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Category: Universities

  • MIL-Evening Report: Parenthood or podium? It’s time Australian athletes had the support to choose both

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jasmine Titova, PhD Candidate, CQUniversity Australia

    When tennis legend Serena Williams
    retired in 2022, she stated:

    If I were a guy, I wouldn’t be writing this because I’d be out there playing and winning while my wife was doing the physical labour of expanding our family.

    Many elite athletes end their sporting careers prematurely to have children, with the physical burden of pregnancy one of many barriers.

    Despite these barriers, a growing number of elite athletes are proving motherhood and elite sport are compatible and even complementary – but they need better support.

    Responding to this need, the Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) today announced new recommendations in this space, which are the most comprehensive of their kind globally.

    Just seven years out from Brisbane 2032 Olympics and Paralympics, this clearer new policy could give confidence to countless Australian athletes who are determined to become parents as well as striving for the podium.

    The push for more support

    Women can train safely during and after pregnancy but it is often practical challenges – like a lack of contract security, ranking and categorisation protection and limited access to parenting facilities – that prevent them from continuing in their sport.

    In Australia, Olympic sprint kayaker Alyce Wood, marathon runner Genevieve Gregson and water polo player Keesja Gofers have gone on to reach personal bests and career-highs after having children. These athletes have highlighted the challenges and gaps they faced along the way, despite organisational support for athlete mums improving in recent years.

    Alongside others athlete mums, they are now advocating for better support systems.

    This call to action has become increasingly urgent as women’s sport experiences unprecedented growth through increased visibility, investment and professionalisation.

    Research driving change

    Our CQUniversity research team partnered with the AIS and the Queensland Academy of Sport to develop national evidence-based recommendations to guide sporting organisations in how to support pregnant and parenting athletes.

    Underpinning these recommendations was a comprehensive series of studies spanning four years.

    The project began by exploring global findings to understand the barriers and enablers faced by elite athletes during preconception, pregnancy, postpartum and parenting.

    Our research found elite athletes encounter more than 30 unique barriers during these critical windows, including:

    • challenges planning pregnancy around sporting competitions
    • the physical impacts of pregnancy and childbirth
    • training considerations
    • the logistics and cost of caring for an infant while travelling.

    Central to these findings was sporting organisations’ lack of pregnancy and parenting policies.

    A subsequent review found only 22 out of 104 (21%) national sporting organisations had at least one policy detailing support for pregnant and parenting athletes.

    Listening to athletes and staff

    To better understand the gaps, our research team met with more than 60 elite women athletes, support staff (like coaches and health professionals) and organisational staff across 25 sports.

    We investigated the experiences and needs of elite athlete mothers and those planning children.

    We discovered the vast majority were unhappy with the level of pregnancy and parenting support provided by sporting organisations.

    They cited a lack of clear frameworks and women’s health education, prevailing stigma, discrimination and limited access to parenting facilities as key barriers.

    As one athlete shared:

    No one ever talks about it [starting a family] in my environment. It feels like a taboo topic because it’s kind of expected that it’s something you think about after sport. Like, your priority should be training and performing.

    Another athlete described:

    I’ve got a lot of friends who have also tried [returning after children] and have just not wanted to return because of the environment and lack of [organisational] support […] you have to go back to club level and then work your way back up to state and national level without any help or support.

    This input helped shape the AIS recommendations, which are the most comprehensive of their kind globally.

    They comprise of 19 policy recommendations and 89 practice recommendations (practical, actionable steps for sporting organisations to follow).

    The guide is also the first to include a suite of resources including pregnancy and return-to-sport plan templates, checklists, frameworks and helpful resources to support implementation.

    With the adoption of these recommendations, athletes will be able to:

    • disclose pregnancy on their own terms (excluding required medical clearances and safety precautions)
    • develop and regularly review a comprehensive, individualised plan guiding them through preconception, pregnancy, postpartum and parenting, in collaboration with relevant staff
    • take time away from their sport during preconception, pregnancy and postpartum without facing financial or ranking/categorisation implications
    • have continued access to facilities, services and relevant professionals during preconception, pregnancy and postpartum
    • maintain their preferred level of engagement with the sporting organisation while taking parenting leave.

    Sporting organisations adopting the recommendations should:

    • implement accessible pregnancy policies
    • educate athletes and staff on reproductive health
    • provide essential parenting facilities like designated breastfeeding and childcare spaces.

    The recommendations mark a significant step forward for women’s sport, directly addressing longstanding barriers. They will ensure women athletes receive the same basic rights and privileges standard for parents in most Australian workplaces.

    Jasmine Titova received funding from the Australian Institute of Sport and the Australian Government’s Research Training Program.

    Melanie Hayman 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. Parenthood or podium? It’s time Australian athletes had the support to choose both – https://theconversation.com/parenthood-or-podium-its-time-australian-athletes-had-the-support-to-choose-both-257725

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Case Opposes Homeland Security Funding Measure That Would Cripple Federal Disaster Assistance To State And Local Governments

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ed Case (Hawai‘i – District 1)

    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Congressman Ed Case (HI-01), a member of the House Appropriations Committee and of its Subcommittee on Homeland Security, voted yesterday in the full committee against the proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Homeland Security Appropriations measure.  

    The FY 2026 Homeland Security bill proposes a total discretionary allocation of $66.4 billion to the Department of Homeland Security, an increase of $1.3 billion over the FY 2025 enacted level.

    Combined with the additional $26.5 billion for disaster response and $6.3 billion for programs offset by fee collections, the bill proposes to spend a total of $99.1 billion for the Department of Homeland Security in FY 2026. 

    The bill supports the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Immigration and Customs Enforcement, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Transportation Security Administration (TSA), the U.S. Coast Guard, the U.S. Secret Service and more.

    “While the measure funds many critical Hawai‘i and Indo-Pacific priorities I requested, I regrettably had to vote against this version because it dangerously underfunds disaster mitigation and cybersecurity initiatives, ultimately leaving Americans less safe,” said Case. “The Committee also was forced to draft the bill in the dark because the administration failed to provide a detailed budget request, and this is a dangerous precedent to support.”

    In his remarks to the full committee here, Case focused specifically on critical FEMA assistance to for the Maui wildfire disaster as well as proposed cybersecurity cuts.

    Through his assignment on the Subcommittee, Case secured $1 million for the Hawai‘i Emergency Management Agency’s (HIEMA) Emergency Operations Center IT Modernization Project. This is one of Case’s Member-designated Community Project Funding (CPF) projects that specifically focuses on local needs in Hawai‘i. The project will fund the procurement and installation of touchscreen monitors for a new information wall at the emergency operations center to facilitate emergency response communications and instantaneous information sharing.

    “These facilities will share information in real time so that emergency responders can make informed decisions and take necessary actions to save lives and protect property in the event of a disaster,” said Case. 

    The House’s CPF rules require that each project must have demonstrated community support, must be fully disclosed by the requesting Member and must be subject to audit by the independent Government Accountability Office. Case’s disclosures are here.  

    Case also secured a number of other key programs and provisions for Hawai‘i, including:

    ·         $355 million for Emergency Management Performance Grants, which support state and local emergency management agencies like HIEMA. 

    ·         $360 million for FEMA’s Assistance to Firefighters Grant program, which is a major source of funding for county fire departments.

    ·         $360 million for FEMA’s Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant Program. 

    ·         $60 million for increased Coast Guard operations and support funding in the Indo-Pacific, to include workforce support in housing, medical and childcare access for Coasties in Hawai‘i.

    ·         $15 million for the Coast Guard’s Honolulu Homeport Project, which funds expansion of operations and cutter maintenance activities at Base Honolulu. 

    ·         $101 million for the National Domestic Preparedness Consortium, a $10 million increase over FY 2025, which funds University of Hawaii’s National Disaster Preparedness Training Center. 

    ·         $60 million for another Coast Guard Medium Endurance Cutter to be stationed in the Indo-Pacific.  

    ·         $40 million for FEMA’s Next Generation Warning System. 

    ·         Language requiring a report on the opportunity for the Coast Guard to acquire additional pier and related space at Base Honolulu. 

    ·         Language requiring a report on unmet requirements for the infrastructure at the Coast Guard’s Air Station Barbers Point. 

    ·         Language encouraging TSA to address potential degradation of security scanning equipment at open-air airports.

     The measure also includes the following priorities requested by Case: 

    ·         $14.4 billion for the Coast Guard. 

    ·         $54 million for the National Computer Forensic Institute, through which 397 state and local law enforcement officers from agencies in Hawai‘i have received a host of forensic training courses.

    ·         Report language supporting the growth of CISA support in the Pacific Islands. 

    ·         Language requiring a report on Coast Guard engagement and needs in the Indo-Pacific. 

    ·         Language requiring a briefing on the Coast Guard’s role in combatting illegal, unreported and unregulated fishing, which is a major issue in the Indo-Pacific. 

    ·         $615 million for the Urban Area Security Initiative under FEMA. 

    ·         $520 million for the State Homeland Security Grant Program, which provides funding to protect against terrorism and other threats. 

    ·         $95 million for the Transit Security Grant Program, which protects critical transportation infrastructure from acts of terrorism. 

    ·         $105 million for the Emergency Food and Shelter Program. 

    ·         $100 million for FEMA’s Port Security Grant Program. 

    ·         $45 million for the TSA Law Enforcement Officer Reimbursement Program. 

    This measure is one of the twelve bills developed by the House Appropriations Committee that will collectively fund the federal government for FY 2026 (commencing October 1, 2025). The bill now moves on to the full House of Representatives for its consideration.   

    A summary of the bill is available here.  

    ### 

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: One-size-fits-all approach does not work for autistic adults

    Source:

    26 June 2025

    In a world that is often overwhelming for people with autism, a new study by Australian and US researchers is calling for a rethink in how calming spaces and sensory rooms are designed.

    Feedback from an online survey of 96 autistic adults around the world reveals some common themes, including the importance of music, nature, solitude, and the ability to customise their environment.

    However, what also emerged from the study – recently published in Autism in Adulthood – is that autistic adults often experience the world in profoundly different ways and what might be soothing for one person could be overstimulating or distressing for another.

    Lead author, UniSA PhD candidate Connor McCabe, says that spaces must offer choice and not be based on child-focused designs that don’t reflect the needs of autistic adults.

    “Our research highlights the incredible diversity of sensory needs within the autistic community and the importance of offering flexibility and personal control within these spaces,” McCabe says.

    Key sensory factors such as lighting, sound and touch were shown to have a major influence on participants’ ability to relax.

    For example, dim or adjustable lighting, TV, books, video games, natural environments and sounds were frequently cited as beneficial, but while certain trends emerged, the authors caution against a one-size-fits-all approach.

    “That’s why it’s so important that these spaces offer choice – adjustable lighting, varied seating, different soundscapes and – above all – privacy.”

    The study, which also involved Dr Nigel Newbutt from the University of Florida, found that traditional sensory room elements such as vibration or motion-based stimulation, projected visuals on walls, and standard sensory toys were not rated as particularly helpful.

    Instead, participants called for more natural elements, including views of greenery, calming water features, and even animal interactions.

    Co-author, UniSA Cognitive Psychology Professor Tobias Loetscher, says the survey respondents consistently emphasised the need to control aspects of their environment, such as noise levels, temperature, and even who is allowed in the space.

    McCabe is currently winding up a second study that involves co-designing a VR sensory room with autistic adults.

    This research project aligns with the next steps – exploring the use of customisable virtual reality to provide flexible, cost-effective sensory environments tailored to individual preferences.

    “This VR sensory experience differs quite largely from what is typically found in a sensory room, as the virtual aspect allows much more freedom in terms of the environments we can create, and the stimulation that can be provided.”

    “With virtual reality, people can engage in calming activities like virtual forest walks or immersive soundscapes without needing large physical spaces,” McCabe says.

    A video explaining the findings is available here.

    Notes for editors

    “Insights into sensory and relaxation preferences to inform the design of calming spaces and sensory rooms for autistic adults” is published in Autism in Adulthood. DOI: 10.1089/aut.2024.0088. For a copy of the full paper, email candy.gibson@unisa.edu.au

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

    Media contact: Candy Gibson M: +61 434 605 142 E: candy.gibson@unisa.edu.au

    Other articles you may be interested in

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Hoyer Leads Hospital Roundtable to Highlight Damage of Trump’s Cuts to Medicaid and Health Care Services

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Steny H Hoyer (MD-05)

    PRINCE FREDERICK, MD — As part of House Democrats’ Save Our Hospitals Week of Action, Congressman Steny H. Hoyer (MD-05) hosted a roundtable with doctors, medical professionals, and hospitals to discuss the implications of Trump and House Republicans’ cuts to Medicaid and health care services. Congressman Hoyer and roundtable participants highlighted how nearly 17 million Americans stand to lose their health care coverage and millions more will pay higher premiums, copays, and deductibles under the reconciliation bill that House Republicans passed. Experts predict over 21,000 people in the MD-05 alone will lose coverage by 2034 because of this bill. That includes over 8,000 people losing ACA coverage and 13,000 losing Medicaid coverage in MD-05.

    The discussion took place at the Calvert Health Medical Center in Calvert County. Participants included the CalvertHealth Medical Center, Maryland Department of Health, Maryland Hospital Association, MedStar St. Mary’s Hospital, MedStar Southern Maryland Hospital Center, Luminis Health Doctors Community Medical Center, and the University of Maryland Medical System.

    “Donald Trump and his Republican allies in Congress are laser focused on making health care unaffordable for millions of Americans in order to give a tax break to the wealthiest 0.1% of Americans,” Congressman Hoyer said. “As Trump’s administration decimates federal health care services and fires the federal employees providing those services, more pain will befall Maryland households. Seniors might have to ration medications; families with disabled children may have to forgo treatment; hospitals will be squeezed; and the number of uninsured Americans will rise. That’s why I will not stop working to protect Americans’ access to quality, affordable health care.”

    “The Maryland Department of Health was proud to join Congressman Hoyer to hear directly from hospitals on how changes at the federal level will impact Maryland’s health care delivery system. Maryland has been a national model for innovation and population health improvement, paving the way for other states to learn from our system that has both improved health and reduced overall health care costs,” said Ryan Moran, Deputy Secretary of Healthcare Financing and Medicaid Director, Maryland Department of Health.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Sustainability sees rising strategic importance amid increasing strain on professionals

    Source: Sustainable Business Council

    Research released today into New Zealand’s sustainability profession reveals a compelling picture of a profession which is gaining strategic traction, while grappling with systemic challenges.
    The report, Insights on Aotearoa New Zealand Sustainability Professionals, delivered by Oxygen Consulting in collaboration with the Sustainable Business Council (SBC), Sustainable Business Network (SBN) and Auckland University of Technology (AUT), draws on the insights from sustainability professionals across Aotearoa New Zealand, unpacking capability and competencies, remuneration, job opportunities, and overall wellbeing.
    Now in its sixth year, the 2025 findings reveal a sector navigating heightened economic pressures, regulatory complexity, and emotional strain. Despite these headwinds though, the profession is maturing, with sustainability roles increasingly being embedded in core business functions such as strategy and finance.
    Director of Oxygen Consulting Sarah Holden says the 2025 results show sustainability professionals are no longer operating on the fringes but are increasingly central to business resilience and transformation.
    “But with that visibility comes pressure. Our research shows a profession that is passionate and committed but also stretched and in need of greater structural support.”
    Key findings include:
    • 60% of professionals have been in their current role for two years or less, suggesting high turnover and limited career pathways.
    • Only 12% believe current training adequately prepares them for the demands of their roles.
    • Climate anxiety and emotional exhaustion are rising, particularly among younger professionals.
    Professor Marjo Lips-Wiersma of Auckland University of Technology says, “The wellbeing data in this year’s finding is sobering. Sustainability professionals are deeply affected by the issues they work on. As organisations and educators, we must support graduates and sustainability officers at all levels to not only be technically skilled, but also emotionally resilient.”
    Despite these challenges, the findings also highlight:
    • A growing sense of professional competency, with more than 88% of respondents feeling confident in their ability to manage sustainability responsibilities.
    • Increasing integration of sustainability into strategy and finance functions, signalling a shift from compliance to core business value.
    • A growing appetite for business-relevant skills such as financial sustainability, business case development, and influencing.
    “These findings offer crucial insights for our business leaders,” says Mike Burrell, Chief Executive of the Sustainable Business Council.
    “If we want to deliver on our climate and ESG commitments and harness the opportunities sustainability presents, we must invest in the people doing the work. That means providing quality training and adequate development opportunities, as well as demonstrating leadership that champions sustainability from the very top.”
    The findings come at a time when sustainability is increasingly seen as a strategic imperative. Yet, 80% of professionals report no clear development pathway within their organisations.
    “It’s no surprise this report confirms that sustainability is indeed central to business success, export growth and meeting the expectations of global supply chains,” says Rachel Brown, CEO of the Sustainable Business Network.
    “What’s equally clear is that we have the talent, passion and capability in Aotearoa to deliver. Yet to truly succeed they need adequate resourcing, recognition and clear career pathways so their contributions can thrive.”
    The report calls for systems-level investment in training, cross-disciplinary integration, and visible leadership support to ensure the profession can thrive-and deliver the transformation New Zealand businesses need.
    A comprehensive list of training opportunities offered by the report’s partners can be found here.
    Insights on Aotearoa New Zealand Sustainability Professionals is the only research of its kind in New Zealand. Download the full insights report here.
    Notes
    The sustainability experts and partners listed above will be participating in a panel at today’s launch event, responding to the insights and discussing ideas for addressing future challenges.
    Target participants for this research included any employed people who currently have ‘sustainability’ as part or all of their role. ‘Sustainability’ includes responsibilities that address the social, environmental and economic risks to the organisation. The scope included anyone in full time, part time or contractual positions within public, private, non-governmental, charity, and not-for-profit organisations.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: From HAL 9000 to M3GAN: what film’s evil robots tell us about contemporary tech fears

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Daniel, Associate Lecturer in Communication, Western Sydney University

    © 2025 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    Filmgoers have long been captivated by stories about robots. We are fascinated by their utopian promise, their superhuman intelligence and, in the case of the cyborg, their often uncanny resemblance to humans.

    But it is the evil robot – the machine that malfunctions, rebels or was built to harm – that has most powerfully gripped the collective imagination of audiences.

    From the silent menace of Maschinenmensch in 1927’s Metropolis, to the relentless pursuit of the Terminator, to the campy violence of M3GAN, evil robots continue to resonate.

    These films not only thrill, scare and entertain audiences. They also reflect deep-seated cultural anxieties about the unpredictable consequences of the current and future human-robot relationship.

    The killer robot is far from a simple villain. It is a mirror held up to some of the most pressing cultural questions we have about human autonomy and responsibility in the digital age.

    The precarity of human control

    The enduring appeal of the evil robot narrative lies in the way horror often channels our deepest cultural anxieties about the speed of technological advancement and the precarity of human control in an increasingly digital (and robotic) world.

    In The Spark of Fear, scholar Brian Duchaney posits that improvements in technology necessitate new types of horror stories, and that horror as a genre acts out our distrust of the social advances that new technology brings.

    In the late 1960s, there was unease about the growing sophistication of computers and the impacts of the Space Race. HAL 9000 of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) represented this threat through a disembodied AI that icily turned against its human creators.

    The android Ash in Alien (1979) added another layer of menace, disguised as a human embedded in the spacecraft crew and programmed to prioritise corporate interests over human life. In this case, Ash became a proxy for concerns over corporate adoption of automation, and the increasing role of technology in military and industrial contexts.

    During the Cold War era, fears of nuclear annihilation and concerns over reaching a point where we could no longer switch off the machines led to the unforgettable T-800 and shape-shifting T-1000 in the first two Terminator films (1984 and 1991).

    In the 21st century, as artificial intelligence and robotics became more prevalent in everyday life, the cinematic robot has entered our homes, culminating in M3GAN’s companion-gone-rogue.

    In M3GAN (2022), Gemma (Allison Williams) is a robotics designer who creates an AI-powered companion doll to help her orphaned niece Cady (Violet McGraw) cope with her grief. But the doll becomes dangerously overprotective.

    In M3GAN 2.0 (2025), the consciousness of the titular robot appears to have survived the 2022 film and, in a move that borrows from The Terminator 2, M3GAN shifts from villain to protector.

    The new film explores the consequences of the underlying tech for M3GAN being stolen and misused by a powerful defence contractor to create a military-grade robot, known as Amelia. The only option to counteract Amelia is for Gemma to resurrect M3GAN – complete with upgrades to make her faster, stronger and more deadly.

    Our technological anxieties

    Why is M3GAN such an effective avatar for our contemporary anxieties?

    Horror theorist Noël Carroll argues that monsters are often frightening because they don’t fit neatly into normal categories. They may be “in-between” things (such as part human, part machine) or contradictory (for example a zombie: both alive and dead at the same time).

    M3GAN is a great example of both. She looks and acts like a young girl, with expressive facial features and a snarky sense of humour. But she’s really just artificial intelligence inside a robot body.

    She’s also contradictory: she is designed to care for and protect her owner, yet she does so in exceedingly violent and deadly ways. These paradoxes make her both frightening and fascinating for audiences.

    M3GAN and M3GAN 2.0 bring to the surface our technological anxieties, and defuse them through their camp qualities.

    One sequence in the earlier film sees M3GAN break into a fluid yet unsettling dance, mimicking the performance of many a TikTok teen, only for the dance to end abruptly when she snatches a paper cutter blade and returns to stalking her victim.

    This meme-ified moment – combined with some deadpan one-liners and often comically ironic facial expressions – have led to M3GAN becoming a gay icon in the wake of the original film.

    M3GAN’s campiness doesn’t completely neutralise the horror. It reformulates it, offering a cathartic release that makes the subject matter more digestible. While we feel fear, we do so without real-world consequences. The fear is disarmed through humour.

    This multifaceted horror experience more fully reflects the complexities of our evolving relationship with new technology. These relationships often move through a spectrum of concern, anxiety and fear before we find ways to manage and normalise those feelings.

    Humour and catharsis are two of these coping mechanisms. Movies provide us with a way of neatly and temporarily resolving what often remain unresolved questions.

    Films like M3GAN 2.0 illustrate how horror narratives can also transform alongside the technologies they critique, offering not only tension and jump scares, but also philosophical consideration, comedy and cathartic release.

    Adam Daniel 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. From HAL 9000 to M3GAN: what film’s evil robots tell us about contemporary tech fears – https://theconversation.com/from-hal-9000-to-m3gan-what-films-evil-robots-tell-us-about-contemporary-tech-fears-258397

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Microsoft, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and TitletownTech officially open AI Co-Innovation Lab to accelerate manufacturing innovation

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Microsoft, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and TitletownTech officially open AI Co-Innovation Lab to accelerate manufacturing innovation

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Microsoft, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and TitletownTech officially open AI Co-Innovation Lab to accelerate manufacturing innovation

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Microsoft, Wisconsin Economic Development Corporation, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and TitletownTech officially open AI Co-Innovation Lab to accelerate manufacturing innovation

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI: Apollo Names Celia Yan as Head of Hybrid for Asia Pacific

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HONG KONG, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Apollo (NYSE: APO) today announced that Celia Yan has joined the firm as a Partner and Head of Hybrid for Asia Pacific. Based in Hong Kong, Yan will lead the expansion of Apollo’s hybrid platform across the region, building on the firm’s momentum in delivering flexible, tailored capital solutions across private markets.

    Apollo’s hybrid business focuses on delivering creative, partnership-driven solutions that sit between traditional debt and equity. We provide solutions that help companies fund growth initiatives, generate liquidity and deleverage balance sheets, among other bespoke applications. In this newly created role, Yan will drive origination, execution and growth for Apollo’s hybrid strategies in Asia Pacific.

    Yan brings over 20 years of industry experience and extensive private investment expertise across Asia Pacific, most recently serving as Head of APAC Private Credit at BlackRock. Previously, she held senior investment roles at ADM Capital, National Australia Bank and Equity Trustees Limited (EQT).

    “Celia’s experience across private markets investing, managing cross-border teams and growing business verticals makes her a key addition as we grow our hybrid business in Asia Pacific,” said Matthew Michelini, Partner and Head of Asia Pacific at Apollo. “As companies and investors increasingly seek structured and creative solutions, Celia will help us deliver for clients across the region.”

    Chris Lahoud, Partner at Apollo, said: “As capital markets evolve, we see an attractive opportunity for hybrid growth in the region, providing partnership-oriented, flexible capital to companies and projects.”

    “Apollo’s integrated platform and global reach, paired with a strong local presence, position the firm to deliver hybrid capital at scale,” said Celia Yan. “Across Asia Pacific, businesses and sponsors are looking for non-dilutive, customized solutions that can address real market inefficiencies—and hybrid is increasingly the answer. I’m excited to join the team and help accelerate this strategy across the region.”

    Yan holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne and a Master’s in Applied Econometrics from Monash University.

    About Apollo

    Apollo is a high-growth, global alternative asset manager. In our asset management business, we seek to provide our clients excess return at every point along the risk-reward spectrum from investment grade credit to private equity. For more than three decades, our investing expertise across our fully integrated platform has served the financial return needs of our clients and provided businesses with innovative capital solutions for growth. Through Athene, our retirement services business, we specialize in helping clients achieve financial security by providing a suite of retirement savings products and acting as a solutions provider to institutions. Our patient, creative, and knowledgeable approach to investing aligns our clients, businesses we invest in, our employees, and the communities we impact, to expand opportunity and achieve positive outcomes. As of March 31, 2025, Apollo had approximately $785 billion of assets under management. To learn more, please visit www.apollo.com.

    Apollo Contacts

    Noah Gunn
    Global Head of Investor Relations
    Apollo Global Management, Inc.
    (212) 822-0540
    IR@apollo.com

    Joanna Rose
    Global Head of Corporate Communications
    Apollo Global Management, Inc.
    (212) 822-0491
    Communications@apollo.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Apollo Names Celia Yan as Head of Hybrid for Asia Pacific

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HONG KONG, June 26, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Apollo (NYSE: APO) today announced that Celia Yan has joined the firm as a Partner and Head of Hybrid for Asia Pacific. Based in Hong Kong, Yan will lead the expansion of Apollo’s hybrid platform across the region, building on the firm’s momentum in delivering flexible, tailored capital solutions across private markets.

    Apollo’s hybrid business focuses on delivering creative, partnership-driven solutions that sit between traditional debt and equity. We provide solutions that help companies fund growth initiatives, generate liquidity and deleverage balance sheets, among other bespoke applications. In this newly created role, Yan will drive origination, execution and growth for Apollo’s hybrid strategies in Asia Pacific.

    Yan brings over 20 years of industry experience and extensive private investment expertise across Asia Pacific, most recently serving as Head of APAC Private Credit at BlackRock. Previously, she held senior investment roles at ADM Capital, National Australia Bank and Equity Trustees Limited (EQT).

    “Celia’s experience across private markets investing, managing cross-border teams and growing business verticals makes her a key addition as we grow our hybrid business in Asia Pacific,” said Matthew Michelini, Partner and Head of Asia Pacific at Apollo. “As companies and investors increasingly seek structured and creative solutions, Celia will help us deliver for clients across the region.”

    Chris Lahoud, Partner at Apollo, said: “As capital markets evolve, we see an attractive opportunity for hybrid growth in the region, providing partnership-oriented, flexible capital to companies and projects.”

    “Apollo’s integrated platform and global reach, paired with a strong local presence, position the firm to deliver hybrid capital at scale,” said Celia Yan. “Across Asia Pacific, businesses and sponsors are looking for non-dilutive, customized solutions that can address real market inefficiencies—and hybrid is increasingly the answer. I’m excited to join the team and help accelerate this strategy across the region.”

    Yan holds a Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne and a Master’s in Applied Econometrics from Monash University.

    About Apollo

    Apollo is a high-growth, global alternative asset manager. In our asset management business, we seek to provide our clients excess return at every point along the risk-reward spectrum from investment grade credit to private equity. For more than three decades, our investing expertise across our fully integrated platform has served the financial return needs of our clients and provided businesses with innovative capital solutions for growth. Through Athene, our retirement services business, we specialize in helping clients achieve financial security by providing a suite of retirement savings products and acting as a solutions provider to institutions. Our patient, creative, and knowledgeable approach to investing aligns our clients, businesses we invest in, our employees, and the communities we impact, to expand opportunity and achieve positive outcomes. As of March 31, 2025, Apollo had approximately $785 billion of assets under management. To learn more, please visit www.apollo.com.

    Apollo Contacts

    Noah Gunn
    Global Head of Investor Relations
    Apollo Global Management, Inc.
    (212) 822-0540
    IR@apollo.com

    Joanna Rose
    Global Head of Corporate Communications
    Apollo Global Management, Inc.
    (212) 822-0491
    Communications@apollo.com

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Learner Success Community of Practice

    Source: Tertiary Education Commission

    Employability Ecosystems – Part 1: Improving learner outcomes through links to industry
    Dr Roy Priest, Associate Professor at Birmingham City University (BCU), gives an overview of their Employability Ecosystems that improve learner engagement, and support successful graduate outcomes by embedding employability into the curriculum and connecting learners with industry throughout their programme of study. 
    Set in the heart of Birmingham, with a focus on practice-based learning, this public university has over 30,000 learners from over 100 countries. Around half of their learners come from the most deprived neighbourhoods of Birmingham. A significant proportion of learners are the first in their family to attend university and commute from home.  
    The BCU’s Employability Ecosystems maximise the potential for ongoing connection between learners, industry-based professionals and tutors through informal frameworks. It’s a holistic approach encompassing research, knowledge transfer, curriculum development, course and programme marketing. Roy discusses what this approach looks like in practice and the support BCU has put in place for academic staff to enhance learner outcomes through informal engagement with industry.
    [embedded content]

    Employability Ecosystems – Part 2: Informal networks to support graduate outcomes
    Dr Roy Priest, Associate Professor at Birmingham City University (BCU) shares insights into three informal network initiatives – Industry Mentors Forums, Special Interest Groups, and Formal and Information Industry Advisory Boards.
    [embedded content]
    DREAM Convening
    The annual DREAM Convening is Achieving the Dream’s (ATD’s) flagship event. It attracts influential leaders and practitioners from more than 300 US-based community colleges and organisations who exchange ideas about evidence-based reform strategies that transform higher education and impact learner success.
    Achieving the Dream
    Te Rito Maioha
    Nikki Parsons, Te Rito Maioha General Manager Workforce and Learner Engagement, shares her reflections on the 2024 DREAM conference. She talks about how Te Rito Maioha, a private training establishment, is applying the knowledge she has gained to help their learners to be successful in their tertiary study.
    [embedded content]
    Skills Group
    Jon Smith, Skills Group General Manager Academic Skills and Quality, shares his three takeaways from the 2024 DREAM conference. He talks about introducing the Achieving the Dream 2.0 Capability Framework model into the Skills Group, and their robust conversations on what they need to do to build a student success model. The Skills Group is a private training establishment.
    [embedded content]
    English Language Partners
    A key takeaway from the 2024 DREAM conference for Rachel O’Connor, English Language Partners Chief Executive, is the importance of having and applying an equity mindset throughout your organisation – from how you use data to how you train your people. Rachel talks about how English Language Partners are applying the knowledge she’s gained, and using data to support equity and address learner success.
    [embedded content]

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: A preservative removed from childhood vaccines 20 years ago is still causing controversy today − a drug safety expert explains

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Terri Levien, Professor of Pharmacy, Washington State University

    A discredited study published in 1989 first alleged a link between thimerosal and autism. Flavio Coelho/Moment via Getty Images

    An expert committee that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccines is meeting for the first time since Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. abruptly replaced the committee’s 17 members with eight hand-picked ones on June 11, 2025.

    The committee, called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, generally discusses and votes on recommendations for specific vaccines. For this meeting, taking place June 25-26, 2025, vaccines for COVID-19, human papillomavirus, influenza and other infectious diseases were on the schedule. According to an updated agenda, however, the committee is now also scheduled to hear a presentation on a chemical called thimerosal and to vote on proposed recommendations regarding its use in influenza vaccines.

    Public health experts have raised concerns about the presentation, noting that anti-vaccine advocates continue to promote confusion regarding the purported health risks of thimerosal despite extensive research demonstrating its safety.

    I’m a pharmacist and expert on drug information with 35 years of experience critically evaluating the safety and effectiveness of medications in clinical trials. No evidence supports the idea that thimerosal, used as a preservative in vaccines, is unsafe or carries any health risks.

    What is thimerosal?

    Thimerosal, also known as thiomersal, is a preservative that has been used in some drug products since the 1930s because it prevents contamination by killing microbes and preventing their growth.

    In the human body, thimerosal is metabolized, or changed, to ethylmercury, an organic derivative of mercury. Studies in infants have shown that ethylmercury is quickly eliminated from the blood.

    Even though thimerosal is no longer used in childhood vaccines, many parents still worry about whether it can harm their kids.

    Ethylmercury is sometimes confused with methylmercury. Methylmercury is known to be toxic and is associated with many negative effects on brain development even at low exposure. Environmental researchers identified the neurotoxic effects of mercury in children in the 1970s, primarily resulting from exposure to methylmercury in fish. In the 1990s, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration established limits for maximum recommended exposure to methylmercury, especially for children, pregnant women and women of childbearing age.

    Why is thimerosal controversial?

    Fears about the safety of thimerosal in vaccines spread for two reasons.

    First, in 1998, a now discredited report was published in a major medical journal called The Lancet. In it, a British doctor named Andrew Wakefield described eight children who developed autism after receiving the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella. However, the patients were not compared with a control group that was vaccinated, so it was impossible to draw conclusions about the vaccine’s effects. Also, the data report was later found to be falsified. And the MMR vaccine that children received in that report never contained thimerosal.

    Second, the federal guidelines on exposure limits for the toxic substance methylmercury came out about the same time as the Wakefield study’s publication. During that period, autism was becoming more widely recognized as a developmental condition, and its rates of diagnosis were rising. People who believed Wakefield’s results conflated methylmercury and ethylmercury and promoted the unfounded idea that ethylmercury in vaccines from thimerosal were driving the rising rates of autism.

    The Wakefield study was retracted in 2010, and Wakefield was found guilty of dishonesty and flouting ethics protocols by the U.K. General Medical Council, as well as stripped of his medical license. Subsequent studies have not shown a relationship between the MMR vaccine and autism, but despite the absence of evidence, the idea took hold and has proven difficult to dislodge.

    The Wakefield study severely damaged many parents’ faith in the MMR vaccine, even though its results were eventually shown to be fraudulent.
    Peter Dazeley/The Image Bank, Getty Images

    Have scientists tested whether thimerosal is safe?

    No unbiased research to date has identified toxicity caused by ethylmercury in vaccines or a link between the substance and autism or other developmental concerns – and not from lack of looking.

    A 1999 review conducted by the Food and Drug Administration in response to federal guidelines on limiting mercury exposure found no evidence of harm from thimerosal as a vaccine preservative other than rare allergic reactions. Even so, as a precautionary measure in response to concerns about exposure to mercury in infants, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Public Health Service issued a joint statement in 1999 recommending removal of thimerosal from vaccines.

    At that time, just one childhood vaccine was available only in a version that contained thimerosal as an ingredient. This was a vaccine called DTP, for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. Other childhood vaccines were either available only in formulations without thimerosal or could be obtained in versions that did not contain it.

    By 2001, U.S. manufacturers had removed thimerosal from almost all vaccines – and from all vaccines in the childhood vaccination schedule.

    In 2004, the U.S. Institute of Medicine Immunization Safety Review Committee reviewed over 200 scientific studies and concluded there is no causal relationship between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism. Additional well-conducted studies reviewed independently by the CDC and by the FDA did not find a link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism or neuropsychological delays.

    How is thimerosal used today?

    In the U.S., most vaccines are now available in single-dose vials or syringes. Thimerosal is found only in multidose vials that are used to supply vaccines for large-scale immunization efforts – specifically, in a small number of influenza vaccines. It is not added to modern childhood vaccines, and people who get a flu vaccine can avoid it by requesting a vaccine supplied in a single-dose vial or syringe.

    Thimerosal is still used in vaccines in some other countries to ensure continued availability of necessary vaccines. The World Health Organization continues to affirm that there is no evidence of toxicity in infants, children or adults exposed to thimerosal-containing vaccines.

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

    – ref. A preservative removed from childhood vaccines 20 years ago is still causing controversy today − a drug safety expert explains – https://theconversation.com/a-preservative-removed-from-childhood-vaccines-20-years-ago-is-still-causing-controversy-today-a-drug-safety-expert-explains-259442

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: A preservative removed from childhood vaccines 20 years ago is still causing controversy today − a drug safety expert explains

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Terri Levien, Professor of Pharmacy, Washington State University

    A discredited study published in 1989 first alleged a link between thimerosal and autism. Flavio Coelho/Moment via Getty Images

    An expert committee that advises the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on vaccines is meeting for the first time since Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. abruptly replaced the committee’s 17 members with eight hand-picked ones on June 11, 2025.

    The committee, called the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices, generally discusses and votes on recommendations for specific vaccines. For this meeting, taking place June 25-26, 2025, vaccines for COVID-19, human papillomavirus, influenza and other infectious diseases were on the schedule. According to an updated agenda, however, the committee is now also scheduled to hear a presentation on a chemical called thimerosal and to vote on proposed recommendations regarding its use in influenza vaccines.

    Public health experts have raised concerns about the presentation, noting that anti-vaccine advocates continue to promote confusion regarding the purported health risks of thimerosal despite extensive research demonstrating its safety.

    I’m a pharmacist and expert on drug information with 35 years of experience critically evaluating the safety and effectiveness of medications in clinical trials. No evidence supports the idea that thimerosal, used as a preservative in vaccines, is unsafe or carries any health risks.

    What is thimerosal?

    Thimerosal, also known as thiomersal, is a preservative that has been used in some drug products since the 1930s because it prevents contamination by killing microbes and preventing their growth.

    In the human body, thimerosal is metabolized, or changed, to ethylmercury, an organic derivative of mercury. Studies in infants have shown that ethylmercury is quickly eliminated from the blood.

    Even though thimerosal is no longer used in childhood vaccines, many parents still worry about whether it can harm their kids.

    Ethylmercury is sometimes confused with methylmercury. Methylmercury is known to be toxic and is associated with many negative effects on brain development even at low exposure. Environmental researchers identified the neurotoxic effects of mercury in children in the 1970s, primarily resulting from exposure to methylmercury in fish. In the 1990s, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Food and Drug Administration established limits for maximum recommended exposure to methylmercury, especially for children, pregnant women and women of childbearing age.

    Why is thimerosal controversial?

    Fears about the safety of thimerosal in vaccines spread for two reasons.

    First, in 1998, a now discredited report was published in a major medical journal called The Lancet. In it, a British doctor named Andrew Wakefield described eight children who developed autism after receiving the MMR vaccine, which protects against measles, mumps and rubella. However, the patients were not compared with a control group that was vaccinated, so it was impossible to draw conclusions about the vaccine’s effects. Also, the data report was later found to be falsified. And the MMR vaccine that children received in that report never contained thimerosal.

    Second, the federal guidelines on exposure limits for the toxic substance methylmercury came out about the same time as the Wakefield study’s publication. During that period, autism was becoming more widely recognized as a developmental condition, and its rates of diagnosis were rising. People who believed Wakefield’s results conflated methylmercury and ethylmercury and promoted the unfounded idea that ethylmercury in vaccines from thimerosal were driving the rising rates of autism.

    The Wakefield study was retracted in 2010, and Wakefield was found guilty of dishonesty and flouting ethics protocols by the U.K. General Medical Council, as well as stripped of his medical license. Subsequent studies have not shown a relationship between the MMR vaccine and autism, but despite the absence of evidence, the idea took hold and has proven difficult to dislodge.

    The Wakefield study severely damaged many parents’ faith in the MMR vaccine, even though its results were eventually shown to be fraudulent.
    Peter Dazeley/The Image Bank, Getty Images

    Have scientists tested whether thimerosal is safe?

    No unbiased research to date has identified toxicity caused by ethylmercury in vaccines or a link between the substance and autism or other developmental concerns – and not from lack of looking.

    A 1999 review conducted by the Food and Drug Administration in response to federal guidelines on limiting mercury exposure found no evidence of harm from thimerosal as a vaccine preservative other than rare allergic reactions. Even so, as a precautionary measure in response to concerns about exposure to mercury in infants, the American Academy of Pediatrics and the U.S. Public Health Service issued a joint statement in 1999 recommending removal of thimerosal from vaccines.

    At that time, just one childhood vaccine was available only in a version that contained thimerosal as an ingredient. This was a vaccine called DTP, for diphtheria, tetanus and pertussis. Other childhood vaccines were either available only in formulations without thimerosal or could be obtained in versions that did not contain it.

    By 2001, U.S. manufacturers had removed thimerosal from almost all vaccines – and from all vaccines in the childhood vaccination schedule.

    In 2004, the U.S. Institute of Medicine Immunization Safety Review Committee reviewed over 200 scientific studies and concluded there is no causal relationship between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism. Additional well-conducted studies reviewed independently by the CDC and by the FDA did not find a link between thimerosal-containing vaccines and autism or neuropsychological delays.

    How is thimerosal used today?

    In the U.S., most vaccines are now available in single-dose vials or syringes. Thimerosal is found only in multidose vials that are used to supply vaccines for large-scale immunization efforts – specifically, in a small number of influenza vaccines. It is not added to modern childhood vaccines, and people who get a flu vaccine can avoid it by requesting a vaccine supplied in a single-dose vial or syringe.

    Thimerosal is still used in vaccines in some other countries to ensure continued availability of necessary vaccines. The World Health Organization continues to affirm that there is no evidence of toxicity in infants, children or adults exposed to thimerosal-containing vaccines.

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

    – ref. A preservative removed from childhood vaccines 20 years ago is still causing controversy today − a drug safety expert explains – https://theconversation.com/a-preservative-removed-from-childhood-vaccines-20-years-ago-is-still-causing-controversy-today-a-drug-safety-expert-explains-259442

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-Evening Report: From HAL 9000 to ME3AN: what film’s evil robots tell us about contemporary tech fears

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Daniel, Associate Lecturer in Communication, Western Sydney University

    © 2025 Universal Studios. All Rights Reserved.

    Filmgoers have long been captivated by stories about robots. We are fascinated by their utopian promise, their superhuman intelligence and, in the case of the cyborg, their often uncanny resemblance to humans.

    But it is the evil robot – the machine that malfunctions, rebels or was built to harm – that has most powerfully gripped the collective imagination of audiences.

    From the silent menace of Maschinenmensch in 1927’s Metropolis, to the relentless pursuit of the Terminator, to the campy violence of M3GAN, evil robots continue to resonate.

    These films not only thrill, scare and entertain audiences. They also reflect deep-seated cultural anxieties about the unpredictable consequences of the current and future human-robot relationship.

    The killer robot is far from a simple villain. It is a mirror held up to some of the most pressing cultural questions we have about human autonomy and responsibility in the digital age.

    The precarity of human control

    The enduring appeal of the evil robot narrative lies in the way horror often channels our deepest cultural anxieties about the speed of technological advancement and the precarity of human control in an increasingly digital (and robotic) world.

    In The Spark of Fear, scholar Brian Duchaney posits that improvements in technology necessitate new types of horror stories, and that horror as a genre acts out our distrust of the social advances that new technology brings.

    In the late 1960s, there was unease about the growing sophistication of computers and the impacts of the Space Race. HAL 9000 of 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968) represented this threat through a disembodied AI that icily turned against its human creators.

    The android Ash in Alien (1979) added another layer of menace, disguised as a human embedded in the spacecraft crew and programmed to prioritise corporate interests over human life. In this case, Ash became a proxy for concerns over corporate adoption of automation, and the increasing role of technology in military and industrial contexts.

    During the Cold War era, fears of nuclear annihilation and concerns over reaching a point where we could no longer switch off the machines led to the unforgettable T-800 and shape-shifting T-1000 in the first two Terminator films (1984 and 1991).

    In the 21st century, as artificial intelligence and robotics became more prevalent in everyday life, the cinematic robot has entered our homes, culminating in M3GAN’s companion-gone-rogue.

    In M3GAN (2022), Gemma (Allison Williams) is a robotics designer who creates an AI-powered companion doll to help her orphaned niece Cady (Violet McGraw) cope with her grief. But the doll becomes dangerously overprotective.

    In M3GAN 2.0 (2025), the consciousness of the titular robot appears to have survived the 2022 film and, in a move that borrows from The Terminator 2, M3GAN shifts from villain to protector.

    The new film explores the consequences of the underlying tech for M3GAN being stolen and misused by a powerful defence contractor to create a military-grade robot, known as Amelia. The only option to counteract Amelia is for Gemma to resurrect M3GAN – complete with upgrades to make her faster, stronger and more deadly.

    Our technological anxieties

    Why is M3GAN such an effective avatar for our contemporary anxieties?

    Horror theorist Noël Carroll argues that monsters are often frightening because they don’t fit neatly into normal categories. They may be “in-between” things (such as part human, part machine) or contradictory (for example a zombie: both alive and dead at the same time).

    M3GAN is a great example of both. She looks and acts like a young girl, with expressive facial features and a snarky sense of humour. But she’s really just artificial intelligence inside a robot body.

    She’s also contradictory: she is designed to care for and protect her owner, yet she does so in exceedingly violent and deadly ways. These paradoxes make her both frightening and fascinating for audiences.

    M3GAN and M3GAN 2.0 bring to the surface our technological anxieties, and defuse them through their camp qualities.

    One sequence in the earlier film sees M3GAN break into a fluid yet unsettling dance, mimicking the performance of many a TikTok teen, only for the dance to end abruptly when she snatches a paper cutter blade and returns to stalking her victim.

    This meme-ified moment – combined with some deadpan one-liners and often comically ironic facial expressions – have led to M3GAN becoming a gay icon in the wake of the original film.

    M3GAN’s campiness doesn’t completely neutralise the horror. It reformulates it, offering a cathartic release that makes the subject matter more digestible. While we feel fear, we do so without real-world consequences. The fear is disarmed through humour.

    This multifaceted horror experience more fully reflects the complexities of our evolving relationship with new technology. These relationships often move through a spectrum of concern, anxiety and fear before we find ways to manage and normalise those feelings.

    Humour and catharsis are two of these coping mechanisms. Movies provide us with a way of neatly and temporarily resolving what often remain unresolved questions.

    Films like M3GAN 2.0 illustrate how horror narratives can also transform alongside the technologies they critique, offering not only tension and jump scares, but also philosophical consideration, comedy and cathartic release.

    Adam Daniel 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. From HAL 9000 to ME3AN: what film’s evil robots tell us about contemporary tech fears – https://theconversation.com/from-hal-9000-to-me3an-what-films-evil-robots-tell-us-about-contemporary-tech-fears-258397

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Yes, Victoria’s efforts to wean households off gas have been dialled back. But it’s still real progress

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Trivess Moore, Associate Professor in Property, Construction and Project Management, RMIT University

    MirageC/Getty

    On the question of gas, Victoria’s government faces pressure from many directions.

    The Bass Strait wells supplying Australia’s most gas-dependent state are running dry. Gas prices shot up in 2020 and have stayed high. Natural gas is mainly methane, a potent greenhouse gas.

    But weaning more than two million gas-using households off the fossil fuel is hard. The gas lobby pushed back against proposed changes, as did the Victorian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, while resistance from some stakeholders led to a backdown on plans to phase out gas cooktops.

    That’s why the government’s decision to introduce most of the proposed changes is good news. Early plans to require dead gas heaters to be replaced with electric are gone for private housing. But from 2027, new homes have to be all-electric, while landlords will have to replace defunct gas appliances with electric and have ceiling insulation. The move will cut energy bills and accelerate the shift away from gas.

    How did we get here?

    This week’s announcement comes after lengthy consultation on changes first proposed in 2021.

    Some early responses have been supportive, though the gas industry isn’t happy, claiming the reforms will restrict customer choice and cost households more.

    Premier Jacinta Allan pitched the announcement as a way to reserve dwindling and more expensive gas supplies for industry, stating:

    by 2029, these reforms will unlock just under 12 petajoules of gas every year […] by 2035, they’ll deliver 44 PJ annually – enough to meet 85% of Victoria’s forecast industrial demand.

    What are the main changes?

    From January 2027, all newly built homes have to be all-electric. This closes a loophole in existing rules where the all-electric rule only applied to new houses requiring a planning permit.

    When a gas hot water system reaches end of life in an existing house, it will have to be replaced with an efficient electric alternative from March 2027.

    The news is even better for the rental sector.

    In 2021, the state government introduced minimum requirements for rentals. These are now being upgraded to include improved energy efficiency.

    From March 2027, new energy efficiency rules will apply to rentals and public housing, including:

    • gas hot water systems and heaters must be replaced with efficient heat pumps at end of life

    • at the start of a new lease, the rental must have draught proofing, ceiling insulation installed with a minimum R5.0 rating when there is no insulation already, and an efficient electric cooling system in the main living area.

    To help households transition, all upgrades are covered under the Victorian Energy Upgrades program which will help reduce capital costs.

    These plans are welcome. They will cut household energy bills and help meet wider sustainability goals.

    As any Victorian who has sweltered over summer or frozen through winter knows, many of the state’s houses are not great on thermal performance. Most existing homes were built before the introduction of minimum standards in the early 2000s.

    Older homes are also more likely to present health risks such as mould and damp.

    Old gas hot water units in Victoria can be repaired, but replacements will have to be electric from 2027.
    Rusty Todaro/Shutterstock

    Trade-offs proved necessary

    During the consultation period, the Victorian government floated even more ambitious plans, such as requiring all households to replace dead gas heaters with efficient electric options.

    The government originally explored making electric induction cooktops mandatory in new builds. These plans didn’t get through, potentially because of the attachment some householders feel to their gas heaters and cooktops, as we found in our research.

    The state government looks to have decided not to let perfect be the enemy of the good. Better to make significant improvements even with some trade-offs.

    When the market isn’t enough

    Policymakers usually prefer the market to find solutions rather than requiring change through regulations.

    This isn’t always possible. Here, Victoria’s gas supply challenges, subpar housing stock and the pressing need to act on climate change means regulatory nudges are needed.

    Could the government’s changes trigger a backlash? It’s possible, especially if the changes are framed as an added cost to landlords and their tenants. All-electric households are cheaper to run, but it costs money upfront to replace appliances. Waiting until an appliance’s end of life and providing upgrade subsidies will help reduce the cost impact. High gas-users save more – a Melbourne household quitting gas would save almost A$14,000 over ten years.

    18 months until launch

    The first of these changes will be in place in just 18 months.

    Schemes such as this have to be structured carefully. To ensure they work as well as possible for renters in particular, we suggest measures to avoid unintended consequences, such as means-testing any subsidy schemes to avoid leaving out lower-income households.

    We found many householders cannot access reliable information on retrofits and don’t always trust the skills and information given by tradespeople. This is why it’s vital to have accessible, independent, accurate and trustworthy support in understanding how best to replace gas appliances with electric – and how to assess tradie qualifications.

    The government’s decision to exempt rentals with existing ceiling insulation means rentals with old or compacted insulation will miss out.

    Victoria should instead look to the Australian Capital Territory, which mandates installation of new R5.0 insulation if existing insulation isn’t at least R2.

    The government must also ensure renters don’t carry the upfront cost of the upgrades in higher rent. In Sweden, rent increases linked to energy efficiency upgrades were banned.

    For the public to take to these changes, the government must ensure communication is clear and early and that any financial support is adequate and targeted to those most in need.

    Trivess Moore has received funding from various organisations including the Australian Research Council, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, Victorian government and various industry partners. He is a trustee of the Fuel Poverty Research Network.

    Nicola Willand has received funding for research from various organisations, including the Australian Research Council, the Victorian state government, the Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation, the Future Fuels Collaborative Research Centre, the National Health and Medical Research Council, Energy Consumers Australia and the British Academy. She is a trustee of the Fuel Poverty Research Network charity and affiliated with the Australian Institute of Architects.

    Sarah Robertson has received funding from various organisations, including the Australian Research Council, Australian Housing and Urban Research Institute, Victorian state government, Lord Mayor’s Charitable Foundation, and VicHealth. She is a Steering Committee member for Future Earth Australia.

    – ref. Yes, Victoria’s efforts to wean households off gas have been dialled back. But it’s still real progress – https://theconversation.com/yes-victorias-efforts-to-wean-households-off-gas-have-been-dialled-back-but-its-still-real-progress-259695

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI: F&M Bank Announces Appointment of Ahmed Alomari to Board of Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ARCHBOLD, Ohio, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — F&M Bank (“F&M”), an Archbold, Ohio-based bank owned by Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: FMAO), announces the appointment of Ahmed Alomari to the Board of Directors of both the Company and the Bank. Mr. Alomari was appointed by the F&M Board of Directors on June 24, 2025, at the monthly board meeting.

    Mr. Alomari is widely recognized for his expertise in Oracle database performance and enterprise systems architecture. He founded Cybernoor in 2007 and remained CEO until it was acquired in 2021 by Buchanan Technologies [Cybernoor Info]. As part of the acquisition, Alomari became the Executive Vice President for Buchanan Technologies, overseeing the company’s database and application operations [Buchanan Technologies Appoints Ahmed Alomari as Executive VP].

    “Ahmed brings a deep level of technical expertise and a strong track record of innovation and strategic insight,” said Lars Eller, President and CEO of F&M Bank. “His knowledge of enterprise systems and data performance will be a valuable asset as we continue to enhance our digital capabilities and technology infrastructure.”

    Mr. Alomari holds a degree in Computer Science from the University of Michigan’s School of Engineering.

    About F&M Bank

    F&M Bank is a local independent community bank that has been serving its communities since 1897. F&M Bank provides commercial banking, retail banking and other financial services. Our locations are in Butler, Champaign, Fulton, Defiance, Hancock, Henry, Lucas, Shelby, Williams, and Wood counties in Ohio. In Northeast Indiana, we have offices located in Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Jay, Steuben and Wells counties. The Michigan footprint includes Oakland County, and we have Loan Production Offices in Troy, Michigan; Muncie, Indiana; and Perrysburg and Bryan, Ohio.

    Safe harbor statement

    Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements by F&M, including management’s expectations and comments, may not be based on historical facts and are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21B of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Actual results could vary materially depending on risks and uncertainties inherent in general and local banking conditions, competitive factors specific to markets in which F&M and its subsidiaries operate, future interest rate levels, legislative and regulatory decisions, capital market conditions, or the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its impacts on our credit quality and business operations, as well as its impact on general economic and financial market conditions. F&M assumes no responsibility to update this information. For more details, please refer to F&M’s SEC filing, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Such filings can be viewed at the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov or through F&M’s website www.fm.bank.

    Company Contact: Investor and Media Contact:
    Lars B. Eller
    President and Chief Executive Officer
    Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc.
    (419) 446-2501
    leller@fm.bank    		 Andrew M. Berger
    Managing Director
    SM Berger & Company, Inc.
    (216) 464-6400
    andrew@smberger.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/81637346-a2e6-4544-b7ff-fe65be09b5e1

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: F&M Bank Announces Appointment of Ahmed Alomari to Board of Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ARCHBOLD, Ohio, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — F&M Bank (“F&M”), an Archbold, Ohio-based bank owned by Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: FMAO), announces the appointment of Ahmed Alomari to the Board of Directors of both the Company and the Bank. Mr. Alomari was appointed by the F&M Board of Directors on June 24, 2025, at the monthly board meeting.

    Mr. Alomari is widely recognized for his expertise in Oracle database performance and enterprise systems architecture. He founded Cybernoor in 2007 and remained CEO until it was acquired in 2021 by Buchanan Technologies [Cybernoor Info]. As part of the acquisition, Alomari became the Executive Vice President for Buchanan Technologies, overseeing the company’s database and application operations [Buchanan Technologies Appoints Ahmed Alomari as Executive VP].

    “Ahmed brings a deep level of technical expertise and a strong track record of innovation and strategic insight,” said Lars Eller, President and CEO of F&M Bank. “His knowledge of enterprise systems and data performance will be a valuable asset as we continue to enhance our digital capabilities and technology infrastructure.”

    Mr. Alomari holds a degree in Computer Science from the University of Michigan’s School of Engineering.

    About F&M Bank

    F&M Bank is a local independent community bank that has been serving its communities since 1897. F&M Bank provides commercial banking, retail banking and other financial services. Our locations are in Butler, Champaign, Fulton, Defiance, Hancock, Henry, Lucas, Shelby, Williams, and Wood counties in Ohio. In Northeast Indiana, we have offices located in Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Jay, Steuben and Wells counties. The Michigan footprint includes Oakland County, and we have Loan Production Offices in Troy, Michigan; Muncie, Indiana; and Perrysburg and Bryan, Ohio.

    Safe harbor statement

    Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements by F&M, including management’s expectations and comments, may not be based on historical facts and are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21B of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Actual results could vary materially depending on risks and uncertainties inherent in general and local banking conditions, competitive factors specific to markets in which F&M and its subsidiaries operate, future interest rate levels, legislative and regulatory decisions, capital market conditions, or the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its impacts on our credit quality and business operations, as well as its impact on general economic and financial market conditions. F&M assumes no responsibility to update this information. For more details, please refer to F&M’s SEC filing, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Such filings can be viewed at the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov or through F&M’s website www.fm.bank.

    Company Contact: Investor and Media Contact:
    Lars B. Eller
    President and Chief Executive Officer
    Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc.
    (419) 446-2501
    leller@fm.bank    		 Andrew M. Berger
    Managing Director
    SM Berger & Company, Inc.
    (216) 464-6400
    andrew@smberger.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/81637346-a2e6-4544-b7ff-fe65be09b5e1

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: F&M Bank Announces Appointment of Ahmed Alomari to Board of Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ARCHBOLD, Ohio, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — F&M Bank (“F&M”), an Archbold, Ohio-based bank owned by Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: FMAO), announces the appointment of Ahmed Alomari to the Board of Directors of both the Company and the Bank. Mr. Alomari was appointed by the F&M Board of Directors on June 24, 2025, at the monthly board meeting.

    Mr. Alomari is widely recognized for his expertise in Oracle database performance and enterprise systems architecture. He founded Cybernoor in 2007 and remained CEO until it was acquired in 2021 by Buchanan Technologies [Cybernoor Info]. As part of the acquisition, Alomari became the Executive Vice President for Buchanan Technologies, overseeing the company’s database and application operations [Buchanan Technologies Appoints Ahmed Alomari as Executive VP].

    “Ahmed brings a deep level of technical expertise and a strong track record of innovation and strategic insight,” said Lars Eller, President and CEO of F&M Bank. “His knowledge of enterprise systems and data performance will be a valuable asset as we continue to enhance our digital capabilities and technology infrastructure.”

    Mr. Alomari holds a degree in Computer Science from the University of Michigan’s School of Engineering.

    About F&M Bank

    F&M Bank is a local independent community bank that has been serving its communities since 1897. F&M Bank provides commercial banking, retail banking and other financial services. Our locations are in Butler, Champaign, Fulton, Defiance, Hancock, Henry, Lucas, Shelby, Williams, and Wood counties in Ohio. In Northeast Indiana, we have offices located in Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Jay, Steuben and Wells counties. The Michigan footprint includes Oakland County, and we have Loan Production Offices in Troy, Michigan; Muncie, Indiana; and Perrysburg and Bryan, Ohio.

    Safe harbor statement

    Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements by F&M, including management’s expectations and comments, may not be based on historical facts and are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21B of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Actual results could vary materially depending on risks and uncertainties inherent in general and local banking conditions, competitive factors specific to markets in which F&M and its subsidiaries operate, future interest rate levels, legislative and regulatory decisions, capital market conditions, or the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its impacts on our credit quality and business operations, as well as its impact on general economic and financial market conditions. F&M assumes no responsibility to update this information. For more details, please refer to F&M’s SEC filing, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Such filings can be viewed at the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov or through F&M’s website www.fm.bank.

    Company Contact: Investor and Media Contact:
    Lars B. Eller
    President and Chief Executive Officer
    Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc.
    (419) 446-2501
    leller@fm.bank    		 Andrew M. Berger
    Managing Director
    SM Berger & Company, Inc.
    (216) 464-6400
    andrew@smberger.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/81637346-a2e6-4544-b7ff-fe65be09b5e1

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: F&M Bank Announces Appointment of Ahmed Alomari to Board of Directors

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ARCHBOLD, Ohio, June 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — F&M Bank (“F&M”), an Archbold, Ohio-based bank owned by Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: FMAO), announces the appointment of Ahmed Alomari to the Board of Directors of both the Company and the Bank. Mr. Alomari was appointed by the F&M Board of Directors on June 24, 2025, at the monthly board meeting.

    Mr. Alomari is widely recognized for his expertise in Oracle database performance and enterprise systems architecture. He founded Cybernoor in 2007 and remained CEO until it was acquired in 2021 by Buchanan Technologies [Cybernoor Info]. As part of the acquisition, Alomari became the Executive Vice President for Buchanan Technologies, overseeing the company’s database and application operations [Buchanan Technologies Appoints Ahmed Alomari as Executive VP].

    “Ahmed brings a deep level of technical expertise and a strong track record of innovation and strategic insight,” said Lars Eller, President and CEO of F&M Bank. “His knowledge of enterprise systems and data performance will be a valuable asset as we continue to enhance our digital capabilities and technology infrastructure.”

    Mr. Alomari holds a degree in Computer Science from the University of Michigan’s School of Engineering.

    About F&M Bank

    F&M Bank is a local independent community bank that has been serving its communities since 1897. F&M Bank provides commercial banking, retail banking and other financial services. Our locations are in Butler, Champaign, Fulton, Defiance, Hancock, Henry, Lucas, Shelby, Williams, and Wood counties in Ohio. In Northeast Indiana, we have offices located in Adams, Allen, DeKalb, Jay, Steuben and Wells counties. The Michigan footprint includes Oakland County, and we have Loan Production Offices in Troy, Michigan; Muncie, Indiana; and Perrysburg and Bryan, Ohio.

    Safe harbor statement

    Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements by F&M, including management’s expectations and comments, may not be based on historical facts and are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21B of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Actual results could vary materially depending on risks and uncertainties inherent in general and local banking conditions, competitive factors specific to markets in which F&M and its subsidiaries operate, future interest rate levels, legislative and regulatory decisions, capital market conditions, or the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its impacts on our credit quality and business operations, as well as its impact on general economic and financial market conditions. F&M assumes no responsibility to update this information. For more details, please refer to F&M’s SEC filing, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Such filings can be viewed at the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov or through F&M’s website www.fm.bank.

    Company Contact: Investor and Media Contact:
    Lars B. Eller
    President and Chief Executive Officer
    Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc.
    (419) 446-2501
    leller@fm.bank    		 Andrew M. Berger
    Managing Director
    SM Berger & Company, Inc.
    (216) 464-6400
    andrew@smberger.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/81637346-a2e6-4544-b7ff-fe65be09b5e1

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: New climate reporting rules start on July 1. Many companies are not ready for the change

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Baird, Senior Lecturer , University of Tasmania

    PaeGAG/Shutterstock

    A new financial year starts on July 1. For Australia’s large companies, that means new rules on climate-related disclosures come into force.

    These requirements are the culmination of years of planning to ensure companies disclose climate-related risks and opportunities for their business. The Albanese government passed the legislation in September 2024.

    To be clear, the time to prepare is gone. From July 1, large public companies and financial institutions must gather significant amounts of information and data to include in a new year-end sustainability report. Collecting all this information is one challenge; another is finding the specialists across many fields to compile the reports.

    This is a huge change for corporate Australia. It is a whole new reporting regime, supported by volumes of technical detail. Directors will need to sign off on the report. Investors must also upskill to make sense of the disclosures. Neither of these outcomes is assured.

    And it is not clear the increased disclosures will do anything to reduce actual emissions.

    Climate impacts in focus

    Though it’s called a sustainability report, in reality it is very much focused on climate-related disclosures. If you go looking for wider sustainability matters such as social impact, environmental performance and ethical choices, you will be disappointed.

    Markets and ultimately the millions of Australians who hold shares will be watching to find out if:

    1. Corporate Australia is prepared for the transition to this new regulatory regime

    2. End users of the new reports are equipped to decipher and understand the huge amount of additional data.

    My research suggests the answer to both questions is a resounding no.

    Starting with the big end of town

    The government has wisely adopted a three-year transition for the new reporting regime, with only the big end of town facing the music this year. Think the big four banks, big supermarkets and large miners.

    Some large corporations have been publishing sustainability reports for years. National Australia Bank, for example, published its first one in 2017.

    Over the next two years, medium and then smaller companies will join the fold. By 2027–28, companies will be required to report if they meet two of three thresholds: consolidated revenue of A$50 million, or consolidated gross assets of $25 million, or more than 100 employees.

    The reasoning behind the transition is they have the benefit of watching how the larger companies adapt to the new laws.

    What has to be disclosed?

    Reporting entities must include:

    – climate statements for the year plus any notes, and

    – the directors’ declaration about these statements and notes

    This sounds rather simple and straightforward, but it is not.

    Arriving at a completed sustainability report involves an understanding of two detailed documents: the international standards and a new Australian Accounting Sustainability Standard.

    The Australian standards are mandatory and based on the international rules. In broad terms, companies will be required to gather and disclose information on many micro-level issues, which are grouped into four categories. These are: governance, strategy, risk management, and metrics and targets.

    Some issues will straddle all four categories.

    For example, the physical risk of climate change (floods, uninsurable properties, supply chain disruption) can be considered at the board level and in dedicated climate committees (goverance); in planning for alternative supply chains in a climate transition plan (strategy); in risk assessment (risk management) and in data prediction of the costs involved (metrics and targets).

    The big challenge for corporate Australia is that the people, expertise and time required to deliver a sustainability report are in short supply.

    More than a quarter of ASX 200 companies do not use the international standards. This means they are not positioned to adapt to the new reporting regime. Even for those that have been early adopters, there has been selective use of the four categories.

    For the smaller companies that will follow the first reporting year, the stakes are high.

    More information is not always better

    The amount of new information (much of it technical) to be disclosed will be overwhelming for the producers of the sustainability reports – and for the readers, whether they are institutional or mum-and-dad investors.

    The cost of collecting and making sense of the data required to meet detailed reporting requirements will lead to many companies being swamped in data. More data collected does not equal better data.

    Deciding what data to collect and then making sense of it so it supports disclosures will be a major headache for most companies.

    The new climate disclosure rules will have a profound impact on corporate Australia. There is a significant gap in capacity and capability to meet the requirements of the new reporting regime. And there is a corresponding need to educate the readers of these new reports to make effective use of the disclosed information.

    Rachel Baird 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. New climate reporting rules start on July 1. Many companies are not ready for the change – https://theconversation.com/new-climate-reporting-rules-start-on-july-1-many-companies-are-not-ready-for-the-change-258706

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘I’m not going to give up’: how to help more disadvantaged young people go to uni and TAFE

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lucas Walsh, Professor and Director of the Centre for Youth Policy and Education Practice, Monash University

    Oliver Rossi/ Getty Images

    On Wednesday, Education Minister Jason Clare hailed an increase in the numbers of Australians starting a university degree. In 2024, there was a 3.7% increase in Australian students starting a degree, compared to the year before.

    This follows Clare’s ambition to see more Australians with a tertiary qualification. The federal government wants 80% of workers to have a TAFE or university qualification by by 2050, up from the current 60%.

    A key part of this will be supporting more young people from disadvantaged backgrounds to go on to further study.

    How can we do this? New data from the OECD and a new report from The Smith Family give us further insight into the issues and shows what is working for a group of disadvantaged young Australians.

    Young people and career uncertainty

    Last month, the OECD launched a tool to track teenagers’ career readiness across internationally comparable indicators.

    This shows us how disadvantaged Australian students are less likely than advantaged students to have certainty about the kind of job they would like at age 30 (69% compared to 77%).

    In this context, we are talking about socioeconomic disadvantage, including parents’ education and occupation and resources at home. This can have a “powerful influence” on students’ learning outcomes.

    Career uncertainty is an issue because studies suggest teenagers who have clear plans typically have better employment outcomes.

    What about ambition?

    Even for those with some certainty about the kind of occupation they would like to be working in at age 30, there is a significant gap between advantaged and disadvantaged students’ ambitions.

    The OECD tool shows 55% of disadvantaged students aspire to work as a senior manager or professional, compared to 80% of advantaged students. Similarly, 56% of disadvantaged students aspire to undertake tertiary education (either via a short course or university) compared to 85% of advantaged students.

    Disadvantaged students are also more likely to aspire to an occupation that requires tertiary education while not planning to complete a qualification at that level. One in four (26%) disadvantaged students are misaligned in such ambitions compared to 9% of advantaged students.

    Disadvantaged students are less likely to say they feel well-prepared for their future after school (57% compared to 70%) and less likely to have searched the internet for information about careers (80% compared to 91%).

    These trends suggest a need to enhance career education in school that supports disadvantaged students to better plan and prepare for their post-school pathways.

    What can help?

    A new report provides insight into how we can better support disadvantaged young people in their careers.

    From 2021 to 2023, The Smith Family did surveys and interviews with the same group of financially disadvantaged young people. There were almost 800 young people in the group, who were in Year 12 in 2020. They came from all Australian states and territories.

    Echoing the OECD data, participants were often uncertain about where to go for help or how to develop and pursue a career pathway they valued. The study showed several things can help young people find a path to work, training or study after school. They include:

    • a focus on direct career development skills both at school and post-school. This should include personalised career advice and support, which helps young people articulate their post-school plans and the steps required to achieve this plan

    • support that starts earlier than Year 12

    • support for family members’ to access up-to-date labour market, education and training information and support strategies

    • providing more opportunities to meet employers and build career-related adult networks.

    One young person, Byron, talked about how his careers adviser at school had organised for him to meet a paramedic and find out what the role involved.

    [My teacher] helped me get information for how I could achieve that goal […].

    Braden – whose parents had not finished school – also talked about emotional support provided by his high school teachers:

    There were a lot of teachers who were very supportive and really wanted to see me make it through.

    Does it work?

    With these supports, most young people in the study were trying to build their careers, through work, study or a combination of both.

    By their third year after leaving school, 87% were working and/or studying and 60% were on track to complete a post-school qualification. This is up from 77% in the first year of the study. As Evanna, who is working towards her goal of joining the police, said “I’m not going to give up”.

    Lucas Walsh receives funding from the Australian Research Council. He has worked with The Smith Family and sits in a voluntary capacity on the Growing Careers Project External Reference Group. He was not involved in the creation of the report discussed in this article

    – ref. ‘I’m not going to give up’: how to help more disadvantaged young people go to uni and TAFE – https://theconversation.com/im-not-going-to-give-up-how-to-help-more-disadvantaged-young-people-go-to-uni-and-tafe-259444

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: 500,000 Australians live with mental illness but don’t qualify for the NDIS. A damning new report says they need more support

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sebastian Rosenberg, Associate Professor, Health Research Institute, University of Canberra, and Brain and Mind Centre, University of Sydney

    stellalevi/Getty

    Half a million Australians are living with moderate to severe mental illness, but they don’t qualify for the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) and cannot access the support they need.

    In a damning report released on Tuesday, the Productivity Commission says addressing this gap must be an urgent priority for all governments.

    The commission is currently reviewing the Mental Health and Suicide Prevention Agreements, signed by the federal government and each state and territory. They aim to improve the community’s mental health and reduce suicide.

    The commission has found little progress, calling the agreements “not fit for purpose”.

    So, how did we get here? And what should happen next?

    More than a lack of funding

    In 1992, the year of Australia’s first national mental health policy, 7.25% of the total health budget was allocated to mental health. In 2022-23, it was still only 7.31%.

    Yet, mental health and drug and alcohol issues account for nearly 15% of Australia’s total burden of disease. While mental health remains woefully underfunded, it is hard to expect much change.

    However, the commission’s main criticism isn’t about funding – it’s about the fragmented way mental health is tackled and the failure of federal and state governments to work together.

    While the agreements may have set out “what to do”, the report says they have failed to describe how change should happen.

    This lack of specific objectives, goals and targets has prevented national mental health reform at the scale required.

    Psychosocial supports

    The report says addressing the lack of psychosocial supports outside the NDIS – a gap that affects 500,000 Australians – must be an urgent priority for states, territories and the federal government.

    Psychosocial supports are non-clinical services for people experiencing mental illness that enable them to live independently and safely in the community.

    For decades, community and charitable organisations have provided these support services in Australia. They can connect people with mental illness to health, housing, employment, education or other community services. This helps people socialise and maintain relationships and daily living skills.

    There is already very strong Australian evidence that psychosocial support services can help people recover from even severe mental illness, improve their quality of life, provide earlier intervention and reduce the burden on hospital-based mental health care.

    Yet, Australia has never adequately funded psychosocial care.

    In 1992, these services received just under 2% of total spending on mental health by the states and territories. In 2022-23, it was 6%.

    The ‘missing middle’

    The lack of psychosocial services, and of community-based mental health care more broadly, is one of the key gaps in Australia’s existing mental health system, giving rise to the term “the missing middle”. This describes people with needs too complex for primary care (such as general practice), but not urgent enough to warrant hospital admission.

    The introduction of the NDIS failed to arrest this gap – and may have made it worse. The scheme was only ever designed to provide support to 64,000 Australians with the most severe, enduring, psychosocial disability.

    In providing funds to set up the NDIS, the federal government, in fact, closed some psychosocial programs it had only recently begun, such as Partners in Recovery and Personal Helpers and Mentors. State and territory funding for psychosocial services was already extremely limited, but they, too, withdrew some community-based supports.

    The neglect of psychosocial services fits into a broader pattern that affects all community mental health services because responsibility for mental health is split.

    The federal government manages primary mental health services, mostly provided by GPs and psychologists under Medicare. Meanwhile, state and territory governments focus on hospital-based, emergency, acute inpatient and outpatient services.

    Currently, nobody is responsible for community mental health care. No wonder these “secondary” services, both clinical and psychosocial, have failed to flourish.

    What’s next?

    The Productivity Commission’s interim report rightly recommends Australia urgently address this gap in psychosocial care.

    Governments are now considering a “foundational supports” funding stream, which would provide psychosocial services for people outside the NDIS.

    However, in 2020, the Productivity Commission found our mental health system to be fragmented and disorganised. Just adding one more funding stream or program to this environment probably won’t help.

    Before considering who funds what, real mental health reform should be based on a clear map that lays out how our mental health system should be organised and the respective role of medical, clinical and psychosocial care in that system.

    Where does the evidence indicate people should go for care? What services should they receive? And what should happen next if their mental health improves or declines?

    This kind of system-wide map can guide investments and prioritise reform, region by region. This would properly put the person, not the funders, at the centre of care.

    If this article has raised issues for you, or if you’re concerned about someone you know, call Lifeline on 13 11 14.

    Sebastian Rosenberg 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. 500,000 Australians live with mental illness but don’t qualify for the NDIS. A damning new report says they need more support – https://theconversation.com/500-000-australians-live-with-mental-illness-but-dont-qualify-for-the-ndis-a-damning-new-report-says-they-need-more-support-259549

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Remote cave discovery shows ancient voyagers brought rice across 2,300km of Pacific Ocean

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hsiao-chun Hung, Senior Research Fellow, School of Culture, History & Language, Australian National University

    Ritidian beach, Guam. Hsiao-chun Hung

    In a new study published today in Science Advances, my colleagues and I have uncovered the earliest evidence of rice in the Pacific Islands – at an ancient cave site on Guam in the Mariana Islands of western Micronesia.

    The domesticated rice was transported by the first islanders, who sailed 2,300 kilometres of open ocean from the Philippines about 3,500 years ago.

    The discovery settles long-standing academic debates and satisfies decades of curiosity about the origins and lifestyles of early Pacific peoples.

    The case of the Marianas, located more than 2,000km east of the Philippines and northeast of Indonesia, is especially intriguing. These islands were the first places in Remote Oceania reached by anyone, in this case inhabited for the first time by Malayo-Polynesian-speaking populations from islands in Southeast Asia.

    For nearly two decades, scholars debated the timing and the overseas source of these first islanders, the ancestors of today’s Chamorro people. How did they come to Guam and the Marianas?

    Archaeological research has confirmed settlement in the Mariana Islands 3,500 years ago at several sites in Guam, Tinian and Saipan.

    In 2020, the first ancient DNA analysis from Guam confirmed what archaeology and linguistics had suggested: the early settlers came from central or northern Philippines. Further ancestral links trace them back to Taiwan, the homeland of both their language and their genetics.

    A well-planned journey with rice onboard

    Was this epic voyage intentional or accidental? What food source allowed these early seafarers to survive?

    Today, Pacific islanders rely mostly on breadfruit, banana, coconut, taro and yams. Rice, though a staple food in ancient and modern Asian societies, is challenging to grow in the Pacific due to environmental constraints, including soil type, rainfall and terrain.

    Rice was originally domesticated in central China about 9,000 years ago and was spread by Neolithic farming communities as they migrated to new regions. One of the most remarkable of these expansions began in coastal southern China, moved to Taiwan, and spread through the islands of Southeast Asia into the Pacific.

    The migration laid the foundations of the Austronesian world, which today comprises nearly 400 million individuals dispersed across an expansive area stretching from Taiwan to New Zealand, and from Madagascar to Easter Island.

    For more than a decade, we searched for evidence of early rice in open archaeological sites across the Mariana Islands, but found nothing conclusive.

    This study marks the first clear evidence of ancient rice in the Pacific Islands. It also confirms renowned American linguist Robert Blust’s hypothesis that the earliest Chamorros brought cultivated plants with them, including rice.

    We found evidence of rice in the Ritidian Beach Cave, which would have been used for ceremonial purposes.
    Hsiao-chun Hung

    How we identified the rice

    Our research took us to Ritidian Beach Cave in Guam. To confirm what we found in the cave were rice remains, we used phytolith analysis. Phytoliths are microscopic silica structures formed in plant cells that persist long after the plant has decayed.

    Once our initial results confirmed the presence of rice, a more detailed analysis revealed we had found the traces of rice husks preserved on the surfaces of ancient earthenware pottery.

    Next, we used detailed microscopic analysis to figure out whether these husks had been mixed into the clay to keep it from cracking when it dried (a tempering technique commonly used by ancient potters) or had arrived by other means. We also analysed the sediment to rule out that the husks were deposited at the site later than the pottery.

    Our findings showed the rice husks were not used for manufacturing the pottery. Rather, they came from a separate, deliberate activity using the finished pottery bowls.

    Rice phytoliths from excavations at Ritidian Beach Cave in Guam.
    Hsiao-chun Hung

    Ritual use in sacred caves?

    The setting of the discovery – a beach cave – gives us another interpretive perspective.

    In Chamorro traditions, caves are sacred places for important spiritual practices.

    According to records of 1521 through 1602, the Chamorro people in the Marianas grew rice in limited amounts and consumed it only sparingly, reserved for special occasions and critical life events, such as the impending death of a loved one. Rice became more common after the intensive Spanish colonial period, after 1668.

    In this context, the ancient islanders more likely used rice during ceremonial practices in or around caves, rather than as a staple food for daily cooking or agriculture.

    One of the greatest journeys in human history

    This study provides strong evidence that the first long-distance ocean crossings into the Pacific were not accidental. People carefully planned the voyages. Early seafarers brought with them not only the tools of survival but also their symbolic and culturally meaningful plants, such as rice.

    They were equipped, prepared and resolute, completing one of the most extraordinary voyages in the history of humanity.

    Hsiao-chun Hung receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. Remote cave discovery shows ancient voyagers brought rice across 2,300km of Pacific Ocean – https://theconversation.com/remote-cave-discovery-shows-ancient-voyagers-brought-rice-across-2-300km-of-pacific-ocean-259667

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Israel’s domestic crises and Netanyahu’s aim to project power are reshaping the Middle East

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Spyros A. Sofos, Assistant Professor in Global Humanities, Simon Fraser University

    Israel’s recent strikes on Iranian territory have been widely framed as an act of deterrence or yet another episode in a protracted regional rivalry.

    Such interpretations overlook the deeper motivations behind Israel’s actions.

    As a global humanities scholar who specializes in Middle Eastern politics, I believe the world is watching the convergence of a domestic political crisis and a profound strategic shift as Israel evolves into a more aggressive entity in a fragmented international order.

    Political survival

    At the centre of Israel’s current strategic turn lies Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu — a beleaguered leader fighting for political survival, but also considered a calculating, opportunistic operator with a particular vision of the Middle East.

    At home, Netanyahu, confronting an unprecedented convergence of challenges — multiple corruption indictments, mass protests against what many consider a self-serving judicial overhaul and a fragile governing coalition — has leaned into military escalation as both a defensive reflex and a political instrument. He’s seemingly deploying it to both mute dissent at home and assert control abroad.

    Israelis opposed to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s judicial overhaul plan set up bonfires and block a highway during a protest in March 2023.
    (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg)

    But Netanyahu’s ambitions appear to extend beyond his immediate political survival. He seems to be striving for a legacy-defining “1967 moment” — a transformative reordering of the regional landscape in the Middle East that sidelines the Palestinian issue and entrenches Israeli supremacy.

    This dual imperative — domestic survival and amassing power in the region — likely shapes Netanyahu’s recent actions, including the strike on Iran, the expanded occupation of Syrian territory, the October 2024 attack on Lebanon and the ongoing assaults on Gaza and the West Bank.

    By describing each military campaign as a reluctant necessity — forced upon him by Iran, Hamas or even his coalition hardliners — Netanyahu maintains public support as he consolidates power. His government has used war-time conditions to suppress public protest, push forward its radical constitutional agenda and advance his geopolitical vision.

    The result is a volatile but calculated strategy that is likely to mark Netanyahu’s tenure, though with significant repercussions for regional stability.

    Israel’s grand strategy

    While Netanyahu’s actions could serve his immediate political ends, they also reflect a longer-term shift in Israeli grand strategy. Following the Oct. 7, 2023 Hamas attacks, Israel intensified a long-standing pattern of pre-emptive strikes and campaigns to neutralize its adversaries. This strategy has been pursued at an unprecedented scale in Gaza, but often without a clearly articulated political endgame.

    This pattern echoes a regional policy doctrine Netanyahu laid out in his 1993 book A Place Among the Nations when he asserted “the only peace that will endure in the region is the peace of deterrence.”

    This policy advocates the projection of overwhelming Israeli power, the emasculation of regional challengers and efforts to radically reorder the Middle East.

    Netanyahu’s doctrine, a more aggressive revision of Israel’s earlier pre-emptive security traditions, stands in sharp contrast to the approach pursued by the Oslo Accords-era leadership of the 1990s and 2000s — figures such as Yitzhak Rabin, Shimon Peres, and later Ehud Barak.

    They emphasized diplomacy over coercive leverage and perpetual confrontation. They sought genuine political settlements and a negotiated co-existence with Palestinians and neighbouring Arab states. This strategy — rooted in compromise and limited reconciliation — has now been decisively eclipsed by Netanyahu’s highly militarized approach and his vision for achieving strategic power in the Middle East.

    This approach underpins all of Israel’s modern-day actions — from its reoccupation of parts of Lebanon to its growing military footprint in Syrian territory, the obliteration of Gaza, its aggression against Iran and the increasing calls for Iranian regime change from the current Israeli cabinet.

    From buffer to power projection

    Nowhere is this clearer than in Israel’s expanding operations across its northern front. In Syria, Israel seized upon the post-Bashar al-Assad vacuum to entrench military control over at least 12 square kilometres of new terrain, constructing infrastructure and outposts far beyond prior ceasefire lines.

    This had less to do with protecting minority populations or deterring Iranian proxies — as officials claimed — and more with establishing long-term buffer zones and projecting dominance into a fragile post-war Syria.

    A similar pattern is evident in Lebanon. Following months of border escalation, Israel has sought not only to undermine Hezbollah’s capacity but to create no-go zones controlled by the Israeli military along the frontier. These operations reflect older strategic instincts but are now integrated in the ongoing process of Israel’s northern border redesign.

    Finally, Israel’s bombing campaign against Iran reflects a doctrine to move beyond containment toward strategic dismantlement of the Iranian regime’s regional power and to erode its ability to control its own territory.

    The escalation is the outcome of Israel’s pursuit of a favourable regional moment — the weakening of the so-called “Axis of Resistance” following the Abraham Accords of 2020 aimed at establishing diplomatic relations between Israel and several Arab nations — and months of war in Lebanon and Syria.

    From ‘western ally’ to regional challenger

    A constellation of domestic and international changes has enabled Israel’s transformation.

    These include a shift in Israeli political culture encouraged by Netanyahu’s rejection of efforts to pursue some sort of regional co-existence and co-operation; the far right’s growing influence in government; and the ongoing disruption of the international order amid Donald Trump’s second presidency in the United States that gave Israel more room to manoeuvre.

    This constellation has eroded the few constraints the liberal international order had in the past imposed on Israel’s pursuit of its regional policies amid an era of expansionism, permanent conflict and the aggressive management — not resolution — of the Palestinian issue.

    Israel is now heading down the same path as Russia and Turkey, capitalizing on vast disparities in military and intelligence capabilities among regional powers to its advantage, disregarding international norms, undermining diplomacy and preferring transactional alliances instead of long-term peace processes.

    The U.S. has facilitated this transformation. Former president Joe Biden and now Trump have made very little effort to constrain Netanyahu.

    Trump’s “Gaza Riviera” plan, along with his isolationist rhetoric, have effectively left regional decision-making to Israel while he continues to underwrite Israeli military dominance and its use of overwhelming force to reshape its regional environment.



    Read more:
    Why Israel and the U.S. are sure to encounter the limits of air power in Iran

    Netanyahu’s reluctance to accept the current ceasefire as a definitive end to hostilities with Iran reveals his and his cabinet’s regional revisionist reflexes.

    Broader regional destabilization lies ahead as Israel seeks to destroy threats with immense military power without any strategic foresight.

    Spyros A. Sofos 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 Israel’s domestic crises and Netanyahu’s aim to project power are reshaping the Middle East – https://theconversation.com/how-israels-domestic-crises-and-netanyahus-aim-to-project-power-are-reshaping-the-middle-east-259359

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Experts of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women Commend San Marino on Aligning Citizenship Rights with International Standards, Ask about Temporary Special Measures and Incentives to Encourage Female Employment

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women today concluded its consideration of the combined first to fifth periodic reports of San Marino, with Committee Experts commending the State party on ensuring equal transmission of citizenship for maternal and paternal lines, while raising questions on temporary special measures and incentives to promote female employment.

    One Committee Expert commended the State party for the efforts and improvements made to align citizenship rights of a small landlocked nation with international standards, ensuring that the rules for transmission of citizenship for maternal and paternal lines were now aligned.

    A Committee Expert asked what kind of temporary special measures were already implemented in legislation and in the judicial branch?  What temporary special measures had been adopted in the area of parity to achieve increased representation of women?  Were there any examples of positive discrimination for women in fields such as the military?  Another Expert said there was an ongoing debate in the country about how to enforce the political participation of women in San Marino.  How did San Marino plan to achieve parity in public life. 

    One Committee Expert asked what was being done to facilitate women’s return to employment? Was there a wage gap?  Could more information be provided regarding measures to increase work life balance and incentivise employers to employ women? 

    On temporary special measures, the delegation said measures to guarantee women’s political life in the country were linked to two laws.  Women made up 50 per cent of the public administration.  Women’s representation within the judiciary was fully granted; a few years ago, the President of the San Marino court was a woman. San Marino did not intend to use the instrument of quotas again, as the results did not justify its existence, and the quotas were intended to be a temporary measure. 

    The delegation said San Marino had been providing incentives for female employment for several years, including that employers would pay less tax for female workers. As of 2025, the labour force in San Marino was better balanced, with the gender gap reduced.  If a female worker had a child and wished to return to work, she could transform her contract into one that was parttime.  This was a key provision which would help women balance their professional and private lives. 

    Introducing the report, Marcello Beccari, Permanent Representative of San Marino to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said significant progress had been made to combat gender-based violence in recent years.  On 29 October 2024, the Congress of State adopted delegated decree no. 161 on amendments to law no. 97 of 20 June 2008 – prevention and repression of violence against women and gender violence – and subsequent amendments and to the Criminal Code, which aimed to ensure a more effective system of prevention, protection and support for victims of violence.  In particular, the definition of violence against women and gender-based violence was rephrased.  The Authority for Equal Opportunities was responsible for keeping and disseminating data on gender-based violence.

    In closing remarks, Mr. Beccari thanked the Committee for the dialogue which had enabled the State to review the legislation and all areas where discrimination against women could occur.  The institutions of San Marino were actively engaged in the implementation of the Convention.

    In her closing remarks, Marianne Mikko, Committee Vice-Chair, thanked the delegation of San Marino for the constructive dialogue, which had provided further insight on the situation of women in the country. 

    The delegation of San Marino was comprised of representatives of the Ministry of Justice; the Ministry of Employment; the Department of Foreign Affairs; the Department of Institutional and Internal Affairs; the Department of Health and Social Security; the Department of Education and Culture; the Office of the French Border; the Single Court; the Gendarmerie Corp; the Office for Gender Violence and Minors; the Authority for Equal Opportunities; and the Permanent Mission of San Marino to the United Nations Office at Geneva.

    The Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women’s ninety-first session is being held from 16 June to 4 July.  All documents relating to the Committee’s work, including reports submitted by States parties, can be found on the session’s webpage.  Meeting summary releases can be found here.  The webcast of the Committee’s public meetings can be accessed via the UN Web TV webpage.

    The Committee will next meet at 10 a.m. on Thursday, 26 June to begin its consideration of the fifth periodic report of Chad (CEDAW/C/TCD/5).

    Report

    The Committee has before it the the combined initial to fifth periodic reports of San Marino (CEDAW/C/SMR/1-5).

    Presentation of Report

    MARCELLO BECCARI, Permanent Representative of San Marino to the United Nations Office at Geneva, said the ratification of the Convention in 2003 had been long-awaited by San Marino society, in light of the undeniable steps forward that the country had made since the 1960s.  Unfortunately, women’s rights in San Marino had been denied for centuries: women had had, de jure and de facto, a position inferior to that of men.  San Marino women exercised their voting right for the first time only in 1964, and it was only in 1974 that they could be elected in the general elections and become members of the San Marino Parliament. 

    At the end of the 1990s, a serious discrimination experienced by San Marino women persisted: only men could transmit San Marino citizenship, which made it impossible for the children of a San Marino woman to become San Marino citizens if the father was not a San Marino citizen.  This discrimination was finally eliminated in 2000.  It was only at this time that the country aligned its legal system with the requirements of the Convention. 

    Significant progress had been made to combat gender-based violence in recent years. On 29 October 2024, the Congress of State adopted delegated decree no. 161 on amendments to law no. 97 of 20 June 2008 – prevention and repression of violence against women and gender violence – and subsequent amendments and to the Criminal Code, which aimed to ensure a more effective system of prevention, protection and support for victims of violence.  In particular, the definition of violence against women and gender-based violence was rephrased.  The Authority for Equal Opportunities was responsible for keeping and disseminating data on gender-based violence.  The data was provided by all the institutions that come into contact with women victims of violence, including the courts, the mental health service and the counselling centre, the Minors’ Protection Service, and all three police forces. 

    San Marino authorities recently implemented comprehensive policies with the adoption of two national plans for the prevention of gender-based violence, including all competent institutional and civil society actors: the comprehensive national plan to combat violence against women 2024–2026, and the multi-year national plan on the elimination of violence and harassment and discrimination in the world of work to implement International Labour Organization Convention no.190 on the elimination of violence and harassment in the world of work.  The 24-hour on-call service of Social Workers and Psychologists was introduced and regulated, and the Emergency Centre was set up, where victims, including those with children, could receive psychosocial, health and legal assistance. 

    Every year on the occasion of the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women, San Marino organised numerous meetings and initiatives to raise awareness, including a recent media campaign “the new languages of violence”.  The University of San Marino organised compulsory vocational training courses annually for a wide range of professionals, including magistrates, police forces, professional associations, socio-health services, school staff and family mediators.  The University also actively collaborated with schools to foster an innovative and inclusive educational approach.

    An initiative speared by civil society, the law regulating civil registered partnerships (law no. 147 of 20 November 2018), allowed same-sex couples to obtain a form of legal recognition of their relationship equivalent to marriage. Another action which originated from civil society was the Referendum for the decriminalisation and legalisation of the voluntary termination of pregnancy in February 2021.  One year after the historic overwhelming result which saw more than 77 per cent of San Marino citizens vote in favour of decriminalising abortion, the San Marino Parliament approved law no. 147 of 7 September 2022 regulating voluntary termination of pregnancy.  This law contained the necessary amendments to the Criminal Code for both the decriminalisation of the act and the protection of the procedure.

    Despite the progress that had been made in recent years, some challenges persisted in San Marino in the area of elimination of discrimination against women, particularly when it came to eliminating gender stereotypes.  Mr. Beccari said he would ensure the dialogue was open, useful and fruitful. 

    Questions by a Committee Expert

    ERIKA SCHLÄPPI, Committee Expert and Country Rapporteur, said this was the first report submitted by the State party.  It was regretful that no reports had been received from civil society. Were the Convention’s provisions directly applicable in San Marino?  Were they referred to in practice in the courts?  What had been done to raise the visibility of the Convention?  Were there any plans to revise article 4 paragraph 1 of the San Marino Constitution to include other forms of discrimination, including gender identity?  Were there plans to introduce a body of laws preventing discrimination in the private and public spheres?  How did the San Marino authorities integrate a gender perspective in the legislative process? 

    What legal procedures could women currently use for submitting complaints about discriminatory acts?  What were the possible barriers for women to make use of existing legal remedies?  How were judges and lawyers trained to ensure gender equality in administrative procedures?  The Committee was concerned about the lack of disaggregated data in San Marino.  It was welcomed that authorities were considering taking measures to improve the data collections system.  What were the plans to improve data collection in the areas of gender equality? What were the timelines?  Did the State plan to enact a comprehensive law to prohibit discrimination?   

    Responses by the Delegation 

     

    The delegation said civil society organizations were informed about the drafting report and had several opportunities to get in touch.  Work had been carried out on the report with the San Marino Union for Women. Women’s rights were a topic close to the heart of San Marino citizens.  The Authority for Equal Opportunities conducted important work on the issue of violence against women.  The data on cases of violence was quite thorough.  San Marino was going through a process to join the European Union and it was hoped that once they had joined, a body on data gathering could be established. Data gathering was currently a weak point for the State and they would appreciate any specific advice from the Committee in this regard. 

    Work was underway to create a statistical body, and in the meantime, an office was charged with data collection and gathering.  Article 4 contained a list of protections which was not exhaustive.  This was to simplify the way such protection was worded. The Convention was fully applicable to San Marino’s legal body.  The State had signed the Istanbul Convention.  Women who were victims of violence could directly submit a complaint to the police, which would be passed on to the court.  There were nine police brigades which controlled the whole territory in San Marino, and there was an office dedicated to gender-based violence against minors.  A complaint could be received by the main police station, and victims needed to be informed of their rights.  Personnel of the gender-based violence office attended a three-week training course, in collaboration with the Italian police. 

    Data was gathered by the Authority on Equal Opportunities on gender-based violence and violence against minors, as well as discrimination in the world of work.  A new office, the Office of Statistics, was being created, which would act as a house for data, and would be used to answer questions from international bodies.  The State was striving to have data collected by all different agencies, including the police forces, to have a global vision on the issue.   

    While direct reference to the Convention was not that common, the legal framework of the State fully supported the provisions of the Convention. 

    Questions by Committee Experts

    A Committee Expert said San Marino had demonstrated a commitment to promoting gender equality through several institutional frameworks, including the Commission for Equal Opportunities, which addressed a broad range of discrimination, including gender, disability and sexual orientation.  Could the State party clarify the mandate and resource allocations for the Commission and the Authority for Equal Opportunities?  What were the responsibilities of each body? How were they coordinated?  How were gender perspectives currently integrated into public policy?  The Authority for Equal Opportunities managed a fund for victim support.  Could updated information be provided on human and financial resources available for the bodies responsible for gender equality? Were steps being taken to ensure sustainability in line with their growing mandates? 

    San Marino had a vibrant civil society, with groups including the San Marino Union for Women contributing to reforms.  How were women’s organizations formally included in the development and monitoring of gender equality policies?  What measures were taken to ensure the participation of civil society organizations in national platforms?  Could an update be provided on the process and timeline for establishing a national human rights institution?  How would it ensure compliance with the Paris Principles?

    Another Expert asked what kind of temporary special measures were already implemented in legislation and in the judicial branch?  What temporary special measures had been adopted in the area of parity to achieve increased representation of women?  Were there any examples of positive discrimination for women in fields such as the military? 

    Responses by the Delegation 

    The delegation said there needed to be a radical mind shift within San Marino society. Education at schools and universities played a key role in this regard.  If men felt they had a right to discriminate against women, it meant they were not being educated properly.  This applied to other challenges, including racism and intolerance towards minorities. 

    Work was being done to create an Office of the Ombudsman in San Marino.  The office was expected to be operational in 2026.  The key elements of the office, including monitoring, combatting discrimination, complaints mechanisms, and mediation, among others, had already been identified.  The Ombudsman would have an independent budget and would have a six-year mandate. 

    The State endorsed civil society organizations in fighting gender-based violence and discrimination.  A petition called for the creation of mechanisms to combat discrimination.  A register was being developed for civil society organizations active in the field of women’s rights to facilitate work with these organizations.  San Marino was a small State and its services were fully adequate.  The victims’ reception centre had a 24/7 hotline which provided assistance. 

    A decree had set norms for the employment of specific roles, with incentives for the employment of women.  In April 2025, the gap between men and women was significantly reduced, highlighting the effectiveness of these norms. 

    San Marino was in the process of developing an independent human rights commission, in line with the Paris Principles. The bill would come into force in 2025 and become operative in 2026. 

    Questions by Committee Experts

    An Expert asked how the effectiveness of training was being assessed?  What complaints mechanisms existed for discrimination against minority women?  Why was psychological harm not considered to be a criminal case?  Had the campaigns targeting men been assessed?  Was the State considering covering witnesses? Did judges, lawyers and law enforcement receive mandatory training in this regard?

    It was welcomed that the State provided services, including shelters for victims of violence.  Could women with disabilities and migrant women have access to these services?  Were there enough of these services?  What economic, labour and housing initiatives were provided for victims?  How many judicial sentences regarding gender-based violence had been handed down?  What period of time elapsed between the complaint and the finalised sentence? What public funds did civil society organizations currently receive when they provided assistance and support to victims?  How many victims of violence and their children had received reparation?  What kind of reparation did they receive?

    Another Committee Expert said the strong demand for foreign labour in the State created opportunities for trafficking.  The State party had reported that no investigations had been launched to date regarding trafficking cases.  When was the State party expecting to finalise work on the national action plan on trafficking?  What funds would be allocated to ensure its success?  How would the State party ensure that all relevant stakeholders were up to speed concerning their role in the fight against trafficking?  What steps was the State party taking to put in place national procedures and mechanisms to ensure the referral of trafficking victims?  Several sectors of the economy had been identified as being susceptible to trafficking, including domestic work.  Was the State party planning to follow the recommendation to raise awareness of the risk of trafficking among the general public?  Was the State party planning to decriminalise sex work?

    Responses by the Delegation 

     

    The delegation said San Marino was carrying out activities to improve its expertise in the area of trafficking.  The State currently had no cases directly relating to human trafficking, demonstrating the phenomenon was limited in the country, possibly due to its limited size, as well as the control and efficacy of law enforcement agencies.  The national strategy for combatting trafficking was currently being drafted.  Since trafficking cases were non-existent in San Marino, it was unlikely the topic would be addressed extensively in training courses, but it would be mentioned. The anti-violence network included magistrates and representatives of the legal system and law enforcement agencies. 

    Since the visit of the Council of Europe Group of Experts on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings to San Marino, there had been no indication of risks or cases reported. Work was carried out in collaboration with the Italian State in terms of training opportunities, and new modules were being designed for labour inspectors.  The Labour Inspectorate carried out direct interviews with the home carers and had reported no issues in this regard.  The State would continue to remain vigilant about trafficking, particularly for high-risk sectors, but at present this risk was not prevalent.

    Psychological violence was included in the decree of 2024, which addressed domestic violence against women.  It was defined as any intentional behaviour which impacted the psychological integrity of women.  In 2024, there were four orders of protection enacted by the judge.  Parliament recently adopted a law regarding the duration of trial, which would ensure an improvement in the duration of cases pertaining to violence. 

    Over the last year, training had been dedicated to preventive action against discrimination. The State had a duty to punish perpetrators, and to ensure their rehabilitation.  The union contract had been signed for the 24-hour availability of social servants, for cases of discrimination or violence.  A protocol was in place with the authorities and Order of Psychologists, where psychologists received a financial contribution for completing mandatory training for victims of violence. 

    The State had a list of pro-bono lawyers who could assist victims, but were also working on a specific agreement with the Bar Association, to ensure that victims had legal assistance.  This assistance would be entirely covered by the Authority of Equal Opportunities.  A project was underway to support women victims of violence who did not have access to an income.  Two years ago, a training module was created for journalists to raise awareness about gender stereotypes in the media, with work carried out directly with the Association of Journalists.

    A new emergency centre was created in 2024 and had been operating 24/7, welcoming women victims of violence and their children, as well as unaccompanied minors.   

    Questions by Committee Experts

    An Expert said the crime of trafficking affected all countries; was size of the country considered an acceptable excuse for the lack of trafficking cases? 

    A Committee Expert said there was an ongoing debate in the country about how to enforce the political participation of women in San Marino.  How did San Marino plan to achieve parity in public life.  How did the State party explain the low representation of women in the cabinet?  Were there legal or policy measures in place to ensure the representation of women? What would be done to increase the number of women in leading positions in the public administration and the judiciary? 

    One Committee Expert commended the State party for the efforts and improvements made to align citizenship rights of a small landlocked nation with international standards, ensuring that the rules for transmission of citizenship for maternal and paternal lines were now aligned.  The Committee also welcomed the approval concerning the “amendment on citizenship” to remove the obligations for applicants to renounce their existing citizenship.  However, it was regretful that there was no data in the report enabling the Committee to assess the impact of these acts.  It was also concerning that San Marino was yet to ratify key conventions relating to stateless persons. 

    What was the number of women who had obtained citizenship through naturalisation compared to men?  Was the State party considering abolishing the requirement of the interdiction of dual citizenship?  What support mechanism were in place to ensure eligible individuals were able to access the right to San Marino citizenship?

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said approximately 50 per cent of the San Marino population lived abroad. Until the year 2000, San Marino citizenship could only be transmitted through the paternal line.  Those who held San Marino citizenship could hold others as well.  The obligation to renounce other nationalities was linked to the naturalisation process.

    Some diplomats believed there were in fact too many women in the diplomatic core, as there had been significant progress in this regard.  Measures to guarantee women’s political life in the country were linked to two laws.  Women made up 50 per cent of the public administration.  Women’s representation within the judiciary was fully granted; a few years ago, the President of the San Marino court was a woman.  San Marino did not intend to use the instrument of quotas again, as the results did not justify its existence, and the quotas were intended to be a temporary measure.  Instead, the State had introduced a cultural mind shift through better awareness raising.  Measures had been introduced to support families, to allow all citizens to participate in the life of the country. 

    The judiciary had strong female representation, with six female representatives.  The coordinator for the civil administrative sector was a woman.   Psychical criteria had been adjusted for entering the gendarmerie corps, meaning there were new female recruits.  In 2025, 25 per cent of officers within the gendarmerie where female, which was a common trend across all law enforcement agencies.  Women had been able to ascend within law enforcement agencies, with women colonels responsible for several units. 

    Questions by a Committee Expert

    A Committee Expert said the Committee commended the State party for achieving literacy rates for both women and men at a rate of 100 per cent.  Was the education system full inclusive to migrant girls and girls with disabilities?  The Committee congratulated the State party for ensuring that equality and inclusion started from primary school.  How did San Marino’s schools directly address topics of human rights, gender stereotypes, racism and gender equality?  Were human rights and gender equality issues explicitly addressed in education curricula? What were the specific recommendations made to prevent cyber bullying against women and girls?  Could sex disaggregated data be provided regarding access to financial aid for students? 

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said San Marino had two dedicated decrees related to education, including for students with learning disabilities.  There were training courses for teachers to ensure they could provide support to students with disabilities and deal with individual cases. Indications were introduced in all San Marino institutions, from kindergarten to secondary school.  Even at university level, courses offered to students related to gender-based violence and racial discrimination.  The curriculum of schools included specific projects for awareness raising.  This initiative was also passed on to families involved in this approach. 

    On 5 July, an exhibition entitled “Open Dreams” would open, gathering works of elementary and secondary school students, created during school projects relating to human rights and gender parity.  This exhibition would be open to the San Marino people and was part of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization celebration for education for peace. 

    Questions by a Committee Expert

    A Committee Expert said the Committee appreciated policies aimed at better integrating women into the labour force, including the one focusing on women over 50.  However, it was concerning that women were underrepresented in the labour market, but overrepresented in part time jobs. Around 95 per cent of those dismissed during the COVID-19 pandemic were women.  Could the State party provide disaggregated statistical data on the employment of women? Why were women the majority of those who lost their employment in the pandemic?  What was done to facilitate their return to employment?  Was there a wage gap?  Could more information be provided regarding measures to increase work life balance and incentivise employers to employ women? 

    What percentage of fathers had benefitted from parental leave since its introduction? What measures were taken to strengthen childcare and support services?  What was being done to strengthen the monitoring of labour conditions of vulnerable groups?  What measures were being taken to combat sexual harassment in the workplace?  What was being done to increase the low numbers of women in leadership positions in the private sector?  Was there a specific law prohibiting sexual harassment in the workplace? 

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said in San Marino law, selection of an individual for employment was based on merit and the candidate’s skillset.  San Marino’s labour market was fully open, meaning employers were free to make their selection specific to the profile they were looking for.  The labour inspectorate would then provide opportunities for the unemployed.  San Marino had been providing incentives for female employment for several years, including that employers would pay less tax for female workers. 

    As of 2025, the labour force in San Marino was better balanced, with the gender gap reduced. If a female worker had a child and wished to return to work, she could transform her contract into one that was part-time.  There were fiscal incentives for employers who were ready to hear needs of their female workers.  This part time contract was valid for the first three years of the child’s life and could be extended for an additional three years.  This was a key provision which would help women balance their professional and private lives.  There were no distinctions in the area of training and lifelong learning between men and women. 

    San Marino had adopted the International Labour Organization convention on workplace discrimination, and the State had adopted a national action plan in this regard. There were several types of paternal leave.  The San Marino legal system encouraged fathers to request permission to accompany children to the doctor and for other needs.  The legal system also provided for parental leave for foster children. 

    Discriminatory acts in San Marino were punishable under the law.  If this occurred in a work environment, the sentence would be further strengthened.  There were harsher punishments for sexual violence when it occurred in a work environment. 

     

    Questions by a Committee Expert

    A Committee Expert asked what the State party was doing to ensure the right of minorities to health?  What were the current challenges faced by the Women’s Health Centre?  How was its sustainability guaranteed?  What measures were taken to ensure sexual and reproductive health, as well as modern, free and low-cost contraceptive measures, especially for more disadvantaged groups?  How was appropriate information provided on how to access appropriate gynaecological and obstetric care? 

    Forced sterilisation was sanctioned under the Penal Code but could be authorised on the grounds of psycho-social disability.  What measures would be taken to combat this harmful practice?  Had changes been made to the Penal Code which recognised exceptions to the general prohibition of abortion, including incest and rape?  How many women had access to legal abortion in 2023 and 2024?  What steps were being taken by the State party to have a team to support female victims of gender violence?  How were women’s needs in mental health being taken into account? 

    Responses by the Delegation

    The delegation said the law to support families included rights for mothers, fathers, natural and adopted children.  For years, the Women’s Health Centre had been working to support women, including counselling them.  This was a dedicated body which fought to protect women, their children, and families. The Centre offered counselling for women and couples, providing them with information and contraceptives. Activities in schools were tailored depending on the age of the pupils. 

    The Constitutional Court in San Marino had issued a ruling on the desire to de-penalise abortion, reflecting the mind shift already present in society.  Screenings for cancer risks were directly managed by the San Marino hospital.  The Women’s Health Centre was tasked with prevention and monitoring of such risks. There was no forced sterilisation in the country.  Close monitoring of contraception occurred under the supervision of medical personnel. 

    A series of events were organised in schools dedicated to sexuality, which were optional for elementary school pupils and mandatory for older pupils.  The content of these events differed depending on the age of the students.  Training courses had been developed to raise awareness among younger populations about sexual health.  These interventions had been favourably welcomed by San Marino households.  In 2023, a new hub providing psychological support was opened, accessible to all pupils.  Mental health support was available through the hub.  Adolescents and young people could freely access the human papillomavirus vaccine. 

    Questions by a Committee Expert

    A Committee Expert congratulated the State party on law no. 158 of 2022, which provided a regulatory framework for the protection and support of women who went through pregnancy and postpartum in conditions of psychological, economic and social discomfort, as well as single pregnant women, and single parent families.  How many single pregnant women and single-parent families had benefited since the adoption of the law in November 2022? 

    Had the State party considered instituting surveillance and monitoring mechanisms to specifically track progress in inclusive social security systems?  What laws and policies had been implemented to promote women’s entrepreneurship, access to economic assets, and business ownership?  Were there government-led programmes that provided support to women entrepreneurs? Were there training or capacity building initiatives in key sectors like financial technology, e-commerce, digital technologies, artificial intelligence, and robotics, where women remained underrepresented?  What actions were being taken to increase the number of women in leadership roles within sports and cultural institutions? 

    Responses by the Delegation 

    The delegation said a new law provided favourable conditions for both male and female entrepreneurs.  More and more women were opting for activities in the e-commerce space.  Employers and employees could have access to the family allowance.  This was provided by the State to better support childcare.  Law 158 from 2022 supported pregnant women and single parent families.  The State was currently considering a reform bill which resulted in further allowances to support households with young children, particularly new fathers, to close the gap between men and women in the household. 

    In 2024, there were 22 cases of voluntary abortion in the country.  The San Marino Olympic Committee promoted equality.  In 2024, the University of San Marino organised a day focusing on sports and disability, using sports as a tool for inclusion and equality.  This special day was open to all sports operators and coaches in the country to raise awareness regarding inclusion and combatting all kinds of discrimination in sports. 

    Questions by Committee Experts

    A Committee Expert said around five per cent of the State resided in rural areas, being predominantly involved in agriculture or domestic work.  Could information on the social conditions of rural women in San Marino be provided?  San Marino had 258 migrant workers employed in the private sector as caregivers or badanti. The Committee noted with satisfaction the establishment of the one stop shop set up to provide assistance to these badanti.  What was currently being done to prevent violence against badanti? 

    What measures were in place to ensure inclusive employment for women with disabilities? Since June 2019, discrimination on the ground of gender identity was expressly banned in San Marino.  What steps were being taken to recognise same sex marriage for citizens? 

    A Committee Expert asked for more information on forced sterilisation which had been imposed on women with disabilities over the past five years, possibly authorised by a legal guardian? 

    Responses by the Delegation 

    The delegation said it was difficult to distinguish between urban and rural areas in San Marino. All people living in San Marino enjoyed universal health coverage.  A desk had been organised for badanti to answer questions and deal with issues affecting them, and for families who wished to benefit from their services. There was no discrimination towards badanti in the country; efforts were made to protect their work. 

    Questions by a Committee Expert

    A Committee Expert welcomed the law which allowed a judge to order the removal of the aggressor in cases of gender-based violence, among other initiatives.  How did the courts deal with custody and the visiting rights of parents?  How were the best interests of a child taken into account from a gender perspective? How many children had been able to receive their mothers surname since 2016?  What mechanisms existed to provide oversight for family mediation procedures and ensure the Convention standards were respected? 

    Responses by the Delegation 

    The delegation said the interests of minors were always protected when it came to custody matters.  Judges would take into account the circumstance of violence within the household. When it came to separation between the parents, mediation was ruled out if there was violence within the household. 

    Closing Remarks

    MARCELLO BECCARI, Permanent Representative of San Marino to the United Nations Office at Geneva and head of the delegation, thanked the Committee for the dialogue which had enabled the State to review the legislation and all areas where discrimination against women could occur.  The institutions of San Marino were actively engaged in the implementation of the Convention.  The recommendations by the Committee would be carefully considered.

    MARIANNE MIKKO, Committee Vice-Chair, thanked the delegation of San Marino for the constructive dialogue, which had provided further insight on the situation of women in the country.  

    ___________

    Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media; 
    not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.

     

    CEDAW25.017E

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: New Permanent Representative of Senegal Presents Credentials to the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva

    Source: United Nations – Geneva

    Aboubacar Sadikh Barry, the new Permanent Representative of Senegal to the United Nations Office at Geneva, today presented his credentials to Tatiana Valovaya, the Director-General of the United Nations Office at Geneva.

    Prior to his appointment to Geneva, Mr. Barry had been serving as Senegal’s Ambassador to Ghana since 2018.

    Mr. Barry served as Deputy Permanent Representative of Senegal to the United Nations Office at Geneva from 2013 to 2016.  He served as Second, then First Counselor at the Permanent Mission of Senegal to the United Nations in New York from 2004 to 2010.  He was Head of the United Nations Division of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Senegal from 2001 to 2004.

    Other high-level positions he has held within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs include Deputy Head of Mission, Embassy of Senegal in Washington D.C., United States, from 2016 to 2018; and Director of Consular Affairs from 2011 to 2013. 

    Mr. Barry has a certificate degree in diplomacy from the Senegal National School of Administration and a master’s degree in economics and management from the Cheikh Anta Diop University in Dakar, where he also obtained a bachelor’s degree in economic sciences.  He is married with five children.

    ___________

    Produced by the United Nations Information Service in Geneva for use of the media; 
    not an official record. English and French versions of our releases are different as they are the product of two separate coverage teams that work independently.

     

    CR25.022E

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: John Casani, Former Manager of Multiple NASA Missions, Dies

    Source: NASA

    During his work on several historic missions, Casani rose through a series of technical and management positions, making an indelible mark on the nation’s space program.  
    John R. Casani, a visionary engineer who served a central role in many of NASA’s historic deep space missions, died on Thursday, June 19, 2025, at the age of 92. He was preceded in death by his wife of 39 years, Lynn Casani, in 2008 and is survived by five sons and their families.
    Casani started at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California in 1956 and went on to work as an electronics engineer on some of the nation’s earliest spacecraft after NASA’s formation in 1958. Along with leading the design teams for both the Ranger and Mariner series of spacecraft, he held senior project positions on many of the Mariner missions to Mars and Venus, and was project manager for three trailblazing space missions: Voyager, Galileo, and Cassini.
    His work helped advance NASA spacecraft in areas including mechanical technology, system design and integration, software, and deep space communications. No less demanding were the management challenges of these multifaceted missions, which led to innovations still in use today.

    “John had a major influence on the development of spacecraft that visited almost every planet in our solar system, as well as the people who helped build them,” said JPL director Dave Gallagher. “He played an essential role in America’s first attempts to reach space and then the Moon, and he was just as crucial to the Voyager spacecraft that marked humanity’s first foray into interplanetary — and later, interstellar — space. That Voyager is still exploring after nearly 50 years is a testament to John’s remarkable engineering talent and his leadership that enabled others to push the boundaries of possibility.”
    Born in Philadelphia in 1932, Casani studied electrical engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. After a short stint at an Air Force research lab, he moved to California in 1956 and was hired to work at JPL, a division of Caltech, on the guidance system for the U.S. Army Ballistic Missile Agency’s Jupiter-C and Sergeant missile programs.
    In 1957, the Soviet Union launched Sputnik 1, the first human-made Earth satellite, alarming America and changing the trajectory of both JPL and Casani’s career. With the 1958 launch of Explorer 1, America’s first satellite, the lab transitioned to concentrating on robotic space explorers, and Casani segued from missiles to spacecraft.
    One of his jobs as payload engineer on Pioneer 3 and 4, NASA’s first missions to the Moon, was to carry each of the 20-inch-long (51-cm-long) probes in a suitcase from JPL to the launch site at Cape Canaveral, Florida, where he installed them in the rocket’s nose cone.
    At the dawn of the 1960s, Casani served as spacecraft systems engineer for the agency’s first two Ranger missions to the Moon, then joined the Mariner project in 1965, earning a reputation for being meticulous. Four years later, he was Mariner project manager.
    Asked to share some of his wisdom in a 2009 NASA presentation, Casani said, “The thing that makes any of this work … is toughness. Toughness because this is a tough business, and it’s a very unforgiving business. You can do 1,000 things right, but if you don’t do everything right, it’ll come back and bite you.”
    Casani’s next role: project manager for NASA’s high-profile flagship mission to the outer planets and beyond — Voyager. He not only led the mission from clean room to space, he was first to envision attaching a message representing humanity to any alien civilization that might encounter humanity’s first interstellar emissaries. 
    “I approached Carl Sagan,” he said in a 2007 radio interview, “and asked him if he could come up with something that would be appropriate that we could put on our spacecraft in a way of sending a message to whoever might receive it.” Sagan took up the challenge, and what resulted was the Golden Record, a 12-inch gold-plated copper disk containing sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth.
    Once Voyager 1 and 2 and their Golden Records launched in 1977, JPL wasted no time in pointing their “engineer’s engineer” toward Galileo, which would become the first mission to orbit a gas giant planet. As the mission’s initial project manager, Casani led the effort from inception to assembly. Along the way, he had to navigate several congressional attempts to end the project, necessitating multiple visits to Washington. The 1986 loss of Space Shuttle Challenger, from which Galileo was to launch atop a Centaur upper-stage booster, led to mission redesign efforts before its 1989 launch.
    After 11 years leading Galileo, Casani became deputy assistant laboratory director for flight projects in 1988, received a promotion just over a year later and then, from 1990 to 1991, served as project manager of Cassini, NASA’s first flagship mission to orbit Saturn.
    Casani became JPL’s first chief engineer in 1994, retiring in 1999 and serving on several nationally prominent committees, including leading the investigation boards of both the Mars Climate Orbiter and the Mars Polar Lander failures, and also leading the James Webb Space Telescope Independent Comprehensive Review Panel.
    In early 2003, Casani returned to JPL to serve as project manager for NASA’s Project Prometheus, which would have been the nation’s first nuclear-powered, electric-propulsion spacecraft. In 2005, he became manager of the Institutional Special Projects Office at JPL, a position he held until retiring again in 2012.
    “Throughout his career, John reflected the true spirit of JPL: bold, innovative, visionary, and welcoming,” said Charles Elachi, JPL’s director from 2001 to 2016. “He was an undisputed leader with an upbeat, fun attitude and left an indelible mark on the laboratory and NASA. I am proud to have called him a friend.”
    Casani received many awards over his lifetime, including NASA’s Exceptional Achievement Medal, the Management Improvement Award from the President of the United States for the Mariner Venus Mercury mission, and the Air and Space Museum Trophy for Lifetime Achievement.
    News Media Contacts
    Matthew Segal / Veronica McGregorJet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.818-354-8307 / 818-354-9452matthew.j.segal@jpl.nasa.gov / veronica.c.mcgregor@jpl.nasa.gov

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: NASA’s Perseverance Rover Scours Mars for Science

    Source: NASA

    In addition to drilling rock core samples, the science team has been grinding its way into rocks to make sense of the scientific evidence hiding just below the surface.

    On June 3, NASA’s Perseverance Mars rover ground down a portion of a rock surface, blew away the resulting debris, and then went to work studying its pristine interior with a suite of instruments designed to determine its mineralogic makeup and geologic origin. “Kenmore,” as nicknamed by the rover science team, is the 30th Martian rock that Perseverance has subjected to such in-depth scrutiny, beginning with drilling a two-inch-wide (5-centimeter-wide) abrasion patch.  
    “Kenmore was a weird, uncooperative rock,” said Perseverance’s deputy project scientist, Ken Farley from Caltech in Pasadena, California. “Visually, it looked fine — the sort of rock we could get a good abrasion on and perhaps, if the science was right, perform a sample collection. But during abrasion, it vibrated all over the place and small chunks broke off. Fortunately, we managed to get just far enough below the surface to move forward with an analysis.”
    The science team wants to get below the weathered, dusty surface of Mars rocks to see important details about a rock’s composition and history. Grinding away an abrasion patch also creates a flat surface that enables Perseverance’s science instruments to get up close and personal with the rock.

    Time to Grind
    NASA’s Mars Exploration Rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, each carried a diamond-dust-tipped grinder called the Rock Abrasion Tool (RAT) that spun at 3,000 revolutions per minute as the rover’s robotic arm pushed it deeper into the rock. Two wire brushes then swept the resulting debris, or tailings, out of the way. The agency’s Curiosity rover carries a Dust Removal Tool, whose wire bristles sweep dust from the rock’s surface before the rover drills into the rock. Perseverance, meanwhile, relies on a purpose-built abrading bit, and it clears the tailings with a device that surpasses wire brushes: the gaseous Dust Removal Tool, or gDRT.
    “We use Perseverance’s gDRT to fire a 12-pounds-per-square-inch (about 83 kilopascals) puff of nitrogen at the tailings and dust that cover a freshly abraded rock,” said Kyle Kaplan, a robotic engineer at NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern California. “Five puffs per abrasion — one to vent the tanks and four to clear the abrasion. And gDRT has a long way to go. Since landing at Jezero Crater over four years ago, we’ve puffed 169 times. There are roughly 800 puffs remaining in the tank.” The gDRT offers a key advantage over a brushing approach: It avoids any terrestrial contaminants that might be on a brush from getting on the Martian rock being studied.

    Having collected data on abraded surfaces more than 30 times, the rover team has in-situ science (studying something in its original place or position) collection pretty much down. After gDRT blows the tailings away, the rover’s WATSON (Wide Angle Topographic Sensor for Operations and eNgineering) imager (which, like gDRT, is at the end of the rover’s arm) swoops in for close-up photos. Then, from its vantage point high on the rover’s mast, SuperCam fires thousands of individual pulses from its laser, each time using a spectrometer to determine the makeup of the plume of microscopic material liberated after every zap. SuperCam also employs a different spectrometer to analyze the visible and infrared light that bounces off the materials in the abraded area.
    “SuperCam made observations in the abrasion patch and of the powdered tailings next to the patch,” said SuperCam team member and “Crater Rim” campaign science lead, Cathy Quantin-Nataf of the University of Lyon in France. “The tailings showed us that this rock contains clay minerals, which contain water as hydroxide molecules bound with iron and magnesium — relatively typical of ancient Mars clay minerals. The abrasion spectra gave us the chemical composition of the rock, showing enhancements in iron and magnesium.”
    Later, the SHERLOC (Scanning Habitable Environments with Raman & Luminescence for Organics & Chemicals) and PIXL (Planetary Instrument for X-ray Lithochemistry) instruments took a crack at Kenmore, too. Along with supporting SuperCam’s discoveries that the rock contained clay, they detected feldspar (the mineral that makes much of the Moon brilliantly bright in sunlight). The PIXL instrument also detected a manganese hydroxide mineral in the abrasion — the first time this type of material has been identified during the mission.  
    With Kenmore data collection complete, the rover headed off to new territories to explore rocks — both cooperative and uncooperative — along the rim of Jezero Crater.
    “One thing you learn early working on Mars rover missions is that not all Mars rocks are created equal,” said Farley. “The data we obtain now from rocks like Kenmore will help future missions so they don’t have to think about weird, uncooperative rocks. Instead, they’ll have a much better idea whether you can easily drive over it, sample it, separate the hydrogen and oxygen contained inside for fuel, or if it would be suitable to use as construction material for a habitat.”
    Long-Haul Roving
    On June 19 (the 1,540th Martian day, or sol, of the mission), Perseverance bested its previous record for distance traveled in a single autonomous drive, trekking 1,348 feet (411 meters). That’s about 210 feet (64 meters) more than its previous record, set on April 3, 2023 (Sol 753). While planners map out the rover’s general routes, Perseverance can cut down driving time between areas of scientific interest by using its self-driving system, AutoNav.
    “Perseverance drove 4½ football fields and could have gone even farther, but that was where the science team wanted us to stop,” said Camden Miller, a rover driver for Perseverance at JPL. “And we absolutely nailed our stop target location. Every day operating on Mars, we learn more on how to get the most out of our rover. And what we learn today future Mars missions won’t have to learn tomorrow.”
    News Media Contact
    DC AgleJet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.818-393-9011agle@jpl.nasa.gov
    Karen Fox / Molly WasserNASA Headquarters, Washington202-358-1600karen.c.fox@nasa.gov / molly.l.wasser@nasa.gov    
    2025-082

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Whose story is being told — and why? 4 questions museum visitors should ask themselves this school holidays

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Olli Hellmann, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Waikato

    The winter school holidays will mean families across Aotearoa New Zealand will be looking for indoor activities to entertain children. With millions of visitors each year, museums focused on the country’s history will inevitably play host to local and international visitors.

    Museums tend to enjoy a high level of trust among the public. They’re widely seen as neutral, factual sources of historical knowledge.

    But like all forms of storytelling, museums present the past in particular ways. They narrate events from a certain group’s or individual’s perspective and explain why events unfolded in the way they did.

    In this respect, museums are not so different from historical films. Consider the different ways two recent movies – 1917 and the remake of All Quiet on the Western Front – narrate the first world war.

    In 1917, the storyteller takes the British side, encouraging viewers to invest in the bravery and endurance of British soldiers. But All Quiet on the Western Front is narrated from a German perspective, inviting viewers to grieve for German soldiers as victims of a political system that glorified war.

    Museum exhibitions tell stories in a similar way. Visitors should be asking not just what story is told, but why.

    Spoiler alert: it often has to do with national identity. Museums tell particular stories of the past because these stories support a particular image of New Zealand as a nation.

    Four questions for your next museum visit

    At its core, every story has two basic ingredients: actors and events. To turn these into a compelling narrative, the storyteller connects the events into a plot, so they build on each other. The storyteller also transforms actors into characters by giving them particular traits — brave, selfish, wise, cruel and the like. Museums do this, too.

    As you move through a museum exhibition, try asking yourself the following questions:

    1. Which historical events are included — and which are left out?

    Every story begins somewhere. Museums choose which events to include and which to leave out, shaping how visitors understand what happened and why.

    Take Te Papa’s Gallipoli: The Scale of Our War exhibition. It opens with the landing at ANZAC Cove but skips over events in the lead-up to WWI — such as Britain’s earlier moves to seize Ottoman territories like Cyprus and Egypt.

    Leaving these out helps frame Gallipoli as a noble – albeit tragic – “coming of age” for New Zealand. But in reality, ANZAC soldiers were fighting to support Britain’s imperial ambitions in the Middle East.

    2. How are events organised into a plot?

    Museums don’t just say “this happened, then that happened”. They link events into a larger plot — a chain of cause and effect that explains how one thing led to another. This can happen through text, but also through spatial layout, lighting, sound and other techniques that guide visitors through rising and falling moments of narrative tension.

    Often, museums use familiar plot types to connect events. One common example is the quest narrative — a story in which heroes must navigate unknown terrain, and where mistakes are part of the journey and threaten to derail the mission. It’s a bit like The Lord of the Rings: a journey full of challenges, wrong turns and personal growth.

    At Te Kōngahu Museum of Waitangi, Aotearoa New Zealand’s Treaty story is told using this quest structure. The Treaty is presented as something unique and unfamiliar and the British, confronted with this unknown, fall back on familiar colonial practices — the “mistake” that led to the New Zealand wars.

    Because this misstep is treated as part of the learning curve typical of any quest, the exhibition avoids harder questions about this violent part of history, and instead preserves the image of Aotearoa New Zealand as fundamentally tolerant and respectful.

    3. Who are the main actors in the story — and who is missing?

    Every story needs protagonists, and whose perspective frames the story matters. In many smaller regional museums, history is still told almost entirely from the viewpoint of European settlers. But what about Māori experiences of colonisation? Or the histories of Chinese communities and other migrants who arrived in the 1800s?

    By focusing narrowly on European settlers as the main actors, these museums present a one-sided view of the past and construct an image of New Zealand as a European nation — one that expects others to assimilate.

    4. How are the main actors characterised — and how are we meant to feel about them?

    It’s not surprising that museums portray some actors positively and others less so. What’s more revealing is how certain individuals are elevated as symbols of the nation and how museums invite us to form personal connections with them.

    In Te Papa’s Gallipoli exhibition, visitors can open drawers and boxes containing soldiers’ personal belongings. This intimate activity encourages us to feel close to these figures — not just learning about them, but identifying with them as embodying national qualities: bravery, resilience and a commitment to peace.

    Why does this matter?

    Historical museum narratives aren’t necessarily inaccurate — but, much like historical movies, they are selective. They highlight certain events, actors and cause-and-effect chains to tell a particular kind of story. Often, that story supports a specific idea of what it means to be an Aotearoa New Zealander.

    By reading museum exhibitions with a critical eye, visitors can better understand not just the past, but how storytelling shapes national identity in the present — and imagine how it might be shaped differently.

    Olli Hellmann 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. Whose story is being told — and why? 4 questions museum visitors should ask themselves this school holidays – https://theconversation.com/whose-story-is-being-told-and-why-4-questions-museum-visitors-should-ask-themselves-this-school-holidays-259538

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: UConn Adopts New Budget with Strategic Adjustments to Address Funding Shortfalls

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    UConn has adopted a 2025-26 budget that maintains excellence in its academic, research, and health care enterprises while addressing serious fiscal challenges resulting from state funding shortfalls and steep reductions in federal research awards.

    The budget increases UConn’s enrollment to bolster revenue; draws from one-time fund balances in accounts throughout the institution; and enacts stringent deficit mitigation plans at UConn Storrs, UConn Health, and the regional campuses.

    UConn’s Board of Trustees adopted the budget at its meeting on Wednesday, June 25, and it goes into effect July 1.

    UConn faces operating budget shortfalls in the upcoming fiscal year of $72 million for the Storrs and regional campuses and $61.8 million for UConn Health, for a combined total of $134 million.

    UConn has also lost $95 million in reduced, slowed, and terminated federal research awards under new policies enacted nationwide since January, and there are no indicators that the funding will rebound in the near future.

    As FY26 progresses, the state Office of Policy and Management (OPM) also could reduce UConn’s appropriations to balance the state budget if needed. With so many revenue sources in flux, UConn expects to continually pivot to adjust to new developments.

    “We’re going to have to forecast and reforecast every month as these changes take place and as we continue to move forward. It’s going to be very fluid,” Jeffrey Geoghegan, UConn’s CFO and executive vice president for finance, told members of the Board of Trustees’ Financial Affairs Committee on Tuesday, June 24.

    That committee reviewed and endorsed the budget proposal and passed it on to the full board for a vote.

    UConn plans to mitigate about $38 million and UConn Health plans to mitigate about $62 million of the FY26 funding losses through several actions, including optimizing and reducing personnel. That will occur through a variety of approaches, including restricting most hiring and reviewing non-permanent and temporary positions as an initial step.

    The University will also review overtime and compensatory time; encourage voluntary schedule reductions where feasible and appropriate; consolidate some office functions; and restrict employee travel, events, and other activities.

    Wherever possible, the University will work to grow its revenue streams as well. Units have been directed to fully utilize unspent balances they hold from UConn Foundation funds. Also, the University will work to identify potential opportunities for new revenue, including continuing to grow patient care revenue at UConn Health.

    “UConn Health is committed to making the difficult decisions necessary to mitigate the reduction in funding, while at the same time continuing its position as one of the highest quality, best patient experience, and fastest growing health systems in Connecticut,” says Dr. Andrew Agwunobi, UConn Health’s CEO and executive vice president of health affairs.

    The overall FY26 operating budget totals $3.6 billion, split roughly equally between UConn Health and the UConn Storrs/regional campuses operations.

    The state’s annual block grant to the University comprised one-quarter of the University’s revenue as recently as FY19 but has been steadily decreasing. In the coming year, that number has fallen to 12% (15% at UConn and 8% at UConn Health). The state allocation covers 23% of UConn’s personnel costs; the rest is borne by the University through revenue it generates.

    At UConn Health, the largest source of income in FY26 is clinical care at 72.5%. At UConn’s Storrs and regional campuses, the largest source of income in FY26 is student tuition and fees at 57%.

    UConn already had committed to leaving its tuition rates flat in FY26 before the new state allocation numbers were determined and does not intend to reverse that decision. Separately, fees that pay for housing, dining, and various student services will increase modestly to pay for those enterprises.

    The cost-cutting initiatives, efforts to identify new revenue sources, increasing enrollment from higher-paying out-of-state and international students, and other measures will all be critical in the coming budget year, UConn officials say.

    The University will also examine every individual account in which unspent funds have been held as part of UConn’s overall reserves and, where possible and appropriate, will consolidate them to use as one-time spending to help fill gaps.

    “These dollars are not held in a central pool, but are in hundreds of accounts and budget lines throughout the institution that are used to fund our operations, meet upcoming needs, maintain our bond rating, and invest in the future of our university,” wrote President Radenka Maric, Provost Anne D’Alleva, and Vice President for Research Pamir Alpay in a message to the community on June 23.

    “Much of these funds are already committed for specific purposes. Using these funds to close short-term deficits will create new financial problems that didn’t exist previously and new unmet needs throughout the institution,” they wrote.

    “And if these one-time funds become exhausted, they do not automatically replenish, and structural deficits will remain. Despite the very real challenges and hardships this will cause, our current financial picture does not leave us with a reasonable alternative.”

    With the FY27 projected deficits even higher than those in FY26, UConn officials say efforts to reduce costs and increase revenue will be needed moving forward while the institution continues to prioritize student success, academic strength, and research impact.

    “Please know that we are not alone in having to make these difficult decisions. Every large research university across the nation is being forced to take similar steps,” Maric, D’Alleva, and Alpay added in their message.

    Overall, Maric says, UConn will continue to focus over the next three to five years on core operational priorities: continuous improvement and effectiveness, improving the enrollment outlook, increasing the academic and research profile, supporting a championship culture and competitiveness in UConn Athletics; and advancing fundraising and engagement efforts at the UConn Foundation.

    “In this and everything we do, we will ask ourselves: Is this helping our graduation rate? Is this supporting student success?” Maric said Tuesday.

    UConn has had a long-standing commitment to providing student financial aid as part of that work and set aside 16.5% of its tuition-generated revenue for those uses – voluntarily higher than the 15% minimum established by the state.

    In the coming fiscal year, UConn will increase institutionally funded financial aid by 10.6% as part of its work to attract and retain students, of whom 85% receive at least one form of financial aid.

    In addition to approving the operating budget, the Board of Trustees also adopted the capital improvement budgets for UConn Storrs / regionals and UConn Health for FY26.

    Those allocations are limited to specific building and infrastructure projects and cannot be shifted to help allay the pressures on the operating fund.

    At the Storrs and regional campuses, the $175 million capital budget for FY26 will fund a variety of projects that include a major renovation of Gampel Pavilion; a portion of the cost of construction of a new nursing building; improvements in various residence halls; and other critical deferred maintenance and infrastructure repair projects.

    The UConn capital budget consists of $128 million in bond funds for projects under the UCONN 2000 program; $8 million of state general obligation bond proceeds; and $39 million from student fees collected to support infrastructure maintenance and residential life facility improvements.

    At UConn Health, the $58.4 million capital budget for FY26 is funded through $28 million in state general obligation bond funds and $30.4 million generated by UConn Health, which has more than doubled its clinical care revenue over the past 10 years.

    Like at UConn Storrs and regional campuses, the capital funds will be directed to UConn Health’s critical deferred maintenance and infrastructure repair projects as well as improvements to clinical spaces that enable revenue growth.

    MIL OSI USA News –