Latest news with #nationalpreparedness
Zawya
11-08-2025
- General
- Zawya
Jordan: Aqaba meeting discusses plans to combat marine pollution
AMMAN — A coordination meeting was held on Sunday at the Aqaba Special Economic Zone Authority (ASEZA) to discuss plans for enhancing national preparedness to address marine pollution challenges in the Gulf of Aqaba. ASEZA Commissioner for Environment and Public Safety Nidal Aouran said that the aim of the meeting was to enhance national readiness, define roles and responsibilities, and establish mechanisms for joint coordination among relevant institutions in preparing for and responding swiftly to maritime incidents, the Jordan News Agency, Petra, reported. Deputy Head of the National Centre for Security and Crisis Management (NCSCM) Brig. Gen. Hatem Zoubi and representatives from government bodies and private sector partners attended the meeting. Aouran , who chaired the meeting, highlighted the importance of developing a comprehensive plan to combat marine pollution in Aqaba's waters, focusing on improving rapid response mechanisms, conducting regular evaluation and monitoring, and building the capacities of personnel in those institutions. He also stressed enhancing the efficiency of the Prince Hamzah Centre for Pollution Control so it becomes a leading hub for dealing with marine disasters and incidents at the regional level. He commended the efforts of NCSCM and all stakeholders for their cooperation and partnership in reducing the risks of marine disasters and incidents to preserve the region's marine resources. He noted that follow-up meetings would be held to develop a comprehensive national plan to combat pollution, including conducting realistic simulation drills and exercises at the regional level. Zoubi stressed the importance of establishing a comprehensive national marine pollution control plan, in addition to holding national and regional simulation exercises, underlining the need for full cooperation among all concerned entities to avoid overlapping procedures among partners. Representatives of relevant entities showcased their current plans and activities to combat marine pollution, as well as the requirements needed to improve readiness and develop the Prince Hamzah Centre for Pollution Control into a fully integrated regional hub. © Copyright The Jordan Times. All rights reserved. Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc. (
ABC News
04-06-2025
- Business
- ABC News
ADF chief warns Australia must be ready to launch combat operations from home
Australia's Chief of the Defence Force, Admiral David Johnston, says the nation must be prepared for the possibility of having to launch combat operations from its own soil — a significant shift in military thinking not seen since World War II. Speaking at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute's Defence Conference in Canberra on Wednesday, Admiral Johnston said Australia needed to "reconsider" how it thought about war, resilience and national preparedness. "Perhaps finally we are having to reconsider Australia as a homeland from which we will conduct combat operations," he said. "That is a very different way — almost since the Second World War of how we think of national resilience and preparedness. "We might need to operate and conduct operations from this country — everything from our northern infrastructure, our supply chains …" Admiral Johnston also pointed to the rapid evolution of modern warfare, highlighting that military technology could become obsolete in as little as 12 weeks, as seen in the Ukraine conflict. "The cycle is somewhere about 12 weeks before tech investments become irrelevant because of counter strategies," he said. "We need to be very clear about where we make investments in our technical capability." His remarks come amid growing international pressure for allies to lift their defence budgets, with US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth urging Australia over the weekend to boost spending to 3.5 per cent of GDP. Asked about the national conversation around funding, Admiral Johnston laughed but acknowledged the strain on resources and defended the current approach shaped by Labor's recent strategic review of defence. "The Australian community wants education, a health system to look after the elderly, so making sure we do the best we can to present the issues of national security issues in our country, and we do that unambiguously and without avoiding some of those key areas of risk. "Frank advice is key but knowing that's not the only issue the government contends with and working with our partners — where are our common interests — where our interests intersect so we can push outcomes that meet multiple objectives." Pressed specifically on Mr Hegseth's request and the Coalition's calls for higher spending, he said it was an important debate and acknowledged the associated challenges. "Defence is fully expending its budget at the moment," he said. "That's a good thing as we've uplifted our acquisition delivery, [our] workforce is improving … It does put pressure on the budget we need to make choices on." He said it was "helpful" that the government had moved to a biannual strategic review cycle, noting that it allowed Defence to continually update its case about where resources were most needed. "It's unlike in the past … where the frequency or structure of reviews was an open-ended proposition," Admiral Johnston said. "We keep coming back, reviewing the strategy and looking at the opportunities or where the investments are required." Admiral Johnston said he would continue to give frank advice to the government to inform its spending decisions and flagged that Defence was working on a fresh strategy to be released next year. Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is expected to attend the G7 summit in Canada in a couple of weeks, where defence spending will likely feature in a potential sideline discussion between Mr Albanese and US President Donald Trump. That meeting is not yet locked in.
