Category: Business

MIL-OSI Australia: Pre-filling 2022–24
Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

Available pre-filling reports

The pre-filling report is available through:
- Online services for agents
- Practitioner lodgment service (PLS) – the PLS pre-filling report will return the same data as the Online services for agents pre-filling report in 2022, with some exceptions. MyDeductions is included in PLS.
For prior year pre-filling reports and more information, refer to:

The following data will be available in the pre-filling report if there is information for your client.
Taxpayer details
We will provide the following information from our records:
- name
- Australian residency (at the report creation date)
- postal and residential address
- date of birth.
PAYG payment summaries and STP income statements

We will provide information from all original and amended PAYG payment summaries and Single Touch Payroll income statements as they are reported to us by employers and super funds. We generally make this information available within a couple of days of receiving it.

Single Touch Payroll (STP)
- The employer payment information will be available in ATO Online services after each pay event. STP provides an income statement in your client’s ATO Online services at the end of the financial year.
- Generally, STP reporters must make a finalisation declaration by 14 July each year, except
  - if the employer has 20 or more employees, the finalisation due date for closely held payees is 30 September each year
  - if the employer has 19 or fewer employees and they are all closely held payees, the finalisation due date will be their income tax return due date
  - if the employer has 19 or fewer employees and they are a mixture of both closely held payees and arms-length employees, the finalisation due date is
    
    30 September each year for closely held payees
    
    14 July each year for arm’s length employees.
You should wait until the income statement is finalised before completing your client’s tax return.

STP will pre-fill:
- from 1 July 2019 – for small employers with 19 or less employees
- from 1 July 2018 – for large employers with 20 or more employees.
The pre-filling service will include:
- ‘Unfinalised’ data – being year-to-date payment data reported by the payer but the payer has not yet ‘finalised’ the data via STP
- a new status – to identify the data as ‘Unfinalised’ or ‘Finalised’
- a message where ‘Unfinalised’.
STP reports only the following income statement types:
- individual non-business – only income types of ‘S’ and ‘H’
- employment termination
- foreign employment
- business and personal services income – types VOL, LAB, and OTH.
Individual non-business

We will provide the following details if reported:
- payer details and income type (S – salary, P – pension, H – working holiday makers)
- item 1 – salary or wages (including paid parental leave)
- item 2 – allowances, earnings, tips, director’s fees, etc
- item 3 – lump sum payments
- item 5 – Australian Government allowances and payments
- item 6 – Australian Government pensions and allowances
- item 7 – Australian annuities and superannuation income streams
- item 20 – foreign source income
- item 24 – other income, including lump sum E payments
- item D5 – union or professional association fees
- item D9 – workplace giving
- item IT1 – reportable fringe benefits (FBT exempt payer)
- item IT1 – reportable fringe benefits (FBT non-exempt payer)
- item IT2 – reportable employer superannuation contributions.
Employment termination payment

We will provide the following detail if reported:
- item 4 – employment termination payments
- employment termination payment code.
Australian annuities and superannuation income stream

We will provide the following details if reported:
- item 7 – Australian annuities and superannuation income streams
- item T2 – Australian superannuation income stream
- lump sum in arrears information
- taxable components – taxed and untaxed
- reversionary income stream indicator
- transfer balance cap messaging.
Superannuation lump sum

We will provide the following detail if reported:
- item 8 – Australian superannuation lump sum payments
- taxable component – taxed and untaxed elements
- death benefit and code.
Business and personal services income

We will provide the following detail if reported:
- item 9 – attributed personal services income
- details of payments made under voluntary agreements, labour hire and other specified payments will display as information only. Check with your client and declare this income for the appropriate item (14 or 15) on the tax return
- item IT2 – Reportable employer super contributions report.
Foreign employment

We will provide the following detail if reported:
- payment type code
  - J – joint petroleum development area
  - F – foreign employment income
- lump sum information.
Government payments
We will provide information within a couple of days of receiving it from:
- Centrelink – Services Australia
- Department of Veterans’ Affairs (DVA)
- Department of Education, Skills and Employment (DESE).
This information consists of:
- taxable payments, including pensions and allowances
- tax-free government pensions.
The information provided includes details for:
- item 1 – salary or wages
- item 5 – Australian Government allowances and payments
- item 6 – Australian Government pensions and allowances
- item 24 – other income
- item IT3 – tax-free government pensions
- remote area allowance paid (information for zone tax offset calculations).
Informative messaging will display where payments have been reported for the following payment types:
- Parental leave pay (PPL)
- Dad and partner pay (DAP).
The JobSeeker Payment (JSP) commenced from 20 March 2020. Newstart Allowance recipients and some Wife Pension recipients were transitioned onto it. Sickness Allowance recipients were transitioned onto JSP from 20 September 2020.

Changes for 2024

High-certainty government payments data

Our pre-fill service now provides greater certainty for your government payment data. When you access your client’s pre-fill information, you’ll see an indicator when the payment record is high-certainty data. This indicator will appear in both the Online services for agents pre-filling report and the PLS pre-fill service.

From 1 July 2024, a certainty indicator will be pre-filled for government allowance and pension payment types that are to be reported at Items 5 or 6 in their tax return.

In PLS, if you want to change the government allowance or pension data, or the tax withheld being reported at items 5 or 6, where a high-certainty indicator is present, you’ll need to provide a reason for the change. If the reasons we provide don’t apply to your client’s situation, select ‘Other’ and provide details.

Valid reasons you can choose from are:
- Unknown amount = This amount doesn’t belong to me
- Repaid amount = Incorrect amount reported – part or full amount repaid
- Payment summary = Incorrect amount reported – payment summary has different amounts
- Other = Other (Specify why).
These high-certainty indicators won’t be included on government data records for clients or situations where we know there’s a likely reason for exclusion, such as a client who has a record of bankruptcy. In these situations, you can still alter the government benefit data without providing a reason.

ATO interest
We will provide interest amounts from all client accounts held by individual taxpayers in our integrated core processing system including income tax, fringe benefits tax and integrated client account (ICA).

Assessable interest amounts we pay will display at item 10L – Gross interest, and will include:
- interest on early payments (IEP)
- interest on overpayments (IOO)
- delayed refund interest (DRI).
The total net ATO interest amount at either item 24X or D10N as follows:
- A total net assessable interest income amount will display at item 24X Other income – Category 2 (ATO interest), and will include remitted or reimbursed
  
  general interest charge (GIC)
  
  shortfall interest charge (SIC)
  
  late payment interest (LPI).
- A total net deductible interest expense amount will display at item D10N Cost of managing tax affairs – Interest charged by the ATO, and will include imposed
  
  GIC
  
  SIC
  
  LPI.
From 1 July 2015, we introduced a new way of capturing and reporting pre-fill information for ATO interest. If you choose not to rely on our pre-fill information you will need to manually calculate the interest amounts using your client’s statement of account. For help, refer to Calculate and report ATO interest.

ATO interest – recurring data issues

In some circumstances, we may not provide pre-fill data but will display a message that the client has interest. In this case, you will need to manually calculate the deductions or income amounts, using either reporting method.

In addition, pre-fill reports may not capture your clients’ specific circumstances and you may need to adjust the interest amounts reported.

From 2019 a new message will display with a link to Recurring data issues – calculating ATO interest to provide information on when adjustments may need to be made for:
- recoupments of interest charged
- change in residency status
- movement of transactions across the ICA.
Interest income
Information reported to us by financial institutions and private companies is available for pre-filling at item 10 – Gross interest.

Information is generally available within a couple of days of being reported and consists of:
- interest-bearing accounts, including savings accounts, term deposits and fixed interest securities
- interest distributed by private companies
- individual sole and joint accounts – for example
  
  husband and wife joint accounts will be displayed
  
  business partnership, trust, and superannuation accounts will not be displayed
- a message displayed where all interest income may not have been reported in the previous year.
Apportioned amounts are calculated according to the number of investment owners reported by the financial institution.

There may be instances where the interest from children’s bank accounts is pre-filled for the parent.

You may also notice an amount of investment income that belongs to a linked non-individual, such as a superannuation or trust fund.
Changes for 2022
High-certainty interest data

Our pre-fill service now provides greater certainty for your client’s bank interest. When you access your client’s pre-fill information, you’ll see an indicator when the interest record is high-certainty data. This indicator will appear in both the Online services for agents pre-filling report and the PLS pre-fill service.

In PLS, if you want to change any bank interest pre-fill information where there is a high-certainty indicator, you’ll need to provide a reason for the change. If the reasons we provide don’t apply to your client’s situation, select ‘Other’ and provide details.

Valid reasons you can choose from are:
- Child account = Child or minor’s account
- Joint account partner = Joint account with my spouse/partner
- Joint account individual = Joint account with another person
- Joint account non-individual = Joint account with a non-individual entity, for example a company
- Unknown amount = This amount doesn’t belong to me
- Duplicate amount = This amount is duplicated
- Previously declared = Interest was declared in another income year
- Incorrect amount = Incorrect amount reported by bank/financial institution
- Family law agreement = Family law agreement
- Other = Other (Specify why).
These high-certainty indicators won’t be included on bank interest records for clients or situations where we know there’s a likely reason for exclusion, such as a client who has a record of bankruptcy. In these situations, you can still alter the interest income without providing a reason.

This enhanced pre-fill solution benefits you by:
- allowing you to alter incorrect information in channel to minimise the impact of incorrect data, resulting in a more timely and simplified process
- enhancing the client experience by avoiding processing delays and improving the simplification of tax return process
- allowing for quicker processing once the return is lodged
- creating more certainty for you and your clients.
These new indicators also help by reducing the likely amount of pre-issue and post-issue compliance work.

Changes for 2023

High-certainty interest data

In PLS, if you want to change any bank interest pre-fill information where there is a high-certainty indicator, you’ll need to provide a reason for the change.

The additional valid reason you can choose from for 2023 is:
- Foreign Resident = Foreign Resident.
Changes for 2024

High-certainty interest data

From 1 July 2024, bank interest data for joint account holders will now appear with a ‘certainty indicator’. This is because the ATO has high confidence in the data that has been supplied by your client’s financial institution.

For more information, see:
Dividend and interest schedule

Dividend and interest information reported by companies through the company tax return is available for pre-filling at item 10 – Gross interest and item 11 – Dividends.

Information is generally available within a couple of days of being reported.

Apportioned amounts are calculated according to the number of investment owners reported by the financial institution.

Dividend income
Information reported to us by share registries, private companies and most listed public corporations is available for pre-filling at item 11 – Dividends.

Apportioned amounts are calculated according to the number of investment owners reported by the financial institution.

Information is generally available within a couple of days of being reported, and consists of:
- investment accounts that are issuer or Clearing House Electronic Subregister System (CHESS) sponsored
- dividends paid by private companies
- individual sole and joint accounts – for example
  
  husband and wife joint accounts will be displayed
  
  business partnership, trust, and superannuation accounts will not be displayed
- listed investment company capital gain deduction (shown at item D8)
- a message displayed where all dividend income may not have been reported in the previous year.
Employee share schemes
We will provide details of your client’s employee share scheme (ESS) interests as reported by employers and other payers on the ESS annual report.

From 2018, new and amended ESS data reported for 2015 and prior years will not be updated in pre-fill. New and amended ESS data reported for 2016 and later years will continue to be updated in pre-fill.

Information is generally available within a couple of days of being reported and consists of:
- employer’s name and Australian business number (ABN)
- shareholder registration number (SRN) or holder identification number (HIN)
- plan reference number
- discount from taxed upfront schemes – eligible for reduction (12D)
- discount from taxed upfront schemes – not eligible for reduction (12E)
- discount from deferral schemes (12F)
- TFN amounts withheld from discounts (12C).
A message will display when amounts either:
- have been adjusted to exclude foreign service period
- have not been adjusted to exclude foreign service period.
Changes for 2023

From 1 July 2022 cessation of employment is no longer a deferred taxing point.
Managed funds distributions
Managed investment funds and attribution managed investment trusts (AMIT) will provide income details as reported in the Annual investment income report (AIIR).

Information is generally available within a couple of days of being reported and consists of:
- item 13 – partnerships and trusts
- item 18 – capital gains
- item 19 – foreign entities
- item 20 – foreign source income and foreign assets or property.
You will be able to view details of:
- a list of managed fund accounts
- sole and joint investments (as an individual) – for example husband and wife joint investments will be displayed.
Apportioned amounts are calculated according to the number of investment owners reported by the financial institution.

If the pre-filled information doesn’t match your client’s distribution statement, use the information the fund manager provided to your client. Contact the managed fund if you have any questions.
For more information, see Recurring data issues – managed fund data reporting discrepancies.

Partnership distributions
Statement of distribution information reported by partnerships through the partnership tax return will be available for pre-filling in the partner’s individual tax return.

Information will generally be available within a couple of days of it being reported and consists of:
- item 13 – partnerships and trusts
- item 20 – foreign source income and foreign assets or property
- item T9 – other refundable tax offsets (share of exploration credits)
- item IT5 – net financial investment loss
- item IT6 – net rental property loss.
You will be able to view details of partnerships.

If the pre-filled information doesn’t match your client’s statement of distributions, use the information the partnership provided to your client – contact the partner who notices are sent to if you have any questions.
Foreign source investment income

Foreign source investment income reported to us by financial institutions and private companies will be available for pre-filling at item 20 – Foreign source income and foreign assets or property.

Information will generally be available within a couple of days of it being reported.

Apportioned amounts are calculated according to the number of investment owners reported by the financial institution.

Informative messaging will display where foreign income from foreign sources have been reported.

Cryptocurrency disposal

Informative messaging will display where individual taxpayers who may have disposed of cryptocurrency asset during the financial year.

Informative messaging will display where an individual taxpayer has a novated lease during the financial year.

Share and unit disposals
Details of share disposals are provided to remind taxpayers about possible capital gains tax events and will contain the:
- issuer name or name of investment
- investment code
- HIN or SRN
- date of disposal
- number of shares or units sold
- number of investors
- capital proceeds (where available)
- original (O) or amended (A) data indicator.
The following types of transactions will be included:
- PRF – preference shares
- ORD – ordinary shares
- CDI – CHESS – depository interest transactions
- share buybacks – messaging where your client participated in a share buyback that may have resulted in a capital gains tax event.
Where more data exists, a message will be displayed with instructions on how to access the additional information in Online services for agents.

Changes for 2022

Informative message will display regarding to brokerage fee.

Property transfers
Details of property transfers are provided to remind taxpayers about possible capital gains tax events and will contain:
- messaging where your client may have transferred a property resulting in a capital gains tax event
- property address
- contract date
- settlement date
- sale price.
We are able to display a maximum of 5 property transfers only.

Changes for 2023

New informative messaging for disposal of property used to provide affordable housing.
Business transactions
Data about payments received through an electronic payment system will be pre-filled from 2019 as information only. Electronic payment systems can include BPAY®, PayPal, credit card facilities and others.

Data displayed will include:
- provider name
- net annual payments
- transaction currency
- more data exists indicator (maximum of 25 records can be displayed).
Taxable payments
We will pre-fill payment and grant information reported to us in the Taxable payments annual report by:
- businesses in the building and construction industry
- government entities
- cleaners and courier services from 2019
- road freight services, security, investigation, surveillance or IT services from 2020.
Contractor payments

Contractor payment information reported to us in the Taxable payments annual report (TPAR) will be pre-filled.

Where a contractor has received payments for services from multiple businesses or government entities (or both), the information will be available as reports are received and processed. It may take some time for all this information to be reported.

Only high-quality data will be pre-filled, but all data may be used for compliance purposes at a later time. Amounts invoiced but not actually paid to the contractor in the financial year are not included in this year’s information. Contractors should check their own records to ensure all income is included in their tax returns.

The contractor payment information will not be mapped to a specific label – it will be provided in a summary.

As with other pre-filled items, information will only be available for individual contractors – it will not be available for contractors that operate as companies, trusts or partnerships.

The contractor payment information will include:
- payer name
- payer ABN
- date available for pre-filling
- type – (original or amended)
- gross amount paid
- GST
- tax withheld.
Note:
- the gross amount includes GST, if it has been charged
- amounts invoiced but not actually paid in the financial year, are not included.
Government grants

Government grant information reported to us in the Taxable payments annual report (TPAR) will be pre-filled.

Government grant information will not be mapped to a specific label – it will be provided in a summary. Consider the nature of the grant to determine if it should be included as income in your client’s tax return.
Certain government grants are potentially treated as non-assessable, non-exempt income for the grant recipient. Informative messaging will display where a government grant has been reported as potentially non-assessable, non-exempt income. Refer to Non-assessable non-exempt government grants.

Government grant information will include:
- payer name
- payer ABN
- name of grant or grant program
- date of grant payment
- gross amount paid
- GST
- date available for pre-filling
- type (original or amended).
Note:
- gross amount paid includes GST, if it has been charged
- report may not include all government grants paid
- nature of the grant must be considered before including it in the tax return.
For more information see Payments government entities need to report in their TPAR.

Net farm management deposits or repayments
Information is reported by financial institutions and will include:
- company name
- investment reference number
- account name
- details of deposits, repayments, transfers in and transfers out
- interest offset account
- date available for pre-filling
- amount of closing balance.
If the pre-fill data provided do not match your client’s records, you should use the information provided by the client.
Tax offsets
A reminder message will be displayed when your client may be eligible for item T1 –seniors and pensioners tax offset (SAPTO) because they either:
- were in receipt of a qualifying Australian Government pension or allowance (declared at label 6 in the tax return)
- were not in receipt of an Australian Government pension or allowance (declared at label 6 in the income tax return) however they both
  
  satisfy the age requirement for the Centrelink age pension, as at 30 June of the current financial year
  
  were eligible for an Australian Government age pension.
The following items will be displayed:
- Australian superannuation income stream – item T2
- remote area allowance (used in zone offset calculations at T4)
- early stage venture capital limited partnership – current year tax offset for managed funds at item T7K
- early stage venture capital limited partnership (ESVCLP) – tax offset amount carried forward from previous year at item T7M
- early stage investor – current year tax offset for managed funds at item T8L
- early stage investor – tax offset amount carried forward from previous year at item T8O
- the total exploration credits reported by private companies and managed funds will be displayed at item T9.
Medicare levy surcharge (MLS)
We will provide details reported to us by health funds to help you confirm that your client held an adequate level of private patient health insurance.

Information will be processed using our enterprise systems and will be updated throughout the week, for the current financial year and the previous financial year only. No updates will occur on weekends.

Information will include:
- health insurer ID and name
- membership number
- start and end date of the policy.
From 2020 a new message will display with a link to Medicare levy surcharge (MLS) information. MLS is to be determined by the agent completing the return. In respect of whether the client has private patient hospital cover or not for the full year, the tax agent will need to calculate the number of days based on the MLS start and end dates provided. They will first need to check if the client’s dependants, including their spouse (if any), also had an appropriate level of private patient hospital cover for the income year.

If private health insurance policy details have pre-filled, but there is no MLS information pre-filled, it means there was no private patient hospital cover for that policy, for that year, from that fund. The client may have had ancillary cover only. If there are start and end dates within the relevant financial year, then the policy provided private patient hospital cover between (inclusive) the dates specified.

If the client has private health insurance (PHI) and the MLS details or PHI policy details (or both) and are not yet available when you request the pre-fill information, you will need to use the details provided in your private health insurance statement from your client’s fund or funds.

From 2019, health insurers are not required to send private health insurance statements to clients, unless requested. You will need to contact the health fund for a statement.

Private health insurance (PHI) policy details

From 2019, health insurers are no longer required to send a private health insurance statement to their clients, unless their client requests one.

Information will be processed using our enterprise systems and will be updated throughout the week, for the current financial year and the previous financial year only. No updates will occur on weekends.

All rebate percentages are adjusted annually on 1 April.

This means your client’s rebate percentage for premiums paid before 1 April will be different to the rebate percentage for premiums paid on or after 1 April. The benefit codes distinguish which period the data relates to.

Information will include:
- health insurer ID and name
- membership number
- premiums eligible for Australian Government rebate
- Australian Government rebate received
- benefit code
- a message and link to more information about private health insurance statement availability.
For more information, see Private health insurance rebate.

Early stage innovation company
The following data will be displayed:
- company name
- share issue date
- amount paid.
We are able to display a maximum of 20 share disposals only.

We will display the following data as reported on payment summaries:
- total reportable fringe benefits amounts – item IT1
- reportable employer superannuation contributions – item IT2
- tax-free government pensions – item IT3.
Ensure compulsory super amounts are not included.
For more information, see Recurring data issues – reportable employer super contributions on payment summaries or income statements.

ATO data
This section includes amounts to help you estimate your client’s refund or debt.

Help and other income-contingent loans debts

Information will be displayed for repayable amounts of income- contingent loans for:
- Higher Education Loan Program (HELP)
- Vocational Education and Training student loan (VSL) – separated from HELP from 2020
- Student Financial Supplement Scheme (SFSS)
- Trade Support Loan (TSL)
- Student Start-up Loan (SSL)
- ABSTUDY Student Start-up Loan (ABSTUDY SSL).
The repayable balance provided by pre-filling may be different to your client’s account balance. The repayable balance does not include new debts until they become repayable. There is a lead time between when the debt is incurred and when it becomes repayable.

Indexation is applied to repayable amounts each year on 1 June.

For 2022, the pre-fill amount displayed includes the repayable balance at 1 June 2022, less any repayments made after that date.

Where the pre-fill request is made between:
- 1 January and 31 May of the current year – the repayable balance will only include debts incurred up to (but not including) 1 January of the previous calendar year
- 1 June and 31 December of the current year – the repayable balance will only include debts incurred up to (but not including) 1 January of the current calendar year.
Changes for 2024

Trade Support Loan was renamed as the Australian Apprenticeship Support Loan (AASL) on 1 January 2024. The change was fully implemented on 1 January 2025.

Prior year amounts

If the pre-fill request is for an outstanding prior year return, the repayable amount is shown as at the date the pre-fill request is made. This means if a pre-fill request is made for a prior year return, the current repayable loan balance is shown and will be the repayable amount regardless of the income year of the return.

PAYG instalments

The total amount displayed represents the calculated liability regardless of payment.

Accumulative low-rate cap

Information will include:
- accumulative low-rate cap amount
- year
- low-rate cap used
- messaging where client has exceeded the low-rate cap.
Income averaging for primary producers and special professionals

We will display the following amounts for:
- primary producers – basic taxable income amounts by year
- special professionals – taxable professional income amounts by year
- new message to manually calculate average taxable professional income for foreign residents.
Overdue income tax returns

An overdue income tax returns advisory message will display the year-specific outstanding tax returns in the 3 years immediately prior.

Personal superannuation contribution deductions

Information will include:
- total superannuation contributions claimed on notice of intent (NOI)
- provider name
- provider ABN
- member account number
- indication of fund NOI receipt and acknowledgment.
Changes for 2023

New informative messaging on work test requirements for taxpayers claiming the PSCD who are between 67 and 75 years old.

First home super saver scheme (FHSS)

Information will include:
- total assessable FHSS released amounts – item 24R
- total tax withheld – assessable FHSS released amounts – item 24S.
Prior-year tax return details
This data is provided by our systems from the previous year’s tax return:
- occupation description and code (not available in PLS)
- sources of supplementary income reported (not available in PLS)
- rental property address and date first earned income
- net capital losses carried forward to later income years
- business income and expenses – closing stock
  
  total closing stock amount
  
  subtotals for primary and non-primary production amounts (not available in PLS)
  
  valuation method type – C cost, M market selling value or R replacement value (not available in PLS)
- deductions reported (not available in PLS)
  
  includes a message where work-related expenses were high compared to clients in the same occupation with similar income (now also available in PLS)
  
  cost of managing tax affairs amount will display as split components D10N, D10L and D10M for 2020
- dependents
  
  number of dependent children and students for Medicare (M1)
  
  number of dependent children for Income test IT8 – (available in PLS)
- spouse details – name and date of birth (not available in PLS).
A new message refers to Online services for agents, lodgment history, to view all labels completed in your client’s prior year income tax return.

Current data issues
Check for current data issue with pre-filing data.

Resolving discrepancies

Discrepancies between the information sent to your clients and the information reported to us for pre-filling need to be resolved with the data provider before you lodge your client’s return.

If you are unable to resolve the discrepancy or have notification that an income or account does not belong to your client, we prefer you to contact us in Online services for agents. To send a new message:
- from the Agent home page, select Communication, then Practice mail, or from Client summary, select Profile, then New messages
- select New message
- select the topic Income tax
- select the subject Pre-filled tax return data incorrect
- complete the required fields and attach the relevant form if required
- select the Declaration, then select Send
- select Print friendly version to print or save a copy.
You’ll receive an ATO receipt ID when the message has successfully been sent. You’ll need to quote this number to us when enquiring about the request.
MIL OSI News –
June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI: TGS Investor Presentation at the 2025 EAGE Conference
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

OSLO, Norway (3 June 2025) – TGS, a leading provider of energy data and intelligence, attends investor meetings at the EAGE industry conference today. The presentation the company is using includes one new slide (#8 in the presentation) showing booked positions for streamer and OBN for the next quarters.

The presentation can be downloaded from www.newsweb.no or www.tgs.com.

For more information, visit TGS.com or contact:
Bård Stenberg
VP IR & Communication
Mobile: +47 992 45 235
investor@tgs.com

Attachment
- EAGE presentation
The MIL Network –
June 3, 2025
98% of ₹2000 banknotes returned to banks: RBI

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) provided an update on the status of ₹2000 denomination banknotes on Monday, confirming that 98.26% of these notes have been returned to the banking system since their withdrawal from circulation was announced in May 2023.

As per the RBI, the total value of ₹2000 notes in circulation stood at ₹3.56 lakh crore as of May 19, 2023, the date on which their withdrawal was announced. This figure has now come down sharply to ₹6,181 crore by the end of May 31, 2025.

The facility for deposit or exchange of ₹2000 banknotes was initially available at all bank branches across the country until October 7, 2023. Following this, the exchange facility has remained operational at the 19 Issue Offices of the Reserve Bank. Since October 9, 2023, these offices have also been accepting ₹2000 notes for deposit into individual or entity bank accounts.

In addition to the RBI Issue Offices, the public has also been availing the option of sending ₹2000 banknotes via India Post from any post office in the country to designated RBI offices for direct credit into their bank accounts.

Despite the withdrawal from circulation, the RBI has reiterated that the ₹2000 banknotes continue to remain legal tender. The central bank had first announced the withdrawal through a press release dated May 19, 2023, and has been providing periodic updates since then. The latest status was shared through a press release dated May 2, 2025.

The move to withdraw the ₹2000 notes was part of the RBI’s ongoing currency management operations and has now seen the vast majority of these high-denomination notes returned to the formal banking system.

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: NSUJobs Named Best Student Startup at Startup Lynch’25

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

NSUJobs project created by students Faculty of Economics, NSU, took first place at the annual Startup Lynch’25 event, which took place at the end of May. This year, 15 student teams took to the stage to present their startups in three minutes and compete for the main prize and the attention of investors. The winner was chosen based on the reaction of the audience and the jury’s assessments – NSUJobs received 100,000 rubles and recognition as the best project of the event.

NSUJobs is a digital platform that helps NSU students and graduates find internships, part-time jobs, and their first serious job. And this is not just another job aggregator. NSUJobs is aimed specifically at young professionals: those who want to find a job that suits their brains. Lev Lobov, a student at the NSU Faculty of Economics, is behind the project. He launched the first version of the platform in January 2024 — entirely by himself: he thought out the architecture, wrote the code, ran the first campaigns, communicated with users, and supported the site.

— When I created NSUJobs, I was driven not just by an idea, but by a mission: to help every student and graduate realize their potential. Students and graduates are constantly faced with the task of finding a job, part-time jobs, internships. Until now, no service has been able to fully and qualitatively satisfy these requests. Popular platforms are focused on the mass market, mostly line personnel. Students and university graduates, in turn, would like to find a job in their specialty, where they could apply all their intellectual abilities and grow as great specialists, — said Lev.

The NSUJobs team is small. The core of the project is Lev Lobov and Olga Somova (works with employers). Together they are developing the platform and preparing the next step — launching it on the all-Russian market. Several Novosibirsk universities will be connected to the platform starting in September, and the service will be scaled up to other regions of Siberia in the future. Plans call for the Far Eastern and Ural Federal Districts to be covered by the end of the year.

At the moment, the guys have managed to form a base of more than 2,500 active users from NSU and build trusting relationships with more than 100 employers, including 2GIS, Kept, MTS, Sberbank, RENEWAL, Beeline, B1, Sovcombank, SDEK.

— In my opinion, one of our main success factors is our obsession with our users. We constantly collect feedback and improve the experience of interacting with the platform. Our users — students, graduates, employers — are our top priority, — Lev emphasized.

The NSUJobs app offers free job posting, internal chats with candidates, an advanced employer account and the ability to promote the company’s HR brand.

— Our team was incredibly surprised when we were announced as the winners of StartupLynch’25. We are grateful for the recognition and support of our work. This, along with the gratitude of our users, inspires us to work even harder, even better, so that every student and graduate can fully realize their professional potential. We believe that we can build an effective all-Russian platform for the career development of young specialists, — concludes Lev.

Startup Lynch is a project of the NSU Startup Studio, a presentation of technology projects to experts. This is not just a pitch battle, but a full-fledged entry point into entrepreneurship for NSU students.

Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 3, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Why do some people need less sleep than others? A gene variation could have something to do with it

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelly Sansom, Research Associate, College of Medicine and Public Health, Flinders University; Research Associate, Centre for Healthy Ageing, Murdoch University

Maria Korneeva/Getty Images

Have you ever noticed how some people bounce out of bed after just a few hours of sleep, while others can barely function without a solid eight hours?

Take Margaret Thatcher, for example. The former British prime minister was known for sleeping just four hours a night. She worked late, rose early, and seemed to thrive on little sleep.

But for most of us, that kind of sleep schedule would be disastrous. We’d be groggy, unfocused, and reaching for sugary snacks and caffeinated drinks by mid-morning.

So why do some people seem to need less sleep than others? It’s a question that’s fascinated scientists for years. Here’s what we know so far.

Natural short sleepers

There is a small group of people who don’t need much sleep. We call them natural short sleepers. They can function perfectly well on just four to six hours of sleep each night, often for their entire lives.

Generally they don’t feel tired, they don’t nap, and they don’t suffer the usual negative consequences of sleep deprivation. Scientists call this the natural short sleep phenotype – a biological trait that allows people to get all the benefits of sleep in less time.

In 2010 researchers discovered genetic mutations that help explain this phenomenon. Natural short sleepers carry rare variants in certain genes, which seem to make their sleep more efficient.

More recently, a 2025 study assessed a woman in her 70s with one of these rare mutations. Despite sleeping just six hours a night for most of her life, she remained physically healthy, mentally sharp, and led a full, active life. Her body, it seems, was simply wired to need less sleep.

We’re still learning about how common these genetic mutations are and why they occur.

Not everyone who sleeps less is a natural short sleeper

But here’s the catch: most people who think they’re natural short sleepers aren’t. They’re just chronically sleep-deprived. Often, their short sleep is due to long work hours, social commitments, or a belief sleeping less is a sign of strength or productivity.

In today’s hustle culture, it’s common to hear people boast about getting by on only a few hours of sleep. But for the average person, that’s not sustainable.

The effects of short sleep build up over time, creating what’s known as a “sleep debt”. This can lead to poor concentration, mood swings, micro-sleeps (brief lapses into sleep), reduced performance and even long-term health risks. For example, short sleep has been linked to an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease (heart disease and stroke).

The weekend catch-up dilemma

To make up for lost sleep during the week, many people try to “catch up” on weekends.

This can help repay some of the sleep debt that has accumulated in the short term. Research suggests getting one to two extra hours of sleep on the weekend or taking naps when possible may help reduce the negative effects of short sleep.

However, it’s not a perfect fix. Weekend catch-up sleep and naps may not fully resolve sleep debt. The topic remains one of ongoing scientific debate.

A recent large study suggested weekend catch-up sleep may not offset the cardiovascular risks associated with chronic short sleep.

Catching up on sleep on the weekends may not fully resolve your ‘sleep debt’.
Ground Picture/Shutterstock

What’s more, large swings in sleep timing can disrupt your body’s internal clock, and sleeping in too much on weekends may make it harder to fall asleep on Sunday night, which can mean starting the working week less rested.

Increasing evidence indicates repeated cycles of irregular sleep may have an important influence on general health and the risk of early death, potentially even more so than how long we sleep for.

Ultimately, while moderate catch-up sleep might offer some benefits, it’s no substitute for consistent, high-quality sleep throughout the week. That said, maintaining such regularity can be particularly challenging for people with non-traditional schedules, such as shift workers.

So, was Thatcher a true natural short sleeper?

It’s hard to say. Some reports suggest she napped during the day in the back of a car between meetings. That could mean she was simply sleep-deprived and compensating for an accumulated sleep debt when she could.

Separate to whether someone is a natural short sleeper, there are a range of other reasons people may need more or less sleep than others. Factors such as age and underlying health conditions can significantly influence sleep requirements.

For example, older adults often experience changes in their circadian rhythms and are more likely to suffer from fragmented sleep due to conditions such as arthritis or cardiovascular disease.

Sleep needs vary from person to person, and while a lucky few can thrive on less, most of us need seven to nine hours a night to feel and function our best. If you’re regularly skimping on sleep and relying on weekends to catch up, it might be time to rethink your routine. After all, sleep isn’t a luxury – it’s a biological necessity.

Peter Eastwood has previously received funding from Research Funding Organisations (e.g. NHMRC, MRFF, NHRIF, Raine Study) and has been a consultant for several sleep-related biomedical device companies. He is currently involved in several initiatives with the World Sleep Society, including its Global Sleep Health Taskforce.

Kelly Sansom 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 do some people need less sleep than others? A gene variation could have something to do with it – https://theconversation.com/why-do-some-people-need-less-sleep-than-others-a-gene-variation-could-have-something-to-do-with-it-256342

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

June 3, 2025
Markets open marginally lower; midcaps, smallcaps outperform

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

Indian equity benchmarks opened slightly lower on Tuesday amid ongoing consolidation, with heavyweight stocks like L&T and Bajaj Finance trading in the red.

At 9:24 am, the BSE Sensex was down 152 points, or 0.19 per cent, at 81,221.39, while the NSE Nifty slipped 36.40 points, or 0.16 per cent, to 24,680.40.

Despite the weak opening in frontline indices, broader markets witnessed buying interest. The Nifty Midcap 100 index gained 167.85 points, or 0.29 per cent, to reach 57,943.40, and the Nifty Smallcap 100 index was up by 107.85 points, or 0.60 per cent, at 18,202.05.

Sectorally, gains were led by auto, PSU banks, pharma, metal, realty, and media stocks. On the other hand, financial services, FMCG, energy, and private bank sectors saw some pressure.

Among the Sensex constituents, Tata Steel, Mahindra & Mahindra, IndusInd Bank, Tata Motors, Asian Paints, and Zomato emerged as top gainers. Meanwhile, L&T, Bajaj Finance, Bharti Airtel, Hindustan Unilever, ICICI Bank, Axis Bank, and Maruti Suzuki were among the major laggards.

Most Asian markets traded higher, with Tokyo, Shanghai, Jakarta, and Hong Kong contributing to the regional gains.

Analysts noted that the market is currently in a consolidation phase, where indices tend to trade within a defined range. “Buy on dips is the most suitable strategy in the current scenario,” said V.K. Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist at Geojit Financial Services. “Amid global uncertainty related to geopolitics, tariffs, and trade, markets are likely to remain volatile.”

On the technical front, Nifty is expected to find immediate support at 24,700, followed by 24,600 and 24,500 levels. Resistance is seen near 24,800, with further upside barriers at 24,900 and 25,000.

In terms of institutional activity, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) continued to reduce their exposure for the second straight session on June 2, offloading equities worth ₹2,589 crore. In contrast, domestic institutional investors (DIIs) maintained their buying streak for the tenth day, investing ₹5,313 crore on the same day.

-IANS

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Independent Water Commission publishes interim findings
Source: United Kingdom – Government Statements

Press release

Independent Water Commission publishes interim findings

Interim report sets out scale of change needed to reform water sector
The interim findings from the Independent Water Commission have been published today (Tuesday 3 June) ahead of its final report this summer.

Sir Jon Cunliffe, Chair of the Commission, has set out five areas where he believes wide-ranging and fundamental change is needed to reset the water sector in England & Wales.

These include clearer direction from government, stronger regulation of water companies, bringing decisions on water systems closer to local communities, and greater focus on responsible, long-term investors.

The Commission’s full conclusions and detailed recommendations will be published later in the summer. This interim report sets out the Commission’s preliminary conclusions and direction of travel; several key decisions will be covered in the final report.

The findings are informed by the Commission’s Call for Evidence, which ran from 27 February – 23 April and received more than 50,000 responses from the public, campaigners, industry, the regulators and many others.

Sir Jon Cunliffe said:

“There is no simple, single change, no matter how radical, that will deliver the fundamental reset that is needed for the water sector.

“We have heard of deep-rooted, systemic and interlocking failures over the years – failure in Government’s strategy and planning for the future, failure in regulation to protect both the billpayer and the environment and failure by some water companies and their owners to act in the public, as well as their private, interest.

“My view is that all of these issues need to be tackled to rebuild public trust and make the system fit for the future. We anticipate that this will require new legislation.”

The five areas are:

1.Strategic Direction & Planning

At a government level, there needs to be clearer, long-term direction on what it wants from the water system. We want clean and healthy waterways and we need to balance the different pressures on water – from the water industry, agriculture, energy, transport and development – and take account of cost. This requires government to set out its priorities and timescales for the system much more clearly than it does at present.

Our water systems – rivers, aquifers and coasts – need much better planning and coordination at a regional level. The Commission is considering options to move from the complex planning process we have now to a regional “systems planning” approach in England, bringing better coordination with local authorities and a stronger voice for local communities. It means bringing decisions on water systems, such as where new infrastructure is built or how pollution from different sources should be tackled, closer to the communities who depend on them.

2.Legislative framework

Water legislation has evolved in a piecemeal fashion over a long period of time – there are currently around 80 pieces of legislation covering the sector. As a result, the legislative framework for water is complex, inconsistent in places and very difficult to navigate.

The Commission sees a strong case for review, rationalisation and consolidation of existing legislation, to simplify the framework, to create greater flexibility for regulators, and to update standards and broaden objectives. This could include new objectives around public health given the growing recreational use of water.

3.Regulatory reform

The Commission believes a fundamental strengthening and rebalancing of Ofwat’s regulation is needed with the introduction of a ‘supervisory’ approach, as found in sectors such as financial services. The current model relies heavily on ‘comparability’ – benchmarking companies against one another to assess efficiency and justify customer bills. A ‘supervisory approach’ means a deeper understanding of circumstances and finances to enable intervention early before issues arise, as well as supporting companies when they are going in the right direction.

On environmental regulation, the Commission is clear that we need to equip a more capable regulator, with the right technology and skills, a stable and consistent approach to funding, and the flexibility to enable innovative solutions that deliver the greatest environmental benefits.

Much of the friction, cost and complexity in the regulatory system comes from the way in which economic and environmental regulators with different remits interact. The Commission is considering options for significant streamlining and alignment of the regulators to address this. It will make its recommendations in its final report.

4.Company Structures, Ownership, Governance and Management

The Commission is looking at the ownership, governance and management of private water companies and whether more needs to be done to support transparency and accountability, which could include stronger duties for management. Further recommendations will follow in the final report.

On ownership, the Commission is clear that the water industry should aim to attract and retain long-term investors seeking low risk, low return investment. This will require restoring investor confidence in the predictability and stability of the regulatory system.

5.Infrastructure & Asset Health

There is not sufficient understanding of the health and resilience of the water industry’s asset base – its pipes, water treatment plants and pumping stations. Assets have not been, and have not been required to be, fully mapped and there is variation between companies in how they assess asset health.

The Commission is considering new infrastructure resilience standards at a national level, as well as requiring companies to assess and report asset health, at set intervals, to regulators. This means companies do not just fix failures when they fail, but responsibly plan for the long-term condition and resilience of these critical assets.

Sir Jon Cunliffe continued:

“I have heard a strong and powerful consensus that the current system is not working for anyone, and that change is needed. I believe that ambitious reforms across these complex and connected set of issues are sorely needed.

“I have been encouraged to see, on all sides of the debate, that people have been prepared to engage constructively with our work; I look forward to that continuing as we enter the final stages.”

The Independent Water Commission was announced by the UK and Welsh governments in October 2024. It is operating independently of UK and Welsh Ministers.

It is supported by an advisory group, with leading voices from areas including the environment, public health and investment.

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Published 3 June 2025
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI Video: What’s YOUR Purpose? #USArmy #Army

Source: US Army (video statements)

About the U.S. Army: The Army Mission – our purpose – remains constant: To deploy, fight and win our nation’s wars by providing ready, prompt & sustained land dominance by Army forces across the full spectrum of conflict as part of the joint force. Interested in joining the U.S. Army? Visit:
spr.ly/6001igl5L
Connect with the U.S. Army online: Web:
https://www.army.mil
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/USarmy/
X:
Tweets by USArmy
Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/usarmy/
LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/us-army
#Soldiers #Military #Shorts #Army

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XFSLE6tDYA

MIL OSI Video –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI Banking: Investing in Biodiversity and Nature in Asia and the Pacific

Source: Asia Development Bank

This brochure details how ADB is addressing Asia and the Pacific’s biodiversity crisis by enhancing safeguards, scaling up nature financing, and embedding nature-positive approaches across its operations. It highlights how biodiversity and nature loss threaten food security, livelihoods, and resilience in the region.

MIL OSI Global Banks –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Reebelo Australia pays penalties for alleged false or misleading statements about consumer guarantee rights
Source: Australian Ministers for Regional Development

Reebelo Australia, an online marketplace for new and refurbished electronics, has paid $59,400 in penalties after the ACCC issued it with three infringement notices for allegedly making false representations about the effect of consumer guarantee rights in contravention of the Australian Consumer Law (ACL).

The infringement notices relate to statements made on Reebelo Australia’s website that purported to limit consumers’ ability to access their consumer guarantee rights by putting a 14-day time limit on:
- A consumer’s ability to receive a remedy for faulty or damaged goods,
- A consumer’s ability to receive a remedy for goods received that were not in a condition that matched the description of the purchased product, and
- A consumer’s ability to receive a remedy where they had received a different model of a product than what they had ordered.
“Under the Australian Consumer Law, consumers automatically have basic rights when buying products and services, known as consumer guarantees. These rights cannot be taken away by anything a business says or does,” ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.

“If a business fails to meet these guarantees, consumers have a right to a remedy if they return products that do not comply with consumer guarantees within a reasonable time, which may be more than 14 days. It is against the law for a business to mislead consumers about their right to a suitable remedy.”

The ACCC alleges that the representations made by Reebelo Australia were false and misleading as under the ACL consumers may be entitled to a remedy regardless of whether 14 days had passed since the product was received.

“Given the products that Reebelo Australia sells are often refurbished high-end electronic products such as laptops or mobile phones, we are concerned that consumers may have faced financial harm from this conduct,” Ms Lowe said.

The ACCC received a number of complaints from consumers who reported difficulties obtaining a remedy from Reebelo Australia for faulty or wrong products.

“The ACCC closely monitors the complaints we receive from consumers, and we will continue to take appropriate action against businesses who do not comply with the Australian Consumer Law.”

”We encourage all businesses, including online marketplace retailers, to review their polices to ensure they are complying with the law,” Ms Lowe said.

Separately, Reebelo Australia has agreed to several commitments as part of an administrative resolution, including amendments to its website, improvements to its online complaints handling processes, and various training and awareness measures to ensure future compliance with the ACL.

Background

Reebelo Australia operates as an online marketplace for new and refurbished products including phones and laptops, home appliances, power tools and health and beauty products. It is located in Sydney, NSW.

Reebelo Australia acts as an intermediary platform where third-party suppliers list products for sale on Reebelo Australia’s website.

Internationally, Reebelo was launched in Singapore in October 2019 with headquarters in California. The parent company is based in Singapore with offices in Australia, the United States, Canada, Malaysia, New Zealand and Hong Kong.

Note to editors

The ACCC can issue an infringement notice when it has reasonable grounds to believe a person or business has contravened an infringement notice provision of the ACL.

The payment of a penalty specified in an infringement notice is not an admission of a contravention of the ACL. The ACL sets the penalty amount.

MIL OSI News –
June 3, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Censorship into art: why Iranian director Jafar Panahi’s subversive stories are getting the world’s attention

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Habib Moghimi, Academic, University of Sydney

Iranian director Jafar Panahi has spent his career turning barriers into creative inspiration.

Working under travel bans, house arrests and periodic detention, he had made powerful films that show everyday life in Iran through quiet moments, daily struggles, and small talk on streets under surveillance. He shows people who are restricted by repressive rules, yet who hold onto hope – albeit fragile.

Although Panahi is banned from making films in Iran, he has managed to make a new film “underground” almost every two years. He recently stood triumphant as he received the prestigious Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival for his thriller It Was Just an Accident (2025).

The 2025 Sydney Film Festival’s retrospective Jafar Panahi: Cinema in Rebellion provides a valuable opportunity to look deeper into Panahi’s work, and understand how he makes impossible cinema possible through his unique position.

A slice of life under censorship

Panahi is one of Iran’s most important filmmakers – both because of the international recognition he has received, and because of the symbolic power he has gained through his fight for freedom of speech.

His form of storytelling is rooted in the tradition of Iranian “social films”: dramas and melodramas focusing on everyday, ordinary life.

He blends this tradition with the style and aesthetics of late director Abbas Kiarostami (who he worked with for some years), using elements such as long sequences, vehicles as a recurring motif, and self-reflexive approaches to storytelling.

Panahi’s films not only focus on daily life, but treat cinema as part of that life. In other words, the filmmaking process becomes part of the narrative.

He sometimes places himself within his films. In No Bears (2022), he plays a version of himself to explore the complexities of trying to tell a story while battling surveillance, the threat of exposure, and extreme cultural dogma.

Panahi’s films feature characters rarely seen other works. For instance, in the short film Hidden (2020), the protagonist is a young woman who must perform out of sight due to restrictions on female voices in public.

Similarly, in 3 Faces (2018), a girl from a small village sends a video to a famous actress, begging for help to study acting because her family won’t allow her.

And Offside (2006) follows a group of girls who try to enter a football stadium by dressing up as boys to watch a World Cup qualifying match – highlighting Iran’s historical ban on women attending men’s football matches.

Cinema as reality

Panahi’s films try and look behind the curtains to construct a filmic representation of daily life in Iran. In doing so, they often blur the line between fiction and reality.

In The Mirror (1997), a young actress suddenly stops acting and refuses to follow the script. Although this moment is not actually unscripted, it challenges the viewer’s sense of what is real and what is performed. The film turns into a kind of documentary as the cameras follows the girl on her journey home.

His work also investigates how external forces can shape one’s internal world. In Closed Curtain (2013), a man hides his dog inside a dark house as dogs are viewed as “impure” by the public authorities.

Halfway through the film, Panahi himself appears – again in the form of a filmmaker facing bans. While the film remains fictional, Panahi’s presence turns the narrative into a reflection on cinema and lived experience.

We also see this approach in his subversive documentary This Is Not a Film (2011). Forced into house arrest, and facing a 20 year ban on filmmaking, Panahi films himself inside his apartment while exploring what it means to be banned from filmmaking – and whether filmmaking is possible without a crew or script.

The tragedy in small hurts

Panahi’s films are full of small moments that build into bigger truths – part of the heritage of Iranian social cinema.

In The Circle (2000), different women move through Tehran facing rules that limit their freedom. At the end, the film loops back to its start, showing how their problems don’t end, but simply repeat.

In Crimson Gold (2003), co-written with Abbas Kiarostami, a deliveryman is repeatedly humiliated throughout his daily life because of his social status. The film begins by showing the man attempting to rob a jeweller, before taking his own life – then moves backward to show how he built-up enough despair to commit the act.

The real shock isn’t the act itself, but everything that led to it.

Vehicles as a safe space

Vehicles are everywhere in Panahi’s work: mobile spaces reside on the boundary between public and private life.

In Taxi (2015), Panahi plays a cab driver whose taxi becomes a small stage for passengers to share their stories and opinions.

In No Bears (2022), although Panahi is largely confined to a rural village setting, cars and motorbikes function as transitional spaces between different zones of privacy and publicity.

Nothing onscreen is unintentional

Panahis’s work resists simplistic ideas of the oppressed and the oppressor. These are not just stories about a heroic artist against an authoritarian state. They prompt us to ask: who really benefits from this binary? And what deeper political and cultural dynamics are at play?

And he does this by using the restrictions imposed on him – and even his silence – as narrative tools. Censorship becomes part of the creative process. Not an obstacle, but a resource.

Habib Moghimi 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. Censorship into art: why Iranian director Jafar Panahi’s subversive stories are getting the world’s attention – https://theconversation.com/censorship-into-art-why-iranian-director-jafar-panahis-subversive-stories-are-getting-the-worlds-attention-255221

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

June 3, 2025

MIL-OSI Banking: Money Market Operations as on June 02, 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)	5,92,508.67	5.67	0.01-6.75
I. Call Money	13,896.23	5.79	4.85-5.85
II. Triparty Repo	4,00,348.25	5.66	5.35-5.73
III. Market Repo	1,76,824.99	5.67	0.01-6.75
IV. Repo in Corporate Bond	1,439.20	5.88	6.85-6.75
B. Term Segment
I. Notice Money**	230.90	5.72	5.50-5.80
II. Term Money^@@	535.00	–	6.15-6.15
III. Triparty Repo	2,950.00	5.76	5.75-5.80
IV. Market Repo	600.00	6.04	6.04-6.04
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	Mon, 02/06/2025	1	Tue, 03/06/2025	5,150.00	6.01
(b) Reverse Repo
(III) Long Term Operations^{^}
(a) Repo
(b) Reverse Repo
3. MSF^#	Mon, 02/06/2025	1	Tue, 03/06/2025	1,109.00	6.25
4. SDF^Δ#	Mon, 02/06/2025	1	Tue, 03/06/2025	2,92,229.00	5.75
5. Net liquidity injected from today’s operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*				-2,85,970.00
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
(III) Long Term Operations^{^}
(a) Repo
(b) Reverse Repo
3. MSF^#
4. SDF^Δ#
D. Standing Liquidity Facility (SLF) Availed from RBI^$				8,594.62
E. Net liquidity injected from outstanding operations [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*				8,594.62
F. Net liquidity injected (outstanding including today’s operations) [injection (+)/absorption (-)]*				-2,77,375.38
G. Cash Reserves Position of Scheduled Commercial Banks
(i) Cash balances with RBI as on		June 02, 2025		9,54,329.81
(ii) Average daily cash reserve requirement for the fortnight ending		June 13, 2025		9,41,551.00
H. Government of India Surplus Cash Balance Reckoned for Auction as on^¥		June 02, 2025		5,150.00
I. Net durable liquidity [surplus (+)/deficit (-)] as on		May 16, 2025		3,48,763.00
^@ 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.
^& As per the Press Release No. 2019-2020/1900 dated February 06, 2020.
^Δ As per the Press Release No. 2022-2023/41 dated April 08, 2022.
* Net liquidity is calculated as Repo+MSF+SLF-Reverse Repo-SDF.
^¥ As per the Press Release No. 2014-2015/1971 dated March 19, 2015.
^# As per the Press Release No. 2023-2024/1548 dated December 27, 2023.
^{^} As per the Press Release No. 2025-2026/91 dated April 11, 2025.
Ajit Prasad Deputy General Manager (Communications)
Press Release: 2025-2026/460

MIL OSI Global Banks –

June 3, 2025

MIL-OSI USA: Ernst Names Small Business of the Week, B&B Gates & Supply

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Joni Ernst (R-IA)
RED OAK, Iowa – U.S. Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa), Chair of the Senate Small Business Committee, today announced her Small Business of the Week: B&B Gates & Supply of Lyon County. Throughout the 119th Congress, Chair Ernst plans to recognize a small business in every one of Iowa’s 99 counties.
“The Pollema family has built B&B Gates & Supply on a foundation of community, craftsmanship, and care—creating American-made products paired with excellent customer service,” said Chair Ernst. “What began in an unheated shop has grown into a thriving family business, dedicated to keeping family farms and clients across the Midwest gated and moo-ving livestock where they need to go.”
In 1996, hog and cattle farmers Barry and Patty Pollema started B&B Gates & Supply on their family farm in Doon, Iowa. The business steadily grew from a part-time operation into a full-service livestock gates manufacturer. Due to its growth, the B&B Gates & Supply moved its operation into a 50,000-square-foot facility along Highway 75 in 2021. That same year, they built a retail store that served as a one-stop shop for agricultural necessities. Today, the family business has grown to employ more than 34 team members, with several of Barry and Patty’s children taking on key roles in the business. This year, B&B Gates & Supply will celebrate its 29th anniversary.
Stay tuned as Chair Ernst recognizes more Iowa small businesses across the state with her Small Business of the Week award.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Joining the Dots: Exploring Australias Economic Links With the World Economy
Source: Airservices Australia

Introduction

I’d like to begin by acknowledging the Traditional Owners of the land on which we meet today, the Yuggera and Turrbal people of Meanjin and pay my respects to Elders past and present.

And thank you to the Economic Society of Australia [Queensland Branch] for giving me this opportunity to talk to all of you.

I’m sure many are familiar with the Lenin quote ‘There are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks where decades happen’. It certainly feels like the last few months fit into the latter category. The broad-based nature of the proposed US tariffs, retaliation from major partners and other policy shifts all have the potential to structurally alter the world economy. As recently discussed by our Deputy Governor Andrew Hauser, what happens overseas matters for the Australian economy and is therefore a key factor in monetary policy settings.

In the recently released Statement on Monetary Policy (SMP) we outlined our thinking on how recent developments will influence the Australian economy. To help us understand the implications for Australia, we have developed a framework that captures the key transmission channels and combined this with a set of alternative scenarios that flex key assumptions and judgements. Together they underpin our thinking about how this environment will flow through the global economy and how Australia is exposed. The key transmission channels we have identified are:
- Trade flows between countries are likely to realign, and over time multinational businesses could start moving production to different countries.
- Households and businesses in the countries that apply tariffs are likely to change what they consume, as some products become relatively more expensive, and as prices change more generally.
- Until it’s clearer where policy will settle, businesses and households are likely to become (understandably) more cautious, and potentially delay major decisions such as capital investment.
- Fiscal and monetary policy can respond, potentially helping to offset adverse impacts.
- Financial markets will respond by repricing all assets including equities, bonds, commodity prices and exchange rates. These moves impact financial conditions, which further impact firms’ and households’ decisions.
I will now discuss these channels in more detail, including how they are embodied in the scenarios in the May SMP.

Tariff policy and global trade flows

Economic theory and evidence suggest that higher global tariffs will put a drag on the global economy. This is true in both the short and long run, though here I’ll focus on the short run as that is what is most relevant for monetary policy.

For the country imposing them, tariffs are a tax on imports. In the short term, this makes imported goods more expensive and pushes up domestic prices, to the extent the tariff is not offset by lower profit margins in overseas producers and exchange rate adjustments. Higher import prices will mean less imports and shifts in demand towards locally produced products. But it takes time for domestic businesses to invest and expand, and for some products (such as raw materials) it may not be possible for domestic production to fill the gap. This means prices are likely to remain higher in the near term, which will reduce households’ purchasing power and therefore drag on business incentives to invest.

Collectively, domestic demand in the tariff-imposing country falls, all else equal. If households expect the tariffs to have a sustained effect on economic growth, and so their future incomes, they may also cut back further on spending today. For the countries that are subject to higher tariffs, they will weigh on export demand and in turn their broader economic conditions. Domestic stimulus may offset some of these effects; in the May SMP our baseline scenario assumes that China will support its economy through expansionary fiscal policy. But for both sets of countries, any net weakening in demand growth will spill over to their trading partners.

Overall weaker global growth would put near-term downward pressure on the prices of globally traded goods. For countries that are not imposing higher tariffs, such as Australia, this could flow into import prices, making products cheaper and lowering inflation. In the current episode, this ‘trade diversion’ channel could be amplified by the nature of the changes, in particular the US authorities’ focus on China. As a lynchpin of the global manufacturing supply chain, Chinese goods represent a large share of imports for many countries (including Australia). With the US market harder to access, Chinese producers could lower their prices and try to redirect their products to other markets.

But working in the other direction, the broad-based nature of the increase in tariffs and increased use of non-tariff barriers such as export bans could create a new bout of supply chain disruptions. By increasing the cost of intermediate inputs that cross borders, such as commodities, machinery and equipment and components, tariffs could potentially lift the cost of production globally. This could push up consumer prices in all countries, particularly for more complex products, such as cars, whose components are sourced from a wide range of countries.

Our current baseline scenario assumes that, overall, the weaker global growth environment will moderately dampen prices for tradable goods, all other things equal. That is, we expect weaker demand to outweigh the inflationary impact of any supply chain disruptions. We will be monitoring global trade flows and inflation data closely in the coming months to assess whether this judgement is correct.

Uncertainty’s drag on economic activity

Aside from the effects of changes to global trade that I’ve talked about so far, the unpredictability of where tariffs will settle and changes to other policy settings has the potential to create significant uncertainty, both around the nature of the policies themselves as well as their impact. And there is ample research showing that higher uncertainty can lead to declines in investment, output and employment.

Typically, higher uncertainty leads firms to delay decisions that are costly to reverse, like investment and hiring. This makes sense intuitively, because there is value in waiting to see how things are playing out before making a decision that is (at least partially) non-reversable – something often referred to as ‘real options’ value. These ideas are borne out in the historical data. Research suggests that the negative impacts of higher policy uncertainty – including trade policy – are largest for businesses, as they typically pull back on investment. Some studies find higher uncertainty also has a measurable impact on household consumption, but this is typically more modest.

Uncertainty is a bit of a slippery concept and there are lots of different ways of trying to measure it, but the graph below shows two (Graph 1). One – the global economic policy uncertainty index – is based on the number of news articles that talk about policy uncertainty. The other – the VIX – is a measure capturing how uncertain markets are about near-term equity prices. Both show a sharp rise in uncertainty recently, though the VIX index has declined in recent weeks.

If we see businesses and households respond as they have in the past, then the current level of uncertainty will weigh materially on global activity. But the unpredictability and unprecedented nature of the current situation makes it hard to be precise on the size of the impact. In the SMP we have tackled this by using alternative scenarios that capture smaller and larger responses to uncertainty. The baseline scenario assumes a relatively modest drag, the trade peace scenario no significant drag, and the trade war scenario a substantial pull back in activity. Going forward we will be monitoring carefully which assumption is closest to how things unfold.

Financial markets’ response

This brings us neatly to financial markets. Movements in global asset prices after the United States announced its tariffs on April 2 capture how financial market participants initially evaluated their likely impact, and these movements broadly aligned with the channels I’ve already discussed. Equity prices declined sharply – particularly in the United States – at least in part reflecting expectations for the direct impact of the tariffs and the indirect impact via slower economic growth on company earnings. Expectations of lower future growth also meant that expectations for future central bank policy rates declined, which flowed through to bond yields (Graph 2).

At the same time, increased uncertainty and risk led investors to require larger risk premia to hold risky assets. This was reflected in increased spreads on corporate bonds, and some increases in equity risk premia that put further downward pressure on equity prices (Graph 3). In other words, investors wanted more compensation for holding riskier assets.

Some of these movements unwound in the following weeks after pauses in implementation of some tariffs. As of 30 May, financial market participants appear to be pricing in some downside risk to global growth, but they are no longer pricing in a material economic downturn. Consistent with this, expectations for central bank rate cuts have also been pared back.

Still, there remains a risk that further changes to tariffs or other policy settings, or actual economic outcomes prompt financial markets to downgrade the outlook, which leads risky asset prices to fall sharply. If this were to occur, it would lead to a more sustained tightening in financial conditions, which would make it more expensive for businesses in particular to borrow or raise funds for investment. This outcome is embodied in the trade war downside scenario we presented in the May SMP and is a significant amplifier of the initial shock generated by the sharp hike in tariffs.

Exchange rates

One financial market that deserves some deeper discussion is the exchange rate. When the outlook for global growth weakens, the Australian dollar typically depreciates (falls in value) as investors expect our economy to be buffeted by the global headwinds and the RBA to respond with cuts to the cash rate. This makes our exports cheaper in foreign currency terms, which offsets some of the effect of weaker global demand.

An additional driver of the Australian dollar in times of uncertainty is its status as a ‘risk-sensitive’ currency. When global investors are worried, they tend to focus on reducing risk exposure, moving their capital to low-risk assets in countries like the United States, Switzerland and Japan. This means the Australian dollar tends to lose value against these currencies, over and above the depreciation linked to weaker growth and expected cuts in the cash rate. This dynamic partly explains the movements during the global financial crisis (GFC) when the Australian dollar declined very sharply, even though the Australian economy was much less exposed to the global downturn (Graph 4).

While the initial response of the Australian dollar during the current episode was in line with historical experience, the recent recovery against the US dollar in particular has been more unusual (Graph 5). The exchange rate has been volatile over recent months, but on a trade weighted basis is overall little changed in response to global events. It has appreciated against the US dollar (and therefore also the Chinese renminbi and other currencies pegged to the US dollar) but depreciated against most other major currencies.

This appears to reflect some offsetting factors. Concerns about the growth outlook and related ‘risk-off’ dynamics contributed to the Australian dollar’s depreciation relative to several other currencies. But at the same time some investors have reduced their exposure to US assets, leading to broad US dollar weakness.

The weakness in the US dollar during a period of heightened risk is in contrast with many previous episodes, though it’s too early to know whether this dynamic will continue. The return of the trade weighted index to its pre-shock value means that, on average, the price of our exports in foreign currency terms hasn’t changed. But the relative move of capital towards Australian assets compared to the United States reflects an increase in capital inflows, which could support domestic investment activity. We’ll be monitoring how these channels play out over time.

The economy’s exposure to the current episode

Trade flows linkages

As previously outlined, when global conditions deteriorate and uncertainty increases Australia’s exports typically benefit from the currency depreciating, as this improves competitiveness. Although this channel may be less pronounced than in other episodes, Australia’s exporters are relatively well-placed to weather the storm.

The fundamentals underpinning our exports make it likely that in volume terms at least they’ll be less impacted than other countries. Higher US tariffs on Australian exports are unlikely to have a material direct impact as Australian exports to the United States only account for around 1.5 per cent of Australian GDP, a low share compared with other countries (Graph 6).

Furthermore, the structure and composition of Australia’s exports will potentially provide an additional buffer to export volumes. Resources make up 75 per cent of Australian good exports, and despite the exposure of China and other resource intensive countries to the tariff shock, we might expect export volumes to remain resilient in the short run.

This is because Australia’s resource export volumes are less sensitive to movements in global demand than other exports as we are a relatively low-cost producer of bulk commodities like iron ore. You can see this on this chart, where most Australian iron ore miners sit on the lower left end of the production cost curve (Graph 7). Short-run declines in commodity prices tend to lead to reduced volumes from other higher cost producers, while Australian producers feel the impact via lower prices and so earnings.

So far, the current episode has not seen a sharp correction in Australia’s key commodity prices, underpinned by a relatively positive outlook for China. This view assumes that the Chinese authorities will support their economy through fiscal stimulus and is embodied in our baseline scenario, with the downside trade war scenario encapsulating a correction. If this were to occur the income flows from commodity exports would fall significantly.

By contrast, trade in services, which comprise around 20 per cent of Australian exports to the world, are more responsive to changes in global demand and the exchange rate. We can see this in the below chart, which shows historically how movements of services export volumes have correlated with changes in the real exchange rate, a measure of competitiveness (Graph 8). In the years following the GFC, the appreciation and depreciation in the exchange rate contributed to a decline and then strong rebound in services export volumes.

Trade in services tends to react more strongly because some exported services tend to be easier to substitute and more discretionary. Travel services, for example tourism, are a key Australian export that might be affected by recent developments. Weaker global growth is likely to dampen demand, but any exchange rate depreciation will make Australia a more attractive destination. Simultaneously, travel service imports (i.e. outward tourism) may decline if the Australian dollar depreciates; holidaying overseas will become more expensive than taking a trip locally.

Uncertainty dampener on households and businesses

While key parts of Australia’s export volumes may be relatively resilient to global demand conditions and uncertainty, domestic demand is unlikely to be completely insulated. As discussed earlier, greater uncertainty about the future can lead households and businesses to save instead of spending and investing, and this is likely to be the case for Australian households and businesses too. And increased borrowing costs and risk premia in global financial markets are likely to spill into domestic markets, further weighing on activity.

Previous research by RBA economist Angus Moore found exactly this. Higher global uncertainty has a large negative effect on Australian business investment, while the negative effect on consumption is more modest (Graph 9). Though the magnitude of these effects is itself very uncertain, this does suggest that global uncertainty may weigh substantially on domestic activity if uncertainty remains elevated. As with all of the other channels, we explore different assumptions for the size of this channel in the scenarios in the May SMP.

Putting it all together for policy

So how will the current unpredictable and uncertain global environment transmit through to the Australian economy? The short answer is we can’t be completely sure. The framework I have outlined identifies what we think are the key transmission channels, and we have used scenarios to simulate different alternatives. Within this range, the baseline forecast is for recent global developments to contribute to slower economic growth in Australia and a slightly weaker labour market. We also anticipate that, overall, the price of tradable goods will be slightly dampened. Together, these two outcomes mean that inflation is forecast to be a little lower than at the February SMP, settling around the midpoint of the 2–3 per cent target range.

This forecast is based on several judgements, and assumptions about the potency of the transmission channels I have discussed today. These include how tariff policies evolve, how fiscal and monetary authorities around the world respond, whether trade diversion reduces the price of imports or global supply chains become heavily disrupted, and how much uncertainty weighs on economic activity.

By using the framework and scenarios together we have anchored our thinking and cut through some of the uncertainty about the outlook. These were provided to the Monetary Policy Board to help inform their decision-making; taking all the information into account and considering the risks to the outlook, they decided to cut the cash rate by 25 basis points.

What will happen from here? Going forward, the RBA will continue to monitor domestic and international outcomes and global policy developments. Benchmarking these against the scenarios in the May SMP will help us identify the scenario that best reflects current conditions and the outlook, enabling the Board to adjust policy settings accordingly.

MIL OSI News –
June 3, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: As government cuts bite, public service unions can use ‘soft power’ as well as strikes to win support

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jim Arrowsmith, Professor, School of Management, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University

Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

Cuts to the public service, the decision to halt all pay equity claims, and the tight 2025 budget mean public service workers are facing an uncertain future.

Nowhere is this more apparent than in the health sector. Since the 2024 budget, Health NZ has faced several reductions across its workforce. Nurses and rest home workers were also among the 33 pay equity cases stopped to save nearly NZ$13 billion over four years.

Last week, doctors at Gisborne Hospital announced plans to strike due to staffing shortages.

Industrial unrest could well be a feature of the next 18 months and an influence on the current government’s fortunes.

My ongoing research with union leaders, to be published later this year, maps out how they could emerge as a major force mobilising public opinion ahead of the 2026 general election – and how using “soft power” rather than just strikes could be key to success.

This research is part of an international project looking at health sector union strategies in Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom.

The power of unions

Public sector unions have the power to influence change thanks to their concentrated membership in certain sectors, and their ability to cause significant disruptions with strikes. The New Zealand Nurses Organisation, for example, represents 77% of the registered nurse workforce.

But the potential power of New Zealand’s public service unions is tempered by their members’ commitment to the needs of the people they serve – for example, ensuring sick people still receive care.

Public service unions also need support from the public, given the state is their ultimate employer. This means unions first have to use the soft power available to them before deciding to strike.

For unions, soft power includes using employment rules and laws (“institutional” sources of power), alliances with groups representing people who use the sector’s services (“coalitional” sources), and messaging (“ideational”).

In the fight over pay equity, for example, unions are using institutional means (equal pay legislation) to fight for increased wages. They are also building coalitions with groups that use their services, and are articulating a clear case of fairness and efficiency to build wider support.

Even some lobby groups, such as Aged Care Association which represents aged-care facilities, have publicly supported union efforts towards pay equity, recognising the need for higher wages to address labour shortages.

Many people in the public service such as nurses face a tension between industrial action while still meeting their commitment to caring for New Zealanders.
Hannah Peters/Getty Images

Healthcare is a political frontline

In healthcare, the government pledged $8.2 billion in funding over four years in its first budget in 2024. In 2025, it set aside an extra $447 million for primary and out-of-hours care.

But unions representing doctors and nurses say the government is “just treading water”, identifying 4,800 vacancies in the current plan.

According to the unions, gaps include one in five senior hospital doctor positions and a quarter of hospital shifts lack sufficient nurses or midwives (the government has disputed these figures).

The situation is exacerbated by Australia and other countries actively recruiting for healthcare staff. Rising living costs also make New Zealand a less attractive proposition to new migrants.

Recent surveys by other major health unions focus on the impact of staff shortages on worker wellbeing and patient care. The scientific and technical union APEX reports a “workforce in survival mode” and the Public Service Association talks of “healthcare in crisis”.

In the care sector, members of trade union E tū have detailed how chronic understaffing leads to work intensification and insufficient time to care for residential or home-based clients.

A battle of messaging

The unions’ message is one of a vicious circle where staff shortages increase workloads in already demanding jobs, accelerating the number of departures and damaging the provision of care.

Addressing this, unions argue, requires better pay and more staff, including investment to grow the domestic pipeline of healthcare staff over the longer term.

The government’s message, however, refers to past blowouts, fiscal discipline and the need for more private sector involvement, and longer hours to meet its targets.

The question for unions is whether they will be able to get their messaging out to voters more effectively than the government.

In general, the profile of healthcare workers in people’s lives can create a more sympathetic message. Unions have also begun a coordinated strategy to unify and actively engage members as a platform for political outreach.

Campaigns such as the nurses union “Marangi Mai” (Rise Up) and E tū’s “Transforming Care” speak to workers more effectively than remote and protracted equal pay negotiations.

Finally, legal action and protests marshal media attention.

Cases filed under employment and health and safety laws expose “good employer” obligations and the need to ensure safe working conditions. “Informational pickets”, market stalls and alliances with user groups also get the message out, as do short sharp work stoppages.

Amid the ongoing debate around healthcare and what the sector needs, it is clear unions will need to use soft power tactics as well as strikes to advocate for workers. The strategies implemented in the public sector may also provide a road map for private sector workers considering their own actions.

Jim Arrowsmith 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. As government cuts bite, public service unions can use ‘soft power’ as well as strikes to win support – https://theconversation.com/as-government-cuts-bite-public-service-unions-can-use-soft-power-as-well-as-strikes-to-win-support-257006

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI Banking: Trial Offer of MEA System Capable of Simultaneous Measuring and Recording Data from Approximately 237,000 Electrodes

Source: Sony

Japan — Sony Semiconductor Solutions Corporation (Sony), SCREEN Holdings Co., Ltd. (SCREEN), and VitroVo Inc. (VitroVo) today announced that they have jointly developed and will offer on a trial basis a microelectrode array (MEA) system powered by high-density CMOS-MEA*¹ equipped with approximately 237,000 electrodes. Combining Sony’s advanced sensing devices, SCREEN Group’s cellular electrical activity measurement technology, and VitroVo’s MEA-driven compound evaluation and data analysis knowledge, the MEA system makes it possible to measure and record high-density cell activity data which was previously difficult, and to visualize cellular activity in high definition. This innovation is aimed to contribute primarily to neuronal and cardiac disease research and drug discovery.

MEA System Hardware

Application and UI

In the field of drug research and development, improved accuracy in efficacy assessment and safety evaluation in nonclinical testing, and further streamlined development processes are in demand. There have been currently growing needs for the new methods with advanced technologies and microphysiological systems such as organoids, human iPSC- derived nerve cells and cardiomyocytes, which enable the high accurate evaluation of the effects of compounds on a human body without the usage of experimental animal. They can offer a new approach to animal testing which is currently mandatory prior to clinical trials of new drugs. Also, the acquisition of more sophisticated cell data is expected to contribute to disease research initiatives.

The three companies have come together to develop the high-density MEA system with the cooperation of the Tohoku Institute of Technology (Tohtech). Based on cell electrical activity data, the system enables observation of the differences between diseased and healthy cells and the response of cells to compounds on the single cell level. More specifically, Sony’s high-density CMOS-MEA,^*1 which is currently in development, and the SCREEN Group’s cellular electrical activity measurement technology were combined to detect extracellular electrical potential with the high-density array of microelectrodes, which is then output as image data. Through this process, users can monitor the cell firing^*2, measure and record the reaction. Furthermore, the system is equipped with an algorithm optimized by VitroVo (based on joint research by Sony and Tohtech) for compound evaluation and an analysis software to enable better operability for users. This makes it possible to quickly display analysis results such as cell firing frequency as calculated from electrical potential and image measurement data, on a monitor. These measurement and analysis capabilities enable acquisition of cell activity data with greater density than with conventional methods, allowing users to obtain test results that were difficult with conventional measurement methods.

This system can support research on disease phenotypes based on high-density cellular activity data and the risk assessment or the more efficient efficacy evaluation of compounds for new drugs as alternatives to animal testing. Because the system enables observation of neurons, it will also likely be used in the research and development of new drugs for mental illnesses such as depression and schizophrenia, neurological disorders such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Alzheimer’s disease, as well as in basic neuroscience research.

To verify the efficacy of the system and evaluation method as well as promote technical development in the lead-up to commercialization, the three companies will jointly provide the system to corporations and research institutions involved in drug development on a trial base. In addition to SCREEN providing the system, VitroVo will offer support for introducing the system by consulting on cell culture procedures, custom data analysis, and interpreting test results. At the same time, VitroVo will begin offering contract research services to verify the effectiveness of the system. This trial offer will allow the three companies to accelerate system development and market surveys based on feedback from users, with the goal of commercializing MEA systems utilizing CMOS-MEA.

*1 CMOS-MEA: A device that uses complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor technology and a microelectrode array to detect cell electrical activity
*2 Cell firing: The phenomenon in which nerve cells generate action potentials, causing electrical excitation, releasing neurotransmitters, and transmitting information to surrounding nerve cells. Cell firing enables signal transduction in the brain and nervous system.

About CMOS-MEA
・CMOS-MEA is a device capable of measuring cellular electrical activity in real time. A microelectrode array (MEA) in a dense formation on top of the sensor chip measures the electrical potential generated by the influx and outflux of ions associated with cell activity, then processes the signal and outputs it as image data. This technology makes it possible to check the effects of drugs and other compounds on cells and propagation processes using images.
・The CMOS-MEA currently being developed by Sony uses a reduced pitch between electrodes, resulting in a compact design with a highly dense array of approximately 237,000 electrodes. The high-speed A/D conversion and interface technologies that Sony has cultivated while developing image sensors make it possible to read data from all electrodes at once.
・Joint research between Sony and Tohtech has revealed that CMOS-MEA will enable high-definition cell monitoring that was difficult with conventional technology, and data analysis on the single-cell level. It has also shown promise for applications not only in drug discovery but also in a wide variety of disciplines such as biotechnology, biomedical science, medicine, and pharmacology. The results of their research have also been applied to the development of the system.

※Related Publications:
・Ikuro Suzuki, Naoki Matsuda, Xiaobo Han, Shuhei Noji, Mikako Shibata, Nami Nagafuku, Yuto Ishibashi, Large-area field potential imaging having single neuron resolution using 236,880 electrodes CMOS-MEA technology
Advanced Science：https://advanced.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/advs.202207732;DOI：https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202207732
・N. Matsuda, N. Nagafuku, K. Matsuda, Y. Ishibashi, T. Taniguchi, Y. Matsushita, N. Miyamoto, T. Yoshinaga, I. Suzuki, Field potential Imaging in human iPSC- derived Cardiomyocytes using UHD-CMOS-MEA.
bioRxiv：https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2025.03.31.646249v1; DOI：https://doi.org/10.1101/2025.03.31.646249
・H. Takahashi, N. Matsuda, I. Suzuki, Analysis of β rhythm induction in acute brain slices using field potential imaging with ultra-high-density CMOS-based microelectrode array.
bioRxiv: ・Sony: Hardware development including provision of the CMOS-MEA sensor
・SCREEN： Development of software involved in cellular data measurement and analysis, customer support for trial system offering
・VitroVo：Provision of contracted research services using the system, consulting on cultures and analysis upon introducing the system, and development of new utilization and analysis technologies

MIL OSI Global Banks –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Outstanding New Zealanders honoured

Source: New Zealand Government

Prime Minister Christopher Luxon has congratulated the 2025 recipients of King’s Birthday Honours.

“Every person on this list has made New Zealand a better place.

“Locally, regionally, nationally, and internationally they are the proof that individual actions build a strong and thriving country.

“I am inordinately proud that twice every year, we can easily find dozens of outstanding citizens to honour this way, and I would like to thank all of the New Zealanders on this list for their service and achievements.

“To our new Dames and Knights, carry your Honour with the pride with which it was given,” Mr Luxon says.

Appointed as Dames Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit are Ranjna Patel, Emeritus Distinguished Professor Alison Stewart, and Catriona Williams.

“Dame Ranjna Patel has made a lasting impact across New Zealand in her service to ethnic communities, health and family violence prevention. She founded Mana for Mums for young Māori and Pacific women in South Auckland, co-founded a multi-cultural community centre, and co-founded Tāmaki Health, which has grown to become New Zealand’s largest privately owned primary healthcare group. In doing so, Dame Ranjna has helped hundreds of thousands of New Zealanders,” says Mr Luxon.

“Dame Alison Stewart is an internationally renowned plant scientist with a 40-year career focused on sustainable plant protection, soil biology and plant biotechnology. She reinforces New Zealand’s stellar reputation in science and is an example of how our science community will continue to lead the world,” Mr Luxon says.

“Dame Catriona Williams’ legacy in spinal cord injury goes back more than 20 years. This remarkable woman has been the founder and driving force behind the CatWalk Spinal Cord Injury Trust since its establishment in 2005. She has inspired countless people by her example of courage and determination in the face of adversity. Dame Catriona dedicates her time to engage with people who have experienced a spinal cord injury and are new to life in a wheelchair,” says Mr Luxon.

This year’s Knights Companion are The Honourable Mark Cooper, Brendan Lindsay, and Ewan Smith.

“Sir Mark Cooper’s service to the judiciary is distinguished and longstanding. He became President of the Court of Appeal after being a Court of Appeal Judge from 2014 and a High Court Judge from 2004. Sir Mark was Chairperson of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Building Failure caused by the Canterbury Earthquakes and his detailed findings and recommendations avoided delay to the Canterbury rebuild and provided a sense of resolution to the community at a time it was critical,” Mr Luxon says.

“Businessman and philanthropist Sir Brendan Lindsay built a global brand producing sustainable and recyclable storage products stamped ‘Made in New Zealand’. Sistema was sold to an American firm in 2016, with the buyer committing in writing to keep production in New Zealand for 20 years. That business acumen has created a philanthropic legacy that has helped countless charities including Pet Refuge, Starship National Air Ambulance Service, New Zealand Riding for the Disabled and Assistance Dogs New Zealand Trust,” Mr Luxon says.

“Sir Ewan Smith is legendary in the Cook Islands. The founder of Air Rarotonga, he has grown the business to become the largest private sector employer in the Cook Islands. However, it is his passion and loyalty to his people that distinguishes him further. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he ensured no Air Rarotonga employee was made redundant, and the airline maintained essential cargo and medevac services throughout the Cooks. Everyone including himself was placed on a minimum wage and he provided mentorship, counselling and budget advice to staff. Sir Ewan exemplifies what it is to be a good employer and an outstanding citizen.

“I would like to congratulate all 188 recipients of this year’s King’s Birthday Honours. We are proud of you, and we celebrate the example you set for others,” Mr Luxon says.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Working with third-party providers: understanding your privacy responsibilities
Source: Privacy Commissioner

26 Nov 2024, 16:00

Download a printable A4 PDF version of this chart.

On this page:

Working with third-party providers
Who is this guidance for?
Your organisation is responsible for your personal information when stored or processed by a third-party provider
What do we mean by third-party provider?
Before using a third-party provider
Example of a section 11 situation
Protecting personal information once you’ve chosen a third-party provider
Other things to consider

Working with third-party providers: understanding your privacy responsibilities

Your responsibility for the personal information stored or processed by a third-party provider comes from Section 11 of the Privacy Act.

Personal information is any information which tells us something about a specific individual. People’s names, contact details, financial, health and purchase records can all be personal information. The information doesn’t need to name the individual, if they are identifiable in other ways, like through their home address or another identifier, or if their identity could be pieced together. Read more about what we mean by personal information.

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Who is this for?

This guidance is for organisations who are thinking about using a third-party provider, or those who already do. If you use a third-party provider to store or process personal information on your behalf, you are still responsible for what happens to that information.

This guidance explains what you must think about when you are choosing a third-party provider and what your ongoing responsibilities are. We have a wider suite of guidance ‘Poupou Matatapu’ to find out more about how to ‘do privacy well’ and what good privacy practice looks like.

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Your organisation is responsible for your personal information when stored or processed by a third-party provider

The key thing to remember is that you remain responsible for personal information that you send to a third-party provider.

What do we mean by third-party provider?
‘Third-party’ means an organisation external to your organisation.

‘Third-party provider,’ also known as a ‘third-party’ or ‘service provider,’ is a broad term that can be applied to a range of external organisations that provide services to your organisation, such as storing or processing information on your organisation’s behalf. Software as a Service (SaaS) or cloud service providers are a classic example. However, there is a wide range of other third-party providers you might contract with who may need to store or process personal information provided by your organisation to deliver their service to you.

For example, you might:
- Share employee pay information with an external payroll provider or accountant.
- Contract a company to collect information for a survey.
- Use another organisation to provide personalised services for your customers.
- Use an intermediary platform that shares the information with other third parties.
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Before using a third-party provider
Before you engage a third-party provider, you need to understand:
- What types of personal information you’ll share with them, or they’ll collect on your behalf.
- What they will do with it.
Do they need personal information?

First, understand whether your organisation needs to provide personal information to the third-party provider at all. You should consider if you can achieve the results you want from a third-party provider without providing any personal information.

For example, your organisation might like to use a third-party marketing agency to provide advertising services. Marketing agencies can offer a range of services, from sourcing advertising on billboards or online advertising (which would not require any personal information), to using the information collected from an organisation’s existing customer database to create marketing strategies (which might require personal information, depending on the task).

Think about whether supplying aggregated, non-personal information might enable the marketing agency to perform the service adequately.
Please note: when changing the way you use clients’ or staff’s personal information, you need to assess the privacy risk and make sure you’re being transparent through your privacy statement to reflect any changes in use of personal information. We have guidance on how to improve your privacy transparency. We also have a PIA toolkit available to help assess the privacy risks.

What kind of personal information is it?

It’s important to understand the level of privacy risk that you’ll need to manage with your third-party provider. We have guidance on different kinds of personal information that may carry higher privacy risk, such as where the information is sensitive or confidential.

For example, an organisation might employ the use of a third-party software provider to manage their payroll. Information required to process payroll can be sensitive, such as bank account and IRD numbers. Appropriate security measures need to be in place. We have guidance on handling sensitive information.

Due diligence

You will need to be confident that the information is protected wherever it is, and whatever organisation is handling it. Ask questions that enable you to have that confidence (this is normally referred to as ‘due diligence’), and ask those questions early, before you commit to using the provider.

Any subsequent contract with that provider should satisfactorily reflect the key protections that you expect to be in place. It should also require the third-party to ensure that any subcontractors or support agencies will equally protect the information. Your organisation needs to know whether the third-party provider will use or disclose the personal information that you provide for its own business purposes.

What will the third-party provider do with the information?

There are a range of services that third-party providers offer. Some third-party providers will merely store the information and some will process the information for you (for example, a service providing data analytics). Some may themselves use third-party services such as generative AI tools to store or process the information.

A key thing to understand is whether the third-party provider will use the information for their own purposes or not. Some examples of third parties using information for their own purposes could be when your information is used as AI training data or using the information you provide for services to other organisations.

If the third-party provider is storing or processing the information solely on your behalf (for example storing information as a cloud service) and will not use or disclose it for its own purposes, section 11 of the Privacy Act says that the third-party provider is not deemed to “hold” the personal information for the purposes of the Privacy Act. This also means that you are not “disclosing” the information to them, which means you do not need to worry about the Privacy Act’s disclosure principle (IPP 11). But as a result, your organisation remains fully responsible under the Privacy Act for what happens to that information. The third-party is “you” for the purposes of the Privacy Act.

If the third-party provider will use or disclose the information for its own purposes, as well as performing services for you, then both the third-party provider and your organisation will be deemed to “hold” that information for the purposes of the Privacy Act. That means you will both be responsible for the information in various ways depending on how it is being stored or used. Sharing personal information with that third-party provider could also be a “disclosure” and you will need to make sure that sharing the information is allowed under IPP11. IPP12 may also be relevant if the third-party provider is not based in New Zealand.

In addition, both your organisation and the third-party provider may be accountable if there is a privacy breach. This means that your organisation and the third-party provider need to have a plan to outline who will notify OPC and individuals affected in case there is a breach. We have guidance on who should notify OPC and affected individuals.

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Example of a section 11 situation: Wonder Bottling Ltd uses third-party Big Data Analytics

Wonder Bottling Ltd wants to use the third-party Big Data Analytics Ltd to run Wonder Bottling’s website. Big Data Analytics will store all website data, including personal information provided by customers to Wonder Bottling via web forms. It will also process the information stored and provided to the website to provide website analytics to Wonder Bottling Ltd.

Big Data Analytics is not using Wonder Bottling Ltd’s information for another purpose or service, such as using Wonder Bottling Ltd’s data insights to provide a service to another organisation. It is solely storing and processing information for Wonder Bottling Ltd. Under section 11, this means that Wonder Bottling Ltd is responsible for anything that happens to that information while it is being stored or processed by Big Data Analytics.

For instance, if Big Data Analytics is the subject of a notifiable privacy breach in relation to the personal information transmitted by Wonder Bottling, Wonder Bottling would be responsible for notifying the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) and affected individuals. In their agreement, Big Data Analytics should be required to inform Wonder Bottling about any breaches of that information so that Wonder Bottling can fulfil this requirement.

However, if Big Data Analytics were to change how it operates and start using that information for another purpose, Big Data Analytics would have its own obligations under the Privacy Act, such as responsibilities to make sure the information is accurate and fit for purpose under IPP8, and to use the information in line with IPP10.

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Protecting personal information once you’ve chosen a third-party provider

Since your organisation is legally responsible for anything that happens to the personal information that a third-party provider stores or processes for you (whether or not that third-party is also responsible), you should make sure that you have a robust agreement in place with them that requires them to keep the information safe and gives you a remedy when things go wrong.

What should be in an agreement with a third-party provider?

Security measures

An organisation needs to do everything within its power to prevent unauthorised use or disclosure of personal information. This means that your organisation needs to get assurances that the third-party provider has the appropriate security measures in place to protect any information it stores or processes on your behalf. The more sensitive the information is, the stronger those assurances may need to be.

Our guidance on security and access controls provides examples of the types of security measures the third-party provider should take to protect the personal information it stores. Your organisation may wish to seek regular reporting from the third-party provider on the effectiveness of the measures.

Individuals’ right to access and correct the information your organisation holds about them

The Privacy Act requires you to give people access to their personal information if they ask you to, and correct that information if it is wrong. There are also strict statutory timeframes for responding to requests. Those timeframes don’t change when the information is stored by a third-party rather than by you. You need to ensure that your agreement with the third-party provider includes provisions that make sure you can locate and retrieve information quickly, so you can meet your obligations.

Read our guidance on access and correction of personal information.

Reporting notifiable privacy breaches

The reporting of notifiable privacy breaches also needs to be factored into your agreement with a third-party provider, including how it will notify you of any breaches it has, and whether it will notify you of all breaches or only ones that it considers are notifiable. We strongly recommend that the contract requires the third-party provider to notify you of all breaches that affect the personal information it is storing or processing on your behalf, so that you can then decide what to do.

Your organisation will be responsible under the Privacy Act for reporting notifiable privacy breaches to the Office of the Privacy Commissioner so you need to be satisfied that the third-party provider will promptly notify you of breaches. The Office of the Privacy Commissioner generally expects to be told about notifiable breaches within 72 hours of the breach becoming known. That period starts when the third-party provider knows about the breach, not when they tell you, so it is important to make sure that you are told as soon as possible.

Poupou Matatapu has more information on notifiable privacy breaches, including the obligation to notify affected individuals.

Third-party compliance with the Privacy Act

Your agreement should make sure there are contractual obligations on the third-party provider to comply with all applicable privacy laws.

Disposal of personal information during and after the agreement

Organisations must not keep personal information for longer than they need. It’s important that your agreement outlines how long the third-party provider will store the personal information on your behalf. In short, the third-party provider should only retain the information for as long as you want it to and are permitted to yourself. Ideally, you should be able to delete the information yourself as retention periods are reached or your circumstances change.

The agreement should also outline what will happen to the information at the end of the agreement. Will it be transferred back to you? How will it be disposed of? Can the third-party provider give you assurances that the information has been permanently deleted (including from backups)? Poupou Matatapu has more guidance on retention and disposal in the Know your Personal Information Pou.

Assurance that the third-party provider will only use the personal information for delivering the services

Your agreement should include an assurance that the third-party provider will only use the personal information it stores or processes on your behalf to deliver the services you have requested, as outlined in the agreement. Remember, that if the third-party provider will be using or disclosing the information for its own purposes, the third-party will have its own obligations under the Privacy Act.

Checklist for what should be in your agreement with a third-party service provider:
1. Appropriate security measures.
2. Facilitation of access and correction requests.
3. Process and time frame for notifying you of privacy breaches, especially notifiable breaches.
4. Compliance with relevant privacy laws.
5. The third-party’s use of the information you provide.
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Other things to consider
- If you’re sending personal information to a third-party provider to process, store, or use on your behalf, you need to make sure you are transferring the information securely. Poupou Matatapu has information on security and internal access controls.
- Use a Privacy Impact Assessment to assess and record the privacy risks associated with using a particular third-party provider. We have a PIA toolkit available to help.
- If you’re using a third-party provider based in another country, consider your practical ability to control your personal information and ensure it is being handled in line with the New Zealand Privacy Act.
- Consult with stakeholders or affected communities if the personal information is particularly sensitive, or where there are Māori data sovereignty implications.
Download a PDF version of this guidance.

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MIL OSI New Zealand News –
June 3, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for June 3, 2025

ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on June 3, 2025.

In her memoir, Jacinda Ardern shows a ‘different kind of power’ is possible – but also has its limits
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Grant Duncan, Teaching Fellow in Politics and International Relations, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata Rau Getty Images Imagine getting a positive pregnancy test and then – just a few days later – learning you’ll be prime minister. In hindsight, being willing and able to deal with the

Google’s SynthID is the latest tool for catching AI-made content. What is AI ‘watermarking’ and does it work?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By T.J. Thomson, Senior Lecturer in Visual Communication & Digital Media, RMIT University HomeArt/Shutterstock Last month, Google announced SynthID Detector, a new tool to detect AI-generated content. Google claims it can identify AI-generated content in text, image, video or audio. But there are some caveats. One of them

What parents and youth athletes can do to protect against abuse in sport
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Fanny Kuhlin, PhD candidate in Sport Management (Sport Science), Örebro University Ron Alvey/Shutterstock From the horrific Larry Nassar abuse scandal in United States gymnastics to the “environment of fear” some volleyball athletes endured at the Australian Institute of Sport, abuse in sport has been well documented in

Astronomers thought the Milky Way was doomed to crash into Andromeda. Now they’re not so sure
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ruby Wright, Forrest Fellow in Astrophysics, The University of Western Australia Luc Viatour / Wikimedia, CC BY-SA For years, astronomers have predicted a dramatic fate for our galaxy: a head-on collision with Andromeda, our nearest large galactic neighbour. This merger – expected in about 5 billion years

Is the private hospital system collapsing? Here’s what the sector’s financial instability means for you
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yuting Zhang, Professor of Health Economics, The University of Melbourne lightpoet/Shutterstock Toowong Private Hospital in Brisbane is the latest hospital to succumb to financial pressures and will close its doors next week. The industry association attributes the psychiatric hospital’s closure to insufficient payments from and delayed funding

Trump’s steel tariffs are unlikely to have a big impact on Australia. But we could be hurt by what happens globally
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Scott French, Senior Lecturer in Economics, UNSW Sydney Shestakov Dymytro/Shutterstock Just one day after the US Court of Appeals temporarily reinstated the Trump Administration’s Liberation Day tariffs of between 10% and 50% on nearly every country in the world, Trump announced tariffs on all US imports of

Tax concessions on super need a rethink. These proposals would bring much needed reform
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Chris Murphy, Visiting Fellow, Economics (modelling), Australian National University fizkes/Shutterstock The federal government has proposed an additional tax of 15% on the earnings made on super balances of over A$3 million, the so-called Division 296 tax. This has set off a highly politicised debate that has often

The surprising power of photography in ageing well
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tricia King, Senior Lecturer in Photography, University of the Sunshine Coast Marcia Grimm Older adults are often faced with lifestyle changes that can disrupt their sense of place and purpose. It may be the loss of a partner, downsizing their home, or moving to residential aged care.

What birds can teach us about repurposing waste
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Farrier, Professor of Literature and the Environment, University of Edinburgh Some birds use deterrent spikes to make their nests. Chemari/Shutterstock Modern cities are evolution engines. Urban snails in the Netherlands and lizards in Los Angeles have developed lighter shells and larger scales to cope with the

Human Rights Watch warns renewed fighting threatens West Papua civilians
Asia Pacific Report An escalation in fighting between Indonesian security forces and Papuan pro-independence fighters in West Papua has seriously threatened the security of the largely indigenous population, says Human Rights Watch in a new report. The human rights watchdog warned that all parties to the conflict are obligated to abide by international humanitarian law,

Will surging sea levels kill the Great Barrier Reef? Ancient coral fossils may hold the answer
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jody Webster, Professor of Marine Geoscience, University of Sydney marcobriviophoto.com In the 20th century, global sea level rose faster than at any other time in the past 3,000 years. It’s expected to rise even further by 2100, as human-induced climate change intensifies. In fact, some studies predict

Pro-Trump candidate wins Poland’s presidential election – a bad omen for the EU, Ukraine and women
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Adam Simpson, Senior Lecturer, International Studies, University of South Australia Poland’s presidential election runoff will be a bitter pill for pro-European Union democrats to swallow. The nationalist, Trumpian, historian Karol Nawrocki has narrowly defeated the liberal, pro-EU mayor of Warsaw, Rafał Trzaskowski, 50.89 to 49.11%. The Polish

Australia’s latest emissions data reveal we still have a giant fossil fuel problem
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Emma Lovell, Senior Lecturer in Chemical Engineering, UNSW Sydney According to Australia’s Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen, the latest emissions data show “we are on track to reach our 2030 targets” under the Paris Agreement. In 2024, Australia’s greenhouse gas emissions were “27% below 2005

What is retinol? And will it make my acne flare? 3 experts unpack this trendy skincare ingredient
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Laurence Orlando, Senior Lecturer, Product Formulation and Development, Analytical Methods, Monash University Irina Kvyatkovskaya/Shutterstock Retinol skincare products suddenly seem to be everywhere, promising clear, radiant and “youthful” skin. But what’s the science behind these claims? And are there any risks? You may have also heard retinol can

Pasifika recipients say King’s Birthday honours not just theirs alone
By Teuila Fuatai, RNZ Pacific senior journalist, Iliesa Tora, and Christina Persico A New Zealand-born Niuean educator says being recognised in the King’s Birthday honours list reflects the importance of connecting young tagata Niue in Aotearoa to their roots. Mele Ikiua, who hails from the village of Hakupu Atua in Niue, has been named a

Eugene Doyle: Writing in the time of the Gaza genocide
COMMENTARY: By Eugene Doyle I want to share a writer’s journey — of living and writing through the Genocide. Where I live and how I live could not be further from the horror playing out in Gaza and, increasingly, on the West Bank. Yet, because my country provides military, intelligence and diplomatic support to Israel

Decades of searching and a chance discovery: why finding Leadbeater’s possum in NSW is such big news
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By David Lindenmayer, Distinguished Professor of Ecology, Fenner School of Environment and Society, Australian National University Until now, Victorians believed their state was the sole home for Leadbeater’s possum, their critically endangered state faunal emblem. This tiny marsupial is clinging to life in a few pockets of mountain

In Bradfield, the election is not yet over. What happens when a seat count is ultra close?
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Graeme Orr, Professor of Law, The University of Queensland Election day was over four weeks ago. Yet the outcome in one House of Representatives remains unclear. That is the formerly Liberal Sydney electorate of Bradfield. In real time, you can watch the lead tilt between Liberal hopeful,

Is there a right way to talk to your baby? A baby brain expert explains ‘parentese’
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane Herbert, Associate Professor in Developmental Psychology, University of Wollongong 2p2play/Shutterstock You might have seen those heartwarming and often funny viral videos where parents or carers engage in long “talks” with young babies about this and that – usually just fun chit chat of no great consequence.

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen, Colleagues Introduce Congressional Stock Trading Ban

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) joined U.S. Senators Mark Kelly (D-AZ) and Jon Ossoff (D-GA) in introducing the Ban Congressional Stock Trading Act, which would require all members of Congress, their spouses and dependent children to place their stocks into a qualified blind trust or divest the holding—ensuring they cannot use inside information to influence stock trades and make a profit.

“Members of Congress are elected to serve their constituents—not themselves,” said Senator Shaheen. “This common-sense legislation would prevent members of Congress from using their office to enrich themselves and would go a long way in winning back the American people’s trust and confidence in government.”

The American people overwhelmingly support this policy, with 86% saying they back the measure, including 88% of Democrats, 87% of Republicans and 81% of Independents.

In addition to Shaheen, Kelly and Ossoff, the bill is also co-sponsored by U.S. Senators Brian Schatz (D-HI), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) and Michael Bennet (D-CO).

Click here to read the Ban Congressional Stock Trading Act.

Shaheen has long been an advocate for government reform and congressional integrity. In April, Shaheen unveiled new legislation that would prevent companies owned or controlled by Special Government Employee (SGE)’s from raking in federal dollars in government contracts and grant payments and prevent the clear conflicts of interests this arrangement could pose. Earlier this year, she reintroduced her Democracy for All Amendment would overturn the Supreme Court’s disastrous Citizens United v. FEC decision and other far-reaching decisions around campaign finance that wrongfully equated money with free speech and unfairly determined that big, wealthy corporations have the same First Amendment rights as people.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Policy measures for realty taking effect

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

China’s top 100 developers recorded combined sales of 1.44 trillion yuan ($199 billion) from January to May, a 10.8 percent year-on-year decline, according to the latest data from real estate market consultancy China Index Holdings.

The contraction remained largely unchanged from the first four months of this year, with only a marginal 0.6 percentage point narrowing, underscoring the continued challenges faced by the sector.

The monthly data also revealed an intensifying downward trend, with May sales alone falling 17.3 percent year-on-year, a 0.5 percentage point wider decline compared to April.

The gradual deterioration in sales performance came despite some variations across different tiers of developers.

While firms ranked 31-50 managed to limit their sales decline to 3.6 percent, other segments saw more pronounced decreases, particularly those ranked 51-100 where sales plummeted by over 15 percent, according to the CIH data.

In addition, market concentration appeared to be increasing, with 33 developers maintaining sales above 10 billion yuan, matching last year’s performance in the same period.

Within this group, the number of developers surpassing 50 billion yuan actually increased by one to eight, while those crossing the 5 billion yuan threshold fell by six to 64, highlighting how larger developers are demonstrating relative resilience even as their smaller counterparts face growing operational pressures in an increasingly competitive environment.

Despite persistent market headwinds, there are also emerging signs that supportive policy measures and sales strategies are starting to take effect.

Real estate information provider CRIC data showed that more than half of leading developers saw month-on-month sales improvements in May, with 22 firms posting gains of over 30 percent. Several major players such as Greentown China and China Jinmao achieved both year-on-year and month-on-month growth.

The rising signs of stabilization come against a backdrop of significant policy easing.

In May, the People’s Bank of China, the country’s central bank, implemented a comprehensive monetary easing package, including a 50-basis-point cut to the reserve requirement ratio and a 10-basis-point reduction in the policy interest rate, with the current 5-year loan prime rate adjusted downward from 3.6 percent to 3.5 percent.

Looking ahead to June, CIH expects the current policy loosening to continue, potentially bolstered by developers’ midyear sales pushes.

“With the midyear sales season approaching, developers are expected to accelerate project launches and intensify promotional efforts,” it said.

While core cities may sustain their recovery momentum, market divergence across different cities and between new and existing projects is likely to persist, CIH said.

MIL OSI China News –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Factory activity sees marginal uptick in May

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

China’s factory activity improved marginally in May, but remained in contraction zone for a second consecutive month, with analysts pointing to the need for stronger fiscal support to further boost domestic demand and cushion external shocks.

China’s official manufacturing purchasing managers’ index came in at 49.5 in May, up from 49 in April, according to data released by the National Bureau of Statistics on Saturday. The figure was still below the 50-point mark that separates contraction from expansion.

This photo taken on June 7, 2024 shows a smart assembly line at Seres Group’s super factory in Liangjiang New Area, Chongqing, Southwest China. [Photo/Xinhua]

Wang Qing, chief macroeconomic analyst at Golden Credit Rating International, said China’s official manufacturing PMI rebounded in May amid aggressive macro policy measures and a bounce in exports to the United States in the second half of the month following a thaw in trade tensions between China and the United States.

Still, challenges from both home and abroad persist.

“The current US tariffs on Chinese goods remain elevated, and the real estate sector is still in the correction phase,” Wang said. “These factors limited the extent of the PMI rebound and kept the manufacturing sector in contraction last month.”

Meanwhile, China’s nonmanufacturing PMI, which includes subindexes for service sector activity and construction, came in at 50.3 in May, down from 50.4 in April. The country’s official composite PMI, which encompasses both manufacturing and nonmanufacturing activities, rose from 50.2 in April to 50.4 in May, NBS data showed.

“Overall, the rebound in the manufacturing PMI and the rise in official composite PMI show that growth-supporting policies are playing a key role in stabilizing macroeconomic operations,” Wang said.

Looking ahead, Wang said government efforts to expand domestic demand will be significantly intensified in the coming period, with a key focus on boosting consumption, accelerating infrastructure investment, and stabilizing the property market.

He said his team believes there is still ample room for maintaining a “moderately accommodative” monetary policy in the second half of the year. On the fiscal side, the country will likely roll out incremental policies to further boost consumption and expand investment in the remainder of the year.

Despite mounting external uncertainties, NBS data showed manufacturers expressing optimism and confidence, with the gauge for manufacturers’ expectations for production and operation standing at 52.5 in May versus 52.1 in April.

Li Zheyu, general manager of Guangzhou Boqun Textile Technology Co Ltd, a textile fabrics manufacturer based in Guangdong province, said exports accounted for about 60 percent of the company’s total business last year. “We plan to shift our focus to the domestic market this year due to volatile trade policies by the United States and increasingly fierce competition in foreign trade.”

Li said the number of orders declined in May due to Washington’s tariff hikes, and the company is facing inventory and cash flow pressures. He expects more supportive policy measures for export-oriented manufacturing enterprises, such as enhanced financial assistance and tax and fee reductions, to alleviate their burden.

“We are actively expanding domestic sales channels by leveraging e-commerce platforms such as Alibaba’s business-to-business online trading site 1688 to navigate external uncertainties,” Li said, adding that domestic consumers have shown a rising demand for foreign trade products.

“If external uncertainties intensify, we do not rule out the possibility of offsetting downward pressure on external demand through the issuance of special treasury bonds and local government special bonds,” said Li Chao, chief economist at Zheshang Securities. “We expect the pace of issuance and utilization of government bonds to marginally accelerate in the third quarter.”

MIL OSI China News –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy champions bill to end the CFPB’s unfair pay advantage
US Senate News:
Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

WASHINGTON – Sen. John Kennedy (R-La.), a member of the Senate Banking Committee, today reintroduced the CFPB Pay Fairness Act, which would increase accountability at the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) by requiring the agency to pay its employees according to the same standards that apply to other federal employees.

“The CFPB’s convoluted funding scheme gives them an unfair pay advantage over other agencies. That’s a waste of taxpayer money, and it needs to stop. My bill would put CFPB salaries on equal footing with the rest of the government and end the accounting trick that let them avoid the standard federal pay scale,” said Kennedy.

Background:
- The CFPB’s funding mechanism operates outside the regular congressional oversight process.
- As a result, many CFPB employees receive salaries comparable with those of members of Congress and cabinet secretaries.
- The CFPB Pay Fairness Act would give the CFPB 90 days to bring its employee salaries in line with the General Schedule pay scale for federal employees.
Full text of the CFPB Pay Fairness Act is available here.
MIL OSI USA News –
June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Pillen Address to Lawmakers: Positive, Lasting Impact Serves Nebraskans Well
Source: US State of Nebraska

. Pillen Address to Lawmakers:

Positive, Lasting Impact Serves Nebraskans Well

LINCOLN, NE – Today, Governor Jim Pillen shared with members of the 109th Nebraska Legislature the headline he felt best summarized this session: Positive, lasting impact serves Nebraskans well. During his sine die, or end-of-session address, the Governor hit on multiple areas of achievement, including passage of the overwhelming majority of his own priority bills.

On two occasions during his speech, Gov. Pillen gave recognition to special guests in attendance. Members of the Nebraska State Patrol, friends of Trooper Kyle McAcy, were applauded for their service to the state. They were on scene the day Trooper McAcy died while assisting motorists in a snowstorm.

The second recognition was of WWII veteran Wayne Davy of Columbus. The former Marine was there to represent the many veterans who have been honored with special medallions as part of a program involving the Nebraska Department of Veterans Affairs (NDVA). Gov. Pillen has worked with the agency to present the medals to veterans, signifying the 80th anniversary since the end of the war.

Below are some of the legislative highlights from the 2025 session including those that align with his four priority areas – kids, taxes, agriculture and values:

Passage of one of the most historically conservative and fiscally responsible state budgets, accomplished by cutting wasteful spending and putting idle pillowcase money to work while also maintaining investments in education, property tax relief, and the safety of the state.

Gov. Pillen signed the following bills into law that protect our kids from online distractions and harm and to give parents more control over kids’ use of social media.
- LB140 – Requires public school boards to adopt policies for restricting cell phone use bell to bell
- LB383 – Creates the Parental Rights in Social Media Act, requiring parental consent for creation of social media accounts for minors and establishes criminal penalties for AI-generated child pornography
- LB504 – As part of the Age-Appropriate Online Design Code Act, online services are required to protect user data, implement design features that reduce harm resulting from compulsive use and it gives parents access to their child’s privacy and account settings
Gov. Pillen signed the following bill into law to review and recommend changes to Nebraska’s TEEOSA school funding formula to help keep property taxes under control.
- LB303 – Creates the 18-member School Finance Review Commission, which will evaluate the current TEEOSA formula governing Nebraska school funding
- LB261 – Increases property tax relief by $105 million in 2026 and $170 million in 2027
Gov. Pillen signed the following bills into law designed to grow agriculture and the economy.
- LB246 – Bans lab-grown meat from being manufactured, distributed, or sold in Nebraska
- LB317 – Merges the Nebraska Department of Natural Resources with the Nebraska Department of Environment & Energy to create the Nebraska Department of Water, Energy and Environment
- LB650 – Eliminates or adjusts sales tax exemptions and provides and changes sunset dates for a variety of tax incentives
- LB526 – Preserves needed electrical service to homes, businesses and other Nebraska customers by establishing requirements for cryptocurrency mining operations
Gov. Pillen signed the following bills into law that defend conservative Nebraska values.
- LB89 – The Stand With Women Act protects girls and women by prohibiting biological males from joining female sports teams
- LB645 – Puts an additional $1,000 in teachers’ pockets annually, stabilizes contribution rates to the School Employees Retirement System and increases survivor benefits through the Nebraska State Patrol Retirement System
- LB346 – “Cleans out the closets” by ending or reassigning the duties of over 40 different boards, commission, committees or councils
- LB 644 – Creates the Foreign Adversary & Terrorist Agent Registration Act and the Crush Transnational Repression in Nebraska Act to establish registration and reporting requirements for certain foreign entities
In addition to the legislative achievements outlined above, Gov. Pillen made several new appointments to key state agencies including Department of Labor Commissioner Katie Thurber, Nebraska State Patrol Superintendent Bryan Waugh, and Department of Water, Energy and Environment Director Jesse Bradley.

MIL OSI USA News –
June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: What is retinol? And will it make my acne flare? 3 experts unpack this trendy skincare ingredient

Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Laurence Orlando, Senior Lecturer, Product Formulation and Development, Analytical Methods, Monash University

Irina Kvyatkovskaya/Shutterstock

Retinol skincare products suddenly seem to be everywhere, promising clear, radiant and “youthful” skin.

But what’s the science behind these claims? And are there any risks?

You may have also heard retinol can increase your risk of sunburn and even make acne worse.

For some people, retinol may help reduce the appearance of fine lines. But it won’t be suitable for everyone. Here’s what you need to know.

What is retinol?

Retinol is part of a family of chemical compounds called retinoids. These are derived from or related to Vitamin A, a nutrient essential for healthy skin, vision and immune function.

All retinoids work because enzymes in our skin convert them into their “active” form, retinoic acid.

You can buy retinol in creams and other topical products over the counter.

These are often promoted as “anti-ageing” because retinol can help reduce the appearance of fine lines, wrinkles and even out skin tone (for example, sun spots or acne scars).

It also has an exfoliating effect, meaning it can help unclog pores.

Stronger retinoid treatments that target acne will require a prescription because they contain retinoic acid, which is regulated as a drug in the United States, European Union, United Kingdom and Australia.

How is retinol used in skincare?

One of the most common claims about retinol is that it helps to reduce visible signs of ageing.

How does this work?

With age, the skin’s barrier becomes weaker, making it more prone to dryness, injury and irritation.

Retinol can help counteract this natural thinning by stimulating the proliferation of keratinocytes – cells that form the outer skin layer and protect against damage and water loss.

Retinol also stimulates the production of collagen (a key protein that creates a scaffolding that keeps skin firm and elastic) and fibroblasts (cells that produce collagen and support skin structure).

It also increases how fast the skin sheds old cells and replaces them with new ones.

Over time, these processes help reduce fine lines, fade dark spots and even out skin tone. It can also make skin appear clearer.

While effective, this doesn’t happen overnight.

You may have also heard about a “retinol purge” – a temporary flare of acne when you first start using topical retinoids.

Studies have found the skin may become irritated and acne temporarily worsen in some cases. But more research needs to be done to understand this link.

The idea of a retinol purge is popular on social media.
TikTok, CC BY-NC-ND

So, is retinol safe?

At typical skincare concentrations (0.1–0.3%), side effects tend to be mild.

Most people who experience irritation (such as redness, dryness, or peeling) when starting retinol are able to build tolerance over time. This process is often called “retinisation”.

However, retinol increases the skin’s sensitivity to UV radiation (known as photosensitivity). This heightened reactivity can lead to sunburn, irritation and an increased risk of hyperpigmentation (spots or patches of darker colour).

For this reason, daily use of broad-spectrum sunscreen (SPF30 or higher) is strongly recommended while using retinol products.

Who should avoid retinol?

Teenagers and children generally don’t need retinol unless specifically prescribed by a doctor, for example, for acne treatment.

People with sensitive skin or conditions such as eczema (dry, itchy and inflamed skin) and rosacea (chronic redness and sensitivity) may find retinol too irritating.

Using retinol products alongside other skincare treatments, such as alpha-hydroxy acids, can over-exfoliate your skin and damage it.

Importantly, the active form of retinol, retinoic acid, is teratogenic (meaning it can cause birth defects). Over-the-counter retinol products are also not recommended during pregnancy or breastfeeding.

Choose and store retinol products wisely

Since retinol is classified as a cosmetic ingredient, companies are not required to disclose its concentration in their products.

The European Union is expected to introduce new regulations that will cap the concentration of retinol in cosmetic facial products to 0.3%.

These are precautionary measures aimed to limit exposure for vulnerable groups, such as pregnant women, given the risk of birth defects.

It’s therefore recommended to use products that clearly state the retinol concentration is between 0.1% and 0.3%.

Retinol is also a notoriously unstable molecule that degrades with exposure to air, light or heat.

Choosing a product with airtight, light-protective packaging will help with potential degradation problems that could lead to inactivity or harm.

What’s the safest way to try retinol?

The key is to go low and slow: a pea-sized amount of a low-concentration product (0.1%) once or twice a week, preferably at night (to avoid UV exposure), and then the frequency and concentration can be increased (to a maximum of 0.3%) as the skin adjusts.

Using a moisturiser after retinol helps to reduce dryness and irritation.

Wearing sunscreen every day is a must when using retinol to avoid the photosensitivity.

If you experience persistent redness, burning, or peeling, it’s better to stop using the product and consult your doctor or a dermatologist for personalised advice.

Laurence Orlando is affiliated with the Australian Society of Cosmetic Chemists.

Professor Ademi currently serves as a member of the Economics Sub Committee of the Pharmaceutical Benefits Advisory Committee within the Department of Health, Australia which assesses clinical and economic evaluations of medicines submitted for listing on the PBS. She leads the global economics initiative for the Lp(a) International Task Force and Member of Professional Advisory Board of Familial Hypercholesterolemia (FH) Australia. Zanfina Ademi receives funding from FH Europe Foundation to understand the population screening for LP(a), globally. Received funding from National Health and Medical Research Council, Medical Research Future Fund not in relation to to this work, but work that relates to health economics of prevention and cost-effectiveness.

Zoe Porter 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. What is retinol? And will it make my acne flare? 3 experts unpack this trendy skincare ingredient – https://theconversation.com/what-is-retinol-and-will-it-make-my-acne-flare-3-experts-unpack-this-trendy-skincare-ingredient-256074

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI Global: Girl power and girl bosses might be ‘feminist’ – but we can’t consume our way to equality

Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Jessica Ford, Senior Lecturer in Media, University of Adelaide

In Girl on Girl, journalist Sophie Gilbert crafts a compelling narrative about how movies, TV, celebrities and pop stars construct a culture that encourages women to internalise misogyny – and even rewards them for it. She traces how this manifests over time, from the 1990s to now, through the sexualisation of young girls in teen “sex” comedies, reality TV makeovers, the mainstreaming of pornography and more.

The book is a useful primer on how largely white, American-centric popular culture makes women’s exploitation commonplace.

It moves swiftly between examples, which could be confusing for readers unfamiliar with the different worlds inhabited by various figures. They include socialite and early reality star Paris Hilton; musician Amy Winehouse, who made headlines with her addiction challenges; and “riot grrrl” feminist rocker Kathleen Hanna.

Girl on Girl: How Pop Culture Turned a Generation of Women Against Themselves – Sophie Gilbert (John Murray)

Girl on Girl does not necessarily break new ground. It does, however, bring together disparate strands of our cultural conversation, largely relying on existing research and cultural commentary. Western popular culture, it argues, provides women with a narrow set of ideals.

Gilbert’s book depicts popular culture as a vehicle for teaching women what kinds of behaviour are acceptable and desirable. These lessons are packaged in alluring parcels, like the Real Housewives, Lindsay Lohan, Britney Spears and Pamela Anderson. Gilbert cleverly draws a line from Madonna as provocateur to the hatred of women oozing from early 2000s rom-coms, the TikTok Trad Wives and Hillary Rodham Clinton’s failed presidential bids.

In the book’s early pages, Gilbert shows how Hanna’s punk slogan of “Girl Power” was “appropriated” by the Spice Girls (who she describes as “sexy women who behaved like toddlers at a wedding”) in 1996. In the process, “Girl Power” went from signalling a movement charged by anger at “diminishment and abuse”, to a feminism of individual empowerment that “made you want to immediately go shopping”. It was then “almost instantly appropriated by brands”.

Packaging empowerment

Popular culture may seem fluffy and inconsequential, but Gilbert emphatically connects it to the material consequences of misogyny. This includes the rolling back of abortion rights in the United States, the election of alt-right men who openly despise women and the normalisation of gendered harassment, violence and abuse.

Gilbert persuasively argues “popular culture is a strikingly predictive and transformative force with regard to the status of women and other historically marginalised groups”.

It’s not just that women are routinely degraded and dehumanised for entertainment. It’s that this cruel spectacle has been normalised over many decades – and has been packaged and sold as empowering and “good for women”.

Gilbert draws connections between the exploitation behind supermodel Kate Moss’s rise to prominence in the 1990s (she was bullied into posing for topless photographs), the ritualised humiliation of early 2000s reality TV and the 2010 publication of “crotch shots” of an 18-year-old Miley Cyrus. In doing so, she charts the varied ways popular media normalises women’s exploitation.

Her investigation complicates the seemingly effortless and empowering facade of these models of femininity. For instance, the stylist for Moss’ 1990 topless shoot for The Face magazine cover that launched her to fame remembers it as “fun” and “instinctual”, while decades later, Moss recalls crying when coerced into taking her top off.

She also remembers feeling “vulnerable and scared” during the 1992 topless Calvin Klein shoot with Mark Wahlberg. “I think they played on my vulnerability,” she said.

Girl on Girl effectively translates the ideas feminist scholars have been unpicking for decades. Its sustained and thoughtful engagement with these ideas is what distinguishes it from similar books of journalism on the gender politics of popular culture.

A common limitation of such books is the false assumption that these ideas are new. However, Gilbert weaves together Rosalind Gill’s postfeminism as a sensibility, Brenda Weber’s work on makeover TV and Kate Manne’s theorisation of misogyny with popular media examples.

In a chapter on the impossible expectations of contemporary femininity, Gilbert applies Gill’s concept of “midriff advertising”, or “low-slung hipster jeans and ten inches of tanned, taut stomach”, to 2000s “it-girl” Nicole Richie. She explains how she was variously shamed for being too fat and then too thin. This led, Gilbert writes:

to her elevation in status from Paris’s sassy sidekick to size-double-zero aughts fashion emblem, a frail, childlike figure whose accessories were so big they threatened to topple her.

Feminism: everywhere and nowhere

Gilbert’s book is not wholly negative. She also charts the rise (and often fall) of those who push back against the status quo.

In a chapter on “confessional auteurs”, she considers Girls creator Lena Dunham. In another, which considers extreme, violent sex in art, she looks at French filmmaker and novelist Catherine Breillat. In Breillat’s 1999 film, Romance, about a young woman “driven almost to madness” by her boyfriend’s refusal to have sex with her, Gilbert writes:

Breillat stages what she seems to understand as stereotypical male ideals – a woman desperate for sex, a woman bound and gagged – and renders them in ways that make them both psychologically explosive and wholly unsexy.

In the final chapter on “rewriting the path towards power”, she explores the impact of recent feminist-leaning TV, such as Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s Fleabag and Michaela Coel’s I May Destroy You.

Rather than ignoring feminism’s paradoxes and inconsistencies, Gilbert leans into how it is at once everywhere (in advertisements, behind Beyoncé at the VMAs, on t-shirts) and nowhere (rendered toothless, depoliticised, neoliberal).

Gilbert thoughtfully teases apart the contradictions and schisms in women’s culture (both popular and everyday) to consider the mixed messaging around sexuality, empowerment, femininity and success.

The challenge of interrogating influential celebrities like Kim Kardashian and Taylor Swift is that they tend to embody extreme versions of idealised femininity. Their bodies are at once an instrument of their work and a canvas, on which much is projected. Culturally, they uphold and promote very narrow ideas of heterosexual desirability, perfection and beauty.

Gilbert grapples with how the elevation of beauty as a defining feminine virtue results in fat shaming and fashion policing of everyday women. Discussing the Kardashian-Jenners, she writes:

Their constantly changing faces and bodies present the human form as a perfectible project ready to be molded and painted and tucked in any way that will encourage engagement and sell products.

It is hard to look at the increase in plastic surgery procedures and the prevalence of weight-loss medication usage and not blame celebrities, reality TV and social media influencers. But these women didn’t create this world, they just figured out how to succeed in it. Should we expect them to dismantle the system that empowers them?

Gilbert’s book zeroes in on how popular feminist thinking expects women to change, rather than systems. The responsibility for inequitable institutions – like unpaid parental leave, restricted reproductive healthcare and hostile work cultures – is moved onto individual women to solve. They are expected to bear the burden, rather than society being expected to invest in systemic change. For instance: paid parental leave, affordable accessible healthcare and employment quotas.

The effects are twofold, absolving institutional responsibility and inscribing narcissistic, individualistic ways of thinking.

Consuming our way to enlightenment

Girl on Girl circles around, but never directly takes on a crucial question: should we expect popular culture to do the work of feminism? Can we consume our way to equal pay, reproductive rights, freedom from violence and respect in the workplace? We are encouraged – by popular media itself – to think so.

There are seemingly endless articles that canonise “feminist TV shows and moments” that “every woman needs to watch”. They encourage viewers to think of themselves as “pop culture-loving feminists”.

This is particularly prominent across online media aimed at women. It views content through the lens of feminism and curates “feminist popular culture” as a recognisable category. This is used to tell us contemporary audiences can – and should – be feminist consumers.

The idea of consuming our way to enlightenment has been sold to us on multiple fronts. Yet feminism was never mainstream. From its early days to now, it has been a scrappy insurgency.

The prominence of “girl power” and “girl bosses” may have lulled us into a false sense of security, but conditions for women (globally and locally) still need improving.

Despite its limitations, we need feminism in media and everyday culture. Kristen Stewart recently reflected, on her directorial debut at Cannes: “having a female body is an overtly political act, if you can get out of bed in the morning and not hate yourself”.

Jessica Ford 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. Girl power and girl bosses might be ‘feminist’ – but we can’t consume our way to equality – https://theconversation.com/girl-power-and-girl-bosses-might-be-feminist-but-we-cant-consume-our-way-to-equality-255410

MIL OSI – Global Reports –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: National Weather Service Partial Rehire Plan Isn’t Good Enough, Says Cantwell

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Washington Maria Cantwell

06.02.25

National Weather Service Partial Rehire Plan Isn’t Good Enough, Says Cantwell

NWS lost over 560 employees under Trump firings, creating unprecedented forecasting interruptions; today’s approval of 126 new hires represents less than 1/4 of that total; Months before the current crisis, Cantwell called for an exemption and accurately predicted the current situation

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, released this statement following the Trump administration’s announcement of a plan to partially undo the damage done by their indiscriminate firings, resignations, and attrition plaguing the National Weather Service (NWS) workforce.

“The Trump Administration is trying to put a flimsy band-aid over their massive cut to the National Weather Service,” said Sen. Cantwell. “Hiring back less than a quarter of the people they fired isn’t good enough with hurricane and wildfire seasons bearing down. The administration should immediately end its hiring freeze for the National Weather Service, along with other critical safety roles throughout NOAA, including weather researchers and maritime professionals that weather forecasters and fisheries managers depend on.”

This dangerous decision to leave critical jobs unfilled comes as the National Interagency Fire Center, a partnership which includes NWS, released its Fire Maps for the next four months predicting above normal significant fire potential across the Northwest, and the National Weather Service predicts an above-normal hurricane season, which began yesterday.

Just last Thursday, Sen. Cantwell sent a letter demanding that the Trump Administration immediately exempt the NWS from its current federal hiring freeze so that citizens and communities will not be left to fend for themselves without adequate warnings as both hurricane season and wildfire season rapidly approach.

Today’s action by the administration lifted the hiring freeze on 126 positions across four roles – meteorologists, hydrologists, physical scientists, and electronic technicians. However, many other important roles remain subject to the freeze, including credentialed mariners needed to safety operate NOAA research vessels, weather scientists, and weather satellite technicians. NOAA vessels and satellites are crucial to maintaining forecast and weather infrastructure needed for meteorologists to issue quality and timely forecasts. These firings also impact our economy, with a number of commercial fishing surveys cancelled this year, including for Alaska pollock and salmon. Elimination of surveys will take catch from fishing families, which will result in job loss and increased cost for consumers that want access to high quality American seafood at their local markets and restaurants.

Multiple recent reports have documented the impacts of the hiring freeze. The Washington Post reports that “Some…forecasting teams are so critically understaffed that the agency is offering to pay moving expenses for any staff willing to transfer to those offices, according to notices recently sent to employees…” And the New York Times found that “The National Weather Service is preparing for the probability that fewer forecast updates will be fine-tuned by specialists, among other cutbacks, because of ‘severe shortages’ of meteorologists and other employees, according to an internal agency document.” These reports make clear that action must be taken immediately to avoid a catastrophic gap in capacity in the face of a future storm or wildfire.

In February, Sen. Cantwell sent Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick a letter warning of the likelihood of this exact situation.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI: Univest Securities, LLC Sponsors Japan GO IPO Summit and the CEO Speaks on Shelf Offerings and PIPEs Panel

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

New York, New York, June 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Univest Securities, LLC (“Univest”), a premier boutique full-service investment bank and securities broker-dealer firm based in New York, is pleased to announce that it will be participating as a Platinum Sponsor in the upcoming Japan GO IPO Summit, set to take place on June 5, 2025. This premier event brings together leading experts, investors, and industry leaders to discuss the latest trends and opportunities in the US IPO landscape.

As part of its commitment to fostering innovation and growth in the capital markets, Univest is honored to participate in this prestigious summit. Edric Guo, CEO of Univest, will be speaking on the panel “Tapping the Markets: Shelf Offerings, ATMs, and PIPEs,” where he will share his insights on strategic financing options and market opportunities for US listed companies from Asia including Japan.

“We are excited to be part of the Japan GO IPO Summit and to contribute to the ongoing dialogue about capital markets and investment strategies,” said Edric Guo. “Our participation underscores our commitment to supporting companies navigating the complexities of growth and capital raising on a global scale.”

For more information about the Japan GO IPO Summit and Univest’ involvement, please visit the event website: https://japangoipo.com/.

About Univest Securities, LLC

Registered with FINRA since 1994, Univest Securities, LLC provides a wide variety of financial services to its institutional and retail clients globally including brokerage and execution services, sales and trading, market making, investment banking and advisory, and wealth management. It strives to provide clients with value-add service and focuses on building long-term relationships with its clients. As a prominent name on Wall Street, Univest has successfully raised over $1.3 billion in capital for issuers across the globe since 2019 and has completed approximately 100 transactions spanning a wide array of investment banking services in various industries, including technology, life sciences, industrial, consumer goods, etc. For more information, please visit: http://www.univest.us/.

For more information, please contact:

Univest Securities, LLC
Edric Guo
Chief Executive Officer
75 Rockefeller Plaza, Suite 18C
New York, NY 10019
Phone: (212) 343-8888
Email: info@univest.us

The MIL Network –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Hospitals launch new nursing aide service

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

China has launched a pilot program at hospitals in deeply aging regions, offering patients the option of relying on nurses and related workers rather than family members or private caregivers for round-the-clock care.

In China, caring for hospitalized patients who have difficulties performing daily activities is traditionally the responsibility of relatives — which often leads to their fatigue and stress — or self-hired caregivers, who can be either costly or lack sufficient training.

The pilot project, announced in a notice released by the National Health Commission last week, is aimed at addressing these issues as China’s population continues to age rapidly and an increasing number of people require round-the-clock care.

Public, tertiary hospitals in provincial capitals and major cities with accelerated aging trends will be prioritized to implement the program. Measures will first be carried out in wards that see many patients with high care demands, typically in geriatrics, neurology, cardiovascular medicine and general surgery.

Under the program, which runs until June 2027, hospitalized patients can choose so-called “no-accompany care services”, in which daily life care is provided by nursing aides hired by hospitals, freeing family members from their burden.

Nursing aides will aid patients with partial or complete loss of self-care ability and those with limited mobility in activities such as meal assistance, hygiene care and bathing, under the guidance of medical staff.

For example, they will help patients wash their hands before meals, help feed them and handle post-meal cleanup. They will also monitor eating pace and portion sizes and promptly report any swallowing difficulties, nausea or vomiting to medical staff.

The commission stressed that nursing aides must not perform specialized medical or nursing tasks or replace the duties of licensed medical personnel.

Local health authorities will be responsible for training nursing aides to improve their professional expertise, communication skills, and knowledge of quality and safety protocols and infection control. Pilot hospitals must also provide necessary occupational health protection supplies and monitor the aides’ health conditions. Additionally, hospitals should streamline the delivery of specimens, drugs and meals to facilitate the aides’ work.

“Advanced information technologies such as smart bedside call systems and data collection tools should be fully used to streamline workflows and improve service efficiency,” the notice said.

“Inpatient visitation policies should be upgraded to balance compassionate care with maintaining a quiet, orderly hospital environment.”

By the end of last year, about 310 million people in China were age 60 or older, accounting for 22 percent of the total population. By 2035, this number is projected to exceed 400 million, or 30 percent.

Before the national program was launched, some regions had already begun regional trials.

At Jiulongpo People’s Hospital in Chongqing, 18 nurses manage the 35-bed orthopedic ward and frequently face overwhelming workloads. The addition of three nursing aides six months ago has significantly helped meet demand and enabled professional nurses to focus more on their specialized nursing skills.

He Bo, head nurse of the ward, told China Central Television that nursing aides undergo about six months of training in fundamental medical knowledge and caregiving techniques.

“For our orthopedic department caregivers, we provide specialized instruction to them addressing patient-specific needs, including proper positioning and safe transfer methods,” she said.

Zhang Jun, a resident of Wuxi, Jiangsu province, hired a nursing aide at a pilot hospital ward for her 90-year-old mother, who underwent orthopedic surgery last month. The service cost 120 yuan ($16.70) per day.

Zhang said she felt reassured delegating tasks such as repositioning her mother or adjusting the bed’s incline, as the aide demonstrated careful attention to proper techniques to avoid injury. However, she still chose to personally accompany her mother most of the time, believing that genuine compassion could not be expected from a stranger.

MIL OSI China News –

June 3, 2025
MIL-OSI China: China, Egypt ink deal on operation of CBD in New Administrative Capital

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

Egypt’s New Urban Communities Authority and a Chinese-Egyptian joint venture have signed a comprehensive operation and maintenance agreement for the Central Business District (CBD) in Egypt’s New Administrative Capital.

According to the agreement, Horizon Operations Management (Egypt) Co., Ltd. will be responsible for the operation of the CBD project, initially focusing on property and municipal management.

This photo taken on Sept. 18, 2024 shows a view of the Central Business District (CBD) of Egypt’s new administrative capital, east of Cairo, Egypt. (Xinhua/Wang Dongzhen)

According to a statement by the Egyptian cabinet, Egyptian Minister of Housing Sherif El-Sherbiny said during pre-signing talks that the agreement covers the maintenance and management of important facilities and the provision of integrated urban services to residents, tourists, and businesses in the CBD.

El-Sherbiny emphasized that this move represents a significant transition in Egypt’s approach to public facility management — from traditional models to performance-based governance rooted in quality and sustainability.

The signing ceremony on Sunday was also attended by Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, China’s Vice Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Dong Jianguo, and representatives of China State Construction Engineering Corporation, which led the construction of the CBD.

Located in the heart of the desert some 50 km east of the capital Cairo, the CBD is one of the key projects of the China-Egypt joint construction of the Belt and Road Initiative. The project includes 20 commercial and residential skyscrapers as well as supporting municipal infrastructure, among which is a 385.8-meter-high iconic tower, the tallest building in Africa.

MIL OSI China News –

June 3, 2025

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What is retinol?

How is retinol used in skincare?

So, is retinol safe?

Who should avoid retinol?

Choose and store retinol products wisely

What’s the safest way to try retinol?

Packaging empowerment

Feminism: everywhere and nowhere

Consuming our way to enlightenment