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  • MIL-Evening Report: IVF is big business. But when patients become customers, what does this mean for their care?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hilary Bowman-Smart, Research Fellow, Australian Centre for Precision Health, University of South Australia

    Monash IVF CEO Michael Knaap has resigned after one of the company’s Melbourne clinics mistakenly transferred the wrong embryo to a patient. The patient wanted her partner’s embryo, but instead her own embryo was transferred.

    It is the second time this year Monash IVF has made such an announcement. In April, the company revealed a clinic in Brisbane had mixed up two different couples’ embryos.

    IVF is big business in Australia. When Monash IVF was listed on the stock exchange in 2014, it raised more than A$300 million, with financial analysts noting the potential for massive profits, as “people will pay almost anything to have a baby”.

    Total annual revenue in Australia from the IVF industry is more than $800 million. But what does the booming IVF industry mean for patients?

    Strong regulation is crucial

    In Australia, regulation of the IVF industry largely happens at the state and territory level. This leads to variation, such as restrictions on single women accessing IVF in Western Australia, which other states do not have.

    Victoria passed legislation in 2008, with a guiding principle to safeguard children born through assisted reproduction. However, until recently, Queensland largely relied on industry self-regulation.

    The Fertility Society of Australia and New Zealand, the peak body for reproductive medicine, has called for a national regulatory framework to address the current “patchwork” of legislation.

    Commercialisation is not necessarily a bad thing for patients. It can lead to innovation that improves the chances of successfully having a baby.

    However, clinicians, ethicists and patients have raised concerns about the effects of commercialisation on the quality and cost of service provision in IVF.

    With the rapid growth of the sector and high-profile incidents such as those at Monash IVF, stronger and more comprehensive regulation at the national level can help ensure quality and safety for patients.

    High costs can lead to inequities in access

    Most IVF in Australia occurs in private practice, not the public system. While Medicare rebates are available, there is usually a significant out-of-pocket expense. This can range from a few hundred dollars to many thousands for each cycle. IVF can therefore be a big financial decision. Financial expense is one of the biggest barriers, which leads to inequities in access between those who can afford it and those who can’t.

    The costs stack up even more if you want non-essential “add-ons”, such as pre-implantation genetic testing, acupuncture, or embryo time-lapse imaging. A study in 2021 found 82% of women using IVF in Australia had used an add-on during their IVF treatment.

    Many IVF clinics offer these add-ons, which are promoted as improving patient experience, or the chance of a successful birth. Add-ons are offered as a point of difference on the market.

    However, the evidence for these claims is often weak or non-existent. They also come with significant costs and can potentially take advantage of people’s hopes, if they are willing to pay “whatever it takes” to have a baby.



    Read more:
    IVF add-ons: why you should be cautious of these expensive procedures if you’re trying to conceive

    Patients or customers?

    Commercial providers in the IVF industry can help provide choice, particularly as it is difficult to get IVF in the public system.

    However, when health care becomes a business, a risk is that the relationship between the patient and doctor can be affected: a patient seeking treatment becomes a “customer” buying a product.

    The therapeutic relationship should be about enhancing patients’ health and wellbeing, relieving suffering, and promoting human flourishing.

    When we talk about “choice” in medicine, we often think about ideas such as informed consent, autonomy and the best interests of the patient. However, if we think of patients as customers, “choice” may become more about being free to purchase what you want to.

    The commercialisation of the sector can also increase the risk of over-servicing, where financial incentives may shape medical decision-making.

    This doesn’t necessarily mean clinics are making deliberate decisions or misleading patients for financial benefit. However, it can mean doing more IVF cycles, even as success becomes increasingly unlikely.

    We need to ensure doctors don’t feel pressure – directly or indirectly – to provide particular treatments just because a patient is willing to pay for it.

    Medical professionals’ obligations

    Doctors and other healthcare professionals have special responsibilities and moral obligations because of their role. They serve an essential human need in society because of their particular expertise in health and wellbeing. And they often have a monopoly on the essential services they offer.

    Without patients’ trust that clinicians are being guided by medical reasons instead of financial ones, their special and privileged role to promote human flourishing can be undermined.

    This special role is not necessarily incompatible with business. However, it is essential we allow doctors to maintain their focus on patient wellbeing. This is reflected in the doctors’ code of conduct, which notes their “duty to make the care of patients their first concern”.

    What happens next?

    Much public and media discourse has framed the embryo mix-up primarily as a reputational and financial risk to Monash IVF – but it is about patients. It’s not (just) an error of corporate governance, it’s about the special trust that we as a society place in medical practice.

    IVF is expensive, and can be tough both emotionally and physically. One of the ways we can ensure trust in IVF services is by moving towards consistent and improved regulation at the national level. This might include more uniform standards and policies around who is eligible for IVF.

    IVF industry regulation is on the agenda for the federal and state health ministers tomorrow. While there is still much to be done, a review of the regulation and processes in this sector could help prevent more embryo mix-ups from happening in the future.



    Read more:
    Why do women get ‘reassurance scans’ during pregnancy? And how can you spot a dodgy provider?

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

    – ref. IVF is big business. But when patients become customers, what does this mean for their care? – https://theconversation.com/ivf-is-big-business-but-when-patients-become-customers-what-does-this-mean-for-their-care-258585

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: In most mammals, one gene determines sex. But 100 million years ago, platypuses and echidnas went their own way

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Linda Shearwin, Researcher, Comparative Genome Biology Laboratory, University of Adelaide

    Rob D / Shutterstock

    For decades, scientists have known that platypuses and echidnas – Australia’s unique egg-laying mammals – have another developmental quirk: they don’t use the same genetic toolkit as other mammals to develop male and female embryos.

    What’s more, just how they do it has been a mystery. Until now.

    In a recent study published in Genome Biology, our research team has found strong evidence that monotreme sex comes down to a single gene – one that’s much more like what we see in some fish and amphibians than other mammals.

    The search for the secret of monotreme sex

    The Australian platypus and echidna are monotremes, the most ancient living group of mammals. These unique creatures are famously the only mammals to lay eggs, and they also have other reptile-like features.

    Humans and many other mammal species have two sex-determining chromosomes, X and Y. An embryo with an XX pair of chromosomes will develop as female, while an XY pair leads to a male embryo.

    In many mammals, the process that makes an embryo develop as male is triggered by a gene called SRY on the male Y chromosome. However, the SRY gene in monotremes has never been found.

    About 20 years ago, it was discovered that monotremes have an entirely different system that uses multiple X and Y chromosomes. Scientists assumed the Y chromosomes must still hold a gene that determined sex, but very little was known about what it might be.

    In 2008 a full genome sequence of a platypus was published, which was a step in the right direction. However, the genome was from a female so it had no information about Y chromosomes.

    By 2021, a new and improved platypus genome and a first echidna genome included sequences of multiple Y chromosomes. A gene emerged as the frontrunner for the role of sex determination in monotremes: the anti-Muellerian hormone (or AMH), which is involved in the sexual development in many animals.

    A 100-million-year-old change

    Our new research provides the first real evidence that an adapted version of AMH found on one of the monotreme Y chromosomes (dubbed AMHY) is the sex determination gene in monotremes.

    We showed that changes in the AMH gene long ago, early in the evolution of monotremes, could explain how AMHY arose and took on a role in male sexual development.

    This event would have set the stage for the evolution of the novel sex chromosome system in the ancestor of today’s platypus and echidna, about 100 million years ago when the AMH gene on the XY chromosomes embarked on separated paths.

    We showed that although the AMHY gene has changed significantly from the original AMH gene (AMHX), it has retained its essential features. Importantly, we could show for the first time that AMHY is turned on in the right tissue and at the right time to direct development of the testes during male development, which was an important missing piece of the puzzle.

    A first for mammals

    Unlike the other mammal sex determination genes, which act directly on the DNA to switch on other genes that lead to male development, AMHY is a hormone. It does not interact with DNA, but instead acts at the surface of cells to turn genes on or off.

    There is growing evidence that AMHY also plays a role in sex determination in a number of fish and amphibian species. However, AMHY in monotremes would be the first known example of a hormone playing a sex-determining role in mammals.

    What’s next? Our ongoing research investigate in detail how AMHX and AMHY work differently in monotremes compared to other mammals.

    The work discussed in this article was carried out by researchers from the University of Adelaide, the University of Melbourne, the University of Queensland, Monash University and Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

    Linda Shearwin receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    Frank Grützner 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. In most mammals, one gene determines sex. But 100 million years ago, platypuses and echidnas went their own way – https://theconversation.com/in-most-mammals-one-gene-determines-sex-but-100-million-years-ago-platypuses-and-echidnas-went-their-own-way-258801

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: In most mammals, one gene determines sex. But 100 million years ago, platypuses and echidnas went their own way

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Linda Shearwin, Researcher, Comparative Genome Biology Laboratory, University of Adelaide

    Rob D / Shutterstock

    For decades, scientists have known that platypuses and echidnas – Australia’s unique egg-laying mammals – have another developmental quirk: they don’t use the same genetic toolkit as other mammals to develop male and female embryos.

    What’s more, just how they do it has been a mystery. Until now.

    In a recent study published in Genome Biology, our research team has found strong evidence that monotreme sex comes down to a single gene – one that’s much more like what we see in some fish and amphibians than other mammals.

    The search for the secret of monotreme sex

    The Australian platypus and echidna are monotremes, the most ancient living group of mammals. These unique creatures are famously the only mammals to lay eggs, and they also have other reptile-like features.

    Humans and many other mammal species have two sex-determining chromosomes, X and Y. An embryo with an XX pair of chromosomes will develop as female, while an XY pair leads to a male embryo.

    In many mammals, the process that makes an embryo develop as male is triggered by a gene called SRY on the male Y chromosome. However, the SRY gene in monotremes has never been found.

    About 20 years ago, it was discovered that monotremes have an entirely different system that uses multiple X and Y chromosomes. Scientists assumed the Y chromosomes must still hold a gene that determined sex, but very little was known about what it might be.

    In 2008 a full genome sequence of a platypus was published, which was a step in the right direction. However, the genome was from a female so it had no information about Y chromosomes.

    By 2021, a new and improved platypus genome and a first echidna genome included sequences of multiple Y chromosomes. A gene emerged as the frontrunner for the role of sex determination in monotremes: the anti-Muellerian hormone (or AMH), which is involved in the sexual development in many animals.

    A 100-million-year-old change

    Our new research provides the first real evidence that an adapted version of AMH found on one of the monotreme Y chromosomes (dubbed AMHY) is the sex determination gene in monotremes.

    We showed that changes in the AMH gene long ago, early in the evolution of monotremes, could explain how AMHY arose and took on a role in male sexual development.

    This event would have set the stage for the evolution of the novel sex chromosome system in the ancestor of today’s platypus and echidna, about 100 million years ago when the AMH gene on the XY chromosomes embarked on separated paths.

    We showed that although the AMHY gene has changed significantly from the original AMH gene (AMHX), it has retained its essential features. Importantly, we could show for the first time that AMHY is turned on in the right tissue and at the right time to direct development of the testes during male development, which was an important missing piece of the puzzle.

    A first for mammals

    Unlike the other mammal sex determination genes, which act directly on the DNA to switch on other genes that lead to male development, AMHY is a hormone. It does not interact with DNA, but instead acts at the surface of cells to turn genes on or off.

    There is growing evidence that AMHY also plays a role in sex determination in a number of fish and amphibian species. However, AMHY in monotremes would be the first known example of a hormone playing a sex-determining role in mammals.

    What’s next? Our ongoing research investigate in detail how AMHX and AMHY work differently in monotremes compared to other mammals.

    The work discussed in this article was carried out by researchers from the University of Adelaide, the University of Melbourne, the University of Queensland, Monash University and Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary.

    Linda Shearwin receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    Frank Grützner 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. In most mammals, one gene determines sex. But 100 million years ago, platypuses and echidnas went their own way – https://theconversation.com/in-most-mammals-one-gene-determines-sex-but-100-million-years-ago-platypuses-and-echidnas-went-their-own-way-258801

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Mainland China Accuses DPP of ‘Selling Out’ Taiwan to Aim for ‘Independence’

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    BEIJING, June 12 (Xinhua) — The Chinese mainland on Wednesday condemned the Taiwan administration of Lai Qingde’s Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) for recklessly “selling out” and harming the island’s interests for its own political gain and pursuit of “Taiwan independence.”

    Zhu Fenglian, spokesperson for the Taiwan Affairs Office of the State Council of China, made the statement at a press conference, commenting on media reports that the United States plans to sharply increase arms sales to the island, as well as Lai Qingde’s plans to increase Taiwan’s defense budget to 3 percent of its GRP and higher.

    According to the latest public opinion polls in Taiwan, more than 60 percent of respondents believe the United States is seeking to increase the island’s military spending for financial gain, and nearly 70 percent of those surveyed believe Washington may sacrifice Taiwan for its own interests.

    The survey results highlight Taiwanese people’s growing awareness of the US’s sinister intentions in using the island as a “cash machine for wealth” and a “powder keg,” Zhu Fenglian said, adding that they also reflect widespread skepticism among Taiwanese compatriots about the US’s “Taiwan card” speculation and their concerns about their own future and destiny.

    “We firmly oppose the US arms sales to Taiwan and urge the US side to fully abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiques,” Zhu Fenglian stressed.

    She expressed the hope that compatriots on both sides of the Taiwan Strait will work together to promote the peaceful and integrated development of cross-strait relations.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: More than 220 people were arrested on the first night of a curfew in Los Angeles, USA

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    LOS ANGELES, June 12 (Xinhua) — More than 220 people were arrested on the first night of a curfew in Los Angeles amid protests against immigration raids, authorities in the second-largest U.S. city said Wednesday morning.

    There were 203 arrests for failure to disperse and 17 for violating curfew, the Los Angeles Police Department said in a news release.

    In addition, three people were arrested for carrying a firearm, one for assaulting a police officer with a deadly weapon and another for pointing a laser at a police aircraft, the police department said.

    Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass announced Tuesday evening a curfew in parts of downtown Los Angeles from 8 p.m. Tuesday to 6 a.m. Wednesday local time. She said local authorities imposed the limited curfew in response to looting and vandalism that occurred in downtown on Monday night following largely peaceful daytime protests.

    Hundreds of people have been arrested since last Friday as protests erupted against federal immigration enforcement.

    US President Donald Trump has ordered more than 4,000 National Guard troops and about 700 Marines to Los Angeles, despite objections from California Governor Gavin Newsom and other local officials. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Greenpeace – Shane Jones indicates NZ’s entire EEZ now open for oil and gas free-for-all

    Source: Greenpeace

    In a speech to the energy industry in Singapore this week, Shane Jones signalled a major change to New Zealand’s oil and gas exploration rules.
    It appears the Government plans to remove restrictions that previously limited oil and gas exploration to defined block offer areas and instead allow oil and gas companies to apply for exploration permits across all of New Zealand’s territory.
    Greenpeace has condemned the move, warning it risks turning Aotearoa into a free-for-all for the oil and gas industry, threatening the climate, marine life and the coastline.
    “Ending the oil and gas exploration ban was bad enough – but this entirely new free-for-all approach could see multinational oil corporations carrying out risky deep sea drilling anywhere in New Zealand’s oceans,” says Greenpeace spokesperson Gen Toop.
    “This is a giant leap backwards for the climate. Opening up all of New Zealand’s ocean and land to oil and gas exploration is reckless – it flies in the face of what the science says is needed to avoid climate catastrophe.”
    “The climate science is clear. We cannot afford to burn known fossil fuel reserves, let alone search for more. This latest move by Shane Jones is climate denial in action.”
    “Luxon’s Government cannot continue to claim that they take climate change remotely seriously while opening up the entire ocean in New Zealand to fossil fuel extraction,” says Toop.
    In his speech, Minister Jones stated: “… we are giving the oil and gas exploration market a new Open Market Application process, meaning all acreage is open for application, and you’re not restricted to block offers.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Greater Bendigo’s Taco Trail turns up the heat as guest judges crown the winner

    Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

    The City of Greater Bendigo’s vibrant destination program Fiesta Bendigo is in full swing with culinary experts crowning the best taco from three standout finalists in The Taco Trail.

    Inspired by Bendigo Art Gallery’s exclusive exhibition Frida Kahlo: In her own image, Fiesta Bendigo’s Taco Trail is a highlight of the visitor campaign involving 23 unique taco creations served across 22 local hospitality businesses. They are all Bendigo Tourism members.

    The finalists Percy and Percy, Mexican Kitchen, and The Dispensary Bar & Diner were shortlisted for the guest judges based on the popular votes so far (the winner from public votes will be announced on June 30 and votes are still open*).

    Two esteemed culinary experts Dani Valent, a freelance journalist for Gourmet Traveller and host of the Dirty Linen podcast, and Mexican cook Elvira McIntosh de Orozco, a specialist in traditional Nahuatl (Aztec) cuisine, were the guest judges. They crowned the winner after visiting the top three venues to determine the tastiest taco.

    Congratulations to The Dispensary Bar & Diner who won the judges over with its Xinjiang Lamb Taco. The winning taco wowed the judges with its bold, unexpected flavours and locally sourced ingredients for the dish – including locally made tortillas.

    Judge Elvira McIntosh de Orozco praised the dish’s originality.

    “I was quite surprised that the flavour just changes a little and it adds to the quality of it,” Elvira McIntosh de Orozco said.

    Dani Valent was equally impressed with the taco’s winning components.

    “The meat is so succulent. The Dispensary’s taco really seems to celebrate Australian multiculturalism. It has influences from all over, locally made which is very impressive, lamb shoulder – local lamb, spices, and gochujang. So, we are in northwestern China, we are in Korea, we are in Mexico, and we are definitely in Bendigo,” Dani Valent said.

    Finn Vedelsby said the win was fantastic.

    “We’re very excited, it’s been wonderful for Bendigo to be able to have so many tacos around and we’re honoured to win best taco in Bendigo. You beauty,” Finn Vedelsby said.

    City Acting Manager Economy & Experience Glenn Harvey said the Fiesta Bendigo program and the popular Taco Trail were inspired by Bendigo Art Gallery’s exclusive exhibition Frida Kahlo: In her own image, which is open until Sunday July 13.

    “The international exhibition is only open for one more month, closing Sunday July 13 so don’t miss the chance to explore this extraordinary exhibition of the iconic artist Frida Kahlo, and enjoy Mexican-inspired experiences as part of the Fiesta Bendigo program, including The Taco Trail,” Mr Harvey said

    “The public vote for Greater Bendigo’s most popular Taco remains open until June 30, with voters going into the draw to win a VIP weekend for two in Bendigo, valued at over $1,000 so I encourage you to explore the trail and vote for your favourite taco.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • Beach Boys founder Brian Wilson dies at age 82

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Beach Boys cofounder Brian Wilson, who created some of rock’s most enduring songs such as “Good Vibrations” and “God Only Knows” in a career that was marked by a decades-long battle between his musical genius, drug abuse and mental health issues, has died at the age of 82.

    Wilson’s family announced his death in a statement on the singer’s website.

    “We are at a loss for words right now,” the statement said. “We realize that we are sharing our grief with the world.”

    The statement did not disclose a cause of death. Wilson had suffered from dementia and was unable to care for himself after his wife Melinda Wilson died in early 2024, prompting his family to put him under conservatorship.

    Starting in 1961, the Beach Boys put out a string of sunny hits celebrating the touchstones of California youth culture – surfing, cars and romance. But what made the songs special was the ethereal harmonies that Wilson arranged and that would become the band’s lasting trademark.

    Wilson formed the band with younger brothers Carl and Dennis, cousin Mike Love and friend Al Jardine in their hometown, the Los Angeles suburb of Hawthorne. They went on to have 36 Top 40 hits, with Wilson writing and composing most of the early works.

    Songs such as “Little Deuce Coupe,” “Surfin’ U.S.A.,” “California Girls,” “Fun, Fun, Fun” and “Help Me, Rhonda” remain instantly recognizable and eminently danceable.

    But there were plenty of bad vibrations in Wilson’s life: an abusive father, a cornucopia of drugs, a series of mental breakdowns, long periods of seclusion and depression and voices in his head that, even when he was on stage, told him he was no good.

    “I’ve lived a very, very difficult, haunted life,” Wilson told the Washington Post in 2007.

    In May 2024, a judge ruled the 81-year-old Wilson should be put under a conservatorship after two longtime associates had petitioned the court at his family’s request, saying he could not care for himself following the death of his wife, Melinda.

    By 1966 touring had already become an ordeal for Wilson, who suffered what would be his first mental breakdown. He remained the Beach Boys‘ mastermind but retreated to the studio to work, usually without his bandmates, on “Pet Sounds,” a symphonic reflection on the loss of innocence.

    The landmark “Good Vibrations” was recorded during those sessions, though it did not make it on to the album. Though “Pet Sounds” included hits such as “Wouldn’t It Be Nice,” “Sloop John B” and “God Only Knows”, it was not an immediate commercial success in the United States. There also was resistance to the album within the band, especially from singer Love, who wanted to stick with the proven money-making sound.

    ‘IT’S LIKE FALLING IN LOVE’

    “Pet Sounds”, which was released in 1966, later would come to be recognized as Wilson’s magnum opus. Paul McCartney said it was an influence on the Beatles’ “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band.” “No one’s musical education is complete until they’ve heard ‘Pet Sounds’,” McCartney said.

    In 2012 Rolling Stone magazine ranked it second only to “Sgt. Pepper” on its list of the 500 greatest rock albums.

    “Hearing ‘Pet Sounds’ gave me the kind of feeling that raises the hairs on the back of your neck and you say, ‘What is that? It’s fantastic,’” George Martin, the Beatles’ legendary producer, said in the liner notes of a reissued version of the album. “It’s like falling in love.”

    Released as a single that same year, “Good Vibrations” drew similar plaudits. On hearing the song, which would become the Beach Boys‘ greatest hit, Art Garfunkel called his musical partner Paul Simon to say: “I think I just heard the greatest, most creative record of them all.”

    Stars of the music world paid tribute to Wilson on Wednesday.

    “Anyone with a musical bone in their body must be grateful for Brian Wilson’s genius magical touch!!,” Fleetwood Mac drummer Mick Fleetwood said on social media.

    Nancy Sinatra, who recorded a cover of “California Girls” with Wilson in 2002, wrote on Instagram that Wilson’s “cherished music will live forever.”

    Sean Ono Lennon, a musician and son of John Lennon, called Wilson “our American Mozart” and “a one of a kind genius from another world.”

    The Beach Boys soldmore than 100 million records.

    Wilson’s career would be derailed, though, as his use of LSD, cocaine and alcohol became untenable and his mental state, which would eventually be diagnosed as schizoaffective disorder with auditory hallucinations, grew shakier.

    He became a recluse, lying in bed for days, abandoning hygiene, growing obese and sometimes venturing out in a bathrobe and slippers. He had a sandbox installed in his dining room and put his piano there. He also heard voices and was afraid that the lyrics of one of his songs were responsible for a series of fires in Los Angeles.

    UNORTHODOX THERAPY

    Born in June 1942, Brian Wilson, whose life was the subject of the 2014 movie “Love & Mercy,” had two controlling men in his life. The first was his father, Murry Wilson, a part-time songwriter who recognized his son’s musical talent early. He became the Beach Boys‘ manager and producer in their early years but also was physically and verbally abusive toward them. The band fired him in 1964.

    About a decade later, as Wilson floundered, his then-wife, Marilyn, hired psychotherapist Eugene Landy to help him. Landy spent 14 months with Wilson, using unusual methods such as promising him a cheeseburger if he wrote a song, before being dismissed.

    Landy was rehired in 1983 after Wilson went through another period of disturbing behavior that included overdosing, living in a city park and running up substantial debt. Landy used a 24-hour-a-day technique, which involved prescribing psychotropic drugs and padlocking the refrigerator, and eventually held sway over all aspects of Wilson’s life, including serving as producer and co-writer of his music when he made a comeback with a 1988 solo album.

    Wilson’s family went to court to end his relationship with Landy in 1992. Wilson said Landy had saved his life but also would later call him manipulative. California medical regulators accused Landy, who died in 2006, of improper involvement with a patient’s affairs. He gave up his psychology license after admitting to unlawfully prescribing drugs.

    Wilson’s return to music was spotty. He appeared frail, tentative and shaky and none of the post-comeback work brought anything close to the acclaim of his earlier catalog.

    One of the best-received albums of his second act was the 2004 “Brian Wilson Presents Smile,” a revisiting of the work that had been intended as the follow-up to “Pet Sounds” but which was scrapped because of opposition from bandmates.

    Wilson’s brothers had both died by the time of the Beach Boys‘ 50th reunion tour in 2012 but he joined Love, who became the band’s controlling force, for several shows. At the end, Wilson said he felt as if he had been fired but Love denied it. Wilson last performed live in 2022.

    Wilson and his first wife, Marilyn, had two daughters, Carnie and Wendy, who had hits in the 1990s as part of the group Wilson Phillips. He and second wife Melinda, whom he met when she sold him a car, had five children.

    -Reuters

  • UN to vote on resolution demanding immediate Gaza ceasefire

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The United Nations General Assembly will vote on Thursday on a draft resolution that demands an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the war in Gaza after the United States vetoed a similar effort in the Security Council last week.

    The 193-member General Assembly is likely to adopt the text with overwhelming support, diplomats say, despite Israel lobbying countries this week against taking part in what it called a “politically-motivated, counter-productive charade.”

    General Assembly resolutions are not binding but carry weight as a reflection of the global view on the war. Previous demands by the body for an end to the war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas have been ignored. Unlike the U.N. Security Council, no country has a veto in the General Assembly.

    Thursday’s vote also comes ahead of a U.N. conference next week that aims to reinvigorate an international push for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians. The United States has urged countries not to attend.

    In a note seen by Reuters, the U.S. warned that “countries that take anti-Israel actions on the heels of the conference will be viewed as acting in opposition to U.S. foreign policy interests and could face diplomatic consequences.”

    The U.S. last week vetoed a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that also demanded an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” and unhindered aid access in Gaza, arguing it would undermine U.S.-led efforts to broker a ceasefire.

    The other 14 countries on the council voted in favor of the draft as a humanitarian crisis grips the enclave of more than 2 million people, where the U.N. warns famine looms and aid has only trickled in since Israel lifted an 11-week blockade last month.

    ‘FALSE AND DEFAMATORY’

    The draft resolution to be voted on by the General Assembly on Thursday demands the release of hostages held by Hamas, the return of Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

    It demands unhindered aid access and “strongly condemns the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and the unlawful denial of humanitarian access and depriving civilians … of objects indispensable to their survival, including willfully impeding relief supply and access.”

    “This is both false and defamatory,” Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon wrote in a letter to U.N. member states, sent on Tuesday and seen by Reuters.

    Danon described the General Assembly draft resolution as an “immensely flawed and harmful text,” urging countries not to take part in what he said was a “farce” that undermines hostage negotiations and fails to condemn Hamas.

    In October 2023 the General Assembly called for an immediate humanitarian truce in Gaza with 120 votes in favor. In December 2023, 153 countries voted to demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. Then in December last year the body demanded – with 158 votes in favor – an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire.

    The war in Gaza has raged since 2023 after Hamas militants killed 1,200 people in Israel in an October 7 attack and took some 250 hostages back to the enclave, according to Israeli tallies. Many of those killed or captured were civilians.

    Israel responded with a military campaign that has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. They say civilians have borne the brunt of the attacks and that thousands more bodies have been lost under rubble.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Soil conservation strengthens future for hill country farms

    Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council

    After the Kaikōura earthquakes in November 2016, we applied for Ministry for Primary Industries (MPI) funding to help set up the SCAR project.

    In 2019, $4.1 million was granted for the initial four years, following the immediate clean-up work from the Post Quake-Farming project, which was led by Beef and Lamb New Zealand and MPI.

    Now, with another $2 million of funding granted, the SCAR team continues to work with MPI to build meaningful relationships with farmers and ultimately improve the health of our environment.

    North Canterbury SCAR programme successes

    Building trust in North Canterbury

    Senior land management and biodiversity advisor, Sam Thompson, said that initially, there was a lot of distrust and a lack of confidence in us from the North Canterbury community.

    “Gates were being shut, and a strong movement around banning access.”

    But the SCAR programme had been a leading engagement tool to start conversations in the community with the support to follow.

    “The project has dramatically improved the community’s confidence in us to help find solutions rather than setting regulations and telling them what not to do,” Sam said.

    As well as building positive relationships, we’ve provided landowners with access to environmental experts like ecologists, biodiversity advisors and consent advisors.

    “Gates have been opened both ways,” Sam said.

    Landowners appreciate the simplicity of the process to apply for funding from SCAR.

    Strong endorsements

    Andrew Arps, North Canterbury water and land team leader:

    Andrew said the SCAR programme had been a game changer for building trust and achieving results despite wider challenges.

    “The combination of a clear approach, the right team, and consistent follow-through has opened farm gates and opened minds, leading to new opportunities and genuine partnerships with landowners.”

    Louise Askin, MPI senior adviser for the Hill Country Erosion Programme:

    Louise said they were pleased with how we had grown the SCAR project over the past six years.

    “The Council’s strong advisory support and financial assistance are helping North Canterbury farmers address the unique challenges in protecting their farms’ most vulnerable land.” 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • US begins uneasy FIFA World Cup countdown as Trump moves Marines to Los Angeles

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    U.S. cities hosting next year’s FIFA World Cup faced questions on Wednesday about how to reassure international fans concerned by President Donald Trump’s immigration crackdown and travel ban as the year-to-go countdown began.

    The United States, along with Canada and Mexico, is set to co-host the finals, which will feature 48 teams and a record 104 matches in a tournament that FIFA boss Gianni Infantino said would usher in a new generation of soccer fans.

    Celebrities and soccer stars were due to walk the red carpet at the Fox Studio Lot in Los Angeles – one of the host cities – for the year-to-go event there, a day after President Trump deployed Marines and the National Guard to quell protests.

    California Governor Gavin Newsom described the deployment as an “unmistakable step toward authoritarianism,” while Trump officials defended it and branded the protests as lawless, blaming local and state Democrats for permitting upheaval.

    Los Angeles is one of several host cities marking the year-to-go occasion.

    New York-New Jersey held a waterside party on Wednesday, where local officials and fans celebrated against the backdrop of Ellis Island.

    Asked about comments Vice President JD Vance made last month warning World Cup travellers not to overstay their welcome, New York-New Jersey host Committee CEO Alex Lasry said: “Our goal is to make sure everyone who comes to New York-New Jersey has an incredible time.”

    “Something that you have to kind of know, when you’re putting on mega sporting events … is the world is still going on. The world doesn’t stop for these sporting events,” said Lasry.

    “And you kind of have to go with the flow and make sure that you’re able to adapt.”

    Minky Worden, director of global initiatives at Human Rights Watch, said FIFA needed to work with the U.S. government to ensure the rights of competitors, support staff, fans and media were protected regardless of their identities or views.

    “FIFA should publicly acknowledge the threat US immigration and other anti-human rights policies pose to the tournament’s integrity … (and) should establish clear benchmarks and timelines for the US policy changes needed to ensure respect for immigrants’ rights during the 2026 World Cup and beyond,” she said.

    The Sport & Rights Alliance, a global coalition of non-governmental organisations that promotes human rights in sports, on Wednesday said that it had identified “areas where government policies in the 2026 host countries, particularly the United States under President Donald Trump, pose significant and immediate risks to the human rights of immigrants.”

    Special Assistant to the President and Principal Deputy Press Secretary Harrison Fields told Reuters: “President Trump is proud to have secured our great country as one of the hosts for the 2026 World Cup, and he is eager to welcome fans from across the globe to celebrate America and this great pastime.”

    “The Trump Administration will work diligently to facilitate the entry of law-abiding and applicable fans, ensure that all attendees are properly vetted and that these are the most secure and historic games,” said Fields.

    U.S. Democratic leaders, meanwhile,raised concerns over a national crisis on Tuesday as Trump moved U.S. Marines into Los Angeles to tackle civilian protests over his immigration policies.

    “There are certainly things that are happening at the national level, the international level, there are going to be geopolitical issues that we don’t even know right now that are going to affect the tournament,” Meg Kane, a host city executive for Philadelphia told reporters at a Paley Center event on Monday.

    “So we recognise that we’re planning within uncertainty.”

    FIFA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

    INFANTINO CONFIDENT

    FIFA President Gianni Infantino said last month after meeting Trump that he was confident the world would be welcomed in for the 2026 World Cup and this year’s Club World Cup, which runs from June 14 to July 13.

    But the task of reassuring international fans was complicated by a travel ban that went into effect on Monday, cracking down on what Trump called “foreign terrorists”.

    Of the 12 countries facing travel bans, Iran is the only one that has qualified for the 2026 tournament so far. Tehran said on Saturday that the ban showed “deep hostility” toward Iranians and Muslims.

    European fans, supporter groups and former players contacted by Reuters said it was too early for anyone to be thinking about revising schedules or reevaluating plans for attending the World Cup.

    Alina Hudak, the Miami host committee president and CEO, told Reuters she had been in touch with the local consular corps to address their concerns and to offer support.

    “My responsibility is to make sure that we’re ready, that we’re safe, that we’re coordinating logistically with all of our law enforcement agencies, that we’ve done everything we can to ensure that our mass transit system is ready and can handle the volume,” said Hudak.

    “And so for me, you know, what’s happening outside of that is something that we’re monitoring, but not something that, quite frankly, I have an impact (on).”

    REUTERS

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Stay safe on Kunanyi / Mt Wellington

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Stay safe on Kunanyi / Mt Wellington

    Thursday, 12 June 2025 – 2:47 pm.

    Be prepared and don’t take chances – that’s the simple message from Tasmania Police to people looking to experience Kunanyi/Mount Wellington, one of the state’s most popular nature attractions.
    Tasmania Police joined forces with the City of Hobart on Thursday for a message urging visitors and locals to respect Kunanyi / Mt Wellington’s potentially dangerous alpine weather conditions as winter sets in.
    “People need to be aware that it can take just a matter of minutes for the weather to turn treacherous on the mountain,” Tasmania Police Search and Rescue Senior Constable Cameron Rennie, pictured, said.
    “Certainly, we’ve seen it turn to blizzard-like conditions in a short space of time, with extremely strong wind, sleet and snow, and that can, and does, catch people out.
    “It can be quite a serious situation, if they are not properly prepared.
    “It’s not just bushwalkers. Even if you’ve driven a car up to the Springs or the Pinnacle for sight- seeing, make sure you are prepared for the possibility those conditions can change and that you have suitable clothing and can access shelter.
    “Be aware that the pathways and roads could become wet and slippery and potentially, the roads will be icy to drive on.” Tasmania Police emphasises the following points.
    Plan ahead: Research the difficulty level of your trip and inform others of your planned route and expected return time. Don’t set off alone. For safety, walk in pairs, or as part of a group.
    Carry essential equipment: Bring warm and waterproof clothing, hiking shoes, a fully charged mobile phone, and a Personal Locator Beacon (PLB). Take a back-up light source that is not your phone, such as a camping-style headlamp.
    Monitor conditions: Check weather forecasts and road / track access updates before heading up the mountain.
    Be mindful of visibility: Low cloud cover can reduce visibility to just a few metres, and snow or ice can make tracks and roads dangerously slippery.
    If in trouble, ask for help: Don’t leave it to the last minute to raise the alarm. If you have become lost, or injured, or the weather conditions are going to cause you difficulty, ask for advice. Call police on 131 444 or, call triple zero 000 if it is an emergency. Waiting to late in the day or when darkness falls adds to the complexity of a search and rescue.
    “These precautions are vital to ensuring a safe experience on the mountain,” Senior Constable Rennie said.
    Supporting police, City of Hobart Program Leader Bushland Greg Milne said people were drawn to the mountain’s special experiences, including snow events, but many do not realise the dangers that can come with it.
    “Kunanyi / Mount Wellington is a true alpine mountain range and can be deadly for the unprepared or in-experienced,” Mr Milne said.
    “Every snow event, our staff working on the mountain see so many unprepared visitors. Last September, at the request of Police Search and Rescue … (we) rescued 18 people from the pinnacle in blizzard-like conditions at night after a storm front surged through.”
    Tasmania Police Search and Rescue responded to 11 incidents on Kunanyi/Mt Wellington since July 1 last year.
    In five of those callouts, police identified that people were simply not sufficiently prepared.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The Jack’s Law expansion is a symbolic step – it’s not a solution to knife crime

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Janet Ransley, Professor, Griffith Criminology Institute, Griffith University

    khak/Shutterstock

    Laws just passed in Queensland give police unprecedented powers to scan people with a handheld wand and potentially search them in all public places, without needing a warrant or reasonable suspicion.

    Earlier versions of “Jack’s Law” were copied in other jurisdictions, such as New South Wales, Tasmania, the Northern Territory and Western Australia. Queensland’s expanded laws may flow on to them now, too.

    However, while the newly expanded Jack’s Law may detect more weapons, there’s no evidence it reduces violent crime. It may, in fact, do more harm than good, while putting human rights at risk.

    What is Jack’s Law?

    Jack’s Law is named after 17-year-old Jack Beasley who was stabbed to death outside a convenience store in Surfers Paradise in 2019.

    Passed in 2021, the law resulted in a time-limited trial allowing officers to “wand” people with metal detectors in some entertainment precincts.

    Since then, the trial was expanded twice to include public transport, stations, shopping centres and licensed entertainment venues.

    In a little more than two years, Queensland police conducted 116,287 scans and removed 1,126 weapons – a detection rate of about 0.9%.

    The majority of charges that followed were for minor drug offences, or breaches of knife-carrying bans.

    The trial was set to expire on October 30, 2026 after another mandatory review.

    Instead, the law has now been made permanent with the scope extended again to allow wanding in all public places.

    The changes also remove safeguards, such as the need for senior officer oversight, reporting requirements and a further review of the impact of wands on crime and on civil liberties.

    Our research into Jack’s Law

    Our review of the 12-month trial of Jack’s Law on the Gold Coast in 2021–22 is the only publicly available evidence about the impact of metal detector wanding on knife violence in Queensland.

    We found there was no reduction in violence as a result of the use of the hand-held scanners.

    There’s also potential for bias when officers using the wands are influenced by factors that aren’t related to evidence. This includes the unfair targeting of minorities. More people could also be caught up in the justice system for minor, non-violent breaches.

    What’s needed to reduce knife violence are evidence-based programs addressing underlying causes such as mental health, poverty, child maltreatment and domestic and family violence.

    Wanding has no impact on these underlying causes and diverts resources and police attention from where they’re really needed.

    Does the law reduce knife crime?

    While the intention behind Jack’s Law is to enhance public safety by deterring knife-related crimes, the evidence suggests this is unlikely to happen.

    Our study found that although the use of metal-detecting wands can lead to increased detection of weapons, there is no evidence this in turn reduces violent crimes involving knives.

    Confiscated knives are easily replaced and we found no evidence that scanning deterred people from carrying weapons.

    This is consistent with research from the UK showing “stop and search” laws had no effect on violent crime, and Victorian research showing no effect of similar stop and search laws on violent crimes.

    Concern over human rights

    The expansion of police powers under Jack’s Law raises human rights concerns.

    The ability to stop and search people without reasonable suspicion may lead to racial profiling and erode public trust in law enforcement.

    A 2022 independent inquiry into the Queensland Police Service highlighted issues of systemic racism and sexism within the force, underscoring the potential risks of granting broader discretionary powers without adequate oversight.

    Our review also found evidence of police wanding decisions being based on discriminatory stereotypes. This makes the removal of oversight and review mechanisms of particular concern.

    Additionally, searches for knives following wanding have led to a rise in minor drug charges. This funnels more young people into the criminal justice system, which increases their risk of re-offending and also places more pressure on an already overburdened criminal justice system.

    While the expansion of Jack’s Law is a visible response to public concerns about knife crime, it is essential to recognise such measures are not a silver bullet.

    Further erosion of the already tenuous trust in the police service among minority communities in Queensland, particularly Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities, could lead to reduced public trust and have long-term negative impacts on public safety.

    Why a holistic approach is needed

    Addressing the root causes of knife violence requires a comprehensive approach that includes investment in support services and community programs.

    We also need to recognise around 50% of serious violent crime occurs in the context of domestic and family violence, in private settings. Wanding does nothing to help those victims.

    Understanding why people carry knives and implementing targeted prevention strategies are crucial steps toward creating a safer society.

    While Jack’s Law serves as a symbolic gesture honouring the memory of Jack Beasley, its efficacy in reducing knife crime remains unlikely and will now not be reviewed.

    Policymakers must balance the desire for immediate action with evidence-based strategies that address underlying factors contributing to violence.

    Only through a holistic approach can we hope to achieve lasting change and truly honour the lives lost to such senseless acts.

    Janet Ransley receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Paul Ramsay Foundation. The Queensland Police Service funded the research referred to in this article.

    – ref. The Jack’s Law expansion is a symbolic step – it’s not a solution to knife crime – https://theconversation.com/the-jacks-law-expansion-is-a-symbolic-step-its-not-a-solution-to-knife-crime-258804

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: EU, Spain, UK and Gibraltar reach agreement on future Gibraltar deal

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    BRUSSELS, June 12 (Xinhua) — Senior officials from the European Union (EU), Spain and Britain, along with representatives from Gibraltar, reached agreement in Brussels on Wednesday on key aspects of a future EU-UK treaty on Gibraltar, aimed at removing border barriers and promoting regional prosperity.

    “The future agreement is without prejudice to the respective legal positions of Spain and the United Kingdom regarding sovereignty and jurisdiction,” the joint statement said.

    According to the statement, the aim of the future agreement is to ensure the prosperity of the region by removing all physical barriers, checks and controls on persons and goods moving between Spain and Gibraltar.

    This will be done while maintaining the Schengen area, the EU single market and the customs union.

    As for the movement of people, checks at the checkpoint between Gibraltar and La Linea in Spain will be abolished for those who cross the border daily for work. Double checks will be carried out at the port and airport of Gibraltar.

    With regard to goods, close cooperation between both customs authorities and the abolition of checks on goods will lead to the creation of a customs union between the EU and Gibraltar.

    The future agreement also covers areas such as state aid, taxation, labour relations, environment, trade and sustainable development, anti-money laundering, transport, environment, cohesion and employment. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: How visionary Beach Boys songwriter Brian Wilson changed music – and my life

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jadey O’Regan, Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Music, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney

    The Beach Boys in 1962 in Los Angeles, California. Brian Wilson is on the left. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

    Brian Wilson, leader, songwriter and producer of the Beach Boys, has passed away at age 82.

    He leaves behind a legacy of beautiful, joyous, bittersweet and enduring music, crafted over a career spanning six decades.

    While this news isn’t unexpected – Wilson was diagnosed with dementia last year and entered a conservatorship after the loss of his wife, Melinda – his passing marks the end of a long and extraordinary chapter in musical history.

    A life of music

    Formed in the early 1960s in Hawthorne California, the Beach Boys were built on a foundation of family and community: brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and school friend Al Jardine.

    Growing up, the Wilson household was a turbulent place; their father, Murry Wilson, was strict and at times violent. Music was the one way in which the family could connect.

    During these early years Brian discovered the sounds that would shape his musical identity: Gershwin, doo wop groups, early rock and roll, and, a particular favourite, the vocal group the Four Freshmen, whose tight-harmony singing style Wilson studied meticulously.

    The Beach Boys in rehearsal in 1964; Brian Wilson sits at the piano .
    Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

    It was an unexpected combination of influences for a pop band. Even from the Beach Boys’ earliest recordings – the surf, the cars, the girls – the stirrings of the complexity and musical adventurousness Wilson is known for is audible. Listen to the unexpected structure of The Lonely Sea (1962), the complex chords of The Warmth of the Sun (1963), or the subtle modulation in Don’t Worry Baby (1964).

    These early innovations hinted at a growing creativity that would continue to evolve over the rest of the 1960s, and beyond.

    A story of resilience

    In later years, Brian Wilson often appeared publicly as a fragile figure. But what stands out most in his story is resilience.

    His ability to produce such an expansive and diverse catalogue of work while navigating difficult family relationships, intense record label pressures, misdiagnosed and mistreated mental health conditions, addiction and much more, is extraordinary. Wilson not only survived, but continued to create music.

    Brian Wilson on the piano and Al Jardine on guitar perform in Los Angeles in 2019.
    Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

    He eventually did something few Beach Boys’ fans would have imagined – he returned to the stage.

    Wilson’s unexpected return to public performance during the Pet Sounds and SMiLE tours in the early 2000s began a revival interest in the Beach Boys, and a critical reconsideration of their musical legacy. This continues with a consistent release of books, documentaries, movies and podcasts about Wilson and the legacy of the Beach Boys’ music.

    The focus of a thesis

    I grew up near Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast in Queensland. Their early songs about an endless summer had a particular resonance to my hometown, even if, like Brian Wilson, I only admired the beach from afar.

    I chose to study the Beach Boys’ music for my PhD thesis and spent the next few years charting the course of their musical development from their early days in the garage to creating Pet Sounds just five years later.

    The Beach Boys perform onstage around 1963. Brian Wilson is on the left.
    Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

    I was fascinated by how a band could create such a groundbreaking volume of work and progress so quickly from the delightful, yet wobbly Surfin’ to the complex arrangements of God Only Knows.

    To understand their music, I spent years listening to Beach Boys’ tracking sessions, take after take, to hear how their songs were so cleverly and delicately put together.

    What struck me just as powerfully as the music itself was the sound of Brian Wilson’s voice in those recordings. Listening to Wilson leading hours of tracking sessions was to hear an artist at the top of their game – decisive, confident, funny, collaborative and deeply driven to make music that would express the magic he heard in his mind, and connect with an audience.

    One of the more unexpected discoveries in my analysis of the Beach Boys’ music came from their lyrics. Using a word frequency tool to examine all 117 songs in my study, I found that the most common word was “now”.

    The Beach Boys pose for a portrait around1964. Brian Wilson stands at the back.
    Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

    In many cases, it appears in a conversational sense – “Well, she got her Daddy’s car, and she cruised through the hamburger stand now” – but on a broader level, it perfectly encapsulates what Brian Wilson’s music offered so many listeners.

    He created an endless present: a world where the sun could always be shining, where you could feel young forever, and you could visit that world any time you needed to.

    Jadey O’Regan with Brian Wilson, Enmore Theatre, Sydney 2010.
    Jadey O’Regan

    In 2010, I had the remarkable experience of meeting Brian Wilson in his dressing room before his performance at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney. He was funny and kind. He sat at a small keyboard, taught me a harmony and for a moment, we sang Love and Mercy together.

    It was one of the most magical moments of my life. It is also one of Wilson’s most enduring sentiments: “love and mercy, that’s what we need tonight”.

    Farewell and thank you, Brian. Surf’s up.

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

    – ref. How visionary Beach Boys songwriter Brian Wilson changed music – and my life – https://theconversation.com/how-visionary-beach-boys-songwriter-brian-wilson-changed-music-and-my-life-258794

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How visionary Beach Boys songwriter Brian Wilson changed music – and my life

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Jadey O’Regan, Senior Lecturer in Contemporary Music, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney

    The Beach Boys in 1962 in Los Angeles, California. Brian Wilson is on the left. Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

    Brian Wilson, leader, songwriter and producer of the Beach Boys, has passed away at age 82.

    He leaves behind a legacy of beautiful, joyous, bittersweet and enduring music, crafted over a career spanning six decades.

    While this news isn’t unexpected – Wilson was diagnosed with dementia last year and entered a conservatorship after the loss of his wife, Melinda – his passing marks the end of a long and extraordinary chapter in musical history.

    A life of music

    Formed in the early 1960s in Hawthorne California, the Beach Boys were built on a foundation of family and community: brothers Brian, Dennis and Carl Wilson, their cousin Mike Love, and school friend Al Jardine.

    Growing up, the Wilson household was a turbulent place; their father, Murry Wilson, was strict and at times violent. Music was the one way in which the family could connect.

    During these early years Brian discovered the sounds that would shape his musical identity: Gershwin, doo wop groups, early rock and roll, and, a particular favourite, the vocal group the Four Freshmen, whose tight-harmony singing style Wilson studied meticulously.

    The Beach Boys in rehearsal in 1964; Brian Wilson sits at the piano .
    Photo by Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

    It was an unexpected combination of influences for a pop band. Even from the Beach Boys’ earliest recordings – the surf, the cars, the girls – the stirrings of the complexity and musical adventurousness Wilson is known for is audible. Listen to the unexpected structure of The Lonely Sea (1962), the complex chords of The Warmth of the Sun (1963), or the subtle modulation in Don’t Worry Baby (1964).

    These early innovations hinted at a growing creativity that would continue to evolve over the rest of the 1960s, and beyond.

    A story of resilience

    In later years, Brian Wilson often appeared publicly as a fragile figure. But what stands out most in his story is resilience.

    His ability to produce such an expansive and diverse catalogue of work while navigating difficult family relationships, intense record label pressures, misdiagnosed and mistreated mental health conditions, addiction and much more, is extraordinary. Wilson not only survived, but continued to create music.

    Brian Wilson on the piano and Al Jardine on guitar perform in Los Angeles in 2019.
    Scott Dudelson/Getty Images

    He eventually did something few Beach Boys’ fans would have imagined – he returned to the stage.

    Wilson’s unexpected return to public performance during the Pet Sounds and SMiLE tours in the early 2000s began a revival interest in the Beach Boys, and a critical reconsideration of their musical legacy. This continues with a consistent release of books, documentaries, movies and podcasts about Wilson and the legacy of the Beach Boys’ music.

    The focus of a thesis

    I grew up near Surfers Paradise on the Gold Coast in Queensland. Their early songs about an endless summer had a particular resonance to my hometown, even if, like Brian Wilson, I only admired the beach from afar.

    I chose to study the Beach Boys’ music for my PhD thesis and spent the next few years charting the course of their musical development from their early days in the garage to creating Pet Sounds just five years later.

    The Beach Boys perform onstage around 1963. Brian Wilson is on the left.
    Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

    I was fascinated by how a band could create such a groundbreaking volume of work and progress so quickly from the delightful, yet wobbly Surfin’ to the complex arrangements of God Only Knows.

    To understand their music, I spent years listening to Beach Boys’ tracking sessions, take after take, to hear how their songs were so cleverly and delicately put together.

    What struck me just as powerfully as the music itself was the sound of Brian Wilson’s voice in those recordings. Listening to Wilson leading hours of tracking sessions was to hear an artist at the top of their game – decisive, confident, funny, collaborative and deeply driven to make music that would express the magic he heard in his mind, and connect with an audience.

    One of the more unexpected discoveries in my analysis of the Beach Boys’ music came from their lyrics. Using a word frequency tool to examine all 117 songs in my study, I found that the most common word was “now”.

    The Beach Boys pose for a portrait around1964. Brian Wilson stands at the back.
    Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images

    In many cases, it appears in a conversational sense – “Well, she got her Daddy’s car, and she cruised through the hamburger stand now” – but on a broader level, it perfectly encapsulates what Brian Wilson’s music offered so many listeners.

    He created an endless present: a world where the sun could always be shining, where you could feel young forever, and you could visit that world any time you needed to.

    Jadey O’Regan with Brian Wilson, Enmore Theatre, Sydney 2010.
    Jadey O’Regan

    In 2010, I had the remarkable experience of meeting Brian Wilson in his dressing room before his performance at the Enmore Theatre in Sydney. He was funny and kind. He sat at a small keyboard, taught me a harmony and for a moment, we sang Love and Mercy together.

    It was one of the most magical moments of my life. It is also one of Wilson’s most enduring sentiments: “love and mercy, that’s what we need tonight”.

    Farewell and thank you, Brian. Surf’s up.

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

    – ref. How visionary Beach Boys songwriter Brian Wilson changed music – and my life – https://theconversation.com/how-visionary-beach-boys-songwriter-brian-wilson-changed-music-and-my-life-258794

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • Respite in heatwave conditions likely over northwest India from June 14

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    After days of intense heat, a gradual respite in heatwave conditions is likely over northwest India beginning June 14, according to the forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

    Severe heatwave conditions were reported at a few places in west Rajasthan, with isolated areas experiencing extreme temperatures. According to the weather department, the highest maximum temperature reported over the plains of the country was Sri Ganganagar (Rajasthan) at 48.0 degrees Celsius.

    Heat wave conditions also prevailed in parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and isolated pockets of east Rajasthan, south Uttar Pradesh, and northwest Madhya Pradesh.

    In its forecast for the maximum temperature, the IMD said that there was no significant change likely over Northwest and Central India during the next three days and predicted a gradual fall in mercury by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius thereafter.

    “No significant change in maximum temperatures likely over East India during the next 24 hours and a gradual fall by 2-3°C thereafter for subsequent three days and no significant change thereafter. No significant change in maximum temperatures likely over rest parts of the country,” IMD shared on X.

    On Tuesday, IMD official Radheshyam Sharma said that Western Rajasthan, particularly Ganganagar, Hanumangarh, and Bikaner, was experiencing a severe heat wave with temperatures above 47 degrees Celsius. The heat wave is expected to continue for three to four days.

    “Strong south-west winds, carrying dust, will prevail in the region for two to three days. Eastern Rajasthan may experience thunderstorm activities from June 15-16, bringing possible relief from the heat. A drop in temperature is expected in eastern Rajasthan around June 18-20 due to thunderstorm activities”, Sharma added.

    According to the weather department, the temperatures recorded on Wednesday across different districts of Rajasthan were 48.0 degrees Celsius in Sri Ganganagar, 45.1 degrees Celsius in Bikaner, 44.2 degrees Celsius in Barmer, 45.8 degrees Celsius in Churu, 45.8 degrees Celsius in Phalodi, 44.4 degrees Celsius in Jaipur, and 45.1 degrees Celsius in Kota.

    On June 10, Sri Ganganagar and Hanumangarh issued orange alerts. Bikaner, Churu, Jhunjhunu, Alwar, Bharatpur, Karauli, and Dholpur issued yellow warnings.

    (ANI)

  • Trump met with cheers, boos at Kennedy Center as he attends ‘Les Miserables’

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    U.S. President Donald Trump was greeted with a high-volume mix of boos and cheers on Wednesday as he took his seat for his first production at the Kennedy Center, the performing arts facility he has subjected to a conservative takeover.

    The mixed reception for Trump and his wife Melania as they arrived in the presidential box before a performance of “Les Miserables” reflected the heightened emotions that have been unleashed by his overhaul of the cultural center.

    Trump has pushed out its former chairman,fired its longtime president and pledged to overhaul an institution that he criticized as too liberal. The center, a leading U.S. arts facility, had long enjoyed bipartisan support.

    Ticket sales have fallen since and some shows, including the hit “Hamilton,” have canceled their appearances at the 2,300-capacity theater.

    At Wednesday’s performance, several drag queens in full regalia sat in the audience, likely in response to Trump’s criticism of the venue for hosting drag shows.

    One person shouted “Viva Los Angeles” as Trump stepped out of the presidential box at the intermission. Trump has sent military troops to quell protests against his immigration raids in that city.

    Trump’s appearance was meant to boost fundraising for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and he said donors raised over $10 million.

    “We’re going to make it incredible. We have all the funding. We raised a lot tonight, and we’ll put in a lot of money to bring it back to the highest level,” a tuxedo-clad Trump told reporters after other administration officials arrived on the red carpet.

    SUBSCRIPTIONS DOWN

    Still, overall year-on-year subscription revenue was down 36% to $2.8 million as of early June for next season, which begins in the autumn, according to a person briefed on the data. Theater subscriptions, normally a major revenue driver for the center, were down 82%.

    A Kennedy Center official said the comparisons reflected in those subscription sales were not accurate because the center had launched its subscription renewal campaign later in 2025 than 2024.

    “Our renewal campaign is just kicking off,” Kim Cooper, senior vice president of marketing, said in a statement. Cooper also noted the center had launched a new subscription option that allowed customers to “mix and match” genres and said more announcements of shows were coming.

    The Kennedy Center depends on revenue from tickets and subscriptions as well as donations to operate. Ticket sales for “Les Miserables” have been robust, according to another Kennedy Center official.

    Donors who pay $100,000 to $2 million got to attend a reception before the show, receive a photo with the president and be seated in good locations in the theater.

    “We’ve raised a little more than $10 million for tonight, which is pretty remarkable, and it’s an organization that needs the money right now,” said Ric Grenell, a close Trump ally and former ambassador to Germany who now heads the Kennedy Center.

    Under his leadership, the center has sought to add more conservative-leaning programming, including a show that Grenell has described as a celebration of the birth of Christ.

    Trump said he particularly enjoyed “Les Miserables,” a musical about citizens rising up against their government. “I’ve seen it many times, it’s one of my favorites,” he said.

    Along with the first lady, Vice President JD Vance, Attorney General Pam Bondi and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. also attended.

    Vance was likewise met with boos when he attended a Kennedy Center show with his wife earlier this year.

    Trump has zeroed in on drag shows to argue that the Kennedy Center had lost its way before he took office. But multiple upcoming musicals on the Kennedy Center’s agenda include characters dressed in drag, such as “Mrs. Doubtfire” and “Chicago.”

    Other musicals have pulled out, according to a former Kennedy Center official.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Reserve Bank – Statement from RBNZ Chair Neil Quigley about OIAs on Adrian Orr’s resignation as Governor

    Source: Reserve Bank of New Zealand

    12 June 2025 – “RBNZ was late in producing a response to some of the OIAs we received on Adrian Orr’s resignation. I regret that this delay occurred,” Reserve Bank of New Zealand – Te Pūtea Matua Chair Neil Quigley says.

    “The circumstances and the volume of information associated with the OIAs on Adrian Orr’s resignation were complex, and we needed to be sure that our consideration of relevant information was comprehensive.

    “As well as our obligations under the Official Information Act, we needed to take into careful consideration the former Governor’s exit agreement and privacy law. For this reason, we extended consultation on the information and our response, including review by senior external counsel,” he said.

    “On 5 March I was limited in what I could say about the former Governor’s resignation both by the terms of his exit agreement and the fact that we were still working through finalisation of the detail of the next Five-Year Funding Agreement (FYFA).

    “We were conscious of the need to explain to staff of the RBNZ the potential implications for staffing levels of a lower level of funding and needed time to consider the details of that.

    “We are taking into account the feedback that we have received on our management of these OIA requests and looking carefully at how we can improve our response times in the future,” Mr Quigley said.

    More information: 
    OIA requests for information about the resignation of Adrian Orr – Reserve Bank of New Zealand – Te Pūtea Matua

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Agriculture – New legal requirement to record raw milk movement

    Source: OSPRI New Zealand

    An ongoing risk in the fight to eradicate the cattle disease Mycoplasma bovis has led to some new requirements for raw milk destined to be used as cattle feed.
    Disease eradication agency OSPRI is alerting farmers to new legal requirements which apply from 1 July 2025 to keep records of the movement of raw milk on and off farm.
    OSPRI’s national manager, Mycoplasma bovis, Mackenzie Nicol, says it’s known that M. bovis can spread between properties when raw milk is used for cattle feed, so, from 1 July, the new National Pest Management Plan for M.bovis requires anyone receiving raw milk on to a farm with the intention of feeding it to cattle, to accurately record it.
    “Farmers and industry have worked so hard to eradicate M.bovis, what we are doing with this requirement is all about closing one of the last loops, where we know there is risk of disease spread. It makes good sense to be vigilant.
    “We know this change will affect businesses transporting raw milk to be used for cattle feed, the farmers receiving it, and will rely on dairy processing operators offering up information about the milk they supply.
    “Luckily most of this information is already recorded – so the requirement should fit with good farm biosecurity practices,” Mackenzie says.
    To help with the record-keeping, OSPRI has created a template form which can be downloaded from its website.
    “When you use our form, you’ll be noting down all the information we need to collect, like the date and time of delivery, where the raw milk came from, how it got to your farm and how much was delivered.
    “It would also be worthwhile to make notes on sales invoices or receipts for raw milk purchases, the farm diary, or a driver’s logbook.
    “We need to do the best we can to keep track of all the risks we know of when it comes to extremely tough diseases to fight, like M.bovis,” Mackenzie says.
    Recording these movements could also play an important role in containing and limiting the spread of other infectious diseases such as foot-and-mouth disease or bovine viral diarrhoea.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Agriculture – Feds back launch of new fertiliser spreading standard

    Source: Federated Farmers

    Federated Farmers says the launch of a new fertiliser spreading standard is a key step in efforts to improve nutrient management across New Zealand farms.
    “Fertiliser is a significantly large spend for farmers,” Federated farmers board member Colin Hurst says.
    “Having confidence that it’s being applied accurately and responsibly is essential – for productivity, profitability and for meeting environmental expectations.
    “The launch of a modernised Spreadmark Assurance Programme at Fieldays is a milestone moment and we fully support it.”
    Spreadmark, founded by Groundspread NZ and now managed by the Fertiliser Quality Council, is the national fertiliser spreading assurance programme.
    The new Spreadmark Code introduces updated standards that will help farmers and contractors lift the bar even further when it comes to nutrient precision and environmental care.
    Hurst says Federated Farmers was proud to host the official launch at its Rural Advocacy Hub at Fieldays.
    “We’ve had a long-standing connection with the Fertiliser Quality Council, which was formed by Federated Farmers in 1992.
    “It’s a partnership rooted in practical, farmer-driven solutions – so it’s fitting that we helped launch this next chapter at the heart of New Zealand’s farming community.
    “It was also great to have National Party MP Barbara Kuriger there to launch the Code.”
    Hurst says assurance programmes like Spreadmark will play an important role as new regulatory requirements come into effect.
    “As farm planning and environmental standards become more embedded across the sector, programmes like Spreadmark will be essential.
    “They’re not just tools for compliance-they’re tools for good farming.”
    “We see this modernised Spreadmark Programme as a strong example of how the sector can lead from the front – delivering better outcomes for farmers, the environment, and the communities they support.
    “We’re proud to be part of its continued evolution and success.” 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Former CEO of Guam Helicopter Company Sentenced to 405 Months in Federal Prison for Criminal Aviation Violations

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Hagåtña, Guam – SHAWN N. ANDERSON, United States Attorney for the Districts of Guam and the Northern Mariana Islands, announced that John D. Walker, age 60, was sentenced by Chief Judge Frances Tydingco-Gatewood in the District Court of Guam to 405 months imprisonment.  On September 9, 2022, a jury returned guilty verdicts against Walker and his company, Hansen Helicopters, Inc., on 110 counts involving conspiracy to defraud the Federal Aviation Administration (“FAA”) and National Transportation Safety Board (“NTSB”), aircraft parts fraud that caused serious bodily injury and death, employing a mechanic without a mechanic’s certificate, registration violations involving helicopters, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering.  Walker was also ordered to pay a $250,000 fine, and a $9,900 special assessment fee.  Walker forfeited $58,407,513, which represented the proceeds of aircraft parts fraud and wire fraud, in addition to $11,770,000, which represented the amount of money involved in the money laundering offenses.

    Hansen Helicopters, Inc., was found guilty of conspiracy to defraud the FAA and NTSB, in addition to aircraft parts fraud that caused serious bodily injury and death.  Hansen received a five-year term of probation, a $4,900,000 fine, and a $2,000 special assessment fee.

    Walker subverted aviation laws and regulations, enforced by the FAA and NTSB, which protect public health and safety.  Walker used at least 48 shell companies, most incorporated internationally, to operate an illicit helicopter/pilot/mechanic leasing business in Guam. By concealing that his aircraft were unregistered or illegally registered, unairworthy, and maintained and operated by uncertificated airmen, Walker entered fraudulent lease agreements with numerous tuna boat companies.  He earned over $400 million dollars through his scheme. He concealed his crimes by forging documents, counterfeiting aircraft parts, and bribing aviation officials.

    “The defendants built helicopters from an assortment of discarded frames and counterfeit parts,” stated United States Attorney Anderson. “They blatantly disregarded aviation laws to build and operate aircraft that should never have left the ground.  Fishing companies throughout the Pacific region relied on these aircraft for spotting tuna.  Unfortunately, the defendants’ quest for money resulted in the deaths of many pilots.  This was a difficult case to investigate and prosecute, but well worth federal resources. I commend our law enforcement partners on bringing these defendants to justice.”

    “Unchecked greed and flagrant disregard for aviation safety create a recipe for disaster with catastrophic results,” said Special Agent in Charge Cory LeGars of the Department of Transportation Office of Inspector General, Western Region. “This sentencing epitomizes the criminal justice system’s commitment to holding individuals and companies accountable for egregious illicit conduct. I commend the relentless efforts of our special agents and the outstanding collaboration between our law enforcement, prosecutorial, and regulatory partners, whose collective efforts brought this complex and hazardous fraud scheme to justice.”

    “How many times have we heard, ’It’s just money…’ when it comes to financial crime?” asked Special Agent in Charge Adam Jobes, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Seattle Field Office. “This case shows that all too often, innocent people suffer catastrophic harm because of someone else’s greed. Financial crime is not victimless, and IRS-CI will continue to protect our communities from people like Mr. Walker who put their greed above all else.”

    “Over several years, Mr. Walker engaged in a multi-layered scheme to bribe public officials and defraud the government, significantly jeopardizing public safety in the process,” said FBI Honolulu Special Agent in Charge David Porter. “The FBI remains steadfast and persistent in our efforts to investigate these schemes and bring bad actors to justice.”

    This investigation was conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation, Federal Aviation Administration, Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation, Federal Bureau of Investigation, and in partnership with the Customs and Quarantine Agency of Guam.

    Assistant United States Attorney Stephen F. Leon Guerrero, Special Assistant United States Attorney Marie L. Miller, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha R. Miller prosecuted this case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘He stopped me from talking to male colleagues’: new research shows how domestic violence so often starts with isolation and control

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth McLindon, Research Fellow, The University of Melbourne

    PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

    When it comes to domestic violence, cases involving catastrophic physical violence are the ones that most often make it into the media.

    But our new research shows there are often signs of trouble long before such tragic outcomes – before couples move in together or get married.

    We asked a large group of women about how domestic violence (also known as intimate partner violence) they’d experienced had started and escalated.

    A general pattern emerged. First came psychological abuse, then physical abuse, then sexual abuse.

    So if women, health workers and others can recognise the signs of psychological abuse early on, there’s a chance to intervene before abusive behaviour progresses.

    How does this relate to coercive control?

    The types of psychological abuse women told us about indicate they’d experienced coercive control.

    Coercive control is defined as a pattern of restrictive, manipulative and dominating behaviours used to undermine a partner’s autonomy and freedom. While it can occur in any type of relationship, it is most commonly perpetrated by men against women partners and is underpinned by inequitable gender roles and misogynistic attitudes.

    Another way of describing coercive control is a pattern of behaviours that aim to prevent a partner from being in charge of their life. For instance, this could mean controlling who a partner can see, what they can wear, or where they can go. Or it could mean questioning a partner’s sanity when they raise concerns about abusive behaviour.

    There’s been growing awareness of the impact of coercive control and domestic violence more broadly on women’s health and wellbeing. There’s also growing awareness that coercive control can escalate to catastrophic abuse against women and children, including homicide.

    So, Australian states and territories have scrambled to tackle the issue legally. Queensland recently joined New South Wales in making coercive control a standalone criminal offence.

    What we did and what we found

    We wanted to know more about the progression of domestic violence and if there were key stages to intervene to help prevent the worst harms.

    So we surveyed a nationally representative sample of 815 Australian women who had experienced domestic violence in the past five years and asked them to create a timeline of their relationship.

    Women started with the earliest warning signs that something was wrong and then added what happened around important life events, such as moving in together, having children, seeking help or leaving. Women could describe their experiences in their own words.

    When we analysed all the timelines together, we created a summary of the general sequence of abuse over time.

    First, there were attacks to a survivor’s mind, then her physical body, then her sexual self.

    How behaviours escalated, from the earliest sign something was wrong.
    Author provided

    Psychological abuse an early sign

    Psychological abuse was present in almost all relationships early in the timeline. It usually emerged before moving in together or getting married.

    The earliest indicator of abuse was being isolated from others, as one woman said:

    He stopped me from talking to male colleagues.

    Controlling a woman’s day-to-day activities happened next. One survivor told us how her money and car were used against her:

    He kept my belongings from me […] to prevent me from leaving.

    Then, as one woman said, there was other emotional abuse:

    If I said anything he didn’t like, a brick wall would be erected […] I wouldn’t be spoken to for two to three days.

    Another said:

    He called me crazy when he had done something wrong.

    On average, women told us physically abusive behaviours first appeared after a major life commitment, such as marriage or moving in together.

    In general, sexual abuse by a partner first emerged after the psychological and physical abuse started.

    For survivors who had a child during the relationship and whose partner was sexually abusive, the worst of that sexual violence generally came sometime after giving birth.

    For many survivors, a growing concern about the impact of abuse on their children occurred around the same time as leaving their relationship and trying to get help.

    What next?

    This research sets out clear opportunities for prevention and early intervention.

    We need to train health professionals to look for signs and ask about psychological abuse when their patients are contemplating life transitions. This includes raising awareness and targeted resources for staff working in pregnancy care.

    Future research should see if these patterns of abuse apply in different diverse groups of survivors.

    We also need better community education, particularly for young women, about the features of psychological abuse that occur early in relationships, before physical and sexual abuse.

    As one participant told us:

    More domestic violence campaigns should focus on emotional abuse. We focus so much on the physical, but I can feel immediately when I am hit. It takes longer to feel gaslighting, manipulation and other emotionally heavy abuse. It lingers with you. It alters the way you think and traps you far worse than the physical does.

    The National Sexual Assault, Family and Domestic Violence Counselling Service – 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732) – is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week for any Australian who has experienced, or is at risk of, family and domestic violence and/or sexual assault.

    Elizabeth McLindon received funding from Oak Foundation for this research. She is affiliated with The Royal Women’s Hospital, Victoria, where she is the Deputy Director of the Centre for Family Violence Prevention.

    Kelsey Hegarty receives funding from Oak Foundation, Medical Research Futures Fund, and National Health and Medical Research Council.

    – ref. ‘He stopped me from talking to male colleagues’: new research shows how domestic violence so often starts with isolation and control – https://theconversation.com/he-stopped-me-from-talking-to-male-colleagues-new-research-shows-how-domestic-violence-so-often-starts-with-isolation-and-control-257457

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese, African foreign ministers pledge stronger ties

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

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with South African Minister of International Relations and Cooperation Ronald Lamola in Changsha, central China’s Hunan Province, June 11, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    CHANGSHA, June 11 — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday met respectively with some African counterparts who came to China for the Ministerial Meeting of Coordinators on the Implementation of the Follow-up Actions of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation (FOCAC) in Changsha, capital of central China’s Hunan Province.

    These African foreign ministers include the Republic of the Congo’s Jean-Claude Gakosso, South Africa’s Ronald Lamola, Djibouti’s Abdoulkader Houssein Omar, Ghana’s Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa, the Democratic Republic of the Congo’s Therese Kayikwamba Wagner, Niger’s Bakary Yaou Sangare, Guinea-Bissau’s Carlos Pinto Pereira, Nigeria’s Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, Burkina Faso’s Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore, and Ethiopia’s Gedion Timothewos.

    When meeting with Gakosso, Wang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said China is willing to work with the Republic of the Congo to safeguard each other’s core interests and consolidate political mutual trust, promote the upgrading of economic and trade cooperation, and strengthen exchanges on state governance.

    Gakosso said the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) brings hope for Africa to break free from the vicious cycle of poverty and backwardness and achieve independent development, and the Republic of the Congo will continue to actively participate in the BRI and firmly abide by the one-China principle.

    When meeting with Lamola, Wang said China is willing to work with South Africa to consolidate political mutual trust, welcomes South Africa’s greater role on international and regional stages, supports South Africa’s fulfillment of duties under its Group of 20 presidency, and is ready to join hands with South Africa to safeguard common interests of the developing countries.

    Lamola said the FOCAC has yielded fruitful achievements and contributed to the development of African countries over the 25 years since its establishment. South Africa looks forward to strengthening cooperation with China in various fields, including economy and trade, energy, human resources training, and HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment.

    When meeting with Omar, Wang said China stands ready to work with Djibouti to fully implement the outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit and the important common understandings reached by the two heads of state, noting that China will continue to support Africa in strengthening solidarity and pursuing self-reliance, and in resolving African issues in the African way.

    Omar said Djibouti highly values its strategic partnership with China, firmly supports multilateralism and opposes unilateralism, and will enhance coordination with China to jointly address challenges.

    When meeting with Ablakwa, Wang said China and Ghana established a strategic partnership last year, opening a new chapter in bilateral relations. China stands ready to work with Ghana to deepen practical cooperation across various fields, advance the cause of China-Africa friendship, and uphold multilateralism in opposition to unilateralism.

    Ablakwa said as China has become Ghana’s largest trading partner, Ghana looks forward to deepening cooperation with China in various fields, and will continue to adhere to the one-China principle and consolidate the strong partnership between the two countries.

    When meeting with Wagner, Wang called on both sides to implement the consensus reached by the two heads of state, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, saying that China is willing to help the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) in transforming its resource advantages into development advantages, and China’s super-large market will always be open to the DRC.

    Wagner said that the DRC firmly adheres to the one-China principle and is willing to deepen mutually beneficial and win-win cooperation with China, adding that the DRC actively supports the BRI and other global initiatives proposed by China.

    When meeting with Sangare, Wang said that China-Niger relations are part of South-South cooperation, and China is willing to carry forward the traditional friendship between the two countries and enhance mutual trust. Wang expressed the hope that Niger will safeguard the security and legitimate rights and interests of Chinese enterprises and citizens in Niger.

    Sangare said Niger firmly adheres to the one-China policy, regards cooperation with China as a priority, attaches great importance to security issues, and is willing to enhance mutual trust and maintain dialogue in the spirit of mutual respect.

    When meeting with Pereira, Wang said that Guinea-Bissau took reciprocal measures in the face of the U.S. tariff hikes, and the Global South should stand together, resist unilateralism and protectionism to safeguard international fairness and justice.

    Pereira thanked China for its long-term assistance to Guinea-Bissau, and Guinea-Bissau will continue to work with China to expand practical cooperation and achieve win-win results in the spirit of mutual support.

    When meeting with Tuggar, Wang said under the strategic guidance of the two heads of state, the relationship between China and Nigeria is increasingly of global importance, adding that China is willing to share development opportunities with Nigeria.

    Tuggar hailed the productive Nigeria-China relationship, expressing willingness to further deepen cooperation with China across various fields to advance their comprehensive strategic partnership.

    When meeting with Traore, Wang said facts have proven that the resumption of diplomatic ties between China and Burkina Faso fully serves the fundamental and long-term interests of Burkina Faso and its people. China is willing to strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation with Burkina Faso and encourages Chinese enterprises to invest and establish businesses there, Wang said, expressing the belief that Burkina Faso will ensure the safety of Chinese companies and personnel.

    Traore said Burkina Faso and China have elevated their relationship to a strategic partnership last year. Burkina Faso highly commends China for demonstrating leadership in supporting Africa’s development, thanks China for its support since the resumption of diplomatic ties, and is willing to deepen sincere and friendly cooperation with China, Traore said.

    When meeting with Timothewos, Wang said China and Ethiopia have worked together to achieve early results in implementing the outcomes of the FOCAC Beijing Summit, bringing more tangible benefits to the Ethiopian people. China is willing to strengthen strategic communication with Ethiopia, promote common development through mutually beneficial cooperation, and safeguard shared interests through solidarity and collaboration, he added.

    Timothewos said Ethiopia and China have achieved fruitful results in practical cooperation, setting a model for the Global South. He expressed gratitude for China’s firm support of Ethiopia’s core interests and valuable assistance to Africa’s development, and reiterated Ethiopia’s adherence to the one-China principle.

    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Minister of Foreign Affairs of Djibouti Abdoulkader Houssein Omar in Changsha, central China’s Hunan Province, June 11, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Foreign Minister of Ghana Samuel Okudzeto Ablakwa in Changsha, central China’s Hunan Province, June 11, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Congo Jean-Claude Gakosso in Changsha, central China’s Hunan Province, June 11, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Bissau-Guinean Minister of Foreign Affairs, International Cooperation and Communities Carlos Pinto Pereira in Changsha, central China’s Hunan Province, June 11, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Niger’s Foreign Minister Bakary Yaou Sangare in Changsha, central China’s Hunan Province, June 11, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Nigeria’s Foreign Minister Yusuf Maitama Tuggar in Changsha, central China’s Hunan Province, June 11, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Ethiopian Foreign Minister Gedion Timothewos in Changsha, central China’s Hunan Province, June 11, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Burkinabe Minister of Foreign Affairs Karamoko Jean-Marie Traore in Changsha, central China’s Hunan Province, June 11, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, meets with Foreign Minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) Therese Kayikwamba Wagner in Changsha, central China’s Hunan Province, June 11, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: From farm to plate, China steps up push to reduce food waste

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

    At a bustling restaurant in Tianjin’s Xiqing District, signs reading “Save Food” catch the eye. After lunch with her family, a woman surnamed Wang carefully packs up a half-eaten bowl of congee to take home.

    “I want my child to learn the value of food from an early age,” she said, tucking the container into her bag, a small act echoing a nationwide push to reduce food waste.

    From public awareness campaigns to industry overhauls, China is undergoing a green transformation in how it grows, prepares and consumes food.

    Restaurant manager Guo Ke said the nationwide “Clear Your Plate” campaign has led to tangible change in diners’ behavior, while the food service industry is also improving its practices.

    “We follow a purchase-on-demand model to avoid overstocking ingredients,” Guo said. “Scientific management in storage and food preparation helps us make the most of every item.”

    The restaurant also offers half-size and small portions to encourage customers to order more reasonably, he added.

    At the policy level, China has passed a landmark anti-food waste law, forming a robust legal framework to tackle waste from farm to chopsticks. Under the law, catering service providers are required to remind customers to avoid excessive ordering and can charge a disposal fee for large amounts of leftovers.

    Additionally, a food security law, implemented in 2023, includes provisions to promote grain conservation, reinforcing the legal foundation for nationwide efforts against waste.

    Authorities have also introduced national standards, such as the credit rating evaluation standard for the restaurant industry and the general principles for food waste reduction management in catering services.

    “China now boasts one of the world’s most comprehensive anti-food waste systems,” said Wu Bo, associate professor at Tianjin University of Finance and Economics.

    Under policy guidance, cities across the country are embracing the shift.

    In Beijing, “food banks” have been piloted to give a second life to near-expiry groceries by redistributing them to communities in need. Meanwhile, in Shanghai, the “Clear Your Plate” campaign has taken root in the restaurant industry, helping slash kitchen waste by nearly 50 percent.

    By the end of last year, Shanghai had certified 2,950 “green restaurants,” where food safety, low-carbon practices and ethical business standards are taken into consideration.

    Beyond the “Clear Your Plate” campaign, efforts to curb food waste now stretch across the entire supply chain, from smarter farming to greener logistics.

    At a modern agricultural farm in Tianjin, drones and transplanters work in sync with satellite data to manage rice fields more efficiently, where less grain is wasted during the production.

    “A six-person team can manage over 1,300 hectares of rice fields, with yields improving year after year thanks to tailored, eco-friendly solutions,” said Dai Renqiang, farm manager.

    Yet, on a macro level, challenges still remain. Data from the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research, Chinese Academy of Sciences, shows 8 percent of China’s grain is lost in the process from production and harvesting to storage, transport and consumption.

    To address such issues, China launched a national action plan in late 2024 to build a long-term mechanism for food saving. The plan aims to keep grain production, storage, transport and processing loss rates below the international average by 2027.

    “Going beyond simple conservation, China’s green dining transformation reflects a deeper commitment to sustainability — and a vision for safeguarding the future of food and society,” Wu Bo believed. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • Marines to deploy on LA streets within two days with authority to detain civilians

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    U.S. Marines will join National Guard troops on the streets of Los Angeles within two days, officials said on Wednesday, and would be authorized to detain anyone who interferes with immigration officers on raids or protesters who confront federal agents.

    U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the deployments over the objections of California Governor Gavin Newsom, sparking a national debate about the use of the military on U.S. soil and animating protests that have spread from Los Angeles to other major cities, including New York, Atlanta and Chicago.

    Los Angeles on Wednesday endured a sixth day of protests that have been largely peaceful but occasionally punctuated by violence, mostly contained to a few blocks of the city’s downtown area.

    The protests broke out last Friday in response to a series of immigration raids. Trump in turn called in the National Guard on Saturday, then summoned the Marines on Monday.

    “If I didn’t act quickly on that, Los Angeles would be burning to the ground right now,” said Trump at an event at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

    State and local leaders dispute that, saying Trump has only escalated tensions with an unnecessary and illegal deployment of federal troops, while Democrats nationally have condemned his action as authoritarian.

    Trump is carrying out a campaign promise to deport immigrants, employing forceful tactics consistent with the norm-breaking political style that got him elected twice.

    “President Trump promised to carry out the largest mass deportation campaign in American history and left-wing riots will not deter him in that effort,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

    The U.S. military said on Wednesday that a battalion of 700 Marines had concluded training specific to the L.A. mission, including de-escalation and crowd control. They would join National Guard under the authority of a federal law known as Title 10 within 48 hours, not to conduct civilian policing but to protect federal officers and property, the military said.

    “Title 10 forces may temporarily detain an individual in specific circumstances such as to stop an assault, to prevent harm to others, or to prevent interference with federal personnel performing their duties,” the Northern Command said.

    Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement: “If any rioters attack ICE law enforcement officers, military personnel have the authority to temporarily detain them until law enforcement makes the arrest.”

    U.S. Army Major General Scott Sherman, who commands the task force of Marines and Guardsmen, told reporters the Marines will not carry live ammunition in their rifles, but they will carry live rounds.

    Newsom and the state of California have sued Trump and the Defense Department to stop the deployment, maintaining that none of the Title 10 conditions were met to justify military deployment – such as a when the U.S. is under threat from a foreign invasion or rebellion.

    California is also seeking a temporary restraining order to immediately stop the National Guard and Marines from participating in civilian law enforcement.

    A hearing on that restraining order is scheduled for Thursday in San Francisco federal court.

    The Trump administration argued in a court filing ahead of the hearing that the president has the discretion to determine whether a “rebellion or danger of a rebellion” requires a military response.

    PROTESTS SPREAD NATIONWIDE

    In downtown L.A., shortly before the second night of a curfew over a one square mile (2.5 square km) area, relative calm was broken.

    Police said demonstrators at one location threw commercial grade fireworks and rocks at officers. Another group of nearly 1,000 demonstrators were peacefully marching through downtown when police suddenly opened fired with less lethal munitions in front of City Hall.

    Marlene Lopez, 39, a Los Angeles native, was demonstrating as flash bangs exploded just a few meters away.

    “I am out here because of the fact that our human rights are being violated every day. If we give up, it’s over. We have to stand our ground here in L.A. so that the nation will follow us,” Lopez said.

    Other protests have also taken place in Santa Ana, a largely Mexican-American city about 30 miles (50 km) to the south, as well as major cities such as Las Vegas, Philadelphia, Milwaukee, Seattle, Boston and Washington and San Antonio, Texas.

    New York police said an unknown number of people had been taken into custody on Wednesday. On Tuesday New York police said they took 86 people into custody, of which 34 were arrested and charged, while the others received a criminal court summons.

    The protests are set to expand on Saturday, when several activist groups have planned more than 1,800 anti-Trump demonstrations across the country. That day, tanks and other armored vehicles will rumble down the streets of Washington, D.C., in a military parade marking the U.S. Army’s 250th anniversary and coinciding with Trump’s 79th birthday.

    (Reuters)

  • U.S. to deploy 4,000 National Guard troops, 700 Marines to Los Angeles amid ongoing protests

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    U.S. President Donald Trump’s administration has said it is going to deploy 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines to Los Angeles to help protect federal property and personnel during the ongoing protests in the city.

    Here is everything we know about the U.S. troops that are being deployed to Los Angeles:

    WHAT ARE THE DIFFERENT TYPES OF TROOPS SENT TO LA?

    National guard troops usually belong to individual states and personnel in many cases are trained to help with emergencies that those states have to deal with, such as natural disasters.

    Since they are the reserve force of the U.S. military, National Guard troops are usually part time, meaning that they have other jobs as well.

    U.S. Marines on the other hand are active duty troops – it is a full time job.

    Marines are trained for conflicts around the world – from the Middle East to Africa – and are used for rapid global deployments in case of emergencies, such as threats to U.S. embassies.

    All those troops will come under a task force, known as Task Force 51.

    HOW CAN TROOPS LEGALLY BE DEPLOYED WITHIN THE UNITED STATES?

    Trump cited Title 10 of the U.S. Code, a federal law that outlines the role of the U.S. Armed Forces, in his June 7 order to call members of the California National Guard into federal service.

    A provision of Title 10 – Section 12406- allows the president to deploy National Guard units into federal service if the U.S. is invaded, there is a “rebellion or danger of rebellion” or the president is “unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States.”

    The president also has the authority to deploy active duty troops, like the Marines, within the United States in limited cases.

    WHERE ARE THE TROOPS COMING FROM?

    Many of the 4,000 National Guard troops are coming from the California National Guard. So far, 2,100 soldiers from the 79th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, a unit of the California National Guard, are on the ground.

    The Marines being deployed are from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Marines, 1st Marine Division. They are based out of Twentynine Palms, close to Los Angeles.

    WHAT CAN TROOPS DO AND WHAT CAN THEY NOT DO?

    Both National Guard troops and Marines will be carrying out the same tasks, according to U.S. Army Major General Scott Sherman, who is commanding the troops.

    They are tasked with protecting federal property and federal personnel. This means that they will accompany ICE agents on raids, officials have said.

    The troops are authorized to detain people who pose a threat to federal personnel or property, but only until police can arrest them. Military officials are not allowed to carry out arrests themselves.

    The Posse Comitatus Act, generally forbids the U.S. military, including the National Guard, from taking part in civilian law enforcement.

    Trump could take a more far-reaching step by invoking the Insurrection Act, which would allow troops to directly participate in civilian law enforcement.

    WHAT TRAINING WILL THE TROOPS RECEIVE?

    Troops receive varying levels of training in dealing with riots and crowd control.

    Since National Guard troops are used domestically in many cases, they receive extensive training when it comes to crowd control and civil unrest.

    While Marines may receive a basic level of crowd control training, it is not their expertise in domestic situations. The 700 Marines will receive two days of training focused on civil disturbance, crowd control and protection of facilities, before they are deployed to the streets of Los Angeles.

    The Marines will also have added “legal and law enforcement expertise,” the military said.

    WHAT WILL TROOPS BE ARMED WITH?

    National Guard troops have been seen carrying shields, batons and rifles, along with regular protective equipment.

    The Marines will also be armed with riot shields and batons, and Sherman said they will not have ammunition in their rifles, but they will carry it.

    (Reuters)

  • United Nations to vote to demand immediate Gaza ceasefire over US, Israel opposition

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The United Nations General Assembly will vote on Thursday on a draft resolution that demands an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the war in Gaza after the United States vetoed a similar effort in the Security Council last week.

    The 193-member General Assembly is likely to adopt the text with overwhelming support, diplomats say, despite Israel lobbying countries this week against taking part in what it called a “politically-motivated, counter-productive charade.”

    General Assembly resolutions are not binding but carry weight as a reflection of the global view on the war. Previous demands by the body for an end to the war between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas have been ignored. Unlike the U.N. Security Council, no country has a veto in the General Assembly.

    Thursday’s vote also comes ahead of a U.N. conference next week that aims to reinvigorate an international push for a two-state solution between Israel and the Palestinians. The United States has urged countries not to attend.

    In a note seen by Reuters, the U.S. warned that “countries that take anti-Israel actions on the heels of the conference will be viewed as acting in opposition to U.S. foreign policy interests and could face diplomatic consequences.”

    The U.S. last week vetoed a draft U.N. Security Council resolution that also demanded an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” and unhindered aid access in Gaza, arguing it would undermine U.S.-led efforts to broker a ceasefire.

    The other 14 countries on the council voted in favor of the draft as a humanitarian crisis grips the enclave of more than 2 million people, where the U.N. warns famine looms and aid has only trickled in since Israel lifted an 11-week blockade last month.

    ‘FALSE AND DEFAMATORY’

    The draft resolution to be voted on by the General Assembly on Thursday demands the release of hostages held by Hamas, the return of Palestinian prisoners detained by Israel and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.

    It demands unhindered aid access and “strongly condemns the use of starvation of civilians as a method of warfare and the unlawful denial of humanitarian access and depriving civilians … of objects indispensable to their survival, including willfully impeding relief supply and access.”

    “This is both false and defamatory,” Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon wrote in a letter to U.N. member states, sent on Tuesday and seen by Reuters.

    Danon described the General Assembly draft resolution as an “immensely flawed and harmful text,” urging countries not to take part in what he said was a “farce” that undermines hostage negotiations and fails to condemn Hamas.

    In October 2023 the General Assembly called for an immediate humanitarian truce in Gaza with 120 votes in favor. In December 2023, 153 countries voted to demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. Then in December last year the body demanded – with 158 votes in favor – an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire.

    The war in Gaza has raged since 2023 after Hamas militants killed 1,200 people in Israel in an October 7 attack and took some 250 hostages back to the enclave, according to Israeli tallies. Many of those killed or captured were civilians.

    Israel responded with a military campaign that has killed over 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities. They say civilians have borne the brunt of the attacks and that thousands more bodies have been lost under rubble.

    -Reuters

  • Australia confident AUKUS submarine pact will proceed amid U.S. review

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Australia‘s Defence Minister Richard Marles said on Thursday he was confident the AUKUS submarine pact with the U.S. and Britain would proceed, and his government would work closely with the U.S. while the Trump administration conducted a formal review.

    Australia in 2023 committed to spend A$368 billion ($239 billion) over three decades on AUKUS, the country’s biggest ever defence project with the United States and Britain, to acquire and build nuclear-powered submarines.

    A Pentagon official said the administration was reviewing AUKUS to ensure it was “aligned with the President’s America First agenda”, on the eve of expected talks between President Donald Trump and Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese.

    In an Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio interview, Marles said AUKUS was in the strategic interests of all three countries and the new review of the deal signed in 2021 when Joe Biden was the U.S. president was not a surprise.

    “I am very confident this is going to happen,” he said of AUKUS, which would give Australia nuclear-powered submarines.

    “This is a multi-decade plan. There will be governments that come and go and I think whenever we see a new government, a review of this kind is going to be something which will be undertaken,” Marles told the ABC.

    Albanese is expected to meet Trump for the first time next week on the sidelines of the G7 meeting in Canada, where the security allies will discuss a request from Washington for Australia to increase defence spending from 2% to 3.5% of gross domestic product.

    Albanese has said defence spending would rise to 2.3% and has declined to commit to the U.S. target.

    The opposition Liberal party on Thursday pressed Albanese to increase defence spending.

    Under AUKUS, Australia was scheduled to make a $2 billion payment in 2025 to the U.S. to help boost its submarine shipyards and speed up lagging production rates of Virginia-class submarines to allow the sale of up to three U.S. submarines to Australia from 2032.

    The first $500 million payment was made when Marles met with his U.S. counterpart Pete Hegseth in February.

    US NOT MEETING PRODUCTION TARGETS

    The Pentagon’s top policy adviser Elbridge Colby, who has previously expressed concern the U.S. would lose submarines to Australia at a critical time for military deterrence against China, will be a key figure in the review, examining the production rate of Virginia-class submarines, Marles said.

    “It is important that those production and sustainment rates are improved,” he added.

    AUKUS would grow the U.S. and Australian defence industries and generate thousands of manufacturing jobs, Marles said in a statement.

    John Lee, an Australian Indo-Pacific expert at Washington’s conservative Hudson Institute think tank, said the Pentagon review was “primarily an audit of American capability” and whether it can afford to sell up to five nuclear powered submarines when it was not meeting its own production targets.

    “Relatedly, the low Australian defence spending and ambiguity as to how it might contribute to a Taiwan contingency is also a factor,” Lee said.

    John Hamre, the president of the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) and a former senior Pentagon official, told a Lowy Institute seminar in Sydney on Thursday there is a perception in Washington “the Albanese government has been supportive of AUKUS but not really leaning in on AUKUS“, and defence spending is part of this.

    Under the multi-stage pact, four U.S. commanded Virginia submarines will be hosted at a Western Australian navy base on the Indian Ocean from 2027, which a senior U.S. Navy commander told Congress in April gives the U.S. a “straight shot to the South China Sea”.

    Albanese wants to buy three Virginia submarines from 2032 to bring its submarine force under Australian command.

    Britain and Australia will jointly build a new AUKUS-class submarine expected to come into service from 2040. Following a recent defence review, Britain said it would boost spending on its attack submarine fleet under AUKUS.

    Former Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who struck the AUKUS deal with Biden, said on Thursday Australia should “make the case again” for the treaty.

    AUKUS would build more submarines across the three partners and was “fundamentally about strengthening collective deterrence, particularly in the Indo-Pacific against potential adversaries”, he wrote on LinkedIn.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Flood prevention measures ready

    Source: Hong Kong Information Services

    In light of the approaching Tropical Storm Wutip, Director of Drainage Services Ringo Mok has met with the department’s senior management team and inspected locations hit by severe flooding in the past, in order to learn about the implementation of flood prevention measures.

    Mr Mok and the team inspected the modular pumping system at Chai Wan Road roundabout, demountable flood barriers at Heng Fa Chuen, divider holes at Lung Cheung Road carriageway in Wong Tai Sin, grid manhole covers, and the Pilot Scheme on Wading Line System. He also viewed the department’s “Mobile Powerful Pumping Robot” and “Amphibious Pumping Robot” to ensure their readiness for operation.

    As Tropical Storm Wutip has come within 800km of Hong Kong, the department has initiated early preparation flooding in low-lying or exposed coastal areas such as Tai O and Lei Yue Mun. Specific measures include examining drainage channels, installing demountable flood barriers, setting up temporary water pumps, providing and placing sandbags, and constructing temporary pedestrian walkways.

    The department added that members of the public are advised to complete precautionary measures for coping with the typhoon and flooding as soon as possible, keep drains clear at all times, and avoid blockage of drainage intakes.

    In the event of serious flooding, citizens should evacuate immediately.

    Call the 24-hour Drainage Hotline at 2300 1110 in case of flooding.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –