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Category: Business

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Construction begins on Twelve Apostles Visitor Experience Centre

    Source: Workplace Gender Equality Agency

    The new Twelve Apostles Precinct Redevelopment is starting to take shape, with construction on the Visitor Experience Centre now well underway.

    The world-class facility is the focus of the Albanese and Allan Labor Government’s $126 million Twelve Apostles Precinct Redevelopment and will be a gateway to Shipwreck Coast, protecting and enhancing the region’s iconic landscape and beauty.

    Part of the Geelong City Deal, the redevelopment will include a new Visitor Experience Centre, bus parking, car parking for hundreds of cars, landscaping, and new road infrastructure and upgrades.

    The centre will feature retail and hospitality spaces, to be decided in consultation with industry, as well as exhibitions, office space and a rooftop lookout with sweeping views of the Shipwreck Coast.

    The VEC will also teach visitors about the area’s rich history of shipwrecks and maritime impacts, and the geomorphology of this iconic Australian landmark.

    Kane Constructions is the head contractor for the redevelopment, which is expected to be completed at the end of 2026.

    Building on the Government’s partnership with the Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation (EMAC), who is the Traditional Owner group for the area, the redevelopment includes a new Welcome Garden which will celebrate the community’s cultural and environmental values.

    Construction of the Visitor Experience Centre is expected to provide employment for the equivalent of up to 90 full-time positions during the redevelopment, and up to 50 ongoing jobs upon opening.

    The redevelopment project also delivers the Private Sector Business Enablement Fund (PSBEF), designed to help fund underlying infrastructure to support private sector investment in the Shipwreck Coast and Great Ocean Road regions.

    The redevelopment will make it safer and easier to enjoy the area’s stunning natural assets, draw domestic and international visitors, and encourage visitors to stay longer, transforming a day visit into nightly stays in the Great Ocean Road and Shipwreck Coast regions.

    The Twelve Apostles Precinct Redevelopment is part of the Geelong City Deal – a partnership between all three levels of government that is revitalising the city and regional economy while encouraging people to spend more time in the region.

    For more information on the Geelong City Deal and precinct visit: infrastructure.gov.au/territories-regions-cities/cities

    Quotes attributable to Federal Minister for Regional Development and Local Government, Kristy McBain MP:

    “The Twelve Apostles is one of the most visited natural attractions in Australia, welcoming almost two million visitors each year and rising.

    “It’s an exciting time for the Shipwreck Coast as we work together with the Victorian Government and local councils to continue making the region an amazing place to live, work and visit.”

    Quote attributable to Victorian Minister for Regional Development Jaclyn Symes:

    “It’s so exciting to see work begin on this transformational project, which will make this internationally loved and iconic Victorian landscape better for the more than two million visitors annually.

    “The ongoing economic benefit to the local communities will also continue to make the Great Ocean Road an incredible place to live, stay and enjoy.”

    Quote attributable to Victorian Minister for Development Victoria and Precincts Harriet Shing:

    “We’re proud to deliver this project, which will provide better facilities and services to accommodate the growing number of visitors to the iconic Twelve Apostles.”

    Quotes attributable to Federal Member for Corangamite, Libby Coker MP:

    “It’s really fantastic to see the Visitor Experience Centre project progressing – because it will be a real game-changer for the Great Ocean Road experience.

    “We want visitors to stay longer and explore more of our amazing coastline – to ensure we continue supporting local businesses and growing our economy, which is exactly what this project will support.”

    Quote attributable to Victorian Member for Western Victoria Gayle Tierney:

    “It’s fantastic to see construction underway for the new Visitor Experience Centre. This new facility will greatly improve the experience of tourists, while also creating ongoing jobs in the region.”

    Quotes attributable to Corangamite Shire Council CEO, David Rae:

    “This redevelopment is a game-changer for our region, enhancing the visitor experience while preserving the natural beauty of the Twelve Apostles and the Shipwreck Coast.

    “The investment in world-class infrastructure will not only boost tourism but also create local jobs and drive economic growth for our communities.”

    Quotes attributable to Kane Constructions Project Director, Sam Birdseye:

    “The new Visitor Experience Centre and supporting infrastructure will be enjoyed by millions of people in the coming years and is such an important piece of Victorian tourism infrastructure. We feel privileged to be involved in this landmark project.”

    Quotes attributable to Eastern Maar Aboriginal Corporation CEO Marcus Clarke:

    “The commencement of construction marks a major step toward bringing the design to life — one that reflects Kirrae Whurrong Culture and our shared history while harmonising with the natural landscape.

    “It’s about sharing Land, Sky, and Sea Country stories, giving everyone the opportunity to learn and experience.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: ADB President Discusses PRC Reforms

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    BEIJING, PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA (25 March 2025) — Asian Development Bank (ADB) President Masato Kanda met with Premier Li Qiang during his first official visit to the People’s Republic of China (PRC), discussing the government’s reform efforts as it transitions to high-quality development.

    “The PRC’s ongoing transition to high-quality development is crucial to the country’s inclusive growth and lasting prosperity,” said Mr. Kanda. “But the path forward is not without challenges. It demands a careful rebalancing of the economy, with efforts to boost domestic demand and household consumption through rising incomes. It also requires actions to stabilize the property sector with demand-side and supply-side measures, and to empower the private sector by providing a level playing field.”

    During his visit, Mr. Kanda toured ADB-supported project sites in Jiangsu Province, including the Dafeng Milu Deer National Nature Reserve and the Yancheng Rare Birds National Nature Reserve, both part of the UNESCO-listed Yancheng Wetlands. These initiatives exemplify successful biodiversity conservation and sustainable economic development, combining ecological protection with economic empowerment through sustainable ecotourism, community resilience, and environmental stewardship.

    Mr. Kanda also held meetings with National Development and Reform Commission Chairman Zheng Shanjie and Finance Minister Lan Fo’an, discussing further cooperation on fiscal sustainability, debt management, regional knowledge sharing, and strategies for sustained economic growth. In addition, he addressed the China Development Forum, noting that accelerating the pace of rebalancing will be critical for the PRC’s transition to high-quality development.

    ADB is a leading multilateral development bank supporting sustainable, inclusive, and resilient growth across Asia and the Pacific. Working with its members and partners to solve complex challenges together, ADB harnesses innovative financial tools and strategic partnerships to transform lives, build quality infrastructure, and safeguard our planet. Founded in 1966, ADB is owned by 69 members—49 from the region.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Technology has shaped human knowledge for centuries. Generative AI is set to transform it yet again

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sarah Vivienne Bentley, Research Scientist, Responsible Innovation, Data61, CSIRO

    Cristóbal Ascencio & Archival Images of AI & AIxDESIGN/Better Images of AI, CC BY-SA

    Where would we be without knowledge? Everything from the building of spaceships to the development of new therapies has come about through the creation, sharing, and validation of knowledge. It is arguably our most valuable human commodity.

    From clay tablets to electronic tablets, technology has played an influential role in shaping human knowledge. Today we stand on the brink of the next knowledge revolution. It is one as big as — if not more so — the invention of the printing press, or the dawning of the digital age.

    Generative artificial intelligence (AI) is a revolutionary new technology able to collect and summarise knowledge from across the internet at the click of a button. Its impact is already being felt from the classroom to the boardroom, the laboratory to the rainforest.

    Looking back to look forward, what do we expect generative AI to do to our knowledge practices? And can we foresee how this may change human knowledge, for better or worse?

    The power of the printing press

    While printing technology had a huge immediate impact, we are still coming to grips with the full scale of its effects on society. This impact was largely due to its ability to spread knowledge to millions of people.

    Of course, human knowledge existed before the printing press. Non-written forms of knowledge date back tens of thousands of years, and researchers are today demonstrating the advanced skills associated with verbal knowledge.

    In turn, scribal culture played an integral role in ancient civilisations. Serving as a means to preserve legal codes, religious doctrines, or literary texts, scribes were powerful people who traded hand-written commodities for kings and nobles.

    But it was the printing press – specifically the process of using movable type allowing for much cheaper and less labour-intensive book production – that democratised knowledge. This technology was invented in Germany around 1440 by goldsmith Johannes Gutenberg. Often described as the speaking of one-to-many, printing technology was able to provide affordable information to entire populations.

    This exponential increase in knowledge dissemination has been associated with huge societal shifts, from the European Renaissance to the rise of the middle classes.

    The printing press was invented in Germany around 1440.
    Daniel Chodowiecki/Wikipedia

    The revolutionary potential of the digital age

    The invention of the computer – and more importantly the connecting of multiple computers across the globe via the internet – saw the arrival of another knowledge revolution.

    Often described as a new reality of speaking many-to-many, the internet provided a means for people to communicate, share ideas, and learn.

    In the internet’s early days, USENET bulletin boards were digital chatrooms that allowed for unmediated crowd-sourced information exchange.

    As internet users increased, the need for content regulation and moderation also grew. However, the internet’s role as the world’s largest open-access library has remained.

    Computers set in motion another knowledge revolution, providing a means for people to communicate, share ideas, and learn at an unprecedented scale.
    Masini/Shutterstock

    The promise of generative AI

    Generative AI refers to deep-learning models capable of generating human-like outputs, including text, images, video and audio. Examples include ChatGPT, Dall-E and DeepSeek.

    Today, this new technology promises to function as our personal librarian, reducing our need to search for a book, let alone open its cover. Visiting physical libraries for information has been unnecessary for a while, but generative AI means we no longer need to even scroll through lists of electronic sources.

    Trained on hundreds of billions of human words, AI can condense and synthesise vast amounts of information, across a variety of authors, subjects, or time periods. A user can pose any question to their AI assistant, and for the most part, will receive a competent answer. Generative AI can sometimes, however, “hallucinate”, meaning it will deliver unreliable or false information, instead of admitting it doesn’t know the answer.

    Generative AI can also personalise its outputs, providing renditions in whatever language and tone required. Marketed as the ultimate democratiser of knowledge, the adaptation of information to suit a person’s interests, pace, abilities, and style is extraordinary.

    But, as an increasingly prevalent arbitrator of our information needs, AI marks a new phase in the history of the relationship between knowledge and technology.

    It challenges the very concept of human knowledge: its authorship, ownership and veracity. It also risks forfeiting the one-to-many revolution that was the printing press and the many-to-many potential that is the internet. In so doing, is generative AI inadvertently reducing the voices of many to the banality of one?

    Generative AI tools such as ChatGPT can condense and synthesise vast amounts of information, across a variety of authors, subjects, or time periods.
    Ascannio/Shutterstock

    Using generative AI wisely

    Most knowledge is born of debate, contention, and challenge. It relies on diligence, reflexivity and application. The question of whether generative AI promotes these qualities is an open one, and evidence is so far mixed.

    Some studies show it improves creative thinking, but others do not. Yet others show that while it might be helping individuals, it is ultimately diminishing our collective potential. Most educators are concerned it will dampen critical thinking.

    More generally, research on “digital amnesia” tells us that we store less information in our heads today than we did previously due to our growing reliance on digital devices. And, relatedly, people and organisations are now increasingly dependent on digital technology.

    Using history as inspiration, more than 2,500 years ago the Greek philosopher Socrates said that true wisdom is knowing when we know nothing.

    If generative AI risks making us information rich but thinking poor (or individually knowledgeable but collectively ignorant), these words might be the one piece of knowledge we need right now.

    Sarah Vivienne Bentley 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. Technology has shaped human knowledge for centuries. Generative AI is set to transform it yet again – https://theconversation.com/technology-has-shaped-human-knowledge-for-centuries-generative-ai-is-set-to-transform-it-yet-again-252616

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Consistent monitoring helps improve soil erosion condition

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

    China saw a steady improvement in soil erosion conditions last year, with the total affected area shrinking by nearly 1 percent, the Ministry of Water Resources said.

    By the end of last year, more than 2.6 million square kilometers of land was plagued by erosion, down by almost 26,000 square kilometers, according to the ministry’s dynamic monitoring of soil and water loss.

    The monitoring also showed a decline in erosion severity, with the proportion of areas experiencing moderate or severe soil erosion dropping by 0.28 percentage points year-on-year to 34.26 percent last year.

    The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region saw the most progress in tackling the issue, with its erosion-affected area shrinking by 2.48 percent — more than 2.5 times the national average, the ministry said.

    Most of the improvements occurred in the basins of China’s seven major rivers, including the Yangtze and Yellow. More than 73 percent of the total reduction in erosion-affected areas was recorded in these basins, which also accounted for nearly 91 percent of the decline in areas with moderate or severe erosion.

    The ministry attributed the improvement in part to strengthened oversight of activities that could trigger erosion. Advances in monitoring methods, including satellite remote sensing, credit-based supervision and internet-based surveillance, have helped authorities promptly detect and precisely identify illegal activities contributing to soil erosion, it said.

    “These efforts have consistently enhanced the precision and effectiveness of supervision,” the ministry said.

    The incidence of soil erosion in areas disturbed by human activity fell to 46.65 percent last year, a sharp decline of 31 percentage points from 2019, the ministry said.

    Authorities are also exploring the potential of carbon sink trading — projects that absorb more carbon dioxide than they emit — as a funding source for conservation efforts.

    China’s first transaction of such a carbon sink took place in late 2023 in the Luodi River basin in Changting county, Fujian province, where a 100,000-metric-ton carbon sink was sold for 1.8 million yuan ($248,300).

    All proceeds from the deal will go toward water and soil conservation and ecological restoration in the basin, according to local authorities.

    Chen Xian, an official with the Fujian Provincial Department of Water Resources, told Xinhua News Agency that carbon sink trading aligns with China’s long-standing directive that “lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets.”

    Previously, erosion control efforts relied largely on government funding and limited private donations, constraining financial resources, Chen said.

    “Carbon sink trading provides a clearer economic incentive for individuals, companies and organizations engaged in water and soil conservation,” he said, adding that the mechanism could attract more private investment into conservation efforts.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Initiative to raise quality of seeds, crops

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

    China has introduced its first batch of certified seeds into the market, marking a key step in improving seed quality and boosting crop yields. The initiative aims to raise seed standards, enhance agricultural production and strengthen the country’s seed industry.

    At a launch ceremony in Sanya, Hainan province, on Saturday, the National Agro-Tech Extension and Service Center awarded certification to 27 seed companies, allowing 35 varieties of certified seeds to enter the market.

    “Seed certification is a standardized quality assurance system that focuses on high-quality seeds and emphasizes process management. It involves certification bodies confirming and issuing certificates and labels to prove that a batch of seeds meets specified requirements,” an official from the center said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

    The official added that seed certification is internationally recognized as a reliable method to ensure seed quality, serving as a “credit guarantee” for good seeds, a “health check” for seed companies and a “passport” for international trade.

    In 2023, the State Administration for Market Regulation and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs issued guidelines to establish a unified national seed certification system. Two certification bodies were accredited in 2024, and the first group of seed certification inspectors was registered, officially putting the system into practice.

    More than 10 million kilograms of seeds from 35 varieties have been certified, according to the center. Test results show that certified seeds for crops such as corn, soybeans and rice have significantly higher germination rates and purity levels than non-certified seeds.

    Certified corn seeds have shown a 4 percentage point increase in their germination rate and a 1.5 percentage point improvement in purity over single-seed sowing standards, while certified hybrid rice seeds have outperformed national standards by 8.6 and 2.9 percentage points, respectively.

    Peng Xubing, general manager of Hubei Kangnong Seed Co, said the company, which specializes in research and production of corn, konjac (elephant yam) and Chinese medicinal plant seeds, plans to use the certification as an opportunity to accelerate its transformation into a modern seed enterprise integrating breeding, reproduction and promotion.

    Starting Oct 1, newly revised mandatory seed quality standards will take effect, further raising seed quality requirements and standardizing labeling and usage instructions. These standards aim to enhance the quality criteria of some crop seeds, including purity and germination rate, for five cereal crops (rice, corn, wheat, sorghum, and millet) and four oilseed crops (rapeseed, sunflower, peanuts and linseed).

    The new standards, which supplement the seed certification system, are expected to reinforce China’s commitment to improving agricultural productivity and ensuring food security through advanced seed certification and quality control measures.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Council helping make range of Tāmaki Makaurau events possible through grants funding

    Source: Auckland Council

    A range of events for Tāmaki Makaurau will be made possible thanks to funding from Auckland Council.

    On 25 March the council’s Community Committee approved an allocation of $139,500 from the Regional Events Fund Grants Programme for six organisations to help with their events.

    Councillor Angela Dalton, chair of the council’s Community Committee says she’s thrilled to be able to help a diverse range of engaging and fun events.

    “Aucklanders from all parts of the region are set to benefit from a range of unique events funded through this grants programme.

    “From the Pacific Music awards, to Korean Day 2025, to a youth rugby league tournament – we’re proud to support these events that will bring Aucklanders together to connect and celebrate the city’s diversity along with excellence in sport and music.

    “A flow on effect of these events is an economic boost to businesses close to where the events are held.”

    Six diverse organisations across the region were funded including Auckland’s Korean Society for this year’s Korean Day, NZ Rugby League for a tournament, Balmoral Chinese Business Association for Auckland Moon Festival, Te Pou Theatre Trust for a festival, Glen Innes Business Association for the Matariki Light Trail, and Pacific Music Awards Trust for this year’s Pacific Music Awards.

    Aliimalemanu Kenneth Aiolupotea, Auckland Council’s General Manager Community Wellbeing thanks those who put in their time and effort to apply for a grant.

    “Many factors were considered in allocating funding including positive benefits to the community with particular emphasis on youth and Māori, how well the event is planned, community support and involvement.” 

    “Thank you to those who applied for this grant, especially to the successful organisations, for the effort you will now put in to organising your chosen event in Auckland. There’s a lot for Aucklanders to be excited about and to look forward to.”  

    The Regional Event Grants Programme for 2024-25 has a total budget allocation of $600,000, of which $460,500 was allocated in the first funding round in September 2024.

    More information on the council’s grants programme that supports Aucklanders’ aspirations for a great city, including the Regional Events Fund Grants Programme can be found on the Auckland Council website.

    Regional Events Fund Grants Programme round 2 allocations

    Applicant

    Event

    Amount allocated

    The Korean Society of Auckland Incorporated

    2025 Korean Day

    $20,000

    New Zealand Rugby League Incorporated

    New Zealand Rugby League National District 9s Tournament

    $17,300

    Balmoral Chinese Business Association Incorporated.

    Auckland Moon Festival

    $30,000

    Te Pou Theatre Trust

    Whānau Day – Kōanga Festival 2025

    $17,200

    Glen Innes Business Association Incorporated.

    Glen Innes Te Ara Rama Matariki Light Trail

    $15,000

    Pacific Music Awards Trust

    2025 Pacific Music Awards

    $40,000

    Total

    $139,500

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Interview with Sabra Lane, AM, ABC Radio

    Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

    Sabra Lane:

    The federal Treasurer joins us now, Jim Chalmers, welcome.

    Jim Chalmers:

    Thanks very much, Sabra.

    Lane:

    Are there any surprises left tonight?

    Chalmers:

    Oh, you’ll see how it all comes together tonight and that’s really what the Budget will do, it will bring together the progress that we’ve made together as Australians with the plan for the future from here. It will be a responsible budget, it will help with the cost of living, strengthen Medicare and build Australia’s future.

    Lane:

    The government is continuing to hand out energy rebates to ease the cost‑of‑living pressures. How likely is it that a payment like that will become a permanent feature of future budgets to protect households from the ongoing cost of the transition to low‑emissions power?

    Chalmers:

    First of all, I think as Evelyn said in the package that you just ran, cost of living is front of mind for most Australians and it’s absolutely front and centre in the Budget and the energy bill rebates are an important part of that.

    We have to make sure that everything we’re doing with the cost of living is responsible. We’ve extended those energy rebates for another 6 months, not because we see them as a permanent feature in the Budget, but because we know that people are still under pressure.

    We’ve made a lot of progress together as Australians in our economy, the economy is turning a corner, but we know we’ve got more work to do because people are still under the pump and there’s all of this global economic uncertainty. So whether it’s the energy bill rebates or the other cost‑of‑living relief in the Budget, to strengthen Medicare and make medicines cheaper, we’re doing it in the most responsible way that we can and that 6‑month extension reflects that.

    Lane:

    Okay. So not a permanent feature if you’re re‑elected, there may not be further support in 2026?

    Chalmers:

    What we’ve said really at every budget is from budget to budget we do what we can to help with the cost of living subject to those budget constraints and subject to that responsible economic management which has helped engineer a pretty stunning turnaround in the budget and got that Liberal debt down so that we’re avoiding all those interest costs. So we’ve made good progress in the budget. From budget to budget, we review the cost‑of‑living policies to make sure that we’re doing what we meaningfully can to help people in the most responsible way.

    Lane:

    Collectively, all that help that you’ve given for cost‑of‑living relief tallies now to I think $6.8 billion. Would that money have been better spent putting solar panels and heat pumps on the homes of vulnerable Australians that would have delivered ongoing relief from power bills.

    Chalmers:

    Well, first of all, there are investments in the Budget to help people with cleaner and cheaper energy. We’ve been investing enthusiastically in renewables throughout the life of this government and we’ll continue to do that, that’s very clear.

    Secondly, some of the announcements that we’ve made over the course of recent weeks and months were already provisioned for in the Budget, including those energy rebates on Sunday.

    And thirdly, what we’re trying to do here is to strike the right balance – cost‑of‑living help right now but also building Australia’s future and we see cleaner and cheaper energy as absolutely central to the future economy that we’re building.

    Lane:

    Australia will need more gas in the transition to a low carbon emissions future. Where will that come from?

    Chalmers:

    We’ve made it clear that even as we go for cleaner and cheaper sources of energy that to build the future economy and create jobs and opportunities we know that there is a role for gas, whether it’s in firming or manufacturing or in other ways and so we are working very hard to ensure that there’s the necessary gas supply to make sure that we can get this energy transformation right and I’m confident that we will.

    Lane:

    My colleague Jacob Greber reports that the Coalition’s on the cusp of announcing a Gas Reservation Policy. The government has also apparently been considering such an idea. Are you tempted to do that now?

    Chalmers:

    Well, we’ve made it very clear with our Future Gas Strategy that we’re striking the right balance here and making sure that there’s enough gas at the same time as we invest in cleaner and cheaper sources of energy into the future. So we’ve got our own policies and plans, and my colleague, Madeleine King, is doing a great job working –

    Lane:

    So no future plans for a reservation policy?

    Chalmers:

    Well, obviously we keep under constant review the different elements of the gas industry to make sure that it’s supplying the gas that Australians need at the same time as we invest in energy more broadly. So my colleague, Madeleine King’s doing a great job on that.

    Lane:

    Sure. But you’re not ruling it out.

    Chalmers:

    Well, we’ve got a Future Gas Strategy already and we work through as that evolves and as we get extra information from the ACCC and elsewhere, we make sure that our policies and plans keep up with the way that the sector and the market’s evolving and that’s what Madeleine’s doing.

    Lane:

    It’s Liberation Day on April 2, next week, that’s what the Trump administration is calling it. Have you tucked away extra money in the Budget to possibly help Australian companies that might be harmed with reciprocal tariffs that might come and the job that might go as a consequence?

    Chalmers:

    Well, really one of the major themes of the Budget is making our economy more resilient in the face of all of this global economic uncertainty. We have expressed on multiple occasions, and I will again today, our concern about these escalating trade tensions. We’re a very trade‑exposed country. We’re not uniquely impacted by these tariffs out of Washington DC, but we’ve got a lot of skin in the game.

    And so what the Budget will be about in addition to helping with the cost of living and strengthening Medicare, it will also be about making us more resilient to these external shocks. There will be a little bit of funding to promote ‘Buy Australian’ in Australia but also more broadly the billions of dollars that we’re investing in things like green metals making sure that we are reliable parts of global supply chains as they change in response to these US tariffs. That’s a big defining feature of the Budget.

    Lane:

    And a contingency, just in case?

    Chalmers:

    Our contingency is to make our economy more resilient. When we talk about building Australia’s future, what we’re really talking about is making our economy more competitive and dynamic and productive but also more resilient. Now this is a new world of uncertainty, and the Budget will be a platform for prosperity in that new global context. A lot of the investments that we’re making in our Future Made in Australia are all about that.

    Lane:

    And as you point out, we’ve seen a lot of uncertainty. Many people are very worried about the future, their kids, technology, what we’re seeing in world affairs as well as the pace of that change. Being boring might actually have some strong voter appeal.

    Chalmers:

    Well, we’ll see, we’ll see. I think what we’re trying to do here is to make the right economic decisions for the right reasons and I say to people who are worried about these global developments, the Australian economy has genuinely turned a corner. We’ve got inflation down and wages up, unemployment’s low, we’ve got the debt down, interest rates have started coming down, and growth is rebounding solidly in our economy as well.

    And so we’re doing better than most countries in this new world of uncertainty and the Budget is about building on that momentum in the interests of middle Australia.

    Lane:

    Jim Chalmers, thanks for joining AM this morning.

    Chalmers:

    Thanks so much, Sabra.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI: Prairie Operating Co. Announces Pricing of Common Stock Offering

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HOUSTON, March 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Prairie Operating Co. (“Prairie,” the “Company,” “we,” or “our”) (Nasdaq: PROP) announced today the pricing of an underwritten public offering of $38.5 million (the “Common Stock Offering”) of shares of its common stock, par value $0.01 (“Common Stock”) at a price to the public of $4.50 per share. The underwriters have a 30-day option to purchase up to an aggregate value of $5.8 million of additional shares of Common Stock.

    Net proceeds to Prairie from the sale of the $38.5 million of shares of its common stock, after the underwriting discount and commissions and estimated offering expenses, will be approximately $35.4 million (or $40.8 million, if the underwriters exercise their option in full).

    The Company intends to use the net proceeds from the Common Stock Offering, together with the net proceeds from its previously announced concurrent registered offering of 150,000 shares of new Series F Convertible Preferred Stock and certain warrants (the “Concurrent Preferred Stock Offering”), to fund a portion of the purchase price for the Company’s proposed acquisition of certain oil and gas assets from Bayswater Exploration and Production and certain of its affiliates (the “Bayswater Acquisition”). The Company intends to use any remaining net proceeds from the Common Stock Offering and the Concurrent Preferred Stock Offering, including any net proceeds from the underwriters’ exercise of their option to purchase additional shares, for other general corporate purposes, which may include advancing the Company’s development and drilling program, repayment of existing indebtedness or financing other potential acquisition opportunities.

    The Common Stock Offering is expected to close on March 26, 2025, subject to customary closing conditions.

    Citigroup is acting as lead book-running manager for the Common Stock Offering. KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., Truist Securities, Inc., MUFG Securities Americas Inc., and Piper Sandler & Co. are also acting as joint book-running managers. Roth Capital Partners, Clear Street LLC, Johnson Rice & Company L.L.C., and Pickering Energy Partners are acting as co-managers.

    The Common Stock Offering is being made pursuant to a shelf registration statement on Form S-3, including a base prospectus, which was filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and became effective on December 20, 2024. The preliminary prospectus supplement, and accompanying base prospectus, relating to the offering, and a final prospectus supplement, when available, will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. Copies of the preliminary prospectus supplement, and accompanying base prospectus, relating to the Common Stock Offering, and the final prospectus supplement, when available, may be obtained by sending a request to: Citigroup, c/o Broadridge Financial Solutions, 1155 Long Island Avenue, Edgewood, New York 11717, telephone: 1-800-831-9146; KeyBanc Capital Markets Inc., Attn: Equity Syndicate, 127 Public Square, 7th Floor, Cleveland, OH 44114, telephone: 1-800-859-1783; Truist Securities, Inc., Attention: Prospectus Department, 3333 Peachtree Road NE, 9th floor, Atlanta, Georgia 30326, by telephone at (800) 685-4786, or by email at TruistSecurities.prospectus@Truist.com; MUFG Securities Americas Inc., Attention: Equity Capital Markets, 1221 Avenue of the Americas, 6th Floor, New York, New York 10020, telephone: 212-405-7440, email: ECM@us.sc.mufg.jp; Piper Sandler & Co., Attention: Prospectus Department, 800 Nicollet Mall, J12S03, Minneapolis, Minnesota 55402, by telephone at (800) 747-3924, or by email at prospectus@psc.com; or by accessing the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

    This press release does not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy the shares of Common Stock or any other securities, nor shall there be any sale of such shares of Common Stock or any other securities, in any state or other jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or other jurisdiction.

    About Prairie

    Houston-based Prairie Operating Co. is an independent oil and gas company focused on the acquisition and development of crude oil, natural gas and natural gas liquids. The Company’s assets and operations are concentrated in the oil and liquids-rich regions of the Denver-Julesburg (DJ) Basin, with a primary focus on the Niobrara and Codell formations. The Company is committed to the responsible development of its oil and natural gas resources and is focused on maximizing returns through consistent growth, capital discipline, and sustainable cash flow generation.

    For more information, visit www.prairieopco.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements, other than statements of historical fact, included in this press release, regarding our strategy, future operations, financial position, estimated reserves, revenues and income or losses, projected costs and capital expenditures, prospects, acquisition opportunities, plans and objectives of management are forward-looking statements. When used in this press release, the words “plan,” “may,” “endeavor,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “expect,” “project,” “forecast” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. These forward-looking statements are (or were when made) based on current expectations and assumptions about future events and are (or were when made) based on currently available information as to the outcome and timing of future events. Forward-looking statements in this press release may include, for example, statements about: the Company’s ability to successfully finance and consummate the Bayswater Acquisition, including the risk that the Company may fail to complete the Bayswater Acquisition on the terms and timing currently contemplated or at all, fail to enter into the New Credit Agreement on expected terms and/or fail to realize the expected benefits of the Bayswater Acquisition; the Company’s financial performance following the Bayswater Acquisition; this public offering, the Concurrent Preferred Stock Offering, the timing thereof and the use of proceeds therefrom; estimates of the Company’s oil, natural gas and NGLs reserves; drilling prospects, inventories, projects and programs; estimates of future oil and natural gas production from our oil and gas assets, including estimates of any increases or decreases in production; the availability and adequacy of cash flow to meet the Company’s requirements; financial strategy, liquidity and capital required for the Company’s development program and other capital expenditures; the availability of additional capital for the Company’s operations; changes in the Company’s business and growth strategy, including the Company’s ability to successfully operate and expand its business; the Company’s integration of acquisitions, including the Bayswater Acquisition; changes or developments in applicable laws or regulations, including with respect to taxes; and actions taken or not taken by third-parties, including the Company’s contractors and competitors. When considering forward-looking statements, you should keep in mind the risk factors and other cautionary statements described under the heading “Risk Factors” in the prospectus supplement, the accompanying base prospectus, the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, our Quarterly Reports on Forms 10-Q filed with the SEC and our other filings with the SEC, all of which can be accessed on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The Company cautions you that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company’s control. These risks include, but are not limited to: the Company’s and Bayswater’s ability to satisfy the conditions of the Bayswater Acquisition in a timely manner or at all, including the Company’s ability to successfully finance the Bayswater Acquisition; the Company’s ability to complete the Concurrent Preferred Stock Offering in a timely manner and on acceptable terms, if at all; the Company’s ability to recognize the anticipated benefits of the Bayswater Acquisition, which may be affected by, among other things, competition and the Company’s ability to grow and manage growth profitably following the Bayswater Acquisition; the Company’s ability to fund its development and drilling plan; the possibility that the Company may be unable to achieve expected cash flow, production levels, drilling, operational efficiencies and other anticipated benefits within the expected time-frames, or at all, and to successfully integrate the Bayswater Assets, and/or any other assets or operations the Company has acquired or may acquire in the future with those of the Company; the Company’s integration of the Bayswater Assets with those of the Company may be more difficult, time-consuming or costly than expected; the Company’s operating costs, customer loss and business disruption may be greater than expected following the Bayswater Acquisition or the public announcements of the Bayswater Acquisition; the Company’s ability to grow its operations, and to fund such operations, on the anticipated timeline or at all; uncertainties inherent in estimating quantities of oil, natural gas and NGL reserves and projecting future rates of production and the amount and timing of development expenditures; commodity price and cost volatility and inflation; the ability to maintain necessary permits and approvals to develop our assets; safety and environmental requirements that may subject the Company to unanticipated liabilities; changes in the regulations governing our business and operations, including the businesses and operations we have acquired or may acquire in the future, such as, but not limited to, those pertaining to the environment, our drilling program and the pricing of our future production; the Company’s success in retaining or recruiting, or changes required in, the Company’s officers, key employees or directors; general economic, financial, legal, political, and business conditions and changes in domestic and foreign markets; the risks related to the growth of the Company’s business; the effects of competition on the Company’s future business; and other factors detailed under the section entitled “Risk Factors” in the prospectus supplement and, accompanying base prospectus related to the offering and the periodic filings with the SEC. Reserve engineering is a process of estimating underground accumulations of oil, natural gas and NGLs that cannot be measured in an exact way. The accuracy of any reserve estimate depends on the quality of available data, the interpretation of such data and price and cost assumptions made by reserve engineers. In addition, the results of drilling, testing and production activities may justify upward or downward revisions of estimates that were made previously. If significant, such revisions would change the schedule of any further production and development drilling. Accordingly, reserve estimates may differ significantly from the quantities of oil, natural gas and NGLs that are ultimately recovered. Should one or more of the risks or uncertainties described herein or should underlying assumptions prove incorrect, the Company’s actual results and plans could differ materially from those express in any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements, expressed or implied, in this press release, are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. This cautionary statement should also be considered in connection with any subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements that the Company or persons acting on the Company’s behalf may issue.

    Contact: Investor Relations
    Wobbe Ploegsma
    info@prairieopco.com
    832.274.3449

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Wage theft is now a criminal offence in NZ – investigating it shouldn’t be left to the police

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Irene Nikoloudakis, PhD Candidate in Law, University of Adelaide

    Getty Images

    Being robbed is a horrible experience under any circumstances. But being robbed by your employer involves a unique betrayal of trust.

    So it was a sign of real progress when “wage theft” finally became a crime in New Zealand earlier this month with the passage of the Crimes (Theft by Employer) Amendment Act.

    Heralded by trade unions and the Labour Party as a victory for workers, the new law makes it a criminal offence under the Crimes Act for an employer to intentionally (and without reasonable excuse) fail to pay workers what they’re entitled to.

    Wage theft can include deliberately underpaying wages or holiday pay, or making unlawful deductions from pay packets. The question now is how well the new law will be enforced.

    While there is little research on how widespread wage theft in New Zealand is, we do know it all too often affects temporary migrant workers and those in labour-intensive industries such as hospitality, construction and horticulture.

    But if, as seems likely, the police are tasked with investigating allegations of wage theft, the new law may struggle to be enforced effectively.

    Who investigates wage theft?

    Until the law change, wage theft was only addressed through the civil system, not the criminal courts. Underpaid employees could take an employer to court to recover what was owed – if they had the means to navigate what could be a complex process.

    It took an initiative by former Labour MP Ibrahim Omer – who as a refugee in New Zealand had experienced wage theft – to begin the reform process. He introduced a members’ bill to parliament in 2023 seeking to make wage theft a criminal offence.

    Under the new law, the maximum penalties for wage theft are the same as for general theft. For serious offences, this means employers can be imprisoned for stealing their workers’ pay.

    The trouble is, the law doesn’t state which government agency will be responsible for investigating such crimes. This is important because adequately enforcing the law is the whole point.

    A 2024 report by the Ministry of Justice had suggested investigative responsibility might sit with New Zealand’s workplace regulator, the Labour Inspectorate. This seemed a logical move.

    But when the legislation was being debated in parliament, it became clear MPs assumed enforcement responsibility would lie with police. Confirming the law change this month, Labour MP Camilla Bellich said:

    Theft is theft, and before this bill was law workers had to take up a civil case. Civil wage claims are difficult for any employee to initiate and often time consuming and expensive. Now workers can go to the police and report wage theft as a crime.

    Former Labour MP Ibrahim Omer’s experience of wage theft as a refugee inspired him to change the law.
    Getty Images

    How Australia does it

    On the face of it, the police might seem like the logical enforcement agency. They investigate crimes and play an important role in crime prevention. But wage theft isn’t an area they have dealt with before. And uncovering wage theft in practice is very difficult.

    First, those most at risk – such as migrant workers and young employees – are the least likely to report it, often for fear of the consequences or because they simply don’t know how to make a formal complaint.

    Secondly, bad employers are good at covering their tracks, leaving no paper trail or fudging the books.

    Without specialised knowledge or experience in these areas – as well as dealing with their existing resourcing challenges – the police will potentially struggle to uncover wage theft offending.

    A better model might be Australia’s criminal wage theft regime, which came into effect at the start of this year. Overall, it is tougher and more targeted than New Zealand’s.

    The Australian law applies hefty maximum penalties for wage theft offences – up to ten years’ imprisonment and monetary fines in the millions. Investigations are the responsibility of the national workplace regulator, the Fair Work Ombudsman.

    This makes sense, because it’s the Fair Work Ombudsman which has significant experience in uncovering breaches of national employment laws, not the police.

    Put the Labour Inspectorate in charge

    The equivalent enforcement agency in New Zealand is the Labour Inspectorate, whose entire remit is to uncover breaches of employment standards.

    The Labour Inspectorate, far more than the police, will understand the intricacies of wage theft, including which workers and industries are most vulnerable, and what methods dodgy employers use to hide wage theft.

    If necessary, the inspectorate’s powers and resources could be reviewed and modified to ensure it has the tools to conduct criminal investigations, including the ability to search and seize evidence.

    Finally, empowering an agency with the right tools, knowledge and experience to investigate wage theft would leave the police to deal with the other serious crimes already demanding their attention.

    Irene Nikoloudakis 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. Wage theft is now a criminal offence in NZ – investigating it shouldn’t be left to the police – https://theconversation.com/wage-theft-is-now-a-criminal-offence-in-nz-investigating-it-shouldnt-be-left-to-the-police-252712

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Mar 24, 2025 ATU Local 265 VTA Workers Overwhelmingly Reject Insulting Contract Offer, Strike Still On

    Source: US Amalgamated Transit Union

    Union Demands Mediation as Contract Proposal Does Not Address Wages, Grievance Issues, Working Conditions, and Other Issues

    San Jose, CA – In a resounding declaration of solidarity and strength, the members of Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU) Local 265-San Jose, CA, have voted decisively to reject the latest insulting contract put forth by the VTA yesterday. Their strike will continue and the Union demanded mediation in hopes of reaching a fair and just deal.

    The rejection of the contract comes a day after the VTA Board met and put forth a disgraceful contract offer, disrespecting their frontline workers and the riders of the VTA. Adding insult to injury, VTA Assistant General Manager Greg Richardson called VTA workers “uneducated” just days earlier.

    “This vote sends another powerful message to the VTA that our members are unified and strong. Their latest offer walking back proposals on overtime and attendance coupled with VTA Assistant GM Richardson’s derogatory comments about our members, it’s no surprise this contract offer went down in flames,” said Local 265 President/Business Agent Raj Singh. “While we don’t want this strike to go on for the sake of our riders and the community, the VTA is responsible for this with their bullying and regressive bargaining tactics. They can end this strike now with a fair and just deal for workers and passengers!” 

    The sticking points remain the same. The VTA refuses to put forth a proposal with living wages that allow their workers to live in the communities they serve. They continue to propose unfair grievance procedures and regressive overtime calculations along with no assurances that the agency will not discipline or sue workers who went on strike. Furthermore, the agency has failed to improve workplace conditions following the tragic mass shooting in May 2021 that took the lives of Local 265 members.

    “This overwhelming no vote on this VTA contract proposal shows our members are ‘educated.’ They know an appalling and demeaning contract offer when they see it,” said ATU International President John Costa. “It’s time for the VTA to stop throwing insults and put a serious offer on the table. I’ve been on the picket lines with our members, and their resolve and unity are unwavering. They will hold the line until they secure a contract that reflects and values their contributions to the City of San Jose.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s BYD reports 34 pct net profit increase to 5.6B USD in 2024

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China’s leading new energy vehicle (NEV) manufacturer BYD Company Limited has reported robust profit growth in 2024, driven by booming car sales.

    BYD’s net profit attributable to its shareholders grew 34 percent year on year to 40.25 billion yuan (about 5.6 billion U.S. dollars) last year, the company said in its annual report filed to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange on Monday night.

    Last year, it generated 777.1 billion yuan in revenue, an annual increase of 29.02 percent, according to the report.

    BYD continued to post strong growth in vehicle sales. It sold 4.27 million NEVs last year, up 41 percent year on year. Its overseas sales reached 417,000 units, up 72 percent.

    Its vehicle and vehicle-related business contributed 617.38 billion yuan in revenue, up 27.7 percent year on year and accounting for 79.45 percent of the total, the company said.

    Its mobile phone component, assembly and other businesses contributed about 159.61 billion yuan, up 34.6 percent year on year and accounting for 20.54 percent of its total revenue.

    Last year, its research and development (R&D) spending rose 36 percent year on year to 54.2 billion yuan, driving its cumulative R&D investment to exceed 180 billion yuan, the company said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese commerce minister meets with Cargill CEO

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao on Monday met with Brian Sikes, president and CEO of Cargill in Beijing, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Commerce.

    During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on topics including Cargill’s business development in China, as well as China-U.S. economic and trade relations.

    Wang noted that the recently concluded “two sessions” meetings in China sent out positive signals, demonstrating the country’s confidence and resolve in expanding high-standard opening-up and maintaining stable economic growth in a complex international environment.

    This will create more opportunities for global enterprises, he said, expressing the hope that Cargill will continue to invest and deepen its presence in China.

    There are no winners in tariff or trade wars, he noted. The United States’ unilateral imposition of additional tariffs under such pretexts as the fentanyl issue is the wrong approach and severely violates WTO rules, harms the interests of U.S. consumers, and undermines the security and stability of global industrial and supply chains, Wang added.

    He stressed that economic and trade cooperation between China and the United States on the basis of mutual benefits serves the common interests of both countries.

    China stands ready to enhance dialogue and communication to foster a more stable development environment for businesses on both sides, Wang said.

    Cargill is committed to providing Chinese consumers with high-quality, reliable products and services, Sikes said. He expressed firm confidence in China’s future development, emphasizing that the company will expand its investments in China, and deepen scientific and technological innovation. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese commerce minister meets with Apple CEO Tim Cook

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao met with Apple CEO Tim Cook in Beijing on Monday, according to a statement released by the Ministry of Commerce.

    During the meeting, the two sides exchanged views on topics including Apple’s business development in China, as well as China-U.S. economic and trade relations.

    Wang noted that the Chinese economy has demonstrated strong resilience and vitality, becoming a fertile ground for innovation-driven development.

    China remains unwavering in its commitment to expanding its opening-up to the world, providing foreign-funded enterprises with a level playing field, and supporting their products’ equal participation in consumption-boosting policies such as trade-in programs, Wang said.

    He also expressed the hope that Apple will expand its investments in China and integrate deeply into the Chinese market to share in the opportunities of the market’s development.

    Wang emphasized that trade wars produce no winners and protectionism offers no way forward. As the world’s two largest economies, strengthened China-U.S. economic and trade cooperation aligns with economic principles, whereas decoupling and supply chain disruptions would harm all parties’ interests, he said.

    Noting that the unilateral tariff increases and other restrictive measures adopted by the U.S. side have created uncertainties for the world economy, he said that China stands ready to work with the United States to create a more stable policy environment for businesses through equal dialogue.

    Apple will continue to increase investments in sectors such as supply chains, research and development, and social responsibility in China, aiming to support the country’s high-quality development, Cook said.

    Cook emphasized that the company stands ready to play an active role in promoting the stable, healthy development of China-U.S. economic and trade relations. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s fiscal revenue down 1.6 pct in first two months

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    China’s fiscal revenue dipped 1.6 percent year on year to nearly 4.39 trillion yuan (about 611.59 billion U.S. dollars) in the first two months of the year, according to data from the Ministry of Finance released on Monday.

    The central government collected nearly 1.95 trillion yuan in fiscal revenue, down 5.8 percent year on year, while local governments collected nearly 2.44 trillion yuan, up 2 percent year on year.

    China’s fiscal expenditure expanded by 3.4 percent year on year to nearly 4.51 trillion yuan in the first two months. The central government’s fiscal expenditure rose by 8.6 percent year on year, while there was a 2.7 percent increase in expenditure by local governments during the same period.

    In breakdown, education expenditure hit 737.7 billion yuan, up 7.7 percent year on year, science and technology expenditure exceeded 112.2 billion yuan, a 10.6 percent year-on-year increase, and expenditure on social security and employment hit 854 billion yuan, up 6.7 percent year on year. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese shipbuilder delivers large LNG dual-fuel-powered vehicle carrier

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    A Chinese shipbuilder on Monday delivered a liquefied natural gas (LNG) dual-fuel-powered, 8,600-Car-Equivalent-Unit (CEU) vehicle carrier vessel to its operator.

    The carrier vessel, Wenjingkou, was independently developed and designed by a Chinese research institute and measures 199.9 meters in length, 38 meters in width and 14.8 meters in depth.

    The vessel features 14 vehicle decks, enabling the efficient loading and unloading of various automobile types, including cars, trucks and buses. The total deck area is approximately 75,000 square meters — equivalent to nearly 11 standard soccer fields.

    Wenjingkou was constructed by the Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of China State Shipbuilding Corporation Limited, in collaboration with the China Shipbuilding Trading Co., Ltd.

    The vessel is equipped with an advanced LNG dual-fuel power system, which significantly enhances power efficiency and reduces carbon emissions and pollutants during operations, according to Liu Yunwu, vice chairman of Guangzhou Yuanhai Automobile Shipping, which will operate Wenjingkou.

    The inaugural operational voyage of Wenjingkou will see it transport over 5,700 units of commercial and engineering vehicles from Shanghai to major European ports such as Bristol in the United Kingdom, Zeebrugge in Belgium, and Bremerhaven in Germany.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s top legislator holds talks with Italy’s Senate president

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Zhao Leji, chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, holds talks with Italy’s Senate President Ignazio La Russa in Beijing, capital of China, March 24, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Zhao Leji, China’s top legislator, held talks with Italy’s Senate President Ignazio La Russa in Beijing on Monday.

    Zhao, chairman of the National People’s Congress Standing Committee, said that key to the healthy and steady development of China-Italy relations is the commitment of both sides to mutual respect, seeking common ground while shelving differences, and pursuing win-win cooperation.

    China appreciates Italy’s adherence to the one-China principle and is willing to tap into cooperation potential in shipbuilding, aerospace and new energy, Zhao said, adding that cooperation in the fields of culture, art, tourism and education should also be strengthened.

    He called for increased exchange between the NPC and Italy’s parliament within bilateral and multilateral frameworks.

    He said China is ready to work with the EU to use the 50th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties as an opportunity to promote the sustained, steady and sound development of China-EU relations, and hopes Italy will continue to play a positive role in this regard.

    He said companies from all over the world, including those from Italy, are welcome to seize cooperation opportunities in and grow alongside the Chinese economy.

    La Russa said that Italy and China can work together to make new contributions to world peace and stability. Italy hopes to expand cooperation in the fields of the economy, trade, science, technology and culture to promote the continuous development of bilateral relations and the sound, steady development of EU-China relations.

    He added that Italy’s Senate is willing to take on closer exchanges with China’s NPC. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Cameroon: African Development Bank Group approves €330 million loan to upgrade Ngaoundéré-Garoua road to improve connectivity and strengthen regional…

    Source: African Development Bank Group
    The African Development Bank Group has given the green light to a loan of €330.48 million to Cameroon to redevelop and widen a key section of the Douala-Ndjamena economic corridor, a vital part of plans promoting strengthened regional integration.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Ethiopian Airlines Group and African Development Bank sign Letter of Intent for financing of world-class Abusera International Airport

    Source: African Development Bank Group
    The African Development Bank and Ethiopian Airlines Group have signed a Letter of Intent for the development of the East African nation’s planned Abusera International Airport Project. The $7.8 billion project aims to address increasing passenger and cargo demands, reinforce Ethiopia’s…

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Khada Valley Livelihood Restoration Program

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    Transcript

    New 23km Kvesheti-Kobi road in Georgia has been constructed to enhance trade flow, road safety, and provide economic opportunities for the Khada Valley population.

    Alongside the road construction that will provide a year-round access to the valley, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) initiated the Khada Valley Livelihood Restoration and Improvement Program.

    Kamel Bouhmad
    Former Deputy Country Director (2021-2024)
    ADB Georgia Resident Mission

    The purpose was really not to wait until the road is fully built, but to put together an assistance package for the local population so they can start developing skills and getting ready for a new reality when the infrastructure will be there.

    Salome Tsurtsumia
    Deputy Chairman
    Roads Department of Georgia

    The future perspective of the valley’s development is tourism and to attract more tourists, it’s important to have the relevant knowledge and experience in producing organic products.

    ADB engaged the UN Food and Agriculture Organization to help local farmers improve agricultural production.

    Anuki Natsvlishvili
    Veterinary and Food Safety Specialist
    UN Food and Agriculture Organization

    The needs assessment showed us that most farmers have one or two cows, and the milk quality is extremely low. The cheeses were made from unpasteurized milk. For vegetable producers, 02:14 they were not using irrigation systems, or doing manual composting. And for honey producers, farmers wanted to receive information about food safety and legislation. In the beginning, we only started working with a few farmers from Kvesheti and Arakhveti communities. But new farmers started to show up and we started working in several new communities.

    Tariel Karelidze
    Community Liaison Officer
    ADB Consultant

    Our farmer beneficiaries, in addition to theoretical and practical knowledge, received animal food supplements, selected agricultural equipment based on their activities, and established demonstration plots. There are huge expectations for the Kvesheti-Kobi road in the community. They anticipate more tourists and better market access.

    Ketevan Zakaidze
    Farmer from Arakhveti Village

    I have three cows and I make cheese and Matsoni. I learned a lot of new things, like how to get more cheese from milk, how to take care for cows to avoid Mastitis, how to produce safe products to keep ourselves healthy.

    Zurab Beniaidze
    Beekeper from Benian-Begoni Village

    We learned many new things. For example, it was very interesting to learn about acid-based pesticides for bee ticks. We also received uniforms which are essential for beekeeping. I have already started using them.

    The one-year program trained 72 farmers from the Khada Valley and nearby villages.

    Tea Papuashvili
    Project Officer (Infrastructure)
    ADB Georgia Resident Mission

    We have observed that from one training session to another, the number of people kept increasing. This was really a sign of success, a sign that people’s trust and interest were there to learn more and to develop their skills and improve their living conditions.

    Lesley Bearman Lahm
    Country Director
    ADB Georgia Resident Mission

    With this road built, the local population will be provided with unlimited year-round access to their homes and lands, enabling them to expand agriculture production and reap financial gains from increased tourism in the valley.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: საცხოვრებელი პირობების აღდგენის პროგრამა ხადის ხეობაში

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    Transcript

    ქვეშეთი-კობის ახალი, 23 კმ-იანი გზა შენდება საქართველოში ვაჭრობის, საგზაო უსაფრთხოებისა და ხადის ხეობის მოსახლეობის ეკონომიკური შესაძლებლობების გასაძლიერებლად.

    აზიის განვითარების ბანკმა (ADB) დაიწყო ხადის ხეობაში საცხოვრებელი პირობების აღდგენის პროგრამა.

    კამელ ბუმადი
    დირექტორის მოადგილე (2021-2024)
    მუდმივი წარმომადგენლობა საქართველოში
    აზიის განვითარების ბანკი

    ჩვენი მიზანი იყო არ დავლოდებოდით გზის მშენებლობის დასრულებას და ადგილობრივი მოსახლეობისთვის შეგვეთავაზებინა დახმარების პაკეტი, რათა მათ დაეწყოთ უნარების განვითარება და მომზადებულიყვნენ ახალი რეალობისთვის.

    სალომე წურწუმია
    თავმჯდომარის მოადგილე
    საქართველოს გზების დეპარტამენტი

    სამომავლო პერსპექტივა ხეობის განვითარებაში არის ტურიზმი, და იმისათვის, რომ რაც შეიძლება მეტი ტურისტი მიიზიდოს უშუალოდ მოსახლეობამ, მნიშვნელოვანია, რომ მათ ჰქონდეთ შესაბამისი ცოდნა და გამოცდილება ნატურალური პროდუქციის წარმოებაში.

    მოსახლეობის წარმოების გაუმჯობესებაში დახმარებისთვის ADB-მ გაეროს სურსათისა და სოფლის მეურნეობის ორგანიზაციას მიმართა.

    ანუკი ნაცვლიშვილი
    ვეტერინარიისა და სურსათის უვნებლობის სპეციალისტი
    გაეროს სურსათისა და სოფლის მეურნეობის ორგანიზაცია

    საჭიროებათა შეფასებამ აჩვენა, რომ ფერმერების უმრავლესობას ჰყავდა ერთი ან ორი ძროხა, რძის ხარისხი იყო ძალიან დაბალი და ყველს ამზადებდნენ არაპასტერიზებული რძისგან. ბოსტნეულის მწარმოებლები არ იყენებდნენ სარწყავ სისტემას და არ აკეთებდნენ კომპოსტირებას. თაფლის მწარმოებლებს სურდათ ინფორმაციის მიღება საკვების უსაფრთხოებისა და კანონმდებლობის შესახებ. თავიდან რამდენიმე ფერმერის გადამზადება დავიწყეთ ქვეშეთისა და არახვეთის თემებში, მაგრამ შემდეგ ახალი ფერმერები გამოჩნდნენ და რამდენიმე ახალი თემში განვაგრძეთ მუშაობა.

    ტარიელ ქარელიძე
    თემთან ურთიერთობის ოფიცერი
    ADB-ის კონსულტანტი

    ფერმერებმა, ჩვენმა ბენეფიციარებმა გარდა თეორიული და პრაქტიკული ცოდნისა, მიიღეს ცხოველთა საკვები დანამატები, სასოფლო-სამეურნეო ტექნიკა გადაეცათ, აღჭურვილობა შესაბამისი, მათი მიმართულებების მიხედვით. მოეწყო სადემონსტრაციო ნაკვეთები. ჩვენი გზა, ქვეშეთი-კობის გზა, დიდი მოლოდინია თემში, რომ ამ გზის შედეგად მათ გაეზრდებათ ბაზართან წვდომა.

    ქეთევან ზაქაიძე
    ფერმერი სოფელ არახვეთიდან

    მყავს ბევრი არა, მაგრამ სამი სული ძროხა, რომლითაც ვაკეთებ ყველს, მაწონს. ძალიან ბევრი რამ ვისწავლე რაც არ ვიცოდი მართლა აქამდე. ის, რომ ყველი მეტი როგორ ამოვიღო რძიდან, მაგალითად, ეს ვისწავლე. ძროხას როგორ მოვუაროთ უფრო მეტად, რომ მასტიტი არ შეხვდეს, უვნებელი სურსათი რომ იყოს.

    ზურაბ ბენიაიძე
    მეფუტკე სოფელ ბენიან-ბეგონიდან

    ძალიან ბევრი სიახლე გავიგე. ერთი ჩემთვის მაგალითად იყო ტკიპის საწინააღმდეგო, ახალი შემოსული მჟავით შეწამვლა. საჩუქრად გადმოგვცეს უნიფორმები, რაც ძალიან გამოსადეგია ჩვენთვის. უკვე გამოვიყენე მე ეგ უნიფორმები.

    ერთწლიანი პროგრამის ფარგლებში გადამზადდა 72 ფერმერი ხადის ხეობისა და მიმდებარე სოფლებიდან.

    თეა პაპუაშვილი
    პროექტის ოფიცერი (ინფრასტრუქტურა)
    მუდმივი წარმომადგენლობა საქართველოში
    აზიის განვითარების ბანკი

    დავაკვირდით, რომ ერთი სწავლებიდან მეორემდე მონაწილეთა რაოდენობა იზრდებოდა. ეს ნამდვილად წარმატების ნიშანია. ნიშანი იმისა, რომ ადამიანებს გაუჩნდათ ნდობა და ინტერესი, რომ ესწავლათ მეტი, დაეხვეწათ უნარები და გაეუმჯობესებინათ ცხოვრების პირობები.

    ლესლი ბეარმან ლამი
    დირექტორი
    მუდმივი წარმომადგენლობა საქართველოში
    აზიის განვითარების ბანკი

    ამ გზის აშენებით, ადგილობრივ მოსახლეობას მთელი წლის განმავლობაში ექნება მისასვლელი თავიან სახლებსა და მიწის ნაკვეთებთან, რაც მათ საშუალებას მისცემს გაზარდონ სოფლის მეურნების წარმოება და მიიღონ ფინანსური სარგებელი ხეობაში გაზრდილი ტურიზმისაგან.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Guidebook on Machine Learning Techniques for Road Quality Monitoring

    Source: Asia Development Bank

    Resilient all-weather roads enable crucial access to services and economic opportunities, yet assessing and monitoring road quality can be costly and time-consuming. This publication explains how smartphones, open-source satellite imagery, and artificial intelligence can be used to augment traditional surveys to improve road data in cost-effective and efficient ways. It draws on a study developed in collaboration with the World Data Lab and the governments of the Philippines and Thailand, supported by the Japan Fund for Prosperous and Resilient Asia and the Pacific.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-Evening Report: The ICC showed its might by arresting Rodrigo Duterte. Its reputation will take longer to fix

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yvonne Breitwieser-Faria, Lecturer in International Law, Curtin University

    Only five days after the arrest warrant against former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte was issued, he was apprehended and immediately put on a plane to The Hague to face charges before the International Criminal Court (ICC).

    The prompt action – and the fact he is the first former Asian head of state before the ICC – have been heralded as “a pivotal moment for the court”.

    While this is a rare success story in the court’s tumultuous history, many challenges remain. The successful arrest of one defendant will unfortunately do little to change negative perceptions of the court or remove the many obstacles it faces in prosecuting cases.

    A long history of criticism

    The ICC was conceived as a “court of last resort” in 1998 under the Rome Statute, the treaty that established it. The aim was to try individuals accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and aggression in cases where a state’s domestic courts refuse or are unable to do so.

    Shortly after it began its work in 2002, however, the ICC faced criticism for its perceived focus on Africa.

    In more recent years, it has also been criticised for its limited effectiveness, its perceived hypocrisy, and a lack of support from major powers, such as the US, China and Russia, which are not members.

    The court has long faced a public relations crisis it may never be able to resolve. When it does not investigate a potential case, it is said to be ineffective. And when it does initiate investigations, it is often said to be biased or acting beyond its capabilities.

    Putin and Netanyahu

    Currently, the ICC has 12 ongoing investigations, mostly in Africa and Asia. It has issued 56 arrest warrants, half of which have yet to be executed.

    As the focus of the court is limited to those who bear the greatest responsibility for international crimes, the cases frequently involve high-profile individuals.

    Current arrest warrants, for example, have been issued against Russian President Vladimir Putin on charges of allegedly deporting Ukrainian children to Russia and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes committed in Gaza.

    These two cases have been among the court’s most controversial. Critics say the ICC lacks jurisdiction because:

    • the alleged crimes did not occur in their own states
    • their states are not parties to the Rome Statute
    • the UN Security Council did not refer these cases to the ICC for investigation.

    Others have accused the court of selective prosecution and bias for pursuing a case against Netanyahu, specifically, instead of prioritising cases in states run by dictators, such as Syria.

    And some complain the court should be focusing on crimes allegedly committed by Western leaders in places like Iraq.

    Indicting leaders of states raises additional legal challenges. International law dictates that heads of state enjoy immunity in other states’ courts – unless this immunity is expressly waived by their own governments.

    The ICC defends its actions as fair. It argues it does have jurisdiction in the cases against Putin and Netanyahu because the alleged crimes took place in Ukraine and Palestine, two states who have explicitly accepted its jurisdiction.

    And Article 27 of the Rome Statute says the ICC can exercise jurisdiction over people with state immunity, although it’s debatable whether this must be first waived for leaders of states not party to the Rome Statute.

    Cooperation remains key

    The ICC is not only constrained by these complex legal questions, but also by the limited cooperation of states around the world.

    It relies on close cooperation with its 125 state parties, among others. But some states have been reluctant or even refused to cooperate with the court in executing the arrest warrants of controversial figures.

    For example, Putin was not arrested when he visited Mongolia, an ICC member, last year, in part, because Mongolia relies heavily on Russian energy. South Africa similarly refused to arrest Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir when he visited in 2015.

    Even when state parties do cooperate, the political fallout can impact the court’s reputation.

    Following Duterte’s arrest last week, a Filipino senator (the sister of the current president) launched an urgent investigation to ensure due process was followed and Duterte’s legal rights were upheld and protected. She acknowledged the arrest has “has deeply divided the nation”.

    The lack of support from the US – arguably, still the world’s most powerful democracy – remains a perennial problem, as well.

    While the US has generally supported the court’s mandate over the years, it has been wary of its jurisdiction over American citizens and those of its allies accused of crimes. Last month, President Donald Trump authorised new sanctions against ICC officials in an attempt to paralyse the international organisation.

    Although 79 states did declare their support for the ICC following the sanctions, the Trump adminstration’s rejection of the court’s jurisdiction, legitimacy and authority has had significant consequences for its operations.

    It remains to be seen how the case against Duterte will play out. Securing a conviction is not assured.

    However, his arrest demonstrates the court can fulfil its mandate and remain a relevant force in the fight against the gravest of crimes. It is also a significant moment for the families of those killed during Duterte’s rule, who have long sought justice for their loved ones.

    Yvonne Breitwieser-Faria 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 ICC showed its might by arresting Rodrigo Duterte. Its reputation will take longer to fix – https://theconversation.com/the-icc-showed-its-might-by-arresting-rodrigo-duterte-its-reputation-will-take-longer-to-fix-252509

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Syracuse Man Sentenced for Federal Robbery Offense

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SYRACUSE, NEW YORK – Quashawn Pettiford, age 34, of Syracuse, was sentenced today to 71 months in federal prison for Interference With Commerce Through Robbery. United States Attorney John A. Sarcone III and Craig L. Tremaroli, Special Agent in Charge of the Albany Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), made the announcement.

    As part of his prior plea agreement, Pettiford admitted that on January 11, 2022, he and two others entered a gas station in Salina, New York, wearing masks. The other two individuals carried BB guns that appeared to be real firearms. Those individuals pointed the BB guns at the store clerk and one of them pressed a gun into the clerk’s neck while directing the clerk to open the cash register. Pettiford further admitted that he and the other robbers took approximately $1,200 in merchandise from the store shelves, approximately $1,495 from the cash register, and $513 from the clerk’s wallet.

    Chief United States District Judge Brenda K. Sannes also imposed a 3-year term of supervised release to begin after Pettiford is released from prison. Pettiford was also ordered to pay restitution to the victims of the offense and to forfeit the $3,208 proceeds of the offense.

    FBI investigated the case with assistance from the New York State Police, Syracuse Police Department, DeWitt Police Department, and Onondaga County District Attorney’s Office. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Matthew J. McCrobie and Thomas R. Sutcliffe prosecuted the case.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Markey Joins Peters, Senate Committee Ranking Members in Demanding Immediate Review by Agency Inspectors General of Trump Administration’s Mass Dismissals of Federal Employees

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey

    Senators Question Trump Administration Claims and Whether Actions Will Increase Waste and Abuse

    Washington (March 21, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), Ranking Member of the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Committee joined Senator Gary Peters (D-MI), Ranking Member of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, and 15 Senate Committee Ranking Members in sending a letter to the Inspectors General of 23 federal agencies, pressing for details on the impact of President Trump’s sweeping and unprecedented dismissal of tens of thousands of federal employees. The senators asked the Inspectors General to review the Trump Administration’s actions, citing potential violations of federal laws and procedures, which the senators warn could harm Americans’ access to vital government services and increase waste and abuse of taxpayer dollars.
    “The decision to terminate thousands of employees across multiple federal agencies will impose undue hardship on millions of Americans who rely on their services,” wrote the Senators. “The loss of experienced agency staff may risk causing serious disruptions to nearly 73 million Americans who rely on the Social Security Administration (SSA) to administer retiree and disability benefits and 9.1 million veterans who depend on the Department of Veteran Affairs (V.A.), many of which rely on the V.A. for life saving medical treatments and care.”  
    Highlighting the devastating consequences of these mass firings, the senators underscored the Trump Administration’s layoffs have already disrupted critical operations at agencies that millions of Americans depend on for survival. 
    “Among the 2,400 employees fired from the V.A. since Mr. Trump’s inauguration are workers who purchase medical supplies, schedule appointments and arrange rides for patients to see their doctors,” wrote the Senators, citing a NY Times report. “Additionally, taxpayers seeking in-person assistance as they navigate the 2025 filing season may find the support centers they previously relied on completely relocated or shuttered. That risk is a direct consequence of the Administration’s mass dismissals and decision to terminate over 100 IRS offices with Tax Assistance Centers (TAC) – which provide free, in-person assistance for those seeking it.”
    The senators are requesting that IGs examine whether these dismissals violated agency policies and assess the damage to agency missions, public safety, and national security, calling for an initial review to be completed within 60 days, with findings made available to the public to ensure transparency and accountability.  
    The letter was signed by U.S. Senators and Ranking Members Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Special Committee on Aging, Patty Murray (D-WA), Committee on Appropriations, Jack Reed (D-RI), Committee on Armed Services, Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs, Maria Cantwell (D-WA), Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Committee on Environment and Public Works, Ron Wyden (D-OR), Committee on Finance, Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Committee on Foreign Relations, Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions, Dick Durbin (D-IL), Committee on the Judiciary, Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, and Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Committee on the Budget.
    The full text of the letter can be found here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Markey Celebrates Opening of South Coast Rail

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts Ed Markey
    For the first time in 65 years, cities and towns in southeastern Massachusetts will have passenger rail service
    Boston (March 24, 2025) – Senator Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), a member of the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, released the following statement celebrating the formal opening of South Coast Commuter Rail service. South Coast Rail will offer reliable public transit between Boston and communities in southeastern Massachusetts, including Taunton, New Bedford, Fall River, Middleborough, Freetown, and the surrounding region. It represents the first time since the late 1950s that riders on the South Coast can take a one-seat rail trip to Boston. Now, all major cities within 50 miles of Boston have Commuter Rail access.
    “We are one stop closer to transit justice with daily Commuter Rail service to southeastern Massachusetts,” said Senator Markey. “The opening of South Coast Rail represents a long-awaited celebration for Taunton, Fall River, New Bedford, and beyond. I am grateful to Governor Healey, the MBTA, the Massachusetts Department of Transportation, and all the leaders and advocates on the South Coast who are making this project a reality. This milestone represents a major leap in addressing a critical gap in our state’s public transit system. Together, we are expanding rail service, reducing congestion, increasing economic opportunity, and more equitably connecting our Commonwealth. I look forward to continuing to work with state and local officials, community members, and our federal delegation to expand public transit throughout the South Coast and across Massachusetts.”
    Senator Markey is a long-time advocate for expanding rail transit. He previously introduced the Building Rail Across Intercity Networks To Ride Around Interior of the Nation (BRAIN TRAIN) Act, which established a new $25 billion passenger rail grant program and required the Federal Railroad Administration to prioritize projects that connect historically under-connected areas such as the South Coast. The Bipartisan Infrastructure Law established a new Corridor Identification and Development Program aligned with, and that includes language from Senator Markey’s BRAIN TRAIN Act. Last Congress, he introduced the All Aboard Act, which would dedicate $200 billion over five years to build high-speed rail, expand existing passenger rail service, and electrify the most heavily polluting railyards and corridors. The legislation also includes critical labor protections for the existing union labor workforce and creates a rail personnel training grant program for rail workers. Senator Markey has also been a strong advocate to secure funding for West-East passenger train service running through Boston, Worcester, and Western Massachusetts, helping to secure a $108 million grant for the project, followed by a second $36.8 million grant.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Medicaid Cuts Would Cost Money and Endanger Lives, Say Central WA Health Care Providers

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell
    03.21.25
    Medicaid Cuts Would Cost Money and Endanger Lives, Say Central WA Health Care Providers
    Medicaid, known in WA as Apple Health, would face significant cuts from GOP budget proposal to slash up to $880 billion from essential health care program
    RICHLAND, WA – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), senior member of the Senate Finance Committee and ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation, held a press conference with Central Washington health care professionals and providers to discuss the harms that would result from proposed cuts to Medicaid.
    “Our health care system today does save money when we give people the freedom to see a doctor when they need to, instead of forcing them to wait until they absolutely have to,” said Sen. Cantwell. ”These attempts aren’t about reducing costs, they are literally about destroying our health care system.”
    “It is a tsunami. And trust me, this is not a drill,” she continued. “This is a real proposal, and we have to wake up the American people, and certainly here in Central Washington, to the devastating impacts they could see if Medicaid was cut.”
    “There’s very good evidence from multiple studies that preventive care delivers better quality of life, better health outcomes, at a lower overall cost,” said Dr. Richard Meadows, Chief Medical Officer, Providence Clinical Network. “The thought that somehow saving money by not funding Medicaid would be better for our country, it just does not make any financial sense, because we know from studies that if you wait and treat things later on it is far more expensive. People miss more time from work, they’re not able to be there for their families, and ultimately it costs all of us as taxpayers more money.”
    Brenda Morgan, a Tri-Cities area home care provider, shared the story of her client, Samantha, an autistic young adult with a heart condition, who needs a feeding tube for meals and medications. “She wants me to ask you,” Morgan said, “’Why aren’t people thinking about us? Do they not know that I can’t survive without Medicaid?’”
    Medicaid is the federal program that insures many low-income adults and children, pregnant people, seniors, and people with disabilities. Washington state’s Medicaid program, Apple Health, ensures that eligible Washingtonians can afford to seek health care and see providers when they need to.  The program also ensures that hospitals receive reimbursements for the significant number of low-income people they serve. Medicaid paid for $3.36 billion in hospital care in Washington state in state fiscal year 2024. More than 1.9 million Washingtonians are enrolled in Medicaid.
    In the 4th U.S. Congressional District, 70% of children and 24% of adults are covered by Medicaid / Apple Health.
    In Washington state legislative district 16, which includes Richland, 60% of kids and 32% of the total population are covered by Medicaid / Apple Health.
    In legislative district 8, which includes Kennewick and most of Benton County, 49% of kids and 26% of the total population are covered by Medicaid / Apple Health.
    In Yakima County’s legislative district 15, 87% of kids and 51% of the population are covered by Medicaid / Apple Health. These are the highest numbers for any legislative district in the state.
    On February 25, House Republicans voted to advance President Trump’s budget resolution, which proposes up to an $880 billion cut from Medicaid.
    Last month, Sen. Cantwell released a snapshot report highlighting the impact that slashing Medicaid to fund tax cuts for corporations and the ultra-wealthy would have on Washington state’s health care system — especially in Central and Eastern Washington.
    The other participants in today’s roundtable were Reza Kaleel, Chief Executive Southeast Washington Service Area Kadlec and Providence St. Mary; Regina Ahl, Director of Pharmacy, Tri-Cities Community Health; Dr. John Matheson, Chief Medical Officer, Kadlec Regional Medical Center; and Everett Maroon, Executive Director, Blue Mountain Heart to Heart.       
    Video of today’s entire press conference is HERE; video of Sen. Cantwell’s opening statement is HERE; photos are HERE; and a transcript of Sen. Cantwell’s opening statement is HERE.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Nerve-wracking twists, remarkable stardom and jet-black comedy: the 5 best films of the 2025 French Film Festival

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ben McCann, Associate Professor of French Studies, University of Adelaide

    The Divine Sarah Bernhardt.
     Memento

    This year’s Alliance Française French Film Festival showcases a diverse selection of films from blockbusters and biopics to comedies and gripping thrillers for Australian audiences.

    I’ve written before about how this annual event, now in its 36th edition, is, in terms of tickets sold and films screened, the largest film festival dedicated to contemporary French cinema outside of France.

    The 2025 program once more shines a spotlight on the established icons and rising stars of French cinema.

    In the this year’s festival, 30% of the films are directed by women and thorny issues such as slavery, consent and caregiving are presented sensitively and provocatively.

    But from a competitive bunch, here are the best five films I saw this year.

    How To Make A Killing

    It’s Christmas in the Jura, France’s picturesque eastern region full of mountains, snow and pine trees. When Michel (Frank Dubosc) accidentally crashes his truck into a car, killing its driver and passenger, his wife Cathy (Laure Calamy) tells him he may have left fingerprints at the crime scene.

    They return – and discover two million euros in the car boot, and a loaded gun in the glove box.

    From this point on, How To Make A Killing features one improbable but amusingly nerve-wracking twist after another. There’s a local policeman in over his head and drug lords and contract killers who want their money back.

    Oh, and a black bear is on the loose.

    Writer-director Dubosc pays homage to the Coen brothers and sprinkles in a typically Gallic dose of black humour. What really gives the film zip and pizzazz is the fabulous Calamy. She has risen to the apex of contemporary French stardom and her performance is a delight.

    The Divine Sarah Bernhardt

    Sarah Bernhardt can lay claim to being the first film celebrity. Born in Paris in 1844, Bernhardt was first a legendary stage actress, performing Shakespeare and Racine across the world (including Melbourne and Sydney in 1891) before gravitating to silent cinema.

    Known for her extraordinary talent and intense stage presence (hence “divine”), she refused to play just female roles, famously playing Hamlet. Her eccentricity was equally renowned: she often travelled with an extensive menagerie of exotic pets.

    Guillaume Nicloux’s sumptuous biopic unfolds in a radical way. Rather than tracing Bernhardt’s career in the fairly bog-standard biopic way, Nicloux jumps around, focusing on key events from her life – the amputation of a leg, her death, her bisexuality, her hedonistic lifestyle.

    Through this bold achronological prism comes another daring choice: we never see Bernhardt act on stage or film. Her stardom emerges through the extraordinary effect she has on people who enter her orbit.

    At the centre is a remarkable performance by Sandrine Kiberlain. She captures Bernhardt’s glamour and narcissism but also taps into her vulnerability to reveal her gradual hollowing out as the vagaries of fame take their toll.

    It’s a cautionary tale that speaks to our current ambivalence towards stage-managed celebrity and “stardom at all costs”.

    My Brother’s Band

    Ever since its Cannes debut last May, Emmanuel Courcol’s My Brother’s Band has received rave reviews. It is sure to be an instant classic.

    Two brothers are separated at birth and are only reunited decades later when Thibaut (Benjamin Lavernhe) needs a bone marrow transplant. The only suitable donor is long-lost Jimmy (rising star Pierre Lottin).

    All that bonds the two is a shared love of music. Thibaut is an esteemed orchestra conductor while Jimmy plays the trombone in a local brass band.

    Lavernhe’s and Lottin’s scenes together are wonderfully wry and tender as the two brothers learn to appreciate each other’s lifestyles and ways of seeing the world. We also see how music can bind communities together during times of personal and collective crisis.

    Courcol shuttles between the stuffy, cathedral-like spaces of a Paris conservatorium and the cramped parish halls of northern France. Think Brassed Off meets Tár. My Brother’s Band brings the feel-good to the festival.

    When Fall is Coming

    When Fall is Coming, the latest work by prolific auteur François Ozon, is a broody family drama set in Burgundy.

    Behind the autumnal landscapes and off-the-beaten-track villages lies hidden trauma. Michelle (the outstanding Hélène Vincent, now 81) nervously awaits the arrival of her grandson and the daughter from whom she is long estranged (for reasons we don’t understand until much later).

    An innocuous first night meal turns to tragedy, and kickstarts a deeply engrossing, often menacing film. Pierre Lottin features again, this time as an ex-con slowly drawn into this unsettling web of secrets and lies.

    The “fall” in the title can be read any number of ways. Suffice to say, this slow-burner reminds us of Ozon’s knack in withholding plot points and revealing them gradually. With its blend of spiteful intimacy and startling revelations, When Fall is Coming quietly chills. You’ll not look at mushrooms in the same way again.

    Lucky Winners

    French filmgoers love to laugh. The top ten grossing French films in history are all comedies.

    Lucky Winners is a jet-black comedy about four different winners of France’s national lottery. Each becomes a millionaire overnight – but that’s when their troubles begin. Romain Choay and Maxime Govare’s witty film features a fine ensemble cast and a healthy dose of cruelty and squabbling.

    The dream sours. Money does not bring happiness, only guilt, revenge and greed. Feel-good quickly descends into feel-bad. I imagine Hollywood will be remaking this very soon.

    The Alliance Française French Film Festival is in cinemas around Australia on various dates until April 27.

    Ben McCann 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. Nerve-wracking twists, remarkable stardom and jet-black comedy: the 5 best films of the 2025 French Film Festival – https://theconversation.com/nerve-wracking-twists-remarkable-stardom-and-jet-black-comedy-the-5-best-films-of-the-2025-french-film-festival-250153

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: 25 March 2025 Joint News Release Decades of progress in reducing child deaths and stillbirths under threat, warns the United Nations

    Source: World Health Organisation

    The number of children dying globally before their fifth birthday declined to 4.8 million in 2023, while stillbirths declined modestly, still remaining around 1.9 million, according to two new reports released today by the United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation (UN IGME).

    Since 2000, child deaths have dropped by more than half and stillbirths by over a third, fuelled by sustained investments in child survival worldwide. In 2022, the world reached a historic milestone when child deaths dropped slightly below 5 million for the first time. However, progress has slowed and too many children are still being lost to preventable causes.

    “Millions of children are alive today because of the global commitment to proven interventions, such as vaccines, nutrition, and access to safe water and basic sanitation,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell. “Bringing preventable child deaths to a record low is a remarkable achievement. But without the right policy choices and adequate investment, we risk reversing these hard-earned gains, with millions more children dying from preventable causes. We cannot allow that to happen.”

    Decades of progress in child survival are now at risk as major donors have announced or indicated significant funding cuts to aid ahead. Reduced global funding for life-saving child survival programmes is causing health-care worker shortages, clinic closures, vaccination programme disruptions, and a lack of essential supplies, such as malaria treatments. These cuts are severely impacting regions in humanitarian crises, debt-stricken countries, and areas with already high child mortality rates. Global funding cuts could also undermine monitoring and tracking efforts, making it harder to reach the most vulnerable children, the Inter-agency Group warned.

    “From tackling malaria to preventing stillbirths and ensuring evidence-based care for the tiniest babies, we can make a difference for millions of families,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, Director-General of the World Health Organization. “In the face of global funding cuts, there is a need more than ever to step up collaboration to protect and improve children’s health.”

    Even before the current funding crisis, the pace of progress on child survival had already slowed. Since 2015, the annual rate of reduction of under-five mortality has slowed by 42%, and stillbirth reduction has slowed by 53%, compared to 2000–2015.

    Almost half of under-five deaths happen within the first month of life, mostly due to premature birth and complications during labour. Beyond the newborn period, infectious diseases, including acute respiratory infections such as pneumonia, malaria, and diarrhoea, are the leading causes of preventable child death. Meanwhile, 45% of late stillbirths occur during labour, often due to maternal infections, prolonged or obstructed labour, and lack of timely medical intervention.

    Better access to quality maternal, newborn, and child health care at all levels of the health system will save many more lives, according to the reports. This includes promotive and preventive care in communities, timely visits to health facilities and health professionals at birth, high-quality antenatal and postnatal care, well-child preventive care such as routine vaccinations and comprehensive nutrition programmes, diagnosis and treatment for common childhood illnesses, and specialized care for small and sick newborns.

    “Most preventable child deaths occur in low-income countries, where essential services, vaccines, and treatments are often inaccessible”, said Juan Pablo Uribe, World Bank Global Director for Health and Director of the Global Financing Facility. “Investing in children’s health ensures their survival, education, and future contributions to the workforce. With strategic investments and strong political will, we can continue to reduce child mortality, unlocking economic growth and employment opportunities that benefit the entire world.”

    The reports also show that where a child is born greatly influences their chances of survival. The risk of death before age five is 80 times higher in the highest-mortality country than the lowest-mortality country, for example, while a child born in sub-Saharan Africa is on average 18 times more likely to die before turning five than one born in Australia and New Zealand. Within countries, the poorest children, those living in rural areas, and those with less-educated mothers face the higher risks.

    Stillbirth disparities are just as severe, with nearly 80% occurring in sub-Saharan Africa and Southern Asia, where women are six to eight times more likely to experience a stillbirth than women in Europe or North America. Meanwhile, women in low-income countries are eight times more likely to experience a stillbirth than those in high-income countries.

    “Disparities in child mortality across and within nations remain one of the greatest challenges of our time,” said the UN DESA Under-Secretary-General, Li Junhua. “Reducing such differences is not just a moral imperative but also a fundamental step towards sustainable development and global equity. Every child deserves a fair chance at life, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that no child is left behind.”

    UN IGME members call on governments, donors, and partners across the private and public sectors to protect the hard-won gains in saving children’s lives and accelerate efforts. Increased investments, service integration, and innovations are urgently needed to scale up access to proven life-saving health, nutrition, and social protection services for children and pregnant mothers.    

    Notes to editors

    Download multimedia content here.

    The UN IGME child mortality report The UN IGME stillbirth report

    The two reports – Levels & Trends in Child Mortality and Counting Every Stillbirth – are the first of a series of important global data sets released in 2025. UN maternal mortality figures will be published in the coming weeks.

    About UN IGME

    The United Nations Inter-agency Group for Child Mortality Estimation or UN IGME was formed in 2004 to share data on child mortality, improve methods for child mortality estimation, report on progress towards child survival goals and enhance the capacity of countries to produce timely and properly evaluated estimates of child mortality. UN IGME is led by UNICEF and includes the World Health Organization, the World Bank Group and the Population Division of the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs.

     For more information: 

    http://www.childmortality.org/

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Jury Convicts San Diego Attorney of Securities Fraud

    Source: Office of United States Attorneys

    SAN DIEGO – After a weeklong trial, San Diego-based securities attorney Andrew Coldicutt was convicted by a federal jury today on all 17 counts of securities fraud, false securities registration statements, and wire fraud in connection with two pump-and-dump market-manipulation schemes.

    The jury deliberated for less than four hours and determined that Coldicutt used his expertise as an experienced securities lawyer to help clients – who were actually undercover FBI agents – create companies, take them public, release false information about the companies, manipulate the stock for a windfall and conceal their affiliation with those companies.

    In the first scheme, Coldicutt worked with others from 2017 through 2019 to prepare and execute a pump-and-dump stock fraud scheme. Coldicutt created a business plan for a fake backyard fruit harvesting company. He prepared and filed securities registration statements with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for an initial public offering of the company’s stock. The securities registration statements contained false and misleading information about the company, its business plans, and the people who owned and controlled the company.

    In the second scheme, in 2019, one of Coldicutt’s corporate clients needed to raise money fast. Rather than raise money legally, Coldicutt presented the undercover FBI agents with another pump-and-dump stock fraud scheme. Coldicutt wrote a false attorney opinion letter to facilitate the sale of stock for the pump-and-dump scheme.

    During the trial, the government presented multiple recordings connecting Coldicutt to the crimes, including inventing the business plan in the middle of a meeting with undercover FBI agents. Coldicutt was also recorded accepting $2,500 in cash as an advance on successfully completing the pump-and-dump scheme. Jurors were also presented with encrypted messages where Coldicutt coordinated the plans for the pump-and-dump with a cooperating source.

    According to testimony during the trial, the expected profit of the first pump-and-dump scheme was approximately $4.85 million, and Coldicutt’s share would be about $240,000. Since Coldicutt was actually working with undercover FBI agents and sources gathering evidence against him, no investors were injured.

    A “pump and dump” scheme is a type of fraud where manipulators gain control over a company’s stock and boost a company’s stock price by spreading false information or trading in a way that creates fake demand. Once the stock price is inflated, they sell off their shares (the “dump”), causing the price to drop and leaving investors with losses.

    “Securities attorneys and other professionals in the securities industry hold a critical position of trust and responsibility,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Andrew R. Haden. “When these individuals misuse their legal credentials to commit fraud, it is innocent investors who often bear the brunt of the harm. Thanks to the diligent work of FBI investigators and our prosecution team, we were able to expose the wrongdoing and deliver justice without any investors suffering financial loss. This outcome reflects the extraordinary efforts of all involved.”

    “Andrew Coldicutt engaged in a deliberate, unlawful and years long securities fraud scheme,” said FBI San Diego Special Agent in Charge Stacey Moy. “Attorneys are held to a higher standard of conduct and this case proves when an individual in a position of trust abuses their authority for unjust personal gain, the FBI will hold them accountable.”

    The defendant is scheduled to be sentenced on July 11, 2025, before U.S. District Judge Jinsook Ohta.

    The Securities and Exchange Commission has also taken civil action against Coldicutt.

    DEFENDANT                        Case Number 22cr1881                                       

    Andrew Coldicutt                    Age: 44                    San Diego, California

    SUMMARY OF CHARGES

    Title 15, U.S.C., Sec. 77q, 77x – Securities Fraud

    Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in prison

    Title 15, U.S.C., Sec. 77g, 77x – False Securities Registration Statements

    Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in prison

    Title 18, U.S.C., Sec. 1343 – Wire Fraud

    Maximum Penalty: Twenty years in prison

    INVESTIGATING AGENCY

    Federal Bureau of Investigation

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy, Van Hollen champion bipartisan bill to deter executives of foreign companies from insider trading at the expense of American investors

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

    WASHINGTON – Sens. John Kennedy (R-La.) and Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), members of the Senate Banking Committee, today reintroduced the Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act to hold executives of foreign companies that are traded on U.S. stock exchanges to the same disclosure requirements that U.S.-based firms are required to follow. 

    “Insiders at companies in Beijing and Moscow have been able to avoid billions in losses on the U.S. stock exchange by playing by a different set of rules than Americans do. This insider trading comes at a cost to American investors. The Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act will help stop opportunistic insider trading by requiring foreign executives to disclose trades immediately,” said Kennedy.

    “When corporate insiders sell their stocks, investors and the public have a right to know. U.S. firms are required to disclose these trades and provide this information to the public, but foreign companies don’t have to play by the same rules. Our legislation will ensure all corporate insiders are held to the same standard and prevent foreign executives from insider trading at the expense of American investors,” said Van Hollen.

    Currently, executives of U.S. publicly traded companies must disclose any trades they make of their own company’s stocks to the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) within two business days. Meanwhile, executives of foreign firms are not required to make such timely disclosures and are required to file by paper. The lag this system creates means that foreign executives can keep trades private for a longer period of time, which promotes insider trading at the expense of everyday American investors.

    The legislation would amend Section 16 (a) of the Securities Exchange Act to require executives of public companies based outside the U.S. to make electronic disclosures of trades in their company’s stocks to the SEC within two business days. The SEC would then make that information available to the public, as they currently do with U.S.-based firms. 

    Background:

    • In April 2023, Kennedy and Van Hollen outlined their bill in the Wall Street Journal.  
    • In Aug. 2022, reports uncovered that Chinese investors of corporations listed on U.S. exchanges avoided billions of dollars in losses by making seemingly informed sock sales ahead of declines.
    • In May 2022, Kennedy first introduced the Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act. 

    Text of the Holding Foreign Insiders Accountable Act is available here. 

    MIL OSI USA News –