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Category: Europe

  • Russia’s latest drone strikes hit Kyiv, maternity ward in Odesa, Ukraine says

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Russia launched another prolonged drone attack on Ukraine, killing one person and damaging swathes of Kyiv as well as striking a maternity ward in the southern port of Odesa, regional officials said early on Tuesday.

    The overnight strikes followed Russia’s biggest drone assault on Ukraine on Monday – part of stepped-up operations that Moscow said were retaliatory measures for Kyiv’s recent brazen attacks in Russia.

    At least four people were hospitalised as a result of the hours-long attacks that hit seven of the city’s 10 districts, city officials said.

    “You can’t break Ukrainians with terror,” Andriy Yermak, President Volodymyr Zelenskiy’s chief of staff, said in a Telegram post after the attacks.

    Air raid alerts in Kyiv and most Ukrainian regions lasted five hours until around 5 a.m. (0200 GMT), according to military data.

    “A difficult night for all of us,” Timur Tkachenko, head of Kyiv’s military district, said on Telegram. “Throughout the night, the enemy relentlessly terrorized Kyiv with attack drones. They targeted civilian infrastructure and peaceful residents of the city.”

    The attack sparked fires in residential and non-residential neighbourhoods and open space areas, city officials said. Reuters’ witnesses heard and saw countless loud explosions shaking the city and lighting the night sky.

    Photos and videos posted on Telegram channels showed heavy smoke rising in the darkness in different parts of Kyiv. The scale of the attack was not immediately known.

    Moscow has dramatically increased the pace of its attacks on Ukraine following Kyiv’s strikes on strategic bombers at air bases inside Russia on June 1. Moscow also blamed Kyiv for bridge explosions on the same day that killed seven and injured scores.

    The attacks come despite pressure from U.S. President Donald Trump on both sides to move towards a resolution on the war. Moscow and Kyiv returned to negotiations for the first time in more than three years, but outside an agreement on the exchange of war prisoners, there has been no tangible progress.

    In addition to swarms of drones and missiles launched in recent days, Russia has also been advancing further on the ground along the frontline in eastern Ukraine, claiming on Tuesday to take more territory there.

    In the southern port of Odesa, a “massive” overnight drone attack targeted an emergency medical building and a maternity ward, as well as residential buildings, Oleh Kiper, governor of the broader Odesa region, said on Telegram.

    A 59-year-old man was killed in the attack on a residential area, and four people were injured, but patients and staff were safely evacuated from the maternity hospital, Kiper said.

    He posted photos of broken windows in what looked like a medical facility and of damage to the facade of several buildings.

    Both sides deny targeting civilians in the war. But thousands of civilians have been killed in the conflict, the vast majority of them Ukrainian.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI China: SCIO briefs media on innovation-driven development in Jiangsu

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

    SCIO briefs media on innovation-driven development in Jiangsu

    China SCIO | June 10, 2025

    Organized by the State Council Information Office (SCIO), a media trip kicked off on June 9 in eastern China’s Jiangsu province, with over 40 journalists exploring the province’s innovation-driven development. Foreign correspondents from the United States, the United Kingdom, Spain, the Netherlands, Indonesia, Turkey, South Korea, Japan, and Brazil joined the three-day trip. 

    A press briefing was held Monday, where Ma Xin, a member of the Standing Committee of the Communist Party of China Jiangsu Provincial Committee and executive vice governor of Jiangsu province, briefed the media and answered questions.

    On June 9, 2025, the State Council Information Office holds a press briefing in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, about the province’s progress in innovation-driven development. [Photo by Luan Haijun/China SCIO]

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    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI: Virtu Financial Announces Strategic TradeOPS Collaboration, Welcoming First Joint Client

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    STOCKHOLM and NEW YORK, June 10, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Virtu Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: VIRT), a global leader in trading and execution services, and Limina, a leading provider of cloud-native Investment Management Solutions, are proud to announce a strategic collaboration around Virtu’s TradeOPS platform.

    Virtu’s TradeOPS is a streamlined, consolidated platform that covers clients’ matching, settlements and payment requirements. Designed and built specifically to automate post-trade workflows, including allocation matching and settlements, exception-based processing in TradeOPS is designed to significantly reduce settlement delays, financial penalties, and workload for buyside firms. Combined with Limina’s cloud-native Order and Portfolio Management System (O/PMS), this collaboration enables buyside firms to access a fully-integrated, front-to-back workflow—seamlessly and efficiently.

    The collaboration has welcomed its first joint client, Cliens, who is now benefiting from Virtu’s TradeOPS capabilities using DTCC-CTM via Limina’s platform.

    “We’re excited to work with Limina to deliver an integrated and modern workflow for our TradeOPS clients,” said Pegah Esmaeili, Head of Nordic Region at Virtu. “This integration supports our mission to deliver scalable, outsourced trading solutions by collaborating with innovative local firms like Limina—allowing us to efficiently extend our market-leading products to clients across the region.”

    Prem Balasubramanian, Head of Virtu’s TradeOPS platform highlighted that recent changes in post-trade settlement, such as the shift to T+1 and the migration from SWIFT MT to MX, have introduced new operational challenges for buyside firms. “By providing streamlined and effective solutions tailored to clients’ needs, we can significantly reduce the operational burden and allow firms to refocus on what truly matters: managing investments and driving performance.” Prem also added, “Working with Limina is a pleasure. The turnaround has been impressively fast, and we’re looking forward to continued collaboration ahead.”

    “This partnership was an obvious choice to further strengthen the integration capabilities of Limina’s Order Management System, not only to DTCC CTM but to all venues that tie into Virtu TradeOPS including SWIFT and more,” says Kristoffer Fürst, CEO of Limina. 

    “The integrated solution that Virtu and Limina offer Cliens helps us extend our straight-through process, giving time to more productive tasks which adds value to our customer,” says Martin Öqvist, CEO of Cliens.

    About Virtu Financial, Inc.
    Virtu is a leading financial services firm that leverages cutting-edge technology to provide execution services and data, analytics and connectivity products to its clients and deliver liquidity to the global markets. Leveraging its global market making expertise and infrastructure, Virtu provides a robust product suite including offerings in execution, liquidity sourcing, analytics and broker-neutral, multi-dealer platforms in workflow technology. Virtu’s product offerings allow clients to trade on hundreds of venues across 50+ countries and in multiple asset classes, including global equities, ETFs, foreign exchange, futures, fixed income and myriad other commodities. In addition, Virtu’s integrated, multi-asset analytics platform provides a range of pre- and post-trade services, data products and compliance tools that clients rely upon to invest, trade and manage risk across global markets.

    About Limina
    Limina’s modern Investment Management Platform helps investment managers increase productivity, decrease cost and manage operational risks through a unified platform spanning the entire investment lifecycle. Founded in 2014, and headquartered in Sweden, Limina serves a growing global client base of institutional asset managers, asset owners and hedge funds with our award-winning cloud-native SaaS offering.

    About Cliens
    Cliens is a Swedish active fund manager focusing on delivering long-term high returns. Our funds and discretionary mandates vary from equity to fixed income and investments are made in Swedish all caps as well as Nordic and Global small caps.

    Contact:

    Investor Relations and Media Relations
    Andrew Smith
    media@virtu.com
    investor_relations@virtu.com

    The MIL Network –

  • India building alternative rare earth supply chain amid curbs China curbs: Piyush Goyal

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal on Monday described China’s rare earth export restrictions as a global “wake-up call,” underscoring India’s efforts to build alternative supply chains and position itself as a reliable partner for international businesses seeking to reduce dependence on Chinese suppliers.

    Speaking to reporters during his official visit to Switzerland—where he met with Swiss government officials and business leaders—Goyal acknowledged that China’s export curbs would pose short-term challenges for India’s automotive and white goods sectors.

    However, he expressed confidence that collaborative efforts among the government, industry, and innovators would turn these challenges into long-term opportunities.

    The minister outlined a multi-pronged strategy to address the crisis. This includes diplomatic engagement through ongoing dialogue between the Indian embassy and Chinese authorities, as well as the commerce ministry’s push to identify alternative sources. The government is also strengthening Indian Rare Earths Limited by providing resources to accelerate domestic production.

    “This situation serves as a wake-up call for all those who have become over-reliant on certain geographies,” Goyal said. “It’s a wake-up call for the whole world—you need trusted partners in your supply chain.”

    India’s automotive industry has requested the government’s assistance in expediting the approval process for importing rare earth magnets from China—critical components used in passenger vehicles and various automotive applications.

    China currently controls over 90% of global magnet production capacity, creating substantial vulnerabilities across industries. These materials are essential to sectors ranging from automobiles and home appliances to clean energy systems.

    The new Chinese regulations, effective April 4, require special export licenses for seven rare earth elements and related magnetic products.

    “There are clearly issues around the suspension of permanent magnet supplies from China to India, which will particularly affect our auto sector and several white goods manufacturers,” Goyal explained. “Some companies have submitted their applications, and we hope pragmatic considerations will prevail, allowing them to receive the necessary approvals.”

    Asked about possible government support through production-linked incentive (PLI) schemes, Goyal shared that discussions with automotive manufacturers have been encouraging.

    The companies have expressed strong confidence in addressing supply chain challenges through partnerships with domestic innovators and startups.

    “They are actively engaging with our innovators and startups, indicating their willingness to provide funding or pricing adjustments to accelerate growth in this sector,” the minister said.

    Goyal also praised the evolving mindset of Indian industry, noting a shift away from reliance on government subsidies.

    “More and more Indian businesses are moving beyond the old belief that subsidies alone will sustain operations. They are becoming bigger and bolder in their approach,” he said.

    The minister highlighted emerging technologies being developed in India as potential alternatives to Chinese rare earth supplies.

    “There are some technologies that India is developing,” he noted, stressing the importance of the collaborative approach among government, industry, startups, and innovators. “We are all working as a team and remain confident that, while short-term challenges exist, we will emerge as winners in the medium to long term.”

    Goyal concluded by framing the current disruption as a strategic opportunity for India’s manufacturing ecosystem. He believes it will accelerate the push for self-reliance and the formation of trustworthy global supply chain partnerships.

    “There is opportunity even in this crisis,” he said. “More and more companies and people in India will realise the importance of being self-reliant and having trusted partners in supply chains. The world increasingly wants India to be a part of their supply chains, because we are seen as a trusted partner.”

    (ANI)

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Giant Radio Telescope Under Construction in China’s Xinjiang

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    URUMQI, June 10 (Xinhua) — A giant radio telescope is under construction in northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. Its main tower was completed on Sunday, marking the official start of its interior decoration.

    Located in a valley in Qitai County, Changji Hui Autonomous Prefecture, the radio telescope has an aperture of 110 meters and is expected to be completed and put into operation in 2028.

    The height of the radio telescope’s antenna structure system exceeds the height of a 35-story building, the telescope’s collecting area is equal to 23 basketball courts, and the weight of the antenna exceeds 6,000 tons.

    Once completed, the telescope will be the world’s leading large-aperture radio telescope, fully steerable, highly sensitive, and multidisciplinary. Compared to fixed radio telescopes of the same size, fully steerable radio telescopes can observe a larger portion of the sky.

    In addition to meeting the needs of scientific observations and experimental research, it will also serve as a base for the popularization of astronomical science and its education. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • France, Brazil launch initiative to scale up ocean-focused climate action

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    On the first day of the third UN Ocean Conference (UNOC3), France and Brazil have launched a landmark international initiative to dramatically scale up ocean-focused climate action.

    The Blue Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) Challenge calls on all countries to place the ocean at the heart of their climate plans ahead of UN Climate Change Conference (COP30) which Brazil will host in November this year.

    Alongside Brazil and France, an inaugural group of eight countries – Australia, Fiji, Kenya, Mexico, Palau, and Seychelles – has already joined the initiative, committing to include the ocean in their updated climate plans under the Paris Agreement.

    These plans represent the centrepiece of each country’s efforts to reduce emissions and limit warming to 1.5 degrees Celsius and build resilience, and represent the highest level of political will under the UN Framework Convention of Climate Change (UNFCCC).

    Launched on Monday, and building on the momentum this year brings as countries prepare to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Paris Agreement, the Blue NDC Challenge underscores the urgent need to recognise the ocean’s central role in addressing the climate crisis as a key ally.

    The initiative is supported by Ocean Conservancy, the Ocean and Climate Platform, and the World Resources Institute through the Ocean Resilience and Climate Alliance (ORCA) and has been endorsed by WWF-Brazil.

    In addition to its forests, Brazil is also an oceanic nation, with 40 per cent of its territory located at sea and hosting marine ecosystems of global significance — including the only coral reefs in the South Atlantic and the world’s largest contiguous mangrove belt along the Amazon coast.

    These ecosystems play a vital role in both climate adaptation and mitigation, serving as natural buffers against extreme weather events and contributing to carbon storage.

    “For Brazil, the Blue NDC Challenge represents a key opportunity to strengthen ocean-related climate action and to emphasise the essential role of ocean-based solutions in achieving emission reduction targets. Through this initiative Brazil seeks to advance international cooperation on ocean climate action in the lead-up to COP30, and to underscore the need for all countries to fully integrate the ocean into their national climate strategies,” said Marina Silva, Brazil Minister for the Environment and Climate Change.

    “In its recently submitted NDC, Brazil has explicitly included, for the first time, ocean-based climate actions, recognising the ocean’s critical role in climate regulation. These include the implementation of national Marine Spatial Planning, the enhancement of coastal zone management, and the establishment of programs for the conservation and restoration of mangroves and coral reefs,” she noted.

    Governments joining the Blue NDCs Challenge commit to stepping up efforts to reduce emissions and build resilience through ocean-based solutions, while also delivering benefits for both nature and people.

    Under the leadership of the governments of Brazil and France, eight inaugural countries spanning the globe committed to include ocean action in their national climate plans.

    “Ultimately, industrial marine sectors and natural ecosystems are underused tools in addressing climate change and other development needs. As world leaders gather in Nice and prepare for the United Nations Climate Change Conference in Belem (COP30), they can take inspiration from the Seychelles in championing ocean-based climate action,” said Wavel Ramkalawan, the President of Seychelles.

    “We are pleased to join the Blue NDC Challenge and work alongside COP30 host, Brazil, as well as France, Fiji, Seychelles, Mexico, Palau to highlight the vital role of the ocean in global efforts on climate change,” said Senator Murray Watt, Australia’s Environment Minister.

    (IANS)

  • MIL-OSI China: Youth leaders gather for World Youth Energy Partner Dialogue

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

    International youth leaders and experts gathered for the World Youth Energy Partner Dialogue on June 8 as part of the World Youth Energy Tour (WYET) 2025, exchanging views on critical topics like energy transition and international cooperation in renewable energy. 

    The event, co-hosted by China International Communications Group (CICG) and CHN Energy Investment Corporation (CHN Energy), brought together 14 youth leaders from eight countries to discuss cross-cultural perspectives and innovative solutions for building a multilateral, collaborative and tech-driven paradigm for sustainable energy development.

    Participants in the World Youth Energy Tour (WYET) 2025 pose for a group picture, June 8, 2025. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

    “Youth are the architects, not just beneficiaries, of the energy transition,” said Kevin Tu, managing director of Agora Energy China and leading spokesperson of the event. “China’s experience proves young innovators drive breakthroughs, from AI-powered grids to offshore wind megaprojects.”

    The attending youth leaders also shared their insights on the event and energy issues through engaging picture stories, highlighting their unique experiences and innovative ideas.

    Participants in the World Youth Energy Tour (WYET) 2025 watch a presentation, June 8, 2025. [Photo provided to China.org.cn]

    “Crisis cannot be overcome alone. Crisis needs teamwork,” noted Jose Renato Peneluppi, a Brazilian lawyer specializing in development policies and energy transition. He spoke highly of China’s energy progress in recent years and expressed hope for future energy collaboration between China and Brazil.

    Kaldybayev Dastan, a PhD student from Kazakhstan at Tsinghua University, praised China’s efforts in green infrastructure and its wind and solar power capacity. “The future of energy is green, smart and global. Together through collaboration and innovation, we can build the future,” he added.

    “I’m so grateful that China has supported us like our older brother. I’m so amazed and happy to see China is working very hard, leading globally in green initiatives,” said Umer Farooq Sansi, CEO of the Hunan Sansi Group and a contributor to China-Pakistan relations.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Secretary-General’s remarks at the opening of the UN Ocean Conference [bilingual, as delivered; scroll down for all-French]

    Source: United Nations – English

    onsieur le Président de la République française, Cher Emmanuel Macron
    Señor Presidente de la República de Costa Rica, Estimado Rodrigo Chaves Robles
     
    Excellences, chers amis,
    Dear President of the French Republic, Dear Emmanuel Macron
    Mr. President of the Republic of Costa Rica, Dear Rodrigo Chaves Robles
    Excellencies, dear friends,
     
    Permettez-moi tout d’abord de remercier nos hôtes, les gouvernements de la France et du Costa Rica, d’avoir organisé cette conférence.
    Let me begin by thanking our hosts, the Governments of France and Costa Rica, for convening this conference.
     
    Et merci à tous d’être là, à Nissa la bella – ville à la mer d’azur et au ciel pur.
    And thank you all for being here, in “Nissa la bella” – city of azure seas and clear skies.
     
    Nous voici réunis sur les rives de la Méditerranée, carrefour de continents, de cultures et de commerce.
    We gather beside the Mediterranean –  a crossroads of continents, cultures, and commerce.
     
    Une mer qui, depuis des millénaires, est source de vie – et qui nous rappelle notre profonde dépendance à l’égard de l’océan.
    A sea that has sustained life for millennia –reminding us of our deep dependence on the ocean.
     
    L’océan produit la moitié de l’oxygène que nous respirons.
    The ocean generates half of the oxygen we breathe.  
     
    Il nourrit 3 milliards de personnes et fait vivre 600 millions d’autres.
    It feeds 3 billion people and sustains 600 million livelihoods.
     
    L’économie des océans a plus que doublé en 30 ans – et elle continue de croître.
    The ocean economy has more than doubled in 30 years – and keeps growing.
     
    Le transport maritime assure, à lui seul, plus de 80 % du commerce mondial.
    Maritime transport alone moves over 80 per cent of global trade.
     
    L’océan est notre bien commun par excellence.
    The ocean is the ultimate shared resource.
     
    Pourtant, nous sommes en train de le piller.
    But we are failing it.
     
    Les stocks de poissons s’effondrent.
    Fish stocks are collapsing.
     
    La surconsommation et la pêche illégale poussent des espèces au bord de l’extinction.
    Over-consumption and illegal fishing are pushing marine life to the brink.
     
    Chaque année, 23 millions de tonnes de plastique sont déversées dans les eaux et asphyxient les écosystèmes.
    Plastic pollution is choking ecosystems – with 23 million tonnes of waste entering waters every year.
     
    Les émissions de carbone provoquent l’acidification et le réchauffement des océans – détruisant les récifs de corail et accélérant la montée des eaux.
    Carbon emissions are driving ocean acidification and heating – destroying coral reefs and accelerating sea level rise.
     
    Si on ne change pas de cap, cette acceleration va submerger les deltas, detruire les récoltes et engloutir les littoraux, menaçant la survie même de nombreuses îles.
    If we do not change course, this rise will submerge deltas, destroy crops, and swallow coastlines – threatening many islands’ survival.
     
    L’océan absorbe désormais 90 % de l’excédent de chaleur piégé par les gaz à effet de serre.
    The ocean now stores 90 per cent of the excess heat trapped by greenhouse gases.
     
    Autant de symptômes d’un système en crise… et qui s’auto-alimente.
    These are symptoms of a system in crisis – and they are feeding off each other.
     
    Brisant les chaînes alimentaires… Anéantissant les moyens de subsistance… Augmentant l’insécurité.
    Unravelling food chains. Destroying livelihoods. Deepening insecurity.
     
    Cette insécurité est exacerbée par la criminalité : piraterie, trafic d’êtres humains, réseaux organisés et pillage des ressources volent des vies, freinent le développement et privent les communautés côtières de leurs droits.
    And insecurity is rising not only from natural forces – but from criminal ones.  Piracy, organized crime, human trafficking, and the looting of natural resources are threatening lives, undermining development, and robbing coastal communities of their rights.
     
    Ladies and gentlemen,
     
    Since the last UN Ocean Conference in Lisbon, we have seen progress.
     
    We have also seen a growing awareness of the deep interconnection between preserving biodiversity and marine ecosystems, combatting climate change, and stopping pollution.
     
    The Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework set a bold pledge:
     
    To conserve and manage at least 30 per cent of marine and coastal areas by 2030.
     
    Member States also adopted the Agreement on Marine Biological Diversity of Areas beyond National Jurisdiction – a historic breakthrough.
     
    I urge all delegations to ratify it – and welcome good news delivered by President Macron and the momentum this Conference is generating toward its swift entry into force.
                    
    I also call on all countries to agree on an ambitious and legally binding treaty on plastic pollution – this year.
     
    It is essential to successfully conclude the agreement on fisheries currently discussed at World Trade Organization.
     
    The International Maritime Organization committed to reach net-zero emissions from shipping by 2050.
     
    And last year’s General Assembly Meeting on Sea Level Rise underscored that statehood and sovereignty cannot be undermined by rising seas.
     
    This proves multilateralism works – but only if we match words with action.
     
    By developing concrete national plans aligned with global targets;
     
    By harnessing science, driving innovation, and ensuring fair access to technology;
     
    By empowering fishers, Indigenous peoples, and youth;
     
    And above all, by investing.
     
    SDG 14 on life below water remains one of the least funded Sustainable Development Goals.
     
    This must change – through increased public finance, greater support from development banks, and bold models to unlock private capital. 
     
    I urge all countries to come forward with bold pledges.
     
    Small Island Developing States need support to build resilience and thrive in the blue economy.
     
    Many struggle to access healthy, affordable food –  underscoring the urgent need to restore local fisheries and strengthen ocean-based food systems.
     
    We must also strengthen maritime security as a pillar of sustainable development.
     
    And we must embed ocean priorities across climate, food systems and sustainable finance.
     
    Because without a healthy ocean, there can be no healthy planet.
     
    Finally, nations are also navigating new waters on seabed mining:
     
    I support the ongoing work of the International Seabed Authority on this important issue.
     
    The deep sea cannot become the Wild West.
     
    Ladies and gentlemen,
     
    We live in an age of turmoil, but the resolve I see here gives me hope.
     
    Hope that we can turn the tide.
     
    That we can move from plunder to protection.
     
    From exclusion to equity.
     
    From short-term exploitation to long-term stewardship.
     
    We know it’s possible.
     
    When we reached a global moratorium on commercial whaling, whale populations recovered.
     
    When we protect marine areas, life returns.
     
    Today, we have the opportunity to restore marine abundance.
     
    What was lost in a generation can return in a generation.
     
    The ocean of our ancestors – teeming with life and diversity – can be more than legend.
     
    It can be our legacy.
     
    I wish you a successful conference.
     
    Thank you.

    **** 

    [All-French]
     
    Monsieur le Président de la République française, Cher Emmanuel Macron
    Monsieur le Président de la République du Costa Rica, Cher Rodrigo Chaves Robles
     
    Excellences, chers amis,
     
    Permettez-moi tout d’abord de remercier nos hôtes, les gouvernements de la France et du Costa Rica, d’avoir organisé cette conférence.
     
    Et merci à tous d’être là, à Nissa la bella – ville à la mer d’azur et au ciel pur.
     
    Nous voici réunis sur les rives de la Méditerranée, carrefour de continents, de cultures et de commerce.
     
    Une mer qui, depuis des millénaires, est source de vie – et qui nous rappelle notre profonde dépendance à l’égard de l’océan.
     
    L’océan produit la moitié de l’oxygène que nous respirons.
     
    Il nourrit 3 milliards de personnes et fait vivre 600 millions d’autres.
     
    L’économie des océans a plus que doublé en 30 ans – et elle continue de croître.
     
    Le transport maritime assure, à lui seul, plus de 80 % du commerce mondial.
     
    L’océan est notre bien commun par excellence.
     
    Pourtant, nous sommes en train de le piller.
     
    Les stocks de poissons s’effondrent.
     
    La surconsommation et la pêche illégale poussent des espèces au bord de l’extinction.
     
    Chaque année, 23 millions de tonnes de plastique sont déversées dans les eaux et asphyxient les écosystèmes.
     
    Les émissions de carbone provoquent l’acidification et le réchauffement des océans – détruisant les récifs de corail et accélérant la montée des eaux.
     
    Si on ne change pas de cap, cette accélération va submerger les deltas, détruire les récoltes et engloutir les littoraux – menaçant la survie même de nombreuses îles.
     
    L’océan absorbe désormais 90 % de l’excédent de chaleur piégé par les gaz à effet de serre.
     
    Autant de symptômes d’un système en crise… et qui s’auto-alimente.
     
    La montée des eaux submerge les deltas, détruit les récoltes et engloutit les littoraux, menaçant la survie même de nombreuses îles.
     
    L’océan est pris au piège d’un cercle vicieux – victime et accélérateur du changement climatique.
     
    Brisant les chaînes alimentaires… Anéantissant les moyens de subsistance… Augmentant l’insécurité.
     
    Cette insécurité est exacerbée par la criminalité : piraterie, trafic d’êtres humains, réseaux organisés et pillage des ressources volent des vies, freinent le développement et privent les communautés côtières de leurs droits.
     
    Mesdames et Messieurs,
     
    Depuis la dernière Conférence des Nations Unies sur l’océan, qui s’est tenue à Lisbonne, des progrès ont été accomplis.
     
    Nous avons également vu une prise de conscience croissante des liens profonds entre la préservation de la biodiversité et des écosystèmes marins, la lutte contre le changement climatique et l’arrêt de la pollution.
     
    Le Cadre mondial de la biodiversité de Kunming-Montréal contient un engagement audacieux :
     
    Conserver et gérer au moins 30 % des zones marines et côtières d’ici à 2030.
     
    Les États Membres ont également adopté l’Accord portant sur la diversité biologique marine des zones ne relevant pas de la juridiction nationale, qui marque une avancée historique.
     
    J’exhorte toutes les délégations à ratifier cet accord et je me félicite des bonnes nouvelles partagées par le President Macron et de l’impulsion donnée par la Conférence pour en favoriser l’entrée en vigueur rapide.
     
    Par ailleurs, j’appelle tous les pays à s’entendre cette année sur un traité ambitieux et juridiquement contraignant sur la pollution plastique.
     
    Il est également essentiel de conclure avec succès l’accord sur la pêche actuellement discuté à l’Organisation mondiale du commerce.
     
    L’Organisation maritime internationale est résolue à faire en sorte que, d’ici à 2025, le transport maritime ne produise plus aucune émission nette.
     
    L’année dernière, durant la réunion de l’Assemblée générale sur l’élévation du niveau de la mer, il a été dit avec force que la montée des eaux ne saurait porter atteinte à la souveraineté et à l’intégrité des États.
     
    Toutes ces initiatives montrent que le multilatéralisme fonctionne, mais seulement si nous traduisons nos paroles en actes.
     
    En développant des plans nationaux concrets alignés sur les objectifs mondiaux.
     
    En exploitant la science, en stimulant l’innovation, et en garantissant un accès équitable à la technologie.
     
    En donnant des moyens d’action aux pêcheurs, aux populations autochtones, aux scientifiques et aux jeunes.
     
    Et, par-dessus tout, en investissant.
     
    L’objectif de développement durable no 14 relatif à la vie aquatique demeure l’un des objectifs de développement durable les moins bien financés.
     
    Les choses doivent changer. Pour cela, il faut augmenter les financements publics, accroître l’appui apporté par les banques de développement et favoriser l’afflux de capitaux privés grâce à des modèles de financement audacieux.
     
    J’exhorte tous les pays à prendre des engagements ambitieux [et je remercie ceux qui l’ont déjà fait].
     
    Les petits États insulaires en développement ont besoin d’aide pour renforcer leur résilience et prospérer dans l’économie bleue.
     
    Nombreux sont ceux qui peinent à se procurer une alimentation saine à un coût abordable, ce qui montre combien il est urgent de restaurer les pêches locales et de renforcer les systèmes alimentaires basés sur l’océan.
     
    Nous devons également renforcer la sécurité maritime qui est l’un des piliers du développement durable.
     
    Nous devons intégrer les priorités liées à l’océan dans toutes nos activités touchant le climat, les systèmes alimentaires et la finance durable.
     
    Car sans un océan en bonne santé, il ne peut y avoir de planète en bonne santé.
     
    Enfin, l’exploitation minière des fonds marins pose aux pays de nouveaux défis.
     
    Je soutiens les travaux en cours de l’Autorité internationale des fonds marins sur cet enjeu important.
     
    Les grands fonds ne peuvent pas devenir un Far West.
     
    Mesdames et Messieurs,
     
    Nous vivons une époque de troubles, mais la détermination que je constate ici me donne de l’espoir.
     
    J’espère que nous pourrons redresser la situation.
     
    Que nous pourrons remplacer le pillage par la protection.
     
    L’exclusion par l’équité.
     
    La surexploitation à court terme par la bonne gestion à long terme.
     
    Nous savons que c’est possible.
     
    Lorsque nous sommes parvenus à un moratoire mondial sur la chasse commerciale à la baleine, les populations de baleines se sont reconstituées.
     
    Lorsque nous protégeons des aires marines, la vie revient.
     
    Aujourd’hui, nous avons la possibilité de redonner à l’océan son abondance.
     
    Ce qui a été perdu en l’espace d’une génération peut renaître en l’espace d’une autre.
     
    L’océan qu’ont connu nos ancêtres, qui regorgeait de vie et de diversité, peut être davantage qu’une légende.
     
    Il peut être notre héritage.
     
    Que votre conférence soit couronnée de succès.
     
    Je vous remercie.

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What is the World Test Championship and how did Australia qualify for the final?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania

    HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images

    Cricket’s third World Test Championship final will begin on Wednesday night in London. Reigning champions Australia will compete with South Africa to be crowned the world’s best men’s Test cricket team.

    This new tournament has faced controversy because of the points system used to determine the two finalists, with South Africa also criticised in recent years for allowing many key players to compete in T20 tournaments instead of Test matches.

    Despite this, South Africa has earned its right to take on the Australians at Lord’s Cricket Ground.

    What is the World Test Championship?

    The World Test Championship is a tournament played between nine full members of the International Cricket Council (ICC): Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies.

    The previous winners were New Zealand (2021) and Australia (2023).

    The ICC introduced this tournament as a way to increase the relevance and importance of Test cricket in a world dominated by popular Twenty 20 tournaments such as the Big Bash and Indian Premier League.

    Each country plays three series of between two and five Test matches at home, and three away.

    The tournament takes two years to complete because each Test match can take five days and there are no dedicated times for Test match cricket throughout the year. This is because many cricketers also play in T20 and one-day tournaments.

    Teams are awarded points for wins (12 points), ties (six) and draws (four) – there are zero points for a loss. Teams lose points if they bowl their overs too slowly.

    While this point system is simple enough, ranking teams in the results table is more confusing, because some teams play more Tests than others.

    Bigger, wealthier countries such as England, India and Australia commonly play four or five Tests in a series, whereas less affluent countries often play series with only two or three Tests.

    Because of this difference, the results table is based on the percentage of points teams have won (how many points they won divided by how many points they could have won).

    For example, if a team played ten tests, the maximum points they could earn would be 120 (10 x 12 points for each win). If they earned 60 points, then they would be ranked on the results table as winning 50% (60 divided by 120).

    How did Australia and South Africa reach the final?

    South Africa finished on top of the table by winning series against the West Indies, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. They also drew with India and lost to New Zealand.

    Australia beat Pakistan and India at home and New Zealand and Sri Lanka away. They also drew series with England (away) and the West Indies (home).

    The final will be played at the “home of cricket”: Lord’s in London.

    Neutral territory

    Test matches are rarely played at neutral venues but the World Test Championship final is played in England for a variety of reasons.

    The current two-year World Test Championship cycle ends in June, which is early summer in England and winter or monsoon season in most other major cricket nations.

    England also offers good infrastructure, strong crowds, a time zone that aligns favourably with prime time viewing hours in India, and pitches that offer a fair contest between bat and ball, allowing for exciting and competitive cricket.

    Despite these reasons, the repeated scheduling of finals in England has been criticised, predominantly by India.

    Criticisms of the championship

    South Africa’s qualification for the final has been criticised because they have played the least number of Tests and avoided playing some stronger teams.

    While these criticisms are not unfounded, they are also not South Africa’s fault: the ICC is responsible for ensuring scheduling is fair.

    Richer countries such as Australia, England and India face a dilemma in that five-Test series between them are generally high quality, exciting and profitable but are also difficult to win.

    Smaller nations playing two-Test series receive less interest and money but also easier opponents and less fixture fatigue. This situation can make it easier for smaller, less affluent teams to have a higher winning percentage.

    Other criticisms have focused on the points deductions for slow overs and the exclusion of Test playing nations Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe. When the World Test Championship was launched in 2019, only the nine full members were included. No specific reasons were given for the exclusion of Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Ireland.

    Including these countries and having two six-team divisions – with teams being relegated and promoted each year – has been suggested as way to make the Test championship more fair and more competitive.

    However, this idea has also been criticised as focusing on profits instead of protecting and nurturing the game around the world.

    These deductions and divisions, and other potential changes, were considered at a recent ICC meeting but no changes were made.

    Final preparations

    Australian players have prepared for the final in a variety of ways, such as playing in the IPL, county cricket in the United Kingdom and practice sessions at home.

    They are favourites for the final and have a strong squad to choose from.

    South Africa also has a strong team with several key players returning from injuries and a drugs ban.

    A win for Australia would solidify its standing as the premier Test cricket team in the world. For South Africa, a victory would showcase a remarkable turnaround after being criticised for picking a weak squad for a tour of New Zealand, with most of its better players instead competing in T20 tournaments.

    There is also record prize money at stake.

    If the match is a draw, tie or washed out, Australia and South Africa will share the trophy. But there is a reserve day available in case of wet weather.

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

    – ref. What is the World Test Championship and how did Australia qualify for the final? – https://theconversation.com/what-is-the-world-test-championship-and-how-did-australia-qualify-for-the-final-256999

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Bank of Spain cuts growth forecasts amid US tariff uncertainty

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

    The Bank of Spain has revised downward its economic growth forecasts for the country, cutting the projection for 2025 from 2.7 percent to 2.4 percent, and that for 2026 to 1.8 percent, due to uncertainty stemming from U.S. tariff policies.

    Jose Luis Escriva, the bank’s governor, made the announcement on Monday during a speech to parliament’s economic commission, ahead of the publication of the bank’s quarterly report on the Spanish economy, scheduled for June 10.

    Escriva used the word “uncertainty” no fewer than 18 times in his speech, underlining that while Spain’s direct trade exposure to the U.S. is lower than that of other major European Union economies, the country is indirectly vulnerable, particularly in sectors such as chemicals, due to its integration into global value chains.

    He also warned that prolonged uncertainty could increasingly weigh on Spain’s economy. He noted that uncertainty remains the major concern for businesses, with many Spanish companies reporting impacts from the tariffs.

    Despite the downgraded growth forecast, the bank has retained its projection for the unemployment rate in 2025 at 10.5 percent, while slightly improving the estimate for 2026, lowering it to 10.2 percent from the previous report. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What is cricket’s World Test Championship and how did Australia qualify for the final?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Vaughan Cruickshank, Senior Lecturer in Health and Physical Education, University of Tasmania

    HENRY NICHOLLS/AFP via Getty Images

    Cricket’s third World Test Championship final will begin on Wednesday night in London. Reigning champions Australia will compete with South Africa to be crowned the world’s best men’s Test cricket team.

    This new tournament has faced controversy because of the points system used to determine the two finalists, with South Africa also criticised in recent years for allowing many key players to compete in T20 tournaments instead of Test matches.

    Despite this, South Africa has earned its right to take on the Australians at Lord’s Cricket Ground.

    What is the World Test Championship?

    The World Test Championship is a tournament played between nine full members of the International Cricket Council (ICC): Australia, Bangladesh, England, India, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka and the West Indies.

    The previous winners were New Zealand (2021) and Australia (2023).

    The ICC introduced this tournament as a way to increase the relevance and importance of Test cricket in a world dominated by popular Twenty 20 tournaments such as the Big Bash and Indian Premier League.

    Each country plays three series of between two and five Test matches at home, and three away.

    The tournament takes two years to complete because each Test match can take five days and there are no dedicated times for Test match cricket throughout the year. This is because many cricketers also play in T20 and one-day tournaments.

    Teams are awarded points for wins (12 points), ties (six) and draws (four) – there are zero points for a loss. Teams lose points if they bowl their overs too slowly.

    While this point system is simple enough, ranking teams in the results table is more confusing, because some teams play more Tests than others.

    Bigger, wealthier countries such as England, India and Australia commonly play four or five Tests in a series, whereas less affluent countries often play series with only two or three Tests.

    Because of this difference, the results table is based on the percentage of points teams have won (how many points they won divided by how many points they could have won).

    For example, if a team played ten tests, the maximum points they could earn would be 120 (10 x 12 points for each win). If they earned 60 points, then they would be ranked on the results table as winning 50% (60 divided by 120).

    How did Australia and South Africa reach the final?

    South Africa finished on top of the table by winning series against the West Indies, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and Pakistan. They also drew with India and lost to New Zealand.

    Australia beat Pakistan and India at home and New Zealand and Sri Lanka away. They also drew series with England (away) and the West Indies (home).

    The final will be played at the “home of cricket”: Lord’s in London.

    Neutral territory

    Test matches are rarely played at neutral venues but the World Test Championship final is played in England for a variety of reasons.

    The current two-year World Test Championship cycle ends in June, which is early summer in England and winter or monsoon season in most other major cricket nations.

    England also offers good infrastructure, strong crowds, a time zone that aligns favourably with prime time viewing hours in India, and pitches that offer a fair contest between bat and ball, allowing for exciting and competitive cricket.

    Despite these reasons, the repeated scheduling of finals in England has been criticised, predominantly by India.

    Criticisms of the championship

    South Africa’s qualification for the final has been criticised because they have played the least number of Tests and avoided playing some stronger teams.

    While these criticisms are not unfounded, they are also not South Africa’s fault: the ICC is responsible for ensuring scheduling is fair.

    Richer countries such as Australia, England and India face a dilemma in that five-Test series between them are generally high quality, exciting and profitable but are also difficult to win.

    Smaller nations playing two-Test series receive less interest and money but also easier opponents and less fixture fatigue. This situation can make it easier for smaller, less affluent teams to have a higher winning percentage.

    Other criticisms have focused on the points deductions for slow overs and the exclusion of Test playing nations Afghanistan, Ireland and Zimbabwe. When the World Test Championship was launched in 2019, only the nine full members were included. No specific reasons were given for the exclusion of Zimbabwe, Afghanistan and Ireland.

    Including these countries and having two six-team divisions – with teams being relegated and promoted each year – has been suggested as way to make the Test championship more fair and more competitive.

    However, this idea has also been criticised as focusing on profits instead of protecting and nurturing the game around the world.

    These deductions and divisions, and other potential changes, were considered at a recent ICC meeting but no changes were made.

    Final preparations

    Australian players have prepared for the final in a variety of ways, such as playing in the IPL, county cricket in the United Kingdom and practice sessions at home.

    They are favourites for the final and have a strong squad to choose from.

    South Africa also has a strong team with several key players returning from injuries and a drugs ban.

    A win for Australia would solidify its standing as the premier Test cricket team in the world. For South Africa, a victory would showcase a remarkable turnaround after being criticised for picking a weak squad for a tour of New Zealand, with most of its better players instead competing in T20 tournaments.

    There is also record prize money at stake.

    If the match is a draw, tie or washed out, Australia and South Africa will share the trophy. But there is a reserve day available in case of wet weather.

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

    – ref. What is cricket’s World Test Championship and how did Australia qualify for the final? – https://theconversation.com/what-is-crickets-world-test-championship-and-how-did-australia-qualify-for-the-final-256999

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Bangarra Dance Theatre’s Illume is spectacle with heart and spirit, a thrilling manifestation of Country

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Erin Brannigan, Associate Professor, Theatre and Performance, UNSW Sydney

    Bangarra/Daniel Boud

    The stage is covered in stars that fill the depth of the space. When the 18 dancers slowly gather, they move through a night sky.

    This sky, and the scenes that unfold in Bangarra’s Illume are tied to the Goolarrgon clan of the Bardi Jawi people, the First Peoples of the Dampier Peninsula on the west coast of the Kimberley. Choreographer Frances Rings chose as her primary collaborator visual artist Darrell Sibosado who brings his cultural knowledge of that Country to the work, alongside cultural consultants Trevor Sampi and Audrey (Pippi) Bin Swani, also from Bardi Country.

    The 70-minute work moves through 11 sections, and over three phases. A short synopsis for each in the program guides visitors through this manifestation of Country.

    The opening segments are immersive, integrated worlds where the dancers move at one with the design elements.

    In Niman Aarl (Many Fish), a thrilling whirlpool of tiny light fish spiral around a giant conch shell. The dancers spiral among them with flowing, fluid movements.

    The central section, Light Pollution, interrupts the flow, representing the displacement caused by settler invasion. The dancers carry brown blocks, simply and effectively introducing inorganic and uniform shapes into this natural environment. They are suggestive of bricks, burdens and baggage. Movements depict trauma and a burning crucifix-like form that brings religious movements (as if seated at prayer) and music themes (church bells) to a dramatic climax.

    Brown blocks are suggestive of bricks, burdens and baggage.
    Bangarra/Daniel Boud

    The final sections return us to the sea and land. The work culminates with a beautifully crafted kaleidoscope of mother of pearl opalescence that washes over the front scrim.

    Bringing remote cultures to broad audiences

    Coinciding with Sydney’s Vivid light festival, the difference could not be starker between the tired, candy-coloured neon display spilling across Sydney Harbour and the immersive, detailed and sometimes breathtaking light (designed by Damien Cooper) and video design (from Craig Wilkinson) that gives this work its name.

    The stage floor shimmers: Charles Davis’ set is a reflective surface that amplifies the stunning light work. Upstage left, poles cluster like a stand of trees and occasionally pulse with light in time with the score from Brendon Boney.

    On the back scrim, lights twinkle and constellate. Many images emerge, including what seem to be fragments of a stuttering calligraphy.

    The stage floor shimmers.
    Bangarra/Daniel Boud

    In the final moments of the work, the lights consolidate into an intriguing set of symbols. These echo previous work of Sibosado, such as Galalan at Gumiri featured at the 2024 Biennale of Sydney.

    Blocky, maze-like, and recalling Aztec or Indonesian patterns, these designs appear like a collision of more familiar Indigenous pattern work, south-east Asian influences, and contemporary abstraction.

    Sibosado works primarily with Bardi Jawi riji – pearl shell carving designs from his Country Lullmardinard/Lombadina. He enlarges the small pearl carvings in scale and fabricates them using contemporary materials such as metal and light.

    Designs appear like a collision of Indigenous pattern work, south-east Asian influences, and contemporary abstraction.
    Bangarra/Daniel Boud

    Sibosado is an alumnus of NAISDA, Australia’s National Indigenous dance college and feeder program for the Bangarra company. He has described how he brings story elements usually held in dance and song into his visual art, demonstrating an integration of the creative disciplines characteristic of many NAISDA graduates’ work.

    NAISDA’s practice of working with Indigenous communities from across the country makes the College a living repository of ephemeral and material culture.

    This approach to First Peoples’ culture continues at Bangarra. Bangarra’s deep dive into the traditional knowledges of the Bardi Jawi people through the creative practice of Sibosado, alongside cultural consultants Trevor Sampi and Audrey (Pippi) Bin Swani, brings remote cultures to broad audiences.

    Ambitious, smart and timely

    Watching the show from the dress circle, the impact of all the elements was clear but it was difficult to distinguish individual dancers. The large company was well rehearsed with some stellar performances throughout. However, the choreographic detail was largely absorbed into the overall effects of the work.

    Rings demonstrates her finely tuned attention to movement language specific to each section. From the snaking arms forming the branches of the Manawan or Wollybutt trees, to the south-east Asian inflections in the Mother of Pearl (Guan) sections referencing the pearl divers from that region who were part of the local industry (sometimes against their will), Rings’ choreographic vision is clear – if not always given space and focus among the design.

    Rings demonstrates her finely tuned attention to movement language.
    Bangarra/Daniel Boud

    Rings’ ability to lead a collaborative vision is made possible through the creative team she has gathered. Rings’ and Sibosado’s vision is supported by the set, lighting and video design. Costume designer Elizabeth Gadsby, working with emerging costumer Rika Hamaguchi, has produced unique looks for each section of the work. Boney’s compositions strike a balance between ancient sounds and rhythms and a synthetic sheen that parallels the glossy production elements.

    Illume is ambitious, smart and timely, with its powerful combination of visual and choreographic arts and stories from the ecologically precious and precarious Kimberley region.

    Bangarra is our leading Indigenous performing arts company whose work extends from a rich education and outreach program to their stellar track in international touring. With this work, Bangarra is giving Australia’s other major performing arts companies an object lesson in spectacle with heart and spirit.

    Illume is at the Sydney Opera House until June 14, then touring nationally.

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

    – ref. Bangarra Dance Theatre’s Illume is spectacle with heart and spirit, a thrilling manifestation of Country – https://theconversation.com/bangarra-dance-theatres-illume-is-spectacle-with-heart-and-spirit-a-thrilling-manifestation-of-country-257963

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Canadian scholar delves into Chinese literature in Nanchang

    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

    In 2005, Canadian Brandon Collins-Green moved to Shanghai to join his girlfriend and live with a family who didn’t speak English. “The first few weeks [of communication] were really tough, but that’s when I fell in love with Mandarin,” he recalls. This passion for the language changed the trajectory of his life – he abandoned an exchange program in Singapore and earned a bachelor’s degree in Chinese language education from Jiamusi University. After that, after reading the famous novel “Dream of the Red Chamber,” he became fascinated with ancient Chinese literature and in 2018 entered the doctoral program at Jiangxi Normal University, where he continued his “deep immersion” in academia.

    Since 2018, Brandon has painted over 4,800 paintings inspired by ancient Chinese literature and poetry (Source: China Daily)

    The decision to live in Nanchang (Jiangxi Province) was a conscious one for the young scientist. Although the city is inferior in development to some megacities, Brandon admires its rich history and culture, as well as the atmosphere filled with energy and movement: “There is peace, safety and trust here.”

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Ranking Member McCollum: Defense Funding Bill Hurts Our Servicemembers, Undermines Military Readiness and Our Allies in Ukraine

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Betty McCollum (DFL-Minn)

    WASHINGTON — House Appropriations Committee Republicans today released their 2026 Defense funding bill, which will be considered by the Defense subcommittee tomorrow. Instead of working with House Democrats to strengthen our national security and prioritize the quality of life for our servicemembers and their families, the bill undermines democracy at home and abroad and includes harmful and divisive policy riders that would hurt military readiness.

    For fiscal year 2026, the bill provides $831.5 billion, which is equal to current funding levels and $1.3 billion above the Administration’s fiscal year 2026 request.

    Republicans have included language directing the Department of Defense to determine $7.75 billion in cuts to amounts listed in the bill. This jeopardizes every program other than intelligence activities. If made uniformly, it would reduce everything by approximately 1 percent, which would mean cuts of almost $2 billion for troop pay, over $2 billion for troop readiness, $409 million for health programs, $5 million each for Israel and Jordan, and over $2 billion for the procurement and modernization of weapons systems. At a time when the Trump Administration is already illegally stealing from American communities by refusing to spend funds, it is unfathomable that the Appropriations Committee would allow the administration to unilaterally make nearly $8 billion in cuts to defense investments.

    The legislation:

    • Weakens Ukraine and empowers Russia by eliminating support for the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative.
    • Undermines democracy at home and abroad by allowing disinformation and extremist views to flourish.
    • Limits women’s access to abortion by preventing service personnel from traveling to seek reproductive health care
    • Harms our military readiness with divisive provisions that undermine morale and fail to support our service personnel, by:
      • Continuing DOGE and the Administration’s cuts to vital civilian positions;
      • Attacking the LGBTQ+ community with hateful policies; and
      • Banning funding for diversity, equity, and inclusion efforts.

    “It disappoints me that I’m unable to support this bill as written, and we find ourselves in this position because the Trump administration has failed to get us the information we need in time to produce a complete budget request. The nation’s defense programs require a detailed annual review. But without the President’s budget request, this committee is unable to complete its work in a thoughtful and timely manner,” Defense Appropriations Subcommittee Ranking Member Betty McCollum (D-MN-04) said. “The president proposes, Congress disposes – that’s the way our system works. There are consequences to the taxpayer and to our military’s readiness when this process is not adhered to. It is deeply unfortunate that the Trump administration has put the Committee in this position. I look forward to working with the committee to improve the bill as it goes through the process in the subcommittee, in full committee, on the floor, and in conference. Our national security and strategic defense priorities are too important to risk getting it wrong.”

    “Our allies and our adversaries are watching as House Republicans propose a Defense funding bill that will empower Russia, impair our own military readiness and national security, and put politics above our own servicemembers,” Appropriations Committee Ranking Member Rosa DeLauro (D-CT-03) said. “This is not a bill meant to responsibly fund our nation’s defense and promote and protect democracy. Instead, this bill advances and acquiesces to Elon Musk’s and President Trump’s reckless purging of critical civilian personnel, their equivocation on support for Ukraine, and their relentless politicizing of our troops. It is deeply regrettable that the conflicts our military must confront abroad, the issues we must confront within the Department of Defense, and the quality of life for our servicemembers and military families are not priorities of President Trump and House Republicans.”

    A summary of House Republicans’ 2026 Defense bill is here. A fact sheet of the bill is here. The full text of the bill is here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Africa: Johannesburg’s problems can be solved – but it’s a long journey to fix South Africa’s economic powerhouse

    Source: The Conversation – Africa – By Philip Harrison, Professor School of Architecture and Planning, University of the Witwatersrand

    South African president Cyril Ramaphosa met senior leaders of Johannesburg and Gauteng, the province it’s located in, in March 2025 to discuss ways to arrest the steep decline in South Africa’s largest city.

    Ramaphosa announced a two-year-long presidential intervention to tackle some of the city’s most pressing issues. It is to be led by the Presidential Johannesburg Working Group with eight cross-governmental and multi-stakeholder workstreams.

    Johannesburg was established 130 years ago, where the world’s largest-ever gold deposits were discovered. It grew rapidly in the early 20th century and became the country’s economic heartland and largest population centre. Like all South African cities, it was deeply scarred by apartheid policies. People were divided by racially defined groups. Good services and a strong economy benefited a minority, and a black majority were pushed into impoverished ghettos.

    But, for about the first two decades of post-apartheid rule from 1994, Johannesburg led the country with innovation and progressive change. It pioneered the new local government system, institutional reforms, new practice on city strategy and planning, pro-poor service delivery, and modern transport infrastructure.

    Today, however, the city is in a dire state. Over the past decade, roughly coinciding with the arrival of messy coalition governance in 2016, sound political leadership, administrative stability and financial management have crumbled. Underinvestment in infrastructure maintenance has led to collapsing services. Public trust is deteriorating among increasingly frustrated communities. This was evident in local election results. It also shows up in recent data released by the Gauteng City-Region Observatory on public trust in local government.

    The local economy has stagnated. The city’s official unemployment rate of 34.3% is higher than the national average of 32.9%. Mounting joblessness and dwindling incomes have intertwined with depleted trust to knock levels of payment for property rates and service charges. In turn this has deepened the financial and service maintenance crisis.

    Corruption in many parts of the city is an endemic complicating factor.

    The presidential intervention is designed to address this complex interplay between embedded legacies and failings post-apartheid. The workstreams involving city officials and concerned stakeholders are generating ideas for priority actions. There is also a new energy in the city government, with the executive mayor and members of his mayoral committee making turnaround promises.

    This long overdue attention is heartening. But some caution is called for. While some “quick wins” are needed, there will be no easy turnaround. The best prospect is likely to be a process of recovery that will require patience and methodical attention over the long term. A city cannot be repaired in the way an automobile can. A city has a trillion moving parts and is in a constant state of makeover, as dynamics of economy, technology, demography, environment, society, politics, and more, interact and produce change.

    The question is not whether a city is fixed – it can never finally be – but rather what trajectory it is on. For Johannesburg, the question is how to exit the downward spiral and begin the process of reconstruction.

    We are a group who previously worked in the City of Johannesburg as officials, who are now academics with decades of experience observing local governance trends and dynamics, or scholars engaged in civil society coalitions or communities mobilising around the crisis. Some of us have been involved in the Presidential Johannesburg Working Group over the last few months.

    Our view is that there are four areas needing urgent but sustained attention.

    Focus areas

    The first is the need for a joint effort across national, provincial and municipal government to resolve the crisis. We are pleased that this has begun. The political leadership in the city (and of the province) failed to grasp the opportunity provided by the post-2024 election national compromises to put together a broad-based government of local unity to lead reconstruction. There is no option now but to pursue an inter-governmental initiative led by national government with the committed involvement of the other spheres.

    Only genuine collaboration will succeed.

    In this respect, the Presidential Johannesburg Working Group holds promise. But what will be needed is careful, concerted work focused first on short-term priorities. Then, over years, on key structural challenges facing the city.

    Second, the city needs civil society in all its forms to hold a careful balance between keeping up the pressure on municipal government, constantly holding it accountable to its residents, and working with government to help it solve problems. The Joburg Crisis Alliance, Jozi-my-Jozi, WaterCAN and similar initiatives are claiming well-recognised and respected voice in the affairs of the municipality.

    Johannesburg needs a city government that is open to this scrutiny, accepting the need for transparency, and open to the help that civil society can offer.

    To raise the level of accountability and collaboration, a clear programme of restoration has to be communicated openly to the public. Milestones and expenditure requirements need to be set that allow for constant monitoring. There must be open council meetings, and regular online and in-person briefings.

    Also required are new mechanisms for citizen-based monitoring. These may include trained citizen monitors reporting on service delivery. Alternatively, the establishment of a sort of “Citizen’s Council” which meets regularly to receive reports from these monitors and the city administration.

    International examples include the Bürgerrat model. This is now fully institutionalised in parts of Germany and Austria to strengthen local democracy and accountability. In this model, citizens are randomly selected to sit on a council which monitors performance of local government and provides new ideas.

    Another approach could be for civil society organisations to be invited to a Citizen’s Council that would act in support of the oversight processes of the elected Municipal Council.

    Third, there has to be a solution to unstable coalition governments. These seem to be structured to facilitate separate political fiefdoms where spoils can be divided in the allocation of portfolios. At minimum, the presidential intervention must provide for a check and balance on processes where bureaucratic appointments and budgetary allocations may serve the interests of cronyism. For example, there should be transparency and rigour in appointments to the boards of Johannesburg’s municipally owned companies.

    Regulatory reforms are required in the political arena. This should include rules for the distribution of seats on the municipal executive and the election of mayors. Between January 2023 and August 2024 a tiny minority party held the mayoralty because the larger parties could not agree on a mayoral selection or, more cynically, to ensure that the executive mayor could not call large parties to account.

    More importantly, though, there has to be a change in political culture. This is a longer-term process.

    Fourth, the problems run far deeper than what bureaucratic reorganisation can achieve.

    The longer-term project is to build a capable administration with clear political direction and oversight but insulated from personal agendas and factional battles. The administration became confused and demoralised because of the political instability over an extended period. There are, however, still many capable and committed public servants in the city bureaucracy. The focus should be on working with them to rebuild the administration, making it a place where talent and initiative are recognised and rewarded.

    Restored political leadership and a rejuvenated administration is needed for a long term process, extending far beyond the quick wins. This process will involve refurbishing the decaying network infrastructure, restoring financial stability, reestablishing social trust and returning confidence to the city’s economy.

    2025 marks 30 years since the first democratic local elections. National government is looking seriously at sweeping municipal reforms. And the next municipal election – likely to be held at the end of 2026 – is an opportunity to make a deep transformation effort. Citizens can ensure that parties contesting the election place Johannesburg’s recovery at the heart of their agenda.

    – Johannesburg’s problems can be solved – but it’s a long journey to fix South Africa’s economic powerhouse
    – https://theconversation.com/johannesburgs-problems-can-be-solved-but-its-a-long-journey-to-fix-south-africas-economic-powerhouse-256013

    MIL OSI Africa –

  • MIL-OSI China: Russia to build 8 nuclear plants in Iran: atomic chief

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

    People work at the construction site of the second phase of Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Bushehr, southern Iran, on Nov. 10, 2019. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Iranian atomic chief has announced that Russia will construct eight nuclear power plants in Iran under a previously signed contract between the two countries, the official news agency IRNA reported.

    President of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Mohammad Eslami made the remarks on Monday during a visit by members of the Iranian parliament’s national security and foreign policy committee to the AEOI headquarters in Tehran.

    Eslami stated that four of the eight planned nuclear reactors would be constructed in the southern province of Bushehr.

    He also updated lawmakers on the ongoing construction of units 2 and 3 at the existing Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, emphasizing that those units are being built by Iranian companies.

    Speaking to reporters after the parliamentary delegation’s visit, Eslami added that the AEOI has plans to triple Iran’s nuclear power generation capacity, as part of the country’s broader energy development strategy.

    Completed by Russia in May 2011, the Bushehr plant, Iran’s first and only operational nuclear power facility, has been central to the country’s civilian nuclear energy program and has long involved cooperation with Russia’s state nuclear agency, Rosatom. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China’s foreign trade maintains resilience despite headwinds

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

    China’s foreign trade demonstrated resilience in the first five months of 2025, with total trade value rising 2.5 percent year on year, driven by the country’s efforts to optimize its trade structure and stabilize growth.

    The growth rate marked an increase of 0.1 percentage points compared to that registered in the first four months of 2025. The total value of goods imports and exports in yuan-denominated terms stood at 17.94 trillion yuan (about 2.5 trillion U.S. dollars) in the January-May period, according to the General Administration of Customs (GAC) data released Monday.

    During the first five months of 2025, China’s exports rose 7.2 percent year on year to 10.67 trillion yuan while imports fell 3.8 percent to 7.27 trillion yuan, the data showed.

    An aerial drone photo shows vehicles to be exported at Yantai Port in east China’s Shandong Province, Jan. 2, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Strong resilience

    Lyu Daliang, director of the GAC’s Department of Statistics and Analysis, said China’s goods trade has maintained “relatively strong resilience” despite external pressures, as the country’s economy has continued its recovery trend since the beginning of the year.

    “In May, China’s foreign trade continued its growth trend, with the pace of expansion accelerating notably following the high-level China-U.S. economic and trade talks (held in Geneva last month),” the official said.

    In May alone, China’s total goods imports and exports in yuan-denominated terms rose 2.7 percent year on year. Goods exports rose 6.3 percent year on year, while imports went down 2.1 percent, according to the data.

    “In the face of a more complex and challenging international situation, China’s foreign trade has overcome difficulties and withstood pressure, maintaining stable growth and demonstrating strong resilience,” said Wang Xuekun, head of the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation under the Ministry of Commerce.

    This resilience has been underpinned by dedicated efforts to boost trade at the local level. In east China’s Jiangsu Province, the provincial government has pledged increased funding to support exporters’ participation in overseas exhibitions. Since the beginning of the year, it has helped more than 1,400 companies take part in over 120 exhibitions overseas.

    In southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, cross-border freight vehicles carrying Chinese products, such as motorbike components and agricultural machinery, can reach Vietnam in as little as two days after clearing customs in Chongqing.

    Thanks to the timeliness and flexibility of the road transport corridor, Chongqing’s cross-border freight trucks transported goods worth 5.7 billion yuan in the first five months of 2025, marking a 4.3-fold increase year on year.

    An aerial drone photo taken on May 22, 2025 shows China-Europe freight train X8489 loaded with autos, machine parts and home appliances before its departure for Duisburg, Germany, in Xi’an, northwest China’s Shaanxi Province. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Structural improvements 

    Monday’s GAC data also showed continued structural improvements in China’s foreign trade. High-tech product exports performed strongly in the first five months of 2025, rising 6.1 percent year on year in U.S.-dollar term, while exports of mechanical and electrical products grew by 8.1 percent over the same period.

    In terms of trading partners, ASEAN remained China’s largest trading partner in the January-May period. During this period, trade between China and ASEAN totaled 3.02 trillion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 9.1 percent.

    During the same period, China’s trade with the European Union went up 2.9 percent year on year to nearly 2.3 trillion yuan, while its trade with the United States decreased by 8.1 percent year on year to 1.72 trillion yuan, according to the data.

    Trade with Belt and Road partner countries rose 4.2 percent to 9.24 trillion yuan, and trade with African countries hit a record high, with the China-Africa trade volume increasing 12.4 percent to 963.21 billion yuan during the period.

    Wang said that against the headwinds of rising unilateralism and protectionism, China would rise to the challenges and take multiple measures to properly handle trade frictions and stabilize foreign trade.

    According to him, these measures include seizing trade opportunities by diversifying trading partners and supporting Chinese exporters in exploring the domestic market through promotional campaigns and channels such as supermarkets and e-commerce platforms to sell high-quality foreign trade products.

    Wang also emphasized the need for greater support for foreign trade enterprises, calling for enhanced government efforts to help companies secure deals through matchmaking services at major trade exhibitions, as well as increased financing support. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: UK E-petition debate relating to the non-stun slaughter of animals – Monday 9 June 2025.

    Source: United Kingdom UK Parliament (video statements)

    The Petitions Committee has scheduled a debate relating to the non-stun slaughter of animals.

    Jamie Stone MP has been asked by the Committee to open the debate. The Government will send a Minister to respond.

    Read the petition:
    https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/700557

    Find petitions you agree with, and sign them: https://petition.parliament.uk/

    What are petition debates?

    Petition debates are ‘general’ debates which allow MPs from all parties to discuss the important issues raised by one or more petitions, and put their concerns to Government Ministers.

    Petition debates don’t end with a vote to implement the request of a petition. This means that MPs will not vote on the issues raised in the petition at the end of the debate.

    The Petitions Committee can only schedule debates on petitions to parliament started on petition.parliament.uk

    Find out more about how petition debates work: https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/326/petitions-committee/content/194347/how-petitions-debates-work/

    Stay up-to-date
    Follow the Committee on Twitter for real-time updates on its work: https://www.twitter.com/hocpetitions

    Thumbnail image ©UK Parliament / Jessica Taylor

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7Anv9XBSPE

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Amata Honors Henry Saaga and Thousands of Heroes for D-Day and Battle of Midway Anniversaries

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Aumua Amata (Western Samoa)

    Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Uifa’atali Amata is honoring the memory of Henry Saaga, who fought in the Normandy invasion, as the United States and World War II allies commemorate the anniversaries of two of the great turning points of the global war – D-Day in Europe in 1944, and the Battle of Midway in the Pacific in 1942. 

    Holding Henry Saaga family photo

    June 6th is anniversary of D-Day, in which Allied forces stormed the beaches of Normandy, successfully but at great cost in lives. Also, this week, June 4-7 marks the anniversary of the Battle of Midway, a major air and sea battle that turned the tide of the war in the Pacific earlier in World War II. 

    Briefing at Aisne Marne American Cemetery in 2023

    “On these historic dates, we honor the valor of many thousands who changed the world and advanced the cause of freedom for generations, which our living Veterans and Service Members have since helped protect,” said Congresswoman Aumua Amata. “These anniversaries are sobering reminders of the sacrifices of war, but celebrations of these heroes and their enduring legacy of bravery and honor.”

    A Normandy Wreath-laying in 2023

    “Henry Saaga was a young Samoan soldier who was born and raised in Utulei Village, American Samoa. He fought in the invasion of Normandy, and was last seen fighting bravely in the hedgerow combat,” Amata continued. “He is honored on a commemorative wall in France, where names are highlighted with wet sand from the nearby beach – the only acceptable reason to take sand from the protected beach.”

    Henry Saaga’s name enshrined in France

    Known as D-Day, the invasion in Normandy demanded enormous logistical effort. Once the Allies established landings in France, the U.S. and Allied forces began pushing back the Nazi forces and liberating western Europe. General Dwight D. Eisenhower sent the troops across the English Channel with the message, “The eyes of the world are upon you. The hoped and prayers of liberty-loving people everywhere march with you.”

    Likewise, in the Pacific, the Battle of Midway was a difference-making three days of intense sea and air battle that historians agree changed the direction of the naval war for the years of fighting ahead.

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Sleep with one eye open: how Librarian Ghouls steal data by night

    Source: Securelist – Kaspersky

    Headline: Sleep with one eye open: how Librarian Ghouls steal data by night

    Introduction

    Librarian Ghouls, also known as “Rare Werewolf” and “Rezet”, is an APT group that targets entities in Russia and the CIS. Other security vendors are also monitoring this APT and releasing analyses of its campaigns. The group has remained active through May 2025, consistently targeting Russian companies.

    A distinctive feature of this threat is that the attackers favor using legitimate third-party software over developing their own malicious binaries. The malicious functionality of the campaign described in this article is implemented through command files and PowerShell scripts. The attackers establish remote access to the victim’s device, steal credentials, and deploy an XMRig crypto miner in the system.

    Our research has uncovered new tools within this APT group’s arsenal, which we will elaborate on in this article.

    Technical details

    Initial infection vector

    Attacks by Librarian Ghouls continued almost unabated throughout 2024. We observed a slight decline in the group’s activity in December, followed immediately by a new wave of attacks, which is ongoing. The group’s primary initial infection vector involves targeted phishing emails that contain password-protected archives with executable files inside. These malicious emails are typically disguised as messages from legitimate organizations, containing attachments that appear to be official documents. The infection process is as follows: the victim opens the attached archive (the password is usually provided in the email body), extracts the files inside, and opens them.

    We managed to get hold of a malicious implant from an archive disguised as a payment order. The sample is a self-extracting installer made with the Smart Install Maker utility for Windows.

    The installer contains three files: an archive, a configuration file, and an empty file irrelevant for our analysis. They are later renamed into data.cab, installer.config and runtime.cab respectively.

    The primary malicious logic resides in the installer’s configuration file. It uses a variety of registry modification commands to automatically deploy the legitimate window manager, 4t Tray Minimizer, onto the system. This software can minimize running applications to the system tray, allowing attackers to obscure their presence on the compromised system.

    Once 4t Tray Minimizer is installed, the installer pulls three files from data.cab and puts them into the C:Intel directory, specifically at:

    File Name when archived Path on the infected system
    Legitimate PDF as a decoy 0  IntelPayment Order # 131.pdf
    Legitimate curl utility executable 1 Intelcurl.exe
    LNK file 2 IntelAnyDeskbat.lnk

    The PDF decoy resembles an order to pay a minor amount:

    PDF document imitating a payment order

    rezet.cmd

    Once data.cab is unpacked, the installer generates and executes a rezet.cmd command file, which then reaches out to the C2 server downdown[.]ru, hosting six files with the JPG extension. rezet.cmd downloads these to C:Intel, changing their file extensions to: driver.exe, blat.exe, svchost.exe, Trays.rar, wol.ps1, and dc.exe.

    • driver.exe is a customized build of rar.exe, the console version of WinRAR 3.80. This version has had user dialog strings removed: it can execute commands but provides no meaningful output to the console.
    • blat.exe is Blat, a legitimate utility for sending email messages and files via SMTP. Attackers use this to send data they steal to an email server they control.
    • svchost.exe is the remote access application AnyDesk. Attackers use this to remotely control the compromised machine.
    • dc.exe is Defender Control, which allows disabling Windows Defender.

    After downloading the files, the script uses the specified password and the driver.exe console utility to extract Trays.rar into the same C:Intel directory and run the unpacked Trays.lnk. This shortcut allows starting 4t Tray Minimizer minimized to the tray.

    Next, the script installs AnyDesk on the compromised device and downloads a bat.bat file from the C2 server to C:IntelAnyDesk. Finally, rezet.cmd runs bat.lnk, which was previously extracted from data.cab.

    bat.bat

    Opening the bat.lnk shortcut runs the bat.bat batch file, which executes a series of malicious actions.

    Disabling security measures and a scheduled task

    First, the BAT file sets the password QWERTY1234566 for AnyDesk, which allows the attackers to connect to the victim’s device without asking for confirmation.

    Next, the script uses the previously downloaded Defender Control (dc.exe) application to disable Windows Defender.

    To verify that the victim’s computer is on and available for remote connections, the batch file runs the powercfg utility six times with different parameters. This utility controls the local machine’s power settings.

    Next, bat.bat runs the schtasks utility to create a ShutdownAt5AM scheduler task, which shuts down the victim’s PC every day at 5 AM as the name suggests. It is our assessment that the attackers use this technique to cover their tracks so that the user remains unaware that their device has been hijacked.

    Disabling security measures and the power management configuration in bat.bat

    Wakeup script and data theft

    Next, the batch file executes the wol.ps1 script via PowerShell.

    Contents of the “wol.ps1” script

    This script launches Microsoft Edge every day at 1 AM. We found no evidence of msedge.exe being replaced or compromised, leading us to believe it is a genuine Microsoft Edge executable. This daily browser activation wakes the victim’s computer, giving attackers a four-hour window to establish unauthorized remote access with AnyDesk before the scheduled task shuts the machine down at 5 AM.

    Following the execution of the PowerShell script, bat.bat removes the curl utility, the Trays.rar archive, and the AnyDesk installer. The attackers no longer need these components: at this stage of the infection, all necessary malicious files and third-party utilities have been downloaded with curl, Trays.rar has been unpacked, and AnyDesk has been installed on the device.

    After that, the batch file sets environment variables for Blat. These variables contain, among other things, the email addresses where the victim’s data will be sent and the passwords for these accounts.

    The next step is to collect information stored on the device that is of interest to the attackers:

    • Cryptocurrency wallet credentials and seed phrases
    • Dumps of the HKLMSAM and HKLMSYSTEM registry keys made with reg.exe

    Data collection by bat.bat

    The BAT file uses driver.exe to pack data it has collected into two separate password-protected archives. Then, the script runs blat.exe to send the victim’s data and AnyDesk configuration files to the attackers via SMTP.

    Miner installation and self-deletion

    Next, bat.bat deletes the files generated during the attack from the C:Intel folder and installs a crypto miner on the compromised system. To do this, the script creates a bm.json configuration file containing the mining pool address and the attackers’ identifier, and then downloads install.exe from hxxp://bmapps[.]org/bmcontrol/win64/Install.exe.

    install.exe is an installer that checks for the JSON configuration file and the bmcontrol.exe process in the system. If the process is detected, the installer terminates it.

    Then, install.exe downloads an archive with mining tools from hxxps://bmapps[.]org/bmcontrol/win64/app-1.4.zip.

    The archive contains the following files:

    • _install.exe: a new version of the installer. While the samples in the attacks we analyzed were identical, we suspect the attackers have a scenario for updating the malware.
    • bmcontrol.exe: miner controller
    • run.exe, stop.cmd, uninstall.cmd: tools for starting, stopping, and removing the controller
    • XMRig miner

    Depending on the parameters of the JSON file, the unmodified original installer file is used, or _install.exe is renamed to install.exe and run. After that, the installer adds run.exe to autorun. This utility checks for an already running bmcontrol.exe controller on the compromised system, and if it doesn’t find one, runs it from the downloaded archive.

    Once running, bmcontrol.exe creates two processes: master and worker. The master process launches and constantly monitors the worker, and also restarts it if the latter quits unexpectedly. In addition, the master passes the JSON configuration file to the worker process.

    Before launching the XMRig miner, the worker process collects the following system information:

    1. Available CPU cores
    2. Available RAM
    3. GPU

    This data is used to configure the miner on the compromised device and also sent to the attackers’ server. While XMRig is running, the worker maintains a connection to the mining pool, sending a request every 60 seconds.

    After installing the miner on the system, bat.bat removes itself from the victim’s device.

    Legitimate software utilized by the attackers

    It is a common technique to leverage third-party legitimate software for malicious purposes (T1588.002), which makes detecting and attributing APT activity more difficult. We have seen this pattern in current campaigns by various APT groups, in particular in the Likho cluster.

    Beyond the utilities discussed above, we also identified the following software in Librarian Ghouls attacks:

    • Mipko Personal Monitor: a DLP system that the attackers use to monitor the victim. The application can collect screenshots and record keystrokes among other things.
    • WebBrowserPassView: a password recovery utility that can extract passwords stored in web browsers. The attackers use this to steal victims’ credentials.
    • ngrok: a global reverse proxy that secures and accelerates network services. Used by the attackers to connect to target machines.
    • NirCmd: a legitimate utility that facilitates various OS tasks without a visible user interface. The attackers use this to covertly run scripts and executables.

    Phishing campaign

    Our investigation revealed several domains that we assess with low confidence to be associated with the ongoing Librarian Ghouls campaign. At the time of the investigation, some of them remained active, including users-mail[.]ru and deauthorization[.]online. These domains hosted phishing pages, generated with PHP scripts and designed to harvest credentials for the mail.ru email service.

    Example of a phishing page associated with the APT campaign

    Infrastructure

    The implant detailed in this article communicated with the command-and-control servers downdown[.]ru and dragonfires[.]ru. Both resolve to the IP address 185.125.51[.]5.

    Our analysis of the attackers’ infrastructure revealed a notable characteristic: several malicious web servers associated with this campaign had directory listing enabled, allowing us to inspect files they stored.

    Directory listing on a malicious server

    Victims

    Our telemetry indicated that, during the investigation period, hundreds of Russian users fell victim to this campaign. It primarily focuses on industrial enterprises, with engineering schools also being a target of interest. Furthermore, the attacks described also impacted users in Belarus and Kazakhstan.

    The phishing emails are notably composed in Russian and include archives with Russian filenames, along with Russian-language decoy documents. This suggests that the primary targets of this campaign are likely based in Russia or speak Russian.

    About the attackers

    Librarian Ghouls APT exhibits traits commonly associated with hacktivist groups, such as the use of self-extracting archives and a reliance on legitimate, third-party utilities rather than custom-built malware binary modules.

    Since the beginning of the current campaign in December 2024, we have seen frequent updates to the implants, which vary in configuration files and the bundled sets of legitimate utilities. At the time of publishing this, our data encompassed over 100 malicious files connected to this campaign.

    Takeaways

    At the time of this report’s release, the Librarian Ghouls APT campaign described in it is still active, as evidenced by attacks we observed in May 2025. Consistent with previous activity, the attackers leverage third-party legitimate utilities rather than developing custom tools. All of the malicious functionality still relies on installer, command, and PowerShell scripts. We observe that the attackers are continuously refining their tactics, encompassing not only data exfiltration but also the deployment of remote access tools and the use of phishing sites for email account compromise. We constantly monitor this threat actor and will continue to share up-to-date information about its activity.

    Indicators of compromise

    * Additional indicators of compromise and a YARA rule for detecting Librarian Ghouls activity are available to customers of our APT Intelligence Reporting service. Contact intelreports@kaspersky.com for more details.

    Implants

    d8edd46220059541ff397f74bfd271336dda702c6b1869e8a081c71f595a9e68
    2f3d67740bb7587ff70cc7319e9fe5c517c0e55345bf53e01b3019e415ff098b
    de998bd26ea326e610cc70654499cebfd594cc973438ac421e4c7e1f3b887617
    785a5b92bb8c9dbf52cfda1b28f0ac7db8ead4ec3a37cfd6470605d945ade40e
    c79413ef4088b3a39fe8c7d68d2639cc69f88b10429e59dd0b4177f6b2a92351
    53fd5984c4f6551b2c1059835ea9ca6d0342d886ba7034835db2a1dd3f8f5b04

    Implant configuration files

    f8c80bbecbfb38f252943ee6beec98edc93cd734ec70ccd2565ab1c4db5f072f
    4d590a9640093bbda21597233b400b037278366660ba2c3128795bc85d35be72
    1b409644e86559e56add5a65552785750cd36d60745afde448cce7f6f3f09a06
    7c4a99382dbbd7b5aaa62af0ccff68aecdde2319560bbfdaf76132b0506ab68a
    702bf51811281aad78e6ca767586eba4b4c3a43743f8b8e56bb93bc349cb6090
    311ec9208f5fe3f22733fca1e6388ea9c0327be0836c955d2cf6a22317d4bdca

    Malicious archive attachments

    fd58900ea22b38bad2ef3d1b8b74f5c7023b8ca8a5b69f88cfbfe28b2c585baf
    e6ea6ce923f2eee0cd56a0874e4a0ca467711b889553259a995df686bd35de86
    6954eaed33a9d0cf7e298778ec82d31bfbdf40c813c6ac837352ce676793db74

    Malicious BAT files

    e880a1bb0e7d422b78a54b35b3f53e348ab27425f1c561db120c0411da5c1ce9
    c353a708edfd0f77a486af66e407f7b78583394d7b5f994cd8d2e6e263d25968
    636d4f1e3dcf0332a815ce3f526a02df3c4ef2890a74521d05d6050917596748
    c5eeec72b5e6d0e84ff91dfdcbefbbbf441878780f887febb0caf3cbe882ec72
    8bdb8df5677a11348f5787ece3c7c94824b83ab3f31f40e361e600576909b073
    2af2841bf925ed1875faadcbb0ef316c641e1dcdb61d1fbf80c3443c2fc9454f

    Decoy documents

    cab1c4c675f1d996b659bab1ddb38af365190e450dec3d195461e4e4ccf1c286
    dfac7cd8d041a53405cc37a44f100f6f862ed2d930e251f4bf22f10235db4bb3
    977054802de7b583a38e0524feefa7356c47c53dd49de8c3d533e7689095f9ac
    65f7c3e16598a8cb279b86eaeda32cb7a685801ed07d36c66ff83742d41cd415
    a6ff418f0db461536cff41e9c7e5dba3ee3b405541519820db8a52b6d818a01e
    6c86608893463968bfda0969aa1e6401411c0882662f3e70c1ac195ee7bd1510

    Malicious PS1 scripts

    8b6afbf73a9b98eec01d8510815a044cd036743b64fef955385cbca80ae94f15
    7d6b598eaf19ea8a571b4bd79fd6ff7928388b565d7814b809d2f7fdedc23a0a
    01793e6f0d5241b33f07a3f9ad34e40e056a514c5d23e14dc491cee60076dc5a

    Miner installer (install.exe)
    649ee35ad29945e8dd6511192483dddfdfe516a1312de5e0bd17fdd0a258c27f

    Miner controller (bmcontrol.exe)
    9cce3eaae0be9b196017cb6daf49dd56146016f936b66527320f754f179c615f

    Miner launcher (run.exe)
    d7bcab5acc8428026e1afd694fb179c5cbb74c5be651cd74e996c2914fb2b839

    Legitimate software

    AnyDesk
    Blat
    curl
    Defender Control
    Customized RAR 3.80
    AnyDesk
    Mipko Personal Monitor
    ngrok
    NirCmd
    4t Tray Minimizer
    WebBrowserPassView

    Librarian Ghouls malicious domains

    vniir[.]space
    vniir[.]nl
    hostingforme[.]nl
    mail-cheker[.]nl
    unifikator[.]ru
    outinfo[.]ru
    anyhostings[.]ru
    center-mail[.]ru
    redaction-voenmeh[.]info
    acountservices[.]nl
    accouts-verification[.]ru
    office-email[.]ru
    email-office[.]ru
    email-informer[.]ru
    office-account[.]ru
    deauthorization[.]online
    anyinfos[.]ru
    verifikations[.]ru
    claud-mail[.]ru
    users-mail[.]ru
    detectis[.]ru
    supersuit[.]site
    downdown[.]ru
    dragonfires[.]ru
    bmapps[.]org

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: New handhelds combine the power of Xbox with the freedom of Windows 11

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: New handhelds combine the power of Xbox with the freedom of Windows 11

    Together, we’ve combined our strengths and technical expertise to introduce something entirely new: the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X. These handhelds are built to make it easier than ever to access your favorite games—from Xbox, Battle.net, and other leading PC storefronts—all from a single device.

    This holiday, with ASUS, players can discover another way to play as we combine the power of Xbox with the freedom you expect from Windows. And this is only the beginning.

    Meet the ROG Xbox Ally and ROG Xbox Ally X

    • ROG Xbox Ally: The essential handheld at a great value for everyone from the casual player to the avid enthusiast.
    • ROG Xbox Ally X: The ultimate high-performance handheld, built for the most demanding players.

    Both handhelds allow players to play natively, via the cloud, or remotely with their Xbox console in another room.

    Next-Level Features Designed for Play Anywhere

    With the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, players can look forward to an approachable gaming experience that travels with you wherever you go, featuring several new and first-of-their kind features on both devices—from an immersive Xbox full screen experience, an aggregated gaming library with access to installed games from leading PC storefronts, and more.

    We’ve optimized Windows 11 to be easy to use on the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X from the moment you power on. Game Bar makes it easy to return home, browse your library, launch or quit games, chat with friends, open apps, adjust settings, and more. Now, with the integration of ASUS’s innovative Armoury Crate, Game Bar also gives you streamlined access to advanced device and input controls. Details like the lock screen and task switcher have also been adjusted for easy navigation with a controller.

    Because these handhelds run Windows, you have access to games you can’t get elsewhere, so you can enjoy the full freedom and versatility of PC gaming—download games from your favorite storefront, run apps like Discord, watch your favorite streamers on Twitch, and play with your favorite mods—all straight from the Xbox experience. The choice is yours.

    Introducing the Xbox Experience for Handheld

    When you power on your Xbox Ally, you’ll boot directly into the Xbox full screen experience, a new feature optimized specifically for handheld gaming. With new modifications that minimize background activity and defer non-essential tasks, more system resources are dedicated specifically to gameplay. That means more memory, higher framerates, and a fully immersive experience for players—all made possible by the versatility and freedom of Windows.

    The Xbox Ally has more familiar Xbox touches, including:

    • Xbox button: With a dedicated Xbox button, players have access to chat, apps, and settings through an enhanced Game Bar overlay, allowing you to quickly switch between running apps and games.
    • Contoured grips: Created with player comfort in mind, and using the same design principles as Xbox Wireless Controllers, the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X feature contoured handgrips to accommodate a wider range of hand sizes.
    • Accessibility features: Game Bar and the Xbox app have also been optimized for handheld use, bringing along familiar accessibility features from Xbox consoles and Windows PCs, with much more to come in future.

    Easy Access to Games from Xbox, Leading PC Storefronts, and More

    Locating and accessing games across multiple channels can be a challenge —navigating through various browsers, storefronts, and login credentials can sometimes make gaming feel anything but fun. But with the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, getting into the fun is easier and faster than ever.

    Within the Xbox full screen experience, players will see their aggregated gaming library, giving them quick access to games from Xbox, Game Pass, Battle.net, and other leading PC storefronts. With this new feature, your Xbox library, hundreds of Game Pass titles (membership required), and all your installed games from other PC game stores are always at your fingertips.

    We’re also making handheld gaming more seamless through our investment in Xbox Play Anywhere. With support for over 1,000 games, a single purchase means you can play with Xbox, including your progress and achievements, across Xbox console, PC and Xbox Ally—at no additional cost. And when you power on your Xbox Ally or Xbox Ally X, your favorite games are already there, ready to play. Whether you’ve been gaming on Xbox console, Xbox on PC, or in the cloud, everything syncs effortlessly. With Xbox Cloud Gaming (Beta) or Remote Play, you can access your full Xbox console library and keep playing—wherever you are.

    And yes…there’s still even more to come:

    • We’re excited to partner with Roblox for the launch of Xbox Ally. For the first time ever, Roblox will be playable natively and optimized for gaming handhelds, enabling players to play with millions of people and discover a variety of immersive games on day one.
    • We are working closely with our game developer partners on a brand-new program designed to help players easily identify which games have been optimized for handhelds, including the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X. We will share more details soon. 
    • Players who purchase an Xbox Ally or Xbox Ally X and are new to Game Pass will also be able to get started at no additional cost, accessing hundreds of games like Balatro, Gears Tactics, Vampire Survivors and more, straight from your device.
    • Players on either device will be able to tap into Gaming Copilot via Game Bar, a personalized gaming companion that helps you get to your favorite games faster, improve your skills, and connect you with your friends and communities.

    Two Great Choices & A First Look at Specs

    The Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X are perfect for players looking to take an approachable gaming experience with you during travels— whether it’s between airports, or between the comfiest chairs in the living room.

    Both handhelds run on AMD processors that deliver premium gaming performance, immersive visuals, and more.

    The Xbox Ally offers great value for anyone looking to take their favorite games wherever they want to play, whether it’s Clair Obscur: Expedition 33, Gears of War: Reloaded, Lies of P, South of Midnight, or many more. It’s powered by the AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor—balancing performance and power consumption to maximize battery life without sacrificing gameplay quality—16GB of RAM and 512GB of SSD storage.

    The Xbox Ally X offers more for players looking to get the best level of performance and visual settings from their favorite games on a handheld. It features the AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme processor—allowing us to power the latest AI features as they are introduced— double the storage to have more native games at your fingertips, and 24GB of high-speed RAM that more demanding games crave. The Xbox Ally X also features impulse triggers for more immersive play.

    Here’s how the specs compare between the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X:

        ROG Xbox Ally   ROG Xbox Ally X  
    Operating System   Windows 11 Home   Windows 11 Home  
     Comfort & input    Contoured grips inspired by Xbox Wireless Controllers deliver all-day comfort. ABXY buttons / D-pad / L & R Hall Effect analog triggers / L & R bumpers / Xbox button / View button / Menu button / Command Center button / Library button / 2x assignable back buttons / 2x full-size analog sticks / HD haptics / 6-Axis IMU   Contoured grips inspired by Xbox Wireless Controllers deliver all-day comfort, complete with impulse triggers for enhanced control.  ABXY buttons / D-pad / L & R impulse triggers / L & R bumpers / Xbox button / View button / Menu button / Command Center button / Library button / 2x assignable back buttons / 2x full-size analog sticks / HD haptics / 6-Axis IMU  
    Processor   AMD Ryzen Z2 A Processor   AMD Ryzen AI Z2 Extreme Processor  
    Memory   16GB LPDDR5X-6400   24GB LPDDR5X-8000  
    Storage   512GB M.2 2280 SSD for easier upgrade   1TB M.2 2280 SSD for easier upgrade  
    Display   7” FHD (1080p) IPS, 500 nits, 16:9  
    120Hz refresh rate  
    FreeSync Premium  
    Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection     		 7” FHD (1080p) IPS, 500 nits, 16:9  
    120Hz refresh rate  
    FreeSync Premium  
    Corning Gorilla Glass Victus + DXC Anti-Reflection 
    I/O Ports   2x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort 1.4 / Power Delivery 3.0   1x USB4 Type-C with DisplayPort 2.1 / Power Delivery 3.0, Thunderbolt 4 compatible  
    1x UHS-II microSD card reader (supports SD, SDXC and SDHC)   1x USB 3.2 Gen 2 Type-C with DisplayPort 2.1 / Power Delivery 3.0  
    1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack   1x UHS-II microSD card reader (supports SD, SDXC and SDHC; UHS-I with DDR200 mode)  
        1x 3.5mm Combo Audio Jack  
    Network and Communication   Wi-Fi 6E (2 x 2) + Bluetooth 5.4   Wi-Fi 6E (2 x 2) + Bluetooth 5.4  
    Dimensions   290.8*121.5*50.7mm   290.8*121.5*50.7mm  
    670g   715g  
    Battery   60Wh   80Wh  
    Included   ROG Xbox Ally  65W charger  Stand   ROG Xbox Ally X  65W charger  Stand  

    Pre-orders, Pricing, Accessories and More – Coming Soon

    At launch this holiday, the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X will be available in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Korea, Mexico, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States, with availability to follow for other markets where ROG Ally series products are sold today.

    But that’s not the only thing to look forward to. In the coming months, we’ll share even more details about the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X, including pricing, compatible accessories, and pre-orders. Interested in pre-ordering? Please sign up here to be notified when pre-orders go live.

    We can’t wait to share more about the Xbox Ally and Xbox Ally X. Thank you for joining us on this journey as we continue to fulfil our vision of delivering a consistent, approachable gaming experience anywhere—and meeting more players where you want to be.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: The future of data: Microsoft Fabric Community Conference coming to Atlanta March 16-20

    Source: Microsoft

    Headline: The future of data: Microsoft Fabric Community Conference coming to Atlanta March 16-20

    The Microsoft Fabric Community Conference is back for its third year—and we’re bringing everything and everybody you’ve loved at past events with us to Atlanta, Georgia. After unforgettable experiences at FabCon in Las Vegas and Stockholm, the Fabric community proved just how powerful it can be when we come together. With more than 13,000 attendees across our last three conferences, it’s clear: the Microsoft Fabric community is here to drive the future of data!   

    And yes, we’re pleased to announce; it’s happening again! Mark your calendars for #FabCon Atlanta from March 16-20, 2026, at the Georgia World Congress Center in Atlanta. Join us for the ultimate Microsoft Fabric, Power BI, SQL, Real-Time Intelligence, AI, and Databases community-led event. The third annual FabCon Americas will feature two full days of workshops ahead of sessions from your favorite Microsoft and community speakers, keynotes in the State Farm Arena, more opportunities to Ask the Experts for 1:1 support, an engaging community lounge with opportunities to network and connect with your peers, a dedicated partner pre-day, a packed expo hall, Power Hour, the second annual Data Viz World Championship, and a can’t-miss attendee party at the Georgia Aquarium.   

    FabCon features expert-led content by Microsoft MVPs, the Microsoft product team, partners, and the community itself. Whether you’re here to dive into the latest in Fabric, sharpen your skills, or build connections with data pros from around the world, FabCon 2026 has something for everyone.  

    • Don’t miss out—Register here and use code MSCATL for a $200 discount on top of current Super Early Bird pricing!   

    We can’t wait to take Atlanta by storm to celebrate all things Microsoft Fabric—where learning, innovation, and community collide!  

    What are some of the best things about FabCon coming to Atlanta? 

    • The GWCC will easily hold the 7,500 anticipated attendees. 
    • Flights into Atlanta are frequent, affordable, accessible, and often nonstop from almost anywhere in the world. 
    • Easy access to the GWCC and downtown from the airport via Ride Share or mass transit.   
    • Hotel availability to meet our needs within a five-block radius.   
    • Restaurants are plentiful and meals are more affordable than in many other cities. 
    • For the keynote, the conference center is adjacent to the State Farm Arena, the home of the Atlanta Hawks.  
    • The Georgia Aquarium will be an amazing location for the attendee party. They’ve got whale sharks!  

    Save your spot! 

    P.S. Want to experience the FabCon magic before next spring? Join us in September at FabCon Vienna. 

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Authority contributing to global fintech event

    Source: Isle of Man

    The Head of Innovation Strategy at the Isle of Man Financial Services Authority is taking part in an international conference focusing on fintech innovation and emerging technologies.

    Ros Lynch has been invited to contribute to a panel discussion at the Global Government Fintech Lab 2025 in Dublin on Wednesday 11 June. The flagship event brings together professionals from more than 20 countries to share expertise and experience about how financial authorities are using technology to improve their operations and delivery.

    Ros is appearing alongside panellists from Latvia, Portugal and Ireland to discuss how regulators and supervisors are seeking to foster financial innovation to achieve better outcomes for stakeholders.

    Participating in the one-day conference supports the Authority’s international engagement and its commitment to embracing innovation within an appropriately regulated environment.

    Ros said: ‘This is an excellent opportunity to tap into the expertise of fintech professionals from around the world. The Authority continues to work collaboratively with industry, government and international partners to promote the Isle of Man as a good place to locate and grow tech-focused businesses.’

    She added: ‘We place a strong focus on data and technology to support our risk-based approach to supervising the Island’s finance sector. The panel discussion will provide an opportunity for me to showcase how a smaller jurisdiction such as ours can harness the power of fintech innovation to enhance regulatory efficiency and responsiveness.’

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Secretary-General of ASEAN meets with the ASEAN Committee in Oslo

    Source: ASEAN – Association of SouthEast Asian Nations

    Secretary-General of ASEAN, Dr. Kao Kim Hourn, started off his working visit to Norway with the meeting with the ASEAN Committee in Oslo (ACO), on 9 June 2025. During the meeting, Dr. Kao thanked the Committee for its active role and contribution in promoting the profile and visibility of ASEAN in Norway, and in enhancing ASEAN-Norway relations. Dr. Kao also shared thoughts on ways to further strengthen the ASEAN-Norway Sectoral Dialogue Partnership and briefed the Committee on the latest developments in ASEAN. The Meeting was followed by a dinner reception with the ACO and other key stakeholders, including Norway-ASEAN Business Association, where Dr. Kao delivered remarks reaffirming ASEAN’s unwavering commitment to deepening its partnership with Norway in the years to come.
     
    Download the full remarks here.

    The post Secretary-General of ASEAN meets with the ASEAN Committee in Oslo appeared first on ASEAN Main Portal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Apple supercharges its tools and technologies for developers

    Source: Apple

    Headline: Apple supercharges its tools and technologies for developers

    June 9, 2025

    PRESS RELEASE

    Apple supercharges its tools and technologies for developers to foster creativity, innovation, and design

    Access to the on-device Apple Intelligence model, large language model integration in Xcode, and an elegant new software design across Apple platforms give developers everything they need to build beautiful modern apps with speed and confidence

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced new technologies and enhancements to its developer tools to help developers create more beautiful, intelligent, and engaging app experiences across Apple platforms. A beautiful new software design brings more focus to content, and delivers more expressive and delightful experiences across iOS 26, iPadOS 26, macOS Tahoe 26, watchOS 26, and tvOS 26,1 while keeping them all instantly familiar. The Foundation Models framework joins a suite of tools that allow developers to tap into on-device intelligence, and Xcode 26 leverages large language models like ChatGPT, giving them access to Xcode’s Coding Tools and other intelligent features.

    These new resources join the extensive and continuously evolving set of technologies Apple offers developers, including over 250,000 APIs that enable developers to integrate their apps with Apple’s hardware and software features. These APIs span a wide range of capabilities, such as machine learning, augmented reality, health and fitness, spatial computing, and high-performance graphics. With each platform release, Apple expands and refines its technologies and tools to assist developers in bringing their ideas to life and delivering rich, responsive, and optimized experiences across Apple platforms.

    “Developers play a vital role in shaping the experiences customers love across Apple platforms,” said Susan Prescott, Apple’s vice president of Worldwide Developer Relations. “With access to the on-device Apple Intelligence foundation model and new intelligence features in Xcode 26, we’re empowering developers to build richer, more intuitive apps for users everywhere.”

    New Design with Liquid Glass

    The elegant new design gives developers the opportunity to make their apps more expressive and delightful, while being instantly familiar. It’s crafted with a new software-based material called Liquid Glass, which combines the optical qualities of glass with a sense of fluidity. This gorgeous new material extends from the smallest elements users interact with every day — like buttons, switches, sliders, text, and media controls — to larger elements, including tab bars and sidebars for navigating apps.

    Native frameworks like SwiftUI give developers everything they need to adopt the new design in their apps. The universal design allows developers to bring greater focus to their users’ content, establishing a consistent experience when developing across Apple’s platforms.

    With the all-new Icon Composer app, developers and designers are empowered to create visually captivating app icons that enhance their app’s identity. This powerful tool helps create a consistent visual identity for app icons by annotating layers for multiple rendering modes, with advanced features that include blurring, adjusting translucency, testing specular highlights, and previewing icons in various tints.

    Foundation Models Framework

    With the Foundation Models framework, developers will be able to build on Apple Intelligence to bring users new experiences that are intelligent, available when they’re offline, and that protect their privacy, using AI inference that is free of cost.

    The framework has native support for Swift, so developers can easily access the Apple Intelligence model with as few as three lines of code. Guided generation, tool calling, and more are all built into the framework, making it easier than ever to implement generative capabilities right into an existing app. For example, Automattic is using the framework in its Day One journaling app to bring users privacy-centric intelligence features.

    “The Foundation Model framework has helped us rethink what’s possible with journaling,” said Paul Mayne, head of Day One at Automattic. “Now we can bring intelligence and privacy together in ways that deeply respect our users.”

    Xcode 26

    Xcode 26 is packed with intelligence features and experiences to help developers make their ideas a reality.

    Developers can connect large language models directly into their coding experience to write code, tests, and documentation; iterate on a design; fix errors; and more. Xcode has built-in support for ChatGPT, and developers can use API keys from other providers, or run local models on their Mac with Apple silicon, to choose the model that best suits their needs. Developers can start using ChatGPT in Xcode without needing to create an account, and subscribers can connect their accounts to access more requests.2

    Coding Tools help developers stay in the flow and be more productive in their tasks. Accessible from anywhere in a developer’s code, Coding Tools provide suggested actions like generating a preview or a playground, or fixing an issue, and can also handle specific prompts for other tasks right inline.

    Xcode 26 comes with additional features to keep developers focused and productive, like a redesigned navigation experience, improvements to the localization catalog, and improved support for Voice Control to dictate Swift code and navigate the Xcode interface entirely by voice.

    App Intents

    App Intents lets developers deeply integrate their app’s actions and content with system experiences across platforms, including Siri, Spotlight, widgets, controls, and more.

    This year, App Intents gains support for visual intelligence. This enables apps to provide visual search results within the visual intelligence experience, allowing users to go directly into the app from those results. For instance, Etsy is leveraging visual intelligence to enhance the user experience in its iOS app by facilitating faster and more intuitive discovery of goods and products.

    “At Etsy, our job is to seamlessly connect shoppers with creative entrepreneurs around the world who offer extraordinary items — many of which are hard to describe. The ability to meet shoppers right on their iPhone with visual intelligence is a meaningful unlock, and makes it easier than ever for buyers to quickly discover exactly what they’re looking for while directly supporting small businesses,” said Etsy CTO Rafe Colburn.

    Swift 6.2

    Swift 6.2 introduces powerful features to enhance performance, concurrency, and interoperability with other languages like C++, Java, and JavaScript. And now, in collaboration with the open-source community, Swift 6.2 gains support for WebAssembly.

    Building upon Swift 6’s strict concurrency checking, Swift 6.2 simplifies writing single-threaded code. Developers can now configure modules or individual files to run on the main actor by default, eliminating the need for additional annotations.

    Containerization Framework

    The Containerization framework enables developers to create, download, or run Linux container images directly on Mac. It’s built on an open-source framework optimized for Apple silicon and provides secure isolation between container images.

    Tools and Resources for Games

    Game Porting Toolkit 3 provides developers with updated tools for evaluating and profiling their game. Developers can now customize the Metal Performance HUD, and get onscreen insights and guidance for optimizing graphics code for the best possible performance in the evaluation environment. And developers can use Mac Remote Developer Tools for Windows to build Mac games on a remote Mac in their existing development workflows.

    Metal 4 is designed exclusively for Apple silicon, and sets the stage for the next generation of games on Apple platforms with support for advanced graphics and machine learning technologies.

    Developers can now run inference networks directly in their shaders to compute lighting, materials, and geometry, enabling highly realistic visual effects for their games. MetalFX Frame Interpolation generates an intermediate frame for every two input frames to achieve higher and more stable frame rates, and MetalFX Denoising makes real-time ray tracing and path tracing possible in the most advanced games.

    The Apple Games app gives players a new all-in-one destination for all of their games and the friends they play them with on iPhone, iPad, and Mac. It also introduces a new dedicated app for developers to reengage their existing players and attract new ones.

    Challenges give players a new way to compete with friends in score-based showdowns, turning single-player games into shared experiences. Developers that have Game Center leaderboards for their games can easily add challenges, offering players even more ways to rally a group, crown a winner, and have a rematch.

    Game Overlay enhances in-game engagement by integrating Game Center features directly into gameplay. Players can access their next achievement and recent scores, and see which friends are currently playing, making it easy to start a chat — all without leaving the game. Players can also adjust settings and view the latest In-App Events, keeping them connected and in control without breaking immersion.

    Managed Background Assets simplifies asset hosting for developers, giving them control over how their app or game downloads assets. Developers can self-host or opt for Apple-Hosted Background Assets, where Apple handles hosting. Every Apple Developer Program membership includes 200GB of Apple hosting capacity for the App Store. Apple-Hosted Background Assets can be submitted separately from an app build.

    Tools to Help Protect Kids Online

    To ensure kids have enjoyable, enriching, and appropriate in-app experiences, developers can utilize a range of tools — including parental controls and the Sensitive Content Analysis framework — to enhance child safety and ensure privacy. Building on these existing tools, developers can use the new Declared Age Range API to deliver age-appropriate content based on a user’s age range. When developers implement this API, parents can allow their children to share their age range without disclosing a birthdate or other sensitive information, enabling developers to tailor experiences accordingly. The feature is built around privacy: Age range data is shared only if parents choose to allow it, and they can disable sharing at any time.

    New App Store Accessibility and App Store Connect Features

    New Accessibility Nutrition Labels for App Store product pages help users learn which accessibility features are supported before they download an app or game.

    Developers can now share information in App Store Connect about their app or game’s support, such as whether it includes VoiceOver, Voice Control, Larger Text, Captions, and more. An Accessibility Nutrition Label will appear on their app’s product page, specific to each platform it supports. Developers can also add a URL on their app’s App Store product page that links users to a website with more details.

    The App Store Connect app on iOS and iPadOS has been updated to let developers view TestFlight screenshots and crash feedback, in addition to receiving push notifications when beta testers provide feedback. The App Store Connect API supports these enhancements, and introduces the ability for developers to create webhooks to get real-time updates, and support for Apple-Hosted Background Assets and Game Center configuration.

    Availability

    Today’s updates join the ever-expanding collection of intelligent and powerful tools and technologies Apple provides to developers. The Apple Intelligence features detailed require supported devices, which include all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad and Mac models with M1 and later that have Apple Intelligence enabled and Siri and device language set to the same supported language: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, or Chinese (simplified). More languages will be coming by the end of this year: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (traditional), and Vietnamese. For more information, visit apple.com/apple-intelligence. Features are subject to change. Some features may not be available in all languages or regions, and availability may vary due to local laws and regulations. For more information about availability, visit apple.com.

    All of these features are available for testing starting today through the Apple Developer Program at developer.apple.com, and a public beta will be available through the Apple Beta Software Program next month at beta.apple.com.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Available on Apple TV 4K (2nd generation and later).
    2. ChatGPT’s data-use policies apply. For more information, see openai.com/policies/usage-policies.

    Press Contacts

    Adam Dema

    Apple

    AdamDema@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: iPadOS 26 introduces powerful new features that push iPad even further

    Source: Apple

    Headline: iPadOS 26 introduces powerful new features that push iPad even further

    June 9, 2025

    PRESS RELEASE

    iPadOS 26 introduces powerful new features that push the capabilities and versatility of iPad even further

    iPadOS 26 brings a new design; an entirely new powerful and intuitive windowing system; new features powered by Apple Intelligence; major enhancements to working with files, audio, and video; and more

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today previewed iPadOS 26, the biggest iPadOS release ever, taking a huge leap forward and pushing the unique capabilities and versatility of iPad even further. A beautiful design brings a new look to iPad, making the experience even more expressive and delightful. While maintaining the simplicity of iPad, iPadOS 26 introduces an entirely new powerful and intuitive windowing system with new features that help users control, organize, and switch between apps. Apple Intelligence becomes even more capable and integrated across iPadOS 26, with new features that help users communicate, express themselves, and get things done, including Live Translation, new ways to create with Genmoji and Image Playground,1 and intelligent actions with Shortcuts. The supercharged Files app offers new ways to organize files and customize folders. And with Folders in the dock, users can conveniently access downloads, documents, and more from anywhere. The Preview app comes to iPad, giving users a dedicated app to view and edit PDFs, with powerful features like Apple Pencil Markup and AutoFill built in. And with Background Tasks, audio input selection, and Local capture, iPadOS 26 unlocks new capabilities for creative pros working with audio and video.

    “iPadOS 26 is our biggest iPadOS release ever, with powerful features that take the experience to the next level and transform what users can do on iPad,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “With a beautiful new design, an entirely new powerful and intuitive windowing system, even more features powered by Apple Intelligence, huge improvements to working with files, and new capabilities for creatives to power their workflows, iPadOS 26 makes our most versatile device even more capable.”

    A Beautiful New Design

    The beautiful new design brings more expressive and delightful experiences to iPad users, while maintaining the familiarity of iPadOS. It’s crafted with Liquid Glass — a translucent new material that reflects and refracts its surroundings, while reacting to user input and dynamically transforming to bring greater focus to the content they care about most. It enables a new level of vitality across experiences like the Lock Screen and Control Center, and gives users new ways to personalize their Home Screen with updated app icons that come to life in light or dark appearances, colorful new light and dark tints, as well as an elegant new clear look. And updated controls and navigation extend to apps including Mail, Safari, Apple TV, Apple Music, and more.

    An Entirely New Powerful and Intuitive Windowing System

    iPadOS 26 introduces powerful new features that help users work with, control, organize, and switch between app windows — all while maintaining the immediacy and simplicity that iPad users expect. The new windowing system lets users fluidly resize app windows, place them exactly where they want, and open even more windows at once.

    Familiar window controls allow users to seamlessly close, minimize, resize, or tile their windows. Window tiling is designed for the unique capabilities of iPad, and enables users to arrange their windows with a simple flick. If a user previously resized an app, it opens back in the exact same size and position when they open it again. With Exposé, users can quickly see all their open windows spread out, helping them easily switch to the one they need. The new windowing system works great with Stage Manager for those who want to group their windows into distinct stages, and with an external display for those who want even more space to work across their apps.2

    With a new menu bar, users can access the commands available in an app with a simple swipe down from the top of the display, or by moving their cursor to the top. Users can quickly find a specific feature or related tips in an app by using search in the menu bar. Additionally, developers can now customize the menu bar in their own apps.

    New Features Powered by Apple Intelligence

    Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that delivers helpful and relevant intelligence while taking an extraordinary step forward for privacy in AI, becomes even more capable and even more integrated across iPadOS 26. Live Translation in Phone, FaceTime, and Messages enables iPad users to communicate seamlessly across languages. In Messages, incoming texts — including group messages — are automatically translated into the user’s preferred language.3 On FaceTime, a user can follow along with translated live captions while still hearing the speaker’s voice. And when on a phone call, the translation is spoken aloud throughout the conversation.4

    iPadOS 26 brings users new ways to create Genmoji, giving them the ability to start with existing emoji and descriptions, modify personal attributes like hair length or accessories, and select expressions. Users will also have more control of personal attributes and expressions in Image Playground, and can tap into brand-new styles with ChatGPT, like an oil painting style for a friend’s Contact Poster. For moments when users have a specific idea in mind, they can tap Any Style and describe exactly what they want. And Image Playground can now send a user’s description or photo to ChatGPT and create a unique image.

    Shortcuts features new intelligent actions that allow users to create shortcuts that are more powerful than ever, including summarizing text with Writing Tools and creating images with Image Playground. Users can also tap directly into Apple Intelligence models to provide responses that feed into the rest of their shortcuts. For example, a student can build a shortcut that uses Apple Intelligence models to compare an audio transcription of a class lecture to the notes they took, and add any key points they may have missed.

    Powerful New Ways to Work with Files

    iPadOS 26 introduces powerful new ways to manage, access, and edit files. An enhanced Files app with an updated List view allows users to see more of their document details in resizable columns and collapsible folders. To make folders easier to identify at a glance, Files also offers folder customization options that include custom colors, icons, and emoji that sync across devices. For quicker access, users can now drag any folder from the Files app right into the Dock. Additionally, users can set a default app for opening specific files or file types.

    The Preview App Comes to iPad

    Preview comes to iPad, giving users a dedicated app for creating a quick sketch, as well as viewing, editing, and marking up PDFs and images with Apple Pencil or by touch. Users can access all of their PDFs and images in the Files app right from Preview, create an empty page, use Apple Pencil to draw and write on it, and use AutoFill to quickly fill out PDF forms.

    New Ways to Work with Apps

    Taking advantage of the incredible power of Apple silicon, iPadOS 26 unlocks the ability to perform computationally intensive Background Tasks. When users start a long-running process in an app, Background Tasks will show up with Live Activities, giving users complete control and a clear sense of what is running. And developers can use an updated Background Tasks API that allows users to perform long-running tasks from their apps, too.

    iPadOS 26 also brings new audio features that offer more flexible input and streamlined recording. Users now have better control over their audio input, with the ability to choose different microphones for each app, as well as individual websites. Recorded audio will be made even better with the availability of Voice Isolation, which blocks ambient noise, and allows clear and crisp recordings. And with AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), and AirPods Pro 2, studio-quality audio recording allows users to record their content with great sound quality and enjoy clear calls.

    With Local capture, users can produce high-quality recordings right from iPad with any video conferencing app, and easily share audio and video files once the call is over. Echo cancellation of other participants’ audio keeps the user’s voice front and center, allowing for a clear recording of their side of the call.

    New Apps, Plus More Ways to Communicate

    With iPadOS 26, Journal comes to iPad, making it easy for users to capture and write about the details of everyday moments or special events. Using Apple Pencil or touch, users can incorporate drawings and handwriting, along with photos, videos, audio recordings, places, their state of mind, and more. Users can keep multiple journals for various aspects of life, and now have access to a beautiful map view that organizes entries by location.

    The all-new Apple Games app brings users a new home for gaming, and iPadOS 26 introduces Game Overlay, which allows users to quickly see new events and updates, adjust settings, call or invite a friend mid-game, and more.

    The Messages app brings conversation Backgrounds, which lets a user personalize their chats with stunning designs and create unique backgrounds that fit their conversation with Image Playground. Messages also brings Polls and a redesigned details view that helps users easily navigate what has been shared in a conversation, and supercharges group chats with typing indicators, as well as the ability to request and receive Apple Cash.5 Additionally, the Phone app comes to iPad, and includes updates like Hold Assist6 and Call Screening.7

    Additional iPadOS 26 updates:

    • Available in the tool palette, the new reed pen uses stroke-angle presets to enable a traditional calligraphy experience with Apple Pencil or touch in apps like Notes, Preview, Freeform, and Journal; when using Markup; and in third-party apps using the PencilKit API.
    • Calculator introduces new 3D graphing capabilities in Math Notes, allowing users to write an equation with three variables and create a graph in three dimensions.
    • Notes adds the ability to import and export a note into a markdown file, along with support for capturing conversations in the Phone app as audio recordings with transcriptions.
    • Accessibility features include Accessibility Reader, a new systemwide reading mode designed to make text easier to read for users who are blind, have low vision, or have other disabilities affecting reading; an all-new Braille Access experience that offers a user-friendly interface for users with a connected braille display; Share Accessibility Settings to temporarily use accessibility settings on another person’s device; and more.

    Availability

    All of these features are available for testing starting today through the Apple Developer Program at developer.apple.com, and a public beta will be available through the Apple Beta Software Program next month at beta.apple.com. New software features will be available this fall as a free software update for iPad Pro (M4), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (3rd generation and later), iPad Pro 11-inch (1st generation and later), iPad Air (M2 and later), iPad Air (3rd generation and later), iPad (A16), iPad (8th generation and later), iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad mini (5th generation and later). The Apple Intelligence features detailed require supported devices, which include all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad and Mac models with M1 and later that have Apple Intelligence enabled and Siri and device language set to the same supported language: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, or Chinese (simplified). More languages will be coming by the end of this year: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (traditional), and Vietnamese. For more information, visit apple.com/os/ipados and apple.com/apple-intelligence. Features are subject to change. Some features may not be available in all languages or regions, and availability may vary due to local laws and regulations. For more information about availability, visit apple.com.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Genmoji and Image Playground are available in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, and Japanese.
    2. Full external display support is available with iPad Air (5th generation), iPad Air (M2 and later), iPad Pro 11-inch (3rd generation and later), iPad Pro 12.9-inch (5th generation and later), and iPad Pro (M4).
    3. Live Translation in Messages supports English (U.S., UK), French (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Spain), and Chinese (simplified).
    4. Live Translation in Phone and FaceTime is available for one-on-one calls in English (U.S., UK), French (France), German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain).
    5. Apple Cash services are provided by Green Dot Bank, Member FDIC. Apple Payments Services LLC, a subsidiary of Apple Inc., is a service provider of Green Dot Bank for Apple Cash accounts. Neither Apple Inc. nor Apple Payments Services LLC is a bank. Learn more about the terms and conditions. Only available in the U.S. on eligible devices.
    6. Hold Assist supports English (U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK), French (France), Spanish (U.S., Mexico, Spain), German (Germany), Portuguese (Brazil), Japanese (Japan), and Mandarin Chinese (mainland China).
    7. Call Screening supports Cantonese (China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao), English (U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Africa, UK), French (Canada, France), German (Germany), Japanese (Japan), Korean (Korea), Mandarin Chinese (China mainland, Taiwan, Macao), Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (U.S., Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain).

    Press Contacts

    Tara Courtney

    Apple

    tcourtney@apple.com

    Skylar Eisenhart

    Apple

    s_eisenhart@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Apple Intelligence gets even more powerful with new capabilities across Apple devices

    Source: Apple

    Headline: Apple Intelligence gets even more powerful with new capabilities across Apple devices

    June 9, 2025

    PRESS RELEASE

    Apple Intelligence gets even more powerful with new capabilities across Apple devices

    Developers can now access the Apple Intelligence on-device foundation model to power private, intelligent experiences within their apps

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today announced new Apple Intelligence features that elevate the user experience across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple Intelligence unlocks new ways for users to communicate with features like Live Translation; do more with what’s on their screen with updates to visual intelligence; and express themselves with enhancements to Image Playground and Genmoji.1 Additionally, Shortcuts can now tap into Apple Intelligence directly, and developers will be able to access the on-device large language model at the core of Apple Intelligence, giving them direct access to intelligence that is powerful, fast, built with privacy, and available even when users are offline. These Apple Intelligence features are available for testing starting today, and will be available to users with supported devices set to a supported language this fall.

    “Last year, we took the first steps on a journey to bring users intelligence that’s helpful, relevant, easy to use, and right where users need it, all while protecting their privacy. Now, the models that power Apple Intelligence are becoming more capable and efficient, and we’re integrating features in even more places across each of our operating systems,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “We’re also taking the huge step of giving developers direct access to the on-device foundation model powering Apple Intelligence, allowing them to tap into intelligence that is powerful, fast, built with privacy, and available even when users are offline. We think this will ignite a whole new wave of intelligent experiences in the apps users rely on every day. We can’t wait to see what developers create.”

    Apple Intelligence features will be coming to eight more languages by the end of the year: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (traditional), and Vietnamese.

    Live Translation Breaks Down Language Barriers

    For those moments when a language barrier gets in the way, Live Translation can help users communicate across languages when messaging or speaking. The experience is integrated into Messages, FaceTime, and Phone, and enabled by Apple-built models that run entirely on device, so users’ personal conversations stay personal.

    In Messages, Live Translation can automatically translate messages. If a user is making plans with new friends while traveling abroad, their message can be translated as they type, delivered in the recipient’s preferred language, and when they get a response, each message can be instantly translated.2 On FaceTime calls, a user can follow along with translated live captions while still hearing the speaker’s voice. And when on a phone call, the translation is spoken aloud throughout the conversation.3

    News Ways to Explore Creativity with Updates to Genmoji and Image Playground

    Genmoji and Image Playground provide users with even more ways to express themselves. In addition to turning a text description into a Genmoji, users can now mix together emoji and combine them with descriptions to create something new. When users make images inspired by family and friends using Genmoji and Image Playground, they have the ability to change expressions or adjust personal attributes, like hairstyle, to match their friend’s latest look.

    In Image Playground, users can tap into brand-new styles with ChatGPT, like an oil painting style or vector art. For moments when users have a specific idea in mind, they can tap Any Style and describe what they want. Image Playground sends a user’s description or photo to ChatGPT and creates a unique image. Users are always in control, and nothing is shared with ChatGPT without their permission.

    Visual Intelligence Helps Users Search and Take Action

    Building on Apple Intelligence, visual intelligence extends to a user’s iPhone screen so they can search and take action on anything they’re viewing across their apps.

    Visual intelligence already helps users learn about objects and places around them using their iPhone camera, and it now enables users to do more, faster, with the content on their iPhone screen. Users can ask ChatGPT questions about what they’re looking at on their screen to learn more, as well as search Google, Etsy, or other supported apps to find similar images and products. If there’s an object a user is especially interested in, like a lamp, they can highlight it to search for that specific item or similar objects online.

    Visual intelligence also recognizes when a user is looking at an event and suggests adding it to their calendar.4 Apple Intelligence then extracts the date, time, and location to prepopulate these key details into an event.

    Users can access visual intelligence for what’s on their screen by simply pressing the same buttons used to take a screenshot. Users will have the choice to save or share their screenshot, or explore more with visual intelligence.

    Apple Intelligence Expands to Fitness on Apple Watch

    Workout Buddy is a first-of-its-kind workout experience on Apple Watch with Apple Intelligence that incorporates a user’s workout data and fitness history to generate personalized, motivational insights during their session.5

    To offer meaningful inspiration in real time, Workout Buddy analyzes data from a user’s current workout along with their fitness history, based on data like heart rate, pace, distance, Activity rings, personal fitness milestones, and more. A new text-to-speech model then translates insights into a dynamic generative voice built using voice data from Fitness+ trainers, so it has the right energy, style, and tone for a workout. Workout Buddy processes this data privately and securely with Apple Intelligence.

    Workout Buddy will be available on Apple Watch with Bluetooth headphones, and requires an Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone nearby. It will be available starting in English, across some of the most popular workout types: Outdoor and Indoor Run, Outdoor and Indoor Walk, Outdoor Cycle, HIIT, and Functional and Traditional Strength Training.

    Apple Intelligence On-Device Model Now Available to Developers

    Apple is opening up access for any app to tap directly into the on-device foundation model at the core of Apple Intelligence.

    With the Foundation Models framework, app developers will be able to build on Apple Intelligence to bring users new experiences that are intelligent, available when they’re offline, and that protect their privacy, using AI inference that is free of cost. For example, an education app can use the on-device model to generate a personalized quiz from a user’s notes, without any cloud API costs, or an outdoors app can add natural language search capabilities that work even when the user is offline.

    The framework has native support for Swift, so app developers can easily access the Apple Intelligence model with as few as three lines of code. Guided generation, tool calling, and more are all built into the framework, making it easier than ever to implement generative capabilities right into a developer’s existing app.

    Shortcuts Get More Intelligent

    Shortcuts are now more powerful and intelligent than ever. Users can tap into intelligent actions, a whole new set of shortcuts enabled by Apple Intelligence. Users will see dedicated actions for features like summarizing text with Writing Tools or creating images with Image Playground.

    Now users will be able to tap directly into Apple Intelligence models, either on-device or with Private Cloud Compute, to generate responses that feed into the rest of their shortcut, maintaining the privacy of information used in the shortcut. For example, a student can build a shortcut that uses the Apple Intelligence model to compare an audio transcription of a class lecture to the notes they took, and add any key points they may have missed. Users can also choose to tap into ChatGPT to provide responses that feed into their shortcut.

    Additional New Features

    Apple Intelligence is even more deeply integrated into the apps and experiences that users rely on every day:

    • The most relevant actions in an email, website, note, or other content can now be identified and automatically categorized in Reminders.
    • Apple Wallet can now identify and summarize order tracking details from emails sent from merchants or delivery carriers. This works across all of a user’s orders, giving them the ability to see their full order details, progress notifications, and more, all in one place.
    • Users can create a poll for anything in Messages, and with Apple Intelligence, Messages can detect when a poll might come in handy and suggest one. In addition, Backgrounds in the Messages app lets a user personalize their chats with stunning designs, and they can create unique backgrounds that fit their conversation with Image Playground.

    These features build on a wide range of Apple Intelligence capabilities that are already available to users:

    • Writing Tools can help users rewrite, proofread, and summarize the text they have written. And with Describe Your Change, users can describe a specific change they want to apply to their text, like making a dinner party invite read like a poem.
    • Clean Up in Photos allows users to remove distracting elements while staying true to the moment as they intended to capture it.
    • Visual intelligence builds on Apple Intelligence and helps users learn about objects and places around them instantly.
    • Genmoji allow users to create their own emoji by typing a description. And just like emoji, they can be added inline to messages, or shared as a sticker or reaction in a Tapback.
    • Image Playground gives users a way to create playful images in moments, with concepts like themes, costumes, accessories, and places. And they can add their own text descriptions, and create images in the likeness of a family member or friend using photos from their photo library.
    • Image Wand can transform a rough sketch into a polished image that complements a user’s notes.
    • Mail summaries give users a way to view key details for an email or long thread by simply tapping or clicking Summarize.
    • Smart Reply provides users with suggestions for a quick response in Mail and Messages.
    • Siri is more natural and helpful, with the option to type to Siri and tap into its product knowledge about the features and settings on Apple products; Siri can also follow along if a user stumbles over their words, and maintain context from one request to the next.
    • Access to ChatGPT is integrated in Writing Tools and Siri, giving users the option to tap into ChatGPT’s image- and document-understanding capabilities without needing to jump between tools.
    • Natural language search in Photos makes it easier for users to find a photo or video by simply describing it.
    • Users can create a memory movie in Photos by typing a description.
    • Summaries of audio transcriptions in Notes are automatically generated to surface important information at a glance.
    • Users can generate summaries of call transcriptions to highlight important details.
    • Priority Messages, a section at the top of the inbox in Mail, shows the most urgent emails, like a same-day invitation to lunch or a boarding pass.
    • Priority Notifications appear at the top of a user’s notifications, highlighting important notifications that may require immediate attention.
    • Notification summaries give users a way to scan long or stacked notifications and provide key details right on the Lock Screen.
    • Previews in Mail and Messages show users a brief summary of key information without needing to open a message.
    • The Reduce Interruptions Focus surfaces only the notifications that might need immediate attention.

    A Breakthrough for Privacy in AI

    Designed to protect users’ privacy at every step, Apple Intelligence uses on-device processing, meaning that many of the models that power it run entirely on device. For requests that require access to larger models, Private Cloud Compute extends the privacy and security of iPhone into the cloud to unlock even more intelligence so a user’s data is never stored or shared with Apple; it is used only to fulfill their request. Independent experts can inspect the code that runs on Apple silicon servers to continuously verify this privacy promise, and are already doing so. This is an extraordinary step forward for privacy in AI.

    Availability

    All of these new features are available for testing starting today through the Apple Developer Program at developer.apple.com, and a public beta will be available through the Apple Beta Software Program next month at beta.apple.com. Users who enable Apple Intelligence on supported devices set to a supported language will have access this fall, including all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad and Mac models with M1 and later, with Siri and device language set to the same supported language: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, or Chinese (simplified). More languages will be coming by the end of this year: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (traditional), and Vietnamese. Some features may not be available in all languages or regions, and availability may vary due to local laws and regulations. For more details, visit apple.com/apple-intelligence.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Genmoji and Image Playground are available in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, and Japanese.
    2. Live Translation in Messages supports English (U.S., UK), French (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Spain), and Chinese (simplified).
    3. Live Translation in Phone and FaceTime is available for one-on-one calls in English (U.S., UK), French (France), German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain).
    4. The ability to add an event to Calendar with visual intelligence is available in English on all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
    5. Workout Buddy will be available on Apple Watch Series 6 or later, Apple Watch SE (2nd generation), and Apple Watch Ultra and Ultra 2 with an Apple Intelligence-supported iPhone starting in English.

    Press Contacts

    Nadine Haija

    Apple

    nhaija@apple.com

    Anna Tabet

    Apple

    atabet@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: visionOS 26 introduces powerful new spatial experiences for Apple Vision Pro

    Source: Apple

    Headline: visionOS 26 introduces powerful new spatial experiences for Apple Vision Pro

    June 9, 2025

    PRESS RELEASE

    visionOS 26 introduces powerful new spatial experiences for Apple Vision Pro

    Widgets become spatial and anchor in a user’s space, Personas are more expressive and realistic, and new APIs unleash exciting opportunities for developers, creators, and enterprises

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today previewed visionOS 26, an expansive update packed with groundbreaking spatial experiences and new features for Apple Vision Pro. Everyday interactions become more immersive and personal, with widgets that integrate into a user’s space, spatial scenes that use generative AI to add stunning lifelike depth to photos, striking enhancements that make Personas feel more natural and familiar, and shared spatial experiences for Vision Pro users in the same room.

    visionOS 26 also adds support for 180-degree, 360-degree, and wide field-of-view content from Insta360, GoPro, and Canon, while new enterprise APIs allow organizations to create spatial experiences unique to visionOS. And with support for PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers, players can enjoy a new class of games on Apple Vision Pro.1

    “Apple Vision Pro has defined what’s possible in this new era of spatial computing, and with visionOS 26, we’re excited to push the boundaries even further,” said Mike Rockwell, Apple’s vice president of the Vision Products Group. “With brand-new ways for Vision Pro owners to connect, explore, work together, and enjoy content, we’re incredibly excited for users to enjoy features like apps and widgets that they can arrange in their spaces, spatial scenes that offer a brand-new viewing experience for their photos, and dramatically enhanced Personas on Vision Pro.”

    Widgets Become Spatial

    Across the Apple ecosystem, widgets offer personalized and useful information at a glance, and with visionOS 26, widgets become spatial, integrating seamlessly into a user’s space and reappearing every time they put on Apple Vision Pro. Widgets in visionOS 26 are customizable, with a variety of options for frame width, color, and depth. Beautiful new widgets — including Clock, Weather, Music, and Photos — all offer unique interactions and experiences.

    Users can decorate their spaces with favorite widgets, including stunning panoramas and spatial photos of their favorite memories, clocks with distinctive face designs, and quick access to their go-to playlists and songs on Apple Music. The Widgets app helps users find widgets, including those from compatible iOS and iPadOS apps, and developers will also be able to create their own widgets using WidgetKit.

    Enhanced Shared Spatial Experiences

    Users love how visionOS lets them connect with family, friends, and colleagues remotely, and with visionOS 26, they can share spatial experiences with other Apple Vision Pro users in the same room. They can come together to watch the latest blockbuster movie in 3D, play a spatial game, or collaborate with coworkers. Users can also add remote participants from across the world via FaceTime, enabling connection with people near and far.

    Dassault Systèmes, a leading provider of engineering and 3D design software, is leveraging this ability with their 3DLive app, bringing the ability to visualize 3D designs both in person and with remote colleagues.

    With visionOS 26, Personas are transformed to feel more natural and familiar. Taking advantage of industry-leading volumetric rendering and machine learning technology, the all-new Personas now have striking expressivity and sharpness, offering a full side profile view, and remarkably accurate hair, lashes, and complexion. Personas are still created on device in a matter of seconds, and new improvements to the setup process allow users to adjust and preview how their Persona looks spatially, and even pick glasses from over 1,000 variations.

    Introducing Spatial Scenes

    visionOS 26 makes spatial photos even more realistic, leveraging a new generative AI algorithm and computational depth to create spatial scenes with multiple perspectives, letting users feel like they can lean in and look around.

    Users can view spatial scenes in the Photos app, Spatial Gallery app, and Safari, while developers can use the Spatial Scene API to make their app experience even more immersive. Zillow is taking advantage of the API for their Zillow Immersive app, allowing users to see images of homes and apartments with the rich depth and dimension that spatial scenes offer.

    New Ways to Browse, Play, and Watch

    Users can select spatial browsing to transform articles on Safari, hide distractions, and reveal spatial scenes that come alive as they scroll. Web developers have the ability to embed 3D models directly into web pages, letting users shop and browse with depth and dimension, and see and manipulate 3D objects and models right in Safari.

    visionOS 26 supports native playback of 180-degree, 360-degree, and wide field-of-view content from Insta360, GoPro, and Canon. Users can enjoy their exciting 2D action footage the way it was meant to be seen. Developers can incorporate this new playback capability into their apps and websites.

    visionOS 26 also introduces support for the PlayStation VR2 Sense controller. Now, developers can deliver even more engaging gameplay experiences for Apple Vision Pro thanks to high-performance motion tracking in 6 degrees of freedom, finger touch detection, and vibration support.

    Enterprise APIs and Tools

    Companies around the world are harnessing spatial computing on Apple Vision Pro to supercharge their workflows for design, training, sales, education, and more. New capabilities like team device sharing let organizations easily set up and manage a shared pool of devices. Users can securely save their eye and hand data, vision prescription, and accessibility settings to their iPhone running iOS 26 and bring it to another Vision Pro, making sharing easier than ever.

    visionOS 26 adds support for Logitech Muse, a spatial accessory built for Apple Vision Pro that enables precise input and new ways to interact with collaboration apps like Spatial Analogue.1

    Enterprise-focused APIs, like the new Protected Content API, ensure that only people who have been granted access can see confidential materials like medical records or business forecasts, while preventing copying, screenshots, and screen sharing.

    Additional visionOS 26 features include:

    • More Apple Intelligence features — including updates to Image Playground — come to Apple Vision Pro. visionOS 26 also adds support for new languages: French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish, along with support for English in Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, and the UK.2
    • Look to Scroll allows users to explore apps and websites using just their eyes. Users can customize the scroll speed, and developers can integrate Look to Scroll into their visionOS apps.
    • In the redesigned Control Center, features like Guest User, Focus, Travel Mode, and more are conveniently displayed in one view, letting users effortlessly manage their music, adjust their Environment settings, and connect to Mac Virtual Display.
    • Users can unlock their iPhone while wearing Apple Vision Pro, even in a fully immersive experience like an Environment. This feature can be enabled in Settings for Face ID-enabled iPhone models running iOS 26.3
    • visionOS 26 supports relaying calls from iPhone, so a user can now answer phone calls directly from Apple Vision Pro, or start a call from People View by selecting a contact’s phone number or clicking on a phone number in a web page.4
    • Home View now supports folders, letting users rearrange and group apps together.

    Availability

    All of these features are available for testing starting today through the Apple Developer Program at developer.apple.com. For more information, visit apple.com/os/visionos. Apple Intelligence requires Apple Vision Pro running visionOS 26 with Apple Intelligence enabled and Siri and device language set to the same supported language: English (Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK, U.S.), French (Canada, France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, and Spanish (Mexico, Spain). Features are subject to change. Some features may not be available in all languages or regions, and availability may vary due to local laws and regulations. Compatible hardware and software may be required.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Accessory sold separately.
    2. Image Playground is available in English (Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK, U.S.), French (Canada, France), German, Italian, Japanese, and Spanish (Mexico, Spain) when Apple Intelligence is enabled. Feature availability varies by region.
    3. Unlocking iPhone while wearing Apple Vision Pro requires both Apple Vision Pro and a Face ID-compatible iPhone signed in to the same Apple Account and running visionOS 26 and iOS 26 or later.
    4. Relaying cellular calls from iPhone to Apple Vision Pro requires visionOS 26 or later, and iOS 14 or later. Devices must be signed in to the same Apple Account, connected to the same Wi-Fi network, and within Bluetooth range with Bluetooth enabled.

    Press Contacts

    Andrea Schubert

    Apple

    a_schubert@apple.com

    Corey Nord

    Apple

    cnord2@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: macOS Tahoe 26 makes the Mac more capable, productive, and intelligent than ever

    Source: Apple

    Headline: macOS Tahoe 26 makes the Mac more capable, productive, and intelligent than ever

    June 9, 2025

    PRESS RELEASE

    macOS Tahoe 26 makes the Mac more capable, productive, and intelligent than ever

    Introducing a stunning new design, more Continuity experiences with the Phone app and Live Activities, the biggest update to Spotlight ever, and expanded Apple Intelligence capabilities

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today previewed the next major macOS release — macOS Tahoe 26 — which introduces a stunning new design and powerful capabilities that enable users to get even more done. With the new design, iconic elements of macOS will feel more expressive, delightful, and personal while remaining instantly familiar, including the desktop, Dock, in-app navigation, and toolbars. Users can further personalize the experience with an updated Control Center and new color options for folders, app icons, and widgets. Continuity gets even better with the Phone app arriving on Mac, so users can access familiar features from iPhone — including Recents, Contacts, and Voicemails — and new ones like Call Screening1 and Hold Assist.2 And with Live Activities from iPhone, users can stay on top of things happening in real time, like an upcoming flight, right on their Mac. Spotlight gets its biggest update ever, allowing users to now directly execute hundreds of actions — like sending an email or creating a note — and take advantage of all-new browsing experiences to get to content faster.

    Apple Intelligence expands with powerful new features that elevate the Mac experience further, while protecting privacy at every step. Live Translation helps users easily communicate across languages, translating text and audio. Genmoji and Image Playground offer new options for creativity.3 Shortcuts get even more powerful with intelligent actions and the ability to now tap directly into Apple Intelligence models to automate complex tasks.

    “macOS is the heart and soul of the Mac, and with Tahoe, we’re building on what users love most. Whether you’re a power user or just getting started on Mac, there’s something for everyone, with even more features to turbocharge productivity and make working across Mac and iPhone more seamless than ever before,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “With its gorgeous new design, amazing Continuity experiences, powerful enhancements to Spotlight, more intelligent shortcuts, and updates to Apple Intelligence, the Mac experience is better than ever.”

    A Gorgeous New Design

    The gorgeous new design enhances the Mac experience in new ways, while maintaining the familiarity of macOS. It is crafted with Liquid Glass, a translucent new material that reflects and refracts its surroundings. The Dock, sidebars, and toolbars have been refined, bringing greater focus to a user’s content. The menu bar is now completely transparent, making the display feel even larger. There are more ways to customize what controls appear in the menu bar and Control Center, along with how they’re laid out. The new design also unlocks more personalization on the Mac. App icons come to life in light or dark appearances, colorful new light and dark tints, as well as an elegant new clear look. Users can also change the colors of folders and add a symbol or emoji to give them a unique identity. And when combined with personalized wallpapers and theme colors, it’s easier than ever to make Mac a seamless extension of a user’s style.

    New Continuity Experiences with the Phone App and Live Activities

    The Phone app arrives on Mac thanks to Continuity, which lets users relay cellular calls from their nearby iPhone. The Phone app on Mac has the familiar features of the Phone app on iPhone — including Recents, Favorites, and Voicemails — and the latest updates like Call Screening and Hold Assist. Call Screening automatically answers calls from unknown numbers and asks the caller for information so a user can decide whether or not to answer. And when a user is stuck on hold, Hold Assist allows them to keep their spot in line while they wait for a live agent, so users can continue working on their Mac.

    Live Activities from a user’s nearby iPhone will now appear in the menu bar on their Mac so they can stay on top of things happening in real time, like an upcoming Uber ride, flight, or live sports score. When clicking on a Live Activity, the app opens in iPhone Mirroring to show more information so users can take action right from their Mac.

    The Biggest Update Ever to Spotlight

    Spotlight, the central place to search for things on Mac, makes finding what users are looking for easier than ever, and provides users with all-new ways to take action. During a search, all results — including files, folders, events, apps, messages, and more — are now listed together and ranked intelligently based on relevance to the user. New filtering options rapidly narrow searches to exactly what a user is looking for, like PDFs or Mail messages. Spotlight can also surface results for documents stored on third-party cloud drives. And when a user doesn’t know exactly what they’re searching for, Spotlight’s new browse views make it easy to scan through their apps, files, clipboard history, and more.

    Users can now take hundreds of actions directly from Spotlight — like sending an email, creating a note, or playing a podcast — without jumping between apps. Users can take actions from both Apple apps and apps built by developers, because any app can provide actions to Spotlight using the App Intents API. Users can also run shortcuts and perform actions from the menu bar in the app they’re currently working in, all without lifting their hands off the keyboard. Spotlight learns from users’ routines across the system and surfaces personalized actions, such as sending a message to a colleague a user regularly talks to. Additionally, Spotlight introduces quick keys, which are short strings of characters that get users right to the action they’re looking for.

    Brand-New Capabilities Powered by Apple Intelligence

    Apple Intelligence, the personal intelligence system that delivers helpful and relevant intelligence, gets even more capable while protecting users’ privacy at every step.

    • Seamless communication across language barriers with Live Translation: In Messages, Live Translation can automatically translate messages, so if a user is making plans with new friends while traveling abroad, their message can be translated as they type and delivered in the recipient’s preferred language. And when the user receives a response, each text can be instantly translated.4 On FaceTime, a user can follow along with translated live captions while still hearing the speaker’s voice. And when a user is on a call in the Phone app, their words are translated for the recipient as they speak.5 This is enabled by Apple-built models that run entirely on device, so conversations stay private.
    • Shortcuts get more intelligent: A whole new class of intelligent actions lets users create shortcuts that are more powerful than ever, including summarizing text with Writing Tools and creating images with Image Playground. And now users will be able to tap directly into Apple Intelligence models, either on-device or with Private Cloud Compute, to generate responses that feed into the rest of their shortcut, maintaining the privacy of information used. For example, a student can build a shortcut that uses Apple Intelligence models to compare an audio transcription of a class lecture to the notes they took, and add any key points they may have missed. Users can also choose to tap into ChatGPT for its broad world knowledge and expertise. Additionally, users can now run shortcuts automatically on macOS, such as at a specific time of day, or when taking a specific action like saving a file to a folder or connecting a display.
    • Updates to Genmoji and Image Playground: macOS Tahoe brings new ways to create Genmoji, giving users the ability to start with existing emoji and descriptions, modify personal attributes like hair length or accessories, and select expressions based on the moment. Users will also have more control of personal attributes and expressions in Image Playground, and can tap into brand-new styles with ChatGPT, like an oil painting style or vector art. For moments when users have a specific idea in mind, they can tap Any Style and describe exactly what they want.
    • Increased productivity with Reminders: Apple Intelligence can review an email, website, note, or other content on Mac to find the most relevant action items. And users can also choose to use Apple Intelligence to automatically categorize Reminders into sections to make them more manageable.

    New Apple Games App, Game Overlay, and More Titles

    macOS Tahoe introduces Apple Games, a dedicated app that gives players a home for all their games, making it easier to jump back into favorites, discover new games tailored just for them, and play with friends in whole new ways. With the new Game Overlay, players can conveniently adjust their system settings, chat with friends, or invite them to play, all without having to leave their game. Players can also turn on Low Power Mode, which extends gaming sessions and maximizes playtime on battery. For developers, macOS Tahoe introduces Metal 4, which brings even more advanced graphics and next-generation rendering technologies to games, like MetalFX Frame Interpolation and MetalFX Denoising, for smoother visuals and faster frame rates.

    Alongside these improvements, developers continue to deliver exciting new games on Mac, including upcoming titles like Crimson Desert and InZOI. Both games leverage powerful software technologies like MetalFX Upscaling to accelerate performance and deliver high-quality visuals, as well as take advantage of the M3 and M4 family of chips with ray tracing for a breathtaking experience. Additional titles on the way include Cyberpunk 2077, Cronos: The New Dawn, Architect: Land of Exiles, Lies of P: Overture, HITMAN World of Assassination, EVE Frontier, Where Winds Meet, and more.

    Additional features in macOS Tahoe include:

    • Safari, the world’s fastest browser,6 offers a fresh but familiar experience, featuring a rounded tab design that floats in the toolbar, along with a refreshed sidebar with new sections to help users more easily find saved content like iCloud Tabs and Saved. When compared to Chrome, Safari is 50 percent faster at loading frequently visited websites7 and offers up to four more hours of battery life when streaming video.8 And for even greater protection from trackers when browsing, Safari now offers advanced fingerprinting protection in all browsing by default.
    • The Messages app brings Backgrounds, Polls, and a redesigned details view that helps users easily navigate what has been shared in a conversation. Plus, it features typing indicators in groups to let participants know exactly who is going to chime in, as well as the ability to add new contacts easily right from the group chat and search with more natural language.
    • Journal comes to Mac, making it easy to capture and write about everyday moments and special events when inspiration strikes. On Mac, it’s easy to type long, thoughtful entries and view them on a map. Users can keep multiple journals for various aspects of life, which are all synced across Apple devices.
    • Photos has an updated design that includes beautiful Liquid Glass elements, enhancements for customization, easier workflows, and sidebar consistency with iPadOS. Pinned Collections now come to Mac, so users can access the collections they use most with a click on the sidebar. Users will also find new buttons to quickly access filtering and sorting options in all views, and the ability to customize the size of Collections tiles, so they can view their library just how they like.
    • On FaceTime, the reimagined landing page features beautiful Contact Posters of recent callers, Liquid Glass controls now float in the bottom right and recede to create more space, and a new More button lets users quickly access features like SharePlay and Live Translation.
    • Notes adds the ability to import and export a note into a markdown file, and support for capturing conversations in the Phone app as audio recordings with transcriptions.
    • Accessibility features include Magnifier on Mac, which enables users with low vision to zoom in on their surroundings using Continuity Camera on iPhone or attached USB cameras, apply image filters so items are easier to see or read, and even change perspective when viewing presentations or books from an angle. Additional features include Accessibility Reader, a new systemwide reading mode designed with accessibility in mind; an all-new Braille Access experience that offers a user-friendly interface for those with a connected braille display; and Vehicle Motion Cues, which helps reduce motion sickness in a moving vehicle.
    • With Passwords, users can easily reference changes they make to their accounts, including checking previous versions of passwords they save, along with details on when they were changed.

    Availability

    All of these features are available for testing starting today through the Apple Developer Program at developer.apple.com, and a public beta will be available through the Apple Beta Software Program next month at beta.apple.com. The release will be available as a free software update this fall. The Apple Intelligence features detailed require supported devices, which include all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad and Mac models with M1 and later that have Apple Intelligence enabled and Siri and device language set to the same supported language: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, or Chinese (simplified). More languages will be coming by the end of this year: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (traditional), and Vietnamese. For more information, visit apple.com/os/macos and apple.com/apple-intelligence. Features are subject to change. Some features may not be available in all languages or regions, and availability may vary due to local laws and regulations. For more information about availability, visit apple.com.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Call Screening supports Cantonese (China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao), English (U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Africa, UK), French (Canada, France), German (Germany), Japanese (Japan), Korean (Korea), Mandarin Chinese (China mainland, Taiwan, Macao), Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (U.S., Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain).
    2. Hold Assist will be available in English (U.S.), English (Canada), English (UK), English (Singapore), English (Australia), English (India), French (France), Spanish (U.S.), Spanish (Mexico), Spanish (Spain), German (Germany), Portuguese (Brazil), Japanese (Japan), and Mandarin Chinese (mainland China).
    3. Genmoji and Image Playground are available in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, and Japanese.
    4. Live Translation in Messages supports English (U.S., UK), French (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Spain), and Chinese (simplified).
    5. Live Translation in Phone and FaceTime is available for one-on-one calls in English (U.S., UK), French (France), German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain).
    6. Testing conducted by Apple in May 2025 using JetStream 2.2, MotionMark 1.3.1, and Speedometer 3.1 performance benchmarks. Tested with prerelease Safari 26.0 and latest stable versions of Chrome, Microsoft Edge, and Firefox at the time of testing on: 15-inch MacBook Air systems with Apple M4 and prerelease macOS Tahoe, and Intel Core Ultra 9-based PC systems with Intel Arc Graphics and Windows 11 Home; iPad Pro 13-inch (M4) units with prerelease iPadOS 26.0, and Intel Core Ultra 7-based PC systems with Intel Arc Graphics and Windows 11 Pro; and iPhone 16 Pro Max with prerelease iOS 26.0, and Qualcomm Snapdragon 8 Elite-based smartphones with Android 15. Devices tested with a WPA2 Wi-Fi network connection. Performance will vary based on usage, system configuration, network connection, and other factors.
    7. Testing conducted by Apple in May 2025 by measuring page load performance of snapshot versions of 10 popular websites under simulated network conditions. Tested on production 15-inch MacBook Air systems with Apple M4, 16GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, and prerelease macOS Tahoe. Tested with prerelease Safari 26.0 and Chrome v136.0.7103.93. Performance will vary based on usage, system configuration, network connection, and other factors.
    8. Testing conducted by Apple in May 2025 on production 15-inch MacBook Air systems with Apple M4, 16GB of RAM, 256GB SSD, and prerelease macOS Tahoe. Systems tested with WPA2 Wi-Fi network connection while running on battery power, with display brightness set to 8 clicks from bottom and keyboard backlight off. Video streaming tested with 1080p content on prerelease Safari 26.0 and Chrome v136.0.7103.93. Not all features are available on all devices. Battery life varies by use and configuration. See apple.com/batteries for more information.

    Press Contacts

    Michelle Del Rio

    Apple

    mr_delrio@apple.com

    Starlayne Meza

    Apple

    starlayne_meza@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Apple elevates the iPhone experience with iOS 26

    Source: Apple

    Headline: Apple elevates the iPhone experience with iOS 26

    June 9, 2025

    PRESS RELEASE

    Apple elevates the iPhone experience with iOS 26

    The release delivers a stunning new design, powerful Apple Intelligence capabilities, new ways to stay connected in the Phone and Messages apps, and exciting updates to CarPlay, Apple Music, Maps, and Wallet

    CUPERTINO, CALIFORNIA Apple today previewed iOS 26, a major update that brings a beautiful new design, intelligent experiences, and improvements to the apps users rely on every day. The new design provides a more expressive and delightful experience across the system while maintaining the instant familiarity of iOS. Integrated throughout the system and built with privacy from the ground up, Apple Intelligence gets even more capable. Updates to the Phone and Messages apps help users stay connected while eliminating distractions like unwanted calls. iOS 26 also introduces new features in CarPlay, Apple Music, Maps, and Wallet, as well as Apple Games, a brand-new app that gives players a single destination for all their games.

    “iOS 26 shines with the gorgeous new design and meaningful improvements to the features users rely on every day, making iPhone even more helpful,” said Craig Federighi, Apple’s senior vice president of Software Engineering. “Experiences are more expressive and personal, from the Lock Screen and Home Screen, to new capabilities across Phone and Messages that help users focus on the connections that matter most. And with powerful new Apple Intelligence capabilities integrated across the system, users can get things done easier than ever.”

    A Beautiful New Look

    The new design makes apps and system experiences more expressive and delightful, while keeping iOS instantly familiar. It’s crafted with Liquid Glass — a new translucent material that reflects and refracts its surroundings, bringing greater focus to content, and delivering a new level of vitality across controls, navigation, app icons, widgets, and more. The new design extends to the Home Screen and Lock Screen, making them more personal and expressive than ever. Liquid Glass also brings new customization options to app icons and widgets, including a stunning clear look.

    On the Lock Screen, the time fluidly adapts to the available space in an image, and spatial scenes bring wallpapers to life with a 3D effect when users move iPhone. Updated design elements also deliver fresh experiences in apps. A simplified, streamlined Camera layout helps users keep their attention on the moment they’re capturing, and the Photos app is updated to feature separate tabs for Library and Collections views. In Safari, web pages flow from the top edge to the bottom of the screen, enabling users to see more of the page while maintaining access to frequently used actions like refresh and search. In Apple Music, News, and Podcasts, the tab bar is redesigned to float above users’ content, dynamically shrink when users are browsing to put content front and center, and then expand when they scroll back up.

    An updated set of APIs provides developers with access to Liquid Glass materials and components so they can make their apps appear just as dynamic and delightful.

    New Capabilities Powered by Apple Intelligence

    Apple Intelligence elevates the iPhone experience and helps users get things done easier than ever, while unlocking new ways to communicate and do more with what’s on their screen. Live Translation is integrated into Messages, FaceTime, and Phone to help users communicate across languages, translating text and audio on the fly.1 Live Translation is enabled by Apple-built models that run entirely on device, so users’ personal conversations stay personal.

    Building on Apple Intelligence, visual intelligence extends to a user’s iPhone screen so they can search and take action on anything they’re viewing across apps. Users can ask ChatGPT questions about what they’re looking at onscreen to learn more, as well as search Google, Etsy, or other supported apps to find similar images and products. Visual intelligence also recognizes when a user is looking at an event and suggests adding it to their calendar, repopulating key details like date, time, and location.2

    Genmoji and Image Playground provide users with even more ways to express themselves, including mixing their favorite emoji, Genmoji, and descriptions together to create something new.3

    Shortcuts are now more powerful and intelligent than ever. Users can tap into intelligent actions, a whole new set of shortcuts enabled by Apple Intelligence, and will see dedicated actions for features like Writing Tools and Image Playground.

    Apple Intelligence can now automatically identify and summarize order tracking details from emails sent from merchants and delivery carriers, giving users the ability to see their full order details and progress notifications all in one place — even for purchases not made with Apple Pay.

    Additionally, a new Foundation Models framework opens up access for any app to tap directly into the on-device foundation model at the core of Apple Intelligence, giving developers direct access to powerful intelligence that’s fast, built with privacy at its core, and available offline, using AI inference that is free of cost.

    Features for Staying Connected and Eliminating Interruptions

    Fundamental to the iPhone experience, the Phone app now offers a unified layout that combines Favorites, Recents, and Voicemails all in one place. Call Screening builds on Live Voicemail and helps eliminate interruptions by gathering information from the caller and giving users the details they need to decide if they want to pick up or ignore the call.4 And for the times when a user is stuck on hold, Hold Assist notifies the user when a live agent is available.5

    In Messages, users can now screen messages from unknown senders, giving them more control over who appears in their conversation list. Messages from unknown senders will appear in a dedicated folder where users can then mark the number as known, ask for more information, or delete. These messages will remain silenced until a user accepts them.

    iOS 26 also offers enhancements to conversations, including custom backgrounds and the ability to create polls. With Apple Intelligence, Messages can detect when a poll might come in handy and suggest one, and users can generate unique backgrounds that fit their conversation with Image Playground. Additionally, in group chats, users can now see typing indicators, and request, send, and receive Apple Cash.6

    Enhancements to CarPlay

    CarPlay — the smarter, safer way to use iPhone while driving — is used over 600 million times per day, and now with iOS 26, it receives updates that make it even more beautiful and easy to use. The stunning design includes a new compact view for incoming calls, allowing users to see who’s calling without missing key information like upcoming directions. iOS 26 also brings Tapbacks and pinned conversations to Messages in CarPlay, and with widgets and Live Activities, users can stay in the loop without losing focus on the road. These updates also come to CarPlay Ultra, which brings the best of iPhone and the best of the car together for a deeply integrated, unified experience across every screen.

    Updates to Apple Music, Maps, and Wallet

    In Apple Music, Lyrics Translation helps users understand the words to their favorite songs, while Lyrics Pronunciation allows everyone to sing along, regardless of language. AutoMix uses intelligence to transition from one song to the next like a DJ, using time stretching and beat matching to seamlessly move from one song to the next.

    In Apple Maps, Visited Places help users remember the places they’ve been. Users can choose to have iPhone detect when they’re at a place like a restaurant or shop, and view all of their Visited Places in Maps. Visited Places are protected with end-to-end encryption and cannot be accessed by Apple. Additionally, iPhone can now use on-device intelligence to better understand a user’s daily route, presenting them with their preferred route when they’re headed home or to the office, along with notifying them of delays and offering alternate routes.

    Updates in Apple Wallet help make everyday interactions with the physical world easier than ever. Users can choose to pay with installments or rewards when they make in-store purchases with Apple Pay using iPhone. Refreshed boarding passes in Wallet offer the ability to see and share Live Activities for real-time updates on a flight. They also provide convenient access to a traveler’s most relevant information, such as Maps to navigate airports, Find My to track important items and report missing bags, and more.

    Additional features in iOS 26:

    • Apple Games is a new app that gives players an all-in-one destination for their games. It helps players jump back into titles they love, find their next favorite, and have even more fun with friends. They’ll find out what’s happening across all their games, including major events and updates, so they never miss a moment. The Games app is also the best way to experience Apple Arcade, Apple’s game subscription service with more than 200 award-winning and highly rated games for the whole family.
    • AirPods are more versatile than ever with new features for AirPods 4, AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation (ANC), and AirPods Pro 2. Building on the benefits of Voice Isolation, studio-quality audio recording allows iPhone, iPad, and Mac users to record their content with great sound quality and enjoy even clearer calls. With camera remote, users can press and hold the AirPods stem to take a photo or start and stop a video recording on iPhone or iPad.
    • Parents can now create or move kids into Child Accounts even more easily, taking advantage of a wide set of parental controls designed to keep children safe. Enhancements across Communication Limits, Communication Safety, and the App Store include parental approvals for contact requests from kids, blurring out sensitive content in FaceTime calls and photos in Shared Albums, and enabling parents to grant an exception for their child to download an app with an age rating that exceeds the app content restriction they set.
    • Browsing in Safari gets even more private with advanced fingerprinting protection extending to all browsing by default.
    • Powerful accessibility features include Accessibility Reader, which provides a customized systemwide reading experience, and Braille Access, an all-new interface for iPhone devices with connected braille displays. Updates to Live Listen, Background Sounds, Personal Voice, and more bring a new level of accessibility across the Apple ecosystem.

    Availability

    All of these features are available for testing starting today through the Apple Developer Program at developer.apple.com, and a public beta will be available through the Apple Beta Software Program next month at beta.apple.com. New software features will be available this fall as a free software update for iPhone 11 and later. The Apple Intelligence features detailed require supported devices, which include all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, iPad mini (A17 Pro), and iPad and Mac models with M1 and later that have Apple Intelligence enabled and Siri and device language set to the same supported language: English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, Japanese, Korean, or Chinese (simplified). More languages will be coming by the end of this year: Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (traditional), and Vietnamese. For more information, visit apple.com/apple-intelligence. Features are subject to change. Some features may not be available in all languages or regions, and availability may vary due to local laws and regulations. For more information about availability, visit apple.com.

    About Apple Apple revolutionized personal technology with the introduction of the Macintosh in 1984. Today, Apple leads the world in innovation with iPhone, iPad, Mac, AirPods, Apple Watch, and Apple Vision Pro. Apple’s six software platforms — iOS, iPadOS, macOS, watchOS, visionOS, and tvOS — provide seamless experiences across all Apple devices and empower people with breakthrough services including the App Store, Apple Music, Apple Pay, iCloud, and Apple TV+. Apple’s more than 150,000 employees are dedicated to making the best products on earth and to leaving the world better than we found it.

    1. Live Translation in Messages supports English (U.S., UK), French (France), German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish (Spain), and Chinese (simplified). Live Translation in Phone and FaceTime is available for one-on-one calls in English (U.S., UK), French (France), German, Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (Spain).
    2. The ability to add an event to a calendar with visual intelligence is available in English on all iPhone 16 models, iPhone 15 Pro, and iPhone 15 Pro Max.
    3. Genmoji and Image Playground are available in English, French, German, Italian, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, and Japanese.
    4. Call Screening supports Cantonese (China mainland, Hong Kong, Macao), English (U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Puerto Rico, Singapore, South Africa, UK), French (Canada, France), German (Germany), Japanese (Japan), Korean (Korea), Mandarin Chinese (China mainland, Taiwan, Macao), Portuguese (Brazil), and Spanish (U.S., Mexico, Puerto Rico, Spain).
    5. Hold Assist supports English (U.S., Australia, Canada, India, Singapore, UK), French (France), Spanish (U.S., Mexico, Spain), German (Germany), Portuguese (Brazil), Japanese (Japan), and Mandarin Chinese (mainland China).
    6. Apple Cash services are provided by Green Dot Bank, Member FDIC. Apple Payments Services LLC, a subsidiary of Apple Inc., is a service provider of Green Dot Bank for Apple Cash accounts. Neither Apple Inc. nor Apple Payments Services LLC is a bank. Learn more about the terms and conditions. Only available in the U.S. on eligible devices.

    Press Contacts

    Shane Bauer

    Apple

    shanebauer@apple.com

    Tania Olkhovaya

    Apple

    tolkhovaya@apple.com

    Apple Media Helpline

    media.help@apple.com

    MIL OSI Economics –