NewzIntel.com

Category: Asia Pacific

  • MIL-OSI Global: Trump’s global trade plans are in disarray, amid legal appeals to a US court ruling on ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Susan Stone, Credit Union SA Chair of Economics, University of South Australia

    Earlier this week, a US court blocked the so-called “Liberation Day” tariffs that US President Donald Trump imposed on imported goods from around 90 nations.

    On Wednesday (US time), the Court of International Trade ruled the emergency authority Trump used to impose the tariffs could not override the role of Congress, which has the right to regulate commerce with other countries.

    The following day, however, the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington paused the trade court’s ruling, temporarily reinstating Trump’s tariffs. The earlier court ruling, and the fresh uncertainty prompted by the appeal have left the implementation of Trump’s trade policy in disarray.

    Even though it has been paused, the trade court’s ruling calls into question trade negotiations underway with more than 18 different nations, which are trying to lower these tariffs. Do these countries continue to negotiate or do they wait for the judicial process to play out?

    The Trump administration still has other mechanisms through which it can impose tariffs, but these have limits on the amount that can be imposed, or entail processes which can take months or years. This undermines Trump’s preferred method of negotiation: throwing out large threats and backing down once a concession is reached.

    Emergency powers were a step too far

    The lawsuits were filed by US importers of foreign products and some US states, challenging Trump’s use of the International Emergency Economic Powers Act of 1977.

    The lawsuits argued the national emergencies cited in imposing the tariffs – the trade deficit and the fentanyl crisis – were not an emergency and not directly addressed by the tariff remedy. The court agreed, and said by imposing tariffs Trump had overstepped his authority.

    The ruling said the executive orders used were “declared to be invalid as contrary to law”.

    The act states the president is entitled to take economic action in the face of “an unusual and extraordinary threat”. It’s mainly been used to impose sanctions on terrorist groups or freeze assets from Russia. There’s nothing in the act that refers to tariffs.

    The decision means all the reciprocal tariffs – including the 10% tariffs on most countries, the 50% tariffs Trump was talking about putting on the EU, and some of the Chinese tariffs – are ruled by the court to be illegal.

    The ruling was based on two separate lawsuits. One was brought by a group of small businesses that argued tariffs materially hurt their business. The other was brought by 12 individual states, arguing the tariffs would materially impact their ability to provide public goods.

    Some industry tariffs will remain in place

    The ruling does not apply to tariffs applied under Section 201, known as safeguard tariffs. They are intended to protect industries from imports allegedly being sold in the US market at unfair prices or through unfair means. Tariffs on solar panels and washing machines were brought under this regulation.

    Also excluded are Section 232 tariffs, which are applied for national security reasons. Those are the steel and aluminium tariffs, the automobile and auto parts tariffs. Trump has declared all those as national security issues, so those tariffs will remain.

    Most of the tariffs against China are also excluded under Section 301. Those are put in place for unfair trade practices, such as intellectual property theft or forced technology transfer. They are meant to pressure countries to change their policies.

    Other trade investigations are still underway

    In addition, there are current investigations related to copper and the pharmaceuticals sector, which will continue. These investigations are part of a more traditional trade process and may lead to future tariffs, including on Australia.

    The Trump administration is still weighing possible sector-specific tariffs on pharmaceuticals.
    Planar/Shutterstock

    Now for the appeals

    Following the subsequent reinstatement of tariffs, we now have to wait for the appeals process to play out. This may take some time. The plaintiffs have until June 5 to respond, and the Trump administration has until June 9.

    In the meantime, there are at least five other legal challenges to tariffs pending in the courts.

    If the appeals court provides a ruling the Trump administration or opponents don’t like, they can appeal to the Supreme Court.

    Alternatively, the White House could direct customs officials to ignore the court and continue to collect tariffs.

    The Trump administration has ignored court orders in the past, particularly on immigration rulings.

    The administration is unlikely to lie down on this. In addition to its appeal process, officials complained about “unelected judges” and “judicial overreach” and may contest the whole process. The only thing that continues to be a certainty is that uncertainty will drive global markets for the foreseeable future.

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

    – ref. Trump’s global trade plans are in disarray, amid legal appeals to a US court ruling on ‘Liberation Day’ tariffs – https://theconversation.com/trumps-global-trade-plans-are-in-disarray-amid-legal-appeals-to-a-us-court-ruling-on-liberation-day-tariffs-257812

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Collins Announces More Than $6.4 Million to Support Affordable Housing in Tribal Communities

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Maine Susan Collins

    Washington, D.C. — U.S. Senator Susan Collins, Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, announced that five tribal communities in Maine have been awarded a total of $6,456,253 through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Indian Housing Block Grant (IHBG). These grants support the development and maintenance of affordable housing.

    “This funding will help address critical housing needs, improve quality of life, and strengthen tribal communities across our state,” said Senator Collins. “As Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, I remain committed to working to ensure that tribal communities in Maine have the resources needed to provide safe, affordable housing.”

    The funding is allocated as follows:

    1. Penobscot Nation: $2,284,938
    1. Passamaquoddy Tribe at Indian Township: $1,135,316
    1. Mi’kmaq Nation: $1,129,607
    1. Passamaquoddy Tribe at Pleasant Point: $1,112,321
    1. Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians: $794,071

    The IHBG program provides funding for a various affordable housing activities, including construction, rehabilitation, and housing services tailored to the unique needs of tribal communities.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Delays expected following crash, Māngere East

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Motorists are being advised to expect delays following a two car crash in Māngere East.

    The crash, at the intersection of Massey Road and Gray Avenue, was reported to Police at about 10.54am.

    At this stage there are no reports of injury.

    Motorists are being advised to expect delays or seek an alternative route while the scene is cleared.

    ENDS.

    Holly McKay/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Wānaka bridges ‘fit for a King’ to reopen this weekend

    Source: NZ Department of Conservation

    Date:  30 May 2025

    Yesterday a small group of Makarora residents and conservation groups met to admire the bridges and upgraded Blue Pools Track walkway located 70 km north of Wānaka.

    DOC Operations Manager Charlie Sklenar says the occasion warrants a royal celebration after a two-year slog involving engineers, contractors, specialists, geotechnical consultations, unexpected complexities and a lot of hard work.

    “In May 2023 engineering reports on Blue Pools and Rob Roy bridges showed they needed to be upgraded for public safety, while Makarora’s swing bridge had to be completely replaced. We closed all three to get the work done.

    “In peak summer season 550 people a day cross the Blue Pools and Makarora bridges. At times 75 people would cross the bridges each hour, and visitors were regularly exceeding the signposted ‘safe number of people to cross’ advice. We needed to ensure these structures were safe for the public.”

    Upgrades included:

    • a new longer Makarora swing bridge with higher capacity,
    • a 160-metre-long elevated board walk, and
    • extensive upgrades to the Blue Pools bridge offering an improved experience for visitors.

    “We are so fortunate to have the stunning clear waters, native forest and dramatic alpine scenery of Tititea Mt Aspiring National Park on our doorstep,” says Charlie.

    “These upgrades mean people can safely experience this special place for years to come and do so in a way that protects nature.

    “It’s an investment that preserves our natural taonga species and supports our local communities who rely on outdoor recreation and tourism.”

    Yesterday was a big day for the Makarora community, with a parallel celebration for the opening of the 1.1 km Charteris Track in nearby Makarora township.

    Built by the Upper Clutha Tracks Trust on land donated by Makarora resident Gary Charteris, the track is a valuable last link in a loop that takes in the Makarora township.

    Note: Reminder Blue Pools and Makarora bridges are not officially open to the public until Saturday 31 May. Contractors may still be site.

    Visitors should check the DOC website before heading out.

    Blue Pools Track: Mount Aspiring National Park, Otago region

    Contact

    For media enquiries contact:

    Email: media@doc.govt.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Newsom proclaims Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

    Source: US State of California Governor

    May 29, 2025

    Sacramento, California – Governor Gavin Newsom today issued a proclamation declaring May 2025, as “Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.”

    The text of the proclamation and a copy can be found below:

    PROCLAMATION

    California is home to more than 6 million Californians of Asian or Pacific Islander descent, each invaluable to our state and nation. During Asian American and Pacific Islander (AAPI) Heritage Month, we celebrate all the ways in which AAPI Californians enrich and strengthen our society as part of California’s incredibly diverse heritage.

    Unfortunately, throughout our history, AAPI communities have been the target of violence, disenfranchisement, discrimination, and other xenophobic policies at the federal, state, and local levels. Echoes of this dark history are still evident in shameful anti-Asian hate acts seen across the country. We must confront past and present racism and fight for the safety and inclusion of our AAPI friends and neighbors, who continue to show strength and resilience in the face of this discrimination.

    AAPI communities in California have created and sustained some of the oldest and strongest cultural enclaves in the country, offering refuge and connection during times of hardship. Rebuilt from the ground up after the 1906 earthquake and fire, Chinatown in San Francisco is the oldest and largest in North America. All three remaining Japantowns in the country are in California – each with residents resilient enough to rebuild these thriving neighborhoods after they returned from unjust imprisonment in internment camps to ransacked homes and businesses. Across California, communities like Cambodia Town in Long Beach, Little Saigon in Orange County, Historic Filipinotown and Koreatown in Los Angeles, and Little India in Artesia are now thriving cultural enclaves, but many of these distinct neighborhoods were born of discrimination and segregation. Today, Californians from over 30 different countries and communities, including Native Hawaiians, live inside and outside of these historic boundaries. Their pride in their heritage and in themselves, in spite of prejudice, has always been and continues to be foundational to this state. 

    Few movements and turning points in California history were not shaped, at least in part, by AAPI leaders. Throughout California’s history, AAPI communities have driven change, doing so not just for themselves but in solidarity and partnership with other communities. We would not be the same without the AAPI communities and individuals that have made this state the leader it is in arts and culture, in labor rights and human rights, in business starts, in research, and so much more.

    During Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, California takes the opportunity to pay tribute to the irreplaceable legacy of our AAPI communities, their incredible strength and resilience, and their essential role in driving our state and nation forward. This month and every month, let us celebrate all members of our California family and work together to achieve the promise of a California for all.

    NOW THEREFORE I, GAVIN NEWSOM, Governor of the State of California, do hereby proclaim May 2025 as “Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month.”

    IN WITNESS WHEREOF I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of California to be affixed this 27th day of May 2025.

    GAVIN NEWSOM
    Governor of California

    ATTEST:
    SHIRLEY N. WEBER, Ph.D.
    Secretary of State

    Recent news

    May 28, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced the following appointments:LaCandice Ochoa, of Sacramento, has been appointed Deputy Director of the Independent Living and Community Access Division at the Department of Rehabilitation. Ochoa has been Dean of…

    May 28, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom issued the following statement after a federal court ruled today that President Trump exceeded his use of emergency powers to enact broad-sweeping tariffs that hurt states, consumers, and businesses: “Like we said when we filed…

    May 28, 2025

    News SACRAMENTO – Governor Gavin Newsom today announced that he has signed the following bill:SB 49 by Senator Shannon Grove (R-Bakersfield) – Tribal gaming: compact and amendment ratification.For full text of the bill, visit: leginfo.legislature.ca.gov.  Recent…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: The road leading up to introduction of bill S-2

    Source: Government of Canada News

    Backgrounder

    Key Moments: 

    • In 2018 and 2019, there was a collaborative consultation process on reform with First Nations. Input was received from over 650 participants, representing 395 First Nation communities and/or a tribal councils. The conclusion was that Canada should work with First Nations to proactively address issues related to registration and band membership provisions of the Indian Act.
    • In 2019, An Act to amend the Indian Act in response to the Superior Court of Quebec decision in Descheneaux c. Canada (Procureur général), Bill S-3, came into full force, eliminating various sex-based inequities in the registration provisions of the Indian Act. 
    • In 2020 the Final Report to Parliament on the Review of S-3 acknowledged that residual inequities still remained in the Indian Act. These included the impacts of a family history of enfranchisement on entitlement to registration, an inequity that exists to this day. 
    • In June 2021, on behalf of 16 individual plaintiffs, Juristes Power Law launched a Charter challenge seeking to end the inequities and exclusion faced by families descended from forebears who were enfranchised under earlier versions of the Indian Act. This is referred to as the Nicholas v. AGC civil claim. 
    • In March 2022, the litigation was placed in abeyance, in order to allow the parties to pursue an out of court legislative solution to end the ongoing impacts of enfranchisement. 
    • The Department held over 50 virtual engagement sessions, which included more than 300 participants, from August to December 2022. 
    • Further consultation with First Nations, Indigenous organizations who represent non-status First Nations, and other interested or impacted individuals, will be required to co-develop options to address the broader suite of remaining issues in the registration and band membership provisions of the Indian Act.
    • On January 6, 2025, Bill C-38 died on the Order Paper, following Parliament dissolution due to the election.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Post-study outcomes data – technical information

    Source: Tertiary Education Commission

    Post-study outcomes from tertiary education measure where graduates go (their destinations) and how much they earn after completing study.
    The data can be broken down into:

    the level of study on the New Zealand Qualifications and Credentials Framework (NZQCF)
    the field of study
    student characteristics (age, gender, region where they lived, etc) and
    the tertiary provider they studied with.

    The data tells you the number of graduates who:

    are in employment
    are in different types of further study
    are on a jobseeker benefit
    are overseas
    have changed their employment or jobseeker status over a period between two years prior to their graduation and the outcome year, or
    are in another (unknown) destination (if they don’t fit any of the above criteria).

    The data also tells you employed graduates’ median and quartile earnings in years 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 after they graduated and, for comparison, median and quartile earnings for employed students two years before their graduation.
    Things to remember when using this data
    Cohorts
    We show outcomes for graduates 1, 3, 5, 7 and 9 years after graduation. To create a large enough set of data to analyse across qualification level, subject area, age, gender, ethnicity, etc, we group graduates into four-year cohorts.
    We use the calendar year to measure further tertiary study and the tax year for all other information (employment, income, days overseas and days on benefit).  

    Graduate cohorts which correspond to the results for each year after study

    Year in which we look at what the graduate earned or did

    Cohorts’ year of graduation

    Year after study

    Calendar year

    Tax year

    2019–2022

    1[1]

    2020–2023

    2021–2024

    2017–2020

    3

    2020–2023

    2021–2024

    2015–2018

    5

    2020–2023

    2021–2024

    2013–2016

    7

    2020–2023

    2021–2024

    2011–2014

    9

    2020–2023

    2021–2024

    The same graduate may appear in two different cohorts. A student who graduated in 2020 may have their outcomes measured in the 2021 calendar/2022 tax year for the Year 1 cohort and measured in the 2023 calendar year/2024 tax year for the Year 3 cohort.
    Who is included in the data?
    The outcomes in these spreadsheets are for domestic graduates who completed qualifications at tertiary education providers reporting qualification completions to the Tertiary Education Commission (TEC). This data excludes graduates who were receiving a disability benefit or in a Corrections facility for any period within the outcome year.
    National-level data includes all qualification completions reported to TEC. Provider-level data includes Student Achievement Component-funded providers and Industry Training Organisations. Some smaller providers may not have outcome data if their graduate numbers do not reach the statistical threshold.
    Outcomes are influenced by a range of factors
    Graduates’ outcomes are influenced by a range of factors outside of providers’ control. These include different regional labour markets, individuals’ choices, and graduates’ other qualifications, skills and experience.
    Outcomes are grouped by qualification subject area, not specific qualification
    We’ve used this higher level of grouping because there are often too few graduates at individual qualification level to produce any meaningful data. We have grouped together some qualifications that are likely to give graduates different outcomes. For example, graduates with a Bachelor in Oral Health (needed to become a dental hygienist) and a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (needed to become a dentist) are grouped together under dentistry.
    Older graduates are included in this data
    This data presents earnings and destinations not only for young graduates but for all age groups (under 25 years old, 25–39 years old, and 40 years and over). Older graduates who complete similar qualifications will likely have different outcomes from younger graduates, as other factors such as prior learning and work experience influence outcomes for older graduates. Accordingly, for older graduates traditionally used outcome indicators of earnings, employment, unemployment, and further study might not be enough to define which groups of graduates have relatively better outcomes from their tertiary study.
    To improve outcome information for older graduates, this data includes measures such as:

    change in employment or jobseeker status over a period between two years prior to student’s graduation and the outcome year, and
    employed students’ earnings two years prior to their graduation compared to employed graduates’ earnings in the outcome year.

    Outcomes are included for only a graduate’s highest and latest qualification
    In previous data sets employment outcomes were attributed to all qualifications completed by a graduate.
    In this data we attribute outcomes only to a learner’s highest and latest (by the outcome year) qualification, so a graduate has labour market outcomes attributed only once. The highest and latest qualification completed by a person is derived from all data reported to the TEC or NZQA by tertiary providers and Industry Training Organisations (ITOs). If a learner completed two equal-level qualifications in the same year at an ITO and a provider, we have attributed the outcomes to the ITO qualification, not the provider qualification.
    Other sources of information
    Jobs
    This post-study outcomes data does not give information on earnings and employment prospects for particular occupations. Graduates will often find jobs outside their area of study.
    For more information on expected earnings and job prospects in different professions see Careers.govt.nz’s jobs database.
    Job profiles – Careers.govt.nz
    Qualification information
    This post-study outcomes data does not provide information on specific qualifications at tertiary providers. For information on qualifications and their completion rates, entry requirements, costs and career opportunities visit Careers.govt.nz’s qualifications database.
    Study and training – Careers.govt.nz
    Technical information
    Domestic graduates
    Only domestic graduates are included in post-study outcomes data.
    A domestic graduate lives in New Zealand and has either New Zealand or Australian citizenship, or permanent New Zealand residency.
    Graduate numbers are rounded
    To protect confidentiality all graduate counts are randomly rounded to base 3.[2] Graduate counts below five, including zero counts, are not included.
    Graduate destinations
    Graduates might be counted under multiple destinations.
    When a graduate meets the criteria for more than one destination, they are counted in each of these destinations.

    Destination

    Definition

    Employed

    The graduate had income above 50% of the minimum wage from employment sources, measured over the 12-month period.

    Full-time higher study

    The graduate was enrolled in a formal study of >=0.8 EFTS at an NZQCF level higher than the completed qualification level in the outcome year.

    Full-time non-higher study

    The graduate was enrolled in a formal study of >=0.8 EFTS at an NZQCF level the same as or lower than the completed qualification level in the outcome year.

    Part-time higher study

    The graduate was enrolled in a formal study of 183 days in the outcome year.

    Overseas

    The graduate was overseas for >183 days in the outcome year.

    Moved into employment

    The graduate was not qualified as employed 2 years prior to qualification completion and was employed in the outcome year.

    Moved off benefit

    The graduate met the definition of a jobseeker (as outlined above) 2 years prior to qualification completion and did not meet the definition of a jobseeker in the outcome year.

    Other

    The graduate didn’t meet any of the above criteria, or there was no record in that year for them in the IDI data.

    Measuring earnings
    Gross earnings from employed graduates

    Earnings include taxable earnings from wages and salary, paid parental leave, ACC compensation and self-employment.
    Earnings are measured across graduates who are employed.
    Earnings in tax years 2021–2023 are adjusted with the Labour Cost Index to the March 2024 dollars.
    Earnings are rounded to the nearest $1,000.

    Hours of work
    Earnings will be understated for any qualifications and fields of study where there are significant numbers of young graduates in part-time work or who only work part of the year. This is because no adjustments are made for graduates’ hours of work.
    Fields of study and qualifications
    Defining area of study
    The field of study is determined from the courses graduates take in their study. The New Zealand Standard Classification of Education (NZSCED) is used to classify the fields of study.
    For more information about NZSCED codes, see New Zealand Standard Classification of Education – Education Counts.
    Results are presented at the broad, narrow and detailed NZSCED levels.
    Number of graduates
    Where the total number of graduates was 20 or below, we excluded the results from this data. Take care interpreting earnings and destination results when there is a small number of graduates as the results may fluctuate.
    Merged providers
    Some providers have merged over the period covered by this data. Where this has occurred, we have combined the former providers’ graduate outcomes to give outcomes for the merged provider.
    Earnings data suppression

    Value

    Meaning

    S

    Earnings data in a cell is suppressed due to a low number of employed graduates (under 10 graduates for median earnings and under 20 graduates for lower and upper quartile earnings).

    Disclaimer
    These results are based on information obtained by TEC from Statistics New Zealand’s Integrated Data Infrastructure (IDI). We try to the best of our ability to ensure that these results are true and accurate. However, TEC does not accept any liability for their accuracy or content.           
    These results are not official statistics; they have been created for research purposes from the IDI, which is carefully managed by Stats NZ. For more information about the IDI please see Integrated Data – Stats NZ.
    Access to the data used in this study was provided by Stats NZ under conditions designed to give effect to the security and confidentiality provisions of the Statistics Act 2022. The results presented in this study are the work of the author, not Stats NZ or individual data suppliers.
    The results are based in part on tax data supplied by Inland Revenue to Stats NZ under the Tax Administration Act 1994 for statistical purposes. Any discussion of data limitations or weaknesses is in the context of using the IDI for statistical purposes, and is not related to the data’s ability to support Inland Revenue’s core operational requirements.

    [1] For the example given in the table, the Year 1 cohort takes those who graduated in 2019 and measures their outcomes in the 2020 calendar/2021 tax year; adds those who graduated in 2020 measuring their outcomes in the 2021 calendar/2022 tax year; adds those who graduated in 2021 measuring their outcomes in 2022 calendar/2023 tax year and adds those who graduated in 2022 measuring their outcomes in 2023 calendar/2024 tax year.
    [2] Base 3 refers to a standard arithmetical term, when any number is rounded to the nearest multiple of 3 (eg. 3, 6, 9, etc). The rounding to a higher or lower number is randomly selected to hide the real number of people for confidentiality purposes.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Leg Up on the Mitre Flats

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Wairarapa Police are reminding hikers, as winter sets in, to ensure they dress for all weather eventualities.

    It comes after a woman injured her ankle hiking in the Tararua Ranges last week.

    Despite the pain of a fracture ankle, which happened during a fall about an hour out from “the Pines”, the woman was able to keep warm while help arrived.

    Detective Constable Richard Butler says the injured woman and her friend were well-equipped with overnight gear.

    “We always recommend hikers take warm clothing or a jacket, even if only going on a day walk, as conditions can change quickly.

    “A Personal Locator Beacon can also be a lifesaver when things don’t go to plan.

    “In this case, the injured woman’s friend was able to hike further along the track to obtain cell phone reception and call emergency services.”

    Wairarapa Search and Rescue volunteers deployed, along with an ambulance officer and a wheeled stretcher.

    Murray Johnston, Chairman of Wairarapa SAR, says the team were well-versed in rescues, but the more prepared people were for the outdoors, the better.

    “Our volunteers did a fantastic job, and wheeled the woman to safety for further medical treatment.

    “If you’re heading into the outdoors, our advice is enjoy yourself, but make sure you’re prepared in the event something happens.”

    ENDS
     

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Terms of Reference Inquiry into Ports and the Maritime Sector

    Source: New Zealand Parliament –

    New Zealand’s ports (both marine and inland) and maritime sectors plays a crucial role in global trade, transportation, and economic development.

    The Transport and Infrastructure Committee will establish an Inquiry into the Ports and Maritime Sectors to examine the current state, challenges, and future opportunities within the ports and maritime sectors. The Inquiry will focus on:

    1. Economic Contribution and Efficiency
      • Assessing the contribution of ports and maritime industries to trade, logistics, and both regional and national economic development. This includes the scale, nature of operations, and markets of ports around New Zealand.
      • Understanding how ports and related infrastructure interact with other marine fleets operating in New Zealand (such as the national fishing fleet).
      • Investigating instances where competition between ports may be affected by market distortions.
    2. Infrastructure and Investment needs
      • Evaluating the adequacy of existing infrastructure and identifying key investment priorities to support future growth.
      • Reviewing the interface between ports and the relevant parts of the land and maritime transport system.
      • Examining the current and potential role of coastal shipping within New Zealand’s broader transport network.
      • Looking into the adequacy and locations of drydock facilities.
      • Reviewing technological developments in the sector and how these can help support the sector’s growth.
      • Looking into the safety practices, both in ports and on the sea.
      • Understanding the consenting environment facing ports.
    3. Regulation, Governance, and Ownership of Ports
      • Reviewing the current regulatory frameworks, funding, ownership, and governance structures to ensure effective oversight and coordination.
      • Examining the role of Maritime New Zealand in regulating the maritime sector.
    4. Environmental Sustainability
      • Investigating the environmental impact of the sector
      • Understanding the sector’s progress toward decarbonisation.
      • Reviewing the climate resilience of the sector.
    5. Workforce and Skills Development
      • Considering the workforce capacity, training and education pipeline, and labour market challenges facing the industry.
    6. Security and Supply Chain Resilience
      • Examining the sector’s role in national security, emergency response, and supply chain continuity.
      • Understanding international shipping and supply arrangements.

    The committee will gather evidence through public submissions, hearings, and stakeholder consultations, and report its findings and recommendations to Parliament.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Canada: The honourable Mandy Gull-Masty applauds the introduction of a new bill to address remaining inequities and band membership provisions of the Indian Act

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    May 29, 2025 — Ottawa, unceded Anishinaabeg Territory, Ontario — Indigenous Services Canada 

    Today, the Honourable Mandy Gull-Masty, Minister of Indigenous Services, announced the introduction of Bill S-2 in the Senate, which addresses some of the remaining inequities in the registration and band membership provisions of the Indian Act.

    Bill S-2 replaces former Bill C-38 which was introduced in December of 2022, but did not receive Royal Assent before Parliament was dissolved in March 2025.

    The introduction of this Bill early in the current legislative session reiterates the Government of Canada’s commitment to reconciliation and to eliminating inequities that continue to impact First Nations individuals and families. 

    Bill S-2 proposes amendments in four key areas: enfranchisement, voluntary deregistration, natal band reaffiliation and membership, and the removal of outdated and offensive language related to dependent persons. These changes respond directly to concerns raised by First Nations and individuals impacted by the Indian Act‘s residual inequities. 

    If passed, the legislation would ensure that individuals with family histories of enfranchisement are entitled to registration under the Indian Act and extend entitlement to their descendants.

    Bill S-2 continues the legacy of former Bill C-38 which was developed from extensive engagement efforts, including over 50 virtual sessions held with First Nations, Indigenous organizations, and other partners. These discussions were instrumental in shaping the proposed amendments. It is estimated that approximately 3,500 individuals could become newly entitled to registration as a result of the changes in the first five years after it passes.

    MIL OSI Canada News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: 110km/h speed limit consultation begins for SH1 Transmission Gully and Raumati Straights

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Transport Minister Chris Bishop is encouraging New Zealanders to have their say in public consultation that begins today on increasing speed limits for SH1 Transmission Gully and Raumati Straights to 110km/h.

    “Boosting economic growth and productivity is a key part of the Government’s plan to rebuild the economy and this proposal supports that outcome by reducing travel times and increasing efficiency on this vital route between Wellington and the lower and central North Island,” Mr Bishop says.  

    “With around 22,000 vehicles using the road daily, it provides important regional resilience and a safe, modern, reliable route for all road users. Transmission Gully is one of the first Roads of National Significance (RoNS) announced by the former National Government in 2009 and is the main gateway to Wellington. 

    “Transmission Gully was designed and constructed to a high safety standard. This is reflected in the low crash numbers on the road since opening in 2022. It has safety features that greatly reduce the risk of death or serious injury in a crash, like two lanes in each direction, and flexible median barrier between opposing lanes. Since opening, there have been over 150 barrier strikes but no deaths

    “Along with Transmission Gully, the NZ Transport Agency will also be consulting on Raumati Straights, which connects Transmission Gully with Kāpiti Expressway.  By consulting on this section now, we can finalise a decision on appropriate speed limits quicker, ahead of possible safety improvements on the section. 

    “This is all part of the Coalition Government’s agenda to deliver the infrastructure needed to grow the economy, reduce travel times and increase the productivity of our transport network. We’re committed to providing state highways that help people get where they need to go quickly and safely.”  

    Consultation on raising the speed limit for SH1 Transmission Gully and Raumati Straights to 110km/h begins on Friday 30 May and will last six weeks.  You can find more on the NZTA website here: . 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: New High Commissioner to the UK announced

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Foreign Minister Winston Peters has announced Hamish Cooper as New Zealand’s next High Commissioner to the United Kingdom. “New Zealand’s relationship with the UK is one of our most important. “Mr Cooper is one of New Zealand’s most senior and experienced diplomats and is eminently well-qualified to take on this significant role,” Mr Peters says.Over his 40-year career at the Ministry, Mr Cooper has held several important roles including as New Zealand’s Ambassador to Japan, Russia, and Türkiye. He will take up the role in September.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Sergeant smells trouble after stopping driver on phone

    Source: New Zealand Police

    An officer patrolling the roads in Waiuku earlier this week got more than he bargained for after pulling over a motorist using his phone while driving.

    Counties Manukau South Area Prevention Manager, Inspector Matt Hoyes, says the driver was signalled to stop on Kent Street after he was spotted using his cellphone while driving.

    “While speaking to the man the officer has noticed a strong smell of cannabis coming from the vehicle.

    “A search of the vehicle has then located eight bags of cannabis, weighing more than two kilograms, in the passengers footwell as well as a significant amount of cash.”

    Inspector Hoyes says a knife was also located in the man’s pocket.

    The 24-year-old man will reappear in Pukekohe District Court on 30 July charged with possession for supply of cannabis, possession of a knife in a public place and failing to carry out obligations in relation to a computer search.

    “In the interest of road safety, the man was also issued with an infringement for using his mobile phone while driving.

    “This is yet another example of great Police work and keeping our community safe by removing these harmful substances from our streets.”

    ENDS.

    Holly McKay/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police seeking information about vehicle in relation to Waikaia fires

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Please attribute to Detective Sergeant Brian McKinney, Gore CIB

    Gore Police are continuing to investigate a suspicious house fire in Waikaia last year.

    Just after midnight on Wednesday 21 February 2024, emergency services were called to the fire on Elswick Street.

    The investigation team have now identified a vehicle of interest, and we’re keen to know more about its movements around the time of the fire.

    The vehicle is a red BMW Z3 convertible, like the one pictured, which was seen leaving the Waikaia township at speed around the time of the fire. On that same night, the vehicle was also observed travelling towards the Riversdale area, again at speed.

    We would like to speak to anyone who has information about this vehicle, or one matching the description. Additionally, if anyone has any footage of this vehicle in the area around 21 February 2024.

    If you have any information that could assist, please contact Police via 105 either over the phone or online.

    Reference file number 240222/8704.

    Information can also be provided anonymously via Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111.

    ENDS

    Issued by Police Media Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Earth’s seasonal rhythms are changing, putting species and ecosystems at risk

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Daniel Hernández Carrasco, PhD Candidate in Ecology, University of Canterbury

    Shutterstock/Colin Stephenson

    Seasonality shapes much of life on Earth. Most species, including humans, have synchronised their own rhythms with those of Earth’s seasons.

    Plant growth cycles, the migration of billions of animals, and even aspects of human culture – from harvest rituals to Japanese cherry blossom viewings – are dictated by these dominant rhythms.

    However, climate change and many other human impacts are altering Earth’s cycles. While humans can adapt their behaviour by shifting the timing of crop harvests or Indigenous fire-burning practices, species are less able to adapt through evolution or range shifts.

    Our new research highlights how the impacts of shifting seasons can cascade through ecosystems, with widespread repercussions that may be greater than previously thought.

    This puts species and ecosystems at risk the world over. We are still far from having a full picture of what changes in seasonality mean for the future of biodiversity.

    Almost every ecosystem on Earth has seasons

    From tropical forests to polar ice caps and abyssal depths, the annual journey of Earth around the Sun brings distinct seasons to all corners of the planet.

    These seasonal rhythms shape ecosystems everywhere, whether through monsoonal rains in equatorial regions or the predictable melt of snowpack in mountain ranges.

    But the seasonality of these processes is changing rapidly due to local human impacts. This includes dams in many rivers, which completely and abruptly disrupt their natural flow, and deforestation, which changes the timing of the onset of the rain season.

    These local influences are compounded by climate change, which is systematically modifying seasonal patterns in snow cover, temperature and rainfall around the world.

    Monsoon rains represent one of Earth’s major seasonal cycles.
    Shutterstock/Milju varghese

    From the earlier seasonal melting of glaciers and the snowpack to the disruption of monsoonal rain cycles, the effects of these changes are being felt widely.

    Many important ecological processes we rely on could be affected. A mismatch between plankton blooms and the life cycles of fish could affect the health of fisheries. Tourism dependent on seasonal migrations of large mammals could suffer. Even the regulation of the climate system itself is tightly controlled by seasonal processes.

    Changing seasonality threatens to destabilise key ecological processes and human society.

    Evolutionary adaptations to seasonal fluctuations

    The seasonal rhythms of ecosystems are obvious to any observer. The natural timing of annual flowers and deciduous trees – tuned to match seasonal variations in rainfall, temperature and solar radiation – transforms the colours of whole landscapes throughout the year.

    The arrival and departure of migratory birds, the life cycle of insects and amphibians, and the mating rituals of large mammals can completely change the soundscapes with the seasons.

    These examples illustrate how seasonality acts as a strong evolutionary force that has shaped the life cycles and behaviour of most species. But, in the face of unprecedented changes to Earth’s natural rhythms, these adaptations can lead to complex negative impacts.

    Snowshoe hares are struggling to adapt to shifts in the timing of the first snowfall and melt.
    Shutterstock/Karen Hogan

    For instance, snowshoe hares change coat colour between winter and summer to blend in with their surroundings and hide from predators. They are struggling to adapt to shifts in the timing of the first snow and snowmelt. The impact of changing seasonality on hare populations is linked with changes in predation rates. But predators themselves may also be out of sync with the new onset of seasons.

    Our research highlights that these kinds of complex interactions can propagate impacts through ecosystems, linking individual species’ seasonal adaptations to broader food web dynamics, or even ecosystem functions such as carbon sequestration.

    Although biologists have studied seasonal processes for centuries, we know surprisingly little about how they mediate any ecological impacts of altered seasonality. Our findings show we are likely underestimating these impacts.

    The distinct mechanisms involved deserve further attention. Until we account for these complex processes, we risk overlooking important ecological and human consequences.

    The more we understand, the better prepared we are

    Understanding the extent to which impacts of altered seasonality can interact and propagate from individuals to whole ecosystems is a big challenge. It will require different types of research, complex mathematical modelling and the design of new experiments. But it is not easy to manipulate the seasons in an experiment.

    Scientists have come up with inventive ways of experimentally testing the effects of altered seasonality. This includes manually removing snow early in spring, manipulating rainfall patterns through irrigation and moving plants and animals to places with different seasonality.

    Some researchers have even recovered seeds from centuries-old collections to sprout them and look at how recent changes in climate have affected plant populations.

    These efforts will be of great value for forecasting impacts and designing effective management strategies beneficial for ecosystems and humans alike. Such efforts help to anticipate future shocks and prioritise interventions.

    For instance, understanding the mechanisms that allow native and non-native species to anticipate seasonal changes has proven useful for “tricking” non-native plants into sprouting only in the wrong season. This gives an advantage to native plants.

    Similarly, studies on the molecular mechanisms involved in the response to seasonality can help us determine whether certain species are likely to adapt to further changes in seasonal patterns. This research can also point out genes that could be targeted for improving the resilience and productivity of crops.

    Not only are we likely underestimating the ecological risks of shifting seasons, we tend to forget how much our everyday lives depend on them. As Earth’s rhythms change, the risks multiply. But so does our opportunity to better understand, anticipate and adapt to these changes.

    Daniel Hernández Carrasco receives funding from a Doctoral Scholarship by the University of Canterbury.

    Jonathan Tonkin receives funding from a Rutherford Discovery Fellowship administered by the Royal Society Te Apārangi and the Centres of Research Excellence Bioprotection Aotearoa and Te Pūnaha Matatini.

    – ref. Earth’s seasonal rhythms are changing, putting species and ecosystems at risk – https://theconversation.com/earths-seasonal-rhythms-are-changing-putting-species-and-ecosystems-at-risk-257660

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Alford Reintroduces American Land and Property Protection Act

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Mark Alford (Missouri 4th District)

    Today, Congressman Mark Alford (MO-04) reintroduced the American Land and Property Protection Act. This commonsense legislation will prevent foreign adversaries from purchasing real estate of any kind in the United States.

    The American Land and Property Protection Act would specifically prohibit nonresident aliens, foreign businesses, an agent, trustee, or fiduciaries associated with China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea, as well as designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations, from purchasing land in America.

    “Our foreign adversaries have no business owning American land,” said Congressman Alford. “Unfortunately, we continue to see concerning reports of people associated with China and Russia purchasing U.S. real estate. We need real action to end these transactions once and for all. The American Land and Property is a commonsense step toward protecting the homeland.”

    Read the full text of the legislation here.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China’s Defense Ministry Condemns Japan’s Irresponsible Statements on China’s Military Development

    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

    BEIJING, May 29 (Xinhua) — Chinese Defense Ministry spokesman Zhang Xiaogang on Thursday refuted Japan’s irresponsible statements on China’s military development.

    Zhang Xiaogang made the denial at a press conference when answering a question about Japan’s draft 2025 Defense White Paper.

    The official representative noted that in the draft White Paper on Defense, the Japanese side repeats its irresponsible statements on the development of the Chinese armed forces and tries to give instructions to China on its legitimate military activities and military cooperation with other countries. “We firmly oppose this,” Zhang Xiaogang said.

    This year marks the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War.

    As Zhang Xiaogang emphasized, at this special historical moment, it is even more important for Japan to reflect on its own behavior rather than making baseless accusations and slandering others.

    China calls on Japan to follow the path of peaceful development, act prudently in the military and security spheres, and earn the trust of its Asian neighbors and the entire international community through concrete actions, the official spokesperson concluded. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese Foreign Minister Meets with Asian Peace and Reconciliation Council Chairman

    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

    HONG KONG, May 29 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Thursday met with Chairman of the Asian Peace and Reconciliation Council and former Deputy Prime Minister of Thailand Surakiat Sathienthai, who arrived in Hong Kong to attend the signing ceremony of the Convention Establishing the International Mediation Organization (IMO).

    Wang Yi, also a member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, said China’s initiative to establish the IGO provides the international community with a new option for settling disputes and achieving reconciliation on a voluntary basis. The Chinese Foreign Minister called it a real step toward implementing the principles of multilateralism and adhering to the spirit of the UN Charter.

    China is willing to work with Asian countries to make good use of regional mechanisms including China-ASEAN, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Lancang-Mekong cooperation and the Asia Cooperation Dialogue to jointly safeguard the hard-won peace and stability in the region, Wang said.

    Surakiat Sathienthai, for his part, said that he was honored to be invited to Hong Kong to witness the birth of the International Mediation Organization. He emphasized that in the current international situation, the Chinese initiative is very timely.

    Surakiat Sathientai added that the Asian Peace and Reconciliation Council looks forward to strengthening cooperation with the Chinese side to make greater contributions to peace and development in Asia. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: CTG 73.6/MDSU 1-6 Conduct ADV Removal in Yap, Federated States of Micronesia, Apr. 21, 2025 [Image 4 of 4]

    Source: United States Navy (Logistics Group Western Pacific)

    Issued by: on

    YAP, Federated States of Micronesia (April 21, 2025) Sailors assigned to Commander, Task Group 73.6/Mobile Diving and Salvage Unit 1-6 and commercial salvage consultants hoist a piece of the cargo vessel M/V Microspirit toward the Singaporean crane barge SSE Ignatius during a dive and salvage mission in Yap, Federated States of Micronesia, April 21, 2025. CTG 73.6/MDSU 1-6 is currently deployed to Yap with a commercial salvage team to remove Microspirit from Colonia Harbor as part of Pacific Partnership 2025. (U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Moises Sandoval)

    Date Taken: 04.21.2025
    Date Posted: 05.25.2025 07:49
    Photo ID: 9060999
    VIRIN: 250421-N-ED646-9940
    Resolution: 8256×5504
    Size: 8.04 MB
    Location: FM
    Web Views: 8
    Downloads: 2

    PUBLIC DOMAIN  

    This work, CTG 73.6/MDSU 1-6 Conduct ADV Removal in Yap, Federated States of Micronesia, Apr. 21, 2025 [Image 4 of 4], by PO2 Moises Sandoval, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.

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    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Browning man found guilty of attempted strangulation and assault charges on Blackfeet Indian Reservation

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    GREAT FALLS – A Browning man who assaulted a woman on the Blackfeet Indian Reservation was found guilty today, U.S. Attorney Kurt Alme said.

    Following a one-and-a-half-day trial, a federal jury found William Alvin Potts, 62, guilty of attempted strangulation and assault by striking, beating, or wounding. Potts faces 10 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and 3 years of supervised release.

    Chief U.S. District Judge Brian M. Morris presided and will determine any sentence after considering the U.S. Sentencing Guidelines and other statutory factors. Sentencing was set for October 8, 2025. Potts will remain released on conditions pending further proceedings.

    The government alleged in court documents that on June 28, 2024, Potts physically assaulted Jane Doe. That morning a verbal argument escalated to name-calling. Potts then threw a chair to the side and grabbed Jane Doe by the neck. He pushed her backward while applying pressure to her throat and neck. Eventually he pushed her into the corner of the entry wall to the living room. Potts pushed her backward for approximately ten feet, at which point, their legs tangled, and Doe fell to the ground. Potts landed on top of Jane Doe and proceeded to physically strike her with his fists. A witness stopped the assault and physically pulled Potts off Jane Doe. Jane Doe experienced significant pain after the assault and sought treatment at the Browning Community Hospital. Doe suffered a spinal fracture and continues to experience pain.

    Potts was interviewed by law enforcement and admitted to pushing Doe. He said he pushed her to make her go down the hall and they then both fell. He denied striking her.

    Assistant U.S. Attorney Kalah Paisley prosecuted the case. The investigation was conducted by the FBI and Blackfeet Law Enforcement Services.

    This case is part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results. For more information about Project Safe Neighborhoods, please visit Justice.gov/PSN.

    XXX

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Talk to Me was a rollercoaster, but the Philippou brothers’ Bring Her Back will trap you in a house of horrors

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jessica Balanzategui, Associate Professor in Media, RMIT University

    A24

    They may have only made two feature films so far, but Danny and Michael Philippou are already being hailed as Australia’s premiere horror auteurs.

    Their 2023 debut Talk To Me sparked a bidding war between distributors upon its premiere at Sundance.

    It went on to become prestige indie studio A24’s highest grossing horror release ever at the United States box office. That’s an impressive feat, given A24 is behind some of the most revered horror films of the 21st century, including Ari Aster’s Hereditary (2018) and Midsommar (2019), and Robert Eggers’ The Witch (2015).

    This context helps explain the sky-high expectations around the release of the Philippous’ newest horror film, Bring Her Back. The brothers even expressed their nerves around the film’s release during a preview screening introduction.

    But I’d suggest they breathe a sigh of relief. Bring Her Back trades the chaotic thrills of Talk To Me for a slow-burning, sensory-driven exploration of grief that’s as engrossing as it is unbearable.

    Same universe, but not a sequel

    Bring Her Back is very tonally distinct from and not explicitly narratively linked to Talk To Me. However, the directors have explained it exists in the same fictional universe as their original smash hit.

    This explains why, despite the stark difference in tone – Bring Her Back is a much more sombre watch – there are many thematic and stylistic parallels. These similarities are visible from the films’ marketing materials, through to individual frames.

    Film posters for Bring Her Back and Talk To Me.
    A24

    Bring Her Back’s sombre notes

    Talk To Me is a riotous, bloody and loud racket of teen supernatural possession horror.

    Like Richard Carter’s song Le Monde, a viral hit from the movie’s soundtrack, the film rises and falls cacophonously. It follows a group of teens at a party as they decide to commune with the dead through an occult party prop: a cursed hand.

    Trauma, grief, gore and comedy strike discordantly at the piano keys as the body count piles up.

    In contrast to Talk To Me’s tonal and sonic mayhem, Bring Her Back heavily pounds at the same two notes throughout: grief and trauma.

    Set in the horror staple of a mysterious, suffocating house, the film follows step-siblings Piper (Sora Wong) and Andy (Billy Barratt) as they adjust to life with their new foster mother, Laura (Sally Hawkins), after their father’s sudden death. The teen’s sense of vulnerability in the strange new environment is heightened by the fact Piper is blind.

    Bring Her Back builds on a trend of sensory-driven horror films – including the Quiet Place franchise, Bird Box (2018), and The Silence (2019) – that impel viewers to navigate threatening environments through the main character’s sensory loss or impairment.

    Uncomfortable on the ear

    In Bring Her Back, the viewer inhabits the destabilising environment of the house through layered sensory textures that feel increasingly claustrophobic and threatening.

    Case in point is the harsh rush of water in the running shower where the teens find their father’s gruesome dead body in the opening moments. As the film progresses, this sound manifests as a genuine threat to Piper’s life, in the form of relentlessly pouring (and potentially occult) rain.

    The oppressive rain gradually fills up the house’s desolate, unfenced swimming pool, which is the site of previous trauma for foster mother Laura.

    Simply traversing the house’s backyard becomes increasingly perilous for Piper as she becomes accustomed to her environment, a process the audience shares through the audio-visuals of her hands gliding across walls, counter tops and corners.

    The immersive sound design is dense with hands scraping, sliding and slapping – as well as some truly hideous teeth gnashing. These tactile sounds integrate chillingly with the otherwordly soundtrack composed by Cornel Wilczek, who also composed the score for Talk to Me.

    Haunting performances

    The teens soon learn that another foster child, the mute and mysterious Oliver (Jonah Wren Phillips), also inhabits the house. The strange relationship between Laura and Oliver couldn’t be more ominous.

    Sally Hawkins is captivatingly monstrous as the outwardly warm but increasingly overbearing and unhinged mother figure (particularly for those of us with a fresh memory of Hawkins’ loveably zany mum, Mrs Brown, from the Paddington films).

    Piper is tempted to sink into the warm embrace Laura offers. The viewer, however, is privy to Laura’s vicious streak – evident in her rough, uncaring gestures, harsh glares and sinister flashes of cunning.

    Young Jonah Wren Phillips is transfixing as the creepy Oliver, delivering a performance through piercing stares and tortured bodily contortions rather than dialogue.

    Unbearably grim

    Bring Her Back exhibits a dense film literacy. The Philippous have discussed the influence of classic “psycho biddy” films such as What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? (1962), and foundational ghost films such as The Innocents (1961).

    But for me, Bring Her Back chimes most evocatively with the trauma- and grief-soaked Japanese horror wave of the early 2000s, and particularly with Hideo Nakata’s J-Horror masterpiece Dark Water (2002).

    This tragic ghost story similarly deploys the rippling, rushing and dripping of water as an agent of death and decay within fractured mother-daughter relationships.

    Inhabiting the world of Bring Her Back ends up feeling like an unbearably grim and claustrophobic endurance effort – which is exactly what the Philippous intended.

    While this is not the exhilarating rollercoaster of Talk To Me, the shift in tonal gears showcases the Philippous’ impressive range within the horror genre’s rich emotional terrain.

    Bring Her Back is in cinemas from today.

    Jessica Balanzategui receives funding from the Australian Research Council.

    – ref. Talk to Me was a rollercoaster, but the Philippou brothers’ Bring Her Back will trap you in a house of horrors – https://theconversation.com/talk-to-me-was-a-rollercoaster-but-the-philippou-brothers-bring-her-back-will-trap-you-in-a-house-of-horrors-257631

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: NSW is again cleaning up after major floods. Are we veering towards the collapse of insurability?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kate Booth, Associate Professor of Human Geography, University of Tasmania

    Once again, large parts of New South Wales have been devastated by floods. It’s estimated 10,000 homes and businesses may have been damaged or destroyed and the Insurance Council of Australia reports more than 6,000 insurance claims have been received for the Mid North Coast and Hunter region.

    Hundreds of families are displaced. With many homes now uninhabitable, they face a uncertain future.

    As the mop-up begins, stories are emerging of households and businesses not covered by insurance, with some residents saying insurance companies were asking up to A$30,000 annually for cover.

    There are many others who are underinsured, with insurance payouts not meeting the full costs of rebuild, repair and replacement. The Insurance Council of Australia has declared the event an “insurance catastrophe”.

    The impacts of these floods reflect global trends. In 2024, there were around 60 natural disaster events that each exceeded A$1.5 billion in economic losses. Total losses worldwide reached A$650 billion.

    As one of the most disaster-prone countries in the Western world, is Australia the canary in the coalmine for a global collapse of insurance? With these types of disasters escalating in a changing climate, it is reasonable to feel – and fear – this is the case.

    An uninsurable future?

    In 1992, sociologist Ulrich Beck argued unpredictable global risks, such as climate change, would bring an end to the private insurance market, with profound effects on the modern world.

    The idea of an uninsurable future stirs up imaginings of apocalyptic landscapes – crumbling buildings, streets strewn with refuse and people eking out a living amid the rubble and ruins.

    But the reality is, as we are seeing in central NSW, it is not a future event that demands attention. Many individuals and communities are already living with an unfolding collapse of insurance affordability and availability.

    The consequences can be dire, especially for those already struggling to make ends meet.

    How are governments responding?

    Speaking on ABC radio on Thursday morning, NSW Premier Chris Minns said he would be “putting the heat” on insurance companies:

    Everyone’s going to have to do their part […] and that means insurance companies will have to step up and pay out claims quickly.

    In the lead-up to the federal election, both major parties made clear they believed insurers were “ripping off” Australians. The Coalition even proposed new emergency divestiture powers that would allow the government to break up major insurers in the case of market failure.

    But this is no solution at all, given insurance pricing and coverage is largely set by global “reinsurers”. Reinsurance is a kind of insurance coverage for insurance companies themselves – that is, policies to cover the cost of paying out claims after major disasters.

    Just ten multi-billion dollar companies control 70% of the reinsurance market.

    Who should bear rising costs?

    Insurers, led by the Insurance Council of Australia, are pushing for a Flood Defence Fund and retrofitting homes for disaster resilience, paid for by governments and households.

    These ideas might seem logical. But they draw attention away from a thriving industry and regulations and policies aimed at making insurance more affordable and effective for ordinary people.

    In places like Australia, the increasing cost of insurance cuts across all types, with the largest rises coming in home, vehicle, and employers’ liability insurance.

    Many insurers are reporting healthy profits. Globally, the sector is experiencing “exceptionally strong growth”.

    Over the three years to 2024, revenue from premiums in the insurance sector increased by over 21% globally – a “whopping” rise, according to the finance corporation Allianz.

    Where to from here?

    The insurance sector will continue to grow – and profit – until it no longer can due to climate change and other pressures.

    But it is not a future crash of insurers that should be of primary concern. It is the real-time collapse of insurance for households, businesses and communities.

    As this collapse of insurance unfolds, it is largely left to households and communities to take action and build resilience.

    Examples include squatters taking possession of flood-damaged vacant homes in Lismore and, when combined with the housing crisis, the growth in informal housing and settlements on the fringes of major population centres.

    These are desperate responses. But they are also realistic, given governments and insurers are failing to reverse this trending collapse.

    What else we could do

    After each major disaster event comes a rise in insurance costs and a withdrawal of insurance coverage. To avoid being a canary in the coalmine, Australia urgently needs government intervention in the insurance industry – an industry very resistant to such intervention.

    To ensure everyone is adequately covered when disaster strikes, this could come in the form of an equitable and affordable public insurance scheme.

    As more Australians lose the ability to insure themselves, governments must also address growing structural inequality that is undermining social cohesion and our capacity for collective resilience.



    Read more:
    Underinsurance is entrenching poverty as the vulnerable are hit hardest by disasters

    Kate Booth receives funding from the Tasmanian Department of Premier and Cabinet – Grant-Disaster Ready Fund. She is affiliated with Just Collapse – an activist platform dedicated to socio-ecological justice in unfolding, irreversible global collapse.

    – ref. NSW is again cleaning up after major floods. Are we veering towards the collapse of insurability? – https://theconversation.com/nsw-is-again-cleaning-up-after-major-floods-are-we-veering-towards-the-collapse-of-insurability-257715

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: People with disability are dying from cancers we can actually prevent, our study shows

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yi Yang, Research Fellow, Social Epidemiology, Melbourne Disability Institute, Melbourne School of Population and Global Health, The University of Melbourne

    Chona Kasinger/Disabled and Here, CC BY-SA

    People with disability are missing out on screening programs that could help detect cancer early, and after diagnosis, are less likely to survive, our study shows.

    Overall, this means people with disability are more likely to die from cancer than people without disability.

    We draw together evidence showing the striking inequity at the heart of current approaches to controlling cancer.

    But there are ways to improve access to the types of screening programs and cancer services many people without disability use routinely.

    What we did and what we found

    We reviewed evidence from 73 studies from around the world. These studies compared cancer outcomes in people with disability to those without.

    Let’s start with cancer screening, one way to prevent deaths from cancer. Screening picks up early signs of cancer or can prevent it from developing into a problem if found early enough. Early detection usually means more treatment options and higher chances of a good outcome.

    However, our review found people with disability are missing out on these life-saving screening programs all around the world, including for breast, cervical and bowel cancer.

    In fact, some studies in our review showed these cancers are more likely to be diagnosed at an advanced stage in people with disability.

    Once diagnosed, people with disability are still at a disadvantage. We found lower survival rates than cancer patients without disability.

    This could be because of delayed diagnosis and inaccessible treatment, and we’d need further research to be sure. But we do have relevant evidence from some studies.

    A UK study of cancer deaths in people with intellectual disability found more than a third had their cancer diagnosed after going to the emergency department. Almost half of the cancers in the study were already at an advanced stage when diagnosed.

    Another review of global evidence found cancer patients with disability receive poorer quality cancer care. This included delays in treatment, being undertreated or having excessively invasive treatment. People with disability also had less access to in-hospital services and pain medication.

    From diagnosis to treatment, global evidence shows people with disability are being excluded from health services that many people without disability routinely access and benefit from.

    The situation is no different in Australia and it is costing lives.

    In previous work, we found cancer is a leading cause of earlier deaths among Australians with disability. It’s the cause of about 20% of the extra deaths we see in people with disability compared to people without.

    Why is this happening?

    We clearly need to do more to improve health care for people with disability. But we also need to take action in other areas to address underlying issues.

    People with disability are more likely to be poor and live in disadvantaged circumstances than the rest of the Australian population, which may put them at higher risk of cancer.

    Many factors that cause cancer – for example, smoking, unaffordable healthy food, and drinking high levels of alcohol – disproportionately impact disadvantaged groups, including people with disability.

    Many people with disability live with additional health conditions, which can lead to a lack of attention to routine issues. This can result in cancer screening and routine care becoming less of a priority.

    Buildings where services are provided and medical diagnostic equipment is located are not always accessible for people with disability.

    The health system itself can be inaccessible, with little support to help people with disability access services. For instance, navigating cancer care can be overwhelming, especially for people who need support for daily activities, transport or communication.

    People with disability, especially with intellectual disability, need extra time and support to give informed consent to screening, treatment or procedures – resources and time particularly overstretched in public health systems.

    People with disability can also experience both direct and indirect discrimination in health care, which lead to poorer outcomes. This includes discriminatory attitudes towards people with disability and their carers, and making assumptions about a patient based on their disability.

    Health systems need to allow for extra time to get informed consent.
    Media_Photos/Shutterstock

    What can we do about it?

    For cancer control to be inclusive and work for people with disability, we need to look at:

    • prevention – public health interventions, such as quit smoking or healthy lifestyle programs, need to be co-designed with and tailored to people with disability

    • early detection – national screening programs must develop strategies and take active steps to include people with disability. Clinics need to be physically accessible, information needs to be available in a range of accessible formats, and extra time needs to be allocated to get genuine informed consent

    • ensuring people with disability have a voice – cancer care needs to be tailored to an individual person, as everyone’s needs are different. We need to support and include people with disability in conversations about their care so they can make informed decisions. This means providing information in ways that work for them, and allowing time to understand and ask questions

    • training health professionals to understand and respond to the needs of people with disability and make the adjustments required for optimal cancer care, particularly for people with an intellectual disability.

    Yi Yang’s research is supported by a postdoctoral fellowship from the Melbourne Disability Institute and an Early Career Researcher Grant from the University of Melbourne. Yi Yang has conducted commissioned work for the Australian Department of Social Services (inequalities in NDIS), the Victorian Department of Families Fairness and Housing (NDIS service use in Victoria), and the Queensland Department of Seniors, Disability Services, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships (inequalities in NDIS service use in regional and remote Queensland).

    George Disney receives funding from the NHMRC and has conducted commissioned work for the Australian Department of Social Services (NDIS service use), the Victorian Department of Families Fairness and Housing (inequalities in NDIS service use), and the Queensland Department of Seniors, Disability Services, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Partnerships (NDIS service use in regional and remote Queensland).

    Kirsten Deane is a member of the consortium receiving funding from the Commonwealth Department of Health for the Centre of Excellence in Intellectual Disability Health. Melbourne Disability Institute also receives funding from the Department of Social Services for the Australian Disability Dialogue and for the Centre for Inclusive Employment. MDi also received funding from the Commonwealth, Victorian and Queensland governments to conduct research into inequities in NDIS funding and services.

    – ref. People with disability are dying from cancers we can actually prevent, our study shows – https://theconversation.com/people-with-disability-are-dying-from-cancers-we-can-actually-prevent-our-study-shows-257456

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Google is going ‘all in’ on AI. It’s part of a troubling trend in big tech

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zena Assaad, Senior Lecturer, School of Engineering, Australian National University

    Google recently unveiled the next phase of its artificial intelligence (AI) journey: “AI mode”.

    This new feature will soon be released as a new option to users of Google’s search engine in the United States, with no timeline yet for the rest of the world. The company says it will be akin to having a conversation with an expert well versed on a wide range of topics.

    This is just one of many steps Google is taking in pursuit of its “all-in” approach to AI.

    The “all-in” approach extends beyond just integrating the technology into different applications. Google is providing products all along the AI supply chain – a process known as “vertical integration” – housing everything from AI computer chips through to the user interfaces we interact with on a daily basis, such as Google maps or Gmail.

    Google isn’t the only AI company with ambitions of vertical integration. For example, OpenAI recently acquired a hardware startup co-founded by Apple’s Jony Ive, which will centralise hardware development within the company. Amazon is taking similar steps. It owns cloud computing platforms, custom chips, device plans and is incorporating more AI services into products.

    This may be the beginning of a trend of vertical integration across big tech. And it could have significant implications for users and companies alike.

    The AI ‘tech stack’

    Hardware, software, data sources, databases and servers are some of the layers that make up what is commonly referred to as the “AI tech stack”.

    There are four main layers to Google’s evolving vertical tech stack:

    1. Hardware layer. Google develops its own AI chips, known as tensor processing units (TPUs). The company claims these chips provide superior performance and efficiency compared to general purpose processors.

    2. Infrastructure layer. The company uses its own cloud infrastructure to source its computing power, networking and storage requirements. This infrastructure is the foundation for running and scaling AI capabilities.

    3. Model development layer. In-house research capabilities are used to drive the development of their products and services. This includes research around machine learning, robotics, language models and computer vision.

    4. Data layer. Data is constantly sourced from users across all Google platforms, including its search engine, maps and email. Data collection is a condition of using any Google application.

    Some argue vertical integration is an optimal and cost-effective business strategy in many industries, not just tech. However, the realities of this set-up prove otherwise.

    Google is seeking to become a vertically integrated AI company.
    RYO Alexandre/Shutterstock

    Fuelling power imbalances

    Google and OpenAI are two of just a handful of companies which dominate the global technology market.

    Thanks to this market dominance, these companies can charge higher markups for their goods and services and abuse practices in online advertising.

    Vertical integration further skews this power imbalance by centralising the layers of the AI tech stack to one company. A distribution of hardware, infrastructure, research and development and data across multiple industries helps support a more equitable playing field across the industry.

    The loss of this equity creates greater barriers to entry for smaller companies as the larger conglomerates keep everything in-house.

    It also reduces incentives to innovate in ways that benefit consumers because it eliminates the business competition that usually drives innovation.

    Data is often described as the new gold. This is especially true in the case of AI, which is heavily reliant on data. Through its many platforms, Google has access to a continuous stream of data. In turn, this gives the company even more power in the industry.

    Other tech companies such as Amazon are moving towards vertical integration in the AI sector.
    ACHPF/Shutterstock

    The vulnerabilities of vertical integration

    The success of a company that is vertically integrated relies on housing the best knowledge and expertise in-house. Retaining this level of resourcing within a small handful of companies can lead to knowledge and expertise hoarding.

    Research shows knowledge and expertise hoarding reduces social learning and increases disparities between “winners” and “losers” in a given market. This creates an overall vulnerable industry, because net gains are lost in the pursuit of exclusivity.

    Exclusivity also breeds a lack of resilience. That’s because the points of failure are centralised.

    Risk is better managed with additional oversight, transparency and accountability. Collaborations across industry rely on these processes to work together effectively.

    Centralising the AI tech stack within one organisation eliminates external scrutiny, because it reduces interactions with external providers of products and services. In turn this can lead to a company behaving in a more risky manner.

    Regulatory bodies can also provide external scrutiny.

    However, the current push to deregulate AI is widening the gap between technology development and regulation.

    It is also allowing for big tech companies to become increasingly opaque. A lack of transparency raises issues about organisational practices; in the context of AI, practices around data are of particular concern.

    The trend towards vertical integration in the AI sector will further increase this opacity and heighten existing issues around transparency.

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

    – ref. Google is going ‘all in’ on AI. It’s part of a troubling trend in big tech – https://theconversation.com/google-is-going-all-in-on-ai-its-part-of-a-troubling-trend-in-big-tech-257563

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Govt’s budget balanced on the backs of low-income families

    Source: Green Party

    The Government is quietly leaving some of our poorest families hundreds of dollars worse off, ignoring warnings that changes to the accommodation supplement and public housing subsidies will disproportionately target disabled, older, Māori, Pasifika, and young people.

    “This is a stealth cut, pushed through with no acknowledgement of the harm it will cause,” says the Green Party’s spokesperson for Housing, Ricardo Menéndez March.

    “Housing is a human right. We can build an Aotearoa in which everyone has what they need, and nobody is left behind. 

    “Instead, the Government hoped we wouldn’t notice that, hidden under headlines about KiwiSaver and Best Start changes, lies a major policy shift that will leave 13,200 families worse off by $100, even up to $200 per week*. 

    “Changes to how the Accommodation Supplement is calculated means that income from boarders–which previously were partially exempt because the Ministry of Social Development (MSD) understood these boarders were often family members–now fully counts against eligibility.

    “MSD flagged early on that increased hardship was expected to be experienced by disabled people, young people, older New Zealanders and Māori and Pasifika peoples.

    “People who receive the accommodation supplement, by definition, already have unaffordable rents. $100 or $200 a week may not feel much for a Prime Minister out of touch with reality, but for thousands of families it’s a lifeline that allows them to keep a roof over their head, put food on the table and pay their bills.

    “MSD also noted that any ‘savings’ were likely overstated**, as costs were simply going to be shifted to emergency housing and hardship grants. 

    “Poverty is a political choice this coalition is repeatedly choosing. Once again, we see the wellbeing of thousands sacrificed in the name of superficial savings and cowardly games of political hot potato,” says Ricardo Menéndez March.

    • *An estimated 13,200 households will be affected (7,000 on accommodation supplement, 6,200 on public housing subsidies). On average, the 7,000 households with boarders receiving the Accommodation Supplement will be $100/week worse off, and people with 3 boarders would be $202/week worse off. Affected households receiving public housing subsidies would see an average increase of $132/week to the cost of their rent. (Page 21 of the report)
    •  **The Government is saving $150m over four years by stripping support (Accommodation Supplement + Income Related Rent Subsidy) from around 13,200 households who have boarders. MSD has told the Government that the savings are likely to be overestimated (page 7 and bottom of page 15 of the report). This is due to people needing hardship assistance, emergency housing, etc as a result of these changes creating costs for other parts of the system.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI: Blaize to Attend D.A. Davidson 1st Annual Consumer & Technology Conference

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EL DORADO HILLS, Calif., May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Blaize Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: BZAI), a pioneer in scalable, energy-efficient AI computing across edge to cloud, today announced it will participate in the upcoming D.A. Davidson 1st Annual Consumer & Technology Conference on June 10, 2025, in Nashville, Tennessee.

    The conference will bring together public and private companies, institutional investors, and thought leaders across the consumer and technology landscape. Blaize will participate in a live Q&A session as part of the event’s broader agenda of moderated discussions and sector insights.

    Blaize Live Q&A Session, D.A. Davidson 1st Annual Consumer & Technology Conference
    Date: June 10, 2025
    Time: 8:50am-9:30am CDT (6:50am-7:30am PDT/9:50am-10:30am EDT)
    Webcast Link: https://wsw.com/webcast/dadco67/bzai/1903280
    *A live and archived webcast of the session will be available at ir.blaize.com

    About Blaize
    Blaize provides a full-stack programmable processor architecture suite and low-code/no-code software platform that enables AI processing solutions for high-performance computing at the network’s edge and in the data center. Blaize solutions deliver real-time insights and decision-making capabilities at low power consumption, high efficiency, minimal size, and low cost. Headquartered in El Dorado Hills (CA), Blaize has more than 200 employees worldwide with teams in San Jose (CA) and Cary (NC), and subsidiaries in Hyderabad (India), Leeds and Kings Langley (UK), and Abu Dhabi (UAE). To learn more, visit www.blaize.com or follow us on LinkedIn and on X at @blaizeinc.

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward Looking Statements
    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the U.S. Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and Section 21E of the U.S. Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”) that are based on beliefs and assumptions and on information currently available to Blaize, including statements regarding the industry in which Blaize operates, market opportunities, and product offerings. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by the following words: “may,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “intend,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “continue,” “ongoing,” “target,” “seek” or the negative or plural of these words, or other similar expressions that are predictions or indicate future events or prospects, although not all forward-looking statements contain these words. Forward-looking statements are predictions, projections and other statements about future events that are based on current expectations and assumptions and, as a result, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause actual future events to differ materially from the forward-looking statements in this document, including but not limited to: (i) changes in domestic and foreign business, market, financial, political and legal conditions; (ii) the expected benefits of Blaize’s business combination with BurTech Acquisition Corp. (the “Business Combination”) are not obtained; (iii) the ability to continue to meet stock exchange listing standards following the consummation of the Business Combination; (iv) the risk that the Business Combination disrupts current plans and operations of Blaize as a result of the consummation of the Business Combination; (v) failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the Business Combination, which may be affected by, among other things, competition, the ability of the combined company to grow and manage growth profitably, maintain relationships with customers and suppliers and retain its management and key employees; (vi) costs related to the Business Combination; (vii) changes in applicable law or regulations; (viii) the outcome of any legal proceedings that may be instituted against Blaize; (ix) the effects of competition on Blaize’s future business; (x) the ability of the combined company to issue equity or equity-linked securities or obtain debt financing; (xi) the enforceability of Blaize’s intellectual property rights, including its copyrights, patents, trademarks and trade secrets, and the potential infringement on the intellectual property rights of others; and (xii) those factors discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) on April 15, 2025 and other documents filed by Blaize from time to time with the SEC. These filings identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual events and results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and Blaize assumes no obligation to update or revise these forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise, except as required by law, including the securities laws of the United States and the rules and regulations of the SEC. Blaize does not give any assurance that it will achieve its expectations.

    The financial projections in this release are forward-looking statements that are based on assumptions that are inherently subject to significant uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond Blaize’s control. While such projections are necessarily speculative, Blaize believes that the preparation of prospective financial information involves increasingly higher levels of uncertainty the further out the projection extends from the date of preparation. The assumptions and estimates underlying the projected results are inherently uncertain and are subject to a wide variety of significant business, economic and competitive risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the projections. The inclusion of financial information or projections in this press release should not be regarded as an indication that Blaize, or its representatives and advisors, considered or consider the information or projections to be a reliable prediction of future events. The independent registered public accounting firm of Blaize has not audited, reviewed, compiled or performed any procedures with respect to the projections for the purpose of their inclusion in this press release and, accordingly, has not expressed an opinion or provided any other form of assurance with respect thereto for the purpose of this press release.

    Investor Contact
    ir@blaize.com

    Media Contacts
    Leo Merle
    Blaize
    info@blaize.com

    Source: Blaize Holdings, Inc.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Microchip Technology Raises Financial Guidance for Sales and EPS for First Quarter of Fiscal Year 2026

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHANDLER, Ariz., May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Microchip Technology Incorporated, a leading provider of smart, connected, and secure embedded control solutions, today updated the range of its prior guidance for net Sales and GAAP and non-GAAP earnings per share for its fiscal first quarter of 2026 ending June 30, 2025. Microchip now expects consolidated net sales for the June quarter to be between $1.045 billion and $1.070 billion. Microchip previously provided guidance on May 8, 2025 of consolidated net sales to be between $1.025 billion and $1.070 billion. GAAP loss per share is now expected to be between $(0.11) and $(0.07), and non-GAAP earnings per share is now expected to be between $0.22 and $0.26. The original guidance for the GAAP loss per share was $(0.15) and $(0.07), and the original guidance for non-GAAP earnings per share was between $0.18 and $0.26.

    Steve Sanghi, Microchip’s CEO and President, commented, “With almost two months of the quarter behind us, our business is performing better than we expected at the time of our May 8, 2025 earnings conference call. Our bookings activity for the month of May is tracking to be higher than any month in the last two years. We are gaining confidence in the recovery of our business as we execute on our strategic initiatives, reduce inventory levels and make progress towards our long-term business model.”

    There will be no conference call associated with this press release. Microchip is attending the Stifel 2025 Cross Border 1×1 Conference and the B of A Securities Global Technology Conference on Wednesday June 3, 2025. A live webcast and replays from the B of A Conference will be available at www.microchip.com

    Cautionary Statement:

    The statements in this release relating to expecting consolidated net sales for the June quarter to be between $1.045 billion and $1.070 billion, GAAP loss per share to be between $(0.11) and $(0.07), non GAAP earnings per share to be between $0.22 and $0.26, that our business is performing better than we expected, that our bookings activity for the month of May is tracking to be higher than any month in the last two years, that we are gaining confidence in the recovery of our business as we execute on our strategic initiatives, reduce inventory levels and make progress towards our long-term business model are forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ materially, including, but not limited to: any continued uncertainty, fluctuations or weakness in the U.S. and world economies (including China and Europe) due to changes in the scope and level of tariffs, interest rates or high inflation, actions taken or which may be taken by the Trump administration or the U.S. Congress (including budget and tax legislation), monetary policy, political, geopolitical, trade or other issues in the U.S. or internationally (including the military conflicts in Ukraine-Russia and the Middle East), further changes in demand or market acceptance of our products and the products of our customers and our ability to respond to any increases or decreases in market demand or customer requests to reschedule or cancel orders; the mix of inventory we hold, our ability to satisfy any short-term orders from our inventory and our ability to effectively manage our inventory levels; foreign currency effects on our business; changes in utilization of our manufacturing capacity and our ability to effectively manage our production levels to meet any increases or decreases in market demand or any customer requests to reschedule or cancel orders; the impact of inflation on our business; competitive developments including pricing pressures; the level of orders that are received and can be shipped in a quarter; our ability to realize the expected benefits of our long-term supply assurance program; changes or fluctuations in customer order patterns and seasonality; our ability to effectively manage our supply of wafers from third party wafer foundries to meet any decreases or increases in our needs and the cost of such wafers, our ability to obtain additional capacity from our suppliers to increase production to meet any future increases in market demand; our ability to successfully integrate the operations and employees, retain key employees and customers and otherwise realize the expected synergies and benefits of our acquisitions; the impact of any future significant acquisitions or strategic transactions we may make; the costs and outcome of any current or future litigation or other matters involving our acquisitions (including the acquired business, intellectual property, customers, or other issues); the costs and outcome of any current or future tax audit or investigation regarding our business or our acquired businesses; the impact that the CHIPS Act will have on increasing manufacturing capacity in our industry by providing incentives for us, our competitors and foundries to build new wafer manufacturing facilities or expand existing facilities; the amount and timing of any incentives we may receive under the CHIPS Act, the impact of current and future changes in U.S. corporate tax laws (including the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 and the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017); fluctuations in our stock price and trading volume which could impact the number of shares we acquire under our share repurchase program and the timing of such repurchases; disruptions in our business or the businesses of our customers or suppliers due to natural disasters (including any floods in Thailand), terrorist activity, armed conflict, war, worldwide oil prices and supply, public health concerns or disruptions in the transportation system; and general economic, industry or political conditions in the United States or internationally.

    For a detailed discussion of these and other risk factors, please refer to Microchip’s filings on Forms 10-K and 10-Q. You can obtain copies of Forms 10-K and 10-Q and other relevant documents for free at Microchip’s website (www.microchip.com) or the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov) or from commercial document retrieval services.

    Stockholders of Microchip are cautioned not to place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date such statements are made. Microchip does not undertake any obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statements to reflect events, circumstances or new information after this May 8, 2025 press release, or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

    About Microchip:

    Microchip Technology Incorporated is a leading provider of smart, connected and secure embedded control solutions. Its easy-to-use development tools and comprehensive product portfolio enable customers to create optimal designs, which reduce risk while lowering total system cost and time to market. Our solutions serve approximately 109,000 customers across the industrial, automotive, consumer, aerospace and defense, communications and computing markets. Headquartered in Chandler, Arizona, Microchip offers outstanding technical support along with dependable delivery and quality. For more information, visit the Microchip website at www.microchip.com.

    Note: The Microchip name and logo are registered trademarks of Microchip Technology Incorporated in the U.S.A. and other countries. All other trademarks mentioned herein are the property of their respective companies.

    INVESTOR RELATIONS CONTACT:
    Sajid Daudi — Head of Investor Relations….. (480) 792-7385

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Palomar Holdings, Inc. Announces Successful Completion of June 1 Reinsurance Placement

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ~ Full-Year 2025 Adjusted Net Income Guidance Increased to $195 Million to $205 Million ~

    LA JOLLA, Calif., May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Palomar Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: PLMR) (“Palomar” or the “Company”) today announced the successful completion of certain reinsurance programs incepting June 1, 2025, and increased the Company’s full year 2025 adjusted net income guidance.

    The Company has procured approximately $455 million of incremental limit to support the growth of its Earthquake franchise. Palomar’s reinsurance coverage now extends to $3.53 billion for earthquake events and $100 million for continental United States hurricane events.

    Palomar’s per occurrence event retention is $11 million for hurricane events, reduced from $15.5 million the previous treaty year, and $20 million for earthquake events, levels that continue to be meaningfully within management’s previously stated guideposts of less than one quarter’s adjusted net income and less than 5% of stockholders’ equity.

    The reinsurance program continues to provide ample capacity for the Company’s growth in the subject business lines as well as coverage to a level exceeding Palomar’s 1:250-year peak zone Probable Maximum Loss. Of note, $525 million of the $3.53 billion earthquake limit was sourced through Palomar’s sixth and largest Torrey Pines Re catastrophe bond issuance, which exceeded management’s $425 million target and priced at the lower end of the indicated range.

    Effective June 1st, Palomar also executed the first standalone excess of loss (‘XOL’) treaty covering the Hawaii hurricane policies issued by Laulima Exchange. This business was previously covered through Palomar’s core reinsurance tower, which now consists of over 95% earthquake-only coverage as a result of this change. Laulima’s XOL reinsurance program consists of per occurrence coverage up to $735 million with a retention of $1.5 million.

    “We are very pleased with the outcome of our June 1 excess of loss placement and remain grateful for the continued support of our broad and diverse reinsurance panel,” commented Mac Armstrong, Palomar’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Beyond the risk adjusted rate decrease of approximately 10%, this renewal saw Palomar procure incremental earthquake limit to support our growth, maintain our earthquake event retention despite significant year-over-year exposure growth, reduce our wind event retention to $11 million, upsize our Torrey Pines Re catastrophe bond and successfully execute our first standalone Laulima excess of loss treaty. Importantly these initiatives were consummated at attractive prices that should enhance our earnings prospects for the remainder of 2025 and the first half of 2026. As a result, we are raising our full-year 2025 adjusted net income guidance range to $195 million to $205 million from the previously indicated range of $186 million to $200 million.”

    Other highlights of the Company’s reinsurance program include:

    • $1.15 billion of multi-year ILS capacity providing diversifying collateralized reinsurance capital;
    • A reinsurance panel of over 100 reinsurers and ILS investors, including multiple new reinsurers, all of which have an “A-” (Excellent) or better financial strength rating from A.M. Best and/or S&P (Standard & Poor’s) or are fully collateralized;
    • Prepaid reinstatements for substantially all layers that include a reinstatement provision, thereby limiting the pre-tax net loss to $11 million for hurricane events and $20 million for earthquake events, with modest additional reinsurance premium due.

    Palomar’s Chief Risk Officer, Jon Knutzen, added, “We are grateful for the strong and diversified support we received from the reinsurance market. The continued confidence from both incumbent and new partners is a testament to the strength of our portfolio and the disciplined execution of our risk transfer strategy. The June 1 placement further enhances the stability and predictability of our results, positioning us to deliver increased value to our shareholders over the long term. We appreciate the collaboration and partnership that made this successful outcome possible.”

    About Palomar Holdings, Inc.

    Palomar Holdings, Inc. is the holding company of subsidiaries Palomar Specialty Insurance Company (“PSIC”), Palomar Specialty Reinsurance Company Bermuda Ltd. (“PSRE”), Palomar Insurance Agency, Inc., Palomar Excess and Surplus Insurance Company (“PESIC”), Palomar Underwriters Exchange Organization, Inc. (“PUEO”), First Indemnity of America Insurance Co. (“FIA”), and Palomar Crop Insurance Services, Inc. (“PCIS”). Palomar’s consolidated results also include Laulima Exchange (“Laulima”), a variable interest entity for which the Company is the primary beneficiary. Palomar is an innovative specialty insurer serving residential and commercial clients in five product categories: Earthquake, Inland Marine and Other Property, Casualty, Fronting, and Crop. Palomar’s insurance subsidiaries, PSIC, PSRE, and PESIC, have a financial strength rating of “A” (Excellent) from A.M. Best. FIA carries an “A-” (Stable) rating from A.M. Best. 
    To learn more, visit PLMR.com.

    Follow Palomar on LinkedIn: @PLMRInsurance

    Safe Harbor Statement
    Palomar cautions you that statements contained in this press release may regard matters that are not historical facts but are forward-looking statements. These statements are based on the company’s current beliefs and expectations. The inclusion of forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by Palomar that any of its plans will be achieved. Actual results may differ from those set forth in this press release due to the risks and uncertainties inherent in the Company’s business. The forward-looking statements are typically, but not always, identified through use of the words “believe,” “expect,” “enable,” “may,” “will,” “could,” “intends,” “estimate,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “predict,” “probable,” “potential,” “possible,” “should,” “continue,” and other words of similar meaning. Actual results could differ materially from the expectations contained in forward-looking statements as a result of several factors, including unexpected expenditures and costs, unexpected results or delays in development and regulatory review, regulatory approval requirements, the frequency and severity of adverse events and competitive conditions. These and other factors that may result in differences are discussed in greater detail in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date hereof. All forward-looking statements are qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement, which is made under the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

    Contact
    Media Inquiries
    Lindsay Conner
    1-551-206-6217
    lconner@plmr.com

    Investor Relations
    Jamie Lillis
    1-203-428-3223
    investors@plmr.com

    Source: Palomar Holdings, Inc.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: RBB Bancorp Announces $18 Million Stock Repurchase Plan

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LOS ANGELES, May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — RBB Bancorp (NASDAQ: RBB) and its subsidiaries, Royal Business Bank (“the Bank”) and RBB Asset Management Company (“RAM”), collectively referred to herein as “the Company”, announced that its Board of Directors authorized a stock repurchase plan providing for the repurchase of up to $18 million of the Company’s outstanding common stock through June 30, 2026.

    The repurchase plan permits shares to be purchased in open market or private transactions, through block trades, and pursuant to any trading plan that may be adopted in accordance with Rules 10b5-1 and 10b-18 of the Securities and Exchange Commission. The authorized repurchase plan may be suspended, terminated or modified at any time for any reason, including market conditions, the cost of repurchasing shares, the availability of alternative investment opportunities, liquidity, and other factors deemed appropriate. These factors may also affect the timing and amount of share repurchases. The repurchase plan does not obligate the Company to purchase any particular number of shares.

    Corporate Overview

    RBB Bancorp is a community-based financial holding company headquartered in Los Angeles, California. As of March 31, 2025, the Company had total assets of $4.0 billion. Its wholly-owned subsidiary, Royal Business Bank, is a full service commercial bank, which provides consumer and business banking services predominately to Asian-centric communities through 24 full-service branches across 6 states including California, Nevada, New York, New Jersey, Illinois, and Hawaii. Bank services include remote deposit, E-banking, mobile banking, commercial and investor real estate loans, business loans and lines of credit, commercial and industrial loans, SBA 7A and 504 loans, 1-4 single family residential loans, trade finance, a full range of depository account products and wealth management services. The Bank has nine branches in Los Angeles County, two branches in Ventura County, one branch in Orange County, California, one branch in Las Vegas, Nevada, three branches and one loan operation center in Brooklyn, three branches in Queens, one branch in Manhattan in New York, one branch in Edison, New Jersey, two branches in Chicago, Illinois, and one branch in Honolulu, Hawaii. The Company’s administrative and lending center is located at 1055 Wilshire Blvd., Los Angeles, California 90017, and its operations center is located at 7025 Orangethorpe Ave., Buena Park, California 90621. The Company’s website address is www.royalbusinessbankusa.com.

    Safe Harbor

    Certain matters set forth herein (including the exhibits hereto) constitute forward-looking statements relating to the Company’s current business plans and expectations and our future financial position and operating results. These forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance and/or achievements to differ materially from those projected. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting and disclosure controls and procedures; the potential for additional material weaknesses in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting or other potential control deficiencies of which the Company is not currently aware or which have not been detected; business and economic conditions generally and in the financial services industry, nationally and within our current and future geographic markets, including the tight labor market, ineffective management of the United States (“U.S.”) federal budget or debt or turbulence or uncertainly in domestic or foreign financial markets; the strength of the U.S. economy in general and the strength of the local economies in which we conduct operations; adverse developments in the banking industry highlighted by high-profile bank failures and the potential impact of such developments on customer confidence, liquidity and regulatory responses to these developments; possible additional provisions for credit losses and charge-offs; credit risks of lending activities and deterioration in asset or credit quality; extensive laws and regulations and supervision that we are subject to, including potential supervisory action by bank supervisory authorities; compliance with the Bank Secrecy Act and other money laundering statutes and regulations; potential goodwill impairment; liquidity risk; failure to comply with debt covenants; fluctuations in interest rates; risks associated with acquisitions and the expansion of our business into new markets; inflation and deflation; real estate market conditions and the value of real estate collateral; the effects of having concentrations in our loan portfolio, including commercial real estate and the risks of geographic and industry concentrations; environmental liabilities; our ability to compete with larger competitors; our ability to retain key personnel; successful management of reputational risk; severe weather, natural disasters, earthquakes, fires, including direct and indirect costs and impacts on clients, the Company and its employees from the January 2025 Los Angeles County wildfires; geopolitical conditions, including acts or threats of terrorism, actions taken by the U.S. or other governments in response to acts or threats of terrorism and/or military conflicts, including the conflicts between Russia and Ukraine, in the Middle East, and increasing tensions between China and Taiwan, which could impact business and economic conditions in the U.S. and abroad; tariffs, trade policies, and related tensions, which could impact our clients, specific industry sectors, and/or broader economic conditions and financial market; public health crises and pandemics, and their effects on the economic and business environments in which we operate, including our credit quality and business operations, as well as the impact on general economic and financial market conditions; general economic or business conditions in Asia, and other regions where the Bank has operations; failures, interruptions, or security breaches of our information systems; climate change, including any enhanced regulatory, compliance, credit and reputational risks and costs; cybersecurity threats and the cost of defending against them; our ability to adapt our systems to the expanding use of technology in banking; risk management processes and strategies; the impact of regulatory enforcement actions, if any; certain provisions in our charter and bylaws that may affect acquisition of the Company; changes in tax laws and regulations; the impact of governmental efforts to restructure the U.S. financial regulatory system and increased costs of compliance and other risks associated with changes in regulation, including any amendments to the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act; the impact of changes in the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) insurance assessment rate and the rules and regulations related to the calculation of the FDIC insurance assessments; the effect of changes in accounting policies and practices or accounting standards, as may be adopted from time-to-time by bank regulatory agencies, the SEC, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the Financial Accounting Standards Board or other accounting standards setters; fluctuations in the Company’s stock price; restrictions on dividends and other distributions by laws and regulations and by our regulators and our capital structure; our ability to raise additional capital, if needed, and the potential resulting dilution of interests of holders of our common stock; the soundness of other financial institutions; our ongoing relations with our various federal and state regulators, including the SEC, FDIC, FRB and California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation; our success at managing the risks involved in the foregoing items and all other factors set forth in the Company’s public reports, including its Annual Report as filed under Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, and particularly the discussion of risk factors within that document. The Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims any obligation, to update any forward-looking statements to reflect occurrences or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements except as required by law. Any statements about future operating results, such as those concerning accretion and dilution to the Company’s earnings or shareholders, are for illustrative purposes only, are not forecasts, and actual results may differ.

    Contact:
    Lynn Hopkins
    Chief Financial Officer
    (213) 716-8066

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: ChampionsGate Acquisition Corporation Announces Closing of $74,750,000 Initial Public Offering

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Monterey, CA, May 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ChampionsGate Acquisition Corporation (Nasdaq: CHPGU), a Cayman Islands exempted company (the “Company”), today announced that it closed its initial public offering of 7,475,000 units at $10.00 per unit, which includes the full exercise of the underwriter’s over-allotment option. The gross proceeds from the offering were $74.75 million before deducting underwriting discounts and estimated offering expenses. The units began trading on the Nasdaq Global Market (“Nasdaq”) under the ticker symbol “CHPGU” on May 28, 2025.

    The Company is a blank check company sponsored by ST Sponsor Limited (the “Sponsor”), a Cayman Islands exempted company, formed for the purpose of effecting into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. The Company’s efforts to identify a prospective target business will not be limited to a particular industry or geographic region.

    Each unit consists of one Class A ordinary share, par value $0.0001 per share (a “Class A Ordinary Share”), and one right (a “Right”). Each Right entitles the holder to receive one-eighth of one Class A Ordinary Share at the closing of the initial business combination of the Company. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, the Class A Ordinary Shares and the Rights are expected to be listed on Nasdaq under the symbols “CHPG” and “CHPGR”, respectively.

    Clear Street LLC (“Clear Street”) acted as the sole book-running manager in the offering.

    FocalPoint Asia acted as the exclusive advisor to the Sponsor.

    Robinson & Cole LLP served as legal counsel to the Company. Winston & Strawn LLP served as legal counsel to Clear Street.

    The offering was made only by means of a prospectus, copies of which may be obtained from Clear Street, Attn: Syndicate Department, 150 Greenwich Street, 45th floor, New York, NY 10007, or by email at ecm@clearstreet.io.

    A registration statement relating to these securities was declared effective by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on May 14, 2025.

    This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction. No securities regulatory authority has either approved or disapproved of the contents of this press release.

    About ChampionsGate Acquisition Corporation

    ChampionsGate Acquisition Corporation is a blank check company incorporated in the Cayman Islands as an exempted company with limited liability for the purpose of effecting into a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, recapitalization, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. Our efforts to identify a prospective target business will not be limited to a particular industry or geographic region.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release includes forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, which could cause actual results to differ from the forward-looking statements. The Company expressly disclaims any obligations or undertaking to release publicly any updates or revisions to any forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect any change in the Company’s expectations with respect thereto or any change in events, conditions or circumstances on which any statement is based. No assurance can be given that the offering discussed above will be completed on the terms described, or at all. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of the registration statement and related preliminary prospectus filed by the Company with the SEC in connection with the Company’s initial public offering. Copies are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this press release, except as required by law.

    Contact Information:

    ChampionsGate Acquisition Corporation

    Bala Padmakumar
    Chairman, Chief Executive Officer, and Director
    419 Webster Street
    Monterey, CA 93940
    Email: bala@championsgate.biz

    The MIL Network –