NewzIntel.com

Category: Technology

  • Indian stock market opens marginally lower amid mixed global cues

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Indian indices opened marginally lower on Monday amid mixed global cues, as selling was seen in the metal, auto, IT, PSU bank, pharma and financial service sectors in the early trade.

    At around 9.28 am, Sensex was trading 75.59 points or 0.09 per cent down at 83,357.30 while the Nifty declined 18.25 points or 0.07 per cent at 25,442.75.

    According to analysts, concerns surrounding a US-India trade deal and the fallout of SEBI’s report on Jane Street will influence market movements.

    “There are reports of a possible interim trade deal between US and India before the July 9th tariff deadline. If that happens, that would be a positive. The regulatory action on Jane Street and its implications will be closely watched by the market,” said Dr VK Vijayakumar, Chief Investment Strategist, Geojit Investments Limited.

    The volume of derivative trading is likely to take a hit impacting stock exchanges and some brokerages. This has implications for their stock prices, too. The short-term issues are unlikely to have any long-term impact on the market, he added.

    Nifty Bank was down 50.95 points or 0.09 per cent at 56,980.95 in early trade.

    The Nifty Midcap 100 index was trading at 59,669.55 after declining 8.20 points or 0.01 per cent. Nifty Smallcap 100 index was at 19,025.45 after declining 7.60 points or 0.04 per cent.

    Meanwhile, in the Sensex pack, BEL, Tech Mahindra, Titan, Bajaj Finance, HCL Tech, SBI, Tata Steel and ICICI Bank were the top losers. Trent, Hindustan Unilever Limited, Bajaj Finserv, Asian Paints and HDFC Bank were the top gainers.

    On the institutional front, foreign institutional investors (FIIs) extended their selling streak for the fifth consecutive day, offloading equities worth Rs 760.11 crore on July 4. Domestic institutional investors (DIIs) also sold equities worth Rs 1,028.84 crore on the same day.

    In the Asian markets, Bangkok, Hong Kong , Japan, China and Jakarta were trading in red, whereas only Seoul was trading in green.

    In the last trading session on Thursday, Dow Jones in the US closed at 44,828.53, up 344.11 points, or 0.77 per cent. The S&P 500 ended with a gain of 51.93 points, or 0.83 per cent at 6,279.35 and the Nasdaq closed at 20,601.10, up 207.97 points, or 1.02 per cent.

    (IANS)

  • Trump calls Musk’s formation of new party ‘ridiculous’ and criticizes his own NASA pick

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    President Donald Trump on Sunday called Elon Musk’s plans to form a new political party “ridiculous,” launching new barbs at the tech billionaire and saying the Musk ally he once named to lead NASA would have presented a conflict of interest given Musk’s business interests in space.

    A day after Musk escalated his feud with Trump and announced the formation of a new U.S. political party, the Republican president was asked about it before boarding Air Force One in Morristown, New Jersey, as he returned to Washington upon visiting his nearby golf club.

    “I think it’s ridiculous to start a third party. We have a tremendous success with the Republican Party. The Democrats have lost their way, but it’s always been a two-party system, and I think starting a third party just adds to confusion,” Trump told reporters.

    “It really seems to have been developed for two parties. Third parties have never worked, so he can have fun with it, but I think it’s ridiculous.”

    Shortly after speaking about Musk, Trump posted further comments on his Truth Social platform, saying, “I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely ‘off the rails,’ essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks.”

    Musk announced on Saturday that he is establishing the “America Party” in response to Trump’s tax-cut and spending bill, which Musk said would bankrupt the country.

    “What the heck was the point of @DOGE if he’s just going to increase the debt by $5 trillion??” Musk wrote on X on Sunday, referring to the government downsizing agency he briefly led. Critics have said the bill will damage the U.S. economy by significantly adding to the federal budget deficit.

    Musk said his new party would in next year’s midterm elections look to unseat Republican lawmakers in Congress who backed the sweeping measure known as the “big, beautiful bill.”

    Musk spent millions of dollars underwriting Trump’s 2024 re-election effort and, for a time, regularly showed up at the president’s side in the White House Oval Office and elsewhere. Their disagreement over the spending bill led to a falling out that Musk briefly tried unsuccessfully to repair.

    Trump has said Musk is unhappy because the measure, which Trump signed into law on Friday, takes away green-energy credits for Tesla’s electric vehicles. The president has threatened to pull billions of dollars Tesla and SpaceX receive in government contracts and subsidies in response to Musk’s criticism.

    NASA APPOINTMENT ‘INAPPROPRIATE’

    Trump in his social media comments also said it was “inappropriate” to have named Musk ally Jared Isaacman as NASA administrator considering Musk’s business with the space agency. In December Trump named Isaacman, a billionaire private astronaut, to lead NASA but withdrew the nomination on May 31, before his Senate confirmation vote and without explanation.

    Trump, who has yet to announce a new NASA nominee, on Sunday confirmed media reports he disapproved of Isaacman’s previous support for Democratic politicians.

    “I also thought it inappropriate that a very close friend of Elon, who was in the Space Business, run NASA, when NASA is such a big part of Elon’s corporate life,” Trump said on Truth Social. “My Number One charge is to protect the American Public!”

    Musk’s announcement of a new party immediately brought a rebuke from Azoria Partners, which said on Saturday it will postpone the listing of its Azoria Tesla Convexity exchange-traded fund because the party’s creation posed “a conflict with his full-time responsibilities as CEO.” Azoria was set to launch the Tesla ETF this week.

    Azoria CEO James Fishback posted on X several critical comments about the new party and reiterated his support for Trump.

    “I encourage the Board to meet immediately and ask Elon to clarify his political ambitions and evaluate whether they are compatible with his full-time obligations to Tesla as CEO,” Fishback said.

    (Reuters)

  • Trump calls Musk’s formation of new party ‘ridiculous’ and criticizes his own NASA pick

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    President Donald Trump on Sunday called Elon Musk’s plans to form a new political party “ridiculous,” launching new barbs at the tech billionaire and saying the Musk ally he once named to lead NASA would have presented a conflict of interest given Musk’s business interests in space.

    A day after Musk escalated his feud with Trump and announced the formation of a new U.S. political party, the Republican president was asked about it before boarding Air Force One in Morristown, New Jersey, as he returned to Washington upon visiting his nearby golf club.

    “I think it’s ridiculous to start a third party. We have a tremendous success with the Republican Party. The Democrats have lost their way, but it’s always been a two-party system, and I think starting a third party just adds to confusion,” Trump told reporters.

    “It really seems to have been developed for two parties. Third parties have never worked, so he can have fun with it, but I think it’s ridiculous.”

    Shortly after speaking about Musk, Trump posted further comments on his Truth Social platform, saying, “I am saddened to watch Elon Musk go completely ‘off the rails,’ essentially becoming a TRAIN WRECK over the past five weeks.”

    Musk announced on Saturday that he is establishing the “America Party” in response to Trump’s tax-cut and spending bill, which Musk said would bankrupt the country.

    “What the heck was the point of @DOGE if he’s just going to increase the debt by $5 trillion??” Musk wrote on X on Sunday, referring to the government downsizing agency he briefly led. Critics have said the bill will damage the U.S. economy by significantly adding to the federal budget deficit.

    Musk said his new party would in next year’s midterm elections look to unseat Republican lawmakers in Congress who backed the sweeping measure known as the “big, beautiful bill.”

    Musk spent millions of dollars underwriting Trump’s 2024 re-election effort and, for a time, regularly showed up at the president’s side in the White House Oval Office and elsewhere. Their disagreement over the spending bill led to a falling out that Musk briefly tried unsuccessfully to repair.

    Trump has said Musk is unhappy because the measure, which Trump signed into law on Friday, takes away green-energy credits for Tesla’s electric vehicles. The president has threatened to pull billions of dollars Tesla and SpaceX receive in government contracts and subsidies in response to Musk’s criticism.

    NASA APPOINTMENT ‘INAPPROPRIATE’

    Trump in his social media comments also said it was “inappropriate” to have named Musk ally Jared Isaacman as NASA administrator considering Musk’s business with the space agency. In December Trump named Isaacman, a billionaire private astronaut, to lead NASA but withdrew the nomination on May 31, before his Senate confirmation vote and without explanation.

    Trump, who has yet to announce a new NASA nominee, on Sunday confirmed media reports he disapproved of Isaacman’s previous support for Democratic politicians.

    “I also thought it inappropriate that a very close friend of Elon, who was in the Space Business, run NASA, when NASA is such a big part of Elon’s corporate life,” Trump said on Truth Social. “My Number One charge is to protect the American Public!”

    Musk’s announcement of a new party immediately brought a rebuke from Azoria Partners, which said on Saturday it will postpone the listing of its Azoria Tesla Convexity exchange-traded fund because the party’s creation posed “a conflict with his full-time responsibilities as CEO.” Azoria was set to launch the Tesla ETF this week.

    Azoria CEO James Fishback posted on X several critical comments about the new party and reiterated his support for Trump.

    “I encourage the Board to meet immediately and ask Elon to clarify his political ambitions and evaluate whether they are compatible with his full-time obligations to Tesla as CEO,” Fishback said.

    (Reuters)

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Avoid these pitfalls when updating NFP details

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    Having your NFP’s details up to date makes managing your tax and super affairs easier. Having accurate, up-to-date information:

    • helps us contact your organisation with information about important changes in the sector
    • ensures you can access Online services for business for tasks like your NFP self-review return
    • makes managing your tax and super obligations easier.

    You should update:

    • ABN details on the Australian Business Register (ABR)
    • Financial institution details with the Australian Taxation Office (ATO)
    • Authorisation details in Relationship Authorisation Manager (RAM).

    There are a few pitfalls we see NFPs fall into when notifying us of changes – here’s how you can avoid them.

    Pitfall 1: Thinking there’s only one way to update an NFP’s details

    There are three ways to notify us of changes.

    1. Online: you can update some details online on the Australian Business RegisterExternal Link, in Online services for businessExternal Link, or a registered tax or BAS agent can update your details. You can update authorisations on Relationship Authorisation ManagerExternal Link (RAM).
    2. Phone: authorised contacts can phone us to update most details (except public officer information). When you call be ready to confirm your identity so we can check you’re authorised to act for your NFP. We’ll ask for your NFP’s name and tax file number or Australian business number. We’ll also ask for 3 items to prove your own identity, so we can check that we’re actually talking to you, and not someone pretending to be you.
    3. Paper: you can use the Change of registration details (NAT 2943) paper form. Fill it out on your computer or device before you print the form, or by hand using a black or dark blue pen and clear BLOCK LETTERS. This is the slowest method to notify us of changes.

    Normally, an NFP’s existing associate (principal authority) in RAM adds new associates or removes associates who have stepped away from their old roles.

    If the previous principal authority is unavailable, someone newly appointed to an official role can use the Change of registration details (NAT 2943) paper form to notify us you should be the principal authority. You must provide evidence of your approved appointment to a formal position in the NFP. These include meeting minutes that show your appointment, or a notification from the board or committee stating your approved role, such as a letter.

    It can take 4 to 8 weeks for us to process this request. Once your details are updated, make sure you keep them current – it’s much faster to update your authorisations online.

    Pitfall 3: Incorrectly filling out the Change of registration details form

    When filling out the form, it’s especially important to complete:

    • Section A – your NFP’s information
    • Section D – postal and email address
    • Section F – new associate details
    • Section H – signature of the new associate at the declaration, plus attach evidence of their appointment.

    Attach your evidence to the back of the form to avoid delays. You’ll be notified by email once your updates are processed.

    If you’re unsure about how to update your details and or what you need to update, more information and useful tools are available at ato.gov.au/NFPnotifyofchanges

    Pitfall 4: Thinking it can wait

    You must update the ABR within 28 days of any of the following changes:

    • entity name or registered business name, Australian company number (ACN) or Australian Registered Body Number (ARBN)
    • associates or official position holders, public officer, name of trustees
    • authorised contact person
    • financial institution account details
    • postal, email or business address
    • main organisation activity.

    Tip: before and after your annual general meeting (AGM) is a great time to check and update your records, including adding new authorisations and removing anyone who has stepped down.

    More information

    SubscribingExternal Link to our monthly Not-for-profit newsletter is a great way to stay up to date with your reporting obligations.

    For updates throughout the month, Assistant Commissioner Jennifer Moltisanti regularly shares blog posts and updates on her LinkedInExternal Link profile. And you can check out our online platform ATO CommunityExternal Link to find answers to your tax and super questions.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Celebrate NAIDOC Week in Canberra

    Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services

    • The 2025 NAIDOC Week theme is The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy.
    • 2025 NAIDOC Week celebrations will be held from 6 to 13 July 2025.
    • This story lists free and paid 2025 NAIDOC Week events.

    Each year, Canberra celebrates NAIDOC Week with a range of events and activities.

    NAIDOC Week 2025 is a special time to stop, reflect and celebrate the enduring culture, history and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

    This year’s theme is ‘The Next Generation: Strength, Vision & Legacy – 50 Years of NAIDOC Week’. It marks an important milestone and honours the voices, culture and strength of Indigenous communities.

    The theme looks back on the past with pride and looks forward with hope. It celebrates the work of young leaders, the dreams of communities and the powerful legacy left by ancestors.

    Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD), Parkes
    From Sunday, 6 July to Sunday, 13 July
    Hear stories of how First Nations Australians have created change. Learn about Wiradjuri Elders travelling to Old Parliament House, activists who campaigned for a voice and visit heritage spaces of significance.
    Bookings required.
    Cost: free.

    Australian Parliament House
    From Sunday, 6 July to Tuesday, 8 July
    Visit Parliament House to see Michelle Lewis’ breathtaking artwork illuminated on the Parliament House façade. View the striking colours and designs of Michelle’s Tjala Dreaming (Honey Ant), a 2023 artwork.
    To mark the event, a ceremonial lighting will be held on Monday, 7 July from 5:30 pm to 6:00 pm.
    No bookings required.
    Cost: free.

    National Museum of Australia (NMA), Acton
    Thursday, 10 July
    The NMA is featuring a screening of Keeping Country Strong on Thursday, 10 July. This new documentary highlights the critical work of Indigenous Rangers in Indigenous Protected Areas across Australia.  A panel discussion with Traditional Owners will follow.
    Bookings required.
    Cost: $15 for a standard ticket, $12.50 for a concession and $10 for friends.

    National Film and Sound Archive (NFSA), Acton
    Saturday, 12 July
    The NFSA is hosting a dementia-friendly screening of A Day at the Movies: Top End Wedding on Saturday, 12 July.
    Enjoy a warm and light-hearted comedy that celebrates the joyful chaos of family and the strength of community.
    Bookings required.
    Cost: $16 for a full price ticket, $12 for concession card holders and free for carers.

    National Library of Australia, Parkes
    Tuesday, 8 July
    Join Brooke Blurton and Dr Melanie Saward as they yarn about their new young adult novel, A Good Kind of Trouble. They discuss what it means to write Indigenous-led stories for today’s young people. Bookings required. Watch online or attend in person.
    Cost: free.

    Palace Electric Theatre, Canberra
    Tuesday, 8 July
    Come and watch the award-winning film from 10 Indigenous filmmakers from Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific. It interweaves eight stories – both fictional and non-fictional – that span 1,000 years. Each showcases the resilience and survival of Indigenous peoples.
    Bookings required.
    Cost: admission is free for First Nations attendees and $10 for non-First Nations attendees.

    ANCA Gallery, Dickson
    From Sunday, 6 July to Sunday, 13 July
    Join Thomas Coen Bonson, an emerging artist and one of Australia’s few First Nations jewellers. His solo exhibition is called Elegance in Heritage: First Nations Jewellery Unveiled.
    RSVP required
    Cost: free.

    Belconnen Arts Centre, Belconnen
    Saturday 12, July
    Belco Arts is celebrating the 10th anniversary of NAIDOC in the North. The event is a celebration of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Culture through story, song, art dance and ceremony. Check out a huge program of events. Learn from our local Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community through workshops, performances, activities and entertainment.
    No bookings required.
    Cost: free.

    Tuggeranong Arts Centre, Tuggeranong
    From Saturday, 5 July to Sunday, 13 July
    Visit the Arts Centre for a range of events including workshops and exhibitions that celebrate the rich and diverse cultures, traditions and contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Bookings required.
    Cost: from free to $10.

    ACT Historic Places, Tharwa
    Saturday, 12 July
    Join Ngunawal custodian Wally Bell on a walk at ACT Lanyon Homestead. Learn about Aboriginal connection to the area and the Murrumbidgee River. Discover the significance of the Canoe Tree to the Ngunnawal people and what its presence here tells us of the strong community that lived within the cultural landscape.
    Bookings required.
    Cost: $30 for standard ticket and $25 for concession.

    National Capital Authority (NCA), Reconciliation Place
    From Monday, 7 July to Sunday, 13 July
    Join the NCA for a guided tour along Reconciliation Place that explores the rich history, culture and contributions of First Nations peoples. Bookings required. 
    Cost: free.

    Winnunga Warriors Basketball Club and Basketball ACT
    Friday, 11 July to Sunday, 13 July
    Be part of a fun and exciting event with over 125 teams from around the country. Celebrate Indigenous culture through basketball and enjoy games for all age groups as they honour NAIDOC Week together.  
    No bookings required.
    Cost: free for spectators.

    To learn more about NAIDOC Week and explore upcoming events, visit the official NAIDOC website.

    Get ACT news and events delivered straight to your inbox, sign up to our email newsletter:

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Strength, vision and legacy: Celebrating NAIDOC Week across the Capital

    Source: Australian National Party

    As part of ACT Government’s ‘One Government, One Voice’ program, we are transitioning this website across to our . You can access everything you need through this website while it’s happening.

    Released 06/07/2025

    The ACT is proudly celebrating NAIDOC Week 2025 from Sunday 6 July to Sunday 13 July, with events and activities across Canberra recognising the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

    NAIDOC Week is a time for all Australians to come together to learn about Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture and history. This year’s theme, “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy,” pays tribute to the resilience and wisdom of Elders, while shining a light on the strength and leadership of young people shaping the future.

    Minister for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Affairs Suzanne Orr said the week is an opportunity to reflect, celebrate, and commit to a shared future built on respect and truth.

    “NAIDOC Week is a powerful reminder of the enduring legacy of First Nations peoples and the bright future being forged by the next generation. Across Canberra, we honour the strength of our young leaders, the vision of our communities, and the deep cultural heritage that continues to guide us,” Minister Orr said.

    “Truth-Telling is a critical component of how we move forward together, recognising and celebrating the world’s oldest living cultures and how all Canberrans can be proud of the impact of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people on the ACT and Australia. NAIDOC Week gives us an opportunity to celebrate an inclusive community that values, respects and elevates this recognition.”

    “NAIDOC is a special time for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. We get to bring focus to a lot of positive aspects of our way of life,” said the Chair of the NAIDOC Corporation Maurice Walker.

    “We are very proud to share this week with our fellow Canberrans and showcase some of the awesome talent we have within the community.

    “The ACT Government has been an integral partner in terms of sponsorship which allows us, the NAIDOC Corporation, the opportunity to produce activities for our community to attend and celebrate with us!”

    Canberrans are invited to take part in a range of community-led events, including:

    • The ACT NAIDOC Committee’s Flag Raising Ceremony at Boomanulla Oval in Narrabundah at 10:00 am on Sunday 6 July 2025
    • The ACT Government official NAIDOC Flag Raising Ceremony at the Legislative Assembly at 10:30 am on Monday 7 July 2025
    • First Nations experience of democracy at the Museum of Australian Democracy
    • Reconciliation Place Walks
    • NAIDOC in the North at the Belconnen Arts Centre on 12 July 2025
    • Warriors Basketball Club NAIDOC Tournament at the Australian Institute of Sports (AIS) between 11 and 13 July 2025
    • As well as a range of local community events across Canberra.

    NAIDOC Week is for everyone. Whether you’re attending a local event, engaging with educational resources, or simply taking time to reflect, your participation helps keep culture strong and voices heard.

    For a full list of events and activities in Canberra, visit Local NAIDOC Week events | NAIDOC.

    – Statement ends –

    Suzanne Orr, MLA | Media Releases

    «ACT Government Media Releases | «Minister Media Releases

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: NZDF not considering recruiting personnel from Pacific nations

    By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist

    The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is not considering recruiting personnel from across the Pacific as talk continues of Australia doing so for its Defence Force (ADF).

    In response to a question from The Australian at the National Press Club in Canberra about Australia’s plans to potentially recruit from the Pacific Islands into the ADF, Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said he “would like to see it happen”.

    “Whether Australia does it or not depends on your own policies. We will not push it.”

    RNZ Pacific asked the NZDF under the Official Information Act (OIA) for all correspondence sent and received regarding any discussion on recruiting from the Pacific, along with other related questions.

    The OIA request was declined as the information did not exist.

    “Defence Recruiting has not and is not considering deliberate recruiting action from across the Pacific,” the response from the NZDF said.

    Australia Defence Association executive director Neil James said citizenship needed to be a prerequisite to Pacific recruitment.

    Australian citizen
    “Even a New Zealander serving in the Australian military has to become an Australian citizen,” James said.

    “They can start off being an Australian resident, but they’ve got to be on the path to citizenship.

    ”They’ve got to be capable of getting permanent residency in Australia and citizenship.

    “And then you’ve got to tackle the moral problem — it’s pretty hard to ask foreigners to fight for your country when your own people won’t do it.”

    James said he thought people might be “jumping at hairs” at Rabuka’s comments.

    Unlike Samoa’s acting prime minister, who has voiced concern over a brain drain, both Papua New Guinea and Fiji have made it clear they have people to spare.

    Ross Thompson, a managing director at People In, the largest approved employer in the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme, said if the recruitment drive does go ahead, PNG nationals would return home with a wider skill set.

    ‘Brain gain, not drain’
    “This would be a brain gain, rather than be a drain on PNG.”

    He’s spoken with people in PNG who welcome the proposal.

    ”PNG, its population is over 10 million . . . We’re proposing from PNG around 1000 could be recruited every year.”

    Minister Rabuka joked Fiji could plug Australia’s personnel hole on its own.

    “If it’s open [to recruiting Fijians] . . . [we will offer] the whole lot . . . 5000,” he said, while noting that Fiji was able to easily fill its quota under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme.

    “The villages are emptying out into the cities. What we would like to do is to reduce those who are ending up in settlements in the cities and not working, giving way to crime and becoming first victims to the sale of drugs and AIDS and HIV from frequently used or commonly used needles.”

    Thompson was also a captain in the Queen’s Gurkha Engineers of the British Army and said he was proud to have served alongside Fijians.

    Honour serving
    “I had the honour to serve with a number of Fijians while deployed overseas; they’re fantastic soldiers.

    “This is something that’s been going on since the Second World War and it’s a big part of the British Army.”

    From a recruitment perspective, he said PNG and Fiji would be a good starting point before extending to any other Pacific nations.

    ”PNG has a strong history with the Australian Defence Force. There’s a number of programmes that are currently ongoing, on shared military exercises, there’s PNG officers that are serving in the ADF now, or on secondment to the ADF.

    “So I think those two countries are definitely good to look up from a pilot perspective.”

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: NZDF not considering recruiting personnel from Pacific nations

    By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist

    The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is not considering recruiting personnel from across the Pacific as talk continues of Australia doing so for its Defence Force (ADF).

    In response to a question from The Australian at the National Press Club in Canberra about Australia’s plans to potentially recruit from the Pacific Islands into the ADF, Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka said he “would like to see it happen”.

    “Whether Australia does it or not depends on your own policies. We will not push it.”

    RNZ Pacific asked the NZDF under the Official Information Act (OIA) for all correspondence sent and received regarding any discussion on recruiting from the Pacific, along with other related questions.

    The OIA request was declined as the information did not exist.

    “Defence Recruiting has not and is not considering deliberate recruiting action from across the Pacific,” the response from the NZDF said.

    Australia Defence Association executive director Neil James said citizenship needed to be a prerequisite to Pacific recruitment.

    Australian citizen
    “Even a New Zealander serving in the Australian military has to become an Australian citizen,” James said.

    “They can start off being an Australian resident, but they’ve got to be on the path to citizenship.

    ”They’ve got to be capable of getting permanent residency in Australia and citizenship.

    “And then you’ve got to tackle the moral problem — it’s pretty hard to ask foreigners to fight for your country when your own people won’t do it.”

    James said he thought people might be “jumping at hairs” at Rabuka’s comments.

    Unlike Samoa’s acting prime minister, who has voiced concern over a brain drain, both Papua New Guinea and Fiji have made it clear they have people to spare.

    Ross Thompson, a managing director at People In, the largest approved employer in the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility Scheme, said if the recruitment drive does go ahead, PNG nationals would return home with a wider skill set.

    ‘Brain gain, not drain’
    “This would be a brain gain, rather than be a drain on PNG.”

    He’s spoken with people in PNG who welcome the proposal.

    ”PNG, its population is over 10 million . . . We’re proposing from PNG around 1000 could be recruited every year.”

    Minister Rabuka joked Fiji could plug Australia’s personnel hole on its own.

    “If it’s open [to recruiting Fijians] . . . [we will offer] the whole lot . . . 5000,” he said, while noting that Fiji was able to easily fill its quota under the Pacific Australia Labour Mobility (PALM) scheme.

    “The villages are emptying out into the cities. What we would like to do is to reduce those who are ending up in settlements in the cities and not working, giving way to crime and becoming first victims to the sale of drugs and AIDS and HIV from frequently used or commonly used needles.”

    Thompson was also a captain in the Queen’s Gurkha Engineers of the British Army and said he was proud to have served alongside Fijians.

    Honour serving
    “I had the honour to serve with a number of Fijians while deployed overseas; they’re fantastic soldiers.

    “This is something that’s been going on since the Second World War and it’s a big part of the British Army.”

    From a recruitment perspective, he said PNG and Fiji would be a good starting point before extending to any other Pacific nations.

    ”PNG has a strong history with the Australian Defence Force. There’s a number of programmes that are currently ongoing, on shared military exercises, there’s PNG officers that are serving in the ADF now, or on secondment to the ADF.

    “So I think those two countries are definitely good to look up from a pilot perspective.”

    This article is republished under a community partnership agreement with RNZ.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI China: China releases list of key science, engineering challenges amid tech push

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

    China on Sunday released a list of what it has determined to be the 30 most pressing scientific questions, engineering challenges and industrial technology bottlenecks facing the nation’s development.

    The China Association for Science and Technology (CAST) made the announcement of the list, the eighth of its kind since 2018, during its 27th annual meeting.

    People visit the “AI+” demonstration area at the Zhongguancun Exhibition Center in Beijing, capital of China, June 20, 2025. (Xinhua/Ju Huanzong)

    A rigorous selection process was overseen by 80 national scientific societies, with its initial phase seeing 56 eminent strategic scientists nominate 90 issues spanning 10 major fields, including the basic sciences and manufacturing technology, before finalizing the list of 30 priorities, according to CAST.

    The carefully selected roster lists the country’s top 10 frontier science problems, including the topological and geometric classification of manifolds, as well as the properties and origin of mass of the Higgs boson.

    The top 10 engineering technology challenges involve breakthrough applications, with notable entries including those related to integrated algorithms for the design-simulation-manufacturing of complex models, as well as AI-streamlined network systems that integrate communication and intelligence.

    CAST also announced China’s top 10 industrial technology issues, which require a focus on overcoming critical manufacturing and application barriers, with priority areas including autonomous mining technologies for the utilization of deep-space resources, as well as brain function assessment and closed-loop, brain-computer intelligent intervention.

    Keyword: AI

    Notably, the fusion of AI and diverse scientific disciplines is a critical pathway to solving fundamental challenges, spanning secure communication networks and advanced health care solutions.

    Leading the list of the top 10 problems in frontier science, which were chosen by scientists working in the field, is establishing “new theories and protective frameworks for AI security from a cryptographic perspective,” according to CAST.

    As AI advances rapidly globally, its security vulnerabilities are becoming increasingly critical. Cryptographic approaches to security offer a promising shift from reactive defenses to mathematically verifiable security paradigms.

    “Cryptography plays a dual role,” explained Wang Xiaoyun, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS).

    “On one hand, it is crucial to protecting the privacy of data and information within AI systems. On the other hand, cryptographic principles like provable security frameworks can help combat threats like deepfakes, ensuring AI remains reliable, safe and controllable,” Wang said.

    Noting that cryptographic research for AI security is an emerging, interdisciplinary frontier field while global research is advancing concurrently, Wang said, “By nominating this problem, we hope to draw the attention of more experts in both AI and cryptography to this evolving field.”

    The list of the top 10 engineering technology challenges also features an AI-centric communication solution: creating AI-streamlined network systems integrating communication and intelligence.

    Zhang Ping, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, highlighted the current bottlenecks plaguing communication systems.

    “The field faces theoretical limitations, a lack of inherent intelligence, and inflexibility, struggling to meet the demand for pervasive intelligence and sustainable development,” Zhang noted.

    AI-streamlined networks offer novel system architecture by merging communication deeply with AI, significantly simplifying design.

    “The fundamental challenge in communication is that wider bandwidth and higher speeds demand more resources,” Zhang said.

    “It’s like expanding roads — more lanes or wider roads require more land. Evolving toward AI-powered natural interaction provides a new engine to reduce resource consumption and waste of computing power in communication systems,” he added.

    The listed medical technology challenges also feature AI integration. One key industrial technology issue focuses on brain function assessment and closed-loop, brain-computer intelligent intervention, proposing the use of multimodal neuroimaging combined with AI analysis and brain-computer interfaces to enhance neural plasticity and reorganization for stroke rehabilitation.

    This year’s initiative uniquely paired senior strategic scientists with younger counterparts, who served as academic secretaries and were involved in interpreting and refining the nominated problems.

    This approach aimed to ensure authoritative selection while actively cultivating the next generation of research talent, CAST said.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI China: Anhui’s Suzhou intensifies efforts to build computing power hub

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

    A screen displays real-time data and operations at the Bianshui Riverside Supercomputing Center, part of the Suzhou Computing Power Industrial Park in Suzhou city, Anhui province, July 5, 2025. [Photo by Xu Xiaoxuan/China.org.cn]

    Suzhou, a city in eastern China’s Anhui province, is ramping up efforts to grow its computing power industry, with plans to build an industrial cluster expected to be worth 100 billion yuan ($13.8 billion).

    Not to be confused with Suzhou in neighboring Jiangsu province, Suzhou in Anhui is seeking to become a regional center for advanced computing and data services.

    At the center of this push is the Suzhou Computing Power Industrial Park, which opened in 2012 and spans about 15 hectares. The park is currently being expanded to include 100,000 square meters of data center facilities.

    Equipped with extensive network infrastructure, the site serves major clients such as Huawei, QuantumCTek and Inspur, along with academic institutions including Tsinghua University, Peking University and the Beijing Institute of Technology. It also provides resources to research organizations specializing in atmospheric physics and automation.

    The park supports sectors including big data, software development, mobile gaming, animation rendering and e-commerce livestreaming, according to Liang Xixi, a staff member at Suzhou Huarui Network Information Service, which helped develop the project.

    Liang told China.org.cn that the park offers both supercomputing and intelligent computing services, which are used for distinct purposes.

    “Supercomputing is used for high-precision tasks, such as tracking typhoon paths or analyzing protein structures, mostly serving research institutions,” Liang said. “Intelligent computing, by contrast, is used in everyday applications. For example, animation rendering for games like ‘Black Myth: Wukong’ and films such as ‘Ne Zha 2’ relied on intelligent computing.”

    Key projects at the park include the Huaihai Intelligent Computing Center and the Bianshui Riverside Supercomputing Center. Plans are underway for additional facilities, including a China Mobile computing power center and a Baidu intelligent cloud computing center.

    Suzhou currently hosts 465 enterprises related to the computing power sector, generating nearly 7.5 billion yuan in annual revenue. The city plans to increase its computing power capacity to 6,000 petaflops this year and aims to ultimately reach 8,000 petaflops.

    Officials are also cooperating with partners across the Yangtze River Delta to establish an integrated computing power network that can meet rising regional demand.

    The city will continue supporting integrated industrial development, according to the Suzhou City Development and Reform Commission. Priorities include a regional low-altitude intelligent computing center to improve flight route optimization and safety, as well as a data service platform for smart connected vehicles and tests of vehicle-to-road collaboration technology.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-Evening Report: ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for July 7, 2025

    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 7, 2025.

    The hard questions NZ must ask about the claimed economic benefits of fast-track mining projects
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Glenn Banks, Professor of Geography, School of People, Environment and Planning, Te Kunenga ki Pūrehuroa – Massey University Getty Images Much of the debate about the fast-track applications by a number of new or extended mining projects has, understandably, focused on their environmental impacts. But the other

    New US directive for visa applicants turns social media feeds into political documents
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Samuel Cornell, PhD Candidate in Public Health & Community Medicine, School of Population Health, UNSW Sydney Angel DiBiblio/Shutterstock In recent weeks, the US State Department implemented a policy requiring all university, technical training, or exchange program visa applicants to disclose their social media handles used over the

    Ageing bridges around the world are at risk of collapse. But there’s a simple way to safeguard them
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Andy Nguyen, Senior Lecturer in Structural Engineering, University of Southern Queensland The Story Bridge, with its sweeping steel trusses and art deco towers, is a striking sight above the Brisbane River in Queensland. In 2025, it was named the state’s best landmark. But more than an icon,

    Much to celebrate as NAIDOC Week turns 50, but also much to learn
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lynette Riley, Co-chair of the National NAIDOC Committee and Professor in the Sydney School of Education and Social Work; and Chair, Aboriginal Education and Indigenous Studies.original Education & Indigenous Studies., University of Sydney Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and/or images

    Just $7 extra per person could prevent 300 suicides a year. Here’s exactly where to spend it
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Karinna Saxby, Research Fellow, Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research, The University of Melbourne xinlan/Shutterstock Medicare spending on mental health services varies considerably depending on where in Australia you live, our new study shows. We found areas with lower Medicare spending on out-of-hospital mental health

    A Māori worldview describes the immune system as a guardian – this could improve public health in Aotearoa NZ
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Tama Te Puea Braithwaite-Westoby, Tautoro Māori Engagement Advisor, Malaghan Institute of Medical Research Getty Images In biomedical science, the immune system is described as a cellular defence network that identifies and neutralises threats. In te ao Māori (the Māori worldview), it can be seen as a dynamic

    We don’t need deep-sea mining, or its environmental harms. Here’s why
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin Alger, Associate Professor / Senior Lecturer in Global Environmental Politics, The University of Melbourne Potato-sized polymetallic nodules from the deep sea could be mined for valuable metals and minerals. Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images Deep-sea mining promises critical minerals for the energy

    ‘The customer is always right’: why some uni teachers give higher grades than students deserve
    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Ciprian N. Radavoi, Associate Professor in Law, University of Southern Queensland Pixels Effect/ Getty Images Grade inflation happens when teachers knowingly give a student a mark higher than deserved. It can also happen indirectly, when the level of difficulty of a course is deliberately lowered so students

    The Rainbow Warrior saga. Part 2: Nuclear refugees in the Pacific – the evacuation of Rongelap
    COMMENTARY:  By Eugene Doyle On the last voyage of the Rainbow Warrior prior to its sinking by French secret agents in Auckland harbour on 10 July 1985 the ship had evacuated the entire population of 320 from Rongelap in the Marshall Islands. After conducting dozens of above-ground nuclear explosions, the US government had left the

    Legends of a Nuclear-Free and Independent Pacific – Octo Mote
    Pacific Media Watch West Papuan independence advocate Octovianus Mote was in Aotearoa New Zealand late last year seeking support for independence for West Papua, which has been ruled by Indonesia for more than six decades. Mote is vice-president of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP) and was hosted in New Zealand by the

    ER Report: A Roundup of Significant Articles on EveningReport.nz for July 6, 2025
    ER Report: Here is a summary of significant articles published on EveningReport.nz on July 6, 2025.

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI Russia: New molecular engineering laboratory created at NSU

    Translation. Region: Russian Federal

    Source: Novosibirsk State University –

    An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    In the structure Institute of Medicine and Medical Technologies (IMMT) NSU A new laboratory of molecular engineering has been created; it will become the first specialized laboratory beyond the Urals that will comprehensively deal with such promising areas of modern medicine as the cultivation of microorganism cells, the study of virome and metagenomic analysis, and the prediction of protein structure based on the analysis of the data obtained.

    In early 2026, after the delivery of the new building of the NSU IMMT, which is part of the second stage of the NSU campus, built within the framework of the national project “Youth and Children”, the laboratory will be located on the premises of the new campus. The creation of the laboratory is part of the strategic project “Center for the Integration of Personalized Biomedicine, Pharmacy and Synchrotron, Binary Technologies”, financed within the framework of Priority 2030 programs.

    Currently, the laboratory employs 5 people, including representatives of leading research centers in Novosibirsk and Tomsk. Also, students, postgraduates and graduate students of the Institute of Medicine and Medical Technologies, the Faculty of Natural Sciences and other faculties of NSU will be involved in the work in the laboratory, who, as part of the preparation of their diploma and scientific papers, will participate in the implementation of the laboratory’s projects. The laboratory is headed by Elena Prokopyeva, PhD in Biology, research fellow at the IMMT NSU.

    The laboratory is fully focused on solving applied problems facing the modern pharmaceutical industry and biomedicine. First of all, we are talking about the rapid implementation of new methods of pharmaceutical development, expansion of interdisciplinary research, integration of artificial intelligence and big data analysis in biology and medicine; as well as the formation of a modern educational environment for training new generation specialists, including students from different countries.

    The main areas of work of the laboratory:

    creation and improvement of biotechnological protocols for cultivating prokaryotic and eukaryotic microorganisms in laboratory and industrial bioreactors; creation of innovative methods for identifying and quantitatively analyzing viral particles using accelerator mass spectrometry; study of the diversity, structure and dynamics of viral communities (virosphere) in various ecological niches using modern methods of metagenomics and bioinformatics.

    — One of the promising areas for the laboratory is the analysis of viromes (a set of viruses) using metagenomic and bioinformatics analysis in partnership with research institutes of the Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences. This is an advanced area in science. Metagenomic analysis is based on next-generation sequencing methods, which can be used to “read” several sections of different genomes in different samples at the same time. However, today the problem is the analysis of billions of available sequences, the number of which increases exponentially every year. Thus, advanced technologies will speed up the process of identifying new viruses, even based on already available and published metagenomic data, — said Elena Prokopyeva.

    The lab plans to use machine learning models to analyze biomedical data, such as genomic, transcriptomic, and proteomic data, as these methods can effectively identify complex patterns and relationships in large and multidimensional data sets. The use of machine learning in biomedical research opens up new opportunities for deep understanding of biological processes and improving clinical practice.

    Another area of the laboratory’s work is education. By the end of 2025, an interactive educational web application will be finalized. HTTP: //histology. HSU.ru, which includes a collection of digital microscope slides on histology, embryology and cytology.

    — Thus, this project will create a comprehensive scientific and technical platform that will unite disparate areas (bioreactors, metagenomics, molecular diagnostics, digitalization of education and biomedical developments) into a single ecosystem, increase the efficiency of research and accelerate the introduction of innovations in industry and medicine, — Elena Prokopyeva emphasized.

    The industrial and scientific partners of the laboratory are industry leaders — Technoprom LLC, research institutes of the SB RAS (G.I. Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics SB RAS, G.K. Boreskov Institute of Catalysis SB RAS, Federal Research Center Institute of Cytology and Genetics SB RAS), FBSI SRC VB Vector of Rospotrebnadzor, Federal Research Center for Fundamental and Translational Medicine (FRC FTM). The laboratory also cooperates with foreign partners, such as Qinghai University and East China Normal University (China), RSE Institute of Genetics and Physiology (Kazakhstan).

    Please note: This information is raw content obtained directly from the source of the information. It is an accurate report of what the source claims and does not necessarily reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    .

    MIL OSI Russia News –

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: EIT student overcomes family loss and hardship to complete Bachelor of Business Studies

    Source: Eastern Institute of Technology

    7 minutes ago

    When Shelby Te Aho withdrew from her Bachelor of Business Studies at EIT due to family loss and financial hardship, she was not sure she would ever return.

    The 23-year-old had already completed two and a half years of study before leaving in 2022 to support her whānau.

    “I had some family members pass away in 2022, and my family was also struggling financially so I needed to leave and start working to help out,” says Shelby (Ngāti Porou). “It wasn’t an easy decision to leave, but at the time it was what I had to do.”

    Shelby Te Aho (Ngāti Porou) graduated with her Bachelor of Business Studies at EIT this year.

    Although she initially thought she had failed, Shelby says the idea of finishing her degree returned over time.

    “I really didn’t think I’d go back. I felt like I’d failed. But over time I kept thinking about it. I had already put in so much effort, and eventually I built up the courage to email my lecturer Russell and ask if there was any way I could finish.”

    With support from EIT and its Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) process, Shelby was able to complete the final component of her qualification – an internship. This was based on her role and experience at Lineage Logistics in Whakatū, where she continues to work managing frozen export container logistics

    Instead of a formal graduation, Shelby marked the moment with a private celebration on campus.

    EIT graduate Shelby Te Aho with Bachelor of Business Studies Programme Co-ordinator Russell Booth.

    “It was perfect. I preferred it that way.”

    The former Hastings Girls’ High School student is the first in her family to earn a degree.

    “I’ve always dreamed of owning a bakery or clothing business. Studying business felt like the right step, and I’m proud I came back and finished it.”

    She says it feels good to show her two younger siblings what is possible.

    “It feels great. I always think about it. But as the oldest, I am glad to be able to show my siblings that you can do whatever you dream.”

    Shelby says she loved her time at EIT and would recommend the programme to others.

    “I loved my time at EIT. Russell was my favourite lecturer, but all the lecturers were great. They really want to see students win in life. I also enjoyed the marketing aspect of the degree, especially the practicals. They were really cool.”

    Her message to others is simple.

    “Do not be afraid to come back and keep pursuing what you want. You can still chase your dreams, even if there are challenges.”

    Russell Booth, Programme Co-ordinator for the Bachelor of Business Studies at EIT, says he was “absolutely thrilled” when Shelby contacted him again to enquire about completing her internship and finally her BBS.

    “Even though it had been a couple of years, she was an excellent candidate for the RPL process. Shelby impressed us with the work she had been doing at Lineage over the last two years, and the responsibility Lineage had given her. This is a fabulous achievement for a young woman who always works hard. We all believe in the School of Business here at EIT that Shelby will go far and realise her dreams for sure.”

    MIL OSI New Zealand News –

  • MIL-OSI: Lightchain AI Opens Final Bonus Round Following $21M Presale Completion and Ecosystem Tool Launch

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SHREWSBURY, United Kingdom, July 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lightchain AI, the decentralized AI Layer 1 protocol, has officially entered its final Bonus Round after completing all 15 presale stages and securing over $21 million in early contributions. Priced at a fixed $0.007125, the Bonus Round gives developers and early supporters one last opportunity to acquire LCAI tokens before the upcoming mainnet launch in July.

    The Bonus Round marks more than a token sale milestone—it coincides with the rollout of key infrastructure designed to fuel developer participation and decentralized activity across the Lightchain ecosystem.

    Meme Launchpad Goes Live

    As part of its roadmap execution, Lightchain AI has launched its Meme Launchpad, a toolset enabling creators to deploy meme tokens directly on Lightchain’s native network. Projects benefit from built-in liquidity support, optimized transaction costs, and instant exposure to a growing on-chain community. This launch positions Lightchain as a home for creative and experimental use cases while demonstrating the network’s real-world readiness.

    Public Repositories and Builder Tools Set for Deployment

    The project’s GitHub repositories are preparing to go live, offering transparent access to its Artificial Intelligence Virtual Machine (AIVM), Proof-of-Intelligence consensus model, and cross-chain infrastructure. Accompanying APIs and SDKs are being finalized for developers eager to build applications, tools, and DeFi protocols tailored to AI-enhanced execution.

    The network’s architecture also includes gas optimization features that automatically adjust transaction fees based on AI task complexity, improving usability while supporting high-throughput AI processing.

    Tokenomics Built for Sustainability

    Lightchain AI’s tokenomics model reinforces long-term utility. Of the total token supply, 40% is allocated to presale participants, 28.5% to staking rewards, and 26.5% toward liquidity, marketing, development, and grants. Notably, the originally reserved 5% team allocation has been fully redirected to ecosystem growth, developer incentives, and community contributions—reinforcing the platform’s decentralized and community-first approach.

    Mainnet Launch on the Horizon

    With validator onboarding underway and contributor nodes in testing, Lightchain AI is on track for a July 2025 mainnet launch. The Bonus Round, currently in progress, is expected to close shortly before deployment.

    Supporters and developers can access token information, whitepaper documentation, and project details via official channels:

    Website: https://lightchain.ai
    Whitepaper: https://lightchain.ai/lightchain-whitepaper.pdf
    Twitter: https://x.com/LightchainAI
    Telegram: https://t.me/LightchainProtocol

    Contact:
    SHAJAN SKARIA
    media@lightchain.ai

    Disclaimer: This content is provided by Lightchain AI. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice.Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed.Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility.Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/dbe6c2f6-787d-48ad-94d3-317af7538602

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI China: Optimism as sales see strong growth

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

    Visitors learn about new energy vehicles of Chinese carmaker BYD during the 27th Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area International Auto Show at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center in Shenzhen, south China’s Guangdong Province, June 16, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

    Major carmakers in China have concluded the first half with positive growth, bracing themselves for possible record-high deliveries in the year.

    BYD topped the chart with deliveries of 2.14 million vehicles, up 33 percent year-on-year. It sold 377,628 passenger vehicles in June, up 11 percent from a year earlier.

    Of its half-year sales, 472,000 were sold in overseas markets, up 132 percent year-on-year. That was even more than the total of its overseas sales in 2024.

    Data released by JATO Dynamics indicated the Chinese automaker almost matched Tesla’s European registrations in May, building on its initial outperformance of its US rival in April.

    It nearly quadrupled European sales in the first four months of 2025, figures from researcher Dataforce show.

    BYD was followed by SAIC, which was the second carmaker to deliver more than 2 million units in the first half.

    The Shanghai-based giant saw its wholesale figure reach 2.05 million units from January to June, up 12.4 percent year-on-year.

    Its retail figures were even higher, at 2.2 million units. SAIC’s sales target for 2025 is 4.5 million units.

    Also of note is that SAIC is now less reliant on its joint ventures with GM and Volkswagen respectively.

    In the first half, the Chinese carmaker’s indigenous brands saw their combined sales reach 1.3 million units, up 21.1 percent year-on-year.

    The figure accounted for 64 percent of its total deliveries, up 4.6 percentage points from the same period of 2024.

    FAW, which owns the iconic Hongqi brand, and has joint ventures with Toyota and Volkswagen, delivered 1.57 million units, up 6.1 percent year-on-year.

    Changan, Chery and Geely each saw record-number deliveries in the period, standing at 1.36 million units, 1.26 million units, and 1.41 million units respectively.

    Geely’s sales were up 47.45 percent year-on-year. This strong performance was primarily driven by the Geely Galaxy sub-brand and the robust performance of battery electric vehicle models.

    In the first half of 2025, Geely’s BEV sales reached 510,803 units, a year-on-year growth of 173.09 percent. Its plug-in hybrid electric vehicle sales for the same period were 214,348 units, up 61 percent year-on-year.

    Geely has raised its full-year 2025 sales guidance from 2.71 million units to 3 million units.

    It said that this is due to the group’s strong sales performance so far this year, and it will strive to achieve this target.

    Data showed that it sold 236,036 vehicles in June, marking the 10th consecutive month since September 2024 that sales have exceeded 200,000 units.

    The three were trailed by BAIC and Great Wall Motors, whose sales stood at 817,000 units, up 6 percent year-on-year, and 571,000 units, up 1.8 percent.

    NEV startups saw robust momentum as well. XPeng delivered 34,611 cars in June, the eighth-straight month where it delivered more than 30,000 cars.

    Nio reported 24,925 car deliveries in June, a slight increase from May, thanks to growth across its premium Nio brand and lower-priced Onvo and Firefly brands.

    Li Auto reported 36,279 vehicle deliveries in June, an 11.2 percent drop from May. But its total deliveries in the second quarter came in at 111,074 units, better than the company’s lowered guidance of 108,000 cars.

    Overseas brands are starting to catch up with Chinese rivals.

    General Motors and its joint ventures in China posted the biggest quarterly sales surge in four years in the second quarter of this year, driven by the strong performance of its growing new energy vehicle lineup and high-volume nameplates.

    The US carmaker said its Q2 deliveries exceeded 447,000 units, marking its second consecutive quarter of year-over-year sales growth in China with a 20 percent increase — the highest annual gain for a single quarter since the first quarter of 2021.

    Sales of NEVs, including pure battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid vehicles, and extended range electric vehicles, soared 50 percent in the quarter compared to the same period of 2024.

    Its cumulative sales in the first half of 2025 exceeded 890,000 units, up 9.4 percent from a year earlier.

    Meanwhile, GM achieved year-over-year market share growth in both the second quarter and the first half of 2025.

    “Our strong Q2 performance reflects the sustainable growth trajectory we are building in both sales and market share through local innovations,” said Steve Hill, GM senior vice-president and president of GM China.

    “We remain committed to driving profitable growth for China business by focusing on strong execution, business agility, and customer choices,” said Hill.

    MIL OSI China News –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: We don’t need deep-sea mining, or its environmental harms. Here’s why

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Justin Alger, Associate Professor / Senior Lecturer in Global Environmental Politics, The University of Melbourne

    Potato-sized polymetallic nodules from the deep sea could be mined for valuable metals and minerals. Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    Deep-sea mining promises critical minerals for the energy transition without the problems of mining on land. It also promises to bring wealth to developing nations. But the evidence suggests these promises are false, and mining would harm the environment.

    The practice involves scooping up rock-like nodules from vast areas of the sea floor. These potato-sized lumps contain metals and minerals such as zinc, manganese, molybdenum, nickel and rare earth elements.

    Technology to mine the deep sea exists, but commercial mining of the deep sea is not happening anywhere in the world. That could soon change. Nations are meeting this month in Kingston, Jamaica, to agree to a mining code. Such a code would make way for mining to begin within the next few years.

    On Thursday, Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, released research into the environmental impacts of deep-sea mining. It aims to promote better environmental management of deep-sea mining, should it proceed.

    We have previously challenged the rationale for deep-sea mining, drawing on our expertise in international politics and environmental management. We argue mining the deep sea is harmful and the economic benefits have been overstated. What’s more, the metals and minerals to be mined are not scarce.

    The best course of action is a ban on international seabed mining, building on the coalition for a moratorium.

    The Metals Company spent six months at sea collecting nodules in 2022, while studying the effects on ecosystems.

    Managing and monitoring environmental harm

    Recent advances in technology have made deep-sea mining more feasible. But removing the nodules – which also requires pumping water around – has been shown to damage the seabed and endanger marine life.

    CSIRO has developed the first environmental management and monitoring frameworks to protect deep sea ecosystems from mining. It aims to provide “trusted, science-based tools to evaluate the environmental risks and viability of deep-sea mining”.

    Scientists from Griffith University, Museums Victoria, the University of the Sunshine Coast, and Earth Sciences New Zealand were also involved in the work.

    The Metals Company Australia, a local subsidiary of the Canadian deep-sea mining exploration company, commissioned the research. It involved analysing data from test mining the company carried out in the Pacific Ocean in 2022.

    The company has led efforts to expedite deep-sea mining. This includes pushing for the mining code, and exploring commercial mining of the international seabed through approval from the US government.

    In a media briefing this week, CSIRO Senior Principal Research Scientist Piers Dunstan said the mining activity substantially affected the sea floor. Some marine life, especially that attached to the nodules, had very little hope of recovery. He said if mining were to go ahead, monitoring would be crucial.

    We are sceptical that ecological impacts can be managed even with this new framework. Little is known about life in these deep-water ecosystems. But research shows nodule mining would cause extensive habitat loss and damage.

    Do we really need to open the ocean frontier to mining? We argue the answer is no, on three counts.

    How does deep-sea mining work? (The Guardian)

    1. Minerals are not scarce

    The minerals required for the energy transition are abundant on land. Known global terrestrial reserves of cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum and nickel are enough to meet current production levels for decades – even with growing demand.

    There is no compelling reason to extract deep-sea minerals, given the economics of both deep-sea and land-based mining. Deep-sea mining is speculative and inevitably too expensive given such remote, deep operations.

    Claims about mineral scarcity are being used to justify attempting to legitimise a new extractive frontier in the deep sea. Opportunistic investors can make money through speculation and attracting government subsidies.

    2. Mining at sea will not replace mining on land

    Proponents claim deep-sea mining can replace some mining on land. Mining on land has led to social issues including infringing on indigenous and community rights. It also damages the environment.

    But deep-sea mining will not necessarily displace, replace or change mining on land. Land-based mining contracts span decades and the companies involved will not abandon ongoing or planned projects. Their activities will continue, even if deep-sea mining begins.

    Deep-sea mining also faces many of the same challenges as mining on land, while introducing new problems. The social problems that arise during transport, processing and distribution remain the same.

    And sea-based industries are already rife with modern slavery and labour violations, partly because they are notoriously difficult to monitor.

    Deep-sea mining does not solve social problems with land-based mining, and adds more challenges.

    Hidden Gem was the world’s first deep-sea mineral production vessel with seabed-to-surface nodule collection and transport systems.
    Photo by Charles M. Vella/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

    3. Common heritage of humankind and the Global South

    Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the international seabed is the common heritage of humankind. This means the proceeds of deep-sea mining should be distributed fairly among all countries.

    Deep-sea mining commercial partnerships between developing countries in the Global South and firms from the North have yet to pay off for the former. There is little indication this pattern will change.

    For example, when Canadian company Nautilus went bankrupt in 2019, it saddled Papua New Guinea with millions in debt from a failed domestic deep-sea mining venture.

    The Metals Company has partnerships with Nauru and Tonga but the latest deal with the US creates uncertainty about whether their agreements will be honoured.

    European investors took control of Blue Minerals Jamaica, originally a Jamaican-owned company, shortly after orchestrating its start up. Any profits would therefore go offshore.

    Australian Gerard Barron is Chairman and CEO of The Metals Company, formerly DeepGreen.
    Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    A wise investment?

    It is unclear whether deep-sea mining will ever be a good investment.

    Multiple large corporate investors have pulled out of the industry, or gone bankrupt. And The Metals Company has received delisting notices from the Nasdaq stock exchange due to poor financial performance.

    Given the threat of environmental harm, the evidence suggests deep-sea mining is not worth the risk.

    Justin Alger receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    D.G. Webster receives funding from the National Science Foundation in the United States and various internal funding sources at Dartmouth University.

    Jessica Green receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    Kate J Neville receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    Stacy D VanDeveer and Susan M Park 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. We don’t need deep-sea mining, or its environmental harms. Here’s why – https://theconversation.com/we-dont-need-deep-sea-mining-or-its-environmental-harms-heres-why-260401

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: We don’t need deep-sea mining, or its environmental harms. Here’s why

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Justin Alger, Associate Professor / Senior Lecturer in Global Environmental Politics, The University of Melbourne

    Potato-sized polymetallic nodules from the deep sea could be mined for valuable metals and minerals. Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    Deep-sea mining promises critical minerals for the energy transition without the problems of mining on land. It also promises to bring wealth to developing nations. But the evidence suggests these promises are false, and mining would harm the environment.

    The practice involves scooping up rock-like nodules from vast areas of the sea floor. These potato-sized lumps contain metals and minerals such as zinc, manganese, molybdenum, nickel and rare earth elements.

    Technology to mine the deep sea exists, but commercial mining of the deep sea is not happening anywhere in the world. That could soon change. Nations are meeting this month in Kingston, Jamaica, to agree to a mining code. Such a code would make way for mining to begin within the next few years.

    On Thursday, Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, released research into the environmental impacts of deep-sea mining. It aims to promote better environmental management of deep-sea mining, should it proceed.

    We have previously challenged the rationale for deep-sea mining, drawing on our expertise in international politics and environmental management. We argue mining the deep sea is harmful and the economic benefits have been overstated. What’s more, the metals and minerals to be mined are not scarce.

    The best course of action is a ban on international seabed mining, building on the coalition for a moratorium.

    The Metals Company spent six months at sea collecting nodules in 2022, while studying the effects on ecosystems.

    Managing and monitoring environmental harm

    Recent advances in technology have made deep-sea mining more feasible. But removing the nodules – which also requires pumping water around – has been shown to damage the seabed and endanger marine life.

    CSIRO has developed the first environmental management and monitoring frameworks to protect deep sea ecosystems from mining. It aims to provide “trusted, science-based tools to evaluate the environmental risks and viability of deep-sea mining”.

    Scientists from Griffith University, Museums Victoria, the University of the Sunshine Coast, and Earth Sciences New Zealand were also involved in the work.

    The Metals Company Australia, a local subsidiary of the Canadian deep-sea mining exploration company, commissioned the research. It involved analysing data from test mining the company carried out in the Pacific Ocean in 2022.

    The company has led efforts to expedite deep-sea mining. This includes pushing for the mining code, and exploring commercial mining of the international seabed through approval from the US government.

    In a media briefing this week, CSIRO Senior Principal Research Scientist Piers Dunstan said the mining activity substantially affected the sea floor. Some marine life, especially that attached to the nodules, had very little hope of recovery. He said if mining were to go ahead, monitoring would be crucial.

    We are sceptical that ecological impacts can be managed even with this new framework. Little is known about life in these deep-water ecosystems. But research shows nodule mining would cause extensive habitat loss and damage.

    Do we really need to open the ocean frontier to mining? We argue the answer is no, on three counts.

    How does deep-sea mining work? (The Guardian)

    1. Minerals are not scarce

    The minerals required for the energy transition are abundant on land. Known global terrestrial reserves of cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum and nickel are enough to meet current production levels for decades – even with growing demand.

    There is no compelling reason to extract deep-sea minerals, given the economics of both deep-sea and land-based mining. Deep-sea mining is speculative and inevitably too expensive given such remote, deep operations.

    Claims about mineral scarcity are being used to justify attempting to legitimise a new extractive frontier in the deep sea. Opportunistic investors can make money through speculation and attracting government subsidies.

    2. Mining at sea will not replace mining on land

    Proponents claim deep-sea mining can replace some mining on land. Mining on land has led to social issues including infringing on indigenous and community rights. It also damages the environment.

    But deep-sea mining will not necessarily displace, replace or change mining on land. Land-based mining contracts span decades and the companies involved will not abandon ongoing or planned projects. Their activities will continue, even if deep-sea mining begins.

    Deep-sea mining also faces many of the same challenges as mining on land, while introducing new problems. The social problems that arise during transport, processing and distribution remain the same.

    And sea-based industries are already rife with modern slavery and labour violations, partly because they are notoriously difficult to monitor.

    Deep-sea mining does not solve social problems with land-based mining, and adds more challenges.

    Hidden Gem was the world’s first deep-sea mineral production vessel with seabed-to-surface nodule collection and transport systems.
    Photo by Charles M. Vella/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

    3. Common heritage of humankind and the Global South

    Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the international seabed is the common heritage of humankind. This means the proceeds of deep-sea mining should be distributed fairly among all countries.

    Deep-sea mining commercial partnerships between developing countries in the Global South and firms from the North have yet to pay off for the former. There is little indication this pattern will change.

    For example, when Canadian company Nautilus went bankrupt in 2019, it saddled Papua New Guinea with millions in debt from a failed domestic deep-sea mining venture.

    The Metals Company has partnerships with Nauru and Tonga but the latest deal with the US creates uncertainty about whether their agreements will be honoured.

    European investors took control of Blue Minerals Jamaica, originally a Jamaican-owned company, shortly after orchestrating its start up. Any profits would therefore go offshore.

    Australian Gerard Barron is Chairman and CEO of The Metals Company, formerly DeepGreen.
    Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    A wise investment?

    It is unclear whether deep-sea mining will ever be a good investment.

    Multiple large corporate investors have pulled out of the industry, or gone bankrupt. And The Metals Company has received delisting notices from the Nasdaq stock exchange due to poor financial performance.

    Given the threat of environmental harm, the evidence suggests deep-sea mining is not worth the risk.

    Justin Alger receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    D.G. Webster receives funding from the National Science Foundation in the United States and various internal funding sources at Dartmouth University.

    Jessica Green receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    Kate J Neville receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    Stacy D VanDeveer and Susan M Park 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. We don’t need deep-sea mining, or its environmental harms. Here’s why – https://theconversation.com/we-dont-need-deep-sea-mining-or-its-environmental-harms-heres-why-260401

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Analysis: Astronomers have spied an interstellar object zooming through the Solar System

    Source: The Conversation – Global Perspectives – By Kirsten Banks, Lecturer, School of Science, Computing and Engineering Technologies, Swinburne University of Technology

    K Ly / Deep Random Survey

    This week, astronomers spotted the third known interstellar visitor to our Solar System.

    First detected by the Asteroid Terrestrial-impact Last Alert System (ATLAS) on July 1, the cosmic interloper was given the temporary name A11pl3Z. Experts at NASA’s Center for Near Earth Object Studies and the International Astronomical Union (IAU) have confirmed the find, and the object now has an official designation: 3I/ATLAS.

    The orbital path of 3I/ATLAS through the Solar System.
    NASA/JPL-Caltech, CC BY-NC

    There are a few strong clues that suggest 3I/ATLAS came from outside the Solar System.

    First, it’s moving really fast. Current observations show it speeding through space at around 245,000km per hour. That’s more than enough to escape the Sun’s gravity.

    An object near Earth’s orbit would only need to be travelling at just over 150,000km/h to break free from the Solar System.

    Second, 3I/ATLAS has a wildly eccentric orbit around the Sun. Eccentricity measures how “stretched” an orbit is: 0 eccentricity is a perfect circle, and anything up to 1 is an increasingly strung-out ellipse. Above 1 is an orbit that is not bound to the Sun.

    3I/ATLAS has an estimated eccentricity of 6.3, by far the highest ever recorded for any object in the Solar System.

    Has anything like this happened before?

    An artist’s impression of the first confirmed interstellar object, 1I/‘Oumuamua.
    ESO/M. Kornmesser, CC BY

    The first interstellar object spotted in our Solar System was the cigar-shaped ‘Oumuamua, discovered in 2017 by the Pan-STARRS1 telescope in Hawaii. Scientists tracked it for 80 days before eventually confirming it came from interstellar space.

    The interstellar comet 2I/Borisov, imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope.
    NASA, ESA, and D. Jewitt (UCLA), CC BY-NC

    The second interstellar visitor, comet 2I/Borisov, was discovered two years later by amateur astronomer Gennadiy Borisov. This time it only took astronomers a few weeks to confirm it came from outside the Solar System.

    This time, the interstellar origin of 3I/ATLAS has been confirmed in a matter of days.

    How did it get here?

    We have only ever seen three interstellar visitors (including 3I/ATLAS), so it’s hard to know exactly how they made their way here.

    However, recent research published in The Planetary Science Journal suggests these objects might be more common than we once thought. In particular, they may come from relatively nearby star systems such as Alpha Centauri (our nearest interstellar neighbour, a mere 4.4 light years away).

    Alpha Centauri A and Alpha Centauri B, from the triple star system Alpha Centauri.
    ESA/Hubble & NASA, CC BY

    Alpha Centauri is slowly moving closer to us, with its closest approach expected in about 28,000 years. If it flings out material in the same way our Solar System does, scientists estimate around a million objects from Alpha Centauri larger than 100 metres in diameter could already be in the outer reaches of our Solar System. That number could increase tenfold as Alpha Centauri gets closer.

    Most of this material would have been ejected at relatively low speeds, less than 2km/s, making it more likely to drift into our cosmic neighbourhood over time and not dramatically zoom in and out of the Solar System like 3I/ATLAS appears to be doing. While the chance of one of these objects coming close to the Sun is extremely small, the study suggests a few tiny meteors from Alpha Centauri, likely no bigger than grains of sand, may already hit Earth’s atmosphere every year.

    Why is this interesting?

    Discovering new interstellar visitors like 3I/ATLAS is thrilling, not just because they’re rare, but because each one offers a unique glimpse into the wider galaxy. Every confirmed interstellar object expands our catalogue and helps scientists better understand the nature of these visitors, how they travel through space, and where they might have come from.

    A swarm of new asteroids discovered by the NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory.

    Thanks to powerful new observatories such as the NSF–DOE Vera C. Rubin Observatory, our ability to detect these elusive objects is rapidly improving. In fact, during its first 10 hours of test imaging, Rubin revealed 2,104 previously unknown asteroids.

    This is an astonishing preview of what’s to come. With its wide field of view and constant sky coverage, Rubin is expected to revolutionise our search for interstellar objects, potentially turning rare discoveries into routine ones.

    What now?

    There’s still plenty left to uncover about 3I/ATLAS. Right now, it’s officially classified as a comet by the IAU Minor Planet Center.

    But some scientists argue it might actually be an asteroid, roughly 20km across, based on the lack of typical comet-like features such as a glowing coma or a tail. More observations will be needed to confirm its nature.

    Currently, 3I/ATLAS is inbound, just inside Jupiter’s orbit. It’s expected to reach its closest point to the Sun, slightly closer than the planet Mars, on October 29. After that, it will swing back out towards deep space, making its closest approach to Earth in December. (It will pose no threat to our planet.)

    Whether it’s a comet or an asteroid, 3I/ATLAS is a messenger from another star system. For now, these sightings are rare – though as next-generation observatories such as Rubin swing into operation, we may discover interstellar companions all around.

    Kirsten Banks 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. Astronomers have spied an interstellar object zooming through the Solar System – https://theconversation.com/astronomers-have-spied-an-interstellar-object-zooming-through-the-solar-system-260422

    MIL OSI Analysis –

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Tax Time 2025 update – 1 July

    Source: New places to play in Gungahlin

    Welcome and governance

    The ATO Co-chair welcomed members and ATO attendees to the first Tax Practitioner Stewardship Group (TPSG) Tax Time 2025 meeting.

    ATO updates

    Frontline Services

    Frontline Services provided the following update:

    • Tax time has progressed well on day 1, noting the day is not over yet.
    • We’ve received 4,000 calls from tax agents so far, which is similar to this time last year.
    • Lodgment numbers are slightly higher from this time last year, but we expect this figure to level out throughout the week.
    • We’ve put in place a safety net that may be removed progressively throughout this week.

    Member comments

    Members queried whether we will investigate and amend tax returns lodged early this year. We stated that this will depend on the circumstances and reiterated the safety net should help prevent this as has been done in previous years.

    IT system updates and maintenance

    Enterprise Solutions and Technology provided the following update:

    • Good system performance throughout the day with notably good response times.
    • There is a small issue with the availability of webchat functionality in myTax, which is currently being worked through, but this has had no impact on Online Services for Agents.

    ATO Digital services

    Digital services are operating as intended and there is nothing to report.

    ATO Communications

    Marketing and Communications provided the following update:

    • Key focus for tax time communications this year is to encourage people to wait until all pre-fill information is available before lodging, with our strategy and messages centered on ‘Back to basics’ themes emphasising record keeping, eligibility to claim, and substantiation.
    • The ATO Tax Time Spokesperson has been engaging with a wide range of audiences through media, podcasts, webinars and events, and achieving early reach in partnerships with high-profile consumer brands.
    • Our flagship tax time toolkits, including the Investors toolkit, the Individuals tax time toolkit and the Tax time toolkit for small business, have been successfully updated, offering a helpful resource for tax agents to guide conversations with individuals and small business clients.
    • A significant focus this tax time is encouraging uptake of the ATO app, with new security features rolling out to keep users safe and their ATO records secure. Recent communication around real time security messaging has been successful in generating uptake, with a number of instances already confirmed of blocking suspected fraud.
    • The recent tax time webcast with tax professionals was a success with a total of 2,051 attendees and 132 questions from participants. The recorded version of the webcast will be included in this week’s edition of the Tax professional’s newsletter.

    Member comments

    Members highlighted that 142,000 early lodged returns last year were adjusted or reviewed for errors is an important message for taxpayers.

    Superannuation

    Superannuation and Employer Obligations provided the following update:

    • Super Guarantee (SG) rate will increase to 12% on 1 July. This rate applies for payments of salary and wages to eligible workers on and after 1 July, even if some or all of the pay period it relates to is before 1 July.
    • SG contributions should be made by 28 July in full, on time and to the right fund. For the quarter ending 30 June, apply the 11.5% SG rate for salary and wage payments made before 1 July.
    • As of 1 July, some pay as you go (PAYG) withholding schedules and tax tables have been updated. Tax agents should ensure they are using the correct tax tables or the tax withheld calculator to work out how much to withhold from employees’ payments
      • a reminder to update payroll software to withhold, report and pay the correct amount of tax.
    • Single Touch Payroll (STP) reporting and finalisation declarations are due by 14 July
      • lodge a finalisation declaration for all employees paid and reported through STP so they have the right information to lodge their income tax returns
      • finalise all employees paid in the financial year, even those that haven’t been paid for a while, like terminated employees
      • if an employer changes payroll software providers, they should finalise records before they change. This ensures employers and employees have accurate information during tax time.

    Member insights and experience

    Member comments

    A professional association representative member raised an issue in relation to an ATO LinkedIn poll asking taxpayers what they thought was the fastest and easiest way to lodge this tax time. Members were disappointed that this poll did not acknowledge lodging through a registered tax agent is also a valid, fast and easy option.

    Members raised concerns that ATO communications do not acknowledge the role of tax professionals and in the current environment with changes to the Tax Agent Services Act (TASA), this adds to the increasing unease across the tax professional community.

    Members encouraged us to continue to engage the Communication Content Working Group (CCWG) and the TSPG to improve messaging that positions tax agents alongside myTax in our communications.

    We expressed appreciation for this feedback and noted that the post was intended to be a light-hearted and engaging way to spark conversation around tax time, rather than a comprehensive overview of lodgment options. We stated that registered tax agents were considered as an option in this poll, however thought placing them alongside choices like paper returns or interpretive dance might unintentionally come across as disrespectful to tax agents, and not in keeping with the playful tone of the post.

    We absolutely recognise the vital role tax professionals play and regularly highlight the contributions they make across our channels, encouraging the community to seek support from registered agents. We’ve taken this feedback on board and will keep this in mind this for all future communications. We apologised to tax professionals for this post and any offence taken and have since taken the poll down.

    A professional association representative member raised an increase in their members commenting on ATO outbound calls, where our officers are requesting the tax agents to go through a POI process, which at tax time is causing an increased level of frustration amongst agents.

    Members quired whether there is an easier solution to provide verification through a message in Practice Mail.

    Members raised the amendments made by the ATO to 142,000 tax returns lodged within the first 2 weeks of tax time last year and whether shortfall interest charge (SIC) was applied to these taxpayers.

    MIL OSI News –

  • MIL-OSI Video: President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers an intervention during the 2nd session of the XVII BRICS Summit

    Source: Republic of South Africa (video statements)

    His Excellency President Cyril Ramaphosa delivers an intervention during the second session of the XVII BRICS Summit held under theme: “Strengthening Multilateralism, Economic-Financial Affairs, and Artificial Intelligence”.

    Stay updated, South Africa! Subscribe to The Presidency’s Channel here: https://www.youtube.com/@PresidencyZA/?sub_confirmation=1.

    Checkout more: http://www.thepresidency.gov.za

    Get Social
    Facebook ► https://www.facebook.com/PresidencyZA
    Instagram ► https://www.instagram.com/presidencyza/?hl=en
    Twitter ► @PresidencyZA

    #ThePresidencyofSouthAfrica #PresidencyZA

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UP4cez0eDno

    MIL OSI Video –

  • MIL-OSI Submissions: Pacific-Solomon Islands – 62 companies sign PSA contracts with SIG/MRD to supply materials to constituencies

    Source: Government of the Solomon Islands

    The Ministry of Rural Development (MRD) has completed the qualification process and recently signed legally binding agreements with 62 private companies under the Solomon Islands Government Preferred Supplier Arrangement (PSA).

    The PSA qualifies these Companies to supply materials, equipment, goods and services to the national government through the 50 constituencies.

    This signing marks a significant milestone toward the full implementation of the 2025 Constituency Development Funds (CDF) budget; enabling the mobilization of essential resources for rural development projects and community improvements.

    The PSA is a SIG procurement administrative process designed to streamline and fix procurement procedures particularly for commonly procured goods or equipment by engaging legally registered, genuine, and qualified companies to supply goods and services to the government. The goal is to improve efficiency and ensure the delivery of quality services to both the government and the public.

    “The PSA contracts are valid for one year, with procurement of goods and services governed by and in compliance with Sections 73 and 74 of the Public Financial Management (PFM) Act 2013 and Section 28 of the Constituency Development Funds (CDF) Act 2023” MRD said in an official statement.

    “The processes will be closely monitored by MRD in collaboration with the Ministry of Finance and Treasury (MoFT) to ensure all procurement procedures under the relevant sections of the PFM Act 2013, SIG Procurement Manual and the CDF Act 2023 are complied with, guaranteeing that quality goods and services are delivered to the constituencies,” the statement added.

    It further explained that, to ensure impartiality, the PSA underwent a rigorous selection and evaluation process, including physical site inspections and assessments on suppliers conducted by the MRD Technical Evaluation Committee (TEC). The process also involved scrutiny by the Ministry of Finance (MoFT) and the Central Tender Board (CTB) before contracts were awarded to successful suppliers.

    Regarding pricing, MRD secured fixed prices for various items based on prevailing market rates, ensuring value for money and consistent quality of materials purchased by constituencies for development projects.

    Price evaluation was conducted exclusively for the 62 qualified companies across the following categories/items:

    Hardware and Building Materials
    Forestry Milling Products
    Marine, Seagoing, and Fishing Equipment
    Plant & Motor Vehicles
    Electrification Supplies
    Plumbing, Water Supply, and Sanitation Equipment
    Communication, Musical, and Sound Equipment
    Sports Equipment and Accessories
    Agriculture and Gardening Equipment
    Tailoring, Embroidery, and Fabric Printing Equipment
    Cookery, Bakery, and Kitchenware
    Retail Goods

    The CTB serves as the awarding authority, responsible for the tender awards following the completion of all technical evaluation processes undertaken by MRD. PSA contracts are prepared by MRD, with signatories including Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Finance and Treasury (Chairman of the CTB), PS MRD (Chairman of the Ministerial Tender Board, MTB), and the suppliers.

    The contracts are valid for one year (12 months), with fixed prices throughout the period. The list of the qualified suppliers for the PSA will be published when all contract documentations are finalised soon.

    The Tender for the PSA was publicized in October 2024, with 68 companies submitting bids. After thorough evaluation, six companies were disqualified for failing to meet the minimum technical requirements outlined in the tender documentation, including Section VI, Schedule of Requirements. MRD also undertook a quick review of the selling prices of commonly procured goods under the PSA which resulted in some decrease in pricing on some commonly procured goods under the scheme.

    Funding for the 2025 PSA is allocated from the MRD/SIG Development Budget.

    The SIG support to the Constituency Development Program totals $250 million, which will be equally shared among the 50 constituencies—each receiving $5 million. Of this amount, $3.2 million is allocated and to be processed via the Preferred Suppliers Arrangement, while $1.8 million is provided as grants to the respective constituencies.

    Funding utilization will follow the sectoral allocations stipulated in the CDF Act 2023, Section 26. Specifically, the funding utilisation will be portioned as follows:

    40% for the Productive & Resources Sector
    20% for Essential Services
    20% for Cross-Sectoral, Inclusivity, and Gender initiatives
    20% for Social and Cultural Obligations

    The implementation of the 2025 CDF program continues to progress smoothly.  

    MIL OSI – Submitted News –

  • BRICS: Indonesia joins as full member, 10 countries welcomed as partners

    Source: Government of India

    Source: Government of India (4)

    Leaders of the BRICS nations on Sunday welcomed Indonesia as a full member of the group, along with the inclusion of 10 countries — Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Nigeria, Malaysia, Thailand, Cuba, Vietnam, Uganda, and Uzbekistan — as partner countries.

    In a joint declaration issued at the 17th BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro, the leaders said, “We welcome the Republic of Indonesia as a BRICS member, as well as the Republic of Belarus, the Plurinational State of Bolivia, the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Republic of Cuba, the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Malaysia, the Kingdom of Thailand, the Socialist Republic of Vietnam, the Republic of Uganda, and the Republic of Uzbekistan as BRICS partner countries.”

    The declaration also highlighted key initiatives adopted during the summit, including the BRICS Leaders’ Framework Declaration on Climate Finance, the BRICS Leaders’ Statement on the Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence, and the launch of the BRICS Partnership for the Elimination of Socially Determined Diseases. 

    During the BRICS session on ‘Peace and Security and Reform of Global Governance,’ Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised that the expansion demonstrates BRICS’ ability to evolve with changing times. He called for urgent reforms in global institutions such as the United Nations Security Council, the World Trade Organisation (WTO), and Multilateral Development Banks.

    “The expansion of BRICS and the inclusion of new partners reflect its ability to evolve with the times. Now, we must demonstrate the same determination to reform institutions like the UN Security Council, the WTO, and Multilateral Development Banks. In the age of AI, where technology evolves every week, it’s unacceptable for global institutions to go eighty years without reform. You can’t run 21st-century software on 20th-century typewriters,” the Prime Minister said.

    BRICS was originally established as BRIC after the leaders of Russia, India, China, and Brazil met during the G8 Outreach Summit in 2006. The grouping formalised its cooperation with the first BRIC Summit in Russia in 2009. South Africa joined in 2010, expanding the group to BRICS.

    A further expansion took place in 2024 with Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran, and the UAE becoming full members from January 1. Indonesia became a full member in January 2025, while Belarus, Bolivia, Kazakhstan, Cuba, Malaysia, Nigeria, Thailand, Uganda, and Uzbekistan were inducted as BRICS partner countries.

    (ANI)

     

  • MIL-OSI United Nations: Secretary-General’s remarks at the 17th BRICS Summit Session on “Strengthening Multilateralism, Economic-Financial Affairs and Artificial Intelligence” [as delivered] 

    Source: United Nations secretary general

    Prezado Presidente Lula, muito obrigado pelo seu amável convite e pela sua hospitalidade tão amiga.
     
    Excellencies,
     
    Artificial intelligence is reshaping economies and societies.
     
    The fundamental test is how wisely we will guide this transformation.
     
    How we minimize the risks and maximize the potential for good. 
     
    I am particularly concerned with the weaponization of AI, in a world where peace is more necessary than ever.
     
    Peace in Palestine, based on building the two-State solution, starting by an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the immediate and unconditional release of hostages, free and unimpeded humanitarian aid delivery, and the ending of the crippling annexation and violence in the West Bank.
     
    A just and sustainable peace in Ukraine, in line with the UN Charter, international law and relevant UN resolutions.
     
    Silencing the guns in Sudan, where civilians have also suffered too much.
    And the list goes on, from the DRC to Somalia, from the Sahel to Myanmar.
     
    Excellencies,
     
    Artificial intelligence needs a multilateral response grounded in equity and human rights.
     
    The Pact for the Future, approved by the General Assembly of the United Nations, calls for a new architecture of trust and cooperation – starting with the establishment by the UN of an Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence.
     
    This Panel should provide impartial, evidence-based guidance available to all Member States.
     
    The Pact also calls for a periodic Global Dialogue on AI within the UN, with all the Member States and relevant stakeholders. 
     
    The AI can’t be a club of the few, but must benefit all, and in particular, developing countries which must have a real voice in global AI governance.
     
    I will also soon present a report outlining innovative voluntary financing options to support AI capacity-building in developing countries, and I urge the BRICS’ support and your support for these efforts.
     
    But we cannot govern AI effectively – and fairly – without confronting deeper, structural imbalances in our global system.
     
    We are in a multipolar era.
     
    Power relations are shifting.
     
    A multipolar world requires multilateral governance – with global institutions tuned for the times, in particular the Security Council and the international financial architecture.
     
    They were designed for a bygone age, a bygone world, with a bygone system of power relations.
     
    The reform of the Security Council is crucial.
     
    The message from the Financing for Development Conference last week in Sevilla was clear:
     
    Ensuring that developing countries have a greater participation in global economic governance and its institutions;
     
    Putting into place an effective debt restructuring mechanism;
     
    And tripling the lending capacity of multilateral development banks, in particular, with concessional funding and in local currencies.
     
    All this is crucial for countries, especially in the Global South – to bridge the digital divide and fully harness artificial intelligence’s potential, making AI a powerful driver for inclusive growth and sustainable development.
     
    Excellencies,
     
    At a time when multilateralism is being undermined, let us remind the world that cooperation is humanity’s greatest innovation.
     
    That begins with trust, and trust begins with all countries respecting International Law without exceptions.
     
    Let us rise to this moment – and reform and modernize multilateralism, including the UN and all the systems and institutions to make it work for everyone, everywhere.
     
    Thank you.
     

    MIL OSI United Nations News –

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Six teams announced as finalists for Abertay’s annual video games design competition

    Source: University of Abertay

    Abertay University has announced the finalists for its flagship video game design competition, DARE Academy. 

    Six talented undergraduate teams will spend the summer developing and refining game prototypes, competing for the prestigious DARE trophy and a grand prize of £5,000. 

    A highlight of the university’s calendar, the competition offers students intensive support from academic staff and industry experts. Over the coming months, the teams will work in the university’s state-of-the-art Centre for Excellence in Computer Games, honing their concepts and creating playable prototypes in a professional studio environment. 

    This year’s finalists were selected by a panel of expert judges, who were impressed by the originality, polish and potential of the teams’ pitches. 

    The Dare Academy 2025 finalist teams are: 

    • Fishbowl Studio
    • Bonny Bandits
    • Final Prism Interactive
    • Cosmic Coda
    • Hyperfix
    • Riverboat Games 

    The teams will have the opportunity to showcase their games at two events in Dundee: “Drop in and Play” at DCA on Saturday 30 August, and the awards ceremony at the CoSTAR Realtime Lab at Water’s Edge on Thursday 11 September. 

    DARE has a strong track record of launching careers and start-ups, with former teams going on to form successful indie studios including Pocket Sized Hands and Bit Loom. 

    Dr Dayna Galloway, Head of the Department of Games and Arts, said: 

    We’ve been absolutely blown away by the standard of submissions for this year’s DARE Academy. The creativity, ambition and quality on display have been incredibly exciting to see. A huge thank you goes to our judging panel for their time and input, and we’re thrilled to be working with such brilliant industry mentors and sponsors again this year. Their support will be vital in helping our students grow – not just during DARE, but as they move forward into careers in the games industry.

    Torin Pellegrini, team leader of Fishbowl Studio, said: 

    We’re absolutely thrilled to have made it to the DARE Academy finals – it’s a once in a lifetime opportunity. As Abertay students, we know how much this competition can open doors in the industry, and we’re ready to make the most of it. This year’s line-up is packed with originality and fun, and we can’t wait to work with mentors to develop the best version of our game and contribute to DARE’S amazing legacy. Go Fishbowl!

    Last year’s DARE Academy winners were Triple 7 Studios with their game “Left Upon Read”. They were crowned winners by a panel of top industry judges at the UK’s biggest video games expo, EGX in London.  

    MIL OSI United Kingdom –

  • MIL-OSI: Ripple is applying for a national bank charter, LET Mining creates more value for XRP holders

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    New York City, NY, July 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ripple (XRP) has ended its battle with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and is getting rid of the supervision of the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

    Garlinghouse tweeted: “True to our long-standing compliance roots, @Ripple is applying for a national bank charter from the OCC,” he added, “If approved, we would have both state (via NYDFS) and federal oversight, a new (and unique!) benchmark for trust in the stablecoin market.”

    Against this backdrop, the LET Mining cloud mining platform provides XRP users with a way to participate that is both compliant with regulatory direction and can generate stable profits. Allow users to create more value for XRP through the LET Mining cloud mining service.

    If Ripple Labs has any trump card, it is that it may be the most capital-rich cryptocurrency company in the world. If Ripple successfully obtains a national banking license, it will become the first crypto payment company licensed by a federal agency in the United States. This is not only a huge encouragement to the stablecoin market, but also directly enhances the credibility, use and legitimacy of XRP – this is good news for all crypto users.

    And LET Mining is precisely under this compliance wave, providing users with a safer and more transparent passive income platform.

    How does LET Mining achieve income?
    LET Mining maximizes revenue through the following mechanisms:
    ✅ AI computing power scheduling system: dynamically adjust mining strategies according to market difficulty and coin price
    ✅ Multi-node deployment: Global distributed servers ensure mining efficiency and stability
    ✅ Green energy drive: reduce operating costs and increase user revenue space
    ✅ Referral reward system: invite friends to get up to 3% additional rebate

    How XRP holders can create revenue through LET Mining
    1. Log in to the website https://letmining.com/ to register an account, and you can get a $12 reward after successful registration
    2. Choose a cloud computing power contract that suits the user’s investment strategy. Users have the following options (minimum 50XRP to participate)

    ●Experience Contract: Investment amount: $100, contract period: 2 days, daily income of $4, expiration income: $100 + $8
    ●BTC Classic Hash Power: Investment amount: $500, contract period: 5 days, daily income of $6, expiration income: $500 + $30
    ●DOGE Classic Hash Power: Investment amount: $3,500, contract period: 24 days, daily income of $50.4, expiration income: $3,500 + $1,209.6
    ●BTC Advanced Hash Power: Investment amount: $5,000, contract period: 30 days, daily income of $76, expiration income: $5,000 + $2,280
    ●BTC Advanced Hash Power: Investment amount: $10,000, contract period: 45 days, daily income of $173, expiration income: $10,000 + $7,785

    (Click here to view more high-yield contract details)

    3. Automatically obtain revenue every day and withdraw funds at any time

    Start mining with XRP to “empower” assets
    Although XRP itself cannot mine, LET Mining supports using XRP to activate contracts, purchase computing power, and participate in cloud mining of other currencies (such as BTC, LTC, DOGE). This model not only provides a new value channel for XRP holders, but also provides users with a way to steadily increase value in a compliant path.

    Today, as the regulatory environment for XRP becomes increasingly clear, using its legal and compliant funding path to launch LET Mining computing power contracts will be the “ace combination” in asset management strategies.

    As Ripple actively applies for a U.S. national banking license, XRP is gradually moving towards the core position of the mainstream financial system. In this wave of cryptocurrency compliance and financial integration, LET Mining is providing XRP holders with a new path to release value.

    Through LET Mining cloud mining, users do not need to rely on traditional mining mechanisms, and can also make XRP the key to start digital wealth growth. Compliance is the direction, action is the beginning – now is the best time to use XRP to expand passive income opportunities.

    Official website: https://letmining.com/
    Contact email: info@letmining.com
    APP download: https://letmining.com/xml/index.html#/app

    Attachment

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-Evening Report: We don’t need deep-sea mining, or its environmental harms. Here’s why

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin Alger, Associate Professor / Senior Lecturer in Global Environmental Politics, The University of Melbourne

    Potato-sized polymetallic nodules from the deep sea could be mined for valuable metals and minerals. Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    Deep-sea mining promises critical minerals for the energy transition without the problems of mining on land. It also promises to bring wealth to developing nations. But the evidence suggests these promises are false, and mining would harm the environment.

    The practice involves scooping up rock-like nodules from vast areas of the sea floor. These potato-sized lumps contain metals and minerals such as zinc, manganese, molybdenum, nickel and rare earth elements.

    Technology to mine the deep sea exists, but commercial mining of the deep sea is not happening anywhere in the world. That could soon change. Nations are meeting this month in Kingston, Jamaica, to agree to a mining code. Such a code would make way for mining to begin within the next few years.

    On Thursday, Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, released research into the environmental impacts of deep-sea mining. It aims to promote better environmental management of deep-sea mining, should it proceed.

    We have previously challenged the rationale for deep-sea mining, drawing on our expertise in international politics and environmental management. We argue mining the deep sea is harmful and the economic benefits have been overstated. What’s more, the metals and minerals to be mined are not scarce.

    The best course of action is a ban on international seabed mining, building on the coalition for a moratorium.

    The Metals Company spent six months at sea collecting nodules in 2022, while studying the effects on ecosystems.

    Managing and monitoring environmental harm

    Recent advances in technology have made deep-sea mining more feasible. But removing the nodules – which also requires pumping water around – has been shown to damage the seabed and endanger marine life.

    CSIRO has developed the first environmental management and monitoring frameworks to protect deep sea ecosystems from mining. It aims to provide “trusted, science-based tools to evaluate the environmental risks and viability of deep-sea mining”.

    Scientists from Griffith University, Museums Victoria, the University of the Sunshine Coast, and Earth Sciences New Zealand were also involved in the work.

    The Metals Company Australia, a local subsidiary of the Canadian deep-sea mining exploration company, commissioned the research. It involved analysing data from test mining the company carried out in the Pacific Ocean in 2022.

    The company has led efforts to expedite deep-sea mining. This includes pushing for the mining code, and exploring commercial mining of the international seabed through approval from the US government.

    In a media briefing this week, CSIRO Senior Principal Research Scientist Piers Dunstan said the mining activity substantially affected the sea floor. Some marine life, especially that attached to the nodules, had very little hope of recovery. He said if mining were to go ahead, monitoring would be crucial.

    We are sceptical that ecological impacts can be managed even with this new framework. Little is known about life in these deep-water ecosystems. But research shows nodule mining would cause extensive habitat loss and damage.

    Do we really need to open the ocean frontier to mining? We argue the answer is no, on three counts.

    How does deep-sea mining work? (The Guardian)

    1. Minerals are not scarce

    The minerals required for the energy transition are abundant on land. Known global terrestrial reserves of cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum and nickel are enough to meet current production levels for decades – even with growing demand.

    There is no compelling reason to extract deep-sea minerals, given the economics of both deep-sea and land-based mining. Deep-sea mining is speculative and inevitably too expensive given such remote, deep operations.

    Claims about mineral scarcity are being used to justify attempting to legitimise a new extractive frontier in the deep sea. Opportunistic investors can make money through speculation and attracting government subsidies.

    2. Mining at sea will not replace mining on land

    Proponents claim deep-sea mining can replace some mining on land. Mining on land has led to social issues including infringing on indigenous and community rights. It also damages the environment.

    But deep-sea mining will not necessarily displace, replace or change mining on land. Land-based mining contracts span decades and the companies involved will not abandon ongoing or planned projects. Their activities will continue, even if deep-sea mining begins.

    Deep-sea mining also faces many of the same challenges as mining on land, while introducing new problems. The social problems that arise during transport, processing and distribution remain the same.

    And sea-based industries are already rife with modern slavery and labour violations, partly because they are notoriously difficult to monitor.

    Deep-sea mining does not solve social problems with land-based mining, and adds more challenges.

    Hidden Gem was the world’s first deep-sea mineral production vessel with seabed-to-surface nodule collection and transport systems.
    Photo by Charles M. Vella/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

    3. Common heritage of humankind and the Global South

    Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the international seabed is the common heritage of humankind. This means the proceeds of deep-sea mining should be distributed fairly among all countries.

    Deep-sea mining commercial partnerships between developing countries in the Global South and firms from the North have yet to pay off for the former. There is little indication this pattern will change.

    For example, when Canadian company Nautilus went bankrupt in 2019, it saddled Papua New Guinea with millions in debt from a failed domestic deep-sea mining venture.

    The Metals Company has partnerships with Nauru and Tonga but the latest deal with the US creates uncertainty about whether their agreements will be honoured.

    European investors took control of Blue Minerals Jamaica, originally a Jamaican-owned company, shortly after orchestrating its start up. Any profits would therefore go offshore.

    Australian Gerard Barron is Chairman and CEO of The Metals Company, formerly DeepGreen.
    Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    A wise investment?

    It is unclear whether deep-sea mining will ever be a good investment.

    Multiple large corporate investors have pulled out of the industry, or gone bankrupt. And The Metals Company has received delisting notices from the Nasdaq stock exchange due to poor financial performance.

    Given the threat of environmental harm, the evidence suggests deep-sea mining is not worth the risk.

    Justin Alger receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    D.G. Webster receives funding from the National Science Foundation in the United States and various internal funding sources at Dartmouth University.

    Jessica Green receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    Kate J Neville receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    Stacy D VanDeveer and Susan M Park 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. We don’t need deep-sea mining, or its environmental harms. Here’s why – https://theconversation.com/we-dont-need-deep-sea-mining-or-its-environmental-harms-heres-why-260401

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: We don’t need deep-sea mining, or its environmental harms. Here’s why

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Justin Alger, Associate Professor / Senior Lecturer in Global Environmental Politics, The University of Melbourne

    Potato-sized polymetallic nodules from the deep sea could be mined for valuable metals and minerals. Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    Deep-sea mining promises critical minerals for the energy transition without the problems of mining on land. It also promises to bring wealth to developing nations. But the evidence suggests these promises are false, and mining would harm the environment.

    The practice involves scooping up rock-like nodules from vast areas of the sea floor. These potato-sized lumps contain metals and minerals such as zinc, manganese, molybdenum, nickel and rare earth elements.

    Technology to mine the deep sea exists, but commercial mining of the deep sea is not happening anywhere in the world. That could soon change. Nations are meeting this month in Kingston, Jamaica, to agree to a mining code. Such a code would make way for mining to begin within the next few years.

    On Thursday, Australia’s national science agency, CSIRO, released research into the environmental impacts of deep-sea mining. It aims to promote better environmental management of deep-sea mining, should it proceed.

    We have previously challenged the rationale for deep-sea mining, drawing on our expertise in international politics and environmental management. We argue mining the deep sea is harmful and the economic benefits have been overstated. What’s more, the metals and minerals to be mined are not scarce.

    The best course of action is a ban on international seabed mining, building on the coalition for a moratorium.

    The Metals Company spent six months at sea collecting nodules in 2022, while studying the effects on ecosystems.

    Managing and monitoring environmental harm

    Recent advances in technology have made deep-sea mining more feasible. But removing the nodules – which also requires pumping water around – has been shown to damage the seabed and endanger marine life.

    CSIRO has developed the first environmental management and monitoring frameworks to protect deep sea ecosystems from mining. It aims to provide “trusted, science-based tools to evaluate the environmental risks and viability of deep-sea mining”.

    Scientists from Griffith University, Museums Victoria, the University of the Sunshine Coast, and Earth Sciences New Zealand were also involved in the work.

    The Metals Company Australia, a local subsidiary of the Canadian deep-sea mining exploration company, commissioned the research. It involved analysing data from test mining the company carried out in the Pacific Ocean in 2022.

    The company has led efforts to expedite deep-sea mining. This includes pushing for the mining code, and exploring commercial mining of the international seabed through approval from the US government.

    In a media briefing this week, CSIRO Senior Principal Research Scientist Piers Dunstan said the mining activity substantially affected the sea floor. Some marine life, especially that attached to the nodules, had very little hope of recovery. He said if mining were to go ahead, monitoring would be crucial.

    We are sceptical that ecological impacts can be managed even with this new framework. Little is known about life in these deep-water ecosystems. But research shows nodule mining would cause extensive habitat loss and damage.

    Do we really need to open the ocean frontier to mining? We argue the answer is no, on three counts.

    How does deep-sea mining work? (The Guardian)

    1. Minerals are not scarce

    The minerals required for the energy transition are abundant on land. Known global terrestrial reserves of cobalt, copper, manganese, molybdenum and nickel are enough to meet current production levels for decades – even with growing demand.

    There is no compelling reason to extract deep-sea minerals, given the economics of both deep-sea and land-based mining. Deep-sea mining is speculative and inevitably too expensive given such remote, deep operations.

    Claims about mineral scarcity are being used to justify attempting to legitimise a new extractive frontier in the deep sea. Opportunistic investors can make money through speculation and attracting government subsidies.

    2. Mining at sea will not replace mining on land

    Proponents claim deep-sea mining can replace some mining on land. Mining on land has led to social issues including infringing on indigenous and community rights. It also damages the environment.

    But deep-sea mining will not necessarily displace, replace or change mining on land. Land-based mining contracts span decades and the companies involved will not abandon ongoing or planned projects. Their activities will continue, even if deep-sea mining begins.

    Deep-sea mining also faces many of the same challenges as mining on land, while introducing new problems. The social problems that arise during transport, processing and distribution remain the same.

    And sea-based industries are already rife with modern slavery and labour violations, partly because they are notoriously difficult to monitor.

    Deep-sea mining does not solve social problems with land-based mining, and adds more challenges.

    Hidden Gem was the world’s first deep-sea mineral production vessel with seabed-to-surface nodule collection and transport systems.
    Photo by Charles M. Vella/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

    3. Common heritage of humankind and the Global South

    Under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, the international seabed is the common heritage of humankind. This means the proceeds of deep-sea mining should be distributed fairly among all countries.

    Deep-sea mining commercial partnerships between developing countries in the Global South and firms from the North have yet to pay off for the former. There is little indication this pattern will change.

    For example, when Canadian company Nautilus went bankrupt in 2019, it saddled Papua New Guinea with millions in debt from a failed domestic deep-sea mining venture.

    The Metals Company has partnerships with Nauru and Tonga but the latest deal with the US creates uncertainty about whether their agreements will be honoured.

    European investors took control of Blue Minerals Jamaica, originally a Jamaican-owned company, shortly after orchestrating its start up. Any profits would therefore go offshore.

    Australian Gerard Barron is Chairman and CEO of The Metals Company, formerly DeepGreen.
    Carolyn Cole / Los Angeles Times via Getty Images

    A wise investment?

    It is unclear whether deep-sea mining will ever be a good investment.

    Multiple large corporate investors have pulled out of the industry, or gone bankrupt. And The Metals Company has received delisting notices from the Nasdaq stock exchange due to poor financial performance.

    Given the threat of environmental harm, the evidence suggests deep-sea mining is not worth the risk.

    Justin Alger receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    D.G. Webster receives funding from the National Science Foundation in the United States and various internal funding sources at Dartmouth University.

    Jessica Green receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    Kate J Neville receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    Stacy D VanDeveer and Susan M Park 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. We don’t need deep-sea mining, or its environmental harms. Here’s why – https://theconversation.com/we-dont-need-deep-sea-mining-or-its-environmental-harms-heres-why-260401

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-Evening Report: Much to celebrate as NAIDOC Week turns 50, but also much to learn

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Lynette Riley, Co-chair of the National NAIDOC Committee and Professor in the Sydney School of Education and Social Work; and Chair, Aboriginal Education and Indigenous Studies.original Education & Indigenous Studies., University of Sydney

    Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander readers are advised this article contains names and/or images of deceased people.

    In 1938, when Australia celebrated the sesquicentenary – 150 years since Captain Phillip and the First Fleet landed in Sydney Cove – the organisers wanted Aboriginal people to be involved in a re-enactment.

    More than 25 Aboriginal men were rounded up from Menindee in western New South Wales. They were told if they did not perform the role of running up the beach away from the British, their families would starve.

    Ngiyaampaa elder Beryl (Yunghadhu) Philp Carmichael, who was three at the time, recollected years later that all she could remember was the crying:

    All the women were crying. Whether they were taking them away to be massacred, no one knew.

    The re-enactment was of course a fallacy of what really happened on January 26 1788 – it was a “white-washing” of history.

    The mistreatment of the Menindee men illustrates the anger that was simmering over the status and treatment of fellow Aboriginal kin.

    Protests against Australia Day, which had been growing since the 1920s, led to the Aboriginal Day of Mourning, the first national gathering of Indigenous people speaking up against discrimination and dispossession.

    The Aboriginal Day of Mourning was regarded as one of the first major civil rights movements in the world.
    National Museum of Australia, CC BY

    The emergence of Aboriginal protest groups nearly a century ago gave birth in the 1970s to what eventually came to be known as the National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee (NAIDOC), which this year celebrates its 50th anniversary.

    Celebrating culture

    NAIDOC’s role is to encompass all Indigenous/First Nations peoples in Australia.

    One week is set aside each July:

    to celebrate and recognise the history, culture and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

    NAIDOC Week is essentially a celebration of the oldest, continuous living cultures on earth. Numerous events are held across the country – performances, art and photographic exhibitions, smoking ceremonies and the popular National NAIDOC Awards.

    They present a crucial opportunity to increase awareness in the wider community of Indigenous history and excellence, while acknowledging the challenges that remain.

    It is distinct from Reconciliation Week, which focuses on relations between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

    As a current co-chair of the NAIDOC Committee, I recognise the ongoing need, as initially established by our Elders as the founders of NAIDOC Week, to highlight the continuing issues for us as Indigenous peoples in Australia.

    NAIDOC themes

    We do this by setting a theme each year focused on a specific challenge.

    The themes are determined through deep consideration of the significant issues facing Indigenous peoples. They have evolved through political protests, social change, recognition, respect and appreciation of Indigenous rights.

    Some examples down the years from the 1970s include:

    • Advance Australia Where? (1972)
    • Self Determination (1974)
    • White Australia has a Black History (1987)
    • Understanding It Takes the Two of Us (1985)
    • Justice not Tolerance (1995)
    • Gurindji, Mabo, Wik – Three Strikes for Justice (1997)
    • Bringing Them Home (1998)
    • Advance Australia Fair? (2008)
    • Our Languages Matter (2017)
    • Voice. Treaty. Truth. (2019)
    • Always Was, Always Will Be (2020).

    NAIDOC Week helps promote to the wider community the importance of truth-telling and learning of societal issues, the heritage of culture and languages, and the history of interactions between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

    Ask yourself: what do you know about the themes? Why are they relevant and what impact do they have on Indigenous peoples across Australia?

    Next generation

    The theme for 2025 is “The Next Generation: Strength, Vision and Legacy”.

    It was selected following the committee’s distress at the way in which our youth are often demeaned in the media and presented as social pariahs and potential risks to the wider community’s safety.

    To us, our youth are our cultural and social strength, and the continuity for our communities.

    We therefore celebrate our youth. We wish to highlight these amazing young people in our communities, as our vision and legacy for our future.

    Look no further than our past NAIDOC Youth winners:

    • Dante Rodrigues 2024: a professional martial arts and kickboxer who runs health and wellbeing programs for young Indigenous people

    • Courtney Burns 2023: a marine biologist who is deeply passionate about the connection between ocean, Country and our Mob

    • Elijah Manis 20022: Young islander working in the fields of social justice issues and the effects of climate change on the Torres Strait.

    In NAIDOC and the ABC’s educational resource Culture Is Life, three young people speak of the kind of ancestor they would like to be to inspire future generations.

    Visual artist Irwin Lewis said he would want to be known for his conservation of cultural knowledge, stories and language.

    Foster care worker Shaylem Wilson nominated never turning away from hard truths, and working with young people who continue to be taken away from their families and Country, as well as maintaining and strengthening their family and cultural ties.

    Youth advocate Manny Williams noted he wanted to seek deeper connection to Country to help guide the next generations of young people:

    I want to be an ancestor who always nurtured everything
    from people to Country — guiding those who seek a deeper
    connection; sharing wisdom and knowledge to those who listen. An ancestor who is there to remind our people of the light we all have within ourselves.

    The future is in the hands of these remarkable Indigenous youth as they grapple with the human rights, political and societal issues facing their communities.

    Many Australians have much to learn from NAIDOC Week.

    All of us have much to celebrate.

    Lynette Riley is the co-chair of the National NAIDOC Committee

    – ref. Much to celebrate as NAIDOC Week turns 50, but also much to learn – https://theconversation.com/much-to-celebrate-as-naidoc-week-turns-50-but-also-much-to-learn-259900

    MIL OSI Analysis – EveningReport.nz –

  • MIL-OSI: Lightchain AI Announces Final Presale Round After Securing $21 Million in Early Support

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SHREWSBURY, United Kingdom, July 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lightchain AI, a next-generation Layer 1 blockchain platform purpose-built for decentralized artificial intelligence, has officially launched its Bonus Round after completing all 15 presale stages and raising more than $21 million in early contributions. This new phase offers fixed pricing at $0.007125 and is the final opportunity for supporters to gain early access ahead of the project’s mainnet launch, scheduled for July 2025.

    The successful conclusion of the presale demonstrates strong market interest and community confidence in Lightchain AI’s long-term vision. Central to this vision is the integration of artificial intelligence into blockchain infrastructure through the Artificial Intelligence Virtual Machine (AIVM) and the project’s proprietary Proof-of-Intelligence consensus mechanism. These innovations are designed to enable secure, low-latency AI execution within a fully decentralized ecosystem.

    “With over $21 million raised and widespread developer engagement, Lightchain AI is entering a critical growth phase that positions it for real-world adoption and scalable use,” said a spokesperson from the Lightchain team.

    The Bonus Round is backed by several ecosystem advancements already underway. Public GitHub repositories will be available at mainnet launch, providing transparency and encouraging open-source development. Additionally, the platform has introduced a $150,000 grant pool to support builders and innovators contributing to Lightchain’s evolving ecosystem.

    Key presale design elements—such as the complete reallocation of the original 5% Team Allocation to developer grants and protocol incentives—underscore the platform’s community-first approach. Combined with transparent governance, active validator onboarding, and developer tools like APIs and SDKs, Lightchain AI is actively cultivating a sustainable, growth-oriented network.

    This phase also introduces Lightchain’s Meme Launchpad, a creative toolkit designed to help developers and content creators build and deploy Web3-native applications in an AI-enhanced environment. The platform’s architecture features dynamic gas optimization and horizontal sharding to enable performance at scale, particularly for computation-heavy workloads.

    Looking ahead, the Lightchain AI team is focused on expanding DeFi integrations and onboarding decentralized validator and contributor nodes in preparation for mainnet activation. These steps align with the project’s broader mission: to accelerate decentralized AI adoption while maintaining network transparency, security, and community ownership.

    Interested participants can join the Bonus Round and access Lightchain AI resources via the official website and community channels.

    Learn more:
    https://lightchain.ai
    Whitepaper
    Twitter/X
    Telegram

    Contact:
    SHAJAN SKARIA
    media@lightchain.ai

    Disclaimer: This content is provided by Lightchain AI. The statements, views, and opinions expressed in this content are solely those of the content provider and do not necessarily reflect the views of this media platform or its publisher. We do not endorse, verify, or guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of any information presented. We do not guarantee any claims, statements, or promises made in this article. This content is for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial, investment, or trading advice.Investing in crypto and mining-related opportunities involves significant risks, including the potential loss of capital. It is possible to lose all your capital. These products may not be suitable for everyone, and you should ensure that you understand the risks involved. Seek independent advice if necessary. Speculate only with funds that you can afford to lose. Readers are strongly encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a qualified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. However, due to the inherently speculative nature of the blockchain sector—including cryptocurrency, NFTs, and mining—complete accuracy cannot always be guaranteed.Neither the media platform nor the publisher shall be held responsible for any fraudulent activities, misrepresentations, or financial losses arising from the content of this press release. In the event of any legal claims or charges against this article, we accept no liability or responsibility.Globenewswire does not endorse any content on this page.

    Legal Disclaimer: This media platform provides the content of this article on an “as-is” basis, without any warranties or representations of any kind, express or implied. We assume no responsibility for any inaccuracies, errors, or omissions. We do not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information presented herein. Any concerns, complaints, or copyright issues related to this article should be directed to the content provider mentioned above.

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/05eb1112-b0b1-4956-a579-409f6ab0e601

    The MIL Network –

  • MIL-OSI: hashj cloud mining Debuts the “Turbo-Yield Dual-Engine Cloud Lane” to Power Ahead of 2025’s SOL and XRP Surge

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Washington, DC, July 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Research firm CryptoVision projects Solana (SOL) to revisit US $200-$220 and XRP to reclaim US $1.50-$1.80 before year-end. While most retail traders chase those targets with spot buys, MGPD Finance Limited, doing business as hashj cloud mining offers a smarter path: its new Turbo-Yield Dual-Engine Cloud Lane mines both assets in real time, turning price forecasts into compounding daily income. Every new registrant receives an $18 welcome credit plus $100 of free hash power—no hardware, no configuration, instant earnings.

    1 | Why Pair SOL with XRP for 2025? 

    Token 2025 Price Forecast* Catalysts Yield Angle
    Solana (SOL) $200–$220 (~+70 % vs. Q2 average) DePIN boom, GameFi launches, RWA tokenization; network still clears 65 k+ TPS Sub-penny fees & instant finality—perfect for rapid staking loops and fast compounding 
    XRP $1.50–$1.80 (~+90 % vs. Q2 average) U.S. policy clarity; Tier-1 banks trialling on-chain settlement ≈3-second confirmations and near-zero gas enable ultra-liquid daily payouts

    Estimates aggregated from the June 2025 outlooks published by CryptoVision, BlockSignals, and Galaxy Charts.
    Trend Pulse: Over the last 90 days, Google Trends shows “Solana price prediction” searches up 260 %, while “XRP yield” jumped 190%.


    2 | How hashj cloud mining Converts Forecasts into Daily Cash Flow 

    While most investors wait for prices to rise, hashj cloud mining turns projections into action—by auto-routing hash power to high-yield nodes, it transforms SOL and XRP forecasts into real-time, compounding income.

    Turbo Feature Real-World Benefit
    AI Dual-Engine Scheduler Millisecond routing of hash power to the top-earning SOL validators and XRP consensus nodes
    100 % Renewable Backbone Hydro & solar farms cut carbon output by 80 %, hitting every ESG checkpoint
    T+0 Daily Payouts SOL staking and XRP mining rewards settle every 24 h—withdraw or reinvest in one tap
    One-Tap DeFi Booster Auto-swap daily SOL/XRP into stablecoins, then farm partner liquidity pools for +15 % APY
    Double Starter Gift $18 sign-up bonus + $100 trial hash power—earn first, deposit later

    3 | Three-Step On-Ramp

    1. Register at hashj.com—the $18 + $100 credits land instantly.
    2. Select “Turbo-Yield Dual-Engine Cloud Lane,” press Start, and activate SOL & XRP earnings in < 30 seconds.
    3. Monitor & compound: track daily profits, enable the DeFi Booster, or withdraw—your strategy, your pace.

    4 | Key Metrics & 2025 Roadmap

    • 9.3 million+ active users
    • Presence in 96 countries
    • 8 000 TH/s+ aggregated hash power
    • 99.99 % node uptime across five continents
    • Scheduled for Q4 2025: debut of a Solana liquid-staking vault along with plug-and-play deposits through an XRP payment gateway.

    About MGPD Finance Limited (doing business as hashj cloud mining)

    hashj cloud mining blends AI-driven hash-power allocation with renewable-energy data centers to deliver multi-chain cloud yields—including SOL, XRP, BTC, ETH, DOGE, LTC and more—making institutional-grade returns as easy as tapping a phone.

    Grab your $18 bonus + $100 hash-power gift now and ride the SOL $200 / XRP $1.80 wave: https://www.hashj.com

    The MIL Network –