Category: housing

MIL-OSI Australia: Arrests – Burglaries – Alice Springs

Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

The Northern Territory Police Force responded to multiple burglaries in Alice Springs yesterday and have arrested two male youths allegedly involved.

About 10:15am, the Joint Emergency Services Communication Centre (JESCC) received reports of a burglary at a residence in Braitling. It is alleged an unknown number of offenders caused damage before entering the residence and stealing personal items from within.

Later, about 3:10pm, the JESCC received reports of a burglary at a different address in Braitling. It is alleged four unknown offenders were dropped off by a vehicle before they unlawfully entered the residence by causing damage. It is unknown if anything was stolen before they fled the scene in the same vehicle that dropped them off nearby.

A short time later, about 4:30pm, the JESCC received reports of a burglary at a residence in East Side. It is alleged four to six unknown offenders unlawfully entered the residence and demanded car keys from a female inside. The victim retreated to the laundry, locking herself inside and called Triple Zero. The alleged offenders continued to rummage through the house, locating the keys to a white Toyota RAV4 before stealing it from the premises. As they were leaving the location they allegedly swerved towards responding police vehicles, narrowly missing.

The vehicle allegedly drove erratically through the Alice Springs CBD and further members from Strike Force Viper, Dog Operations Unit and general duties deployed.

A Tyre Deflation Device was unsuccessfully deployed as the vehicle travelled south along the Stuart Highway. Soon after, the vehicle allegedly targeted a police vehicle by throwing large rocks, causing minor damage.

The vehicle was later located abandoned just north of Braitling.

This morning, police arrested two male youths, aged 14 and 16-years-old, for their alleged involvement in the morning burglary in Braitling and the 4:30pm burglary in East Side. Charges are expected to follow.

Strike Force Viper has carriage of the investigation and are working to identify and apprehend anyone involved. It is not known at this stage if all three incidents are linked.

Anyone with information in relation to the incident is urged to contact police on 131 444. You can make an anonymous report via Crime Stoppers by calling 1800 333 000.

MIL OSI News –

June 5, 2025
PM Modi reiterates commitment to welfare of the poor as NDA completes 11 years

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday reiterated his government’s unwavering commitment to the welfare of the poor, calling the past 11 years of National Democratic Alliance (NDA) rule a period of transformative and inclusive governance.

In a post on X, Prime Minister Modi said the government’s sustained efforts had helped lift more than 25 crore people out of poverty. “Over the past decade, the NDA Government has taken pathbreaking steps to uplift several people from the clutches of poverty, focussing on empowerment, infrastructure and inclusion,” he said. Citing key welfare schemes like the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, PM Ujjwala Yojana, Jan Dhan Yojana and Ayushman Bharat, the Prime Minister said these initiatives had expanded access to housing, clean cooking fuel, banking and healthcare, particularly for marginalised communities.

The Prime Minister also underlined the role of Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT), digital inclusion, and investments in rural infrastructure in ensuring the transparent and efficient delivery of benefits. According to him, these initiatives, driven by a governance model rooted in compassion, have ensured that help reaches the last mile, offering citizens the dignity of self-reliance.

The NDA government, he said, remains committed to building an inclusive and self-reliant India—“where every citizen has the opportunity to live with dignity.”

A key element of this welfare architecture has been the Pradhan Mantri Garib Kalyan Anna Yojana (PMGKAY), a food security programme launched in 2020 as part of the Atmanirbhar Bharat package. Initially introduced to provide free food grains to migrants and economically vulnerable sections during the COVID-19 pandemic, the scheme has undergone several extensions over the past few years.

In its latest phase, the PMGKAY has been extended for five years starting January 1, 2024, at an estimated cost of ₹11.80 lakh crore. More than 81 crore beneficiaries—including Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) households and Priority Households (PHH) identified under the National Food Security Act (NFSA)—will receive free food grains as per their monthly entitlements.

Under the scheme, wheat is being distributed in six states and Union Territories—Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, Chandigarh, Delhi and Gujarat—while rice is allocated to the rest of the country. Beneficiaries include families falling under the Antyodaya Anna Yojana (AAY) and Priority Household (PHH) categories, as identified by respective state governments and UT administrations.

AAY households are those headed by widows, the terminally ill, disabled or elderly persons without assured means of subsistence. Other eligible groups include primitive tribal families, landless agricultural labourers, marginal farmers, rural artisans, slum dwellers, daily-wage earners in the informal sector, and Below Poverty Line (BPL) families of HIV-positive individuals.

Earlier in the evening, the Prime Minister also chaired a meeting of the Union Council of Ministers, though no official details from the meeting were immediately released.

June 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: A residential area with schools and kindergartens will appear in Nekrasovka according to the KRT project

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

The Moscow government has approved a territory planning project (TPP) of 432.9 hectares located in the Nekrasovka and Kosino-Ukhtomsky districts. Its part, which is 32.52 hectares, will be reorganized under the integrated territorial development program (ITD). This was reported by Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Urban Development Policy and Construction Vladimir Efimov.

“The territory allocated for the KRT project consists of six plots with a total area of 32.52 hectares and belongs to the Nekrasovka district. Comfortable housing with social, public, business and industrial infrastructure will be built there. In particular, it is planned to build educational facilities, it is envisaged to create more than 2.5 thousand school and 950 preschool places. The total area of new buildings will exceed 68 thousand square meters. On a plot remote from residential buildings, a facility with an area of 5.72 thousand square meters will be built to accommodate modern high-tech production. Thanks to the implementation of the project, about 3.6 thousand more jobs will be created in Nekrasovka,” said Vladimir Efimov.

The project is being implemented by an operator appointed by the city. The areas that will be redeveloped using the KRT mechanism are located near Nekrasovka Park, on Vertoletchikov, Maresyeva, Lavrinenko Streets and in Proektiruemy Proezd No. 4296. Most of them are not built up. The area has good transport accessibility: the Nekrasovka metro station is nearby, and the Moscow High-Speed Diameter also passes through.

“In addition to housing, social infrastructure and production, it is planned to build a shopping center with underground parking here. This will allow residents of new buildings to make purchases near their homes. In addition, the integrated development project for the territory provides for the improvement and landscaping of about six hectares near residential buildings and other facilities, as well as the construction and reconstruction of almost 3.5 kilometers of roads,” noted the Minister of the Moscow Government, Head of the Department of Urban Development Policy of the capital

Vladislav Ovchinsky.

Juliana Knyazhevskaya, Chairperson of the Moscow Committee for Architecture and Urban Development, added that the PPT was developed by Moskomarkhitektura taking into account all aspects for improving the urban environment and quality of life of residents. Within the framework of this project, a new pedestrian boulevard with an area of more than 1.7 hectares and a length of about 900 meters will be formed. It will stretch along the Moscow High-Speed Diameter between Sochinskaya and Maresyeva Streets.

According to the program of integrated development of territories, multifunctional city blocks are being created, where roads, comfortable housing and all necessary infrastructure are being designed on the site of former industrial zones and inefficiently used areas. Currently, 302 KRT projects with a total area of about 4.2 thousand hectares are at various stages of development and implementation in Moscow. This work is being carried out on behalf of Sergei Sobyanin.

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

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

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

https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/154839073/

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: A large gas control station has been modernized in the south of Moscow

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

Specialists from the city economy complex have modernized a large gas regulation point (GRP) “Moskvorechye kv. G” in the south of the capital. This was reported by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Housing and Public Utilities and Improvement Petr Biryukov.

“The city is conducting systematic work to update gas pressure control points, which are responsible for reducing gas pressure to certain values and maintaining them within specified limits. We have repaired the gas pressure control point “Moskvorechye kv. G”, which provides gas supply to public utilities and the residential sector of the Moskvorechye-Saburovo district,” said Pyotr Biryukov.

The decision to modernize the GRP was made due to the long service life of the equipment. It was replaced with a modern cabinet-type gas control station with a capacity of 970 cubic meters per hour. It is made from Russian components at the in-house production of Mosgaz JSC. The new GRP is reliable, has reduced noise characteristics and meets all safety requirements.

All gas control points in the capital are necessarily equipped with shut-off devices. Their operating parameters are monitored 24 hours a day from the central control room, which allows for real-time management of the city’s gas industry.

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

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

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

https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/154851073/

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 5, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: The Top End’s tropical savannas are a natural wonder – but weak environment laws mean their future is uncertain

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Euan Ritchie, Professor in Wildlife Ecology and Conservation, School of Life & Environmental Sciences, Deakin University

François Brassard

The Top End of Australia’s Northern Territory contains an extensive, awe-inspiring expanse of tropical savanna landscapes. It includes well-known and much-loved regions such as Darwin, Kakadu National Park, Arnhem Land and Nitmiluk Gorge.

These tropical savannas feature open forests and woodlands dominated by eucalypts and a diverse grassy understorey. They experience an intense monsoon-driven wet season and long dry season during which fire is common.

The area is home to a spectacular range of plants and animals, including crocodiles, barramundi, speartooth sharks, the spectacularly coloured Leichhardt’s grasshopper and flocks of magpie geese. Some groups are extraordinarily diverse. Several thousand ant species are thought to live there – compared to just 1,000 species in South America’s Amazon basin.

Australia’s tropical savannas are diverse and dynamic, shaped by fire and the cycle of wet and dry seasons.
Brett Murphy

Yet, despite their immense ecological and cultural significance, the NT’s tropical savannas face an uncertain future. The landscape is under increasing pressure from invasive species, more frequent and severe fires, climate change, mining, agriculture and development – including water extraction.

Our new report outlines what should be done to ensure conservation and sustainable management of this unique and special region.

A region in trouble

As ecologists, we share a deep passion for tropical Northern Australia but fear for its future. To aid environmental policy and decision-making, we set out to describe the current condition and likely future of the NT’s tropical savannas. This involved identifying existing, emerging and possible future threats.

We found biodiversity in decline. Many species, particularly mammals that were once common and widespread, have disappeared from much of the region. These include the northern quoll, brush-tailed rabbit-rat and black-footed tree-rat.

Species such as the brush-tailed rabbit-rat have declined substantially and are now locally extinct in some areas.
Cara Penton

Habitats are degraded and ecosystems are showing signs of collapse. Feral animals are widespread. Cats prey on native wildlife. Feral pigs feast on turtle nests and trash plants in and around waterways, reducing water quality. Cattle, water buffalo, horses and donkeys eat their way through native plants, reducing habitat structure and complexity, aiding the establishment and spread of weeds.

In many parts of the Top End, fires are becoming more frequent and severe. This is in part due to the increasing dominance of invasive grasses, particularly Gamba and buffel grass. Both grasses are highly flammable, increasing the risk and harm of fires.

Longer and hotter dry seasons also increase fire risk and severity, as well as making water less available to wildlife due to higher rates of evaporation. Plants and animals also face greater heat stress and risk of dying during extended periods of extreme temperatures.

The Top End is spectacular and rich in biodiversity.
François Brassard

The changing nature of land-clearing

Land-clearing is increasing in the Top End, too. We estimate about 45,000 hectares of savanna habitat was destroyed between 2000 and 2020. That’s equivalent to an area roughly the size of 22,500 Melbourne Cricket Grounds.

Another 146,000 hectares have approval to be cleared, and an additional 100,000 hectares could be cleared for an expanded cotton industry.

It is not just the amount of clearing that matters, but where it occurs. The habitat mainly destroyed to date has been in higher rainfall areas between Darwin and Katherine. This is where most threatened species live. On average, the cleared areas overlapped with more than 12 nationally listed threatened species.

What should be done?

Our report shows current laws are insufficient to protect the Northern Territory’s tropical savannas. Evidence-based law reform is urgently needed.

Decision-making must be collaborative, not controlled by individuals, based on sound science. It must also actively support and involve First Nations peoples and their goals.

The Top End is awe inspiring but without greater enviromental protection its many values may be diminished.
François Brassard

The situation in the NT reflects broader calls to strengthen national environmental laws as a matter of urgency and greatly boost investment in conservation to achieve positive results for nature.

Nature is the lynchpin of northern Australia. It characterises and nurtures the place, underpins and embraces Indigenous culture, is a major tourist attraction and helps make our country healthy. We need to recognise its value, and guard against its ongoing loss.

Our report was independently reviewed by experts in the ecology and conservation of Northern Australia, Professors Richard Williams and Christopher Johnson.

Euan Ritchie receives funding from the Australian Research Council and the Victorian government’s Department of Energy, Environment, and Climate Action. Euan is a Councillor within the Biodiversity Council, a member of the Ecological Society of Australia and President of the Australian Mammal Society.

The research underpinning this report was partly supported by the Environment Centre NT, the Wilderness Society and the World Wide Fund for Nature (Australia).

Brett Murphy receives, or has recently received, funding from the Australian Research Council, Environment Centre NT, and the Northern Territory Government.

John Woinarski is affiliated with Charles Darwin University, and has previously received research funding from the Australian Department of Climate Change, Energy and the Environment.

– ref. The Top End’s tropical savannas are a natural wonder – but weak environment laws mean their future is uncertain – https://theconversation.com/the-top-ends-tropical-savannas-are-a-natural-wonder-but-weak-environment-laws-mean-their-future-is-uncertain-241893

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

June 5, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: GPs asking men about their behaviour in relationships could help reduce domestic violence
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kelsey Hegarty, Professor of Family Violence Prevention, The University of Melbourne

Domestic violence is increasing in Australia. A new report shows one in three men have ever made a partner feel frightened or anxious. One in 11 have used physical violence when angry. And one in 50 have used sexual violence against their partner.

The report, which I co-authored, estimates 120,000 men each year will start to use abuse and violence against their partner for the first time.

So we need to engage these men before they start using abuse and violence. Our work with GPs suggests they can engage men early to prevent harm to families.

Why use GPs?

Men who use domestic violence frequently visit health services and need help to address harmful behaviours in relationships. These men are more likely to have increased alcohol use, substance abuse and mental health issues.

Our new report found men with depressive symptoms, especially those who were severely depressed or suicidal, were at greater risk of starting to use abuse and violence.

We know from experience with men’s behaviour change programs that men who volunteer for these programs are more likely to sustain change than men ordered to undertake them by the court.

GPs can apply this knowledge by identifying men who have internal motivations for change, or who want to be a “better person”.

This echoes a new community campaign that asks men “What kind of man do you want to be?”

GPs and mental health practitioners have great potential to build conversations around behaviours in men’s relationships. However, discussions need to be tailored after learning more about the man’s identity and needs.

How can GPs ask men about potential violence?

GPs can begin by signposting:

Often when I see people who are depressed, it’s helpful to understand what else is going on for them. Can I ask how things are at home?

They then move to more specific questions:

You mentioned that you have been disagreeing a bit with your partner. What happens when you disagree?

Have you ever done something that you later regretted?

The next step is gauging insight about their behaviour:

Are you ever worried about your behaviour?

Do you ever think your partner sometimes feels scared of you?

The final step is offering support:

There’s people you could see and online resources that are helpful for men who are worried about their behaviour in their relationship. Can I give you some info about it?

How are men likely to respond?

My research team explored men’s perceptions of seeking help for an unhealthy relationship and how they could be supported to recognise their behaviour and undertake change.

Men we talked to said:

[Asking] ‘Are you worried about your relationship?’ is good. It’s not asking, ‘Are you abusive? Are you violent?’

They then wanted a response that motivates them:

A tactful way to actually suggest, maybe this is for you, that might help. Because I know if someone tells me that you’ve got to go do this, I don’t want to do it. If someone can plant the seed in someone’s head it might help.

To “plant the seed”, a trained and equipped GP could prepare and motivate men to accept a referral and address other needs, such as parenting issues and alcohol and drug use.

Difficulties for GPs

Many men who use violence never engage with intensive, face-to-face or online behaviour change programs. So GPs can play an important role in offering ongoing support and encouragement for men who use abuse and violence to change their behaviour.

Some of the issues GPs have raised about doing this work include:

It’s often hard, sort of balancing between throwing them a lifeline and putting a way forward, but at the same time really acknowledging and saying that violence is unacceptable – you have to find a way of engaging them in the process of saying, ‘Well look, this is wrong, we need to do something’, without losing them.

If I start pushing, pressuring him, then he becomes closed up or defensive, then that’s obviously going to potentially harm my therapeutic relationship with him.

Men find websites and apps useful

Men are very open to websites or apps that provide a safe, private place for them to reflect on their harmful behaviours and consequences.

My research team has developed a primary care response model called I-engage, which includes GPs engaging men and offering them an online tool to encourage men to seek help.

We also developed the healthy relationship website, Better Man, from discussions with men.

The men we interviewed suggested developing resources that:
1. “don’t jump down my throat straight away”
2. “help me realise what I’m becoming”
3. “give hope for seeing a change in my future”
4. “make it simple and accessible”.
The resulting website increases men’s early engagement with help-seeking.
Motivational techniques encourage men’s awareness and self-reflection, avoiding stigma and shame.

The program includes four modules:
- better relationships encourages a man to reflect on behaviours in his relationship
- better values explores how men’s behaviours align with their values
- better communication looks at how a man’s communication style may differ with a partner compared to others
- finally, take better action reinforces help seeking, provides resources for parenting, alcohol and drug use, and mental health.
GPs need training and funding for this work

Early engagement through the health system requires GPs to be supported, trained and resourced to identify and respond to all members of a family.

We have been calling for funding of a long consultation for a Family Safety Plan through a Medicare item number for a decade.

The health system can engage men using behaviours in their relationships that cause harm to their partners and children.

As one man who we worked with says:

We’ve got to grab them before they hit their partner or their kids. We’ve got to be able to stop them getting to that stage. We’ve got to grab their attention. Let’s help them realise this is the person that they are, or they are becoming and it’s not what society is going to accept nowadays.

For information and advice about family and intimate partner violence contact 1800 RESPECT (1800 737 732). If you or someone you know is in immediate danger, contact 000. Men’s Referral Service (call 1300 766 491) offers advice and counselling to men looking to change their behaviour.

Kelsey Hegarty leads the Safer Families Centre which receives Australian government funding to train GPs.

– ref. GPs asking men about their behaviour in relationships could help reduce domestic violence – https://theconversation.com/gps-asking-men-about-their-behaviour-in-relationships-could-help-reduce-domestic-violence-258075
MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –
June 5, 2025
MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Ukraine’s Security is our Security. Only a Just Peace Can Secure Ukraine’s Future: UK Statement to the OSCE
Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments 3

Speech

Ukraine’s Security is our Security. Only a Just Peace Can Secure Ukraine’s Future: UK Statement to the OSCE

UK Military Advisor, Lt Col Joby Rimmer, says that a sustained ceasefire is the quickest route to stop the killing. The UK supports ending the war in Ukraine through a just peace, while Russia obstructs progress.
Thank you, Madam Chair. Last week, we discussed the Code of Conduct, including its stipulation that “In the event of armed conflict, they will seek to facilitate the effective cessation of hostilities and seek to create conditions favourable to the political solution of the conflict”.

To that end, the UK shares President Trump’s desire to bring this war to an end, and will continue to work closely with the US, Ukraine and other international partners to secure a just and lasting peace. We thank Türkiye for hosting talks in Istanbul, including earlier this week. This is a once in a generation moment for the collective security of our continent. Only a lasting peace in Ukraine that safeguards its sovereignty will deter President Putin from further aggression in the future.

As we have noted each week, Ukraine continues to show its commitment to peace: Its constructive engagement with US peace efforts at every turn; agreement in principle to a full and unconditional ceasefire; sending a senior and empowered delegation to Istanbul; and President Zelenskyy’s readiness to meet President Putin face to face.

Russia, on the other hand, has taken steps to obstruct the pathway to peace. President Putin continues to reject a complete, unconditional and immediate 30-day ceasefire that President Zelenskyy endorsed nearly three months ago; refused to share his memorandum on terms for ending this illegal war in advance of Monday’s meeting; and rejected President Zelenskyy’s call for a direct meeting.

We continue to call on Russia to agree a full and unconditional ceasefire to create the space for negotiations on a framework for a lasting peace. A sustained ceasefire is the quickest route to stop the killing. Ukraine’s security is our security. UK support for Ukraine remains iron-clad, and our support will be sustained. Thank you, Madame Chair.

Updates to this page

Published 5 June 2025

Invasion of Ukraine

UK visa support for Ukrainian nationals

Move to the UK if you’re coming from Ukraine

Homes for Ukraine: record your interest

Find out about the UK’s response
MIL OSI United Kingdom –
June 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Police Taskforce Accountable to target recidivist offenders in Clarence

Source: New South Wales Community and Justice

Police Taskforce Accountable to target recidivist offenders in Clarence

Thursday, 5 June 2025 – 3:04 pm.

Police launched Taskforce Accountable yesterday to target recidivist offenders in the Clarence Division.
Inspector Andrew Keane said Taskforce Accountable consists of plain clothes officers from Bellerive Police Station who will be patrolling major shopping and transit precincts in Clarence Division.
“Taskforce Accountable will target the recidivist offenders who are responsible for the majority of our violent shop stealing and assaults on retail workers,” said inspector Keane.
“The Taskforce will be supplemented by high visibility foot patrols over the coming months, and aims to detect and deter illegal and antisocial behaviours in the Clarence Division.”
Between 9am and 9pm yesterday, Taskforce Accountable and Uniform Police detected, arrested and charged nine offenders (four adults and five youths) in relation to offences at Glebe Hill, Eastlands and Lindisfarne shopping centres as well as McDonalds Rosny.
Offenders were charged with a range of offences including:

Stealing
Stealing with force
Unlawful possession
Possession of dangerous articles
Common assault
Computer related fraud
Trespass
Possession of housebreaking implements
Drug offences, and
Fail to comply with police directions and/or court bail.

Property recovered and being returned to the owners included clothing, jewellery, cosmetics, and power tools.
“Everyone has the right to be safe in our community, and illegal activities and anti-social behaviours will not be tolerated by police.”
Anyone who witnesses antisocial or illegal behaviours is encouraged to report to police on 131 444 or Triple Zero (000) in an emergency.
Information can also be reported anonymously through Crime Stoppers Tasmania at crimestopperstas.com.au or on 1800 333 000.

MIL OSI News –

June 5, 2025
MIL-OSI: Planisware expands into Belgium to support the sustained growth of its business in the Benelux region
Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Planisware expands into Belgium to support the sustained growth of its business in the Benelux region

Paris, France, June 5, 2025 – Planisware, a leading B2B provider of SaaS in the rapidly growing Project Economy market, continues its international expansion with the opening of a new office in Belgium.

Planisware has been present in the Benelux region for several years, through projects carried out for leading clients such as Galapagos, KLM, Philips, and Engie, and is now consolidating its position in this strategic, fast-growing market. In particular, the Group has seen a sharp increase in its business in this market, with revenue doubling over the last four years, testifying to the relevance of its expertise and the confidence of its customers.

This new location is primarily intended to strengthen proximity to Planisware’s customers and other economic players in the Benelux region (Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg), a dynamic market that is home to around 1,200 target companies, nearly half of which having annual revenue in excess of one billion euros, particularly in high-growth sectors such as manufacturing (chemicals, food processing and industrial equipment), retail and financial services.

With this new location, Planisware strengthens its proximity to customers and its expertise in local challenges. With its enhanced visibility, Planisware will be able to accelerate new signatures and sustainably support the Group’s growth in the region.

Loïc Sautour, CEO of Planisware, commented: “We are proud to announce Planisware’s arrival in Belgium, which marks a key milestone in our continued expansion in Europe. It will strengthen our existing customer base while supporting our growth in the region. Over the years, we have built up a solid network of partners and customers in the Benelux, and this subsidiary is a natural fit with this dynamic. It will also create local jobs and strengthen our ties with all market players.”

“International expansion has been at the heart of our growth strategy since Planisware’s launch,” says co-founder Yves Humblot. “Today, Benelux is emerging as a key region in our roadmap: it’s an ecosystem recognized for its culture of innovation and operational excellence.”

Planisware’s new subsidiary in Belgium will be headed by Benoît Soulier (46). With over seven years’ experience in project management at Planisware, he brings solid expertise in the management of complex portfolios and projects, particularly in the pharmaceutical, industrial and public sectors. He has worked with companies such as UCB, Eurocontrol and the Walloon Public Service (SPW) in Belgium, as well as BDR Thermea in the Netherlands. Before joining Planisware, he spent four years at Sopra Group, where he contributed to the deployment of numerous complex projects. Benoît Soulier holds a degree in computer engineering from Telecom Nancy.

Contact

Investor Relations: Benoit d’Amécourt

benoit.damecourt@planisware.com
+33 6 75 51 41 47

Media: Brunswick Group
Hugues Boëton / Tristan Roquet Montégon
planisware@brunswickgroup.com
+33 6 79 99 27 15 / +33 6 37 00 52 57

About Planisware

Planisware is a leading business-to-business (“B2B”) provider of Software-as-a-Service (“SaaS”) in the rapidly growing Project Economy. Planisware’s mission is to provide solutions that help organizations transform how they strategize, plan and deliver their projects, project portfolios, programs and products.

With circa 750 employees across 18 offices, Planisware operates at significant scale serving around 600 organizational clients in a wide range of verticals and functions across more than 30 countries worldwide. Planisware’s clients include large international companies, medium-sized businesses and public sector entities.

Planisware is listed on the regulated market of Euronext Paris (Compartment A, ISIN code FR001400PFU4, ticker symbol “PLNW”).

For more information, visit planisware.com and connect with Planisware on LinkedIn.

Attachment
- Planisware expands into Belgium to support the sustained growth of its business in the Benelux region
The MIL Network –
June 5, 2025
MIL-OSI: Point and Funds Managed by Blue Owl Capital Close Oversubscribed $248 Million Home Equity Investment Rated Securitization

Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

Palo Alto, California, June 05, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Point, the leading home equity investment platform making homeownership more valuable and accessible, and funds managed by Blue Owl Capital (“Blue Owl”) announced today that they have completed a rated securitization of Point’s Home Equity Investment (“HEI”) assets, issuing $248.6 million of rated asset-backed securities (the “Transaction”). The Transaction is Point’s fourth rated securitization and fifth overall.

The Transaction closed on May 23, 2025. The issuer, Point Securitization Trust 2025-1, issued $162.2 million of senior class A-1 securities rated A (low) (sf), $35 million of mezzanine class A-2 securities rated BBB (low) (sf), $28.3 million of subordinate class B-1 securities rated BB (low) (sf), and $23.1 million of subordinate class B-2 securities rated B (high) (sf) (retained), all rated by Morningstar DBRS. A portion of the notes were acquired by accounts managed by an affiliate of Blue Owl. The Transaction drew significant interest from both new and repeat institutional investors, resulting in the Transaction being more than 8x oversubscribed. Co-sponsoring the Transaction with a subsidiary of Blue Owl, Point was the originator of all the HEIs in the securitization and will continue to service the assets.

“This past year has been transformative—for Point and for the entire HEI space,” said Eddie Lim, co-founder and CEO of Point. “Investor demand has never been stronger, and the performance of our deals continues to outperform expectations. Our latest securitization was met with overwhelming enthusiasm, reinforcing that HEIs aren’t just gaining traction—they’re reshaping how homeowners access equity. We’re just scratching the surface of what’s possible.”

Over the past 18 months, the rated securitization space for HEIs has entered a new phase of maturation. With multiple HEI-backed deals successfully rated, the asset class is seeing increased institutional recognition and investor confidence, with issuance volume doubling and the number of transactions tripling in 2024 alone^[1]. According to Finsight^[2], HEI-backed deals totaled $936 million across five transactions last year—up significantly from prior years. These transactions have helped set important benchmarks for credit quality, structure, and performance, signaling a shift from emerging to established within the alternative housing finance landscape.

“The Blue Owl Alternative Credit team and Point have a longstanding relationship dating back to 2018, and we are excited to continue our partnership with the Point team,” said Ivan Zinn, Head of Alternative Credit at Blue Owl. “This marks the second Point transaction that Blue Owl has co-sponsored, and we look forward to doing many more together. The success of this transaction is a testament to the Point platform and validates the thesis that HEIs will continue to be a growing asset class.”

Barclays Capital Inc. (“Barclays”) was the sole-structuring agent for the issuance. Barclays, Citigroup Global Markets Inc., and Nomura Securities International Inc. were joint bookrunners on the Transaction, and East West Markets, LLC and Cantor Fitzgerald & Co. were co-managers on the Transaction.

About Point

Point is the leading home equity platform making homeownership more valuable and accessible. Point’s flagship product, the Home Equity Investment (HEI), empowers homeowners to unlock their equity to eliminate debt, get through periods of financial hardship, and diversify their wealth – without adding to their monthly expenses. Point has worked with more than 15,000 homeowners, unlocking more than $1.5 billion in home equity. Point’s HEI enables investors to access a previously untapped asset class – owner-occupied residential real estate. Founded in 2015 by Eddie Lim, Eoin Matthews, and Alex Rampell, Point is backed by top investors, including Westcap, Andreessen Horowitz, Ribbit Capital, Greylock Partners, Bloomberg Beta, Blue Owl Capital, Alpaca VC, and Prudential. The company is headquartered in Palo Alto, CA. For more information, please visit www.point.com

Blue Owl Capital
About Blue Owl: Blue Owl (NYSE: OWL) is a leading asset manager that is redefining alternatives®. With $273 billion in assets under management as of March 31, 2025, we invest across three multi-strategy platforms: Credit, GP Strategic Capital, and Real Assets. Anchored by a strong permanent capital base, we provide businesses with private capital solutions to drive long-term growth and offer institutional investors, individual investors, and insurance companies differentiated alternative investment opportunities that aim to deliver strong performance, risk-adjusted returns, and capital preservation.

Together with over 1,200 experienced professionals globally, Blue Owl brings the vision and discipline to create the exceptional. To learn more, visit www.blueowl.com.

^[1] Source: https://www.hel.news/articles/mbs/q4-issuance-010225

^[2] Source:

https://www.globalcapital.com/securitization/article/2egjdeyqx5732y19mm8sg/securitization/rmbs-us/hei-nears-tipping-point-as-investors-warm-on-sector?

The MIL Network –

June 5, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: A game-changer for Colin Maiden Park

Source: Auckland Council

Proposed development at Auckland’s Colin Maiden Park in St Johns will see a new home for domestic cricket and improved facilities for community sport.

Ōrākei Local Board has agreed on the terms of a proposal from Auckland Cricket that will see significant upgrades at the park to support the relocation of its domestic cricket operations.

The work includes a full upgrade of the main oval, the construction of a Cravo – a high-performance, all-weather grass training facility, the refurbishment and fit-out of the vacant office building, construction of supporting infrastructure for the hosting of domestic cricket, and upgrades to existing club and changing rooms.

Longer-term plans also include new multi-sport change rooms and shared club rooms for the Auckland University Cricket Club.

“It’s taken some time to agree on an arrangement that balances the needs of high-performance and community sport,” says Ōrākei Local Board chair Scott Milne.

“But, it’s been worth the wait and we believe this deal is a win-win situation. Auckland Cricket’s investment will deliver high performance and also allow Ōrākei Local Board to upgrade other sports fields in the area earlier than would have otherwise been possible.

“The proposed upgrades will allow Auckland to benefit from a purpose-built venue for cricket, the likes of which Christchurch has enjoyed for many generations at Hagley Park.”

Works are expected to begin on the main oval later this year for Auckland Cricket to be operational at Colin Maiden for the 2026/2027 season.

This arrangement aligns with the Ōrākei Local Board Plan 2023 and its aspirations to establish multi-use sport facilities in this area.

Auckland Cricket will be required to meet all conditions set out by the local board before works commence, including provision for the loss of hours of community sports field use

“This is an important step towards securing a bright future for cricket in Auckland,” says Auckland Cricket Association chief executive Ian Francis.

“There is a lot more work to do – however it is fantastic to have the support of the Local Board for what is an extremely detailed, well-considered plan to transform the existing sporting precinct at Colin Maiden Park into a modern, future-proofed community asset capable of supporting high-performance cricket.”

In addition to providing a fit-for-purpose venue for domestic cricket and enhanced community facilities, the relocation supports a more strategic use of regional assets. It will allow Eden Park to focus on hosting international cricket and major events – a move consistent with Auckland Council’s Stadium Investment Objectives, which aim to optimise infrastructure use, support a network of complementary, multi-use venues, and improve long-term financial sustainability.

Colin Maiden Park is a key regional sports facility, providing essential infrastructure for both grassroots and high-performance sport. The wider precinct is currently home to Auckland Hockey, Auckland Netball, Oceania Football Confederation and Auckland Tennis. The proposed development would further reinforce Colin Maiden Park’s role as a regionally significant sporting precinct.

Auckland Cricket’s proposal is for the use of the park for domestic cricket only, all international cricket formats will remain at Eden Park.

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

June 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: President Lai confers decoration on President Hilda C. Heine of Republic of the Marshall Islands, hosts state banquet

Source: Republic of China Taiwan

Details
2025-06-03
President Lai and President Hilda C. Heine of Marshall Islands hold bilateral talks and witness signing of agreements
On the morning of June 3, President Lai Ching-te, accompanied by Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao, held bilateral talks with President Hilda C. Heine of the Republic of the Marshall Islands at the Presidential Office following a welcome ceremony with military honors for her and her husband. The leaders also jointly witnessed the signing of a letter of intent for sports exchanges and a memorandum of understanding regarding the Presidents’ Scholarship Fund. President Lai then presided over a launch ceremony for a loan program to purchase aircraft. In remarks, President Lai thanked the government and the Nitijela (parliament) of the Marshall Islands for their longstanding support for Taiwan’s international participation and for voicing staunch support for Taiwan at numerous international venues. President Lai said that Taiwan looks forward to continuing to deepen its diplomatic partnership with the Marshall Islands and build an even closer cooperative relationship across a range of fields, engaging in mutual assistance for mutual benefits and helping each other achieve joint and prosperous development to yield even greater well-being for our peoples. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I once again warmly welcome President Heine, First Gentleman Thomas Kijiner, Jr., and our guests to Taiwan. During my visit to the Marshall Islands last year, I said that Taiwan and the Marshall Islands are truly a family. When Vice President Hsiao and I took office last year, President Heine led a delegation to Taiwan. It is now one year since our inauguration, and I am delighted to see President Heine once again, just as if I were seeing family arrive from afar. Through my visit to the Marshall Islands, I gained a profound sense of the friendship between the peoples of our two nations, well-demonstrated by bilateral exchanges in such areas as healthcare, agriculture, and education. And it is thanks to President Heine’s longstanding support for Taiwan that our countries have been able to further advance collaboration on even more issues, including women’s empowerment and climate change. In recent years, the geopolitical and economic landscape has changed rapidly. We look forward to Taiwan and the Marshall Islands continuing to deepen our partnership and build an even closer cooperative relationship. In just a few moments, President Heine and I will witness the signing of several documents, including a memorandum of understanding and a letter of intent, to expand bilateral cooperation in such fields as sports, education, and transportation. Taiwan will take concrete action to work with the Marshall Islands and advance mutual prosperity and development, writing a new chapter in our diplomatic partnership. I would also like to take this opportunity to express gratitude to the government and Nitijela of the Marshall Islands. In recent years, the Nitijela has passed annual resolutions backing Taiwan’s international participation, and President Heine and Marshallese cabinet members have been some of the strongest advocates for Taiwan’s international participation, voicing staunch support for Taiwan at numerous international venues. Building on the pillars of democracy, peace, and prosperity, Taiwan will continue to work with the Marshall Islands and other like-minded countries to deepen our partnerships, engage in mutual assistance for mutual benefits, and help one another achieve joint and prosperous development. I have every confidence that the combined efforts of our two nations will yield even greater well-being for our peoples and see us make even more contributions to the world. President Heine then delivered remarks, and began by conveying warm greetings of iokwe from the people and government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands to the people and government of the Republic of China (Taiwan). She said she was deeply honored to be in Taiwan for an official visit, and extended appreciation to President Lai and his government for their gracious invitation and warm welcome. President Heine stated that this year marks 27 years of diplomatic ties between our two nations, and that they are proud of this enduring friendship. This special and enduring relationship, she said, is grounded in our shared Austronesian heritage, and strengthened by mutual respect for each other’s democratic systems and our steadfast commitment to the core values of freedom, justice, and the rule of law. President Heine stated that Taiwan’s continued support has been invaluable to the people and national development of the Marshall Islands, particularly in the areas of health, education, agriculture, and climate change. She also expressed deep appreciation to Taiwan for providing Marshallese students with opportunities to study in Taiwan, and for the care extended to Marshallese who travel here for medical treatment. President Heine also announced that she would be presenting a copy of a resolution by the people and government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands reiterating their appreciation for the support provided by the people and government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), and calling on the United Nations to take immediate action to resolve the inappropriate exclusion of Taiwan’s 23 million people from the UN system. She added that she looked forward to the bilateral discussions later that day, and to continuing the important work that both countries carry out together. After the bilateral talks, President Lai and President Heine witnessed the signing of a letter of intent regarding sports exchanges and a memorandum of understanding regarding the Presidents’ Scholarship Fund by Minister of Foreign Affairs Lin Chia-lung (林佳龍) and Marshallese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade Kalani R. Kaneko. President Lai then presided over a launch ceremony for a loan program to purchase aircraft, marking the formal beginning of Taiwan-Marshall Islands air transport cooperation. The visiting delegation also included Council of Iroij Chairman Lanny Kabua, Minister of Finance David Paul, and Nitijela Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs and Trade Chair Joe Bejang. They were accompanied to the Presidential Office by Charge d’Affaires a.i. Anjanette Davis-Anjel of the Embassy of the Republic of the Marshall Islands.

Details
2025-06-03
President Lai welcomes President Hilda C. Heine of Republic of the Marshall Islands with military honors
President Lai Ching-te welcomed President Hilda C. Heine of the Republic of the Marshall Islands and her husband on the morning of June 3 with full military honors. In remarks, President Lai thanked President Heine and the people and government of the Marshall Islands for demonstrating such high regard for our nations’ diplomatic ties. The president said that over our 27 years of diplomatic relations, our cooperation in healthcare, agriculture, fisheries, education and training, and climate change has yielded many positive results. And moving ahead, he said, Taiwan will continue to deepen collaboration across all domains for mutual prosperity and growth. The welcome ceremony began at 10:30 a.m. in the plaza fronting the Presidential Office. President Lai and President Heine each delivered remarks after a 21-gun salute, the playing of the two countries’ national anthems, and a review of the military honor guard. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: On behalf of the people and government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), it is a great pleasure to welcome President Heine, First Gentleman Thomas Kijiner, Jr., and their delegation with full military honors as they make this state visit to Taiwan. When I traveled to the Marshall Islands on a state visit last December, I was received with great warmth and courtesy. I once again thank President Heine and the people and government of the Marshall Islands for demonstrating such high regard for our nations’ diplomatic ties. Taiwan and the Marshall Islands share Austronesian cultural traditions, and we are like-minded friends. Throughout our 27 years of diplomatic relations, we have always engaged with each other in a spirit of reciprocal trust and mutual assistance. Our cooperation in healthcare, agriculture, fisheries, education and training, and climate change has yielded many positive results. This is President Heine’s first state visit to Taiwan since taking office for a second time. We look forward to engaging our esteemed guests in in-depth discussions on issues of common concern. And moving ahead, Taiwan will continue to deepen collaboration with the Marshall Islands across all domains for mutual prosperity and growth. In closing, I thank President Heine, First Gentleman Kijiner, and their entire delegation for visiting Taiwan. I wish you all a pleasant and successful trip. A transcript of President Heine’s remarks follows: Your Excellency President Lai Ching-te, Vice President [Bi-khim] Hsiao, honorable members of the cabinet, ambassadors, distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen: It is my pleasure to extend warm greetings of iokwe on behalf of the people and the government of the Republic of the Marshall Islands. I wish to also convey my appreciation to Your Excellency President Lai, for the hospitality and very warm welcome – kommol tata. This visit marks my seventh official state visit to this beautiful country. It’s a testament to my strong commitment to further deepening ties between the Republic of the Marshall Islands and the Republic of China (Taiwan). During this visit, I look forward to engaging in meaningful discussions with Your Excellency President Lai to further strengthen the bilateral relationship between our two nations and our peoples. For over a quarter-century, Taiwan has been a strong ally and friend to the Marshall Islands. Our partnership has thrived across many sectors, including education, healthcare, infrastructure, and economic development. Through Taiwan’s generous support and collaboration, we have made significant progress in improving the lives of our people, empowering our communities, and fostering sustainable growth. The Marshall Islands deeply values our partnership with Taiwan and appreciates Taiwan’s support over the years. Despite our small size and limited voice on the global stage, the Marshall Islands deeply cherishes our friendship with Taiwan, and to that end, I wish to reaffirm my government’s commitment to Taiwan’s meaningful participation in the United Nations system. Taiwan has consistently demonstrated its commitment to the principles of democracy, human rights, and the rule of law. In light of current constraints in global affairs, it is now more urgent than ever that the international community of nations recognize the fundamental rights of the 23 million Taiwanese people and recognize Taiwan’s aspiration to engage fully in global affairs. It is with this in mind that I wish to reiterate to Your Excellency President Lai, the Taiwanese people, and the world that under my government, Marshall Islands will continue to acknowledge Taiwan’s contribution on the global stage and urge like-minded countries to advocate for Taiwan’s meaningful engagement in the international arena. In closing, may I once again extend our sincere appreciation to Your Excellency President Lai, the people and government of the Republic of China (Taiwan), for your warm welcome. Also in attendance at the welcome ceremony were Charge d’Affaires a.i. Anjanette Davis-Anjel of the Embassy of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Ambassador Andrea Clare Bowman, and members of the foreign diplomatic corps in Taiwan.

Details
2025-05-29
President Lai attends 2025 Europe Day Dinner
On the evening of May 29, President Lai Ching-te attended the 2025 Europe Day Dinner. In remarks, President Lai stated that Taiwan looks forward to further establishing institutionalized mechanisms with Europe for our trade and investment ties and hopes to take an innovative and diverse approach to sign an economic partnership agreement with the European Union, to provide a more transparent, stable, and predictable business environment for our enterprises. The president said that Taiwan will actively work alongside other democracies, including those in Europe, to jointly build resilient, promising non-red supply chains, and noted that Taiwan and Europe have endless potential for collaboration, whether it is in safeguarding freedom and democracy or advancing our economic and trade relationship. He expressed hope to further strengthen our partnership and work together toward global peace, stability, and prosperity. A transcript of President Lai’s remarks follows: Chairman [Henry] Chang (張瀚書), thank you for the invitation, and congratulations on your second term. I’m confident that under your leadership, the ECCT [European Chamber of Commerce Taiwan] will build even more bridges for cooperation between Taiwan and Europe. I would also like to thank EETO [European Economic and Trade Office] Head [Lutz] Güllner and all the European country representatives stationed in Taiwan. Your hard work over the years has helped deepen Taiwan-Europe relations and brought about such fruitful cooperation. Thank you. This year we celebrate the 75th anniversary of the Schuman Declaration. In 1950, then-French Foreign Minister Robert Schuman proposed to create a European federation dedicated to preserving peace. The declaration symbolized a new flowering in the post-war era of democracy, unity, and cooperation. As we face the geopolitical challenges and drastic economic changes of today’s world, the Schuman Declaration still speaks to us profoundly. This year is also the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II in Europe. Moving forward, Taiwan will continue to advance cooperation with our democratic partners, and will join hands with Europe to build a partnership of even greater resilience and mutual trust. Europe is Taiwan’s third largest trading partner. It is also Taiwan’s largest source of foreign direct investment. Last year, bilateral trade between Taiwan and Europe totaled US$84.7 billion. This demonstrates our vibrant economic and trade ties and reflects the high levels of confidence our businesses have in each other’s markets and systems. We look forward to Taiwan and Europe further establishing institutionalized mechanisms for our trade and investment ties. And we hope to take an innovative and diverse approach to sign an economic partnership agreement with the EU, to provide a more transparent, stable, and predictable business environment for our enterprises. Today’s Taiwan has an internationally recognized democracy and a semiconductor industry vital to global security and prosperity. This enables us to play a key role in restructuring global democratic supply chains and the economic order. In particular, we see supply chains dominated by a new authoritarian bloc expanding their influence through non-market mechanisms, price subsidies, and monopolies on resources, as they seek global control of critical technologies and manufacturing capabilities. Their actions not only distort principles of market fairness, but also threaten the international community’s basic expectations for democracy, the rule of law, and corporate responsibility. In response, Taiwan will actively work alongside other democracies, including those in Europe, to jointly build resilient, promising non-red supply chains. We will also introduce an initiative on semiconductor supply chain partnerships for global democracies. This is more than a proposal for economic cooperation; it is an alliance of shared values and advanced technology. Security in the Taiwan Strait and regional peace and stability have always been issues of mutual interest for Taiwan and Europe. So here today, on behalf of all the people of Taiwan, I would like to thank the EU and European nations for continuing to take concrete actions in public support of peace and stability across the strait. Such actions are vital to regional security and prosperity. Taiwan will continue to bolster itself to achieve real peace through strength, and will work with democratic partners to safeguard freedom and democracy, thereby showing our determination for regional peace. At this critical time, Taiwan and Europe have endless potential for collaboration, whether it’s in safeguarding freedom and democracy or advancing our economic and trade relationship. I look forward to our joining hands at this strategic juncture to further strengthen our partnership and work together toward global peace, stability, and prosperity. Also in attendance at the event was British Office Taipei Representative Ruth Bradley-Jones.

Details
2025-05-28
President Lai meets US delegation led by Senator Tammy Duckworth
On the afternoon of May 28, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by United States Senator Tammy Duckworth. In remarks, President Lai thanked the US Congress and government for their longstanding and bipartisan support for Taiwan. The president stated that Taiwan will continue to strengthen cooperation with the US and jointly safeguard regional peace and stability. He pointed out that the Taiwan government has already proposed a roadmap for deepening Taiwan-US trade ties and will encourage mutual investment between Taiwanese and US businesses. He then expressed hope of deepening Taiwan-US ties and creating more niches for both sides. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I warmly welcome this delegation led by Senator Duckworth, a dear friend of Taiwan. Senator Duckworth previously visited in May last year to convey congratulations after the inauguration of myself and Vice President Bi-khim Hsiao. Your bipartisan delegation was the first group from the US Senate that I met with as president. Today, you are visiting just after the first anniversary of my taking office, demonstrating the staunch support of the US and our deep friendship. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I extend my sincere appreciation and greetings. And I invite you to come back and visit next year, the year after that, and every year. Taiwan and the US share the values of democracy and the rule of law and believe in free and open markets. Both sides embrace a common goal of peace, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region. I thank the US Congress and government for their longstanding, bipartisan, and steadfast support for Taiwan. In 2021, to help Taiwan overcome the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Senator Duckworth made a special trip here to announce that the US government would be donating vaccines to Taiwan. In recent years, Senator Duckworth has also promoted the TAIWAN Security Act, STAND with Taiwan Act, and Taiwan and America Space Assistance Act in the US Congress, all of which have further deepened Taiwan-US cooperation and steadily advanced our ties. For this, I express my deepest appreciation. I want to emphasize that the people of Taiwan have an unyielding determination to protect their homeland and free and democratic way of life. Over the past year, the government and private sector have been working together to enhance Taiwan’s whole-of-society defense resilience. The government is committed to reforming national defense, and it has proposed prioritizing special budget allocations to ensure that our defense budget exceeds three percent of GDP. This will continue to bolster Taiwan’s self-defense capabilities. Moving forward, Taiwan will continue to strengthen cooperation with the US. In addition to jointly safeguarding regional peace and stability, we also aspire to deepen bilateral trade and economic ties. At the SelectUSA Investment Summit in Washington, DC, earlier this month, Taiwan’s delegation was once again the biggest delegation attending the event – proof positive of our close economic and trade cooperation. We have already proposed a roadmap for deepening Taiwan-US trade ties. We will narrow the trade imbalance through the procurement of energy and agricultural and other industrial products from the US. We will encourage mutual investment between Taiwanese and US businesses to stimulate industrial development on both sides, especially in such industries as national defense and shipbuilding. We therefore look forward to Congress passing the US-Taiwan Expedited Double-Tax Relief Act as soon as possible, as this would deepen Taiwan-US trade ties and create more niches for business. In closing, I once again thank Senator Duckworth for making the trip to Taiwan. Let us continue to work together to elevate Taiwan-US ties. I wish you a pleasant and successful visit. Senator Duckworth then delivered remarks, saying that she is happy to be back in Taiwan and that she wanted to make sure to come back just after President Lai’s one-year anniversary of taking office to show the dedication and the outstanding friendship that we have. She noted that because no matter who is in the White House, no matter which political party is in power in Washington, DC, she has always believed that if America wants to remain a leader on the global stage, it has to show up for friends like Taiwan. Senator Duckworth mentioned that in the years that she has been coming to Taiwan since pre-COVID times, she has seen a remarkable increase in participation in its defense and the support of the Taiwanese people for defending the homeland. She then thanked Taiwan for making the commitment to its self-defense, and also for being a partner with other nations around the world. The STAND with Taiwan Act, the senator noted, is so named because the US wants to stand side by side with Taiwan. Pointing out that Taiwan is an important leader in the Indo-Pacific and on the global stage, she reiterated that there is support on both sides of the aisle in Washington for Taiwanese democracy, and added that the people of Taiwan are showing that they are willing to shore up their own readiness. Senator Duckworth said that whether it is delivering vaccines to Taiwan or making sure that the US National Guard works with Taiwan’s reserve forces or even with its civilian emergency response teams, these are all important components to the ongoing partnership between our nations. Senator Duckworth indicated that there are many great opportunities moving forward beyond our military cooperation with one another. Whether it is in chip manufacturing, agricultural investments, shipbuilding, or in the healthcare field, those investments in both nations will facilitate stability and development in both our nations. She said that is why she wants to continue the Taiwan-US relationship, underlining that they are in it for the long haul. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by American Institute in Taiwan Taipei Office Director Raymond Greene.

Details
2025-05-27
President Lai meets delegation led by US House Natural Resources Committee Chair Bruce Westerman
On the afternoon of May 27, President Lai Ching-te met with a delegation led by Chair of the Natural Resources Committee of the United States House of Representatives Bruce Westerman. In remarks, President Lai stated that Taiwan and the US enjoy close industrial exchanges and continue to explore new opportunities for investment and collaboration. The president said that Taiwan will continue to increase purchases from and together build non-red supply chains with the US, expressing hope that economic and trade relations grow even closer and that both work together to jointly safeguard peace and stability throughout the region. A translation of President Lai’s remarks follows: I am delighted to meet and exchange views with members of the US House Committee on Natural Resources today. Chair Westerman, the leader of this delegation, is an old friend of Taiwan. On behalf of the people of Taiwan, I extend a very warm welcome to the delegation. I also want to thank you all for your long-term close attention to Taiwan-related affairs and your strong support for Taiwan. Taiwan and the US enjoy close ties and share ideals and values. There is an excellent foundation for cooperation between us, particularly in such areas as energy, the economy and trade, agriculture and fisheries, environmental protection, and sustainable development. In recent years, Taiwan-US ties have grown closer and closer. The US has become Taiwan’s largest destination for overseas investment, accounting for over 40 percent of Taiwan’s outbound investment. Taiwan is also the seventh largest trading partner of the US and its seventh largest export market for agricultural products. The SelectUSA Investment Summit held in Washington, DC earlier this month was the largest in its history. Taiwan’s delegation, representing 138 enterprises, was once again the biggest delegation attending the event. This shows that Taiwan and the US enjoy close industrial exchanges and continue to explore new opportunities for investment and collaboration. Looking ahead, with the global landscape changing rapidly, Taiwan will continue to increase purchases from the US, including energy resources such as natural gas and petroleum, as well as agricultural products, industrial products, and even military procurement. This will not only help balance our bilateral trade, but also strengthen development for Taiwan in energy autonomy, resilience, the economy, and trade. Taiwan and the US are also well-matched in such areas as high tech and manufacturing. As the US pursues reindustrialization and aims to become a global hub for AI, Taiwan is willing to take part and play an even more important role. We will strengthen Taiwan-US industrial cooperation and together build non-red supply chains. In addition to bringing our economic and trade relations even closer, this will also allow Taiwanese industries to remain rooted in Taiwan while expanding their global presence, helping bolster the US, and marketing worldwide. As for military exchanges, we are grateful to the US government for continuing its military sales to Taiwan and backing our efforts to upgrade our self-defense capabilities. Taiwan will continue to work with the US to jointly safeguard peace and stability throughout the region. In closing, I thank our guests once again for making the long journey here, not only offering warm friendship, but also demonstrating the staunch bipartisan support for Taiwan in the US Congress. Chair Westerman then delivered remarks, saying that it is an honor for him and his colleagues to be in Taiwan to talk about the strong relationship between the US and Taiwan and how that relationship can continue to grow in the future. The chair pointed out that natural resources are foundational to any kind of economic development, whether it is energy, which is key to manufacturing, or whether it is mining, which provides rare earth elements and all the minerals and metals needed for manufacturing. He said that as for natural resources including fish, wildlife, or timber, all are foundational to any society, but this is especially so for agriculture, noting that the US produces a lot of food and fodder and is always looking for more friends to share that with. Chair Westerman indicated that they are excited about opportunities to work with Taiwan, adding that Taiwan’s investments in the US have been greatly appreciated. He said they also are excited about the talks with the Trump administration and the future going forward on how we can have a stronger trade relationship, a stronger bilateral relationship, and how we can work with each other to help both economies grow and prosper. Chair Westerman concluded his remarks by expressing thanks for the opportunity to visit, saying that they treasure Taiwan’s friendship and our long-term relationship, and are very excited to be able to discuss in more detail how our two countries can work together. The delegation also included US House Natural Resources Committee Representatives Sarah Elfreth, Harriet Hageman, Celeste Maloy, and Nick Begich. The delegation was accompanied to the Presidential Office by American Institute in Taiwan Taipei Office Director Raymond Greene.

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

MIL OSI Asia Pacific News –

June 5, 2025
MIL-Evening Report: Jack Ball wins the Ramsay Art Prize among a who’s who of Australian young contemporary artists

Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Catherine Speck, Emerita Professor, Art History and Curatorship, University of Adelaide

Jack Ball with Heavy Grit in Ramsay Art Prize 2025, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide. Photo: Saul Steed

Jack Ball, a Sydney-based trans artist, was awarded the 2025 Ramsay Art Prize at the Art Gallery of South Australia for an immersive installation Heavy Grit.

The inspiration for the photo-collage and sculptural artwork stems directly from the artist’s exploration of the Australian Queer Archives in Melbourne – especially the scrapbooks covering the closeted decades of the 1950s to 1970s – and the merging of the past with present.

The grainy print surface of the photo-collage elements, drawing on newspaper clippings, are arranged as four semi-abstract fluid shapes.

Collage allows Ball to layer archival material with his own photo practice, to cut, crop, resize and imply ambiguity and possibility in the blurred imagery.

The collages sit beside small photographs placed behind textured stained glass that seem like peep shows into queer culture, and are emblematic of Heavy Grit’s tension between what is revealed and what is hidden.

Installation view: Jack Ball, born Darramurragal/Sydney 1986, Heavy Grit, 2024, Boorloo/Perth, inkjet prints on hemp, cotton and metallic rag, textured coloured glass, beeswax, activated charcoal, copper pipe, second-hand and remnant fabrics, acrylic paints, sand, rope.
Courtesy of the artist and AVA, Boorloo/Perth, photo: Saul Steed

Beneath are sand-filled soft sculptures, all of which suggest intimacy, stolen moments, the bright lights of Oxford Street, queer dress culture and much more, set off by loose flourishes of orange framing the collage. There is a delicate play of surface, scale and medium in an expansive installation that requires close, but slow looking.

The Ramsay Prize

The A$100,000 prize, awarded every two years, is open to artists under 40.

It is the nation’s richest art prize for that age category and is funded in perpetuity by the Ramsay Foundation, for artwork in any medium.

It is visionary in intent and reflects donors Diana and James Ramsay’s aim “to support and encourage contemporary Australian artists to make their best work at a pivotal point in their career”. And it has done just that.

It commenced in 2017. Vincent Namatjira, who was awarded the prize in 2019, proceeded to win the Archibald Prize. Kate Bohunnis (2021) and Ida Sophia (2023) attribute winning the Ramsay to being career changing.

Strong work on show

There is much strong work across a range of media areas on show in this year’s exhibition.

Installation view: Ramsay Art Prize 2025 featuring Alfred Lowe’s You’ve been on my mind, sister, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide.
Photo: Saul Steed

Arrernte artist Alfred Lowe’s ceramic sculptural figures are adorned with bright pink raffia skirts. But beneath the colour and whimsy and contrasting materials is an exploration of his conflicted First Nations world of Central Australia and its charged politics.

Tom Polo’s brightly coloured abstract and gestural paintings of fragmented and exaggerated forms suggest human vulnerability and the fluidity of daily life.

Installation view: Ramsay Art Prize 2025 featuring Tom Polo’s learning to leave (once, and again), Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide.
Photo: Saul Steed

Bridie Gillman’s evocative Pink room, pink womb painting is a double-sided triangular installation which references ideas of place and belonging.

It was produced in response to staying in an 18th century bedroom with pink walls in Portugal. The dramatic colour changes she observed according to the light conjured up notions of a deep maternal presence. She invokes this in her changing shades of pink on the canvases and base, accompanied by a subtle soundscape by Reuben Schafer.

Shireen Taweel’s meticulous suspended copper objects delve into matters astronomical, the contribution of a Persian polymath’s foundational work in trigonometry and the precision required to locate stars and other celestial bodies.

She emulates that precision in her intriguing copper installation, Al-Tusi preferred to rely on perfect circles instead, as an instrument of astronomical observation. Her pierced motifs in the copper are informed by precise calculations.

Installation view: Ramsay Art Prize 2025 featuring Jason Phu’s the deepest love in the deepest well of despair and Shireen Taweel’s Al-Tusi preferred to rely on perfect circles instead, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide.
Photo: Saul Steed

Chinese-Australian artist Jason Phu draws on his cultural heritage in his large painting. Comic-like figures enact a narrative across time, as occurs in more serious Chinese Scroll paintings.

Phu inverts the tradition, adds a vernacular touch, and oscillates between humour and grim despair. His central figure in red enacts the text above: “the deepest love, the deepest despair”.

David Attwood’s whimsical kinetic sculptural assemblage featuring a motorised house cleaning sponge harks back to the wacky idea of a self-cleaning house, and touches on the gendered nature of housework.

Liam Fleming was schooled in the refined precision and techniques of making production line glass. Here, his slumped glass sculptural work come from his “letting go” of this exactness.

Installation view: Ramsay Art Prize 2025 featuring Liam Fleming’s Transitory Series, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide.
Photo: Saul Steed

Greek-Australian queer artist and designer Jordon Gogos’ impressive large tapestry, Time Machine, is made from repurposed and recycled textiles, and explores memory and identity.

His deft mix of chance and design – and extending the possibilities of fabric itself by layering, embroidering and felting – produces a compelling and playful piece.

These are just eight of the artworks on show in which the experimentation, range, diversity and rich cultural mix point to a vibrant contemporary art scene.

What’s left unsaid

But of the 22 finalists – a veritable who’s who of the contemporary art scene – only one artist reflects on war in a world beset by conflict.

Ukrainian-born Stanislava Pinchuk is currently Australia’s official war artist in Ukraine. Her moving image work, Theatre of war, focuses on three such “theatres”: the siege of Sarajevo, the war in Ukraine, and Homer’s account of the Trojan war in the Iliad.

Installation view: Ramsay Art Prize 2025 featuring Stanislava Pinchuk’s The Theatre of War, Art Gallery of South Australia, Adelaide.
Photo: Saul Steed

But where is the bravery of earlier Ramsay entries such as Hoda Afshar’s moving photographic portraits of our courageous whistleblowers in Agonistes, shown in the Ramsay Art Prize exhibition of 2020?

There were close to 600 entries this year, so it seems odd that no-one else was selected for the final cut whose work had overt political content such as the war in Gaza.

The Ramsay Art Prize 2025 is at the Art Gallery of South Australia until August 31.

Catherine Speck has received funding from the ARC to investigate Australian art exhibitions (with Joanna Mendelssohn, Catherine De Lorenzo and Alison Inglis).

– ref. Jack Ball wins the Ramsay Art Prize among a who’s who of Australian young contemporary artists – https://theconversation.com/jack-ball-wins-the-ramsay-art-prize-among-a-whos-who-of-australian-young-contemporary-artists-257326

MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

June 5, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Sánchez: Republican tax bill brings pain to American families

Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Linda Sanchez (38th District of CA)

WASHINGTON – Congresswoman Linda T. Sánchez (D-Calif.) today spoke on the House floor before the vote on the Republican tax bill, which only passed by a single vote.

Video of her statement introducing the amendment is available HERE and the text follows:

“The bill that we are debating this morning is an insult to every American who works for a living.

American families are struggling. Under President Trump and Republican leadership, they’ve seen nothing but chaos.

Prices for everyday necessities – like food, clothing, diapers and formula – keep rising because of Trump’s tariffs. Premiums for health insurance, car insurance and housing are going up, making it harder to make ends meet.

Americans are worried about their future. People are afraid about losing their jobs, their health care, student aid and food assistance.

And this bill brings that pain.

Almost 14 million people will lose their health care coverage under this Republican bill. And for what? So billionaires can get even richer while the rest of us drown in debt?

This is outrageous. Republicans are doling out tax cuts for the wealthiest while destroying the means of survival for hardworking families.

This bill assaults those seeking the American Dream by stealing tax benefits and services from working people who are paying taxes! It would deny the Child [Tax] Credit to 2 million children who live in the United States.

Here’s an idea: How about you start working for the people you represent, not your wealthy donors.

But I guess that’s asking too much from people who have lost their moral compass.”

###

MIL OSI USA News –

June 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Australia: Quick action and a defibrillator save a firefighter

Source:

A CFA volunteer has had the opportunity to say thank you to fellow volunteers and paramedics who helped save his life.

John Moyes, a volunteer with Yarragon Fire Brigade, suffered a cardiac arrest while responding to a grass and scrub fire on Tuesday 4 March 2025 in Yarragon.

Shortly after arriving at the scene, John collapsed.

Crews from Trafalgar were on scene battling the blaze and Commander Greg Fisher said he immediately snapped into action.

“We had to fight the fire, but we also needed to help John,” he said.

“Thankfully, our members are first-aid trained, and we were able to quickly begin doing what we needed to do.”

Immediately following contact with Triple Zero (000), Trafalgar Fire Brigade members, Sally Neenan, Colin Proctor, and Danny Mynard, got to work on John, starting cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and attaching an automated external defibrillator (AED) from one of the trucks.

“It was all a bit of a blur,” Danny said.

“But my training kicked in and I just did what I had to do to help save John.”

Sally said John collapsed behind her and having just refreshed her CPR knowledge just months before, she was able to help save John.

“It was daunting but it really drives home the importance of having your first-aid and CPR training even if you’re just a member of the community. This could have happened anywhere,” she said.

Colin said having an AED was a huge help to their CPR efforts.

“We were really glad to have the defibrillator right there on the truck,” he said.

The trio continued CPR, delivering three shocks with the AED prior to the arrival of Ambulance Victoria paramedics. At the time of handover, John remained pulseless and unconscious.

Paramedics took over care, intubated John and placed him into an induced coma. He was transported in a critical condition to the Victorian Heart Hospital for specialist care.

John said he was “forever indebted” to those who intervened early and saved his life.

“They are the reason I am here,” John said.

“Because they knew what to do, I have another chance.”

Greg said the incident was a good reminder about the importance of early intervention, having AEDs on trucks, and completing first-aid training with CFA.

“We offer basic first aid and CPR training to all CFA members and this really showed us why this training is so important,” Greg said.

“Our members do more than just fight fires; they are there to help their communities in so many different situations.

“All CFA primary firefighting appliances are also fitted with AEDs which is an amazing resource.”

Ambulance Victoria Gippsland Clinical Support Officer Dion Meade said John’s recovery was testament to the quick actions of those around him.

“It’s fantastic to see John alive and doing so well, which is all because of his peers who immediately started the chain of survival by implementing Call, Push, Shock,” he said.

“We know the significant impact of early intervention, with a patient’s chance of survival almost doubling when they receive CPR and a shock from an AED before paramedics arrive.

“The Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry 2023-24 showed Victoria has Australia’s best cardiac survival rate and the third best in the world, which is because of people, like Sally, Colin and Danny, stepping in when they see someone in cardiac arrest.

“Anyone can save a life by remembering to Call Triple Zero 000, give CPR by pushing hard and fast on the middle of the chest, and use an AED if available.”

Additional resources:

Read a list of registered AEDs in Victoria.

Call, Push, Shock resources are available in multiple languages on the Ambulance Victoria website.

Learn more in the Victorian Ambulance Cardiac Arrest Registry Annual Report.

Submitted by CFA Media

MIL OSI News –

June 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: How capital services help to spend the summer season in comfort

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

The capital’s digital ecosystem helps Muscovites go about their daily business, plan family leisure, lead an active lifestyle, and do much more. The mos.ru portal and city mobile apps offer services that are especially useful in the summer.

“With the start of the summer season, city residents not only begin to plan their vacations, but also continue to solve everyday tasks online. For this purpose, the mos.ru portal offers more than 450 digital services, many of which are available in the Moscow State Services and My Moscow applications. Thanks to them, residents can conveniently and quickly check the hot water shutdown schedule and pay bills, book books from the library to read during the holidays, or plan interesting leisure activities,” they reminded.

Department of Information Technology of the City of Moscow.

Plan your leisure time

The main city events of the season have been collected in the project “Summer in Moscow”, which has been running since June 1. At more than 400 venues, residents and guests of the capital will be treated to street festivals, theatrical performances, karaoke and gastronomic master classes, as well as a large-scale market of local goods from the project “Made in Moscow”. Earlier, the program of the project’s events was posted on its Telegram channel announced Sergei Sobyanin.

Service “Mosbilet”, available on the mos.ru portal and in the My Moscow mobile app, allows you to purchase tickets to cultural events — theaters, museums, cinemas, and concerts — without extra charges. There are also free events available for everyone to attend.

Digital tourist service Russpass will help you organize a trip around the summer capital. It contains walking and cycling tours, signature routes, hotels, cafes, event listings, transport tickets and much more. The ecosystem will not only plan a walk, but also give personal recommendations for recreation using artificial intelligence. The service already has more than 50 thousand offers for travel around Russia, of which about a third are in Moscow.

For those who want to independently plan their leisure time and explore the city, there is application “Discover Moscow”. It will suggest themed routes around the city and tell about parks and estates via an audio guide. In addition, the application offers to study the history of the capital using augmented reality technologies, so that users can take a new look at familiar streets and boulevards.

Spend your summer usefully and borrow a book from the nearest library service “Moscow Libraries”. All you need is a standard account on mos.ru and a single library card, which is issued online or in any of the 440 city reading rooms. The electronic version is available in the mobile app “My id”.

The project will help you find nearby sports facilities, select a site for training and learn about active recreation activities “Moscow Sport”. On the mos.ru website, anyone who wants to can find the nearest open swimming pools and will be able to buy a ticket for the session, as well as book a gazebo for relaxation in the park through the service “Picnic in Moscow”.

Solve everyday issues

Through mos.ru and the applications “My Moscow” and “Gosuslugi Moskvy” you can pay utility bills and city services using the service “My payments”.

In addition, residents of the capital can submit readings water meters Andelectricity, as well as solve other everyday issues. For example, call a technician to troubleshoot problems in the house or to find out hot water shutdown schedule in the summer period.

If there are no meters installed in the apartment, in order to save on payments during a vacation or a trip to the country, you need to submit an applicationrecalculation of payment for housing and communal servicesTo do this, you must provide a document confirming the absence of meters and indicating the duration of the rest.

Service “Removal of unnecessary things” will help to tidy up and get rid of unnecessary things, for example, to donate unnecessary clothes and books that will be useful to others for free. The full list of what is accepted for removal is posted on mos.ru.

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

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

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

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https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/154825073/

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Several boulevards will be temporarily closed to traffic in central Moscow

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

In connection with the 10,000 Steps walking and running festival, several boulevards on the inner side of the Boulevard Ring will be closed on June 8.

Thus, from 00:01 on June 8 until 05:00 on June 9 it will be impossible to drive on:

– Gogolevsky Boulevard (from Volkhonka Street to Znamenka Street);

— Nikitsky Boulevard (from house 12 on Novinsky Boulevard to Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street);

— Tverskoy Boulevard (from Bolshaya Nikitskaya Street to Tverskaya Street);

— Strastnoy Boulevard (from Naryshkinsky Proezd to Petrovka Street);

– Petrovsky Boulevard (from Petrovka to Krapivinsky Lane);

— Rozhdestvensky Boulevard (from Rozhdestvenka Street to Bolshaya Lubyanka Street);

– Sretensky Boulevard (from Bolshaya Lubyanka Street to Frolov Lane);

— Chistoprudny Boulevard (from Myasnitskaya Street to house 12, building 2 on Chistoprudny Boulevard).

Parking in these areas will be prohibited from 00:01 on June 7 until the end of the event.

Drivers are advised to plan their route in advance, taking into account temporary traffic restrictions. All detailed information is available on the website Traffic Management Center.

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

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https: //vv.mos.ru/nevs/ite/154813073/

MIL OSI Russia News –

June 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: What goods did Moscow entrepreneurs send to SVO fighters this spring?

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

In every district of the capital there are owners of shops, shopping centers, restaurants, cafes, hairdressers and car services who sent humanitarian aid to participants in the special military operation (SVO) this spring.

The products are being donated not only by establishments that purchase food, such as supermarkets or bakeries, but also by beauty salons. Their employees managed to collect a large number of cans of stewed meat and main courses, specially preserved for long-term storage, as well as dry milk porridges.

About 300 food packages were received by servicemen from entrepreneurs from the Levoberezhny and Vostochnoye Degunino districts, and about 200 dry rations were transferred from Ivanovskoye and Kosino-Ukhtomsky. In addition, it was possible to send more than 700 different canned goods – from vegetables to meat.

Restaurant and pastry shop owners in Severnoye Butovo collected almost 300 kilograms of food products, and one teahouse in Lublin donated 500 kilograms of honey to the fighters. The packages also included instant noodles and mashed potatoes, tea and coffee, candy, chocolate and other food.

Humanitarian aid shipments of clothing were sent this spring from the Yaroslavsky, Obruchevsky, Yuzhnoye Tushino, Chertanovo Tsentralnoye, Sokolinaya Gora and Lyublino districts. These are several thousand insoles, including woolen ones, winter and summer uniforms, thermal underwear and socks, T-shirts, hats, and dozens of pairs of shoes.

Fabric and yarn stores donated pillows, blankets, and bed linens so that the soldiers could rest in comfortable conditions. Gas burners were included in the packages for cooking, and stoves and generators were also sent.

The entrepreneurs placed a great emphasis on medical products and collected, for example, liters of antiseptic, hundreds of bandages, tourniquets and catheters, as well as crutches, dressings and medications.

The owners of department stores and car dealerships have not forgotten about spare parts, lumber, electronic warfare systems, quadcopters, professional radios, monoculars, collimators and other military equipment.

There were also those who independently delivered humanitarian aid to the combat zone and also provided facilities for weaving camouflage nets.

Since the first days of the SVO, owners of Moscow stores, shopping centers, car dealerships and other service establishments, as well as Moscow restaurateurs, have been regularly sending humanitarian aid. The parcels contain products that have a long shelf life: canned meat, fish and vegetables, tons of different cereals, pasta, cookies, candies, chocolate and many other sweets. Entrepreneurs donate personal hygiene products and seasonal clothing, such as jackets, boots and thermal underwear, as well as essential medicines, building materials and even military equipment, including quadcopters and entire columns of vehicles.

More about the activities of the capital’s Department of Trade and Services – inofficial telegram channel.

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

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MIL OSI Russia News –

June 5, 2025
MIL-OSI Russia: Schools, kindergartens, clinics: what else will appear in the new microdistrict in Krasnopakhorsky district

Translation. Region: Russian Federal

Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

A modern residential cluster with schools, kindergartens, a clinic and commercial real estate will appear in the Troitsky administrative district. The construction will be carried out by an investor determined by the results of the auction, reported Ekaterina Solovieva, Minister of the Moscow Government, Head of the Moscow Department of City Property.

“Investors are actively involved in the urban development of the Troitsky and Novomoskovsky administrative districts. Following an open auction, an agreement was signed with the developer that will allow the company, together with the city, to build a modern residential cluster with the necessary social and commercial infrastructure on the territory of 736 hectares in the Krasnopakhorsky district. It is planned to build 825 thousand square meters of housing, public and business real estate with a total area of more than 41 thousand square meters, as well as a clinic, schools and kindergartens for two thousand students and 1.3 thousand pupils,” said Ekaterina Solovyova.

The project envisages the construction of housing for approximately 15 thousand people. They plan to build more than seven thousand private cottages, as well as townhouses and apartment buildings with almost two thousand apartments. The plots for development are located next to the Central Ring Road, between the settlements of Shchapovo, Pesye and Ovechkino.

The investor of the project will be the Samolet Group of Companies. According to the Investment Director Alexey Romantsov, the partnership of investors and the city allows for the application of the best urban development practices. It is expected that the central core of the project’s audience will be families who will appreciate the unique combination of advantages of country life with urban comfort. The family concept is reflected in the infrastructure, landscaping and apartment layout of the project. Thus, the average area of apartments in low-rise buildings is more than 20 percent larger than the area in city blocks.

Work on the project is planned to begin in 2026–2027.

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

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MIL OSI Russia News –

June 5, 2025
Boisson lights up French Open, Sinner and Djokovic book semi-final showdown

Source: Government of India

Source: Government of India (4)

Wild card Lois Boisson lit up the French Open on Wednesday when the home hope downed sixth-seeded Russian Mirra Andreeva to make the semi-finals before Novak Djokovic set up a blockbuster meeting with world number one Jannik Sinner.

While Sinner stretched his Grand Slam winning streak to 19 matches after back-to-back titles at the U.S. Open last year and the Australian Open in January, Boisson, ranked 361st, thrilled the home crowd with a dazzling performance.

Three-time French Open winner Novak Djokovic stole the show in the evening by outlasting German third seed Alexander Zverev 4-6 6-3 6-2 6-4 to remain in the hunt for a record 25th Grand Slam title at the venue of his Olympic gold medal last year.

Victory after three hours and 17 minutes was the 38-year-old Serbian’s 101st win at Roland Garros but he had to draw from his seemingly endless reserves of energy and experience to prevail.

“There was a lot of tension, pressure but it’s normal when you play Zverev, one of the best in the world, in the last five-six years,” Djokovic said.

“My game is based on a lot of running. I’m 38, it’s not easy to keep running like that but, OK, it works.”

Sinner was barely troubled as he defeated Alexander Bublik 6-1 7-5 6-0 and became the first Italian man to reach six Grand Slam semi-finals.

The 23-year-old, who served a three-month doping ban before returning to action in Rome last month, raced through the first set after twice breaking the Kazakh, who had stunned fifth seed Jack Draper in the previous round.

Looking to become the first man representing Kazakhstan to defeat a world number one, Bublik, who hit 37 drop shots against Draper, pulled out this weapon again in the second set.

Sinner broke and held to take it before the 27-year-old Bublik, ever the entertainer, delighted fans with an underarm serve but ultimately could do nothing to stop the Italian’s march into the last four.

BOISSON SPARKLES

Earlier Boisson became the toast of France after staging the tournament’s biggest upset with a 7-6(6) 6-3 win over Andreeva, who had been tipped as a title contender, in an electrifying match that had the home crowd on the edge of their seats.

The 22-year-old had stunned third seed Jessica Pegula in round four, but on Wednesday pulled off another major shock, beating Andreeva, who had not lost a set in the tournament.

“Every player dreams of winning a Slam – and for a French player, Roland Garros even more so. I’ll go for it because my dream is to win the final, not the semi-final,” Boisson said.

Andreeva, the 18-year-old sixth seed who was bidding to become the youngest female player to reach back-to-back French Open semi-finals in nearly three decades, quickly found herself chasing Boisson’s fierce forehand.

The underdog, who has been a breath of fresh air in the tournament with her no-nonsense power game and down-to-earth approach, looked to have run out of steam as Andreeva went 3-0 up but she proceeded to win the next six consecutive games.

Andreeva repeatedly lost her temper and was handed a warning when she fired a ball into the stands in frustration.

With the home crowd the loudest it had been since the start, chants of ‘Lois, Lois’ echoed across the Philippe Chatrier court, with the decibel level lifted even further because the roof was closed due to rain.

Boisson, who will jump almost 300 places in the rankings next week, will face 2023 U.S. Open champion Coco Gauff, who came out on top in an error-ridden quarter-final against Australian Open champion Madison Keys with the pair littering the court with 101 unforced errors.

UNFORCED ERRORS

With a total of 49 unforced errors in the first set alone they both struggled to hold serve and Gauff, a semi-finalist in Paris last year, wasted a set point before Keys, who reached the French Open last four in 2018, edged ahead with a tiebreak win.

Gauff, who reached the final in 2022 and is the youngest woman to claim 25 main-draw wins at Roland Garros since Martina Hingis (1995-2000), bounced back to win the next two sets.

“So many unforced errors,” Gauff, who also had 10 double faults, said to herself after sinking another easy baseline shot into the net.

“I was just trying to be aggressive,” the 21-year-old Gauff said. “Usually if you’re playing too passive, in the end the more aggressive player is going to win. I knew in the second and the third that I had to try my best.”

(Reuters)

June 5, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Police call for public’s help in search for missing woman

Source: New Zealand Police

Christchurch Police are urging residents in areas around Riccarton to search their backyards for a woman who has been missing for nearly 24 hours.

Elisabeth, 79, was last seen on Bartlett Street in Riccarton about 6pm on Wednesday 4 June. She was wearing blue pants, a dark coloured long-sleeve top, black shoes and has distinctive long blond/white hair.

Senior Sergeant Todd Webley said Police held serious concerns for her wellbeing.

“We have a large number of staff on the ground, including from Land Search and Rescue, but we really need people in the Riccarton and surrounding areas to check home security cameras, and also around their properties, in sheds and garages, in case Elisabeth is there.

Area searches have been carried out through Riccarton, nearby high schools, sport fields and retirement homes, and on both sides of the Avon River from the Botanical Gardens traffic bridge, and Hagley Park.

“This is a significant search, but we need the public’s help to locate Elisabeth as soon as possible. We know people are finishing work for the day, and the best way they can assist us is to check their properties and call 111 if they find her.”

Senior Sergeant Webley said search teams would remain on the ground into the evening “if it comes to it”, and that Elisabeth’s family were being provided updates on the search.

“It is getting cold, and everyone on the ground is focused on bringing Elisabeth home as soon as possible.”

Anyone who sees Elisabeth should ring 111 immediately and use the reference number 250604/5465. Non-urgent information can be provided online at 105.police.govt.nz, using “Update Report”, and quoting the same reference number.

ENDS

Issued by the Police Media Centre

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

June 5, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: Alleged scammer arrested following $150k in thefts

Source: New Zealand Police

Police have arrested a man after he allegedly used Facebook Marketplace to fleece people of more than $150,000 worth of goods.

This morning officers from Waitematā West Tactical Crime Unit assisted by the Armed Offenders Squad, conducted a search warrant at a Massey address.

Detective Senior Sergeant Ryan Bunting says Police had been looking for the male who was wanted in relation to 17 dodgy deals between November 2024 and April this year.

“This man was allegedly involved in Facebook Marketplace deals for 17 different vehicles or high value items including phones and jewellery.

“We allege this person has attended public places to meet the sellers and do ‘bank transfers’ described as looking very real, including using fake IDs and fake drivers licenses.

“Unfortunately the sellers have let the vehicles/goods go with the offender before later realising no transfer has occurred.”

Detective Senior Sergeant Bunting says the alleged offender has obtained goods to the tune of $150,000.

“Several vehicles have been recovered and further enquiries are ongoing.”

He says Police are not ruling out further charges.

“While it is a very effective buy and sell platform, it’s also a successful hunting ground for criminals to buy items using a fake bank transfer or sell items that don’t exist and don’t deliver.

“These types of scams can be difficult for Police to investigate so we are urging those who use the buy and sell platform to exercise caution and do their due-diligence first.”

Police encourage anyone choosing to use the buy and sell platform to follow the following advice:

• Insist on meeting to conduct transactions and examine the item before completing the transaction

• Meet in a public place and take a friend. DO NOT go into someone’s house or allow them into yours

• DO NOT deposit money into another person’s account before you have received the item

• Ensure that cleared funds have arrived in your account, don’t rely on sellers ID, screenshots or viewing funds being transferred on an app

• Learning more about the person you are buying from or selling to. Note: You can tap on a person’s profile on the product listing page to see if you have any friends in common, their marketplace activity, and any ratings they

may have received

• Ensure friends and family, especially anyone vulnerable, understand what to do to protect themselves. Be the person to provide that ongoing support and advice

• Trust your instincts – if it’s too good to be true or sounds like a scam, it probably is

If you believe you are or have been a victim of fraud, contact Police at www.police.govt.nz/use-105, or call Police on 105 and report the matter.

If you have handed over your bank details, contact your bank and immediately suspend your account.

A 36-year-old man will appear in Waitākere District Court today facing 17 charges of obtaining by deception.

ENDS.

Holly McKay/NZ Police

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

June 5, 2025
MIL-OSI China: Elderly daycare emerges to meet needs of Chinese families

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

Staff members cut hair for clients at an elderly care center in Shenyang City, northeast China’s Liaoning Province, March 5, 2025.(Xinhua/Bai Yongquan)

Almost every morning in Panjin, a city in northeast China’s Liaoning Province, 68-year-old Yang Yonghua walks to a neighborhood elderly care center accompanied by his son, a local barbecue restaurant owner. At this care center, he socializes, crafts things, shares meals and receives therapy with friends.

This is China’s burgeoning model of daytime elderly care, a hybrid solution bridging home care and full-time nursing homes.

Dubbed “elderly kindergarten,” these centers offer a structured schedule — breakfast, activities, lunch, naps, afternoon therapy, dinner and evening freshening up, all before families return for pickup.

“It’s more interesting than home,” Yang said, reflecting the sentiment of many seniors finding unexpected joy in this new routine. His son, grappling with late-night shifts at the diner, found immediate relief after the center started operation in the summer of 2023.

This shift in terms of elderly care is being propelled by both an urgent need and national policy. China’s population aged 60 and over had surpassed 310 million as of the end of 2024, accounting for 22 percent of its citizens, according to the National Bureau of Statistics. Recognizing that many seniors have deep ties to their communities and families, authorities are promoting neighborhood-based solutions.

The Ministry of Civil Affairs mandated community-level daytime centers offering daily care, meals, hygiene aid, emergency response and companionship. Local governments have tailored these mandates into concrete services — bathing assistance, medical escort and housekeeping.

In the Seni District of Nagqu in southwest China’s Xizang Autonomous Region, seniors pay just 20 yuan (around 2.78 U.S. dollars) daily for lunch and dinner and more than a dozen services ranging from mahjong to therapy, while northwest China’s Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region is aiming for 90-percent coverage of such facilities this year.

The city of Hengshui in Hebei Province in north China has integrated businesses and community resources in launching 22 model hubs combining long-term stays, daycare, entertainment and dining for the elderly.

The impact of such initiatives resonates deeply for families like that of Li Shihua, 88, who has dementia. Attending a daycare center which specializes in cognitive care in northeast China’s Dalian, her health has steadily improved, according to her family. Structured monitoring and medication management bring order and vitality to residents at this facility, significantly easing caregiver and family strain.

Notably, innovations continue to unfold. Cities like Beijing and south China’s Guangzhou are piloting “co-care” spaces merging childcare and eldercare, supported by free public venues and subsidized utilities.

Underpinning this expansion is a push for the establishment of standards. Authorities have released 51 national or industry benchmarks covering safety, quality and facility ratings — alongside over a hundred local standards.

Experts believe that for people navigating work and filial duty, these daytime havens are more than a convenience. Instead, they’re becoming indispensable threads in the fabric of family life, offering community and care where it matters most — close to home.

MIL OSI China News –

June 5, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: EIT launches next phase of RSE training programme

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology

13 minutes ago

EIT has officially launched a refreshed phase of the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Worker Training Programme, set to equip thousands of Pacific seasonal workers with practical skills.

The new programme, known as NOA Village of Learning, marks the beginning of Phase III of the MFAT-funded initiative, which has been running since 2007. The contract, which was awarded to EIT at the end of last year, will see the institute deliver more than 150 courses annually to up to 2,250 RSE workers across the country.

The training focuses on building transferable skills that workers can use both during their time in New Zealand and when they return home to support their families and communities. Courses are already underway in the Bay of Plenty, Nelson and Marlborough and Hawke’s Bay. Further rollouts are planned for Central Otago, Auckland and Northland.

Community and industry leaders, staff and invited guests gathered at EIT’s Hawke’s Bay Campus to celebrate the launch of NOA – Village of Learning, the next phase of the RSE Worker Training Programme.

The programme was launched last month with a pōwhiri and a Fijian-led kava ceremony at EIT’s Hawke’s Bay Campus in Taradale. Around 70 guests attended, including Hastings Mayor Sandra Hazlehurst, representatives from Tuvalu, Solomon Islands and Vanuatu, iwi leaders, church ministers, RSE employers and workers, government officials and industry partners.

EIT Operations Lead Glen Harkness said the programme reflects EIT’s commitment to growth and community.

“NOA is designed to support RSE workers on their journey to growth and the future,” Glen said. “At EIT we believe education and training is not just a process. It is a pathway to growth, community and success.”

He said NOA represents more than workforce development.

“This initiative is about strengthening social and economic wellbeing across the Pacific,” he said. “It reflects what can be achieved when we listen, collaborate and work together with a shared purpose.”
RSE Pacific Advisory Group Chair Tofilau Talalelei Taufale said: “This is the dawning of a refreshed approach to work-skills development for RSE workers”.

“Not only that, the wider implications with pedagogy and learner-centred curriculum will add to the weaving of the ʻie toga’, the fine mat of Pacific education here at EIT.”

EIT RSE National Operations Manager Meriama Taufale, who leads the implementation of NOA, said it was a privilege to serve in this space.

“Education is power, but being educated is powerful. Being able to enable and empower our RSE workers and their whānau to participate in the RSE Worker Training Programme is, for some, life-changing.”

RSE workers led a Fijian Kava ceremony at EIT’s Hawke’s Bay Campus to celebrate the launch of a refreshed phase of the Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Worker Training Programme.

She said the programme is built around a Pacific philosophy of reciprocity and reintegration.

“It is only right that we give them something to take home, considering a lot of the social disruption that happens in the RSE sector and what they are giving up to be here,” she said.

The programme includes two learning streams. NIU Learning, formerly Essential Learning, introduces skills such as financial literacy, digital capability, healthy living and human rights. MANAVA, the elective stream, includes hands-on vocational training in trades, small business, leadership and hospitality, aligned to the needs of labour-sending countries.

Meriama describes the model as community-driven and culturally grounded.

“The key for us is that we have facilitators who are language speakers so they can contextualise the learning. This will ensure it is not the team leaders or workers who have to translate,” she said. “We are also in the process of translating the learning material for them as well.”

Meriama said the launch marked a major milestone for the team and that collaboration would be key to its success.

“This has been a huge milestone for the team. But it is only the beginning of what we hope to build together because it really does take a village.”

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

June 5, 2025
MIL-OSI New Zealand: EIT carpentry apprentice to compete at national building final

Source: Eastern Institute of Technology

56 seconds ago

EIT carpentry apprentice Hohepa Goulton (Ngāti Kahungunu) will represent Hawke’s Bay at the New Zealand Certified Builders Apprentice Challenge National Final, after winning the regional title earlier this year.

The 19-year-old from Flaxmere is in his second year of the New Zealand Certificate in Carpentry (Level 4) and studies at EIT while working full-time at Mark Roil Hawkes Bay Homes.

EIT carpentry apprentice Hohepa Goulton (Ngāti Kahungunu) will represent Hawke’s Bay at the NZCB Apprentice Challenge National Final in Hamilton this weekend, after winning the regional title in April.

He is one of 19 regional champions from across the country set to compete in the national final, to be held this weekend (June 6–7) in Hamilton.

“I’m a bit nervous, but I’m happy about it. It’s a cool opportunity and I’m proud to be going,” Hohepa says.
Over two days, finalists will take part in a four-part competition that assesses their practical skills, communication, and career readiness.

The practical skills test will see each apprentice given just one hour to build a traditional saw stool using hand and small power tools. Judging will focus on accuracy, speed, and technique, and will be carried out by industry professionals, including last year’s apprentice winner.

Finalists will also complete a panel interview, deliver a project presentation, and submit a CV and portfolio showcasing their work and community involvement. The overall National Champion will be announced at the NZCB Gala Dinner on Saturday evening and will take home the prestigious Ken Read Memorial Trophy along with $10,000 worth of prizes.

Hohepa earned his place at the national final after winning the Hawke’s Bay regional event in April. He had just eight hours to construct a planter box, which he has since donated to Te Kōhanga Reo o Keita Puriri rāua ko Hana Cotter.

It wasn’t his first time competing. Last year, Hohepa came fourth in the same regional competition, just four months into his apprenticeship.

Returning this year with a full year of experience and a new level of confidence, the result was different.

“It means a lot. Last year I didn’t really know how to use the tools properly. This year I felt way more confident and just gave it a go. I didn’t expect to come first.”

He says his success reflects the support he’s received through both his apprenticeship and EIT training.

“The tutors and qualified builders have been a big help. I asked a lot of questions before the competition, and they showed me little tricks to help with setup and technique. That made a big difference.”

A former Hastings Boys’ High School student, Hohepa discovered his love of carpentry in Year 10 wood tech. He continued with practical classes throughout school and was named top student in his Year 13 pre-trade course. With no immediate job lined up after graduation, he reached out to his teacher, who helped connect him with his current employer just two weeks after finishing school.

Now, with the national final ahead, Hohepa is focused on the bigger picture.

“I want to become a qualified builder and one day build my own dream home. I just love building. It’s hands-on, creative, and no two days are the same.”

MIL OSI New Zealand News –

June 5, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Wyden, Colleagues Demand Answers from Trump Administration on Cancellation of Protected Status for Afghans Living in U.S.

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore)

June 04, 2025

Lawmakers: Administration decision could endanger thousands of Afghans, including many who supported U.S. efforts during the war in Afghanistan

Washington D.C.— U.S. Senator Ron Wyden, D-Ore., said today he has joined Senate and House colleagues in pressing for answers from the Trump administration about its decision to end Temporary Protected Status for Afghan nationals living in the United States.

The lawmakers note the devastating impact of this decision, including on the many Afghans who supported the U.S. military during the war in Afghanistan and who face significant danger upon their return.

“We write with deep concern about the Department of Homeland Security’s termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan, which is scheduled to take effect on July 14, 2025,” the lawmakers wrote to Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. “This decision is devastating for resettled Afghan nationals in the United States who have fled widespread violence, economic instability, challenging humanitarian conditions, and human rights abuses in their home country.”

“Many of these Afghans fearlessly served as strong allies to the United States military during the war in Afghanistan, and we cannot blatantly disregard their service,” they wrote. “We respectfully ask that you redesignate Afghanistan for TPS to ensure Afghan nationals in the U.S. are not forced to return to devastating humanitarian, civic, and economic conditions,”

“The grave conditions that forced Afghan nationals to flee and seek refuge in the U.S. following the return of the Taliban to power remain,” they wrote. “Because of this harsh reality, forcing Afghan nationals in the U.S. to return to Afghanistan would be reckless and inhumane, and would threaten the safety and well-being of thousands of individuals and families, especially women and girls.”

The lawmakers close the letter urging the administration to reverse course and seeking the following information:

·         Please provide any reports that credibly determine conditions have improved in Afghanistan since 2023.

·         The TPS termination announcement stated “there are recipients who have been under investigation for fraud and threatening our public safety and national security.” Please provide additional details on how the Administration made this determination and how widespread these allegations of fraud and threats are.

·         Describe the collaboration with the Department of Homeland Security and Department of State to reach the determination that Afghanistan no longer meets the conditions for designation for TPS.

·         Please provide any reports that indicate the Taliban is no longer a threat to Afghan nationals that assisted the United States military during the war in Afghanistan.

·         What steps are you taking to ensure Afghan nationals who previously had TPS will not be sent back to persecution or torture in Afghanistan?

The letter was led by Senators Chris Van Hollen, D-Md., Amy Klobuchar, D-Minn., and Congressman Glenn Ivey, D-Md. In addition to Wyden, the letter was signed by Senators Angela Alsobrooks, D-Md., Tammy Baldwin, D-Wis., Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., Cory Booker, D-N.J., Chris Coons, D-Del., Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., Tammy Duckworth, D-Ill., Dick Durbin, D-Ill., John Fetterman, D-Pa., Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., Martin Heinrich, D-N.M., Mazie Hirono, D-Hawaii, Tim Kaine, D-Va., Mark Kelly, D-Ariz., Andy Kim, D-N.J., Angus King, I-Maine, Edward J. Markey, D-Mass., Alex Padilla, D-Calif., Jack Reed, D-R.I., Jacky Rosen, D-Nev., Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Adam Schiff, D-Calif., Tina Smith, D-Minn., Mark Warner, D-Va., Rev. Raphael Warnock, D-Ga., Peter Welch, D-Vt., and Representatives Gabe Amo, D-R.I., Yassamin Ansari, D-Ariz., Rebecca Balint, D-Vt., Wesley Bell, D-Mo., Don Beyer, D-Va., Nikki Budzinski, D-Ill., Salud Carbajal, D-Calif., Troy Carter, D-La., Sean Casten, D-Ill., Joaquin Castro, D-Texas, Judy Chu, D-Calif., Yvette Clarke, D-N.Y., Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., Joe Courtney, D-Conn., Madeleine Dean, D-Pa., Diana DeGette, D-Colo., Suzan DelBene, D-Wash., Sarah Elfreth, D-Md., Dwight Evans, D-Pa., Cleo Fields, D-Ga., Robert Garcia, D-Calif., Jesus García, D-Ill., Sylvia Garcia, D-Texas, Dan Goldman, D-N.Y., Jimmy Gomez, D-Calif., Vincente Gonzalez, D-Texas, Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., Jahana Hayes, D-Conn., Jonathan Jackson D-Ill., Pramila Jayapal, D-Wash., Hank Johnson, D-Ga., Julie Johnson, D-Texas, Marcy Kaptur, D-Ohio, Bill Keating, D-Mass., Robin Kelly, D-Ill., Tim Kennedy, D-N.Y., Raja Krishnamoorthi, D-Ill., Greg Landsman, D-Ohio, John Larson, D-Conn., George Latimer, D-N.Y., Mike Levin, D-Calif., Ted Lieu, D-Calif., Zoe Lofgren, D-Calif., Stephen Lynch, D-Mass., April McClain Delaney, D-Md., Jennifer McClellan, D-Va., Betty McCollum, D-Minn., Jim McGovern, D-Mass., Greg Meeks, D-N.Y., Kweisi Mfume, D-Md., Seth Moulton, D-Mass., Eleanor Holmes Norton, D-D.C., Johnny Olszewski, D-Md., Frank Pallone, D-N.J., Jimmy Panetta, D-Calif., Scott Peters, D-Calif., Jaime Raskin, D-Md., Linda Sánchez, D-Calif., Mary Gay Scanlon, D-Pa., Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., Brad Sherman, D-Calif., Eric Sorensen, D-Ill., Suhas Subramanyam, D- Va., Eric Swalwell, D-Calif., Dina Titus, D-Nev., Rashida Tlaib, D-Mich., Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii, Paul Tonko, D-N.Y., Juan Vargas, D-Calif., Marc Veasey, D-Texas, and Bonnie Watson Coleman, D-N.J.

The full text of the letter is here.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 5, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto, Colleagues Press Administration for Answers on Cancellation of Protected Status for Afghans Living in U.S.

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto
Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) joined colleagues in the Senate and the House of Representatives pressing for answers from the Trump administration around the decision to terminate Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghan nationals living in the United States who have fled violence and persecution from the Taliban. Many of these TPS recipients served fearlessly with the U.S. during the war in Afghanistan, which makes it especially dangerous for them to return home. The lawmakers urged the Administration to reverse course.
“We write with deep concern about the Department of Homeland Security’s termination of Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Afghanistan, which is scheduled to take effect on July 14, 2025. This decision is devastating for resettled Afghan nationals in the United States who have fled widespread violence, economic instability, challenging humanitarian conditions, and human rights abuses in their home country. Many of these Afghans fearlessly served as strong allies to the United States military during the war in Afghanistan, and we cannot blatantly disregard their service,” the lawmakers began.
“We are also deeply concerned about the State Department Human Rights Report finding that widespread arbitrary and unlawful killings against officials associated with the pre-August 2021 government have occurred,” they continued. “Afghan nationals who assisted the U.S. military should not be put in harm’s way because they supported the U.S. in its fight against the Taliban. This would be a betrayal of those who bravely served alongside our servicemembers for nearly two decades.”
“The grave conditions that forced Afghan nationals to flee and seek refuge in the U.S. following the return of the Taliban to power remain. Because of this harsh reality, forcing Afghan nationals in the U.S. to return to Afghanistan would be reckless and inhumane, and would threaten the safety and well-being of thousands of individuals and families, especially women and girls,” they concluded.
The full text of the letter is available here.
The first and only Latina senator, Senator Cortez Masto has consistently supported immigrant communities in Nevada, calling on both administrations to protect TPS holders and other immigrants, as well as leading commonsense legislation to fix our broken immigration system. She has supported bipartisan legislation to strengthen the Afghan Special Immigration Visa (SIV) program to protect the Afghan civilians who risked their lives to support the U.S. mission. She has worked to pass meaningful immigration reform that balances critical border security measures with a path to citizenship for Dreamers, TPS holders, and essential workers.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 5, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Cortez Masto Leads Nevada Delegation in Urging President Trump to Reverse Harmful Tariffs

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) led Senator Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.) and Representatives Dina Titus (D-Nev.-01), Susie Lee (D-Nev.-03), and Steven Horsford (D-Nev.-04) in a letter to President Donald Trump urging him to reverse his blanket tariffs that have had harmful impacts on Nevada. The delegation expressed concern that the tariffs will continue to raise costs for Nevada families, make small businesses harder to operate, worsen the housing shortage, and threaten Nevada’s tourism economy.

“We write to express our deep concern that your reckless and uncoordinated tariffs imposed on American allies and partners will have a destructive effect on the economy in our home state of Nevada,” wrote the delegation. “Targeted tariffs on our adversaries can be a useful tool to protect American jobs and support our national security; however, your blanket tariffs are the opposite of that. We urge you to reverse your approach and remove harmful tariffs that will only create uncertainty and higher costs for hardworking families and small businesses across Nevada.”

“That is why we believe U.S. trade policy must be thoughtfully implemented to strengthen our economic bonds with our allies, while strongly confronting adversaries like China. Your administration’s implementation of blunt, widespread tariffs is just the opposite,” concluded the delegation. “It has only served to create chaos and uncertainty across the economy. Your tariffs are raising prices of everyday items for Nevada families and imposing higher costs on Nevada businesses including manufacturers, tourism, and other companies, stunting our state’s previously booming economic growth. We urge your administration to reverse course and commit to working with Congress to modernize our trade policies to ensure they work in the best interest of Nevada and the United States.”

Read the full letter here.

Senator Cortez Masto has continued to push the Trump Administration to address the impacts of Trump’s tariffs on working families and Nevada small businesses. Earlier this year, the Senator wrote a letter to the Administration demanding they provide their plan to mitigate the economic stress caused by the implementation of President Donald Trump’s tariffs and other executive actions. During a Senate Finance Committee hearing, Cortez Masto pressed U.S. Trade Representative Greer about the impacts of President Trump’s blanket tariffs on Nevadans, particularly those employed in the tourism and hospitality industry. The Senator introduced the Tariff Transparency Act to require the U.S. International Trade Commission to publicly investigate how Donald Trump’s recent tariffs on imports from Mexico and Canada will impact the American people.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 5, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: On the Senate Floor, Cortez Masto Slams Republican Plan to Kick Millions off Health Care

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Nevada Cortez Masto

FTP for TV stations of her remarks is available here.

“Republicans’ goal is to take Medicaid away from as many people as possible so they can pay for tax cuts for billionaires. It’s absurd and it’s un-American.”

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) spoke on the Senate floor to rake Republicans’ reconciliation bill over the coals for the devastating impact it would have on Nevadans’ health care. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates this bill would add $2.4 trillion to our national deficit and kick 16 million Americans off their health insurance, including nearly 100,000 Nevadans, all to pay for a tax giveaway to President Donald Trump’s billionaire friends.

Below are her remarks as prepared for delivery:

Mr. President, I’m joining my colleagues today to speak in opposition to Republicans’ catastrophic budget bill…that will end health care coverage for millions of American families…so that President Trump can orchestrate the largest transfer of wealth from the poor and working class to the ultra-rich that we have ever seen in this country.

This bill has nearly $1 trillion in health care cuts, including over $800 billion in Medicaid cuts. In total, the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that this bill would not only add $2.4 trillion to our national deficit, but also kick 16 million Americans off their health insurance in the next 10 years.

In Nevada, that means about 95,271 people will lose their health care. 66,571 will be kicked off Medicaid.

These numbers alone should at least give my Republican colleagues pause; make them think about how devastating this bill would be for working families. And maybe reconsider moving forward with trying to ram it through Congress.

But there’s more to this than just these big numbers, and it needs to be brought to light.

I was just home in Nevada, meeting with hospitals and providers. With the Medicaid cuts they’re anticipating from this billionaire tax giveaway, hospitals are bracing themselves not just for coverage losses, but for the downstream impact on care and costs.

This is going to affect our most vulnerable populations in Nevada: seniors, children, veterans, parents of children with rare diseases, pregnant women, and our elderly in nursing homes.

When people lose coverage, they delay their care. A single mom who’s living paycheck to paycheck and is worried about putting food on the table for her kids isn’t going to go to the doctor if she has a persistent cough. She’ll wait.

But that means that when her cough turns serious, making it hard for her to breathe, she’ll have to go to the emergency room for treatment. By then, it’s more dangerous for her and more expensive for everyone involved.

The hospital she goes to has to treat her, regardless of whether or not she has health insurance. If she can’t pay, the hospital is on the hook for the cost of her care.

If you’re in a rural or underserved area – of which we have many in Nevada – and the one hospital for miles can’t afford to keep their doors open, it may scale back or close altogether.

Now the hospital staff has to choose which services to cut. Labor and delivery? Mental health care? Trauma units? These are services entire communities rely on.

Or will they be forced to close entirely if they can’t make up the costs?

In rural Nevada, people sometimes have to drive 2, 3, 4 hours to see their doctor. A hospital closure would be devastating for rural families trying to access even basic care. That’s the danger we’re facing with this bill.

This isn’t just about Medicaid patients. As providers look to cover the cost of treating more uninsured patients, those expenses will shift to everyone else. To working families and to employers. Premiums and out-of-pocket costs will soar.

All so President Trump and Republicans can pay for tax cuts for billionaires.

This is also going to impact Nevadans who rely on the Affordable Care Act for their medical insurance.

Republicans’ bill cuts almost $300 billion from ACA Marketplace Plans, which would kick about 29,000 Nevada small business owners, middle-class families, and legal immigrants like Dreamers off their health care.

It would increase Medicare premiums for over 1 million seniors and could end health care coverage for 1.5 million children. These are real people who are going to lose their coverage as a result of this bill.

And the impact would be lasting – this bill is so expensive that it would force Congress to make even more Medicare cuts in the future.

For those who don’t immediately get kicked off their health insurance as a result of cuts to Medicaid, my Republican colleagues want to implement burdensome work reporting requirements so they can take away coverage from even more Americans.

In Nevada, over 67% of Medicaid recipients are already working. But if this bill passes, they’ll have to jump through even more government reporting hoops to prove that they work.

We know from states that have tried this, like Arkansas, that people lost Medicaid not because they didn’t meet the requirement, but because they couldn’t keep up with the red tape.

This bill adds complex paperwork, frequent deadlines, and little flexibility to the everyday lives of hardworking mothers, veterans, and families across the country.

Why? Because the Republicans’ goal is to take Medicaid away from as many people as possible so they can pay for tax cuts for billionaires.

It’s absurd, and it’s un-American. We cannot accept this as our new normal.

My Democratic colleagues and I are going to continue to stand against this outrageous, dangerous bill. The American people deserve better.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 5, 2025
MIL-OSI USA: Senator Murray Presses VA IG Nominee on Political Appointments, Involvement with DOGE

US Senate News:

Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

***WATCH: Murray’s Q&A at nomination hearing *****

Washington, D.C. — Today, at a Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee hearing to consider pending nominations, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), a senior member and former Chair of the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee, questioned Cheryl Mason, President Trump’s nominee to be Inspector General (IG) of the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), on how—as a political appointee for President Trump and an advisor to VA Secretary Doug Collins—she can be trusted to serve as an independent and nonpartisan watchdog for VA, as is the job of the VA Inspector General. Under Secretary Collins’ leadership, VA is stonewalling members of Congress on critical oversight requests and has rolled out controversial policies to dramatically limit Congressional engagement with veterans and VA employees.

Senator Murray began by probing Ms. Mason on her time serving as a senior advisory to Secretary Collins at VA, including even after she was nominated to be Inspector General: “Ms. Mason, you did say on your questionnaire that you continued to be a senior adviser to Secretary Collins after you were nominated to become the Inspector General monitoring his agency. While you were senior advisor to Secretary Collins, what discussions were you involved in related to abruptly canceling contracts, or ending DEI efforts, or eliminating outreach to LGBTQ [veterans]?”

“At the time I answered the questionnaire, I was senior advisor to the Secretary. That role ended very quickly after I submitted that questionnaire,” Ms. Mason replied. “So as for your question as to those roles, the only roles I had with contracts were ensuring that the organizations that were in my portfolio knew that they needed to justify the contracts and ensured that they responded timely. I did not review contracts; I was not involved in those. As far as in the DEI situation, that was an Executive Order, and shortly after the senior advisors came in, they were followed by more senior advisors, and that was not something that was on my plate. That belonged to General Counsel and the senior advisor who was charged with EOs.”

“What substantive work were you doing if you weren’t involved in any of that?” Senator Murray pressed.

“My role as senior advisor was to look into actions that were going on in the administration—,” Ms. Mason said.

“But a lot of the actions that were going on in the administration that we know about were about ending DEI, about firing employees, about canceling contracts. So that was most of the activity that was going on there,” Murray replied.

“That was not in my portfolio. There were separate senior advisors assigned to that. My portfolio was looking at the way those organizations operated and how they served veterans, particularly VBA, because it’s such a large organization. There were challenges with the digital GI Bill, challenge with disability compensation backlog and inventory, with both the Board and VBA, challenges with loan guarantees. There were a variety of challenges within VBA that I was looking at,” said Ms. Mason.

Senator Murray followed up: “Let me ask you differently: What was your engagement with DOGE and the White House outside of the Presidential Personnel Office?”

“I had no engagement with DOGE,” Ms. Mason said.

“None, zero? No contact?,” Murray asked.

“No. The only contact I had was a swearing-in—I attended a swearing-in for a person who has since, I guess, has left the department in DOGE. That person, I attended the VA swearing-in. That was it,” Ms. Mason replied.

Senator Murray continued her questioning by asking whether Ms. Mason would Congressional oversight of the OIG. “As you know, Congress has a responsibility to conduct oversight over the Office of Inspector General to make sure that they are properly conducting their role, so it’s really crucial, as you well know, that the OIG is transparent. If you are confirmed, will you provide us with a list of every ongoing OIG investigation within 30 days?”

“Yes, Senator, I will do so,” replied Ms. Mason.

“The budget for VA proposed the elimination of ‘unnecessary’ outreach activities. From a Congressional perspective, it is really critical to make sure that any canceled outreach doesn’t impact veterans’ ability to receive care that is necessary to provide. If confirmed, will you hold the Department responsible for conducting all outreach that is in statute or policy, even if the political leadership—meaning your former boss, Secretary Collins—doesn’t want to reach out to those groups?” Senator Murray pressed.

Ms. Mason responded, “Senator Murray, I will look into all those situations and I will see where there are statutory require[ments] and they will be held accountable under my watch as OIG if confirmed.”

Senator Murray continued, “Congress was very clear in 1978 when it passed the law governing Inspectors General. The law states, and I want to quote it, ‘each Inspector General shall be appointed without regard to political affiliation and solely on the basis of integrity.’ Do you believe that an Inspector General should be entirely independent from the administration in which they serve?”

“I do,” Ms. Mason replied.

“Well, you were a political appointee for President Trump in his first term, and as we said on your questionnaire, you said you continued to be an advisor to Secretary Collins after you were nominated for this. Do you believe that this demonstrates the kind of nonpartisanship it takes to successfully execute this job?” asked Senator Murray.

“Yes, I do believe I have that,” said Ms. Mason, referencing her prior experience in VA serving under different administrations.

Senator Murray was the first woman to join the Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee and the first woman to chair the Committee—as the daughter of a World War II veteran, supporting veterans and their families has always been an important priority for her. Senator Murray has been a leading voice in the Senate speaking out forcefully against President Trump and Elon Musk’s mass firing of VA employees and VA researchers across the country and Elon Musk and DOGE’s infiltration of the VA, including accessing veterans’ sensitive personal information.

Last month at a hearing on veterans’ mental health, Senator Murray pressed administration officials on the importance of transparency and communication with Congress and how the Trump administration’s mass firings might undermine care for veterans who have dealt with sexual trauma. In February, Murray grilled Trump’s then-nominee for VA Deputy Secretary, Dr. Paul Lawrence, on the mass firings of VA employees and VA researchers. After pressing Doug Collins on EHR and protecting women’s access to VA health care, including lifesaving abortion care, at his nomination hearing, Senator Murray voted against Doug Collins’s nomination to be VA Secretary in early February, sounding the alarm over Elon Musk and DOGE’s activities at the VA and making clear that the Trump administration’s lawlessness is putting our national security and our veterans at risk.

MIL OSI USA News –

June 5, 2025