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  • MIL-OSI Economics: Sanjay Malhotra: Convocation address – Indian Institute of Technology

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Chairman of the Board of Governors, Director of the Institute, Prof and Padma Shree Manindra Agrawal, winner of numerous awards, who was my senior here and who I hold in very high esteem, faculty members, staff, proud parents, family and friends of the graduating students, distinguished guests, and my dear graduating students, alumni, ladies and gentlemen.

    Today marks the culmination of an exciting chapter for the graduating students, where you have not only learnt new things – academic and extra-curricular – but have also had an enjoyable and memorable experience. I extend a very warm congratulations to all the graduating students. Please give yourselves a huge round of applause.

    To the parents and guardians, this moment belongs as much to you as it does to your children and wards. Your innumerable sacrifices, continuous support, unconditional love and unwavering encouragement have laid the foundation upon which these young achievers now stand. I know this is an emotional and proud moment for you. I have myself experienced these emotions when my sons graduated – one from IIT Bombay and the other from IIT Guwahati. My warmest congratulations to you as your ward steps into a new chapter in life.

    Dear graduates, it is a special day for you as you enter a new and exciting phase of life. It is an equally special day for me and doubly so. First, this institute has had a transformational impact on me, my life and my thoughts. I remember with nostalgia my years at IIT. I still vividly remember my first day at IIT when my mother came to drop me with another batchmate. I recollect my days at Hall III and then Hall I, the healthy rivalry between Hall II and Hall III, phatta cricket, bulla, the various celebrations at Red Rose Restaurant on the campus and Chung Fa restaurant in the city, movies at L7, DEC 10 of which we were so proud, the iconic library, Culfest and the many friends that I made and treasure till date. The steel trunk which carried my belongings to IIT and which my loving wife has preserved till date is still with me. I still have my Wilson tennis racket, with which I religiously played every evening at the clay courts on campus. IITK has a special place in my heart. This convocation ceremony is even more special as I did not attend our convocation ceremony; in fact, we did not have a proper convocation ceremony, perhaps the only batch not to have it. So, it’s an honour to be back here after thirty-six long years in a new and privileged role and be a part of the convocation ceremony today. Thank you, IIT, for this honour.

    Times have changed a lot since I graduated. But there are certainly lessons which endure time. As a fellow-alumnus, roll number 85213, who has experienced life after campus, I will speak about four learnings from my journey.

    Learning for Life

    Many of you would have got your dream jobs. Others, who plan to pursue further studies, would get them soon. With a degree from a prestigious institute and a good job in hand, please don’t think that you have arrived. The moment you think you have arrived, you will stagnate. The moment you believe you know everything, you will stop growing.

    This is just the beginning, only the first step. The degree has only laid a solid foundation and will take you thus far. You will need to build from here. You will need to learn when you change sectors, move across organisations within a sector, take up different roles within an organization and even within the same role in an organisation. Technology is advancing at a lightning speed. What you learnt yesterday would be outdated tomorrow as new ideas and tools emerge daily.

    I can assure you that the institute has prepared you well for your life ahead. It has not only imparted you with knowledge which will be of immense use but, more importantly, equipped you with the most important tool – the tool of self-learning.

    Like other IAS officers, I worked in diverse fields like urban management, land resources, industries, power, health, taxation, banking, finance, etc. Many of them were general management but many were highly technical and specialized, which had a steep learning curve. The IITK emphasis on basic sciences and core engineering subjects, its importance to the fundamentals of a subject, its priority to deriving the formulae rather than merely memorizing and applying them, its attention to problem-solving from first principles, and various other methods of problem solving have held me in good stead. IIT gave me the necessary tools for self-learning. I am sure it has given you too the same tools.

    So, continue your quest for knowledge. Remember that learning is for life. The moment one is not learning, it is a signal that one is not growing; one is not advancing. It is knowledge which will keep you ahead of others. Its importance cannot be over-emphasized. I urge you all, as Stephen Covey said, to continuously sharpen your saw and cut the grass under your feet.

    Question the status quo

    My second learning pertains to the period between 2003 and 2006, when I was working in the United Nations. I was managing a project to improve productivity in the hand tools clusters in India. We hired a Total Quality Management expert for some of our interventions. He had long and diverse experience across organisations.

    He challenged the forging units there to reduce the time taken in changing a die from about eight hours to less than an hour. All of them including the most advanced, productive and efficient forging units vehemently denied the possibility of reducing the time. When he failed after many days of trying to convince them to improve, he suggested some changes including installation of a video camera. This was tried in a unit. These small changes reduced the time to five hours. When asked, the supervisor, apart from other things, explained that the work started on time, as scheduled; no one was late; no one took an unscheduled tea break; all required equipment were pre-arranged and kept ready for use; there was no wastage of time. The small changes and videography did the trick as everyone was being watched. What followed was a series of improvements or what are called kaizens, not only in the exchange of dies, but also various other processes – forging, grinding, electroplating, packaging, etc, as every process was questioned. We ended up reducing costs by about 10%.

    I learnt to question the status quo. I learnt that there is always scope for improvement. This helped me improve efficiency in various organisations and departments that I worked in. It helped in reducing processing time of files. I reduced turnaround times for applications. It helped me make changes in laws, rules and procedures for the benefit of citizens and government alike, as I questioned the status quo.

    As Albert Einstein famously said, “The important thing is not to stop questioning.” When you question the status quo and ask questions, you open the door to new ideas and fresh perspectives. It is fuel for innovation; it drives you to explore, experiment, and create something better. So, no matter where you are in life or your career, never stop questioning the status quo and improving.

    Pursue virtuous Karma

    The third learning pertains to my tenure as Secretary, Department of Personnel in the Government of Rajasthan in 2007-08. Promotions from the state civil service to the IAS were plagued with disputes and court cases. For almost about 20 years, no one was promoted to the IAS. My predecessors did not take up this issue as they thought it would be an exercise in futility as some aggrieved officer will approach the doors of the judiciary. When I was given responsibility for this department, I took up the gauntlet. I studied all the disputes and judicial pronouncements meticulously; decided on claims of seniority and promotion, without fear or favour; finalized and published the seniority lists; and after spending months on this mammoth exercise, sent the proposals to UPSC for promotion. Just when we were about to convene the meeting for promotion, one officer again approached the court and got a stay. Months of my hard work was brought to nought. Even though many officers commended me for the hard work and getting the matter so close to finalization, I was disappointed.

    I had to leave for Princeton for my masters within a few days and could not pursue the case in the courts. After I returned, I was put in a different department. In a few years, the court lifted the stay. I was asked if I would be interested in giving finishing touches to the work I had initiated. Once bitten, twice shy, I did not take up the challenge this time. The work was completed by another officer. In recognition of his efforts, he was conferred with the state award for civil service.

    I realized I did not follow my karma as I feared failure. I realized I needed to follow my karma boldly and decisively without bothering about the results.

    Without going in to details of my journey thereafter, today, as I look back, I can confidently say that it is karma that largely determines outcomes and results. It is the path that one chooses that broadly determines the destination. Today, I appreciate how true Steve Jobs was when he said, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward.” Right now, you may not fully grasp how your karma – each late-night lab session, each frustrating bug, and each decision that you take – will impact your journey. You may not appreciate, how delayed gratification, the hallmark of all great leaders, will deliver bigger success over the longer term for the instant rewards foregone. But trust me, over time, the dots will connect and it will be in large measure due to your karma.

    Trust

    My last learning is from the student days in IIT, when we were always short of money and under debt. Food at the mess was as good as it can be. We relied heavily on the hostel canteen. A samosa at that time costed 35 paise and a bottle of Thums Up 2 rupees and 25 paise. The canteen was managed by a person called Lala. Lala was loved by everyone. He would serve us till late in night and very generously gave us credit. Even outside hostel, we got credit from the juice vendor, the shops in Shopping Centre, etc. This may not be surprising. Lala knew us, recognizing us as hostelers. Other vendors too recognized us as students from the campus. What was surprising though was that we got credit even from some shopkeepers in Kanpur, who did not know us at all. Why did these shopkeepers give credit to us? It is because of their trust in the IIT students.

    It is because people do business with people they trust. Trust is the foundation on which any relationship is built, whether it is marriage, friendship, or at workplace – between the CEO and the employees, or between a company and its consumers.

    It is trust in a person that makes him a leader; it is trust which makes people follow a leader. Integrity and ethics are paramount to develop trust. It is not easy to gain trust. To earn trust, a leader must have the courage to take difficult decisions. He must act in the interest of the employees and other stakeholders. He must be willing to accept responsibility. He must lead by example. He must possess the humility to learn from his mistakes. He must be just, transparent and respectful. Trust takes time to build. But it is easy to lose trust. To be a successful person, a successful leader, graduating students, try to gain trust and having gained it, preserve trust.

    Your time to shine

    To conclude, dear graduating students, as you leave this campus today, have confidence in yourself. Dream big, but more importantly, act on those dreams. Make IIT Kanpur proud. Make your parents proud. Make India proud. But most importantly, make yourselves proud – proud by living lives of character, ethics and humility; lives filled with purpose, service and impact. As you step into tomorrow, carry with you the spirit of this institution, carry with you the love of your families, and carry with you the dreams of a billion Indians who believe in your potential.

    Your journey of transformation began here at IIT Kanpur. Now, transform the world as leaders who are trustworthy; who continue learning for life; who question the status quo and who pursue virtuous karma.

    May God bless you with all the very best in your journey ahead.

    Thank you.

    Jai Hind.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: How Muscovites are helping transform the capital’s parks with the help of the City of Ideas platform

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Since the introduction of the Parks sphere on the platform in 2022, “City of Ideas” More than 280 proposals from Muscovites were implemented, which were aimed at developing the capital’s green areas. Thus, new bike paths, dog walking areas, play areas and summer open-air cinemas were built in the parks.

    New opportunities for recreation and sports

    Over three years, work on the proposals of city residents was carried out in many areas of Moscow. For example, additional lighting was installed in the Mitino landscape park, which made walks at night more comfortable. In the Shmelevsky Ruchey park, between the Zyablikovo and Orekhovo-Borisovo Yuzhnoye districts, the bank of the forest reservoir was cleaned and strengthened. This gave the park a well-groomed appearance and increased its attractiveness to visitors.

    In Zelenograd, the area near Shkolnoye Lake was tidied up, where new sun loungers and benches were installed and the sand on the beach was replaced. Now you can comfortably relax by the water without leaving the city.

    Changes also affected the sports infrastructure. Thus, in the Lianozovo Park, a volleyball court was equipped and table tennis tables were installed, and in Golyanovsky Park this year a recreation area with swimming pools appeared as part of the Moscow Seasons project.

    Cultural events in the capital’s parks

    The platform can also offer an idea for holding cultural events in parks. One of the striking examples is Otradnoye Park, which has become a real center of public life in the district. Now fairs, concerts, master classes and other events initiated by city residents are regularly held here.

    For example, this spring the park hosted the “Russian Yard” festival, dedicated to Russian traditions. Visitors watched performances by folk groups, took part in folk games and amusements, and also tried tea from a wood-fired samovar and homemade bread baked according to old recipes.

    Last year, other Moscow parks also hosted interesting events. In June, the Mossovet District Public Center organized painting workshops for children in Semenovsky Park, where young artists painted pictures inspired by nature and learned how important it is to protect the environment. And in August, a youth basketball tournament was held on the sports ground of the Zodiac Signs Park, following which the winners were awarded commemorative district cups.

    Thanks to such initiatives by Muscovites, the capital’s parks are becoming not just a place for relaxation, but also a platform for entertainment, creativity and an active lifestyle.

    How to propose an initiative

    Any resident of the capital who has the right to propose an idea on the platform can account on the mos.ru portal. You can do this in the “Suggest an idea” section. To do this, you need to select an area “Parks” and one of three categories: “Park improvement”, “Recreation areas for adults and children” or “Events and services”. If the moderation process is successful, the ideas will be taken into work.

    You can visually evaluate the transformations in the section “Gallery of realized ideas”. It contains photos of the best works carried out on the initiative of city residents. Thanks to a recent update of the section, navigation has become easier: now you can quickly find photo or video evidence on any topic using a convenient search and filters. This allows you to see the results of the transformation of the city and get inspired for your own initiatives.

    “City of Ideas”: More than three thousand proposals from residents have been implemented since 2020

    Platform “City of Ideas” has been operating since 2014. More than 620 thousand users have joined it. They share suggestions on how to make life in the capital even more comfortable. More than 8.6 thousand suggestions have already been implemented. City residents participated in projects dedicated to electronic services, culture, entrepreneurship, healthcare, education, transport and other topics. The projects are developed by the State Institution “New Management Technologies” andDepartment of Information Technology of the City of Moscow.

    The creation, development and operation of the e-government infrastructure, including the provision of mass socially significant services, as well as other services in electronic form, correspond to the objectives of the national project “Data Economy” and the regional project of the city of Moscow “Digital Public Administration”.

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

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

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/156149073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: President Lai meets delegation from 2025 Taiwan International Ocean Forum

    Source: Republic of China Taiwan

    Details
    2025-06-30
    President Lai meets Minister of State at UK Department for Business and Trade Douglas Alexander  
    On the morning of June 30, President Lai Ching-te met with Douglas Alexander, Minister of State at the Department for Business and Trade of the United Kingdom. In remarks, President Lai thanked the UK government for its longstanding support for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. Noting that two years ago, Taiwan and the UK signed an enhanced trade partnership (ETP) arrangement, the president said that today Taiwan and the UK have signed three pillars under the ETP, which will help promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation. He expressed hope of the UK publicly supporting Taiwan’s accession to the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP) so that together we can create an economic and trade landscape in the Indo-Pacific characterized by shared prosperity and development. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: First, on behalf of the people of Taiwan, I extend a warm welcome to Minister Alexander and wish a fruitful outcome for the 27th round of Taiwan-UK trade talks later today. Taiwan-UK relations have grown closer in recent years. We have not only continued to strengthen cooperation in such fields as offshore wind power, innovative technologies, and culture and education but also have established regular dialogue mechanisms in the critical areas of economics and trade, energy, and agriculture. The UK is currently Taiwan’s fourth-largest European trading partner, second-largest source of investment from Europe, and third-largest target for investment in Europe. Two years ago, Taiwan and the UK signed an ETP arrangement. This was particularly meaningful, as it was the first institutionalized economic and trade framework between Taiwan and a European country. Today, this arrangement is yielding further results. I am delighted that Taiwan and the UK have signed three pillars under the ETP covering investment, digital trade, and energy and net-zero. This will help promote bilateral economic and trade cooperation and advance industrial development on both sides. I also want to thank the UK government for its longstanding support for peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. This month, the UK published its Strategic Defence Review 2025 and National Security Strategy 2025, which oppose any unilateral attempts to change the status quo across the Taiwan Strait. These not only demonstrate that Taiwan and the UK share similar goals but also show that security and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region are inseparable from those of the transatlantic regions. In addition, last November, the House of Commons passed a motion which made clear that United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) Resolution 2758 neither established the sovereignty of the People’s Republic of China over Taiwan nor determined Taiwan’s status in the United Nations. The UK government also responded to the motion by publicly expressing for the first time its position on UNGA Resolution 2758, opposing any attempt to broaden the interpretation of the resolution to rewrite history. For this, on behalf of the people of Taiwan, I once again want to extend my deepest gratitude. Taiwan and the UK have the advantage of being highly complementary in the technology sector. In facing the restructuring of global supply chains and other international economic and trade developments, I believe that Taiwan and the UK are indispensable key partners for one another. I look forward to the UK publicly supporting Taiwan’s accession to the CPTPP so that together, we can create an economic and trade landscape in the Indo-Pacific characterized by shared prosperity and development. In closing, I wish Minister Alexander a pleasant and successful visit. And I hope he has the opportunity to visit Taiwan for personal travel in the future. Minister Alexander then delivered remarks, saying that it is a great personal honor to meet with everyone today to discuss further deepening the UK-Taiwan trade relationship and explore the many opportunities our two sides can pursue together. He mentioned that he traveled to Taiwan in 2022 when he was a private citizen, a visit he thoroughly enjoyed, so he is delighted to be back to see the strength of the UK-Taiwan relationship and the strengthening of that relationship. He said that relationship is built on mutual respect, democratic values, and a shared vision for open, resilient, and rules-based economic cooperation. As like-minded partners, he pointed out, our collaboration continues to grow across multiple sectors, and he is here today to further that momentum. Minister Alexander stated that on trade and investment, he is proud that this morning we signed the ETP Pillars on Investment, Digital Trade, Energy and Net Zero, which will provide a clear framework for our future cooperation and lay the foundation for expanded access and market-shaping engagement between our two economies. The minister said he believes that together with our annual trade talks, this partnership will help UK’s firms secure new commercial opportunities, improve regulatory alignment, and promote long-term investment in key growth areas, which in turn will also support Taiwan’s efforts to expand high-quality trade relationships with trusted partners. Minister Alexander said that President Lai’s promotion of the Five Trusted Industry Sectors and the UK’s recently published industrial and trade strategies are very well-aligned, as both cover clean energy and semiconductors as well as advanced manufacturing. He then provided an example, saying that both sides plan to invest in AI infrastructure and compute power-creating opportunities for great joint research in the future. By combining our strengths in these areas, he said, we can open the door to innovative collaboration and commercial success for both sides. He mentioned that yesterday he visited the Taiwan Space Agency, commenting that in sectors such as satellite technology, green energy, and cyber security, British expertise and trusted standards can provide meaningful solutions. Noting that President Lai spoke in his remarks of the broader challenge of peace and security in the region, Minister Alexander stated that the United Kingdom has, of course, also continued to affirm its commitment to peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait, along with its G7 partners. The UK-Taiwan relationship is strategic, enduring, and growing, he stated, and they reaffirm and remain firm in their longstanding position and confident in their ability to work together to support both prosperity and resilience in both of our societies. Minister Alexander said that, as Taiwan looks to diversify capital and build global partnerships, they believe the UK represents a strong and ambitious investment destination, particularly for Taiwanese companies at the very forefront of robotics, clean tech, and advanced industry. He pointed out that the UK’s markets are stable, open, and aligned with Taiwan’s vision of a high-tech, sustainable future, adding that he looks forward to our discussion on how we can further deepen our cooperation across all of these areas and more. The delegation also included Martin Kent, His Majesty’s Trade Commissioner for Asia Pacific at the UK Department for Business and Trade. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by British Office Taipei Representative Ruth Bradley-Jones.   

    Details
    2025-06-27
    President Lai confers decoration on former Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Chairman Ohashi Mitsuo
    On the morning of June 27, President Lai Ching-te conferred the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon upon former Chairman of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Ohashi Mitsuo in recognition of his firm convictions and tireless efforts in promoting Taiwan-Japan exchanges. In remarks, President Lai stated that Chairman Ohashi cares for Taiwan like a family member, and expressed hope that Taiwan and Japan continue to deepen their partnership, bring about the early signing of an economic partnership agreement (EPA), and jointly build secure and stable non-red supply chains as we boost the resilience and competitiveness of our economies and jointly safeguard the values of freedom and democracy. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: Every meeting I have with Chairman Ohashi, with whom I have worked side by side for many years, is warm and friendly. I recall that when we met last year, Chairman Ohashi said that he often thinks about what Japan can do for Taiwan and what Taiwan can do for Japan, and that it is that mutual concern that makes us so close. This was a truly moving statement illustrating the relationship between Taiwan and Japan. Chairman Ohashi has also said numerous times that our bilateral relations may very well be the best in the entire world, and that in fact they may serve as a model to other countries. Indeed, Chairman Ohashi is himself an exemplary model for friendly relations between Taiwan and Japan. His spirit of always working tirelessly to promote Taiwan-Japan exchanges is truly admirable. Assuming the position of chairman of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association in 2011, he served during the terms of former Presidents Ma Ying-jeou and Tsai Ing-wen, continuously making positive contributions to Taiwan-Japan relations. Over these past 14 years, Taiwan and Japan have signed over 50 major agreements, spanning the economy and trade, fisheries, and taxes, among other areas. In 2017, the Taiwan-Japan Relations Association and the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association underwent name changes, strengthening the essence and significance of Taiwan-Japan relations. These great achievements were all made possible thanks to the firm convictions and tireless efforts of Chairman Ohashi. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I am delighted to confer upon Chairman Ohashi the Order of Brilliant Star with Grand Cordon to express our deepest thanks for his outstanding contributions. Chairman Ohashi is not just a good friend of Taiwan, but someone who cares for Taiwan like a family member. When a major earthquake struck in 2016, he personally went to Tainan to assess the situation and meet with the city government. This outpouring of friendship and support across borders was deeply moving. As we look to the future, I hope that Taiwan and Japan can continue to deepen our partnership. In addition to bringing about the early signing of an EPA, I also hope that we can expand collaboration in key areas such as semiconductors, energy, and AI, continue building secure and stable non-red supply chains, and boost the resilience and competitiveness of our economies as well as peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific. As Chairman Ohashi has said, the close bilateral relationship between Taiwan and Japan is one the world can be proud of. I would like to thank him once again for his contributions to deepening Taiwan-Japan ties. Taiwan will continue to forge ahead side by side with Japan, jointly safeguarding the values of freedom and democracy and mutually advancing prosperous development. I wish Chairman Ohashi good health, happiness, peace, and success in his future endeavors, and invite him to return to Taiwan often to visit old friends. Chairman Ohashi then delivered remarks, first thanking President Lai for his kind words. He stated that the Taiwan-Japan relationship is not only worthy of praise; it can also serve as a superb model in the world for bilateral relations that is worthy of study by other countries. He added that this is the result of the collective efforts of President Lai as well as many other individuals. Chairman Ohashi said that the current international situation is rather severe, with wars and conflicts occurring between many neighboring countries. He said that there is a growing trend of nuclear weapon proliferation, emphasizing that use of such weapons would cause significant harm between nations. He also pointed out that some countries even use nuclear weapons as a threat, leading to instability and impacting the global situation. Chairman Ohashi said that neither Taiwan nor Japan possesses nuclear weapons, which is something to be proud of. That is why, he said, we can declare that a world without nuclear weapons is a peaceful world. He also mentioned that during his tenure as chairman of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association, he consistently upheld this principle in his work. Chairman Ohashi said that the mission of the World Federalist Movement (WFM) is to promote world peace. He said that the WFM has branches in countries worldwide, with the WFM of Japan being one of the most prominent, and that it also aspires to achieve the goal of world peace. Having served as chairman of the Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association for 14 years, he said, he is now stepping down from this role and will serve as the chairman of the WFM of Japan, aiming to promote peace in countries around the world. Chairman Ohashi said that both Taiwan and Japan can take pride in our friendly bilateral relationship, emphasizing that if the good relationship between Japan and Taiwan could be offered as an example to countries around the world, there would be no more wars. He expressed his sincere hope that under President Lai’s leadership, Taiwan and Japan can work together to jointly promote world peace. Also in attendance at the ceremony was Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Taipei Office Chief Representative Katayama Kazuyuki.

    Details
    2025-06-25
    President Lai meets Japan’s former Economic Security Minister Kobayashi Takayuki
    On the afternoon of June 25, President Lai Ching-te met with Kobayashi Takayuki, Japan’s former economic security minister and a current member of the House of Representatives. In remarks, President Lai expressed hope to combine the strengths of the democratic community to build resilient, reliable non-red supply chains, and ensure a resilient global economy and sustainable development. He also expressed hope that Taiwan and Japan can bring about the early signing of an economic partnership agreement (EPA), and that Japan will continue supporting Taiwan’s bid to join the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership (CPTPP), enhancing our own bilateral partnership, as doing so would create win-win situations and further contribute to regional economic security and stability. The following is a translation of President Lai’s remarks: I welcome Representative Kobayashi back to Taiwan for another visit after seven years. During his last visit, he was with a delegation from the Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) Youth Division, and we met at the Executive Yuan. I am very happy to see him again today. Representative Kobayashi has long paid close attention to matters involving economic security, technological innovation, and aerospace policy. He also made a stunning debut in last year’s LDP presidential election, showing that he is truly a rising star and an influential figure in the political sphere. With this visit, Representative Kobayashi is demonstrating support for Taiwan with concrete action, which is very meaningful. Taiwan and Japan are both part of the first island chain’s key line of defense. We thank the many Japanese prime ministers, including former Prime Ministers Abe Shinzo, Suga Yoshihide, and Kishida Fumio, as well as current Prime Minister Ishiba Shigeru, for the many times they have highlighted the importance of peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait at important international venues, and for expressing opposition to the use of force or coercion to unilaterally change the status quo in the Taiwan Strait. I hope that Taiwan and Japan can engage in more cooperation and exchanges to promote peace and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region in all aspects. In particular, China in recent years has been actively expanding its red supply chains, which threaten the global free trade system and advanced technology markets. Taiwan hopes to combine the strengths of the democratic community to build resilient, reliable non-red supply chains. In the semiconductor industry, for example, Taiwan has excellent advanced manufacturing capabilities, while Japan plays an important role in materials, equipment, and key technologies. I am confident that, given the experience that Taiwan and Japan have in cooperating, we can build an industrial supply chain composed of democratic nations to ensure a resilient global economy and sustainable development. I hope that Taiwan and Japan can bring about the early signing of an EPA in order to deepen our bilateral trade and investment exchanges and cooperation. I also hope that Japan will continue supporting Taiwan’s bid to join the CPTPP, enhancing our own bilateral partnership, as doing so would create win-win situations and further contribute to regional economic security and stability. Taiwan and Japan are democratic partners that share the values of freedom, democracy, and respect for human rights. I firmly believe that so long as we work together, we can certainly address the challenges posed by authoritarianism, and bring prosperity and development to the Indo-Pacific region. In closing, I welcome Representative Kobayashi once again. I am certain that this visit will help enhance Taiwan-Japan exchanges and deepen our friendship. Representative Kobayashi then delivered remarks, first thanking President Lai for taking the time to meet with him, and noting that this was his second visit to Taiwan following a trip seven years prior, when he came with his good friend from college and then-Director of the LDP Youth Division Suzuki Keisuke, now Japan’s minister of justice. Representative Kobayashi mentioned a Japanese kanji that he is very fond of – 絆 (kizuna) – which means “deep ties of friendship.” He emphasized that a key purpose of this visit to Taiwan was to reiterate the deep ties of friendship between Taiwan and Japan. In addition to deep historical ties, he said, Taiwan and Japan also enjoy a like-minded partnership in terms of economic, personnel, and friendship-oriented exchanges. He went on to say that at the strategic level, Taiwan and Japan also have deep ties of friendship, and that for Japan, it is strategically important that Taiwan not be isolated under any circumstances. Representative Kobayashi emphasized that cooperation between Taiwan and Japan, and even cooperation among Taiwan, Japan, and the United States, are more important now than ever, and that another important focus of this visit is the non-red supply chains referred to earlier by President Lai. He said that as Japan’s first economic security minister and the person currently in charge of the LDP’s policy on economic security, he is acutely aware of the important impact of economic security on national interests, and therefore looks forward to further exchanging views regarding Taiwan’s concrete steps to build non-red supply chains. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by Japan-Taiwan Exchange Association Deputy Representative Takaba Yo.

    Details
    2025-06-16
    President Lai meets delegation led by Representative Bera, co-chair of US Congressional Taiwan Caucus
    On the morning of June 16, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by Representative Ami Bera, co-chair of the US Congressional Taiwan Caucus. In remarks, President Lai thanked the representatives in Congress for actively voicing support for Taiwan and proposing numerous Taiwan-friendly initiatives to strengthen Taiwan-US ties, helping expand Taiwan’s international space and continuing to place focus on peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. The president said that we will continue to strengthen bilateral investment and industrial cooperation and create a more comprehensive environment for economic and trade exchanges to jointly enhance economic and developmental resilience. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I am delighted to meet with the delegation and welcome Congressman Bera back to the Presidential Office. Last January, he visited after the presidential election, demonstrating the steadfast backing of the US Congress for democratic Taiwan. This time, as head of a delegation of new members of the House Armed Services Committee and the Foreign Affairs Committee, he is continuing to foster US congressional support for Taiwan. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I extend a sincere welcome to Congressman Bera and all our esteemed guests. Over the years, staunch bipartisan US congressional backing of Taiwan has been a key force for steadily advancing our bilateral relations. I thank the representatives in Congress for actively voicing support for Taiwan and proposing numerous Taiwan-friendly initiatives, thereby strengthening Taiwan-US ties, helping expand Taiwan’s international space, and continuing to place focus on peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait. I want to emphasize that Taiwan has an unwavering determination to safeguard peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region. Over the past year, the government and private sector have been working together to enhance Taiwan’s whole-of-society defense resilience and accelerate reform of national defense. The government is also prioritizing special budget allocations to ensure that our defense budget exceeds three percent of GDP this year. I hope that Taiwan-US security cooperation will evolve beyond military procurement to a partnership that encompasses joint research and development and joint production, further strengthening cooperation and exchange in the defense industry. Regarding industrial exchanges, last month, Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and Minister of Economic Affairs Kuo Jyh-huei (郭智輝) each visited Texas to see firsthand Taiwan-US collaboration in AI and semiconductors. And the delegation led by Executive Yuan Secretary-General Kung Ming-hsin (龔明鑫) sent by Taiwan to this year’s SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington, DC, was again the largest of those attending. All of this demonstrates Taiwan’s commitment to working alongside the US to create mutual prosperity. In the future, we will continue to strengthen bilateral investment and industrial cooperation. And I hope that the legislation addressing the issue of Taiwan-US double taxation will become law this year. I want to thank Congressman Bera for co-leading a joint letter last November signed by over 100 members of Congress calling for such legislation. I believe that by creating a more comprehensive environment for economic and trade exchanges, Taiwan and the US can enhance economic and developmental resilience. In closing, I thank you all for making the long journey here to advance Taiwan-US relations. Let us continue working together to promote the prosperous development of this important partnership. Congressman Bera then delivered remarks, saying that on behalf of the delegation, it is an honor for him to be here once again, it being last January that he and Congressman Mario Díaz-Balart visited and congratulated President Lai on his election victory, noting that theirs was the first congressional delegation to do so. Congressman Bera said that this is an important time, not just for the US and Taiwan relationship, but for all relationships around the world. When we look at conflicts in Europe and in the Middle East, he said, it is incumbent upon democracies to hold the peace in Asia. He emphasized that is why it is important for them to bring a delegation of members of the Foreign Affairs Committee and the Armed Services Committee, adding that he believes for all of them it is their first trip to Taiwan.  Congressman Bera said that while this is a delegation of Democratic members of Congress, in a bipartisan way all of Congress continues to support the people of Taiwan. As such, in this visit he brings support from his co-chairs on the Taiwan caucus, Congressman Díaz-Balart and Congressman Andy Barr. He also took a moment to recognize the passing of Congressman Gerald Connolly, who was a longtime friend of Taiwan and one of their co-chairs on the caucus. Congressman Bera mentioned that there is always a special bond between himself and President Lai because they are both doctors, and as doctors, their profession is about healing, keeping the peace, and making sure everybody has a bright, prosperous future. In closing, he highlighted that it is in that spirit that their delegation visits with the president. The delegation also included members of the US Congress Gabe Amo, Wesley Bell, Julie Johnson, Sarah McBride, and Johnny Olszewski.

    Details
    2025-06-13
    President Lai meets delegation led by French National Assembly Taiwan Friendship Group Chair Marie-Noëlle Battistel
    On the morning of June 12, President Lai Ching-te met a delegation led by Marie-Noëlle Battistel, chair of the French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group. In remarks, President Lai thanked the National Assembly for its long-term support for Taiwan’s international participation and for upholding security in the Taiwan Strait, helping make France the first major country in the world to enact legislation to uphold freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait. The president also said that exchanges and cooperation between Taiwan and France are becoming more frequent, and that he hopes this visit by the Taiwan Friendship Group will inject new momentum into Taiwan-France relations and help build closer partnerships in the economy, trade, energy, and digital security.  A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: First, I would like to welcome Chair Battistel, who is once again leading a visiting delegation. Last year, Chair Battistel co-led a delegation to attend the inauguration ceremony for myself and Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao. This is her fourth visit, and first as chair of the Taiwan Friendship Group, which makes it especially meaningful. This delegation’s visit demonstrates strong support for Taiwan, and on behalf of the people of Taiwan, I want to express my sincerest welcome and thanks. France is a pioneer in promoting free and democratic values. These are values that Taiwan cherishes and is working hard to defend. I want to express gratitude to the French Parliament for their long-term support for Taiwan’s international participation, and for upholding security in the Taiwan Strait. The French Parliament’s two chambers have continued to strongly support Taiwan, with the passage of a resolution supporting Taiwan’s participation in international organizations in 2021, as well as the passage of the seven-year Military Programming Law in 2023. This has made France the first major country in the world to enact legislation to uphold freedom of navigation in the Taiwan Strait. Through it all, the Taiwan Friendship Group has played a key role, and I want to thank all of our distinguished guests for their efforts. Over the past few years, Taiwan and France have continued to deepen cooperation in areas including the economy, technology, culture, and sports. At the Choose France summit held in Paris last month, Taiwanese and French enterprises also announced they will launch cooperation in the semiconductor and satellite fields. The VivaTech startup exhibition, now being held in France, also has many Taiwanese vendors participating. Exchanges and cooperation between Taiwan and France, whether official or people-to-people, are becoming more and more frequent. I hope that this visit by the Taiwan Friendship Group will inject new momentum into Taiwan-France relations, building closer partnerships in the economy, trade, energy, and digital security.  To address current geopolitical and economic challenges, Taiwan will continue to join forces with France and other like-minded countries to jointly safeguard peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific region, and contribute our concerted efforts to global prosperity and development. Once again, I want to welcome our visitors to Taiwan. I hope to continue our joint efforts to create a more prosperous future for both Taiwan and France.   Chair Battistel then delivered remarks, thanking President Lai for extending this invitation. Last year on May 20, she said, she and her delegation attended the presidential inauguration ceremony, so she was delighted to visit Taiwan once again with the French National Assembly’s Taiwan Friendship Group and bear witness to their friendship with Taiwan. Chair Battistel noted that this visit has given them an opportunity to strengthen Taiwan-France relations in areas including the economy, culture, the humanities, and diplomacy, and conduct exchanges with numerous heads of government agencies and research institutes. It has also been an opportunity, she said, to witness the importance of exchanges and cooperation with Taiwan in areas including energy, semiconductors, youth, and culture, and the impact created by important issues of mutual concern, including AI and disinformation, on the security of many countries. Chair Battistel praised Taiwan for its youth development efforts, and said that under the Taiwan Global Pathfinders Initiative, 30 Taiwanese young people have embarked on a visit to France, with itineraries including the United Nations Ocean Conference and the VivaTech exhibition, as well as the city of Toulouse, which is strategically important for the aerospace industry. Members of the group are also conducting exchanges at the French National Assembly, she said.  Chair Battistel stated that the Taiwan-France partnership is growing closer, and that she hopes to continue to strengthen bilateral exchanges and cooperation, as supporting peace for Taiwan supports peace around the world.  The delegation also included Taiwan Friendship Group Vice Chair Éric Martineau, as well as National Assembly Committee on Foreign Affairs Vice Chair Laetitia Saint-Paul and Deputies Marie-José Allemand and Claudia Rouaux. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by French Office in Taipei Deputy Director Cléa Le Cardeur.

    Details
    2025-05-20
    President Lai interviewed by Nippon Television and Yomiuri TV
    In a recent interview on Nippon Television’s news zero program, President Lai Ching-te responded to questions from host Mr. Sakurai Sho and Yomiuri TV Shanghai Bureau Chief Watanabe Masayo on topics including reflections on his first year in office, cross-strait relations, China’s military threats, Taiwan-United States relations, and Taiwan-Japan relations. The interview was broadcast on the evening of May 19. During the interview, President Lai stated that China intends to change the world’s rules-based international order, and that if Taiwan were invaded, global supply chains would be disrupted. Therefore, he said, Taiwan will strengthen its national defense, prevent war by preparing for war, and achieve the goal of peace. The president also noted that Taiwan’s purpose for developing drones is based on national security and industrial needs, and that Taiwan hopes to collaborate with Japan. He then reiterated that China’s threats are an international problem, and expressed hope to work together with the US, Japan, and others in the global democratic community to prevent China from starting a war. Following is the text of the questions and the president’s responses: Q: How do you feel as you are about to round out your first year in office? President Lai: When I was young, I was determined to practice medicine and save lives. When I left medicine to go into politics, I was determined to transform Taiwan. And when I was sworn in as president on May 20 last year, I was determined to strengthen the nation. Time flies, and it has already been a year. Although the process has been very challenging, I am deeply honored to be a part of it. I am also profoundly grateful to our citizens for allowing me the opportunity to give back to our country. The future will certainly be full of more challenges, but I will do everything I can to unite the people and continue strengthening the nation. That is how I am feeling now. Q: We are now coming up on the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II, and over this period, we have often heard that conflict between Taiwan and the mainland is imminent. Do you personally believe that a cross-strait conflict could happen? President Lai: The international community is very much aware that China intends to replace the US and change the world’s rules-based international order, and annexing Taiwan is just the first step. So, as China’s military power grows stronger, some members of the international community are naturally on edge about whether a cross-strait conflict will break out. The international community must certainly do everything in its power to avoid a conflict in the Taiwan Strait; there is too great a cost. Besides causing direct disasters to both Taiwan and China, the impact on the global economy would be even greater, with estimated losses of US$10 trillion from war alone – that is roughly 10 percent of the global GDP. Additionally, 20 percent of global shipping passes through the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, so if a conflict breaks out in the strait, other countries including Japan and Korea would suffer a grave impact. For Japan and Korea, a quarter of external transit passes through the Taiwan Strait and surrounding waters, and a third of the various energy resources and minerals shipped back from other countries pass through said areas. If Taiwan were invaded, global supply chains would be disrupted, and therefore conflict in the Taiwan Strait must be avoided. Such a conflict is indeed avoidable. I am very thankful to Prime Minister of Japan Ishiba Shigeru and former Prime Ministers Abe Shinzo, Suga Yoshihide, and Kishida Fumio, as well as US President Donald Trump and former President Joe Biden, and the other G7 leaders, for continuing to emphasize at international venues that peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait are essential components for global security and prosperity. When everyone in the global democratic community works together, stacking up enough strength to make China’s objectives unattainable or to make the cost of invading Taiwan too high for it to bear, a conflict in the strait can naturally be avoided. Q: As you said, President Lai, maintaining peace and stability across the Taiwan Strait is also very important for other countries. How can war be avoided? What sort of countermeasures is Taiwan prepared to take to prevent war? President Lai: As Mr. Sakurai mentioned earlier, we are coming up on the 80th anniversary of the end of WWII. There are many lessons we can take from that war. First is that peace is priceless, and war has no winners. From the tragedies of WWII, there are lessons that humanity should learn. We must pursue peace, and not start wars blindly, as that would be a major disaster for humanity. In other words, we must be determined to safeguard peace. The second lesson is that we cannot be complacent toward authoritarian powers. If you give them an inch, they will take a mile. They will keep growing, and eventually, not only will peace be unattainable, but war will be inevitable. The third lesson is why WWII ended: It ended because different groups joined together in solidarity. Taiwan, Japan, and the Indo-Pacific region are all directly subjected to China’s threats, so we hope to be able to join together in cooperation. This is why we proposed the Four Pillars of Peace action plan. First, we will strengthen our national defense. Second, we will strengthen economic resilience. Third is standing shoulder to shoulder with the democratic community to demonstrate the strength of deterrence. Fourth is that as long as China treats Taiwan with parity and dignity, Taiwan is willing to conduct exchanges and cooperate with China, and seek peace and mutual prosperity. These four pillars can help us avoid war and achieve peace. That is to say, Taiwan hopes to achieve peace through strength, prevent war by preparing for war, keeping war from happening and pursuing the goal of peace. Q: Regarding drones, everyone knows that recently, Taiwan has been actively researching, developing, and introducing drones. Why do you need to actively research, develop, and introduce new drones at this time? President Lai: This is for two purposes. The first is to meet national security needs. The second is to meet industrial development needs. Because Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines are all part of the first island chain, and we are all democratic nations, we cannot be like an authoritarian country like China, which has an unlimited national defense budget. In this kind of situation, island nations such as Taiwan, Japan, and the Philippines should leverage their own technologies to develop national defense methods that are asymmetric and utilize unmanned vehicles. In particular, from the Russo-Ukrainian War, we see that Ukraine has successfully utilized unmanned vehicles to protect itself and prevent Russia from unlimited invasion. In other words, the Russo-Ukrainian War has already proven the importance of drones. Therefore, the first purpose of developing drones is based on national security needs. Second, the world has already entered the era of smart technology. Whether generative, agentic, or physical, AI will continue to develop. In the future, cars and ships will also evolve into unmanned vehicles and unmanned boats, and there will be unmanned factories. Drones will even be able to assist with postal deliveries, or services like Uber, Uber Eats, and foodpanda, or agricultural irrigation and pesticide spraying. Therefore, in the future era of comprehensive smart technology, developing unmanned vehicles is a necessity. Taiwan, based on industrial needs, is actively planning the development of drones and unmanned vehicles. I would like to take this opportunity to express Taiwan’s hope to collaborate with Japan in the unmanned vehicle industry. Just as we do in the semiconductor industry, where Japan has raw materials, equipment, and technology, and Taiwan has wafer manufacturing, our two countries can cooperate. Japan is a technological power, and Taiwan also has significant technological strengths. If Taiwan and Japan work together, we will not only be able to safeguard peace and stability in the Taiwan Strait and security in the Indo-Pacific region, but it will also be very helpful for the industrial development of both countries. Q: The drones you just described probably include examples from the Russo-Ukrainian War. Taiwan and China are separated by the Taiwan Strait. Do our drones need to have cross-sea flight capabilities? President Lai: Taiwan does not intend to counterattack the mainland, and does not intend to invade any country. Taiwan’s drones are meant to protect our own nation and territory. Q: Former President Biden previously stated that US forces would assist Taiwan’s defense in the event of an attack. President Trump, however, has yet to clearly state that the US would help defend Taiwan. Do you think that in such an event, the US would help defend Taiwan? Or is Taiwan now trying to persuade the US? President Lai: Former President Biden and President Trump have answered questions from reporters. Although their responses were different, strong cooperation with Taiwan under the Biden administration has continued under the Trump administration; there has been no change. During President Trump’s first term, cooperation with Taiwan was broader and deeper compared to former President Barack Obama’s terms. After former President Biden took office, cooperation with Taiwan increased compared to President Trump’s first term. Now, during President Trump’s second term, cooperation with Taiwan is even greater than under former President Biden. Taiwan-US cooperation continues to grow stronger, and has not changed just because President Trump and former President Biden gave different responses to reporters. Furthermore, the Trump administration publicly stated that in the future, the US will shift its strategic focus from Europe to the Indo-Pacific. The US secretary of defense even publicly stated that the primary mission of the US is to prevent China from invading Taiwan, maintain stability in the Indo-Pacific, and thus maintain world peace. There is a saying in Taiwan that goes, “Help comes most to those who help themselves.” Before asking friends and allies for assistance in facing threats from China, Taiwan must first be determined and prepared to defend itself. This is Taiwan’s principle, and we are working in this direction, making all the necessary preparations to safeguard the nation. Q: I would like to ask you a question about Taiwan-Japan relations. After the Great East Japan Earthquake in 2011, you made an appeal to give Japan a great deal of assistance and care. In particular, you visited Sendai to offer condolences. Later, you also expressed condolences and concern after the earthquakes in Aomori and Kumamoto. What are your expectations for future Taiwan-Japan exchanges and development? President Lai: I come from Tainan, and my constituency is in Tainan. Tainan has very deep ties with Japan, and of course, Taiwan also has deep ties with Japan. However, among Taiwan’s 22 counties and cities, Tainan has the deepest relationship with Japan. I sincerely hope that both of you and your teams will have an opportunity to visit Tainan. I will introduce Tainan’s scenery, including architecture from the era of Japanese rule, Tainan’s cuisine, and unique aspects of Tainan society, and you can also see lifestyles and culture from the Showa era.  The Wushantou Reservoir in Tainan was completed by engineer Mr. Hatta Yoichi from Kanazawa, Japan and the team he led to Tainan after he graduated from then-Tokyo Imperial University. It has nearly a century of history and is still in use today. This reservoir, along with the 16,000-km-long Chianan Canal, transformed the 150,000-hectare Chianan Plain into Taiwan’s premier rice-growing area. It was that foundation in agriculture that enabled Taiwan to develop industry and the technology sector of today. The reservoir continues to supply water to Tainan Science Park. It is used by residents of Tainan, the agricultural sector, and industry, and even the technology sector in Xinshi Industrial Park, as well as Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company. Because of this, the people of Tainan are deeply grateful for Mr. Hatta and very friendly toward the people of Japan. A major earthquake, the largest in 50 years, struck Tainan on February 6, 2016, resulting in significant casualties. As mayor of Tainan at the time, I was extremely grateful to then-Prime Minister Abe, who sent five Japanese officials to the disaster site in Tainan the day after the earthquake. They were very thoughtful and asked what kind of assistance we needed from the Japanese government. They offered to provide help based on what we needed. I was deeply moved, as former Prime Minister Abe showed such care, going beyond the formality of just sending supplies that we may or may not have actually needed. Instead, the officials asked what we needed and then provided assistance based on those needs, which really moved me. Similarly, when the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2011 or the later Kumamoto earthquakes struck, the people of Tainan, under my leadership, naturally and dutifully expressed their support. Even earlier, when central Taiwan was hit by a major earthquake in 1999, Japan was the first country to deploy a rescue team to the disaster area. On February 6, 2018, after a major earthquake in Hualien, former Prime Minister Abe appeared in a video holding up a message of encouragement he had written in calligraphy saying “Remain strong, Taiwan.” All of Taiwan was deeply moved. Over the years, Taiwan and Japan have supported each other when earthquakes struck, and have forged bonds that are family-like, not just neighborly. This is truly valuable. In the future, I hope Taiwan and Japan can be like brothers, and that the peoples of Taiwan and Japan can treat one another like family. If Taiwan has a problem, then Japan has a problem; if Japan has a problem, then Taiwan has a problem. By caring for and helping each other, we can face various challenges and difficulties, and pursue a brighter future. Q: President Lai, you just used the phrase “If Taiwan has a problem, then Japan has a problem.” In the event that China attempts to invade Taiwan by force, what kind of response measures would you hope the US military and Japan’s Self-Defense Forces take? President Lai: As I just mentioned, annexing Taiwan is only China’s first step. Its ultimate objective is to change the rules-based international order. That being the case, China’s threats are an international problem. So, I would very much hope to work together with the US, Japan, and others in the global democratic community to prevent China from starting a war – prevention, after all, is more important than cure.

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Arrests – Police vehicle rammed – Alice Springs

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    The Northern Territory Police Force has arrested two 14-year-old males after a police vehicle ramming incident occurred in Alice Springs yesterday.

    Around 5:40am on Tuesday 1 July, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre received a report that a red Mahindra station wagon had been stolen from a residence in Teatree Court in Sadadeen. The victim reported seeing two unknown persons inside the vehicle leaving the area.

    At 6am, police CCTV operators observed the vehicle at a service station on Railway Terrace. Two police vehicles responded and sighted one offender running from the scene on foot, and the second offender entering the stolen vehicle. The driver reversed at speed and rammed into the front of one of the police vehicles, before fleeing the area.

    No police member was injured as a result of the incident, however the police vehicle sustained substantial damage.

    The 14-year-old passenger was arrested nearby after a short foot chase.

    Earlier today, the 14-year-old driver was also arrested and the stolen motor vehicle was recovered by police.

    Commander Mark Grieve said, “This incident highlights the dangers that our members face every day while responding to violent behaviour.

    “It is appalling behaviour, and police do not deserve to be targeted while executing their duty of serving and protecting the community.

    “This could have easily resulted in serious injury or death, and I commend the officers for acting safely and professionally under challenging circumstances.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: LCQ11: Developing tourism projects with distinctive intellectual properties

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    LCQ11: Developing tourism projects with distinctive intellectual properties 
    Question:
     
    There are views that Hong Kong has a number of intellectual property (IP) projects with local characteristics, among which the film “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In” has been well received both locally and overseas. In Japan, a restaurant has even launched peripheral food products inspired by the film, which sell out every day. Moreover, many film fans have visited Hong Kong for sightseeing due to the film, demonstrating the unlimited business opportunities of IP tourism. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council:
     
    (1) whether it has compiled statistics on the number of visitors attracted to Hong Kong by IP projects, cultural events and mega-events with local characteristics in the past three years, as well as their places of origin, length of stay in Hong Kong, and consumption amounts and patterns; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that, and whether it will consider compiling such statistics;
     
    (2) as some members of the industry and academics have pointed out that tourism projects dominated by a single IP are difficult to sustain, and that the long-term strategy should be linking up multiple IPs of the same type to create synergy effects (e.g. Hong Kong can explore combining the IP of “Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In” and those of a number of classic Hong Kong films to build a “Hong Kong version of Universal Studios”, with a view to maximising the cultural benefits of Hong Kong films), whether the Government has considered formulating a strategy to promote collaboration between different IP holders and the tourism industry; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that; and
     
    (3) whether the Government has formulated a dedicated strategy for IP tourism, such as strengthening the protection and promotion of existing distinctive IP projects and related attractions, and actively introducing measures to encourage and support IP creation and the development of related attractions; if so, of the details; if not, the reasons for that, and whether it will consider formulating relevant strategies?
     
    Reply:
     
    President,
     
    The current Government has established the Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau (CSTB) to promote the integrated development of culture, sports and tourism. The Cultural and Creative Industries Development Agency (CCIDA) under the CSTB proactively strengthens its support towards the industrialisation development of the cultural and creative industries and provides a platform to foster cross-sectoral and cross-genre collaborations among cultural and creative sectors for cultural intellectual property (IP). We fully encourage industries such as catering, retailing and tourism to make use of the rich IP resources in Hong Kong to achieve synergy, attract tourists and explore business opportunities.
     
    My reply to the various parts of the question raised by the Hon Jeffrey Lam’s question, in consultation with the Intellectual Property Department (IPD), is as follows:
     
    There are a number of attractions in Hong Kong with local characteristics and tourism appeal, such as Victoria Harbour, the Hong Kong Disneyland Resort (HKDL), the Ocean Park (OP), the Peak Tram, the Hong Kong Ferris Wheel, Ngong Ping 360. They are also IPs with strong Hong Kong’s cultural characteristics. The CSTB and the Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB) have been striving to promote tourism by making good use of these cultural IPs and the international image of Hong Kong.
     
    In 2024, Hong Kong hosted over 240 mega events, attracting about two million visitors from mainly the Mainland and Southeast Asia region, and bringing a total spending of about HK$7.5 billion and added value of about HK$4.5 billion to the economy. Many of these mega events featured local characteristics and made good use of well-known IPs, such as the “100% DORAEMON & FRIENDS” Tour, Pokémon GO City Safari, PANDA GO! FEST HK, ComplexCon Hong Kong, Hypefest Hong Kong, Animation-Comic-Game Hong Kong (ACGHK), and “A Path to Glory – Jin Yong’s Centennial Memorial • The World of Wuxia”, etc. In 2025, we continue to welcome events filled with IP elements, such as “CHIIKAWA DAYS” Exhibition, the opening of CR7® LIFE Museum Hong Kong, ACGHK 2025, “Comic Fun for All: The Magic of Hong Kong Comedy Comics” showcasing various local comics and Hong Kong Fashion Fest.
     
    We have been making use of attractive IP-themed events to enrich visitors’ travel and entertainment experience and stimulate spending. The HKTB proactively collaborates with event organisers to provide all round support, including driving local tourism through events. For example, during “100% DORAEMON & FRIENDS” Tour, the HKTB partnered with the exhibition organiser to present “Anywhere Door” at ten tourist spots in Hong Kong, attracting visitors and locals to explore the city and take photos. The HKTB also collaborates with IPs in flagship events and integrates with signature IPs to further promote tourism. For example, in organising the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races in 2023 and 2024, the HKTB collaborated with the world’s popular IP, LINE FRIENDS, to set up LINE FRIENDS dragon boat photo spots along the Avenue of Stars to attract visitors and locals to take photos and enjoy the races. Both visitors and locals could also purchase Hong Kong-exclusive merchandise designed for the races during the event period. 
     
    In terms of tourism promotion through leveraging movie IPs, the HKTB collaborated with the movie producer and relevant units to launch a movie exhibition titled “Live out the Cinematic Charm of Hong Kong” Twilight of the Warriors: Walled In. The exhibition was first staged at the Hong Kong International Airport and then AIRSIDE at Kai Tak, Kowloon City. In parallel, merchandise vendors on site offered classic dishes, nostalgic toys and movie merchandise to create business opportunities. The CCIDA also organises the three-year “Kowloon Walled City: A Cinematic Journey” Movie Set Exhibition at the Kowloon Walled City Park, showcasing more movie sets and local traditional craftsmanship displays, recreating scenes of the Walled City. Over 42 000 locals and tourists were attracted in the first month since its opening in May this year, driving catering and retailing spending in the vicinity.
     
    In terms of theme parks, the HKDL, a landmark attraction with rich IP features, has been introducing various unique facilities and events to attract visitors, including the opening of the world’s first ever and largest Frozen-themed land, the new Marvel-themed area under planning, the 20th anniversary celebration and an all-new Pixar entertainment experience. On the other hand, the OP, capitalising on its advantage of being home to the largest number of giant pandas outside the Mainland, has created the giant pandas’ IPs according to the physical traits of the six giant pandas and launched giant panda-related promotional activities, merchandise, cultural and creative products, video games, tourism products, etc, with Hong Kong’s characteristics. In addition to the extensive use of the giant pandas’ IPs in OP’s social media content and merchandise, the OP will continue to make use of the relevant IP to launch giant panda-themed festive events, immersive experience activities, light shows, thematic performances, amusement facilities, etc, and partner with different organisations to promote the IPs.
     
    Separately, the CCIDA, through the CreateSmart Initiative (CSI), has funded and promoted various IP projects that integrate local animation and comic culture with tourism. These include the two-year AniCom Sports Park which showcases 36 locally created AniCom characters from different eras, each paired with a sports-themed design, such as “Old Master Q” with snooker, “Dragon Shik” with boxing and “My Boy” with table tennis, echoing the Olympic Games Paris and the National Games to promote the innovative experience of integrating culture, sports and tourism in Hong Kong. Since its launch in July 2024, the project has attracted about 460 000 locals tourists. The Hong Kong Avenue of Comic Stars, with the theme of local original comics, has drawn over three million visitors to date. The project was enhanced and updated in late 2024, now featuring 76 coloured figurines of local comic characters created by 100 artists, such as “Wang Xiao Hu”, “Hero Wah” and “MinBao Gor”, along with a 50-meter-long large-scale comic wall and interactive installations. In half a year, it attracted over 850 000 visitors with approximately 40 per cent of them being tourists. The annual mega event, the ACGHK, brings together comics and animation, mobile/computer games and art toy creations from Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas, attracting about 250 000 tourists from the Mainland and overseas annually. The ACGHK 2025 will feature four projects, namely the Hong Kong International Art Toys Expo, the International Comic Artist Conference and Exhibition, the Comics Masters Gathering Hong Kong, and the Hong Kong Comics Support Programme Pavilion. Apart from showcasing over 100 art toys and comic works from Hong Kong, the Mainland and overseas, there will also be sharing sessions and workshops led by comic masters. The CCIDA will strengthen publicity in order to attract visitors from the Mainland and overseas.
     
    On upholding and strengthening IP protection, the Government continues to drive the development of local IP (including cultural IP), enhance the local IP regime, ensuring that it keeps abreast of the times, aligns with international trends, and meets Hong Kong’s economic needs, including the implementation of the Copyright (Amendment) Ordinance 2022 to strengthen copyright protection in the digital environment, and a comprehensive review of the local registered designs regime and plans to launch a public consultation within this year. A robust IP protection regime can foster the sustainable development of local cultural and creative industries, as well as help drive the growth of related industry chains, including tourism, thereby spurring the development of the economy. The CCIDA is also actively supporting cultural IP projects, including those related to tourism, through CSI, and driving applicants to make applications for IP protection for their cultural and creative products, formulate IP agreements and manage IP portfolios, etc, so as to assist creators in exploring business opportunities.
     
    The IPD advocates for the messages of respecting creativity and IP protection through producing and disseminating promotional materials and videos. At the same time, it is committed to implementing the “No Fakes Pledge” Scheme and the “I Pledge” Campaign to encourage the selling and buying of genuine goods among local retailers, tourists and consumers. The “No Fakes Pledge” Scheme has garnered widespread support from local businesses over the years, with an average annual participation of over 1 500 retail merchants and 7 000 outlets/online shops.
     
    The Government will continue to support IP creation, construction and cross-over through innovative thinking, combining with our edges in technology, animation and comics, the performing arts, film and television culture to attract more tourists to come to Hong Kong to experience the unique local cultural connotation. We also hope that the catering, retailing and tourism industries can make good use of IP projects to explore business opportunities and implement the concept of “tourism is everywhere in Hong Kong” together.
    Issued at HKT 14:22

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI: Due to EY non-compliance with audit partner rotation rules, Shell to update 2023 and 2024 Form 20-Fs; financial statements remain unchanged

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Due to EY non-compliance with audit partner rotation rules, Shell to update 2023 and 2024 Form 20-Fs; financial statements remain unchanged

    London, July 2, 2025 – Ernst & Young LLP (“EY”) has advised Shell plc that, for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2024, EY was not in compliance with the SEC auditor independence rules. As a result, Shell plc will today file an amendment to its filed Form 20-Fs for those years with new US audit opinions issued by EY. The financial statements for 2023 and 2024 remain unchanged. The EY audit opinions remain unqualified.

    Additional notes

    On July 1, 2025, EY, Shell plc’s independent registered public accounting firm, advised the Audit and Risk Committee of the Board that its US opinions on Shell plc’s previously issued audited consolidated financial statements and effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting (jointly the “previously issued financial statements”) for the years ended and as of December 31, 2023 and 2024 (the “applicable years”), respectively, should no longer be relied upon. After a review, EY concluded that it was not in compliance with the SEC’s auditor independence rules for the audits of the applicable years.

    EY has determined that the partner who led the audit for the applicable years had exceeded the period allowed under SEC audit partner rotation rules and hence was not eligible to serve as lead engagement partner for those audits. 

    EY subsequently assigned a different partner to perform the role of lead audit partner with respect to the audits and concluded that no changes to the previously issued financial statements for the applicable years are necessary. EY has also concluded that the appropriate remediation has been completed, and it is capable of exercising objective and impartial judgment with respect to the US audit opinions included in the amended Form 20-Fs for the applicable years to be filed with the SEC.

    The previously issued financial statements as prepared by Shell plc for the applicable years are unchanged. Shell plc will file amended Form 20-Fs for the applicable years later today.

    Notes to editors 

    • SEC refers to the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
    • To reflect the new issuance date of the Consolidated Financial Statements, consequential updates were included with respect to the going concern period and the Post balance sheet events note to the Consolidated Financial Statements. Save for these items, the previously issued financial statements and other notes have not changed. The EY audit opinions remain unqualified.
    • EY also advised the Audit and Risk Committee of the Board that the time limitations under the UK Financial Reporting Council’s Revised Ethical Standard regarding rotation of partners had been exceeded. Follow-up is a matter between EY and the UK Financial Reporting Council.  No amended filings are required in the UK.
    • Ernst & Young LLP is the UK member firm of the EY network.

    Enquiries

    Shell Media Relations International: +44 20 7934 5550
    US Media Relations: Contact Shell US Media Team

    LEI number of Shell plc: 21380068P1DRHMJ8KU70
    Classification: Additional regulated information required to be disclosed under the laws of the United Kingdom

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Due to EY non-compliance with audit partner rotation rules, Shell to update 2023 and 2024 Form 20-Fs; financial statements remain unchanged

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Due to EY non-compliance with audit partner rotation rules, Shell to update 2023 and 2024 Form 20-Fs; financial statements remain unchanged

    London, July 2, 2025 – Ernst & Young LLP (“EY”) has advised Shell plc that, for the years ended December 31, 2023 and 2024, EY was not in compliance with the SEC auditor independence rules. As a result, Shell plc will today file an amendment to its filed Form 20-Fs for those years with new US audit opinions issued by EY. The financial statements for 2023 and 2024 remain unchanged. The EY audit opinions remain unqualified.

    Additional notes

    On July 1, 2025, EY, Shell plc’s independent registered public accounting firm, advised the Audit and Risk Committee of the Board that its US opinions on Shell plc’s previously issued audited consolidated financial statements and effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting (jointly the “previously issued financial statements”) for the years ended and as of December 31, 2023 and 2024 (the “applicable years”), respectively, should no longer be relied upon. After a review, EY concluded that it was not in compliance with the SEC’s auditor independence rules for the audits of the applicable years.

    EY has determined that the partner who led the audit for the applicable years had exceeded the period allowed under SEC audit partner rotation rules and hence was not eligible to serve as lead engagement partner for those audits. 

    EY subsequently assigned a different partner to perform the role of lead audit partner with respect to the audits and concluded that no changes to the previously issued financial statements for the applicable years are necessary. EY has also concluded that the appropriate remediation has been completed, and it is capable of exercising objective and impartial judgment with respect to the US audit opinions included in the amended Form 20-Fs for the applicable years to be filed with the SEC.

    The previously issued financial statements as prepared by Shell plc for the applicable years are unchanged. Shell plc will file amended Form 20-Fs for the applicable years later today.

    Notes to editors 

    • SEC refers to the US Securities and Exchange Commission.
    • To reflect the new issuance date of the Consolidated Financial Statements, consequential updates were included with respect to the going concern period and the Post balance sheet events note to the Consolidated Financial Statements. Save for these items, the previously issued financial statements and other notes have not changed. The EY audit opinions remain unqualified.
    • EY also advised the Audit and Risk Committee of the Board that the time limitations under the UK Financial Reporting Council’s Revised Ethical Standard regarding rotation of partners had been exceeded. Follow-up is a matter between EY and the UK Financial Reporting Council.  No amended filings are required in the UK.
    • Ernst & Young LLP is the UK member firm of the EY network.

    Enquiries

    Shell Media Relations International: +44 20 7934 5550
    US Media Relations: Contact Shell US Media Team

    LEI number of Shell plc: 21380068P1DRHMJ8KU70
    Classification: Additional regulated information required to be disclosed under the laws of the United Kingdom

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Legends of a Nuclear-Free and Independent Pacific – Rev Mua Strickson-Pua

    Pacific Media Watch

    When advocates and defenders of a nuclear-free Pacific condemned the AUKUS military pact two years ago and warned New Zealand that the agreement would make the world “more dangerous”,  a key speaker was Reverend Mua Strickson-Pua.

    He was among leading participants at a Nuclear-Free and Independent Pacific (NFIP) movement teachers’ wānanga, which launched a petition against the pact with one of the “elders” among the activists, Hilda Halkyard-Harawira (Te Moana Nui a Kiwa), symbolically adding the first signature.

    Speaking about the petition declaration in a ceremony on the steps of the Auckland Museum marking the 10 July 1985 bombing of the Greenpeace flagship Rainbow Warrior, Reverend Mua Strickson-Pua explained that the AUKUS agreement was a military pact between Australia-UK-US that was centred on Canberra’s acquisition of nuclear propelled submarines.

    Reverend Mua Strickson-Pua and the NFIP petition has been featured in a new video report by Nik Naidu as part of a “Legends of NFIP” series by Talanoa TV of the Whanau Community Centre and Hub.

    • This and other videos will be screened at the “Legends of the Pacific: Stories of a Nuclear-Free Moana 1975-1995” exhibition this month at Ellen Melville Centre, which will be opened on Saturday, July 12 at 3pm, and open daily July 13-18, 9.30am to 4.30pm.
    • The exhibition is organised by the Asia Pacific Media Network (APMN), Whānau Community Centre and Heritage New Zealand Pouhere Taonga.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Tonga cybersecurity attack wake-up call for Pacific, warns expert

    By Teuila Fuatai, RNZ Pacific senior journalist

    A Tongan cybersecurity expert says the country’s health data hack is a “wake-up call” for the whole region.

    Siosaia Vaipuna, a former director of Tonga’s cybersecurity agency, spoke to RNZ Pacific in the wake of the June 15 cyberattack on the country’s Health Ministry.

    Vaipuna said Tonga and other Pacific nations were vulnerable to data breaches due to the lack of awareness and cybersecurity systems in the region.

    “There’s increasing digital connectivity in the region, and we’re sort of . . . the newcomers to the internet,” he said.

    “I think the connectivity is moving faster than the online safety awareness activity [and] that makes not just Tonga, but the Pacific more vulnerable and targeted.”

    Since the data breach, the Tongan government has said “a small amount” of information from the attack was published online. This included confidential information, it said in a statement.

    Reporting on the attack has also attributed the breach to the group Inc Ransomware.

    Vaipuna said the group was well-known and had previously focused on targeting organisations in Europe and the US.

    New Zealand attack
    However, earlier this month, it targeted the Waiwhetū health organisation in Aotearoa New Zealand. That attack reportedly included the theft of patient consent forms and education and training data.

    “This type of criminal group usually employs a double-extortion tactic,” Vaipuna said.

    It could encrypt data and then demand money to decrypt, he said.

    “The other ransom is where they are demanding payment so that they don’t release the information that they hold to the public or sell it on to other cybercriminals.”

    In the current Tonga cyberattack, media reports say that Inc Ransomware wanted a ransom of US$1 million for the information it accessed. The Tongan government has said it has not paid anything.

    Vaipuna said more needed to be done to raise awareness in the region around cybersecurity and online safety systems, particularly among government departments.

    “I think this is a wake-up call. The cyberattacks are not just happening in movies or on the news or somewhere else, they are actually happening right on our doorstep and impacting on our people.

    Extra vigilance warning
    “And the right attention and resources should rightfully be allocated to the organisations and to teams that are tasked with dealing with cybersecurity matters.”

    The Tongan government has also warned people to be extra vigilant when online.

    It said more information accessed in the cyberattack may be published online, and that may include patient information and medical records.

    “Our biggest concern is for vulnerable groups of people who are most acutely impacted by information breaches of this kind,” the government said.

    It said that it would contact these people directly.

    The country’s ongoing response was also being aided by experts from Australia’s special cyberattack team.

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

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Applications for general development programs in art schools have closed

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The capital has completed accepting applications for entrance examinations to children’s art schools (DSHI). In total, more than 30 thousand applications were accepted for pre-professional and general development programs.

    This year, 1.5 times more students applied for general development programs than in 2024. The programs at the Children’s Art School are aimed at creating a creative atmosphere in which not only professional skills are developed, but also the personal qualities of the child, including creativity, the ability to express themselves, and self-confidence.

    In Moscow, there are 153 creative educational institutions for children, subordinate to the capital’s Department of CultureThe children have access to a wide range of educational areas in the fields of music, theatre, choreography and fine arts.

    “The second stage of accepting applications to art schools from May 16 to July 1 was held for general development programs. This year, we have seen an increase in interest in general development programs: in fact, more than eight thousand applications were received. This is 47 percent more than in 2024. Piano remains one of the most popular areas – more than 1.7 thousand applications were received, over a thousand applications were received for training in vocal art and more than 500 applications for painting and architecture,” emphasized the Minister of the Moscow Government, head of the capital’s Department of Culture

    Alexey Fursin.

    General development programs are suitable for children who do not plan to move to a professional educational trajectory in the future, but want to acquire quality skills. The training system is flexible and modular, with the ability to choose the duration and directions.

    Young applicants applied on the mos.ru portal and in person at creative educational institutions. Now the kids will have to take entrance exams, where the admissions committee will evaluate their knowledge and skills. In music schools, future students are tested for their sense of rhythm, memory, articulation, and musical ear. For this, they are asked, for example, to perform any children’s song and clap along to the rhythm. Similar tests are held in other areas.

    Revealing Everyone’s Talent: Children’s Art School Teachers Share Teaching Methods

    Children’s art schools in Moscow develop and implement educational programs in the field of art, ensure continuity of education between children’s art schools, secondary specialized and higher educational institutions, and also organize citywide cultural projects, festivals and competitions.

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

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

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/156136073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Kindergarten for 200 children to appear in Kommunarka

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    A project for the construction of a kindergarten in Kommunarka on a vacant plot of land has been approved. The facility will appear within the boundaries of Filatovsky Boulevard and Projected Driveway No. 7183 (plot No. 57), reported the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Urban Development Policy and Construction Vladimir Efimov.

    “A three-story kindergarten building will be built on the territory of the Kommunarka administrative and business center near the Olkhovaya metro station. The facility will be built as part of the Targeted Investment Program. According to the project, the preschool institution will be designed for 200 children. Eight groups will be created there, each of which will have a separate group cell with a playroom, sleeping area and changing room. In addition, the building will include a gym and music hall, a medical block, and a full-cycle food service unit,” said Vladimir Efimov.

    The layout takes into account modern requirements for the design of social facilities. This ensures a comfortable and safe stay in the building and movement around it.

    “When designing educational facilities, special attention should be paid to fire safety. This project meets all relevant norms and standards. In particular, the layout allows for the fastest possible evacuation of people from all floors thanks to safe isolated corridors with fire doors, and the ventilation system, according to the documentation, will be equipped with smoke dampers,” noted the Chairman of the Moscow City Committee for Pricing Policy in Construction and State Expertise of Projects

    Ivan Shcherbakov.

    The territory of the kindergarten will be improved. Each group will have areas for walks and games in the fresh air.

    Earlier, Sergei Sobyanin spoke about the completion of construction kindergarten for 350 people in the Filimonkovsky district.

    The construction of social facilities in Moscow corresponds to the goals and initiatives of the national project “Infrastructure for life”.

    Schools, clinics and sports complexes: what social facilities are being built in the city

    Quickly find out the main news of the capital in official telegram channel the city of Moscow.

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

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/156134073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Sergei Sobyanin told how Moscow art schools reveal talents

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Over the past academic year, students from Moscow art schools won more than 26,000 awards. How these educational institutions reveal talents, he told in his blog Sergei Sobyanin.

    “Moscow is deservedly proud of its developed network of city institutions of creative education: 153 educational institutions, each with its own long-standing traditions, but with a single standard of comfort and equipment. Today, they teach more than 40 areas in the field of music, painting, choreography and theater. About 100 thousand children study in Moscow art schools. And among them, there are many who will eventually turn their passion into a life’s work,” the Mayor of Moscow wrote.

    He noted that, as in any other business, success in a creative profession is achieved through hard daily work and regular participation in competitions. Competitions with peers provide indispensable experience and incentive to improve one’s art, and victories open up new horizons.

    Last academic year, students from the capital’s art schools represented the capital at more than 20 venues around the world.

    “Muscovites have won prizes in creative competitions in Andorra, Austria, Belarus, Bulgaria, Spain, China, Cyprus, the Netherlands, the USA, Switzerland and other countries: a total of 10,000 awards and incentive prizes, including more than 280 Grand Prix,” said Sergei Sobyanin.

    In addition, students from Moscow art schools have won more than 16 thousand awards at all-Russian and regional competitions and festivals, which sometimes significantly exceed international projects in terms of the number of participants.

    Winners of competitions in Beijing, New York and Spain

    In March-April, the IX International Festival-Competition “Golden Lotus” was held in Beijing. Elizaveta Menzhinskaya, a student of the B.L. Pasternak Children’s Music School, performed a solo program, as well as in a duet with her teacher Galina Ermakova.

    According to the jury’s decision, they were awarded the title of first-degree laureates as performers on large flutes, and third-degree laureates on piccolo flutes. The winners’ repertoire includes the works “Ksenia” and “Tarantella” by Yevgeny Magalif, Lensky’s aria from the opera “Eugene Onegin” by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, and the Karelo-Finnish Polka by Boris Tikhonov.

    In March, Alexey Mishchenko, a student of the children’s music school of the Moscow State College of Musical Performance (MGKMI) named after Frederic Chopin, won first prize at the international Golden Classical Music Awards competition in New York for his piano performance of Frederic Chopin’s Ballade No. 1 and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart’s Sonata for piano No. 13 in B-flat major. In addition, he won first place at the international Clavierland Mozart Classical Music Competition and performed in the final concert of the laureates in Vienna, which took place in March at the Mozart House.

    Maya Shelikhova, a student of the Moscow City United Children’s School of Arts (MGODSHI) “Kuskovo”, became a first-degree laureate at the international competition of culture and arts Festival

    Laureates of competitions in Belarus, the Netherlands and Switzerland

    Students of the I.S. Kozlovsky Children’s Art School took almost the entire podium at the Republican Festival-Competition of Children’s Art “Lvenok” in the city of Lida (Belarus).

    Among the soloists, Dana Shakova won first place, performing the piece “Twilight” by composer Max Eichorn and “Dance” by Ezra Jenkinson on the violin; second place was taken by Antonina Struchevskaya, Maria Tuaeva, Ivan Fedotov, and Gleb Sakharov.

    Antonina Struchevskaya played “Moldavian Dance” by Boris Dubossarsky and “Arioso” by Karl Bohm, Maria Tuaeva played a piece by Manfred Schmitz on the violin. Gleb Sakharov played “March of the Wooden Soldiers” by Pyotr Tchaikovsky on the snare drum, and “Tarantella” by Sergei Prokofiev on the xylophone, Ivan Fedotov played “Hunt for a Butterfly” by Irina Iordan on the snare drum, and “Scherzino” by Viktor Kosenko on the xylophone.

    The third-degree laureate was Milana Ponomareva. She presented the play “Merry Journey” by Dmitry Kabalevsky (snare drum) and “Minuet” by Luigi Boccherini (xylophone) to the competition.

    The first place among the groups was won by the instrumental trio “Notka Boom”, which performed the works “Walking the Dog” by Peter Martin and “Beauty and the Beast” by Howard Ashman.

    In April, the Dutch International Flute Competition was held in Ittervoort (Netherlands). The laureates of the competition were talented flutists from the Gnessin Moscow Secondary Specialized Music School (MSSMSh).

    Vasilisa Melnikova received the first prize, Yuna Guryanova received the third prize, and in the under 18 category, Elen Virabyan won the first prize.

    The gold medal in the senior category of the Frederic Chopin Youth Competition, which took place in March in Lugano (Switzerland), was awarded to Ivan Chepkin, a student of the Gnessin Moscow Specialized Music School.

    The bronze medal in the middle age category was won by pianist Denis Kochanowski, who performed the Polonaise (opus 40, no. 2), Nocturne (opus 15, no. 1), Waltz (opus 18), and Barcarolle (opus 60) by Frederic Chopin.

    Ivan Chepkin played two etudes (opus 10, no. 1 and opus 25, no. 6), a nocturne (opus 27, no. 2), a mazurka (opus 33), a polonaise (opus 53) and a ballade (opus 52) by Frederic Chopin on the piano.

    Winners perform in Andorra, Bulgaria, Cyprus and Russia

    From April to May, Andorra hosted the XI international saxophone competition Andorra Sax Fest, one of the most prestigious, which annually brings together the best saxophonists from all over Europe.

    In the senior group, the third-degree laureate was Vladimir Petskus, a graduate and now a teacher at the Frederic Chopin Moscow State Musical Institute for Children. Arseny Budanov, a student at the same school, received the first prize in the junior group.

    “Vladimir and Arseniy performed a very complex program, full of modern performance techniques, demonstrating the rapid development of classical saxophone playing techniques. Vladimir presented his own composition SoloS at the competition, which can be played the same way from beginning to end, and vice versa. In the final, Vladimir performed a piece by the outstanding modern saxophonist Vincent David, with the author himself acting as conductor,” noted Sergei Sobyanin.

    Arseniy Budanov participated in two age categories at once. In the junior group, he presented Eugene Bozz’s etudes (No. 7, 10), the first part of Fernanda Decruk’s Saxophone Sonata to the jury and won first place. This will allow him to perform a solo concert at the next Andorra Sax Fest competition. In the senior group, the young man also showed himself, reaching the semi-finals.

    Students of the Moscow State Children’s Art School “Kuskovo” also became laureates of the saxophone competition: Alexander Ivashkov won first place, Alexander Dolgov – third.

    In April, the 1st International Competition of Professional Harpists and Amateurs VivaHarp was held in Sofia, bringing together the best performers from all over the world. The title of second-degree laureate was awarded to Tatyana Smirnova, a student of the Moscow State Children’s Art School “Kuskovo”.

    In May in Paphos (Cyprus), Elizaveta Ryapina, a student of the A.N. Alexandrov Children’s Music School, became a second-degree laureate of the Young Orpheus International Competition and Festival.

    In December 2024, the XXV International Competition of Young Musicians “The Nutcracker” of the Russia-Culture TV channel ended. Of the nine possible awards, students from Moscow art schools won five.

    In the Wind and Percussion Instruments category, all the Nutcrackers were awarded to young Moscow musicians. The Golden Nutcracker went to 14-year-old flutist Ekaterina Ivanova from the Gnessin Moscow Specialized Music School, the Silver Nutcracker was awarded to 14-year-old clarinetist Alisa Cherednikova from the Jazz Academy, and the Bronze Nutcracker went to the youngest participant in the competition, eight-year-old Vasilisa Moiseyeva from the D.D. Shostakovich Children’s Music School.

    Second and third places went to Muscovites in the Piano category. The Silver Nutcracker was taken by 13-year-old Andrey Goncharov from the I.O. Dunaevsky Moscow City Children’s Music School, and 12-year-old Mark Grotte from the Gnessin Moscow Specialized Music School won the Bronze Nutcracker.

    “Recognition of the skills and talents of Moscow children at Russian and international competitions is a clear indication of the quality of Moscow’s creative education,” Sergei Sobyanin emphasized.

    Moscow art schools help in the harmonious development of children and give a start in life to new generations of talents.

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

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    HTTPS: //vv.mos.ru/mayor/tkhemes/13018050/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Hainan Island Allocates 40 Million Yuan in Summer Tourism Subsidies

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    HAIKOU, July 2 (Xinhua) — South China’s island province of Hainan on Tuesday launched a campaign to promote summer tourism, providing 40 million yuan (about 5.59 million U.S. dollars) in subsidies to spur consumption during the tourist season, local authorities said.

    According to the Hainan Provincial Department of Tourism, Culture, Radio, Television and Sports, the campaign will run from July to September and will provide targeted subsidies for travel to and from the province, accommodation, meals, and tickets to tourist attractions.

    Tourists can upload receipts to prove their spending on dedicated online platforms. Subsidized funds ranging from 150 to 3,060 yuan will be returned directly to travelers’ personal bank accounts.

    This summer, Hainan is expected to host more than 100 cultural, tourism and sports events, including festivals, live performances and sports competitions, showcasing the island’s diverse charms.

    Hainan Island, famous for its year-round sunshine and pristine beaches, is looking to revitalize its tourism industry. China aims to turn the province into a global tourist and consumer destination by 2035.

    By the end of 2024, Hainan’s total tourist flow, including both domestic and foreign tourists, exceeded 97.2 million person-times, up 8 percent from the previous year. According to official data from the above-mentioned department, total tourism spending in the province last year increased by 12.5 percent, reaching 204 billion yuan.

    The province is expected to receive more than 100 million tourists, both domestic and international, this year.

    As part of its broader economic strategy, China is turning Hainan into a free trade port. With Hainan set to begin independent customs operations by the end of the year, the province is poised to become not only a tourist haven but also a key gateway to China’s opening up. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Doorstop – University of Technology Sydney

    Source: Murray Darling Basin Authority

    KATHLEEN BAIRD, HEAD OF SCHOOL OF NURSING AND MIDWIFERY: Good morning, everyone. Firstly, I’d like to acknowledge the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation on whose land UTS stands. And I welcome you all to UTS. I’m Kathy Baird, Professor Kathy Baird, and I’m the Head of the School of Nursing and Midwifery. It is an absolute honour to welcome the Minister for Education, the Honourable Jason Clare, to UTS this morning.

    I do also want to acknowledge the Commonwealth’s ongoing support through the placement payment for our student nurses and midwives. This initiative will provide much-needed financial support to our students during their clinical placements. It will help to ease the burden they face while they gain the practical skills required. Their dedication, resilience and compassion are the foundation of the future of nursing [indistinct] will be built.

    I’d also like to thank the students that came here this morning. And I would like to hand over to Minister Clare. Thank you.

    JASON CLARE, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION: Thanks very much. And a big thank you to UTS for letting me visit today to talk about something which is dear to my heart and I think is going to be really important in supporting the teachers and nurses and midwives and social workers that are training in our universities now that are getting an education in our universities right now to help them with their studies, with the cost of living while they’re studying, and help them to complete their degree.

    When I got this job a couple of years ago, I remember talking to some nursing students who talked to me about placement poverty. It was something that I hadn’t heard of before. Now I understand. And it’s because of the stories that they told me. There’s a lot of nursing students who work in our hospitals right now as assistants in nursing, and it’s a part-time job where they’re getting paid to work in a hospital while they’re studying here at university. But a big part of their degree is also prac, practical training. And it’s something like 800 hours of practical training that they have to do as part of their degree.

    And often that prac will happen at the same hospital where they’ve got a part-time job, but while they’re doing their prac, they can’t do that job. So, they’re working in the same hospital, but they’re no longer being paid. And that’s what placement poverty looks like. It means that you don’t have the money that you ordinarily would have to pay the bills, to pay for parking, pay for public transport. And it can make life harder.

    The end result of that is that some students who start a degree, like nursing or teaching, don’t finish it. For some students, prac also means you have to move away from home to do it. And that can make life more difficult as well. It can mean giving up your part-time job because you’re not living around the corner while you’re doing the practical training.

    This was a key recommendation of the Universities Accord, which is a big report. It’s a blueprint for how we reform higher education in Australia over the next decade and the decade after that. And I released that report early last year, and at the budget last year, I announced that we’d allocate almost over a half a billion dollars to fund paid prac. I think I was here to talk about that then. And it’s terrific to be back at UTS on the week that it starts, where we’re bringing the words from that report to life and making it real. And, most importantly, making a difference to the sort of people I got to meet today.

    This applies to teaching students, to nursing students, to midwifery students and social work students. These are some of the most important professions in our country. These are young people who one day will teach our kids or look after us when we’re sick, who will help women giving birth, who’ll help women fleeing domestic violence. And this is a bit of practical help while you do your practical training.

    Can I just pass over to Dorsa who I got the privilege to meet this morning, who’s a third-year midwifery student here at UTS, to tell your story about what drew you to midwifery and how you think this payment might help.

    DORSA NEMATIAN: Thank you so much, Minister Clare. So I am a refugee from Iran who has been doing a midwifery course for the past three years. I started off with a degree in Bachelor of Medical Science, which helped made me realise that it wasn’t for me, and I was more drawn to midwifery and childbirth, which is the reason why I made the switch. Obviously, this Commonwealth Prac Payment will make the difference between surviving through the practical part of our degree to just enjoying it and being able to learn while we’re undertaking our practice.

    JOURNALIST: So there has been a huge slump in the number of students on youth allowance, and experts are warning that we may not meet our tertiary education targets if low-education and regional students aren’t going to uni. Would you consider raising the rate of those payments or loosening eligibility requirements?

    CLARE: We’ve already increased youth allowance as well as rental assistance. You are right that what we do need to do over the next decade and beyond is help more young people finish school and then go on to TAFE or university to get the qualifications that the jobs that are in demand now and that are going to be in even more demand in the decades ahead. There’s no part of the economy where jobs are growing faster than in nursing and in health care. That’s for sure.

    Yesterday I formally announced the creation of the Australian Tertiary Education Commission in its interim reform, and it kicked off yesterday, headed up by Professor Mary O’Kane, who is the author or the lead author of the Universities Accord. And she makes the point there that we’re not going to have the workforce that we need – something like four out of five workers in the economy with a university degree or a TAFE qualification – unless we break down that barrier that stops a lot of young people, particularly from disadvantaged backgrounds, from poorer backgrounds and from the regions and the bush, from getting a crack at university in the first place and then going on and finishing their degree.

    And that’s why the prac payment is part of this. It’s definitely part of it, support for people while they do their practical training, but it’s not the only thing that we’re doing. Next year, you’ll see the rollout of funding reform for the way our universities are funded. And, in particular, funding reform to help the sort of people that you mentioned in your question, people from disadvantaged backgrounds. And part of that is developing and rolling out a needs-based funding system a little like the Gonski model for schools for universities.

    JOURNALIST: What do you think that slump is due to?

    CLARE: We’ve seen over the course of this year and last year an increase in the total number of young people enrolling in courses at university. That’s a good sign. The number of people going to university, the number of Australians going to university, has been in decline pretty much since 2017. There was a bump during COVID. That was a bit of an anomaly where people were locked at home and enrolled in courses. But overall, we’ve seen a decline in the number of Aussies enrolling in uni degrees until last year when it jumped up, and now it’s jumping up again this year. It’s on track to be the highest number of Australians enrolling in either an undergraduate degree or a postgraduate degree on record. So that’s a good thing.

    As I say, it’s not just people leaping out of school to study at university; it’s also people going back to uni to reskill, to upskill, get more skills. So that’s a good sign. But the Universities Accord is about building on that and what more we need to do it to support more people into university and into TAFE. I mentioned the funding reforms that will take place next year. Another part of it is making sure that TAFE and university work better together. We shouldn’t see them as two separate systems; we should be thinking about how they can be more joined up or integrated, how some of what you do at TAFE can be counted when you go to university and vice versa.

    We were having a chat, Dorsa mentioned that she did another course before she went into midwifery. Some of that is counted towards this course. That means that the degree is shorter than it otherwise would be, and costs less. But that’s a good example of what we can do more of here.

    In terms of helping people with the cost of higher education, the best example I can really point to is the cut to HECS that I’ll introduce into the Parliament in the next few weeks. The first bill that we’ll introduce into the Parliament will cut the student debt for 3 million Australians by 20 per cent. This will cut $16 billion dollars off the debt of ordinary Aussies. For the average Australian, it will cut their debt by more than five and a half grand. And that’s a big deal that will make a big difference.

    JOURNALIST: Do you want to move into child care now?

    CLARE: I’ll just make some comments off the top. Any Australian who heard the news from Victoria yesterday would be sickened by what they heard. And for every parent that is directly affected by this in Victoria, they would be frightened and they’d be angry. They would be bloody angry. And I know that they’re angry because one of those parents is a friend of mine, and her two little girls are directly affected by this. And I won’t tell you what she told me last night because you can’t repeat it on television. But she’s right to be mad. I’m mad. I think anyone who works in the early education system, and there’s hundreds of thousands of fantastic people who do, would be angry today as well. And my friend is mad because of all of the stress and the trauma and the crap that she and her girls are going to have to go through in the weeks ahead.

    This is serious, and it requires serious action. I was informed about this by the Victorian Government a little over a week ago. It’s one of the reasons why I put this on the top of the agenda when Education Ministers met last week. Let me be clear, when Education Ministers met to discuss child safety last week, we didn’t discuss this case, but we discussed what are the next steps that we need to take as a nation to make sure that our kids are safe in early education and care.

    There are things that we’ve already done. We’ve banned the use of personal mobile phones and devices in child care centres, and we did that for a reason. We’ve also changed the rules around mandatory reporting from seven days to 24 hours where there are complaints about sexual or physical abuse. I’ve got to tell you, we did that for a reason.

    And there are other things that are also underway. I mentioned yesterday and again this morning the legislation that I’ll bring to the Parliament which is about making sure that if services aren’t up to scratch, that they aren’t meeting the safety and the quality standards that we expect as a country, that we have the power as a Government to cut their funding off. And that’s important, too, because there’s nothing more important than the safety of our kids in early education and care.

    And there’s more to do. That’s what the meeting of Education Ministers on Friday was all about. We’ve seen the awful revelations out of the Four Corners investigation led by Adele Ferguson only a couple of months ago, and the Wheeler Report that was released last Thursday. Ministers had the opportunity at that meeting to be briefed by Chris, to be briefed by Mr Wheeler, and to go through his recommendations. But we were also briefed by Gabrielle Sinclair, who’s the head of ACECQA, about the actions she recommends we take in the light of the Four Corners investigation. And now Ministers are working together on a package of further reforms that are needed to make sure that our early education and care centres are as safe as they need to be.

    JOURNALIST: Minister, on that legislation you’re planning to introduce, how serious would a breach have to be for a centre to have their funding cut? What sort of threshold are we talking about?

    CLARE: All of that will be set out in the legislation that we’re working on right now. I mentioned to David on RN this morning that I’ve directed my Department to get that legislation drafted as quick as possible. It will deal with a number of things. As we announced back in March when we announced our intention to legislate in this area, it’s about that, it’s about cutting off funding to centres where there’s egregious behaviour by a centre. It’s also about stopping them from getting permission to expand and open other centres. But not just that; it’s also about stopping a provider or an employee who works in a centre who’s been found to be a bad actor from moving out of the child care sector into another part of the care economy, for example, in the NDIS. And we saw examples of that in the Four Corners investigation.

    JOURNALIST: Do you think there should be a tougher background checking process for those who have a working with children check?

    CLARE: I said this morning that it’s taken too long to do the work necessary to make sure that our working with children check system is up to scratch. And I’ve spoken a number of times with the Attorney-General, Michelle Rowland, the new Attorney-General, and I think I can safely speak on her behalf that she agrees and is determined to take the action necessary here to make sure that our working with children checks across the nation are up to scratch. That will be something that will be discussed by Attorneys-General when they meet next month. The Attorney-General is doing a press conference at the moment, and she’ll have more to say on that.

    The only other point I would make on working with children checks is that they’re not the only thing that we need to fix or reform. They’re not a silver bullet. There are too many examples where a perpetrator is eventually caught and arrested and sentenced. They’re somebody that got a working with children check because they had no prior criminal record. And so it’s only one of the things that we need to focus on here if we’re serious about making sure that we keep our kids

    JOURNALIST: You mentioned you wanted those – that legislation through as fast as possible. Can we expect to see these changes made this year?

    CLARE: Yes.

    JOURNALIST: Do you – the National Children’s Commissioner says the sector’s regulators need to be stronger, need more teeth to act. Has the government been slow to respond to these calls?

    CLARE: You can never be fast enough here. And the honest answer is the work here will never be done. There will always be bad people that try and break through the system and the safety. And so the work here will never be done. But what the Commissioner is talking about there are one of the things that Ministers are focused on and looking at right now.

    JOURNALIST: So will the Government make nationally harmonised working with children checks a priority? So those were recommended in 2015. How complicated will they be to enact, and why hasn’t it been done yet?

    CLARE: Similar answer to the one I gave just a moment ago. And the Attorney-General will be able to speak to that in more detail. But this is one of the things that Attorneys are looking at when they meet next month. They’re looking at what you described as harmonisation or mutual recognition, the sharing of information across borders, but also potentially near real-time updates to working with children checks, where criminal record checks or criminal records change. There’s a big piece of work that’s going on nationally with all the states and territories here. But as you rightly point out, the work can’t happen soon enough.

    JOURNALIST: Would you support the introduction of mandatory CCTV in child care centres?

    CLARE: CCTV itself was the subject of a recommendation by Chris Wheeler in his report that was handed down on Thursday. And that recommendation was about installing CCTV in centres where there has been previous breaches, where there is concern by the regulator about safety and quality in those centres. The New South Wales Government has given in-principle support for that recommendation. The Victorian Government I think, will have more to say about that today. And this is one of the things that Ministers are looking at across the board as we develop nationwide reforms. That’s different, though, to the question you asked about making it mandatory. The advice from experts at the moment is targeted based on centres which have demonstrated that they’re not up to scratch.

    JOURNALIST: The Victorian Greens have been calling for a royal commission into the sector. Do you – would you support that?

    CLARE: We’ve had a royal commission. We’ve got the recommendations. After Australia’s worst paedophile was arrested and convicted in Queensland just over two years ago, I commissioned a review into child safety. We’ve got those recommendations as well. Now we’ve got the Wheeler Report. We’ll get more evidence and more information out of what the Victorian Government is announcing today. We know what we need to do. It’s how we do it and how we pull all of that together and get the whole country acting as one.

    Okay, thanks very much, everybody.
     

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Oil, Watercolor and Gallic: Participants of the Art in the Metro Project Talk Creativity and Inspiration

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The Moscow metro is not only a popular means of public transport, but also a cultural venue for talented Muscovites. The project has been underway in the capital for nine years now “Music in the Metro”, and recently another project for creative people – “Art in the Metro”— celebrated its first anniversary. It united more than 250 artists working in different genres and techniques, who can create paintings at 10 sites at metro stations, as well as take part in off-site events and even try their hand at creating a new design for the Troika card. The second season of the project is currently underway, and the recruitment of artists continues.

    A mos.ru correspondent spoke with the participants of the “Art in the Metro” project and found out how they are inspired by the architecture of the stations and passengers rushing about their business.

    Pandas on Michurinsky Prospekt

    Artist Yulia Ershova painted a passenger reading enthusiastically in a train car, sculptures of Romulus and Remus at the Rimskaya station, and flying seagulls on the ceiling of Mayakovskaya on the Zamoskvoretskaya Line. Another of her paintings depicts three pandas chewing bamboo at the Michurinsky Prospekt station on the Big Circle Line (BCL).

    “This is my favorite station. It is decorated in an oriental style: it has red columns and lamps with Chinese ornaments. I thought, what can you imagine in such an environment? Why not put pandas there, who came to

    Moscow Zoo from China? Now this painting can be seen at the exhibition “Red” in the gallery of the creative association “Artists of Chertanovo”, – says Yulia Ershova.

    She learned about “Art in the Metro” from her artist friends who got into the project during the first recruitment, successfully passed the in-person round and created about 30 works in a year. Yulia Ershova prefers to work in oil, but when she needs to make a quick sketch, she takes up watercolor.

    “The artist’s mission is to draw people’s attention to beauty that they may not notice in the rhythm of a big city. I remember a passenger on the Aminyevskaya BKL saw my work on an easel and at first could not understand where such beauty came from. And then she recognized the station ceiling. She often rides here, but did not notice how unusual it is, and now she looked up for the first time,” says Yulia Ershova.

    This season she continues to participate in the project. “The metro is interesting to draw, and I am glad that I have been given such a unique opportunity to create in this atmosphere,” the mos.ru interlocutor emphasizes.

    “Dostoevskaya” with salt and ink

    Another participant of the last season, Ekaterina Bulgakova, was inspired by the Dostoevskaya metro station of the Lyublinsko-Dmitrovskaya line. The artist was struck by its marble slabs. She managed to convey their texture using a special technique.

    “To depict a marble pattern, I first began to combine acrylic paints, watercolors and the author’s technique “gallitika”. It uses ink and salt, which gives beautiful textured streaks. Now I plan to further develop this method of drawing,” says Ekaterina Bulgakova.

    During her year of participation in the project, she created about 20 works. The artist was especially inspired by the BKL stations. In her paintings, she depicted the art object “Moscow Rings”, located at the entrance to “Nizhegorodskaya”, and the interiors of “Khoroshevskaya”.

    “I also dedicated one of my works to passengers. I depicted a stream of people hurrying at the Kitay-Gorod station, wrote down their possible thoughts, and added an old map of the area. It turned out to be a collage. It is impossible to imagine the metro without passengers. People often even came up to watch me draw and asked questions. Someone admitted that they were 20 years old and it was boring to study in their chosen specialty. And someone wanted to learn to draw at 60. I supported them and said that it is not too late to start at any age,” the interviewee notes.

    The artist did not initially plan to engage in creative work either. She received a higher education in economics, then completed an internship with teachers from the Russian State University of Art and Industry named after S.G. Stroganov, graduated from the School of Design of the National Research University Higher School of Economics and began to paint. This year, she is preparing to capture the capital’s metro on canvas again.

    “The metro is developing at a rapid pace, but the new stations are not inferior to the old ones in terms of design. They are incredible. I am grateful to the project organizers for the fact that we can draw here,” shares Ekaterina Bulgakova.

    “Art in the Metro”: the project’s artists worked in a tram depot for the first timeParticipants of the Art in the Metro project depicted stations of the Big Circle LineParticipants of the Art in the Metro project created works of art on digital tablets for the first time

    Walk through the tunnel and trains from different eras

    Project participant Ekaterina Gavrilova also considers the metro an invaluable source of ideas for paintings. The artist is fascinated by the architecture of the last century, so she is especially inspired by the very first stations and their design.

    “The main goal of the Art in the Metro project is to draw people’s attention to what surrounds them every day. For example, you can take a closer look at the doors of the Oktyabrskaya metro station. Every detail in their patterns is thought out, forming a single composition,” says Ekaterina Gavrilova.

    The interviewee of mos.ru has been drawing since childhood and was inspired by the works of Isaac Levitan, so she entered the Russian Academy of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture of Ilya Glazunov and successfully graduated from it. Ekaterina Gavrilova has been participating in the project since its inception. In the metro, she has created more than 20 works in a realistic style with elements of minimalism. Most of all, she liked to draw at the Komsomolskaya, Park Kultury and Taganskaya stations of the Circle Line, as well as at Kievskaya on the Arbatsko-Pokrovskaya line.

    “Thanks to the project, we didn’t just go down to the metro to draw, but went to interesting and unusual events. One night, we visited the tunnel of the Shelepikha station of the Big Circle Line (the Delovoy Tsentr – Shelepikha – Khoroshevskaya section of the Big Circle Line has been temporarily closed since June 22. – Note from mos.ru). We had a couple of hours after the contact rail was disconnected. Under the supervision of the shift supervisor, we walked through the tunnel. In addition, I attended an event at the Izmailovo depot. There, I created a painting called “Two Epochs”, where trains from the last century and our time stand side by side,” recalls artist Ekaterina Gavrilova.

    In her work, she uses not only oil, but also watercolour markers, tempera and gouache. She likes to experiment. For example, the artist depicted the Maryina Roshcha BKL station digitally – on a tablet, since she considers the space itself futuristic. And while working at Kievskaya, Ekaterina Gavrilova noticed two city women enthusiastically talking to each other. This scene formed the basis for the work “Morning News”.

    “The lobby of the Kyiv station is an atrium space framed by Corinthian capitals in a semicircle. The architects’ concept is a place for a temporary break from the road and meetings. The interior is pompous: columns, mosaics, gold. I think the space itself suggested the plot to me. The most wonderful thing in such walls is to engage in creativity. And passengers feel it. That is why the projects “Art in the Metro” and “Music in the Metro” have so many viewers,” the mos.ru interlocutor notes.

    Engage passengers in creativity

    Nikolay Bazunov also took part in the first season of the project. He found inspiration in metro trains.

    “I like the design of rolling stock from the 1940s to 1970s, which is attractive in its simplicity – smooth lines, round headlights. Thanks to my participation in the “Art in the Metro” project, I visited the Severnoye and Izmailovo depots, where I drew historical trains. I even managed to sit in the driver’s cabin of a retro train that runs on the Sokolnicheskaya line,” the artist says.

    Nikolay Bazunov associates the metro with the Great Patriotic War and memories of his relatives. During the bombing, his grandmother and mother hid at the Mayakovskaya station. The artist found a black-and-white photograph taken in 1941 and painted a picture for the anniversary of the Great Victory, where he depicted Muscovites hiding in the metro.

    “There is an interesting incident connected with this work. I was painting it at the Park Kultury station and stepped away for five minutes. I came back and there was a girl standing next to the painting and trying to make the image lighter with my brush. She explained that she found the work gloomy. And I smiled,” recalls Nikolai Bazunov.

    The artist prefers to work with oil on canvas. He compares his work to a musician’s performance. The palette is a turntable with discs, like a DJ’s, the brush is a conductor’s baton. While working, Nikolai Bazunov stands with his back to the passengers so that they can see his painting and express their opinion.

    “I have been participating in the Art in the Metro project since its inception, and have painted about 10 works. This season, I have joined it again not only as a participant, but also as a jury member. I help select artists. It is important to me that a person finds himself in the project, that he finds it interesting, that he can enjoy creativity and inspire others with his example,” emphasizes Nikolai Bazunov.

    This year he plans to paint a series of pictures based on a series of science fiction novels about the metro.

    The recruitment of artists for the second season of the project “Art in the Metro” is ongoing. To become a participant, you need to apply towebsite. The selection of finalists is carried out by an expert commission with the participation of representatives of the capital Department of Transport and Development of Road Transport Infrastructure and associations “Exhibition halls of Moscow”.

    Three new venues for the Art in the Metro project have appeared on the Big Circle LineParticipants of the Art in the Metro project created paintings at the Kitay-Gorod stationPortrait of Dostoevsky and a sketch of a stranger: what works were created by participants of the project “Art in the Metro”Artists of the Art in the Metro project will develop a New Year’s design for thematic Troika cards

    Get the latest news quicklyofficial telegram channel the city of Moscow.

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

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/156113073/

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Statement on Israel’s Blacklisting of DAWN to Stifle Accountability for War Crimes

    Source: DAWN

    (July 1, 2025 Washington, D.C.)  In response to reports of a new Israeli directive to ban employees of DAWN, along with other respected human rights and legal advocacy organizations including Al-Haq Europe, Law for Palestine, and Lawyers for Palestinian Human Rights (LPHR), from entering Israel, aiming to punish and suppress accountability efforts for war crimes, apartheid, and genocide, DAWN issues the following:

    “Israel is now banning human rights organizations from even entering the country to expose and seek accountability for the atrocities and crimes it is committing,” said Sarah Leah Whitson, DAWN’s executive director. “Israel’s ban against organizations seeking accountability for IDF abuses is only the latest indication of its growing isolation in the international community” 

    “Israel’s decision to blacklist DAWN is a desperate attempt to block scrutiny of its crimes against the Palestinian people,” said Raed Jarrar, advocacy director at DAWN. “We will not be intimidated by authoritarian tactics and will continue our work to expose Israel’s violations of international law until there is full accountability and justice.”

    “It’s hard to imagine greater validation of DAWN’s work to hold accountable Israeli officials and soldiers than being banned from entering the country specifically because of that work,” said Michael Schaeffer Omer-Man, director for Israel-Palestine at DAWN. “This is nevertheless a worrying harbinger of even greater Israeli repression of human rights defenders, be they Palestinian, Israeli, or American.”

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Australia – Super blind spot: one in three Australians don’t know their super balance, one in nine have never checked – CBA

    Source: Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA)

    New CommBank report reveals financial blind spots holding Australians back from greater financial confidence and joy, as free Financial Fitness program launches.

    Key findings from new CommBank Financial Fitness research:

    • Superannuation gaps: A third of Australians don’t know their super balance (33 per cent) and two thirds aren’t confident they’ll have enough to retire comfortably (63 per cent), with one in nine (11 per cent) having never checked their balance at all. Around one in three (31 per cent) don’t know how their super is invested, and this uncertainty jumps up for women and Gen Z (both 46 per cent).
    • Where there’s a will, there’s a way: Less than half (45 per cent) of Australians currently have a will and fewer than one in three (31 per cent) say theirs is up to date.
    • The art of budgeting: While over half have a budget (58 per cent), many Australians either find it ineffective (40 per cent) or simply struggle to stick to it (32 per cent). Among those who do budget, only 17 per cent use digital money management tools while 27 per cent use spreadsheets and 23 per cent figure it out ‘in their heads’.
    • Younger generations most financially stressed: Younger Australians are more likely to track their spending and have a plan to grow their money but still feel the most financially stressed (59 per cent) and least confident (42 per cent) compared with older generations, according to the CommBank Financial Fitness Report.
    • Goals being set, but hard to achieve: While almost all Australians say they have financial goals (95 per cent), only half feel confident they can achieve them (52 per cent) or that they can enjoy life because of the way they manage money (50 per cent). 

    Free CommBank Financial Fitness program launched to help

    CommBank has launched a free Financial Fitness program – a practical, expert-led initiative to help Australians build their financial knowledge and confidence. The curriculum covers topics such as ‘building your savings muscle’ and ‘stretching your money mindset’, with guidance on everything from creating an emergency fund to investing or buying a home.

    Drawing on behavioural insights such as ‘chunking’, the ‘fresh start effect’ and ‘social proofing’, the five part ‘actions-based’ Financial Fitness program is designed to help Australians improve both their Financial IQ and EQ. The program is available for free to all Australians – no matter who you bank with.

    Comments from CommBank Personal Finance Expert

    Jess Irvine, CommBank Personal Finance Expert, said: “Many Australians are doing their best, but still feel unsure about key parts of their finances – from how much super they have, to the best ways to budget. The truth is, being financially confident doesn’t mean having it all figured out. It means being informed, asking questions, and taking small steps forward.

    “That’s what our Financial Fitness program is about, because when you understand your money, you’re better placed to make decisions to shape your financial future. For some, it could be improving simple things – like sorting out a will or your super – to help protect your assets now and as they grow. For others, it might be a subtle money mindset shift to build better financial habits. No matter what stage of life you’re at, small actions can lead to greater confidence in your financial choices and the freedom to focus on what really matters to you.”

    Other insights from the research

    The research also highlights how our financial habits are changing with the current cost of living and as we get older, including:

    • Cost of living sparks a new generation of savvy shoppers: Australians say cost of living pressures have motivated them to look for ways to save money on everyday items (63 per cent), as well as using discounts and reward programs (60 per cent), spacing out or reducing regular appointments (43 per cent).
    • A problem shared is a problem halved: Almost half of the nation (47 per cent) avoid talking about their financial situation with loved ones, with 15 per cent of this cohort simply not knowing how to start the conversation. Other reasons include feeling uncomfortable (38 per cent), overwhelmed (23 per cent) or embarrassed (19 per cent). As we age, we get less embarrassed to talk about finances (26 per cent aged 18-29 years old versus 12 per cent aged 60+ years old).
    • Financial confidence is in reach: Almost two thirds of Australians (62 per cent) say there is at least one thing stopping them from becoming more financially confident, such as they don’t know where to start (23 per cent), the jargon is confusing (20 per cent) and they don’t have time to learn about money (13 per cent).

    Do you know how financially fit you are? Watch the video below to take this test and find out.

    Brighter Side of Banking

    The Financial Fitness program is the next evolution of CommBank’s Brighter Side of Banking, which already includes Brighter magazine, online content and a TV series, offering tips and inspiring stories on money management, cost-of-living support and financial confidence.

    With the Brighter TV content reaching more than 10 million across all platforms, 80 per cent of viewers say they took action and put into practice one learning after watching the show.

    For more information or to access the Financial Fitness lessons visit https://commbank.com.au/financialfitness.

    CommBank Financial Fitness Research commissioned March 2025, national representative sample of 3,146 respondents.

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI: MMP Capital Drives Significant Growth in Equipment Financing Services

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MMP Capital’s New Hampshire office has driven notable growth in diverse industries like printing, dental, and manufacturing. The company increased direct lending capabilities, achieving faster approvals and customized financing. Plans include expanding its New York facility and refining partnership strategies for optimal service.

    Photo Courtesy of MMP Capital

    FARMINGDALE, New York, July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — MMP Capital, a leading private lending company specializing in equipment financing and small business lending, has reported substantial growth this year. The expansion of additional satellite offices in New Hampshire and Massachusetts marks the company’s first offices outside its Long Island headquarters and has already delivered noteworthy results in diversifying the company’s portfolio beyond its traditional healthcare focus.

    The New Hampshire office has rapidly expanded MMP Capital’s presence in several key industries, including printing, dental, franchises, metal fabrication, construction, yellow iron, and manufacturing. This growth aligns with the company’s strategic vision to strengthen its position as a versatile equipment financing provider while maintaining its established leadership in the aesthetic medical healthcare sector.

    “Since opening our Portsmouth office in February, we’ve experienced exceptional growth in our non-healthcare financing portfolio. The office has been a haven for talented people who were looking for a dynamic environment to further their career, and have found success with MMP Capital,” said Jim Siederman, Executive Vice President of MMP Capital. “The New Hampshire team has exceeded our expectations, bringing on new customers across diverse industries and upholding our commitment to customer service excellence. This expansion represents geographic growth and a significant broadening of our market reach. We are getting bombarded with new resumes and have plans to expand the size of the office in 2026 to continue to feed the growth.”

    MMP Capital operates as a hybrid lender, lending directly from its capital resources and working through a network of syndication partners when appropriate. The company has recently increased its balance sheet lending capabilities, allowing for greater control over the lending process and enabling more customized financing solutions for clients.

    “One of our strategic priorities this year has been increasing the percentage of direct lending we provide,” explained President & CEO, John-Paul Smolenski. “This gives us more control over the entire customer experience, from approval application. With our expanded team in the Northeast, we can offer faster approvals, more flexible terms, and dedicated account executives who understand the industries they serve. We could not have done it without the support of good partners at Deutsche Bank and Brean Capital, who have been integral in our success.”

    The success of the New England offices comes at a time of significant overall growth for MMP Capital. The company recently announced record-setting performance in late 2024, with total production reaching $55 million in December originations alone. This momentum has continued into 2025, with originations growing at close to 40% YOY companywide.

    The company has also announced plans to expand its Long Island HQ in the third quarter of 2025, creating additional capacity for their growing sales and operations teams in a new 25,000 sq ft office in Melville, Long Island. This organic growth reflects MMP Capital’s continued commitment to scaling its services while maintaining personalized attention to clients.

    “The timing is perfect, as the macro economy is starting to take off after the last few years of turmoil. Small Business owners are extremely excited about what the future holds. As we continue to grow, we are becoming increasingly selective about our lending partnerships,” added Smolenski. “We’re moving away from syndication partners who don’t fully align with our commitment to customer service excellence. When we realized that 95% of customer complaints came from poor experiences from the post-sale assignment of two funding sources. Once we identified those two funding sources, it was a no brainer to sever relations with them. This strategic shift allows us to maintain consistent, high-quality service throughout the financing process, from application to final payment. Our high-end clients can go anywhere they want for financing, but are loyal to MMP Capital due to our convenience, and high levels of personal service.”

    About MMP Capital

    MMP Capital was founded in 2013 with a mission to be the gold standard in healthcare equipment finance in the U.S. Led by a management team with vast experience in sales, credit, and operations from several banks, leasing companies, and funding institutions, MMP Capital is uniquely equipped as a hybrid lender to lend directly or utilize a vast syndication outlet.

    The company’s financing options for equipment financing, leasing, and unsecured capital offer U.S. businesses the opportunity to invest in their future, update outdated technology, or offer new services to customers.

    Contact Information

    Jamie O’Connor
    Director of Marketing & Branding
    MMP Capital
    joconnor@mmpcapital.com
    https://mmpcapital.com/
    o: (516) 308‑6946 | m: (917) 902‑7595 | f: (516) 400‑2071

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/b87b1caf-0f48-46e8-9905-f04f0c26e778

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Distrust in AI is on the rise – but along with healthy scepticism comes the risk of harm

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Simon Coghlan, Senior Lecturer in Digital Ethics, Deputy Director Centre for AI and Digital Ethics, School of Computing and Information Systems, The University of Melbourne

    PlayStation/StaminaZero/YouTube

    Some video game players recently criticised the cover art on a new video game for being generated with artificial intelligence (AI). Yet the cover art for Little Droid, which also featured in the game’s launch trailer on YouTube, was not concocted by AI. It was, the developers claim, carefully designed by a human artist.

    Surprised by the attacks on “AI slop”, the studio Stamina Zero posted a video showing earlier versions of the artist’s handiwork. But while some accepted this evidence, others remained sceptical.

    In addition, several players felt that even if the Little Droid cover art was human made, it nonetheless resembled AI-generated work.

    However, some art is deliberately designed to have the futuristic glossy appearance associated with image generators like Midjourney, DALL-E, and Stable Diffusion.

    Stamina Zero published a video showing the steps the artist took to create the cover art.

    It’s becoming increasingly easy for images, videos or audio made with AI to be deceptively passed off as authentic or human made. The twist in cases like Little Droid is that what is human or “real” may be incorrectly perceived as machine generated – resulting in misplaced backlash.

    Such cases highlight the increasing problem of the balance of trust and distrust in the generative AI era. In this new world, both cynicism and gullibility about what we encounter online are potential problems – and can lead to harm.

    Wrongful accusations

    This issue extends well beyond gaming. There are growing criticisms of AI being used to generate and publish music on platforms like Spotify.

    Yet as a result, some indie music artists have been wrongfully accused of generating AI music, resulting in damage to their burgeoning careers as musicians.

    In 2023, an Australian photographer was wrongly disqualified from a photo contest due to the erroneous judgement her entry was produced by artificial intelligence.

    Writers, including students submitting essays, can also be falsely accused of sneakily using AI. Currently available AI detection tools are far from foolproof – and some argue they may never be entirely reliable.

    Recent discussions have drawn attention to common characteristics of AI writing, including the em dash – which, as authors, we often employ ourselves.

    Given that text from systems like ChatGPT has characteristic features, writers face a difficult decision: should they continue writing in their own style and risk being accused of using AI, or should they try to write differently?



    Read more:
    Google’s SynthID is the latest tool for catching AI-made content. What is AI ‘watermarking’ and does it work?

    The delicate balance of trust and distrust

    Graphic designers, voice actors and many others are rightly worried about AI replacing them. They are also understandably concerned about tech companies using their labour to train AI models without consent, credit or compensation.

    There are further ethical concerns that AI-generated images threaten Indigenous inclusion by erasing cultural nuances and challenging Indigenous cultural and intellectual property rights.

    At the same time, the cases above illustrate the risks of rejecting authentic human effort and creativity due to a false belief it is AI. This too can be unfair. People wrongly accused of using AI can suffer emotional, financial and reputational harm.

    On the one hand, being fooled that AI content is authentic is a problem. Consider deepfakes, bogus videos and false images of politicians or celebrities. AI content purporting to be real can be linked to scams and dangerous misinformation.

    On the other hand, mistakenly distrusting authentic content is also a problem. For example, rejecting the authenticity of a video of war crimes or hate speech by politicians – based on the mistaken or deliberate belief that the content was AI generated – can lead to great harm and injustice.

    Unfortunately, the growth of dubious content allows unscrupulous individuals to claim that video, audio or images exposing real wrongdoing are fake.

    As distrust increases, democracy and social cohesion may begin to fray. Given the potential consequences, we must be wary of excessive scepticism about the origin or provenance of online content.

    A path forward

    AI is a cultural and social technology. It mediates and shapes our relationships with one another, and has potentially transformational effects on how we learn and share information.

    The fact that AI is challenging our trust relationships with companies, content and each other is not surprising. And people are not always to blame when they are fooled by AI-manufactured material. Such outputs are increasingly realistic.

    Furthermore, the responsibility to avoid deception should not fall entirely on internet users and the public. Digital platforms, AI developers, tech companies and producers of AI material should be held accountable through regulation and transparency requirements around AI use.

    Even so, internet users will still need to adapt. The need to exercise a balanced and fair sense of scepticism toward online material is becoming more urgent.

    This means adopting the right level of trust and distrust in digital environments.

    The philosopher Aristotle spoke of practical wisdom. Through experience, education and practice, a practically wise person develops skills to judge well in life. Because they tend to avoid poor judgement, including excessive scepticism and naivete, the practically wise person is better able to flourish and do well by others.

    We need to hold tech companies and platforms to account for harm and deception caused by AI. We also need to educate ourselves, our communities, and the next generation to judge well and develop some practical wisdom in a world awash with AI content.

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

    – ref. Distrust in AI is on the rise – but along with healthy scepticism comes the risk of harm – https://theconversation.com/distrust-in-ai-is-on-the-rise-but-along-with-healthy-scepticism-comes-the-risk-of-harm-260189

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: ‘Jurassic World Rebirth’ cast roars into China for Shanghai premiere

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

    “Jurassic World Rebirth,” the latest installment in the dinosaur blockbuster franchise, is set to charge into Chinese theaters on July 2, with the director and cast generating excitement among fans at the film’s Shanghai premiere on June 29.

    (From left to right) Actors Rupert Friend, Scarlett Johansson and Jonathan Bailey stand with director Gareth Edwards as they wave to fans at the China premiere of “Jurassic World Rebirth” in Shanghai, June 29, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures]

    Three years after the “Jurassic World” trilogy ended, the “Jurassic” series takes an inventive turn with a new film directed by Gareth Edwards from a script by original “Jurassic Park” (1993) screenwriter David Koepp and starring Scarlett Johansson, Jonathan Bailey and Mahershala Ali.

    The story follows an extraction team that ventures to a dangerous island research facility from “Jurassic Park,” now inhabited by deadly dinosaurs. Their mission involves collecting DNA samples from three colossal prehistoric species on land, sea and air for a medical breakthrough.

    Director Edwards called making the film “a dream come true” at the premiere event packed with screaming fans. He appeared alongside Johansson, Bailey and Rupert Friend during the film’s China promotional tour. 

    “I think it is every director’s dream and also every director’s nightmare,” he said.

    Edwards grew up studying Steven Spielberg’s films in England, with “Jurassic Park” among the first movies he saw as a child. He said the film has inspired him ever since, though he believes no one can surpass Spielberg’s original work and never expected to do so. Edwards said he hopes “Jurassic World Rebirth” will feel like a forgotten sequel from the 1990s, capturing the original’s style.

    A still from “Jurassic World Rebirth.” [Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures]

    Spielberg has remained closely involved with the franchise, having directed the original “Jurassic Park” and its sequel, “The Lost World: Jurassic Park,” and serving as executive producer on every subsequent film, including “Jurassic World Rebirth.” Since 1993, the franchise based on Michael Crichton’s novel has created a cinematic world of reborn dinosaurs and heroes, reinvented the blockbuster film, revolutionized special effects and launched two trilogies that have grossed over $6 billion worldwide, including 4.61 billion yuan ($644 million) from China.

    “We had Steven Spielberg guiding this whole film,” Edwards revealed. “He was watching everything we were filming every day, and as a filmmaker, that’s very nerve-racking. Sometimes we’d get a nice text, and I’d share it with the group when he said he loved what he’d seen, and that’s awesome.”

    Johansson said participating in “Jurassic World Rebirth” fulfilled “a childhood dream of mine.” She recalled that one of her earliest theater memories was watching “Jurassic Park” and that she had followed the franchise for 15 years, reaching out each time a new film was announced, though previous attempts had not worked out. The action superstar added that she told Spielberg she would accept any role in the “Jurassic” franchise — even playing what she called a “dinosnack” who gets eaten five minutes in.

    Standing alongside her colleagues, actor Scarlett Johansson speaks on stage at the China premiere of “Jurassic World Rebirth” in Shanghai, June 29, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures]

    But this time, Johansson landed something far more substantial. Cast as Zora Bennett, she plays a covert operations expert contracted to lead a team on a top-secret mission to secure genetic material. She and her team uncover a sinister discovery hidden for decades on the dinosaur island.

    To bring the story to life, the cast and crew went far beyond green screens, filming in natural locations across the U.K., Malta and Thailand. Along the way, they encountered wild animals from snakes and monkeys to poisonous insects.

    A still from “Jurassic World Rebirth.” [Photo courtesy of Universal Pictures]

    The director recalled going to a mangrove swamp in Thailand. Although everyone assured him it was safe, the crew still hired a snake wrangler just in case. Sure enough, the wrangler emerged with a giant yellow-and-black poisonous snake. “I said everybody has to make a promise right now that we’re not going to tell Scarlett Johansson until the film is finished,” Edwards said.

    Hearing this for the first time on stage, Johansson turned to the director and deadpanned, “I trusted you, Gareth, and I no longer trust you.”

    “The adventure of a lifetime!” Friend exclaimed.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Freeman’s Bay homicide: Update

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Police is continuing the investigation launched following the discovery of human remains in Freeman’s Bay overnight.

    Further information is being released in the early stage of the investigation.

    “Sadly, I can confirm the deceased is a newborn baby, and they were discovered in a wheelie bin outside an address,” Detective Inspector Scott Beard, of Auckland City CIB, says.

    “A woman is in custody and Police are speaking with her to establish the circumstances around what has occurred.”

    Police is not looking for anyone else in connection with the matter.

    “This is a tragedy for everyone concerned and there is a person’s wellbeing to consider here alongside the investigation, so we will ensure the woman gets the support she needs.

    “Police acknowledge this will understandably be quite confronting information for the community to grapple with.”

    A post-mortem is ongoing today to determine the next steps in the investigation.

    “The result is not yet known, and Police will provide further updates as the investigation allows,” Detective Inspector Beard says.

    “We would ask the public to avoid speculation given what has occurred and allow investigators to carry out their work.”

    Police will be carrying out an area canvass as part of the investigation.

    “We will be seeking CCTV from residents in the street and also searching other wheelie bins in order to secure any additional evidence that may be relevant to the investigation.”

    If you have any information that could assist the investigation, please make a report via 105, using the file number 250630/9878 and quote ‘Operation Yarrow’.

    Alternatively, information can be provided anonymously to Crime Stoppers on 0800 555 111 or crimestoppers-nz.org.

    ENDS.

    Amanda Wieneke/NZ Police

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Two killed in training plane crash in southeastern Brazil

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    SAO PAULO, July 1 (Xinhua) — A light training aircraft crashed in Brazil’s southeastern Sao Paulo state on Tuesday, killing two people, local fire officials said.

    The plane crashed in a deserted area of the city of Sao Jose do Rio Preto after taking off from the local airport.

    Globo TV reported, citing firefighters, that there were two people on board the plane, both of whom died.

    Local police and the Brazilian Air Force’s Accident Investigation and Prevention Center are investigating the cause of the crash. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Further arrests after Operation Purple anti-social road user event

    Source: New Zealand Police

    Twelve people have been arrested and charged in the wake of the King’s Birthday weekend anti-social road user gathering in Levin that saw police officers and members of the public injured, fireworks lit, and police vehicles damaged.

    Since the 30 May event where a crowd of 1000 people gathered and participated in skids, burnouts, and other driving offences, Police have worked tirelessly to gather evidence from the night.

    This includes reviewing the footage filmed by officers on the ground and the Police Eagle helicopter at the time, taking witness statements, and going over information provided by the public, alongside sourcing and reviewing relevant CCTV and any footage posted online on social media.

    Inspector Ross Grantham, Manawatū Area Commander, says the level of violence and reckless behaviour shown at the gathering was dangerous and stupid.

    “While Police were in attendance, the crowd became aggressive and riotous, with fireworks, physical aggression, and a vehicle all being used against officers. Multiple police vehicles were damaged, and two police officers received minor injuries from the fireworks.”

    Five members of the public were also injured, including a woman who was knocked unconscious and left on the ground while people filmed her. The crowd refused to move for an ambulance, with Police having to deploy tactical options in order for emergency services to reach her.

    As the event unfolded, 10 people were arrested for disorderly behaviour and driving-related charges. They are before the courts.

    “It is sheer luck that there were not more serious injuries, or even death, that night,” Inspector Grantham says.

    As a result of the last month’s work, Police have arrested and charged 12 people, in addition to the 10 people arrested on the night.

    “These 22 total arrests are an amazing result for our community and we expect there will be further arrests and charges in the future,” Inspector Grantham says.

    Police Commissioner Richard Chambers says those participating in this type of despicable behaviour should expect to hear Police knocking on their front door.

    “The kind of behaviour we saw that night is completely unacceptable, and it puts participants, bystanders, and my colleagues in danger.

    “Thankfully two officers only received minor injuries, however the situation could have been a lot worse.”

    The range of charges include possession of offensive weapon, arson, failing to stop to ascertain injury, failing to stop for Police, sustained loss of traction, driving in a dangerous manner, driving while disqualified, unlawful assembly, unlawfully in an enclosed yard, and excess breath alcohol level.

    Seven men aged 18–29, and two women aged 18 and 51 are due to appear in Levin District Court on Wednesday 2, Wednesday 9, and Wednesday 16 July.

    Three youth are due to appear in Levin Youth Court at a later date.

    ENDS

    Issued by the Police Media Centre.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: [Interview] Samsung Color E-Paper x NONO SHOP: Bringing a Sustainable Space to Life

    Source: Samsung

    Today’s consumers are redefining what it means to live well. Beyond simple consumption, they strive to make environmentally responsible choices throughout the entire purchasing journey. As a result, sustainability is no longer a trend — it has become a way of life. Brands are working to communicate their messages effectively while fully embracing and reflecting these eco-conscious values.
     
    Launched this year, Samsung Electronics’ Color E-Paper (EMDX model) is a next-generation signage solution that significantly reduces power consumption in digital content advertising. NONO SHOP, a zero-waste store and café in Seoul’s Itaewon neighborhood, has introduced Color E-Paper displays into its space — taking a proactive step toward more sustainable operations.
     
    ▲ Julian Quintart, Founder and Owner of NONO SHOP
     
    Samsung Newsroom visited NONO SHOP to explore how the space has become even more eco-conscious with the integration of Color E-Paper.
     
     
    Less Waste, More Flexibility
    NONO SHOP is a zero-waste store and vegan café offering plant-based beverages, desserts and groceries, along with a refill station to reduce single-use packaging. The shop promotes sustainability through customer engagement programs such as recycling campaigns and Climate Fresk workshops, where participants learn about climate change.
     
    Even with ongoing efforts to minimize waste, operating a store inevitably generates some trash. One example is printed promotional materials — including seasonal menus, event posters and schedule announcements — which must be updated frequently. As a result, a significant amount of paper-based signage was being discarded each month.
     
    ▲ Quintart shares the many advantages of Samsung Color E-Paper including reduced waste, power consumption and flexible installation options.
     
    By adopting Color E-Paper, NONO SHOP has significantly reduced waste from printed promotional materials. Images and text can be easily updated through a dedicated mobile app, eliminating the need to print and mount posters. The displays now allow for real-time content updates while delivering more impactful visuals.
     
    “Samsung Color E-Paper doesn’t feel like a digital screen,” said Julian Quintart, a Belgian entertainer and founder of NONO SHOP. “It looks so much like real printed material that, unless you look very closely, you’d think it was just an ordinary paper poster.”
     
    “The ability to instantly update images through the mobile app makes daily operations much more efficient,” added Juwon Shim, a manager at NONO SHOP. “It helps us save not only the resources and energy required for printing, but also time.”
     
    ▲ Samsung Color E-Paper offers simple hanging installation options thanks to its 2.5kg-light and 17.9-millimeter-slim profile.
     
     
    Sustainably Crafted From Packaging to Product
    Color E-Paper is highly effective in reducing the energy typically required to operate and maintain commercial spaces. By applying ink technology to digital paper and using ambient light to render images, the displays eliminate the need for a backlight unit — the component in traditional screens that consumes energy to emit light. As a result, power consumption drops to 0.00 watts1 when content remains static. Even during updates, Color E-Paper uses significantly less energy than conventional digital signage.
     
    “When introducing new devices into the store, it’s important to consider not just their power consumption, but also their overall environmental impact,” said Quintart. “Color E-Paper is especially appealing because its energy use is significantly lower than that of traditional digital displays.”
     
    ▲ The packaging of Color E-Paper also reflects a strong commitment to sustainability.
     
    The product’s design and packaging also reflect a strong commitment to sustainability. Color E-Paper features 100% paper-based packaging and incorporates recycled plastic in more than half of its cover.
     
    “Even the packaging was thoughtfully designed,” he emphasized. “All these small efforts add up and represent a meaningful step toward resource circulation.”
     
    ▲ Zoe McTackett, a regular customer at NONO SHOP, appreciates that the cover of Color E-Paper is made from recycled plastic.
     
    Reactions to the Color E-Paper signage have been positive.
     
    “I was really surprised to learn that recycled plastic was used in Color E-Paper,” said Zoe McTackett, a regular customer at NONO SHOP. “Knowing that Samsung values not just technology, but also the environment, makes me trust the brand even more.”
     
     
    Built To Fit Anywhere
    Color E-Paper effortlessly integrates into any space, preserving the aesthetic of existing interiors and resembling framed artwork. Equipped with a patent pending color imaging algorithm, the display optimizes content for enhanced visibility — delivering smooth edge rendering, seamless gradients and rich color expression for a look and feel strikingly similar to printed posters.
     
    ▲ NONO SHOP not only uses Color E-Paper for in-store displays but also uses it as versatile screens during workshops.
     
    “Even though it’s a digital screen, it doesn’t feel too sharp — it has a natural, paper-like quality,” said McTackett. She noted how comfortable it was to view, even in bright daylight or well-lit environments, thanks to its non-reflective surface.
     
    “I hope customers see the display not just as a digital device, but as a framed piece,” Quintart added. “Once they realize it’s actually digital paper, they focus more on the content and respond to the product more organically.”
     
    Weighing just 2.5 kilograms with the battery and measuring only 17.9 millimeters thick, Color E-Paper features an ultra-lightweight design with exceptional installation flexibility — easily mounted on walls, ceiling rails or stands without the need for additional structures.
     
    ▲ Color E-Paper can be installed almost anywhere thanks to its ultra-lightweight and ultra-slim design.
     
    “Depending on the setting, Color E-Paper can be used in various formats — on a stand, wall-mounted or hanging,” Shim explained. “One of its biggest advantages is that it can transform the store’s atmosphere without requiring major interior changes.”
     
    “When mounted on a movable stand, Color E-Paper is easy to reposition and can be set up near the entrance or beside the checkout counter,” she continued. “Hanging the display with wires is especially space-efficient since it takes up virtually no space.”
     
    Samsung’s Color E-Paper eliminates the trade-offs once associated with sustainable practices. Just as a single small action can spark meaningful change, Samsung remains committed to creating positive environmental impact — a mission now shared with NONO SHOP through Color E-Paper.
     
     
    1 According to International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) 62301 standards, power consumption under 0.005 watts is displayed as 0.00 watts.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Enjoy winter magic this school holiday with Electric Wonderland and Snowflake events in Hargreaves Mall

    Source: New South Wales Ministerial News

    Families and visitors are invited to embrace the magic of winter in Greater Bendigo with an exciting line-up of school holiday events, including the stunning Electric Wonderland in Rosalind Park and enchanting Snowflake-themed activations in Hargreaves Mall.

    Acting Director of Strategy and Growth, Anthony Petherbridge, said the program provided a fantastic mix of events and experiences for all ages.

    “Rug up and enjoy a starry winter evening exploring the world of sound, light and colour at Electric Wonderland in Rosalind Park,” Mr Petherbridge said.

    “From July 4 to July 20, Electric Wonderland will light up the park Friday and Saturday from 6pm to 10pm, and Sunday to Thursday from 6pm to 9pm. The after dark program features new installations and immersive experiences like a cascading garden blooming from the treetops, giant interactive pinboards, and a dazzling mirror ball laser alley. Returning favourites include the stunning almost 40 metre tunnel adorned in fairy lights, inspired by Bendigo’s Sacred Heart Cathedral, and the mesmerising Pixelmatrix light cube. There will also be dance walls, creative zones, and plenty more surprises for the whole family to explore.

    “Hargreaves Mall will host free entertainment and activations. A Snowflake-themed program will bring a whimsical touch to the city centre, featuring three heated, see-through igloos, used for arts and crafts during the day and illuminated at night. Families can enjoy watching artist in residence, Manda Lane, create a 3D paper cut installation live from July 8 to 12.

    “The artist will also host free Snowflake Papercraft Workshops for children aged 8+, running July 9 to 12, 11am–12pm in an igloo. Children can take their creations home or contribute to Manda’s collaborative display. All materials are provided, but booking is essential.

    “The Mall will also host Winter Wonderland with Little Moments Children’s Entertainment with Ice Queen bringing stories to life with ribbons, bubbles, dancing, games, and a magical snow forest backdrop – perfect for fun selfies and winter memories.

    “On the big screen SnowFlakes and SunRays, a new digital artwork by visionary local artist Paul Fletcher, will take you on a journey of calm reflection and energising warmth.”

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI: Origin Investment Corp I Announces Pricing of $60,000,000 Initial Public Offering

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Singapore, July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Origin Investment Corp I (the “Company”), a blank check company, today announced the pricing of its initial public offering (“IPO”) of 6,000,000 units at an offering price of $10.00 per unit, with each unit consisting of one Class A ordinary share and one-half of one redeemable warrant. The units are expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Global Market (“Nasdaq”) on July 2, 2025 under the ticker symbol “ORIQU”. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described in the prospectus. Only whole warrants are exercisable. The warrants will become exercisable 30 days after the completion of the Company’s initial business combination, and will expire five years after the completion of the Company’s initial business combination or earlier upon redemption or the Company’s liquidation. The offering is expected to close on July 3, 2025, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, the Class A ordinary shares and the warrants are expected to be traded on Nasdaq under the symbols “ORIQ” and “ORIQW”, respectively. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. In addition, the Company has granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to 900,000 additional units at the IPO price to cover over-allotments, if any.

    ThinkEquity is acting as sole book-running manager for the offering.

    A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-284189) relating to the shares was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and became effective on July 1, 2025. This offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the final prospectus, when available, may be obtained from ThinkEquity, 17 State Street, 41st Floor, New York, New York 10004. The final prospectus will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s website located at http://www.sec.gov.

    This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

    About Origin Investment Corp I

    The Company is a blank check company, also commonly referred to as a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. While the Company will not limit its search for a target company to any particular business segment, the Company intends to focus its search for a target business in Asia. However, the Company will not consummate its initial business combination with an entity or business in China or with China operations consolidated through a variable interest entity structure.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements,” including with respect to the IPO and search for an initial business combination. No assurance can be given that the IPO will be completed on the terms described above, or at all, or that the net proceeds of the offering will be used as indicated. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of the Company’s registration statement and preliminary prospectus for the IPO filed with the SEC. Copies are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law.

    Contact:

    Edward Chang, CEO
    +65 7825-5768
    eychang@originequity.partners

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Origin Investment Corp I Announces Pricing of $60,000,000 Initial Public Offering

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Singapore, July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Origin Investment Corp I (the “Company”), a blank check company, today announced the pricing of its initial public offering (“IPO”) of 6,000,000 units at an offering price of $10.00 per unit, with each unit consisting of one Class A ordinary share and one-half of one redeemable warrant. The units are expected to begin trading on the Nasdaq Global Market (“Nasdaq”) on July 2, 2025 under the ticker symbol “ORIQU”. Each whole warrant entitles the holder thereof to purchase one Class A ordinary share at a price of $11.50 per share, subject to adjustment as described in the prospectus. Only whole warrants are exercisable. The warrants will become exercisable 30 days after the completion of the Company’s initial business combination, and will expire five years after the completion of the Company’s initial business combination or earlier upon redemption or the Company’s liquidation. The offering is expected to close on July 3, 2025, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions. Once the securities comprising the units begin separate trading, the Class A ordinary shares and the warrants are expected to be traded on Nasdaq under the symbols “ORIQ” and “ORIQW”, respectively. No fractional warrants will be issued upon separation of the units and only whole warrants will trade. In addition, the Company has granted the underwriters a 45-day option to purchase up to 900,000 additional units at the IPO price to cover over-allotments, if any.

    ThinkEquity is acting as sole book-running manager for the offering.

    A registration statement on Form S-1 (File No. 333-284189) relating to the shares was filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and became effective on July 1, 2025. This offering is being made only by means of a prospectus. Copies of the final prospectus, when available, may be obtained from ThinkEquity, 17 State Street, 41st Floor, New York, New York 10004. The final prospectus will be filed with the SEC and will be available on the SEC’s website located at http://www.sec.gov.

    This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy, nor shall there be any sale of these securities in any state or jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such state or jurisdiction.

    About Origin Investment Corp I

    The Company is a blank check company, also commonly referred to as a special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC, formed for the purpose of effecting a merger, share exchange, asset acquisition, stock purchase, reorganization or similar business combination with one or more businesses or entities. While the Company will not limit its search for a target company to any particular business segment, the Company intends to focus its search for a target business in Asia. However, the Company will not consummate its initial business combination with an entity or business in China or with China operations consolidated through a variable interest entity structure.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements,” including with respect to the IPO and search for an initial business combination. No assurance can be given that the IPO will be completed on the terms described above, or at all, or that the net proceeds of the offering will be used as indicated. Forward-looking statements are subject to numerous conditions, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including those set forth in the Risk Factors section of the Company’s registration statement and preliminary prospectus for the IPO filed with the SEC. Copies are available on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements for revisions or changes after the date of this release, except as required by law.

    Contact:

    Edward Chang, CEO
    +65 7825-5768
    eychang@originequity.partners

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI USA: TOMORROW: Governor Newsom to announce $750 million tax credit for film and TV made in California

    Source: US State of California Governor

    Jul 1, 2025

    LOS ANGELES COUNTY — Governor Gavin Newsom will announce a $750 million film and TV tax credit, boosting one of California’s hallmark industries, Los Angeles’ local economy, and thousands of industry jobs.

    WHEN: Wednesday, July 2, at approximately 10:45 a.m.

    LIVESTREAM: Governor’s Twitter page, Governor’s Facebook page, and the Governor’s YouTube page. This event will also be available to TV stations on the LiveU Matrix under “California Governor.”

    NOTE: This in-person press event will be open to credentialed media only. Media interested in attending must RSVP by clicking here no later than 9 a.m., July 2. Location information will be provided upon confirmation.

    Recent news

    Jul 1, 2025

    News What you need to know: After weeks of pressure from Governor Newsom, President Trump finally allowed California’s wildfire crews to return to the frontlines — but nearly 5,000 soldiers, including California National Guard members, remain sidelined in Los Angeles,…

    Jul 1, 2025

    News What you need to know: California has invested billions of dollars to fight fires and treated millions of acres to reduce wildfire risk, while the Trump administration continues to cut resources and neglect its responsibility to manage the 57% of the state’s…

    Jun 30, 2025

    News PLACER COUNTY — As California enters peak fire season, Governor Gavin Newsom will make an announcement with the potential to help prevent wildfires on over half of forest lands in the state.WHEN: Tuesday, July 1, at approximately 10 a.m.LIVESTREAM: Governor’s…

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: BitMart Research—Reframing the On-Chain Narrative: What New Story Is Base Telling?

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Mahe, Seychelles, July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BitMart Research, the research arm of BitMart Exchange, has released a comprehensive analysis on the resurgence of the Base ecosystem, highlighting its explosive growth, evolving narratives, and rising institutional alignment. As daily active addresses, TVL, and transaction volumes reach new highs, Base is rapidly transitioning from a speculative L2 to a foundational layer for compliant, on-chain financial and content infrastructure. With support from Coinbase’s strategic initiatives and breakout projects like Virtual and Kaito redefining launch dynamics and the attention economy, Base is emerging as a pivotal force in bridging traditional finance and Web3 innovation.

    1. Recent Developments in the Base Ecosystem

    Since the end of May 2025, Base has entered a clear period of ecological “explosion.” Key metrics such as daily active addresses, total value locked (TVL), and daily transaction count have surged significantly. The main driver behind this explosive growth is the emergence of multiple trending narratives within the Base ecosystem, each generating waves of market hype and drawing substantial attention.

    From a macro perspective, the recent IPO of Circle has sparked renewed investor optimism around the concept of stablecoins in global equity markets. This optimism, especially amid expectations of a more favorable regulatory environment, has positioned Base as an increasingly attractive option for traditional institutions.

    • User Growth: The number of active addresses has grown exponentially, recently hitting a record high of 3.6 million.
    • TVL Surge: Base’s total value locked climbed from $2.8 billion in early May to a peak of nearly $4 billion, matching its bull market highs in 2024.
    • On-Chain Activity: Since May, daily on-chain transactions have averaged nearly 9 million, reaching the peak levels of the 2024 bull cycle.

    2. Trending Projects in the Base Ecosystem


    Virtual: Pump.fun + Bn Alpha-Style Launch Mechanism Sparks Market Frenzy

    Among the many trending projects in the Base ecosystem, Virtual has undoubtedly become one of the most closely watched by the market. Leveraging an innovative token launch mechanism, it has rapidly attracted a large influx of capital and users, emerging as the flagship project in Base’s ongoing “launch narrative.” The price of VIRTUAL rose from $0.50 in mid-April to a peak of $2.50 in early June—a 400% gain.

    The key advantages of Virtual’s launch model include:

    • Ultra-low fundraising price: Each new project raises funding based on a fixed valuation of 42,425 VIRTUAL (approximately $224,000), allowing users to participate at extremely low entry prices. This creates substantial profit potential once the token goes live.
    • Linear token vesting: Unlike MEME launches on Pump.fun, tokens in Virtual’s launchpad projects are not fully unlocked at listing. Instead, they follow a transparent vesting model similar to VC-backed tokens, with tokens released in tranches. Moreover, to prevent immediate sell-offs by project teams, all raised funds are injected directly into the initial liquidity pool rather than handed over to the team.
    • Low participation risk: If a launch fails to meet its fundraising target, users receive a full refund. Additionally, Virtual only features a few new launches per day, meaning the overall project quality tends to be higher than most MEME tokens—making user participation relatively low-risk.
    • Reduced rug-pull potential: Virtual imposes a 1% trading fee, 70% of which is returned to the project team. This incentivizes teams to focus on increasing trading volume rather than cashing out quickly, creating a more sustainable ecosystem loop.

    However, as the platform gained popularity, early users frequently adopted a strategy of selling immediately after token launch to capture short-term gains. This behavior led to heavy selling pressure on new projects, undermining overall ecosystem stability. In response, Virtual introduced a “Green Lock” mechanism in mid-June, imposing a mandatory lock-up period on token allocations for launch participants. During this period, users are prohibited from selling their tokens; violating this rule results in a suspension of points accumulation.

    While this mechanism helps curb early dumping and extends project lifespans, it also significantly alters the speculative logic that drove initial enthusiasm. Users now face longer profit cycles and lower capital efficiency, leading to a temporary cooling of market sentiment. Since mid-June, the price of VIRTUAL has entered a downward trend, falling from its peak to $1.69—a decline of over 37%.

    Kaito: The Leading Project in the Attention Economy

    Kaito stands as the leading project in the emerging “Information Finance” (InfoFi) sector. Since May, its token price has surged from $0.79 to a peak of $2.41, marking an increase of nearly 205%.

    At the core of Kaito’s appeal is its Yaps module, which tokenizes user attention by rewarding those who post content on X (formerly Twitter). By incentivizing high-quality content creation around trending projects—such as Berachain, Monad, and Initia—Kaito has built a Web3-native content-driven influence model. This mechanism has significantly boosted community engagement. Coupled with weekly airdrops and leaderboard rewards, users are empowered to both “speak” and “monetize,” attracting a growing number of content creators and thought leaders. This dynamic has played a key role in driving the growth of social and narrative-driven content on the Base network.

    3. Coinbase and the Future Trajectory of Base

    In June 2025, the U.S. Senate passed the GENIUS Stablecoin Act, establishing a formal legal framework for USD-backed stablecoins. This marked the first time that regulatory authorities legally recognized digital assets’ compliance status. Against this backdrop, Coinbase, as a fully compliant U.S.-based exchange, has launched a three-pronged strategic layout around Base:

    1. Enabling Regulated On-Chain Asset Access — Bridging Coinbase Balances to Base

    Coinbase is currently deepening the integration between its centralized trading platform and the Base chain. It has rolled out the Verified Pools feature, allowing KYC-verified users to interact directly with Base dApps using their Coinbase account balances—eliminating the need to switch wallets or perform manual on-chain transfers.

    Uniswap and Aerodrome have already been announced as the primary DEXs supporting this integration. Although the feature remains in its early stages, it aligns with the broader trend of centralized exchanges moving toward on-chain/off-chain convergence.

    2. Building a Compliant Stablecoin Ecosystem with Traditional Finance — Tokenizing Fiat On-Chain

    Following the establishment of an access gateway, Coinbase has partnered with Wall Street giants—including JPMorgan Chase—to pilot the issuance of compliant stablecoins and deposit tokens (e.g., JPMD) on Base. These assets are fully custodied by regulated banks and come with traditional financial benefits such as interest accrual, legal protections, and deposit insurance.

    This initiative goes beyond simply putting USD on-chain—it represents the digitization of traditional financial system infrastructure, positioning Base as a core ledger layer for real-world finance in the Web3 ecosystem.

    3. Building a Diverse On-Chain Ecosystem — Creating Real Use Cases for On-Chain Dollars

    To strengthen actual demand for on-chain USD, Coinbase is simultaneously expanding the Base ecosystem with a wide array of applications:

    • On-Chain U.S. Stock Trading: Coinbase is seeking SEC approval to tokenize U.S. equities, planning to launch products that allow trading of Apple, Tesla, and other stocks directly on-chain—removing geographical barriers from traditional markets.
    • Collaboration with Circle: The launch of Circle Payments Network (CPN) provides USDC with robust clearing infrastructure. As the leading stablecoin on Base, USDC will support DeFi, RWA, and cross-border payment applications—positioning Base as a key hub for compliant blockchain finance.
    • Global Crypto Payments: Coinbase is working with Shopify and Stripe to integrate USDC into e-commerce checkout systems, expanding the real-world use of stablecoins in cross-border settlements.
    • Compliant DeFi and On-Chain Lending: Protocols such as Aerodrome, Uniswap, and Spark are being guided toward KYC-enabled, compliant operations, offering secure and auditable services in trading and lending for both institutions and retail users.
    • AI Agents and InfoFi Applications: New on-chain innovations like AI Agents and attention economy platforms (e.g., Kaito) are being explored to attract traditional users into emerging crypto-native interaction models.

    Through this multi-layered strategy, Coinbase is not only building a regulated on-chain asset highway, but also constructing a value loop for USD stablecoins—from fiat onboarding and token issuance to liquidity, circulation, and real-world application.

    High-Potential Projects in the Base Ecosystem

    • Aerodrome: As the flagship DEX on Base and a key partner in Coinbase’s integration plan, Aerodrome is well-positioned to benefit from stable institutional liquidity flows. This will likely boost trading volume, TVL, and protocol revenues. Holders of AERO tokens stand to gain from enhanced fee-sharing and staking yields, reinforcing user participation in governance.
    • Uniswap: Similarly, Uniswap—another DEX integrated by Coinbase—will gain increased on-chain liquidity and potential platform revenue, thereby enhancing the value proposition of its UNI token.
    • Keeta: A high-performance RWA-focused chain claiming millions of TPS and sub-second confirmation times. Backed by investors including former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Keeta has already validated its performance through independent stress testing. Despite significant token price corrections, it is expected to collaborate with Base on compliant RWA integration.
    • Creator Bid: In partnership with Kaito, Creator Bid launched version 2.0 with new features such as staking-based launches, increasing user engagement and expanding creator economy models. The platform’s BID token recently reached a historical market cap of $150 million, showing early signs of traction. Similar to Virtual’s early-stage momentum, Creator Bid is poised for continued growth as it iterates.
    • Upside: The first socially driven prediction market on Base. Users can tokenize X/Twitter posts, articles, and videos, and use USDC to vote and trade on them. Currently in its second test season with ~20,000 followers on X, the platform has not yet issued a token, but its unique blend of prediction and content mechanics gives it strong potential to become a liquid and narrative-rich application on Base.

    Conclusion

    Base is undergoing a transformation—from being merely a “high-activity trading L2” into a structurally complete financial and content infrastructure on-chain. From innovation-driven projects like Virtual and Kaito, to Coinbase’s efforts in building a robust USD-denominated ecosystem, the narrative of Base is evolving.

    While short-term hype cycles may cool and speculative behaviors persist, Base’s long-term strength lies in its consistent storytelling and institutional alignment. It is increasingly poised to serve as a bridge between traditional capital and Web3, making it not just a rotating narrative hotspot, but a vital reference point for tracking the crypto industry’s broader shift toward compliance, financialization, and utility.

    About BitMart

    BitMart is a premier global digital asset trading platform with more than 10 million users worldwide. Consistently ranked among the top crypto exchanges on CoinGecko, BitMart offers over 1,700 trading pairs with competitive fees. Committed to continuous innovation and financial inclusivity, BitMart empowers users globally to trade seamlessly. Learn more about BitMart at Website, follow their X (Twitter), or join their Telegram for updates, news, and promotions. Download BitMart App to trade anytime, anywhere.

    Risk Warning:

    The information provided is for reference only and should not be considered a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any financial asset. All information is provided in good faith. However, we make no representations or warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability or completeness of such information.

    All cryptocurrency investments (including returns) are highly speculative in nature and involve significant risk of loss. Past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. The value of digital currencies may rise or fall, and there may be significant risks in buying, selling, holding or trading digital currencies. You should carefully consider whether trading or holding digital currencies is suitable for you based on your personal investment objectives, financial situation and risk tolerance. BitMart does not provide any investment, legal or tax advice.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: BitMart Research—Reframing the On-Chain Narrative: What New Story Is Base Telling?

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Mahe, Seychelles, July 01, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BitMart Research, the research arm of BitMart Exchange, has released a comprehensive analysis on the resurgence of the Base ecosystem, highlighting its explosive growth, evolving narratives, and rising institutional alignment. As daily active addresses, TVL, and transaction volumes reach new highs, Base is rapidly transitioning from a speculative L2 to a foundational layer for compliant, on-chain financial and content infrastructure. With support from Coinbase’s strategic initiatives and breakout projects like Virtual and Kaito redefining launch dynamics and the attention economy, Base is emerging as a pivotal force in bridging traditional finance and Web3 innovation.

    1. Recent Developments in the Base Ecosystem

    Since the end of May 2025, Base has entered a clear period of ecological “explosion.” Key metrics such as daily active addresses, total value locked (TVL), and daily transaction count have surged significantly. The main driver behind this explosive growth is the emergence of multiple trending narratives within the Base ecosystem, each generating waves of market hype and drawing substantial attention.

    From a macro perspective, the recent IPO of Circle has sparked renewed investor optimism around the concept of stablecoins in global equity markets. This optimism, especially amid expectations of a more favorable regulatory environment, has positioned Base as an increasingly attractive option for traditional institutions.

    • User Growth: The number of active addresses has grown exponentially, recently hitting a record high of 3.6 million.
    • TVL Surge: Base’s total value locked climbed from $2.8 billion in early May to a peak of nearly $4 billion, matching its bull market highs in 2024.
    • On-Chain Activity: Since May, daily on-chain transactions have averaged nearly 9 million, reaching the peak levels of the 2024 bull cycle.

    2. Trending Projects in the Base Ecosystem


    Virtual: Pump.fun + Bn Alpha-Style Launch Mechanism Sparks Market Frenzy

    Among the many trending projects in the Base ecosystem, Virtual has undoubtedly become one of the most closely watched by the market. Leveraging an innovative token launch mechanism, it has rapidly attracted a large influx of capital and users, emerging as the flagship project in Base’s ongoing “launch narrative.” The price of VIRTUAL rose from $0.50 in mid-April to a peak of $2.50 in early June—a 400% gain.

    The key advantages of Virtual’s launch model include:

    • Ultra-low fundraising price: Each new project raises funding based on a fixed valuation of 42,425 VIRTUAL (approximately $224,000), allowing users to participate at extremely low entry prices. This creates substantial profit potential once the token goes live.
    • Linear token vesting: Unlike MEME launches on Pump.fun, tokens in Virtual’s launchpad projects are not fully unlocked at listing. Instead, they follow a transparent vesting model similar to VC-backed tokens, with tokens released in tranches. Moreover, to prevent immediate sell-offs by project teams, all raised funds are injected directly into the initial liquidity pool rather than handed over to the team.
    • Low participation risk: If a launch fails to meet its fundraising target, users receive a full refund. Additionally, Virtual only features a few new launches per day, meaning the overall project quality tends to be higher than most MEME tokens—making user participation relatively low-risk.
    • Reduced rug-pull potential: Virtual imposes a 1% trading fee, 70% of which is returned to the project team. This incentivizes teams to focus on increasing trading volume rather than cashing out quickly, creating a more sustainable ecosystem loop.

    However, as the platform gained popularity, early users frequently adopted a strategy of selling immediately after token launch to capture short-term gains. This behavior led to heavy selling pressure on new projects, undermining overall ecosystem stability. In response, Virtual introduced a “Green Lock” mechanism in mid-June, imposing a mandatory lock-up period on token allocations for launch participants. During this period, users are prohibited from selling their tokens; violating this rule results in a suspension of points accumulation.

    While this mechanism helps curb early dumping and extends project lifespans, it also significantly alters the speculative logic that drove initial enthusiasm. Users now face longer profit cycles and lower capital efficiency, leading to a temporary cooling of market sentiment. Since mid-June, the price of VIRTUAL has entered a downward trend, falling from its peak to $1.69—a decline of over 37%.

    Kaito: The Leading Project in the Attention Economy

    Kaito stands as the leading project in the emerging “Information Finance” (InfoFi) sector. Since May, its token price has surged from $0.79 to a peak of $2.41, marking an increase of nearly 205%.

    At the core of Kaito’s appeal is its Yaps module, which tokenizes user attention by rewarding those who post content on X (formerly Twitter). By incentivizing high-quality content creation around trending projects—such as Berachain, Monad, and Initia—Kaito has built a Web3-native content-driven influence model. This mechanism has significantly boosted community engagement. Coupled with weekly airdrops and leaderboard rewards, users are empowered to both “speak” and “monetize,” attracting a growing number of content creators and thought leaders. This dynamic has played a key role in driving the growth of social and narrative-driven content on the Base network.

    3. Coinbase and the Future Trajectory of Base

    In June 2025, the U.S. Senate passed the GENIUS Stablecoin Act, establishing a formal legal framework for USD-backed stablecoins. This marked the first time that regulatory authorities legally recognized digital assets’ compliance status. Against this backdrop, Coinbase, as a fully compliant U.S.-based exchange, has launched a three-pronged strategic layout around Base:

    1. Enabling Regulated On-Chain Asset Access — Bridging Coinbase Balances to Base

    Coinbase is currently deepening the integration between its centralized trading platform and the Base chain. It has rolled out the Verified Pools feature, allowing KYC-verified users to interact directly with Base dApps using their Coinbase account balances—eliminating the need to switch wallets or perform manual on-chain transfers.

    Uniswap and Aerodrome have already been announced as the primary DEXs supporting this integration. Although the feature remains in its early stages, it aligns with the broader trend of centralized exchanges moving toward on-chain/off-chain convergence.

    2. Building a Compliant Stablecoin Ecosystem with Traditional Finance — Tokenizing Fiat On-Chain

    Following the establishment of an access gateway, Coinbase has partnered with Wall Street giants—including JPMorgan Chase—to pilot the issuance of compliant stablecoins and deposit tokens (e.g., JPMD) on Base. These assets are fully custodied by regulated banks and come with traditional financial benefits such as interest accrual, legal protections, and deposit insurance.

    This initiative goes beyond simply putting USD on-chain—it represents the digitization of traditional financial system infrastructure, positioning Base as a core ledger layer for real-world finance in the Web3 ecosystem.

    3. Building a Diverse On-Chain Ecosystem — Creating Real Use Cases for On-Chain Dollars

    To strengthen actual demand for on-chain USD, Coinbase is simultaneously expanding the Base ecosystem with a wide array of applications:

    • On-Chain U.S. Stock Trading: Coinbase is seeking SEC approval to tokenize U.S. equities, planning to launch products that allow trading of Apple, Tesla, and other stocks directly on-chain—removing geographical barriers from traditional markets.
    • Collaboration with Circle: The launch of Circle Payments Network (CPN) provides USDC with robust clearing infrastructure. As the leading stablecoin on Base, USDC will support DeFi, RWA, and cross-border payment applications—positioning Base as a key hub for compliant blockchain finance.
    • Global Crypto Payments: Coinbase is working with Shopify and Stripe to integrate USDC into e-commerce checkout systems, expanding the real-world use of stablecoins in cross-border settlements.
    • Compliant DeFi and On-Chain Lending: Protocols such as Aerodrome, Uniswap, and Spark are being guided toward KYC-enabled, compliant operations, offering secure and auditable services in trading and lending for both institutions and retail users.
    • AI Agents and InfoFi Applications: New on-chain innovations like AI Agents and attention economy platforms (e.g., Kaito) are being explored to attract traditional users into emerging crypto-native interaction models.

    Through this multi-layered strategy, Coinbase is not only building a regulated on-chain asset highway, but also constructing a value loop for USD stablecoins—from fiat onboarding and token issuance to liquidity, circulation, and real-world application.

    High-Potential Projects in the Base Ecosystem

    • Aerodrome: As the flagship DEX on Base and a key partner in Coinbase’s integration plan, Aerodrome is well-positioned to benefit from stable institutional liquidity flows. This will likely boost trading volume, TVL, and protocol revenues. Holders of AERO tokens stand to gain from enhanced fee-sharing and staking yields, reinforcing user participation in governance.
    • Uniswap: Similarly, Uniswap—another DEX integrated by Coinbase—will gain increased on-chain liquidity and potential platform revenue, thereby enhancing the value proposition of its UNI token.
    • Keeta: A high-performance RWA-focused chain claiming millions of TPS and sub-second confirmation times. Backed by investors including former Google CEO Eric Schmidt, Keeta has already validated its performance through independent stress testing. Despite significant token price corrections, it is expected to collaborate with Base on compliant RWA integration.
    • Creator Bid: In partnership with Kaito, Creator Bid launched version 2.0 with new features such as staking-based launches, increasing user engagement and expanding creator economy models. The platform’s BID token recently reached a historical market cap of $150 million, showing early signs of traction. Similar to Virtual’s early-stage momentum, Creator Bid is poised for continued growth as it iterates.
    • Upside: The first socially driven prediction market on Base. Users can tokenize X/Twitter posts, articles, and videos, and use USDC to vote and trade on them. Currently in its second test season with ~20,000 followers on X, the platform has not yet issued a token, but its unique blend of prediction and content mechanics gives it strong potential to become a liquid and narrative-rich application on Base.

    Conclusion

    Base is undergoing a transformation—from being merely a “high-activity trading L2” into a structurally complete financial and content infrastructure on-chain. From innovation-driven projects like Virtual and Kaito, to Coinbase’s efforts in building a robust USD-denominated ecosystem, the narrative of Base is evolving.

    While short-term hype cycles may cool and speculative behaviors persist, Base’s long-term strength lies in its consistent storytelling and institutional alignment. It is increasingly poised to serve as a bridge between traditional capital and Web3, making it not just a rotating narrative hotspot, but a vital reference point for tracking the crypto industry’s broader shift toward compliance, financialization, and utility.

    About BitMart

    BitMart is a premier global digital asset trading platform with more than 10 million users worldwide. Consistently ranked among the top crypto exchanges on CoinGecko, BitMart offers over 1,700 trading pairs with competitive fees. Committed to continuous innovation and financial inclusivity, BitMart empowers users globally to trade seamlessly. Learn more about BitMart at Website, follow their X (Twitter), or join their Telegram for updates, news, and promotions. Download BitMart App to trade anytime, anywhere.

    Risk Warning:

    The information provided is for reference only and should not be considered a recommendation to buy, sell or hold any financial asset. All information is provided in good faith. However, we make no representations or warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy, adequacy, validity, reliability, availability or completeness of such information.

    All cryptocurrency investments (including returns) are highly speculative in nature and involve significant risk of loss. Past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. The value of digital currencies may rise or fall, and there may be significant risks in buying, selling, holding or trading digital currencies. You should carefully consider whether trading or holding digital currencies is suitable for you based on your personal investment objectives, financial situation and risk tolerance. BitMart does not provide any investment, legal or tax advice.

    The MIL Network –