NewzIntel.com

Category: Transport

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Late night Police teamwork land two arrests:

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Police moved swiftly to apprehend two people attempting to burgle a Hunua property last night.

    Eagle, a dog handler and patrols were despatched to Ponga Road at around 9.30pm after the property owner, who was observing from a distance, alerted Police that he could see people on his property.

    “The rural property had been targeted by burglars four times in the past few weeks,”  Counties Manukau South Area Response Manager, Senior Sergeant Clive Wood says.

    Police responded rapidly to reports of two people leaving the property – one in a vehicle and one on foot heading into nearby bush.

    “Police located the vehicle nearby and apprehended the female driver,” Senior Sergeant Wood says. “Eagle and Delta teams remained at the property searching for a man who Eagle observed moving around.”

    A man was apprehended by the dog handler at around 10.20pm and suffered a minor dog bite on his arm.

    Senior Sergeant Wood says: “Police are pleased a rapid response and good teamwork ended a potentially dangerous situation without incident.”

    A 48-year-old woman and a 31-year-old man have been charged with burglary and will appear in the Papakura District Court today.

    ENDS.

    Nicole Bremner/NZ Police 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Lummis Introduces Landmark Autonomous Vehicle Legislation to Accelerate Safe Deployment

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming Cynthia Lummis
    Washington, D.C.— Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), member of the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, this week introduced the Autonomous Vehicle Advancement Act, groundbreaking legislation aimed at transforming autonomous vehicle (AV) deployment in the United States. The Autonomous Vehicle Advancement Act seeks to move the nation beyond policy discussions and toward practical implementation of self-driving technology.
    “For nearly a decade, Washington has talked about autonomous vehicles without meaningful action,” Lummis said. “This legislation cuts through the red tape and establishes a clear path forward for getting safe autonomous vehicles on American roads where they can save lives, create jobs, and maintain our technological leadership. Wyoming is a highway state and ensuring that autonomous vehicles are integrated in the safest way possible remains my number one priority.”
    Background:
    The bill addresses two critical components for AV advancement:
    1. It requires federal agencies to implement recommendations from the landmark 2016 federal report on autonomous vehicles within one-year, jumpstarting progress on long-dormant policy objectives.
    2. Most significantly, the legislation establishes a comprehensive roadmap for achieving commercially viable Level 4 and Level 5 autonomous vehicles – advanced self-driving systems that require minimal to no human intervention. The Secretary of Transportation will be tasked with identifying essential needs and regulatory barriers that must be addressed to facilitate widespread deployment.
    Read the full bill text here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Attention all trustees: Top 5 EOFY checklist!

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    As the 30 June deadline for trust resolutions approaches, it’s crucial for trustees and their advisers to be clear about their obligations. Our end of financial year (EOFY) checklist will help you avoid basic trust errors that can arise if you don’t fully understand your obligations or take reasonable care to get things right.

    1. Understand how income is defined for the trust estate.

    Trustees must be familiar with their trust deeds and accurately determine the income of the trust estate for each financial year. Common errors include actions that are inconsistent with the deed, mistaking accounting profit for distributable income, and misinterpreting trustee powers. To avoid these errors, trustees should:

    • review the trust deed and distribute income according to each beneficiary’s entitlements
    • review the trust deed to understand how it defines income.
    1. Identify the trust’s beneficiaries.

    Trustees need to correctly identify the beneficiaries of their trust. Errors often occur when trustees fail to read the deed, distribute to non-beneficiaries, or distribute outside the family group when a family trust election (FTE) or interposed entity election (IEE) is in place. To prevent these mistakes, trustees should:

    • identify beneficiaries as per the trust deed
    • ensure all entitled beneficiaries quote their TFN and are notified of their entitlement.
    1. Understand resolutions and present entitlement.

    Trustees must make valid resolutions to appoint or distribute income to beneficiaries by

    30 June of the relevant tax year. If resolutions aren’t made by this date, the trustee may be liable for all income of the trust and taxed at their marginal rates. Errors such as invalid resolutions and back-dated resolutions can be avoided by:

    • reading the trust deed
    • making clear and timely resolutions.
    1. Identify any family trust elections (FTE) or interposed entity elections (IEE).

    A family trust is a trust where the trustee has made a valid FTE. Family trusts can access tax concessions but, distributions made outside the family group will trigger family trust distributions tax (FTDT). This is a specific 47% tax payable by the trustee on the distribution. The Commissioner has no discretion with FTDT once it is triggered. Therefore, trustees should be vigilant about existing FTEs or IEEs in place and maintain accurate records.

    We’re seeing an increase in trustees distributing outside the family group triggering FTDT. To limit FTDT risks, trustees should:

    • be aware of all FTE or IEEs made and their family group
    • keep copies of all elections.
    1. Maintain clear and accurate records.

    Poor record keeping is the most common cause of issues related to trusts. Trustees need to understand that they’re personally liable for the debts of the trusts they administer. Keeping complete and accurate records can prevent unforeseen tax liabilities falling upon the trustee.

    More resources

    You can also use our Trust tax-time toolkit for more useful information, checklists and tips to ensure you correctly meet your trust tax obligations.

    We also recommend you favourite or bookmark our comprehensive web Trustscontent so you can access it whenever you need it.

    Keep up to date

    We have tailored communication channels for medium, large and multinational businesses, to keep you up to date with updates and changes you need to know.

    Read more articles in our online Business bulletins newsroom.

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    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 05.20.2025 Sen. Cruz’s ‘No Tax on Tips’ Legislation Passes Senate

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) issued a statement following the passing of his No Tax on Tips Act in the U.S. Senate with a vote of 100-0. This bipartisan legislation will exempt tips from being subject to taxation under the federal income tax.
    Sen. Cruz said, “President Trump made a promise to the American people that he would eliminate taxes on tips. In Congress, I formed a bipartisan, bicameral coalition to get that done, and in the Senate introduced the No Tax on Tips Act. Today, I went with Senator Rosen to the floor to secure Senate passage of the bill. This legislation will have a lasting impact on millions of Americans by protecting the hard-earned dollars of blue-collar workers, the very people who are living paycheck-to-paycheck. I urge my colleagues in the House to pass this important bill and send it to the President’s desk to be signed into law.”
    BACKGROUND
    The bill exempts “cash tips”—cash, credit and debit card charges, and checks—from federal income tax by allowing taxpayers to claim a 100% deduction at filing for tipped wages. The updated text includes guardrails to ensure only traditionally tipped employees will benefit from No Tax on Tips.
    Read the bill text here.
    Sen. Cruz has consistently prioritized tax cuts and job access:
    Sen. Cruz helped enact historic tax reform in 2017, which gave a tax cut to virtually every taxpayer in America. It reduced taxes on small businesses, farmers, ranchers, and job producers, which has helped bring jobs to Texas.
    He has fought to make permanent the 2017 historic tax cuts for individuals.
    Sen. Cruz also helped pass the USMCA trade agreement, which was signed by President Trump, a decisive victory for Texas farmers, ranchers, businesses, and manufacturers.
    For his efforts to support Texas businesses large and small, Sen. Cruz received the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s prestigious “Spirit of Enterprise” award.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: WATCH: Padilla Pushes for Senate Passage of Bill to Improve Voter Registration Services at Naturalization Ceremonies

    US Senate News:

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

    WATCH: Padilla Pushes for Senate Passage of Bill to Improve Voter Registration Services at Naturalization Ceremonies

    While Senate Republicans Block Efforts to Register Citizens, Padilla Blocks Their Efforts to Pass Anti-Voter SAVE Act
    WATCH: Padilla underscores the importance of making voting accessible to all eligible AmericansWASHINGTON, D.C. — On the anniversary of President Clinton signing the National Voter Registration Act (NVRA) into law, U.S. Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Ranking Member of the Senate Committee on Rules and Administration and California’s former Secretary of State, spoke on the Senate floor to push for the unanimous passage of his legislation to improve voter registration services at naturalization ceremonies. The Including New Voters In The Electorate (INVITE) Act would designate United States Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS) field offices as voter registration agencies under the National Voter Registration Act, requiring USCIS staff to help new U.S. citizens complete their voter registration forms and return them to the appropriate state agency following their naturalization.
    U.S. Senator Mike Lee (R-Utah) objected to Padilla’s attempt to pass the bill by unanimous consent. Lee instead attempted to unanimously pass the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) Act, to which Padilla strongly objected to prevent the potential disenfranchisement of millions of eligible American citizens. 
    Senator Padilla highlighted the success of NVRA, also known as the “Motor Voter Act,” in registering voters at Departments of Motor Vehicles, military recruitment offices and public agencies that manage programs like SNAP and Medicaid. He pushed for NVRA to extend to naturalization ceremonies, helping secure the fundamental right to vote in our democracy for the country’s newest eligible citizens.
    “We should all believe in that most basic of lessons that I believe we all learned in high school civics class: that our democracy works best when as many eligible people participate.”
    “One other place that the National Voter Registration Act can and should extend to is naturalization ceremonies — giving new eligible United States citizens the information they need to register to vote should they want to.”
    Padilla emphasized that naturalized citizens are among the most patriotic Americans, detailing his own background as the proud son of immigrants.
    “If you’ve never had the opportunity to attend one before, I can tell you personally: there are few experiences that give you more of that patriotic feeling than inside the four walls of a naturalization ceremony. If you’ve ever had doubts or questions about what it means to be an American, I encourage you to talk to and ask a newly naturalized citizen.”
    “As I think about the people who go through the process, I can’t help but also think about my parents, because they went through the naturalization process. And when I see the dozens or hundreds of immigrants becoming citizens, I envision what their preparation was like because it was very similar no doubt to what my parents did. Taking classes, studying, showing up at every important appointment, filling out all those forms. And on the day they finally take the oath of allegiance, they earn the full benefits of United States citizenship.”
    “So it was an honor and a privilege to be able to address those audiences as Secretary of State, and encourage them not just to get involved in community, but to register to vote and exercise their new right to vote.”
    USCIS does not consistently offer newly eligible citizens the opportunity to register to vote at naturalization ceremonies, and even more rarely offers them assistance in filling out and returning their voter registration forms. Padilla stressed that just 61 percent of all naturalized U.S. citizens were registered to vote during the November 2022 election (the most recent available data), compared to 70 percent of citizens born in the United States. He urged his colleagues to join him in passing the INVITE Act to help rectify this disparity.
    “My bill would use the powers of the National Voter Registration Act to designate USCIS field offices as voter registration agencies — effectively giving our field staff not just the opportunity, but the duty to help new eligible United States citizens register to vote. Rather than just hand out a form, it would empower USCIS personnel to actually assist new citizens in completing and returning their voter registration forms.”
    “Let me just say to everyone who regularly expresses concern about noncitizens voting. I would suggest, what better place to make sure citizens are registered than at a naturalization ceremony?”
    “The responsibilities that come with citizenship don’t end upon taking the oath of citizenship. That’s just the beginning. So I urge all of my colleagues, Republican and Democrat, to join me in supporting this commonsense bill to invest in and strengthen our democracy.”
    The INVITE Act would maintain USCIS’ flexibility to work with state voter registration agencies and nonpartisan voter registration organizations, and it would allow the agency to develop and implement plans with each state to carry out this important work. 
    Specifically, designating USCIS field offices under the National Voter Registration Act would require them to:
    Work with states to develop and implement a plan to distribute voter registration information and forms to new citizens following naturalization,
    Offer assistance to new citizens in filling out the voter registration application, and
    Transmit the completed application to the appropriate state election official or agency.
    Senator Padilla believes that our democracy is strongest when every eligible American participates. He is a champion for stronger voting rights, bipartisan election administration reforms, and increased funding to modernize and secure our elections. Padilla has led the charge opposing President Trump and Republicans’ reckless attempts to restrict the right to vote. Last week, he convened a Rules Committee Democrats spotlight hearing focused on Congressional Republicans’ SAVE Act and Trump’s illegal anti-voter executive order, both of which threaten to disenfranchise millions of eligible American citizens. As President Trump marked 100 disastrous days in office, Padilla also recently led his Democratic colleagues on the Senate floor to speak out against the SAVE Act and attacks on election integrity. Last month, Padilla warned Secretaries of State, Lieutenant Governors, and Chief Election Officials across the country of the devastating potential impacts of the SAVE Act, concerns that have been echoed by top election officials across the country.
    Additionally, Padilla led 11 Senators in introducing the Defending America’s Future Elections Act to repeal Trump’s illegal anti-voter executive order and prevent the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) from accessing sensitive voter registration data and state records. Padilla previously led 14 Democratic Senators in calling on Trump to revoke his illegal anti-voter executive order and issued a statement slamming the order when it was announced.
    Video of Senator Padilla’s full remarks on the INVITE Act is available here.
    Full text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Pillen Signs Bill to Protect Power Grid from Cryptocurrency Operation Use

    Source: US State of Nebraska

    . Pillen Signs Bill to Protect Power Grid from Cryptocurrency Operation Use

     

    LINCOLN, NE – Today, Governor Jim Pillen signed into law LB526, introduced on his behalf by Senator Mike Jacobson. The legislation helps to preserve electrical service to homes, businesses and other Nebraska customers, by establishing requirements for cryptocurrency mining operations. In addition to notifying power utilities in advance, the bill also provides for payment or a letter of credit covering costs associated with potential infrastructure upgrades.

    “With the opportunity in expanding this emerging industry, comes responsibility. This bill provides the guardrails needed to ensure that our electrical grid can handle the increased demand. By requiring mining operations to contribute to grid upgrades and be transparent about their energy use, we’re protecting our infrastructure,” said Gov. Pillen. 

    In addition to the provisions above, the bill allows utilities to impose terms and conditions on these operations, such as requiring them to shut down during times of peak electrical demand and requiring that mining operations report annually on their energy consumption.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Business Owner Pleads Guilty to Fraud and Money Laundering Schemes

    Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)

    PHILADELPHIA – United States Attorney David Metcalf announced that Zaven Yeghiazaryan, 44, of Newtown, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty before the Honorable Gerald J. Pappert to 13 counts of an indictment charging him with conspiracy, health care fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering in connection with his execution of a variety of schemes.

    The charges arose from the defendant’s commission of fraud offenses targeting, among others, government programs, including through the use of shell companies and false identities, between January 2020 and April 2024. The defendant’s fraud offenses targeted two government programs which offered relief during the Covid-19 pandemic: the Small Business Administration’s Economic Injury Disaster Loan program, and the Pandemic Unemployment Assistance Program. In addition, the defendant admitted that he participated in a scheme to defraud the Medicaid program.

    Based upon his guilty pleas to the 13 counts, the defendant faces a maximum possible sentence of 230 years in prison, a three-year period of supervised release, and a $3,250,000 fine, restitution of $334,905 and forfeiture. Sentencing is scheduled for September 4, 2025.

    The case was investigated by the Social Security Administration – Office of the Inspector General, Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation, the United States Postal Inspection Service, Homeland Security Investigations, the Department of Health and Human Services – Office of Inspector General, the United States Department of Labor, the United States Department of Transportation – Office of the Inspector General and the State Department. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Mary E. Crawley and Special Assistant United States Attorney Megan Curran. 

    MIL Security OSI –

  • Airstrikes kill dozens in Gaza, international criticism of Israel grows

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Israeli forces killed at least 55 Palestinians in airstrikes in Gaza on Tuesday, local medics said, continuing to bombard the enclave despite mounting international pressure to halt military operations and allow unimpeded deliveries of aid.

    Britain announced it was suspending trade talks with Israel and summoning its ambassador over “egregious policies” in the occupied West Bank and Gaza, while European Union foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas asked for a review of the EU-Israel trade deal, according to Dutch news agency ANP.

    The war, now in its 20th month, has left Gaza in ruins and its population facing a worsening hunger crisis. It has strained Israel’s relations with much of the world and those with its closest ally, the United States, now appear to be wavering.

    The United Nations said no humanitarian aid had been distributed yet in Gaza, although Israel eased its 11-week-old blockade on Monday.

    “Israeli authorities are requiring us to offload supplies on the Palestinian side of Kerem Shalom crossing and reload them separately once they secure our team’s access from inside Gaza,” said U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric.

    He said four trucks of baby food were dropped off on the Palestinian side of the border on Monday, and that a few dozen trucks of flour, medicine, nutrition supplies and other basic items entered Gaza on Tuesday.

    Israel’s military said 93 UN aid trucks entered Gaza on Tuesday via Kerem Shalom “after a thorough security inspection”.

    Indirect ceasefire talks between Israel and Hamas militants in Qatar appeared to falter again, with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu saying he had decided to bring back the senior negotiating team from Doha for consultations.

    Hamas accused Netanyahu of entering the talks in bad faith, pretending to participate in a bid to mislead global public opinion. “No real negotiations have taken place since last Saturday,” the Palestinian Islamist group said in a statement.

    Israel’s military chief said during a Gaza field tour that the army would expand its operations against Hamas, capture additional territory and “clear and destroy the terrorist infrastructure until (Hamas) is defeated”.

    18 DEAD IN AIRSTRIKE ON TWO HOMES, MEDICS SAY

    Israel conducted further airstrikes on Tuesday across the densely populated enclave and medics said the sites hit included two homes where children were among the 18 dead, and a school housing displaced families.

    Israel’s military, which on Monday warned those in the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis to evacuate to the coast as it prepared for an “unprecedented attack”, had no comment. Israel says Hamas uses civilian buildings for cover; Hamas denies this.

    In Gaza City, Reuters footage showed men, women and children sifting through the rubble of the Daraj neighbourhood school where they had been sheltering, and where charred pieces of clothing and a red teddy bear lay among scattered belongings.

    At nearby Al-Ahli Hospital, men said prayers over bodies wrapped in white shrouds, before carrying them to their graves.

    “What is our fault? What is the fault of children? What is the fault of the women we found on the stairs with their hair and clothes torn and burned?” said Omar Ahel, who had been sheltering at the school. “By God, this is injustice.”

    Israeli strikes have killed more than 500 people in the past nine days as the military campaign has intensified, Gaza medics say.

    SANCTIONS

    British Prime Minister Keir Starmer told parliament he, along with the leaders of France and Canada, was “horrified” by Israel’s military escalation, repeating calls for a ceasefire.

    The three nations had warned on Monday of “concrete actions” against Israel if it did not stop military operations in Gaza and lift restrictions on aid.

    In addition to suspending trade talks, Britain announced sanctions against a number of individuals and groups in the Israeli-occupied West Bank over alleged violence against Palestinian residents.

    EU sanctions on violent Israeli settlers have been prepared but have so far been blocked by one member state, the EU’s Kallas said, without naming the country.

    “External pressure will not divert Israel from its path in defending its existence and security against enemies who seek its destruction,” Israeli Foreign Ministry spokesperson Oren Marmorstein posted on X.

    Israel’s ground and air offensive has displaced nearly all Gaza’s 2.3 million residents and killed more than 53,000, according to Gaza health authorities.

    The campaign began after Hamas-led militants attacked Israeli communities near Gaza’s border in October 2023, killing about 1,200 people and seizing 251 hostages, according to Israeli tallies.

    The hunger crisis in Gaza deepened after Israel imposed a blockade on supplies from March 2. The U.N. says at least 500 trucks of aid and commercial goods need to enter Gaza every day to alleviate the humanitarian crisis.

    Louise Wateridge of the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA said on Tuesday there was little food left.

    “Everything’s empty. The warehouses, the distribution centres, they’ve been empty for weeks,” she said, speaking from a warehouse in Jordan that she said had food for 200,000 people that could be driven to Gaza in just a few hours.

    Israel’s leadership has insisted that it can free remaining hostages and dismantle Hamas through stepped-up military action. Hamas has said it would free the hostages in exchange for an end to the war and the release of Palestinians in Israeli jails.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Budget delivers record boost for frontline service delivery

    Source: Australian Capital Territory Policing

    21/05/25

    The Victorian Budget 2025–26 delivers $11.1 billion to strengthen Victoria’s public health system – supporting frontline staff, expanding access to care, and improving health outcomes across the state. This includes a $9.3 billion boost for hospitals.

    The additional funding means Victoria is investing a record $31 billion in our healthcare system this year.

    The Budget focuses on delivering practical support for services that communities rely on, ensuring Victorians can access timely, high-quality care close to home. Supporting hospitals and expanding capacity

    Supporting hospitals and expanding capacity

    The budget supports expanding and operationalising hospitals, and supporting workforce across Victoria to keep delivering world-class care. This includes:

    • $634.3 million to open and operationalise nine new or upgraded hospitals, including the new Footscray Hospital, Frankston Hospital redevelopment, Maryborough and District Hospital, and community hospitals in Cranbourne, Craigieburn, and Phillip Island Community Hospitals.
    • Additional investments to modernise and future-proof our hospitals include:
    • $57+ million for essential building upgrades at the Royal Melbourne Hospital
    • $61.8 million for the Engineering Infrastructure Replacement Program
    • $52.3 million for the Medical Equipment Replacement Program.
    • An additional $95 million will support nurses, midwives, and healthcare workers through clinical placements and professional development at all stages of their careers.

    Better, faster care in an emergency

    To help more Victorians access emergency care faster:

    • $437 million to expand the Victorian Virtual Emergency Department, increasing its capacity to 1,750 calls per day by 2028–29
    • $48.2 million will support Urgent Care Clinics and expand the Community Pharmacist Program, allowing pharmacists to treat a broader range of conditions for free.
    • $84.2 million will strengthen rural and regional ambulance services through 15 dual paramedic crews, four peak-period units, and four 24-hour services
    • $58.4 million will improve patient flow through emergency departments.

    Expanding mental health and wellbeing care

    Funding in this year’s Budget will give Victorian mental health services the resources they need to care for more Victorians and focus on prevention and early intervention, especially for young people and our regional and rural communities.

    Key investments include:

    • $34.5 million to expand Mental Health and Wellbeing Locals, with seven new locations joining the existing 15 sites. These services provide free care without a referral or Medicare card for all Victorians aged 26 and over
    • $48.5 million for early intervention programs like the Perinatal Emotional Health Program, Rainbow Door, Responder Assist, Koori Mental Health Liaison Officers and more
    • Over $300 million to maintain access to mental health beds, across emergency, hospital, and in-home settings
    • Continued rollout of the Parkville Youth Mental Health and Wellbeing Service
    • Opening of three Youth Prevention and Recovery Care (YPARC) services in regional areas from July 2026
    • $47 million for workforce development including junior psychiatry rotations and registrar training
    • $10.1 million to support lived experience and peer-led services, including young carers through the Satellite Foundation and consumer leadership through the Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council
    • $7.5 million for suicide prevention initiatives like HOPE, Yarning Safe n Strong, Strong Brother Strong Sister, and LGBTIQA+ aftercare services
    • $10 million for the Mental Health Capital Renewal Fund to help services provide safe and therapeutic environments for recovery
    • The Budget invests $44 million in alcohol and other drug services to expand the pharmacotherapy program, support outreach programs and strengthen residential rehabilitation services.

    Strengthening specialist and community care

    The Budget also supports Victorians with complex, chronic or long-term health needs by delivering services that help people live safely and independently in their communities. This includes:

    • $22 million to support the Home and Community Care Program for Younger People and provide allied health assessments to support NDIS access
    • $2.7 million to enhance the Victorian Aids and Equipment Program
    • $34.6 million for public sector residential aged care services to continue delivering high-quality care and $7.5 million to improve facilities across the sector
    • $7.6 million to support safer medication management in aged care
    • $38.3 million to Local Public Health Units to maintain safe drinking water and operate the thunderstorm asthma early warning system
    • $8.1 million to support our world-class cancer services, including the Victorian Cancer Biobank and Monash Partners Comprehensive Cancer Consortium.

    Inclusive and culturally safe care

    To ensure our health system supports all Victorians, the Budget includes:

    • Funding of over $13 million will support Dandenong and District Aborigines Co-Operative Limited fund an upgraded, modern facility to deliver clinical, social and wellbeing services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Melbourne’s south east
    • $15.8 million for ten Aboriginal Community Controlled Organisations to provide culturally safe pregnancy and postnatal care
    • $15.3 million for targeted LGBTQIA+ health initiatives.

    Find out more

    For more information, visit the Victorian Budget websiteExternal Link or read the Premier’s media release.External Link

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese researchers uncover new microbial species aboard space station

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

    Researchers have announced the discovery of a new microbial species in China’s space station for the first time, naming it Niallia tiangongensis, according to the China Manned Space Agency (CMSA).

    As one of Earth’s most ancient and diverse life forms, microorganisms are minuscule yet ubiquitous. The newly discovered species represents previously unknown microbes that had never been documented or studied by scientists.

    The space station’s unique environment, characterized by microgravity, radiation, confinement and nutrient limitations, has long fascinated researchers due to its potential for harboring unknown microbial species.

    In May 2023, the Shenzhou-15 crew collected surface microbial samples using sterile wipes, preserving them at low temperatures in orbit. Subsequent ground analysis revealed the novel Niallia tiangongensis species, confirmed through multidisciplinary methods including morphological analysis, genome sequencing, phylogenetic studies and metabolic profiling, the CMSA said.

    Microorganisms employ unique biological mechanisms to adapt to space environment stresses, which in turn shape their metabolic and physiological characteristics.

    Niallia tiangongensis demonstrates exceptional stress resistance, maintaining cellular redox balance and ensuring robust growth in extreme conditions by regulating bacillithiol (BSH) biosynthesis to counteract space-induced oxidative stress, according to the CMSA.

    It exhibits distinctive capabilities in biofilm formation and radiation damage repair, making it a highly adaptable “all-rounder” for space environments.

    This discovery offers new scientific insights: the new species adaptation mechanisms could inform targeted microbial control strategies with applications in aerospace, agriculture, industry and healthcare. Additionally, its ability to utilize organic compounds suggests promising pathways for sustainable resource use.

    As China’s space station continues long-term operation, researchers anticipate significant advances in studying microbial bioactive compounds, genetic resources and metabolic functions, potentially yielding substantial benefits for Earth-based scientific and practical applications.

    The related scientific findings were published online in the International Journal of Systematic and Evolutionary Microbiology. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Growing cultural pride fuels China’s archaeology tourism boom

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

    Tourists enter Suzhou Archaeological Museum in Suzhou, east China’s Jiangsu Province on May 18, 2025. (Xinhua/Huang Shuo)

    The overwhelming number of visitors flocking to the newly opened Suzhou Archaeological Museum came as a surprise to the curator Cheng Yi.

    Cheng said he had expected 3,000 to 4,000 visitors at most on the first day, mostly those with archaeological knowledge or professionals in the field. “We ended up receiving 7,000 to 8,000 people — many of them ordinary citizens and tourists from outside the city,” he said.

    Located in the eastern city of Suzhou in Jiangsu Province, the museum opened on May 17, right before China Tourism Day and International Museum Day, which fall on Monday and Sunday, respectively.

    Cheng believes the upcoming Children’s Day, which coincides with the Dragon Boat Festival holiday from May 31 to June 2, will bring another peak in visitors, as the museum will hold a special exhibition of ancient toys unearthed in Suzhou for the occasion. An even greater influx is expected during the summer holidays.

    Suzhou Archaeological Museum reflects a growing nationwide enthusiasm for archaeology-themed tourism. In recent years, archaeological and historical museums across China have become trending destinations, often requiring online reservations and drawing long queues.

    People have not only gained interest in traditionally famous museums like the Palace Museum, but are also eager to explore remote ancient sites such as Yanmen Pass in Shanxi Province.

    According to Cheng, it is meaningful to build such an archaeological museum in Suzhou, which was a hub of cultural and economic exchanges in the Yangtze River Delta in ancient times, and the significance is beyond public archaeological education. “It also stirs pride in our hometown,” he said.

    He believes the country’s economic development and growing national strength have played a significant part in fostering public interest in history and culture.

    “In the past, when people struggled to make a living, they wouldn’t think about these things. Today, people feel proud of China’s achievements. This represents the revival of an ancient civilization,” he said.

    Cheng noted that the country is also vigorously promoting a national project on tracing the origins of Chinese civilization, and as more and more cultural relics are unearthed, the 5,000-year history of Chinese civilization is being substantiated.

    As archaeology as an academic discipline becomes more widely known to the public, Cheng believes that presenting the full process from relics’ excavation to museum display both meets the needs of professionals and captures the interest of the general public.

    A hallmark of archaeological museums, according to Cheng, is that the exhibits are authentic, since they were all unearthed by experts and verified through scientific methods before display.

    “What was this object used for?” “Who was buried here?” “Are all the relics real?” Cheng was surrounded by visitors bombarding him with such questions.

    Many visitors were interested in a large tomb of the ancient Eastern Wu state. It is believed to have belonged to the family of Sun Quan, founding king of the Wu State during the Three Kingdoms period (220-280), though the exact identity of the tomb’s occupant remains unknown.

    Despite having been looted, the large tomb has largely retained its structure, with its architectural design, passageways, and side chambers all faithfully presented. After its excavation was completed in 2018, the tomb was divided into parts and stored at a facility due to the lack of a proper display venue, until the Suzhou Archaeological Museum was constructed. The tomb parts were carefully delivered to the museum and recombined to show visitors the tomb’s original appearance.

    A 62-year-old visitor excitedly took pictures and repeatedly told nearby visitors his childhood memories about the tomb. “I used to live here as a child and played on these mounds,” said the visitor who declined to give his name. “I had no idea that such a grand tomb lay underneath.”

    Yan Xinfeng, a warehouse keeper who moved from Sanmenxia in central China’s Henan Province to work in Suzhou years ago, is a fan of historical dramas and often visits museums. “After visiting this archaeological museum, I realized Suzhou’s history is older than I thought, and ancient people were far more advanced than I imagined, as they created so many such intricate items,” he said. “I feel proud.”

    After visiting, 9-year-old Xu Xuhan said she was impressed by a hairpin unearthed from the Eastern Wu tomb, which might help identify the tomb’s owner.

    “I love history and want to know how our civilization started,” she said. The third-grader has not yet taken history lessons at primary school, but said she had learnt a lot from a number of museums across China she visited with her parents.

    “I want to become an archaeologist when I grow up,” she said.

    Many of the exhibits at the museum are newly discovered artifacts that help fill gaps in archaeological knowledge from the Neolithic Liangzhu culture, to the Spring and Autumn and Warring States Periods (770 B.C.-221 B.C.) and beyond.

    For instance, a pottery shard offers clues that the Wu and Yue regions, which cover the current-day Suzhou, were once under the rule of the Qin Empire (221 B.C.-207 B.C.), as the Chinese characters inscribed on it were written in the Qin script. Numerous other artifacts on display also support the idea that the area was a hub of the ancient Maritime Silk Road.

    More notably, the museum also houses archaeological tools and explains excavation methods to highlight archaeology as a science and dispel public misconceptions.

    “There was a time when people thought archaeology was just tomb-raiding,” Cheng said. He added that the museum is looking to use virtual reality and artificial intelligence in the future to let the public experience archaeological digs firsthand.

    As China places greater emphasis on history and culture, and as traditional Chinese aesthetics grow in popularity among the public, more museums of this kind will open to the public across the country, Cheng believes.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI: AMD Introduces New Radeon Graphics Cards and Ryzen Threadripper Processors at COMPUTEX 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    – Radeon RX 9060 XT brings next-gen gaming experiences and FSR 4 ML-powered upscaling to mainstream users –

    – Threadripper 9000 Series and Radeon AI PRO R9700 redefine workstation and high-end desktop performance with full-spectrum compute and local AI processing –

    TAIPEI, Taiwan, May 20, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — At COMPUTEX 2025, AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) unveiled its latest breakthroughs in high-performance computing with the launch of Radeon™ RX 9060 XT and Radeon™ AI PRO R9700 graphics cards, and Ryzen™ Threadripper™ 9000 Series processors. Engineered to address the toughest workloads in gaming, content creation, professional industries and AI development, these new processors push the boundaries of what’s possible.

    “These announcements underscore our commitment to continue delivering industry-leading innovation across our product portfolio,” said Jack Huynh, senior vice president and general manager, Computing and Graphics Group at AMD. “The Radeon RX 9060 XT and Radeon AI PRO R9700 bring the performance and AI capabilities of RDNA 4 to workstations and gamers all around the world, while our new Ryzen Threadripper 9000 Series sets the new standard for high-end desktops and professional workstations. Together, these solutions represent our vision for empowering creators, gamers, and professionals with the performance and efficiency to push boundaries and drive creativity.”

    The new Radeon RX 9060 XT GPUs are powered by the advanced AMD RDNA™ 4 architecture and deliver smooth, responsive 1440p gaming with FSR 4 ML-enhanced upscaling, and accelerated ray tracing. For those who build worlds, tell stories through pixels, or chase victory in esports, these cards offer the performance and intelligence to elevate every experience.

    AMD also announced the Radeon™ AI PRO R9700, a new GPU built on AMD RDNA™ 4 architecture with second-generation AMD AI accelerators. With 32GB of graphics memory and PCIe® Gen 5 support, it’s designed for local AI inference, model finetuning, and complex creative workloads, with scalability for multi-GPU systems.

    AMD also introduced the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9000 WX-Series and Ryzen Threadripper 9000 Series processors — bringing record-setting core counts, massive memory bandwidth, and next-gen platform capabilities to professional and enthusiast desktops. Whether rendering cinematic VFX, simulating real-world physics, or locally fine-tuning billion-parameter AI models, these processors are built to break bottlenecks and accelerate innovation.

    AMD Powers Next-Gen Gaming Infused with AI
    Designed to unlock ultra-smooth gaming at 1440p, the Radeon RX 9060 XT is built for players who expect more. Equipped with up to 16GB of GDDR6 memory and 32 AMD RDNA 4 compute units, the GPU doubles ray tracing throughput compared to the previous generation, providing gamers with more realistic lighting, shadows, and reflections that bring virtual worlds to life.

    Second-generation AI accelerators power features like FidelityFX™ Super Resolution 4 (FSR 4), which uses machine learning to boost frame rates and image fidelity under even the most demanding rendering conditions. HYPR-RX delivers a full suite of optimizations, including Radeon Super Resolution and Fluid Motion Frames for lightning-fast response times and immersive, tear-free visuals. With support for FP8 data types and structured sparsity, the RX 9060 XT is ready for the next generation of AI-assisted gameplay, creative tools, and generative experiences.

    Model Compute
    Units    		 VRAM Game
    Clock
    (GHz)    		 Boost
    Clock    1
    (GHz)    		 Memory
    Interface    		 Infinity
    Cache    		 TBP Price
    (USD
    SEP)
    AMD Radeon™ RX 9060 XT 8GB 32 8 GB 2.53 Up to 3.13 128-bit 32 MB Starting at 150W $299
    AMD Radeon™ RX 9060 XT 16GB 32 16 GB 2.53 Up to 3.13 128-bit 32 MB Starting at 160W $349


    Pricing and Availability
    AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT graphics cards are expected to be available from leading board partners including Acer, ASRock, ASUS, Gigabyte, PowerColor, Sapphire, Vastarmor, XFX and Yeston, beginning later this year. The AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 8GB has an SEP of $299 USD, while the AMD Radeon RX 9060 XT 16GB has an SEP of $349 USD.  

    AMD Radeon AI PRO R9700: Built for AI-Powered Workstations
    Professionals advancing AI development can rely on the AMD Radeon™ AI PRO R9700 to accelerate local inference, model finetuning, and other data-heavy workflows. With second-generation AI accelerators delivering up to 2x the throughput of the previous generation2 and full support for the ROCm™ software stack on Linux, with support for ROCm™ on Windows coming soon, the R9700 is built for high-performance AI with on-device control and flexibility.

    The Radeon AI PRO R9700 also scales effectively in multi-GPU configurations, expanding memory and compute capacity for large models and parallel tasks. This flexibility makes it ideal for advanced workstations tackling complex simulations, real-time rendering, or concurrent AI workloads.

    Model Compute
    Units    		 VRAM Game
    Clock
    (GHz)    		 Boost
    Clock    1
    (GHz)    		 Memory
    Interface    		 Infinity
    Cache    		 TBP
    AMD Radeon™ AI PRO R9700 64 32 GB 2.35 Up to 2.92 256-bit 64 MB 300W


    Pricing and Availability
    The new Radeon AI PRO R9700 is expected to be available from leading board partners starting in July 2025.
            
    Ryzen Threadripper 9000 Series Workstations Processors Redefine Performance
    The new AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9000 WX-Series and Threadripper 9000 Series processors are purpose-built to handle the most demanding multi-threaded workloads and empower professionals to bring complex visions to life faster than ever.

    At the top of the stack, the Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9995WX offers 96 cores and 192 threads, ideal for visual effects, simulation, and AI model development. With up to 384MB of L3 cache and 128 lanes of PCIe® 5.0 connectivity, these processors make short work of large datasets, multi-GPU workloads, and memory-intensive applications. All PRO models come equipped with AMD PRO technologies for enterprise-grade security, manageability, and platform stability, helping to simplify IT operations.

    For enthusiasts and creators who demand workstation-grade compute in a high-end desktop (HEDT) platform, the Ryzen Threadripper 9000 Series offers up to 64 cores, enabling efficient content creation, rapid compiling, and local AI training without the need to offload to the cloud, helping to reduce cost, latency and improve privacy.

    Model Cores/Threads Base
    Frequency    		 Boost
    Frequency1    		 TDP Total
    Cache
    AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper™ PRO 9995WX 96 C / 192 T 2.5 GHz 5.4 GHz 350W 480 MB
    AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper™ PRO 9985WX 64 C / 128 T 3.2 GHz 5.4 GHz 350W 320 MB
    AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper™ PRO 9975WX 32 C / 64 T 4.0 GHz 5.4 GHz 350W 160 MB
    AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper™ PRO 9965WX 24 C / 48 T 4.2 GHz 5.4 GHz 350W 152 MB
    AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper™ PRO 9955WX 16 C / 32 T 4.5 GHz 5.4 GHz 350W 80 MB
    AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper™ PRO 9945WX 12 C / 24 T 4.7 GHz 5.4 GHz 350W 76 MB
    AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper™ 9980X 64 C / 128 T 3.2 GHz 5.4 GHz 350W 320 MB
    AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper™ 9970X 32 C / 64 T 4.0 GHz 5.4 GHz 350W 160 MB
    AMD Ryzen™ Threadripper™ 9960X 24 C / 48 T 4.2 GHz 5.4 GHz 350W 152 MB


    Pricing and Availability
    The AMD Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9000 WX-Series processors are expected to be available from MNCs, including Dell, HP and Lenovo, and Supermicro, as well as system integrators starting later this year. High-end desktop platforms featuring AMD Ryzen Threadripper 9000 Series processors, as well as DIY Ryzen Threadripper 9000 Series and select Ryzen Threadripper PRO 9000 WX-Series processors, will be available from retailers starting July 2025.

    AMD Continue to Deliver the Future of AI PCs
    During the keynote, Jack Huynh was joined by ASUS Co-CEO S.Y. Hsu to introduce the new ASUS Expert P Series Copilot+ PCs, the next-generation commercial PCs designed to bring AI acceleration to the enterprise. Powered by up to AMD Ryzen™ AI PRO 300 Series processors, these systems offer up-to 50+ TOPS of NPU performance, enabling fast, efficient AI-enhanced productivity in top-of-the-line business platforms. Featuring AMD PRO Technologies, Ryzen AI PRO Series processors deliver the enterprise-grade security and manageability features needed for the modern IT environment.

    “We’re proud to deepen our collaboration with AMD as we usher in a new era of AI-powered computing,” said S.Y. Hsu, Co-CEO of ASUS. “With the addition of the new Expert series — built from the ground up to revolutionize performance and efficiency for the modern workplace — to our broad AI PC portfolio, and commitment to innovation, we aim to deliver next-gen AI experiences that empower users everywhere.”

    “At Lenovo, we’re committed to delivering AI PCs that are not only powerful, but truly personal and productive. Our long-standing collaboration with AMD continues to drive this vision forward — from high-performance laptops to innovative workstations. Together, we’re enabling faster, smarter computing experiences for every kind of user. We’re especially excited about what’s coming next in our ThinkStation P8 workstation, where AMD’s latest high-performance Ryzen Threadripper PRO processors will unlock new possibilities for creators and professionals alike,” said Luca Rossi, President, Intelligent Devices Group, Lenovo.

    Supporting Resources 

    • Learn more about AMD at COMPUTEX 2025 here
    • Learn more AMD Radeon Graphics cards here   
    • Learn more about AMD FidelityFX Super Resolution here  
    • Learn more about Adrenalin Edition AI software here 
    • Learn more about HYPR-RX profiles here 
    • Learn more about Radeon AI PRO Graphics cards here
    • Learn more about AMD Ryzen Threadripper processors here 
    • Learn more about AMD PRO Technologies here 
    • Follow AMD on LinkedIn 
    • Follow AMD on X 

    About AMD 
    For more than 50 years AMD has driven innovation in high-performance computing, graphics and visualization technologies. Billions of people, leading Fortune 500 businesses and cutting-edge scientific research institutions around the world rely on AMD technology daily to improve how they live, work and play. AMD employees are focused on building leadership high-performance and adaptive products that push the boundaries of what is possible. For more information about how AMD is enabling today and inspiring tomorrow, visit the AMD (NASDAQ: AMD) website, blog, LinkedIn and X pages. 

    ____________________________________________
    1     Boost Clock Frequency is the maximum frequency achievable on the GPU running a bursty workload. Boost clock achievability, frequency, and sustainability will vary based on several factors, including but not limited to: thermal conditions and variation in applications and workloads. GD-151.
    2 Testing as of 3/11/2025 by AMD. Average performance of multiple runs for “How long would it take for a ball dropped from 10 meter height to hit the ground?“ and “Summarize the following in exactly five lines: [Insert Scene 1 Act 1 of Romeo and Juliet]”, drop edge cases where the model starts overthinking (more than 2k thinking tokens) to standardize response length. No speculative decode. All tests conducted on LM Studio 0.3.12 and Vulkan llama.cpp 1.18 with 100% GPU offload for AMD. NVIDIA-recommended CUDA llama.cpp used for RTX 4090 with NVIDIA-recommended 50% GPU offload (https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/ai-decoded-lm-studio/). Models tested: DeepSeek R1 Qwen 32b Q8 and DeepSeek R1 Llama 70b Q4 K M. System specifications: AMD Ryzen™ 7700X, 64GB DDR5 RAM 4800 MT/s, Windows 11 24H2 26100.2894, AMD Radeon™ PRO W7900 48GB and W7800 48GB using Adrenalin 25.1.1 Optional vs AMD Ryzen™ 9800X3D, 32GB DDR5 RAM 6000 MT/s.,Windows 11 24H2 26100.2894 and NVIDIA GeForce RTX 4090. GeForce 572.70. Performance may vary. RPW-493.

    Contact:
    Stacy MacDiarmid
    AMD Communications
    +1 512-658-2265
    Stacy.MacDiarmid@amd.com

    Liz Stine
    AMD Investor Relations
    +1 720-652-3965
    Liz.Stine@amd.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/3fb45eaf-59b5-4ca5-af70-411984cb93a1

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ14: Promoting research and development of Hong Kong

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

         Following is a question by the Hon Tang Fei and a written reply by the Secretary for Education, Dr Choi Yuk-lin, in the Legislative Council today (May 21):
     
    Question:
     
    According to a research publication released by the Legislative Council Secretariat last month, the number of research and development (R&D) personnel per million population in Hong Kong is significantly lower than that of neighbouring regions, and the proportion of local research postgraduates is continuously declining. There are views that research postgraduates also face multiple challenges in employment and the transformation of research outcomes. If such issues are not addressed in a timely manner, Hong Kong’s future innovation development and economic restructuring will be affected. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) given that according to the aforesaid research publication, Hong Kong currently has only 4 809 researchers per million population, lagging far behind Singapore and South Korea, whether the Government has drawn up specific measures to attract and nurture local R&D talent, particularly in STEM fields; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; whether it has set specific targets and timelines to increase the number of local R&D personnel in the next three years;
     
    (2) given that according to the aforesaid research publication, in the 2022-2023 academic year, only 63 per cent of research postgraduates from universities funded by the University Grants Committee secured full-time employment within six months after graduation, and only 11.6 per cent of graduates could manage to find jobs directly related to their studies, whether the Government has tailor-made support measures to address the employment challenges faced by research postgraduates, so as to help them maximise their potential and meet the needs of the local R&D industry; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
     
    (3) as there are views pointing out that while Hong Kong’s R&D outcomes reach international standards, they fall short in terms commercialisation and industrialisation, whether the Government will strengthen efforts to promote industry-academia-research collaboration to enhance the industrialisation of R&D outcomes and foster the development of an innovative economy; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
    The Government has all along been dedicated to promoting the development of innovation and technology (I&T), with a view to driving economic restructuring and more diversified development. Apart from the nation’s clear support for Hong Kong’s development into an international I&T hub under the 14th Five-Year Plan, the recently promulgated 2024-2035 master plan on building China into a leading country in education also proposed to establish an integrated co-ordinating mechanism for education, technology and talent, strengthening the supportive role of education for science and talent, closely tying in with the development of technological innovative centres in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the development of a highland for high-level calibre and platform for attracting talent, and enhancing the overall efficacy of the innovation system.
     
    The replies from the Education Bureau and the Innovation, Technology and Industry Bureau to the Hon Tang Fei’s question are as follows:
     
    (1) and (2) The Government has been expanding the local research and I&T talent pool through a multi-pronged approach. On the front of nurturing talent, the Government guides the University Grants Committee (UGC)-funded universities to align their planning with the nation’s strategy of invigorating China through science and education, and support the goal of developing Hong Kong into an international I&T hub, including setting the key performance indicators in the 2022 Policy Address with 35 per cent of the students pursuing UGC-funded programmes to study in STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics) subjects. In addition, publicly-funded research postgraduate (RPg) places have been gradually increased from 5 595 in the 2022/23 academic year to 7 200 places in the 2024/25 academic year. Together with the gradual uplift of the over-enrolment ceiling from 70 per cent in the 2021/22 academic year to 100 per cent, institutions could flexibly enrol 14 400 RPg students at most, which is an increase of more than half, to constantly expand the I&T and research talents of Hong Kong.
     
    Additionally, the STEM Internship Scheme under the Innovation and Technology Commission (ITC) subsidises undergraduates and postgraduates taking full-time STEM-related programmes to enrol in short-term internships, so as to foster their interest early in pursuing careers in I&T after graduation. The Research Talent Hub under the ITC also provides funding support for eligible companies or organisations to engage university graduates to conduct research and development (R&D) work.
     
    For attracting talent front, the InnoHK Research Clusters has successfully attracted R&D talents from all over the world to Hong Kong, with over 2 500 local, overseas and Mainland researchers involved, and has provided training for over 1 200 PhD students. The ITC will launch the Frontier Technology Research Support Scheme, with a view to attracting international top-notch talents to conduct basic research in frontier technologies in Hong Kong and nurture local researchers.
     
    According to the report “Hong Kong Innovation Activities Statistics 2023” released by the Census and Statistics Department in December 2024, the number of R&D personnel has reached 43 403 in 2023, which has increased steadily over the years.
     
    (3) With an aim to enhance the I&T ecosystem and Hong Kong’s competitiveness on the I&T front, the Government has been promoting collaboration among the industry, academic and research sectors through various measures, and adopting a multi-pronged approach to support commercialisation of R&D outcomes of local universities. For example, the $10 billion Research, Academic and Industry Sectors One-plus Scheme under the Innovation and Technology Fund (ITF) funds, on a matching basis, research teams from universities with good potential to become successful start-ups to transform and commercialise their R&D outcomes, while industry sponsorship is a mandatory requirement. Furthermore, the ITF will continue to provide annual funding to the Technology Transfer Office of each of the eight UGC-funded universities, thereby supporting the development of innovative ideas and R&D outcomes into new products or services. The R&D centres set up by the Government have also been taking forward industry-driven applied R&D work that suits market needs and transferring technologies to the industries through contract researches, licensing arrangements, etc to commercialise their R&D outcomes. Meanwhile, the Government facilitated the establishment of the Hong Kong New Industrialisation Development Alliance. Pooling together talent and resources from various fields, the Alliance aims to serve as a platform for collaboration among the Government, industry, academia, research and investment sectors. With a view to promoting co-operation among enterprises and organisations, we believe that the Alliance will also be conducive to the promotion of transformation and commercialisation of R&D outcomes.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: NZ ‘running out of patience’ – Peters lashes Israel over Gaza aid blockade

    RNZ News

    New Zealand has joined 23 other countries calling out Israel and demanding a full supply of foreign aid be allowed into the territory.

    Foreign Affairs Minister Winston Peters told RNZ Morning Report today it was “intolerable” that Israel had blocked any aid reaching residents for many weeks.

    The UN is warning that 14,000 babies are estimated to be suffering severe acute malnutrition in Gaza and ideally they need to get supplies within 48 hours.

    The UK, France and Canada have expressed their frustration, with the UK’s Foreign Secretary David Lammy telling Parliament the war in Gaza had entered a “dark new phase” and the UK was cancelling trade talks with Israel.

    Although the situation had come about because of acts of terrorism by Hamas, for residents in Gaza it had become “intolerable”, Peters told Morning Report.

    “We’ve had enough of this and we want the matter resolved and now.”

    A full resumption of aid should have happened a long time ago and it was essential that the United Nations be involved in delivering it.

    ‘Had enough of it’
    “… we’ve just simply had enough of it, utterly so [from Israel].”

    The statement by the countries reaffirmed what had been said for a long time that Israel must make aid available.

    New Zealand also opposed Israel’s latest expansion of military operations in Gaza, Peters said.

    The Palestinian Authority and countries such as Egypt and Indonesia understood New Zealand’s position.

    “We just want to sort this out and the long-term thing [Palestinians’ future alongside Israel] has got to be resolved as well.

    “Israel needs to get the message very clear — we are running out of patience and hearing excuses.”

    Asked if the Israeli ambassador should be called in so the message could be conveyed more clearly, he said it would be a symbolic gesture that would not help starving babies.

    Israel already knew what this country’s stance was, he said.

    It was an appalling situation that had started with “unforgivable terrorism” but Israel had gone “far too far” in its response, Peters said.

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

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Win tickets to fly Bendigo to Sydney as Bendigo Airport celebrates milestone

    Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

    Bendigo Airport is buzzing with excitement as it celebrates a major milestone – over 100,000 passengers have enjoyed the QantasLink Bendigo to Sydney flight service.

    To mark this incredible achievement, Bendigo Airport is launching an exciting competition with four Qantas return flight tickets to Sydney up for grabs.

    Bendigo Airport Manager Vicki Bayliss said the 100,000-passenger milestone illustrated the growing success of the regional airport service.

    “In April 2019, the city welcomed the arrival of QantasLink and regular passenger flights between Bendigo and Sydney,” Ms Bayliss said.

    “Despite the COVID-19 pandemic disrupting the airport’s growth for a time, the community returned when borders opened to support this important service, and I would like to thank you for contributing to the airport’s continuing success.

    “It is clear word is out about the advantages of flying from Bendigo Airport’s new terminal.

    “It is a stress-free experience when you choose Bendigo Airport, with ample cheap parking close to the new terminal building, a seamless and quick check-in, and great customer service from our dedicated staff.

    “The service is proving popular with the business community and holidaymakers.

    “There were just over 5,000 passengers when the service first started in 2019 and six years on it has increased to 100,000 which is significant growth.

    “To have an airport in central Victoria is so convenient and important for Greater Bendigo residents and for people living in surrounding shires.

    “It means less time commuting to Melbourne and more time enjoying your trip. Flying direct to Sydney from Bendigo Airport takes less than two hours and provides connection access to more than 100 destinations across Australia and internationally.

    “Flights between Bendigo and Sydney can now carry more people with a faster flight time after the introduction of Qantas’s expanded Dash 8-400 fleet last October.”

    To celebrate the milestone of 100,000 passengers, Bendigo Airport, in collaboration with Qantas, is launching an exciting competition in the City of Greater Bendigo’s free GB magazine. The autumn edition is hitting mailboxes this week. There is also a digital version on the City’s website for residents who do not have access to a printed copy.

    For your chance to win one of four return flight tickets from Bendigo to Sydney on QantasLink, complete the entry form and enter a code. The competition is open until 11:59 PM (AEST) Friday, May 30. Terms and Conditions apply.

    “Don’t miss out on this fantastic opportunity. Enter the GB magazine competition now and you might be one of four lucky GB magazine readers who will soon be flying up and away from Bendigo Airport,” Ms Bayliss said.

    To view the digital version of GB magazine, visit:

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s lesser-known destinations draw more inbound tourists

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

    .

    Basking in the sunshine, John Jammet and his wife sat in the courtyard of a traditional house in the historic Pingyao County of north China’s Shanxi Province, with coffee in hand. Their trip seemingly offered them a glimpse into the lives of Chinese back in the day.

    “Last night we traveled in the main streets and the lanterns were very beautiful,” said the man from France. “What attracted me most were a lot of young girls and boys wearing traditional clothes. It showed that they love their culture and history.”

    Fascinated by the video game “Black Myth: Wukong,” Jammet became interested in the culture behind it, and thus decided to come to China and have a look. The couple carefully planned their trip, with it including China’s capital Beijing, Pingyao, the ancient capital Xi’an in northwest China and the picturesque Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region in south China, reflecting their quest to see “both modern cities and traditional culture.”

    “In the Western world, I think there is misunderstanding about China, because our countries are different,” he explained. “It is important to see with our own eyes what’s the truth about China. For me, China is safe and clean, people are kind and helpful.”

    At the mention of China, images that immediately jump into the minds of many foreign tourists are normally the Great Wall, giant pandas and the many skyscrapers in the bustling metropolis of Shanghai in east China.

    Thanks partly to China’s eased visa policies, an increasing number of foreign tourists are now also turning their attention to lesser-known destinations to delve deeper into Chinese history and culture, just like Jammet and his wife.

    Foreign tourists learn to make traditional wheaten food at a homestay in Pingyao, north China’s Shanxi Province, May 15, 2025. (Photo by Qiao Yan/Xinhua)

    OFF THE BEATEN TRACK

    As of the beginning of May, China has granted unilateral visa-free entry to people from 38 countries, and has extended its visa-free transit period to 240 hours for travelers from 54 countries.

    In 2024, China recorded 64.88 million border crossings by foreign nationals, an 82.9-percent increase year on year. In the first quarter of 2025, this number stood at 17.44 million, up 33.4 percent compared to the same period in 2024.

    During the five-day May Day holiday, the most recent vacation in China for family outings and tourism, statistics regarding air ticket bookings on Chinese travel services platform Qunar showed that in addition to the megacities of Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, the lower-tier cities of Chengdu, Xiamen, Nanjing, Chongqing and south China’s Haikou were also among the top-ranking destinations for non-Chinese tourists. In addition, hotel bookings made by foreign passport holders in Zhuhai, east China’s Qingdao and central China’s Wuhan grew by 70, 60 and 50 percent respectively.

    Hotels, restaurants and even hairdressers in residential areas not very close to traditional attractions in Beijing are beginning to greet foreign tourists, while small cities and counties are also seeing more inbound visitors.

    Zachary Iziah Smith, an American travel blogger, poses for a photo at Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang, northwest China’s Gansu Province, April 11, 2025. (Xinhua)

    Kang Mobei is general manager of a shop affiliated to the Gansu Provincial Museum, which sells creative cultural products inspired by items in the museum, like a green fluffy toy based on the iconic copper galloping horse.

    Notably, Gansu Province in northwest China is home to many historical sites, including the Mogao Grottoes UNESCO World Heritage Site. During the May Day holiday, she found more foreign tourists in her shop, many of whom came from countries like Australia, Indonesia, Thailand and Japan.

    “Some of them had already been to the museum, and a few even showed me pictures they found on social media platforms like ‘rednote’ when asking for products,” said Kang, who observed that some customers had fluffy toys from other creative cultural product shops dangling from their bags.

    With overseas customers in mind, the store installed POS machines for international bank cards and carried out language training for their staff.

    A foreign visitor (L) learns how to make matcha beverage at a tea industrial park in Jiangkou County, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, April 14, 2025. (Xinhua/Yang Wenbin)

    EASIER, FASTER, BETTER KNOWN

    To meet this increasing demand from foreign customers for niche tourist destinations, Chen Wanni and Chen Min last year founded China Explorer Tour (CET), a tour operating company specializing in authentic food, adventure and cultural-immersion themed retreats and experiences across China.

    “It was more successful than we had expected,” said Chen Wanni, admitting that she was prepared for a loss in the first year, but surprisingly they managed to break even. The referral rate of the tourist routes reached 60 percent, with many customers recommending to their friends to come back, while quite a few have come more than once.

    “Tourism is not only an industry, but also a window for overseas travelers to learn about China,” she said.

    Chen Min informed Xinhua that more and more overseas tourists are expressing interest in China’s lesser-known destinations, in addition to the traditional attractions, representing the maturity of the nation’s tourism industry in recent years.

    Tom Peacock-Nazil from Britain last September booked a 10-day tour with CET, and visited not only Beijing and Xi’an but also southwest China’s Guizhou Province, where he saw both the stunning beauty of nature and various ethnic cultures.

    “I realized I had massively underestimated China,” he said. “I think I’ve fallen in love with China. That’s mainly because we’ve been off the beaten track. I’m dying to come back and I’ve been learning about other provinces. I’ve got plans already.”

    Tom Peacock-Nazil (2nd R) and other tourists pose for a photo in Leishan County, southwest China’s Guizhou Province, in September 2024. (China Explorer Tour/Handout via Xinhua)

    Sun Weili, a regional manager with the Chinese travel platform Trip.com Group, noted that the surge in foreign tourists for in-depth tours in China is a result of combined efforts. “Along with eased visa policies, they can also feel the convenience in terms of payment and traffic, as well as more diversified tours,” he said.

    For instance, a 16-day luxury train tour from Chengdu to Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region has attracted overseas visitors, which promises to take them to an in-depth journey to the northwestern region. So far tickets for all the 10 trips between May and October have been sold out, with 70 percent of the customers inbound tourists.

    Meanwhile, thanks to movies, video games and social media, Chinese culture is better promoted across the world, luring more curious overseas visitors to have a closer look. “We are more open and confident,” Sun said.

    Zhang Jun, who is with a travel agency in Datong in Shanxi, has worked as a tour guide for 18 years. He has noted the huge development of inter-city transportation which has made self-guided tours possible. “For instance, we used to sit in overnight trains and transfer to reach Pingyao from Beijing. But now the journey takes less than four hours.”

    John Jammet this time traveled in China for 15 days, which he found not enough to explore the country. “China is big,” he said. “I might need to spend a month here.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Serious crash: State Highway 12, Matakohe

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Motorists are advised to expect delays on State Highway 12, west of Gallid Road, Matakohe.

    Emergency services are in attendance at a crash, reported at around 1.15pm.

    A car has left the road and landed in a ditch.

    Police advise that although both lanes are currently open, traffic restrictions are in place.

    A ‘stop-go’ system will be implemented to enable the vehicle to be retrieved.

    An update will be provided in due course regarding injuries.

    ENDS.

    Nicole Bremner/NZ Police 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for May 21, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on May 21, 2025.

    Australian para sport has issues everywhere – here’s what must be fixed ahead of the Brisbane Paralympics
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Katherine Raw, Lecturer, Sport Management, Swinburne University of Technology Bratislav Kostic/Shutterstock Australia’s underwhelming performance at the 2024 Paris Paralympics has raised serious questions about how well our adaptive sport system is working. The Paris games returned our lowest medal tally since 1988, from our smallest team since

    What’s the difference between skim milk and light milk?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Margaret Murray, Senior Lecturer, Nutrition, Swinburne University of Technology bodnar.photo/Shutterstock If you’re browsing the supermarket fridge for reduced-fat milk, it’s easy to be confused by the many different types. You can find options labelled skim, skimmed, skinny, no fat, extra light, lite, light, low fat, reduced fat,

    AI is now used for audio description. But it should be accurate and actually useful for people with low vision
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Locke, Associate Researcher in Digital Disability, Centre for Culture and Technology, Curtin University Chansom Pantip/Shutterstock Since the recent explosion of widely available generative artificial intelligence (AI), it now seems that a new AI tool emerges every week. With varying success, AI offers solutions for productivity, creativity,

    NZ Budget 2025: science investment must increase as a proportion of GDP for NZ to innovate and compete
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Nicola Gaston, Director of the MacDiarmid Institute for Advanced Materials and Nanotechnology, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Shutterstock/Olivier Le Queinec A lack of strategy and research funding – by both the current and previous governments – has been well documented, most comprehensively in the first report

    Starvation of Gaza – a distressing continuation of a decades-old plan
    SPECIAL REPORT: By Jeremy Rose Reading an NBC News report a couple of days ago about a Trump administration plan to relocate 1 million Gazans to Libya reminded me of a conversation between the legendary Warsaw Ghetto leader Marek Edelman and fellow fighter and survivor Simcha Rotem that took place more than quarter of a

    Spotify continues to change music. What’s next – will AI musicians replace music made by humans?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra Spotify was started, according to its official claims, because its founders “love music and piracy was killing it”. In Mood Machine, music journalist Liz Pelly argues this is rewriting history. In fact, she

    Feats of the human body behind Tom Cruise’s stunts in Mission: Impossible movies
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dan Baumgardt, Senior Lecturer, School of Physiology, Pharmacology and Neuroscience, University of Bristol He’s leapt from cliffs, clung to planes mid-takeoff and held his breath underwater for as long as professional freedivers. Now, at 62, Tom Cruise returns as Ethan Hunt for one final mission – and

    After another call with Putin, it looks like Trump has abandoned efforts to mediate peace in Ukraine
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham After a two-hour phone call with Russian leader Vladimir Putin on May 19, US president Donald Trump took to social media to declare that Russia and Ukraine will “immediately start negotiations” towards a ceasefire and an end to

    The public service has a much smaller gender pay gap than the private sector. It’s a big achievement
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Leonora Risse, Associate Professor in Economics, University of Canberra NDAB Creativity/Shutterstock After two years of publishing the gender pay gaps of Australia’s private-sector companies, the Workplace Gender Equality Agency has released public-sector employer data for the first time. The report shows a stark contrast between the private

    For making stars, it’s not just how much gas a galaxy has that matters – it’s where it’s hiding
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Barbara Catinella, Professor and Senior Principal Research Fellow, International Centre for Radio Astronomy Research (ICRAR), The University of Western Australia One of the galaxies mapped by WALLABY: the red shade shows the atomic hydrogen gas content of the galaxy, overlaid on an optical image showing the stars.

    The Queensland melioidosis outbreak is still growing. What’s keeping this deadly mud bug active?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Jeffries, Senior Lecturer in Microbiology, Western Sydney University ap-studio/Shutterstock The outbreak of the deadly “mud bug” melioidosis in north Queensland has not yet abated since it began at the start of this year. So far there have been 221 cases and 31 deaths from the disease

    ‘Outdated and irrelevant’: what do young Australians think of their schooling?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jun Eric Fu, Senior Research Fellow, Youth Research Collective, The University of Melbourne LBeddoe/Shutterstock Australia’s school system – and whether it is doing its job – is often under the microscope from politicians, experts and parents. The most recent NAPLAN results in 2024 triggered a wave of

    Culture at the core: examining journalism values in the Pacific
    ANALYSIS: By Birte Leonhardt, Folker Hanusch and Shailendra B. Singh The role of journalism in society is shaped not only by professional norms but also by deeply held cultural values. This is particularly evident in the Pacific Islands region, where journalists operate in media environments that are often small, tight-knit and embedded within traditional communities.

    The band is breaking up: has the Coalition stopped making sense?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joshua Black, Visitor, School of History, Australian National University I remember seeing footage, several years ago, of a jubilant Malcolm Turnbull, then prime minister and Liberal leader, speaking in Tamworth to loyal members of the National Party. These were the rank and file who had spent weeks

    Health chief ‘conductor of an orchestra who’s never played an instrument’
    ANALYSIS: By Ian Powell In February 2025, Dr Diana Sarfati resigned, not unexpectedly, as Director-General of Health after only two years into her five-year term. As a medical specialist, and in her role as developing the successful cancer control agency, she had extensive experience in New Zealand’s health system. However, she did not conform to

    Victorian budget has cash to splash on health, transport but new levies, job cuts, rising debt signal pain ahead
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Hayward, Emeritus Professor of Public Policy, RMIT University There was not a lot of cheer in the media reporting ahead of the 2025/6 Victorian budget released on Wednesday. Debt and deficits dominated the coverage. All eyes turned to new treasurer, Jaclyn Symes, to see if in

    RBA cuts interest rates, ready to respond again if the economy weakens further
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By John Hawkins, Senior Lecturer, Canberra School of Politics, Economics and Society, University of Canberra Reserve Bank Governor Michele Bullock speaks at a forum during the World Bank/IMF meetings in Washington in April. Jose Luis Magana/AP The Reserve Bank of Australia cut the official interest rate for the

    The Coalition is on a break, but the Nationals risk finding their former partner doesn’t want them back
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Linda Botterill, Visiting Fellow, Crawford School of Public Policy, Australian National University In the weeks since the federal election, there’s been much speculation about the future of the Coalition agreement. In their soul-searching, it seemed possible the Liberals might pull the pin, given the degree of their

    Israel slammed over ‘cynical’ sidestep of global rulings on Gazan humanitarian aid
    Asia Pacific Report Israel has been accused of “manipulation” and “cynical” circumvention of global decisions calling for unrestricted humanitarian aid access to the besieged Gaza enclave. “In a clear act of defiance against international humanitarian obligations, the occupying state has permitted only nine aid trucks to enter the Gaza Strip — covering both the devastated

    Keith Rankin Analysis – The Aratere and the New Zealand Main Trunk Line
    Analysis by Keith Rankin. Government-owned Kiwirail is supposed to be presiding over the New Zealand Main Trunk (Railway) Line, from Auckland to Invercargill. As such it runs a ferry service (The Interislander) between New Zealand’s North and South Islands. We are being told by Kiwirail (and see today’s report on Radio NZ) that the only

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Construction begins at Watson Health Precinct

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    As part of ACT Government’s ‘One Government, One Voice’ program, we are transitioning this website across to our . You can access everything you need through this website while it’s happening.

    Released 20/05/2025

    The ACT Government is delivering the health infrastructure our growing city needs with construction beginning on the Watson Health Precinct redevelopment.

    Minister for Health Rachel Stephen-Smith said the renewed Watson Health Precinct will enable delivery of better health services for young people and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community in Canberra.

    The upgrades will provide new purpose-built facilities to support alcohol and other drug rehabilitation services, as well as residential mental health care for young people.

    The precinct will also expand to include a new residential rehabilitation facility specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people – designed, constructed and operated by Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services.

    Minister Stephen-Smith welcomed the milestone as a key step toward delivering a modern, inclusive and culturally safe environment that will support recovery and wellbeing.

    “With new and upgraded facilities, the Watson Health Precinct will continue to provide live-in alcohol and other drug rehabilitation services for young people through the Ted Noffs Foundation, alongside residential care for young people experiencing mental health challenges, provided by Marymead CatholicCare,” Minister Stephen-Smith said.

    “The establishment of a residential alcohol and other drug facility for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people fills a service gap in the ACT and increases culturally appropriate treatment options in the territory.

    “Winnunga Nimmityjah has led the design of this new facility and will also be responsible for its construction and operation. This partnership ensures that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people receive culturally safe and appropriate care to support their recovery journey.”

    The ACT Government has worked closely with each organisation to ensure the new infrastructure meets the unique needs of their clients and supports their critical work.

    “Community health organisations play a vital and trusted role in delivering these essential services for the Canberra community. The upgraded facilities will enable our community partners to provide a welcoming, secure and inclusive environment that will support positive clinical and therapeutic outcomes,” Minister Stephen-Smith said.

    The ACT Government committed $49 million in the 2023-24 ACT Budget to upgrade the Watson Health Precinct to support these vital community organisations to continue delivering essential health services to young people and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people.

    Construction is expected to be completed in mid-2026.

    The ACT Government is making record investments in public healthcare to ensure Canberrans can access the right care, when and where they need it.

    You can find out more about the government’s health projects at builtforcbr.act.gov.au/projects/health.

    Quotes attributable to Julie Tongs, CEO at Winnunga Nimmityjah Aboriginal Health and Community Services:

    “The new residential rehabilitation facility is designed to support the need for both cultural and therapeutic programs specifically designed indoor and outdoor spaces to allow for a holistic approach for all programs to be deliver seamlessly.”

    Quotes attributable to Anne Kirwan, CEO at Marymead CatholicCare Canberra & Goulburn:

    “At STEPS, (Supporting Young People through early intervention and prevention strategies) we know that a young person’s environment plays a vital role in their mental health recovery. We’re thrilled about the ACT Government’s multi-million dollar investment into youth services at The Watson site. This redevelopment will allow us to create a welcoming, therapeutic space surrounded by nature and designed with the comforts of home where young people can feel safe, supported, and empowered to work towards their wellbeing goals.”

    Quotes attributable to Lachlan Dean, National Programs Manager at Ted Noffs Foundation:

    “Seeking support for drug and alcohol treatment is a massive step for any young person to undertake. Having a space that is designed and created to allow for young people to feel safe, comfortable and promotes treatment removes one barrier to young people accessing support. We welcome the ACT Government’s commitment to improve the treatment options for young people in the ACT.”

    – Statement ends –

    Rachel Stephen-Smith, MLA | Media Releases

    «ACT Government Media Releases | «Minister Media Releases

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cramer Questions Air Force Leadership on ISR, Weaponization of Space

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND)
    ***Click here to download video. Click here for audio.***
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) held a hearing today to review the posture of the Department of the Air Force, which encompasses both the U.S. Air Force and the U.S. Space Force. Members heard testimony from Secretary of the Air Force Troy Meink, Chief of Staff of the Air Force General David Allvin, and Chief of Space Operations General Chance Saltzman.
    U.S. Senator Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Chair of the SASC Airland Subcommittee, questioned the witnesses about the weaponization of space. Cramer also discussed concerns surrounding cuts to the Sentinel intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) program and the Air Force’s plan for maintaining airborne intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities.
    [embedded content]
    Cramer referred to Russian President Vladimir Putin and People’s Republic of China (PRC) President Xi Jinping’s joint statement labeling President Trump’s Golden Dome plans as “deeply destabilizing,” arguing such new U.S. defenses would weaponize space.  
    He asked General Saltzman if America’s enemies have weapons in space right now.
    “Yes, Senator, they do. Over the last few years, we’ve observed, for instance, the Russians have performed some very aggressive on-orbit capabilities, in terms of plane matching, getting very close to some of our most sensitive satellites in aggressive ways,” said General Saltzman. “They’ve released what could be presumed to be kinetic kill vehicles that we’ve watched on-orbit. The PRC has demonstrated the ability to use a grappling arm to grab a satellite and pull it out of its operational orbit, [then] return it. All of these are demonstrated capabilities that could be used as anti-satellite technology.”
    Cramer also asked if the Space Force is adequately funded to meet this kind of threat in space. General Saltzman said the department is not adequately funded for the new missions he has been given in space superiority. 
    “Scale matters, right?” said Cramer. “If we have the world’s greatest weapons, but not enough of them to defeat the enemy, then we’re not adequately funded.”
    The conversation shifted toward the importance of MQ-9 Reapers to U.S. military operations worldwide. Earlier this year, Cramer led a bipartisan letter to Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth expressing concern regarding the Air Force’s plan for maintaining airborne ISR capability. The rate of investment and divestment leaves the Combatant Commanders accepting greater risk and provides civilian policy makers with less input to make informed decisions or conduct effective missions. He led a similar letter last year to then-Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin. 
    “My commitment is, we need to do more to make sure we’re not falling backwards anywhere, and that we’re projecting forward everywhere,” said Cramer. He then asked General Allvin if the department has enough MQ-9s to meet the present demand. General Allvin said they have lost several MQ-9s in combat and in operations. 
    “It is getting to the point where we need to ensure that every one of them is […] as survivable as possible, and that some of the areas where…we’re looking to improve on are putting the capability for the enhanced, proliferated LEO [low-Earth orbit] architecture, to be able to put that on the MQ-9,” stated General Allvin. “This is where I might make my pitch for more funding flexibility, because right now it’s a $17 million ask. Because that is above the [threshold for] reprogramming, we’re having to go through a longer process with us in Congress to get that approved. But the more we can have that flexibility to be able to […] accelerate the fielding of the proliferated LEO architecture on those MQ-9s, it’ll make them more survivable.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: As Senate Republicans Consider Procedural Power Grab, Markey Highlights Seriousness of the Moment

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    Republicans attempting to change rules to overturn California EPA Clean Air Act waivers     
    Washington (May 20, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Environment and Public Works Committee (EPW), today released the following statement in response to Republicans’ commitment to overturn Senate procedure and decades of historical precedent. Despite the independent, non-partisan agency Government Accountability Office’s (GAO) determination that California’s Clean Air Act waivers are not rules and the Senate Parliamentarian’s confirmation that this would be an inappropriate use of the Congressional Review Act (CRA), Senate Republicans are considering a majority vote to overrule the Senate Parliamentarian.
    “At a moment when Donald Trump is actively undermining the checks and balances enshrined in our Constitution, Senate Republicans are moving ahead with a dangerous change to Senate rules while rolling back clean air regulations.  
    “It’s not enough for Republicans to promote chaos and conflict in our economy for the sake of billionaires, they now want to create chaos and conflict in Congress by intentionally trashing guardrails and decisions that protect all members. They don’t care about the rule of law, and they don’t seem to care about the rule of Congress. With this action, Senate Republicans are opening the door for future votes on the countless unlawful and unethical actions carried out by the Trump administration. There will be no putting the genie back in the bottle.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: VIDEO: Capito Questions HHS Secretary Kennedy During Appropriations Hearing

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
    [embedded content]
    Click here or on the image above to watch Senator Capito’s questions. 
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS), questioned U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. during a hearing to consider the president’s Fiscal Year 2026 budget request.
    HIGHLIGHTS:
    ON THE IMPORTANCE OF PATIENT ACCESS TO CLINICAL TRIALS:
    SENATOR CAPITO: “Clinical trials are the forefront of research and innovation, and oftentimes represent that last hope of cancer patients and other patients addressing chronic disease when traditional treatments have been ineffective. These clinical trials often lead getting life-saving drugs to the market. Has HHS or any sub-agency assessed the impact of patient access to clinical trials during the reorganization?”
    SECRETARY KENNEDY: “We are not cutting any clinical trials and we’re not cutting drug development. We’re cutting administrative costs.”
    ON RURAL HEALTHCARE INITIATIVES: 
    SENATOR CAPITO: “There’s such significant healthcare challenges in rural America. A lot of it is around access. The rates of chronic conditions like diabetes and heart disease are among some of the highest in rural America. HRSA programs are critical to rural health initiatives. In your budget, you announced a cut to HRSA programs. I am concerned about that because of the access issue and because the inequities that I see…where people have easier access to health care than rural America. You’ve got transportation issues, you have connectivity issues, you have generational issues of passing down different diseases. How is rural America going to be better under your reorganization?” 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Capito Talks California Waiver CRA at GOP Leadership Press Conference

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
    [embedded content]
    To watch Chairman Capito’s remarks, click here or the image above.
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, delivered remarks during the weekly Senate GOP Leadership Press Conference on the joint resolution of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act (CRA) that she introduced to repeal California’s EV waiver that prohibit the sale of new gas-powered light-duty vehicles by 2035. 
    HIGHLIGHTS: 
    LEADERSHIP AT EPW: “As Chair of the Environment and Public Works Committee, I am the one who is leading the California waiver Congressional Review Act.”
    ON THE CALIFORNIA WAIVER: “The onerous quality of this of this rule is just beyond description, not just the penalties, forcing certain states and certain consumers to purchase a vehicle that they may not want or that they can’t find. It really eliminates what I think our country was built on, which is individual choice and making the decisions for yourselves.”
    DELAY FROM BIDEN ADMIN: “I think the one thing that’s interesting about this mandate is the Biden administration – California asked for this waiver in May of 2023. It was not granted until the very end of December of 2024. You know why? Because they know the American people reject this handily.”
    THE CONGRESSIONAL REVIEW ACT: “The Trump administration, under Administrator Zeldin’s leadership, submitted it as a rule, it is a rule submitted to [Congress], it is within the boundaries of the Congressional Review Act.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Have your say on Financial Service Providers (Registration and Dispute Resolution) Amendment Bill

    Source:

    Media Release

    Organisation:   Finance and Expenditure Committee

    For release:     21 May 2025

    Have your say on Financial Service Providers (Registration and Dispute Resolution) Amendment Bill

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for submissions on the Financial Service Providers (Registration and Dispute Resolution) Amendment Bill. The closing date for submissions is 11.59pm on Monday, 23 June 2025.

    This bill is one of three that the Finance and Expenditure Committee is considering related to financial services. The other two bills are the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Amendment Bill and the Financial Markets Conduct Amendment Bill.

    Please take care to upload your submission on the relevant bill. 

    Financial dispute resolution is a free way for consumers to resolve disputes with their bank, insurer, KiwiSaver provider, or other financial service provider. This bill would make two changes to financial dispute resolution. The changes aim to ensure:

    • improved oversight of approved dispute resolution scheme performance, by requiring the responsible Minister to decide how the schemes must undertake their independent reviews
    • effective and impartial governance of the schemes’ boards, by providing for a regulation-making power that can be used to set skills, experience, and independence requirements of board members.

    Tell the Finance and Expenditure Committee what you think:

    Make a submission on the bill by 11.59pm on Monday, 23 June 2025.

    For more details about the bill:

    ENDS

    For media enquiries contact:

    Finance and Expenditure Committee Staff

    fe@parliament.govt.nz

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Have your say on Financial Markets Conduct Amendment Bill

    Source:

    Media Release

    Organisation:   Finance and Expenditure Committee

    For release:     21 May 2025

    Have your say on Financial Markets Conduct Amendment Bill

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for submissions on the Financial Markets Conduct Amendment Bill. The closing date for submissions is 11.59pm on Monday, 23 June 2025.

    This bill is one of three that the Finance and Expenditure Committee is considering related to financial services.  The other two bills are the Financial Service Providers (Registration and Dispute Resolution) Amendment Bill and the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Amendment Bill.

    Please take care to upload your submission on the relevant bill.

    The bill would:

    • change minimum requirements for fair conduct programmes to allow for more flexibility and to reduce unnecessary prescription and compliance costs
    • require the Financial Markets Authority (FMA) to issue a single licence covering different classes of market services
    • change provisions that require firms holding a licence under the Financial Markets Conduct Act, or authorised bodies, to obtain regulatory approval from the FMA before certain changes in firms take effect
    • introduce on-site inspection powers for the FMA to, without notice, enter and remain at a place of business of a financial markets participant for compliance monitoring purpose
    • make a number of other technical amendments.

    Tell the Finance and Expenditure Committee what you think:

    Make a submission on the bill by 11.59pm on Monday, 23 June 2025.

    For more details about the bill:

    ENDS

    For media enquiries contact:

    Finance and Expenditure Committee Staff

    fe@parliament.govt.nz

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Have your say on Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Amendment Bill

    Source:

    Media Release

    Organisation:   Finance and Expenditure Committee

    For release:     21 May 2025

    Have your say on Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Amendment Bill

    The Finance and Expenditure Committee is calling for submissions on the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Amendment Bill. The closing date for submissions is 11.59pm on Monday, 23 June 2025.

    This bill is one of three that the Finance and Expenditure Committee is considering related to financial services. The other two bills are the Financial Service Providers (Registration and Dispute Resolution) Amendment Bill and the Financial Markets Conduct Amendment Bill.

    Please take care to upload your submission on the relevant bill.

    This bill would:

    • transfer regulatory responsibility for credit contracts and consumer finance from the Commerce Commission to the Financial Markets Authority
    • make certain alignments between the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003 and other financial markets legislation to support a consistent and proportionate regulatory system, including transitioning lenders from a certification to a licensing regime
    • remove features of the Credit Contracts and Consumer Finance Act 2003 (such as the due diligence duty for directors and senior managers) that are unnecessary because of, or do not fit as well with, the new regulatory approach (including the adoption of a licensing model)
    • limit the situations in which a creditor’s failure to make required initial or variation disclosure can mean that the debtor is not liable for the costs of borrowing.

    Tell the Finance and Expenditure Committee what you think:

    Make a submission on the bill by 11.59pm on Monday, 23 June 2025.

    For more details about the bill:

    ENDS

    For media enquiries contact:

    Finance and Expenditure Committee Staff

    fe@parliament.govt.nz

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: AI is now used for audio description. But it should be accurate and actually useful for people with low vision

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Kathryn Locke, Associate Researcher in Digital Disability, Centre for Culture and Technology, Curtin University

    Chansom Pantip/Shutterstock

    Since the recent explosion of widely available generative artificial intelligence (AI), it now seems that a new AI tool emerges every week.

    With varying success, AI offers solutions for productivity, creativity, research, and also accessibility: making products, services and other content more usable for people with disability.

    The award-winning 2024 Super Bowl ad for Google Pixel 8 is a poignant example of how the latest AI tech can intersect with disability.

    Directed by blind director Adam Morse, it showcases an AI-powered feature that uses audio cues, haptic feedback (where vibrating sensations communicate information to the user) and animations to assist blind and low-vision users in capturing photos and videos.

    Javier in Frame showcases an accessibility feature found on Pixel 8 phones.

    The ad was applauded for being disability inclusive and representative. It also demonstrated a growing capacity for – and interest in – AI to generate more accessible technology.

    AI is also poised to challenge how audio description is created and what it may sound like. This is the focus of our research team.

    Audio description is a track of narration that describes important visual elements of visual media, including television shows, movies and live performances. Synthetic voices and quick, automated visual descriptions might result in more audio description on our screens. But will users lose out in other ways?

    AI as people’s eyes

    AI-powered accessibility tools are proliferating. Among them is Microsoft’s Seeing AI, an app that turns your smartphone into a talking camera by reading text and identifying objects. The app Be My AI uses virtual assistants to describe photos taken by blind users; it’s an AI version of the original app Be My Eyes, where the same task was done by human volunteers.

    There are increasingly more AI software options for text-to-speech and document reading, as well as for producing audio description.

    Audio description is an essential feature to make visual media accessible to blind or vision impaired audiences. But its benefits go beyond that.

    Increasingly, research shows audio description benefits other disability groups and mainstream audiences without disability. Audio description can also be a creative way to further develop or enhance a visual text.

    Traditionally, audio description has been created using human voices, script writers and production teams. However, in the last year several international streaming services including Netflix and Amazon Prime have begun offering audio description that’s at least partially generated with AI.

    Yet there are a number of issues with the current AI technologies, including their ability to generate false information. These tools need to be critically appraised and improved.

    Is AI coming for audio description jobs?

    There are multiple ways in which AI might impact the creation – and end result – of audio description.

    With AI tools, streaming services can get synthetic voices to “read” an audio description script. There’s potential for various levels of automation, while giving users the chance to customise audio description to suit their specific needs and preferences. Want your cooking show to be narrated in a British accent? With AI, you could change that with the press of a button.

    However, in the audio description industry many are worried AI could undermine the quality, creativity and professionalism humans bring to the equation.

    The language-learning app Duolingo, for example, recently announced it was moving forward with “AI first” development. As a result, many contractors lost jobs that can now purportedly be done by algorithms.

    On the one hand, AI could help broaden the range of audio descriptions available for a range of media and live experiences.

    But AI audio description may also cost jobs rather than create them. The worst outcome would be a huge amount of lower-quality audio description, which would undermine the value of creating it at all.

    AI shouldn’t undermine the quality of assistive technologies, including audio description.
    Ground Picture/Shutterstock

    Can we trust AI to describe things well?

    Industry impact and the technical details of how AI can be used in audio description are one thing.

    What’s currently lacking is research that centres the perspectives of users and takes into consideration their experiences and needs for future audio description.

    Accuracy – and trust in this accuracy – is vitally important for blind and low-vision audiences.

    Cheap and often free, AI tools are now widely used to summarise, transcribe and translate. But it’s a well-known problem that generative AI struggles to stay factual. Known as “hallucinations”, these plausible fabrications proliferate even when the AI tools are not asked to create anything new – like doing a simple audio transcription.

    If AI tools simply fabricate content rather than make existing material accessible, it would even further distance and disadvantage blind and low-vision consumers.

    We can use AI for accessibility – with care

    AI is a relatively new technology, and for it to be a true benefit in terms of accessibility, its accuracy and reliability need to be absolute. Blind and low-vision users need to be able to turn on AI tools with confidence.

    In the current “AI rush” to make audio description cheaper, quicker and more available, it’s vital that the people who need it the most are closely involved in how the tech is deployed.

    Kathryn Locke is employed as a researcher on the Australian Research Council’s discovery grant, “Diversifying audio description in the Australian digital landscape”.

    Tama Leaver receives funding from the Australian Research Council. This work is supported by the discovery grant, “Diversifying audio description in the Australian digital landscape”. He is a chief investigator in the ARC Centre of Excellence for the Digital Child.

    – ref. AI is now used for audio description. But it should be accurate and actually useful for people with low vision – https://theconversation.com/ai-is-now-used-for-audio-description-but-it-should-be-accurate-and-actually-useful-for-people-with-low-vision-256808

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Firearm recovered following callout in Manurewa

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Police have made two arrests and removed a firearm from the community in Manurewa.

    On Tuesday afternoon, Manurewa Police were called to a Great South Road property after a man was reportedly trying to gain entry.

    Counties Manukau Central Area Prevention Manager, Inspector Warrick Adkin says Police were called at about 3.40pm.

    “It was reported that a known offender was likely involved, and concerningly for us it was reported that he was in possession of a firearm,” he says.

    “Armed staff made an approach to the address, and located the victim who was unharmed, and the offender had not gained entry.”

    Meanwhile, the Police Eagle helicopter had deployed into the Manurewa area and located a vehicle of interest parked in Browns Road.

    “Eagle observed a man and woman exit an address and get into this vehicle and tracked it to South Mall,” Inspector Adkin says.

    Armed Police staff approached the parked vehicle and quickly took both occupants into custody.

    Inspector Adkin says methamphetamine was located in the vehicle, and a 42-year-old woman was arrested in relation to this.

    “No firearm was located in the vehicle; however a search of the Browns Road property located a cut down firearm, which is an excellent outcome.”

    “Seizing illegal firearms such as this, will reduce harm in our community and enhance public safety.” 

    A 38-year-old man will appear in the Manukau District Court charged with unlawful possession of a pistol and ammunition, along with speaks threateningly.

    ENDS.

    Jarred Williamson/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Fatal crash, State Highway 1, Timaru

    Source: New Zealand Police

    A person has died following a crash in Timaru this morning.

    Emergency services were called to the single-vehicle crash on Evans Street, State Highway 1, about 9.50am.

    Part of the road is expected to remain closed until later this afternoon while the Serious Crash Unit carries out a scene examination.

    The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley, Klobuchar Lead Bipartisan Resolution Calling for Return of Kidnapped Ukrainian Children Prior to Any Final Peace Agreement

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley
    WASHINGTON – Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) led a bipartisan group of senators in introducing a resolution calling for the return of abducted Ukrainian children before any peace agreement is finalized ending the war against Ukraine. 
    The resolution condemns Russia’s abduction and forcible transfer of Ukrainian children and notes Russia’s invasion has increasingly exposed children to human trafficking and exploitation, child labor, sexual violence, hunger, injury, trauma and death. 
    “Putin’s inhumane and unprovoked attack on Ukraine started the largest war in Europe since World War II. He has kidnapped thousands of children to brainwash and Russify them in an attempt to destroy their cultural identity and heritage. The United States ought to demand these children are returned before inking a deal to end the war in Ukraine,” Grassley said. 
    “The mass kidnapping of Ukrainian children by Russia is an atrocity. We cannot accept a world where children are abducted during wartime and used as a form of hostage-taking for negotiations. These children must be returned unconditionally before any peace deal is finalized,” Klobuchar said.
    Additional cosponsors are Sens. Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Roger Wicker (R-Miss.), John Fetterman (D-Penn.) and Rick Scott (R-Fla.).
    Organizations endorsing the resolution include: World Relief, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (Southern Baptist Convention), Christian Life Commission & Center for Cultural Engagement (Texas Baptists) and Peace & Power Ukraine Host Gary Marx.
    The resolution follows an April letter sent by forty religious leaders to President Donald Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio calling for the return of the nearly 20,000 children forcibly transferred to Russia and Russian-controlled territories.
    Find text of the resolution HERE.  
    Background:
    Ukrainian authorities have received at least 19,546 confirmed reports of unlawful deportations and forced transfers of Ukrainian children to Russia, Belarus or Russian-occupied Ukrainian territory. The abductions aim to erase the children’s Ukrainian names, language and identity. As of April 16, Ukraine and its partners have only managed to return 1,274 abducted children. 
    The State Department’s 2024 Trafficking in Persons Report found Russia recruits or uses child soldiers, has a state-sponsored policy or pattern of human trafficking and is among the worst hubs for human trafficking in the world. 
    Grassley’s ongoing work to support Ukraine:
    For years, Grassley has been an outspoken critic of Russia’s threats and aggressive actions. After the invasion, Grassley immediately condemned Russia’s assault on Ukraine, calling it “inhumane” and pointing out that Putin is tragically “killing innocent people like Stalin did in the 1930s.” Grassley spoke on the Senate floor to call for victory in Ukraine noting, “Anything short of a Ukrainian victory is an invitation for future Russian aggression.” 
    After Russia began indiscriminately bombing Ukraine and murdering innocent civilians, Grassley joined his colleagues in introducing a resolution to hold Putin and his allies accountable for war crimes. This resolution passed the Senate unanimously. 
    In March, Grassley co-led a bipartisan letter calling on Secretary of State Marco Rubio to continue supporting efforts to investigate Russia’s abduction and deportation of Ukrainian children.  
    Read more about Grassley’s efforts to support Ukraine and hold Russia accountable HERE. 
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –