[continued from previous message]   
      
   new cables linking the island with Australian cities hosting key defence   
   bases also used by the US military.   
      
      
   Two more cable systems will extend westwards to Africa and Asia, to "deepen   
   the resilience" of Indian Ocean internet infrastructure, Google said.   
      
   (itnews)   
      
   The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has today released   
   its approach to manage the expiring spectrum licences that underpin mobile   
   and wireless broadband services. This spectrum is relied on by the 99 per   
   cent of Australian adults who use mobile services.   
      
      
   The ACMAs preferred position is to renew the licences currently used by   
   Australias three mobile networks and the wireless component of the NBN. A   
   total market value of $7.3 billion is estimated, with the regulator inviting   
   a final round of views on its pricing methodology.   
      
   (ACMA)   
      
   Blair ZL3TOY Secretary Christchurch Amateur Radio Club notes in the latest   
   NZART Break in that this WIA NATIONAL NEWS SERVICE is retransmitted at 11am   
   Local Sunday in the  Christchurch New Zealand region. Happy Christmas to all   
   listening 'across the ditch'.   
      
      
   ------------------------------------------------------------*   
   INTERNATIONAL NEWS is with thanks to Amateur Radio Daily, ARRL,   
   DX-WORLD, eHam, Hackaday, IARU, IRTS, NEWSLINE, NZART,  RAC,   
   Radioworld.com, RSGB, SARL and the World Wide sources of WIA.   
      
   UNITED STATES of AMERICA   
      
   Hams in the US are getting expanded, non-channelized use of parts of the 60m   
   band under a recent decision by the Federal Communications Commission.   
      
      
   The new access applies to General and Extra Class license-holders who, until   
   now, were granted use on a secondary basis of four discrete channels. In the   
   decision, the FCC reaffirmed the continued amateur use of the existing four   
   channels at 100 watts of power, saying there have been no interference issues   
   with federal operations.   
      
      
   The FCC said, that in-line with the international WRC15 allocation,   
   contiguous use between 5351.5 and 5366.5 kHz with a limited emission   
   bandwidth of 2.8 kHz and power of no more than 15 watts EIRP is being   
   granted.   
      
      
   To see the FCC decision and other announcements, see the link in the text   
   version of this week's newscast at arnewsline.org   
      
      
   fcc.gov/document/fcc-adopts-final-rules-implementing-wrc-15   
   Hyderabad:   
      
   An Indian Amateur Radio, Ambarish Nag Biswas VU2JFA, West Bengal, has won the   
   first ever Amateur Radio Hero Award presented by Orlando HamCation 2026, one   
   of the largest annual conventions of radio amateurs in the world.   
      
      
   Each year at HamCation the committee presents the Gordon West Ham Ambassador   
   of the Year and the Carole Perry Educator of the Year awards to Amateur Radio   
   operators who have demonstrated commitment, dedication and contribution to   
   Amateur Radio. A new category, the Amateur Radio Hero of the Year, is   
   introduced for the year 2026.   
      
      
   Biswas, who goes by the call sign VU2JFA, has been selected for the award in   
   recognition of his outstanding support of local and national emergency   
   operations and law enforcement during life threatening events where lives   
   were saved by his actions.   
      
      
   RUSSIA   
      
   Since the beginning of November 2025, the RA 8 CP amateur radio station of   
   the Ural Institute of the State Fire Service of the Ministry of Emergency   
   Situations of Russia and radio amateurs of the educational institution has   
   been actively participating in the Days of Activity, which are held in honour   
   of the 35th anniversary of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia.   
      
      
   More than eighty amateur radio stations from different regions of Russia,   
   whose operators are directly related to the Ministry of Emergency Situations   
   of Russia, are activators of the jubilee radio amateur diploma established by   
   the institute and the Regional Branch of the Union of Radio Amateurs of   
   Russia in the Sverdlovsk Region.   
      
      
   In less than a month, they have made tens of thousands of radio contacts with   
   radio amateurs around the world all hoping to complete the   
      
   fulfilment of the conditions for obtaining the diploma "35 years of the   
   Ministry of Emergency Situations of Russia".   
      
   Meanwhile, also in Russia their mysterious 'Doomsday Radio' station has sent   
   out another series of ominous messages, sparking fears in Europe that the   
   nation is preparing for a broader war.   
      
      
   The radio channel, known as UVB-76, broadcast multiple transmissions in code   
   last week, sending three signals on Monday followed by eight more on   
   Wednesday.   
      
      
   Each of the cryptic messages featured a set of numbers and letters, including   
   complete code word,. as many as 15 secret messages have been heard by   
   listeners. However, their meaning and intended recipient have remained a   
   mystery.   
      
   tinyurl.com/4k5xe9tx   
   (eHam)   
   HOTEL CALIFORNIA   
      
   Joe Walsh opened up about his surprising childhood hobby. While previewing   
   auction items from his "Life's Been Good: Joe Walsh" collection at The   
   Troubadour in Los Angeles on Monday, Dec. 8, The Eagles guitarist opened up   
   about the stories behind the objects in an interview with Julien's Auctions   
   founder Martin Nolan.   
      
      
   While discussing his rare ham radio equipment up for auction -- a Hammarlund   
   HQ-One Forty Five 145C Ham Shortwave Radio Receiver, Walsh, 78, recalled how   
   it helped him become interested in learning Morse code. "I talked to, I   
   think, 32 states in about four months. That's all I did was talk Morse code   
   to people." He noted that there's a "world of magic in ham radio and short   
   wave radio."   
      
      
   WAY DOWN SOUTH IN ANTARCTICA   
      
   There are nearly 70 research stations across the 14.2 million km continent of   
   Antarctica.   
      
      
   Antarcticas high altitude and dry, stable atmosphere provide exceptional   
   conditions for astronomy by helping to minimize atmospheric distortion and   
   reduce infrared sky emissions. Antarctica also experiences very little light   
   pollution, low seismic activity, a six-month polar night, and the presence of   
   circumpolar stars and constellations, which never dip below the horizon,   
   allowing for continuous observation of those targets.   
      
      
   A site named Ridge A, ~1,000 km from the South Pole, has been declared the   
   best place on Earth for astronomy. One instrument on Ridge A is the   
   remote-controlled High Elevation Antarctic Terahertz far-infrared telescope,   
   which has been operating since 2012 for submillimeter- and   
   terahertz-wavelength observations.   
      
   -------------------------------------------------------------------   
      
   OPERATIONAL NEWS -   
   --------------   
   --------------   
      
   Make a note of December 21, yes TODAY .   
      
   For 6 hours the 21st starting at 1800hrs UTC it is time to dust of the   
   key as it is the ARRL's Rookie Roundup.   
      
   Rookie Roundup is a contest aimed at Amateurs ( world-wide ) who have   
   been licensed for three years or less.   
      
   This six-hour event is held three times per year, but the one of interest   
   today is purely CW.   
      
   Rookies can contact anybody, while "Old Timers" make contact with only   
   Rookies. Mentoring is a big part of this event!   
      
   1800 to 2359 UTC Sunday, December 21, 2025, using CW   
      
   (arrl)   
      
   ------------------   
   YOTA Contests December   
      
   The Fishers Ghost Amateur Radio Club are hosting the inaugural   
   VK YOTA CONTEST, the entire month of December.   
   yota.fgarc.org.au/   
      
   Then just 3 days from the end of what we call the VK YOTA CONTEST comes   
   ROUND 3 of the YOTA contest organized by the IARU R1 Youth Working Group   
   in cooperation with the Hungarian Amateur Radio Society.   
      
   DECEMBER 29.   
      
   A great way to gain extra contacts for the VK Contest organised by   
   Fishers Ghost AR Club.   
      
   yotacontest.mrasz.org   
      
      
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   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)