NewzIntel.com

Category: Universities

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Africa is the world’s largest market for Guinness beer – how its ad campaigns exploit men

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Jordanna Matlon, Associate Professor of Sociology, School of International Service, American University

    Africa is the world’s largest market for Guinness beer (and Nigeria is second only to Britain for the most consumers in one country). The Irish brand’s success on the continent is regarded as a trailblazing business model. And that has a lot to do with their advertising campaigns over the years.

    Award-winning sociologist Jordanna Matlon recently published a research paper that analyses three prominent Guinness Africa ad campaigns. She explores what market forces are behind them – and how they target male consumers and shape masculinity in a way that echoes colonial extraction. We asked her to explain.

    How did Guinness capture the African market – what’s the appeal?

    We can think about Guinness in Africa in two phases. The first was less marketing savvy than old-fashioned imperial domination, in which territories under British dominion were captive markets for British imports. Despite its proud Irish origins, Guinness has had solid connections to the UK since the 1800s. Following British imperial shipping routes, the brewery began exporting to Africa in 1827. In 1959 Guinness established an import/export arrangement with Britain’s United Africa Company.

    Read more: Coca-Cola in Africa: a long history full of unexpected twists and turns

    By the era of African independence from the mid-1950s to the 1970s – the second phase – Guinness was already a well-known brand. Its advertising strategies found a ready African audience. Like colonialism generally, Guinness linked the consumption of foreign goods to the “civilising mission”. To be a civilised, modern man, the argument went, was to drink what the colonisers drank. But this was part of a larger work-consume nexus in which modern men were salaried men who could afford such trappings. Women, I should add, were always excluded: colonial ideals expressed clear gender divisions, with men in the public sphere and women at home, cooking for their (supposed) husbands and raising their (supposed) children.

    Tailored to African consumers, mid-1900s Guinness ads featured sophisticated African men in suits and ties enjoying their beers – clearly after a long day at the office. But like so many foreign imports, part of the appeal involved adapting to local tastes. It played off ideas of African strength and especially virility as a masculinised strength.

    Could you talk us through your analysis of the Michael Power campaign?

    This follows directly from my last point. Guinness became well known as a drink that made you strong. From the 1960s on, among its African consumers the brewery made “Guinness gives you power” its rallying cry. This morphed into the fictional character of Michael Power who, at the turn of the century, appeared in film shorts and a feature-length award-winning film, Critical Assignment – all part of Guinness’s advertising campaign.

    Power, a globetrotting journalist, was handsome, fearless, impeccably dressed, and generically African. In Michael Power, Guinness was responding directly to the question of how Africa positions itself in a world still strongly shaped by colonial hierarchies. Here was a figure who had turned the page, embodying elegance, wit, cosmopolitanism – and, of course, power.

    And the other two campaigns – Guinness Greatness and Made of More?

    Despite Michael Power’s success in helping make Guinness Africa’s leading imported beer, the campaigns that followed pivoted sharply. Michael Power was a fictional character who reflected the aspirations more than the reality of most African men.

    To come of age in Africa in the 2000s was to have grown up reeling from the effects of structural adjustment. Jobs that offered the best prospects for a middle-class life had overwhelmingly been in the public sector. The conditions attached to debt relief scaled these jobs back significantly. Now the informal economy was on the rise. To increase its target market, Guinness needed to speak to the experiences of real consumers: men who had long abandoned the prospect of a job that would have required a tie and a briefcase.

    In the commercial I look at from the Greatness campaign, a football scout comes to Africa (it’s unclear where on the continent exactly) and discovers talent everywhere – even in his driver. Not coincidentally, this was aired around the time of the 2010 men’s football World Cup in South Africa when the dream of football stardom felt especially palpable.

    In a Made of More commercial, an actual collective of Congolese dandies known as sapeurs return home from thankless day labour and transform into new men with their stylish – we might say ostentatious! – clothing. The narrator says, “In life, you cannot always choose what you do. But you can choose who you are.” Though not salarymen, they prove their worth.

    These campaigns take a major turn from the colonial iteration of the ideal man. Rather, we find the improbable but spectacular success of the international athlete, or the shift away from work altogether and toward conspicuous consumption. Both reflect a new Africa – indeed, a new global order – that has abandoned salaried work for economies of entrepreneurs and consumers.

    What do you conclude (and what is ‘bottom billion masculinity’)?

    I borrow this idea of the “bottom billion” from the business world, where emerging markets are a final frontier for corporate profits. It is supposed to celebrate the wealth potential of the poorest people on Earth: as the argument goes, the minuscule “wealth” of a billion people is really a fortune.

    Of course if we pick this apart just a bit it is clear that the wealth belongs not to the poor but to the corporations that sell them things. There is no real “Africa Rising” in this vision, no plan for enlarging an African middle class. Reflecting a longer colonial legacy, wealth here is something to be extracted.

    Read more: The genius at Guinness and his statistical legacy

    Bottom billion masculinity genders this dynamic. It asks us to think about how conspicuous consumption becomes a way for men to showcase their worth, a substitute for the provider role that is out of reach for so many men working precariously in Africa’s informal economies.

    Guinness’s recent campaigns celebrate the African everyman, the men at the bottom billion. And in doing so, it sells them a beer. It is a powerful example of how men’s search for validation can actually enrich corporations.

    – Africa is the world’s largest market for Guinness beer – how its ad campaigns exploit men
    – https://theconversation.com/africa-is-the-worlds-largest-market-for-guinness-beer-how-its-ad-campaigns-exploit-men-239120

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Lesotho needs constitutional reforms to help gain political stability – but the latest attempt is flawed

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Hoolo ‘Nyane, Head of Department, Public and Environmental Law Department, University of Limpopo

    Lesotho, a small country landlocked by South Africa, has been struggling to make constitutional reforms since the advent of coalition politics in 2012. It needs the reforms to address political instability which has been a feature of the country for more than five decades.

    The judiciary, security agencies and civil service have been
    politicised, resulting in the institutions being abused for political ends, stoking recurrent instability.

    The reform project has encountered many headwinds. High government turnover amid unstable governing coalitions, the reform processes being declared invalid numerous times by the judiciary, and a sheer lack of political will are just a few.

    The current administration, in power since 2022, is taking a new stab at it. The national assembly is debating the bills intended to amend the constitution. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has hailed this as “a positive development”.

    But as a constitutional law researcher who has published widely on the constitutional developments in Lesotho, I argue that the current approach to constitutional amendment is only intended to ward off the current pressure to pass reforms. It may not cure the longstanding constitutional problems in the country.

    The approach has two features. Firstly, the reforms process is now almost exclusively led by the government. This will enable the government to have only its views, and those it agrees with, being enacted as national reforms.

    Secondly, it breaks the constitution into three separate amendments. This dismembers the constitution. The court of appeal has already warned against that, saying the sections of the constitution, regardless of how they are amendable, belong to a single basic structure.

    Fits and starts

    The reform attempts have been in fits and starts. The most decisive step was in 2022 when parliament, on the eve of its dissolution ahead of elections, passed a raft of reforms known as the omnibus bill. This resulted in the 10th amendment to the constitution.

    However, parliament didn’t follow the amendment procedures set by the constitution. The Court of Appeal in turn declared the reforms invalid. The process was restarted after the 2022 elections, overseen by the SADC Panel of Elders led by former Tanzanian president Jakaya Kikwete.

    New attempt at reform

    With the support of the SADC, the current coalition government, led by Prime Minister Sam Matekane, has broken the constitutional reforms into three sets:

    • Changes requiring a simple majority in parliament to pass: These are amendments that either introduce new provisions to the constitution, or alter provisions of the constitution that are not entrenched. These include sections such as changing the number of official languages. Government can pass this set alone.

    • Changes requiring a two-thirds majority: Section 85 of the constitution protects certain provisions by requiring a minimum two-thirds majority of the two houses of parliament. These provisions include the structure and workings of parliament, among others. The present government lacks this majority. It needs opposition support to pass this set.

    • Changes requiring a referendum: These are provisions that require a vote of electors before enactment, such as changes to the monarch and the bill of rights. They can only be changed by consensus across all sectors of society, not just in parliament. There is no plan at present to move ahead with this set of amendments.

    The idea of the three-part approach is to speed up reforms amid immense international and local pressure as it circumvents the many procedural hurdles in amending entrenched provisions.

    But I see problems with it.

    Stakeholders left out

    The National Reforms Authority, established by an act of parliament in 2019, was disbanded in 2022 by the government of the former prime minister, Moeketsi Majoro.

    The reforms authority was not a perfect model. It was dominated by politicians and was criticised for not following proper constitution-making processes. But at least it gave the reform project some legitimacy because it represented a variety of stakeholders. It even relied on public consultations reports produced by its predecessor, the National Dialogue Planning Committee.

    In the new approach reforms are led by the government. Previous governments were warned against a government-led approach to reforms as it alienates other stakeholders.

    The ultimate purpose of these reforms is to change governance in Lesotho, which is characterised by unchecked exercise of executive power. It’s unlikely that a government will reform itself.

    There are political elites – in government and the opposition – who are against fundamental changes. They believe in continuing the current Westminster design with only minimal changes. The problem with the Westminster system in Lesotho (a constitutional monarchy) is that the monarch’s powers have drifted to the prime minister, who exercises them for political ends. This has been at the centre of political instability.

    Piecemeal approach

    The government has evidently rejected calls to totally overhaul the constitution and replace it with a new one. Instead, it has chosen piecemeal amendments.

    The government reckons it can easily pass the simple majority amendments and easily negotiate with the opposition to secure support for passing the two-thirds amendments. Then, perhaps in future, consider the amendments requiring a referendum.

    This is a flawed attempt to deal with criticism by both the high court and the court of appeal in 2022. The courts held that parliament had disregarded the rules about how to amend the constitution.

    Parliament is now heading for another pitfall: dismembering the constitution. Breaking it into compartments to make it easier to amend it will kill its basic structure.

    The courts have already warned the parliament against interfering with the basic structure of the constitution without the involvement of the people.

    What should be done

    The donor community and society in Lesotho have grown impatient with the delay in finalising the reforms. But pandering to pressures is not enough.

    The ideal approach would be for the country to make the new constitution through a proper process that will culminate with the people approving the outcome in a referendum. This approach has already worked in recent constitutional changes in Africa. The most recent examples are Kenya and Zimbabwe. This approach will enable the country to reflect holistically on its treacherous constitutional development and clothe the new changes with the garb of legitimacy.

    Hoolo ‘Nyane 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. Lesotho needs constitutional reforms to help gain political stability – but the latest attempt is flawed – https://theconversation.com/lesotho-needs-constitutional-reforms-to-help-gain-political-stability-but-the-latest-attempt-is-flawed-237905

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Lesotho needs constitutional reforms to help gain political stability – but the latest attempt is flawed

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Hoolo ‘Nyane, Head of Department, Public and Environmental Law Department, University of Limpopo

    Lesotho, a small country landlocked by South Africa, has been struggling to make constitutional reforms since the advent of coalition politics in 2012. It needs the reforms to address political instability which has been a feature of the country for more than five decades.

    The judiciary, security agencies and civil service have been politicised, resulting in the institutions being abused for political ends, stoking recurrent instability.

    The reform project has encountered many headwinds. High government turnover amid unstable governing coalitions, the reform processes being declared invalid numerous times by the judiciary, and a sheer lack of political will are just a few.

    The current administration, in power since 2022, is taking a new stab at it. The national assembly is debating the bills intended to amend the constitution. The Southern African Development Community (SADC) has hailed this as “a positive development”.

    But as a constitutional law researcher who has published widely on the constitutional developments in Lesotho, I argue that the current approach to constitutional amendment is only intended to ward off the current pressure to pass reforms. It may not cure the longstanding constitutional problems in the country.

    The approach has two features. Firstly, the reforms process is now almost exclusively led by the government. This will enable the government to have only its views, and those it agrees with, being enacted as national reforms.

    Secondly, it breaks the constitution into three separate amendments. This dismembers the constitution. The court of appeal has already warned against that, saying the sections of the constitution, regardless of how they are amendable, belong to a single basic structure.

    Fits and starts

    The reform attempts have been in fits and starts. The most decisive step was in 2022 when parliament, on the eve of its dissolution ahead of elections, passed a raft of reforms known as the omnibus bill. This resulted in the 10th amendment to the constitution.

    However, parliament didn’t follow the amendment procedures set by the constitution. The Court of Appeal in turn declared the reforms invalid. The process was restarted after the 2022 elections, overseen by the SADC Panel of Elders led by former Tanzanian president Jakaya Kikwete.

    New attempt at reform

    With the support of the SADC, the current coalition government, led by Prime Minister Sam Matekane, has broken the constitutional reforms into three sets:

    • Changes requiring a simple majority in parliament to pass: These are amendments that either introduce new provisions to the constitution, or alter provisions of the constitution that are not entrenched. These include sections such as changing the number of official languages. Government can pass this set alone.

    • Changes requiring a two-thirds majority: Section 85 of the constitution protects certain provisions by requiring a minimum two-thirds majority of the two houses of parliament. These provisions include the structure and workings of parliament, among others. The present government lacks this majority. It needs opposition support to pass this set.

    • Changes requiring a referendum: These are provisions that require a vote of electors before enactment, such as changes to the monarch and the bill of rights. They can only be changed by consensus across all sectors of society, not just in parliament. There is no plan at present to move ahead with this set of amendments.

    The idea of the three-part approach is to speed up reforms amid immense international and local pressure as it circumvents the many procedural hurdles in amending entrenched provisions.

    But I see problems with it.

    Stakeholders left out

    The National Reforms Authority, established by an act of parliament in 2019, was disbanded in 2022 by the government of the former prime minister, Moeketsi Majoro.

    The reforms authority was not a perfect model. It was dominated by politicians and was criticised for not following proper constitution-making processes. But at least it gave the reform project some legitimacy because it represented a variety of stakeholders. It even relied on public consultations reports produced by its predecessor, the National Dialogue Planning Committee.

    In the new approach reforms are led by the government. Previous governments were warned against a government-led approach to reforms as it alienates other stakeholders.

    The ultimate purpose of these reforms is to change governance in Lesotho, which is characterised by unchecked exercise of executive power. It’s unlikely that a government will reform itself.

    There are political elites – in government and the opposition – who are against fundamental changes. They believe in continuing the current Westminster design with only minimal changes. The problem with the Westminster system in Lesotho (a constitutional monarchy) is that the monarch’s powers have drifted to the prime minister, who exercises them for political ends. This has been at the centre of political instability.

    Piecemeal approach

    The government has evidently rejected calls to totally overhaul the constitution and replace it with a new one. Instead, it has chosen piecemeal amendments.

    The government reckons it can easily pass the simple majority amendments and easily negotiate with the opposition to secure support for passing the two-thirds amendments. Then, perhaps in future, consider the amendments requiring a referendum.

    This is a flawed attempt to deal with criticism by both the high court and the court of appeal in 2022. The courts held that parliament had disregarded the rules about how to amend the constitution.

    Parliament is now heading for another pitfall: dismembering the constitution. Breaking it into compartments to make it easier to amend it will kill its basic structure.

    The courts have already warned the parliament against interfering with the basic structure of the constitution without the involvement of the people.

    What should be done

    The donor community and society in Lesotho have grown impatient with the delay in finalising the reforms. But pandering to pressures is not enough.

    The ideal approach would be for the country to make the new constitution through a proper process that will culminate with the people approving the outcome in a referendum. This approach has already worked in recent constitutional changes in Africa. The most recent examples are Kenya and Zimbabwe. This approach will enable the country to reflect holistically on its treacherous constitutional development and clothe the new changes with the garb of legitimacy.

    – Lesotho needs constitutional reforms to help gain political stability – but the latest attempt is flawed
    – https://theconversation.com/lesotho-needs-constitutional-reforms-to-help-gain-political-stability-but-the-latest-attempt-is-flawed-237905

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Africa is the world’s largest market for Guinness beer – how its ad campaigns exploit men

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Jordanna Matlon, Associate Professor of Sociology, School of International Service, American University

    Africa is the world’s largest market for Guinness beer (and Nigeria is second only to Britain for the most consumers in one country). The Irish brand’s success on the continent is regarded as a trailblazing business model. And that has a lot to do with their advertising campaigns over the years.

    Award-winning sociologist Jordanna Matlon recently published a research paper that analyses three prominent Guinness Africa ad campaigns. She explores what market forces are behind them – and how they target male consumers and shape masculinity in a way that echoes colonial extraction. We asked her to explain.

    How did Guinness capture the African market – what’s the appeal?

    We can think about Guinness in Africa in two phases. The first was less marketing savvy than old-fashioned imperial domination, in which territories under British dominion were captive markets for British imports. Despite its proud Irish origins, Guinness has had solid connections to the UK since the 1800s. Following British imperial shipping routes, the brewery began exporting to Africa in 1827. In 1959 Guinness established an import/export arrangement with Britain’s United Africa Company.



    Read more:
    Coca-Cola in Africa: a long history full of unexpected twists and turns

    By the era of African independence from the mid-1950s to the 1970s – the second phase – Guinness was already a well-known brand. Its advertising strategies found a ready African audience. Like colonialism generally, Guinness linked the consumption of foreign goods to the “civilising mission”. To be a civilised, modern man, the argument went, was to drink what the colonisers drank. But this was part of a larger work-consume nexus in which modern men were salaried men who could afford such trappings. Women, I should add, were always excluded: colonial ideals expressed clear gender divisions, with men in the public sphere and women at home, cooking for their (supposed) husbands and raising their (supposed) children.

    Tailored to African consumers, mid-1900s Guinness ads featured sophisticated African men in suits and ties enjoying their beers – clearly after a long day at the office. But like so many foreign imports, part of the appeal involved adapting to local tastes. It played off ideas of African strength and especially virility as a masculinised strength.

    Could you talk us through your analysis of the Michael Power campaign?

    This follows directly from my last point. Guinness became well known as a drink that made you strong. From the 1960s on, among its African consumers the brewery made “Guinness gives you power” its rallying cry. This morphed into the fictional character of Michael Power who, at the turn of the century, appeared in film shorts and a feature-length award-winning film, Critical Assignment – all part of Guinness’s advertising campaign.

    Power, a globetrotting journalist, was handsome, fearless, impeccably dressed, and generically African. In Michael Power, Guinness was responding directly to the question of how Africa positions itself in a world still strongly shaped by colonial hierarchies. Here was a figure who had turned the page, embodying elegance, wit, cosmopolitanism – and, of course, power.

    And the other two campaigns – Guinness Greatness and Made of More?

    Despite Michael Power’s success in helping make Guinness Africa’s leading imported beer, the campaigns that followed pivoted sharply. Michael Power was a fictional character who reflected the aspirations more than the reality of most African men.

    To come of age in Africa in the 2000s was to have grown up reeling from the effects of structural adjustment. Jobs that offered the best prospects for a middle-class life had overwhelmingly been in the public sector. The conditions attached to debt relief scaled these jobs back significantly. Now the informal economy was on the rise. To increase its target market, Guinness needed to speak to the experiences of real consumers: men who had long abandoned the prospect of a job that would have required a tie and a briefcase.

    In the commercial I look at from the Greatness campaign, a football scout comes to Africa (it’s unclear where on the continent exactly) and discovers talent everywhere – even in his driver. Not coincidentally, this was aired around the time of the 2010 men’s football World Cup in South Africa when the dream of football stardom felt especially palpable.

    In a Made of More commercial, an actual collective of Congolese dandies known as sapeurs return home from thankless day labour and transform into new men with their stylish – we might say ostentatious! – clothing. The narrator says, “In life, you cannot always choose what you do. But you can choose who you are.” Though not salarymen, they prove their worth.

    These campaigns take a major turn from the colonial iteration of the ideal man. Rather, we find the improbable but spectacular success of the international athlete, or the shift away from work altogether and toward conspicuous consumption. Both reflect a new Africa – indeed, a new global order – that has abandoned salaried work for economies of entrepreneurs and consumers.

    What do you conclude (and what is ‘bottom billion masculinity’)?

    I borrow this idea of the “bottom billion” from the business world, where emerging markets are a final frontier for corporate profits. It is supposed to celebrate the wealth potential of the poorest people on Earth: as the argument goes, the minuscule “wealth” of a billion people is really a fortune.

    Of course if we pick this apart just a bit it is clear that the wealth belongs not to the poor but to the corporations that sell them things. There is no real “Africa Rising” in this vision, no plan for enlarging an African middle class. Reflecting a longer colonial legacy, wealth here is something to be extracted.



    Read more:
    The genius at Guinness and his statistical legacy

    Bottom billion masculinity genders this dynamic. It asks us to think about how conspicuous consumption becomes a way for men to showcase their worth, a substitute for the provider role that is out of reach for so many men working precariously in Africa’s informal economies.

    Guinness’s recent campaigns celebrate the African everyman, the men at the bottom billion. And in doing so, it sells them a beer. It is a powerful example of how men’s search for validation can actually enrich corporations.

    Jordanna Matlon 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. Africa is the world’s largest market for Guinness beer – how its ad campaigns exploit men – https://theconversation.com/africa-is-the-worlds-largest-market-for-guinness-beer-how-its-ad-campaigns-exploit-men-239120

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Government boosts Regional Development with legislation passed by Parliament

    Source: New South Wales Government 2

    Headline: Government boosts Regional Development with legislation passed by Parliament

    Published: 20 September 2024

    Released by: Minister for Agriculture, Minister for Regional NSW

    The Minns Labor Government has passed legislation today that will greatly enhance the delivery of regional economic development and to build stronger communities across rural and regional NSW.

    Significant changes to the Regional Development Act by the Government, have lifted community confidence in how taxpayer funds will be used in regional NSW following years of porkbarrelling and mismanagement by the former Nationals/Liberal Government.

    The NSW Government is committed to delivering change and ensuring government investments are targeted and will make a real positive difference to people and communities.

    The modernised Regional Development Act reflects the community feedback and 232 submissions received in response to the community engagement on the Bill.

    This engagement also included hearing from rural and remote council Mayors and general managers, regional Councils, the NSW Aboriginal Land Council, Business NSW, NSW Farmers, Regional Development Australia, regionally located Universities and the NSW Aboriginal Women’s Advisory Network.

    The new legislation provides a robust framework for how the Government’s $400 million Regional Development Trust supports community needs and economic development in the communities it is designed to serve.

    The changes introduce independent accountability, greatly improve cooperation between all levels of government and provide greater transparency in funding arrangements for regional development projects.

    The Regional Development Act has now been modernised with:

    • Updated objects of the Act to reflect the contemporary needs of rural and regional NSW and encourage cooperation and collaboration with all tiers of government including local government
    • Broader types of financial investment that can be provided from the Regional Development Trust to better respond to the challenges and opportunities in rural and regional NSW
    • Reinvestment enabled into the Regional Development Trust by government, private sector and non-for-profit organisations
    • Strengthened accountability and transparency through new governance and reporting provisions requiring the publication of an annual report, investment strategy and governance framework so the public have a clear understanding of the focus and investment of the Regional Development Trust
    • A mandate that the Minister must establish a Regional Development Advisory Council so that independent expert advice is a constant component of the administration of the Regional Development Trust.

    As part of the modernised Regional Development Act, the Regional Development Advisory Council will provide independent advice and oversight on investments from the Regional Development Trust.

    Community members interested in shaping the future prosperity of regional NSW are encouraged to apply to become part of the NSW Government’s Regional Development Advisory Council.

    Expressions of Interest for the new Advisory Council opened on 11 September 2024 and close on 11:59PM Wednesday 9 October.

    For more information about the Regional Development go to: www.nsw.gov.au/regional-nsw/regional-development-roadmap

    Minister for Agriculture and Regional NSW, Tara Moriarty said:

    “Updating the Regional Development Act is an important milestone that ensures investments into rural and regional communities from the Government’s $400 Regional Development Trust are strategic and provide real benefits for regional communities.

    “This new Act represents the full delivery of the Regional Development Roadmap to update our regional development framework. This is in addition to the establishment of the regional development advisory council and the investment of $400m into the regional development trust.

    “The Trust will invest where it is needed most and support projects that deliver meaningful benefit to regional communities.

    “With these changes, regional communities can have full confidence that investments are made in a fair and transparent way underpinned by independent expert advice.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Myanmar to showcase 84 booths at 21st China-ASEAN Expo

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Myanmar will showcase 84 booths at the 21st China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, from Sept. 24 to 28, the state-run Myanmar Radio and Television reported on Sunday.

    The booths will display a variety of products, including rice, Arabica coffee, aquatic products, fruits, tea, spices, woodwork, handicrafts, and gems, the report said.

    The expo aims to strengthen friendships and trade benefits, promote the development of the version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area and boost high-quality development of the China-ASEAN region, it added.

    More than 100 people, including businesspeople and officials from the National University of Culture and Arts in Yangon, will participate in the event, the report said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Myanmar to showcase 84 booths at China-ASEAN Expo

    Source: China State Council Information Office 3

    Myanmar will showcase 84 booths at the 21st China-ASEAN Expo in Nanning, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, from Sept. 24 to 28, the state-run Myanmar Radio and Television reported on Sunday.

    The booths will display a variety of products, including rice, Arabica coffee, aquatic products, fruits, tea, spices, woodwork, handicrafts, and gems, the report said.

    The expo aims to strengthen friendships and trade benefits, promote the development of the version 3.0 China-ASEAN Free Trade Area and boost high-quality development of the China-ASEAN region, it added.

    More than 100 people, including businesspeople and officials from the National University of Culture and Arts in Yangon, will participate in the event, the report said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: GUU and IOC RAS signed a cooperation agreement

    MIL OSI Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    The State University of Management signed an agreement with the N.D. Zelinsky Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences.

    The document was signed by the rector of the State University of Management, Doctor of Economics Vladimir Stroyev and the director of the Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Corresponding Member of the Russian Academy of Sciences, Doctor of Chemical Sciences Alexander Terentyev.

    The University and the Institute will cooperate in the field of fundamental, exploratory and applied scientific research in the field of chemistry, as well as carry out activities related to innovative scientific research and technological developments. Joint participation in competitions and grants is also envisaged.

    “The signing of the agreement is a logical continuation of the course taken by our university to develop engineering competencies in future managers. We have already concluded cooperation agreements with Avtodor-Engineering, Transmashholding, Mercator Kaluga, and an inter-university student design bureau is operating,” said the rector of the State University of Management.

    After the signing ceremony, the delegation of the State University of Management was given a tour of the Institute. Vladimir Stroyev and Vice-Rector for Science Maria Karelina were shown the library of the Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, which has a collection of scientific periodicals starting from the 19th century, a laboratory in which students from the Higher School of Economics, Moscow State University and the Higher Chemical Complex of the Russian Academy of Sciences carry out laboratory work in organic chemistry. In the Center for Collective Use, the guests were introduced to unique expensive analytical instruments and installations for conducting interdisciplinary research, within the framework of projects of the Russian Science Foundation.

    The guests were told about the specifics of work in the field of solving specific applied problems of chemical technology at the Center for Advanced Catalytic Technologies of the Institute of Organic Chemistry of the Russian Academy of Sciences, whose activities are aimed at the interaction of fundamental and applied science in the field of inorganic chemistry, physical chemistry and catalysis. The delegation of the State University of Management also visited the Youth Laboratory of Synthetic Glycovaccines, where young researchers are engaged in obtaining diagnostic tests and 3rd generation carbohydrate vaccines for the detection and prevention of dangerous bacterial and fungal infections. A number of synthesized compounds are being studied as potential drugs for cardiology, oncology and hematology.

    In the near future, it is planned to develop and launch a joint network master’s program for TMH specialists, as well as interaction in the field of research and development in the field of agrobiotechnology and new preservation materials.

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 09.22.2024

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please note; This information is raw content directly from the information source. It is accurate to what the source is stating and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    GUU and IOC RAS signed a cooperation agreement

    EDITOR’S NOTE: This article is a translation. Apologies should the grammar and or sentence structure not be perfect.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: World Food India 2024 concludes today

    Source: Government of India

    World Food India 2024 concludes today

    Remarkable turnout of 1557 exhibitors, 20 country pavilions  ; notable participation from 809 buyers from 108 countries & 2390 foreign delegates

    13 State Ministers & 4 Central Ministers graced event

    Union Minister for Ministry of Food Processing Industries Shri Chirag Paswan participated in six G2G meetings

    Event  supported by 9 Ministries/Departments , 8 associated bodies and 26 states

    CEO Roundtable & Global Food Regulators Summit 2024 held

    4 day event comprised 40 sessions, featuring Thematic, State, Allied Ministries and Country & Organization sessions

    Startup Grand Challenge &  Chef Competition held ; Partnerships between NIFTEM- K with 11 companies, 3 Development partners and Associations & 4 Academic and Research organizations

    Event marked achievement of 100 days action plan of Government

    Posted On: 22 SEP 2024 2:34PM by PIB Delhi

    ‘World Food India 2024’, organized by the Ministry of Food Processing Industries, concluded today. The 3rd edition of this mega food event, held from 19thto 22ndSeptember 2024 at Bharat Mandapam, New Delhi, was inaugurated jointly by Shri Pralhad Joshi, Union Minister of Consumer Affairs, Food & Public Distribution and New & Renewable Energy, Shri Chirag Paswan, Minister of Food Processing Industries & Shri Ravneet Singh Bittu, Minister of State, Food Processing Industries & Railways.

    On this occasion, food processing units at 67 locations under PLISFPI and PMKSY schemes with total investments of Rs 5,135 crores were inaugurated, Credit linked support was provided to 25,000 beneficiaries for micro projects worth Rs 2,351 crores under PMFME scheme and Rs 245 crores seed capital sanctioned to 70,000 SHG members under PMFME scheme. Senior government dignitaries, global investors, global food regulators, and industry leaders from around the world participated in the event. The event marked the achievement of the 100 days action plan of the Government.

    The Mega Food Event was supported by nine Ministries/Departments of the Government of India, 8 associated bodies, and 26 states. The event featured a remarkable turnout of 1557 exhibitors, 20 country pavilions, and notable participation from 809 buyers from 108 countries and 2390 foreign delegates. 13 State Ministers and 4 Central Ministers graced World Food India 2024.

    Spanning an expansive area of 70,000 square meters across nine exhibition halls, the event provided a comprehensive platform for showcasing the latest advancements in the food processing industry. The event exhibited over 100 One District One Product items. 16 international delegations, including six Ministerial delegations participated in the event. Japan participated as the Partner Country while Iran & Vietnam participated as the Focus Countries.

    A CEO Roundtable was held on the inaugural day of World Food India 2024. It was co-chaired by Union Minister for Ministry of Commerce and Industry Shri Piyush Goyal and Union Minister for Ministry of Food Processing Industries Shri Chirag Paswan. The roundtable was also graced by the presence of Minister of State for Food Processing & Railways, Shri Ravneet Singh Bittu, Shri TG Bharath, Minister of Industries and Commerce, Andhra Pradesh and Shri Raghavji Patel, Minister of Agriculture, Gujarat and senior officials from various Ministries of Government of India and State Governments. This significant gathering brought together more than 100 CXOs representing the leading Indian and global companies in the food processing and allied sectors. Key deliberations during the Roundtable encompassed facilitation of ease of doing business, misleading advertisements, GST related issues, sourcing interests, and a comprehensive examination of the existing gaps within the value chain of the Indian Food Processing Sector.

    During the event, Shri Chirag Paswan participated in six G2G meetings. The four-day event comprised 40 sessions, featuring Thematic, State, Allied Ministries, and Country & Organization sessions. Notably, 13 Thematic Sessions delved into crucial subjects such as zero waste, maximum value, sustainable packaging, irradiation, food safety etc in the food processing and allied sectors. Moreover, 8 State-focused panel discussions and 10 specialized sessions by Allied ministries, including DPIIT and APEDA, addressed pertinent industry challenges. The sessions were graced by Ministers from Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, amongst others.

    To capitalize innovation, a Startup Grand Challenge was held to promote innovation in waste management, efficient water uses and novel food processing technologies. The winners of the challenge were awarded during the event. The Ministry will provide financial as well as incubation support through NIFTEM-Kundli to the winners.

    A Global Food Regulators Summit 2024 by Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) was organized in conjunction with World Food India from 20th – 21st  September 2024. It brought together delegates from over 70 countries, including Food safety regulators and those from Risk Assessment Authorities, Research Institutes and Universities who discussed and strategized on key regulatory issues.

    Among the event’s highlights was the Technology and Sustainability Pavilion, which spotlighted cutting-edge innovations in the food industry, signalling a shift toward more eco-friendly and resilient food production practices.

    Additionally, the Chef Competition at World Food India 2024 recognized chefs who blend tradition with innovation, showcasing global cuisine, presentation skills, and the use of technology in culinary techniques. The competition featured individual displays, live cooking, mixology, and a mystery basket challenge.

    The event also featured partnerships between NIFTEM- K with 11 companies, 3 Development partners and Associations and 4 Academic and Research organizations. These MoUs focused on successful execution of collaborative research programmes, new product development, establishment of Centres of Excellence, placement of students as well as incubation activities. NIFTEM-K also transferred 5 technologies to food companies and start-ups besides launching a pesticide detection kit for tea leaves.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Fact Sheet: 2024 Quad Leaders’ Summit

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 22 SEP 2024 8:58AM by PIB Delhi

    On September 21, 2024, President Joseph R. Biden, Jr. hosted Prime Minister Anthony Albanese of Australia, Prime Minister Kishida Fumio of Japan, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India in Wilmington, Delaware, for the fourth Quad Leaders’ Summit.

    The Quad was established to be a global force for good. This year, the Quad is proudly executing tangible projects that benefit partner countries across the Indo-Pacific—including in the Pacific, Southeast Asia, and the Indian Ocean Region. The Quad is working together at unprecedented scope and scale to deliver on Indo-Pacific partners’ priorities. Together, the Quad is leading ambitious projects to help partners address pandemics and disease; respond to natural disasters; strengthen their maritime domain awareness and maritime security; mobilize and build high-standard physical and digital infrastructure; invest in and benefit from critical and emerging technologies; confront the threat of climate change; bolster cyber security; and cultivate the next generation of technology leaders.

    ENDURING PARTNERS FOR THE INDO-PACIFIC

    Over the past four years, Quad Leaders have met six times, including twice virtually. Quad Foreign Ministers have met eight times, most recently in Tokyo in July. Quad country representatives convene on a regular basis, at all levels, to consult one another, exchange ideas to advance shared priorities, and deliver benefits for partners across the Indo-Pacific region. All Quad governments have institutionalized the Quad at all levels and across a diverse array of departments and agencies. Today, Quad Leaders announced new initiatives to solidify these habits of cooperation and to set up the Quad to endure for the long-term.

    Each Quad government has committed to work through their respective budgetary processes to secure robust funding for Quad priorities in the Indo-Pacific region to ensure an enduring impact.

    The Quad governments also intend to work with their respective legislatures to deepen interparliamentary exchanges, and encourage other stakeholders to deepen engagement with Quad counterparts. Yesterday, Members of Congress announced the creation of a bipartisan, bicameral Congressional Quad Caucus.

    In the coming months, Quad Commerce and Industry ministers will meet for the first time.

    Quad Leaders also welcome the leaders of the Quad Development Finance Institutions and Agencies deciding to meet to explore future investments by the four countries in the Indo-Pacific, including in health security, food security, clean energy, and quality infrastructure. This builds on a previous meeting in 2022 between the heads of the Export Finance Australia, the Australian Infrastructure Financing Facility for the Pacific, India Export-Import Bank, Japan Bank for International Cooperation, and U.S. International Development Finance Corporation (DFC).

    The United States will host the 2025 Quad Foreign Ministers Meeting, and India will host the 2025 Quad Leaders Summit.

    GLOBAL HEALTH & HEALTH SECURITY

    In 2023, the Quad announced the Quad Health Security Partnership to strengthen coordination and collaboration in support of health security in the Indo-Pacific. The Quad Health Security Partnership is delivering on its commitments to strengthen the Indo-Pacific’s ability to detect and respond to outbreaks of diseases with epidemic or pandemic potential, including through a set of new initiatives announced today.

    Quad Cancer Moonshot

    The Quad is launching the historic Quad Cancer Moonshot, a collective effort to leverage public and private resources to reduce the number of lives lost to cancer in the Indo-Pacific, with an initial focus on cervical cancer. Altogether, the Quad Cancer Moonshot announced today is projected to save hundreds of thousands of lives over the coming decades. More information can be found here.

    Pandemic Preparedness

    Quad countries are committed to supporting health security and resiliency efforts across the region, including continued support for the Pandemic Fund.

    The Quad reaffirms commitment to bolstering health security across the Indo-Pacific region. In 2024, the Quad Health Security Partnership advanced regional resilience through the second pandemic preparedness table top exercise, building on the success of the Quad Vaccine Partnership to enhance prevention, early detection, and response to potential disease outbreaks, and is exploring developing Standard Operating Procedures for Pandemic Response. The Quad’s collaborative efforts included training health specialists from the Indo-Pacific to strengthen regional capabilities for health emergencies.

    India will host a workshop on pandemic preparedness and release a white paper outlining emergency public health responses.

    Australia is increasing the pool of public health specialists who are ready to deploy, in-country or in the region, in response to disease outbreaks, with the first training session to commence in Darwin, Australia, in the coming days.

    In coordination with Quad partners, the United States is pledging over $84.5 million to partner with fourteen countries in the Indo-Pacific region to strengthen capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to infectious disease threats.

    Mpox

    In response to the current clade I mpox outbreak, as well as the ongoing clade II mpox outbreak, the Quad plans to coordinate our efforts to promote equitable access to safe, effective, quality-assured mpox vaccines, including where appropriate expanding vaccine manufacturing in low and middle-income countries.

    HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND DISASTER RELIEF (HADR)

    Twenty years ago, the Quad first came together to respond to the devastating 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami, surging humanitarian assistance to affected countries. In 2022, Quad Foreign Ministers signed the Guidelines for the Quad Partnership on HADR in the Indo-Pacific. In May 2024, following a tragic landslide in Papua New Guinea, Quad countries coordinated their response in accordance with these guidelines. The Quad collectively provided over $5 million in humanitarian assistance. Quad partners continue to support Papua New Guinea in its longer-term resiliency efforts. The Quad continues to deepen HADR coordination and support partners in the region in their longer-term resiliency efforts.

    Quad governments are working to ensure readiness to rapidly respond, including through pre-positioning of essential relief supplies, in the event of a natural disaster; this effort extends from the Indian Ocean region, to Southeast Asia, to the Pacific.

    In the coming months, Quad HADR experts will conduct a tabletop exercise to prepare for potential future disasters in the region.

    Quad partners are working together to provide over $4 million in humanitarian assistance to support the people of Vietnam in light of the devastating consequences of Typhoon Yagi.

    MARITIME SECURITY

    Quad partners are working side-by-side with partners throughout the region to bolster maritime security, improve maritime domain awareness, and uphold a free and open Indo-Pacific.

    Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness and Maritime Training

    Quad Leaders launched the Indo-Pacific Partnership for Maritime Domain Awareness (IPMDA) at the 2022 Quad Leaders’ Summit in Tokyo. This initiative provides partners with near-real-time, cost-effective, cutting-edge radio frequency data, enabling them to better monitor their waters; counter illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing; respond to climate change and natural disasters; and enforce their laws within their waters.

    Since the announcement, in consultation with partners, the Quad has successfully scaled the program across the Indo-Pacific region—through the Pacific Islands Forum Fisheries Agency, with partners in Southeast Asia, to the Information Fusion Center—Indian Ocean Region, Gurugram. In doing so, the Quad has helped well over two dozen countries access dark vessel maritime domain awareness data, so they can better monitor the activities in their exclusive economic zones—including unlawful activity.

    In the next phase of implementation, announced today, the Quad intends to layer new technology and data into IPMDA over the coming year, to continue to deliver cutting edge capability and information to the region. The Quad intends to leverage electro-optical data and advanced analytic software to sharpen the maritime domain awareness picture for partners.

    Today the Quad announced a new regional Maritime Initiative for Training in the Indo-Pacific (MAITRI) to enable our partners in the region Indo-Pacific partners to maximize tools provided through IPMDA and other Quad partner initiatives, to monitor and secure their waters, enforce their laws, and deter unlawful behavior. The Quad countries look forward to India hosting the inaugural MAITRI workshop in 2025.

    Quad countries are coordinating comprehensive and complementary training across the full suite of legal, operational, and technical maritime security and law enforcement knowledge domains. Quad partners have pledged to expand engagement with regional maritime law enforcement fora, share best practices, and improve civil maritime cooperation.

    Indo-Pacific Logistics Network

    The Quad launches today a Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network pilot project, to pursue shared airlift capacity among the four nations and leverage collective logistics strengths, in order to support civilian response to natural disasters more rapidly and efficiently across the Indo-Pacific region. This effort will complement existing efforts with Indo-Pacific partners.

    Coast Guard Cooperation

    The U.S. Coast Guard, Japan Coast Guard, Australian Border Force, and Indian Coast Guard plan to launch a first-ever Quad-at-Sea Ship Observer Mission in 2025 in the Indo-Pacific to improve interoperability. Through this effort, members of Japan Coast Guard, Australian Border Force, and Indian Coast Guard will spend time on board a U.S. Coast Guard vessel operating in the Indo-Pacific. The Quad intends to continue with further missions in the Indo-Pacific.

    QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE

    The Quad is delivering quality, resilient infrastructure to the region to increase connectivity, build regional capacity, and meet critical needs.

    This year, the Quad countries’ export credit agencies (ECAs) signed and are implementing a Memorandum of Cooperation, which supports supply chain resilience, critical and emerging technologies, renewable energy, and other high-quality projects in the Indo-Pacific. Quad ECAs are strengthening communication on pipeline information and provision of relevant financing for projects in the Indo-Pacific region, and will pursue joint business promotion efforts that involve industry experts, project developers, and other major market players.

    The Quad released joint Principles for Development and Deployment of Digital Public Infrastructure, underscoring the Quad’s commitment to an inclusive, open, sustainable, fair, safe, reliable, and secure digital future to advance shared prosperity and sustainable development.

    The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure organized a workshop in India to empower partners across the Indo-Pacific to strengthen power sector resilience.

    Quad Ports of the Future Partnership

    The Quad Ports of the Future Partnership will harness the Quad’s expertise to support sustainable and resilient port infrastructure development across the Indo-Pacific, in collaboration with regional partners.

    In 2025, Quad partners intend to hold the inaugural Regional Ports and Transportation Conference, hosted by India in Mumbai.

    Through this new partnership, Quad partners intend to coordinate, exchange information, share best practices with partners in the region, and leverage resources to mobilize government and private sector investments in quality port infrastructure across the Indo-Pacific region.

    Quad Infrastructure Fellows

    The Quad Infrastructure Fellowship was announced at the 2023 Quad Leaders’ Summit to improve capacity and deepen professional networks across the region to design, manage, and attract investment in infrastructure projects. Over the past year, it has expanded to more than 2,200 experts, and Quad partners have already provided well over 1,300 fellowships.

    Undersea Cables and Digital Connectivity

    Through the Quad Partnership for Cable Connectivity and Resilience, Quad partners continue to support and strengthen quality undersea cable networks in the Indo-Pacific, the capacity, durability, and reliability of which are inextricably linked to the security and prosperity of the region and the world.

    In support of these efforts, Australia launched the Cable Connectivity and Resilience Centre in July, which is delivering workshops and policy and regulatory assistance in response to requests from across the region.

    Japan has conducted capacity building trainings to enhance connectivity and resilience in the Indo-Pacific through cooperation with specialized agencies and international organizations. Japan intends to further extend technical cooperation to improve public information and communication technology infrastructure management capacity for an undersea cable in Nauru and Kiribati.

    The United States has conducted over 1,300 capacity building trainings for telecommunication officials and executives from 25 countries in the Indo-Pacific; today the U.S. announces its intent, working with Congress, to invest an additional $3.4 million to extend and expand this training program.

    Investments in cable projects by Quad partners will help support all Pacific island countries in achieving primary telecommunication cable connectivity by the end of 2025. Since the last Quad Leaders’ Summit, Quad partners have committed over $140 million to undersea cable builds in the Pacific, alongside contributions from other likeminded partners.

    Complementing these investments in new undersea cables, India has commissioned a feasibility study to examine expansion of undersea cable maintenance and repair capabilities in the Indo-Pacific.

    CRITICAL AND EMERGING TECHNOLOGY

    The Quad is working in lockstep to stay at the forefront of technology innovation, and remains committed to harnessing emerging technologies for the benefit of people across the Indo-Pacific, and deploying these technologies to facilitate economic prosperity, openness, and connectivity.

    Open Radio Access Network (RAN) and 5G

    In 2023, Quad partners announced the first-ever Open RAN deployment in the Pacific, in Palau, to support a secure, resilient, and interconnected telecommunications ecosystem. Since then, the Quad has committed approximately $20 million to this effort. Building on this initiative, the Quad announces an expansion of Open RAN collaboration to deliver trusted technology solutions.

    The Quad plans to expand support for ongoing Open RAN field trials and the Asia Open RAN Academy (AORA) in the Philippines, building on the initial $8 million in support that the United States and Japan pledged earlier this year.

    In addition, the United States plans to invest over $7 million to support the global expansion of AORA, including through establishing a first-of-its-kind Open RAN workforce training initiative at scale in South Asia, in partnership with Indian institutions.

    Quad partners also welcome the opportunity to explore additional Open RAN projects in Southeast Asia.

    Quad partners will also explore collaborating with the Tuvalu Telecommunications Corporation to ensure the country’s readiness for nationwide 5G deployment.

    Artificial Intelligence (AI)

    Through the Advancing Innovations for Empowering NextGen Agriculture (AI-ENGAGE) initiative announced at the 2023 Quad Leaders’ Summit, Quad governments are deepening leading-edge collaborative research to harness artificial intelligence, robotics, and sensing, to transform agricultural approaches and empower farmers across the Indo-Pacific. The Quad announces an inaugural $7.5+ million in funding opportunities for joint research, and highlights the recent signing of a Memorandum of Cooperation among the four countries’ science agencies to connect research communities and advance shared research principles.

    The Quad recognizes the importance of advancing international efforts to achieve safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence systems, including through the outcomes of the Hiroshima AI Process, GPAI New Delhi Ministerial Declaration 2023, and UN General Assembly resolution 78/625 on “Seizing the opportunities of safe, secure and trustworthy artificial intelligence systems for sustainable development.” The Quad seeks to further deepen international cooperation on artificial intelligence systems and interoperability among artificial intelligence governance frameworks.

    Quad countries, through the Standards Sub-Group, launched two Track 1.5 dialogues on AI and Advanced Communications Technologies to promote international standardization cooperation, including frameworks for AI conformity assessment.

    Biotechnology

    The Quad partners look forward to launching the BioExplore Initiative – a joint effort supported by an initial $2 million in funding to use AI technology to study and analyze biological ecosystems across all four countries. This initiative will help advance our ability to discover and use the diverse capabilities found in living organisms to yield new products and innovations with the potential to diagnose and treat disease, develop resilient crops, generate clean energy, and much more. The initiative will also aim to build technological capacity across the Quad nations.

    This project will also be underpinned by the forthcoming Quad Principles for Research and Development Collaborations in Critical and Emerging Technologies, which advances sustainable, responsible, safe and secure collaborations in biotechnologies and other critical technologies among the Quad and across the region.

    Semiconductors

    Quad Leaders welcome the finalization of a Memorandum of Cooperation for the Semiconductor Supply Chains Contingency Network to facilitate collaboration in addressing semiconductor supply chain risks.

    The Quad Investors Network

    The Quad Investors Network (QUIN) is a nonprofit initiative launched at the 2023 Quad Leaders’ Summit. The QUIN aims to accelerate investments in critical and emerging technologies across the Indo-Pacific region, bringing together investors, entrepreneurs, technologists, and public institutions from the Quad countries to support innovation that aligns with the Quad’s shared values and promotes economic growth, resilience, and regional stability. This year, the QUIN supported ten major strategic investments and partnerships across the Quad in the critical minerals, renewable energy, cybersecurity, and aerospace sectors.

    The QUIN has advanced additional frameworks to foster the development of new technologies and facilitate investment partnerships for emerging startups, including through finalizing a Memorandum of Understanding for the creation of a startup campus in Tokyo, supported by the QUIN and the Chiba Institute of Technology’s Center for Radical Transformation.

    The QUIN is also working to establish a new venture accelerator in Tokyo through a collaboration between the University of Tokyo, Northeastern University, and the QUIN. These collaborations will not only fuel technological advancements but also strengthen the economic ties among the Quad nations, contributing to a more integrated and resilient Indo-Pacific region.

    Finally, the QUIN developed a Quantum Center of Excellence, which produced a report this year highlighting ways each Quad country’s Quantum ecosystems can work together to collectively leverage capital and expertise.

    CLIMATE AND CLEAN ENERGY

    The Quad recognizes the existential threat climate change poses to the world, the Indo-Pacific, and in particular island nations in the Pacific and in the Indian Ocean region, and is taking ambitious steps to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change, promote clean energy innovation and adoption, and support sustainable development.

    Climate Adaptation

    The Quad intends to expand its Early Warning Systems and the Climate Information Services Initiative (CIS), announced at the 2023 Leaders’ Summit. This will help improve Pacific Island countries’ access to high-quality climate data and services, and increase partners’ capacity to prepare for and respond to climate change and its impacts.

    The United States plans to provide 3D-printed automatic weather stations to the Pacific in 2025 to support local weather and climate forecasts, and also train experts in Fiji with the goal of operating a regional center to develop and deploy this technology.

    Australia is also strengthening Early Warning Systems through Weather Ready Pacific, a Pacific-led initiative supported by the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders in 2021 that drives and delivers on the EWS4ALL UN initiative in the Pacific.

    Japan is also enhancing cooperation with Pacific Island countries under its “Pacific Climate Resilience Initiative”, inter alia, by strengthening disaster risk reduction and preparedness through satellite technology and by promoting clean energy through capacity building and installation of renewable energies.

    The Quad also plans to train experts in Kiribati, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, and Vanuatu to better monitor and forecast flash floods, for timely and accurate warnings, reducing human and economic losses from flash floods.

    Clean Energy

    Our countries intend to strengthen our cooperation to align policies, incentives, standards, and investments around creating high-quality, diversified clean energy supply chains that will enhance our collective energy security, create new economic opportunities across the region, and benefit local workers and communities around the world, particularly across the Indo-Pacific. We will work together, through policy and public finance, to operationalize our commitment to catalyzing complementary and high-standard private sector investment in allied and partner clean energy supply chains. We note the uniquely complementary capabilities Quad partners share across the battery supply chain, and pledge to focus near-term efforts on strengthening mineral production, recycling, and battery manufacturing across our respective industries.

    Quad Leaders announced a Quad Clean Energy Supply Chain Diversification Program last year, which aims to support the development of secure and diversified clean energy supply chains in the Indo-Pacific region. Australia will open applications for the Quad Clean Energy Supply Chains Diversification Program in November, providing AUD 50 million to support projects that develop and diversify solar panel, hydrogen electrolyzer and battery supply chains. Secure and diversified clean energy supply chains are an integral part of achieving the Indo-Pacific’s collective energy security, emissions reduction goals and transition to a net zero future.

    India commits to invest $2 million in new solar projects in Fiji, Comoros, Madagascar, and Seychelles.

    Japan has committed to $122 million grants and loans, both public and private, in renewable energy projects in the Indo-Pacific.

    The United States, through the DFC, has extended a $250 million loan to Tata Power Solar to construct a solar cell manufacturing facility and a $500 million loan to First Solar to construct and operate a solar module manufacturing facility in India, and continues to seek opportunities to mobilize private capital to solar, as well as wind, cooling, batteries, and critical minerals to expand capacity and diversify supply chains.

    The Quad announces an initiative to boost energy efficiency, including the deployment and manufacturing of affordable, high-efficiency, cooling systems, to enable climate-vulnerable communities to adapt to rising temperatures while simultaneously reducing strain on the electricity grid. The United States intends to invest an initial $1.25 million of technical assistance financing to this effort.

    CYBER SECURITY

    The Quad is working together to build a more resilient, secure, and complementary cyber security environment for Quad countries and partners.

    The Quad has [developed/released] the Quad Action Plan to Protect Commercial Undersea Telecommunications Cables, to advance the Quad’s shared vision for future digital connectivity, global commerce, and prosperity.

    Quad countries are also partnering with software manufacturers, industry trade groups, and research centers to expand the Quad’s commitment to pursuing secure software development standards and certification, as endorsed in the Quad’s 2023 Secure Software Joint Principles.

    Quad partners will work to harmonize these standards to not only ensure that the development, procurement, and end-use of software for government networks is more secure, but that the cyber resilience of our supply chains, digital economies, and societies are collectively improved.

    Throughout this fall, each Quad country plans to host events to mark the annual Quad Cyber Challenge promoting responsible cyber ecosystems, public resources, and cybersecurity awareness. This year’s Cyber Challenge campaigns will focus on establishing career pathway programs to increase the number and diversity of global cybersecurity professionals, including increased participation by women, in this rapidly growing field. Last year’s Quad Cyber Challenge included over 85,000 participants across the Indo-Pacific region.

    Capacity building projects like the Quad Cyber Bootcamp and the international conference on cyber capacity building in the Philippines are important initiatives to enhance cybersecurity and workforce development in the Indo-Pacific region.

    The Quad is undertaking joint efforts to identify and mitigate vulnerabilities to national security and protection of critical infrastructure networks, and coordinate more closely including on policy responses to sharing of cyber threat information on significant cybersecurity incidents affecting shared priorities.

    COUNTERING DISINFORMATION

    The Quad is working together to foster a resilient information environment, including through its Countering Disinformation Working Group, by supporting media freedom and addressing foreign information manipulation and interference, including disinformation, which undermines trust and sows discord in the international community.

    PEOPLE-TO-PEOPLE TIES

    Quad countries are building enduring ties between their peoples. Stakeholders from Quad countries have participated in International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) and other exchanges, on topics related to cyber security, workforce development for critical and emerging technologies, women in STEM, government transparency and accountability, combating disinformation, and regional maritime governance.

    The Quad Fellowship

    Together with the Institute of International Education, which leads implementation of the Quad Fellowship, Quad governments welcome the second cohort of Quad Fellows and the expansion of the program to include students from ASEAN countries for the first time. The Government of Japan is supporting the program to enable Quad Fellows to study in Japan. The Quad welcomes the generous support of private sector partners for the next cohort of fellows, including Google, the Pratt Foundation, and Western Digital.

    The Quad looks forward to the Quad Fellowship Summit in Washington, DC, in October, organized by the Institute of International Education.

    Additional People-to-People Initiatives

    India announces a new initiative to award fifty Quad scholarships, worth $500,000, to students from the Indo-Pacific to pursue a 4-year undergraduate engineering program at a Government of India-funded technical institution.

    SPACE

    The Quad recognizes the essential contribution of space-related applications and technologies in the Indo-Pacific. The four countries plan to continue delivering Earth Observation data and other space-related applications to assist nations across the Indo-Pacific to strengthen climate early warning systems and better manage the impacts of extreme weather events.

    The Quad welcomes India’s establishment of a space-based web portal for Mauritius to support the concept of open science for space-based monitoring of extreme weather events and climate impact.

    Space Situational Awareness Initiative

    Quad partners intend to share expertise and experience in space situational awareness (SSA), contributing to long-term sustainability of the space environment. Cooperation is intended to leverage SSA and space traffic coordination capabilities in the civil domain, including to help avoid collisions in outer space and manage debris.

    COUNTERING TERRORISM

    The Quad hosted its first Counter Terrorism Working Group (CTWG) in 2023 and will meet annually to discuss CT threats, Quad CT good practices, and ways the Quad can work together to mitigate acts of terrorism through information sharing, consequence management and strategic messaging. The Quad CTWG currently focuses on countering the use of unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS), chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear devices (CBRN), and the internet for terrorist purposes. The Quad CTWG discusses new CT lines of effort on which to collaborate, hosts technical workshops for establishing CT good practices, and explores ways to engage non-Quad members with Quad-established CT expertise.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: National Conference on ‘Emerging Trends in Psychological and Educational Interventions for Diverse Learners: Future Prospects and Challenges’, organized in Ahmedabad

    Source: Government of India (2)

    National Conference on ‘Emerging Trends in Psychological and Educational Interventions for Diverse Learners: Future Prospects and Challenges’, organized in Ahmedabad

    “Divyang students should be encouraged to pursue fields of engineering, science, and technology”: Secretary, DEPwD

    Posted On: 21 SEP 2024 9:45PM by PIB Delhi

    A three-day National Conference on ‘Emerging Trends in Psychological and Educational Interventions for Diverse Learners: Future Prospects and Challenges’, is being jointly organized by the Indian Academy of Health Psychology; the B.Ed. and M.Ed. Special Education Department, Sardar Patel University, Vallabh Vidyanagar; and, the Composite Regional Skill Development, Rehabilitation, and Empowerment Centre for Divyangjan (M/o Social Justice & Empowerment), in Ahmedabad, from 20th to 22nd September 2024.

     

     

    On the second day of the conference, Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary of the Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (DEPwD), Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, Government of India, graced the event as the chief guest. He elaborated on the significant initiatives undertaken by the Government of India for persons with disabilities, such as the UDID card, free coaching programmes, and other schemes.

    Further, Shri Aggarwal particularly advocated for enhancing access to science and technology education for Divyangjan, especially those who are visually impaired or deaf-mute. He said, “Divyang students should be encouraged to pursue fields of engineering, science, and technology”.

    Dr. Niranjan Patel, Vice Chancellor of Sardar Patel University, presided over the ceremony. Mrs. Pooja Patel, Board Member of the National Trust Act and EC Member of the Rehabilitation Council of India (RCI), Delhi, along with Dr. Ajit Kumar, Director of CRC, Ahmedabad, were also present at the event. The conference director, Dr. Sameer J. Patel, delivered the welcome address, and Dr. Niranjan Patel emphasized the university’s sensitivity towards the needs of Divyangjan.

    Over 300 participants attended the three-day symposium, which received 119 research papers. The conference also saw the release of an abstract book compiling these research papers.

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  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: 2-Day Global Food Regulators Summit 2024 Concludes with a Pledge to Strengthen Food Safety Systems across the Globe

    Source: Government of India

    2-Day Global Food Regulators Summit 2024 Concludes with a Pledge to Strengthen Food Safety Systems across the Globe

    India Leads the Way to Strengthen Global Food Safety Ecosystem

    It is our responsibility to ensure food safety along with food security: Shri Chirag Paswan

    “The diversity of our food systems is truly remarkable—this is the essence of India. We need to brainstorm ways to transform this rich abundance into meaningful opportunities”

    Posted On: 21 SEP 2024 7:34PM by PIB Delhi

    Union Minister of Food Processing Industries, Shri Chirag Paswan addressed the Valedictory Ceremony of the two-day Global Food Regulators Summit 2024 at Bharat Mandapam, here today. Hosted by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India (FSSAI) under the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare, the summit featured insightful dialogues and discussions aimed at fostering international collaboration and knowledge-sharing on food safety and regulatory issues.

    Addressing the session, Shri Chirag Paswan said, “It is our responsibility to ensure food safety along with food security. We should aim not only to maintain the quality of our food but also to explore ways to enhance its value.” Shri Paswan congratulated FSSAI for organizing the global summit which saw a massive participation of national and international food regulators and other stakeholders.  “The diversity of our food systems is truly remarkable—this is the essence of India. We need to brainstorm ways to transform this rich abundance into meaningful opportunities,” he added.

    Dr. V K Paul, Member, NITI Aayog, in his special address commended the Eat Right India movement of FSSAI. He said, “I’m very proud that our nation has the Eat Right Movement. I urge all of you to join the movement of the Eat Right India Jan Andolan and engage in behavioural change.”

    Earlier in the day, Smt Anupriya Patel, Hon’ble Minister of State for Health and Family Welfare and Chemicals and Fertilizers, delivered the Presidential Address at the Regional Conclave which was held as a parallel session. She emphasized on unity and collaboration between countries to elevate the role of regional countries in shaping food safety standards globally. She also shed light on the crucial role played by FSSAI in aligning the national food safety standards of India to that of Codex norms.

    India hosted the Regional Conclave aimed at enhancing collaboration and harmonization within the Codex Alimentarius Commission’s standard-setting process. This is the first time that a Regional Conclave has been organized outside the headquarters of Codex in Rome. It provided a dedicated platform for Asian countries to discuss food safety, trade, and regulatory challenges unique to the region.

    Ms Punya Salila Srivastava, Officer on Special Duty, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare delivered the keynote address at the occasion.

    Shri G. Kamala Vardhana Rao, FSSAI CEO provided an overview of the discussions held during the two-day event. He expressed gratitude to both national and international delegates for their invaluable contributions and expertise during the discussions.

    The second day of the summit saw insightful discussions on critical subjects like residue and contaminant monitoring systems, new-age analysis in food-testing, addressing hidden hunger through fortification and impact of animal feed on food safety and human health. The summit was inaugurated on 20th September 2024 (Friday), by Shri JP Nadda, Union Minister for Health and Family Welfare. It brought together food regulators from around the world to exchange perspectives and knowledge on crucial issues related to food safety systems and regulatory frameworks throughout the food value chain.

    Various initiatives including Food Import Rejection Alerts (FIRA)- an online portal for notification of food import rejections at Indian borders and FICS 2.0 – an advanced website for the Food Import Clearance System, were launched during the Summit. A millets recipe show ‘Flavours of Shree Anna – Sehat aur Swaad Ke Sang’ was also launched during the inauguration ceremony. The release of the State Food Safety Index (SFSI) 2024, an annual report evaluating the food safety performance of Indian states and union territories, was also a highlight of the event.

    The Summit brought together delegates from over 70 countries, including Food safety regulators and those from Risk Assessment Authorities, Research Institutes and Universities who discussed and strategized on key regulatory issues. It highlighted India’s commitment to leading global efforts in enhancing food safety standards and ensuring food security. It set off dialogue on critical aspects such as food safety, risk assessment, analytical competence, and capacity-building initiatives, which impact the food safety ecosystem worldwide.

    Ms Inoshi Sharma, Executive Director, FSSAI and senior officials of the Union Health Ministry were present at the event.

    ****

     MV

     HFW/ GFRS Valedictory Session /21st September 2024/1

    (Release ID: 2057388) Visitor Counter : 17

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Celebrity brands: Why fame alone isn’t enough to keep them afloat anymore

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Omar H. Fares, Lecturer of Marketing in the Lazaridis School of Business and Economics, Wilfrid Laurier University

    Over the past decade, there has been a significant rise of celebrity brands. Recent data from NielsenIQ, a global marketing research firm, shows just how significant this boom has become.

    Celebrity beauty brands collectively achieved $1.1 billion in sales from November 2022 to November 2023. Interestingly, these brands experienced a growth rate of 57.8 per cent, far outpacing the overall beauty category’s growth of 11.1 per cent during the same period.

    Celebrity brands are products or services created, endorsed or owned by famous individuals who leverage their fame to influence consumer decisions. With the rise of social media and the emergence of digital celebrities, these celebrity brands have become increasingly prominent.

    On the surface, the appeal seems straightforward for both celebrities and consumers. Celebrities use their influence to develop brands that bypass the typical awareness stage, entering consumers’ consideration immediately upon launch.

    Consumers, in turn, expect that a celebrity they admire will offer high-quality products that resonate with their preferences and values. However, this trust can quickly erode when products fail to meet expectations.

    Why do some brands fail?

    While some celebrity brands, like Selena Gomez’s Rare Beauty and Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty brands, are successful, not all manage to maintain their initial momentum.

    A notable example is beauty influencer Jaclyn Hill’s cosmetics brand, which faced major backlash when her 2019 lipstick launch was filled by complaints of defective products, leading to a recall and long-lasting damage to her brand’s reputation. Hill has since announced the brand will be shutting down, highlighting how even celebrity brands can falter when quality and consumer trust are compromised.

    There are three key reasons that can often lead to the downfall of these ventures: product quality, authenticity and misalignment of positioning with the target market.

    Consumers expect that products endorsed by their favourite celebrities will live up to a high standard. When this expectation is not met, trust is quickly eroded. This falls in line with the expectation confirmation theory, which suggests consumer satisfaction is shaped by the relationship between initial expectations and the actual performance of the product.

    An example of this is Kylie Jenner’s skincare brand, Kylie Skin, which came under fire shortly after its launch for promoting a walnut scrub. Skincare professionals and consumers criticized the product, for being too harsh for the skin and potentially causing microtears. This raised questions about the product safety and hurt the brand’s reputation early on.

    Consumers expect products to deliver on promises, and if quality is lacking, no amount of celebrity endorsement can save the brand.

    The value of authenticity

    Younger consumers especially value authenticity in celebrity brands. Consumers are increasingly drawn to brands that feel like a true extension of the celebrity’s personal brand and values.

    When a brand feels disingenuous or disconnected from the celebrity, it often results in strong backlash. Given the heightened expectations surrounding celebrity-backed ventures, any perceived inauthenticity tends to amplify negative word-of-mouth, even more so than traditional brands.

    For example, in the case of Millie Bobby Brown’s Florence by Mills, the brand faced early challenges, particularly regarding its authenticity and the quality of its marketing.

    Shortly after its 2019 launch, Brown was criticized for faking a skincare routine video in which she appeared to mimic applying her products without actually using them. This misstep raised doubts about her involvement in the brand and its authenticity, leading to public backlash.

    Brown later apologized, saying she was “still learning” about the beauty space. Although the brand has since recovered, and Brown has recently announced that she is launching a fashion brand, this sort of hurdle can be a breaking point for other brands.

    Misalignment with target market

    Misalignment between what celebrities think their target market wants and what the market actually desires can severely impact a brand’s success. An example of misalignment in brand positioning is Jessica Alba’s Honest Beauty.

    Initially launched as part of the Honest Company, which focuses on safe, non-toxic baby products, Honest Beauty faced challenges when it expanded into skincare. Issues like the 2015 sunscreen backlash where consumers reported sunburns despite using the product, and other allegations of misleading product claims, eroded trust.

    Additionally, while the brand was positioned as eco-conscious and affordable, some premium-priced products alienated a portion of the target audience, creating a disconnect between its mission and consumer expectations.

    In essence, successful brands must align their positioning — how the brand is perceived in the minds of the consumers — with the celebrity’s image and their audience’s expectations to avoid such challenges.

    The future of celebrity brands

    As the market continues to evolve and consumers become more discerning about the products they buy, the success of celebrity brands requires more than just star power these days. The era of slapping a famous name on any product and expecting it to sell is over.

    Many consumers are also experiencing “celebrity fatigue” due to the oversaturation of celebrity brands. This year alone has seen the launch of Beyoncé haircare brand Cécred, Dwayne Johnson’s skincare brand Papatui and Wiz Khalifa’s Mistercap’s mushroom growing kits.

    With the market becoming increasingly competitive, longevity is now a critical measure of success. While some brands may enjoy an initial boost of interest upon launch, the real challenge lies in sustaining that momentum over time.

    To stand out in today’s crowded marketplace, celebrity brands must demonstrate substance, quality and purpose. Today’s consumers are looking for brands that go beyond the surface, offering consumers real value, authenticity and a commitment to social responsibility. Celebrity brands must work to prove their worth and longevity to consumers.

    As we move forward, the focus will shift from the sheer number of celebrity brand launches to which ones are truly deserving of consumers’ trust in a space that continues to be increasingly competitive.

    Omar H. Fares 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. Celebrity brands: Why fame alone isn’t enough to keep them afloat anymore – https://theconversation.com/celebrity-brands-why-fame-alone-isnt-enough-to-keep-them-afloat-anymore-238956

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How to navigate the challenges of long-distance caregiving

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Navjot Gill-Chawla, Doctoral Candidate, Aging, Health and Well-being, University of Waterloo

    Co-ordinating care from a different time zone, navigating language barriers and managing finances and legal matters remotely can be overwhelming. (Shutterstock)

    Taking on the role of a caregiver can often come with a lot of physical and mental stress and doing so from a distance can be even more emotionally taxing.

    Long-distance caregiving presents unique challenges for caregivers in different cities, regions or countries. Distance can create a sense of helplessness and guilt, as caregivers feel powerless to provide hands-on assistance or support in times of need. The inability to be physically present can also lead to feelings of isolation and frustration as caregivers grapple with the limitations of their involvement in their family member’s daily lives.

    In our modern world families are increasingly spread across borders, making it challenging to provide care and support to aging parents, relatives or friends. These logistical challenges of long-distance caregiving add another layer of stress. Co-ordinating care from a different time zone, navigating language barriers and managing finances and legal matters remotely can be overwhelming.

    Constantly juggling responsibilities and the pressure to make crucial decisions from a distance can take a toll on the caregiver’s mental and emotional well-being.

    However, with the proper support, resources and coping strategies, caregivers can navigate these challenges and provide meaningful support to their family and relatives from afar.

    Constantly juggling responsibilities and the pressure to make crucial decisions from a distance can take a toll on the caregiver’s mental and emotional well-being.
    (Shutterstock)

    Challenges of long-distance care

    One of the primary challenges of long-distance caregiving is communication. Maintaining open lines of communication with health-care providers, family members and the person receiving care is essential for ensuring the necessary support and assistance are provided.

    However, distance can hinder effective communication, leading to misunderstandings and delays in addressing urgent needs. Another challenge is co-ordinating medical care and accessing essential services.

    Caregivers may need help finding reliable health-care providers in their family member’s location. Additionally, navigating the complexities of health-care systems and insurance coverage in different countries can be daunting, requiring careful research and planning.

    Financial considerations also play a significant role in long-distance caregiving. Supporting someone from afar often entails significant expenses, including travel costs on top of the usual expenses of long-term care. Caregivers may need to make difficult decisions about their finances and employment to accommodate the financial demands of caregiving, adding to their stress and anxiety.

    Moreover, the emotional toll of long-distance caregiving cannot be overstated. Caregivers may experience feelings of guilt, anxiety and depression as they grapple with the challenges of balancing their caregiving responsibilities with other aspects of their lives.

    Supporting long-distance caregivers

    While caregiving from afar is challenging, there are strategies and resources available to support caregivers with their responsibilities. Building a support network of family members, friends and health-care professionals can provide caregivers with emotional support and practical assistance.

    Seeking out local resources and support groups, both in their community and in the community where their family member resides, can also help caregivers feel less isolated and overwhelmed.

    Utilizing technology can also facilitate communication and co-ordination of care. Video calls, messaging apps and telehealth services allow caregivers to stay connected with their family members and health-care providers, regardless of geographical distance. Online platforms and mobile applications can also help caregivers manage appointments, medications and other aspects of their family member’s care more effectively.

    By fostering a supportive environment and promoting collaboration among caregivers, we can help alleviate the burdens of long-distance caregiving.
    (Shutterstock)

    Policymakers can potentially address the challenges of long-distance caregiving by implementing several key measures. Cross-border health-care agreements can ensure consistent access to medical services, simplifying care and reducing financial and legal burdens. Governments can also invest in support networks, such as helplines, counselling, and care co-ordination services that provide caregivers with valuable local resource information.

    Financial support, through tax incentives or travel subsidies, can help ease the economic strain of caregiving from afar. Flexible work policies, like remote work options and caregiving leave, would enable caregivers to balance their responsibilities without sacrificing financial stability. For example, the Canada Caregiver Credit provides tax relief for those supporting a spouse, common-law partner, or dependent living with physical or mental impairment. Additionally, Employment Insurance Family Caregiver Benefits offer up to 35 weeks of financial support to caregivers who need to take time off work to care for a critically ill or injured family member.

    Finally, inclusive caregiving policies should ensure that benefits and services are accessible to all caregivers, including those providing care across international borders.

    Caregivers, both near and far, face numerous obstacles and challenges. It is essential to recognize the unique needs of long-distance caregivers and provide them with the resources and support they need to fulfill their caregiving responsibilities effectively.

    By fostering a supportive environment and promoting collaboration among caregivers, health-care professionals and community organizations, we can potentially help alleviate the burdens of long-distance caregiving and ensure that those receiving and giving care get the support they deserve.

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

    – ref. How to navigate the challenges of long-distance caregiving – https://theconversation.com/how-to-navigate-the-challenges-of-long-distance-caregiving-238412

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General James and CUNY Announce Ruschell Boone Scholarship

    Source: US State of New York

    NEW YORK – New York Attorney General Letitia James and the City University of New York (CUNY) Board of Trustees Chairperson William C. Thompson, Jr. today announced the establishment of the Ruschell Boone Scholarship, a memorial fund in honor of the late award-winning journalist that will support West Indian students pursuing journalism degrees at the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at CUNY or Baruch College. Ruschell Boone was an Emmy award-winning reporter at Spectrum News NY1, and a graduate of CUNY’s Baruch College who passed away in 2023 following a brave battle against pancreatic cancer. The scholarship is supported by an initial endowment of $125,000 pledged by the CUNY Board of Trustees and University supporters and will help defray the cost of college-related expenses for students.

    “Ruschell Boone was a brilliant journalist who touched the lives of everyone she encountered,” said Attorney General James. “Her understanding of this city, its communities, and its people truly made her a New York City treasure. She uplifted people whose stories were often overlooked, and always showed up during the tough and scary times because she knew her reporting brought comfort to this city. With this scholarship, Ruschell’s legacy lives on – empowering a future generation of journalists to embody her authenticity and compassion. I am so grateful to Chair Thompson and CUNY for providing this scholarship and honoring Ruschell in the most impactful way.”

    “We are proud to honor Ruschell Boone, continuing the principle she lived by, with this new scholarship in her name for CUNY students,” said CUNY Board of Trustees Chairperson William C. Thompson Jr. “We are appreciative to her fellow CUNY alumna, New York State Attorney General Letitia James, for having the idea to preserve Ruschell’s legacy in this meaningful way.”

    “Ruschell Boone made a name for herself in her two decades keeping New Yorkers informed on NY1, even as she battled pancreatic cancer,” said CUNY Chancellor Félix V. Matos Rodríguez. “She was an inspirational Baruch alumna who made it her mission to support those who came after her, and it is our honor to keep the memory of her dedication to mentorship alive with this scholarship.”

    “Ruschell’s presence leapt off the screen,” said Spectrum Networks Executive Vice President Michael Bair. “She was effervescent, on and off camera. She was also a fierce, ambitious, and determined journalist. She set high standards for herself, NY1, and our whole city. It is only fitting that her incomparable legacy live on through this investment in the next generation of journalists.”

    Ruschell dedicated her career to telling the stories of New York’s diverse communities and made it her personal mission to give back to the community and inspire youth to pursue their passions. In recognition of this mission, Attorney General James and the CUNY Board of Trustees established the Ruschell Boone Scholarship to defray the cost of tuition, fees, and other college-related expenses for West Indian students pursuing degrees in journalism at CUNY.

    Ruschell was born in Kingston, Jamaica, where she spent her early childhood before immigrating to the Bronx at age 11. As a student at Baruch College, Ruschell discovered a passion for journalism, which first led her to CNBC and CNN, and ultimately landed her at Spectrum News NY1 in 2002. In her 20 years at NY1, Ruschell was beloved by New Yorkers for her thoughtful, informative reporting and focus on communities that were often ignored, marginalized, or misrepresented.

    In addition to her coverage of countless major events, including the pandemic, Hurricane Sandy, the 2016 bombing in Manhattan, and protests for racial justice, Ruschell was known as a strong community presence and a familiar face at many marquee New York events. She was the first to interview Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after the then-candidate’s stunning Democratic primary win, an exclusive interview that quickly became a viral sensation. Ruschell earned multiple awards for her work, including Best Spot News Reporting from the New York Association of Black Journalists, Best Feature Reporting from the New York Press Club, and a New York Emmy Award for her series, “New York: Unfiltered.”

    For donations to the Ruschell Boone Scholarship Fund, checks may be payable to the City University of New York and will be deposited in a separate account at the CUNY Endowment Fund for the purpose of funding the scholarships. If a 501(c)3 is required for the donation, then checks may be made payable to the Research Foundation of the City University of New York, where they will be held in a separate account.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘Breakthrough discovery’: Indigenous Rangers in outback WA find up to 50 night parrots – one of Australia’s most elusive birds

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rachel Paltridge, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, ecology, The University of Western Australia

    In arid inland Australia lives one of Australia’s rarest birds: the night parrot. Missing for more than a century, a live population was rediscovered in 2013. But the species remains elusive.

    Until recently, Australia’s known night parrot population numbered in the tens of birds, scattered across desert in Queensland and Western Australia.

    But our research team – consisting of Indigenous rangers and scientists – has made a breakthrough discovery. We’ve detected the largest known night parrot population in the world: perhaps as many as 50, living in WA’s Great Sandy Desert, on land managed by the Ngururrpa people. Our results are published today.

    Urgent action is needed to protect these vulnerable populations and ensure the night parrot doesn’t go missing a second time, perhaps for good.

    The night parrot lives in arid inland Australia. Pictured: an 1890 illustration by Elizabeth Gould.
    Wikimedia, CC BY

    A highly mysterious species

    The night parrot was once found throughout Australia’s arid inland, but its numbers plummeted in the late 19th century.

    The bird was not definitely recorded for more than 100 years, until a dead bird was found near Boulia in western Queensland in 1990. Another dead bird was found in Diamantina National Park, also in western Queensland, in 2006.

    In 2013 a small population was found by naturalist John Young in south-western Queensland. That area is now a wildlife reserve.

    Night parrots are notoriously difficult to detect. They build tunnels in dense spinifex and hide there by day, emerging at night to forage. They are known only from populations in remote south-west Queensland and central and northern Western Australia. The species is critically endangered.

    In Western Australia, Indigenous cultural knowledge about the species includes stories about how difficult the bird is to find. There are also whispered stories of mothers telling children the night parrot’s call was the sound of an evil spirit, and warning them not to stray from camp.

    A short video explaining the night parrot project.

    What we did

    The Ngururrpa Indigenous Protected Area is in the Great Sandy Desert. It comprises vast areas of sandplains and dunefields, and smaller areas of floodplain and spinifex which are key night parrot habitats.

    The researchers recorded night parrots using ‘songmeters’.
    Ngururrpa Rangers/Facebook

    Ngururrpa Rangers worked with scientists to learn how to use sound recorders to search for night parrots. We then searched for the birds on Country between 2018 and 2023.

    We combined the rangers’ detailed knowledge of habitats, water and seed resources with geology maps, satellite imagery and fire history data. From this we selected 31 potential roosting areas, then deployed sound recorders called “songmeters” at those sites.

    We wanted to detect the night parrots’ distinctive calls which consist of whistles, croaks and bell-like sounds.

    The acoustic data we gathered was then analysed to extract any bird calls in the night parrot’s frequency range. Potential detections were verified using a reference library of known night parrot calls.

    Our results

    We detected night parrot calls at 17 of 31 sites. Of these, ten were roost sites, where night parrot calls were detected in the hour after sunset and the hour before sunrise.

    Individual night parrots are thought to have unique calls. We analysed how many different calls we could hear, and how loud they were (which can tell us when birds are calling from different locations). From this we built a picture of the identity and number of individuals regularly occupying a site.

    We extrapolated this across the 58 patches of potential night parrot habitat on the Ngururrpa Indigenous Protected Area. We concluded up to 20 roosting areas may be occupied by night parrots.

    Based on the numbers at roosting sites where we recorded calls, we estimate 40–50 night parrots could be present in the Ngururrpa Indigenous Protected Area.

    Fire and predators pose grave threats

    Once we found the night parrot populations, we wanted to know what threats they faced.

    We used camera-traps to identify predators and also collected their scats (poos) to analyse their diets.

    Ngururrpa Ranger Kathryn Njamme with a night parrot feather.
    Ngururrpa IPA

    Dingoes were the predator detected most frequently in night parrot roosting habitat. Our cameras captured them ten times more often than feral cats. And we found dingoes regularly eat feral cats at night parrot sites.

    Based on information from other areas, we suspect cats are a key predator of night parrots. Dingoes could be important in suppressing cat numbers and helping the parrots survive. So, attempts to limit predators in night parrot habitat should not harm dingoes.

    We also analysed 40 years of satellite imagery to assess the threat of fire to night parrots’ roosting habitat. Based on the vegetation types and flammability of surrounding landscapes, we found bushfires sparked by lightning are a much bigger threat to night parrots in the Great Sandy Desert than in Queensland.

    Strategic aerial and ground burning, to reduce fuel loads, already occurs in the Ngururrpa Indigenous Protected Area. As our knowledge of night parrots improves, these programs can become more targeted to protect key night parrot areas.

    Ngururrpa Rangers using ‘Felixer’ devices to selectively control cats in night parrot habitat.
    Ngururrpa IPA

    Keeping night parrots alive

    A long-term monitoring program for night parrots on Ngururrpa Country should be established to help better understand and protect this vitally important population.

    And the remote, wild nature of the landscape should be retained. This means minimising disturbance from people and vehicles, and continuing to exclude livestock and weeds.

    Clifford Sunfly has articulated how the rangers want to help protect night parrots into the future:

    We would like to spend more time on Country to find where [night parrots] are and understand what they are doing.

    We want those scientists to come and help us catch some night parrots and tag them. We also need more snake-cams (inspection cameras) too and more songmeters. And a kit for collecting scats for DNA.

    One day we would love to have our own research facility for doing our night parrot surveys. It would be our dream to have our own research base on Ngururrpa.

    Rachel Paltridge receives funding from the National Environmental Science Program’s Resilient Landscapes Hub, and the Indigenous Desert Alliance.

    Clifford Sunfly is a Ngururrpa Ranger. The ranger program receives funding from the WA government’s Aboriginal Ranger Program and the State NRM Program.

    Nicholas Leseberg receives funding from the Australian and Queensland Governments. He works for Bush Heritage Australia, and as a consultant on night parrots for many projects.

    – ref. ‘Breakthrough discovery’: Indigenous Rangers in outback WA find up to 50 night parrots – one of Australia’s most elusive birds – https://theconversation.com/breakthrough-discovery-indigenous-rangers-in-outback-wa-find-up-to-50-night-parrots-one-of-australias-most-elusive-birds-239449

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 09.22.2024 Sen. Cruz Applauds Announcement of House Vote on His Bipartisan CHIPS Permitting Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas Ted Cruz
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Ranking Member Ted Cruz (R-Texas) released the following statement after it was announced that the bipartisan legislation he authored with Sen. Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.) to dramatically expedite semiconductor manufacturing plant construction would receive a vote on the House floor next week. The Kelly-Cruz bill has already passed the Senate.
    “My number-one priority fighting for Texas has always been jobs, jobs, jobs,” said Sen. Cruz. “I am thrilled that the House has scheduled the Kelly-Cruz legislation for a vote next week. I’ve teamed up with Democrat Senator Mark Kelly to pass landmark legislation streamlining environmental permitting rules for new semiconductor factories.  When passed, Kelly-Cruz will help bring tens of thousands of jobs to Texas and hundreds of billions in new investments. It will also advance our national security significantly by making us much less dependent on China for advanced semiconductors. Our bipartisan legislation passed the Senate unanimously, and I urge our House colleagues to likewise swiftly pass it into law.”
    During the week of September 23rd, the House will vote on S. 2228, the “Building Chips in America Act,” under suspension of the rules, requiring a 2/3 majority of House members for passage. S.2228 was modified with substitute text authored by Sens. Cruz and Kelly (Senate Amendment 1378).
    In December, the Senate unanimously passed Sens. Cruz and Kelly’s bipartisan chips permitting bill, which was cosponsored by Sens. Todd Young (R-IN), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), and Kyrsten Sinema (I-AZ). This legislation had also previously passed the Senate in July of 2023 as part of the Senate’s version of the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).In October of 2023, Sens. Cruz and Kelly led  a bipartisan, bicameral letter with over 100 signers in support of passing these permitting reforms.
    In January, Sen. Cruz toured the Samsung facility in Taylor, Texas and reiterated the importance of his CHIPS/National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) legislation. Sen. Cruz also hosted a roundtable event in Round Rock, Texas, to discuss regulatory hurdles facing the semiconductor industry. Sen. Cruz engaged with many Texas-based semiconductor companies, and discussed how burdensome federal environmental requirements are driving up compliance costs for chip manufacturers, leading to slower construction timelines.
    In April, Sen. Cruz discussed the need for chips permitting reform at a roundtable discussion hosted by Southern Methodist University after the university had been designated the lead agency for this federally funded economic development initiative, aimed at bolstering semiconductor manufacturing in the United States.
    Background on Sen. Cruz’s efforts to encourage American innovation through Chips manufacturing:
    During a Senate Commerce Committee hearing on ‘CHIPS and Science Implementation and Oversight,’ Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo endorsed Sens. Cruz and Mark Kelly’s (D-AZ) CHIPS/NEPA proposal.
    Sen. Cruz helped enact historic tax reform in 2017, which gave a tax cut to virtually every taxpayer in America. It reduced taxes on small businesses, farmers, ranchers, and job producers, which has helped bring jobs to Texas and drive innovation.
    Sen. Cruz has been leading the fight against burdensome federal government regulations and EPA overreach.
    Sen. Cruz authored the Cost Recovery and Expensing Acceleration to Transform the Economy and Jumpstart Opportunities for Businesses and Startups (CREATE JOBS) Act, which would vitally reform business expensing in the tax code and help businesses and innovators thrive.
    Sen. Cruz championed the Facilitating American-Built Semiconductors (FABS) Act to incentivize manufacturing in the U.S. through tax credits. That legislation is now law.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why are the violins the biggest section in the orchestra?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laura Case, Lecturer in Musicology, Sydney Conservatorium of Music, University of Sydney

    Manuel Nägeli/Unsplash, FAL

    As the largest section of the orchestra, sitting front and centre of the stage performing memorable melodies, it’s easy for violinists to steal the limelight. Ask any violinist why there are so many in an orchestra, and we’ll often reply, tongue-in-cheek: “obviously it’s because we’re the best”.

    The real answer is a bit more complex, and combines reasons both logistical and historical.

    How we got the modern orchestra

    During the Baroque period between around 1600 and 1750, the composition of the orchestra was not standardised, and often used instruments based on availability. Monteverdi’s opera L’Orfeo, which premiered in 1607, is one of the earliest examples of a composer specifying the desired instrumentation.

    The size of the orchestra also varied. Johann Sebastian Bach wrote for and worked with ensembles of up to 18 players in Germany. At Palazzo Pamphili in Rome, Corelli directed ensembles of 50–80 musicians – and, on one notable occasion to celebrate the coronation of Pope Innocent XII, an ensemble of 150 string players.

    The modern-day violin was also developed around this time, and eventually replaced the instruments of the viol family. The violin has remained a staple member of the orchestra ever since.

    Philippe Mercier, 1689 or 1691–1760, Franco-German, active in Britain (from 1716), The Sense of Hearing, 1744 to 1747, Oil on canvas.
    Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection, B1974.3.19.

    Music of this period was created on a smaller scale than much of the repertoire we hear today, and often placed a strong focus on string instruments. As the orchestra became more standardised, members of the woodwind family appeared, including the oboe, bassoon, recorder and transverse flute.

    During the classical period from around 1730 to 1820, orchestral performances moved from the royal courts into the public domain, and their size continued to grow. Instruments were organised into sections, and bowed strings formed the majority.

    Composers began to use a wider range of instruments and techniques. Beethoven wrote parts for the early double bassoon, piccolo flute, trombone (which was largely confined to church music beforehand), and individual double bass parts (where previously they had often doubled the cello part).

    Marco Ricci, 1676–1729, Italian, active in Britain (1708–10; 1711–16), Rehearsal of an opera, ca. 1709, Oil on canvas.
    Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Collection, B1981.25.523.

    During the romantic period of the 19th century, composer Hector Berlioz, author of a Treatise on Instrumentation and Modern Orchestration (1841), further developed the symphony orchestra by adding instruments such as the tuba, cor anglais and bass clarinet.

    By the end of the 19th century, many orchestras reached the size and proportions we recognise today, with works that require more than 100 musicians, such as Wagner’s Ring Cycle.

    What’s size got to do with it?

    As increasing numbers of performers and instruments became standard in orchestral repertoire, ensembles became louder, and more string players were needed to balance the sound. The violin is a comparatively quiet instrument, and a solo player cannot be heard over the power of the brass.

    Having violinists at the front of the stage also helps the sound reach the audience’s ears without competing to be heard over the louder instruments.

    The typical layout of the orchestra has not always been standard. First violinists (who often carry the melody) and second violinists (who typically play a supportive role) used to sit opposite each other on stage.

    US conductor Leopold Stokowski rearranged the position of the first and second violinists during the 1920s so they sat next to each other on the left of the stage. This change meant the voices of each string section were arranged from high to low across the stage.

    This change was widely adopted and has become a standard setup for the modern orchestra.

    Stokowski is known for experimenting with the layout of the orchestra. He once placed the entire woodwind section at the front of the orchestra ahead of the strings, receiving widespread criticism from the audience and musicians. The board of the Philadelphia Orchestra allegedly said the winds “weren’t busy enough to put on a good show”.

    Sound, texture and timbre

    String players do not need to worry about lung capacity or breaking for air. As such, violinists can perform long melodic passages with fast finger work, and our bows allow for seemingly endless sustain. Melodies written for strings are innumerable, and often memorable.

    Having several violinists play together creates a specific sound and texture that is distinct from a solo string player and the other sections of the orchestra. Not only is the sound of every violin slightly different, the rate of each string’s vibration and the movement of each player’s bow varies. The result is a rich and full texture that creates a lush effect.

    Today, symphony orchestras are expected to perform an incredibly diverse range of repertoire from classical to romantic, film scores to newly commissioned works. Determining the number of violinists who will appear in any given piece is a question of balance that will change depending on the repertoire.

    A Mozart symphony might require fewer than ten wind or brass players, who would be drowned out by a full string section. However, a Mahler symphony requires more than 30 non-string players – meaning far more string players are needed to balance out this sound.

    Room for experimentation

    Notable exceptions to the orchestra’s standard setup include Charles Ives’ 1908 The Unanswered Question for string orchestra, solo trumpet and wind quartet spread around the room; Stockhausen’s 1958 Gruppen, pour trois orchestres, in which three separate orchestras perform in a horseshoe shape around the audience; and Pierre Boulz’s 1981 Répons featuring 24 performers on a stage surrounded by the audience, who are in turn surrounded by six soloists.

    Despite experimentation, the placement and number of instruments in an orchestra has remained relatively standard since the 19th century.

    Many aspects of the traditional orchestra’s setup make sense. However, many of the orchestra’s habits come down to tradition and perhaps unconscious alignment with “just the way things are done”.

    Laura Case 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. Why are the violins the biggest section in the orchestra? – https://theconversation.com/why-are-the-violins-the-biggest-section-in-the-orchestra-236596

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Do footy’s best and fairest awards achieve what they claim?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Hunter Fujak, Senior Lecturer in Sport Management, Deakin University

    Football’s awards season kicks off this week, with the AFL’s Brownlow Medal awarded on Monday evening and the NRL’s Dally M awarded on October 2.

    Both medals aim to crown their league’s best regular season player.

    Historical voting patterns, however, question whether they achieve this objective, or rather award the most influential key position player from the season’s most successful teams.

    How to assess a fairest and best player?

    A curiosity of the Australian sport landscape is that all four major football codes use a different panel of judges in award voting.

    The AFL’s Brownlow Medal is voted on by umpires, while the NRL’s Dally M is determined by a pool of media pundits and ex-players.

    Rugby Australia’s John Eales Medal is voted on by players, and the A-League’s Johnny Warren Medal is judged by a four-body panel that consists of a technical football expert, football media representative, former player and match officials.

    Each one of these structures produces unique biases and criticisms.

    The Brownlow: the midfielder’s medal

    The Brownlow was devised as an award for the fairest and best player of the AFL competition, reflecting the often understated importance of fair play that umpires are uniquely positioned to judge.

    The Brownlow’s voting system has long been a topic of interest for fans, pundits and academics alike.

    While Lachie Neale’s surprise victory in 2023 generated renewed controversy, the Brownlow has long been criticised as a midfielders award.

    Melbourne’s Herald, in 1938, stated:

    Under the present method, men playing on the full-forward or full-back lines have little chance of winning the award usually being won by men most constantly in the play who are able to stand out in comparatively weak sides.

    This observation around weak sides reflected that from 1931 to 1938, the Brownlow went on an eight-season run of being won by a player not from a finals team.

    Indeed, among the first 49 Brownlow winners from 1924 to 1969, only 31% came from finalists.

    Since 1970, 72% of winners have come from a finals team (noting the finals system has changed over time).

    One consistent long-term trend has been the dominance of midfielders.

    Among the 27 Brownlows awarded this millennium, only Adam Goodes (a two-time winner) would not be considered primarily a midfielder.

    This positional dominance is not unique to AFL.

    Soccer’s most pre-eminent global award, the Ballon d’Or, has been awarded 66 times, of which a defender has been the recipient only four times and a goalkeeper once.

    The Dally M suffers from a similar concentration.

    The Dally M: the media medal

    The Dally M has been awarded since 1979, becoming rugby league’s premier individual honour in 1998 with the formation of the NRL.

    In 45 years of voting, the winner has come from a non-finalist team on only six occasions (13%).

    The award is also won near exclusively by the “spine” positions of fullback, five-eighth, halfback and hooker, which account for 91% of medallists.

    The Dally M uses a pool of media pundits and ex-players for voting on each match, creating the potential for obvious conflicts of interests.

    During seasons 2019 and 2020 for instance, 12 of the Brisbane Broncos’ 44 matches were judged by ex-Broncos players. On four of these instances, former player Darren Lockyer was the judge, despite being an active non-executive director of the Brisbane Broncos organisation.

    Voting in nearly 22% of matches in these two seasons was performed by judges who played or coached for one of the participating teams.

    NRL Chairman Peter V’Landys initiated a review of the Dally M following a surprise winner in 2020 (Jack Wighton), claiming the voting system disadvantaged players from winning teams.

    Whilst this supposition disregarded that 88% of all 2020 Dally M points were awarded to players from the winning team, voting was modified for the 2023 season.

    This revised system introduced an additional judge to produce two independent voters per match, and in a widely criticised move, veiled these judges with anonymity.

    This new system has revealed just how little experts agree when trying to assess subjective performance.

    In the opening five rounds of 2023, the two judges picked the same player of the match in less than half (48%) of fixtures.

    In a third of matches (31%), one judge’s best on ground did not poll any points with the other judge.

    In one instance, the two judges chose six completely different players in their respective 3-2-1 votes (round five, 2023, Bulldogs v Cowboys).

    Player and coach awards: The true best and fairest?

    Although the Brownlow and Dally M dominate the public limelight, team accolades are typically held in high standing within sport clubs, as internal recognition is often more highly valued than external status within high performance cultures.

    Such player and coach awards, typically forming part of season-end club events, can be argued as more accurate assessments of player performance.

    This is because the voters – teammates and/or coaches – best understand the roles and expectations of each player within the team’s overarching game plan.

    For this reason, in the AFL, there is often wide discrepancies between a team’s distribution of Brownlow votes and a club’s internal award votes.

    In 2023, for instance, six of 18 AFL clubs crowned a best and fairest who was different from their highest Brownlow vote-getter.

    The most notable of this was Brisbane, where key defender Harris Andrews won the club’s best and fairest, despite finishing 44th in Brownlow voting.

    Defender Harry Sheezel similarly won North Melbourne’s best and fairest despite finishing fifth from his team in the Brownlow count.

    Is there a perfect solution?

    Recent shock winners in both codes saw media organisations perform “forensic analysis” of voting patterns.

    In the AFL, former Collingwood president and media personality Eddie McGuire proposed a “panel of elders” while the NRL’s V’Landys proposed rating every player for every match, to determine their respective awards.

    Such scrutiny has undoubtedly been fuelled by the datafication of sport and its athletes, which has seen player performance statistics enter the sporting mainstream.

    Is it notable then that the AFL reaffirmed their existing policy in early 2024 to preclude umpires from accessing player statistics in casting their votes.

    Indeed statistics may not offer the perfect solution some believe.

    Any statistical assessment of player performance remains underpinned by human judgement as to the importance of each metric, whilst missing the qualitative nuance that surrounds key match plays and moments.

    Ultimately then, there may not be a perfect method to determine a league’s best and fairest player and, arguably, it is this human judgement dimension which makes these awards so engaging as a public spectacle.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Do footy’s best and fairest awards achieve what they claim? – https://theconversation.com/do-footys-best-and-fairest-awards-achieve-what-they-claim-237978

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Basic service provider or mini democracy? Why NZ needs to decide what it wants from local government

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeffrey McNeill, Honorary Research Associate, School of People, Environment and Planning, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University

    Prime Minister Christopher Luxon’s recent challenge to local government “to rein in the fantasies and to get back to delivering the basics brilliantly” was unsurprising, given his government’s focus on fiscal restraint.

    It was in keeping with his announcement that councils’ legislative purpose of delivering their communities’ economic, social, environmental and cultural wellbeing are to be removed from the Local Government Act.

    Local government responded with the usual indignation and suggested solutions. There were complaints about inadequate funding mechanisms, questions about whether libraries are basic services. The whole spat likely flew under the radar of the wider public.

    Yet the problems facing local government are very real and will not just go away by kicking costly decisions down the road. Rather, they are symptomatic of fundamental choices facing the sector.

    Foundational issues

    The problems go back to the late 1980s when our current local government system was designed.

    Led by then local government minister Michael Bassett, the reforms were the first in over 100 years. More than 850 city, borough and county councils, catchment boards, united councils and local boards were amalgamated to form 86 in 1989 and now 78 regional, city and district councils we have today.

    But Bassett still considered local government reform incomplete because of the failure to address water provision.

    But I would argue the real unfinished business was the failure to resolve the purpose of local government in the first place. Only when that is agreed can we address local government’s functions, form and funding.

    Until then, the shape and function of local government will remain a political football.

    According to section 10(1)(a) of the Local Government Act 2002, the purpose of local government is “to enable democratic local decision-making and action by, and on behalf of, communities”.

    But the second subsection describing its purpose, (s.10(1)(b)) has changed with the various governments. In 2002, under Helen Clark’s Labour-led government, the purpose of local government was:

    to promote the social, economic, environmental, and cultural well-being of communities in the present and for the future.

    John Key’s National-led government in 2012 replaced that purpose with a remit

    to meet the current and future needs of communities for good-quality local infrastructure, local public services, and performance of regulatory functions in a way that is most cost-effective for households and businesses.

    The previous Labour government reintroduced the wellbeing purpose. Luxon is set to remove it.

    Function, form and funding

    Should local government be a true local government with comprehensive and wide powers, or simply a property-services organisation, providing little more than street-lighting, roading, water and sewerage?

    The two very different conceptions of local government determine its functions, form and funding.

    These differing views reflect the disparate Anglophone and European concepts of local government. National aligns with the Anglophone model, with its limited local government functions under a strong central government. Labour leans towards the European model, with devolved wide-ranging functions.

    The distinction between the two models was made very clear to me while working as part of an international team researching local government responses to the COVID-19 pandemic.

    My Italian colleague, for example, reported how his country’s local governments were vitally involved in their cities’ day to day management during the crisis.

    Mayors and councils were making daily decisions and announcements about their hospitals’ resourcing, whether to close the schools and training institutes, increase social welfare provision and housing, and so on.

    On the flipside, New Zealand local government was largely sidelined to address humanitarian services such as ensuring people had access to food and accommodation.

    Instead, councils searched for local “shovel-ready” infrastructure projects to access central government funds in order to reduce unemployment and stimulate local economies. The public focused on national daily press announcements from the prime minister and director-general of health.

    No appetite strong local government

    For all that, the distinction between Labour and National conceptions of local government may not be as great as recent history suggests.

    Both want a strong centre and weak local government. Our councils have largely reinforced this reality. Some have sought to extend their scope of activities, others have clearly defined themselves as property services agencies.

    Most have largely refrained from the excesses the prime minister appears to be concerned about, partly to avoid being caught out by changes in central government, but also because most council expenditure is already committed to infrastructure.

    But does it have to be this way?

    The Labour-led government’s 2021 Future for Local Government review envisaged local government using partnerships with hapū and iwi to promote the four key wellbeings as key to any reform. This is at odds with the present government’s priorities and views on governing with Māori – a big reason why the reports now collect dust.

    The review was also very constrained in considering local government functions. Rather, it seemingly took existing functions as its starting point to focus instead on local governance.

    Writing about our local government nearly 70 years ago, public servant and academic R.J. Polaschek imagined what would have been if New Zealand had been colonised by Denmark instead of Great Britain. In this hypothetical scenario he saw strong independent local government based on communities with wide-ranging functions.

    It still could be, but tinkering at the edges is not going to solve its problems. Our local government project remains unfinished business. It will take political courage and vision to complete the task. One that remains a fantasy, and we are all the losers.

    Jeffrey McNeill 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. Basic service provider or mini democracy? Why NZ needs to decide what it wants from local government – https://theconversation.com/basic-service-provider-or-mini-democracy-why-nz-needs-to-decide-what-it-wants-from-local-government-238862

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: How did they get my data? I uncovered the hidden web of networks behind telemarketers

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Priya Dev, Lecturer & Academic Data Science, Digital Assets & Distributed Ledgers, Australian National University

    Kokhan O/Shutterstock

    Last year, I started getting a lot of unsolicited phone calls, mainly from people trying to sell me things. This came as a surprise because, as a data scientist, I am very careful about what personal information I let out into the world. So I set out to discover what had happened.

    My investigation took several months. It eventually led me to the labyrinthine world of data brokers.

    In today’s digital age, where personal data is a new kind of gold, these companies wield significant power, creating networks where our personal information is shared between brokers and telemarketers as easily as TikTok videos. Their businesses profit from the data they collect, and many of the calls they enable come from scammers.

    This comes at an enormous cost: in 2023, Australians lost $2.7 billion to scams. This highlights the urgent need for stronger privacy protections to limit how our personal data is collected and shared.

    In an attempt to address this need, the Australian government this month introduced long-overdue privacy reforms. But these reforms are still inadequate for the many privacy issues affecting people today, including targeting by data brokers and telemarketers.

    Investigating the hidden web

    One of the mechanisms designed to protect us from unwanted calls is the Do Not Call Register.

    Managed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, the registry holds more than 12 million phone numbers, including mine. The registry is supposed to block unsolicited calls. But last year, despite being on the list, I began to receive dozens of unwanted calls – on average, about three per day.

    Curious, I started tracing the origins of these calls. What I uncovered was a network of hidden connections between data brokers, telemarketers and large organisations – including a major political party. It became clear that simply being on the Do Not Call Register wasn’t enough to protect my privacy.

    I started by asking the callers what data they held, and how they had obtained mine. I requested details about the companies they represented, including their websites and Australian Business Numbers (ABNs) – the unique identifiers for Australian businesses.

    Most callers hung up the moment I started asking questions, until one day I spoke with a man named Paul, who worked in the real estate sector – an industry worth more than $10 trillion as of 2024. The high-value real-estate market makes our personal data especially valuable to businesses operating within the industry.

    Digging deeper

    The unique thing about Paul was that he knew my real name, whereas other telemarketers only had access to the pseudonyms I’d used to protect my identity online. Paul explained he had licensed my data from the real estate giant CoreLogic Australia.

    This discovery pushed me to dig deeper. After a lot of back and forth, I finally obtained my data from CoreLogic. The amount of information was small, but surprisingly accurate – especially considering the steps I’d taken to hide my identity. It made me wonder where they got it from, as only organisations such as utility companies, banks or the government would hold that type of information.

    CoreLogic told me in an email that:

    CoreLogic gets data from a variety of sources … most of the information we collect comes from public records, which we license from government departments and agencies. We may also collect personal information from third parties such as through real estate agents, tenancy and strata mangers, financial institutions and marketing database providers.

    This was a troubling discovery, because the institutions on which we depend for essentials such as public services, housing and finance – and from which we can’t hide our identities – may be selling our personal information to data brokers, who then pass it along to telemarketers.

    What’s even more alarming is that the data is shared unmasked, meaning personal details such as our names, genders and phone numbers are fully visible. Once this information is out in the open, it becomes almost impossible to control how it’s recorded or shared.

    It’s also nearly impossible to stop it being passed to overseas telemarketers, who aren’t bound by Australian privacy laws.

    Real estate giant CoreLogic says most of the personal data it collects comes from public records.
    IgorGolovniov/Shutterstock

    Solving the mystery

    My investigation didn’t end there.

    Eventually, CoreLogic revealed it had purchased my data from Australian data broker firm Smrtr in August 2023. This coincided with the surge in unsolicited calls.

    Through Smrtr I learned they had purchased my data in 2016 from another data broker, EightDragons Digital. Smrtr also admitted to selling my data to various companies – all without my consent.

    Determined to investigate the origin of my online data trail, I contacted EightDragons Digital, which calls itself “a leading global consumer data agency”. It collects personal data for big brands including Energy Australia, Vodafone, NRMA, Nissan, Johnnie Walker, American Express, The Good Guys, and even the Australian Labor Party.

    The company claimed it collected my data in a 2014 marketing campaign, and likely passed it to at least 50 other companies. However, it had no records to verify the marketing campaign or prove that I had given consent.

    A small step only

    CoreLogic defended its practices as legal, saying it’s too difficult to verify consent or anonymise personal data.

    However, with modern technology, it’s actually possible to track where data comes from, check consent, and share insights without exposing personal details such as names and phone numbers.

    The government’s recent privacy reforms are a small step in the right direction. But until data brokers are required to obtain explicit consent before trading personal information, they fall far short of being a giant leap forward.

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

    – ref. How did they get my data? I uncovered the hidden web of networks behind telemarketers – https://theconversation.com/how-did-they-get-my-data-i-uncovered-the-hidden-web-of-networks-behind-telemarketers-238991

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: With all these defamation lawsuits, what ever happened to free speech?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Brendan Clift, Lecturer in Law, The University of Melbourne

    Shutterstock

    It seems like the dust barely settles from the latest high-profile defamation stoush before the next set of litigants straps on the gloves and steps into the ring.

    Many of these cases raise eyebrows — and questions. Was that story about him? Does anyone remember that tweet? Wasn’t it just harmless banter? Didn’t she respond to that allegation? What if it’s all true? Isn’t that free speech? How much did you say this will cost?!

    Defamation law continues to loom large over public conversations, despite recent law reforms aimed at remedying Australia’s unwanted reputation as the “defamation capital of the world”.

    At the heart of defamation law lies a tension between protecting reputation and maintaining freedom of speech. The more robustly defamation law protects reputation, the more it constrains speech.

    Free speech is valued in Australian law, politics and society, notwithstanding our lack of an explicit constitutional speech right. So why does our defamation law facilitate seven-figure lawsuits over communicative slights that, at times, seem disproportionately minor?

    What shapes these laws?

    Defamation law is old — very old — with roots in English law half a millennium ago. For several hundred years it existed in parallel with publishing monopolies, political and moral censorship, and fears that loose talk could stoke public disorder.

    In other words, our defamation law substantially predates modern conceptions of civil and political rights. Some of its features, like strict rather than fault-based liability (the plaintiff need not prove anything about the defendant’s intentions or degree of care), retain the flavour of less liberal times.

    Libel laws in the western world, as seen here in the US in the 1730s, are very old.
    Library of Congress

    Still, defamation has developed over the years and adapted with transplantation to other legal systems.

    The defamation laws of different places are influenced by factors such as community values, prevailing views on the value of speech, the nature and democratic credentials of the political system, and the role of law and the constitution in regulating citizens and the state.

    For example, the United States is culturally and historically predisposed to liberty and suspicion of government. The freedom to discuss and debate public affairs is seen as essential to its democratic system. The First Amendment to the US Constitution is the world’s most famous free speech law.

    Accordingly, US courts have limited defamation on matters of public concern to deliberate or reckless lies, while opinions on any newsworthy topic are immune from suit. This is because US democracy requires the “marketplace of ideas” to be minimally constrained and largely self-regulating.

    On the other hand, less democratic states have kept their defamation laws strict, to suppress political dissent and silence critical media.

    A case in point is Singapore, which, under founding father Lee Kwan Yew and his perpetually-in-power People’s Action Party, has weaponised defamation law against political opposition and the press.



    Read more:
    With more lawsuits potentially looming, should politicians be allowed to sue for defamation?

    That is not to say that less defamation law is automatically better than more. The interest in maintaining a (deserved) good reputation is legitimate. And speech anarchism can allow low-value and harmful speech to flourish.

    The High Court of Australia has shied away from US-style speech liberalism for fear it could facilitate speech that is harmful to the integrity of political discourse: a prescient position given recent US history. The English courts have done similarly, influenced by distrust of the tabloid press.

    But when reputation and speech fall out of balance, defamation law risks infringing both democratic values and fundamental rights.

    Legal balancing acts

    Around the turn of the millennium, English defamation law reached a crossroads. Its relative stasis had turned the United Kingdom into a “libel tourism” hotspot, and the UK was falling behind on the speech protections mandated by the European Convention on Human Rights.

    So the UK courts moved to better protect publishers by creating a new defence for responsible publication in the public interest. That was followed in 2013 by a new Defamation Act to further simplify, clarify and rebalance defamation law.

    Australia, lacking the same constitutional or convention impetus, has been slow to follow suit. The states agreed to harmonise their disparate defamation laws only in 2005, and it was 2021 before they found the appetite to improve them.

    By then, Australia had taken over the UK’s mantle as the preferred destination for defamation plaintiffs.

    Australia’s 2021 reforms included a new defence for publication of public-interest material, which generated some excitement but hasn’t substantially liberated the media from defamation threats. It amounts to tinkering around the edges of law, which remains conservative at its core.

    Today, from a practical standpoint, the biggest problem with defamation may be its cost.

    Legal advice and correspondence are expensive, settlements more so, and the cost of litigation can be eye-watering. It’s one problem if you can’t afford to assert your legal rights; it’s quite another to be slapped with an unexpected complaint. Defamation disputes can easily bankrupt individuals and exhaust media budgets.



    Read more:
    Why defamation suits in Australia are so ubiquitous — and difficult to defend for media organisations

    Legal consequences can act as an incentive for better journalism, but they also chill public-interest reporting. Even a journalist assured of their facts will find proving them in court to be a different matter. And a win does not guarantee full recovery of costs, let alone time and stress.

    The debate over defamation law reform is ongoing. The central question remains how best to balance the interest in reputation with the benefits of free speech. The answers depend on what we really value, and what our commitment to liberal democracy really requires.

    Brendan Clift 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. With all these defamation lawsuits, what ever happened to free speech? – https://theconversation.com/with-all-these-defamation-lawsuits-what-ever-happened-to-free-speech-238312

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Activist News – KEEP SPACE FOR PEACE – WELLINGTON PROTEST AGAINST THE AEROSPACE CONFERENCE

    Source: Peace Action Wellington

    On Monday 23 September at 1pm, Peace Action Wellington will protest against the Aerospace Summit. The Wellington protest will be outside the Ministry of Business at 15 Stout Street.

    “The Aerospace Conference raises serious concerns because of its ties to the US weapons industry and US military. The aggressive steps taken by the NZ government to join the US in the weaponisation of space, contrary to the Outer Space Treaty, is a deeply alarming agenda,” said Valerie Morse, spokesperson for Peace Action Wellington.

    The Aerospace Summit is an annual event sponsored by Rocket Lab and supported by the US government. Rocket Lab is partly owned by Lockheed Martin, the world’s largest arms dealer. Summit speakers include a representative from Boeing Aerospace, the second largest arms dealer. The Summit is held in Ōtautahi/Christchurch.

    Rocket Lab has been launching US military satellites providing actionable information for the genocide in Gaza.

    “Despite weekly outpouring across Aotearoa of calls for peace, the New Zealand Government seems determined to follow the US into their wars more than ever,” said Valerie Morse, spokesperson for Peace Action Wellington. “New Zealand has taken three steps to join the US Space Race in just the past few months.” (1)

    “New Zealand is now one of the top ‘spots’ for space launches – why? Because NZ has become a US military spaceport,” said  Morse. “All other major space programmes – US, India, China, Russia – are directly linked to their militaries. Ours is linked, too, but not to the NZ military, but rather to the US military. That gives the US huge sway in the things that are launched from Aotearoa, including things that are contrary to the interests of ordinary people here like surveillance and private spying satellites”

    This is the third Aerospace Conference hosted in Ōtautahi, and the third year of peace organising to oppose it. The Wellington action is supported by the Stop AUKUS Coalition, Victoria University Socialists, Asians Supporting Tino Rangatiratanga, climate and peace activists, and local solidarity band the Brass Razoo.

    “We invite members of the public in Wellington to join us in opposing the militarisation of space. We stand in solidarity with Stop the Space Waste in Ōtautahi who are mobilising against the Aerospace Conference and have a nationwide petition (2). We stand in solidarity with: RocketLab Monitor in Māhia who have long exposed the military aims of RocketLab, with Kanaky, against French militarisation. Rocket Lab is launching technology for Kineis, a company based in France that builds French military satellites; with Palestine and with the Anti-Bases Campaign who have long opposed military bases,” said Ms Morse.

    Notes:

    About Peace Action Wellington: For the past quarter-century, Peace Action Wellington has worked for peace and justice throughout the world, with a special focus on the New Zealand government’s involvement in international affairs. PAW stands for peace with justice and self-determination. 

    1. Phil Pennington, “New Zealand takes another step towards US space operations,” RNZ, 8 September 2024, https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/political/527390/new-zealand-takes-another-step-towards-us-space-operations 
    2. Stop the Space Waste petition, https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSfd7goKR5ANBiGY2Jv5-Ri4hDhxgmY75yv_YtuSn3px61xONA/viewform?usp=send_form 
    3. The Outer Space Treaty can be found here: https://www.unoosa.org/oosa/en/ourwork/spacelaw/treaties/introouterspacetreaty.html
    4. Details of the 2024 Aerospace Summit can be found here: https://www.aerospace.org.nz/summit

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Dogma or data? Why sentencing reforms in NZ will annoy judges and clog the courts

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kris Gledhill, Professor of Law, Auckland University of Technology

    Getty Images

    The Luxon government surely has little sense of irony.

    Shortly after introducing the Parliament Bill, designed to reinforce the fundamental constitutional principle of the separation of powers, it has introduced the Sentencing Reform (Amendment) Bill, which seeks to constrain the judicial arm of the state.

    Its purpose is to put more people into prison for longer. In its Regulatory Impact Statement, the Ministry of Justice estimates 1,350 people will be added to the current prison population. The ministry is also clear that most of the changes are unnecessary and rest on inadequate consultation, particularly with Māori.

    The main change the bill makes is to cap reductions in a prison sentence for mitigating factors at “40% of the sentence”, unless that would be “manifestly unjust”.

    Mitigating factors

    To understand why this is a problem, we need to start with how the Sentencing Act 2002 works. First, the seriousness of an offence provides a starting point. Since the maximum sentence is for the worst example of the offence, the facts can be put on a scale.

    Secondly, the judge considers aggravating factors, such as repeat offending, malicious motivations or the victim’s vulnerability. The new bill specifies various additional aggravating factors, but the ministry notes these are already taken into account.

    Finally, the judge looks at mitigating factors, such as youth, intellectual disability or mental illness, remorse and positive steps to remedy the cause of offending.

    One important available reduction is for a guilty plea. The bill will cap this at 25% – the Supreme Court already decided this several years ago.

    Sentence reductions based on these factors will regularly exceed the overall 40% cap proposed in the new bill. For example, impulsive offending by a young adult with ADHD who was in state care because of family abuse, and who pleads guilty early, would likely mean a considerable sentence reduction.

    Similarly, offending by someone who both admits it, shows remorse and assists the police would qualify for considerable reductions.



    Read more:
    A last minute amendment to NZ’s gang legislation risks making a bad law worse

    ‘Moral and fiscal failure’

    The New Zealand judiciary is not soft by world standards. Its rate of incarceration – currently 181 per 100,000 people – places the country 90th out of 223 jurisdictions.

    This is well above Australia, England, Wales and Scotland, and double the rates in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Canada. As Māori have long made up more than 50% of the prison population, their incarceration rate is at US levels. Do we really want to make this worse?

    When former Finance Minister Bill English observed New Zealand’s high prison population represented a “moral and fiscal failure”, he asked the chief science advisor to collate the evidence.

    The resulting 2018 report, Using Evidence to Build a Better Justice System, concluded the prison population had grown because of “dogma not data”.

    Prisoners are seven times more likely than the general population to have a mental health or substance abuse problem. Ninety percent have a history of mental health or addiction, with 60% still affected. Up to 70% have significant literacy problems.

    The sentencing reform proposals rest on the notion people should take more personal responsibility. But they overlook the reality of most of the people in the system having a reduced capacity to do that. This looks more like dogma than data.

    And since prisons train people in criminal ways and provide gangs with recruits, but do not deal with underlying causes of criminal behaviour, it is dogma that risks creating more victims.

    Increased prisoner numbers: Paremoremo Maximum Security Prison, Auckland.
    Getty Images

    A stressed justice system

    On top of this, the criminal justice system is creaking, without enough judges or courtrooms. Complainants, defendants and witnesses already wait too long for trials.

    Reductions in sentences for guilty pleas and other mitigating features are essential to preventing this from getting worse. Some of these factors only come to light at the sentencing hearing when pre-sentence reports (often including medical reports) are provided.

    Also, the final preparation for a trial often leads the prosecution to accept a plea to a less serious offence. And the time waiting for a trial often means a defendant will have served all or much of their sentence already.

    If a judge feels obliged to impose a higher sentence because of the new amendments, lawyers will have to advise defendants accordingly. Inevitably, more will decide to take their chances in a trial rather than plead guilty.

    That means more complainants will have to give evidence, some defendants will be acquitted, and the criminal justice system will creak more.

    Judges and rules

    Judges will have to confront some dissonance in the law. The Sentencing Act requires judges to impose the “least restrictive” sentence. But a sentence that is longer than appropriate doesn’t meet that requirement.

    A longer-than-necessary prison sentence is arguably arbitrary detention. But the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act requires judges to interpret other statutes to avoid breaching rights if possible, including the right not to be detained arbitrarily.

    In addition, a fair trial should aim to secure the right sentence for the individual defendant.

    Judges do not sign up to breach people’s rights. Nor do they like it when the executive branch of government uses its parliamentary majority to overstep the separation of powers. Quite properly, they will do what they can to secure individualised justice.

    They might, for example, set a sentence at the low end of the available range to achieve the same outcome while appearing to abide by the new 40% cap. Or they might just decide a rehabilitative sentence, invariably non-custodial, is the better outcome.

    Judges spend all their time dealing with rules. You can expect them to be creative in finding ways around restrictions that should not be imposed on them.

    Kris Gledhill is currently working on a project relating to sentencing that is funded by the Borrin Foundation. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Criminal Bar Association, which represents prosecution and defence lawyers. The views stated in this article are his own.

    – ref. Dogma or data? Why sentencing reforms in NZ will annoy judges and clog the courts – https://theconversation.com/dogma-or-data-why-sentencing-reforms-in-nz-will-annoy-judges-and-clog-the-courts-239303

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Federal Newspoll still tied but Albanese’s ratings up; Queensland Newspoll has big LNP lead

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne

    A national Newspoll, conducted September 16–20 from a sample of 1,249, had a 50–50 tie for the third consecutive time. Since the last Newspoll three weeks ago, primary votes were 38% Coalition (steady), 31% Labor (down one), 13% Greens (up one), 6% One Nation (down one) and 12% for all Others (up one).

    Anthony Albanese’s net approval improved five points to -8, with 51% dissatisfied and 43% satisfied. Peter Dutton’s net approval was down two points to -15. Albanese led Dutton as better PM by 46–37 (45–37 previously).

    The graph below shows Albanese’s net approval in Newspoll this term. It has plus signs for the Newspoll results and a smoothed line has been fitted. After dropping to -13 net three weeks ago, Albanese’s ratings have rebounded to where they’ve been for most of this year, poor but not dreadful.

    Other recent federal polls have not been as good for Albanese and Labor as Newspoll. Albanese’s net approval was at -22 in YouGov and -15 in Freshwater, and Labor trailed by 52–48 in Freshwater, one of their worst results from any pollster this term. Freshwater leans a little to the Coalition relative to other polls.

    Asked what aspect of cost of living worried them most, 40% selected housing, 25% groceries, 18% energy and 11% insurance.

    Queensland Newspoll has thumping lead for LNP

    The Queensland state election will be held on October 26. A Newspoll, conducted September 12–18 from a sample of 1,047, gave the Liberal National Party (LNP) a 55–45 lead, a one-point gain for the LNP since the last Queensland Newspoll in March. Primary votes were 42% LNP (steady), 30% Labor (steady), 12% Greens (down one), 8% One Nation (steady) and 8% for all Others (up one).

    Labor Premier Steven Miles’ net approval was up one point to -10, with 51% dissatisfied and 41% satisfied. LNP leader David Crisafulli’s net approval dropped two points to +12. Crisafulli had a 46–39 lead as better premier (43–37 in March).

    Asked whether Labor deserved to be re-elected, 57% said it was time to give someone else a go (down one since March), while 29% said they deserved to be re-elected (up three). By 53–47, voters were confident that the Crisafulli LNP is ready to govern.

    Labor will be a little relieved that this poll was not worse. A YouGov poll in July and a Wolf + Smith poll in August had both given the LNP a 57–43 lead. Nearly ten years after they gained power in Queensland following the January 2015 election, Labor appears doomed.

    Further federal polls: YouGov poll tied

    A national YouGov poll, conducted September 13–19 from a sample of 1,619, had a 50–50 tie, unchanged from the previous YouGov poll in late August. Primary votes were 39% Coalition (up two), 30% Labor (down two), 14% Greens (up one), 7% One Nation (down one) and 10% for all Others (steady).

    In the previous YouGov poll, Labor was unlucky not to lead given the primary votes. In this poll, Labor is lucky not to trail.

    Albanese’s net approval slumped 11 points to -22, with 58% dissatisfied and 36% satisfied. Dutton’s net approval was down five points to -10. Albanese led as preferred PM by 42–39 (43–38 in August).

    Freshwater has one of Coalition’s best results this term

    A national Freshwater poll for The Financial Review, conducted September 13–14 from a sample of 1,057, gave the Coalition a 52–48 lead, a one-point gain for the Coalition since the August Freshwater poll. This is one of the best results for the Coalition from any pollster this term. Primary votes were 42% Coalition (up one), 30% Labor (down two), 13% Greens (up one) and 15% for all Others.

    Albanese’s net approval was down five points to -15, with 49% unfavourable and 34% favourable. Dutton’s net approval was down one point to -4. Albanese led Dutton as preferred PM by an unchanged 45–41.

    Asked to give their top three issues, 74% selected cost of living as a top issue, and the Coalition increased its lead over Labor on cost of living from seven points in August to 14. The Coalition also had a 16-point lead on economic management (13 in August).

    Morgan poll: Labor has narrow lead

    A national Morgan poll, conducted September 9–15 from a sample of 1,634, gave Labor a 50.5–49.5 lead, a 0.5-point gain for the Coalition since the September 2–8 Morgan poll.

    Primary votes were 37.5% Coalition (up one), 30.5% Labor (up 0.5), 12.5% Greens (down two), 5.5% One Nation (down 0.5), 10% independents (up 0.5) and 4% others (up 0.5).

    The headline figure uses respondent preferences. By 2022 election preferences, Labor led by an unchanged 52–48.

    Redbridge and Accent Research MRP poll tied at 50–50

    A national Redbridge and Accent Research multi-level regression with post-stratification (MRP) poll, conducted July 10 to August 27 from a sample of 5,976, had a 50–50 tie, a two-point gain for the Coalition since the last MRP poll between February and May. Primary votes were 38% Coalition (up two), 32% Labor (steady), 12% Greens (down one) and 19% for all Others (steady).

    MRP polls use modelling to estimate the number of seats that would be won by each party. The August MRP poll had a point estimate of 69 Labor seats out of 150, 68 Coalition, three Greens and ten others. In the May poll, Labor had 77 seats out of 151, the Coalition 60, the Greens three and others 11.

    The August poll had no chance either major party would win a majority (76 seats), but Labor had a 75% chance of winning the most seats. These probabilities reflect the poll’s data, and are not predictions for the election, due by May 2025.

    Adrian Beaumont 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 Newspoll still tied but Albanese’s ratings up; Queensland Newspoll has big LNP lead – https://theconversation.com/federal-newspoll-still-tied-but-albaneses-ratings-up-queensland-newspoll-has-big-lnp-lead-238790

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: York Walls in Bloom

    Source: City of York

    Residents and visitors will be able to experience areas of the city walls from a fresh perspective next spring, as this unique and historic space blooms into life.

    Volunteers and businesses from across the city are coming together this week to help transform the City Walls embankments, for the first phase of the York Walls in Bloom project.

    This unique green space will evolve into a beautiful biodiverse landscape, where residents and visitors will be able to enjoy seeing many different pollinators thrive.

    Over its 2,000-year-old history, the city walls embankments (ramparts) have constantly evolved and changed from being cleared sheer slopes, areas of grazing until the mid-20th century and in recent years manicured lawns and bedding plants.

    The first phase of the York in Bloom project will be in the city centre at Station Rise. The area around the Station Rise rampart has over the centuries seen some of the most dramatic changes in landscape visible anywhere on the city walls.

    The season bedding displays here will be familiar to many residents and visitors, but this approach is not without its downsides. It’s resource intensive in terms of water and carbon used in the growing, transporting, planting, weeding and removing bedding plants. This makes the practice increasingly unsustainable for the city and the planet.

    Cllr Jenny Kent, Executive Member for Environment and Climate Emergency, said “York is proud to have some of the UK’s best preserved medieval walls, and this partnership project to cover the site at Station Rise in meadow flowers for York Walls in Bloom will not only look beautiful, it will also help support York’s bees, moths and butterflies, and help preserve the ramparts underneath.

    We are lucky to have expert advice from many partners and are also in the process of reviewing our maintenance of the walls overall. We will ensure that we adopt the very best heritage and ecology conservation practices to prevent soil erosion, which increases with extreme heat and increased rainfall, maximise the environmental benefit, and keep the Walls looking great for generations to come.”

    Inspired by projects such as the Tower of London ‘Moat in Bloom’, the council believes that carefully managed wild flowering could offer the right mix of stunning visuals, increased sustainability and improved habitat.

    York Walls in Bloom is being carefully introduced over the course of 2024. Earlier this year, the area was left to grow naturally for several months so that the ecological study could be undertaken. This was critical so that the council knew that any intervention wouldn’t endanger existing habitats.

    While next year will see a spectacular floral display near Station Rise, the area will still be very carefully managed over several years to balance the ecology of the site. The second phase of the project will be extended to the Red Tower, Walmgate next year.

    This will transform the flatter sections of rampart on the outside of the city walls by sowing wildflowers in Spring, to create a floral display in summer 2025, which over the following years will be carefully managed into a sustainable natural floral meadow.

    Introducing a more sustainable, natural environment in the coming years, including changing how frequently the grass is cut in this area, will ensure a healthier soil and more wildflower growth.

    The York in Walls project has gained the backing and sponsorship of local businesses.

    Simon Mahon, General Manager of The Grand York, said: “We’re delighted to be working on the York Walls in Bloom project. We’re very proud sponsors and are looking forward seeing wildflowers being introduced along the walls, which naturally will make this historical part of York even more beautiful.

    Here at The Grand, York, as part of our sustainability initiative we house approximately 50,000 bees on our roof – the honey they produce is used throughout The Grand in desserts, pastries and cocktails. So, we’re really happy to support this project.”

    From Tuesday 24 September, works will be visible on the ground when the turf will be ‘wither stripped’ to allow for the sowing of the wildflowers.

    With the help on York Cares, volunteers from across the city will come together to support the project and help sow the seeds.

    Holly Hennell, Manager, York Cares: “The 16th annual York Cares Big Community Challenge is taking place between 16 September and 11 October in partnership with City of York Council, St Nicks and the University of York. The challenge aims to connect communities with nature, providing volunteering opportunities at over 30 sites across the city along routes leading into the city centre around the city walls.

    “Employee-volunteers will get involved with a variety of practical activities to enhance biodiversity across the city including sowing seeds as part of the York Walls in Bloom project, a fantastic initiative which will really brighten up the city whilst also benefiting the environment. The York Cares team is excited to be able to get involved in one of the sessions alongside their members, demonstrating the difference we can make when we come together.”

    The York in Bloom project is funded by the Green Corridors project , the National Lottery Community Fund and is sponsored by local businesses including The Grand York.

    For more information visit York Walls in Bloom.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI Global: A weakened Hezbollah is being goaded into all-out conflict with Israel – the consequences would be devastating for all

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Asher Kaufman, Professor of History and Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame

    For almost a year, Israel and Hezbollah have engaged in increasingly provocative cross-border skirmishes as onlookers warn that this escalating war of attrition could land the region in all-out conflict. The past few days have made that devastating scenario closer to a reality.

    First came Israel’s pager and walkie-talkie attack, an unprecedented assault on Hezbollah’s communications that injured thousands of the organization’s operatives. It was followed by the assassination of Ibrahim Aqil, a key Hezbollah leader, who died in an airstrike that also killed other senior commanders of the militant group, as well as some civilians. Hezbollah has responded by extending the geographical range of its rockets fired at Israel, targeting both military facilities and civilian neighborhoods just north and east of Haifa.

    As a scholar of Lebanon and Israel, I have followed the dynamics of this war of attrition since Oct. 8, 2023, the day after Hamas executed an unprecedented and deadly attack on Israel, which responded by bombarding the Gaza Strip. Hezbollah then began firing rockets into northern Israel in solidarity with Hamas in Gaza.

    Despite the high rhetoric and mutual threats of destruction, until recent days neither Israel nor Hezbollah, nor the latter’s sponsor Iran, have shown an interest in a full-scale war. All parties surely know the likely destructive consequences of such an eventuality for themselves: Israel has the military power to devastate Beirut and other parts of Lebanon as it did in Gaza, while even a weakened Hezbollah could fire thousands of missiles at Israeli strategic sites, from the airport to central Tel Aviv, water supply lines and electricity hubs, and offshore gas rigs.

    So instead, they have exchanged fire and blows along their shared boundary, with somewhat agreed-upon red lines concerning the geographical scope of attacks and efforts not to intentionally target civilians.

    But Israel’s recent attacks in Lebanon may have turned the page of this war of attrition into a new and far more acute situation, putting the region on the brink of a full war. Such a war would wreak havoc in Lebanon and Israel, and might also drag Iran and the United States into direct confrontation. In doing so, it would also fulfill the apparent of the Hamas gunmen who murdered around 1,200 Israelis on Oct. 7 in the hope that a heavy-handed Israeli response would draw in more groups across the region.

    A dangerous ‘new phase’

    Hezbollah’s secretary general, Hassan Nasrallah, has insisted throughout the near-yearlong hostilities that his organization would hold its fire only if a cease-fire agreement is reached between Israel and Hamas. In recent weeks, however, Israel has taken the conflict in the opposite direction.

    The country’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, described the coordinated attacks on Hezbolah targets as a “new phase,” adding that the “center of gravity” in the war was moving north into Lebanon. The Israeli government has added the “return of the residents of the north securely to their homes” as an additional war goal.

    The assault on Hezbollah’s communications system targeted the organization’s operatives but hit many civilian bystanders, leaving Lebanese in shock, trauma, anger and desperation.

    It demonstrated Israel’s tactical military advantage over Hezbollah. The unprecedented penetration into the heart of the organization’s command and rank-and-file structures has never been seen before in any conflict or war globally. It struck Hezbollah in its most vulnerable places and even exposed its coordination with Iran – one of the injured persons from the pager explosions was the Iranian ambassador in Lebanon.

    The killing of Akil two days later was another signal that the Israeli government had now decided to try to change the rules of this risky game of reprisals and counter-reprisals. It is clear that rather than the uneasy status quo that defined this war of attrition for nearly a year, Israel’s intent is now to pressure Hezbollah to concede.

    Getting out of control

    Nasrallah delivered a gloomy and defiant speech in the aftermath of the pager attack. While acknowledging that Hezbollah was severely undermined by this operation, he defined the Israeli attack as a continuation of “multiple other massacres perpetrated by the enemy over decades.”

    By doing so, he framed it within a popular historical narrative among many Lebanese and Palestinians who regard Israel as a criminal entity that regularly carries out massacres against innocent civilians.

    Nasrallah also insisted that his commitment to supporting Hamas in Gaza remains unwavering.

    While stating that Israeli actions have “crossed all red lines” and could amount to a declaration of war, Nasrallah also reiterated a point he had made in previous peaks of this ongoing conflict: that retribution is coming, the only question being of timing and scale. By doing so, Nasrallah hinted that he may still not be interested in a full war.

    Israel, on the other hand, appears less circumspect. After almost a full year of contained tension with Hezbollah, Israel’s leaders appear willing to risk an escalation that might get out of control.

    It is hard to determine what the strategy behind Israel’s actions is: Since Oct. 7; as the Biden administration has noted, Israel has not displayed a coherent strategy with clear political goals.

    Rather, critics of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu suggest that he is mainly motivated by his own political survival and the retention of power as the head of state, tying Israel’s interests to his own.

    Uniting the ‘axis of resistance’

    So where does this leave Nasrallah as he weighs Hezbollah’s response, surely in consultation with Iran? After such devastating blows to Nasrallah’s organization, it is hard to think that Hezbollah would be willing to scale down, stop its cross-border attacks and retreat away from the Israeli border, or give up its commitment to support Hamas in Gaza.

    Palestinian refugees listen to a speech by Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah from a cafe at the entrance of the Sabra camp in Beirut.
    Joseph Eid/AFP via Getty Images

    On the other hand, opting for a full-scale war, after spending a year avoiding it, is fraught with risk – both Nasrallah and his sponsors in Tehran know well the high costs of such a war for Hezbollah, Lebanon and potentially also for Iran.

    If Hezbollah went to war now against Israel, it would embark on its most consequential move since its foundation in 1982. But it would do so with crippled communications systems and without much of its leadership – some of whom had worked for decades side by side with Nasrallah, building with him the military capacity of the organization.

    In some respects, Israelis under Netanyahu’s leadership, and Lebanese in a country increasingly held hostage by Hezbollah’s interests, face similar predicaments: Their well-being is being sacrificed for other priorities.

    Netanayhu’s recent statements about concern for Israeli citizens in the north sound hollow after 11 months of pursuing policies that put them more in danger, as well as opposing a Gaza cease-fire deal that would also end hostilities between Hezbollah and Israel.

    In Lebanon, Hezbollah has dragged the country into this war against the will of most Lebanese – a decision that has led to significant devastation in parts of a country already suffering extreme political and economic duress.

    Nasrallah’s speech described Hezbollah’s predicament as that of all Lebanon – while sending a veiled threat that dissent would not be tolerated. Many Lebanese are undoubtedly sympathetic to the Palestinian cause and resent Israel’s war in Gaza. But at the same time, they may balk at the idea that their own well-being has to be sacrificed in the process.

    In the meantime, Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader and mastermind behind the Oct. 7 massacre, may well be looking on at the unfolding events between Israel and Hezbollah with satisfaction. His plan was designed to trigger the unification of all fronts of the so-called “axis of resistance,” which includes the Houthis in Yemen as well as Hezbollah and other Iran-backed groups with the hope for a regional war against Israel.

    A year later, we are closer than ever to that scenario.

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

    – ref. A weakened Hezbollah is being goaded into all-out conflict with Israel – the consequences would be devastating for all – https://theconversation.com/a-weakened-hezbollah-is-being-goaded-into-all-out-conflict-with-israel-the-consequences-would-be-devastating-for-all-239469

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Move over Olympians, Australia’s wildlife are incredible athletes

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Euan Ritchie, Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University

    Now that the Paris Olympics and Paralympics have disappeared from our screens, let’s get back to watching animal videos.

    But seriously, have you ever paused to think about the athletic abilities of Australian wildlife?

    In my research as an ecologist, I’m constantly amazed by the strength, speed and resilience of our native animals. Their prowess is testament to the wonders of evolution, and the necessity of species having to adapt to challenging and changing environments in order to survive.

    Let’s take a closer look at some of our best competitors and how might they fare, against humans and overseas entrants. On your marks, get set… swim, hop, dig, dance, glide!

    Swimming

    Australians are renowned for being strong swimmers. But what is the fastest swimmer in the animal kingdom?

    On this there is much debate. Some suggest it’s the Indo Pacific sailfish, clocking in at about 30km/hr. That’s impressive, but much slower than oft-cited (but inaccurate) claims it can travel at more than 100km/hr.

    For perspective, the fastest human to swim the 50 metres freestyle is American Caeleb Dressel, completing this in a time of 20.16 seconds. That’s roughly 9km/h – faster than many people jog, but still no match for a sailfish.

    As in humans, swimming speed in fishes tends to increase with body length. Larger species that challenge sailfish for the fastest swimmer title include blue or black marlin. Shorter, torpedo-like bluefin tuna are also in contention. All are found in Australian waters, though not exclusively.

    While American swimmer Michael Phelps put in an impressive showing against a simulated great white shark, no human would beat much faster sailfish, marlin and tuna.

    Sprinting, long and high jump

    Aussie icons, red kangaroos can reach speeds of around 60-70km/hr. But they are no match for cheetahs, which can move at more than 120km/hr.

    Long jump is surely the kangaroo’s main event. Red kangaroos can jump a staggering 13 metres or more. Amazingly, this might not be enough to clinch gold. Snow leopards can jump more than 15 metres.

    Kangaroos can clear heights of up to 3m, so would perform well in the high jump. But they’d finish behind bottlenose dolphins, which can jump over 7m in the air, just for kicks.

    Scaled for body size, though, both species would be embarrassed by a tiny insect known as a froghopper. It jumps to heights of more than 140 times its body length.

    Kangaroos sure can jump, but they’re not the greatest of all in the animal kingdom.

    Battles of strength

    African elephants can lift more than 1,000kg and weaver ants more than 100 times their own body weight.

    But relative to size, a truly impressive champion is Australia’s horned dung beetle. At just a centimetre long, these diminutive powerhouses can pull more than 1,100 times their own body weight, roughly equating to an average man lifting two fully-loaded 18-wheeler trucks.

    And yet, horned dung beetles might still only claim silver. Another invertebrate Aussie, the tiny tropical moss mite, is perhaps the world’s strongest animal. It can pull more than 1,180 times its weight.

    Bigger does not always equal stronger.

    Packing the fastest, deadliest punch

    In terms of combat sports, bigger is not always better.

    Peacock mantis shrimps – invertebrates found in Australian marine waters and elsewhere – have the swiftest and most powerful punch in the lightweight crustacean division.

    They kill prey by punching them with strong, club-like appendages. They deliver blows at up to 23m per sec, akin to the speed and force of a .22 calibre bullet being fired.

    So powerful is the punch, it vaporises water and creates a super-hot shockwave that breaks up and incapacitates its prey.

    Nature’s deadliest punch?

    Tantalising contests

    What about a digging contest? Eastern barred bandicoots can shift 4.8 tonnes of soil a year. How would that stack up against marsupial moles, which can disappear almost instantly into desert sands? Or the expert excavations of wombats and aardvarks that can dig more than half a metre in 15 seconds?

    In terms of free-diving and flying, there’s really no contest. Cuvier’s beaked whale can dive nearly 3000m and peregrine falcons can reach over 320 km/hr. These animals are found across the globe, however – not just in Australia.

    Australia’s largest gliding marsupial, the greater glider, can sail up to 100m between trees. But gliding gold would surely go to the giant flying squirrel, which can glide up to 450m.

    I’d love to see a shooting contest between Australia’s archer fish and Madagascar’s panther chameleon. But finding the right arena for both aquatic and land-based sharpshooters would be tricky.

    Raygun’s kangaroo hop is now legendary, but a breaking (break dancing) contest between a peacock spider, spanish dancer (a type of nudibranch) and a magnificent riflebird might genuinely break the internet.

    Step aside, Raygun, peacock spiders are taking the floor.

    Appreciating wildlife athletes

    So who would win a global contest for the best wildlife athlete overall?

    If the competition was on land and focused on running, jumping, strength and climbing, it’s hard to go past the overall abilities of a Bengal tiger.

    Many amazing wildlife athletes are threatened with extinction. Others are gone forever.

    They include the incredible oolacunta – also known as the desert rat kangaroo. It’s powers of endurance in the desert are the stuff of folklore. As legendary Australian mammalogist Hedley Herbert Finlayson wrote in 1931:

    Its speed for such an atom, was wonderful, and its endurance amazing … when we finally got it, it had taken the starch out of three mounts and run us 12 miles; all under such adverse conditions of heat and rough going, as to make it almost incredible that so small a frame should be capable of such an immense output of energy.

    Let’s celebrate wildlife and their athletic abilities and ensure they have a secure future.

    Euan Ritchie receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action. Euan is a Councillor within the Biodiversity Council, a member of the Ecological Society of Australia and the Australian Mammal Society, and President of the Australian Mammal Society.

    – ref. Move over Olympians, Australia’s wildlife are incredible athletes – https://theconversation.com/move-over-olympians-australias-wildlife-are-incredible-athletes-238303

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: FS begins visit to Madrid, Spain (with photos/video)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    FS begins visit to Madrid, Spain (with photos/video)
    FS begins visit to Madrid, Spain (with photos/video)
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         The Financial Secretary, Mr Paul Chan, arrived in Madrid, Spain, yesterday (September 22, Madrid time) and began his visit.     Mr Chan led a group of local tech startups to visit Spain’s innovation organisation, Spain Startup and meet with its President, Ms Maria Benjumea, and representatives from its partner, IE University of Spain. Spain Startup is the organiser of the renowned innovation and entrepreneurship event South Summit, which has been running since 2012, bringing together startups, tech talents, investors and entrepreneurs from around the world. Through a variety of programmes, including startup competitions, networking events, and workshops, it offers startups opportunities to build global networks, exchange knowledge, and connect with investors. The South Summit event has now expanded to Brazil.     Spain Startup has indicated that it is actively considering organising an Asian version of the South Summit. Mr Chan said Hong Kong welcomes the event to be hosted in Hong Kong to attract startups and investors from the Mainland, particularly the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, as well as the broader Asian region, and he will instruct relevant departments to follow up actively.     Also joining the innovation and technology delegation on the visit to Europe are the Chief Executive Officer of the Hong Kong Science and Technology Parks Corporation, Mr Albert Wong, and the Chief Public Mission Officer of Cyberport, Mr Eric Chan.     Mr Chan will continue his visit in Madrid today (September 23, Madrid time).

     
    Ends/Monday, September 23, 2024Issued at HKT 9:00

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI China: 4 killed, many injured in mass shooting in US Alabama

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    At least four people were killed and many others injured in a mass shooting Saturday night in downtown Birmingham, in the U.S. state of Alabama, police said.

    Birmingham police said the shooting occurred in Birmingham Five Points South, an entertainment district near the University of Alabama, just after 11 p.m. local time (0400 GMT Sunday).

    Police said multiple people fired several shots at a group of people. When police officers arrived at the scene, they found three people — two men and one women — were dead. A fourth victim later died in hospital.

    At least four of the gunshot victims have life-threatening injuries, and the rest have “various injuries,” police said.

    As of Sunday morning, no one was in custody, and police said they do not have a motive for the shooting at this time.

    MIL OSI China News –