NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI China: US manufacturing struggles through fourth straight month of decline

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

    U.S. manufacturing activity contracted for the fourth consecutive month in June, with new factory orders plummeting amid escalating trade tensions and soaring input costs that continued to weigh on the world’s largest economy, while the automotive sector showed similar signs of strain after a tariff-driven sales surge had collapsed.

    “The Manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) registered 49 percent in June, a 0.5-percentage point increase compared to the 48.5 percent recorded in May,” said Susan Spence, chair of the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) Manufacturing Business Survey Committee, in a press release. It was still below the critical 50 percent threshold that separates growth from contraction, according to data released Tuesday.

    The persistent weakness in U.S. industrial backbone reflected broader economic headwinds as trade disputes continued to disrupt global supply chains while manufacturers grappled with sustained price pressures.

    Raw material costs have surged for eight consecutive months, with the ISM Prices Index hitting 69.4 percent in May, according to the previous month’s data.

    The manufacturing downturn coincided with a dramatic collapse in automotive sales momentum. “The springtime surge in U.S. auto sales landed with a thud last month, setting up a slowdown in the months ahead as carmakers digest President Donald Trump’s tariffs on auto imports and consumers find fewer deals,” Bloomberg reported Tuesday.

    “The party is over,” Jonathan Smoke, chief economist for researcher Cox Automotive Inc., said in a Bloomberg interview. “It’s clearly slowing. It’s because of affordability getting worse and forcing what we think will be production declines to keep supply in balance.”

    The automotive sector’s sudden reversal illustrated the broader economic impact of trade policies. The annual automotive selling rate likely fell to 15 million in June — the slowest pace in the last 12 months — from 17.6 million in April as consumers pulled back from major purchases.

    Shoppers rushed to showrooms as beating tariff-induced price increases became a motivation to buy, pushing up second-quarter sales an estimated 2.5 percent from the prior-year period, according to industry researcher J.D. Power. However, that momentum has now evaporated.

    New orders in manufacturing, a key indicator of future production, fell for the fifth straight month to 46.4 percent in June, down 1.2 percentage points from May’s already weak 47.6 percent reading. The employment situation in manufacturing has also remained challenging as companies adjust to reduced demand and elevated operating costs.

    The automotive industry exemplified these broader manufacturing challenges. Ford Motor Company’s second-quarter sales jumped 14.2 percent, helped by employee pricing programs, though growth moderated in June. Hyundai Motor Company reported 10 percent second-quarter growth but only a 3 percent gain in June, down sharply from April’s 19 percent surge, according to Bloomberg data.

    “These tariffs are already hitting the U.S. auto industry,” said Adam Posen, president of the Peterson Institute for International Economics, describing the policies as “inflationary, if not stagflationary.”

    According to J.D. Power, average monthly car payments reached a record 747 U.S. dollars in June, up 22 dollars from a year ago. That has more people stretching car loans to 84 months, which accounted for 12 percent of all auto financing last month, up three percentage points from last year.

    “Given the impact of tariffs, prices are likely to start rising at a much faster rate,” Charlie Chesbrough, senior economist for Cox said in a press release on June 25. “Higher vehicle prices are coming to the new vehicle market.”

    Consulting firm AlixPartners predicted automakers will pass along 80 percent of Trump’s tariff costs to consumers, driving up prices by nearly 2,000 dollars per car, though the firm expected the full impact won’t be felt until year-end.

    Manufacturing companies are feeling similar pressures from multiple directions. The Prices Index recorded its highest readings since June 2022, with companies reporting significant increases in aluminum, copper, steel, electrical components, and plastic resin costs, according to earlier ISM reports.

    Supply chain executives surveyed by the ISM reported mixed conditions across different sectors. Only three of the six largest manufacturing industries (Petroleum & Coal Products; Food, Beverage & Tobacco Products; and Computer & Electronic Products) reported increased new orders in June.

    The ISM’s analysis suggested the June manufacturing reading “corresponds to a change of plus-1.9 percent in real gross domestic product on an annualized basis,” according to Spence’s statement. This indicated that while manufacturing faces headwinds, the sector’s performance would still support modest economic growth.

    The June slowdown was “a hangover from some of the sales that were pulled ahead,” said Mark Wakefield, global auto market lead for consultant AlixPartners. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Padilla, Schiff Call on Trump to Release Billions of Dollars in Funding for Public Education

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)

    Padilla, Schiff Call on Trump to Release Billions of Dollars in Funding for Public Education

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, U.S. Senators Alex Padilla and Adam Schiff (both D-Calif.) issued the following statement demanding the immediate release of funding for K-12 public schools after the Trump Administration announced its intent to illegally withhold over $6 billion in Congressionally appropriated education funds, including approximately $928 million from California:

    “Just weeks away from the start of the school year, the Trump Administration has managed to find trillions of dollars in tax breaks for billionaires but went out of their way to freeze education funding that Trump, himself, signed into law. That’s not just wrong for our students — it’s wrong for our economy, too.

    “If the Trump Administration goes through with their latest political attack on California and our nation’s public education, it will punish the teachers and principals who are already underpaid and under-resourced. It will force schools to roll back after-school programs, hurt the children of farm workers traveling to pick our food, and hold back students who rely on English-language classes.

    “This reckless decision threatens the future of America’s workforce and our global competitiveness. And if the Administration is asking for a fight, make no mistake — California will give it to them.” 

    The Trump Administration has confirmed it is blocking funding for the following programs from being available to school districts across America:

    • Supporting Effective Instruction State Grants (Title II-A), which support professional development and other activities to improve the effectiveness of teachers and school leaders, including reducing class size.
    • 21st Century Community Learning Centers (Title IV-B), which support high-quality before and after-school programs focused on providing academic enrichment opportunities for students.
    • Student Support and Academic Enrichment Grants (Title IV-A), which provide flexible funding for school districts for a wide range of activities including supporting STEM education, accelerated learning courses, college and career counseling, school-based mental health services, and improving school technology, among many others.
    • English Language Acquisition (Title III-A), which supports language instruction to help English language learners become proficient in English.
    • Migrant Education (Title I-C), which supports the educational needs of migratory children, including children of migrant and seasonal farm workers.
    • Adult Basic and Literacy Education State Grants (including Integrated English Literacy and Civics Education State Grants), which support adult education and literacy programs to provide the basic skills to help prepare adults and out-of-school youth for success in the workforce.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Ombudsman’s three strategic focuses deliver results and tangible benefits to community (with photo)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The following is issued on behalf of the Office of The Ombudsman:

         The Ombudsman, Mr Jack Chan, today (July 2) presented the 2024-25 Annual Report of The Ombudsman to the public. The Office exceeded all its service targets in handling enquiries, complaints, reassessment and review of complaints in the reporting year. 

         Mr Chan said, “Since assuming office on April 1 last year, I have championed three strategic focuses: (1) enhancing mediation to effectively and swiftly resolve public complaints; (2) fostering interdepartmental collaboration to provide highly efficient and quality public services; and (3) cultivating a positive and proactive complaint culture within the community. These three initiatives are designed to improve the quality of public administration, deliver tangible benefits to our citizens, and encourage the Government and citizens to  foster a more stable, harmonious and progressive society for all.” 

         In the reporting year, the Office concluded an all-time high of 555 cases by mediation, nearly tripling the number of the previous year and accounting for 33.5 per cent of the cases pursued. Given that the average time taken to resolve a complaint by way of mediation was only 10.87 days, it significantly expedited the process of redressing grievances for the public.

         On the front of fostering interdepartmental collaboration, the Office completed three direct investigation operations and processed 141 complaint cases during the year in this connection.
     
         The Office has stepped up efforts to cultivate a positive complaint culture. In addition to the annual Ombudsman’s Awards Scheme, the Office issued 41 appreciation letters to 16 departments and organisations, and presented 19 appreciation certificates to complainants during the year, recognising their contribution to the enhancement of public administration. For the first time, the Office hosted seminars for universities and tertiary institutes, with a total of 13 seminars held at tertiary and secondary institutes throughout the year to promote a positive complaint culture. The Office is in active preparation for establishing the Hong Kong International Ombudsman Academy to provide appropriate training for government departments and public organisations, enhance the professional capabilities of staff of the Office, and promote exchanges and co-operation between the Office and overseas ombudsman institutions.
     
         The Office completed eight direct investigation operations and 40 full investigations during the year, delivering a total of 254 recommendations, 37 per cent more compared to that of the previous year, for improvement of public administration. All the recommendations were accepted by the government departments or organisations concerned, including some having been pursued and implemented. From November 2024 onwards, the Office started making observations in cases concluded after inquiries to highlight the improvements that had been or could be put in place more speedily. As at March 31, 2025, 106 observations had been made and were well received by the government departments or public organisations concerned.

         In the reporting year, the Office received 4 402 complaints on various topics and completed 4 664 cases (including some carried over from the preceding year), of which 3 009 were assessed and closed and 1 655 pursued and concluded.

         The full text of the Annual Report can be viewed or downloaded from the Office’s website at www.ombudsman.hk.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Gnangara Road closures

    Source: South Australia Police

    Published Monday, 30th June 2025

    The Water Corporation will soon begin works on Gnangara Road to construct over 14 kilometres of new wastewater pipeline from Ellenbrook to Wangara.

    These essential works will enhance wastewater services for the City of Wanneroo and are a key step in securing Western Australia’s water future.

    To carry out these works safely, traffic will be disrupted on Gnangara Road and several road closures are proposed on nearby streets. These closures will help maintain a safe working environment for construction crews while ensuring continued access for local residents.

    Road closures and traffic disruptions will include:

    • One lane will be closed on Gnangara Road, between Alexander Drive and Priest Road, from Monday 30 June. Access will be maintained via a new temporary lane.
    • Priest Road (southbound only) will be closed from Monday 30 June to Monday 22 September 2025, with detour via Coverwood Promenade and Huntingdon Parkway.
    • Huntington Parkway will be closed from Monday 30 June to Monday 22 September 2025, with a detour via Coverwood Promenade.
    • Coverwood Promenade is proposed to be closed from Monday 29 September to Friday 28 November 2025, with a detour via Huntington Parkway.

    For more information about the road closures and the wastewater pipeline project, visit the Water Corporation website.
     

    More articles in the news archive.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Taskforce Respect helps achieve reduction in Glenorchy crime

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Taskforce Respect helps achieve reduction in Glenorchy crime

    Wednesday, 2 July 2025 – 1:07 pm.

    Six weeks on from the launch of Taskforce Respect to target anti-social behaviour and retail crime in Glenorchy, police are expanding operations to identify and recover stolen property.
    It comes as new data from Tasmania Police shows a 16 per cent fall in total offences in the Glenorchy division for the past 12 months, including a reduction in youth offending.
    Members from Taskforce Respect recently executed two search warrants in the Glenorchy area, with thousands of dollars in stolen property recovered.
    Police also seized a quantity of methylamphetamine, two gel blaster firearms, a laser pointer and an extendable baton, among other items.
    Glenorchy Police Inspector Jason Klug said Taskforce Respect – with its focus on high visibility policing and community engagement through foot patrols – had made a positive impact in the city’s CBD and retail areas.
    This is supported by Tasmania Police data to the end of the financial year which shows total offences in the Glenorchy division are down.
    There were 4578 total offences in the 2023-24 financial year, compared with 3848 total offences in the 2024-25 financial year.*
    Youth offences in 2023-24 were 928 and fell to 731 in 2024-25, a reduction of 21 per cent.
    There were 135 public place assaults in 2023-24 compared with 124 public place assaults in 2024-25, a reduction of 8 per cent.
    (*Media please note: The number of offenders is not a count of unique people. Offenders involved in multiple offences will be counted multiple times.)
    Community and business members have reported a reduction in anti-social behaviour and retail crime, Inspector Klug said.
    Multiple charges of stealing, unlawful possession of property, minor drug offences and people carrying a dangerous article in a public place have been brought against alleged offenders.
    While conducting foot patrols in the Glenorchy CBD in the past week, members of Taskforce Respect issued nine formal directions to people committing offences or displaying anti-social behaviour.
    “The initial phase of our taskforce was high visibility interactions with all members of the community, including those that offend,” Inspector Klug said.
    “The intent was to increase a feeling of safety in our public spaces while holding offenders, and recidivist offenders in particular, to account. The taskforce is now evolving to include searches to locate stolen property items and charge those people who may receive these items after they have been stolen.”
    In its first month of operation, Taskforce Respect issued 35 formal directions for people to leave popular public areas because they were either committing offences or displaying anti-social behaviours.
    The taskforce would like to thank the local community for their positive comments and assistance in reporting matters to police.
    “We receive many favourable comments and correspondence noting the community’s appreciation. We encourage the community to approach our members and say hello,” Inspector Klug said.
    If you have information on a crime, call police on 131 444 or call 000 (triple zero) if it is an emergency.
    You can also report anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or crimestopperstas.com.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Crapo Statement on Senate Passage of One Big Beautiful Bill Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) today hailed Senate passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act:

    “With this bill’s passage, the United States Senate is fulfilling President Trump’s promise to secure the border, fortify our national defense and unleash American energy.  This legislation also prevents the biggest tax hike in U.S. history from ever happening, delivers additional tax relief to hardworking families and takes significant steps to get our fiscal house in order. 

    “Making the successful 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent ensures Americans keep more of their hard-earned money, and gives businesses the certainty they need to make the long-term investments that power economic growth.  New tax relief from policies like no taxes on tips, no taxes on overtime, tax relief for seniors and additional child care assistance will overwhelmingly benefit the working class.  

    “The legislation also achieves historic savings by targeting waste, fraud and abuse in our federal spending programs, strengthening them for the most vulnerable citizens they are intended to help.

    “Extending good tax policy, delivering targeted relief and reining in wasteful spending is the best way to restore economic prosperity and opportunity for all Americans.  I look forward to getting it to the President’s desk as soon as possible.”

    Crapo, as Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee which has jurisdiction over tax policy, is one of the chief architects of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. 

    For more information on the provisions within the Finance Committee’s jurisdiction, click HERE. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo Statement Honoring Heroic Coeur D’Alene Firefighters

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Coeur D’Alene, Idaho–Two of Idaho’s finest firefighters–Coeur D’Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison and Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Chief Frank Harwood–sacrificed their lives rushing to extinguish a reported fire on Sunday.  As Idahoans and as a nation, we are forever in debt to these men who paid the ultimate price while protecting their fellow firefighters, community homes and surrounding neighborhoods.  I join many Idahoans to honor and revere their heroic lives, actions and legacies.

    I continue to pray for Coeur D’Alene Fire Department Engineer Dave Tysdal, who was in critical condition, and the other innocent first responders who came under fire and eliminated the threat.

    Their bravery, character and deep dedication in the face of unspeakable tragedy deserves the highest commendation one can bestow.  Their families will be honored, supported and lifted up by Idaho communities, their band of firefighters, caring friends and other loved ones.

    Frank Harwood and John Morrison are forever etched in our hearts, having secured their place among the greatest of heroes.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What’s next for NSW’s intense storm? Heavy rains, fallen trees – and a chance of a storm ‘slingshot’

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Steve Turton, Adjunct Professor of Environmental Geography, CQUniversity Australia

    Millions of people in New South Wales hunkered down last night as an intense “bomb cyclone” swept in. Falling trees took out power lines, leaving about 40,000 people without power, while some areas copped 200mm of rain in 24 hours.

    Evacuation orders are in place at Wamberal, an erosion hotspot on the NSW Central Coast. Flood warnings are in place for the Nepean and Hawkesbury Rivers in Sydney.

    But it could have been significantly worse. That’s because a second, slightly weaker low has formed out to sea, sucking energy away from the main storm. Without it, wave heights would likely have been much higher, and winds and rain would have been more intense. The main storm’s sustained winds offshore were downgraded from storm force (88–116km per hour) to gale force (63–87km per hour).

    It’s one reason why the storm didn’t end up being classified as an East Coast Low – an intense and often damaging low-pressure system – but rather as a complex, but vigorous coastal low.

    But we can’t relax yet. These two lows may begin to slingshot around each other. One of the storms may well spin off and approach coastlines further south.

    Workers operate heavy machinery to stabilise Wamberal Beach as a low-pressure
    Saeed Khan/Getty

    A tricky storm to classify

    Ahead of its arrival, this storm was shaping up as an East Coast Low – a specific type of very strong storm that emerges when a cold trough high up in the atmosphere triggers a strong low down at sea level.

    But while the storm underwent “explosive cyclogenesis” – intensifying rapidly enough to make it a “bomb cyclone” – it didn’t meet the criteria for an East Coast Low.

    The emergence of the second low out at sea drew some of the main storm’s energy away and reduced wind speeds and wave heights. This is why it’s considered a complex low. The storm also fell short of the duration of heavy rainfall and severe winds speeds needed to consider it an East Coast Low.

    Meteorologists are rightly cautious about classifying a storm as an East Coast Low. That’s because these systems pack a real punch and deserve to be taken seriously on land and at sea.

    The infamous 1998 Sydney to Hobart yacht race was hit by a sudden and severe East Coast Low. These storms normally form in cooler months, but this summer storm formed suddenly and made a direct hit on the yacht fleet. Six people died and many more had to be rescued. Intense winds destroyed masts and wild seas made rescue very difficult. That storm was also a bomb cyclone, as it intensified extremely quickly.

    In 2007, five East Coast Lows hit. The biggest of these drove the huge Pasha Bulker coal carrier onto Nobbys Beach in Newcastle. In 2016, another East Coast Low led to the memorable image of a swimming pool collapsing onto a beach after huge waves caused erosion.

    Spinning storms

    One unusual thing about this storm is its core. If you didn’t know better, you might think it was a tropical cyclone.

    Storms like this one can also be classified as extratropical cyclones if they’re strong enough. That’s because they have the characteristic whirling cyclonic shape on radar. But there are important differences.

    Tropical cyclones have warm cores and their strongest winds near the core, whereas these storms affecting more southerly regions mostly have cold cores and the strongest winds further out. At certain times of year, they may be “hybrid” systems, showing both tropical and extratropical features.

    The emergence of the second low is likely to trigger the “dumb-belling effect”, a two-way interaction very similar to the Fujiwhara effect in which two tropical cyclones begin to spin around each other.

    A Bureau of Meteorology video explaining the Fujiwhara effect.

    How does this happen? When two tropical or extratropical cyclones form close to each other, their low-pressure centres begin to orbit around a common point influenced by the intensity and relative size of each cyclone. This interaction can lead to the cyclones merging, intensifying or even altering their paths.

    In the southern hemisphere, the two orbiting storms spin clockwise. That means it’s most likely the stronger low sitting off NSW will be spun northwest back out to sea, and the second low will spin southeast, possibly bringing more heavy rain and strong winds to southern NSW and eastern Victoria.

    Steve Turton has received funding from the Australian government.

    – ref. What’s next for NSW’s intense storm? Heavy rains, fallen trees – and a chance of a storm ‘slingshot’ – https://theconversation.com/whats-next-for-nsws-intense-storm-heavy-rains-fallen-trees-and-a-chance-of-a-storm-slingshot-260283

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for July 2, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 2, 2025.

    Parents of kids in daycare are terrified following Melbourne abuse allegations. What can they do?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Danielle Arlanda Harris, Associate Professor in Criminology and Criminal Justice, Griffith University Parents have been left reeling by news a male Melbourne childcare worker has been charged with 70 counts related to the alleged sexual abuse of young children in his care. The charges include sexual penetration

    We all have kangaroos hopping around our coin purse – and they’ve been on money since 1795
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Dyer, Associate Professor, Department of Physiology, Monash University The one tonne gold kangaroo coin at the Perth Mint. Shutterstock On the Australian one dollar coin, you will often find the famous representation of a mob of five kangaroos. But when did the kangaroo first appear on

    The Bradbury Group features Palestinian journalist Dr Yousef Aljamal, Middle East report and political panel
    Asia Pacific Report In the new weekly political podcast, The Bradbury Group, last night presenter Martyn Bradbury talked with visiting Palestinian journalist Dr Yousef Aljamal. They assess the current situation in Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza and what New Zealand should be doing. As Bradbury, publisher of The Daily Blog, notes, “Fourth Estate public broadcasting

    New laws to make it harder for large Australian and foreign companies to avoid paying tax
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kerrie Sadiq, Professor of Taxation, QUT Business School, and ARC Future Fellow, Queensland University of Technology The Conversation, CC BY The beginning of the financial year means for the first time in Australia the public will see previously unreleased tax reports produced by multinational taxpayers. These documents,

    ‘Shit in, shit out’: AI is coming for agriculture, but farmers aren’t convinced
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tom Lee, Senior Lecturer, School of Design, University of Technology Sydney David Gray / AFP / Getty Images Australian farms are at the forefront of a wave of technological change coming to agriculture. Over the past decade, more than US$200 billion (A$305 billion) has been invested globally

    The National Anti-Corruption Commission turns 2 – has it restored integrity to federal government?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By A J Brown, Professor of Public Policy & Law, Centre for Governance & Public Policy, Griffith University The National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC) opened its doors two years ago this week amid much fanfare and high expectations. Since then the body has attracted considerable criticism, overshadowing a solid,

    Gum disease, decay, missing teeth: why people with mental illness have poorer oral health
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bonnie Clough, Senior Lecturer, School of Applied Psychology, Griffith University mihailomilovanovic/Getty Images People with poor mental health face many challenges. One that’s perhaps lesser known is that they’re more likely than the overall population to have poor oral health. Research has shown people with serious mental illness

    Farming within Earth’s limits is still possible – but it will take a Herculean effort
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michalis Hadjikakou, Senior Lecturer in Environmental Sustainability, School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Engineering & Built Environment, Deakin University Patrick Pleul/Getty The way we currently produce and consume food takes a big toll on the environment. Worldwide, farming is responsible for more than 20%

    News laws to make it harder for large Australian and foreign companies to avoid paying tax
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kerrie Sadiq, Professor of Taxation, QUT Business School, and ARC Future Fellow, Queensland University of Technology The Conversation, CC BY The beginning of the financial year means for the first time in Australia the public will see previously unreleased tax reports produced by multinational taxpayers. These documents,

    What did ancient Rome smell like? Honestly, often pretty rank
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas J. Derrick, Gale Research Fellow in Ancient Glass and Material Culture, Macquarie University minoandriani/Getty Images The roar of the arena crowd, the bustle of the Roman forum, the grand temples, the Roman army in red with glistening shields and armour – when people imagine ancient Rome,

    Memo to Shane Jones: what if NZ needs more regional government, not less?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeffrey McNeill, Honorary Research Associate, School of People, Environment and Planning, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University If the headlines are anything to go by, New Zealand’s regional councils are on life support. Regional Development Minister Shane Jones recently wondered whether “there’s going to be a

    Antarctic summer sea ice is at record lows. Here’s how it will harm the planet – and us
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Edward Doddridge, Senior Research Associate in Physical Oceanography, University of Tasmania An icebreaker approaches Denman Glacier in March, when there was 70% less Antarctic sea ice than usual. Pete Harmsen AAD On her first dedicated scientific voyage to Antarctica in March, the Australian icebreaker RSV Nuyina found

    Micronesian Summit in Majuro this week aims to be ‘one step ahead’
    By Giff Johnson, editor, Marshall Islands Journal/RNZ Pacific correspondent in Majuro The Micronesian Islands Forum cranks up with officials meetings this week in Majuro, with the official opening for top leadership from the islands tomorrow morning. Marshall Islands leaders are being joined at this summit by their counterparts from Kiribati, Nauru, Federated States of Micronesia,

    Distressed by all the bad news? Here’s how to stay informed but still look after yourself
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Reza Shabahang, Research Fellow in Human Cybersecurity, Monash University and Academic Researcher in Media Psychology, Flinders University KieferPix/Shutterstock If you’re feeling like the news is particularly bad at the moment, you’re not alone. But many of us can’t look away – and don’t want to. Engaging with

    What are police allowed to do at protests and who keeps them in check?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Hine, Senior Lecturer in Criminology, University of the Sunshine Coast Earlier this week, former Greens candidate Hannah Thomas was hospitalised with serious injuries after being arrested at a protest in Sydney. This incident sparked public outcry, raising questions about the limits of police power and what

    Trump demands an end to the war in Gaza – could a ceasefire be close?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marika Sosnowski, Postdoctoral research fellow, The University of Melbourne Anas-Mohammed/Shutterstock Hopes are rising that Israel and Hamas could be inching closer to a ceasefire in the 20-month war in Gaza. US President Donald Trump is urging progress, taking to social media to demand: MAKE THE DEAL IN

    A new ‘prac payment’ has just kicked in. But it ignores many uni students
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Lambert, Associate Professor Nutrition and Dietetics, University of Wollongong Fly View Productions/ Getting Images On Tuesday, some Australian university students got access to a new payment. The Commonwealth Prac Payment is available to eligible teaching, nursing, midwifery and social work students. It will provide A$331.65 a

    ‘I’m going to send letters’: the deadline for Trump’s ‘reciprocal’ trade tariffs is looming
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Draper, Professor, and Executive Director: Institute for International Trade, and Director of the Jean Monnet Centre of Trade and Environment, University of Adelaide Brendan Smialowski/AFP via Getty Images US President Donald Trump’s 90-day pause on implementing so-called “reciprocal” tariffs on some 180 trading partners ends on

    2 polls have Tasmania headed for another hung parliament, but disagree on which party is ahead
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Two Tasmanian state polls imply another hung parliament at the July 19 election under Tasmania’s proportional system. In one of these polls, Labor leads the Liberals, while

    Preventive versus pre-emptive strikes.
    Headline: Preventive versus pre-emptive strikes. – 36th Parallel Assessments Photo credit: Reuters. Conceptual clarity is important in any context but especially when it comes to international relations, foreign policy and the initiation of conflict. Recent events in the Middle East have shown once again how clarity in the use of words is often deliberately obfuscated

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: More than meds: why easier access to ADHD treatment has to be part of a whole-system approach

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Belinda Wheaton, Professor, School of Psychological and Social Sciences, University of Waikato

    Thom Leach/Getty Images

    New Zealanders with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) will now have easier access to diagnosis and medication after the government changed prescribing rules.

    But there is still so much we don’t know about ADHD in Aotearoa. And while these changes will help many, easier access to medication alone won’t fill the gaps in other supports people with ADHD need to live well.

    From February 2026 trained GPS and nurse practitioners will be able to diagnose and treat ADHD. Under the current system, only paediatricians or psychiatrists can make the diagnosis. GPs and nurse practitioners then provide followup care.

    The current process – which is both time-consuming and expensive – has been widely criticised. The government’s changes are expected to at least partially address these issues.

    ADHD in New Zealand

    One major barrier to progress is the general lack of knowledge about adult ADHD.

    he condition is broadly understood as causing persistent patterns of inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity. In adults, ADHD can have a profound impact in family and work situations, substance abuse and a wide range of psychiatric disorders. But it has largely been ignored in older age groups, with some believing people “grow out” of the condition.

    People with ADHD also often possess strengths, including creativity, spontaneity, high energy, risk tolerance and an ability to think divergently. Many also demonstrate strong problem-solving skills under pressure, passion-driven focus and persistence when engaged in meaningful tasks.

    Worldwide estimates suggest ADHD in adults ranges from 2.5% to 3.4% of most populations. But England’s 2023 Adult Psychiatric Morbidity Survey found 13.9% of adults met criteria warranting clinical assessment. Only 0.5% had been professionally diagnosed.

    In New Zealand, estimates rely on indirect measures such as medication dispensing rates.

    Recent research found 0.6% of the adult population in New Zealand was receiving drug treatment for ADHD. Based on a conservative estimate of 2.6% of adults with ADHD, this shows a large “treatment gap” exists.

    Drug dispensing data in New Zealand also show gaps in who gets diagnosed with ADHD.

    Māori and Pacific peoples are less likely to receive ADHD medications. These inequities begin early. Tamariki Māori screened for ADHD at age four are less likely to receive medication than their non-Māori peers.

    There are also substantial differences in the age of diagnosis across sociodemographic groups. These inequities raise serious concerns about access and systemic bias.

    International research shows untreated ADHD is linked to worse mental and physical health, higher mortality, and reduced life expectancy.

    ADHD prevalence is also five times higher among youth prisoners and ten times higher among adult prisoners compared to the general population. In Australia, ADHD’s social and economic costs are estimated at A$20.42 billion per year, or $25,071 per person.

    Waiting too long for help

    Our ongoing research, including a survey, looks at the lived experiences of adults with diagnosed or suspected ADHD in New Zealand. Many have described the healthcare system as “broken”.

    Survey respondents reported long wait times, high costs for diagnosis and treatment and a lack of expertise amongst health professionals. They also described ongoing stigma and misunderstanding about the lived reality of ADHD.

    The survey mirrors international research showing how longstanding myths and stigmas about what ADHD is and who it affects have impeded societal understanding.

    Adult women were overrepresented in the sample, constituting 83% of the 689 participants, with over 80% reporting being diagnosed after age 24, reflecting global trends of underdiagnosis in early age among women.

    Research suggests ADHD in women is often missed or misdiagnosed, partly due to outdated knowledge and lack of understanding about its presentation in women, compounded by high rates of coexisting conditions such as anxiety, depression, substance use and autism.

    Treatment matters

    Growing evidence shows many of the negative outcomes of ADHD are mitigated by treatment with medication. One study from Sweden found a significant association between initiating ADHD medication treatment and lower mortality.

    However, medication is only part of the solution. Strategies focused on the strengths of people with ADHD can have huge benefits for the individual, their whānau and communities. Particularly when they receive timely diagnosis, treatment and necessary accommodations.

    Researchers argue that while ADHD medications provide effective treatment, they should never be the only form of treatment offered.

    More than meds

    Expanding prescribing authority is a vital step, but this alone will do little to increase access to psychological and allied health supports to ensure the right care can be provided to people with ADHD.

    There continues to be an urgent need to address gaps in data and understanding, to provide an evidence-based assessment of the areas where research, funding and policy initiatives need to be targeted.

    Trends show that some groups, including Māori and women, are disproportionately affected by a lack of knowledge and services. As the government revises how ADHD is diagnosed and treated, it must address these discrepancies.

    There is also a complex but poorly understood relationship between ADHD and other neurodevelopmental conditions, such as autism, that needs further investigation. As ADHD New Zealand chairperson Darrin Bull has argued, a “whole-of-system” approach is required to support those with ADHD in New Zealand.

    Belinda Wheaton is collaborating with ADHD NZ on research to improve understanding of ADHD in NZ,

    Byron Rangiwai has received funding from Health Research Council. Byron is currently receiving funding from Apple Computers until October 2025.

    Nicholas Bowden has received funding for ADHD-related research through MBIE’s A Better Start National Science Challenge.

    Stephanie D’Souza has received funding for ADHD-related research through MBIE’s A Better Start National Science Challenge.

    – ref. More than meds: why easier access to ADHD treatment has to be part of a whole-system approach – https://theconversation.com/more-than-meds-why-easier-access-to-adhd-treatment-has-to-be-part-of-a-whole-system-approach-259981

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Consumption push promises summer tourism boom

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

    A high-speed train arrives at the Qianjiang Railway Station on the Chongqing section of the Chongqing-Xiamen high-speed railway, in Southwest China’s Chongqing, June 27, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Fueled by rising consumption and attractive packages offered by tourism authorities, this summer promises to be a bumper season for tourism, industry insiders said on Tuesday.

    According to the Ministry of Transport, the number of railway passenger trips between July 1 and Aug 31, the duration of the summer vacation for students, is expected to reach 953 million, which will mark a year-on-year increase of 5.8 percent.

    Qi Chunguang, vice-president of travel portal Tuniu, said the summer travel peak is expected much earlier this year. “In fact, our figures suggest it already started on June 28, instead of the usual second week of July,” he said.

    Group tour bookings on Tuniu have increased by more than 35 percent, Qi said. “The majority of them are long-duration domestic trips. Bookings for overseas destinations have surged 60 percent year-on-year,” he added.

    The growth has been spurred by the government’s consumption policy, coupons issued by local tourism bureaus and discount tickets for high school graduates, Qi noted.

    On Monday, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism launched a summer consumption program, which will promote around 39,000 activities, including drama appreciations, exhibitions and night tours, in July and August.

    To further invigorate the tourism market, the government will also give consumption subsidies of over 570 million yuan ($80 million) to the public in the form of coupons and discounted combined packages.

    Qi, from Tuniu, said that high school graduates, college students and families with children are major drivers of summer tourism consumption. A recent report by Tuniu mentioned that families with children account for over 40 percent of the current bookings made on the platform.

    According to travel portal Qunar, most Chinese travelers are looking for destinations with a temperate climate, so places with daytime temperatures lower than 25 C are recording a surge in bookings.

    The Bortala Mongolian autonomous prefecture in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, Zhaotong and Chuxiong in Yunnan province and Ordos in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region are among the most popular domestic destinations to beat the heat, the travel portal said.

    Beijing, Shanghai, the Ili Kazak autonomous prefecture in Xinjiang, Qingdao in Shandong province and Chengdu in Sichuan province are also attracting bookings because of their strong cultural vibes, modern cityscapes and mouthwatering food, the portal added.

    Yue Meng, 48, a Beijing resident, said her daughter took the college entrance exam in June and the family planned a trip to Xinjiang to congratulate her.

    “We will spend a week in Xinjiang starting on July 15, and visit attractions such as Sayram Lake and Nalati scenic area,” Yue said, adding that her daughter is scheduled to join an educational tour group to Singapore in August.

    In addition to domestic tourism, outbound travel has also logged robust growth.

    According to travel agency Trip.com Group, visa applications on the platform have recorded double-digit growth.

    Overseas destinations with shorter flight durations, such as Japan and South Korea, remain top choices for Chinese travelers this summer, while some faraway countries in Europe have also seen remarkable growth in bookings, the agency said.

    Visa applications processed by Trip.com for Italy, Norway and Germany have increased by over 80 percent, it added.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Zverev, Gauff among record Wimbledon seeds exodus

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

    Five top-10 seeds, including China’s Olympic champion Zheng Qinwen, crashed out of the first round at Wimbledon on Tuesday in a day of upsets and soaring temperatures.

    Zheng, the No. 5 seed in the women’s singles draw, suffered her third consecutive first-round exit at the grass-court Grand Slam, falling to Czech doubles specialist Katerina Siniakova 7-5, 4-6, 6-1. The match was played as London endured its hottest day of the year, with temperatures surpassing 33 degrees Celsius.

    “I should have done better in my service games,” said Zheng, who was broken twice after leading 5-3 in the opening set. “I don’t think the surface is a challenge for me. I just felt that I should raise my level in my service games today.”

    Siniakova, 29, a 10-time women’s doubles Grand Slam champion, will face four-time major winner Naomi Osaka in the second round.

    Carlos Alcaraz hits a return during the men’s singles first round match between Carlos Alcaraz of Spain and Fabio Fognini of Italy at Wimbledon Tennis Championship in London, Britain, June 30, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe) (Xinhua/Zhao Dingzhe)

    Second-seeded Coco Gauff and third-seeded Jessica Pegula were also knocked out of the women’s singles on a day filled with surprises.

    Gauff, the reigning US Open champion who won last month’s French Open, was beaten 7-6 (3), 6-1 by Ukraine’s Dayana Yastremska.

    “I’m obviously disappointed how the result went today,” said Gauff, 21. “Dayana started off playing strong. I think I couldn’t find my footing out there today.”

    Gauff, a three-time fourth-round finisher at Wimbledon, added: “I really do want to do well here. I’m not someone who wants to write myself off grass this early in my career, but I definitely need to make changes if I want to be successful here.”

    Pegula, meanwhile, was stunned by Italy’s Elisabetta Cocciaretto 6-2, 6-3 in just 58 minutes.

    In the men’s draw, No. 3 seed Alexander Zverev of Germany fell 7-6 (3), 6-7 (8), 6-3, 6-7 (5), 6-4 to France’s Arthur Rinderknech.

    Rinderknech, 29, called it the biggest win of his career. “When it’s on Center Court of Wimbledon against a guy like Sascha, who is No. 3 in the world and has been there for the last probably ten years, such a consistent player, and in five sets, I can’t really ask for more,” he said.

    Seventh-seeded Lorenzo Musetti of Italy also suffered a shock defeat, losing to Georgian qualifier Nikoloz Basilashvili 6-2, 4-6, 7-5, 6-1. However, Musetti’s compatriot and world No. 1 Jannik Sinner advanced with ease, defeating fellow Italian Luca Nardi 6-4, 6-2, 6-0.

    In the final match on Center Court, 24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic overcame a mid-match illness to defeat France’s Alexandre Muller 6-1, 6-7 (7), 6-2, 6-2.

    The 38-year-old Serbian revealed he had been struggling with a stomach upset during the match. “The energy kicked back in after some doctor’s miracle pills and I managed to finish the match on a good note,” Djokovic said.

    Monday’s opening day also saw early exits for No. 8 seed Holger Rune of Denmark and No. 9 seed Daniil Medvedev of Russia, both of whom were eliminated in the first round.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s lunar 3D printing breakthrough paves way for moon “houses” built from soil sourced on-site

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

    China’s lunar 3D printing breakthrough paves way for moon ‘houses’ built from soil sourced on-site

    This undated file photo shows a researcher demonstrating the lunar 3D printing process at the Deep Space Exploration Laboratory in Hefei, east China’s Anhui Province. (Xinhua)

    A groundbreaking 3D printing system developed by Chinese scientists has explored using only on-site-sourced lunar soil to build habitats, paving the way for the large-scale, on-site construction of lunar research stations.

    The Deep Space Exploration Laboratory in Hefei, Anhui Province, has successfully prototyped a lunar regolith 3D printer that eliminates the need for Earth-sourced construction materials, according to Yang Honglun, a senior engineer at the lab.

    He revealed that the system uses a high-precision reflective concentrator and flexible fiber-optic energy transmission to achieve temperatures hot enough to fuse lunar regolith.

    “This printing breakthrough has validated the feasibility of using lunar soil as the sole raw building material, enabling true in-situ resource utilization and eliminating the need to transport any additional materials from Earth,” he said.

    Also among the printing system’s key innovations is flexible manufacturing, which enables brick production and the customized molding of complex structures.

    A preliminary test of the prototype’s lunar regolith forming process has been completed on the ground surface. Tests of its ability to melt and form lines, surfaces, bodies and complex structures have also been completed, and tests of the technical feasibility of the prototype’s solar concentrating technology, optical fiber bundle energy transmission and lunar regolith melting system have been systematically completed.

    In the early stages of the research team’s work, the core challenge was achieving reliable solar energy concentration and regolith shaping under the extreme conditions of the lunar environment.

    After extensive testing, the multidisciplinary team — spanning the fields of planetary science, materials science, mechanical engineering, energy dynamics, thermal physics and optics — solved critical problems in energy capture, transmission and molding.

    As for future applications, Yang said the prototype could manufacture lunar regolith structures, supporting the construction of lunar roads, equipment platforms and buildings, and enabling large-scale, sustainable lunar exploration and resource utilization.

    It also validates key technologies for lunar energy capture and material extraction, laying the technical foundations for the construction of lunar energy systems.

    The lab — also known as Tiandu, named after one of the three main peaks of the province’s Yellow Mountain — is a national-level scientific research platform built by the China National Space Administration, the Anhui provincial government, and the University of Science and Technology of China.

    It is a new model for China’s deep-space research and operates with corporate-like autonomy in research direction, fund usage, talent and salary management, according to Li Hang, head of the lab’s board office.

    Since its official launch in June 2022, Tiandu has provided robust support for the successful implementation of major projects such as the Queqiao-2 relay satellite and the Chang’e-6 lunar mission, which returned humanity’s first-ever sample from the far side of the moon.

    Looking ahead, the lab is developing the world’s first Mars sample research facility and is inviting collaboration. “We welcome scientists from home and abroad to conduct research in Hefei,” Li said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Young CPC members become torchbearers for country’s future

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

    Members of the Communist Party of China (CPC) review the Party admission oath beside the replica of a boat, now referred to as the Red Boat, on which CPC founders concluded their meeting in 1921, on Nanhu Lake in Jiaxing, east China’s Zhejiang Province, June 30, 2025. (Xinhua/Xu Yu)

    Despite a packed schedule of exams and final papers at the end of the semester, Ling Jiajun still makes time every day to read online articles carried by Qiushi, a flagship magazine of the Communist Party of China (CPC), learning about the latest policies on rural development.

    Studying urban-rural planning at Nanjing Tech University in east China’s Jiangsu Province, the 22-year-old applied to join the CPC two years ago, and hopes to work on rural revitalization after graduation.

    During his field research in Chinese villages earlier this year, Ling, who was born in the metropolis of Guangzhou, was moved by what he saw in the countryside.

    Like many young Chinese people, Ling felt inspired by and proud of the Party’s rural work — from 2013 to 2020, China lifted nearly 99 million rural residents out of poverty, contributing to over 70 percent of global poverty reduction during that period.

    To consolidate its achievements in poverty alleviation, the Party is now implementing a revitalization strategy in the countryside.

    “The CPC has been the driving force behind this transformation. I remember reading in high school about how young CPC members, many of whom were college graduates, went to the countryside to support local communities in those years,” Ling said.

    “There’s still so much work to do in the villages, and I want to be part of what comes next,” he added.

    Like Ling, a growing number of young Chinese people are applying for Party membership, inspired by the Party’s ideals and the country’s development prospects.

    1   2   3   >  

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn Provision to Bring Space Shuttle Discovery to Houston Passed in Senate’s One Big Beautiful Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) today celebrated the passage of his provision to reconsider moving the Space Shuttle Discovery from Virginia to its rightful home near the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Johnson Space Center (JSC) in Houston in the Senate’s reconciliation legislation:

    “Houston has long been the cornerstone of our nation’s human space exploration program, and it’s long overdue for Space City to receive the recognition it deserves by bringing the Space Shuttle Discovery home,” said Sen. Cornyn. “I am glad to see this pass as part of the Senate’s One Big Beautiful Bill and look forward to welcoming Discovery to Houston and righting this egregious wrong.”“Houston has long stood at the heart of America’s human spaceflight program, and this legislation rightly honors that legacy,” said Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, & Transportation Chairman Ted Cruz. “It ensures that any future transfer of a flown, crewed space vehicle will prioritize locations that have played a direct and vital role in our nation’s manned space program, making Houston, Texas, a leading candidate. Bringing such a historic space vehicle to the region would underscore the city’s indispensable contributions to our space missions, highlight the strength of America’s commercial space partnerships, and inspire future generations of engineers, scientists, and pioneers who will carry our legacy of American leadership in space.”

    Background:

     The Senator’s provision included in the Senate’s legislation would result in consideration of the Space Shuttle Discovery moving from Virginia to its rightful home near NASA’s JSC in Houston.

    Mission Control at NASA’s Johnson Space Center led all of the space shuttle flights throughout the program’s history, and the astronauts who flew aboard the shuttles lived and trained in the area Houston. Four space shuttles were retired from NASA in 2010, and one of them was expected to go on display in the Space City. Congress stated in the NASA Authorization Act of 2010 that the four space shuttles were to be given to states with a “historical relationship with either the launch, flight operations, or processing of the Space Shuttle orbiters or the retrieval of NASA-manned space vehicles, or significant contributions to human space flight.” Unfortunately, this directive was unlawfully ignored by the Obama administration, who played politics to keep Houston from getting one of the shuttles. Notably, the administration gave one of the four shuttles to New York City, which has not made any major contributions to the nation’s history of space exploration and is not home to a NASA center—unlike Houston. The Space Shuttle Discovery should be transferred to Houston. This legislation would authorize the movement of the Space Shuttle Discovery from the Smithsonian’s National Air and Space Museum’s Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Center in Virginia to an entity near the JSC in Houston.

    Additional space-related provisions led by Sen. Cornyn, including the Mission to Modernize Astronautic Resources (MARS) for Space Act, nearly $10 billion in NASA funding for programs at JSC, funding for National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA) Artemis program, and resources to support the International Space Station (ISS), were included in the Senate’s legislation.  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Investment in workforce, keeping children safe

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Minister for Children Karen Chhour has announced that the residential workforce is being boosted by an investment in their professionalisation.  

    Secure residences provide care for children and young people, placed there for either care and protection or youth justice reasons. They often have complex needs and can be highly vulnerable.

    “Professionalisation of the residential workforce is a critical component and necessity for keeping children and young people safe in residential care settings,” says Minister for Children Karen Chhour.  

    “This government is committed to helping these important helpers, improving the supports we provide to children and young people, and addressing long standing gaps in practice. 

    “They deserve safe, stable, and therapeutic environments, where the staff are not only dedicated and able, but have all the skills they need.

    “I have the pleasure of regularly meeting with many of our frontline workers around the country and residential workforce have told me that they would hugely value better access to further training and professional qualifications.

    “That is why we are investing $41 million in their professionalisation.

    “This funding will strengthen professional leadership, uplift the capability of the core workforce, and raise the proportion of the workforce that has comprehensive skills, knowledge, and experience.

    “A 2023 review of Oranga Tamariki secure residences and several group homes similarly noted that a constant theme in many reviews over the years was a misalignment between the complex and high needs of the tamariki and rangatahi in care and the relatively unskilled nature of parts of the workforce.”

    The Minister for Children believes these workers deserve greater backing. 

    “They are doing their best in often challenging situations but were not supported well by the previous government, who received a Ministerial Advisory Board report in 2021 requesting greater training for this workforce and failed to act on it,” says Mrs Chhour.

    “That report highlighted that, while the staff were highly committed and passionate, they were not being offered the tools required in order to provide the high level of care the children and young people need and deserve.

    “This funding boost will go a long way towards addressing these issues and uplifting the number of staff with a professional qualification.

    “It will also establish new professional, clinical roles within each residence, help the recruitment of qualified staff to vacant positions, and supporting bespoke inhouse and external qualification pathways for current staff.”    

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Freeman’s Bay homicide: Update

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Police is continuing the investigation launched following the discovery of human remains in Freeman’s Bay overnight.

    Further information is being released in the early stage of the investigation.

    “Sadly, I can confirm the deceased is a newborn baby, and they were discovered in a wheelie bin outside an address,” Detective Inspector Scott Beard, of Auckland City CIB, says.

    “A woman is in custody and Police are speaking with her to establish the circumstances around what has occurred.”

    Police is not looking for anyone else in connection with the matter.

    “This is a tragedy for everyone concerned and there is a person’s wellbeing to consider here alongside the investigation, so we will ensure the woman gets the support she needs.

    “Police acknowledge this will understandably be quite confronting information for the community to grapple with.”

    A post-mortem is ongoing today to determine the next steps in the investigation.

    “The result is not yet known, and Police will provide further updates as the investigation allows,” Detective Inspector Beard says.

    “We would ask the public to avoid speculation given what has occurred and allow investigators to carry out their work.”

    Police will be carrying out an area canvass as part of the investigation.

    “We will be seeking CCTV from residents in the street and also searching other wheelie bins in order to secure any additional evidence that may be relevant to the investigation.”

    If you have any information that could assist the investigation, please make a report via 105, using the file number 250630/9878 and quote ‘Operation Yarrow’.

    Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 or crimestoppers-nz.org.

    ENDS.

    Amanda Wieneke/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI: Univest Securities, LLC Congratulates Client Houston American Energy Corp. on its Latest Acquisition of Abundia Global Impact Group, LLC

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Univest Securities, LLC (“Univest”), a member of FINRA and SIPC, and a full-service investment bank and securities broker-dealer firm based in New York, is pleased to congratulate its client, Houston American Energy Corp. (“HUSA”) , on its recent acquisition of Abundia Global Impact Group, LLC (“AGIG”). The acquisition is positioned to create a leading company focused on converting waste plastics into high-value, drop-in low-carbon fuels and chemical products.

    Following the acquisition, AGIG will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of HUSA. The combined company will be led by Abundia’s founder, Ed Gillespie, who will serve as Chief Executive Officer and will join the Board of Directors. The acquisition combines HUSA’s public market platform with Abundia’s proprietary pyrolysis technology, positioning HUSA to serve the growing global demand for sustainable fuels, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), and recycled chemical feedstocks.

    Univest has maintained a longstanding strategic partnership with HUSA, supporting HUSA’s growth along its corporate journey. Since 2021, Univest has acted as the sole placement agent for HUSA in multiple capital markets transactions. Through registered direct offerings, private placements, and at-the-market offerings, Univest has successfully assisted HUSA in raising approximately $17 million. These efforts have provided essential capital to support HUSA’s operational needs and strategic initiatives. This close collaboration reflects a strong alignment of vision and mutual commitment to long-term value creation, and paves the way for supporting HUSA continuously as it enters this exciting new chapter following its recent acquisition.

    About Univest Securities, LLC

    Registered with FINRA since 1994, Univest Securities, LLC provides a wide variety of financial services to its institutional and retail clients globally including brokerage and execution services, sales and trading, market making, investment banking and advisory, and wealth management. It strives to provide clients with value-add service and focuses on building long-term relationships with its clients. As a prominent name on Wall Street, Univest has successfully raised over $1.3 billion in capital for issuers across the globe since 2019 and has completed approximately 100 transactions spanning a wide array of investment banking services in various industries, including technology, life sciences, industrial, consumer goods, etc. For more information, please visit: https://www.univest.us/.

    About Houston American Energy Corp.

    Houston American Energy Corp. is a renewable energy company focused on converting waste materials into valuable low-carbon fuels and chemicals. Through its proprietary pyrolysis technology, the company addresses the global plastic waste crisis while supplying high-demand products like sustainable aviation fuel and recycled feedstocks to the energy and chemical industries. For more information, please visit: http://www.houstonamerican.com/.

    For more information, please contact:

    Univest Securities, LLC
    Edric Guo
    Chief Executive Officer
    75 Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 18C
    New York, NY 10019
    Phone: (212) 343-8888
    Email: info@univest.us

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Univest Securities, LLC Congratulates Client Houston American Energy Corp. on its Latest Acquisition of Abundia Global Impact Group, LLC

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Univest Securities, LLC (“Univest”), a member of FINRA and SIPC, and a full-service investment bank and securities broker-dealer firm based in New York, is pleased to congratulate its client, Houston American Energy Corp. (“HUSA”) , on its recent acquisition of Abundia Global Impact Group, LLC (“AGIG”). The acquisition is positioned to create a leading company focused on converting waste plastics into high-value, drop-in low-carbon fuels and chemical products.

    Following the acquisition, AGIG will become a wholly-owned subsidiary of HUSA. The combined company will be led by Abundia’s founder, Ed Gillespie, who will serve as Chief Executive Officer and will join the Board of Directors. The acquisition combines HUSA’s public market platform with Abundia’s proprietary pyrolysis technology, positioning HUSA to serve the growing global demand for sustainable fuels, Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF), and recycled chemical feedstocks.

    Univest has maintained a longstanding strategic partnership with HUSA, supporting HUSA’s growth along its corporate journey. Since 2021, Univest has acted as the sole placement agent for HUSA in multiple capital markets transactions. Through registered direct offerings, private placements, and at-the-market offerings, Univest has successfully assisted HUSA in raising approximately $17 million. These efforts have provided essential capital to support HUSA’s operational needs and strategic initiatives. This close collaboration reflects a strong alignment of vision and mutual commitment to long-term value creation, and paves the way for supporting HUSA continuously as it enters this exciting new chapter following its recent acquisition.

    About Univest Securities, LLC

    Registered with FINRA since 1994, Univest Securities, LLC provides a wide variety of financial services to its institutional and retail clients globally including brokerage and execution services, sales and trading, market making, investment banking and advisory, and wealth management. It strives to provide clients with value-add service and focuses on building long-term relationships with its clients. As a prominent name on Wall Street, Univest has successfully raised over $1.3 billion in capital for issuers across the globe since 2019 and has completed approximately 100 transactions spanning a wide array of investment banking services in various industries, including technology, life sciences, industrial, consumer goods, etc. For more information, please visit: https://www.univest.us/.

    About Houston American Energy Corp.

    Houston American Energy Corp. is a renewable energy company focused on converting waste materials into valuable low-carbon fuels and chemicals. Through its proprietary pyrolysis technology, the company addresses the global plastic waste crisis while supplying high-demand products like sustainable aviation fuel and recycled feedstocks to the energy and chemical industries. For more information, please visit: http://www.houstonamerican.com/.

    For more information, please contact:

    Univest Securities, LLC
    Edric Guo
    Chief Executive Officer
    75 Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 18C
    New York, NY 10019
    Phone: (212) 343-8888
    Email: info@univest.us

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: Hong Kong enjoys broad prospects, a promising future: FM spokesperson

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

    Citizens interact with cruising fishing vessels on the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront in Hong Kong, south China, July 1, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    With the firm support of the motherland, the protection of the “one country, two systems” policy, the dedication of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (SAR) government, and the concerted efforts of all sectors of society, Hong Kong has broad prospects and a promising future, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said on Tuesday.

    Spokesperson Mao Ning made the remarks at a regular press briefing, noting that over the past five years since the promulgation and implementation of the Law on Safeguarding National Security in the Hong Kong SAR, Hong Kong’s legal framework has been strengthened, social stability and unity have improved, and the rights and freedoms enjoyed by Hong Kong residents in accordance with the law have been fully protected.

    Mao said that the baseless and malicious smears by certain Western politicians and anti-China organizations against the “one country, two systems,” along with their attacks on Hong Kong’s rule of law, fully expose their ill intent to undermine stability in Hong Kong.

    She noted that with a high level of security, Hong Kong is able to achieve high-quality development and the city’s GDP has grown for nine consecutive quarters. It has ranked among the top three international financial centers in the world, and has reclaimed a spot among the top three in global competitiveness rankings.

    As the world’s third-largest recipient of foreign direct investment, Hong Kong tops the world in terms of fundraising from IPOs since the beginning of this year, ranks first in the world in air cargo shipping and fourth in the International Shipping Center Development Index, and is among the top 10 in talent competitiveness, with many foreign chambers of commerce recommending increased investment in the city, Mao said.

    These data show that Hong Kong’s economy is highly resilient and vibrant, and its international appeal continues to grow, she added.

    “Today marks the 28th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to the motherland. We believe that with the steadfast support of the motherland, the safeguard of ‘one country, two systems,’ the dedication of the government of the HKSAR and the joint efforts of the whole society, Hong Kong enjoys broad prospects and a promising future,” Mao said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Hostilities, displacements, restrictions threaten survival of Gazans: UN

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

    Palestinians fleeing from the northern Gaza Strip city of Beit Hanoun are seen on a road in Gaza City, on March 18, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Intensifying military operations in northern Gaza, together with displacement orders and dwindling basic humanitarian services, are depriving Gazans of the means to survive, UN humanitarians said Tuesday.

    Since the latest Israeli evacuation orders were issued for northern regions of the strip on Sunday, at least 1,500 families have been displaced, said the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), quoting its partners on the ground.

    Five school buildings sheltering displaced families in northern Gaza were reportedly hit, with deaths and injuries. Initial assessments by OCHA partners indicate that many families who fled from the schools after the attack have returned to northern Gaza, mainly due to the lack of alternatives and limited shelter space elsewhere, said the office.

    Humanitarians said health care is also under attack.

    The World Health Organization (WHO) reported that in central Gaza, a tent sheltering displaced people in the courtyard of Al-Aqsa Hospital in Deir al-Balah was reportedly hit on Monday, with five people injured. The agency added that the hospital’s internal medicine department also sustained some damage, and its oxygen supply line was affected.

    Since the outbreak of the new round of Gaza conflict in October 2023, the WHO has documented 734 attacks on health care in Gaza. The health agency reiterated its call for the protection of civilians and health care facilities.

    OCHA said that movement restrictions remain a major challenge, preventing its partners from having a predictable and sustainable way to provide critical services and assistance.

    “Only eight out of 15 attempts to coordinate humanitarian movements inside Gaza were facilitated by the Israeli authorities, including to remove debris,” OCHA said. “Three other missions were outright denied, while two missions were impeded, and two others had to be canceled due to security or logistical challenges.”

    The office said that the decrease in humanitarian assistance and basic services is a red flag that demands urgent action to secure the opening of all crossings and facilitate all humanitarian operations, including a meaningful flow of necessary life-saving supplies.

    OCHA said fuel supplies are rapidly depleting, with devastating consequences for civilians.

    The Gaza health authorities reported that Al-Shifa Medical Complex suspended its kidney dialysis services due to fuel shortages and that intensive care services would be limited to a few hours each day.

    “Ensuring sustained access to fuel is essential to avoid a collapse of the logistics backbone underpinning the humanitarian response,” OCHA said, noting that no fuel has entered Gaza since the ceasefire broke down over 17 weeks ago.

    The World Food Programme (WFP) said the window to push back starvation in Gaza is closing fast.

    The agency said its teams are adapting in real time, setting up new distribution points, navigating extreme constraints and using every safe route to reach people where they are. However, to sustain these efforts, the agency reiterates its call for multiple points of access and safe routes to reach people, support from the international community and a sustained ceasefire.

    On its ReliefWeb, OCHA said 169 non-governmental organizations are calling for immediate action to end the deadly Israeli-U.S. militarized distribution scheme known as the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.

    They signed a statement asking for the Israeli-approved plan to revert to the existing UN-led coordination mechanism and lift the Israeli government’s blockade on aid and commercial supplies.

    They alleged that 400 UN-led aid distribution points operating during the temporary ceasefire across Gaza were replaced by just four military-controlled U.S.-operated distribution sites, forcing 2 million people into overcrowded, militarized zones where they face daily gunfire and mass casualties while trying to access food and are denied other life-saving supplies.

    “Palestinians in Gaza face an impossible choice: starve or risk being shot while trying desperately to reach food to feed their families,” the ReliefWeb appeal said. “The weeks following the launch of the Israeli distribution scheme have been some of the deadliest and most violent since October 2023.”

    OCHA said that in less than four weeks, more than 500 Palestinians were killed and almost 4,000 injured just trying to access or distribute food. Israeli forces and armed groups, some reportedly operating with backing from Israeli authorities, routinely open fire on desperate civilians risking everything just to survive.

    “The humanitarian system is being deliberately and systematically dismantled by the government of Israel’s blockade and restrictions, a blockade now being used to justify shutting down nearly all other aid operations in favor of a deadly, military-controlled alternative that neither protects civilians nor meets basic needs,” said the statement.

    OCHA said that experienced humanitarian actors remain ready to deliver life-saving assistance on a large scale. Yet more than 100 days since Israeli authorities reimposed a near-total blockade on aid and commercial goods, Gaza’s humanitarian condition is collapsing faster than at any point in the past 20 months.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Belgium, China vow to deepen ties, boost mutual trust

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

    Belgian Prime Minister Bart De Wever met with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Brussels on Tuesday, pledging to deepen exchanges and enhance mutual trust with China.

    De Wever noted that Belgium and China have enjoyed a long history of exchanges, with vibrant local-level friendly communications, and that Belgium plays a gateway role in Europe-China cooperation.

    Recalling his multiple visits to China, De Wever said he was deeply impressed by China’s development achievements. Despite differing perspectives, he stressed the importance of enhancing exchanges and increasing mutual trust in the face of the current complex geopolitical landscape.

    Moreover, he reaffirmed Belgium’s commitment to multilateralism and support for a greater autonomous Europe while expressing the hope that the upcoming EU-China leaders’ meeting will yield positive results.

    De Wever also stressed that Belgium firmly adheres to the one-China policy, and this stance will not change.

    Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, highlighted Belgium’s unique role in the European integration process and China-EU relations as a founding member of the European Union (EU) and host of the EU headquarters.

    Wang said that China appreciates the rational and pragmatic China policy pursued by the new Belgian government and is willing to work with Belgium to carry forward the traditional friendship and advance the all-round partnership of friendly cooperation between the two countries in a steady and sustained manner.

    Meanwhile, Wang said China remains committed to high-quality development and high-level opening-up, welcoming more Belgian enterprises to China to develop their businesses and hoping that Belgium will likewise provide Chinese companies investing in Belgium with a fair, secure, and predictable business environment.

    Wang also said this year marks the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and the EU, which carries significant meaning as a bridge between the past and the future. The half-century-long journey of China-EU engagement has fully demonstrated that the two sides can achieve mutual respect and win-win cooperation, he added.

    Amid a complex and volatile international landscape, Wang said, China and the EU, as two major forces, markets, and civilizations in the world, should uphold the positioning as partners and the main theme of win-win cooperation, strengthening communication, enhancing understanding and consolidating mutual trust to jointly safeguard multilateralism and the free trade system. Together, they should serve as an “anchor of stability” of the world and act as reliable and strong partners who support and empower each other.

    The two sides also exchanged views on issues including Ukraine.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: US ramps up trade pressure on multiple fronts as 90-day tariff deadline approaches

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

    Days after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to halt trade talks and impose tariffs, Canada scrapped its planned digital services tax on Sunday. The White House praised the move, saying talks would resume immediately and declaring that Canada had “caved” to the United States.

    The United States is scrambling to wind up trade talks with a large number of trading partners as the self-imposed deadline of July 9 is approaching. Following Canada’s concession, Trump is continuing his efforts to press multiple trade partners.

    While the EU stood firm on protecting its digital sovereignty and rejected U.S. demands to include digital laws in trade talks, Trump moved on to Japan on Sunday, accusing it of refusing to buy American rice amid a shortage and threatening a formal trade complaint shortly after labeling U.S.-Japan trade “unfair.”

    U-turn on talks  

    Canadian Finance Minister Francois-Philippe Champagne announced Sunday that Canada will rescind its digital services tax as it prepares for a broader trade agreement with the United States.

    The tax, which was designed to take effect on Monday, would impose a 3 percent levy on the revenue of U.S. multinational companies like Amazon, Google and Meta earned from Canadian users.

    “It’s very simple: Canadian Prime Minister (Mark) Carney and Canada caved to President Trump and the United States of America,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday at a briefing.

    Leavitt’s comments followed remarks by National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett, who said the United States will restart trade negotiations with Canada immediately.

    According to him, the White House is likely to push other countries to abandon their digital services taxes in future trade negotiations, building on Canada’s recent reversal.

    “My expectation is that the digital services taxes around the world will be taken off, and that that will be a key part of the … ongoing trade negotiations that we have,” Hassett was quoted by CNBC as saying.

    Hassett suggested that countries planning to maintain or introduce digital services taxes could face the “wrath” from U.S. Trade Representative Jameson Greer over what he called “unfair trade practices.”

    Ineffective strategy 

    Washington’s pressure tactics didn’t prove effective with the EU, where officials have firmly rejected including digital legislation in trade talks with the United States.

    “Our legislation will not be changed. The Digital Markets Act (DMA) and the Digital Services Act (DSA) are not on the table in the trade negotiations with the U.S.,” European Commission spokesperson Thomas Regnier told a briefing Monday.

    Washington has repeatedly slammed the EU’s digital regulations, including the DMA and DSA, as unfair and called for looser oversight of American tech firms. In February, the White House warned it might retaliate if EU regulators targeted U.S. companies under those rules.

    Regnier emphasized that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has made it clear that EU legislation is not up for negotiation, “and this also includes, of course, our digital legislation,” he said.

    “We’re not going to adjust the implementation of our legislation based on the actions of third countries. If we started to do that, then we would have to do it with numerous third countries,” Regnier added.

    Nevertheless, the spokesperson said that the Commission remains committed to reaching a trade deal with the United States by July 9.

    Trump had earlier said the talks were “going nowhere” and threatened a 50 percent tariff on all EU imports starting June 1. After a call with von der Leyen, he agreed to postpone the hike until July 9.

    European Commissioner for Trade and Economic Security Maros Sefcovic said on Monday that he would travel to Washington on Tuesday to try to avoid higher U.S. tariffs and reach a deal “fair for both sides.”

    Currently, the EU faces 50 percent U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum and 25 percent on automobiles, alongside 10 percent baseline duties on most other exports.

    Next on list 

    In a Truth Social post on Monday afternoon, Trump claimed that the Japanese people and their government were “spoiled” because they wouldn’t buy American rice.

    “To show people how spoiled Countries have become with respect to the United States of America, and I have great respect for Japan, they won’t take our RICE, and yet they have a massive rice shortage,” Trump wrote. “In other words, we’ll just be sending them a letter.”

    Yet rice, like the EU’s digital regulations, is not on the Japanese menu for trade talks with the United States.

    On Tuesday, Japanese Economic Revitalization Minister Ryosei Akazawa, who is also the chief representative in tariff negotiations with the U.S. administration, said that his country will not sacrifice the agricultural sector as part of its tariff talks with the United States, adding that he would continue to negotiate with his U.S. counterparts to protect Japan’s national interests.

    “I have repeatedly stated that agriculture is the foundation of the nation,” he told a press conference.

    Trump’s rice complaint followed another swipe at Tokyo’s trade practices. In an interview aired on Fox News a day earlier, he slammed Japan for importing too few American cars, saying, “They won’t take our cars, and yet we take millions and millions of their cars into the United States. It’s not fair,” he said.

    “I could send one (letter) to Japan: ‘Dear Mr. Japan, here’s the story. You’re going to pay a 25 percent tariff on your cars,’” Trump said during the interview. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s EVE Energy launches Shenyang battery base targeting cold climates

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

    Chinese lithium battery manufacturer EVE Energy on Monday put into operation its production base in Shenyang, capital of northeast China’s Liaoning Province, aiming to develop batteries capable of withstanding extreme cold, and marking a milestone for the region’s new energy sector.

    The Shenyang facility, backed by a 10-billion-yuan (about 1.4 billion U.S. dollars) investment from the Huizhou-based company in south China’s Guangdong Province, will mainly produce low-temperature resistant, high-density and highly reliable energy storage and power batteries, aiming at addressing the critical industry challenge of poor battery performance in frigid regions.

    EVE Energy’s research center on the application of lithium batteries in cold climates was concurrently unveiled. According to its director Li Wei, the center will leverage the company’s technology and regional partnerships to develop new materials and technologies, significantly boosting battery performance in low temperatures including charge-discharge efficiency.

    The center is also committed to becoming a national-level energy innovation platform, providing strong support for the green energy transformation of northeast China’s old industrial base, Li noted.

    Tiexi District, where the base is located, is home to Shenyang’s new energy vehicle industrial cluster and is pursuing high-end, smart, and green manufacturing. The district has amassed 450 key projects worth 181.6 billion yuan this year, including 185 new and 265 ongoing constructions. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Trade in a mythical fish is threatening real species of rays that are rare and at risk

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By James Marcus Drymon, Associate Extension Professor in Marine Fisheries Ecology, Mississippi State University

    These ‘pez diablo,’ or devil fish, are actually guitarfishes that have been caught, killed, dried and carved into exotic shapes. Bryan Huerta-Beltrán, CC BY-ND

    From the Loch Ness monster to Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch, to the jackalope of the U.S. West, mythical animals have long captured human imagination.

    Some people are so fascinated with mythical creatures that they create their own, either working from pure fantasy or by modifying real animals. In a newly published study, we show that in countries such as Mexico, people are catching, drying and shaping guitarfishes – members of the rhino ray family, one of the most threatened groups of marine fishes – to create mythical specimens called “pez diablo,” or devil fish.

    Depending on where these curios are sold, they might also be referred to as Jenny Hanivers, garadiávolos or rayas chupacabras. The origin and meaning of the term “Jenny Haniver” is unclear, but the most accepted explanation is “Jeune d’Anvers,” or “young girl from Antwerp” in French.

    We found that pez diablo are made for many reasons, including as curios for the tourist trade and as purported cures for cancer, arthritis and anemia. Some are simply used for hoaxes. Regardless, the pez diablo trade could threaten the survival of guitarfishes.

    Young guitarfishes on display at the New England Aquarium in Boston.

    Fishy talismans

    Skates and rays, including guitarfishes, are flat-bodied fishes related to sharks and are found worldwide. Together, they make up a group known as elasmobranchs, which are characterized by their unique skeletons made of cartilage rather than bone like most other fishes.

    Skates have long been used to craft mythical creatures. The earliest known examples date back to 1558 in Europe, where they were fashioned to resemble dragons. These objects were thought to offer pathways to the divine or medicinal cures.

    In the mid-20th century, dried guitarfishes emerged as a new generation of mythical creatures. This may be because their unique shape can be fashioned into more humanlike forms. Their long nostrils, which are positioned just above their mouths, can resemble eyes.

    The ‘eyes’ of these dried guitarfishes are actually nostrils on top of the fishes’ long, pointed snouts.
    Bryan Huerta-Beltrán, CC BY-ND

    The first known case of a modified guitarfish was described in 1933. Since then, specimens have made their way into museums, and dozens of North American newspapers have published stories featuring modified guitarfishes.

    A real and endangered fish

    Guitarfishes are one of the most threatened vertebrate groups on the planet: Without careful management, they are at risk of global extinction. As many as two-thirds of all guitarfishes are classified as threatened on the IUCN Red List, a global inventory that assesses extinction risks to wild species.

    Guitarfishes are found in warm temperate and tropical oceans around the world. Fishers target them as an inexpensive source of protein. Guitarfishes may also be caught accidentally or collected live for the aquarium trade.

    Ultimately, however, these species are worth more as pez diablo than for other uses. For example, an entire fresh guitarfish in Mexico is worth approximately US$2, whereas guitarfish that have been killed, dried and carved into pez diablo can be worth anywhere from $50–$500 on eBay and other e-commerce sites.

    Curbing the pez diablo trade

    Internationally, the guitarfish trade is regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an international agreement between governments. This agreement requires member countries to manage guitarfish trade across international borders.

    Most countries where guitarfishes occur, however, do not have national regulations to protect these species. As a result, people who create or sell pez diablo are likely unaware that these fishes are threatened.

    There are as many as 37 species of guitarfish, some of which are at higher risk of extinction than others. Yet to the untrained eye, it can be hard to distinguish one guitarfish species from another. It’s especially hard to identify dried and mutilated guitarfishes that have been processed into pez diablo and look very different from their natural form.

    An intact guitarfish, left, and a carved, dried version.
    Bryan Huerta-Beltrán, CC BY-ND

    This is a common challenge for agencies that monitor trade in animal products. The global wildlife trade is an enormous market, involving billions of animals moving through both legal and illegal channels. Many wildlife products are heavily altered, which makes it hard to identify the species and determine where the product came from.

    Another source of confusion is that many people in Mexico also refer to an invasive freshwater fish that has overrun lakes and rivers across the nation as pez diablo. This “other” pez diablo is actually a suckermouth catfish and is not at all related to any of the threatened guitarfishes. Local education efforts need to distinguish clearly between these two species, since the desired outcome is to protect guitarfish while removing the invasive catfish.

    A dried and modified guitarfish, left, compared with an invasive suckermouth catfish.
    Bryan Huerta-Beltrán, CC BY-ND

    Guitarfish CSI

    Fortunately, advances in wildlife forensics offer a way to distinguish between species. Molecular techniques have been used to identify many illegally traded species, including guitarfishes. By taking a small skin sample, scientists can use DNA to identify the species of individual pez diablo. This method can help protect endangered species by helping to ensure that laws against wildlife trafficking are followed.

    Refining this kind of molecular tool is the most promising way to improve traceability in the trade of guitarfishes. By documenting where and how pez diablo are traded, scientists and conservationists can help clarify the threats to these species. The pez diablo is an imaginary creature, but it is doing real harm to threatened guitarfishes in the world’s warm oceans.

    Bryan Huerta-Beltran receives funding from Save Our Seas Foundation.

    Nicole Phillips is affiliated with the Sawfish Conservation Society and receives funding from the Save Our Seas Foundation.

    James Marcus Drymon and Peter Kyne do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Trade in a mythical fish is threatening real species of rays that are rare and at risk – https://theconversation.com/trade-in-a-mythical-fish-is-threatening-real-species-of-rays-that-are-rare-and-at-risk-247433

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Trade in a mythical fish is threatening real species of rays that are rare and at risk

    Source: The Conversation – USA (2) – By James Marcus Drymon, Associate Extension Professor in Marine Fisheries Ecology, Mississippi State University

    These ‘pez diablo,’ or devil fish, are actually guitarfishes that have been caught, killed, dried and carved into exotic shapes. Bryan Huerta-Beltrán, CC BY-ND

    From the Loch Ness monster to Bigfoot, also known as Sasquatch, to the jackalope of the U.S. West, mythical animals have long captured human imagination.

    Some people are so fascinated with mythical creatures that they create their own, either working from pure fantasy or by modifying real animals. In a newly published study, we show that in countries such as Mexico, people are catching, drying and shaping guitarfishes – members of the rhino ray family, one of the most threatened groups of marine fishes – to create mythical specimens called “pez diablo,” or devil fish.

    Depending on where these curios are sold, they might also be referred to as Jenny Hanivers, garadiávolos or rayas chupacabras. The origin and meaning of the term “Jenny Haniver” is unclear, but the most accepted explanation is “Jeune d’Anvers,” or “young girl from Antwerp” in French.

    We found that pez diablo are made for many reasons, including as curios for the tourist trade and as purported cures for cancer, arthritis and anemia. Some are simply used for hoaxes. Regardless, the pez diablo trade could threaten the survival of guitarfishes.

    Young guitarfishes on display at the New England Aquarium in Boston.

    Fishy talismans

    Skates and rays, including guitarfishes, are flat-bodied fishes related to sharks and are found worldwide. Together, they make up a group known as elasmobranchs, which are characterized by their unique skeletons made of cartilage rather than bone like most other fishes.

    Skates have long been used to craft mythical creatures. The earliest known examples date back to 1558 in Europe, where they were fashioned to resemble dragons. These objects were thought to offer pathways to the divine or medicinal cures.

    In the mid-20th century, dried guitarfishes emerged as a new generation of mythical creatures. This may be because their unique shape can be fashioned into more humanlike forms. Their long nostrils, which are positioned just above their mouths, can resemble eyes.

    The ‘eyes’ of these dried guitarfishes are actually nostrils on top of the fishes’ long, pointed snouts.
    Bryan Huerta-Beltrán, CC BY-ND

    The first known case of a modified guitarfish was described in 1933. Since then, specimens have made their way into museums, and dozens of North American newspapers have published stories featuring modified guitarfishes.

    A real and endangered fish

    Guitarfishes are one of the most threatened vertebrate groups on the planet: Without careful management, they are at risk of global extinction. As many as two-thirds of all guitarfishes are classified as threatened on the IUCN Red List, a global inventory that assesses extinction risks to wild species.

    Guitarfishes are found in warm temperate and tropical oceans around the world. Fishers target them as an inexpensive source of protein. Guitarfishes may also be caught accidentally or collected live for the aquarium trade.

    Ultimately, however, these species are worth more as pez diablo than for other uses. For example, an entire fresh guitarfish in Mexico is worth approximately US$2, whereas guitarfish that have been killed, dried and carved into pez diablo can be worth anywhere from $50–$500 on eBay and other e-commerce sites.

    Curbing the pez diablo trade

    Internationally, the guitarfish trade is regulated by the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora, an international agreement between governments. This agreement requires member countries to manage guitarfish trade across international borders.

    Most countries where guitarfishes occur, however, do not have national regulations to protect these species. As a result, people who create or sell pez diablo are likely unaware that these fishes are threatened.

    There are as many as 37 species of guitarfish, some of which are at higher risk of extinction than others. Yet to the untrained eye, it can be hard to distinguish one guitarfish species from another. It’s especially hard to identify dried and mutilated guitarfishes that have been processed into pez diablo and look very different from their natural form.

    An intact guitarfish, left, and a carved, dried version.
    Bryan Huerta-Beltrán, CC BY-ND

    This is a common challenge for agencies that monitor trade in animal products. The global wildlife trade is an enormous market, involving billions of animals moving through both legal and illegal channels. Many wildlife products are heavily altered, which makes it hard to identify the species and determine where the product came from.

    Another source of confusion is that many people in Mexico also refer to an invasive freshwater fish that has overrun lakes and rivers across the nation as pez diablo. This “other” pez diablo is actually a suckermouth catfish and is not at all related to any of the threatened guitarfishes. Local education efforts need to distinguish clearly between these two species, since the desired outcome is to protect guitarfish while removing the invasive catfish.

    A dried and modified guitarfish, left, compared with an invasive suckermouth catfish.
    Bryan Huerta-Beltrán, CC BY-ND

    Guitarfish CSI

    Fortunately, advances in wildlife forensics offer a way to distinguish between species. Molecular techniques have been used to identify many illegally traded species, including guitarfishes. By taking a small skin sample, scientists can use DNA to identify the species of individual pez diablo. This method can help protect endangered species by helping to ensure that laws against wildlife trafficking are followed.

    Refining this kind of molecular tool is the most promising way to improve traceability in the trade of guitarfishes. By documenting where and how pez diablo are traded, scientists and conservationists can help clarify the threats to these species. The pez diablo is an imaginary creature, but it is doing real harm to threatened guitarfishes in the world’s warm oceans.

    Bryan Huerta-Beltran receives funding from Save Our Seas Foundation.

    Nicole Phillips is affiliated with the Sawfish Conservation Society and receives funding from the Save Our Seas Foundation.

    James Marcus Drymon and Peter Kyne do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Trade in a mythical fish is threatening real species of rays that are rare and at risk – https://theconversation.com/trade-in-a-mythical-fish-is-threatening-real-species-of-rays-that-are-rare-and-at-risk-247433

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Trauma is carried in your DNA. But science reveals a more complicated story

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Tara-Lyn Camilleri, Postdoctoral researcher of transgenerational effects, Monash University

    Radu Bercan/Shutterstock

    As war continues to rage in Gaza and Ukraine, there is concern about how the related trauma might be transmitted to future generations of people in those regions.

    More generally, interest in the idea of transgenerational trauma has recently surged. For example, earlier this year, National Geographic magazine asked whether genes carry past family trauma.

    But while this might be a catchy question, it’s also slightly misleading. Because while trauma can ripple across generations, shaped by how our bodies respond to their environments, its effects aren’t hard-coded in our genes.

    Plastic minds and bodies

    At the heart of this process is what’s known as phenotypic plasticity.

    This is the capacity for organisms to produce different outcomes from the same genes, depending on their environment. These outcomes, called phenotypes, can include stress sensitivity and body shape.

    One way different phenotypes can arise from the same genes is via epigenetics: small chemical changes to the DNA molecule that make particular genes more or less active. Think of these like a director’s notes on a script. These notes guide the cell on which lines to emphasise or soften, without changing the script itself.

    But epigenetics is just one way this plasticity is expressed.

    Understanding how trauma is passed across generations means looking beyond genes and cells to the environments that shape and influence them.

    Human development is sculpted by lived experience, from caregiving and community to stress, safety and belonging.

    These factors interact to produce lasting – but not always fixed – effects. By focusing on how they interact, rather than on single causes, we can better understand why trauma echoes across generations. This also helps us identify how that cycle might be disrupted.

    Widespread in nature

    Phenotypic plasticity is widespread in nature.

    In honeybees, genetically identical larvae become queens or workers depending on what they eat while developing. In three-spined stickleback fish, early exposure to predators reshapes their stress physiology and body shape, making them harder for predators to grasp.

    These aren’t genetic differences – they’re environmental effects on development.

    In humans, early-life conditions similarly shape development. A child raised in an unsafe setting may develop heightened vigilance or stress sensitivity – traits that help in danger but can persist as anxiety or chronic stress in times of safety. This is known as environmental mismatch.

    Across generations, plasticity becomes more complicated. In some of my past research, I studied how diet in one generation of fruit flies shaped health, reproduction and longevity in their offspring and grand offspring.

    The results varied depending on diet, generation and trait. Traits that appeared to be useful in one generation weren’t always so in the next. This highlights how difficult transgenerational effects are to predict – precisely because of this plasticity.

    In three-spined stickleback fish, early exposure to predators reshapes their stress physiology and body shape.
    drakiragavon/iNaturalist, CC BY-ND

    Too narrow an explanation

    Epigenetics often reflect environmental exposures – such as stress, trauma, nutrition or caregiving. But they’re not necessarily permanent “scars”. Many are dynamic and can shift with changing environments – especially early in life.

    Studies show that epigenetic patterns linked to early childhood adversity vary depending on later environments such as family stability and social support. This suggests the biological imprint of early stress is shaped by what happens next.

    It’s tempting to treat epigenetics as the key to explaining inherited trauma – but that’s too narrow. Trauma can influence the next generation through altered hormones, immune function or in utero conditions – all of which shape brain development and stress reactivity.

    Genetic variation also plays a major role. It doesn’t encode trauma itself, but it shapes traits such as sensitivity to threat or emotional regulation. These traits aren’t chosen – they arise from a web of biological and social influences beyond our control.

    But how they unfold, and whether they’re amplified or softened, depends on the systems that surround us.

    Connection to culture

    Connection to culture plays an important role too.

    In Aotearoa New Zealand, Māori-led initiatives that centre land, language and whakapapa (ancestral lineage) have shown promise in restoring wellbeing after generations of colonisation-related trauma.

    For Holocaust survivors and descendants, connection to cultural identity through ritual and shared narrative can reduce the psychological burden of transmitted trauma.

    But not all trauma is collective or institutional. Interventions such as trauma-informed parenting and early relational therapies have been shown to improve outcomes in the next generation.

    These psychological supports affect biology. Feeling safe in our relationships, having stable routines and a sense of meaning can reduce stress hormones, modulate immune function, and buffer against long-term disease risk.

    In this way, culture, caregiving and connection are all biological interventions. When they soften the effects of earlier stress, they may help interrupt its transmission.

    Trauma-informed parenting has been shown to improve outcomes in the next generation.
    fizkes/Shutterstock

    Reframing inherited vulnerability

    This matters, because it changes how we understand inherited vulnerability.

    Rather than a permanent wound passed down through DNA, the effects of trauma are better understood as changeable responses shaped by context.

    Thanks to plasticity, our biology is always in conversation with the environment – and when we change the context, we can change the outcome.

    Tara-Lyn Camilleri receives funding from from Australian Graduate Women, a not-for-profit organisation that advocates for education and supports women in postgraduate education with scholarships. Her research has also been supported by Australian Research Council grants and Royal Society funding. She is a volunteer committee member for Graduate Women Victoria.

    – ref. Trauma is carried in your DNA. But science reveals a more complicated story – https://theconversation.com/trauma-is-carried-in-your-dna-but-science-reveals-a-more-complicated-story-259057

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Trauma is carried in your DNA. But science reveals a more complicated story

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Tara-Lyn Camilleri, Postdoctoral researcher of transgenerational effects, Monash University

    Radu Bercan/Shutterstock

    As war continues to rage in Gaza and Ukraine, there is concern about how the related trauma might be transmitted to future generations of people in those regions.

    More generally, interest in the idea of transgenerational trauma has recently surged. For example, earlier this year, National Geographic magazine asked whether genes carry past family trauma.

    But while this might be a catchy question, it’s also slightly misleading. Because while trauma can ripple across generations, shaped by how our bodies respond to their environments, its effects aren’t hard-coded in our genes.

    Plastic minds and bodies

    At the heart of this process is what’s known as phenotypic plasticity.

    This is the capacity for organisms to produce different outcomes from the same genes, depending on their environment. These outcomes, called phenotypes, can include stress sensitivity and body shape.

    One way different phenotypes can arise from the same genes is via epigenetics: small chemical changes to the DNA molecule that make particular genes more or less active. Think of these like a director’s notes on a script. These notes guide the cell on which lines to emphasise or soften, without changing the script itself.

    But epigenetics is just one way this plasticity is expressed.

    Understanding how trauma is passed across generations means looking beyond genes and cells to the environments that shape and influence them.

    Human development is sculpted by lived experience, from caregiving and community to stress, safety and belonging.

    These factors interact to produce lasting – but not always fixed – effects. By focusing on how they interact, rather than on single causes, we can better understand why trauma echoes across generations. This also helps us identify how that cycle might be disrupted.

    Widespread in nature

    Phenotypic plasticity is widespread in nature.

    In honeybees, genetically identical larvae become queens or workers depending on what they eat while developing. In three-spined stickleback fish, early exposure to predators reshapes their stress physiology and body shape, making them harder for predators to grasp.

    These aren’t genetic differences – they’re environmental effects on development.

    In humans, early-life conditions similarly shape development. A child raised in an unsafe setting may develop heightened vigilance or stress sensitivity – traits that help in danger but can persist as anxiety or chronic stress in times of safety. This is known as environmental mismatch.

    Across generations, plasticity becomes more complicated. In some of my past research, I studied how diet in one generation of fruit flies shaped health, reproduction and longevity in their offspring and grand offspring.

    The results varied depending on diet, generation and trait. Traits that appeared to be useful in one generation weren’t always so in the next. This highlights how difficult transgenerational effects are to predict – precisely because of this plasticity.

    In three-spined stickleback fish, early exposure to predators reshapes their stress physiology and body shape.
    drakiragavon/iNaturalist, CC BY-ND

    Too narrow an explanation

    Epigenetics often reflect environmental exposures – such as stress, trauma, nutrition or caregiving. But they’re not necessarily permanent “scars”. Many are dynamic and can shift with changing environments – especially early in life.

    Studies show that epigenetic patterns linked to early childhood adversity vary depending on later environments such as family stability and social support. This suggests the biological imprint of early stress is shaped by what happens next.

    It’s tempting to treat epigenetics as the key to explaining inherited trauma – but that’s too narrow. Trauma can influence the next generation through altered hormones, immune function or in utero conditions – all of which shape brain development and stress reactivity.

    Genetic variation also plays a major role. It doesn’t encode trauma itself, but it shapes traits such as sensitivity to threat or emotional regulation. These traits aren’t chosen – they arise from a web of biological and social influences beyond our control.

    But how they unfold, and whether they’re amplified or softened, depends on the systems that surround us.

    Connection to culture

    Connection to culture plays an important role too.

    In Aotearoa New Zealand, Māori-led initiatives that centre land, language and whakapapa (ancestral lineage) have shown promise in restoring wellbeing after generations of colonisation-related trauma.

    For Holocaust survivors and descendants, connection to cultural identity through ritual and shared narrative can reduce the psychological burden of transmitted trauma.

    But not all trauma is collective or institutional. Interventions such as trauma-informed parenting and early relational therapies have been shown to improve outcomes in the next generation.

    These psychological supports affect biology. Feeling safe in our relationships, having stable routines and a sense of meaning can reduce stress hormones, modulate immune function, and buffer against long-term disease risk.

    In this way, culture, caregiving and connection are all biological interventions. When they soften the effects of earlier stress, they may help interrupt its transmission.

    Trauma-informed parenting has been shown to improve outcomes in the next generation.
    fizkes/Shutterstock

    Reframing inherited vulnerability

    This matters, because it changes how we understand inherited vulnerability.

    Rather than a permanent wound passed down through DNA, the effects of trauma are better understood as changeable responses shaped by context.

    Thanks to plasticity, our biology is always in conversation with the environment – and when we change the context, we can change the outcome.

    Tara-Lyn Camilleri receives funding from from Australian Graduate Women, a not-for-profit organisation that advocates for education and supports women in postgraduate education with scholarships. Her research has also been supported by Australian Research Council grants and Royal Society funding. She is a volunteer committee member for Graduate Women Victoria.

    – ref. Trauma is carried in your DNA. But science reveals a more complicated story – https://theconversation.com/trauma-is-carried-in-your-dna-but-science-reveals-a-more-complicated-story-259057

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Trump demands an end to the war in Gaza – could a ceasefire be close?

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Marika Sosnowski, Postdoctoral research fellow, The University of Melbourne

    Anas-Mohammed/Shutterstock

    Hopes are rising that Israel and Hamas could be inching closer to a ceasefire in the 20-month war in Gaza.

    US President Donald Trump is urging progress, taking to social media to demand:

    MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!!

    Trump further raised expectations, saying there could be an agreement between Israel and Hamas “within the next week”.

    But what are the prospects for a genuine, lasting ceasefire in Gaza?

    Ceasefires are generally complicated to negotiate because they need to take into account competing demands and pressures. They usually (but not always) require both sides to compromise.

    Gaza is no exception. In a conflict that has been going on for more than 70 years, compromise and concession have become a game of cat and mouse.

    Israel is the cat that holds the military strength and the majority of the political power. Hamas is the mouse that can dart and delay, but in the end has little choice but to accept the terms of a ceasefire if it wants to halt the violence currently being inflicted on Palestinians.

    Trump the peacemaker?

    Trump appears buoyed by what he perceives as the recent success of his efforts to broker a truce in the Israel–Iran war. He may think he can use similar tactics to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into making a ceasefire deal for Gaza.

    US President Donald Trump has posted on social media that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is negotiating a deal with Hamas ‘right now’.
    noamgalai/Shutterstock

    Netanyahu will return to Washington next week for talks at the White House. This is a good sign some US pressure is being brought to bear.

    Trump’s current push for a Gaza ceasefire may also signal he is keen for a return to the normalisation of economic ties previously delivered by the Abraham Accords between Israel and various Arab states. A ceasefire could unlock frozen regional relationships, potentially boosting the US economy (and Trump’s own personal wealth).

    Israeli opportunities

    Another positive sign a ceasefire may be on the cards is Netanyahu’s recent comments that the war with Iran had created opportunities for Israel in Gaza.

    During its 12-day war with Iran, Israel assassinated 30 Iranian security chiefs and 11 nuclear scientists. Iran’s weakened security apparatus might disrupt its support for Hamas and help advance Israeli objectives.

    Similar to what happened in Iran, this might enable Netanyahu to publicly declare Israeli victory in Gaza and agree to a ceasefire without losing face or political backing from his government’s right wing.

    Domestic Israeli politics have also played a role in the Gaza ceasefire negotiations. As part of the current round, Trump reportedly demanded the cancellation of Netanyahu’s ongoing trial on corruption charges. The idea is to enable Netanyahu to reach a ceasefire without the threat of criminal conviction, and potentially prison, awaiting him afterwards.

    Given there are no political or legal prescriptions or rules around what terms need to be included in a ceasefire, it is possible for such a demand to be made, although it is unclear how it would be accommodated by Israeli law.

    Difficult terms

    The current ceasefire deal, as proposed by Qatar and Egypt, seems to pick up where the deal negotiated in January fell apart – with a 60-day ceasefire.

    Reports suggest it requires Hamas’ leadership to go into exile and that four Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, would be tasked with jointly governing Gaza.

    Hamas has said for many months that it is open to a
    more permanent ceasefire deal that Israel has so far refused. However, the proposed terms appear too far-reaching to make it likely Hamas would accept them in their current form.

    The uptick in Israel’s military bombardment, as well as recent evacuation orders for parts of northern Gaza, suggest that even if there is a deal it may well mean Israel retains permanent territorial control of the northern Gaza Strip.

    As part of any ceasefire, it also seems likely Israel would retain control over all Gaza crossings.

    This, and the ongoing highly problematic promotion by Israel and the United States of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation as the only organisation authorised to deliver and administer aid in Gaza, will be difficult for Hamas, and Palestinians, to accept.

    Displaced Palestinians carrying bags of flour distributed by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
    Haitham Imad/Shutterstock

    There have also been reports a deal would enable Gazans wishing to emigrate to be absorbed by several as-yet-unnamed countries. Such a term would continue the Trump administration’s earlier calls for the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, as well as Israel’s insistence such displacement would be a humanitarian initiative rather than a war crime.

    It would also not be the first time the terms of a ceasefire were used to forcibly displace civilian populations.

    Hope for the future?

    Many dynamics are wrapped up in getting to a ceasefire in Gaza.

    They include US allyship and pressure, domestic Israeli politics, and the recent war between Israel and Iran. There is also the international opprobrium of Israel’s actions in Gaza which, for public (if not legal) purposes, amount to a genocide.

    Ideally, any negotiated ceasefire would have detailed terms to ensure the parties know what they should do and when. Detailed terms would also enable international actors and other third parties to denounce any violations of the deal.

    However, a ceasefire would only ever be a short-term win. In the best case, it would enable a reduction in violence and an increase of aid into Gaza, and the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

    However, amid the deep-seated sense of injustice and anxiety in the region, any ceasefire that does not address historic oppression and is forced on the parties would inevitably have deleterious consequences in the months and years to come.

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

    – ref. Trump demands an end to the war in Gaza – could a ceasefire be close? – https://theconversation.com/trump-demands-an-end-to-the-war-in-gaza-could-a-ceasefire-be-close-260185

    MIL OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Trump demands an end to the war in Gaza – could a ceasefire be close?

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Marika Sosnowski, Postdoctoral research fellow, The University of Melbourne

    Anas-Mohammed/Shutterstock

    Hopes are rising that Israel and Hamas could be inching closer to a ceasefire in the 20-month war in Gaza.

    US President Donald Trump is urging progress, taking to social media to demand:

    MAKE THE DEAL IN GAZA. GET THE HOSTAGES BACK!!!

    Trump further raised expectations, saying there could be an agreement between Israel and Hamas “within the next week”.

    But what are the prospects for a genuine, lasting ceasefire in Gaza?

    Ceasefires are generally complicated to negotiate because they need to take into account competing demands and pressures. They usually (but not always) require both sides to compromise.

    Gaza is no exception. In a conflict that has been going on for more than 70 years, compromise and concession have become a game of cat and mouse.

    Israel is the cat that holds the military strength and the majority of the political power. Hamas is the mouse that can dart and delay, but in the end has little choice but to accept the terms of a ceasefire if it wants to halt the violence currently being inflicted on Palestinians.

    Trump the peacemaker?

    Trump appears buoyed by what he perceives as the recent success of his efforts to broker a truce in the Israel–Iran war. He may think he can use similar tactics to pressure Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu into making a ceasefire deal for Gaza.

    US President Donald Trump has posted on social media that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is negotiating a deal with Hamas ‘right now’.
    noamgalai/Shutterstock

    Netanyahu will return to Washington next week for talks at the White House. This is a good sign some US pressure is being brought to bear.

    Trump’s current push for a Gaza ceasefire may also signal he is keen for a return to the normalisation of economic ties previously delivered by the Abraham Accords between Israel and various Arab states. A ceasefire could unlock frozen regional relationships, potentially boosting the US economy (and Trump’s own personal wealth).

    Israeli opportunities

    Another positive sign a ceasefire may be on the cards is Netanyahu’s recent comments that the war with Iran had created opportunities for Israel in Gaza.

    During its 12-day war with Iran, Israel assassinated 30 Iranian security chiefs and 11 nuclear scientists. Iran’s weakened security apparatus might disrupt its support for Hamas and help advance Israeli objectives.

    Similar to what happened in Iran, this might enable Netanyahu to publicly declare Israeli victory in Gaza and agree to a ceasefire without losing face or political backing from his government’s right wing.

    Domestic Israeli politics have also played a role in the Gaza ceasefire negotiations. As part of the current round, Trump reportedly demanded the cancellation of Netanyahu’s ongoing trial on corruption charges. The idea is to enable Netanyahu to reach a ceasefire without the threat of criminal conviction, and potentially prison, awaiting him afterwards.

    Given there are no political or legal prescriptions or rules around what terms need to be included in a ceasefire, it is possible for such a demand to be made, although it is unclear how it would be accommodated by Israeli law.

    Difficult terms

    The current ceasefire deal, as proposed by Qatar and Egypt, seems to pick up where the deal negotiated in January fell apart – with a 60-day ceasefire.

    Reports suggest it requires Hamas’ leadership to go into exile and that four Arab states, including the United Arab Emirates and Egypt, would be tasked with jointly governing Gaza.

    Hamas has said for many months that it is open to a
    more permanent ceasefire deal that Israel has so far refused. However, the proposed terms appear too far-reaching to make it likely Hamas would accept them in their current form.

    The uptick in Israel’s military bombardment, as well as recent evacuation orders for parts of northern Gaza, suggest that even if there is a deal it may well mean Israel retains permanent territorial control of the northern Gaza Strip.

    As part of any ceasefire, it also seems likely Israel would retain control over all Gaza crossings.

    This, and the ongoing highly problematic promotion by Israel and the United States of the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation as the only organisation authorised to deliver and administer aid in Gaza, will be difficult for Hamas, and Palestinians, to accept.

    Displaced Palestinians carrying bags of flour distributed by the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation.
    Haitham Imad/Shutterstock

    There have also been reports a deal would enable Gazans wishing to emigrate to be absorbed by several as-yet-unnamed countries. Such a term would continue the Trump administration’s earlier calls for the forced displacement of Palestinians from Gaza, as well as Israel’s insistence such displacement would be a humanitarian initiative rather than a war crime.

    It would also not be the first time the terms of a ceasefire were used to forcibly displace civilian populations.

    Hope for the future?

    Many dynamics are wrapped up in getting to a ceasefire in Gaza.

    They include US allyship and pressure, domestic Israeli politics, and the recent war between Israel and Iran. There is also the international opprobrium of Israel’s actions in Gaza which, for public (if not legal) purposes, amount to a genocide.

    Ideally, any negotiated ceasefire would have detailed terms to ensure the parties know what they should do and when. Detailed terms would also enable international actors and other third parties to denounce any violations of the deal.

    However, a ceasefire would only ever be a short-term win. In the best case, it would enable a reduction in violence and an increase of aid into Gaza, and the release of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.

    However, amid the deep-seated sense of injustice and anxiety in the region, any ceasefire that does not address historic oppression and is forced on the parties would inevitably have deleterious consequences in the months and years to come.

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

    – ref. Trump demands an end to the war in Gaza – could a ceasefire be close? – https://theconversation.com/trump-demands-an-end-to-the-war-in-gaza-could-a-ceasefire-be-close-260185

    MIL OSI –