NewzIntel.com

Category: Asia

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese investment empowers Indonesia’s EV supply chain

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

    .

    The groundbreaking of a new electric vehicle (EV) battery megaproject in Indonesia set another milestone in the country’s rapidly growing EV supply chain, driven by Chinese investment.

    JOINT VENTURE

    The project, whose groundbreaking on Sunday was witnessed by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto in Karawang, West Java, is a joint venture with China, worth nearly 6 billion U.S. dollars, and covers the full supply chain, from nickel mining and processing to battery materials production, manufacturing and recycling.

    Indonesia is currently the world’s largest producer of nickel and holds the biggest-known reserves of the metal, an essential component in EV batteries.

    The project is jointly conducted by Indonesia’s state-owned miner PT Aneka Tambang Tbk, state-owned investment holding company PT Indonesia Battery Corporation and China’s Ningbo Contemporary Brunp Lygend Co., Ltd.

    “This groundbreaking is proof of our leaders’ seriousness in collaborating with our partners and our friends in China. We can work together on a program that I think can be called colossal, an extraordinary breakthrough,” Prabowo said at the groundbreaking ceremony.

    According to Indonesian Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Bahlil Lahadalia, the project is expected to create 35,000 jobs and contribute up to 42 billion dollars annually to the national GDP. He also highlighted that the plant’s capacity would support the production of batteries for 300,000 vehicles, potentially reducing Indonesia’s fuel imports by approximately 300,000 kiloliters per year.

    Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto (C) attends a groundbreaking ceremony for a major electric vehicle (EV) battery megaproject in Karawang, West Java, Indonesia, June 29, 2025. (Xinhua/Zulkarnain)

    GREEN TRANSITION

    The Indonesian government has been actively promoting the nickel industry to increase national competitiveness and build an ecosystem for the EV battery industry. The ambition is also aligned with Indonesia’s long-term commitment to achieving net-zero emissions by 2060.

    Fahmy Radhi, an energy economics expert from Gadjah Mada University, said, “This transformation is more than an energy transition. It opens the door to clean technology, encourages green infrastructure development, and provides a strategic path for Indonesia to become a clean-energy industrial nation.”

    He also highlighted the importance of ensuring that investment does not stop at the smelter level. “The process must extend to the production of final goods, such as EV batteries or even electric vehicles themselves.”

    Currently, Indonesia is home to nine electric car manufacturers, seven electric bus production facilities, and 63 two- and three-wheeled electric vehicle factories.

    CRUCIAL PARTNER

    Kukuh Kumara, secretary general of the Association of Indonesia Automotive Industries, emphasized the critical role of partnerships with countries experienced in EV development, particularly China. “From the mining process to ready-to-use batteries, there is a huge process involved,” he said.

    Kumara said that expanding industries related to the EV supply chain will not only strengthen Indonesia’s downstream capabilities but also create jobs and promote know-how transfer. “China is known for its strong EV component industry. We encourage our local companies to learn from Chinese partners,” he said.

    “Our ultimate goal is to develop Indonesia’s own auto brands, local factories and indigenous technical capabilities,” Kumara said. “But at this stage, international partners are still crucial.”

    Chinese firms have played a pivotal role in bringing technology, capital and global market access to Indonesia, particularly in EV batteries and supply chain integration, said the business leader.

    As the first Chinese automaker to invest and establish a factory in Indonesia, SAIC-GM-Wuling (SGMW) has helped 17 Chinese enterprises in the auto supply chain to venture into ASEAN’s biggest economy, developing over 100 local suppliers over the past seven years.

    People take photos of Wuling Air EV cars at Wuling’s production factory in Bekasi, West Java province, Indonesia, Aug. 8, 2022. (Xinhua/Xu Qin)

    The Chinese automaker has also contributed to fostering Indonesia’s own EV sector. Last November, the China-Indonesia Institute of Modern Craftsmanship of New Energy Vehicle, a training base established by China’s Liuzhou City Vocational College, Indonesia’s Anand Industrial Training Institute and the SGMW’s Indonesian subsidiary, was officially inaugurated in Indonesia.

    “What is prominent in Chinese investment is the genuine willingness to implement technological transfer and human development programs through joint research, expert and trainee exchanges, vocational training, etc,” said Christine Susanna Tjhin, co-founder and director of strategic communication and research at the Gentala Institute, an independent consulting firm.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The Dalai Lama is a cisgender man – yet he has an unexpected connection to the trans community

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Kerry, Lecturer in Sociology, Charles Darwin University

    Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, turns 90 this week – a milestone that’s reigniting speculation over his eventual successor.

    While the Dalai Lama is the face of Buddhism to many people across the world, he is actually the head of just one tradition within Tibetan Buddhism known as the Gelug school.

    Tibetans believe the Dalai Lama to be the manifestation of Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, and the “one who hears the cries of the world”.



    Read more:
    What is a bodhisattva? A scholar of Buddhism explains

    Avalokiteśvara is prayed to across Asia, and is known as Chenrezig in Tibet, Guanyin in China, and Kannon or Kanzeon in Japan.

    A statue of Avalokiteśvara.
    Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

    In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is a person, or a mythic representation of a person, who denies themselves enlightenment until all beings can achieve enlightenment. Avalokiteśvara appears to living beings in whatever form could best save them.

    Although Avalokiteśvara originated in India as a man, they can be depicted as either a man, woman, or non-binary being. This gender fluidity has led to them being revered as a trans icon in the West.

    I have spent the past five years investigating the lives of queer Buddhists in Australia. As part of this research, I have surveyed and interviewed 109 LGBTQIA+ Buddhist Australians.

    The words of these individuals, and my own experience as a genderqueer Buddhist person, reveal how the Dalai Lama emerges an an unlikely inspiration for individuals sharing a trans and Buddhist identity.

    The Big Buddha is a large bronze sculpture located near the Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island, Hong Kong.
    Joshua J. Cotten/Unsplash

    Letting go of binaries

    Through my work I have found LGBTQIA+ Buddhist Australians are generally reluctant to disclose their queer identities to their Buddhist communities, and may be told to remain silent about their identities.

    For some, Avalokiteśvara’s gender fluidity has been important for reaffirming both their queer and Buddhist selves.

    One Buddhist trans woman, Annie*, told me Guanyin had special significance for her. Annie spoke about Avalokiteśvara travelling from India to China as a male, before “transitioning” to the mainly female presentation of Guanyin over centuries. Annie said:

    I pray to her regularly and often find I get a response. Of course the enlightened state is beyond all manner of worldly binaries, including gender, and is immensely important in letting go of binaries in my journey towards enlightenment.

    Walter* has had a long fascination with depictions of Avalokiteśvara that “showed ‘him’ looking effeminate and handsome, with a cute moustache […] A little bit homoerotic, a little bit provocatively gender fluid, as seen through my eyes”.

    Walter adds:

    A great many people in different cultures, across history, worship these figures. Clever how this figure can morph into a radical trans! We all want to feel comforted, safe and saved from suffering.

    As queer Buddhists, we turn to to Avalokitesvara to feel “comforted, safe and saved”.

    Another interviewee, Brian*, told me about a Tibetan invocation practice he did with a senior Tibetan monk, in which he encountered Guanyin:

    [She] took my right hand and passed some sort of power into it. She never spoke to me but just returned the way she had come. I was given some sort of gift, that’s all I know.

    Since this experience, Brian has “always felt a strong connection to the feminine through her”. He has a special Guanyin altar on his farm.

    You can’t be what you can’t see

    Some Buddhists deny Avalokiteśvara’s queerness.

    Asher*, a genderqueer Buddhist I interviewed, told me about a teacher who said to them, “there was absolutely no way a gay person could be enlightened”.

    Asher retorted:

    What about Kanzeon, the bodhisattva of compassion, who has manifested as both male and female and, in the stories from Japan, has had erotic relationships with monks?

    The teacher dismissed this, replying, “those are just stories”.

    A black statue of Avalokiteśvara outside a Japanese temple.
    Wikimedia, CC BY

    In her 1996 book Transgender Warriors, trans activist Leslie Feinberg writes: “I couldn’t find myself in history. No one like me seemed to have ever existed.”

    Similarly, Annie evoked the statement: “You can’t be what you can’t see.”

    I, too, experience this need to see myself as a genderqueer, non-binary practitioner of Zen Buddhism. It was only through doing these interviews with other queer Buddhists that I came to realise Guanyin, a trans icon, is a statuette which adorns the altar of the Buddhist group I belong to.

    Knowing Avalokitesvara may be depicted as a man, woman, or non-binary being lets us queer Buddhists know we exist – and have always existed – within Buddhism.

    Despite being a cisgender man who has been somewhat inconsistent in his support of queer people, the Dalai Lama, as the manifestation of the bodhisattva of compassion, is a possible spiritual link between today’s queer Buddhists and centuries-long traditions of gender transition and fluidity.

    *Names have been changed.

    Stephen Kerry 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. The Dalai Lama is a cisgender man – yet he has an unexpected connection to the trans community – https://theconversation.com/the-dalai-lama-is-a-cisgender-man-yet-he-has-an-unexpected-connection-to-the-trans-community-260106

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The Dalai Lama is a cisgender man – yet he has an unexpected connection to the trans community

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Kerry, Lecturer in Sociology, Charles Darwin University

    Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, turns 90 this week – a milestone that’s reigniting speculation over his eventual successor.

    While the Dalai Lama is the face of Buddhism to many people across the world, he is actually the head of just one tradition within Tibetan Buddhism known as the Gelug school.

    Tibetans believe the Dalai Lama to be the manifestation of Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, and the “one who hears the cries of the world”.



    Read more:
    What is a bodhisattva? A scholar of Buddhism explains

    Avalokiteśvara is prayed to across Asia, and is known as Chenrezig in Tibet, Guanyin in China, and Kannon or Kanzeon in Japan.

    A statue of Avalokiteśvara.
    Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

    In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is a person, or a mythic representation of a person, who denies themselves enlightenment until all beings can achieve enlightenment. Avalokiteśvara appears to living beings in whatever form could best save them.

    Although Avalokiteśvara originated in India as a man, they can be depicted as either a man, woman, or non-binary being. This gender fluidity has led to them being revered as a trans icon in the West.

    I have spent the past five years investigating the lives of queer Buddhists in Australia. As part of this research, I have surveyed and interviewed 109 LGBTQIA+ Buddhist Australians.

    The words of these individuals, and my own experience as a genderqueer Buddhist person, reveal how the Dalai Lama emerges an an unlikely inspiration for individuals sharing a trans and Buddhist identity.

    The Big Buddha is a large bronze sculpture located near the Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island, Hong Kong.
    Joshua J. Cotten/Unsplash

    Letting go of binaries

    Through my work I have found LGBTQIA+ Buddhist Australians are generally reluctant to disclose their queer identities to their Buddhist communities, and may be told to remain silent about their identities.

    For some, Avalokiteśvara’s gender fluidity has been important for reaffirming both their queer and Buddhist selves.

    One Buddhist trans woman, Annie*, told me Guanyin had special significance for her. Annie spoke about Avalokiteśvara travelling from India to China as a male, before “transitioning” to the mainly female presentation of Guanyin over centuries. Annie said:

    I pray to her regularly and often find I get a response. Of course the enlightened state is beyond all manner of worldly binaries, including gender, and is immensely important in letting go of binaries in my journey towards enlightenment.

    Walter* has had a long fascination with depictions of Avalokiteśvara that “showed ‘him’ looking effeminate and handsome, with a cute moustache […] A little bit homoerotic, a little bit provocatively gender fluid, as seen through my eyes”.

    Walter adds:

    A great many people in different cultures, across history, worship these figures. Clever how this figure can morph into a radical trans! We all want to feel comforted, safe and saved from suffering.

    As queer Buddhists, we turn to to Avalokitesvara to feel “comforted, safe and saved”.

    Another interviewee, Brian*, told me about a Tibetan invocation practice he did with a senior Tibetan monk, in which he encountered Guanyin:

    [She] took my right hand and passed some sort of power into it. She never spoke to me but just returned the way she had come. I was given some sort of gift, that’s all I know.

    Since this experience, Brian has “always felt a strong connection to the feminine through her”. He has a special Guanyin altar on his farm.

    You can’t be what you can’t see

    Some Buddhists deny Avalokiteśvara’s queerness.

    Asher*, a genderqueer Buddhist I interviewed, told me about a teacher who said to them, “there was absolutely no way a gay person could be enlightened”.

    Asher retorted:

    What about Kanzeon, the bodhisattva of compassion, who has manifested as both male and female and, in the stories from Japan, has had erotic relationships with monks?

    The teacher dismissed this, replying, “those are just stories”.

    A black statue of Avalokiteśvara outside a Japanese temple.
    Wikimedia, CC BY

    In her 1996 book Transgender Warriors, trans activist Leslie Feinberg writes: “I couldn’t find myself in history. No one like me seemed to have ever existed.”

    Similarly, Annie evoked the statement: “You can’t be what you can’t see.”

    I, too, experience this need to see myself as a genderqueer, non-binary practitioner of Zen Buddhism. It was only through doing these interviews with other queer Buddhists that I came to realise Guanyin, a trans icon, is a statuette which adorns the altar of the Buddhist group I belong to.

    Knowing Avalokitesvara may be depicted as a man, woman, or non-binary being lets us queer Buddhists know we exist – and have always existed – within Buddhism.

    Despite being a cisgender man who has been somewhat inconsistent in his support of queer people, the Dalai Lama, as the manifestation of the bodhisattva of compassion, is a possible spiritual link between today’s queer Buddhists and centuries-long traditions of gender transition and fluidity.

    *Names have been changed.

    Stephen Kerry 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. The Dalai Lama is a cisgender man – yet he has an unexpected connection to the trans community – https://theconversation.com/the-dalai-lama-is-a-cisgender-man-yet-he-has-an-unexpected-connection-to-the-trans-community-260106

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Xi Jinping champions the cause of Global South

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Chinese President Xi Jinping visits the New Development Bank and meets with Dilma Rousseff, president of the institution, in Shanghai, east China, April 29, 2025. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

    On the banks of the shimmering Huangpu River that cuts through the Chinese metropolis of Shanghai sits the headquarters of the New Development Bank, co-founded by the BRICS countries more than a decade ago to foster the shared development of the world’s emerging economies.

    In his visit to this new landmark in China’s financial center late April, Chinese President Xi Jinping told the bank’s president and former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff this multilateral institution has been a result of “a pioneering initiative for the Global South to seek strength through unity.”

    For the Chinese leader, the BRICS mechanism is a major platform for promoting cooperation among countries in the Global South. In the coming days, this year’s BRICS summit will open in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro under the theme of “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance.”

    Xi’s April visit to the bank demonstrates his long-standing commitment to bolstering the solidarity and common development of the Global South, amplifying the role of over 6 billion people in a world fraught with uncertainty and challenges unseen in a century.

    Chinese President Xi Jinping poses for a group photo with other leaders and representatives attending the “BRICS Plus” Dialogue in Kazan, Russia, Oct. 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

    COLLECTIVE RISE

    “The collective rise of the Global South is a distinctive feature of the great transformation across the world,” Xi observed when addressing the “BRICS Plus” Dialogue held in Kazan, Russia, in October last year.

    Much more than a pure geographical or economic term, the Global South refers to a community of emerging markets and developing countries that share similar historical experiences, development stages and goals, and political pursuits.

    The concept of “South” was first coined in Antonio Gramsci’s work “The Southern Question” written in 1926, in which the Italian Marxist philosopher highlighted the development gap between northern and southern Italy.

    The rise of the Global South has been decades in the making. Back in 1955, the landmark Bandung Conference convened in Indonesia under the flag of solidarity, friendship and cooperation, marking the awakening of the Global South after centuries of Western colonial rule. In 1964, the Group of 77, a coalition of developing countries, was established in Geneva within the United Nations to promote South-South cooperation and form a new international economic order.

    Through extensive cooperation, the countries of the Global South have emerged as a key driver of global growth. These countries have contributed as much as 80 percent of global growth over the past 20 years, with a share of global GDP increasing from 24 percent four decades ago to more than 40 percent today.

    China, the world’s largest developing country, is a natural member of the Global South. In 2004, the United Nations Development Programme included China in its list of more than 130 Global South countries in a report titled “Forging a Global South.” Some Westerners have challenged China’s position that it is part of the Global South. In response, Xi has provided a clear answer.

    “As a developing country and a member of the Global South, China breathes the same breath with other developing countries and pursues a shared future with them,” Xi once said.

    Historically, China has suffered from Western colonialism and imperialism, much like other developing countries, said Cavince Adhere, a Kenya-based international relations scholar.

    “Even today, despite inordinate success by Beijing to rise from the backwaters of development to be the second-largest economy in the world, as well as the first developing country to eliminate extreme poverty, China still faces common development challenges, and holds similar views regarding the current international order and global governance,” he added. “Because of this, China has emerged as a strong champion for the legitimate rights and interests of many Global South countries.”

    Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and delivers a keynote speech at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 5, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

    LEAVING NO ONE BEHIND

    Ahead of Xi’s state visit to Brazil late last year, the Portuguese edition of the book “Up And Out Of Poverty” was officially launched in Rio de Janeiro. The book, first published in 1992, outlines Xi’s perspectives on poverty eradication, local governance, reform and development when he worked in the formerly impoverished prefecture of Ningde in China’s southeastern Fujian province.

    Poverty has long ranked atop among the problems facing the Global South. With Xi’s steadfast commitment and strong leadership, China has eradicated absolute poverty in its rural areas, a feat that no one had accomplished in China for thousands of years.

    At the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro last year, Xi spoke with quiet conviction, recounting his lifelong dedication to poverty alleviation, from his time as a local official to his current role as China’s top leader.

    In his speech, Xi said a weaker bird can start early and fly high. “If China can make it, other developing countries can make it too. This is what China’s battle against poverty says to the world,” he said.

    Xi’s “weaker bird” metaphor originated from his book on poverty. His speech struck a chord with several foreign leaders, who asked the Chinese delegation whether they could share a copy of the speech.

    The Chinese leader has placed great emphasis on development. For him, “development holds the master key to solving all problems,” particularly when the global development gap continues to widen. Over the years, Xi has also been active in rallying global efforts to put development back on the international agenda as a central priority.

    When attending the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in 2021 via video, Xi proposed the Global Development Initiative, an international policy framework to promote sustainable development around the world. To date, the initiative has garnered the support and participation of over 100 countries and 20 international organizations.

    Intelligent equipment lifts containers at Chancay Port, Peru, on Nov. 14, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Mengxin)

    To boost common development in the Global South, Xi has been promoting practical cooperation through major infrastructure projects within the Belt and Road Initiative. During his foreign visits over the years, Xi would launch or visit major projects, such as the Chancay Port in Peru, the Dushanbe No. 2 power plant in Tajikistan and the Colombo Port City in Sri Lanka. When hosting leaders of the Global South in Beijing, Xi would also discuss with them major projects for cooperation during their talks.

    Xi believes that the Global South should be the main driving force for common development and that “On the path to modernization, no one, and no country, should be left behind.” He also supports countries of the Global South exploring paths of modernization tailored to their distinctive national conditions, rather than following Western development models.

    Also at last year’s G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Xi outlined eight measures in support of Global South cooperation, ranging from high-quality Belt and Road cooperation to boosting development in Africa. Months earlier, at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing last year, Xi unveiled 10 partnership actions and granted zero-tariff treatment on all product categories to the least developed countries with which it has diplomatic relations.

    An exhibitor (R) introduces African products to visitors during the fourth China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo at Changsha International Convention and Exhibition Center in Changsha, central China’s Hunan Province, June 13, 2025.  (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

    Gu Qingyang, associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, said, “China can play a positive role in the development of Global South countries,” adding that Chinese technology and expertise in industrial development can support the modernization of the Global South’s various regions.

    EMPOWERING GLOBAL SOUTH IN INTERNATIONAL GOVERNANCE

    As Xi once observed, in the face of global changes of the century, pursuing modernization and working for a more just and equitable international order are the sacred historic missions of Global South countries.

    Xi described the BRICS countries as “leading members of the Global South,” calling for building BRICS into “a primary channel for strengthening solidarity and cooperation among Global South nations and a vanguard for advancing global governance reform.”

    Since becoming Chinese president in 2013, Xi has always been a steadfast champion of BRICS cooperation. In Xiamen, he advocated for the “BRICS Plus” program at the 2017 BRICS summit, calling for more active participation from other emerging markets and developing nations. He played a crucial role in propelling the BRICS’ historic expansion in 2023, ushering in the era of greater BRICS cooperation.

    Effective coordination between BRICS members and other countries in the Global South has been adding more bricks to the global governance architecture. The New Development Bank exemplifies this effort.

    Xi said the bank serves as “an important emerging force in the international financial system,” which should work to “make the international financial system fairer and more equitable and effectively enhance the representation and say of emerging markets and developing countries.”

    Aerial photo taken on Dec. 17, 2020 shows the headquarters building of BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) in east China’s Shanghai. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)

    Over the years, China, under Xi’s leadership, has taken concrete steps to advocate for developing countries, help Global South countries enhance their representation and voice in international governance, and promote a more just and equitable international order.

    At the 2022 G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, China took the lead in supporting the African Union (AU)’s membership in the G20. In their meeting on the sidelines of the summit, then Senegalese President Macky Sall, who was also the AU chairperson that year, thanked Xi for being the first to publicly support the AU’s G20 membership.

    The global leadership today remains lopsided, and rebalancing this skewed system is a shared imperative for both the Global North and South, said Paolo Magri, managing director and chair of the advisory board of the Italian Institute for International Political Studies, a think tank.

    “Global South countries marching together toward modernization is monumental in world history and unprecedented in human civilization,” Xi said at the “BRICS Plus” Dialogue in Kazan, Russia, last year, while acknowledging that “the road to prosperity for the Global South will not be straight.”

    “No matter how the international landscape evolves, we in China will always keep the Global South in our heart, and maintain our roots in the Global South,” Xi pledged.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Industrial and Commercial Bank of China’s Turkey branch granted clearing bank status for yuan settlements

    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, July 3 (Xinhua) — The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China’s branch in Turkey has acquired the status of a clearing bank for yuan settlements, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) said.

    The regulator noted that this decision was made in accordance with the memorandum of understanding signed by the central banks of both countries.

    Earlier, on June 13, the PBOC announced that the two banks had signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a clearing mechanism for yuan settlements in Turkey. Such a mechanism will facilitate the use of national currencies for cross-border settlements between enterprises and financial institutions in both countries, and will also further facilitate bilateral trade and investment procedures.

    On the same day, the PBOC announced the extension of a bilateral currency swap agreement with the Central Bank of Turkey. The total amount of funds in it reached 35 billion yuan (approximately 4.88 billion US dollars), or 189 billion Turkish lira.

    According to official data, China is currently Turkey’s largest trading partner in Asia and the third largest in the world. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Naval fleet led by aircraft carrier Shandong arrives in Hong Kong

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

    A fireboat of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government performs a water gate ceremony for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy fleet in Hong Kong, south China, July 3, 2025. A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy led by the aircraft carrier Shandong arrived here on Thursday morning. [Photo/Xinhua]

    A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy led by the aircraft carrier Shandong arrived in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Thursday morning.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI: Commodities & Resources PTE Ltd. Announces Acquisition of Shares of Belmont Resources Inc. Pursuant to a Convertible Loan Agreement

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Commodities & Resources PTE Ltd. (the “Acquiror”), a private investment company incorporated in Singapore, announces that on October 19, 2023 it entered into a Convertible Loan Agreement with Belmont Resources Inc. (TSX-V: BEA) (the “Issuer”) in the principal amount of CAD $210,000. The Loan bore no interest and was payable on or before April 1, 2024. If the Issuer failed to repay the Loan in full on or before April 1, 2024, interest on arrears of 12% per annum was payable by the issuer beginning on April 2, 2024. The Acquiror had the option to have the Loan repaid through the issuance of 7,000,000 Common Shares at a deemed value of $0.03 per share.

    Immediately prior to entering into the Convertible Loan Agreement, the Acquiror owned and controlled 7,000,000 Common Shares of the Issuer, representing approximately 8.89% of the issued and outstanding Common Shares of the Issuer. The Acquiror continued to hold that number and percentage of Common Shares (on a non-diluted basis) immediately after entering into the Convertible Loan Agreement.

    As a result of entering into the Convertible Loan Agreement, on a partially diluted basis (i.e., assuming full conversion of the Loan immediately after entering into the Convertible Loan Agreement), the Acquiror held a total of 14,000,000 Common Shares immediately after entering into the Convertible Loan Agreement, representing approximately 16.3% of the Issuer’s issued and outstanding Common Shares.

    The Acquiror subsequently exercised its conversion right and on January 18, 2024 the Acquiror was issued 7,000,000 Common Shares of the Issuer. As a result of the conversion of the Loan and immediately following conversion, the Acquiror held a total of 14,000,000 Common Shares, representing approximately 15.11% of the Issuer’s issued and outstanding Common Shares.

    The common shares were acquired for investment purposes. This investment will be reviewed on a continuing basis by the Acquiror and such holdings may be increased or decreased in the future. The Acquiror may in the future acquire or dispose of the common shares through the open market, privately or otherwise, as circumstances or market conditions warrant.

    The Acquiror has filed an Early Warning Report pursuant to National Instrument 62-103F1 The Early Warning System and Related Take-Over Bid and Insider Reporting Issues describing the above transaction with the applicable securities regulatory authorities. To obtain a copy of the early warning report filed by the Acquiror, please contact the Acquiror c/o Mohammed Ajmal at +65 6222 7 445 or refer to the Company’s SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

    Commodities & Resources PTE Ltd.  
    16 Raffles Quay
    #32-03 Hong Leong Bldg
    Singapore 048581
    Singapore
    Mohammed Ajmal
    finance@commres.sg

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Commodities & Resources PTE Ltd. Announces Acquisition of Shares of Belmont Resources Inc. Pursuant to Private Placement

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia, July 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Commodities & Resources PTE Ltd. (the “Acquiror”), a private investment company incorporated in Singapore, announces that on April 8, 2025, the Acquiror acquired Common Shares of Belmont Resources Inc. (TSX-V: BEA)(the “Issuer”). The Issuer completed a private placement of Common Shares, issuing a total of 4,000,000 shares to the Acquiror at a price of $0.045 per share for proceeds of $180,000 (the “Private Placement”).

    Immediately prior to the closing of the Private Placement, the Acquiror held 14,000,000 Common Shares of the Issuer, representing approximately 13.7% of the Issuer’s issued and outstanding Shares.

    As a result of the completion of the Private Placement, the Acquiror held 18,000,000 Common Shares, representing approximately 16.95% of the Issuer’s issued and outstanding Common Shares.

    The Acquiror purchased Common Shares under the Private Placement for business and investment purposes. The Acquiror may, depending on market and other conditions, increase or decrease its beneficial ownership of or control or direction over the Issuer’s securities, whether in the open market, by privately negotiated agreements or otherwise, subject to a number of factors, including general market conditions and other available investment and business opportunities.

    The Acquiror has filed an Early Warning Report pursuant to National Instrument 62-103F1 The Early Warning System and Related Take-Over Bid and Insider Reporting Issues describing the above transaction with the applicable securities regulatory authorities. To obtain a copy of the early warning report filed by the Acquiror, please contact the Acquiror c/o Mohammed Ajmal at +65 6222 7 445 or refer to the Company’s SEDAR+ profile at www.sedarplus.ca.

    Commodities & Resources PTE Ltd.
    16 Raffles Quay
    #32-03 Hong Leong Bldg
    Singapore 048581
    Singapore
    Mohammed Ajmal
    finance@commres.sg

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump announces trade deal with Vietnam

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

    U.S. President Donald Trump announced on his social media platform Truth Social that he has just made a trade deal with Vietnam after speaking with To Lam, general secretary of the Communist Party of Vietnam Central Committee.

    “It will be a Great Deal of Cooperation between our two Countries. The Terms are that Vietnam will pay the United States a 20 percent Tariff on any and all goods sent into our Territory, and a 40 percent Tariff on any Transshipping,” he wrote.

    In return, Vietnam will do something that it has never done before, namely give the United States total access to its markets for trade, his post said.

    Vietnam will “OPEN THEIR MARKET TO THE UNITED STATES,” meaning that “we will be able to sell our product into Vietnam at ZERO Tariff,” wrote Trump.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Antarctic research is in decline, and the timing couldn’t be worse

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Leane, Professor of Antarctic Studies, School of Humanities, University of Tasmania

    Oleksandr Matsibura/Shutterstock

    Ice loss in Antarctica and its impact on the planet – sea level rise, changes to ocean currents and disturbance of wildlife and food webs – has been in the news a lot lately. All of these threats were likely on the minds of the delegates to the annual Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, which finishes up today in Milan, Italy.

    This meeting is where decisions are made about the continent’s future. These decisions rely on evidence from scientific research. Moreover, only countries that produce significant Antarctic research – as well as being parties to the treaty – get to have a final say in these decisions.

    Our new report – published as a preprint through the University of the Arctic – shows the rate of research on the Antarctic and Southern Ocean is falling at exactly the time when it should be increasing. Moreover, research leadership is changing, with China taking the lead for the first time.

    This points to a dangerous disinvestment in Antarctic research just when it is needed, alongside a changing of the guard in national influence. Antarctica and the research done there are key to everyone’s future, so it’s vital to understand what this change might lead to.

    Why is Antarctic research so important?

    With the Antarctic region rapidly warming, its ice shelves destabilising and sea ice shrinking, understanding the South Polar environment is more crucial than ever.

    Ice loss in Antarctica not only contributes to sea level rise, but impacts wildlife habitats and local food chains. It also changes the dynamics of ocean currents, which could interfere with global food webs, including international fisheries that supply a growing amount of food.

    Research to understand these impacts is vital. First, knowing the impact of our actions – particularly carbon emissions – gives us an increased drive to make changes and lobby governments to do so.

    Second, even when changes are already locked in, to prepare ourselves we need to know what these changes will look like.

    And third, we need to understand the threats to the Antarctic and Southern Ocean environment to govern it properly. This is where the treaty comes in.

    What is the Antarctic Treaty?

    The region below 60 degrees south is governed by the 1959 Antarctic Treaty, along with subsequent agreements. Together they are known as the Antarctic Treaty System.

    Fifty-eight countries are parties to the treaty, but only 29 of them – called consultative parties – can make binding decisions about the region. They comprise the 12 original signatories from 1959, along with 17 more recent signatory nations that produce substantial scientific research relating to Antarctica.

    This makes research a key part of a nation’s influence over what happens in Antarctica.

    For most of its history, the Antarctic Treaty System has functioned remarkably well. It maintained peace in the region during the Cold War, facilitated scientific cooperation, and put arguments about territorial claims on indefinite hold. It indefinitely forbade mining, and managed fisheries.

    Lately, however, there has been growing dysfunction in the treaty system.

    Environmental protections that might seem obvious – such as marine protected areas and special protections for threatened emperor penguins – have stalled.

    Because decisions are made by consensus, any country can effectively block progress. Russia and China – both long-term actors in the system – have been at the centre of the impasse.



    Read more:
    Antarctic summer sea ice is at record lows. Here’s how it will harm the planet – and us

    What did our report find?

    Tracking the amount of Antarctic research being done tells us whether nations as a whole are investing enough in understanding the region and its global impact.

    It also tells us which nations are investing the most and are therefore likely to have substantial influence.

    Our new report examined the number of papers published on Antarctic and Southern Ocean topics from 2016 to 2024, using the Scopus database. We also looked at other factors, such as the countries affiliated with each paper.

    The results show five significant changes are happening in the world of Antarctic research.

    • The number of Antarctic and Southern Ocean publications peaked in 2021 and then fell slightly yearly through to 2024.
    • While the United States has for decades been the leader in Antarctic research, China overtook them in 2022.
    • If we look only at the high-quality publications (those published in the best 25% of journals) China still took over the US, in 2024.
    • Of the top six countries in overall publications (China, the US, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and Russia) all except China have declined in publication numbers since 2016.
    • Although collaboration in publications is higher for Antarctic research than in non-Antarctic fields, Russia, India and China have anomalously low rates of co-authorship compared with many other signatory countries.

    Why is this research decline a problem?

    A recent parliamentary inquiry in Australia emphasised the need for funding certainty. In the UK, a House of Commons committee report considered it “imperative for the UK to significantly expand its research efforts in Antarctica”, in particular in relation to sea level rise.

    US commentators have pointed to the inadequacy of the country’s icebreaker infrastructure. The Trump administration’s recent cuts to Antarctic funding are only likely to exacerbate the situation. Meanwhile China has built a fifth station in Antarctica and announced plans for a sixth.

    Given the nation’s population and global influence, China’s leadership in Antarctic research is not surprising. If China were to take a lead in Antarctic environmental protection that matched its scientific heft, its move to lead position in the research ranks could be positive. Stronger multi-country collaboration in research could also strengthen overall cooperation.

    But the overall drop in global Antarctic research investment is a problem however you look at it. We ignore it at our peril.

    Elizabeth Leane receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Dutch Research Council, the Council on Australian and Latin American Relations DFAT and HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions). She has received in-kind support from Hurtigruten Expeditions in the recent past. The University of Tasmania is a member of the UArctic, which has provided support for this project.

    Keith Larson is affiliated with the UArctic and European Polar Board. The UArctic paid for the development and publication of this report. The UArctic Thematic Network on Research Analytics and Bibliometrics conducted the analysis and developed the report. The Arctic Centre at Umeå University provided in-kind support for staff time on the report.

    – ref. Antarctic research is in decline, and the timing couldn’t be worse – https://theconversation.com/antarctic-research-is-in-decline-and-the-timing-couldnt-be-worse-260197

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Antarctic research is in decline, and the timing couldn’t be worse

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Elizabeth Leane, Professor of Antarctic Studies, School of Humanities, University of Tasmania

    Oleksandr Matsibura/Shutterstock

    Ice loss in Antarctica and its impact on the planet – sea level rise, changes to ocean currents and disturbance of wildlife and food webs – has been in the news a lot lately. All of these threats were likely on the minds of the delegates to the annual Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting, which finishes up today in Milan, Italy.

    This meeting is where decisions are made about the continent’s future. These decisions rely on evidence from scientific research. Moreover, only countries that produce significant Antarctic research – as well as being parties to the treaty – get to have a final say in these decisions.

    Our new report – published as a preprint through the University of the Arctic – shows the rate of research on the Antarctic and Southern Ocean is falling at exactly the time when it should be increasing. Moreover, research leadership is changing, with China taking the lead for the first time.

    This points to a dangerous disinvestment in Antarctic research just when it is needed, alongside a changing of the guard in national influence. Antarctica and the research done there are key to everyone’s future, so it’s vital to understand what this change might lead to.

    Why is Antarctic research so important?

    With the Antarctic region rapidly warming, its ice shelves destabilising and sea ice shrinking, understanding the South Polar environment is more crucial than ever.

    Ice loss in Antarctica not only contributes to sea level rise, but impacts wildlife habitats and local food chains. It also changes the dynamics of ocean currents, which could interfere with global food webs, including international fisheries that supply a growing amount of food.

    Research to understand these impacts is vital. First, knowing the impact of our actions – particularly carbon emissions – gives us an increased drive to make changes and lobby governments to do so.

    Second, even when changes are already locked in, to prepare ourselves we need to know what these changes will look like.

    And third, we need to understand the threats to the Antarctic and Southern Ocean environment to govern it properly. This is where the treaty comes in.

    What is the Antarctic Treaty?

    The region below 60 degrees south is governed by the 1959 Antarctic Treaty, along with subsequent agreements. Together they are known as the Antarctic Treaty System.

    Fifty-eight countries are parties to the treaty, but only 29 of them – called consultative parties – can make binding decisions about the region. They comprise the 12 original signatories from 1959, along with 17 more recent signatory nations that produce substantial scientific research relating to Antarctica.

    This makes research a key part of a nation’s influence over what happens in Antarctica.

    For most of its history, the Antarctic Treaty System has functioned remarkably well. It maintained peace in the region during the Cold War, facilitated scientific cooperation, and put arguments about territorial claims on indefinite hold. It indefinitely forbade mining, and managed fisheries.

    Lately, however, there has been growing dysfunction in the treaty system.

    Environmental protections that might seem obvious – such as marine protected areas and special protections for threatened emperor penguins – have stalled.

    Because decisions are made by consensus, any country can effectively block progress. Russia and China – both long-term actors in the system – have been at the centre of the impasse.



    Read more:
    Antarctic summer sea ice is at record lows. Here’s how it will harm the planet – and us

    What did our report find?

    Tracking the amount of Antarctic research being done tells us whether nations as a whole are investing enough in understanding the region and its global impact.

    It also tells us which nations are investing the most and are therefore likely to have substantial influence.

    Our new report examined the number of papers published on Antarctic and Southern Ocean topics from 2016 to 2024, using the Scopus database. We also looked at other factors, such as the countries affiliated with each paper.

    The results show five significant changes are happening in the world of Antarctic research.

    • The number of Antarctic and Southern Ocean publications peaked in 2021 and then fell slightly yearly through to 2024.
    • While the United States has for decades been the leader in Antarctic research, China overtook them in 2022.
    • If we look only at the high-quality publications (those published in the best 25% of journals) China still took over the US, in 2024.
    • Of the top six countries in overall publications (China, the US, the United Kingdom, Australia, Germany and Russia) all except China have declined in publication numbers since 2016.
    • Although collaboration in publications is higher for Antarctic research than in non-Antarctic fields, Russia, India and China have anomalously low rates of co-authorship compared with many other signatory countries.

    Why is this research decline a problem?

    A recent parliamentary inquiry in Australia emphasised the need for funding certainty. In the UK, a House of Commons committee report considered it “imperative for the UK to significantly expand its research efforts in Antarctica”, in particular in relation to sea level rise.

    US commentators have pointed to the inadequacy of the country’s icebreaker infrastructure. The Trump administration’s recent cuts to Antarctic funding are only likely to exacerbate the situation. Meanwhile China has built a fifth station in Antarctica and announced plans for a sixth.

    Given the nation’s population and global influence, China’s leadership in Antarctic research is not surprising. If China were to take a lead in Antarctic environmental protection that matched its scientific heft, its move to lead position in the research ranks could be positive. Stronger multi-country collaboration in research could also strengthen overall cooperation.

    But the overall drop in global Antarctic research investment is a problem however you look at it. We ignore it at our peril.

    Elizabeth Leane receives funding from the Australian Research Council, the Dutch Research Council, the Council on Australian and Latin American Relations DFAT and HX (Hurtigruten Expeditions). She has received in-kind support from Hurtigruten Expeditions in the recent past. The University of Tasmania is a member of the UArctic, which has provided support for this project.

    Keith Larson is affiliated with the UArctic and European Polar Board. The UArctic paid for the development and publication of this report. The UArctic Thematic Network on Research Analytics and Bibliometrics conducted the analysis and developed the report. The Arctic Centre at Umeå University provided in-kind support for staff time on the report.

    – ref. Antarctic research is in decline, and the timing couldn’t be worse – https://theconversation.com/antarctic-research-is-in-decline-and-the-timing-couldnt-be-worse-260197

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Booker Hosts Veterans Town Hall Alongside Passaic County Board of County Commissioners, Spotlights Trump Administration’s Cuts to Vital Veteran Services

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Jersey Cory Booker
    WAYNE, N.J. – This afternoon, U.S. Senator Cory Booker (D-NJ) hosted a town hall with over 150 veterans in partnership with the Passaic County Board of County Commissioners. Veterans spoke to Booker about the impacts the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans are having on vital services they rely on every day, from housing and health care to workforce development and food assistance.
    Booker presented a check to New Jersey SOS Veteran Stakeholder Group for $500,000 in Fiscal Year 2024 Congressionally Directed Spending for their project providing furnishing for homeless veterans receiving housing assistance. Booker also recognized seven New Jerseyans with Certificates of Special Recognition for their outstanding service improving the lives of New Jersey’s veterans.
    “We owe our veterans a debt of gratitude. They’ve sacrificed so we may enjoy the freedoms we so often take for granted. Despite this, the Trump administration and Congressional Republicans have taken steps to undermine the wellbeing of those who defended our nation, stripping many of the essential services upon which they rely. What I heard this afternoon was frustration, fear, and uncertainty. Our veterans deserve security, but what they’re getting from Washington is instability. I look forward to continuing to stand with veterans, fighting the Trump administration at every turn to ensure our vets have access to the housing, employment, health care, and comprehensive services they deserve,” said Senator Booker. 
    “It was an honor to welcome Senator Booker to Passaic County for this important conversation with our veterans. This town hall created a space for our heroes to share their stories directly with those who can effect real change. In Passaic County, we are deeply committed to supporting our veterans and advocating for the resources they’ve earned through their service and events like this help amplify their voices at every level of government,” said Sandi Lazzara, Deputy Director, Passaic County Board of County Commissioners.
    “We are honored that Senator Booker chose Passaic County for his Veteran Town Hall. It created a space for veterans to express their concerns and have their voices heard. It also gives their concerns that much needed place at the table where their issues can be addressed.  NJSOSVETS would like to thank Senator Booker for securing us funding for our Veteran Furniture Project. It will help turn an empty apartment into a home and help give veterans the dignity they deserve,” said David Pearson, Director, New Jersey SOS Veteran Stakeholder Group
    Booker was honored to present a Certificate of Special Recognition to the following New Jerseyans in recognition of and gratitude for their service to country and dedication to improving the lives of New Jersey’s veterans:
    David Cathcart, U.S. Army Vietnam veteran, former Secaucus Vet Center Director and veteran advocate
    Emerson Crooks, U.S. Marine Corps Vietnam Veteran and veteran advocate
    Lucy Del Gaudio, U.S. Army veteran, Operation Sisterhood Director and veteran advocate 
    Sherwood English, U.S. Army veteran, Passaic County Veterans Service Officer
    Anna Maria Vancheri, Paterson Veterans Council
    Anthony “Tony” Vancheri, U.S. Army Vietnam veteran, and President of the Paterson Veterans Council
    Michael Ventimiglia, U.S. Air Force Vietnam veteran

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Consumers warned about ‘ghost stores’ imitating Australian businesses

    Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

    The ACCC is warning consumers about the operators of four websites allegedly misrepresenting themselves as local businesses, also known as ‘ghost stores’.

    It is alleged these four ghost store operators are harming consumers by making false representations that they are local Australian businesses, imminently closing down, and selling high-quality clothing and footwear products, when they are instead based overseas, not imminently closing down, and are drop-shipping low-quality products.

    The ACCC has issued Public Warning Notices to warn consumers about specific conduct by the operators of the following four websites: everly-melbourne.com, willowandgrace-adelaide.com, sophie-claire.com and doublebayboutique.com.

    “We are warning Australians about the risks of engaging with these four websites specifically, which we allege are not based in Melbourne, Adelaide or Double Bay, nor are they imminently closing down,” ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.

    “We further allege that the operators of these websites are supplying products which are not of the advertised quality.”

    The ACCC’s Public Warning Notices follow an increased number of consumer reports to the ACCC in recent months about online ghost stores. Since the start of 2025, the ACCC estimates it has received at least 360 reports about 60 online retailers, though media reports suggest many more may be in operation.

    The ACCC is concerned that, beyond these four websites, this type of conduct appears to be widespread, and that there are many other online ghost stores in operation that may also be falsely claiming to be local boutiques and supplying poor quality products.

    The ACCC is also aware of complaints about ghost stores refusing to provide refunds, or only offering partial refunds, to consumers who have complained about the inferior quality of the goods compared to the advertised descriptions, or not responding to complaints at all.

    Ghost stores have been known to target consumers through social media ads and also tend to close and rebrand under new names, often using different Australian suburbs, towns or cities in their names to appear ‘local’. 

    “We urge all Australians to think twice before clicking on ads they see on social media which claim to be from a boutique business based in a local town or city,” Ms Lowe said.

    “Often ghost stores will share an emotional story on their social media or website that they are a small, locally operated business, needing to close for financial reasons.”

    “They will claim they are having a ‘closing down sale’ as a result, with all stock heavily discounted and available on a very limited basis,” Ms Lowe said.

    “This conduct preys on the empathy of consumers who have a genuine desire to support local businesses, as well as creating a false sense of urgency.”

    “The websites often use a similar format to many other online stores, advertising high-quality boutique clothing at heavily discounted prices. However, when the product arrives in the mail, consumers report receiving cheap, mass-produced products that have been sold at an inflated price and do not fit their advertised quality or description,” Ms Lowe said.

    Ghost stores sometimes use a name that is similar to that of a genuine local boutique, leading to competitive and reputational harm for those businesses.

    The ACCC understands ghost stores use targeted paid advertisements on social media sites such as Facebook and Instagram and often appear to use the Shopify e-commerce platform to host and operate their webstores.

    “We have written to both Meta Platforms (as the owner of Facebook and Instagram) and Shopify to request they scrutinise and take appropriate action against the operators of ghost stores,” Ms Lowe said.

    “We want to increase public awareness of these dishonest businesses so that Australians know how to spot them and can avoid being deceived into buying an inferior product.”

    Signs that an online business could be a ghost store

    • The store may have an Australian place in its name or domain, but the website domain is ‘.com’ and not ‘.com.au’.
    • The website for the store often features a fake backstory relating to the owners and claims that, for financial or other reasons, the store is closing down. Advertisements on social media platforms, including Facebook or Instagram, will often claim that the closing down sale ‘ends tonight’.
    • Use of AI generated images of the owners or team. This can sometimes be indicated in the URL.
    • The returns policy on the website for the store will often suggest that items will need to be returned to a warehouse or general location overseas which is different from where the items are allegedly shipped from, for example, a store that claims to be based in Melbourne but requires returns to be sent to a warehouse in Asia.
    • The website does not provide a contact phone number or physical address for the store, or indeed any contact details beyond an email address or web form.
    • The website’s Privacy Policy or Terms of Service refers to international laws and regulations instead of Australian laws.
    • The website does not provide an ABN (Australian Business Number) or ACN (Australian Company Number) for the business.
    • Review platforms, like Trustpilot, often have negative reviews for the business, whereas the business’ website only features very positive reviews.
    • The business’ Facebook page was only created recently and has negative reviews or lots of negative emoji reactions to its posts.
    • The images of the products may be taken from other websites where the products are advertised under different descriptions and for much lower prices. 

    Tips to help determine if an online store is genuine or not

    The ACCC is urging consumers to check the business name on the Australian Business Register lookup and to use reverse image or ‘Google Lens’ searches of product photos on the website to see if they have been taken from another site.

    Consumers should also check if the store is listed in a local business directory for the location the store claims to be in, or to look for the business name in a search engine and read reviews from other consumers.

    Don’t just rely on the reviews on the business’ website as these may not be legitimate. Make further inquiries and if in doubt, do not purchase from the retailer.

    What to do if you have purchased something from a ghost store

    Consumers should contact their bank or payment provider immediately to see if you can stop the transaction or reverse the charge.

    Consumers can also leave a negative review on the business’ Facebook page or a review site like Trustpilot.

    Where consumers have accessed the websites via social media ads they can make a complaint directly to the relevant platform. For example, complaints can be made to Facebook, and should include a screenshot of the store ad and/or page, and if the website is hosted by Shopify, the merchant can be reported.  

    The website can be reported to Google to have it delisted, and a report can also be made to the ACCC. Consumers can also report websites to ScamWatch.

    Screenshots of the websites referred to in the Public Warning Notices

    Background

    Consumer and fair-trading concerns in the supermarket and retail sectors, with a focus on misleading pricing practices, are a compliance and enforcement priority for the ACCC in 2025-26.

    In addition to the conduct outlined above, consumer reports to the ACCC suggest that, when approached, ghost stores do not honour their returns policy and either stop responding to emails or offer only a partial refund.

    In some cases, a partial refund is offered but only if the item is shipped back to an overseas warehouse at the consumer’s expense.

    Note to editors

    The ACCC may issue a Public Warning Notice to warn consumers about the conduct of a person or business where it has reasonable grounds to suspect a breach of certain provisions of the Australian Consumer Law, and it is satisfied that one or more persons has suffered, or is likely to suffer, detriment as a result of the conduct, and that it is in the public interest to issue the notice.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Beijing launches cities alliance to boost global digital economy ties

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

    BEIJING, July 2 — A global alliance of over 40 cities was launched in Beijing on Wednesday as part of efforts to enhance multilateral cooperation on the digital economy.

    The Global Digital Economy Cities Alliance was initiated by Beijing — alongside partner cities in Europe, North America, the Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Latin America — during the Global Digital Economy Conference 2025, which opened on the same day.

    The alliance aims to institutionalize multilateral collaboration beyond bilateral projects, focusing on key issues such as digital infrastructure, cross-border data governance, AI ethics and smart city applications.

    The move follows the launch of Beijing’s Global Digital Economy Partner City Cooperation Initiative in 2023, and its joint efforts with partner cities to adopt six action plans to implement the initiative in 2024. The alliance was established this year with support from international bodies including the UN Institute for Training and Research, the International Telecommunication Union and the International Trade Centre.

    Organized by the Beijing municipal government, the Cyberspace Administration of China, the National Data Administration, Xinhua News Agency and the United Nations Development Programme, this year’s conference will run through July 5 and feature an opening ceremony, six main forums and multiple thematic sessions, with over 1,000 participants in attendance.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • We thank Ghana for its cooperation in our fight against terrorism: PM Modi in Accra

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said India and Ghana are in complete agreement that “terrorism is an enemy of humanity” and thanked Ghana for its cooperation in India’s fight against terrorism.

    PM Modi held delegation-level talks with Ghana’s President John Mahama during his first-ever bilateral visit to the West African country.

    “We discussed shared visions on development, economic regions, and inclusive global governance. We are in full agreement that terrorism is an enemy of humanity. We thank Ghana for its cooperation in our fight against terrorism. In this context, we agreed to further strengthen mutual cooperation in counter-terrorism,” the Prime Minister said.

    Stressing the shared values on which India-Ghana ties are based, PM Modi said: “At the core of the India-Ghana friendship lie our shared values, common struggles, and collective dreams for an inclusive future. The freedom struggles of our nations have inspired many other countries. Even today, Ghana stands as a vibrant democracy in West Africa and serves as a strong and living example for other countries.”

    PM Modi also said that it was a matter of great honour for him that President Mahama himself came to the airport to receive him.

    Apart from discussions on development, the economy and inclusive global governance with President Mahama, PM Modi also underlined the need for reforms in the United Nations.

    “We share a common perspective on the need for reforms in the United Nations. Mr President, you are a close friend of India and are very familiar with our country. I extend to you an invitation to visit India. I am confident you will give us the opportunity to host you in India soon,” he added.

    “Our bilateral trade has crossed $3 billion. Indian companies have invested nearly $2 billion in about 900 projects across Ghana. Today, we have set a target to double our mutual trade in the next five years. In the field of fintech, India is ready to share its experience of UPI digital payments with Ghana. Development partnership is a key pillar of our cooperation. We assure President Mahama of India’s full support and cooperation in his efforts towards economic revitalisation,” Modi said.

    The two leaders discussed various aspects of enhancing cooperation between India and Ghana across a wide range of sectors.

    Mahama said both countries are looking to expand economic and diplomatic ties at a crucial time for Ghana’s economy.

    “Both countries are committed to deepening economic and investment relations, particularly at a time when Ghana is undergoing economic restructuring due to the debt treatment process and the ongoing International Monetary Fund programme. Going forward, Ghana and India intend to pursue these engagements through diplomatic mechanisms, including Foreign Office Consultations and the Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation, to bring to fruition the intended outcomes of our partnership for mutual benefit,” Mahama said.

    “This visit is particularly significant, as it marks the first leg of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Africa tour, which will culminate in the BRICS Summit in Brazil. The two sides have engaged in meaningful discussions to deepen cooperation across various sectors of our economies, including agriculture, energy, manufacturing, infrastructure development, human resources, and health, among others,” Mahama added.

    IANS

  • We thank Ghana for its cooperation in our fight against terrorism: PM Modi in Accra

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday said India and Ghana are in complete agreement that “terrorism is an enemy of humanity” and thanked Ghana for its cooperation in India’s fight against terrorism.

    PM Modi held delegation-level talks with Ghana’s President John Mahama during his first-ever bilateral visit to the West African country.

    “We discussed shared visions on development, economic regions, and inclusive global governance. We are in full agreement that terrorism is an enemy of humanity. We thank Ghana for its cooperation in our fight against terrorism. In this context, we agreed to further strengthen mutual cooperation in counter-terrorism,” the Prime Minister said.

    Stressing the shared values on which India-Ghana ties are based, PM Modi said: “At the core of the India-Ghana friendship lie our shared values, common struggles, and collective dreams for an inclusive future. The freedom struggles of our nations have inspired many other countries. Even today, Ghana stands as a vibrant democracy in West Africa and serves as a strong and living example for other countries.”

    PM Modi also said that it was a matter of great honour for him that President Mahama himself came to the airport to receive him.

    Apart from discussions on development, the economy and inclusive global governance with President Mahama, PM Modi also underlined the need for reforms in the United Nations.

    “We share a common perspective on the need for reforms in the United Nations. Mr President, you are a close friend of India and are very familiar with our country. I extend to you an invitation to visit India. I am confident you will give us the opportunity to host you in India soon,” he added.

    “Our bilateral trade has crossed $3 billion. Indian companies have invested nearly $2 billion in about 900 projects across Ghana. Today, we have set a target to double our mutual trade in the next five years. In the field of fintech, India is ready to share its experience of UPI digital payments with Ghana. Development partnership is a key pillar of our cooperation. We assure President Mahama of India’s full support and cooperation in his efforts towards economic revitalisation,” Modi said.

    The two leaders discussed various aspects of enhancing cooperation between India and Ghana across a wide range of sectors.

    Mahama said both countries are looking to expand economic and diplomatic ties at a crucial time for Ghana’s economy.

    “Both countries are committed to deepening economic and investment relations, particularly at a time when Ghana is undergoing economic restructuring due to the debt treatment process and the ongoing International Monetary Fund programme. Going forward, Ghana and India intend to pursue these engagements through diplomatic mechanisms, including Foreign Office Consultations and the Permanent Joint Commission for Cooperation, to bring to fruition the intended outcomes of our partnership for mutual benefit,” Mahama said.

    “This visit is particularly significant, as it marks the first leg of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Africa tour, which will culminate in the BRICS Summit in Brazil. The two sides have engaged in meaningful discussions to deepen cooperation across various sectors of our economies, including agriculture, energy, manufacturing, infrastructure development, human resources, and health, among others,” Mahama added.

    IANS

  • MIL-Evening Report: Trump is not like other presidents – but can he beat the ‘second term curse’ that haunts the White House?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Garritt C. Van Dyk, Senior Lecturer in History, University of Waikato

    Getty Images

    While he likes to provoke opponents with the possibility of serving a third term, Donald Trump faces a more immediate historical burden that has plagued so many presidents: the “second term curse”.

    Twenty-one US presidents have served second terms, but none has reached the same level of success they achieved in their first.

    Second term performances have ranged from the lacklustre and uninspiring to the disastrous and deadly. Voter dissatisfaction and frustration, presidential fatigue and a lack of sustainable vision for the future are all explanations.

    But Trump doesn’t quite fit the mould. Only one other president, Grover Cleveland in the late 19th century, has served a second nonconsecutive term, making Trump 2.0 difficult to measure against other second-term leaders.

    Trump will certainly be hoping history doesn’t repeat Cleveland’s second-term curse. Shortly after taking office he imposed 50% tariffs, triggering global market volatility that culminated in the “Panic of 1893”.

    At the time, this was the worst depression in US history: 19% unemployment, a run on gold from the US Treasury, a stock market crash and widespread poverty.

    More than a century on, Trump’s “move fast and break things” approach in a nonconsecutive second term might appeal to voters demanding action above all else. But he risks being drawn into areas he campaigned against.

    So far, he has gone from fighting a trade war and a culture war to contemplating a shooting war in the Middle East. His “big beautiful bill” will add trillions to the national debt and potentially force poorer voters – including many Republicans – off Medicaid.

    Whether his radical approach will defy or conform to the second term curse seems very much an open question.

    No kings

    The two-term limit was enacted by the 22nd Amendment to the Constitution in 1951. Without a maximum term, it was feared, an authoritarian could try to take control for life – like a king (hence the recent “No Kings” protests in the US).

    George Washington, James Madison and Thomas Jefferson all declined to serve a third term. Jefferson was suspicious of any president who would try to be re-elected a third time, writing:

    should a President consent to be a candidate for a 3d. election, I trust he would be rejected on this demonstration of ambitious views.

    There is a myth that after Franklin Delano Roosevelt broke the de facto limit of two terms set by the early presidents, the ghost of George Washington placed a curse on anyone serving more than four years.

    At best, second-term presidencies have been tepid compared to the achievements in the previous four years. After the second world war, some two-term presidents (Eisenhower, Reagan and Obama) started out strong but faltered after reelection.

    Eisenhower extricated the US from the Korean War in his first term, but faced domestic backlash and race riots in his second. He had to send 500 paratroopers to escort nine Black high school students in Little Rock, Arkansas, to enforce a federal desegregation order.

    Reagan made significant tax and spending cuts, and saw the Soviet Union crumble in term one. But the Iran-Contra scandal and watered down tax reform defined term two.

    Obama started strongly, introducing health care reform and uniting the Democratic voter base. After reelection, however, the Democrats lost the House, the Senate, a Supreme Court nomination, and faced scandals over the Snowden security leaks and Internal Revenue Service targeting of conservative groups.

    Truly disastrous examples of second term presidencies include Abraham Lincoln (assassination), Woodrow Wilson (first world war, failure of the League of Nations, a stroke), Richard Nixon (Watergate, impeachment and resignation), and Bill Clinton (Lewinsky scandal and impeachment).

    Room for one more? Trump has joked about being added to Mount Rushmore.
    Shutterstock

    Monumental honours

    It may be too early to predict how Trump will feature in this pantheon of less-than-greatness. But his approval ratings recently hit an all-time low as Americans reacted to the bombing of Iran and deployment of troops in Los Angeles.

    A recent YouGov poll showed voters giving negative approval ratings for his handling of inflation, jobs, immigration, national security and foreign policy. While there has been plenty of action, it may be the levels of uncertainty, drastic change and market volatility are more extreme than some bargained for.

    An uncooperative Congress or opposition from the judiciary can be obstacles to successful second terms. But Trump has used executive orders, on the grounds of confronting “national emergencies”, to bypass normal checks and balances.

    As well, favourable rulings by the Supreme Court have edged closer to expanding the boundaries of executive power. But they have not yet supported Trump’s claim from his first term that “I have an Article 2, where I have the right to do whatever I want as President”.

    Some supporters say Trump deserves a Nobel Peace Prize. And he was only half joking when he asked if there is room for one more face on Mount Rushmore. But such monumental honours may only amount to speculation unless Trump’s radical approach and redefinition of executive power defy the second-term curse.

    Garritt C. Van Dyk has received funding from the Getty Research Institute.

    – ref. Trump is not like other presidents – but can he beat the ‘second term curse’ that haunts the White House? – https://theconversation.com/trump-is-not-like-other-presidents-but-can-he-beat-the-second-term-curse-that-haunts-the-white-house-260002

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • PM Modi receives Ghana’s highest state honour, ‘The Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana’

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday was conferred with Ghana’s national honour,  ‘The Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana’, by President John Dramani Mahama, in recognition of his distinguished statesmanship and influential global leadership, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

    Accepting the award, the Prime Minister said, “It is a matter of immense pride and honour for me to be conferred with Ghana’s highest honour… I express my deep gratitude to President Mahama, the Government of Ghana and the people of Ghana. I humbly accept this honour on behalf of 1.4 billion Indians.”

    “I dedicate this award to the aspirations of our youth, their bright future, our rich cultural diversity and traditions and the historic ties between India and Ghana,” the PM added.

    Noting that the shared democratic values and traditions of the two countries would continue to strengthen their partnership, the Prime Minister said the award further deepens the friendship between India and Ghana and places a new responsibility on him to advance bilateral ties. He expressed confidence that his historic state visit would give fresh momentum to the partnership, the MEA statement added.

    Earlier, Prime Minister Modi announced that India would establish a Skill Development Centre to train youth and support Ghana’s ‘Feed Ghana’ programme, as part of a broader plan to strengthen ties between the two countries.

    During a joint press briefing with President Mahama, PM Modi said India would expand cooperation with Ghana in key sectors including agriculture, education, defence, healthcare and digital payments.

    “Today, we have decided to double the ITEC and ICCR scholarships for Ghana. Work will be done to establish a Skill Development Centre for the vocational education of youth,” PM Modi said.

    “In the agricultural sector, we would be happy to cooperate with President Mahama’s ‘Feed Ghana’ programme. Through Jan Aushadhi Kendra, India proposes to provide affordable and reliable healthcare to the citizens of Ghana. We also discussed cooperation in vaccine production,” he added.

    The Prime Minister said India plans to double trade with Ghana within the next five years and share its digital payments system, Bharat UPI, to boost financial connectivity.

    President Mahama welcomed Prime Minister Modi and said the visit reflected the longstanding friendship between the two countries.

    “This visit is a testament to the deep-rooted historical ties between Ghana and India, founded on the visionary leadership of Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, and India’s former Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, as well as the ever-growing bonds of friendship and cooperation that exist between our two sisterly countries for the mutual benefit of our people,” Mahama said.

    This is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ghana in over 30 years. The trip is expected to deepen the India-Ghana partnership and signal New Delhi’s continued engagement with Africa and the Global South.

    (ANI)

     

  • PM Modi receives Ghana’s highest state honour, ‘The Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana’

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday was conferred with Ghana’s national honour,  ‘The Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana’, by President John Dramani Mahama, in recognition of his distinguished statesmanship and influential global leadership, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement.

    Accepting the award, the Prime Minister said, “It is a matter of immense pride and honour for me to be conferred with Ghana’s highest honour… I express my deep gratitude to President Mahama, the Government of Ghana and the people of Ghana. I humbly accept this honour on behalf of 1.4 billion Indians.”

    “I dedicate this award to the aspirations of our youth, their bright future, our rich cultural diversity and traditions and the historic ties between India and Ghana,” the PM added.

    Noting that the shared democratic values and traditions of the two countries would continue to strengthen their partnership, the Prime Minister said the award further deepens the friendship between India and Ghana and places a new responsibility on him to advance bilateral ties. He expressed confidence that his historic state visit would give fresh momentum to the partnership, the MEA statement added.

    Earlier, Prime Minister Modi announced that India would establish a Skill Development Centre to train youth and support Ghana’s ‘Feed Ghana’ programme, as part of a broader plan to strengthen ties between the two countries.

    During a joint press briefing with President Mahama, PM Modi said India would expand cooperation with Ghana in key sectors including agriculture, education, defence, healthcare and digital payments.

    “Today, we have decided to double the ITEC and ICCR scholarships for Ghana. Work will be done to establish a Skill Development Centre for the vocational education of youth,” PM Modi said.

    “In the agricultural sector, we would be happy to cooperate with President Mahama’s ‘Feed Ghana’ programme. Through Jan Aushadhi Kendra, India proposes to provide affordable and reliable healthcare to the citizens of Ghana. We also discussed cooperation in vaccine production,” he added.

    The Prime Minister said India plans to double trade with Ghana within the next five years and share its digital payments system, Bharat UPI, to boost financial connectivity.

    President Mahama welcomed Prime Minister Modi and said the visit reflected the longstanding friendship between the two countries.

    “This visit is a testament to the deep-rooted historical ties between Ghana and India, founded on the visionary leadership of Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, and India’s former Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, as well as the ever-growing bonds of friendship and cooperation that exist between our two sisterly countries for the mutual benefit of our people,” Mahama said.

    This is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ghana in over 30 years. The trip is expected to deepen the India-Ghana partnership and signal New Delhi’s continued engagement with Africa and the Global South.

    (ANI)

     

  • Pakistan doesn’t impinge on India-US ties: EAM Jaishankar

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday dismissed suggestions that Pakistan has any bearing on India’s ties with the United States, asserting that the relationship stands on its own merit and is not defined by third countries.

    Addressing a press conference in Washington, Jaishankar said, “I would really urge you to get over the idea that we need to define ourselves regarding third countries in order to forge ahead in ties with Washington,” Jaishankar told reporters.

    “Big relationships are not forged in terms of third countries and where they fit,” he emphasised, responding to a question on whether Pakistan’s role has changed India-US ties.

    “The central factor in the relationship between India and the US is India and the US. It is our complementarity. In many ways, it is the benefits that we get from closer relationship that is actually driving it,” he said.

    Jaishankar underlined that India’s growing global stature demands greater self-assurance when engaging major partners. “We are a big country. We are among the top five economies of the world. We are the most populous country in the world. Our influence is growing,” he said. “We must have that confidence.”

    The foreign minister said that ties with the US have progressed on substantive issues that bring mutual benefit. “It’s about trade. It is about investment. It is about technology. It is about mobility. It is about energy,” he said.

    On former US President Donald Trump’s claim that he brokered the ceasefire between India and Pakistan after Operation Sindoor, Jaishankar said: “The record of what happened was very clear.”

    “The ceasefire was something that was negotiated between the DGMOs” — Directors General of Military Operations Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai of India and Major General Kashif Abdullah of Pakistan — “I’d leave it at that,” he said.

    Jaishankar is in Washington for the Quad Ministerial meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Foreign Ministers of Australia and Japan. The Quad Ministers condemned the Pahalgam massacre carried out by The Resistance Front, linked to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba.

    On the sidelines, Jaishankar held separate meetings with Secretary Rubio, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

    “We essentially did a stock-taking of the last six months. And, you know, what do we do to go, a look ahead,” Jaishankar said on his talks with Rubio. “This included a discussion on trade and investment, on technology, on defence and security, on energy and on mobility.”

    Defence and energy ties warranted dedicated meetings with Hegseth and Wright, the Minister added.

    IANS

  • Pakistan doesn’t impinge on India-US ties: EAM Jaishankar

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday dismissed suggestions that Pakistan has any bearing on India’s ties with the United States, asserting that the relationship stands on its own merit and is not defined by third countries.

    Addressing a press conference in Washington, Jaishankar said, “I would really urge you to get over the idea that we need to define ourselves regarding third countries in order to forge ahead in ties with Washington,” Jaishankar told reporters.

    “Big relationships are not forged in terms of third countries and where they fit,” he emphasised, responding to a question on whether Pakistan’s role has changed India-US ties.

    “The central factor in the relationship between India and the US is India and the US. It is our complementarity. In many ways, it is the benefits that we get from closer relationship that is actually driving it,” he said.

    Jaishankar underlined that India’s growing global stature demands greater self-assurance when engaging major partners. “We are a big country. We are among the top five economies of the world. We are the most populous country in the world. Our influence is growing,” he said. “We must have that confidence.”

    The foreign minister said that ties with the US have progressed on substantive issues that bring mutual benefit. “It’s about trade. It is about investment. It is about technology. It is about mobility. It is about energy,” he said.

    On former US President Donald Trump’s claim that he brokered the ceasefire between India and Pakistan after Operation Sindoor, Jaishankar said: “The record of what happened was very clear.”

    “The ceasefire was something that was negotiated between the DGMOs” — Directors General of Military Operations Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai of India and Major General Kashif Abdullah of Pakistan — “I’d leave it at that,” he said.

    Jaishankar is in Washington for the Quad Ministerial meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Foreign Ministers of Australia and Japan. The Quad Ministers condemned the Pahalgam massacre carried out by The Resistance Front, linked to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba.

    On the sidelines, Jaishankar held separate meetings with Secretary Rubio, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

    “We essentially did a stock-taking of the last six months. And, you know, what do we do to go, a look ahead,” Jaishankar said on his talks with Rubio. “This included a discussion on trade and investment, on technology, on defence and security, on energy and on mobility.”

    Defence and energy ties warranted dedicated meetings with Hegseth and Wright, the Minister added.

    IANS

  • Normality returns to Wimbledon as Alcaraz and Sabalenka ease through

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka and the end of London’s tropical heatwave ensured that a sense of normality returned to the lawns of Wimbledon on Wednesday after two sweat-soaked days of shocks, although Jasmine Paolini’s exit meant the surprises did not end.

    A stream of big names including Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev crashed and burned in the oven-like temperatures of the first round.

    So when Alcaraz walked on Centre Court to continue his bid for a third successive Wimbledon title against British qualifier Oliver Tarvet, the thought surely lurked somewhere in his mind that he could be the fall-guy in the event’s greatest upset.

    The 22-year-old second seed was not at his best but after saving three break points in a nervy first service game against a college student ranked 733rd in the world, he asserted his authority to win 6-1 6-4 6-4.

    Earlier on Centre Court, women’s top seed Sabalenka battled to a 7-6(4) 6-4 win against Czech Marie Bouzkova.

    “Honestly, it is sad to see so many upsets in the tournament, in both draws, women’s and men’s,” said Sabalenka, who is bidding for her first Wimbledon title.

    “I’m just trying to focus on myself… I hope there are no more upsets in this tournament.”

    That was not to be, as last year’s runner-up Paolini joined the mass exodus of fancied players when she crashed out 4-6 6-4 6-4 against Russian Kamilla Rakhimova.

    However, Australian Open champion Madison Keys, the sixth seed, made it safely into round three by beating Olga Danilovic 6-4 6-2 while unseeded four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka eased past Czech doubles specialist Katerina Siniakova 6-3 6-2.

    Lower temperatures did not necessarily mean more comfortable outings as world number 12 Frances Tiafoe became the 14th of the 32 men’s seeds to fall, losing 4-6 6-4 6-3 7-5 against Cameron Norrie, one of seven Britons in singles action on day three.

    The American was joined later on by Czech 23rd seed Jiri Lehecka, last month’s Queen’s Club Championships runner-up, who fell 7-6(4) 6-1 7-5 to Italian Mattia Bellucci.

    HOME CHARGE

    Ashlyn Krueger, the American 31st seed, was then beaten 7-6(4) 6-4 by Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, ensuring 15 of the 32 women’s seeds also went out of the tournament.

    Sonay Kartal led the home charge by defeating Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova 6-2 6-2 to book her place in the last 32 for the second year in succession while the nation’s big hope Emma Raducanu got past 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova 6-3 6-3.

    There was disappointment for Britain’s Katie Boulter, who served 14 double faults as she crashed 6-7(9) 6-2 6-1 to 101st-ranked Solana Sierra, the Argentine who lost in qualifying but has seized her lucky loser spot with both hands.

    Alcaraz, bidding to do the French Open-Wimbledon double for the second successive year, needed five sets to get past Italian veteran Fabio Fognini in the opening round and set up an intriguing clash with 21-year-old Tarvet.

    Tarvet, who plays on the U.S. collegiate circuit for the University of San Diego, said he believed he could beat anyone, even Alcaraz, after winning his Grand Slam debut match against fellow qualifier Leandro Riedi of Switzerland on Monday.

    He was clearly not overawed at sharing a court with a five-times major champion and had he taken any of the eight break points he earned in the first set it could have been closer.

    Alcaraz proved a step too far though as he moved through the gears when required to keep an eager Tarvet under control.

    Just as the Spaniard did in his first round when going to the aid of a female spectator suffering in the heat, Alcaraz again endeared himself to the Centre Court crowd.

    “First of all I have to give a big congratulations to Oliver, it’s his second match on the tour. I just loved his game to be honest, the level he played,” Alcaraz said.

    Play on courts without roofs was delayed for two hours by light morning rain but once the clouds rolled away the place to be for fans without showcourt tickets was Court 12 for Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca’s match against American Jenson Brooksby.

    The 18-year-old is widely tipped as a future challenger to the domination of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner and he showed why during a 6-2 5-7 6-2 6-4 win that was celebrated by a large contingent of exuberant Brazilians.

    Andrey Rublev, who suffered a bruising loss to Fonseca in the Australian Open first round earlier this year, battled past Lloyd Harris 6-7 6-4 7-6 6-3 before Taylor Fritz closed out the day with a 3-6 6-3 7-6(0) 4-6 6-3 win over Gabriel Diallo.

    -Reuters

  • Normality returns to Wimbledon as Alcaraz and Sabalenka ease through

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Carlos Alcaraz, Aryna Sabalenka and the end of London’s tropical heatwave ensured that a sense of normality returned to the lawns of Wimbledon on Wednesday after two sweat-soaked days of shocks, although Jasmine Paolini’s exit meant the surprises did not end.

    A stream of big names including Coco Gauff, Jessica Pegula, Alexander Zverev and Daniil Medvedev crashed and burned in the oven-like temperatures of the first round.

    So when Alcaraz walked on Centre Court to continue his bid for a third successive Wimbledon title against British qualifier Oliver Tarvet, the thought surely lurked somewhere in his mind that he could be the fall-guy in the event’s greatest upset.

    The 22-year-old second seed was not at his best but after saving three break points in a nervy first service game against a college student ranked 733rd in the world, he asserted his authority to win 6-1 6-4 6-4.

    Earlier on Centre Court, women’s top seed Sabalenka battled to a 7-6(4) 6-4 win against Czech Marie Bouzkova.

    “Honestly, it is sad to see so many upsets in the tournament, in both draws, women’s and men’s,” said Sabalenka, who is bidding for her first Wimbledon title.

    “I’m just trying to focus on myself… I hope there are no more upsets in this tournament.”

    That was not to be, as last year’s runner-up Paolini joined the mass exodus of fancied players when she crashed out 4-6 6-4 6-4 against Russian Kamilla Rakhimova.

    However, Australian Open champion Madison Keys, the sixth seed, made it safely into round three by beating Olga Danilovic 6-4 6-2 while unseeded four-time Grand Slam champion Naomi Osaka eased past Czech doubles specialist Katerina Siniakova 6-3 6-2.

    Lower temperatures did not necessarily mean more comfortable outings as world number 12 Frances Tiafoe became the 14th of the 32 men’s seeds to fall, losing 4-6 6-4 6-3 7-5 against Cameron Norrie, one of seven Britons in singles action on day three.

    The American was joined later on by Czech 23rd seed Jiri Lehecka, last month’s Queen’s Club Championships runner-up, who fell 7-6(4) 6-1 7-5 to Italian Mattia Bellucci.

    HOME CHARGE

    Ashlyn Krueger, the American 31st seed, was then beaten 7-6(4) 6-4 by Russian Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova, ensuring 15 of the 32 women’s seeds also went out of the tournament.

    Sonay Kartal led the home charge by defeating Bulgaria’s Viktoriya Tomova 6-2 6-2 to book her place in the last 32 for the second year in succession while the nation’s big hope Emma Raducanu got past 2023 champion Marketa Vondrousova 6-3 6-3.

    There was disappointment for Britain’s Katie Boulter, who served 14 double faults as she crashed 6-7(9) 6-2 6-1 to 101st-ranked Solana Sierra, the Argentine who lost in qualifying but has seized her lucky loser spot with both hands.

    Alcaraz, bidding to do the French Open-Wimbledon double for the second successive year, needed five sets to get past Italian veteran Fabio Fognini in the opening round and set up an intriguing clash with 21-year-old Tarvet.

    Tarvet, who plays on the U.S. collegiate circuit for the University of San Diego, said he believed he could beat anyone, even Alcaraz, after winning his Grand Slam debut match against fellow qualifier Leandro Riedi of Switzerland on Monday.

    He was clearly not overawed at sharing a court with a five-times major champion and had he taken any of the eight break points he earned in the first set it could have been closer.

    Alcaraz proved a step too far though as he moved through the gears when required to keep an eager Tarvet under control.

    Just as the Spaniard did in his first round when going to the aid of a female spectator suffering in the heat, Alcaraz again endeared himself to the Centre Court crowd.

    “First of all I have to give a big congratulations to Oliver, it’s his second match on the tour. I just loved his game to be honest, the level he played,” Alcaraz said.

    Play on courts without roofs was delayed for two hours by light morning rain but once the clouds rolled away the place to be for fans without showcourt tickets was Court 12 for Brazilian teenager Joao Fonseca’s match against American Jenson Brooksby.

    The 18-year-old is widely tipped as a future challenger to the domination of Alcaraz and Jannik Sinner and he showed why during a 6-2 5-7 6-2 6-4 win that was celebrated by a large contingent of exuberant Brazilians.

    Andrey Rublev, who suffered a bruising loss to Fonseca in the Australian Open first round earlier this year, battled past Lloyd Harris 6-7 6-4 7-6 6-3 before Taylor Fritz closed out the day with a 3-6 6-3 7-6(0) 4-6 6-3 win over Gabriel Diallo.

    -Reuters

  • MIL-OSI: New Open Market Pattern: Strategic Opportunities in the XRP and DRML Mining Machine Alliance

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    London, UK, July 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The crypto industry evolves rapidly. Among emerging collaborations, the alliance between XRP and DRML mining machines is gaining attention. Both technologies aim to simplify and amplify blockchain infrastructure. When combined, they introduce a new era of innovation, speed, and efficiency in mining operations.

    XRP’s fast, secure, and low-cost transactions offer the perfect foundation for scalable mining platforms. DRML Miner, known for high-performance and energy-saving mining machines, complements this with hardware that performs without massive energy consumption.

    Why the XRP-DRML Partnership Matters to the Open Market

    The open market is fueled by progress. XRP’s advanced blockchain network ensures instant payments and ultra-low fees. DRML’s contribution lies in optimizing mining hardware, using smart power consumption and efficient chips.

    Together, this duo could transform how miners earn. Transaction speeds improve, and hardware becomes more affordable. That’s not just evolution — it’s disruption. It promises better profit margins and more stable long-term investments for crypto participants.

    Enhanced Mining Efficiency and Lower Operational Costs

    DRML machines are already known for superior hash rates with minimal energy waste. Partnering with XRP creates new mining ecosystems that require less operational capital. Instant rewards paid in XRP reduce friction in payout processing.

    Miners no longer need to rely on third-party processors or suffer delays. Every transaction becomes fast, transparent, and verified. That leads to greater savings and smoother cash flows. Miners can scale with lower barriers to entry.

    Tapping Into Emerging Global Markets

    This strategic cooperation opens the door to underserved regions. Countries in Latin America, Africa, and Southeast Asia are seeking efficient and affordable blockchain solutions. The XRP-DRML duo fits that demand.

    By providing discounted DRML hardware preloaded with XRP benefits, local operators gain tools to mine profitably. That could lead to a rise in mining adoption globally. Moreover, these regions might become future hubs for decentralized finance infrastructure.

    Creating New Revenue Channels and Loyalty Programs

    XRP offers more than fast transfers. It also functions as a bridge currency. DRML can tap into that to streamline international payments with ease. Vendors and miners can use XRP for cross-border hardware purchases, minimizing currency exchange fees.

    DRML could also roll out exclusive incentives — like lower service charges or faster delivery for XRP-based purchases. These perks promote repeated usage and brand loyalty. Both XRP and DRML benefit from this closed-loop ecosystem of recurring transactions.

    Building Trust and Enhancing Transparency

    Every great partnership thrives on trust. XRP’s public ledger brings traceability to every transaction. When DRML Miner hardware is sold, the payment trail remains crystal clear.

    For miners, this means faster verification and fewer disputes. With fewer delays in processing, confidence increases. Transparency adds value to business-to-business deals, elevating DRML’s brand and XRP’s utility in real-world transactions.

    Addressing Challenges Before They Emerge

    Of course, challenges exist. Global regulatory pressures could influence blockchain partnerships. Hardware manufacturing still faces risks from chip shortages or rising energy prices.

    However, both XRP and DRML have teams that anticipate market fluctuations. Their agility and innovative drive position them to navigate complex environments. Combined, they offer resilience backed by solid tech and strategic planning.

    The Future Vision: A Smarter Crypto Economy

    This alliance could do more than improve mining. It might redefine the economic model behind crypto production and distribution. With XRP providing instant liquidity and DRML offering scalable mining gear, the two set a precedent for future projects.

    New startups and existing miners alike can benefit from these innovations. Whether you’re a solo miner or run a large-scale operation, this partnership offers efficiency, reduced costs, and greater global access.

    Conclusion: XRP and DRML as a Crypto Power Duo

    XRP and DRML are not just collaborating — they’re setting a new standard. Together, they can cut costs, speed up transactions, and reach global markets that need innovation most. The open market thrives on change, and this synergy could very well lead the charge into a more inclusive and efficient crypto mining economy.

    The future of crypto isn’t just digital — it’s smarter, faster, and more interconnected. And XRP with https://drmlminers.com/ might just be the partnership that lights the way.

    Disclaimer: The information provided in this press release does not constitute an investment solicitation, nor does it constitute investment advice, financial advice, or trading recommendations. Cryptocurrency mining and staking involve risks and the possibility of losing funds. It is strongly recommended that you perform due diligence before investing or trading in cryptocurrencies and securities, including consulting a professional financial advisor.

    The MIL Network –

  • Pakistan doesn’t impinge on India-US ties: Jaishankar

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday dismissed suggestions that Pakistan has any bearing on India’s ties with the United States, asserting that the relationship stands on its own merit and is not defined by third countries.

    Addressing a press conference in Washington, Jaishankar said, “I would really urge you to get over the idea that we need to define ourselves regarding third countries in order to forge ahead in ties with Washington,” Jaishankar told reporters.

    “Big relationships are not forged in terms of third countries and where they fit,” he emphasised, responding to a question on whether Pakistan’s role has changed India-US ties.

    “The central factor in the relationship between India and the US is India and the US. It is our complementarity. In many ways, it is the benefits that we get from closer relationship that is actually driving it,” he said.

    Jaishankar underlined that India’s growing global stature demands greater self-assurance when engaging major partners. “We are a big country. We are among the top five economies of the world. We are the most populous country in the world. Our influence is growing,” he said. “We must have that confidence.”

    The foreign minister said that ties with the US have progressed on substantive issues that bring mutual benefit. “It’s about trade. It is about investment. It is about technology. It is about mobility. It is about energy,” he said.

    On former US President Donald Trump’s claim that he brokered the ceasefire between India and Pakistan after Operation Sindoor, Jaishankar said: “The record of what happened was very clear.”

    “The ceasefire was something that was negotiated between the DGMOs” — Directors General of Military Operations Lieutenant General Rajiv Ghai of India and Major General Kashif Abdullah of Pakistan — “I’d leave it at that,” he said.

    Jaishankar is in Washington for the Quad Ministerial meeting with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and the Foreign Ministers of Australia and Japan. The Quad Ministers condemned the Pahalgam massacre carried out by The Resistance Front, linked to the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Toiba.

    On the sidelines, Jaishankar held separate meetings with Secretary Rubio, US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and Energy Secretary Chris Wright.

    “We essentially did a stock-taking of the last six months. And, you know, what do we do to go, a look ahead,” Jaishankar said on his talks with Rubio. “This included a discussion on trade and investment, on technology, on defence and security, on energy and on mobility.”

    Defence and energy ties warranted dedicated meetings with Hegseth and Wright, the Minister added.

    IANS

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Shelbyville, Kentucky Men Found Guilty of Federal Drug Trafficking and Firearms Offenses

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    Louisville, KY – On June 27, 2025, following a five-day trial, a federal jury convicted two Shelbyville, Kentucky men of possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine, possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possessing firearms as convicted felons.

    U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, U.S. Marshal Gary B. Burman of the of the U.S. Marshal Service for the Western District of Kentucky, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on December 15, 2022, Benjamin Quintero Martinez, 31, and Rodolfo Reyes Martinez, 27, aided and abetted by each other and others, possessed with intent to distribute over 1 kilogram of fentanyl, including possessing a pill press used to manufacture illicit pills containing fentanyl, over 200 grams of methamphetamine, and over 200 grams of cocaine. The defendants also possessed 7 firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Both defendants were prohibited from possessing firearms because they had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.

    On July 7, 2014, in Shelby Circuit Court, Quintero Martinez was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance, cocaine, less than 4 grams, 1st degree, 1st offense, and tampering with physical evidence.

    On January 4, 2016, in Henry Circuit Court, Quintero Martinez was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance, 1st degree, 1st offense (two counts).

    On May 22, 2017, in Shelby Circuit Court, Quintero Martinez was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance, 1st degree, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of handgun by a convicted felon, tampering with physical evidence, and trafficking in a controlled substance while in possession of a firearm.

    On June 29, 2017, in Shelby Circuit Court, Quintero Martinez, was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance, methamphetamine, less than 2 grams, 1st degree, 1st offense.

    On February 28, 2019, in Marshall Circuit Court, Reyes Martinez was convicted of complicity to escape, 2nd degree.

    On July 19, 2022, in Shelby Circuit Court, Reyes Martinez, was convicted of convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

    Both are scheduled for sentencing on September 25, 2025, before a United States District Judge for the Western District of Kentucky. Quintero Martinez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years, Reyes Martinez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, and both face a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    The ATF, USMS, and LMPD investigated the case.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Frank Dahl and Josh Porter are prosecuting the case with assistance from paralegal Adela Alic.

    This conviction is a part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Shelbyville, Kentucky Men Found Guilty of Federal Drug Trafficking and Firearms Offenses

    Source: United States Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives (ATF)

    Louisville, KY – On June 27, 2025, following a five-day trial, a federal jury convicted two Shelbyville, Kentucky men of possessing with the intent to distribute fentanyl, methamphetamine and cocaine, possessing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possessing firearms as convicted felons.

    U.S. Attorney Kyle G. Bumgarner of the Western District of Kentucky, Special Agent in Charge John Nokes of the ATF Louisville Field Division, U.S. Marshal Gary B. Burman of the of the U.S. Marshal Service for the Western District of Kentucky, and Chief Paul Humphrey of the Louisville Metro Police Department made the announcement.

    According to court documents and evidence presented at trial, on December 15, 2022, Benjamin Quintero Martinez, 31, and Rodolfo Reyes Martinez, 27, aided and abetted by each other and others, possessed with intent to distribute over 1 kilogram of fentanyl, including possessing a pill press used to manufacture illicit pills containing fentanyl, over 200 grams of methamphetamine, and over 200 grams of cocaine. The defendants also possessed 7 firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking. Both defendants were prohibited from possessing firearms because they had previously been convicted of the following felony offenses.

    On July 7, 2014, in Shelby Circuit Court, Quintero Martinez was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance, cocaine, less than 4 grams, 1st degree, 1st offense, and tampering with physical evidence.

    On January 4, 2016, in Henry Circuit Court, Quintero Martinez was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance, 1st degree, 1st offense (two counts).

    On May 22, 2017, in Shelby Circuit Court, Quintero Martinez was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance, 1st degree, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of handgun by a convicted felon, tampering with physical evidence, and trafficking in a controlled substance while in possession of a firearm.

    On June 29, 2017, in Shelby Circuit Court, Quintero Martinez, was convicted of trafficking in a controlled substance, methamphetamine, less than 2 grams, 1st degree, 1st offense.

    On February 28, 2019, in Marshall Circuit Court, Reyes Martinez was convicted of complicity to escape, 2nd degree.

    On July 19, 2022, in Shelby Circuit Court, Reyes Martinez, was convicted of convicted felon in possession of a firearm.

    Both are scheduled for sentencing on September 25, 2025, before a United States District Judge for the Western District of Kentucky. Quintero Martinez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years, Reyes Martinez faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 15 years, and both face a maximum sentence of life in prison. A federal district court judge will determine any sentence after considering the sentencing guidelines and other statutory factors.

    There is no parole in the federal system.

    The ATF, USMS, and LMPD investigated the case.

    Assistant United States Attorneys Frank Dahl and Josh Porter are prosecuting the case with assistance from paralegal Adela Alic.

    This conviction is a part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

    ###

    MIL Security OSI –

  • PM Modi receives Ghana’s highest state honour, “Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana”

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday was conferred with Ghana’s national honour, the Officer of the Order of the Star of Ghana, by President John Dramani Mahama, in recognition of his distinguished statesmanship and influential global leadership, the Ministry of External Affairs said in an official statement.

    Accepting the award on behalf of 1.4 billion Indians, the Prime Minister dedicated the honour to the aspirations of India’s youth, its cultural traditions and diversity, and the historical ties between Ghana and India.

    PM Modi thanked the people and government of Ghana for this special gesture.

    Noting that the shared democratic values and traditions of the two countries would continue to strengthen their partnership, the Prime Minister said the award further deepens the friendship between India and Ghana and places a new responsibility on him to advance bilateral ties. He expressed confidence that his historic State Visit would give fresh momentum to the partnership, the MEA statement added.

    Earlier, Prime Minister Modi announced that India would establish a Skill Development Centre to train youth and support Ghana’s ‘Feed Ghana’ programme, as part of a broader plan to strengthen ties between the two countries.

    During a joint press briefing with President Mahama, Modi said India would expand cooperation with Ghana in key sectors including agriculture, education, defence, healthcare and digital payments.

    “Today, we have decided to double the ITEC and ICCR scholarships for Ghana. Work will be done to establish a Skill Development Centre for the vocational education of youth,” Modi said.

    “In the agricultural sector, we would be happy to cooperate with President Mahama’s ‘Feed Ghana’ programme. Through Jan Aushadhi Kendra, India proposes to provide affordable and reliable healthcare to the citizens of Ghana. We also discussed cooperation in vaccine production,” he added.

    The Prime Minister said India plans to double trade with Ghana within the next five years and share its digital payments system, Bharat UPI, to boost financial connectivity.

    President Mahama welcomed Prime Minister Modi and said the visit reflected the longstanding friendship between the two countries.

    “This visit is a testament to the deep-rooted historical ties between Ghana and India, founded on the visionary leadership of Ghana’s first President, Dr. Kwame Nkrumah, and India’s former Prime Minister, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru, as well as the ever-growing bonds of friendship and cooperation that exist between our two sisterly countries for the mutual benefit of our people,” Mahama said.

    This is the first visit by an Indian Prime Minister to Ghana in over 30 years. The trip is expected to deepen the India-Ghana partnership and signal New Delhi’s continued engagement with Africa and the Global South.

    (ANI)

     

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Beijing launches city alliance to strengthen global digital economy ties

    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, July 2 (Xinhua) — A global alliance involving more than 40 cities was formally launched in Beijing on Wednesday as part of efforts to expand multilateral cooperation on the digital economy.

    The Global Alliance of Digital Economy Cities was launched by Beijing together with partner cities from Europe, North America, Asia-Pacific, the Middle East and Latin America at the 2025 Global Conference on the Digital Economy, which opened on the same day.

    The Alliance aims to institutionalise multilateral cooperation beyond bilateral projects and will focus on key areas such as digital infrastructure, governance of cross-border data flows, the ethics of artificial intelligence and the application of smart cities.

    Earlier in 2023, Beijing launched the Digital Economy Partnership City Cooperation Initiative, and in 2024, the Chinese capital and partner cities adopted six action plans to implement the initiative. The current alliance was created with the support of international organizations including the United Nations Institute for Training and Research, the International Telecommunication Union, and the International Trade Centre.

    The 2025 Global Conference on Digital Economy will run until July 5, featuring an opening ceremony, six key forums, and a series of thematic sessions, with more than 1,000 participants. The event is jointly organized by the Beijing Municipal People’s Government, the National Internet Information Office of China, the National Data Administration of China, the Xinhua News Agency, and the United Nations Development Programme. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Georgia expelled over 40 foreign citizens for violating migration laws

    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

    Tbilisi, July 2 (Xinhua) — As a result of joint measures carried out by the Migration Department and other units of the Georgian Interior Ministry, 41 foreign citizens were expelled from the country, the press service of the Georgian Interior Ministry reported on Wednesday.

    The expulsion was carried out on the basis of the Georgian Law on the Legal Status of Foreigners and Stateless Persons. Among those deported were citizens of Azerbaijan, Turkey, Turkmenistan, India, Jordan, Iran, Nepal, Pakistan, Russia, South Africa, Armenia and Zimbabwe. All of them were banned from re-entering the country.

    According to official data, 525 foreign citizens were deported from Georgia between January and June 2025. This is 280 percent more than the same period last year.

    In late June, the Georgian parliament approved a package of legislative amendments aimed at tightening migration policy. The new rules provide for a simplified deportation procedure. Court proceedings will no longer suspend the expulsion process if a visa or residence permit is refused. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –