NewzIntel.com

Category: AM-NC

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Speaker of the House to visit Japan on official delegation

    Source: New Zealand Parliament –

    Media Release

    6 June 2025

    Rt Hon Gerry Brownlee, Speaker of the House of Representatives, will travel to Japan from 8–13 June to meet with his counterpart, Hon Fukushiro Nukaga, Speaker of the House of Representatives of Japan. He will be accompanied by a cross-party delegation consisting of Greg O’Connor, Maureen Pugh, Teanau Tuiono, and Mariameno Kapa-Kingi.

    During the visit, Mr Speaker will hold official talks with Speaker Nukaga and engage with other senior parliamentary leaders, including the President of the House of Councillors and members of the National Diet of Japan

    The delegation will begin its programme in Tokyo before travelling to Hokkaido. Alongside parliamentary engagements, the visit will include meetings with business and community leaders, as well as organisations with strong connections to New Zealand.

    ENDS

    Inter-Parliamentary Relations are a way for members of New Zealand’s Parliament to keep Parliament relevant, effective, and innovative. Dialogue between members of different parliaments increases mutual understanding between countries, develops best practice, and ensures New Zealand is playing an active part in the international community. Members’ active participation in inter-parliamentary activities improves their knowledge and insights as legislators, which in turn improves parliamentary scrutiny of Government

    For media inquiries, please contact communications.team@parliament.govt.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Rural News – Federated Farmers president gets rural wellbeing fund across the line

    Source: Federated Farmers

    A $4 million Rural Wellbeing Fund announced today at the Federated Farmers Advocacy Hub at Fieldays is a great win for rural advocacy groups, Wayne Langford says.
    The Federated Farmers president has led the way in pushing the Government to deliver increased investment into rural mental health – an issue close to his heart.
    “It’s hugely rewarding to get this across the line. I’m absolutely stoked the Government are making such a meaningful investment in the mental health of our rural communities.
    “Federated Farmers have been involved every step of the way – but we haven’t been alone. The likes of DairyNZ, Beef + Lamb, Young Farmers and Rural Women have been right there with us.”
    Langford says the extra $4 million from both Ministers Todd McClay and Matt Doocey to expand the investment in community-based wellbeing initiatives may be matched by industry partners, for a total pool of $8 million.
    “The investment is significant in terms of the dollar amount, but the real value will come in having a much more coordinated approach that brings all the energy and focus into one place.
    “In practice, we’re going to see the sector coming together to ensure we’re investing in the initiatives that bring the best results and make a real difference in people’s lives.
    “That will cut out a whole heap of waste, remove all the duplication, and make sure every dollar invested in rural mental health is working as hard as it possibly can.”
    Langford says, as a country, we’ve moved past the stage of simply acknowledging and building awareness of the importance of strong mental health.
    “It’s great that we’ve come such a long way with rural mental health awareness, but now it’s time for action.
    “Supporting groups like Surfing for Farmers, Farmstrong, FirstMate and NZ Young Farmers, who are doing the mahi on the ground, is so important.”
    A five-member panel with representation from the primary sector will be established to assess project applications.
    Projects must demonstrate strong local delivery, provide clear benefits to rural people, and ability to attract co-investment from industry and sector partners.
    In announcing the funding, Agriculture and Forestry Minister Todd McClay paid particular tribute to advocacy by Langford, who he described as a long-time champion of rural wellbeing and mental health.
    However, Langford says a strength of the initiative is that all the primary industry groups are united in the desire for action.
    “With funding in place, we can now get some changes happening and make a real difference.” 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for June 11, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on June 11, 2025.

    Former Congress staffer allowed to return to Kanaky New Caledonia
    By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk One of seven people transferred to mainland France almost a year ago, following the May 2024 riots in New Caledonia, has been allowed to return home, a French court has ruled. Frédérique Muliava, a former Congress staffer, was part of a group of six who were

    Jacaranda, black locust and London plane: common street trees show surprising resilience to growing heat in Australia
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Manuel Esperon-Rodriguez, Senior Lecturer in Ecology, Western Sydney University Kokkai Ng/Getty Images As Australian cities heat up and dry out, street trees are emerging as frontline defenders of urban liveability. Street trees make city life more bearable during heatwaves. They also improve human health and wellbeing, filter

    ‘Gutting the Ponsonby community’: Locals say post office should stay open
    By Aisha Campbell, RNZ News intern Ponsonby’s post office is shutting shop next month despite push back from the local community. A sign on the storefront, which is at the College Hill end of Ponsonby Road, said the closure would take place on 4 July but the post boxes would be “staying put”. Ponsonby local

    Fiji coup culture and political meddling in media education given airing
    Pacific Media Watch Taieri MP Ingrid Leary reflected on her years in Fiji as a television journalist and media educator at a Fiji Centre function in Auckland celebrating Fourth Estate values and independence at the weekend. It was a reunion with former journalism professor David Robie — they had worked together as a team at

    The AI hype is just like the blockchain frenzy – here’s what happens when the hype dies
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gediminas Lipnickas, Lecturer in Marketing, University of South Australia Izf/Shutterstock In recent years, artificial intelligence (AI) has taken centre stage across various industries. From AI-generated art to chatbots in customer service, every sector is seemingly poised for disruption. It’s not just in your news feed every day

    Why does the US still have a Level 1 travel advisory warning despite the chaos?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Cornell, PhD Candidate in Public Health & Community Medicine, School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney No travel can be considered completely safe. There are inherent risks from transportation, criminal activity, communicable diseases, injury and natural disasters. Still, global travel is booming — for those who can

    Those ‘what I eat in a day’ TikTok videos aren’t helpful. They might even be harmful
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Houlihan, Senior Lecturer in Clinical Psychology, University of the Sunshine Coast Iren_Geo/Shutterstock You may have come across those “what I eat in a day” videos on social media, where people – usually conventionally attractive influencers wearing activewear – list everything they consumed that day. They might

    The ASX is shrinking – a plan to get more companies to float does not go far enough
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Mark Humphery-Jenner, Associate Professor of Finance, UNSW Sydney Whenever a high-profile company lists on the Australian stock market it attracts much excitement. Employees and founders enjoy some financial gains and investors get a chance to invest in a potentially exciting stock. For these reasons, fast-food chain Guzman

    NZ and Gaza – Peters appearing to do something, when doing nothing
    COMMENTARY: By Steven Cowan, editor of Against The Current The New Zealand Foreign Minster’s decision to issue a travel ban against two Israeli far-right politicians is little more than a tokenistic gesture in opposing Israel’s actions. It is an attempt to appease growing opposition to Israel’s war, but the fact that Israel has killed more

    US criticises allies as NZ bans two top far-right Israeli ministers
    RNZ News The United States has denounced sanctions by Britain and allies — including New Zealand and Australia — against Israeli far-right ministers, saying they should focus instead on the Palestinian armed group Hamas. New Zealand has banned two Israeli politicians from travelling to the country because of comments about the war in Gaza that

    The Project really did do news differently. Its demise is our loss
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andrew Dodd, Professor of Journalism, Director of the Centre for Advancing Journalism, The University of Melbourne The most unsettling thing about the closure of Network Ten’s The Project is that it might come to be seen as the moment commercial network television gave up on young audiences

    Novelty, negativity and no politicians: research reveals what makes some images more engaging than others
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication & Digital Media, RMIT University T.J. Thomson We see hundreds or thousands of images each day – but not all of them stand out to us. Why are some visuals more engaging than others? In an attention economy, where creators

    Visual feature: Scanning Australia’s bones
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vera Weisbecker, Associate Professor in Evolutionary Biology, College of Science and Engineering, Flinders University ➡️ View the full interactive version of this article here. Vera Weisbecker receives funding from the Australian Research council. She is member of the Australian Greens Party and the Australian Mammal Society. Erin

    Family law changes will better protect domestic violence victims – and their pets
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Meri Oakwood, Lecturer in Law, Southern Cross University Zivia Kerkez/Shutterstock Welcome changes to family law come into effect this week to better support victims of domestic violence in property settlements. Importantly, the Family Law Amendment Bill 2024 will provide a new framework for determining ownership of the

    Do you talk to AI when you’re feeling down? Here’s where chatbots get their therapy advice
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Centaine Snoswell, Senior Research Fellow, Centre for Health Services Research, The University of Queensland Pexels/Mikoto As more and more people spend time chatting with artificial intelligence (AI) chatbots such as ChatGPT, the topic of mental health has naturally emerged. Some people have positive experiences that make AI

    Assessment in the age of AI – unis must do more than tell students what not to do
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Corbin, Research fellow, Center for Research in Assessment and Digital Learning, Deakin University Matheus Bertelli/ Pexels , CC BY In less than three years, artificial intelligence technology has radically changed the assessment landscape. In this time, universities have taken various approaches, from outright banning the use

    Resisting Dependency: U.S. Hegemony, China’s Rise, and the Geopolitical Stakes in the Caribbean
    Source: Council on Hemispheric Affairs – Analysis-Reportage By Tamanisha J. John Toronto, Canada Introduction The Caribbean region is an important geostrategic location for the United States, not only due to regional proximity, but also due to the continued importance of securing sea routes for trade and military purposes. It is the geostrategic location of the

    With so many parties ‘ruling out’ working with other parties, is MMP losing its way?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Richard Shaw, Professor of Politics, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University There has been a lot of “ruling out” going on in New Zealand politics lately. In the most recent outbreak, both the incoming and outgoing deputy prime ministers, ACT’s David Seymour and NZ First’s Winston

    French Polynesia president announces huge highly protected marine area
    RNZ Pacific French Polynesia’s president has announced his administration will establish one of the world’s largest networks of highly protected marine areas (MPAs). The highly protected areas will safeguard 220,000 sq km of remote waters near the Society Islands and 680,000 sq km near the Gambier Islands. Speaking at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice,

    Te Pāti Māori condemns Israel for Gaza ‘horrific violence’ over Madleen arrest
    Asia Pacific Report Aotearoa New Zealand’s Te Pāti Māori has condemned the Israeli navy’s armed interception of the Madleen, a civilian aid vessel attempting to carry food, medical supplies, and international activists to Gaza, including Sweden’s climate activist Greta Thunberg. In a statement after the Madleen’s communications were cut, the indigenous political party said it

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Belarus Opens National Football Stadium Built with Chinese Support

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    The National Football Stadium in Belarus, built with the support of China, was officially opened on June 7. On this day, a friendly match between the youth teams of China and Belarus was held here. The President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko attended the opening ceremony and watched the match. This stadium is one of the key projects within the framework of the One Belt, One Road initiative, it is located in the industrial area of Minsk. The facility occupies an area of 12.43 hectares, and the development area is 48 thousand square meters. This stadium, designed for 33,145 spectators, is a professional football arena of international level, as well as a cultural and sports complex for the population.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Tīeke return! Remote Hauraki Gulf Island thriving after rat eradication

    Source: NZ Department of Conservation

    Date:  11 June 2025

    It is the first official re-introduction of a native species since DOC and Ngāti Rehua eradicated rats from Rakitū in 2018.

    “The Department of Conservation and Ngāti Rehua have a goal of more translocations with tieke being the first species to return,” says DOC Aotea Operations Manager Fletcher Beazley.

    Formed from the remains of an eroded volcano, Rakitū was first discovered by Ngāti Rehua ancestors 800 years ago and has been a place of significance ever since.

    Since 2018 when rats were eradicated, the island has seen a strong return of its unique flora and fauna including native birds and rare large-leaved forms of rangiora, tawa and kawakawa.

    DOC and Ngāti Rehua are working together on restoring the nature of Rakitū says Fletcher. This work is making a difference, with clear evidence of nature bouncing back.

    “Since rats were eradicated, we’ve seen the mauri/lifeforce returning to the motu. Without rats eating the seed, groves of young taraire trees are now appearing.

    “As skink and gecko populations recover, DOC staff are now finding the tracking cards used for rodent surveillance are covered in lizard footprints.

    “More translocations will only be possible if we restore the mauri of the forest, control predators and pests and by DOC, Council, Iwi and Community working together as one. By doing this the Mana of Aotea and Rakitū will be restored and the sounds of birdsong will be preserved for our mokopuna to enjoy,” says Fletcher.

    Tīeke were once abundant through Aotearoa, including on Rakitū but are very susceptible to predation by rats. By 1964 Taranga/Hen Island was home to the last remaining population of North Island tīeke.

    After several successful translocations from Taranga (Hen Island) in the 1960s, North Island tīeke now live on several island and mainland sanctuaries.

    On Taranga (Hen Island), these taonga are cared for by Patuharakeke and Ngatiwai. The successful eradication of rats from Taranga (Hen Island) in 2011, with the support of both iwi and hapu, has created an environment where taonga species can thrive and has made a translocation like this possible.

    The birds were carefully transported between Taranga (Hen Island) and Rakitū by helicopter.

    Contact

    For media enquiries contact:

    Email: media@doc.govt.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Partnership approach to FMD signed and sealed

    Source: New Zealand Government

    A new agreement between the Government and key livestock industry groups marks a major milestone in New Zealand’s readiness for a potential foot and mouth disease (FMD) outbreak, Biosecurity Minister Andrew Hoggard announced today.
    “The Foot and Mouth Disease Operational Agreement confirms how Government and industry will jointly prepare for, and respond to, a possible outbreak – including how costs will be shared,” Mr Hoggard said.
    Six industry organisations – DairyNZ, the Dairy Companies Association, Beef + Lamb New Zealand, NZPork, Deer Industry New Zealand, and the Meat Industry Association – have signed the agreement with MPI, which takes effect from 1 July 2025 for five years.
    “An outbreak could cost up to $3 billion to eradicate, but doing nothing would be far worse – potentially slashing export values by $14.3 billion per year until it’s controlled,” said Mr Hoggard.
    “Through this agreement, we’re locking in a truly collaborative approach. Industry will contribute 40% of readiness costs and 15% of response costs – capped at $450 million – and in return, they’ll have a formal seat at the decision-making table.”
    Mr Hoggard says the agreement reflects years of work and a shared commitment to protecting New Zealand’s vital livestock sector.
    “This is a significant and practical step forward for our national biosecurity system.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Public consultation begins on legal aid review

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Public consultation begins today aimed at improving the legal aid scheme for those who cannot afford advice and representation, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith says.
    “We have a duty to ensure all New Zealanders have access to justice by means of a fair and open process. 
    “To do so, we need a scheme that is efficient and sustainable. However, we know it’s no longer fit for purpose. 
    “We’ve heard from the judiciary, lawyers, and others that changes are needed to address difficulties facing providers and those who need assistance.
    “The scheme was last reviewed in 2018 and a lot has changed since then. This will provide an opportunity to ensure the scheme is efficient, is of good quality, and promotes access to justice in a way that is sustainable and cost-effective.
    “I encourage everyone to make a submission and ensure their voice is heard. This feedback will help frame the advice on options for the future of the scheme.”
    Submissions close with the Ministry on 23 July and can be made at: https://consultations.justice.govt.nz/policy/triennial-review-of-legal-aid
    Further information about the review, including the discussion document, can be found here: Legal aid scheme review | New Zealand Ministry of Justice 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Stock damage to stopbanks puts community at risk

    Source: Environment Canterbury Regional Council

    Date:

    With the winter months here, we’re urging landowners to keep stock off stopbanks in wet conditions.

    Stopbanks are our primary defence against river flooding in many areas of our region, protecting communities and preventing property and infrastructure damage.

    The structural integrity of a stopbank is vital to its function, and livestock trampling and overgrazing can cause significant damage and lessen protection against floodwaters, particularly in wet conditions. 

    “Our stopbanks play an essential role in keeping us safe, managing river flows and minimising flood risks to prevent widespread damage, distress and even loss of life,” Rivers Manager David Aires said.

    “It’s crucial stopbanks can do the job they are designed to do.”

    Stock access weakens stopbanks

    Animals can make ruts in the stopbank, particularly when it’s wet, or reduce grass cover through overgrazing. This creates weak spots that allow water to enter the stopbank, which may lead to the complete failure of the asset. 

    While we do permit some light grazing of sheep on stopbanks and adjacent land when conditions are suitable, we encourage landowners to keep their stopbanks free of all stock for the remainder of winter or when conditions are wet, and to let us know of any damage, so we can rectify. 

    “We appreciate that most farmers and lifestyle block owners are aware of their responsibilities when it comes to protecting our stopbanks and are doing the right thing,” David said. 

    “We want to ensure we get the message out to the few that are allowing this damage to occur so we can protect these vital community assets moving forward.” 

    What to do if you see damaged stopbanks

    Stopbanks are one of the most important tools in Environment Canterbury’s flood protection toolkit, and we manage and maintain over 600 kilometres of them across the region.

    No matter how well they are constructed and maintained, they are only as strong as the weakest link and vulnerable to damage from numerous sources. Landowners can be held responsible for damage and asked to pay for repairs under the Flood Protection and Drainage Bylaw.

    “These stopbanks not only protect property and production worth billions of dollars but also ensure the safety of thousands of people,” David said.

    If you see a damaged stopbank, please report it to us as soon as possible. You can call our customer advisory team on

    0800 324 636 or email floodbylaw@ecan.govt.nz

    Learn more about flood protection

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Renewable Energy – On-farm solar boost a welcome development – Federated Farmers

    Source: Federated Farmers

    Government moves to help farmers more easily access independent solar power and battery technology advice and finance are a positive step, Federated Farmers energy spokesperson Mark Hooper says.
    Energy Minister Simon Watts announced at the Federated Farmers Advocacy Hub at Fieldays this afternoon a package of measures designed to boost use of solar power on New Zealand’s farms.
    “Early modelling tells us that if 30% of Kiwi farms installed larger solar power systems – of the size we see on some farms already – they could generate as much as 10% of New Zealand’s current electricity demand,” Minister Watts said.
    Hooper agrees that sort of uptake would be a massive win for security of energy supply and self-sufficiency on farm – including when rural areas are hit by grid outages.
    “The roofs of wool and dairy sheds can be a great platform for solar panels. Small- and medium-scale installations can provide a great boost for farm businesses.
    “Electricity costs are not a major component of most farms’ expenses, unless they have irrigation, but as solar panel and battery technology improves and costs fall, farmer interest in this option will only increase.
    “Installing solar systems for self-sufficiency across our farms is certainly preferable to productive farmland being swallowed up, or compromised, by enormous solar farms.”
    The Government package includes real life energy data for different types of farms, feasibility studies and technology demonstrations, and a partnership with the Centre for Sustainable Finance to accelerate access to finance, making it quicker, simpler and easier.
    Hooper says the value of independent advice, and the chance to see and question how solar and battery technologies are already working on farms, shouldn’t be over-estimated.
    “For some farmers thinking about the solar option, the only contact they currently have is with the company trying to sell them something.”
    An important part of the package is access to advice on progressing consents and applications with local and regional bodies and electricity distribution businesses.
    “Being able to supply excess power generated from on-farm solar back into the local grid, and to earn revenue, is a factor that could well get more farm owners across the line.
    “Any help from the Government to ease those negotiations with electricity distribution businesses would be very welcome,” Hooper says. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy on Trump Selling Off U.S. Foreign Policy: This Corruption Has No Precedent in American History

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
    [embedded content]  
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy (D-Conn.) on Monday spoke on the U.S. Senate floor to call on his Senate colleagues to stand up to President Trump’s brazen corruption of U.S. foreign policy. Murphy will force a vote as early as this week on two joint resolutions of disapproval to block multi-billion-dollar weapons sales to Qatar and the UAE after Trump demanded billions of dollars in luxury gifts and business deals from the two countries, including a $400 million dollar luxury plane that he intends to keep for personal use. 
    Murphy exposed the historic nature of Trump’s corruption and the danger it poses to national security: “The blatant exchange of U.S. national security secrets, our most sensitive drone technology and our most sensitive chip technology, in exchange for cash into Donald Trump’s pocket, is perhaps the most brazenly corrupt act in the history of the American presidency. And we cannot normalize it just because he is doing it out in the open, in public.
    On Trump demanding Qatar gift him a luxury jet for his own personal use, Murphy said: “Now, this kind of gift, a $400 million luxury jet, it has no precedent in American history. No President has ever asked for, never mind been given, a $400 million gift from a foreign nation. Why? Well, because presidents know that that’s crossing a line. That is a massive abuse of their power. The leverage that presidents have over other countries, that they could use to ask for millions of dollars in gifts, it’s supposed to be used to benefit the nation’s security, not to enrich themselves. But also, it’s just illegal. There is a very specific clause in the Constitution that forbids this kind of gift from a foreign government to a president. And this body is supposed to be in charge of helping to enforce the Constitution. Our founders wrote that clause into the Constitution because they worried about this exact situation, where a president is using his authority like a monarch or a king to make himself the richest person in the world.
    Murphy stressed that Republicans and Democrats must unite to protect the U.S. Constitution and preserve a foreign policy rooted in furthering American interests: “Donald Trump is using the power of his office not to help or protect us, but to enrich himself and his family. He is doing it publicly, brazenly, out in the open. He is, in effect, daring us – specifically daring the legislative branch, the co-equal branch – to stop him…Republicans can’t ignore this just because the president is their party’s leader. We have that independent obligation to protect the Constitution, which clearly says that these gifts are illegal, whether they’re going to a Democratic president or a Republican president. We have a responsibility to our taxpayers to stop a president from immorally enriching himself, using the power we give him to help himself instead of helping us. 
    He concluded: “The net result is an American public that is poorer, and weaker, and less secure. And a president who is richer. It’s corrupt. It’s corrupt. We’ve never, ever, in the history of this country, allowed for a president to do this. Never in the 250 years that our republic has been on the Earth has a president ever asked another nation to enrich himself in this way, in exchange for preferential treatment from the U.S. taxpayers. If you are a Republican or a Democratic senator, you have to see this as unprecedented, as terrible for our nation, as corruption. American foreign policy should not be for sale. If we let these arms sales go through, we are greasing the wheels of that corruption. If we vote for these resolutions of disapproval, at least we have a shot to stop it.” 
    Murphy filed these joint resolutions of disapproval last month. 
    A full transcript of his remarks can be found below:
    MURPHY: “The U.S. Constitution and the American people give the American president vast power: the power to decide how billions of dollars are spent; the power to oversee the entire federal criminal justice system; the power to sell arms around the world; to deploy millions of American soldiers; to negotiate peace treaties. We give him these powers – the Constitution gives the president these powers – so that he uses them on our behalf: to deploy that vast power of the American presidency; to increase our quality of life; to protect the American people. We place immense trust in the president not to abuse these incredible authorities that are given to him. But Donald Trump is abusing that authority in ways that honestly shock the conscience.
    “Donald Trump is using the power of his office not to help or protect us, but to enrich himself and his family. He is doing it publicly, brazenly, out in the open. He is, in effect, daring us – specifically daring the legislative branch, the co-equal branch – to stop him.
    “Nearly three weeks ago, news broke that the White House had dialed up one of our key allies in the Middle East, the government of Qatar, and it asked that the Qataris give the president a luxury jet that is reportedly worth upwards of $400 million. 
    “Now, the nicest jet that I have ever been on is Air Force One, and it’s really nice. But the jet that Trump wants to make Air Force One, that he’s asking for from the Qataris, makes Air Force One, the current version, look like a tenement house. The Qatari jet that he is asking for, its interior is designed by a famed French designer, complete with a flowing grand staircase, sculpted ceilings, plush carpeting, leather couches, gold furnishings. The plane has been called the world’s most luxurious private jet. It includes nine bathrooms, five kitchens, swanky lounges, and a master bedroom suite. The arrangement that Trump proposed to the Qataris would briefly pass the jet through U.S. government hands, but only, as reported, for just a year or two before it would end up belonging personally to Donald Trump. The U.S. Government would essentially be a straw purchaser. The real owner of the jet, for all practical purposes, would be Donald Trump. 
    “Now, this kind of gift, a $400 million luxury jet, it has no precedent in American history. No President has ever asked for, never mind been given, a $400 million gift from a foreign nation. Why? Well, because presidents know that that’s crossing a line. That is a massive abuse of their power. The leverage that presidents have over other countries, that they could use to ask for millions of dollars in gifts, it’s supposed to be used to benefit the nation’s security, not to enrich themselves. But also, it’s just illegal. There is a very specific clause in the Constitution that forbids this kind of gift from a foreign government to a president. And this body is supposed to be in charge of helping to enforce the Constitution. Our founders wrote that clause into the Constitution because they worried about this exact situation, where a president is using his authority like a monarch or a king to make himself the richest person in the world. 
    “Now, the Qatar government feels like it had little choice but to say yes when asked for this $400 million gift – again, briefly to the U.S. Government – but really, for all practical purposes, to the president. They felt like they had no choice precisely because an American president has so much power. They have so much leverage, especially over a vulnerable country in the Middle East. In this case, Qatar really needs to keep the United States on its side. Middle East politics, they shift really quickly, and during Trump’s first term, when the Qataris were not close to Trump, they paid a price. They found themselves badly and dangerously isolated in the region. Saudi Arabia and the UAE, if you remember, effectively ganged up to blockade Qatar, and Trump gave that move implicit consent. Qatar, frankly, is willing to pay a very high price to avoid that fate again. 
    “But Qatar also has things that it wants from the United States. No Middle East country has ever been allowed to buy MQ-9 Reaper drones. These are the most lethal armed drone that America makes. We have previously judged that the region is just too volatile to allow any nation to possess the Reaper, and arguably there’s an arms control regime that doesn’t allow us to transfer that technology, but Qatar wanted to break that precedent. Of course they did. They wanted to be the first nation to have the Reaper technology, and Trump seemed willing to go along. So, a $400 million gift to the president, again, that the president was asking for, it’s a relatively small price to pay for that kind of military edge over your rivals in the region. 
    “But there was one more reason that Qatar had no choice but to give Trump, or at least they felt they had no choice but to give Trump, this wildly illegal gift: because Trump had made it clear to the whole region, to the whole of the Gulf region in the Middle East, that he was for sale and that preferential American treatment was for sale. And if Qatar didn’t pay, another country would. Qatar wasn’t going to be protected, frankly, by a collective refusal of Trump’s extortion in the region. And they had only to look next door to the United Arab Emirates to see how high the price was getting to win Trump’s affection. 
    “At the exact moment that Trump was leaning on Qatar to give him the luxury plane, he was also leaning on UAE to give him not a $400 million gift, but a $2 billion gift. And he didn’t have to lean hard. Just before the Qataris committed to give Trump the plane, an investment firm, backed by the Emirati government and chaired by Emirati government’s national security advisor, shocked the world and announced that it would use Trump’s brand-new stablecoin, this is a form of cryptocurrency, in a $2 billion investment deal that this investment fund, essentially an arm of the UAE government, was doing. And because of that $2 billion deal, overnight Trump’s stablecoin became one of the five largest stablecoins in the world, massively inflating the president’s wealth due to this one single investment. Now this wasn’t an ordinary investment decision. Out of all the stablecoin companies in the world, the Emiratis chose what at the time was a brand-new, relatively small crypto company, run by two people who had very little background in the industry. Why? To put money directly into the pocket of Donald Trump. On the website of World Liberty Financial – that’s the company that is issuing the Trump coin – they don’t hide the fact that this isn’t the Trump kids that own the business. On the website, it states 60% of this company, World Liberty Financial, is owned by an entity affiliated with Donald J. Trump.
    “But it gets even more corrupt because World Liberty Financial’s other cofounder is a guy named Zach Witkoff, who, not coincidentally, is the son of Steve Witkoff, Trump’s top Middle East advisor. The Trumps could have picked anybody in the world to run this stablecoin business with but they chose the son of the Middle East envoy, just so that when they were going around asking for money in the region, it was crystal clear that if you were doing business with World Liberty Financial, you were doing business with the people in the Trump administration who make all the decisions about the Middle East. So, in one fell swoop, the Emiratis can put money into the family that controls the White House and the family that deploys and decides Middle East policy. 
    “Now, just like the Qataris, the Emiratis want something in return, too. Their ask was for the U.S. to remove restrictions on selling the most advanced American-made computer chips to the UAE. The restrictions have been in place under Republican and Democratic administrations for a really good reason. The UAE has a very close, too close, relationship with China. And the U.S. is always rightly worried that if we gave advanced technology to UAE, it would pretty quickly, potentially, fall into the hands of the Chinese. Now, this would be really bad – especially regarding these microchips, these computer chips – because these chips power the most advanced and proprietary American A.I. systems. Losing these chips to China could cost us the lead to China on the global A.I. race. The UAE also wanted the United States to look the other way while they helped fund a death-spiral civil war in Sudan. The UAE is the main supplier of weapons to the worst of the two parties that are involved in the brutal, catastrophic, deadly, civil war in Sudan. And they want the United States to keep giving them weapons, most recently asking for a resupply of Chinook helicopters, even as they use their military prowess to destroy Sudan. 
    “Now, the end of this chapter of the story will not shock you. In coordination with the $400 million luxury plane and the $2 billion investment in Trump crypto, Qatar got sign-off on buying the Reaper drones. And Steve Witkoff, father of the co-owner of World Liberty Financial, marched over to UAE, right before the president was showing up himself, and announced that the United States would, in fact, magically lift those restrictions on the microchips. And just as unsurprisingly, Trump announced that he’ll sell the Chinooks to Abu Dhabi, with no requirement that they stop fueling the war in Sudan. 
    “The blatant exchange of U.S. national security secrets, our most sensitive drone technology and our most sensitive chip technology, in exchange for cash into Donald Trump’s pocket, is perhaps the most brazenly corrupt act in the history of the American presidency. And we cannot normalize it just because he is doing it out in the open, in public.
    “The Senate, which is given the responsibility by the Constitution to be a coequal branch with the president, we have independent responsibility to uphold and protect the Constitution, to set American foreign policy. We cannot pretend this is not happening. We cannot look the other way while the entire moral foundation of our foreign policy is being shattered. Republicans can’t ignore this just because the president is their party’s leader. We have that independent obligation to protect the Constitution, which clearly says that these gifts are illegal, whether they’re going to a Democratic president or a Republican president. We have a responsibility to our taxpayers to stop a president from immorally enriching himself, using the power we give him to help himself instead of helping us. 
    “What makes this moment so dangerous is that both UAE and Qatar, but especially Qatar, are key partners of the United States. They aren’t our adversaries. They are our allies. They’re imperfect allies, but they are our allies. In fact, I’ve been down on this floor in the past arguing on behalf of Qatar and the U.S.-Qatar relationship, when other senators have tried to denigrate the Qataris’ contributions to regional peace. The Qataris have been a critical partner of ours on so many important issues. It’s worth saying that. There’s no way that we would have been able to evacuate 124,000 people from Afghanistan on the eve of the Taliban takeover without Qatar’s help. The Qataris today host thousands of U.S. troops at Al Udeid Air Force Base. That’s the largest base in the region. The Qataris are critical mediators who helped us send back-channel messages to secure the release of American hostages or negotiate peace deals. There’s no question that Qatar is a country that helps stabilize the region and often is indispensable in protecting U.S. interests overseas. So, I want to cultivate and strengthen that important relationship. I honor the work that the United States and UAE does all around the region to try to track down and hold accountable terrorists. These are real partnerships. But our relationship with Qatar and the UAE, it can’t be a corrupt relationship. We can’t sell drones to Qatar, our friend, if our friend is willing to take part in Trump’s corruption. We cannot sell weapons to the UAE, our ally, if our ally is willing to take part in Trump’s corruption. 
    “We’ll have a chance this week to make this clear: that the United States Senate will not facilitate, will not grease the wheels of Trump’s corruption of our foreign policy. We can do that by voting to block these two arms sales to Qatar and the UAE. Not permanently, but until both countries commit to deny Trump’s requests for personal enrichment as part of the bilateral relationship. That’s why Senators Van Hollen, Kaine, Schatz, and Sanders have joined me in two resolutions of disapproval for those Reaper drone sales and the Chinook sale, and we’ll have a vote on these two resolutions as early as this week. 
    “President Trump has declared that U.S. foreign policy is for sale. And the opening bids, from two of the richest nations in the world, is a $2 billion investment in Trump’s crypto company, from the UAE, and a $400 million luxury plane, essentially for the president’s permanent personal use. At the exact same moment that Trump is trying to push a bill through this Congress that is going to ruin a lot of people’s lives, cutting off their health care or leaving kids without food at night, he’s making himself even richer by trading American national security policy for gifts. And, to make it worse, trading away U.S. national security secrets in exchange. The net result is an American public that is poorer, and weaker, and less secure. And a president who is richer. It’s corrupt. It’s corrupt. We’ve never, ever, in the history of this country, allowed for a president to do this. Never in the 250 years that our republic has been on the Earth has a president ever asked another nation to enrich himself in this way, in exchange for preferential treatment from the U.S. taxpayers. If you are a Republican or a Democratic senator, you have to see this as unprecedented, as terrible for our nation, as corruption. American foreign policy should not be for sale. If we let these arms sales go through, we are greasing the wheels of that corruption. If we vote for these resolutions of disapproval, at least we have a shot to stop it. 
    “I yield the floor.”
     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom’s Address to California: Democracy at a Crossroads

    Source: US State of California Governor

    Jun 10, 2025

    What you need to know: In an address delivered to nearly 40 million Californians and Americans nationwide tonight, Governor Gavin Newsom condemned President Trump’s unlawful militarization of Los Angeles and warned that the President’s actions mark a dangerous inflection point for the nation.

    LOS ANGELES — In an address delivered to nearly 40 million Californians and Americans nationwide tonight, Governor Gavin Newsom condemned President Trump’s unlawful militarization of Los Angeles and warned that the President’s actions mark a dangerous inflection point for the nation.

    “What we’re witnessing is not law enforcement — it’s authoritarianism,” Governor Newsom said to Californians. “What Donald Trump wants most is your fealty. Your silence. To be complicit in this moment. Do not give in to him.”

    Governor Newsom recounted recent federal raids in Latino neighborhoods, the unlawful commandeering of 4,000 California National Guard members, and the deployment of over 700 active-duty Marines to the streets of an American city — all done without consultation with state or local officials. “Trump is pulling a military dragnet across Los Angeles,” Newsom said. “It’s weakness masquerading as strength.”

    Calling this a moment of national reckoning, the Governor urged Americans to take peaceful action. “The most important office in a democracy is not President or Governor — it’s citizen.”

    Watch and read the entire speech here:

    Governor Newsom’s Address to California: Democracy at a Crossroads

    I want to say a few words about the events of the last few days. 

    This past weekend, federal agents conducted large-scale workplace raids in and around Los Angeles. 

    Those raids continue as I speak.

    California is no stranger to immigration enforcement. 

    But instead of focusing on undocumented immigrants with serious criminal records and people with final deportation orders – a strategy both parties have long supported – this administration is pushing mass deportations.

    Indiscriminately targeting hardworking immigrant families, regardless of their roots or risk.

    What’s happening right now is very different than anything we’ve seen before. 

    On Saturday morning, when federal agents jumped out of an unmarked van near a Home Depot parking lot, they began grabbing people. 

    A deliberate targeting of a heavily Latino suburb.

    A similar scene also played out when a clothing company was raided downtown.

    In other actions: a US citizen, 9 months pregnant – arrested. A four-year-old girl – taken.

    Families separated. Friends disappearing.  

    In response, everyday Angelinos came out to exercise their Constitutional right to free speech and assembly

    To protest their government’s actions. 

    In turn, the State of California and the City and County of Los Angeles sent our police officers to help keep the peace, and with some exceptions, they were successful.

    Like many states, California is no stranger to this sort of civil unrest. We manage it regularly … and with our own law enforcement.

    But this, again, was different. 

    What then ensued was the use of tear gas. Flash-bang grenades. Rubber bullets. 

    Federal agents, detaining people and undermining their due process rights.

    Donald Trump, without consulting with California’s law enforcement leaders, commandeered 2,000 of our state’s National Guard members to deploy on our streets. 

    Illegally, and for no reason.

    This brazen abuse of power by a sitting President inflamed a combustible situation … putting our people, our officers, and the National Guard at risk. 

    That’s when the downward spiral began. He doubled down on his dangerous National Guard deployment by fanning the flames even harder.

    And the President did it on purpose.

    As the news spread throughout LA, anxiety for family and friends ramped up. Protests started again. 

    By night, several dozen lawbreakers became violent and destructive. They vandalized property. They tried to assault police officers. 

    Many of you have seen video clips of cars burning on cable news.  

    If you incite violence or destroy our communities, you are going to be held accountable. 

    That kind of criminal behavior will not be tolerated. Full stop. 

    Already, more than 370 people have been arrested. And we’re reviewing tapes to build additional cases, and people will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.

    Again, thanks to our law enforcement officers and the majority of Angelenos who protested peacefully, this situation was winding down and was concentrated in just a few square blocks downtown.

    But that’s not what Donald Trump wanted. 

    He again chose escalation; he chose more force.

    He chose theatrics over public safety – he federalized another 2,000 Guard members. 

    He deployed more than 700 active U.S. Marines. 

    These are men and women trained in foreign combat, not domestic law enforcement. 

    We honor their service. We honor their bravery. But we do not want our streets militarized by our own Armed Forces. Not in L.A. Not in California. Not anywhere.

    We’re seeing unmarked cars in school parking lots. Kids, afraid to attend their own graduation. 

    Trump is pulling a military dragnet across LA, well beyond his stated intent to just go after violent and serious criminals.

    His agents are arresting dishwashers, gardeners, day laborers and seamstresses – That’s just weakness. Weakness, masquerading as strength.

    Donald Trump’s government isn’t protecting our communities – they are traumatizing our communities. And that seems to be the point. 

    California will keep fighting on behalf of our people – all of our people – including in the courts. 

    Yesterday, we filed a legal challenge to President Trump’s reckless deployment of American troops to a major American city.

    Today, we sought an emergency court order to stop the use of the American military to engage in law enforcement activities across Los Angeles.

    If some of us can be snatched off the streets without a warrant, based only on suspicion or skin color, then none of us are safe. 

    Authoritarian regimes begin by targeting people who are least able to defend themselves. But they do not stop there.

    Trump and his loyalists thrive on division because it allows them to take more power and exert even more control. 

    By the way, Trump – he’s not opposed to lawlessness and violence, as long as it serves HIM. 

    What more evidence do we need than January 6th?

    I ask everyone to take the time to reflect on this perilous moment.

    A president who wants to be bound by no law or constitution.

    Perpetrating a unified assault on American traditions.

    This is a President who, in just over 140 days, has fired government watchdogs that could hold him accountable for corruption and fraud.

    He’s declared a war on culture, on history, on science – on knowledge itself. Databases, quite literally vanishing.

    He’s delegitimizing news organizations and assaulting the First Amendment.

    At the threat of defunding them, he’s dictating what universities can teach.

    Targeting law firms and the judicial branch that are the foundation of an orderly, civil society.

    Calling for a sitting Governor to be arrested for no other reason than – to use his words – “for getting elected.”

    And we all know, this Saturday, he’s ordering our American heroes – the United States military – forcing them to put on a vulgar display to celebrate his birthday, just as other failed dictators have done in the past.

    Look, this isn’t just about protests in LA. 

    When Donald Trump sought blanket authority to commandeer the National Guard, he made that order apply to every state in this nation.

    This is about all of us. This is about you.

    California may be first – but it clearly won’t end here. Other states are next.

    Democracy is next.

    Democracy is under assault right before our eyes – the moment we’ve feared has arrived. 

    He’s taking a wrecking ball to our founding fathers’ historic project.

    Three independent, coequal branches of government. 

    There are no longer any checks and balances. Congress is nowhere to be found. Speaker Johnson has completely abdicated that responsibility.

    The rule of law has increasingly given way to the rule of Don.

    The founding fathers did not live and die to see this moment.

    It’s time for all of us to stand up. 

    Justice Brandeis said it best: in a democracy, the most important office is not president, it’s certainly not governor. The most important office is office of citizen.

    At this moment, we must all stand up and be held to a higher level of accountability. 

    If you exercise your First Amendment rights, please do so peacefully. 

    I know many of you are feeling deep anxiety, stress, and fear.

    But I want you to know that YOU are the antidote to that fear and anxiety.

    What Donald Trump wants most is your fealty. Your silence. To be complicit in this moment.

    Do NOT give in to him.

    Press releases

    Recent news

    Jun 10, 2025

    News LOS ANGELES – Governor Newsom and Attorney General Bonta are standing up all states by filing a lawsuit and request to block President Trump and the Department of Defense’s illegal militarization of Los Angeles and the takeover of a California National Guard (Cal…

    Jun 10, 2025

    News “Turning the military against American citizens” What you need to know:  Standing up for American citizens and the Nation’s foundational ban on martial law in peacetime, California Governor Newsom and Attorney General Bonta are requesting the court step in to…

    Jun 9, 2025

    News What you need to know: California is surging mutual aid resources to support law enforcement as they clean up the actions caused by President Trump. LOS ANGELES – Moving quickly to support local response to federal actions that have caused unrest in Los Angeles,…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Former Congress staffer allowed to return to Kanaky New Caledonia

    By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific desk

    One of seven people transferred to mainland France almost a year ago, following the May 2024 riots in New Caledonia, has been allowed to return home, a French court has ruled.

    Frédérique Muliava, a former Congress staffer, was part of a group of six who were charged in relation to the riots.

    Under her new judicial requirements, set out by the judge in charge of the case, Muliava, once she returns to New Caledonia, is allowed to return to work, but must not make any contact with other individuals related to her case and not take part in any public demonstration.

    Four days after their arrest in Nouméa in June 2024, Muliava and six others were transferred to mainland France aboard a chartered plane.

    They were charged with criminal-related offences (including being a party or being accomplice to murder attempts and thefts involving the use of weapons) and have since been remanded in several prisons across France pending their trial.

    In January 2025, the whole case was removed from the jurisdiction of New Caledonia-based judges and has since been transferred back to investigating judges in mainland France.

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Video: President’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya updates the public on the President’s programme.

    Source: Republic of South Africa (video statements)

    President’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya updates the public on the President’s programme.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zheteD2uSX8

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: Deputy Minister Sihle Zikalala responds to IDT issues that include his involvement

    Source: Republic of South Africa (video statements)

    Deputy Minister Sihle Zikalala responds to IDT issues that include his involvement

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lnreN_YGC5E

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: EveningReport A View from Afar: The Trump Assassination Attempt, Security, The Politics, What Happens Next

    Source: EveningReport.nz (Video Podcasts)

    The Trump Assassination Attempt, Security Failures, The Politics and What Happens Next? – Firstly, in this episode of A View from Afar, political scientist and former Pentagon analyst, Dr Paul Buchanan, provides us a preliminary assessment of the assassination attempt on former United States president Donald Trump.

    Today we will examine:

    How could an assassin get inside a security parameter, and in to a position with direct line of sight to his target Donald Trump?

    And specifically, while the gunman was outside the immediate venue, it would appear the shooter’s location was within the security parameters, a position obvious to him as a prime area, with direct line of sight to his intended target.

    So why wouldn’t that fact be obvious to the US security services who were responsible for ensuring the parameters were safe and clear?

    And, importantly too, what are the political implications of this assassination attempt?
    For example; does this assassination attempt accentuate Trump’s mythology as an invincible born to rule leader? And as such, draw contrast to the incumbent US President Joe Biden’s frailty?

    In this regard, Paul and Selwyn assess what is likely to happen next?

    INTERACTION WHILE LIVE:

    Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments. So, we encourage you to Subscribe and Engage.

    To interact during the live recording of this podcast, go to Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/

    Remember to subscribe to the channel.

    For the on-demand audience, you can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below:

    Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/
    Facebook.com/selwyn.manning
    Twitter.com/Selwyn_Manning

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kPGtKb7k2s

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the annual Black Business Council Summit Gala and Awards Dinner

    Source: Republic of South Africa (video statements)

    President Cyril Ramaphosa addresses the annual Black Business Council Summit Gala and Awards Dinner

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GEChseYazD0

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: EveningReport A View from Afar – A New Arms Race: Deterrence and De-Escalation Are They Still Valid Concepts?

    Source: EveningReport.nz (Video Podcasts)

    In this episode of A View from Afar political scientist and former Pentagon Analyst, Paul G. Buchanan and journalist Selwyn Manning discuss, debate, and assess whether deterrence is still a valid concept in international relations.

    Paul and Selwyn assess whether deterrence has failed in Syria, Ukraine, the Middle East, and failed to stop an intensification of threat in the South China Sea.

    And they consider the questions:

    Is nuclear deterrence dead in the water?

    Backgrounder: Overnight, the New York Times released details of a secret new nuclear deterrence plan that has been advanced in secret by the Biden Administration.

    Biden’s Nuke Plan is designed to ensure the USA stays ahead of an arms race, and a supposed coordination of nuclear weapons technologies being developed by China, North Korea and Russia.

    New questions arise.

    Does a new-generation arms race, led by the United States, based on advanced nuclear weaponry, made more fearsome due to a rapid advance of artificial intelligence-assisted decision-making and target-selection, mixed with hybrid warfare, cause aggressive nations to rethink the consequences should they preemptively initiate conflict?

    And what about the majority of the world, what about small states, small powers, that seek stability and security via multilateralism or a constellation of like-minded nations – how does deterrence impact on their decision-making?

    Do alliances, led by global powers, that rely on deterring adversaries through development of superior weaponry and technology, offer small states more risks than benefits?

    Specifically, is it preferable for many small states to focus on de-escalation and cooperative security rather than bind themselves to collective security agreements that are focused on deterring adversaries?

    And, the big question: How do we as member states in a world where bipolarity and conflict is intensifying, ensure de-escalation occurs without reaching a tipping-point that we cannot return from?

    Is cooperative security, and mutually agreed to weapons and technological controls, the way toward restoring an uneasy peace in the world?

    Live Audience: Remember, if you are joining us live via the social media platforms, feel free to comment as we can include your comments and questions in this programme.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCRSVkaEFTk

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: EveningReport POSTPONED UNTIL NEXT WEEK: Deterrence and De-Escalation Are They Still Valid Concepts in

    Source: EveningReport.nz (Video Podcasts)

    The LIVE Recording of A View from Afar podcast will begin today at 12:45pm August 12, 2024 (NZST) which is Sunday evening, 8:45pm (USEDT).

    In this episode of A View from Afar political scientist and former Pentagon Analyst, Paul G. Buchanan and journalist Selwyn Manning will discuss, debate, and assess whether deterrence is still a valid concept in international relations.

    Paul and Selwyn will assess whether deterrence has failed in Syria, Ukraine, the Middle East, and failed to stop an intensification of threat in the South China Sea.

    And they will consider the questions:

    Is nuclear deterrence dead in the water?

    Or, does a new-generation arms race, based on advanced nuclear weaponry, made more fearsome due to a rapid advance of artificial intelligence-assisted decision-making and target-selection, mixed with hybrid warfare, cause aggressive nations to rethink the consequences should they preemptively initiate conflict?

    And what about the majority of the world, what about small states, small powers, that seek stability and security via multilateralism or a constellation of like-minded nations – how does deterrence impact on their decision-making?

    Do alliances, led by global powers, that rely on deterring adversaries through development of superior weaponry and technology, offer small states more risks than benefits?

    Specifically, is it preferable for many small states to focus on de-escalation and cooperative security rather than bind themselves to collective security agreements that are focused on deterring adversaries?

    And, the big question: How do we as member states in a world where bipolarity and conflict is intensifying, ensure de-escalation occurs without reaching a tipping-point that we cannot return from?

    Is cooperative security, and mutually agreed to weapons and technological controls, the way toward restoring an uneasy peace in the world?

    Live Audience: Remember, if you are joining us live via the social media platforms, feel free to comment as we can include your comments and questions in this programme.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ea32UO_UjsY

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: EveningReport Podcast: The Politics of Desperation – Trump, Netanyahu, Maduro, Ortega…

    Source: EveningReport.nz (Video Podcasts)

    A View from Afar with Paul G Buchanan and Selwyn Manning.

    Building upon recent episodes of A View from Afar, Political Scientist Paul G Buchanan and journalist Selwyn Manning discuss The Politics of Desperation. This episode flows on from discussions about long transitions and the moment of friction.

    As the old status quo begins to crumble (under the weight of fraction), political leaders and elites invested in it get increasingly desperate, leading to more dangerous decisions, more acute moments, and, increased chances of mistake, miscalculation and unanticipated backlash.

    The Politics of Desperation accentuates an ongoing downward spiral. And, the Politics of Desperation takes form in differing degrees. For some, the risk of losing is merely a dent in the leader’s ego, reputation, and an awakening that voters have moved on from their style of politics.

    But for others, a loss will prove to be devastating, for example; should Donald Trump lose his bid to regain the United States presidency, he will face sentencing as a felon and perhaps even face jail time. For Israel’s Prime Minister Netanyahu, a future loss or a collapse of his right-wing coalition would likely see him facing domestic charges and possibly charges laid by the International Criminal Court for his role in the disproportionate use of military might in Israel’s war on Gaza.

    So, Paul and Selwyn discuss the examples of the Politics of Desperation from around the world and assess the risks as the world rests on the cusp of an unknown future.

    INTERACTION WHILE LIVE:

    Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FNr325MwdXo

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: EveningReport US SPECIAL EPISODE: The Rise & Fall & Rise of Trumpism

    Source: EveningReport.nz (Video Podcasts)

    A View from Afar – Dr Paul G. Buchanan and Selwyn Manning deep-dive into the United States November 5, 2024 Elections and consider the ‘what, where, how and why’ questions as they detail the rise and fall and rise of Donald John Trump and Trumpism.

    Background Image courtesy of Nick Minto, Copyright 2024 Nick Minto; photographed November 6, 2024, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

    In this episode Paul and Selwyn discuss:

    Why Democrats Lost: Incumbency, Elitism, Class & Alienation, Identity Politics…
    Why Trump Won: Anti-Establishment, Populism, Avatar for the Alienated…
    What to Expect Next: Trump Appointments, Isolationism, Geopolitical Impact & Response…

    INTERACTION WHILE LIVE: Paul and Selwyn encourage interaction while live, and encourage their audience to lodge comments and questions. Please subscribe to our YouTube channel and click on notification-bell for an alert for future programmes.
    Here’s the link: https://www.youtube.com/c/EveningReport/

    Background image: courtesy of and Copyright Nick Minto 2024. Image taken November 6 2024, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

    RECOGNITION: The MIL Network’s podcast A View from Afar was Nominated as a Top Defence Security Podcast by Threat.Technology – a London-based cyber security news publication. Threat.Technology placed A View from Afar at 9th in its 20 Best Defence Security Podcasts of 2021 category.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DdoALIi6_H8

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: EveningReport Podcast: State of Israel Goes Rogue – Attacks UN Peacekeepers

    Source: EveningReport.nz (Video Podcasts)

    A View from Afar – In this episode of A View From Afar political scientist Paul Buchanan and host Selwyn Manning analyse how the state of Israel has gone rogue, attacking United Nations peacekeepers in southern Lebanon.

    At this juncture it is clear this is an intentional attack. Over the past week Israel Defense Force troops have repeatedly attacked UN peacekeepers who were authorised and deployed to the region by the United Nations Security Council.

    Also last week; the Government of Israel issued a statement notifying the United Nations Secretary General that he was now banned from Israel and was persona non grata.

    Within a day of that statement, IDF troops had fired on UN peacekeeping positions in Southern Lebanon. Since then, the IDF has continued operations that threaten the UN’s presence.

    And Israel’s prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu has now issued a directive to the UN peacekeeping force to withdraw from the area north of its borders in Southern Lebanon.

    Also, despite the United States Biden Administration cautioning Israel on its attacks on UN personnel, overnight New Zealand time, the United States has deployed 100 US troops on the ground in Israel to operate missile defence systems.

    Paul and Selwyn consider:

    * Why Israel has begun to attack United Nations peacekeepers in the region?

    * Why has the United States deepened its involvement in Israel’s so-called defence?

    * What of Hezbollah, Hamas; are their attacks on Israel a defence or an attacking offensive?

    * What of Iran, what is its position and will it engage in a full-scale war with Israel and what are the consequences should it do so?

    INTERACTION WHILE LIVE:

    Paul and Selwyn encourage their live audience to interact while they are live with questions and comments.

    To interact during the live recording of this podcast, go to Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/

    Remember to subscribe to the channel.

    For the on-demand audience, you can also keep the conversation going on this debate by clicking on one of the social media channels below:

    Youtube.com/c/EveningReport/

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3feU3ZedRlA

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: EveningReport Aurora over Poraiti, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand

    Source: EveningReport.nz (Video Podcasts)

    Aurora over Poraiti, Hawke’s Bay, New Zealand on May 12 2024.
    At 14 seconds in, the aurora’s light sunbursts in a brilliant display.

    This aurora was captured using time-lapse on a Nikon Z6 using a Nikon Z Mount 20mm at 1.8. Codecs: Timecode, Apple ProRes 422

    MIL Video: This video is copyright to Multimedia Investments Ltd (MIL).

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xzp_WY2sX9Y

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: EveningReport Conflict Expansion and Opportunism Within a Lame-Duck Window

    Source: EveningReport.nz (Video Podcasts)

    In this episode of A View From Afar political scientist Paul Buchanan and host Selwyn Manning analyse how conflicts are expanding, arguably with warring sides taking an opportunity to take as much territory, while a ‘Lame-Duck Window’ exists in the United States.

    For example;

    In Syria, opposition-baked forces have taken Aleppo city and other strategic centres in an attempt to remove Syria’s authoritarian leader Assad. Assad’s forces are resisting on the ground while Russian air forces attacked the opposition force’s positions. Israel announced it may strike Syria government munitions sites in a move to ensure opposition forces do not take possession of such weaponry.

    Meanwhile, fighting has intensified on the Ukraine-Russia frontlines after:

    North Korea deployed a 10,000-strong assistance force to the Kursk region;

    Outgoing US President Joe Biden authorised Ukraine to fire ATTACM missiles deep into Russia;

    Ukraine indeed fired ATTACMs into the Russian motherland and has increased its drone attacks on military targets in cities once regarded as safe from attack.

    Also, and significantly, Russia fired into Dnipro City in Ukraine a hypersonic “experimental” Medium-Range-Ballistic-Missile – and followed up with the biggest barrage of drone and missile strikes on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure since the conflict began.

    So-called “red-lines” have been crossed and all sides appear determined to take as much territory as possible before US President-Elect Donald Trump is sworn into office in January.

    Paul and Selwyn assess what we can expect to witness in the next two months, how other state actors are being drawn into conflict, and what objectives are driving warring sides at flashpoints around the world.

    Live Audience: Remember, we welcome your comments and questions. And also remember to Subscribe. Thank you!

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIj7s28cdz8

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Video: ICC Kony case: Appeals Chamber Judgment, 3rd June 2025 [ACHOLI]

    Source: International Criminal Court (video statements)

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w2HotG9Y1f8

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: McMahon Admits to Warren That Education Secretary Lacks Legal Authority to Dismantle the Education Department

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren

    June 10, 2025

     Warren gains key concessions from Secretary McMahon in a private meeting.

    Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) met with Secretary of Education Linda McMahon. Senator Warren also delivered over 1,000 letters to McMahon that the senator had received from people in all 50 states who are worried about the Secretary’s efforts to dismantle the Department of Education (ED).

    “My job as a U.S. Senator is to conduct oversight and hold officials’ feet to the fire when they are actively harming the American people. I was able to secure important commitments from Education Secretary McMahon, which will make a real difference for people with student loans,” said Senator Warren. “But at a time when President Trump and Republicans in Congress are trying to make it more expensive for students from working-class families to get ahead, I will not stop fighting to ensure that every student has access to affordable, quality education in America.”

    During the meeting, Secretary McMahon revealed four key pieces of information to Senator Warren:

    • Secretary McMahon conceded that she has no statutory authority to move the responsibilities of the Department of Education to other agencies without Congress passing legislation first. This comes as the Trump administration tries to abolish the Department by shifting its responsibilities to the Small Business Administration and the Department of Health and Human Services, among other agencies that are ill-equipped to take on the Department of Education’s responsibilities. “McMahon didn’t just say she didn’t have the intention to do it—she said that she is legally barred from doing it,” said Senator Warren. “I asked her about the legal authority she would have to transfer any part of the functions of the Department of Education somewhere else, for example, to the SBA, and she said, ‘I can’t do that. That is the job of Congress.’ There was no ambiguity in her answer.” 
    • Secretary McMahon confirmed that she does not intend to restart Social Security offsets for people with defaulted student loans. McMahon told Senator Warren that she personally decided to pause the seizure of Social Security benefits after the Trump administration had announced that it would start forced Social Security collections.“The Education Secretary has assured me that the pause that is currently in place will stay in place and if there is to be any change in that, she would get in touch with me directly before we go there,” said Senator Warren.
    • Secretary McMahon stated that she intends to soon restore the income-driven repayment (IDR) payment count tracker to studentaid.gov, allowing borrowers to track their progress towards receiving debt relief, after taking down the tracker earlier in the Trump administration.
    • Secretary McMahon admitted that she recommended cuts to the Pell Grant program because of the program’s budgetary shortfall, but that it was ultimately up to Congress to fund the Pell program. “McMahon purported to be a supporter of Pell and said that she thought these changes were necessary for fiscal responsibility,” said Senator Warren. “The idea that the Republicans want to cut Pell further, I can already say categorically, is a really bad idea and it’s going to mean that we’re going to lose some number of young people who want to get an education and who ultimately benefit this country when they get an education.”

    Secretary McMahon also committed to responding in writing to Senator Warren’s June 4, 2025 letter containing 66 questions regarding her policies as Education Secretary. Last month, Senator Warren invited Secretary McMahon to a public forum Warren held on May 14, 2025 on higher education affordability. Secretary McMahon refused the invitation in a May 12 letter and instead agreed to a meeting with Senator Warren. 

    Senator Warren launched the Save Our Schools campaign in a coordinated effort to fight back against President Trump’s attempts to abolish the Department of Education:

    • On June 9, 2025, Senator Warren led her colleagues in pushing the Acting Inspector General of ED to open an investigation into new information obtained by her office revealing that DOGE may have gained access to two FSA internal systems, in addition to sensitive borrower data.
    • On May 20, 2025, Senator Warren and 27 other senators pushed for full funding for the Office of Federal Student Aid.
    • On May 20, 2025, Senator Warren and 27 other senators pushed for full funding to the Office of Federal Student Aid.
    • On May 14, 2025, Senator Warren led a Senate forum entitled “Stealing the American Dream: How Trump and Republicans Are Raising Education Costs for Families,” highlighting the consequences of Secretary Linda McMahon’s reckless dismantling of the Department of Education (ED) and President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” for working- and middle-class students and borrowers.
    • On May 13, 2025, Senator Warren agreed to meet with Education Secretary Linda McMahon and promised to bring questions and stories from Americans across the country to highlight how the Trump administration’s attacks on education are hurting American families.
    • On May 6, 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren highlighted the consequences of President Trump and Secretary Linda McMahon’s reckless dismantling of the Department of Education for American families in a Senate forum.
    • On April 24, 2025, Senator Warren launched a new investigation into the harms of President Trump’s attacks on the Department of Education, seeking information on the impact of the Trump administration’s actions from the members of twelve leading organizations representing schools, parents, teachers, students, borrowers, and researchers.
    • On April 10, 2025, following a request led by Senator Warren, the Department of Education’s Acting Inspector General agreed to open an investigation into the Trump administration’s attempts to dismantle the Department of Education.
    • On April 2, 2025, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Mazie Hirono, along with Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer, sent a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon regarding the Department of Government Efficiency’s proposed plan to replace the Department of Education’s federal student aid call centers with generative artificial intelligence chatbots.
    • On April 2, 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren launched the Save Our Schools campaign to fight back against the Trump administration’s efforts to dismantle the Department of Education (ED) and highlight the consequences for every student and public school in America.
    • On March 27, 2025, Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) led a letter to Acting Department of Education Inspector General (IG) René Rocque requesting that the IG conduct an investigation of the Trump Administration’s attempts to dismantle the Department of Education.
    • On March 20, 2025, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Bernie Sanders led a letter to Secretary of Education Linda McMahon regarding the Trump Administration’s decision to slash the capacity of Federal Student Aid to handle student aid complaints.
    • On February 24, 2025, in a response to Senator Warren, Secretary McMahon gave her first public admission that she “wholeheartedly” agreed with Trump’s plans to abolish the Department of Education.
    • On February 11, 2025, Senators Elizabeth Warren and Andy Kim sent Linda McMahon, Secretary-Designate for the U.S. Department of Education, a 12-page letter with 65 questions on McMahon’s policy views in advance of her nomination hearing.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: RGA Statement on New Jersey Gubernatorial Primary

    Source: US Republican Governors Association

    The following text contains opinion that is not, or not necessarily, that of MIL-OSI –

    WASHINGTON, D.C. –The Republican Governors Association (RGA) released the following statement on the New Jersey gubernatorial primary:

    “Congratulations to Jack Ciattarelli on his victory in the New Jersey gubernatorial primary,” said RGA Chair and Georgia Governor Brian Kemp. “Jack knows what it takes to provide New Jersey families with much needed relief and has proven that he has the plan to fix New Jersey with commonsense solutions. Meanwhile, Democrat Mikie Sherrill must defend her failed record in Washington that has led to skyrocketing costs, failed schools, and left New Jersey families struggling, proving to voters she has no intention to do anything differently to turn New Jersey around. The choice could not be clearer this November for New Jersey voters.”

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Ultra-high voltage project starts operation to transmit electricity from Xinjiang to Chongqing

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

    Ultra-high voltage project starts operation to transmit electricity from Xinjiang to Chongqing

    Updated: June 11, 2025 08:58 Xinhua
    An aerial drone photo shows a view of the Hami-Chongqing ±800 kV ultra-high voltage direct current transmission project, in Hami, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 23, 2025. The State Grid Corporation of China on Tuesday announced the operation of the ±800 kV ultra-high voltage direct current transmission project linking eastern Xinjiang’s Hami with southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality. This marks China’s third major project to transmit electricity from energy-rich Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region to other parts of the country. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo shows auxiliary lines of the Hami-Chongqing ±800 kV ultra-high voltage direct current transmission project, in Hami, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 21, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo shows a thermal power plant as part of the Hami-Chongqing ±800 kV ultra-high voltage direct current transmission project, in Hami, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 22, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo shows the Yubei converter station of the Hami-Chongqing ±800 kV ultra-high voltage direct current transmission project, in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, June 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo shows the Yubei converter station of the Hami-Chongqing ±800 kV ultra-high voltage direct current transmission project, in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, June 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo shows a photovoltaic and wind farm as part of the Hami-Chongqing ±800 kV ultra-high voltage direct current transmission project, in Hami, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 23, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo shows a view of the Hami-Chongqing ±800 kV ultra-high voltage direct current transmission project, in Hami, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A maintenance worker performs infrared temperature measurement on operational lines at the Yubei converter station of the Hami-Chongqing ±800 kV ultra-high voltage direct current transmission project, in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, June 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Staff members check a power distribution room at the Barkol converter station of the Hami-Chongqing ±800 kV ultra-high voltage direct current transmission project, in Hami, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo shows staff checking cables of the Hami-Chongqing ±800 kV ultra-high voltage direct current transmission project, in Hami, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 8, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo shows the Barkol converter station, the sending end of the Hami-Chongqing ±800 kV ultra-high voltage direct current transmission project, in Hami, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo shows the Yubei converter station of the Hami-Chongqing ±800 kV ultra-high voltage direct current transmission project, in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, June 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo shows the Yubei converter station of the Hami-Chongqing ±800 kV ultra-high voltage direct current transmission project, in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, June 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo shows a view of the Hami-Chongqing ±800 kV ultra-high voltage direct current transmission project in Wuwei City, northwest China’s Gansu Province, May 29, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A maintenance worker performs infrared temperature measurement on operational lines at the Yubei converter station of the Hami-Chongqing ±800 kV ultra-high voltage direct current transmission project, in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, June 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Workers assemble a tower at the site of the Hami-Chongqing ±800 kV ultra-high voltage direct current transmission project, in Hami, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, July 12, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo shows the Yubei converter station of the Hami-Chongqing ±800 kV ultra-high voltage direct current transmission project, in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, June 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo shows auxiliary lines of the Hami-Chongqing ±800 kV ultra-high voltage direct current transmission project, in Hami, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo shows a worker operating atop the cables of the Hami-Chongqing ±800 kV ultra-high voltage direct current transmission project, in Hami, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, March 9, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    A maintenance worker performs infrared temperature measurement on operational lines at the Yubei converter station of the Hami-Chongqing ±800 kV ultra-high voltage direct current transmission project, in southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, June 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo shows a view of the Xinjiang section of the Hami-Chongqing ±800 kV ultra-high voltage direct current transmission project, in Hami, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Oct. 30, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo shows staff checking cables of the Hami-Chongqing ±800 kV ultra-high voltage direct current transmission project, in Hami, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, April 13, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Staff members partol at the Barkol converter station of the Hami-Chongqing ±800 kV ultra-high voltage direct current transmission project in Hami, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: 110,000 trips: China-Europe freight train service embraces new progress

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

    The 110,000th China-Europe freight train departs from Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province, June 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    JINAN, June 10 — The 110,000th China-Europe freight train departed from Qingdao in east China’s Shandong Province on Tuesday morning, marking a milestone in the service’s high-quality development.

    Loaded with 55 containers of home appliances, including LCD monitors and refrigerators worth nearly 20 million yuan (about 2.78 million U.S. dollars), the train will exit China via northern Inner Mongolia’s Erenhot Port, the largest land port on the China-Mongolia border, before arriving in Europe in 17 days, said Gao Yitian, an official from the Jiaozhou branch of Jinan Railway Logistics Center.

    As a witness, Gao said that over the past decade, the China-Europe freight train service has expanded dramatically, not just in volume, but also in reach, cargo diversity, and efficiency. The international logistics network in Shandong has transported not only Chinese exports but also cross-border goods from Japan, the Republic of Korea, and Southeast Asian countries.

    “I believe that these trains will continue to deliver more ‘Made in China’ products while providing better services for countries participating in the Belt and Road Initiative and people there,” Gao added.

    As of now, a total of 128 Chinese cities have launched China-Europe freight train service, reaching 229 cities in 26 European countries and over 100 cities in 11 Asian countries.

    Customs officers supervise the departure of the 110,000th China-Europe freight train at Jiaozhou Railway Station in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province, June 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo shows the 110,000th China-Europe freight train departing from Jiaozhou Railway Station in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province, June 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo shows the 110,000th China-Europe freight train departing from Jiaozhou Railway Station in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province, June 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    The 110,000th China-Europe freight train waits for departure at Jiaozhou Railway Station in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province, June 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo shows the 110,000th China-Europe freight train bound for Moscow of Russia, departing from Jiaozhou Railway Station in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province, June 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo shows the 110,000th China-Europe freight train bound for Moscow of Russia, departing from Jiaozhou Railway Station in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province, June 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo shows the 110,000th China-Europe freight train departing from Jiaozhou Railway Station in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province, June 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    Railway workers pose for photos in front of the 110,000th China-Europe freight train before its departure at Jiaozhou Railway Station in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province, June 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo shows the 110,000th China-Europe freight train departing from Jiaozhou Railway Station in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province, June 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    This photo shows the 110,000th China-Europe freight train bound for Moscow of Russia, waiting for departure at Jiaozhou Railway Station in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province, June 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
    An aerial drone photo shows the 110,000th China-Europe freight train departing from Jiaozhou Railway Station in Qingdao, east China’s Shandong Province, June 10, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s top diplomat calls for advancing dialogue among civilizations

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

    BEIJING, June 10 — China proposes to advance dialogue among civilizations through safeguarding equity, facilitating exchanges and promoting progress, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said on Tuesday.

    Wang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made these remarks in a video message to an event observing the first International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations.

    “The establishment of the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations by the UN responds to the shared aspirations of people worldwide to advance dialogue among civilizations and promote human progress, earning the unanimous support of all member states,” Wang said, adding that the value of civilizations has become more salient than ever when facing profound transformations unseen in a century and immense challenges.

    President Xi Jinping put forward the Global Civilization Initiative, which advocates promoting the common values of humanity, prioritizing the inheritance and innovation of civilizations, and enhancing international people-to-people exchanges and cooperation, Wang said, noting that this represents China’s significant effort to promote dialogue among civilizations.

    Wang highlighted that China proposes a three-pronged approach to promoting dialogue among civilizations.

    “First, we should safeguard equity among civilizations,” Wang said, calling for respecting every nation’s right to independently choose its development path and social system.

    He called for rejection of a clash of civilizations, interference in internal affairs and unilateralism and bullying — and for promoting shared dignity and equality instead.

    “Second, we should facilitate exchanges among civilizations,” Wang said, calling for drawing wisdom from dialogue among civilizations to address global challenges and broaden the pathways to world modernization. Wang said that China is actively considering hosting the 2028 United Nations Alliance of Civilizations (UNAOC) Global Forum.

    “Third, we should promote progress of civilizations,” Wang said, calling for facilitating the flow of ideas, technologies and people. Wang also emphasized leveraging emerging technologies like artificial intelligence in inheritance and innovation of civilizations to continuously enrich shared material and spiritual wealth.

    In 2024, the 78th session of the UN General Assembly unanimously adopted a resolution proposed by China and 82 other countries, designating June 10 as the International Day for Dialogue among Civilizations each year.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China mulls measures to regulate livestream e-commerce

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

    A visitor introduces a Chery flying car via live-streaming during the 21st Shanghai International Automobile Industry Exhibition in east China’s Shanghai, April 23, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Public opinion on regulations for the supervision and administration of livestream e-commerce is being solicited, China’s top market regulator announced on Tuesday.

    The State Administration for Market Regulation said that it has drafted the regulations in collaboration with the Cyberspace Administration of China to enhance livestream e-commerce supervision and administration, safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of consumers and operators, and promote the healthy development of the sector.

    The regulations require livestream e-commerce platform operators to enhance identity verification and qualification reviews for livestream room operators, livestream marketing services agencies and livestream marketing personnel.

    Livestream marketing personnel are required to provide real, accurate and comprehensive introductions to products or services, and must not cheat or mislead consumers.

    Operators of e-commerce platforms should cooperate with relevant authorities to take measures against those who violate market supervision or internet-related laws and regulations, the top market regulator said, emphasizing the legal responsibilities that should be borne for failing to meet legal obligations.

    The regulator said it will improve the content of the regulations based on feedback from public consultations, and it will implement them as soon as possible.

    MIL OSI China News –