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Category: United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: City celebrates its young carers

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    Members of the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Carer Support Team have organised an information pop up at St Regis School, Tettenhall, to highlight the important role of young carers to teaching staff, and to encourage young carers to get help and support.

    It is the latest in a series of events organised by the team in conjunction with Amethyst Academies and the Three Spires Trust, which has seen similar pop-ups at St Peter’s, Moreton and Aldersley schools.

    Councillor Jacqui Coogan, the City of Wolverhampton Council’s Cabinet Member for Children, Young People and Education, said: “In the 2021 census some 900 young people in Wolverhampton identified themselves to be young carers, but we know through the work we have completed with local schools there are many more young people with caring roles within the city.

    “Each and every one of them is willingly giving their time to look after someone else, perhaps because they have physical or learning disability or because they are struggling with mental issues or substance misuse.

    “In many cases, young carers often take on practical or emotional caring responsibilities that would normally only be expected of grown ups, and this can leave them feeling isolated and unsupported and like they are missing out on their childhood.

    “Clearly it is an incredibly challenging role for young people to take on, and I’d encourage young carers and their families to speak to our Carer Support Team for help and advice.”

    The theme of Young Carers Action Day 2025 is ‘Give Me a Break’ and already this year the Carer Support Team has provided young carers with free tickets to the Black Country Living Museum, the cinema and The Way Youth Zone. A group of young carers enjoyed the Grand Theatre pantomime courtesy of Tettenhall Rotary Club, while a monthly young carers group meets at Base 25 giving young carers the chance to meet, chat and play board games.

    Wolverhampton’s Carer Support Team provides help and guidance for young carers aged between 5 and 18, alongside its wider offer to adult carers. To find out more, please call 01902 553409, email wolverhamptonyoungcarers@wolverhampton.gov.uk or visit Carer support.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Brisbane on alert: these maps show the suburbs most likely to flood during Cyclone Alfred

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Matt Garrow, Editorial Web Developer

    Tropical Cyclone Alfred is forecast to strike densely populated areas of southeast Queensland and northeast New South Wales. Brisbane, home to more than 2.5 million people, is among the places in the storm’s path.

    Brisbane City Council says almost 20,000 properties in the Queensland capital could be affected by storm surge or flooding. Residents have been urged to consider relocating ahead of the cyclone’s arrival.

    Peak flooding and storm surges are expected from Thursday. The cyclone is expected to cross the coast early on Friday morning.

    The warning is based on new modelling produced by the council, based on the latest Bureau of Meteorology forecasts. Affected properties could experience damage ranging from mild inundation in yards to significant flooding inside homes.

    The council says impacts may extend beyond those areas highlighted in the modelling. Suburbs identified as most at risk include Nudgee Beach, Brighton, Windsor, Ashgrove, Morningside and Rocklea.

    The maps below show the predicted flood extent based on advice issued by the bureau.

    For cyclone preparedness and safety advice, go to Get Ready Queensland. For emergency assistance call the State Emergency Service (SES) in NSW or Queensland on 132 500.

    This new article in The Conversation also outlines how to prepare for the cyclone, including what to pack, how to soothe children and how to protect your home.



    Read more:
    Cyclone Alfred is bearing down. Here’s how it grew so fierce – and where it’s expected to hit



    Read more:
    ‘Don’t panic, do prepare’: why it’s not too late to plan for Cyclone Alfred

    – ref. Brisbane on alert: these maps show the suburbs most likely to flood during Cyclone Alfred – https://theconversation.com/brisbane-on-alert-these-maps-show-the-suburbs-most-likely-to-flood-during-cyclone-alfred-251478

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: NSW Government enables delivery of new MS Plus centre

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    Headline: NSW Government enables delivery of new MS Plus centre

    Published: 5 March 2025

    Released by: Minister for Disability Inclusion, Minister for Lands and Property

    A new health and wellbeing centre has opened its doors in a major boost for people living with progressive neurological conditions across the state.

    MS Plus officially opens its new Lidcombe Wellbeing and Accommodation Precinct today, courtesy of a $16 million funding agreement with the NSW Government. 

    The new centre at Betty Cuthbert Drive will provide important allied health and support services, including exercise physiology, physiotherapy, occupational therapy and dietetics, for people living with neurological conditions including multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s disease, motor neurone disease, muscular dystrophy, epilepsy, dementia and strokes. 

    The NSW Government provided MS Plus with a 8,900 square metre parcel of land to ensure it has a new permanent home to continue its important work. The $16 million funding was allocated to support the construction of the centre. 

    The Lidcombe Wellbeing Centre includes eight therapy areas, a large multipurpose space for various activities; a purpose-built gym, lounge and café areas, a children’s play area, a sensory garden, landscaped outdoor spaces, and accessible parking, toilets, showers and lockers. 

    For more information, visit the 80 Betty Cuthbert Drive, Lidcombe webpage. 

    Minister for Lands and Property Steve Kamper said: 

    “I am delighted that MS Plus has opened the doors to its new state-of-the-art wellbeing centre, which will provide critical care and support for so many in our community. 

    “This is a great example of the work of Property and Development NSW, which has facilitated MS Plus’ access to land so that it can be put to best use for community benefit.” 

    Minister for Disability Inclusion, Kate Washington said: 

    “The NSW Government is proud to partner with MS Plus, helping deliver this impressive precinct which will make a real difference to people’s lives. 

    “By bringing together specialist services, accessible accommodation, and a strong network of support, it ensures more people with disability can live independently and with dignity.” 

    MS Plus Chief Executive Officer John Blewonski said: 

    “The Lidcombe Wellbeing Centre provides everything needed for vital connection, health and wellbeing in one place: a one-stop-shop for neuro and ageing support, and a place of solace, where patients are understood, and can be supported to live well. 

    “We know that more people are being diagnosed with a variety of neurological conditions — often lifelong and requiring ongoing care. Living with a neuro condition can mean a lot of appointments, and being able to access multiple health professionals from one familiar, welcoming place is so important for people living in Sydney.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Acting Children’s Guardian appointed

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    Headline: Acting Children’s Guardian appointed

    Published: 5 March 2025

    Statement by: Minister for Families and Communities

    This morning, the Governor of NSW appointed Ms Rachael Ward as the Acting Children’s Guardian while a Special Ministerial Inquiry is conducted into the Office of the Children’s Guardian.

    Mr Steve Kinmond, who commenced as Children’s Guardian in January 2023, has agreed to step aside from that role for the duration of the Inquiry. 

    Ms Ward has more than 23 years’ experience specialising in child protection law and is a member of the Children’s Court Advisory Committee. She has, most recently, served as Director of Child Law within the Department of Communities and Justice.  I am confident Ms Ward’s knowledge and experience will be an asset to the Office of the Children’s Guardian during this time.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Lamont Statement on President Trump’s Joint Address to Congress

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    (HARTFORD, CT) – Governor Ned Lamont released the following statement regarding President Donald Trump’s joint address to Congress:

    “Tonight, President Trump delivered a joint address to Congress, and while I appreciate the opportunity to hear directly about his administration’s priorities, I urge him to focus on policies that lift up everyday American families and provide states with the predictability we need to deliver our budgets efficiently.

    “The rising cost of living is one of the biggest challenges for Americans. The administration’s new tariffs on our closest trading partners will further drive up costs, including the cost of energy in New England, at a time when we’re working to find ways to lower rates. These abrupt shifts in trade policy create further uncertainty for businesses, discouraging investment and hiring as companies navigate an increasingly unstable economic environment.

    “Perhaps most troubling are the proposed cuts in Medicaid and food assistance programs currently being debated in Congress. These programs provide a lifeline for our most vulnerable populations, and reducing them would have devastating consequences for families, children, and seniors across our state. I strongly urge Congress and the administration to reconsider these harmful policies and instead work with states on responsible solutions that support – not undermine – our economic security.

    “Despite this, I remain committed to working on areas where we can find common ground, especially on tackling the high cost of energy, rebuilding our infrastructure, and lowering the cost of healthcare. These are challenges that demand bipartisan solutions, and I will continue working to ensure policies that strengthen Connecticut’s economy and safeguard our communities.”

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘Don’t panic, do prepare’: why it’s not too late to plan for Cyclone Alfred

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yetta Gurtner, Adjunct senior lecturer, Centre for Disaster Studies, James Cook University

    For millions of people in southeast Queensland and northern New South Wales, Cyclone Alfred will be their first experience living through a cyclone. Alfred is forecast to make landfall about 2am on Friday morning.

    I am a disaster expert based in northern Queensland, which regularly experiences cyclones. In my other role as an acting SES public information officer, I’m heading south to the Gold Coast to help residents prepare and respond.

    Here’s what I want you to know. First, don’t panic. Second, do prepare.

    Preparation has several steps. It’s important to clearly assess your specific threat. If you live near the sea, storm surges – where the sea spills inland – could be a significant threat, while flooding might pose a large risk if you live near a river – especially in the few days after Alfred passes. The highest rainfall is likely on Alfred’s southern flank from the Gold Coast down to northern New South Wales.

    Having enough food, water and medication is vital. Be ready to evacuate too, in case authorities deem it necessary. Check your local council’s disaster website, disaster apps and stay tuned to the ABC, which will run disaster alerts.

    The Bureau of Meteorology’s latest update on Cyclone Alfred’s path and likely impact, as of the morning of Wed 5th March.

    What should I do right now?

    If you’re in the danger zone, make preparations now, before the full intensity of the cyclone arrives.

    Tie down loose objects. Clean gutters to avoid overflow from torrential rain. And prepare your “go bag” – a bag of essentials you can throw in the car if authorities tell you to leave immediately. Don’t take too much – just the bare necessities.

    Buy an AM/FM radio and tune it to ABC National, as you cannot be sure mobile networks will function. Radio is a reliable way to get good information from the ABC, Australia’s designated emergency channel.

    Make sure the car is fuelled or charged. If you’ve got a generator, make sure you have fuel and the generator is positioned outside in a well-ventilated area. Water is often unreliable after disasters. Fill your bathtub or front-loader washing machine with water. Put containers of water in your freezer, to keep food cold if the power goes out and as another water source. Plan for days of power outages. Protect windows with plywood, heavy blankets or mattresses. Put a mattress between your car and garage roller door to stop it blowing in.

    Turn off gas, electricity and solar power.

    Authorities recommend using sandbags to reduce the chance of water getting in. You can get sacks from hardware stores or council-run emergency centres, if available, who also provide sand. You also need plastic sheeting.

    If there’s a shortage of sand, you can use garden soil or commercial bagged soil. If you can’t get sacks, large plastic shopping bags will do.

    Tape strong plastic sheeting around the door or low window where water might get in. This is the barrier that actually keeps water out – sandbags keep it in place.

    Fill sandbags and lay them like bricks. Lay one row, and lay the next row offset for strength.

    Sandbags are good, but they have limits. There’s little point in piling sandbags higher than about 30 centimetres. If floodwaters edge higher, water will get through.

    Many people have had the unpleasant experience of having effluent come back up through toilets during cyclones and subsequent flooding. To stop this, cover your toilet with plastic sheeting (directly on the porcelain) and put a sandbag on top for weight. Do the same for any drains where water might flow back up.

    To reduce water damage, put valuable or important items up high, atop tables or bunk beds or upstairs if you have a second storey.



    Read more:
    How to prepare for a cyclone, according to an expert

    What will it be like when Alfred hits?

    When the cyclone first hits, it can be overwhelming. The sound is like a roaring jet engine.

    If you haven’t been advised to evacuate by authorities, you will be sheltering in place.

    This means finding the safest room in the house, to avoid damage from flying objects. Choose the smallest room with the fewest windows – a bathroom or a room under the stairs. Basements are very safe, but will be the first affected by water.

    As the cyclone picks up intensity, set up inside this safe room with your pets and children. Do not leave this room until you have been told it’s safe by authorities.

    At the centre of strong cyclones is the eye of the storm, which we experience as a period of sudden calm. People often make the mistake of thinking it’s over. But in fact, it’s just a brief reprieve before the intense winds pick up again. Don’t make the mistake of leaving the house – check with authoritative sources.

    Cyclone Alfred is a slow-moving cyclone, which means you might be stuck inside for a while. Be prepared to be inside your house for up to 24 hours, even after the worst has passed. This is because there may well be downed powerlines with live electricity, broken glass, falling trees and so on.

    For your children (and yourself), being in the cyclone is frightening. Young kids find the sound chilling. You can play music through headphones to help soothe them. Board games, books and puzzles can help pass the time. You will need distraction. Have a bucket in the corner for emergency toilet needs.

    Keep track of the storm and any emerging dangers through your radio and internet-enabled phone (if still functioning).

    What if I have to evacuate?

    Authorities are working to set up evacuation centres for people whose homes may not be safe. Authorities will go door-to-door to tell affected residents to leave, as well as broadcasting the information on radio and online.

    You’re more likely to have to evacuate if your house is on low-lying land near the sea, as a storm surge is likely. How much water is pushed ashore will depend on the tide, but it could be as high as 70cm above the high tide line if we’re unlucky.

    Evacuations can happen after the cyclone too. Alfred is packing a lot of rain – up to a metre in some areas. That’s very likely to cause flooding, both flash floods and rivers breaking their banks.

    If you are asked to evacuate, you can go to the house of a friend or family member if it’s on higher ground and outside the flood risk zones. Or you can go to a local evacuation centre – check your council website to see where your closest one is. Take as little as possible with you.

    Many people who choose not to evacuate do so because they’re worried about their pets. This is risky. Some evacuation centres do take pets, so check now. If they don’t, look for other options with friends and family. Staying put after an evacuation order is dangerous.

    What will happen after the cyclone?

    Cyclone Alfred brings three threats: intense winds, high seas and heavy rain.

    After the intense winds die down, the seas will be dangerous for days after Alfred. There are coastal hazard warnings for about 1,000km of coastline.

    Cyclones also often decay into tropical low weather systems, which dump heavy rain for days. This is likely.

    As you move into recovery phase, don’t relax your guard. In far north Queensland, 16 people have now died after being infected with melioidosis, a bacterium found in mud. The bug is more prevalent after heavy rainfall.

    Wear protective gear such as gloves and face masks when dealing with water-damaged goods and mud, and pay close attention to the latest advice authorities are giving.

    But remember – don’t panic. We will get through this.

    Yetta Gurtner has received funding in the past from the Bureau of Meteorology. She is a community engagement officer with the Queensland State Emergency Services.

    – ref. ‘Don’t panic, do prepare’: why it’s not too late to plan for Cyclone Alfred – https://theconversation.com/dont-panic-do-prepare-why-its-not-too-late-to-plan-for-cyclone-alfred-251463

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Cyclone Alfred is bearing down. Here’s how it grew so fierce – and where it’s expected to hit

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

    Bureau of Meteorology, Himawari-9 satellite, CC BY-SA

    Tropical Cyclone Alfred is strengthening as it bears down on the coast of southern Queensland and northern New South Wales, prompting fears it may become a destructive category 3 cyclone before it makes landfall.

    As of Wednesday, the cyclone was a category 2 and had begun moving west towards land. It is forecast to maintain intensity on Thursday and cross the coast early on Friday morning, probably between Maroochydore and Coolangatta.

    According to the Bureau of Meteorology, the possibility of the system reaching a low-end category 3 was a low risk but “cannot be ruled out”.

    The bureau has issued warnings from Double Island Point in Queensland to Grafton in NSW. The area includes Brisbane, the Gold Coast, the Sunshine Coast, Byron Bay and Ballina.

    Brisbane Lord Mayor Adrian Schrinner says modelling shows 20,000 properties in Brisbane could be affected by storm surge or flooding.

    The intensifying cyclone is a major concern, and makes Cyclone Alfred an unusual phenomenon. Cyclones typically lose strength as they approach the coast – especially this far south. It means Alfred may cause extensive damage, including to inland areas. We can expect it to last well into Friday before petering out and heading south on Saturday.

    What to expect in the next few days

    From Wednesday afternoon and into Thursday, the bureau forecasts gales, with damaging wind gusts to 120km an hour, along the coast from southeast Queensland to northeast NSW.

    From Thursday afternoon, destructive wind gusts of up to 155km an hour may develop around the coast and islands as Alfred’s “destructive core” approaches and crosses the coast, the bureau says.

    If Alfred crosses the coast on Friday morning during high tide, it may cause a dangerous storm surge along the coast, especially in waterfront suburbs near and south of the cyclone’s centre. This may inundate low-lying areas, such as canal communities of the Gold Coast.

    In Brisbane, peak storm surges are expected from Thursday onwards. Some 20,000 properties have been warned of impacts ranging from minor inundation in yards to significant flooding inside homes. Areas most at risk include Nudgee Beach, Brighton, Windsor, Ashgrove, Morningside and Rocklea.

    Damaging surf may also cause serious erosion at open beaches between Sandy Cape and Grafton, and further south into NSW.

    From Thursday, residents in southeastern Queensland and northeastern NSW have been told to expect heavy to intense rain. It may lead to life-threatening flash flooding – again, near and south of the cyclone centre.

    Northern NSW has already been hit by devastating flooding in recent years, most recently in February 2022. Many of its settlements, including Lismore, are along or close to major river courses. Residents are understandably anxious about what the next few days may bring.

    The bureau released the below map on Wednesday morning. It shows the bureau’s best estimate of the cyclone’s future movement and intensity.

    The grey zone indicates the range of tracks the cyclone centre may follow. The bureau says winds will almost certainly extend to regions outside the rings on this map.

    Cyclone Alfred tracking map released by the Bureau of Meteorology on Wednesday morning shows it circling of the coast of southeast Queensland.
    BoM

    Why is Alfred so fired up?

    Cyclone Alfred has been meandering off Queensland’s coast for almost two weeks. Unusually, it has maintained its cyclonic structure and intensity much further south than is typical.

    Over the past two days, unique atmospheric and oceanic conditions have allowed Cyclone Alfred to intensify.

    It moved towards an area of warmer coastal water (around 27°C), which caused it to strengthen. It also moved into an area of reduced “vertical wind shear” – a variation in wind speed running at right angles to prevailing winds, which often acts to weaken a cyclone.

    Image showing high sea surface temperatures which are fuelling the cyclone.
    BoM

    Usually, cyclones in this part of Australian waters may brush the coast, but are soon pulled south or east by an upper trough of cold air and then flicked away into the cooler waters of the Tasman Sea – to an area known as the “cyclone graveyard”.

    The current situation is unusual because that upper trough is absent. At the same time, a high pressure system in the Tasman Sea is steering the cyclone towards the coast.

    The big question now is whether Alfred reaches category 3 – that is, very destructive winds of 165–224km per hour.

    Should the cyclone’s forward motion towards the coast slow, it raises the chances of becoming a category 3 storm. That’s because it would spend more time passing over the warm area of coastal water.

    Category 3 winds are likely to cause significant structural damage to some buildings. Brisbane is, to some extent, sheltered from the winds by offshore islands. Other areas, such as the Gold Coast, do not have such protections.

    How long will the cyclone last?

    As I write, gales are starting to rake the coast – including where I live, on the Sunshine Coast. Conditions will continue to deteriorate this afternoon and into tonight.

    The cyclone will bring gale-force winds to a large area of coastline – from Double Island Point in the north to potentially as far south as Coffs Harbour.

    By Thursday afternoon, conditions on land and just offshore will be pretty rough. If the cyclone keeps travelling at a constant speed, it will cross the coast in the early hours of Friday morning.

    This is less than ideal. It will be dark and people can’t see what’s going on. But there is much affected communities can do to prepare, as outlined here.

    For cyclone preparedness and safety advice, go to Get Ready Queensland. For emergency assistance call the State Emergency Service (SES) in NSW or Queensland on 132 500.

    A Bureau of Meteorology update on Cyclone Alfred dated March 5.

    Steve Turton has previously received funding from the federal government.

    – ref. Cyclone Alfred is bearing down. Here’s how it grew so fierce – and where it’s expected to hit – https://theconversation.com/cyclone-alfred-is-bearing-down-heres-how-it-grew-so-fierce-and-where-its-expected-to-hit-251358

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Councils should apply flexibility to keep shelves stocked as Tropical Cyclone Alfred approaches

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    Headline: Councils should apply flexibility to keep shelves stocked as Tropical Cyclone Alfred approaches

    Published: 5 March 2025

    Statement by: Minister for Planning and Public Spaces

    The Minns Government is asking councils to take into consideration the need for additional supply chain support when responding to any complaints about operations at warehouses and distribution centres, wholesale and retail centres.

    As the community prepares for the impacts of Tropical Cyclone Alfred, the NSW Government is asking councils to be considerate of the exceptional circumstances and support supermarkets and other essential retailers to help keep their shelves stocked.

    The Environmental Planning and Assessment Act 1979 and its regulation authorises councils to take compliance action in response to breaches of conditions of a development consent relating to operating hours, noise limits and vehicle movement caps.

    We are reminding councils they also have discretion in choosing whether to exercise their enforcement powers. This includes considering the temporary nature of any breach, the low level of harm caused and the broader public interest in restoring supply chains.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: AI deepfakes threaten democracy and people’s identities. ‘Personality rights’ could help

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wellett Potter, Lecturer in Law, University of New England

    Ray Bond/Shutterstock

    How much is your voice worth?

    It could be as little as roughly A$100. That was how much ABC News Verify recently spent to clone federal senator Jacqui Lambie’s voice – with her permission – using an easily accessible online platform.

    This example highlights how artificial intelligence (AI) apps which create a synthetic replica of a person’s image and/or voice in the form of deepfakes or voice cloning are becoming cheaper and easier to use.

    This poses a serious threat not only to the functioning of democracy (especially around elections), but also to a person’s identity.

    Current copyright laws in Australia are inadequate when it comes to protecting people if their image or voice is digitally cloned without their permission. Establishing “personality rights” could help.

    Detecting what’s fake is difficult

    Deepfake technology is able to produce content which seems increasingly real. This makes it harder to detect what is fake and what is not. Indeed, several people for whom the ABC played the voice clone of Senator Lambie did not initially realise it was fake.

    This shows how unauthorised deepfakes and voice cloning can be easily used to generate misinformation. They can also be extremely damaging to individuals.

    This was highlighted back in 2020, when one of Australia’s first political deepfake videos was released. It featured the then Queensland premier Annastacia Palaszczuk claiming the state was “cooked” and in “massive debt”.

    The video received around 1 million views on social media.

    What laws cover this?

    In Australia, defamation, privacy, image-based abuse laws, passing off and consumer protection laws might be applicable to situations involving deepfake video or audio clips. You may also be able to lodge a complaint with the eSafety commissioner.

    In theory copyright law can also protect a person’s image and voice. However, its application is more nuanced.

    First, a person whose likeness has been cloned by an AI platform often does not own the source material. This material could be an image, video or voice recording which has been copied and uploaded. Even if your image and voice is depicted, if you are not the owner of the source material, you cannot sue for infringement.

    Using Senator Lambie as an example, the ABC only needed 90 seconds of original voice recording to create the AI clone. Senator Lambie’s voice itself is not able to be copyright-protected. That’s because copyright can only attach to a tangible expression, say in written or recorded form. It cannot attach to speech or unexpressed ideas.

    As the ABC arranged, recorded and produced the original 90-second recording, the broadcaster could hold copyright in it as a sound recording. It is a fixed, tangible expression of Senator Lambie’s voice. However, unless the senator and the ABC made an agreement, Senator Lambie would have no economic rights, such as the right to reproduction, to the original voice recording. Nor would she have any rights to the clone of her voice.

    In fact, the AI-generated clone itself is unlikely to be protected by copyright, as it is considered authorless under Australian copyright law. Many AI-generated creations are currently unable to be protected under Australian copyright, due to a lack of original, identifiable human authorship.

    Moral rights – including the right of attribution (to be credited as the performer), the right against false attribution and the right of integrity – are also limited in scope. They could apply to the original audio clip, but not to a deepfake.

    What are ‘personality rights’?

    In most jurisdictions in the United States, there exist what are commonly known as “personality rights”. These rights include the right of publicity, which acknowledges that an individual’s name, likeness, voice and other attributes are commercially valuable.

    Celebrities such as Bette Midler and Johnny Carson have successfully exercised this right to prevent companies using elements of their identity for commercial purposes without permission.

    However, personality rights might not always apply to AI voice clones, with some lawyers arguing that only actual recorded voices are protectable, not clones of voices. This has led to states such as Tennessee introducing legislation to specifically address AI-generated content. The Ensuring Likeness, Voice, and Image Security Act, introduced in 2024, addresses the misappropriation of an individual’s voice through generative AI use.

    Urgent steps are needed

    There has been longstanding scholarly debate about whether Australia should introduce statutory publicity rights.

    One of the challenges is overlap with pre-existing laws, such as Australian consumer law and tort law. Policymakers might be hesitant to introduce a new right, as these other areas of the law may provide partial protection. Another challenge is how to enforce these rights if an AI-generated deepfake is created overseas.

    Australia could also consider introducing a similar law to the “No Fakes Bill” currently being debated in the US. If passed, this bill would allow people to protect their image and voice through intellectual property rights. This should be given serious consideration in Australia too.

    Deepfakes are becoming more and more common, and are now widespread during elections. Because of this, it’s important that Australians remain vigilant to them in the lead up to this year’s federal election.

    And let’s hope that whoever wins that election takes urgent steps to better protect everyone’s image and voice.

    Wellett Potter 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. AI deepfakes threaten democracy and people’s identities. ‘Personality rights’ could help – https://theconversation.com/ai-deepfakes-threaten-democracy-and-peoples-identities-personality-rights-could-help-251267

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Australia’s newest city starting to take shape

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 5 March 2025

    Released by: The Premier, Deputy Premier, Minister for Planning and Public Spaces

    The Western Sydney Aerotropolis is set to take-off, with the official opening of the first building at Bradfield City Centre and the release of the Minns Labor Government’s infrastructure delivery plan which will drive further investment into the region.

    The Advanced Manufacturing Readiness Facility (AMRF) – is the first step in delivering the new city of Bradfield at the heart of the Western Sydney Aerotropolis and the start of an innovation ecosystem that will boost the NSW manufacturing industry.

    A landmark partnership agreement between the AMRF and 11 NSW and ACT universities will see this ecosystem rapidly evolve with the world class research capabilities of the universities combined with the AMRF’s industrial expertise and infrastructure.

    Under the agreement, the parties will work together to translate research into production and develop the next generation of advanced manufacturing experts through a paid internship program.

    Critical to facilitating further growth in the precinct, the NSW Government has released the Aerotropolis Sector Plan, which sets out how essential government infrastructure will be delivered quickly and efficiently to service the development of thousands of hectares of employment land.

    The Sector Plan, developed by Infrastructure NSW, provides certainty to industry, the community, and all levels of government around how infrastructure will be sequenced and prioritised in the Aerotropolis.

    This will enhance the State’s competitiveness and boost the supply of serviced land to combat the critical shortage across NSW. It will also assist planning assessment authorities to align development with infrastructure capacity in the region.

    This is the first time the Aerotropolis has had a concrete road map that brings together planning and infrastructure coordination.

    With the Western Sydney International (Nancy-Bird Walton) Airport due to open by the end of 2026, investment in Bradfield City Centre and the Western Sydney Aerotropolis capitalises on the opportunity to deliver more than 120,000 high-quality jobs and new industries that will see the Western Sydney economy boom.

    This work builds on the Minns Labor Government’s historic investment in Western Sydney to deliver more homes, jobs and investment to the region.     

    To find out more about Bradfield City Centre, First Building and AMRF collaboration with NSW VCC visit: Bradfield Development Authority | NSW Government

    To find out more and read the Aerotropolis Sector Plan, visit: Aerotropolis Sector Plan  | NSW Government

    Premier of New South Wales Chris Minns said:

    “The Aerotropolis is almost 40 times the size of Sydney CBD and provides an unprecedented economic opportunity for Western Sydney.

    “We’re backing the region with over $25 billion of infrastructure investment that is going to ensure the critical roads and services are delivered as quickly as possible to give industry certainty and confidence to invest in the area.

    “We asked Infrastructure NSW to develop the Aerotropolis Sector Plan to identify how and when we will do this. Today’s announcement demonstrates the value in utilising whole-of-government coordination to deliver on our commitments.

    “With Bradfield and the Advanced Manufacturing Readiness Facility (AMRF), we’re showcasing the NSW Government’s commitment to rebuilding the state’s critical manufacturing capability and delivering economic growth in the region.”

    Deputy Premier and Minister for Western Sydney Prue Car said:

    “Western Sydney is a rich and diverse region set to boom with the opening of the new Airport. We’re building better communities by investing in the region.

    “With Bradfield and the Aerotropolis, we’re giving kids in Western Sydney the opportunity to dream about a future with high quality jobs close to home.”

    Minister for Planning and Public Spaces Paul Scully said:

    “The First Building opening is another example of the genuine momentum building around Australia’s first new city in over 100 years.

    “This is just the beginning of Bradfield’s future growth as it evolves into a world class city with 10,000 homes, 20,000 high quality jobs, and critical green open spaces for residents and visitors to enjoy.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Work ramping up to rebuild Hume Highway at Marulan

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    Headline: Work ramping up to rebuild Hume Highway at Marulan

    Published: 5 March 2025

    Released by: Minister for Regional Transport and Roads

    The Minns Labor Government is ramping up work to build a better Hume Highway at Marulan as part of a $35 million investment into rebuilding a key section of highway corridor.

    To improve safety and provide a smoother journey for motorists, crews will carry out the next stage of repair work on a 1.1 kilometre stretch of the northbound carriageway from the Marulan South Road intersection.

    The work, starting from March 17, will include the use of a high-strength asphalt road pavement to replace 500 damaged concrete slabs on a 600-metre section the highway.

    This change from the concrete base to asphalt pavement is expected to mean less disruptions to motorists while repairs are carried out.

    Once the work has been completed around mid-April, weather permitting, Transport for NSW will evaluate the impact of the change and determine if the new approach should be rolled out on other sections of the highway.

    More details of staged future upgrade work will be announced progressively by Transport for NSW.

    Minister for Regional Transport and Roads, Jenny Aitchison said:

    “The Hume Highway is the second largest freight route in Australia, linking Sydney and Melbourne and used by more than 37,000 vehicles daily.

    “The Marulan bypass was built in 1986 as part of the Hume Highway upgrade program and since that time the large growth in traffic volumes have put extra pressure on the existing road surface.

    “We understand motorists are frustrated by the quality of this section of road and that’s why we have invested $35 million in rebuilding and improvement work.

    “We thank the community for its ongoing patience while this essential repair work is carried out.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Building the allied health workforce in Hunter New England Local Health District

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 5 March 2025

    Released by: Minister for the Hunter, Minister for Regional Health, Minister for Regional NSW

    The Rural Allied Health Educator Pilot Program, a joint venture between NSW Health and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), is building a pipeline of allied health clinicians in rural, regional and remote communities, by boosting the number of student placements in Hunter New England Local Health District (HNELHD).

    A cohort of 50 university students and early career clinicians have been supported since the introduction of the Rural Allied Health Educator Pilot Program in HNELHD.

    Allied health educators have also established a Year 10 Rural Allied Health Work Experience initiative, providing local high school students with hands-on exposure to careers in allied health. So far, 89 students from the New England region have participated.

    The program is enticing allied health students to stay and take up full time roles in rural, regional and remote locations.

    A survey of participating university students found before commencing placement, only 56.2 per cent were interested in working for NSW Health in a rural area as a graduate.

    Following completion of placement, 85 per cent were more interested in working for NSW Health in a rural area as an allied health graduate and 95 per cent of students were satisfied with their placement experience and would recommend a rural placement to other students.

    Allied health clinical placements typically take 4-6 weeks and give students experience across various clinical areas relevant to their profession.

    Allied health educators supervise students directly and work with universities to coordinate placements.

    Omara De Carlos completed her final adult clinical placement at Tamworth Hospital in September 2024, where she gained valuable experience in speech pathology and rural practice, prompting her to apply for a permanent role in HNELHD.

    In February 2025, Omara started at Gunnedah Community Health as a generalist speech pathologist; a position which had been vacant for more than two years. Omara, along with other speech pathology and occupational therapy early career clinicians, will continue to be supported by the district’s rural allied health educators as they progress their careers.

    The $1 million Rural Allied Health Educator Pilot Program is a joint venture between NSW Health and the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development, operating across Hunter New England, Western NSW, Far West, Murrumbidgee, and Southern NSW Local Health Districts.

    DPIRD has invested $1 million per year over three years into the Rural Allied Health Educator Pilot Program. 

    For further information visit the Allied health professions in NSW Health webpage. 

    Quotes attributable to Regional Health Minister Ryan Park:

    “Staffing is one of the most critical issues we face in the healthcare system, and in regional, rural and remote locations that problem is amplified.

    “I am really proud a program like this is having great results at encouraging students to take up a rewarding role in the bush.

    “The Minns Labor Government is committed to boosting our allied health workforce by increasing training and education pathways for students in rural and regional NSW.”

    Quotes attributable to Minister for the Hunter Yasmin Catley:

    “The Hunter is a fantastic place to work and live and it’s great to see this program is having a real impact on encouraging more healthcare workers and young people to consider a career here.

    “Everyone deserves accessible, quality healthcare and only the NSW Labor Government is delivering this.”

    Quotes attributable to Minister for Regional NSW Tara Moriarty:

    “We support the Rural Allied Health Educator Program through funding these important regional allied health workforces.   

    “Getting essential workers into regional NSW is a major focus of the Government and this program plays a role in that plan. 

    “The students also have the opportunity to participate in The Welcome Experience while on placement. 

    “The Welcome Experience is a service which provides essential workers the support they need to make the move into live and work in regional communities by assisting them to get to know the local area and people first.”  

    Quotes attributable to Allied Health Educator Patricia Webb:

    “The Rural Allied Health Educator Pilot Program is making a real difference in the Hunter New England region.

    “The increase in student placements and the positive feedback from staff and students is incredibly encouraging. We are working hard to create opportunities for students to pursue allied health careers and develop our rural the workforce pipeline.”

    Quotes attributable to Allied Health Student Omara De Carlos:

    “My placement at Tamworth Hospital last year opened my eyes to the unique rewards of working in a rural community.

    “I gained practical skills and confidence in speech pathology, and I received incredible support from the allied health educators. I’m excited to apply what I’ve learned at Gunnedah Community Health.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: South West Metro conversion period to be extended into 2026

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 5 March 2025

    Released by: Minister for Transport

    The complex extension of Sydney Metro services from Sydenham to Bankstown will be completed in 2026 due to the ongoing impacts that industrial action has had on the project.

    This conversion of a century old train line to a brand-new state of the art metro is a very complex and difficult project that the NSW Government warned last year could take over 1 year to complete.

    The complexity of this project has been compounded by more than 130 days of work on the project that have been impacted by industrial action and its subsequent effects, placing increasing pressure on the construction and testing programs.

    Industrial action limited access to work sites and restricted the provision of crucial work permits, which are required for contractors to safely complete work in a live electrical network environment.

    This is particularly crucial at the interfaces between the future metro network and the existing Sydney Trains assets.

    This has required significant reprogramming of vital construction activities including overhead wiring upgrades, electrification changes, disconnection from adjoining rail networks, track improvements, and platform extensions at Bankstown Station.

    This resulted in a delay to the commencement of dynamic train testing, a crucial component of safely testing and commissioning the new railway.

    Despite the significant disruptions, the project team and delivery partners have worked tirelessly to progress the Southwest Conversion.

    Dynamic testing of Metro Trains on the Southwest conversion is imminent, following approval by the Office of the National Rail Safety Regulator.

    Passengers on the M1 Line will have experienced some disruption to their commutes with partial closures of the service to allow for work to progress when possible. These disruptions will continue as the testing program commences. We acknowledge passengers will be frustrated and apologise for any inconvenience caused. These possessions will allow the team to complete necessary work to extend metro services to Bankstown.

    All platform screen doors and mechanical gap fillers along the line from Marrickville to Bankstown have been installed, taking teams approximately 500 hours to fit out each station.

    Since the conversion began a large portion of works have been completed including new lifts installed at Wiley Park, Dulwich Hill, Hurlstone Park, Punchbowl and Canterbury Stations, as well as new kiss and ride zones and refurbishing of station buildings and platform surfaces.

    A total of 28.3 kilometres of high-tech railway fencing has been installed along the alignment, which is made up of 5.8km of segregation fencing to separate the existing freight line and the metro corridor and 22.5km of security fencing.

    The security fencing includes first-of-its-kind intrusion and object detection system which uses fibre optic cables to monitor for possible intrusions.

    Southwest Link buses will continue to operate and will continue to be free for passengers until the new Southwest Metro opens.

    Minister for Transport John Graham said:

    “The Government has always said that this complex and difficult project may take longer than 1 year. We need to let people know that over 130 days of work have been impacted by industrial action. That means we’ll complete this project in 2026.

    “Works like upgrades to overhead wiring and station platforms, as well as electrical work to disconnect the line from the wider train network haven’t been able to proceed on schedule. Testing will start soon but industrial action has been very disruptive.

    “Converting a 130-year-old rail line to metro standards is a highly complex project and we are very sorry that passengers will have to wait a bit longer to jump on the metro from Bankstown to the Sydney CBD.

    “We promise it will be worth the wait – passengers can look forward to fast, safe and reliable trips, with a train arriving every 4 minutes in the peak.

    “When the extension to Bankstown opens in 2026, a trip from Bankstown to Central will take just 28 minutes, Marrickville to Macquarie University will take just 36 minutes and Dulwich Hill to Victoria Cross will take 21 minutes.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Fires used to terrify city residents. New research suggests climate change could see this fear return

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Bowman, Professor of Pyrogeography and Fire Science, University of Tasmania

    Fire rages in the Pacific Palisades area of Los Angeles in January 2025 eley archives/Shutterstock

    For centuries, fire was one of the major fears for city-dwellers. Dense cities built largely of wood could – and did – burn. In 1666, a fire in a bakery went on to destroy two-thirds of the city of London, leaving 85% of residents homeless. In 1871, fire burned out huge areas of Chicago. In World War II, bombing raids by Allied forces largely destroyed cities such as Dresden in Germany and Tokyo in Japan.

    The threat of large-scale urban fires drove authorities to spend more on urban firefighting and require buildings to use less flammable material. Fire alarms, fire engines and automatic sprinklers have done much to reduce the chance of uncontrolled spread.

    But will our sense of safety endure in the age of climate change? In January, we saw swathes of Los Angeles burn – even in the northern winter. Driven by low humidity and high winds, numerous large fires encroached on the city, destroying outlying suburbs. Climate change made the fires worse, according to climate scientists.

    Now we have new research on the question of whether climate change will make large city fires more likely. A research team from China, Singapore and Australia have gathered a decade’s worth of data on fires from almost 3,000 cities in 20 nations, home to one-fifth of the world’s population.

    The researchers found for every 1°C increase in air temperature, outdoor fires (rubbish and landfill) increase 4.7% and vehicle fires 2.5%. If the world accelerates its burning of fossil fuels under a high emissions scenario compatible with a 4.3°C temperature rise by century’s end, outdoor fires in cities would soar 22% and vehicle fires 11%. But building fires are projected to actually fall 5%. Thankfully, this emissions scenario is now less likely.

    The Great Fire of London destroyed most of the city in 1666.
    HodagMedia/Shutterstock

    What did this research find?

    To make these findings, the researchers aggregated the fire incident data from 2,847 cities located in 20 countries over the 2011–20 decade and analysed them to see how air temperature influences the frequency of three types of fires: outdoor, structural and vehicle. They found a strong correlation.

    Of the 20 nations, New Zealand looks likely to have the highest increase in fires, soaring 140% over 2020 figures by 2100.

    When we think of fires in a city, we usually think of structural fires – a building going up in flames.

    The research suggests building fires would actually decrease 5% by 2100. This is unexpected, and might suggest uncertainty about this finding.

    Interestingly, this research found the fewest structural fires occurred at air temperatures of 24°C, a temperature which humans find optimal. When it’s hotter or cooler than that, more buildings catch fire.

    Why? It’s likely due to our behaviour. We spend more time indoors when it’s very cold or very hot outside, which the authors suggest could make us more likely to accidentally cause fires by using electrical appliances and fireplaces which have a fire risk.

    By contrast, outdoor and vehicle fires do increase linearly as temperatures rise. Most vehicle fires come from an equipment or heat source failure, which are both likely to increase as temperatures rise. We are also more likely to have a car crash when it’s hotter, and vehicle fires often come after a crash.

    Vehicle fires will become more common as the climate changes, according to this research.
    Rodrigo Teixeira/Pexels, CC BY-NC-ND

    Outdoor fires become more likely because heat dries out fuels and favours fire spread. Rubbish dumps can spontaneously catch fire when temperatures are too high – even underground. This happens because chemical reactions are accelerated in warmer temperatures, causing waste materials to heat up faster. If the extra heat isn’t dissipated, waste can become so hot that it catches fire on its own.

    We should take these estimates with a grain of salt. This is because they project recent statistical patterns into an uncertain future, and draw on a data set not perfectly suited to the task. The data set stops in 2020, before the electric vehicle transition gathered speed. EVs have a different risk profile for accidental fires.

    As the authors note, there are large barriers to getting a coherent understanding of fire risk. “Despite multiple efforts, we have been unsuccessful in obtaining fire data from Africa and South America,” they write.

    Their estimates also relate to a high-emissions future which is hopefully becoming less likely, though the general pattern of the results are similar under less severe climate projections.

    Most importantly, it’s not yet clear why temperature influences urban fires. This uncertainty raises questions over whether simple projections of current patterns into the future are realistic or appropriate.

    Cities aflame?

    Arguably the most important contribution of this new research is to show us that our cities are not inherently protected from fire.

    For city authorities, this research points to the need to manage combustible materials, from piles of mulch to dry urban parks and even home gardens. Storage yards, rubbish dumps and recycling centres will also need to be managed.

    Fire used to be a major concern for cities, and it could be again. Cities and fire are uneasy bedfellows, and climate change will worsen the situation.

    David Bowman is an Australian Research Council Laureate Fellow and also receives funding from the New South Wales Bushfire and Natural Hazards Research Centre, and Natural Hazards Research Australia.

    Calum Cunningham receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. Fires used to terrify city residents. New research suggests climate change could see this fear return – https://theconversation.com/fires-used-to-terrify-city-residents-new-research-suggests-climate-change-could-see-this-fear-return-251056

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Police are seizing 3D-printed guns across Australia, but our laws aren’t keeping up

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Hemming, Associate Professor of Law, School of Law and Justice, University of the Sunshine Coast

    Shutterstock

    After Martin Bryant killed 35 people and wounded 23 others at Port Arthur in 1996, Australia made fundamental changes to its gun laws. The use of automatic and semi-automatic weapons became restricted and a national gun registry was established.

    As a result, unlike the situation in the United States where automatic weapons can be readily obtained, mass shootings are a rarity in Australia.

    However, a new and pressing danger in the form of 3D guns, or “ghost guns”, threatens to undermine Australia’s strict gun control laws.

    The reason is simple: 3D guns can be manufactured in a suburban garage. In a process like making a dress from a pattern, a digital blueprint for the manufacture of a firearm can be downloaded from the internet. Then, instead of a sewing machine, you need a 3D printer or an electronic milling machine.

    The emergence of these types of firearms reveal big loopholes in many of our gun laws. These need urgent attention.

    How are these guns made?

    A 3D gun is manufactured in stages, with each part of the gun printed separately and assembled manually.

    Think of yourself as making a toy LEGO gun, but instead of taking the parts from the LEGO box, you make the parts on your 3D printer based on your digital blueprint and you then assemble your gun. Your raw materials are thermoplastic polymers and metal for the barrel and firing pin.

    High-end, industrial-grade 3D printers are priced between $2,000 and $10,000, and are readily available.

    This technology has been around for more than a decade.

    The first 3D printed handgun was designed by Cody Wilson in 2013, which he christened The Liberator. It was made of 15 parts of plastic and a nail for the ring pin.

    Also in 2013, reporters from the Daily Mail newspaper in London 3D-printed a Liberator pistol and smuggled the disassembled gun onto a Eurostar train. They reassembled the gun in the toilet.

    As the gun was made of plastic, metal detectors were not activated, demonstrating the danger these weapons pose even in high-security locations such as airports and public transport.

    In the recent high-profile murder in New York of Brian Thompson, chief executive of the US health insurance company United Healthcare, the suspect, Luigi Mangione, when arrested was found to be in possession of a similar 3D-printed gun and 3D-printed suppressor to those allegedly used in the shooting.

    Leaps forward in technology

    In the 12 years since the designs for The Liberator were posted on the internet, the quality and range of 3D guns have greatly improved and expanded.

    According to Detective Inspector Brad Phelps from Queensland’s Crime and Intelligence Command Drug Squad, the technology has advanced sufficiently that:

    now you wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between a privately manufactured firearm and a traditional firearm in many instances […] every jurisdiction in Australia has reported an increase, particularly in the last 18 months to two years.

    As 3D guns are untraceable, the actual prevalence of 3D guns is unknown, other than the growing number of 3D guns seized in police raids. According to gun safety groups, 3D guns can now fire up to 40 rounds and use standard gauge ammunition.

    Police predict homemade guns will soon overtake illicit weapon imports.

    In October 2024, Western Australian police seized 21 privately made 3D-printed firearms from a home in Perth.

    Fixing the legal loopholes

    So, with all these alarm bells ringing in the ears of law enforcement agencies, what steps have authorities taken to meet the threat 3D guns pose to community safety?

    Indeed, what effective steps are being taken to prevent further advances in the technology and thwart any efforts to produce these guns en masse?

    The answer would appear to be that little attention has been directed towards the dangers 3D guns represent. Legislation across Australian jurisdictions is inconsistent.

    At present, only New South Wales and Tasmania have legislated to make it an offence to possess a digital blueprint for the manufacture of a firearm on a 3D printer or electronic milling machine. The maximum penalties are imprisonment for 14 years and 21 years, respectively.

    In 2022, WA took a step in the right direction by making unauthorised possession of firearms technology an offence. This included possession of a 3D printer or milling device.

    The slow progress on this issue is well illustrated by South Australia. There have been 23 incidents in which police have seized 3D-printed firearms and firearm parts between 2020 and 2023.

    But the drafting of proposed legal amendments to address these incidents started in 2024 and are still to be introduced into the SA parliament.

    There needs to be a national sense of urgency similar to the federal government’s response to the Port Arthur massacre in 1996. Existing laws are inadequate as there is no uniformity in the legislation covering 3D-printed firearms and their digital blueprints.

    There was a senate inquiry into gun violence in 2014, which found 3D printers “were by no means integral to the illegal manufacture of firearms”. This is no longer accurate.

    Ironically, the senate committee recommended “Australian governments investigate the requirement for uniform regulations in all jurisdictions covering the manufacture of 3D-printed firearms and firearm parts”. A decade on, little progress has been made.

    New laws could distinguish between possessing of a digital blueprint for a 3D gun and actually manufacturing a firearm. This could look like a scale of penalties, such as those imposed for the possession and manufacture of illegal drugs, which are based on the category of drug and the quantity seized.

    Andrew Hemming 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 are seizing 3D-printed guns across Australia, but our laws aren’t keeping up – https://theconversation.com/police-are-seizing-3d-printed-guns-across-australia-but-our-laws-arent-keeping-up-250255

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Security: New Jersey Company Sentenced for Clean Water Act Violations that Caused Fish Kill in Cheshire, Will Pay $1 Million

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    Marc H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, and Kathryn Rivera, Acting Assistant Special Agent in Charge of EPA’s Criminal Investigation Division for New England, announced that NATIONAL WATER MAIN CLEANING COMPANY (“NWMCC”) was sentenced today by U.S. District Judge Kari A. Dooley in Bridgeport for a felony violation of the Clean Water Act (“CWA”) for knowingly discharging a pollutant into Cuff Brook while refurbishing a large culvert pipe in Cheshire, Connecticut, in July 2019.  The company’s unauthorized discharge of uncured geopolymer mortar killed more than 150 fish and contaminated Cuff Brook.

    Judge Dooley sentenced NWMCC to a term of federal probation with environmental conditions for three years, a $500,000 federal penalty, and a payment of $500,000 to the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection (“CT DEEP”) to fund aquatic ecosystem enhancement projects in the South Central Coastal Watershed, where both Cheshire and Cuff Brook are located.

    NWMCC is based in New Jersey and owned by Carylon Corporation based in Chicago, Illinois.

    According to court documents and statements made in court, NWMCC had submitted the lowest bid and entered into a contract with the Town of Cheshire (“Cheshire”) to repair a decaying 11-foot culvert pipe underneath Marion Road.  Cheshire’s project specifications required that the work be done under dry conditions along with environmental controls to prevent uncured geopolymer mortar from leaking into Cuff Brook.

    With a Cheshire Department of Public Works (“DPW”) representative present each day, NWMCC began work on July 15, 2019.  However, from July 16 to July 18, 2019, NWMCC sprayed geopolymer mortar onto the culvert pipe without the mandated environmental controls.  On July 17, 2019, NWMCC crews continued to work despite heavy rain, which led to uncured geopolymer mortar seeping into Cuff Brook.  On July 18, 2019, a Cheshire resident with property abutting Cuff Brook observed dead fish and discolored water with an oily sheen in the brook, and smelled a chemical odor similar to lighter fluid.  CT DEEP responded and determined that NWMCC was responsible for the pollutant release, thereby killing more than 150 fish and contaminating the waterway.  CT DEEP estimated that Cuff Brook would not return to its prior state for three to five years.

    The government’s investigation revealed that NWMCC was aware that its environmental controls were deficient, but did not remediate these deficiencies during the project.  Although the company attempted to blame the pollutant release and fish kill on a single employee, the investigation showed that he had been inadequately trained, directed to complete the job in an unrealistic timeframe, and was never informed that the uncured geopolymer mortar was hazardous to the environment.

    The investigation also revealed that NWMCC lacked a meaningful and comprehensive environmental training program for its employees, particularly with respect to the CWA, even though NWMCC’s core business is repairing and rehabilitating infrastructure that interfaces with public waterways.  In addition, NWMCC’s bonus policy incentivized site supervisors and executives to push their work crews to perform projects quickly and maximize the number of jobs completed.  At the time of Cheshire project, NWMCC was operating under a Code of Conduct as part of a 2014 settlement with the Massachusetts Attorney General’s Office to resolve civil allegations involving environmental pollution. 

    NWMCC pleaded guilty to the offense on January 17, 2025.

    This matter was investigated by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency – Criminal Investigation Division with the assistance of the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection and the Connecticut Office of the Attorney General.  The case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Hal Chen with the assistance of EPA Regional Criminal Enforcement Counsel Man Chak Ng.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Violent Bridgeport Gang Member Sentenced to 25 Years in Federal Prison

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    TREVON WRIGHT, also known as “Tre,” 23, was sentenced today U.S. District Judge Victor A. Bolden in New Haven to 300 months of imprisonment, followed by five years of supervised release, for his involvement in a violent Bridgeport street gang, multiple shootings, and his murder of a rival gang member in 2020. 

    Today’s announcement by Marc. H. Silverman, Acting United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut; Joseph T. Corradino, State’s Attorney for the Fairfield Judicial District; Bridgeport Police Chief Roderick Porter; Anish Shukla, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Haven Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; James Ferguson, Special Agent in Charge, ATF Boston Field Division; Stephen Belleau, Acting Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration for New England, and Acting U.S. Marshal Lawrence Bobnick.

    According to court documents, statements made in court, and the evidence presented during a month-long trial, the FBI, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service and Bridgeport Police have been investigating multiple Bridgeport-based gangs whose members are involved in narcotics trafficking, murder and other acts of violence.  Wright has been a member of the “East End gang,” which began as a local street gang based in the East End of Bridgeport, but currently has members and associates who are either incarcerated or living throughout Bridgeport and surrounding towns.  The East End gang has been aligned with other groups, including the PT Barnum Gang, the East Side gang and 150, which is a geographic gang based on the West Side of Bridgeport.  These groups were aligned against rival organizations in Bridgeport, including the “Original North End” (“O.N.E.”) and the “Greene Homes Boyz,” (“GHB/Hotz”), based in the Charles F. Greene Homes Housing Complex in Bridgeport’s North End.

    Due to the level of gun violence Bridgeport was experiencing, the investigation commenced shortly before East End members shot and killed Myreke Kenion and shot and attempted to kill D’Andre Brown, both members and associates of the GHB/Hotz gang, on January 26, 2020.  The next day, in retaliation for these shootings, GHB/Hotz and O.N.E. members attempted to kill East End gang members and associates in a brazen afternoon shooting in front of a state courthouse on Golden Hill Street in Bridgeport that resulted in four victims being shot while sitting inside a car.

    Wright and other East End members distributed heroin, crack cocaine, marijuana and Percocet pills; used and shared firearms; and committed at least six murders and other acts of violence against rival gang members and other individuals.  East End members celebrated their criminal conduct on social media websites such as Facebook and YouTube, and committed acts of intimidation and made threats to deter potential witnesses to their crimes and to protect gang members and associates from detection and prosecution by law enforcement authorities.

    The investigation determined that on August 23, 2019, Wright shot and wounded an associate of the GHB/Hotz gang and a female companion; on September 15, 2019, Wright shot and attempted to kill Marquis Isreal, also known as “Garf” or “Gbaby,” a member and associate of the O.N.E. gang; on December 8, 2019, Wright shot and attempted to kill Arvan Smith, also known as “Arv Barkley,” an associate of the O.N.E. gang; and on January 26, 2020, Wright shot and killed Myreke Kenion and shot and attempted to kill D’Andre Brown, both members and associates of the GHB/Hotz gang.

    On December 5, 2023, a jury found Wright and three associates guilty of conspiring to engage in a pattern of racketeering activity.

    Wright has been detained since January 21, 2021.

    Approximately 47 members and associates of the East End, O.N.E. and the GHB/Hotz gangs have been convicted of federal offenses stemming from this investigation, which has and solved eight murders and approximately 20 attempted murders.

    This investigation has been conducted by the FBI’s Safe Streets and Violent Crimes Task Forces, ATF, DEA, U.S. Marshals Service, Bridgeport Police Department, Connecticut State Police and the Bridgeport State’s Attorney’s Office, with the assistance of the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, Connecticut Forensic Science Laboratory and the Waterbury Police Department.  These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jocelyn C. Kaoutzanis, Stephanie T. Levick, Rahul Kale, and Karen L. Peck.

    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 the centerpiece of the Department of Justice’s violent crime reduction efforts.  PSN is an evidence-based program proven to be effective at reducing violent crime.  Through PSN, a broad spectrum of stakeholders work together to identify the most pressing violent crime problems in the community and develop comprehensive solutions to address them.  As part of this strategy, PSN focuses enforcement efforts on the most violent offenders and partners with locally based prevention and reentry programs for lasting reductions in crime.

    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.  If a group member elects to engage in gun violence, the focused attention of federal, state and local law enforcement will be directed at that entire group.

    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 Australia: NSW Industry Policy to set ambitious new Local Manufacturing targets

    Source: New South Wales Premiere

    Published: 5 March 2025

    Released by: Minister for Industry and Trade

    The Minns Labor Government has today released the state’s first NSW Industry Policy to promote collaboration across industry, the innovation sector, and trade businesses, to give firms the confidence they need to invest and grow in NSW.

    Built around three connected missions – Housing, Net Zero & Energy Transition, and Local Manufacturing – the NSW Industry Policy sets out the Government’s approach to the NSW economy of the future.

    The policy will also set three ambitious new Local Manufacturing targets to position NSW manufacturing to capitalise on global market opportunities.

    The Minns Labor Government is committed to building a better NSW with a thriving and diversified economy, and the NSW Industry Policy will provide a clear strategic direction across all Government agencies and programs.

    This approach will ensure industry support is clear and consistent, driving investment to help build a productive and resilient economy fit for the future.

    This first-of-a-kind policy, consolidates actions from the private sector, research institutions, and Government agencies to help address some of the most significant current and future challenges facing the state.

    The NSW Industry Policy was informed by extensive consultation with industry peak bodies, academia, and engagement with NSW Government agencies.

    It consolidates targets across numerous government initiatives and identifies key sectors to enable success across all industries.

    The Minns Labor Government will use regulation, procurement, planning, strategic land use, and infrastructure building to help drive change.

    The Government will also partner with industry and other stakeholders to deliver on skills and education, innovation and technology, and trade and investment, to help ensure the policy’s success. 

    A thriving economy in NSW benefits everyone, creates more and better jobs, improves the way we make and do things, and grows the prosperity and wellbeing of the people of NSW.

    Key to this is a diversified industry base and protecting our economy from future shocks which the three central missions will help address.

    Mission 1: NSW residents have access to safe, secure, affordable, well-designed and sustainable housing

    Housing affordability and availability has become one of the state’s biggest challenges.

    Due to the Liberal-National decade of delay, housing supply has not kept up with demand, contributing to increased pressure on prices and rents.

    To improve productivity and sustainability, put downward pressure on construction costs, and increase supply, the Minns Labor Government will focus on increasing the uptake of advanced technologies and innovation in the production and use of sustainable building materials.

    Innovative methods, including modular construction and the potential use of automation and robotics, will help the delivery of new homes.

    The Minns Labor Government is investing more than $8.5 billion to address the housing challenge through investment in social housing and homelessness services, planning reforms, and housing-enabling infrastructure and rental housing.

    Mission 2: NSW is a globally competitive clean energy, sustainable and low carbon economy

    NSW has the potential be a leading force in the global net zero economy, including through our abundance of critical minerals, which are essential components of clean energy and low carbon technologies.

    Developing sustainable industries that export goods and services to other decarbonising markets is critical to offsetting the decline in carbon-intensive industries.

    Renewable fuels are one opportunity for NSW to reduce emissions in hard-to-abate industries such as freight, while contributing to fuel security and growing regional NSW economies.

    The progression of a commercial green hydrogen sector would also produce low-emissions products and fuels for domestic trade purposes.

    The Minns Labor Government invested $3.5 billion in Climate Change and Energy initiatives in the 2024-25 Budget, including $3.1 billion in NSW’s Renewable Energy Zones, getting more clean energy into the grid while creating secure jobs for communities across the state.

    Mission 3: NSW is a dynamic and resilient economy supported by local manufacturing

    Manufacturing declined nationally over the past two decades.

    NSW manufacturers face significant challenges, including high costs and weak supply chains.

    In light of these challenges, growing local manufacturing will require NSW to leverage its comparative advantages including its skilled workforce, infrastructure, and abundant resources.

    In order to combat these challenges, the Minns Labor Government has set three new Local Manufacturing targets:

    Target 1: NSW Gross Value Added for manufacturing achieves real growth on average over the years to 2031.

    Target 2: NSW Gross Value Added for manufacturing achieves growth equal to, or greater than Gross State Product on average in the years between 2031 and 2040.

    Target 3: Achieve a 50% minimum local content target for future rolling transport stock by 2035.

    Advanced manufacturing technologies will also provide new opportunities for NSW to be globally competitive in complex and high-value products while NSW manufacturers can benefit from the global transition to net zero.

    Innovative new technologies in big data, artificial intelligence, quantum, virtual reality, and robotics are dramatically changing manufacturing processes, from design and prototyping to the actual fabrication of products.

    The Minns Labor Government has already committed over $600 million to drive investment in local manufacturing.

    This investment has helped manufacturing in NSW grow two consecutive years for the first time in two decades.

    Link to the NSW Industry Policy available here: https://www.investment.nsw.gov.au/why-nsw/resources/nsw-industry-policy/

    Quotes attributable to the Minister for Industry and Trade Anoulack Chanthivong:

    “The NSW Industry Policy details the Minns Labor Government’s vision and plans for the economic future of NSW and provides the strategic direction across all Government agencies and programs to drive industry investment.

    “This is a clear and stable policy approach to help guide private sector investment needed to increase jobs and productivity in NSW.

    “Addressing the housing crisis, supporting NSW through the transition to Net Zero, and growing our local manufacturing industry are among our key priorities.

    “NSW manufacturing grew in only two years in the 2010s under the previous Liberal-National Government.

    “With three new Local Manufacturing targets, we have demonstrated a real commitment to supporting local manufacturing to promote a dynamic, sustainable, and diversified economy.

    “We want to see a manufacturing industry that is innovative, productive, and boosts Australia’s sovereign capability.

    “Our ambition is clear: to build a better NSW and to make our state the most attractive place for people to live and work, and for local businesses to thrive.”

    Quotes attributable to State Secretary of the AMWU Brad Pidgeon:

    “This policy, particularly the three new Local Manufacturing targets, provides a huge boost for manufacturing workers right across the state.

    “We need an ambitious vision for and support for our local manufacturing industry and this policy provides just that.”

    Quotes attributable to NSW Head of Australian Industry Group Helen Waldron:

    “The NSW Industry Policy provides the certainty and clarity that NSW businesses need to thrive in our rapidly changing economy.

    “Having a clear, overarching strategic vision from the NSW Government provides NSW industry with the tools it needs to attract and grow investment supported by Government policy settings.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: 59-2025: Regulatory Services preparedness for Tropical Cyclone Alfred

    Source: Australia Government Statements – Agriculture

    5 March 2025

    Who does this notice affect?

    All internal and external stakeholders who may require Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Forestry regulatory services across southern Queensland and northern New South Wales. 

    What has changed?

    The department is preparing for the forecasted severe weather event anticipated across southern Queensland and northern New South Wales coastal on Thursday 6and Friday 7 March 2025, associated with Tropical Cyclone…

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RI250 Commission, Elected Officials, Community Leaders Hold Portrait Presentation Commemorating First Rhode Island Regiment

    Source: US State of Rhode Island

    PROVIDENCE, RI � Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore, Chair of the RI250 Commission, was joined by Governor Dan McKee, Speaker of the House K. Joseph Shekarchi, Senator Walter S. Felag, Jr., Executive Director of the Tomaquag Museum Lor�n Spears, historian and author of From Slaves to Soldiers Bob Geake, Founder and Executive Director of Rhode Island Slave History Medallions Charles Roberts, Executive Director of the Newport Historical Society Rebecca Bertrand, and Collections Manager and Registrar at the Museum of the American Revolution Keith Minsinger for a special presentation of “Brave Men as Ever Fought,” a portrait commemorating the First Rhode Island Regiment.

    “The history of the First Rhode Island Regiment is unique to Rhode Island, and all Rhode Islanders should know the story of these brave individuals who fought in the first integrated military regiment,” said Secretary of State Gregg M. Amore. “It’s truly an honor to display this portrait. I thank both the Museum of the American Revolution for their partnership and the historians who joined us today for ensuring this history is never forgotten.”

    In 1778, Rhode Island reorganized its regiments of the Continental Army and authorized the recruitment of enslaved men into the First Rhode Island Regiment. Over 130 free Black men and formerly enslaved men joined the regiment that year. The enslaved men were granted their freedom immediately upon their enlistment, the first and only time such an offer had been made by a state government during the Revolutionary War.

    The First Rhode Island Regiment, comprised of Black, Indigenous, and white soldiers, would go on to fight during the Battle of Rhode Island in 1778. In 1780, Rhode Island united its two Continental Army regiments into a unit known as the Rhode Island Regiment. Two full companies of that regiment were made up of Black and Indigenous enlisted men. The Rhode Island Regiment would go on to serve in the decisive Siege of Yorktown in 1781.

    Commissioned by the Museum of the American Revolution in 2020, renowned historical military artist Don Troiani (b.1949) recreated what the Rhode Island Regiment’s march through Philadelphia in 1781 might have looked like. As part of the scene, 15-year-old African American sailor James Forten looks on as the Regiment marches past the brick fa�ade of the Pennsylvania State House (now known as Independence Hall). Later in life, Forten became a successful business owner, abolitionist, and community leader, and he described what he witnessed back in 1781 to his friend and fellow abolitionist William Lloyd Garrison:

    “I well remember that when the New England Regiment marched through this city on their way to attack the English Army under the command of Lord Cornwallis, there was several Companies of Coloured People, as brave Men as ever fought.”

    Forten was referring to the Rhode Island Regiment.

    “As our nation prepares to celebrate its 250th anniversary in 2026, it is timely and appropriate to ensure that we remember all those who served, struggled, and sacrificed to secure American Independence,” said Museum of the American Revolution President and CEO Dr. R. Scott Stephenson. “We owe a debt of gratitude to those Rhode Islanders of color who wore the uniform and saluted the flag of the fledgling United States in spite of the fact that for most of them, equality was an elusive dream. The Museum is thrilled to loan ‘Brave Men as Ever Fought’ to the Rhode Island Department of State to commemorate the Rhode Island Regiment’s service.”

    The portrait is on loan to the RI Department of State from the Museum of the American Revolution. After the portrait presentation ceremony, the portrait will be displayed in the State House Royal Charter Museum on the first floor of the building until late June.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Budget investment proposals aim to improve care and respite for Highland families.

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    ‘Improving care and respite for families’ is one of The Highland Council Administration’s investment proposals to be considered by councillors when they meet to decide the budget on Thursday 6 March.

    Council will consider a recurring £0.250m investment to employ six family support workers to improve care and respite arrangements for families with the greatest needs.

    Chair of Health, Social Care and Wellbeing Cllr David Fraser commented: “We said we would improve outcomes for all children and young people across Highland with a particular focus on our most vulnerable.

    “This proposed investment aims to provide a greater availability of service provision for those who need it most and with a greater degree of inclusion. If approved, it will help support a future respite model, adding to the existing funding for short breaks, which will provide a greater degree of wrap around support for families.”

    Cllr Fraser added: “In addition there is a proposed £1.048m investment Additional Support Needs (ASN) and an another of £0.200m to add to the Community and Family Wellbeing Fund.  Taken together, these investments represent a significant commitment by the Administration to support children, young people and families across the Highlands.”

    The proposal is based on the outcome of a review previously undertaken into respite services in the area, which has considered the needs and concerns of families of children with additional support needs.

    If approved, the future model for respite will provide support across three centres located in north, west and south Highland – but available to families across the whole Highland area as part of a wider plan for children and families. By providing appropriate levels of respite and support, young people are more likely to be able to remain within their families and communities which has wide reaching financial and non-financial benefits.

    Other benefits of the proposed future model are that it should help to ensure that families’ needs are met more effectively while ensuring the GIRFEC processes (Getting it Right for Every Child) work effectively on their behalf. In addition to respite care, the new service would also aim to provide positive support to families by providing more advice, assistance and guidance.

    The budget report and proposals are available on the Council’s website and the Special Meeting of the Council starts at 09:30 on Thursday 6 March which will be webcast.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Highland-wide virtual jobs fair week opens new opportunities 17-21 March 2025

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    Following the success of our winter virtual job fair, The Highland Council’s Employability team has announced details of their spring fair, to highlight new job opportunities, and will run from the 17 to the 21 March 2025.

    The week-long virtual event is being delivered by the Local Employability Partnership – Work. Life. Highland in partnership with, The Highland Council, Skills Development Scotland, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Department for Work and Pensions, Developing the Young Workforce and UHI North West and Hebrides.

    Economy and Infrastructure Committee Chair, Cllr Ken Gowans, said: “The Highland-wide virtual jobs fair proved very successful last year, and therefore I’m delighted that another has been organised entering the spring/summer months, to offer people and businesses the opportunity to connect and showcase the wide range of opportunities there are to develop and learn new skills. Employers and The Highland Council’s Employability team will be on hand to support attendees, answer questions and explain what opportunities they have for training and up-skilling people.

    “Being held online works well as it offers flexibility, without the need for travel. The sessions are designed for people to drop in and out of throughout the week. It will be accessible to everyone no matter their location or circumstances and will directly connect potential employees with the businesses providing information about work opportunities.”

    Programme Manager at DYW West Highland, Jennifer Grant, said: “This virtual jobs fair is an exciting way for employers to showcase their offer to a wider audience. It’s also a superb opportunity for job seekers of all ages across the Highlands to connect with a range of employers in areas which interest them. We’re delighted to be part of the team working on delivering this opportunity and look forward to further initiatives as our contribution to the Highland Employability Partnership group.”

    Spring is good time to consider employment opportunities, as many businesses gear up for the busy months ahead. Anyone interested in finding out more about career opportunities, looking to change careers or to return to work after a break will be able to log onto sessions hosted by businesses from the comfort of their own home.

    Employers taking part include Balfour Beatty, Cross Reach, RAF, NHSH, Norscot, BBM Solicitors. Castle Project, Go Green, CALA, Glenmorangie House, High Life Highland, Highland Home Carers, Careers At Sea, Police Scotland and The Highland Council. More businesses still to be added.

    They will host sessions to provide information about the full-time and part-time opportunities their businesses have, along with apprenticeship schemes and initiatives to attract seasonal and year-round workers.

    Work. Life. Highland is the brand name for the Highland Employability Partnership (HEP).  The Partnership brings together public, private and third sector organisations supporting individuals on their journey towards, into and within employment.

    To register your interest and receive further information, please email: employ.ability@highland.gov.uk

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Community Council Scheme review – still time to have your say

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    The Highland Council is reminding everyone that the public consultation on how Community Councils in the area are created and governed is still running.

    The Council is keen to hear views from Community Councils and the wider public on these proposals and seeks further ideas and suggested changes to the Scheme. 

    The Community Council Scheme Review consultation remains open until 9 April 2025.

    The Council invites feedback on the proposals by completing a short survey which is available online 

    4 Mar 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why can’t I sleep? 4 ways climate change could be keeping you up at night and what you can do about it

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ty Ferguson, Research Fellow, University of South Australia

    Marcos Mesa Sam Wordley/Shutterstock

    Tossing and turning on sweltering summer nights? You’re not alone.

    As temperatures rise due to climate change, our sleep is becoming shorter and more disrupted.

    But it’s not just the heat keeping us awake – climate change creates multiple challenges to our nightly slumber, which may be affecting our health.

    What happens when we don’t get enough sleep?

    Sleep isn’t just rest – it’s vital for our health.

    Adults need at least seven hours per night to maintain cognitive function, memory and emotional balance. Poor sleep immediately impacts mood and attention, while chronic sleep issues increase risk of diabetes, obesity, depression, heart disease and even premature death.

    So, how is climate change impacting our sleep?

    1. Overnight temperatures are rising

    Our circadian rhythm – that internal biological clock – requires our internal body temperature to drop at night for quality sleep. The ideal room temperature for sleep is 15°C to 19°C.

    Rising outdoor temperatures make this body temperature increasingly difficult to maintain, especially for those without air conditioning. Paradoxically, widespread air conditioning use further contributes to climate change by using fossil-energy, which creates emissions.**

    Research shows the impact on our sleep is already measurable. Our 2023 study of 375 Australian adults found people lost 12 minutes per night on the hottest nights compared with the coldest (31°C vs 0.4°C overnight temperatures across the year).

    Globally, scientists predict we could lose 50–58 hours of sleep annually per person by the end of the century if warming continues unchecked. This is one way climate change will make geographic inequalities worse.

    Rising temperatures make it increasingly difficult to maintain your body’s circadian rhythm, especially for those without air conditioning.
    Antoniodiaz

    2. Climate change is worsening air pollution

    Hot and dry conditions typically tend to make air pollution worse. As climate change increases the number of hot days and frequency of heatwaves, the rate of wildfires will increase. This adds another source of air pollution, increasing emissions of harmful greenhouse gases and airborne particles.

    Air pollution is linked with poorer health, increased risk of chronic illness and early death.

    Air pollution also impacts our sleep through breathing issues, inflammation and potentially disrupting our nervous system’s ability to regulate sleep.

    And in winter, households burn wood for residential heating, adding another source of climate-impacting emissions. Air pollution from wood fires worsens respiratory conditions such as asthma, bronchitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, further compromising sleep.

    3. Extreme weather events are becoming more frequent and severe

    Whether it’s wildfires, heatwaves, flooding or cyclones, extreme weather is becoming more common and more intense.

    With these extreme events comes widespread upheaval in affected communities. From mass population displacement to loss of shelter, security and essential resources, sleep is likely way down the list of priorities when dealing with natural disasters.

    However, sleep disturbances are common after these extreme events. A review of global research on wildfire survivors found two-thirds experienced insomnia and more than a third reported nightmares. These effects persisted up to 10 months after the disaster.

    Two-thirds of wildfire survivors experienced insomnia and over a third reported nightmares.
    Toa55/Shutterstock

    4. Climate anxiety is on the rise

    Even if you haven’t directly experienced an extreme weather event, the constant stream of climate catastrophes in our media can trigger what psychologists call “climate anxiety” – an existential dread that is keeping people awake.

    Research confirms these climate concerns are linked with sleep disturbances including difficulty falling asleep, insomnia and wakefulness. They occur across the age spectrum, affecting both younger and older adults.

    If climate-related concerns or ongoing poor sleep are significantly impacting your life consider consulting a doctor or psychologist.

    Climate concerns are linked with sleep disturbances.
    Thebigland/Shutterstock

    Tips for getting a good night sleep during hot nights

    Fortunately, there are a few simple things you can do to improve your chances of getting a good night’s sleep. They cost nothing or very little and require just a small bit of pre-bedtime planning.

    Here are some tips for getting a good night sleep despite the temperature:

    For your environment:

    · sleep in the coolest room in the house (this may not be the bedroom)

    · keep curtains closed during the day to limit heating from sunlight

    · put on a fan – air flow can lower your perception of the temperature (by helping sweat evaporate faster) without actually cooling your room

    · select light, breathable bedding (natural fibres work best)

    · if outside temperatures drop at night, open the windows to encourage air circulation.

    For your body:

    · take a cool shower before bed to help lower body temperature

    · timing your exercise is important: aim to exercise early in the day

    · wear light natural-fibre clothing

    · keep a damp towel or spray bottle by your bed to dampen your skin

    · stay hydrated but avoid heavy meals before sleeping.

    As we adapt to a changing climate, getting a good night’s sleep should be a top priority for our health.

    With some practical adjustments to our environments and habits, we can adapt to these changes while advocating for the broader climate solutions that will ultimately help us all rest easier.

    Ty Ferguson receives funding from the Medical Research Future Fund and the National Health and Medical Research Council

    Carol Maher receives funding from the Medical Research Future Fund, the National Health and Medical Research Council, the National Heart Foundation, the SA Department for Education, Preventive Health SA, the Channel 7 Children’s Research Foundation, the South Australian Office for Sport, Recreation and Racing, Healthway, Hunter New England Local Health District, and the Central Adelaide Local Health Network.

    – ref. Why can’t I sleep? 4 ways climate change could be keeping you up at night and what you can do about it – https://theconversation.com/why-cant-i-sleep-4-ways-climate-change-could-be-keeping-you-up-at-night-and-what-you-can-do-about-it-250253

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: First Minister’s statement on solidarity with Ukraine

    Source: Scottish National Party

    The First Minister told the Scottish Parliament:

    Just last Monday, all of Scotland’s political leaders took part in a powerful and moving ceremony at Edinburgh Castle to mark three years since the start of Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

    We stood together, with members of the Ukrainian community living here in Scotland, to commemorate the time that has passed since the start of that invasion but also to reaffirm our support for the people of Ukraine.

    Though we disagree on points of policy and politics in this chamber – which is right and proper in a parliamentary democracy – when it comes to upholding the values and principles of modern democracy, the Scottish Parliament stands behind Ukraine, resolute and unwavering.

    Regardless of our political views, everyone in this chamber understands that democracy is hard fought for and must never be taken for granted.

    Democracy must be cherished, defended, and enhanced.

    This is the lesson of the 20th century.

    This is the lesson the people of Ukraine live, and struggle, and fight, to teach us every day.

    The courage demonstrated by President Zelenskyy – and by all Ukrainians, since the first day of Russia’s illegal, full-scale invasion – reaches far beyond the protection and preservation of their own homeland.

    Ukrainians struggle, and fight for all of Europe – and for the protection and preservation of all democratic nations.

    It is a struggle for the rule of law, for human rights, and to uphold the international norms which once ensured Europe knew guaranteed peace.

    The Ukrainian people are fighting for their homeland, for their future, but also for our future too.

    3 years ago, Russia expected to flatten Ukrainian resistance within days.

    But despite a war that has caused years of unnecessary misery in a peaceful, sovereign, and democratic nation, the power of the fight for democracy, and all its freedoms, has given the Ukrainian people their purpose, as well as their most potent advantage.

    Ukraine’s people are fighting to defend her independence, her territorial integrity and her security in the face of appalling, unprovoked violence.

    Violence which has destroyed lives, separated families, wounded hundreds of thousands of citizens, and razed cities to the ground.

    And yet, President Zelenskyy has not wavered in strength or dignity.

    His people have not laid down arms.

    Russia has not succeeded in reaching its war aims, despite sending hundreds of thousands of troops to their deaths, or to be wounded, on the frontlines.

    But, now, as a result of all this unnecessary carnage, millions of Ukrainian children have never known peace, while Western democracy has never been under such relentless attack from within.

    Misinformation. Propaganda. Malicious interpretations of history…

    Arrogance, ignorance, prejudice, and hate, are being used to divide us.

    Only yesterday, after Russia launched a drone attack on a civilian building in Kharkiv, the Kremlin spokesman, Dmitry Peskov, said:

    “We see that the collective West has started to become less collective. A fragmentation of the collective West has begun.”

    That is precisely what Russia wants its people and the world to believe.

    That is precisely what Putin wants us to believe.

    We must be ever vigilant to the threat of disinformation, which takes the shape of the Kremlin’s talking points.

    Russia was not provoked to invade Ukraine, in 2014 or in 2022.

    No credence should be given to deflection tactics, blaming NATO expansion for Russian aggression.

    Each and every country in NATO is a democracy that has made its own sovereign choice to become a member.

    And many of the countries on NATO’s eastern flank have recent experience of living under Russian threat.

    The strong, international solidarity and dedication to achieving peace in Ukraine was evident for all to see at the security summit in London this weekend.

    And the vast majority of European leaders have only one message – their unreserved condemnation of illegal Russian aggression.

    Therefore, Ukraine’s allies should all have one aim and one aim only – to support Ukraine’s independence, her territorial integrity and her security.

    So, I wholeheartedly welcome the Prime Minister’s “coalition of the willing” initiative to provide Ukraine with security guarantees after a ceasefire agreement, as well as the £1.6 billion missile deal for Ukraine.

    I also accept the case for peacekeeping forces to avert further conflict, subject to proper scrutiny and a vote in the House of Commons.

    And I understand the delicate balance of diplomacy the Prime Minister and the UK Government must navigate in this matter.

    So, I want to make clear my commitment and the commitment of my government to a united front. My commitment to do all that I can to support Ukraine to succeed.

    But, I am sure like the many European leaders who expressed their solidarity with President Zelenskyy this weekend, I am very disturbed by how his meeting with the US President and Vice President played out last week.

    I agree with President Zelenskyy’s statement that Ukraine wants “its partners to remember who the aggressor is in this war.”

    And we must see unwavering unity across the political spectrum in full solidarity with Ukraine on this essential point.

    The events at that Oval Office meeting with President Zelenskyy, and the announcement made this morning of a pause in US military aid to Ukraine, can only run the risk of emboldening Russia, the aggressor.

    As I said this weekend, if this were to remain the posture of the US government, a second state visit for US President Donald Trump becomes unthinkable.

    I know there are people in this Chamber and across this country who will disagree, who will say that we should not contemplate this stance or who will say that President Trump should not be invited under any circumstances.

    I understand and respect those points of view.

    But I cannot share them.

    Right now, today, as we stand here, men, women and children in Ukraine are putting their lives and their freedom on the line to defend their country and all of our democracies.

    We say we support them – and we do. But that means being willing to do things that are hard; things that we would rather not do.

    So, if a state visit could help solidify US support for Ukraine, if that is part of what supporting Ukraine means in practice, then it is a possibility.

    For that to be true, however, the US would have to sustain the steadfast support of Ukraine, her independence and territorial integrity.

    As we think through all these issues, the important questions are the hard-headed, clear-eyed consideration of what is best for Ukraine and European security today.

    For my government, that means standing steadfast behind Ukraine and alongside the United Kingdom Government and our European allies, and that is exactly what Scotland will do.

    My hope is that US and European leaders can once again find a way to speak with one voice on the matter of this conflict.

    There are no grey areas when one country chooses to send troops and tanks into the peaceful territory of an another.

    My Government supports the approach of the UK Government in committing to secure international solidarity in support of Ukraine’s long-term future.

    We welcome the 100-year Partnership recently agreed by the UK and Ukraine, and Scotland will play our part – whether as part of the UK or as an independent nation in the future – in helping to deliver it.

    I also welcome the approach of the Prime Minister and the proposed four-point plan to end the war and defend Ukraine from Russia.

    As I have already stated, Scotland accepts the case for the deployment of any peacekeeping forces to avert future conflict, subject to scrutiny and a vote by MPs in the House of Commons.

    And my Government remains committed to supporting Ukraine, until a just peace is secured – not a peace at any cost, which strips Ukraine of her sovereignty in wartime.

    So, let me once again make clear, there can be no truly sincere or constructive peace talks about the future of Ukraine, without Ukraine present at the negotiating table.

    And securing the future of Ukraine is utterly vital to securing the peace we have enjoyed in Europe for so long.

    Ukraine’s future, and her fate, is our future and our fate.

    So, we must aspire to be as courageous as the people of Ukraine and stand by them, always, in their hour of need.

    And, we must maintain unity with our partners across Europe and the Western world – unity like that demonstrated in London this weekend and at Edinburgh Castle last week.

    Because events in Ukraine are having, and will continue to have, a direct negative impact on Scotland’s economy, security, and society.

    Presiding Officer,

    Scotland’s approach, internationally, will continue to be led and guided by our compassion for Ukraine.

    I know this chamber will continue to work together on these matters, and to put any differences aside in respect of our common efforts to uphold justice.

    Now, 25 years into the life of this modern Parliament, Scotland chooses to stand for democracy, for human rights and the rule of law, at home and among our courageous allies like Ukraine.

    These are the underpinnings of democracy, of prosperity, and of every freedom democracy provides.

    This is the solidarity among allies that will deliver Ukraine from Russia’s barbaric aggression, while protecting her heritage, her culture, and her social and economic future.

    We have been honoured, across Scotland, that thousands of Ukrainians have made their home in our country.

    My message to people from Ukraine living here in Scotland, is that you are – and always will be – very welcome here.

    Providing support and sanctuary for Ukrainian people displaced by Russia’s brutal war continues to be a priority for the Scottish Government.

    I want Ukrainians everywhere to know that they also have Scotland’s fullest support.

    I know many of them will be deeply concerned by what has unfolded over the last few days.

    It is for those brave Ukrainians, and every person protected by democracy, that Scotland will never be silent.

    Here in Scotland, we will, forever, stand with Ukraine.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Securing the future of an independent Ukraine

    Source: Scottish Government

    First Minister commits to international solidarity.

    First Minister John Swinney has pledged the support of the Scottish Government to “securing international solidarity” for the long-term future of an independent Ukraine.

    Addressing the Scottish Parliament, he condemned Russia’s illegal, full-scale invasion and the subsequent three years of “barbaric” aggression that have followed, while commending Ukraine’s people for their fight to defend the independence, territorial integrity and security of their country.

    Mr Swinney said that providing support and sanctuary for displaced Ukrainians continues to be a priority for the Scottish Government.

    The First Minister warned that pausing military aid “can only run the risk of emboldening Russia”, stressing the United States must remain “steadfast” in its support for Ukraine alongside the United Kingdom Government, European allies and partners across the wider western world. He also accepted the case for peacekeeping forces to avert further conflict, subject to proper democratic scrutiny.

    The First Minister said:

    “Right now, today, as we stand here, men, women and children in Ukraine are putting their lives and their freedom on the line to defend their country and all of our democracies.

    “My hope is that US and European leaders can once again find a way to speak with one voice on the matter of this conflict. There are no grey areas when one country chooses to send troops and tanks into the peaceful territory of another.

    “My Government supports the approach of the United Kingdom Government, in committing to secure international solidarity in support of Ukraine’s long-term future. My Government remains committed to supporting Ukraine, until a just peace is secured – not a peace at any cost, which strips Ukraine of her sovereignty in wartime.

    “Scotland’s approach, internationally, will continue to be led and guided by our compassion for Ukraine. Now, 25 years into the life of this modern Parliament, Scotland chooses to stand for democracy, for human rights and the rule of law, at home and among our courageous allies like Ukraine.

    “These are the underpinnings of democracy, of prosperity, and of every freedom democracy provides. This is the solidarity among allies that will deliver Ukraine from Russia’s barbaric aggression, while protecting her heritage, her culture, and her social and economic future.

    “Ukraine’s future, and her fate, is our future and our fate.”

    Background

    International solidarity to support Ukraine: First Minister’s statement – 4 March 2025 – gov.scot

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Netflix’s Toxic Town offers a stark warning on environmental rollbacks

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Kirsty Pringle, Atmospheric Scientist and Project Manager, Software Sustainability Institute, University of Edinburgh

    Netflix’s new drama Toxic Town tells the true story of a group of women from Corby in Northamptonshire, UK, who gave birth to children with limb differences in the 1980s and 90s. The children were born with shortened arms or legs or missing fingers. The drama follows their battle to uncover the cause and their subsequent fight for justice.

    This skilful portrayal of a real-life tragedy isn’t just compelling drama, it’s a stark warning about the dangers of weak environmental protections. With the UK no longer following EU environmental standards and the US rolling back key pollution regulations and scaling down environmental enforcement, the issues at the heart of Toxic Town feel more urgent than ever.

    As two atmospheric scientists, we were pleased to see Netflix taking on this recent event in UK history.

    Corby’s industrial heritage mirrors that of many English towns: for decades, the town’s steelworks provided jobs. Then in the 1980s they were decommissioned, leaving behind high unemployment and thousands of tonnes of hazardous waste. While many areas have decommissioned steelworks, the difference here is that environmental procedures for decommissioning hazardous waste appear not to have been followed.

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    Waste from the steelworks was transported through town in lorries to sites for long-term storage. Despite government advice to ensure their lorries were cleaned and their loads covered to prevent contamination, dirty, uncovered lorries carrying hazardous waste were repeatedly driven through the area, allowing toxic sludge to spill out on to the roads.

    Drivers were also paid bonuses for extra loads, which encouraged them to ignore regulations and cut corners. And, as the sludge spilled from their lorries dried, it turned into dust that was carried through the air and inhaled by residents, including pregnant mothers.

    Crucially, this dust was not typical air pollution which, while harmful, doesn’t usually come from contaminated land so doesn’t contain high concentrations of heavy metals and industrial chemicals. Yet, to the naked eye, Corby’s toxic dust would have been pretty indistinguishable from everyday grime.

    What is clear, however, is that there was a lot of it. During the 2009 court case against what was then Corby Borough Council, which was responsible for the steelworks’ decommissioning, residents recalled the orange dust coating surfaces and filling the air. Many stressed the need to wash their cars frequently as they quickly became coated in dust.

    As the show depicts, in 1999 concerns were raised about the impact of the pollution by mothers in the area who had given birth to children with upper limb differences. Northamptonshire Health Authority conducted an initial investigation and concluded the problem was no worse than elsewhere in England and Wales.

    Acting on behalf of the mothers, the solicitor Des Collins launched his own investigation. Ultimately birth differences in Corby were, in fact, found to be three times higher than in surrounding areas

    Inexplicably, even among environmental researchers, the Corby toxic waste case remains relatively unknown despite being a landmark legal case. It was the first time a link between airborne pollution and limb differences in children was officially established.

    The council lost the case and was found liable for public nuisance, negligence and breach of statutory duty. It disputed the verdict but reached a confidential private settlement with the families.

    Corby’s story has been dubbed the “British Erin Brockovich”. This is due to its parallels with the famous US environmental lawsuit in which Erin Brockovich, a legal clerk, helped build a case against Pacific Gas and Electric who were fined US$330 million (£415 million) for contaminating the water supply in Hinkley, California.

    Why environmental regulation matters

    It’s tempting to watch Toxic Town with the reassurance that such a disaster couldn’t happen again. Surely, with modern environmental monitoring and stronger regulations, we are now better protected?

    Environmental protections are only as strong as the political will to enforce them. History has repeatedly shown that weak or poorly enforced regulations can lead to catastrophic consequences. For example, the Bhopal gas disaster in India in 1984 saw a toxic gas leak that killed thousands.

    The Love Canal incident in the US in the 1970s exposed residents to hazardous waste, causing birth defects and illness. And the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the US in 2010, which became one of the largest marine oil spills in history.

    Despite such repeated events, environmental regulation is increasingly dismissed by some politicians and industry leaders as red tape –a bureaucratic burden that hampers industrial and economic growth.

    The UK’s exit from the EU means that it no longer needs to adhere to EU environmental regulations, including the Reach law which mandates the registration, evaluation, authorisation and restriction of chemicals, It’s the main EU law that governs chemicals to protect both the environment and human health. While not flawless, Reach is considered to be the most robust chemicals regulation in the world and because of global supply chains, it often encourages manufacturers beyond Europe to comply.

    Campaigners worry that the UK’s departure from the EU environmental regulations will weaken its environmental benchmarks. Water quality in the UK has worsened in the past decade and is now worse than that of most EU countries. Yet, evidence shows that the chemicals industry lobby is powerful.

    The attitude of the new administration in the US to environmental protection laws has caused considerable concern across the global scientific community. There has been a rollback of more than 100 environmental regulations, including 39 relevant to air and water pollution. Most of these rule reversals have already been enacted, just over a month into the new administration.

    The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has had 168 staff placed on leave and environmental groups have warned “that these cuts put minority and lower income families living close to polluting sites at risk”. In parallel, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Noaa), another federal agency which monitors oceanic and atmospheric conditions, is facing drastic cuts to it’s staff and budget. These cuts harm the capacity of the US to monitor and enforce environmental regulations.

    What happens in the US often sets a precedent for other countries. It is worrying that reducing environmental protection in the US may encourage other countries, including the UK, to follow suit.

    So, far from being a thing of the past, we could be witnessing a return to the toxic times seen in Corby if we fail to prioritise stringent environmental safeguards. As solictor Des Collins starkly reminds us at the end of the drama: “A town that is made by burning up red tape and using it as fuel does so much damage.”

    Kirsty Pringle receives funding from UKRI.

    Jim McQuaid receives funding from UKRI, Horizon Europe, The Royal Society and Defra

    – ref. Netflix’s Toxic Town offers a stark warning on environmental rollbacks – https://theconversation.com/netflixs-toxic-town-offers-a-stark-warning-on-environmental-rollbacks-251168

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Black women are more likely to die from breast cancer – so why is breast screening attendance still a problem?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Anietie Aliu, Postgraduate Researcher, Health and Medical Sciences, University of Surrey

    Gorodenkoff/Shutterstock

    Breast cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in women globally. But, in part thanks to screening programmes, over 75% of those diagnosed with breast cancer in England now survive for ten years or more.

    However, due to a complex combination of racial disparities in the quality of healthcare patients receive, social factors such as poverty, and differences in tumour biology, Black women in the UK are more likely to die from the disease than women from other ethnicities.

    Breast screening improves breast cancer survival by identifying cancer at an earlier stage when it is easier to treat. In the UK, breast screening by mammography is offered free to women who are between the ages of 50 and 71 through the National Health Service Breast Screening Programme.

    Research shows that Black women in the UK are less likely to take part in breast screening programmes but are more likely to die from the disease from late diagnosis. So, why are Black women less likely to attend breast screenings when it could help save their lives?

    I was part of a team that reviewed all the studies which examined the barriers to breast cancer screening which Black women in the UK experience.

    The review found significant gaps in existing research on breast cancer in the Black community and barriers preventing Black African and Black Caribbean women in the UK in partaking in potentially life-saving breast cancer screenings. We reviewed nearly 1,000 papers, but only eight articles included Black women.

    The review found that previous research often grouped Black women from diverse backgrounds together, including Black African and Black Caribbean, masking important cultural nuances and different experiences. Additionally, the limited research available primarily focused on women who either attend screenings or who are ineligible, overlooking the crucial perspectives of those who are eligible but do not participate.

    As part of our research, we also wanted to identify any effective interventions to improve screening uptake for Black women – but we found no interventions that exclusively targeted Black women.

    Our study found that barriers were physical, emotional, cultural and related to healthcare. Black women who believed breast cancer could be treated if caught early were more likely to attend screening. Some of the key barriers, though, seem applicable to women from all ethnic groups. For example, fear of positive diagnosis.

    Cancer diagnosis is often seen as a death sentence but we found that Black women, in particular, are less likely to discuss breast cancer. Our review found that fear, stigma and negative perceptions of cancer contributed to a strong culture of silence which hindered responses to screening.

    Our review also found that many Black women who participated in the studies placed a high value on family relationships. Some Black African women, for example, were worried that if they were diagnosed and treated for breast cancer their partner might leave them or that their marriage prospects could be negatively affected because potential partners might think that cancer runs in their family.

    Barriers from healthcare structure were also flagged. Black women reported difficulties in attending screening appointments during work hours and lack of evening or weekend appointments prevented some women in full-time employment from attending screening.

    The review found that knowledge and awareness of breast cancer could be low, especially among some women born outside the UK, some of whom believed they weren’t vulnerable to breast cancer because they weren’t familiar with it in their country of birth. This shows a need for more culturally sensitive research on breast cancer screening in the Black communities.

    To reduce health disparities, then, and to enhance awareness of breast cancer screening, we recommend tailored community health programs and outreach initiatives that resonate with the people they are targeting.

    Anietie Aliu is affiliated with University of Surrey

    Aliu, A.E., Kerrison, R.S. and Marcu, A. (2025), A Systematic Review of Barriers to Breast Cancer Screening, and of Interventions Designed to Increase Participation, Among Women of Black African and Black Caribbean Descent in the UK. Psycho-Oncology, 34: e70093. https://doi-org.surrey.idm.oclc.org/10.1002/pon.70093

    – ref. Black women are more likely to die from breast cancer – so why is breast screening attendance still a problem? – https://theconversation.com/black-women-are-more-likely-to-die-from-breast-cancer-so-why-is-breast-screening-attendance-still-a-problem-250324

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Police in Northern Ireland unlawfully spied on journalists – this is not how covert policing is meant to work

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Steve Christopher, Senior Lecturer in Criminal Justice (Police Programmes), De Montfort University

    At the end of last year, the Investigatory Powers Tribunal (an independent judiciary body) made a shocking landmark judgement. The tribunal found that the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) and the Metropolitan Police had unlawfully conducted surveillance into two investigative journalists.

    The PSNI was forced to pay £4,000 in damages to Barry McCaffrey and Trevor Birney, producers of No Stone Unturned, a 2017 documentary about alleged police collusion in the unsolved Loughinisland massacre in 1994.

    The two journalists were arrested in 2018 by the PSNI over leaked documents that appeared in the film. Their arrest was later ruled unlawful. Suspecting that this was one of multiple attempts by the police to identify their sources, McCaffrey and Birney brought a complaint. The tribunal’s subsequent investigation and ruling has revealed the extent of the surveillance on the pair, and drawn attention to more examples of surveillance on journalists. These are now being investigated by a review set up after the tribunal’s ruling.

    The PSNI admitted last year to making 823 applications for communications data for journalists and lawyers over 13 years. Additionally, more than 4,000 phone communications between 12 journalists were monitored by police over three months.

    The force also admitted employing covert tactics against 320 journalists while intercepting over 4,000 telephone calls and texts between McCaffrey, Birney and a dozen BBC journalists. This is espionage on an industrial scale.

    The treatment of the journalists has rightly raised concerns about press freedom. But as a senior detective who specialised in covert policing, and who now lectures criminal investigation students about the practice, I find this case extremely worrying for the future integrity of covert policing in the UK.

    Covert policing and human rights

    Covert policing refers to a combination of clandestine policing tactics used to
    lawfully access information and evidence that may not otherwise be obtainable. These tactics are an essential investigative tool in tackling contemporary organised and serious crime – they are not intended to police the 4th estate.

    Journalistic confidentiality is a privilege legally protected from covert policing, other than in exceptional circumstances. These privileges (along with legal and medical) are basic and sacrosanct, and cannot simply be ignored or trampled upon. Hence, the reason for the checks and balances in the process of authorising covert policing.

    With the advent of the UK Human Rights Act in 1998, an accountability framework was necessary for covert policing to satisfy the rights set out in the European convention on human rights.

    I was a member of various national working groups which worked tirelessly around the turn of the millennium to legitimise and regulate clandestine tactics through the introduction of the Regulation of Investigatory Powers Act and its associated codes of practice.

    To comply with human rights, the deployment of covert policing must be justified, necessary, proportionate and lawful. Law enforcement agencies employing theses tactics are held accountable through oversight by the Investigatory Powers Tribunal.

    This framework has largely proved to be very effective and compliant with the relevant laws and human rights. Although there has been a rise in the number of complaints by private individuals to the IPT since 2017, less than 4% were actually found to have failed to comply with the framework.

    UK law enforcement and the public are still coming to terms with serious and systematic abuses by undercover police officers targeting campaigners over a period of 40 years. Against that backdrop, it is imperative that the deployment of covert policing by law enforcement agencies complies with the governance regime put in place.

    The tribunal found that in the case of Birney and McCaffrey, the former PSNI chief constable did not comply with the necessary legal requirements to authorise the surveillance operation. They said that the constable failed to “consider whether there was an overriding public interest justifying an interference with the integrity of a journalistic source”. Clearly, there is public interest in identifying who was responsible for the Loughinisland massacre, which is what the journalists were seeking to do with their documentary.

    Trust in police

    At the heart of this calamity lies public confidence and legitimacy in policing. The British public believes in press freedom to expose unacceptable behaviour, especially by public servants, and greatly dislikes the abuse of power by the police to prevent that.

    In this case, the police service has again overstepped the mark by its egregious conduct. And I am concerned that it is merely the tip of the iceberg. Given the collaboration between the PSNI and Met police reported in this case, it would be very surprising if such proactive “monitoring” of journalists was not underway in many forces.

    McCaffrey, Birney and others are right to call for a public inquiry to establish the extent of such covert operations by the police service. There is a clear and significant danger when the police extend their clandestine reach to unjustifiably and unnecessarily spy on journalists. A review of the extent of such operations across the UK would be in the interests of transparency and accountability. It would also go a long way to repairing the damage caused to public trust in the police and covert policing by this case.

    Steve Christopher 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 in Northern Ireland unlawfully spied on journalists – this is not how covert policing is meant to work – https://theconversation.com/police-in-northern-ireland-unlawfully-spied-on-journalists-this-is-not-how-covert-policing-is-meant-to-work-247628

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: UK arts sector is getting a £270 million funding boost – but there are winners and losers

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Adam Behr, Senior Lecturer in Popular and Contemporary Music, Newcastle University

    “In any civilised community the arts … serious or comic, light or demanding, must occupy a central place. Their enjoyment should not be regarded as something remote from everyday life.” This was a central statement in the white paper (a statement of policy intent) issued 60 years ago by Jennie Lee, the UK’s first minister for the arts under Labour prime minister Harold Wilson in 1965.

    Outlining A Policy for the Arts – The First Steps was the first white paper for the arts (and the only one until 2016), and suggested that the arts should be publicly supported, also arguing for increased local and regional support besides national institutions.

    Many of Lee’s assertions still ring true today, not least that, “Today’s artists need more financial help, particularly in the early years before they have become established”. There were echoes of that 1965 statement of support for the arts in Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy’s recent announcement of a £270 million funding package. Indeed, the timing was no accident, Nandy explicitly referenced Lee’s “vision for accessibility in the arts”.

    This article is part of our State of the Arts series. These articles tackle the challenges of the arts and heritage industry – and celebrate the wins, too.

    It’s a broadly welcome intervention for a sector in straitened circumstances. A drop of more than 30% investment through local authorities in England since 2010, and of 21%, overall has left organisations struggling to maintain infrastructure, creating a drag on new developments. So an injection of government support for public assets like museums and libraries is a necessary step to stem the decline.

    Much, though, has changed since 1965. Absent from Lee’s communitarian account of governmental support for the arts is the language of economic return. The intervening decades have seen a sea change in the logics of arts funding.

    While the stated benefits of arts to society – and particularly education – remain salient, the emphasis has shifted over time from support to “investment”, with the arts and culture increasingly recognised and valued for, as Nandy puts it, “their growth potential to drive our economy forward”.

    This rhetorical and practical co-mingling of “culture” with the “creative industries” is a longitudinal shift. In political terms this was made clear by the 1997 rebranding of the Department for National Heritage (the first “culture” department, founded by Conservative prime minister John Major in 1992) as the Department for Media, Culture and Sport (DCMS) the last time Labour returned from a long spell in opposition.

    This defence of arts funding in “instrumental” terms (its economic return, or value in bumping up educational achievements) is a mixed blessing. On the one hand, there’s a risk of losing sight of culture’s intrinsic value as something worthy of support – art for art’s sake.

    At the same time, it has been accompanied by a move away from the more patrician conception of what merited state support. National institutions and the “high arts” were the main focus in the birth of the arts councils as part of the major overhaul of the role of the state – the postwar consensus – after the second world war.

    This points towards wider tensions in arts funding and the DCMS portfolio that derive from the evolving landscape since 1965. There was a strong emphasis in Lee’s paper, and in Nandy’s recent announcement, on buildings, infrastructure and established spaces. Vital as these are, the idea of what counts as culture has moved on and expanded since then.

    Even beyond their economic potential, the cultural value of practices more traditionally associated with commercial activity has become more central to the national conversation.

    Arts education has also become strategically important in both economic terms and in supporting widening access to opportunities across society, requiring a broad conception of “the arts”. The barriers between high art and popular culture have become porous, and this has a bearing on state support, especially when cultural activity overall is reeling from a pandemic and years of austerity.

    This is at the heart of those sectors left out of the current largesse. Drawing on both economic and cultural arguments Michael Kill, chief executive of the Night Time Industries Association, has noted the absence in Nandy’s proposal of live music venues, nightclubs and festivals.

    “The government has placed traditional and heritage culture at the forefront while completely ignoring the vital creative spaces that fuel innovation, inspire younger generations, and contribute significantly to our economy,” he wrote recently.

    DCMS funding is also a microcosm of any government spending in that it also comes with questions around opportunity cost (as the recent announcement about boosting the defence budget and immediate ramifications for foreign aid also make clear). Here too, the grassroots are a factor.

    Mark Davyd of the Music Venue Trust, for instance, has pointed out that his suggested “£20m to open 40 new grassroots music venues” was derided, but that there’s “£15m to build yet another hall for the National Railway Museum and £5m to build a poetry centre, and nobody thinks that £20m is funny.”

    Also rising rapidly up the agenda are concerns about the longer term impact of AI on creative careers, another area in which the DCMS – and the Department of Science Innovation and Technology – might see their plans for growth at odds with those in the creative industries and organisations.

    Artists are objecting to a suggested exception to copyright restrictions that would require them to actively “opt out” of their work being used to train AI models, and which benefit AI companies with the presumption that works can be used for that purpose.

    None of this is easy, especially after a long period of austerity in the arts, and a context of global uncertainty. But Nandy’s recent announcement of funding can only be seen as a holding action to halt the deterioration.

    To realise Jennie Lee’s vision, a more substantive, structural approach is needed, one that brings those activities at the grassroots, and at the margins of traditional views of “culture” under the umbrella of funding.

    Adam Behr has received funding from the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the British Academy.

    – ref. UK arts sector is getting a £270 million funding boost – but there are winners and losers – https://theconversation.com/uk-arts-sector-is-getting-a-270-million-funding-boost-but-there-are-winners-and-losers-251340

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –