NewzIntel.com

Category: United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Swift action by environment officer and fire service averts major wild 23 May 2025 Swift action by environment officer and fire service averts major wildfire in Sandown

    Source: Aisle of Wight

    A potentially devastating wildfire in Sandown was swiftly brought under control last week, thanks to the quick thinking of a local environment officer and the rapid response of Island firefighters.

    While on a routine inspection last Friday, Davide Fossa spotted smoke rising from the undergrowth near to Browns Golf and Dinosaur Isle.

    Recognising the danger, he immediately called 999 and began directing people away from the area to ensure their safety.

    “I knew every second counted,” said Davide. “I made the call, then focused on keeping people at a safe distance until the fire crews arrived. It could have spread so quickly.”

    Within minutes, firefighters arrived and launched what Davide described as a “military-style operation.”

    “They knew exactly what to do,” he said. “It was like watching a well-drilled unit in action. They moved with precision, coordinated their efforts seamlessly, and brought the fire under control before it had a chance to spread. It was incredibly impressive.”

    Thanks to their swift and strategic response, the blaze was contained and extinguished before it could threaten nearby homes, businesses, or the wider nature reserve.

    Davide is one of four dedicated environment officers working for the Isle of Wight Council. This small but highly skilled team play a vital role in safeguarding the Island’s natural environment and making the Island a cleaner, greener place to live and visit.

    The environment officers undertake a number of duties, including inspection of playgrounds, parks and open spaces, and enforcing Public Space Protection Orders (PSPOs).

    The team also enforces a range of environmental regulations, including those related to waste management, fly-tipping and littering, helping to maintain standards and prevent harm to the environment.

    In addition to their enforcement duties, they work closely with the community to promote sustainable practices, offering guidance and education to encourage greater environmental awareness and responsibility among residents and visitors alike.

    Their work often takes them into remote or ecologically sensitive areas, where early detection of issues like wildfires can make a critical difference.

    Some town, parish, and community councils — including Sandown — invest in an enhanced environment officer service, supplementing the core provision offered by the Isle of Wight Council.

    This enhanced service can include additional patrols, one of which led to the early discovery of the fire.

    Natasha Dix, service director for waste, environment and planning, said: “Davide’s vigilance and calm response under pressure made all the difference. And we are deeply grateful to the Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service for their swift and professional response.

    “Their teamwork ensured this incident didn’t escalate into something far more serious.”

    Sandown Mayor, Councillor Alex Lightfoot, said: “We are grateful for the actions taken by Sandown’s environment officer, and the swift response from our fire service.

    “This just demonstrates the value of our partnership working between Sandown Town Council and the Isle of Wight Council.”

    A spokesperson from Hampshire and Isle of Wight Fire and Rescue Service (HIWFRS) added: “Our crews worked extremely hard in the hot weather to contain and extinguish the fire and protect neighbouring heathland.

    “This fire destroyed a large area of grassland, and is just one example of the devastation these outdoor fires can have, damaging our green spaces.

    “Although we don’t know what caused this blaze, we ask that when you’re out enjoying the countryside that you do so responsibly and help prevent wildfires by following our safety guidance.”

    Authorities are reminding residents and visitors to remain vigilant during dry weather and to report any signs of smoke or fire immediately.

    Staying Safe During Dry Weather: Fire Prevention Tips

    With warmer, drier summers becoming more common, the risk of wildfires increases. Here are some simple but important steps everyone can take to help prevent fires:

    • Never leave barbecues and campfires unattended, and ensure they are fully extinguished after use.
    • Avoid using disposable barbecues in parks, nature reserves, or near dry grass.
    • Download the What3Words app on your phone to help the fire service pinpoint incidents.
    • Do not discard cigarettes or matches on the ground — use proper bins or take them with you.
    • Keep glass bottles out of direct sunlight, as they can magnify heat and ignite dry grass.
    • Report any signs of smoke or fire immediately by calling 999.
    • By staying alert and acting responsibly, we can all help protect our beautiful landscapes and communities.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Greater Manchester to benefit from recent trade deals

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    News story

    Greater Manchester to benefit from recent trade deals

    Trade deals with India, US and the EU that have seen tariffs on key industries slashed are set to help drive growth in Greater Manchester.

    • Prime Minister to meet with the Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burham to discuss the benefits of the recent trade deals.
    • Comes as we’ve nailed three trade deals in as many weeks to deliver growth that is a priority for the Plan for Change.
    • The deals benefit the automotive sector that supports 15,000 jobs.

    Trade deals with India, US and the EU that have seen tariffs on key industries slashed are set to help drive growth in Greater Manchester. 
      
    Reductions in tariffs on automobile exports have provided security for 15,000 workers.   

    Opens up the region to greater investment to grow the economy, raise living standards and put more money into working people’s pockets – priorities of our Plan for Change. 

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said: 

    The trade deals that we have closed delivers stability for the automotive sector in the region that employs 15,000 workers.

    It also will create opportunities for more seamless trade, attracting inward investment that will grow the local economy and make a difference to people’s lives.  

    These changes will be felt everywhere, whether it’s lower food prices at the checkout, more choice for consumers and higher living standards that will improve livelihoods across Greater Manchester.

    32,962 people employed in agriculture across the North West will also benefit from our trade deal with the EU. It will reduce checks and red tape, meaning produce grown and farmed in the region has easy access to the UK’s biggest trading partner. 

    British steel exports are also protected from new rules and restrictive tariffs from the EU, supporting 4,300 people working in the steel industry across the North West. 

    The Prime Minister will tell the English Mayors and the Leaders from the Devolved Governments at a meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions in London today (Friday 23 May) that his trade deals with India, the United States and the EU will deliver economic growth that will improve people’s lives at home.   

    He will challenge those in attendance to drive economic growth in their local areas to deliver for working people.   

    Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

    The three landmark deals secured this month with the US, India, and the EU have shown this government is serious about striking the deals that our businesses want and need. 

    We are delivering billions for the UK economy and wages every year as part of our Plan for Change. For businesses in Manchester, these deals will mean stability and jobs protected as they seize new opportunities to sell to some of our biggest trading partners.

    India is a significant marker for the Northwest where over 900 business exported goods worth £412 million last year. 

    Home to iconic car companies such as Jaguar Land Rover and Bentley, this sector will benefit from measures that reduce automative tariffs from over 100% to 10% under a quota.

    This is in addition to the region welcoming investment from businesses in India with IndiGo, India’s biggest airline carrier choosing Manchester as its first ever European destination. 

    Manchester Airport Managing Director Chris Woodroofe said: 

    At Manchester Airport, our mission is to connect the North with the world, helping people visit new places, connecting businesses with key global markets, and welcoming tourists and investors to our region.  

    That is why I am proud that IndiGo – India’s biggest carrier – has chosen Manchester, alongside Amsterdam, as its first ever European destinations.   

    We know connectivity is a key enabler of trade and productivity. By providing direct access to the world’s fastest-growing major economy, this route will deliver a significant boost to the government’s economic growth mission and coincides perfectly with new of a new UK-India trade deal.

    In the same week as the agreement with India, we negotiated the first of its kind deal with the US to reduce tariffs on car exports. Both of these arrangements secure greater certainty for the sector, the 15,000 workers and their families, while also enhancing opportunities for manufacturing in the region to grow. 

    Manchester will also benefit from access to India’s growing telecommunications market and the commitment in our US deal to increase digital trade and access for the world leading industries in the city. 

    Just this week, the Prime Minister confirmed a new agreement with the European Union that will deliver on his core mission to grow the economy, create more jobs in South Yorkshire, raising living standards and put more money in people’s pockets.   

    At today’s meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions the Prime Minister will also lead discussions about spreading AI to help working people access the services that they need in their local areas.

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Hull and East Yorkshire to benefit from recent trade deals

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Hull and East Yorkshire to benefit from recent trade deals

    Hull and East Yorkshire’s top job creators including the life sciences and auto industry are set to benefit from the UK’s new trade deals with India and the US that slashes tariffs and boosts access to the world’s fastest growing economy.

    • Prime Minister to meet with the Mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire Luke Campbell to discuss the benefits of his recent trade deals.
    • Comes as we’ve nailed three trade deals in as many weeks to deliver growth that is a priority for the Plan for Change.
    • Boost for top job creators including pharmaceuticals that employs almost 2,000 and the automotive industry that employs 3,000 people in the region.

    Hull and East Yorkshire’s top job creators including the life sciences and auto industry are set to benefit from the UK’s new trade deals with India and the US that slashes tariffs and boosts access to the world’s fastest growing economy. 

    The US deal negotiated by the Prime Minister deliver long term certainty for 3,000 people employed in the auto industry locally and almost 2,000 in pharmaceuticals. 

    It also will deliver opportunities for major job creators in the region such as Smith + Nephew and Advanced Wound Management to grow – the first priority of our Plan for Change. 

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:  

    The trade deals that we have closed delivers stability in the automotive and pharmaceuticals industry in Hull and East Yorkshire that employs 5,000 people. 

    It also will create opportunities for more seamless trade, attracting inward investment that will grow the local economy and make a difference to people’s lives.

    These changes will be felt everywhere, whether it’s lower food prices at the checkout, more choice for consumers and higher living standards that will improve livelihoods across Hull and East Yorkshire.

    Over 31,000 people employed in agriculture across the region will also benefit from our agreement with the EU. It will reduce checks and red tape, meaning regional specialties like crab, Yorkshire Pudding and cheeses will have easy access to the UK’s biggest trading market. 

    The agreement also protects British steel exports from new EU rules and restrictive, providing further security for 8,400 jobs in the steel industry across Yorkshire and the Humber. 

    The Prime Minister will tell the English Mayors and the Leaders from the Devolved Governments at a meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions in London today (Friday 23 May) that his trade deals with India, the United States and the EU will deliver economic growth that will improve people’s lives at home.  

    He will challenge those in attendance to drive economic growth in their local areas to deliver for working people.  

    Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

    The three landmark deals secured this month with the US, India, and the EU have shown this government is serious about striking the deals that our businesses want and need. 

    We are delivering billions for the UK economy and wages every year as part of our Plan for Change. For businesses in East Yorkshire, these deals will mean stability and jobs protected as they seize new opportunities to sell to some of our biggest trading partners.

    Our increased trade with India will unlock opportunities for every region in the UK to access the world’s fastest growing major economy, including Hull and East Yorkshire. In the same week, we negotiated the first of its kind agreement with the US that will reduce car export tariffs from 27.5% to 10% – providing 3,000 workers in Hull and East Yorkshire with long-term security and certainty.  

    The agreement also secures the UK preferential access to the US market for pharmaceuticals in the case of new US tariffs in coming weeks, and we are working closely to get the best deal for our pharma industry that supports 2,000 jobs in Hull and East Yorkshire. 

    Just this week the Prime Minister acted in the national interest by confirming a new agreement with the EU that will deliver on our core mission to grow the economy, creating more jobs in Hull and East Yorkshire and putting more money in people’s pockets.  

    At today’s meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions the Prime Minister will also lead discussions about spreading AI to help working people access the services that they need in their local areas.

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: West Yorkshire to benefit from recent trade deals

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    West Yorkshire to benefit from recent trade deals

    The three trade deals that we have struck in three weeks will benefit manufacturing that employs nearly 10% of all people in West Yorkshire.

    • Prime Minister to meet with the Mayor of West Yorkshire Tracey Brabin to discuss the benefits of his recent trade deals.
    • Comes as we’ve nailed three trade deals in as many weeks to deliver growth that is a priority for the Plan for Change.
    • The deals benefit local manufacturing which employs nearly 10% of people in the region.

    The three trade deals that we have struck in three weeks will benefit manufacturing that employs nearly 10% of all people in West Yorkshire.  

    Reducing India’s tariffs on machinery, slashing tariffs on car exports in both deals and our agreement with the US to remove the 25% tariff on steel provides stability for the biggest employers in the region like Hitachi, Bombardier and Siemens.  

    This means greater job security for workers, stronger economic growth to create more jobs and higher living standards across West Yorkshire.  

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:

    The trade deals that we have closed delivers stability for manufacturing in West Yorkshire that employs 10% of people in the region. 

    It also will create opportunities for more seamless trade, attracting inward investment that will grow the local economy and make a difference to people’s lives.  

    These changes will be felt everywhere, whether it’s lower food prices at the checkout, more choice for consumers and higher living standards that will improve people’s lives across West Yorkshire.

    Over 31,000 people employed in agriculture across the region will also benefit from our agreement with the EU. It will reduce checks and red tape, meaning regional specialties like crab, Yorkshire Pudding and cheeses will face easy access to the UK’s biggest trading market. 

    The agreement also protects British steel exports from new EU rules and restrictive, providing further security for 8,400 jobs in the steel industry across Yorkshire and the Humber. 

    The Prime Minister will tell the English Mayors and the Leaders from the Devolved Governments at a meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions in London today (Friday 23 May) that his trade deals with India, the United States and the EU will deliver economic growth that will improve people’s lives at home.   

    He will challenge those in attendance to drive economic growth in their local areas to deliver for working people.   

    Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

    The three landmark deals secured this month with the US, India, and the EU have shown this government is serious about striking the deals that our businesses want and need. 

    We are delivering billions for the UK economy and wages every year as part of our Plan for Change. For businesses in West Yorkshire, these deals will mean stability and jobs protected as they seize new opportunities to sell to some of our biggest trading partners.

    Our increased trade with India will unlock opportunities for every region in the UK to access the world’s fastest growing economy, including West Yorkshire. Aeroservices, a leading global player in the aviation industry headquartered in Leeds, has also praised the India trade deal, which will enable them to level up the office they opened in Bangalore back in 2022. 

    Under the Free Trade Deal that was concluded, India has agreed to reduce tariffs on products including machinery, enhancing the region’s renowned engineering sector.  

     Based on 2022 trade alone, India will cut tariffs worth over £400 million when the deal comes into force, which will more than double to around £900 million after 10 years.    

    Formed in 1824, Group Rhodes designs and manufactures advanced metal, heavy ceramic and composite forming machinery.

    Mark Ridgway, CEO of Group Rhodes, said:

    As a manufacturer of advanced metalforming machinery used in the forming and lightweighting of aircraft, India is a strong market for Group Rhodes and offers significant growth potential. 

    The recent UK-India trade deal not only sets the scene for reduced tariffs on machinery but also serves to both enhance our competitiveness as a UK exporter and reduce the complexity of trade with this fast-growing market.

    In another win for a historic part of the West Yorkshire economy, India has committed to reducing tariffs on UK textiles – that will give local firms access to India’s booming middle class.  

    In the same week, we negotiated the first of its kind agreement with the US that will reduce tariffs on UK car exports and remove tariffs on steel, protecting two key industries in the region that employ thousands of people.  

    The US deal also contains provisions to streamline custom rules on textiles and clothes made in West Yorkshire, making it easier for small and medium sized businesses to enter the US market.  

    Just this week, the Prime Minister confirmed a new agreement with the European Union that will deliver on his core mission to grow the economy, create more jobs in West Yorkshire, raising living standards and put more money in people’s pockets.   

    At today’s meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions the Prime Minister will also lead discussions about spreading AI to help working people access the services that they need in their local areas.

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Lincolnshire to benefit from recent trade deals

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Lincolnshire to benefit from recent trade deals

    Manufacturing and farming in Greater Lincolnshire are set to benefit from the UK’s new trade deals with India, the US and EU.

    • Prime Minister to meet with the Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire Andrea Jenkyns
    • Comes as we’ve nailed three trade deals in as many weeks to deliver growth that is a priority for the Plan for Change
    • Delivers welcome boost and security for the manufacturing industry that employs 39,000 workers

    Manufacturing and farming in Greater Lincolnshire are set to benefit from the UK’s new trade deals with India, the US and EU.  

    The deals negotiated by the Prime Ministers deliver long-term certainty for 39,000 jobs in Greater Lincolnshire’s manufacturing sector, including 2,700 steel workers in Scunthorpe. 

    Our deal with the EU will benefit around 100,000 people (including in food retail) that are employed in the county’s food sector. It means less checks and red tape so that farmers and producers who grow food in Lincolnshire now have easy access to the EU, the UK’s biggest trading partners.  

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer said:   

    These trade deals that we have closed delivers stability for 39,000 workers employed in the manufacturing sector in Greater Lincolnshire. 

    It also will create opportunities for more seamless trade, attracting inward investment that will grow the local economy and make a difference to people’s lives.    

    These changes will be felt everywhere, whether it’s lower food prices at the checkout, more choice for consumers and higher living standards that will improve livelihoods across Greater Lincolnshire.

    The Prime Minister will tell the English Mayors and the Leaders from the Devolved Governments at a meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions in London today (Friday 23 May) that his trade deals with India, the United States and the EU will deliver economic growth that will improve people’s lives at home.      

    He will challenge those in attendance to drive economic growth in their local areas to deliver for working people.     

    Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds said:

    The three landmark deals secured this month with the US, India, and the EU have shown this government is serious about striking the deals that our businesses want and need. 

    We are delivering billions for the UK economy and wages every year as part of our Plan for Change. For businesses in Greater Lincolnshire, these deals will mean stability and jobs protected as they seize new opportunities to sell to some of our biggest trading partners.

    Just weeks after he stepped into support the UK steel industry that was on the brink of collapse, the Prime Minister has negotiated the 25% tariff down to zero, meaning that UK steelmakers, like British Steel in Scunthorpe can carry on exporting to the US.   

    The UK exported £343 million in primary steel products to the US in 2024, so the deal agreed supports the viability of 40,000 jobs in the industry nationwide, including 2,700 workers in Scunthorpe and their families.  

    Lisa Coulson, British Steel’s Interim Chief Commercial Officer, said:  

    Europe is a strategically important market for our business, so we whole-heartedly welcome this agreement and the new working relationship between the UK and EU.  

    It will enable us to deliver more of the high-quality products synonymous with the British Steel name and support our drive to be one of the world’s leading manufacturers of steel.

    In the same week, the Prime Minister agreed a trade deal with India that could see cheaper prices and more choice on products including clothes, footwear, and food products. 

    From this position of strength, we also upheld our red lines on standards including in agriculture, meaning that produce farmed in Greater Lincolnshire has been protected.  

    At today’s meeting of the Council of Nations and Regions the Prime Minister will also lead discussions about spreading AI to help working people access the services that they need in their local areas.

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Antarctica has its own ‘shield’ against warm water – but this could now be under threat

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ellie Ong, Research Fellow, ARC Centre of Excellence for 21st Century Weather, Monash University

    The Australian ice-breaker RSV Nuyina, cruising around Antarctica. Pete Harmsen/Australian Antarctic Division

    A little-known ocean current surrounds Antarctica, shielding it from warm water further north. But our new research shows Antarctica’s melting ice is disrupting this current, putting the continent’s last line of defence at risk.

    We found meltwater from Antarctica is speeding up the current, known as the Antarctic Slope Current. And it’s set to become even faster by mid-century.

    A faster current could be more unstable. This means eddies of warm water could eat away at Antarctica’s ice, posing a major concern for the stability of the Earth’s climate system.

    Faster ice-melt means faster sea-level rise. Humanity must act now to preserve this natural phenomena that helps Antarctica’s ice shelves remain intact.

    The Antarctic Slope Current moves ocean water westward over the continental slope, close to the coast.
    Ellie Ong

    Melting of Antarctic ice has global consequences

    Antarctica is melting as the world warms. This causes sea levels to rise. Even just a few centimetres of sea-level rise can double the chance of flooding in vulnerable coastal regions.

    Previous research has shown meltwater is also slowing the global network of deep ocean currents. These currents transport water, heat and nutrients around the planet, so a global slow-down has huge ramifications.

    It’s therefore crucial to reduce further loss of Antarctic ice, to stabilise our global climate system.

    The Antarctic Slope Current moves ocean water westward over the continental slope, close to the coast. It acts as a barrier, preventing warm waters from further north from reaching the ice.

    In this way, the current provides an important line of defence keeping warmer water at bay. It doesn’t stop Antarctica from melting, because warming air temperatures still cause this. But it slows the process.

    However, our research shows this defence is under threat.

    Ships cruising around Antarctica often encounter the Antarctic Slope Current.
    Pete Harmsen/Australian Antarctic Division

    What we did

    We wanted to find out how the Antarctic Slope Current will respond to changes in wind, heat, and meltwater as the climate changes. We did this using high-resolution ocean-sea ice models.

    The meltwater makes the ocean around Antarctica less salty. This makes the waters closer to the coast less dense, changing the structure of the Antarctic Slope Current and speeding it up.

    The models predicted a 14% increase in the speed of the current over the past 25 years and a 49% increase over the next 25 years.

    But meltwater from Antarctic ice has another effect too. We found the added water also slows down the movement of dense, salty coastal water in “waterfalls” running off the Antarctic coast that feeds into the global overturning current network.

    When these waterfalls of dense water slow down, warmer waters are able to flow closer to the Antarctic continent.

    Together, these changes compound and cause the Antarctic Slope Current to speed up even more.

    A complex story

    It might be assumed the changes we modelled would be a good thing for Antarctica. That’s because the stronger the Antarctic Slope Current, the stronger the barrier between Antarctica and the warm waters to the north.

    But there’s more to the story. When ocean currents flow faster, they become more turbulent –generating vigorous eddies or whirlpools.

    You can see this effect if you rapidly run your hand through a bathtub of water. Watch for the dynamic, circular whirlpools in your hand’s wake.

    Ocean eddies are also becoming more vigorous under climate change.

    Around Antarctica, whirlpools or eddies can move large amounts of warm water towards the poles. This can make melting worse.

    So although a stronger current might be expected to act as a better shield for Antarctica, the extra eddies in its wake can have the opposing effect. These eddies can amplify the transport of heat towards Antarctica, increasing melting.

    Eddies/whirlpools in the Southern Ocean around Antarctica.

    Why this matters

    No matter how uncertain Antarctica’s future may be, one thing is clear: this frozen frontier is crucial to the stability of our global climate.

    The Antarctic Slope Current was once a steadfast guardian of the icy continent. But now the current is being transformed by the very ice it protects.

    Humanity must act fast to preserve the current, by cutting carbon emissions. When it comes to Antarctica, this action isn’t optional — it’s the only way to hold the line.

    Ellie Ong receives funding from the Australian Research Council and an Australian Government Research and Training Program Scholarship.

    Edward Doddridge receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    Matthew England receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    Navid Constantinou receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. Antarctica has its own ‘shield’ against warm water – but this could now be under threat – https://theconversation.com/antarctica-has-its-own-shield-against-warm-water-but-this-could-now-be-under-threat-255738

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Two in custody following Launceston CBD incident

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Two in custody following Launceston CBD incident

    Friday, 23 May 2025 – 3:48 pm.

    Two people are in custody assisting police after an alleged incident involving an imitation firearm in Launceston CBD earlier today.
    Shortly after midday, police received reports of a man in possession of what was believed to be a handgun while in the CBD with another man.
    The men left the area in a small silver Holden hatch before the vehicle was quickly intercepted by police and they were safely taken into custody.
    An imitation firearm was located within the vehicle and seized.
    Nobody was physically injured or threatened during the incident and the men remain in custody assisting police.
    Investigations are ongoing, and anyone with information is asked to contact police on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or at crimestopperstas.com.au. Information can be provided anonymously.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The death of Jelena Dokic’s father reveals the ‘difficult and complicated grief’ of losing an estranged parent

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lauren Breen, Professor of Psychology, Curtin University

    Grieving the death of a parent is often considered a natural part of life. But there are added layers of complexity when you had a difficult or estranged relationship.

    This week former tennis star Jelena Dokic confirmed the death of her father and former coach Damir, whose verbal, physical and emotional abuse she revealed in 2009 and further detailed in her 2017 autobiography. They had been estranged for a decade.

    In a social media post on Thursday, Dokic wrote about her “conflicting and complex emotions and feelings” around his death:

    no matter how how hard, difficult and in the last 10 years even non existent [sic] our relationship and communication was, it is never easy losing a parent […] The loss of an estranged parent comes with a difficult and complicated grief.

    Dokic’s news is a reminder that, when a parent dies, not all of us get to grieve a stable, warm and comforting relationship.

    As in her case, a strained relationship might even be marked by maltreatment or abuse. Relinquishing contact can sometimes be the best, albeit difficult, choice.

    When the parent dies, the loss can feel surprisingly complex. We may be grieving both the literal death of the parent and the figurative death, of what should have been – what we wished for and desired.

    Death can spark more than sadness

    Grief is not a single emotion. Usually, it involves a combination of many. Common feelings can include sadness, guilt, anger and even relief.

    In sharing her social media post, Dokic has said among conflicting emotions she’s chosen to “focus on a good memory”.

    Grief can reach beyond feelings. It can disrupt eating and sleeping habits and impair memory and concentration.

    Deaths can also affect relationships.

    For example, when grieving, someone might receive a lot of social support from family, friends and colleagues. But for others, the support they’d like might not be forthcoming. The lack of support is yet another loss and is linked to worse physical and mental health.

    Family members may also react in different ways. It might be jarring or alienating if your sibling responds differently, for example by sharing fond memories of a parent you found harsh and distant.

    A death can also affect your financial standing. A grieving person may be burdened with outstanding bills and funeral payments. Or the impact can be positive, via windfalls from insurance and inheritance.

    Family members may grieve in different ways.
    Meteoritka/Shutterstock

    What if I don’t feel sad?

    With grief, it’s OK to feel how you feel. You might think you’re grieving the “wrong” way, but it can be helpful to remember there are no strict rules about how to grieve “right”.

    Be gentle on yourself. And give other family members, who may have had a different relationship with the parent and therefore grieve differently, the same courtesy.

    It’s also OK to feel conflicted about going to the funeral.

    In this case, take the time to think through the pros and cons of attending. It might be helpful in processing your grief and in receiving support. Or you might feel that attending would be too difficult or emotionally unsafe for you.

    If you choose to attend, it can help to go with someone who can support you through it.

    In an estranged relationship, the adult child might not even find out about the death of the parent for many weeks or months afterwards. This means there is no option of attending the funeral or other mourning rituals. Consider making your own rituals to help process the loss and grief.

    What if I do feel sad – but still hurt?

    It can be really confusing to feel sad about the death of a parent with whom we had a difficult, strained or violent relationship.

    Identifying where these conflicting thoughts and feelings come from can help.

    You might need to acknowledge and grieve the loss of your parent, the loss of the parent-child relationship you deserved, and even the loss of hoped-for apologies and reconnections.

    In many cases, it is a combination of these losses that can make the grief more challenging.

    It may also be difficult to get the social support you need from family, friends and colleagues.

    These potential helpers might be unaware of the difficulties you experienced in the relationship, or incorrectly believe troubled relationships are easier to grieve.

    It can feel like a taboo to speak ill of the dead, but it might be helpful to be clear about the relationship and your needs so that people can support you better.

    In fact, grieving the death of people with whom we have challenging, conflicting or even abusive relationships can lead to more grief than the death of those with whom we shared a warm, loving and more straightforward relationship.

    If the loss is particularly difficult and your grief doesn’t change and subside over time, seek support from your general practitioner. They might be able to recommend a psychologist or counsellor with expertise in grief.

    Alternatively, you can find certified bereavement practitioners who have specialised training in grief support online or seek telephone support from Griefline on 1300 845 745.

    Lauren Breen receives funding from Healthway and has previously received funding from Wellcome Trust, Australian Research Council, Department of Health (Western Australia), Silver Chain, iCare Dust Diseases Board (New South Wales), and Cancer Council (Western Australia). She is on the board of Lionheart Camp for Kids, is a member of Grief Australia, and a Fellow of the Australian Psychological Society.

    – ref. The death of Jelena Dokic’s father reveals the ‘difficult and complicated grief’ of losing an estranged parent – https://theconversation.com/the-death-of-jelena-dokics-father-reveals-the-difficult-and-complicated-grief-of-losing-an-estranged-parent-257324

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: UK-funded program connects Solomons cocoa producers to UK market

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    World news story

    UK-funded program connects Solomons cocoa producers to UK market

    UK-funded trade mission involving 10 cocoa buyers to Solomon Islands organised by the UKTP Programme forged this connection in September 2024.

    Officials at the launch included H.E Moses Kouni Mose, Cathrine West MP and UK Pacific Regional Trade Advisor Peter Harrington.

    In the growing trading relationship between Solomon Islands and the UK, there is now a first all-female-led business collaboration to grow out of the UK-Pacific Economic Partnership Agreement, which is leading the way for cocoa farmers in the Pacific and championing their resilience and skills.

    That transpired through UK ethical chocolate maker Cocoa Sisters bringing to British consumers premium, single-origin chocolate made from cocoa grown by women farmers in Solomon Islands. This is the result of a successful connection between UK-based ethical chocolate maker, Sarah Payne and pioneering cocoa producers from the Pacific Islands.

    The connection was first made during a trade mission by 10 cocoa buyers to the Solomon Islands organised by the UK-Government funded United Kingdom Trade Partnerships (UKTP) Programme in September 2024.

    In February 2025, UKTP programme supported four Solomon Islands cocoa producers to attend a Cocoa trade fair in Amsterdam, providing another opportunity for them to meet with buyers from the UK and around the world.

    The UKTP Programme, funded by the UK Government and implemented by the International Trade Centre (ITC), supports businesses in African, Caribbean and Pacific (ACP) countries to improve export readiness and connect with UK buyers.

    In Solomon Islands, UKTP has worked closely with women-led businesses, cocoa farmers and processors, and export businesses to strengthen quality, packaging, branding, and market access.

    The launch of Cocoa Sisters celebrates the arrival of a product that is as much about empowerment and equity as it is about exceptional flavour. Cocoa Sisters sources directly from women-led cocoa farms, with a commitment to sustainable farming practices and fair returns for producers.

    At the heart of this brand are Agnes Pilopaso from Guadalcanal and Lucy Kasimwane from Makira – 2 female cocoa farmers supported by UKTP through capacity building, trade promotion and market connections.

    At the launch in London last week, His Excellency Mr Moses Kouni Mose, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary, Solomon Islands Head of Mission to the European Union said:

    I think this is something that needs to be developed and I see the potential not only for cocoa but also other agriculture commodities from Solomon Islands like coffee, palm oil and coconut body products that can have added value. We really appreciate the collaboration that this has realised.

    Managing Director of the Cocoa Sisters brand who is also founder and Creative Director at Cocoa Loco, Sarah Payne remarked:

    So, the idea behind Cocoa Sisters is that we will source directly from female cocoa farmers, supporting them financially and telling their stories. At the same time raising awareness of the imbalances that exist in the cocoa supply chain. But this is more than a chocolate brand, it is a platform that uplifts women and we’re shining a light on their brilliance and of course getting cocoa beans from Pacific Islands remote places is quite challenging, but I’ve been overwhelmed by the support that I’ve had.

    The Cocoa Sisters launch event included tasting the first collection of Cocoa Sisters chocolate made from the cocoa beans of incredible female farmers Agnes and Lucy from Solomon Islands and Delwin from Papua New Guinea and enjoying chocolate martinis and brownies, all crafted using their cocoa.

    Solomon Islands Ambassador to the EU, H.E. Moses Mose and Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State (Indo-Pacific) Catherine West MP also spoke at the event about the importance of global collaboration and women-led enterprise.

    British High Commissioner to Solomon Islands and Nauru, His Excellency Paul Turner said there’s huge potential for cocoa and other agricultural commodities from Solomon Islands in the UK. 

    His Excellency Paul Turner remarked:

    Solomon Islands cocoa is a high-end product that is exotic to the British customer. In the UK we are used to getting our cocoa from countries such as Ghana in West Africa. It is great to have a more diversified market, and I look forward to strengthening the commercial ties between the UK and Solomon Islands.

    Recent successes for Solomon Island exporters include:

    Free from Awards

    In 2024 Solomons Gold, from Solomon Islands, won several accolades, including silver and bronze medals for seven of their vegan chocolate varieties. The company produces handcrafted vegan chocolate in a diverse range of flavours. Their chocolates are known for the absence of allergens, including dairy, gluten, nuts, soy, and refined sugar, making them an ideal contender for the Free from Awards.

    As award winners, Solomons Gold, are promoted across Free form’s social platforms and are granted exclusive rights to use the awards’ logo on their winning products. This instantly recognizable and internationally respected mark helps consumers identify safe, quality products. For these two small companies from the Pacific Islands, the awards are a clear recognition that their products satisfy British consumer tastes.

    The UK Great Taste Awards

    Great Taste is the world’s largest and most trusted food and drink accreditation scheme. Championing independent food and drink producers since 1994, the awards are organized by The Guild of Fine Food based on a blind tasting of over 12,500 entrants by more than 500 expert judges.

    The blind-taste evaluation ensures that accolades are awarded based purely on taste, without the influence of branding or marketing. Achieving even one of the possible three stars establishes a food as among the best tasting in the world. In 2024 Solomon’s Gold was the only company to receive two-star recognition for multiple products, winning accolades for both its Dark Orange 70% Cacao, and Dark Nib 75% Cacao chocolates.

    In 2025, we are supporting UK SME bean-to-bar chocolate maker CocoCaravan to enter their two bars made from cocoa sourced from producers in the Solomon Islands. Their 75% Ailali Solomon Islands and 75% Pilopaso Solomon Islands chocolates are handcrafted bean-to-bar products, sweetened with coconut sugar. The cocoa beans were purchased during the UKTP cocoa mission to the Solomon Islands in September 2024. The results of the awards will be announced by end of July 2025.

    Nourish Awards.

    Established in 2017, the Nourish Awards are the UK leading recognition for healthy food, beverages, and supplements, setting the standard for innovation, excellence, and health in the food industry. In 2024 Solomons Gold earned three-star ratings in the Nourish Vegan Awards on top of the ‘Best Vegan Chocolate’ for its Dark Orange 70% Cacao, Dark Caramel 70% Cacao, and Dark Nib 75% Cacao.

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Pupils take a stand against the bullies

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    Ten pupils from the Wolverhampton school, along with two members of staff, took part in the programme run by The Diana Award, working alongside other 11 to 18 year olds to build their skills and confidence to address situations, both off and online.

    The Diana Award’s free Anti-Bullying Ambassador Programme, which is available to schools across the UK, sees facilitators working with students and other young people to change attitudes around bullying.

    It has a strong peer to peer focus, with facilitators giving young people the tools they need to become Anti-Bullying Ambassadors and to tackle bullying in their own schools long after the training has finished. The Diana Award’s anti-bullying work is recognised as world class thanks to this sustainable approach.

    The training looked at bullying in different situations, with pupils making action plans of how to approach bullying issues that may arise in their schools.

    Headteacher Claire Gilbert said: “We’re incredibly proud of our students for taking this initiative. Partnering with The Diana Award reinforces our commitment to creating a safe, respectful, and inclusive school environment.

    “Our school will be working closely with the charity over the coming years, as their values and principles align closely with our own. Together, we aim to raise awareness and stand up against bullying.”

    A Year 10 Anti-Bullying Ambassador at Coppice said: “The training helped us understand the impact of bullying and gave us the confidence to make a real difference in our school community.”

    Councillor Jacqui Coogan, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: “Sadly, bullying is still a prevalent issue amongst young people and it is crucial that we collectively take steps to help prevent it.

    “It is brilliant to see Coppice Performing Arts School taking a lead in this, and empowering its pupils with the skills and confidence they need to help tackle the problem.”

    The Diana Award was founded as a lasting legacy to Diana, Princess of Wales, who believed that young people have the power to change the world. The Anti-Bullying Ambassadors Programme has trained over 50,000 young people across the UK to lead on anti-bullying campaigns in their schools.
     

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Serious crash at Gawler West

    Source: New South Wales – News

    Police are at the scene of a serious crash at Gawler West.

    About 3.45pm on Friday 23 May, police and emergency services were called to Gosford Street and Ryde Street after a pedestrian was stuck by a car.

    The pedestrian sustained serious injuries and was rushed to hospital.

    Traffic restrictions are in place at the intersection of Ryde Street and Gosford Street and motorists are asked to avoid the area.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Winchester Basics Bank opens new hub at Badger Farm Community Centre with support from Council funding

    Source: City of Winchester


    Winchester Basics Bank has opened up a new hub at Badger Farm Community Centre with funding support from Winchester City Council.

    The new hub provides food, as well as hygiene and cleaning products, to anyone in the local community who is facing financial difficulty, and is the fifth Winchester Basics Bank location now up and running in and around Winchester City.

    The hub has been supported by a £5,000 city council grant, which went towards renovating a room within the community centre and helped the charity to purchase new shelves and fridges to store their stock.

    Speaking about the new hub, Basics Bank Chair Lesley Little said:

    “We already had 4 locations in Winchester and Alresford and they were getting very busy so we felt the need for another hub on this side of the city to serve our clients here.

    The Community Centre have been very welcoming and very helpful and, helped by the city council’s grant, we’ve been able to refurbish what was a bar into a nice room where we can store things. People can park, and the other advantage is that everyone in Sainsburys is walking out with carrier bags, so you don’t stand out so much.

    “We’re not just for people on benefits or those who aren’t working – we’re for people who have an emergency cashflow problem – so if you get a sudden repair bill or perhaps lose some overtime, we’re here for everyone.”

    Winchester City Council Cabinet Member for Community and Engagement Cllr Kathleen Becker said:

    “Winchester Basics Bank’s services provide a vital lifeline for those in Winchester who are struggling financially, and I know that their new hub at Badger Farm Community Centre will be greatly welcomed by the local community. I’m really pleased that we’ve been able to provide some funding to help get the hub off the ground.”

    Badger Farm Community Centre Manager Ali Cochrane said:

    “It’s been a privilege to work with Winchester Basics Bank to support the opening of a new hub in our Community Centre. We’ve worked hard to change some of the layout of the building to make it fit for their purposes and I’m pleased that we’re now able to offer this service to the community and help give people the dignity that they deserve”.

    Local residents can access the hub’s services on Mondays between 10am and 12.30pm. Anyone can be referred through an agency, such as the city council, Trinity Centre or Citizens Advice, or self-refer by visiting the Winchester Basics Bank website: www.winchesterbasicsbank.co.uk

    Organisations interested in applying for a grant from Winchester City Council can visit www.winchester.gov.uk/grants-for-not-for-profit-organisations  

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: New method to evaluate ecological impact of offshore activities A recently published study from the University of Aberdeen has revealed a new approach to evaluating the ecological impacts of offshore activities.

    Source: University of Aberdeen

    New method will evaluate wider disruption caused by offshore wind farm construction

    A recently published study from the University of Aberdeen has revealed a new approach to evaluating the ecological impacts of offshore activities.
    By integrating a dynamic ecosystem model with a comprehensive ecosystem services database the team, which includes researchers from the Plymouth Marine Laboratory, aim to accurately forecast the environmental consequences of fisheries displacement and broader ecosystem-level changes resulting from offshore wind farm development.
    The scientists says that this new methodology will have the ability to support marine spatial planners to balance and minimise conflicts and tensions amongst existing and future planned marine uses of natural resources.
    The proposed methodology also provides an approach to integrating the relative value of Marine Net Gain (i.e a conservation approach that ensures human activities in marine environments result in a measurable net positive impact on biodiversity) interventions in terms of wider Natural Capital Accounting. This will further progress understanding of ecosystem services and market-based approaches which will enable stakeholders to access and compare global studies on the environmental and socio-economic outcomes of offshore wind farm developments.

    In the race to achieve Net Zero, it is essential to ensure that we do not inadvertently create new environmental challenges.” Dr Neda Trifonova

    Dr Neda Trifonova from the University of Aberdeen and lead author of the study said: “The rapid expansion of offshore wind farms is a key component of global decarbonisation efforts. However, in the race to achieve Net Zero, it is essential to ensure that we do not inadvertently create new environmental challenges. Our study presents a methodological roadmap designed to support sustainable and evidence-based marine management and offshore renewable energy policies.
    “Given the dual pressures of climate change and spatial conflicts with existing industries such as fishing, our approach aims to enhance decision-making by balancing environmental and socio-economic trade-offs. We propose the use of dynamic ecosystem modelling to inform a risk assessment framework, supported by a comprehensive ecosystem services database.
    “At the heart of our methodology is supporting a nature-positive approach—a conservation principle that ensures human activities in marine environments result in a measurable net gain for biodiversity and ecosystem services.”
    This project was funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) and The Crown Estate (TCE), part of the ECOWind Programme, as well as the UK Energy Research Centre. The study is published in BES Ecological Solutions and Evidence.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: From peasant fodder to posh fare: how snails and oysters became luxury foods

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Garritt C. Van Dyk, Senior Lecturer in History, University of Waikato

    An Oyster cellar in Leith John Burnet, 1819; National Galleries of Scotland, Photo: Antonia Reeve

    Oysters and escargot are recognised as luxury foods around the world – but they were once valued by the lower classes as cheap sources of protein.

    Less adventurous eaters today see snails as a garden pest, and are quick to point out that freshly shucked oysters are not only raw but also alive when they are eaten.

    How did these unusual ingredients become items of conspicuous consumption?

    From garden snail to gastronomy

    Eating what many consider to be a slimy nuisance seems almost counter-intuitive, but consuming land snails has an ancient history, dating to the Palaeolithic period, some 30,000 years ago in eastern Spain.

    Ancient Romans also dined on snails, and spread their eating habits across their empire into Europe.

    Lower and middle class Romans ate snails from their gardens, while elite consumers ate specially farmed snails, fed spices, honey and milk.

    An Ancient Roman mosaic dating to the 4th century AD depicting a basket of snails, Basilica di Santa Maria Assunta, Aquileia, Italy.
    Carole Raddato/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA

    Pliny the Elder (AD 24–79) described how snails were raised in ponds and given wine to fatten them up.

    The first French recipe for snails appears in 1390, in Le Ménagier de Paris (The Good Wife’s Guide), but not in other cookbooks from the period.

    In 1530, a French treatise on frogs, snails, turtles and artichokes considered all these foods bizarre, but surprisingly popular. Some of the appeal had to do with avoiding meat on “lean” days. Snails were classified as fish by the Catholic Church, and could even be eaten during Lent.

    For the next 200 years, snails only appeared in Parisian cookbooks with an apology for including such a disgusting ingredient. This reflected the taste of upper-class urbanites, but snails were still eaten in the eastern provinces.

    Schneckenweib, or Snail Seller, illustrated by Johann Christian Brand in Vienna, after 1798.
    Wien Museum

    An 1811 cookbook from Metz, in the Alsace region in northeastern France, describes raising snails like the Romans, and a special platter, l’escargotière, for serving them. The trend did not travel to Paris until after 1814.

    French diplomat Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord (1754–1838) hosted a dinner for Russian Tsar Alexander I, after he marched into Paris following the allied forces’ defeat of Napoleon in 1814.

    The chef catering the meal was the father of French cuisine Marie-Antoine Carême, a native of Burgundy, spiritual home of the now famous escargots de Bourgogne.

    Carême served the Tsar what would become a classic recipe, prepared with garlic, parsley and butter. Allegedly, the Tsar raved about the “new” dish, and snails became wildly popular. A recipe for Burgundy snails first appeared in a French culinary dictionary published in 1825.

    It is ironic that it took the approval of a foreign emperor, who had just conquered Napoleon, to restore luxury status to escargot, a food that became a symbol of French cuisine.

    Snails remain popular today in France, with consumption peaking during the Christmas holidays, but May 24 is National Escargot Day in France.

    Oysters: the original fast food

    Oysters are another ancient food, as seen in fossils dating to the Triassic Era, 200 million years ago. Evidence of fossilised oysters are found on every major land mass, and there is evidence of Indigenous oyster fisheries in North America and Australia that dates to the Holocene period, about 12,000 years ago.

    There are references in classical Greek texts to what are probably oysters, by authors like Aristotle and Homer. Oyster shells found at Troy confirm they were a favoured food. Traditionally served as a first course at banquets in Ancient Greece, they were often cooked, sometimes with exotic spices.

    Music-cover sheet for ‘Bonne-Bouche’ by Emile Waldteufel, 1847-1897.
    © The Trustees of the British Museum, CC BY-NC-SA

    Pliny the Elder refers to oysters as a Roman delicacy. He recorded methods of the pioneer of Roman oyster farming, Sergius Orata, who brought the best specimens from across the Empire to sell to elite customers.

    Medieval coastal dwellers gathered oysters at low tide, while wealthy inland consumers would have paid a premium for shellfish, a perishable luxury, transported to their castles.

    French nobles in 1390 preferred cooked oysters, roasted over coals or poached in broths, perhaps as a measure to prevent food poisoning. As late as the 17th century, authors cautioned:

    But if they be eaten raw, they require good wine […] to aid digestion.

    Oyster Seller, Jacob Gole, 1688–1724.
    Rijksmuseum

    By the 18th century, small oysters were a popular pub snack, and larger ones were added as meat to the stew pot. That century, it is believed as many as 100,000 oysters were eaten each day in Edinburgh and the shells from the tavern in the basement filled in gaps in the brickwork at Gladstone’s Land in Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.

    Scottish oyster farms in the Firth of Forth, an inlet of the North Sea, produced 30 million oysters in 1790, but continual over-harvesting took its toll.

    By 1883 only 6,000 oysters were landed, and the population was declared extinct in 1957.

    As wild oyster stocks dwindled, large oyster farms developed in cities like New York in the 19th century. Initially successful, they were polluted, and infected by typhoid from sewage. An outbreak in 1924 killed 150 people, the deadliest food poisoning in United States history.

    Costumes of Naples: Oyster Sellers, c. 1906–10.
    Rijksmuseum

    Far from the overabundance of oysters we once had, over-fishing, pollution, and invasive species all threaten oyster populations worldwide today. Due to this scarcity of wild oysters and the resources required to safely farm environmentally sustainable oysters, they are now a premium product.

    Next on the menu

    Scarcity made oysters a luxury, and a Tsar’s approval elevated snails to gourmet status. Could insects become the next status food?

    Ancient Romans ate beetles and grasshoppers, and cultures around the world consume insects, but not (yet) as luxury products.

    Maybe the right influencer can make honey-roasted locust the next species to jump from paddock to plate.

    Garritt C. Van Dyk has received funding from the Getty Research Institute.

    – ref. From peasant fodder to posh fare: how snails and oysters became luxury foods – https://theconversation.com/from-peasant-fodder-to-posh-fare-how-snails-and-oysters-became-luxury-foods-254299

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: PLASKETT RELEASES STATEMENT ON HOUSE PASSAGE OF RECONCILIATION BILL

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Stacey E. Plaskett (USVI)

    PLASKETT RELEASES STATEMENT ON HOUSE PASSAGE OF RECONCILIATION BILL

    Washington, D.C., May 22, 2025

    For Immediate Release                                          Contact: Tionee Scotland 

    May 22, 2025                                                           202-808-6129 

    PRESS RELEASE 

    PLASKETT RELEASES STATEMENT ON HOUSE PASSAGE OF RECONCILIATION BILL 

    Washington, DC – Early this morning, the House of Representatives passed the Republican reconciliation package (H.R. 1) with a vote of 215-214-1. Every Democrat in the House voted no.  

    The 2 Republicans who voted against the bill, Congressman Thomas Massie (KY-4) and Congressman Warren Davidson (OH-8), opposed the legislation as they wanted to see further federal funding cuts. They held out hoping for full dismantlement.  

    This bill includes the largest cuts to healthcare in American history. This loss of funding – nearly one trillion dollars – will eliminate healthcare coverage for at least 13.7 million Americans and make it harder for people to access vital medical services. In Medicaid alone, funding is cut by more than $730 billion, which will leave 7.6 million people uninsured. The Virgin Islands presently has 21,000 Medicaid enrollees presently, many of whom will be impacted through loss of service or disenrollment.  

    Medicare funding was cut by more than $500 billion and vital programs, including the Social Services Block Grant – which provides more than $4.2 million to the Virgin Islands – are eliminated until 2034. With 20,000 Medicare enrollees in the U.S. Virgin Islands, services are sure to be impacted.  Federal funding for the Virgin Islands’ Meals on Wheels Program and the Low-Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) has also been eliminated until 2034. 

    Republicans’ reconciliation bill will make everyday life more expensive for Americans and removes programs which gave opportunities and support for a better life. It is estimated that more than 4 million students will see a reduction, or elimination, of their Pell Grants. The requirements for ‘full-time’ students are increased from 12 to 15 credits, which will decrease the maximum award for any student taking 12 credits by $1,479. In addition, students that are enrolled less than half-time will no longer receive Pell aid.  

    This bill harms efforts to lower energy costs, increase clean energy manufacturing and jobs, and eliminate economic assistance for communities on the frontline of the climate crisis. Unobligated funds will be rescinded from Inflation Reduction Act programs including Environmental Justice Block Grants, State-Based Home Energy Efficiency Contractor Training Grants, and the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund.  One of these programs already in place in the Virgin Islands is the Solar for All Program, which provided $62.5 million for homes and businesses. 

    Republicans voted to cut $35 billion in funding for the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), which includes children, working families, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities. This includes a $1 million cut to the Summer Electronic Benefits Transfer (EBT program), which gives food assistance to children when they cannot rely on school lunches. This will impact the more than 15,000 Virgin Islands residents who rely upon SNAP for access to nutritious food for their wellbeing. The $35 billion cut includes a $1 billion decrease in funding for the Nutrition Assistance Program in Puerto Rico despite tremendous efforts and advocacy from their lobbyists, led by Republican Governor, Jenniffer Gonzalez-Colon and Congressman Pablo Hernandez. 

    The reconciliation bill does not provide the increased rum cover over rate. Rum cover over is the rebate of federal excise taxes on distilled spirits produced in or imported into the rest of the United States from the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico. Despite Congresswoman Plaskett’s success in securing a Republican lead for the rum cover over legislation (H.R. 1378), Congressman Ron Estes (KS-4), and the support of 24 of her colleagues – 16 Republicans and 8 Democrats – the extension for Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands was not included in the bill.  

    It is unfortunate that at the last minute while trying to find additional funds, the Republicans attempted to remove duty drawback – an export-promotion program that American alcohol and tobacco companies rely upon for a refund of duties paid at the time of import when similar goods are exported.  That program saves the alcohol industry alone approximately $30 billion.  Because of that concern, the full push of the rum industry was not present for rum cover over as the industry prioritized its efforts on safeguarding duty drawback which represented direct dollars to their industry. It’s also important to recognize that many discretionary provisions that made it into the bill were included to secure the necessary votes to advance the legislation – which ultimately was not the case with the provision for an increased rum cover over rate.  

    During the 18-hour markup in the Ways and Means Committee for the tax provisions of the reconciliation bill, Congresswoman Plaskett offered an amendment to increase the rate of the rum cover offer, to publicly demonstrate the bipartisan support for this provision. Both Democrats and Republicans emphasize the importance of the increased rum cover over rate.  The Ways and Means Chairman, Jason Smith, publicly stated that he would work to advance this, and the Committee is expected to craft a bipartisan tax bill this summer. “I will continue to work with my colleagues, Democrats and Republicans, to secure the increased rum cover over rate of $13.25, both retroactively and with an extension, for the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico.” 

    While Congresswoman Plaskett cannot support the bill in its entirety, Plaskett’s legislation, the Restore Economic Vitality and Investment in the Virgin Islands (REVIVE VI) Act is included in the Republicans’ bill – one of only four Democrat Ways and Means provisions. REVIVE VI fixes an unintentional consequence of the Global Intangible Low Tax Income (GILTI) regime which, as a practical matter, inadvertently overrode the U.S. Virgin Islands’ economic development program that was previously authorized by Congress. This provision restores the Virgin Islands’ right to have an economic development program which will benefit our economy and workforce.  

    The U.S. Senate is anticipated to draft an entirely different bill that proposes fewer cuts to critical programs. Then, the Senate bill and House bill will likely be negotiated on a version that can be passed in both chambers of Congress and then be signed by the President.  

    Congresswoman Plaskett shared, “This bill is a wholesale betrayal of the working class and the future of America. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that the bottom 10%–working- and middle-class Americans will be 4% poorer in household wealth under this bill, with most of the benefits going to the top 10% of Americans. Not only does the bill make the largest healthcare cut in our nation’s history, it also makes the largest cuts to food assistance, energy projects and Pell grants. All to give additional money to the wealthiest Americans – an average of $278,000 per year, $762 per day, to the top 0.1% of Americans. This bill is cruel, shameful, unfair and unamerican.”  

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: More Teachers to benefit from flexible working

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    More Teachers to benefit from flexible working

    Government extend successful programme that supports teachers to plan lessons from home, job-share or work flexible hours.

    More teachers are expected to benefit from flexible working thanks to a successful initiative that will help improve teacher retention and deliver high standards for pupils. 

    The Government’s Flexible Working Ambassadors Programme has been extended for a further year to support more schools across the country, enabling teachers to plan lessons from home, job-share or work flexible hours – so they have the time and energy to be at the front of the classroom, delivering high and rising standards for children.

    As part of its Plan for Change, the Government is committed to recruiting an additional 6,500 expert teachers over the course of this Parliament, so every young person has access to an excellent education. The quality of teaching is the single biggest driver of higher standards in schools.

    Hundreds of millions of pounds are also being invested by Government to offer tax free financial incentives and professional development to attract and keep the best and brightest teachers across the country, alongside targeted action to improve teachers’ workload and wellbeing.

    This action is working, with two thousand more secondary school teachers training this year than last, a 25% increase in the number of people accepting teacher training places in STEM subjects, and more teachers forecasted to stay in the profession.

    The announcement today follows the Government accepting the schoolteachers’ pay body recommendation which will give teachers a pay boost of 4% from this September, taking a major step towards re-establish teaching as an attractive, expert profession. 

    This builds on the work already underway to drive high and rising standards for all schools, including a stronger accountability system through reforms to Ofsted inspection, new regional improvement teams to tackle poorly performing schools, and a new, rich and broad curriculum so pupils are set up for life, work and the future.

    Schools Minister, Catherine McKinnell said:

    My number one priority is making sure every child has an expert teacher at the front of their classroom, as we know high-quality teaching makes the biggest difference to education outcomes.

    We highly value our brilliant teachers, and they deserve working conditions that recognise their professionalism and support their wellbeing. 

    I’ve seen first-hand how working flexibly can transform teachers’ lives for the better and drive high and rising high standards for their pupils. Our Flexible Working Ambassadors Programme will help make sure we deliver on our pledge to recruit and retain more teachers.

    The latest figures show that 46 per cent of teachers had a flexible working arrangement in place in 2024, up by 6 percentage points since 2022. But with 47 per cent of teaching staff who said they were considered leaving state education citing a lack of flexible working opportunities as one of the reasons, the Government is going further and faster to ensure every school supports their staff’s working lives in modern, practical ways – delivering the best possible education for children and young people.

    Evidence shows a high-quality teacher can make around half a GCSE grade difference per pupil per subject, showing the importance of allowing teachers to work flexibly, to retain the best teachers and help children achieve and thrive. 

    Research also found 82 per cent of school leaders offering flexible working agreed that it had helped to retain teachers who might otherwise leave. 62 per cent of parents said children being taught by two teachers in a job-share arrangement had no impact, or a positive impact, on their child

    CEO of Reach Schools, Rebecca Cramer said:

    Flexible Working is imperative to keep great teachers in the classroom.  Through the FWAMS programme we have supported schools to employ a culture of openness and communication around how teachers work.

    Schools that think innovatively and embrace change around teachers’ work arrangements enhance teacher well-being and productivity and ultimately have a positive impact on the young people in our classrooms.

    Director of Humanities and Social Sciences at Reach Academy Feltham, Sarah Corrigan said:

    Flexible working has allowed me to stay in the classroom doing something that I love. Without the option of part-time work and some full-time flex, I would have struggled with my work life balance and would have left the teaching profession. 

    Reach has supported me to return from maternity leave on a part-time basis. Also, like all other teachers in our school, I have been encouraged to take advantage of flex to ensure that I don’t miss the big events in my and my family’s lives by using term time annual leave and compressed hours.

    The programme is free to all schools and helps to drive the culture change needed, by offering a range of practical support and resources for schools and teachers.

    The extension means more schools can get involved in every region of the country, with a focus on supporting schools in disadvantaged areas, as well as special and alternative provision schools where there can be additional challenges. 

    The Government is also leading the way in modernising the education sector by harnessing the power of AI to free up teachers’ time and unlock more pupil interactions.

    Using AI can reduce time spent on admin by several hours a week which is critical to retaining good teachers and bringing more people into the profession – so that teaching can once again be a profession that sparks joy, not burnout.

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Thousands of young people set to benefit from new support into work and training

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Thousands of young people set to benefit from new support into work and training

    Thousands of young people across England will receive targeted support into work, under a new £45 million scheme launched by the Work and Pensions Secretary.

    • Landmark programme to support thousands of 18 to 21 year olds into education, work and training officially launches in Liverpool.
    • Marks major win in the Government’s Youth Guarantee to ensure all young people have the chance to upskill, earn or learn.
    • Comes as part of the Government’s Plan for Change to drive growth and break down barriers to opportunity by helping people into work.

    Thousands of young people across England will receive targeted support into work, under a new £45 million scheme launched by the Work and Pensions Secretary.

    The Youth Guarantee trailblazers will match young people to job or training opportunities and will provide all-important foundations for the national roll-out of the programme, ensuring all 18 to 21 year olds in England can access help to find work – breaking down barriers to opportunity as part of the Plan for Change.

    The trailblazers will play a key role in helping the government understand which local structures are most effective and in identifying the organisations best placed to deliver targeted support.

    They will also develop innovative ways to identify, engage and sustain contact with young people most at risk of falling out of education, employment or training.

    It comes as new ONS figures published today (Friday 23 May 2025) will reveal the number of young people not in education, employment or training, with the current figure standing at 987,000.

    Liverpool City Region is one of eight areas across England set to receive a £5 million investment into work with 18 to 21 year olds most at risk of falling out of education or employment.

    In its first year, the City Region aims to support tens of thousands of young people. Within this, the trailblazer will focus on vulnerable young people often facing the most complex barriers, including care leavers, nearly 40% of whom are not in employment, education or training.

    They will receive a range of support including work and training opportunities, free travel passes, mental health support and money advice.

    Work and Pensions Secretary Liz Kendall said:

    Young people are our future – and yet for too long they have been denied access to the opportunities and support they need.

    At Liverpool FC, the home of champions, we are championing young people to get the skills, education and jobs they require to achieve their ambitions.

    We are investing £45 million – including almost £5m here in Liverpool – to deliver our Youth Guarantee, so every young person across England gets the chance to earn or learn, as we boost living standards and get Britain working under the Plan for Change.

    Further to this, Liverpool will work with over 600 employers to develop tailored roles and placements, and through the region’s BeMore portal which brings career and skills advice straight into your pocket. A panel made up of young people to ensure they are at the heart of decision making will also be set up.

    The city has already had success in tailoring support to meet the needs of young people, including:

    • Ethan who has cerebral palsy and had just finished university with no work experience. With the help of Liverpool, including support with housing, mental health and navigating familial challenges, Ethan gained part-time experience as a youth support worker and has since been offered a job with the Civil Service.
    • Luke who felt he was in a black hole searching for jobs but not being successful. He has since received an apprenticeship levy from Liverpool which meant he was able to do his Level 4 Marketing apprenticeship and now works in Product & Operations Market at Liverpool Football Club.
    • Ellie who decided to explore new career paths following mental health challenges. Through engaging with Liverpool, she was provided with a laptop in order to join the Movement to Work programme and has since been offered a job at the DWP.

    Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotheram said:

    When I travel across our region, I feel fortunate to meet some of the best and brightest young people in the country. But for too long, too many of them have been held back from getting on in life, not because of a lack of talent, but by a lack of opportunity – and I have made it my mission to put that right.

    It’s because of the investments we’ve made, through initiatives like my Young Person’s Guarantee and BeMore, that we’ve been able to connect tens of thousands of people in our area with jobs and training opportunities. Now, backed by the government’s Plan for Change, we can go even further, giving even more young people the best possible start in life.

    Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

    Through our Plan for Change we are breaking down barriers to opportunity so every young person can get on in life, regardless of their background.

    The Youth Guarantee is a genuine game changer for young people in England. I’m delighted Liverpool is leading the way as one of our trailblazers – ensuring every young person has support to develop essential skills for work and life at the critical early stage of their careers.

    Every young person deserves the best life chances — and we won’t stop until everyone has a level playing field to succeed.

    Liz Kendall and Mayor Steve Rotheram unveiled the landmark programme at a careers fair in partnership with key Youth Guarantee partner, the Premier League.

    Hosted at the iconic Anfield Stadium, three days before the champions lift the Premier League Trophy, around one thousand 18 to 21 year olds attended with opportunities on offer from around 40 employers – including Liverpool FC Foundation, Everton in the Community, John Lewis, and Google.

    Clare Sumner, Chief Policy and Social Impact Officer at the Premier League, said:

    The Premier League and our clubs continue to support young people across the country with a range of positive opportunities that help them build self-confidence and fulfil their potential.

    The jobs fair at Anfield is the latest initiative supporting those who need it most in clubs’ local communities, and we will continue to work with Government to deliver similar events as part of the Youth Guarantee.

    The programme comes alongside an unprecedented £1 billion investment to support disabled people and those with long-term health conditions back into work, as well as major reforms to Jobcentres to better align their services with the needs of employers.

    Two youth trailblazers have already launched in London with more beginning to start work in the West of England, Tees Valley, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, West Midlands, and East Midlands

    As well as this, nine inactivity trailblazers backed by £125 million have been rolled out across England and Wales. These programmes will help areas with the highest levels of economic inactivity by connecting work, health and skills offers.

    Richard Rigby, Head of UK Government Affairs at The King’s Trust said:

    With almost one million young people across the UK waking up today with no job, no training, and no education to go to, the prominence being given to developing a Youth Guarantee is not only very welcome, but absolutely vital.

    Young people’s futures are worth fighting for. By getting behind them, we can all help to make the UK a healthier, wealthier, more positive, more cohesive place. The King’s Trust looks forward to working with local areas, including Liverpool City Region, to understand how we can help to deliver the Guarantee.

    Laura-Jane Rawlings MBE, Founder and CEO of Youth Employment UK, said:

    It is great to see the Youth Guarantee launch in Liverpool. The focus on providing young people with the tools that they need to transition into education, employment or training is critical.

    Young people, particularly those who are care experienced or care leavers face multiple barriers to accessing employment so I am pleased to see those barriers be recognised and tailored support put in place.

    Young people when in good quality employment not only add huge value to an employer but they are also much more like to feel fulfilled and happier.

    Susannah Hardyman MBE, CEO of Impetus, said:

    The Youth Guarantee Trailblazers are a vital step toward ensuring every young person – regardless of background – has the opportunity to thrive in employment. Targeted interventions are critical to reaching the young people furthest from the labour market.

    Our research shows that factors like socioeconomic disadvantage, lower educational qualifications, and geographic location can combine to make a young person nearly three times more likely to be not in education, employment, or training than average – but this is not inevitable.

    By connecting these young people with the right support and resources, we can spur economic growth, deliver on the Government’s opportunity mission, and transform lives.

    Sarah Yong, Director of Policy and External Affairs at the Youth Futures Foundation said:

    The launch of the eight trailblazers represents a positive first step in Government’s plans for its Youth Guarantee; we will await the learnings from these place-based approaches from this pilot year with interest.

    The voices and experiences of young people alongside high-quality evidence of what works will be crucial for the Government in further developing the Guarantee for national rollout.

    This comes as the government has, for the first time, linked immigration policy to our plan to deliver a higher skilled economy that backs British workers.

    Alongside boosting the National Living Wage, we are also creating more secure jobs through the Employment Rights Bill and overhauling Jobcentres as we Get Britain Working as part of the Plan for Change.

    Additional information:

    • The latest ONS young people not in education, employment or training statistics will be published on Friday 23 May at 9.30 here: Young people not in education, employment or training (NEET), UK: May 2025 – Office for National Statistics
    • The eight youth trailblazers will be in: Liverpool, West Midlands, Tees Valley, East Midlands, West of England, and Cambridgeshire & Peterborough and two in London
    • Employment support measures are fully transferred to Northern Ireland. Jobcentre Plus services is reserved in both Scotland and Wales, but the Scottish Government and the Welsh Government also deliver other forms of employment support. The funding announced in the Pathways to Work Green Paper is UK wide, the share of funding for devolved Governments will be calculated in the usual way.
    • The Youth Guarantee is an England only initiative, and trailblazer locations will reflect this since Skills, Education and Employment support are devolved in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
    • We will work closely with the devolved governments to share experiences and lessons learned.
    • Additionally, Wales have developed their own Young Persons Guarantee and Scotland also had one until recently (now a comprehensive offer for all age-groups)
    • The UK Government also plans to establish new governance arrangements with the Scottish and Welsh Governments to help frame discussions around the reform of Jobcentres and agree how best to work in partnership on shared employment ambition across devolved and reserved provision.
    • Movement to Work is a voluntary collaboration of leading employers in the UK, including the Department for Work and Pensions to help support young people into employment by providing vocational employment and work placement opportunities.

    Updates to this page

    Published 23 May 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: First Minister calls for national mission to raise living standards

    Source: Scottish Government

    Ahead of UK summit, FM says Winter Fuel Payment must be restored.

    The UK needs a national mission to raise living standards and provide people with hope that things will get easier, starting with the restoration of a Winter Fuel Payment to all pensioner households, First Minister John Swinney has said.

    Speaking ahead of talks with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer in London, the First Minister said he will press for action to help people struggling with the ongoing cost of living crisis, amid increasing inflation and international economic instability.

    Mr Swinney said the first action of the UK Government must be to accept the cut to the Winter Fuel Payment was wrong and announce a restoration so all pensioners get a payment.

    The First Minster said people need to believe things can get easier and that he plans to raise specific concerns relating to Scotland’s economy with the Prime Minister which could help accelerate economic growth. This includes the impact on Scotland of the recently announced UK-US trade deal, the agreement reached with the European Union, Carbon Capture and the case for a bespoke migration policy for Scotland.

    Mr Swinney will be in London for a programme of meetings, including a bilateral with the Prime Minister, a multilateral with the First Minister of Wales, First Minister and deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, and a plenary session of the Council of Nations and Regions.

    First Minister John Swinney said:

    “People across the UK are living through a period of huge uncertainty and for some, that is undermining the trust they have in government.

    “Cutting the winter fuel payment saw the UK Government breaking promises and removing vital financial support for some of the most vulnerable in our society. Having effectively conceded the argument by announcing a partial U-turn, the Prime Minister should accept the cut was wrong and restore a universal winter fuel payment.

    “In Scotland, we are introducing universal winter heating payments through our Cost of Living Guarantee. This will see payment made to all pensioner households, with the poorest receiving the most support which is fair amid ongoing pressures.

    “If the UK government want to provide people with hope that things will get easier, the Prime Minister should restore the winter fuel payment as part of a new national mission to raise living standards.

    “I will raise this issue with him alongside other critical issues, including our proposal for a Scottish Graduate Visa, Carbon Capture and what impacts recent trade deals will have on Scottish producers and businesses.

    “We are willing to work with him and the UK Government, but the question is whether he is willing to work with Scotland and give people hope that a better future is possible.”

    ENDS

    The First Minister will hold bilateral talks with the Prime Minister in London on Friday 23 May.

    The First Minister is then due to join the First Minister of Wales, the First Minister and Deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland for further talks, before joining a meeting of the UK Government’s Council of Nations and Regions.  

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why Donald Trump has put Asia on the precipice of a nuclear arms race

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Langford, Executive Director, Security & Defence PLuS and Professor, UNSW Sydney

    For the past 75 years, America’s nuclear umbrella has been the keystone that has kept East Asia’s great‑power rivalries from turning atomic.

    President Donald Trump’s second‑term “strategic reset” now threatens to crack that arch.

    By pressuring allies to shoulder more of the defence burden, hinting that US forces might walk if the cheques do not clear and flirting with a return to nuclear testing, Washington is signalling that its once‑ironclad nuclear guarantee is, at best, negotiable.

    In Seoul, Tokyo and even Taipei, a once-unthinkable idea — building nuclear weapons — has begun to look disturbingly pragmatic.

    Nuclear umbrella starting to fray

    Extended deterrence is the promise the United States will use its own nuclear weapons, if necessary, to repel an attack on an ally.

    The logic is brutally simple: if North Korea contemplates a strike on South Korea, it must fear an American retaliatory strike, as well.

    The pledge allows allies to forgo their own bombs, curbing nuclear proliferation while reinforcing US influence.

    The idea dates to Dwight D. Eisenhower’s “New Look” military strategy, which relied on the threat of “massive retaliation” against the Soviet Union to defend Europe and Asia at a discount: fewer troops, more warheads.

    John F. Kennedy replaced that hair‑trigger doctrine with a “flexible response” defence strategy. This widened the spectrum of options to respond to potential Soviet attacks, but kept the nuclear backstop in place.

    By the 1990s, the umbrella seemed almost ornamental. Russia’s nuclear arsenal had rusted, China was keeping to a “minimal deterrent” strategy (maintaining a small stockpile of weapons), and US supremacy looked overwhelming.

    In 2020, then-President Barack Obama’s Nuclear Posture Review reaffirmed the umbrella guarantee, though Obama had voiced aspirations for the long‑term abolition of nuclear weapons.

    Barack Obama’s 2009 speech advocating nuclear disarmament in Prague.

    The Biden administration then embraced a new term – “integrated deterrence”, which fused cyber, space and economic tools with nuclear forces to deter potential foes.

    In recent years, however, North Korea’s sprint towards intercontinental ballistic missiles and the modernisation and expansion of China’s nuclear arsenal began testing the faith of US allies.

    Trump has now turbo‑charged those doubts. He has mused that his “strategic reset” ties protection to payment. If NATO’s Article 5 (which obliges members to come to each other’s defence) is “conditional” on US allies paying their fair share, why would Asia be different?

    Reports the White House has weighed a resumption of underground nuclear tests – and, under the Biden administration, even a more extensive arsenal – have rattled non‑proliferation diplomats.

    A Politico analysis bluntly warns that sustaining global “extended deterrence” in two parts of the world (Europe and Asia) may be beyond Trump’s patience — or pocketbook.

    A regional nuclear arms race

    Allies are taking note. Last month, an Institute for Strategic Studies survey found officials in Europe and Asia openly questioning whether an American president would risk San Francisco to save Seoul.

    In South Korea, public backing for a bomb now tops 70%.

    Japan’s ruling Liberal Democratic Party is, for the first time since 1945, considering a “nuclear sharing” arrangement with the US. Some former defence officials have even called for a debate on nuclear weapons themselves.

    Taiwan’s legislators — long muzzled on the subject — whisper about a “porcupine” deterrent based on asymmetrical warfare and a modest nuclear capability.

    If one domino tips, several could follow. A South Korean nuclear weapon program would almost certainly spur Japan to act. That, in turn, would harden China’s strategic outlook, inviting a regional arms race and shredding the fragile Nuclear Non‑Proliferation Treaty.

    The respected international relations journal Foreign Policy has already dubbed Trump’s approach “a nuclear Pandora’s box.”

    The danger is not just about more warheads, but also the shorter decision times to use them.

    Three or four nuclear actors crammed into the world’s busiest sea lanes — with hypersonic missiles and AI‑driven, early‑warning systems — create hair‑trigger instability. One misread radar blip over the East China Sea could end in catastrophe.

    What does this mean for Australia?

    Australia, too, has long relied on the US umbrella without demanding an explicit nuclear clause in the ANZUS treaty.

    The AUKUS submarine pact with the US and UK deepens technological knowledge sharing, but does not deliver an Australian bomb. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese insists the deal is about “deterrence, not offence,” yet the debate over funding nuclear-powered submarines exposes how tightly Australian strategy is lashed to American political will.

    A regional cascade of nuclear proliferation would confront Australia with agonising choices. Should it cling to the shrinking US umbrella, invest in a missile defence shield, or contemplate its own nuclear deterrent? Any such move towards its own weapon would collide with decades of proud non‑proliferation diplomacy and risk alienating Southeast Asian neighbours.

    More likely, Canberra will double down on alliance management — lobbying Washington to clarify its commitments, urging Seoul and Tokyo to stay the non‑nuclear course, and expanding regional defence exercises that make American resolve visible.

    In a neighbourhood bristling with new warheads, middle powers that remain non‑nuclear will need thicker conventional shields and sharper diplomatic tools.

    This means hardening Australia’s northern bases against a potential attack, accelerating its long‑range strike programs, and funding diplomatic initiatives that keep the Non-Proliferation Treaty alive.

    The Trump administration’s transactional posture risks broadcasting a deficit of will precisely when East Asian security hangs in the balance. If Washington allows confidence in extended deterrence to erode, history will not stand still; it will split the atom again, this time in Seoul, Tokyo or beyond.

    Australia has every incentive to prod its great power ally back toward strategic steadiness. The alternative is a region where the umbrellas proliferate — and, sooner or later, fail.

    Ian Langford is affiliated with the University of New South Wales.

    – ref. Why Donald Trump has put Asia on the precipice of a nuclear arms race – https://theconversation.com/why-donald-trump-has-put-asia-on-the-precipice-of-a-nuclear-arms-race-256577

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Truck driver charged over crash at Blackwood

    Source: New South Wales – News

    A truck driver was arrested after a crash that seriously injured a motorcyclist at Blackwood yesterday afternoon.

    Just after 3.30pm on Thursday 22 May, police were called to Shepherds Hill Road, Blackwood after reports of a collision between a truck and motorcycle.

    The rider, a 46-year-old man from Blackwood, sustained serious injuries in the crash and was rushed to hospital. He remains in a critical condition.

    The truck driver, a 38-year-old man from Holden Hill, was not injured.

    Major Crash Investigators attended the scene to determine the circumstances surrounding the crash.

    Last night, the truck driver was arrested and charged with cause serious harm by dangerous driving.  He was issued with an immediate loss of licence until further order and bailed to appear in the Christies Beach Magistrates Court on 31 July.

    Anyone who witnessed the crash and hasn’t yet spoken to police or has dashcam or CCTV footage that captured the collision or either the truck or motorcycle in the vicinity of Shepherds Hill Road yesterday is asked to contact Crime Stoppers at www.crimestopperssa.com.au or on 1800 333 000. You can remain anonymous.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Wanted Victorian man arrested

    Source: New South Wales – News

    A man has been arrested for numerous offences following a police pursuit that started in the CBD and ended in the Riverland.

    About 2.30am on Thursday 22 May, patrols were advised a wanted Victorian man was spotted driving a white BMW in the CBD.

    Police attempted to stop the car however it failed to stop and was last seen travelling north on Churchill Road, Kilburn.

    About an hour later the vehicle was detected driving on Sturt Highway, Nuriootpa at 129km/h in an 80km/h zone.

    Riverland Police with the assistance of PolAir, attended West Boundary Road at Wunkar, where they located the white BMW.  The vehicle again took off at speed away from patrols however PolAir quickly picked it up and tracked it reaching speeds of 170km/h.

    The man was seen dumping the car and entering a property in Wunkar, where he confronted the occupants and demanded the keys to their Toyota HiLux.

    He continued driving dangerously and at high speeds through back roads.  The HiLux approached the intersection of Cameron Highway and Brown Wells Highway at Paruna and failed to negotiate the intersection causing the driver to lose control and roll.

    The man ran from the vehicle but was located a short time later and he was arrested.  The 31-year-old Victorian man was charged with dangerous driving to escape a police pursuit, illegal use of a motor vehicle, serious criminal trespass, theft, driving at a speed dangerous and other driving offences.  He was refused police bail and will appear in Berri Magistrates Court today (Friday 23 May).

    CO2500021184

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: How should central banks respond to US tariffs? The RBA provides some clues

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stella Huangfu, Associate professor, University of Sydney

    Lightspring/Shutterstock

    With the return of Donald Trump to the White House, the United States has signalled a return to aggressive tariff policies, upending economic forecasts around the world.

    This leaves central banks with a tricky dilemma: how to respond when inflation and global growth are being shaped by political decisions rather than economic fundamentals?

    Tariffs lift import prices and disrupt trade, which could lead to higher inflation. But they can also dampen consumer demand and undermine business confidence, which would slow economic growth.

    This leaves central banks balancing two opposing forces – do they raise interest rates to control inflation, or cut interest rates to support growth?

    Three big shocks in a row

    This week, Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Governor Michele Bullock addressed this challenge in a press conference after cutting interest rates for the second time this year.

    She described the current period as one of “shifting and unusual uncertainty”.

    Central banks, she noted, have faced three major shocks in succession: the global financial crisis, the COVID pandemic, and now the fallout from Trump’s trade policies.

    Each, she said, is different – this latest one being political in nature and harder to categorise. Bullock stressed the difficulty of judging whether such shocks are supply-driven or demand-driven, or both, and emphasised the need to prepare for a range of outcomes.

    So, the Reserve Bank took the unusual step of outlining three alternative global scenarios – trade war, trade peace, and a central baseline. Each one has distinct implications for Australian monetary policy.

    It’s a clear example of how central banks can remain flexible and forward-looking in a world where the next shock may look nothing like the last.

    Looking at three global scenarios

    1. Trade war (escalation)

    In this scenario laid out in the Reserve Bank’s quarterly statement on monetary policy, the US imposes sweeping new tariffs. That prompts retaliation and a slowdown in global trade. Supply chains are hit and business confidence falls.

    Australia would feel the consequences quickly: weaker export demand, rising import prices, and a difficult mix of slower growth and temporary inflation. Here, the Reserve Bank would likely look past short-term price increases and focus on deteriorating demand. A rate cut would become more likely, despite inflation being above target in the short run.

    2. Trade peace (de-escalation)

    If the US backs away from new tariffs and tensions ease, global confidence improves and trade stabilises. Australia benefits from stronger global demand, a rebound in commodity exports and rising investment.

    In this setting, inflation rises gradually due to higher activity – not import price shocks. The Reserve Bank might hold rates steady, or even consider hiking rates if inflation pressures build. But this scenario also carries risk: if the recovery is faster than expected, interest rates may be left low for too long.

    3. Baseline scenario

    In the bank’s central case, trade tensions persist but do not escalate. Global growth slows moderately and firms adjust to ongoing strain in supply chains.

    Australia sees subdued but stable economic growth. Inflation remains within the 2-3% target band in the near term, and the Reserve Bank would stay open to either raising or lowering interest rates, depending on how risks evolve.

    Other central banks face similar choices

    Australia’s central bank is not alone in navigating these challenges.

    At the Bank of England, the decision to cut rates in May showed a divided Monetary Policy Committee. While the majority supported a 0.25% cut, two members – including trade expert Swati Dhingra – called for a larger 0.5% move to better support growth. The split highlights the difficulty of gauging how aggressively to respond in an uncertain environment.

    In the US, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has warned of the risks posed by Trump’s new tariffs. Speaking in April, Powell said the impact could be “larger than expected”, threatening both growth and inflation.

    With trade policy largely out of the Fed’s hands, he noted, the central bank must still monitor developments on tariffs closely because of their potential to disrupt both employment and prices.

    The road ahead

    The re-emergence of US tariffs adds to the complexity facing central banks. As Bullock noted, this is not just another economic shock – it’s a politically driven one, which is harder to model and forecast.

    The Reserve Bank’s response offers a practical framework: map out potential scenarios, weigh their implications and stand ready to move. In an uncertain world, monetary policy must be based not just on data, but on judgement, flexibility and contingency planning.



    Read more:
    What are tariffs?

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

    – ref. How should central banks respond to US tariffs? The RBA provides some clues – https://theconversation.com/how-should-central-banks-respond-to-us-tariffs-the-rba-provides-some-clues-257329

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Blumenthal, Colleagues Introduce Bill To Direct Restoration And Protection Efforts Of The 5-state Connecticut River Watershed Region

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy

    May 22, 2025

    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senators Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) joined six of their Senate colleagues in reintroducing the Connecticut River Watershed Partnership Act (CRWPA), which would formalize a partnership between federal, state, local and private entities to promote conservation, restoration, education and recreation efforts in the Watershed and establish a voluntary grant program to facilitate these activities. This collaborative effort will benefit fish and wildlife habitats, protect drinking water sources, enhance flood resilience and help promote access to the Watershed’s public spaces, particularly for excluded and marginalized communities. U.S. Representative Jim McGovern (Mass.-02) leads a companion bill in the House of Representatives.

    “The Connecticut River is one of our state’s greatest natural resources and a major economic driver for the communities it runs through. It’s also a really important part of a healthy Long Island Sound ecosystem,” said Murphy. “This legislation would help make sure organizations working on the ground have the support they need from federal, state, and local government to keep the watershed healthy and thriving for years to come.”

    “The Connecticut River is a cherished treasure in our state. This legislation bolsters conservation efforts, protects fish and wildlife, supplies clean drinking water, and enhances recreation so that many generations of Connecticut residents can enjoy this natural resource. I’m proud to join my New England colleagues in supporting this initiative,” said Blumenthal.

    The Connecticut River, New England’s longest river, drains a 7.2-million-acre watershed across five New England states: Connecticut, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Vermont. The Watershed is home to 396 communities and provides multiple environmental and economic benefits to diverse stakeholders and industries, including fisheries, farming, hunting, recreation, boating and tourism. The Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge encompasses the entire Watershed and is the only refuge of its kind in the National Wildlife Refuge System.

    Specifically, the CRWPA would:

    1. Require the Secretary of Interior to establish a non-regulatory Watershed Partnership Program intended to identify, prioritize and implement restoration and protection activities within the Watershed in consultation with federal, state, local and non-profit stakeholders;
    2. Create a grant and technical assistance program for state and local governments; tribal organizations; nonprofit organizations; institutions of higher education; and other eligible entities for activities in the Watershed;
    3. Implement a 75% Federal cost share for the grant program, except where the Secretary determines a larger cost share is appropriate; and
    4. Ensure other activities conducted by the Secretary in the Watershed would supplement, not supplant activities carried out by the partnership program.

    The legislation is supported by a broad coalition of more than 50 public and private organizations throughout New England, including the Connecticut River Watershed Partnership. U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Peter Welch (D-Vt.) also cosponsored the legislation.

    Full text of the bill is available HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Half the remaining habitat of Australia’s most at-risk species is outside protected areas

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Ward, Lecturer, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University

    Land clearing for agriculture poses a real threat to many species. Rich Carey/Shutterstock

    More and more Australian species are being listed as critically endangered – the final stage before extinction in the wild. Hundreds of species of plants and animals are now at this point.

    For a species to be critically endangered, it is on death’s door. Its numbers must have shrunk alarmingly and its outlook is bleak. Why? One common reason is habitat loss. If we convert bushland or swamps into farmland or suburbs, we reduce how much space species have to survive.

    Our new research examines how much habitat is left for 305 of Australia’s critically endangered species – more than 70% of the total. Alarmingly, we found almost half the remaining habitat is outside the protected area estate. That means the last remaining areas where these species are clinging on could very easily be cleared.

    The good news? We now know exactly which areas most need to be safeguarded. If we protected an extra 0.5% of Australia’s land mass, we could slash the risk to hundreds of species approaching the point of no return. This is a relatively small amount compared to the 22.5% of Australia that already has some form of protection. The Australian government has committed to increasing this to 30% by 2030.

    What did we do?

    Australia now has 426 critically endangered species, including plants, fish, frogs, reptiles, mammals, birds and other animals. We focused on 305 of these species – those clinging to life in six or fewer isolated patches of habitat across Australia.

    We then worked with 18 scientists whose expertise covers these 305 species to refine the maps of habitat for species to ensure we used the most accurate and current data available.

    Once we had these maps, we compared them to maps of Australia’s network of protected areas. When we found unprotected habitat, we assessed whether it might be appealing for clearing and conversion into farmland.

    When we put this data together, we found something startling – and encouraging. Our work found approximately 85,000 square kilometres of habitat (about 1% of Australia’s land area) urgently needs protection and management to halt extinction for these 305 species.

    This map shows Australia’s existing protected areas in green. Suitable but unprotected habitat for our critically endangered species are coloured from dark blue through to yellow. The lighter the colour, the more species this habitat is suited to. Islands not to scale.
    Michelle Ward, CC BY-NC-ND

    Alarmingly, half of this vital habitat currently lies outside existing protected areas, with 39 species having none of their remaining habitat in the protected area estate. Habitat in protected areas is safer, but not completely safe. Fuel reduction burns, invasive species and even harvesting can affect species inside protected areas.

    Consider the Margaret River burrowing crayfish (Engaewa pseudoreducta), Lyon’s grassland striped skink (Austroablepharus barrylyoni) and the Rosewood keeled snail (Ordtrachia septentrionalis). Each of these critically endangered species survives in one or two tiny patches of habitat outside the protected area estate. They could be wiped out by something as simple as a highway expansion or a new suburban development.

    Some remaining habitat is especially precious, as it could support several critically endangered species at once. These include areas west of Atherton in Queensland as well as areas around Tumbarumba in New South Wales and Campbell Town in Tasmania.

    Other hotspots include Lord Howe Island, Macquarie Island, Christmas Island, Norfolk Island and its neighbour Phillip Island. Many critically endangered species with small ranges survive here, including Suter’s striped glass-snail, Christmas Island spleenwort and the Lord Howe Island phasmid (giant stick insect). While most of these islands are well protected, their conservation programs need to be well funded to deal with ongoing threats.

    The critically endangered Lyon’s grassland striped skink is now found only on small fragments of habitat southwest of Cairns.
    Conrad Hoskin, CC BY-NC-ND

    The last of them

    When a species goes extinct, we lose an entire set of genes, traits, behaviours and history. Despite recent headlines, extinction is forever.

    In 2022, the Australian government pledged to bring an end to extinction of the continent’s unique species.

    This is easier said than done – extinctions are continuing, especially among invertebrates.

    Our maps show the last known areas where these 305 species are holding on. If nothing is done, some of these areas of habitat will likely be converted to farming or grazing land. The most logical thing to do is to preserve and manage this habitat as quickly as possible.

    The challenge is ownership. At present, much of this habitat occurs on private land (about 17,000 km²) or in state forests (about 7,000 km²) which often does not stop activities that cause habitat destruction, such as native forest logging. Other areas are under different forms of tenure which often lack stringent conservation measures.

    Protecting species on private lands requires careful negotiation and incentives for landholders. The government doesn’t have to buy the land – it just has to find ways to conserve it. Australia now has many good examples of conservation on private land.

    Agricultural potential poses another challenge. More than half (55%) of the habitat we identified has a clear overlap with lands suitable for farming or grazing. These preferred areas are usually flat and on fertile soils.

    Conversion of habitat to farms or paddocks is a major reason why Australia is still one of the top land-clearing nations. In just one year, 6,800 km² of woody vegetation was cleared in Queensland – largely to make way for agriculture.

    What can we do?

    Our research gives policymakers detailed, geographically specific and actionable information on vital areas of habitat remaining for more than 70% of Australia’s critically endangered species.

    These maps can help shape decisions on land management, expansion of protected areas and where biodiversity stewardship programs should be prioritised.

    Policymakers must find effective incentives for landowners to preserve species on their land and rigorously enforce regulations to prevent illegal clearing.

    Australia stands at a crossroads. The action (or inaction) of decision makers will change the fate of hundreds of critically endangered species. We know where these species are just holding on. The question is whether we can get to them in time.

    Michelle Ward has received funding from various sources including the Australian Research Council, the Queensland Department of Environment and Science, WWF Australia, and the federal government’s National Environmental Science Program, and has advised both state and federal government on conservation policy.

    James Watson has received funding from the Australian Research Council, National Environmental Science Program, South Australia’s Department of Environment and Water, Queensland’s Department of Environment, Science and Innovation as well as from Bush Heritage Australia, Queensland Conservation Council, Australian Conservation Foundation, The Wilderness Society and Birdlife Australia. He serves on the scientific committee of BirdLife Australia and has a long-term scientific relationship with Bush Heritage Australia and Wildlife Conservation Society. He serves on the Queensland government’s Land Restoration Fund’s Investment Panel as the Deputy Chair.

    – ref. Half the remaining habitat of Australia’s most at-risk species is outside protected areas – https://theconversation.com/half-the-remaining-habitat-of-australias-most-at-risk-species-is-outside-protected-areas-256818

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for May 23, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on May 23, 2025.

    Half the remaining habitat of Australia’s most at-risk species is outside protected areas
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Ward, Lecturer, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University Land clearing for agriculture poses a real threat to many species. Rich Carey/Shutterstock More and more Australian species are being listed as critically endangered – the final stage before extinction in the wild. Hundreds of species of

    How should central banks respond to US tariffs? The RBA provides some clues
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stella Huangfu, Associate professor, University of Sydney Lightspring/Shutterstock With the return of Donald Trump to the White House, the United States has signalled a return to aggressive tariff policies, upending economic forecasts around the world. This leaves central banks with a tricky dilemma: how to respond when

    Vivid, thrilling and ghastly: new theatrical adaptation of The Birds evokes climate disaster, terrorism and lockdown
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Austin, Senior Lecturer in Theatre, The University of Melbourne Pia Johnson/Malthouse Theatre Malthouse’s new production of The Birds is a thrillingly realised take on the 1952 short story by Daphne Du Maurier. Adapted by Louise Fox and directed by Matthew Lutton, this vivid realisation is a

    Air New Zealand to resume Auckland-Nouméa flights from November
    By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Air New Zealand has announced it plans to resume its Auckland-Nouméa flights from November, almost one and a half years after deadly civil unrest broke out in the French Pacific territory. “Air New Zealand is resuming its Auckland-Nouméa service starting 1 November 2025. Initially, flights will

    Budget 2025: Pacific Ministry faces major cuts, yet new initiatives aim for development
    By ‘Alakihihifo Vailala of PMN News Funding for New Zealand’s Ministry for Pacific Peoples (MPP) is set to be reduced by almost $36 million in Budget 2025. This follows a cut of nearly $26 million in the 2024 budget. As part of these budgetary savings, the Tauola Business Fund will be closed. But, $6.3 million

    Air New Zealand to resume Auckland-Nouméa flights from November
    By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk Air New Zealand has announced it plans to resume its Auckland-Nouméa flights from November, almost one and a half years after deadly civil unrest broke out in the French Pacific territory. “Air New Zealand is resuming its Auckland-Nouméa service starting 1 November 2025. Initially, flights will

    Budget 2025: Pacific Ministry faces major cuts, yet new initiatives aim for development
    By ‘Alakihihifo Vailala of PMN News Funding for New Zealand’s Ministry for Pacific Peoples (MPP) is set to be reduced by almost $36 million in Budget 2025. This follows a cut of nearly $26 million in the 2024 budget. As part of these budgetary savings, the Tauola Business Fund will be closed. But, $6.3 million

    Why Donald Trump has put Asia on the precipice of a nuclear arms race
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Langford, Executive Director, Security & Defence PLuS and Professor, UNSW Sydney For the past 75 years, America’s nuclear umbrella has been the keystone that has kept East Asia’s great‑power rivalries from turning atomic. President Donald Trump’s second‑term “strategic reset” now threatens to crack that arch. By

    Corroboree 2000, 25 years on: the march for Indigenous reconciliation has left a complicated legacy
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Heidi Norman, Professor of Aboriginal political history, Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture, Convenor: Indigenous Land & Justice Research Group, UNSW Sydney First Nations people please be advised this article speaks of racially discriminating moments in history, including the distress and death of First Nations people. On

    KiwiSaver at a crossroads: budget another missed opportunity to fix NZ’s underperforming retirement scheme
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Aaron Gilbert, Professor of Finance, Auckland University of Technology Lynn Grieveson/Getty Images When KiwiSaver was introduced in 2007 it was built on a stark reality: New Zealand Super alone will not be enough for most people to retire with dignity. As the population ages and the cost

    Deaf President Now! traces the powerful uprising that led to Deaf rights in the US – now again under threat
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gemma King, ARC DECRA Fellow in Screen Studies, Senior Lecturer in French Studies, Australian National University Archival footage shows Tim Rarus, Greg Hlibok, Bridgetta Bourne-Firl and Jerry Covell, in Apple TV+ Deaf President Now! Apple TV+ In March 1988, students of the world’s only Deaf university started

    Head knocks and ultra-violence: viral games Run It Straight and Power Slap put sports safety back centuries
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Christopher Yorke, Lecturer in sport management, Western Sydney University runitstraight24/instagram.com, The Conversation, CC BY Created in Australia, “Run It Straight” is a new, ultra-violent combat sport. Across a 20×4 metre grassed “battlefield,” players charge at full speed toward one another. Alternating between carrying the ball (ball runner)

    NZ Budget 2025: funding growth at the expense of pay equity for women could cost National in the long run
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Curtin, Professor of Politics and Policy, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Pay equity protest outside parliament on budget day, May 22 2025. Getty Images In 1936, when the National Party was created through a merger of the United and Reform parties, there was a recognition

    Australian roads are getting deadlier – pedestrians and males are among those at greater risk
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Associate Professor & Principal Fellow in Urban Risk & Resilience, The University of Melbourne At least ten people died in fatal crashes earlier this month in a single 48-hour period on Victorian roads. It was the latest tragic demonstration of the mounting road trauma in

    There is a growing number of ‘super-sized’ schools. Does the number of students matter?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Rowe, Associate Professor in Education, Deakin University LBeddoe/Shutterstock Earlier this week, The Sydney Morning Herald reported one of Sydney’s top public high schools had more than 2,000 students for the first time, thanks to the booming population in the area. This follows similar reports of other

    From peasant fodder to posh fare: how snails and oysters became luxury foods
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Garritt C. Van Dyk, Senior Lecturer in History, University of Waikato An Oyster cellar in Leith John Burnet, 1819; National Galleries of Scotland, Photo: Antonia Reeve Oysters and escargot are recognised as luxury foods around the world – but they were once valued by the lower classes

    Govt should defuse NZ’s social timebomb – but won’t
    We have been handed a long and protracted recession with few signs of growth and prosperity. Budget 2025 signals more of the same, writes Susan St John. ANALYSIS: By Susan St John With the coalition government’s second Budget being unveiled, we should question where New Zealand is heading. The 2024 Budget laid out the strategy.

    Punitive criminal libel charge against Samoan journalist draws flurry of criticism
    Pacific Media Watch A punitive defamation charge filed against one of Samoa’s most experienced and trusted journalists last week has sparked a flurry of criticism over abuse of power and misuse of a law that has long been heavily criticised as outdated. Talamua Online senior journalist Lagi Keresoma, who is also president of the Journalists

    Grattan on Friday: if Ley and Littleproud find a way to cohabit, it will be a tense household
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Remember that cliche about the Nationals tail wagging the Liberal dog? That tail wagged very vigorously this week, and smashed a lot of crockery, as it sought to bring Liberal leader Sussan Ley to heel. In a gesture of overreach,

    Legal academic says Samoa’s criminal libel law should go after charge
    By Don Wiseman, RNZ Pacific senior journalist An Auckland University law academic says Samoa’s criminal libel law under which a prominent journalist has been charged should be repealed. Lagi Keresoma, the first female president of the Journalists Association of Samoa (JAWS) and editor of Talamua Online, was charged under the Crimes Act 2013 on Sunday

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Disaster or digital spectacle? The dangers of using floods to create social media content

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Cornell, PhD Candidate in Public Health & Community Medicine, School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney

    Almost 700 rescues had been carried out in New South Wales by Friday morning as
    record-breaking rainfall pounds the state. Tragically, four people have died in floodwaters.

    Amid the chaos, videos posted on social media show people deliberately entering or standing above swollen rivers and flooded roads. It is a pattern of dangerous behaviour that occurs frequently during natural disasters in Australia.

    Filming unsafe acts for social media is not just risky for participants. It may inspire copycat behaviour, and, if things go wrong, can endanger the lives of rescuers. It’s a public health problem which requires new remedies.

    Selfies in floods: a risky business

    During a flood, water can be deceiving. Just 15cm of water can knock an adult off their feet or cause a car to lose traction and float. Submerged debris and contaminated water add to the dangers.

    Emergency services routinely warn the public not to enter floodwaters – on foot or in vehicles. But many people ignore the warnings, including those out to create social media content.

    In a startling example posted on Tiktok during the current floods, a young man stands on a mossy log which has fallen over a flooded river. The video, accompanied by dramatic music, shows swirling floodwaters surging beneath him. One wrong step, and the man could easily have drowned.

    In other examples posted on Tiktok in recent days, a woman wades through murky floodwaters, and a person films as the car they are travelling in drives down a flooded road.

    Similar behaviour was observed during floods in Townsville earlier this year. Residents filmed themselves diving and wading into floodwaters, and towing each other on inflatable rafts.

    And during ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred, social media was filled with images of people in Queensland surfing dangerous swells and wading in rough surf.

    A worrying trend

    Our research explores the links between social media and adverse health outcomes.

    Selfie-related injury has become a public health concern. People are increasingly venturing off-trail, seeking out attractive but hazardous locations such as cliff edges and coastal rock platforms.

    These behaviours can lead to injury and death. They can also put emergency services personnel in harm’s way. In 2021, for example, a woman fell into a swollen river on Canberra’s outskirts while trying to take a selfie with friends, prompting a police official to warn:

    There is no photo or social media post that is worth risking your life to get. Any water rescue puts the lives of not only of yourself but those of emergency services personnel at risk.

    Getting to grips with the problem

    How should the problem be tackled? Previous research by others has recommended “no-selfie zones”, barriers, and signs as ways to prevent selfie incidents. But our research suggests these measures may not be enough.

    The phenomenon of selfie-related incidents requires a public health approach. This entails addressing the behaviour through prevention, education, and other interventions such as via social media platforms.

    In the latest floods, unsafe behaviour has occurred despite a series of official flood, weather and other warnings. Residents also continue to drive into floodwaters, despite repeated pleas from authorities.

    Official warnings compete with – and can lose out to – more emotionally compelling, visually rich content. If the public sees other people behaving recklessly and apparently unharmed, then even clear, fact-based warnings can be ignored.

    This is especially true in communities experiencing “alert-fatigue” after having gone through disasters before.

    Sometimes, vague terminology in warnings means the messages don’t necessarily cut through. We’ve seen this before in relation to surf safety. Technical phrases such as “hazardous swell” don’t change behaviour if people don’t understand what they mean.

    For warnings to work, they need to be clear and provide instruction – stating what the danger actually is, and what to explicitly do, or not do.

    For social media users, that might mean spelling out not to go into floodwaters to capture content for social media.

    We’ve also previously called on social media companies to be held more accountable for the dangerous content they publish – by flagging risky content and supporting in-app safety messaging, especially at high-risk locations or during extreme weather events.

    What to do right now

    If you’re in or near a flood zone, follow guidance from emergency services to keep yourself and your loved ones safe.

    When it comes to using social media in an emergency:

    • stay entirely out of floodwaters, even for a quick photo

    • think before you post. Your safety is more important than your content. No post is worth risking your life

    • avoid glamourising risk. Sharing risky photos or videos can influence others to do the same, potentially with worse outcomes

    • follow official advice. Floodwaters are unpredictable. Warnings are issued for a reason

    • use your platform for good. Share verified information, support affected communities and help amplify safety messages.

    As extreme weather becomes more frequent in Australia under climate change, so too will the urge to document them. But we risk turning disasters into digital spectacles – at the expense of our lives and that of rescuers.

    Samuel Cornell receives funding from Meta Platforms, Inc. His research is supported by a University of New South Wales Sydney, University Postgraduate Award. His research is supported by Royal Life Saving Society – Australia to aid in the prevention of drowning. Research at Royal Life Saving Society – Australia is supported by the Australian government. He has been affiliated with Surf Life Saving Australia and Surf Life Saving NSW in a paid and voluntary capacity.

    Amy Peden receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, Meta Platforms, and NSW National Parks and Wildlife Service. She holds an honorary affiliation with Royal Life Saving Society – Australia.

    – ref. Disaster or digital spectacle? The dangers of using floods to create social media content – https://theconversation.com/disaster-or-digital-spectacle-the-dangers-of-using-floods-to-create-social-media-content-257350

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Taskforce Raven charge two youths over stealing incidents

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Taskforce Raven charge two youths over stealing incidents

    Friday, 23 May 2025 – 1:13 pm.

    Two youths have been separately charged in relation to 28 stealing offences after they were arrested by members of Taskforce Raven.
    Members of the taskforce were on foot patrol the Launceston CBD yesterday when they arrested a 13 year old girl allegedly caught stealing from a business.
    She was later charged with multiple offences including 21 stealing offences, 31 relevant contraventions, 5 counts of possess liquor under 18yrs, resist police and possess restricted substance.
    Members of the taskforce then arrested a 17 year old girl and charged her with 7 stealing offences, 6 relevant contravention breaches, and 2 counts of possess liquor under 18.
    Detective Acting Inspector Jason Jones said as a result of the foot patrols, taskforce members had cleared 28 offence reports – all related to shoplifting – in one night.
    “Taskforce Raven is continuing to proactively target crime reduction, recidivist offenders, and youth crime across the Northern District,” he said.
    “While the taskforce is just one of a range of strategies, we continue to see strong results being delivered by our members.”
    Anyone with information can contact the taskforce on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Police investigating Mayfield house fire

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Police investigating Mayfield house fire

    Friday, 23 May 2025 – 1:52 pm.

    Police are investigating a suspicious house fire at Mayfield overnight.
    Emergency services were called to a residence in Hume Street just before 1am after reports of a fire.
    Tasmania Fire Service contained the fire before an investigation determined it was deliberately lit.
    Nobody was inside the house at the time and police are asking anyone with information to come forward.
    Information can be provided by contacting Northern CIB on 131 444 or Crime Stoppers anonymously on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Man faces drug trafficking, stealing charges

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Man faces drug trafficking, stealing charges

    Friday, 23 May 2025 – 1:59 pm.

    A 36-year-old Tasmanian man has been charged with drug trafficking and stealing offences following an almost month-long police operation in the state’s south.
    Police co-ordinating Operation Finger allege the man was responsible for a total of 68.6 grams of methamphetamine found in separate searches at two properties, with the combined quantity of drugs seized equivalent to about 680 individual street deals.
    Also seized during the searches was ammunition and a significant quantity of allegedly stolen tools. The tools have been identified by previous reports to police and have since been returned to owners.
    In the first search, of a property at Brighton on April 30, police will allege 35.6 grams of methamphetamine and a quantity of ammunition and power tools were found. The man was not present at the property at the time.
    Further investigations into the man’s activities prompted police to launch a targeted operation to locate him.
    On Wednesday this week, officers from Bridgewater CIB, with support from Glenorchy CIB and specialist resources, conducted a search of a property at Claremont.
    Police will allege the man tried to avoid them by leaving the house and jumping multiple fences of neighbouring properties to escape, before he was located nearby.
    It is alleged the man was responsible for a total of 33 grams of methamphetamine found in his possession and at a Claremont address.
    Police have charged the man with a series of drug and theft-related offences, including trafficking in a controlled substance, possess controlled plant or its products, possess a controlled drug, unlawful possession of property, stealing and two counts of burglary.
    The man is also facing two counts of computer-related fraud.
    Investigations have also resulted in charges against two other people, including an 18-year-old man who is facing charges of burglary, attempted stealing, unlawful possession of property and possess a controlled drug.
    A third man is facing a drugs charge for allegedly being in possession of about 530 grams of cannabis.
    During the course of Operation Finger, support was also provided by Crime Stoppers.
    If you wish to report a crime, call police on 131 444 or dial triple zero (000) in an emergency.You can also provide information anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Davenport incident inquiry

    Source: New South Wales – News

    An internal inquiry into a complaint arising from an incident at Davenport near Port Augusta in November 2024 is almost complete.

    The complaint related to two allegations that police used excessive force and one allegation about the use of unprofessional language.

    As part of the inquiry, the Body Worn footage of all officers present at the incident was reviewed in its entirety in order to assess the full set of circumstances, in context.

    The police officer captured in public footage of the incident was also interviewed in relation to their actions.  The officer has since resigned from SAPOL to pursue alternative employment, however that decision was unrelated to the incident or this inquiry.

    Subsequently, the two allegations of excessive force were not substantiated, however the allegation about the use of unprofessional language was substantiated.  Had the police officer involved not resigned from SAPOL, it is likely they would have been subject to management resolution under the Police Complaints and Discipline Act.

    This inquiry is being overseen by the Office of Public Integrity.

    As this incident is the subject of a complaint, the Police Complaints and Discipline Act would ordinarily prohibit the disclosure or publication of information in connection with it.

    However, the Police Commissioner has determined to authorise both the disclosure and publication of the above information in relation to this complaint as it is in the public interest to do so.

    ​

    MIL OSI News –