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  • MIL-OSI Russia: Bolivarian Alliance Condemns US Policy Towards Cuba

    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

    CARACAS, July 2 (Xinhua) — The Bolivarian Alliance for the Peoples of the Americas-Peoples’ Trade Agreement (ALBA-TPA) on Tuesday strongly condemned the U.S. policy of intensifying economic aggression against Cuba.

    In its statement, the Latin American bloc condemned Washington’s decision to renew the presidential memorandum strengthening the blockade of Cuba.

    The decision marks an intensification of US efforts to achieve regime change and undermine key sectors in Cuba, including tourism, health, migration, cultural and academic exchanges, and access to technology, the alliance said in a statement.

    The true intention of the US government is to dominate Cuba and control its future, the statement said. The Bolivarian Alliance stressed its unwavering solidarity with the Cuban people and government in defense of sovereignty, freedom and self-determination. –0–

    MIL OSI Russia News –

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

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

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

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Ratepayers Ignored as Belfast City Council Pours Millions into Identity Politics

    Source: Traditional Unionist Voice – Northern Ireland

    Statement by TUV deputy leader Court councillor Ron McDowell:
    “Having discovered a £2.9 million underspend, the Belfast City Council has now allocated:
          •     £1.9 million to an Irish Language Strategy,
          •     £500,000 to newcomer families,
          •     £440,000 to cleaning equipment, and
          •     £100,000 to biodiversity measures.
    “The most important duty of any elected representative is the prudent use of public money.
    “Just as in our own households — when we find ourselves with a little extra — it is only wise to use it carefully, for the good of everyone under the roof.
    “Regrettably, Belfast City Council has taken the opposite approach.
    “This is not responsible governance. It is, frankly, a dereliction of duty and an insult to many hardworking ratepayers.
    “Let’s be clear: there is nothing inclusive about the Council’s aggressive promotion of the Irish language. The imposition of bilingual signage in areas where it commands minimal support has already created division and resentment. Now, to give two-thirds of this entire pot to that agenda sends a message loud and clear — that one cultural identity is to be elevated above all others, and that it is being done at the expense of the wider community.
    “The decision to allocate half a million pounds specifically to “newcomer families” is also deeply unbalanced. The Council’s first obligation must be to those who have long contributed to this city through their rates and taxes. Meeting their needs — many of which remain unaddressed — would benefit everyone in Belfast, regardless of background. Singling out one group for special treatment is a recipe for division, not inclusion.
    “And what of the £100,000 set aside for “biodiversity measures”? I doubt you’d find a single ratepayer who would place that among their top twenty priorities — let alone in the top four.
    “These decisions reveal a Council willing to prioritise pet projects and identity politics over the everyday needs of its citizens. It is prepared to elevate some while ignoring many. It carves up public money not on the basis of fairness or shared benefit—but on the basis of narrow interests.
    “That is not responsible leadership.
    “It is not inclusive governance.
    “And it is not what Belfast needs.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: NZTA welcomes High Court ruling on Mt Messenger Bypass

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi has welcomed 4 new High Court rulings, the latest of at least 20 court rulings in favour of Te Ara o Te Ata – Mt Messenger Bypass project.

    Today’s High Court decisions rejected an appeal by landowners and confirmed the Environment Court’s May 2024 ruling, which supported the Crown’s compulsory acquisition of the final piece of land required for the project’s northern section. The land, located in the 6km bypass alignment, is essential to move the project forward.

    The Bypass is a new two-lane 6km route between Uruti and Ahititi that avoids the existing steep, narrow and winding route over Mt Messenger on State Highway 3 in North Taranaki. It will provide much needed interregional economic, resilience, safety and environmental benefits, including for local communities, businesses, freight and all SH3 road users.

    NZTA’s Regional Manager of Infrastructure Delivery, Rob Partridge, says the ruling marks a significant milestone, following years of legal challenges.

    “While it is always our preference to acquire land through agreement, this has not been possible, despite extensive efforts including numerous offers made to the landowners,” says Mr Partridge.

    Since 2017, there have been many attempts to acquire the land by agreement, and the landowners have been presented with 20 offers including options for new housing elsewhere across their 683-hectare landholdings.

    “The delays in securing this land have come at a considerable cost. NZTA plans to update the overall project cost later this year, factoring in the impacts of these delays, as well as inflation and rising construction costs.

    As of June 2025, the NZTA Board had approved funding of $365.1 million for the project.

    Construction is progressing well, with the southern-most 1km section at road level.

    Excavation for the 235 metre tunnel and work on the project’s main bridge are underway, with the tunnel expected to be completed in early 2026 and the 125 metre bridge in late 2026. 

    The process now

    NZTA will now request the Crown takes the necessary steps to become the legal owner of this 11-hectare parcel of land, subject to any further legal challenge against this process occurring, so that the Mt Messenger Alliance can begin works on the northern section as soon as possible.  

    The work is then expected to take 4 full construction seasons, from October to April, to complete. 

    Te Ara o Te Ata – Mt Messenger Bypass project page

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: John C Williams: The totality of the data

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Hello, everyone. I’m so pleased to be here today.

    One of the most enjoyable parts of my job is meeting with business and community leaders to learn more about our local economies-their challenges and opportunities, their long-established businesses and new industries. It’s fitting that I started my visit in Schenectady, known as “The City that Lights and Hauls the World.” And now I’m here at the Albany NanoTech Complex, a hub for innovative, cutting-edge nanotechnologies. Both cities, just 20 miles apart, have made-and continue to make-important contributions to our regional and national economies.

    I’ll talk a bit about that today, although my focus will be on the U.S. economy. I’ll discuss what the soft and hard data are telling us, and how the totality of the data is informing my outlook for the economy.

    Before I go further, I must give the standard Fed disclaimer that the views I express today are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect those of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) or others in the Federal Reserve System.

    The Capital Region

    As an economist and student of history, I can’t help but start with a few words about the Capital Region. In the 1880s, when Thomas Edison created components for his electrical illumination system and the Schenectady Locomotive Works built engines, few could have imagined the ways that electricity and locomotives would transform entire societies and economies. They represent what economists call general-purpose technologies, or GPTs.

    Today, many experts think that the latest GPT is artificial intelligence, or AI. And among the many research initiatives underway here are technologies that support the advancement of AI.

    In the 140 years between these GPT bookends, this region has continued to invest in new industries and training for workers, helping to drive the health of the local economy.

    The Soft Data

    Of course, all communities in the Federal Reserve’s Second District-which includes the Capital Region-are affected by national trends. In recent months, the changing landscape around fiscal and trade policies has heightened economic uncertainty among consumers, business owners, and financial market participants.

    As an economist and policymaker, I am always studying the data. Recently, there have been some interesting dynamics in both the soft data, which are typically survey measures of perceptions and expectations, and the hard data, which are economic readings of what has actually happened.

    I’ll start with the soft data. Over the past few months, surveys carried out by the New York Fed and others have highlighted a great deal of pessimism and uncertainty about the economic outlook. With respect to the Second District, our surveys of manufacturers and service firms indicate that economic activity has declined modestly, and concerns about tariffs are widespread. Several of my business contacts reported pulling back on capital spending and putting hiring on hold until the economic uncertainty lessens.

    In the New York Fed’s national Survey of Consumer Expectations, consumers’ uncertainty remains elevated not just about inflation, but also about housing prices and their earnings growth.1 According to this survey, households have scaled back their expected spending growth on nonessential items.

    The soft data have also revealed some good news. Longer-run inflation expectations have remained stable. And with the pullback in tariffs since early April, short- and medium-term inflation expectations have receded back close to their pre-pandemic averages. These patterns are consistent with market-based measures of inflation compensation and with most other survey-based measures. This is critically important, because well-anchored inflation expectations are essential for sustained price stability.

    That said, survey respondents report that uncertainty about inflation remains elevated.

    The Hard Data

    As a policymaker, I have often said that my decisions are data dependent-but not data-point dependent. I look at the totality of the data for underlying trends. I am particularly focused on those that affect the achievement of the FOMC’s dual mandate goals of maximum employment and price stability, which is defined as 2 percent inflation over the longer run.

    And what much of the hard data shows is that the U.S. economy remains in a good place.

    With regard to real GDP growth, the data have been unusually noisy, reflecting front-running of tariffs. That said, consumer spending and investment have been resilient overall so far this year.

    On the employment side of our mandate, labor market conditions have remained solid, with the unemployment rate at a little over 4 percent for the past year.

    On the price stability side of our mandate, inflation has continued to come down from its COVID-era spikes. With the labor market in balance and wage pressures having abated, inflation, as measured by the personal consumption expenditures price index, has moved close to our 2 percent longer-run goal.

    However, measures of underlying inflation-such as core inflation, which strips away volatile categories like food and energy-are still somewhat above our 2 percent target. And there are signs that tariffs are affecting specific categories of goods.

    We are seeing evidence of these patterns in the Second District. In May, New York Fed staff fielded a special survey to gauge the extent to which New York and New Jersey businesses were passing on tariff-induced cost increases to their customers. Manufacturers indicated that over the past six months, the cost of their tariffed goods had risen by about 20 percent, on average. For service firms, the increase was about 15 percent. The survey’s key finding is that about three-quarters of respondents in both sectors passed along at least some of these higher costs to their customers by raising prices. Indeed, almost a third of manufacturers and nearly half of service firms reported fully passing along all tariff-related cost increases.2

    What does this all mean for the economy going forward?

    My answer is that we need to be vigilant in analyzing the totality of the data to see how conditions evolve.

    Monetary Policy

    Given the continued uncertainty, the solid labor market, and inflation still above our 2 percent goal, the FOMC decided at its meeting last week to leave the target range for the federal funds rate unchanged at 4-1/4 to 4-1/2 percent.3

    Maintaining this modestly restrictive stance of monetary policy is entirely appropriate to achieve our maximum employment and price stability goals. It allows for time to closely analyze incoming data, assess the evolving outlook, and evaluate the balance of risks to achieving our dual mandate goals.

    In addition, the FOMC continues to reduce its holdings of Treasury securities and agency debt and agency mortgage-backed securities. Despite market volatility related to trade policy and other developments, that process continues to go very smoothly.

    The Economic Outlook

    In an uncertain environment, any number of outcomes can occur. But based on what the data tell us today, I expect uncertainty and tariffs to restrain spending and reduced immigration to slow labor force growth. As a result, I expect real GDP growth this year will slow considerably from last year’s pace, to just over 1 percent.

    With this deceleration of real GDP, I expect the unemployment rate to rise to around 4-1/2 percent by the end of this year. I anticipate the tariffs enacted this year will boost inflation to around 3 percent in 2025, and then for inflation to gradually decline to 2 percent over the next two years as the tariff effects fade.

    Conclusion

    Much of the soft data we’ve seen in recent months captures the heightened uncertainty about the path of the economy. But it’s too early to say what the future trajectory of the hard data will be.

    As always, I remain focused on all the data, and that includes what I have learned on this trip to the Capital Region. No matter what comes our way, I am committed to supporting maximum employment and returning inflation to our 2 percent longer-run goal.

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ has passed the US Senate – these are the winners and losers

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lester Munson, Non-Resident Fellow, United States Studies Centre, University of Sydney

    Igor Link/Shutterstock

    One of the unique aspects of Washington life is a Senate “vote-a-rama,” in which the upper house of Congress tortures itself by pulling a marathon all-nighter of speeches, amendments and votes on a critical bill.

    The Senate has just endured the usual mélange of horrors before passing US President Donald Trump’s massive tax and spending agenda – the One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

    The process was a mess and the final result was tight: 51-50 after Vice President JD Vance broke the tie. But it landed another huge political win for Trump.

    It will likely be no different when the bill hits the House of Representatives, before being signed into law, maybe as soon as July 4 – Independence Day.

    Mega bill

    Using the momentum from his bunker-busting strike on Iran’s nuclear weapons program, Trump pressured wavering congressional Republicans to toe the line and support the package.

    The bill includes a continuation of Trump’s tax cuts from his first term, which were set to expire next year. They are being portrayed as new tax relief, even though American tax policy remains the same because of arcane budget process rules in Congress.

    Trump included a provision eliminating taxes on tips and overtime, which will further endear him to many working Americans, particularly those in private sector unions and food services.

    The bill also provides more funding for border security and a US$150 billion (A$227 billion) boost to defence spending, which will soon be tracking at more than US$1 trillion (A$1.51 trillion) per year.

    Other measures include work requirements for government health care recipients and cuts to two major safety net programs, including Medicaid.

    As a budget bill, there are some limits to what provisions can be included, but the Trump team was able to shoehorn nearly all of his domestic agenda into this bill – hence the absurd title.

    All of this means Trump can get what he wants if he keeps Republicans united, as no Democrats are needed to pass the bill into law.

    Democrat opposition

    The “big beautiful bill” provides some political opportunities to Trump’s opponents.

    The Democrats have fought the bill at every step, saying the “tax cuts” only benefit rich people while the health care cuts will have severe consequences for the working poor.

    They can plausibly accuse Republicans of cutting taxes for the wealthy. However, the tax cuts on tips and overtime somewhat mitigate that attack.

    The Democrats have also highlighted the impact of the bill on America’s national debt, which is at historically high levels. But this attack has only highly limited benefits for the party, which is not known for its own spending restraint.

    Nevertheless, Trump’s bill is so far winning passage, often by the thinnest possible margins, at every stage of the wonderfully convoluted American legislative process.

    ‘Utterly insane and destructive’

    The victory in the Senate has not come without some costs, especially given the way it has exacerbated Trump’s explosive feud with Elon Musk.

    The public divorce between Trump and his former “First Friend” has been an ongoing soap opera. Saturation media coverage of the squabble between the world’s richest man and its most powerful, has featured threats, accusations, name-calling, and physical confrontations.

    Once it became clear Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill did not include significant budget cuts, Musk turned on his patron and severely criticised the legislative effort, as “political suicide” for the Republican Party:

    It will destroy millions of jobs in America and cause immense strategic harm to our country

    Although the two men patched things up a few weeks ago, the bitter feud has erupted again with the bill’s passage though the Senate.

    Musk says the bill is “utterly insane and destructive” and is vowing political retribution on Republicans who voted for it:

    In turn, Trump has threatened to deport Musk back to his birth country of South Africa and turn the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) loose on Musk’s companies that have contracts with the government, including SpaceX, which is a necessary component of the American space program.

    Musk’s tantrums are unlikely to lead to real political problems for Trump, given many congressional Republicans continue to rely on the president for support.

    They will not be tempted to support Musk no matter how much he threatens them.

    Trump’s triumph

    The president has managed his legislative strategy to near perfection.

    Trump and his team used the DOGE process to give political cover to fiscal conservatives to vote with him on the bill. Even the breach with Musk didn’t change this dynamic much.

    At the end of it all, Trump has been able to enforce discipline in his own party and get what he needed from Congress.

    When Trump signs his big beautiful bill into law, it will be another political victory for the president.

    Lester Munson receives funding from the U.S. Studies Centre at the University of Sydney. He is affiliated with BGR Group, a Washington DC consulting firm.

    – ref. Trump’s ‘big beautiful bill’ has passed the US Senate – these are the winners and losers – https://theconversation.com/trumps-big-beautiful-bill-has-passed-the-us-senate-these-are-the-winners-and-losers-260287

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Gonzalo heads Real Madrid past Juventus and into Club World Cup quarters

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

    Gonzalo Garcia’s second-half header lifted Real Madrid to a 1-0 victory over Juventus on Tuesday, securing the Spanish side a place in the FIFA Club World Cup quarterfinals.

    Vinicius Junior (L) of Real Madrid vies with Manuel Locatelli of Juventus during the round of 16 match between Spain’s Real Madrid and Italy’s Juventus FC at the FIFA Club World Cup 2025 at the Hard Rock Stadium, Miami, Florida, the United States, July 1, 2025. (Xinhua/Wu Xiaoling)

    The breakthrough came in the 54th minute when Trent Alexander-Arnold delivered a precise cross from the right, allowing Garcia to nod home from close range. The 21-year-old now has three goals and one assist in four tournament matches.

    Persistent rain in the Hard Rock Stadium area eased shortly before kickoff, avoiding further delays after earlier weather disruptions during the tournament.

    Juventus made six changes to its starting lineup, with Kenan Yildiz, Francisco Conceicao and Randal Kolo Muani replacing Nicolas Gonzalez, Teun Koopmeiners and Dusan Vlahovic in the attack.

    Real Madrid welcomed back star forward Kylian Mbappe, who was named as a substitute after having missed the group stage with gastroenteritis.

    Despite Madrid controlling early possession, Juventus carved out the sharper chances. Yildiz intercepted a pass and surged through midfield to slip Kolo Muani through on goal, but the French forward lifted his effort over the bar. Yildiz threatened again minutes later, forcing a corner with a deflected shot.

    Jude Bellingham nearly opened the scoring for Madrid in the 29th minute, but Juventus goalkeeper Michele Di Gregorio produced a reflex save to deny him from Alexander-Arnold’s cutback. Di Gregorio kept his side in the match with another close-range stop to deny Federico Valverde just before halftime.

    The Italian keeper continued his strong performance after the break, parrying efforts from both Bellingham and Dean Huijsen, but was finally beaten by Garcia’s decisive header.

    Garcia made way in the 68th minute for Mbappe, who made his Club World Cup debut.

    Late saves from Di Gregorio kept Juventus in contention, but the Serie A side failed to find an equalizer against Madrid’s disciplined defense.

    Real Madrid will face either Borussia Dortmund or Monterrey – who play later Tuesday night – in Saturday’s quarterfinal in New York.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • J&K LG flags off first batch of Amarnath Yatra pilgrims from Jammu amid tight security

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday flagged off the first batch of pilgrims for the annual Amarnath Yatra from Jammu to the Kashmir Valley, marking the start of the 36-day pilgrimage, which officially begins on Thursday.

    Amid chants of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai,” “Bum Bum Bhole,” and “Barfani Baba Ne Bulaya Hai,” enthusiastic pilgrims from across the country departed in two escorted convoys from the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas on Canal Road. The pilgrims are heading towards the two main base camps – Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district.

    The Lt Governor, who also serves as the Chairman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), was accompanied by senior civil and police officials during the flag-off ceremony.

    This year’s Yatra is being conducted under unprecedented security arrangements, particularly in the wake of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. To ensure the safety of pilgrims, an additional 180 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have been deployed to reinforce the existing security grid, which includes the Indian Army, paramilitary forces, and the J&K Police.

    The Yatra will conclude on August 9, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and the festival of Raksha Bandhan.

    Pilgrims reach the holy cave shrine, located at an altitude of 3,888 metres, via two routes— the traditional Pahalgam route and the shorter Baltal route.

    Those taking the Pahalgam route undertake a four-day, 46-km trek passing through Chandanwari, Sheshnag, and Panchtarni before reaching the cave shrine. In contrast, pilgrims opting for the Baltal route complete a 14-km trek and usually return to the base camp the same day after having darshan at the shrine.

    The sacred cave houses a naturally formed ice stalagmite, believed by devotees to symbolize the mythical powers of Lord Shiva. The structure waxes and wanes with the phases of the moon, adding to its spiritual significance.

    Amarnath Yatra 2025: Route Options – Baltal vs Pahalgam

    There are two Amarnath Yatra routes to reach the Holy Cave: the Baltal route and the Pahalgam route.

    The Pahalgam route covers a distance of approximately 36 kilometers and typically takes between three to five days to complete. It is ideal for those who prefer a slower, more scenic trek through the breathtaking landscapes of the Kashmir Valley. This traditional route passes through key halting points such as Chandanwari, Sheshnag, and Panchtarni, making it well-suited for pilgrims who wish to experience the spiritual journey at a more relaxed pace.

    The Baltal route, on the other hand, is much shorter—about 14 kilometers – but significantly steeper and more challenging. It usually takes one to two days to complete and is best suited for physically fit individuals or those with limited time. Many pilgrims using this route complete the journey and return on the same day after having darshan at the cave shrine.

    Both routes offer unique experiences, and the choice depends on individual preferences, physical fitness, and time availability.

    (With inputs from IANS)

  • J&K LG flags off first batch of Amarnath Yatra pilgrims from Jammu amid tight security

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha on Wednesday flagged off the first batch of pilgrims for the annual Amarnath Yatra from Jammu to the Kashmir Valley, marking the start of the 36-day pilgrimage, which officially begins on Thursday.

    Amid chants of “Bharat Mata Ki Jai,” “Bum Bum Bhole,” and “Barfani Baba Ne Bulaya Hai,” enthusiastic pilgrims from across the country departed in two escorted convoys from the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas on Canal Road. The pilgrims are heading towards the two main base camps – Pahalgam in Anantnag district and Baltal in Ganderbal district.

    The Lt Governor, who also serves as the Chairman of the Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB), was accompanied by senior civil and police officials during the flag-off ceremony.

    This year’s Yatra is being conducted under unprecedented security arrangements, particularly in the wake of the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam. To ensure the safety of pilgrims, an additional 180 companies of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPFs) have been deployed to reinforce the existing security grid, which includes the Indian Army, paramilitary forces, and the J&K Police.

    The Yatra will conclude on August 9, coinciding with Shravan Purnima and the festival of Raksha Bandhan.

    Pilgrims reach the holy cave shrine, located at an altitude of 3,888 metres, via two routes— the traditional Pahalgam route and the shorter Baltal route.

    Those taking the Pahalgam route undertake a four-day, 46-km trek passing through Chandanwari, Sheshnag, and Panchtarni before reaching the cave shrine. In contrast, pilgrims opting for the Baltal route complete a 14-km trek and usually return to the base camp the same day after having darshan at the shrine.

    The sacred cave houses a naturally formed ice stalagmite, believed by devotees to symbolize the mythical powers of Lord Shiva. The structure waxes and wanes with the phases of the moon, adding to its spiritual significance.

    Amarnath Yatra 2025: Route Options – Baltal vs Pahalgam

    There are two Amarnath Yatra routes to reach the Holy Cave: the Baltal route and the Pahalgam route.

    The Pahalgam route covers a distance of approximately 36 kilometers and typically takes between three to five days to complete. It is ideal for those who prefer a slower, more scenic trek through the breathtaking landscapes of the Kashmir Valley. This traditional route passes through key halting points such as Chandanwari, Sheshnag, and Panchtarni, making it well-suited for pilgrims who wish to experience the spiritual journey at a more relaxed pace.

    The Baltal route, on the other hand, is much shorter—about 14 kilometers – but significantly steeper and more challenging. It usually takes one to two days to complete and is best suited for physically fit individuals or those with limited time. Many pilgrims using this route complete the journey and return on the same day after having darshan at the cave shrine.

    Both routes offer unique experiences, and the choice depends on individual preferences, physical fitness, and time availability.

    (With inputs from IANS)

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: Housing Authority re-enters three construction sites

    Source: Hong Kong Government special administrative region

    Housing Authority re-enters three construction sites      The Housing Department is now arranging for other qualified and capable contractor(s) to finish the remaining construction works in the hope that the affected projects can be completed as soon as practicable.  

         The HA will continue to take various measures to expedite the completion of other public housing projects in order to reduce the impact as far as possible. On the other hand, as various Light Public Housing projects have been progressively completed and are becoming available for allocation, the composite waiting time (CWT) will decrease steadily, and the target of reducing the CWT to 4.5 years in 2026/27 remains unchanged.  
    Issued at HKT 12:55

    NNNN

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

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

    Source: Murray Darling Basin Authority

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    CLARE: Yes.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

    Okay, thanks very much, everybody.
     

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: What is aflatoxin, the toxic chemical behind Coles’ peanut butter recall?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Thomas Jeffries, Senior Lecturer in Microbiology, Western Sydney University

    Helen Camacaro/Getty

    Coles is recalling two of its homebrand peanut butter products, over concerns they have been contaminated with aflatoxin, a toxic chemical linked to liver cancer.

    The supermarket chain has issued the recall notice for Coles Smooth Peanut Butter 1kg and Coles Crunchy Peanut Butter 1kg, with the best before date of February 5 2027. They were sold in supermarkets and online nationally between May 1 and June 30 this year.

    Aflatoxin can cause injury or illness if eaten, according to Australia’s food safety authority.

    But what is aflatoxin? How does it get into food? And what is the risk if you eat it?

    What is aflatoxin? Where does it occur?

    Aflatoxins are a toxic chemical (a mycotoxin) produced by fungi. The mould-like fungi that produce aflatoxins belong to a large group called Aspergillus.

    These fungi are found in all environments, for example in soils, compost, building surfaces and on crops and other plants, and can cause infections or poisoning in humans and animals.

    Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, which produce aflatoxins, thrive mainly in agricultural crops but also in soils, rotting food and compost. The fungi emerge as spores and form networks of microscopic filaments that can grow on products such as grains and nuts.

    As these fungi grow they release a range of chemicals, including aflatoxins, that can lead to contamination of produce before and after harvest, or after processing.

    Aflatoxins are some of the most poisonous types of mycotoxin.

    Different kinds of aflatoxins usually affect contaminated food (aflatoxins B1, B2, G1), crops (G2) and milk (M1).

    Which foods are most risky?

    Crops produced and stored in warm, humid or moist tropical locations are most at risk, as toxin-producing moulds thrive in these conditions.

    High-risk foods include peanuts, corn and tree nuts (such as brazil, walnut and pistachio nuts). The toxin-producing fungi can also grow on wheat, rice, sorghum and spice crops such as turmeric, chilli, ginger and coriander.

    If animals graze on contaminated crops, their milk and meat can also become contaminated.

    Internationally, the Joint Food and Agriculture Administration and World Health Organization is responsible for setting guidelines and monitoring standards for mycotoxins via its expert committee on food additives.

    In Australia, aflatoxin food contamination is not common. In the past decade, there have only been a handful of recalls.

    Why are aflatoxins dangerous?

    Aflatoxins can damage your liver and cause cancer.

    Eating a lot of contaminated foods over a short period of time can lead to aflatoxicosis, acute poisoning that immediately damages the liver. Symptoms can include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain and convulsions, and may be life-threating.

    Over a long period, smaller amounts of contaminated foods can lead to liver cancer, birth defects, kidney disease and immune system dysfunction.

    There is no specific treatment for alfatoxins. Management after acute or long-term exposure focuses on addressing symptoms and monitoring liver health.

    How can I stay safe?

    There is not much individuals can do to control the presence of aflatoxin and other mycotoxins in foods, as contamination occurs during agriculture and processing.

    You should store nuts and nut products in a way that stops mould growing. Use well-sealed containers kept in dry and cool conditions.

    Freezing and cooking may kill the fungi, but the toxin can survive extreme temperatures.

    Unfortunately, it is difficult to see the fungi with the naked eye. However you should avoid visibly mouldy foods and throw away nuts and grains that are shrivelled or discoloured.

    What should I do if I’ve bought or eaten these products?

    Coles has advised customers to return the products to stores and contact its hotline for more information (1800 061 562).

    If you’re concerned you may have eaten contaminated peanut butter, speak to a health professional.

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

    – ref. What is aflatoxin, the toxic chemical behind Coles’ peanut butter recall? – https://theconversation.com/what-is-aflatoxin-the-toxic-chemical-behind-coles-peanut-butter-recall-260194

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • EU to add international CO2 credits to next climate goal

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The European Commission will on Wednesday propose an EU climate target for 2040 that for the first time will allow countries to use carbon credits from developing nations to meet a limited share of their emissions goal, a draft of the proposal showed.

    The draft, seen by Reuters, said the European Union executive would propose a legally-binding target to cut net greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040, from 1990 levels – with the aim of keeping the EU on course for its core climate aim to reach net zero emissions by 2050.

    But following pressure from governments including France, Germany, Italy, Poland and the Czech Republic, the draft EU proposal includes flexibilities that would soften the 90% emissions target for European industries.

    Previous EU emissions targets have been based entirely on domestic emissions cuts.

    Reflecting Germany’s public stance, up to 3 percentage points of the 2040 target can be covered by carbon credits bought from other countries through a U.N.-backed market, the draft said, reducing the effort required by domestic industries.

    The carbon credits would be phased in from 2036, and the EU will propose legislation “setting robust and high integrity criteria and standards, and conditions on origin, timing and use of such credits,” the draft said.

    Countries would also get more flexibility on choosing which sectors in their economy contribute most towards the 2040 goal, it said.

    Climate change has made Europe the world’s fastest warming continent and a heatwave this week has caused wildfires and disruption across the continent, but Europe’s ambitious policies to combat temperature rise have stoked tensions within the 27-member bloc.

    While the European Commission has pitched its climate agenda as a way to improve Europe’s competitiveness and security, some governments and lawmakers say industries reeling from U.S. tariffs and high energy costs cannot afford tougher emissions rules.

    “Decarbonisation is not only crucial for the planet, but also a key driver of economic growth when integrated with industrial, competition, and trade policies,” the draft said.

    A Commission spokesperson declined to comment on the draft, which could change before it is published.

    Carbon credits are generated by projects that reduce CO2 emissions abroad – for example, forest restoration in Brazil, and raise funds for such projects. However, investigations have shown some credits failed to deliver the environmental benefits they claimed.

    The EU’s climate science advisers have opposed counting them towards the 2040 target, and said spending money on foreign carbon credits would divert investments from local industries.

    EU countries and lawmakers must negotiate and approve the 2040 goal. That lawmaking process can take years, but the EU faces a deadline of mid-September to submit a new 2035 climate target to the U.N. – which the Commission has said should be derived from the 2040 goal.

    (Reuters)

  • Quad ministers demand bringing Pahalgam terrorists to justice, renew commitment to counterterrorism

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Renewing their commitment to work together to fight terrorism, the Quad foreign ministers on Tuesday demanded that all those responsible for the “reprehensible” Pahalgam terror attack be immediately brought to justice and countries concerned cooperate with the authorities.

    In a joint statement after their meeting on Tuesday, they said, “We call for the perpetrators, organisers, and financiers of this reprehensible act to be brought to justice without any delay and urge all UN Member States, in accordance with their obligations under international law and relevant UNSCRs (Security Council Resolutions), to cooperate actively with all relevant authorities in this regard.”

    “The Quad unequivocally condemns all acts of terrorism and violent extremism in all its forms and manifestations, including cross-border terrorism, and renews our commitment to counterterrorism cooperation,” the statement said.

    External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, Foreign Ministers Penny Wong of Australia and Takeshi Iwaya of Japan representing the major democracies of the Indo-Pacific region met for their second ministerial meeting of the year.

    They said, “We condemn in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir, on April 22, 2025, which claimed the lives of 25 Indian nationals and one Nepali citizen, while injuring several others. We express our deepest condolences to the families of the victims and extend our heartfelt wishes for a swift and full recovery to all those injured.”

    The statement did not name any country while calling for bringing the perpetrators of the massacre to justice, but the nation was obvious because The Resistance Front, which carried out the attack, is an arm of the Lashkar-e-Taiba, which is sheltered by Pakistan.

    Before the ministers met, Jaishankar said, “India has every right to defend its people against terrorism, and we will exercise that right.”

    “We expect our quad partners to understand and appreciate that,” he emphasised.

    The top diplomats said they looked forward to the Quad summit to be hosted later this year by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which will be attended by US President Donald Trump and Prime Ministers Anthony Albanese of Australia and Shigeru Ishiba of Japan.

    The ministers said that they “plan to launch the Quad Ports of the Future Partnership in Mumbai this year.”

    “To ensure the Quad’s enduring impact, we are pleased to announce today a new, ambitious, and strong agenda focused on four key areas: maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity and security, critical and emerging technology, and humanitarian assistance and emergency response. Through this renewed focus, we will sharpen the Quad’s ability to leverage our resources to address the region’s most pressing challenges,” the ministers added.

    The four areas are maritime and transnational security, economic prosperity and security, critical and emerging technology, and humanitarian assistance and emergency response.

    While their joint statement repeatedly spoke of threats to countries in the region from the use of force and coercion by China, they did not name it.

    “We remain seriously concerned about the situation in the East China Sea and South China Sea. We reiterate our strong opposition to any unilateral actions that seek to change the status quo by force or coercion. We express our serious concerns regarding dangerous and provocative actions, including interference with offshore resource development, the repeated obstruction of the freedoms of navigation and overflight, and the dangerous maneuvers by military aircraft and coast guard and maritime militia vessels, especially the unsafe use of water cannons and ramming or blocking actions in the South China Sea,” said the joint statement.

    While China was not mentioned, it had carried out all those actions against the Philippines, Vietnam, and South Korea, and it has been involved in disputes with Malaysia over offshore oil drilling.

    “These actions threaten peace and stability in the region”, they said. “We are seriously concerned by the militarisation of disputed features.”

    The ministers expressed concern over the disruptions to the supply chain, particularly of critical minerals and said it was important to diversify supplies.

    They announced a concrete measure to deal with this problem: “We are launching today the Quad Critical Minerals Initiative, an ambitious expansion of our partnership to strengthen economic security and collective resilience by collaborating to secure and diversify critical minerals supply chains.”

    To strengthen the Quad’s ability to carry out relief in natural disasters – a mission that gave initial shape to the group – the ministers said they plan to host the first Quad Indo-Pacific Logistics Network field training exercise this year.

    It aims “to strengthen shared airlift capacity and leverage our collective logistics strengths to respond to natural disasters more rapidly and efficiently, providing support for regional partners,” the statement said.

    They condemned North Korea’s missile and nuclear weapons programmes and demanded that it follow United Nations Security Council resolutions and end them.

    They also expressed “grave concern over North Korea’s malicious cyber activity, including cryptocurrency theft and use of workers abroad to fund North Korea’s unlawful weapons of mass destruction and ballistic missile programs.”

    Pyongyang has sent its citizens to fight on behalf of Russia in Ukraine.

    Closer to home, the ministers said they were “deeply concerned by the worsening crisis in Myanmar and its impact on the region.”

    They called on the military regime and all groups involved “to implement, extend and broaden ceasefire measures.”

    (With inputs from IANS)

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Territory of reasonable decisions: how Muscovites are helped to improve their financial literacy

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The popularity of educational projects on financial literacy is growing in the capital. Master classes, games, quizzes, film lectures and other interactive activities help city residents of all ages understand financial issues. The events are held by the capital’s Department of Finance together with the financial literacy center and partners.

    “We talk to Muscovites about finances where it is convenient for them and in a way that interests them: in schools and universities, libraries, festivals and parks. In 2024 alone, over 560 events of various formats were held in the capital. And this year there will be even more. It is important that Muscovites receive not only new knowledge, but also practical skills: they learn to handle money wisely and make thoughtful financial decisions,” she noted.

    Elena Zyabbarova, Minister of the Moscow Government, head of the capital’s Department of Finance.

    The meetings go beyond the usual spaces and are already becoming part of the urban environment. Thus, this summer, financial literacy days were held at the Northern and Southern river terminals – these are new city platforms for such conversations.

    Another major event is Festival of financial literacy and entrepreneurial culture in Moscow. It has been held since 2017 by the capital’s departments of finance, education and science, as well as the Bank of Russia, and has become a traditional city educational event for city residents of all ages who want to improve their level of financial literacy and learn the basics of entrepreneurship. Last year, the festival lasted a whole week and covered more than 200 sites, including the Moscow Center for Education Quality, schools, colleges, universities, Moscow Longevity Centers, My Work and My Career employment centers, libraries and the Digital Business Space. More than 500 thousand people took part in online and offline events. This coming autumn, the festival will return with a rich program.

    Classes to improve financial literacy are integrated into major events and festivals, including Biblionight, Night at the Museum, and Red Square. Most often, city residents are interested in how to avoid being scammed, invest, and plan their personal budget.

    Modern formats make such events more lively and exciting. In 2024, a financial stand-up and a VR simulator appeared, with the help of which you can practice your personal finance management skills.

    Financial Literacy in Libraries

    For more than two years now, thematic meetings have been held for residents of the capital near their homes. As part of the project “ABCs of Financial Literacy”, which covers all age groups, lectures, business games, film lectures and other events are organized in Moscow libraries.

    City residents discuss familiar life situations with experts, including how to plan a family budget, what to consider when applying for a loan, and how not to become a victim of fraudsters. Event announcements can be found on social networks and city library websites.

    Name for the project Muscovites themselves chose. More than 170 thousand people took part in the voting on the Active Citizen platform.

    Financial Literacy in Film

    One of the most original formats is film lectures in Moscow cinemas. This is an unusual way to involve city residents in managing their personal finances, even if they have not been seriously interested in this before.

    Together with experts, viewers watch famous Soviet and Russian films, including “Courier”, “Moneychangers”, “Russian Money”, “Domovoy”, “Family Budget”. And then they analyze the behavior of the characters from the point of view of financial literacy: what went wrong, and could it have been done differently?

    Soviet films raise topics that remain relevant today, they are simply presented through the prism of modern realities. For example, the film “Beware of the Car” raises questions about car insurance.

    The project is being implemented with the support of the Moskino cinema chain and Department of Culture of Moscow.

    Financial Literacy at Work

    The rhythm of the metropolis does not always leave time for self-education, so a project for financial education of employees of work collectives has appeared in Moscow. Organizations can invite experts to conduct lectures and master classes directly at workplaces – offline or online. All events are free, and the topic can be chosen depending on the request of employees.

    The focus is most often on cybersecurity, personal budget management, consumer protection, investment basics, taxation and lending. Listeners can choose from interactive lectures, master classes, financial quizzes and case studies.

    You can determine the topic, format and time of classes, as well as sign up for the waiting list by link.

    Financial Literacy for Children and Youth

    The upbringing of a financially literate person begins at an early age. Thematic classes and events with elements of financial literacy are organized by Department of Education and Science of the City of MoscowIn addition, children can take part in Olympiads and quizzes, quizzes and quests, meet with representatives of large Russian companies and attend lessons taught by representatives of the Federal Financial Monitoring Service (Rosfinmonitoring).

    The capital’s Department of Finance is implementing several projects on financial literacy for children and young people. Kindergartens regularly host events for preschoolers, schools host open lessons on financial and budget literacy, and children’s city camps host interactive classes during the holidays. Starting this year, they can be visited not only in the summer, but also in the spring and fall. Primary school students will learn about the origin of funds, rules for financial security and rational purchases, and will also create a model of their bank card and take part in a quiz.

    Experts can also be invited to colleges and universities. Heads of educational institutions choose what will really interest students, including quizzes, educational lectures or cartoons on financial topics. Questions related to budget planning, the history of money, financial security and lending remain popular with young people. You can send an application to link.

    Separate tracks for children’s audiences were also provided at citywide events. While adults listen to lectures on smart family budget planning, children can play the tactile game “Guess What?”, analyze the financial behavior of popular cartoon characters, or take part in the quiz “Secrets of Financial Security.”

    Financial Literacy for the Older Generation

    Older city residents actively participate in educational events with experts, which take place in Moscow longevity centers, libraries and other venues, as well as at major festivals. Muscovites of the “silver” age learn how to make purchases on the Internet, protect personal data and avoid spontaneous spending.

    Experts also talk about aspects of inheritance law in Russia, forms of wills and the specifics of drafting them. It is important that listeners can get answers to their questions on the spot and analyze their personal financial situations.

    In addition, the Moscow Longevity project offers regular classes on financial and legal literacy. The course programs are designed to take into account the interests of the older audience. You can find out more at the Moscow Longevity Centers and on the portal Mos.ru.

    Financial Literacy for People with Disabilities

    Special attention is paid to financial education of citizens with disabilities. Muscovites with visual impairments will be able to attend lectures at the Russian State Library for the Blind and listen to educational programs recorded by the Department of Finance on Internet radio. People with hearing impairments have the opportunity to access educational videos with sign language interpretation. This allows us to cover all segments of the population and create a truly inclusive educational environment.

    Tax deductions and banking products: Moscow launches financial literacy project for the visually impairedMoscow projects to improve financial literacy are recognized as the best in Russia

    Financial literacy in new formats

    Technology is an important component of educational formats. In 2024, an updated version of the financial checkup was presented – an online test that helps assess your knowledge. More than 4.3 thousand people took it. This can be done at any time by linkBy answering a few questions, everyone will find out their level of financial literacy and receive personal recommendations and links to useful materials for further self-education.

    The VR simulator is no less popular. Participants get the opportunity to immerse themselves in a virtual space, where they try themselves in the role of a tax consultant or bank employee and make important decisions on loans and tax deductions. You can practice budget management skills at the events of the Department of Finance.

    Economically active Muscovites have a high level of financial literacy

    Financial Literacy Online

    Those who prefer to study remotely can also easily find the necessary information. Useful materials, event announcements and links are published on the portal “Open Budget of the City of Moscow” and in the same name telegram channel.

    Budget literacy

    Budget literacy projects are also being developed in Moscow. One example is the “Budget for Citizens” competition. The participants are mainly schoolchildren and students. They make guidebooks, draw comics, brochures and posters, develop educational websites, create educational videos and cartoons, and come up with business, board and computer games.

    The organizers analyze the competition entries and try to take into account useful suggestions. The most interesting ideas are implemented in educational projects. Department of FinanceThe works of the winners of the capital competition are also highly valued at the federal level.

    Get the latest news quickly official telegram channelthe city of Moscow.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: Summer of a young volunteer: how to spend your holidays usefully

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The resource center invites young city residents to spend their holidays usefully and with interesting activities “Mosvolonter”. Summer is the perfect time to try volunteering and gain invaluable experience. Children and teenagers can participate in city events, learn about volunteering with their parents, attend master classes in“Good Places”.

    “Volunteering helps children develop and acquire important social skills, and cultivate leadership qualities. They learn to interact in a team, be proactive and responsible. Volunteering gives children a unique opportunity to discover new and interesting areas of activity, choose a future profession, create their first good projects and find like-minded people,” says Alexander Levit, director of the Mosvolonter resource center.

    Volunteering can be introduced from an early age. Caring for the world around you and wanting to help others will naturally become part of your child’s life.

    Where to start as a volunteer

    Anyone can become a volunteer in the capital. To do this, you need to register on the website Mosvolonter.ru, create a personal account and choose an event to your liking. You can help in volunteer projects independently from the age of 14. Younger children participate with their parents. Volunteers under 18 will need written consent from official representatives.online learning platform At the Mosvolonter resource center you can learn the basics of volunteer work, get acquainted with all its areas and the history of the city.

    Parents can help a young city dweller choose a direction for volunteering. A mother or father, like no one else, can inspire a child to participate in volunteer activities by their own example. This will become a good family tradition or one of the options for joint leisure. For example, you can collect waste paper, plastic and bottle caps with your children and hand them over to a special box in one of the volunteer centers “Good Place”.

    During the holidays, families often take part in clean-up days, creative workshops, sports events, restore books in libraries, walk dogs in shelters, create toys, leashes and other things for them. Together, you can join the initiatives of charitable organizations. This will allow children to feel that they themselves can change the world for the better, give joy and warmth to those who need it. The children will spend their holidays brightly and interestingly – they will learn new skills, meet other volunteers and find friends.

    The Mosvolonter Resource Center has developed educational materials for children cartoons about volunteering. In them, the characters show that everyone has the power to help not only the people around them, but also the entire city. Young viewers will learn that good deeds can be done even on a walk with friends and classmates.

    For children, Mosvolonter has compiled list of good deeds for the holidays. These are simple and exciting tasks. The fairy tale characters tell you how to complete them.

    The children will learn how to make a bird feeder, why it is necessary to collect plastic caps, how to support the elderly, and where to find those who are ready to fix their favorite books.

    Young volunteers can also do their first good deed at the children’s volunteer center “Good Place” in the KidZania Career Park. There, children will learn how to help people and nature, and try themselves out as zoo volunteers.

    Where to apply your talents?

    The website of the resource center “Mosvolonter” not only introduces areas of volunteer activity, but also allows you to choose event to their liking. Children explore the possibilities of professional application of their abilities in the future, learn about the activities of capital organizations, choose an interesting area of assistance and inspire friends to participate together.

    For example, on July 5, a workshop on Family, Love and Fidelity Day will be held at Dobroe Mesto. SZAO.paintings on ceramics. Participants will learn the secrets of the Russian folk craft “Gzhel” and create unusual plates painted with acrylic paints together with their children. Parents will receive useful tips on how to have fun and educational time with their child at home. Experts will tell about unusual creative techniques and new ideas for joint leisure. The event is free, pre-registration is required.

    In addition, you can join the volunteer corps of humanitarian aid collection headquarters “Moscow helps”, and also to bring essential goods to residents of new and border regions. As part of the project “Summer in Moscow” “Houses of Kindness” have been opened throughout the city, where they accept gifts for participants in the special military operation, children living in new territories, and also goods for animals.

    This year, young volunteers are indispensable helpers inInternational Volunteer Corps 80th anniversary of the victory in the Great Patriotic War. The brightest summer event was the patriotic action “Memory Line” on the Krymskaya embankment, where many took part together with their parents.

    Start from the school desk

    Many volunteer teams in schools do not go on vacation. Thanks to teachers, children continue to participate in volunteer events and do good deeds for the residents of their district and region. Young Muscovites can learn about the volunteer team and summer activities from the teacher-organizer or educational advisor at their school.

    Volunteering is also useful for those who are already thinking about their future studies at a university. In the summer, you can start accumulating volunteer hours to receive additional points when entering a university. Each university or institute has the right to independently set the number of points (from one to 10). Participation in volunteer activities to receive additional points when entering must be confirmed. This will help to do the main document of the volunteer – personal e-book of a volunteer.

    Schools and other organizations that develop volunteerism are constantly improving their competencies and have access to the most modern educational materials and manuals. Helps in their selection special serviceIt presents the “ABCs of a Volunteer”, a collection of good deeds, the “Moscow Guide” publication, the board games “Volunteers in the City” and “Five Keys”, “A Guide to a Moscow Volunteer”, as well as a practical course for managers, manuals for trainers and organizers of volunteer associations.

    Organizing volunteer activities and involving residents in city events are in line with the objectives of the national project “Youth and Children” and the federal project “We are together”.

    You can find out more about volunteering on the resource center website “Mosvolonter”, as well as on the social network page “VKontakte” and in telegram channel.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: Experts talk about city projects for pets

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    On International Dog Day, which is celebrated on July 2, experts from the Department of Information Technology and the Veterinary Committee of the capital told about city projects for pets, and also prepared a number of useful recommendations that will come in handy in the summer.

    “The capital is developing an ecosystem of services and digital projects for pets, thanks to which owners can take care of the health of their pets, make appointments with veterinarians at state clinics, learn more about nearby dog parks and rules for walking in public places. For example, on the page of the super service “My Pet” you can study the recommendations of veterinarians on the proper care and responsible keeping of pets, view the outpatient card of your pet with dates and information about the results of appointments, prescriptions and vaccinations,” the press service said.

    Department of Information Technology of the City of Moscow.

    Summer is a special time for dogs and their owners. This is the time when you can run through the forest, swim in ponds, explore the corners of the city with your four-legged friend. However, it is very important to take into account the weather conditions and the characteristics of your pets. In the heat, they can become dehydrated and even suffer from sunstroke. In such weather, the animal should have access to drinking water, but you should not wet the dog’s head and back – this can cause overheating, because the fur protects the pet, and when water gets in, the sun’s rays instantly warm it up to the skin. You can wet the dog’s nose and lower part with water: armpits, stomach and paws.

    Veterinarians also do not recommend cutting the animal, unless it is provided for by the breed characteristics. The coat performs an important function of thermoregulation: it creates an air layer that helps the dog to stay cool and protects the skin from the harmful effects of sunlight, preventing sunburn and the development of skin diseases. Experts recommend combing the undercoat of pets more often in hot weather, reducing physical activity and changing the walking schedule so that the animal is in the sun as little as possible. And if the summer is cool, then after cutting some dogs may begin to freeze and even catch a cold.

    Treatment against ticks and other parasites is another important point that must be taken into account before a walk in the park, forest or going out into nature. These can be collars impregnated with a special composition, drops on the withers or tablets for oral administration.

    “Not a single antiparasitic agent can guarantee complete protection against ticks. Therefore, it is necessary to regularly examine your pet during a walk, as well as after it, to make sure that there are no parasites in the fur and on the skin. Finding the pest can be difficult, especially on a thick-haired dog or cat, but you should not neglect this. If you find a tick, you should remove it yourself or seek help from a veterinary clinic,” the press service of the Moscow City Veterinary Committee noted.

    You can study veterinarians’ advice on keeping and caring for animals and view your pet’s outpatient card in the super service “My pet”.

    If the animal feels unwell, refuses to eat, and its activity has sharply decreased, it is necessary to contact a veterinarian. You can call him at home by phone: 7 495 612-12-12.

    You can find out more about the rules for walking pets, as well as view a map with the addresses of specialized sites in all areas of the capital on the special project page “To the park – with the dog” on the mos.ru portal.

    Many public spaces, cafes and shops in the capital allow visiting with a pet. If the owner plans to explore new corners of the city with their four-legged companion, it is important to remember that the collar or harness should have an address tag with the owner’s phone number and contact information. The presence of a microchip, which is installed in clinics, will also help find the animal if it gets lost. If the pet runs away during a walk and then ends up in a veterinary clinic or shelter, specialists will read the chip with a scanner, find the owner’s contact information in the database and contact him. The chip is absolutely harmless to animals, and its installation takes only a few minutes. You can make an appointment with a doctor at the nearest state clinic to install a chip at mos.ru portal.

    And within the framework of the capital project “Summer in Moscow” More than 200 events for owners of four-legged friends are planned. They will meet with dog handlers, zoologists and veterinarians. In addition, 10 family and sports festivals “Tailed Starts” will be held during the summer. On weekends, experienced specialists give lectures in an equipped veterinary mobile about the health and maintenance of different breeds of dogs, talk about disease prevention, proper nutrition, the need for regular examinations and vaccinations of pets. There is also a mobile office “Mobile Grooming”, where specialists will carry out a set of procedures for the care of the coat, skin, claws, ears and eyes of dogs free of charge.

    The super service “My Pet” began operating in the summer of 2023. It was created jointly by the capital’s State Services Committee, the Veterinary Committee and the Department of Information Technology.

    The use of digital technologies to improve the quality of life of city residents is in line with the objectives of the national program “Digital Economy of the Russian Federation”and the regional project of the city of Moscow “Digital Public Administration”.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: Several embankments and streets in the city center will be closed on July 5

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    In connection with the Moscow Night Bike Festival, traffic will be temporarily closed on a number of embankments and streets in the city center on July 5.

    Thus, from 21:00 on July 4 to 18:30 on July 5 and from 00:01 to 07:00 on July 6, one traffic lane will be closed on Luzhniki Street from house 8 (building 1) to Luzhnetskaya Embankment, as well as on the section of Luzhnetskaya Embankment from Luzhniki Street to the Third Transport Ring.

    In addition, on July 5 from 18:30 until the end of the event, traffic on Luzhniki Street will be temporarily restricted. This will affect the section from house 8 (building 1) to Luzhnetskaya Embankment. From 21:00 on July 5 until 00:30 on July 6, it will be impossible to drive along the section of Bogorodskoye Highway from Veteranov Avenue to 1st Polevoy Lane.

    In addition, on July 5 from 10:00 pm until the end of the bike festival, Veteranov Avenue and several embankments will be closed to traffic: Luzhnetskaya (from Luzhniki Street to the intersection with Luzhnetskaya Embankment), Prechistenskaya, Kremlevskaya, Moskvoretskaya, Podgorskaya, Bernikovskaya, Nikoloyamskaya, Andronyevskaya, Zolotorozhskaya, Krasnokazarmennaya, Golovinskaya, Gospitalnaya, Semenovskaya, Preobrazhenskaya and Gannushkina Embankment.

    Parking will be temporarily prohibited in all restricted areas from 00:01 on July 5 until the end of the event.

    Drivers are advised to plan their route in advance, taking into account traffic changes. Full details can be found on the website Traffic Management Center.

    Get the latest news quickly official telegram channel the city of Moscow.

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: Rozhdestvensky and Strastnoy Boulevards invite you to art master classes

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    Decorating and painting products, making cards with floral decor, watercolor painting and 3D appliques – on Rozhdestvensky and Strastnoy Boulevards as part of the project “Summer in Moscow” unique creative workshops operate. All those who wish are taught the main modern artistic techniques there. The program is suitable for all ages, and participation in it is free.

    Masks with decor and smalt mosaic on Rozhdestvensky Boulevard

    Rozhdestvensky Boulevard This summer, it became one of the most vibrant cultural venues in the capital. There is a creative workshop here, where classes are held in a variety of decorative and fine arts. Everyone will be able to not only learn more about artistic techniques, but also create a full-fledged art piece with their own hands – a painted mask, a painted canvas, as well as a mosaic made of smalt or graffiti.

    Master classes on Thursday, July 3, will be devoted to decorating and painting cardboard products. From 13:00 to 14:00, participants will decorate masks in the form of a rabbit or ice cream, using gouache, felt-tip pens and colored pencils. The final touch will be decorative elements – pompoms, confetti, dried flowers and glitter. This work will suit even the youngest participants, who will make a unique souvenir with their own hands.

    On Friday, July 4th, at the same time, a master class “Paintings by Famous Artists in Acrylic” will be held. Participants will be able to choose one of several reproductions of works by classic artists to create their own version of a masterpiece on canvas. They will paint on tabletop easels under the guidance of a professional artist. All materials will be provided by the organizers, and the finished painting can be taken home.

    The program will continue on Saturday, July 5, at 16:00 with a lesson dedicated to Russian folk painting. Participants will create compositions in the style of “Gorodets” or “Northern Dvina” on wooden boards. The teacher will tell about the history of the crafts, their symbolism and traditional colors. As a result, each guest will receive not only new knowledge, but also their own unique work.

    On Sunday, July 6, from 15:00 to 16:00 and on Monday, July 7, from 13:00 to 14:00, a mosaic studio will be open on the boulevard. Guests will create a panel from smalt using the direct set technique. First, participants will come up with and draw a sketch of the future work, and then select and fix the mosaic elements on the base. Such classes not only develop artistic thinking, but also introduce one of the oldest interior design techniques.

    Those wishing to try their hand at street art are invited to graffiti master classes, which will be held on Friday, July 11, from 2:00 PM to 3:00 PM and Saturday, July 12, from 3:00 PM to 4:00 PM. The classes will include two stages. First, participants will learn about the history and aesthetics of graffiti, and create sketches. Then, under the supervision of a professional, they will try to implement their idea on a specially prepared wall. All participants will be provided with protective masks and gloves.

    Geometric paintings and 3D appliques on Strastnoy Boulevard

    Passionate Boulevard has also turned into a cozy art space. There is an art workshop here, where anyone can try their hand at decorative and applied art – learn to draw and create panels in different styles.

    A rich program awaits guests. Thus, on July 3, 8, 9 and 10 from 15:00 to 15:45, a master class “Gems” will be held. Participants will create a three-dimensional picture using the 3D applique technique. They will have to use bright materials, as well as develop fine motor skills and compositional thinking.

    On July 4 and 11 from 15:00 to 15:45 there will be a class “Summer Day”Under the guidance of mentors, visitors will work on a landscape using the dot mosaic technique.

    On July 5 from 14:00 to 14:45 it will be the turn of the master class “Bright colors”Participants will paint pictures in a geometric style – with clear shapes and rich colors.

    On July 12 from 17:00 to 17:45 there will be a lesson called “Blooming Garden”. Guests will make an interior panel with summer motifs using the pebble mosaic technique. They will work with natural materials.

    All materials will be provided by the organizers; participation in the classes is free.

    Project “Summer in Moscow”— the main event of the season. It brings together the most vibrant events of the capital. Every day, charity, cultural and sports events are held in all districts of the city, most of which are free. The Summer in Moscow project is being held for the second time, and this season will be more eventful: new, original and colorful festivals and events will be added to the traditional ones.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Russia: Information on 1,67 thousand city objects appeared on the Moscow Government’s open data portal

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The Moscow City Bureau of Technical Inventory (MosgorBTI) is involved in filling Moscow Government Open Data Portal. The institution published information about city blocks. This will allow organizations and Muscovites to receive up-to-date information about the boundaries and characteristics of city territories.

    “Since February 2025, specialists from MosgorBTI have been publishing a catalog of registration blocks on the Moscow government’s open data portal, which today includes information on 1.67 thousand objects. They are used to determine the addresses of real estate located outside of populated areas and not connected to streets. Such objects have the numbers of registration city blocks in the structure of the official address,” she said.

    Ekaterina Solovieva, Minister of the Moscow Government, Head of the Moscow Department of City Property.

    The data.mos.ru portal is a free digital platform that hosts key information about Moscow, its infrastructure, events, and much more. The service helps residents of the capital receive information about department reception schedules, traffic restrictions due to road works, social card replenishment points, and other useful information, including cartographic information.

    The resource can also be used to determine whether the name of the property will use the name of the locality or the number of the city block. In addition, you can find out about its location and connection with localities and municipalities. This data will help application developers integrate information about real estate objects into their own services through API tools.

    The data.mos.ru portal contains more than a thousand data sets and analytical reports, which are available for viewing in catalogs for both users and information systems through a special mechanism for automatic exchange of information – API.

    “You can use the catalog of registered city blocks on the open data portal: the information is posted in the section

    “Territorial division”. There you can also find a collection of materials onarchival elements of the planning structure, which were valid until January 1, 2025. MosgorBTI regularly updates the information on the portal from the Address Register of Moscow Real Estate Objects, so that up-to-date information on the addresses of Moscow real estate is always publicly available. This data set can be found in the section “Land and Property”“, said the general director of MosgorBTI Dmitry Tetushkin.

    The Moscow City Bureau of Technical Inventory provides a wide range of services to city residents – it carries out cadastral and geodetic work, property appraisal and acceptance of apartments. In addition, specialists prepare documents for the approval of redevelopment and the transfer of garden houses into residential ones. You can get detailed information and place an order on the website Mosgorbti.ru or at one of five customer centers.

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

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  • MIL-OSI Australia: A look at Belconnen school upgrades

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    Hawker Primary School’s newly built ramp winds through the school’s garden.

    In brief:

    • There is a lot of work happening at public schools in Belconnen.
    • This includes building a brand-new school, school upgrades and an oval refresh project.
    • This story gives an overview of this work.

    There’s a lot happening at public schools in the Belconnen region.

    From facilities upgrades to a brand-new school, we look at some of the work that’s:

    • been recently completed
    • currently taking place
    • planned.

    This work will ensure every child has access to great, accessible, sustainable facilities and infrastructure that support high-quality education in the ACT.

    Progress on Strathnairn School

    Construction is well underway on what will be the ACT’s 93rd public school.

    The new Strathnairn School will be co-located with an early childhood education and care (ECEC) service.

    It will cater for:

    • 780 students from preschool to year 6
    • 130 ECEC places.

    The school’s foundation principal, Nicole Nicholson, and other executive staff have been announced.

    When will the school open?

    Strathnairn School will open in stages.

    • It will open for students in preschool to year 2 at the start of 2026.
    • It is expected students from all year levels will be able to attend in 2027.

    This will offer families in the Ginninderry region high-quality public education close to home.

    Who can enrol?

    The planned School Priority Enrolment Area (PEA) for the new school includes:

    • Strathnairn
    • Macnamara
    • Ginninderry Stage 3
    • a portion of new development in Holt, west of the golf course bounded by Fullston Way and Lionel Rose Street.

    Enrol your child at Strathnairn School

    Find out more about the school on the Built for CBR website

    The Strathnairn School site in May 2025

    Have your say on a refreshed Fraser oval

    The dryland oval beside Fraser Primary school is getting a refresh. This will make it more useful for students as a learning and play space.

    The community can use it too. Outside school hours, sporting groups and locals can head there for exercise, sports and recreation.

    Canberrans are now invited to share ideas on how best to refresh this popular space. Children and young people are encouraged to get involved.

    How to share your views

    Visit the YourSay Conversations website to take a survey and/or mark your ideas on an online map.

    You can do this until Wednesday, 13 August.

    The ACT Government has sought early ideas from staff and students at Fraser Primary School. Traditional Owners have also shared feedback on what is important to them in this new space.

    Your feedback will help shape a concept design for the refreshed oval. This will be shared through the YourSay platform.

    You will then have further opportunity to give feedback before the designs are finalised.

    Have your say now via the YourSay Conversations website.

    Fraser oval will be refreshed for both student and community use.

    Hawker Primary School upgrades

    Hawker Primary School students and staff are benefitting from recent upgrades.

    The school has welcomed new accessible car parking bays. There is also now a ramp leading to its entrance.

    The front office has had a makeover with:

    • a new two-door entrance
    • new furniture
    • LED lighting
    • upgrades to the sick bay and nearby toilet.

    The school now has a new printer facility room. Upgrades to the boardroom and principal’s office are also complete.

    This work has been completed as part of the ACT Government’s Asset Renewal Program.

    The Hawker Primary School front office has had a makeover.

    Upgrades ahead for Melba Copland Secondary School

    The 2025–26 ACT Budget includes support for the master planning, design and construction of priority upgrades at Melba Copland Secondary School.

    These will include an upgrade to the foyer at the College campus, and a plan for future works.

    Read more like this:

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Palestinian Occupied Territories – Five months of forced displacement and escalating humanitarian needs amid advancing annexation in the West Bank – MSF

    Source: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

    2 July, Jerusalem – More than 40,000 people in the northern West Bank remain forcibly displaced, cut off from their homes and left with very limited access to basic services and healthcare five months after the launch of the Israeli military operation ‘Iron Wall’. 

    This large-scale military campaign has seen Israeli forces raid and violently empty well-established refugee camps in northern West Bank. Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) warns that people are facing deteriorating health and living conditions, as the Israeli forces are still causing widespread destruction, and occupying the three refugee camps of Jenin, Tulkarem and Nur Shams – preventing any return and barring access.

    “After five months, the military operation continues. The camps remain sealed off, with Israeli soldiers actively preventing anyone from entering. Families are still in limbo, and we’re worried that humanitarian needs will keep escalating,” says Simona Onidi, MSF project coordinator in Jenin and Tulkarem.

    To mark this grim milestone, MSF is releasing a new advocacy briefing note, Five Months Under Iron Wall, highlighting the human toll of prolonged displacement in the West Bank. The note draws on MSF’s field presence, operational data, and nearly 300 interviews conducted in mid-May across 17 locations where MSF works in northern West Bank, with forcibly displaced refugees from the three camps.

    Findings show that displacement-affected communities face growing instability and unmet needs such as access to healthcare and to regular food and water. Nearly half of the people spoken to have been forcibly displaced three or more times in four months, while nearly three out of four are unsure if they can stay where they currently are. Over a third report feeling unsafe where they currently reside. Mental health needs are also mounting, especially among women and children, as repeated displacement, uncertainty, and being violently displaced compound distress.

    “We live in a constant state of fear. Israeli forces frequently patrol the area near where I’m staying. My family and I keep our bags packed at all times, ready to flee if we’re displaced again.” – Displaced woman from Nur Shams Refugee Camp.

    MSF’s findings also reveal a disturbing pattern of violence and obstruction targeting displaced residents attempting to return to their homes in the camps, with over 100 incidents of indiscriminate violence reported. This includes shootings, assault, and detentions and is affecting people of all ages and genders. Some families found their homes burned, looted, or occupied; others were explicitly threatened and told never to come back. Returns are heavily restricted, with only limited time granted or access denied altogether.

    “When I came back to my home in the camp, it had been burned down — and my neighbour had been killed.” – Displaced man from Tulkarem Refugee Camp.

    One in three people could not reach a doctor when needed – mainly due to cost, distance, or lack of transport. Nearly half spoken to report inconsistent access to food and water, and 35 per cent of those with chronic illnesses are unable to get regular medication.

    In response to the unfolding crisis, MSF set up mobile medical teams which run in more than 40 public sites, displacement shelters in Jenin and Tulkarem and basic health care centres run by Ministry of Health facilities, offering basic health care services as well as mental health support and health promotion activities.

    The Iron Wall military operation is neither the beginning nor the end of the violence endured by Palestinians in the West Bank. This latest escalation comes on top of an already dire situation that has been steadily deteriorating, particularly since October 2023. As MSF’s February 2025 report Inflicting Harm and Denying Care shows, the West Bank has long been the site of repeated violations against civilians and medical organisations, and the current humanitarian crisis in the northern governorates cannot be understood in isolation from the broader context of coercive, violent measures and annexation.

    “What we’re seeing in the northern West Bank is not just a humanitarian emergency; it’s a man-made crisis, prolonged by design, and worsening by the day,” says Simona Onidi. “Humanitarian assistance is insufficient and inconsistent, organisations must step up their response to provide people with shelter, medical care, mental health support, and protection. We also call for an end to the Israeli military operations and lethal use of force, leading to death and injuries, and for displaced communities to be allowed to return safely and with dignity”.

     

    “Five Months Under Iron Wall: The Human Toll of Prolonged Displacement & Territorial Fragmentation in the West Bank” ( https://www.msf.org/sites/default/files/2025-07/202506_Briefing_Note_Iron_Wall_5_Months_After%201.pdf )

     

    MSF is an international, medical, humanitarian organisation that delivers medical care to people in need, regardless of their origin, religion, or political affiliation. MSF has been working in Haiti for over 30 years, offering general healthcare, trauma care, burn wound care, maternity care, and care for survivors of sexual violence. MSF Australia was established in 1995 and is one of 24 international MSF sections committed to delivering medical humanitarian assistance to people in crisis. In 2022, more than 120 project staff from Australia and New Zealand worked with MSF on assignment overseas. MSF delivers medical care based on need alone and operates independently of government, religion or economic influence and irrespective of race, religion or gender. For more information visit msf.org.au  

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: UN report highlights urgent financing solutions to achieve the SDGs in Asia and the Pacific

    Source: United Nations – ESCAP

    A new report from the United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) offers over 40 innovative and actionable strategies for countries in the region to close the development financing gap. This comes as financial and geopolitical pressures across the region threaten to further derail progress on poverty reduction, climate action and economic recovery.

    Developing countries globally now face an annual shortfall of between US$2.5 trillion and US$4 trillion to meet the Sustainable Development Goals. Without major improvements in the way development is financed, many countries in the region risk falling further behind.

    The sixth edition of ESCAP’s Financing for Development report points to longstanding weaknesses in public finance and private investment systems. Many governments in the region continue to face difficulties in raising domestic revenues at the scale needed. Tax structures remain inefficient, and opportunities to tap into wealth and real estate are often underused. At the same time, capital markets are underdeveloped, and private financing rarely reaches high-impact sectors such as clean energy, healthcare or affordable housing.

    “Nowhere is this challenge – and opportunity – more urgent than in Asia and the Pacific,” underscored Armida Salsiah Alisjahbana, United Nations Under-Secretary-General and Executive Secretary of ESCAP. She added, “This is our chance to build a more resilient, equitable and sustainable economy for all. We aim to foster solutions that are regionally grounded, technically sound and financially viable. Unless Asia and the Pacific can lead boldly, the global transition will fall short of expectations.”

    Public debt distress has also become a growing concern. The report calls for more responsible borrowing, better transparency in how public funds are used, and stronger coordination among creditors to ensure fair and effective debt resolution.

    The report further recomm

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Energy Sector – Unison brings kids’ electrical safety education online: Free for families everywhere

    Source: Unison Networks

    Local lines company, Unison Networks (Unison) is raising the bar for electrical safety education by launching its Digital Safe Sparks Programme to families across Hawke’s Bay, Taupō and Rotorua, making it easier than ever for children to learn how to stay safe around electricity.

    For over 20 years, Unison’s Safe Sparks Programme has been delivered in schools through a two-part, indoor and outdoor session. While these visits will continue across Unison’s electricity network regions, the company recognises it can only reach a limited number of classrooms each year. The new online version removes that barrier, offering any child, anywhere, anytime the chance to take part.

    The programme covers topics such as identifying electricity in the home, understanding how it is made, and developing practical safety skills. It also includes important information on Unison’s electrical equipment in the community, such as power poles, lines and boxes.

    Unison Group General Manager People, Safety and Culture, Rachel Masters highlighted the importance of extending the programme’s reach.

    “Keeping our communities and tamariki safe around electricity is at the heart of everything we do.

    “By taking Safe Sparks digital, we’re giving every whānau the opportunity to learn together, whether at home, at after school care, or during the school holidays. It’s about building a safer future, one child at a time,” Mrs Masters said.

    Designed for children aged 5 to 11, the interactive online experience features short, animated videos, real-life safety tips, and activities that help children understand how electricity works and how to stay safe, especially near Unison’s equipment like power poles, lines and boxes.

    Unison has delivered its In-person Safe Sparks Programme to thousands of students across its electricity network regions since 2003. The digital version, launched to schools in 2024, has now been extended to include families, after school care providers and holiday programmes.

    To celebrate the community rollout, Unison is offering spot prizes for those who complete the programme and submit the short form at the end. Three lucky participants will win $100 Prezzy Cards, with entries closing on 31 October 2025.

    “It’s a great school holiday activity, or something to do on a rainy weekend. The whole programme takes just 15 to 20 minutes, but the learning lasts a lifetime.

    “There’s no login required, it’s completely free, and families can download a personalised certificate at the end. It’s a fun and meaningful activity to do together,” Mrs Masters said.

    Unison encourages parents, caregivers, schools, holiday programmes and after school care providers to explore the resource and share it widely.

     

    Start the challenge today at: www.unison.co.nz/safe-sparks-digital.

    Notes:


    Unison Networks is New Zealand’s fifth largest electricity network, supplying over 119,000 customers across Hawke’s Bay, Taupō and Rotorua.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

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

    Source: Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA)

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

    Key findings from new CommBank Financial Fitness research:

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

    Free CommBank Financial Fitness program launched to help

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

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

    Comments from CommBank Personal Finance Expert

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

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

    Other insights from the research

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

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

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

    Brighter Side of Banking

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

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

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

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

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Family plea for cold case closure

    Source: New South Wales – News

    Following decades of heartache, the family of Melissa Trussell (Brown) have joined police in a renewed call for information regarding the historic disappearance of the 15-year-old, and unsolved murder of her mother, Rosemary.

    Rosemary Brown, 33, along with her daughter Melissa, were last seen leaving their Blair Athol home at about 2.30am on Saturday 13 May, 2000.

    Today marks exactly 25 years since Rosemary’s body was discovered in the mangroves at Garden Island on 2 July 2000. Melissa’s remains have never been found.

    Detective Superintendent Darren Fielke, Officer in Charge of Major Crime Investigation Branch urged anyone with information, no matter how insignificant it may seem, to come forward.

    “This is a particularly disturbing case. A mother was murdered and her body disposed of.  We believe Melissa was also murdered,” he said.

    “It’s tragic for the family of Rosemary and Melissa to experience this long passage of time with no answers about what happened to their loved ones.

    “I have no doubt that numerous people either know what happened to Rosemary and Melissa or have information that will assist the investigation into their suspected murder.

    “We appeal to them to contact police and provide that information.”

    South Australia Police (SAPOL) investigators have today released additional childhood photos of Melissa as part of a renewed public plea for information.

    Recently visiting their last believed location – Stirling Street, Northfield – Melissa’s father Barry and half-sister Kayla reminisced on childhood memories regarding Melissa, while expressing their desire for closure.

    Describing Melissa as her “best friend”, Kayla hoped to one day give her the farewell she deserves.

    “We need to know where she is and what happened to her,” she pleaded.

    “We want to see the person or people who have caused our pain brought to justice.”

    Barry echoed Kayla’s appeal for answers 25 years on.

    “My message to the people responsible, because I don’t believe it to be just one person: it’s better to come forward now with information,” he said.

    “A parent shouldn’t outlive their child… and for a long time (Melissa’s disappearance) has messed me up.

    “I’m hoping some fresh information will finally come to light to help police solve the case.”

    Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at www.crimestopperssa.com.au – you can remain anonymous.

    Rewards up to $1,000,000 will be paid by the Government of South Australia, at the discretion of the Commissioner of Police, to anyone who provides information and assistance that leads to the conviction of the person or persons responsible for the suspected murder of Melissa Trussell (Brown) (and/or leading to the location and recovery of the victim’s remains).

    Rewards up to $200,000 will be paid by the Government of South Australia, at the discretion of the Commissioner of Police, to anyone who provides information and assistance that leads to the conviction of the person or persons responsible for the suspected murder of Rosemary Brown.

    Edited footage

    Raw media footage

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI China: 45 Palestinians killed in Israeli army across Gaza

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

    Palestinians flee the al-Tuffah neighborhood in eastern Gaza City on June 29, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    At least 45 Palestinians were killed by Israeli shelling and gunfire in the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, Gaza’s Civil Defense said, while the Israeli army announced that it had attacked 140 targets in the coastal enclave over the past 24 hours.

    Mahmoud Basal, spokesperson for the Civil Defense in Gaza, told Xinhua that an Israeli drone targeted a gathering of Palestinians in the Jabalia area in the northern Gaza Strip, killing five people.

    Five other people were killed in two airstrikes launched by Israeli drones, which targeted a house in the al-Tuffah neighborhood in eastern Gaza City and a gathering of Palestinians in the al-Zeitoun neighborhood in the south, according to Basal.

    In Khan Younis, in the southern Gaza Strip, Basal said that 18 Palestinians were killed in Israeli attacks targeting residential homes and tents housing displaced persons in various parts of the city.

    Also, two Palestinians were killed in an Israeli airstrike targeting a school housing the displaced in the Maghazi refugee camp in the central Gaza Strip, according to Basal.

    He noted that at least 15 people were killed and 60 others injured by Israeli army fire while waiting to receive food outside two U.S.-backed aid distribution centers north of Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip and at the Netzarim junction in the central Gaza Strip.

    The attacks come as Palestinian security sources reported that Israeli artillery shelling has continued since the early morning hours of Tuesday on the eastern areas of Gaza City and Jabalia, north of the Strip.

    The Israeli army announced on Tuesday that the air force attacked more than 140 targets in the Gaza Strip over the past 24 hours, including “terrorist elements, military buildings, anti-tank missile launching points, weapons depots, and additional infrastructure.”

    The army said in a statement that its forces in the Southern Command continue to operate against “terrorist organizations” in the Gaza Strip.

    On March 18, Israel resumed its military operations in the enclave. At least 6,315 Palestinians had been killed and 22,064 others injured since Israel renewed its intensive strikes, bringing the total death toll since October 2023 to 56,647, and injuries to 134,105, Gaza-based health authorities said on Tuesday.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Exclusive: For more than a century of history, the CPC is known for its outstanding achievements – analyst at the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: People’s Republic of China in Russian –

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

    MINSK, July 2 (Xinhua) — The Communist Party of China (CPC) has been known for its outstanding achievements in its more than century-long history, Sergei Vergeichik, an analyst at the Belarusian Institute for Strategic Studies (BISS), told Xinhua in Minsk.

    “The Communist Party of China is one of the largest and most authoritative political parties in the world. On July 1, 100 million members of the CPC, devoted to the ideals of serving their people and the state, celebrate another anniversary of its creation. Over more than a century of history, the CPC is known for its outstanding achievements. In difficult conditions, it managed to satisfy the basic social needs of society: poverty and illiteracy have been eliminated, the population has been provided with housing, jobs have been created, and general food security has been ensured. In general, China has completed the construction of a middle-income society,” the Belarusian analyst notes.

    According to S. Vergeichik, today’s achievements of the PRC are based on maintaining the continuity of historical experience and will determine the sustainability of the development of the Chinese state for years to come. “The CPC does not stop there, continues to lead the implementation and improvement of the policy of reforms and openness, remains true to the original goal and confidently goes at the forefront of the implementation of the historical mission – the great revival of the Chinese nation,” the expert emphasized.

    S. Vergeichik drew attention to the fact that China’s development experience is, without exaggeration, unique in the history of all mankind. “The Chinese path of development is attracting the attention of an increasing number of countries in the world. Belarus is interested in China’s experience. Strong relations of a comprehensive and all-weather strategic partnership, an iron brotherhood are a good example of how mutual trust, assistance and support in the current difficult international conditions allow our countries to maintain stress resistance in the face of global and regional challenges, to strengthen bilateral and multilateral cooperation,” the BISI analyst noted. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Chairman Crapo Statement on Senate Passage of One Big Beautiful Bill Act

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senate Finance Committee Chairman Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) today hailed Senate passage of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act:

    “With this bill’s passage, the United States Senate is fulfilling President Trump’s promise to secure the border, fortify our national defense and unleash American energy.  This legislation also prevents the biggest tax hike in U.S. history from ever happening, delivers additional tax relief to hardworking families and takes significant steps to get our fiscal house in order. 

    “Making the successful 2017 Trump tax cuts permanent ensures Americans keep more of their hard-earned money, and gives businesses the certainty they need to make the long-term investments that power economic growth.  New tax relief from policies like no taxes on tips, no taxes on overtime, tax relief for seniors and additional child care assistance will overwhelmingly benefit the working class.  

    “The legislation also achieves historic savings by targeting waste, fraud and abuse in our federal spending programs, strengthening them for the most vulnerable citizens they are intended to help.

    “Extending good tax policy, delivering targeted relief and reining in wasteful spending is the best way to restore economic prosperity and opportunity for all Americans.  I look forward to getting it to the President’s desk as soon as possible.”

    Crapo, as Chairman of the Senate Finance Committee which has jurisdiction over tax policy, is one of the chief architects of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act. 

    For more information on the provisions within the Finance Committee’s jurisdiction, click HERE. 

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo Statement Honoring Heroic Coeur D’Alene Firefighters

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Coeur D’Alene, Idaho–Two of Idaho’s finest firefighters–Coeur D’Alene Fire Department Battalion Chief John Morrison and Kootenai County Fire and Rescue Chief Frank Harwood–sacrificed their lives rushing to extinguish a reported fire on Sunday.  As Idahoans and as a nation, we are forever in debt to these men who paid the ultimate price while protecting their fellow firefighters, community homes and surrounding neighborhoods.  I join many Idahoans to honor and revere their heroic lives, actions and legacies.

    I continue to pray for Coeur D’Alene Fire Department Engineer Dave Tysdal, who was in critical condition, and the other innocent first responders who came under fire and eliminated the threat.

    Their bravery, character and deep dedication in the face of unspeakable tragedy deserves the highest commendation one can bestow.  Their families will be honored, supported and lifted up by Idaho communities, their band of firefighters, caring friends and other loved ones.

    Frank Harwood and John Morrison are forever etched in our hearts, having secured their place among the greatest of heroes.

    MIL OSI USA News –