NewzIntel.com

Category: housing

  • MIL-OSI Australia: More cost‑of‑living help on the way, a week from today

    Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

    The Albanese Labor Government is delivering more real, practical and ongoing help with the cost of living for Australians, with more support set to roll out a week from today.

    This is more responsible, meaningful hip pocket help for households.

    The Albanese Labor Government is delivering what we said we would at last month’s election, rolling out billions of dollars’ worth of responsible support from 1 July:

    • The National Minimum Wage and award wages will increase by 3.5 per cent from 1 July, benefitting up to 2.9 million Australians on low and award wages.
    • Employers’ minimum required contribution to employees’ superannuation accounts will rise to 12 per cent.
    • Paid Parental Leave (PPL) will increase to 24 weeks, and individual and family income limits will increase.
    • Super will be paid on all Government PPL.
    • Every household and around one million small businesses will receive a further $150 in energy bill relief before the end of the year.
    • New tradies who take up apprenticeships in housing construction will receive $10,000 in incentive payments, on top of their wages.
    • Households and businesses looking to lower their energy bills will be eligible for around 30 per cent off the cost of installing a battery system alongside solar energy, with the Government’s Cheaper Home Batteries program.
    • In addition to cutting 20 per cent off student loan debts for 3 million Australians, the Government will also increase the amount that people can earn before they are required to start paying back their loans to $67,000, subject to the passage of legislation.
    • Commonwealth Prac Payments start for nursing, midwifery, teaching and social work students.
    • Important social security payments will increase by 2.4 per cent.

    After 1 July, our meaningful, responsible cost of living relief will continue rolling out through the remainder of 2025:

    • Another 50 Medicare Urgent Care Clinics will open throughout the rest of the year, and bulk billing is expanding from November.
    • The Government is freezing the indexation of draught beer excise for two years from August 1.
    • Hard‑working aged care nurses will receive the next instalment of their pay rise in October, following the first instalment in March this year.

    Under Labor, inflation is down substantially, real wages are up, unemployment is low, our economy is growing, debt is down and interest rates are falling, but we know people are still under pressure.

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

    In our second term, the Albanese Labor Government will continue to help Australians with the cost of living, finish the fight against inflation, strengthen Medicare and build a stronger economy.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Press conference, Commonwealth Parliament Offices, Brisbane

    Source: Australian Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Industry

    Jim Chalmers:

    I’ve got a number of issues that I wanted to cover today, but to begin by acknowledging the statements that the Prime Minister has just made, and obviously we’ve seen statements by the Americans and the Iranians as well. This remains a perilous time in the Middle East and for the global economy and that’s why we have consistently been advocating for stabilisation and de‑escalation. We urge the parties to implement the ceasefire which was announced by President Trump today. We need to see an enduring ceasefire in the Middle East. We need this ceasefire to stick. That is in the interests of the region and it’s in the interests of the global economy as well, and the Prime Minister has made all of that clear in the last few minutes.

    Regardless of what happens in the next day or 2 in the Middle East, it remains the case that there is a great deal of global economic uncertainty. We are seeing a global economy which is defined by unpredictability and volatility and uncertainty, and these will be the primary influences on the government and on our country and its economy as we make important decisions about how we manage the economy in uncertain times.

    In this context, I welcome the opportunity to speak once again with my American counterpart, the US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent tomorrow morning our time. This will be an opportunity to engage once again on issues which are central to this very important economic relationship between the United States and Australia. I expect the conversation to traverse issues like critical minerals, legislation before the US Congress, obviously trade and tariffs, but also this global economic uncertainty that we’re seeing around the world in the Middle East but also in Eastern Europe, also closer to home.

    We do have very substantial concerns about the global economy, whether it’s the impact on oil prices of what we’re seeing in the Middle East, whether it’s the ongoing implications of Russian aggression in Ukraine, whether it’s the potential impact on global demand of these escalating trade tensions. The global economy is a dangerous place right now and that’s why one of our overriding economic goals is to make the Australian economy more resilient.

    When it comes to oil prices, we’ve seen oil prices come up quite substantially over the course of this month. Remember the barrel price was about $82 at the start of the year, it got down to $62 at the start of this month, it got up to $79 at the start of this week and now it’s trading at around $69. This gives you a sense of the quite extraordinary volatility in the oil price and that obviously has implications for the global economy, for our own economy and also for the prices that Australians pay at the petrol bowser.

    I have written today to the Chair of the ACCC to make sure that Australians are treated fairly at the bowser. We don’t want to see service stations do the wrong thing by Australian motorists. We want to make sure that the market is operating effectively when it comes to the petrol price and what’s happening with this volatility in the global oil price but we call on the service stations to do the right thing by their customers. We’ve empowered and asked the ACCC to use its monitoring powers to make sure that the servos are doing the right thing by Australian motorists. We don’t want to see this volatility in global oil prices lead to more than justifiable changes in the price that Australian motorists pay at the bowser, I’ve made that very clear with my instructions to the ACCC today.

    Tomorrow we will get the monthly inflation data for May. That monthly figure is notoriously volatile and hard to predict but the very strong expectation is that we will see monthly inflation in the Reserve Bank’s target band once again. This will be a very substantial indication that we have got inflation down substantially and sustainably in our economy. This monthly inflation data is not as reliable as the quarterly figures but it’s an important indication of the progress that Australians have made together when it comes to the fight against inflation.

    The monthly figure bounces around a bit. We may see that in the numbers tomorrow but regardless, we expect to see another month where inflation is within the Reserve Bank’s target band, that’s a good thing given the very high and rising inflation that we inherited 3 years ago when we came to office.

    We’ve made a lot of progress together on inflation but I wanted to run through today the very substantial additional help that we will be providing Australians from the 1st of July. More help is on the way a week from today when it comes to cost‑of‑living help. We’ve made this progress on inflation together, though we know that the job is not done because people are still under pressure and that’s why there is more help on the way a week from today when 8 new measures come into effect from the 1st of July which is a week away now.

    I wanted to briefly run through the 8 changes that will come into effect from next Tuesday. First of all, the national minimum wage and award wages will go up by 3 and a half per cent. That will benefit 2.9 million Australians on low and award wages.

    Secondly, superannuation goes up to 12 per cent. We’re very proud to see the superannuation guarantee rise to 12 per cent. That will benefit 14 and a half million Australian employees, and it means tens of thousands of dollars extra in people’s super at retirement.

    We’re also increasing the duration of paid parental leave from 22 to 24 weeks and we’ll be paying super on government‑paid parental leave. That is a very substantial change and we’re very proud of that as well. That’s the third big change that comes into effect from the 1st of July.

    The fourth one is that we’ve extended the energy bill rebates from the 1st of July for another 6 months. That means another $150 of help for 10 million households and one million small businesses as well.

    The fifth change from the 1st of July is that our $10,000 incentive payments for apprentices to top up their wages in housing construction will come into place as well, and that will help us build the homes that we need, recognising that we need the tradies, the builders, to build those 1.2 million homes.

    The sixth change is our cheaper home batteries program kicks in from the 1st of July. That means that households and businesses could be eligible for around 30 per cent of the up‑front cost of installing a battery.

    The seventh one is that we are increasing the amount people can earn before they have to start paying back their student debt. Subject to the passage of that legislation, that change will be effective in the middle of this year.

    The eighth change is that we’re seeing an increase to the social security payments with the indexation and lifting the asset limits for payments like family payments. And this will benefit more than 2.4 million people.

    So there are 8 different ways that we are helping Australians with the cost of living. We’re getting inflation down, we’re getting on top of inflation in welcome and encouraging ways, we’re still helping with the cost of living, but because we’re making progress on inflation and because we’re helping with the cost of living, that also allows for an even bigger focus on our 3 priority areas this term which are productivity, budget sustainability and resilience in the face of global economic uncertainty and that’s what the roundtable is all about that I’ll be convening next month in Canberra.

    I’ve had some very productive conversations with businesses and unions already. Today at their invitation I briefed and then had a good conversation with the Transurban board, meeting here in Brisbane. I’ll be meeting with the Business Council of Australia again today after this press conference. I’ve had good engagement with the unions and others to see what progress we can make together when it comes to reforming our economy, making it more productive, making our budget more sustainable and making our economy more resilient at the same time as well.

    I’m in the process of finalising the invitation list for the Economic Reform Roundtable in August. But the guidance is already very clear – we want people to come with an eye to the national interest. We want people to understand and engage and propose trade‑offs, and we want people to come with specific ideas, not just problem identification. If people do that, I’m confident that we will make progress at the Economic Reform Roundtable in August. People will be in the room able to contribute, but also there’ll be opportunities for people outside the room to make a contribution as well. I’ve been really heartened and encouraged by the amount of interest that people have shown already in the Economic Reform Roundtable, and I think that augers well for the next steps in the already very substantial program of economic progress and reform that we have undertaken.

    Journalist:

    Just on that reform roundtable, will the Opposition have a place, given they’ve asked to be involved?

    Chalmers:

    I’ve made it clear to Ted O’Brien, the Shadow Treasurer, this morning that there is an invitation for him to the economic roundtable in August. I’ve provided that invitation in good faith. I think it would be a good thing for the country to have the Shadow Treasurer engaged at the Economic Reform Roundtable. I think it would give us a better chance of making the kind of progress that we desperately need to see on reform and in our economy more broadly. So I’ve issued an invitation to Ted O’Brien. I’ve had a brief exchange with him earlier this morning about that. I hope that he accepts that invitation. It’s certainly been offered in good faith.

    This is a big chance for Australians either side of the parliament, for Australians in business, in unions, in the community sector, the community more broadly to engage where we can in a non‑partisan way in the interests of our people and their economy. And so I hope Ted O’Brien accepts that invitation. We are still finalising all of the other invitations, but I think there’s heightened public interest in whether the Opposition has been invited, and that’s why we’ve got the question from you, Kate and I want to make it clear today we have offered that invitation to the Shadow Treasurer, and we hope that he accepts it.

    Journalist:

    Treasurer, I want to ask you a question about GST. How serious do you think the states are about wanting to reform the GST?

    Chalmers:

    I think it remains to be seen. From time to time the states have made that proposal, not just the current batch of premiers and treasurers, but from time to time we’ve seen that idea pitched up. What I’ve tried to do, what I said at the National Press Club last week – I think everybody knows and understands the comments that I’ve made on the GST in the past. I’m not walking away from those comments but I’m not trying to artificially limit the contribution that people might want to make in and around the Economic Reform Roundtable in August.

    I think inevitably there is, from time to time, tension between the Commonwealth and the states about Commonwealth funding. Every state and territory wants more funding from the Commonwealth. From time to time, they pitch up ideas like this one. I like to engage with the states and territories in good faith from both sides of the political equation and I hope that at the Economic Reform Roundtable, however we work out the best way to involve the states in this process – whether inside or outside the room – I hope that people come to this in a constructive way, and I suspect they will.

    Journalist:

    And what would be the prerequisites for you to seriously consider any reforms in this space?

    Chalmers:

    Well, I’ve made it clear that the major prerequisites for the reform roundtable are first of all to try and take a national view and not just a sectoral view or a state or territory view but to try and see the whole national economic interests, as governments are invited to do. I’ve asked people to make sure that where they are proposing a change, whether it’s in tax or productivity in or in other areas around resilience, that that’s done recognising the trade‑offs, particularly the fiscal trade‑offs. We’ve got to make the budget more sustainable, not less sustainable, so that’s an important guiding principle. And thirdly, to make sure that people come with specific and realistic ideas and that they try and build consensus around those ideas. And so that’s the guidance we’ve provided to business, to unions, to the community sector, to the states and territories, to everyone who’s shown an interest. And that will apply to everyone, not just the government.

    Journalist:

    Do you – and I know you made the opening statements about Israel and Iran, but do you have faith that Donald Trump’s declaration there will be a ceasefire will actually eventuate?

    Chalmers:

    Look, obviously I’ve seen the more recent comments from the Iranians – I think it was the Foreign Minister – in relation to the ceasefire. I think the region and the world desperately needs this ceasefire to be implemented and we need it to stick. The best way out of this perilous time in the Middle East is for people to come to the table to engage in dialogue and diplomacy as the Prime Minister said a few minutes ago and that’s what we want to see.

    Journalist:

    And do you – or are you able to update us at all on efforts to assist Australians leaving Iran or Israel or plans for broader updates to travel advice?

    Chalmers:

    Can I say that Penny Wong’s colleagues in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade are outstanding people working around the clock to try and keep our people safe. There are thousands of Australians who have registered to come out of Iran or Israel and DFAT is working around the clock to make that possible. There have been some people that have been able to be extracted from this dangerous part of the world and the assurance that we give to everyone else – and I’ve been part of some of these but not all of these conversations and I’ve seen for myself the very hard and tireless work being done by DFAT to get people out – they will continue to do the very best they can. We understand that there’s a lot of concern, people in those dangerous places and their family members around the world, including here in Australia, and we’ll do everything that we can to keep them safe.

    Journalist:

    And can I just ask one more about the eSafety Commissioner’s found children are experiencing harm more often on YouTube than any other platform. Would it undermine the purpose of the ban to leave it out?

    Chalmers:

    I’ll leave some of those questions in the very capable hands of Anika Wells. Obviously our objective here is to keep young people safe online in particular. We’ll work through all of those issues to make sure that we’ve got the most effective regime. We know that people have got views about what’s included and what’s excluded. I think that’s natural when you’re proposing a change of this magnitude. We pay close attention to the sorts of data that you’re referring to and we will finalise the best regime that we can.

    We shouldn’t lose sight of the major objective here. A lot of us – you don’t have to be a parent but certainly parents around Australia, including this one speaking right now – are very concerned about the safety of young Australians online. We’re doing what we can to help out. We’ll take into consideration all of those kinds of views and that kind of data like the one you’re asking me about.

    Thanks very much.

    MIL OSI News –

  • Operation Sindhu: 2,295 Indians evacuated from Iran, 604 from Israel as India steps up rescue efforts

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India evacuated 292 of its nationals from Iran early Tuesday as part of Operation Sindhu, a mission launched to ensure the safety of Indian citizens amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.

    The evacuees arrived in New Delhi at 3:30 AM IST on a special flight from Mashhad, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

    “292 Indian nationals were evacuated from Iran on a special flight that arrived in New Delhi from Mashhad at 0330 hrs on 24th June,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X.

    Operation Sindhu, which began on June 18, has so far facilitated the return of 2,295 Indians from Iran. A day earlier, another flight brought back 290 Indians and one Sri Lankan national from Mashhad.

    Simultaneously, evacuation efforts from Israel continue. The Indian Embassy in Israel said on Monday that 604 Indian nationals have been safely evacuated via Jordan and Egypt under Operation Sindhu.

    On Tuesday, Jaiswal confirmed that the first batch of 161 Indian nationals from Israel had reached India.

    “The Israel leg of #OperationSindhu began on June 23, 2025, bringing home the first group of 161 Indian nationals from Israel. They safely arrived in New Delhi today at 0820 hrs from Amman, Jordan,” Jaiswal wrote on X, adding that they were received at the airport by Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita

    In a separate update, Jaiswal said that another 165 Indian nationals were brought back from Israel on an IAF C-17 flight, which landed at 8:45 AM IST in Delhi. Minister of State Dr. L. Murugan welcomed the group on arrival.

    The Israel-Iran conflict began on June 13 when Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, targeting Iranian military and nuclear sites. In retaliation, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) responded with Operation True Promise 3, striking Israeli fuel production and energy centers.

    The situation intensified further after U.S. forces conducted Operation Midnight Hammer, a set of precision airstrikes on three major Iranian nuclear facilities early Sunday.

    Despite a ceasefire announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump, the Israeli military on Tuesday reported fresh waves of missile attacks from Iran, with emergency services confirming three civilian deaths.

    (With inputs from agencies)

  • Operation Sindhu: 2,295 Indians evacuated from Iran, 604 from Israel as India steps up rescue efforts

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    India evacuated 292 of its nationals from Iran early Tuesday as part of Operation Sindhu, a mission launched to ensure the safety of Indian citizens amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Iran.

    The evacuees arrived in New Delhi at 3:30 AM IST on a special flight from Mashhad, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

    “292 Indian nationals were evacuated from Iran on a special flight that arrived in New Delhi from Mashhad at 0330 hrs on 24th June,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal posted on X.

    Operation Sindhu, which began on June 18, has so far facilitated the return of 2,295 Indians from Iran. A day earlier, another flight brought back 290 Indians and one Sri Lankan national from Mashhad.

    Simultaneously, evacuation efforts from Israel continue. The Indian Embassy in Israel said on Monday that 604 Indian nationals have been safely evacuated via Jordan and Egypt under Operation Sindhu.

    On Tuesday, Jaiswal confirmed that the first batch of 161 Indian nationals from Israel had reached India.

    “The Israel leg of #OperationSindhu began on June 23, 2025, bringing home the first group of 161 Indian nationals from Israel. They safely arrived in New Delhi today at 0820 hrs from Amman, Jordan,” Jaiswal wrote on X, adding that they were received at the airport by Minister of State for External Affairs Pabitra Margherita

    In a separate update, Jaiswal said that another 165 Indian nationals were brought back from Israel on an IAF C-17 flight, which landed at 8:45 AM IST in Delhi. Minister of State Dr. L. Murugan welcomed the group on arrival.

    The Israel-Iran conflict began on June 13 when Israel launched Operation Rising Lion, targeting Iranian military and nuclear sites. In retaliation, Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) responded with Operation True Promise 3, striking Israeli fuel production and energy centers.

    The situation intensified further after U.S. forces conducted Operation Midnight Hammer, a set of precision airstrikes on three major Iranian nuclear facilities early Sunday.

    Despite a ceasefire announcement by U.S. President Donald Trump, the Israeli military on Tuesday reported fresh waves of missile attacks from Iran, with emergency services confirming three civilian deaths.

    (With inputs from agencies)

  • Trump says Israel-Iran ceasefire now in effect, please don’t violate it

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday a ceasefire between Israel and Iran was now in place and asked both countries not to violate it, only hours after Iran launched waves of missiles, which Israel’s ambulance service said killed four people.

    “THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!” Trump said in a Truth Social post.

    When Trump announced on Monday what he called a complete ceasefire to end a 12-day war, he appeared to suggest that Israel and Iran would have time to complete missions that were underway, at which point the ceasefire would begin in a staged process.

    Witnesses said they heard explosions near Tel Aviv and Beersheba in southern Israel before Trump‘s statement.

    Israel’s military said six waves of missiles were launched by Iran and Israel’s national ambulance service said four people were killed in Beersheba, the first reported deaths in Israel since Trump announced the ceasefire.

    Iran’s semi-official SNN news agency reported on Tuesday that Tehran fired its last round of missiles before the ceasefire came into effect.

    A senior White House official said Trump had brokered a ceasefire deal in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel had agreed so long as Iran did not launch further attacks.

    “On the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will, I would like to congratulate both Countries, Israel and Iran, on having the Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence to end, what should be called, ‘THE 12 DAY WAR’,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social site.

    An Iranian official earlier confirmed that Tehran had agreed to a ceasefire, but the country’s foreign minister said there would be no cessation of hostilities unless Israel stopped its attacks.

    Abbas Araqchi said early on Tuesday that if Israel stopped its “illegal aggression” against the Iranian people no later than 4 a.m. Tehran time (0030 GMT) on Tuesday, Iran had no intention of continuing its response afterwards.

    “The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later,” Araqchi added in a post on X.

    Israel, joined by the United States on the weekend, has carried out attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities, after alleging Tehran was getting close to obtaining a nuclear weapon.

    Iran denies ever having a nuclear weapons program but Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has said that if it wanted to, world leaders “wouldn’t be able to stop us”.

    Israel, which is not a party to the international Non-Proliferation Treaty, is the only country in the Middle East believed to have nuclear weapons. Israel does not deny or confirm that.

    Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani secured Tehran’s agreement during a call with Iranian officials, an official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters on Tuesday.

    U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff were in direct and indirect contact with the Iranians, a White House official said.

    Neither Iran’s U.N. mission nor the Israeli embassy in Washington responded to separate requests for comment from Reuters.

    Hours earlier, three Israeli officials had signaled Israel was looking to wrap up its campaign in Iran soon and had passed the message on to the United States.

    Netanyahu had told government ministers whose discussions ended early on Tuesday not to speak publicly, Israel’s Channel 12 television reported.

    Markets reacted favorably to the news.

    S&P 500 futures rose 0.4% late on Monday, suggesting traders expect the U.S. stock market to open with gains on Tuesday.

    U.S. crude futures fell in early Asian trading hours on Tuesday to their lowest level in more than a week after Trump said a ceasefire had been agreed, relieving worries of supply disruption in the region.

    EARLY NOTICE

    Earlier on Monday, Trump said he would encourage Israel to proceed towards peace after dismissing Iran’s attack on an American air base that caused no injuries and thanking Tehran for the early notice of the strikes.

    He said Iran fired 14 missiles at the U.S. air base, calling it “a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered.”

    Iran’s handling of the attack recalled earlier clashes with the United States and Israel, with Tehran seeking a balance between saving face with a military response but without provoking a cycle of escalation it can’t afford.

    Iran’s attack came after U.S. bombers dropped 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on Iranian underground nuclear facilities at the weekend, joining Israel’s air war.

    Much of Tehran’s population of 10 million has fled after days of bombing.

    The Trump administration maintains that its aim was solely to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, not to open a wider war.

    “Iran was very close to having a nuclear weapon,” Vice President JD Vance said in an interview on Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier.”

    “Now Iran is incapable of building a nuclear weapon with the equipment they have because we destroyed it,” Vance said.

    Trump has cited intelligence reports that Iran was close to building a nuclear weapon, without elaborating. However, U.S. intelligence agencies said earlier this year they assessed that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon and a source with access to U.S. intelligence reports told Reuters last week that that assessment hadn’t changed.

    In a social media post on Sunday, Trump spoke of toppling the hardline clerical rulers who have been Washington’s principal foes in the Middle East since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

    Israel, however, had made clear that its strikes on Evin prison – a notorious jail for housing political prisoners – and other targets in Tehran were intended to hit the Iranian ruling apparatus broadly, and its ability to sustain power.

    (Reuters)

  • Trump says Israel-Iran ceasefire now in effect, please don’t violate it

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday a ceasefire between Israel and Iran was now in place and asked both countries not to violate it, only hours after Iran launched waves of missiles, which Israel’s ambulance service said killed four people.

    “THE CEASEFIRE IS NOW IN EFFECT. PLEASE DO NOT VIOLATE IT!” Trump said in a Truth Social post.

    When Trump announced on Monday what he called a complete ceasefire to end a 12-day war, he appeared to suggest that Israel and Iran would have time to complete missions that were underway, at which point the ceasefire would begin in a staged process.

    Witnesses said they heard explosions near Tel Aviv and Beersheba in southern Israel before Trump‘s statement.

    Israel’s military said six waves of missiles were launched by Iran and Israel’s national ambulance service said four people were killed in Beersheba, the first reported deaths in Israel since Trump announced the ceasefire.

    Iran’s semi-official SNN news agency reported on Tuesday that Tehran fired its last round of missiles before the ceasefire came into effect.

    A senior White House official said Trump had brokered a ceasefire deal in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel had agreed so long as Iran did not launch further attacks.

    “On the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will, I would like to congratulate both Countries, Israel and Iran, on having the Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence to end, what should be called, ‘THE 12 DAY WAR’,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social site.

    An Iranian official earlier confirmed that Tehran had agreed to a ceasefire, but the country’s foreign minister said there would be no cessation of hostilities unless Israel stopped its attacks.

    Abbas Araqchi said early on Tuesday that if Israel stopped its “illegal aggression” against the Iranian people no later than 4 a.m. Tehran time (0030 GMT) on Tuesday, Iran had no intention of continuing its response afterwards.

    “The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later,” Araqchi added in a post on X.

    Israel, joined by the United States on the weekend, has carried out attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities, after alleging Tehran was getting close to obtaining a nuclear weapon.

    Iran denies ever having a nuclear weapons program but Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has said that if it wanted to, world leaders “wouldn’t be able to stop us”.

    Israel, which is not a party to the international Non-Proliferation Treaty, is the only country in the Middle East believed to have nuclear weapons. Israel does not deny or confirm that.

    Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani secured Tehran’s agreement during a call with Iranian officials, an official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters on Tuesday.

    U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff were in direct and indirect contact with the Iranians, a White House official said.

    Neither Iran’s U.N. mission nor the Israeli embassy in Washington responded to separate requests for comment from Reuters.

    Hours earlier, three Israeli officials had signaled Israel was looking to wrap up its campaign in Iran soon and had passed the message on to the United States.

    Netanyahu had told government ministers whose discussions ended early on Tuesday not to speak publicly, Israel’s Channel 12 television reported.

    Markets reacted favorably to the news.

    S&P 500 futures rose 0.4% late on Monday, suggesting traders expect the U.S. stock market to open with gains on Tuesday.

    U.S. crude futures fell in early Asian trading hours on Tuesday to their lowest level in more than a week after Trump said a ceasefire had been agreed, relieving worries of supply disruption in the region.

    EARLY NOTICE

    Earlier on Monday, Trump said he would encourage Israel to proceed towards peace after dismissing Iran’s attack on an American air base that caused no injuries and thanking Tehran for the early notice of the strikes.

    He said Iran fired 14 missiles at the U.S. air base, calling it “a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered.”

    Iran’s handling of the attack recalled earlier clashes with the United States and Israel, with Tehran seeking a balance between saving face with a military response but without provoking a cycle of escalation it can’t afford.

    Iran’s attack came after U.S. bombers dropped 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on Iranian underground nuclear facilities at the weekend, joining Israel’s air war.

    Much of Tehran’s population of 10 million has fled after days of bombing.

    The Trump administration maintains that its aim was solely to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, not to open a wider war.

    “Iran was very close to having a nuclear weapon,” Vice President JD Vance said in an interview on Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier.”

    “Now Iran is incapable of building a nuclear weapon with the equipment they have because we destroyed it,” Vance said.

    Trump has cited intelligence reports that Iran was close to building a nuclear weapon, without elaborating. However, U.S. intelligence agencies said earlier this year they assessed that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon and a source with access to U.S. intelligence reports told Reuters last week that that assessment hadn’t changed.

    In a social media post on Sunday, Trump spoke of toppling the hardline clerical rulers who have been Washington’s principal foes in the Middle East since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

    Israel, however, had made clear that its strikes on Evin prison – a notorious jail for housing political prisoners – and other targets in Tehran were intended to hit the Iranian ruling apparatus broadly, and its ability to sustain power.

    (Reuters)

  • Palmeiras salvage draw with Inter Miami as both advance to Club World Cup last 16

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Palmeiras rallied from two goals down to snatch a 2-2 draw against Inter Miami and qualify top of Group A for the Club World Cup last 16 on Monday, a result that sent both teams through to the knockout phase.

    Goals from Tadeo Allende and Luis Suarez gave Miami a two-goal lead before Paulinho and Mauricio scored in the last 10 minutes to get Palmeiras back on level terms.

    Both teams finished on five points with Inter Miami second on goal difference, while Al-Ahly and Porto were both eliminated after drawing 4-4.

    Lionel Messi’s side will take on European champions Paris St Germain, where the Argentine spent two seasons from 2021-23, while Palmeiras face fierce rivals Botafogo in an all-Brazilian clash for a place in the quarter-finals.

    “It was a great game from us, it’s difficult to play against one of the best teams in South America,” said Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano, who described it as a “historic night” for Major League Soccer.

    “Maybe at the end we had the game in our hands so the feeling is strange but before the start of the tournament if someone told me we were going to have this kind of performance against these kind of teams I would have signed it.”

    Inter Miami are the only team from MLS to reach the last 16 after both Los Angeles FC and the Seattle Sounders were eliminated.

    With the crowd heavily favouring Palmeiras and creating an atmosphere that made it seem like an away game for hosts Miami, the Brazilian side started with intensity, pressing high up the pitch but despite their energy the final ball lacked precision.

    Miami struck in the 16th minute when Allende surged past a static Palmeiras defence and coolly slotted home after a 40-metre run.

    Allende came close again early in the second half, flashing a shot narrowly wide after another quick counterattack, before Messi brought fans to their feet with a dipping volley from distance that sailed just over.

    Suarez, quiet for much of the game, made no mistake in the 65th minute as he cut onto his left foot and fired into the top corner from a tight angle to make it 2-0.

    Palmeiras pulled one back 10 minutes from time through substitute Paulinho, who guided a low finish into the corner.

    Seven minutes later Mauricio picked up a loose clearance and fired home from the penalty spot to make sure Palmeiras would keep top spot in the group.

    (Reuters)

  • Palmeiras salvage draw with Inter Miami as both advance to Club World Cup last 16

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Palmeiras rallied from two goals down to snatch a 2-2 draw against Inter Miami and qualify top of Group A for the Club World Cup last 16 on Monday, a result that sent both teams through to the knockout phase.

    Goals from Tadeo Allende and Luis Suarez gave Miami a two-goal lead before Paulinho and Mauricio scored in the last 10 minutes to get Palmeiras back on level terms.

    Both teams finished on five points with Inter Miami second on goal difference, while Al-Ahly and Porto were both eliminated after drawing 4-4.

    Lionel Messi’s side will take on European champions Paris St Germain, where the Argentine spent two seasons from 2021-23, while Palmeiras face fierce rivals Botafogo in an all-Brazilian clash for a place in the quarter-finals.

    “It was a great game from us, it’s difficult to play against one of the best teams in South America,” said Inter Miami coach Javier Mascherano, who described it as a “historic night” for Major League Soccer.

    “Maybe at the end we had the game in our hands so the feeling is strange but before the start of the tournament if someone told me we were going to have this kind of performance against these kind of teams I would have signed it.”

    Inter Miami are the only team from MLS to reach the last 16 after both Los Angeles FC and the Seattle Sounders were eliminated.

    With the crowd heavily favouring Palmeiras and creating an atmosphere that made it seem like an away game for hosts Miami, the Brazilian side started with intensity, pressing high up the pitch but despite their energy the final ball lacked precision.

    Miami struck in the 16th minute when Allende surged past a static Palmeiras defence and coolly slotted home after a 40-metre run.

    Allende came close again early in the second half, flashing a shot narrowly wide after another quick counterattack, before Messi brought fans to their feet with a dipping volley from distance that sailed just over.

    Suarez, quiet for much of the game, made no mistake in the 65th minute as he cut onto his left foot and fired into the top corner from a tight angle to make it 2-0.

    Palmeiras pulled one back 10 minutes from time through substitute Paulinho, who guided a low finish into the corner.

    Seven minutes later Mauricio picked up a loose clearance and fired home from the penalty spot to make sure Palmeiras would keep top spot in the group.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Panasonic’s nanoe(TM) inhibits dust mite allergens hidden within bedding fibers, a common cause of sleep disturbances during the rainy season

    Source: Panasonic

    Headline: Panasonic’s nanoe(TM) inhibits dust mite allergens hidden within bedding fibers, a common cause of sleep disturbances during the rainy season

    Osaka, Japan, June 24, 2025 – Panasonic Corporation (https://holdings.panasonic/global/) (Panasonic) today announced that it has demonstrated that nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technology can inhibit dust mite allergens*1 located 1 cm beneath the surface of bedding, which are considered one of the causes of sleep disturbances. The demonstration was conducted under the supervision of Dr. Shuichiro Shirakawa, Ph.D., Director of Sleep Assessment & Research Institute, Inc. In addition, joint research with Associate Professor Tomoki Fukuyama of the School of Veterinary Medicine at Azabu University verified at the cellular level that the immune response involved in the itching and inflammation caused by dust mite allergens was also inhibited.
    According to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, approximately one in two Japanese people has an allergic disease,*2 with dust mite allergies being the second most common allergy in terms of the number of patients.*3 Many dust mite allergens are hidden in bedding such as futons and pillows. It is said that there are more than 140,000 dust mites per 2 m2 (equivalent to one futon).*4 Dr. Shirakawa points out that dust mite-derived allergens within 1 cm of the bedding surface are stirred into the air by turning over in bed, becoming one of the factors that can trigger allergic symptoms and disrupt sleep.*1 In particular, from the rainy season in June to the height of summer in August, the humid environment favored by dust mites promotes their peak proliferation.*5
    The verification test was conducted based on the hypothesis that nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water), consisting of nano-sized particles one hundred-thousandth the size of a hair, could inhibit dust mite allergens hidden within the fibers. As a result of the verification, two new findings were obtained: nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) inhibited both dust mite allergens hidden within bedding and the cellular reactions that lead to itching and inflammation caused by them. The verification found that nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technology holds new potential to surpass spatial purification and enhance the quality of the sleep environment. Note that this verification was conducted based on the test conditions described below and did not assess effectiveness in an actual usage environment.
    Panasonic aims to contribute to society by providing safe and secure spaces and will continue to evolve nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technology while exploring its future potential.

    ■Comments from Dr. Shuichiro Shirakawa, Director, Sleep Assessment & Research Institute, Inc.

    There are more dust mites hidden in futons and pillows than you might imagine. We believe that this is an unavoidable issue when seeking high-quality sleep. We know that bedding care can be provided through methods such as sun drying, cleaning, or washing, but these are time-consuming, and frequent care can be burdensome. On the other hand, this verification test demonstrated that nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) can inhibit dust mite allergens without the need for human intervention. We believe this technology has the potential to contribute to creating a comfortable bedroom environment.
    * Panasonic requested comments from Dr. Shirakawa, which were subsequently edited and published here.

    ■Comments from Associate Professor Tomoki Fukuyama, School of Veterinary Medicine, Azabu University

    It is no exaggeration to say that dust mite allergies, like hay fever, are a widespread condition affecting many people and are one of the causes of sleep disturbances. This test verified that nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technology can inhibit the immune response that leads to itching and inflammation by inhibiting dust mite allergens. Based on these results, we believe that nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technology has the potential to alleviate the symptoms of dust mite allergies and reduce their sleep-disrupting effects.
    * Panasonic requested comments from Associate Professor Tomoki Fukuyama, which were subsequently edited and published here.

    ■Key points of this verification

    Dust mite allergens typically reside within 1 cm of the surface of bedding and are considered one of the factors that disrupt sleep. This verification demonstrated that nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) can inhibit them.
    Exposing cells to dust mite allergens inhibited by nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technology demonstrated that nanoe inhibited the activity of the cells leading to inflammation and itching.

    ■Principle of nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) generation

    Figure 5. nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) generator

    nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water), approximately 5 to 20 nanometers in size and containing hydroxyl radicals, is generated by cooling the atomizing electrode with a Peltier element, condensing moisture from the air into water, and applying a high voltage between the atomizing electrode and the counter electrode.

    ◆Click here for a summary of this press release.https://www.panasonic.com/global/consumer/nanoe/ja/topics/2506XX.html
    ◆Click here for the research results of nanoe (hydroxyl radicals contained in water) technologyhttps://www.panasonic.com/global/consumer/clean/hydroxyl.html

    Notes:
    *1: Reference: Shuichiro Shirakawa, “Interview on factors that disrupt sleep”
    *2: Reference: Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, “Rheumatism and Allergy Countermeasures Committee Report”
    *3: Reference: Takechika Ohmori, “Trends in Outpatient Therapy for Allergies”
    *4: Reference: Hiroki Kamezaki, “Fauna and spatial distribution of house-dust mites in Japanese mattress”
    *5: Reference: Junko Miyamoto, “Ecological studies of house dust mites—Seasonal changes in mite populations in house dust in Japan”

    Media Contact:

    Living Appliances and Solutions Company, Panasonic CorporationPublic Relations, Corporate Policy Department, Corporate Planning CenterEmail: las-pr@gg.jp.panasonic.com

    Customer Contact:

    Living Appliances and Solutions Company, Panasonic CorporationDevices Products Business Unit, Beauty and Personal Care Business DivisionTelephone: +81-(0)749-27-0485 (available 9:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays)

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • Ceasefire Brings Relief to Civilians After Deadly Iran-Israel Conflict Claims Nearly 900 Lives

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    The announcement of a ceasefire between Iran and Israel on Tuesday has brought temporary relief to millions of civilians caught in the crossfire of what President Donald Trump called a “12-day war,” as humanitarian organizations scramble to assess the devastating toll on both populations.

    The ceasefire was declared after Iranian state media announced that a truce had been “imposed on the enemy” following what Tehran characterized as its military response to “US aggression.” The announcement came hours after Iran’s retaliatory missile attacks targeted a US base in Qatar, marking an escalation that drew American forces directly into the regional conflict.

    According to the Human Rights Activists News Agency (HRANA), the conflict has claimed at least 865 lives in Iran alone, with 215 military personnel, 363 civilians, and 287 unidentified individuals killed as of June 22. An additional 3,396 people have been wounded in Iranian territory. These figures significantly exceed those provided by Iranian health authorities, who reported 224 deaths and over 2,500 injuries, though both sources emphasize that the majority of casualties were civilians.

    The humanitarian crisis in Iran has worsened significantly, with Israeli airstrikes initially focused on military targets now increasingly hitting residential areas and even prisons. The escalation has triggered mass internal displacement, forcing millions to flee their homes. Casualties include aid workers, children with disabilities, and nuclear scientists, underscoring the widespread impact across Iranian society. Iran’s judiciary reported that Israel has also targeted Tehran’s Evin prison, damaging sections of the facility known for holding political detainees.

    In Israel, the human cost has been equally tragic, with Iranian missile strikes killing at least 24 civilians and injuring nearly 600 others. The southern city of Beersheba bore the brunt of the most recent Iranian barrage, with emergency services reporting at least three deaths and eight injuries in the early morning hours before the ceasefire took effect. Israeli rescue services continue searching for survivors trapped under rubble from damaged residential buildings.

    President Trump revealed that both Israel and Iran had reached out to his administration ‘almost simultaneously’ seeking peace, as his diplomatic and security teams worked through the night to broker the truce. The ceasefire appears to have taken effect around 4 a.m. local time, with Israeli strikes on Iranian cities ceasing shortly before that time, though Israel had intensified its bombardment in the hours leading up to the agreement.

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has not yet publicly commented on the ceasefire announcement, though reports indicate he convened an emergency Security Cabinet meeting that extended into the early hours of Tuesday morning. Credible reports say that Netanyahu instructed his ministers to refrain from making public statements about the ceasefire agreement.

    The conflict’s rapid escalation over 12 days has overwhelmed emergency services in both countries, with hospitals struggling to treat the wounded and rescue teams working to clear debris from damaged buildings. The UNHCR and other humanitarian agencies have called for urgent de-escalation, protection of civilians, and unhindered access to deliver aid to affected populations.

    The ceasefire’s durability remains uncertain, as both sides have indicated their willingness to resume hostilities if the other violates the agreement. Iran has stated it will halt its retaliation only if Israel ceases its attacks, while Israeli officials have remained largely silent about the terms of the arrangement. The conflict has demonstrated how quickly regional tensions can escalate into full-scale warfare, with civilian populations bearing the heaviest burden of the violence.

  • MIL-Evening Report: The war won’t end Iran’s nuclear program – it will drive it underground, following North Korea’s model

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Anthony Burke, Professor of Environmental Politics & International Relations, UNSW Sydney

    The United States’ and Israel’s strikes on Iran are concerning, and not just for the questionable legal justifications provided by both governments.

    Even if their attacks cause severe damage to Iran’s nuclear facilities, this will only harden Iran’s resolve to acquire a bomb.

    And if Iran follows through on its threat to pull out of the Treaty on the Nonproliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), this will gravely damage the global nuclear nonproliferation regime.

    In a decade of international security crises, this could be the most serious. Is there still time to prevent this from happening?

    A successful but vulnerable treaty

    In May 2015, I attended the five-yearly review conference of the NPT. Delegates debated a draft outcome for weeks, and then, not for the first time, went home with nothing. Delegates from the US, United Kingdom and Canada blocked the final outcome to prevent words being added that would call for Israel to attend a disarmament conference.

    Russia did the same in 2022 in protest at language on its illegal occupation of the Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station in Ukraine.

    Now, in the latest challenge to the NPT, Israel and the US have bombed Iran’s nuclear complexes to ostensibly enforce a treaty neither one respects.

    When the treaty was adopted in 1968, it allowed the five nuclear-armed states at the time – the US, Soviet Union, France, UK and China – to join if they committed not to pass weapons or material to other states, and to disarm themselves.

    All other members had to pledge never to acquire nuclear weapons. Newer nuclear powers were not permitted to join unless they gave up their weapons.

    Israel declined to join, as it had developed its own undeclared nuclear arsenal by the late 1960s. India, Pakistan and South Sudan have also never signed; North Korea was a member but withdrew in 2003. Only South Sudan does not have nuclear weapons today.

    To make the obligations enforceable and strengthen safeguards against the diversion of nuclear material to non-nuclear weapons states, members were later required to sign the IAEA Additional Protocol. This gave the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) wide powers to inspect a state’s nuclear facilities and detect violations.

    It was the IAEA that first blew the whistle on Iran’s concerning uranium enrichment activity in 2003. Just before Israel’s attacks this month, the organisation also reported Iran was in breach of its obligations under the NPT for the first time in two decades.

    The NPT is arguably the world’s most universal, important and successful security treaty, but it is also paradoxically vulnerable.

    The treaty’s underlying consensus has been damaged by the failure of the five nuclear-weapon states to disarm as required, and by the failure to prevent North Korea from developing a now formidable nuclear arsenal.

    North Korea withdrew from the treaty in 2003, tested a weapon in 2006, and now may have up to 50 warheads.

    Iran could be next.

    How things can deteriorate from here

    Iran argues Israel’s attacks have undermined the credibility of the IAEA, given Israel used the IAEA’s new report on Iran as a pretext for its strikes, taking the matter out of the hands of the UN Security Council.

    For its part, the IAEA has maintained a principled position and criticised both the US and Israeli strikes.

    Iran has retaliated with its own missile strikes against both Israel and a US base in Qatar. In addition, it wasted no time announcing it would withdraw from the NPT.

    On June 23, an Iranian parliament committee also approved a bill that would fully suspend Iran’s cooperation with the IAEA, including allowing inspections and submitting reports to the organisation.

    Iran’s envoy to the IAEA, Reza Najafi, said the US strikes:

    […] delivered a fundamental and irreparable blow to the international non-proliferation regime conclusively demonstrating that the existing NPT framework has been rendered ineffective.

    Even if Israel and the US consider their bombing campaign successful, it has almost certainly renewed the Iranians’ resolve to build a weapon. The strikes may only delay an Iranian bomb by a few years.

    Iran will have two paths to do so. The slower path would be to reconstitute its enrichment activity and obtain nuclear implosion designs, which create extremely devastating weapons, from Russia or North Korea.

    Alternatively, Russia could send Iran some of its weapons. This should be a real concern given Moscow’s cascade of withdrawals from critical arms control agreements over the last decade.

    An Iranian bomb could then trigger NPT withdrawals by other regional states, especially Saudi Arabia, who suddenly face a new threat to their security.

    Why Iran might now pursue a bomb

    Iran’s support for Hamas, Hezbollah and Syria’s Assad regime certainly shows it is a dangerous international actor. Iranian leaders have also long used alarming rhetoric about Israel’s destruction.

    However repugnant the words, Israeli and US conservatives have misjudged Iran’s motives in seeking nuclear weapons.

    Israel fears an Iranian bomb would be an existential threat to its survival, given Iran’s promises to destroy it. But this neglects the fact that Israel already possesses a potent (if undeclared) nuclear deterrent capability.

    Israeli anxieties about an Iranian bomb should not be dismissed. But other analysts (myself included) see Iran’s desire for nuclear weapons capability more as a way to establish deterrence to prevent future military attacks from Israel and the US to protect their regime.

    Iranians were shaken by Iraq’s invasion in 1980 and then again by the US-led removal of Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein in 2003. This war with Israel and the US will shake them even more.

    Last week, I felt that if the Israeli bombing ceased, a new diplomatic effort to bring Iran into compliance with the IAEA and persuade it to abandon its program might have a chance.

    However, the US strikes may have buried that possibility for decades. And by then, the damage to the nonproliferation regime could be irreversible.

    Anthony Burke received funding from the UK’s Economic and Social Research Council for a project on global nuclear governance (2014–17).

    – ref. The war won’t end Iran’s nuclear program – it will drive it underground, following North Korea’s model – https://theconversation.com/the-war-wont-end-irans-nuclear-program-it-will-drive-it-underground-following-north-koreas-model-259281

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: A carbon levy on global shipping promises to slash emissions. We calculated what that means for Australia’s biggest export

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Michael Brear, Director, Melbourne Energy Institute, The University of Melbourne

    Costfoto/NurPhoto via Getty Images

    Moving people and things around the world by sea has a big climate impact. The shipping industry produces almost 3% of global greenhouse gas emissions – roughly the same as Germany – largely due to the movement of container ships, bulk carriers and tankers.

    Under international rules, these emissions are not included in any nation’s greenhouse gas reporting. That means they often escape scrutiny.

    Unlike cars, international shipping can’t shift to using low-emissions electricity – the batteries required are too big and heavy. So clean fuels must play a role.

    A proposed shake-up of the global shipping industry would encourage the use of clean fuels and penalise shipping companies that stick to cheaper, more polluting fuels. Should it proceed, emissions from global shipping would be regulated for the first time.

    Using our peer-reviewed modelling, we investigated how the changes might affect Australia’s largest export: iron ore.

    What is the proposed carbon levy all about?

    The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) is the United Nations body responsible for regulating international shipping. It recently approved a draft plan to tackle the shipping sector’s contribution to climate change through a type of “cap and trade” scheme.

    The plan would involve setting a limit, or cap, on how much each shipping company can emit. Companies must then either buy credits or be penalised if they go over their limit. Companies that stay under their limit – for example, by using cleaner fuels – would earn credits, which they could then sell.

    In this way, high-emitting shipping companies are penalised and low-emitting companies are rewarded.

    Under the plan, the total limit for emissions from global shipping would fall each year. This increases the incentive for companies to switch to lower emission fuels and makes higher-emission fuels progressively more expensive to use.

    The plan is scheduled to be adopted by the shipping industry in October this year and would begin in 2027.

    Not all fuels are the same

    The proposed change is particularly significant for Australia. As a remote island nation, our imports and exports are heavily reliant on massive ships. This is most important for our commodity exports – iron ore in particular.

    Our recently published modelling estimated the emissions and financial impacts of various low-emission shipping options for Australia’s exports.

    We estimated Australia’s commodity exports create about 34 million tonnes of greenhouse gases a year. This is about 8% of Australia’s domestic greenhouse gas emissions, but it’s not included in Australia’s national reporting.

    Using the same modelling, we then examined how the proposed new regulation would affect the cost of shipping Australia’s largest export, iron ore. We chose a common route from Port Hedland in Western Australia to Shanghai in China.

    First, we looked at current fuel costs, as well as overall shipping costs measured per tonne of delivered ore. Shipping costs include both the fuel costs and the cost of the ships designed to use it. Then we estimated how much fuels and shipping might cost from 2030, assuming the proposed regulation has come into force.

    We also examined three types of fuel.

    The first was heavy fuel oil (HFO), one of the main fuels used in international shipping. It’s traditionally the cheapest shipping fuel and also has the highest greenhouse gas emissions.

    The second was “blue” ammonia. This fuel is typically made from natural gas using a manufacturing process where the carbon in the natural gas is captured and stored. It has lower greenhouse gas emissions than heavy fuel oil, but it is not a “green” fuel.

    Thirdly, we looked at “green” ammonia, which is produced using renewable energy. We examined two types of green ammonia – that produced using current technology, and “advanced” green ammonia, made using new technologies in development.

    Is green ammonia an answer?

    From about 2030, the overall cost of shipping powered by heavy fuel oil will start to rise significantly under the proposed regulation. That’s because shipping companies using this fuel must purchase credits from those using cleaner options.

    Blue ammonia may then make it cheaper to ship iron ore from Australia to Asia. Users of this fuel could generate and sell credits that higher-emitting fuel users buy, offsetting some of the shipping costs associated with using blue ammonia.

    But if international shipping is to reach the IMO’s goal of net-zero emissions by about 2050, this is very likely to require a green fuel.

    However, green ammonia is more expensive than heavy fuel oil and blue ammonia with current technology. And our analysis found the proposed regulation – and associated subsidy – doesn’t make it the lowest cost shipping option from 2030 onwards either.

    This is why technological innovation is important. CSIRO projections of the future costs of renewable energy and green-fuel manufacture suggest that, should technologies improve, green ammonia may compete on cost with heavy-fuel oil in the 2030s, even without subsidies.

    If so, this zero-emission fuel could become the cheapest way to export Australian iron ore.

    Looking ahead to net-zero

    As our calculations show, a combination of regulation and innovation could help international shipping achieve its goal of net-zero emissions.

    These fuels could be made in Australia, and potentially used by other industries such as rail, mining, road freight and even aviation.

    Such an industry would therefore contribute significantly to the world’s emission-reduction goals, and could help Australia realise its ambition to become a major global exporter of green fuels and other green products.

    Michael Brear receives research funding from the Australian Renewable Energy Agency, the Australian Research Council, the Future Energy Exports CRC and the Clean Marine Fuel Institute. He also receives funding from other government and industry organisations for work on other aspects of energy and transport decarbonisation.

    Gerhard (Gerry) F. Swiegers is an ARC Industry Laureate Fellow and the Chief Technology Officer of Hysata. Hysata is a manufacturer of electrolysers which are used for green hydrogen manufacture. Green hydrogen is a key feedstock for the manufacture of green ammonia.

    Michael Leslie Johns receives funding from the ARC and Future Energy Exports CRC.

    Nguyen Cao receives funding from the Future Energy Exports CRC and the Clean Marine Fuel Institute.

    Rose Amal is the leader of the Particles and Catalysis Research Group, Co-Director of ARC Training Centre for the Global Hydrogen Economy and the Lead of the PowerFuels Network under NSW Decarbonisation Innovation Hub. Rose receives funding from Australian Research Council (ARC) and Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources, Department of Education (Trailblazer Recycling and Clean Energy program), ARENA and NSW Environmental Trust. She was an ARC Laureate Fellow.

    – ref. A carbon levy on global shipping promises to slash emissions. We calculated what that means for Australia’s biggest export – https://theconversation.com/a-carbon-levy-on-global-shipping-promises-to-slash-emissions-we-calculated-what-that-means-for-australias-biggest-export-258915

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Media release: Vic Government’s rethink on gas ban recognises Victorians want choice – Australian Energy Producers

    Source: Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association

    Headline: Media release: Vic Government’s rethink on gas ban recognises Victorians want choice – Australian Energy Producers

    The Victorian Government’s partial backdown on its proposed ban on new gas appliances is welcome acknowledgment that Victorians want choice for their homes and businesses, but more needs to be done to address gas shortfalls facing the state, Australian Energy Producers Victorian Director Peter Kos said.

    “This is a welcome and pragmatic shift from the wider gas appliance ban the Victorian Government proposed earlier this year, which would have increased costs for households and businesses, stifled crucial gas investment and left Victorians facing higher energy bills and reduced energy security,” Mr Kos said.

    “It shows the Government has heard the clear message from households and industry that gas remains vital to Victoria’s energy security and that Victorians want to keep using gas.

    “However, the plan to force homes off gas hot water and banning gas connections in new commercial developments further adds to the Government’s mixed messages on gas and does not address the urgent need for more gas supply to avoid structural shortfalls forecast for Victoria from 2029.”

    Mr Kos said Victoria’s gas industry is committed to bringing new supply to market, but needs evidence-based energy policy that recognises the long-term role of gas in Victoria’s energy mix to encourage investment in new gas exploration and development.

    “Victoria has vast untapped gas reserves in Gippsland and the Otway Basin. The Government should work with industry to unlock this opportunity and ensure Victorians continue to have reliable and affordable energy,” Mr Kos said.

    Australian Energy Producers’ submission to the draft Regulatory Impact Statement highlighted the critical role of gas in Victoria’s energy mix, with over 2 million homes and businesses connected to the gas network. The natural gas industry employs over 40,000 Victorians and contributes $22 billion to the Victorian economy each year.

    MIL OSI Global Banks –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: NSU students won six medals at the “I am a professional” Olympiad

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University – Novosibirsk State University –

    The results of the All-Russian Student Olympiad “I am a Professional” – one of the largest educational projects in the country – have been summed up. NSU students won six medals: three gold and three bronze.

    Master’s student Faculty of Information Technology Ivan Baksheev won the gold medal and became the winner of the Olympiad for the fourth time. This year, he immediately went to the final as last year’s medalist. The Olympiad included two rounds: theoretical and practical, both under strict online proctoring.

    — I have been participating in the Olympiad for several years now. This year was my last chance, as the Olympiad is not held for postgraduates. The most difficult tasks were those on the physical protection of critical facilities, but in the end I solved them best. And in the practical round, I had to urgently deal with memory dumps — quickly find the necessary software, install and use it. The results were expected: judging by the scores, it was already clear in April that the gold was in my pocket, — Ivan shares.

    The student is currently continuing his research work, with his interests focused on various aspects of information theory, including issues related to data protection:

    “I am studying various aspects of information theory and plan to enroll in graduate school at NSU or one of the institutes of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, continuing to work in this field,” he says.

    The gold medal in the Psychology track was won by Lyubov Pecherina, a student at the Institute of Medicine and Medical Technologies of NSU. The Olympiad was held in two stages – an online qualifying round and an in-person final, which Lyubov wrote at the TSU site.

    — During my school years, I actively participated in Olympiads — I won and took prizes. In my fourth year, I wanted to test my knowledge again, but in the direction of my studies at the university, that is, psychology. The result was the status of a gold medalist, that is, first place. The Olympiad tasks were really interesting, and completing them brought me considerable pleasure. I think the most difficult task was the one in which I had to read an English-language article from a scientific journal on cognitive sciences and write an abstract for it, also in English. But what I liked most was the task about the problems of the modern urban environment and the psychological consequences of living in the city, which required multidisciplinary knowledge. I was once again convinced that the main thing when solving problems in the Olympiad is not to be afraid to think and always go beyond the curriculum, to act creatively. I was amazed at such a high result. When I saw my gold medal diploma, tears came to my eyes, and I realized that all the effort I put into my studies was not wasted, says Lyubov.

    Lyubov is currently studying the characteristics of self-perception in people with autism spectrum disorders and is preparing to enter the NSU Master’s program in counseling and clinical psychology.

    — I study autism spectrum disorder, namely, what characterizes and distinguishes the perception of the surrounding world, oneself, one’s body and emotions in people with ASD from neurotypical people. In the future, I plan to enroll in a master’s program at NSU, finish and publish an article dedicated to the peculiarities of self-perception in autistic people, and, of course, take part in the Olympiad again, — Lyubov shares.

    Another gold medal winner is Alexander Tomilov, a student Faculty of Natural SciencesHe became the winner in the track “Chemistry”.

    — I have been participating in this Olympiad for the second year, because it gives an opportunity to demonstrate my knowledge and receive a reward in the form of an increased scholarship or cash prizes for medalists. This year I managed to become a gold medalist in Chemistry and a prize winner in Physics, which I am very happy about. The selection was held online, the semi-final included theoretical problems, and the final at Moscow State University was a practical course. There, it was necessary to work in a chemical laboratory: prepare solutions, carry out synthesis and analyze products. This year, the problems were closer to those we solve at the department, so I coped with them more confidently. The medal is both recognition and financial support, — says Alexander.

    Nazim Mustafin, a student of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, became a two-time bronze medalist of the Olympiad in two tracks at once: Chemistry and Biotechnology.

    — There is a qualifying round for both Olympiads, but I only wrote the chemistry qualifying round, since my diploma in biotechnology was accepted last year. The chemistry qualifying round was quite difficult, so I didn’t think I would make it to the final. However, I was lucky, — says Nazim.

    The final of the chemical track took place at Moscow State University. Nazim managed to meet friends in Moscow, visit various museums and become a prize winner.

    — Last year I won a silver medal in biotechnology and fourth place in chemistry — this year the results have shifted a little. The student track for the master’s degree is more difficult: I had to compete with graduates of the master’s degree. The final in chemistry itself was easier this year — I scored 99 points out of 100 for the practical. But in biotechnology they added a choice of problems, and it became more difficult to calculate the time correctly, — Nazim admits.

    Nazim calls participation in the Olympiad a challenge and an opportunity to earn money – there is a solid cash prize for medals. Next year, he plans to try his hand at mathematics and quantum computing.

    — I am very happy with this victory. Now the period of active study is over, so I plan to delve into the theoretical foundations of what I do in the laboratory, at the same time I am working there on a project to assemble an experimental setup, — the prize winner concludes.

    Also, a bronze medal in biotechnology was won by a student of the Faculty of Natural Sciences Anna Skotareva. This is her first participation in this track, and immediately – a prize place.

    — I have been participating in Olympiads since the first grade. At university I decided to continue — this year I tried myself in biotechnology for the first time and unexpectedly received bronze. The tasks were classic, without surprises. The topics about industrial ecology and synthetic structures turned out especially well — they are close to what I do, — Anna shares.

    In addition, Anna became the winner in the track “Ecology”. Now she studies genes associated with antibiotic resistance in prokaryotes, is interested in systems biology and bioinformatics.

    “These days it’s difficult to be a specialist in one field; you need to be able to adapt quickly,” says Anna.

    The All-Russian Olympiad “I am a Professional” is the flagship project of the presidential platform “Russia – the Land of Opportunities”. It is held with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, more than 35 leading universities in the country and over 500 companies, including Yandex, Sber, VTB, Rosatom, Russian Railways and others.

    Congratulations to the winners and prize winners!

    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.

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China maps new healthcare blueprint for world

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

    How can people in remote and underdeveloped areas access advanced healthcare services? Can tailored medical solutions meet their unique needs? China, with such questions in mind, is boosting technological advancements to map a healthcare blueprint that benefits the world.

    Jotham Kimondo, a 35-year-old doctoral student from Tanzania, is currently studying at the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China in Chengdu, capital of southwest China’s Sichuan Province.

    Under the supervision of Wu Zhe, a professor at the university and director of the Chengdu Tianfu Jincheng Frontier Medical Equipment Research Institute, Kimondo is focusing on the design of ultrasonic medical devices.

    As a faculty member in Tanzania, Kimondo aims to learn ultrasonic instrument design and manufacturing in China to benefit his home country.

    “My research involves innovative design of ultrasonic medical instruments to monitor the pathological changes of human tissues, which is an important indication of disease. Women in Tanzania still rely on traditional methods like physician’s palpation to check for lumps in the mammary examination. This approach greatly depends on physicians’ individual experience and is not always accurate. And some women are not willing to do breast examinations,” said Kimondo.

    Kimondo added that many diseases still plague the people of Tanzania. “I want to improve healthcare in Tanzania, helping people to maintain health. If we develop more innovative ultrasonic medical equipment together in the future, it would be highly beneficial for early screening of breast diseases and other illnesses in Tanzania, especially after those devices become more convenient and cheaper, and can be better promoted across African countries.”

    At the Tianfu Jincheng Lab City of Future Medicine, over 53 registered companies related to frontier medicine have been attracted to explore the cutting edge of future medical innovation and integrated medicine.

    Recently, at the Remote Ultrasound Center of the Tianfu Jincheng institute, a doctor was talking online with another doctor at the Ultrasound Department of Chengdu Eastern New Area Second People’s Hospital, guiding the use of a portable ultrasound device on a patient’s carotid artery.

    Real-time imaging and relevant data of the ultrasound inspection were displayed on a shared screen, allowing the two doctors to communicate directly, discuss pathological conditions and give professional diagnostic results.

    “Traditional high-end ultrasound machines are expensive, costing millions. Rural residents in China’s western regions often need to seek ultrasound examinations in higher-level county hospitals,” Wu explained.

    “Our research efforts aim to enable portable ultrasound devices to be widely used in rural areas of western China for early disease screening and chronic disease management. Compared to high-end ultrasound machines, our portable device significantly lowers costs. Additionally, it is simpler and more convenient to use in grassroots hospitals,” Wu added.

    Use of this portable ultrasound device, which is the size of a smartphone, has already been implemented in over 10 health centers in eastern Chengdu — providing free carotid and thyroid screenings to more than 2,000 residents.

    With the continuous improvement of China’s industrial design and manufacturing capabilities and medical research levels, innovation in the development of medical devices is soaring. The growing recognition of Chinese medical devices in overseas markets is resulting in increasing international orders, encouraging more Chinese medical companies to go global.

    In the City of Future Medicine, an industrial park, workers at Chengdu Seamaty Technology Co., Ltd. are packing biochemical analysis reagents. This batch of goods is set to be shipped globally from Chengdu.

    This “Little Giant” firm, which refers to novel and elite small and medium-sized enterprises that specialize in a niche market, boast cutting-edge technologies and show great potential, focuses on the research and production of point-of-care testing (POCT) medical devices, and has already sold its medical products to more than 150 countries and regions worldwide.

    In its quality inspection center, hundreds of fully automated biochemical analyzers undergo pre-shipment quality checks.

    “This shipment of instruments will be sent to Europe. Last year, our company’s total sales reached 320 million yuan (about 44.6 million U.S. dollars), and in the first five months of this year, our international business has increased by 59 percent compared to the same period last year,” said Wang Bin, deputy general manager of the company, highlighting that the growth in overseas orders reflects an increasing acceptance of Chinese medical device manufacturing products in international markets.

    Innovative technologies such as 3D printing, organ-on-chip systems, nanorobots and brain-computer interfaces are advancing the scientific research applications of medical devices in China, presenting a future-oriented medical landscape.

    At Chengdu Tianqi Additive Intelligent Manufacturing Co., Ltd., personalized patient-matched medical solutions are being precisely created with 3D printing technology. It uses computer-aided design and manufacturing (CAD/CAM) modeling, and a layer-by-layer printing process, to turn virtual designs into physical products, making the envisioned design a tangible reality.

    In a modern manufacturing workshop, dozens of industrial printers operate in an orderly manner, with a laser engraver precisely etching patterns in titanium alloy powder to an accuracy of 0.01 millimeters.

    Within just a few hours, products such as patient-matched maxillofacial bone plates are printed. This seemingly ordinary industrial scene reflects significant advancements that China has made in the realm of precision medical manufacturing.

    Compared to the handmade bending of bone plates in the past, 3D printing offers a more precise, convenient, safe and stable way to create customized products.

    “We are currently conducting custom production for a case in Singapore. Engineers input patient data transmitted from the hospital into the system, and the AI algorithms aid designers in creating personalized data models for patient facial reconstruction, which are then integrally formed via metal 3D printers,” Gao Bangkui, marketing director of Chengdu Tianqi Additive lntelligent Manufacturing Co., Ltd said.

    Gao added that in the future, the company will prioritize serving the Middle East, Africa and Southeast Asia to meet the customized medical needs of countries and regions participating in the Belt and Road Initiative. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • Trump announces ceasefire in 12-day Iran-Israel war

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    U.S. President Donald Trump announced on Monday a complete ceasefire between Israel and Iran, potentially ending the 12-day war that saw millions flee Tehran and prompted fears of further escalation in the war-torn region.

    But there was no confirmation from Israel and the Israeli military said it had detected missiles launched from Iran towards Israel in the early hours of Tuesday.

    “Defensive systems are operating to intercept the threat,” the Israel Defense Forces said in a statement.

    Israel, joined by the United States on the weekend, has carried out attacks on Iran’s nuclear facilities, after alleging Tehran was getting close to obtaining a nuclear weapon.

    “On the assumption that everything works as it should, which it will, I would like to congratulate both Countries, Israel and Iran, on having the Stamina, Courage, and Intelligence to end, what should be called, ‘THE 12 DAY WAR’,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social site.

    While an Iranian official earlier confirmed that Tehran had agreed to a ceasefire, the country’s foreign minister said there would be no cessation of hostilities unless Israel stopped its attacks.

    Abbas Araqchi said early on Tuesday that if Israel stopped its “illegal aggression” against the Iranian people no later than 4 a.m. Tehran time (0030 GMT) on Tuesday, Iran had no intention of continuing its response afterwards.

    There have been no reported Israeli attacks on Iran since that time.

    “The final decision on the cessation of our military operations will be made later,” Araqchi added in a post on X.

    A senior White House official said Trump had brokered the deal in a call with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel had agreed so long as Iran did not launch further attacks.

    Trump appeared to suggest that Israel and Iran would have some time to complete any missions that are underway, at which point the ceasefire would begin in a staged process.

    Iran denies ever having a nuclear weapons program but Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei has said that if it wanted to, world leaders “wouldn’t be able to stop us”.

    Israel, which is not a party to the international Non-Proliferation Treaty, is the only country in the Middle East believed to have nuclear weapons. Israel does not deny or confirm that.

    Qatar’s Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al Thani secured Tehran’s agreement during a call with Iranian officials, an official briefed on the negotiations told Reuters on Tuesday.

    U.S. Vice President JD Vance, Secretary of State Marco Rubio and U.S. special envoy Steve Witkoff were in direct and indirect contact with the Iranians, the White House official said.

    Neither Iran’s U.N. mission nor the Israeli embassy in Washington responded to separate requests for comment from Reuters.

    Hours earlier, three Israeli officials had signaled Israel was looking to wrap up its campaign in Iran soon and had passed the message on to the United States.

    Netanyahu had told government ministers whose discussions ended early on Tuesday not to speak publicly, Israel’s Channel 12 television reported.

    Markets reacted favorably to the news.

    S&P 500 futures rose 0.4% late on Monday, suggesting traders expect the U.S. stock market to open with gains on Tuesday.

    U.S. crude futures fell in early Asian trading hours on Tuesday to their lowest level in more than a week after Trump said a ceasefire had been agreed, relieving worries of supply disruption in the region.

    END TO THE FIGHTING?

    There did not appear to be calm yet in the region.

    The Israeli military issued two evacuation warnings in less than two hours to residents of areas in the Iranian capital Tehran, one late on Monday and one early on Tuesday.

    Israeli Army radio reported early on Tuesday that alarms were activated in the southern Golan Heights area due to fears of hostile aircraft intrusion.

    Earlier on Monday, Trump said he would encourage Israel to proceed towards peace after dismissing Iran’s attack on an American air base that caused no injuries and thanking Tehran for the early notice of the strikes.

    He said Iran fired 14 missiles at the U.S. air base, calling it “a very weak response, which we expected, and have very effectively countered.”

    Iran’s handling of the attack recalled earlier clashes with the United States and Israel, with Tehran seeking a balance between saving face with a military response but without provoking a cycle of escalation it can’t afford.

    Tehran appears to have achieved that goal.

    Iran’s attack came after U.S. bombers dropped 30,000-pound bunker-buster bombs on Iranian underground nuclear facilities at the weekend, joining Israel’s air war.

    Much of Tehran’s population of 10 million has fled after days of bombing.

    The Trump administration maintains that its aim was solely to destroy Iran’s nuclear program, not to open a wider war.

    “Iran was very close to having a nuclear weapon,” Vice President JD Vance said in an interview on Fox News’ “Special Report with Bret Baier.”

    “Now Iran is incapable of building a nuclear weapon with the equipment they have because we destroyed it,” Vance said.

    Trump has cited intelligence reports that Iran was close to building a nuclear weapon, without elaborating. However, U.S. intelligence agencies said earlier this year they assessed that Iran was not building a nuclear weapon and a source with access to U.S. intelligence reports told Reuters last week that that assessment hadn’t changed.

    But in a social media post on Sunday, Trump spoke of toppling the hardline clerical rulers who have been Washington’s principal foes in the Middle East since Iran’s 1979 Islamic Revolution.

    Israel, however, had made clear that its strikes on Evin prison – a notorious jail for housing political prisoners – and other targets in Tehran were intended to hit the Iranian ruling apparatus broadly, and its ability to sustain power.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI USA: Gov. Pillen Celebrates Elimination of the Developmental Disabilities Waitlist

    Source: US State of Nebraska

    .Powell@nebraska.gov”>Jeff.Powell@nebraska.gov

    Gov. Pillen Celebrates Elimination of the Developmental Disabilities Waitlist

    LINCOLN, NE – Today, Governor Jim Pillen joined leaders from the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Vital Services, Inc., program participants and families in celebrating the elimination of the developmental disabilities (DD) waitlist and improving support for Nebraskans with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

    The elimination of the waitlist is the result of an unprecedented investment of over $18 million, plus matching federal funds, to better enable the delivery of support services to children with disabilities and their families.

    “Eliminating the DD waitlist is a great accomplishment for the state of Nebraska,” said Gov.  Pillen. “Now, children and adults with IDD can access support at the time they need it. The new approach ensures a full continuum of care for individuals and their families, creating better opportunities and outcomes. Our kids are our future, and it is our responsibility to give each one the best future possible.”

    Historically, the DHHS Division of Developmental Disabilities (DDD) has maintained a waitlist for developmental disability waivers. In March of 2024, there were 2,706 individuals on the waitlist. At that time, Gov. Pillen joined representatives from DHHS in announcing that the state would eliminate the waitlist and establish a new approach to DDD services.

    During that 15-month process, more than 3,000 individuals were eliminated from the waitlist, including those who came on after March 2024. The new program provides the following:

    • Medicaid for DD eligible children that meet the required level of care

    • Additional access to family support and day services waivers that allow families to live together

    • Case management services for individuals who do not require waiver services

    • Employment services

    • Comprehensive DD waivers based on a nationally validated needs assessment adopted by DHHS with the support of stakeholders

    • New models of staffing including remote support and Legally Responsible Individuals (LRI) as paid providers for personal care

    • Expansion of independent providers

    “Today we celebrate with everyone who made the elimination of the DD Waitlist possible – Governor Pillen, leadership in the DD community, participants, family members, providers, our partners, front line staff, and many more,” said Tony Green, Director of DDD.   “As of this week, all individuals on the DD waitlist will have received an offer letter. Waivers, natural supports, and Medicaid assistance allow those individuals to remain in their communities, seek employment, and explore a future that meets the needs of each participant at each stage of life.”

    Today’s news conference was hosted by Vital Services, Inc., a local organization supporting individuals with IDD by offering residential support, supported employment, and day support in the Lincoln area. Prior to the announcement, Gov. Pillen, First Lady Suzanne, and Dir. Green received a tour of the facility and greeted program participants and staff.

    “Vital Services, Inc. teaches life skills to people with developmental disabilities and cares for each person’s unique needs with a variety of assistance programs. Our programs provide individuals with the tools to achieve independence, advocate for themselves, and integrate into their community. We are excited and grateful to celebrate with Governor Pillen the transformation in access to developmental disabilities services in Nebraskans,” said Joshua Bumgardner, Development Director of Vital Services, Inc.

    Andi Aschoff and her daughter, Kira Amos also spoke to the benefits they have experienced personally since DHHS changed its service delivery model. Kira currently receives a family support waiver, one of three waiver types, provided through the DDD program and she is a participant at Vital Services, Inc.

    “Having the support has changed our daily lives,” said Aschoff. “We do feel supported, and that really does make a big difference.”

    For more information on programs for individuals with IDD, or to apply for services, please visit the DDD website: https://dhhs.ne.gov/Pages/Developmental-Disabilities.aspx

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Case Opposes Proposed Funding Bill That Cuts Food Assistance To Hawaii Residents

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Ed Case (Hawai‘i – District 1)

    (Washington, DC) – U.S. Congressman Ed Case (HI-01), a member of the House Appropriations Committee, tonight voted against the proposed Fiscal Year (FY) 2026 Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and Related Agencies funding measure.  

    The measure would provide $25.5 billion, a $1 billion decrease from the current year, for U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) agriculture and rural development programs, the Farm Credit Administration, Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the FDA.

    It is the third of twelve separate bills developed and approved by the Appropriations Committee that would fund the federal government at some $1.6 trillion for FY 2026 commencing October 1st of this year. 

    “While the measure funds many critical Hawai‘i priorities, I regrettably had to vote against it because it would cut food assistance for vulnerable families and make it even harder for Hawai‘i farmers to make ends meet,” said Case, who is in his seventh year on Appropriations and previously served on the House Committee on Agriculture.  

    “At a time when families around the country and our state are struggling with the high cost of living and rising food costs, and when Hawai‘i agriculture is struggling with high production costs and the consequences of the administration’s rash and chaotic tariff war, we should be maintaining our time-tested federal programs, not reducing or even eliminating them.” 

    The bill:  

    ·        Cuts $100 from the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) and fails to support the cash benefit for fruits and vegetables that ensures women, infants and children get the nutrients they need.  

    ·        Reduces staffing for the Farm Service Agency (FSA), which operates offices across the country that assist farmers in getting needed federal assistance. The bill provides $110 million less for FSA staffing than what was provided in FY 2025.  

    ·        Cuts funding for the Natural Resources Conservation Service Conservation Operations by 5 percent below FY 2025 funding levels.

    ·        Cuts rural housing and water and waste-water grants.

    In addition, the bill eliminates key programs for Hawai‘i, like the Reimbursement Transportation Cost Payment Program for Geographically Disadvantaged Farmers and Ranchers. This program helps our local farmers with the cost of getting their produce to the mainland markets. Additionally, the Micro-Grants for Food Security Program, which increases the quantity and quality of locally grown food through small-scale gardening, herding and livestock and apiary operations, was eliminated.  

    Case especially objected to large cuts in critical foreign food assistance programs, including $900 million for Food for Peace, almost 50% down to its lowest level since 2002, and $220 million for the McGovern-Dole International Food for Education and Child Nutrition program, $20 million below the FY 2025 level. 

    “Cutting our international food assistance programs is contrary to our values and harms our national security. Global food insecurity leads to political instability, making countries more vulnerable to conflict and extremism, and helping other countries and peoples with their food needs knits together alliances and partnerships which are critical to our national defense,” said Case, a member of the Defense Appropriations Subcommittee.  

    Despite these and other significant problems with the bill, Case highlighted positive provisions he requested including important victories for Hawai‘i, including $216 million for the Specialty Crop Pests Program, which helps to protect our topical crops from invasive species. In addition, $15 million was included for Minor Crop Pest Management, which provides expert assistance for effective minor/specialty crop protection. The bill also provides research and education funds for Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving institutions, in addition to funding for our land-grant universities like the University of Hawai‘i.  

    “Invasive species pose a significant ecological and economic threat to our Hawai‘i, with specially damaging impacts on local agriculture,” said Case.  

    “This agriculture funding bill provides support for our local farmers, farmers markets and food promotion programs, which combined will help our Hawai‘i deal with the soaring cost of food, much of which is imported to our islands,” said Case.  

      Provisions in the bill of interest to Hawai‘i that Case worked to secure include:  

    ·        $5 million for Education Grants for Alaska Native and Native Hawaiian-Serving Institutions. This program addresses the educational needs of food and agricultural sciences-related disciplines and prepares low-income students for careers related to food, agricultural and natural resources.  

    ·        $123 million for the USDA Wildlife Damage Management Program, which helps to prevent the spread of the Brown Tree Snake to Hawai‘i.  

    ·        $3 million for Agricultural Canine Detection and Surveillance of invasive species and diseases, an increase of $500,000.  

    ·        $1.1 billion for the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, including $216 million for combating specialty crop pests.  

    ·        $36 million for Agriculture Quarantine Inspections to prevent infestations of pests and diseases.  

    ·        $15 million for the Minor Crop Pest Management Program to provide expert assistance to minor and specialty crop producers.  

    ·        $8 million for the Grassroots Source Water Protection Program that is designed to prevent water source pollution.  

    ·        $5 million for Aquaculture Centers and $2 million for aquaculture research programs.  

    ·        $1 million for Tropical and Subtropical Agricultural Research Grants for Insular Areas.  

       The measure also:  

    ·        Directs the Agricultural Research Service to continue research on tropical and subtropical crops, emphasizing the need to combat invasive pests.

    ·        Directs the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to report on existing protocols protecting Hawai‘i from invasive species and evaluate options for enhancing this protocol.  

      A summary of the agriculture funding bill is available here.  

      ###

     

     

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Britain unveils 10-year industrial strategy to cut energy costs, support key sectors

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

    The British government on Monday unveiled a comprehensive 10-year Industrial Strategy designed to tackle long-standing structural challenges facing British industry, including high energy costs and lengthy delays in electricity grid connections.

    The plan also outlines targeted support for eight high-growth sectors, including advanced manufacturing, clean energy, and digital technology.

    A major component of the strategy is the British Industrial Competitiveness Scheme, which aims to reduce electricity bills by up to 25 percent for more than 7,000 energy-intensive businesses – including those in the steel and chemicals sectors – starting in 2027. These savings will come from removing several existing charges on electricity bills that currently fund renewable energy generation and backup supply systems.

    Complementing this initiative, the British Industry Supercharger program will expand support for approximately 500 companies in sectors such as ceramics, glass, and aluminum. These firms currently receive a 60 percent discount on electricity network charges, which will increase to 90 percent from 2026, a move expected to lower operating costs and enhance global competitiveness.

    To address persistent delays in connecting to the electricity grid, the government plans to launch a Connections Accelerator Service by the end of 2025. The service will work in coordination with energy providers, devolved governments, and local authorities to expedite grid access for major investment projects.

    British Prime Minister Keir Starmer hailed the strategy as “a turning point for Britain’s economy and a clear break from the short-termism and sticking plasters of the past.”

    Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves emphasized the plan’s investment-friendly approach, noting that it would ease business energy costs, unlock funding for advanced technologies, and support job creation. “It will boost our economy and create jobs that put more money in people’s pockets,” she said.

    The government stressed that the reforms would not lead to higher taxes or household energy bills. Instead, they will be financed through adjustments to the national energy system and increased revenues from carbon pricing.

    Beyond energy reforms, the strategy includes sector-specific support for eight high-potential industries: advanced manufacturing, clean energy, creative industries, defense, digital and technologies, financial services, life sciences, and professional and business services. Each sector will receive tailored policy frameworks and funding packages over the next decade.

    While industry representatives have broadly welcomed the announcement, some experts and business leaders have voiced reservations. Critics argue that although the electricity price reforms may enhance competitiveness, they are unlikely to fully close the gap with lower industrial power costs in countries like France and Germany. Britain’s electricity prices remain closely linked to wholesale gas markets, which still account for a larger share of Britain’s energy mix than in many European countries.

    Others questioned the government’s ability to follow through on its long-term commitments, citing past inconsistencies in industrial policy. Several industry voices also called for faster implementation amid intensifying global competition for green investment.

    The government said detailed action plans for each sector will be published in phases over the coming months. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Defying all odds, “Desert Poplar Spirit” works green miracles in Taklimakan

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

    An aerial drone photo taken on Oct. 25, 2024 shows the autumn scenery of the desert poplar forest at the Huludao (Gourd Island) scenic spot in Yuli County, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Hu Huhu)

    In the vast wilderness of Xinjiang’s Taklimakan Desert, the populus euphratica, or the desert poplar, thrives against harsh conditions, withstanding cold, heat, alkali, and extreme drought while serving as a natural barrier against sandstorms.

    Mirroring the indomitable nature of the trees, a dedicated group has taken root there, tirelessly working to transform sand into greenery. Their perseverance has crystallized into what locals call the “Desert Poplar Spirit.”

    Nurjamal Emdulla is one of them. After graduating from college in 2010, she returned to her hometown of Awati County in Aksu Prefecture to join the local forestry and grassland bureau.

    In 2021, local authorities initiated a sand control project in the county’s Aiximan region on the northwestern margin of the Taklimakan, an area characterized by extensive sand dunes resulting from desertification. This was when Nurjamal Emdulla’s war against the sands began.

    For days on end, she would spend over ten hours in the field. “I teach workers planting techniques — how to dig holes, plant saplings, and water them correctly,” she explained. “And how to secure each sapling’s base with wire mesh to prevent wildlife from damaging the young plants.”

    The commute to and from work was no easy feat. “When sandstorms rage, visibility drops greatly, and even fresh footprints vanish instantly. Getting lost was routine,” she recalled. “My mom would always complain that ‘as a girl, you don’t even have a chance to wear dresses.’”

    For Nurjamal Emdulla, the harsh working conditions were never the real challenge. What truly unsettled her was the seeming impossibility of life taking root in those barren sands.

    For desert control workers, failure is a daily companion. One strong sandstorm can uproot freshly planted saplings in minutes. And the scorching heat and lack of water can also claim the fragile seedlings.

    “Oftentimes, it felt like what we were doing was pointless,” she even considered quitting.

    The turnaround came in spring 2022. One day, Nurjamal Emdulla discovered some new green on the branches of the saxaul shrubs, although it was too pale to be seen. “The trees were alive! I saw hope,” she recalled, with tears brimming in her eyes.

    Nowadays, vast stands of saxaul trees and tamarisk flourish across the once-barren lands, and long-absent wild animals such as hares, foxes and pheasants can be spotted occasionally.

    The same kind of despair that once bothered Nurjamal Emdulla was also felt by people in Wenaletaikushi village in Kashgar Prefecture.

    The village was encircled by desert on three sides, with encroaching dunes just 50 meters from the nearest homes. Villagers tried to plant trees but failed due to drought. Cotton and wheat yields withered season after season. Many abandoned their homes in search of a better life.

    Dai Zhigang, 55, from the forestry and grassland bureau of Kashgar, was sent to work as head of the village in 2023 with a battle cry: “We will tame this desert!”

    With the township government’s backing, the village implemented drip irrigation systems to resolve the water shortage issue. And a trial planting of saxaul trees and Russian olive shrubs began in earnest.

    “At the beginning, villagers were doubtful,” he said; some call him “bottle gourd head,” which in the Uygur language means a stubborn, silly person.

    Indeed, the campaign was not without its struggles: the newly leveled sand dunes would reclaim their heights overnight after sandstorms; the freshly planted saplings were often uprooted by shifting sands.

    After facing one defeat after another, a forest comprised of sand-fixation trees had successfully taken root last year.

    “Now the villagers are convinced and as determined as I am to continue with our planting,” Dai said. More and more villagers have voluntarily joined the desert prevention and control team. By this spring, over 160 hectares of desert had been regreened.

    The resilience and perseverance are evident not only on the frontlines of desert control but also within research institutions, where science is waging its campaign against the encroaching sands.

    Li Zhijun, a professor of Tarim University in Aral City, is called the “Desert Poplar Princess” by her colleagues.

    Over the past 25 years, she has traveled across the Tarim Basin to collect wild poplar germ plasm resources, leading multiple studies on the conservation and restoration of populus euphratica forests.

    Li and her team spend over six months each year conducting field surveys. When their cars get stuck in the soft sands, they pick up their heavy ladders and sampling gear, and trek the remaining kilometers.

    They climb up and down the trees to collect samples and conduct measurements. When encountering strong winds, the team could only hold hands with one another and push forward against wind and sand.

    “The desert poplar is a part of my life. Their resilience and vitality inspire me, enabling me to persist,” said the 62-year-old.

    Over the years, she led her team to over 60 counties and cities, collecting over 4,000 samples of poplar genetic resources. She developed conservation plans for various genetic resources of the species and established a gene pool for China’s poplar resources.

    Every day, such stories of failure, success, struggle and perseverance unfold across the vast deserts of Xinjiang.

    Thanks to decades of sand control efforts, China completed a 3,046-km green belt of trees and sand-blocking technologies last November to fully encircle the Taklimakan Desert.

    A brighter prospect is emerging for the sand fighters.

    “We not only work to control the sand, but will also make money from it,” said Dai Zhigang. Besides planting saxaul and poplar trees to fix the sand, the village is also cultivating economic crops such as licorice, roses, and watermelons. He also set aside a section of vacant sandy land with plans to create a desert park to attract tourists.

    Asked about his plans to retire, he replied, “I’ll keep working with the desert until the day these old bones turn to dust!”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: World embraces ‘cool’ Chinese creativity with zeal

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

    Right beside the Louvre in Paris, a limited-edition Mona Lisa-inspired collectible toy known as Labubu was fueling a buying frenzy at a store of Chinese toy giant Pop Mart.

    Also, in Times Square, New York, the fiery-wheeled Ne Zha appeared on a giant screen earlier this year, kicking off a wave of overseas screenings of this Chinese animated hit.

    Additionally, at the ongoing Expo 2025 in Osaka, China-chic interactive experiences such as a Wukong with artificial intelligence (AI) at the China Pavilion have attracted hundreds of thousands of visitors within just a month of its opening.

    Notably, an increasing number of creative and diverse Chinese cultural products have become global sensations in recent times. Empowered by this trend, China’s cultural presence abroad is undergoing a paradigm shift while unveiling a youthful image, with many overseas audiences expressing admiration for how “cool” the country is becoming.

    LABUBU’S GLOBAL REACH

    At the Pop Mart store in K11 Art Mall in Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in south China, long queues form regularly. Thai tourist Bonn patiently followed the crowd and finally secured her shopping fix after nearly 30 minutes of waiting. During her trip to Hong Kong, she had spent around 3,000 Hong Kong dollars (about 382 U.S. dollars) on merchandise.

    “Wherever I go, I always visit the local Pop Mart to stock up,” Bonn said. She especially adores the cute Labubu character and has collected hundreds of differently costumed figurines since getting hooked last year.

    “I dress the figurines up and even take them traveling with me,” she added.

    Recently, this sharp-toothed, rabbit-eared forest sprite has gained global popularity. Stores frequently sell out, while prices surge in secondary markets. According to Pop Mart, thanks to original IPs like Labubu, the company’s overseas revenue in the first quarter of 2025 had surged by 475 to 480 percent year on year.

    Created by a Hong Kong artist and blending Nordic mythology with Chinese design, Labubu has struck a global emotional chord. Thai authorities labeled it an “Amazing Thailand Experience Explorer,” its theme song was sung on the streets of Barcelona, and it was even “invited” to attend Milan Fashion Week.

    “Great intellectual properties (IPs) have the power to transcend cultures,” said Chen Xiaoyun, vice president of Pop Mart International Group Limited, adding that the company is committed to creating IPs with diverse aesthetics and gathering global creativity.

    “The export of such new mass culture shows the world what a ‘Cool China’ looks like, while offering universal appeal that resonates through cultural creativity,” wrote Zhang Yiwu, a professor at Peking University.

    TECH-DRIVEN CULTURAL INNOVATION

    The video game “Black Myth: Wukong” is another recent cultural phenomenon from China that is yielding international acclaim. Not long after the game was released, a reaction clip posted by British gaming streamer “itsjavachip” went viral, as she was moved to tears by the emotional storyline of Bajie in the game, earning her a fanbase of Chinese followers.

    Last month, “itsjavachip” was invited to China to visit the production set of another original martial arts-themed Chinese game. At the studio, she learned martial arts moves, donned a black outfit and experienced wire-assisted motion capture firsthand.

    Calling it an “absolutely amazing” experience, she said that playing a character in the game would be a dream come true.

    Employing cutting-edge simulation technologies, “Black Myth: Wukong” immerses players in scenes such as ancient buildings in Shanxi and the picturesque landscapes of the Jiangnan region. As of the end of last year, the game had sold 28 million copies worldwide, generating over 9 billion yuan (about 1.24 billion U.S. dollars) in revenue within five months of its release.

    In 2024, domestically developed Chinese games generated actual overseas sales revenue of more than 18.55 billion U.S. dollars, marking a year-on-year increase of 13.39 percent. The success of Chinese games abroad highlights the dual driving forces of traditional culture and intelligent digital technology.

    In the realm of traditional culture, digitization is also breaking geographical barriers and becoming a “digital window” helping global audiences to better understand China.

    As of May this year, the Palace Museum had digitized about 52 percent of its collection; the flying apsaras of Dunhuang “dance gracefully” on the screen through digital technology; the Zenghouyi chime bells are “struck” in a digital world…

    “I can directly scan artifacts and learn relevant information through it,” said Italian blogger Massimo, who couldn’t help but exclaim while holding the AR guide at Henan Museum.

    Such “coolness” can help China’s content industry attract a wider global audience, said Kevin Kelly, founding executive editor of Wired magazine.

    FROM CONNECTION TO CO-CREATION

    Through China’s cultural exports, global audiences are not only able to connect and empathize with their content, but are also co-creating something even bigger.

    British web fiction writer JKSManga was initially a devoted reader of Eastern fantasy web novels such as “Soul Land.” A few years ago, he registered on WebNovel, an online literature platform under China Literature Limited, and started writing his own works. His breakout series “My Vampire System” has garnered over 73 million reads and has been adapted into multiple formats.

    For JKSManga, being urged by readers to update his stories is a source of great joy. He describes the writing process as a form of social interaction, a sharing based on shared values.

    As of November last year, WebNovel had around 6,000 translated Chinese web novels and was home to nearly 450,000 overseas authors and 680,000 original works by overseas authors.

    Hou Xiaonan, CEO and president of China Literature Limited, said that online literature has become a global cultural phenomenon, not only because of the global spread of Chinese IP, but also thanks to the globalization of the Chinese IP model itself.

    Meanwhile, Ye Xiu, protagonist of the popular Chinese web novel “The King’s Avatar,” was recently “invited” by Swiss authorities to serve as a “travel ambassador,” offering fans an innovative immersive experience.

    Wei Pengju, senior researcher at the Central University of Finance and Economics in Beijing, said China’s cultural trade has evolved into a hybrid export model of “digital content + IP operations + technological services,” and that Chinese cultural exports have entered a new phase highlighting content, empowered by technology, and featuring co-creation.

    Via such cultural interactions, with wider opening up, broader innovation and deeper cooperation, China stands ready to share with the rest of the world an ever-cooler China. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Data gaps and demographic change: the end of the NZ census will create big blind spots

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Paul Spoonley, Distinguished Professor, College of Humanities and Social Sciences, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University

    Getty Images

    Ending the New Zealand census as we’ve known it will save money – it was “no longer financially viable”, according to Statistics Minister Shane Reti – but the true cost of those savings could be considerable.

    Of course, it’s no secret the two previous censuses raised major questions about the quality of census data and the process. In 2018, an untested experiment with online returns, and a reduced workforce in the field, saw “an unacceptably low response rate”.

    In 2023, StatsNZ had to apologise again, this time for failing to keep the collected data safe and for another low response rate, especially for Māori. The problems were compounded by low trust in government and an unwillingness to share private information in the wake of COVID-related misinformation.

    It didn’t help that the 2023 census cost NZ$325 million, up from $104 million in 2013 – double the amount per capita, for reasons that remain unclear.

    That was enough. Cabinet papers between March and May last year signalled the government was going to move to an alternative system of data collection. The shift was characterised as “modernising the census” – except there will be no census.

    But the change has been made without any apparent consideration of how the census is used – specifically, that it is crucial to the management of a modern society and economy – and what will be lost in the process.

    Comparison across time

    One of the primary functions of a census is to allow comparison with previous censuses over time. And these go back a long way.

    The first census, in 1851, collected data on Europeans only, although the Native Secretary provided details of Māori from 1849 to 1850. The Census Act of 1858 required that a national census of all Europeans take place every three years. A new act in 1877 introduced the five-yearly census we’ve become used to.

    Data on Māori was collected separately until 1916 when a question on “race” appeared. The 1926 Census and Statistical Act then required all individuals, including Māori, to complete the census forms.

    Depression and war meant there were no censuses in 1931 and 1941, and the 2011 census was delayed because of the Christchurch earthquakes. Otherwise, we have had regular updates from nearly all the resident population on a whole range of aspects of life in New Zealand.

    This comprehensive picture of New Zealanders and the way we live underpins nearly every aspect of political decision-making and policy development. But no more.

    The new approach will use existing administrative data collected by government departments and agencies as part of their normal business. ACC, Inland Revenue, the Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Education, and Department of Internal Affairs will be key data sources.

    The data gaps will be addressed by asking those departments and agencies to change some of what they collect. But the main change will involve surveys – as yet unspecified in terms of sample size or frame, or the questions and topics to be covered – which will “verify data quality and fill gaps”.

    As well as saving money, the statistics minister says, this approach will provide “more timely insights”. But this all leaves important questions unanswered.

    Inadequate administrative data

    Administrative data is collected for specific purposes and in different ways by government departments and agencies. The coverage is incomplete, there is often no consistency in what is collected, and there are issues about data quality and robustness.

    Moreover, information management is not a particular strength of most public sector agencies (Inland Revenue might be one of the few exceptions). It will be interesting to see whether the government is prepared to fund new technology options and methods to help improve this data collection.

    For example, the Understanding Policing Delivery research project has identified issues with data collection, especially in relation to ethnicity: national intelligence activities collect and hold data on ethnicity, iwi and hapū affiliations, but the process for issuing police infringement notices for offending does not.

    As a StatsNZ exercise which looked at ethnicity data collection across the government sector noted:

    The question asked for ethnicity differs widely across administrative data sources and often differs within each administrative source depending on the mode of collection or the form used.

    Such inconsistencies will need to be rectified if administrative data is to be anything like as comprehensive and consistent as the data provided by the census.

    Major demographic change

    New Zealand is also undergoing major demographic change, including the following trends:

    • fertility has declined and is at sub-replacement levels

    • the population is rapidly ageing

    • the proportion of population living in the top half of the North Island is increasing

    • and immigration has contributed significantly to population growth and diversity.

    I am not convinced the new administrative approach will capture these demographic changes, much less good data on the wellbeing of various communities or the nature of families and households.

    Administrative data, by definition, is partial and suited to the particular activities and concerns of the agency or department in question. But in a modern, complex society, data is key. We have just lost one of the most powerful tools available for understanding this country in the 21st century.

    The author acknowledges Len Cook, former Government Statistician of New Zealand, for his comments and suggestions.

    Paul Spoonley has received funding from MBIE and is associated with Koi Tu.

    – ref. Data gaps and demographic change: the end of the NZ census will create big blind spots – https://theconversation.com/data-gaps-and-demographic-change-the-end-of-the-nz-census-will-create-big-blind-spots-259663

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Ministerial statement on the Middle East

    Source: New Zealand Government

    Mr Speaker,

    The situation in the Middle East is of the gravest concern. 

    No New Zealanders want to wake up to news of more bombing, more strife and more misery. Yet, tragically, for the last two years, that is what we have seen: a relentless and remorseless series of events which have greatly destabilised the region and gravely harmed its people and their sense of security and prosperity. 

    New Zealanders are scattered across every part of the world – and so of course our minds turn in the current crisis to our people in harm’s way. Ensuring their safety is an absolute priority of this Government. 

    New Zealand is a very long way from the Middle East. Unlike our own region, the Pacific, New Zealand’s influence in the Middle East and our ability to affect the trajectory of events is modest. Nevertheless, this Government, continuing New Zealand’s long tradition as a responsible international citizen, has pursued an active foreign policy based on engagement with all – via an intensive programme of Prime Ministerial and Ministerial travel. 

    We have sought to understand the perspectives of all involved in the Middle East crisis – and to present a clear New Zealand position. That’s why we travelled to Egypt, the UAE and Saudi Arabia; why we’ve met and discussed these issues with Israel, Iran, the Palestinians, the Gulf states, the Europeans, Australia, the United States, our Asian partners, and many others. And that’s why we have resisted the pressure from some to expel from New Zealand the Ambassadors of some Middle Eastern countries. We prefer diplomacy to moral outrage. 

    Indeed, ours is a foreign policy of collecting all the facts, hearing all the perspectives, and applying a careful, reasonable, cool-headed approach to the situation – not kneejerk reaction and simplistic moral posturing. 

    The New Zealand Government’s response to what is happening in the Middle East should be guided by two questions: 

    • how can we act to get our people out of harm’s way?; and
    • how can we best contribute to an international debate which helps push the situation towards de-escalation and peace not further disintegration and despair? 

    Our first priority is the safety of New Zealanders. Our advice to New Zealanders in Iran and Israel remains to leave if and when they can find a safe route. The Government is committed to supporting New Zealanders caught up in this crisis. Since the beginning of the conflict, MFAT has provided 24/7 consular support to New Zealanders in Israel and Iran, and to their families back home in New Zealand. It will continue to do so. 

    As we announced on Sunday, we have sent a C-130 aircraft to ensure that we have the resource available to aid in evacuations from the region for those that want to leave. We are also in discussions with commercial airlines to see if they can help. We encourage all New Zealanders in the region to make sure they register with SafeTravel so we can have an accurate picture of who may need assistance and where. We are also monitoring carefully the economic impacts back home of what is happening in the Middle East. 

    We note, and welcome, positive signals in the last few hours about a potential ceasefire. New Zealand strongly supports all efforts toward diplomacy. We urge all parties to return to talks. An enduring solution depends on de-escalation and diplomacy.

    As we have repeatedly said, the Middle East is not a situation of black and white; of good and evil; of just one bad actor. Those in this House who rush to condemn or call out one actor or other – or who demand that the Government do the same – should pause to reflect on whether they are seeking to understand and influence what is going on, or simply virtue-signal about it.

    New Zealand has consistently called for peaceful resolution of this latest conflict. Diplomacy must always be the first resort, not the last. We have been clear to all our partners, and to all parties to the conflict, that military action must end and parties must return to the negotiating table to find a lasting resolution. 

    New Zealand has a long, proud history of standing up against nuclear weapons. Our concerns about Iran’s aspirations for nuclear weapons are longstanding. Iran has a proven pattern of non-compliance with its nuclear non-proliferation obligations. And Iran has made threats against other countries in the volatile Middle East.

    We end this statement by noting what New Zealand is looking for in the Middle East, and what we oppose. 

    We want de-escalation and dialogue. We want a two-state solution, with Israelis and Palestinians living in security and peace side-by-side. We want humanitarian aid to get to those who need it. Ultimately, we want peace. 

    And what we do not want is New Zealanders in harm’s way. We do not want ever escalating rounds of military action. We do not want a nuclear Iran. We do not want Hamas holding hostages and terrorising Palestinian and Israeli civilians alike. And we do not want Israel occupying Palestinian land.

    And, ultimately, we do not want another generation of young people in the Middle East, scarred by conflict, replicating the enmities of today and yesterday. This cycle of conflict, now generations old, must end.

    Mr Speaker, the Middle East is a long way away from New Zealand and our influence is limited. But the Government is committed to doing all we can to help New Zealanders affected and to help contribute to de-escalation and diplomacy. 

    Thank you. 

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Leads Senators in Demanding Answers on Trump Administration’s Cuts to Veteran Education Benefits

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) led Senate colleagues in a letter to the Trump Administration expressing deep concern over the administration’s recent budget and staffing cuts at the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Education, and demanding answers on how these cuts will negatively impact critical education benefits for veterans and programs that support veterans as they transition to civilian life, pursue higher education, or reenter the workforce. Rosen was joined by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Angus King (I-ME), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Andy Kim (D-NJ), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Tina Smith (D-MN), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mark Warner (D-VA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Tim Kaine (D-VA). 
    “With nearly 16 million veterans across our nation who have selflessly served and sacrificed in defense of our country, it is imperative that these cuts do not undermine essential programs that support veterans transitioning to civilian life and building successful careers,” wrote the Senators. “Education programs such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the Yellow Ribbon Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) have empowered countless veterans to pursue higher education, gain critical skills, and become integral contributors to our economy and society. Laws and regulations enforced by the Department of Education, such as the 90/10 rule and borrower defense to repayment, have also historically prevented veterans from being taken advantage of by predatory programs. Weakening or eliminating any of these programs or protections would not only harm veterans but also jeopardize our national workforce readiness and long-term economic resilience.”
    “As a country, we carry a moral and strategic responsibility to ensure our veterans are equipped for success after service. Safeguarding the educational benefits veterans rely upon is not only a commitment to our promises, but also an investment in our nation’s future and vital for military recruitment,” the Senators’ letter continued. “We respectfully request a detailed explanation of the impacts these budget and staffing cuts and planned changes to federal oversight and accreditation policy will have on veterans’ access to, and success in, higher education, vocational training, and associated support services nationwide.”
    The full letter can be found HERE.
    Senator Rosen has been a steadfast advocate for veterans in Nevada and nationwide. In January 2025, she co-sponsored the bipartisan Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act, now law, which authorized funds to County Veterans Service Officers and local efforts to connect veterans with benefits related to education, housing, disability, and other services. In February 2025, she helped introduce the Purple Heart Veterans Education Act, closing a loophole so that every Purple Heart recipient can transfer their GI Bill benefits to their dependents. In 2024, Rosen led the bipartisan Education Flexibility for Veteran Parents Act, allowing veteran parents to receive full GI Bill housing stipends regardless of whether the program is in-person or online. Her bipartisan bill to require the VA to maintain a permanent helpline for veterans to use for information on VA services was signed into law last year as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025. These efforts underscore her unwavering commitment to ensuring veterans and their families receive the education benefits they’ve earned through service.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rosen Leads Senators in Demanding Answers on Trump Administration’s Cuts to Veteran Education Benefits

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV)

    WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Senator Jacky Rosen (D-NV) led Senate colleagues in a letter to the Trump Administration expressing deep concern over the administration’s recent budget and staffing cuts at the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Education, and demanding answers on how these cuts will negatively impact critical education benefits for veterans and programs that support veterans as they transition to civilian life, pursue higher education, or reenter the workforce. Rosen was joined by Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Angus King (I-ME), Richard Durbin (D-IL), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Ben Ray Lujan (D-NM), Andy Kim (D-NJ), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Tina Smith (D-MN), Adam Schiff (D-CA), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Peter Welch (D-VT), Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Jack Reed (D-RI), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-NV), Michael Bennet (D-CO), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Mark Warner (D-VA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Mark Kelly (D-AZ), Ruben Gallego (D-AZ) and Tim Kaine (D-VA). 
    “With nearly 16 million veterans across our nation who have selflessly served and sacrificed in defense of our country, it is imperative that these cuts do not undermine essential programs that support veterans transitioning to civilian life and building successful careers,” wrote the Senators. “Education programs such as the Post-9/11 GI Bill, the Yellow Ribbon Program, and Veteran Readiness and Employment (VR&E) have empowered countless veterans to pursue higher education, gain critical skills, and become integral contributors to our economy and society. Laws and regulations enforced by the Department of Education, such as the 90/10 rule and borrower defense to repayment, have also historically prevented veterans from being taken advantage of by predatory programs. Weakening or eliminating any of these programs or protections would not only harm veterans but also jeopardize our national workforce readiness and long-term economic resilience.”
    “As a country, we carry a moral and strategic responsibility to ensure our veterans are equipped for success after service. Safeguarding the educational benefits veterans rely upon is not only a commitment to our promises, but also an investment in our nation’s future and vital for military recruitment,” the Senators’ letter continued. “We respectfully request a detailed explanation of the impacts these budget and staffing cuts and planned changes to federal oversight and accreditation policy will have on veterans’ access to, and success in, higher education, vocational training, and associated support services nationwide.”
    The full letter can be found HERE.
    Senator Rosen has been a steadfast advocate for veterans in Nevada and nationwide. In January 2025, she co-sponsored the bipartisan Commitment to Veteran Support and Outreach Act, now law, which authorized funds to County Veterans Service Officers and local efforts to connect veterans with benefits related to education, housing, disability, and other services. In February 2025, she helped introduce the Purple Heart Veterans Education Act, closing a loophole so that every Purple Heart recipient can transfer their GI Bill benefits to their dependents. In 2024, Rosen led the bipartisan Education Flexibility for Veteran Parents Act, allowing veteran parents to receive full GI Bill housing stipends regardless of whether the program is in-person or online. Her bipartisan bill to require the VA to maintain a permanent helpline for veterans to use for information on VA services was signed into law last year as part of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2025. These efforts underscore her unwavering commitment to ensuring veterans and their families receive the education benefits they’ve earned through service.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Watch out for ruru/morepork

    Source: NZ Department of Conservation

    Date:  24 June 2025

    One of the injured ruru which was found on the side of the road in Greymouth in mid-May has just been released after a spell recovering at the South Island Wildlife Hospital.

    “Usha” was found by a member of the public who used a towel to gently pick her up when she saw the ruru sitting on the ground unable to fly away.

    The bird was initially cared for by Cassie Mealey, a DOC Senior Technical Advisor who rehabilitates native birds in her spare time (under an appropriate Wildlife Act authority).

    After a few days of recovery and care Air NZ flew her across to the South Island Wildlife Hospital in Christchurch to see wildlife vet, Pauline Howard.

    The little ruru had x-rays that showed a fractured coracoid (a deep chest bone that helps stabilize flight muscles). This was likely the result of a vehicle hitting her. Treatment included pain relief, cage rest and fluids. Pauline said, “Usha was a model patient, and she had an uncomplicated recovery.”

    Once the fracture was stabilised and Usha had “rehab flight training”, Air NZ flew her back and Cassie released her into the wild near to where she was found.

    Cassie has had five ruru in her care throughout May, most with fractures from suspected vehicle strikes, and some with suspected secondary poisoning from mice that have eaten poison brodificaum bait used by households to control rats and mice.

    Chris Hickford, Greymouth DOC Operations Manager, says the work Cassie and the South Island Wildlife Hospital do to care and rehabilitate injured birds is really appreciated.

    “DOC can’t look after every bird, so we rely on a network of individuals and organisations nationwide who donate their time to do this work,” Chris says.

    Cassie says people are seeing more ruru in their back yards.

    “It is likely that the cooler weather and mice boom at this time of year that has driven them into urban areas where there is more food such as moths around streetlights and mice around houses and compost bins,” she says.

    After dark, ruru are attracted to streetlights, where they hunt moths attracted to the bright lights. They commonly fly into the sides of buildings or are hit by cars.

    “People can help protect ruru by maintaining old trees, as they like to nest in tree cavities instead of on the ground where they are more vulnerable. You can also build nest boxes, and place them in trees,” Cassie says.

    “Using traps instead of poison to control mice and rats also helps to protect the ruru population,” she says.

    If you see sick or injured ruru or other wildlife, call 0800 DOC HOT (0800 362 468).

    Contact

    For media enquiries contact:

    Email: media@doc.govt.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murphy, Entire Senate Democratic Caucus Urge Leader Thune to Change Course on Proposed Cuts to Health Care and Food Assistance

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Connecticut – Chris Murphy
     
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator Chris Murphy, a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, joined every member of the Senate Democratic Caucus in calling on Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) to change course on Republicans’ plan to take health care and food assistance away from millions of Americans—including seniors, children, people with disabilities, and veterans—to pay for tax breaks for the wealthiest.
    “If enacted, these cuts to food assistance and health care will mean widespread hardship for Americans, including seniors, children, people with disabilities, and veterans; irreversibly weaken state and local governments; and pull the rug out from under rural hospitals, nursing homes, community health centers, farmers, independent grocers, food banks, and so many others,” wrote the senators.
    “Just because the House has acted in this regard does not mean the U.S. Senate must make the same mistakes,” continued the senators. “Congress should be enacting policies that lower costs and make it easier for American families to thrive rather than raising the costs of food, health care, and other vital services.” 
    U.S. Senators Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Ruben Gallego (D-Ariz.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.), John Hickenlooper (D-Colo.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Andy Kim (D-N.J.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Ben Ray Luján (D-N.M.), Ed Markey (D-Mass.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Patty Murray (D-Wash.), Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Elissa Slotkin (D-Mich.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Mark Warner (D-Va.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) also signed the letter.
    Full text of the letter is available HERE and below.
    Dear Senator Thune:
    At a time when American families are struggling with the high prices of food, health care, housing, and other essentials, the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill that will raise costs even more by terminating health insurance for millions of Americans and taking food assistance from millions — all to provide tax breaks to the wealthiest Americans and corporations.  
    If enacted, these cuts to food assistance and health care will mean widespread hardship for Americans, including seniors, children, people with disabilities, and veterans; irreversibly weaken state and local governments; and pull the rug out from under rural hospitals, nursing homes, community health centers, farmers, independent grocers, food banks, and so many others. Just because the House has acted in this regard does not mean the U.S. Senate must make the same mistakes. Congress should be enacting policies that lower costs and make it easier for American families to thrive rather than raising the costs of food, health care, and other vital services. 
    Medicaid and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) guarantee access to affordable health care for millions of working and middle-class families across the country.  More than 80 million people are enrolled in Medicaid, while more than 24 million buy their own health insurance through the ACA Marketplaces. The nation’s uninsured rate has dropped to historic lows because of the health coverage and security afforded by these essential programs. The House-passed Republican reconciliation bill includes over $1 trillion in health care cuts, decimating Medicaid and dismantling the ACA. 
    The non-partisan, independent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) finds the entirety of Republicans’ health care cuts will terminate health care coverage for 16 million people. These coverage losses are not without consequence. New analyses find more than 51,000 Americans will die as a result of the bill’s Medicaid cuts, which will also lead to the loss of 850,000 jobs. The Republican bill will increase costs for everyone and damage local economies; raise premiums and health care costs across markets; shutter rural hospitals and nursing homes; worsen unemployment from resulting job loss; and slam state budgets with new, unaffordable costs. 
    The House-passed bill includes the largest health care cuts in history. Its Medicaid policies will ensnare millions in red tape, making it impossible for them to enroll in coverage; increase premiums and cost-sharing for low-income seniors and families; and slash Medicaid payments to hospitals, community health centers, nursing homes, and other health care providers; among other draconian, harmful cuts. 
    The Republican bill’s underhanded cuts to the ACA will dismantle and destabilize the Marketplaces. A thicket of new red tape requirements will make it nearly impossible for working and middle-class Americans to access tax credits that make their premiums affordable and enroll in coverage through the Marketplaces. Republican cuts will more than double ACA premiums for tens of millions of Americans, putting coverage out of reach for small businesses, gig workers, family caregivers, and millions of others who buy their own health insurance through the Marketplaces. 
    The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) is the cornerstone of America’s anti-hunger efforts, helping to put food on the table for 42 million Americans, including nearly 16 million children, 8 million seniors, 4 million people with disabilities, and 1.2 million veterans. The effectiveness of SNAP has been shown time and again. SNAP reduces food insecurity and poverty; lowers health care costs; supports farmers, grocers and local economies; provides a long-term return on investment in our children and their future; and acts as an automatic economic stabilizer during times of weak economic conditions. 
    The House-passed reconciliation bill proposes nearly $300 billion in cuts to SNAP — the deepest cuts to food assistance in history. If enacted into law, CBO estimates that over 3 million Americans – including seniors, kids 7 or older, and families living in areas with a weak economy – will lose their food assistance entirely because of stricter eligibility requirements and red tape. Another 1.3 million Americans will lose SNAP entirely or have their benefits cut as a result of the provision requiring states to pay for a significant portion of SNAP — forcing states to choose between helping their residents afford groceries and funding education, public safety, investment in workforce and education, and other critical priorities. 
    Other provisions in the bill will reduce future benefits for tens of millions of additional Americans. In addition, hundreds of thousands of children will lose free and reduced-price school meals through the National School Lunch Program. In total, tens of millions of Americans will see their grocery costs increase, and many will go hungry as a result.
    Just because the House has rushed to pass damaging policies that will raise costs and result in millions losing access to health care or food does not mean that it is too late for the Senate to change course. We urge you to set aside the House bill and instead work with us to lower costs and ensure all Americans can access the health care and food they need to survive.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall: We Must Prioritize Patients’ Health Over Corporate Profits

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington – On Monday, U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-Kansas), alongside Health and Human Services Secretary Kennedy and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services Administrator Oz, delivered remarks during a press conference about the top bureaucratic obstacle facing doctors and patients: prior authorization in Medicare. He also applauded the Trump Administration for bringing all parties to the table to make healthcare more patient and provider-friendly for doctors, nurses, and patients alike.

    Click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full remarks
    Below is the full transcript as delivered:
    “Well, good afternoon, everybody. I want to say a special thanks to Secretary Kennedy and CMS Administrator Dr Oz, and especially President Trump, for inviting me to participate in today’s event to address the number one bureaucratic nightmare facing doctors and patients: prior authorization.
    “Now, long before I ran for Congress, I was a practicing OB-GYN for some 25 years, and I vividly remember a patient I once had scheduled for an infertility surgery. She’d taken time off work and arranged help at home, only to be told the morning of a procedure that her insurance company had added another step to the prior authorization process, abruptly canceling her surgery.
    “Now, whether you need a hip replacement or a heart catheterization, many patients feel their critical care has been delayed by an opaque and burdensome prior authorization process. It’s something I hear about all the time back home. Moreover, physicians and nurses complain that the process has become increasingly onerous because of constantly changing requirements, often demanding more time to navigate the red tape than to complete the pre-surgery medical workup.
    “Today, by having all the players in the room, we hope to see a commonsense solution to streamline and improve our healthcare system. We must prioritize patients’ health over corporate profits and arbitrary cost-cutting measures. For nearly my entire time in Congress, I fought to reform the prior authorization process and Medicare Advantage. Today’s event moves us closer to that goal, ensuring patients receive timely lifesaving and health-restoring care.
    “Again, I just look forward to working with Secretary Kennedy, Administrator Oz, and insurers together to overhaul this process. I’m going to continue to champion this fight in Congress and support their efforts. And again, I’m just proud to stand alongside President Trump’s A-team as we work to make healthcare more patient and provider-friendly for doctors, nurses, and patients alike.”

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Thailand steps up border controls with Cambodia to combat transnational crime

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

    Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra (3rd L, front) meets the press at the government house in Bangkok, Thailand, June 23, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Thai Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra announced on Monday that Thailand will tighten its border controls with neighboring Cambodia to combat transnational crime.

    Speaking after a high-level meeting at the government house, Paetongtarn said restrictions on cross-border travel for both vehicles and individuals will be enforced, including limiting operating hours at checkpoints.

    She stated that crossings in seven provinces along the Thai-Cambodian border will be limited to essential travel, such as for students, medical patients, and vital goods.

    The prime minister said Thailand will halt exports of goods, particularly fuel and electricity, that support illegal operations across the border and will consider suspending fuel shipments to Cambodia suspected of being used in unlawful activities.

    Internet services and submarine internet cables connected to Cambodia’s government and military entities will also be suspended, she said.

    Following Paetongtarn’s announcement, the Thai military unveiled strengthened measures on border crossing with Cambodia, allowing only essential and humanitarian travel.

    Thailand’s latest measures came amid mounting border tensions with Cambodia. Cambodia said on Sunday it would stop fuel and gas imports from Thailand, while advising its citizens against non-essential travel to Thailand. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Romania’s new government sworn in

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

    Romanian President Nicusor Dan (C, Front) poses with members of the new government headed by Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan (3rd L, Front) after a swearing-in ceremony at the Cotroceni presidential palace in Bucharest, Romania, on June 23, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Romania’s new pro-European government, led by Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan, was sworn in Monday evening before President Nicusor Dan, marking the end of a period of political instability and interim leadership.

    The new cabinet is backed by a broad ruling coalition comprising the Social Democratic Party (PSD), National Liberal Party (PNL), Save Romania Union (USR), and the Hungarian Democratic Union of Romania (UDMR). Earlier in the day, the coalition secured a strong parliamentary mandate with 301 votes in favor and only 9 against.

    Following the swearing-in ceremony, Bolojan outlined the government’s core priorities: restoring public financial order, ensuring effective governance, and safeguarding citizens’ rights.

    President Dan welcomed the formation of the new cabinet, emphasizing the urgent need for fiscal reform and expressing optimism about Romania’s economic outlook. He cited the country’s dynamic private sector and reiterated the national goal of joining the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) by the end of 2026 – a move he said could enhance foreign investment and reduce borrowing costs.

    Dan also underscored the importance of state reform and rebuilding public trust, urging both the coalition and minority representatives to act in the national interest.

    The newly formed government includes 16 ministers and five deputy prime ministers, one of whom is an independent tasked with overseeing state reform. Cabinet portfolios have been distributed proportionally among the coalition parties.

    With 311 seats in Romania’s 464-member Parliament, the ruling coalition holds an outright majority. Earlier on Monday, party leaders signed a political agreement outlining a pro-Western agenda, a rotating premiership, and key policy objectives, including structural reforms and increased administrative transparency. 

    MIL OSI China News –