NewzIntel.com

Category: United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Hop into Easter fun with free activities for children and young people 19 March 2025 Hop into Easter fun with free activities for Isle of Wight children and young people

    Source: Aisle of Wight

    Get ready for an egg-stravaganza of fun this Easter!

    Children and young people on the Isle of Wight are in for a treat with a diverse range of free activities, courtesy of the Holiday Activities and Food (HAF) programme.

    Organisations across the Island are teaming up to offer a cracking selection of activities for children aged five to 16. The initiative, which also includes a nutritious meal, aims to provide enriching experiences and support for families during the school break.

    Free places are available for children and young people who receive benefits-related free school meals, with additional paid options also available.

    Some spaces are also reserved for other vulnerable families. With limited spaces, families are encouraged to book early to avoid disappointment and ensure their youngsters don’t miss out on the fun.

    The Easter programme offers a fantastic selection of activities, including horse riding, football coaching, multi-sport games, animal care, theatre skills, and arts and crafts.

    These activities are designed to cater to a wide range of interests and help children develop new skills. It’s sure to be a hopping good time!

    For full details and booking information, please visit the Isle of Wight Family Information Hub webpage.

    Further information about eligibility can be found on the council’s updated holiday activities webpages.

    Councillor Jonathan Bacon, Cabinet member for children’s services, said: “Our goal is to provide children and young people with opportunities to explore new activities and make new friends.

    “This programme is a valuable support for many families during the school holidays. We understand that families are facing increasing pressures, and the dedication of organisations to supporting families in this way is incredibly meaningful.

    “By offering a diverse range of activities, we hope to inspire children and give them memorable experiences that they can cherish. Let’s make this Easter egg-stra special for everyone!”

    The Easter HAF scheme is funded by the Department for Education.

    Photo: Getty Images

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Derry celebrates St Patrick’s Day in style as bumper crowds attend city centre parade

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    Derry celebrates St Patrick’s Day in style as bumper crowds attend city centre parade

    19 March 2025

     

    Derry cemented it’s reputation as a major destination to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in as tens of thousands of people packed the city centre to the rafters this afternoon for the city’s annual parade.

    Over 800 performers took part in the North West Carnival Initiative’s procession through the streets that featured sports clubs, dance troupes and community organisations all celebrating the theme of Flowers, Fur and Feathers.

    Mayor of Derry and Strabane, Councillor Lilian Seenoi Barr, joined St Patrick to lead the procession which began inside the walls and travelled down through Shipquay Street past the local landmarks of the Guildhall and the Peace Bridge and concluded on Strand Road.

    “What a wonderful day in our city centre,” said Mayor Barr. “Leading the Derry St Patrick’s Day parade along with hundreds of talented young people is an experience I will never forget.
    “I want to acknowledge all the hard work that went into this year’s St Patrick’s Day festivities, both from the Council team, the North West Carnival Initiative and all their statutory and community partners.

    “But most of all I want to thank the thousands of local people who lined the streets to watch the parade and created an atmosphere like no other.

    “Nobody throws a party better than our Council area and we proved that again today.”

    Other highlights of the day’s festivities included live music at the main stage in the Guildhall Square, which had people dancing in the streets.

    The Craft Village was also buzzing with live traditional music and Irish dancing, while Derry’s Guildhall was packed with revellers enjoying the traditional Irish music and céilí dance session.
    Head of Culture with Derry City and Strabane District Council, Aeidin McCarter, said early indications were of another record breaking crowd in attendance.

    “Thank you to our Festival and Events team and all our partners for co-ordinating another successful St Patrick’s Day celebration.
    “A lot of unseen work takes place behind the scenes to make sure an event of this scale runs smoothly but it is all worthwhile when we see thousands of people having a positive experience.
    “We will process the data over the coming days but early indications are that we have surpassed 30,000 spectators for a second successive year which we are delighted about.
    “Visitors from outside the Council area look high as well as we continue to build our reputation as a venue to celebrate St Patrick’s Day in.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Fishing’s hottest trend to be showcased by experts at North West Angling Fair

    Source: Northern Ireland – City of Derry

    Fishing’s hottest trend to be showcased by experts at North West Angling Fair

    19 March 2025

    The art of Euro Nymphing is the technique on every fly fisher’s lips these days and it will come to the River Mourne at the end of this month when expert demonstrator Peter Driver makes his first appearance at the North West Angling Fair.

    The ever evolving method of angling nymphs for trout got it’s name from the World and European fly fishing tournaments where it was developed and its efficacy has seen it sweep the globe in recent years.

    Kilkenny based Driver has competed in multiple World and European Fly-Fishing Championships and has a lifetime of experience in all types of fly fishing.

    A qualified casting instructor and fly dresser with the APAGI, he worked for most of his life as a carpenter in his native Wicklow and then with the HSE in a behavioural role when he moved to Kilkenny before deciding to make his hobby his job.

    He teamed up with his cousin Mark to set-up their own Fly Tying and Fly Fishing business, Piscari-Fly on the banks of the River Nore in Thomastown County Kilkenny.

    They impart their knowledge with the public through fly-fishing and fly tying demonstrations and manufacturing and selling their own equipment.

    As well as designing all his own rods. Peter is a developer for the American equipment provider Syndicate.

    The principle difference between euro nymphing and traditional nymphing is that the angler maintains a tight connection between the flies and the rod throughout the drift.

    Heavy weighted flies and light tippet are used to quickly sink flies and a multicoloured floating ‘sighter’ is used as an indicator.

    Peter is expected to draw a large crowd to the banks of the River Mourne in Strabane when he gives his demos at the event on Saturday March 29th and Sunday March 30th.

    “I’ve been taking part in competitions all over the world and picked up a wealth of knowledge, I love doing shows and sharing that information with others,” he said.

    “A lot of competitive anglers would have a reputation for keeping information to themselves but I believe in sharing it and allowing others to benefit.

    “Nymphing is evolving and developing all the time and the most minuscule of adjustments can make a huge difference so I believe the information I share in Strabane will be of value to anglers.

    “I like to look into the psychological theory of fly fishing in my presentations, I believe your approach to it, how you prepare and how you set up your gear can all have an impact on your results.”

    This year’s North West Angling Fair at the Melvin Sports Complex will host some of the UK and Ireland’s leading fly dressers, casters and angling specialists.

    The public will also have the opportunity to source angling merchandise from a wide range of fishing tackle producers, fly tying brands and fishing outfitters in the Melvin’s Main Hall.

    “Angling Fairs are a great opportunity to connect with anglers who are interested in learning more but they are a great chance for the experts to share ideas and learn new things as well,” Peter added.

    “We do a lot of demonstrations online but it is great to get that face to face contact, to meet and connect with people and pass on ideas.

    “It’s also a great chance to get an up close look and feel of the gear the traders have in the exhibition space so I’m really looking forward to it.”

    The North West Angling Fair is organised by Derry City and Strabane District Council with support from the Loughs Agency.

    Peter Driver’s demonstrations are part of a comprehensive line-up for the Fair, to see the full programme visit www.derrystrabane.com/anglingfair and follow Northwestangling on facebook for updates.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Local social workers recognised in national awards

    Source: City of York

    Published Tuesday, 18 March 2025

    City of York Council is proud to announce that 15 of its social workers have each received a nationwide award in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the social work profession.

    ‘Amazing Social Workers’ is a campaign run by the British Association of Social Workers (BASW) and champions exceptional work across the profession.

    The awards aim to highlight the achievements of individuals and teams in the profession, whilst also raising the profile and public understanding of the critical role of social work in our communities.

    Frontline practitioners, managers, leaders and educators are among the council’s social workers who have been nominated by colleagues, their managers or members of the public. 

    Councillor Lucy Steels-Walshaw, Executive Member for Adult Social Care at City of York Council, said:

    Every day, social workers in York go above and beyond advocating for the adults, children and families they support.

    “Their role helps uphold human rights, promote social justice and make a positive difference to people’s lives and York’s amazing social workers do just that. These awards let us shine a spotlight on exceptional social work practice, while thanking and paying tribute to the individuals and teams who make it happen.”

    Councillor Bob Webb, Executive Member for Children at City of York Council, said:

    Congratulations to all the city’s social workers who have been deservedly nominated for recognition this year.

    “We are delighted to share and champion their achievements as part of World Social Work Week. Anyone interested in training with us to become a social worker or qualified social workers are welcome to find out about the rewarding opportunities at the Council.”

    Commenting on the awards, Lewis Roberts, BASW UK Vice-Chair, said:

    BASW is delighted to once again run the Amazing Social Workers campaign. It’s a wonderful way for our profession to come together to celebrate, applaud and shine a spotlight on exceptional social work practice, while also thanking and paying tribute to the individuals and teams making it happen.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Press Conference in Hunter Valley

    Source: Australian Executive Government Ministers

    DAN REPACHOLI: Well, welcome back to the beautiful Hunter Valley the gateway to paradise. We have Saddlers Creek Winery One side of us we have Kelman Winery, the other side. This is literally the gateway to paradise. And we’re here, we’re joined by my good friend and colleague Catherine King again today. And we have some major announcements for this area to make it safer, quicker and easier for people to travel around the beautiful Hunter Valley area and get home to their loved ones quicker, to be able to get through our areas quicker and to be able to be safer. So, the Muswellbrook Bypass will be announcing some things on that, and we’ll also announcing the brand new Cessnock Bypass as well. So a little bit more on that one to come.

    But the Muswellbrook bypass, we know how important the Muswellbrook Bypass is for our area because for so long we’ve had trucks, we’ve had cars, we’ve had large vehicles going through the main street of Muswellbrook. It has been extremely unsafe for years and we’re here making it safer, quicker and easier for people to get around the upper part of the Hunter. It’s a $304.8 million commitment that we’ve got here that have been brought forward so that we can make sure that this work can happen quicker and that we can get people home safer, and to travel through the wonderful Hunter.

    And now on to the brand new Cessnock Bypass. For years, people have been telling me how congested it is here in Cessnock and it is very congested. People wait in lines, wait in queues everywhere in Cessnock. This year we’ve got $5 million announcement for the Cessnock Bypass to go for the planning works so that council can do all the work that they need to do to make sure that people can get around this town safer, quicker and more efficiently because it is a big issue in this area. We have been having massive, massive growth here and will continue to grow. We’re the second fastest growing LGA in all of New South Wales, and we will continue to work together with council, with state government to make sure that we can deliver on roads, deliver on infrastructure. And I’ll let Catherine King talk a bit more about infrastructure here today. So thank you, Catherine.

    CATHERINE KING: Thanks. It’s terrific to be here in the Hunter once again, Dan. Three weeks ago, we went and had a good look at the Singleton Bypass and the terrific work that is going underway there and the huge progress that’s being made. That is a game changer for Singleton, will give people back their community and back their neighbourhood. What that work has been able– because they’ve done so well with that work that has enabled us now to bring forward money to start Muswellbrook Bypass. We were concerned about the capacity constraints in labour in the region, and now, what we’ve seen with that great work on Singleton, we can now bring money forward to get Muswellbrook underway.

    What you’ll see– I just might pause for a minute while we get this tractor to go past. Thank you. What you’ll see on Muswellbrook, alongside with the New South Wales Government, the bring forward of that money, means that all that early work, all of the earthworks, the movement of services, you’ll start to see that happen in the coming months in preparation for the major construction to start early in 2026. We are bringing this forward by over 12 months. It’s a great announcement for Muswellbrook. I know it will see continued work in the region, but also really give people back their main street, have that ability to get over 13,000 to 20,000 cars out every single day out of the main streets of Muswellbrook, and also that 9.3 kilometres of road that will be the bypass, again, really important to jobs in the region.

    In terms of– because the job, of course, of infrastructure is never done, what we’re announcing today is $5 million from the Albanese Labor Government that will be in the upcoming budget to start the planning work for an alternate route past a bypass– past Cessnock. We know that there has been significant housing development that is coming into Cessnock. That’s a great thing. We love seeing new people coming into the region, but of course our infrastructure needs to be able to keep up. So getting that alternate route ready, planned, locked in so that we can make the decisions about investment later on, getting that planning work done so that we’re keeping ahead of the development that we’re seeing in this region. Great announcements for the Hunter. Would not have happened without a Labor Government and without Dan Repacholi, who is such a great advocate for the Hunter. Happy to take questions, and I’m sure Dan is as well.

    JOURNALIST: [Indistinct] for Dan. Where’s the start and end of this bypass going to be? Can you take us through the basics?

    CATHERINE KING: Well, again, this is part of the planning works. Council have done some early concept ideas about that. But really this is about planning. There’ll be significant consultation that will be needed to be undertaken with the community. Dan will have a better idea in terms of what council has initially sort of thought through, but really what this money is to enable that work to actually be done and that consultation with the community as well. Did you want to…

    DAN REPACHOLI: Yeah. Good question. It’s the million-dollar question everybody wants to know. But it’s coming around the back of Bellbird there through here around into past the airport and around back onto pretty much Wine Country Drive there. Yeah. So fully bypass to get the traffic away from the centre of town, which has been a massive congestion for years and years.

    JOURNALIST: Obviously, locals, for years, have been asking for upgrades to some particular roads. Hart Road, Wollombi Road. Would you expect to see some upgrades to those roads as part of this project?

    DAN REPACHOLI: So Wollombi Road upgrades are already happening. There was announcement by council and by us and the state government a couple of weeks ago on that one for Wollombi Road. So Wollombi Road is starting. It starts in March. So this month it’s starting for the upgrades there. Hart Road, there needs to be some work done there and we’ll continue to work with council along the way and see what they need there. And I’m sure they’ll keep coming to us as projects come up. But we know how important infrastructure is in this area and that’s why we’re getting this Cessnock Bypass done because it really does matter for the area.

    JOURNALIST: And Muswellbrook Bypass, obviously something locals have wanted for a very, very, very long time.

    DAN REPACHOLI: Muswellbrook Bypass has been waiting there for a long, long time. Same as Singleton Bypass. Singleton Bypass is powering through which is great to see. Catherine and I were there a few weeks ago having a look at that. And the Muswellbrook Bypass now has just been brought 12 months forward, which is great for the residents there. And not only just the residents, but the people travelling up to Tamworth, anywhere around that they use the New England Highway, like anywhere that they go on that, they really need to that bypass to be right, because it is such a crucial part of what we have there.

    JOURNALIST: And looking down the track to get– you mentioned a big [inaudible]… a whole lot of fuel energy, bits and pieces out to the central west, possibly going through Muswellbrook. That’s obviously going to help with that down the track.

    DAN REPACHOLI: Certainly will help with that as well. And there is other routes they can go with those items. But this will cut those travel times down hugely. And it’s about local government working together with state government and federal government, all three levels of government working together to try and make sure we have a plan that we can go forwards with, with infrastructure for not only this state but Australia.

    JOURNALIST: So when do you think we can see this completed, this new system?

    DAN REPACHOLI: Well, I’m very optimistic but we’ll leave that for council. Council– that’s a council discussion. So, this is the planning work, and the state government have got some announcements around this as well of what they’re putting into this project also. But I’ll leave that for them to announce. But they will continue to do the planning work through this, through this period. And they I’m sure that they will reach out again for some more cash along the way. So lucky we’ve got a great infrastructure minister and I will be knocking on her door very quickly.

    JOURNALIST: All right. So $5 million. That’s planning money, basically.

    DAN REPACHOLI: Yeah.

    JOURNALIST: Any idea what it’s going to cost in the end?

    DAN REPACHOLI: Look, the planning has got to be done first. They’ve got to get the exact route of where this is going to go. So, until we find that out and what has got to happen with land acquisitions or things like that, or widening of roads or changing of roads, it’s really too early to tell.

    JOURNALIST: At this stage, Cessnock is a growing area. So what’s the need for this study for this particular bypass? Why is it needed now?

    DAN REPACHOLI: The need for this bypass is huge. We’re the second fastest growing LGA in New South Wales, only beaten currently by the Maitland LGA. So people want to come here. And why wouldn’t you want to come here? Look at it. As I said, the gateway to paradise. We have the world’s best wineries. We have such fantastic job opportunities. Our schools, we have some schools that are performing out of this world. Like, we are a great place to be and a place that people want to come. We’re two hours from Sydney. Why wouldn’t they want to come?

    JOURNALIST: Interesting to note– sorry, changing the subject slightly. Stuart Bonds is back in the race for Cessnock. How do you view that?

    DAN REPACHOLI: Look, I’m– I’m keen on everybody having a crack at this. And good on him for coming in and having a go. It’s not an easy job going and putting your whole life in the limelight where everyone can dig through every part of your life. So I take my hat off to him for having another go and look forward to the challenge that we’ll have coming ahead.

    JOURNALIST: Do you think it’ll be a close race?

    DAN REPACHOLI: Look, it’s always going to be a close race, no doubt about that. We’re probably going to have 9 or 10 candidates running for the Hunter. So that’s a lot of people to go up against. All I’ll continue to do is keep working with my team and work with people around the area. We’ve worked hard over the last three years, and I’ll continue to work hard.

    JOURNALIST: Dan, it seems a lot of the Liberal candidates don’t even mention nuclear power on their websites. Does this surprise you, and what does it say about nuclear as a policy? 

    DAN REPACHOLI: Look, I think a lot of the Liberal candidates are very much against nuclear energy. They’re not even having it on their websites. They’re not talking about it. I think they’re scared. They are not happy with going down the pathway that their leader, Peter Dutton, has taken them and Ted O’Brien. And I think now that they’ve seen our interim report that came out from the inquiry into nuclear energy, I think they understand that it just isn’t going to be done in a time frame that is suitable for Australian workers. Isn’t going to be done in a time frame that’s suitable for people with their power and they know it’s going to push their power prices up. Like, they understand that – they can’t tell us how much it’s going to cost. They can’t tell us how long it’s going to take to build. They can’t tell us how much water they’re going to use. They can’t tell us where all these sites are and how many reactors, apart from the seven sites around Australia. They can’t tell us what reactors they’re going to use. There’s a lot of can’ts in that, and there’s not a lot of positives either. So, while they continue this on, I think this is just tearing their party apart. And honestly, I think it’s a good thing that these guys can’t even agree on whether this is a good thing for Australia or not in their own party, let alone talking to the Australian public.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Animal cruelty: International student receives prison term for wildlife smuggling

    Source: Government of Queensland

    Issued: 19 Mar 2025

    Open larger image

    The woman attempted to smuggle 15 native lizards overseas.

    An international university student studying in Australia has been convicted of multiple wildlife trafficking offences and sentenced to eighteen months in prison.

    Ms Yinan Zhao appeared in the Brisbane District Court on 27 February 2025 to face seven charges of attempting to send native Australian wildlife by post to China.

    Between 12 May and 1 November 2023, Zhao attempted to export ten individual packages containing 15 lizards from Queensland to China, with an estimated ‘street value’ of $74,207.

    The lizards were packed in small boxes containing children’s toys with some intercepted by Australia Post in Brisbane and others in Sydney after being X-rayed.

    The successful prosecution was the result of a joint operation between the Australian Government Department of Climate Change, Environment, Energy and Water (DCCEEW) and the Queensland Government Department of the Environment, Tourism, Science and Innovation (DETSI).

    Much of the offending took place in Queensland, while some offences occurred in New South Wales.

    DESTI Compliance Manager Warren Christensen welcomed the prosecution and the minimum five-month prison sentence.

    “Unfortunately, international students, such as those from China are often targeted through social media and other means to make easy money by smuggling wildlife,” Mr Christensen said.

    “This prosecution should serve as a warning to others considering smuggling animals to make a quick buck that they will be caught and face very serious, life changing consequences.

    “This operation was an excellent example of state and Australian government agencies working cooperatively with Border Force and Australia Post to detect and prevent international wildlife smuggling.

    “DETSI wildlife officers seized the packages suspected by Australia Post and Border Force of containing protected wildlife.

    “We formally identified all wildlife recovered from the packages and assisted with the identification of Zhao and the execution of the warrant that led to her arrest.

    “During her arrest, we also found more unlawfully held wildlife that were also being prepared for sale on Chinese markets.

    “Sending reptiles in the mail is extremely cruel as they won’t have access to food, water or fresh air for weeks and sadly, most of the animals will die before they get to their destination.

    “Of those we intercept, many can never be released into the wild because we don’t know where they were captured or if they have been exposed to disease while in captivity.

    “We thank the Australian Government, Border Force and Australia Post for their efforts in assisting in detecting this crime and in securing this conviction.”

    Zhao was convicted on all charges and sentenced to 18-months imprisonment with a non-parole period of 5 months.

    The successful conviction follows the prosecution of another foreign national, Mr Man Lung Ma, who was convicted of nineteen charges relating to twenty-nine separate attempts to export protected native wildlife, including five attempts from Queensland.

    In November 2024 Lung Ma was sentenced to 3 years 6 months in jail, with a 2-year non-parole period.

    Lizards attempted to be smuggled:

    • 5 Shinglebacks
    • 5 Blue tongues
    • 2 Geckos
    • 2 Tree skinks
    • 1 Cunningham skink

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: If your tween or teen doesn’t know how to swim, it’s not too late for lessons

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amy Peden, NHMRC Research Fellow, School of Population Health & co-founder UNSW Beach Safety Research Group, UNSW Sydney

    Marcos Castillo/ Shutterstock

    New figures show shocking numbers of Australian kids are not achieving basic swimming skills.

    Royal Life Saving Australia data estimates 48% of Year 6 students cannot swim 50 metres and tread water for two minutes. For those in high school, the results are even more worrying. Teachers estimate 39% of Year 10 students still cannot meet the same benchmark.

    These skills are based on minimum swimming and water safety standards children should achieve to have fun and stay safe in the water. They are a key strategy to reduce the risk of drowning.

    While this research indicates we may no longer be a nation of swimmers, there’s still plenty parents, schools and governments can do. And if your child’s lessons have fallen behind, it is not too late to catch up.



    Read more:
    Thinking of quitting your child’s swimming lessons over winter? Read this first

    Why are we seeing this?

    This latest research builds on previous worries about Australian children’s swimming skills. During COVID, there were concerns children would not come back to lessons after lockdowns.

    While participation in lessons post-lockdowns has been promising, some pools have had difficulty finding qualified staff.

    In 2023, Royal Life Saving Australia also cautioned about 100,000 children in late primary school were unlikely to return to swimming lessons before they started high school.

    It’s not too late

    If you have stopped lessons with your children – or if you never started – it is not too late to go to the pool.

    Research comparing children between the ages of three and eight indicates the optimum age to begin formal swimming lessons is around five to seven years.

    But children can still learn to become safe and competent swimmers in later primary years and into high school. We know this because adults can, and do learn to swim later in life.

    Research also suggests older children may learn to swim more quickly than younger children, so they may need fewer lessons to attain skills than their younger counterparts.

    Children can learn to swim in later primary school and beyond.
    Andrii Medvednikov/ Shutterstock

    Make sure lessons are regular

    If you have an older child starting swimming lessons it’s important to maintain regular classes.

    For example, a 2018 study on a group of 149 Latino children in the United States aged three to 14 showed those who had learned the most skills had the highest attendance – attending at least ten lessons over an eight-week period.

    If weekly lessons are too difficult, you could consider holiday intensive programs and supplement this with informal practice in the water. Research shows informal swimming – such as playing – can help children build their swimming skills if they are also having lessons.

    There are barriers to regular lessons

    We know some families find it difficult to commit to swimming lessons. On top of the cost, there may not be a local pool available or enough instructors.

    These barriers disproportionately impact people from low-socioeconomic backgrounds and those living in rural and remote areas. Royal Life Saving survey respondents from these groups were more likely to report their school-aged children had never attended swimming lessons.

    Some communities don’t have easy access to a local pool.
    CoolR/Shutterstock

    Schools also find it hard

    Schools can help by offering swimming lessons at key points. For example, two weeks of daily lessons when children are in Year 2 is a common model in New South Wales public schools.

    In Tasmania, children in Years 3, 4 and 5 have a mandatory requirement to attend swimming lessons. There is optional attendance for those in Year 6 if they are identified as being at high risk.

    But schools also report challenges in teaching kids how to swim.

    Swimming lessons are expensive, schools are short-staffed and dealing with a crowded curriculum. This is why 31% of surveyed schools don’t offer swimming education.

    For some children, who are behind in their swimming skills – or who cannot swim at all – a short burst of school lessons may not be enough to catch them up.

    We need to do more

    Schools still have a vital role to play in ensuring children are not missing out on developing these minimum, lifesaving skills. So Australian governments need to prioritise swimming as one of the few sports you can learn that will help to save your life.

    Royal Life Saving Australia says the following four measures would help prevent drownings:

    1. increased funding for existing school and vacation swimming programs

    2. increased grants targeting people with vulnerabilities to drowning, including those from refugee, migrant, and regional communities, as well as for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples

    3. increased access to lifesaving programs in high schools

    4. building and refurbishing public swimming pools and swim schools.

    Rates of fatal drowning in Australia are increasing. They were up 16% on the ten-year average in 2024. We have just had a particularly horrific summer where 104 people drowned, a number that is higher than both last summer and the five-year average. Swimming skills are more important than ever.

    Amy Peden receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council. She maintains an honorary affiliation as a Senior Research Fellow with Royal Life Saving Society – Australia.

    – ref. If your tween or teen doesn’t know how to swim, it’s not too late for lessons – https://theconversation.com/if-your-tween-or-teen-doesnt-know-how-to-swim-its-not-too-late-for-lessons-252504

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Transcript – Radio 4RO Rockhampton with Dales Whyte

    Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

    DALES WHYTE [HOST]: Joining us in the studio at the moment is the Minister for, amongst other things, Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development, Local Government, the Honourable Catherine King. Good morning Catherine, how are you?

    CATHERINE KING [MINISTER]: I’m well. And that was a very apt song. I haven’t met you yet either, but today we have. So there you go.

    DALES WHYTE: The world is a better place.

    CATHERINE KING: There you go.

    DALES WHYTE: We have been asking people to give us a call, and they’ve been– look, there’s been bulk calls coming in the last 48 hours. Amazingly enough, or unexpectedly, we’ve got a lot of interest in what’s happening with the Bruce Highway. First call we got was soon after we knew you were coming. It was: when is work starting on the Bruce Highway?

    CATHERINE KING: Good. Well, the first thing I can say is that today I’m here. The Bruce Highway Advisory Committee is in town today, and we are meeting together to talk about what the next tranche of projects. But I’m here with Brent Mickelberg as well. We’ll be announcing the first tranche of projects under the new $9 billion safety package. There’s 23 projects; 16 of those are construction projects. They will start shortly. They’re ready to go. Literally, the contracts are about to be signed, and a further planning for the next set of tranche of projects is underway. The advisory committee is advising both the Queensland and the federal government about where the problem areas are.

    So, on that, we obviously have the motoring groups, we’ve got local representatives of local councils along the highway, truck drivers. And they’re the people who are going to try and tell us where we need to work first, because what we want to do is work on the worst bits of the road first and get those improvements. And that’s what we’re announcing today.

    DALES WHYTE: I think that’s fabulous. I think that– I’ve got to say, and I said it earlier on the radio, I would have hoped that somebody from Transport and Main Roads, one of our great public servants, and we do have really good public servants in Queensland, would have been sitting down keeping an idea of the road areas that need working.

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah, well they’ve started– so this first lot have come from TMR. So the first lot have come from TMR. And there’s that 15-year action plan for the Bruce that was developed some time ago. So it’s come from there. And then what we’re doing is using the advisory group to actually develop the next tranche of projects. So that’ll just keep rolling. So today, it’s about 300 million worth of projects that are being released, and that money is now being released. And that’s literally– we announced this money in January. And here we are not too far down the track and we’re actually getting on with it.

    DALES WHYTE: We– yeah, we certainly do need it. I would like to have seen it done in January three years ago.

    CATHERINE KING: [Laughs]

    DALES WHYTE: Another question …

    CATHERINE KING: [Interrupts] I think all of it is. But, you know, to be blunt, to be political for a moment, it’s taking a Labor Government to get in and do it.

    DALES WHYTE: No, don’t forget, the election coming up. You’re allowed to get in a free plug for yourself.

    CATHERINE KING: [Laughs]

    DALES WHYTE: Is the immediate money available for both the Bruce Highway and the beef roads?

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah. So also what we’re announcing today. So this beef roads has been extraordinarily frustrating to me. So, there’s a $500 million package for beef roads. And in essence, what we’ve been waiting for is the councils in the area with the Queensland Government to basically say, where are the roads that you want us to spend the money on? There’s one thing to say, here, we’re allocating money. So again today, $38 million is the first tranche of that. I’ve signed off on that money. Construction will start on those as well.

    DALES WHYTE: Now, we have a little chestnut for you that I know you’re going to love.

    CATHERINE KING: [Laughs] OK.

    DALES WHYTE: According to the Senate estimates hearing, $440 million of that $7 billion will be spent over the next three years on the Bruce Highway. What happened to the full 7 billion?

    CATHERINE KING: Well, yeah. So this is this sort of nonsense. And I understand your local member has been touting this around. So estimates are estimates. Basically, what they do is they estimate. We think that according to where the schedule of where works is up to, this is where money will need to be released. Now, today we’re blowing that out of the water, to be quite honest, because we’re just releasing $300 million in the first three months. So what happens is Queensland will come forward to me. They do what’s called a project proposal report. They say we’re now ready to spend the money and then we just move money into– money moves in and out of the forward estimates all the time. You wouldn’t expect that I would put $7.2 billion in the first year and say, here you go, Queensland, off you go, you just can spend it wherever you like. I’m sure Queensland would love it if I did that.

    DALES WHYTE: Well, we just want to spend it on this goat track.

    CATHERINE KING: [Laughs] Exactly. Well that’s why we’re doing it. So you’ve got to– you know, they’ve got to do the planning. They’ve got to come to me and say, here’s the report. This is how much it’s going to cost. This is– you know, we’re ready to go to tender. Can you release the money? And we just release the money. And that’s basically what happens with every project. There’s a reason they’re called estimates. They’re estimates of when we think projects will be ready and we move money in and out of them all the time.

    DALES WHYTE: The proof will be in the pudding.

    CATHERINE KING: Absolutely. Well, we’ve got 300 million being released today …

    DALES WHYTE: [Talks over] I think that’s fabulous.

    CATHERINE KING: … in three months.

    DALES WHYTE: Now, this is a really important question. I have driven the Hume Highway on numerous occasions.

    CATHERINE KING: Yes.

    DALES WHYTE: I used to live in New South Wales. Don’t hold that against me.

    CATHERINE KING: [Laughs]

    DALES WHYTE: But …

    CATHERINE KING: [Talks over] Well, I’m a Victorian, so I have driven on it too.

    DALES WHYTE: My question is, it’s all concrete. It’s pretty much flood proofed. Why are we– why aren’t we doing that here?

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah. So– I mean, different roads will need different conditions because of the amount of rain and weather. And again, I’m not an engineering expert, so I rely on the advice of TMR and the engineers to say this is what we’re doing. But one of the things we’ve been focused on– so we’ve got this safety package, this $9 billion, there is a further $10 billion of works that is already underway so that will continue. A lot of that is really big money, around flood proofing and building better. And so you can see that as the road improves slowly but surely a bit more down south that it has up this way, and partly what we’re trying to do now is focus on the central and the north bits of this to get that flood proofing as well. So those big projects will also still continue. And I think– again, Gladstone to Rockhampton we’ve got 188 million. I’ve just released that as well for that section of the road, so that money is in addition to the 9 billion. So, all of that’s happening. In terms of what surface you use and what treatment, really that’s up to the engineers. But our expectation is, from the Commonwealth’s point of view, is that we are building resilience into our infrastructure. There is no point building something and then it– the surface washes away. And it’s frustrating to me, and I know it’s frustrating to many of your listeners when that occurs. So that’s really what we’re focused on.

    DALES WHYTE: And that’s– it’s really amazing. Of all the people that called us, it basically came down to the Bruce Highway.

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah. Absolutely.

    DALES WHYTE: So that gives you an idea of how important that is in our part of the world.

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah. Well, it’s your major– like, it’s the only way you can travel around, between communities. It– absolutely. And we’ve understood that, we’ve always understood it. And it’s why we’re focused on trying to get this improved.

    DALES WHYTE: You’ve brought your bucket of money with you. What else are you releasing today?

    CATHERINE KING: Well, today also– so the Rocky Ring Road has been a really important project. I think if you’ve heard the Prime Minister talk about it, this is a project he promised back, I think with Kirsten Livermore way, way, way back. It’s taken a long time to get this project off the road. When we came to government, the tenders had come in at about 700 million more than were expected because it had been so delayed, frankly, under the previous government. It was going to cost more, we had to take some time to try and work out, well, how do we find that money? Can we get costs down at all? We found that money. There has been another cost pressure that would have been– the Queensland Government has reported. So, we’re adding another 200 million, taking the Commonwealth’s contribution to the Rocky Ring Road to $1.4 billion. It’s a big ring road. And so that money is being released again today as well. So making sure there was a view that we could scope it back a bit and not put that money in, we took the decision, we’ll put the 200 million in and the full scope of the Rocky Ring Road will proceed.

    DALES WHYTE: Now, if I was a little bit dubious of politicians…

    CATHERINE KING: [Talks over] No, you’re not like that at all. No, never. [Laughs]

    DALES WHYTE: Never, not me. One could say, oh, this is just spending in time for the election. Why didn’t it happen earlier?

    CATHERINE KING: Well, again, the cost overrun for that has only just been identified, so I didn’t know about it a year ago. If I’d known about it a year ago, we would have dealt with it. So it’s only just come to light that this cost pressure is there so we’re just doing that. In terms of the Bruce Highway, we’ve been working with both the previous Queensland Government and the new Queensland Government on what we could do next. We had 10 billion already on the table. Those projects were proceeding and continue to go. I’d always like them to happen much more quickly, to be blunt. I think it would be good if they happened much more quickly and we’d been working with them about what next, what do we need to do? And again, we sort of do it on a project by project basis. And so we needed them to come to us to say what it was that was needed. And once they did that, we stepped up.

    DALES WHYTE: I’ve kept my questions to last. So are you– I’m running out now. I’m out of time, that is. 15-year plan for the Bruce Highway. We can’t wait 15.

    CATHERINE KING: No, you definitely can’t. So what we’ve said with this 9 billion safety package, and the focus of this is doing what’s called– there’s a star rating system, but that basically looks at the safety of each of the big highways in particular. And it says that, really, the best– safest road is a five-star road. And that’s where you’ve got, dual lanes separated …

    DALES WHYTE: Much like the Hume Highway.

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah. Like that. Like– I’m trying to think, even in my home district, the Western Highway is a bit safer, but it’d probably be around four stars. It’s three in some parts as well, and down to two in others as well. So really what you’re trying to do is look at where is every single part of this that is at a two star, and we want to lift that up to three. If we can get it higher, we will. It will depend on the treatment. So you’ve got to widen shoulders. You’ve got to put grade separation in place. So you’re going to start to see that, we’ve said we’ll do that in eight years. That’s the plan is to get that done in eight years. If we can get it done sooner, we will. You’ve got a bit of a workforce shortage up here, unfortunately, at the moment. And there’s a lot happening, building everywhere. Olympics is going to put some strain on the labour force as well.  And we’d like to get it done.

    DALES WHYTE: And we want some of the Olympics up here.

    CATHERINE KING: Well, that’ll be a matter for the Queensland Government’s review. You’ll be– I mean, you know it’s always tricky with these things. What you want to do is be able to make sure that you’ve got some facilities for people, for places to train, that you’ve got some legacy afterwards so that you’ve got sporting fields and facilities that people can use afterwards.

    DALES WHYTE: Okay, here we go. The final question: is all this money going to happen no matter who wins the election?

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah. So this is all in the budget. So the announcement we made of the 7.2 billion and then the Queensland Government made 1.8, that is already in the budget. But of course, when you’ve got an opposition looking for $351 billion of cuts, I can’t guarantee what they might cut. Let’s hope it’s not the Bruce.

    DALES WHYTE: Well, I don’t think anyone would be game to cut the Bruce. And …

    CATHERINE KING: Not if you’re on the case, mate. No.

    DALES WHYTE: With respect to Peter Dutton, he is a Queenslander, so he knows better.

    CATHERINE KING: I don’t know, he got confused between Yeppen and Yeppoon, so I don’t know about that.

    DALES WHYTE: [Laughs] Oh well okay. Point taken. Well done. Minister King, thank you so much for your time. It’s always a pleasure and hopefully you won’t be a stranger.

    CATHERINE KING: Never. I will come back anytime you’d like me to.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: New online training launched to help combat Varroa mite

    Source: New South Wales Department of Primary Industries

    19 Mar 2025

    Beekeepers have another tool at their disposal to fight Varroa mite with the roll-out of a new online training program.

    Launched and developed by the National Varroa Mite Management Program (NVMMP), the ‘Introduction to Varroa management’ course takes beekeepers through a range of online topics that help them prepare for the bee-afflicting mite.

    National Varroa Transition to Management (T2M) Coordinator Tamara Prentice said the online program provides beekeepers with critical information to manage the mite.

    “Following the decision to transition to management of the mite in early 2024, the National Management Group agreed that widespread education and training was essential for industries to continue to move forward,” Ms Prentice said.

    “The Introduction to Varroa management course is a key component of our commitment to help beekeepers and the broader honey and pollination-dependent industries.

    “The free online course allows beekeepers to learn about the mite at their own pace and convenience.

    “Included are topics that will help beekeepers familiarise themselves with the pest and how best to safeguard their hives.”

    Subjects include mite monitoring and surveillance, cultural and mechanical controls, synthetic and non-synthetic chemical use, record-keeping, safety measures and more.

    At the completion of the course beekeepers will have a greater understanding of the lifecycle of the mite, its effect on bees and colonies, and the importance of integrated pest management.

    eekeeping will change as Varrroa spreads, with a greater need for record-keeping with mechanical and chemical controls.

    Each topic can be typically completed in 15-30-minutes with beekeepers able to log back in at any time.

    Ms Prentice said the ‘Introduction to Varroa’ course complemented existing training and education programs provided by the NVMMP.

    “Another great resource we encourage beekeepers to take advantage of is our face-to-face Varroa Mite Management Workshops,” Ms Prentice said.

    “In twelve months more than 6,000 beekeepers have taken part in over 80 workshops across the country.

    “This cohort of beekeepers trained manage more than 35 per cent of all registered hives nationally.

    “But even beekeepers who have attended an in-person workshop will benefit from completing the  online Introduction to Varroa course.”

    The NVMMP also provides beekeepers with regular electronic communications, online webinars and video learning resources.

    To access the ‘Introduction to Varroa’ online course, visit – https://www.varroa.org.au/online-training

    To view all upcoming Varroa Mite Management Workshops, visit www.varroa.org.au/training.

    For more information on the National Varroa Mite Management Program, visit www.varroa.org.au.

    To receive regular news from the NVMMP, sign-up at National Varroa Mite Management Program e-news – https://bit.ly/4iEp8br

    Media contact: pi.media@dpird.nsw.gov.au.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Appointments to the Tax Practitioners Board

    Source: Australian Treasurer

    The Albanese Government is committed to ensuring the Tax Practitioners Board (TPB) has the expertise to effectively regulate tax practitioners and uphold professional and ethical standards.

    The Government has made the following reappointments and appointments of part‑time members of the TPB:

    • Reappointed Mr Steven Dobson for a one‑year period
    • Reappointed Ms Debra Anderson for a two‑year period
    • Appointed Ms Joanna Bird, Ms Amanda Gascoigne and Ms Merran Kelsall AO each for a three‑year period

    These appointments bring a diverse range of skills and experience to support the TPB’s critical role in maintaining public trust in the tax profession.

    Ms Anderson has been a member of the TPB since 18 February 2019. She is an experienced tax agent and former Business Activity Statement (BAS) agent who has operated a tax advisory business for approximately 20 years.

    Mr Dobson has been a member of the TPB since 30 March 2022. He works in an associated industry to tax practitioners where he has operated a financial advisory business for over 20 years. He has experience on various Western Australian Government boards.

    Ms Bird is an experienced financial services regulator, lawyer and academic. She was a senior executive at ASIC for 10 years. Currently she is a self‑employed consultant providing advice on financial market and services regulation. Ms Bird is also an Adjunct Professor in law at the University of New South Wales and Monash University.

    Ms Gascoigne is an experienced tax agent, governance professional, and educator. She founded and operated a regional accounting firm for 18 years, providing tax and advisory services to small businesses. She is also actively involved in mentoring and supporting accountants in professional development.

    Ms Kelsall is an experienced governance professional, CEO and academic. She was the Chair and CEO of the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board; a member of the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board; a partner at BDO; and Professor of Practice at the University of New South Wales Business School. Currently Ms Kelsall is on various boards.

    The TPB is the national body responsible for the registration and regulation of tax practitioners. Its work supports public trust and confidence in the integrity of the tax profession by ensuring that tax agent services are provided to the community in accordance with appropriate standards of professional and ethical conduct.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Multimillion-pound investment gives rocket boost to South West space sector

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Multimillion-pound investment gives rocket boost to South West space sector

    Minister Jones has announced a multimillion-pound investment in Bristol’s space sector from leading German space company OHB.

    • New multimillion-pound investment from leading German space company OHB to support Plan for Change by creating specialist jobs in Bristol.
    • OHB’s UK expansion sees job-boosting new subsidiary at Bristol & Bath Science Park to develop cutting-edge satellite and spacecraft tech.
    • Industry Minister Sarah Jones announces investment in keynote speech at opening of Farnborough International Space Show. 

    The South West will benefit from a multimillion-pound investment from leading German space company OHB, creating up to 50 specialist jobs in Bristol working on satellites and exploration spacecraft, and supporting the government’s Plan for Change in delivering more skilled jobs, higher living standards, and productivity growth in every part of the United Kingdom.

    Industry Minister Sarah Jones will announce the investment in a speech to the Farnborough International Space Show today [19 March], welcoming the news as a major win for the South West’s world-leading aerospace cluster, and the latest vote of confidence in the UK’s investment environment. 

    The Farnborough International Space Show, supported by ADS – the trade association for the UK’s aerospace, defence, security and space sectors – will be a significant event for the space industry, with 50 different countries exhibiting and many high-value commercial deals expected to be signed. 

    OHB’s initial multimillion-pound investment will create a new UK subsidiary based at Bristol and Bath Science Park to develop cutting-edge tech for satellites and spacecraft, and was secured by the Department for Business and Trade working together with the Space West cluster, Invest Bristol & Bath and the UK Space Agency. 

    Industry Minister Sarah Jones is expected to say:

    The UK is open for business, and today’s investment from OHB is a major win for Bristol’s world-leading aerospace and tech industry which will create high-skilled local jobs and ensure the UK remains a partner of choice for space agencies around the world. 

    This is the latest vote of confidence in our Industrial Strategy, which will give our space sector the certainty it needs to stay at the cutting edge of global innovation, driving growth and good jobs across the UK and showing our Plan for Change is working.

    The British space sector generates £18.9 billion each year, supporting over 50,000 jobs, and will be a top priority in the Government’s Industrial Strategy, which has identified advanced manufacturing and digital & technologies as key growth-driving sectors. 

    The UK’s space workforce is also highly qualified and more than twice as productive (2.3x) as the average UK worker, while the global space market is expected to be worth over £1 trillion by 2035, according to the latest figures from global management consultancy McKinsey. 

    OHB CEO Marco Fuchs said:

    I am truly glad that we have finally established a presence in one of Europe’s key space markets. The Bristol region, with its high-tech cluster, provides a great environment for OHB to develop innovative and competitive space products and systems from the UK for the national and European markets.

    West of England Mayor Dan Norris said:

    Today’s announcement means more high skilled jobs for local people – and that’s fantastic news. OHB SE setting up shop in the West of England is a big win for our region and a real rocket boost for our space industry.  

    I’m really proud that they’ve chosen the Bristol & Bath Science Park as their UK base. We’re proving once again that this is the place to be for world-class innovation, job creation, and serious economic growth.

    Kevin Craven, CEO of ADS welcomed the announcement:

    The UK space sector – a jewel in the UK’s advanced manufacturing crown – has seen impressive growth in recent years. The space economy in the UK spans a wide range of capabilities employing around 50,000 people, with strengths in small satellite technology, sustainability, and emerging areas such as in-space manufacturing, artificial intelligence, and quantum computing. 

    Representing more than 500 businesses operating in space, ADS wholeheartedly welcomes the ongoing commitment to developing our sector throughout the country. Space will secure the UK’s domestic, future and technological advantage!

    Background: 

    Updates to this page

    Published 19 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Married At First Sight should be a platform to talk about domestic violence – too much is left unsaid

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Toone, Lecturer in Social Work, University of South Australia

    Nine

    Married at First Sight Australia (colloquially known as “MAFS”) is one of Australia’s most popular reality TV shows, averaging two million viewers an episode. But this year’s season has come under fire for multiple narratives plagued by domestic violence.

    In particular, one episode brought up three troubling facets of violence: physical violence, coercive control, and expectations of male dominance. Parallels between these three relationships are evident to those of us who work with gendered violence.

    Disappointingly, the show has only directly addressed physical violence. By failing to address properly these other facets of violence, MAFS missed an opportunity to examine the way men’s violence against women exists on a continuum.

    How does the show work?

    The premise of the show is simple: individuals who are unlucky in love are matched by three relationship “experts”. The first time they meet is at the end of the aisle.

    The spouses move in together and are put through a series of exercises designed to “fast track” their connection – although success rates are quite low.

    In weekly commitment ceremonies, each couple, in front of the group, receives relationship therapy from the show’s expert panel: registered psychologist John Aiken, relationship coach Mel Schilling, and sexologist Alessandra Rampolla.

    Each week, each member of the couple chooses to stay or leave. If only one member of a couple wants to leave, both must stay.

    ‘This is deeply troubling’

    At the commitment ceremony in the episode that aired on March 2, groom Paul Antoine confessed he punched a hole in a door during an argument with his wife Carina Mirabile.

    The experts appear to take Antoine’s violence seriously. They threaten to expel him from the show. Other grooms speak directly to camera about the seriousness of physical violence.

    Mirabile downplays his behaviour. She says the incident happened after she talked about a previous relationship, and Antoine’s actions show “he does have strong feelings towards me” and it is “a real relationship”.

    Expert Schilling responds, saying:

    I cannot sit here and listen to this justification from you […] This is not normal behaviour, sweetheart […] This is deeply troubling.

    The incident is being investigated by New South Wales Police. At the time of writing, the couple remain in the series.

    A difficult relationship

    Before the season began airing, it came to light that a member of one couple, Adrian Araouzou, was previously charged with domestic assault, before being acquitted. At the time of writing, this history has not been addressed on screen.

    At the same commitment ceremony, Araouzou whispers requests to his wife, Awhina Rutene, that she not talk about an argument between his sisters and Rutene’s sister.

    Another groom, Dave Hand, criticises Araouzeou’s behaviour, saying

    let her say how she really feels […] She looks at you for permission to speak, mate.

    Aiken says this is a “serious statement”. Rutene says she doesn’t need permission, although she sometimes feels speaking will cause “a rift between us” and she does not want to “hurt Adrian’s feelings”.

    Rutene votes to leave. Because Araouzeou chooses to stay, she is also compelled to stay.

    Looking for ‘domination’

    In the same episode, bride Lauren Hall says she was horrified to come home and find her husband, Clint Rice, cleaning. Hall says she expects a husband to be “very dominating”.

    Sexologist Rampolla suggests Rice embracing domination could “grow the spark” within the relationship. The experts ask Rice whether he feels he can live up to Hall’s gendered expectations. He agrees to try.

    A national emergency

    Given the national platform of the show, and the “national emergency” of domestic and family violence, the failure to seize any opportunity to send a strong message about gender equality to the public is deeply disappointing.

    A 2021 survey found 23% of Australians believe domestic violence is a normal reaction to stress. This points to a mainstream acceptance of violence within intimate relationships. There is a need for further public discourse – and MAFS is very well positioned to contribute to it.

    When MAFS allows people to stay on the show after they have enacted violence, the show sends the message that violence is not enough of a reason to leave a relationship. A 2016 survey from the Australian Bureau of Statistics found that 46% of women who have experienced violence from their partner and have never separated have wanted to leave the relationship.

    People should be able to leave a relationship at any time, and for any reason. It is estimated it takes seven attempts for a woman to leave a relationship characterised by violence. In MAFS, one member of a couple can effectively force the other to stay. This suggests the ultimate goal of marriage is lasting commitment, rather than happiness, fulfilment and safety.

    While the experts openly addressed Antione’s violence in the March 2 episode, there has been no further discussion of the incident since. This sends the message intimate partner violence is easily solved, and not important enough for ongoing attention.

    When the experts supported the idea that Rice should be “dominant” in a relationship, they missed an opportunity to explore the intricate ways patriarchal expectations play out in intimate relationships. Research shows relationships characterised by dominant forms of masculinity are precursors for male violence against women.

    Had MAFS seized this opportunity to open up this discussion (perhaps in a group therapy session with all of the grooms, including with quietly supportive Rice, and strong and respectful Hand) they could have used their platform to push back on the idealised image of a dominating man.

    Research from 2020 found most representations of masculinity on Australian television show men as “inherently chauvinistic, sexist, and misogynist”. MAFS has an opportunity to delve into Australian masculinity and question these stereotypes. What a shame this opportunity has been missed.

    Kate Toone is a member of the Australian Association of Social Workers.

    – ref. Married At First Sight should be a platform to talk about domestic violence – too much is left unsaid – https://theconversation.com/married-at-first-sight-should-be-a-platform-to-talk-about-domestic-violence-too-much-is-left-unsaid-251485

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Dozens of surfers fell ill after swimming in seas that turned into a ‘bacterial smoothie’ of sea foam. What was in it?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ipek Kurtböke, Associate Professor in Microbiology, University of the Sunshine Coast

    Anthony Rowland

    Two windswept beaches 80km south of Adelaide have been closed to the public after locals reported “more than 100” surfers fell ill on the weekend. Their symptoms included “a sore throat, dry cough and irritated eyes” or blurred vision. Dead sea dragons, fish and octopuses have also washed up on the beaches.

    Water samples have been taken for testing and health authorities suspect toxins from an algal bloom may be to blame.

    But the “mysterious foam” in the water is a health hazard in its own right.

    My research shows people should not go in the sea when it is foaming. These bacterial smoothies can contain more harmful pathogens than a sewage treatment plant – and you wouldn’t go swimming in sewage.

    Beware of sea foam

    Sea foam doesn’t look dangerous. But looks can be deceiving. This foam is likely to contain a mixture of many different types of microbes and pollutants.

    On beaches with lots of sea foam, people should avoid all contact with the water – and definitely avoid surfing or breathing in the contaminated water droplets in the air.

    I have been studying sea foams since 2003. In 2021, my PhD student Luke Wright and I published research on our discovery of infectious disease-causing microbes in the sea foams of the Sunshine Coast in Queensland.

    Named Nocardiae, these microbes are filamentous bacteria that can cause foaming in wastewater treatment plants, particularly when there’s a high load of fats, oils and greases. We now know the bacteria can cause foaming in the sea too.

    We detected 32 strains of Nocardiae in samples of sea foam from beaches at Noosa and south to Caloundra.

    Some of these species were new to science. So we named them Nocardia australiensis and Nocardia spumea (“spumea” meaning froth or foam).

    Nocardiae bacteria are known to cause skin, lung and central nervous system infections in both humans and animals. But the infection usually only takes hold in people with weakened immune systems. The bacteria can cause abscesses in the brain, lungs and liver.

    The incubation time can range between one and six months, depending on the strain of bacteria and the health status of the person involved.

    This means it will take some time for people to get infected and show symptoms. Long-term medical monitoring is required to detect the condition, as it can be masked by other disease-causing microbes such as the infectious agent that causes tuberculosis.

    Where is the sea foam coming from?

    During heavy winds, microbial spores from the soil can end up on the surface of the ocean.

    If the water is polluted with floating fats and grease as well as asphaltene, motor oil and hydrocarbons, these spores soon form bacterial colonies or biofilms that go forth and multiply.

    That’s because these microbes use pollution as a food source. Seawater is increasingly polluted by runoff from farmland or hard surfaces such as roads. Everything washed into the stormwater drains out to sea. During heavy storms accidental overflow from sewage systems can also occur, as Rockhampton has experienced in the past.

    Algae is another food source for these microbes, as they can crack open algae cells to access the nutritious oils inside. Sea foams have been observed in northern France during algal blooms.

    Warm water makes matters worse, as the warmth increases the survival rate for Nocardiae. In our laboratory on the Sunshine Coast, we were able to replicate a foaming event. We found foaming started at water temperatures of 24°C and above.

    What can be done about it?

    Reducing stormwater pollution will reduce the growth of sea foams. Any potential incident of infections of these surfers can raise awareness of the problem.

    But sea foam can also be found in pristine environments such as national parks, where it is mostly due to oils leached from trees. We proved this fact at Noosa National Park.

    In my experience on the Sunshine Coast, the council and other local authorities have been very receptive to advice on how to fix the problem. They have supported our research and also completed major upgrades at sewage treatment plants over the last 20 years.

    Once there’s an outbreak in the environment it is very difficult to control. That’s because ocean is an open system, as opposed to the closed system of a sewage treatment plant, where operators can use special chemicals or mechanical equipment to break the foam down. In open sea it’s impossible. So we just have to wait for it to go away.

    In this case, teams of researchers from different disciplines should come together to explore the issue. Microbiologists, marine scientists, meteorologists and chemists should team up to find out what’s going on. Ocean currents should be followed to determine where the pollutants end up.

    Sea foam is a global issue

    Earlier this month Tropical Cyclone Alfred whipped up sea foam all the way along the coast from South East Queensland to northern New South Wales. I was horrified to see footage of people playing in the thick, sticky sea foam, blissfully unaware of the dangers.

    But the problem is not confined to Australia, sea foam can be found at polluted beaches all over the world. Examples include India and Turkey.

    I have been telling this story ever since I first observed it on the Sunshine Coast in 2003. Every time there’s a major sea foam event, the media is interested. But research support is also needed in the gaps in between. We scientists need to monitor the shorelines continuously.

    As long as humanity continues to produce pollution, the problem will increase. It will also worsen as the world warms, because sea foams like it hot.

    Ipek Kurtböke 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. Dozens of surfers fell ill after swimming in seas that turned into a ‘bacterial smoothie’ of sea foam. What was in it? – https://theconversation.com/dozens-of-surfers-fell-ill-after-swimming-in-seas-that-turned-into-a-bacterial-smoothie-of-sea-foam-what-was-in-it-252506

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine: 18 March 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    PM call with President Zelenskyy of Ukraine: 18 March 2025

    Prime Minister Keir Starmer spoke to President Zelenskyy.

    The Prime Minister spoke to President Zelenskyy this evening. They discussed progress President Trump had made towards a ceasefire in talks with Russia. 

    President Zelenskyy updated on the situation on the frontline and the Prime Minister reiterated the UK’s unwavering support.

    Updates to this page

    Published 18 March 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Middlefield Announces Intention to Change Primary Exchange for Innovation Dividend ETF

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TORONTO, March 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Middlefield Limited (the “Manager”), the manager of Middlefield Innovation Dividend ETF (TSX:MINN), is pleased to announce its intention to change the primary exchange on which the securities of MINN are listed from the Toronto Stock Exchange (TSX) to Cboe Canada Inc. (“Cboe Canada”), effective on or about April 7th. The Manager has received conditional approval from Cboe Canada to list the Units on its exchange.

    It is important to note that the ticker symbol for Middlefield Innovation Dividend ETF will remain unchanged as MINN. Unitholders are assured that no action is required on their part for this listing change to take effect. All investment holdings will continue seamlessly without any disruption to trading activities or the value of the ETF.

    About Middlefield

    Founded in 1979, Middlefield is a specialist equity income asset manager with offices in Toronto, Canada and London, England. Our investment team utilizes active management to select high-quality, global companies across a variety of sectors and themes. Our product offerings include proven dividend-focused strategies that span real estate, healthcare, innovation, infrastructure, energy, diversified income and more. We offer these solutions in a variety of product types including ETFs, Mutual Funds, Split-Share Funds, Closed-End Funds and Flow-through LPs.

    For further information, please visit our website at www.middlefield.com or contact Nancy Tham in our Sales and Marketing Department at 1.888.890.1868.

    This press release contains forward-looking information. Any statements that express or involve discussions with respect to predictions, expectations, beliefs, plans, intentions, projections, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance (often, but not always, using words or phrases such as “expects”, “is expected”, “anticipates”, “plans”, “estimates” or “intends” (or negative or grammatical variations thereof), or stating that certain actions, events or results “may”, “could”, “would”, “might” or “will” be taken, occur or be achieved) are not statements of historical fact and may be forward-looking statements. Statements which may constitute forward-looking statements relate to: the proposed timing of the name, objectives and strategies changes and completion thereof; the potential benefits of such changes; and the holding of the unitholder meeting. Forward-looking statements are subject to a variety of risks and uncertainties which could cause actual events or results to differ from those reflected in the forward-looking statements including as a result of changes in the general economic and political environment, changes in applicable legislation, and the performance of each fund. Additional risks, uncertainties and other factors that could influence actual results are described under “Risk Factors” in the ETFs’ prospectus and other documents filed by the ETFs with the Canadian securities regulatory authorities. The forward-looking information contained in this press release constitutes the ETFs’ current estimate, as of the date of this press release, with respect to the matters covered hereby. Investors and others should not assume that any forward-looking statement contained in this press release represents the ETFs’ estimate as of any date other than the date of this press release.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Australia – Beyond the belt: New hotspots emerge as movers migrate past commuter communities – CBA

    Source: Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA)

    Regional living prevails as CommBank and the Regional Australia Institute’s latest Regional Movers Index reveals Australians are migrating further afield. 

    The latest Regional Movers Index (RMI) report reveals the emergence of several new regional destinations, as communities beyond the traditional ‘commuter belt’ surge in popularity for newcomers. 

    The Regional Australia Institute (RAI) CEO Liz Ritchie said the Local Government Areas (LGAs) of Gympie in Queensland, Richmond Valley and Wingecarribee in New South Wales, and East Gippsland in Victoria have made their debut as hotspots in the December 2024 quarter RMI report, highlighting relocators’ appetites for destinations further afield. 

    “The desire for regional living remains strong, with 32 per cent more people moving from big cities to regions than in the opposite direction, building on pre-existing data which shows the nation’s migration patterns are changing,” Ms Ritchie said.  

     “Regional Australia is the new frontier, and people are enthusiastic about the career opportunities and lifestyle benefits it offers. The RMI’s net migration index, which measures net population flow into regional Australia, is now sitting 51 per cent above the pre-Covid average.  

     “The emergence of new mover hotspots further out shows this increase of population into Australia’s regions is not isolated to a couple of places, rather that it’s happening all over the country. It’s why we must ensure communities have the infrastructure, funding and support they need to ensure they can continue to welcome new residents.”  

    The RMI is a partnership between the RAI and the Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA), which analyses quarterly and annual trends in people moving to and from Australia’s regional areas.  

    This latest report signifies a change in mover preferences, with communities such as Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, which has been the nation’s most popular regional mover destination for nine consecutive quarters, gradually reducing its share of net internal migration.   

     CBA’s Acting Executive General Manager Regional and Agribusiness Banking, Josh Foster, said while the Sunshine Coast remains a firm favourite, other communities in the Sunshine State are gaining movers like nearby Gladstone, Toowoomba, Fraser Coast, Mackay and Gympie.  

    “The lure of the Sunshine State has long attracted both city and regional movers, with the latest RMI proving the appeal of a scenic and often more balanced lifestyle extends beyond metropolitan areas, bringing renewed economic and social benefits to other areas of the state.    

     “This quarter saw the rise in popularity of several new growth hotspots within regional Queensland, demonstrating the diversification of the state’s economy. Fraser Coast’s deep roots in agriculture and Gladstone’s mining and green energy boom are just some of the sectors helping drive increased employment opportunities to these regions. With lower-than-average employment rates and limited housing supply, more investment is needed in construction, manufacturing and property development to support these growing communities.”  

    Mr Foster added: “Continued development in roads and transport infrastructure like the Gympie bypass are also integral to improving accessibility to these thriving regions and offer businesses a commercial opportunity to expand or relocate beyond major metro areas. CBA is working closely with local government, key industries and business customers to unlock new areas of investment across the state.” 

     Regional New South Wales and Victoria accounted for 71 per cent of all net regional inflows in the December 2024 quarter, while Queensland’s share stood at 19 per cent and there were small gains made in regional South Australia, Tasmania and Western Australia.   

     Sydneysiders continue to lead the charge into the regions, accounting for 59 per cent of net city outflows, down from 65 per cent in the 2023 December quarter. Whilst Melbournians now account for 40 per cent of net city outflows, up from 35 per cent a year ago.  

     Ms Ritchie said this quarter’s report also highlighted city-dwellers are increasingly relocating to areas which have previously been more popular with regional movers, like Greater Bendigo and Maitland.  

     “It’s critical that decision-makers note this important, contemporaneous data to ensure plans can be made, both now and into the future for these growing communities. The better we are able to project Australia’s population movements, the better we can prepare for them, ensuring the needed skills and services are in the right place, at the right time,” Ms Ritchie said.  

    Mr Foster said regional Western Australia also continues to exhibit a strong lure for movers, including Albany, Bunbury, Harvey, Capel and York.  

    “Of note, Bunbury in the southwest corner of Western Australia has retained its position as the nation’s fastest growing hotspot for capital movers over the 12 month period to December 2024. The area’s appeal has been supercharged by major infrastructure developments such as the completion of the Wilman Wadandi Highway, helping ease travel times between city-to-region.  

     “The RMI has also shown that in this past quarter, people are willing to go further afield with the south coast LGA of Albany recording the third highest growth in net internal migration. Located almost five hours drive from Perth, Albany offers an idyllic lifestyle, reliable healthcare and education services, as well as strong employment opportunities across several sectors including agriculture, aquaculture, renewable energy and tourism.”  

    Mr Foster concluded: “This latest RMI proves that the great regional migration is being felt deep within our regions, with the economic and lifestyle gains no longer contained to areas within commuting distance. With the right commercial and industry investments, this offers a win-win for consumers as well as businesses.”    

    The December 2024 quarter saw a seasonal reduction in internal migration across all mover types, as people tend to stay put in the last three months of the year, with capital-to-regional migration as measured by the RMI down by 11 per cent.   

    Despite lower mobility across the country, capital-to-regional relocations remain 8 per cent higher than the pre-Covid average and 3 per cent higher than a year ago.  

    The reduction also of regional-to-regional and regional-to-capital relocations, suggests more regional movers are choosing to settle where they are, rather than relocate elsewhere.

    The Regional Movers Index, launched in 2021, tracks movements between Australia’s regions and capital cities, using Commonwealth Bank data from relocations amongst more than 14.3 million customers. This enables early identification of growth trends and flags places emerging as hot spots needing fresh thinking on housing and infrastructure.   

    Data based on CBA customer address changes over the past five years, with prior addresses resided in for at least six months. Greater Capital City/Regional Area based on ABS 1270.0.55.001 GCCSA. An LGA must have recorded net internal migration inflows in 2024 of 50 or more people to be included in the report.

    The RMI is used primarily to map population movements between Australia’s regional areas and its capital cities. For this reason, it uses an ABS classification of regional that includes areas in and around other centres of population, including the Gold Coast, Sunshine Coast, Newcastle, Wollongong and Geelong.  

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: ABC Newcastle, Paul Culliver

    Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

    PAUL CULLIVER: Catherine King is the Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport and is visiting the region today. Let’s find out why. Minister, good morning to you.

    CATHERINE KING: Hi, Paul. How are you?

    PAUL CULLIVER: I’m very well. What brings you to the region?

    CATHERINE KING: Well, today– I was actually here three weeks ago inspecting the Singleton Bypass, which is going along well. It’s a really important part of infrastructure here for the region. But we’re also announcing today that because of the great work they’ve done on Singleton, it means that we can now bring money forward to get the Muswellbrook Bypass started. There was always an issue between the two projects, just making sure we had the workforce and capacity to do that work. So today we’re announcing that we’re going to bring that Muswellbrook Bypass money forward. We’ll start to see some early works and activities, movement of services and things like that through the course of the next few months so that we can start work to get that really– next important project underway.

    And then we’re also starting– we’re putting some money in to do the planning work to actually start thinking about how do we then build a bypass for Cessnock. And again, this is about making sure we can get the huge volumes of traffic that we’re now seeing through what largely were really small country towns originally, but have seen such growth, to get the traffic out, get people to work more quickly, but give people back their main streets.

    PAUL CULLIVER: All right. On the Muswellbrook Bypass – so how much money is sort of being put into this early start?

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah. So the total Australian Government commitment is $304 million. And the amount of money we’re bringing forward is really just– is to do that early work. So making sure that we’ve got the services movement, that’s often the biggest part of the preparation work that needs to be done. So, moving– whether it’s sewerage works, water, utilities, power utilities, those sorts of things. So quite a bit of the money, is being brought forward to do that.

    PAUL CULLIVER: Okay. And– sorry, when you say brought forward, how much sooner is all of this beginning?

    CATHERINE KING: Well, it was not due to start– early works were not due to start until next year, but they’ll start this year. So it’s a year early.

    PAUL CULLIVER: Okay, actual 12 months early.

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah, which is good.

    PAUL CULLIVER: Understood. Just explain when you say that– what, things went so well on the Singleton Bypass that that’s allowed this to happen? Just explain what that actually means.

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah, so there was always what we had to do when we looked at the pipeline of projects. And as people are driving around, you can see there’s a lot of work going on at the moment, whether it’s from Hexham, Raymond Terrace, obviously Singleton, that there just were some issues in terms of making sure we had the workforce to be able to deliver these projects, that Transport for New South Wales also could manage those projects as well. So we were waiting to see– get Singleton started first. That’s really now well and truly underway and looking very good, so that’s allowed us then to bring Muswellbrook a bit forward so that we can actually start work on that and have that continuous pipeline of work for people in the district.

    PAUL CULLIVER: Yeah, right. So it’s not so much that the people working on Singleton will be the people working on the Muswellbrook Bypass.

    CATHERINE KING: Well, obviously that will need to go out to tender. New South Wales will manage all of that project. But generally people move from work site to work site. Generally, that’s what happens in a region rather than importing people in.

    PAUL CULLIVER: [Talks over] Yeah, sure. What is the timeline for the Muswellbrook Bypass now?

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah, again, that will be managed by the New South Wales government. But as I said, early works which are all of the earthworks, the movement of services, that will happen this year with the major construction to start early 2026.

    PAUL CULLIVER: Okay. Well let’s talk about the Cessnock Bypass then. So, what’s the plan there?

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah, so really this is planning money. So it’s to plan to work out what to do. Like, where would you put the bypass? How do you make sure you get the efficient movement of traffic? What’s the landscape like? How do you actually move people around? We know that there are significant housing developments slated for Cessnock. Again, people are discovering what a great place it is to live, but that brings challenges when it comes to infrastructure. So really this is planning money for New South Wales to then start the planning work to look at how do you actually plan for a bypass, where does it go, what does it look like? There’ll be a lot of community consultation along the process, a lot of engineers having a look at it. But really that’s the money that we’re announcing today.

    There’s a number of key routes that lead right into Wollombi Road in the middle of Cessnock, and that population boom with surrounding suburbs and more traffic is making it pretty difficult for people. So really it’s looking to identify what were the alternate routes connecting those new housing developments in Bellbird and Cessnock South to those in the north, and then onward onto the Hunter Expressway – so what’s the best route for that, and how do you do that? That’s really what the money is for, to plan that.

    PAUL CULLIVER: So obviously with population in the Hunter growing and growing and growing, getting people around is a pretty high priority. So I understand the need for more road infrastructure – although I’m sure there’s many that would say, why aren’t we also doing more to improve public transport links, rail links? Why is there not more money being spent on that aspect of getting people around the Hunter?

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah, well, certainly in terms of the money that we are investing, a large proportion of it, you are right, is on that road infrastructure. Most people are still pretty reliant on their cars to get to work and to get to and from their homes to work. But certainly over time, those big public transport links, they are something that New South Wales Government obviously has looked at. We’re taking responsibility for trying to really get high speed rail up and running. We’ve invested substantially in that, and you’ll see some further work now that we’ve got the business case for that. You’ll see some further work now in the development stage of high speed rail. But really that is obviously Newcastle– from Newcastle, Central Coast into Sydney. But that is again looking at can people work from home more, how do we get bigger industries and bigger businesses into Newcastle and into the Hunter itself. So really there the investments that we make and then looking at further transport movements is really something we do in partnership with the New South Wales Government.

    PAUL CULLIVER: Speaking of rail, of course, the business case for the high speed rail between Sydney to Newcastle, I understand, was given to the Government just before the end of last year, still waiting for an investment decision. What can you tell me about that?

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah, well it’s with Infrastructure Australia at the moment. So, they will provide advice to government via Cabinet, via the budget process for when it’s ready for further investment. It will still need a development phase. That’s the next phase of work that will be recommended to us, which is again looking at that land acquisition, the finalising all of the geotechnical work and getting it ready for an investment decision. But we’ll make some announcements about that in due course, but Infrastructure Australia is looking at the business case at the moment.

    PAUL CULLIVER: Okay, so Infrastructure Australia haven’t said to the Government yet– you haven’t been provided advice as to whether it’s a goer or not?

    CATHERINE KING: They haven’t. That advice has not been provided to me yet, no.

    PAUL CULLIVER: Okay. We’re one week away from the Federal Budget. Might we see something in that?

    CATHERINE KING: Again, we’ll make investment decisions when we’ve got that advice. I’m not going to push Infrastructure Australia to how– the timeline of their job. They will– it’s a big piece of work, so they’ll be doing their analysis of it. They’ll provide advice to the Government, and then we’ll make our decisions about what the next phase of it will be. But really, it’s gone through the sort of exploratory stage. It will then have to go into the development stage, which again, is getting all of the planning approvals to do the work. And we’ll have some further announcements to make about that in due course.

    PAUL CULLIVER: All right. We’re not too far away from a federal election. You’re not going to turn up in the Hunter during a federal election with the Prime Minister and say, we’re building high speed rail?

    CATHERINE KING: Nice try, nice try. We’re very committed to high speed rail. And the Prime Minister has been talking about it for a long period of time. We’re serious about getting it done properly, making sure that we’ve got all of the information we need to be able to make those investment decisions. But also, if anything I’ve learnt from this job in the last three years in Inland Rail in particular, when you look at the report into Inland Rail, is don’t start making investment decisions when you don’t know how much it’s going to cost and you haven’t got that planning work done. So actually getting planning approvals will really be the next most important phase for high speed rail.

    PAUL CULLIVER: All right, if I can just ask you about an idea that’s come from the Coalition – Peter Dutton has been talking about proposing a referendum to change the Constitution to allow the Government to deport dual citizens convicted of serious crimes. What do you think of this idea?

    CATHERINE KING: I think it’s just yet another thought bubble from him. I don’t think he’s thought it through. When he wants to take the country to a referendum on decisions that– like, really? It just seems madness to me. I think it’s a thought bubble, and I reckon you’ll see him walk away– crab walk away from it in the next few days or so. It’s been a bit of a pattern from him. I think we’re supposed to also be having another referendum on indigenous representation as well, according to him, but he hasn’t said much about that. He’s promised we were going to do that as well. So let’s see, let’s see.

    PAUL CULLIVER: You don’t think it’s a power that the Australian Government should have?

    CATHERINE KING: I think it’s a thought bubble from Peter Dutton. I think that’s what it is.

    PAUL CULLIVER: All right, Minister, thanks for your time today.

    CATHERINE KING: Thanks very much.

    PAUL CULLIVER: Catherine King, the Federal Minister for Infrastructure and Transport, in the region today to announce that the Muswellbrook Bypass is getting brought forward by about 12 months.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 2HD Breakfast, Paul King

    Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

    RICHARD KING: I did mention I received a– hang on, where is it now. Yep, the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government in our neck of the woods this morning. It’s an announcement about funding for a new Cessnock bypass and Muswellbrook bypass. In fact, the Minister is on the line now. Good morning, Minister.

    CATHERINE KING: Good morning Richard, how are you?

    RICHARD KING: Good, thank you. We had a little bit of confusion there. We’ve had phone calls and text messages flying all over the place. But yeah, welcome back to our area. And look, I mentioned earlier when I said I was hopefully going to be speaking to you this morning. I get a lot of calls from people early in the morning heading up to the mines, et cetera, working in the Hunter Valley. I know– in fact, my son who’s an engineer is working on the Singleton bypass. But you’ve got some good news re a couple more bypasses that are going to be happening as well. Can you tell us about that?

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah. It’s actually three weeks ago I was up having a look at the progress on the Singleton bypass, and it’s really coming along well. But today we’re announcing– because that work is going so well, it’s meant that we’ve been able to bring the funding forward for starting the work early on the Muswellbrook bypass. That’s a really important 9.3 kilometres of road. It’ll take about 13,000 to 20,000 cars per day out of the main streets of Muswellbrook. That early money that we’re bringing forward means they can start doing some of the early work to get the site all ready for construction.

    So, that’s one of the announcements we’re making today. And of course, just making sure that we continue to plan for the future given the growth that we’re seeing throughout the Hunter, given people have discovered the secret of what a beautiful part of the world it is, and are wanting to move here. We’re seeing increasing numbers of housing development, and that’s also meant that for Cessnock, that has meant that trying to get some congestion out of there is going to be important. So, we’re putting in $5 million today to kick start the planning process to look at a future bypass for the town of Cessnock.

    RICHARD KING: We keep hearing about major infrastructure projects. They’re a huge blowout. Just re: Singleton, is that on track sort of budget-wise and time scale-wise, Minister?

    CATHERINE KING: Absolutely, as far as I understand it. Obviously, the people delivering the projects are the New South Wales Government. I was on site with Jenny Aitchison on the day three weeks ago, and that project is looking very good. As far as I’m aware, there haven’t been cost blow-outs on that project, which is great to hear. It was great to see some of the workers out there. Obviously, it’s a really important project for the region, and good to see that progress is being made.

    RICHARD KING: And look, while we’re talking about infrastructure projects, the extension of the M1, I mean, every time we have holidays or long weekends and even Friday afternoons, the people heading south, either up to Port Stephens or further north, there’s always a bottleneck here. We’ve had the widening of– in fact, it’s right in front of where I am at Sandgate. That widening process has been going on for a long time. I believe that should be finished next year. But the M1 extension, I think that’s a couple of years away at this stage, am I…

    CATHERINE KING: [Talks over] Yeah. Well one of one the issues we’ve obviously had– and you can see it all around, is there’s a huge amount of road construction happening at the moment, and that means that there’s been some capacity constraints in terms of these projects. So, trying to make sure we sequence them in a way that keeps fabulous construction workforce working, but also then doesn’t mean that we just don’t have the resources to be able to deliver these projects. So, you can see from whether it’s Hexham, Raymond Terrace, the Singleton bypass, now being able to bring forward the Muswellbrook bypass and start the work to plan the Cessnock bypass and then other projects that are on the schedule for delivery with New South Wales. Really, we’ve got to make sure that we keep that capacity and pipeline of projects going, but we also don’t stretch the system to such an extent that then costs flow out, or we have to import workers from elsewhere.

    RICHARD KING: 8:09 on Tuesday, my guest, the Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government – you’re wearing a number of hats here – Catherine King. Look, a hot topic at the moment, the financial situation of Newcastle Airport. I don’t know how much of this comes under your umbrella, but I know there was a fair amount of federal money that’s gone into the extension of the runway there. Under construction at the moment is the new international airport, but people are concerned about the liability for ratepayers of both Newcastle and Port Stephens, who jointly own the councils, jointly own those airports. How much oversight do you have on what’s happening at Newcastle Airport Minister?

    CATHERINE KING: Well, I don’t have a great deal of oversight into the financials of the airport. Obviously, it is run and managed by the two local councils, and so I don’t have line of sight of the management of the airport. We’ve certainly put grant money in for upgrading the infrastructure, which then enables an expansion of the airport, which then also enables you to have more passengers coming in if you have international flights coming in, and that obviously increases the capacity of the airport for revenue. But they are questions that you’d really need to direct to the local government area.

    RICHARD KING: Yeah, it’s a very hot topic. The Lord Mayor of Newcastle, who I spoke to yesterday, has requested an inquiry into that. So, we’ll then no doubt hear more from the New South Wales Government on that particular one.

    Another hot issue is obviously the budget which will be out next week. Jim Chalmers, our Treasurer, announced it will be a deficit budget next week after we’ve had a number of surpluses, and deficit budgets, I think, are predicted for the next decade. Will that have much of an impact on all these major infrastructure projects, Minister?

    CATHERINE KING: Well, we’ve got a $125 billion infrastructure pipeline that is built into the budget over the next decade. And so when projects come off, new projects come on. So that’s sort of sat and is pretty stable. We’ve increased in fact the budget from the Commonwealth for infrastructure funding. So I don’t anticipate that we’ll see– we’ll see some good news– we will see good news for new infrastructure projects in the budget. But let’s wait till budget night to see what all of the broader figures are. Obviously, I think what the Treasurer, Jim, was indicating that, you know, it would be no surprise to people that we have an event like Cyclone Alfred, that there is some impact on the budget in relation to that, whether it be in terms of claims for fixing roads, rail and but also the significant economic loss many of the businesses and individuals have experienced up there as well. That will, of course, have an impact, as every single disaster does each time on the budget, and he was just reporting that.

    RICHARD KING: Peter Dutton yesterday has called for the deregistration of the CFMEU following these fresh allegations of violence, particularly directed at women and the influence of organised crime and corruption within the CFMEU. And he’s calling for legislation changes, et cetera. I know Murray Watt said it’s reckless. Do you have a view on this?

    CATHERINE KING: Yeah, I do. I mean, a couple of things. I mean, the first thing, none of us tolerate this sort of activity in any workplace. It’s criminal activity. And we need to make sure that every– you know, from an infrastructure point of view, I want to make sure every assurance that every single dollar of taxpayer money is going to pay workers properly to make sure we actually deliver that infrastructure. And so, I’ve sought assurances from the states and territories that they’ve got the right processes in place to check that all the time.

    But in terms of the call from Peter Dutton yesterday, I mean, this is a bloke who has failed to clean up, you know, this– deal with these issues when they were last in government. Now thinks that deregistration– which basically means the union will still operate, they just won’t be registered and they won’t have any oversight. So, what we’ve done is put it into administration so that the people who we were concerned about have no part in running the organisation. You’ll see with deregistration, they will be back in pretty quickly. It means the union still can go to Fair Work Australia, the unions still exist. It just won’t be registered and it won’t have that regulatory oversight. So I’m not sure how that’s actually going to clean up or fix it.

    And then secondly, you know, we have already very strong laws in place that allow the sorts of things– you know, again, we’ve gone and looked to America to see what the Americans can tell us. We’re Australia and we know pretty much what our laws say. We’ve already got really strong laws that allow us to go after– you know, the criminal syndicates that are behind some of these activities. The issue is we’ve got to back in the administrator to actually do the job properly. Some of this stuff has come to light because it is in administration. And there is– you know, thorough audits and investigations being undertaken. And, you know, I welcome that the Victorian Government’s now, you know, increased money for the taskforce or increased the focus of the taskforce to try and deal with these issues. But you know, let’s be clear, none of us have any tolerance for this. We’re working our way through how we actually fix this and that will take some time.

    RICHARD KING: Appreciate your time this morning, Minister, and enjoy your time in the Hunter Valley I’m sure you will.

    CATHERINE KING: [Laughs] I always do. Thank you so much.

    RICHARD KING: Good on you. Thank you. Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, that’s a mouthful. Catherine King on 2HD.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Answer to a written question – Farmer support for bovine tuberculosis and other livestock diseases – E-000135/2025(ASW)

    Source: European Parliament

    For the eradication of important diseases such as bovine tuberculosis, the Commission has put in place specific rules, notably Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689[1] that together with Regulation (EU) 2016/429[2] covers all aspects to eradicate it.

    The EU rules are based, inter alia, on scientific advice provided by the European Food Safety Authority, on decades of experience eradicating it and on the international standards of the World Organisation for Animal Health.

    Member States that are not yet free from the disease, must have in place an appropriate eradication programme approved by the Commission which must comply with the criteria set in those rules and the competent authorities need to implement it until eradication.

    This legislation also applies to and in the United Kingdom (UK) in respect of Northern Ireland (NI) in accordance with the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement. Both Ireland and the UK (NI) have an approved programme[3].

    Bovine tuberculosis outbreaks must be dealt with in line with those programmes, under the responsibility of the competent authorities in Ireland and in the UK in respect of NI to progress towards eradication, including at border areas.

    EU funding of veterinary measures for bovine tuberculosis eradication is not envisaged for the years 2025 to 2027 as financial resources are allocated to the control and eradication of other major priority animal diseases.

    Preventive measures can be supported financially through Member State Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) Strategic Plans[4], if programmed, including risk management and improved on-farm biosecurity investments.

    Funding of veterinary measures in the UK (NI) with EU funds or CAP support is not possible under the provisions of the EU-UK Withdrawal Agreement.

    • [1] Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2020/689 of 17 December 2019 supplementing Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council as regards rules for surveillance, eradication programmes, and disease-free status for certain listed and emerging diseases.
    • [2] Regulation (EU) 2016/429 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 9 March 2016 on transmissible animal diseases and amending and repealing certain acts in the area of animal health (‘Animal Health Law’).
    • [3] R eference: Annex II, Part II of Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2021/620.
    • [4] Regulation (EU) 2021/2115 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 2 December 2021 establishing rules on support for strategic plans to be drawn up by Member States under the common agricultural policy (CAP Strategic Plans) and financed by the European Agricultural Guarantee Fund (EAGF) and by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD) and repealing Regulations (EU) No 1305/2013 and (EU) No 1307/2013, OJ L436, 6.12.2021, p.1.

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: New Hampshire Congressional Delegation Opens AUKUS Industry Roundtable, Highlights Granite State Defense Industry

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen
    (Portsmouth, NH) – Today, U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Ranking Member of the U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Maggie Hassan (D-NH) along with U.S. Representatives Chris Pappas (NH-01) and Maggie Goodlander (NH-02) delivered remarks to open a defense industry roundtable to increase opportunities for New Hampshire businesses as part of the Australia-U.K.-U.S. (AUKUS) submarine agreement. The delegation was joined by representatives from the Australian Embassy, including the Australian Consul-General and the Minister Counsellor of AUKUS. Photos from today’s event can be found here.
    “Today’s event is an important example of how the strength of our alliances can make a difference here in the Granite State and boost our local economies,” said Senator Shaheen. “The AUKUS agreement makes America and Australia stronger by allowing us to work hand-in-hand to build and maintain nuclear submarines for both of our countries—and the technology and know-how to do that starts right here in the Granite State.”
    “If America’s allies are looking for new ways to keep their submarine fleets on the cutting edge, there’s no better place to turn to than New Hampshire — it was Portsmouth that helped build and maintain some of the first ships of the United States Navy, and Portsmouth was indispensable in building the submarine fleet that helped win World War II,” said Senator Hassan. “In a dangerous and uncertain world where our new Administration seems at times to confuse America’s friends with America’s foes, I am grateful for this strong alliance between the United States, Australia, and the United Kingdom that has made our nations stronger, more secure, and more free.”
    “American naval superiority has long played an historic role in our nation’s strength and will play a decisive role to confront challenges alongside our allies and secure the future. New Hampshire, our manufacturers, and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard all have a critical role to play in this mission,” said Congressman Pappas. “Through the AUKUS agreement with our allies, the United Kingdom and Australia, we will bolster our naval capabilities and submarine industrial bases and strengthen our cooperation in the Indo-Pacific. New Hampshire manufacturers and workers can help lead the way, and I was glad to join this event focused on the increasing opportunities for them under the AUKUS agreement.”
    “I know first-hand from my time as an intelligence officer in the United States Navy Reserve that the alliance between the United States and Australia makes America stronger and safer,” said Congresswoman Maggie Goodlander. “The hardworking women and men of New Hampshire who work every day on behalf of our national defense are critical to the future of our alliance and the AUKUS agreement. I’m proud to represent our state’s critical role in our national security on the House Armed Services Committee.”
    Senator Shaheen has long advocated for New England’s shipbuilding industry and workforce, including through authorizing funding and workforce development for Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Through the FY 2025 National Defense Authorization Act, Shaheen secured full authorization for the Shipbuilding Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP) projects at Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, which will expand the Shipyard’s capacity to maintain America’s fast-attack submarine fleet.
    Recently, the New Hampshire Congressional delegation held a press conference to discuss the impact the Trump Administration is having on the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard. Shaheen and U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-ME) have called on the U.S. Department of the Navy to exempt Portsmouth Naval Shipyard employees from the Office of Personnel Management’s (OPM) deferred resignation program for federal employees. The Department of Defense recently announced that the shipyard workforce is exempt from the civilian hiring freeze
    As a founding co-chair of the Public Shipyard Caucus, Congressman Pappas is a strong supporter of the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, the men and women who serve there, and its work to strengthen our national and global security. Last week Representatives Pappas and Pingree led a bipartisan group of their colleagues sounding the alarm over the Trump Administration’s hiring freeze and workforce cuts, which impact American shipyards like Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Highland Local Development Plan – more time to Have Your Say

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    The Highland Council is providing more time for people and organisations with an interest in future development and investment in the area, to respond to its current consultation on its evidence papers for the Highland Local Development Plan. The deadline for responding to the consultation on evidence has been extended to 12 noon on Friday, 2 May, 2025.

    The new Highland Local Development Plan to be prepared will ultimately be used to determine planning applications and steer future development and investment in the area. The consultation seeks views on the evidence collated so far to inform preparation of the new plan.

    Chair of the Council’s Economy and Infrastructure Committee, Councillor Ken Gowans said: “The Evidence Papers highlight the unique challenges that Highland is facing and what evidence is needed to address them. This is presented for Housing and Economy, Infrastructure First, Transport and Connectivity, Climate Change and Energy, Natural Environment, Our Coastline and Design, Wellbeing and Placemaking. The Evidence Papers also contain Area Profiles that focus on how each of Highland’s sub-regions functions, along with important facts and figures and attributes.”

    The evidence needs to be sufficient, and the Council needs to assess the implications of its evidence before preparing the new plan, so in the evidence papers the Council is asking for views on this.

    Getting feedback on this is important as it can help with the next stage, as the Council prepares its formal ‘Evidence Report’ that will be submitted for independent review later in 2025, before a draft plan is prepared.

    Councillor Gowans added: “Feedback is welcome on all the sections of the consultation or just those parts of most interest to the person or organisation responding.”

    Alongside the evidence consultation, the Council is inviting the submission of new development site suggestions to be considered for inclusion in the new plan. Feedback to that call for development sites is particularly encouraged from landowners, developers and communities that have land or building opportunities that they wish to promote for housing, industry or mixed-use development. The deadline for submissions is 12 noon on Friday, 2 May, 2025.

    Take part here:  https://www.highland.gov.uk/hldp

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Still time to take part in the Highland Visitor Levy Consultation

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    Image of Visitor Levy banner

    The Highland Council has been hosting a series of in-person and on-line engagement events as part of the current consultation process on the proposed Visitor Levy Scheme for Highland.

    The last of the Community Webinar sessions takes place on 19 March from 18:00 to 19:00 via this link:

    https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/ab67960b-8b01-43aa-b71c-513418382e29@89f0b56e-6d16-4fe8-9dba-176fa940f7c9

    The Convener of The Highland Council, Councillor Bill Lobban said: “I want to thank everyone who has attended the events in person and on-line. If anyone has been unable to attend any of the sessions, there is still time to feed your views into our consultation as it runs up until 31 March.

    “In addition to the public events, we’ve taken part in several sessions specifically for the business community. As well as getting feedback from businesses and the tourism sector, it is important that we gather as many views from individuals, community groups and businesses as possible to make the consultation inclusive and ensuring that it fairly and accurately captures opinion and feedback from across all communities.”

    As well as a link to the consultation portal – https://www.highland.gov.uk/visitorlevyconsultation, the information on the Council’s website includes helpful FAQs that have been updated with questions raised at the public engagement sessions.

    Cllr Lobban added: “All comments received from the on-line consultation and public engagement sessions will be analysed and included as part of a report that will be presented to council at a future date. I therefore encourage anyone who has not yet filled in the on-line consultation, to do so before the deadline.”

    A report will be considered at a future meeting of The Highland Council which will set out the findings of the consultation.”

    18 Mar 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Member of Violent Gang Sentenced to Over Eight Years in Prison for Racketeering Involving Drugs and Firearms Trafficking

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    BOSTON – A Boston area man was sentenced today in federal court in Boston for his role in Cameron Street, a violent Boston gang.

    Jose Afonseca, 32, was sentenced by U.S. Senior District Court Judge William G. Young to 100 months in prison, to be followed by four years of supervised release. In October 2024, Afonseca pleaded guilty to conspiracy to participate in a racketeering enterprise, conspiracy to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine and dealing in firearms without a license.

    According to court documents, Afonseca was identified as member of Cameron Street, a violent gang based largely in the Dorchester section of Boston that uses violence and threats of violence to preserve, protect, and expand its territory, promote a climate of fear, and enhance its reputation. During the investigation, Afonseca worked with other Cameron Street members to distribute hundreds of grams of cocaine and cocaine base, more commonly referred to as “crack” cocaine, from a stash house in Somerville. Afonseca was also recorded discussing his ability to acquire illegal firearms and was recorded selling two firearms and over 30 rounds of ammunition to a cooperating witness.

    On Aril 15, 2022, 398 grams of cocaine, along with packaging materials, two hydraulic presses, a digital scale, a cell phone, and $14,986 in U.S. currency were seized during a search of a stash house.

    This operation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) Strike Force Initiative, which provides for the establishment of permanent multi-agency task force teams that work side-by-side in the same location. This co-located model enables agents from different agencies to collaborate on intelligence-driven, multi-jurisdictional operations to disrupt and dismantle the most significant drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach. Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    United States Attorney Leah B. Foley; James M. Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Boston Field Division; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration, New England Field Division; and Boston Police Commissioner Michael Cox made the announcement today. Valuable assistance was provided by the Massachusetts State Police; Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office; Suffolk, Plymouth, Norfolk and Bristol County District Attorney’s Offices; and the Canton, Quincy, Randolph, Somerville, Brockton, Malden, Stoughton, Rehoboth and Pawtucket (R.I.) Police Departments. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Christopher Pohl and Charles Dell’Anno of the Criminal Division are prosecuting the case.

    The remaining defendants named in the indictment are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
     

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Haven Gang Member Sentenced to 22 Years in Federal Prison for Murders, Additional Shootings

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TYJON PRESTON, also known as “TJ,” 22, of New Haven, was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 264 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his involvement in a violent New Haven street gang, including two murders and additional shootings.

    Today’s announcement was made by Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; John P. Doyle, Jr., State’s Attorney for the New Haven Judicial District; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England; and New Haven Police Chief Karl Jacobson.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, in an effort to address violence in New Haven, the ATF, FBI, DEA and New Haven Police Department, working closely with the U.S. Attorney’s Office and New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, have been investigating a gang war between members and associates of the Exit 8 street gang and rival gangs in the Hill section and other areas of the city.  The Exit 8 gang is named after the geographic area accessed by exiting Interstate 91 at Exit 8 in New Haven.  Recently, younger members of Exit 8 are identifying themselves with the word “Honcho,” which is derived from the street name of an Exit 8 member who was murdered on Quinnipiac Avenue in February 2020.

    The investigation revealed that Preston and other members of the Exit 8 gang engaged in drug trafficking, used and shared firearms, and, since June 2018, have committed at least three murders and 16 attempted murders.  Exit 8 members and associates also stole vehicles, at times from outside of the state, and used those stolen vehicles when committing acts of violence.  Gang members also promoted, coordinated, facilitated, and celebrated their narcotics distribution and acts of violence through text messaging and the use of social media applications and websites including Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and YouTube.

    On April 24, 2024, Preston pleaded guilty to conspiracy to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity, and specifically admitted that on April 27, 2021, he and other Exit 8 members attempted to kill a rival gang member and shot him in the leg; on May 19, 2021, he and other Exit 8 members conspired to kill rival gang members, and shot and killed an associate of a rival gang; on May 20, 2021, he and other Exit 8 members shot and attempted to kill rival gang members; and on July 5, 2021, he and another Exit 8 member shot and killed a 22-year-old woman after she made a rap song containing derogatory comments about Exit 8.

    Preston has been detained since September 9, 2021.

    This investigation has been conducted by the ATF, the FBI, the DEA, the New Haven Police Department, the Hamden Police Department, and the New Haven State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the Connecticut State Police and the Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory.  The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis.

    This prosecution is a part of the Justice’s Department’s Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), Project Longevity and Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) programs.

    PSN is a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and make neighborhoods safer for everyone.  For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit www.justice.gov/psn.

    Project Longevity is a comprehensive initiative to reduce gun violence in Connecticut’s major cities.  Through Project Longevity, community members and law enforcement directly engage with members of groups that are prone to commit violence and deliver a community message against violence, a law enforcement message about the consequences of further violence and an offer of help for those who want it.

    OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations through a prosecutor-led and intelligence-driven approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies.  Additional information about the OCDETF Program can be found at https://www.justice.gov/OCDETF.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Police struggle to identify the riskiest domestic abuse perpetrators – here’s how they can do better

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Barry Godfrey, Professor of Social Justice, University of Liverpool

    Shutterstock

    The government cannot achieve its target to halve violence against women and girls if it doesn’t address the most serious perpetrators – and it isn’t anywhere near knowing how to identify them. Our new research shows where they are going wrong, and how they can do better.

    The most recent statistics show that violence against women and girls affects one in 12 women in England and Wales. A quarter of domestic abuse incidents reported to police involve known, repeat perpetrators. But despite being told by government to identify and control the most serious perpetrators, police do not currently have systems good enough to do that.

    Currently, police forces use an algorithm to determine which offenders pose the greatest risk to women and girls. This is known as the RFGV algorithm – perpetrators are propelled up or down a list based on the recency, frequency, gravity (seriousness) of reported incidents, and the vulnerability of the victim.

    The gap in this approach is that it largely treats incidents as isolated, when they should be looked at as a whole. Research has also found it is used inconsistently between forces.

    Most police perpetrator lists contain hundreds or even thousands of people, making them difficult tools to use. They also do not seem to be able to distinguish who the most serious offenders are, with men with very similar profiles near the top, middle and bottom of the lists.

    We propose an alternative method, which would assess the whole of a perpetrator’s record of incidents. This would allow police to identify not only the most dangerous perpetrators, but also opportunities to better address their offending earlier on. This might be with diversion to programmes designed to support better choices and rehabilitation, or arrest and incarceration to prevent them harming other people.

    By joining together incidents recorded by police for individual perpetrators, we constructed detailed case studies using police officer’s notes. Here is a summary of two people who appear in one force’s perpetrator list.

    1. Male born mid 1980s, involved in 340 incidents over 20 years

    His offending begins with an indecent assault on a young teenage girl when he is 19. He is increasingly involved in drug-related offending in his 20s. He is later sentenced to six years in jail for arson endangering life. Released on conditional licence, he is re-convicted of the harassment of his ex-partner and recalled to prison.

    Release is followed by further offences until the mid-2010s when he is imprisoned again. When released, his offending is erratic (low-level public order, violence, threats, drug-related offending).

    Throughout his 30s, he frequently victimises partners and ex-partners. He has no settled address and is homeless at various points of his life. He is still subject to frequent mental health episodes.

    2. Male born early 1980s, involved in 396 incidents over 25 years

    In his teens he was involved in low-level thefts, criminal damage and breaches of an antisocial behaviour order. He was also suspected of selling drugs to schoolchildren, and imprisoned, aged 18, for drug-related violence.

    In his 20s he “associates with” children and is found with a missing vulnerable schoolgirl hiding in his house. He continues to commit offences of criminal damage, drug dealing, and stealing vehicles. Another missing teenage girl is found to be living with him.

    In his early 20s he very violently assaults and harasses much younger partners. He continues to commit public order offences and to threaten, harass, and assault current and ex-partners, kicking his pregnant partner in the stomach.

    In the early 2020s, police attend his ex-partner’s house following abandoned 999 calls – they find him with his hand over her mouth to stop her calling out to the police. He continues to be violent to ex-partners and his involvement in drug-related offending deepens. He is currently in prison for a violent offence.

    Who is the danger?

    Both men pose a real and severe threat of violence to women and girls as well as the public. But the RFGV algorithm places the first man more than a thousand places higher than the second. Clearly treating the offences they commit in isolation is not sufficient to distinguish which man poses the greatest risk.

    A life-course approach, which takes into account the type and pattern of offending as it develops over time, is less susceptible to fluctuations which move an offender rapidly up or down the priority lists. Therefore, it more reliably reflects who poses the greatest risk.

    The current system looks at incidents in isolation.
    Vadim Kulikov/Shutterstock

    A better ranking system is clearly required. The RFGV algorithm provides a “score”, but a more sophisticated system would also evaluate the direction of offending of individuals – is it escalating, more frequent, more serious?

    A life-course approach could be used separately or together with RFGV to allow police analysts to identify the most serious perpetrators. It may also be possible to use artificial intelligence to identify trends in offending and escalation of risk through analysis of thousands of police incident reports in real time.

    The system could then identify opportunities for early intervention which have been shown to be effective in reducing re-offending against current and future victims. It could also automatically trigger warnings to neighbourhood officers, specialist domestic abuse-trained officers, mental health services and so on.

    We won’t really know the full capability until new systems are tried, and evaluated. This also means including the voices of survivors and focusing on the lives of persistent perpetrators – often substance use, homelessness, estrangement, imprisonment and mental health problems are at play. The possibilities of learning from artificial intelligence or other technology should not be privileged over the very sources of the data such intelligence relies upon: victims’ experiences.

    David Gadd currenty receives research grant funding, via the University of Manchester from the ESRC, NIHR, and Greater Manchester Combined Authority.

    Barry Godfrey 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. Police struggle to identify the riskiest domestic abuse perpetrators – here’s how they can do better – https://theconversation.com/police-struggle-to-identify-the-riskiest-domestic-abuse-perpetrators-heres-how-they-can-do-better-247734

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Press Release – Expressions of Interest – Jersey Ferry Tuesday 18 March 2025

    Source: Channel Islands – States of Alderney

    Press Release
    Date: 18th March 2025

    Economic Development seeks Ferry Service operator between Jersey and Alderney

    The Economic Development Committee recognises the importance of connectivity to the island and is keen to expand ferry service offerings to Alderney.
    In keeping with the States established procurement procedures, and to demonstrate value for money to local taxpayers, the States is inviting Expressions of Interest (EOI) for a seasonal ferry service between the Island and Jersey for the 2025 summer season.

    The opportunity is open to ferry service providers with vessels of up to 12-passenger capacity to operate between the Spring Bank Holiday at the end of May until the end of September.
    The successful applicant will also have an option to extend to 2026 subject to review by both parties.

    It is envisaged that a minimum service for the Alderney-Jersey route would involve at least four rotations per week to accommodate overnight stays in Alderney.
    At this stage, potential providers are being asked to provide basic details to the States including vessel, proposed timetable and fares and what support the service may require from the States. Once initial submissions have been received, a more detailed process will be carried out to select the provider in time to commence the service in May.

    Details about the EOI and the procurement process can be found at the link: CHttpHandler.ashx

    Chair of the Economic Development Committee, Stuart Clark said ‘the seasonal ferry services to Guernsey for visitors and residents alike have been an important factor in Alderney’s transport offering. The limited travel links to Jersey have also been well noted and the Committee feels that direct links to Jersey is a market that should be tested and exploited.’

    Closing date for submission of EOI is March 28th 2025.

    Ends

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Young people to benefit from creative education boost

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    Young people to benefit from creative education boost

    New package announced to support young people to access high-quality arts education and enrichment activities as well as AI and tech opportunities.

    Young people across the country will have greater access to high-quality arts education, wider creative and sporting activities as well as opportunities to gain in-demand skills in AI and tech under plans announced today (18 March) by the Education Secretary.

    The announcements will help deliver the government’s Plan for Change to break the link between background and success, driving high and rising school standards so every child can achieve and thrive. 

    The plans include the development of a National Centre for Arts & Music Education which will promote opportunities for children and young people to pursue their artistic and creative interests in school – including through the government’s network of music hubs. An Enrichment Framework will also be developed in collaboration with a panel of experts, covering a wide range of extra-curricular activities from sport to debating and volunteering. Alongside this, a new Digital, AI and Technology Task and Finish Group made up of sector and digital experts will advise the government on what changes can be made to prepare children and young people for the jobs of the future.

    It comes as the curriculum and assessment review expert panel, led by Professor Becky Francis, publishes its interim report and sets out its next steps to develop a curriculum and assessment system that will set young people up with the essential knowledge they need for life and work. 

    The Education Secretary has also confirmed today that compulsory tests, checks and assessments that ensure children leave primary school with solid foundations in reading, writing and maths will remain a core part of the curriculum and assessment system. This is in recognition of the role they play in providing crucial information to schools, parents and government on pupils’ progress and helping to close the gap between disadvantaged children and their peers.

    Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said:

    I welcome the important progress Becky Francis and her expert review are making to drive forward work to take the curriculum into the modern era and help deliver on the government’s Plan for Change.

    That means keeping what’s working and evolving what’s not. The report is clear on the importance of primary school assessment, which are simply non-negotiable if we are going to keep pushing standards up for every child and close the attainment gap.

    High standards must also mean greater opportunities and a curriculum fit for the world of today and tomorrow. Our new National Centre for Arts and Music, alongside a renewed focus on giving young people the AI and technical skills they need, are significant steps on the path to making sure every child, wherever they grow up, leaves school truly ready for life and work.

    Plans announced today include:

    • The appointment of a new National Centre for Arts and Music Education to support the delivery of high-quality arts education through a new online training offer for teachers, promoting opportunities for children and young people to pursue their artistic and creative interests in school – including through the government’s network of Music Hubs – and boost partnerships between schools and cultural providers.
    • To support schools to offer pupils high-quality creative and other extra-curricular activities, a new Enrichment Framework will be developed in collaboration with a panel of experts. The Framework is expected to cover a wide range of activities which could be anything from sport to gardening, board games to school bands, or debating to volunteering.
    • A new Digital, AI and Technology Task and Finish Group made up of sector and digital experts will also be established. The group will advise the government on what changes can be made to improve the AI and digital skills talent pipeline, prepare children and young people for the jobs of the future, and drive better teaching and learning through the use of AI and Technology. The group will report to the Education Secretary before the end of the academic year.

    Culture Secretary, Lisa Nandy said: 

    Arts and music bring people together and are enjoyed by communities across the country. We want every child and young person to have equal opportunities to access a high quality arts and music education, to ensure creativity can be explored by all and not just the privileged few.

    The government’s new National Centre for Arts and Music Education will ensure more children and young people’s untapped potential can be unleashed, improving the pipeline of talent for our world class creative industries.

    Darren Henley CBE, CEO of Arts Council England said:

    This bold innovation will nurture England’s next generation of creators, performers and audiences, levelling the playing field for all young people whatever their background. Subjects like art and design, dance, drama and music are central to every child’s education. They come with the added bonus of equipping young people for life by boosting their creativity, their confidence and their social skills. A National Centre for Arts and Music Education is a vital initiative, and we welcome it wholeheartedly.

    Kate Varah, Executive Director and Co-CEO, National Theatre 

    Access to excellent arts teaching and experiences at school should be a right for all young people to fuel a creative nation. The National Theatre welcomes today’s announcement from the Department for Education that it will establish a new National Centre for Arts & Music Education, recognising the need to support high quality arts provision in schools. We look forward to consulting with the DfE on the remit of the new Centre and its relationship to the arts sector. It’s brilliant to see the Government’s clear focus on the value of the arts in schools and the need to ensure equity of access for all young people.

    Ruth Marvel OBE – CEO The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award

    Enrichment activities and high-quality personal development are a crucial part of a well-balanced, enriched education for all young people – helping them to develop essential skills for life and work, explore their individual interests and talents, and build meaningful relationships with trusted adults and peers. 

    We are therefore delighted that Government has responded to calls from DofE, NCS and our partners across the youth and education sectors and today announced it will develop an enrichment framework. The framework, together with best practice guidance and benchmarks, will support schools and colleges to deliver a high-quality enrichment offer for all young people. We look forward to working with the Government, alongside other expert partners, to develop this essential framework.

    The plans come alongside wider measures in the Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill to deliver high-quality teachers in every classroom, delivering on the government’s Plan for Change by breaking down barriers to opportunity and giving every child and young person the best life chances.

    Last year the government launched a Review of the curriculum and assessment system, led by Professor Becky Francis, to look closely at the key challenges to attainment for young people, and the barriers which hold children back from the opportunities and life chances they deserve – in particular those who are socioeconomically disadvantaged, or with special educational needs or disabilities (SEND). 

    The curriculum and assessment review interim report highlights the value of primary assessment, citing its importance in supporting children’s transition from primary to secondary, establishing whether children have learned the national curriculum and the role of assessment in holding schools to account.

    Alongside the review, the government is also continuing to drive high and rising school standards so every family can be confident they have access to a good local school for their child.

    This includes through the landmark Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill which will ensure there are high-quality teachers in every classroom, there is a floor on pay and no ceiling, so all teachers can rely on a core offer and all schools can innovate to attract and retain the best talent.

    These measures, alongside new regional improvement teams and Ofsted reforms, will make sure every child has an education as good as the best.

    The bill will also ensure that, once the curriculum has been revised to take account of the recommendations of the review, all state schools – including academies who currently do not have to follow the national curriculum – will be required to teach the national curriculum up to age 16. This will give parents certainty over their children’s education and allow all children to benefit from the strengthened curriculum, whatever type of school they go to.

    Notes to Editors

    • Primary school tests and assessments include the phonics screening check (taken in year 1 at age five or six), the multiplication tables check, (taken in year 4 at aged eight or nine) as well as maths, reading and grammar, punctuation and spelling tests and assessments taken in year 6 (aged 10 or 11 just before pupils leave primary school).

    • The National Centre for Arts and Music is expected to be established in September 2026, with a delivery lead appointed through an open procurement. It will be expected to:
      • Promote arts education – including signposting to industry-backed careers guidance, and to opportunities to support children and young people to pursue their artistic and creative interests in school, including through our national network of Music Hubs.
      • Support excellent arts teaching – through a new online CPD offer for primary and secondary school teachers, and support to access the brilliant teacher development provision available from cultural providers.
      • Support partnerships – bolstering collaboration between schools and the many arts and cultural organisations with fantastic offers for children and young people, to maximise those opportunities for the most children, no matter where they live.
    • The DfE, working closely with DCMS, has committed to publishing the new Enrichment Framework by the end of the year. Building on the work of the sector, we will develop the framework alongside a working group consisting of experts from schools, youth, sports and arts organisations and research bodies. The framework will highlight effective practice on enrichment by:
      • identifying and reflecting practice in the best schools to set out what a high-quality enrichment offer looks like – we will consider with the sector whether standardised benchmarks and tools can form a useful part of that support.
      • providing advice for schools with how to plan a high-quality enrichment offer more strategically and intentionally and how to make use of specific programmes to increase access to sport and arts
    • The new Digital, AI and Technology Task and Finish Group will advise on how  the school and college education system in England can ensure that every child and young person is equipped to thrive in an AI and digital world, creating strong foundations for access to more specialist AI and digital pathways and making the most of the opportunities to use AI and educational technology to drive better teaching and learning. We intend that this work will commence shortly and conclude before the end of the academic year.

    DfE media enquiries

    Central newsdesk – for journalists 020 7783 8300

    Updates to this page

    Published 18 March 2025

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: PM call with Prime Minister Mitsotakis of Greece: 18 March 2025

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Press release

    PM call with Prime Minister Mitsotakis of Greece: 18 March 2025

    The Prime Minister spoke to the Prime Minister of Greece, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, this afternoon.

    The Prime Minister spoke to the Prime Minister of Greece Kyriakos Mitsotakis this afternoon.

    The leaders discussed the Coalition of the Willing call that the Prime Minister chaired on Saturday, and both leaders agreed that all must work together to put Ukraine in the strongest possible position.

    The Prime Minister updated Prime Minister Mitsotakis on the upcoming military planning meeting taking place this week in the UK.

    He reiterated that Europe’s defence and security is paramount, and both leaders agreed that the political momentum must continue to achieve a peace that will be secure and that will last.

    The Prime Minister underscored that the ball is in President Putin’s court and that Russia must come to the table to accept the US ceasefire deal.

    They agreed to stay in touch.

    Updates to this page

    Published 18 March 2025

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Deputy Lord Mayor Designate announced

    Source: City of Plymouth

    Lord Mayor Designate Councillor Kathy Watkin has announced that Councillor Chip Tofan will be her Deputy for the year.

    Chip was born in Iasi, Romania, graduating from Iasi Gheorghe Ashachi University, with a bachelor’s degree in engineering and now runs his own business providing consultancy services.

    Chip was first elected to Plymouth City Council in May 2022, representing Eggbuckland Ward.

    During his time as a councillor, Chip has been a member of different committees including Scrutiny, Licensing, Natural Infrastructure and the Growth Scrutiny Panel.

    Councillor Tofan said: “I am really pleased that Kathy has asked me to be her Deputy for the next year, I look forward to joining her at civic events and meeting residents of Plymouth, it truly is an honour.

    “I am happy to extend my passion for helping the community from the Eggbuckland ward to the wider community.”

    Lord Mayor Designate, Councillor Kathy Watkin, said: “I am thrilled that Chip has agreed to be my Deputy for the next year, I look forward to us working together.

    “I have known Chip for many years as a friendly, community minded gentleman.

    “Of Romanian heritage, he gained his UK citizenship in Plymouth. As such, he is uniquely placed to understand the challenges facing people of diverse languages and cultures we welcome to Plymouth and can demonstrate that with hard work and commitment anyone can achieve their goals in this great city.

    “Although a relative newcomer to Plymouth City Council he is very enthusiastic about the challenge offered by being Deputy Lord Mayor of Plymouth and will be a huge support to me in my mayoral year.”

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  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Grave of Missing Windsor Soldier of World War One Identified in Belgium

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

    News story

    Grave of Missing Windsor Soldier of World War One Identified in Belgium

    More than a century after his death, the previously unmarked grave of Corporal of Horse (CoH) Charles Edward Dean has finally been identified and marked.

    The headstone of Corporal of Horse Dean (Crown Copyright)

    A rededication service, organised by the MOD’s Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC), also known as the ‘War Detectives’, was held at the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s (CWGC) Bedford House Cemetery, Belgium, this morning (18 March 25). 

    JCCC Caseworker, Alexia Clark, said: 

    I am grateful to the researcher who originally submitted evidence suggesting the location of Charles Dean’s grave. In rededicating his grave today, we have reunited his mortal remains with his name, ensuring that his sacrifice will not be forgotten.

    Corporal of Horse Charles Edward Dean, 1877 – 13 May 1915 

    Charles Edward Dean was born in 1877 to James Albert Dean and his wife Fanny, in Wiltshire. James was a boiler maker, and Charles grew up with six siblings – four older and two younger. 

    In 1900 Charles joined the Household Cavalry, signing up for 12 years long service with the Life Guards on 9 March. He had been promoted to the rank of Corporal by the time he married Ada Josephine Taylor in Rotherhithe on 25 April 1908. Shortly after the wedding Charles and Ada moved to Windsor where they had four children together – Edward born in 1908, Ada in 1910 (who died in infancy), Elsie in 1912 and Charles who was born two weeks after his father’s death in May 1915. 

    Being a regular soldier, Charles was put into action quickly on the outbreak of war in 1914, and we know that the first detachment of the 2nd Life Guards sailed for Belgium on 6 October 1914. By May 1915 the Life Guards were in the Ieper (Ypres) area, digging trenches and receiving instruction on how to use gas masks, following the first use of gas in the area just a few weeks earlier. On the night of 12 -13 May they were tasked with relieving The Buffs from the trenches near Potijze. The Battalion War Diary is scant on information about what happened that night, but in total 35 men of the 2nd Life Guards lost their lives on these two days, Charles being one of them. Half of these men have no known grave to this day. 

    In July 1921 a casualty of the war was discovered by the teams looking for field graves. His resting place was not marked in anyway, but was near Crump Farm, between Potijze and Verlorenhoek. The team responsible for documenting the discovery of the body and ensuring his reburial could find nothing to identify him by name, so they recorded instead that he was an unknown Serjeant Major of the 2nd Life Guards – a description they derived from his clothing, the crown and chevrons on his uniform, and his numerals. Two other men from the 2nd Life Guards were also recovered from the same spot. All three were buried a few miles from where they were found at Bedford House Cemetery. Only one of the three was identified by name, Lance Corporal WH Butler who was carrying a disc with his name on it. The third man had only a numeral which meant he could be identified as a member of the 2nd Life Guards, but no rank could be attributed to him. 

    In 2020 a case was submitted to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in which a researcher claimed to have identified the unknown ‘Sergeant Major’. They correctly pointed out that this rank does not exist in the Household Cavalry, but that the same insignia can be attributed to the rank of Corporal of Horse. Research showed that only one man of this rank was missing in this area at this time, and as such he could be identified as Charles Edward Dean. 

    The service was supported by serving soldiers of the Household Cavalry.

    Captain Charles Carr-Smith, Musician Benjamin Kinch, Padre Thomas Sander & Captain Henry Tregear of the Household Cavalry (Crown Copyright)

    The service was conducted by the Reverend Tom Sander, Chaplain to The Household Cavalry. 

    The Reverend Sander said: 

    It is an honour to officiate at these services of rededication for fallen servicemen who gave their lives in the service of our country. In these services we unite their final resting place with their earthly name and, what was once known only to God, is now known in the sign of all. May their names be held in everlasting remembrance, and may they rest in peace and rise in glory.

    The headstone was replaced by CWGC. Director for the Central and Southern Europe Area at the CWGC, Xavier Puppinck, said: 

    We are honoured to mark the final resting place of Corporal of Horse Charles Edward Dean. We thank the researcher and all those involved who helped to confirm Corporal Dean’s previously unmarked grave. His sacrifice is now formally recognised with a new headstone, and we are committed to preserving his grave, along with those of his comrades, in perpetuity.

    Corporal of Horse Dean’s family stand with the Military Party behind his headstone (Crown Copyright)

    Updates to this page

    Published 18 March 2025

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