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  • MIL-Evening Report: The Dalai Lama is a cisgender man – yet he has an unexpected connection to the trans community

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Stephen Kerry, Lecturer in Sociology, Charles Darwin University

    Tenzin Gyatso, the 14th Dalai Lama, turns 90 this week – a milestone that’s reigniting speculation over his eventual successor.

    While the Dalai Lama is the face of Buddhism to many people across the world, he is actually the head of just one tradition within Tibetan Buddhism known as the Gelug school.

    Tibetans believe the Dalai Lama to be the manifestation of Avalokiteśvara, the bodhisattva of compassion, and the “one who hears the cries of the world”.



    Read more:
    What is a bodhisattva? A scholar of Buddhism explains

    Avalokiteśvara is prayed to across Asia, and is known as Chenrezig in Tibet, Guanyin in China, and Kannon or Kanzeon in Japan.

    A statue of Avalokiteśvara.
    Wikimedia, CC BY-SA

    In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is a person, or a mythic representation of a person, who denies themselves enlightenment until all beings can achieve enlightenment. Avalokiteśvara appears to living beings in whatever form could best save them.

    Although Avalokiteśvara originated in India as a man, they can be depicted as either a man, woman, or non-binary being. This gender fluidity has led to them being revered as a trans icon in the West.

    I have spent the past five years investigating the lives of queer Buddhists in Australia. As part of this research, I have surveyed and interviewed 109 LGBTQIA+ Buddhist Australians.

    The words of these individuals, and my own experience as a genderqueer Buddhist person, reveal how the Dalai Lama emerges an an unlikely inspiration for individuals sharing a trans and Buddhist identity.

    The Big Buddha is a large bronze sculpture located near the Po Lin Monastery on Lantau Island, Hong Kong.
    Joshua J. Cotten/Unsplash

    Letting go of binaries

    Through my work I have found LGBTQIA+ Buddhist Australians are generally reluctant to disclose their queer identities to their Buddhist communities, and may be told to remain silent about their identities.

    For some, Avalokiteśvara’s gender fluidity has been important for reaffirming both their queer and Buddhist selves.

    One Buddhist trans woman, Annie*, told me Guanyin had special significance for her. Annie spoke about Avalokiteśvara travelling from India to China as a male, before “transitioning” to the mainly female presentation of Guanyin over centuries. Annie said:

    I pray to her regularly and often find I get a response. Of course the enlightened state is beyond all manner of worldly binaries, including gender, and is immensely important in letting go of binaries in my journey towards enlightenment.

    Walter* has had a long fascination with depictions of Avalokiteśvara that “showed ‘him’ looking effeminate and handsome, with a cute moustache […] A little bit homoerotic, a little bit provocatively gender fluid, as seen through my eyes”.

    Walter adds:

    A great many people in different cultures, across history, worship these figures. Clever how this figure can morph into a radical trans! We all want to feel comforted, safe and saved from suffering.

    As queer Buddhists, we turn to to Avalokitesvara to feel “comforted, safe and saved”.

    Another interviewee, Brian*, told me about a Tibetan invocation practice he did with a senior Tibetan monk, in which he encountered Guanyin:

    [She] took my right hand and passed some sort of power into it. She never spoke to me but just returned the way she had come. I was given some sort of gift, that’s all I know.

    Since this experience, Brian has “always felt a strong connection to the feminine through her”. He has a special Guanyin altar on his farm.

    You can’t be what you can’t see

    Some Buddhists deny Avalokiteśvara’s queerness.

    Asher*, a genderqueer Buddhist I interviewed, told me about a teacher who said to them, “there was absolutely no way a gay person could be enlightened”.

    Asher retorted:

    What about Kanzeon, the bodhisattva of compassion, who has manifested as both male and female and, in the stories from Japan, has had erotic relationships with monks?

    The teacher dismissed this, replying, “those are just stories”.

    A black statue of Avalokiteśvara outside a Japanese temple.
    Wikimedia, CC BY

    In her 1996 book Transgender Warriors, trans activist Leslie Feinberg writes: “I couldn’t find myself in history. No one like me seemed to have ever existed.”

    Similarly, Annie evoked the statement: “You can’t be what you can’t see.”

    I, too, experience this need to see myself as a genderqueer, non-binary practitioner of Zen Buddhism. It was only through doing these interviews with other queer Buddhists that I came to realise Guanyin, a trans icon, is a statuette which adorns the altar of the Buddhist group I belong to.

    Knowing Avalokitesvara may be depicted as a man, woman, or non-binary being lets us queer Buddhists know we exist – and have always existed – within Buddhism.

    Despite being a cisgender man who has been somewhat inconsistent in his support of queer people, the Dalai Lama, as the manifestation of the bodhisattva of compassion, is a possible spiritual link between today’s queer Buddhists and centuries-long traditions of gender transition and fluidity.

    *Names have been changed.

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

    – ref. The Dalai Lama is a cisgender man – yet he has an unexpected connection to the trans community – https://theconversation.com/the-dalai-lama-is-a-cisgender-man-yet-he-has-an-unexpected-connection-to-the-trans-community-260106

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Xi Jinping champions the cause of Global South

    Source: China State Council Information Office

    Chinese President Xi Jinping visits the New Development Bank and meets with Dilma Rousseff, president of the institution, in Shanghai, east China, April 29, 2025. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

    On the banks of the shimmering Huangpu River that cuts through the Chinese metropolis of Shanghai sits the headquarters of the New Development Bank, co-founded by the BRICS countries more than a decade ago to foster the shared development of the world’s emerging economies.

    In his visit to this new landmark in China’s financial center late April, Chinese President Xi Jinping told the bank’s president and former Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff this multilateral institution has been a result of “a pioneering initiative for the Global South to seek strength through unity.”

    For the Chinese leader, the BRICS mechanism is a major platform for promoting cooperation among countries in the Global South. In the coming days, this year’s BRICS summit will open in the Brazilian city of Rio de Janeiro under the theme of “Strengthening Global South Cooperation for More Inclusive and Sustainable Governance.”

    Xi’s April visit to the bank demonstrates his long-standing commitment to bolstering the solidarity and common development of the Global South, amplifying the role of over 6 billion people in a world fraught with uncertainty and challenges unseen in a century.

    Chinese President Xi Jinping poses for a group photo with other leaders and representatives attending the “BRICS Plus” Dialogue in Kazan, Russia, Oct. 24, 2024. (Xinhua/Yao Dawei)

    COLLECTIVE RISE

    “The collective rise of the Global South is a distinctive feature of the great transformation across the world,” Xi observed when addressing the “BRICS Plus” Dialogue held in Kazan, Russia, in October last year.

    Much more than a pure geographical or economic term, the Global South refers to a community of emerging markets and developing countries that share similar historical experiences, development stages and goals, and political pursuits.

    The concept of “South” was first coined in Antonio Gramsci’s work “The Southern Question” written in 1926, in which the Italian Marxist philosopher highlighted the development gap between northern and southern Italy.

    The rise of the Global South has been decades in the making. Back in 1955, the landmark Bandung Conference convened in Indonesia under the flag of solidarity, friendship and cooperation, marking the awakening of the Global South after centuries of Western colonial rule. In 1964, the Group of 77, a coalition of developing countries, was established in Geneva within the United Nations to promote South-South cooperation and form a new international economic order.

    Through extensive cooperation, the countries of the Global South have emerged as a key driver of global growth. These countries have contributed as much as 80 percent of global growth over the past 20 years, with a share of global GDP increasing from 24 percent four decades ago to more than 40 percent today.

    China, the world’s largest developing country, is a natural member of the Global South. In 2004, the United Nations Development Programme included China in its list of more than 130 Global South countries in a report titled “Forging a Global South.” Some Westerners have challenged China’s position that it is part of the Global South. In response, Xi has provided a clear answer.

    “As a developing country and a member of the Global South, China breathes the same breath with other developing countries and pursues a shared future with them,” Xi once said.

    Historically, China has suffered from Western colonialism and imperialism, much like other developing countries, said Cavince Adhere, a Kenya-based international relations scholar.

    “Even today, despite inordinate success by Beijing to rise from the backwaters of development to be the second-largest economy in the world, as well as the first developing country to eliminate extreme poverty, China still faces common development challenges, and holds similar views regarding the current international order and global governance,” he added. “Because of this, China has emerged as a strong champion for the legitimate rights and interests of many Global South countries.”

    Chinese President Xi Jinping attends the opening ceremony of the 2024 Summit of the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation and delivers a keynote speech at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Sept. 5, 2024. (Xinhua/Liu Bin)

    LEAVING NO ONE BEHIND

    Ahead of Xi’s state visit to Brazil late last year, the Portuguese edition of the book “Up And Out Of Poverty” was officially launched in Rio de Janeiro. The book, first published in 1992, outlines Xi’s perspectives on poverty eradication, local governance, reform and development when he worked in the formerly impoverished prefecture of Ningde in China’s southeastern Fujian province.

    Poverty has long ranked atop among the problems facing the Global South. With Xi’s steadfast commitment and strong leadership, China has eradicated absolute poverty in its rural areas, a feat that no one had accomplished in China for thousands of years.

    At the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro last year, Xi spoke with quiet conviction, recounting his lifelong dedication to poverty alleviation, from his time as a local official to his current role as China’s top leader.

    In his speech, Xi said a weaker bird can start early and fly high. “If China can make it, other developing countries can make it too. This is what China’s battle against poverty says to the world,” he said.

    Xi’s “weaker bird” metaphor originated from his book on poverty. His speech struck a chord with several foreign leaders, who asked the Chinese delegation whether they could share a copy of the speech.

    The Chinese leader has placed great emphasis on development. For him, “development holds the master key to solving all problems,” particularly when the global development gap continues to widen. Over the years, Xi has also been active in rallying global efforts to put development back on the international agenda as a central priority.

    When attending the general debate of the 76th session of the UN General Assembly in 2021 via video, Xi proposed the Global Development Initiative, an international policy framework to promote sustainable development around the world. To date, the initiative has garnered the support and participation of over 100 countries and 20 international organizations.

    Intelligent equipment lifts containers at Chancay Port, Peru, on Nov. 14, 2024. (Xinhua/Li Mengxin)

    To boost common development in the Global South, Xi has been promoting practical cooperation through major infrastructure projects within the Belt and Road Initiative. During his foreign visits over the years, Xi would launch or visit major projects, such as the Chancay Port in Peru, the Dushanbe No. 2 power plant in Tajikistan and the Colombo Port City in Sri Lanka. When hosting leaders of the Global South in Beijing, Xi would also discuss with them major projects for cooperation during their talks.

    Xi believes that the Global South should be the main driving force for common development and that “On the path to modernization, no one, and no country, should be left behind.” He also supports countries of the Global South exploring paths of modernization tailored to their distinctive national conditions, rather than following Western development models.

    Also at last year’s G20 summit in Rio de Janeiro, Xi outlined eight measures in support of Global South cooperation, ranging from high-quality Belt and Road cooperation to boosting development in Africa. Months earlier, at the Forum on China-Africa Cooperation in Beijing last year, Xi unveiled 10 partnership actions and granted zero-tariff treatment on all product categories to the least developed countries with which it has diplomatic relations.

    An exhibitor (R) introduces African products to visitors during the fourth China-Africa Economic and Trade Expo at Changsha International Convention and Exhibition Center in Changsha, central China’s Hunan Province, June 13, 2025.  (Xinhua/Chen Sihan)

    Gu Qingyang, associate professor at the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy at the National University of Singapore, said, “China can play a positive role in the development of Global South countries,” adding that Chinese technology and expertise in industrial development can support the modernization of the Global South’s various regions.

    EMPOWERING GLOBAL SOUTH IN INTERNATIONAL GOVERNANCE

    As Xi once observed, in the face of global changes of the century, pursuing modernization and working for a more just and equitable international order are the sacred historic missions of Global South countries.

    Xi described the BRICS countries as “leading members of the Global South,” calling for building BRICS into “a primary channel for strengthening solidarity and cooperation among Global South nations and a vanguard for advancing global governance reform.”

    Since becoming Chinese president in 2013, Xi has always been a steadfast champion of BRICS cooperation. In Xiamen, he advocated for the “BRICS Plus” program at the 2017 BRICS summit, calling for more active participation from other emerging markets and developing nations. He played a crucial role in propelling the BRICS’ historic expansion in 2023, ushering in the era of greater BRICS cooperation.

    Effective coordination between BRICS members and other countries in the Global South has been adding more bricks to the global governance architecture. The New Development Bank exemplifies this effort.

    Xi said the bank serves as “an important emerging force in the international financial system,” which should work to “make the international financial system fairer and more equitable and effectively enhance the representation and say of emerging markets and developing countries.”

    Aerial photo taken on Dec. 17, 2020 shows the headquarters building of BRICS New Development Bank (NDB) in east China’s Shanghai. (Xinhua/Fang Zhe)

    Over the years, China, under Xi’s leadership, has taken concrete steps to advocate for developing countries, help Global South countries enhance their representation and voice in international governance, and promote a more just and equitable international order.

    At the 2022 G20 summit in Bali, Indonesia, China took the lead in supporting the African Union (AU)’s membership in the G20. In their meeting on the sidelines of the summit, then Senegalese President Macky Sall, who was also the AU chairperson that year, thanked Xi for being the first to publicly support the AU’s G20 membership.

    The global leadership today remains lopsided, and rebalancing this skewed system is a shared imperative for both the Global North and South, said Paolo Magri, managing director and chair of the advisory board of the Italian Institute for International Political Studies, a think tank.

    “Global South countries marching together toward modernization is monumental in world history and unprecedented in human civilization,” Xi said at the “BRICS Plus” Dialogue in Kazan, Russia, last year, while acknowledging that “the road to prosperity for the Global South will not be straight.”

    “No matter how the international landscape evolves, we in China will always keep the Global South in our heart, and maintain our roots in the Global South,” Xi pledged.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: First in-depth look at jobs and skills in regional Australia identifies both barriers and opportunities

    Source: Jobs and Skills Australia

    First in-depth look at jobs and skills in regional Australia identifies both barriers and opportunities

    Linda


    Media release
    A JSA report – Jobs and Skills Roadmap for Regional Australia – Phase 1

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Attorney General Bonta Files Amicus Brief in Support of Legal Challenge to Unlawful Termination of Job Corps

    Source: US State of California

    OAKLAND — California Attorney General Rob Bonta today joined an amicus brief, alongside 21 attorneys general, in support of a proposed class of plaintiffs challenging the unlawful termination of Job Corps in Cabrera et al. v. Department of Labor et al., in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. Job Corps is a national program that offers career training and housing to young Americans from low-income backgrounds. Unlawful termination of the program would impact tens of thousands of young Americans who are currently enrolled and housed at campuses in all fifty states. Last week, in a similar case where California also joined an amicus brief, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York issued a preliminary injunction in favor of the plaintiffs.  The preliminary injunction in the New York case enjoins the administration from closing the Job Corps centers and from taking any action to end the Job Corps program absent congressional authorization. In today’s amicus brief, the attorneys general urge the Court to issue a preliminary injunction in Cabrera as well. 

    “Gutting Job Corps strips our youth, especially those from underserved communities, of one of the few accessible pathways to stable careers, education, and economic mobility,” said Attorney General Bonta. “An injunction is essential to protect this critical program and uphold the rule of law.”

    Job Corps has nearly 100 residential campuses across the country, and the Trump Administration’s effort to illegally terminate the program threatens to leave thousands of vulnerable young Americans homeless. The brief explains that “in the sixty years since Congress created Job Corps, millions of young Americans from low-income backgrounds have been served by the program’s unique combination of education, training, housing, healthcare and community.”  

    Today’s amicus filing reaffirms that an injunction is necessary to protect vulnerable state residents and promote state goals in education and workforce development. It further reinforces the point that the Trump Administration cannot violate federal law and the Constitution by terminating congressionally mandated programs it opposes.

    Attorney General Bonta joins the attorneys general of Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Hawai’i, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Nevada, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, Oregon, Rhode Island, Vermont, Washington, and Wisconsin, in filing this amicus brief.

    A copy of the amicus brief is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI: COMPASS DIVERSIFIED SHAREHOLDER ALERT: CLAIMSFILER REMINDS INVESTORS WITH LOSSES IN EXCESS OF $100,000 of Lead Plaintiff Deadline in Class Action Lawsuits Against Compass Diversified Holdings – CODI

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW ORLEANS, July 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — ClaimsFiler, a FREE shareholder information service, reminds investors that they have until July 8, 2025 to file lead plaintiff applications in securities class action lawsuits against Compass Diversified Holdings (NYSE: CODI), if they purchased the Company’s securities between March 1, 2023 and May 7, 2025, inclusive (the “Class Period”). These actions are pending in the United States District Court for the Central District of California.

    Get Help

    Compass Diversified investors should visit us at https://claimsfiler.com/cases/nyse-codi/ or call toll-free (844) 367-9658. Lawyers at Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC are available to discuss your legal options.

    About the Lawsuit

    Compass and certain of its executives are charged with failing to disclose material information during the Class Period, violating federal securities laws.

    On May 7, 2025, the Company issued a press release entitled “Compass Diversified Discloses Non-Reliance on Financial Statements for Fiscal 2024 Amid an Ongoing Internal Investigation into its Subsidiary, Lugano Holding, Inc.,” disclosing that “the Audit Committee of CODI’s Board has concluded that the previously issued financial statements for 2024 require restatement and should no longer be relied upon” and that “[e]ffective May 7, 2025, Lugano’s founder and CEO, Moti Ferder, resigned from all of his positions at Lugano and will not receive any severance compensation.” The Company further disclosed that “[t]he Audit Committee of CODI’s Board of Directors promptly launched an investigation after CODI’s senior leadership was made aware of concerns about how Lugano was potentially financing inventory” and that “[t]he investigation . . . is ongoing but has preliminarily identified irregularities in Lugano’s non-CODI financing, accounting, and inventory practices.”

    On this news, the price of Compass’ shares plummeted approximately 62%, from $17.25 per share on May 7, 2025, to $6.55 per share on May 8, 2025.

    The case is Matthews v. Compass Group Diversified Holdings, Inc., et al., No. 25-cv-981. A subsequent case, Tan v. Compass Group Diversified Holdings, Inc., et al., No. 25-cv-5777, extended the class period.

    About ClaimsFiler

    ClaimsFiler has a single mission: to serve as the information source to help retail investors recover their share of billions of dollars from securities class action settlements. At ClaimsFiler.com, investors can: (1) register for free to gain access to information and settlement websites for various securities class action cases so they can timely submit their own claims; (2) upload their portfolio transactional data to be notified about relevant securities cases in which they may have a financial interest; and (3) submit inquiries to the Kahn Swick & Foti, LLC law firm for free case evaluations.

    To learn more about ClaimsFiler, visit www.claimsfiler.com.

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Wraps Up Anti-Scam Month with Over 65% of Participants Successfully Identifying Crypto Fraud Tactics

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, July 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, has successfully concluded its 2025 Anti-Scam Month, a global initiative aimed at elevating user awareness and resilience against Web3 fraud. Throughout June, Bitget rolled out a series of gamified education tools, expert collaborations, and industry research to confront the rising threat of AI-enabled scams and security breaches across the crypto ecosystem.

    At the heart of the campaign was the Smarter Eyes Challenge, an interactive comic-based mini-game simulating real-life scam scenarios—from phishing and social engineering to fake token approvals. While only 8.60% of participants spotted all traps on their first attempt, a striking 65.41% eventually passed all three levels after receiving guided security clues, underscoring both the scale of the awareness gap and the campaign’s tangible impact.

    Bitget published six in-depth blog posts tackling common attack vectors like SMS spoofing, fake apps, and high-risk tokens. Over 80% of users scored full marks in follow-up security quizzes, signaling a sharp improvement in scam detection capabilities following the campaign’s educational content.

    Another flagship milestone was the release of Bitget’s 2025 Anti-Scam Research Report, co-authored with blockchain security leaders SlowMist and Elliptic. The report revealed that global crypto scam losses surpassed $4.6 billion in 2024, with deepfakes and social engineering responsible for the majority of high-value attacks. The findings spotlighted the growing sophistication of AI-driven fraud, including synthetic public figure videos, Trojan-laced job offers, and fake Zoom calls used to deceive victims.

    Throughout the month, Bitget convened key voices in Web3 security—including Hacken, GoPlus, BlockSec, and Security Alliance—for an Anti-Scam X Space discussion. Experts weighed in on future threats, the evolving role of collaboration, and how users, platforms, and audit firms can work together to build a safer digital asset environment.

    “Anti-Scam Month reflects our belief that education is the first line of defense in crypto security,” said Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget. “By turning passive users into active defenders, we’re laying the groundwork for a more resilient ecosystem. And this is only the beginning—the Anti-Scam Hub will remain open year-round as a permanent resource for our global community.”

    Echoing this sentiment, Yevheniia Broshevan, Co-Founder & CBDO at Hacken, said, “Anti-Scam Month by Bitget is a fantastic initiative and a powerful example for the industry, demonstrating how companies can raise awareness, educate users, and reduce the risk of future hacks. Education truly is a vital part of this journey.”

    Yajin (Andy) Zhou, Co-Founder & CEO at BlockSec, added, “Hackers study user habits, such as copying addresses from transaction histories. Security efforts must focus on proactive defenses rather than blaming users. Security is not a solo battlefield. Blockchain platforms, compliance tools, and security firms must share threat intelligence to build a united defense system.”

    Michael Lewellen, Technical Council at Security Alliance, emphasized, “Security isn’t about being impossible to hack or scam users. It’s just being hard enough to discourage threat actors from investing effort in the attempt. We need to harden Web3 infrastructure enough so that this ecosystem is no longer an easy, profitable target.”

    The Bitget Anti-Scam Hub, now permanently live, offers users ongoing access to practical safety guides, real-time scam indicators, the official verification channel, and a crypto safety kit with 24/7 global support.

    For more details, please visit the Bitget Anti-Scam Hub here.

    About Bitget

    Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 120 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a leading non-custodial crypto wallet supporting 130+ blockchains and millions of tokens. It offers multi-chain trading, staking, payments, and direct access to 20,000+ DApps, with advanced swaps and market insights built into a single platform. Bitget is at the forefront of driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM markets, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.

    For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet
    For media inquiries, please contact: media@bitget.com

    Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a8d159ce-8a24-4435-a26b-bbe8c16cee3d

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: Bitget Wraps Up Anti-Scam Month with Over 65% of Participants Successfully Identifying Crypto Fraud Tactics

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VICTORIA, Seychelles, July 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bitget, the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company, has successfully concluded its 2025 Anti-Scam Month, a global initiative aimed at elevating user awareness and resilience against Web3 fraud. Throughout June, Bitget rolled out a series of gamified education tools, expert collaborations, and industry research to confront the rising threat of AI-enabled scams and security breaches across the crypto ecosystem.

    At the heart of the campaign was the Smarter Eyes Challenge, an interactive comic-based mini-game simulating real-life scam scenarios—from phishing and social engineering to fake token approvals. While only 8.60% of participants spotted all traps on their first attempt, a striking 65.41% eventually passed all three levels after receiving guided security clues, underscoring both the scale of the awareness gap and the campaign’s tangible impact.

    Bitget published six in-depth blog posts tackling common attack vectors like SMS spoofing, fake apps, and high-risk tokens. Over 80% of users scored full marks in follow-up security quizzes, signaling a sharp improvement in scam detection capabilities following the campaign’s educational content.

    Another flagship milestone was the release of Bitget’s 2025 Anti-Scam Research Report, co-authored with blockchain security leaders SlowMist and Elliptic. The report revealed that global crypto scam losses surpassed $4.6 billion in 2024, with deepfakes and social engineering responsible for the majority of high-value attacks. The findings spotlighted the growing sophistication of AI-driven fraud, including synthetic public figure videos, Trojan-laced job offers, and fake Zoom calls used to deceive victims.

    Throughout the month, Bitget convened key voices in Web3 security—including Hacken, GoPlus, BlockSec, and Security Alliance—for an Anti-Scam X Space discussion. Experts weighed in on future threats, the evolving role of collaboration, and how users, platforms, and audit firms can work together to build a safer digital asset environment.

    “Anti-Scam Month reflects our belief that education is the first line of defense in crypto security,” said Gracy Chen, CEO of Bitget. “By turning passive users into active defenders, we’re laying the groundwork for a more resilient ecosystem. And this is only the beginning—the Anti-Scam Hub will remain open year-round as a permanent resource for our global community.”

    Echoing this sentiment, Yevheniia Broshevan, Co-Founder & CBDO at Hacken, said, “Anti-Scam Month by Bitget is a fantastic initiative and a powerful example for the industry, demonstrating how companies can raise awareness, educate users, and reduce the risk of future hacks. Education truly is a vital part of this journey.”

    Yajin (Andy) Zhou, Co-Founder & CEO at BlockSec, added, “Hackers study user habits, such as copying addresses from transaction histories. Security efforts must focus on proactive defenses rather than blaming users. Security is not a solo battlefield. Blockchain platforms, compliance tools, and security firms must share threat intelligence to build a united defense system.”

    Michael Lewellen, Technical Council at Security Alliance, emphasized, “Security isn’t about being impossible to hack or scam users. It’s just being hard enough to discourage threat actors from investing effort in the attempt. We need to harden Web3 infrastructure enough so that this ecosystem is no longer an easy, profitable target.”

    The Bitget Anti-Scam Hub, now permanently live, offers users ongoing access to practical safety guides, real-time scam indicators, the official verification channel, and a crypto safety kit with 24/7 global support.

    For more details, please visit the Bitget Anti-Scam Hub here.

    About Bitget

    Established in 2018, Bitget is the world’s leading cryptocurrency exchange and Web3 company. Serving over 120 million users in 150+ countries and regions, the Bitget exchange is committed to helping users trade smarter with its pioneering copy trading feature and other trading solutions, while offering real-time access to Bitcoin price, Ethereum price, and other cryptocurrency prices. Formerly known as BitKeep, Bitget Wallet is a leading non-custodial crypto wallet supporting 130+ blockchains and millions of tokens. It offers multi-chain trading, staking, payments, and direct access to 20,000+ DApps, with advanced swaps and market insights built into a single platform. Bitget is at the forefront of driving crypto adoption through strategic partnerships, such as its role as the Official Crypto Partner of the World’s Top Football League, LALIGA, in EASTERN, SEA and LATAM markets, as well as a global partner of Turkish National athletes Buse Tosun Çavuşoğlu (Wrestling world champion), Samet Gümüş (Boxing gold medalist) and İlkin Aydın (Volleyball national team), to inspire the global community to embrace the future of cryptocurrency.

    For more information, visit: Website | Twitter | Telegram | LinkedIn | Discord | Bitget Wallet
    For media inquiries, please contact: media@bitget.com

    Risk Warning: Digital asset prices are subject to fluctuation and may experience significant volatility. Investors are advised to only allocate funds they can afford to lose. The value of any investment may be impacted, and there is a possibility that financial objectives may not be met, nor the principal investment recovered. Independent financial advice should always be sought, and personal financial experience and standing carefully considered. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Bitget accepts no liability for any potential losses incurred. Nothing contained herein should be construed as financial advice. For further information, please refer to our Terms of Use.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/a8d159ce-8a24-4435-a26b-bbe8c16cee3d

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: FIND MINING swept the Bitcoin mining farms, and 42 BTC shocked the industry – Green computing power set off a new wave of global wealth

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York City, NY, July 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As global investors re-examine their crypto asset allocation and the price of Bitcoin breaks through $107,000 per coin, British crypto technology company FIND MINING has once again sparked heated discussions in the industry. Recently, FIND MINING successfully mined 42 Bitcoins on the global Bitcoin main chain, with a single-day profit of approximately $4.48 million, breaking the single-day mining profit record this year and making this mining giant, known for its green energy, a leader in the global computing power list.

    This is the sixth large-scale mining victory of FIND MINING in the past six weeks, behind which is its strong capital strength and cutting-edge sustainable energy layout. At present, FIND MINING’s business has expanded to many European countries such as the United States, Italy, Iceland, Norway, etc., and it efficiently operates 135 professional mining farms, with a service network covering 175 countries and regions, more than 9.4 million registered users worldwide, and more than 1.32 million mining machines deployed cumulatively, continuing to provide the most cost-effective cloud mining contracts for global retail investors.

    Green energy and advanced computing power redefine Bitcoin mining

    Against the backdrop of increasingly stringent global carbon neutrality goals, FIND MINING has taken the lead in completing the full-chain integration of green energy. Its mines are widely distributed in clean energy regions such as Northern Europe, North America and Eastern Europe. They rely on hydropower, wind power and solar energy to power mining machines, which not only significantly reduces operating costs, but also makes customers’ returns more competitive.

    The core advantages of FIND MINING include:

    • Zero-carbon emission mining farm system: fully use renewable energy for power supply to create an industry-leading green computing power network.
    • Top mining machine cluster：Large-scale deployment of Bitmain’s latest generation of ASIC mining machines and multi-card GPU architecture, taking into account both explosive computing power and stable operation.
    • Cold wallet asset protection：All customer assets are encrypted and stored in multi-signature cold wallets, and are regularly reviewed by a professional audit team, making risk prevention and control more reliable.
    • Flexible multi-currency contracts：It supports cloud mining of multiple currencies such as BTC, XRP, DOGE, LTC, etc. There is no need for any hardware investment, and users can freely choose according to their needs.

    FIND MINING’s financial strength has attracted attention from the industry

    Since its establishment at the end of 2018, FIND MINING has completed strategic refinancing of more than 50 million US dollars, and its shareholders include veteran British venture capital institutions, international crypto funds and energy capital. In the current environment where the world is paying more and more attention to the security of mining platforms, FIND MINING has become a “safe haven” in the eyes of many investors with its compliant and transparent operations and regular audits.

    Industry experts pointed out: “As global capital continues to flow into the crypto mining track, FIND MINING is reshaping the new standards of global crypto mining with its three core pillars of technology, green energy and safe operation.”

    Zero threshold mining allows retail investors to easily grasp Bitcoin dividends

    Different from traditional mining farms that require high equipment costs, FIND MINING has created a “zero threshold” cloud mining service for individual and institutional users. Users only need to register an account and select a mining contract to view daily earnings in real time and automatically withdraw cash, without any technical background or maintenance costs.

    The platform also provides:

    Real-time revenue tracking dashboard

    24/7 online customer service support

    Flexible payment, supports more than 14 withdrawal methods including USDT, BTC, XRP, DOGE, LTC, ETH, etc.

    FIND MINING provides the most worthy cloud computing contracts for global retail investors. As shown below

    The Bitcoin market is brewing a new round of explosion, FIND MINING helps global investors stay one step ahead

    As the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy turns to easing, scarce assets such as gold and Bitcoin are ushering in a new round of value revaluation, and the on-chain computing power and miners’ income continue to rise. Against this background, FIND MINING is undoubtedly one of the most impressive and fastest growing crypto mining giants in the first half of 2025.

    The rise of FIND MINING is by no means accidental, but the result of precise technology layout, strong capital support and green sustainable concept. For individual and institutional investors who are eager to find stable returns in the global economic uncertainty, FIND MINING is becoming one of the few high-quality platforms that can be “boarded”.

    Visit the official website now to start your mining journey
     https://findmining.com

    Official APP download one-click download

    For interviews, business cooperation or media coverage, please contact：
    info@findmining.com

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: FIND MINING swept the Bitcoin mining farms, and 42 BTC shocked the industry – Green computing power set off a new wave of global wealth

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York City, NY, July 02, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As global investors re-examine their crypto asset allocation and the price of Bitcoin breaks through $107,000 per coin, British crypto technology company FIND MINING has once again sparked heated discussions in the industry. Recently, FIND MINING successfully mined 42 Bitcoins on the global Bitcoin main chain, with a single-day profit of approximately $4.48 million, breaking the single-day mining profit record this year and making this mining giant, known for its green energy, a leader in the global computing power list.

    This is the sixth large-scale mining victory of FIND MINING in the past six weeks, behind which is its strong capital strength and cutting-edge sustainable energy layout. At present, FIND MINING’s business has expanded to many European countries such as the United States, Italy, Iceland, Norway, etc., and it efficiently operates 135 professional mining farms, with a service network covering 175 countries and regions, more than 9.4 million registered users worldwide, and more than 1.32 million mining machines deployed cumulatively, continuing to provide the most cost-effective cloud mining contracts for global retail investors.

    Green energy and advanced computing power redefine Bitcoin mining

    Against the backdrop of increasingly stringent global carbon neutrality goals, FIND MINING has taken the lead in completing the full-chain integration of green energy. Its mines are widely distributed in clean energy regions such as Northern Europe, North America and Eastern Europe. They rely on hydropower, wind power and solar energy to power mining machines, which not only significantly reduces operating costs, but also makes customers’ returns more competitive.

    The core advantages of FIND MINING include:

    • Zero-carbon emission mining farm system: fully use renewable energy for power supply to create an industry-leading green computing power network.
    • Top mining machine cluster：Large-scale deployment of Bitmain’s latest generation of ASIC mining machines and multi-card GPU architecture, taking into account both explosive computing power and stable operation.
    • Cold wallet asset protection：All customer assets are encrypted and stored in multi-signature cold wallets, and are regularly reviewed by a professional audit team, making risk prevention and control more reliable.
    • Flexible multi-currency contracts：It supports cloud mining of multiple currencies such as BTC, XRP, DOGE, LTC, etc. There is no need for any hardware investment, and users can freely choose according to their needs.

    FIND MINING’s financial strength has attracted attention from the industry

    Since its establishment at the end of 2018, FIND MINING has completed strategic refinancing of more than 50 million US dollars, and its shareholders include veteran British venture capital institutions, international crypto funds and energy capital. In the current environment where the world is paying more and more attention to the security of mining platforms, FIND MINING has become a “safe haven” in the eyes of many investors with its compliant and transparent operations and regular audits.

    Industry experts pointed out: “As global capital continues to flow into the crypto mining track, FIND MINING is reshaping the new standards of global crypto mining with its three core pillars of technology, green energy and safe operation.”

    Zero threshold mining allows retail investors to easily grasp Bitcoin dividends

    Different from traditional mining farms that require high equipment costs, FIND MINING has created a “zero threshold” cloud mining service for individual and institutional users. Users only need to register an account and select a mining contract to view daily earnings in real time and automatically withdraw cash, without any technical background or maintenance costs.

    The platform also provides:

    Real-time revenue tracking dashboard

    24/7 online customer service support

    Flexible payment, supports more than 14 withdrawal methods including USDT, BTC, XRP, DOGE, LTC, ETH, etc.

    FIND MINING provides the most worthy cloud computing contracts for global retail investors. As shown below

    The Bitcoin market is brewing a new round of explosion, FIND MINING helps global investors stay one step ahead

    As the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy turns to easing, scarce assets such as gold and Bitcoin are ushering in a new round of value revaluation, and the on-chain computing power and miners’ income continue to rise. Against this background, FIND MINING is undoubtedly one of the most impressive and fastest growing crypto mining giants in the first half of 2025.

    The rise of FIND MINING is by no means accidental, but the result of precise technology layout, strong capital support and green sustainable concept. For individual and institutional investors who are eager to find stable returns in the global economic uncertainty, FIND MINING is becoming one of the few high-quality platforms that can be “boarded”.

    Visit the official website now to start your mining journey
     https://findmining.com

    Official APP download one-click download

    For interviews, business cooperation or media coverage, please contact：
    info@findmining.com

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Media release: Major Project Status for Bonaparte project recognises important role of CCS – Australian Energy Producers

    Source: Australian Petroleum Production & Exploration Association

    Headline: Media release: Major Project Status for Bonaparte project recognises important role of CCS – Australian Energy Producers

    The Federal Government’s awarding of Major Project Status to the INPEX-led Bonaparte Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) project acknowledges the potential of CCS to advance Australia’s low-carbon future.

    Australian Energy Producers Chief Executive Samantha McCulloch said Industry and Innovation Minister Tim Ayres’ announcement was welcome recognition of the essential role of CCS in driving large-scale emissions reductions in Australia and the region.

    “The granting of Major Project Status to the Bonaparte CCS project recognises CCS is a key technology in driving progress to net zero, and of Australia’s role as a global leader in this proven technology,” Ms McCulloch said.

    “Australia has a comparative advantage in CCS, with world class geology, industry experience, and strong links with regional trading partners looking to collaborate on CCS.”

    Australia already hosts two of the world’s largest operational CCS projects, Chevron’s Gorgon and Santos–Beach Energy’s Moomba projects, which together store the equivalent of taking one million cars off the road every year.

    According to a Net Zero Australia study, Australia will need between two and 20 Moomba-scale CCS projects to be built each year between now and 2050 to reach net zero.

    “CCS is essential for achieving climate goals, with the International Energy Agency, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change and CSIRO all clear that there is no pathway to net zero without CCS,” Ms McCulloch said.

    “CCS is particularly important for manufacturing, because without it industries like fertiliser and chemical production, steel, bricks and cement will find it harder and more expensive to reach net zero.”

    “CCS is delivering significant emissions reductions in Australia today, and the oil and gas sector stands ready to work with other industries to deliver real emissions reductions.”

    Australian Energy Producers NT Director David Slama said the announcement is a major win for the Territory.

    “This proposed project has the potential to be a game-changer for the Northern Territory, bringing new jobs, investment, and emissions reduction opportunities,” Mr Slama said.

    “It underscores the importance of the oil and gas industry to the Territory’s long-term economic growth and energy security.”

    Media contact: 0434 631 511

    MIL OSI Economics –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Industrial and Commercial Bank of China’s Turkey branch granted clearing bank status for yuan settlements

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

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

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

    BEIJING, July 3 (Xinhua) — The Industrial and Commercial Bank of China’s branch in Turkey has acquired the status of a clearing bank for yuan settlements, the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) said.

    The regulator noted that this decision was made in accordance with the memorandum of understanding signed by the central banks of both countries.

    Earlier, on June 13, the PBOC announced that the two banks had signed a memorandum of understanding to establish a clearing mechanism for yuan settlements in Turkey. Such a mechanism will facilitate the use of national currencies for cross-border settlements between enterprises and financial institutions in both countries, and will also further facilitate bilateral trade and investment procedures.

    On the same day, the PBOC announced the extension of a bilateral currency swap agreement with the Central Bank of Turkey. The total amount of funds in it reached 35 billion yuan (approximately 4.88 billion US dollars), or 189 billion Turkish lira.

    According to official data, China is currently Turkey’s largest trading partner in Asia and the third largest in the world. -0-

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Transcript – 2GB Mornings with Mark Levy

    Source: Murray Darling Basin Authority

    MARK LEVY: Minister, good morning to you.

    JASON CLARE, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION: Good morning, mate.

    LEVY: Look, I know this is not easy to talk about, but it’s an important conversation we need to have. And put simply, I mean, clearly, we’ve got a problem that needs to be addressed, Minister.

    CLARE: Bang on. This is sickening stuff and it’s serious. It demands serious action from the Federal Government and from state and territory governments. I know it’s not easy to talk about, but we can’t turn away here. It’s too important. There are things that we’ve already done, but not enough and not fast enough. One of the reasons why, when Parliament comes back at the end of this month, I’ll introduce legislation to cut off funding to centres that aren’t up to scratch when it comes to safety and quality. This is the big weapon that the Federal Government can wield here. We fund child care centres. About 70 per cent of the funding to run them comes from taxpayers. And if they’re repeatedly not meeting the sort of safety and quality standards we need, then you’ve got to have the power to cut the funding off.

    LEVY: What was your reaction, Minister, when you heard about the allegations levelled against these two men, these two vile humans in Victoria? And to think back to the case and the allegations and the offences that he pleaded guilty to involving Ashley Griffith, Australia’s worst paedophile. Did it make you sick like the rest of the country?

    CLARE: It did. Of course it did. One of my friends is directly involved in this. One of my friends who lives in Victoria, her two girls are directly affected by this. She was one of the more than 1,000 parents the other day that got a notification saying that they need to get medical advice. You can imagine what she said to me, and I can’t repeat it on the radio, but she’s burning with rage and confusion about what she needs to do to keep her kids safe. I know how parents are feeling because they’ve told me. And it’s not just what’s happening in Victoria. I don’t want to speak specifically about that case because it’s before the court. But when that other mongrel was arrested in Queensland a couple of years ago, we commissioned a review into child safety across the country. It’s the reason why we’ve taken action on mobile phones and mandatory reporting, but it’s also the reason why we’ve got to do more here, whether it’s a national register of workers in these centres or whether it’s the sort of action that’s been recommended by the former NSW Ombudsman last week around CCTV and more and better information for parents. The honest answer, mate, is the work here will never be done and there will always be bad people that will try to break through the net. But that doesn’t mean that we don’t have to take action and that we don’t have to take action faster, because we do.

    LEVY: I know you’ve said that you’ll be moving legislation when the Parliament returns, but. And this is not a Labor versus Liberal thing, this is not a Labor versus Coalition thing, right? I’m just sitting here expressing the anger of so many people who are, who are writing to me and talking to me about this. We had a Royal Commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse in 2015, 10 years ago. It made a number of recommendations, including a nationally consistent working with children scheme, something that includes a national register of individuals working with children, particularly in out of home care settings. Yet we’ve seen nothing, not from your Government, nor the former Coalition Government. So, do politicians and those elected officials. And look, you’re the one that’s got to front up and answer these tough questions today, but do you all need to put your hand up and say, look, we’ve been sitting on our hands for too long and we’ve allowed this system to deteriorate to a point where innocent, defenceless children are being preyed upon.

    CLARE: You’ve got to cough up and say it’s taken too bloody long. And that’s what I have said repeatedly about this. And to be fair when we sit around the table as Education Ministers, Labor and Liberal, we all agree it’s taken too bloody long, and we’re determined to act here. I can give you a long answer about how complicated this is, but to be honest, people listening don’t give a bugger about that. They don’t want excuses, they want action. And I spoke to the Attorney-General about this the other day. The Attorney-Generals across the country are leading work on Working with Children Checks. She agrees. If she was on the program now, she’d say exactly the same thing. We need to fix the Working with Children Checks. We need to make sure that the information goes from state to state and that if somebody’s criminal record changes, then it’s updated. Don’t think, though, that this is a silver bullet, because a lot of these mongrels you’re talking about here got a Working with Children Check, because at the time they didn’t have a criminal record. So, it’s not the only thing that needs fixing here. There’s a lot that needs to be done, but that’s one of them.

    LEVY: There is one thing, though, I want to challenge you on, Minister. And earlier this week you announced that taking photos and videos of children on personal phones and devices will be restricted by early childhood education centres who adopt the new National Model Code and guidelines, code that’s now in place, but it’s voluntary. Why is it voluntary?

    CLARE: The ban was put into the National Code last year. Voluntary from July but will become mandatory this year. Again, you’re not interested, and your listeners aren’t interested in the convoluted process to make this system mandatory. But it goes into regulations in a couple of months. Most centres are already doing it. All centres need to do it. Because we are doing this for a reason. All of the advice from the cops and from the regulator is that we’ve got to get the phones and the personal devices out of these centres. The only photos that mums and dads should be getting at lunchtime from their centre should be from the centre issued phone or the centre issued camera.

    LEVY. So, it will become mandatory.

    CLARE: Yes.

    LEVY: Good. That’s good news. Because when I think about voluntary and you know, I’ve sat here, Minister, with respect, and I pointed to a Four Corners report recently and, you know, there were some horrifying examples of, you know, children being used as mops, babies being slapped, 3,000 babies and toddlers sent to hospital with injuries sustained in child care. Last year, more than 26,000 serious incidents reported. That’s a 27 per cent increase over the last three years. And I thought there shouldn’t be any voluntary nature about this, but it is going to be mandatory, well, that’s a good thing. I wanted to ask you as well. And I know we’re limited with time. There’s a call today by Louise Edmunds, a founding of the Independent Collective of Survivors, to ban men from working in this sector. I disagree with that. I’d be interested in your response as the Minister.

    CLARE: I don’t think it’s the solution. You just mentioned the Four Corners report. Go back and look at that footage. It’s not men there, right? This is not just about blokes, it’s about people that work in our centres. If you go back and look at whether it’s the Royal Commission from 10 years ago or the child safety review that I kicked off, or the work that Chris Wheeler, the former Deputy Ombudsman, handed down last week, we know what we need to do. They’re not recommending that. What they’re saying is we need to toughen the penalties, improve the information for parents. Look at CCTV and the centres where they’re not up to scratch; introduce new laws to cut off funding where centres aren’t up to scratch; national register of all of the workers in this system because they move from state to state and fix the Working with Children Checks. They’re the sorts of things that Education Ministers discussed last Friday when I got people together to talk about this. And that’s the sort of work we’ve got to accelerate right now.

    LEVY: All right, well, Minister, can I thank you for your strong comments this morning. We’ve got to follow those strong comments up with action, so you’ve got an open invitation. If there’s any updates you want to provide to myself and my listeners, you just give us a ring and jump on and let us know. This is such an important issue. We’re talking about innocent, defenceless children, babies. And I think there’s a lot of parents listening to you today saying this is all well and good, but we need to follow it up. So, we’re going to put it in your capable hands, and fingers crossed we can sort this out sooner rather than later because we don’t need these grubs preying on our children. Thanks so much for joining us.

    CLARE: Thanks, mate, I appreciate it.
     

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Overtourism is reshaping communities in Europe – could Australia be next?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Freya Higgins-Desbiolles, Adjunct professor and adjunct senior lecturer in tourism management, University of South Australia

    Bumble Dee/Shutterstock

    A media frenzy erupted over the recent Jeff Bezos “wedding of the century” in Venice.

    Also notable were the public protests that showed tensions around tourism, especially mass tourism, are increasing. Leading the action was the activist collective No space for Bezos, which declared:

    [This wedding] is at the expense of those who live, work, and study in this city [and who are] already faced with countless difficulties after years of mass tourism.

    They complained Venice had been turned into a “private amusement park” for the rich. Locals were fighting for what they describe as a “living Venice”, not a tourism playground.

    The backlash against overtourism is sparking protests across several countries. It has even prompted the US State Department to urge travellers to be cautious when heading to Europe this summer.

    Growth at all costs

    Local residents feel their communities are being reshaped to cater for visitors, and are pushing back against what they call the “touristification” of place.

    Touristification describes a situation where locals fear their home towns and cities are being developed, designed and managed to attract and accommodate tourists.

    This touristification process benefits commerce and industries that profit from catering to visitors. Everyone else misses out, or is literally pushed out by rising housing costs.

    At the heart of this polarising issue are some key questions. Are such places “tourism destinations” or do they belong to the local people who live there? Whose interests should prevail when tourism growth exacerbates tensions?

    These issues are being thoroughly investigated, including through a project I am involved in – Chronic Emergencies and Ecosocial Transformations in Touristified Coastal Spaces. Such research is focused on understanding the problems of tourism and co-designing solutions with communities.

    Continual growth in tourism is one of the guiding principles the industry promotes. It is this “growth fetish” that is catalysing overtourism and unsustainability. This is when tourism exceeds the local social and ecological carrying capacity of a place.

    It means there are simply too many tourists, and the impact is poorly managed.

    Aussie hotspots

    The dynamics of overtourism are emerging in some Australian locations. This includes popular coastal destinations such as Byron Bay and small towns along the scenic Great Ocean Road.

    Some places are overwhelmed by short-term overtourism. This may be the result of mega cruise ship visits or viral postings on social media, such as images of Western Australia’s popular pink lakes.

    Byron Bay offers a telling example. It has evolved from a place attractive for alternative lifestyles, to a magnet for social media influencers and the location for the Netflix series Byron Baes.

    As a result, Byron Bay is the epitome of overtourism in Australia. Local housing, for instance, is being sacrificed for holiday rentals, facilitated by agencies such as Airbnb.

    Not surprisingly, there is growing local resistance to tourism overwhelming the sense of place.

    Is Australia in danger of touristification?

    If we aren’t careful, popular opposition to mass tourism will continue to grow here in Australia.

    But whether we see the European phenomenon of touristification is harder to discern.

    It may already be evident when environmental and social regulations are overturned to make development processes more friendly to the tourism industry.

    Projects can be fast tracked if they are declared a high-priority “major development”, which allows governments to override restrictive regulations. Anti-red-tape rhetoric is clear in Queensland’s tourism strategy harnessing the growth power of the 2032 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

    Another example of touristification may be when taxpayer-funded events are run for branding presence on a national or international stage rather, than for the benefit of the surrounding community.

    For example, the South Australian government found itself in hot water when its tourism commission held a marketing event featuring a Sam Smith concert at d’Arenberg winery. Social media influencers were invited to attend – many from interstate with all expenses paid – but locals weren’t welcome.

    It also occurs when public commons are appropriated for tourism purposes, including national parks and protected areas, public spaces and beaches.

    Another example – again from South Australia – involves the decision to move the annual LIV Golf tournament to the Adelaide Parklands from 2028. The state government is being accused of a public land grab. The Adelaide community loves these heritage listed parklands and has resisted attempts to co-opt their use for private interests for decades.

    Reclaimining a sense of place

    Ultimately, in places like Venice, Bali and even in Byron Bay, local communities do not feel heard or empowered by tourism models which are focused on growth.

    Their protest actions are designed to ensure their quality of life is not undermined in the process of catering to tourists. It is a struggle for reclaiming places as local people’s homes, rather than as tourist destinations.

    While locations can be shared, tourism must be better managed so locals don’t find their homes unrecognisable – or even worse, find themselves displaced.

    Freya Higgins-Desbiolles is a collaborator on a project led by colleagues at the University of the Balearic Islands entitled ‘Chronic Emergencies and Ecosocial Transformations in Touristified Coastal Spaces’. This article is part of the R+D+i PID2022-137648OB-C21 financed by MICIU/AEI/ 10.13039/501100011033 and by “ERDF, EU”.

    – ref. Overtourism is reshaping communities in Europe – could Australia be next? – https://theconversation.com/overtourism-is-reshaping-communities-in-europe-could-australia-be-next-260173

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Childcare sexual abuse is mostly committed by men. Failing to recognise that puts children at risk

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Delanie Woodlock, Senior research fellow, UNSW Sydney

    Australians are reeling from the news that Victorian childcare worker Joshua Dale Brown has been charged with more than 70 offences against children, including rape.

    As 1,200 children await results for sexually transmitted infections, a horror no parent should ever face, media commentary has begun to focus on how this case might have implications for male childcare workers.

    Early childhood education is a heavily female-dominated field, and past inquiries into child sexual abuse by male educators have found that, in efforts to avoid appearing discriminatory, male workers are often subject to less scrutiny. This dynamic is compounded by efforts for gender balance in childcare, particularly for the perceived benefits of male role models.

    Ironically, this fear of seeming biased can create the very conditions that offenders exploit – grooming colleagues, parents and children to commit abuse while hidden in plain sight.

    While it is an uncomfortable fact to confront, research shows men with a sexual interest in children are disproportionately more likely to work with children, including in early education and care. Recent data show that one in 20 men in the Australian community are motivated offenders (individuals who reported both sexual interest in and offending against children). However, they are almost three times more likely to work with children compared to other men.

    Unfortunately, systematic data on child sexual abuse in childcare settings are limited. However, existing findings align with the only comprehensive study conducted on this issue, which followed the highly publicised McMartin Preschool trial in the United States.

    This study examined cases from 1983 to 1985, and identified 270 daycare centres where 1,639 children were found to have experienced substantiated sexual abuse. Although men made up only about 5% of childcare staff, they were responsible for 60% of the offences. The abuse was often severe, with 93% of victims subjected to some form of penetrative sexual violence.

    Those who deliberately pursue employment with children to abuse them are often referred to as “professional perpetrators”. These individuals typically have multiple victims and pose a high risk of repeated harm.

    In our current research on serial child sex offenders in childcare settings in Australia and internationally, we identified six cases involving between seven and 87 confirmed victims under the age of five. Five of the offenders were male and one was female. Together, they sexually abused at least 245 children.

    There were striking similarities across these cases. Offenders primarily targeted pre-verbal children, evaded detection for long periods, and were only exposed through external investigations, most often related to the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material.

    Much like the details emerging from the case of Joshua Dale Brown in Victoria, none of these offenders was uncovered through internal safeguarding systems.

    As is also alleged in the case of Brown, the perpetrators in our case studies were not isolated offenders. They were operating within online communities that normalise and reinforce abusive behaviour and the sharing of child sex abuse material of children who were in their care.

    Research shows child sex offenders typically target pre-verbal children in their care.
    Shutterstock

    If, as some suggest, male workers are subject to close and sometimes unfair scrutiny, these cases highlight a troubling contradiction. Despite this purported scrutiny, child sexual abuse by male staff can and does occur over extended periods without detection in childcare settings. In fact, evidence from another case suggests staff are often hesitant to raise concerns about male colleagues for fear of being perceived as discriminatory.

    It is important to highlight that although women comprise a small minority of child sexual abuse offenders, the reluctance to view women, particularly mothers, as potential perpetrators can also contribute to such abuse going undetected.

    There also needs to be greater awareness of how these offenders infiltrate and groom institutions. In the case studies we analysed, offenders were seen as kind and competent workers. They were often friendly with management or held senior positions themselves, and would socialise outside of work with families whose children they cared for. Even when whistleblowers raised an alarm about the offenders, these concerns were often dismissed, with some offenders even being promoted.

    While most child sexual abuse occurs within families, institutional abuse is no less serious. Unlike families, institutions that work with children can be effectively regulated, making such abuse entirely preventable through robust and consistently enforced safeguarding measures.

    Since children under five may not be developmentally capable of reporting abuse, safeguards must be proactive and preventative. Childcare centres should implement surveillance measures in most areas and observe the “four eyes” rule, requiring at least two adults to be present during nappy changes and other care tasks. A strict no-phone policy could also reduce the risk of image-based offences.

    Moreover, we must confront the uncomfortable truth that some men are drawn to work with children because of a sexual interest in them. Truly centring child protection in early education means prioritising children’s safety above profit, reputational concerns, and fears of appearing biased against men. Preventing child sexual abuse in childcare is not only possible, it is a collective responsibility we must all uphold.

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

    – ref. Childcare sexual abuse is mostly committed by men. Failing to recognise that puts children at risk – https://theconversation.com/childcare-sexual-abuse-is-mostly-committed-by-men-failing-to-recognise-that-puts-children-at-risk-260292

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Childcare sexual abuse is mostly committed by men. Failing to recognise that puts children at risk

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Delanie Woodlock, Senior research fellow, UNSW Sydney

    Australians are reeling from the news that Victorian childcare worker Joshua Dale Brown has been charged with more than 70 offences against children, including rape.

    As 1,200 children await results for sexually transmitted infections, a horror no parent should ever face, media commentary has begun to focus on how this case might have implications for male childcare workers.

    Early childhood education is a heavily female-dominated field, and past inquiries into child sexual abuse by male educators have found that, in efforts to avoid appearing discriminatory, male workers are often subject to less scrutiny. This dynamic is compounded by efforts for gender balance in childcare, particularly for the perceived benefits of male role models.

    Ironically, this fear of seeming biased can create the very conditions that offenders exploit – grooming colleagues, parents and children to commit abuse while hidden in plain sight.

    While it is an uncomfortable fact to confront, research shows men with a sexual interest in children are disproportionately more likely to work with children, including in early education and care. Recent data show that one in 20 men in the Australian community are motivated offenders (individuals who reported both sexual interest in and offending against children). However, they are almost three times more likely to work with children compared to other men.

    Unfortunately, systematic data on child sexual abuse in childcare settings are limited. However, existing findings align with the only comprehensive study conducted on this issue, which followed the highly publicised McMartin Preschool trial in the United States.

    This study examined cases from 1983 to 1985, and identified 270 daycare centres where 1,639 children were found to have experienced substantiated sexual abuse. Although men made up only about 5% of childcare staff, they were responsible for 60% of the offences. The abuse was often severe, with 93% of victims subjected to some form of penetrative sexual violence.

    Those who deliberately pursue employment with children to abuse them are often referred to as “professional perpetrators”. These individuals typically have multiple victims and pose a high risk of repeated harm.

    In our current research on serial child sex offenders in childcare settings in Australia and internationally, we identified six cases involving between seven and 87 confirmed victims under the age of five. Five of the offenders were male and one was female. Together, they sexually abused at least 245 children.

    There were striking similarities across these cases. Offenders primarily targeted pre-verbal children, evaded detection for long periods, and were only exposed through external investigations, most often related to the possession and distribution of child sexual abuse material.

    Much like the details emerging from the case of Joshua Dale Brown in Victoria, none of these offenders was uncovered through internal safeguarding systems.

    As is also alleged in the case of Brown, the perpetrators in our case studies were not isolated offenders. They were operating within online communities that normalise and reinforce abusive behaviour and the sharing of child sex abuse material of children who were in their care.

    Research shows child sex offenders typically target pre-verbal children in their care.
    Shutterstock

    If, as some suggest, male workers are subject to close and sometimes unfair scrutiny, these cases highlight a troubling contradiction. Despite this purported scrutiny, child sexual abuse by male staff can and does occur over extended periods without detection in childcare settings. In fact, evidence from another case suggests staff are often hesitant to raise concerns about male colleagues for fear of being perceived as discriminatory.

    It is important to highlight that although women comprise a small minority of child sexual abuse offenders, the reluctance to view women, particularly mothers, as potential perpetrators can also contribute to such abuse going undetected.

    There also needs to be greater awareness of how these offenders infiltrate and groom institutions. In the case studies we analysed, offenders were seen as kind and competent workers. They were often friendly with management or held senior positions themselves, and would socialise outside of work with families whose children they cared for. Even when whistleblowers raised an alarm about the offenders, these concerns were often dismissed, with some offenders even being promoted.

    While most child sexual abuse occurs within families, institutional abuse is no less serious. Unlike families, institutions that work with children can be effectively regulated, making such abuse entirely preventable through robust and consistently enforced safeguarding measures.

    Since children under five may not be developmentally capable of reporting abuse, safeguards must be proactive and preventative. Childcare centres should implement surveillance measures in most areas and observe the “four eyes” rule, requiring at least two adults to be present during nappy changes and other care tasks. A strict no-phone policy could also reduce the risk of image-based offences.

    Moreover, we must confront the uncomfortable truth that some men are drawn to work with children because of a sexual interest in them. Truly centring child protection in early education means prioritising children’s safety above profit, reputational concerns, and fears of appearing biased against men. Preventing child sexual abuse in childcare is not only possible, it is a collective responsibility we must all uphold.

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

    – ref. Childcare sexual abuse is mostly committed by men. Failing to recognise that puts children at risk – https://theconversation.com/childcare-sexual-abuse-is-mostly-committed-by-men-failing-to-recognise-that-puts-children-at-risk-260292

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: Northern China braces for torrential rains

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

    The Ministry of Water Resources has warned of the increased occurrence of torrential rains and flooding in northern China, as well as a drought-prone scenario in typically water-rich southern regions, as the nation enters peak flood season.

    The weather pattern of a heightened risk of flooding in the north and significant potential for drought in the south is expected to persist through July and August, the ministry said in a statement on Tuesday.

    Throughout this period, four to five typhoons are forecast to either make landfall on the country’s mainland or have a significant impact there. Some of the storms might extend into northern China, increasing the potential for disaster risks, the ministry said.

    It highlighted the potential risk of flooding in the basins of four major rivers in northern China — the Yellow, Huaihe, Haihe and Songhua rivers. For instance, in the Haihe River Basin, where Beijing is located, the Zhangwei, Ziya, Daqing and Yongding rivers are expected to face significant flooding.

    The areas around Poyang Lake, China’s largest freshwater lake, in Jiangxi province, the Qiantang River in Zhejiang province in eastern China, the Minjiang River in Fujian province in southern China, and central and northern parts of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region may suffer drought, the ministry said.

    Chu Minghua, deputy director of the ministry’s Department of Flood and Drought Disaster Prevention, disclosed that so far this year, the overall runoff of major rivers across the country is about 20 percent below the normal level for this period.

    However, Chu said that reservoirs across the country have stored more water to help cope with potential drought.

    “In total, about 471.8 billion cubic meters of water are currently stored in 9,520 reservoirs across the country, creating a favorable condition for coping with drought,” he said.

    He emphasized the measures that the ministry will roll out to reduce risks brought about by mountain torrents, which can occur suddenly and result in significant casualties.

    The ministry will carry out inspections in a continuous manner to eliminate safety hazards, with special attention paid to densely populated settlements and tourist attractions along valleys and watercourses, he said.

    One of the priorities, for example, is to create tailored evacuation plans for areas with large non-native, mobile populations, including construction sites and places that offer recreation and entertainment activities centered on agricultural themes, he said.

    He also said the ministry will enhance the monitoring, forecasting and early warning of mountain torrents.

    In addition to issuing mountain torrent disaster risk forecasts each day at 8 am and 6 pm for the following 24 hours, the ministry will also publish mountain torrent early warnings every two hours around the clock, he said. Furthermore, a list of areas at high risk will be sent to each provincial-level region on a daily basis.

    The ministry will adopt a “grid-based” strategy to manage risks emerging from mountain torrents to ensure the timely evacuation of residents facing safety hazards.

    “Those who need to be evacuated should be relocated as soon as possible, with no one left behind,” he said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Chinese brands offer more choices to worldwide consumers: Spokesperson

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

    This undated photo shows people waiting in line in front of a Mixue store in Sydney, Australia. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Chinese brands, by going global, offer more choices to worldwide consumers, foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told a regular press briefing on Wednesday, noting that China also welcomes more quality foreign brands to enter the Chinese market.

    Mao made the remarks when answering a query concerning the global expansion of many Chinese brands. Chinese beverage brands such as Mixue Bingcheng and Chagee recently filed for overseas listings, which drew a lot of attention.

    Indeed, many Chinese brands appeal to foreign consumers thanks to their high-tech, aesthetics, design, and emotional resonance, Mao said.

    From “Made-in-China” to “Chinese brands,” this is a natural result of China’s high-quality development, and enabled by China’s complete industrial system, fair and open market environment and sustained investment in innovation, Mao said.

    She said China welcomes more quality foreign brands to enter the Chinese market to thrive together and bring the benefit of economic globalization to people of all countries.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Naval fleet led by aircraft carrier Shandong arrives in Hong Kong

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

    A fireboat of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region government performs a water gate ceremony for the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy fleet in Hong Kong, south China, July 3, 2025. A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy led by the aircraft carrier Shandong arrived here on Thursday morning. [Photo/Xinhua]

    A fleet of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy led by the aircraft carrier Shandong arrived in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region on Thursday morning.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Russia expects 3rd round of talks with Ukraine soon: Kremlin

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

    The Kremlin expects the dates for a third round of Russia-Ukraine talks to be finalized “in the near future,” spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Wednesday.

    “We expect that it will be agreed upon soon,” Peskov said, reiterating Moscow’s stance that the scheduling of talks requires mutual consent.

    Peskov noted that no specific date has been set and emphasized that the negotiation framework is inherently collaborative.

    “This is a mutual process,” he said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Hamas says conducting consultations over Gaza ceasefire proposals

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

    Palestinians pray over victims who were killed in Israeli airstrikes, at a hospital in Gaza City, July 1, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Hamas said on Wednesday that it is conducting consultations to discuss Gaza ceasefire proposals put forward by mediators.

    The Palestinian militant group said in a statement that it is “acting with a high sense of responsibility” and holding consultations on the mediators’ proposals to reach an agreement that ensures an end to Israeli aggression, the withdrawal of Israeli forces, and the delivery of urgent humanitarian relief to the Gaza Strip.

    “The mediators are making intensive efforts to bridge the gap between the parties, reach a framework agreement, and begin a new round of serious negotiations,” it said.

    U.S. President Donald Trump said on Tuesday that Israel had agreed on terms for a 60-day ceasefire and urged Hamas to accept the deal.

    “I hope, for the good of the Middle East, that Hamas takes this Deal, because it will not get better — IT WILL ONLY GET WORSE,” Trump wrote in a post on Truth Social.

    Hamas and Israel have held several rounds of indirect negotiations over the past months, but no final ceasefire agreement has been reached. In previous talks, Hamas demanded a complete end to the war, while Israel insisted on a temporary ceasefire.

    Israel resumed its military campaign in Gaza on March 18, ending a two-month ceasefire. Since then, at least 6,454 Palestinians have been killed and 22,551 others injured, according to data released by Gaza’s health authorities on Wednesday.

    The total Palestinian death toll since the conflict erupted in October 2023 has risen to 57,012, with 134,592 others wounded, the health authorities said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: China urges global unity on development financing at UN conference

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

    Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Special Envoy and Minister of Finance Lan Fo’an delivers a speech at the United Nations Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, Spain, on July 1, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Chinese President Xi Jinping’s Special Envoy and Minister of Finance Lan Foan on Tuesday called for greater international cooperation and responsibility in addressing the global development financing gap, as he delivered a speech at the United Nations Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Spain.

    Speaking at the general debate of the plenary session, Lan said that humanity is a community with a shared future. Citing President Xi, he said that in the face of turbulent global crises, countries are not navigating in more than 190 small boats, but are sailing together on one large ship with a shared destiny.

    Lan noted that the world is facing a significant shortfall in development financing. He called on the international community to join hands and work together to address development challenges.

    China urges developed countries to fully honor their commitments to official development assistance and climate finance, regard South-South cooperation as an important supplement to North-South cooperation, support broader mobilization of various development resources, and expand coordinated and orderly development financing channels.

    China also calls for enhancing the voice and representation of developing countries in the international financial architecture, promoting the use of local currency financing instruments, strengthening the global financial safety net, and improving an efficient and sound development financing system.

    In addition, Lan advocated for promoting trade and investment liberalization and facilitation, reducing the negative spillover effects of macroeconomic policies of major economies, and fostering an open and stable environment for development financing.

    Lan emphasized that China has, within its capacity, actively provided financial support and opened its market to developing countries, helping them improve their capacity for independent development. He said that China remains committed to being a contributor to global development and to promoting common prosperity and progress for all nations.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Raducanu rolls past Vondrousova, sets Wimbledon meeting with Sabalenka

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

    Home favorite Emma Raducanu knocked out former champion Marketa Vondrousova of the Czech Republic 6-3, 6-3 to reach the women’s singles third round at the Wimbledon Championships on Wednesday.

    Raducanu, 22, held the upper hand throughout, while the 2023 Wimbledon champion Vondrousova struggled with unforced errors. After wrapping up the match in 82 minutes, Raducanu set up a clash with world No. 1 Aryna Sabalenka, who earlier defeated Marie Bouzkova of the Czech Republic 7-6(4), 6-4 on Center Court.

    “I think that was one of the best matches I’ve played in a long time, which I’m very proud of,” said Raducanu. “At the same time, I didn’t feel like I was doing anything outrageous, which gives me a lot of confidence.”

    Raducanu made her Grand Slam debut at Wimbledon four years ago as a wild card and reached the last 16, capturing national attention. She then won 10 straight matches from the qualifiers to claim the US Open title later that year.

    Since then, she has faced a series of injuries and challenges stemming from her rapid rise to fame. She has changed coaches frequently and has yet to add another title to her resume.

    “It’s a mentally really, really challenging sport,” said the world No. 40. “I think for me what I’ve found is trying to surround yourself with good people, trying to win the day, trying to focus on the process as much as possible. It’s really difficult to kind of take your joy from the results because it’s so up and down. It’s a roller coaster.”

    Two-time defending champion Carlos Alcaraz, who is set to pair with Raducanu in mixed doubles at the US Open this year, had little trouble defeating 733rd-ranked university player Oliver Tarvet 6-1, 6-4, 6-4.

    But the second-seeded Spaniard praised his British opponent. “I was impressed with his level. I think he played a really good match,” said Alcaraz after extending his winning streak to 20 matches. “If he keeps working hard and playing in a professional level, I think he can go far.”

    Meanwhile, American fifth seed Taylor Fritz survived his second five-set match in a row, edging Canadian big-hitter Gabriel Diablo 3-6, 6-3, 7-6(0), 4-6, 6-3. 

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Consumption set to continue robust growth

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

    chinadaily.com.cn | July 3, 2025

    Bolstered by sustained policy support for trade-in programs, China’s consumption is likely to continue its robust growth momentum in the second half of the year, better underpinning the country’s stable economic growth amid mounting external uncertainties, analysts said.

    China still has ample fiscal headroom to reinforce its trade-in initiative later this year should consumer demand exhaust its initial 300 billion yuan ($42 billion) allocation, they said, emphasizing that similar policy incentives could be extended to the service sector to foster more sustainable consumption growth.

    On Tuesday, the Ministry of Finance announced the issuance of 11 ultra-long-term treasury bonds in the third quarter, with four of them seeing their timelines accelerated compared with the previous plan released in April. This will help maintain a continuous flow of funding to support policies meant to boost consumption, analysts said.

    According to the National Development and Reform Commission, China’s top economic regulator, the third group of fiscal funding through ultra-long-term treasury bonds for the consumer goods trade-in program is scheduled to be allocated in July.

    The central government has earmarked 300 billion yuan in ultra-long-term treasury bonds to support the trade-in program for the whole year. The first two groups of fiscal funding, totaling 162 billion yuan, were allocated in January and April.

    “If the remaining 138 billion yuan runs out ahead of schedule, the possibility of unveiling additional funding this year cannot be ruled out,” said Zhao Wei, chief economist at Shenwan Hongyuan Securities.

    “As the trade war initiated by the United States still weighs on China’s economy, efforts to shore up domestic demand will be of paramount importance to mitigate external shocks and maintain steady growth,” he said.

    By avoiding a one-time, large-scale fund injection that could disrupt market dynamics, the phased allocation of the fiscal funds helps create a stable and supportive environment for the consumption recovery to take hold throughout the year, Zhao added.

    In late June, the People’s Bank of China, the country’s central bank, also pledged to leverage various tools in support of the trade-in programs, such as increasing credit support for recycling companies and home renovation suppliers and fast-track financing for manufacturers of energy-efficient smart home products.

    “Boosted by the trade-in programs, sales of household appliances, furniture and communication devices have registered rapid growth. Sales related to trade-ins have surpassed 1.4 trillion yuan so far this year,” said Li Chao, a spokeswoman for the National Development and Reform Commission, when addressing a news conference on June 26.

    According to data from the National Bureau of Statistics, China’s consumer spending in May posted its strongest monthly growth since 2024, with retail sales of consumer goods expanding 6.4 percent year-on-year in May, a 1.3 percentage point increase from April.

    Experts cautioned that although the trade-in policies have been effective in driving sales of consumers goods, they also carry the risk of front-loading consumer demand, which could create challenges down the line.

    “Providing similar consumption incentives to promote service sector spending could become a key policy lever going forward,” said Jiang Zhao, an associate researcher at the Chinese Academy of International Trade and Economic Cooperation.

    Jiang noted that development patterns in advanced economies indicate that upon entering high-income status, nations typically experience a gradual rise in the proportion of service consumption. As China approaches this threshold, its consumption structure is transitioning from being focused on goods to being focused on both goods and services, he said.

    Nevertheless, service consumption spans diverse sectors such as elderly care, tourism, fitness and healthcare, implying that subsidy programs would demand substantial fiscal funding and pose significant oversight challenges, Jiang said, adding that any decision to implement such incentives would require prudent assessment based on practical conditions.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Rare archives unveil history of China’s airborne remote sensing innovation

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

    Over 400 archival items illuminating China’s journey to become a global force in airborne remote sensing are going on public display in Beijing, showcasing four decades of innovation spearheaded by the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

    The month-long exhibition, organized by the CAS Aerospace Information Research Institute, opened on Tuesday at the CAS Beijing new technology base.

    Airborne remote sensing offers crucial advantages — high resolution, flexible deployment and rapid response — making it indispensable for earth observation and vital for disaster mitigation platforms.

    The CAS established the Airborne Remote Sensing Center in 1985 during a crucial period for the nation’s remote sensing research and application development.

    The exhibition chronicles China’s trajectory from early exploration to achieving significant technological breakthroughs in airborne observation systems.

    Highlights include early documents, which are displayed for the first time, tracing the approval, modification, delivery and maiden flight of China’s first-generation airborne remote sensing system, according to the center.

    Additionally, through various project implementation documents such as task assignment letters, feasibility reports and acceptance reports, the archives systematically present the process of independent innovation for the new generation of airborne remote sensing system projects, which utilized the Xinzhou-60 aerial remote sensing and scientific experiment aircraft platform.

    VITAL ROLE IN DISASTER RESPONSE

    Pan Jie, director of the CAS Airborne Remote Sensing Center, emphasized the center’s vital operational role, as showcased in the exhibition.

    “The rich archival images and text vividly illustrate the center’s deep involvement in providing remote sensing support for monitoring major floods in the Yangtze and Huaihe River basins, and for emergency assessments after the Wenchuan, Yushu, and Ya’an earthquakes,” Pan noted.

    The 2008 Wenchuan earthquake response was particularly prominent.

    “Following the Wenchuan quake, our two aircraft flew to the disaster zone,” Pan recounted. “Over the next 20-plus days, they logged 227 flight hours, surpassing 10 hours daily, setting a record for sustained remote sensing operations. They acquired over 20 terabytes of crucial imagery data, underpinning rescue coordination.”

    The display also documents significant achievements in environmental monitoring and resource exploration, including gold, polymetallic ore, and oil and gas surveys.

    “Through 40 years, the center has progressed from zero to owning four specialized aircraft, achieving the leap from reliance on imports to self-developed large airborne remote sensing systems,” Pan said.

    The center now operates a national-level aerial laboratory capable of carrying and coordinating multiple sensor payloads simultaneously, she added.

    Zhang Bing, vice president of the CAS Aerospace Information Research Institute, expressed the hope that the event would “allow more people to touch the spirit of China’s aerospace information endeavor and draw innovative strength from reflecting on history.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: How China’s Hefei incubates future industries from frontier science

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

    This photo shows the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST) in Hefei, east China’s Anhui Province, Jan. 15, 2025. (Xinhua/Huang Bohan)

    Residents of Hefei say the city has two suns — one suspends in the sky and the other lies in an industrial park in the city’s suburb.

    Hefei, capital of east China’s Anhui Province, is home to the Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak (EAST). It has been dubbed China’s “artificial sun” due to its unique fusion process, which simulates that of the sun. This facility lies at the heart of the country’s quest for commercial fusion power, an almost inexhaustible source of clean energy.

    Earlier this year, the EAST set a new world record by maintaining a steady-state high-confinement plasma operation for 1,066 seconds. Motivated by its success, engineers are now busy building a new facility nearby — the Burning Plasma Experimental Superconducting Tokamak (BEST) — which is expected to showcase fusion electricity generation for the first time.

    Technological breakthroughs are impressive, but equally noteworthy is the emergence of a booming industry surrounding these experimental facilities. While it may take another decade or two for commercial fusion to become a reality, the growth of the sector so far has been remarkable.

    Engineers have designed a security check equipment utilizing a spin-off technology of fusion, which has been deployed at the city’s metro system. Another byproduct is a proton therapy system for treating multiple cancers, which will soon begin clinical operations.

    “We aim to ‘lay eggs along the way,’ fostering new high-tech companies along our journey toward eventually realizing fusion power,” said Yang Qingxi, deputy director of the BEST department of Fusion Energy Tech., the company that is building the BEST.

    Students view a model of the Burning Plasma Experimental Superconducting Tokamak (BEST) at an exhibition hall in Hefei, capital of east China’s Anhui Province, July 1, 2025. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng)

    The company exemplifies the new strategy adopted by Chinese cities like Hefei to foster new industries from cutting-edge technologies. This approach leverages spin-off technologies from frontier research and focuses on quickly building a supply chain around these technologies.

    Nationwide, the Chinese government has called for establishing a growth mechanism for investment in future industries, including quantum technology, bio-manufacturing, embodied intelligence and 6G. This has spurred a swift market response to transform lab-based research into operational technologies with market impact.

    In Hefei, which hosts the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) and several national labs, future industries including fusion energy, quantum information and commercial space industry are picking up steam.

    In the fusion sector, an industrial chain was built from scratch in just a few years. The city now hosts nearly 60 fusion-related companies, many of them being suppliers of materials and equipment needed in the construction of experimental facilities.

    “Our superconductors used to rely on imports, which means longer delivery time and insufficient supply. Now domestic companies have managed to greatly raise the output,” said Yan Jianwen, chairman of Fusion Energy Tech. “For them, it will become a gigantic industry if fusion energy is realized.”

    This photo taken on July 1, 2025 shows a model of the quantum satellite “Micius” at China Telecom Quantum Group, in Hefei, capital of east China’s Anhui Province. (Xinhua/Zhang Cheng)

    The city’s quantum ascendance, derived from groundbreaking researches by USTC, has also fostered a thriving application ecosystem. Its “Quantum Avenue” has attracted dozens of tech firms to commercialize quantum technologies, including quantum computing, measurement and communication.

    China Telecom Quantum Group, located near the avenue, displays a wide range of scenarios for its quantum products, from earthquake detection using quantum measurement to eavesdropping-proof phone calls powered by quantum communication.

    “You can simply apply for a SIM card with quantum services to protect your phone from eavesdropping,” said Lyu Pin, chairman of the group, adding that such encrypted message and call services have nearly 6 million users, including many entrepreneurs fearing commercial espionage.

    Quantum communication offers nearly unhackable data transmission, as any attempt to intercept or wiretap the quantum information will cause them to collapse and be detected.

    “As public awareness of privacy protection rises, the user base of quantum communication is projected to reach tens of millions in the near future,” he said.

    Lyu attributes the successful application of quantum technology to close collaboration between the company and researchers, as well as a supportive city government, which moves fast to green-light the application of new technologies.

    “It usually takes decades and a lot of luck for basic science like quantum technology to enter the market, so it is very important to generate rewards through timely marketization, and for the government to facilitate this process,” said Zhang Jianxiao, who heads the group’s sci-tech innovation and strategic development department.

    The city government of Hefei has set up an office dedicated to research-to-industry transformation and is soliciting companies that can form a supply chain for budding industries, said Li Chen, an official with Hefei’s development and reform commission.

    “For companies and research institutes, pursuing commercialization opportunities as they develop helps generate profits and resources to better advance technologies,” he said. “For the government, this means finding new future industries and new growth points.”

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Kaptur Blast Energy Department’s Decision to Steer Hundreds of Millions of Dollars Away from Wind, Solar to Favored Industries—In Defiance of Bipartisan Spending Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Washington, D.C. — Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, issued the following joint statement on the Department of Energy’s (DOE) decision to illegally cut investments that Congress provided to support the research and development of wind and solar energy, instead steering funds to other favored energy sources, in defiance of the fiscal year 2025 full-year continuing resolution (CR) President Trump himself signed into law in March.

    “This outrageous, unlawful decision by the Trump administration is a direct attack on our energy independence and American families’ ability to afford their monthly energy bill. By slashing congressionally mandated investments in cutting-edge technologies, President Trump is driving up energy costs and ceding ground to our global competitors, who certainly aren’t throwing in the towel on the energy solutions of the future. This isn’t a bureaucratic misstep—it’s a deliberate, partisan effort to sabotage bipartisan law and redirect funding to the energy sources favored by Secretary Wright and his allies. We demand the Department immediately reverse this reckless decision and honor the funding levels Congress enacted and the President himself signed into law.”

    In fiscal year 2024, Congress provided $137 million for the Department of Energy to support wind energy initiatives and provided $318 million to support solar energy. The fiscal year 2025 full-year CR that House Republicans wrote and President Trump signed into law continued these fiscal year 2024 funding levels. But in a spend plan made public by DOE today, the Trump administration revealed it is steering hundreds of millions of dollars designated by Congress to support wind and solar energy to other, favored industries—jeopardizing critical progress and ceding ground on key energy solutions of the future—among other harmful cuts. Instead of funding wind energy initiatives at $137 million, the administration is funding them at $29.8 million (a 78% cut), and instead of funding solar initiatives at $318 million, it is funding them at $41.9 million (an 87% cut).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI USA: Murray, Kaptur Blast Energy Department’s Decision to Steer Hundreds of Millions of Dollars Away from Wind, Solar to Favored Industries—In Defiance of Bipartisan Spending Bill

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Washington State Patty Murray

    Washington, D.C. — Today, Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee and Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, and Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (D-OH-09), Ranking Member of the House Appropriations Subcommittee on Energy and Water Development, issued the following joint statement on the Department of Energy’s (DOE) decision to illegally cut investments that Congress provided to support the research and development of wind and solar energy, instead steering funds to other favored energy sources, in defiance of the fiscal year 2025 full-year continuing resolution (CR) President Trump himself signed into law in March.

    “This outrageous, unlawful decision by the Trump administration is a direct attack on our energy independence and American families’ ability to afford their monthly energy bill. By slashing congressionally mandated investments in cutting-edge technologies, President Trump is driving up energy costs and ceding ground to our global competitors, who certainly aren’t throwing in the towel on the energy solutions of the future. This isn’t a bureaucratic misstep—it’s a deliberate, partisan effort to sabotage bipartisan law and redirect funding to the energy sources favored by Secretary Wright and his allies. We demand the Department immediately reverse this reckless decision and honor the funding levels Congress enacted and the President himself signed into law.”

    In fiscal year 2024, Congress provided $137 million for the Department of Energy to support wind energy initiatives and provided $318 million to support solar energy. The fiscal year 2025 full-year CR that House Republicans wrote and President Trump signed into law continued these fiscal year 2024 funding levels. But in a spend plan made public by DOE today, the Trump administration revealed it is steering hundreds of millions of dollars designated by Congress to support wind and solar energy to other, favored industries—jeopardizing critical progress and ceding ground on key energy solutions of the future—among other harmful cuts. Instead of funding wind energy initiatives at $137 million, the administration is funding them at $29.8 million (a 78% cut), and instead of funding solar initiatives at $318 million, it is funding them at $41.9 million (an 87% cut).

    MIL OSI USA News –

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Deputy Secretary-General’s remarks at the Closing of the Civil Society Forum 68th session of the Committee on the Peaceful Uses of Outer Spaces [as delivered]

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    Excellencies,
    Dear colleagues,
    Champions of our shared cosmic future,
    Let me begin with a simple truth: every phone call you made to get here, every GPS route that guided your journey, every weather forecast that helped you pack – all of it depended on space.
    Space is not the final frontier. It is the foundation of our present.
    Without satellites orbiting overhead right now, global food systems would collapse within weeks. Emergency responders would lose their lifelines. Climate scientists would be flying blind. And our hopes of achieving the Sustainable Development Goals would be out of reach.
    This is why your work matters. This is why the work of this Committee – COPUOS – is not just important, but urgent.
    For over six decades, through shifting geopolitics and changing priorities, this Committee has consistently delivered.
    Five space treaties.
    Space sustainability guidelines.
    The Space 2030 Agenda.
    You don’t just talk about space governance – you create it.
    But today, we need to shift our focus to scale.
    The United Nations has identified six critical areas for SDG acceleration: food systems, energy transitions, digital connectivity, education and skills, environmental action, and jobs and social protection.
    Every single one depends on space technologies.
    This is a paradox when you consider that less than half of UN Member States have a satellite in orbit, yet all eight billion people on Earth benefit from space services daily.
    Through your work, and through UNOOSA, we can close this divide – not by putting a satellite in every nation’s hands, but by ensuring that the benefits of space technologies reach every community on our planet.
    Excellencies,
    I’m just coming from the Fourth International Conference on Financing for Development in Seville, where the message was crystal clear: in an era of constrained investment, we must align capital with high-impact solutions.
    Space is one of them.
    But impact happens at every level – and I would like to share what I’ve seen.
    At the local level, UNOOSA’s programs are building the next generation of inclusive space leaders. They’re ensuring equal access for youth and women in developing countries, where small investments create enormous change. Through these programs, we’re enabling the next Carmen Chaidez, the next Kitaw Ejigu.
    At the national level, UNOOSA helps countries build their space capabilities from the ground up. Through space law workshops and direct support for emerging programs, nations develop the expertise they need to harness space for their own development priorities.
    UN-Spider shows what this looks like in practice. In Tonga, Tobago, and Ghana, satellite data is being used to create detailed digital models of entire cities. When disaster strikes, these virtual twins allow governments to see exactly where help is needed most, deploy resources much faster, and ultimately save more lives.
    Through innovative partnerships, UNOOSA has helped Kenya, Guatemala, Moldova, and Mauritius launch their first satellites. Each event was a catalyst – for new space agencies, developing robust legislation, and promoting gender equality in the space sector.
    Finally, at the international level, as reinforced by the Pact for the Future, we must work together to ensure COPUOS delivers the governance our rapidly evolving space environment demands of us.
    Excellencies,
    Here’s what’s happening right now: low-Earth orbit satellites are multiplying exponentially.
    Humanity is preparing to return to the Moon.
    We’re exploring beyond like never before.
    And your work has never been more vital and urgent.
    We stand at the threshold of potentially historic decision: UNISPACE IV in 2027.
    This isn’t just another conference. This could be the milestone that shapes the next sixty years of global space governance.
    And so I encourage us all to aim high. And aim even higher.
    The pressing space issues before us – traffic, debris, resources – each present both risk and opportunity for achieving the SDGs. Each requires the kind of multilateral cooperation that this Committee has proven it can deliver.
    We need a strong UNOOSA and a strong COPUOS to lead us into UNISPACE IV and beyond.
    But strength isn’t about institutions – it’s about the people within them and the systems that we run. As a practical next step, I encourage you to champion the implementation of the UNOOSA Gender Mainstreaming Toolkit for the Space Sector launched last year. Because when we leave talent on the sidelines, we will all lose.
    Let me leave you with one final message.
    The view from space shows no countries, no borders – only one shared planet, our common home.
    Let that aspect guide you as you build the governance frameworks for space exploration and use.
    Let us ensure that outer space remains safe and sustainable for everyone.
    Let us make space a catalyst for achieving our 2030 Goals with 5 years to go.
    And let us build governance frameworks that serve not just us, but generations to come.
    Thank you.

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Legislation: Law Experts Issue Open letter to Govt calls for halt to the undemocratic Regulatory Standards Bill

    Source: Professor Emeritus Jane Kelsey


    As some of the country’s senior lawyers and researchers in a range of disciplines (law, economics, Tiriti o Waitangi, public policy, environment), including a former Prime Minister and two New Zealanders of the Year, we cannot stand by as the Regulatory Standards Bill is rushed through a parliamentary select committee next week.


    Each of us has written extensively and spoken out against this Bill from our respective areas of expertise. Many of us have done so for the three previous iterations of this Bill when it was promoted unsuccessfully by the Act Party and the Business Round Roundtable (later, the New Zealand Institute).


    On each of those occasions Parliament has rejected the Bill as philosophically and legally unsound, profoundly undemocratic,  and contrary to Te Tiriti o Waitangi.


    This time the Act Party has sought to bypass rigorous parliamentary scrutiny by securing commitments from the National and New Zealand First parties to legislate the Bill into law. There was an opportunity for public submissions on the proposal late last year, where it secured the support of only 0.33% of the over 23,000 New Zealanders who expressed their views on the consultation document.  It is evident that the advice in virtually all the submissions was ignored by the government.


    The Bill could have profound constitutional consequences. It establishes a set of principles as a benchmark for good legislation/regulation, many of which are highly questionable and designed to establish a presumption in favour of a libertarian view of the role of the state – one that ceased to have any currency globally more than a century ago. Te Tiriti o Waitangi has been excluded altogether.  The power vested in the Minister for Regulation and a ministerial-appointed board is not subject to the normal accountabilities of Crown entities,  conferring significant yet largely unaccountable authority on the executive.


    Dr Jim Salinger, 2024 New Zealander of the Year, further notes the chilling effect the Bill will have on any future policy on climate change and adaptation following the almost $4 billion cost of the 2023 Auckland Anniversary weekend floods and Cyclone Gabrielle, the highest in our history.


    While there is a select committee review of the Bill, it is truncated and circumscribed.


     The Coalition government has decided to submit the Bill to the Finance and Expenditure Committee rather than the Justice Committee, limiting the time to hear many tens of thousands of oral submissions to just 30 hours – at most 360 submissions –  with 5 minutes per submitter, and truncating the period for those hearings and the committee’s report, further exposes the hypocrisy that this Bill is about good governance, better laws, improved regulation, greater transparency and enhanced governmental accountability. We are gravely concerned that the National Party and New Zealand First appear to be complicit in this undemocratic process.


    We have each thought long and hard about whether to say we want to challenge this Bill before the select committee, lest it give some credibility to a process that is devoid of legitimacy. Some of us, such as Professor Dame Anne Salmond, 2013 New Zealander of the Year, and Professor Andrew Geddis, made written submissions, but feel there is no point in participating such a harmful process.


    Professor Emeritus Jonathan Boston, Dr Geoffrey Bertram, Dr Bill Rosenberg and Dr Max Harris have indicated they want to address the committee to reinforce their submissions.  In Professor Boston’s view:  “The current Bill is destined to have a very short and ignominious life as an Act of Parliament: it enjoys virtually no public support; it lacks cross-party backing; it is opposed by the very Ministry that will be responsible for its implementation; and it endorses principles that have been found wanting by multiple generations of people throughout the world”.


    In similar vein, long-standing academic critic of the Bill Professor Emeritus Jane Kelsey feels a responsibility “to speak truth to power” – in this case the abuse of proper process and the Act Party’s ongoing contempt for Te Tiriti o Waitangi.


    For a time it appeared the Sir Geoffrey Palmer, former Prime Minister and Minister of Justice, Professor of Law at Te Herenga Waka/ Victoria University of Wellington, author of numerous books on parliamentary constitutinalism, and staunch critic of the Bill, was originally not invited to address the select committee, despite saying but he wanted to be heard. He was subsequently offered an opportunity.


    All of us appeal to the National and New Zealand First parties to find their democratic voice and prevent this Bill from proceeding past the select committee.


    Equally importantly, they are calling on Speaker of the House Gerry Brownlee, as the Chair of the forthcoming review of Standing Orders, to conduct a first principles review of the select committee processes to find an appropriate balance for democratic participation in the digital era, and an effective  way to reinstate some degree of integrity and rigorous review to law-making in Aotearoa New Zealand.


    Signatures include:


    Dame Anne Salmond

    Sir Geoffrey Palmer

    Professor Emeritus Jonathan Boston

    Professor Andrew Geddis

    Dr Jim Salinger

    Dr Geoff Bertram

    Dr Bill Rosenberg

    Dr Max Harris

    Professor Emeritus Jane Kelsey.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Environment – “A Dirty Deal for Dirty Water” – Government’s $56m irrigation subsidy blasted by Greenpeace

    Source: Greenpeace

    Greenpeace strongly condemns the announcement today of a $56 million government subsidy for additional irrigation infrastructure in rural Canterbury, saying that this will result in increased water pollution and the destruction of fragile freshwater ecosystems.
    The Government has announced a $56 million dollar subsidy through the Regional Investment Fund for three water storage projects in the Canterbury region – the Opuha Dam and Irrigation Scheme, the Balmoral Water Storage Facility (Amuri), and the Waimakariri Irrigation Scheme.
    Greenpeace spokesperson Will Appelbe says, “It is deeply irresponsible to use public money to fund the expansion of these irrigation schemes, which will lead to more intensive dairy, more cows, and more pollution. This is a dirty deal for dirty water.”
    “Shane Jones needs to go down and front up to rural communities in Canterbury whose drinking water is already so contaminated with nitrates they can’t safely drink it and explain why he is funding irrigation for dirty dairying that will contaminate their water more.
    “Everyone should be able to safely drink the water coming out of their kitchen tap, but right now, some rural communities are facing the reality that they cannot do so, because their drinking water is contaminated with unsafe levels of nitrate.”
    “The source of nitrate contamination in drinking water is effluent runoff and nitrate leaching from the intensive dairy industry,” says Appelbe.
    “Subsidising new irrigation infrastructure, which will lead to more intensive dairying and therefore more contamination of groundwater and drinking water, shows that this Government has a total disregard for the health of rural communities who cannot drink the water coming out of their kitchen tap.”
    Appelbe says this comes off the back of the announcement of a wave of regulation changes that Greenpeace has labelled the Government’s ‘Freshwater Pollution Plan’.
    “This Government is seeking to strip back freshwater protections across the board – despite the fact that New Zealanders across the entire political spectrum want to see more protection for freshwater, not less.”
    “The Government must end all subsidies for irrigation infrastructure immediately, and ensure freshwater pollution from the intensive dairy industry is stopped at the source.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –