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Category: China

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ukraine’s drone attacks on Russian airfields could derail Russia’s war efforts

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By James Horncastle, Assistant Professor and Edward and Emily McWhinney Professor in International Relations, Simon Fraser University

    The drone attacks by Ukrainian Operation Spider’s Web forces on Russian airfields have called into question Russia’s supposed military strength.

    Russian authorities have acknowledged damage from the June 1 attacks — an unusual admission that suggests the strikes were probably effective, given Russia’s usual pattern of downplaying or denying the success of Ukrainian operations.

    The operation’s most significant target was the Belaya air base, north of Mongolia. Belaya, like the other bases targeted, is a critical component in the Russian Air Force’s strategic strike capabilities because it houses planes capable of long-range nuclear and conventional strikes.

    It’s also in Irkutsk, approximately 4,500 kilometres from the front lines in Ukraine.



    Read more:
    Ukraine drone strikes on Russian airbase reveal any country is vulnerable to the same kind of attack

    Ukraine’s ability to successfully strike Belaya — an attempted strike at the even more distant Ukrainka air base failed — probably won’t have much of a military impact on the war. But along with successful attacks on other Russian airfields and the strike at the Kerch Bridge in Crimea, Operation Spider Web’s successes could play a strategic role in the conflict.

    These attacks could shift what has become increasingly negative media coverage and public perception about Ukraine’s chances in the war over the last year. In a war of attrition, which the conflict in Ukraine has become, establishing a belief in victory is a pre-condition for success.

    Explosions hit the Kerch Bridge in Russia on June 3, 2025. (The Independent)

    Increased pessimism

    Policymakers and pundits, instead of recognizing their expectations of a Ukrainian victory in 2023 were unrealistic, have often declared that the war is unwinnable for Ukraine.

    This perspective was even more prevalent following United States President Donald Trump’s resumption of power in January 2025. In the Oval Office spat Trump had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in late February, he declared Ukraine did not “have the cards” to defeat Russia.

    This turned out to be false. Ukraine’s army may possess significantly less military hardware and fewer soldiers than Russia’s, but war is often a continuation of politics. Politically, Russia faces several issues that could derail its war efforts.

    Russian vulnerabilities

    Russia’s military capabilities are important to Russian nationalists, who make up Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s core constituency. Russian military forces have advanced along nearly all fronts in Ukraine over the last year.

    These advances, however, have largely been insignificant. Furthermore, they have emphasized Russia’s military weakness, which is an ongoing affront to Russian nationalists.

    Not only have Russian military advances over the last year not changed the war in a strictly military sense, but the pace of advance has been incredibly slow. Over the last year, Russian forces have captured 5,107 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory. This territory represents less than one per cent of Ukraine’s pre-war territory.

    In exchange for what amounts to negligible gains, Russian armed forces have suffered significant casualties.

    Both Russia and Ukraine carefully guard the number of casualties their forces have suffered in the war. The British Ministry of Defence, however, estimates that Russia will have suffered more than a million casualties in the war by the end of this month. The Russian casualty rate is also accelerating, with an estimated 160,000 casualties in the first four months of 2025.

    Russia attempts to compensate for this battlefield devastation in two ways.

    First, it’s isolated Ukraine by manipulating Trump’s desire for political wins and business deals. Russia, in appearing to seek an end to the conflict while offering no concessions, has stoked tensions between Zelenskyy and Trump, where there was little love lost between the two to begin with.

    Second, Russia has increased its attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. Large-scale bombing does little to help Russia on the battlefield. The attacks, in fact, put its forces at a disadvantage by redirecting munitions from military targets.

    Attacks on civilians

    The attacks on civilian infrastructure, however, are more about instilling fear in the Ukrainian population and demonstrating American impotence to a Russian audience.

    Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian cities also highlight Russia’s trump card: nuclear weapons. Russia, and specifically former Russian president Dimitry Medvedev, has repeatedly threatened nuclear war in an attempt to dissuade Ukraine’s supporters.

    By bombing Ukrainian cities, albeit with conventional munitions, Russia seeks to demonstrate its ability to deploy even more destructive weapons should the situation call for it.

    These Russian military missteps, combined with a Russian economy that is structurally unsound, means that Russia’s war effort is increasingly fragile.

    Weakening Asian alliances

    Ukraine’s attack on Belaya also signals Russian weakness to its nominal allies in Asia.

    Since the start of hostilities, Russia has relied on the tacit consent of China. This support has taken the form of China purchasing Russian crude oil to maintain the Russian economy and Chinese citizens unofficially fighting for Russia.

    Belaya has been a vital element of Russia’s deterrence strategy in Asia, which has come to rely more heavily on the Russian strategic nuclear threat. The inability of Russia to protect one of its key strategic assets from a Ukrainian drone attack, combined with the weakness of Russian conventional forces in Ukraine, erodes its ability to position itself as a key ally to China.

    In fact, some Russian authorities continue to view China as a major threat.

    At the same time, Operation Spider’s Web gives hope to the Ukrainian people. It may also cause Trump — who prefers to back winners — to ponder whether it’s Putin, not Zelenskyy, who lacks the cards to win the war.

    James Horncastle 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. Ukraine’s drone attacks on Russian airfields could derail Russia’s war efforts – https://theconversation.com/ukraines-drone-attacks-on-russian-airfields-could-derail-russias-war-efforts-258049

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI China: China unveils new regulations on government data sharing

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

    BEIJING, June 3 — China on Tuesday unveiled a document to further regulate the sharing of government data to enhance the country’s digital governance capabilities and the effectiveness of public services.

    Premier Li Qiang has signed a State Council decree to promulgate the new regulations, which are set to take effect on Aug. 1.

    The new regulations set clear requirements for the use of shared government data, stipulating that if government duties can be fulfilled by accessing shared data, government departments shall not duplicate data collection.

    An integrated national government affairs big data system will be established, requiring existing government data platforms to be incorporated into this system, according to the document. It states that, in principle, no new government data sharing and exchange systems should be established.

    The regulations also emphasize that in the process of using legally shared government data, the responsibility for security management falls on the government departments that demand data. Government departments and entrusted parties are obliged to protect government data security, says the document.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese premier meets Japanese business delegation

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

    Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with a delegation led by Yohei Kono, president of the Japanese Association for the Promotion of International Trade (JAPIT), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 3, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    BEIJING, June 3 — Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with a delegation led by Yohei Kono, president of the Japanese Association for the Promotion of International Trade (JAPIT), in Beijing on Tuesday.

    Li said China is ready to work actively with all sectors in Japan to implement the political consensus that the two countries are cooperative partners, not threats to each other, achieve more tangible results in practical cooperation, and consolidate the foundation of political mutual trust and people-to-people friendship.

    Li expressed the hope that Japan will work with China to constructively manage differences, firmly grasp the correct direction of bilateral relations, and promote the healthy and steady development of bilateral relations.

    China and Japan have many unique advantages in deepening cooperation, Li said, adding that both sides should leverage these advantages to achieve greater mutual benefits and win-win results, inject momentum into each other’s development, and make greater contributions to global economic growth.

    Li said that China will firmly expand high-level opening up and welcome more foreign-funded enterprises, including those from Japan, to develop in China. It is hoped that the JAPIT will continue to play an active role in deepening economic and trade cooperation, and enhance friendship and mutual trust between the two countries, he added.

    Kono said that under the current international situation, Japan and China should enhance communication and coordination to jointly safeguard multilateralism and the free trade system.

    The JAPIT has long been committed to Japan-China friendship and is willing to continue to expand exchanges with China, enhance mutual understanding, and make positive contributions to deepening ties between the two peoples and promoting mutually beneficial cooperation, he said.

    Chinese Premier Li Qiang meets with a delegation led by Yohei Kono, president of the Japanese Association for the Promotion of International Trade (JAPIT), at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, June 3, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Banking – ASB Business Survey: The impact of Trump’s tariffs, according to Kiwi businesses

    Source: ASB

    Research released today by ASB, supported by Talbot Mills Research, shows Kiwi businesses see US tariffs as more impactful than Covid-19 or the Global Financial Crisis.  More than 300 business leaders, including CEOs and founders, contributed to the study, giving their insights on President Trump’s recently announced trade policies.

     

    • Two-thirds (67%) of businesses are concerned about the impact of proposed US tariffs in the next 12 months, with nearly 80% of exporters concerned
    • Kiwi business leaders believe Trump’s tariffs will have a more severe global impact than Covid-19 and the GFC
    • Meat, dairy and wine are seen as the most vulnerable within Food and Fibre sector, while businesses predict wool and seafood would fare better
    • Nearly one-quarter (24%) of Kiwi businesses see at least some opportunity in the tariffs
    • More than one-third (39%) of respondents listed support of banks as critical to navigating the current environment

     

    Tariffs: a threat and an opportunity for Kiwi businesses

    ASB’s Executive General Manager Business Banking Rebecca James says: “We’re seeing sustained market volatility with the ever-changing political decisions around tariffs, which naturally creates a heightened sense of uncertainty for businesses. It’s clear businesses view any proposed US tariffs as troubling, but it’s pleasing that nearly a quarter of respondents see opportunity in tariffs too. New Zealand has a reputation on the world stage for ingenuity and a can-do attitude, and we want businesses to know there are things they can do to future-proof and manage risks in turbulent times.”

    President Trump first announced tariffs in April as part of the ‘America First’ trade policy, aimed at protecting US industries and addressing the trade deficit. The tariffs are set at 10% for most countries, including New Zealand, with China a notable outlier where a larger tariff has been applied to Chinese origin goods. Additional proposed tariffs higher than the 10% baseline were paused for a 90-day period and will be reviewed in July.  Businesses are split on how long potential disruption could last.  A slight majority (51%) of Kiwi businesses are optimistic that the economy will recover quickly, while 38% predict a prolonged economic downturn for the country and the remainder were unsure.

    Taking action key to growth

    14% of those surveyed view US tariffs purely as an opportunity, while 10% see them as both a potential risk and an opportunity. Ten percent of businesses and 14% of exporters have already taken action to reduce the negative impacts of tariffs including raising prices, shifting markets or cutting costs. Just under one-third (30%) believe they can make up losses through new customers or cost savings; 25% from operational efficiencies, and 22% from other revenue streams. 22% are unsure, with uncertainty highest among small businesses.

    “The current market volatility and geopolitical tension may be our ‘new normal’, but we’ve been in positions of global uncertainty before and the research shows Kiwi businesses are already thinking about actions they can take to make their business more resilient and generate returns.”

    Ms James encourages businesses to stay connected to industry partners, trade advocacy groups and their banks to share knowledge and ideas when it comes to growth and scale.

    “Business customers are relying on us more than ever to navigate the current environment, and we’re seeing this through an increase in trade finance and a rise in currency hedging enquiries. Our advice is to start exploring options now. We’re seeing customers adapting their business strategy in all sorts of ways, so solutions for your business might look like assessing AI to improve workflow, adjusting your supply chain, selling down stock before new inventory orders, building new trade relationships or exploring untapped markets.”

    Businesses shifting their focus to closer to home

    More than three-quarters of Kiwi exporters expect the cost of doing business with the US to increase by 10% or more in the next year. Concern is higher among exporters (78%) and increases with business size, with worry growing to 88% among 100+ staff businesses). The potential impacts of tariffs which were of the most concern to businesses include slowing economic growth (39%), increased operating costs (32%) and supply chain disruptions (28%).  Nearly one-quarter of businesses are worried about consumer backlash due to price inflation (24%), along with 23% who see a China-US Trade war as unsettling for business. Some of the most explored markets by businesses are China (51%), Australia (37%), European Union (28%) and Southeast Asia (25%).  

    “The research shows a pendulum swing when it comes to trading partners, with businesses redirecting their attention to our close neighbours. Location seems to be king, with our customers prioritising relationships much closer to home,” says Ms James.

    “We’re also seeing exporters maintaining high standards and doubling down on premium products to give us an edge on the global stage, even where it costs more for consumers.”

    The role of banks as a critical support function

    Businesses see Government lobbying as the most critical tool in helping to reduce the impact of tariffs, with banks the next most important. More than one-third (39%) of respondents listed support of banks as critical, specifically working capital support (31%), risk advice (26%) and trade finance (24%).

    “ASB has provided $4.6 billion dollars to Kiwi businesses over the past five years including considerable support to companies looking to expand and navigate opportunities abroad. We have seen increased use of trade finance products, aided by trade credit insurance, enabling businesses to sustainably leverage balance sheets while derisking payment default. We encourage companies doing business overseas to speak with their banker and engage with a trade specialist to ensure your business is in the strongest position,” says Ms James.

    Notes: Results in this report are based upon questions asked in a Talbot Mills Research online survey. The basis of the sample is 344 New Zealand business leaders (business owners, C-suite, senior management), with the survey in field between 24 April and 5 May 2025.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Grigorenko awarded the winners of the international IT Olympiad

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Dmitry Grigorenko awarded the winners of the international IT Olympiad. With the Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region Gleb Nikitin and the Chairman of the Board of Sberbank German Gref.

    The results of the international conference were summed up in Nizhny Novgorod IT Olympiad, in which more than 10 thousand schoolchildren from 51 countries took part. In the final stage of the competition, 17 teams from Russia, Cuba, Thailand, India, China, Vietnam, Mozambique, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Sri Lanka met. As part of it, the participants solved practical problems in the field of artificial intelligence and information security.

    The winners were awarded at the anniversary conference “Digital Industry of Industrial Russia” (CIPR). Deputy Prime Minister – Head of the Government Staff Dmitry Grigorenko took part in the award ceremony for the finalists. He noted that the participants, despite their young age, demonstrated a high level of knowledge in the field of IT and involvement.

    “It is no coincidence that the award ceremony for the finalists of the IT Olympiad is taking place today at CIPR. At the exhibition, we saw cutting-edge digital solutions. But there are people behind all these developments. For the IT industry in Russia to develop, highly qualified personnel are needed first and foremost. You, interested young specialists, will soon become such personnel. You are already part of the industry.

    Over the past 5 years, we have already managed to increase the number of budget places in universities in IT specialties by 2.5 times. More than 230 thousand students have received qualifications in the IT profile. The largest companies are also actively involved in training personnel. As part of the national project “Data Economy”, we are launching new programs for training specialists in microelectronics, robotics and artificial intelligence, unmanned systems,” said Deputy Prime Minister – Chief of the Government Staff Dmitry Grigorenko.

    Sberbank acted as the general partner of the international IT Olympiad. Sberbank Chairman of the Management Board Herman Gref addressed the finalists of the competition: “I would like to congratulate the guys – participants of the IT Olympiad with all my heart. You have already taken a huge step – created a platform and a springboard to your own future. Different situations may arise in your life when you doubt whether you can cope with certain challenges. Remember that you once made the decision to participate in this competition, passed all the tests, and even won! And this will give you strength and confidence that you can handle any task. You are the very people who will build our common future. I wish you good luck on this path, confidence and resilience! Remember that it is not those who do not fall who win. Those who find the strength to get up and move forward after each fall win.”

    The winners were also congratulated by the Governor of the Nizhny Novgorod Region, Gleb Nikitin:

    “At the anniversary CIPR, special attention was paid to the international agenda, including the interaction of countries in IT education. The Nizhny Novgorod government, together with the Republic of Cuba, organized the international IT Olympiad. I congratulate the guys on their high results! Participation in such competitions is already a great victory, and reaching the final is confirmation that we are talented, motivated and very promising young people. For the Nizhny Novgorod government, the development of the IT sphere is of great importance, as is systematic work with young people. The fact that the award ceremony is taking place in Nizhny, at the CIPR conference site, speaks for itself.”

    The IT Olympiad lasted almost 2 months and consisted of 2 stages: individual and team competitions. Schoolchildren solved problems in the following areas: cryptography, web security, reverse engineering, artificial intelligence, network traffic analysis, machine learning, open source intelligence (OSINT), information security theory, programming basics, social engineering, and others. A number of tasks imitated real websites with vulnerabilities — participants had to hack them and bypass the protection. The tasks were prepared by experts in artificial intelligence and information security.

    The participants coped best with tasks in mathematical logic (75% of participants solved them correctly), information security theory (74% of participants), and the basics of algorithms and programming (73% of participants). The most difficult tasks for schoolchildren were in the field of social engineering (32% of participants solved them correctly) and reverse engineering (36% of participants).

    The organizers of the international IT Olympiad were the Government of the Nizhny Novgorod Region with the support of the Government of the Russian Federation. The technological partner was the international school of programming and mathematics “Algorithmika”. The general partner was Sberbank.

    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 –

  • MIL-OSI USA News: Fact Sheet: President Donald J. Trump Increases Section 232 Tariffs on Steel and Aluminum

    Source: US Whitehouse

    COUNTERING TRADE PRACTICES THAT UNDERMINE NATIONAL SECURITY: Today, President Donald J. Trump signed a Proclamation to increase the tariff to 50% on steel and aluminum.

    • President Trump is taking action to protect America’s critical steel and aluminum industries, which have been harmed by unfair trade practices and global excess capacity.
    • President Trump is raising the tariff on steel and aluminum imports from 25% to 50%, with the higher tariff set to go into effect on June 4, 2025.
      • Tariffs on steel and aluminum imports from the United Kingdom will remain at 25%, with possible changes or quotas starting July 9, 2025, depending on the status of the U.S.-UK Economic Prosperity Deal.
      • The steel and aluminum tariffs will apply only to the steel and aluminum contents of imported products, whereas the non-steel and non-aluminum contents of imported products will be subject to other applicable tariffs.
    • President Trump is cracking down on false import declarations by requiring strict reporting of steel and aluminum content, with tough penalties like fines or loss of import rights for violators.
    • President Trump is exercising his authority under Section 232 of the Trade Expansion Act of 1962 to adjust imports of steel and aluminum to protect our national security.
      • This statute provides the President with authority to adjust imports being brought into the United States in quantities or under circumstances that threaten to impair national security.

    RESTORING FAIRNESS TO STEEL AND ALUMINUM MARKETS: President Trump is taking action to end unfair trade practices and the global dumping of steel and aluminum.

    • Foreign nations have been flooding the United States market with cheap steel and aluminum, often subsidized by their governments.
    • A report from the first Trump Administration found that steel import levels and global excess were weakening our domestic economy and threatening to impair national security.
      • The report found that excess production and capacity has been a major factor in the decline of domestic aluminum production.
    • While the domestic steel industry briefly achieved 80% capacity utilization in 2021, subsequent trade pressure has depressed domestic production.  In 2022 and 2023, capacity utilization fell to 77.3% and 75.3%, respectively.  High import volumes from sources exempt from Section 232 tariffs were a major factor in depressing domestic production volumes. 
    • For aluminum, there was an increase in the capacity utilization rate between 2017 and 2019, from 40% to 61% during that period. But since 2019, the aluminum capacity utilization has once again seen a steady decline, falling from 61% to 55% between 2019 and 2023.  
    • The United States does not want to be in a position where it would be unable to meet demand for national defense and critical infrastructure in a national emergency.

    STRENGTHENING AMERICA’S MANUFACTURING INDUSTRY: President Trump’s decision to close existing loopholes and exemptions will strengthen United States’ steel and aluminum industries.

    • In his first term, President Trump imposed Section 232 tariffs to protect the American steel and aluminum industries from unfair foreign competition.
    • The steel tariffs that President Trump implemented led to thousands of jobs gained and higher wages in the metals industry.
      • These tariffs were hailed as a “boon” for Minnesota’s iron ore industry, with state officials crediting tariffs for bolstering the local economy. 
      • Steel and aluminum imports drastically decreased under President Trump, falling by nearly a third from 2016 to 2020.
      • The tariffs led to a wave in investment across the United States, with more than $10 billion committed to build new mills.
    • Earlier this year, President Trump restored and strengthened Section 232 tariffs on steel and aluminum, widely celebrated by the American steel and aluminum industries.
    • Now, President Trump is once again being praised by our steel and Aluminum industries for his decision to raise tariffs on foreign steel and aluminum even higher and protect American workers.

    TARIFFS WORK: Studies have repeatedly shown that contrary to public rhetoric, tariffs can be an effective tool for achieving economic and strategic objectives.

    • A 2024 study on the effects of President Trump’s tariffs in his first Administration found that they “strengthened the U.S. economy,” and “led to significant reshoring” in industries like manufacturing and steel production.
    • A 2023 report by the U.S. International Trade Commission that analyzed the effects of Section 232 and 301 tariffs on more than $300 billion of U.S. imports found that the tariffs reduced imports from China, effectively stimulated more U.S. production of the tariffed goods, with very minor effects on prices.
    • According to the Economic Policy Institute, the tariffs implemented by President Trump during his first Administration “clearly show[ed] no correlation with inflation” and only had a temporary effect on overall price levels.
    • An analysis from the Atlantic Council found that “tariffs would create new incentives for US consumers to buy US-made products.”
    • Former Biden Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen affirmed last year that tariffs do not raise prices: “I don’t believe that American consumers will see any meaningful increase in the prices that they face.”
    • A 2024 economic analysis found that a global tariff of 10% would grow the economy by $728 billion, create 2.8 million jobs, and increase real household incomes by 5.7%.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Arkansas Ranks #1 for Election Integrity 

    Source: US State of Arkansas

     Up from #8 in the Heritage Foundation’s nationwide ranking

    LITTLE ROCK, Ark. – Arkansas now ranks #1 in the nation for election integrity according to the Heritage Foundation’s Election Integrity Scorecard. The State ranked #8 at the beginning of the year and rose in the ranks after a successful session in which Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders prioritized safe and secure elections for Arkansas voters.
     
    “My goal this session was simple: make it easy to vote and hard to cheat,” said Governor Sanders. “I was proud to work with my friend, Secretary of State Cole Jester, to make Arkansas ballot boxes the safest and most secure in America and end petition fraud to protect our Constitution. Today’s announcement shows that all our hard work paid off.” 
     
    “As Secretary of State, I have said from day one we would have the most secure elections in the country. I’m proud of the work my team has completed implementing new procedures and technology. None of this would be possible without the great work of Governor Sanders and the men and women of the Arkansas legislature,” said Secretary of State Cole Jester.
     
    “Heritage has long been the gold standard for ranking states for election integrity and security,” said Senator Kim Hammer (District 16). “Legislators, Governor Sanders, and Secretary of State Cole Jester have worked together as a team, on behalf of Arkansans, to help achieve the number one ranking in election integrity and security in the nation! We must continue our work to protect our number one ranking from those who want to take us backwards. Arkansans can feel confident that our elections are secure. Let’s work together to maintain this ranking.”
     
    “Arkansas should never sacrifice election integrity for convenience,” said Senator John Payton (District 22). “We must fulfill our responsibility to get it right. I believe the commonsense changes made this year are true to these principles.”
     
    “Arkansas’ rise to #1 in the nation for election security is a significant achievement and a clear reflection of the strong conservative leadership and very intentional work done by the legislature,” said Senator Matt McKee (District 6). “The foundation of America’s constitutional republic relies on our ability to hold free and fair elections. While others work to undermine our republic, Arkansas has fought back to set a national example for how states can secure the electoral process and hold elections the people can trust.” 
     
    “There can be no doubt — we take election integrity seriously in Arkansas,” said Rep. David Ray (District 69). “It should be easy to vote and hard to cheat, and this new ranking is a testament to the hard work that we’ve done the past few years to fortify our election laws.” 
      
    “The Presidential elections of 2016 and 2020 showed both parties can challenge results,” said Rep. Carlton Wing (District 38). “The Legislature and Secretary of State’s office worked hard to pass laws to restore confidence in the electoral process. Arkansas now leads the nation in assuring our citizens that all legal votes must be counted and only legal votes should count. Today’s announcement demonstrates our efforts are setting a national standard in election integrity.”
     
    “In recognizing the dedication of the Republican-led legislature, the Heritage Foundation has propelled Arkansas to the pinnacle of election security rankings, from #8 to #1 in the nation,” said Rep. Howard Beaty (District 95). “As Arkansas House Majority Leader, I take pride in these outstanding results, reflecting our unwavering commitment to safeguarding the democratic process.”
     
    “Protecting the integrity of our elections starts long before ballots are cast,” said Rep. Kendon Underwood (District 16). “By strengthening safeguards in the petition process and cracking down on fraud and abuse, we’ve sent a clear message: every step in our democratic process must be uncompromised and trustworthy. Arkansas now stands as the national leader in election integrity because the security of our elections is a responsibility we take seriously every day.”
     
    Governor Sanders’ accomplishments in this legislative session include Act 240, Act 241, and Act 218, which strengthened protections on Arkansas’ ballot amendment process so that bad actors cannot influence and change the Natural State’s Constitution. The Governor also signed Act 998 and Act 999 to protect Arkansas elections from hostile foreign adversaries like China, Russia, Iran, or North Korea and ban foreign entities from funding state and local ballot measures.
     
    Additionally, Governor Sanders is fully in support of the Citizens Only Voting Amendment, which will appear in front of voters next election and mandate that only U.S. citizens can vote in Arkansas elections.
     
    The Natural State received perfect scores on Voter ID Implementation, Access of Election Observers, Verification of Citizenship, Identification for Voter Assistance, Vote County Practices, Restrictions on Same-day Registration, Restrictions on Automatic Registration, Restrictions on Private Funding of Election Officials or Government Agencies, and Restrictions on Ranked Choice Voting.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Duckworth, Ricketts Lead Bipartisan Senate Delegation to Shangri-La Dialogue to Reaffirm U.S. Iron-Clad Commitment to Indo-Pacific Partners & Allies

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Illinois Tammy Duckworth
    May 29, 2025
    [SINGAPORE] – Today, U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL)—who served in the Reserve Forces for 23 years and is a member of both the U.S. Senate Armed Services Committee (SASC) and U.S. Senate Foreign Relations Committee (SFRC)—and U.S. Senator Pete Ricketts (R-NE) are leading a bipartisan Congressional Delegation to Singapore to this year’s International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Shangri-La Dialogue, which is one of Asia’s premier global international security and defense summits, to reaffirm the United States’ strong bipartisan commitment to our partners and allies in the Indo-Pacific region. Their arrival in Singapore comes immediately after Senator Duckworth completed a successful visit to Taiwan where she voiced her support for the Taiwanese people and our partnership with them. While in Singapore, the Delegation plans to meet with a number of defense and foreign affairs officials representing several of our partners in the Indo-Pacific region to discuss her efforts to increase cooperation in areas of mutual interest, including strengthening our cultural, economic and military partnerships across the region.
    “I’ve always believed that if America wants to remain a global leader, we have to show up and support our partners and allies—and that means our leadership in the Indo-Pacific must continue for the long term,” said Senator Duckworth. “The United States has long been a major Pacific power but, if we abandon our Indo-Pacific partners, we’d be leaving a vacuum that the PRC both can—and likely will—take advantage of, making it harder for America to compete with China and weakening our standing on the global stage all while giving our adversaries and competitors an easy path to overtaking us. So I’m proud to be back for this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue, where Senator Ricketts and I will be working to strengthen our relationships with several of our Indo-Pacific partners and send a strong, bipartisan message to our allies—and our competitors—that the United States is here for the long haul.”
    “Increasing aggression from Communist China continues to threaten peace and stability across the Indo-Pacific. In the Senate, I am working with my colleagues to make sure all aspects of our government are ready to respond to Beijing’s malign influence and hostilities in the region,” said Senator Ricketts. “What we’re seeing from America’s friends in the Indo-Pacific is a renewed emphasis on strengthening their defense capabilities. I’m looking forward to participating in this year’s Shangri-La Dialogue with Senator Duckworth. We stand shoulder-to-shoulder with our allies and partners to deter Communist China’s aggression and counter its threats to our collective interests.”
    While in Singapore, the Duckworth-Ricketts Delegation intends to meet with Singapore Prime Minister Lawrence Wong, Singapore Minister of Defence Chan Chun Sing, Republic of Korea Defense Minister for Policy Cho Chang-rae, Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan, INDOPACOM Commander Admiral Samuel Paparo, Australian Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles, German Deputy Defense Minister Dr. Nils Schmid, Thailand Deputy Prime Minister and Defense Minister Phuntham Wechayachai, Philippines Defense Secretary Gilberto Teodoro, UK Ministry of Defense Minister of State Lord Coaker, Commander of United Nations Command (UNC) Xavier Brunson and more.
    This trip comes after Duckworth successfully led a bipartisan delegation to the Shangri-La Dialogue alongside U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-AK) last year. Duckworth is a proven leader when it comes to strengthening our relations with Indo-Pacific nations and improving security in the region—which she has done while successfully securing significant international investments in Illinois. In the Fiscal Year (FY) 2025 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) that was signed into law, Duckworth successfully secured a modified version of her Access to Care for Overseas Military Act to improve medical readiness in the Indo-Pacific. This provision established a program to accredit foreign medical facilities to help ensure our nation’s servicemembers as well as their families have access to quality patient care throughout the Indo-Pacific region—where they often must travel long distances to receive care—both during peacetime and in the event of a conflict abroad.
    In 2023, Duckworth led an official visit to Japan and Indonesia as part of her continuing efforts to strengthen ties and reinforce support between allies and partners in the Indo-Pacific region and the United States. And last summer, Duckworth led another official visit to the Indo-Pacific region again, visiting Thailand, Indonesia and the Philippines to meet with government and business leaders and discuss opportunities that would increase cooperation in areas of mutual interest, such as economic investments, regional stability and national security.
    In 2022, Duckworth traveled to South Korea and Taiwan where she met with business, government and trade leaders, which helped lead to a joint venture between Illinois’s ADM and South Korea’s LG Chem, as well as a commitment from Taiwan to purchase an estimated $2.6 billion of our Illinois’s corn and soybeans. In 2021, Duckworth, Sullivan and Coons also travelled to Taiwan to announce that the United States’ would donate 750,000 COVID-19 vaccines to Taiwan as part of President Biden’s plan to provide vaccines to our global partners in need. Duckworth also successfully included a modified version of her Strengthen Taiwan’s Security Act in the Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to help Taiwan strengthen its military defenses. In 2019, Duckworth led a bipartisan delegation to Japan and Singapore. In 2018, Duckworth visited South Korea and Japan.
    -30-

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Chagos islands: how Mauritius can turn a diplomatic triumph into real economic growth

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Dev K (Roshan) Boojihawon, Associate professor of Strategy and International Business, University of Birmingham

    The decades-long Chagos islands dispute has finally entered a new chapter. The UK officially agreed to return the sovereignty of the archipelago to Mauritius.

    The Indian Ocean islands are strategically situated near key shipping lanes and regional power hubs.

    Mauritius was granted independence from British colonial rule in 1968. But not the Chagos islands, which had been part of Mauritius but became a new colonial territory. The residents of the largest island in the archipelago, Diego Garcia, were forced off the land. This was used as a base to support US military operations.



    Read more:
    Mauritius’ next growth phase: a new plan is needed as the tax haven era fades

    Now Mauritius has regained control over the islands while leasing Diego Garcia to the UK for a 99-year period for US$136 million a year. This gives the UK (and its ally the US) access to a vital maritime corridor for global trade and power projection.

    But now that the deal has been signed, there’s a more pressing question. Can Mauritius use it as the foundation for justice and economic progress?

    As scholars of strategic economic development we often focus on Africa and Mauritius in particular. We believe the agreement marks an important geopolitical moment. It rights a colonial wrong, honours international justice and cements Mauritius’s global standing.

    It also presents an opportunity to fund inclusive development and sustainability initiatives for Mauritius. It could boost investments in education, health and infrastructure. It could also support the resettlement of displaced Chagossians, and advance marine conservation, renewable energy and climate resilience programmes in the archipelago.

    Aerial view of Diego Garcia and the Chagos archipelago.
    NASA/Wikimedia Commons

    The real challenge facing the Mauritian government is how to turn a diplomatic triumph into tangible national progress. We argue that what’s needed is a forward looking and inclusive strategy.

    The development challenge

    Reparations can offer short-term financial relief. But without visionary planning, there’s a risk of these funds being absorbed into recurrent government spending. Or used for symbolic programmes with limited structural and socio-economic impact.

    The real value lies in what Mauritius does next. Investment in strategic sectors such as the blue economy, renewable energy, digital infrastructure and sustainable tourism is the key.

    Investment should strengthen partnerships with regional neighbours, international donors, and strategic allies like the US, China and India. Mauritius must position itself as a forward-looking state with global relevance.



    Read more:
    How the US and UK worked together to recolonise the Chagos Islands and evict Chagossians

    The reparations should be treated as seed funding to invest in its own future. This means using the funds to drive bold, long-term transformation. The country needs to build a more resilient, innovative and globally competitive economy.

    Mauritius is heavily reliant on offshore services and short-term fiscal gains. It is vulnerable to slow diversification, rising youth unemployment, climate-related risks, lagging digital and technological progress, and growing global scrutiny of its financial sector.

    To remain competitive in the current volatile global context, the country must develop more broadly.

    3 steps to take

    1. Investment

    Mauritius has historically relied on external financial inflows like tourism revenue, offshore finance and foreign aid. By channelling funds into capacity-building, skills development and innovation ecosystems, the country can cultivate a self-sustaining economy. This would position it better to seize opportunities in the green economy, digital transformation and knowledge-intensive industries.

    More specifically, it needs to:

    • secure investment in green energy, AI-digital infrastructure and high-tech manufacturing

    • offer tax incentives and streamlined regulatory processes to attract foreign direct investment in these sectors

    • establish public-private partnerships to develop innovation hubs and research centres focused on emerging technologies

    • launch workforce development programmes to upskill the labour force.

    2. Economic diplomacy, alliances and regional leverage

    The government should forge stronger partnerships with the UK and the US. Key areas include defence, cybersecurity, climate and sustainability innovations and regional logistics infrastructure.

    It needs strong ties as power blocs shift and competition over strategic resources and trade routes grows.

    Joint military exercises and intelligence sharing could improve forces’ ability to help each other. Investing in advanced cyber defence capabilities, for instance, can help counter emerging digital threats, such as data breaches affecting financial services and e-governance systems.

    These steps would bolster national security and reinforce Mauritius’ position as a reliable partner.

    The resolution of the Chagos dispute provides an opportunity for Mauritius to use its geopolitical position. It could expand trade, diplomatic influence and strategic partnerships across Africa, Asia and beyond.

    Being located between Africa, the Middle East, South Asia and Southeast Asia places it along major maritime trade routes.

    Mauritius enjoys political stability, democratic governance and strong legal framework. It is well placed to help resolve regional disputes over maritime boundary conflicts, fishing rights, and freedom of navigation. These involve countries like India, Sri Lanka and Madagascar, and even China and the US.

    It can also lead in developing shared logistics and resupply hubs to support regional trade, disaster response and maritime security operations.

    3. Chagossian justice

    Mauritius must make the Chagossian community part of its next national success story. Including them in economic plans is a legal, moral and strategic necessity.

    Steps should include:

    • incorporating Chagos representatives in economic discussions and decision-making processes

    • establishing programmes for Chagossian cultural preservation and economic development

    • giving Chagossians a voice in shaping the future of their ancestral lands.

    The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    – ref. Chagos islands: how Mauritius can turn a diplomatic triumph into real economic growth – https://theconversation.com/chagos-islands-how-mauritius-can-turn-a-diplomatic-triumph-into-real-economic-growth-257774

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-Evening Report: In the trade wars, there are lessons for the US from Brexit. Australia and our trading partners should take note

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Peter Draper, Professor, and Executive Director: Institute for International Trade, and Director of the Jean Monnet Centre of Trade and Environment, University of Adelaide

    General_4530/Getty

    While the Trump administration’s on-again, off-again trade wars wreak havoc on the business plans of the world’s exporters, the risks to the global economy continue to grow.

    The self-inflicted scale of disruption to global trade patterns is enormous. Yet there are echoes with the United Kingdom’s experience of Brexit, both for the United States economy now and its trading partners worried about their trading futures.

    Fortunately, while it is painful, Trump’s push toward economic isolationism brings opportunities for other trading nations to strengthen their ties.

    This is especially the case in our Indo-Pacific region, where Australia is looking to new trade partners and deepening existing ties.

    The economic consequences of Brexit

    The UK economy is relatively diminished since 2016, when David Cameron, as Prime Minister, called the Brexit referendum on whether to leave the European Union.

    A study of UK businesses found three key impacts in the three years before formal Brexit took place in 2020:

    1. the UK’s decision to leave the European Union generated major, sustained, uncertainty for the business community. Since business invests and trades, that was highly consequential
    2. anticipation of Brexit gradually reduced investment by about 11% between 2016 and 2019
    3. Brexit reduced UK productivity by between 2% and 5%.

    A new report establishes that since 2020, when formal Brexit took place, the UK is experiencing its worst trade slump in a generation. This decline contrasts with growing trade in other industrial nations, indicating the COVID pandemic was not to blame.

    Harsh lessons in bargaining power

    The EU did not change to suit the UK. Rather, because of the EU’s influential role in regulation known as the “Brussels effect”, the UK must realign with EU standards to win back market access.

    For decades, the UK had ceded its trade bargaining capacity to Brussels. It was always on the back foot as its inexperienced negotiators locked horns with seasoned EU trade diplomats.

    The British also learned that outside the EU, their relative trade bargaining power, as well as foreign policy prestige, was much diminished. Many countries focused on dealing with the EU without the UK’s involvement.

    Overall, it is difficult to escape the conclusion that Brexit hastened the UK’s inexorable transformation from “Great” to “Little” Britain.

    MAGA echoes

    The Brexiteers were motivated by free trade and the belief EU trade policies prevented the UK from more liberalisation.

    Trump’s decision to disentangle the US from world trade is motivated by protectionist desires, in the mistaken belief blocking imports will “Make America Great Again”.

    Like the Brexiteers, Trump will find business confidence will diminish and the US economy will be worse off. Data this week showed US manufacturing contracted for the third straight month in May amid tariff-induced supply chain delays.

    Just like the UK, US economic decline relative to its trading partners will accelerate.

    Obviously, a huge difference between British folly and US hubris is that the US has market and geopolitical power in most of its bilateral negotiations, whereas the UK did not.

    Yet, whereas the Trump administration assumes the US is the more powerful party in all reciprocal tariff negotiations, it is now learning that some major trading powers (China, the EU, India), and even some middle powers (Canada, Mexico, Australia), will not simply roll over when faced with overt coercion.

    Moreover, as Great Britain learned to its cost, the US will find its soft power rapidly diminishing, and foreign policy objectives more difficult to attain. US allies, while in some cases in need of weaning themselves from over-dependence on the US military umbrella, are now actively hedging their security bets.

    What should trading partners do?

    There is an opening for Australia to seize the moment with new trade partnerships, and by deepening existing relationships.

    We have a golden opportunity in our chairmanship of the 12-nation Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans Pacific Partnership group this year.

    This high-standards, deeply liberalising, trade agreement is a gold standard template to anchor our global trading partnerships. Members include Canada, Japan, Mexico, Singapore and the UK and representatives will be meeting in Brisbane next week.

    Specifically, Australia, our trans-Pacific partners and the EU need to agree to work collaboratively to converge on modern trade rules and support for free trade. Then take those accords into the World Trade Organization to strengthen and revitalise the institution, with or without the US.

    In addition, we need to quickly conclude both the stalled bilateral free-trade agreement with the EU, and the second phase of our trade agreement with India. This would cement two huge new markets of sufficient existing (EU) and potential (India) scale to rival both the US and Chinese markets.

    Finally, we need to double down on our existing trade partnerships with Southeast Asian countries, anchoring on the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). This will bolster ASEAN-centrality in regional trade arrangements and balance both US withdrawal and China’s advance into the region.

    While this will not be easy, the effort has to be made and needs to start now.

    Peter Draper 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. In the trade wars, there are lessons for the US from Brexit. Australia and our trading partners should take note – https://theconversation.com/in-the-trade-wars-there-are-lessons-for-the-us-from-brexit-australia-and-our-trading-partners-should-take-note-257555

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Lee Jae-myung elected president of South Korea

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    SEOUL, June 4 (Xinhua) — Lee Jae-myung of the liberal Toburo Democratic Party, which holds the majority of seats in the country’s parliament, has been elected president of the Republic of Korea (ROK), according to the vote count released by the Central Election Commission on Wednesday.

    According to the agency’s data released after midnight, 94.4 percent of the ballots had been counted. Lee Jae-myung won 48.8 percent of the votes, while his main rival from the conservative Civil Power Party, Kim Moon-soo, won 42 percent.

    Even if all the remaining uncounted votes go to Kim Moon-soo, Lee Jae-myung will still win the presidential by-election, confirming his election.

    Earlier, local broadcasters /JTBC, KBS, MBC and SBS/ predicted that Lee Jae-myung was highly likely to be elected as the country’s 21st president.

    Early voter turnout was 79.4 percent, the highest in 28 years after a record 80.7 percent in 1997.

    Of the approximately 44.39 million eligible voters, about 35.24 million cast ballots at 14,295 polling stations across the country.

    Voter turnout, including those who voted early on May 29 and 30, was up from the 77.1 percent recorded in the previous presidential election in 2022. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – Consequences of the anti-dumping case brought by Imerys S.A. (C/2024/7049) – E-002084/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-002084/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Ralf Seekatz (PPE)

    On 9 October 2024, the French company Imerys S.A. lodged a request with the Commission to initiate anti-dumping proceedings concerning imports of molten aluminium oxide (artificial corundum) from the People’s Republic of China. The anti-dumping investigation was initiated and announced on 21 November 2024. Imports of aluminium from the People’s Republic of China be subject to must now be registered with customs authorities.

    • 1.How will the Commission ensure that Imerys S.A. does not use the anti-dumping case solely to gain a monopoly position within the abrasives industry?
    • 2.How does the Commission intend to stop all other EU companies in the abrasives industry from suffering massive competitive disadvantages as a result of the imposition of an anti-dumping duty?
    • 3.How much did the possibility of other EU companies in the abrasives industry relocating to other EU countries as a result of the imposition of an anti-dumping duty weigh in the Commission’s decision-making?

    Submitted: 23.5.2025

    Last updated: 3 June 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese Foreign Minister Meets US Ambassador to China, Expresses Hopes US Diplomat Will Promote Healthy, Stable and Sustainable Bilateral Relations /more/

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    BEIJING, June 3 (Xinhua) — Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday welcomed David Perdue as the U.S. ambassador to China and expressed hope that he will play an active role in promoting the healthy, stable and sustainable development of China-U.S. relations.

    Wang Yi, who is also a member of the Politburo of the CPC Central Committee, made the remarks during a meeting with Perdue in Beijing, expressing hope that the American diplomat will become a credible communicator, a mediator in resolving differences and an advocate for cooperation between China and the United States.

    According to Wang Yi, China-US relations are currently at an important key stage. Looking back at the nearly half-century history of diplomatic relations, the main lesson is that equality and respect are the prerequisites for interaction between the two sides, and dialogue and cooperation are the only right choice, the Chinese Foreign Minister added.

    The Chinese diplomat stressed that after the bilateral negotiations on trade and economic issues in Geneva, China has been conscientiously and strictly implementing the agreements reached. However, unfortunately, recently the American side, using far-fetched pretexts, has consistently taken a number of destructive measures that infringe on the legitimate rights and interests of the PRC. China resolutely opposes such actions, Wang Yi noted.

    The Chinese Foreign Minister called on the American side to move towards China and actually implement the important consensus reached by the heads of the two states during a telephone conversation in January of this year in order to create the necessary conditions for returning bilateral relations to the right path.

    D. Perdue, for his part, noted that US President Donald Trump has deep respect for Chinese President Xi Jinping, emphasizing the importance of maintaining a positive and constructive dialogue between the leaders of the two countries.

    He also assured that, as the US Ambassador to China, he is ready to maintain close communication with the Chinese side in the spirit of mutual respect and considerate dialogue. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dutch Prime Minister Announces Government Resignation

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    THE HAGUE, June 3 (Xinhua) — Dutch Prime Minister Dick Schof on Tuesday announced the resignation of his government and said he would formally submit his resignation to the country’s king.

    The decision came after the far-right Freedom Party /PVV/ announced its withdrawal from the ruling coalition.

    Speaking at a press conference in The Hague, D. Schof said that later that day he would formally submit his resignation to King Willem-Alexander.

    At the same time, D. Schof clarified that he will remain in his post as acting prime minister and will continue to work on solving a number of important problems facing the Netherlands.

    He also criticised the PVV’s withdrawal from the coalition, calling the move “irresponsible and completely unnecessary”.

    The Dutch government under D. Schof took office on 2 July 2024 and lasted less than a year. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: 50 Wins in the One Big Beautiful Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: US Whitehouse
    Here are 50 reasons why President Donald J. Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill is the best chance in a generation to pass critical reforms for which Americans voted:
    It delivers the largest tax cut in American history. This means an extra $5,000 in Americans’ pockets with a DOUBLE-DIGIT percent DECREASE to their tax bills. Americans earning between $30,000 and $80,000 will pay around 15% less in taxes.
    It makes the Trump Tax Cuts permanent, preventing the largest tax increase ever. If the bill doesn’t pass, Americans will see the largest tax increase in history.
    It raises Americans’ take-home pay by as much as $13,300 and wages by as much as $11,600.
    It reverses the spending curse plaguing Washington, D.C. The bill delivers the largest deficit reduction in nearly 30 years, with $1.6 trillion in mandatory savings — the largest single reduction in mandatory spending in our country’s history.
    It delivers NO TAX ON TIPS and NO TAX ON OVERTIME. This makes good on two of President Trump’s cornerstone campaign promises and will benefit hardworking Americans where they need it the most — their paychecks.
    It provides historic tax cuts for seniors.
    It finishes President Trump’s border wall. As a result, 701 miles of primary wall, 900 miles of river barriers, 629 miles of secondary barriers, and 141 miles of vehicle and pedestrian barriers will be constructed.
    It boosts Border Patrol and ICE agents on the frontlines with the largest border security investment in history. This means funding to hire 10,000 new ICE personnel, 5,000 new customs officers, and 3,000 new Border Patrol agents to detain and deport at least one million illegal immigrants annually.
    It increases the child tax credit to $2,500 per family.
    It protects Medicaid for Americans who truly need it. This bill eliminates waste, fraud, and abuse by ending benefits for at least 1.4 million illegal immigrants who are gaming the system.
    It implements popular work requirements for able-bodied Americans receiving taxpayer-funded benefits. Through commonsense, Clinton-era work, volunteer, education, or training requirements, the One Big Beautiful Bill lifts Americans up to find a better quality of life through the dignity of work.
    It eliminates hundreds of billions of dollars in Green New Scam tax credits. The legislation immediately stops credits from flowing to China, saving taxpayers $500+ billion every year.
    It reverses electric vehicle mandates that let radical climate activists set the standards for American energy.
    It ends Biden’s war on American energy. The bill finally unleashes American energy dominance by opening federal lands and waters to oil, gas, coal, geothermal, and mineral leasing.
    It streamlines onerous permitting processes so America can get building again.
    It refills the Strategic Petroleum Reserve to safeguard America’s energy security.
    It repeals and rescinds every “green” corporate welfare subsidy in Democrats’ so-called “Inflation Reduction Act.”
    It stops illegal immigrants from receiving tax credits and taxes remittances sent to foreign countries.
    It supports small businesses by increasing the Section 199A deduction to 23% — promoting the growth and success of Main Street.
    It incentivizes MADE IN AMERICA. The bill rewards companies that build their products in America with lower taxes — and allows Americans who buy an American-made vehicle to fully deduct their auto loan interest.
    It creates new Trump Savings Accounts for newborns — allowing children across America to experience the miracle of compounded growth.
    It expands access to childcare for hardworking American families.
    It provides a historic increase in funding for the U.S. Coast Guard. This will help block illegal drugs and migrants from entering our country, protect our sovereignty in the Arctic, and promote our national security.
    It supports building new factories to grow domestic business operations. The bill renews 100% immediate expensing and interest deductions, increases the small business deduction, and establishes 100% immediate expensing for equipment and machinery.
    It helps American farmers, producers, and ranchers compete and sell products in foreign markets. The bill makes sure American farmers aren’t crowded out by foreign imports in liquid fuel production markets.
    It holds woke, elitist universities accountable by increasing the endowment tax on large universities.
    It protects hardworking taxpayers by canceling Biden’s illegal and unfair student loan bailouts.
    It ends taxpayer-funded sex changes. It reverses the Biden-era mandate that Medicaid cover so-called “gender transition” procedures — ending the taxpayer-funded chemical castration and mutilation of American children.
    It’s a once-in-a-generation chance to revolutionize our nation’s defense capabilities and protect the homeland against new threats by funding President Trump’s Golden Dome.
    It enhances the capacity of America’s naval fleet. The bill provides billions of dollars to revitalize America’s shipbuilding and maritime industrial base.
    It modernizes air traffic control — fulfilling President Trump’s plan to completely overhaul the systems that keep Americans flying safely and efficiently.
    It strengthens SNAP benefits. The legislation requires states to contribute a greater portion of the cost of administering benefits, thereby controlling costs, and closes the excessively broad loopholes for work requirements.
    It implements critical program integrity and cost containment provisions in Medicaid to strengthen it for future generations. These include removing deceased individuals from the program and limiting retroactive coverage from three months to one month prior to enrollment.
    It safeguards Second Amendment rights by removing tax and registration requirements for firearm silencers and eliminating silencers from the National Firearms Act.
    It provides critical disaster recovery funding to farmers, producers, and ranchers.
    It provides funding to rebuild America’s military — including $9+ billion to improve quality of life for our servicemembers, $20+ billion to bolster U.S. munitions production, and $12+ billion to modernize our nuclear arsenal.
    It expands health savings accounts to give Americans greater choice and flexibility in how they spend their money.
    It gives $10,000 bonuses annually over the next four years to Border Patrol and ICE agents on the frontlines.
    It incentivizes scholarships that empower American families and students to choose the education that best fits their needs.
    It repeals Democrats’ insane attack on the gig economy — ending the requirement that Venmo, PayPal, and other gig transactions over $600 be reported to the IRS.
    It reforms and streamlines the federal student loan program to drive down tuition costs and simplify repayment plans. This includes reasonable limits on amounts students can borrow.
    It strengthens accountability for students and taxpayers on federal student loans. The bill imposes “skin in the game” requirements to hold universities financially accountable to the government on defaulted federal student loans.
    It implements critical reforms to Pell Grants to make sure they prioritize students who truly need financial assistance while promoting completion. The legislation allows grants to be used for short-term, high-quality workforce training programs to support Americans who want to learn a trade instead of the traditional four-year colleges.
    It increases timber sales on federal lands. This means an increase in timber production and improvement to forest management — improving the resilience of timber and saving billions on future wildfire suppression costs.
    It authorizes the sale of expanded spectrum MHz to strengthen rural broadband and secure America’s technological dominance in AI and other emerging technologies.
    It creates permanent fees that illegal immigrants must pay for their applications so American taxpayers aren’t saddled with covering these costs. These fees will bring in over $77 billion to cover adjudication costs and fund immigration processes and enforcement actions.
    It protects family farmers. The bill prevents the greedy death tax from hitting two million family-owned farms who would otherwise see their exemptions cut in half and cuts taxes on farmers by over $10 billion.
    It ends abusive financing practices in Medicaid by freezing existing provider taxes and prohibiting new provider taxes. This ensures states cannot improperly increase the federal government’s cost-share of a state Medicaid program at the expense of taxpayers.
    It reins in the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau. This brainchild of Sen. Elizabeth Warren has long functioned as another woke, weaponized arm of the bureaucracy — with minimal accountability or oversight — that leverages its power against certain industries and individuals disfavored by the so-called “elites.”
    It rolls back harmful Biden-era regulations that increase cost and administrative burdens with limited flexibility for states. These burdensome regulations, such as federal staffing mandates at nursing homes, lead to closures, reduced access to care, and increased costs, particularly in areas already overwhelmed by labor shortages.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Press conference – Wangaratta, Victoria

    Source: Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority

    CATHERINE KING [MINISTER]: Well, it is fantastic to be here in Wangaratta today, celebrating the completion of the Wangaratta Rail Precinct, and of course Tranche 1 of Inland Rail Beveridge to Albury. This has been a huge construction process. Inland Rail is building this double-stacked freight route for the Australian Government, and I’m really pleased that as part of that, as part of the need to get double-stacked trains onto Inland Rail, we’ve also been able to upgrade this rail precinct here in Wangaratta at the same time.

    Inland Rail is an incredibly big and complex project, over 1,600 kilometres of rail track taking freight off our busy roads. Seventy per cent of our freight task, we are estimating, will come onto Inland Rail once complete. And of course, we’re concentrating on the construction of Inland Rail to Parkes and beyond, being able to unlock the possibilities of getting freight from Melbourne and all the way to Western Australia into the Port of Botany and also to Newcastle. Really delighted, as a part of this project, there have been so many local people from this outstanding district employed on this project, because not only is Inland Rail a freight project, it is also a great employment generator. So, the fact that we’ve seen local electricians, plumbers, construction workers building this precinct here for the people of Wangaratta, I think, is a great testament to the skills and contributing- as part of Inland Rail contributing to the skills growth here in this community.

    Inland Rail, as I said, is a multi-billion dollar project. It’s a really significant project that the Australian Government is very proud to be delivering for the Australian people and [indistinct] celebrating this significant milestone here today.

    Happy to take any questions.

    JOURNALIST: A multi-billion-dollar project for the Australian people – just why is double-stacked freight important to them?

    CATHERINE KING: Well, in order to make sure that Inland Rail is viable compared to road, you need to be able to deliver the volume that road can at the time that road can. So, really, Inland Rail is premised on double-stacked trains, 24-hour Melbourne to Brisbane delivery. And that premise is really important to make rail and make sure rail remains competitive against the alternate routes, which is both coastal shipping and of course road freight. What we do want to do is see- we’re seeing a growth in freight across this country. That’s a good thing. But what we’re also seeing, of course, is more and more heavy vehicles on our road, and we want rail to take on a greater share of that. That’s both good for productivity but also good for the economy, for road safety, and for our communities.

    JOURNALIST: I mean, more passenger freight through Wangaratta, do you reckon that might create some new opportunities for Wangaratta as well?

    CATHERINE KING: Well, obviously the opportunities of Inland Rail to be able to get goods to market in a more efficient way, hopefully in a cheaper way as well, is really significant for Australia’s freight task. We know that it is significantly growing. The demand for Australian goods is growing. The opening up again by the Albanese Labor Government of markets in China has been very important, being able to get goods out of our port but also being able to get goods in and into communities. So white goods from Melbourne up to Brisbane, being able to provide those opportunities for people to sell those in Melbourne, but also for farming communities as well.

    And again, with the development of this precinct, what that has also opened up is opportunities for perhaps new businesses to come into this precinct. I’ve heard talk about maybe a brewery behind us there. That would be a great opportunity, market stalls, to be able to use the precinct for other economic opportunities and social opportunities for the people of Wangaratta.

    JOURNALIST: You’ve been to a few project openings here at the Wangaratta [indistinct]?

    CATHERINE KING: She’s pretty nice, I’d have to say. It’s a really great station precinct. The thing that I’m really proud of as well is the disability access. A lot of our train stations for passengers in particular were built over 100 years ago, and they are not disability friendly. Making sure people can actually access the platforms, access trains safely, but also there’s access [indistinct] and being able to go to the toilet. So those sorts of things, this has really meant that Wangaratta is actually now compliant, as I understand it, with the disability standards, means that we can actually make sure that people with disability can access the train just like everybody else as they always should have been. So that’s something I think the Wangaratta community can be very proud of.

    JOURNALIST: How much did these works actually cost?

    CATHERINE KING: These works, overall, are well over $100 million. You heard there around about $270 million overall for the overall project, Albury to Beveridge. And the train station here I think was around about $70 million, but I’ll have to check the figures with Inland Rail.

    Any other questions? Thank you. Thanks – did you want Nick as well to ask some technical questions about the project?

    Nick, you’re up.

    NICK MILLER: Nick Miller, Chief Executive Officer of Inland Rail. Look, delighted to be here today to open this precinct. It’s been a long and tough journey for the teams, but the outcome, as you can see around here, is outstanding. Fantastic for the community. Great for their journey to get double-stacked trains from Melbourne to Brisbane. This is a really important milestone for that goal.

    JOURNALIST: Can you go through some of the impacts local businesses received as a result of this?

    NICK MILLER: Yeah, local business and work construction partner, McConnell Dowell, put an enormous effort into that. Over 1,600 people have worked on this project since its commencement, and around 1,500 of those people have been locals. We’ve spent over $160 million on this project with local businesses and around $10.5 million on this project with First Nations local businesses. We’re really proud of those statistics.

    JOURNALIST: Has this been a long time coming today?

    NICK MILLER: Well these projects are really challenging. It’s a brownfields environment so we’re operating on an existing track, and on this particular site we’ve really relocated the western track and the dive over another side of the station has been removed. So a lot of that work has to happen during what’s called possessions. So you do a lot of preparation work and we have two possessions notionally a year, and those possessions are for around 60 to 100 hours, and there’s a very intensive period of activity goes on in construction during those possessions. So brownfields projects do take longer than greenfields projects.

    JOURNALIST: And this would stack up quite significantly compared to other projects Australia has rolled out in the past?

    NICK MILLER: Oh absolutely. This is a significant project. As the Minister spoke of, this is a multi-billion dollar project, Inland Rail. It’s a critically important project for the Australian economy and for the regions of Australia. If we think about the trains that run on Inland Rail, 1.8 kilometres long, double stacked, each one of those trains will take 110 B-doubles off the road. That’s good for safety, it’s good for sustainability, and it’s good for the economy in terms of having an efficient connection between Brisbane and Melbourne and the inland ports along that route.

    JOURNALIST: What would be the consequence of taking those B-doubles off the road in terms of the economy?

    NICK MILLER: Well, it’s a good question because ultimately if you look at the freight tasks now in 2040, 2050, the freight tasks expect to grow over 26 per cent. So the reality is, the secret here is it’s not just about road and it’s not just about rail. It’s a combination. As our economy grows and the volume of our goods increases, the combination is going to be important for the Australian economy.

    JOURNALIST: Just to confirm, is it around $70 million invested here into this project?

    NICK MILLER: No, this project from Beveridge to Albury, Tranche 1 was around $300 million.

    JOURNALIST: So, the actual Wangaratta project though, how much did that cost? This and the Green Street bridge?

    NICK MILLER:        Sorry, I…

    All good. Thank you.

    UNIDENTIFIED SPEAKER: Local member?

    HELEN HAINES [FEDERAL INDEPENDENT MEMBER FOR INDI]: Good morning everyone. It’s a big day in Wangaratta for the opening of this new railway precinct as a result of the Inland Rail Project. This is a nation building project for Australia but it has impacts on small towns all the way along the line. So for a regional centre like Wangaratta to transform our railway precinct, to make it more accessible for people, to connect our health services in our town with a modern facility such as this is indeed a good day for our town.

    I think what we’ve seen today with Inland Rail, with V-Line, with the federal government, with Minister King, I want to thank Minister King and her government and her department for the way they’ve engaged with me as the Member for Indi in making sure that the work that takes place along the Inland Rail works hand in glove with the community and with community expectations. So what we’ve seen today is a reflection of that. We just saw a community choir coming and having some fun but celebrating the impact of this project on our town.

    I’m really impressed with the amount of economic development that’s happened as a result of this project. We heard today from Inland Rail some astounding statistics about the numbers of local businesses and input into this project. That has a trickle-down effect right across our community. But what we’re left with actually is a legacy, and this legacy is one where we do see, from this day forward an improvement to our town. Better parking, better disability access, better and safer access to the trains and a beautiful new precinct that connects and helps us to the main part of our city. So very, very proud and happy to be here today to celebrate this.

    JOURNALIST: This seems like a significant improvement for Wangaratta moving into the future with the projected population growth. So I suppose this is bringing services and infrastructure up to standards to meet that growth.

    HELEN HAINES: Yes, indeed. This is a growing regional city. We’ve seen net migration out of the city’s inter-country areas such as ours since COVID and we need to make sure that the infrastructure matches the population growth. What I’d like to see now of course is improved engagement, improved services when it comes to the numbers of trains available on our timetable and additional carriages for example. We’ve seen the numbers of people using the train increase with the changes in fares and I think we’re only going to see more and more growth as people come and realise what a fantastic facility this is.

    So that’s the next part of the work of course is to make sure that the services can match the facilities here, but primarily this is a project for freight, not a project for passengers, but to get both improvements is a really significant thing and a great thing for Wangaratta I think, and of course we’ve got work happening further down the railway line in Benalla and in Euroa.

    JOURNALIST: Obviously not your issue but you touched on getting more services through here, and I think a lot of people would like that.

    HELEN HAINES: Look, absolutely they would. The numbers of people who are now using the services has grown exponentially, and that’s a result of good service and affordable fares. So, we need to put all of those things together. But what we’re here today to look at is the infrastructure, and we need infrastructure projects of this magnitude in rural and regional Australia and certainly across the electorate of Indi, so I’m very pleased with the result that we’ve had here today. It’s been years in the making. Lots of relationships along the way, but I think what we’ve seen today is how when people work collaboratively in good faith with clear intent, we can get a great outcome.

    JOURNALIST: We’ve heard some ideas about maybe a brewery going up around here. Have you got any ideas what you’d like to see?

    HELEN HAINES: I just heard that for the very first time, and well, who’s going to argue with a new brewery right? But I think what this has created is a reimagining of this space. I’ve lived in this town for nearly 40 years and this area of the railway precinct is one we’ve turned our back on for a long time. But now I think I’m certainly seeing it with new eyes and clearly other people are too. I can see community usage of this space in all sorts of imaginative ways, and who knows, maybe that may include a brewery. But you know, we have the North Eastern Hotel right across the road there, and I think we’ll see usage of this space in whole new ways.

    Okay, thank you.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Congressman David Scott Files Legislation Transforming Abandoned Sites into U.S. Space-Industry Manufacturing Hubs

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman David Scott (GA-13)

    WASHINGTON D.C. – Today, Congressman David Scott (GA-13), a senior member of the House Financial Services and House Agriculture Committees, filed legislation to stimulate the creation of jobs in the domestic U.S. space manufacturing sector. The Rural American Vitalization in Extraterrestrial Space (RAVES) Reporting Act, would promote the redevelopment of shuttered factories, abandoned plants, and decommissioned military installations into advanced manufacturing hubs supporting U.S. space exploration and commercialization across rural communities.

    “As global competition in space continues to intensify, we must ensure that America’s next-generation space infrastructure is built here at home—by American workers, in American communities,” said Congressman David Scott. “The RAVES Reporting Act will turn economic stagnation into innovation by revitalizing long-abandoned industrial and defense sites and transforming them into vital hubs of extraterrestrial manufacturing and research. China’s latest investment focus to “militarize space” partly through their Made in China 2025 initiative, shows just why the United States must remain the global leader in space investment. My bill will ensure the future of space is built by the same communities that once powered American steel, shipbuilding, and defense. All while strengthening U.S. national security interests.”

    The RAVES Reporting Act will instruct the Department of Defense to determine the ability, capacity, and recommendation for transforming abandoned sites into U.S. space-industry manufacturing hubs. Specifically, the bill:

    ·       Taps into the $1.8 trillion space industry for rural communities by identifying and certifying eligible abandoned or underutilized sites.

    ·       Examines best possible solutions for current space supply chain issues through commercial input from agencies like NASA.

    ·       Includes expanded pathways for increased streams in manufacturing jobs and revenue, STEM education, and infrastructure improvements like widespread broadband in rural communities.

    ·       Strengthens U.S. national security by countering Chinese space expansion.

    “The Rural Technology Fund appreciates the intent of the RAVES Reporting Act of 2025 and its focus on exploring opportunities for rural revitalization through space-related industries. The bill’s emphasis on workforce development, education, and collaboration with local institutions aligns with our mission to expand access to technology and technical careers in rural communities. We look forward to the insights this study may provide into how existing infrastructure can be part of that future.” Dr. Chris Sanders, Executive Director, Rural Technology Fund

    “Innovation focused industries are critical for economic renewal in rural America and aerospace has tremendous potential in these regions, as we have seen through the startups across the Rural Innovation Network. The recycling of existing infrastructure is also important to ensure we can create these companies and jobs without destroying what provides rural places an exceptional quality of life. We wholeheartedly endorse Congressman’s Scott’s Rural American Vitalization in Extraterrestrial Space Reporting Act.” Matt Dunne, Executive Director of the Center on Rural Innovation

    “Space is overhead of every American, and every American is vital to the productive utilization of space; not just the traditional centers or large cities, but in revitalizing, innovative rural areas as well. As we’ve been lucky enough to build our company on a rural coastline and now operate hardware on the space station, KMI supports the continued reinvestment to be identified by the RAVES Reporting Act of 2025. For more space solutions to more space challenges, this country needs to not only invest in major space efforts, but rebuild the bedrock that launched humanity from Earth to footsteps on the Moon by encouraging innovation once again across all America.” Troy M. Morris, Co-Founder & CEO, Kall Morris Inc (KMI)

    The text of the bill can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: Two Interrelated Drug Rings Taken Down in Series of Arrests Following Wiretap Investigation

    Source: US FBI

    Follows earlier arrests focused on dealers in International District and “the Jungle”

    Seattle – Fourteen people were indicted in late May and eleven were taken into custody in coordinated arrests last week as part of an ongoing investigation of drug traffickers with ties to drug trafficking in Seattle’s International District and homeless encampments, announced Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. The defendants are charged in two separate indictments with trafficking cocaine, heroin, fentanyl, and methamphetamine from California into the Western District of Washington.  In addition to searches of Washington locations, search warrants were executed in Oregon and Southern California. The defendants have detention hearings over the next few days.

    “The indictment of five defendants in January 2025 was just the first step,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Teal Luthy Miller. “Now we are prosecuting fourteen additional defendants. Law enforcement partners continued to pursue drug traffickers even after the initial arrests in January to address the importation of substances like fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine into western Washington generally and the International District in particular.” 

    “For years, this criminal organization preyed on the homeless and drug addicted. They terrorized people living and working in the Chinatown-International District and South Seattle,” said Seattle Police Chief Shon F. Barnes. “I am proud of the work our detectives and federal partners have done to put these criminals behind bars where they belong.”

    The seven defendants named in the first indictment for conspiracy to distribute cocaine, methamphetamine, fentanyl, and heroin are:

    Octavio Salazar Palma, 33, of Federal Way, Washington, a U.S. citizen

    Luis Soto Lara, 47, of Vancouver, Washington

    Juan Ramirez Recinos, 41, of Burien, Washington, sought by law enforcement

    German Juarez-Otanez, 34, Bothell, Washington, sought by law enforcement

    Alexander Emilio Cozza, 42, of Seattle

    Marco Antonio Bobadilla, 33, Pacific, Washington

    Isai Gamboa Pacheco, 55, of Everett, Washington

    The seven defendants in the second indictment for conspiracy to distribute cocaine and methamphetamine are:

    Daniel Ibarra Loera, 31, of Kent, Washington

    Jose Garcia Corona, 61, of Seattle

    Leonardo Rojas Cruz, 53 of Federal Way, Washington

    Oscar Omar Serrano Serrano, 31, of Algona, Washington

    Juan Lopez Roblero, 43, of Tukwila, Washington

    Giovanni Antonio Garduno Garcia, 46, of Issaquah, Washington

    Sang Su, 44, Seattle, a U.S. citizen, sought by law enforcement

    In this investigation in March 2025 alone, law enforcement seized 100 pounds of methamphetamine, 111 kilos of cocaine, 19 kilos of fentanyl powder, 250,000 fentanyl pills, and four kilos of heroin. The street value of the narcotics is nearly $3 million.

    “Thanks to the sustained investigative efforts of the FBI and our partners, we are continuing the work we began in November 2023 by first intercepting the flow of dose quantities of dangerous drugs into the International District and homeless encampments in Seattle,” said W. Mike Herrington, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Seattle field office. “Since January 2025, when we arrested five Washington-based members of this organization, we followed the investigation outside of Washington state as the traffickers made frequent trips into Oregon and California. We are now reaching sources of supply, further stopping these poisons—and the violence that accompanies them—from reaching our communities.”

    On May 29, 2025, law enforcement executed 16 search warrants in Federal Way, Vancouver, Everett, Pacific, Tukwila, Kent, Issaquah, Seattle, Woodlake California and Beaverton, Oregon.  Investigators seized more than seven kilograms of cocaine, 18 kilograms of methamphetamine, more than 57,000 fentanyl pills, and 17 firearms. They also seized more than $353,000 in cash

    Due to the quantities involved some of the defendants face mandatory minimum ten-year prison terms. Federal law enforcement is still determining the citizenship status of many of the defendants in this case.

    “This trafficking group was a major supplier of deadly drugs to the International District and other communities throughout the Seattle area,” said David F. Reames.  “The fentanyl powder and pills our team seized in this case could have yielded enough lethal doses to kill everyone in Seattle twice.  I am proud of our team and would like to thank the Seattle Police, the FBI, the IRS and the Washington National Guard Counterdrug program for their amazing partnership.”

    “Illegal drug trafficking devastates lives and affects us all. It is a huge issue that requires a forceful response,” said Acting Special Agent in Charge Carrie Nordyke, IRS Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), Seattle Field Office. “This investigation draws from the resilience of our communities, which drives the combined efforts of our law enforcement partners and of our agency. Together, we will push back and continue to make a positive, felt impact for all our friends and neighbors.”

    The charges contained in the indictment are only allegations.  A person is presumed innocent unless and until he or she is proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.

    This investigation is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.

    The investigation was led by the FBI, Seattle Police Department and Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) with significant assistance from the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation (IRS-CI), the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas program (HIDTA), Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), and Washington National Guard Counterdrug Program. Investigators also worked with the Oregon State Police and Clark County, Washington Sheriff’s Office.

    The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Casey Conzatti and Brian Wynne.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Apple unveils winners and finalists of the 2025 Apple Design Awards

    Source: Apple

    Headline: Apple unveils winners and finalists of the 2025 Apple Design Awards

    June 3, 2025

    UPDATE

    Apple unveils winners and finalists of the 2025 Apple Design Awards

    Winners and finalists will be recognized for their innovation, ingenuity, and technical achievement at WWDC25

    Today, Apple announced the winners and finalists of this year’s Apple Design Awards, celebrating 12 standout apps and games that set a high bar in design. This year’s winners include development teams spanning the world whose work was selected for excellence in innovation, ingenuity, and technical achievement.

    “Developers continue to push the boundaries of what’s possible, creating apps and games that are not only beautifully designed but also deeply impactful,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations. “We’re excited to celebrate this incredible group of winners and finalists at WWDC and spotlight the innovation and craftsmanship they bring to each experience.”

    The awards recognize one app and one game across six categories: Delight and Fun, Innovation, Interaction, Inclusivity, Social Impact, and Visuals and Graphics. The winners were chosen from 36 finalists from around the world who have all demonstrated outstanding design experiences across apps and games.

    Delight and Fun

    Winners and finalists in this category provide memorable, engaging, and satisfying experiences enhanced by Apple technologies.

    App: CapWords

    Developer: HappyPlan Tech (China)

    CapWords is a dynamic language learning tool that transforms images of everyday objects into interactive stickers — helping learners explore new words in a more intuitive and visual way. Supporting nine languages, the app is a delightful way to learn independently while immersing users in their surroundings.

    Game: Balatro

    Developer: LocalThunk (Canada)

    Balatro is a satisfying fusion of poker, solitaire, and deck-building with roguelike elements. Players combine poker hands with joker cards — each with their own unique abilities — to create varied synergies. Hallmarked by clever details, gripping gameplay challenges players to advance their scores by crafting original decks to beat devious blinds and secure victory.

    Finalists for this category include Lumy by Raja V; Denim by Feel Good Tech; Thank Goodness You’re Here! by Panic; and Prince of Persia: The Lost Crown by Ubisoft Montpellier.

    Innovation

    Winners and finalists in this category provide a state-of-the-art experience through novel use of Apple technologies that set them apart in their genre.

    App: Play

    Developer: Rabbit 3 Times (United States)

    Play is a sophisticated yet accessible tool that lets users build interactive prototypes with SwiftUI frameworks. Its thoughtfully crafted user interface is both powerful and easy to navigate, helping designers create interactive prototypes and collaborate across Mac and iPhone, all synced in real time for seamless creativity.

    Game: PBJ — The Musical

    Developer: Philipp Stollenmayer (Germany)

    PBJ — The Musical is snack-based Shakespeare, a charming game that tells the story of Romeo and Juliet with condiments. PBJ creatively mixes rhythm-based gameplay with narrative storytelling and a wonderful soundtrack. And with haptic feedback, clever camera work, and fun dialogue, it’s joyful from the start.

    Finalists for this category include Moises by Music.AI; Capybara by Digital Workroom Ltd; Pawz by Bootloader Studio Holdings Private Limited; and Gears & Goo by Resolution Games AB.

    Interaction

    Winners and finalists in this category deliver intuitive interfaces and effortless controls that are perfectly tailored to their platform.

    App: Taobao

    Developer: Zhejiang Taobao Network (China)

    Taobao offers a convenient and engaging shopping experience on Apple Vision Pro, providing incredible 3D models comparable to their real-life counterparts. The immersive experience enhances shopping for users, taking into consideration placement, position, controls, size, and function, and giving people the ability to compare items side by side from an extensive selection of products.

    Game: DREDGE

    Developer: Black Salt Games (New Zealand)

    DREDGE blends slow-burn horror with exploration and adventure. Players take the helm of a fishing boat to navigate eerie islands, uncover strange wildlife, and piece together a haunting mystery. The game offers seamless interactions and a fun world of hidden treasures across iPhone, iPad, and Mac.

    Finalists for this category include iA Writer by Information Architects AG; Mela – Recipe Manager by Silvio Rizzi; Gears & Goo by Resolution Games AB; and Skate City: New York by Snowman.

    Inclusivity

    Winners and finalists in this category provide a great experience for all by reflecting a variety of backgrounds, abilities, and languages.

    App: Speechify

    Developer: Speechify (United States)

    With support for hundreds of voices in over 50 languages, Speechify is a powerful tool that transforms written text into audio with ease. Designed with accessibility at its core, and by offering features like Dynamic Type and VoiceOver, the app serves as a vital resource for people with dyslexia, ADHD, and low vision, as well as anyone who learns best by listening.

    Game: Art of Fauna

    Developer: Klemens Strasser (Austria)

    Beautifully illustrated and mindfully designed, Art of Fauna is a puzzle game that blends vintage-inspired wildlife imagery with a deep commitment to inclusivity and conservation. Players can solve puzzles by rearranging visual elements or reordering descriptive text, making gameplay uniquely interactive. With features like full VoiceOver support and haptic feedback, accessibility is woven throughout the experience.

    Finalists for this category include Evolve by GTA Solutions; Train Fitness by Train Fitness; puffies. by Lykke Studios; and Land of Livia by Split Atom Labs.

    Social Impact

    Winners and finalists in this category improve lives in a meaningful way and shine a light on crucial issues.

    App: Watch Duty

    Developer: Sherwood Forestry Service (United States)

    During devastating wildfires in Southern California, Watch Duty once again served as a lifeline, delivering up-to-the-minute updates, evacuation information, and critical resources with clarity and reliability. The app reports information like active fire perimeters and progress, wind speed and direction, and evacuation orders.

    Game: Neva

    Developer: Developer Digital (United States)

    Visually stunning and emotionally resonant, Neva is an action-adventure tale that follows a girl and her wolf companion through a beautiful world in decline. As the seasons shift, so does their relationship — offering a quiet meditation on care, connection, and the cost of environmental loss. With themes of friendship and leadership, players guide the pair through breathtaking landscapes, and a story that is as moving as it is timely.

    Finalists for this category include Ground News by Snapwise; Opal by Opal OS; Ahoy! From Picardy by Daniel Jones; and Art of Fauna by Klemens Strasser.

    Visuals and Graphics

    Winners and finalists in this category feature stunning imagery, skillfully drawn interfaces, and high-quality animations with a distinctive and cohesive theme.

    App: Feather: Draw in 3D

    Developer: Sketchsoft (South Korea)

    This drawing tool allows users to transform 2D designs into 3D masterpieces. Developed with a focus on creativity and user experience, Feather makes it easy for people of all skill levels to build advanced 3D modeling designs on iPad, drawing on touch and Apple Pencil interactions to help users bring their imaginations to life.

    Game: Infinity Nikki

    Developer: Infold Games (Singapore)

    With its enchanted realm of color, detail, and rendering, Infinity Nikki is a true visual achievement. This cozy open-world adventure challenges players to collect wonderful things, and is packed with magical outfits, whimsical creatures, and unexpected moments.

    Finalists for this category include Vocabulary by Monkey Taps; CellWalk by Timothy Davison; Control Ultimate Edition by Remedy Entertainment PLC; and Neva by Developer Digital.

    To learn more about the Apple Design Award winners and finalists, visit developer.apple.com/design/awards or the Apple Developer app.

    Press Contacts

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Ukraine ‘spiderweb’ drone strike fails to register at peace talks as both sides dig in for the long haul

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham

    News of the spectacular “spiderweb” mass drone attack on Russian air bases on June 1 will have been uppermost in the minds of delegates who assembled the following day for another round of direct talks between Russia and Ukraine in Istanbul. The attack appears to have been a triumph of Ukrainian intelligence and planning that destroyed or damaged billions of pounds’ worth of Russian aircraft stationed at bases across the country, including at locations as far away as Siberia.

    Ukraine’s drone strikes, much like Russia’s intensifying air campaign, hardly signal either side’s sincere commitment to negotiations. As it turned out, little of any consequence was agreed at the brief meeting between negotiators, beyond a prisoner swap, confirming yet again that neither a ceasefire nor a peace agreement are likely anytime soon.

    But the broader context of developments on the battlefield and beyond can offer important clues about the trajectory of the war in the coming months.

    Get your news from actual experts, straight to your inbox. Sign up to our daily newsletter to receive all The Conversation UK’s latest coverage of news and research, from politics and business to the arts and sciences.

    At an earlier meeting in Istanbul in May, Moscow and Kyiv agreed to draft and exchange detailed proposals for a settlement. The Ukrainian proposal restated the longstanding position of Kyiv and its western allies that concessions on the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the country are unacceptable.

    In other words, a Russian-imposed neutrality ruling out Nato membership and limiting the size of Ukraine’s armed forces is a non-starter for Kyiv. So is any international recognition of Moscow’s illegal land-grabs since 2014, including the annexation of Crimea.

    The Ukrainian proposal is for an immediate ceasefire along the frontline as “the starting point for negotiations”. Any territorial issues would be discussed “after a full and unconditional ceasefire”.

    In substance, this is very similar to the peace plan presented by the Ukrainian president, Volodymyr Zelensky in late 2022. This was received warmly by Ukraine’s main western allies, but failed to get traction with the broader international community.

    Russia’s proposals, meanwhile, are also mostly old news. Russia maintains its demands for full recognition of Russian territorial claims since 2014, Ukrainian neutrality.

    These stringent Russian demands in return for even a temporary ceasefire are hardly any more serious negotiation positions from Ukraine’s perspective than Kyiv’s proposals are likely to be to Moscow. In fact, what the Kremlin put on the table in Istanbul is more akin to surrender terms.

    Ukraine is in no mood to surrender. The spiderweb drone attack against Russia’s strategic bomber fleet is a significant boost for Ukrainian morale. But, like previous drone strikes against Moscow in June 2023, it means little in terms of signalling a sustainable Ukrainian capability that could even out Russia’s advantages in terms of manpower and equipment.

    The state of the conflict in Ukraine as at June 3 2025.
    Institute for the Study of War

    Closer to the frontlines inside Ukraine, Kyiv’s forces also struck the power grid inside Russian-occupied parts of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. This may delay any Russian plans to expand its control over the two regions. But, like the latest drone strikes inside Russia, it is at best an operation that entrenches, rather than breaks the current stalemate.

    There is no doubt that Ukraine remains under severe military pressure from Russia along most of the more than 1,000 mile frontline. The country is also still very vulnerable to Russian air attacks.

    But while Russia might continue to make incremental gains on the battlefield, a game-changing Russian offensive or a collapse of Ukrainian defences does not appear to be on the cards.

    International support

    Kyiv’s position will potentially also be strengthened by a new bill in the US senate that threatens the imposition of 500% tariffs on any countries that buy Russian resources. This would primarily affect India and China.

    These are the largest consumers of Russian oil and gas, and if New Delhi and Beijing decide that trade with the US is more important to them cheap imports from Russia, the move could cut Russia off from critical revenues and imports.

    But, given how indecisive Donald Trump has been to date when it comes to putting any real, rather than just rhetorical, pressure on Vladimir Putin, it is not clear whether the proposed senate bill will have the desired effect. The bill has support of over 80 co-sponsors from both the Republican and Democratic caucuses, meaning the senate could overturn a presidential veto. But any delay in imposing tougher sanctions will ultimately play into Putin’s hands.

    By contrast, European support for Ukraine has, if anything, increased in recent months. For example, EU leaders adopted their 17th sanctions package against Russia on May 20. A week later, Germany and Ukraine announced a new military cooperation agreement worth €5 billion (£4.2 billion).

    It still falls short of what Kyiv would require for a major shift in the balance of power on the battlefield. But for now it is enough to prevent Russia from becoming militarily so dominant that Moscow’s current settlement proposals would present the only option for at least some part of Ukraine to survive as an independent state.

    The war remains in a stalemate. Neither Moscow nor Kyiv appear to have the capacity to escalate their military efforts to the degree necessary that would force the other side to make substantial concessions.

    Both sides are playing for time in the hope that their fortunes may change. For Ukraine, this would mean more US military support coupled with more sanctions pressure on Russia, while Europe follows through on building up its own and Ukraine’s defence capabilities.

    Russia’s calculations will be different. Putin will need to keep his few remaining allies – China, Iran and North Korea – on side while trying to make a deal with Trump. This may be impossible to achieve.

    In this case, the Russian dictator’s best hope might be that Trump does not impose any serious sanctions on Russia or its trade partners, let alone lean into increasing military support for Ukraine.

    For both sides, a lot still hinges on Washington. The unpredictability of the Trump White House, much like the self-imposed restraint under Biden, not only makes it unlikely that the war in Ukraine moves beyond the current stalemate, it has become a major, and perhaps the decisive road block that enables both Moscow and Kyiv to dream of victory in a war that has become unwinnable.

    Stefan Wolff is a past recipient of grant funding from the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK, the United States Institute of Peace, the Economic and Social Research Council of the UK, the British Academy, the NATO Science for Peace Programme, the EU Framework Programmes 6 and 7 and Horizon 2020, as well as the EU’s Jean Monnet Programme. He is a Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Political Studies Association of the UK and a Senior Research Fellow at the Foreign Policy Centre in London.

    Tetyana Malyarenko 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. Ukraine ‘spiderweb’ drone strike fails to register at peace talks as both sides dig in for the long haul – https://theconversation.com/ukraine-spiderweb-drone-strike-fails-to-register-at-peace-talks-as-both-sides-dig-in-for-the-long-haul-257927

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: The strategic defence review means three new approaches for the UK

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By David J. Galbreath, Professor of War and Technology, University of Bath

    The UK government’s new strategic defence review has laid out a blueprint aimed at making Britain “secure at home, strong abroad”.

    The review represents a change in how the government thinks about the UK’s defence amid a rapidly changing geopolitical picture. The Labour government launched the review in July 2024 shortly after taking office, as a first step in reassessing UK armed forces in the face of Russia’s war against Ukraine. Prime Minister Keir Starmer acknowledged at the time: “We live in a more dangerous and volatile world.”

    The government has accepted the review’s 62 recommendations. The most eye-catching parts are investment and development of new weapons: expanding the UK’s nuclear capabilities, drone swarms and long-range missile systems, new F-35 and updated Typhoon fighter jets and autonomous weapon systems.

    Unlike past reviews, this one was conducted by experts outside of the government: former Nato secretary general Lord Robertson, former US National Security Council member and former White House adviser Fiona Hill, and retired British Army officer General Sir Richard Barrons.

    In addition to practical measures of investment and expansion, the review lays out the more difficult changes that are needed to respond to security challenges, namely Russian threats to Europe. Here are three key aspects to understand.

    1. War-fighting ready

    The review says the UK must be “ready to fight and win” a full-scale war. Importantly, it suggests that the UK is no longer in an era of going to war when it chooses – but instead is facing the possibility of being forced into war.

    Academic Mary Kaldor made the distinction between the two types of wars in her book New Wars and Old Wars, stating that old wars are “wars of necessity”, and new wars are “wars of the willing”. Published a few years after the end of the cold war, it’s easy to see why Kaldor made this distinction.

    But the strategic review paints a different picture – that wars of necessity are once again the UK’s primary security concern. This means the UK must be on a different war footing than it has been since 1991.

    As such, the government and the UK armed forces will have to change and become more innovative to meet this challenge. To do this, the review lays out plans for an “integrated force” model (rather than joint forces). It describes this approach as leading to “a more agile and lethal combat force”.

    The review also calls for a “whole society approach”, including expanding the voluntary under-18 cadet forces, protecting national infrastructure and public outreach.

    2. Pace of innovation

    The review includes a host of recommendations for digital innovation and munitions production, and suggests that the defence industry could be an even bigger contributor to growing the economy. But, it notes, the UK’s defence industry is currently “stuck in cold war-era procurement cycles” and processes.

    It points to a need to speed up planning and procurement and improve partnerships with the commercial sector.

    Many digital innovations are being driven by industry in the US and China, such as the work on AI, nanotechnologies, robotics and automation. The challenge for the UK will be how to build good relationships with those countries on innovation which does not have a strong presence in UK digital industries.

    Keir Starmer and Defence Secretary John Healey visit the warship HMS Glasgow.
    Lauren Hurley/Number 10/Flickr, CC BY-NC-ND

    3. Nato first

    The reelection of Donald Trump in 2024 shocked many into thinking that the trans-Atlantic relationship was fast dissolving, though the change has been going on for some time . This review acknowledges that in setting out a “Nato first” approach:

    There is an unequivocal need for the UK to redouble its efforts within the Alliance and to step up its contribution to Euro-Atlantic security more broadly – particularly as Russian aggression across Europe grows and as the United States of America adapts its regional priorities.

    It states that Europe and the transatlantic area will be the UK’s primary reference for security. This marks a shift from the previous “Indo-pacific tilt” defence focus laid out in the 2021 integrated review.

    The Nato-first approach seems to be at odds with the direction of Nato’s largest and most powerful member, the US. Since the end of the 1990s, US presidents have repeatedly sought to realign US grand strategy towards China and away from Europe. Had the Russian Federation not invaded Crimea in 2014, the Obama administration may have been able to carry out this pivot.

    As it stands, with the second Trump presidency and its repeated calls for increasing defence spending from European states (in addition to what has often been seen as less than resolute intentions towards Russia), one might think Nato should be counting its days, rather than being placed at the centre of a new strategic review.

    However, regardless of Trump’s actions, the UK will still matter for Washington for the foreseeable future, because it remains an ally and it does defence well. Nato still remains the way to do coalition-building because it has been around for so long and has built up the institutions to do high-level defence cooperation and coordination.

    The review recognises the direction of travel for Washington, and how much it requires the UK and other European governments to invest in their own defence.

    David J. Galbreath has received funding from the UKRI.

    – ref. The strategic defence review means three new approaches for the UK – https://theconversation.com/the-strategic-defence-review-means-three-new-approaches-for-the-uk-258002

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese Premier Meets with Japan Association for the Promotion of International Trade Delegation

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    BEIJING, June 3 (Xinhua) — Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with a delegation of the Japan Association for the Promotion of International Trade led by its chairman Yeohei Kono at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday.

    Li Qiang said that China is willing to take active steps with all social circles in Japan to implement the political consensus that the two countries regard each other as cooperative partners rather than a threat, achieve even greater results in practical cooperation, and strengthen the foundation of political mutual trust and friendship between the peoples of the two countries.

    He expressed the hope that Japan will work with China to overcome differences in a constructive manner, firmly adhere to the correct course of interstate relations, and promote the healthy and stable development of bilateral ties.

    China and Japan have many unique advantages for deepening cooperation, Li Qiang pointed out, adding that both sides should leverage these advantages, achieve mutual benefit and win-win results at a higher level, inject further impetus into mutual development and make greater contributions to world economic growth.

    The Chinese head of government assured that China will steadily expand high-level opening up and welcomes more foreign-invested enterprises, including those from Japan, to develop in the country. Li Qiang also expressed hope that the Japan Association for the Promotion of International Trade will continue to play an active role in deepening trade and economic cooperation and strengthening friendship and mutual trust between the two countries.

    For his part, Y. Kono stated that in the current international situation, which is full of uncertainty, Japan and China should strengthen communication and coordination to jointly protect multilateralism and the free trade system.

    The head of the Japanese delegation noted that JAPIT has long been committed to Japan-China friendship, and hopes to continue to expand exchanges with China, strengthen mutual understanding, make positive contributions to deepening the friendly feelings between the peoples of the two countries, and promoting mutually beneficial cooperation. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Chinese Cultural Center in Ulaanbaatar Celebrates 15th Anniversary of Its Establishment

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    ULAN BATOR, June 3 (Xinhua) — The China Cultural Center in Ulan Bator celebrated its 15th anniversary on Tuesday by holding an opening ceremony of an exhibition of handicrafts from northwest China’s Qinghai Province.

    The ceremony was attended by the Ambassador of the People’s Republic of China to Mongolia Shen Minjuan, Counselor of the Embassy of the People’s Republic of China in Mongolia, Director of the Chinese Cultural Center in Ulaanbaatar Li Zhi, Deputy Director of the Department of Culture and Tourism of Qinghai Province Chang Hong’an and Director of the Department of Culture and Arts of the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of Mongolia Boldyn Sergelen.

    Delivering a speech at the event, Shen Minjuan stressed that over the 15 years since its establishment, the China Cultural Center in Ulaanbaatar has consistently demonstrated China’s development achievements and colorful culture to the Mongolian people, playing an important role in promoting mutual understanding and friendship between the peoples of the two countries.

    B. Sergelen, for her part, noted that since the establishment of diplomatic relations between Mongolia and China, the two countries have strengthened mutual understanding and respect between their peoples through the mutual integration of cultures, laying a solid foundation for promoting harmonious coexistence and deepening interstate friendship.

    Li Zhi said that the structure of the China Cultural Center in Ulaanbaatar plans to establish an educational department that will promote Chinese-Mongolian educational cooperation. The center will also make efforts to integrate the brands “Hello, China!” and “Go Mongolia” and strive to achieve even greater results in implementing the Global Civilization Initiative, the diplomat added.

    Chang Hong’an noted that this is the second time since 2016 that Qinghai Province has held an exchange and cooperation event with the China Cultural Center in Ulaanbaatar. Such events, he said, allow Mongolian friends to experience the unique charm of China’s northwest.

    The Chinese Cultural Center in Ulaanbaatar, which has been in operation since 2010, has held more than 800 events over the past 15 years, including exhibitions, lectures, film screenings and educational seminars. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: UN Green Climate Fund to Allocate $280 Million to Kazakhstan for Eco-Projects

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    ALMATY, June 3 (Xinhua) — The United Nations Green Climate Fund (GCF) will finance environmental projects in Kazakhstan worth $280 million, the Kazinform news agency reported on Tuesday.

    The Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan, Yerlan Nysanbayev, announced the new financing program during parliamentary hearings on the implementation of the best available technologies.

    According to the minister, the funds received will be used to develop renewable energy sources, stimulate the introduction of low-carbon technologies in the industrial sector, and support the development of electric vehicles.

    E. Nysanbaev said that in 2024, in order to promote green projects for the UN GCF, a country program was prepared, including 7 projects aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions in the energy sector, increasing the sustainability of centralized water supply systems in rural areas, modernizing livestock farms, and supporting private sector initiatives in the field of green financing.

    The total budget for these projects is more than $1 billion, of which the fund is expected to provide $630 million in funding. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Bahrain, Colombia, DRC, Latvia and Liberia elected as non-permanent members of UN Security Council

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian – People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    UNITED NATIONS, June 3 (Xinhua) — Bahrain, Colombia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC), Latvia and Liberia were on Tuesday elected as non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (SC) for a two-year term from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027.

    Latvia will become a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council for the first time.

    The above-mentioned countries will replace the current non-permanent members of this body, which include Algeria, Guyana, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone and Slovenia.

    The UN Security Council is considered the most influential body of the world organization. Its task is to maintain international peace and security, it can make legally binding decisions, and also has the right to impose sanctions and authorize the use of force. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Graham Statement on Visit to Germany

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Lindsey Graham

    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham (R-South Carolina) today released this statement following his visit to Berlin, Germany.

    “I had a very productive visit to Berlin, Germany. I met with President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen, Foreign Minister Johann Wadephul and Chancellor Friedrich Merz. The purpose of the visit was to inform our allies in the European Union about the status of the bipartisan Russia sanctions bill that has 82 cosponsors in the U.S. Senate. The bill is designed to incentivize China to push Russia to the peace table — the secondary sanctions and tariffs will come down heavy on those who are propping up Putin’s war machine by buying cheap Russian oil and other products.

    “I was incredibly pleased with the meeting with President von der Leyen where she indicated a new set of sanctions was being drafted by the European Commission, focusing on those countries who prop up Putin’s war machine, as well as the Russian energy sector. It was her belief that Russia is playing games when it comes to peace and the only way the change the game for Russia is to increase the consequences of this war for Putin. I agree. She supported lowering the Russian oil price cap, which will hit Putin in the wallet and she believed there was strong support in Europe for that proposal.

    “Additionally, I met with Foreign Minister Wadephul and Chancellor Merz, and expressed my appreciation for their commitment to increase defense spending which will make NATO more lethal and create more deterrence at a time of great upheaval in Europe. Germany has a very capable military, and this additional investment will only continue that trend.

    “The President of the European Commission and the German government expressed appreciation to President Trump for earnestly and sincerely trying to end this war. It is obvious to all that President Trump has gone the extra mile trying to bring the parties together but it’s also clear that Putin is resisting efforts for peace and is in fact preparing for more war.

    “During my meetings with German officials, I was informed that they see a build-up in weapons by Russia, a point that was also echoed in Ukraine and France. Putin is being disingenuous as President Trump works toward peace. Putin is building up his forces and weaponry to engage in more war, with a summer or early fall offensive in the making.

    “Time is of the essence to act decisively. The combination of Europe lowering the Russian oil price cap along with enacting additional sanctions focusing on those who would prop up Putin will greatly enhance the efforts of the United States.

    “This is the last best chance to avoid an expansion of this war and deter aggression throughout the globe. If we can end the Russia-Ukraine war honorably and in a way that prevents future wars, then the world will become more stable.

    “However, if Putin is perceived to be rewarded for his aggression, and Ukraine is abandoned by its allies, it will encourage other bad actors throughout the globe and the consequences will be dire and long-lasting.

    “I appreciate Germany’s leadership regarding brokering peace and their steadfast resolve when it comes to supporting Ukraine. Germany is a valuable ally, and the upcoming meeting between Chancellor Merz and President Trump will be one of the most important meetings between any U.S. president and any German chancellor in our shared history. Godspeed to both.

    “Finally, recent media reports indicating the hour-long meeting in Istanbul between Russia and Ukraine resulted in the same old unrealistic, maximalist demands by Russia, telling us all we need to know about Putin’s desire to end the war. This was also confirmed to me by those participating in the talks.

    “It is time to act.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why the federal government must act cautiously on fast-tracking project approvals

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Mark Winfield, Professor, Environmental and Urban Change, York University, Canada

    The acceleration of federal approvals for “nation-building projects” was the major theme of this week’s first ministers meeting in Saskatoon. A rush to streamline approvals for resource development and infrastructure projects has been central to the Canadian response to United States President Donald Trump’s profound disruptions to longstanding trade and security relationships.

    At the provincial level, Ontario’s Bill 5 and British Columbia’s Bill 15 also propose to move aggressively to fast-track mining and infrastructure projects.

    These fast-tracking efforts are fuelling debate, particularly in terms of the implications for Indigenous rights and the implicit trade-offs pertaining to the environment and climate change.



    Read more:
    Mark Carney wants to make Canada an energy superpower — but what will be sacrificed for that goal?

    Regulations often a minor factor

    Project review and approval processes in Canada have already been aggressively streamlined over the past decade. The 2019 Federal Impact Assessment Act, also known as Bill C-69, was largely modelled on Conservative Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s 2012 Bill C-38 rewrite of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act.

    It’s important to determine why projects are delayed in the first place. Most move through assessment processes with little delay or controversy. Problems emerge when proposals are poorly designed, face serious technical or economic doubts, raise major environmental, climate or safety concerns, and spark significant social, political or legal conflicts over their costs, benefits and impacts.

    A recent study on mining approvals in B.C., for example, found that far more mines were approved than ever actually developed. The main cause of delays was changing economic conditions. Regulation was found to be only a minor factor.

    While there are always potential ways to improve review processes, the results of previous streamlining efforts suggest the need for caution about the potential for these initiatives to backfire.

    Impact assessment and similar processes emerged as more than a way to accurately assess projects and their risks and benefits. They also provided a framework for managing intense social and political conflicts those projects may generate.

    If these processes are streamlined too much, the conclusions of these assessments may seem illegitimate. There could be a trade-off between clear, certain outcomes and ensuring the approval process is fair and trustworthy.

    Exacerbating conflict

    The Harper government’s Bill C-38 reforms were intended to facilitate the construction of more oil pipelines. In the end, they only escalated the spiralling political and legal conflicts around projects like the Northern Gateway and Energy East pipelines.

    The accompanying Alberta-to-B.C. Trans Mountain Expansion pipeline was only approved after a tortuous process. That culminated in the federal purchase and completion of the pipeline at a cost to taxpayers of $34 billion.



    Read more:
    Why the Trans Mountain Pipeline expansion is a bad deal for Canadians — and the world

    A similar process unfolded under Ontario’s 2009 Green Energy Act. The legislation’s aggressive bypassing of local approvals reinforced a backlash against renewable energy projects in rural communities. The end result was a nearly decade-long de facto moratorium on renewable energy development. The situation has only recently eased.

    The political consequences of these efforts at streamlining are noteworthy. The Bill C-38 episode was seen as playing a role in the Harper government’s defeat in 2015. Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty’s loss of his majority government in 2011 was also partly attributed to the rural response to the Green Energy Act.

    Checks and balances

    Aside from the political aspects, it’s important to recognize the value of thorough reviews for projects that are likely to be high-risk, high-cost and high-impact.

    When past reviews have been rushed or cut short, they’ve undermine confidence in the decisions made — especially when even faster processes could increase the risks and costs passed on to taxpayers.

    The Muskrat Falls and Site C hydro projects in Labrador and B.C., respectively, stand as testament to those risks. Both projects ran years behind schedule and billions over budget and continue to face major technical, environmental and economic challenges. Review processes can be important checks on poorly conceived, politically motivated projects.

    It’s also important to think carefully about the long-term economic rationales being presented for projects. Canada is a relatively high-cost fossil fuel producer, making it unlikely to be among the last standing in a decarbonizing world.

    That should raise serious questions about major investments in new fossil fuel export infrastructure. The irony of developing such projects as major wildfires, widely attributed to the impacts of climate change, burn in northern Saskatchewan and Manitoba cannot be overlooked.

    Global markets for commodities like critical minerals are also uncertain and in deep flux.

    The high costs of nuclear projects, as demonstrated by recent experiences in the U.S., the United Kingdom and Europe, also make them unlikely candidates to form the foundation for clean energy superpower status.



    Read more:
    ‘Elbows up’ in Canada means sustainable resource development

    ‘Special economic zones’

    Ontario’s Bill 5 represents the most aggressive streamlining proposal seen so far. The legislation would exempt designated “special economic zones” and even trusted proponents — such as mining companies assigned to lead projects — from all applicable provincial and municipal laws and regulations.

    The province’s approach has raised fundamental questions about the rule of law, democratic governance and Indigenous rights, and jurisdictional boundaries.

    Some commentators have pointed out that these zones are common in authoritarian regimes like China’s, or in jurisdictions in deep economic distress.

    Others have accused Ontario of racing to the bottom in terms of health, safety and environmental standards, respect for the rule of law, Indigenous rights and basic democratic values.

    All of this suggests a need for caution in further streamlining review and approval processes for major projects. These are undertakings with risks and costs that could stretch far into the future and must be properly understood before they proceed.

    Mark Winfield receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada

    – ref. Why the federal government must act cautiously on fast-tracking project approvals – https://theconversation.com/why-the-federal-government-must-act-cautiously-on-fast-tracking-project-approvals-257095

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Ukraine’s drone attacks on Russian airfields could derail Russia’s war efforts

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By James Horncastle, Assistant Professor and Edward and Emily McWhinney Professor in International Relations, Simon Fraser University

    The drone attacks by Ukrainian Operation Spider’s Web forces on Russian airfields have called into question Russia’s supposed military strength.

    Russian authorities have acknowledged damage from the June 1 attacks — an unusual admission that suggests the strikes were probably effective, given Russia’s usual pattern of downplaying or denying the success of Ukrainian operations.

    The operation’s most significant target was the Belaya air base, north of Mongolia. Belaya, like the other bases targeted, is a critical component in the Russian Air Force’s strategic strike capabilities because it houses planes capable of long-range nuclear and conventional strikes.

    It’s also in Irkutsk, approximately 4,500 kilometres from the front lines in Ukraine.



    Read more:
    Ukraine drone strikes on Russian airbase reveal any country is vulnerable to the same kind of attack

    Ukraine’s ability to successfully strike Belaya — an attempted strike at the even more distant Ukrainka air base failed — probably won’t have much of a military impact on the war. But along with successful attacks on other Russian airfields and the strike at the Kerch Bridge in Crimea, Operation Spider Web’s successes could play a strategic role in the conflict.

    These attacks could shift what has become increasingly negative media coverage and public perception about Ukraine’s chances in the war over the last year. In a war of attrition, which the conflict in Ukraine has become, establishing a belief in victory is a pre-condition for success.

    Explosions hit the Kerch Bridge in Russia on June 3, 2025. (The Independent)

    Increased pessimism

    Policymakers and pundits, instead of recognizing their expectations of a Ukrainian victory in 2023 were unrealistic, have often declared that the war is unwinnable for Ukraine.

    This perspective was even more prevalent following United States President Donald Trump’s resumption of power in January 2025. In the Oval Office spat Trump had with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in late February, he declared Ukraine did not “have the cards” to defeat Russia.

    This turned out to be false. Ukraine’s army may possess significantly less military hardware and fewer soldiers than Russia’s, but war is often a continuation of politics. Politically, Russia faces several issues that could derail its war efforts.

    Russian vulnerabilities

    Russia’s military capabilities are important to Russian nationalists, who make up Russian leader Vladimir Putin’s core constituency. Russian military forces have advanced along nearly all fronts in Ukraine over the last year.

    These advances, however, have largely been insignificant. Furthermore, they have emphasized Russia’s military weakness, which is an ongoing affront to Russian nationalists.

    Not only have Russian military advances over the last year not changed the war in a strictly military sense, but the pace of advance has been incredibly slow. Over the last year, Russian forces have captured 5,107 square kilometres of Ukrainian territory. This territory represents less than one per cent of Ukraine’s pre-war territory.

    In exchange for what amounts to negligible gains, Russian armed forces have suffered significant casualties.

    Both Russia and Ukraine carefully guard the number of casualties their forces have suffered in the war. The British Ministry of Defence, however, estimates that Russia will have suffered more than a million casualties in the war by the end of this month. The Russian casualty rate is also accelerating, with an estimated 160,000 casualties in the first four months of 2025.

    Russia attempts to compensate for this battlefield devastation in two ways.

    First, it’s isolated Ukraine by manipulating Trump’s desire for political wins and business deals. Russia, in appearing to seek an end to the conflict while offering no concessions, has stoked tensions between Zelenskyy and Trump, where there was little love lost between the two to begin with.

    Second, Russia has increased its attacks on Ukrainian civilian infrastructure. Large-scale bombing does little to help Russia on the battlefield. The attacks, in fact, put its forces at a disadvantage by redirecting munitions from military targets.

    Attacks on civilians

    The attacks on civilian infrastructure, however, are more about instilling fear in the Ukrainian population and demonstrating American impotence to a Russian audience.

    Russia’s attacks on Ukrainian cities also highlight Russia’s trump card: nuclear weapons. Russia, and specifically former Russian president Dimitry Medvedev, has repeatedly threatened nuclear war in an attempt to dissuade Ukraine’s supporters.

    By bombing Ukrainian cities, albeit with conventional munitions, Russia seeks to demonstrate its ability to deploy even more destructive weapons should the situation call for it.

    These Russian military missteps, combined with a Russian economy that is structurally unsound, means that Russia’s war effort is increasingly fragile.

    Weakening Asian alliances

    Ukraine’s attack on Belaya also signals Russian weakness to its nominal allies in Asia.

    Since the start of hostilities, Russia has relied on the tacit consent of China. This support has taken the form of China purchasing Russian crude oil to maintain the Russian economy and Chinese citizens unofficially fighting for Russia.

    Belaya has been a vital element of Russia’s deterrence strategy in Asia, which has come to rely more heavily on the Russian strategic nuclear threat. The inability of Russia to protect one of its key strategic assets from a Ukrainian drone attack, combined with the weakness of Russian conventional forces in Ukraine, erodes its ability to position itself as a key ally to China.

    In fact, some Russian authorities continue to view China as a major threat.

    At the same time, Operation Spider’s Web gives hope to the Ukrainian people. It may also cause Trump — who prefers to back winners — to ponder whether it’s Putin, not Zelenskyy, who lacks the cards to win the war.

    James Horncastle 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. How Ukraine’s drone attacks on Russian airfields could derail Russia’s war efforts – https://theconversation.com/how-ukraines-drone-attacks-on-russian-airfields-could-derail-russias-war-efforts-258049

    MIL OSI – Global Reports –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Xbox Games Showcase 2025 kicks off June 8

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: Xbox Games Showcase 2025 kicks off June 8

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Deluzio Proposal to Boost Innovation in American Commercial Shipbuilding and Jobs Included in Larger ‘SHIPS Act’ Package

    Source: US Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. — Today, Congressman Chris Deluzio (PA-17) announced that the core pieces of his 2024 “Shipbuilding Innovation Act” were included in section 501 and 521 of the SHIPS for America Act, the larger bipartisan and bicameral legislative package on shipbuilding that was introduced late last month. Section 501 creates a program for the United States Maritime Administration to invest in U.S shipyards and the construction of U.S. built ships, authorizing a yearly appropriation of $250M through 2035. Section 521 creates a maritime innovation program to advance and accelerate research and development for new technologies and manufacturing processes for the maritime industry. 

    “I’m a proud Navy guy who thinks we ought to make more stuff in America,” said Congressman Deluzio. “I believe we can build up our industrial might for the 21st century, and that means our government needs to do a better job at supporting and funding research and development of new technologies that will give us the competitive edge over countries like China. The shipbuilding Executive Order is a good first step, but we need to do more. I am glad the core components of my Shipbuilding Innovation Act are included in the SHIPS Act.” 

    Over the last 20 years, China’s aggressive shipbuilding subsidies and unfair trade practices—along with American inaction—have made it impossible for the United States to keep up. This has resulted in a massive difference in industrial capacity: China is now capable of producing over 1,000 ocean-going vessels a year, while the United States currently produces fewer than ten. Maritime power is critical to our prosperity and to global peace, which requires staying on the cutting edge of this sector—in both the defense and commercial maritime markets.   

    Congressman Deluzio testified before the U.S Trade Representative in March, where he expressed support of the Section 301 petition initiated by USW, IAM, and other unions seeking to hold China accountable for unlawful and anticompetitive domination of the Maritime, Logistics, and Shipbuilding sectors.  

    President Donald Trump issued an executive order on April 9, 2025, titled “Restoring America’s Maritime Dominance.” Its goal is to lay down a foundation for a government-wide effort to revitalize America’s shipbuilding and maritime industries. This executive order aims to promote national security and economic prosperity through significant federal investment in the maritime industrial base and the recruitment, training, and retention of the maritime workforce  

    The bipartisan and bicameral SHIPS Act legislative package introduced last month takes a comprehensive approach to growing America’s shipbuilding industry and Merchant Marines. Along with including Congressman Deluzio’s Shipbuilding Innovation Act, it establishes national oversight and consistent funding for U.S. maritime policy and will make U.S.-flagged vessels commercially competitive in international commerce, rebuild the U.S. shipyard industrial base, and expand and strengthen mariner and shipyard worker recruitment, training, and retention.  

    Congressman Deluzio is the co-author of the “Make Stuff Here” Agenda, which focuses on supercharging America’s domestic manufacturing, including ending lousy trade deals and boosting domestic manufacturing.  

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –