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Category: DJF

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Basic Housing Units Bill to be introduced into LegCo for First Reading and Second Reading

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat: 

         The Legislative Council (LegCo) will hold a meeting tomorrow (July 9) at 11am in the Chamber of the LegCo Complex. During the meeting, the Basic Housing Units Bill will be introduced into the Council for the First Reading and the Second Reading. The Second Reading debate on the Bill will be adjourned.

         Meanwhile, the Department of Justice will make a request under section 7 of the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance and Rule 90 of the Rules of Procedure for special leave of the Council to give evidence of Council proceedings.

         On Members’ motions, Mr Duncan Chiu will move a motion on studying the enactment of a cyber security law and building a comprehensive system against cyber fraud. The motion is set out in Appendix 1. Mr Chan Hak-kan and Dr Hoey Simon Lee will move separate amendments to Mr Duncan Chiu’s motion.

         Mr Lau Kwok-fun will move a motion on dynamically planning and consolidating the site to expedite the development of the Northern Metropolis University Town. The motion is set out in Appendix 2. Ms Chan Yuet-ming and Prof Chow Man-kong will move separate amendments to Mr Lau Kwok-fun’s motion.

         Members will also ask the Government 22 questions on various policy areas, six of which require oral replies.

         The agenda of the above meeting can be obtained via the LegCo Website (www.legco.gov.hk). Members of the public can watch or listen to the meeting via the “Webcast” system on the LegCo Website. To observe the proceedings of the meeting at the LegCo Complex, members of the public may call 3919 3399 during office hours to reserve seats.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Basic Housing Units Bill to be introduced into LegCo for First Reading and Second Reading

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat: 

         The Legislative Council (LegCo) will hold a meeting tomorrow (July 9) at 11am in the Chamber of the LegCo Complex. During the meeting, the Basic Housing Units Bill will be introduced into the Council for the First Reading and the Second Reading. The Second Reading debate on the Bill will be adjourned.

         Meanwhile, the Department of Justice will make a request under section 7 of the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance and Rule 90 of the Rules of Procedure for special leave of the Council to give evidence of Council proceedings.

         On Members’ motions, Mr Duncan Chiu will move a motion on studying the enactment of a cyber security law and building a comprehensive system against cyber fraud. The motion is set out in Appendix 1. Mr Chan Hak-kan and Dr Hoey Simon Lee will move separate amendments to Mr Duncan Chiu’s motion.

         Mr Lau Kwok-fun will move a motion on dynamically planning and consolidating the site to expedite the development of the Northern Metropolis University Town. The motion is set out in Appendix 2. Ms Chan Yuet-ming and Prof Chow Man-kong will move separate amendments to Mr Lau Kwok-fun’s motion.

         Members will also ask the Government 22 questions on various policy areas, six of which require oral replies.

         The agenda of the above meeting can be obtained via the LegCo Website (www.legco.gov.hk). Members of the public can watch or listen to the meeting via the “Webcast” system on the LegCo Website. To observe the proceedings of the meeting at the LegCo Complex, members of the public may call 3919 3399 during office hours to reserve seats.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Basic Housing Units Bill to be introduced into LegCo for First Reading and Second Reading

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    The following is issued on behalf of the Legislative Council Secretariat: 

         The Legislative Council (LegCo) will hold a meeting tomorrow (July 9) at 11am in the Chamber of the LegCo Complex. During the meeting, the Basic Housing Units Bill will be introduced into the Council for the First Reading and the Second Reading. The Second Reading debate on the Bill will be adjourned.

         Meanwhile, the Department of Justice will make a request under section 7 of the Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Ordinance and Rule 90 of the Rules of Procedure for special leave of the Council to give evidence of Council proceedings.

         On Members’ motions, Mr Duncan Chiu will move a motion on studying the enactment of a cyber security law and building a comprehensive system against cyber fraud. The motion is set out in Appendix 1. Mr Chan Hak-kan and Dr Hoey Simon Lee will move separate amendments to Mr Duncan Chiu’s motion.

         Mr Lau Kwok-fun will move a motion on dynamically planning and consolidating the site to expedite the development of the Northern Metropolis University Town. The motion is set out in Appendix 2. Ms Chan Yuet-ming and Prof Chow Man-kong will move separate amendments to Mr Lau Kwok-fun’s motion.

         Members will also ask the Government 22 questions on various policy areas, six of which require oral replies.

         The agenda of the above meeting can be obtained via the LegCo Website (www.legco.gov.hk). Members of the public can watch or listen to the meeting via the “Webcast” system on the LegCo Website. To observe the proceedings of the meeting at the LegCo Complex, members of the public may call 3919 3399 during office hours to reserve seats.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Division 7A – benchmark interest rate

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    Benchmark interest rates

    Under Division 7A of Part III of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1936, the ‘benchmark interest rate’ for an income year is the ‘Indicator Lending Rates – Bank variable housing loans interest rate’. This is the ‘Housing loans; Banks; Variable; Standard; Owner-occupier’ rate last published by the Reserve Bank of AustraliaExternal Link before the start of the income year. The benchmark interest rate for an income year does not change if the Reserve Bank of Australia later revises its published rate after the start of the income year.

    Current and past benchmark interest rates

    These rates apply to private companies with an income year ending 30 June.

    A private company that meets certain requirements may adopt an income year ending on a date other than 30 June – a substituted accounting period. Those companies will need to determine the relevant rate.

    Benchmark interest rates – 2021 to 2026 income years

    Income year ended 30 June

    Rate

    ATO reference

    2026

    8.37%

    This is the ‘Indicator Lending Rates – Bank variable housing loans interest rate’ published by the Reserve Bank of Australia on 6 June 2025.

    2025

    8.77%

    This is the ‘Indicator Lending Rates – Bank variable housing loans interest rate’ published by the Reserve Bank of Australia on 7 June 2024.

    2024

    8.27%

    This is the ‘Indicator Lending Rates – Bank variable housing loans interest rate’ published by the Reserve Bank of Australia on 7 June 2023.

    2023

    4.77%

    This is the ‘Indicator Lending Rates – Bank variable housing loans interest rate’ published by the Reserve Bank of Australia on 2 June 2022.

    2022

    4.52%

    This is the ‘Indicator Lending Rates – Bank variable housing loans interest rate’ published by the Reserve Bank of Australia on 2 June 2021.

    2021

    4.52%

    This is the ‘Indicator Lending Rates – Bank variable housing loans interest rate’ published by the Reserve Bank of Australia on 2 June 2020.

    Substituted accounting period

    If a private company has adopted a substituted accounting period, the applicable benchmark interest rate is the ‘Housing loans; Banks; Variable; Standard; Owner-occupier’ rate last published by the Reserve Bank of AustraliaExternal Link before the start of the private company’s substituted accounting period.

    Example 1: substituted accounting period starting on 1 November 2022

    Company ABC has a substituted accounting period starting on 1 November 2022. According to the Reserve Bank of Australia website, the last interest rate published before 1 November 2022 was 6.77%. This was the rate for September 2022, published in October 2022. The benchmark interest rate for Company ABC’s income year starting 1 November 2022 is 6.77%.

    End of example

    Example 2: substituted accounting period starting on 1 May 2023

    Company XYZ has a substituted accounting period starting on 1 May 2023. According to the Reserve Bank of Australia website, the last interest rate published before 1 May 2023 was 8.02%. This was the rate for March 2023, published in April 2023. The benchmark interest rate for Company XYZ’s income year starting 1 May 2023 is 8.02%.

    End of example

    Access the Division 7A calculator and decision tool.

    This tool will help you determine the effects and your obligations on Division 7A – Loans by private companies.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Business gives clear backing to RSB

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Regulation Minister David Seymour is welcoming BusinessNZ’s strong support for the Regulatory Standards Bill as a means to deal with red tape and regulation.
    “After all the misinformed opposition we’ve heard, the people who get up in the morning to make an honest buck and deliver goods and services to New Zealanders want red tape and regulation dealt to and believe this Bill will help them do that. 
    “Submitting on the Bill at select committee today, BusinessNZ said it was an important step towards improving the quality of regulation and reducing the compliance burden on businesses by putting more scrutiny on politicians when law is made.
    “The academics who have been so loud about this Bill are so far removed from reality partly because many of Parliament’s damaging laws don’t frustrate their ability to make a living. If they were held back by red tape and regulation on a daily basis, like many businesses are, they would support this Bill.
    “Too often, politicians find regulating politically rewarding, and we need to make it less rewarding by putting more sunlight on their activities.
    “The Bill doesn’t stop politicians or their officials making bad laws, but it makes it transparent that they’re doing it. It makes it easier for voters to identify those responsible for making bad rules. Over time, it will improve the quality of rules we all have to live under by changing how politicians behave.
    “In a high-cost economy, regulation isn’t neutral – it’s a tax on growth. This Government is committed to clearing the path of needless regulations by improving how laws are made.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Secretary-General of ASEAN meets with the Foreign Minister of Timor-Leste

    Source: ASEAN

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today held a bilateral meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, on the sidelines of the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) and Related Meetings, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Their discussion focused on Timor-Leste’s progress toward full ASEAN membership, following the ASEAN Leaders’ decision at the 46th ASEAN Summit to admit Timor-Leste as the 11th member of ASEAN at the upcoming 47th ASEAN Summit, scheduled for October 2025.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN meets with the Foreign Minister of Timor-Leste appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN meets with the Foreign Minister of Timor-Leste

    Source: ASEAN

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today held a bilateral meeting with Minister of Foreign Affairs and Cooperation of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, Bendito dos Santos Freitas, on the sidelines of the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) and Related Meetings, in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Their discussion focused on Timor-Leste’s progress toward full ASEAN membership, following the ASEAN Leaders’ decision at the 46th ASEAN Summit to admit Timor-Leste as the 11th member of ASEAN at the upcoming 47th ASEAN Summit, scheduled for October 2025.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN meets with the Foreign Minister of Timor-Leste appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: In Novosibirsk, practical training in the field of research methods using synchrotron radiation sources is taking place at the SKIF Center for Collective Use

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    From July 1 to 11, practical training in the field of research methods using synchrotron radiation sources is taking place in Novosibirsk at the SKIF Collective Use Center. The initiator and main organizer of the event is the Siberian Ring Photon Source Collective Use Center, and the co-organizer is Novosibirsk State University. This year, the practice, which is being held for the third time, has acquired international status: almost 30 people are participating in it — students of the Faculty of Physics, Mathematics and Natural Sciences of RUDN, master’s students of Bauman Moscow State Technical University and young scientists of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus. At Novosibirsk State University, the project is being implemented with the support of the Priority 2030 program.

    — The main goal of the event is to introduce the possibilities of synchrotron research methods — first of all, X-ray diffraction and spectroscopy. Lectures during the practice are given by leading Novosibirsk scientists who specialize in these areas. Another task is to prepare and attract future users of the SKIF Cosmonaut Training Center, because those students who take part in the practice will know where they can go to conduct research using synchrotron radiation when they work in science or other fields, — said Kristina Schaefer, senior lecturer at the Department of Catalysis and Absorption. Faculty of Natural Sciences of NSU, one of the organizers of practical training.

    On July 4, the participants of the internship spent a day at Novosibirsk State University. They were given practical classes on decoding and refining the crystal structures of low-molecular organic compounds and biopolymers, which were conducted by teachers of the Department of Solid State Chemistry of the Faculty of Natural Sciences of NSU. In the following days, they will have practice on an X-ray diffractometer and an X-ray photoelectron spectrometer, where they will be able to apply the knowledge they have gained.

    They were also given a tour of the Analytical and Technological Research Center “High Technologies and Nanostructured Materials” Physics Department of NSU. NSU ATIC conducts structural-functional and technological research in solid state physics and chemistry, studies unique nanosystems and materials. Research is carried out within the framework of such promising areas as nanoelectronics, nanophotonics, methods of nanomaterial certification, functional nanomaterials, nanostructured materials and nanopowders.

    The participants of the internship were attracted by the topic and the wide range of scientific research opportunities provided by Akademgorodok and Novosibirsk.

    Anna Zhernosek, 3rd year student of the Faculty of Chemistry of RUDN:

    — I am interested in the opportunity to study certain areas in greater depth, to acquire and improve skills. This internship provides such a very good opportunity. Novosibirsk and Akademgorodok have a large knowledge base, there are universities and research institutes that are deeply involved in the topics that interest me.

    Maxim Fomin, first-year master’s student at Bauman Moscow State Technical University:

    — The program I am studying is aimed at studying the synchrotron structure, we work with its components. That is why I was interested in this internship.

    Anastasia Rotkovich, Junior Researcher, State Scientific and Practical Center for Materials Science of the National Academy of Sciences of Belarus:

    — I work on an X-ray diffractometer and, in general, use ionizing radiation, gamma radiation, for my research. The topic of practical training overlaps with what I do, so I decided to take part. NSU has a wide range of modern equipment. It would be interesting to collaborate in this regard, to build international connections for joint research.

    By the end of the current week, the participants of the internship will visit the Boreskov Institute of Catalysis of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Sobolev Institute of Geology and Mineralogy of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Lavrentyev Institute of Hydrodynamics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, and the Novosibirsk State Technical University, where they will have introductory tours of laboratories, lectures from leading scientists, and practical work in groups.

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

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Xunke checkpoint imported frozen fish products from Russia for the first time

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) — As a refrigerated truck smoothly entered the Xunke Port, the border crossing witnessed a historic moment: the first 12 tons of frozen Russian chum salmon cleared customs. The event marks the first time chilled fish products have been imported into Xunke County, northeast China’s Heilongjiang Province, marking a major step in the high-quality development of border trade with Russia.

    According to local newspaper Heilongjiang Daily, during the import of this batch of chum salmon, Xunke Customs provided support services at all stages, helping enterprises understand the procedures for importing fish. The entire process, from product registration and permit processing to customs declaration and cargo inspection, was completed efficiently with the assistance of customs officers, ensuring prompt and proper clearance of the products.

    The imported chum salmon will be sent to the Imported Chilled Fishery Products Processing Park in Xunke County. After deep processing, the products will be put on the market in more diversified forms, increasing the added value and expanding the industrial chain in trade.

    This year, Xunke County has been actively implementing the “Interaction between the checkpoint and the industrial zone” initiative, accelerating the formation of coordinated logistics between the border checkpoint and rear processing sites. The construction of the fish processing park in the economic development zone is progressing smoothly. The launch of the park will create a solid foundation for processing and increasing the added value of products.

    The successful clearance of the first batch of fish products at customs has become a living embodiment of the deepening of trade and economic cooperation between Xunke and Russia. As the processing park is put into operation, the county’s competitiveness in trade with Russia will steadily increase, making a sustainable contribution to the high-quality development of the regional economy. -0-

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: 3,716 Foreign Businessmen in China’s Yiwu Granted Skilled Personnel Status

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    HANGZHOU, July 8 (Xinhua) — As of the end of June this year, 3,716 foreign entrepreneurs in Yiwu City, east China’s Zhejiang Province, had been granted the status of skilled personnel under a new assessment system launched by the local government. Among them, 37 were classified as Category A (foreign highly skilled personnel) and 3,679 as Category B (foreign professional specialists), according to the Yiwu City Science and Technology Administration.

    Yiwu has pioneered the creation of an innovative “foreign talent contribution evaluation system,” with key criteria including annual exports, job creation for local residents, and sustainable contribution to the regional economy.

    To qualify for Category A, foreign investors/entrepreneurs must meet conditions such as the company’s annual sales volume exceeding RMB 50 million (about US$6.99 million) with an individual annual salary of RMB 600,000 or more; or the company employs more than 10 local people and has 10 years of continuous individual work experience in Zhejiang Province with an annual income of RMB 600,000 or more.

    Category B is assigned if the company has such indicators as an annual volume of foreign exchange transactions of USD 500,000 or an annual foreign trade turnover of over 10 million yuan.

    According to the established rules, foreign personnel of category A receive 5-year work permits and priority processing of documents, and foreigners of category B receive work permits for a period of 2 to 4 years.

    Yiwu, known as the “supermarket of the world,” maintains trade links with more than 230 countries and regions around the world. More than 28,000 foreign traders visit here every day, accounting for about a fifth of the total number in Zhejiang Province. To further attract investment, the city launched this pilot program for foreign business personnel in September 2024. -0-

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

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    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The role of BRICS as a pillar of a multipolar world is becoming critically important – Belarusian Foreign Minister

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    MINSK, July 8 (Xinhua) — The role of BRICS as a pillar of the multipolar world is becoming critically important, Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov said in Rio de Janeiro during an extended session of the 17th BRICS summit. The corresponding information was published by the press service of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry on Monday.

    In his speech, M. Ryzhenkov noted that modern global challenges require not only strengthening of internal potential, but also a truly multilateral approach in international affairs.

    “Belarus sees the practical embodiment of this ideology in BRICS – an association based on equality, mutual respect and the search for collective solutions. Today, when outdated unipolar mechanisms demonstrate their ineffectiveness and politicization, the role of BRICS as a support for a multipolar world, as a foundation and an integral part of a fair world order is becoming critically important,” the minister emphasized.

    He also noted that the New Development Bank is the most important element of the emerging financial architecture of BRICS. Belarus sent an official request to join its members in March of this year.

    “Belarus’ geopolitical position in Eurasia opens up broad prospects for cooperation in logistics. Belarus is ready to become a platform for creating modern logistics hubs, where advanced technologies, including blockchain and the Internet of Things, will be used to build transparent and efficient supply chains,” the head of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry noted. -0-

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Secretary-General of ASEAN meets with the newly-appointed Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines

    Source: ASEAN

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, today held a bilateral meeting with the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines, Ma. Theresa P. Lazaro, on the sidelines of the 58th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (AMM) and Related Meetings in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Dr. Kao congratulated Foreign Secretary Lazaro on her recent appointment as the Secretary of Foreign Affairs of The Philippines. They exchanged views on issues of importance to ASEAN and discussed ways to advance ASEAN Community-building efforts, including the implementation of the ASEAN Community Vision 2045 and its Strategic Plans as well as the preparations for the Philippines’ ASEAN Chairmanship in 2026.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN meets with the newly-appointed Secretary of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of the Philippines appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI China: Fire at Cairo data hub injures 14, causes internet, telecom outages

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

    Firefighters battle a fire at a telecommunication building in Cairo, Egypt, on July 7, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    A fire broke out on Monday inside a telecommunication building in the Egyptian capital Cairo, injuring 14 people, causing a partial disruption of telecommunication and internet services in the Greater Cairo metropolitan area.

    The injured were immediately transferred to a nearby hospital for treatment, the Egyptian Health Ministry said in a statement.

    The official MENA news agency reported that firefighters have successfully contained the fire in the Ramses Central Exchange building, adding that cooling operations are currently underway to ensure the fire will not reignite.

    A security source told MENA that preliminary investigations suggest the fire was likely caused by an electrical short circuit, noting that criminal lab experts will collect evidence from the scene to determine the exact cause.

    Meanwhile, Egypt’s National Telecommunications Regulatory Authority said that work is underway to assess the extent of the damage and gradually restore service. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Tianjin accelerates integration of digital economy with real economy

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

    This photo taken on July 4, 2025 shows the laptop production line of the carbon-neutral smart manufacturing factory of Lenovo in north China’s Tianjin. In recent years, Tianjin has been committed to building smart factories and accelerating the deep integration of the digital economy with the real economy. As of now, the city has established a total of 400 smart factories and digital workshops, continuously promoting the digital transformation of its manufacturing sector. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)

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    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Vast pair-up program powers modern makeover of NW China’s Xinjiang

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

    Inside a brand-new workshop at a buzzing textile factory in Hotan, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Zulaya Tursuntohti deftly handled the whirring spinning frames to produce fine cotton threads. Just months ago, this job, and her 3,500-yuan (about 489 U.S. dollars) monthly paycheck, did not exist.

    Hundreds of kilometers away, meanwhile, in Kashgar’s saline wastelands, farmer Turghun Yasen marveled at seedlings of silage corn springing up from once-barren soil.

    These snapshots reveal glimpses of the quiet engine powering China’s vast western region, namely a pair-up program where 18 provincial-level regions and the southern Chinese tech hub of Shenzhen have been creating jobs, improving skills and promoting unity in this northwestern frontier of the country.

    Workers arrange fabrics at a workshop of an industrial park in Hotan, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 27, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    China has been implementing the “pairing assistance” program in Xinjiang since 1997. In 2010, a new round of pairing assistance was launched, involving central and state organs, centrally administered state-owned enterprises, and 18 provinces, municipalities and the city of Shenzhen.

    This cross-regional endeavor, which sees those involved channeling 80 percent of their annual assistance funds to county-level and grassroots projects dedicated to livelihood improvement, has become a national strategy vital for prosperity and stability in economic backwaters.

    Seeding self-sufficiency 

    “Providing money is good, but building a solid industry is better,” said a veteran aid official, capturing the essence of pairing assistance for Xinjiang — transitioning from dependency on external support to fostering endogenous growth momentum.

    Although Xinjiang is a major cotton-producing region known for its high-quality cotton, its textile industry faces several challenges due to its weak technological capacity and limited industrial upgrading.

    When the Beijing assistance team invited a Guangdong-based textile industrial internet company to Hotan last August, they brought more than just machinery. The company from south China instead fostered an integrated supply ecosystem, spanning e-commerce, fabric weaving and dyeing, as well as facilitating high-quality fashion garment production.

    Tursuntohti is among some 700 new employees for the first phase of the project. “I saw the job posting in February and decided to apply,” she said. Once fully operational, the project is expected to create more than 3,000 jobs, support over 200 apparel firms, and boost regional industrial output by more than 3 billion yuan annually, Huang Haoming, executive of the project, revealed.

    In 2024, the region’s cotton and textile industry had generated an output value of 220 billion yuan and provided jobs for over 1 million people.

    Meanwhile, agricultural scientists have targeted Kashgar’s highly saline-alkali wasteland. Faced with a desolate landscape, they introduced customized soil treatments — which have resulted in 200 mu (approximately 13.3 hectares) of silage corn springing to life via a seedling success rate of 95 percent, proving a lifeline for farmers like Yasen.

    “We used to watch seedlings die, but now our green fields yield corn, and we can even plant winter wheat to enrich the soil,” he said.

    A technician (2nd R) trains locally recruited agricultural workers at a smart workshop for plant cultivation in Aksu, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 25, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Ren Gengpo, a member of Shanghai’s assistance team who currently serves as deputy director of Kashgar’s bureau of industry and information technology, credited 29,000 local jobs to such locally-grounded projects capitalizing on regional strengths, including a “Chief Service Officer” system matching coastal expertise to Xinjiang’s resources.

    “More locals are securing steady jobs right in their neighborhoods,” Ren noted.

    Nurturing homegrown talent 

    At the remote county hospital of Habahe in Xinjiang’s Altay Prefecture, orthopedic scans now reveal fractures in precise 3D detail, while high-resolution color ultrasound makes for clearer and more intuitive diagnosis of pediatric conditions.

    “Smart diagnosis facilitates real-time data sharing between doctors, thus enabling cross-regional diagnosis that enhances medical care accessibility, upskills local clinicians, and cuts patient costs,” said Zhang Jing, a medical assistance practitioner from Jilin Province in northeast China, whose team has delivered many intelligent medical equipment items.

    Xinjiang’s development has long benefited from nationwide talent exchange endeavors. Today, notably, digital tools are transforming traditional aid models into scalable, tech-driven partnerships.

    When an aid team from east China’s Hangzhou, the country’s e-commerce, livestreaming, fintech and AI heartland, noticed youth in Aksu in Xinjiang hawking fruit on social media, they built an e-commerce incubator and partnered with top multi-channel network (MCN) agencies to train local talent.

    Mirzat Kamil, who returned home after seeing that many there were selling farm goods via live-streaming, joined the “Dandelion Project,” which enabled him to learn digital marketing skills and become a top regional e-commerce influencer within a year. “These training programs opened new doors for me,” he said.

    Mirzat Kamil promotes local agricultural products via live-streaming at a logistics park in Aksu, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, June 23, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    “Local e-commerce talents like Kamil are planting seeds of prosperity across our region,” said Yang Zhe, Aksu’s e-commerce director. With Hangzhou’s support, Aksu has partnered with Alibaba and social e-commerce firm Yowant Technology to launch training programs. By 2024, more than 9,500 professionals had been trained — creating 30,000 jobs.

    Even classrooms have been transformed via “teacher studios.” Ni Yuan, a teacher from Tianjin Municipality in north China, who was posted to the first primary school of Qira County in Hotan to serve as its deputy principal, mentored local teachers like Sadinisa Abdulla while also launching art programs.

    “She raised our teaching quality through professional excellence,” Abdulla noted. “We’ve learned a lot from her.”

    Over the past five years, teachers in Xinjiang have received training on a total of more than 200,000 occasions.

    Henan Province in central China also deserves a mention here, having deployed scientists and engineers across multiple sectors, while providing skills training for more than 78,000 people in fields such as logistics and law.

    Weaving stronger bonds 

    In recent years, partnerships between Xinjiang and supporting provinces and cities have expanded from government projects to business and cultural exchanges. Beyond bricks, mortar and jobs, the pair-up program has strengthened ethnic unity — with all ethnic groups striving together like pomegranate seeds.

    When Abudushuqur Nurahmat, a middle school student from Kashgar’s Yecheng County, joined a study trip to Beijing last summer, Tian’anmen Square, the Forbidden City, the Great Wall and other places he’d only seen in textbooks came to life in vivid detail. “Watching the flag-raising at Tian’anmen Square made me feel incredibly proud,” he recalled.

    Since 2023, provinces and cities supporting Xinjiang have organized tens of thousands of local residents and youth from various ethnic groups to visit historical sites and top universities across China.

    Grassroots bonds have also flourished. Tianjin schools partnered with Hotan counties, Jiangxi in east China hosted football exchanges for ethnic minority juveniles from Kirgiz Autonomous Prefecture of Kizilsu, while Henan built 100 libraries in Hami honoring national role model Jiao Yulu, a county cadre known for his selfless devotion to the people.

    An aerial drone photo taken on July 4, 2025 shows a high school supported by Taizhou of east China’s Jiangsu Province, in Zhaosu, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua]

    In addition to such cultural exchanges, improved logistics have also helped to strengthen daily connections. At a Xinjiang product exhibition and sales center in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area in south China, premium Xinjiang goods like walnuts, fruits and mutton flew off shelves. Meanwhile, in Kashgar, located 5,000 km away, customers can easily order Cantonese dishes, appliances and clothing online through the same cross-regional trade platform.

    Supporting provinces and cities have even pooled resources beyond assigned pairings. Musicians of the Cixi Celadon Ou Music Troupe from east China’s Zhejiang Province performed ancient melodies in Beijing-supported Hotan this June, an artistic bridge thrilling locals like Ibrahim Hamit. “The show was both an artistic treat and a profound experience of China’s rich cultural diversity,” he said, while adding that he was hoping for more such exchanges.

    Shandong Province, in east China, landed a 300,000-tonne titanium dioxide project in Shanghai-supported Bachu County, while Jiangsu, also in east China, paired with Ili in northern Xinjiang and helped launch 21 textile enterprises in southern Xinjiang. This innovative collaboration model combines funding, technology and expertise from supporting provinces with Xinjiang’s resources and policies — creating mutual benefits.

    “We’re helping Xinjiang grow its own future,” said a veteran aid official. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: BRICS urged to advance reform of governance

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

    Chinese Premier Li Qiang addresses the plenary session of “Peace and Security and Reform of Global Governance” of the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, July 6, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Premier Li Qiang has called on the BRICS countries, which, he said, stand at the forefront of the Global South, to strive to be the pioneering force in advancing global governance reform.

    Li made the remarks on Sunday when addressing the plenary session on “Peace and Security and Global Governance Reform” of the 17th BRICS Summit, which was held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, on Sunday and Monday.

    He called on the BRICS countries to work together to uphold justice and safeguard world peace and tranquility, focus on development to bolster economic growth, and advocate inclusiveness to promote exchanges and mutual learning among various civilizations.

    The summit came as the international multilateral system continues to erode, the 90-day pause on additional tariffs imposed by the United States nears its end on Wednesday, and global trade, security and governance face uncertainty and new challenges.

    Given the situation, all eyes were on the 17th BRICS Summit to see what kind of strategy the champion of the Global South and a stabilizing force in an increasingly volatile world comes up with to tone down differences and ensure a fair and balanced international order, observers said.

    Addressing the summit, Li said that transformations unseen in a century are accelerating in the world, international rules and order face serious challenges, and the authority and efficacy of multilateral mechanisms are weakening.

    The vision of global governance put forward by President Xi Jinping, characterized by extensive consultation and joint contribution with benefits shared by all, holds even greater value and relevance, he said.

    “In the face of heightened differences and disagreements, we need the spirit of equality and respect to enable more extensive consultation,” the premier said. “In the face of deeply intertwined and shared interests, we need united and collaborative actions to enhance our joint contribution.”

    Li emphasized that power politics and bullying are never the right way to solve problems, and that the security and development of all countries should be respected.

    He said that development should not be a zero-sum game where one profits at the expense of the other, but should be win-win cooperation where all can benefit through mutual assistance.

    “Countries’ development ought to be opportunities, not threats, to each other. When everyone is willing to share opportunities with others, there will be more opportunities and benefits to share,” he added.

    The premier underlined the need for the BRICS countries to uphold independence and self-reliance, demonstrate a sense of responsibility, and play a greater role in building consensus and synergy.

    “When international rules are being undermined and bullying practices are on the rise, we need to stand up for what is right and speak up for justice. We need to act as a positive and stable force for good in the world, promote dispute settlement by peaceful means, and seek solutions that address the root causes based on the true merits of issues,” he said.

    Li called on the BRICS countries to play an active part in spearheading development cooperation, unlock growth potential in emerging areas, and continue to explore new space for mutually beneficial cooperation.

    He said that this year, China will establish the China-BRICS New Quality Productive Forces Research Center and the BRICS New Industry Golden Egret Excellence Scholarships, which will help BRICS countries train talent in areas such as industry and telecommunications and pursue innovation-driven development.

    China stands ready to join hands with other BRICS countries to make global governance more just, equitable, efficient and well-ordered, and build a better world together, Li said.

    The summit was presided over by Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. The leaders of countries participating in the meeting noted that the BRICS cooperation mechanism has continued to grow stronger and more representative, with its international influence rising steadily.

    It has provided an important platform for Global South countries to defend their right to development, uphold international fairness and justice, and participate in the reform of the global governance system, they said.

    In an increasingly turbulent world where unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise, the leaders said that BRICS countries should enhance solidarity and coordination, defend the purposes and principles of the United Nations Charter, uphold and practice multilateralism, and make greater contributions to promoting common development, improving global governance, and fostering lasting peace and prosperity in the world.

    The meeting adopted the Rio de Janeiro Declaration of the 17th BRICS Summit, with BRICS countries committed to promoting inclusive and sustainable global governance.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Tearful Di Maria rejoins Rosario Central

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

    Argentine forward Angel Di Maria said Monday he is fulfilling a dream by rejoining Rosario Central after nearly two decades in Europe.

    The 37-year-old was officially unveiled as a Rosario Central player during a press conference at a hotel in downtown Rosario, about 300 kilometers northwest of Buenos Aires.

    “This is something very beautiful, something I’ve dreamed of for a long time,” Di Maria said, wiping away tears. “I wanted to come back earlier, but it wasn’t possible. Today I’m here, happy, with my family.”

    Inter Milan’s Federico Dimarco (L) vies with Benfica’s Angel Di Maria during their UEFA Champions League Group D match in Milan, Italy, Oct. 3, 2023. (Photo by Federico Tardito/Xinhua)

    Di Maria returns to the Argentine Primera Division club on a free transfer following the expiration of his contract with Benfica. He has signed a 12-month deal with an option to extend.

    After beginning his professional career at Rosario Central in 2005, Di Maria has had spells with Benfica, Real Madrid, Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Juventus.

    He has earned 145 caps for Argentina and was a key member of the Albiceleste team that won the 2022 FIFA World Cup and back-to-back Copa America titles in 2021 and 2024.

    “I’m proud of everything I’ve done, but this is more than anything,” the veteran attacker said. “Coming home after so many years, living in Rosario again, wearing the Central shirt and seeing the people happy, that means everything.

    “I’m happy my daughters get to live this, that my wife can see me play here. It’s a dream come true.”

    Asked about the emotional weight of the moment, Di Maria said, “This is more than I expected. Today, I looked around and couldn’t believe I was here. That feeling, that adrenalin. I hope it continues like this.”

    His return had been in doubt last year after local media reported his family had received threats from criminal gangs in Rosario. Di Maria declined to discuss security concerns, saying he was focused on helping the team.

    “I’m going to retire here, but I still have a lot to give. I feel I’m playing well,” he said. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Szczesny pens contract extension with Barcelona

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

    Wojciech Szczesny has signed a two-year contract extension to keep him at FC Barcelona until the end of June 2027, the club announced on Monday.

    Wojciech Szczesny (top R), goalkeeper of FC Barcelona, makes a save during the UEFA Champions League quarterfinal 2nd leg football match between Borussia Dortmund and FC Barcelona in Dortmund, Germany, April 15, 2025. (Photo by Joachim Bywaletz/Xinhua)

    The news means the 35-year-old remains part of the Barcelona squad after his previous deal expired at the end of June.

    The former Arsenal, Juventus and Roma goalkeeper came out of retirement to join Barcelona early last season after Marc-Andre ter Stegen tore his cruciate knee ligament, leaving Inaki Pena as the only fit goalkeeper in the Barca squad.

    Although he needed time to get fully match fit, Szczesny made his debut in the Copa del Rey third round tie away to lower league Barbastro on January 4 and quickly established himself as first choice, finishing the season with 2,726 minutes in 30 games, playing a key role in Barca’s La Liga and Copa del Rey double.

    Szczesny has signed his new contract despite Barcelona paying the release clause of Espanyol’s highly rated goalkeeper Joan Garcia early this summer and Ter Stegen completing his recovery at the end of last season. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for July 8, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 8, 2025.

    Being kind to people – the new challenge for the public service
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Smith-Merry, Director, Centre for Disability Research and Policy, University of Sydney When Labor was re-elected in May, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese used his acceptance speech to describe the type of country he wanted to lead. He spoke of how the Australian people had voted for fairness,

    It’s harder than you think to become a top sports official in football, soccer and the rugby codes
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kath O’Brien, Senior Lecturer – Faculty of Health (School Exercise & Nutrition Sciences), Queensland University of Technology Brendon Thorne/Getty Images Sport officials, regardless of which code they supervise, are appointed to be impartial figures. They have to quickly interpret infractions, adjudicate rules and communicate commands, all while

    First it was ‘protein goals’, now TikTok is on about ‘fibre goals’. How can you meet yours?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Saman Khalesi, Senior Lecturer and Head of Course Nutrition, HealthWise Research Group Lead, Appleton Institute,, CQUniversity Australia Westend61/Getty Images “Protein goals” have long been a thing on TikTok and Instagram. But now social media users are also talking about “fibre goals”. This reflects a positive broader shift

    Bougainville election process begins as writs issued for September poll
    RNZ Pacific The Bougainville election process begins today with the issuance of the writs yesterday. Nominations open Tuesday, July 8, and close on Thursday, July 10. Voting is scheduled for one week starting on September 2, allowing seven weeks of campaigning. Candidates will be vying for a total of 46 seats, with the autonomous Parliament

    Australia is set to get more AI data centres. Local communities need to be more involved
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bronwyn Cumbo, Transdisciplinary social researcher and lecturer, University of Technology Sydney A Google data centre in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. Richard Newstead/Getty Data centres are the engines of the internet. These large, high-security facilities host racks of servers that store and process our digital data, 24 hours a

    How can you keep kids off screens during the winter holidays?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Victoria Minson, Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education, Australian Catholic University Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Children’s Games, 1560. ©KHM-Museumsverband, CC BY-NC The winter school holidays can be a tricky time for families. Parents are often juggling work and chilly conditions make it easy for kids to end

    Quitting the quit-aid: people trying to stop vaping nicotine need more support – here are some strategies to help
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joya Kemper, Associate Professor in Marketing, University of Canterbury Getty Images New Zealand is among a number of countries that encourage vaping (the use of e-cigarettes) as a tool to help people stop smoking tobacco. But what happens when people want to quit vaping? Nicotine vapes can

    If you have a pet as a kid, does this lower your risk of asthma and eczema?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Chan, Immunology and Allergy Lead, Snow Centre for Immune Health, WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research) Catherine Delahaye/Getty Images As the number of people with allergies grows worldwide, scientists are trying to work out precisely how and why these conditions – such as

    A top court has urged nations to clamp down on fossil fuel production. When will Australia finally start listening?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wesley Morgan, Research Associate, Institute for Climate Risk and Response, UNSW Sydney GREG WOOD/AFP via Getty Images As Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen tours the Pacific this week to spruik his government’s commitment to climate action, fossil fuel exporters such as Australia are under unprecedented

    Kumanjayi Walker inquest: racism and violence, but findings too little and too late
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney First Nations people please be advised this article speaks of racially discriminating moments in history, including the distress and death of First Nations people. The inquest findings into the death of 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker are among the most

    Cape Town’s sewage treatment isn’t coping: scientists are worried about what the city is telling the public
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lesley Green, Professor of Earth Politics and Director: Environmental Humanities South, University of Cape Town Urban water bodies – rivers, lakes and oceans – are in trouble globally. Large sewage volumes damage the open environment, and new chemicals and pharmaceutical compounds don’t break down on their own.

    View from The Hill: Albanese’s Curtin speech becomes latest political football in debate over US relationship
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Anthony Albanese seems to find himself on eggshells whenever the Australian-American relationship comes up. After the G7 debacle, he’s persistently pursued – to his obvious irritation – by journalists asking when he’ll have his first face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump.

    A Shakespearean, small-town murder: why Australia became so obsessed with the Erin Patterson mushroom case
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Xanthe Mallett, Criminologist, CQUniversity Australia The “mushroom murder trial”, as it has popularly become known, has gripped Australia over the past 11 weeks. More than that, it’s prompted worldwide headlines, multiple daily podcasts, and even YouTube videos of self-proclaimed “body language experts” assessing defendant Erin Patterson’s every

    Peter Russell-Clarke’s greatest gift was how he made you feel like one of the family
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wendy Hunt, Senior Lecturer, Academic Chair, Food Science and Nutrition, Murdoch University Impressions/Getty Images Throughout my teenage years, our lounge room sang “Come and get it, come and get it” and all in earshot would carol back, “with Peter. Russell. Clarke!” The chef, restaurateur, cookbook author and

    Sleep divorce: could sleeping separately from your partner lead to a better night’s rest?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alix Mellor, Research Fellow, Psychology, Monash University Cemile Bingol/Getty Images Hundreds of years ago, it was common for married couples among the European upper classes to have separate bedrooms. Sleeping separately was a symbol of luxury and status historically reserved for royalty and the very wealthy. Nowadays,

    A test of political courage: Yoorrook’s final reports demand action, not amnesia
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeremie M Bracka, Law Lecturer and Transitional Justice Academic, RMIT University Australia’s colonial era may be formally over but its legacies of inequality, land dispossession and systemic racism continue to shape daily life for First Peoples. Last week, the Victorian Yoorrook Justice Commission delivered its two final

    Erin Patterson has been found guilty in the mushroom murder trial. Legal experts explain why
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rick Sarre, Emeritus Professor in Law and Criminal Justice, University of South Australia After seven weeks of evidence, six days of summing up, and six and a half days of jury deliberation in the Victorian Supreme Court sitting in Morwell, Victoria, the verdict is finally in. Erin

    In Texas, parents search flood debris for missing kids. Are Australians ready for our own sudden floods?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erica Kuligowski, Vice-Chancellor’s Senior Research Fellow, School of Engineering, RMIT University Harrowing stories are emerging in the wake of catastrophic and sudden flooding over the fourth of July weekend in Texas – where many people were camping, and children were at riverside summer camp. More than 80

    What is rejection sensitive dysphoria in ADHD? And how can you manage it?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Victoria Barclay-Timmis, Adjunct Lecturer in Psychology, University of Southern Queensland Vitalii Khodzinskyi/Unsplash Imagine your friend hasn’t replied to a message in a few hours. Most people might think, “they are probably just busy”. But someone with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) might spiral into a flood of thoughts

    NZDF not considering recruiting personnel from Pacific nations
    By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is not considering recruiting personnel from across the Pacific as talk continues of Australia doing so for its Defence Force (ADF). In response to a question from The Australian at the National Press Club in Canberra about Australia’s plans to potentially recruit from

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for July 8, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 8, 2025.

    Being kind to people – the new challenge for the public service
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Smith-Merry, Director, Centre for Disability Research and Policy, University of Sydney When Labor was re-elected in May, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese used his acceptance speech to describe the type of country he wanted to lead. He spoke of how the Australian people had voted for fairness,

    It’s harder than you think to become a top sports official in football, soccer and the rugby codes
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kath O’Brien, Senior Lecturer – Faculty of Health (School Exercise & Nutrition Sciences), Queensland University of Technology Brendon Thorne/Getty Images Sport officials, regardless of which code they supervise, are appointed to be impartial figures. They have to quickly interpret infractions, adjudicate rules and communicate commands, all while

    First it was ‘protein goals’, now TikTok is on about ‘fibre goals’. How can you meet yours?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Saman Khalesi, Senior Lecturer and Head of Course Nutrition, HealthWise Research Group Lead, Appleton Institute,, CQUniversity Australia Westend61/Getty Images “Protein goals” have long been a thing on TikTok and Instagram. But now social media users are also talking about “fibre goals”. This reflects a positive broader shift

    Bougainville election process begins as writs issued for September poll
    RNZ Pacific The Bougainville election process begins today with the issuance of the writs yesterday. Nominations open Tuesday, July 8, and close on Thursday, July 10. Voting is scheduled for one week starting on September 2, allowing seven weeks of campaigning. Candidates will be vying for a total of 46 seats, with the autonomous Parliament

    Australia is set to get more AI data centres. Local communities need to be more involved
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Bronwyn Cumbo, Transdisciplinary social researcher and lecturer, University of Technology Sydney A Google data centre in Hertfordshire, United Kingdom. Richard Newstead/Getty Data centres are the engines of the internet. These large, high-security facilities host racks of servers that store and process our digital data, 24 hours a

    How can you keep kids off screens during the winter holidays?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Victoria Minson, Senior Lecturer in Early Childhood Education, Australian Catholic University Pieter Bruegel the Elder, Children’s Games, 1560. ©KHM-Museumsverband, CC BY-NC The winter school holidays can be a tricky time for families. Parents are often juggling work and chilly conditions make it easy for kids to end

    Quitting the quit-aid: people trying to stop vaping nicotine need more support – here are some strategies to help
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Joya Kemper, Associate Professor in Marketing, University of Canterbury Getty Images New Zealand is among a number of countries that encourage vaping (the use of e-cigarettes) as a tool to help people stop smoking tobacco. But what happens when people want to quit vaping? Nicotine vapes can

    If you have a pet as a kid, does this lower your risk of asthma and eczema?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samantha Chan, Immunology and Allergy Lead, Snow Centre for Immune Health, WEHI (Walter and Eliza Hall Institute of Medical Research) Catherine Delahaye/Getty Images As the number of people with allergies grows worldwide, scientists are trying to work out precisely how and why these conditions – such as

    A top court has urged nations to clamp down on fossil fuel production. When will Australia finally start listening?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wesley Morgan, Research Associate, Institute for Climate Risk and Response, UNSW Sydney GREG WOOD/AFP via Getty Images As Climate Change and Energy Minister Chris Bowen tours the Pacific this week to spruik his government’s commitment to climate action, fossil fuel exporters such as Australia are under unprecedented

    Kumanjayi Walker inquest: racism and violence, but findings too little and too late
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thalia Anthony, Professor of Law, University of Technology Sydney First Nations people please be advised this article speaks of racially discriminating moments in history, including the distress and death of First Nations people. The inquest findings into the death of 19-year-old Kumanjayi Walker are among the most

    Cape Town’s sewage treatment isn’t coping: scientists are worried about what the city is telling the public
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lesley Green, Professor of Earth Politics and Director: Environmental Humanities South, University of Cape Town Urban water bodies – rivers, lakes and oceans – are in trouble globally. Large sewage volumes damage the open environment, and new chemicals and pharmaceutical compounds don’t break down on their own.

    View from The Hill: Albanese’s Curtin speech becomes latest political football in debate over US relationship
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michelle Grattan, Professorial Fellow, University of Canberra Anthony Albanese seems to find himself on eggshells whenever the Australian-American relationship comes up. After the G7 debacle, he’s persistently pursued – to his obvious irritation – by journalists asking when he’ll have his first face-to-face meeting with Donald Trump.

    A Shakespearean, small-town murder: why Australia became so obsessed with the Erin Patterson mushroom case
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Xanthe Mallett, Criminologist, CQUniversity Australia The “mushroom murder trial”, as it has popularly become known, has gripped Australia over the past 11 weeks. More than that, it’s prompted worldwide headlines, multiple daily podcasts, and even YouTube videos of self-proclaimed “body language experts” assessing defendant Erin Patterson’s every

    Peter Russell-Clarke’s greatest gift was how he made you feel like one of the family
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Wendy Hunt, Senior Lecturer, Academic Chair, Food Science and Nutrition, Murdoch University Impressions/Getty Images Throughout my teenage years, our lounge room sang “Come and get it, come and get it” and all in earshot would carol back, “with Peter. Russell. Clarke!” The chef, restaurateur, cookbook author and

    Sleep divorce: could sleeping separately from your partner lead to a better night’s rest?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Alix Mellor, Research Fellow, Psychology, Monash University Cemile Bingol/Getty Images Hundreds of years ago, it was common for married couples among the European upper classes to have separate bedrooms. Sleeping separately was a symbol of luxury and status historically reserved for royalty and the very wealthy. Nowadays,

    A test of political courage: Yoorrook’s final reports demand action, not amnesia
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jeremie M Bracka, Law Lecturer and Transitional Justice Academic, RMIT University Australia’s colonial era may be formally over but its legacies of inequality, land dispossession and systemic racism continue to shape daily life for First Peoples. Last week, the Victorian Yoorrook Justice Commission delivered its two final

    Erin Patterson has been found guilty in the mushroom murder trial. Legal experts explain why
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Rick Sarre, Emeritus Professor in Law and Criminal Justice, University of South Australia After seven weeks of evidence, six days of summing up, and six and a half days of jury deliberation in the Victorian Supreme Court sitting in Morwell, Victoria, the verdict is finally in. Erin

    In Texas, parents search flood debris for missing kids. Are Australians ready for our own sudden floods?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erica Kuligowski, Vice-Chancellor’s Senior Research Fellow, School of Engineering, RMIT University Harrowing stories are emerging in the wake of catastrophic and sudden flooding over the fourth of July weekend in Texas – where many people were camping, and children were at riverside summer camp. More than 80

    What is rejection sensitive dysphoria in ADHD? And how can you manage it?
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Victoria Barclay-Timmis, Adjunct Lecturer in Psychology, University of Southern Queensland Vitalii Khodzinskyi/Unsplash Imagine your friend hasn’t replied to a message in a few hours. Most people might think, “they are probably just busy”. But someone with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) might spiral into a flood of thoughts

    NZDF not considering recruiting personnel from Pacific nations
    By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is not considering recruiting personnel from across the Pacific as talk continues of Australia doing so for its Defence Force (ADF). In response to a question from The Australian at the National Press Club in Canberra about Australia’s plans to potentially recruit from

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Regular Press Conference of the Ministry of National Defense on June 26, 2025 2025-07-08 Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of June 26, 2025.

    Source: People’s Republic of China – Ministry of National Defense

    By Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, Spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND)

    Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of June 26, 2025. (mod.gov.cn)

    (The following English text is for reference. In case of any divergence of interpretation, the Chinese text shall prevail.)

    Zhang Xiaogang: Friends from the media, good afternoon. Welcome to this month’s regular press conference of the Ministry of National Defense of the People’s Republic of China. I have no information torelease. The floor is open for questions.

    Journalist: It is reported that the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Defense Ministers’ Meeting was held in Qingdao, Shandong Province. Please brief us on the Chinese military’s participation in SCO defense and security cooperation.

    Zhang Xiaogang: The SCO Defense Ministers’ Meeting was held in Qingdao, Shandong Province from June 25 to 26. China’s Defense Minister Admiral Dong Jun presided at the meeting and delivered a speech. This year, China is the rotating chair of the SCO, and hosting the Defense Minister’s Meeting is an important activity to perform the chair’s duties.

    Defense and security cooperation plays a significant role in the establishment and development of the SCO. The Chinese side actively promotes strategic communication and substantive cooperation within the SCO and initiated many cooperation programs. First, we organized or participated in meetings of SCO defense ministers, chiefs of general staff, and international military cooperation organs to communicate and build consensus with other member states and send a “SCO voice” on international and regional security issues. Second, we hosted or participated in Peace Mission joint exercises, Fanfare for Peace military tattoos and expert working group meetings, and conducted professional exchanges on military medicine, military transportation, and military translation to deepen cooperation across the board. Third, we initiated and hosted the SCO Seminar for Senior-Level Officers, the SCO Junior-and-Middle-Level Officers’ Exchange, and the SCO+ Young Scholars’ Salon to enrich exchanges among service members of the member states and strengthen their friendship and mutual trust.

    He who walks with others walks far. The Chinese military will work with militaries of other SCO member states to carry forward the Shanghai Spirit, further broaden and deepen defense cooperation, join hands in building a common home featuring solidarity and mutual trust, peace and tranquility, prosperity and development, good-neighborliness and friendship, and fairness and justice, and contribute to building a community with a shared future for mankind.

    Journalist: It is reported that India refused to sign the joint statement of the recent SCO Defence Ministers’ Meeting due to disagreements over terrorism issues. Besides, could you provide some information about the meeting between the defense ministers of India and China?

    Zhang Xiaogang: As far as I know, with joint efforts of all parties, the SCO Defense Ministers’ Meeting achieved a full success. We will release information on the meeting between the Chinese and Indian defense ministers in a timely manner.

    Journalist: I have two questions. First, according to media reports, sea trial of PLANS Fujian is steadily advancing and the PLA Navy will soon have three operational aircraft carriers. Does that mean China’s third aircraft carrier will be commissioned soon? What role will the three carrier task groups play in safeguarding China’s overseas interests and maintaining regional stability? Second, it is reported that the US side recently invited representatives of Taiwan’s military to observe a joint air exercise between the US and its allies. Lately, the US House Appropriation Committee approved the Fiscal Year 2026 Defense Appropriation Act, which includes a $500 million budget for military assistance to Taiwan. What’s your comment?

    Zhang Xiaogang: On your first question, building a strong and modernized navy is a century-old dream of the Chinese nation. China builds aircraft carriers in line with our national security needs and the development of equipment and technology. Starting from scratch, the PLA Navy has made leapfrog progress in aircraft carrier development. After successive commissioning of PLANS Liaoning and PLANS Shandong capable of ski jump launch, we now have the first carrier with electromagnetic catapult launch, PLANS Fujian. It should be emphasized that China develops weapons and equipment only to safeguard our national sovereignty, security and development interests. The Chinese military remains a staunch force for world peace. The more capable we are, the stronger the force in defending peace and preventing war.

    On your second question, we firmly oppose any form of military collusion between the US and China’s Taiwan region. Such collusion, be it military aid, arms sale or under any other excuse, reveals the extremely malicious intention of the US to mislead Taiwan into the flames of war, harming Taiwan itself and destroying its interests. We urge the US side to abide by the one-China principle and the three China-US joint communiqués, and stop sending wrong signals to the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces. We warn the DPP authorities that “soliciting US support for independence” is doomed to fail, and “resisting reunification by force” is a dead end.

    Journalist: I have two questions. First, it is reported that the poll initiated by the Democratic Culture and Education Foundation in Taiwan showed that 66% of the respondents believed that the US may sell out Taiwan for its own interests; 67% believed that the US mainly uses Taiwan as a bargaining chip in its rivalry with the Chinese mainland. What’s your take on that? Second, the leader of the Taiwan region Lai Ching-te recently launched a so-called “10 talks on unity”, which include many contents on cross-Strait relations. May I have your comment on this?

    Zhang Xiaogang: On your first question, the US always puts its own interests first and this won’t be different when it comes to the Taiwan question. Acting as a pawn, the DPP authorities cannot escape the fate of being abandoned. Many more compatriots in Taiwan have now realized that “Taiwan independence” is a dead end, foreign support is unreliable, and China’s reunification is inevitable. Those who act against the trend of reunification and attempt to separate the country will never have a good end.

    On your second question, Taiwan is a part of China. It has never been and will never be a country. Lai Ching-te has distorted historical facts and made up false theories with an ill attempt to provoke for independence and escalate tensions across the Strait. His delirious talks will never change the legal fact that Taiwan is a part of China and the international community’s commitment to the one-China principle, and will never stop the historical trend that China will and must be reunified. The PLA shows zero tolerance towards “Taiwan independence” separatist activities. We will strengthen military training and combat readiness and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.

    Journalist: It is reported that the US plans to deploy another Typhon mid-range missile system in the Philippines. The Philippine side claims that the Navy-Marine Expeditionary Ship Intervention System (NMESIS) would remain within the Philippines after a recent military exercise with the US and serve as a deterrence to those attempting to coerce or invade the Philippines. Do you have any comment?

    Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of June 26, 2025. (mod.gov.cn)

    Zhang Xiaogang: The Asia-Pacific region is a key hub for peaceful development rather than an arena for major-power rivalry. The Philippines has intensified its efforts to introduce strategic and tactical weapons, tied itself to the US war chariot, and become a co-conspirator in destabilizing the region. These actions severely undermined common interests of the peoples in the region. Those who “invited wolves into the house” will ultimately have themselves harmed and their home destroyed. We urge the Philippine side to take lessons from history and avoid making a same mistake.

    Journalist: I have two questions. First, the recent Jiangsu Football City League has been extremely popular. Many netizens commented in the account of the PLA Eastern Theater Command, hoping that on the day of the final game, fighter jets such as J-10 can fly over the stadium, emulating the practice of the US NFL “Super Bowl”. What’s your comment on this? Second, two warships of the Japan Maritime Self Defense Force (JMSDF), helicopter destroyer JS Ise and frigate JS Suzunami, recently docked at the Port of Manila in the Philippines to hold joint training with the Philippine military. Rear Admiral Takashi Natsui of the JMSDF accused China of increasing activities in waters surrounding Japan and unilaterally changing the status quo with strength, which posed a serious challenge to the international order. He said that Japan would closely monitor movements of the PLA Navy to ensure full vigilance and leave no room for error. What’s your comment on this?

    Zhang Xiaogang: On your first question, the Jiangsu Football City League is such a big hit recently. Fans show quite strong patriotic sentiments. I should say our fighter planes will always be on their combat posts to safeguard all of us.

    On your second question, Japan is not a party concerned in the South China Sea issue and therefore should not support provocative actions of some certain country. We urge the Japanese side to stop stirring up troubles on the South China Sea issue, stop undermining regional peace and stability, and do not head further down a wrong path.

    Journalist: The DPP authorities claimed that 46 PLA fighter jets crossed the Taiwan Strait and six PLA vessels circled around Taiwan within 24 hours, which is the largest PLA operation around the island recently. What’s your comment on this?

    Zhang Xiaogang: PLA military drills around the Taiwan Island are necessary actions to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity, as well as stern warnings against the “Taiwan independence” separatist forces and the interference of external forces. They are fully justified, legitimate, and reasonable. The Lai Ching-te authorities have taken continued actions to seek independence, which could push Taiwan into a dangerous situation of war. They are the culprits who undermine security and well-being of Taiwan compatriots and will surely be disdained by the people and judged by the time.

    Journalist: A former commander of the US Pacific Command has reportedly said that 2027 is a critical year for the PLA not only to attack Taiwan but also to become a world-class military. The Chinese side now sails its aircraft carriers and other large vessels beyond the Second Island Chain to put pressure on Taiwan, Japan and the US. He called it “gunboat diplomacy”. Do you have any comment?

    Zhang Xiaogang: The Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair. How to resolve the Taiwan question is a matter for the Chinese people, which brooks no foreign interference. The operation and training activities conducted by Chinese aircraft carrier task groups conform to international law and practices, and do not target at any third party. In addition, China has never done such things as “gunboat diplomacy”. We urge the US side not to perceive China with its own hegemonic mindset, and stop misinterpreting China’s legitimate actions with false ideas.

    Journalist: China will hold a grand military parade on September 3 to mark the 80th anniversary of the victory of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War. According to the information released on June 24, weapons and equipment to be displayed in the parade are all domestically developed. What new weapons and equipment will be on display?

    Zhang Xiaogang: I believe many of you are interested in this question. Please be patient about the new weapons and equipment to be displayed. And no spoilers from me.

    Journalist: It is reported that the US Secretary of Defense recently claimed at a congressional hearing that China is a “pacing threat”, and that the US will prioritize re-establishing deterrence in the Indo-Pacific region to “achieve peace through strength”. The One Big Beautiful Bill of the US would allocate 12 billion US dollars for the “Pacific Deterrence Initiative”, further strengthening combat readiness of US forces in the Indo-Pacific and boosting defense capabilities of Taiwan. What’s your comment?

    Zhang Xiaogang: Zero-sum game should not be the way that major countries handle each other, and peaceful coexistence should be a bottom line both China and the US hold. China’s development poses no threat to other countries and we never resort to deterrence or coercion preferred by some certain country.

    The Taiwan question is purely China’s internal affair which brooks no foreign interference. The US side has repeatedly gone back on its own words and kept arming Taiwan, which would only backfire. We urge the US side to have an objective and rational perception of China, stop blaming China on everything, and stop deceiving and misleading the US public and the international community, so as to create favorable conditions for developing state-to-state and mil-to-mil relations between China and the US.

    Journalist: I have two questions. First, it is reported that this year’s enrollment in military academies in Taiwan has been hotly discussed, with the number of female cadets in many academies surpassing that of male cadets. “When male soldiers are not enough, female soldiers have to fill the gap”. Such a situation does not reflect gender equality, but rather a fact that no one want to throw their lives away for “Taiwan independence”. Do you have any comment? The second question, it is reported that the Trump administration planned to significantly increase arms sales to Taiwan during the second term. In the following four years, military sales to Taiwan is expected to surpass the $18.3 billion approved during the first Trump administration. The US side is also reportedly pressuring Taiwan’s opposition parties not to obstruct the DPP authorities’ efforts to raise defense budget. In addition, Lai Ching-te said that Taiwan’s defense budget should reach 3% of its GDP or even higher, and expressed the hope that Taiwan-US security cooperation would evolve beyond military procurement to joint production and joint research and development. What’s your comment on this?

    Zhang Xiaogang: There is a good point in your first question, no one want to throw their lives away for “Taiwan independence”. It is unworthy and meaningless to be cannon fodders for the armed forces of “Taiwan independence”.

    On your second question, Lai Ching-te and his kind are trying to find all kinds of ways to pay “protection fees” to their US masters, which squandered hard-earned money of the people in Taiwan. This is exactly “selling off the farmland of one’s family without being conscience-stricken”. We warn the DPP authorities that their attempts to solicit US support for “Taiwan independence” and resist reunification by force will only fail.

    Senior Colonel Zhang Xiaogang, spokesperson for the Ministry of National Defense (MND) of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), answers questions at a regular press conference on the afternoon of June 26, 2025. (mod.gov.cn)

    Journalist: According to reports, during its summit in the Hague from June 24 to 25, NATO accused China of providing Russia with key support in the Russia-Ukraine conflict, and expressed concerns over the South China Sea, the East China Sea and the Taiwan question. NATO Secretary General recently said that China is significantly strengthening its military capabilities, building the world’s largest navy, and expanding its nuclear arsenal. Therefore, NATO should strengthen its partnership with Indo-Pacific countries to deal with the military challenges posed by China. What’s your comment?

    Zhang Xiaogang: China adheres to the path of peaceful development, and is committed to a national defense policy that is defensive in nature. China’s military development is purely aimed at safeguarding national sovereignty, security and development interests. China-Russia cooperation does not target at any third party, nor will it be interfered by any third party.

    As a product of the Cold War and the largest military bloc in the world, NATO stirs up troubles and provokes conflicts and wars in various regions, making itself a true war machine. In recent years, NATO has overstretched its geographic boundary stipulated by its own Treaty, and ill-expanded its power and authority, arousing high vigilance among regional countries. We firmly oppose NATO using China as an excuse to “expand eastward into the Asia-Pacific” and urge NATO to reflect on its own behaviors, change course, and contribute more to global security and stability.

    Journalist: It is reported that when meeting with heads of the world’s leading news agencies, Russian President said that China and Russia are strengthening their extensive military cooperation on defense industries and other fields. The two sides hold joint exercises on a regular basis. The Russian Defense Ministry has made a detailed road map to deepen cooperation with China. What’s your take on that?

    Zhang Xiaogang: Based on the principle of non-alliance, non-confrontation and not targeting at any third party, cooperation between China and Russia has maintained a steady and sound momentum.

    Journalist: According to media reports, Taiwan’s first indigenous submarine Hai Kun recently completed its maiden sea trial. Do you have any comment on that?

    Zhang Xiaogang: The “Taiwan independence” separatist forces tried very hard to build the submarine Hai Kun only to find a form of psychological comfort. It can be easily defeated by the PLA.

    Journalist: It is reported that the Philippines has launched a so-called “New Hero-Fisherfolk” Program to encourage its fishermen to exploit fishing resources in waters near Nansha to the fullest extent. What’s your take on that?

    Zhang Xiaogang: China has indisputable sovereignty over Nansha Qundao and its adjacent waters, and has sovereign rights and jurisdiction over relevant waters. The Philippine side attempts to use fishing activities as a pretext to infringe upon China’s sovereignty and make provocations. This will never work. The Chinese side will strengthen administrative control of relevant waters in accordance with laws and regulations, and firmly safeguard our territorial sovereignty and maritime rights and interests.

    Journalist: A former Chief of Staff of Japan Self-Defense Force said that China has increased its maritime presence near Diaoyu Dao over the past two years. The increasingly aggressive actions taken by the Chinese side recently may be preparations for a landing operation to take control of Diaoyu Dao. What’s your comment on that?

    Zhang Xiaogang: Diaoyu Dao and its affiliated islands are China’s inherent territory. Patrols and law enforcement activities conducted by the Chinese side in waters under China’s jurisdiction are legitimate actions. It is the Japanese side who is undermining stability and escalating tensions in the relevant region.

    Journalist: It is reported that the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute of Sweden recently released its annual report on global nuclear forces, stating that China currently possesses 600 nuclear warheads, ranking third in the world. It says China’s stockpile is increasing at a speed of approximately 100 per year, faster than that of any other country. What is your comment?

    Zhang Xiaogang: I will not comment on this kind of speculative reports. China adheres to a nuclear strategy of self-defense, and commits itself to a nuclear policy of no first use of nuclear weapons. We keep our nuclear force at a minimum level required for national security and have no intention to engage in arms race with any country. China will continue to safeguard its legitimate security interests and uphold world peace and stability.

    Zhang Xiaogang: If there are no other questions, it concludes today’s press conference.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: It’s harder than you think to become a top sports official in football, soccer and the rugby codes

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kath O’Brien, Senior Lecturer – Faculty of Health (School Exercise & Nutrition Sciences), Queensland University of Technology

    Brendon Thorne/Getty Images

    Sport officials, regardless of which code they supervise, are appointed to be impartial figures.

    They have to quickly interpret infractions, adjudicate rules and communicate commands, all while maintaining the highest levels of objectivity and sense – not to mention the fitness required.

    So, what does it take to become a sport official at the elite level, such as NRL referees or AFL umpires?

    And why do so many sports fans think these officials are at fault when their team keeps getting penalised?



    Read more:
    1 in 5 community footy umpires have been assaulted, while others cop death threats: new research

    It’s harder than you think

    Recently, there were calls for Ashley Klein to be stripped of officiating duties for the third and final rugby league State of Origin clash after NRL commentators queried a one-sided penalty count in the Maroons’ favour during game two in Perth.

    Likewise, the AFL recently faced criticism when video evidence revealed Collingwood’s Lachie Schultz had suffered a concussion, but the umpires in charge failed to stop play immediately, as they should have.

    Every week, fans also voice their displeasure at perceived injustices, whether that be at the ground, watching on TV or venting on social media.

    However, very few people fully understand the complexity or intricacies of what it takes to perform a sport official’s role, particularly at the elite level.

    Elite officials must have detailed rule knowledge, incredible physical and mental fitness and be composed regardless of crowd pressure. They must be able to instantly move on from any mistakes made.

    They also need situational awareness and a level of calmness to effectively supervise two groups of competitors fiercely battling against each other in these highly charged environments.

    Figuratively speaking, this can be like emergency department (ED) doctors or air traffic controllers, who are required to manage multiple events and competing task demands in a calm and consistent manner.

    Even though elite officials don’t work continuously for long hours like ED doctors or pilots – the total playing time of most of our winter sporting codes is generally between 90-120 minutes – the level of concentration, composure and mental toughness required is immense.

    Making good decisions when both players and the ball are constantly shifting position also requires exceptional game understanding and an ability to convey decisions that are appropriate to the game context.

    In other words, elite referees operate in situations in which time pressure, stress and high risk decision-making are always present.

    So who would want to perform a role where coaches, fans and some sections of the media continually question your knowledge, integrity and skills?

    Professional or part-time?

    Currently, of Australia’s major winter codes, only the NRL has a full quota of referees who are full time, paid professionals.

    Soccer’s A-League has a small group of full-time officials and an impressive number of top officials are part of FIFA’s panel of international referees. Yet, most A-League referees are part-time operators.

    Similarly, Rugby Australia has a small team of full-time professional referees who are appointed to Super League games and international matches not involving Australia, but most are part-timers.

    In the AFL, most umpires work part-time, with pressure mounting on the league to transition its umpires into full-time positions as ongoing criticisms over controversial decisions continue to grow.

    What elite officials get paid can be shrouded in secrecy but AFL field umpires reportedly earn A$120–130,000 each year while the best NRL referees earn more than $300,000 each season.

    Current pathways into the top level for most sporting codes require extensive apprenticeships in lower grades.

    To reach those top pay levels, extensive on-field experience in lower grades is required. Those who stand out are selected in high-performance squads where specialist coaching is provided.

    An often thankless task

    So, do you think you have what it takes to be an elite sports official?

    Could you maintain an optimal level of physical and cognitive performance while running at high speeds when you know every decision you make can be reviewed by video technology and re-watched in slow motion at one 25th of a second?

    It might be good to remember most decisions in sport are not black and white.

    Referees are human. They make mistakes. Sometimes they have to follow a policy or refereeing method they might not agree with.

    However, what we need to remember before we shout at them during a game is elite officials are trying to make games as fair, open, free flowing and entertaining as possible as they strive to impartially apply the rules of the game.

    Kath O’Brien 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. It’s harder than you think to become a top sports official in football, soccer and the rugby codes – https://theconversation.com/its-harder-than-you-think-to-become-a-top-sports-official-in-football-soccer-and-the-rugby-codes-259036

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Being kind to people – the new challenge for the public service

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jennifer Smith-Merry, Director, Centre for Disability Research and Policy, University of Sydney

    When Labor was re-elected in May, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese used his acceptance speech to describe the type of country he wanted to lead.

    He spoke of how the Australian people had voted for fairness, aspiration and opportunity for all:

    For the strength to show courage in adversity and kindness to those in need. And Australians have voted for a future that holds true to these values.

    Prime Minister Anthony Albanese election victory speech declaring the Australian people had voted for Australian values.

    Noble sentiments from the prime minister.

    But can this translate into real change in government organisations? How much work do they have to do to live up to Albanese’s mantra of fairness and kindness towards those in need?

    Bureaucracy can be kind

    It is important our public institutions, such as the Australian Public Service, are kind, even when they are deciding who can access limited public resources.

    We conducted a review of academic research on organisational kindness to understand how organisations can be more generous to those they interact with.

    We discovered public service processes often lack kindness, which causes distress and sometimes significant harm. Many people would be familiar with unkind interactions with public services that should be there to serve us, but sometimes make us feel like an enemy.

    Kindness has positive benefits not just for the people being served, but for organisations themselves. Our research has found kindness contributes to profit, productivity, performance and favourable community perceptions.

    A kinder organisation is also a more trusted one, which is essential for any public service – funded by the public – to retain legitimacy.

    Lack of trust

    The National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS) is a case in point.

    Other research we have conducted shows individuals find it hard to apply for the NDIS.

    In part this stemmed from previous traumatic experiences with accessing government agencies, which resulted in a lack of trust in other public services.

    A study of NDIS participant experiences has also found complexity, poor communication, and confusing or inconsistent rules causes distress.

    Recent media coverage has focused on National Disability Insurance Agency (NDIA) decision-making processes that participants and families believe to be unkind. This includes surprise plan reviews where people feel unprepared and unsupported.

    Another example is the combative approach by the NDIA to people’s complaints, which makes complaining distressing and adversarial.

    Complaints are a legal, necessary aspect of a any organisation that services the public. But making it tortuous to complain is a lose-lose situation. It is not just unkind to the individual but problematic in effective running of public services.

    What makes public services unkind?

    Organisations may not set out to be unkind, but may become that way because of the way they work and think. They may see themselves in service of the public purse, rather than in service to the public.

    Particularly in times of budget constraint – such as the 8% growth cap to the NDIS – helping people access services may be seen as undermining cost savings goals. This can lead to practices that degrade or even demonise people who deserve help.

    Streamlining ways of working, cutting costs or even making decisions “fairer” by applying the same rules to everyone can be dehumanising.

    Individuals often face a “machinery of government” approach based on automated decision-making that lacks warmth and understanding, even where the decisions can be life-changing.

    This was most clear in the Morrison government’s Robodebt scheme. Assumptions were made about people based upon incomplete information gathered from administrative systems that did not fully reflect the lives of individuals. This had devastating consequences for many people, as outlined in the Royal Commission findings.

    Institutions may also be influenced by political narratives about deserving versus undeserving welfare recipients which prejudice how they are viewed. The “lazy dole bludger” is a classic trope.

    These narratives can result in unkind treatment when people need to access unemployment or disability benefits through Centrelink.

    How can public institutions be kinder?

    Being kind does not mean giving everyone everything they want, or even need.

    While hard decisions are sometimes necessary, they can be made in ways considerate of the people receiving the decision.

    We identified key barriers and enablers to organisational kindness.

    The main hurdles related to organisational culture and entrenched practices which make kindness difficult.

    Enablers for building a more generous approach include entrenching kindness as a core value within how organisational policies, processes and practices are structured.

    Kindness must be built into the organisational fabric not just enabled at the point of contact with individuals accessing the service.

    A kinder community

    The values of public services should reflect community values. However, sometimes communities lack kindness as an implicit value or, as noted in the earlier example about welfare recipients, may lack kindness towards particular groups.

    Broader kindness movements operating internationally include Kindness Singapore and Kindness UK. These movements aim to make kindness a core social value.

    Australian public institutions have received a strong cue from the prime minister that kindness should also be a core business value when serving clients, especially those in need.

    Jennifer Smith-Merry receives funding from the Australian Research Council through an Industry Laureate Fellowship. The National Disability Insurance Agency is a partner on that grant but had no involvement in this article. She is a member of the Grattan Institute Disability Program Reference Group.

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

    – ref. Being kind to people – the new challenge for the public service – https://theconversation.com/being-kind-to-people-the-new-challenge-for-the-public-service-260068

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Tuberville Honors Elaine McLeod of Troy as July “Veteran of the Month”

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Alabama Tommy Tuberville
    WASHINGTON – Today,U.S. Senator Tommy Tuberville (R-AL) released a video honoring U.S. Army Corporal Elaine McLeod as the July “Veteran of the Month.”
    Excerpts from Sen. Tuberville’s remarks can be found below, and complete remarks can be found here.
    “Veterans are the very heartbeat of the Wiregrass, and they bond together to support many great causes in the region. Among those leading the way is Corporal Elaine McLeod of Troy.
    The daughter of a Korean War veteran, Elaine joined the Army after graduating from high school in 1974. She served as a military police officer, doing everything from guarding Air Force One to scrubbing floors of the barracks. Elaine says the Army gave her the discipline that was missing in her early years. In 2000, Elaine returned home to Troy where she quickly began getting involved with local veteran organizations—including the Montgomery Chapter of Vietnam Veterans for America, AMVETS, and the Ozark American Legion Post where she now serves as the Commander. Elaine has worked tirelessly to address needs in the veteran community—including homelessness and food insecurity.
    […]
    Alabama is grateful for Elaine’s willingness to take on challenges to improve quality of life for our heroes. It’s my honor to recognize her as the July ‘Veteran of the Month.’”
    Senator Tuberville recognizes a different Alabama veteran each month for their service and contribution to their community. Constituents can nominate an Alabama veteran and submit their information to Senator Tuberville’s office for consideration by emailing press_office@tuberville.senate.gov. 
    Senator Tommy Tuberville represents Alabama in the United States Senate and is a member of the Senate Armed Services, Agriculture, Veterans’ Affairs, HELP and Aging Committees.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Breaking: China supports strengthening of New Development Bank – Premier of the State Council of China

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    RIO DE JANEIRO, July 7 (Xinhua) — China supports the New Development Bank in strengthening and expanding its scale, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Monday.

    Li Qiang made the statement at the plenary session of the 17th BRICS summit, calling for progress in reviewing the World Bank’s fairness and adjusting the IMF’s quota share.

    He also called for greater representation and voice for developing countries. –0–

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: SCO Member States to Develop Cooperation in Culture and Tourism

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    QINGDAO, July 8 (Xinhua) — Member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) will cooperate in building higher-quality cultural and tourism projects to promote high-quality development of humanitarian cooperation, the Ministry of Culture and Tourism of China said Monday.

    This decision was made at the 22nd meeting of the ministers of culture of the SCO member states and the meeting of the heads of tourism administrations of the SCO member states, which took place on Monday in the city of Qingdao in Shandong Province (Eastern China).

    China, which assumed the rotating SCO presidency for 2024-2025, chaired both events, which were attended by officials and representatives of cultural and tourism departments from 10 SCO member states, as well as the SCO Secretary General.

    At the events, all parties unanimously agreed to nominate the city of Cholpon-Ata in Kyrgyzstan as a candidate city for the status of “SCO Tourism and Cultural Capital” for the period 2025-2026, and also approved a list of cultural exchange projects within the SCO for 2025. -0-

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The Peace and Friendship Forum was held in Shenyang on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression and the Victory in the World Anti-Fascist War

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) — The Peace and Friendship Forum dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the victory in the Chinese People’s War of Resistance Against Japanese Aggression and the World Anti-Fascist War was held in Shenyang, capital of northeast China’s Liaoning Province, on Thursday. The event, titled “Common Destiny, Joint Path to Peace,” brought together distinguished guests from SCO member states and friendly countries, media representatives, experts and scholars to discuss ways of peaceful development.

    The forum, held in the heroic city that holds the memory of the war of resistance, was a tribute to the historic victory over fascism 80 years ago, a profound call for the formation of a community with a shared future for mankind, and a declaration of peace that looks to the future, according to local newspaper Shenyang Daily. Participants actively exchanged views on thematic issues and answered questions from the media.

    Eighty years ago, the Chinese people, shoulder to shoulder with other peoples of the world, won a great victory in the anti-fascist war. Shenyang has always regarded it as its important mission to spread the ideals of peace and preserve the spirit of the war of resistance, passing on from generation to generation the deep-rooted belief in peace.

    Su Xiaohui, deputy director of the US studies department at the China Institute of International Studies, said that consensual cooperation among the international community is needed to maintain the post-war world order. China, as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, calls on more countries to pay attention to contemporary global challenges and take the path of peace even further.

    According to her, the SCO plays a key role in ensuring international security. The countries have a common divisor in interests. China is actively developing a deep partnership for the sake of peace and hopes that SCO members and other partners of the international community will move towards each other with it.

    Professor Li Dong of the School of Humanities of Liaoning University noted that Shenyang has a significant set of national-level relics related to the war of resistance and rich “red” resources. “Based on this profound historical and cultural heritage, Shenyang should spread its stories to the world, honor the great victory and strive for peace and prosperity together with all peace-loving countries and peoples.”

    Professor Cui Zheng, director of the Center for Russian, East European and Central Asian Studies at Liaoning University, stressed that as the starting point of the Chinese People’s War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression, Shenyang has great potential for cooperation with Russian cities in preserving the historical legacy of World War II. -0-

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

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: China-led international standard for autonomous driving test scenarios published

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    BEIJING, July 8 (Xinhua) — An international standard for automated driving testing scenarios has been officially released, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology said Monday.

    Developed under the leadership of China, the standard establishes evaluation procedures and scenario testing methods for automated driving systems.

    The release of this standard reflects an important international consensus on autonomous driving testing and verification technologies, meeting the industry’s growing needs for safety assessment and test verification, the ministry said.

    The ministry will cooperate with industry institutes and research centers in China’s automobile industry, including the Technology Research Center, to further contribute to the development and revision of international standards in this field.

    China is at the forefront of autonomous driving development, according to McKinsey

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

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: Breaking: China confident of sustainable economic growth – Premier of the State Council of the People’s Republic of China

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    RIO DE JANEIRO, July 7 (Xinhua) — Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Monday that China has sufficient resources and means to counter adverse external influences and is confident and capable of achieving sustainable and healthy economic development.

    China will introduce additional measures for voluntary and unilateral opening up, he added at a meeting with World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on the sidelines of the 17th BRICS summit. –0–

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: Breaking: Rising Unilateralism, Protectionism Seriously Affect International Economic and Trade Order – Chinese Premier

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

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

    RIO DE JANEIRO, July 7 (Xinhua) — The global trade situation has undergone significant changes due to the rise of unilateralism and protectionism, which have seriously affected the international economic and trade order, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said here Monday during a meeting with World Trade Organization Director-General Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala on the sidelines of the 17th BRICS summit. –0–

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

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