Category: Business

  • MIL-OSI China: China seeks to deepen dialogue, consultations with US

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

    China looks forward to deepening dialogue and consultations with the United States to seek more mutually beneficial outcomes, Ministry of Commerce spokesperson He Yadong said on Thursday.

    The spokesperson made the remarks while responding to a media question about the recent China-U.S. trade talks held in Stockholm, Sweden.

    The two sides held candid, in-depth and constructive exchanges on China-U.S. economic and trade relations, macroeconomic policies, and other topics of mutual concern. Both sides reviewed and acknowledged the consensus reached in Geneva and implementation of the framework established in London, the spokesperson said.

    Based on the consensus reached during the Stockholm talks, both sides will continue to push for extending the suspension of 24 percent of the U.S. reciprocal tariffs, along with China’s corresponding countermeasures, for an additional 90 days, he said.

    The consensus is expected to help further stabilize China-U.S. economic and trade relations and inject more certainty into global economic development and stability, he said.

    China looks forward to working with the United States in accordance with the important consensus reached by the two heads of state to maximize the effectiveness of the bilateral economic and trade consultation mechanism, the spokesperson added.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI: HCM III Acquisition Corp. Announces Pricing of $220 Million Initial Public Offering

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    STAMFORD, CT, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — HCM III Acquisition Corp. (the “Company”), a blank check company whose business purpose is to effect a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses, announced today that it has priced its initial public offering of 22,000,000 units at $10.00 per unit. Each unit consists of one Class A ordinary share and one-third of one redeemable warrant. The units will be listed on the Nasdaq Global Market (“Nasdaq”) and will begin trading tomorrow, August, 1, 2025, under the ticker symbol “HCMAU.” Each whole warrant is exercisable to purchase one Class A ordinary share of the Company at a price of $11.50 per share. Only whole warrants are exercisable and will trade. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, the Class A ordinary shares and warrants are expected to be listed on the Nasdaq under the symbols “HCMA” and “HCMAW,” respectively.

    Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. is acting as sole bookrunner for the offering. The Company has granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to an additional 3,300,000 units at the initial public offering price to cover over-allotments, if any.

    The Company intends to focus on identifying businesses which provide disruptive technology or innovations within the financial services industry. The Company’s efforts will be focused on acquiring established businesses that it believes are fundamentally sound, but in need of assistance to maximize their potential value. The Company is led by Shawn Matthews, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer; and Steve Bischoff, Chief Financial Officer.

    The public offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. When available, copies of the prospectus relating to the offering may be obtained from: Cantor Fitzgerald & Co., Attention Capital Markets, 499 Park Avenue, New York, NY 10022, or by e-mail at prospectus@cantor.com.

    A registration statement relating to the securities was filed with, and declared effective by, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on July 31, 2025. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

    FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

    This press release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements.” Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including those set forth in the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s registration statement filed with the SEC and the preliminary prospectus included therein. Copies of these documents are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law.

    About HCM III Acquisition Corp.

    HCM III Acquisition Corp. is a newly organized blank check company formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, capital stock exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. The Company intends to focus on identifying businesses which provide disruptive technology or innovations within the financial services industry. The Company’s efforts will be focused on acquiring established businesses that it believes are fundamentally sound, but in need of assistance to maximize their potential value.

    Media Contact:
    Steve Bischoff
    sbischoff@hondiuscapital.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: The Ether Machine Marks Ethereum’s 10th Birthday with Major ETH Treasury Purchase

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York, NY, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Ether Machine, the ether generation company, announced yesterday that The Ether Reserve LLC has purchased nearly 15,000 ETH at $3,809.97 USD for a total of $56,900,000.01 USD as part of The Ether Machine’s long-term accumulation strategy. This brings total ETH purchased and committed to 334,757 with up to $407,000,000 of USD remaining for additional ETH purchases.

    Timed to coincide with Ethereum’s 10-year anniversary, the purchase marks the beginning of The Ether Machine’s treasury deployment, and reflects a deep conviction in ETH as the most important asset of the decentralized internet and its mission to build a long-term, institutional-grade ETH treasury.

    “We couldn’t imagine a better way to commemorate Ethereum’s 10th birthday than by deepening our commitment to ether,” said Andrew Keys, Chairman and Co-Founder of The Ether Machine. “We are just getting started. Our mandate is to accumulate, compound, and support ETH for the long term – not just as a financial asset, but as the backbone of a new internet economy.”

    The purchase was made by The Ether Reserve LLC from part of the $97 million in cash proceeds from its previously announced private placement. The Ether Reserve LLC will purchase additional ether from the remaining proceeds in the coming days, which will be announced separately.

    In parallel with the accumulation announcement, Keys also made a personal donation of $100,000 to the Protocol Guild, a community-led funding initiative supporting Ethereum’s core protocol contributors. The Protocol Guild is widely recognized as one of the most effective models for open-source sustainability in Web3, having distributed millions of dollars to over 150 long-term researchers, developers, and maintainers responsible for Ethereum’s base layer.

    “Ethereum would not exist without the tireless work of its core developers,” said Keys. “This donation is a token of thanks to the stewards of the protocol, and a celebration of everything Ethereum has made possible over the past decade. Happy 10th birthday, Ethereum.”

    ——————

    About The Ether Machine

    Formed through a business combination (to be completed) between The Ether Reserve LLC and Dynamix Corporation, a NASDAQ-listed special purpose acquisition company (the “Business Combination”), pursuant to a definitive business combination agreement (the “Business Combination Agreement”), The Ether Machine is an Ethereum yield and infrastructure company purpose-built for institutional management and scale. Expected to be anchored by one of the largest on-chain ETH positions of any public entity, The Ether Machine will actively generate and optimize ETH-denominated returns through staking, restaking, and secure, professionally risk-managed DeFi participation. The Ether Machine also expects to provide turnkey infrastructure solutions for enterprises, DAOs, and Ethereum-native builders seeking access to Ethereum’s consensus and blockspace economy. To learn more, please visit www.ethermachine.com.

    About Protocol Guild

    Protocol Guild is a community-led funding mechanism that supports the long-term contributors maintaining Ethereum’s core protocol. Through an eligibility framework, member registry, and onchain contracts, the Guild allocates funding transparently and over time to those advancing Ethereum’s layer 1. It operates independently of governance decisions and helps ensure the protocol’s most critical work is sustainably supported as a public good. To learn, please visit www.protocolguild.org.

    About Dynamix Corporation

    Dynamix Corporation (“DYNX”) is a special purpose acquisition company incorporated under the laws of Cayman Islands for the purpose of effecting a merger, amalgamation, share exchange, asset acquisition, share purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses. DYNX is led by the following seasoned investors and industry executives: Andrea “Andrejka” Bernatova, Chief Executive Officer and Chairman, Nader Daylami, Chief Financial Officer, Philip Rajan, Vice President of M&A and Strategy and board members, Lynn A. Peterson, Diaco Aviki and Tyler Crabtree. Additionally, Ralph Alexander, Joe Gatto, Peter Gross, Jimmy Henderson, Tommy Stone, and Steve Webster served as Advisors to DYNX. DYNX maintains a corporate website at https://dynamix-corp.com.

    Media Contact:
    press@ethermachine.com

    Additional Information and Where to Find It

    DYNX and The Ether Machine, Inc. (“Pubco”) intend to file with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) a Registration Statement on Form S-4 (the “Registration Statement”), which will include a preliminary proxy statement of DYNX and a prospectus of Pubco (the “Proxy Statement/Prospectus”) in connection with the Business Combination and the other transactions contemplated by the Business Combination Agreement and/or described in this communication (together with the Business Combination and the private placement investments, the “Proposed Transactions”). The definitive proxy statement and other relevant documents will be mailed to shareholders of DYNX as of a record date to be established for voting on the Business Combination and other matters as described in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus. DYNX and/or Pubco will also file other documents regarding the Proposed Transactions with the SEC. This communication does not contain all of the information that should be considered concerning the Proposed Transactions and is not intended to form the basis of any investment decision or any other decision in respect of the Proposed Transactions. BEFORE MAKING ANY VOTING OR INVESTMENT DECISION, SHAREHOLDERS OF DYNX AND OTHER INTERESTED PARTIES ARE URGED TO READ, WHEN AVAILABLE, THE PRELIMINARY PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS, AND AMENDMENTS THERETO, AND THE DEFINITIVE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS AND ALL OTHER RELEVANT DOCUMENTS FILED OR THAT WILL BE FILED WITH THE SEC IN CONNECTION WITH DYNX’S SOLICITATION OF PROXIES FOR THE EXTRAORDINARY GENERAL MEETING OF ITS SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD TO APPROVE THE PROPOSED TRANSACTIONS AND OTHER MATTERS AS DESCRIBED IN THE PROXY STATEMENT/PROSPECTUS BECAUSE THESE DOCUMENTS WILL CONTAIN IMPORTANT INFORMATION ABOUT DYNX, THE COMPANY, PUBCO AND THE PROPOSED TRANSACTIONS. Investors and security holders will also be able to obtain copies of the Registration Statement and the Proxy Statement/Prospectus and all other documents filed or that will be filed with the SEC by DYNX and Pubco, without charge, once available, on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or by directing a request to: Dynamix Corp, 1980 Post Oak Blvd., Suite 100, PMB 6373, Houston, TX 77056; e-mail: info@regen.io, or to: The Ether Machine, Inc., 2093 Philadelphia Pike #2640, Claymont, DE 19703, e-mail: dm@etherreserve.com.

    NEITHER THE SEC NOR ANY STATE SECURITIES REGULATORY AGENCY HAS APPROVED OR DISAPPROVED THE PROPOSED TRANSACTIONS DESCRIBED HEREIN, PASSED UPON THE MERITS OR FAIRNESS OF THE BUSINESS COMBINATION OR ANY RELATED TRANSACTIONS OR PASSED UPON THE ADEQUACY OR ACCURACY OF THE DISCLOSURE IN THIS COMMUNICATION. ANY REPRESENTATION TO THE CONTRARY CONSTITUTES A CRIMINAL OFFENSE.

    The Pubco Class A Stock to be issued by Pubco and the class A units issued and to be issued by The Ether Reserve LLC (the “Company”), in each case, in connection with the Proposed Transactions, have not been registered under the Securities Act and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act.

    Participants in the Solicitation

    DYNX, Pubco, the Company and their respective directors and executive officers may be deemed under SEC rules to be participants in the solicitation of proxies from DYNX’s shareholders in connection with the Business Combination. A list of the names of such directors and executive officers, and information regarding their interests in the Business Combination and their ownership of DYNX’s securities are, or will be, contained in DYNX’s filings with the SEC. Additional information regarding the interests of the persons who may, under SEC rules, be deemed participants in the solicitation of proxies of DYNX’s shareholders in connection with the Business Combination, including the names and interests of the Company and Pubco’s directors and executive officers, will be set forth in the Proxy Statement/Prospectus, which is expected to be filed by DYNX and Pubco with the SEC. Investors and security holders may obtain free copies of these documents as described above.

    No Offer or Solicitation

    This communication is for informational purposes only and is not a proxy statement or solicitation of a proxy, consent or authorization with respect to any securities or in respect of the Proposed Transactions and shall not constitute an offer to sell or exchange, or a solicitation of an offer to buy or exchange the securities of DYNX, the Company or Pubco, or any commodity or instrument or related derivative, nor shall there be any sale of any such securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation, sale or exchange would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of such state or jurisdiction. No offer of securities shall be made except by means of a prospectus meeting the requirements of the Securities Act or an exemption therefrom. Investors should consult with their counsel as to the applicable requirements for a purchaser to avail itself of any exemption under the Securities Act.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This communication contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws with respect to the Proposed Transactions and the parties thereto, including expectations, hopes, beliefs, intentions, plans, prospects, results or strategies regarding Pubco, the Company, DYNX and the Proposed Transactions and statements regarding the anticipated benefits and timing of completion of the Proposed Transactions, business plans and investment strategies of Pubco, the Company and DYNX, expected use of the cash proceeds of the Proposed Transactions, the Company’s ability to stake and leverage capital markets and other staking operations and participation in restaking, the amount of capital expected to be received in the Proposed Transactions, the assets held by Pubco, Ether’s position as the most productive digital asset, plans to increase yield to investors, any expected growth or opportunities associated with Ether, Pubco’s listing on an applicable securities exchange and the timing of such listing, expectations of Ether to perform as a superior treasury asset, the upside potential and opportunity for investors resulting from any Proposed Transactions, any proposed transaction structures and offering terms and the Company’s and Pubco’s plans for Ether adoption, value creation, investor benefits and strategic advantages. These forward-looking statements generally are identified by the words “believe,” “project,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “intend,” “strategy,” “future,” “opportunity,” “potential,” “plan,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “will be,” “will continue,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions.

    These are subject to various risks and uncertainties, including regulatory review, Ethereum protocol developments, market dynamics, the risk that the Proposed Transactions may not be completed in a timely manner or at all, failure for any condition to closing of the Business Combination to be met, the risk that the Business Combination may not be completed by DYNX’s business combination deadline, the failure by the parties to satisfy the conditions to the consummation of the Business Combination, including the approval of DYNX’s shareholders, or the private placement investments, costs related to the Proposed Transactions and as a result of becoming a public company, failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the Proposed Transactions, the level of redemptions of DYNX’s public shareholders which may reduce the public float of, reduce the liquidity of the trading market of, and/or maintain the quotation, listing, or trading of the Class A shares of DYNX or the shares of Pubco Class A Stock, the lack of a third-party fairness opinion in determining whether or not to pursue the Business Combination, the failure of Pubco to obtain or maintain the listing of its securities any stock exchange on which Pubco Class A Stock will be listed after closing of the Business Combination, changes in business, market, financial, political and regulatory conditions, risks relating to Pubco’s anticipated operations and business, including the highly volatile nature of the price of Ether, the risk that Pubco’s stock price will be highly correlated to the price of Ether and the price of Ether may decrease between the signing of the definitive documents for the Proposed Transactions and the closing of the Proposed Transactions or at any time after the closing of the Proposed Transactions, risks related to increased competition in the industries in which Pubco will operate, risks relating to significant legal, commercial, regulatory and technical uncertainty regarding Ether, risks relating to the treatment of crypto assets for U.S. and foreign tax purposes, challenges in implementing its business plan including Ether-related financial and advisory services, due to operational challenges, significant competition and regulation, being considered to be a “shell company” by any stock exchange on which the Pubco Class A Stock will be listed or by the SEC, which may impact the ability to list Pubco’s Class A Stock and restrict reliance on certain rules or forms in connection with the offering, sale or resale of securities, the outcome of any potential legal proceedings that may be instituted against the Company, DYNX, Pubco or others following announcement of the Business Combination and those risk factors discussed in documents of the Company, Pubco, or DYNX filed, or to be filed, with the SEC. The foregoing list of risk factors is not exhaustive. You should carefully consider the foregoing factors and the other risks and uncertainties described in the “Risk Factors” section of the final prospectus of DYNX dated as of November 20, 2024 and filed by DYNX with the SEC on November 21, 2024, DYNX’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, DYNX’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on March 20, 2025 and the registration statement on Form S-4 and proxy statement/prospectus that will be filed by Pubco and DYNX, and other documents filed by DYNX and Pubco from time to time with the SEC, as well as the list of risk factors included herein. These filings do or will identify and address other important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in the forward-looking statements. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known or that are currently deemed immaterial may also cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on forward- looking statements, and none of the parties or any of their representatives assumes any obligation and do not intend to update or revise these forward-looking statements, each of which are made only as of the date of this communication.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Electricity industry on notice as more households invest in subsidised batteries and solar

    Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

    The ACCC is warning battery and solar suppliers and electricity retailers their sales practices must meet scrutiny as demand for home batteries and solar systems jumps due to subsidy schemes and the large savings that households on solar and battery plans are experiencing.

    The ACCC’s latest Electricity Inquiry Report examines emerging markets for new electricity services, particularly those supported by solar and battery systems, and compares the electricity bills of solar and battery customers with the bills of regular customers who draw only from the grid.

    The report found that the Australian Government’s Cheaper Home Batteries Program is making batteries more affordable and providing more households an opportunity to lower their electricity bills. To ensure that consumers receive the full benefit of the Program, the ACCC is warning that retailers and installers must act in the consumer’s interest.

    “As more Australian households switch to battery and solar plans, it’s important that the deals on offer are fair, accurate and easy to understand,” ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey said.

    “The ACCC will be watching carefully and actively monitoring consumer complaints. We will hold solar and battery installers, retailers and suppliers accountable to ensure they comply with Australia’s consumer laws.”

    “Consumers looking to take advantage of the new subsidies for solar home batteries to lower their energy bills, should take their time and not feel pressured to rush in straight away,” Ms Brakey said.

    The report emphasises the complexity of investing in a solar and home battery system and the need for consumers to understand whether the benefits they receive outweigh the costs, particularly when choosing system sizes.

    The report supports calls for additional consumer protections to safeguard consumers purchasing systems and signing up to new energy services like virtual power plants. It also supports calls for an overarching consumer duty that requires energy companies to act in the interests of consumers.

    “We believe additional consumer protections are needed as more Australians participate in markets for new and emerging energy services,” Ms Brakey said.

    “We advise consumers to read the Australian Government’s Solar Consumer Guide, compare a number of quotes from different providers, and ask for personalised information from solar and battery sellers about the appropriate size for their system and the projected cost savings.”

    Solar and battery customers see biggest bill savings

    Australian households with rooftop solar and a home battery have electricity bills that are on average 40 per cent less than customers whose electricity comes entirely from the grid (regular users), the report found.

    The report presents new analysis of the 2023 to 2024 billing outcomes of customers that have adopted different renewable energy solutions and compares them to regular users.

    The median annual residential electricity bill for regular users, without rebates, in the National Electricity Market in 2023 to 2024 was $1,565. The median household with rooftop solar paid about 18 per cent less ($1,279 per year), while a household with solar and a home battery paid about 40 per cent less ($936).

    Residential customers who are connected to a virtual power plant, which is an energy sharing network of solar and batteries, paid about 63 per cent less ($580) than the median household.

    “Home solar and batteries continue to be a compelling option for Australians who can afford the upfront cost, with those who are connected to a virtual power plant saving up to almost $1000 off their annual bill,” ACCC Commissioner Anna Brakey said.

    Median bills paid by regular, solar, battery and virtual power plant customers, by region, quarter 3 of 2023 to quarter 3 of 2024.

    Government rebates bring down power bills by 21 per cent

    The report also shows that government rebates resulted in the median quarterly household power bill dropping by 21 per cent between the third quarter 2023 and third quarter 2024.

    Without rebates, the median quarterly bill would have instead risen by 4 per cent.

    “The sharpest decline across the National Electricity Market was in South East Queensland, where rebates exceeded the median bill amount,” Ms Brakey said.

    Background

    The National Electricity Market is comprised of South East Queensland, New South Wales (including the ACT), Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia. Western Australia and the Northern Territory are not connected to the National Electricity Market.

    To inform this report, we collected billing data from 8 retailers, which cover 97 per cent of residential customers and 90 per cent of small business customers in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia and South East Queensland. We obtained additional data for customers on virtual power plant services, electric vehicle tariffs and behavioural demand response plans.

    In 2018, the Australian Government directed the ACCC to hold an inquiry into the prices, profits and margins in relation to the supply of electricity in the National Electricity Market (which covers NSW, Victoria, South East Queensland and South Australia). On 23 March 2025, the Australian Government announced a 12-month extension to the inquiry.

    This is the 13th time the ACCC has reported as part of this inquiry.

    The report is available on the ACCC’s website at Electricity market monitoring 2018-2025.

    The ACCC is required to report at least every 6 months. The next report is scheduled for December 2025.

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Financial news: Three Federal Treasury deposit auctions will take place on 01.08.2025

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Exchange – Moscow Exchange –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Application selection parameters
    Date of the selection of applications 01.08.2025
    Unique identifier of the application selection 32025016
    Deposit currency rubles
    Type of funds funds of the Social Fund of Russia (funds of the ROOSS)
    Maximum amount of funds placed in bank deposits, million monetary units 237 862
    Placement period, in days 129
    Date of deposit 01.08.2025
    Refund date 08.12.2025
    Interest rate for placement of funds (fixed or floating) Floating
    Minimum fixed interest rate for placement of funds, % per annum
    Basic floating interest rate for placement of funds Ruonmds
    Minimum spread, % per annum 0.00
    Terms of conclusion of a bank deposit agreement (fixed-term, replenishable or special) Special
    Minimum amount of funds placed for one application, million monetary units 1
    Maximum number of applications from one credit institution, pcs. 5
    Application selection form (open or closed) Open
    Application selection schedule (Moscow time)
    Venue for the selection of applications PAO Moscow Exchange
    Applications accepted: from 16:00 to 16:10
    *Preliminary applications: from 16:00 to 16:05
    *Competition mode applications: from 16:05 to 16:10**
    **Time interval for the end of accepting applications (seconds): 120
    Formation of a consolidated register of applications: from 16:10 to 16:20
    Setting a cut-off percentage rate and/or recognizing the selection of applications as unsuccessful: from 16:10 to 16:30
    Submission to credit institutions of an offer to conclude a bank deposit agreement: from 16:30 to 17:20
    Receiving acceptance of an offer to conclude a bank deposit agreement from credit institutions: from 16:30 to 17:20
    Deposit transfer time In accordance with the requirements of paragraph 63 and paragraph 64 of the Order of the Federal Treasury dated 04/27/2023 No. 10n

    * for the open form of selection of applications from credit institutions for the conclusion of bank deposit agreements.

    ** the end time for accepting applications from credit institutions to conclude bank deposit agreements is set within the time interval and is determined by the exchange’s information software and hardware arbitrarily, within the established time interval.

    RUONmDS = RUONIA – DS, where

    RUONIA – the value of the indicative weighted rate of overnight ruble loans (deposits) RUONIA, expressed in hundredths of a percent, published on the official website of the Bank of Russia on the Internet on the day preceding the day for which interest is accrued. In the absence of a RUONIA rate value published on the day preceding the day for which interest is accrued, the last of the published RUONIA rate values is taken into account.

    DS – discount – a value expressed in hundredths of a percent and rounded (according to the rules of mathematical rounding) to two decimal places, calculated by multiplying the value of the Key Rate of the Bank of Russia by the value of the required reserve ratio for other liabilities of credit institutions for banks with a universal license, non-bank credit institutions (except for long-term ones) in the currency of the Russian Federation, valid on the date for which interest is accrued, and published on the official website of the Bank of Russia on the Internet.

    Application selection parameters
    Date of the selection of applications 01.08.2025
    Unique identifier of the application selection 22025223
    Deposit currency rubles
    Type of funds funds of the single treasury account
    Maximum amount of funds placed in bank deposits, million monetary units 248,000
    Placement period, in days 4
    Date of deposit 01.08.2025
    Refund date 05.08.2025
    Interest rate for placement of funds (fixed or floating) Fixed
    Minimum fixed interest rate for placement of funds, % per annum 17,19
    Basic floating interest rate for placement of funds
    Minimum spread, % per annum
    Terms of conclusion of a bank deposit agreement (fixed-term, replenishable or special) Urgent
    Minimum amount of funds placed for one application, million monetary units 1,000
    Maximum number of applications from one credit institution, pcs. 5
    Application selection form (open or closed) Open
    Application selection schedule (Moscow time)
    Venue for the selection of applications PAO Moscow Exchange
    Applications accepted: from 09:30 to 09:40
    *Preliminary applications: from 09:30 to 09:35
    *Competition mode applications: from 09:35 to 09:40**
    **Time interval for the end of accepting applications (seconds): 120
    Formation of a consolidated register of applications: from 09:40 to 09:50
    Setting a cut-off percentage rate and/or recognizing the selection of applications as unsuccessful: from 09:40 to 10:00
    Submission to credit institutions of an offer to conclude a bank deposit agreement: from 10:00 to 10:50
    Receiving acceptance of an offer to conclude a bank deposit agreement from credit institutions: from 10:00 to 10:50
    Deposit transfer time In accordance with the requirements of paragraph 63 and paragraph 64 of the Order of the Federal Treasury dated 04/27/2023 No. 10n

    * for the open form of selection of applications from credit institutions for the conclusion of bank deposit agreements.

    ** the end time for accepting applications from credit institutions to conclude bank deposit agreements is set within the time interval and is determined by the exchange’s information software and hardware arbitrarily, within the established time interval.

    Application selection parameters
    Date of the selection of applications 01.08.2025
    Unique identifier of the application selection 22025224
    Deposit currency rubles
    Type of funds funds of the single treasury account
    Maximum amount of funds placed in bank deposits, million monetary units 100,000
    Placement period, in days 14
    Date of deposit 01.08.2025
    Refund date 08/15/2025
    Interest rate for placement of funds (fixed or floating) Floating
    Minimum fixed interest rate for placement of funds, % per annum
    Basic floating interest rate for placement of funds Ruonmds
    Minimum spread, % per annum 0.00
    Terms of conclusion of a bank deposit agreement (fixed-term, replenishable or special) Urgent
    Minimum amount of funds placed for one application, million monetary units 1,000
    Maximum number of applications from one credit institution, pcs. 5
    Application selection form (open or closed) Open
    Application selection schedule (Moscow time)
    Venue for the selection of applications PAO Moscow Exchange
    Applications accepted: from 12:00 to 12:10
    *Preliminary applications: from 12:00 to 12:05
    *Competition mode applications: from 12:05 to 12:10**
    **Time interval for the end of accepting applications (seconds): 120
    Formation of a consolidated register of applications: from 12:10 to 12:20
    Setting a cut-off percentage rate and/or recognizing the selection of applications as unsuccessful: from 12:10 to 12:30
    Submission to credit institutions of an offer to conclude a bank deposit agreement: from 12:30 to 13:20
    Receiving acceptance of an offer to conclude a bank deposit agreement from credit institutions: from 12:30 to 13:20
    Deposit transfer time In accordance with the requirements of paragraph 63 and paragraph 64 of the Order of the Federal Treasury dated 04/27/2023 No. 10n

    * for the open form of selection of applications from credit institutions for the conclusion of bank deposit agreements.

    ** the end time for accepting applications from credit institutions to conclude bank deposit agreements is set within the time interval and is determined by the exchange’s information software and hardware arbitrarily, within the established time interval.

    RUONmDS = RUONIA – DS, where

    RUONIA – the value of the indicative weighted rate of overnight ruble loans (deposits) RUONIA, expressed in hundredths of a percent, published on the official website of the Bank of Russia on the Internet on the day preceding the day for which interest is accrued. In the absence of a RUONIA rate value published on the day preceding the day for which interest is accrued, the last of the published RUONIA rate values is taken into account.

    DS – discount – a value expressed in hundredths of a percent and rounded (according to the rules of mathematical rounding) to two decimal places, calculated by multiplying the value of the Key Rate of the Bank of Russia by the value of the required reserve ratio for other liabilities of credit institutions for banks with a universal license, non-bank credit institutions (except for long-term ones) in the currency of the Russian Federation, valid on the date for which interest is accrued, and published on the official website of the Bank of Russia on the Internet.

    Contact information for media 7 (495) 363-3232Pr@moex.kom

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Export – ABB named ExportNZ ASB Exporter of the Year 2025 at ExportNZ ASB Hawke’s Bay Export Awards – Business Central

    Source: Business Central

    ABB has been named as Exporter of the Year at the 2025 ExportNZ ASB Hawke’s Bay Export Awards
    The supreme winner was crowned in Hawke’s Bay at the Toitoi Hawke’s Bay Arts and Event Centre at a sold-out gala dinner.
    MC Matt Chisholm opened the event – followed by a virtual address from Trade and Investment Minister Hon Todd McClay, in front of a sold-out crowd.
    The longstanding and highly successful awards are presented by ExportNZ in partnership with ASB to reward and recognise the region’s outstanding exporters.
    ASB Head of International Trade Mike Atkins, who presented the Exporter of the Year award, said the quality of entries this year underscored the spirit and purpose of the awards.
    “We uncovered a rock star in ABB while both Starboard Bio and Ovenden Seeds have potential to make a meaningful difference in the world.
    “At ASB, we are passionate about enabling exporters to scale up, be it through working capital funding or other advisory initiatives across clean tech, food & fibre, productivity, and sustainability.
    “Our partnership with ExportNZ in celebrating these awards continues our commitment to the region’s exporters.”
    ASB Exporter of the Year ABB Napier is a largely autonomous company specialising in power systems design in production, says the judges.
    “Originally VecTek in Onekawa, they have retained their engineering skills, and through a strong focus on innovation and quality produced a unique world leading UPS product. All these products are designed, built and tested to exceptional quality right here in Hawke’s Bay.
    “All the winners and finalists are truly exceptional, and we as judges felt spoilt for choice – congratulations to all involved”
    Winners and nominees alike across all categories were celebrated by judges and the audience.
    ExportNZ Hawke’s Bay Regional Manager Amanda Liddle said “It is outstanding to see another cohort of such amazing finalists and winners.
    “Going global is a tough business – more so than ever, but tonight’s exporters show the best of what our region has to offer.
    “Congratulations to ASB Exporter of the Year ABB, who also picked up the Ziwi Excellence in Innovation award, your products and clarity of vision were awe inspiring and the win is well deserved.
    “All of us at ExportNZ would also like to give our special congratulations to Stephen Jacobi, this year’s NZME Service to Export Award winner. Stephen’s tireless advocacy has unlocked many opportunities for New Zealand exporters and businesses the world over, and his tenure on the ExportNZ Advisory Board has been invaluable to the organisation.”
    Winners of each category will now go on to the final stage of the New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NZTE) International Business Awards, held in Auckland on November 27 th for a night of national celebration and international recognition.
    The full list of winners:
    • 2025  ASB Exporter of the Year: ABB – ABB Napier designs and manufactures innovative solutions to make AI-driven data centres more affordable and energy efficient, addressing AI’s high-power demands. Operating in New Zealand for over 90 years, ABB has invested around $34 million in Napier since 2020 and employs 145 people locally, with plans to expand by up to 50 more as production grows.
    • T&G  Global Best Established Business Award: Starboard Bio – Starboard Bio produces and exports animal-derived pharmaceutical, nutraceutical, and functional food ingredients, supplying frozen raw materials and powdered ingredients for encapsulation to the EU and US markets. The company operates with a team passionate about their products, the New Zealand brand, and enhancing value within the NZ red meat industry.
    • ContainerCo  Best Emerging Business: Ovenden Seeds – Ovenden Seeds is a specialist seed multiplication company growing, processing, and exporting herb and vegetable seeds, particularly smaller, hard-to-handle varieties. Seeds are dried, cleaned, and packed at a custom facility near Waipawa. With farms in Hawke’s Bay and grower partners in Canterbury, Ovenden focuses on growth and exports to the UK, EU, and US
    • Judges’  Choice Award: Haumako – Haumako is the Tātau Tātau Trust’s commercial entity and develops and grows horticultural products for the export market. Tātau invests directly in horticulture to further diversify their economy, foster sustainable regional growth, and create valuable local jobs. By expanding the horticulture industry in Wairoa, Tātau encourages better use of Māori-owned land by sharing opportunities, learning, knowledge gained in their own orchards.
    • Ziwi  Excellence in Innovation Award: ABB
    • NZME  Service to Export Award: Stephen Jacobi
    • Napier  Port Unsung Heroes Award: Tamsyn Illston, Natural Pet Foods & Nick Elliot, ABB.
    Notes:
    ExportNZ Hawke’s Bay is overseen by Business Central, which represents around 3,500 organisations across the lower North Island. Business Central offers advice, learning, advocacy, and support to a wide range of organisations across Central New Zealand. Business Central is part of the BusinessNZ Network.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Rockabye baby: the ‘love songs’ of lonely leopard seals resemble human nursery rhymes

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Lucinda Chambers, PhD Candidate in Marine Bioacoustics, UNSW Sydney

    CassandraSm/Shutterstock

    Late in the evening, the Antarctic sky flushes pink. The male leopard seal wakes and slips from the ice into the water. There, he’ll spend the night singing underwater amongst the floating ice floes.

    For the next two months he sings every night. He will sing so loudly, the ice around him vibrates. Each song is a sequence of trills and hoots, performed in a particular pattern.

    In a world first, we analysed leopard seal songs and found the predictability of their patterns was remarkably similar to the nursery rhymes humans sing.

    We think this is a deliberate strategy. While leopard seals are solitary animals, the males need their call to carry clearly across vast stretches of icy ocean, to woo a mate.

    Solitary leopard seals want their call to carry.
    Ozge Elif Kizil/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images

    A season of underwater solos

    Leopard seals (Hydrurga leptonyx) are named after their spotted coats. They live on ice and surrounding waters in Antarctica.

    Leopard seals are especially vocal during breeding season, which lasts from late October to early January. A female leopard seal sings for a few hours on the days she is in heat. But the males are the real showstoppers.

    Each night, the males perform underwater solos for up to 13 hours. They dive into the sea, singing underwater for about two minutes before returning to the water’s surface to breathe and rest. This demanding routine continues for weeks.

    A male leopard seal weighs about 320 kilograms, but produces surprisingly high-pitched trills, similar to those of a tiny cricket.

    Within a leopard seal population, the sounds themselves don’t vary much in pitch or duration. But the order and pattern in which the sounds are produced varies considerably between individuals.

    Our research examined these individual songs. We compared them to that of other vocal animals, and to human music.

    Listening to songs from the sea

    The data used in the study was collected by one author of this article, Tracey Rogers, in the 1990s.

    Rogers rode her quad bike across the Antarctic ice to the edge of the sea and marked 26 individual male seals with dye as they slept. Then she returned to record their songs at night.

    The new research involved analysing these recordings, to better understand their structure and patterns. We did this by measuring the “entropy” of their sequences. Entropy measures how predictable or random a sequence is.

    We found the songs are composed of five key “notes” or call types. Listen to each one below.

    A low double trill.
    Tracey Rogers UNSW Sydney, CC BY-SA28.5 KB (download)

    A hoot with low single trill.
    Tracey Rogers UNSW Sydney, CC BY-SA53.8 KB (download)

    High double trill.
    Tracey Rogers UNSW Sydney, CC BY-SA29.7 KB (download)

    Low descending single trill.
    Tracey Rogers UNSW Sydney, CC BY-SA49 KB (download)

    Medium single trill.
    Tracey Rogers UNSW Sydney, CC BY-SA22.7 KB (download)

    A remarkably predictable pattern

    We then compared the songs of the male leopard seals with several styles of human music: baroque, classical, romantic and contemporary, as well as songs by The Beatles and nursery rhymes.

    What stood out was the similarity between the predictability of human nursery rhymes and leopard seal calls. Nursery rhymes are simple, repetitive and easy to remember — and that’s what we heard in the leopard seal songs.

    The range of “entropy” was similar to the 39 nursery rhymes from the Golden Song Book, a collection of words and sheet music for classic children’s songs, which was first published in 1945. It includes classics such:

    • Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star
    • Frère Jacques
    • Ring Around a Rosy
    • Baa, Baa, Black Sheep
    • Humpty Dumpty
    • Three Blind Mice
    • Rockabye Baby.

    For humans, the predictable structure of a nursery rhyme melody helps make it simple enough for a child to learn. For a leopard seal, this predictability may enable the individual to learn its song and keep singing it over multiple days. This consistency is important, because changes in pitch or frequency can create miscommunication.

    Like sperm whales, leopard seals may also use song to set themselves apart from others and signal their fitness to reproduce. The greater structure in the songs helps ensure listeners accurately receive the message and identify who is singing.

    Male leopard seals produce high-pitched cricket-like trills.

    An evolving song?

    Leopard seals sound very different to humans. But our research shows the complexity and structure of their songs is remarkably similar to our own nursery rhymes.

    Communication through song is a very common animal behaviour. However, structure and predictability in mammal song has only been studied in a handful of species. We know very little about what drives it.

    Understanding animal communication is important. It can improve conservation efforts and animal welfare, and provide important information about animal cognition and evolution.

    Technology has advanced rapidly since our recordings were made in the 1990s. In future, we hope to revisit Antarctica to record and study further, to better understand if new call types have emerged, and if patterns of leopard seal song evolve from generation to generation.

    Tracey Rogers receives funding from ARC.

    Lucinda Chambers 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. Rockabye baby: the ‘love songs’ of lonely leopard seals resemble human nursery rhymes – https://theconversation.com/rockabye-baby-the-love-songs-of-lonely-leopard-seals-resemble-human-nursery-rhymes-262113

    MIL OSI

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: A Hawaiian epic made in NZ: why Jason Momoa’s Chief of War wasn’t filmed in its star’s homeland

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Duncan Caillard, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Communication Studies, Auckland University of Technology

    Jason Momoa’s historical epic Chief of War, launching August 1 on Apple TV+, is a triumph of Hawaiians telling their own stories – despite the fact their film and TV production industry now struggles to be viable.

    The series stars Momoa (Aquaman, Game of Thrones) as Kaʻaina, an ali’i (chief) who fights for – and later rises against – King Kamehameha I during the bloody reunification of Hawaii.

    Already receiving advance praise, the nine-episode first season co-stars New Zealand actors Temeura Morrison, Cliff Curtis and Luciane Buchanan, alongside Hawaiian actors Kaina Makua, Brandon Finn and Moses Goods.

    A passion project for Momoa, the Hawaiian star co-created the series with writer Thomas Pa’a Sibbett after years in development. With a reported budget of US$340 million, it is one of the most expensive television series ever produced.

    It is also a milestone in Kānaka Maoli (Native Hawaiian) representation onscreen. Controversially, however, the production only spent a month in Hawaiʻi, and was mostly shot in New Zealand with non-Hawaiian crews.

    Momoa has even expressed an interest in New Zealand citizenship, but the choice of location is more a reflection of the troubled state of the film industry in Hawaiʻi. On the other hand, it is a measure of the success of the New Zealand screen industry, with potential lessons for other countries in the Pacific.

    Ea o Moʻolelo – story sovereignty

    Set at the turn of the 19th century, Chief of War tells the moʻolelo (story, history) of King Kamehameha I’s conquest of the archipelago.

    Hawaiʻi was historically governed by aliʻi nui (high chiefs), and each island was ruled independently. Motivated by the threat of European colonisation and empowered by Western weaponry, Kamehameha established the Hawaiian Kingdom, culminating in full unification in 1810.

    The series is an important example of what authors Dean Hamer and Kumu Hinaleimoana Wong-Kalu have called “Ea o Moʻolelo”, or story sovereignty, which emphasises Indigenous peoples’ right to control their own narrative by respecting the “the inalienable right of a story to its own unique contents, style and purpose”.

    Chief of War is also the biggest Hawaiian television series ever produced. Although Hawaiʻi remains a popular setting onscreen, these productions have rarely involved Hawaiians in key decision-making roles.

    Sea of troubles

    The series hits screens at a time of major disruption in Hollywood, with streaming services upending established business models.

    “Linear” network television faces declining viewership and advertising revenue. Movie studios struggle to draw audiences to theatres. The consequences for workers in the the industry have been severe, as the 2023 writers strike showed.

    Those changes have had a catastrophic impact on the Hawaiʻi film industry, too.

    Long a popular location – Hawaii Five-O (1968-1980, 2010-2020), Magnum P.I. (1980-1988, 2018-2024) and Lost (2004-2010) were all shot on location in Hawaiʻi – it is an expensive place to film.

    Actors, crew and production equipment often have to be flown in from the continental United States, and producers compete with tourism for costly accommodation.

    Kaina Makua as King Kamehameha and New Zealand actor Luciane Buchanan as Ka’ahumanu in Chief of War.
    Apple TV+

    An industry in transition

    These are not uncommon problems in distant locations, and many governments try to attract screen productions through tax incentives and rebates on portions of the production costs.

    New Zealand, for example, offers a 20-25% rebate for international productions and 40% for local productions. Hawaiʻi offers a 22-27% rebate.

    But this is less than other US states offer, such as Georgia (30%), Louisiana (40%) and New Mexico (40%). Hawaiʻi also has an annual cap of US$50 million on rebates.

    To make things even harder, Hawaiʻi offers only limited support for Indigenous filmmakers. Governments in Australia and New Zealand provide targeted funding and support for Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander and Māori filmmakers.

    By contrast, the Hawaiʻi Film Commission doesn’t provide direct grants to local filmmakers or producers (Indigenous or otherwise). Small amounts of government funding have been administered through the Public Broadcasting Service, but this is now in jeopardy after US President Donald Trump recently cut federal funding.

    The Hawaiʻi screen industry faces a perfect storm. For the first time since 2004, film and TV production has ground to a halt. Many workers now doubt the long-term sustainability of their careers.

    Lessons from Aotearoa NZ

    While there are lessons Hawaiʻi legislators and industry leaders could learn from New Zealand’s example, there should also be a measure of caution.

    The Hawaiʻi tax credit system is out of date. But despite industry lobbying, legislation to update it failed to reach the floor of the legislature earlier this year. New tax settings would help make local production viable again.

    Secondly, decades of investment in Māori cinema have seen it become diverse, engaging and creatively accomplished. Hawaiʻi could benefit from greater direct investment in Hawaiian storytelling, respecting its cultural value even if it doesn’t turn a commercial profit.

    On the other hand, New Zealand has a favourable currency exchange rate with the US which can’t be replicated in Hawaiʻi. And New Zealand film production workers have seen their rights to unionise watered down compared to their American peers.

    But if Hawaiʻi can get its settings right, a possible second season of Chief of War may yet be filmed there, which could mark a genuine rejuvenation of its own film industry.

    Duncan Caillard 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. A Hawaiian epic made in NZ: why Jason Momoa’s Chief of War wasn’t filmed in its star’s homeland – https://theconversation.com/a-hawaiian-epic-made-in-nz-why-jason-momoas-chief-of-war-wasnt-filmed-in-its-stars-homeland-261742

    MIL OSI

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Friday essay: libertarian tech titan Peter Thiel helped make JD Vance. The Republican kingmaker’s influence is growing

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Luke Munn, Research Fellow, Digital Cultures & Societies, The University of Queensland

    The money is easy to trace. Scroll back through tech entrepreneur Peter Thiel’s political donations and you’ll soon hit US$15 million worth of transfers sent to Protect Ohio Values, JD Vance’s campaign fund. The donations, made in 2022, are a staggering contribution to an individual senate race, and helped put Vance (Thiel’s former employee at tech fund Mithril Capital) on a winning trajectory.

    But if money matters, so do ideas. Scroll back through Vance’s speeches, and you’ll hear echoes of Thiel’s voice. The decline of US elites (and by extension, the nation) is supposedly a result of technological stagnation: declining innovation, trivial distractions, broken infrastructure. To make the nation great again, Thiel believes, tech should come first, corporates should be unshackled, and the state should resemble the startup. For Vance, who has now risen to the office of US vice-president, a Thiel talk on these topics at Yale Law was “the most significant moment” of his time there.

    Thiel’s influence on politics is at once financial, technical and ideological. In the New York Times, he was recently described as the “most influential right-wing intellectual of the last 20 years”. And his potent cocktail of networks, money, strategy and support exerts a rightward force on the political landscape. It establishes a powerful pattern for up-and-coming figures to follow.

    To “hedge fund investor” and “tech entrepreneur”, Thiel has recently added a new label: Republican kingmaker.

    Who is Peter Thiel?

    Thiel was born in Germany but grew up in the United States, with a childhood sojourn in apartheid South Africa. Max Chafkin’s critical but balanced biography, The Contrarian, claims Thiel was bullied growing up and protected himself by becoming resolutely “disdainful”. He studied philosophy and then law at Stanford, where he founded The Stanford Review, a libertarian–conservative student paper that signalled his early interest in controversial politics and culture wars.

    While difficult to pin down precisely, Thiel’s Christianity shapes his belief in a declining or even apocalyptic world that can only be countered with unapologetic interventions and technological innovations. God helps those who help themselves – but could always use additional help from ambitious tech elites.

    In 1998, Thiel cofounded his first tech company, Confinity, which launched its flagship product PayPal in 1999 and merged with Elon Musk’s X.com in 2000. In 2002, eBay bought PayPal for $1.5 billion and Thiel became a multimillionaire. He invested in several startups, including Facebook, and established his hedge fund, Clarium, and his venture capital firm, Founders Fund.

    In their own ways, each of these developments is a response to Thiel’s thesis that the world is stuck. In his 2011 essay The End of the Future, he decries the “soft totalitarianism of political correctness in media and academia” and the “sordid world” of entertainment. The result is “50 years of stagnation” that has transformed humanity “into this more docile kind of a species”.

    Thiel’s answer is more risk, more tech and more ambition. It’s exemplified most clearly by Palantir Technologies, the data analytics firm he cofounded in 2004.

    Palantir has worked closely with US armed forces and intelligence agencies for 14 years. It is currently working closely with the Trump administration to create a “super-database” of combined data from all federal agencies, and building a platform for Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) “to track migrant movements in real time”.

    Investing in right-wing politics

    Thiel’s political interventions have ramped up over time. Libertarianism generally takes an arms-length approach to politics in favour of individual freedom and market determination. But even in “purely” financial spaces, politics creeps in.

    Clarium’s macroeconomic approach meant the political landscape had to be factored in: “high-conviction, directional investments based on key drivers of the global economy and fundamental themes underappreciated by the marketplace”.

    If politics, like technology, had stagnated – into a non-choice between similar parties – how could it be “disrupted”? Thiel began making political donations in December 2011, with contributions totalling at least $2.6 million, to the third presidential campaign of Ron Paul, a longstanding conservative congressman in Texas.

    While Paul would ultimately be unsuccessful, Thiel recognised something others had missed. Voters had not been attracted to some idealistic libertarian, as the media portrayed him, but to the old Ron Paul, a neoconservative whose newsletters published in his name in the 1980s and ‘90s suggested 95% of Black men in Washington DC were criminals. (He denied writing them in 2011, calling the statements “terrible”.) His appeal was never “merely” about economic freedom, but about race and class, fear and grievance.

    Donald Trump took this dark undercurrent, a strain that has always underpinned parts of US politics, and ran with it. Dog-whistles were dispensed with in favour of overt claims that most illegal immigrants were rapists, certain Latin American countries were shitholes, women were bitches, and white supremacists were “very fine people”. Trump, noted one article, was “weaponizing the conservative id”.

    In these visions, multiculturalism and progressivism are not just cultural threats, but economic ones. They undermine the ability of company founders to exploit labour, blow past regulations, and obey the brutal logic of the market.

    “A world safe for capitalism is presumably one of monopoly companies and patriarchal networks,” note media scholars Ben Little and Alison Winch in their profile of Thiel. It’s a world “where ‘the multiculture’ has been transformed into racialised domination”.

    Thiel has certainly contributed to the rise of Trump and the new breed of right-wing politicians through his vast wealth. In 2016, Thiel contributed $1.25 million to Trump’s campaign, thinking “he had a 50-50 chance of winning”. This earned him a speaking slot at the Republican convention. But his influence extends beyond mere money.

    Thiel’s endorsement of Trump at the 2016 Republican convention was hugely significant for garnering support. So was his famous declaration there that he was proud to be gay, Republican and American. After Trump won his first term, Thiel continued to be involved. He joined the transition team and recommended aligned individuals for key positions, such as Michael Kratsios, who would become chief technology officer.

    So, Thiel’s support of Trump should be understood as an investment, just like his early investments in PayPal and Facebook. As Chafkin notes, Thiel’s bet on Trump is a wager with high upsides and low risk. Thiel’s outspoken views in favour of “seasteading” (floating independent city-states) and against immigration and women’s emancipation had already alienated the more progressive sectors of Silicon Valley.

    If the bet paid off, Thiel and his empire could benefit handsomely. And this is exactly what has played out. Since Trump has taken office in his second term, Palantir has already netted more than $113 million in federal government spending.

    Palantir: from information to domination

    Palantir’s origin story reflects its blend of technical expertise and political ambition. To combat rising fraud, members of PayPal developed a software tool that could mine vast amounts of transactions and find the connections between them, homing in on a handful of culprits in a deluge of data.

    Thiel was prescient in spinning this core idea from finance to intelligence, where analysts were searching for patterns and anomalies amid the noise – a needle in a haystack. Palantir commercialised and expanded this concept, bringing a leaner, data-driven Silicon Valley approach to a sector dominated by established Washington incumbents.

    Thiel and Palantir chief executive Alex Karp believe Silicon Valley has lost its way, frittering away its vast talents and ingenuity on trivial pursuits: advertising, gaming, social media. For them, the era of ambitious scientific projects and unapologetic military industrial collaborations – the Manhattan Project, the Moon landing — needs to be revived.

    In his book, the Technological Republic, Karp calls for a state that looks more like a startup – lean, technology-driven, and led authoritatively by a founder-like figure who is not afraid to “move fast and break stuff” (the Silicon Valley motto), especially when it comes to dominating enemies and ensuring the safety of a nation’s citizens.

    Palantir, of course, answers this call. It combines machine learning with military spending, data-driven “intelligence” with naked violence. This is most clear in its longstanding collaboration with ICE, which is now carrying out notorious immigration raids at the behest of the Trump administration. “On the factory floor, in the operating room, on the battlefield,” states a recent Palantir recruitment ad placed across US college campuses, “we build to dominate.”

    Palantir’s blueprint has been emulated by a growing array of others. Anduril, Skydio and Shield AI are all founded on developing information technologies for military and intelligence use. Last week, Rune Technologies closed a $24 million Series A round of funding to move warfare logistics away from the “Excel era” and towards AI-augmented tools.

    Answering Karp’s call, these startups are unapologetic in leveraging engineering expertise for more substantial, authoritarian and historically controversial areas.

    Playing the scapegoat

    One of the clearest outlines of Thiel’s political philosophy is laid out in the Straussian Moment, a 30-page essay he published in 2007.

    For Thiel, the spectacular violence of the September 11 terrorist attacks was a wake-up call, rousing the citizenry from that “very long and profitable period of intellectual slumber and amnesia that is so misleadingly called the Enlightenment”.

    Curtis Yarvin.
    David Merfield/Wikipedia, CC BY

    In Thiel’s view, the Enlightenment project – to advance knowledge, cultivate tolerance, and elevate humanity as a whole – rested on a naive understanding of human nature. Like Curtis Yarvin and other influential Silicon Valley political thinkers, he asserts that humanity is brutal and a shift from Enlightenment optimism to Dark Enlightenment pessimism is required.

    It is unsurprising, then, that Thiel looks to René Girard (once called “the new Darwin of the human sciences”) for inspiration; he even organised a symposium at Stanford with Girard in attendance. Girard begins from a bleak view of human nature, a Hobbesian world where life is nasty, brutish and short. For Girard, mimesis or imitation is at the heart of the human. This mirroring quality means violence is always threatening to escalate, to constantly ramp up with no inherent limit.

    To corral this violence, ancient cultures created the scapegoat, a sacrificial system where all-against-all was replaced by all-against-one. Yet the scapegoat is no longer viable – the revelation of Christ is that the scapegoat is an innocent victim.

    Thiel takes Girard’s insights and twists them to his own ends. First, Thiel asserts that even if violence begets more violence, nonviolence is not an option. Enemies must not be allowed to prevail. In the face of uncompromising adversaries, such as the 9/11 attackers, who threaten to dismantle some idealised way of life, preemptively responding to violence is “urgently demanded”.

    Second, Thiel takes the concept of the scapegoat and flips it. In this judo-like manoeuvre, the real victims are not the marginalised or the minority, but the hegemonic class (whites, males, liberals, conservatives), who are being pressured by cancel culture, political correctness, diversity initiatives and so on.

    Shortly after graduating, Thiel coauthored a book, The Diversity Myth, about alleged political intolerance at Stanford. In it, he rails against a rampant multiculturalism that he claims stifles freedom of speech and derails education and entrepreneurialism. Here, scapegoating is weaponised. It’s mobilised toward a conservative advance in the ongoing cultural wars, which are always also political wars.

    Contradiction or evolution?

    Thiel is a walking paradox. He bemoans cancel culture and political correctness, while waging a highly expensive and clearly personal war to bankrupt a media outlet that offended him. (After Gawker printed the “open secret” of Thiel’s gay status in 2007, Thiel funded lawsuits against them until they were shut down.)

    He calls himself a libertarian, but has founded a company that derives millions in contracts from the bloated budgets of the many military agencies (the National Security Agency, the FBI, the US Army) that now comprise the sprawling state.

    He celebrates capitalism and the free hand of the market, but always stresses that the path to business success rests on establishing monopolies with no real competition. He is a German-born immigrant who actively supports technologies (Palantir) and candidates (Trump) that establish xenophobic environments and seek to deport those deemed “other”. And, most personally, he is both a conservative Republican and an openly gay man.

    At a purely logical level, these elements are incompatible. There is a perceived gap between Thiel’s words and actions, a gulf between his ideologies and his activities. For staunch libertarians at Thiel’s companies, his manoeuvrings at the state level make no sense. For queer scholars, Thiel’s exclusionary rather than liberatory politics mean he is a man who has sex with other men, rather than being gay.

    For these critics, both things cannot be true; therefore, some labels, identities and activities are fake, marginal or impossible. Yet one of Thiel’s many lessons is that contradiction is a strength rather than a weakness.

    Thiel’s philosophy, which journalists have called techno-fascism, recalls philosopher Umberto Eco, who described fascism as a “beehive of contradictions” and “a collage of different philosophical and political ideas”. The radical right, in particular, has no problem mashing together many views that at face value should not fit: scavenger ideologies that are opportunistic in grabbing elements that work for them.

    Instead of contradictions, these hybrid forms need to be understood as evolutions. They are tensions, held within the body and the mind of the subject, that push monolithic frameworks like conservatism beyond their existing limits. Thiel’s power – and his political blueprint for others – is insisting you can be a philosophical entrepreneur, an illiberal patriot, and a queer conservative.

    Luke Munn 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. Friday essay: libertarian tech titan Peter Thiel helped make JD Vance. The Republican kingmaker’s influence is growing – https://theconversation.com/friday-essay-libertarian-tech-titan-peter-thiel-helped-make-jd-vance-the-republican-kingmakers-influence-is-growing-261856

    MIL OSI

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Once-in-a-decade push for the ‘locked out’: Global leaders set for landmark UN conference in Turkmenistan

    Source: United Nations 2

    Backed by the new Awaza Programme of Action, the Third UN Conference on Landlocked Developing Countries or LLDC3 will push for freer transit, smarter trade corridors, stronger economic resilience and fresh financing to lift development prospects for the 570 million people living in those countries.

    For landlocked nations, geography has long dictated destiny.  

    Trade costs are up to 74 per cent higher than the global average and it can take twice as long to move goods across borders compared to coastal countries. As a result, landlocked nations are left with just 1.2 per cent of world trade.

    UN Video | What to expect from LLDC3 in Awaza, Turkmenistan

    And amid global economic shifts, these countries face the huge risk of being left behind.

    LLDC3 is a pivotal opportunity to reverse this trajectory,” said Rabab Fatima, UN High Representative for Landlocked Developing Countries.

    At its heart, this conference is about people – it is about the millions of children who lack internet or digital tools, the farmers who cannot get their goods to market because of poor roads, and the entrepreneurs whose dreams are held back by border delays and limited access to funding.

    Broad engagement

    The four-day event, from 5 to 8, August will feature plenary sessions, five high-level roundtables, and a Private Sector Forum focused on building partnerships and boosting investment.  

    Dedicated forums with parliamentarians, women leaders, civil society and youth will bring voices from across society into the heart of the discussions.

    UN Secretary-General António Guterres is expected to attend, underlining the urgency of the agenda.

    World Bank/Curt Carnemark

    Many landlocked countries, such as Botswana (pictured) are also on the frontlines of the impact of climate change, highlighting their vulnerability.

    The Awaza Programme of Action

    Central to the conference is the Awaza Programme of Action for 2024-2034, adopted by the UN General Assembly in December.  

    It lays out five priority areas – structural transformation, infrastructure and connectivity, trade facilitation, regional integration, and resilience building – supported by five flagship initiatives.  

    These include:

    • A global infrastructure investment facility to close financing gaps.
    • Regional agricultural research hubs to boost food security.
    • A high-level UN panel on freedom of transit, ensuring smoother cross-border flows.
    • Digital connectivity initiatives to bridge the digital divide.
    • A dedicated landlocked developing countries trade work programme at the WTO.

    © UNICEF/Giacomo Pirozzi

    Women shop at a vegetable market in Ashgabat, the capital of Turkmenistan. Boosting food security is one of the priority areas of the Awaza Programme of Action.

    Turkmenistan

    For Turkmenistan, hosting LLDC3 is both a diplomatic milestone and a statement of intent.

    We are proud to host it on the Caspian Sea coast in Turkmenistan,” said Aksoltan Ataeva, Ambassador and Permanent Representative to the UN.

    We look forward to welcoming [everyone] to Awaza for a transformative, action-oriented conference that puts landlocked countries at the heart of global partnerships.

    Organizers promise state-of-the-art facilities, cultural showcases and networking spaces designed to spur collaboration. Delegates will also experience Turkmen heritage firsthand, from local art to Caspian cuisine.

    UN Photo/Jawad Jalali

    Cross-border infrastructure, such as these power lines, are crucial connections linking LLDCs with the regional and global electric grids.

    The bigger picture

    For the landlocked developing countries, the stakes are existential.  

    These countries are among the most climate-vulnerable, least connected and furthest from global value chains. Without bold action, progress on the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development will remain out of reach.

    The destiny of humanity is inseparably linked to the destiny of these countries,” said Diego Pacheco, Ambassador of Bolivia, who currently chairs the LLDC Group at the UN.

    Together, we can unlock the potential of landlocked developing countries – not just for the benefit of our nations, but for the shared future of all humanity and the Mother Earth.

    As the countdown to Awaza begins, expectations are high – not about whether geography matters (it does), but whether global solidarity can transcend its limits.

    LLDC3 aims to prove that it can.

    There are 32 landlocked developing countries, of which 16 are also least developed.

    MIL OSI United Nations News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Employment – Are Foodstuffs reneging on agreement to rehire Victoria Park New World staff displaced by fire?

    Source: Workers First Union

    Workers First Union members who worked at Victoria Park New World, which was severely damaged by a fire in mid-June, say that Foodstuffs North Island managers appear to be reneging on their commitment to rehire all supermarket staff who are losing jobs and income as a result of the fire, with final paycheques due on Monday 4 August and around 40% of workers still without job offers.
    Union members say that of the 80 new positions available at New World Point Chevalier, only around half have been filled by staff from New World Victoria Park, with many workers left in the dark and seeming not to have been rehired by other Foodstuffs stores, as was initially suggested to union representatives. The brand-new New World Point Chevalier was due to open in September but was brought forward to 19 August as a result of the fire at Victoria Park.
    One worker from the New World Victoria Park store alleged that in particular, many workers aged 40 or older and those with disabilities and learning difficulties have not yet received offers of employment from Point Chevalier or other Foodstuffs stores in Auckland, while younger workers appeared to have been more likely to be recruited.
    Workers First Union is calling for Foodstuffs North Island – the cooperative comprised of New World and Pak’N’Save stores in the North Island – to prioritise hiring all displaced workers from Victoria Park and live up to their commitments to the union that no worker would lose income as a result of the fire.
    “They coordinate on pricing, stock, advertising and specials – why the hell can’t they coordinate rehiring experienced staff who’ve lost their jobs as a result of a fire?” said Jas Giri, Workers First Organiser.
    “We’re really concerned that the apparent indifference by Foodstuffs store managers in the region means an estimated 40% of Victoria Park workers will be without any income from Monday, when their final paycheques arrive.”
    “It’s unnecessary, disheartening and confusing behaviour from a company that many of these workers have given decades of their lives to and believed they would be looked after by when the worst happened.”
    “There is no defensible reason to leave a group of vulnerable workers without income during a cost-of-living crisis in the middle of winter under an austerity government – it’s Dickensian stuff.”
    Mr Giri said Workers First was urging the Foodstuffs North Island cooperative to “get their act together” and urgently confirm or arrange practicable roles for these workers in nearby New World and Pak’N’Save supermarkets. He said it was particularly difficult for workers to seek comparable roles in Woolworths stores because there was a “de facto” hiring freeze in place at the Australasian chain.
    Lindsay Rowles, Foodstuffs North Island retail and property general manager, told media in July that “it’s been great to see how the co-op pulls together and looks after its own” and that over 100 of the 189 staff who worked at Victoria Park had already been “engaged in employment”.
    One worker, who has worked at New World Victoria Park for more than a decade and has not yet been re-hired at another Foodstuffs store, said there were implications of “ageism” and workers were “in turmoil” ahead of their last paycheque on August 4th.
    “They went to the press, they said they look after their team, they said they’ll make sure everyone has a job, but many of us feel hopeless now with our last pay day coming up on Monday and no job to go into,” said the worker, commenting anonymously for their own protection.
    “I’m happy for the ones who have been rehired, but some of us have worked at Victoria Park for 26 years, since the store opened its doors, and do not have jobs lined up.”
    “We want to work but we don’t know where to go from here. Lots of people are feeling let down after working so many years for a company and being loyal for so long.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI: Diplomatic Trade Ltd, Thomas J. Kent Jr. the Kent Family Office, and Kent Global LLC Stake Acquisition in Turkish Pharma Firm, Target $300M UAE Biopharma Venture

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Thomas J. Kent Jr.

    DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, July 31, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Diplomatic Trade Ltd and Kent Global Support Strategic Stake in Turkish Pharma Group, Plan $300M UAE Biopharma Initiative Cross-border biopharma venture targets UAE facility launch in Q3 2025 and public listing by year-end

    Diplomatic Trade Ltd, a cross-border trade and investment firm with offices in New York and Dubai, and its private equity arm, Diplomatic Trade Capital Group, have signed an MOU to acquire a 49% stake in Turkish pharmaceutical manufacturer Farmakim ilaç Kimya Gida Ürünleri Üretim San ve Dis Tie A.S.

    The transaction was supported by U.S.-based Kent Family Office LLC and its affiliated investment firm, Kent Global LLC, led by financier Thomas J. Kent Jr. The deal marks a strategic partnership aimed at strengthening pharmaceutical capacity across Türkiye and the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC).

    Equity Position and Strategy
    Diplomatic Trade Capital’s 49% ownership includes board representation and commercial rights. Financial details were not disclosed, but the acquisition aligns with a broader strategy to scale pharmaceutical infrastructure across emerging markets in MENA.

    UAE Biomanufacturing Facility – Q3 2025
    The partners will establish a UAE-based biomanufacturing facility by Q3 2025. The plant will focus on biosynthetic therapies and regenerative compounds, featuring modular, EU-GMP-compliant production systems and AI-driven quality control. The facility is intended to meet growing demand for advanced pharmaceuticals in the GCC and North Africa.

    IPO Planning and Market Valuation
    The new entity is targeting an initial public offering on a UAE stock exchange in Q4 2025. A global advisory firm is conducting a valuation, with early estimates suggesting a potential IPO valuation near $300 million USD, based on projected revenue growth and regional distribution rights.

    Institutional Investment Backing
    The financing structure was arranged by Kent Family Office and Kent Global, reflecting increased U.S. institutional interest in healthcare investment across the Gulf region.

    Executive Commentary
    “This transaction establishes a platform for scalable pharmaceutical production in the region,” said a Diplomatic Trade Capital spokesperson. “The UAE offers a favorable environment for innovation, regulation, and capital markets access.”

    About Diplomatic Trade Ltd
    Diplomatic Trade Ltd is a U.S.-registered firm focused on cross-border joint ventures and IPOs in healthcare, infrastructure, and strategic manufacturing across the GCC and Africa.

    About Farmakim
    Based in Istanbul, Farmakim is a privately held pharmaceutical company serving public and private healthcare systems across Europe, MENA, and Central Asia.

    Media Contact:
    Shawn Kent
    Kent Global LLC and The Kent Family Office
    646 207 6801
    tkent@kentgloballlc.net
    https://www.kentgloballlc.net/

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6ca9a779-f567-40ae-9944-7f2d25ebde78

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI China: Steps to spur consumption, enhance vitality

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

    A State Council executive meeting presided over by Premier Li Qiang on Thursday called for stepping up efforts to improve the effectiveness of macroeconomic policies, while arranging the implementation of interest subsidies on personal consumption loans and loans to service sector businesses to better stimulate consumption and enhance market vitality.

    As the country’s latest step to boost innovation-driven growth, the State Council executive meeting approved a guideline on deeply implementing the AI Plus initiative, calling for promoting the large-scale, commercial application of artificial intelligence and advancing its accelerated adoption and deep integration across various fields of economic and social development.

    On Thursday, the National Bureau of Statistics released the latest purchasing managers index, or PMI, data, which suggested the necessity to consolidate the resilience of the manufacturing sector and overall economic momentum in the second half of the year.

    Economists called for further reinforcing support for domestic demand and employment, as the nation’s manufacturing activity cooled in July amid unfavorable weather and the traditional off-season. The official PMI for the manufacturing sector stood at 49.3 in July, down from 49.7 in June, the NBS said on Thursday.

    Despite the moderation, high-tech manufacturing continued to gain traction in July, highlighting the vitality of the country’s industrial upgrading and reinforcing the sector’s ability to withstand ongoing external challenges, experts said.

    Wang Qing, chief macroeconomic analyst at Golden Credit Rating International, said, “With both domestic and external demand softening, the manufacturing PMI ended its two-month rebound and declined within the contraction territory in July.”

    The official manufacturing PMI has stayed below the 50 mark that separates expansion from contraction for the fourth consecutive month. In July, the subindex of new orders — a barometer of market demand — dropped to 49.4 from 50.2 in June, while that of new export orders went down to 47.1 from 47.7 in the previous month.

    External headwinds dampened export momentum, while the effect of earlier policies to boost domestic demand started to wane in July, Wang said, adding that high temperatures, heavy rains and flooding in some regions disrupted production.

    Downward pressures on economic growth may intensify in the third quarter, said Wang, who expects additional measures to boost domestic demand as China’s relatively low levels of sovereign debt and inflation have offered ample policy room to offset a slowdown in external demand.

    The Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee held a meeting on Wednesday that made arrangements for economic work in the second half, emphasizing that macro policies should continue to exert force and be strengthened at an appropriate time.

    New economic drivers

    Xiong Yi, Deutsche Bank’s chief economist for China, said, “If GDP growth slows faster than expected, a budget deficit increase may become necessary in the fourth quarter.”

    He said he anticipates that the Chinese economy will grow 4.8 percent in 2025, following its strong resilience in the first half of the year.

    According to Xiong, service consumption is expected to become a new driver of economic growth and employment in the second half of the year. China is enhancing its support for service consumption, with a particular focus on cultural tourism, elderly care, healthcare and domestic services.

    Despite the overall decline, the PMI for high-tech manufacturing came in at 50.6 in July, while that for equipment manufacturing was at 50.3, the NBS said, indicating the sectors’ capability to thrive despite challenges.

    For instance, Nantong Haixing Electronics Co, an electronic energy storage materials producer based in Nantong, Jiangsu province, saw its export value exceeding 50 million yuan ($6.95 million) in the first half of 2025, marking a year-on-year increase of 67.23 percent, data from Nanjing Customs showed.

    Jin Wenhui, the head of the company’s foreign trade unit, said that despite intense worldwide competition, sustained investment in innovation has enabled the company to pursue industrial upgrading and remain resilient in a rapidly evolving global landscape.

    Guangdong Greenway Technology Co, a manufacturer of electric motorcycles and bicycles, as well as mobile energy storage systems, based in Dongguan, Guangdong province, shipped its products to more than 80 countries and regions across Europe and the Americas in the first half of the year, according to Huangpu Customs in Guangdong.

    Wu Jing, head of the company’s foreign trade unit, said, “With years of development in lithium battery manufacturing, we’ve steadily increased our supply of high-quality, eco-friendly products amid the global shift toward energy transition, while actively exploring new markets and opportunities overseas.”

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI China: Hong Kong’s economy grows for 10th straight quarter as consumer, investor sentiment perks up

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

    Hong Kong’s economy continued expansion in the second quarter of 2025, the 10th consecutive quarter of growth, as consumer and investor sentiment warmed, local data showed on Thursday.

    Advance estimates from the Census and Statistics Department of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government showed that Hong Kong’s real gross domestic product (GDP) rose by 3.1 percent year on year in Q2, picking up from the 3-percent rate registered in the first quarter.

    Analysts and industry insiders said that the solid Q2 growth was boosted by strong export performance and improved domestic demand, pointing to notable economic resilience.

    Total exports of goods measured in national accounts terms recorded an increase of 11.5 percent over a year earlier as external demand retained steam, while bullish local stock market buoyed export of financial and business services, said a spokesperson for the HKSAR government.

    “The strong goods export figure is a result of Hong Kong forging closer ties with the Chinese mainland market as well as other markets around the world. Its role as a global trade hub remains unchanged,” said Liang Haiming, chairman and chief economist of the China Silk Road iValley Research Institute.

    Hong Kong boasts the world’s biggest initial public offering (IPO) market and one of the best-performing stock markets by mid-July. The 52 IPOs raised 124 billion Hong Kong dollars (15.8 billion U.S. dollars) in total.

    Total market capitalization of the Hong Kong bourse came in at 42.7 trillion Hong Kong dollars in the first half of this year, up 33 percent year on year.

    “The rising valuation of Chinese assets showed that global investors appreciate Chinese companies’ ability to innovate,” said Zhao Yang, managing director of CICC Global Institute.

    Another token of renewed investor confidence is capital inflow into the city. The number of registered funds reached 976 as of March 2025, with overall net inflows exceeding 44 billion U.S. dollars, a year-on-year increase of 285 percent.

    “Continued capital inflow, stock market upticks, as well as the HKSAR government’s efforts to land mega events and high value-added tourism, have bolstered consumer sentiment,” said Financial Secretary of the HKSAR government Paul Chan.

    Private consumption expenditure in Q2 increased by 1.9 percent after four consecutive quarters of decline, Thursday’s data showed.

    The long streak of steady GDP growth affirms global confidence toward Hong Kong’s economy and creates a nurturing environment for its economic upgrade, especially in exploring new drivers like green finance, sci-tech innovation and high-end services, said Liang.

    A report released by the HKSAR government on Wednesday showed that Hong Kong’s core competitiveness is solid and new strengths are emerging. 

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI China: Apple announces Q3 results with 10 pct revenue increase

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

    Apple on Thursday announced financial results for its fiscal 2025 third quarter that ended on June 28, with quarterly revenue of 94 billion U.S. dollars, up 10 percent year over year.

    The company posted quarterly diluted earnings per share of 1.57 dollars, up 12 percent year over year. Its net income for the quarter increased to 23.43 billion dollars from 21.45 billion dollars a year ago.

    Sales of iPhones rose to 44.58 billion dollars from 39.3 billion dollars a year ago. Its Mac sales increased to 8.05 billion dollars from 7.01 billion dollars a year ago.

    The company’s services income was 27.42 billion dollars, up from 24.21 billion dollars the previous year.

    The sales of wearables, home and accessories products decreased to 7.4 billion dollars from 8.1 billion dollars a year ago.

    “Today Apple is proud to report a June quarter revenue record with double-digit growth in iPhone, Mac and Services and growth around the world, in every geographic segment,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO.

    “We are very pleased with our record business performance for the June quarter, which generated EPS (earnings per share) growth of 12 percent,” said Kevan Parekh, Apple’s CFO.

    Apple’s board of directors has declared a cash dividend of 0.26 dollars per share of the company’s common stock. 

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Federal Government pledges $500,000 to tackle loneliness epidemic

    Source:

    01 August 2025

    Adelaide-based organisation Spark has received almost $500,000 from the Federal Government to expand its innovative work tackling loneliness on a local scale and fostering stronger, more connected communities.

    Launched in the Adelaide Hills in 2024, Spark was co-designed by researchers from the University of South Australia, led by Dr Nadia Corsini, in partnership with The Hut Community Centre and the Adelaide Hills community. The pilot project has quickly gained momentum for its grassroots approach to combating one of the most pressing public health challenges of our time: loneliness.

    “In just a short time, Spark has shown how powerful community-led action can be in reducing loneliness,” says Dr Corsini.

    “Thanks to additional funding ($496,243) from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC) we can now strengthen and expand Spark to reach more communities across South Australia, and to continue building the evidence base for what truly inspires and empowers communities to tackle loneliness. 

    “Our vision is a future where everyone feels a sense of belonging and communities are inclusive, resilient, and compassionate.”

    The announcement comes just ahead of Loneliness Awareness Week (4–10 August) hosted by national entity Ending Loneliness Together. This year’s theme – ‘Moments Matter’ – is a timely reminder of the importance of community connection in protecting both health and wellbeing.

    Loneliness affects almost one in three Australians, with one in six experiencing severe loneliness.* Chronic loneliness doubles the risk of long-term illness, increases the likelihood of depression and anxiety by over fourfold, and is linked to heart disease, stroke, dementia, and even early death.

    In June this year, the World Health Organization declared social disconnection a global public health priority*, citing an estimated 100 loneliness-related deaths every hour worldwide.

    Spark’s initiatives respond directly to this crisis, by inviting people to connect in welcoming, low-pressure environments. All initiatives are hosted by their dedicated team of volunteers known as Sparkies.

    “Everyone deserves to feel like they belong,” says Dr Corsini. “Loneliness isn’t just a personal issue – it’s a social one. That’s why community-led solutions like Spark are so vital.

    “We are grateful for the Women’s Health Research Translation and Impact Network for funding the original project* that allowed us to work with the community and design the solution.”

    A video accompanying this release is available here.

    The following organisations will benefit from the grant to expand the Spark project:

    Office for Ageing Well – Department of Human Services, The Hut Community Centre, Zest Creative Living Life, Uniting Communities, Community Centres SA, Adelaide Hills Council, Alexandrina Council, Murray Bridge Community Centre, Tall Trees Counselling and Psychotherapy, The Rural City of Murray Bridge, Anglican Community Care Inc, Carers SA, Lutheran Care, Skylight.

    Sources:
    *State of the Nation Report 2023, Ending Loneliness Together
    *Report of the WHO Commission on Social Connection
    *Project genesis paper

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    Media contact: Candy Gibson M: +61 434 605 142 E: Candy.Gibson@unisa.edu.au
    Researcher contact: Dr Nadia Corsini P: 8302 9989 E: Nadia.Corsini@unisa.edu.au

    Other articles you may be interested in

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: New Deputy Commandant of HKAPF appointed (with photo)

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    New Deputy Commandant of HKAPF appointed (with photo) 
    The appointment was made by the Chief Executive to fill the vacancy following the assumption of duty of the then Deputy Commandant, Dr Johnny Leung Sai-kwong, as the Commandant on April 7, 2025.
     
    Mr Lim, aged 58, is a consultant of a medical company. He joined the HKAPF as a Constable in December 1990 and was promoted to Superintendent (Auxiliary) in February 2014, Senior Superintendent (Auxiliary) in November 2016 and Chief Superintendent (Auxiliary) in October 2017.
     
    Mr Lim has a wide range of operational and management experience. He was awarded the Long Service Medal for Auxiliary Police in 2005, the First Clasp in 2015 and a TIDERIDER medal in 2021.
    Issued at HKT 10:00

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why UK recognition of a Palestinian state should not be conditional on Israel’s actions

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karen Scott, Professor in Law, University of Canterbury

    Getty Images

    The announcement this week by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the recognition of a Palestininian state has been welcomed by many who want to see a ceasefire in Gaza and lasting peace in the region.

    In contrast to other recent statements on the status of Palestine, however, the UK has said it will recognise Palestine as a state in September

    unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza and commits to a long term sustainable peace, including through allowing the UN to restart without delay the supply of humanitarian support to the people of Gaza to end starvation, agreeing to a ceasefire, and making clear there will be no annexations in the West Bank.

    Until this week, the UK’s position had been that recognition would only follow a negotiated two-state solution in Israel-Palestine. Other countries have now begun to shift from that position, too.

    The latest UK statement was preceded by announcements from France on July 25 and Canada on July 31 that they too would recognise Palestine as a state in September.

    But the UK position is different in one important way: it is conditional on Israel failing to comply with its international humanitarian obligations in Gaza and the West Bank.

    In other words, recognition of Palestine as a state by the UK is being used as a stick to persuade Israel to agree to a ceasefire. Should Israel agree to those conditions, the UK will presumably not recognise Palestine as a state in September, but will revert to its original position on a two-state solution.

    Conditional recognition subject to action by Israel – a third state – represents an unwelcome and arguably dangerous departure from international practice.

    While recognition (or otherwise) of states is inherently political – as demonstrated by the unique status of Taiwan, for example – it is not and should not be made conditional on the action or inaction of third states.

    How states are recognised

    According to the Convention on the Rights and Duties of States, a state must have a permanent population, territory, an independent government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other states, as well as self-determination.

    Palestine has arguably met all these criteria, with the possible exception of an independent government, given the level of Israeli intervention in the West Bank and the current situation in Gaza.

    Although recognition by other states is arguably not a formal criterion of statehood, it is very difficult to function as a state without reasonably widespread recognition by other states.

    Some 147 countries – two-thirds of UN members – now recognise the State of Palestine, including Spain, Ireland and Norway, which made announcements in 2024.

    Those choosing not to formally recognise a Palestinian state are now in a small minority, including Australia and New Zealand. This is inevitably leading to calls in those countries to change position.

    Australia is considering such a shift, subject to conditions similar to those set out by Canada – including the release of Israeli hostages, the demilitarisation of Hamas, and reform of the Palestinian Authority.

    New Zealand is currently maintaining its longstanding position of recognising Palestine within the context of a two-state solution. On July 30, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and 13 of his counterparts issued a joint statement – the “New York Call” – demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and reiterating “unwavering commitment to the vision of the two-State solution”.

    The statement also asserted that “positive consideration” to recognise the state of Palestine is “an essential step towards the two-state solution”.

    Better options are available

    The UK’s position, however, introduces another dynamic. By using recognition of Palestine as a tool to punish Israel for its actual and alleged breaches of international law in Gaza, it is implicitly failing to respect Palestine’s right to self-determination.

    If Palestine deserves statehood, it is on its own terms, not as a condition of Israel’s policies and actions.

    But it is also setting a dangerous precedent. Countries could choose to recognise (or not recognise) states to pressure or punish them (or indeed other states) for breaches of international law. Such breaches may or may not be connected to the state actually seeking recognition.

    This is important, because the post-colonial settlement of geographical boundaries remains deeply insecure in many regions. As well, low-lying island nations at risk of losing territory from sea-level rise may also find their status challenged, as territory has traditionally been a requirement of statehood.

    The UK’s apparent conditional recognition of Palestine is only likely to increase this international instability around statehood.

    While the UK’s announcement may be “clever politics” from a domestic perspective, and avoids outright US opposition internationally, it has conflated two separate issues.

    The better option would be for the UK to recognise Palestine as a state, joining a growing number of countries that plan to do so in advance of the UN General Assembly meeting in September. It could make this subject to conditions, including the release of hostages and exclusion of Hamas from Palestinian governance.

    And it should continue to press Israel to agree to a ceasefire in addition to the other demands set out in its announcement, and hold Israel accountable for its gross breaches of international law in Gaza. It can back up those demands with appropriate diplomatic and trade sanctions.

    New Zealand, too, has a range of options available, and can help increase the pressure on Israel by using them.

    Karen Scott 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. Why UK recognition of a Palestinian state should not be conditional on Israel’s actions – https://theconversation.com/why-uk-recognition-of-a-palestinian-state-should-not-be-conditional-on-israels-actions-262345

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI USA News: From Coast to Coast, Americans Are Seeing the Benefits of President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill

    Source: US Whitehouse

    Americans will see the benefits of President Donald J. Trump’s landmark One Big Beautiful Bill for years to come through historic tax relief, strengthened public programs, secure borders, military investments, and much more.

    Here is some of what is being written in local news outlets across the country:

    KCRG-TV (Cedar Rapids, IA): Small businesses say ‘no tax on tips’ a step in the right direction

    “Some business owners in eastern Iowa say new ‘no tax on tips’ provisions will help grow local businesses … It’s a relief some businesses say will make a huge difference with their employees.

    ‘More money in their pocket which will mean more money in the community,’ said Crystal Blin. Blin owns 319 social house, a bowling alley in Independence. She said small businesses can struggle to recruit employees against bigger companies, but no tax on tips means higher take home pay, which could help close the gap. …

    Some view no tax on tips as a reinvestment in their workers and a way to offer some stability. ‘In the service industry too, you’re always constantly worried about what that end of the year number is going to be, and now with this we kind of have some relief with that,’ said Cora Krueger. Krueger is the assistant general manager of Denali’s on the River … ‘The more money we can put in our employees pockets, that means that they can take those dollars and support our local community and surrounding communities,’ Blin said.”

    WENY-TV (Elmira, NY): Seniors Get a Boost: What to Know about the New Senior Tax Break Included in “One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act”

    “A new tax break is heading to seniors’ wallets. It comes in the form of a new deduction tucked into the ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act,’ recently signed into law by President Donald Trump … Starting next year, the IRS is cutting many retirees a bit more slack. Under the new law, individuals age 65 and older can claim an additional $6,000 deduction—on top of the existing standard senior deduction. Married couples where both qualify? That’s a $12,000 tax break.”

    KSTP-TV (Saint Paul, MN): How the new US federal government $1,000 ‘baby bonus’ can help children

    “President Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ includes a new savings plan for children with a one-time deposit of $1,000 from the federal government for newborns … For new parents, it’s being called a ‘baby bonus.’ Every baby born this year, next year, and in 2027 will get the bonus, which parents can add to the account.”

    The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, NC): How the “Big Beautiful Bill” boosts QSBS benefits for startup employees and founders

    “The new GOP budget legislation includes a massive win for startup employees and founders: dramatically expanded Qualified Small Business Stock (QSBS) benefits that could save qualifying investors from paying 28% capital gains taxes on millions of dollars in returns. The changes increase the maximum tax exclusion from $10 million to $15 million while allowing partial benefits after just three years instead of the current five-year minimum.”

    WCMH-TV (Columbus, OH): Anduril, the company behind Ohio’s new megaproject, favored in ‘Big Beautiful Bill’

    “As Anduril Industries ambitiously hopes to open its central Ohio-based drone and vehicular weapons manufacturing plant by July 2026, the defense systems manufacturer is already securing business. Trump’s new government spending bill allocates several billion dollars to border security and includes favorable policies for Anduril.”

    Anchorage Daily News (Anchorage, AK): Alaska has the chance to seize prosperity with the Big Beautiful Bill

    “These investments strengthen Alaska’s role in domestic energy production and in Arctic policy. At a time when global energy markets are uncertain and international competition is increasing, this legislation ensures Alaska is part of the solution. It’s also worth emphasizing that the bill doesn’t relax standards or bypass environmental oversight. It supports development within existing regulatory frameworks and honors Alaska’s history of balancing economic activity with environmental responsibility.”

    Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Forth Worth, TX): Trump signs ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ into law. How much money will Texans save?

    “Right now, taxpayers can deduct up to $10,000 in state and local taxes from their federal income tax bill. The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act raises that to $40,000 for 2025. The amount will go up 1% each year in 2026, 2027, 2028 and 2029. There are additional limitations for people earning more than $500,000 a year.”

    Startland News (Kansas City, MO): KC Tech Council celebrates tax fix in Trump’s ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ that boosts growing businesses

    “A tax fix included in the recently signed ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ — sprawling legislation meant to overhaul taxes in the United States — marks a major win for Kansas City’s tech and innovation economy, said Kara Lowe. At issue: a long-awaited change to Section 174 research and development expensing that now allows businesses to fully and permanently expense such investments, explained Lowe, CEO of KC Tech Council, which championed the fix alongside TECNA (Technology Councils of North America).”

    WCAU-TV (Philadelphia, PA): Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ locks in key tax breaks for homeowners—here’s what to know

    “President Donald Trump’s tax and spending bill revives and expands homeowner tax breaks — while making the current mortgage interest deduction cap permanent. The $750,000 limit on deductible mortgage debt ($375,000 for single filers) had been set to expire after 2025 and revert to the previous $1 million cap. Under the new law, that change is off the table.

    The bill also temporarily raises the SALT deduction cap from $10,000 to $40,000 per household for tax years 2025 through 2029, with a phaseout beginning at $500,000 of income in 2025. The deduction cap reverts to $10,000 in 2030. The change could be especially impactful for homeowners in high-tax states like New York, New Jersey and California, where deductible state and local taxes often exceed the previous $10,000 cap.”

    The Orange County Register (Irvine, CA): Big Beautiful bill delivers win for HSAs

    “Starting Jan. 1, 2026, Americans enrolled in Bronze or Catastrophic Affordable Care Act plans may contribute to HSAs — around 7.3 million people who previously lacked access in 2025. The bill also allows HSA funds to pay for direct primary care memberships — modernizing how Americans can save for and manage health care expenses — and makes permanent the ability of high-deductible health plans to waive the deductible for telehealth visits.”

    KARK-TV (Little Rock, AR): New federal budget includes relief for Arkansas farmers

    “Reference prices — set federal rates that trigger support payments when market prices drop — are one of the most relied-on tools in the farm safety net. For Arkansas rice producers, who say they’ve been using outdated prices from 2012, the new adjustment is expected to make a meaningful difference in margins.

    ‘We hope that this gives us some stability and some consistency where we can make better decisions,’ Coker said. ‘That affects everything — labor, equipment, fertilizer — it all depends on what we can afford.’”

    The Tennessean (Nashville, TN): Big Beautiful Bill includes tax credit for school vouchers: Here’s how much, how it works

    “As an example, if someone donates $1,000, they can later receive a $1,000 credit on their federal tax return, so long as they itemize their tax return and have a tax liability to apply the credit toward. That means the federal government absorbs the cost of the scholarships, essentially making them federal school vouchers.

    The tax credit far outweighs the benefits of a typical tax-deductible, charitable donation. At most, people are allowed to deduct 50% of their adjusted gross income for charitable donations, according to the IRS. In some cases 20% and 30% limits apply.

    ‘This is an unprecedented tax break, at the federal level,’ he said. ‘It’s just a super-sized incentive.’”

    Antelope Valley Press (Los Angeles, CA): President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill is a step ahead for America

    “President Donald Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’ is the latest political victory in an action-packed first six months in office. The bill restores some good governance that protects taxpayers and citizens and is a huge boost to working families and entrepreneurs. The bill should increase prosperity and start to slow our unsustainable growth in government spending.”

    MageeNews.com (Mendenhall, MS): The “OBBB” Puts Americans and Farmers First

    “For working Americans including our farmers, ranchers and landowners, the OBBB was and is a series of HUGE ‘wins.’ Perhaps the greatest win was the significant tax relief delivered to all hardworking Americans. Recognizing that ‘Farm Security is National Security,’ these wins through the OBBB will strengthen our American producers for years – for generations – of future farm families.”

    The Berkeley Independent (Summerville, SC): 529 updates in ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ give families even more flexibility for educational savings

    “As administrator of South Carolina’s Future Scholar 529 Plan, I’m happy to share that the recent passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act spells good news for South Carolina families who are using tax-advantaged 529 savings plans to save for their children’s education. The bill expands qualified uses for 529 funds, providing greater flexibility for families and making an already effective program even more beneficial.”

    Agweek (Fargo, ND): ‘One Big Beautiful Bill’ enhances farm program safety net

    “The large reconciliation bill, or the so-called ‘One Big Beautiful Bill,’ was passed by Congress and signed into law in early July … there are some adjustments and enhancements in the legislation that could be very beneficial to farmers, including increased reference prices and improved crop insurance provisions. … Approximately 90% of the added funding for ag-related programs in the reconciliation bill is targeted to farm ‘safety net’ programs, such as PLC, ARC-CO, crop insurance, and the Dairy Margin Coverage Program.”

    Sen. Marsha Blackburn (The Chronicle of Mt. Juliet, Mt. Juliet, TN): One Big Beautiful Bill is a victory for American people

    “On Independence Day, President Trump made history. He signed into law the One Big Beautiful Bill—a once-in-a-generation victory that fulfills his promise to Make America Great Again. By providing the largest tax cut in our nation’s history, it will supercharge our economy. Tennessee households will save an average of $2,600 in taxes next year and see an average annual take-home pay increase of over $10,000. With the largest-ever investment in border security, it empowers the Department of Homeland Security to complete President Trump’s border wall and hire thousands of new Border Patrol agents. It also bolsters our military, enacts common-sense permitting reforms to make America energy dominant again and eliminates hundreds of billions of dollars in far-left, Green New Deal spending, putting our nation on a more sustainable fiscal path.”

    Sen. Katie Britt (The Alexander City Outlook, Alexander City, AL): The one big beautiful bill delivers for Alabama

    “There’s been a lot of national conversation about how transformational this bill is. But let’s talk about what it means for Alabama. To start, Alabamians can expect to keep more of their hard-earned money because of this bill. We extended President Trump’s 2017 tax cuts and, as a result, prevented the largest tax hike in modern history. Alabama families were staring down an average of a $2,200 tax increase—we made sure that didn’t happen. We made sure to take care of our seniors as well, who will now be able to deduct up to $6,000 – $12,000 for couples filing jointly – from their taxes annually.”

    Sen. Mike Crapo (The Post Register, Idaho Falls, ID): A stronger future for Idahoans

    “Responsibility to Idaho taxpayers: The law also achieves the most significant spending reductions in history by slashing Green New Deal spending, eliminating tax loopholes, and rooting out waste, fraud and abuse in federal spending programs. When combined with the pro-growth elements of President Trump’s economic agenda, the Council of Economic Advisers estimates the United States will achieve nearly $4.5 trillion in deficit reduction over ten 10 years.”

    Sen. Steve Daines (Clark Fork Valley Press, Plains, MT): Big Beautiful Bill is a win for Montana

    “President Trump’s Big Beautiful Bill is a tremendous win for Montana. It will spur economic growth, strengthen border security as well as expand Montana’s energy sector and provide much-needed funding for our military. And thanks to the diligent work of the entire Montana congressional delegation, we defeated attempts to sell our public lands.”

    Sen. Deb Fischer (Syracuse Journal-Democrat, Syracuse, NE): How the One Big, Beautiful Bill Delivers Tax Relief to Nebraska Families

    “When Americans went to the polls last November, they sent a clear message. They want a government that prioritizes safer neighborhoods, more affordable energy, and real economic relief — especially for working families. Earlier this month, Congress responded with a tangible solution. We stopped a $4 trillion tax hike and advanced a law that locks in the economic policies that have helped families and small businesses thrive. This new law cements the 2017 Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (TCJA) into permanent policy, preserving critical tax benefits for families across the country. For the average Nebraska household, that means $2,400 a year in savings — money that can help pay for groceries, utilities, or a child’s education.”

    Rep. Ken Calvert (The Desert Sun, Palm Springs, CA): Tax Relief on the way for Coachella Valley taxpayers

    “The Coachella Valley is home to a unique mix of residents, including large populations of retired senior citizens and employees who support the region’s tourism economy. Despite the different demographics of these two groups, they will both see targeted benefits from the recent working family tax law I voted to pass earlier this month. Retired Americans who live on a fixed income rely heavily on the Social Security and Medicare benefits. Protecting those benefits is a top priority for our seniors – and it’s one of my top priorities, too. I promised the seniors I represent that I would not cut their benefits, and the recent tax and spending bill that was signed into law honors that commitment. There are no cuts to either Social Security or Medicare benefits in the bill.”

    Rep. Jeff Crank (The Colorado Springs Gazette, Colorado Springs, CO): Why I voted in favor of the One Big, Beautiful Bill

    “The One Big, Beautiful Bill, some of the most conservative legislation worked on in Congress, delivers the largest tax cuts in American history, ensures no tax on tips or overtime, protects Medicaid for our nation’s most vulnerable, increases defense spending, secures our borders and more. The bill promises a prosperous future for our country, yet there are some who continue to promote falsehoods about what this bill does. As the Representative for Colorado’s 5th Congressional District, it is my duty to outline why I voted for this bill. Let’s get this straight: the One Big, Beautiful Bill protects the Medicaid system for the most vulnerable and those that truly need it; benefits for pregnant women, children, seniors, and individuals with disabilities would see no changes with their Medicaid plans.”

    Rep. Randy Feenstra (The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, IA): ’Big Beautiful Bill’ grows our economy

    “For farmers and small businesses, the ‘One, Big, Beautiful Bill’ protects millions of smaller operations and businesses from excessive taxation by raising the death tax exemption. These entities also will benefit from doubled small business expensing, immediate R & D expensing, and deductions on qualified business income. It also increases reference prices for corn and soybeans, strengthens crop insurance, and fully funds foreign animal disease prevention, mitigation, and response.”

    Rep. Brett Guthrie (The Owensboro Messenger and Inquirer, Owensboro, KY): Here’s the truth: The One Big Beautiful Bill actually strengthens Medicaid

    “The Medicaid provisions included in the One, Big Beautiful Bill ensure our most vulnerable Americans continue receiving the support they need. It strengthens the program by removing deceased recipients from the Medicaid rolls, requiring states to conduct more frequent eligibility checks for the expansion population, ensuring that individuals are not enrolled in multiple states and enacting commonsense work requirements for able-bodied Americans who choose not to work. Additionally, our bill expands access to Home and Community Based Services for low-income seniors and individuals living with a disability.”

    Rep. Lisa McClain (The Detroit News, Detroit, MI): Big Beautiful Bill is a win for Michiganians

    “This landmark legislation combines common-sense reforms with bold investments in our communities. At its heart, the bill is about rebuilding the American dream from the ground up; making it more affordable to live, work and raise a family in Michigan. Whether you’re running a small business, working long shifts at a restaurant or raising kids, this bill will make your life better.”


    Rep. Tom Tiffany (Wausau Pilot & Review, Wausau, WI): What the One Big Beautiful Bill means for you

    “The bill also raises the Child Tax Credit to $2,200 per child and establishes a $1,000 investment account for American newborns, helping give every child a head start. It also supports working parents by expanding the Employer-Provided Child Care Credit, encouraging more businesses to offer affordable child care.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for August 1, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on August 1, 2025.

    Why UK recognition of a Palestinian state should not be conditional on Israel’s actions
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karen Scott, Professor in Law, University of Canterbury Getty Images The announcement this week by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the recognition of a Palestininian state has been welcomed by many who want to see a ceasefire in Gaza and lasting peace in the region. In

    Governments are becoming increasingly secretive. Here’s how they can be made to be more transparent
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Gabrielle Appleby, Professor of Law, UNSW Law School, UNSW Sydney Transparency is vital to our democratic system of government. It promotes good government, spurring those in power into better practice. Even when what is revealed is pretty revolting, transparency means those transgressions are known, and accountability for

    Wood fires, warm drinks, hot water bottles: 5 expert tips on how to avoid burns this winter
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lisa Martin, Adjunct Senior Research Fellow, School of Biomedical Sciences, Pathology and Laboratory Science, The University of Western Australia Alex P/Pexels It’s a cold, crisp evening and the air carries a chill that bites. As temperatures drop and houses get colder, we turn to trusted sources of

    Is Australia becoming a more violent country?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samara McPhedran, Principal Research Fellow, Violence Research and Prevention Program, Griffith University Almost every day, it seems we read or hear reports another family is grieving the murder of a loved one in a street brawl, another business owner is hospitalised after trying to fend off armed

    The royal commission recommended abolishing time limits on abuse cases – a year on, nothing has changed
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Zoë Prebble, Lecturer in Criminal Law, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington Getty Images Among the 138 recommendations of the Abuse in Care Royal Commission of Inquiry’s final report to parliament was a clear call: remove the legal time limits that prevent survivors of historic

    Industrial-scale deepfake abuse caused a crisis in South Korean schools. Here’s how Australia can avoid the same fate
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joel Scanlan, Senior Lecturer in Health Information Management, University of Tasmania South Korea’s deepfake crisis triggered a wave of protests in 2024. Anthony WALLACE / AFP Australian schools are seeing a growing number of incidents in which students have created deepfake sexualised imagery of their classmates. The

    Colombia is producing more cocaine than ever – and more is reaching Australian shores
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Cesar Alvarez, Lecturer in Terrorism and Security Studies, Charles Sturt University Members of the Colombian anti-narcotics police test cocaine after a drug bust. RAUL ARBOLEDA/AFP via Getty Images Imagine an area larger than the Australian Capital Territory, nearly twice the size of London and four times that

    How can I tell if I am lonely? What are some of the signs?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Marlee Bower, Senior Research Fellow, Matilda Centre for Research in Mental Health and Substance Use, University of Sydney gremlin/Getty Images Without even realising it, your world sometimes gradually gets smaller: less walking, fewer days in the office, cancelling on friends. Watching plans disintegrate on the chat as

    Rockabye baby: the ‘love songs’ of lonely leopard seals resemble human nursery rhymes
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lucinda Chambers, PhD Candidate in Marine Bioacoustics, UNSW Sydney CassandraSm/Shutterstock Late in the evening, the Antarctic sky flushes pink. The male leopard seal wakes and slips from the ice into the water. There, he’ll spend the night singing underwater amongst the floating ice floes. For the next

    Shark tales, a sinking city and a breathless cop thriller: what to watch in August
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alexa Scarlata, Lecturer, Digital Communication, RMIT University As the cool nights continue, it’s the perfect time to cozy up with a new batch of captivating films and series. This month’s streaming highlights bring a little bit of everything, from gripping true crime, to thought-provoking political drama, and

    A Hawaiian epic made in NZ: why Jason Momoa’s Chief of War wasn’t filmed in its star’s homeland
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Duncan Caillard, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, School of Communication Studies, Auckland University of Technology Jason Momoa’s historical epic Chief of War, launching August 1 on Apple TV+, is a triumph of Hawaiians telling their own stories – despite the fact their film and TV production industry now struggles

    As protesters condemn Western media ‘complicity’, Gaza journalists struggle for survival
    Asia Pacific Report Protesters demonstrated outside several major US media outlets in Washington this week condemning their coverage of the genocide in Gaza, claiming they were to blame over misinformation and the worsening catastrophe. Banging pots and pans to spotlight the starvation crisis, they accused the media of “complicity in genocide”. Banners and placards proclaimed

    The company tax regime is a roadblock to business investment. Here’s what needs to change
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alex Robson, Deputy Chair, Productivity Commission, and Adjunct Professor, Queensland University of Technology Erman Gunes/Shutterstock Productivity growth is a key driver of improvements in living standards. But in Australia over the last decade, output per hour worked grew by less than a quarter of its 60-year average.

    Grattan on Friday: Aggrieved Liberals stamp their feet, testing Sussan Ley’s authority
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra As any leader of a political party knows, when you demote people they can become difficult, or worse. Among Opposition Leader Sussan Ley’s multiple problems are two very unhappy former frontbenchers. Sarah Henderson, who was opposition education spokeswoman last term,

    Espionage cost Australia $12.5 billion in 2023-24, ASIO boss Mike Burgess says
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Espionage cost Australia $12.5 billion in 2023-24, according to a study by ASIO and the Australian Institute of Criminology. The figure includes the direct costs of known espionage incidents, including state-sponsored theft of intellectual property, as well as the indirect

    Labor well-placed to win three Bass seats in Tasmanian election, giving left a total of 20 of 35 MPs
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adrian Beaumont, Election Analyst (Psephologist) at The Conversation; and Honorary Associate, School of Mathematics and Statistics, The University of Melbourne Labor is well-placed to win three seats in the electorate of Bass at the Tasmanian election, although its party totals imply it deserves only two. This would

    The Muslim world has been strong on rhetoric, short on action over Gaza and Afghanistan
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amin Saikal, Emeritus Professor of Middle Eastern and Central Asian Studies, Australian National University; and Vice Chancellor’s Strategic Fellow, Australian National University When it comes to dealing with two of the biggest current crises in the Muslim world – the devastation of Gaza and the Taliban’s draconian

    Kids need to floss too, even their baby teeth. But how do you actually get them to do it?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Dileep Sharma, Professor and Head of Discipline – Oral Health, University of Newcastle Jonathan Borba/Pexels A survey from the Australian Dental Association out this week shows about three in four children never floss their teeth, or have adults do it for them. Many of the survey respondents

    Grief is the Thing with Feathers comes to the stage with a glorious intensity of purpose
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Huw Griffiths, Associate Professor of English Literature, University of Sydney Brett Boardman/Belvoir The idea of the titular Crow in Ted Hughes’ poems is wild, untameable and irreducible to words. In an early poem in the sequence, words come at Crow from all angles but he just ignores

    Politics with Michelle Grattan: independent MP Allegra Spender on making tax fairer for younger Australians
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra With parliament now finished its first fortnight’s session, attention will soon be on the government’s August 19-21 economic reform roundtable, bringing together business, unions, experts and community representatives to pursue consensus on ways to lift Australia’s flagging productivity. Independent member

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-Evening Report: ‘The great mass of waters killed many thousands’: how earthquakes and tsunamis shook ancient Greece and Rome

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Konstantine Panegyres, Lecturer in Classics and Ancient History, The University of Western Australia

    The Roman baths at Sabratha, Libya, were damaged in the earthquake and tsunami of 365 AD Reza / Getty Images

    The Greek poet Crinagoras of Mytilene (1st century BC–1st century AD) once addressed a little poem to an earthquake. He asked the quake not to destroy his house:

    Earthquake, most dread of all shocks … spare my new-built house, for I do not know of any terror equal to the quivering of the earth.

    Like us, ancient people had many things to say about natural disasters. So, what information did they leave behind for us, and what can we learn from them?

    The story of Nicomedia

    One of the most vivid ancient accounts of an earthquake is found in the writings of the Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus (c. 330–395 AD).

    On August 24 358 AD, there was a huge earthquake at Nicomedia, a city in Asia Minor.

    As Ammianus recounts:

    A terrific earthquake completely overturned the city and its suburbs … since most of the houses were carried down the slopes of the hill, they fell one upon another, while everything resounded with the vast roar of their destruction.

    The human effect was devastating.

    The palace of the emperor Diocletian at Nicomedia was damaged in the quake of 358 AD.
    G. Berggren / Getty Images

    Most people were “killed at one blow”, says Ammianus. Others, he tells us, were “imprisoned unhurt within slanting house roofs, to be consumed by the agony of starvation”.

    Hidden in the rubble “with fractured skulls or amputated arms or legs”, injured survivors “hovered between life and death”, but most could not be recovered, “despite their pleas and protestations” resounding from beneath the rubble, according to Ammianus.

    Famous natural disasters in the ancient world

    A number of natural disasters involving earthquakes and tsunamis were especially famous in ancient Greek and Roman times.

    In 464 BC, in Sparta, there was a huge earthquake. People at the time said it was greater than any earthquake that had ever occurred beforehand.

    According to the Greek writer Plutarch (c. 46–119 AD), the earthquake “tore the land of the Lacedaemonians into many chasms”, collapsed the peaks of the surrounding mountains, and “demolished the entire city with the exception of five houses”.

    In 373–372 BC, the Greek coastal cities of Helice and Buris were destroyed by tsunamis. They were permanently submerged beneath the waves.

    An anonymous Greek poet evocatively wrote that the walls of these cities, which had once been thriving with many people, were now silent under the waves, “clad with thick sea-moss”.

    But arguably the most famous ancient tsunami occurred on July 21 365 AD on the northern coast of Africa, at that time controlled by the Romans.

    Again according to Ammianus, early in the morning there was a huge earthquake. Then, not long after, the water retreated from the shore:

    the sea with its rolling waves was driven back and withdrew from the land, so that in the abyss of the deep thus revealed people saw many kinds of sea-creatures stuck fast in the slime … and vast mountains and deep valleys, which nature had hidden in the unplumbed depths.

    Then, suddenly, the sea returned with a vengeance. As Ammianus tells us, it smashed over the land destroying everything in its path:

    The great mass of waters killed many thousands of people by drowning … the lifeless bodies of shipwrecked persons lay floating on their backs or on their faces … great ships, driven by the mad blasts, landed on the tops of buildings, and some were driven almost two miles inland.

    Earthquakes were famous for their sound. The Roman scholar Pliny the Elder (23–79 AD) explained that earthquakes have a “terrible sound” – like “the bellowing of cattle or the shouts of human beings or the clash of weapons struck together”.

    Ancient ideas about what causes earthquakes and tsunamis

    Like today, ancient people wanted to know what caused these phenomena. There were various different theories.

    Some people thought Poseidon, god of the sea, earthquakes and horses, was responsible.

    As the Greek writer Plutarch (c. 46–119 AD) comments, “men sacrifice to Poseidon when they wish to put a stop to earthquakes”.

    An ancient statue of Poseidon, god of the sea and earthquakes, from the island of Milos.
    Sepia Times / Getty Images

    However, other people looked beyond divine explanations.

    One interesting theory held by the philosopher Anaximenes (6th century BC) was that the earth itself was the cause of earthquakes.

    According to Anaximenes, huge parts of the earth beneath the ground can move, collapse, detach or tear away, thus causing shaking.

    “Huge waves”, said Anaximenes, are “produced by the weight [of falling earth] crashing down into the [waters] from above”.

    Ancient people knew nothing of tectonic plates and continental drift. These were discovered much later, mainly through the pioneering work of Alfred Wegener (1880–1930).

    Preparing for natural disasters

    Ancient Greeks and Romans had little way of predicting or preparing for earthquakes and tsunamis.

    Pherecydes of Samos (6th century BC) was said to have predicted an earthquake “from the appearance of some water drawn from a well”, according to the Roman statesman Cicero (106–43 BC).

    For the most part, though, ancient people had to live at the mercy of these occurrences.

    As the anonymous author of a treatise titled On the Cosmos once wrote, natural disasters are part of life on earth:

    Violent earthquakes before now have torn up many parts of the earth; monstrous storms of rain have burst out and overwhelmed it; incursions and withdrawals of the waves have often made seas of dry land and dry land of seas…

    While our understanding of these events (and our ability to prepare for them, and recover afterward) has improved immeasurably since ancient times, earthquakes and tsunamis are things we will always have to deal with.

    Konstantine Panegyres 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 great mass of waters killed many thousands’: how earthquakes and tsunamis shook ancient Greece and Rome – https://theconversation.com/the-great-mass-of-waters-killed-many-thousands-how-earthquakes-and-tsunamis-shook-ancient-greece-and-rome-262358

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: ‘The great mass of waters killed many thousands’: how earthquakes and tsunamis shook ancient Greece and Rome

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Konstantine Panegyres, Lecturer in Classics and Ancient History, The University of Western Australia

    The Roman baths at Sabratha, Libya, were damaged in the earthquake and tsunami of 365 AD Reza / Getty Images

    The Greek poet Crinagoras of Mytilene (1st century BC–1st century AD) once addressed a little poem to an earthquake. He asked the quake not to destroy his house:

    Earthquake, most dread of all shocks … spare my new-built house, for I do not know of any terror equal to the quivering of the earth.

    Like us, ancient people had many things to say about natural disasters. So, what information did they leave behind for us, and what can we learn from them?

    The story of Nicomedia

    One of the most vivid ancient accounts of an earthquake is found in the writings of the Roman historian Ammianus Marcellinus (c. 330–395 AD).

    On August 24 358 AD, there was a huge earthquake at Nicomedia, a city in Asia Minor.

    As Ammianus recounts:

    A terrific earthquake completely overturned the city and its suburbs … since most of the houses were carried down the slopes of the hill, they fell one upon another, while everything resounded with the vast roar of their destruction.

    The human effect was devastating.

    The palace of the emperor Diocletian at Nicomedia was damaged in the quake of 358 AD.
    G. Berggren / Getty Images

    Most people were “killed at one blow”, says Ammianus. Others, he tells us, were “imprisoned unhurt within slanting house roofs, to be consumed by the agony of starvation”.

    Hidden in the rubble “with fractured skulls or amputated arms or legs”, injured survivors “hovered between life and death”, but most could not be recovered, “despite their pleas and protestations” resounding from beneath the rubble, according to Ammianus.

    Famous natural disasters in the ancient world

    A number of natural disasters involving earthquakes and tsunamis were especially famous in ancient Greek and Roman times.

    In 464 BC, in Sparta, there was a huge earthquake. People at the time said it was greater than any earthquake that had ever occurred beforehand.

    According to the Greek writer Plutarch (c. 46–119 AD), the earthquake “tore the land of the Lacedaemonians into many chasms”, collapsed the peaks of the surrounding mountains, and “demolished the entire city with the exception of five houses”.

    In 373–372 BC, the Greek coastal cities of Helice and Buris were destroyed by tsunamis. They were permanently submerged beneath the waves.

    An anonymous Greek poet evocatively wrote that the walls of these cities, which had once been thriving with many people, were now silent under the waves, “clad with thick sea-moss”.

    But arguably the most famous ancient tsunami occurred on July 21 365 AD on the northern coast of Africa, at that time controlled by the Romans.

    Again according to Ammianus, early in the morning there was a huge earthquake. Then, not long after, the water retreated from the shore:

    the sea with its rolling waves was driven back and withdrew from the land, so that in the abyss of the deep thus revealed people saw many kinds of sea-creatures stuck fast in the slime … and vast mountains and deep valleys, which nature had hidden in the unplumbed depths.

    Then, suddenly, the sea returned with a vengeance. As Ammianus tells us, it smashed over the land destroying everything in its path:

    The great mass of waters killed many thousands of people by drowning … the lifeless bodies of shipwrecked persons lay floating on their backs or on their faces … great ships, driven by the mad blasts, landed on the tops of buildings, and some were driven almost two miles inland.

    Earthquakes were famous for their sound. The Roman scholar Pliny the Elder (23–79 AD) explained that earthquakes have a “terrible sound” – like “the bellowing of cattle or the shouts of human beings or the clash of weapons struck together”.

    Ancient ideas about what causes earthquakes and tsunamis

    Like today, ancient people wanted to know what caused these phenomena. There were various different theories.

    Some people thought Poseidon, god of the sea, earthquakes and horses, was responsible.

    As the Greek writer Plutarch (c. 46–119 AD) comments, “men sacrifice to Poseidon when they wish to put a stop to earthquakes”.

    An ancient statue of Poseidon, god of the sea and earthquakes, from the island of Milos.
    Sepia Times / Getty Images

    However, other people looked beyond divine explanations.

    One interesting theory held by the philosopher Anaximenes (6th century BC) was that the earth itself was the cause of earthquakes.

    According to Anaximenes, huge parts of the earth beneath the ground can move, collapse, detach or tear away, thus causing shaking.

    “Huge waves”, said Anaximenes, are “produced by the weight [of falling earth] crashing down into the [waters] from above”.

    Ancient people knew nothing of tectonic plates and continental drift. These were discovered much later, mainly through the pioneering work of Alfred Wegener (1880–1930).

    Preparing for natural disasters

    Ancient Greeks and Romans had little way of predicting or preparing for earthquakes and tsunamis.

    Pherecydes of Samos (6th century BC) was said to have predicted an earthquake “from the appearance of some water drawn from a well”, according to the Roman statesman Cicero (106–43 BC).

    For the most part, though, ancient people had to live at the mercy of these occurrences.

    As the anonymous author of a treatise titled On the Cosmos once wrote, natural disasters are part of life on earth:

    Violent earthquakes before now have torn up many parts of the earth; monstrous storms of rain have burst out and overwhelmed it; incursions and withdrawals of the waves have often made seas of dry land and dry land of seas…

    While our understanding of these events (and our ability to prepare for them, and recover afterward) has improved immeasurably since ancient times, earthquakes and tsunamis are things we will always have to deal with.

    Konstantine Panegyres 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 great mass of waters killed many thousands’: how earthquakes and tsunamis shook ancient Greece and Rome – https://theconversation.com/the-great-mass-of-waters-killed-many-thousands-how-earthquakes-and-tsunamis-shook-ancient-greece-and-rome-262358

    MIL OSI

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Why UK recognition of a Palestinian state should not be conditional on Israel’s actions

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Karen Scott, Professor in Law, University of Canterbury

    Getty Images

    The announcement this week by UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer on the recognition of a Palestininian state has been welcomed by many who want to see a ceasefire in Gaza and lasting peace in the region.

    In contrast to other recent statements on the status of Palestine, however, the UK has said it will recognise Palestine as a state in September

    unless the Israeli government takes substantive steps to end the appalling situation in Gaza and commits to a long term sustainable peace, including through allowing the UN to restart without delay the supply of humanitarian support to the people of Gaza to end starvation, agreeing to a ceasefire, and making clear there will be no annexations in the West Bank.

    Until this week, the UK’s position had been that recognition would only follow a negotiated two-state solution in Israel-Palestine. Other countries have now begun to shift from that position, too.

    The latest UK statement was preceded by announcements from France on July 25 and Canada on July 31 that they too would recognise Palestine as a state in September.

    But the UK position is different in one important way: it is conditional on Israel failing to comply with its international humanitarian obligations in Gaza and the West Bank.

    In other words, recognition of Palestine as a state by the UK is being used as a stick to persuade Israel to agree to a ceasefire. Should Israel agree to those conditions, the UK will presumably not recognise Palestine as a state in September, but will revert to its original position on a two-state solution.

    Conditional recognition subject to action by Israel – a third state – represents an unwelcome and arguably dangerous departure from international practice.

    While recognition (or otherwise) of states is inherently political – as demonstrated by the unique status of Taiwan, for example – it is not and should not be made conditional on the action or inaction of third states.

    How states are recognised

    According to the Convention on the Rights and Duties of States, a state must have a permanent population, territory, an independent government, and the capacity to enter into relations with other states, as well as self-determination.

    Palestine has arguably met all these criteria, with the possible exception of an independent government, given the level of Israeli intervention in the West Bank and the current situation in Gaza.

    Although recognition by other states is arguably not a formal criterion of statehood, it is very difficult to function as a state without reasonably widespread recognition by other states.

    Some 147 countries – two-thirds of UN members – now recognise the State of Palestine, including Spain, Ireland and Norway, which made announcements in 2024.

    Those choosing not to formally recognise a Palestinian state are now in a small minority, including Australia and New Zealand. This is inevitably leading to calls in those countries to change position.

    Australia is considering such a shift, subject to conditions similar to those set out by Canada – including the release of Israeli hostages, the demilitarisation of Hamas, and reform of the Palestinian Authority.

    New Zealand is currently maintaining its longstanding position of recognising Palestine within the context of a two-state solution. On July 30, Foreign Minister Winston Peters and 13 of his counterparts issued a joint statement – the “New York Call” – demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and reiterating “unwavering commitment to the vision of the two-State solution”.

    The statement also asserted that “positive consideration” to recognise the state of Palestine is “an essential step towards the two-state solution”.

    Better options are available

    The UK’s position, however, introduces another dynamic. By using recognition of Palestine as a tool to punish Israel for its actual and alleged breaches of international law in Gaza, it is implicitly failing to respect Palestine’s right to self-determination.

    If Palestine deserves statehood, it is on its own terms, not as a condition of Israel’s policies and actions.

    But it is also setting a dangerous precedent. Countries could choose to recognise (or not recognise) states to pressure or punish them (or indeed other states) for breaches of international law. Such breaches may or may not be connected to the state actually seeking recognition.

    This is important, because the post-colonial settlement of geographical boundaries remains deeply insecure in many regions. As well, low-lying island nations at risk of losing territory from sea-level rise may also find their status challenged, as territory has traditionally been a requirement of statehood.

    The UK’s apparent conditional recognition of Palestine is only likely to increase this international instability around statehood.

    While the UK’s announcement may be “clever politics” from a domestic perspective, and avoids outright US opposition internationally, it has conflated two separate issues.

    The better option would be for the UK to recognise Palestine as a state, joining a growing number of countries that plan to do so in advance of the UN General Assembly meeting in September. It could make this subject to conditions, including the release of hostages and exclusion of Hamas from Palestinian governance.

    And it should continue to press Israel to agree to a ceasefire in addition to the other demands set out in its announcement, and hold Israel accountable for its gross breaches of international law in Gaza. It can back up those demands with appropriate diplomatic and trade sanctions.

    New Zealand, too, has a range of options available, and can help increase the pressure on Israel by using them.

    Karen Scott 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. Why UK recognition of a Palestinian state should not be conditional on Israel’s actions – https://theconversation.com/why-uk-recognition-of-a-palestinian-state-should-not-be-conditional-on-israels-actions-262345

    MIL OSI

  • MIL-OSI USA: Grassley Questions Treasury Nominee on Biofuels, Wind and Solar Provisions in the One Big Beautiful Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Iowa Chuck Grassley

    WASHINGTON – Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa), a senior member and former chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, today questioned Treasury Department nominee Derek Theurer on the implementation of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

    Grassley asked whether Theurer would advise the Treasury Department to maintain its longstanding interpretation of “began construction.” Grassley requested a timeline on formal guidance for implementing the clean fuels tax credit to provide Iowa’s biofuels industry greater certainty.

    Grassley also questioned Bryan Switzer, nominee to be Deputy U.S. Trade Representative, about America’s trade balance with China. 

    [embedded content]

    VIDEO

    On Wins on the One Big Beautiful Bill Act

    The One Big Beautiful Bill was an historic achievement. We averted the largest tax increase in history. It made pro-growth business provisions permanent. It unlocked business investment that will create jobs. The bill also provides additional middle-class tax relief.

    Implementing the Bill as Congress Intended

    As Treasury works to implement the bill, the agency must work with members to ensure the provisions are implemented according to the statute and faithful to congressional intent.

    So, the first question is a very general one. Can we count on you to keep Congress well informed during the implementation process and consult with [relevant] members of Congress where questions arise as to what was congressional intent?

    Wind and Solar Provisions, 45Z Implementation

    There are several provisions that I’m particularly interested in, in seeing faithfully implemented. This includes the structure of the phase-out for the wind and solar credits and modifications to the Clean Fuels Production Credit. And, remember, you’re talking to the father of the Wind Energy Tax Credit.

    I worked with my colleagues to provide wind and solar an appropriate glide path for the orderly phase-out of the tax credits. Ultimately, Congress enshrined in statute a 12-month transition period based on when projects “begin construction.”

    What it means for a project to “begin construction” has been very well established by Treasury guidance for more than a decade. Moreover, Congress specifically references current Treasury guidance to set that term’s meaning in law. It seems to me, this is a case where both the law and congressional intent are very, very clear.

    So, Mr. Theurer, will you commit to advising the Department that both the law and congressional intent are clear and that the “beginning of construction” – those official words – means what it has meant for more than a decade?

    Impact of the Clean Fuels Credit on Biofuels

    The reconciliation bill includes an extension and modification of [the] Clean Fuel[s] Production Tax Credit under 45Z. Implementing this credit properly and quickly is important for the biofuels industry and its participants, especially farmers. The Biden administration failed to meaningfully address 45Z regulations, which has caused major market disruptions, including plant closures.

    When can we expect to see guidance formally implementing the clean fuels credit so the biofuels industry can confidently move forward with operations?

    America’s Trade Balance with China

    You will be handling areas of international trade, and I’m interested in China. Based on your personal history, you know how challenging this will be. Do you think that the whole United States economy needs to decouple completely from China, or only certain sectors of our economy?

    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI China: Enduring legacy of anti-Japanese guerrilla base in northeast China

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

    Meng Qingxu, leader of the Hongshilazi Site excavation team, introduces a historical site at the ancient forests of Hongshilazi in Panshi City, northeast China’s Jilin Province, June 26, 2025. (Xinhua/Yan Linyun)

    Winding through the ancient forests of Hongshilazi in Panshi City, northeast China’s Jilin Province, wooden boardwalks overlook faint semi-subterranean house foundations, the remnants of a secret network once housing a field hospital, arsenal and command post for the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army.

    In the autumn of 1932, 27-year-old Communist Party of China (CPC) member Ma Shangde, under the alias Zhang Guanyi, arrived in the dense forests of Hongshilazi, which means “red rocks.” His mission was urgent and perilous: to unite scattered anti-Japanese militias into a single front against the formidable invaders. He carried a rallying cry that echoed through the trees, clear, simple and powerful: “Chinese don’t fight Chinese; save the bullets for the enemies.”

    He reorganized Panshi’s anti-Japanese volunteer forces into the South Manchuria Guerrilla Force of the CPC-led Red Army, achieving several victories against enemy encirclement and suppression campaigns. As one of the founders and key leaders of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, Ma would later be immortalized by history under his heroic name: General Yang Jingyu.

    These mountains, once the frontlines of guerrilla resistance, now tell a different story. As the CPC’s first anti-Japanese base in northeast China, Hongshilazi and the wider Panshi region have transformed from battlegrounds into a thriving hub of “red tourism,” where history lives on through footsteps and stories rather than ruins.

    For decades, the heroic struggle of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army existed mostly in scattered documents and fading memories, a legacy historians often called “recorded in text, but absent on the ground.” That began to change with the arrival of archaeologists, as their work has uncovered the long-lost physical traces missing from the historical record.

    “Telling the story of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army inevitably leads you to Hongshilazi,” said Wang Zhongshi, deputy director of the Hongshilazi Site protection center.

    The earliest archaeological survey of the Hongshilazi Site began in 1958, carried out jointly by the history department of Jilin University and the Jilin provincial cultural relics management committee. In 2019, the site was designated as a major national cultural heritage unit under protection.

    Launched in 2021, a five-year archaeological initiative — the first systematic excavation of a nationally protected site linked to the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army — has yielded remarkable results.

    By the end of 2024, archaeologists had identified more than 3,300 ruins scattered across the mountainous terrain and unearthed 938 artifacts tied to the guerrilla force, including locally-made Jingal muskets, single swords used by the youth battalion, and even a Japanese-made iron box containing gun repair tools.

    “No one really knew what the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army’s sites looked like or what their hidden camps were like until now,” said Meng Qingxu from the Jilin provincial institute of cultural relics and archaeology, who is leading the Hongshilazi Site excavation team.

    “These five years of work have resolved a long-standing issue: a history well recorded in writing but lacking physical evidence,” he said. Today, Hongshilazi stands as the largest, best-preserved, richest in content, and most fully functional complex of Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army sites in China.

    This file photo provided by the interviewee shows the scenery of Hongshilazi Mountain in Panshi City, northeast China’s Jilin Province, Dec. 12, 2023. (Xinhua)

    Preservation efforts at Hongshilazi extend far beyond excavation. A comprehensive master plan spanning 6,115 hectares divides the area into core protection zones, construction control zones and environmental buffer zones. While experimental backfilling protection is implemented in certain excavated areas, 2,400 meters of gravel paths and 600 meters of elevated wooden boardwalks now guide visitors through the terrain, offering access without disturbing the fragile ruins.

    To bring history to life, five key structures, including sentry posts and a clothing factory, have been rebuilt. Surrounding them, nine themed squares and 13 interpretive signs bring to life the arduous years of struggle endured by the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army.

    According to Meng, the next phase of site preservation faces significant hurdles, foremost among them the harsh climate of the forested region, marked by relentless freeze-thaw cycles that threaten the integrity of exposed remains.

    “We’re working with Jilin University to run long-term monitoring experiments, tracking surface temperature, humidity, pressure and watching how these variables shift across all four seasons,” Meng said. “Only with that data in hand can we develop future protection strategies.”

    The smoke of battle has long since cleared, yet the spirit of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army, rooted in the forests of Hongshilazi, lives on in Panshi.

    Dozens of kilometers to the east, in Guanma New Village, tourists are arriving in growing numbers. In recent years, the village has embraced red tourism as a pillar of its rural revitalization, with the spirit of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army becoming a driving force for local development. A themed education exhibition hall now stands at the heart of the village, alongside a newly opened bookstore and cinema, transforming history into both a living classroom and a magnet for visitors.

    Once a primarily agricultural mountain village, Guanma is now charting a new path of diversified development, with red tourism and history education at its core, according to Zhang Hongqiu, director of the Panshi municipal bureau of culture, radio, television and tourism. In 2024, Panshi welcomed 1.7 million tourists, generating 850 million yuan (about 118.9 million U.S. dollars) in tourism revenue, with more than 70 percent of visitors drawn by red tourism.

    Panshi’s red heritage now threads through diverse sectors, from dining and homestays to local specialty agricultural products, enriching both the local economy and cultural landscape.

    As cultural tourism flourishes, Panshi’s agricultural development is keeping pace. On the hillsides above Beiguokui Village in Baoshan Township, 300 hectares of Jinxiu crabapple orchards burst into full bloom.

    Village Party secretary Luan Rensheng noted that the village’s unique blend of water and mountainous terrain is ideal for fruit tree cultivation. After years of varietal refinement, Jinxiu crabapples have emerged as the premier choice for large-scale planting, now cultivated as a premium product.

    Not far from the village, in a bustling factory, young entrepreneur Yang Shangbin is gearing up to add two new production lines. Since returning home in 2016, he has set up cold chain facilities, invested in cutting-edge equipment, and driven research and development, all with strong support from the local government. His company’s products, like crabapple wine, dried crabapples and crabapple tea, have quickly gained traction, with strong market demand.

    “We’re about to double our crabapple procurement this year,” Yang said. “There’s immense potential here at home. Starting a business brings promising opportunities.”

    Ma Chengming, Yang Jingyu’s great-grandson, now in his late 20s, chose to work in Panshi after graduating from university. “In my senior year, Panshi was the first stop on my journey retracing the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army’s route. Along the way, elders shared stories about their sacrifices,” he recalled.

    While working at the grassroots level in rural Panshi, Ma actively led initiatives to boost local prosperity. Beyond his primary responsibilities, he regularly gave talks on the red spirit in schools and communities, and volunteered as a docent at the village history museum. In sharing Panshi’s story, Ma speaks not only as a local resident but also as the great-grandson of a national hero who once fought there.

    Once, deep within the forests of Hongshilazi, fighters of the Northeast Anti-Japanese United Army laid down their lives to defend this land. Today, across the wide stretches of Panshi, a new generation is shaping its future with wisdom and hard work.

    “The spirit of my great-grandfather has long been woven into this land,” Ma said. 

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-OSI China: Thriving under pressure: Chinese companies build resilience, boost innovation amid headwinds

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

    Thriving under pressure: Chinese companies build resilience, boost innovation amid headwinds

    Merchant Sun Lijuan (R) introduces products to an Indian merchant inside her shop at the Yiwu International Trade Mart in Yiwu, east China’s Zhejiang Province, May 20, 2025. (Xinhua/Han Chuanhao)

    “It’s hot and wet today,” chirped a doll in a clear, childlike voice, dressed in a pink floral blouse and a rainbow tulle skirt. The doll was on display at a toy stall in Yiwu City, a bustling trade hub in east China often dubbed the “world’s supermarket.”

    The question — “What’s the weather like today?” — came from stall owner Sun Lijuan, who has worked in the doll business in Yiwu for over a decade.

    Her latest model, now powered by AI, marks a major shift from the talking toys of the past. “It’s no longer just a doll that sings, tells stories, or answers basic questions,” Sun said. “Now it can respond to almost anything. For kids, it’s more like a companion — a friend.”

    Sun is currently developing Spanish-language versions and has asked long-time clients to take the new AI dolls’ smart modules to South America to test server connectivity.

    Amid global tariff headwinds, innovation is unfolding daily in Yiwu across a wide range of industries and products. Local businesses are steadily strengthening both resilience and innovation capacity, driving a 24.5 percent year-on-year increase in the city’s exports in the first half of the year.

    Visits by foreign buyers in Yiwu jumped 18.6 percent from a year earlier in the first five months, underscoring growing interest in the city’s expanding and evolving product lines.

    The resilience of the “world’s supermarket” echoed a robust 5.3 percent year-on-year growth in China’s GDP in the first half of the year. Behind this hard-won result against the global backdrop of economic and trade headwinds, businesses like Sun’s tell inspiring stories of agility and enterprise.

    Merchants participate in a language learning session at the Yiwu International Trade Market in Yiwu, east China’s Zhejiang Province, May 16, 2025. (Xinhua/Chen Shuo)

    WEATHERING GLOBAL UNCERTAINTIES

    The rapid rollout of new products, Sun said, owes much to China’s strengths in innovation and talent. “Since the rapid ascent of DeepSeek earlier this year, we’ve been approached by many integrated circuit chip developers eager to collaborate on next-generation dolls,” she said. “I’ve never had so much contact with PhDs from top universities and tech firms.”

    This year has also been one of personal growth for Sun. After DeepSeek gained attention, the Yiwu International Trade Market began offering free AI training and she managed to pick up several software skills.

    In March, a long-time client from Mexico visited her shop and requested adjustments to the doll’s facial features and clothing. Sun made the edits on her computer within minutes, impressing the client and securing an order on the spot.

    “Many people have asked me whether external uncertainties have hit my factory hard, and I always say the impact has been limited,” Sun said, noting her factory has, over the years, developed talking dolls in multiple languages, including Spanish, English, Arabic and Russian, for more than 50 markets such as Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Egypt.

    “Entrepreneurs in Yiwu who’ve made it this far have been tested by the market repeatedly. Without foresight, they would’ve been pushed out of the market long ago,” she added.

    The new AI-powered dolls cost three to four times as much to produce as older talking models, but they also bring higher profit margins, according to Sun.

    Sun Lijuan said the production cost of the new AI-powered dolls is three to four times that of traditional talking models — but the added technology also brings higher profit margins.

    Sun’s toy business offers a glimpse into a broader trend. Across China, companies are drawing on the country’s institutional strengths, vast market potential, resilient supply chains, a deep talent pool, and growing innovation and openness to sharpen their resilience and adaptability in an increasingly complex global landscape.

    SHARPENING INNOVATION

    On the vast Gobi Desert in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, towering high-voltage power lines form a striking “forest of steel.” Between the power lines, drones flit in and out of view like birds patrolling their territory, detecting minor faults or unusual objects on the towers and cables.

    This photo taken on Aug. 13, 2024 shows a 750-kilovolt (kV) power transmission line under construction in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo by Ma Yuan/Xinhua)

    This is a fully autonomous drone inspection system developed by technology company I-KINGTEC in north China’s Tianjin Municipality. A young tech firm founded just eight years ago is helping to solve one of the toughest challenges of power line inspections in uninhabited regions.

    Its “Orca” drone can autonomously take off, fly missions and collect data. Serving as its all-weather base, the “Tiger Den” station can automatically replace the drone’s battery pod — a task that once depended almost entirely on manual labor.

    “How to make drones truly unmanned throughout the entire workflow has been the question we sought to answer from the very beginning,” said Zhu Shengli, co-founder of the company. He noted that the firm’s technological breakthroughs have been made possible by China’s supportive policies for the low-altitude economy and a strong talent pool.

    At Zhu’s company, the average age of employees is just 27, and R&D staff make up 70 percent of the workforce. The company has filed more than 600 IP applications to date.

    It posted over 200 million yuan (28 million U.S. dollars) in revenue last year, and its first-quarter earnings this year have already exceeded the full-year total for 2024.

    China’s tech firms like Zhu’s have seen strong momentum this year. In the first half of 2025, the country’s high-tech sectors posted rapid gains, with value-added industrial output in high-tech manufacturing rising 9.5 percent, 3.1 percentage points higher than the overall industrial growth during the same period.

    Sheng Laiyun, deputy head of the National Bureau of Statistics, described the “accumulation of new growth momentum” as a key feature of China’s economic performance. He noted an accelerating integration of technological and industrial innovation, which is high on policymakers’ agendas.

    To boost innovation, China has introduced a series of policy measures this year, including setting up a national venture capital guidance fund expected to mobilize 1 trillion yuan, expanding re-lending for tech innovation and upgrades from 500 billion to 800 billion yuan, and launching a dedicated “sci-tech board” in the bond market. The measures aim to channel more financial resources into early-stage, small-scale, long-term, and hard-tech ventures.

    TAPPING VAST DOMESTIC MARKET

    At a time when global demand is uneven, China’s vast domestic market of over 1.4 billion people continues to serve as a powerful anchor. Consumer demand is evolving rapidly, driving the emergence of new business models and product innovations.

    Despite pressures on the broader food service sector, Xibei, a leading Chinese catering chain brand with nearly 400 outlets and around 17,000 employees, is charting a different course by upgrading its children’s meals and offering higher-quality options to attract family diners, a strategy that has helped lift overall sales.

    The chain now offers four kids’ meal set options. One standout is a 69-yuan set featuring a whole yellow croaker, organic vegetables, corn soup, shrimp and egg custard, mousse, and hand-rolled oat noodles. To ensure it’s safe for children to eat, each fish goes through three rounds of machine inspection followed by manual deboning.

    “Kids’ meals are emerging as a powerful driver of family dining. Parents are willing to invest in quality for their children,” said Song Xuan, vice president of Xibei.

    Sales of Xibei’s children’s meals rose 7.4 percent year on year last year. Families dining with children now make up about 50 percent of total tables across its outlets on average.

    Despite skepticism over China’s consumer momentum and concerns about weak market demand, Xibei offers a snapshot of the country’s evolving spending power.

    China’s consumer market continued to gain momentum in the first half of the year, with retail sales of consumer goods rising 5 percent year on year, 0.4 percentage points faster than in the first quarter. Consumption contributed 52 percent to GDP growth during the period, making it the main driver of the economy.

    The vast Chinese market is also a shared market for the world, with consumer goods imports totaling 7.4 trillion yuan between 2021 and 2024, according to the Ministry of Commerce. In terms of actual purchasing power, China’s retail sales of consumer goods surpassed those of the United States last year, reaching 1.6 times the U.S. level, based on World Bank data and calculations.

    Xiong Yi, China Chief Economist at Deutsche Bank, noted strong potential for further growth in services consumption. “China has likely reached a development stage where its population will have increasing demand for higher-quality services,” he said.

    To better meet differentiated demand and tap deeper into China’s growing dining market, Xibei plans to roll out lightly salted meal sets for toddlers as young as one or two years old.

    “We are confident in the long-term prospects of China’s catering industry, given its vast growth potential. To stay competitive in such a rapidly evolving market, we must continue to transform and upgrade,” said Jia Guolong, chairman and founder of Xibei.

    MIL OSI China News

  • MIL-Evening Report: New Caledonia’s oldest party for independence rejects ‘Bougival’ deal

    By Patrick Decloitre, RNZ Pacific correspondent French Pacific Desk

    New Caledonia’s oldest pro-independence party, the Union Calédonienne (UC), has officially rejected a political agreement on the Pacific territory’s political future signed in Paris last month.

    The text, bearing the signatures of all of New Caledonia’s political parties represented in the local Congress — a total of 18 leaders, both pro-France and pro-independence — is described as a “project” for an agreement that would shape politics.

    Since it was signed in the city of Bougival, west of Paris, on July 12, after 10 days of intense negotiations, it has been dubbed a “bet on trust” and has been described by French Minister for Overseas Manuel Valls as a commitment from all signing parties to report to their respective bases and explain its contents.

    The Bougival document involves a series of measures and recognition by France of New Caledonia as a “State” which could become empowered with its own international relations and foreign affairs, provided they do not contradict France’s key interests.

    It also envisages dual citizenship — French and New Caledonian — provided future New Caledonian citizens are French nationals in the first place.

    It also describes a future devolution of stronger powers for each of the three provinces (North, South and Loyalty Islands), especially in terms of tax collection.

    Since it was published, the document, bearing a commitment to defend the text “as is”, was hailed as “innovative” and “historic”.

    New Caledonia’s leaders have started to hold regular meetings — sometimes daily — and sessions with their respective supporters and militants, mostly to explain the contents of what they have signed.

    The meetings were held by most pro-France parties and within the pro-independence camp, the two main moderate parties, UPM (Union Progressiste en Mélanésie) and PALIKA (Kanak Liberation Party).

    Over the past two weeks, all of these parties have strived to defend the agreement, which is sometimes described as a Memorandum of Agreement or a roadmap for future changes in New Caledonia.

    Most of the leaders who have inked the text have also held lengthy interviews with local media.

    Parties who have unreservedly pledged their support to and signed the Bougival document are:

    Pro-France side: Les Loyalistes, Rassemblement-LR, Wallisian-based Eveil Océanien and Calédonie Ensemble

    Pro-independence: UNI-FLNKS (which comprises UPM and PALIKA).

    But one of the main components of the pro-independence movement, the FLNKS (Kanak and Socialist National Liberation Front) — as its main pillar — the Union Calédonienne, has held a series of meetings indicating their resentment at their negotiators for having signed the contested document.

    UC held its executive committee on July 21, its steering committee on July 26, and FLNKS convened its political bureau on July 23.

    A ‘lure of sovereignty’
    All of these meetings concluded with an increasingly clear rejection of the Bougival document.

    Speaking at a news conference in Nouméa yesterday, UC leaders made it clear that they “formally reject” the agreement because they regard it as a “lure of sovereignty” and does not guarantee either real sovereignty or political balance.

    FLNKS chief negotiator Emmanuel Tjibaou, who is also UC’s chair, told local reporters he understood his signature on the document meant a commitment to return to New Caledonia, explain the text and obtain the approval of the political base.

    “I didn’t have a mandate to sign a political agreement, my mandate was to register the talks and bring them back to our people so that a decision can be made . . . it didn’t mean an acceptance on our part,” he said, mentioning it was a “temporary” document subject to further discussions.

    Tjibaou said some amendments his delegation had put on the table in Bougival “went missing” in the final text.

    Union Calédonienne chair and chief FLNKS negotiator Emmanuel Tjibaou . .. some amendments that his delegation had put on the table in Bougival “went missing” in the final text. Image: RNZ Pacific

    ‘Bougival, it’s over’
    “As far as we’re concerned, Bougival, it’s over”, UC vice-president Mickaël Forrest said.

    He said it was now time to move onto a “post-Bougival phase”.

    Meanwhile, the FLNKS also consulted its own “constitutionalists” to obtain legal advice and interpretation of the document.

    In a release about yesterday’s media conference, UC stated that the Bougival text could not be regarded as a balance between two “visions” for Kanaky New Caledonia, but rather a way of “maintaining New Caledonia as French”.

    The text, UC said, had led the political dialogue into a “new impasse” and it left several questions unanswered.

    “With the denomination of a ‘State’, a fundamental law (a de facto Constitution), the capacity to self-organise, and international recognition, this document is perceived as a project for an agreement to integrate (New Caledonia) into France under the guise of a decolonisation”.

    “The FLNKS has never accepted a status of autonomy within France, but an external decolonisation by means of accession to full sovereignty [which] grants us the right to choose our inter-dependencies,” the media release stated.

    The pro-independence party also criticised plans to enlarge the list of people entitled to vote at New Caledonia’s local elections — the very issue that triggered deadly and destructive riots in May 2024.

    It is also critical of a proposed mechanism that would require a vote at the Congress with a minimum majority of 64 percent (two thirds) before any future powers can be requested for transfer from France to New Caledonia.

    Assuming that current population trends and a fresh system of representation at the Congress will allow more representatives from the Southern province (about three quarters of New Caledonia’s population), UC said “in other words, it would be the non-independence [camp] who will have the power to authorise us — or not — to ask for our sovereignty”.

    They party confirmed that it had “formally rejected the Bougival project of agreement as it stands” following a decision made by its steering committee on July 26 “since the fundamentals of our struggle and the principles of decolonisation are not there”.

    Negotiators no longer mandated
    The decision also means that every member of its negotiating team who signed the document on July 12 is now de facto demoted and no longer mandated by the party until a new negotiating team is appointed, if required.

    “Union Calédonienne remains mobilised to arrive at a political agreement that takes into account the achievement of a trajectory towards full sovereignty”.

    On Tuesday, FLNKS president Christian Téin, as an invited guest of Corsica’s “Nazione” pro-independence movement, told French media he declared himself “individually against” the Bougival document, adding this was “far from being akin to full sovereignty”.

    Téin said that during the days that led to the signing of the document in Bougival “the pressure” exerted on negotiators was “terrible”.

    He said the result was that due to “excessive force” applied by “France’s representatives”, the final text’s content “looks like it is the French State and right-wing people who will decide the (indigenous) Kanak people’s future”.

    Facing crime-related charges, Téin is awaiting his trial, but was released from jail, under the condition that he does not return to New Caledonia.

    The leader of a CCAT (field action coordinating cell) created by Union Calédonienne late in 2023 to protest against a proposed French Constitutional amendment to alter voters’ rules of eligibility at local elections, was jailed for one year in mainland France. However, he was elected president of FLNKS in absentia in late August 2024.

    CCAT, meanwhile, was admitted as one of the new components of FLNKS.

    In a de facto split, the two main moderate pillars of FLNKS, UPM and PALIKA, at the same time, distanced themselves from the pro-independence UC-dominated platform, opening a rift within the pro-independence umbrella.

    The FLNKS is scheduled to hold an extraordinary meeting on August 9 (it was initially scheduled to be held on August 2), to “highlight the prospects of the pursuit of dialogue through a repositioning of the pro-independence movement’s political orientations”.

    French Minister for Overseas Manuel Valls (centre) shows signatures on the last page of New Caledonia’s new Bougival agreement earlier this month . . . “If tomorrow there was to be no agreement, it would mean the future, hope, would be put into question” Image: FB/RNZ Pacific

    Valls: ‘I’m not giving up’
    Reacting to the latest UC statements, Valls told French media he called on UC to have “a great sense of responsibility”.

    “If tomorrow there was to be no agreement, it would mean the future, hope, would be put into question. Investment, including for the nickel mining industry, would no longer be possible.”

    “I’m not giving up. Union Calédonienne has chosen to reject, as it stands, the Bougival accord project. I take note of this, but I profoundly regret this position.

    “An institutional void would be a disaster for [New Caledonia]. It would be a prolonged uncertainty, the risk of further instability, the return of violence,” he said.

    “But my door is not closed and I remain available for dialogue at all times. Impasse is not an option.”

    Valls said the Bougival document was “‘neither someone’s victory on another one, nor an imposed text: it was built day after day with partners around the table following months of long discussions.”

    In a recent letter specifically sent to Union Calédonienne, the French former Prime Minister suggested the creation of an editorial committee to start drafting future-shaping documents for New Caledonia, such as its “fundamental law”, akin to a Constitution for New Caledonia.

    Valls also stressed France’s financial assistance to New Caledonia, which last year totalled around 3 billion euros because of the costs associated to the May 2024 riots.

    The riots caused 14 dead, hundreds of injured and an estimated financial cost of more than 2 billion euros (NZ$5.8 billion) in damage.

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

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Money Market Operations as on July 31, 2025

    Source: Reserve Bank of India


    (Amount in ₹ crore, Rate in Per cent)

      Volume
    (One Leg)
    Weighted
    Average Rate
    Range
    A. Overnight Segment (I+II+III+IV) 6,02,930.30 5.44 4.00-5.85
         I. Call Money 18,011.87 5.49 4.75-5.55
         II. Triparty Repo 3,98,426.75 5.43 5.00-5.55
         III. Market Repo 1,83,826.13 5.45 4.00-5.75
         IV. Repo in Corporate Bond 2,665.55 5.58 5.55-5.85
    B. Term Segment      
         I. Notice Money** 171.24 5.26 4.95-5.40
         II. Term Money@@ 1,211.00 5.30-5.75
         III. Triparty Repo 8,544.05 5.53 5.40-5.55
         IV. Market Repo 879.12 5.47 4.50-5.62
         V. Repo in Corporate Bond 0.00
      Auction Date Tenor (Days) Maturity Date Amount Current Rate /
    Cut off Rate
    C. Liquidity Adjustment Facility (LAF), Marginal Standing Facility (MSF) & Standing Deposit Facility (SDF)
    I. Today’s Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo Thu, 31/07/2025 1 Fri, 01/08/2025 13,075.00 5.49
    3. MSF# Thu, 31/07/2025 1 Fri, 01/08/2025 1,649.00 5.75
    4. SDFΔ# Thu, 31/07/2025 1 Fri, 01/08/2025 1,14,195.00 5.25
    5. Net liquidity injected from today’s operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*       -1,25,621.00  
    II. Outstanding Operations
    1. Fixed Rate          
    2. Variable Rate&          
      (I) Main Operation          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo          
      (II) Fine Tuning Operations          
         (a) Repo          
         (b) Reverse Repo Tue, 29/07/2025 3 Fri, 01/08/2025 46,058.00 5.49
      Fri, 25/07/2025 7 Fri, 01/08/2025 1,25,008.00 5.49
    3. MSF#          
    4. SDFΔ#          
    D. Standing Liquidity Facility (SLF) Availed from RBI$       10,299.21  
    E. Net liquidity injected from outstanding operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     -1,60,766.79  
    F. Net liquidity injected (outstanding including today’s operations) [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*     -2,86,387.79  
    G. Cash Reserves Position of Scheduled Commercial Banks          
         (i) Cash balances with RBI as on July 31, 2025 9,96,170.04  
         (ii) Average daily cash reserve requirement for the fortnight ending August 08, 2025 9,56,146.00  
    H. Government of India Surplus Cash Balance Reckoned for Auction as on¥ July 31, 2025 0.00  
    I. Net durable liquidity [surplus (+)/deficit (-)] as on July 11, 2025 5,38,578.00  

    @ Based on Reserve Bank of India (RBI) / Clearing Corporation of India Limited (CCIL).

    – Not Applicable / No Transaction.

    ** Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 2 to 14 days tenor.

    @@ Relates to uncollateralized transactions of 15 days to one year tenor.

    $ Includes refinance facilities extended by RBI.

    * Net liquidity is calculated as Repo+MSF+SLF-Reverse Repo-SDF.

    Ajit Prasad          
    Deputy General Manager
    (Communications)    

    Press Release: 2025-2026/820

    MIL OSI Global Banks

  • MIL-OSI USA: News 07/31/2025 VIDEO: Blackburn Holds Hearing on Protecting Americans’ Privacy Online

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Marsha Blackburn (R-Tenn.) chaired a Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Privacy, Technology, and the Law hearing, where she examined how a national data privacy framework can protect Americans’ personal information across state lines, empower consumers, and promote responsible innovation: 

    Click here to download video of Senator Blackburn’s opening remarks during the Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing.

     Click here to download video of Senator Blackburn’s questions during the Senate Judiciary subcommittee hearing.

    Americans Are Vulnerable without a National Data Privacy Framework

    Senator Blackburn: “The absence of a comprehensive national data privacy framework has left millions of Americans vulnerable… For years now, I have been clear we need a national privacy standard that is comprehensive and enforceable. One that empowers consumers, promotes innovation and ensures accountability. It should prioritize transparency, minimize data collection and provide meaningful consent, not just a box to check.”

    Senator Blackburn Has Led the Fight to Protect Americans in the Virtual Space

    Senator Blackburn: “It is past time for Congress to take up this issue, to take action to pass a bill and see that bill signed into law. We should also acknowledge how closely this issue is tied to the safety of our children online. Senator Blumenthal and I have worked diligently on the Kids Online Safety Act, which would require platforms to design their product for children’s well-being in mind, not just for their bottom line. We’ve seen time and again how data driven algorithms target kids with addictive content and expose them to harmful material. Business models that profit from children’s vulnerabilities must be reined in. It is absolutely disgusting that our children are the product when they are online. And through the Open App Market Act that I introduced with Senator Klobuchar, I have worked to increase competition and consumer choice in the digital marketplace. Whether it’s protecting your personal data, your right to download the apps you want, or your ability to access services, the common thread is this: users, not tech giants, should be in control of the individual user’s life.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI China: Trump signs executive order increasing tariff on Canada to 35%

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

    U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order increasing the tariff on Canada from 25 percent to 35 percent, with the higher tariff set to go into effect on Aug. 1, the White House said in a fact sheet.

    “Canada has failed to cooperate in curbing the ongoing flood of fentanyl and other illicit drugs, and it has retaliated against the United States for the president’s actions to address this unusual and extraordinary threat to the United States,” said the fact sheet.

    The White House said that in response to Canada’s “continued inaction and retaliation,” Trump has found it necessary to increase the tariff on Canada to “effectively address the existing emergency.”

    Goods qualifying for preferential tariff treatment under the United States-Mexico-Canada Agreement (USMCA) will continue to remain exempt from the new tariffs. Goods transshipped to evade the 35 percent tariff will be subject, instead, to a transshipment tariff of 40 percent.

    The fact sheet addressed the presidential action as “necessary and appropriate to protect American lives and the national security and foreign policy of the United States.”

    In February, Trump signed an executive order to impose an ad valorem duty rate of 25 percent on imports from Canada in response to the national emergency. In March, he determined that Canada had failed to adequately address the situation and proceeded with the imposition of the 25 percent tariff, according to the fact sheet.

    “Now, President Trump is taking further action to hold Canada accountable for its continued role in the illicit drug crisis,” the White House said.

    On Thursday, Trump also announced so-called “reciprocal tariff rates” of up to 41 percent on many countries.

    In April, Canada imposed 25-percent tariffs on U.S. vehicles that didn’t meet CUSMA rules and on non-Canadian, non-Mexican content in vehicles imported under CUSMA, as countermeasures, said its government.

    Canada was the top buyer of U.S. exports last year, importing 349 billion dollars worth of goods, while exporting 413 billion dollars to the United States as its third-largest source of foreign goods, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce.

    MIL OSI China News