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Category: Universities

  • MIL-Evening Report: Beyond playgrounds: how less structured city spaces can nurture children’s creativity and independence

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jose Antonio Lara-Hernandez, Senior Researcher in Architecture, Auckland University of Technology

    Getty Images

    Children’s play is essential for their cognitive, physical and social development. But in cities, spaces to play are usually separated, often literally fenced off, from the rest of urban life.

    In our new study, we compare children’s use of such spaces in Auckland, New Zealand, and Venice, Italy. Our findings present a paradox: playgrounds built for safety can stifle creativity and mobility, while self-organising open spaces offer rich opportunities to explore and belong.

    In Auckland, places such as Taumata Reserve are a testimony to contemporary playground design – grassy, shaded, equipped with slides and swings, and buffered from traffic. Such places are an oasis cherished by caregivers for the sense of perceived safety they provide.

    Yet during our observations, we noted how these spaces function not necessarily as an oasis or a point for social encounter, but rather as isolated refuge islands, disconnected from the city’s everyday life. Children’s independent mobility and opportunities for diverse play activities remained limited and predefined.

    Children in urban spaces in Venice are free to find their own spontaneous activities.
    Antonio Lara-Hernandez, CC BY-SA

    Contrast this with Venice’s Santa Croce neighbourhood. Car-free streets and piazzas, such as Campo San Giacomo dell’Orio above, pulsate with life. We saw children play ball, draw on pavements, chase each other and even water plants. These spaces are shared inter-generational stages.

    To compare children’s experience, we measured the diversity of activities (a proxy for creativity). Auckland’s Taumata Reserve scored just 1.46. In contrast, Venice scored 2.33, with more than 2,600 spontaneous acts in the streets, reflecting a child-led play culture.

    Why this matters

    Play is not a luxury. It is a fundamental necessity of life to understand, navigate and adapt to the complexities of the world.

    From a deterministic perspective, contemporary Western cultures (such as in Europe and New Zealand) prescribe diverse benefits of play. This includes learning and developing resilience, spatial awareness and social skills.

    In Auckland, safety is the focus. While inclusion for children with special needs is understandable, it may inadvertently limit the collective capacity for vital and formative developmental experiences at the neighbourhood scale.

    Global research shows declining children’s mobility, linked to car dependency and adult-controlled routines. This reduces children’s activity radius, constrains confidence and diminishes connection to place. For one of us, a father of two, watching his daughters navigate parks underscores this: children need to be able to learn risk competency.

    Venice is a cultural model we can draw lessons from. Its pedestrian streets let children roam, climb statues and play hide-and-seek on bridges. This exposure to risks builds judgement, adaptability and agency. It also makes children co-creators of urban life.

    Children in Venice’s car-free piazza San Giacomo dell’Orio play ball, draw on pavements and chase each other.
    Authors provided, CC BY-SA

    Our study uses what we call “temporary appropriation” – when children use spaces in unplanned, creative ways – and a design framework called SPIRAL, which draws from individual experiences and cultural narratives to build public spaces.

    Auckland’s rules and fences curb this; Venice’s human-scale design invites it.
    Venice’s conditions foster risk competency in children and caregivers, strengthening community bonds through a culture of care. Auckland’s spaces for play are spatially fragmented, limiting social encounters and the risk-taking skills vital for development.

    Auckland’s playgrounds tend to be separated and limit the development of risk-taking skills.
    Shutterstock/Mary Star

    From a New Zealand perspective, it is also essential to recognise the significance of place-based belonging from a Māori worldview. Concepts such as whakapapa (genealogy), whenua (land) and whanaungatanga (relational ties) emphasise deep, inter-generational connections to place.

    In this view, play is not merely recreation but a cultural expression; a way for children to experience turangawaewae (a place to stand).

    What other cities can learn

    From our research, we can draw lessons for how urban spaces might be reimagined to better support children’s wellbeing and autonomy. This includes:

    • Designing public spaces with natural elements, “risky art”, loose parts and creative equipment for open-ended play that balances safety without compromising opportunities for discovery and risk-taking

    • reducing the number of cars and slowing speeds to achieve better outcomes for children

    • reclaiming streets so that all people and animals can have positive adventures

    • prioritising policies for car-free or traffic-calmed areas across neighbourhoods and in proximity to social places (schools, libraries, shops, parks) to contribute to a culture where safety is a collective responsibility and a commitment towards a stronger social cohesion

    • proactively involving children in urban design through place-making and temporary appropriation; it is their right to be heard and listened to through the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child

    • encouraging participatory co-design workshops and action-focused initiatives to harness children’s insights to design spaces that meet needs

    • considering nuanced and emotional indicators for success such as belonging, curiosity, joy and inter-generational exchange rather than just efficiency or maintenance cost

    • and collaboratively modifying the environment over time.

    We envision cities where children roam freely, invent and experience deeper and authentic belonging. Venice proves that shared public spaces help children enrich and shape cities, as much as the rest of the population does.

    Safe playgrounds are only a starting point. For healthy, regenerative and vibrant cities to work, we need to realise that children should have agency to shape the complex assemblage that cities really are. Let’s build urban futures where children don’t just play, but can have positive adventures.

    The choices we make today matter. We can either feed the fear or meet the cultural challenge together by embracing the positive adventures of life, with a sense of collective wellbeing, care and stewardship.

    Jose Antonio Lara-Hernandez received funding for the Horizon 2020 CRUNCH project and was a member of the curatorial team of the Italian Pavilion for the Venice Biennale 2021. He is a senior member of City Space Architecture and the International Society of City and Regional Planners.

    Gregor Mews has previously served as a founding director of the Australian Institute of Play and currently serves as a council board member of City Space Architecture as well as a member of the International Society of City and Regional Planners.

    – ref. Beyond playgrounds: how less structured city spaces can nurture children’s creativity and independence – https://theconversation.com/beyond-playgrounds-how-less-structured-city-spaces-can-nurture-childrens-creativity-and-independence-257481

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Computers tracking us, an ‘electronic collar’: Gilles Deleuze’s 1990 Postscript on the Societies of Control was eerily prescient

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Cameron Shackell, Sessional Academic, School of Information Systems, Queensland University of Technology

    Our cultural touchstones series looks at influential works.

    Gilles Deleuze was one of the most original and imaginative thinkers of postwar France. A lifelong teacher, he spent most of his career at the University of Paris VIII, influencing generations of students but largely shunning the mantle of public intellectual.

    His complex, creative books mix philosophy, literature, film and politics – not to give clear answers, but to spark new ways of thinking.

    Postscript on the Societies of Control, published 35 years ago in the countercultural L’Autre Journal is Deleuze at his most accessible and prophetic.

    Written at a time when the Cold War was ending, computers were becoming more common, and the internet was beginning to connect institutions, the essay describes the emergence of a new kind of society – one not ruled by a single stern voice but by the soft hum of networks.

    How societies work

    Postscript was written as an update to the work of Deleuze’s contemporary Michel Foucault, who had died in 1984. Deleuze called it a “postscript” not just because of its brevity (it’s only around 2,300 words in English translation) but to highlight he wasn’t refuting Foucault, just building on his work.

    Gilles Deleuze.
    Tintinades/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-NC-SA

    From the 18th to early 20th centuries, Foucault had argued, Western societies were “disciplinary societies”. Schools, factories, prisons and hospitals – institutions with walls, schedules, routines and clear expectations – moulded behaviour. People were trained, observed, tested and corrected as they passed from one institution to the next.



    Read more:
    ‘A dark masterpiece’: Foucault’s Discipline and Punish at 50

    But in the late 20th century, Deleuze saw something shifting. He thought the stodgy old disciplinary institutions were “in a generalized crisis” due to technological advances and a new form of capitalism that demanded more flexibility in workers and consumers.

    New systems of management and technology were starting to reshape people without sending them through traditional institutions. Deleuze wrote presciently, for example, that “perpetual training tends to replace the school, and continuous control to replace the examination”.

    In business, he saw a growing idea of “salary according to merit”, transforming work into “challenges, contests, and highly comic group sessions” – something much at odds with the old model of the standard wage and the assembly line. Traditional government institutions like hospitals and the classic factory were embracing the model of the corporation, driven always by a profit motive and the need for better human tools.

    To Deleuze, all this meant people were becoming more “free-floating” – they could be still playing socially useful roles but were being gently steered into them. This greater freedom, however, required a new system to keep everyone in line. He called this “modulation” to underline its dynamic, enveloping nature.

    Like nudging, but everywhere

    Deleuze described modulation as “a self-deforming cast that will continuously change from one moment to the other”. He meant that people were beginning to live in an environment where everything shape-shifts to encourage or discourage us in the right direction without explicitly putting up walls.

    A prime example of how modulation has since become commonplace is nudging – the use of psychological techniques, often subtle and data-driven, to shape people’s behaviour.

    Nudging didn’t really exist in 1990, but governments and tech companies use nudges all the time now. We’re nudged to eat healthier, buy, save, recycle, donate. Web sites use “dark patterns” – tricky designs that steer (or nudge) us toward certain choices. Social media feeds use algorithms to exclude us if we say the wrong thing. In fact, entire teams of behavioural scientists operate behind the scenes to manipulate many aspects of our lives.

    Nudges can be good and can save us from poor choices, but their newfound moral acceptability (sometimes called libertarian paternalism) is very much a clue that Deleuze’s control society has arrived.

    Control in your pocket

    Deleuze, who died in 1995, wrote Postscript before the advent of the smartphone, but he foresaw that an “electronic collar” would assume a central role in society. He envisaged a “computer that tracks each person’s position – licit or illicit – and effects a universal modulation.”

    Smartphones more than fit the bill. In the old disciplinary ways, they track where we go, what we search for, what we buy, how many steps we take, even how well we sleep. But if we apply Deleuze’s ideas to these phones, detailed surveillance is no longer their most important function. Our phones present and curate options.

    In effect, they shape how we see the world. When you scroll through news or social media, for instance, you’re reading about a version of the world built just for you, designed to keep you looking, clicking and reacting – and keep you very finely attuned to what is acceptable or dangerous behaviour.

    In Deleuze’s terms, this is pure modulation: not a forceful “No” but a softly spoken, “How about this?” Your phone doesn’t lock you in – it draws you in. It shapes what you see, rewards your cooperation, ignores your silence, and always keeps score. And it does this 24/7. You might unlock it hundreds of times a day. And each time it’s updated to guide your next move more precisely.

    At the same time our phones quietly turn us into a set of credentials useful for regulating physical access to workplaces, bank accounts, information: In the societies of control, writes Deleuze, “what is important is no longer either a signature or a number, but a code: the code is a password.”

    Data points not people?

    Deleuze warned that, in a control society: “Individuals have become ‘dividuals,’ and masses have become samples, data, markets, or ‘banks.’” A dividual to Deleuze is a person transformed into a set of data points and metrics.

    You are your credit rating, your search history, your likes and clicks – a different dataset to every institution. Such fragments are used to make decisions about you until they effectively replace you. In fact, for Deleuze a dividual has internalised this treatment and thinks of themselves as a net worth, a mortgage size, a car value – psychological anchors for control.

    He illustrates this point with healthcare, predicting a

    new medicine ‘without doctor or patient’ that singles out potential sick people and subjects at risk, which in no way attests to individuation.

    How many health decisions are now made for us collectively before we ever see a doctor? We should be grateful for advances in public health and epidemiology, but this has certainly impacted our individuality and how we are treated.

    Hard to detect

    An unsettling part of Deleuze’s perspective is that control doesn’t usually feel like control. It’s often dressed up as convenience, efficiency or progress. You set up internet-linked video cameras because then you can work from home. You agree to long terms and conditions because your banking app won’t work otherwise.

    One problem is there are no longer clear barriers we can rail against. As Deleuze said:

    In disciplinary societies one was always starting again (from school to the barracks, from the barracks to the factory), while in control societies one is never finished with anything.

    Control doesn’t always crush – it can enable. Digital networks bring real freedom, economic possibility, even joy. We move more easily – both mentally and geographically – than ever before. But while we move, it always inside a kind of invisible map shaped by capitalism.

    It’s no conspiracy because nobody has the whole map. So it’s difficult to work out exactly what action, if any, to take. As Deleuze concludes: “The coils of a serpent are even more complex than the burrows of a molehill.”

    So what can we do?

    Postscript doesn’t offer a political program beyond the sardonic comment that:

    Many young people strangely boast of being ‘motivated’ […] It’s up to them to discover what they’re being made to serve.

    There are ways to resist control. Some people demand more privacy or digital rights. Others opt out selectively – logging off, turning off, refusing to be nudged. Some look to art as a way of resisting its smooth grip. These acts – however small – may offer what Deleuze and his collaborator, the French psychiatrist and philosopher Félix Guattari, called lines of flight: creative ways to move not just against control, but beyond it.

    The real message of Postscript, however, is its invitation to consider a timeless perspective. Any society must have a way to make people useful. So, what kind of society do we want? What kinds of restrictions are we willing to live under? And, crucial to this current age, how explicit should control be?

    Cameron Shackell 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. Computers tracking us, an ‘electronic collar’: Gilles Deleuze’s 1990 Postscript on the Societies of Control was eerily prescient – https://theconversation.com/computers-tracking-us-an-electronic-collar-gilles-deleuzes-1990-postscript-on-the-societies-of-control-was-eerily-prescient-254579

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-Evening Report: NATO’s 5% of GDP defence target ramps up pressure on Australia to spend vastly more

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Parker, Adjunct Fellow, Naval Studies at UNSW Canberra, and Expert Associate, National Security College, Australian National University

    After lobbying by US President Donald Trump, NATO leaders have promised to boost annual defence spending to 5% of their countries’ gross domestic product (GDP) by 2035.

    A NATO statement released this week said:

    United in the face of profound security threats and challenges, in particular the long-term threat posed by Russia to Euro-Atlantic security and the persistent threat of terrorism, allies commit to invest 5% of GDP annually on core defence requirements as well as defence-and security-related spending by 2035.

    This development comes at a tricky time for the Albanese government. It has so far batted away suggestions Australia should increase its defence spending from current levels of around 2% of gross domestic product (GDP), or almost A$59 billion per year (and projected to reach 2.33% of GDP by 2033–34). Trump has called on Australia to increase this to about 3.5%.

    With this NATO agreement, global security deteriorating and defence capability gaps obvious, pressure is mounting on the Australian government to increase defence spending further.

    Pressure from Trump

    A long‑time critic of NATO, Trump and his key officials have castigated NATO’s readiness and spending.

    Meanwhile, Russia’s war on Ukraine, now in its fourth year, and a spate of suspected Russian sabotage across Europe have sharpened concerns about allied preparedness.

    Against this backdrop, the NATO summit saw Trump publicly reaffirms US commitment to the alliance, and European members pledged to lift defence spending.

    What exactly did NATO promise and why?

    The headlines say NATO members agreed to increase annual defence spending to 5% of GDP by 2035.

    In fact, the actual agreement is more nuanced.

    The summit communique, notably shorter than in previous years, broke the pledge down into two parts.

    The first is 3.5% of GDP on what is considered traditional defence spending: ships, tanks, bullets, people and so on.

    The second part – the remaining 1.5% of GDP – is to

    protect our critical infrastructure, defend our networks, ensure our civil preparedness and resilience, unleash innovation, and strengthen our defence industrial base.

    Exactly what strategic resilience initiatives this money will be spent on is up to the individual member nation.

    It might be tempting to paint NATO’s commitment to increased defence spending as evidence of European NATO partners bowing to US political pressure.

    But it’s more than that. It is a direct response to the increased threat posed by Russia to Europe, and perhaps an insurance policy against any doubts European NATO partners may have about the US reliability and enduring commitment to the 76-year-old alliance between the US and Europe.

    However, not all countries are keen on the defence spending commitment, with notable reservations from Spain and Belgium.

    These two countries are yet to meet NATO’s 2014 commitment to spend 2% of GDP on defence.

    What’s all this mean for Australia?

    The commitment to hike NATO defence spending will have an indirect impact on Australia’s own beleaguered defence spending debate.

    As mentioned, Australia’s main strategic ally – the US – has pressured Australia to hike defence spending to 3.5% of GDP, up from around 2.02% of GDP this financial year (which the government projects will reach 2.33% by 2033–34).

    Australia is not the only Indo-Pacific partner being pushed to spend more on defence. Japan is too.

    This is consistent with US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth’s Shangri-La speech in May, when he urged Asian allies to step up on defence spending, pointing to Europe as the model.

    The NATO announcement will likely embolden the US to apply greater pressure on the Australia to increase defence spending.

    Trump’s strategy towards NATO has clearly been to sow ambiguity in the minds of European countries as to the US’ commitment to NATO, to get them to come to the table on defence spending.

    This may well be a future Australia faces, too. It could mean a bumpy road ahead for Australia and its most crucial alliance partner.

    Where to from here?

    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has said Australia will determine its own level of defence spending, and that arbitrary GDP limits are unhelpful. Defence spending, he argues, should be based on capability needs, not demands from allies.

    And he is right, to a point.

    That said, allies have a right to have an expectation all parties in the alliance are holding up their end of the bargain.

    Australian defence spending should be based on the capabilities it needs to resource its stated defence strategy and defend its core interests. Currently, in my view, Australia’s defence capability does not match its current strategy.

    There are clear gaps in Australia’s defence capabilities, including:

    • its aged naval capability
    • a lack of mine warfare, replenishment and survey capabilities
    • a limited ability to protect critical infrastructure against missile attack
    • space capabilities.

    These are key risks, at the moment of possibly most significant strategic circumstances since the second world war.

    In the event of a major crisis or conflict in the region, Australia would not presently be able to defend itself for a prolonged period. To address this requires structural reform and defence investment.

    In response to this week’s NATO announcement, Defence Minister Richard Marles said:

    We have gone about the business of not chasing a number, but thinking about what is our capability need, and then resourcing it.

    During the election campaign both the prime minister and defence minister left the door open to increasing defence spending.

    The real unknown is how long it will take to make it happen, and how much damage it may do in the meantime to Australia’s relationship with the US and overall defence-preparedness.

    Jennifer Parker is affiliated with UNSW Canberra and ANU’s National Security College.

    – ref. NATO’s 5% of GDP defence target ramps up pressure on Australia to spend vastly more – https://theconversation.com/natos-5-of-gdp-defence-target-ramps-up-pressure-on-australia-to-spend-vastly-more-259886

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Jayapal, Frost Introduce Legislation to Decriminalize Homelessness

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Pramila Jayapal (7th District of Washington)

    WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Representatives Pramila Jayapal (WA-07) and Maxwell Frost (FL-10) are introducing legislation on the one-year anniversary of the disastrous City of Grants Pass v. Johnson decision, which allows cities to criminalize homelessness. The Housing Not Handcuffs Act aims to prohibit the criminalization of homeless persons on public lands when there is nowhere else to go. 

    “Every single person in the richest country in the world should be able to have a roof over their head and a safe place to sleep, it’s that simple,” said Jayapal. “There is nowhere in this country where you can pay rent on a minimum wage salary. By criminalizing aspects of homelessness, cities and states across this country are only creating greater barriers for people to access housing — something that is already far too scarce. Fining people who already can’t afford to live makes no sense and will only result in longer-term homelessness.”

    “Since the Grants Pass decision, cities across the country have passed nearly 220 bills to criminalize homelessness, including in my own district. These policies don’t solve homelessness instead they dehumanize our unhoused, saddle them with criminal records, and make it even harder for them to find stable housing. It’s a vicious cycle that the Housing Not Handcuffs Act seeks to end,” said Rep. Maxwell Frost. “At a time when the cost of living is at an all-time high and Trump’s Big Ugly Bill will only help the rich get richer and the working poor get poorer— we’re fighting to make sure everyone has access to safe, decent, and affordable housing, not handcuffs.”

    In 2024, homelessness increased by 18 percent nationwide, with a record high of 771,480 people experiencing homelessness. At the same time, there is a nationwide shortage of 200,000 shelter beds and a shortage of 7.1 million affordable and available rental homes. 

    Since the Grants Pass ruling, over 260 anti-homeless laws have been passed by cities and states. Criminalizing homelessness creates greater barriers to accessing housing. Typically, these punishments come with fines, which create further financial strain on people who can already not afford the basics, and may create a criminal record, making it more difficult to get a job or apply for housing. 

    The Housing Not Handcuffs Act will ensure that people who are homeless cannot be criminally or civilly punished for:

    • Living on federal lands unless safe, decent, accessible shelter is available;
    • Asking for or sharing food, water, money, or other donations in public places;
    • Praying, meditating, or practicing religion in public spaces;
    • Occupying a lawfully parked motor vehicle;
    • Storing their possessions and enjoying privacy in their personal property to the same degree as property in a private dwelling.

    The legislation is sponsored by Yassamin Ansari (AZ-03), Sylvia Garcia (TX-29), Henry C. “Hank” Johnson (GA-04), Jr (GA-04), Summer Lee (PA-12), James P. McGovern (MA-02), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-AL), Delia Ramirez (IL-03), Jan Schakowsky (IL-09), Shri Thanedar (MI-13), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), and Nydia M. Velázquez (NY-07).

    It is also endorsed by A Way Home America; American Civil Liberties Union; Catalyst Montana; Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund; Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO); Equal Justice Under Law ; Fines & Fees Justice Center; Fund for Empowerment; Funders Together to End Homelessness; Health Students Taking Action Together (H-STAT); Homeless Action Center; Homeless and Housing Coalition of Kentucky; Homeless Rights Advocacy Project; Hygiene4All; Invisible People; Justice in Aging; Juvenile Law Center; Kairos Center for Religions, Rights and Social Justice; Law Enforcement Action Partnership; Legal Action Center; Mid-Willamette Valley Community Action Agency; Miriam’s Kitchen; Mountain State Justice, Inc.; National Alliance to End Homelessness; National Coalition for the Homeless; National Harm Reduction Coalition; National Health Care for the Homeless Council; National HIV/AIDS Housing Coalition; National Homelessness Law Center, National Housing Law Project; National Low Income Housing Coalition; National Network to End Domestic Violence; National Vehicle Residency Collective ; One Love World ; Open Table Nashville ; People’s Action; Prison Policy Initiative; RESULTS Educational Fund; Sexual Violence Law Center; Southern Poverty Law Center; Street Books; Street Democracy; University of Miami School of Law Human Rights Clinic; VOCAL-TX; Voice of the Experienced; Voters Organized to Educate; Western Regional Advocacy Project.

    Issues: Housing, Transportation, & Infrastructure, Public Safety & Criminal Justice

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Beyond the big leagues: Concussion care in community sports

    Source:

    27 June 2025

    As sport-related concussions continue to spark global concern, researchers at the University of South Australia (UniSA) are turning their attention to a largely overlooked group – non-professional athletes – calling for more rigorous return-to-play assessments to protect everyday players.

    In a new study, researchers suggest that current return-to-play protocols for semi-elite and community sport athletes might not be enough to ensure the safety of players following a concussion.

    A sports-related concussion is traumatic brain injury that occurs when a hit to the head, neck or body causes a sudden jolt to the brain. It can lead to a range of symptoms, with or without a loss of consciousness.

    Lead author, UniSA’s Dr Hunter Bennett, says repeated concussions have a host of long-term health effects.

    “Concussions are one of the most common injuries across all sorts of sports. But while many sporting organisations have guidelines that dictate the minimum time a player must wait before returning to play, they may not always be enough ensure a full recovery,” Dr Hunter says.

    “In the short-term, returning to sport before a concussion has properly healed can lead to impaired balance, coordination and reaction time, which can increase the risk of injury during sport.

    “In the long-term, the risks are even more serious – from cognitive impairment to neurodegenerative diseases like motor neuron disease, Parkinson’s disease and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

    “Community sportspeople, including children, are particularly vulnerable, as they don’t have the same access to medical support as professional athletes.”

    Dr Bennett says return-to-play decisions for non-professional players should go beyond symptom checks.

    “Instead, they should include symptom-based assessments that test balance, memory, and coordination – key areas affected by concussion ­– in conjunction with personalised rehabilitation plans to support recovery and reduce the risk of reinjury.”

    The Australian Institute of Sport recommends that the earliest a non-professional player can return to play is 21 days after a concussion. For elite players in the AFL or Rugby Australia, the minimum is 12 days.

    But even with those timelines, Dr Bennett says, there are still gaps in how concussions may be assessed and managed at community and school sport levels.

    “There’s a lot of variation in how potential concussions are handled at local levels. And while the intention is always to support and protect the player, sometimes the necessary precautions are not instigated,” Dr Bennett says.

    “Even at professional levels, some research suggests that more than 60% of sports physicians and trainers report feeling pressure from athletes to clear them early, and more than half say they’ve felt pushback from coaches.

    “We know all players – whether professional or not – want to return to their sport as soon as possible, but it’s essential that we take a cautious and individualised approach.

    “Upskilling team clubs, schools and community sports groups to better recognise the signs of concussion, follow proper protocols, and prioritise player wellbeing is key to creating a safer sporting culture at every level.

    “Because when it comes to concussion, it’s not just about getting back on the field – it’s about protecting long-term brain health.”

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    Contact for interview:  Dr Hunter Bennett E: Hunter.Bennett@unisa.edu.au
    Media contact: Annabel Mansfield M: +61 479 182 489 E: Annabel.Mansfield@unisa.edu.au

    Other articles you may be interested in

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: One bad rainstorm away from disaster: why proposed changes to forestry rules won’t solve the ‘slash’ problem

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Bloomberg, Adjunct Senior Fellow, Te Kura Ngahere-New Zealand School of Forestry, University of Canterbury

    Murry Cave/Gisborne District Council, CC BY-SA

    The biggest environmental problems for commercial plantation forestry in New Zealand’s steep hill country are discharges of slash (woody debris left behind after logging) and sediment from clear-fell harvests.

    During the past 15 years, there have been 15 convictions of forestry companies for slash and sediment discharges into rivers, on land and along the coastline.

    Such discharges are meant to be controlled by the National Environmental Standards for Commercial Forestry, which set environmental rules for forestry activities such as logging roads and clear-fell harvesting. The standards are part of the Resource Management Act (RMA), which the government is reforming.

    The government revised the standards’ slash-management rules in 2023 after Cyclone Gabrielle. But it it is now consulting on a proposal to further amend the standards because of cost, uncertainty and compliance issues.

    We believe the proposed changes fail to address the core reasons for slash and sediment discharges.

    We recently analysed five convictions of forestry companies under the RMA for illegal discharges. Based on this analysis, which has been accepted for publication in the New Zealand Journal of Forestry, we argue that the standards should set limits to the size and location of clear-felling areas on erosion-susceptible land.

    Why the courts convicted 5 forestry companies

    In the aftermath of destructive storms in the Gisborne district during June 2018, five forestry companies were convicted for breaches of the RMA for discharges of slash and sediment from their clear-fell harvesting operations. These discharges resulted from landslides and collapsed earthworks (including roads).

    There has been a lot of criticism of forestry’s performance during these storms and subsequent events such as Cyclone Gabrielle. However, little attention has been given to why the courts decided to convict the forestry companies for breaches of the RMA.

    The courts’ decisions clearly explain why the sediment and slash discharges happened, why the forestry companies were at fault, and what can be done to prevent these discharges in future on erosion-prone land.

    New Zealand’s plantation forest land is ranked for its susceptibility to erosion using a four-colour scale, from green (low) to red (very high). Because of the high erosion susceptibility, additional RMA permissions (consents) for earthworks and harvesting are required on red-ranked areas.

    This map shows areas with the highest and lowest susceptibility to erosion.
    David Palmer/Te Uru Rākau, CC BY-SA

    New Zealand-wide, only 7% of plantation forests are on red land. A further 17% are on orange (high susceptibility) land. But in the Gisborne district, 55% of commercial forests are on red land. This is why trying to manage erosion is such a problem in Gisborne’s forests.

    Key findings from the forestry cases

    In all five cases, the convicted companies had consents from the Gisborne District Council to build logging roads and clear-fell large areas covering hundreds or even thousands of hectares.

    A significant part of the sediment and slash discharges originated from landslides that were primed to occur after the large-scale clear-fell harvests. But since the harvests were lawful, these landslides were not relevant to the decision to convict.

    Instead, all convictions were for compliance failures where logging roads and log storage areas collapsed or slash was not properly disposed of, even though these only partly contributed to the collective sediment and slash discharges downstream.

    The court concluded that:

    1. Clear-fell harvesting on land highly susceptible to erosion required absolute compliance with resource consent conditions. Failures to correctly build roads or manage slash contributed to slash and sediment discharges downstream.

    2. Even with absolute compliance, clear-felling on such land was still risky. This was because a significant portion of the discharges were due to the lawful activity of cutting down trees and removing them, leaving the land vulnerable to landslides and other erosion.

    The second conclusion is critical. It means that even if forestry companies are fully compliant with the standards and consents, slash and sediment discharges can still happen after clear-felling. And if this happens, councils can require companies to clean up these discharges and prevent them from happening again.

    This is not a hypothetical scenario. Recently, the Gisborne District Council successfully applied to the Environment Court for enforcement orders requiring clean-up of slash deposits and remediation of harvesting sites. If the forestry companies fail to comply, they can be held in contempt of court.

    A typical scale of clear-felling affected by the June 2018 storms.
    Murry Cave/Gisborne District Council, CC BY-SA

    Regulations are not just red tape

    This illustrates a major problem with the standards that applies to erosion-susceptible forest land everywhere in New Zealand, not just in the Gisborne district. Regulations are not just “red tape”. They provide certainty to businesses that as long as they are compliant, their activities should be free from legal prosecution and enforcement.

    The courts’ decisions and council enforcement actions show that forestry companies can face considerable legal risk, even if compliant with regulatory requirements for earthworks and harvesting.

    Clear-felled forests on erosion-prone land are one bad rainstorm away from disaster. But with well planned, careful harvesting of small forest areas, this risk can be kept at a tolerable level.

    However, the standards and the proposed amendments do not require small clear-fell areas on erosion-prone land. If this shortcoming is not fixed, communities and ecosystems will continue to bear the brunt of the discharges from large-scale clear-fell harvests.

    To solve this problem, the standards must proactively limit the size and location of clear-felling areas on erosion-prone land. This will address the main cause of catastrophic slash and sediment discharges from forests, protecting communities and ecosystems. And it will enable forestry companies to plan their harvests with greater confidence that they will not be subject to legal action.

    Mark Bloomberg receives funding from the government’s Envirolink fund and from local authorities and forestry companies. He is a member of the NZ Institute of Forestry and the NZ Society of Soil Science.

    Steve Urlich 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. One bad rainstorm away from disaster: why proposed changes to forestry rules won’t solve the ‘slash’ problem – https://theconversation.com/one-bad-rainstorm-away-from-disaster-why-proposed-changes-to-forestry-rules-wont-solve-the-slash-problem-258280

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The drought in southern Australia is not over – it just looks that way

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew B. Watkins, Associate research scientist, School of Earth, Atmopshere & Environment, Monash University

    Andrew Watkins

    How often do you mow your lawn in winter? That may seem like an odd way to start a conversation about drought. But the answer helps explain why our current drought has not broken, despite recent rain – and why spring lamb may be more expensive this year.

    Southern Australia has been short of rain for 16 months. Western Victoria, the agricultural regions of South Australia (including Adelaide) and even parts of western Tasmania are suffering record dry conditions. Those rainfall measurements began in 1900 (126 years ago).

    Large parts of southeastern Australia have experienced the lowest rainfall on record over the past 16 months. Serious deficiency means among the driest 10% of such periods on record, Severe deficiency means among the driest 5%.
    Bureau of Meteorology

    Fewer and less intense rain-bearing weather systems have been crossing the southern coastline since February 2024, compared to normal. Put simply, the land has not received enough big dumps of rain.

    But June has finally brought rain to some drought-affected regions. There’s even an emerald green tinge to the fields in certain agricultural areas. But it’s now too cold for plants to really grow fast, meaning farmers will be carting hay and buying extra feed for livestock until the weather warms in spring.

    Lambs in the Adelaide Hills have little to eat without extra feed.
    Saskia Jones

    Too little, too late

    This month, some areas received good rainfall – including places near Melbourne and, to a lesser degree, Adelaide. City people may be forgiven for thinking the drought has broken and farmers are rejoicing. But drought is not that simple.

    Unfortunately, the rainfall was inconsistent, especially further inland. The coastal deluge in parts of southern Australia in early June didn’t extend far north. Traditionally, the start of the winter crop-growing season is marked by 25mm of rain over three days – a so-called “autumn break”. But many areas didn’t receive the break this year.

    The lack of rain (meteorological drought) compounded the lack of water in the soil for crops and pasture (agricultural drought). Parts of Western Australia, SA, Victoria, Tasmania and southern New South Wales had little moisture left in their soils. So some rain is quickly soaked up as it drains into deeper soils.

    To make matters worse, autumn was the warmest on record for southern Australia, following its second-warmest summer on record. This can increase the “thirst” of the atmosphere, meaning any water on the surface is more likely to evaporate. Recent thirsty droughts, such as the 2017–19 Tinderbox Drought in NSW, were particularly hard-hitting.

    Some areas may have experienced “flash drought”, which is when the landscape and vegetation dry up far quicker than you would expect from the lack of rain alone. By May, areas of significantly elevated evaporative stress were present in southeastern SA, Victoria, southern NSW and northern Tasmania.

    In late May and early June, and again this week, there have been winter dust storms in SA. Such dust storms are a bad sign of how dry the ground has become.

    Some regions no longer have enough water to fill rivers and dams (hydrological drought). Water restrictions have been introduced in parts of southwest Victoria and Tasmania. The bureau’s streamflow forecast does not look promising.

    The landscape near Mortlake in western Victoria was still dry in late May. Typically the autumn break (first post-summer rain event of more than 25 mm) occurs here by early May.
    Andrew Watkins

    A green drought

    Remember that lawn mowing analogy? The winter chill has already set in across the south. This means it’s simply too cold for any vigorous new grass growth, and why you are not mowing your lawn very often at the moment.

    Cool temperatures, rather than just low rainfall, also limit pasture growth. While from a distance the rain has added an emerald sheen to some of the landscape, it’s often just a green tinge. Up close, it’s clear there is very limited new growth.

    Rather than abundant and vigorous new shoots, there’s just a little bit of green returning to surviving grasses. This means there’s very limited feed for livestock. To make matters worse, sometimes the green comes from better-adapted winter weeds.

    There will be a lot of hay carting, regardless of rainfall, until spring when the soils start to warm up once again and new growth returns. This all adds up to fewer stock kept in paddocks or a big extra cost in time and money for farmers – and ultimately, a more expensive spring lamb barbecue.

    Is this climate change?

    Southern Australia (southern WA, SA, Tasmania, Victoria and southern NSW) used to experience almost weekly rain events in autumn and early winter. Cold fronts and deep low-pressure systems rolling in from the west brought the bulk of the rainfall.

    Now there is a far more sporadic pattern in these regions. Rainfall in the April to October crop and pasture growing season has declined by around 10–20% since the middle of last century. The strongest drying trend is evident during the crucial months between April and July.

    Further reductions in southern growing season rainfall are expected by the end of this century, especially in southwestern Australia. Southeastern regions, including southern Victoria, parts of SA and northern Tasmania, also show a consistent drying trend, with a greater time spent in drought every decade.

    Drought is complex. Just because it’s raining doesn’t always mean it has rained enough, or at the right time, or in the right place. To make matters worse, a green drought can even deceive us into thinking everything is fine.

    Breaking the meteorological drought will require consistent rainfall over several months. Breaking the agricultural drought will also require more warmth in the soils. Outlooks suggest we may have to wait for spring.

    This article includes scientific contributions from David Jones and Pandora Hope from the Australian Bureau of Meteorology.



    Read more:
    Why is southern Australia in drought – and when will it end?

    Ailie Gallant receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the National Environmental Science Program Climate Systems Hub.

    Pallavi Goswami works at Monash University. She receives funding from the National Environmental Science Program, Climate Systems Hub.

    Andrew B. Watkins 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. The drought in southern Australia is not over – it just looks that way – https://theconversation.com/the-drought-in-southern-australia-is-not-over-it-just-looks-that-way-259543

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Lung cancer screening is about to start. What you need to know if you smoke or have quit

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ian Olver, Adjunct Professsor, School of Psychology, Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences, University of Adelaide

    Magic mine/Shutterstock

    From July, eligible Australians will be screened for lung cancer as part of the nation’s first new cancer screening program for almost 20 years.

    The program aims to detect lung cancer early, before symptoms emerge and cancer spreads. This early detection and treatment is predicted to save lives.

    Why lung cancer?

    Lung cancer is Australia’s fifth most diagnosed cancer but causes the greatest number of cancer deaths.

    It’s more common in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, rural and remote Australians, and lower income groups than in the general population.

    Overall, less than one in five patients with lung cancer will survive five years. But for those diagnosed when the cancer is small and has not spread, two-thirds of people survive five years.

    Who is eligible?

    The lung cancer screening program only targets people at higher risk of lung cancer, based on their smoking history and their age. This is different to a population-wide screening program, such as screening for bowel cancer, which is based on age alone.

    The lung cancer program screens people 50-70 years old with no signs or symptoms of lung cancer such as breathlessness, a persisting cough, coughing up blood, chest pain, becoming very tired or losing weight.

    To be eligible, current smokers must also have a history of at least 30 “pack years”. To calculate this you multiply the number of packets (of 20 cigarettes) you smoke a day by the number of years you’ve been smoking them.

    For instance, if you smoke one packet (20 cigarettes) a day for a year that is one pack year. Smoking two packets a day for six months (half a year) is also a pack year.

    People who have quit smoking in the past ten years but have accumulated 30 or more pack years before quitting are also eligible.

    Heavy smokers aged 50-70 may be eligible for screening.
    Gyorgy Barna/Shutterstock

    What does screening involve?

    Ask your GP or health worker if you are eligible. If you are, you will be referred for a low-dose computed tomography (CT) scan. This uses much lower doses of x-rays than a regular CT but is enough to find nodules in the lung. These are small lumps which could be clumps of cancer cells, inflammatory cells or scarring from old infections.

    Imaging involves lying on a table for 10-15 minutes while the scanner takes images of your chest. So people must also be able to lie flat in a scanner to be part of the program.

    After the scan, the results are sent to you, your GP and the National Cancer Screening Register. You’ll be contacted if the scan is normal and will then be reminded in two years’ time to screen again.

    If your scan has findings that need to be followed, you will be sent back to your GP who may arrange a further scan in three to 12 months.

    If lung cancer is suspected, you will be referred to a lung specialist for further tests.

    What are the benefits and risks?

    International trials show screening people at high risk of lung cancer reduces their chance of dying prematurely from it, and the benefits outweigh any harm.

    The aim is to save lives by increasing the detection of stage 1 disease (a small cancer, 4 centimetres or less, confined to the lung), which has a greater chance of being treated successfully.

    The risks of radiation exposure are minimised by using low-dose CT screening.

    The other greatest risk is a false positive. This is where the imaging suggests cancer, but further tests rule it out. This varies across studies from almost one in ten to one in two of those having their first scan. If imaging suggests cancer, this usually requires a repeat scan. But about one in 100 of those whose imaging suggests cancer but were later found not to have it have invasive biopsies. This involves taking a sample of the nodule to see if it contains cancerous cells.

    Some people will be diagnosed with a cancer that will never cause a problem in their lifetime, for instance because it is slow growing or they are likely to die of other illnesses first. This so-called overdiagnosis varies from none to two-thirds of lung cancers diagnosed, depending on the study.

    Imaging involves a low-dose CT scan.
    Peakstock/Shutterstock

    How much will it cost?

    The Australian government has earmarked A$264 million over four years to screen for lung cancer, and $101 million a year after that.

    The initial GP consultation will be free if your GP bulk bills, or if not you may be charged an out-of-pocket fee for the consultation. This may be a barrier to the uptake of screening. Subsequent investigations and consultations will be billed as usual.

    There will be no cost for the low-dose CT scans.

    What should I do?

    If you are 50-70 and a heavy smoker see your GP about screening for lung cancer. But the greater gain in terms of reducing your risk of lung cancer is to also give up smoking.

    If you’ve already given up smoking, you’ve already reduced your risk of lung cancer. However, since lung cancer can take several years to develop or show on a CT scan, see your GP if you were once a heavy smoker but have quit in the past ten years to see if you are eligible for screening.

    This is the first article in our ‘Finding lung cancer’ series, which explores Australia’s first new cancer screening program in almost 20 years.

    More information about the program is available. If you need support to quit smoking, call Quitline on 13 78 48.

    Ian Olver receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. Lung cancer screening is about to start. What you need to know if you smoke or have quit – https://theconversation.com/lung-cancer-screening-is-about-to-start-what-you-need-to-know-if-you-smoke-or-have-quit-253227

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What do the Bible, the Quran and the Torah say about the justification for war?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Robyn J. Whitaker, Associate Professor, New Testament, & Director of The Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy, University of Divinity

    Wars are often waged in the name of religion. So what do key texts from Christianity, Islam and Judaism say about the justification for war?

    We asked three experts for their views.

    The Bible

    Robyn J. Whitaker, University of Divinity

    The Bible presents war as an inevitable reality of human life. This is captured in the cry of the Teacher in Ecclesiastes:

    for everything there is a season […] a time for war and a time for peace.

    In this sense, the Bible reflects the experiences of the authors and communities who shaped the texts over more than a thousand years as they experienced both victory and defeat as a small nation among the large empires of the ancient near east.

    When it comes to God’s role in war, we cannot shirk from the problematic violence associated with the divine. At times, God orders the Hebrew people to go to war and enact horrendous violence. Deuteronomy 20 is a good example of this: God’s people are sent to war with the blessing of the priest but told to first offer terms of peace. If peace terms are accepted, the town is enslaved. Certain enemies, however, are decreed worthy of total annihilation, and the Hebrew army is commanded to destroy anyone and anything that doesn’t produce food.

    On other occasions, war is interpreted as a tool, a punishment where God uses foreign nations against the Hebrew people because they have gone astray (Judges 2:14). You can also find an underlying ethic to treat the captives of war justly. Moses commands that women captured in war are to be treated as wives, not slaves (Deuteronomy 21), and in 2 Chronicles, captives are allowed to return home.

    In contrast to war as divinely authorised, many of the Hebrew prophets express hope in a time where God will bring peace and people will “neither learn war any more” (Micah 3:4) but rather turn their weapons into tools for agriculture (Isaiah 2:4).

    War is viewed as a result of human sinfulness, something that God will ultimately transform into peace. And that peace (Hebrew: shalom) is more than an absence of war. It is about human flourishing and unity between peoples and God.

    Most of the New Testament was written during the first century CE, when Jews and emerging Christians were a minority within the Roman Empire. The military power of Rome is harshly critiqued as evil in resistance texts such as the Book of Revelation. Many early Christians refused to fight in the Roman army.

    In this context, Jesus says nothing specific about war but generally rejects violence. When Jesus’s disciple Peter seeks to defend him with a sword, Jesus tells him to put away his sword because a sword only leads to more violence (Matthew 26:52). This is consistent with Jesus’s other teachings such as “blessed are the peacemakers” or his commands to “turn the other cheek” when struck or to “love your enemies”.

    The reality is that we find various war ideologies in the Bible’s pages. If you want to find a justification for war in the Bible, you can. If you want to find a justification for peace or pacifism, that is there too. Later Christians would develop ideas of “just war” and pacifism based on biblical ideas, but these are developments rather than explicit within the Bible.

    For Christians, Jesus’s teaching provides an ethical framework for interpreting earlier war texts through the lens of love for enemies. This counterpoint to divine violence and war points readers back to the prophets, whose hopeful visions imagine a world where violence and suffering are no more and peace is possible.

    The Quran

    Mehmet Ozalp, Charles Sturt University

    Islam and Muslims emerged onto the world stage in the hostile environment of the seventh century. In response to major challenges, including warfare, Islam introduced pioneering legal and ethical reforms. The Quran and the Prophet Muhammad’s example laid out clear legal and ethical guidelines for the conduct of war, well before similar frameworks appeared in other societies.

    Islam did this by defining a new term, “jihad” rather than the usual Arabic word for war, “harb”. While harb refers broadly to warfare, jihad was defined within Islamic teachings as a legal, morally justified struggle, which includes but is not limited to armed conflict. In the context of warfare, jihad refers specifically to fighting in a just cause under clear legal and ethical guidelines, rather than belligerent or aggressive warfare.

    Between 610-622, Prophet Muhammad practised active non-violence in the face of the constant suffering, persecution and economic embargo he and his followers endured in Mecca, despite insistent approaches by his followers to take up arms. This showed that armed struggle cannot be taken up within the members of the same society, as this would lead to anarchy.

    After leaving his home town to escape persecution, he established a pluralistic and multi-faith society in Medina. He took active steps to sign treaties with neighbouring tribes. Despite following a deliberate strategy of peace and diplomacy, the hostile Meccans and allied tribes attacked the Muslims in Medina. Engaging these attackers in an armed struggle was unavoidable.

    The permission to fight was given to Muslims by the Quran verses 22:39-40:

    The believers against whom war is waged are given permission to fight in response, for they have been wronged. Surely, God has full power to help them to victory. Those who have been driven from their homeland against all right, for no other reason than that they say, “Our Lord is God” […]

    This passage not only permits armed struggle but also offers a moral justification for just war. It means war is clearly just when defensive — while aggression is unjust and condemned. Elsewhere, the Quran emphasises this point:

    If they withdraw from you and do not fight against you, and offer you peace, then God allows you no way (to war) against them.

    Verse 22:39 outlines two ethical justifications for warfare. The first is when people are driven from their homes (and land) – in other words, through occupation by a foreign power. The second is when people are attacked because of their beliefs to the point of violent persecution and attack.

    Importantly, verse 22:40 includes churches, monasteries and synagogues. If believers in God do not defend themselves, all places of worship would be destroyed, so this is to be prevented by force if necessary.

    The Quran does not allow for aggression, since “God loves not the aggressors” (2:190). It also provides detailed regulations on who is to fight and who is exempted (9:91); when hostilities must cease (2:193); and prisoners should be treated humanely and with fairness (47:4).

    Verses such as 2:294 emphasise that warfare and any response to violence and aggression must be proportional and within limits:

    Whoever attacks you, attack them in like manner as they attacked you. Nevertheless, fear God and remain within the bounds.

    In the event of unavoidable war, every opportunity to end it must be pursued:

    But if the enemy inclines towards peace, then you must also incline towards peace and trust in God.

    The aim of military action is to end hostilities and remove the reason for warfare, not to humiliate or annihilate the enemy.

    Military jihad cannot be pursued for personal ambition or to further nationalistic or ethnic disputes. Muslims cannot wage war on nations that have no hostility towards them (60:8). But if there is open hostility and attack, Muslims have a right to defend themselves.

    The Prophet and the early caliphs specifically warned military leaders and all combatants that they must not act treacherously or engage in indiscriminate killing and pillage. He said:

    Do not kill women, children, the elderly, or the sick. Do not destroy palm trees or burn houses.

    Because of these teachings, Muslims have had legal and ethical guidelines throughout much of history to help limit human suffering caused by war.

    The Torah

    Suzanne D. Rutland, University of Sydney

    Judaism is not a pacifist religion, but in its traditions it values peace above all else, and prayers for peace are central to Jewish liturgy. At the same time, there is a recognition of the need to fight defensive wars, but only within certain boundaries.

    In the Torah, the Five Books of Moses, the recognition of the need for war is clear. Throughout their journeying in the desert, the Israelites (Children of Israel) fight various battles. At the same time, in Deuteronomy, the Israelites are instructed (chapter 12, verse 10):

    When you go forth against your enemies and are in camp, then you should keep yourself from every evil thing.

    The story of Amalek is the symbol of ultimate evil in Jewish tradition. Scholars argue this is because his army attacked the Israelites from the rear – killing defenceless women and children.

    The Torah also stresses that army service is compulsory. Yet, Deuteronomy elaborates four categories of people who are exempt:

    • someone who has built a home but has not yet dedicated it
    • someone who has planted a vineyard but has not yet eaten of its fruit
    • someone who is engaged or in his first year of marriage
    • someone who is afraid, in case he influences other soldiers with his fear.
    Judaism is not a pacifist religion, but in its traditions it values peace above all else.
    Shutterstock

    It is important to point out that the disdain of war is so strong that King David was not permitted to build the temple in Jerusalem because of his military career. His son, Solomon, was allocated this task, but no iron was to be used in the building because this represented war and violence, while the temple was to represent peace, the ideal virtue.

    The vision of peace for all humanity is further developed in the prophetic writings and the concept of the Messiah. This is seen particularly in the writings of the prophet Isiah, who envisaged an age when, as he describes in his idyllic vision:

    they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning hooks; nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.

    The Mishnah, the first part of the Talmud, raises the concept of an “obligatory war” (milhemet mizvah). This encompasses the biblical wars against the seven nations said to inhabit the Promised Land, the war against Amalek, and the Jewish nation’s defensive wars. It is, accordingly, a clearly defined and recognisable class.

    Not so the second category, “permitted war” (milhemet reshut), which is more open-ended and, as scholar Avi Ravitsky writes, “could relate to a preemptive war”.

    After the Talmudic period, which ended in the 7th century, this debate became theoretical, since Jews living in Palestine and the diaspora no longer had an army. This was largely the case from the time of the defeat of the Bar Kokhba Rebellion against the Romans (132–135 CE), apart from a few small Jewish kingdoms in Arabia.

    However, with the return of the early Zionist pioneers to the Land of Israel in the late 19th and 20th century, the rabbinic debates of what constitutes an obligatory, defensive war and what is a permitted war, as well as the characteristics of a forbidden war has reignited. This is a subject of deep concern and controversy for both academics and rabbis today.

    Robyn J. Whitaker is affiliated with The Wesley Centre for Theology, Ethics, and Public Policy.

    Mehmet Ozalp is affiliated with Islamic Sciences and Research Academy

    Suzanne Rutland has received an Australian Research Council grant for her research on the Australian Jewry and funding from the Pratt Foundation, as well as an Australian Prime Ministers Centre (APMC) fellowship for her research on Soviet Jewry and Australia. She is also involved with numerous NGOs, including the Australian Jewish Historical Society (patron), the Australian Association for Jewish Studies (past president and committee member), and the Australian government’s expert delegation to the International Holocaust Remembrance Alliance. In addition, she is a board member of the Freilich Project for the Study of Bigotry at ANU; she is on an academic advisory committee at the Sydney Jewish Museum; she is the director of the Australian Academic Alliance Against Antisemitism; and she is an Australian board member for Boys Town Jerusalem and a board member of Better Balance Futures for faith communities These roles are all undertaken in an honorary capacity. She is also writing the history of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry in an honorary capacity.

    – ref. What do the Bible, the Quran and the Torah say about the justification for war? – https://theconversation.com/what-do-the-bible-the-quran-and-the-torah-say-about-the-justification-for-war-259679

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Whatever happened to the Albanese government’s wellbeing agenda?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Sollis, Research Fellow, University of Tasmania

    DavideAngelini/Shutterstock

    The Albanese government devoted time and energy in its first term to developing a wellbeing agenda for the economy and society.

    It was a passion project of Treasurer Jim Chalmers, who wanted better ways to measure national welfare beyond traditional economic indicators such as growth, jobs and inflation.

    Chalmers developed the Measuring What Matters framework to try to better align economic, social and environmental goals as

    part of a deliberate effort to put people and progress, fairness and opportunity at the very core of our thinking about our economy and our society.

    As Labor settles into its second term, what has happened to its wellbeing agenda? And how much was a poor consultation process to blame for it apparently falling by the wayside?

    Measuring What Matters

    Measuring What Matters was badged as a wellbeing framework to improve the lives of Australians and help better inform policy-making across all levels of government.

    It tracked 50 indicators spread across five overarching themes:

    • healthy
    • secure
    • sustainable
    • cohesive
    • prosperous.

    There was also a standalone indicator on life satisfaction.

    The data is updated annually by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, with the Treasury due to report on outcomes every three years.

    The first Measuring What Matters statement in 2023 showed improvements across some indicators, such as life expectancy, job opportunities and accepting diversity. But it also revealed higher rates of chronic illness and problems with housing affordability.

    The fanfare surrounding the release has since fizzled, and wellbeing is now seldom mentioned.

    Furthermore, there is little evidence insights have been taken up by the government. The Australian National Audit Office recently noted the challenge of embedding Measuring What Matters in policy, as well as the absence of any evaluation work to gauge its effectiveness.

    The wellbeing agenda appears to have been sidelined for two reasons: an insufficient consultation process to properly develop the framework, and the cost-of-living crisis.

    Poor consultation

    Wellbeing frameworks have high potential to impact policy. But they need to be developed and implemented in the right way.

    One crucial factor is adequate community engagement, which would have helped ensure accurate representation of what people truly value in terms of wellbeing. Done properly, it could also have secured buy-in from the community, depoliticised the initiative, and even strengthened democracy.

    But adequate time was not taken to get the consultation process right, with the government in a rush to release Measuring What Matters. Announced in the October 2022 Budget, two consultation phases were undertaken.

    The first, mainly with technical experts, took three months. The second, which sought feedback from individuals and community groups, was even shorter. It was over in just one month.

    Measuring What Matters was released shortly after, in July 2023.

    Our research, recently published in the Australian Journal of Social Issues, analysed the public consultation phase. We found it was inadequate across four areas.

    Comprehensiveness: the timeframe for phase two was too short to allow organisations and communities to meaningfully engage.

    Reach: there was limited engagement with the general public.

    Transparency: the community was not informed how feedback would be incorporated in the framework and no consultation report was published.

    Genuineness: while some feedback was incorporated in the framework, key topics raised in the consultation were not acted on, including greater involvement of First Nations people.

    Greater community engagement would have ensured the framework, and any policy it produced, better reflected what Australians value for their wellbeing. It would have also promoted people’s ownership of the framework, helping to foster greater understanding and support for the initiative.

    Although Measuring What Matters is now established, it is not too late to realise proper community engagement.

    Taboo subject

    The other factor to run interference was the cost-of-living crisis, which dominated the government’s first term.

    Ministers were hesitant to talk about much else. Any references to wellbeing, which for some may elicit images of people meditating or practising yoga, might have been seen as risky.

    This is a shame. Wellbeing policies have the potential to improve people’s lives.

    We can draw some inspiration from an alliance of countries, including New Zealand, Scotland, Finland, Iceland and Wales, which have at various times put people’s wellbeing at the forefront of policy development and evaluation.

    For example, while progress has been slow and there have been key challenges to overcome, the Welsh Well-being of Future Generations Act has led to policy changes such as a moratorium on roads being built to improve people’s health and the environment.

    Perhaps if the Albanese government had leaned in to its own wellbeing framework to help navigate the cost-of-living crisis, people may have fared better.

    The agenda’s future?

    The Albanese government’s large majority gives it space to revitalise its wellbeing framework.

    Undertaking a national conversation, similar to the one rolled out in Wales, would help build grassroots support and ensure it truly “measures what matters” to people.

    A stronger Measuring What Matters would not only provide the electorate with a clear indication the government is listening, but would also help ensure policy improves people’s lives in a meaningful way.

    Kate Sollis is a consultant to the Wellbeing Government initiative at the Centre for Policy Development and President of the Bega Valley Data Collective. She was previously employed at the Australian Bureau of Statistics

    Paul Campbell is a research fellow, whose work is supported by the ANU-Australian Capital Territory (ACT) Government Wellbeing Framework research partnership. He was previously employed by the Australian Bureau of Statistics.

    Nicholas Drake 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. Whatever happened to the Albanese government’s wellbeing agenda? – https://theconversation.com/whatever-happened-to-the-albanese-governments-wellbeing-agenda-258580

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 26 June 2025 Departmental update WHO’s work on oral health honoured with prestigious Aubrey Sheiham Award

    Source: World Health Organisation

    WHO’s Global Strategy and  Action Plan on Oral Health 2023–2030 has been awarded the Aubrey Sheiham Award for Distinguished Research in Dental Public Health Sciences by the International Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (IADR)—a non-governmental organization in official relations with WHO.

    This marks a historic milestone—it is the first time a normative global health policy, rather than a scientific paper, has received this prestigious recognition. The award underscores the transformative power of evidence-informed, system-level reforms and affirms the collective efforts of WHO technical teams, Member States, partners, and the broader oral health community in shaping the global oral health agenda.

    The Aubrey Sheiham Award is named in honour of the late Professor Aubrey Sheiham from the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health at University College London, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland—a pioneering advocate for public health-oriented, evidence-based approaches in oral health. His legacy continues to inspire the global integration of oral health within noncommunicable diseases, universal health coverage and development agendas.

    “The recognition of the Global strategy and action plan on oral health with this award is a powerful validation of our shared commitment to advancing oral health as a key pillar of global health,” said Dr Benoit Varenne, Dental Officer in WHO’s oral health programme. “It reflects the consensus that oral diseases are a major public health issue that needs a response embedded into a broader primary health care systems reform.”

    WHO will be donating the prize money to the One World campaign—a gesture that aligns with the spirit of the award and supports broader public health engagement and resource mobilization.

    The award will be formally presented at the IADR Conference in Barcelona on Thursday, 26 June from 17:30 to 18:30 (CEST).

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI: Alto Ingredients, Inc. Names Gilbert Nathan Chair, Dianne Nury Vice-Chair and Elects Two New Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    – Jeremy T. Bezdek is a seasoned expert in energy transition –

    – Alan R. Tank has played pivotal roles in advancing renewable energy, including decarbonization –

    PEKIN, Ill., June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Alto Ingredients, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALTO), leading producer and distributor of specialty alcohols, renewable fuels, and essential ingredients, named Gilbert Nathan Chair and Dianne Nury Vice-Chair of the board of directors and announced that Alan R. Tank and Jeremy T. Bezdek were elected as directors at the Company’s annual meeting on June 25th.

    “I am honored to serve as Chairman and look forward to working with the Board and management as we progress on our strategic initiatives to increase shareholder value,” said Gilbert Nathan, Chair of Alto Ingredients. “We welcome our new board members and are excited to add their wealth of experience and expertise.”

    “We are thrilled to welcome distinguished industry leaders to our board of directors,” said Bryon McGregor, CEO of Alto Ingredients. “As an entrepreneur, investor, and strategic advisor, Alan has played pivotal roles in advancing renewable energy, including decarbonization. Jeremy’s expertise in capital raising, complex transactions, and operational excellence will be invaluable as Alto Ingredients continues to expand our market presence. Together with the board, their vision and experience will be instrumental as we accelerate our growth strategy and advance our commitment to sustainability and innovation.”

    Jeremy T. Bezdek is an accomplished senior executive with three decades of experience in leadership, business development, M&A, strategy execution, project development, investment origination, finance and commercial roles across the energy, renewables, and advanced manufacturing sectors. He has large company and startup experience and served on ten boards of directors, both public and private, since 2010. As president and founder of Ad Astra Advisors, Mr. Bezdek provides strategic advisory services, guiding companies through strategy, complex transactions, growth, fundraising, and organizational priorities. Mr. Bezdek spent 26 years with Koch Industries in a variety of finance and commercial leadership roles, including managing director of Koch Strategic Platforms, an investment arm of Koch Investment Group. In that role, he led investments in the energy transition vertical for Koch Strategic Platforms. He spent most of his career at a Koch subsidiary Flint Hills Resources where he directed multi-billion-dollar investments and transformative growth initiatives. Under his leadership, the team was very active in acquisitions, divestitures, and joint ventures, as well as making multiple investments in early-stage development companies related to refining, biofuels and chemicals industries.

    Mr. Bezdek has a B.S. in Business Administration, concentration in finance, from the University of Kansas.

    Alan R. Tank brings more than three decades of executive leadership and board experience across the agriculture, food, and renewable energy sectors. Since 2024, Mr. Tank has served as an advisor to Mercator Partners, an asset management platform that invests in decarbonization opportunities. Since 2022, he has served as an advisor to Eion Corp, a carbon capture and removal company. Since 2017, he has served as an executive advisor to Blue Sea Capital, a private equity firm focusing on the industrial growth, aerospace and healthcare sectors. Since 2015, he has co-owned and managed Tank Brothers Farm/Tank Customs, his family farm in eastern Iowa, as its managing member. Until 2016, Mr. Tank served as chief executive officer and managing partner of Revolution Energy Solutions, a company he co-founded in 2006 that developed, owned and operated renewable energy/waste-to-energy projects on agricultural platforms in the US. In 2001, Mr. Tank also founded AgCert International, a world leader in the production and sale of agriculturally derived greenhouse gas emission reductions used to satisfy the Kyoto Protocol and European Union Emission Trading Scheme requirements and served as its chief executive officer until 2005. He serves on the board to WestMET Group and Victory Hemp Foods.

    Mr. Tank holds a B.S. in Animal Science, from Iowa State University.

    About Alto Ingredients, Inc.
    Alto Ingredients, Inc. (NASDAQ: ALTO) is a leading producer and distributor of specialty alcohols, renewable fuels and essential ingredients. Leveraging the unique qualities of its facilities, the company serves customers in a wide range of consumer and commercial products in the Health, Home & Beauty; Food & Beverage; Industry & Agriculture; Essential Ingredients; and Renewable Fuels markets. For more information, please visit www.altoingredients.com. 

    Media and Company IR Contact:
    Michael Kramer, Alto Ingredients, Inc., 916-403-2755
    Investorrelations@altoingredients.com 

    IR Agency Contact:
    Kirsten Chapman, Alliance Advisors Investor Relations, 415-433-3777
    Investorrelations@altoingredients.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Streaming giants have helped bring Korean dramas to the world – but much is lost in translation

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sung-Ae Lee, Lecturer, Macquarie University

    In less than a decade, Korean TV dramas (K-dramas) have transmuted from a regional industry to a global phenomenon – partly a consequence of the rise of streaming giants.

    But foreign audiences may not realise the K-dramas they’ve seen on Netflix don’t accurately represent the broader Korean TV landscape, which is much wider and richer than these select offerings.

    At the same time, there are many challenges in bringing this wide array of content to the rest of the world.

    The rise of hallyu

    Korean media was transformed during the 1990s. The end of military dictatorship led to the gradual relaxation of censorship.

    Satellite media also allowed the export of K-dramas and films to the rest of East Asia, and parts of Southeast Asia. Some of the first K-dramas to become popular overseas included What Is Love (1991–92) and Star in My Heart (1997). They initiated what would later become known as the Korean wave, or hallyu.

    The hallyu expansion continued with Winter Sonata (2003), which attracted viewers in Japan, Malaysia and Indonesia. Dae Jang Geum/Jewel in the Palace (2005) resonated strongly in Chinese-speaking regions, and was ultimately exported to more than 80 countries.

    A breakthrough occurred in 2016. Netflix entered South Korea and began investing in Korean productions, beginning with Kingdom (2019–21) and Love Alarm (2019–21).

    In 2021, the global hit Squid Game was released simultaneously in 190 countries.

    But Netflix only scratches the surface

    Last year, only 20% of new K-drama releases were available on Western streaming platforms. This means global discussions about K-dramas are based on a limited subgroup of content promoted to viewers outside South Korea.

    Moreover, foreign viewers will generally evaluate this content based on Western conceptions of culture and narrative. They may, for instance, have Western preferences for genre and themes, or may disregard locally-specific contexts.

    This is partly why Korean and foreign audiences can end up with very different ideas of what “Korean” television is.

    Genres

    When a K-drama is classified as a sageuk (historical drama) but also incorporates elements of fantasy, mythology, romance, melodrama, crime fiction and/or comedy, foreign audiences may dismiss it as “genre-confused”. Or, they may praise it for its “genre-blending”.

    But the drama may not have been created with much attention to genre at all. The highly inventive world-building of pre-Netflix dramas such as Arang and the Magistrate (2012) and Guardian: The Lonely and Great God (2016) prominently feature all the aforementioned genres.

    While foreign viewers may think visual media begins with readily identifiable genres, many K-dramas aren’t produced on this premise.

    Themes

    Western viewers (and other viewers watching through a Western lens) might assume “liberal” themes such as systemic injustice, women’s rights and collusion in politics entered K-dramas as a result of Western influence. But this is a misconception.

    The emergence of such themes can be attributed to various changes in Korean society, including the easing of censorship, rapid modernisation, and the imposition of neoliberal economics by the International Monetary Fund in 1997.

    Although gender disparities still exist in South Korea, economic uncertainty and modernisation have prompted a deconstruction of patriarchal value systems. Female-centred K-dramas have been around since at least the mid-2000s, with women’s independence as a recurring theme in more recent dramas.

    Local contexts

    A major barrier to exporting K-dramas is the cultural specificity of certain elements, such as Confucian values, hierarchical family dynamics, gender codes, and Korean speech codes.

    The global success of a K-drama comes down to how well its culturally-specific elements can be adapted for different contexts and audiences.

    In some cases, these elements may be minimised, or entirely missed, by foreign viewers.

    For example, in Squid Game, the words spoken by the killer doll in the first game are subtitled as “green light, red light”. What the doll actually says is “mugunghwa-kkochi pieot-seumnida”, which is also what the game is called in Korean.

    This translates to “the mugunghwa (Rose of Saron) has bloomed”, with mugunghwa being South Korea’s national flower.

    These words, in this context, are meant to ironically redefine South Korea as a site of hopelessness and death. But the subtitles erase this double meaning.

    It’s also difficult for subtitles to reflect nuanced Korean honorific systems of address. As such, foreign viewers remain largely oblivious to the subtle power dynamics at play between characters.

    All of this leads to a kind of cultural “flattening”, shifting foreign viewers’ focus to so-called universal themes.

    A case study for global success

    Nevertheless, foreign viewers can still engage with many culturally-specific elements in K-dramas, which can also serve as cultural literacy.

    The hugely successful series Extraordinary Attorney Woo (2022) explores the personal and professional challenges faced by an autistic lawyer.

    Director Yoo In-sik described the series as distinctly Korean in both its humour and the legal system it portrays, and said he didn’t anticipate its widespread popularity.

    Following success in South Korea, the series was acquired by Netflix and quickly entered the top 10 most popular non-English language shows.

    The global appeal can be attributed to its sensitive portrayal of the protagonist, the problem-solving theme across episodes, and what Yoo describes as a kind and considerate tone. Viewers who resonate with these qualities may not even need to engage with the Korean elements.

    Many K-dramas that achieve global success also feature elements typically considered “Western”, such as zombies.

    While the overall number of zombie-themed productions is low, series and films such as Kingdom (2019–21), All of Us Are Dead (2022), Alive (2020) and Train to Busan (2016) have helped put Korean content on the map.

    One potential effect of the zombie popularity may be the displacement of Korean mythological characters, such as fox spirits, or gumiho, which have traditionally held significant narrative space.

    Shin Min-ah and Lee Seung-gi star in the acclaimed romantic comedy series My Girlfriend is a Gumiho (2010).
    IMDB

    Local production under threat

    The influence of streaming giants such as Netflix is impacting South Korea’s local production systems.

    One consequence has been a substantial increase in production costs, which local companies can’t compete with.

    The early vision of low-cost, high-return projects such as Squid Game is rapidly diminishing.

    Meanwhile, Netflix is exploring other locations, such as Japan, where dramas can be produced for about half the price of those in Korea. If this continues, the rise of Korean content may slow down.

    Sung-Ae Lee 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. Streaming giants have helped bring Korean dramas to the world – but much is lost in translation – https://theconversation.com/streaming-giants-have-helped-bring-korean-dramas-to-the-world-but-much-is-lost-in-translation-257547

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Brands want us to trust them. But as the SPF debacle shows, they need to earn it

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Harrison, Director, Master of Business Administration Program (MBA); Co-Director, Better Consumption Lab, Deakin University

    It’s quite unsettling to discover something so central to our cultural rituals – the “slop” in the Aussie mantra of “Slip! Slop! Slap!” – can no longer be trusted.

    We’ve never really had to scrutinise sunscreen. We slop it on because Sid the Seagull (in his role as spokesbird for the Cancer Council) told us to. We’ve learned about sun protection factors (SPF) and made choices to protect ourselves. We do it because it works.

    Or so we thought.

    Consumer group Choice recently tested 20 sunscreen brands and found only four met their labelled SPF claims. The findings have shaken consumers’ trust in the brands that make these products, and perhaps, in the institutions responsible for regulating them.

    Trust is the silent architecture of our lives that makes everything from catching a bus to undergoing surgery feel possible. Indeed, we are born into trust. From infancy, we are wired to trust, first in our caregivers, then later in life in the cues and symbols such as endorsements, SPF ratings, brands or rankings that help us navigate a complex world.

    It’s also why we rarely read the fine print or terms and conditions.

    The original Sid the Seagull video from the Cancer Council.

    The role of power in trust relationships

    Trust, and its erosion in public life, has become such a critical issue that the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission has made it a focus of Friday’s Consumer Congress, titled “Who can we trust? Regulating in an environment of declining consumer trust”.

    Something that is often missed in discussions around trust is that it is also a social arrangement, shaped by power and vulnerability. Trust is nearly always asymmetric; those with the least power are usually required to place their trust first and most fully.

    The powerful rarely have to reciprocate that vulnerability. They hold the information, set the rules and shape the narrative. When things go wrong, the powerful often walk away relatively unscathed, while the vulnerable are left to navigate complex complaints or refund systems.

    Increasingly, we are told to be savvy, to read the fine print and to “do the research”.
    But putting the responsibility on the individual reframes structural failures as personal shortcomings. It places the burden of vigilance and scrutiny on people who lack the time or expertise to meaningfully assess risk.

    A breach of faith

    The issue is compounded by a wider trend across many businesses that have misread their relationship with consumers. Much of our trust in brands is automatic.

    We are more inclined to trust claims from familiar or warm-sounding sources, with research showing warmth comes first. People tend to judge others and institutions by their perceived warmth before considering their competence. So a brand that feels benevolent often earns our trust before we assess its actual performance.

    Qantas, a brand that built its entire identity around the idea that it was “us”, trashed our trust when it began acting like a transactional retail business, rather than one built on relationships.

    Management and the board failed to grasp they had been given something rare: a kind of cultural endearment underpinned by trust and perceived reciprocity that made Australians feel personally invested in its success.

    While Qantas does retain market share, the erosion of this emotional bond means many customers are more willing to try its competitors. It will struggle to rebuild that trust simply with price deals or heartstring-tugging ad campaigns.

    One of Qantas’ ad campaigns with an emotional appeal to customers.

    The response matters

    For organisations such as the Cancer Council, whose trustworthiness is built on moral authority, the response to failure matters deeply. Its decision to acknowledge the findings and commit to retesting was more than public relations. It was an act of relational repair.

    In contrast, some of the other corporate brands in the survey responded by disputing Choice’s methodology. That reveals an outdated corporate reflex – one that attacks the messenger rather than engaging with the message. This defensive posture reflects a mindset shaped more by legal risk and brand control than by public accountability or ethical responsibility.

    Still, individual responses are not enough. We need systems designed with human limits in mind. Trust cannot be sustained if it is constantly tested by complexity, misinformation and opaque accountability.

    Consumer bodies such as Choice provide a public service by filling the gap between what people assume and what they can verify. But more broadly, businesses and regulators must treat trust as a relationship, not a marketing goal.

    The system needs to prevent harm, not deal with the fallout

    Rebuilding trust means putting people at the centre of consumer regulation. A human-centred system does not treat people as problems to be managed. It treats them as participants in a shared moral project. It requires systems grounded in evidence, designed around real human behaviour and focused on preventing harm rather than managing fallout.

    One way to do this is through collaborative regulation. This approach brings together consumer representatives, regulators, behavioural experts and industry to design rules and standards that reflect how people actually behave (as opposed to how we hope they behave). This reduces asymmetries of power, and ensures trust is earned and maintained over time.

    This collaborative approach has been successfully adopted in local government and health. But it only works when collaboration is approached in good faith by all parties, not just a “tick-the-box” exercise.

    Of course, this approach runs counter to a legal system that tends to prioritise the system over the people it serves, and process over outcomes. But the goal shouldn’t be to force better ideas into outdated frameworks. Instead, we should design systems that lead to better outcomes for everyone.

    Paul Harrison has received research funding from ASIC, the Consumer Action Law Centre, ACCAN, Victorian Health Association, and the Therapeutic Goods Administration.

    – ref. Brands want us to trust them. But as the SPF debacle shows, they need to earn it – https://theconversation.com/brands-want-us-to-trust-them-but-as-the-spf-debacle-shows-they-need-to-earn-it-259565

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Dr. Bruce T. Liang Reappointed Dean of UConn School of Medicine

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    The University of Connecticut has reappointed Dr. Bruce T. Liang to a third five-year term as dean of its UConn School of Medicine, effective July 1, 2025.

    Liang has served in this UConn leadership role since 2015, in addition to serving UConn Health and his heart patients as a cardiovascular physician-scientist at the Pat and Jim Calhoun Cardiology Center of UConn Health.

    Dean Liang speaking with UConn Provost Anne D’Alleva on April 23 at the launch event for the ‘Because of UConn’ Campaign, the largest in University history. (Peter Morenus/UConn Photo)

    “His continued leadership reflects the strong foundation he has built and the significant progress achieved over the past decade,” shared UConn Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs Anne D’Alleva in her announcement.

    Liang is applauded for leading the School of Medicine through a period of meaningful growth and advancement. During his last five-year term alone, he oversaw the full implementation of the MDelta curriculum, which has enriched the educational experience for students and improved outcomes. The School has also expanded its class size, exceeding the initial targets set by Bioscience Connecticut, a state investment launched in 2011 to position Connecticut as a leader in biomedical research and innovation. In addition, Liang led the development of a Science Strategy Plan aligned with the University’s priorities, recruited exceptional faculty, and helped drive an increase in NIH funding. In fact, under Liang’s leadership the medical school has received record-breaking research grant funding of over $100 million year after year. Plus, collaborative partnerships with Jackson Laboratories and Connecticut Children’s have deepened, further elevating the School’s research profile.

    UConn’s medical school proudly remains the top contributor to Connecticut’s health care workforce, with many graduates staying in the state to practice. Its Graduate Medical Education programs have robustly grown and now rank in the top 10% nationally. The School is also a significant producer of many new scientists and public health experts.

    Dr. Bruce T. Liang delivering his 2025 Commencement address to the graduating medical students in the Class of 2025. (Thomas Hurlbut Photography)

    Liang has also strengthened community service programs, securing major grants, supporting the Urban Service Track, Area Health Education Center, Health Career Opportunity Programs, and Office of Multicultural and Community Affairs, as well as expanding care access through clinics serving immigrants in the state.

    During his past term as dean, Liang also served as Interim CEO of UConn Health, for more than two years, guiding the institution through a key leadership transition with professionalism, growth, integrity, and a clear commitment to the university’s mission.

    “Please join me in congratulating Dr. Liang on his reappointment and thanking him for his continued service to UConn Health and the University of Connecticut,” said D’Alleva.

    “Thank you to the Provost, the University of Connecticut, and UConn Health for once again entrusting me to take our amazing medical school and its people, along with their innovative medicine, medical education, and research to even greater pinnacles,” said Liang. “It makes me so proud to be reappointed to serve as your dean for a third time— and to be a UConn Husky.”

    Liang is an internationally recognized cardiologist and researcher and national leader in academic medicine. He has been consistently named one of America’s Top Doctors and Best Doctors in America for cardiovascular disease care. His cutting-edge translational research contributions have advanced scientific knowledge about heart disease. His latest research investigations have developed a new potential medication for advanced heart failure patients. His research has been continuously funded since 1986 by the NIH, the American Heart Association, and the U.S. Department of Defense.

    Dr. Liang applauding the research poster of a public health student trainee at UConn School of Medicine. (Photo by Tharun Palla/Public Health Sciences)

    In addition to serving as the longtime dean of UConn School of Medicine, he is the Ray Neag Distinguished Professor of Cardiovascular Biology and Medicine. Before joining the UConn Health faculty in 2002, for 13 years he served the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine as associate professor of medicine and pharmacology. Liang received his bachelor’s degree from Harvard in biochemistry and molecular biology and his medical degree from Harvard Medical College. He completed his internal medicine internship and residency training at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania and cardiology fellowship training at Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School.

    He is a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), American College of Cardiology, and the American Heart Association, and is an elected member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the Association of University Cardiologists, the Council on Clinical Cardiology and Basic Cardiovascular Sciences, and the Connecticut Academy of Science and Engineering.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Toxic algae blooms are lasting longer than before in Lake Erie − why that’s a worry for people and pets

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Gregory J. Dick, Professor of Biology, University of Michigan

    A satellite image from Aug. 13, 2024, shows an algal bloom covering approximately 320 square miles (830 square km) of Lake Erie. By Aug. 22, it had nearly doubled in size. NASA Earth Observatory

    Federal scientists released their annual forecast for Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms on June 26, 2025, and they expect a mild to moderate season. However, anyone who comes in contact with toxic algae can face health risks. And 2014, when toxins from algae blooms contaminated the water supply in Toledo, Ohio, was a moderate year, too.

    We asked Gregory J. Dick, who leads the Cooperative Institute for Great Lakes Research, a federally funded center at the University of Michigan that studies harmful algal blooms among other Great Lakes issues, why they’re such a concern.

    The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s prediction for harmful algal bloom severity in Lake Erie compared with past years.
    NOAA

    1. What causes harmful algal blooms?

    Harmful algal blooms are dense patches of excessive algae growth that can occur in any type of water body, including ponds, reservoirs, rivers, lakes and oceans. When you see them in freshwater, you’re typically seeing cyanobacteria, also known as blue-green algae.

    These photosynthetic bacteria have inhabited our planet for billions of years. In fact, they were responsible for oxygenating Earth’s atmosphere, which enabled plant and animal life as we know it.

    The leading source of harmful algal blooms today is nutrient runoff from fertilized farm fields.
    Michigan Sea Grant

    Algae are natural components of ecosystems, but they cause trouble when they proliferate to high densities, creating what we call blooms.

    Harmful algal blooms form scums at the water surface and produce toxins that can harm ecosystems, water quality and human health. They have been reported in all 50 U.S. states, all five Great Lakes and nearly every country around the world. Blue-green algae blooms are becoming more common in inland waters.

    The main sources of harmful algal blooms are excess nutrients in the water, typically phosphorus and nitrogen.

    Historically, these excess nutrients mainly came from sewage and phosphorus-based detergents used in laundry machines and dishwashers that ended up in waterways. U.S. environmental laws in the early 1970s addressed this by requiring sewage treatment and banning phosphorus detergents, with spectacular success.

    How pollution affected Lake Erie in the 1960s, before clean water regulations.

    Today, agriculture is the main source of excess nutrients from chemical fertilizer or manure applied to farm fields to grow crops. Rainstorms wash these nutrients into streams and rivers that deliver them to lakes and coastal areas, where they fertilize algal blooms. In the U.S., most of these nutrients come from industrial-scale corn production, which is largely used as animal feed or to produce ethanol for gasoline.

    Climate change also exacerbates the problem in two ways. First, cyanobacteria grow faster at higher temperatures. Second, climate-driven increases in precipitation, especially large storms, cause more nutrient runoff that has led to record-setting blooms.

    2. What does your team’s DNA testing tell us about Lake Erie’s harmful algal blooms?

    Harmful algal blooms contain a mixture of cyanobacterial species that can produce an array of different toxins, many of which are still being discovered.

    When my colleagues and I recently sequenced DNA from Lake Erie water, we found new types of microcystins, the notorious toxins that were responsible for contaminating Toledo’s drinking water supply in 2014.

    These novel molecules cannot be detected with traditional methods and show some signs of causing toxicity, though further studies are needed to confirm their human health effects.

    Blue-green algae blooms in freshwater, like this one near Toledo in 2014, can be harmful to humans, causing gastrointestinal symptoms, headache, fever and skin irritation. They can be lethal for pets.
    Ty Wright for The Washington Post via Getty Images

    We also found organisms responsible for producing saxitoxin, a potent neurotoxin that is well known for causing paralytic shellfish poisoning on the Pacific Coast of North America and elsewhere.

    Saxitoxins have been detected at low concentrations in the Great Lakes for some time, but the recent discovery of hot spots of genes that make the toxin makes them an emerging concern.

    Our research suggests warmer water temperatures could boost its production, which raises concerns that saxitoxin will become more prevalent with climate change. However, the controls on toxin production are complex, and more research is needed to test this hypothesis. Federal monitoring programs are essential for tracking and understanding emerging threats.

    3. Should people worry about these blooms?

    Harmful algal blooms are unsightly and smelly, making them a concern for recreation, property values and businesses. They can disrupt food webs and harm aquatic life, though a recent study suggested that their effects on the Lake Erie food web so far are not substantial.

    But the biggest impact is from the toxins these algae produce that are harmful to humans and lethal to pets.

    The toxins can cause acute health problems such as gastrointestinal symptoms, headache, fever and skin irritation. Dogs can die from ingesting lake water with harmful algal blooms. Emerging science suggests that long-term exposure to harmful algal blooms, for example over months or years, can cause or exacerbate chronic respiratory, cardiovascular and gastrointestinal problems and may be linked to liver cancers, kidney disease and neurological issues.

    The water intake system for the city of Toledo, Ohio, is surrounded by an algae bloom in 2014. Toxic algae got into the water system, resulting in residents being warned not to touch or drink their tap water for three days.
    AP Photo/Haraz N. Ghanbari

    In addition to exposure through direct ingestion or skin contact, recent research also indicates that inhaling toxins that get into the air may harm health, raising concerns for coastal residents and boaters, but more research is needed to understand the risks.

    The Toledo drinking water crisis of 2014 illustrated the vast potential for algal blooms to cause harm in the Great Lakes. Toxins infiltrated the drinking water system and were detected in processed municipal water, resulting in a three-day “do not drink” advisory. The episode affected residents, hospitals and businesses, and it ultimately cost the city an estimated US$65 million.

    4. Blooms seem to be starting earlier in the year and lasting longer – why is that happening?

    Warmer waters are extending the duration of the blooms.

    In 2025, NOAA detected these toxins in Lake Erie on April 28, earlier than ever before. The 2022 bloom in Lake Erie persisted into November, which is rare if not unprecedented.

    Scientific studies of western Lake Erie show that the potential cyanobacterial growth rate has increased by up to 30% and the length of the bloom season has expanded by up to a month from 1995 to 2022, especially in warmer, shallow waters. These results are consistent with our understanding of cyanobacterial physiology: Blooms like it hot – cyanobacteria grow faster at higher temperatures.

    5. What can be done to reduce the likelihood of algal blooms in the future?

    The best and perhaps only hope of reducing the size and occurrence of harmful algal blooms is to reduce the amount of nutrients reaching the Great Lakes.

    In Lake Erie, where nutrients come primarily from agriculture, that means improving agricultural practices and restoring wetlands to reduce the amount of nutrients flowing off of farm fields and into the lake. Early indications suggest that Ohio’s H2Ohio program, which works with farmers to reduce runoff, is making some gains in this regard, but future funding for H2Ohio is uncertain.

    In places like Lake Superior, where harmful algal blooms appear to be driven by climate change, the solution likely requires halting and reversing the rapid human-driven increase in greenhouse gases in the atmosphere.

    Gregory J. Dick receives funding for harmful algal bloom research from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the National Science Foundation, the United States Geological Survey, and the National Institutes for Health. He serves on the Science Advisory Council for the Environmental Law and Policy Center.

    – ref. Toxic algae blooms are lasting longer than before in Lake Erie − why that’s a worry for people and pets – https://theconversation.com/toxic-algae-blooms-are-lasting-longer-than-before-in-lake-erie-why-thats-a-worry-for-people-and-pets-259954

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI USA: By Air and by Sea: Validating NASA’s PACE Ocean Color Instrument

    Source: NASA

    In autumn 2024, California’s Monterey Bay experienced an outsized phytoplankton bloom that attracted fish, dolphins, whales, seabirds, and – for a few weeks in October – scientists. A team from NASA’s Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley, with partners at the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC), and the Naval Postgraduate School, spent two weeks on the California coast gathering data on the atmosphere and the ocean to verify what satellites see from above. In spring 2025, the team returned to gather data under different environmental conditions.
    Scientists call this process validation.

    The PACE mission, which stands for Plankton, Aerosol, Cloud, ocean Ecosystem, was launched in February  2024 and designed to transform our understanding of ocean and atmospheric environments. Specifically, the satellite will give scientists a finely detailed look at life near the ocean surface and the composition and abundance of aerosol particles in the atmosphere.
    Whenever NASA launches a new satellite, it sends validation science teams around the world to confirm that the data from instruments in space match what traditional instruments can see at the surface. AirSHARP (Airborne aSsessment of Hyperspectral Aerosol optical depth and water-leaving Reflectance Product Performance for PACE) is one of these teams, specifically deployed to validate products from the satellite’s Ocean Color Instrument (OCI).
    The OCI spectrometer works by measuring reflected sunlight. As sunlight bounces off of the ocean’s surface, it creates specific shades of color that researchers use to determine what is in the water column below. To validate the OCI data, research teams need to confirm that measurements directly at the surface match those from the satellite. They also need to understand how the atmosphere is changing the color of the ocean as the reflected light is traveling back to the satellite.
    In October 2024 and May 2025, the AirSHARP team ran simultaneous airborne and seaborne campaigns. Going into the field during different seasons allows the team to collect data under different environmental conditions, validating as much of the instrument’s range as possible.
    Over 13 days of flights on a Twin Otter aircraft, the NASA-led team used instruments called 4STAR-B (Spectrometer for sky-scanning sun Tracking Atmospheric Research B), and the C-AIR (Coastal Airborne In-situ Radiometer) to gather data from the air. At the same time, partners from UCSC used a host of matching instruments onboard the research vessel R/V Shana Rae to gather data from the water’s surface.

    The Ocean Color Instrument measures something called water leaving reflectance, which provides information on the microscopic composition of the water column, including water molecules, phytoplankton, and particulates like sand, inorganic materials, and even bubbles. Ocean color varies based on how these materials absorb and scatter sunlight. This is especially useful for determining the abundance and types of phytoplankton.

    The AirSHARP team used radiometers with matching technology – C-AIR from the air and C-OPS (Compact Optical Profiling System) from the water – to gather water leaving reflectance data.
    “The C-AIR instrument is modified from an instrument that goes on research vessels and takes measurements of the water’s surface from very close range,” said NASA Ames research scientist Samuel LeBlanc. “The issue there is that you’re very local to one area at a time. What our team has done successfully is put it on an aircraft, which enables us to span the entire Monterey Bay.”
    The larger PACE validation team will compare OCI measurements with observations made by the sensors much closer to the ocean to ensure that they match, and make adjustments when they don’t. 

    One factor that can impact OCI data is the presence of manmade and natural aerosols, which interact with sunlight as it moves through the atmosphere. An aerosol refers to any solid or liquid suspended in the air, such as smoke from fires, salt from sea spray, particulates from fossil fuel emissions, desert dust, and pollen.
    Imagine a 420 mile-long tube, with the PACE satellite at one end and the ocean at the other. Everything inside the tube is what scientists refer to as the atmospheric column, and it is full of tiny particulates that interact with sunlight. Scientists quantify this aerosol interaction with a measurement called aerosol optical depth.
    “During AirSHARP, we were essentially measuring, at different wavelengths, how light is changed by the particles present in the atmosphere,” said NASA Ames research scientist Kristina Pistone. “The aerosol optical depth is a measure of light extinction, or how much light is either scattered away or absorbed by aerosol particulates.” 
    The team measured aerosol optical depth using the 4STAR-B spectrometer, which was engineered at NASA Ames and  enables scientists to identify which aerosols are present and how they interact with sunlight.

    Flying these instruments required use of a Twin Otter plane, operated by the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS). The Twin Otter is unique for its ability to perform extremely low-altitude flights, making passes down to 100 feet above the water in clear conditions.
    “It’s an intense way to fly. At that low height, the pilots continually watch for and avoid birds, tall ships, and even wildlife like breaching whales,” said Anthony Bucholtz, director of the Airborne Research Facility at NPS.
    With the phytoplankton bloom attracting so much wildlife in a bay already full of ships, this is no small feat. “The pilots keep a close eye on the radar, and fly by hand,” Bucholtz said, “all while following careful flight plans crisscrossing Monterey Bay and performing tight spirals over the Research Vessel Shana Rae.”

    Data gathered from the 2024 phase of this campaign is available on two data archive systems. Data from the 4STAR instrument is available in the PACE data archive  and data from C-AIR is housed in the SeaBASS data archive.
    Other data from the NASA PACE Validation Science Team is available through the PACE website: https://pace.oceansciences.org/pvstdoi.htm#
    Samuel LeBlanc and Kristina Pistone are funded via the Bay Area Environmental Research Institute (BAERI), which  is a scientist-founded nonprofit focused on supporting Earth and space sciences.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA Mars Orbiter Learns New Moves After Nearly 20 Years in Space

    Source: NASA

    The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter is testing a series of large spacecraft rolls that will help it hunt for water.
    After nearly 20 years of operations, NASA’s Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter (MRO) is on a roll, performing a new maneuver to squeeze even more science out of the busy spacecraft as it circles the Red Planet. Engineers have essentially taught the probe to roll over so that it’s nearly upside down. Doing so enables MRO to look deeper underground as it searches for liquid and frozen water, among other things.
    The new capability is detailed in a paper recently published in the Planetary Science Journal documenting three “very large rolls,” as the mission calls them, that were performed between 2023 and 2024.
    “Not only can you teach an old spacecraft new tricks, you can open up entirely new regions of the subsurface to explore by doing so,” said one of the paper’s authors, Gareth Morgan of the Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona.

    The orbiter was originally designed to roll up to 30 degrees in any direction so that it can point its instruments at surface targets, including potential landing sites, impact craters, and more.
    “We’re unique in that the entire spacecraft and its software are designed to let us roll all the time,” said Reid Thomas, MRO’s project manager at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California.
    The process for rolling isn’t simple. The spacecraft carries five operating science instruments that have different pointing requirements. To target a precise spot on the surface with one instrument, the orbiter has to roll a particular way, which means the other instruments may have a less-favorable view of Mars during the maneuver.
    That’s why each regular roll is planned weeks in advance, with instrument teams negotiating who conducts science and when. Then, an algorithm checks MRO’s position above Mars and automatically commands the orbiter to roll so the appropriate instrument points at the correct spot on the surface. At the same time, the algorithm commands the spacecraft’s solar arrays to rotate and track the Sun and its high-gain antenna to track Earth to maintain power and communications.
    Very large rolls, which are 120 degrees, require even more planning to maintain the safety of the spacecraft. The payoff is that the new maneuver enables one particular instrument, called the Shallow Radar (SHARAD), to have a deeper view of Mars than ever before.

    Bigger Rolls, Better Science
    Designed to peer from about half a mile to a little over a mile (1 to 2 kilometers) belowground, SHARAD allows scientists to distinguish between materials like rock, sand, and ice. The radar was especially useful in determining where ice could be found close enough to the surface that future astronauts might one day be able to access it. Ice will be key for producing rocket propellant for the trip home and is important for learning more about the climate, geology, and potential for life at Mars.
    But as great as SHARAD is, the team knew it could be even better.
    To give cameras like the High-Resolution Imaging Science Experiment (HiRISE) prime viewing at the front of MRO, SHARAD’s two antenna segments were mounted at the back of the orbiter. While this setup helps the cameras, it also means that radio signals SHARAD pings onto the surface below encounter parts of the spacecraft, interfering with the signals and resulting in images that are less clear.
    “The SHARAD instrument was designed for the near-subsurface, and there are select regions of Mars that are just out of reach for us,” said Morgan, a co-investigator on the SHARAD team. “There is a lot to be gained by taking a closer look at those regions.”
    In 2023, the team decided to try developing 120-degree very large rolls to provide the radio waves an unobstructed path to the surface. What they found is that the maneuver can strengthen the radar signal by 10 times or more, offering a much clearer picture of the Martian underground.
    But the roll is so large that the spacecraft’s communications antenna is not pointed at Earth, and its solar arrays aren’t able to track the Sun.
    “The very large rolls require a special analysis to make sure we’ll have enough power in our batteries to safely do the roll,” Thomas said.
    Given the time involved, the mission limits itself to one or two very large rolls a year. But engineers hope to use them more often by streamlining the process.
    Learning to Roll With It
    While SHARAD scientists are benefiting from these new moves, the team working with another MRO instrument, the Mars Climate Sounder, is making the most of MRO’s standard roll capability. 
    The JPL-built instrument is a radiometer that serves as one of the most detailed sources available of information on Mars’ atmosphere. Measuring subtle changes in temperature over the course of many seasons, Mars Climate Sounder reveals the inner workings of dust storms and cloud formation. Dust and wind are important to understand: They are constantly reshaping the Martian surface, with wind-borne dust blanketing solar panels and posing a health risk for future astronauts.
    Mars Climate Sounder was designed to pivot on a gimbal so that it can get views of the Martian horizon and surface. It also provides views of space, which scientists use to calibrate the instrument. But in 2024, the aging gimbal became unreliable. Now Mars Climate Sounder relies on MRO’s standard rolls.
    “Rolling used to restrict our science,” said Mars Climate Sounder’s interim principal investigator, Armin Kleinboehl of JPL, “but we’ve incorporated it into our routine planning, both for surface views and calibration.”
    More About MRO
    NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California manages MRO for the agency’s Science Mission Directorate in Washington as part of its Mars Exploration Program portfolio. The SHARAD instrument was provided by the Italian Space Agency. Its operations are led by Sapienza University of Rome, and its data is analyzed by a joint U.S.-Italian science team. The Planetary Science Institute in Tucson, Arizona, leads U.S. involvement in SHARAD. Lockheed Martin Space in Denver built MRO and supports its operations.
    For more information, visit:
    science.nasa.gov/mission/mars-reconnaissance-orbiter
    News Media Contacts
    Andrew GoodJet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.818-393-2433andrew.c.good@jpl.nasa.gov
    Karen Fox / Molly WasserNASA Headquarters, Washington202-358-1600karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov
    2025-084

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA, Australia Team Up for Artemis II Lunar Laser Communications Test

    Source: NASA

    As NASA prepares for its Artemis II mission, researchers at the agency’s Glenn Research Center in Cleveland are collaborating with The Australian National University (ANU) to prove inventive, cost-saving laser communications technologies in the lunar environment.
    Communicating in space usually relies on radio waves, but NASA is exploring laser, or optical, communications, which can send data 10 to 100 times faster to the ground. Instead of radio signals, these systems use infrared light to transmit high-definition video, picture, voice, and science data across vast distances in less time. NASA has proven laser communications during previous technology demonstrations, but Artemis II will be the first crewed mission to attempt using lasers to transmit data from deep space.
    To support this effort, researchers working on the agency’s Real Time Optical Receiver (RealTOR) project have developed a cost-effective laser transceiver using commercial-off-the-shelf parts. Earlier this year, NASA Glenn engineers built and tested a replica of the system at the center’s Aerospace Communications Facility, and they are now working with ANU to build a system with the same hardware models to prepare for the university’s Artemis II laser communications demo.
    “Australia’s upcoming lunar experiment could showcase the capability, affordability, and reproducibility of the deep space receiver engineered by Glenn,” said Jennifer Downey, co-principal investigator for the RealTOR project at NASA Glenn. “It’s an important step in proving the feasibility of using commercial parts to develop accessible technologies for sustainable exploration beyond Earth.”
    During Artemis II, which is scheduled for early 2026, NASA will fly an optical communications system aboard the Orion spacecraft, which will test using lasers to send data across the cosmos. During the mission, NASA will attempt to transmit recorded 4K ultra-high-definition video, flight procedures, pictures, science data, and voice communications from the Moon to Earth.

    Nearly 10,000 miles from Cleveland, ANU researchers working at the Mount Stromlo Observatory ground station hope to receive data during Orion’s journey around the Moon using the Glenn-developed transceiver model. This ground station will serve as a test location for the new transceiver design and will not be one of the mission’s primary ground stations. If the test is successful, it will prove that commercial parts can be used to build affordable, scalable space communication systems for future missions to the Moon, Mars, and beyond.
    “Engaging with The Australian National University to expand commercial laser communications offerings across the world will further demonstrate how this advanced satellite communications capability is ready to support the agency’s networks and missions as we set our sights on deep space exploration,” said Marie Piasecki, technology portfolio manager for NASA’s Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Program.
    As NASA continues to investigate the feasibility of using commercial parts to engineer ground stations, Glenn researchers will continue to provide critical support in preparation for Australia’s demonstration.
    Strong global partnerships advance technology breakthroughs and are instrumental as NASA expands humanity’s reach from the Moon to Mars, while fueling innovations that improve life on Earth. Through Artemis, NASA will send astronauts to explore the Moon for scientific discovery, economic benefits, and build the foundation for the first crewed missions to Mars.

    The RealTOR project is one aspect of the optical communications portfolio within NASA’s SCaN Program, which includes demonstrations and in-space experiment platforms to test the viability of infrared light for sending data to and from space. These include the LCOT (Low-Cost Optical Terminal) project, the Laser Communications Relay Demonstration, and more. NASA Glenn manages the project under the direction of agency’s SCaN Program at NASA Headquarters in Washington.
    The Australian National University’s demonstration is supported by the Australian Space Agency Moon to Mars Demonstrator Mission Grant program, which has facilitated operational capability for the Australian Deep Space Optical Ground Station Network.
    To learn how space communications and navigation capabilities support every agency mission, visit:
    https://www.nasa.gov/communicating-with-missions

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

    Source: UNISDR Disaster Risk Reduction

    Mission

    In 1989, some visionary leaders of Hong Kong recognized the need to establish a new research-focused university to support the city’s aspirations for growth and innovation. In response to this vision, The Hong Kong University of Science of Technology (HKUST) was founded in 1991.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Latest news – DKOR ordinary meeting, 3 July 2025, 10.00-11.30, SPAAK 6B54 – Delegation for relations with the Korean Peninsula

    Source: European Parliament

    ***In camera***

    4. Exchange of views with H.E. María CASTILLO FERNÁNDEZ, Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Korea

    5. Exchange of views with H.E. Jeonghyun RYU, Ambassador of the Republic of Korea to the Kingdom of Belgium, European Union (EU) and North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)

    ***End of in camera***

    6. Exchange of views following the 3 June elections in RoK and the implications for the relations with the EU with:

    · Prof. Jae-Seung LEE, Director of Ilmin International Relations Institute and Director of the Jean Monnet EU Center of Excellence, Korea University

    · Ms Lin GOETHALS, Director of the European Institute for Asian Studies (EIAS)

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Natural hazards don’t disappear when the storm ends or the earthquake stops – they evolve

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Brian J. Yanites, Associate Professor of Earth and Atmospheric Science. Professor of Surficial and Sedimentary Geology, Indiana University

    The Carter Lodge hangs precariously over the flood-scoured bank of the Broad River in Chimney Rock Village, N.C., on May 13, 2025, eight months after Hurricane Helene. AP Photo/Allen G. Breed

    Hurricane Helene lasted only a few days in September 2024, but it altered the landscape of the Southeastern U.S. in profound ways that will affect the hazards local residents face far into the future.

    Mudslides buried roads and reshaped river channels. Uprooted trees left soil on hillslopes exposed to the elements. Sediment that washed into rivers changed how water flows through the landscape, leaving some areas more prone to flooding and erosion.

    Helene was a powerful reminder that natural hazards don’t disappear when the skies clear – they evolve.

    These transformations are part of what scientists call cascading hazards. They occur when one natural event alters the landscape in ways that lead to future hazards. A landslide triggered by a storm might clog a river, leading to downstream flooding months or years later. A wildfire can alter the soil and vegetation, setting the stage for debris flows with the next rainstorm.

    Satellite images before (top) and after Hurricane Helene (bottom) show how the storm altered landscape near Pensacola, N.C., in the Blue Ridge Mountains.
    Google Earth, CC BY

    I study these disasters as a geomorphologist. In a new paper in the journal Science, I and a team of scientists from 18 universities and the U.S. Geological Survey explain why hazard models – used to help communities prepare for disasters – can’t just rely on the past. Instead, they need to be nimble enough to forecast how hazards evolve in real time.

    The science behind cascading hazards

    Cascading hazards aren’t random. They emerge from physical processes that operate continuously across the landscape – sediment movement, weathering, erosion. Together, the atmosphere, biosphere and the earth are constantly reshaping the conditions that cause natural disasters.

    For instance, earthquakes fracture rock and shake loose soil. Even if landslides don’t occur during the quake itself, the ground may be weakened, leaving it primed for failure during later rainstorms.

    That’s exactly what happened after the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan Province, China, which led to a surge in debris flows long after the initial seismic event.

    A strong aftershock after a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in Sichuan province, China, in May 2008 triggered more landslides in central China.
    AP Photo/Andy Wong

    Earth’s surface retains a “memory” of these events. Sediment disturbed in an earthquake, wildfire or severe storm will move downslope over years or even decades, reshaping the landscape as it goes.

    The 1950 Assam earthquake in India is a striking example: It triggered thousands of landslides. The sediment from these landslides gradually moved through the river system, eventually causing flooding and changing river channels in Bangladesh some 20 years later.

    An intensifying threat in a changing world

    These risks present challenges for everything from emergency planning to home insurance. After repeated wildfire-mudslide combinations in California, some insurers pulled out of the state entirely, citing mounting risks and rising costs among the reasons.

    Cascading hazards are not new, but their impact is intensifying.

    Climate change is increasing the frequency and severity of wildfires, storms and extreme rainfall. At the same time, urban development continues to expand into steep, hazard-prone terrain, exposing more people and infrastructure to evolving risks.

    The rising risk of interconnected climate disasters like these is overwhelming systems built for isolated events.

    Yet climate change is only part of the equation. Earth processes – such as earthquakes and volcanic eruptions – also trigger cascading hazards, often with long-lasting effects.

    Mount St. Helens is a powerful example: More than four decades after its eruption in 1980, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers continues to manage ash and sediment from the eruption to keep it from filling river channels in ways that could increase the flood risk in downstream communities.

    Rethinking risk and building resilience

    Traditionally, insurance companies and disaster managers have estimated hazard risk by looking at past events.

    But when the landscape has changed, the past may no longer be a reliable guide to the future. To address this, computer models based on the physics of how these events work are needed to help forecast hazard evolution in real time, much like weather models update with new atmospheric data.

    A March 2024 landslide in the Oregon Coast Range wiped out trees in its path.
    Brian Yanites, June 2025
    A drone image of the same March 2024 landslide in the Oregon Coast Range shows where it temporarily dammed the river below.
    Brian Yanites, June 2025

    Thanks to advances in Earth observation technology, such as satellite imagery, drone and lidar, which is similar to radar but uses light, scientists can now track how hillslopes, rivers and vegetation change after disasters. These observations can feed into geomorphic models that simulate how loosened sediment moves and where hazards are likely to emerge next.

    Researchers are already coupling weather forecasts with post-wildfire debris flow models. Other models simulate how sediment pulses travel through river networks.

    Cascading hazards reveal that Earth’s surface is not a passive backdrop, but an active, evolving system. Each event reshapes the stage for the next.

    Understanding these connections is critical for building resilience so communities can withstand future storms, earthquakes and the problems created by debris flows. Better forecasts can inform building codes, guide infrastructure design and improve how risk is priced and managed. They can help communities anticipate long-term threats and adapt before the next disaster strikes.

    Most importantly, they challenge everyone to think beyond the immediate aftermath of a disaster – and to recognize the slow, quiet transformations that build toward the next.

    Brian J. Yanites receives funding from the National Science Foundation.

    – ref. Natural hazards don’t disappear when the storm ends or the earthquake stops – they evolve – https://theconversation.com/natural-hazards-dont-disappear-when-the-storm-ends-or-the-earthquake-stops-they-evolve-259502

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Why flattering Donald Trump could be dangerous

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor

    This article was first published in The Conversation UK’s World Affairs Briefing email newsletter. Sign up to receive weekly analysis of the latest developments in international relations, direct to your inbox.

    Once again Donald Trump and his senior team are unhappy with their press coverage. Here’s the US president, fresh from his triumph in The Hague, having persuaded Nato’s leaders to open their wallets and agree to up their defence spending to 5% of GDP (apart from Spain, that is, which can expect to hear of triple-digit tariffs coming its way in the near future) – and do the media focus on Trump’s tour de force? Do they hell. Instead they focus on whether his strikes against Iran had been as successful as he claimed.

    As you can imagine, this would have been irksome in the extreme for the president, who might reasonably have expected that the story of the day would be his victory in getting pledges from virtually all Nato’s members to pull their weight in terms of their own defence. Certainly the Nato secretary-general, Mark Rutte, could appreciate the scale of his achievement. Even before the summit, Rutte was talking it up.

    “Donald, you have driven us to a really, really important moment for America and Europe, and the world,” he wrote in a message to Trump as the US president prepared to fly to The Netherlands. “You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done.”

    The fact that Trump promptly posted this message to his TruthSocial website suggests how important praise is to the the US president. It’s something that many world leaders (including Benjamin Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin who have become past-masters at pouring honey in the president’s ear) have recognised and are willing to use as a diplomatic tool when dealing with the man Rutte calls “Daddy”.

    Sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter from The Conversation UK. Every Thursday we’ll bring you expert analysis of the big stories in international relations.

    But while flattery as a tactic seems to be effective with the US president, Andrew Gawthorpe, a political historian from Leiden University, cautions that flattery, appeasement and compliance are a flawed approach when dealing with a man like Trump. For a start, he writes it means that not much actually gets done and that problems are often merely avoided rather than solved.

    But more worryingly, simply capitulating in the face of Trumpian pressure or ire risks giving this US president the idea that he can do anything he wants. “When his targets roll over, it sends a message to others that Trump is unstoppable and resistance is futile,” writes Gawthorpe. It encourages not just the next presidential abuse of power, but also the next surrender from its victims.



    Read more:
    Why bending over backwards to agree with Donald Trump is a perilous strategy

    We got a taste of what the US president’s anger at being defied sounds like as he prepared to fly to The Netherlands for the Nato summit. Asked about the ceasefire he had negotiated between Israel and Iran, he lashed out at both countries who had breached the peace within hours of agreeing to stop firing missiles at each other. “We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing,” he told reporters as he walked to the presidential helicopter.

    Psychologist Geoff Beattie, of Edge Hill University, believes this was no accidental verbal slip. Trump wanted to let the world know how angry he was and chose to use the “f-bomb” as a way of showing it. Beattie looks at what this can tell us about the character of the US president – and how it might reflect a tendency to make rapid decisions based on emotional reactions.



    Read more:
    Trump’s f-bomb: a psychologist explains why the president makes fast and furious statements

    And so to Nato

    What was remarkable about the Nato summit was that it was condensed to one fairly short session which focused solely on the issue of Nato members’ defence budgets. Usually there’s a much broader agenda. Over the past couple of years the issue of Ukraine has been fairly high on the list, but this time – perhaps to avoid any potential divisions – it was relegated to a side issue.

    Perhaps the biggest success for Nato, writes Stefan Wolff, is that they managed to get Trump to the summit and keep him in the room. After all, less than a fortnight previously he walked out of the G7 leaders’ meeting in Canada a day early before authorising the bombing raids on Iran’s nuclear installations (of which more later).

    Wolff, an expert in international security from the University of Birmingham (and a regular contributor to this newsletter) believes that the non-US members realised they had little choice but to comply – or at least to be seen to be complying. There’s a significant capability deficit: “European states also lack most of the so-called critical enablers, the military hardware and technology required to prevail in a potential war with Russia.”

    So keeping the US president onside – and inside Nato with a remaining commitment to America’s article 5 mutual defence pledge – was top of the list this year and something they appear to have pulled off.



    Read more:
    At June’s Nato summit, just keeping Donald Trump in the room will be seen as a victory

    The fact is, writes Andrew Corbett, a defence expert at King’s College London, that Europe and the US have different enemies these days. Europe is still focused on the foe it faced across the Iron Curtain after 1945, against which Nato was designed as a defensive bulwark.

    The US is now far more focused on the threat from China. This means it will increasingly shift the bulk of its naval assets to the Pacific (although the Middle East seems to be delaying this shift at present). This inevitably means downgrading its presence in Europe, something of which European leaders are all-too aware.

    The importance of continuing US involvement in European defence via Nato was underlined, as Corbett highlights, by a frisson of unease when it appeared that the US president might be preparing to reinterpret article 5, which requires that members come to the aid of another member if they are attacked.

    So there was relief all round when the US president reaffirmed America’s commitment to the principle of collective defence. But one feels Rutte will need to use all his diplomatic wiles to keep things that way.



    Read more:
    How Nato summit shows Europe and US no longer have a common enemy

    The trouble with Iran

    Rutte, who has the nickname “Trump whisperer”, is clever enough to know that emollient words will have been just what the US president was looking for given the stress of the past couple of weeks. The decision to launch strikes against Iran was controversial even within his own base as we noted last week.

    But by directly engaging in hostility against Iran, Trump risked embroiling the US in the “forever war” that he always promised his supporters he would avoid. The move was freighted with risk. Nobody knew how Iran might retaliate or how the situation could escalate. There was (and remains) the chance that an angry Iran could try to shut down the Strait of Hormuz. This is one of the world’s most important waterways though which 20% of the world’s oil transits. This would have huge ramifications for the global economy, seriously damaging Iran’s Gulf neighbours and angering China, which gets much of its oil from the region.



    Read more:
    Iran is considering closing the strait of Hormuz – why this would be a major escalation

    For now it appears that Iran has contented itself with performative strikes against US bases in Iraq and Qatar, having given advance warning. This token retaliation was made shortly before the ceasefire was negotiated. Despite a defiant message from Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran is reported to be making noises about coming to the negotiating table. A deal to restore calm to the region would be an achievement indeed.

    But legal questions remain about the US decision to launch strikes. For a start, Article 2(4) of the UN charter strictly forbids the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of another state, or “in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations”.

    But, as Caleb Wheeler, an expert in international law from the University of Cardiff writes, it’s a rule that has rarely been either observed or enforced. He points out that the Korean War, when following a resolution of the UN security council, a number of countries went to war with North Korea to defend its southern neighbour which had been attacked in violation of article 2(4), was the high watermark of compliance with the UN on conflict.

    In most other international conflicts since, the use of vetoes by one or another of the permanent members of the security council has effectively prevented the UN acting the way it was supposed to.

    Now, writes Wheeler, there can be little doubt the US has violated article 2(4) by bombing Iran, particularly as Trump expressed his opinion that a regime change might be appropriate. Given that the US is one of the leading lights of the UN, Wheeler thinks you could reasonably expect a degree of condemnation from other world leaders. He worries that the absence of criticism could seriously lower the bar for aggression in the future.



    Read more:
    Bombing Iran: has the UN charter failed?

    And if, as remains unclear at present, Iran’s nuclear programme was not set back by years, as the US claims, but merely by months, then you could expect Tehran to redouble its efforts to acquire a bomb. The Islamic Republic will be mindful of the fact that there has been little talk of bombing North Korea in recent years, for example. Possession of a nuclear deterrent means exactly what it says.

    So, conclude David Dunn and Nicholas Wheeler, these strikes which were conducted on what they feel was the false premise of defence against an “imminent” threat from a nuclear Iran, could actually have the opposite effect of encouraging Iran to rapidly develop its own bomb.



    Read more:
    US attack on Iran lacks legal justification and could lead to more nuclear proliferation

    Elon Musk’s geopolitical eye in the sky

    After Israel began its latest campaign of airstrikes against Iran earlier this month, the government moved to restrict internet access around the country to discourage criticism of the regime and make it difficult for protesters to organise. But in June 14 in response to a plea over social media, Elon Musk announced, appropriately on X, that he would open up access to his Starlink satellite system.

    Joscha Abels, a political scientist at the University of Tübingen, recalls that Starlink became very popular in Iran during the protests that followed the killing of Mahsa Amini in 2022, and which really rocked the regime to its core. He also points to the use of Starlink by Ukraine as a vital communications tool in its defence against Russia over the past three years.

    But Abels warns that what is given is also too easily switched off, as Musk did in Ukraine in 2023. At the time a senior Starlink executive warned that the tool was “never intended to be weaponized”. The concern is that such an important tool, which can make or break a regime or cripple a country’s defence, could be a risk in the hands of a private individual.



    Read more:
    In the sky over Iran, Elon Musk and Starlink step into geopolitics – not for the first time

    World Affairs Briefing from The Conversation UK is available as a weekly email newsletter. Click here to get updates directly in your inbox.

    – ref. Why flattering Donald Trump could be dangerous – https://theconversation.com/why-flattering-donald-trump-could-be-dangerous-259940

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Why flattering Donald Trump could be dangerous

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jonathan Este, Senior International Affairs Editor, Associate Editor

    This article was first published in The Conversation UK’s World Affairs Briefing email newsletter. Sign up to receive weekly analysis of the latest developments in international relations, direct to your inbox.

    Once again Donald Trump and his senior team are unhappy with their press coverage. Here’s the US president, fresh from his triumph in The Hague, having persuaded Nato’s leaders to open their wallets and agree to up their defence spending to 5% of GDP (apart from Spain, that is, which can expect to hear of triple-digit tariffs coming its way in the near future) – and do the media focus on Trump’s tour de force? Do they hell. Instead they focus on whether his strikes against Iran had been as successful as he claimed.

    As you can imagine, this would have been irksome in the extreme for the president, who might reasonably have expected that the story of the day would be his victory in getting pledges from virtually all Nato’s members to pull their weight in terms of their own defence. Certainly the Nato secretary-general, Mark Rutte, could appreciate the scale of his achievement. Even before the summit, Rutte was talking it up.

    “Donald, you have driven us to a really, really important moment for America and Europe, and the world,” he wrote in a message to Trump as the US president prepared to fly to The Netherlands. “You will achieve something NO American president in decades could get done.”

    The fact that Trump promptly posted this message to his TruthSocial website suggests how important praise is to the the US president. It’s something that many world leaders (including Benjamin Netanyahu and Vladimir Putin who have become past-masters at pouring honey in the president’s ear) have recognised and are willing to use as a diplomatic tool when dealing with the man Rutte calls “Daddy”.

    Sign up to receive our weekly World Affairs Briefing newsletter from The Conversation UK. Every Thursday we’ll bring you expert analysis of the big stories in international relations.

    But while flattery as a tactic seems to be effective with the US president, Andrew Gawthorpe, a political historian from Leiden University, cautions that flattery, appeasement and compliance are a flawed approach when dealing with a man like Trump. For a start, he writes it means that not much actually gets done and that problems are often merely avoided rather than solved.

    But more worryingly, simply capitulating in the face of Trumpian pressure or ire risks giving this US president the idea that he can do anything he wants. “When his targets roll over, it sends a message to others that Trump is unstoppable and resistance is futile,” writes Gawthorpe. It encourages not just the next presidential abuse of power, but also the next surrender from its victims.



    Read more:
    Why bending over backwards to agree with Donald Trump is a perilous strategy

    We got a taste of what the US president’s anger at being defied sounds like as he prepared to fly to The Netherlands for the Nato summit. Asked about the ceasefire he had negotiated between Israel and Iran, he lashed out at both countries who had breached the peace within hours of agreeing to stop firing missiles at each other. “We basically have two countries that have been fighting so long and so hard that they don’t know what the fuck they’re doing,” he told reporters as he walked to the presidential helicopter.

    Psychologist Geoff Beattie, of Edge Hill University, believes this was no accidental verbal slip. Trump wanted to let the world know how angry he was and chose to use the “f-bomb” as a way of showing it. Beattie looks at what this can tell us about the character of the US president – and how it might reflect a tendency to make rapid decisions based on emotional reactions.



    Read more:
    Trump’s f-bomb: a psychologist explains why the president makes fast and furious statements

    And so to Nato

    What was remarkable about the Nato summit was that it was condensed to one fairly short session which focused solely on the issue of Nato members’ defence budgets. Usually there’s a much broader agenda. Over the past couple of years the issue of Ukraine has been fairly high on the list, but this time – perhaps to avoid any potential divisions – it was relegated to a side issue.

    Perhaps the biggest success for Nato, writes Stefan Wolff, is that they managed to get Trump to the summit and keep him in the room. After all, less than a fortnight previously he walked out of the G7 leaders’ meeting in Canada a day early before authorising the bombing raids on Iran’s nuclear installations (of which more later).

    Wolff, an expert in international security from the University of Birmingham (and a regular contributor to this newsletter) believes that the non-US members realised they had little choice but to comply – or at least to be seen to be complying. There’s a significant capability deficit: “European states also lack most of the so-called critical enablers, the military hardware and technology required to prevail in a potential war with Russia.”

    So keeping the US president onside – and inside Nato with a remaining commitment to America’s article 5 mutual defence pledge – was top of the list this year and something they appear to have pulled off.



    Read more:
    At June’s Nato summit, just keeping Donald Trump in the room will be seen as a victory

    The fact is, writes Andrew Corbett, a defence expert at King’s College London, that Europe and the US have different enemies these days. Europe is still focused on the foe it faced across the Iron Curtain after 1945, against which Nato was designed as a defensive bulwark.

    The US is now far more focused on the threat from China. This means it will increasingly shift the bulk of its naval assets to the Pacific (although the Middle East seems to be delaying this shift at present). This inevitably means downgrading its presence in Europe, something of which European leaders are all-too aware.

    The importance of continuing US involvement in European defence via Nato was underlined, as Corbett highlights, by a frisson of unease when it appeared that the US president might be preparing to reinterpret article 5, which requires that members come to the aid of another member if they are attacked.

    So there was relief all round when the US president reaffirmed America’s commitment to the principle of collective defence. But one feels Rutte will need to use all his diplomatic wiles to keep things that way.



    Read more:
    How Nato summit shows Europe and US no longer have a common enemy

    The trouble with Iran

    Rutte, who has the nickname “Trump whisperer”, is clever enough to know that emollient words will have been just what the US president was looking for given the stress of the past couple of weeks. The decision to launch strikes against Iran was controversial even within his own base as we noted last week.

    But by directly engaging in hostility against Iran, Trump risked embroiling the US in the “forever war” that he always promised his supporters he would avoid. The move was freighted with risk. Nobody knew how Iran might retaliate or how the situation could escalate. There was (and remains) the chance that an angry Iran could try to shut down the Strait of Hormuz. This is one of the world’s most important waterways though which 20% of the world’s oil transits. This would have huge ramifications for the global economy, seriously damaging Iran’s Gulf neighbours and angering China, which gets much of its oil from the region.



    Read more:
    Iran is considering closing the strait of Hormuz – why this would be a major escalation

    For now it appears that Iran has contented itself with performative strikes against US bases in Iraq and Qatar, having given advance warning. This token retaliation was made shortly before the ceasefire was negotiated. Despite a defiant message from Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Iran is reported to be making noises about coming to the negotiating table. A deal to restore calm to the region would be an achievement indeed.

    But legal questions remain about the US decision to launch strikes. For a start, Article 2(4) of the UN charter strictly forbids the use of force against the territorial integrity or political independence of another state, or “in any other manner inconsistent with the purposes of the United Nations”.

    But, as Caleb Wheeler, an expert in international law from the University of Cardiff writes, it’s a rule that has rarely been either observed or enforced. He points out that the Korean War, when following a resolution of the UN security council, a number of countries went to war with North Korea to defend its southern neighbour which had been attacked in violation of article 2(4), was the high watermark of compliance with the UN on conflict.

    In most other international conflicts since, the use of vetoes by one or another of the permanent members of the security council has effectively prevented the UN acting the way it was supposed to.

    Now, writes Wheeler, there can be little doubt the US has violated article 2(4) by bombing Iran, particularly as Trump expressed his opinion that a regime change might be appropriate. Given that the US is one of the leading lights of the UN, Wheeler thinks you could reasonably expect a degree of condemnation from other world leaders. He worries that the absence of criticism could seriously lower the bar for aggression in the future.



    Read more:
    Bombing Iran: has the UN charter failed?

    And if, as remains unclear at present, Iran’s nuclear programme was not set back by years, as the US claims, but merely by months, then you could expect Tehran to redouble its efforts to acquire a bomb. The Islamic Republic will be mindful of the fact that there has been little talk of bombing North Korea in recent years, for example. Possession of a nuclear deterrent means exactly what it says.

    So, conclude David Dunn and Nicholas Wheeler, these strikes which were conducted on what they feel was the false premise of defence against an “imminent” threat from a nuclear Iran, could actually have the opposite effect of encouraging Iran to rapidly develop its own bomb.



    Read more:
    US attack on Iran lacks legal justification and could lead to more nuclear proliferation

    Elon Musk’s geopolitical eye in the sky

    After Israel began its latest campaign of airstrikes against Iran earlier this month, the government moved to restrict internet access around the country to discourage criticism of the regime and make it difficult for protesters to organise. But in June 14 in response to a plea over social media, Elon Musk announced, appropriately on X, that he would open up access to his Starlink satellite system.

    Joscha Abels, a political scientist at the University of Tübingen, recalls that Starlink became very popular in Iran during the protests that followed the killing of Mahsa Amini in 2022, and which really rocked the regime to its core. He also points to the use of Starlink by Ukraine as a vital communications tool in its defence against Russia over the past three years.

    But Abels warns that what is given is also too easily switched off, as Musk did in Ukraine in 2023. At the time a senior Starlink executive warned that the tool was “never intended to be weaponized”. The concern is that such an important tool, which can make or break a regime or cripple a country’s defence, could be a risk in the hands of a private individual.



    Read more:
    In the sky over Iran, Elon Musk and Starlink step into geopolitics – not for the first time

    World Affairs Briefing from The Conversation UK is available as a weekly email newsletter. Click here to get updates directly in your inbox.

    – ref. Why flattering Donald Trump could be dangerous – https://theconversation.com/why-flattering-donald-trump-could-be-dangerous-259940

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI USA: $40 Million to Launch Empire AI Beta Supercomputer

    Source: US State of New York

    overnor Kathy Hochul today announced that the Empire State Development (ESD) Board approved $40 million to launch Empire AI Beta, the second phase of the supercomputer powering New York’s nation-leading Empire AI initiative. Empire AI Beta will be 11 times more powerful than current capacity, allowing hundreds of researchers from the now 10 member institutions to continue to advance AI research for public good. Empire AI is now backed by over $500 million in public and private funding, including up to $340 million in state capital funding secured by Governor Hochul.

    “With Empire AI, New York is leading in emerging technology and ensuring the power of AI is harnessed for public good and developed right here in this great state,” Governor Hochul said. “The launch of Beta will supercharge our efforts to advance responsible AI development by some of our brightest minds at research institutions focused on purpose, not profit.”

    The funding approved today by ESD will allow the Empire AI consortium to purchase the equipment needed to power the second-phase supercomputer, housed at the University of Buffalo. Empire AI Beta will use NVIDIA’s state-of-the-art Blackwell AI supercomputing platform. The new Beta system will dramatically accelerate Empire AI’s computing performance from the current Alpha system: 11-fold in AI training, 40-fold in AI inference, and an 8-fold increase in data storage. Empire AI Beta also is expected to be among the first academic deployments of NVIDIA DGX SuperPOD with DGX GB200 systems. While both the Alpha and Beta systems are running only fractions of Empire AI’s eventual computing power, the new Beta system will propel Empire AI to become one of the most advanced academic computers in the world.

    Empire AI is now backed by over $500 million in public and private funding, and made up of 10 member universities and research institutions. As part of Governor Hochul’s FY26 Budget, the Governor secured $90 million in new capital funding to substantially increase the computing power of Empire AI, expand access for SUNY researchers, and support the addition of new members including the University of Rochester, the Rochester Institute of Technology, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. They join the seven founding members of Empire AI, SUNY, CUNY, Columbia University, Cornell University, NYU, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, and the Flatiron Institute.

    The new Beta system builds on the successful 2024 launch of Alpha, which was made possible by philanthropic support from the Simons Foundation. Planning and development of the full-scale Empire AI computing center is underway. Empire AI Alpha and Empire AI Beta allow member institutions to conduct critical AI research as soon as possible until the full-scale system is complete.

    Empire State Development President, CEO and Commissioner Hope Knight said, “As AI research, development and usage grows, New York tech leaders are exploring new ways to utilize these advancements in ways that will generate solutions to complex issues and support positive growth. The $40 million in funding approved today by ESD’s Board of Directors represents a significant step forward that will increase the capacity of Empire AI and further enhance the AI research happening throughout our state.”

    Empire AI Interim Executive Director Robert Harrison said, “With the launch of Beta, Empire AI is unleashing a game-changing level of computational power to serve researchers across New York. From cancer diagnostics to climate modeling, this system will accelerate innovation across fields — while putting New York at the forefront of responsible AI development. Thanks to the vision of Governor Hochul and our expanding roster of top-tier academic partners, we are building something truly unprecedented: a public AI research powerhouse designed to benefit everyone.”

    NVIDIA Head of AI State Initiatives Michael Isadore said, “Democratizing access to accelerated computing for academic research creates economic growth and scientific discovery across industries. The team at Empire AI aims to empower researchers across New York State with leading-edge NVIDIA infrastructure, enabling groundbreaking advancements in artificial intelligence and high-performance computing.”

    Assemblymember Steve Otis said, “Governor Hochul’s nation leading Empire AI Consortium depends upon increased computing power to serve the academic institutions and researchers that are part of this initiative. Today’s announcement delivers on that promise with funding supported by the Governor and the Legislature in this year’s budget. Our Assembly Science and Technology committee has visited the AI team in Buffalo and was very impressed with the public purpose, focus of the AI initiatives already undertaken. There is no doubt that new advances are on the horizon thanks to the work of the Empire AI Consortium.”

    Expanding Artificial Intelligence Across New York State
    Access to the computing resources that power AI systems requires significant investment, making it difficult to obtain. As a result, researchers, public interest organizations, and small companies are being left behind, which has enormous implications for AI safety and society at large. Empire AI is bridging this gap and accelerating the development of AI centered in the public interest for New York State. Enabling this pioneering AI research and development is also helping educational institutions nurture the next generation of talent that will create AI-focused technology startups, driving job growth.

    By increasing collaboration between New York State’s world-class research institutions, Empire AI is creating efficiencies of scale not achievable by any single university, empowering and attracting top notch faculty, expanding educational opportunity, and enabling responsible innovation that will significantly strengthen our state’s economy and our national security.

    The initiative is currently funded by over $500 million in public and private investment, including up to $340 million in State capital grant investment and $25 million over ten years in SUNY operating funding. The project will also receive more than $200 million from the founding institutions as well as philanthropic backers such as Tom Secunda and the Simons Foundation. Empire AI has positioned New York as the national model in responsible AI innovation, with its leading research institutions pioneering safe, equitable, and accessible AI research and development that is benefiting every corner of New York. For more information about Empire AI, visit empireai.edu.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: Kinematics Strengthens Board Leadership with Appointment of Proven Technology Executive Ross Rosenberg

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PHOENIX, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Kinematics, a leading provider of critical motion control systems that optimize, simplify, and secure energy production with leading bankability, today announced the appointment of Ross Rosenberg to its Board of Directors. Rosenberg is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Magic Leap, a leader in augmented reality (AR) optics, display systems, device services and scalable manufacturing, and he brings extensive experience leading strategic transformations in energy, industrial automation, and enterprise technology companies.

    Rosenberg brings over two decades of executive leadership experience across multiple technology sectors. As CEO of Magic Leap, he has led the company’s strategic transformation, expanding its AR device and services business into new markets via technology partnerships. Previously, he served as Chief Strategy Officer at Belden Inc., where he helped transform the $2.5 billion company from a commodity supplier to a global leader in industrial networking and cybersecurity solutions, resulting in 70% revenue growth and significant margin expansion. Rosenberg also served as an operating executive in Bain Capital’s software portfolio and held senior roles at Danaher in industrial automation and motion control.

    “Ross’s track record of scaling technology businesses and driving innovation in the energy sector makes him an invaluable addition to our Board,” said John Payne, CEO of Kinematics. “His deep understanding of mission-critical applications and experience transforming industrial companies aligns perfectly with our vision of advancing intelligent motion control solutions for the global solar, mobile industrial, and satellite industries. As we continue expanding our capabilities following the successful P4Q acquisition, Ross’s strategic insights will be instrumental in guiding our next phase of growth.”

    Notably, Rosenberg spent six years at First Solar as VP of Global Marketing, Strategy & Corporate Development, where he helped scale the utility-scale solar solutions provider from $500 million to $4 billion in revenue and built a $7 billion contracted backlog in North America. His experience spans the entire solar value chain, from manufacturing and project development to software-based maintenance and predictive analytics.

    Rosenberg started his career in M&A advisory, investment banking and corporate roles at PWC, Merrill Lynch and Zebra Technologies. He holds an MBA from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.

    “I’m excited to join Kinematics’ Board at such a pivotal time for both the company and the solar industry,” said Ross Rosenberg. “Having worked extensively in utility-scale solar, I understand the critical role that reliable, intelligent motion control plays in maximizing energy production and project economics. Kinematics’ combined portfolio of actuators, motors, controllers, and global support capabilities positions the company uniquely to serve the rapidly growing solar market. I look forward to working with John and the team to capitalize on the tremendous opportunities ahead.”

    About Kinematics

    Founded in 1996, Kinematics is the leading provider of critical motion control solutions. From actuation technology to advanced algorithms, controls, and global support, the company provides a total solution that maximizes power production for the solar industry and improves reliability and safety for industrial and satellite applications. Kinematics supplies engineered systems, sensors, software, and services to move mission-critical equipment into precise position. The company is headquartered in Phoenix, Arizona, and operates globally with facilities in Asia, Europe, and the Americas.

    Press Contacts
    Kinematics
    Matt Clarke
    Email: kinematics@teamsilverline.com
    Phone: 301.467.7332

    Magic Leap, Inc.
    For media inquiries for Ross Rosenberg, CEO of Magic Leap Inc.
    Email: magicleap@ink-co.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: PadChest-GR: A bilingual grounded radiology reporting benchmark for chest X-rays

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: PadChest-GR: A bilingual grounded radiology reporting benchmark for chest X-rays

    In our ever-evolving journey to enhance healthcare through technology, we’re announcing a unique new benchmark for grounded radiology report generation—PadChest-GR (opens in new tab). The world’s first multimodal, bilingual sentence-level radiology report dataset, developed by the University of Alicante with Microsoft Research, University Hospital Sant Joan d’Alacant and MedBravo, is set to redefine how AI and radiologists interpret radiological images. Our work demonstrates how collaboration between humans and AI can create powerful feedback loops—where new datasets drive better AI models, and those models, in turn, inspire richer datasets. We’re excited to share this progress in NEJM AI, highlighting both the clinical relevance and research excellence of this initiative. 

    A new frontier in radiology report generation 

    It is estimated that over half of people visiting hospitals have radiology scans that must be interpreted by a clinical professional. Traditional radiology reports often condense multiple findings into unstructured narratives. In contrast, grounded radiology reporting demands that each finding be described and localized individually.

    This can mitigate the risk of AI fabrications and enable new interactive capabilities that enhance clinical and patient interpretability. PadChest-GR is the first bilingual dataset to address this need with 4,555 chest X-ray studies complete with Spanish and English sentence-level descriptions and precise spatial (bounding box) annotations for both positive and negative findings. It is the first public benchmark that enables us to evaluate generation of fully grounded radiology reports in chest X-rays. 

    Figure 1. Example of a grounded report from PadChest-GR. The original free-text report in Spanish was ”Motivo de consulta: Preoperatorio. Rx PA tórax: Impresión diagnóstica: Ateromatosis aórtica calcificada. Engrosamiento pleural biapical. Atelectasia laminar basal izquierda. Elongación aórtica. Sin otros hallazgos radiológicos significativos.”

    Spotlight: Blog post

    Eureka: Evaluating and understanding progress in AI

    How can we rigorously evaluate and understand state-of-the-art progress in AI? Eureka is an open-source framework for standardizing evaluations of large foundation models, beyond single-score reporting and rankings. Learn more about the extended findings. 

    This benchmark isn’t standing alone—it plays a critical role in powering our state-of-the-art multimodal report generation model, MAIRA-2. Leveraging the detailed annotations of PadChest-GR, MAIRA-2 represents our commitment to building more interpretable and clinically useful AI systems. You can explore our work on MAIRA-2 on our project web page, including recent user research conducted with clinicians in healthcare settings.

    PadChest-GR is a testament to the power of collaboration. Aurelia Bustos at MedBravo and Antonio Pertusa at the University of Alicante published the original PadChest dataset (opens in new tab) in 2020, with the help of Jose María Salinas from Hospital San Juan de Alicante and María de la Iglesia Vayá from the Center of Excellence in Biomedical Imaging at the Ministry of Health in Valencia, Spain. We started to look at PadChest and were deeply impressed by the scale, depth, and diversity of the data.

    As we worked more closely with the dataset, we realized the opportunity to develop this for grounded radiology reporting research and worked with the team at the University of Alicante to determine how to approach this together. Our complementary expertise was a nice fit. At Microsoft Research, our mission is to push the boundaries of medical AI through innovative, data-driven solutions. The University of Alicante, with its deep clinical expertise, provided critical insights that greatly enriched the dataset’s relevance and utility. The result of this collaboration is the PadChest-GR dataset.

    A significant enabler of our annotation process was Centaur Labs. The team of senior and junior radiologists from the University Hospital Sant Joan d’Alacant, coordinated by Joaquin Galant, used this HIPAA-compliant labeling platform to perform rigorous study-level quality control and bounding box annotations. The annotation protocol implemented ensured that each annotation was accurate and consistent, forming the backbone of a dataset designed for the next generation of grounded radiology report generation models. 

    Accelerating PadChest-GR dataset annotation with AI 

    Our approach integrates advanced large language models with comprehensive manual annotation: 

    Data Selection & Processing: Leveraging Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service (opens in new tab) with GPT-4, we extracted sentences describing individual positive and negative findings from raw radiology reports, translated them from Spanish to English, and linked each sentence to the existing expert labels from PadChest. This was done for a selected subset of the full PadChest dataset, carefully curated to reflect a realistic distribution of clinically relevant findings. 

    Manual Quality Control & Annotation: The processed studies underwent meticulous quality checks on the Centaur Labs platform by radiologist from Hospital San Juan de Alicante. Each positive finding was then annotated with bounding boxes to capture critical spatial information. 

    Standardization & Integration: All annotations were harmonized into coherent grounded reports, preserving the structure and context of the original findings while enhancing interpretability. 

    Figure 2. Overview of the data curation pipeline.

    Impact and future directions 

    PadChest-GR not only sets a new benchmark for grounded radiology reporting, but also serves as the foundation for our MAIRA-2 model, which already showcases the potential of highly interpretable AI in clinical settings. While we developed PadChest-GR to help train and validate our own models, we believe the research community will greatly benefit from this dataset for many years to come. We look forward to seeing the broader research community build on this—improving grounded reporting AI models and using PadChest-GR as a standard for evaluation. We believe that by fostering open collaboration and sharing our resources, we can accelerate progress in medical imaging AI and ultimately improve patient care together with the community.

    The collaboration between Microsoft Research and the University of Alicante highlights the transformative power of working together across disciplines. With our publication in NEJM-AI and the integral role of PadChest-GR in the development of MAIRA-2 (opens in new tab) and RadFact (opens in new tab), we are excited about the future of AI-empowered radiology. We invite researchers and industry experts to explore PadChest-GR and MAIRA-2, contribute innovative ideas, and join us in advancing the field of grounded radiology reporting. 

    Papers already using PadChest-GR:

    For further details or to download PadChest-GR, please visit the BIMCV PadChest-GR Project (opens in new tab). 

    Models in the Azure Foundry that can do Grounded Reporting: 

    Acknowledgement

    • Authors: Daniel C. Castro (opens in new tab), Aurelia Bustos (opens in new tab), Shruthi Bannur (opens in new tab), Stephanie L. Hyland (opens in new tab), Kenza Bouzid (opens in new tab), Maria Teodora Wetscherek (opens in new tab), Maria Dolores Sánchez-Valverde (opens in new tab), Lara Jaques-Pérez (opens in new tab), Lourdes Pérez-Rodríguez (opens in new tab), Kenji Takeda (opens in new tab), José María Salinas (opens in new tab), Javier Alvarez-Valle (opens in new tab), Joaquín Galant Herrero (opens in new tab), Antonio Pertusa (opens in new tab) 

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: PadChest-GR: A bilingual grounded radiology reporting benchmark for chest X-rays

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: PadChest-GR: A bilingual grounded radiology reporting benchmark for chest X-rays

    In our ever-evolving journey to enhance healthcare through technology, we’re announcing a unique new benchmark for grounded radiology report generation—PadChest-GR (opens in new tab). The world’s first multimodal, bilingual sentence-level radiology report dataset, developed by the University of Alicante with Microsoft Research, University Hospital Sant Joan d’Alacant and MedBravo, is set to redefine how AI and radiologists interpret radiological images. Our work demonstrates how collaboration between humans and AI can create powerful feedback loops—where new datasets drive better AI models, and those models, in turn, inspire richer datasets. We’re excited to share this progress in NEJM AI, highlighting both the clinical relevance and research excellence of this initiative. 

    A new frontier in radiology report generation 

    It is estimated that over half of people visiting hospitals have radiology scans that must be interpreted by a clinical professional. Traditional radiology reports often condense multiple findings into unstructured narratives. In contrast, grounded radiology reporting demands that each finding be described and localized individually.

    This can mitigate the risk of AI fabrications and enable new interactive capabilities that enhance clinical and patient interpretability. PadChest-GR is the first bilingual dataset to address this need with 4,555 chest X-ray studies complete with Spanish and English sentence-level descriptions and precise spatial (bounding box) annotations for both positive and negative findings. It is the first public benchmark that enables us to evaluate generation of fully grounded radiology reports in chest X-rays. 

    Figure 1. Example of a grounded report from PadChest-GR. The original free-text report in Spanish was ”Motivo de consulta: Preoperatorio. Rx PA tórax: Impresión diagnóstica: Ateromatosis aórtica calcificada. Engrosamiento pleural biapical. Atelectasia laminar basal izquierda. Elongación aórtica. Sin otros hallazgos radiológicos significativos.”

    Spotlight: Blog post

    Eureka: Evaluating and understanding progress in AI

    How can we rigorously evaluate and understand state-of-the-art progress in AI? Eureka is an open-source framework for standardizing evaluations of large foundation models, beyond single-score reporting and rankings. Learn more about the extended findings. 

    This benchmark isn’t standing alone—it plays a critical role in powering our state-of-the-art multimodal report generation model, MAIRA-2. Leveraging the detailed annotations of PadChest-GR, MAIRA-2 represents our commitment to building more interpretable and clinically useful AI systems. You can explore our work on MAIRA-2 on our project web page, including recent user research conducted with clinicians in healthcare settings.

    PadChest-GR is a testament to the power of collaboration. Aurelia Bustos at MedBravo and Antonio Pertusa at the University of Alicante published the original PadChest dataset (opens in new tab) in 2020, with the help of Jose María Salinas from Hospital San Juan de Alicante and María de la Iglesia Vayá from the Center of Excellence in Biomedical Imaging at the Ministry of Health in Valencia, Spain. We started to look at PadChest and were deeply impressed by the scale, depth, and diversity of the data.

    As we worked more closely with the dataset, we realized the opportunity to develop this for grounded radiology reporting research and worked with the team at the University of Alicante to determine how to approach this together. Our complementary expertise was a nice fit. At Microsoft Research, our mission is to push the boundaries of medical AI through innovative, data-driven solutions. The University of Alicante, with its deep clinical expertise, provided critical insights that greatly enriched the dataset’s relevance and utility. The result of this collaboration is the PadChest-GR dataset.

    A significant enabler of our annotation process was Centaur Labs. The team of senior and junior radiologists from the University Hospital Sant Joan d’Alacant, coordinated by Joaquin Galant, used this HIPAA-compliant labeling platform to perform rigorous study-level quality control and bounding box annotations. The annotation protocol implemented ensured that each annotation was accurate and consistent, forming the backbone of a dataset designed for the next generation of grounded radiology report generation models. 

    Accelerating PadChest-GR dataset annotation with AI 

    Our approach integrates advanced large language models with comprehensive manual annotation: 

    Data Selection & Processing: Leveraging Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service (opens in new tab) with GPT-4, we extracted sentences describing individual positive and negative findings from raw radiology reports, translated them from Spanish to English, and linked each sentence to the existing expert labels from PadChest. This was done for a selected subset of the full PadChest dataset, carefully curated to reflect a realistic distribution of clinically relevant findings. 

    Manual Quality Control & Annotation: The processed studies underwent meticulous quality checks on the Centaur Labs platform by radiologist from Hospital San Juan de Alicante. Each positive finding was then annotated with bounding boxes to capture critical spatial information. 

    Standardization & Integration: All annotations were harmonized into coherent grounded reports, preserving the structure and context of the original findings while enhancing interpretability. 

    Figure 2. Overview of the data curation pipeline.

    Impact and future directions 

    PadChest-GR not only sets a new benchmark for grounded radiology reporting, but also serves as the foundation for our MAIRA-2 model, which already showcases the potential of highly interpretable AI in clinical settings. While we developed PadChest-GR to help train and validate our own models, we believe the research community will greatly benefit from this dataset for many years to come. We look forward to seeing the broader research community build on this—improving grounded reporting AI models and using PadChest-GR as a standard for evaluation. We believe that by fostering open collaboration and sharing our resources, we can accelerate progress in medical imaging AI and ultimately improve patient care together with the community.

    The collaboration between Microsoft Research and the University of Alicante highlights the transformative power of working together across disciplines. With our publication in NEJM-AI and the integral role of PadChest-GR in the development of MAIRA-2 (opens in new tab) and RadFact (opens in new tab), we are excited about the future of AI-empowered radiology. We invite researchers and industry experts to explore PadChest-GR and MAIRA-2, contribute innovative ideas, and join us in advancing the field of grounded radiology reporting. 

    Papers already using PadChest-GR:

    For further details or to download PadChest-GR, please visit the BIMCV PadChest-GR Project (opens in new tab). 

    Models in the Azure Foundry that can do Grounded Reporting: 

    Acknowledgement

    • Authors: Daniel C. Castro (opens in new tab), Aurelia Bustos (opens in new tab), Shruthi Bannur (opens in new tab), Stephanie L. Hyland (opens in new tab), Kenza Bouzid (opens in new tab), Maria Teodora Wetscherek (opens in new tab), Maria Dolores Sánchez-Valverde (opens in new tab), Lara Jaques-Pérez (opens in new tab), Lourdes Pérez-Rodríguez (opens in new tab), Kenji Takeda (opens in new tab), José María Salinas (opens in new tab), Javier Alvarez-Valle (opens in new tab), Joaquín Galant Herrero (opens in new tab), Antonio Pertusa (opens in new tab) 

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: How Israeli and U.S. strikes against Iran were facilitated by the Russia-Ukraine war

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By James Horncastle, Assistant Professor and Edward and Emily McWhinney Professor in International Relations, Simon Fraser University

    The American intervention in Iran is being touted as an outstanding success by President Donald Trump. At the very least, Trump’s decision to attack Iran facilitated a ceasefire as it created angst in Gulf states about being caught in the crossfire after Iran symbolically attacked an American air base, Al Udeid, in Qatar.

    The long-term implications and viability of the ceasefire are open for debate.

    If Iran preserved its nuclear stockpile of fissile material, it has more incentive to develop a nuclear weapon, despite the damage Israel and the United States did to its production facilities. This is especially true if the damage to facilities like Fordow was less than Trump is proclaiming.

    Russian-Iranian relations

    While the future of Iran’s nuclear weapons capacity remains unknown, what is clear is that the U.S. and Israel were able to strike at Iran in large part due to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.

    In the modern era, relations between Russia and Iran have frequently been tense. Russia and the Soviet Union’s interests in the region have provoked several conflicts, most notably during the 1940s when the Soviets encouraged the formation of the People’s Republic of Azerbaijan on Iranian soil.

    The shah of Iran’s close relationship with the U.S. further discouraged a strong relationship between Moscow and Tehran.

    The shah’s fall and the collapse of the Soviet Union, however, allowed for a working relationship to develop between Iran and Russia. They’re still rivals but nevertheless work together when it suits their best interests. Russian and Iranian co-operation on the Syrian civil war is an example.

    Furthermore, both Iran and Russia have provided diplomatic support for each other. Russia’s insertion into the Iran nuclear deal framework in 2015 benefited both parties. It provided economic benefits to Russia, and it also allowed Iran to develop its nuclear ambitions.

    When Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, Iran was one of the few countries that didn’t oppose the move. It abstained from voting on a United Nations resolution in March 2022 condemning Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, which amounted to tacit support.

    More importantly, Iran’s own success in evading oil sanctions helped Russia do the same, allowing the Russians to maintain their war effort in Ukraine.

    The connections between Russia and Iran, however, goes beyond the political and economic.

    Drones and other weapons

    Iran has played a pivotal role in Russia’s war in Ukraine. One of Ukraine’s initial advantages was in drone technology, including the drone expertise of its allies. The Russian military, which had not fully embraced the implications of drone technology, was at a severe disadvantage.

    Iran, however, had embraced the role of drones in warfare and both provided drones to Russia and helped the Russians develop their own domestic production.

    Iran, at an arms disadvantage against Israel and the U.S., sought to use drones to offset this weakness. The Iranians, in fact, pioneered the use of drones, most notably the Shahed 131 and 136.



    Read more:
    How Russian and Iranian drone strikes further dehumanize warfare

    Before Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, however, the flow of weapons between Russia and Iran was more one-sided. Since the collapse of the Soviet Union, Iran has been a vital market for Russian military technology. Russian leaders have viewed the sale of weapons to Iran as both a way of supporting the Russian economy and to counter American interests in the Middle East.

    So what’s all this have to do with Ukraine?

    Iran left open to bombardment

    The most crucial weapon provided by Russia to Iran is arguably the S-300, an advanced surface-to-air missile systems.

    Israel’s air dominance and its ability to overcome Iranian air defences in the past meant that the S-300 was a vital piece of technology for Iran. Israeli officials recognized the S-300’s importance to countering their operations when they, for several years, used political pressure to block S-300 sales to Iran.

    In October 2024, Israel likely breached the software that operates the S-300, disabling the system’s radar. This breach allowed Israel to eliminate Iran’s S-300s, and left Iran vulnerable to Israeli and American air attacks.

    Iran has been unable to acquire replacements for one simple reason: Russia needs the weapon systems in Ukraine. Ukraine has prioritized eliminating Russian air defences like the S-300.

    The enduring Ukraine-Russia conflict has served as a bleeding ulcer for the Russian armaments industry. Russian military hardware has been destroyed at such a rate that it’s delayed Russia’s sale of weapons to key markets, including Iran and India.

    The situation has caused Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi to pivot away from Russian military technology — a key feature in Russian-Indian relations — for domestic arms backed by western technology.

    Iran, meantime, has been left open to aerial bombardment by Israel and the U.S.

    Although Iran reportedly possesses the even more advanced S-400, this hasn’t been confirmed and Iran has denied it.

    Ukraine advances U.S. interests

    Rightly or wrongly, the U.S. government identified bombing Iran alongside Israel as being in its national interest. But it’s unlikely American involvement would have been possible without Ukraine draining Russian resources.

    The problem is that the current U.S. administration views the world and its events in an isolated manner. But in a globalized world, few events remain in isolation.

    The U.S. government may argue that supporting Ukraine is not in American interests, but Ukraine’s ongoing fight against Russia is actually assisting Americans elsewhere — most notably, in Iran.

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

    – ref. How Israeli and U.S. strikes against Iran were facilitated by the Russia-Ukraine war – https://theconversation.com/how-israeli-and-u-s-strikes-against-iran-were-facilitated-by-the-russia-ukraine-war-259845

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Council working with universities, students and landlords to manage summer changeover period in Leeds

    Source: City of Leeds

    Students leaving or changing accommodation from this weekend

    Students and their landlords in Leeds are being asked to be respectful of their neighbours and the local environment as the summer changeover period begins.

    With many student tenancies coming to an end this month, Leeds City Council is working closely with the University of Leeds, Leeds Beckett University, Leeds Arts University, Leeds Trinity University and Unipol to support students, landlords and their agents to support students with the challenge of moving from one place to another on the same day, but also keeping noise and discarded waste to a minimum.

    Building on the positives of the last two years including 80 tonnes of reuseable items being collected and redistributed free or very affordably through local charities Revive and Slate,  the number of temporary reuse banks located in popular student accommodation areas has been increased. 

    Staff from the council’s cleaner neighbourhoods team have joined ambassadors from Leeds Beckett and University of Leeds knocking on thousands of doors in student areas this month, engaging in conversations about being considerate of local communities and delivering flyers detailing ways items no longer needed can be sold, donated or disposed of appropriately.

    Information has also been shared via leaflets, social media posts, direct communications to students by universities, as well as WhatsApp messaging from landlords to their tenants.

    Unipol again has its dedicated ‘moving out’ webpage offering detailed information on how to donate, recycle or dispose of unwanted items in a responsible and timely fashion, with maps of donation bank locations together with all key information at https://www.unipol.org.uk/advice/students/moving-out-2025/

    The council has contacted landlords and lettings agents reminding them of their responsibilities to ensure their tenants dispose of their waste legally, contained in bins or via recycling banks.

    Council street wardens will also be on hand to offer practical advice during the changeover period, and from mid-June, additional refuse collection and street cleansing vehicles will deal with any hotspots of waste.

    The household waste and recycling centres at Kirkstall and Meanwood are open every day from 8am-6pm. Leeds Rental Standard-accredited landlords can access discounted tipping on certain types of waste at Kirkstall recycling centre, where the public weighbridge is open 8am-4pm daily. Students can also access Kirkstall recycling centre on foot to donate to the reuse shop or deposit bulky items.

    Two additional caged vehicles will also once again be in operation sponsored by Leeds Property Association and Unipol.

    Council enforcement officers will be patrolling student areas to ensure waste is being disposed of appropriately, and have the powers to issue fines for non-compliance. The serious environmental crime team will also be actively monitoring areas to catch and deter unlicensed waste carriers or anyone caught sifting through bins attempting to find any valuables.

    Speaking ahead of the changeover weekend, Councillor Mary Harland, Leeds City Council’s executive member for communities, customer service and community safety, and Councillor Mohammed Rafique, executive member for climate, energy, environment and green space, said:

    “We are very pleased to be working again with all the Leeds universities, landlords and agents to help support students leaving or changing their accommodation this summer. Given we have approximately 80,000 students in the city this changeover period is a massive undertaking, so we are committed to doing everything we can to help them with the process and especially disposing of their waste appropriately.

    “We would appeal directly to the students to enjoy their final days in their current arrangements, but to remind them of their responsibilities to be respectful and mindful of their neighbours and local communities to ensure there is no anti-social behaviour, which will not be tolerated and will be dealt with quickly.

    “There is also no excuse for waste being dumped on the street or in public spaces, please make use of all of the extra range of facilities and options on offer to dispose of goods appropriately. Anyone not doing so risks facing prosecution and spot fines, but if people behave responsibly those won’t be needed which is very much what we hope.”

    A spokesperson from Leeds Beckett University’s Students’ Union said:

    ”For all of us at Leeds Beckett Students’ Union, building a positive relationship between our students, landlords and the wider community is a priority. We’re here to support students as they settle into new homes in July during the changeover period, a busy and sometimes challenging time for both students and local residents. We encourage everyone to be considerate of neighbours as well as being patient and respectful. By working together, we can ensure a smooth transition and continue building the strong sense of community that makes Leeds such a great place to live and study.”

    A spokesperson from Leeds Arts University’s Students’ Union said:

    “As the academic year ends, we encourage all Leeds students to act responsibly when leaving their accommodation for the final time. Removal of unwanted items to recycling facilities and appropriate disposal of excess rubbish is an essential part of the moving out process, whilst leaving behind waste places unnecessary strain on local services and is disrespectful to neighbours and the wider community. Leeds Arts Union is happy to be working collaboratively once again with the other Leeds universities and Leeds City Council to ensure our students move out responsibly and end the year sustainably.”

    To see the guidance around leaving or changing student accommodation, visit https://www.unipol.org.uk/advice/students/moving-out-2025/

    ENDS

    For media enquiries please contact:

    Leeds City Council communications and marketing,

    Email: communicationsteam@leeds.gov.uk

    Tel: 0113 378 6007

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –