Category: Universities

MIL-OSI Australia: Canberra’s best kids’ menus

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

Pollen Café at the Australian National Botanic Gardens is a hit with kids and parents. Image: Tourism Australia

Canberra has so much to offer when it comes to café culture, and that extends to the smallest community members as well.

A babycino is well and good, but when little tummies rumble, these are some of the cafes serving up seriously yummy fare:

Southern Cross Club Woden

If you’re after lunch or dinner, the Southern Cross Club Woden offers a large range of options for kids.

The kid’s menu boasts 10 different options. Choices range from items like chicken nuggets and a wagyu beef burger to things like rice paper rolls, a whole foods tasting plate and make your own tacos.

There are also kid-friendly sweet treats. Options include strawberry or banana fondue, yoghurt crunch, and gelato.

Mains are $13 for members (or $15 for non-members), while desserts are $5 for members ($6 for non-members).

Café Stepping Stone, Dickson and Strathnairn

Café Stepping Stone’s seasonal and locally sourced menu extends to kids.

Options for children include toast, and cheese toasties with or without tomato. There’s also hummus and carrot sticks or a bowl of yoghurt.

Prices start at just $5.

There are also toys in the cafés and room for them to roam.

Kitchen Garden at Rodney’s, Pialligo

This picturesque café, located in Rodney’s Plants Plus, has a good range of adults and kids’ options.

Their kid’s menu includes eggs and bacon on toast and pancakes. There’s also spaghetti bolognese, fish and chips or a ham and cheese pizza. The lunch box option includes a sandwich, sultanas, cheese, a fruit box and a chocolate treat.

There’s a playground next to the café and lots of space to play.

Prices start at $12.

Pollen Café, Australian National Botanic Gardens

A trip to the Australian National Botanic Garden is always fun for kids. A stop in at Pollen Café helps fill little bellies for big adventures.

During the school holidays, Pollen offers a Bilby Bites menu item that includes vegetable sticks, bilby-shaped toast, fresh fruit and a sweet treat for kids.

Pollen’s regular kids’ menu includes dippy eggs and a mini hot dog. An optional fruit juice popper, shortbread cookie or paddle pop ice cream can be added to both.

Prices start at $13.90.

As the café is sit within the Australian Botanic Gardens, there is plenty to see and do including a children’s discovery walk.

Café Gather, Braddon

Café Gather’s menu of colourful, healthy food includes a selection for kids. Choices include a toad in the hole, a mini hashbrown with avocado and egg, a bacon and egg roll, and a crumpet with honey and blueberries.

All options are $12.

Sweet Bones, Scullin and Braddon

This vegan café features an all-day breakfast menu at both the Scullin and Braddon locations. The kid’s menu has a blueberry pancake with coconut whipped cream, a sandwich with cucumber, avocado and hummus, or carrot sticks with peanut butter or hummus.

Prices start at $6.

Two Blind Mice, Curtin

Locals love this family-friendly spot, not least because of the weekly meal specials.

On Thursday, kids eat free with every $50 spend. The lunch and dinner kids’ menu includes a cheeseburger and chips, ham and cheese pizza or spaghetti napoletana.

On the weekends, the kids breakfast menu offers toast and jam, a hotcake, or a bacon and egg roll.

Prices start at $7 for breakfast, or $15 for breakfast and lunch.

Penny University, Kingston

The kid’s menu at this inner south spot has a range of options. Choose from a ham and cheese toastie, egg and ham, or a chicken burger. There’s also a brekkie plate with porridge, yoghurt and fruit, a lunch box with a toastie, fruit and a brownie, or crisp barramundi bites.

Prices start at $8.

Did we miss your favourite? Send us an email at ourcanberra@act.gov.au.

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MIL OSI News –

April 7, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Batteries for all, not just the rich? Labor’s home battery plan must be properly targeted to be fair

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rohan Best, Senior Lecturer, Department of Economics, Macquarie University

NOWRA photography/Shutterstock

Over the weekend, Labor promised to subsidise home batteries by 30%. This would save about A$4,000 per household up front for an average battery. The scheme has a goal of one million batteries by 2030, costing an estimated $2.3 billion.

The promise was received broadly favourably as a measure to help with cost of living pressures and encourage the broader shift to clean energy. Labor’s policy has some similarity to an earlier Greens pledge. Last month, the Coalition hinted it was working on its own home battery plan. Opposition leader Peter Dutton has attacked Labor’s plan, claiming the subsidies would benefit the rich.

Dutton makes a good point. Upfront subsidies have to be well targeted. If they’re not, they could easily go to wealthier households and leave poorer ones behind.

To fix it, Labor should start with lower subsidies – and means test them.

What’s the fuss about home batteries?

Homes with batteries can use stored solar energy instead of grid energy, or charge from the grid when power is cheap and use it when grid power is expensive. They can reduce power bills by around $1,000 a year.

Over 300,000 Australian households already have a home battery. Uptake was already accelerating in Australia and overseas, as battery prices fall and power prices climb.

If this policy leads to 1 million batteries by 2030 as Labor hopes, they would boost grid stability, reduce demand for expensive peak power from gas generators and even avoid the need to build some new transmission lines. These would be positive – if the benefits can be spread fairly.

Subsidies must be properly targeted

Caution is necessary, because we have seen very similar issues with previous schemes.

When solar panels were expensive in the 2000s, many state governments offered subsidies to encourage more households to put them on their roofs. On one level, this worked well – one third of all Australian households now have solar. But on another, it failed – richer households took up solar subsidies much more than poorer, as my research has shown. As solar prices have fallen, this imbalance has partly been corrected.

Home batteries are now in a similar situation. Installing an average sized home battery of between 5 and 10 kilowatt hours can cost less than $10,000, without the proposed federal subsidy. But this upfront cost means it’s currently largely wealthy households doing it, as I have shown in other research.

If Labor’s policy isn’t properly targeted, wealthier households are more likely to take it up. This is because they can more easily afford to spend the remaining cost. Studies on electric and other vehicle subsidies in the United States show at least half of the subsidies went to people who would have bought the vehicle regardless. That’s good for wealthy households, but unfair to others.

Targeting has advantages for governments, too. Proper targeting would reduce the cost to the public purse.

Wealthier households like these in an expensive Sydney suburb were more likely to take up solar – and benefit from early subsidies.
Harley Kingston/Shutterstock

So who should be eligible?

Wealthier households are likely to be able to afford home batteries without the subsidy – especially as costs fall.

The cost of living crisis has hit less wealthy households hardest. A home battery policy should focus heavily on giving these households a way to reduce their power bills.

How can governments do this? Largely by means-testing. To qualify for the subsidy, households should have to detail their financial assets.

To begin with, a policy like this should only be eligible for households outside the top 25% for wealth.

What about the 31% of Australians who rent their homes? This diverse group requires careful thought.

Governments may have to offer extra incentives to encourage landlords to install home batteries. The solar roll-out shows landlords do benefit, as they can charge slightly higher rent for properties with solar.

How much should subsidies be?

Labor’s election offering of a 30% subsidy is too generous.

While home batteries can cost more than $10,000, cheaper battery options are now available and state incentive schemes are also emerging. Western Australia, for instance, will have its own generous battery subsidy scheme running before July 1.

Some households might be able to get subsidies at both state and national levels, which would cover most of the cost of a smaller battery.

When governments offer high subsidies at the start of a new scheme, there’s a real risk of a cost blowout.

To avoid this, governments should begin with the lowest subsidy which still encourages household investment. If low subsidies lead to low uptake, the government could then raise subsidies after an annual review.

Another option is to vary how much the subsidy is based on household wealth. Lower wealth households get higher subsidies (say $2,500) while higher wealth households get a much lower subsidy (say $500).

Governments could even consider equitable reverse auctions, where households with similar wealth compete for subsidies. Governments can then choose lower bids in the interest of cost-effectiveness.

At present, Labor’s policy would give higher subsidies for larger batteries. This isn’t ideal. On solar, there’s a lack of evidence higher subsidies lead to larger solar systems, while households with more wealth tend to get larger solar systems.

Good start, improvement needed

Labor’s home battery policy has been welcomed by many in the energy sector. But as it stands, we cannot be sure it will fairly share the benefits of home batteries.

If Labor or the Coalition does offer a well-targeted home battery policy, it would be world leading. Over time, it would directly help with the rising cost of living and ensure less wealthy households benefit.

Rohan Best previously received funding from the Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA).

– ref. Batteries for all, not just the rich? Labor’s home battery plan must be properly targeted to be fair – https://theconversation.com/batteries-for-all-not-just-the-rich-labors-home-battery-plan-must-be-properly-targeted-to-be-fair-253445

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

April 7, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Old brand retailers refreshed into new urban escape amid consumption stimulation

Source: China State Council Information Office

On a sunny afternoon, people relax in a camp site recreation area, while others go head-to-head in a game of table tennis. You would be forgiven for thinking this is a holiday destination, when in fact it’s a bustling shopping mall in downtown Beijing.

The scene, at Hanguang Department Store in Xidan commercial district, represents a broader dynamic across China’s retail industry, with old brand shopping malls now offering urban dwellers a fresh take on respite.

In 2024, China’s total retail sales of consumer goods neared 48.79 trillion yuan (about 6.79 trillion U.S. dollars), an increase of 3.5 percent over the previous year. However, retail sales by department stores declined, spurring many to make adjustments.

For today’s consumers, shopping is more than retail therapy. It must also satisfy the public’s growing need for social interaction and experience. Such a phenomenon, together with the brunt of online shopping, has inspired more and more retailers to adapt to the changing trend and stimulate consumption.

For its part, Hanguang Department Store has undergone a facelift last year, with a leisure venue forged that now attracts more people to visit and open their wallets.

To improve its previously stuffy interior, two patios were transformed into an open-air courtyard, where ping-pong tables and rackets are available to the public.

General manager Pu Jiajia said that after the revamp, business areas became smaller, but public channels grew, bringing customers a better shopping experience. “After the transformation, our sales have increased by about 5 percent.”

In March, China issued a special action plan to boost consumption, proposing to “actively develop smart business areas and immersive experience spaces, while promoting the transformation of brick-and-mortar stores into new commercial places.”

Now many traditional department stores have taken on a new look with dazzling bazaars, outdoor concerts and art exhibitions.

A Beijing resident surnamed Fang, a mother of a primary school girl, takes her daughter to Chang’an Shopping Mall, a department store located about 3 kilometers away from Xidan, every Saturday morning.

The newly upgraded shopping mall near Fang’s home is now a regular destination for her family at weekends. “My daughter attends Chinese calligraphy and roller skating classes, while I like to kill time by exploring the bookstores, bazaars and cafés,” Fang said.

Shi Shufeng, assistant general manager of the shopping mall, stated that since initiating the transformation project in 2019, the mall has introduced experience-oriented services including education and wellness programs, bazaars and pet cafés.

Moreover, the commercial complex expanded its dining and lifestyle services, and recorded an influx of nearly 18,000 visitors per day in 2024, up 70 percent compared to 2018.

Yi Shaohua, a research fellow at the National Academy of Economic Strategy, Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, believes that the transformation of traditional department stores is a mainstream trend.

“Shopping malls used to be places to sell goods, but now they focus more on services,” Yi suggested.

Wang Ning, an executive president of the Business School, Zhengzhou University, suggested that the transformation of traditional shopping malls should focus on the needs of consumers, while diversifying their goods options and improving their services.

In catering to the appetite of young consumers, especially Generation Z and younger people, some retailers have made forays into the animation, comic and game (ACG) arena.

At a rebuilt shopping center in Hefei, east China’s Anhui Province, an area on the first floor is a dedicated space for anime expos. ACG merchandise such as badges, acrylic figure stands and cards fly quickly off the shelves, while cosplayers mill about.

Miss Liu, a college student and cosplay enthusiast, said she found a new way to chill out from the pressures of her studies and has made new friends with the same interests as her in the cosplay parade.

She added that a trip to the mall now often starts with playing games, before scouting out the food offerings, and then a stroll through the mall, one floor after another.

“I would say going shopping today feels more like an adventure rather than tedium,” the young shopper said.

MIL OSI China News –

April 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: What our reaction to Adolescence tells us about our fear of boys, sex and the internet

Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Alexandra James, Research Fellow, Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University

News feeds have been flooded with reactions to Adolescence, Netflix’s newest viral hit. Released in March, the limited series racked up over 66 million views in just two weeks, making it the platform’s most-watched limited series to date.

The show follows the arrest of a 13-year-old boy accused of murdering a young girl. It hints at potential radicalisation through the “manosphere” – pointing to emojis, incels and influencers like Andrew Tate.

From the BBC, to Rolling Stone, Harper’s Bazaar, and a range of Reddit threads, Adolescence has quickly become one of the most talked-about UK series in recent memory. While some of the buzz reflects its gripping cinematography and performances, much of it centres on the show’s depiction of online dangers and the risks for young boys exposed to this content.

The show has reignited debate about boys and their relationship to digital spaces, particularly social media. The UK prime minister even backed a proposal to screen the series in schools for free, alongside calls for school smartphone bans – measures already in place in parts of Australia.

This public reaction to Adolescence reveals a broader social anxiety about boys, sex and the digital world. But while the public reaction focuses on fear and internet restrictions, evidence shows that young people – boys included – are already engaging with the digital world in complex, thoughtful ways.

A history of moral panic

The same anxiety underpins Australia’s world-first ban on social media for under-16s – framed as a way to protect young people from sexual content, harmful gender roles, and the influence of platforms like Instagram and TikTok. The federal education minister has described social media as a “cesspit” from which children must be protected.

Yet this policy was introduced in direct response to a rise in women being killed by their intimate partners. It’s a subtle but powerful misdirection – one that offers a political fix while avoiding the more difficult work of addressing men’s violence.

Instead, this policy response draws on a history of moral panic about young people and the internet. Young people are a “problem” we can “fix”, while ignoring deeper social and cultural issues.

This framing of boys and the internet ignores their capacity, skills and how they engage in the digital world. It also ignores the many ways in which they learn about relationships.

Most importantly, it risks further marginalising boys from the conversations and education they urgently need.

Young people engage with online spaces thoughtfully

Our research with young people and experts shows that teens engage with online spaces far more thoughtfully than they’re often given credit. They know how to assess credibility, search for diverse sources and navigate content in ways that reflect their needs.

This process – of searching, comparing, evaluating – isn’t passive consumption. It’s an important part of how young people develop and find space to think about their identities, sex and relationships.

Their engagement is often nuanced: they weigh content against other information, test it against their own experience, and assess how trustworthy or relatable a source might be.

In a context where young people routinely report receiving inadequate education on sex and relationships – via parents or school-based programs – online spaces play an important role in helping them to fill these gaps.

These platforms often provide the only accessible way for young people to explore aspects of their identity, sexuality and relationships.

Boys are left out

Some of our other research shows that cisgender, heterosexual boys are often left out of conversations about sex, relationships and consent. Such conversations could give them space to ask questions, express uncertainty and give adults a chance to hear what the boys are thinking.

Instead of engaging boys with empathy or curiosity, we tend to talk at them, as if they alone are the problem, rather than talking with them.

When pornography is demonised, we also shut down the possibility of honest discussion. This leaves boys, who are often too afraid to ask questions, to interpret what they’re seeing without support. That silence creates a vacuum, one increasingly filled by figures like Tate. The “self-proclaimed misogynist”, with more than 10 million followers on Twitter, is known for promoting harmful views about women, violence and sexual assault.

Banning access to social media won’t fix this; it only deepens the lack of meaningful engagement with what young people might be seeing online.

Educators are also nervous about broaching these topics. This is hard in an environment where talking to kids about sex remains taboo and who is responsible for having these conversations is unclear. Should it fall to schools? Parents? Police?

How we can support young people

What’s needed are policies and education that support youth educators to address this effectively. This also means meeting boys where they are and providing all young people with the digital and relational skills to navigate these issues.

Young people don’t need Adolescence to understand the internet – they already do. What they need is support, space to ask questions and skills to navigate the ideas they’re exposed to, both online and in the world around them. That requires brave policies that prioritise education and equip them with critical digital literacy.

And if we’re serious about supporting young people, we need to stop pretending the problem starts with them.

Alexandra James receives funding from The Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care and Lifestyles Australia.

Andrea Waling receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care.

Lily Moor receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care.

– ref. What our reaction to Adolescence tells us about our fear of boys, sex and the internet – https://theconversation.com/what-our-reaction-to-adolescence-tells-us-about-our-fear-of-boys-sex-and-the-internet-253746

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 7, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: What our reaction to Adolescence tells us about our fear of boys, sex and the internet

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexandra James, Research Fellow, Australian Research Centre in Sex, Health and Society, La Trobe University

News feeds have been flooded with reactions to Adolescence, Netflix’s newest viral hit. Released in March, the limited series racked up over 66 million views in just two weeks, making it the platform’s most-watched limited series to date.

The show follows the arrest of a 13-year-old boy accused of murdering a young girl. It hints at potential radicalisation through the “manosphere” – pointing to emojis, incels and influencers like Andrew Tate.

From the BBC, to Rolling Stone, Harper’s Bazaar, and a range of Reddit threads, Adolescence has quickly become one of the most talked-about UK series in recent memory. While some of the buzz reflects its gripping cinematography and performances, much of it centres on the show’s depiction of online dangers and the risks for young boys exposed to this content.

The show has reignited debate about boys and their relationship to digital spaces, particularly social media. The UK prime minister even backed a proposal to screen the series in schools for free, alongside calls for school smartphone bans – measures already in place in parts of Australia.

This public reaction to Adolescence reveals a broader social anxiety about boys, sex and the digital world. But while the public reaction focuses on fear and internet restrictions, evidence shows that young people – boys included – are already engaging with the digital world in complex, thoughtful ways.

A history of moral panic

The same anxiety underpins Australia’s world-first ban on social media for under-16s – framed as a way to protect young people from sexual content, harmful gender roles, and the influence of platforms like Instagram and TikTok. The federal education minister has described social media as a “cesspit” from which children must be protected.

Yet this policy was introduced in direct response to a rise in women being killed by their intimate partners. It’s a subtle but powerful misdirection – one that offers a political fix while avoiding the more difficult work of addressing men’s violence.

Instead, this policy response draws on a history of moral panic about young people and the internet. Young people are a “problem” we can “fix”, while ignoring deeper social and cultural issues.

This framing of boys and the internet ignores their capacity, skills and how they engage in the digital world. It also ignores the many ways in which they learn about relationships.

Most importantly, it risks further marginalising boys from the conversations and education they urgently need.

Young people engage with online spaces thoughtfully

Our research with young people and experts shows that teens engage with online spaces far more thoughtfully than they’re often given credit. They know how to assess credibility, search for diverse sources and navigate content in ways that reflect their needs.

This process – of searching, comparing, evaluating – isn’t passive consumption. It’s an important part of how young people develop and find space to think about their identities, sex and relationships.

Their engagement is often nuanced: they weigh content against other information, test it against their own experience, and assess how trustworthy or relatable a source might be.

In a context where young people routinely report receiving inadequate education on sex and relationships – via parents or school-based programs – online spaces play an important role in helping them to fill these gaps.

These platforms often provide the only accessible way for young people to explore aspects of their identity, sexuality and relationships.

Boys are left out

Some of our other research shows that cisgender, heterosexual boys are often left out of conversations about sex, relationships and consent. Such conversations could give them space to ask questions, express uncertainty and give adults a chance to hear what the boys are thinking.

Instead of engaging boys with empathy or curiosity, we tend to talk at them, as if they alone are the problem, rather than talking with them.

When pornography is demonised, we also shut down the possibility of honest discussion. This leaves boys, who are often too afraid to ask questions, to interpret what they’re seeing without support. That silence creates a vacuum, one increasingly filled by figures like Tate. The “self-proclaimed misogynist”, with more than 10 million followers on Twitter, is known for promoting harmful views about women, violence and sexual assault.

Banning access to social media won’t fix this; it only deepens the lack of meaningful engagement with what young people might be seeing online.

Educators are also nervous about broaching these topics. This is hard in an environment where talking to kids about sex remains taboo and who is responsible for having these conversations is unclear. Should it fall to schools? Parents? Police?

How we can support young people

What’s needed are policies and education that support youth educators to address this effectively. This also means meeting boys where they are and providing all young people with the digital and relational skills to navigate these issues.

Young people don’t need Adolescence to understand the internet – they already do. What they need is support, space to ask questions and skills to navigate the ideas they’re exposed to, both online and in the world around them. That requires brave policies that prioritise education and equip them with critical digital literacy.

And if we’re serious about supporting young people, we need to stop pretending the problem starts with them.

Alexandra James receives funding from The Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care and Lifestyles Australia.

Andrea Waling receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care.

Lily Moor receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Commonwealth Department of Health and Aged Care.

– ref. What our reaction to Adolescence tells us about our fear of boys, sex and the internet – https://theconversation.com/what-our-reaction-to-adolescence-tells-us-about-our-fear-of-boys-sex-and-the-internet-253746

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

April 7, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China’s proactive policy helps woo foreign investors

Source: China State Council Information Office

This photo taken on April 26, 2024 shows a BMW electric vehicle displayed at the signing ceremony for deepening strategic cooperation between BMW and Shenyang, in Shenyang, northeast China’s Liaoning Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

Despite operating in different industry sectors, several multinational corporations — such as Germany’s Siemens AG, Tapestry Inc of the United States and Japan’s Takeda Pharmaceutical Co — share a common goal of stepping up investment in China’s high-tech and supply chain sectors to stay competitive.

Their top executives, who attended the China Development Forum 2025 in Beijing in March, noted that the Chinese government’s proactive efforts — from expanding domestic demand to fostering emerging and future industries, and deepening international cooperation through greater openness — are sending out strong signals and continuously boosting the confidence of foreign businesses in the Chinese market, despite rising global trade protectionism, unilateralism and geopolitical tensions.

One such company is Mercedes-Benz.

The German automotive group will begin producing the long-wheelbase electric CLA, a compact luxury model, in China this year, followed by the long-wheelbase GLE SUV and an all-new electric van in the coming years.

Ola Kaellenius, chairman of the board of management at Mercedes-Benz, said the company has made significant strides in research and development in China. Powered by its innovation centers in Beijing and Shanghai and supported by 2,000 local experts, the group has advanced its development of connectivity, digitalization, autonomous driving features and electric vehicle transformation.

“Just like other European automotive companies, we have been among the biggest foreign beneficiaries of China’s rapid economic growth,” said Kaellenius.

“At the same time, our industry has been one of the largest recipients of foreign direct investment in China. There is a strong interdependence between China and the European Union. Both sides want to protect jobs in their home markets while reaping the benefits of free international trade,” he added.

Noting that China’s growing focus on boosting domestic consumption is giving global companies greater confidence to invest in the world’s second-largest economy, Joanne Crevoiserat, CEO of Tapestry, said the company is keen to contribute to the country’s consumption upgrade and expansion by bringing more innovative products to this market.

Tapestry is a New York-based luxury goods maker and the parent company of brands like Coach and Kate Spade.

“China is our largest market outside the US, and it is a major source of inspiration for us globally. Many of the innovations we develop here — through partnerships with Chinese companies to serve Chinese consumers — are later introduced to other markets around the world,” Crevoiserat said.

The company, she added, is on track to achieve its goal of opening 100 stores in China between 2022 and 2025, with the milestone set to be reached by the end of this year.

“In addition to investing in physical stores, or brick-and-mortar retail, we will also invest in digital, particularly with the advancements in the Chinese market, as local consumers are fairly digitally engaged,” she said. “So, we have been making investments into our digital capabilities and meeting the consumer demand in an omnichannel way.”

Christophe Weber, president, CEO and representative director of Takeda Pharmaceutical Co, expressed a similar opinion.

Takeda will make targeted investments in data and digital solutions in China to unleash the power of new technology for the future of healthcare, he said.

In January, the Japanese company announced the signing of an investment cooperation agreement to establish its China innovation center in Chengdu, Sichuan province. The new facility will focus on digital healthcare innovation and leverage big data and artificial intelligence technologies to develop solutions.

Eager to stabilize its appeal to global investors in 2025, China will further open up internet-related, cultural and other sectors in a well-regulated manner and expand pilot programs to open fields such as telecommunications, medical services and education, according to this year’s Government Work Report.

The country will encourage foreign investors to increase reinvestment and support collaboration among upstream and downstream enterprises along industrial chains.

The report said national treatment will be ensured for foreign-funded enterprises in areas such as access to production factors, licensing, standards setting and government procurement.

Sang Baichuan, dean of the University of International Business and Economics’ Institute of International Economy in Beijing, said that China enjoys a stable political, economic and social environment when compared to several other countries.

Amid mounting global economic headwinds, China’s steadfast commitment to opening-up, backed by consistent government support and a more level playing field, is encouraging, Sang said.

As China’s innovation capabilities grow, foreign investors are increasingly shifting from “a manufacturingonly focus to collaborative research and development”, he added.

Noting that high-tech, high-efficiency and high-quality growth have become key drivers of China’s economic transformation, aligning with its focus on new quality productive forces, Roland Busch, president and CEO of Siemens AG, said the country has made rapid advancements in artificial intelligence.

First introduced in 2023, new quality productive forces refer to advanced productivity freed from the traditional economic growth mode and productivity development paths.

Busch said innovations such as the open-source foundational model R1 by Chinese AI startup Deep-Seek are examples of how “China surprises us with innovations”.

This momentum is not limited to the private sector.

China’s centrally administered State-owned enterprises, such as State Grid Corp of China and China Mobile Ltd, have deployed AI technologies across more than 500 scenarios in key sectors such as manufacturing, smart vehicles, energy and power, according to information released by the State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission of the State Council, the country’s top State assets regulator, in late March.

These solutions have significantly reduced costs for central SOEs and their partners as well as improved efficiency in research and development, production and customer service.

Seeing more opportunities in areas such as healthcare, consumption, advanced manufacturing and innovation-driven development, a total of 7,574 foreign-invested enterprises were newly established in China in the first two months of this year, representing a year-on-year growth of 5.8 percent, said the Ministry of Commerce.

Investment from the United Kingdom, Germany and South Korea climbed by 87.9 percent, 54.7 percent and 45.2 percent year-on-year, respectively, in the first two months, according to the ministry.

During separate meetings with several US business leaders, including Apple CEO Tim Cook and Wendell Weeks, chairman and CEO of Corning Inc, in Beijing in March, Minister of Commerce Wang Wentao said that China’s economy continues to consolidate and expand its recovery momentum even though it faces growing external uncertainties.

Wang said ongoing policy measures will strongly support economic growth. China will continue to create favorable conditions for foreign companies to increase their investments within its market.

The minister stressed that trade wars produce no winners and protectionism offers no solutions. As the world’s two largest economies, stronger China-US economic and trade cooperation is consistent with economic principles, while decoupling and supply chain disruptions would harm all parties involved, he said.

Miguel Lopez, CEO of German industrial conglomerate Thyssenkrupp AG, said China is not only one of the largest markets for many foreign companies, but also home to the world’s most comprehensive industrial and supply chains, supported by a well-developed logistics system.

Thyssenkrupp will continue to strengthen supply chain management in China and establish closer relationships with local suppliers. This will not only improve risk resilience and lower costs, but also benefit its global markets, Lopez said.

“Looking ahead, only through open collaboration, technological innovation and sustainable development can we collectively build a more stable and efficient global supply chain,” he said.

Antoine de Saint-Affrique, CEO of Danone SA, a French multinational food products company, said that given China’s economic significance, a healthy and growing China benefits the entire world.

“Growth in China contributes to the expansion of the global economy, and a thriving global economy, in turn, supports shared prosperity and peace,” he added.

Between January and February, foreign-invested businesses in China saw their export value grow 6.9 percent year-on-year to 1.08 trillion yuan ($148.9 billion), according to the General Administration of Customs.

MIL OSI China News –

April 7, 2025
MIL-OSI China: 3rd Chinese character writing competition held in Malta

Source: China State Council Information Office 3

Malta held the third Chinese character writing competition for primary and secondary school students on Saturday to mark the upcoming United Nations Chinese Language Day, which falls on April 20.

Jointly organized by the Ministry for Education, Sport, Youth, Research and Innovation and the Confucius Institute at the University of Malta, the event attracted more than 30 students from 14 schools across the country.

Participants were divided into beginner and intermediate groups based on their grade level and Chinese language proficiency. Within a 30-minute time limit, students were tasked with transcribing two classical Chinese poems that celebrate the beauty of spring. Thomas Desira won first prize in the beginner group, while Aimee Sinead Baitson claimed the top prize in the intermediate group.

Baitson, 15, said that he has been working hard on his Chinese writing to prepare for the HSK Level 2 exam. “I really want to go to China. It is a dream that I have been striving for,” he said.

Mattia Dalcielo, also 15, took the second prize in the intermediate group. He said he visited China last year to participate in the “Chinese Bridge” competition, where he delivered a speech and performed martial arts.

“I love studying the structure of Chinese characters. It is a completely different experience from the English alphabet,” he said.

Alice Micallef, assistant director of the Directorate for Learning and Assessment Programmes at the Education Ministry, highlighted the competition’s role in deepening students’ appreciation of Chinese language and culture, reaffirming the ministry’s commitment to Chinese language education in Malta.

Nie Aixia, the Chinese director of the Confucius Institute, said the event improved students’ reading, writing, and confidence in learning Chinese. The institute will continue to explore new ways to enrich character writing competitions, she added.

MIL OSI China News –

April 7, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Do we need a Martyn’s Law for venue security in Australia? The MCG gun scare is a wake-up call

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Milad Haghani, Associate Professor & Principal Fellow in Urban Risk & Resilience, The University of Melbourne

Two men were arrested for allegedly bringing loaded firearms into the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG) during Thursday’s AFL match between Collingwood and Carlton.

The incident didn’t result in harm but it triggered serious questions about venue security processes in Australia.

The MCG had recently adopted AI-powered security screening systems, designed to detect weapons while streamlining crowd flow.

The scanners reportedly flagged the men’s belongings but a failure in the follow-up manual check allowed them to enter.

The event has reignited a national conversation about the right level of security at major venues. How do we balance the need for thorough screening with the goal of maintaining smooth ingress, individual freedom and public comfort?

The timing is notable. Just days earlier, the UK passed Martyn’s Law, which introduces a legal duty for venues to assess and mitigate terrorism risks.

The passage of this legislation prompts a broader question for Australia: should international developments like this influence how we think about security preparedness?

AI security scanners

The MCG recently contracted Evolv Technology, a US-based company, to supply AI-powered security screening systems for its major events.

Their system is designed to detect weapons using a combination of sensors, millimetre wave technology and artificial intelligence, rather than relying on traditional metal detection.

Evolv claims the system allows people to flow into the stadium faster compared to older technologies.

Unlike traditional metal detectors, which operate on a simple binary system – alerting whenever metal is present – these scanners claim to offer a more granular assessment of objects.

Instead of flagging all metal indiscriminately, the system is meant to evaluate the shape, size and density of objects to distinguish between benign items (such as keys or belts) and potential threats like firearms or large knives.

This means patrons can pass through without removing metal items from their clothing or bags, significantly reducing wait times.

When an item of interest is detected, the system highlights the specific area of the body or bag where it is located. This enables security staff to conduct a targeted search and avoid the need for a full-body inspections using hand-held detectors.

Investigations and independent tests overseas have, however, identified false positives and missed detections as potential weaknesses in the Evolv system. One report found the system failed to detect certain knives and even some firearms in school settings.

The risk associated with missed detection is self-explanatory: prohibited items can slip through the screening.

But a high rate of false positives can also present challenges, particularly at the manual inspection stage, where staff are required to follow up on each alert. Over time, this can increase the likelihood of human error due to fatigue, reduced vigilance, or assumptions that flagged items are benign.

So while AI scanners may be faster, they still depend heavily on the effectiveness of secondary manual screening and appropriate training of personnel. In the MCG breach, it is reported the scanners flagged items of concern when the two men entered the venue but the threat was missed during the manual follow-up process.

Security matters

The MCG breach exposed a gap in security that could, in other circumstances, be exploited with far more serious consequences.

Public venues such as stadiums, especially during major events, are known to be targets for those planning high-impact attacks.

Australia’s Strategy for Protecting Crowded Places from Terrorism explicitly lists stadiums and arenas as high-risk environments due to their crowd density, symbolic value and open access points.

International experience reflects this concern. In the months leading up to the 2024 Paris Olympics, French authorities disrupted several planned attacks targeting Olympic-related venues and gatherings.

Martyn’s Law: a new model

As security practices evolve and new technologies are introduced, a parallel question is emerging: what should the legal expectations be for public venue operators when it comes to threat preparedness?

In the United Kingdom, this question has led to Martyn’s Law – a major piece of legislation just passed by the parliament.

The law was introduced in response to the 2017 Manchester Arena bombing, when 22 people were killed in a terrorist attack. One of the victims was Martyn Hett, whose mother, Figen Murray, campaigned for stronger, legally binding safety obligations for public venues.

After six years of advocacy, the legislation was passed a few days ago.

Martyn’s Law introduces a legal duty for UK venues to assess and mitigate terrorism risks. Depending on the size and type of venue, this includes measures such as conducting risk assessments, training staff and developing clear emergency response plans.

Australia already has detailed guidance for the protection of crowded places. But unlike Martyn’s Law, that guidance is not a legal mandate.

The silver lining

Long security queues can frustrate patrons and dampen crowd mood. It’s no surprise venues are adopting AI-based screening to ease entry.

But emerging technologies have limits and vulnerabilities may only surface once they’re in use.

From a safety perspective, the best-case scenario is for these weaknesses to be revealed without harm, which can strengthen systems before a real failure occurs.

The recent breach serves as just that: a prompt for review without consequence.

These tools don’t replace trained personnel. Their success depends on clear procedures and defined responsibilities.

That’s where legislation like the UK’s Martyn’s Law becomes relevant: turning good practice into legal obligation.

As Australia prepares for global events, this is a chance to consider the governance that supports venue security.

The presence of a legislative framework could serve as part of our overall security posture. And that, in itself, can help deter or mitigate risk.

Milad Haghani 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. Do we need a Martyn’s Law for venue security in Australia? The MCG gun scare is a wake-up call – https://theconversation.com/do-we-need-a-martyns-law-for-venue-security-in-australia-the-mcg-gun-scare-is-a-wake-up-call-253928

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

April 7, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: 47% of Gen Z mainly vote to avoid a fine. It’s a sign of younger Australians’ discontent with democracy

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sofia Ammassari, Research Fellow, Griffith University

Young Australians will shape the upcoming federal election. For the first time, Gen Z and Millennials are the dominant voter bloc, outnumbering Baby Boomers.

But over the past couple of years, we’ve heard stories from around the world about how Gen Z (people born between 1997 and 2012) are discontent with democracy. In the United States, just 62% of Gen Z voters believe living in a democracy is important, compared with nearly 90% of other generations.

Globally, more than one in three young people support a strong leader who disregards parliaments and elections. This proportion is higher than among any older generation.

Our recent research suggests Gen Z Australians aren’t immune to feeling disengaged with democracy. In fact, we found high rates of political disaffection among the country’s youngest voters, and those who didn’t vote, at the last federal election.

Our research

On the face of it, the situation seems better in Australia than elsewhere. According to Australian Election Study data, more than 85% of Gen Z voted at the 2022 federal election.

And, again according to the study, the majority seem content with mainstream parties. While Gen Z people support the Greens and minor parties more than their elders, around 60% of them voted for the Labor Party and the Coalition in 2022.

But we wanted to dig deeper. So in 2023, we asked around 1,500 Gen Z Australians nationwide whether they voted or not in 2022, and why.

This enabled us to look at three distinct groups: those who voted; those who enrolled but did not vote (whom we call “abstainers”); and those who did not enrol to vote at all (whom we call “unregistered”).

We found almost half of Gen Z who voted said the main reason was not out of a sense of duty or to support a party, but simply to avoid getting fined.

While our survey can’t say how this compares to other generations, we know from the 2022 election study that 63% of Gen Z adults said they would have voted even if not compulsory, compared with almost 90% of other generations.

Our research also shows almost a third of Gen Z citizens who didn’t register to vote said they either didn’t know they had to or they didn’t know how. This is troubling, given the efforts of the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) to get everyone on the roll.

Those who don’t vote

Our survey revealed if you’re a Gen Z Australian who didn’t vote (whether as abstainer or unregistered), you’re more likely to be unemployed, less politically interested and have less faith in democracy as the best system of government. You’re also more likely to have been born outside Australia.

More than 50% of abstainers and 70% of unregistered Gen Z attributed their non-participation to a sense of disengagement, either from the whole political process or from parties and politicians specifically.

Not participating, however, doesn’t mean you’re entirely alienated from society. Non-voters in our study are actually more likely to be members of organisations such as charities or church groups. But they are more alienated from the democratic process.

Curiously, we found non-voters were no more likely than voters to hold negative views towards political parties. When asked questions such as whether they agreed that “parties do not care about people like me” and “parties are all the same”, there were no significant differences between these two groups.

While this may sound like good news for parties, the less cheerful reality is the lack of difference is because Gen Z voters are just as sceptical as non-voters about political parties.

So why does Gen Z vote?

Enthusiasm towards parties has little to do with why Gen Z goes to the ballot box. Just 11% of them said the main reason they turned out in 2022 was because “there was a party or candidate I wanted to vote for”.

Only around one in five said their primary motivation was because “I thought that voting makes a difference”.

Instead, by far the most important reason for casting a vote was “I did not want to get fined”. This was the main driver for 47% of Gen Z Australians.

On one hand, this seems like a great advertisement for compulsory voting with enforced penalties. Even a small fine like the $20 for not voting in a federal election is enough to get many Gen Z people to vote.

On the other, if the key motivation is just to avoid a fine, it’s not a great sign of a healthy democracy.

What can be done?

Based on our research, there are a few things that might engage Gen Z more with parties and democracy.

One is better information. Our survey showed there are still some Gen Z people who don’t know about their obligation to register or how to do it. The AEC has made great strides in increasing youth enrolment over the past decade, but there remains work to be done.

Being present on the platforms Gen Z use to get their news might help. From that perspective, the refusal of the AEC to have a TikTok account should be reconsidered.

Read more:
If we listen to how gen Z really feel about democracy they might stop telling us they prefer authoritarianism

Ultimately, the main onus lies with the political parties. If Gen Z are not motivated to support them, perhaps this tells us more about how parties engage with young people and their concerns, than it does about young people themselves.

If the major parties can devote more attention to what matters to Gen Z, such as the cost of living, rent affordability, and climate change, they would not only address what are objectively pressing issues – they might also help reconnect young generations with politics and democracy.

Duncan McDonnell receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

Ferran Martinez i Coma receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

Sofia Ammassari 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. 47% of Gen Z mainly vote to avoid a fine. It’s a sign of younger Australians’ discontent with democracy – https://theconversation.com/47-of-gen-z-mainly-vote-to-avoid-a-fine-its-a-sign-of-younger-australians-discontent-with-democracy-253120

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

April 7, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: 98% of Queensland prawn areas at risk of inundation by rising seas this century
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Caitie Kuempel, Lecturer, School of Environment and Science, Griffith University

As climate change wreaks havoc with the world’s oceans, future production of fish, crustaceans and other aquatic organisms is under threat.

Our new research shows how this disturbance will play out for Australia’s prawn industry, which is concentrated in Queensland. We found by 2100, sea level rise threatens to flood 98% of the state’s approved prawn areas.

The problem is not confined to prawns – Queensland barramundi farming is also at risk from sea-level rise. Climate change also poses challenges for other major seafood industries in Australia, including salmon in Tasmania.

Australian seafood is vital to our culture and diets, and the national economy. We must take steps now to ensure the aquaculture industry thrives in a warmer world.

Spotlight on Queensland prawns

Aquaculture refers to breeding, rearing and harvesting fish, crustaceans, algae and other organisms in water. Australia’s aquaculture industry is expected to be worth A$2.2 billion by 2028–29.

Aquaculture can involve a variety of methods, from ponds and sea cages to indoor tank systems and even giant ships.

Aquaculture is one of Queensland’s fastest-growing primary industries – partly due to burgeoning production in prawn farming.

Queensland is also expected to experience a 0.8m sea-level rise by 2100, under a high-emissions scenario. Our research investigated how this could affect the state’s aquaculture industry.

We did this by examining existing data on coastal inundation and erosion from sea-level rise, combined with data on current and future aquaculture production areas.

We found 43% of sites where aquaculture production is currently occurring are at risk from sea-level rise. Prawn farming is the most vulnerable.

About 98% of areas approved for prawn farming in Queensland are expected to be inundated by seawater by 2100. The risk includes 88% of areas currently producing prawns. Prawns are grown in large ponds on land near the coast with access to saltwater, which makes them particularly vulnerable to inundation. Annual prawn production losses due to sea-level rise could reach up to A$127.6 million by century’s end.

Inundation and coastal erosion can cause breaches in pond walls compromising their structural integrity. These risks may be amplified when sea-level rise coincides with coastal flooding. Rising seas can also increase salinity in surrounding soils and groundwater, further affecting ponds. Other aquaculture infrastructure, such as hatcheries, buildings, and roads, may also be disrupted.

The Gold Coast region – a prawn production hub – is particularly vulnerable. Damage caused by ex-Tropical Cyclone Alfred highlights the vulnerability of coastal infrastructure to extreme weather. This will only worsen as the planet warms.

Queensland barramundi farms also face a serious threat. Some 44% of areas producing barramundi are likely to be exposed to inundation, causing up to A$22.6 million in annual production losses. Meanwhile, two of Queensland’s designated “Aquaculture Development Areas” – regions earmarked by the state government for industry expansion – may be unsuitable due to future sea levels. Both are located in the Hinchinbrook Shire Council area.

Beyond rising seas

Globally and in Australia, climate change is posing myriad challenges to seafood farmers.

Rising water temperatures stress animals such as salmon, lowering oxygen levels which slows growth rates and increases their risk of disease. Such depletion is a particular concern in already low-oxygen environments, such as Tasmania’s Macquarie Harbour.

Ocean heatwaves can cause mass fish deaths and devastate production. In Tasmania in February, more than 5,500 tonnes of dead fish were dumped at southern Tasmanian waste facilities – a problem linked to warmer water temperatures.

Dead and decomposing fish can further alter oxygen levels in water, spread disease to wild populations and attract scavengers. In the Tasmanian case, fish remains washed up on public beaches, angering the public and leading to calls for greater industry regulation.

Extreme weather further complicates aquaculture operations. Storms, flooding and abnormal rain patterns can affect water salinity which impacts species growth and survival. They can also damage vital infrastructure, which may allow animals to escape.

This occurred in 2022, when repeated flooding and disease outbreaks on oyster farms in New South Wales led to complete stock losses, prolonged farm closures and workers being laid off.

Surviving a warmer future

Not all aquaculture operations will suffer under climate change. Warming waters can lead to longer growing seasons in temperate regions. It can also expand suitable habitat for tropical species such as tilapia, mussels and oysters. Regions previously inhospitable to aquaculture may become viable production zones.

For the countries and producers that are expected to suffer, those that plan for and adapt to climate shifts can minimise losses.

Key steps industry and government can take include:
- planning farms in lower-risk areas and relocating vulnerable sites
- implementing climate-resilient infrastructure and restoring coastal ecosystems near farms to buffer against climate impacts
- expanding to include diverse species and selectively breeding stock that can tolerate the changing conditions
- strategic government policies and planning, financial incentives, and investment in resilient infrastructure to help the industry stay ahead of climate risks.
With the right strategies, Australia’s aquaculture industry can adapt to a changing climate and continue to contribute to food security and community wellbeing.

Caitie Kuempel receives funding from the Blue Economy Cooperative Research Centre. She is affiliated with BECRC Marine Spatial Planning project.

Marina receives Griffith University International Postgraduate Research Scholarship and Griffith University Postgraduate Research Scholarship as and HDR PhD Student

– ref. 98% of Queensland prawn areas at risk of inundation by rising seas this century – https://theconversation.com/98-of-queensland-prawn-areas-at-risk-of-inundation-by-rising-seas-this-century-253330
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
April 7, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China-Russia connectivity heats up in border regions

Source: China State Council Information Office 3

During his official visit to Russia earlier this week, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said practical cooperation between the two neighbors continues to thrive, with Russian agricultural products reaching the tables of Chinese households and Chinese cars commonly seen on Russian streets.

This growing connectivity is clearly visible in Heihe, a small city in China’s Heilongjiang Province that sits along the border between the two countries. As the closest Chinese city to Russia, Heihe has long been a hub for cross-border activity.

Despite a blanketing and lingering April snow, Heihe is pulsating with cross-border exchanges. Russians crowd the bustling morning markets, fill classrooms on university campuses, and stream through busy transport hubs.

In recent years, the Belt and Road Initiative has augmented the city’s ties to Russia, with cross-border medical tourism and educational exchanges flourishing due to increased infrastructure connectivity.

Close connection

Heihe and Blagoveshchensk in Russia’s Amur Oblast are the closest border cities between the two countries. Neighboring each other across the Heilongjiang River, a mere 700 meters separates them at their nearest point.

Due to its prime location, Heihe Port handles the bulk of the city’s cross-border passenger traffic. According to local border authorities, it is among the busiest ports along the China-Russia frontier, processing around 90,000 travelers in the first quarter of 2025 alone.

The river brings not only proximity but also seasonal enjoyment. Heihe customs official Yang Ming told Xinhua that in winter, when the ice thickens beyond 60 centimeters, a floating bridge would be built across it, allowing buses to make the journey in 14 to 15 minutes. For those in a hurry, hovercrafts are the best option, reaching the other bank in minutes.

The high season comes when the ice is thawed. Around 2,000-2,500 arrivals and departures by boat were recorded daily last summer, she added.

As efficient as the crossing is, the bridge is only open 240 days a year due to seasonal factors. To ensure connectivity remains intact year-round, the Heihe-Blagoveshchensk cross-border highway bridge opened to traffic in 2022.

As the first highway bridge between the two countries, it was built with special steel that can resist corrosion and withstand temperatures as low as minus 60 degrees Celsius, guaranteeing full-year operations unfazed by rising waters or withering snowstorms.

The enhanced connectivity combined with Heihe’s resumption of mutual visa-free group tours with Russia in September 2023 has driven a surge in cross-border travel. According to the border authorities, the city saw 850,180 people cross the border in 2024, a year-on-year increase of 127 percent.

Deputy Minister of Transport and Road Facilities of Russia’s Amur Region Svetlana Popova told Xinhua in a recent interview that the highway bridge “tightly connects Heihe with Blagoveshchensk, becoming a symbol of China-Russia friendship.”

She said the bridge ensures uninterrupted and smooth transportation between the cities. “The bridge not only connects Heihe and Blagoveshchensk but also brings the hearts of the people from both sides closer together.”

Medical tourism

Thanks to convenient border-crossing transportation, medical tourism is flourishing in Heihe. Waves of Russian visitors come to experience traditional Chinese medicine, often pairing their treatments with leisure activities and fueling growth in local tourism.

At the Heihe Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the fragrant aroma of herbs fills the air. Every sign is displayed in both Chinese and Russian.

Hospital head Liu Xuesong told Xinhua that the hospital had established an international clinic last year due to an increasing number of Russian patients.

“We treated around 600 Russian patients in 2024,” he said. “Most of them came for physical check-ups and chronic conditions such as neck, shoulder and back pains.”

Liu said the patients seek out massages and herbal remedies to restore health. “We prescribed over 300 herbal formulas last year for the Russians. Some even take the herbs back to Russia with them.”

Mehdieva Khalida, a 20-year-old Russian student who visited the hospital for a massage, said it was her first time receiving traditional Chinese medical treatment. Her Chinese friend recommended the hospital.

“I feel better after massages. My eyes are brighter,” Khalida said. “Massages help me relax my muscles, making my shoulder and neck less painful.”

Her friend Lylia said traditional Chinese medicine is a “novel experience” to her, given its scarcity in Russia. She lauded the convenience of visiting Heihe for medical care. “I can also shop and enjoy Chinese cuisine at the same time,” she said. “I will recommend the hospital to my friends once I return.”

Gong Bo, deputy general manager of Heihe Workers International Travel Agency, said medical tourism has boosted Heihe’s tourism sector.

She said that in 2024, the number of border tourists and total spending rose by 128 percent and 125 percent year-on-year, citing data from Heihe’s Bureau of Culture, Radio, Television and Tourism. Gong said the travel agency alone brought over 20,000 tourists to China.

“As a small city, Heihe is packed with hotels,” Gong said, noting that chains like Hilton Garden Inn and Ibis have all sprung up to house visitors.

“In high seasons, hotels need to be booked three to five days in advance,” she added.

Educational cooperation

Heihe is also on the frontier of educational cooperation between China and Russia.

In 2007, Heihe University established the first Confucius Institute in Russia’s Far East with Blagoveshchensk State Pedagogical University (BSPU).

Nikolay Kukharenko, director of the Confucius Institute at BSPU, said Confucius Institutes serve as cultural bridges between nations and play a significant role in promoting knowledge about China.

He noted that the institute’s enrollment rose from 70 students in 2007 to 450, ranging from schoolchildren to business people who recognize the value of the Chinese language and culture for their future success.

Speaking about BSPU’s collaboration with Heihe University, Kukharenko said their partnership, which began in 1989, is “a model for other Russian-Chinese academic collaborations.”

In recent years, Heihe University has broadened the scope of its cooperation, establishing long-term partnerships with 29 Russian universities.

Heihe University Vice President Xie Hui told Xinhua that the university has launched six joint programs with its Russian counterparts, covering disciplines such as the Russian language and arts.

The Russian Academy of Arts and Surikov Moscow State Academy of Arts opened their first overseas studios at the university last year, offering students the rare opportunity to learn firsthand from world-class artists.

Such a wealth of educational resources has attracted many Russian students to study at Heihe University.

Viktoriia Poleeva, a sophomore majoring in Chinese Language and Literature at Heihe University, said that despite the vast distance from her hometown, she plans to stay in China for graduate studies and build a career here.

“It takes me two days to go back to Kamchatka,” Poleeva said in fluent Chinese, noting that she chose to study in such a distant city because a former teacher, also a Heihe University alumnus, recommended the university to her.

“I knew him back in Kamchatka, and he stayed here to teach after graduation,” Poleeva explained. “He told me the university has a lot of great teachers, and I trusted his advice.”

“Many of my classmates want to continue living in the country as well because they love China very much,” she added.

MIL OSI China News –

April 7, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Vucic nominates endocrinologist Djuro Macut as Serbian PM

Source: China State Council Information Office 3

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Sunday nominated Djuro Macut, a 62-year-old endocrinologist, to serve as the country’s new Prime Minister.

Macut, a professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Belgrade, and deputy director of the Clinic for Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolic Diseases at the University Clinical Center of Serbia, is set to succeed Milos Vucevic.

The nomination remains subject to parliamentary approval, with April 18 set as the deadline for the formation of a new government.

President Vucic praised Macut’s professional expertise and personal integrity, saying he embodies “the dedication and competence needed to perform the duties of Prime Minister.”

He outlined the new government’s priorities, including raising living standards and advancing key development projects in healthcare, education, science and technology, infrastructure, energy, agriculture, tourism, and environmental protection.

Another major focus, Vucic said, would be preparations for Expo 2027 in Belgrade, which is expected to serve as a significant investment platform during the government’s mandate.

Vucic also emphasized the importance of balancing Serbia’s European integration path with the preservation of close ties to traditional partners in the East. He said the incoming administration would face challenges such as regional political pressures, tariff issues with the United States, and the revitalization of both domestic and foreign direct investment.

“It will be a major responsibility for the new government to preserve peace and stability, to act patiently and with restraint, and to avoid the use of force unless absolutely necessary,” he said.

Vucic concluded by urging Macut to assemble a team willing to “fight and push the country forward,” stressing the need for a proactive government “not hiding in offices, afraid of what tomorrow may bring.”

Vucevic announced his resignation on Jan. 28 amid heightened tensions following a deadly canopy collapse at Novi Sad railway station in November 2024, which claimed 16 lives. The National Assembly of Serbia confirmed his resignation on March 19 this year.

MIL OSI China News –

April 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: ‘Sometimes you need to eat an entire cucumber’: nutrition experts on the viral TikTok trend
Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Lauren Ball, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, The University of Queensland

@logansfewd via Instagram

“Sometimes you need to eat an entire cucumber.”

So begins a series of viral videos by TikTok “cucumber guy” Logan Moffitt, who has raked in millions of views for his cucumber salad videos. He’s also inspired thousands of copycat videos showcasing cucumbers as a hero ingredient in salads and other dishes.

This trend has reportedly caused a surge in cucumber demand, leading to cucumbers being sold out in several stores in Australia and internationally.

But what’s actually happening in your body when you eat an entire cucumber? Let’s review the science of cucumbers.

Cucumbers 101

Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) are technically fruit that belong to the gourd family Cucurbitaceae. This family includes pumpkins, melons and zucchinis.

Cucumbers originated from India over 3,000 years ago. They grow on vining plants and are typically harvested while still firm and unripe.

Cucumbers are mostly water (96%), which is why Logan Moffitt has been described as the most hydrated person on the internet.

Based on our calculations using the Australian Nutrient Reference Values, if you “ate an entire cucumber” (300g), you would consume:
- about 11% of your daily carbohydrate needs (an important energy source)
- about 5% of your daily fibre needs (fibre aids in digestion and gut health)
- more than 50% of your daily vitamin K needs (important for bone health and blood clotting)
- about 10% of your daily vitamin C needs (important for immune health, skin health and wound healing)
- about 10% of your daily potassium needs (potassium regulates blood pressure and helps with muscle function).
Unsurprisingly, there are no modern scientific studies that have specifically examined the health impacts of consuming an entire cucumber daily.

However, cucumbers also contain cucurbitacins (especially in the skin) which researchers think may help with inflammation and could be a potential anti-cancer agent.

More broadly, people have used cucumbers to:
- help in digestion and weight loss
- support heart health
- reduce pain from sunburn and swelling on the skin.
Can cucumbers help with hydration?

Given they’re about 96% water, cucumbers could meaningfully increase daily fluid intake when eaten in moderate amounts.

For example, an entire cucumber (about 300g) would contribute roughly 288 millilitres of water, which is just over one cup. We need plenty of water each day, so this additional intake could be helpful for some people.

Their high water content, combined with essential electrolytes like potassium, makes them a refreshing snack, especially in hot weather or after exercise.

While cucumbers can contribute to daily hydration, they shouldn’t replace drinking water. Adding cucumbers to meals or snacks could be a tasty way to stay hydrated, but you still need to drink water.

Can someone eat too many cucumbers?

Cucumbers can be a great addition to a healthy diet. Yet, relying on them too heavily might have unexpected downsides.

Cucumbers are generally easy to digest and low in fermentable carbohydrates (FODMAPs), which means they are unlikely to cause bloating for most people in moderate amounts.

However, when eaten in large amounts, some people may experience digestive discomfort, especially if they’re sensitive to fibre or have a history of irritable bowel issues.

Being low in carbohydrates, fats and protein, cucumbers are unsuitable as a primary food source. In other words, you can’t just live on cucumbers. They don’t provide the essential nutrients needed for energy, muscle maintenance and overall health.

If someone were to primarily eat cucumbers over an extended period, they could be at risk of undernutrition.

What about adding MSG ‘(obviously)’?

Many of the cucumber-based dishes on TikTok also include ingredients such as garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil and sugar – all well known to home cooks who like to boost flavour in their own dishes.

Moffitt is also fond of saying “MSG, obviously”, when listing his favourite cucumber salad ingredients.

MSG is monosodium glutamate, also known as food additive 621, an umami substance added to enhance the flavour of many Asian dishes.

Despite past scare campaigns about MSG, it is safe and authorised for consumption in Australia and other countries.

Typically, MSG is consumed at about 0.5g per serving, but some people report sensitivities at higher doses, such as over 3g.

It’s also worth noting that many foods – including tomatoes, mushrooms, and parmesan cheese – naturally contain glutamate, the main component of MSG.

So, should I eat an entire cucumber?

Well, like any food, moderation and variety are key.

Cucumbers are a refreshing and hydrating addition to a balanced diet, and work best nutritionally when paired with ingredients from other food groups.

For example, to create a balanced meal, try combining cucumbers with protein-rich foods like tuna, chicken, eggs, or marinated tofu, along with whole grains such as wholemeal bread, pasta, or rice. This combination will help you to consume essential nutrients for sustained energy and overall health.

And if you are looking for tailored dietary advice or a tailored meal plan, it’s always best to speak with an accredited practising dietitian.

Lauren Ball receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, Queensland Health and Mater Misericordia. She is a Director of Dietitians Australia, a Director of Food Standards Australia and New Zealand, a Director of the Darling Downs and West Moreton Primary Health Network and an Associate Member of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.

Pui Ting Wong (Pearl) receives funding from the Australian Government. She is a member of Dietitians Australia, and the Student Coordinator of Dietitians Australia Queensland Branch Leadership Committee.

– ref. ‘Sometimes you need to eat an entire cucumber’: nutrition experts on the viral TikTok trend – https://theconversation.com/sometimes-you-need-to-eat-an-entire-cucumber-nutrition-experts-on-the-viral-tiktok-trend-253545
MIL OSI – Global Reports –
April 7, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: ‘Sometimes you need to eat an entire cucumber’: nutrition experts on the viral TikTok trend
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lauren Ball, Professor of Community Health and Wellbeing, The University of Queensland

@logansfewd via Instagram

“Sometimes you need to eat an entire cucumber.”

So begins a series of viral videos by TikTok “cucumber guy” Logan Moffitt, who has raked in millions of views for his cucumber salad videos. He’s also inspired thousands of copycat videos showcasing cucumbers as a hero ingredient in salads and other dishes.

This trend has reportedly caused a surge in cucumber demand, leading to cucumbers being sold out in several stores in Australia and internationally.

But what’s actually happening in your body when you eat an entire cucumber? Let’s review the science of cucumbers.

Cucumbers 101

Cucumbers (Cucumis sativus) are technically fruit that belong to the gourd family Cucurbitaceae. This family includes pumpkins, melons and zucchinis.

Cucumbers originated from India over 3,000 years ago. They grow on vining plants and are typically harvested while still firm and unripe.

Cucumbers are mostly water (96%), which is why Logan Moffitt has been described as the most hydrated person on the internet.

Based on our calculations using the Australian Nutrient Reference Values, if you “ate an entire cucumber” (300g), you would consume:
- about 11% of your daily carbohydrate needs (an important energy source)
- about 5% of your daily fibre needs (fibre aids in digestion and gut health)
- more than 50% of your daily vitamin K needs (important for bone health and blood clotting)
- about 10% of your daily vitamin C needs (important for immune health, skin health and wound healing)
- about 10% of your daily potassium needs (potassium regulates blood pressure and helps with muscle function).
Unsurprisingly, there are no modern scientific studies that have specifically examined the health impacts of consuming an entire cucumber daily.

However, cucumbers also contain cucurbitacins (especially in the skin) which researchers think may help with inflammation and could be a potential anti-cancer agent.

More broadly, people have used cucumbers to:
- help in digestion and weight loss
- support heart health
- reduce pain from sunburn and swelling on the skin.
Can cucumbers help with hydration?

Given they’re about 96% water, cucumbers could meaningfully increase daily fluid intake when eaten in moderate amounts.

For example, an entire cucumber (about 300g) would contribute roughly 288 millilitres of water, which is just over one cup. We need plenty of water each day, so this additional intake could be helpful for some people.

Their high water content, combined with essential electrolytes like potassium, makes them a refreshing snack, especially in hot weather or after exercise.

While cucumbers can contribute to daily hydration, they shouldn’t replace drinking water. Adding cucumbers to meals or snacks could be a tasty way to stay hydrated, but you still need to drink water.

Can someone eat too many cucumbers?

Cucumbers can be a great addition to a healthy diet. Yet, relying on them too heavily might have unexpected downsides.

Cucumbers are generally easy to digest and low in fermentable carbohydrates (FODMAPs), which means they are unlikely to cause bloating for most people in moderate amounts.

However, when eaten in large amounts, some people may experience digestive discomfort, especially if they’re sensitive to fibre or have a history of irritable bowel issues.

Being low in carbohydrates, fats and protein, cucumbers are unsuitable as a primary food source. In other words, you can’t just live on cucumbers. They don’t provide the essential nutrients needed for energy, muscle maintenance and overall health.

If someone were to primarily eat cucumbers over an extended period, they could be at risk of undernutrition.

What about adding MSG ‘(obviously)’?

Many of the cucumber-based dishes on TikTok also include ingredients such as garlic, soy sauce, fish sauce, sesame oil and sugar – all well known to home cooks who like to boost flavour in their own dishes.

Moffitt is also fond of saying “MSG, obviously”, when listing his favourite cucumber salad ingredients.

MSG is monosodium glutamate, also known as food additive 621, an umami substance added to enhance the flavour of many Asian dishes.

Despite past scare campaigns about MSG, it is safe and authorised for consumption in Australia and other countries.

Typically, MSG is consumed at about 0.5g per serving, but some people report sensitivities at higher doses, such as over 3g.

It’s also worth noting that many foods – including tomatoes, mushrooms, and parmesan cheese – naturally contain glutamate, the main component of MSG.

So, should I eat an entire cucumber?

Well, like any food, moderation and variety are key.

Cucumbers are a refreshing and hydrating addition to a balanced diet, and work best nutritionally when paired with ingredients from other food groups.

For example, to create a balanced meal, try combining cucumbers with protein-rich foods like tuna, chicken, eggs, or marinated tofu, along with whole grains such as wholemeal bread, pasta, or rice. This combination will help you to consume essential nutrients for sustained energy and overall health.

And if you are looking for tailored dietary advice or a tailored meal plan, it’s always best to speak with an accredited practising dietitian.

Lauren Ball receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, Queensland Health and Mater Misericordia. She is a Director of Dietitians Australia, a Director of Food Standards Australia and New Zealand, a Director of the Darling Downs and West Moreton Primary Health Network and an Associate Member of the Australian Academy of Health and Medical Sciences.

Pui Ting Wong (Pearl) receives funding from the Australian Government. She is a member of Dietitians Australia, and the Student Coordinator of Dietitians Australia Queensland Branch Leadership Committee.

– ref. ‘Sometimes you need to eat an entire cucumber’: nutrition experts on the viral TikTok trend – https://theconversation.com/sometimes-you-need-to-eat-an-entire-cucumber-nutrition-experts-on-the-viral-tiktok-trend-253545
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
April 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Submissions: University Research – Poor oral health linked with body pain and migraines in women – UoS

Source: University of Sydney (UoS)

New research from the University of Sydney has revealed poor oral health is significantly associated with higher instances of migraines, abdominal and body pain in women.

Published in Frontiers in Pain Research, the world-first study identified specific oral microbes correlated with certain pain conditions, suggesting a potential relationship between the oral microbiome and the nervous system.

The findings highlight the importance of good oral health to potentially mitigate pain and improve overall wellbeing, prompting further exploration into the role of oral microbiota in chronic unexplained pain conditions. This includes fibromyalgia, a condition experienced by 67 percent of the study participants.

“This is the first study to investigate oral health, oral microbiota and pain commonly experienced in women with fibromyalgia, with our study showing a clear and significant association between poor oral health and pain,” said lead investigator Associate Professor Joanna Harnett from the Faculty of Medicine and Health.

“Our findings are particularly important to fibromyalgia which, despite being a common rheumatological condition, is often underrecognised,” said first author and PhD candidate in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sharon Erdrich.

“Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition characterised by widespread musculoskeletal pain, and headaches including headaches, as well as fatigue, sleep disturbances, and cognitive problems.”

How the research worked

The research examined associations between self-reported oral health, the oral microbiome, and various pain presentations in a group of New Zealand women with and without fibromyalgia.

Oral health was assessed using the WHO oral health questionnaire and evaluated against body pain, headaches, migraines, and abdominal pain using validated instruments, including the Short-form 36 (which measures quality of life), the International Headache Society headache survey and the functional bowel disorder severity index. Strong associations were evident between oral health scores and pain and each of these were associated with specific microbes found in the mouth, which were assessed using advanced genomic technology.

Participants with the poorest oral health were more likely to suffer from higher pain scores: 60 percent were more likely to experience moderate to severe body pain, and 49 percent were more likely to experience migraine headaches. Lower oral health was a statistically significant predictor of frequent and chronic migraine.

Four oral microbial species from the Dialister, Fusobacterium, Parvimonas and Solobacterium genera were significantly associated with pain after age, BMI and added dietary sugars were considered.

A weak but significant inverse correlation with diet quality and oral health was also found, though the researchers note this has yet to be investigated in detail.

The Australian Dental Association recommends regular oral hygiene appointments and dental health checks, in addition to twice daily teeth brushing and flossing.

Declaration

Ethical review and approval of the study protocol and procedures was granted by the New Zealand Health and Disability Committee. The study was registered with the Australia and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR). Written consent was obtained from all participants prior to undertaking the requirements of the study.

MIL OSI – Submitted News –

April 7, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Looking inward: why Trump’s tariffs highlight the need for NZ to build local capacity

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rod McNaughton, Professor of Entrepreneurship, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

When retail executives start swearing during earnings calls, something is clearly amiss. That’s what happened recently when the CEO of United States-based luxury furniture retailer Restoration Hardware saw his company’s share price plunge by more than 25% in after-market trading.

The cause? Donald Trump had just declared “Liberation Day”, announcing sweeping new tariffs on nearly all imports. For companies like Restoration Hardware – which rely on suppliers in China and Vietnam, and now face tariffs of over 50% – the impact was immediate: higher costs, disrupted supply chains and enormous uncertainty.

New Zealand exporters were spared the worst, with exports facing only the 10% baseline tariff under the new regime. But the lesson is clear. In today’s world, the real threat isn’t always direct exposure, it’s volatility.

Trump’s tariffs sparked a nosedive in share markets and reignited concerns about the reliability of global trade. And while tariffs may rise and fall, uncertainty seems here to stay. This is why an idea first developed by journalist and author Jane Jacobs in the 1980s deserves renewed attention.

In Cities and the Wealth of Nations, Jacobs argued that sustainable economic growth isn’t driven by national policy or protectionism but by what she called “import replacement”: where cities and regions develop the capacity to produce goods they once imported.

The concept is often confused with import substitution, where governments impose tariffs or subsidies to protect domestic industries. But Jacobs’ model is different. It’s not about shielding firms from competition. It’s about growing new capabilities from the ground up.

A smarter response to volatility

Import replacement happens when entrepreneurs identify goods currently sourced from elsewhere and start producing them locally, not because tariffs artificially advantage them but because they’ve found a better way to meet local needs. Over time, this drives specialisation, innovation, and eventually new exports.

Jacobs believed this bottom-up process was the real engine of economic resilience. And she was right. In an era marked by pandemics, war, climate volatility and policy shocks, the ability to adapt quickly and locally is more valuable than ever.

New Zealand saw this first-hand during COVID-19. When global supply chains stalled, we found ourselves unable to access essentials from PPE to packaging, diagnostic swabs to digital hardware. Some firms responded with ingenuity. Others waited. In many cases, local capacity simply wasn’t there.

That experience revealed an uncomfortable truth: trade agreements alone don’t secure economic sovereignty. It depends on the capability to make, adapt and substitute when the system falters.

Some entrepreneurs are already seizing the moment. In the US, for example, founder of activewear brand XX-XY Apparel, Jennifer Sey, argues that trade disruption creates space for ethical, transparent supply chains closer to home. For her, localisation is not just risk management, it’s a business opportunity.

But rebuilding domestic capacity isn’t easy. It takes capital, skilled workers and time. And tariff-based incentives can vanish as quickly as they appear. That’s why the kind of import replacement Jacobs envisioned wasn’t a reactive policy tool but a long-term development strategy.

What import replacement could look like

The same logic applies to New Zealand. We are heavily dependent on imported goods in critical sectors like machinery, pharmaceuticals, digital infrastructure, fertilisers and food processing. If any of those supply chains is disrupted, we’re not just inconvenienced, we’re exposed.

To reduce that vulnerability, we need to think strategically. That might mean developing domestic capacity to manufacture essential health products, or supporting entrepreneurs working on substitutes for imported fertilisers or packaging materials.

It could mean encouraging research institutions to develop substitutes for materials we currently source offshore.

Universities and other research organisations can play a vital role. By collaborating with startups and small or medium-sized businesses, they can accelerate innovation. From prototype to production, tertiary institutions can help translate research into real-world resilience.

Public procurement could also be better leveraged. Government contracts could reward suppliers who help reduce import dependency and build options into our domestic supply chains.

Crucially, we need to map our vulnerabilities. Which imports are critical to key sectors? Where are we reliant on a single country or supplier? What could we produce regionally, if not nationally, with the right insight and capability?

Resilience is not retreat

This is not an argument against trade. New Zealand’s economy depends on it. But if we’ve learned anything from COVID and now from “Liberation Day”, it’s that openness without options is a liability.

Tariffs may make headlines. But they won’t build the necessary capabilities in the US or globally for the next crisis. That kind of economic resilience comes from the patient work of entrepreneurs in building, substituting, learning and adapting, at speed and close to home.

Jacobs reminded us that economies don’t grow stronger by walling themselves off. They grow stronger when they learn to make what they once had to import and, in doing so, discover what the world might want next.

Rod McNaughton 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. Looking inward: why Trump’s tariffs highlight the need for NZ to build local capacity – https://theconversation.com/looking-inward-why-trumps-tariffs-highlight-the-need-for-nz-to-build-local-capacity-253826

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

April 7, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Flowers in full bloom across China

Source: People’s Republic of China – State Council News

Flowers in full bloom across China

Updated: April 7, 2025 07:14 Xinhua

People enjoy cherry blossoms at Wuhan University in Wuhan, capital of central China’s Hubei Province, March 22, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

People enjoy cherry blossoms at Wuhan University in Wuhan, capital of central China’s Hubei Province, March 22, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

People enjoy flowers at the Zijingang campus of Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, capital of east China’s Zhejiang Province, April 6, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

Students walk past flowers at the Zijingang campus of Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, capital of east China’s Zhejiang Province, April 6, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

People take photos of blossoms at Beijing Forestry University in Beijing, capital of China, April 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

A woman poses for a photo under cherry blossoms at Wuhan University in Wuhan, capital of central China’s Hubei Province, March 22, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

People enjoy cherry blossoms at Wuhan University in Wuhan, capital of central China’s Hubei Province, March 24, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

People walk at Beijing Forestry University in Beijing, capital of China, April 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

People cycle at the Zijingang campus of Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, capital of east China’s Zhejiang Province, April 6, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

People enjoy cherry blossoms at Wuhan University in Wuhan, capital of central China’s Hubei Province, March 22, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

An aerial drone photo taken on March 25, 2025 shows a view of the Moganshan campus of Zhejiang University of Technology in Huzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

People enjoy cherry blossoms at Wuhan University in Wuhan, capital of central China’s Hubei Province, March 24, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

People enjoy cherry blossoms at Wuhan University in Wuhan, capital of central China’s Hubei Province, March 22, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

A student poses for photos under blossoms at Beijing Forestry University in Beijing, capital of China, April 4, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

This photo shows a view of the Moganshan campus of Zhejiang University of Technology in Huzhou, east China’s Zhejiang Province, March 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

MIL OSI China News –

April 7, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Cadet experience gives youngsters a clear advantage at work and further education, new study finds
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

Press release

Cadet experience gives youngsters a clear advantage at work and further education, new study finds

Young people who join the cadets do better at school, have improved attendance and behaviour and are more likely to go to university, a new report has found.
Young people who join the cadets do better at school, have improved attendance and behaviour and are more likely to go to university, a new report has found.

The Ministry of Defence, in collaboration with the University of Northampton, today launches its latest report, The Impact and Value of School-based Cadet Forces in the UK. It highlights the transformative impact of the Cadet Forces on social mobility, employability and mental health, demonstrating the immense value cadets bring to wider society, but particularly schools.

Having a cadet unit in school also has a positive impact on the resilience of pupils that are cadets according to 98.9% of head teachers surveyed.

Minister for Veterans and People Alistair Carns said:

Joining the cadets is more than just an opportunity—it’s a transformative experience. It empowers young people to build character, resilience, and teamwork. They learn to lead with integrity, serve with purpose, and grow with honour.

This new report unequivocally demonstrates that being a cadet gives pupils an ‘edge’ in applications for college, university, apprenticeships and employment. This Government has a Plan for Change, and that includes an unwavering commitment to investing in our youth with programmes like the Cadet Expansion Programme.

As publicly funded national youth organisations for 12–18-year-olds, the Cadets Forces’ goals and values are reflective of the Government’s aims, as laid out in the Plan for Change. That includes breaking down barriers to opportunity for all and making the country fit and secure for the future.

To mark the publication, and celebrate the significance of cadets and their contributions, the Defence Minister Alistair Carns joined active cadets and notable former cadets and advocates at Frimley Park Cadet Training Centre, in Surrey.

During the event, Army cadets completed an obstacle course before being joined by the minister – along with Jordan Wylie – for a group race carrying a log. Navy and Sea cadets, meanwhile, competed on a Field Gun run and a rope tying course, while the RAF cadets stepped into an immersive VR activity.

Whilst at the training centre, the Minister also awarded the medals to cadets who are medal recipients for their participation in the King’s Coronation in 2023.

The report findings build on previous research which found that if every year the cadet experience helps just 1% of cadets change their life outcomes so that they’re in employment, education or training, the annual costs of the cadet forces is completely covered. In terms of health and wellbeing alone, participation in the Cadet Force produce an annual return on investment in the region of about £120 million each year.

It has been estimated that each year a lifetime value of vocational qualifications gained by the most disadvantaged cadets is well over £130 million. Adult volunteers also see significant benefits from supporting the cadet forces by gaining confidence and additional skills and qualifications that are transferrable to their wider workplace.

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Published 7 April 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
April 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Wave energy’s huge potential could finally be unlocked by the power of sound – new research

Source: The Conversation – UK – By Usama Kadri, Reader of Applied Mathematics, Cardiff University

Water good idea. Andrei Armiagov

Ocean waves have long been seen as having huge potential as a source of renewable energy. Waves produce an estimated 50 trillion to 80 trillion watts of power worldwide – nearly two to three times the world’s current annual energy consumption.

Many devices have been designed to capture and convert waves’ great power into electricity, but today’s technologies face challenges in efficiency, particularly in deeper waters. As a result, wave energy hasn’t yet taken off as a renewable source in the same way as wind and solar.

One way around this problem lies in the interaction between two types of waves: those on the ocean’s surface, and those that reside underwater. My research group has just published a paper demonstrating how underwater sound waves can be used to make surface waves more powerful, potentially making them a more viable source of energy.

The same insights could also eventually be used to reduce the risks of tsunamis by making them smaller. In addition, in a second new paper we show how underwater waves can be used to improve today’s tsunami early-warning system.

The waves on the surface of the ocean are often created by a combination of wind raising up water and gravity pulling it back down – hence they’re sometimes referred to as surface-gravity waves. On the other hand, their underwater counterparts are sound waves produced by phenomena like earthquakes or volcanic eruptions, sometimes thousands of metres below the surface.

These acoustic waves travel by compressing and expanding the water, similar to how sound moves through the air. They travel across transoceanic distances at the speed of sound in the water (around 1,500 metres per second) before eventually dissipatin. Surface waves travel at much lower speeds, in the order of tens of metres per second.

In classical water wave theory, these two types of waves are considered separate entities, each living in its own world at its own rhythm. The possibility of them interacting only arose on the back of a 2013 research paper that I co-authored, which prompted my colleagues and I to research a phenomenon known as triad resonance.

This is where two acoustic waves transfer energy to a surface wave by matching its frequency, which in turn causes the surface wave to get larger and more powerful (by increasing its amplitude). This opens up the possibility of using an acoustic wave generator to generate sound waves tuned to a particular size and frequency that would enhance (or equally suppress) surface waves.

Enhanced waves would enable today’s wave turbines and oscillating water columns (which use wave power to force air through a turbine) to produce more electricity, effectively overcoming their efficiency problem.

Acoustic waves could enhance the power of surface waves.
Wonderful Nature

The main requirement would be an acoustic wave generator that could be finely tuned at the required scale. Acoustic wave generators already exist for laboratory purposes, so it’s a question of scaling up an existing technology.

Our research findings show that triad resonance can increase surface wave heights by more than 30%. Of course, the generator would require energy, though the hope is that this too could be powered by waves to minimise carbon emissions. One additional challenge is to ensure that methods are developed to use the acoustic energy efficiently to ensure that the least possible energy is wasted.

Our next step is to produce some more numerical simulations and to conduct a series of small-scale laboratory experiments looking at how triad resonance works in practice. These will help refine our theories and assess their feasibility, hopefully with a view to turning this into a commercial reality.

Tsunami mitigation

I originally suggested the possibility of reducing the height of tsunami waves by manipulating underwater acoustic waves back in 2017. In the new paper, we look at this in more detail.

We found that the resonance mechanism certainly took place at an oceanic scale during the 2022 Tonga earthquake and tsunami. This shows that it’s theoretically possible to manipulate the size of a tsunami using our technique.

The challenge lies in generating and directing the acoustic waves at the required scale and configuration in real-world conditions. This would be more challenging than using acoustic waves to help harness wave energy, not least because of the scale of tsunamis, which would necessitate a much more powerful acoustic-wave generator.

Other issues to overcome would be knowing the exact properties of the tsunami in real time, and the risk that using the wrong configurations could actually make the wave bigger instead of smaller.

While it could take some time to make this feasible, acoustic waves can also potentially help to mitigate tsunamis in a different way. Our second paper demonstrates that monitoring and analysing these waves in real time could complement the existing and emerging technologies for predicting tsunamis, including ocean buoys and seismometers.

There are currently thousands of seismometers deployed around the world, but they only monitor earthquakes, whereas tsunamis can also be caused by landslides, explosions and volcanic eruptions. Even with earthquakes, large seismic readings don’t always entail large tsunamis. This can lead to false alarms, such as in Alaska in 2018.

Meanwhile ocean buoys, which measure sea levels and water pressure, are often faulty because of their operating conditions, and also relatively slow at giving warnings when tsunamis (according to my calculations) can move at speeds of up to 200m per second in the deep ocean.

A complementary system is to measure acoustic waves using an underwater microphone known as a hydrophone. These capture the acoustic waves created by all of the phenomena that cause tsunamis, and the speed at which these waves travel means that just 30 hydrophone stations could cover the entire world’s tsunami high risk areas.

This could be particularly life-saving for coastal communities near the source of a tsunami. It would also support global goals for more resilient coastal cities, such as Unesco’s aim to make all such places “tsunami ready” by 2030.

Usama Kadri receives funding from the Leverhulme Trust: Research Project Grant number 523930.

– ref. Wave energy’s huge potential could finally be unlocked by the power of sound – new research – https://theconversation.com/wave-energys-huge-potential-could-finally-be-unlocked-by-the-power-of-sound-new-research-253422

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 7, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Protecting our endangered fish

Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council

Members of our Land Management and Biodiversity teams, along with representatives from EOS, ACCG and several local farmers, travelled to Corbies Creek to learn from Department of Conservation (DOC) rangers and Martha Jolly, who is completing her PhD at the University of Canterbury on built and natural barriers protecting native fish species.

“These populations of endangered fish species are really small and fragmented,” Jolly said.

Of particular note is the lowland longjaw galaxid, one of Aotearoa/New Zealand’s most endangered fish.

“We have seven known populations left, all at risk of extinction through extreme events like floods, droughts and invasion by bigger predatory fish such as trout,” she said.

Together with partners across the region, we have funded deliberate fish passage barriers to protect indigenous biodiversity in a practice known as isolation management.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

April 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Woman-to-woman marriage in west Africa: a vanishing tradition of power and agency

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Bright Alozie, Assistant Professor, Portland State University

Marriage in west Africa has played a central role in shaping aspects of society, and has evolved over time. While traditional heterosexual unions dominate discussions, a lesser-known but significant practice – woman-to-woman marriage – has existed for centuries.

In my research, I examined this institution, which allows a woman to assume the role of a husband by marrying another woman. There’s evidence of woman-to-woman marriage in more than 40 societies across west Africa, including the Igbo of Nigeria, the Frafra of Ghana and the Dahomeans of present-day Benin.

How it works is that a woman – often wealthy or of high status – pays a bride price and takes on a wife who is expected to bear children. A male relative or chosen partner, known as the genitor, fathers the children. The children will legally belong to the female husband and are considered part of her lineage. This reinforces kinship structures, or family ties within traditional communities and clans, vital to west African societies.

Unlike romantic same-sex unions, these are social contracts. They aim to preserve lineage, secure inheritance, and enhance a woman’s economic and political agency.

Female husbands gain significant control over property by assuming the role of head of household. This enables them to own and manage assets independently, a right typically reserved for men.

Securing heirs through their wives ensures the continuation of their lineage and the inheritance of their property and status. It solidifies their long-term agency and influence within the community.

The union also grants them more legal standing – they can enter into contracts, resolve disputes, and represent their family in legal matters, further empowering them in a patriarchal society.

This all translates into considerable influence. Female husbands can hold positions of authority, and command respect. They challenge traditional gender roles.

Colonial distortions and modern misconceptions have obscured the meaning and function of this historically prevalent practice. Despite its important role, it has declined over time. With growing stigma, the old customs have become less common.

My research seeks to underscore the historical value of woman-to-woman marriage. It offers a lens for understanding the complexities of African gender systems, female agency and social structures.

Tradition rooted in kinship and social stability

Using a combination of oral interviews, archival research and literature reviews, I found that there are various scenarios in which woman-to-woman marriage is practised in west Africa.

In Okrika, in Nigeria’s Rivers State, for example, I was told how a married woman who has no male child in her family is allowed to marry a woman so that a male child can be born into the family. If her marriage does not produce a male child and she has money, the culture allows her to marry more than one wife as long as she can take care of them and the union can produce a male child to carry the name of her family.

In my interview with Chief Nkemjirika Njoku, of the Mbaise Igbo in Nigeria, he described another scenario. He explained that if a man died without male heirs, his daughters could pay a bride price for a woman to bear children in his name. This ensured his lineage did not disappear.

Similarly, among the Frafra people of Ghana one study shows how:

a wealthy woman may marry one or more women for her husband by providing the bridewealth. These women bear children in her name in the event of her being childless or to offer extra labour.

These accounts illustrate how marriage and kinship complement each other and how this practice provided women with economic influence and social mobility, often rivalling men’s.

Colonial disruptions and modern challenges

Despite the tradition’s important role, during the 19th century European colonial officials and Christian missionaries misunderstood and condemned the practice.

Viewing it through a Victorian moral framework – rigid and conservative values of 19th-century Britain which emphasised strict gender roles, sexual restraint and moral purity – they mistakenly equated it with homosexuality and sought to outlaw it. For instance, in 1882 British colonial authorities in Ghana criminalised same-sex relations. These laws included woman-to-woman marriages, despite their deeply rooted cultural significance.

The practice persisted in various forms, however, but did become less prevalent.

In some cases, the unions were subtly restructured to avoid colonial scrutiny. Participants framed them more as business partnerships or familial arrangements rather than marriages. For instance, many prominent traders would use the unions to expand their wealth and business networks. Among the Hausa-Fulani textile traders of the Sokoto Caliphate, for example, a wealthy widow could marry a woman to manage her trade. This ensured that children born within the union inherited her wealth.

Subverting or reinforcing patriarchy?

Today, woman-to-woman marriage remains misunderstood. Some argue it reinforces patriarchal structures, while others conflate it with lesbian relationships.

The growing influence of Christianity and Islam has led to its stigmatisation. Meanwhile modern legal systems fail to recognise the unions, leaving female husbands and their children vulnerable in inheritance disputes.

Advancements in reproductive technology provide alternative means for childbearing, reducing the need for these marriages.

In my opinion, though, this tradition remains a valuable and powerful system. It highlights the ingenuity of African societies in creating alternative structures of power, kinship and economic security – especially for women.

Based on my research I concluded that woman-to-woman marriage is an example of flexible African gender constructs. Gender is not strictly tied to biological sex but to social roles and responsibilities. African societies have creatively adapted marriage and kinship to meet economic and social needs.

More than a marriage practice, woman-marriage has been an assertion of female agency, an economic strategy, and a means of preserving lineage.

– Woman-to-woman marriage in west Africa: a vanishing tradition of power and agency
– https://theconversation.com/woman-to-woman-marriage-in-west-africa-a-vanishing-tradition-of-power-and-agency-251919

MIL OSI Africa –

April 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Africa: Do African MPs reflect the people who vote for them? We studied 17 countries to find out

Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Robert Mattes, Professor in Government and Public Policy, University of Strathclyde, and Adjunct Professor in the Nelson Mandela School of Public Governance, University of Cape Town, University of Strathclyde

By the end of 2025, 42 African countries will have held national elections in the previous 24 months. But do these elections produce parliaments that accurately reflect the societies they serve? Aside from studies of women in Africa’s legislatures, there is surprisingly little information about this important issue.

Elected parliaments are the essence of representative democracy. Law makers are more likely to know what voters need and want if they are alike in age, gender, language, education or occupation.

As scholars of African politics, we wanted to find out if African legislators actually represented their voters. We compared the results of two separate surveys conducted between 2009 and 2012 across the same 17 African countries.

The first comes from the African Legislatures Project. This interviewed 823 elected representatives (MPs). The second was produced by Afrobarometer, a pan-African research network.

Our study found wide gaps between citizens and their representatives in some respects, but a high degree of similarity in others.

Compared to ordinary African citizens, African legislators possess much higher levels of education. They are also far more likely to be older, male and to come from professional or business backgrounds. Yet the overall profile of legislators closely matches that of the voters in terms of ethnicity and religion.

Religion and ethnicity

One of the most striking findings is the match between the religious, language and ethnic make-up of African legislatures and voters.

Across all 17 countries, the proportion of law makers who are either Muslim or Christian closely resembles their electorates. They are also similar at the level of religious denomination (for example Catholic, Methodist or Pentecostal).

Legislatures closely mirror the languages spoken by citizens in their countries. In some countries the overlap is very high. In Lesotho, for example, almost all MPs and citizens speak the same language (Sesotho). In Zimbabwe, the distribution of Shona and Ndebele speaking MPs is much the same as it is for the public.

There’s less overlap in Tanzania (where many more parliamentarians point to Swahili as their home language than Kisukuma, which most citizens speak). And in Namibia and South Africa, most MPs claim English as their home language rather than the otherwise dominant Oshiwambo or Zulu, respectively.

Many scholars argue that proportional representation voting systems (where people vote for party lists, rather than candidates) are necessary to reflect ethnic diversity. Our findings demonstrate that this is not necessarily the case. We found high levels of correspondence in diverse societies that elect members from “first past the post” single member districts, such as Zimbabwe, Ghana, Malawi and Uganda. This is because political parties will strategically select candidates who reflect the religious and ethnic identities of specific constituencies so that candidates are seen as “one of us”.

Where presented with a choice between candidates of differing religious or ethnic backgrounds, voters will tend to prefer the one similar to them. They feel that candidates who come from their area, or speak their language, are more likely to understand their needs and preferences.

Education and occupation

Our study also established that African elections produce legislatures that are older, more male, far more educated and wealthier than their voters.

While only 9% of citizens possessed a university degree across these 17 countries in the years under review, 58% of MPs had one. In Uganda, this figure climbed to 90%: a substantial educational disparity.

Occupational backgrounds also reveal a pronounced skew. A large proportion of parliamentarians come from business (24%) or professional (27%) sectors. Average citizens are likely to be blue collar or agricultural workers.

Gender and age

Despite making up roughly 50% of African societies, just 18% of the parliamentarians we interviewed were women.

Proportional representation voting systems do increase gender balance. This shows in Mozambique (40% of parliamentarians are female), Namibia (35%) and South Africa (28%). But other mechanisms such as gender quotas in the governing party nomination process (Tanzania, 32%), or reserved seats (Uganda, 27%), also increase women’s representation.

Finally, elected legislatures are almost always older than their electorate. But African legislators appear to be especially venerable. While the median age of the over-18 citizen population across these 17 societies is 33, the median age of our sample of MPs was 53. This raises questions about the ability of older legislators to fully understand and address the concerns of younger generations.

Are parliamentarians an unaccountable ‘power elite’?

We also wondered whether the social and economic advantages provided by higher education and experience in business and the professions might keep MPs in power, and out of touch with the needs of citizens.

Two factors appear to work against this outcome.

First, we examined potential markers of status and influence: university education; high-status occupational background; and previously held positions in party leadership, national government, or local government. It turns out that the average MP had only accumulated two of these things.

Second, consistent with other studies of African legislatures that find surprising levels of turnover of individual parliamentarians, the typical law maker in our surveys had been in office for just five years. Whatever status or privilege they carry with them into the legislative chamber does not guarantee a long stay.

What can we learn from this?

These results provide some insights for the continent’s next election season.

Most ruling parties were humbled at the polls in 2024, and several lost their majority in parliament (Botswana, Ghana, Mauritius, Senegal and South Africa). The trend of high legislator turnover seems likely to continue.

Thus, newly elected parliamentarians are unlikely to form a coherent “power elite”. The real challenge seems to be to harness the impressive skills African MPs bring to their jobs to enable them to play a more meaningful role in writing laws and holding their executives to account.

– Do African MPs reflect the people who vote for them? We studied 17 countries to find out
– https://theconversation.com/do-african-mps-reflect-the-people-who-vote-for-them-we-studied-17-countries-to-find-out-252055

MIL OSI Africa –

April 7, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: From flowers to stalking: how ‘nice guy’ narratives can lead to male entitlement and violence against women

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jamilla Rosdahl, Senior Lecturer, The University of Melbourne

Shutterstock

Being labelled a “nice guy” was once considered a form of flattery. Today, however, anyone privy to the world of dating and romance will know this isn’t necessarily a compliment.

The term has been unofficially reappropriated by women to describe a certain kind of man – one who presents as being “nice”, but feels entitled to some kind of attention from a woman in exchange for this niceness.

We need to take this attitude seriously, since the more it is normalised, the more likely it is to put women at risk.

When flowers become stalking

Plenty of women have shared their experience of being sent abusive texts after they rejected or ignored a man while online dating. The Instagram account @ByeFelipe, which has more than 400,000 followers, frequently features posts of “nice men” weaponizing their niceness on dating apps.

In one example, a woman tells a man she doesn’t want to have sex with him on their first meeting, and he responds by calling her “trash”, “ugly”, “old” and a “bitch”.

In my ongoing research on violence against women I have talked to hundreds of women who’ve been stalked by a man. In Australia, one in five women will be stalked. And women are eight times more likely to be stalked by a man than by another woman.

Often, the stalking is preceded by certain performances, such as the man repeatedly leaving flowers by the woman’s door. As one woman told me:

We are so used to being told that ‘bad guys’ are men who are physically abusive. When a guy is ‘nice’, it’s hard to believe he’s dangerous. It’s easier for women to ignore the signals of danger, because they are told that he has to be a good guy because he’s doing all these things. He even used feminist buzzwords. He’d say, ‘I believe in equality. I’m a feminist myself’.

Another described how a man kept telling her, “I’m in touch with my emotions. I wear my heart on my sleeve” – but that she had to escape the relationship after he threatened her.

Blaming women for feelings of inadequacy

The “nice guy” trope can create a narrative in which men feel victimised by women. As sociologist Michael Kimmel explains, this can lead to a sense of aggrieved entitlement, and men blaming women for their own feelings of inadequacy.

I’ve witnessed this while working with male inmates in a private capacity. Working in prisons in Sweden, I spoke to dozens of men who were convicted sex offenders and/or who had killed their wives or ex-partners.

All of them told me they reacted with violence when women rejected them romantically. None of the men I spoke to took responsibility for killing the woman. Instead, they justified their crimes and/or blamed the women.

The ‘nice guy’ in pop culture

Pop culture and media both have played a role in normalising the “nice guy” trope, which has now taken on different meanings in different groups – from misogynistic men in incel communities to women calling out men on dating apps.

Traditionally, the romance movie genre has portrayed highly persistent men as charming, or even admirable. In films such as There’s Something About Mary (1998) and Groundhog Day (1993), the “nice guy” obsessively pursues the woman while ignoring her wish to be left alone.

In these stories, obsessive behaviour is rewarded because the “nice guy” eventually gets the girl. In real life, the same behaviours can cross the line into harassment and stalking.

A more realistic depiction comes from the 1993 film I Can Make You Love Me, also known as Stalking Laura. This film is based on the true story of mass murderer Richard Farley.

Farley became obsessed with his coworker Laura Black in the 1980s. He love-bombed her, left her gifts such as letters and baked goods, called her every few hours, and even showed up to her apartment and her aerobics class. When he asked her out, Laura politely declined.

Farley would go on to shoot Laura in the shoulder in a killing spree that left her and three others injured, and seven more people dead. This event prompted California to pass the first anti-stalking laws in the United States.

Real-world consequences

Another horrifying example of an entitled “nice guy” was Elliot Rodger. In 2014, the then 22-year-old used knives, guns and his car to murder six people and injure 13 near the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Rodger described himself as a “supreme gentleman” and couldn’t understand why women wouldn’t have sex with him. In a chilling video posted before the attack, he said:

I will slaughter every spoiled, stuck-up, blond slut I see inside there. All those girls I’ve desired so much, they would have all rejected me and looked down upon me as an inferior man if I ever made a sexual advance towards them while they throw themselves at these obnoxious brutes.

More than ten years later, there’s no shortage of men who share Rodger’s victim mentality and violent sentiments. Yet there is a lack of research into how such attitudes can contribute to real-world harm.

As masculinity studies theorists argue, these attitudes are not the product of individual pathology, but are a much larger problem linked to societal ideas about masculinity. They are created by sexist ideology in culture, and are spread through socialisation.

Robert Farley and Elliot Rodger weren’t the first men, nor the last, to think they had entitlements over women just because they followed a social script of acting “nice”. If we can understand how this attitude grows and festers among men, we might be able to stop it at its start.

Jamilla Rosdahl 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 flowers to stalking: how ‘nice guy’ narratives can lead to male entitlement and violence against women – https://theconversation.com/from-flowers-to-stalking-how-nice-guy-narratives-can-lead-to-male-entitlement-and-violence-against-women-252523

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

April 7, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Biosecurity policies can be annoying – but a century of Antarctic data shows they work

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Leihy, Ecologist, Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research

Visitors to Australia are often shocked at having to declare an apple or wooden item under our biosecurity policies. Biosecurity policies are used to keep out pest species and diseases. But they’re expensive to uphold and people can question their worth.

The good news is, they work – and Antarctica’s strict biosecurity policies prove it.

Under the web of agreements governing Antarctica, cargo must be checked for any sign of plants, seeds, insects and rodents. Visitors must ensure the items they bring are clean.

In our new research, we analysed a century of data on how many species have been introduced to the icy continent and surrounding sub-Antarctic islands.

Though there’s little human presence here, many species have been introduced and several have established – including rodents, aphids, and weedy plants – in a surprisingly short time. But across most sub-Antarctic islands, we found the rate of introduced species has remained steady, or slowed, after biosecurity policies were introduced, even as more humans arrived.

The exception was the Antarctic continent itself, where species introductions are increasing. This is likely due to surging visitor numbers and inconsistent biosecurity efforts between different nations and tourist operators.

Our work shows biosecurity policies work – if they’re followed.

Biosecurity in the cold

Antartica and sub-Antarctic islands such as Heard and McDonald Islands have an exceptional richness of species. Wandering albatrosses and emperor penguins live nowhere else. Some islands are home to meadows of megaherbs.

Unfortunately, introduced species have had dramatic effects. Mice eat albatrosses alive. Midges entirely change the functioning of terrestrial systems. Weedy plants outcompete and displace unusual plants on several islands.

Antarctic environments are particularly susceptible to introduced species. New species tend to have faster life cycles and are more tolerant of disturbance. Most indigenous species evolved without predators or competitors.

As the climate heats up, introduced species get a boost. Warmer conditions make it easier for them to get their first foothold, and they do better with warmer climates than do the indigenous species.

These vulnerabilities are why nations responsible for sub-Antarctic islands and those who jointly govern Antarctica through the Antarctic Treaty put strict biosecurity protocols in place from the 1990s onwards.

These policies ban the deliberate introduction of new species and specify the measures visitors and cargo have to undergo to reduce the chance of new species being introduced accidentally.

These protocols include cleaning equipment, clothing and cargo. In many cases, these policies also require eradication of any potentially damaging species if found.

Is it worth it?

All this takes time and money. To do it properly requires many hours of inspections and specific facilities, among other things. Ongoing research is also needed, to ensure the policies keep working.

But eradication of species once established is often even more expensive. Costs are rising globally. Invasive species have cost Australia at least A$390 billion since the 1960s. Eradicating introduced rabbits, rats and mice from Australia’s Macquarie Island cost about A$25 million.

So, are our biosecurity efforts worth the cost?

Assessing the effectiveness of biosecurity policies is rare because it is difficult. To properly gauge effectiveness, you need data from before and after the policy came in. It’s also hard to pinpoint when a species made the jump to the cold; it’s harder to spot one new plant than a thriving population years after the first seeds took root.

We believe our work solves these problems. We collected data on species arrivals across the Antarctic region and corrected for biases using new mathematical approaches that account for differences in survey effort over time.

Most species introductions now happen by accident. Because introductions are closely tied to the numbers of visitors, we expected more species would arrive as visitor numbers grew. But on most sub-Antarctic islands, that didn’t happen. Species arrived at the same rate or more slowly than expected, even as more visitors came.

In other words, the policies are working.

Why is Antarctica the exception?

Since 1998, biosecurity policies for the Antarctic continent haven’t managed to slow the rates of introductions.

Newly introduced species are largely being found on the Antarctic Peninsula, where most tourists and scientists go. The peninsula has the mildest climate of the whole continent and is where Antarctica’s native flowering plants are found, as well as mosses, lichens and fungi.

The new arrivals include annual bluegrass which displaces native plants. Also arriving are invertebrates, such as midges and springtails which can alter how nutrients are cycled in soil and shift other ecosystem functions.

It’s not fully clear why biosecurity policies aren’t working as well on the continent as for the islands. Likely causes include inconsistencies in how biosecurity is policed by different nations, a rapidly warming climate and very rapidly growing numbers of people to the peninsula.

What does this mean for the world?

Introduced species are one of the largest environmental and economic challenges we face, according to an authoritative recent assessment.

This may seem surprising. But the unchecked impact of species such as red fire ants, varroa mite and feral pigs cost Australian farmers billions each year. Prevention is usually better – and cheaper – than the cure.

What our research shows is that biosecurity policies actually work to protect the environment and are likely to be cheaper than the cost of control or eradication. Introduced species now cost the global economy an estimated $423 billion annually.

Society and decision-makers can see environmental regulations as a cost without a benefit. Being able to show the real advantages of these regulations is vital.

Rachel Leihy works for the Arthur Rylah Institute for Environmental Research and Monash University, Melbourne, Australia. This research was done as a part of the Australian Research Council funded program Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future.

Melodie McGeoch receives funding from the Australian Research Council – SRIEAS Grant SR200100005 Securing Antarctica’s Environmental Future.

Steven Chown receives funding from the Australian Research Council. He is an Honorary life member of the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research.

– ref. Biosecurity policies can be annoying – but a century of Antarctic data shows they work – https://theconversation.com/biosecurity-policies-can-be-annoying-but-a-century-of-antarctic-data-shows-they-work-252494

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

April 7, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: New satellite data shows NZ’s major cities are sinking – meaning rising seas will affect them sooner

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jesse Kearse, Postdoctoral Researcher, Geophysics, Kyoto University

Shutterstock/Jakub Maculewicz

Rising seas are already affecting coastal communities in Aotearoa New Zealand. On a global average, the sea level is now 18 centimetres higher than it was in 1900, and the annual rate of increase has been accelerating to currently 4.4 millimetres per year.

This may not seem much, but it is already amplifying the impact of storm and tidal surges. Over the coming decades and centuries, this will pose increasingly serious problems for all coastal communities.

But this is not the end of our troubles. Some parts of New Zealand’s coastline are also sinking. In many New Zealand cities, shorelines are steadily subsiding, with growing impacts on coastal infrastructure.

Our new research reveals where and how fast this is happening. We found the coastlines near all major cities in New Zealand are sinking a few millimetres each year, with some of the fastest rates in coastal suburbs of Christchurch, where the land is still adjusting to the impact of the 2011 earthquake.

Relative increase in sea level

Sea-level rise is happening globally because the ocean is expanding as it continues to warm and glaciers and polar ice sheets are melting.

Meanwhile, land subsidence operates on regional or local scales, but it can potentially double or triple the effects of sea-level rise in certain places. This dual effect of rising seas and sinking land is know as relative sea-level rise and it gives coastal communities a more accurate projection of what they need to prepare for.

To understand which parts of the coast are most at risk requires detailed and precise measurements of land subsidence. The key to this is to observe Earth from space.

We have used a technique known as interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR). This involves the repeat acquisition of satellite radar images of the Earth’s surface, tied to very accurate global navigation satellite system measurements of ground stations.

This builds on earlier work by the NZSeaRise project, which measured vertical land movement for every two kilometres of New Zealand’s coastline. Our study uses a significantly higher resolution (every ten metres in most places) and more recent datasets, highlighting previously missed parts of urban coastlines.

Urban hotspots

For instance, in Christchurch the previous NZSeaRise dataset showed very little subsidence at Southshore and New Brighton. The big differences in the new data are not due to the increase in spatial resolution, but because the rate of vertical land movement is very different from the time prior to the 2011 earthquake.

Localised subsidence in these Christchurch suburbs is up to 8mm per year, among the fastest rates of urban subsidence we observed. These areas sit upon natural coastal sand dunes above the source area of the earthquake and the Earth’s crust is still responding to that sudden change in stress.

This map shows vertical land movement (VLM) in Christchurch, highlighting areas that are sinking. The circles around the coastline show NZSeaRise estimates (2003-2011) and continous blue shading highlights new results (2018-2021).
Jesse Kearse, CC BY-SA

We have tracked vertical movement of the land with millimetre-scale precision for five major cities in New Zealand. The InSAR technique works particularly well in urban areas because the smooth surface of pavements, roads and buildings better reflects the satellite radar beam back into space where it is picked up by the orbiting satellite.

This means the estimates of relative sea-level rise for these cities are close to or above 7mm per year. If sustained, this amounts to around 70cm of sea-level rise per century – enough to seriously threaten most sea defences.

Our new satellite measurements provide a detailed picture of urban subsidence, even within single suburbs. It can vary by as much as 10mm per year between parts of a city, as this map of Dunedin and the Otago Harbour shows.

This map shows vertical land movement (VLM) in Dunedin. The darker blue colours highlight parts of the city where land is sinking at a rate of 4mm per year or more.
Jesse Kearse, CC BY-SA

We found hotspots of very rapidly sinking regions. They tend to match areas of land that have been modified, particularly along the waterfront. During the 20th century, many acres of land were reclaimed from the ocean, and this new land is still compacting, creating an unstable base for the overlying infrastructure.

One example of this is in Porirua Harbour, where a section of reclaimed land near the mouth of Porirua Stream is sinking at 3–5mm per year. This is more than double the average rate for Porirua’s coast.

Rapidly sinking regions often match areas of land that have been modified or reclaimed, such as along the waterfront of Porirua Harbour.
Jesse Kearse, from http://retrolens.nz, licensed by Land Information NZ, CC BY-SA

Paradoxically, perhaps, it is only by looking back on our planet from outer space that we can begin to see with sufficient detail what is happening to the land in our own backyard.

The good news is that we can use the results to identify coastlines that are particularly vulnerable to sea-level rise and plan accordingly for any future development. Our new measurements are just the first step in what must become a major effort to watch the ups and downs of our coastlines and urban areas.

Jesse Kearse 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 satellite data shows NZ’s major cities are sinking – meaning rising seas will affect them sooner – https://theconversation.com/new-satellite-data-shows-nzs-major-cities-are-sinking-meaning-rising-seas-will-affect-them-sooner-252881

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

April 7, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Friend, tutor, doctor, lover: why AI systems need different rules for different roles

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brian D Earp, Associate Director, Yale-Hastings Program in Ethics and Health Policy, University of Oxford

Cybermagician / Shutterstock

“I’m really not sure what to do anymore. I don’t have anyone I can talk to,” types a lonely user to an AI chatbot. The bot responds: “I’m sorry, but we are going to have to change the topic. I won’t be able to engage in a conversation about your personal life.”

Is this response appropriate? The answer depends on what relationship the AI was designed to simulate.

Different relationships have different rules

AI systems are taking up social roles that have traditionally been the province of humans. More and more we are seeing AI systems acting as tutors, mental health providers and even romantic partners. This increasing ubiquity requires a careful consideration of the ethics of AI to ensure that human interests and welfare are protected.

For the most part, approaches to AI ethics have considered abstract ethical notions, such as whether AI systems are trustworthy, sentient or have agency.

However, as we argue with colleagues in psychology, philosophy, law, computer science and other key disciplines such as relationship science, abstract principles alone won’t do. We also need to consider the relational contexts in which human–AI interactions take place.

What do we mean by “relational contexts”? Simply put, different relationships in human society follow different norms.

How you interact with your doctor differs from how you interact with your romantic partner or your boss. These relationship-specific patterns of expected behaviour – what we call “relational norms” – shape our judgements of what’s appropriate in each relationship.

What is deemed appropriate behaviour of a parent towards her child, for instance, differs from what is appropriate between business colleagues. In the same way, appropriate behaviour for an AI system depends upon whether that system is acting as a tutor, a health care provider, or a love interest.

Human morality is relationship-sensitive

Human relationships fulfil different functions. Some are grounded in care, such as that between parent and child or close friends. Others are more transactional, such as those between business associates. Still others may be aimed at securing a mate or the maintenance of social hierarchies.

These four functions — care, transaction, mating and hierarchy — each solve different coordination challenges in relationships.

Care involves responding to others’ needs without keeping score — like one friend who helps another during difficult times. Transaction ensures fair exchanges where benefits are tracked and reciprocated — think of neighbours trading favours.

Our relationships with other people fulfil different basic functions – and observe different norms of behaviour.
PintoArt / Shutterstock

Mating governs romantic and sexual interactions, from casual dating to committed partnerships. And hierarchy structures interactions between people with different levels of authority over one another, enabling effective leadership and learning.

Every relationship type combines these functions differently, creating distinct patterns of expected behaviour. A parent–child relationship, for instance, is typically both caring and hierarchical (at least to some extent), and is generally expected not to be transactional — and definitely not to involve mating.

Research from our labs shows that relational context does affect how people make moral judgements. An action may be deemed wrong in one relationship but permissible, or even good, in another.

Of course, just because people are sensitive to relationship context when making moral judgements doesn’t meant they should be. Still, the very fact that they are is important to take into account in any discussion of AI ethics or design.

Relational AI

As AI systems take up more and more social roles in society, we need to ask: how does the relational context in which humans interact with AI systems impact ethical considerations?

When a chatbot insists upon changing the subject after its human interaction partner reports feeling depressed, the appropriateness of this action hinges in part on the relational context of the exchange.

If the chatbot is serving in the role of a friend or romantic partner, then clearly the response is inappropriate – it violates the relational norm of care, which is expected for such relationships. If, however, the chatbot is in the role of a tutor or business advisor, then perhaps such a response is reasonable or even professional.

It gets complicated, though. Most interactions with AI systems today occur in a commercial context – you have to pay to access the system (or engage with a limited free version that pushes you to upgrade to a paid version).

But in human relationships, friendship is something you don’t usually pay for. In fact, treating a friend in a “transactional” manner will often lead to hurt feelings.

When an AI simulates or serves in a care-based role, like friend or romantic partner, but ultimately the user knows she is paying a fee for this relational “service” — how will that affect her feelings and expectations? This is the sort of question we need to be asking.

What this means for AI designers, users and regulators

Regardless of whether one believes ethics should be relationship-sensitive, the fact most people act as if it is should be taken seriously in the design, use and regulation of AI.

Developers and designers of AI systems should consider not just abstract ethical questions (about sentience, for example), but relationship-specific ones.

Is a particular chatbot fulfilling relationship-appropriate functions? Is the mental health chatbot sufficiently responsive to the user’s needs? Is the tutor showing an appropriate balance of care, hierarchy and transaction?

Users of AI systems should be aware of potential vulnerabilities tied to AI use in particular relational contexts. Becoming emotionally dependent upon a chatbot in a caring context, for example, could be bad news if the AI system cannot sufficiently deliver on the caring function.

Regulatory bodies would also do well to consider relational contexts when developing governance structures. Instead of adopting broad, domain-based risk assessments (such as deeming AI use in education “high risk”), regulatory agencies might consider more specific relational contexts and functions in adjusting risk assessments and developing guidelines.

As AI becomes more embedded in our social fabric, we need nuanced frameworks that recognise the unique nature of human-AI relationships. By thinking carefully about what we expect from different types of relationships — whether with humans or AI — we can help ensure these technologies enhance rather than diminish our lives.

Brian D Earp receives funding from Google DeepMind.

Sebastian Porsdam Mann receives funding from a Novo Nordisk Foundation Grant for a scientifically independent International Collaborative Bioscience Innovation & Law Programme (Inter-CeBIL programme – grant no. NNF23SA0087056).

Simon Laham 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. Friend, tutor, doctor, lover: why AI systems need different rules for different roles – https://theconversation.com/friend-tutor-doctor-lover-why-ai-systems-need-different-rules-for-different-roles-252302

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

April 7, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Shellebrating* groundbreaking turtle research |

Source: Department of Conservation

By Krysia Nowak and Karen Middlemiss

*While leatherback turtles don’t actually have a shell, they have pretty thick skins, so we think they wouldn’t mind the pun.

A leatherback turtle | Nathan Pettigrew

What if we told you the largest sea turtles in the world visit Aotearoa New Zealand and that our waters are important to their survival? That they’re Critically Endangered, and that we know almost nothing about how they spend their time here?

You might say it’s about time we learn about them, and that’s exactly what we’re doing in our new research collaborating with USA-based Upwell Turtles.

Turtles crossing borders

Leatherback turtles aren’t worried about international boundaries.

The leatherbacks which visit New Zealand waters are part of the Western Pacific population that forage on the US West Coast and then migrate some 12,000km to nesting beaches in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, New Caledonia, and the Solomon Islands.

Leatherbacks have been tagged for monitoring when they come ashore at nesting beaches overseas, but there aren’t many known foraging areas where it’s possible to tag them in open water and study their movements. The Bay of Plenty is one of those known areas.

For the love of jelly(fish)

We have the opportunity to tag turtles at sea during summer and early autumn when our waters are full of their favourite food – jellyfish!

Leatherbacks can weigh more than 350 kilograms and need to eat more than 1/2 their body weight in jellyfish to get enough energy for long trips. The jellyfish-rich waters off the Bay of Plenty are important to leatherback migration success.

Human for scale: Upwell Executive Director George Shillinger tagging nesting leatherbacks in Playa Grande Costa Rica in 2007 | Upwell Turtles

Running the gauntlet

Leatherbacks face many risks in various countries across the huge distances they travel between foraging grounds and nesting beaches. Threats can include unintentional capture by fisheries (bycatch), the harvesting of adult turtles and eggs, plastic pollution, nesting beach habitat loss, climate change, and vessel strike.

Currently, the biggest threat to leatherback turtles, globally, is from commercial fishing. Most turtles accidentally caught by fisheries in New Zealand waters are released alive, but we need to learn how to reduce bycatch numbers to better protect them.

It’s a minefield for a turtle travelling across international boundaries, and we’ve seen a decline in this population of over 80% in the last 40 years. That’s why international collaboration is so important for their research and conservation if we are to have any chance of recovering the population.

Collaborating for conservation

We’re working with scientists who have been studying leatherbacks for decades. Being able to work together to study their habitat use in New Zealand waters will be another piece in the migration puzzle for these ancient turtles.

Dr George Shillinger, Executive Director of Upwell Turtles, says leatherbacks are among the most highly migratory and transboundary marine species on the planet.

“Effective conservation requires international collaboration from nesting beaches all the way to distant foraging habitats.”

Some of the leatherback researchers and partners out on the boat | DOC

Taking to the air

Our turtle-team recently took to the air over the Bay of Plenty as a starting point to find out more about leatherbacks in New Zealand waters. We worked with Upwell Turtles, and with support and expertise from NIWA, Monash University (Australia), and Moss Landing Marine Laboratories (USA).

While we had George and Scott here from Upwell Turtles, they graciously gave us some of their time and expertise, to help develop our own techniques to catch and tag leatherbacks.

The international research crew monitoring for leatherbacks from a plane | Sean Williamson

Practice Makes Perfect

Along with our international experts, we assembled an array of technical equipment, and formed a team including Tauranga DOC staff, Tuhua Island kaitiaki, and a local marine conservationist, all eager to embrace the challenge of finding and netting such large animals.

Heading out on our DOC boat off the coast of Tauranga on calm, sunny weekend in March we focused our efforts on a large rubber fender co-opted as a ‘pretend’ turtle. Few fenders have had such an exciting couple of days!

The team has now honed the required skills and techniques to safely net actual turtles. In future, when we do this for real, we will have a spotter plane in the air and other boats on the water to help us find turtles – leatherbacks can be tricky to spot from sea level.

Practicing netting aboard a DOC vessel | DOC

DOC Senior Marine Science Advisor Dr Karen Middlemiss practicing netting | DOC

Where to from here?

Because leatherback turtles have historically visited the Bay of Plenty, we’re working to build partnerships with local iwi and hapū, and the Bay of Plenty community, as well as collaborating with our research partners.

We’re starting to plan our next steps into the world of tagging, aiming for next summer when the turtles and jellyfish have returned to the Bay.

Everything we learn from tagging studies of leatherback turtles in our waters will help inform future conservation efforts for this species, which is so ancient we call it the tuatara of our oceans. We’ll be doing our part in the international effort to protect a species on the brink of extinction.

How you can help leatherback turtles:

• No marine turtles nest on beaches in New Zealand, any turtle on the beach should be reported immediately to 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).
• Spot a sea turtle in the water around New Zealand? You can report sightings to turtles@doc.govt.nz
• You can help protect leatherbacks and other marine animals by preventing plastics and pollution from reaching our oceans.

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MIL OSI New Zealand News –

April 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Kids’ physical activity in child care is essential — how an online course equips educators to lead the way

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Myranda Hawthorne, PhD Student, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Western University

Physical activity — primarily in the form of active play — promotes young children’s physical, mental, emotional and social health. It can also influence how active people will be later in life.

It’s recommended that pre-school children, aged three to four years, engage in at least three hours of physical activity per day, and that should include one hour of high-intensity, heart-pumping movement. Sedentary screen time should also be limited to less than one hour per day.

Despite this, many children in Canada and around the world do not meet recommended levels of physical activity and engage in far more sedentary screen time than recommended.

Early childhood educators (ECEs) play many important roles in helping young children grow and learn, and one of these roles is encouraging engagement in physical activity. Our research in the Child Health and Physical Activity Lab at Western University focuses on promoting physical activity of young children.

A large part of our research involves working with ECEs to create active child-care settings, where children are supported and encouraged to engage in the physical activity they need for their development. We believe providing physical activity training opportunities for ECEs is an essential first step towards reaching that goal.

Why kids aren’t moving

There are many barriers to promoting physical activity in child-care settings, including prioritization of academic outcomes and limited space or equipment.

For ECEs, the lack of formal training on the integral role of physical activity on children’s learning, health and development may present a key barrier.

Only 32 per cent of students in early childhood education programs in Canada have taken a course related to physical activity in their post-secondary degree.

Furthermore, ECEs across Canada have reported a lack of knowledge and confidence in their ability to incorporate physical activity opportunities into daily programming in child-care settings. This is the case even while ECEs have expressed interest in pursuing more training on these important subjects.

The TEACH course

We created the TEACH e-learning course (TEACH stands for Training EArly CHildhood educators in physical activity) to help bridge this gap.

This course aims to educate ECEs on the important role of physical activity in child development, and to provide them with the knowledge and confidence to implement physical activity within child-care environments.

The TEACH course was developed with both early childhood education experts and physical activity specialists to create comprehensive and relevant course content in four online modules. These include instructive videos, practical tips and “knowledge checks” (encouraging self-reflection on current knowledge and practices) for promoting physical activity and limiting sedentary behaviour in child-care environments.

Important topics like outdoor and risky play are also covered in the course. It strives to overcome some of the other barriers to physical activity promotion in child-care settings, including suggestions for incorporating movement with limited space or equipment, as well as how to combine physical activities with other important skills like literacy and numeracy.

The TEACH course is endorsed by the Canada Child Care Federation as a resource which can be used for practising ECEs to help fulfil their annual professional development activity requirements.

Real-world results show promise

The course has been tested with 200 practising ECEs and 300 ECE students across Canada, and has been shown to increase ECEs’ knowledge, confidence and intentions to incorporate physical activity during the child-care day.

Not only that, but the positive changes in self-efficacy and confidence were sustained up to three months after completing the training. This shows that the e-learning course can have a lasting impact.

Both practising ECEs and those in training benefited from the TEACH course. Practicing ECEs, who could immediately apply their new knowledge and skills to their everyday work, maintained these gains more effectively when compared to the ECEs still in training.

Read more:
Outdoor play in shorter, more frequent windows can boost physical activity in early learning settings

Expanding and integrating the TEACH course

The online format of the TEACH course increases accessibility of the course, as ECEs can work through the content in their own time, from anywhere. The online format also provides promise for the feasibility of expanding the course to a wider audience to be a cost-effective way to train a large number of ECEs, without much strain on resources.

Members of the Child Health and Physical Activity Lab have translated the TEACH course into French (TEACH-FR). They’re currently testing its impact on francophone ECEs across the country, to ensure this resource can eventually be made available to both English- and French-speaking ECEs across Canada.

Children’s engagement in physical activity and healthy movement while at child care matters — and can impact their health and development. The TEACH course can help improve educators’ knowledge and confidence in promoting physical activity opportunities in child-care settings, better equipping them for this challenge.

By providing training for ECEs on the importance of physical activity behaviours, as well as how to effectively program daily active play opportunities, we can help children to move more during their time in child care. This helps set the stage for future healthy active lives.

Myranda Hawthorne receives funding from the Ontario Graduate Scholarship.

Sophie M Phillips receives funding from Children’s Health Research Institute and Mitacs.

Trish Tucker receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and the Children’s Health Research Institute.

– ref. Kids’ physical activity in child care is essential — how an online course equips educators to lead the way – https://theconversation.com/kids-physical-activity-in-child-care-is-essential-how-an-online-course-equips-educators-to-lead-the-way-251418

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Federal election: Conservatives and Liberals are targeting different generations and geographies online

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Philip Mai, Co-director and Senior Researcher, Social Media Lab, Toronto Metropolitan University, Toronto Metropolitan University

Amid a Canadian federal election campaign focused in part on the country’s sovereignty, Canada’s two leading political parties are taking sharply different approaches to their advertising strategies. A close analysis of digital ad impressions on Facebook and Instagram reveals that the battleground is not just ideological, but demographic and geographic.

While both the Conservative and Liberal parties invest ad dollars in Canada’s most populous provinces, their strategies reveal a deeper story: Conservatives bet on Gen Z and Millennial voters, while Liberals double down on older voters and those in Francophone Canada.

We first observed these divergent strategies as part of an analysis conducted by the Ted Rogers School of Management Social Media Lab at Toronto Metropolitan University. As part of our Election Transparency and Accountability initiative, we examined Canadian political ad spending on Meta-owned platforms Facebook and Instagram, using PoliDashboard, the open-source platform we developed.

We conducted a detailed analysis of the ad impression data for the campaigns of all major parties. Here, we focus our findings on online ads purchased by the Liberal and Conservative parties, the current frontrunners in the polls.

Conservatives woo younger voters

Based on impressions data from Facebook and Instagram during March 23-30, the week after the election announced, there was a clear generational divide in digital outreach. The Conservatives devoted much of their messaging to Canadians under 45, while the Liberals appeared to focus more on those 55 and older.

A significant portion of Conservative Party Facebook and Instagram ad impressions came from men aged 25 to 34, who accounted for 16 per cent of all Conservative ad views. Additional impressions came from men aged 18 to 24, women aged 25 to 34, and women aged 35 to 44; each of these groups made up 10 per cent of the total impressions. This suggests an apparent effort by the Conservatives to connect with Gen Z and millennial voters.

In contrast, Liberal ads garnered higher impressions among older demographics, with women aged 65 and over accounting for the largest share (21 per cent) of total impressions. Women aged 55 to 64 and men over 65 each contributed 12 per cent of Liberal ad impressions. This distribution points to a strategic emphasis on older voters, a group known for reliably turning out on election day.

The estimated percentage of Meta ad impressions for Conservative and Liberals by demographic groups.
(PoliDashboard/Social Media Lab), CC BY

While traditional wisdom suggests that young adults favour progressive politics and parties, public polling suggests that young Canadians are increasingly embracing conservatism amid a housing and affordability crisis. The Conservatives appear poised to channel young peoples’ economic dissatisfaction into votes, using online advertising to reach them.

Meanwhile, the Liberals appear to be consolidating support among those who have a longer history of voting, especially older women, who represent the largest age and gender cohort that is likely to vote for the party. It’s a tale of two electorates, and two very different strategies for winning.

Impression data alone doesn’t confirm explicit age or gender targeting, nor does it guarantee support. Sometimes, a demographic simply has more affinity for a party’s content, leading to more impressions. These numbers can reflect both how parties aim their ads and how voters gravitate toward what resonates with them most.

Regional divides

The differences between the parties extend beyond age and gender, and into geographic territory. Both campaigns prioritize ad spending in Canada’s most populous provinces — British Columbia, Ontario and Québec — but the way they distribute their focus tells its own story.

The Conservatives receive a larger share of their ad impressions from British Columbia, with 17 per cent of their total ad impressions; in comparison, the Liberals received just 11 per cent. The contrast is even sharper in Ontario, where 54 per cent of all Conservative ad impressions are concentrated, versus only 31 per cent for the Liberals.

This difference is likely a deliberate strategic targeting tactic. Ontario, home to 122 federal ridings (with about 36 per cent of all seats in the House of Commons), is a pivotal battleground. The Conservatives’ strategy appears to hinge on flipping key seats in the province, particularly in suburban and outer suburban areas that could decide the election. Combined with their reach with younger voters, this approach signals an all-in effort to gain ground where it counts most.

The Liberal Party, meanwhile, is doubling down in Québec — one of the largest and most culturally distinct provinces in the country — and where the Liberals are clearly on the offensive. Twenty-nine per cent of Liberal ad impressions are located in the province, compared to just three per cent for the Conservatives.

Québec has long been a stronghold for the Liberals, particularly in urban areas like Montréal. While the province can be volatile and deeply influenced by local issues, the Liberals’ heavy advertising push suggests they’re working to defend the 33 seats they currently hold and possibly add a couple of new seats.

Two parties, two visions

Liberals and Conservatives are both vocally aligned in their repudiation of United States President Donald Trump’s frequent allusion to Canada becoming the “51st state,” a sentiment shared by an overwhelming majority of the Canadian public.

With external pressure mounting from Trump’s tariff threats and democratic norms being tested across the border, this election isn’t just about policies or parties: it’s about protecting Canada’s independence, values and place in the world.

However, the trends we’ve identified paint a picture of two distinct campaigns playing to different strengths and chasing different voters. The Conservatives are betting on young, digitally engaged Canadians, especially in Ontario. The Liberals are reinforcing their support among older voters, and looking to hold ground in Québec, where cultural identity and party loyalty still carry significant weight.

Of course, ad impressions are only one part of the equation. Factors like grassroots efforts, candidate appeal and regional dynamics also play a major role. Still, the ad impression numbers provide a unique glimpse into each campaign’s strategy, and reveal the part of Canada each party believes it must win over.

Philip Mai receives funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage Digital Citizen Contribution Program.

Anatoliy Gruzd receives funding from the Department of Canadian Heritage Digital Citizen Contribution Program.

William Hollingshead 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. Federal election: Conservatives and Liberals are targeting different generations and geographies online – https://theconversation.com/federal-election-conservatives-and-liberals-are-targeting-different-generations-and-geographies-online-253607

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 7, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Kids’ physical activity in child care is essential — how an online course equips educators to lead this

Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Myranda Hawthorne, PhD Student, Health and Rehabilitation Sciences, Western University

Physical activity — primarily in the form of active play — promotes young children’s physical, mental, emotional and social health. It can also influence how active people will be later in life.

It’s recommended that pre-school children, aged three to four years, engage in at least three hours of physical activity per day, and that should include one hour of high-intensity, heart-pumping movement. Sedentary screen time should also be limited to less than one hour per day.

Despite this, many children in Canada and around the world do not meet recommended levels of physical activity and engage in far more sedentary screen time than recommended.

Early childhood educators (ECEs) play many important roles in helping young children grow and learn, and one of these roles is encouraging engagement in physical activity. Our research in the Child Health and Physical Activity Lab at Western University focuses on promoting physical activity of young children.

A large part of our research involves working with ECEs to create active child-care settings, where children are supported and encouraged to engage in the physical activity they need for their development. We believe providing physical activity training opportunities for ECEs is an essential first step towards reaching that goal.

Why kids aren’t moving

There are many barriers to promoting physical activity in child-care settings, including prioritization of academic outcomes and limited space or equipment.

For ECEs, the lack of formal training on the integral role of physical activity on children’s learning, health and development may present a key barrier.

Only 32 per cent of students in early childhood education programs in Canada have taken a course related to physical activity in their post-secondary degree.

Furthermore, ECEs across Canada have reported a lack of knowledge and confidence in their ability to incorporate physical activity opportunities into daily programming in child-care settings. This is the case even while ECEs have expressed interest in pursuing more training on these important subjects.

The TEACH course

We created the TEACH e-learning course (TEACH stands for Training EArly CHildhood educators in physical activity) to help bridge this gap.

This course aims to educate ECEs on the important role of physical activity in child development, and to provide them with the knowledge and confidence to implement physical activity within child-care environments.

The TEACH course was developed with both early childhood education experts and physical activity specialists to create comprehensive and relevant course content in four online modules. These include instructive videos, practical tips and “knowledge checks” (encouraging self-reflection on current knowledge and practices) for promoting physical activity and limiting sedentary behaviour in child-care environments.

Important topics like outdoor and risky play are also covered in the course. It strives to overcome some of the other barriers to physical activity promotion in child-care settings, including suggestions for incorporating movement with limited space or equipment, as well as how to combine physical activities with other important skills like literacy and numeracy.

The TEACH course is endorsed by the Canada Child Care Federation as a resource which can be used for practising ECEs to help fulfil their annual professional development activity requirements.

Real-world results show promise

The course has been tested with 200 practising ECEs and 300 ECE students across Canada, and has been shown to increase ECEs’ knowledge, confidence and intentions to incorporate physical activity during the child-care day.

Not only that, but the positive changes in self-efficacy and confidence were sustained up to three months after completing the training. This shows that the e-learning course can have a lasting impact.

Both practising ECEs and those in training benefited from the TEACH course. Practicing ECEs, who could immediately apply their new knowledge and skills to their everyday work, maintained these gains more effectively when compared to the ECEs still in training.

Read more:
Outdoor play in shorter, more frequent windows can boost physical activity in early learning settings

Expanding and integrating the TEACH course

The online format of the TEACH course increases accessibility of the course, as ECEs can work through the content in their own time, from anywhere. The online format also provides promise for the feasibility of expanding the course to a wider audience to be a cost-effective way to train a large number of ECEs, without much strain on resources.

Members of the Child Health and Physical Activity Lab have translated the TEACH course into French (TEACH-FR). They’re currently testing its impact on francophone ECEs across the country, to ensure this resource can eventually be made available to both English- and French-speaking ECEs across Canada.

Children’s engagement in physical activity and healthy movement while at child care matters — and can impact their health and development. The TEACH course can help improve educators’ knowledge and confidence in promoting physical activity opportunities in child-care settings, better equipping them for this challenge.

By providing training for ECEs on the importance of physical activity behaviours, as well as how to effectively program daily active play opportunities, we can help children to move more during their time in child care. This helps set the stage for future healthy active lives.

Myranda Hawthorne receives funding from the Ontario Graduate Scholarship.

Sophie M Phillips receives funding from Children’s Health Research Institute and Mitacs.

Trish Tucker receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and the Children’s Health Research Institute.

– ref. Kids’ physical activity in child care is essential — how an online course equips educators to lead this – https://theconversation.com/kids-physical-activity-in-child-care-is-essential-how-an-online-course-equips-educators-to-lead-this-251418

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

April 7, 2025