NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Avian influenza quarantine areas eased

    Source: Government of Australia Capital Territory

    On 13 September 2024, the ACT Government assumed a caretaker role, with an election to be held 19 October 2024. Information on this website will be published in accordance with the Guidance on Caretaker Conventions until after the election and conclusion of the caretaker period.

    Released 23/09/2024

    Quarantine areas restricting the movement of birds and other materials, objects and equipment in the Belconnen area will be reduced as the ACT’s response to avian influenza (HPAI H7N8) enters the final phase.

    There have been no new detections of avian influenza in the ACT since 4 July 2024. From tomorrow, 24 September, the quarantine areas will be reduced to:

    • A restricted quarantine area within a one kilometre radius of the first affected property on Parkwood Road in Belconnen.
    • A control quarantine area within a two kilometre radius of the first affected property on Parkwood Road in Belconnen.

    In the restricted quarantine area the movement of birds, bird products and other materials, objects and equipment deemed as high risk is not permitted.

    In the control quarantine area, the movement of birds and other materials, objects and equipment deemed as high risk is not permitted, but bird products such as eggs may be moved under certain conditions.

    These restrictions will remain in place until late December 2024, but will continue to be reviewed as the response progresses.

    All bird owners should review the updated quarantine restrictions to know their responsibilities and continue to implement good biosecurity practices.

    The ACT’s response to avian influenza is moving to the final phase of decontaminating the first property affected by the disease.

    Avian influenza is a notifiable animal disease which means any suspected or confirmed cases must be reported immediately to the Emergency Animal Disease Hotline on 1800 675 888.

    For more information on the situation in the ACT and the movement restrictions, including a map of the quarantine area, visit the ACT Environment website.

    For updates on the current disease situation in other jurisdictions across Australia visit outbreak.gov.au.

    – Statement ends –

    ACT Environment, Planning and Sustainable Development Directorate | Media Releases

    Media Contacts

    «ACT Government Media Releases | «Directorate Media Releases

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: MyWay+ enters hardware installation and system testing period

    Source: Government of Australia Capital Territory



    On 13 September 2024, the ACT Government assumed a caretaker role, with an election to be held 19 October 2024. Information on this website will be published in accordance with the Guidance on Caretaker Conventions until after the election and conclusion of the caretaker period.

    Released 20/09/2024

    Public transport users are advised of changes to bus and light rail travel from today with the next phase of the MyWay+ transition beginning. This will see existing MyWay equipment removed from buses and at light rail stops so it can be replaced with new MyWay+ validators and other hardware.

    Key changes taking place from today, Friday 20 September 2024:

    • The MyWay ticketing system will no longer be available. Travel on buses and light rail will be free until MyWay+ launches in November.Customers will not be required to tap on and off during this fare free travel period.
    • NXTBUS will no longer be available. This includes real time information onboard buses, at bus stops and interchanges as well as the NXTBUS real time web site and SMS service.
    • Bus services will continue to operate to the scheduled timetable. Static timetable information is available at interchanges, major bus stops and online.
    • Light rail will continue to operate to the scheduled frequency. Next stop information will still be available for light rail (onboard and at stops).
    • System testing will begin and take place with over 200 Canberrans providing feedback on the new system and the journey planning functionality.

    The easiest way to plan your trip is by using the Transport Canberra Journey Planner or referring to timetable information.

    Although there is no longer a need for passengers to tap on and off with their MyWay card, passengers are asked to hold onto their card/s. The card number will be required for the transfer and refund process.

    People who were not able to register their MyWay card with funds before the Friday 20 September cut-off date are also asked to hold onto their card. These cards will be able to transfer to a new MyWay+ account once the system is launched in November. Further details will be available in the coming weeks.

    For updates and further information on MyWay+ and the transition period, please visit www.transport.act.gov.au.

    – Statement ends –

    ACT Transport Canberra and City Services Directorate | Media Releases

    Media Contacts

    «ACT Government Media Releases | «Directorate Media Releases

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: ANZ continues to support Hyundai Motor Company’s EV Manufacturing with USD1.35b Green ECA facility

    Source: ANZ statements

    ANZ has successfully closed an USD1.35b Green Labeled K-Sure covered Term Loan Facility for Hyundai Motor Group, funding its first electric vehicle (EV) manufacturing plant in the US, as the world’s third largest car manufacturer continues to invest in the country.

    It will help accelerate Hyundai Motor Company’s electrification strategy with an expected manufacturing capacity of 300,000 units annually at its Georgia Metaplant complex.

    The Green Export Credit Agency (ECA) backed loan adheres to LMA Green Loan Principles, and reinforces ANZ as a key financing partner for Hyundai Motor Group, acting as ECA and Green Loan Coordinator, Mandated Lead Arranger, and Bookrunner on its past three mandates.

    Aaron Ross, ANZ’s Global Head of Project, Export & Asset Finance said, “These deals underscore ANZ’s market-leading position in the Korean ECA sector, delivering low risk, capital-efficient and high-returning facilities that meet our customer needs. We have executed four major EV sector transactions backed by Korean ECAs in the past five years.

    “We’re proud to play a role in supporting Hyundai Motor Group’s capital expenditure initiatives as it strives to become a global leader in electric vehicle manufacturing. Leveraging our expertise across Korea, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia and the US, we have been able to consistently deliver smart solutions by integrating sustainable finance to meet Hyundai Motor Group’s strategic and evolving needs,” Mr Ross said.

    Previous deals with Hyundai Motor Group include:

    • USD 940 million K-Sure-backed deal for Hyundai Mobis’ EV parts plant located within the Georgia Metaplant complex
    • USD 711 million ECA financing to establish South-East Asia’s first and largest EV battery manufacturing facility in Indonesia
    • SGD 230 million green loan to finance the Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center in Singapore

    ANZ has set a target to fund and facilitate at least $A100 billion by the end of FY2030, including $A15 billion by end FY2024, in social and environmental outcomes through customer activities and direct investments by ANZ. This includes initiatives that aim to help lower carbon emissions, protect nature, increase access to affordable housing and promote financial wellbeing, as described in the target methodology.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Finalists announced for the NSW Health Awards 2024

    Source: New South Wales Health – State Government

    Virtual care programs that improve access to rural and multicultural communities are among some of the incredible finalists being recognised in the NSW Health Awards 2024.
    Now in its 26th year, the awards acknowledge the personalised, sustainable, and digitally enabled programs that contribute to the wellbeing of patients and the community.
    NSW Health Secretary Susan Pearce AM said it is really exciting to celebrate the people and teams who are enriching health in millions of ways every day.
    “These awards are a chance to recognise our incredible healthcare staff and volunteers, across the public health system,” Ms Pearce said.
    “It is important to celebrate innovative and sustainable programs which invest in the wellbeing of the NSW community, while also delivering better patient outcomes.
    “I congratulate the finalists, but I also want to acknowledge the work being done across the system every day, by our teams of doctors, nurses, midwives, allied health and support staff.”
    NSW Health received 186 nominations across the 12 award categories. Categories this year include the Keeping People Healthy Award, Transforming Patient Experience Award, and the Health Innovation Award.
    “All of the nominations really showcase the impressive and important work being undertaken throughout the state, so choosing the 42 finalists was a challenge,” Ms Pearce said.
    “The awards also recognise the significant contribution of community members who selflessly support our patients carers and staff, with the Volunteer of the Year Award.”
    The finalists and winners will be celebrated at the NSW Health Awards ceremony, which will be held on Thursday 24 October at the International Convention Centre in Sydney. It will also be livestreamed from 6pm.
    The full list of finalists is available on the NSW Health website.​​

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Move over Olympians, Australia’s wildlife are incredible athletes

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Euan Ritchie, Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University

    Now that the Paris Olympics and Paralympics have disappeared from our screens, let’s get back to watching animal videos.

    But seriously, have you ever paused to think about the athletic abilities of Australian wildlife?

    In my research as an ecologist, I’m constantly amazed by the strength, speed and resilience of our native animals. Their prowess is testament to the wonders of evolution, and the necessity of species having to adapt to challenging and changing environments in order to survive.

    Let’s take a closer look at some of our best competitors and how might they fare, against humans and overseas entrants. On your marks, get set… swim, hop, dig, dance, glide!

    Swimming

    Australians are renowned for being strong swimmers. But what is the fastest swimmer in the animal kingdom?

    On this there is much debate. Some suggest it’s the Indo Pacific sailfish, clocking in at about 30km/hr. That’s impressive, but much slower than oft-cited (but inaccurate) claims it can travel at more than 100km/hr.

    For perspective, the fastest human to swim the 50 metres freestyle is American Caeleb Dressel, completing this in a time of 20.16 seconds. That’s roughly 9km/h – faster than many people jog, but still no match for a sailfish.

    As in humans, swimming speed in fishes tends to increase with body length. Larger species that challenge sailfish for the fastest swimmer title include blue or black marlin. Shorter, torpedo-like bluefin tuna are also in contention. All are found in Australian waters, though not exclusively.

    While American swimmer Michael Phelps put in an impressive showing against a simulated great white shark, no human would beat much faster sailfish, marlin and tuna.

    Sprinting, long and high jump

    Aussie icons, red kangaroos can reach speeds of around 60-70km/hr. But they are no match for cheetahs, which can move at more than 120km/hr.

    Long jump is surely the kangaroo’s main event. Red kangaroos can jump a staggering 13 metres or more. Amazingly, this might not be enough to clinch gold. Snow leopards can jump more than 15 metres.

    Kangaroos can clear heights of up to 3m, so would perform well in the high jump. But they’d finish behind bottlenose dolphins, which can jump over 7m in the air, just for kicks.

    Scaled for body size, though, both species would be embarrassed by a tiny insect known as a froghopper. It jumps to heights of more than 140 times its body length.

    Kangaroos sure can jump, but they’re not the greatest of all in the animal kingdom.

    Battles of strength

    African elephants can lift more than 1,000kg and weaver ants more than 100 times their own body weight.

    But relative to size, a truly impressive champion is Australia’s horned dung beetle. At just a centimetre long, these diminutive powerhouses can pull more than 1,100 times their own body weight, roughly equating to an average man lifting two fully-loaded 18-wheeler trucks.

    And yet, horned dung beetles might still only claim silver. Another invertebrate Aussie, the tiny tropical moss mite, is perhaps the world’s strongest animal. It can pull more than 1,180 times its weight.

    Bigger does not always equal stronger.

    Packing the fastest, deadliest punch

    In terms of combat sports, bigger is not always better.

    Peacock mantis shrimps – invertebrates found in Australian marine waters and elsewhere – have the swiftest and most powerful punch in the lightweight crustacean division.

    They kill prey by punching them with strong, club-like appendages. They deliver blows at up to 23m per sec, akin to the speed and force of a .22 calibre bullet being fired.

    So powerful is the punch, it vaporises water and creates a super-hot shockwave that breaks up and incapacitates its prey.

    Nature’s deadliest punch?

    Tantalising contests

    What about a digging contest? Eastern barred bandicoots can shift 4.8 tonnes of soil a year. How would that stack up against marsupial moles, which can disappear almost instantly into desert sands? Or the expert excavations of wombats and aardvarks that can dig more than half a metre in 15 seconds?

    In terms of free-diving and flying, there’s really no contest. Cuvier’s beaked whale can dive nearly 3000m and peregrine falcons can reach over 320 km/hr. These animals are found across the globe, however – not just in Australia.

    Australia’s largest gliding marsupial, the greater glider, can sail up to 100m between trees. But gliding gold would surely go to the giant flying squirrel, which can glide up to 450m.

    I’d love to see a shooting contest between Australia’s archer fish and Madagascar’s panther chameleon. But finding the right arena for both aquatic and land-based sharpshooters would be tricky.

    Raygun’s kangaroo hop is now legendary, but a breaking (break dancing) contest between a peacock spider, spanish dancer (a type of nudibranch) and a magnificent riflebird might genuinely break the internet.

    Step aside, Raygun, peacock spiders are taking the floor.

    Appreciating wildlife athletes

    So who would win a global contest for the best wildlife athlete overall?

    If the competition was on land and focused on running, jumping, strength and climbing, it’s hard to go past the overall abilities of a Bengal tiger.

    Many amazing wildlife athletes are threatened with extinction. Others are gone forever.

    They include the incredible oolacunta – also known as the desert rat kangaroo. It’s powers of endurance in the desert are the stuff of folklore. As legendary Australian mammalogist Hedley Herbert Finlayson wrote in 1931:

    Its speed for such an atom, was wonderful, and its endurance amazing … when we finally got it, it had taken the starch out of three mounts and run us 12 miles; all under such adverse conditions of heat and rough going, as to make it almost incredible that so small a frame should be capable of such an immense output of energy.

    Let’s celebrate wildlife and their athletic abilities and ensure they have a secure future.

    Euan Ritchie receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action. Euan is a Councillor within the Biodiversity Council, a member of the Ecological Society of Australia and the Australian Mammal Society, and President of the Australian Mammal Society.

    – ref. Move over Olympians, Australia’s wildlife are incredible athletes – https://theconversation.com/move-over-olympians-australias-wildlife-are-incredible-athletes-238303

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s manufacturing industry delivers new momentum

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Qijiang-2 humanoid robot hands an orange to a visitor at the 2024 World Manufacturing Convention in Hefei, east China’s Anhui Province, Sept. 20, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    With a human build and sleek appearance, the 1.8-meter-tall Qijiang-2 is captivating visitors in the exhibition hall of the 2024 World Manufacturing Convention as it can mimic human movements with remarkable precision.

    The humanoid robot, developed by Anhui Provincial Key Laboratory of Humanoid Robots, is certainly hogging the spotlight at the convention, which opened on Friday and will continue until Monday in Hefei, the capital of east China’s Anhui Province.

    Equipped with advanced sensors and intricate inertial measurement units, Qijiang-2 can perform delicate tasks such as folding clothes, opening bottles, wiping dishes and navigating uneven terrain.

    But it’s more than just a mechanical marvel. Beyond its physical capabilities, the robot also has decision-making features, including intelligent user recognition and secure access for authorized users.

    “In the future, these humanoid robots will be able to adapt to both industrial production and elderly care scenarios, serving as robot workers and robot caregivers,” said Liu Houde, director of the laboratory.

    Qijiang-2 and other cutting-edge exhibits like the Jiuzhou Yunjian Longyun rocket engine and the Origin Wukong superconducting quantum computer are demonstrating China’s breakthroughs in frontier technologies at the event, as well as its potential in the field of high-tech manufacturing.

    The gathering of leading global enterprises and industry experts has also reflected China’s commitment to advancing international cooperation and working with other countries to address the challenges and opportunities in global manufacturing development.

    “After 30 years of development in China, Continental AG values not only China’s market volume but also advanced technologies,” said Enno Tang, president and CEO of Continental China.

    With comprehensive industrial categories and a well-rounded manufacturing system, China has attracted global firms to strengthen their investment in the country.

    An aerial drone photo taken on Aug. 20, 2023 shows a view of Volkswagen (Anhui) Automotive Company Limited in Hefei, east China’s Anhui Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Volkswagen Group in April announced an investment of 2.5 billion euros (about 2.8 billion U.S. dollars) in expanding its production and innovation hub in Hefei to increase its pace of innovation in China.

    The company also vowed to accelerate the production of two Volkswagen-brand smart electric vehicles (EVs), which are currently under joint development with Chinese manufacturer Xpeng.

    A deal reached in 2023 between the two companies gave Volkswagen access to Xpeng’s technologies, including its advanced driving assistance system, as the German carmaker made efforts to tap into China’s fast-growing EV market.

    The landmark cooperation agreement between Xpeng and Volkswagen testified to the willingness of China’s auto industry to share its technologies with the world, according to Xpeng CEO He Xiaopeng.

    As the world’s economic landscape evolves, China is stepping up efforts to collaborate with international enterprises, aiming to inject fresh momentum into the global manufacturing sector and accelerate the shift toward high-quality growth.

    This photo taken on Nov. 9, 2023 shows the booth of Schneider Electric at the 6th China International Import Expo in Shanghai, east China. [Photo/Xinhua]

    In the city of Xiamen in east China’s Fujian Province, construction on the Schneider Electric Xiamen Industrial Park began in April.

    China is Schneider Electric’s second-largest market globally, one of its most important supply chain bases, and one of its four global R&D hubs.

    After its completion, the park will be the French multinational’s biggest manufacturing facility for medium voltage equipment anywhere in the world, and some of its products will be supplied to overseas markets.

    The park will be a major R&D center, manufacturing center and supply hub through which the company will serve the global medium voltage market, according to Vincent Bruneau, vice president of Schneider Electric’s Global Supply Chain China.

    Through a combination of innovation-driven policies, open market access and strategic partnerships, China continues to strengthen its position as a key player in global manufacturing.

    “China has been advancing its manufacturing sector by focusing on high-end, intelligent, green development while increasing its efforts in technological innovation to unlock broader markets,” said Wan Hongxian, a professor at the Anhui University of Finance and Economics.

    “China’s manufacturing sector provides a highly promising market for global high-end equipment. Moreover, its advanced production capabilities and responsiveness to market demand enable the development of more high-quality products, delivering tangible benefits to consumers worldwide,” Wan added.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: 17 Palestinians killed in Israeli attacks across Gaza

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Palestinians mourn for the victims after an Israeli airstrike on a school housing displaced people in the Zeitoun neighborhood in southern Gaza City, on Sept. 21, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    At least 17 Palestinians were killed by Israeli attacks across the Gaza Strip on Sunday, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported.

    Seven Palestinians were killed and some others injured in an Israeli bombardment of the Kafr Qasem School housing displaced people west of Gaza City, said the report. However, the Israel Defense Forces claimed Sunday that the strike carried out by its Air Force has “precisely” targeted Hamas militants operating within the school compound.

    According to WAFA, four other Palestinians were killed and some more injured as a result of an Israeli bombing of a house belonging to the Dawas family in the Al-Hakkar area of Deir al-Balah in central Gaza.

    In the south of the strip, Israeli artillery targeted the town of Khuza’a, east of Khan Younis, killing two people, WAFA reported, adding emergency teams recovered four bodies from the al-Attatirah area, east of Rafah, following Israeli bombardment.

    The Israeli army has not commented on these incidents.

    Israel has been waging a large-scale offensive against Hamas in Gaza to retaliate against a Hamas rampage through the southern Israeli border on Oct. 7, 2023, during which 1,200 people were killed and about 250 others taken hostage.

    The Palestinian death toll from ongoing Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip has risen to 41,431, Gaza-based health authorities said in a statement on Sunday.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: New Auslan News Pilot to support the Deaf community

    Source: Ministers for Social Services

    Joint with:

    The Hon Amanda Rishworth MP
    Minister for Social Services 
    Member for Kingston

    The Hon Bill Shorten MP
    Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme
    Minister for Government Services
    Member for Maribyrnong

    The Albanese Labor Government is reinforcing its commitment to inclusion and accessibility with the launch of a new pilot, delivered in partnership with Deaf Connect and SBS.

    Funded under the Information, Linkages and Capacity Building Program, the Auslan90 pilot, will include daily 90-second news summaries in Auslan as well as weekly ‘deep dive’ videos on certain news-related topics.

    Auslan90 will be released daily at 1:00pm and provides the day’s top stories in a format designed specifically for Auslan users.

    The Government has committed $3.91 million to develop the Auslan Information Resource Hub through to June 2025, which includes the Auslan90 pilot.

    Minister for Social Services Amanda Rishworth said that the pilot formed part of the National Information Program, which seeks to provide vital information to people with disability, their families and carers.

    There are 5.5 million Australians with disability, many of whom are Deaf or hard of hearing.

    “Today is International Day of Sign Languages, and this program will help ensure the Deaf community can receive and access news and current affairs programs in their first language,” Minister Rishworth said.

    “Our Government is committed to creating a more inclusive and accessible Australia, and this Auslan90 pilot will help to meet the live information needs of the Deaf community, supporting their full participation in the community.”

    Minister for the National Disability Insurance Scheme Bill Shorten, said: “I recognise that for many in the deaf community, Auslan is a central part of their identity and a critical information tool”.

    “There are about 27,600 participants on the Scheme who receive supports and services for a hearing impairment,” Minister Shorten said.

    “It’s important to have innovative activities, such as the Auslan90 pilot, undertaken as part of the National Information Program, to ensure people with profound hearing loss and their families can build their confidence and connect with their communities.”

    Deaf Connect CEO Brett Casey says Auslan90 represents a significant step toward media inclusivity for Deaf Australians.

    “We are incredibly proud to launch Auslan90 – Australia’s first daily news service created specifically for the Deaf community. This is more than just delivering the news – it’s about an Auslan-first approach in which accessibility for Deaf Australians is not an afterthought,” Mr Casey said.

    “This agreement with SBS enables us to provide the high-quality, accurate news that all Australians expect, in a format that truly works for Deaf audiences. SBS’s dedication to accessibility, inclusion and multilingual content makes them the ideal partner for Auslan90.”

    For more information about the ILC program, visit the Department of Social Services website.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gallego Announces Nearly $13 Million He Helped Secure is Coming to Maricopa County to Improve Dangerous Intersection

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Ruben Gallego (AZ-07)

    September 20, 2024

    PHOENIX – Today, Rep. Ruben Gallego (AZ-03) announced that $12,739,765 is coming to Maricopa County to improve safety conditions and traffic flow at the intersection of Grand Avenue (US 60), 35th Avenue, and Indian School Road. The funding announcement comes after Rep. Gallego sent a letter supporting the grant to the Department of Transportation earlier this year.

    “Anyone who has been caught at this intersection knows how time-consuming and dangerous it is,” said Rep. Gallego. “I’m incredibly proud to have helped secure this funding that will support the region’s economy, save people time, and get them where they need to go safely.”

    The nearly $13 million will be administered by the Maricopa Association of Governments and will be paid out over two years. The project will include raising 35th Avenue to create a new elevated intersection with Indian School Road above Grand Avenue; constructing new bridges over the BNSF railroad; addressing local circulation needs; installing new, wider ADA-accessible sidewalks; right-of-way acquisition; accommodating future high-capacity transit; and installing separate bus pull-outs and new bus shelters.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Call for information – Aggravated robbery – Marrara

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Northern Territory Police are calling for information after an aggravated robbery in Marrara early Sunday morning.

    Around 12:45am, police received reports that a 26-year-old female had been approached at a residence on Dornoch Court by two youths who allegedly threatened her with a blunt weapon for her keys before stealing her vehicle.

    A short time later, police observed the vehicle being driven on Elrundie Avenue and attempted to apprehend the vehicle. The vehicle failed to stop, and a pursuit was initiated.

    The pursuit continued throughout the Palmerston area and later into the northern suburbs where a tyre deflation device was successfully deployed.

    The alleged offenders abandoned the vehicle in Malak and fled the scene on foot.

    Investigations are ongoing.

    Police urge anyone with information about the incident to make contact on 131 444 and quote occurrence number P24261314.

    Anonymous reports can be made through Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 00 or through https://crimestoppers.com.au/.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Tasman highway maintenance closure planned – State Highway 60 Mariri Causeway

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    The State Highway summer maintenance programme will be in full swing in Tasman in October with new chipseal to be laid on the State Highway 60, Mariri Causeway (south of Motueka).

    A daytime road closure will occur on Saturday, 19 October from 7 am to 5 pm when road workers will chipseal a one-kilometre section of the highway.

    Mark Owen, Regional Manager Wellington/Top of the South, says while this work will cause short-term disruption for people living, working, and travelling in the area, the payoff will be a safer road surface.

    “We’ve planned this work for Saturday because it’s outside of school hours, there are fewer trucks on the road, and it’s one day of the week when there is no public transport operating.”

    “The reason for doing this work during the day is down to the ground temperature – chipseal has to be laid when the ground is warm to help the new seal set and stick. If it’s too cold, the seal will crack and fail,” Mr Owen says.

    A local road detour will be available via Robinson Road, Main Road Lower Moutere, Wildman Road, and Quayle Street (otherwise known as High Street South). The same detour will apply in reverse for motorists travelling from Motueka to Richmond.

    This detour is expected to add up to 10 minutes to travel time. Drivers travelling between Richmond and Motueka must allow extra time for their journeys.

    Mr Owen says the Great Taste Cycle Trail will remain open, but the detour route means it will be affected by increased traffic.

    “It’s essential drivers and cyclists share the road with care. Cyclists need to be aware there will be more vehicles around them, and drivers must look out for cyclists too.”

    Once the chipsealing is completed, the Mariri Causeway will reopen under a temporary speed limit of 50km/hr to give the chipseal time to bed in. Road workers will then sweep clear any loose chip and re-apply road markings. 

    Drivers must follow all temporary speed limits. They are there to protect the road and vehicles from damage, and to keep people safe. In the event of unforeseen circumstances or bad weather this work will be postponed.

    Works schedule:

    • Saturday, 19 October from 7 am – 5 pm
    • Detour for traffic travelling from Richmond to Motueka is via Robinson Road, Main Road Lower Moutere, Wildman Road and Quayle Street. The reverse will apply for traffic travelling from Motueka to Richmond.
    • The Great Taste Trail will remain open during the works.

    Detour map for traffic travelling from Richmond to Motueka is via Robinson Road, Main Road Lower Moutere, Wildman Road and Quayle Street.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Windy Weather Warning for Wairarapa Drivers

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    Drivers travelling on State Highway 2 over the Remutaka Hill and through Wairarapa will need to be ready for another burst of rough spring weather tomorrow.

    The Metservice has issued a Strong Wind Warning for Wairarapa, Tararua District, and Hawke’s Bay south of Hastings between  8 am and 5 pm tomorrow (Tuesday, 24 September).

    Severe gale west to northwest winds are forecast and will coincide with morning and afternoon commuting times.

    It means drivers must take extra care on exposed routes like Remutaka Hill. This particularly applies to trucks, vans, motorcycles, light vehicles, and towing vehicles.

    Strong winds increase the risk of tree falls, downed powerlines, and windblown debris. Road users must be prepared for these hazards and drive accordingly.

    It is also recommended to check road and weather conditions before travelling, as bad weather can cause roads to be closed on short notice.

    It is also recommended to check road and weather conditions before travelling, as bad weather can cause roads to be closed on short notice.

    Highway Conditions – Wellington/Wairarapa(external link)

    Metservice Weather Warnings(external link)

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Speech – ECA WA Conference

    Source: Australian Ministers for Education

    Good morning everyone. This really brings back memories. I’ve given many lectures in this room, and every time I lectured in this room, I never stood here. 

    So I’m going to stand here, and can you hear me at the back? 

    Excellent. Well, thank you so much, Amy, for that wonderful introduction, and I also want to thank you Auntie Robyn for that beautiful welcome to country.   

    Can I start also by acknowledging the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we meet, the Whadjuk Noongar people, and I want to pay my respects to elders, past, present and emerging and celebrate the diversity of First Nations people, their ongoing cultural and educational practices and their connection to the land, water and skies. And I acknowledge any First Nations people joining us here this morning on a beautiful Saturday morning. 

    I was saying earlier, I don’t think there is any other sector that would come out on a Saturday morning of a long weekend to a conference, so kudos to each and every one of you who are here. 

    Can I take a moment just to acknowledge a few other people; my dear friend, Professor Andrew Whitehouse, Professor of Autism Research at the Telethon Kids Research Institute. I’m sure that you are going to be blown away by Andrew’s presentation. Every time Andrew and I sit down together, and I learn about the work he is doing, it really just blows my mind. 

    Can I also acknowledge the ECA WA Committee members here, all the early childhood leaders and educators here today as well, the most important people in the room, of course.

    So I’m really – I’m just really honoured to be here to welcome you today to this day‑long conference. I was in Brisbane for the ECA Conference, it feels like a long time ago, but it actually was only two or three days ago, and that was a fabulous conference too. 

    I remember my very first ECA conference which was in Canberra. I’m a professor before I became a politician, so I’m an academic in nature, and so coming to conferences is like Disneyland for me. I find them incredibly exciting. 

    Unfortunately I have to get on a plane straight after this, so I cannot join you for the rest of the day, but I know that it will be a day filled with incredible insights, an opportunity to share, an opportunity to learn and opportunity to network, and I think they are some of the invaluable things that you can take away from days like today. 

    I’m actually not going to read this speech, because I’d much rather talk to you like this. It’s a really exciting time to be in the early childhood education sector at the moment, because we are on the cusp of a lot of reform. 

    I think that when I went to the very first ECA Conference, at the end of the conference – because I stayed for the whole thing – at the end of the conference they put up findings from the very first conference, which was way back in 1983, or 82, and it was really interesting that they contrasted them with the findings or the outcomes of the conference in 2022, it was at the time, and not much had changed. 

    In fact. nothing had changed. The issues were still the same, the concerns were still the same, the things that needed reform were still the same. And I think that speaks to the fact that this is a sector that is essentially, provides an essential service, not just for families who work, or where care givers work, but particularly for children in those first five years of their lives, the transformational benefits that you all bring to children and their families. 

    And I think that it is high time that the sector had the level of attention that it deserves. You as educators and leaders getting that recognition for the professionalism that you bring to your work. Dedication is great, and I know you all love your jobs, but I also know that you need to be recognised as professionals. 

    And as I said earlier, being here on a Saturday morning on a long weekend is demonstration of that, of that commitment to professionalism, as well as that dedication to the children that you teach, that you educate every day and the families that you help, it’s that dedication to the professionalism of what you do. 

    It’s been a long time coming, but I can tell you our government does not see you as babysitters, does not see you as care givers. We understand, and we know that what you do is education. 

    I often say this to people: I often say, you know, we talk about a child learning to talk, we say “They learnt to walk., they learnt to use a spoon or a fork, or the potty”. Those first five years of a child’s life are education, and we know from research – I actually studied my Masters of Education here, and I studied my post graduate here in Child Language Acquisition. And we know from research and cases where children have not had that interaction, that they don’t learn these things naturally. These are things that are taught to them, and that is the critical role that early childhood education and early childhood educators play in the shaping of a child’s life, not just in those first five years, but into their childhood, their adolescence, their adulthood. So it’s a critical time for that recognition of professionalism. 

    Now we’ve done a number of things. We know that the Prime Minister has articulated a commitment to universal early childhood education and care. I translate that as a sector that is affordable, accessible, and importantly inclusive. That’s really the key part of what you do, is that inclusivity. 

    When we first came into government, one of the first things we did was increase the Child Care Subsidy, and that’s helped about a million families across Australia, the ACCC review found that that’s reduced out‑of‑pocket costs by around 11 per cent. 

    In fact, I was on the Radio 6PR, the other day, and the presenter was saying that his fees went from $70 a day to $40 a day, which makes a huge difference to families, right, and to children. 

    The second thing that we did was recently announced a pay increase for early childhood educators, a 15 per cent pay increase, 10 per cent this year, 5 per cent next year. That comes on top of increases from the Fair Work Commission, particularly for some of the lowest‑paid educators in the sector and workers in the sector. 

    That 15 per cent increase also applies to out‑of‑school‑hours care, and we are working really hard with family day care and in‑home care to see how it can also apply to them. 

    That’s the second thing, because everything that we know, every report, every review, everybody knows that if we want to build that universal early childhood education sector that we want to see that is world‑class quality, affordable, accessible, inclusive, we need a strong and stable workforce, and one that is fairly remunerated for the work that they do and recognised as the professionals that they are. 

    So that’s a big part of what I do as the Early Childhood Education Minister, is looking at how we strengthen the workforce, but importantly how we contribute as leaders, as politicians, as policy makers to that recognition of the professionalism of the workforce. 

    Now last week, on Wednesday, we released the Productivity Commission Review. Now what we wanted the Productivity Commission to do was to give us some ideas in helping us chart that path to universal early childhood education and care. 

    I know from speaking to the sector, from speaking to early childhood educators, to academics, to advocates, to leaders, that we’re on the same page in terms of what we want for children. 

    We want every child to be able to access the transformational benefits of early childhood education and care. We’re on the same page with what we mean by “universal”. It means that every child has access. 

    But how do we get there? How do we get there? How do we get there within the constraints of what the sector looks like? The diversity within the sector, the different and sometimes competing priorities in the sector. The diversity of service delivery, but also the diversity of contexts in which services are delivered; rural/regional, low socio‑economic, high socio‑economic, the different contexts in which they’re delivered. First Nations, you know delivering culturally appropriate and culturally responsive early childhood education and care in place. 

    And that’s what the Productivity Commission was tasked with. So they’ve come out with a number of recommendations, and you might have read about some of them, you might have heard about some of these. 

    Primarily their recommendations are around – well, their findings aren’t anything that we didn’t know, that some of the most vulnerable children are the ones who are missing out.

    So their findings are around abolishing the activity test and making early childhood education and care free for people earning under $80,000 a year for one child, and $140,000 a year for two or more children in ECEC, with a tapering rate according to parents’ incomes. 

    Abolishing the activity test, and a guarantee of 30 hours a week – or three days for every child – a guarantee, and an ECEC Commission to oversee this. 

    Now we’re going to be considering all of those recommendations that the Productivity Commission makes, and we’ll be considering them along with the ACCC Review. 

    One of the things I’m incredibly conscious of as the Minister is that within this sector every lever that you pull has a flow‑on effect ‑ and I know that Andrew’s talk is all about the ripple effect ‑ every lever that we pull has a ripple effect and a flow‑on effect to another part of the sector. 

    And so just as we look at child development holistically, with early childhood education, health, parenting, social services being all part of that development, as we did with the Early Years Strategy, we also have to look at the sector and the reform that we make holistically. 

    What is it, when we do one thing in one space, what impact does it have on other spaces, particularly considering the diversity of the sector, the diversity of services and the diversity of place and context, as I mentioned earlier. 

    Now, I don’t know – who was – was anyone in Brisbane on Wednesday? 

    So Professor Paul Leseman’s talk was all about governance and localised governance, and that was a really interesting talk. And I’m constantly looking at international examples and international research to how we can create a uniquely Australian sector, but take with us the lessons, develop that with the lessons that have been learnt internationally. 

    And that’s what makes this time really, really exciting. Because right now internationally there are so many lessons that are being learned from different countries in the ways in which they attempted to, or instigated, reforms within early childhood education, from the Nordic countries, to Canada, to New Zealand, to all different countries. 

    So as academic nerd I’m basically eating the research for breakfast, along with my coffee. And so for me as the Early Childhood Education Minister, you know, I know where we want to be, and I know that we share that vision with each and every one of you. 

    It’s a beautiful vision, right, and wow, how would it be if we could achieve that? That every child, no matter who they are, no matter what their background, no matter where they live can access this really high‑quality transformational early childhood education and care. 

    Because one of the first things I said to my department when I took on this portfolio was that the principle that guides us is that no child born into disadvantage should have to carry that disadvantage through their life, and the key to that is what you all do. 

    I speak to that not just as an academic who studied early childhood and – not early childhood, but childhood language and has a Master of Education, I speak to that as a mother. I speak to that as a single mum who was fleeing domestic violence, who has an unending gratitude to the early childhood educators who helped me through the most difficult time of my life. 

    Sorry. A few months ago, I was at a different conference, and at the back of the room was the educator who cared for my children, and we saw each other, and we just hugged each other and cried, and I said to her, “Do you have any idea how much you saved me? Do you have any idea what was going on in my household?” And she said, “Anne, we all knew, we all knew”. 

    That is the difference that you make to people’s lives. That is the difference that you make. 

    So I’m going to stop, because I’ve got to catch a plane, and I hate it when I cry before I get on a plane. 

    But look, I just want to say to you, I’m really excited. I am really excited about what we can do together, hand‑in‑hand, moving forward on this pathway, on this journey. And I’m excited too by what’s at the end of this journey, and I am incredibly honoured to be the Minister for Early Childhood Education and Care. It is a portfolio that – not just because I get to play with babies – but because of you, because the heart, the dedication, the professionalism that you bring to the work that you do inspires me every single day to be better and to do better for you. 

    So thank you so much for hearing me rant. And I wish you all the best for the rest of the conference. Enjoy it, and I hope you get so much value out of it, and I look forward to seeing all your faces again soon.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Two operators selected for new e-scooter licences in Auckland

    Source: Auckland Council

    Auckland Council has selected two providers to receive new rental micromobility licences in Auckland.  

    Of the seven licence applications received, the chosen providers are current operator Lime and the New Zealand-owned Flamingo. Both will be licensed for a two-year period from 4 November 2024. 

    Auckland Council’s Manager of Licensing and Environmental Health, Mervyn Chetty, says the council received a number of strong applications, with the chosen providers demonstrating a commitment to safety initiatives and reducing nuisance.   

    “Both Lime and Flamingo have a history of operating in Auckland and around New Zealand. Their applications represented the best offering for Aucklanders, with both committing to a range of initiatives to support public transport connections, improved parking and safer riding.” 

    “We look forward to continuing our relationship with Lime and welcoming back Flamingo, which currently operates in a number of New Zealand cities and has been licenced in Auckland previously.”  

    Fewer operators but allocations the same

    The current e-scooter allocation in Auckland is 3000 in total, with 900 in tier 1 (city centre), 900 in tier 2 (city fringe) and 1200 in tier 3 (suburban). This allocation will remain the same from November 4, but with the allocation split across the two providers.

    “Having just two operators allows riders to easily find a device with their preferred provider, as well as allowing us to monitor and work with providers more closely,” says Mr Chetty.  

    Lime and Flamingo will each be allowed 900 devices split across tiers 1 and 2. In tier 3, Lime will have 700 devices and Flamingo will have 500.  

    Rental Micromobility Code of Practice 

    Throughout the current licensing period the council has identified improvements that can be made to the Rental Micromobility Code of Practice to better manage operator compliance and influence user behaviour. 

    Changes to the rental micromobility code of practice will include: 

    • Faster response times required to rectify non-compliant parking, reduced from 90 to 75 minutes in tier 1 (city centre) and tier 2 (city fringe).  
    • Faster response times to rectify toppled scooters, reduced from 90 to 75 minutes in tiers 1 and 2. 
    • Strengthened data provisions.  

    E-bikes 
     
    From 4 November the council will no longer license rental e-bikes. Previous e-bike licences saw a low number of trips, with operators having removed all rental e-bike devices from the streets. 

    Operators have committed to work with Auckland Council and Auckland Transport to develop a strategy to successfully bring rental e-bikes back to Tāmaki Makaurau. 

    Assessment of applications 

    Applications were assessed against the requirements of the Public Trading, Events and Filming Bylaw 2022 and Auckland Transport’s Activities in the Road Corridor Bylaw 2022, and were considered to ensure that the applicants could demonstrate their ability to comply with the Rental Micromobility Code of Practice (version 3).  

    Find out more 

    Visit the council’s micromobility web page to find out more about rental e-scooters in Auckland.  

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI China: US blasted for high subsidies to PV sector

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    The China Photovoltaic Industry Association has expressed serious concerns about and strong opposition to the United States’ distorting the global solar market by providing excessive subsidies to US companies and imposing high tariffs on imported solar products.

    It said the US moves are hampering international cooperation in the fight against climate change.

    The trade body said in a recent statement that the US has built high walls of protectionism by imposing multiple trade restrictions and continuously increasing tariff barriers on imported photovoltaic products. In May, for example, the US decided that the import tax on Chinese solar cells would rise from 25 percent to 50 percent.

    The association also pointed out that the US implemented exclusive and discriminatory industrial policies through legislation such as the Inflation Reduction Act and the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and subsidized its own photovoltaic industry on a large scale.

    “The Inflation Reduction Act, introduced in 2022, offers subsidies of an unprecedented $369 billion to support investments and production in the clean energy sector, including domestic PV products, aiming to reconstruct the PV industry chain,” said the trade body’s statement.

    On May 16, the US Department of Energy announced $71 million investment to fund the Silicon Solar Manufacturing and Dual-Use Photovoltaics Incubator Program ($27 million) and the Advancing US Thin-Film Solar Photovoltaics Funding Program ($44 million), aiming to close the gaps in PV supply chain manufacturing capabilities, the association added.

    Such moves violated multilateral trade rules and severely distorted the market operations of the global supply chain of the PV industry, according to the statement.

    Experts and business leaders said that while subsidies are common globally in the new energy industry, the US strategy of raising tariffs under anti-subsidy pretexts and financially backing domestic companies is a double standard, with the aim of hindering Chinese solar companies from capturing global market share.

    They said that Chinese-made solar and wind power equipment has facilitated the widespread adoption of affordable renewable energy worldwide, contributing to a global shift toward green development, adding that collaboration among global economies is essential for mutual gains in the sector.

    Cui Fan, an international trade professor at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing, said that policy interventions are necessary globally to address market flaws in advancing new energy. Solely relying on market forces could significantly delay global decarbonization progress by 20 to 30 years, which would be out of sync with the pace of global green initiatives, he added.

    “However, in the WTO framework, subsidies must adhere to specific conditions, including avoiding unjust discrimination. The US’ Inflation Reduction Act breaches this by favoring US products over Chinese imports,” Cui said.

    Lin Boqiang, head of the China Institute for Studies in Energy Policy at Xiamen University, said that the US’ high subsidies for its new energy industry, as well as its consistent raising of tariffs on Chinese goods under anti-subsidy pretexts, showcase a US double standard.

    Song Hao, assistant vice-president at GCL Technology Holdings, said the US’ contradictory actions of restricting imports under anti-subsidy pretexts while heavily supporting domestic solar industries were undermining fairness.

    Lin said: “Although the US has continuously raised trade barriers, it has limited impact on the Chinese solar industry, as China’s direct exports to the US are relatively small. Chinese companies have diversified investments globally, forging stronger ties with Europe, the Middle East and other regions to explore new opportunities.”

    The US was not among the top 10 markets for China’s solar module exports in the first half of this year, while Europe and Asia collectively accounted for over 80 percent of these exports, according to the China Photovoltaic Industry Association. Solar modules accounted for 87 percent of China’s total PV product exports in terms of value, it added.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Smart tourism applications offer unique experiences

    Source: China State Council Information Office 2

    People visit the 2024 China Culture and Tourism Industries Exposition in north China’s Tianjin, Sept. 13, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Wearing an elegant white dress, Umuhoza, a Rwandan businesswoman, took a photo in front of a smart photo device, which soon generated a photo depicting her as a valiant and chivalrous female with traditional Chinese features.
    “When people travel to China, they really want to take memories back home. The device can take a picture of you and then transform you into a Chinese kind of person. I really love it,” Umuhoza said.
    Umuhoza runs a travel website. She helps tourists from Asian countries travel to African countries, including Rwanda, Egypt and Tanzania. At the same time, her website has a “China package,” catering to travelers from Africa who want to go to China.
    At the 2024 China Culture & Tourism Industries Exposition held earlier this month in north China’s Tianjin Municipality, many foreign visitors were overwhelmed by the novel technologies adopted in China’s tourism sector.
    “That’s amazing. I am very interested in autonomous driving cars and many smart tourism scenes. Perhaps new trade cooperation can be carried out in the future,” Umuhoza said.
    Telling people more about China
    Putting on a virtual reality headset, Elena Jitari-Parry, a full-time travel blogger from Moldova, was instantly drawn to various places to experience the magnificent landscapes of China’s mountains and rivers.
    “So beautiful. It felt so authentic here,” Jitari-Parry said.
    She also quickly learned about securing travel tips for exploring Tianjin via an intelligent tourism companion system, which simply requires a person to ask questions at a booth provided by Midu, a company focusing on artificial intelligence and large language models.
    “Traveling in China can be so easy for foreigners! The digitalization and intelligence services of Chinese tourist attractions have become a new trend, enabling foreigners like me to enjoy a more comfortable and convenient travel experience in China,” Jitari-Parry said.
    With the desire to further explore China, Jitari-Parry chose to be a full-time travel blogger, documenting her travels and experiences in China. “Foreigners are very interested in China’s technological development. I always advise my audience to come to China and see something different.”
    The deep integration of technology and the cultural tourism sector not only creates a variety of experiential consumption scenarios, but also meets people’s new needs for personalized travel, immersive experiences and creative consumption.
    Data showed that by the end of 2023, the scale of China’s digital cultural tourism market had exceeded 1 trillion yuan (about 140 billion U.S. dollars), accounting for more than 30 percent of the entire cultural tourism industry.
    Experiencing smart, convenient services
    In the exhibition area of Meituan, one of China’s leading online services platforms, high-end technologies such as drones and autonomous delivery vehicles became the focus of foreign bloggers’ lenses.
    Ruben Diaz Jr. from the United States was amazed by it. “Some of these things are brand new to me. Tourists can specify drones to deliver the items they need directly to the scenic areas, which is definitely more convenient.”
    A staff member at the Meituan booth said that currently Meituan drones are operating on more than 30 routes in cities such as Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai and Guangzhou, and have completed over 300,000 orders in total.
    Thanks to the rapid development of smart tourism in China, tourists have become accustomed to using online payments, ticket purchases and guided tours during their travels.
    Data from iResearch, an industry research and consulting institute, showed that in 2023, the total number of monthly uses and total usage time of online travel apps had grown by more than 30 percent year on year on average.
    Some Chinese online travel service companies also use digital technologies to meet the growing travel needs of foreign visitors in China.
    In May, Tongcheng Travel launched an international travel reservation platform named HopeGoo, which supports payments in 16 global currencies and via various operating languages.
    Richard Santana, a product designer and blogger from the United States, said that with these online services, foreigners will be more willing to go to China, while their travels in China will also be more convenient.
    Ma Yiliang, chief statistician of the China Tourism Academy, said that “digitalization plus cultural tourism” has become a development trend.
    As “China Travel” has surged to be a hot global social media topic, demand for inbound tourism to China has increased significantly.
    “With the smarter and more convenient experience in China, foreign tourists can find a more open, more confident and safer China during their travels,” said Ma. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Summit hammers out consensus for updating, upgrading UN to tackle challenges

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Philemon Yang, president of the General Assembly of the United Nations, speaks at the Summit of the Future at the UN headquarters in New York, Sept. 22, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

    The Summit of the Future opened at the United Nations (UN) headquarters in New York on Sunday, with the adoption of a Pact for the Future, as well as its annexes the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations, which cover a broad range of themes including peace and security, sustainable development, climate change, digital cooperation, human rights, gender, youth and future generations and the transformation of global governance.

    The Pact for the Future is the UN’s master plan for tackling challenges that lie ahead for humanity, with 56 “actions” covering everything from peacekeeping to the potential threats posed by artificial intelligence. The pact underlines the “increasingly complex challenges” to world peace, notably the threat of nuclear war, with the document reiterating the UN’s core tenets.

    The pact promises to accelerate efforts to attain the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), which aim for the eradication of extreme poverty by 2030, an intensified battle against hunger, promotion of gender equality and education. Most of the objectives were set in 2005, but are far from being realized. Against that backdrop, and with poor countries particularly mobilized for change, the pact especially calls for “reform of the international financial architecture.”

    What UNGA president says?

    “We stand at a crossroads of global transformation, facing unprecedented challenges that demand urgent, collective action,” Philemon Yang, president the UN General Assembly, said at the opening segment of the two-day summit. “From conflict and climate change to the digital divide, from inequalities to threats against human rights, together, we all face profound challenges. Yet, alongside these challenges, there is hope,” because challenges come along with opportunities.

    The Pact for the Future represents the world body’s pledge not only to address immediate crises, but lay the foundations for a sustainable, just, and peaceful global order, for all peoples and nations, he said, adding that the commitments embodied in the pact and its annexes reflect the collective will of UN member states to promote international peace and security, invigorate implementation of the SDGs, foster just and inclusive societies, and ensure that technologies always serve the common good of humankind.

    “The Summit of the Future is a call to action. We must shape our future to protect ourselves and our planet Earth,” said the president. “Action that recommits us to the principles of international law, the goals of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the promise of the United Nations Charter to save future generations from the pain of war.”

    The world body’s mission is to eradicate poverty in all its forms, tackle inequalities, and promote peace and security, tolerance and respect for diversity, and the summit offers a historic opportunity to ensure that progress is shared equitably across all nations and communities everywhere, he said.

    “We have an obligation to harness the power of science, technology, and innovation, in order to prepare the future of humankind. It is also important that we reproduce our human successes across generations all the time,” noted the president. “Let us continue our efforts to reform and strengthen global institutions that support peace, security, sustainable development, and financial stability.”

    What UN secretary general says?

    “I called for this summit to consider deep reforms to make global institutions more legitimate, fair and effective, based on the values of the UN Charter,” said UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres at the meeting. “I called for this summit because 21st century challenges require 21st century solutions: frameworks that are networked and inclusive; and that draw on the expertise of all of humanity … our world is heading off the rails — and we need tough decisions to get back on track.”

    Conflicts are raging and multiplying, from the Middle East to Ukraine and Sudan, with no end in sight, he said, adding that the world’s collective security system is threatened by geopolitical divides, nuclear posturing, and the development of new weapons and theaters of war, while resources that could bring opportunities and hope are invested in death and destruction.

    “In short, our multilateral tools and institutions are unable to respond effectively to today’s political, economic, environmental and technological challenges. And tomorrow’s will be even more difficult and even more dangerous,” noted the secretary general, stressing that things are changing fast but the world’s peace and security tools and institutions, as well as its global financial architecture, reflect a bygone era.

    Technology, geopolitics and globalization have transformed power relations and the world is going through a time of turbulence and a period of transition, he addressed the meeting. With the adoption of the Pact for the Future, the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration on Future Generations, pathways are opened to new possibilities and opportunities — a breakthrough on peace and security reforms to make the Security Council more reflective of today’s world is promised.

    These three landmark agreements are a step-change toward more effective, inclusive, networked multilateralism, said Guterres, noting that their implementation will prioritize dialogue and negotiation, end the wars tearing the world apart, and reform the composition and working methods of the Security Council. “To rebuild trust, we must start with the present and look to the future. People everywhere are hoping for a future of peace, dignity, and prosperity.”

    What Summit of the Future Means?

    In 2020, the United Nations turned 75 and marked the occasion by starting a global conversation about hopes and fears for the future. This was the beginning of a process that would eventually lead, four years later, to the convening of the Summit of the Future, a major event this September, just before the annual high-level debate of the General Assembly.

    The summit was conceived at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when there was a perception at the UN that countries and people pulled apart instead of cooperating to face this global threat.

    “We were really confronted with the gap between the aspirations of our founders, which we were trying to celebrate at the 75th anniversary, and the reality of the world as it is today,” said Michele Griffin, the policy director of the summit.

    UN member states tasked Guterres to come up with a vision for the future of global cooperation. His answer to their call was “Our Common Agenda,” a landmark report with recommendations on renewed global cooperation to address a host of risks and threats, and a proposal to hold a forward-looking summit in 2024.

    The event consists of sessions and plenaries based around five main tracks — sustainable development and financing; peace and security; a digital future for all; youth and future generations; and global governance — and other topics that cut across all of the work of the UN, including human rights, gender equality and the climate crisis.

    The immediate outcome is the finalized version of the Pact for the Future, with the Global Digital Compact and the Declaration for Future Generations as annexes, all of which were adopted by member states during the summit on Sunday.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Foreign firms urged to help pool wisdom for Shanghai

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Amid Shanghai’s continued efforts to deepen international cooperation in terms of research and development, multinational companies should be better integrated into the city’s innovation network, which would be conducive to the city’s high-quality development, said officials and company executives.

    They made the remarks on Sunday during the 36th International Business Leaders’ Advisory Council for the Mayor of Shanghai.

    Chen Jining, Party secretary of Shanghai, said that as technological innovation has been playing an increasingly important role in driving economic growth, Shanghai will expand its science and technology exchanges with other markets.

    Efforts will be made to develop offshore technological innovation, Chen said, adding that a foundation to advance coordinated technological innovation at a global level will be built in Lin-gang Special Area of the China (Shanghai) Pilot Free Trade Zone.

    International organizations are also encouraged to set up branches in the city, and all these steps are aimed at nurturing an open, fair, just and nondiscriminatory environment for technological innovation, he said.

    Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng said the scientific research paradigm is undergoing profound changes amid the new round of technological and industrial revolution, and coordination and cooperation are crucial against this backdrop.

    Shanghai will implement a global technology partner plan, and will also actively participate in, nurture and initiate international large-scale scientific projects, he said.

    Multinational companies will be encouraged to set up international R&D centers and open innovation centers in the city, and will be deeply integrated into Shanghai’s local innovation network, Gong added.

    As of June, 985 multinational companies had set up their regional headquarters in Shanghai, and the number of foreign-funded R&D centers reached 575, according to the municipal government.

    Severin Schwan, chairman of the board of directors of Swiss healthcare company Roche Group, said that openness, innovation and collaboration are important for Shanghai’s high-quality development, particularly in the wake of geopolitical tensions and market uncertainties.

    Multinational companies can tap into the sectors of healthcare, science and technology, and the digital economy more deeply, said Schwan, who is also chairman for this year’s International Business Leaders’ Advisory Council.

    Dominic Barton, chairman of multinational mining company Rio Tinto, said the private sector has been contributing substantially to research projects, and this is a global trend.

    Miguel Lopez, CEO of German industrial and engineering conglomerate Thyssenkrupp AG, suggested that Shanghai could place great importance on and fully utilize multinational companies’ industrial expertise, global networks, international experience and innovative resources.

    The International Business Leaders’ Advisory Council was initiated in 1989 and has grown into a think tank for Shanghai mayors over time.

    This year’s meeting was attended by top executives of 34 multinational companies from 13 countries.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The pressing case for a new emergency visa to help people fleeing Gaza and other conflicts

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane McAdam, Scientia Professor and ARC Laureate Fellow, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Sydney

    Recent conflicts in Afghanistan, Ukraine, Sudan and Gaza have displaced large numbers of people. In each case, Australia’s humanitarian response has been different. Some people have been able to acquire a visa and travel to Australia relatively easily; others have been stuck.

    Once here, wildly varying visa entitlements mean some people have access to work rights, health care and other services; others are barely surviving.

    In a new policy brief, we argue the Australian government should create a new emergency visa for humanitarian crises.

    We believe the government needs a more streamlined, equitable, predictable and effective response to assist people facing a real risk of persecution, extreme danger or other serious harm.

    An ad hoc approach to emergencies

    To date, Australia has used at least 25 different types of visas to respond to humanitarian emergencies. This has resulted in varying outcomes for those affected, as well as significant distress for diaspora communities in Australia concerned for the safety and welfare of loved ones stuck abroad.

    While the use of different visas has provided the government with flexibility, it has led to ad hoc and inconsistent approaches. It has also added to challenges and inefficiencies within the visa processing system.

    For instance, no special humanitarian visa has been announced for people fleeing conflicts in Gaza or Sudan, though Tony Burke, the new minister for Home Affairs, has indicated he is looking at ways to allow Palestinians to stay here longer.

    Large numbers of Palestinians have been refused visitor visas due to security concerns and, arguably, the politicisation of humanitarian assistance.

    In any case, visitor visas are far from an ideal response in such cases. They are intended for a short, temporary period and do not give people access to any government services or social supports.

    What’s wrong with other existing visas?

    One of the problems with existing visas is that even those designed for emergencies can be too slow to provide urgent protection. In addition, they typically help only a small number of individuals in immediate danger.

    Many visas are issued on a wholly discretionary basis. People must be invited to apply for them, and they cannot transition to a more permanent visa unless the minister permits them to do so.

    In some cases, special visa arrangements have been created for particular groups of people, such as Kosovar refugees in the late 1990s. By contrast, no special humanitarian visa regime has been created for people fleeing conflicts in Gaza or Sudan.

    The visa situation does not need to be this complicated. Yes, it can be reassuring for people to know there is more than one way to find safety in Australia. However, a preferable option would be to have an emergency visa that enables people to reach Australia lawfully and quickly, with a clear pathway to a long-term solution.

    What should an emergency visa look like?

    An emergency visa should enable people at risk to travel to Australia quickly and safely. Eligibility should be determined on the basis of sound and defensible principles, and guided by good practices from other countries and our own history.

    For example, the government could identify eligible classes of people in need of humanitarian emergency visas. Relatives and diaspora communities in Australia could assist in identifying those with connections to Australia (such as family members, past residents and people with links to Australian companies or organisations).

    This recommendation aligns with past practices of designating a particular cohort of people for protection. For instance, Australia’s former special assistance visa category (in use from 1991–2000) provided resettlement opportunities to categories of people with connections to Australia. This included those from the former Yugoslavia and Soviet Union, East Timor, Lebanon, Sudan, Myanmar, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Cambodia, as well as Ahmadi Muslims.

    An emergency visa should provide for an initial stay of 12 months. While this is shorter than some comparative visas, it would provide some certainty for people and allow for a reassessment of the circumstances in their country of origin after a year. At this point, they could either return voluntarily. Or, if it’s not safe to do so, they could be granted a pathway to permanent residence in Australia.

    Emergency visas should also provide immediate access to services (including Medicare and Centrelink), as well as work and study rights, language and cultural support, and assistance with accommodation. Access to work and study rights would enable visa holders to support themselves and alleviate the demands on relatives, community organisations, social service agencies and the government.

    Furthermore, anyone who is in Australia when a humanitarian emergency occurs in their home country should be granted an automatic visa extension or a bridging visa with the same conditions. This should not adversely affect their ability to apply for a different visa, including a protection visa.

    Why a more predictable system is important

    Establishing this kind of system would enable refugees fleeing conflict to rebuild their lives in Australia relatively quickly.

    It would likely encourage people to take steps to get their qualifications recognised and seek jobs commensurate with their skills – benefiting both themselves and the Australian community.

    It would also provide them with both legal and psychological security by removing the uncertainty and precarity of being stuck in a prolonged temporary status. Our research has shown this is detrimental to people’s mental health and wellbeing.

    Australia has an opportunity to take a bold, dynamic and forward-looking approach that would show real leadership in responding to humanitarian emergencies in a timely, well-considered and compassionate manner.

    Jane McAdam receives funding from the Australian Research Council. She is a member of the expert sub-committee of the Ministerial Advisory Council on Skilled Migration.

    Regina Jefferies 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. The pressing case for a new emergency visa to help people fleeing Gaza and other conflicts – https://theconversation.com/the-pressing-case-for-a-new-emergency-visa-to-help-people-fleeing-gaza-and-other-conflicts-238877

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Municipality makes life easier for foreign talent

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

    Shanghai issued 13 measures on Friday to improve services for overseas talent attracted to the city.

    The measures, unveiled at the Fourth Shanghai Talent+ Summit, include streamlined procedures for obtaining visas, residence permits, permanent residency, work permits and financial services. For example, those who possess doctorates and others deemed to be outstanding foreign talent will benefit from streamlined procedures when applying for permanent residency.

    An official surnamed Liu, who is in charge of services for foreign experts at the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Talent Work, said that everyone from overseas who worked in Shanghai used to have to go to two different government departments to apply for a foreigner’s work permit and a residence permit.

    Liu said the two services were combined at one window several years ago for category A talent, and that will now be extended to all talent from overseas.

    Category A talent includes those who are employed by world-leading companies and research institutions, laureates of international prizes, those who possess innovative technological inventions or patents, and postdoctoral fellows below the age 40.

    The new measures will also optimize services for expat talent in scientific research, innovation and entrepreneurship, medical care, travel and online and social integration.

    At the summit, people from across Shanghai presented business plans in a contest designed to highlight their innovation and entrepreneurship. A section for expats was included for the first time this year.

    “Shanghai is a role model in inspiring entrepreneurs from home and abroad to put their business plans into reality in a positive and speedy way,” said Benoit Dubuis, president of the Swiss Academy of Engineering Sciences and also director of the Sino-Swiss Institute of Advanced Technology at Shanghai University, which is promoting the integration of some cutting-edge disciplines, including microelectronics, biomedicine and artificial intelligence.

    “Many businesses launched by expats in Shanghai increase investment or invest in other entrepreneurial projects if they succeed,” Dubuis said. “This part is critical to the development of the local business environment.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Families fired up about ceramics

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Like most, Sun Lixin, the eldest child in the family-run businesses in Jingdezhen, east China’s Jiangxi province, was born with a mission — succession.

    The firstborn son was followed by a brother and a sister in a family that has made porcelain for four generations and was trained to inherit the family’s ceramic making skills since he was a child.

    His father, Sun Tongxin, has a masterly skill for blue and white painting on porcelain and was a trailblazer in splash ink painting on ceramic panels, blending the innovative contemporary high-temperature technique with the expressive methods of traditional Chinese blue and white ink painting. One of Sun Sr’s pieces was collected by the Palace Museum in Beijing.

    Ink color is one of the color painting decoration methods of ceramics. It refers to a kind of porcelain painting technique that uses thick or bright black as the main colorant to paint on ceramics, presenting a light-black ink effect. It has a strong literati charm and an artistic appeal, showing an elegant and simple, green and subtle aesthetic feeling.

    “I grew up in an environment surrounded by ceramics and ceramists,” Sun Lixin, 57, said.

    He recalled that he did homework at the workshops where his parents worked when primary school finished. The three went home together after the adults got of work.

    In 1976, then premier Zhou Enlai decreed the protection for traditional craftsmanship of porcelain production.

    Thanks to the regulation, a group of teens in Jingdezhen was recruited by the local 10 state-owned porcelain factories to be trained in pottery-making techniques.

    “Though being wet behind the ears, I was thrilled to be an apprentice in a state-owned factory,” Sun Lixin said.

    He was only 13.

    “I liked to learn how to make ceramics, such as drawing, throwing and painting as many of my peers were also in the factory,” he said.

    Sun Lixin’s teacher was his father, who was very strict with the naughty boy. Luckily, his peer apprentices, in his words, learned from their parents’ friends, who were very friendly.

    “I was always sniveling as my father bawled me out for doing things frolicsome with other children,” Sun Lixin said. “One day, I ran away from home, saying to myself that I was damned if I was going to do pottery again.”

    However, he had no choice but to return home and continue his apprenticeship and his father had more teachers for the boy to sharpen his skill of Chinese painting.

    Sun Lixin was a fast learner and became a skilled porcelain painter.

    Time of change

    But things turned bad in Jingdezhen in the late 1980s and early 90s as all the workers were laid of due to the restructuring of the state-owned factories. Sun Lixin and other potters had to do something else to make a living.

    An entrepreneur from Guangzhou, South China’s Guangdong province, invited Sun Lixin to work for him, offering a fat salary of more than 2,000 yuan ($275) a month.

    “His offer is very impressive to me. You know, I earned a monthly income of only 300 yuan in Jingdezhen at that time,” Sun said.

    His parents were also among the massive layoffs, instead bringing home the bacon by drawing for some local people who were the first to run their own porcelain workshops.

    Sun Lixin returned to Jingdezhen from Guangzhou when he was told that his grandfather was fatally ill.

    “I am his firstborn grandson, whom the big family has great expectation on,” Sun said.

    He took with him all the money he had saved over several years in Guangzhou and rebuilt the kiln that the family had before 1949.

    Most of the Sun family members are artisans. Sun Lixin’s uncle has a mastery of porcelain pigments.

    In January 1975, the Jingdezhen-based ceramic research institute affiliated to China’s former ministry of light industry was assigned the special mission of making porcelain for Chairman Mao Zedong. More than 100 sets of porcelain, or nearly 10,000 pieces, which were coded as 7501, were produced in a year.

    Sun Lixin’s mother, who is specialized in underglaze polychrome enamels, was in the team for the important assignment.

    “In my childhood, I saw my mom doing underglaze enameling on a very thin piece in the middle of night. There was a slight sound of cracking. I saw a tear rolling down her cheek,” Sun Lixin recalled compassionately.

    “Flaws make porcelain prices drop, so no single flaw is allowed on ceramic pieces,” he said.

    But Sun has kept piles of porcelain wares with flaws, which, in his words, remind him of the time and effort his parents invested.

    “Hard work and dedication is the character of the Sun family to the core. I have a sense of purpose for making the family craftsmanship better,” Sun Lixin said.

    Family craftsmanship

    He is devoted to making the Sun’s kiln not only a workshop but also a place for doing research on ceramic making.

    Sun Lixin’s modern aesthetic perfectly complements the craftsmanship of the classic designs from Chinese ink painting.

    His ceramic panels are widely collected by museums such as the Israel Museum in Jerusalem, as well as individuals. He is one of the inheritors of intangible cultural heritage conferred by the Jingdezhen authorities.

    In 2006, the Jingdezhen ceramic hand-making technique was included in the first batch of traditional skills in China’s national intangible cultural heritage list. There are 1,899 inheritors of Jingdezhen’s intangible cultural heritage, more than 90 percent of whom are engaged in the inheritance of ceramic hand-making skills.

    When Sun Lixin found that his son was not into the porcelain making, he and his wife decided to have one more child. They had a daughter when Sun Lixin was 41.

    The girl’s early interest in drawing gives her parents and grandparents pleasure. “It seems that drawing is in her bones. She is making sketches much better than I do,” Sun Lixin said as he beamed with pride.

    While his 24-year-old son was studying biological engineering in Dalian city in Northeast China’s Liaoning province, his daughter, 16, is learning fine art in Beijing.

    As the intangible cultural heritage inheritor, Sun Lixin is taking on six young people as his apprentices. They learn to draw the traditional Chinese patterns such as lotus, peony, peach, bat and persimmon.

    “These flora and animals used as decorative motifs on porcelain pieces are symbols of traditional Chinese culture, which young people had better have a understanding of,” Sun Lixin said.

    The Bat, for example, represents good fortune, lotus stands for good luck and the peach means longevity.

    “I am obliged to tell them what I know about traditional Chinese culture,” he said.

    Linglong ware

    Lyu Yating, 31, is also the firstborn of a family that makes ceramics for five generations. She has a younger sister who does not find porcelain making appealing, as well as a younger brother who is still a middle school student.

    Shortly after graduating from a university where she studied international business management in the United Kingdom in 2014, the 21-year-old Lyu returned to Jingdezhen to take over the family business. “My mother told me that my father, 62, was out of sorts as he always put his nose to the grindstone,” she said.

    Lyu’s father started the Fuyu blue and white linglong ceramic company in the 1990s when the state-owned porcelain factories could not survive. He recruited all six of his brothers and sisters who were laid off from the factories, as well as other skilled artisans.

    Jingdezhen is the only place where linglong porcelain is produced. Grain-sized holes are hollowed out in the thin roughcast and covered with several layers of glaze when ceramists make linglong porcelain, also known as a “porcelain inlaid with glass”. It is famous for its exquisite carving patterns and glittering, translucent appeal. The process requires a high level of craftsmanship.

    Linglong porcelain is one of the most famous types of ceramics Jingdezhen produces. The others include famille-rose porcelain, blue-white porcelain and color-glazed porcelain.

    Like Sun Lixin, Lyu also grew up at the ceramic-making workshop.

    At that time, she dreamed of doing something different from what her parents did. The young artisan said: “I wanted to be independent.”

    But she has no heart to let her parents down. The Lyu family has a formula for glaze handed down from her great-great-grandfather.

    “After all, I am the eldest child and my father’s technique should be passed on. Our family business is well established in Jingdezhen,” Lyu said.

    She feels a sense of pride when she sees Chinese porcelain, especially items made in Jingdezhen, exhibited in foreign museums.

    Lyu started studying ceramic making comprehensively — the way to make the linglong glaze in particular — shortly after coming back to Jingdezhen.

    “Though I had no experience for ceramic making at that time, I was of intellectual curiosity and thought outside the box,” she said.

    The family business produces daily use porcelain at its production lines. At the same time, Lyu has a team focusing on research and development.

    She and her team have been experimenting with new media to achieve the best effects for linglong porcelain.

    “I want to find a type of glaze that can make the linglong ceramic more beautiful and more translucent,” Lyu said.

    “Fortunately, the production of the daily use ceramics has increased significantly and made big profit so that investment in R&D is possible,” Lyu said.

    New ways forward

    Now the young entrepreneur is dedicating herself to building brands as she knows that her production lines cannot churn out as much as the companies in Dehua, Fujian province, and Chaozhou, Guangdong province. The two places have a pile-it-high-and-sell-it-cheap strategy.

    “I don’t want to be an original equipment manufacturer. Instead, I want to sell our brands overseas,” she said.

    Lyu described herself as a well balanced person who is calm and reasonable and shows good judgment.

    “I hope that products of intangible cultural heritage can be salable rather than merely a symbol. In so doing, people can understand what the charm of intangible cultural heritage is,” Lyu said.

    Lyu, also a designated inheritor of intangible cultural heritage in Jingdezhen, is ambitious to make ceramics that could be handed down from generation to generation.

    “I am grateful to my father who has created such a wonderful company,” she said.

    Her company has four brands; one started by her father and the other three by her. She is pouring a lot of effort into developing products such as coffee and tea sets, jardinieres and copies of antique porcelain.

    In Lyu’s words, the spirit of artisans means their craftsmanship and pursuit of excellence.

    Lyu received offers for graduate study from four foreign universities after her undergraduate education in the UK. When asked whether she regrets not undertaking graduate studies, Lyu said she had no choice but inherit the family business.

    ” Now I am having a great life, and I have no regrets,” she said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Scientists from NSU and ICG SB RAS have developed a new approach to collecting, storing and analyzing information about wheat ears

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    Scientists from NSU and ICG SB RAS presented a new approach to collecting, storing and analyzing information on the morphometric characteristics of a wheat ear. Students took an active part in the work on creating the SpikeDroidDB system Faculty of Mechanics and Mathematics of NSU, Faculty of Information Technology NSU, and also Mathematical center in AkademgorodokWork on this project was carried out with the support of the Russian Science Foundation, project No. 23-14-00150.

    The SpikeDroidDB information system allows storing digital images of the ear, annotating their phenotypic characteristics according to 14 important traits and provides a flexible query system for accessing data.

    Using SpikeDroidDB, a collection of F2 hybrid ears from a cross between the Australian soft wheat variety Triple Dirk and the Chinese wheat sample KU506 Triticum yunnanense was digitized and annotated. An analysis of the variability of the ears in shape, length and width was carried out.

    The structure of the ear is one of the most important features of cereals, associated with such economically valuable qualities as productivity, resistance to environmental factors and pests, ease of threshing. Ears differ in shape, size, density, awns, color, etc.

    For breeders and geneticists, such parameters as the number of grains in an ear, the thousand-grain weight, and others are of great importance. These characteristics are closely related to plant productivity. A useful selection feature is the shape of the grain and such characteristics of the ear as its type, length, profile, the presence or absence of awns, the number of fertile and sterile spikelets (i.e., grain content), ear fragility, and the properties of the glume. Collecting and describing these features manually is a labor-intensive and lengthy process.

    — Researchers at our laboratory have long been working on an important task aimed at replacing the measuring methods of geneticists and breeders with a ruler and a computer or mobile phone. We would like to make it so that scientists no longer have to manually measure plant parameters, but simply take a photo of a wheat ear, while observing a number of technical conditions, and then obtain the information they are interested in by uploading this photo to our database. When creating it, we worked with conventional image analysis, that is, with digital vision, and applied deep machine learning in terms of image recognition using neural networks, identifying individual features and classification, — said the leading researcher at the Laboratory of Evolutionary Informatics and Theoretical Genetics of the Institute of Cytology and Genetics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, an employee of the Department of Information Biology Faculty of Natural Sciences, Novosibirsk State University Dmitry Afonnikov.

    The complexity of the researchers’ work was that it was based on digital images of ears. They serve as the initial data when applying automatic phenotyping methods. When developing them, an important task is an expert assessment of many plant characteristics for their further use in training and verification of computer algorithms. However, many morphological features of the ear are usually assessed qualitatively, not quantitatively. Very often, they do not have a quantitative assessment. Such features include the shape of the ear, its density, the color of the ear, the pubescence of the glumes, the type of awns, the color of the awns, the shape of the ear, brittleness of the ear and many others. Therefore, the use of digital image analysis approaches to describe the shape of the grain and ear, as well as their comparison with the assessments of the ear features made by expert breeders, became an important task for the developers.

    — In our database, we have collected over 10,000 digital images of ears and described their structure and properties so that genetic scientists can obtain all the data they need from a photograph — the size of the ear, its thickness, width, presence of awns, color of the ears, etc., essentially replacing conventional measurements with image analysis. And as a result, we obtain more characteristics, and they are also more accurate. In this case, the automated system has more capabilities than a person. If a person determines some parameters “by eye”, then computer vision records them more accurately and productively. With the help of computer analysis of digital images, we can determine hundreds of parameters of ears — both basic and their derivatives, and then use them to develop methods and classifications, as well as to assess productivity. Such technologies provide a high degree of automation of information collection, its storage in databases, integration with data on the genotype and environmental parameters, and create the basis for intelligent analysis of the information received. There is another important advantage: a digital description of the ear and its image will be stored in the database for as long as necessary, whereas a dried ear placed in a paper envelope may crumble, change color or deteriorate, and the sample will be lost, explained Dmitry Afonnikov.

    In the SpikeDroidDB system, several images can be associated with each ear. For each of them, the protocol by which it was obtained is indicated. For shooting, the developers used two protocols for obtaining digital images of mature ears. They chose a blue background as the most contrasting to the color of the ears and allowing you to easily separate the object from the background. Shooting of the ears was carried out in two versions: in the first, the ear is located vertically in front of a blue background, the second shooting option provides for a horizontal position of the ears on the glass above the blue background.

    The prototype of the SpikeDroidDB system is available at this link http://speakedroid.biores.cytogen.ru/The main page contains brief information about the database, links for logging in or registering, and links to the main blocks of information in the database.

    Dmitry Afonnikov says that breeders and geneticists involved in developing new varieties of wheat are showing great interest in this development and are interested in working with it to automate painstaking and lengthy routine processes that require precision and concentration. In addition, the SpikeDroidDB system will help avoid subjective assessments, errors and inaccuracies in phenotyping ear samples.

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

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    https://www.nsu.ru/n/media/news/nauka/uchenye-ngu-i-itsig-so-ran-razrabotali-novyy-podkhod-dlya-sbora-khraneniya-i-analiza-informatsii-ok/

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 207-2024: Unplanned Service Disruption: Monday 23 September 2024 – Biosecurity Portal

    Source: Australia Government Statements – Agriculture

    23 September 2024

    Who does this notice affect?

    Approved arrangements operators, customs brokers, importers, manned depots, and freight forwarders who are required to book and manage requests for inspections through the Biosecurity Portal using the ‘Sign in with your digital identity’ (myGovID) pathway.

    Information

    Start time: 

    As of: 20:05 Friday 20 September 2024 (AEST).

    Detail:

    The…

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Contractor and its technically competent person given suspended jail sentence and community service order respectively for material deviation from works shown in approved plan and carrying out works in dangerous manner

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Contractor and its technically competent person given suspended jail sentence and community service order respectively for material deviation from works shown in approved plan and carrying out works in dangerous manner
    Contractor and its technically competent person given suspended jail sentence and community service order respectively for material deviation from works shown in approved plan and carrying out works in dangerous manner
    ******************************************************************************************

         ​A registered specialist contractor (sub-register of demolition works category) (RSC) and its technically competent person (TCP), who had deviated in a material way from demolition works shown in a plan approved by the Buildings Department (BD), and carried out the works in a dangerous manner, were found guilty of offences under the Buildings Ordinance (BO) (Cap. 123) and were sentenced to two months’ imprisonment suspended for 36 months and a community service order of 240 hours respectively at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts on September 9.     The case involved a fatal incident that occurred at a demolition site on Robinson Road on July 7, 2022. A worker fell from the roof floor to the ground floor through floor openings and died as a result of the incident. An investigation by the BD found that the RSC had failed to comply with the plan approved by the BD. Specifically, no plastic refuse chute had been erected through the openings for debris removal, no railings were installed around the floor slab opening and no warning signs were in place to prevent workers from entering the work area before demolition commenced, contravening section 40(2A)(b) and section 40(2B)(a) of the BO. Pursuant to section 40(5) of the BO, the TCP employed by the RSC, who was directly concerned in the demolition works, permitted the commission of the above offences was deemed guilty of such offences. The BD instigated prosecution action against the RSC and the TCP last year. Both were convicted at the Eastern Magistrates’ Courts on August 22. The RSC, i.e. the sole director and authorised signatory of the RSC, and the TCP were sentenced to two months’ imprisonment suspended for 36 months and a community service order of 240 hours respectively on September 9.     A spokesman for the BD said today (September 23) that contractors should carry out building works in accordance with the approved plans, provide adequate precautionary measures before the commencement of works, and carry out the works in accordance with the BO to ensure site and public safety.     Pursuant to section 40(2A)(b) of the BO, any person for whom any prescribed inspection or building works or street works are being carried out and any authorised person, registered structural engineer, registered geotechnical engineer, registered inspector, qualified person, registered general building contractor, registered specialist contractor or registered minor works contractor directly concerned with any such inspection or works who, diverges or deviates in any material way from any work shown in a plan approved by the BD shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine of $1,000,000 and to imprisonment for three years.     Pursuant to section 40(2B)(a) of the BO, any person directly concerned with any prescribed inspection, site formation works, piling works, foundation works or other form of building works, who carries out or has carried out such inspection or works, or authorises or permits or has authorised or permitted such inspection or works to be carried out, in such manner that it causes a risk of injury to any person or damage to any property, shall be guilty of an offence and liable on conviction to a fine of $1,000,000 and to imprisonment for three years.     Moreover, pursuant to section 40(5) of the BO, any person, being a person directly concerned in or with any building works or street works, who permits the commission of any offence specified in this section shall be deemed to be guilty of such offence and shall be liable to the penalty prescribed therefor.

     
    Ends/Monday, September 23, 2024Issued at HKT 11:02

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Over 1 100 quality job vacancies to be offered at Job Fair for Residential Care Home Service Industry

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         The Labour Department (LD) will hold a large-scale job fair at MacPherson Stadium in Mong Kok on September 26 and 27 to provide a large number of vacancies from the residential care home service industry for job seekers.

         About 30 organisations will participate in the two-day job fair and offer over 1 100 quality job vacancies from the residential care home service industry. Participating organisations will set up booths and conduct recruitment on the spot each day. A wide variety of positions will be offered, including care worker, speech therapist, occupational therapist, social worker, nurse, health worker, driver, cook, programme assistant and clerk. Job seekers can visit the LD’s Interactive Employment Service website (www.jobs.gov.hk) for more details of the vacancies.

         Around 97 per cent of the vacancies offered at the job fair are full-time jobs. Most vacancies offer monthly salaries ranging from $14,000 to $26,000. About 87 per cent of the vacancies require a Secondary Five education level or below. Around 77 per cent are open to job seekers without relevant work experience.

         Job seekers can submit job applications during the event and may be selected for on-the-spot interviews. They can also make enquiries on the employment services provided by the LD at its counter inside the venue.

         The job fair will be held from 11am to 5.30pm at 1/F, MacPherson Stadium, 38 Nelson Street, Mong Kok (near Mong Kok MTR Station Exit E2). Admission is free, with final admission time at 5pm each day.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: Nokia deploys high-performance cross-border DWDM network for IGC

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Press Release
    Nokia deploys high-performance cross-border DWDM network for IGC

    • Nokia’s Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing (DWDM) solution was used by IGC to overlay and enhance the existing infrastructure to more effectively manage the growing capacity demand.
    • The new, improved network allows IGC’s customers, including hyperscalers, to benefit from a high capacity, low latency and highly available network.
    • Based on Nokia’s latest photonic service engine (PSE) chipset, Nokia’s DWDM solution will allow IGC to improve its energy efficiency while increasing network capacity and availability.

    23 September 2024
    Bangkok, Thailand – Nokia today announced that International Gateway Company Limited (IGC) has selected Nokia’s next-generation optical transport solution to modernize its existing DWDM network, which connects the East region to Cambodia and the South region to Malaysia. Powered by Nokia’s latest generation Photonic Service Engine (PSE) chipset, the upgraded network will be capable of transmitting 400G per wavelength, enabling IGC to more effectively manage booming traffic demands while ensuring superior data center connectivity for its customers.

    Upon deployment in Bangkok and in the East and South regions, Nokia’s Data Center Interconnect (DCI) solution will enable IGC to cost-effectively meet requirements for a high-capacity, robust network as consumer data demand surges.

    Pichit Satapattayanont, Chief Executive Officer at IGC, said: “Nokia’s cost-effective and resilient DWDM solution, based on coherent technology, will help us delight our hyperscale customers by providing superior connectivity from the Cambodian border to the Malaysian border. We are pleased with the timely and seamless completion of the project and look forward to strengthening our partnership and collaboration with Nokia in the future.”

    Ajay Sharma, Head of Network Infrastructure Sales, SEA North at Nokia, said: “We are thrilled that our industry-leading products and solutions will help IGC fulfil the transmission capacity demands of its customers today and in the future. Our innovative DWDM optical network solution is designed to help service providers cost-effectively enhance network capacity and build resilience while reducing their energy consumption.”

    Resources and additional information
    Website: 1830 Photonic Service Switch (PSS)

    About Nokia
    At Nokia, we create technology that helps the world act together.

    As a B2B technology innovation leader, we are pioneering networks that sense, think and act by leveraging our work across mobile, fixed and cloud networks. In addition, we create value with intellectual property and long-term research, led by the award-winning Nokia Bell Labs.

    With truly open architectures that seamlessly integrate into any ecosystem, our high-performance networks create new opportunities for monetization and scale. Service providers, enterprises and partners worldwide trust Nokia to deliver secure, reliable and sustainable networks today – and work with us to create the digital services and applications of the future.

    About IGC
    International Gateway Company Limited or IGC is a subsidiary of ALT Telecom Plc., a neutral regional telecommunication and network service provider. IGC was established in year 2017 to provide wholesale bandwidth for both domestic and international traffic via SRT (State Railway of Thailand), EGAT and its nationwide network (so-called GMS network) which has totally about 12,000km of nationwide-optical fiber network and owns NNI (Network to Network Interface) for 12 Active Crossing Borders to connect with total of 42 operators surrounding countries and in Thailand, with extended connectivity to more than 10 well-known data centers in Thailand. Moreover, the Open Access License includes 5 CLSs (Cable Landing Stations) which located in the most strategic locations for the Submarine cable Business in Thailand. With Submarine cable network it will allow IGC to play a major role in the Eastern Economic Corridor Project and bridge the Submarine cable traffic to the GMS Terrestrial network.

    Visit us online at: www.intergateway.co.th and connect us on LinkedIn: International Gateway (IGC)

    Media inquiries
    Nokia Communications, Asia Pacific
    Email: cordia.so@nokia.com

    Nokia Press Office
    Email: Press.Services@nokia.com

    Follow us on social media
    LinkedIn X Instagram Facebook YouTube

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Te Ara I Whiti – The Lightpath glows with kindness this Art Week

    Source: Auckland Council

    In an algorithm-meets-art collaboration, artist Shannon Novak and iion have programmed Te Ara I Whiti – The Lightpath to deliver happiness for Art Week.

    See below for more about Art Week 2024.

    This innovative artwork, commissioned by Auckland Council, is called Random Acts. It will shine in movement, colour and light from 7.30pm to 6.30am every day from 4 to 13 October.

    Shannon Novak says it began with the Art Week theme of ‘happiness’. His practice focuses on growing positive mental health outcomes for LGBTQI+ communities which aligns well with the Art Week theme.

    “For this commission, I wanted to connect with the wider population – beyond LGBTQI+ communities. We explored how the essence of random acts of kindness could be expressed through this interactive lightwork. The algorithm sees the palette of lighting lift as people pass and connect with each other,” he says.

    Hayley Wolters of Auckland Council Public Art encourages you to experience Random Acts on Te Ara I Whiti – The Lightpath on your way to and from the city centre for Art Week from 4 until 13 October.

    “As someone moves along the Lightpath, the lights change from magenta to a colourful display in response to their movement, and as people pass each other the colours merge and intensify expressing positivity as people connect,” she says.

    Deputy Mayor Desley Simpson explains that the lights on The Lightpath are similar to those on the Auckland Harbour Bridge in that they can be programmable to change colour but they can also increase their effect for different experiences like this.

    “This time, our programmed lights will respond positively to people as they pass by. This is a much-loved pathway and I’m pleased to see it included in Art Week. It’s always great to be part of something that makes you smile and this extraordinary public space and artwork will do just that,” she says.

    Art Week 2024

    Art Week is delivered by Heart of the City, and proudly supported by Auckland Council and the city centre targeted rate.

    There are over 70 pop up exhibitions, events, music, galleries, art and light installations, free art walks, artist talks, workshops and more between Friday 4 and Sunday 13 October 2024.

    Late Night Art is happening on Thursday 10 October 2024 between 5pm and 9pm. It will feature over 40 exhibitions, events, installations, markets, performances, workshops and activations across the city centre.

    To celebrate the gathering of people in the city centre during Late Night Art, Random Acts will be activated in two ways – in light effects on The Lightpath and also in person. Actual random acts of kindness will be shared with people along Te Ara I Whiti – The Lightpath and in city centre streets and spaces in an evening of art and mindfulness.

    See the full Art Week line-up here: heartofthecity.co.nz/artweek 

    Photos by Jasper Johnstone Auckland Council.

    Q & A: Shannon Novak

    Can you explain how Random Acts came about?

    My work focuses on growing positive mental health outcomes for queer communities in Aotearoa, so the Art Week theme of ‘Happiness’ directly linked into research and work I’ve been doing for many years. I decided to extend this beyond queer communities, to growing positive mental health outcomes for all people. Research shows that engaging in random acts of kindness not only helps brighten someone’s day, but also boosts your own happiness.

    Have you worked with light as a medium before in your practice?

    Yes, from day one. I initially used sunlight at school where I created miniature greenhouses using different coloured glass. I then began experimenting with transparent coloured vinyl on various surfaces with sunlight and artificial light, then later interactive sculpture using LED’s.

    Can you explain how you and your collaborator David Hayes have used technology to express this idea of ‘random acts’?

    This pattern for Te Ara I Whiti – The Lightpath is designed to make use of the interactivity of the lights. When movement on the pathway is captured by motion sensors it causes the lights around them to flare up in a certain hue, saturation and speed. The lighting design then takes on a life of its own as people cross each other on the path, almost like creating a call and response.

    You have included a performative aspect to this work. What is it and why have you done this?

    A team of people will be distributing badges with an image of the lights on the pathway during Late Night Art. The idea was to take the work from the abstract into the literal, to reinforce and increase opportunities for happiness and kindness. This activity also highlights The Lightpath as an integral, influential, connective artery into the heart of the city.

    How will it make people feel? What will people experience?

    Random Acts aims to make kindness the norm. In this case, people will experience a direct connection with someone they may not know in a safe and non-threatening way. Hopefully, this will make both people smile and feel positive. If people are feeling alone or unhappy this small act of a smile may cheer them up and they may feel less alone and appreciate that people show care for others.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Speech for National Commemoration of Service in Timor-Leste

    Source: New Zealand Government

    A warm welcome to you all as we gather to acknowledge the New Zealanders who were involved in peace support operations in Timor-Leste, and to remember those who lost their lives as a result of their service.

    I acknowledge the many military and civilian veterans present, and I am pleased this national commemoration provides the recognition your service so greatly deserves. 

    Welcome to all the families and friends here among us, and to the members of the Timorese community. 

    I especially want to acknowledge the families and friends of the five New Zealand soldiers who so tragically lost their lives in Timor-Leste:

    • Private Leonard William Manning
    • Warrant Officer Class Two Tony Michael Walser
    • Staff Sergeant William Edward White
    • Private Boyd Regan Henare Atkins
    • Private Dean Russell Johnston. 

    I also want to pay tribute to the three personnel from Fiji, Ireland and Nepal who were serving under New Zealand command who lost their lives.

    Every death in service is a tragedy, and my heart goes out to the families, friends and comrades who will be feeling the impact to this day. Our thoughts are with you today.

    I acknowledge His Excellency Alfredo Pérez Bravo Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassador of Mexico, Her Excellency Felicidade de Sousa Guterres Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, and all the members of the Diplomatic Corps who are here representing the many countries who served in Timor-Leste.

    I acknowledge Vice Chief of Defence Force Rear Admiral Mathew Williams, here representing the Chief of Defence Force, all the representatives of the New Zealand Defence Force and the National President of the Returned and Services’ Association Sir Wayne Shelford.

    I also acknowledge Greg O’Connor, Labour spokesperson for Veterans.

    Yesterday, the 20th of September, marked the 25th anniversary of the arrival of New Zealand troops in Timor-Leste to contribute to peace operations led by Interfet, the International Force East Timor. 

    The troops came to the aid of the Timorese people at a time of extreme violence and destruction, in the aftermath of a referendum which had confirmed overwhelming support for independence.

    New Zealanders served from 1999 to 2002 to support East Timor’s transition to a sovereign state, the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. After further violence broke out in 2006, New Zealand personnel were again deployed and continued to serve there until 2012.

    Approximately 7000 New Zealand personnel were deployed over these years.  

    In fact, New Zealand was one of the largest contributors to international efforts. The Special Air Service, air transport and helicopter support, three naval ships, and an infantry battalion which included sub-units from Canada, Ireland, Nepal, Fiji and Singapore, along with members of the Territorial Force, were all deployed at times throughout the conflict.

    Today is also a time to recognise the diplomats, members of the New Zealand Police and New Zealand Customs, prison officers, legal staff, medical professionals and other New Zealand civilians who served alongside Defence Force personnel.

    On the Roll of Honour in the Hall of Memories at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park, our national place of remembrance, the names of the New Zealanders lost in Timor-Leste are commemorated among those of all who have died serving our country. I am pleased we have the Timor-Leste Roll on display here in the Cathedral today as we honour the deceased.

    Today, let us also give thought to the suffering of the people of Timor-Leste and the impact of violence on their lives, homes and communities. Let us honour, too, their enormous courage in supporting independence despite the brutal repercussions from the militia.

    It is the nature of service in times of conflict that strong bonds are forged – between service personnel, with local communities, and nation to nation.

    We cherish our strong relationships with the Timorese people and the Timor-Leste government, relationships we owe to the contribution of our personnel and the trust they earned. 

    I understand Inspector Ray Sutton, former Commander of the first contingent of New Zealand Police to serve in the new nation, is with us today. I hope he doesn’t mind if I quote him about the importance of relationships:

    We had to think on our feet — everything we did was through diplomacy. Probably our best asset was our ability to get on with people.

    Ours is a relationship founded on shared values that are all the more important in today’s uncertain world – decency and human rights, democracy and the rule of law, equality and fairness, and guardianship and protection of our environment.

    The New Zealand Defence Force still maintains a presence in Timor-Leste, supporting the professional development of the Timor-Leste military.

    Because the peace support operations were relatively recent, many of those who served in Timor-Leste remain employed in the New Zealand Defence Force today. For all who were involved, the experiences in Timor-Leste must still be very close and vivid, and I know too that your experiences will have had lasting impacts on your lives.

    I am glad that we have this opportunity as a nation to say thank you on this important anniversary.

    We can be very proud of the contribution of New Zealand service personnel and civilians in Timor-Leste, standing alongside the local people and helping to provide a more secure and stable life during their country’s journey as the first new sovereign state of the millennium.

    Twenty-five years after New Zealand’s involvement began, your deeds are enshrined in our nation’s memory, and your achievements, and the bonds you helped forge, will live on as a testament to your service.

    Thank you.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Release: Ministers oblivious to cuts’ effect on families

    Source: New Zealand Labour Party

    The National Government is oblivious to the impact cuts to services will have on New Zealanders who are doing the hard yards caring for mentally ill family members.

    Labour mental health spokesperson Ingrid Leary said that the fact Health Minister Shane Reti and Mental Health Minister Matt Doocey weren’t aware respite services for 120 families of mentally ill kids were being cut was an example of this Government being missing in action.

    “They put downward pressure on services to do more with less, then wash their hands of it and walk away.

    “This is a failure by Matt Doocey to advocate around cuts impacting frontline mental health services. He needs to step up and fight to stop cuts that are impacting the frontline in his portfolio area.

    “This Mental Health Awareness week, what we’re seeing from the Government is penny pinching and meanness. Parents and other family members need support and an occasional day off when they are caring for mentally unwell children.

    “Matt Doocey is missing in action when it comes to sweeping cuts across social services that are impacting mental health and he should stop blaming his officials. It’s his job to know this stuff,” said Ingrid Leary.

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

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: The Albanese Government invests in future psychologists fast tracking workforce expansion

    Source: Australian Ministers for Education

    The Albanese Government will increase the number of postgraduate psychology places at universities and provide more psychology internships and supervisors so Australians can access a psychologist when needed.  

    This will help remove barriers to studying and working in mental health, which is sorely needed while Australia faces a critical shortage of mental health workers. 

    The Albanese Government will support Australia’s leading universities to provide up to an additional 500 student places and grow postgraduate psychology courses over a four-year period. 

    Despite strong demand and interest from students, currently only 10 per cent will complete the required postgraduate course to become a registered psychologist due to the limited number of university places.   

    The following universities successfully applied for funding through the 2023–24 Postgraduate Psychology Incentive Program Grant Round and will provide 146 additional student places this year: 

    •    Australian National University 
    •    Central Queensland University 
    •    Charles Darwin University 
    •    Curtin University 
    •    Deakin University 
    •    Federation University 
    •    La Trobe University 
    •    Murdoch University 
    •    Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology 
    •    University of Adelaide 
    •    University of Canberra 
    •    University of Melbourne 
    •    University of New England 
    •    University of Queensland 
    •    University of South Australia 
    •    University of Southern Queensland 
    •    University of Sydney 
    •    University of Tasmania 
    •    University of the Sunshine Coast 
    •    University of Western Australia 
    •    University of Wollongong 
    •    Western Sydney University 

    To address bottlenecks in the psychology training pipeline, the Albanese Government will also provide Supporting Provisional Psychologists to Practice grants to increase the availability of psychology internships and supervisor training. 

    This initiative will support provisional psychologists by funding 681 one-year internships over a four-year period and up to 2860 Psychology Board of Australia endorsed supervisor training places. 

    To prioritise areas of greatest need, half the internships and supervisor training will be offered to people in First Nations communities, culturally and linguistically diverse communities and people living in regional, rural and remote areas of Australia. 

    The following organisations will deliver the internships and supervisor training: 
    •    Stream 1 – psychology internships: 
    o    Western Sydney University (NSW) – 84 places 
    o    Grand Pacific Health (NSW and ACT) – 30 places 
    o    Marathon Health (NSW) – 36 places 
    o    Therapy Pro (QLD) – 85 places 
    o    Flinders University (SA and NT) – 100 places 
    o    CatholicCare Victoria Tasmania (VIC and TAS) – 98 places 
    o    Autism Association of Western Australia (WA) – 48 places 
    o    The Cairnmillar Institute (National) – 200 places 

    •    Stream 2 – supervisor training: 
    o    James Cook University – 380 places 
    o    Deakin University – 480 places  
    o    The Australian Psychological Society – 1000 places 
    o    The Cairnmillar Institute – 1000 places 

    The Albanese Government has also committed to work with the Psychology Board of Australia to reform and redesign the psychology higher education and registration pathway to make it simpler for students to complete their studies and work in the mental health system.  

    The redesign will consider opportunities to streamline psychology training, embed a focus on practical learning, and address access and equity challenges with consultations due to commence early in 2025. 

    Quotes attributable to Minister Butler:  

    “Many students want to become registered psychologists but are unable to due to a lack of internships, supervisors and university places. Given the significant community need for this workforce it critical we expand training pathways. 

    “We are committed to ensuring Australians can access the mental health services they need when they need it and this investment into the psychology workforce will be essential to improving access.  

    “Our commitment will address the shortage of registered psychologists and help develop the next generation of registered psychologists.” 

    Quotes attributable to Minister Clare: 

    “We need more young Australians studying and working in mental health services. 

    “This is an important investment which will help support more Australians study psychology.” 

    Quotes attributable to Assistant Minister McBride: 

    “The Albanese Labor Government is building the mental health workforce, so that everyone can access the mental health care they need close to home.  

    “We are providing even more opportunities for students to become registered psychologists by investing in additional psychology internships, supervisors and postgraduate places. 

    “This investment will support people in regional, rural and remote communities to get the care and support they need from registered psychologists.” 
     

    MIL OSI News –