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Category: DJF

  • MIL-OSI China: Tiny dancers, timeless rhythms: children move to China’s cultural beat

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

    At only six years old, Zhuang Enqi is already on the road to mastering a centuries-old art — even if it means a long ride beneath the starry skies in Chaoshan, a region in south China’s Guangdong Province.

    Zhuang Enqi practices Yingge dance in Yujiao Village of Guiyu Township, Shantou City, south China’s Guangdong Province, May 29, 2024. (Xinhua/Deng Hua)

    The journey often lulls the little girl to sleep in the back seat of her father’s car, but as soon as they arrive, she perks up with excitement. “Yingge is fun,” she said.

    At the Dragon Boat Festival on Saturday, Zhuang is set to perform Yingge — or “dance to the hero’s song” — in her home province. Dating back over 300 years, it blends theater, dance, and martial arts. With its forceful moves and bold, unrestrained style, Yingge remains one of the most festive and iconic traditions in the region.

    Zhuang’s enthusiasm mirrors a growing trend among the youngest generation in the country, who are increasingly discovering joy and a sense of identity in the rhythm of traditional culture.

    China has created a splendid civilization over millennia, but the hundred years following its military defeat in the 19th century were marked by humiliation, suffering, and a cultural decline.

    In recent years, as China strives for national rejuvenation, the country has elevated its cultural confidence to an unprecedented level. True rejuvenation, it is believed, requires not only material strength, but also spiritual strength — with fine traditional culture seen as the root and soul of the nation.

    The world’s second-largest economy has since poured resources into the fields of archaeology and cultural heritage. More museums and libraries have been built to preserve and showcase the nation’s rich legacy.

    With International Children’s Day falling within the 2025 Dragon Boat Festival holiday, which runs through Monday, more children are likely to explore traditional culture with curiosity and wonder.

    Children race “dragon boats” at a kindergarten in Nanning, south China’s Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, May 28, 2025. (Photo by Ma Huabin/Xinhua)

    On Friday, in Changsha, central China’s Hunan Province — the birthplace of a story behind the Dragon Boat Festival — more students tried their hand at crafting miniature dragon boats from wooden pieces.

    Dragon boats are a hallmark of the festival in the region, celebrated with spirited races and the sharing of zongzi — sticky rice dumplings — in honor of Qu Yuan, a loyal statesman and patriotic poet from the State of Chu during the Warring States Period (475-221 B.C.)

    While adults prepare their long, narrow boats for races, kids scurry nearby, lending their small hands and big cheers. Nearby, middle schoolers rehearse their paddle strokes in sync, gearing up for their turn on the water.

    Chinese travel platform Tuniu predicts a boom in “traditional culture-plus-family” tourism during the three-day holiday. In Xi’an, northwest China’s Shaanxi Province, ticket sales for classical operas and puppet shows at one theater have surged 12.6-fold compared to the same period last year, according to another tourism platform Tongcheng Travel.

    STRONGER IDENTITY

    Generation Alpha, those born after 2010, is being raised in a time when traditional culture is more robustly preserved and proudly celebrated, said Xu Junxian, a member of Guangdong’s intangible cultural heritage protection panel.

    From a young age, they immerse themselves in traditions like Yingge dance and dragon boat racing, forging a deep identification with their cultural heritage, Xu added. Zhuang is one notable example of this.

    Born into a family with a legacy of Yingge, Zhuang often followed her father to rehearsals, where she watched the dancers leap, spin, and roar with infectious energy. At home, the living room tells its own story: a toy drum, a black-and-white miniature snake prop, and tiny sticks — all playful versions of Yingge dance props — are strewn about, shared between her and her younger sister.

    In April 2024, the little girl charmed millions online as she was filmed spontaneously joining a Yingge parade on a street in Shantou — waving two sticks, dancing confidently, and roaring along to the beat of the drums.

    Her cool gaze and sharp moves captivated the Yingge dancers, who exchanged handshakes and fist bumps with her. Later, she was invited to train on Friday or Saturday evenings with a prestigious troupe.

    In Lixian County, Hunan, 11-year-old Jie Yutong joins his peers in chanting songs that local boatmen sang 500 years ago. Originally sung to rally the oarsmen braving rocky rapids, the songs have been adapted in pitch and technique for young singers.

    Why sing these songs today, when engines have long replaced manual paddling? Jie offers a simple answer: “Before engines, boatmen had to paddle. Their hard work deserves to be remembered.”

    Sometimes, children prove to be reliable custodians of traditional culture.

    Jin Chenle, a fifth-grader from east China’s Zhejiang Province, recently made headlines after spotting a typo in an exhibition on a classical opera at a local museum.

    He wrote to the provincial official in charge of cultural and tourism affairs, who not only corrected the mistake, but also sent Jin a handwritten letter of thanks. “I was surprised and excited,” Jin said. “They took it seriously.”

    The new generation, growing up in the era of mobile internet, are not passive recipients in global cultural exchanges, but active participants and communicators, said Lian Si, vice president of the Central School of the Communist Youth League of China.

    They are able to embrace diverse cultures from around the world while developing a keener appreciation for the unique appeal of Chinese culture, he added.

    At the Suzhou Archaeological Museum in Jiangsu, east China, nine-year-old Xu Xuhan marveled at a delicate hairpin from an ancient tomb recreated to full scale. “I want to know how our civilization began,” said the third-grader.

    Though she has yet to study history in school, her visits to exhibitions with her parents, including one on ancient Greece, have fueled her dream: “I hope to be an archaeologist.”

    INNOVATIVE PRESENTATIONS

    Lin Lunlun, former president of Hanshan Normal University in Guangdong and a scholar on cultural inheritance, attributed children’s fascination with cultural heritage to innovative presentation and interpretation.

    Immersive festivals, digital museum tours, and trendy cultural programs have opened vibrant gateways for young audiences to connect with their roots, he noted.

    Yingge exemplifies this transformation. Chen Pingyuan, a Guangdong native and Boya Chair Professor at Peking University, said, “When I was a kid, the dance wasn’t nearly as cool as it is now — they’ve mixed in elements from street dance.”

    Modern-day Yingge dazzles with dynamic choreography, bold formations, and striking costumes and props — far surpassing its past iterations.

    The troupe training Zhuang Enqi, for example, stands out with its vibrant branding and inclusive approach. Breaking from tradition, it welcomes members from outside the village and even provides free instruction.

    In Zhuang’s hometown, a women’s Yingge troupe is redefining the traditionally male-dominated art form, drawing inspiration from legendary heroines like Hua Mulan. Their graceful yet powerful routines radiate a fierce spirit that rivals any warrior’s.

    “I’ll dance until I’m 100,” Zhuang declared.  

    MIL OSI China News –

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

    US Senate News:

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: “M” Mark status awarded to 2025 Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    “M” Mark status awarded to 2025 Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races 
    The Major Sports Events Committee (MSEC) has awarded “M” Mark status to the 2025 Sun Life Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races, scheduled to take place June 7 and 8 at the Tsim Sha Tsui East Promenade.

    The Chairman of the MSEC, Mr Wilfred Ng, said today (June 3), “This is the largest dragon boat race in Hong Kong that combines traditional culture with sports competition. Held at Victoria Harbour, it attracts elite teams and dragon boat athletes from various countries and regions to compete fiercely and vie for honour. The race not only promotes the development of dragon boat sports, but also attracts many overseas travellers to the city, strengthening Hong Kong’s status as a centre for major international sports events.” 
    For details of “M” Mark events, please visit www.mevents.org.hkIssued at HKT 11:02

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Joining the Dots: Exploring Australia’s Economic Links With the World Economy

    Source: Airservices Australia

    Introduction

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

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

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

    In the recently released Statement on Monetary Policy (SMP) we outlined our thinking on how recent developments will influence the Australian economy. To help us understand the implications for Australia, we have developed a framework that captures the key transmission channels and combined this with a set of alternative scenarios that flex key assumptions and judgements. Together they underpin our thinking about how this environment will flow through the global economy and how Australia is exposed. The key transmission channels we have identified are:

    • Trade flows between countries are likely to realign, and over time multinational businesses could start moving production to different countries.
    • Households and businesses in the countries that apply tariffs are likely to change what they consume, as some products become relatively more expensive, and as prices change more generally.
    • Until it’s clearer where policy will settle, businesses and households are likely to become (understandably) more cautious, and potentially delay major decisions such as capital investment.
    • Fiscal and monetary policy can respond, potentially helping to offset adverse impacts.
    • Financial markets will respond by repricing all assets including equities, bonds, commodity prices and exchange rates. These moves impact financial conditions, which further impact firms’ and households’ decisions.

    I will now discuss these channels in more detail, including how they are embodied in the scenarios in the May SMP.

    Tariff policy and global trade flows

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Uncertainty’s drag on economic activity

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

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

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

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

    Financial markets’ response

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

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

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

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

    Exchange rates

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

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

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

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

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

    The economy’s exposure to the current episode

    Trade flows linkages

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Uncertainty dampener on households and businesses

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

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

    Putting it all together for policy

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Presidential elections begin in the Republic of 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 3 (Xinhua) — Presidential elections began early Tuesday across the Republic of Korea.

    Voting is scheduled to last from 06:00 to 20:00 local time at 14,295 polling stations.

    The presidential race was sparked by the ouster of conservative former President Yoon Seok-yeol over his failed attempt to impose martial law.

    Recent polls have shown that Lee Jae-myung of the Toburo Democratic Party still enjoys the support of about 50 percent of voters, significantly ahead of Kim Moon-soo of the Civil Power Party, who has about 30 percent support.

    Lee Jae-myung lost the 2022 presidential election to Yun Seok-yul, the candidate of the Civil Power Party, by a nationally narrow margin of 0.73 percentage points.

    Early voting took place between May 29 and 30. Of the more than 44 million eligible voters, 34.74 percent cast early ballots. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: International visitor spending on the up

    Source: New Zealand Government

    New data showing international visitor spending increased by almost ten per cent on the previous year is welcome news, Tourism and Hospitality Minister Louise Upston says.

    “Tourism is our second highest export earner and today’s results show just how important the sector is to unleashing economic growth in New Zealand,” Louise Upston says. 

    International Visitor Survey results show for the year ending March 2025, international tourism contributed $12.2 billion to New Zealand’s economy, up 9.2 per cent compared to the previous year.

    This reflects an increase of 4.3 per cent in international visitor arrivals, with 3.32 million visitors coming to New Zealand, up from 3.18 million in 2024.

    “In real terms, that means more bookings in our restaurants, more reservations at local accommodation and visitor experience providers, more people visiting our regions and attractions, more jobs being created across the country, and an overall stronger economy.”

    When adjusted for inflation, this equates international spending to $9.7 billion or 86 per cent of pre-pandemic levels. 

    “The growth in visitor numbers and spending is very encouraging but there is still more work to do to ensure tourism and hospitality can really thrive,” Louise Upston says.

    “Amongst other initiatives, the Government announced a $20.4 million Tourism Boost package this year to help drive visitor numbers.

    “New Zealand is open for business, and we look forward to welcoming more visitors to our beautiful country.” 

    Full details of the survey findings are available on the MBIE website: International Visitor Survey (Quarterly) – Tourism Evidence and Insights Centre

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Hooning incident on new Bridgewater Bridge

    Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

    Hooning incident on new Bridgewater Bridge

    Tuesday, 3 June 2025 – 12:39 pm.

    Police are investigating reckless driving on the new Bridgewater Bridge overnight, involving dangerous and irresponsible hooning behaviour.
    The incident happened about 1.15am Tuesday in the northbound lanes. It was reported to police shortly after it happened and is now the subject of an active investigation.
    Police are working to identify those responsible and have urged members of the public to assist the investigation if they can.
    Hooning – including street racing, burnouts, and other dangerous driving behaviour – places innocent road users at serious risk. These actions are not only illegal, but demonstrate a complete disregard for the safety and wellbeing of others.
    Tasmania Police is increasingly frustrated by the selfish and reckless actions of a small number of individuals who continue to engage in this type of behaviour.
    The reality is simple. Sooner or later, someone will get seriously hurt or killed. And when that happens, the responsibility will rest solely with those who made the decision to break the law.
    In Tasmania, hooning offences carry significant penalties of up to 40 penalty units (currently $8080), imprisonment for up to six months, and vehicle confiscation
    Police urge anyone with information, or has access to dash-cam footage, to contact police on 131 444 or report anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au
    Footage of dangerous driving can be uploaded via the evidence portal on the Tasmania Police website (police.tas.gov.au/report)

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: As government cuts bite, public service unions can use ‘soft power’ as well as strikes to win support

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

    Hagen Hopkins/Getty Images

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

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

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

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

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

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

    The power of unions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Healthcare is a political frontline

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

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

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

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

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

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

    A battle of messaging

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Finally, legal action and protests marshal media attention.

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

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

    Jim Arrowsmith does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

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

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Why do our pupils dilate when we’re aroused? Anatomy experts explain

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Amanda Meyer, Senior Lecturer, Anatomy and Pathology in the College of Medicine and Dentistry, James Cook University

    His gaze softens as he draws closer to you. With one hand around your waist and the other cradling your jaw, he pulls you in. You look into his eyes, and notice his pupils have grown large and hungry.

    So the story goes in every other romance novel, where enlarged pupils are commonly enlisted as imagery to indicate sexual arousal. And it’s not unusual to read advice online suggesting dilated pupils are a sure sign someone you like also likes you back.

    But what does the science say?

    In fact, it’s true: our pupils really do tend to grow large when we’re aroused. Here’s why.

    What is the pupil?

    The pupil is an opening in the iris (the coloured part of the eye) which directs light through the eyeball and onto the retina.

    Typically this opening is 2-4 millimetres in diameter in bright light, and 4-8 millimetres in darkness.

    The black colour of the pupil is the colour of the inside of your eye. Surrounding the pupil are two tiny muscles of the iris which are under separate control.

    The muscle around the edge of the pupil acts like a sphincter. When stimulated by the parasympathetic nervous system (sometimes known as the “rest and digest” system), it contracts to close down the pupil.

    On the outside of the sphincter, another muscle acts like the springs holding the trampoline mat.

    When stimulated by the sympathetic nervous system (the “fight or flight” system), it shortens to enlarge the pupil.

    The pupil is an opening in the iris.
    rtem/Shutterstock

    Your pupils and the six ‘fs’

    There are two different mechanisms to make the pupils dilate.

    The first is by direct sympathetic nervous system stimulation causing the pupil to dilate (enlarge). This is triggered when you need or want to:

    1. fight
    2. flee
    3. feed
    4. fornicate
    5. get a “fix” (of illicit drugs such as cocaine or methamphetamine)

    The second is by stopping the signals of the parasympathetic nerves going to the sphincter muscle of the pupil. This is triggered when you need or want to focus (number 6).

    Together, these are sometimes known as “the six f’s”.

    So, is it the same for all of us?

    A meta-analysis of 550 heterosexual men, 403 heterosexual women, 132 lesbian women, 124 bisexual men and 65 gay men reported that pupil dilation is related to your sex and your sexual preferences.

    Overall, the study found men’s pupils dilate strictly according to their sexual preferences, and women’s pupils dilate more variably.

    The study found that heterosexual men’s pupils dilated more in response to erotic imagery of women, and gay men’s pupils dilated more in response to erotic imagery of men.

    However, lesbian women’s pupils also dilated more in response to erotic imagery of men, and heterosexual women’s pupils dilated for erotic imagery of men and women.

    Pupil dilation triggers can be different for different people.
    Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock

    Are large pupils more attractive?

    Interestingly, a study of 60 young adults (aged between 18 and 26) found pupils of 5 millimetre diameter most attractive.

    A pupil of 5 millimetres is abnormal for situations in bright light. Could it be that we’re attracted to the types of pupils we’ve seen before in the relative darkness of an intimate setting?

    The idea of large pupils being attractive isn’t new. During the Renaissance in Italy, women used eye drops made from a poisonous plant called Atropa belladonna (belladonna means “beautiful woman” in Italian) to make their pupils dilate. This gave them a wide-eyed, “seductive” look (it also, unfortunately, was rather dangerous).

    The plant contains a chemical called atropine, which is still (safely) used today by ophthalmologists and optometrists to dilate the pupils for eye exams or surgery.

    Getting in sync

    Pupil dilation also plays a role in social and interpersonal interactions. Studies have found administration of oxytocin (a hormone associated with bonding and trust) enhances pupil responses to emotional expressions, suggesting increased sensitivity to social cues.

    Pupil dilation synchrony between people has been linked to better teamwork and mutual attraction, reflecting shared arousal states.

    This phenomenon, sometimes referred to as “pupil mimicry” or “pupil contagion”, aligns with other autonomic synchronisations such as heart rate.

    It all goes to show that so much of connection and attraction is subconscious.

    So much of attraction is subconscious.
    RZ Images/Shutterstock

    What else can make the pupils dilate?

    Various substances and medical conditions can also affect pupil size. Stimulants such as Ritalin and Adderall, anticholinergics (often used to treat Parkinson’s disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease), and certain medications such as phenylephrine (Sudafed PE), and benzodiazepines such as alprazolam (Xanax) can all cause pupil dilation.

    So too can illicit drugs such as cocaine, ketamine, MDMA, LSD and cannabis.

    Some neurological conditions or closed angle glaucoma, as well as stressful situations, can cause the pupils to stay dilated (a condition known as mydriasis).

    If you have prolonged dilation of your pupils, you should speak to your doctor.

    Does intellectual or emotional arousal cause pupil dilation?

    When you are trying to solve a mathematics problem, listening carefully as you take notes, or listening to your favourite singer’s music, your pupils will enlarge.

    Anticipation of rewards, emotional conflict, and processing of emotionally charged stimuli – such as scary movies or certain trigger sounds – also lead to increased pupil size.

    Anxiety, pain, and even conditions such as fibromyalgia have also been linked to dilated pupils.

    Context is everything

    It is crucial to emphasise pupil dilation doesn’t automatically mean someone is aroused. Interpreting pupil dilation requires context, and you can’t assume big pupils means the person is attracted to you.

    Verbal consent and other behavioural cues are essential.

    If you’re wondering if the other person likes you, why not just ask?

    Amanda Meyer is affiliated with the Australian and New Zealand Association of Clinical Anatomists, the American Association for Anatomy, and the Global Neuroanatomy Network.

    Monika Zimanyi is affiliated with the Global Neuroanatomy Network

    – ref. Why do our pupils dilate when we’re aroused? Anatomy experts explain – https://theconversation.com/why-do-our-pupils-dilate-when-were-aroused-anatomy-experts-explain-257452

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

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

    Source: Sony

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

    MEA System Hardware

    Application and UI

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Outstanding New Zealanders honoured

    Source: New Zealand Government

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Parliament Hansard Report – Motions — Rt Hon Jim Bolger—90th Birthday – 001495

    Source: New Zealand Parliament

    MOTIONS

    Rt Hon Jim Bolger—90th Birthday

    SPEAKER: Members, on 31 May this year, the Rt Hon Jim Bolger ONZ celebrated his 90th birthday. Jim Bolger was a member of this House from 1972 to 1998. He served as Leader of the Opposition and was Prime Minister for seven years, before his retirement from this House. Post-Parliament, he served as New Zealand’s Ambassador to the United States and, after that, was chair of New Zealand Post. He retains a keen interest in proceedings in this House and the betterment of New Zealand. I’m sure members will want to stand and join with me in expressing our birthday wishes both to the Rt Hon Jim Bolger and Mrs Joan Bolger, who has been such a support to him.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Parliament Hansard Report – Karakia/Prayers – 001496

    Source: New Zealand Parliament

    TUESDAY, 3 JUNE 2025

    The Speaker took the Chair at 2 p.m.

    KARAKIA/PRAYERS

    LEMAUGA LYDIA SOSENE (Labour—Māngere): Tatou ifo ma tatalo. Le Atua Silisili ese e, matou te sulaina lau Afio mo fa’amanuiaga ma tofi ua e fa’au’uina ai i matou. E lafoa’i ni o matou lagona ma manatua ta’ito’atasi i le amana’iaina o le Masiofo o Peretania. Matou te tatalo ina ia tonu ma fa’amaoni fuafuaga ma fa’ai’uga uma i totonu o lenei Maota Fono. Ia talosia ta’ita’i o lenei Mālō ina ia maua le tōfā mamao, le fa’apalepale ma le agamalū, auā le manuia ma le filemū o Niu Sila. O le matou tatalo lea, e ala atu i le suafa pele o Iesu Keriso. Amene.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Parliament Hansard Report – Tuesday, 3 June 2025 – Volume 784 – 001497

    Source: New Zealand Parliament

    MOTIONS

    Waikato-Tainui Treaty Settlement, 30th Anniversary—Leave Declined

    HANA-RAWHITI MAIPI-CLARKE (Te Pāti Māori—Hauraki-Waikato): I seek leave to move a motion without notice and without debate that this House commemorates the 30-year anniversary of the Waikato-Tainui raupatu settlement signed at Tūrangawaewae Marae in May 1995.

    SPEAKER: Leave is sought for that particular course of action. Is there any objection? There appears to—

    Rt Hon WINSTON PETERS (Minister of Foreign Affairs): Yes. Point of order, Mr Speaker. If we look at the number of settlements there have been, then we’ll be doing this every day for about one-third of the year’s sittings. So it was not against the idea—this was the first settlement we ever had—but it’s the inappropriate repetitiveness of it all.

    SPEAKER: Though that is true, it was also the first settlement we had. None the less, leave is denied.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Working with third-party providers: understanding your privacy responsibilities

    Source: Privacy Commissioner

    Download a printable A4 PDF version of this chart.

    On this page:

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

    Working with third-party providers: understanding your privacy responsibilities

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

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

    Return to top.

    Who is this for?

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

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

    Return to top.

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

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

    What do we mean by third-party provider?

    ‘Third-party’ means an organisation external to your organisation.

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

    For example, you might:

    • Share employee pay information with an external payroll provider or accountant.
    • Contract a company to collect information for a survey.
    • Use another organisation to provide personalised services for your customers.
    • Use an intermediary platform that shares the information with other third parties.

    Return to top.

    Before using a third-party provider

    Before you engage a third-party provider, you need to understand:

    • What types of personal information you’ll share with them, or they’ll collect on your behalf.
    • What they will do with it.

    Do they need personal information?

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

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

    Think about whether supplying aggregated, non-personal information might enable the marketing agency to perform the service adequately.

    Please note: when changing the way you use clients’ or staff’s personal information, you need to assess the privacy risk and make sure you’re being transparent through your privacy statement to reflect any changes in use of personal information. We have guidance on how to improve your privacy transparency. We also have a PIA toolkit available to help assess the privacy risks.

    What kind of personal information is it?

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

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

    Due diligence

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Return to top.

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

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

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

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

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

    Return to top.

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

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

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

    Security measures

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

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

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

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

    Read our guidance on access and correction of personal information.

    Reporting notifiable privacy breaches

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

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

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

    Third-party compliance with the Privacy Act

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

    Disposal of personal information during and after the agreement

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

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

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

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

    Checklist for what should be in your agreement with a third-party service provider:

    1. Appropriate security measures.
    2. Facilitation of access and correction requests.
    3. Process and time frame for notifying you of privacy breaches, especially notifiable breaches.
    4. Compliance with relevant privacy laws.
    5. The third-party’s use of the information you provide.

    Return to top.

    Other things to consider

    Download a PDF version of this guidance.

    Return to top.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Government guts WorkSafe

    Source: NZCTU

    The Minister for Workplace Relations and Safety’s announcement today on gutting WorkSafe’s enforcement capability signals a return to a failed approach, that will weaken our health and safety system, said the New Zealand Council of Trade Unions Te Kauae Kaimahi.

    “A soft approach to poor health and safety was a critical failing that led to the Pike River mine disaster, one of the worst health and safety failings in New Zealand history,” said NZCTU President Richard Wagstaff.

    “Brooke van Velden continues to systematically gut WorkSafe to help protect businesses from enforcement of breaches of the law, rather than protecting the workers who suffer huge rates of injury and fatality as a result of work.

    “WorkSafe was established in the wake of the Pike River mine disaster. It was clear that we needed a well-resourced, effective, and strong regulator, that was prepared to prosecute where necessary, as this was clearly lacking.

    “Every week a worker is killed on the job on average in New Zealand, and 17 more are killed from the impact of work-related illnesses and diseases. Every year there are over 30,000 injuries suffered that require more than a week away from work. Nothing in these announcements will have a positive effect on these numbers.

    “In the past few years, WorkSafe has endured cuts to the tune of millions of dollars, resulting in fewer staff. Since it was established the WorkSafe inspectorate has reduced from 8 per 100 thousand employees to 6.5, amongst cuts to the wider WorkSafe staffing levels.

    “The Minister’s decision to gut WorkSafe is a reflection of a government that is prioritising profits over people,” said Wagstaff.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Security: KAMANDAG 9 | 3d MLR Conducts Simulated Maritime Strikes with NMESIS

    Source: United States INDO PACIFIC COMMAND

    BATANES ISLANDS, Philippines — Strategically positioned on an island in the Luzon Strait, U.S. Marines with 3d Littoral Combat Team, 3d Marine Littoral Regiment, 3d Marine Division, established a Fires Expeditionary Advanced Base (EAB) with the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) and conducted simulated maritime interdiction as a part of Exercise KAMANDAG 9, June 1, 2025.

    MIL Security OSI –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for June 3, 2025

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Shaheen, Colleagues Introduce Congressional Stock Trading Ban

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for New Hampshire Jeanne Shaheen

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

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

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

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

    Click here to read the Ban Congressional Stock Trading Act.

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

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Mongolian PM loses parliamentary confidence vote

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

    Mongolia’s parliament speaker Dashzegve Amarbayasgalan said on Tuesday that since the State Great Khural, or the parliament, did not pass the draft resolution on the vote of confidence in the prime minister, Prime Minister Luvsannamsrai Oyun-Erdene was deemed to have resigned.

    Oyun-Erdene convened a regular meeting of the government on May 28 and submitted the draft resolution on the vote of confidence in the prime minister to the State Great Khural.

    The Mongolian Constitution stipulates that if the draft resolution is not passed, the prime minister is deemed to have resigned and a new prime minister will be appointed within 30 days.

    Oyun-Erdene has served as the prime minister of Mongolia since January 2021. He was re-elected in July 2024. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Policy measures for realty taking effect

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Factory activity sees marginal uptick in May

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

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

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

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

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

    Still, challenges from both home and abroad persist.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: More to the case following traffic stop

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Night shift staff pursued a lead that led to a great catch for Mt Wellington Police this morning.

    At around 3.20am, units were patrolling near Penrose Road when they stopped a vehicle.

    “Once stopped the officers noticed a strong smell of cannabis coming from inside,” Auckland City East Area Prevention Manager, Inspector Rachel Dolheguy says.

    “A search of the vehicle was invoked and resulted in a guitar case containing an unloaded military style pump action shotgun was located in the boot.”

    Also found were four shotgun shells, a small amount of cannabis and cannabis paraphernalia.

    “This was great proactive police work by our officers, which has resulted in a high-powered weapon being removed from our community,” Inspector Dolheguy says.

    A 34-year-old male will appear in the Auckland District Court this morning charged with possessing a firearm and possessing cannabis.

    ENDS.

    Amanda Wieneke/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Red flag hoisted at Pui O Beach

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Attention TV/radio announcers:

    Please broadcast the following as soon as possible:

    Here is an item of interest to swimmers.

    The Leisure and Cultural Services Department announced today (June 3) that due to big waves, the red flag has been hoisted at Pui O Beach in Islands District. Beachgoers are advised not to swim at the beach.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Hochul Is a Guest on Univision 41

    Source: US State of New York

    arlier today, Governor Kathy Hochul was a guest on Univision 41 with Mariela Salgado. The Governor spoke on the detrimental effects of the Trump administration’s federal cuts on the State of New York, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, and congestion pricing.

    AUDIO: The Governor’s remarks are available in audio form here.

    A rush transcript of the Governor’s remarks is available below:

    Mariela Salgado, Univision 41: Governor, I think the economy is always a factor. We look from the pandemic; it’s been a cycle that’s been affecting everybody — not only New Yorkers, but the entire country — and there’s uncertainty. You just approved your Budget, it’s been approved. Congratulations about that.

    Governor Hochul: Thank you, thank you.

    Mariela Salgado, Univision 41: There’s a lot of things that people are going to see right away in their pockets. Thinking as a parent, I think about the lunch they’re going to see in schools immediately; more possibilities with child care, that’s something that parents are going to see right away. Beautiful.

    We have to wait for the child credit, and, correct me if I’m wrong, one thing that there’s confusion, and I would like clarification on that, people ask me on the streets — I’m a news reporter, so I’m always on the road, “When are we getting the checks, the inflation checks?” Can you give us clarity on that?

    Governor Hochul: My vision for the State and lifting families up who have been hit so hard with our current economy was to put more money back in their pockets. In fact, I said, “Your family is my fight,” and within that, we decided to focus intensely on affordability. And, as you mentioned, there’s a $1,000 tax credit for every child under the age of four, $500 for older children. So that’s money back in parents’ pockets when they file their taxes next year.

    We have the largest middle class tax cut in the last 70 years — that’s money back in their pockets when they do their taxes; and also covering the cost of school lunches and breakfasts — that’s, on average, about $1,600 per child in each family.

    And you mentioned the inflation rebates, and this is so important. I’ve gone to bodegas, I’ve gone to grocery stores, I’ve gone all over shopping with moms. I’m a mom, I know what it’s like to try to use the coupons and make things stretch. That’s going to be $400 in many family’s pockets — it’s starting this fall.

    So when they’re getting ready for back-to-school shopping or trying to get ready for the holidays. I know that’s an important time. So all of this is being rolled out, but you know what it adds up to? About $5,000 back in families’ pockets at a time when, as you said, the economy is really challenging and people are worried about whether tariffs from the federal administration.

    What does a tariff mean? It’s a tax. It increases the prices of everything. And our residents have been hit so hard with COVID, and inflation and now the worry that there’s going to be — the shelves will be empty when it comes time for Christmas shopping. So families are under duress, stress, and my job as the first Mom Governor is to understand that — I do understand it, but also how can I relieve that stress?

    And so, I’m glad you asked because I want people to know that help is on its way.

    Mariela Salgado, Univision 41: It’s coming now? This fall?

    Governor Hochul: Yes.

    Mariela Salgado, Univision 41: That’s great — people were thinking it was next year. So I’m going to mention tariffs because I was jumping to that too because everything is kind of weaving together. Trump administration being on a legal battle right now trying to impose tariffs in other countries, and this is — even though the court international trade has said that he didn’t have the — he doesn’t have the power to do so to kind of control commerce, but his lawyers claim that there is an emergency at the national level, economic emergency, and it needs to be done and that creates uncertainty, in a way.

    And we would like to know how you feel about that — do you agree with President Trump and do you see any impact in New York State in our economy because of tariffs?

    Governor Hochul: Seeing very much an impact in New York State, and I’ll give you a few examples. First of all, New York City gets much of its produce, it’s a grocery, it’s food from Upstate farmers. Upstate New York farmers are paying more for everything because of the tariffs, so our own products for the grocery store are going to be more expensive.

    People are not coming to our city who are — Canadians are coming from Europe; our tourism is starting to decline and that’s going to help start to affect not just our tourism, but also, people would be shopping in stores and helping the economy get stronger by their sales and sales tax revenues that we collect.

    So we can feel the effect all over that. I think there’ll be a shortage of supplies and shortages of commodities and products that we get from places like China because it’s going to be just too expensive, and either the retailers won’t buy the product and put it on the shelves or the prices will be higher. That’s going to happen as a direct result of the Trump tariffs and I support some targeted tariffs to make sure that we’re not being taken advantage of —

    Mariela Salgado, Univision 41: Right because eventually, wouldn’t more tariffs, the taxes — wouldn’t that help us eventually? As far as income for the United States.

    Governor Hochul: That’s assuming that everything made offshore will come back and be made in the United States — everything. We’re focused on the economy that has good paying jobs, lifts people up, keeps people not struggling around the poverty line, but really helps families be able to pay for their rent and — if they’re able to, fortunate to have a house — pay for the mortgage, and utilities and child care.

    But I don’t see a lot of those jobs coming back here; I really don’t see that happening as a result of this. Just look back to where this economy was back in December, early January. Economists around the world say, “We’re in really good shape right now.” People’s 401-ks were in better shape, people’s savings were better, prices were starting to see a turn downward. And all of a sudden with these tariffs that just sent chaos into the global market, sent chaos into the stores, sent chaos into everyone’s lives, and that’s what we’re trying to process right now, but it’s going to have a very negative impact on New York families. That’s why we’re sounding the alarm about it.

    Mariela Salgado, Univision 41: And the way you do your following Budgets, would that have an impact on your Budget as well?

    Governor Hochul: Yeah, of course. Of course. It’s going to reduce our revenues that come into the State, and we fund $254 billion worth of services — that’s everything from covering Medicaid, which, as you know in Washington, is very much jeopardized.

    Our health care is going to be very negatively impacted, and one out of three New York residents receive Medicaid right now. It’s mostly little kids and senior citizens in nursing homes, and they’re slashing so much money that people are going to lose health care. Some of our safety net hospitals, whether it’s in the Bronx or Brooklyn — where I was yesterday — they’re going to lose the support they need to stay alive, and as a result, even people who are not on Medicaid won’t have a hospital to go to — their services will be cut.

    So there’s this huge ripple effect on everyday lives. It’s going to affect our Budgets when we try to do what we can with less revenue coming in and less money from the federal government. With Medicaid alone, they’re planning to cut $13.5 billion from the State of New York, $3 billion cut from our hospitals. Our hospitals need that federal money and Washington is turning their back on our residents — and basically, it’s Robin Hood in reverse. They’re taking money from the poor to give tax breaks for the very wealthiest and I am so opposed to that and all New Yorkers I believe should stand with us and oppose that.

    Mariela Salgado, Univision 41: Well, that was my next question that you mentioned actually, that over seven million New Yorkers are enrolled in Medicaid and about a third are children, as you were talking about. My understanding is that the Big Beautiful Bill is aiming to put new restrictions because the Trump administration really wants to make sure that people are using it accordingly but people are going to lose some of their services. So, what can New York do to help them? Why is it a problem for people to work and have hours put in? Why is that going to cancel their services? Why is that going to leave them without Medicaid?

    Governor Hochul: What the Republicans have done in the House of Representatives and supported by seven Republicans from the State of New York who were voting against the interest of their own constituents — that passed, it has major cuts to Medicaid and it is not just about people working. But we have the majority of people on Medicaid do go out and earn a paycheck every day; it just doesn’t give them enough money, their wages are just too low, and so they need Medicaid. It doesn’t mean they’re not working.

    But, on the other hand, I can’t expect little kids to work; I can’t expect a senior citizen getting care in a nursing home to work. I mean, it’s absolutely unreal. People with disabilities? They can’t work. So they’ve made up this whole dynamic. We’re saying, “We won’t cut your services. We’re just going after the work issue and making them work.”

    That’s not what the challenge is. They’re cutting money to fund tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires, and it’s just wrong. It’s cruel and it hurts the most vulnerable. And this program has been in place for over 60 years and it’s lifted people up and gives them the dignity of health care — everybody deserves it. It’s going to create havoc, real problems in the State of New York, because so many people use this primary form of health insurance.

    Mariela Salgado, Univision 41: Is there any place from the Budget that you can take to supplement that?

    Governor Hochul: We received $93 billion every year in support from the federal government. There is no state in this country that can make up for all those cuts; and it’s not just Medicaid — it is education cuts, it is child care, it is nutrition programs. At the same time, I’m trying to cover the cost of lunches and breakfast, and put money back in people’s pockets. They’re making it impossible, harder to survive for struggling families, and that is what is so wrong about this and why here in the State of New York, our view is completely different. I know who I’m fighting for — I’m fighting for New York families and families that start out struggling, but are here because they want to live the American dream and get a chance to get ahead. The federal government is standing in our way.

    Mariela Salgado, Univision 41: I have to touch immigration quickly, Governor, because the Trump administration have cut the DPS which was put in by the Biden administration. Hundreds of thousands benefit from that and now we’re seeing ICE agents waiting for people who are trying to do their appointments, hearings and we’re seeing people being arrested. What is your take on that? And also, do you agree this being a tool to deport people? And what do you also think about Mayor Adams’ participation in all the plans that the Trump administration has, because some people are considering that a betrayal to the immigrant community?

    Governor Hochul: What the ICE agents are doing right now is contrary to what Donald Trump said when he was running for office and what Republicans said when they got elected and now control both Houses in Washington. They said they were only going after the “worst of the worst” criminals: serious offenders, the murderers, the rapists. We want those individuals removed and the State of New York will cooperate with ICE in those cases where you show there’s a warrant, or a subpoena or a court order that says, “These individuals have committed these crimes here or in their home country, and all immigrant communities would want them removed to keep us safer.”

    But they weren’t supposed to go after the people that are working in our bodegas, and working in health care — home health care aids — working in agriculture all around the state, just struggling to lift up their own families. And I think it’s important that they’re really tricking, people that are following the rules, were granted legal status with temporary protective status — many Venezuelans, in particular. They came here with the promise of a legal status while they applied for asylum, and now they took that away from them and left them here without a legal basis for being here, and now they’re exposed and vulnerable.

    And those who are checking in, going down to immigration officers and saying, “Here I am. I’m doing what you require me to do as I’m on that path to hopefully receive asylum.” They’re setting up traps for them and I’m so appalled by this that there’s families being separated, people who did nothing, teenagers pulled from their mothers and sent to a country that they were never raised in as older children.

    With respect to the City of New York, I can’t address that. All I know is that our policies in New York State are rock solid. We’ll help you, ICE, with serious offenders, remove them. Someone serves time in a prison for a crime, they’re removed at the end — but short of that? Those who are here to live the American dream, they’re already here.

    Yes, we don’t want open borders. We don’t want open borders, but can we find a path to legitimate citizenship for those who have already arrived? Can we just do that? It shows our compassion. We have the Statue of Liberty in our harbor. That’s a symbol of our values as New Yorkers. And what is happening now — it’s shocking at a scale that people are living in the shadows, living in fear, afraid to go to school, afraid to go to churches, afraid to go shopping and this is not the America people were promised.

    Mariela Salgado, Univision 41: You had a victory with congestion pricing, at least in courts, but you do have a relationship with President Trump. How would you grade that? How is your relationship with him in that issue and other issues?

    Governor Hochul: When the President was first elected, I knew my responsibility was to always put New Yorkers first, and that means at least having an open door, a relationship with the President and his administration on areas where we can find common ground. For example, Penn Station: that is a building that should be magnificent, it should be welcoming, it should be something that we’re proud of, but it takes billions of dollars to renovate it and bring it back to life and I’ve worked with President Trump to get that moving ahead — that is actually happening.

    But there’s areas where I said, “I’ll work on infrastructure and bringing money back to New York, but if you attack our values, everything we stand for as New Yorkers, then I’ll be in conflict with you. I’ll have to stand up and fight against you.” And, so, it’s a complicated relationship. I will work when it’s to the advantage of New Yorkers and good for them, but I’ll also stand up and say, “No, that’s wrong, and we’re not going to cooperate.” So we’ll see how it unfolds over the next few years.

    Mariela Salgado, Univision 41: Thank you.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: National Minimum Wage to rise 3.5 per cent following Annual Wage Review

    Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

    The Fair Work Commission’s Expert Panel today announced the National Minimum Wage and award wages will increase by 3.5 per cent from 1 July 2025, following the 2024–25 Annual Wage Review.

    • The National Minimum Wage will increase by:
      • $0.85 to $24.95 per hour
      • $32.10 to $948.00 per 38‑hour week
      • $1,669.20 to $49,296.00 per year.

    This follows the Albanese Labor Government’s submission to the Expert Panel recommending it award an economically sustainable real wage increase to Australia’s award workers.

    In three years since Labor came to government, the National Minimum Wage has increased by $4.62 per hour, more than $175.00 per week and $9,120.00 per year, or a 22.7 per cent increase.

    Based on the latest annual inflation figures, measured at 2.4 per cent through the year to the March quarter 2025, this is a real wage increase of 1.1 per cent for all National Minimum Wage and award workers.

    Last year, the Fair Work Commission awarded an above inflation 3.75 per cent increase to the National Minimum Wage and award wages.

    Minister for Employment and Workplace Relations Amanda Rishworth said the decision was a win for workers.

    “I welcome the Fair Work Commission’s decision to increase the National Minimum Wage and award wages,” Minister Rishworth said.

    “Our Government believes that workers should get ahead with an economically sustainable real wage increase.

    “A real wage increase provides further relief to our lowest paid workers who continue to face cost‑of‑living pressures. The panel’s decision will benefit up to 2.9 million Australian workers who have their pay set by an award.”

    Treasurer Jim Chalmers said the decision is good for workers, good for the economy and will help with the cost of living.

    “This decision is very welcome news for millions of workers across the country and is recognition of the progress Australians have made together in the economy,” Treasurer Chalmers said.

    “Under Labor, real wages are up, inflation is down, unemployment is low, incomes are growing and we’ve had two interest rate cuts in three months.

    “We know people are still under pressure and that’s why this decision and our ongoing cost‑of‑living relief are so important.

    “Boosting wages, cutting taxes for every taxpayer and creating more jobs are central parts of our efforts to help Australians with the cost of living.”

    Our economic strategy has been about getting wages moving again and getting on top of inflation, while maintaining the gains in the labour market and building a more productive economy over time.

    Under Labor, more Australians are working, earning more and keeping more of what they earn.

    Annual real wages have grown for 18 months in a row under the Albanese Government, after going badly backwards under the previous Liberal government and falling for the five quarters in the lead up to the 2022 election.

    On the official quarterly numbers, the March quarter was the first time since records began that unemployment has been in the low 4s and headline and underlying inflation have both been in the target band.

    Increases to minimum and award wages add to our suite of cost‑of‑living measures and policies to support workers, including our Secure Jobs, Better Pay reforms and our tax cuts for every taxpayer.

    All this progress we have made together means we are well placed and well prepared at a time of global economic uncertainty and volatility.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kennedy champions bill to end the CFPB’s unfair pay advantage

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator John Kennedy (Louisiana)

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

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

    Background:

    • The CFPB’s funding mechanism operates outside the regular congressional oversight process.
    • As a result, many CFPB employees receive salaries comparable with those of members of Congress and cabinet secretaries.
    • The CFPB Pay Fairness Act would give the CFPB 90 days to bring its employee salaries in line with the General Schedule pay scale for federal employees. 

    Full text of the CFPB Pay Fairness Act is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: In the Dzungar-Qi khoshun of Ordos city, 15 years of full free education from kindergarten to high school has been implemented

    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

    With the implementation of the free pre-school education policy, in the spring semester of 2025, the construction of a 15-year full-time free education system from kindergarten to high school was completed in Dzungar Qi, Ordos City, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region.

    These changes in the education system began in 2013, when the Dzungar Qi khoshun was the first in Inner Mongolia to implement 12 years of free education, covering primary and secondary schools. Today, children aged 3 to 6 in public and affordable private kindergartens receive a full tuition discount of 3,600 yuan per person per year.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Consumers from all over the world have fallen in love with Chinese shopping: great value for money, convenient and easy

    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

    As the competitiveness of Chinese products grows dynamically, the attractiveness of local brands for foreign consumers is also gradually increasing.

    Stephanie, a tourist from Australia, said: “I really enjoyed the scenery and the shopping experience here. I bought souvenirs and clothes, especially Chinese brands that are gaining popularity among Australians.”

    Mo Junjun, a Malaysian international student studying at Nankai University, recently ordered a high-performance blender at a bargain price from a Chinese marketplace as a gift for his family. He noted, “The products made in China are impressive in their functionality and design.”

    Liliya, a girl from Russia, believes: “The most vivid impression of Chinese shopping is speed, convenience and reliability. This also includes the recent optimization of the tax refund policy when leaving the country: now it has become easier and more comfortable for foreign tourists to travel and buy. This, by the way, also demonstrates China’s sincere desire to continue to expand its external openness.”

    According to official reports, the “tax refund on purchase” service has already been launched in a test mode in Shanghai, Beijing, Guangdong, Sichuan, Zhejiang and other cities and regions.

    In fact, “Chinese shopping” is not only easy and accessible, but also, with the necessary and high-quality service, can cross the ocean and provide customers with free home delivery. Up to now, e-commerce platform JD.com has expanded its “free international delivery area” to 9 countries, including Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Japan, South Korea, etc. Another Chinese e-commerce giant, Taobao, recently announced that its “Free Global Delivery Service Project” will cover 12 countries and regions, including Australia, Cambodia, Kazakhstan, and Mongolia, as part of the upcoming “6.18” summer promotion.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Xi’an Publishing House has won the prestigious Crystal Compass Award!

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    On May 29, the Moscow International House of Music hosted the 13th ceremony of the international geographical award “Crystal Compass”, which is called the geographical “Oscar”. In the nomination “Publishing”, the winner was the Chinese Publishing House “Xi’an” for the book series “Cycle of Stories on the Silk Road”, dedicated to cultural heritage and the revival of traditions.

    The Crystal Compass has been awarded since 2012 under the auspices of the Russian Geographical Society. This year, the ceremony was dedicated to the 180th anniversary of the RGS and brought together scientists, travelers, cosmonauts and cultural figures from all over the world.

    Xi’an presented a large-scale project: 50 volumes, 3,000 unique images and 5,000 years of history of 15 regions of China. Their mission is to preserve and revive cultural heritage.

    “The winners are the true heroes of our time. They are an example and a source of inspiration for their contemporaries all over the world,” said Vladimir Kotlyakov, Honorary President of the Russian Geographical Society.

    MIL OSI Russia News –