Saturday nights, the intersection will be open and under a temporary speed restriction.

    Access to businesses will be maintained at all times. Pedestrian and property access will be maintained; however, some parking may be unavailable while particular areas are under construction.

    As part of this project, crews will complete upgrades to the cycle lanes, lights phasing and road layout at the intersection of SH45 and Morley Street, to improve safety for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists on this busy road and improve traffic flow on State Highway 45.

    So far, this project has seen various improvements along SH45 in New Plymouth between Morley Street and Barret Road, including upgrades to cycle lanes, footpaths and pedestrian crossings, as well as intersection layout changes to improve safety for motorists, pedestrians and cyclists on this busy road. 

    NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi appreciates the full intersection closure will be frustrating, but we’re confident that by doing the work at night under a full intersection closure, we can reduce disruption for businesses and residents in the area and avoid a further 4 weeks of work if the intersection remained open during the work.

    For more information on this project visit:

    npdc.govt.nz(external link)

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –